Staff Bulletin – March 16, 2009

CAHSEE: We will be administering the CAHSEE on Tuesday and Wednesday next week. This testing is for juniors and seniors and the 30 sophomores that were absent in February. The seniors along with the sophomores will be in the library. The juniors will be divided into the Quick Lunch Room and Teacher’s Cafeteria. Students identified as ELL will test with Mr. Coplan. Students in SPE will be assigned via their case manager. Ms. Harper, Mrs. Dargahi, Ms. Johnson, Mr. Magro, Ms. Ho , Ms. Martindale and Ms. Morrison will be involved with the testing.

CAPS AND GOWNS: Achievers will be on campus Thursday, March 19th during lunch for Seniors to order their cap and gowns, announcements etc. Single items can be purchased although packages are available. To ensure students are able to get the proper gown, they should place an order by April 30th.

CAPS AND GOWNS- SENIOR MINI SCHOLARSHIP FUND: Staff, please include the Senior Mini Scholarship Fund in your charitable giving ASAP! Help our most needy, deserving seniors pay cap and gown fees, year book costs, prom fees, etc. Rosemary Whisenton is managing the Fund. Take your cash, checks or money orders – small amounts, big amounts – to her. She and Ms. Morrison will be screening students and would welcome your assistance in identifying deserving seniors. Let’s help make these youths’ Senior year experiences as memorable as those of the other seniors who aren’t so financially challenged. Thanks for your generosity in these extraordinarily challenging times!

EMERGENCY CAHSEE MEETING : There will be an emergency CAHSEE meeting in the Library, Monday, March 16, at 11:05 for all 11th and 12th grade students who have not yet passed CAHSEE. The exams on Tues and Wed. are student’s last chance to pass the exit exam if they plan to graduate on June 9, 2009.

PTSA SILENT ACTION: The 2009 Oakland Tech Silent Auction will take place this Saturday, March 21st, 2009. This year the program will include both a Silent AND Live Auction. Staff members received two complimentary tickets to attend 6:00pm – 11:00pm, at the Leona Lodge, 4444 Mountain Blvd., in Oakland. The program will include both a Silent AND Live Auction this year.

HALL WALKTHROUGHS: When the WASC teams walks through our halls, after the tardy bell has rung, what will they see? Anyone interested in doing a hall walk-through at the beginning of your conference period, please contact C. Dargahi. Please remember the 15 minute rule and also to give students who leave your class, for any reason – even to get water – a pass that is completely filled out. You’ll see how important this is if you join us for a walk.

WALKTHROUGHS: This week members of the administrative team will be walking through classes. They will be checking for: (1) Blackboard Configuration, (2) Posted Student Work and (3) Evidence boxes. Please have these elements ready for them to review.

SCHOOL PRIDE: To show school pride next Monday, please wear our school colors: PURPLE and GOLD!

WASC VISITING COMMITTEE: This month a Visiting Committee of seven educators will be at Oakland Tech to observe our classes and speak with students, parents, and staff. On March 22-25, Oakland Tech will have its accreditation visit, during which the Visiting Committee will prepare a report about the school’s instruction, assessment, leadership, and climate. They will submit their recommendation to the WASC Commission, who will give Oakland Tech an accreditation term of up to 6 years. Let’s all work together to make the visit a positive experience for everyone and show what a great school Tech is.