Current Hopkins JHS Newsletter:
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NEWSLETTER #1

SEPTEMBER 2000

PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

With the opening of school on August fast approaching, we are looking forward to the challenge of the new year.

Once again, we call on parents to continue their support of our efforts as we work to build upon Hopkins' tradition of excellence Get involved with school through our PFA, monitor your child's work, and know that we welcome your questions or concerns as well as what we hope will be more than occasional pats on the back. We've got a fine school, and, working as a team, we can make it even better.

This newsletter and the ones to follow will hopefully familiarize you with our school and provide information of importance to your family.

I, along with our school staff, look forward to an enjoyable and successful school year. We are committed to make it a productive one for our students!

Tim Reichert

Principal

SCHOOL CALENDAR

September 4: No School -- Labor Day

                 6: PFA Board Meeting -- 7:00 -- Library

                 19: Magazine Sale Begins

 

NEWSLETTER #4

DECEMBER 1999

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

As always, we were delighted that so many parents attended our advisement conference days before Thanksgiving. As we move toward the end of the first semester, your continued interest in and support of our school is much appreciated.

Tim Reichert

Principal

SCHOOL CALENDAR

December 8:    Boys Basketball @ Thornton

                10:    Dance -- 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

                        (Please pick up students promptly.)

                14:    Boys Basketball v. Centerville

                15:    Band Concert -- 7:30 p.m. -- Gym

                16:    Boys Basketball v. Horner

                17:    Minimum Day -- 12:25 p.m. Dismissal

                20 - 31:     Winter Vacation

January    5:    Boys Basketball @ Walters

                        PFA Board -- 7:00 p.m. -- Library

                 7:    Boys Basketball v. Thornton

                12:    English Language Learner Advisory Committee--

                        7:00 p.m.-- Library

                13:    Boys Basketball @ Centerville

                17:    No School -- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

                18:    Minimum Day -- 11:33 Dismissal

                28:    End of 1st Semester

TRAFFIC CONCERNS

As we move into the heart of the rainy season, safety and traffic congestion around our school become an even greater concern. We ask parents to observe the following:

…      The parking lot is a one-way loop. Do not make u-turns.

…      Observe a 5 mph speed limit in the parking loop.

…      Avoid double parking or otherwise blocking the traffic flow.

…      Yield to pedestrians.

…      After school, do not park in the red zone in front of school which is reserved for AC buses.

CITIZEN OF THE MONTH

Congratulations to Grace Lee who has been named our November Citizen of the Month. Grace was nominated by her math teacher, Mrs. Seaman, for her assistance to a limited-English classmate.

Please use the enclosed form to nominate worthy candidates for future consideration for this honor.

VISITS TO OTHER CAMPUSES

Hopkins students are not to go on any other school campus without an invitation. This is especially true during minimum days when our students may be free while classes are in session at other schools. Thanks for your help in reinforcing this message to students.

HOLIDAY GIFTS TO STAFF

In past years, many students have given thoughtful holiday gifts to staff. During this time of tight budgets, however, department heads and the administration recommend that students and parents consider a donation to our school in honor of a staff member as an option to gift giving. Donations in lieu of gifts would benefit the school and remind us of your appreciation of our efforts long after the holidays are gone.

THE SPORTING SCENE

Boys basketball is underway. The following are participating under the direction of Coach Richards:

Esmond Ai          Andre Alcon        Daniel Avon

Brad Benedict     Jason Cain         Eric Chase

Aaron Eyre         Kevin Fox           Wen-Shin Lee

Kevin Leitner      Elmer Lin           Tyler Nelson

Travis Palmerino Jasper Rose        Craig Shimizu

Devon Wright     Allen Yeh

CHANGE OF RESIDENCE

District policy requires parents to notify the school office within five days of a residence change. Failure to do so will result in revocation of the student’s placement at the school. If you have questions or concerns about this matter, please contact Mrs. Berney, our vice principal.

LONG-TERM ABSENCE

At times, parents pull students out of school for vacations or other reasons. When such occasions are necessary and the student will miss three or more days of classes, it is important that the school be contacted well in advance so that staff can consider assignment options to compensate for missed work. In general, we advise against such absences as no form of academic compensation substitutes for in-class instruction.

FIRST QUARTER GRADES

First quarter grades indicate that most students are working hard with good results. Schoolwide grade distribution was:

A-- 3000    B-- 2425    C--810       D--223       F--94

The GPA for all students was 3.2. 825 students maintained an average of B or better and are to be congratulated. Another 474 students qualified for Honor Card with four or more #1 (excellent behavior) comments!

The following students earned straight-A’s:

Seventh Grade

Jillian Bauer       Gagan Biyani      Veronica Brant

Valerie Chan       Benjamin Chang  David Chen

Daniel Cheng      Veronica Cheung Eric Ching

Witton Chou       Jasmine Chung    Scott Claassen

Daniel Cowan     Megan Dai          Laura Doan

Julia Falk           Sara Festini        Ryan Foley

Dan Gui             Ashley Harmon    Cathy Hu

Lucie Huet          Yukie Isobe        Ruth Jao

Mu-Qing Jing      Jennifer Johal     Erica Julson

Teresa Kennerknecht   Neera Khattar     Alexander Kozachenko

Frances Kwong    Benton Lau         Tsun Lau

Curtis Lee          Joyce Lee   Tiyuan Lee

Trevor Lee          Kevin Leitner      Jessica Lin

Joyce Lin            Gary Liu     Tiffany Liu

Katherine Mak     Suhasini Mandiga        Michael McLaughlin

Jennifer McRae    Shannon Nishimura      Annie Oh

Neha Rajkanan   Kavya Reddy               Polina Rubanova

Kiran Sachdeva   Rajeev Sekhri             Cheryl Sheh

Stephanie Skala  Hari Subramaniam       Amy Sun

Jessica Sun        Melody Sun         Ming Tai

Michael Taylor     Kyle Teague       Fabien Thayamballi

Christine Tsay     Alexander Tseung        Michael Tsiang

Pavan Vaswani    Rebecca Vu        Elaine Wang

Henry Wang       Katherine Wang  Albert Wu

David Wu           Wiggin Wu         Karen Yan

April Yang  Michelle Yung            

 

Eighth Grade

Allison Barton     Stephanie Chen           Alvin Chow

Zechariah Feng   Johanna Gan               Rosanna Gan

Lisa Hisaw         Ajay Krishnamurthy     Jocelene Kwan

Matthew Lave     Grace Liang                Judy Liao

Daniel Lin          Elmer Lin                   Christine Liou

Calvin Lui           Kenneth Mak              Brian Mark

Galina Melamed  Julianna Moats            Edward Peng

Rosemary Robertson    Jennifer Souza    Monica Versigan

Christina Vu       Ke-Jun Wang              Daria Won

Kai Xue              Susan Zhang             

                       

BENCHMARK STANDARDS

The District has implemented requirements that students must meet certain academic standards in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics before they can earn an FUSD diploma. These standards are monitored through grade-level benchmarks which are aligned with rigorous state standards. The following are benchmarks for acceptable achievement at each grade:

Reading/Language Arts

…      Fifth stanine or better on SAT-9 Total Reading

…      A rubric score of 3 or better on District Writing Assessment

…      An English grade of C or better

Mathematics

…      Fifth stanine or better on SAT-9 Total Math

…      A Math grade of C or better

Benchmark assessment will receive particular scrutiny at grades 3, 6, 8, and 10. Student performance which does not meet the standards at these grades could result in retention.

Hopkins’ counselors have already begun implementation of the selected intervention programs for students who are in danger of not meeting grade-level benchmarks:

Supervised Study.

Math classes organized by skill proficiency.

Group counseling programs.

An after-school Study Club.

Summer school.

Learning style assessment.

Peer tutoring.

TUTORS NEEDED

If you are interested in volunteering as a tutor for a new after-school program for students in need of assistance, please contact Mrs. Rothbach at 656-3500. Volunteers will be asked to tutor from 2:30-3:45 p.m. one day per week.

HOPKINS’ WEB PAGE

Hopkins’ web page is maintained by students under the direction of Dr. Ricks, our science department head. Our web page can be visited at go.to/hopkinshawks.

FROM THE PODIUM

One hundred and forty musicians will take part in Hopkins’ Winter Band Concert on Wednesday, December 15, at 7:30 p.m. in the Gym. The beginning, concert, symphonic, and jazz bands under the direction of Mr. Kruse will be featured. Musical selections will include a salute to Hollywood composer John Williams. The program will also include traditional holiday favorites.

On December 10, the symphonic and jazz bands will perform at Weibel School, and the jazz band has been selected to perform for the Tri-City Women’s Club on December 14.

GOLDEN STATE SPANISH

On last spring’s Golden State Spanish examination, Hopkins’ students performed very well with 18 earning High Honors, 25 Honors, and 19 Recognition awards.

GEARING UP FOR SPRING FLING 2000

Auditions for Spring Fling 2000, our annual talent show, will be held at the beginning of second semester. Students will be required to audition a two to three minute act. Since only four MC’s will be selected from the eighth grade class, students auditioning for MC are also encouraged to prepare a talent audition. Singers and dancers will need taped or instrumental accompaniment to audition. Students will be able to attend an informational meeting a week before auditions.

Spring Fling 2000 production dates are April 7 and 8. Mark your calendars and plan to attend the best little talent show in Fremont. Previous Spring Flings have been featured on local cable television, and this year promises to be just as spectacular. If you have questions regarding this event, contact Mrs. Kendall at 656-3500, ext. 3333.

MULTICULTURAL EVENTS

One of our school goals is to celebrate Hopkins’ multiculturalism with events throughout the year sponsored by staff, students, and parents. In November, several parents put together an informative, week-long Indian cultural exchange, and Mrs. Chidester assisted by Mrs. Hunt and Mrs. Kendall produced our stunning multicultural fashion show. We encourage parents to consider how they might sponsor similar events, which foster appreciation for our various and diverse cultural backgrounds.

COUNSELORS’ CORNER

Thanks to all the seventh grade parents who attended our November presentation on the Learning Styles Inventory. What a great message you send to your child when you attend school programs. Remember that studying is your student’s job, but you can help by encouraging his/her learning predispositions during home study time. There is no "best" way to learn so capitalizing on one’s personal learning style preferences will promote success at school and throughout life.

Parents who want to request a Weekly Progress Report prior to Winter Vacation are reminded that Monday, December 13, is the last day to do so.

ASB NOTES FROM JODY CHENG, ASB SECRETARY

Every month, we hold a Sweet Tomatos fundraiser. If you go to Sweet Tomatos to eat and present a flyer distributed at school, Hopkins will receive 20% of the profits. Our November funs for students who are in danger of not meeting grade-level benchmarks:

Supervised Study.

Math classes organized by skill proficiency.

Group counseling programs.

An after-school Study Club.

Summer school.

Learning style assessment.

Peer tutoring.

TUTORS NEEDED

If you are interested in volunteering as a tutor for a new after-school program for students in need of assistance, titutes will work school hours on an "on-call" basis. The District will do its best to work with applicants’ schedules. If interested, call Classified Personnel at 659-2545, ext. 381.

ACADEMIC MENTORS SOUGHT

Patterson Elementary School is looking for caring adults and high school students to volunteer one hour a week to help a struggling student with basic reading or math skills. Classroom and after-school hours are available. If interested, contact Susan Dunsford at 793-0420 or sdunsford@mail.fremont.k12.ca.us.

ATTENTION NATIVE AMERICANS

The Native American Studies Propgram has many things to offer FUSD’s Native American students. Having trouble with schoolwork? We offer tutoring. Would you like to know more about your heritage? We offer weekly culture classes. Would you like a tour of the Native American Studies Program Museum? Yes, we do have a museum, and you are welcome to see it. Interested in attending a powwow? Mark your calendars: Powwow-- March 4, 2000. We hold many field trips throughout the year! We have a lot to offer!

Interested Native American families are eligible for all these services. All that is required is your signature on a "506" form. A tribal number is not necessary; however, to qualify for the program, you must be of Native American heritage. Please call Eden Adams at 252-0575 for more information or ask for a "506" form at your school. Take advantage of your Native American Studies Program. Sign up now!

STANGER DANGER PROCEDURES

Whenever the District is aware of inappropriate conduct by a stranger toward a student (usually between school and home) in the MSJ attendance area, a Stranger Danger letter describing the incident will be sent home with students ASAP. When such incidents occur, we take them very seriously and encourage parents to discuss them with students so that necessary precautions can be taken.

COMMUNITY SERVICE RECOGNIZED

We’re proud of T. J. Kearney, an eighth grader, who was recently selected as Hopkins’ nominee for the Prudential Spirit of Community award based on his volunteer work as a guide at Ardenwood Farm.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Hopkins’ has a no-tolerance policy regarding cheating on any class assignments. Students who are discovered giving or receiving inappropriate assistance and/or misrepresenting another’s work as their own will receive an F on the assignment in question and a Saturday School disciplinary consequence.

PARENT WORKSHOP PLANNED

Mark Wednesday, February 16, on your calendar when Hopkins’ PFA will sponsor an informative parenting workshop on the "10 Best Gifts for Your Teen." Further details will appear in the February newsletter.

COMMUNICATE WITH HOPKINS

Here is your chance to write us how you think we're doing, ask questions you'd like answered in future newsletters, and offer suggestions on how we might better work together to facilitate your child's learning.

Dear

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Signature (Optional)

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HELP US RECOGNIZE SOMEONE SPECIAL

The Hopkins staff wants to recognize special students who may go unnoticed--students who go the extra yard for others, perform school or community services, or shine in some other way above and beyond the call. To this end, we have our "Citizen of the Month" program.

If you know a student who positively stands out in one way or another, you are encouraged to nominate him/her. Nominations should be returned to the Registrar’s Office by the last Monday of the month. The Citizen(s) of the Month will then be selected by a committee of staff who will review the nominations.

Students chosen as Citizen of the Month will receive a certificate and be honored at the end of year.

To nominate a deserving student, please do the following:

1. Complete the information below.

2. Attach a brief explanation (200 words or less) which tells why you feel the student merits consideration.

Student Name: ______________________________________

Nominated By: ______________________________________

Selection Criteria (Check One or More):

_____ Service to School_____ Good Deed/Thoughtfulness _____ Leadership

_____ Service to Community_____ Special Achievement   _____ Other

_____ Positive Attitude (Please attach a more detailed explanation.)

Thanks for your assistance in our efforts to reward student excellence of all kinds!


Include or insert:

Emergency Broadcasts

In case of any community disaster, the following radio stations are to be used for emergency broadcasts:

  • KNBR -- 680
  • KCBS -- 740
  • KGO -- 810

First Semester Grades

Schoolwide semester grade results were once again very positive. Some highlights:

  • 825 students maintained an average of B or better.
  • Schoolwide GPA was 3.2
  • Grade distribution was:
    • A -- 3000
    • B -- 2425
    • C -- 810
    • D -- 223
    • F -- 94
  • 474 students qualified for Honor Card with four or more #1 (excellent behavior) comments.

Writing Assessment

All students will take the District's Writing Sample on March 10-11 to assess their progress toward writing competency.

The SAT-9 (Stanford Achievement Test) will be administered May 3-5.

Emergency Card Reminder

It is very important that the school office have current work and home numbers on all students' emergency cards so that parents can be contacted when necessary. Also, remember that we cannot release students to anyone whose name is not listed on the emergency card. If your card needs to be updated, please contact the school office ASAP.

More Coming Soon

   
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