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 Sequoia
Sentinel
December 16, 2019
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Sequoia PTSA's weekly eNewsletter in partnership with the Sequoia High School Education Foundation
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A Season of Sharing...
 Winter break is nearly upon us. If you're like me, you look forward to at least one or two days to clear out your twitter/browser bookmarks, read a book or two, or go down a youtube rabbit hole. In other words, consume the kind of content that normally makes us feel like we're procrastinating or avoiding "real" work. As in previous years, I wanted to share some of my favorite things from my 2019 media diet in case you're looking for recommendations. As always, some have directly informed the work we do at Sequoia, others indirectly, the rest are just fun. I'll let you figure out which is which.
How about we start with the story of where
cats
came from? And, of course,
dogs
, too.
If you're on twitter and passionate about food, the Bay Area, social justice, and Sequoia High School, I recommend following:
@ravenreport; @hooleil; @cultofpedagogy; @seqsports; @peterhartlaub; @mekkaokereke; @seqhsmc
I commute. I listen to podcasts. Here are a few of my favorites:
Aria Code
: Folk musician Rhiannon Giddens dives deeply into opera's greatest hits
Ear Hustle
: Life inside San Quentin as told by inmates
Of the other books I read this year, these ones stood out:
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The Silk Roads
by Peter Frankopan (Central Asia and the Middle East have always been critical to world events - here's how and why)
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Adventures in the Screen Trade
by William Goldman (Funny telling of why some stories work and others don't. Caveat: "nobody knows anything")
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Pachinko
by Min Jin Lee (Dickensian saga of a Korean family in 20th-Century Japan. As good as everyone says, in my opinion)
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An American Marriage
by Tayari Jones (Intimate and allegorical. The title, tragically, says it all.)
Alfie Kohn is a household name in progressive education circles. I'm always interested in what he has to say, even when I don't 100% agree.
In this article
from last summer, he calls into question the conventional wisdom around accountability and achievement in schools.
Did you ever wonder what it would be like to live inside a stringed instrument?
Whoa!
Hope everyone's break is restful and safe. On behalf of Sequoia High School, Happy New Year from our families to yours!
Best,
Sean
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Reflections Contest: Thank You, Participants and Judges!
 Reflections submissions are on display now! View these beautiful pieces expressing the theme
Look Within. We'd like to thank the following participants:
Duncan Adams, Mac Brennan, Denise Carrillo, Estevan Dominguez, Sarah Hansen, Ava Liu, Marta Olson, Alyssa Sawyer, Isabelle Simon
, and Lily Weissman.
Please mark your calendar for our reception on Tuesday, April 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room to honor all Reflections participants and announce the winners who advanced to the district and state competitions.
Come view participants' artwork, meet the artists, and enjoy light refreshments. The April PTSA meeting will immediately follow the reception.
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New Donors, Here's Your Chance to Double Your End-of-Year SHSEF Donation!
 Please consider making a gift before the calendar year ends in a few weeks. For all NEW donors, Laura Bertolacci of Dwell Realtors, will match each gift made (dollar for dollar up to a total of $7,500) to SHSEF between now and December 31, 2019.
For those interested in becoming an SHSEF business sponsor, please refer to our website or contact Marianne Jett to discuss a partnership.
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Help for Holiday Staff Luncheon Still Needed This Thursday and A Few More Donations Too
 Kick off the Holidays with a Luncheon for Sequoia teachers & staff
. Help our staff and teachers celebrate the holidays with a PTSA sponsored luncheon on Thursday, December 19th! There are lots of ways to pitch in to show our appreciation for the amazing team at Sequoia.
Thanks to all who have signed up! A few spots remain however, so please take a peek at the Sign-Up to provide these last few items or help at the event (shifts from 8:00 - 10:00 a.m., 10:00 - 12:00 p.m.,
and 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.).
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Junior Families: Upcoming Quad Game Basketball Concessions Need Your Help!
 Attention Class of 2021 Families! Our class fundraising season is kicking off and we need your help! Donations and volunteers are needed for the concessions stand at three upcoming Quad Basketball Games on
January 24, January 31, and
February 7. Money raised will help fund graduation activities for the Class of 2021.
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Consider a Honey Bear Tree for 2019!
 If you are still looking for a Christmas tree this winter, remember that Honey Bear Trees will be supporting Sequoia High School Class of 2020.
Please consider buying your Christmas tree or wreath from Honey Bear and 15% of your purchase will be donated to the graduating class. Take your
flyer (
Spanish) to either
955 Woodside Road, RWC or
1579 El Camino Real, San Carlos so the funds are dedicated to Sequoia High School.
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Calculus Caroling, A Sequoia Tradition
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Video clip of first period Calculus class singing Oh Calculus, Oh Calculus!
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Did you know Mr. Joshua Yezerski's AP Calculus classes have been "Calculus Caroling" for the last 15 to 20 years at Sequoia? This year, caroling took place last Thursday during first period and again on Friday during sixth period. It was a welcomed break from the rigors of Study Week for both carolers and audience members.
This annual tradition was started by a previous Calculus teacher, Kelley O'Hern, who found several Calculus themed Christmas songs such as
Oh Calculus, Oh Calculus! and
Riemann Sums. Other titles that have been incorporated since include
Fill the Boards With Differentials,
Natural Logarithms and ex, and
Calculus Class. The tradition continues today, thanks to Mr. Yezerski, who says, "Students seem to love it. They've even added to the song canon, writing new lyrics for classes to sing. The funny thing is, they've helped with the teaching of concepts as well. We refer back to the lyrics over and over again in class."
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Musicians Mesmerize at Winter Concert
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Orchestra getting ready to entertain at the 2019 Winter Concert.
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Sequoia's musicians, including those in Band, Advanced Band, Jazz Band, Drumline, Orchestra, and Choir wowed audiences in a packed Carrington Hall during their two-night performances last week. The repertoire included
seasonal selections from around the globe, classical pieces such as the
Ukrainian Bell Carol, Tchaikovsky's
1812 Overture, Haydn's
Symphony 52 movement 1, and
Overture to "The Barber of Seville", and contemporary pieces from Hollywood and Broadway.
Congratulations to all our hardworking musicians and a special shout-out to
Mr. Daniel Broome, Ms. Jane Woodman, and
Mr. Othello Jefferson for their constant dedication to advancing the performing arts at Sequoia.
Happy Holidays to all, enjoy the well-deserved break, and get ready for more music-making in 2020!
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Happy Holidays and See You Again in 2020
The Winter Break marks the end of yet another busy year for all. Here at the Sentinel, we will be taking a two week break as well, resuming publication on January 6, 2020. I would like to express my thanks to all the parents, teachers, staff, students, and community members who make use of the Sentinel's weekly platform to inform, organize, recognize, and appreciate. Special thanks to PTSA President
Lisa Hane and Director of Communications
Isha Bhatt for their on-going support, and
Karen Gebhardt for her willingness to step in as back-up Editor.
I'd also like to reiterate that our readers enjoy hearing about activities, events, and accomplishments of our Sequoia students, staff, and community. If you have articles to submit to the Sentinel (including photos and links), please
email the article/blurb by the Thursday before publication. See the following
Guidelines for news submissions.
For those who wish to subscribe or resubscribe, we cannot add you back if you initiated the unsubscribe authorization at any point so use the link below to receive our weekly newsletter. Please check all appropriate boxes for grade level or special interest communications.
Best wishes this holiday season!
~ Jocelyn Kelemen
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Calendar
Monday - Thursday,
Dec. 16 - 19
Tuesday, Dec. 17
7:00 p.m.
Booster Meeting, Staff Rm.
Thursday, Dec. 19
12:00 p.m.
Staff Luncheon, MPR
UPCOMING EVENTS
Dec. 20 - Jan. 6, 2020
No School
Winter Break
Tuesday, Jan. 7
School Re-opens
Thursday, Jan. 9
PSAT and Standardized Testing Info Night
Time and Location TBD
Tuesday, Jan. 14
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
8th Grade IB Info Night,
Carrington Hall
Tuesday, Jan. 14
7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Community Dialogue Night, MPR
Thursday, Jan. 16
10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Monday, Jan. 20
No School
MLK Day
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Support Sequoia With Your Holiday Online Shopping
Copy and paste SHSEF's AmazonSmile link below onto your browser bar for quick access to future contributions while shopping!
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Be a Substitute!
Are you a parent who would like to work a flexible schedule in a subject you like? If you have a college degree, all you need to do is pass a basic skills test (
CBEST), get fingerprinted, and you can sign up to be a substitute!
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You Know You've Been Meaning To...
...So click the purple button and JOIN NOW!
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En Español
¿Quieres traducir este boletín ahora? Siga estas instrucciones para obtener una traducción:
1. Haga clic en "Click here" en la parte superior del correo electrónico: "Having trouble viewing this email? Click here."
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3. Abra una página nueva del navegador web y vaya a
4. Coloca el cursor en la caja y mantenga presionada la tecla Control y haga clic en la tecla V para pegar el boletín completo en el cuadro de traducción.
5. Asegúrese de seleccionar "To: Spanish" en la parte superior de la página. Haga clic en el botón Traducir. La traducción al español debe aparecer en el lado derecho.
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THE PARENT EDUCATION MINI-SERIES
Raising a Resilient Learner
Adina Glickman, MSW, Founder of the Stanford Resilience Project
Thursday, January 16, 2020, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Sequoia Union High School District Office, Birch Room
480 James Avenue, Redwood City
Students who thrive develop a range of intellectual and social-emotional skills and capacities.
The Resilient Learner
is an integrated approach to learning that can help children and teens flourish - both in school and outside of school.
Parents, students, educators, and community members welcome! Free admission and light refreshments.
Parent Education Mini-Series events are sponsored by Sequoia Healthcare District and Sequoia Union High School District.
M-A PARENT EDUCATION SERIES
The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives
Dr. William Stixrud & Ned Johnson, Co-Authors
Thursday, January 30, 2020, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Menlo-Atherton High School,
M-A Performing Arts Center (PAC)
555 Middlefield Road, Atherton
The Self-Driven Child offers a combination of cutting-edge brain science, the latest discoveries in behavioral therapy, and case studies of kids and teens co-authors
Bill Stixrud, PhD, and
Ned Johnson have helped over the years to teach you how to set your child on the real road to success.
Parents, students, educators, and community members welcome! Free admission and light refreshments. Spanish interpretation will be available.
M-A Parent Education Series events are sponsored by M-A PTA, Sequoia Healthcare District, and Sequoia Union High School District.
WOODSIDE PARENT EDUCATION SERIES
Creating Gender Inclusive Environments for Children and Teens
Joel Baum, Senior Director for Professional Development, Gender Spectrum
Thursday, February 27, 2020, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Woodside High School
Multi-Use Room (MUR)
199 Churchill Avenue, Woodside
As one of the most fundamental aspects of self, gender impacts everybody--particularly children and teens.
Gender Spectrum's mission is to create a gender-inclusive world for all children and youth. Today's young people have significantly different understandings of gender than previous generations, with consequences for children, families, organizations, and institutions.
Parents, students, educators, and community members welcome! Free admission and light refreshments. Spanish interpretation will be available.
Woodside Parent Education Series events are sponsored by Woodside PTSA, Sequoia Healthcare District, and Sequoia Union High School District.
Questions? Contact Charlene Margot , M.A., Founder and Director, The Parent Education Series.
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