DON JUAN AVILA MIDDLE SCHOOL
DJAMS NEWS
Principal: Chris Carter
January 15, 2009
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NO SCHOOL ON MONDAY, JANUARY 19, MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY

Monday, January 19, is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a legal holiday for students and staff. We hope you enjoy a nice three-day weekend.

DOMINO’S PIZZA NIGHT – PTSA FUNDRAISER

PTSA is holding a fundraiser night at Domino’s Pizza on Wednesday, February 11. A certain percentage of your dine-in or take-out orders will be donated to DJAMS PTSA! Flyers available in the office.

7TH/8TH GRADE TECHNO GLOW DANCE IS COMING!

7th and 8th graders will want to attend this first dance of the new year! Friday, January 23, 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the MPR. Signed permission slips must be turned in. Glow-in-the-Dark attire is recommended.

FEE-BASED AAA/GATE TESTING

Registration forms for the fee-based AAA/GATE test are available at www.capousd.org/aaa. Forms are due at the CUSD AAA/GATE office by January 21. Testing takes place on Saturday, February 2, 2009, at George White Elementary School. Qualified students who were absent during the site-based AAA/GATE test (January 14) received a voucher and may appear on that date to take the test free of charge. Results of the test will be sent to the school site in March, and mailed to parents in April. Any schedule changes that result from this test will take effect the following school year.

COLLEGE PREP NIGHT

Meeting College Entrance Requirements – What Middle School Parents Need to Know – Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Aliso Niguel Middle School.

The PTSA’s at both DJAMS and AVMS are working in partnership with school administration to bring you this important information. Please mark your calendars and plan on attending this educational event.

ACADEMIC PENTATHLON

Nine 8th graders are moving on as members of our 8th grade Academic Pentathlon Team. They will be studying hard over the next few months to prepare for the competition in March. Congratulations to team members Darren Cheah, Patrick Cruz, Merak Melikian-Hatounian, Flo Pankam, William Rhee, Sajan Shah, Alec Sheedy, Ryan Song, and Alex Tarkoff.

Our 7th grade team is: Nick Blackmore, Ryan Bresnan, Alec Cwener, Kieran Ishimaru, McKenna Jarrell, Bryce Keeler, Jasmine Lee, Kelly Lee, Jake Pollard, Andrew Tran, Carina Yao

A big thanks to all contestants who tried out and made choosing the teams so competitive and difficult.

DJAMS’ 8TH ANNUAL SPELLING BEE

Approximately 100 students participated in the classroom written spelling bee round last Friday, January 9. The on-site written and oral competition will be held Wednesday, February 4. The top 10 spellers from this round will go to the county-wide written round on Monday, February 23. Then, on Monday, March 2, the county-wide oral round will take place. Good luck to all our expert spellers!!

THE PARENT PROJECT – Classes Offered

Parents of teens are invited to attend a series of 10 consecutive classes presented by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department-Mission Viejo Police Services.

THE PARENT PROJECT

Wednesdays, March 4 through May 13, 2009, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Mission Viejo City Hall-Saddleback Room

200 Civic Center, corner of Marguerite Pkwy/La Paz Rd.

Cost: $60

Register Now at Mission Viejo Police Services 470-8433

Get concrete answers for every question you ask:

· Never argue again with your child

· Improve school attendance and performance

· Prevent or intervene in alcohol & other drug use

· Find resources to help

For more information, go to www.parentproject.com.

PREVIOUS NEWS

TALENT SHOW AUDITIONS

Students interested in signing up to audition for the Talent Show can do so all week outside Ms. Berndt’s Room 608. Auditions will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, February 3 and 4. We are looking forward to seeing all of our talented students perform. Talent Show is on Thursday, February 26. Details to follow.

8TH GRADE YEARBOOK ADS

The deadline for purchasing an ad for your son/daughter is Friday, January 16. No ads will be accepted after that day. Please see the Yearbook Information on Edline for an order form. If you need more information, please email Mrs. Olson at seolson@capousd.org.

PI (3.14) DAY IS COMING!

The math department is planning to celebrate Pi Day early this year on Friday, March 13. Students can be a part of the Pi-Day celebration and buy a special Pi Cubed t-shirt for only $15 cash or check made out to DJAMS by the January 29 deadline.

ONGOING WEIGHT TRAINING CLASS

It’s never too late for students to join Mr. Binley’s weight training session. Classes are held from 3:40 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, in our DJAMS Weight Room. This class is designed for all 7th and 8th graders interested in beginning weight training. To register for this class or other classes offered through Capistrano Community Education, please log on to www.capousd.org/adult or call 489-7202. Feel free to contact Mr. Binley if you have any questions regarding the class.

DATES TO REMEMBER

January 19 No School/Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day/Legal Holiday

January 23 7th/8th Grade Techno Glow Dance, 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., MPR

January 30 No School/Student Holiday/First Semester Wrap-up Activities

February 11 College Prep Night @ AVMS, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. (Focus on High School Requirements A-G)
February 13 Lincoln Day, Legal Holiday
February 16 Washington Day, Legal Holiday
February 16 SRLA Team Runs the L.A. Marathon
March 12 PTSA Meeting, 2:30 p.m., Library

March 13 Pi Day
April 6-10 Spring Recess – No School
May 14 PTSA Meeting, 2:30 p.m., Library
May 20 Open House, 6:30 p.m.
May 25 Memorial Day, Legal Holiday
June 18 Last Day of School