The View—Volume V, No. 8 | April 2007

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PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

As we welcome the beautiful San Diego weather that comes with Spring, Westview is preparing for another season that is unique to education.  It is Testing Season for California public schools.  You will hear complaints about the amount of testing that is required of students for the next couple of months, but I would like to suggest that there are some positive aspects to the upcoming assessments.

First of all, our students will be taking tests for the rest of their lives.  Some will be taking LSATs, GREs or Medical Boards, others will be taking college placement tests or the exam required to earn a contractor’s license.  Most will take SAT, DMV and employment exams.  The more that students experience the rigor and stress of taking tests, the better they will be prepared for what lies ahead.

The second benefit is that, while imperfect, exams are the primary way in which skills and knowledge are measured.  In the next few months, students will demonstrate their learning via the High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE); Advanced Placement Exams (AP); Early Assessment Program (EAP); Entry Level Math (ELM); English Placement Test (EPT);STAR California Standards Tests (CST); and the California Standards Test (CST). 

Of these, the one that most reflects on our entire school community is the STAR.  The results of this set of exams are publicized as an Academic Performance Indicator (API) score for every school in the state.   Last year, Westview students did a great job on this set of state standards exams, raising the school’s API score from 809 to 828. As a result, Westview was featured in the San Diego Magazine cover story about outstanding schools in San Diego County . 

I am so proud that our students give their best efforts not only to things from which they gain personal benefit, such as AP exams, but also as well as to things that benefit their school community and others.  This commitment to excellence in all that they do is recognized by universities and employers alike.  I’m looking forward to another opportunity for our kids to show the world what it means to be a Westview Wolverine!

Speaking of excellence, congratulations to Jamal Felton and Barb Fletcher, who were recently selected as Westview’s Classified and Certificated Employees of the Year.   We are especially proud to announce that Barb has been recognized as one of Poway Unified School District ’s Teachers of the Year!

Dawn Kastner
Principal

CONGRATULATIONS JV HOCKEY

The JV1 Hockey Team on March 1st won the 2007 Stanley Cup Silver League Championship by defeating Army Navy Academy 4 -1.  Team coaches are Mike Kurth and Michael Wolgast.

The Hockey Teams are looking for new players , all skill levels, from beginner to competitive.  We currently have 3 teams . 2 JV and Varsity.  Anyone interested should contact Mr. Kurth RM K104 or Michael Wolgast at 780-0208. A new season begins this month.

Bottom Row Left-Right:  Anthony Mata and Lindsey Warrick
Middle Row:  Coach Mike Kurth, Stephen McDowell, Alex Brugueras, Greg Lamb, Ethan Likes, Ian Rogers, Samir Dalal
Back Row:  Jordan Koop, Willie Yao, and Coach Michael Wolgast

SPRING SPORTS

Spring sports are underway. Please click on the links below for more information. 

• Baseball
• Dive
• Golf (Boys)
• Gymnastics
• Lacrosse (Girls)
• Lacrosse (Boys)
• Softball
• Swim
• Tennis (Boys)
• Track & Field
• Volleyball (Boys)

What’s coming up...

Check the school calendar for more events

Quick web links

Daily Bulletin – visit the daily bulletin to see what’s happening today!
School Calendar – see what events are coming up throughout the year.
General Information – can’t find what you’re looking for? Try this link.
Athletics – support your Westview Wolverines – visit the athletic pages to see when your favorite team is playing.
Counseling – graduation requirements, colleges visiting Westview, scholarships, course catalog, etc.

College Readiness

College fairs and expo events are listed on our counseling website.

CONGRATULATIONS BARBARA FLETCHER

Westview Choral Director Barbara Fletcher was recently named Choral Music Educator of the Year by the California Music Educators Association - Southern Border Section, Teacher of the Year by her colleagues at Westview, and was one of three teachers awarded District Teacher of the Year by the Poway Unified School District.  Barbara is a wonderful teacher who not only models excellence but demands it from her students.  She was honored to be recognized by her peers.  Our students are fortunate to have such a dedicated and passionate teacher.  Congratulations Barbara Fletcher!

FESTIVAL CONCERT

Westview’s Choral Department will perform their Festival Concert on Tuesday, April 10th at 7:00 p.m. It will be held in the Westview Theater. It is a one night only performance so you will want to get your tickets early. The cost of the tickets is $3.00 and can be purchased both ahead of time and at the door as long as seating remains available. Don’t miss this musical event!

PTSA PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Dear Parents,

Our Association Meeting on April 10 is the Annual meeting, which includes the elections of officers for the 2007-2008 year and delegates to California State PTA Convention.  The following night, April 11th, PTSA is hosting a College Readiness Panel.  There will be a high school counselor, a college admissions representative, a college student, parents and more on the panel.  This should be a great experience not only for parents, but for students!   Please plan on attending!  It will be April 11th at 7:00 p.m. in the Westview Theatre.

Westview Parents are Rocking for Grad Nite on April 28 from 7-11 p.m.  For $25 per person, there will be food, a live band, casino tables, a silent auction and a 50/50 Raffle.  All proceeds will benefit Grad Nite.  If you would like to attend, write a check to Westview Grad Nite and deliver it to the school office.  For more information, contact jkuhlman@san.rr.com.

Don't miss the Grad Nite booth at the Foundation's Rummage Sale on Saturday, April 7, 7:00-11:00 a.m.!  Bargains can be found, and all proceeds will be used to keep our 2007 graduates in a safe, fun environment as they celebrate this milestone!

Enjoy Spring Break!

Carolyn Epple
PTSA President

CHARACTER COUNTS!

PILLAR – CARING

Past newsletter articles have covered the first four pillars of the Character Counts! program adopted by our school district a few years ago.  These are:  TRUSTWORTHINESS, RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY and FAIRNESS.  Our focus this month will be on the fifth pillar – CARING.

Caring can be described in so many ways – demonstrating basic kindness to other human beings, showing compassion, clearly expressing gratitude, helping people in need by readily comforting those who are neglected or lonely, and showing concern for the interests of others and our community and environment through our actions and deeds.  

Westview Wolverines take part in many organizations where caring for others and the world around us is fundamental – groups such as Peer Counseling, Best Buddies, Adopt a Grandfriend, and Advocates for a Better Environment,  as well as community service organizations such as Interact, Leo and Key Club.  Encourage your student to become involved, on campus and off, in activities that show caring and concern.  And always demonstrate unselfish , caring behavior in your own day-to-day life.  Let’s set a positive example for our children, while striving to do our part in making the world a better place.

Be sure and visit www.charactercounts.org for more information regarding the Character Counts! program.

Cindy Ruecker
Westview PTSA Character Counts! Liaison

NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP

The Westview Chapter of the National Honor Society will be inviting eligible students to be considered for membership.  These students were notified through their homeroom teachers during the week of March 12.  Interested candidates will complete a Student Activity Information Form and return it by April 13, 2007 .  These forms can be found on the Westview website under “organizations.”  The selection process is detailed below.  If you have any questions, please contact the Westview National Honor Society advisors, Pierre Sawaya at ext. 3229 (psawaya@powayusd.com) or Andrea Bauer at ext. 3021 (abauer@powayusd.com).

Westview National Honor Society Selection Procedure

To be eligible for membership, students must:

• be a sophomore or junior

• have attended Westview for one term

• have a minimum weighted cumulative academic 3.8 grade point average

To be selected, students must demonstrate outstanding performance in:

• Scholarship (3.8 GPA)

• Leadership

• Service

• Character

The Selection Process

1. Student’s academic records will be reviewed by the chapter advisOr to determine those persons who are scholastically eligible for membership. 

2. Students who are eligible will be notified and informed that for further consideration for selection to the chapter they may complete the Student Activity Information Form, which outlines their accomplishments in the areas of service and leadership. 

3. Candidates will return the Student Activity Information Form and the advisor will invite all faculty members to make character comments about each candidate that they have had professional interaction with on the Faculty Evaluation Form.  School discipline records and citizenship grades may also be consulted for character documentation.

4. Student Activity Information Forms and the Faculty Evaluation Forms will be reviewed by the five-member Faculty Council.  Candidates receiving a majority vote from the Faculty Council will be inducted into the chapter in June.

To further define leadership, service, and character, the following descriptions are from the National Honor Society Handbook, 2005 ed.  http://www.nhs.us/  

Leadership is considered highly important.  It may be interpreted in terms of the number of offices a student has held in school or community organizations, including effective participation in other co-curricular activities offered on campus.  The student who exercises leadership:

• Is resourceful in proposing new problems, applying principles, and making suggestions

• Demonstrates initiative in promoting school activities

• Exercises positive influence on peers in upholding school ideals and spirit

• Contributes ideas that improve the civic life of the school

• Is able to delegate responsibilities

• Exemplifies positive attitudes

• Inspires positive behavior in others

• Demonstrates academic initiative

• Successfully holds school offices or positions of responsibility

• Conducts business effectively and efficiently

• Demonstrates reliability and dependability

• Is a leader in the classroom, at work, or in other school or community activities

• Is dependable in any responsibility accepted.

Service is generally considered to be those actions undertaken by the student which are done with or on behalf of others without any direct financial or material compensation to the individual performing the service.  The student who serves:

• Volunteers and provides dependable and well-organized assistance, is gladly available, and is willing to sacrifice to offer assistance

• Works well with others and is willing to take on difficult or inconspicuous responsibilities

• Cheerfully and enthusiastically renders any requested service to the school

• Is willing to represent the class or school in interclass and interscholastic competition

• Does committee and staff work without complaint

• Participates in some activity outside of school (e.g., Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, religious groups, volunteer services for the elderly, poor, or disadvantaged)

• Mentors persons in the community or students at other schools

• Shows courtesy by assisting visitors, teachers, and students.

Character is probably the most difficult criterion to define.  Positive as well as negative aspects of character will be considered.  All judgments in this and other selection criteria should be free of speculation and rumor.  Character Counts! is supported by the National Honor Society.  A person of character demonstrates the following six qualities:  respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, fairness, caring, and citizenship.  In addition, a student of character:

• Takes criticism willingly and accepts recommendations graciously

• Consistently exemplifies desirable qualities of behavior (e.g., cheerfulness, friendliness, poise, stability)

• Upholds principles of morality and ethics

• Cooperates by complying with school regulations concerning property, programs, office, halls, etc.

• Demonstrates the highest standards of honesty and reliability

• Regularly shows courtesy, concern, and respect for others

• Observes instructions and rules, is punctual, and faithful both inside and outside the classroom

• Has powers of concentration, self-discipline, and sustained attention as shown by perseverance and application to studies

• Manifests truthfulness in acknowledging obedience to rules, avoiding cheating in written work, and showing an unwillingness to profit by the mistakes of others

• Actively helps rid the school of bad influences or environment.

ASB

All Students

Bamboo Hut Fundraiser

Character Counts

Class of 2007

Class of 2008

Class of 2009

College Readiness

Counselor's Corner

Festival Concert

Filipino Culture Night

Hockey

Honor Choir

Inspirational Thought

Lacrosse

Mr. and Mrs. Westview Pageant

Multicultural Week

Music Educator of the Year

National Honor Society

Pep Rally

Principal's Message

PTSA Board Elect

PTSA President's Message

Seniors

Spirit Day

Spring Sports

Theater Company

Quick Web Links

What's Coming Up

FILIPINO CULTURE NIGHT

Don't miss Bayanihan Club's upcoming Filipino Culture Night on April 6th & 7th at 7pm.  This is an educational and entertaining evening to learn about Filipino customs and culture through song, dance, and script.  Food from the Philippines and other Pacific islands is served during intermission. Tickets are $7 per person pre-sale or $10 per person at the door.  All are invited to attend!

WESTVIEW PTSA 
2007-2008 BOARD ELECT

The Nominating Committee worked to make sure there was at least one member elect from each of our incoming boundary areas.  We feel this is a way to always reach out to the community as a whole. We are also presenting a nice balance of incoming freshmen parents to ensure the future of Westview PTSA is strong. 

Slate of Officers for the 2007-2008 Westview PTSA Executive Board

PTSA members please join us for the Association meeting on April 10th at 7pm in the Staff Lounge for the election and to thank and welcome these volunteers for their time and commitment to all the students and families of Westview.

The 2007 Nominating Committee

CONGRATULATIONS VARSITY LACROSSE GIRLS

Not only did the Wolverines host the Surf, Sun & Stix Invitational, they won first place in the Silver Bracket beating Patrick Henry 14-8 in overtime.   With new coaches Kelsey Grover  and Aubrey Cline, the girls have bonded and quickly became a terrific team.

ASB

Class of 2007

Hey Seniors! I hope those of you that came had a great time at our Senior Harbor Cruise March 16th! If you're still interested in coming to the senior events, you can buy tickets to the upcoming luau, Disneyland Trip, breakfast, picnic and upcoming Senior Give Away Day a la carte in the finance office. If you need the dates for these events, get the senior newsletter in the ASB room! GO 07! It's OUR year!   

Westview Theatre Company

The Theatre Company is proud of the successful trip made to the Fullerton College High School Theatre Festival on March 16 - 17. Though the competition was fierce, WV got ten entries into the semifinals rounds, and six entries into the finals round - including a cutting of their spring musical Guys and Dolls and the Varsity Improv Team. Steven Quintana and Chelsey Moore received a second place trophy for their dramatic ensemble scene of Dancing at Lughnasa, the radio play directed by Peggy Allen received a second place trophy for their performance of The Dreaded Batter Pudding Hurler. The technical production team strutted their stuff, taking home the first place medals for their work in the Technical Olympics. Please come support the Theatre Company in their Student-Written One Act Play category April 26, 27 28.  

Class of 2008

The most important day for the juniors and seniors is underway. Prom will be held on Saturday, June 2, 2007 . We are very excited and we hope that everyone will attend.  Currently, we are working on prom expo and fundraisers.  The theme and place of our prom will be revealed at prom expo on Friday, April 13. DON'T FORGET TO COME!

Prom planning is going very well, and we are sure you will be impressed.

Also, CLASS OF 2008 shirts are IN.  Don't forget to check them out this month!  They look amazing!

Students:  Please come to room L114 every Tuesday at lunch to support your class. 

GO CLASS OF 2008!  GO WOLVERINES! 

Your Junior Presidents,
Tiffany Lee and Hulya Poyrazoglu  

Spirit Day

The St. Patrick’s Spirit Day was a success. Each class gained a little luck as they earned spirit points for their class.

Pep Rally

Get ready for a fun pep rally on April 27th!

Class of 2009

Currently, our sophomore class is working on continuing with raising funds for Prom 2008. We've set in motion a couple of dinner nights at different family restaurants. Dinner nights work in which restaurants will set up dates with our class. Once the date is set, flyers will be made and passed out to the students at Westview. All customers who bring in the flyers on the set dates will have a certain percentage of their dining costs donated to our class. Because dinner nights are set during times outside of school, it would be great if any parents or families would be willing to choose a dinner night to spend some family time eating, while being able to help our sophomore class out. All dinner nights will be advertised via signs and word of mouth, as well as information being provided in the ASB room. If you are interested in coming with your family to any of these dinner nights for a nice meal out, please have your student swing by the ASB room to get an update and pick up a flyer. Also, if you have any suggestions for fundraisers, please contact our Class of 2009 advisor, Ms Ackerman, at tackerman@powayusd.com. Thank you everyone for all your support!

Love, the Class of 2009

Multicultural Week  

On May 21 to 23, we will be having a Multicultural faire. This is a time to open ourselves to all the cultures through different foods, dances, and informational booths! We are still looking for more entertainment and cultural booths.

For more information, please contact
Ms. Norcross at lnorcross@powayusd.com

Mr. and Ms. Westview Pageant 

On May 3rd Westview will hold it’s first ever Mr. and Ms. Westview Pageant!  Contestants will be judged on talent, formal wear, short essay, and interview.  All contestants will be juniors and seniors.  So, mark your calendars for May 3rd 7:00 p.m. in the Westview Theater.  Tickets are $5, and $3 with an ASB sticker, they will go on sale April 23rd.  See you there!

HAVE A WONDERFUL SPRING BREAK APRIL 16TH - 20TH!

ACT and SAT Tests

As a reminder, only a few dates remain for the remainder of the school year for both ACT and SAT tests.  The ACT tests are scheduled for April 14th and June 9th while the SAT tests are scheduled for May 5th and June 2nd.   Contact Miss Bloomfield if you need assistance in signing up.

AP Testing Coming Up

Course Selections