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Middle College Newsletter Website

Fall Volume | November 2018
Middle College Newsletter
where we've been, where we are now, and where we're going
What's been going on?!
It’s been a busy couple of months since we’ve started Middle College. Highlights from the year so far consist of our fall orientation in August, which included a trip to Cal State East Bay. There, we participated in a session on cultivating mindfulness with educator and author Meena Srinivasan , followed by a fun afternoon of dragon boat racing at Lake Merritt.
Throughout September, a group of Middle College students, together with the Middle College Effect club, gathered every week to plan a screening of Half the Sky , a documentary dealing with the oppression of women around the world. The event raised $2559 in donations that will help finance micro-loans for women in Guatemala. Our next Dialogue Through Film event will be a screening of The Mask You Live In - see Upcoming Middle College Events below for details.
While MC Effect was busy organizing for the event, clubs across Middle College began to gather to talk about their ideas for the 2018-19 school year. The Wellness Club began leading activities in the advisory hour to support student socio-emotional health. The first session was led by seniors Karla Garcia and Alondra Gutierrez Flores with guidance from SMUHSD Wellness Counselor Jessamy Cadigan, who together discussed suicide awareness and prevention with the community.
On October 11th, the MC Gender & Sexuality Alliance (GSA) Club celebrated National Coming Out Day by handing out "I Support" bracelets on campus. The event garnered a lot of attention, and, as a result, the MC GSA is working with the Multicultural Center to create the first ever CSM GSA.
Meanwhile, the Pen Pal Club members sent and received their first emails from their pen pals at the San Mateo Adult School ESL program; Tribunal received training to lead Restorative Circles from SMUHSD Restorative Practices Coordinator Tina Graf; the Yearbook Committee began organizing their pages and documenting events; MC Initiative redecorated the hallways and made plans for community building; the Environmental Club was founded and held their first meetings; and the Positive News Club published their first podcast episodes - find them below in the Club Highlight!
On October 10th, the MC students participated in the first community day of the year. Although many of the juniors were taking the PSAT, the senior class (along with a few juniors) spent a relaxing day together decorating pumpkins, watching Glee, and enjoying a potluck. The next community day will be in the spring on March 6th - we're excited to have an opportunity for everyone to participate!
And on October 31st, Middle College students gathered to celebrate Halloween with the CSM Childcare Center. These students had been organizing for weeks to plan activities that would entertain the group of children. The event was a huge success, full of costumes, face painting and obstacle courses.
Stay tuned for our Winter Newsletter for a recap on all events from November through January!
Upcoming Middle College Events
Next week , the Middle College GSA will be hosting their annual Thanksgayving, an inclusive (and punny) celebration featuring veggie lesbiagna, gaylic bread, and pumpkin woopie non-pinaries - all MC students are invited to eat some delicious food and make art together. Details coming soon!
*Please bring a dish to share - no peanuts and no meat, please :)
Throughout the months of Nov & Dec , MC senior Milena Lozada will be collecting donations for the families of Paradise who have lost their homes to the fire. Please bring all donations to the Middle College office - click here for a list of what donations are needed.
Our next Dialogue Through Film event will be held on December 3rd. We will be screening The Mask You Live In , a documentary about the challenges of being vulnerable in a world full of external pressures and societal expectations. After the screening, a group of MC students, with the guidance of our new Wellness Counselor Laura Adams, will guide our community through activities that will help us to process the themes of the film. All MC students are welcome!
And on December 1oth , we will be hosting a Cocoa and Cram session during our Monday advisory - stop by and enjoy some hot chocolate while you study for your finals.
Important Upcoming Dates
Mark your calendars!
On January 10th and 11th , we will be holding our spring Middle College orientation. We are planning for a great couple of days with everyone to kick off our spring semester.
Nov 20: CSM campus closed due to air quality
Nov 20-23: No classes - enjoy your break!
Dec 11-17: College finals
Dec 18-19: High school finals
Dec 20-Jan 9: Winter Recess
Jan 10: High school classes begin
Jan 14: College classes begin
College and Career
Interested in getting involved outside of Middle College and CSM? This spreadsheet contains volunteering and internship opportunities all over San Mateo County. Please click on individual links and contacts to find out due dates for applications, etc.
It's been a busy couple of months for seniors. They've been filling out college applications, taking the SAT and ACT, and gathering materials for their FAFSA forms...all while keeping on top of their classes and staying involved in their Middle College community. Keep it up seniors - you're doing GREAT and you're almost there!
A HUGE thank you to:
  • Tammy Esrailian from Burlingame HS, who spent a day with all senior students at Middle College to answer questions about the college application process
  • Laura Burtness, who came up from Hillsdale HS to discuss the FAFSA with MC students
  • Vicky Reyes and Angela Castillo from Aragon HS, who joined us for a day to touch base with Aragon juniors at MC
  • Mike Mitchell and Carol Ullrich from CSM, who came and spoke to our students about the process for transferring to CSM next year
...And to all the counselors and SDAs in SMUHSD and CUSD, who have spent countless hours making sure their students at Middle College are receiving the support they need as they pursue their post-high school goals. We are so grateful!
Upcoming Events on CSM Campus:
CSM College Center Building 10, Room 191
Tuesday, Nov 27, 9:30 am - 10:30 am
Wednesday, Nov 28, 11:10 am - 12:00 pm
CSM College Center Building 10, Room 191
Monday, Nov 26, 11:10 am - 12:00 pm
Wednesday, Nov 28, 10:10 am - 11:00 am
Tuesday, Nov 27, 9:30am - 1:30pm, CSM College Center Building 10, Room 340C
University of California, Davis Counseling Appointments
Wednesday, Nov 28, 9:00am - 10:00am & 11:00am - 12:00pm, CSM College Center Building 10, Room 340C
Tuesday, Dec 04, 9:00am - 10:00am, CSM College Center Building 10, Room 340C
Tuesday, Dec 04, 10:00am - 1:00pm, CSM College Center Building 10, Bayview Dining Rm
Tuesday, Dec 04, 11:00am - 2:00pm, CSM College Center Building 10, Bayview Dining Rm
*Be sure to check with your homeschools to find out about college application workshops and college visits happening on your high school campus
Important Dates to Remember:
Nov 30: CSU/UC Applications due
Dec 1: SAT (registration - Nov 2/late registration - Nov 20)
Dec 8: ACT (registration - Nov 2/late registration - Nov 19)
Now-March 2: Submit FAFSA application
Congratulations!!!
To Brianna Santos for committing to play softball at her top choice - the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs!
And to Elias Lewin-Koh for being named a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist!
CSM Events Coming Up
Nov 9 - Dec 6, 2018
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
CSM College Center Bldg 10, Third Floor, Center for Global Engagement
Nov 19 - Jan 05, 2018
C SM Graphic Design Exhibition Annual Student Show
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
San Mateo Public Library
Mon Nov 26, 2018
CSM QT Chats Hosted by MCCDC
Every Monday from 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
CSM College Center Bldg 10, Room 180
Tues Nov 27, 2018
Every Tuesday from 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
CSM College Center Bldg 10, Room 180
Thu Nov 29, 2018
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
CSM College Center Bldg 10, Third Floor, Center for Global Engagement
Mon Nov 26 & Wed Nov 28, 2018
Learn 3D Printing
Every Mon & Wed from 2:00pm- 3:30pm
CSM Library
Sat Dec 01, 2018
Every Saturday from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Beethoven Lot 2
Mon Dec 03, 2018
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
CSM College Center Bldg 10, Bayview Rm
Wed Dec 05, 2018
7:00 pm
CSM Theatre Bldg 03
Fri Dec 07, 2018
2:00 pm - 4:30 pm
CSM North Hall Bldg 18, Room 206
Sat Dec 15, 2018
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
CSM Science Bldg 36, Rftop Observatory
Middle College Club Highlight
Podcast free on: Spotify and Stitcher
Instagram and Twitter" at sghpodcasts
The Positive News Club creates a student-run podcast called “Something Good Happened," in which they interview people who are doing good things in the world and spread positive, non-political news. Those involved with the club work as on-air personalities, tech support, and researchers. The Positive News Club meets on Friday in Ms. Redgate’s room at 11am. Come by, and tune in! Special thanks to Caroline Rumer for organizing :) The Positive News Club hopes you all have a great day!
Middle College Club Schedule
Monday
Tribunal
3pm (201)
Tuesday
Pen Pal Club
8am (202)
digital mtgs
every 2 wks
Environmental
Club 11am (220)
Wednesday
MC Effect
11am (220)
MC Newsletter 2pm (202)
Thursday
Yearbook
11am (18-203)
MC Initiative
11am (220)
Friday
Positive News Club 11am (202)
Wellness Club 11am (220)
GSA
2pm (202)
Student Highlight: Erika Wahlberg
Erika Wahlberg is a senior at Middle College and a talented visual artist. She took some time to discuss her passion with us.
My favorite kind of art to make lately has been pen and ink illustrations. It feels like I don't have to be as perfect - I can be a bit loose. It's also a quicker reward, because it can be a very simple drawing, but it brings me as much satisfaction as a painting which can take a lot of time and requires a lot of layers... and paint. My inspiration changes; sometimes it's from other artists, and sometimes it's from stories. Right now I'm really into Soosh, a self-taught, self-employed artist who uses watercolors and colored pencils in her art, with children and parenthood as her major themes.
A scene from “Perennial”: a short story
about a grandfather and his grandkids, 2018
Flow, 2018
I want to major in illustration, so I plan to get a transfer degree in studio art from CSM and then attend an art school in California. Ideally, I'm looking towards the route of freelance work, because I also really enjoy storytelling, and I want to use illustration as my way of telling stories. I'm really interested in graphic novels and comic books and digital art. The portfolio class I'm in reminds me that each person's art path is very unique to them, so comparing your art to others, though it can help with your self-critique and improvement, should not form the basis of your artist identity. You should be paying more attention to what you personally want to improve on rather than comparing yourself to others based on their age and experience. It doesn't matter where you are in your skills - if you're making art, you're doing great.
Mr. Lien’s Words of Wisdom
Terence Lien is the senior Govt/Econ teacher at Middle College. Here, he offers the MC students some advice.
Some of my fondest memories are of my high school experiences and are a huge motivating factor in me choosing to work with high school students. I savor the breadth of my high school experiences, but still feel that I could have done and experienced much more, had I left the safety and warmth of my introvert shell more. I have since realized that embracing the discomfort in novel situations provides a richness to life and numerous opportunities for professional and personal growth. As you prepare to leave high school, I hope that you remember to be true to yourself and your values, while also pushing yourself to experience the world with an open heart and mind.
Welcome Laura!
Laura Adams has joined Middle College as our new Wellness Counselor. We asked her to share a little bit about her background with us.
Most recently I worked for Edgewood Center for Children and Families doing mental health quality assurance and training, and prior to that I worked at the Boys and Girls Club of the Coastside running programs serving youth & families. My background is in mental health and education, and I have been working in schools and nonprofits serving youth for over 10 years in a variety of places. I am originally from Orange County and grew up there. I then lived in LA for 4 years, in SF for 8 years, and now have lived on the coastside for 6 years. I am married and have a 2 (almost 3) year-old daughter. I enjoy being outside as much as I can- running, swimming, hiking, & riding my bike. I also have a notorious obsession with karaoke ;) The people I've met so far at Middle College have been awesome!
Professor Highlight: Frederick Gaines
MC senior Lita Kavapalu tells us about the positive experience she had in Dr. Gaines's Ethnic Studies class.
This past summer, I enrolled in Ethnic Studies 265, the Evolution of Hip-Hop. I was excited for the class because I had heard many great things about Dr. Gaines. I expected to learn about how Hip-Hop had come to be, as well as the meaning behind different songs from both past and present generations. I was enlightened on a variety of topics that had to do with our society today and how these things came about to be. The floor was always open for us students to let him know what our thoughts and where we were coming from. Be prepared to come with facts because he always backs up what he says with evidence! He made sure that we knew the consequences of everything that we do, as well as finding the real reasons for our actions. My advice to students who want to become more knowledgeable on topics such as racial inequality and the roots of different genres of music, then I definitely recommend any of Dr. Gaines’s classes. I definitely had a lot of takeaways from this class, but the one that stood out to me was that we live in a country where capitalism means more to everyone than the actual care of the people.
Cultural Highlight: Shanah Tovah, Happy New Year
To my (and perhaps many people's) ignorance, we know very little of the Jewish Culture and have seen September as simply September. Cultural appreciation must also include cultural awareness, for culture is at the root of us, of our community and life values; by understanding one another’s culture, we can we understand our differences and similarities, hopefully creating a more vibrant and peaceful world. I hope you are as in awe as I was when learning about the Jewish culture and what transpired this last September during the High Holidays (The Jewish New Year). Click here to learn more. A special thanks to MC senior Ariel Hochhauser for taking the time to talk with me about her culture and for trusting me with her experiences.
W.A.C.K.
W.A.C.K.: You can't "spell" news without...!
In this edition, read about MC student's opinions on current events, such as Colin Kaepernick's decision to take a knee and Nike's decision to capitalize on it and a new approach to detention.
Anonymous: “All tea, all shade: when people are supporting Nike for promoting an advocate for civil rights while they still use virtual slaves to make products… Wake up .”
Senior Q&A
Q: What is your favorite book from Lance’s class?
A: Kindred and The Great Gatsby
Q: How do you get on Rohrbach’s good side?
A: Be on time to class, and if you make her laugh, you’re golden.
Q: What is the best CSM college class?
A: Dance & DRAFT 110. If you have to take an art, sculpting is super cool.
Q: What advice do you have for incoming Juniors?
A: Smile and breathe and know that everything will be OK.
Focus on the major assignments and ask for help when you need it.
Parent Section
Some upcoming dates to be aware of:
November 20
CSM campus closed due to air quality
November 20 - 23
No high school
or college classes
December 20 -
January 9
Winter Recess
December 11 - 17
College finals
January 10 - 11
MC Spring Orientation/
High school classes begin
December 18 - 19
High school finals
January 14
College classes begin
Districtwide Events
Building Healthy Relationships and a Culture of Consent: Parent Workshop
November 27, 7 - 8:30pm at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center
Eating Disorders in Adolescents
January 15, 6:30pm - 7:30pm at Burlingame High School Alumni Room
We also ask that you please provide your student's baby pictures for the yearbook - please email to mcyearbook1819@gmail.com
Yearbooks on SALE!
Pre-order your Middle College Yearbook in the Middle College Office! $30
See Angela for Pre-Order
Please consider donating to our Middle College scholarship fund!
To donate and support our Middle College graduates’ collegiate endeavors, you can go to https://foundation.smccd.edu/ and click the green “Donate” link on the top right corner of the website. Under the drop-down designation menu, select “OTHER” and type “CSM Middle College” in the box. Your contribution can be dedicated in honor or in memory of a family member or friend. Thank you!
Middle College Newsletter | Fall Volume | November 2018
The Middle College Newsletter is a student-led and created seasonal update about all the things happening in our program. We hope you enjoyed our first edition of 2018-19!