ATTENTION 9TH GRADERS – CLASS OF 2009
Davis High School Listserver Will Be Ready for Incoming
(current 9th grade) Parents and Guardians

Starting Monday, January 16, 2006, parents and guardians of the class of 2009 (current
9th graders) may start signing up for the DHS Class of 2009 Listserver sponsored by
DHS PTA. The sign-up in January will allow adequate time to participate in the
"Questions and Answers" via the listserver with DHS counselors, regarding the 2006-07
student program planners after the Incoming Sophomore Parent Information Nights in
February (dates TBA). Families interested in enrolling at Da Vinci are also welcome to
join since Da Vinci students will be concurrently enrolled at DHS
To sign up, please go to the DHS PTA website at http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us/go/dhspta
then select "E-mail Listservers" from the menu, then follow the link to the Class of 2009.

The class parent listservers (commonly known as "class listservers") have proven
invaluable for parents throughout their student's high school years. They help promote
communication among PARENTS/GUARDIANS OF THE SAME GRADE regarding
class-specific issues, activities and concerns. They can also be used to disseminate
information from DHS counselors and administration. The unmoderated forum is ideal
for the more experienced parents to offer assistance to the newcomers.

As a way to help the incredibly busy DHS counselors efficiently respond to as many
parents' questions as possible, your class's Listserver Administrator Mary Velinsky, an
experienced DHS parent with an incoming sophomore, will assist them by facilitating
Questions &Answers through your class listserver. Mary will organize the questions,
eliminate repetitions, and then e-mail the counselors' responses to all subscribers via the
listserver.
* * * * *
STUDENT OF THE MONTH
The following students were chosen as Student of the Month for October
Congratulations
M. Klein H. Sprang Q. Kesser
N. Crew A. Timothy T. Niethercutt
S. Selim N. Wells K. Hopper
J. Doyon M. Choe E. McNeil
E. Pretzlaff M. King C. Perry
Y. Toofan A. Harder M. Hoal
S. Raber A. Zamora G. Hinesley
A. Drips N. Guttenberg O. McHugh
D. Dedoshka H. Teaford E. Diaz
B. Van Deynze E. Sobhani J.P. Perret
M. Mananquil S. Libertini
Nominated by two teachers!
H. Folkes V. Fischer K. Clancy
S. Balla E. Iskin

DRAMA PRODUCTION NEWS
Many thanks to all who made Romeo and Juliet or The Old “You-Know-I-Really-
Love-You-But-My-Father-Really-Hates-You” Blues a success. Thanks for the hard work
of the cast, Hope Raymond and the costume crew, Simon Pitfield of Davis Fencing
Academy, ACME Theatre for loaning us costumes, parents for the backstage and
performance work, Mr. O’Brien for all his energy, and for the many others who painted,
swept, moved, climbed, focused, and folded!

Listen to the daily bulletin for news on the upcoming musical. Audition dates will be
announced!
* * * * *


Davis Jr. High Book Club
Ever wonder what books your kids are reading and what they think about them?
This is your chance to find out. You are invited to join a book discussion club for junior
high students and their parents. The club will not meet at any of the schools, but in the
virtual world of the Internet. To sign up to participate, get a form at your school library.
Once the form is turned in you will receive an access code you can use to register on the
web site: http://www.djusd.k12.ca.us/harper/library/blog/. The discussion board is
available from any computer with an Internet connection. If you do not have a computer
at home, you can still participate using a computer at work, the public library or any
Internet café.

The books we will be discussing are: Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz (Jan. 4th –
Feb 10th); Ender’s Game by Scott Orson Card (Feb. 13th- March 31st); Petey by Ben
Mickelsen (April 3rd –May 12th). You may participate in reading and discussing all three
titles or just join in for one or two. All of these books are available in paperback at local
bookstores. The discussion of Esperanza Rising will tie in with the author’s visit to the
Mondavi Center on Feb. 1, 2006.

Rules for participation can be found on the website. Although the discussion
board will have a blog format, it will be a moderated discussion (a fancy way of saying
that I will be checking all submissions before posting them to the web). You will be
asked to pick a literary persona as a screen name for security and privacy protection.

If you have any questions, you may go to the discussion web page and click on
the FAQ section. If you still don’t find what you need, please stop by either school
library, email me jboston@djusd.k12.ca.us, or call me: 530-757-5430x157 (Emerson)
530-757-5330x272 (Harper).
* * * * *
STUDENT DIRECTORIES ARE HERE!!
Have you been waiting for your Harper Student Directory?? Check those
backpacks! Directories were delivered to students in Advisory before
winter break. If you would like to order a directory, there are some
available. Please send cash or a check to Harper PTO in the amount of
$5.00 per copy to the school (Harper PTO Directory, c/o Harper Junior
High, 4000 E. Covell Blvd., Davis, CA 95616) by January 31. Don't
forget to include your student's name and grade in your request.
* * * * *
YOU AND YOUR IDEAS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME!!
It's never too late to join the Harper Parent Teacher Organization.
Support the PTO with your membership. Even better -- attend the next
meeting or volunteer your time!! To join send a check to Harper PTO in
the amount of $10 per member to the school (Harper PTO Membership, c/o
Harper Junior High, 4000 E. Covell Blvd., Davis, CA 95616).
* * * * *
WINTER CONCERT
Harper Concert and Advanced Bands along with the Chorus provided a delightful Winter
Concert on December 5. The Chorus, led by Mr. Zinn, opened with “Giovani Leiti from
the Marriage of Figaro” and included the lovely “Carol of the Bells”. The Concert Band,
led by Mr. DuPertuis and the Advanced Band, led by Mr. Quick, each performed three
pieces individually, then combined for a finale that included “An American Hymntune”
and the very lively “25 or 6 to 4” that had us tapping our feet.
* * * * *
BAND BOOSTER NEWS
Harper Band Boosters are working toward their goal of purchasing a baritone saxophone,
a gong and additional sheet music. We have just begun what we hope will be our annual
fundraiser, “For the Love of Music”, our direct donation drive. We are asking Harper
families to contribute what you can. Band parents will be receiving a letter in the mail,
but if you are not a parent of a Band student, and just “Love Music”, contributions can be
sent to Harper Band Boosters c/o the school.

To celebrate our “Love of Music” we will be having a solo/ensemble evening with
dessert on February 10. Encourage your student to consider performing either alone or
with friends or family. Yes, that’s right – tune up YOUR instruments parents!! As plans
continue more information can be found at the Band Boosters website
(http://www2.dcn.org/orgs/harberband).

The Harper Band Boosters would also like to acknowledge donations to the Band
Program by the following families: Anderson, Brattesani, Furie, Harder and Mee, Lucas, Marr,
and Wardrip. THANKS!!



PIZZA LOVERS READ THIS!
The second Tuesday of every month is Harper Band Booster Night at Papa Murphy’s
Pizza on W. Covell next to Albertson’s. Enjoy their delicious take and bake pizza (also
cookie dough, and salads; excludes drinks or daily specials). Mention Harper Band
Boosters and 25% of your order is donated to Harper Bands. It’s easy, it’s tasty, and
Harper Bands thank you!!!
* * * * *
SITE COUNCIL NEWS
We welcome the newly elected student representatives on the Harper Site
Council. They are William Stanton, ninth grade; Nicolette Daskalakis, eighth grade; and
James Stanton, seventh grade. Congratulations!

The Site Council now has about $30,000 to allocate toward improving our
school. Funding decisions will be tied to Harper’s School Level Plan, and staff members
are asked to submit updates to the plan for the year before submitting funding proposals
to the Council. The Council will review and decide on updated plans and proposals as
they are submitted.

At its meeting in November, the Council reviewed the District’s offer to pay for
and install security cameras on campus to decrease vandalism after school hours. Davis
High School already has this security system effectively installed, and the same offer is
being made to the other two junior high schools. The Council voted to endorse this
system given that the school community is appropriately notified that security cameras
will operate only after school hours.

Council meetings are scheduled on the third Thursday of each month. The next
one is January 19, from 7:30 to 9:00 am in Room G49. All interested parents and students
are welcome to attend and make comments.
* * * * *
THE 2005 HARPER PTO FRANCES FUND WAS A HUGE SUCCESS!

Thanks to the generous donations from Harper families and a matching grant of
$5,000 from Coldwell Banker, Doug Arnold Real Estate, Inc.,
This year’s Frances Fund raised $21,849 to benefit our students.

The money raised through the Frances Fund will purchase literature for the English
department, books for the library, TCI Social Studies units for 7th and 8th graders,
graphing calculators and geometry software for the Math department, three wireless
microphones and a projection screen for the MPR. Harper students will benefit this year
and for years to come with these additions to our school.

Special mention also goes to these wonderful Davis businesses that donated gifts for our
prize drawing: Fleet Feet, Davis Wheelworks, The Davis Food-Coop, Lamppost Pizza,
Peet’s Coffee, Ken’s Bike and Ski, Konditerei, Davis Fencing Academy, Pamela
Trokanski Dance Studio, Baskin Robbins on Covell, MT Nails, Cenario’s Pizza, Cable
Car Wash, Ikeda’s, Video City, Lily’s Fashion Lounge, Mocha Joe’s, Subway on Covell,
Avid Reader, Jamba Juice, and Taqueria Guadalajara. Be sure to thank these businesses
for their constant support of Davis education.

The Frances Fund would not have been a success without the generosity of the Harper
families. Every donation, from $20 to $5,000, is a gift to the Harper students! Thanks to
several families who wished to remain anonymous, including a $4,000 donation to the
library and to the following families for their donations:
Durmaz, Gendron, Testa, Pandey, Bowen, Martin, Bertero, Jones/Camden, Hassid,
Jensen, Fischer, Clancy/Czuleger, Klein, Marr, Yount, Bernardy/Finn, Fisk,
Arnold/Sanchez, Raber, Finley, Son, Kodira, Hayes/Vandenbrink, Hamaguchi,
Seropian, Green, Heim, Brehm, Yamauchi/O’Brien, Wolbarst/Shpak, Reuben,
Perry, Eser, Tibor, Gee, Yates, Harris, Pesis, West, Granger, Sawyer, Chow/Lau,
Dominguez/Fierro, Utts/Smith, Koivunen, Kramer/Birt, Tyson, Teaford, Clark,
Heard, McLeod, Persons, Cordier, Barber/Borgg, Chapman, Lorber, Allen,
Kouchesfahani, Estrella, Baroody, Dinger, Khouri, Cambron/Reed, Kerr, Kesser,
LeFlore, Steinberg, Wright, Schafer/Kramer, Cooluris, Ragsdale, Parro, Salvagno,
Domier, Ferragamo, Berry, Mossar/Novotny, Glaeser, Lyon, Rustad, Evans,
O’Leary, Ward, Beachler, Barbier, Joyce/Stanton, Strong/Thompson, Smith/Lee,
Robertson, Harder/Mee, Hopmans/Vanden Reek, Mourget/Pretzlaff, Holtz/Woodell.
* * * * *

PRINCIPAL’S CORNER

Help your teen to become more responsible this year
(Information for this article was drawn from Parents Make The Difference! by the parent Institute, INS, Inc.)

He forgot his homework, so he wants you to drive it up to school.
He hasn’t completed his English paper; will you let him stay home from school
until he finishes it?

Sound familiar? Teens are not always responsible, but some have never had to
be. Even for many of our Harper students, whenever the kids face a problem,
their parents try to fix it up. Repeatedly helping your student when they have not
been responsible may solve some problems today, but it can create even bigger
problems in the future.

Starting this year you can help your teen develop the responsibility he or she will
need for the rest of their lives. Here are some tips from the Parent Institute which
I though were very practical and very worthwhile:

1. Give your teen as much responsibility as you can. Teens need lots of
growing room. Whenever you can give your teens a chance to make
decisions for themselves, do it! Child advocate and consultant Michele
Karns says to find ways to say “yes” to your teen. One often missed
opportunity is to hook that “yes” for some new freedom, to their need to
carry out their responsibilities.

2. Talk with your teen and help them think about consequences. Teens tend
to jump in without thinking. Encourage your teen to consider the results of
an action before taking it. They can learn a great deal from parent’s
experiences.

3. Make a plan. At the start of the next term, help your teen figure out a
schedule. When is the best time to study? Can he or she play a sport,
take twice-weekly piano lessons, compete in the FFA and still do OK at
school?

4. Let your teen learn from experience. Experience is a good teacher, but
teens cannot learn the lessons they need if their parents are always there
to bail them out. If your teen doesn’t get the English paper written on time,
let them deal with the teacher and suffer the consequences.

These ideas are not the answer for every student in every situation, but they are
good advice for parents who want their students prepared for the rigors of high
school and college. Junior high school, right around the time for puberty, is the
best time for training, not after the ineffective habits are established.

Rainy Day Traffic
As the cold and wet weather has descended upon Davis, the traffic problems at
the pick-up and drop-off area at the front of Harper JHS have begun to escalate.
Cars are parked at the yellow curbs for extended periods at the end of the school
day and other cars are backed up so that many must wait through multiple traffic
light changes just to be able to access the school entrance. The problems have
become acute and recently the school principal and the Davis Police
department’s traffic officer consulted about possible solutions. Some possible
answers will take a while to implement, but some are readily available if parents
will help.

We are asking parents not to park at the front curb and wait for your students to
emerge from school for the ride home. If you are going to arrive early enough to
park, please pre-arrange to meet your student in one of the three parking lots
around the school. The lots to the east and west are never filled after school and
therefore parents are encouraged to use those lots to pick up at the end of the
school day. This will allow parents whose students are already waiting to be
pick-up to depart without undue delays.

Another way to help is to arrive a little bit later than 3:30. Give your student 10 to
15 minutes to go to their locker, talk to friends. By the time you arrive, your
student should be just about ready to leave.

Please help us to alleviate the traffic problems by planning ahead. And please
try to avoid using the Alhambra Estates neighborhood for pick-up and delivery of
your students. Thanks!

The Harper School Accountability Report Card
The Harper School Accountability Report Cards will be available soon, however
the School Fact Sheet that has much of the data from the Accountability Report
Card is enclosed with this newsletter for your review. We hope you will find the
information of interest and helpful to you in understanding the district programs
and priorities. The Harper school staff is grateful to the many parents that
support our school and assist in a myriad of ways that help us to be able to have
such an overall positive report.
* * * * *

New Teachers at Frances Harper JHS
(This month we continue with highlighting new staff members.)

Ms. Heather Crookshanks is thrilled to be at Harper Junior High School
and serving the student population here in Davis where she has resided for the
past five years. Before teaching here, Ms. Crookshanks taught high school
English at Vacaville High School for four years. Previous to that, she taught
English at Fairfield High School for two years. Her teaching career started in
1997 where she taught language arts at American Canyon Middle School.
Ms. Crookshanks has enjoyed performing theatrically and as a singer in a
Grass Valley Band. She proudly touts the talents of her son, Christian, on the
football field, as a trumpet player and as a student. Her daughter Lauren also
excels in school and on stage as a budding singer and actress.
Heather’s family relocated in Davis from American Canyon when her
husband Brent completed his education at UC Davis. Before starting her family,
Heather studied English at C.S.U.Fresno where she also received her teaching
credential. Prior to this, she grew up in Exeter, California where the majority of
her family still live.

Mark Gill is a new math teacher. He was born in Ohio and attended
Cleveland State University where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in Marketing
Management. He worked and traveled around the world for the next ten years.
He has traveled in almost every state in the Union and has been employed in six
states from east to west coast. He has traveled to 24 countries outside the US.
He married Karen in the summer of 2001. Mr. Gill is an avid skier and has
enjoyed his sport in many places and countries before taking out season passes
here at Squaw Valley.
Mr. Gill studied Mathematics as a grad student at California State
University-Long Beach and received his single Subject Credential/ Masters in
Education from University of California-Davis.
* * * * *

DAVIS SCHOOLS FOUNDATION MAKES $45,000 FIRST DISBURSEMENT

The Davis Schools Foundation announced its first grant of $45,000 to Davis
public schools to fund library books at the secondary schools and outdoor
science education for 6th graders at all elementary schools. The secondary
schools will receive $30,000 for much needed library books with $12,000 going to
Davis Senior High School and $6,000 going to each of the district’s junior high
schools.

The Davis Schools Foundation is pleased to be able to make this first
disbursement after less than a year of fundraising. They chose to fund library
books and outdoor science education after surveying the district’s PTAs, school
site councils, principals and administrators. The Davis secondary schools
libraries became a priority due to the unacceptable book deficit that students
face. These libraries come nowhere near the California state target of 20 books
per student. Almost half of these collections are 20-30 years old on average.

Funding for libraries has gone down from $25 per child in 2001, to its current
$0.71 per child per year. Libraries have basic maintenance expenses beyond
books, including database needs, periodical subscriptions and more. The sad
reality is that our school libraries have no public monies to buy new books.

Davis Schools Foundation exists to ensure that DJUSD continues to provide
excellent educational opportunities for all children, and to raise funds to support
vital programs. The foundation is a nonprofit, registered 501 (C) (3) corporation.
For more information, call Janet Berry, Davis Schools Foundation President, at
530-400-6759 or visit the foundation’s website www.davisschoolsfoundation.org

* * * * *
SHARE A MORNING, SHAPE A FUTURE
Career Day 2006 sponsored by the Davis Chamber of Commerce Foundation & the
School-Business Partnership is coming to Harper Junior High on Thursday, February 9.
Career Speakers, Role Models, Mentors, Parents, Leaders, Businesspeople
WE WANT YOU!
We are seeking over 100 Davis area residents and businesspeople to share their job
experiences with hundreds of Davis-area secondary school students for Career Days.
Speakers will make classroom presentations for 2 ½ hours in the morning. Volunteers can
speak at 1, 2, or all 3 of the schools, choose only their child’s school or pick a date that
matches their schedule: Feb 9 for Harper, Feb 23 for Holmes and Mar 9 for Emerson.

To get more information, to ask questions, or to let us know you are stepping up to
volunteer, please e-mail Cynthia Goldberg at hgpig@dcn.org or contact the Davis
Chamber of Commerce at 530-756-5160. All scheduling and selections will be completed
in early January, so we hope you will consider stepping up NOW!
* * * * *
GERMAN CLUB
All Harper students interested in learning German culture and basic vocabulary are
WELCOME to join our weekly club meetings. In the fall, we had two guest speakers
from Germany, enjoyed real German breakfast, and learned some basic language skills.

In the spring, we are continuing our weekly meetings on a more student-friendly time.
Look for more information through the daily bulletins and listserv. Come and join the fun
– Herzlich Willkommen!

For more information contact Ingrid Salim at isalim@djusd.k12.ca.us
* * * * *
PTO MESSAGE
From Co-President, Jane Schafer-Kramer
The Harper PTO welcomes the New Year with the wish that the enthusiasm, energy, and
generosity that Harper parents showed in 2005 continue into 2006! As we write this
newsletter, the Frances Fund Drive is being wrapped up like a shiny, lovely gift under a
holiday tree, and the wonderful news is that the goal was not only met, but surpassed. In
addition to the many gifts from families who sincerely gave whatever they could, several
breathtakingly generous donations were received, including gifts of $5,000 from one
family and $5,000 in matching funds from Doug Arnold of Coldwell Banker. Late word
has just arrived of another stunning donation from one Harper family of $5,000 to the
school library and $5,000 to the music department. All I can say is “Wow!” 2005 was a
notorious year for natural disasters worldwide, and some of us were concerned that
“donation fatigue” would impact the Frances Fund Drive. I am thrilled to admit that our
concern was proven wrong.

At the October and November PTO meetings, decisions were made to divvy up the funds
collected from membership dues, eScrip and Nugget scrip cards, and donations from
families that were made at the beginning of the school year. We collected information
from each school department and tried to address as many of the needs as we could. In a
nutshell, here is a summary of the PTO allocations for the 2005-06 year, so far:
Advisory Class supplies $250
Vice Principal’s “student incentives” fund $500
WEB (Where Everybody Belongs) Program teacher training and supplies $2,000
Counselors’ student supplies and field trip scholarship fund $1,000
Staff Development for teachers’ conferences $1,000
Home Economics, for small appliances $525
Industrial Technology, for 3D modeling software $575
Science, to provide goggles for lab use $500
Full Inclusion (a.k.a. Special Education), for various supplies $250
Art, for student supplies $200
Music, for instruments $450

When I began attending PTA meetings at my children’s elementary school, I was
unpleasantly surprised to find out how much of what it takes to operate a good school is
not funded by the school district or the state, but out of parents and teachers’
contributions. This sobering concept drives the efforts of those who organize and those
who donate to this fundraising. Here at Harper, we have a lovely new school, but we also
have classrooms, labs, a music room, and a library that are still lacking the materials,
instruments, and supplies needed to provide the best opportunities for our students. Your
understanding of this situation is reflected in your generous contributions, and on behalf
of the PTO Board, I thank you!

PTO isn’t only about fundraising, however. You are invited and encouraged to join us at
the January 10 meeting at 7:00 p.m. in the school library as we consider what else we can
do to bring Frances Harper Junior High to the level of excellence we all want for our
students.

We extend our very best wishes and hopes for the New Year to all of our families!

* * * * *

YEARBOOK NEWS
ON SALE NOW!
Price is now $37. Purchase your yearbook now before prices go up. 80% of the students bought
a yearbook last year before we sold out. Order now to guarantee your copy. Pick up a form in the
office and return it via mail, via the front office, or see Mr. McKim in room G-48. Receipt will be
delivered to student during class 4th period after a few days time. Keep your receipt!

PHOTOGRAPHS WANTED!
Provide photos or jpg files for possible publication in the yearbook. We need photos of everything
Harper: athletes in action, summer vacation photos, drama productions, art shows, academic
presentations, fundraising activities, field trips, just hangin’ around, silly faces, etc. Send to
Mr.McKim via the office or send with your student to Mr. McKim’s room, G-48.
* * * * *
SCIENCE NEWS
7th GRADE SCIENCE: Mr. O’Brien reports the following: the mealworm project is wrapped up
and the final summary of findings has been turned in. We are in the midst of our study of the
history of life on Earth. Soon we will delve into the midst of Chemistry!!

8th GRADE SCIENCE:
Mr. McKim and Mr. O’Brien continue to lead our fearless students into the depths of ionic and
covalent chemistry. Among other things, investigative labs have included production of oxygen
from the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide using the catalyst manganese dioxide. This allows
a flameless ember to reignite! Cool! We also investigate acids and bases, the pH scale and more.
In late January we head into the beautiful world of life science with a study of genetics. New
books will be switched for old. Don’t forget that 2nd quarter is very important for determining your
next year’s science class. Only an A or B in 8th grade science will get you into Biology during 9th
grade.

GIFTING GIVES DIVIDENDS!
Did you know that you can give a gift to the Science Dept.? Below, you’ll find the items that
have been identified by the department as “wish list” items. Your financial gift or donation of
materials goes a long way to helping the next generation of scientists and problem-solvers.
Remember that we are well equipped already. Our community’s generosity is legendary and we
have been asked from time to time to provide these lists for our wonderful benefactors to
consider. Contact the front office or Mr. McKim at kmckim@djusd.k12.ca.12 if you’d like to help.
Thank you!

Bigger Ticket Items:
10 ml Graduated Cylinders with large diameter openings for 7th grade density labs. We
need 10 of them. Diameter big enough to allow a quarter.
Onion root tip prepared slides for Biology. Set of 20
20 Newton Spring Scales for 8th grade physics labs. Set of 10.
Microscope with greater than 400x power for Biology. Need just 1.
5 doorstops for installation on doors common to prep room. Ask for description.
Available at local hardware stores for less than $10 each
Clear vinyl tubing (¾” inside diameter) to direct faucet spray down into lab sinks. This
reduces counter mess and floor mess. Price unknown, need approx. 50 feet.
Nylon strapping to hold goggle sterilizing/storage cabinets on carts. Total of two needed.
Available at Costco for approx. $20
4 utility carts (gray plastic) for preparation and transportation of science materials.
Available from Boreal and Science Kit for approx. $190
40 Sterlite containers 6-quart size (to match currently used containers) for storing and
shelving science equipment, also for setting up group lab kits.
Akrobins available from the Container Store. More info available upon request. These are
stackable plastic organizing bins that allow you to grab small items individually, or pick
up the entire bin for lab use. They stack into our prep room cabinets as well as inside our
drawers. Depending on size, they vary from $0.99 to $5.99. For $300 worth, we believe
our organization needs will be met.
Magazine Subscriptions: Science News, Current Science 40 copies for use with all
classes as time allows, also as emergency substitute plans
Speakers for science CPU’s: these would help with any multi-media presentations that
students create. The CPU’s are stored within cabinets to avoid lab spills on them. This
renders their speakers useless. If we had a few speakers to place on the counter near the
monitor and keyboard, we could get the most from our student efforts and enjoy any on-
line multi-media resources as well.
WISH LISTS:
For individual SCIENCE teacher wish lists, please make contact via their email addresses or
websites.
* * * * *
HUSKY SPORTS
The Harper 7th grade girls and boys basketball teams have had a season full of wins, losses,
learning and fun. So many 7th grade boys wished to play basketball, that two teams were formed.
Harper's basketball future appears bright! The team rosters were:
Girls: Brittany B., Sammy E., Sarah F., Drew K., Emily L., Vanessa P., Lisa R.
Boys: Josh M., Quinn K., Blair K., Cooper R., Bryce T., Tucker N., Gary E., Trevor R.,
Brandon H., Tyler D., Kevin C., Ben R., James S., Jonathan W., Jake L., Horacio F.,
Ryan R., Zack F., Yousel B., Alex Z., Juan C., George L., Justin C., Uriel R.,
Angelo E.
Eighth grade boys and girls basketball began in December - Good Luck Huskies!

If you are interested in participating in the next sports, soccer and track & field, get your physicals
and be ready for sign ups and the first meetings.

If you have sports news or scores please send to
Susie Evans, Herald Sports Reporter at
susie0501@aol.com
* * * * *

Counseling News
Welcome back from the holidays! We are quickly approaching the end of semester
1 – January 27th. Report cards will be mailed the following week.
New 8th grade counselor
As many of you are aware, we started this school year without an 8th grade counselor.
We are happy to report, however, that Eric Dutton has joined the Counseling Team as a
long term counseling sub. Eric has been teaching Special Education classes for the last
seven years, has volunteered with Suicide Prevention and with Allied Services for Kids,
and has worked with special needs children for many years. Eric is excited to be at
Harper and looks forward to working with all of his 8th grade students.

Talent Search
Academic Talent Search is a program for 6th through 9th grade students offering
accelerated and enrichment courses. These courses are taught at Sacramento State
University during the summer and give students an opportunity to experience a university
environment and to take classes, which are not usually available at the secondary level.
In order to be a part of this program, students need to take the College Ability Test,
which will be offered at Harper Jr. High on February 9, 2006, at 3:30 p.m. (Testing is
also taking place at the Sacramento State campus on 2/4, 3/4, and 3/25). Applications
(which include a $10.00 fee) can be picked up at the Harper office and returned to the
counselors.

Key Dates for 06-07 Student Course Selection
Following are our proposed program planning dates at Harper for the 06-07 school year.
Students will be receiving a letter in the mail with more information concerning their
placement and schedules for the 06-07 school year.

February 6-10 The Harper Counselors will be visiting the 7th & 8th grade classes
to distribute and explain 06-07 course selection materials.

February 9 – Evening meeting for parents of current 7th grade students to discuss
the course selection materials for 8th grade.

February 16 – Evening meeting for parents of current 8th grade students to discuss
the course selection materials for 9th grade.

February 15, 16, and 17 – The Davis High School and DaVinci High counselors
will visit Harper 9th graders to distribute and explain programming
materials/procedures for 10th grade.
There will also be evening informational meetings at the Instructional &
Performing Arts Building (IPAB) for parents/guardians before the program
planners are due.
February 2 – 7-8:30pm Last Names A-L
February 6 – 7-8:30pm Last Names M-Z

February 21 – Students turn in completed 8th and 9th grade 06-07 program planner

STUDENT OF THE MONTH
The following students were chosen as Student of the Month for November
Congratulations
M. Lee C. Hu R. Reedy
L. Katz W. Allen V. Bhula
M. Barlow N. Higura L. Wei
S. Kuo M. Manaquil C. Liikala
L. Robinson S. Evans M. Ward
B. Sharp C. O’Leary S. Six
M. Balanos-Kellison S. Linebarger B. Laitham
J. Boulware R. Hamilton A. Mireles
R. Mahdavi H. Shaik A. Timothy
D. Gee A. Chase Q. Kesser
A. Zavala A. O’Hearn G. Cross
C. Baier C. Suh A. Rinaldi
D. S. Suh M. Hamaguchi B. Kittle
J. Doyon D. Dedoshka K. Nye
J. Garrett L. Chen E. McCapes
E. Sobhani A. Honda K. Sloma
C. Castanon-Mauvais A. Bagheri.

Nominated by TWO teachers!
H. Teaford
* * * * *
YVES BOUYSSOUNOUSE IS NOMINATED FOR TEACHER OF THE YEAR!

Yves Bouyssounouse is one of Harper's fine math teachers. He was recruited from a
career in the computer and technology industry 7 years ago to be a math teacher at
Holmes Junior High School and transferred to Harper Junior High when it opened last
year. Yves has been a tremendous advocate for middle level students in Davis, both at
Holmes and now at Harper.

Recently Yves Bouyssounouse was nominated for Teacher of the Year for the
Sacramento Region of the California League of Middle Schools. He was one of nine
regional nominees that were awarded with a dinner and other recognition on December
7th at the Sacramento Hilton Hotel by the California League of Middle Schools. All nine
candidates were joined at the dinner by family, co-workers and friends. Each one shared
inspiring stories of how they found their way to be teachers in middle school classrooms.
All nine nominees were very fine teachers and any one of them would have made
excellent choices as the finalist for Teacher of the Year. When the selection was made, a
teacher who came to the profession from a career in business, very much like Yves, was
chosen.

Yves Bouyssounouse serves as the math department co-chairperson and also serves as
our technology leader at Harper JHS. He helps sponsor the Broadcast Club and other
student activities at Harper as well. Yves was a big help last year opening our new
school and assisting teachers with every form of technological problem that popped up.
Yves teaches some of our very lowest level math classes as well as some of the highest,
and he does so with enthusiasm and integrity. He helps out whenever asked and is a
tremendous asset at Harper.

Harper JHS is fortunate to have Yves Bouyssounouse on staff. However Yves really is
just representative of all the other very high quality middle level teachers at Harper and in
Davis who are all well prepared and dedicated to providing your student with the very
best education available. Please congratulate Yves should you see him and feel free to
greet all our middle level teachers and let them know you support their efforts.
* * * * *
DONATE TO DOLLAR-A-DAY DRIVE

Have you made your donation to the Davis Schools Foundation Dollar-a-Day drive? Last
month the Foundation mailed out Dollar-a-Day Donation brochures/forms and a copy of
an article that ran in the Davis Enterprise. The article described the need for support for
the Dollar-a-Day fundraising campaign. Our school recently received funding for our
school Library from the Davis Schools Foundation. Your donation will directly support
programs for our schools and is crucial to maintaining excellent program quality in our
district.

Since this is the time of year that many of you are giving to your favorite charities, we
hope that you will put the Davis Schools Foundation at the top of your list. Please look
over the information sent to you in the mail and give what you can for the benefit of all
Davis public school children.

For more information, call Janet Berry, Davis Schools Foundation President, at 530-400-
6759 or visit the foundation's website at www.davisschoolsfoundation.org.
* * * * *
BE THE FIRST TO KNOW IMPORTANT DATES
GET THE HARPER HERALD ON LINE!
If you would like to help the PTO save paper and mailing costs by receiving the newsletter
electronically, please send a message to harperpto@aol.com. Put “newsletter” in the subject line
and include your name and yours student’s name in the message. You will then be notified when
the newsletter is available on the Harper PTO website: http://www2.dcn.org/orgs/harperpto.
The Herald is usually on line about a week before it would find its way to your mailbox.