Tiller News - Tustin Unified School District

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Tiller News - Tustin Unified School District
Tiller News
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 A weekly newsletter brought to you by the staff and students of Tustin High School, a Gold Ribbon School.

ISSUE 25, VOL. 3                                 PAGE 1 OF 3                              FEBRUARY 24, 2017

INCREASED TECHNOLOGY EQUALS INCREASED SUCCESS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION
STUDENTS | By Julie Williams, Special Education Teacher, on behalf of the Special Education Department

D    o you question the benefits of technology used by students? In the Tustin High Special Education Department we do
     NOT. Across all levels of the THS Special Education program technology is being regularly used to increase the learning suc-
cess of all of our students. Programs and applications such as Haiku, Google Mail, Google Drive, Nearpod, Kahot, Pear Deck, and
Membean to name a few are being used from the Moderate/Severe programs up through Resource/SAI programs. For our students
who struggle with organization, i.e. have a backpack full of crumpled papers and a half used folder, Haiku and Google Classroom are
a God send. Teachers actively using these programs effectively provide structure and order to students who otherwise have yet an-
other hurdle to overcome. Students who, through years of perceived failure, are hesitant to participate in a class discussion, now are
given a voice through programs like Pear Deck. One to one technology is really only successful if the teachers are actively using it.
At Tustin High School our teachers are doing just this and more. All of our student body, especially Special Education students, are
reaping the benefits!

AVID ON THE ROAD
By Joanna Vandal, AVID Advisor

O     ur main goal in AVID is to ensure that all of our students are
      prepared for college and preparation begins in the freshman
year; this includes knowing what type of college environment is
best for the student. So far this year our AVID students have al-
ready toured Cal State Los Angeles, Pomona College, San Diego
State University, and the University of San Diego. Later this month
we will be headed to University of California Riverside (UCR) for a
tour of the university and student housing. If you are an AVID stu-
dent and have not been on a field trip yet, be sure to sign up for the
UCR Trip! Registration is approaching quickly and if you are inter-
ested in joining the AVID family next year, please talk with your counselor as soon as possible. (Pictured, 9th Graders at Pomona
College Leadership Conference.)

                                              UPCOMING INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC EVENTS
                                              By Michael Fisk, Instrumental Music Director

                                              T    he Winterguard kicked off its season on February 4th at Woodbridge High
                                                   School. Finals are held on April 22nd, at a high school to be determined in Or-
                                              ange County. The Drumline kicks off its season with a competition on March 11th at
                                              Maria High School. Finals are on April 29th at Long Beach City College. On March 9th
                                              Tustin High School will be presenting an Area Concert. The concert will include Co-
                                              lumbus Tustin Middle School, Currie Middle School, Utt Middle School, and Tustin
                                              High School. The String Area Concert will take place at 6 p.m., in the Sports Pavilion,
                                              while the Band Area Concert will take place at 7:30 p.m., in the Sports Pavilion. Each
                                              concert will end with a combined piece that all groups will perform together.

UCI NEUROSCIENCE CLUB VISITS THE TILLERS
By Drew Simpson Psychology Teacher

L    ast month, students in College Prep Psychology experienced a
     most unusual final examination at the conclusion of the fall se-
mester. The two-hour period featured a presentation by members of
the Neuroscience Club (Nu Rho Psi) at University of California Irvine,
followed by a Jeopardy-like team competition. Club president Andy
Ramirez was joined by fellow neuroscience majors Nur Mirza and
Armand Garewal (pictured) in presenting a research-based Power
Point on the dangers of drug addiction to the central nervous system.
In addition to the Power Point, the class had an opportunity to exam-
ine an actual sheep’s brain. As students probed and poked the speci-
men, they were lectured on cognitive areas of the brain that can be permanently impaired through drug addiction. THS senior, Kim-
berly Salgado, expressed the general response of the class: “What I enjoyed the most about the presentation is that they told us how
alcohol and some types of drugs affect the brain in many different ways.” Nu Rho Psi is a national honor society dedicated to in-
creasing public awareness of Neuroscience and its benefits for the individual and society.

TUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL                                                            For more Tiller News from our students’ perspective, please
Home of the Tillers, a California Gold Ribbon School                          visit iTHSmedia.com, for our student-produced on-line
1171 El Camino Real, Tustin, CA 92780                                         magazine and videos.

(714)730-7414                                                                    Information regarding Student Fees/Cuotas al Estudiante
THSInfo@tustin.k12.ca.us
Tiller News - Tustin Unified School District
COUNSELORS’ CHAT
                     (Current Happenings At Tustin)
        A weekly newsletter brought to you by your THS Counselors.
TILLER NEWS                              PAGE 2 of 3                             FEBRUARY 24, 2017

H     ow time flies! Half of the school year has passed, and every class counts for every student. We
      encourage you to continue to support your student by staying plugged in and informed. The Tustin
Counseling Team will help students navigate through the rest of the school year and get closer to college
and career readiness. If you are not sure who your counselor is, please refer to our website. The purpose
of this newsletter is to provide current communication regarding resources, initiatives, events, and workshops
available to all Tillers.

                   TUSD ANNOUNCES EARLY START FOR 2017-2018 SCHOOL YEAR
     Tillers, be sure to make next summer's vacation plans accordingly, as TUSD announces an EARLY START for the 2017-2018 school year!

                               COLLEGE VISITS - OPEN TO ALL GRADE LEVELS
                     Students should sign up on Naviance if they plan on attending any of these visits, and also
                         to view our entire calendar of ALL college visitations scheduled for this school year.

                COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY                                  REPRESENTATIVE                         DATE            TIME
         Irvine Valley College Preview Day Trip                            Anne Ackers                    Tue 3/7         9:30AM
                     Simpson University                                Erika Vander Veen                 Mon 3/13           1PM
         Orange Coast College Senior Day Trip                             Ed Cervantes                   Thu 3/16         8:30AM
                Johnson & Wales University                             Renee M DeNofrio                  Thu 3/23         1:10PM
       Santiago Canyon College Placement Test                             Frank Rivera                   Tue 3/28           8AM

                                                       SENIORS - CLASS OF 2017
#accepted/#enlisted: Admissions decisions are finally starting to roll in! Have you been admitted into a university, college, trade, or
apprenticeship program? Or have you completed the process to enlist into a military branch? We want to celebrate you! Come to the
counseling office for a free #accepted or #enlisted t-shirt with proof of admission or enlistment. We want to give you a major shout
out. Still not sure what your plans are? Please meet with your counselor as soon as possible to discuss options. This is a very
important step to prepare for your future!

Scholarships: Need money for college? Seniors should be applying for scholarships through our monthly scholarship calendar.
Also, don’t forget to apply to the Tustin Public Schools Foundation Scholarships. These scholarships are specific to Tustin Unified
and Tustin High School. Click here to view February scholarship opportunities and here for TPSF! Scholarship opportunities are
emailed to students’ myTUSD email addresses every month so please make sure to check your emails!

Preparing for the FAFSA or DREAM: Do you need help applying for your FSA ID, FAFSA, or DREAM application? Come out to the
library during Tutorial on Tuesdays and Thursdays! Financial Aid Counselors will be present to provide you support as well as your
counselors. The deadline to submit is March 2nd so don’t delay!

RACC Fair: The Regional Admissions Counselors of California (RACC) organization will be coming to Tustin High on March 15th!
We will be on a double assembly schedule that day so that all grade levels can participate in this informative assembly. There will be
a mini college fair featuring over 25 out-of-state colleges in the Tiller Plaza during lunch after the assemblies. Many of these colleges
will still be accepting applications, so save the date!

AP Exam Sales: AP exams are now for sale in the Student Store until March 3rd! Fee waivers for qualifying students have been
distributed through classes. If you have financial hardship that impacts your ability to participate in the exam, and did not receive a
fee waiver, please write a letter of explanation and submit it to our Assistant Principal of testing, Ms. Del Castillo.

Community College Fieldtrips: Interested in a Community College? Come join us on a fieldtrip to learn more about your preferred
Community College admission process, financial aid, campus tours, clubs, and much more. You must sign up on Naviance and turn
in your permission slip to Mrs. Sam before the deadline:

                                                                                    LUNCH                PERMISSION SLIP
                    WHERE                 WHEN               TIME
                                                                                  INCLUDED                  DEADLINE
              Irvine Valley College        Tue 3/7     10:30AM-1:30PM                  Yes                     Mon 2/27
              Orange Coast College        Thu 3/16       9:30AM-1PM                    Yes                      Mon 3/6
               Santa Ana College           Tue 5/2       8AM-1:30PM        No, please see Mrs. Sam             Mon 4/24
            Santiago Canyon College        Fri 5/12    7:45AM-1:30PM                   Yes                      Mon 5/1

#applied: As of today, 68% of the Senior class has submitted applications to post-secondary institutions; 83% of these applications
are for four-year institutions! Counselors are tracking this information through Naviance. Add your colleges on to your Naviance
dashboards once you have submitted applications. Click here for a quick tutorial!

                                          COUNSELORS’ CHAT (Continued on Page 3)
Tiller News - Tustin Unified School District
COUNSELORS’ CHAT (Continued from Page 2)
TILLER NEWS                                      PAGE 3 of 3                                    FEBRUARY 24, 2017

                                                      JUNIORS - CLASS OF 2018

RACC Fair: The Regional Admissions Counselors of California (RACC) organization will be coming to Tustin High on March 15th!
We will be on a double assembly schedule that day so that all grade levels can participate in this informative assembly. There will be
a mini college fair featuring over 25 out of state colleges in the Tiller Plaza during lunch after the assemblies. Get educated on what
makes these colleges great. Save the date!

College Visits: Junior year is an important year to gather information about prospective colleges. We have several colleges who are
visiting us during the spring semester. Take advantage of these visits by signing up on Naviance today.

Last ACT Bootcamp Opportunity: Did you miss our January ACT Bootcamp and needed test prep support? Great news! We will be
offering one more ACT Bootcamp in March! Sessions will take place on March 18th and March 25th. Students must sign up in the
counseling office with Mr. Darius and must submit proof of exam registration, commitment to BOTH sessions, and a signed contract.
First come, first served!

AP Exam Sales: AP exams are now for sale in the Student Store until March 3rd! Fee waivers for qualifying students have been
distributed through classes. If you have financial hardship that impacts your ability to participate in the exam, and did not receive a
fee waiver, please write a letter of explanation and submit it to our Assistant Principal of testing, Ms. Del Castillo.

ROP: Interested in taking a medical terminology class? Or culinary arts? Or do you just need opportunities to explore career skills?
Sign up for an ROP class for Summer or Fall 2017! In order to apply and register, please see Mrs. Sam in the College and Career
Center located in the library.

                                                  SOPHOMORES - CLASS OF 2019

Counselor Presentations: Students will receive a presentation and meet 1:1 with their counselors to discuss course selections for
the 2017-2018 school year during the months of February and March. Presentations will occur during English classes. We sincerely
thank the English Department for their support of the Counseling Department!

RACC Fair: The Regional Admissions Counselors of California (RACC) organization will be coming to Tustin High on March 15th!
We will be on a double assembly schedule that day so that all grade levels can participate in this informative assembly. There will be
a mini college fair featuring over 25 out of state colleges in the Tiller Plaza during lunch after the assemblies. Get educated on what
makes these colleges great. Save the date!

AP Exam Sales: AP exams are now for sale in the Student Store until March 3rd! Fee waivers for qualifying students have been
distributed through classes. If you have financial hardship that impacts your ability to participate in the exam, and did not receive a
fee waiver, please write a letter of explanation and submit it to our Assistant Principal of testing, Ms. Del Castillo.

ROP: Interested in taking a medical terminology class? Or culinary arts? Or do you just need opportunities to explore career skills?
Sign up for an ROP class for Summer or Fall 2017! In order to apply and register, please see Mrs. Sam in the College and Career
Center located in the library.

                                                    FRESHMEN - CLASS OF 2020

Counselor Presentations: Students will receive a presentation and meet 1:1 with their counselors to discuss course selections for
the 2017-2018 school year during the months of February and March. Presentations will occur during English classes. We sincerely
thank the English Department for their support of the Counseling Department!

RACC Fair: The Regional Admissions Counselors of California (RACC) organization will be coming to Tustin High on March 15th!
We will be on a double assembly schedule that day so that all grade levels can participate in this informative assembly. There will be
a mini college fair featuring over 25 out of state colleges in the Tiller Plaza during lunch after the assemblies. Get educated on what
makes these colleges great. Save the date!

AP Exam Sales: AP exams are now for sale in the Student Store until March 3rd! Fee waivers for qualifying students have been
distributed through classes. If you have financial hardship that impacts your ability to participate in the exam, and did not receive a
fee waiver, please write a letter of explanation and submit it to our Assistant Principal of testing, Ms. Del Castillo.

ROP: Interested in taking a medical terminology class? Or culinary arts? Or do you just need opportunities to explore career skills?
Sign up for an ROP class for Summer or Fall 2017! In order to apply and register, please see Mrs. Sam in the College and Career
Center located in the library.

                                                                                                     For more information and
TUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL                                                                                    resources, please visit:
Home of the Tillers, a California Gold Ribbon School
1171 El Camino Real, Tustin, CA 92780                                                              Naviance; THS Career Center
(714)730-7414                                                                                         THS College Planning
THSInfo@tustin.k12.ca.us                                                                          Financial Aid and Scholarships
Tiller News - Tustin Unified School District
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