Sunday, November 29, 2015

Maeser Updates: 28 November 2015

In this week's newsletter:

  • Calendar Items for the Week (Note: Includes student meetings held during school)
  • Announcements and Info (Note: Highlights meetings, events, & deadlines for this week)
  • Parent-specific Messages (Note: Includes volunteer opportunities)
  • Sports Announcements
  • Counselor's Corner
  • Scholarship Center (note underlined deadlines, including one TODAY, October 31)
  • Future Calendar Items
  • PowerSchool Access 


Calendar Items for November 28-December 4

Monday, November 30
  • Cast party for Musical Revue, 3:30-5:00
Tuesday, December 1
    • HS Boys’ Basketball vs. South Sevier -- HOME GAME! - 4:00pm at Maeser 
    • HS Girls’ Basketball vs. St. Joseph: 5:30pm at St. Joseph
    Wednesday, December 2
    • HS Boys’ Basketball vs. Rowland Hall: 4:00pm at Rowland Hall
    • MS Girls’ Basketball vs. American Heritage - HOME GAME! : 4:30pm @ Maeser
    • MS Boys’ Basketball vs. Freedom: 5:30pm @ Freedom
    • 2015 Maeser Science Fair: 6:00-8:00pm at Maeser -- Registration paperwork for participating students is due before school (7:30am) on Wednesday. Students who will be presenting must arrive by 6:00pm. Parents and other visitors are welcome to view projects beginning at 6:15. Judging will begin at 6:30pm (visitors will be asked to leave the area during judging), and awards will be announced after 7:00pm.
    Thursday, December 3
    • MPA Cares meeting: Lunchtime in Room 155
    • HS Girls’ Basketball vs. Waterford - HOME GAME!: 5:30pm at Maeser
    • MS Boys’ Basketball vs. Lincoln: 4:30pm @ Lincoln
    Friday, December 4
    • Middle School Service Activity: 12:30-1:30pm in the Maeser lunchroom -- Assembling care packages for the Food and Care Coalition
    • HS Boys’ Basketball vs. Dugway: 4:30pm @ Dugway
    • MS Girls’ Basketball vs. Arches - HOME GAME: 4:30pm @ Maeser
    • It’s a Wonderful Life - A Live Radio Play: 3:00-4:30pm and 6:00-7:30pm in the drama room (119). Cost: $4/person
    Saturday, December 5
    • It’s a Wonderful Life - A Live Radio Play: 3:00-4:30pm and 6:00-7:30pm in the drama room (119). Cost: $4/person
    • High School Ugly Sweater Dance: 8:00-11:00pm in the Maeser gym. Cost for admission: $10 stag; $25 couple
      FOOD DRIVE: If you haven't yet seen the boxes (labeled with different colleges) from the College Week food drive, check them out right outside the gym. Bring in canned goods or other non-perishables and let's see what college will "win"!
















      Announcements and Info


      Enrollment Applications for New Students Now Open  
      Applications for NEW students for the 2016-17 school are now on our SchoolMint site: http://maeserprep.schoolmint.net. Applications for the 2016-17 lottery will be accepting until February 1st.

      Re-enrollment commitments for CURRENT students to return in 2016-17 are coming soon -- stay tuned!

      2015 Maeser Science Fair (HS and MS)
      Please join us to celebrate the efforts of our student scientists on Wednesday, December 2nd at 6:15pm. Students who will be presenting at the fair need to arrive by 6:00pm. Others who would like to view the projects should plan to stop by between 6:15 and 6:30pm. Official judging of the projects will begin at 6:30pm, during which time visitors will be asked to leave the area. Awards will be announced after 7:00pm. All registration paperwork must be received by Wednesday morning for students planning to present. Contact Mr. Kreitzer for more information: josh.kreitzer@maeserprep.org.

      Middle School Service Activity December 4
      The Middle School Student Council will be assembling care packages for the Food and Care Coalition on December 4 in the cafeteria from 12:30-1:30.  For a list of needed items for our service activity please visit the following site:  http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e094ba8a62ca7f49-december. If you have any questions, please contact Laura Ure (laura.ure@maeserprep.org) or Robyn Christensen (robyn.christensen@maeserprep.org).
      High School Winter Play: “It’s a Wonderful Life”
      It’s a Wonderful Life - A Live Radio Play
      Dates: Friday and Saturday, December 4 and 5
      Time: 3:00 and 6:00pm both days
      Cost: $4/person
      High School Sweater Swing Dance
      Saturday, December 5 from 8:00-11:00pm in the Maeser gym
      Cost: $15/couple, $10/person
      Tickets will be sold in the main hallway during lunch this week.


      Vintage-Style Ornament Donations Needed!
      We are decorating a ‘40s style Christmas tree and having a silent auction to auction off the tree. If anyone has tree ornaments they would like to donate, please leave them at the front desk. Concessions will also be sold at the silent auction and all auction and concessions proceeds will go to MPACares to fight human trafficking.
      MPA Cares Planning Meetings
      Want to help us raise awareness of human trafficking and help the community? MPA Cares is planning a series of events for late October and early November.  We meet EVERY THURSDAY in room 155 to plan.  Come join us!

      Upcycling Winterim
      The Upcycling Winterim will be creating projects for sale to raise funds for orphanage needs in South America.  We are in need of wood pallets, old barn wood, old wooden-framed windows, unique old bottles, old lanterns, or old t-shirts for projects this January.  If you have access to any of these items and are willing to donate them to a good cause, please contact Mrs. Cannon at shannon.cannon@maeserprep.org.
      China Winterim 2017 (HS, MS, Parents) (Woods, end date TBD)
      We are still inviting anyone to register to attend this winterim to Beijing and Chengdu. It will be an unforgettable, once in a lifetime trip, beyond the usual tourist sites. Mrs. Woods and Mrs. Smith, our resident Chinese and Geography teachers, and Asia-travelers are leading the trip. No prior knowledge of Chinese is needed. Please see cost, itinerary, and sign up here at http://groups.rusticpathways.com/trips/maeserchina/.  
      Music Department Announcements
      Contact: Janice Vincent (janice.vincent@maeserprep.org)


      Music Department Holiday Concerts
      Monday, December 7
      Music Department JV Christmas Concert
      7:00pm at the Utah State Hospital Chapel, 1300 E. Center St., Provo
      Cost: FREE
      This concert features Maeser’s Middle School and Concert Choirs, and the beginning strings class and Philharmonic orchestra. Concert will last approximately one hour.
      Wednesday, December 9
      Music Department Christmas Showcase
      7:00pm in the Maeser gym
      Cost: $3/person at the door
      THE music event of the year at Maeser, showcasing talent from our top music ensembles (Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Choir) with guest faculty performers! We don’t want to give too much away, so you’ll just have to come see what treats we have in store for you!
      Utah Opera/Utah Symphony Field Trip Groups
      Opera group: Our next opera is Lehar’s “The Merry Widow” on January 14.
      Symphony group: Our next symphony evening, “Jackiw plays Mendelssohn,” is on February 5.
      If you have not yet paid the bus fee of $30 per person, please send the money to the front office as soon as possible. This pays for the entire year of symphony and opera trips.

      Students receive updates from Mrs. Vincent in their school email accounts. If you wish to be added to the notification list, please send your email address to janice.vincent@maeserprep.org.

      Parent-specific Messages

      Buy Your Yearbook!
      Early-bird pricing for this year’s yearbook has ended. Yearbooks are now $65 until December 31. After December 31, the late price of $75 kicks in until we’re sold out -- so order your yearbook now, before the price goes up in January!

      Parent Volunteer Background Checks and Driver Forms                                                
      Will you be driving or chaperoning to get your volunteer hours? We are so fortunate to have such a generous community of parents at Maeser! We love having parents help with driving and chaperoning students on field trips and at school activities. In order to ensure that our students are safe and to meet State requirements, we ask that all parents who will be driving or interacting with students as volunteers get an annual background check and complete a parent driver form. Your background check and driver form is good for the whole school year. (When your insurance or driver’s license is renewed, please bring it in so we can make a copy of the new card.) The school will cover the cost of your background check, so all you need to do is complete the forms, get fingerprinted, and bring in your driver’s license and proof of insurance.
      For more information and the forms you’ll need, please click here: Parent Background Check and Driver Application Forms.

      Volunteer Opportunities
      There are several different opportunities for volunteering opportunities on SignUp Genius, including needs this week (refreshments for the Safety/HOPE Squad night on November 4th and the Counseling Dept Advisory Committee Meeting on the 5th). Ms. Gerber also needs help sewing costumes for upcoming productsion. 
      Also, Heather Jensen has multiple needs for the College and Application Week that is coming up November 16-18 (and some of these needs require lead time, e.g., contacting schools for swag and vendors for giveaways.) (Go College prep!) Check your email if you have signed up to receive email updates for volunteer opportunities, or call Heather at 801-360-6002 or email her at heatherjens@hotmail.com

       This week there is also a need for supplies for the Middle School Council service project on Friday, December. 4. 
      See and sign up for a list of needed items here. (See details about the event in the general info section above.)

       Support group for parents of children with ADD/ADHD
      See information below in the Counselor's Corner about the ADD/ADHD parent support group.

      Sports Announcements

      None this week!

      Counselors' Corner

      Counselors' Contact Information
      • Krystal Anderson (krystal.anderson@maeserprep.org): A-J
      • Sandra Sorenson (sandra.sorenson@maeserprep.org): K-Z
      • Liz Swanson (liz.swanson@maeserprep.org): College counseling, applications, and scholarships

      Support group for parents of children with ADD/ADHD

      Once a month there is a support group for parents of children with ADD/ADHD. We are hoping to develop a community of information and support to lower stress and strengthen our school community. You will also receive an hour of volunteer credit for attending. If you have any questions please contact your assigned counselor.

      Annual Suicide Prevention Conference                                          

      This year the conference theme is Care for the Caregiver.​ Each day school personnel encounter stressful situations and/or visit with youth struggling with life. This conference will share ideas on how you can take care of yourself when dealing with stress and anxiety. Ideas will also be shared on how to assist students.

      The conference will be held on December 8th in the BYU Conference Center. Please see the attached brochure with the latest details. We are pleased to have Michael McLean be one of our keynote speakers. We hope you can join us!

      ​You may register on-line using Paypal, go to hope4utah.com, click on the conference. To pay by check, contact the counselors for an order form.


      Concurrent Enrollment 2nd Semester                                                   
      Students that will be enrolled in a NEW Concurrent Enrollment course during 2nd Semester need to take care of enrollment and tuition payments during Winterim. Please check the deadlines and make sure you are taking care of enrollment on time. If you need a transcript for enrollment, please see your counselor before Christmas Break.

      Admission Deadline

      Admission Deadline
      All admissions documentation (including transcripts and ACT scores) must be received by UVU before the admission deadline. Plan ahead!

      Students are responsible for knowing and adhering to the following Concurrent Enrollment deadlines:
      SPRING SEMESTER 2016
      January 20
      Last day to complete UVU admission
      Last day to submit prerequisite test scores for math, Biology, and English
      Last day to submit “Sophomore by Exception Application” to the Concurrent Enrollment Office.
      January 22
      Last day to complete course signup
      Tuition Due
      March 8
      Last day to drop without a W


      Scholarship Center

      Scholarship Search
      Looking for scholarships? Follow this link for a list of current scholarships available: http://www.ucacscholarships.blogspot.com/.

      New Scholarship Search Tool 
      Learn how to find 100+ scholarships in five minutes. https://www.scholar-box.com/schools/8988/scholarships Sign up today.
      Essays that worked. Read actual essays selected by John Hopkins Admissions’ counselors.

      More essays that stand out from the crowd

      Common Application Essay Prompts 2015-2016

      Writing Tips

      Essay Contests:

      Scholarships: Please note underlined deadline information for each scholarship

      • Buick Achievers Scholarships:
      • IM Flash CTE Scholarship:
      • UAEOP Business Education Scholarship:
      • Young Entrepreneur Award:
        http://www.nfib.com/foundations/yef/yef-programs/young-entrepreneur-awards/
      • Lynn Jensen Memorial Scholarship: Must be a high school senior who plans to become a school counselor or public education teacher K-12. Go to www.usca.schoolcounselorawards.org/scoy/ and click on “Other Awards”, fill out and save as PDF, upload and save by December 4th. Award of $500.00, up to 4 winners, given directly to student.
      • George H. Hansen Fellowship Scholarship: Seniors! Planning to major in geology or earth and space science? BYU offers a scholarship to incoming freshmen who enroll in these majors. The George H. Hansen Fellowship Scholarship covers a large part of tuition costs. Apply at http://www.geology.byu.edu/Home/news/george-hansen-scholarship. Deadline to apply: February 15th, 2016.
      • Google for Doodles: K-12 eligible. Create a doodle of the Google logo using any materials. Opens October 19th, 2015. $30,000 prize www.google.com/doodle4google/index.html
      • Elks National Foundation, Most Valuable Student Competition: Seniors only, based on leadership, scholarship and financial need, 50 awarded, 4 year scholarships. Apply by December 4th, 2015 www.elks.org/enf/scholars/mvs.cfm
      • High School Utah Entrepreneur Competition (HS UEC): Funded by Zions bank and managed by the University of Utah. This competition is an opportunity for anyone 14-18 years of age to compete for $22,000 in prizes and scholarships by: 1) Identifiying a problem, 2) Creating a solution, 3) Defining a customer, and 4) Presenting to judges. Registration for this competition starts in January, but students can start to sign up now and receive updates until registration opens. More information at www.lassonde.utah.edu/hsuec, or contact us hsuec@utah.edu or call the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute at 801-587-3836.

        Future Calendar Events

        Monday, Dec 7th

        • Music Department JV Christmas Concert: 7:00 p.m. Free admission. Utah State Hospital Chapel, 1300 E. Center St., Provo. This concert features Maeser’s Middle School and Concert Choirs, and the beginning strings class and Philharmonic orchestra. Concert will last approximately one hour.

        Wednesday, Dec 9th


        • Music Department Christmas Showcase. Maeser Gym, 7:00 p.m. $3.00 admission. THE music event of the year at Maeser, showcasing talent from our top music ensembles (Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Choir) with guest faculty performers! We don’t want to give too much away, so you’ll just have to come see what treats we have in store for you!

        PowerSchool Access 

        Can’t remember your username or password? Contact us at info@maeserprep.org to request a password reset or username reminder. (Note: The password reset feature on PowerSchool does not work.)
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