Be sure to visit the women’s volleyball website and check out the calendar for upcoming games to root on our fellow athletes.   Tickets for home games are: $5 for adults and students without IDs, $3 for children, seniors, and students with ID, and free for ASB cards. So come on and show your Lady Mustangs some spirit and support!

Several singles from Drake’s upcoming debut album “Thank Me Later” have already hit the web and radio stations around the US.  “Over” which was the first single off “Thank Me Later” released, (March 4th) reflects the Toronto rappers reaction to where he is at in this point in his music career.

Other tracks confirmed to be on “Thank Me Later” so far are: “Find Your Love”, “Fireworks ft. Kings of Leon”, “Shut It Down ft. The Dream”, and “Light Up ft. Jay-Z”. Multi-talented Drake shows off his R&B side in “Shut It Down ft. The Dream” and “Find Your Love”  produced by Kanye West, making it Mr.West’s third collaboration with Drake. R&B album by Drake? In “Find Your Love” a smooth catchy tune captures Drake putting himself out to that special someone.

In comparison to Drake’s previous mixtape “So Far Gone” Drake stated in an interview at the Sprite Step Off show in Atlanta, ” It’s gonna be bigger, its gonna sound happier” also “More victories, cause thats where Im at in my life.”

Darkie who designed the cover art for “Thank Me Later” and “So Far Gone” features the actor turned rapper in a 3-D like image looking beyond the camera.  The highly-anticipated album is set to release this summer, June 15.

THE PRO’S OF FURLOUGH

It was said that one of the things included in the long list of cut-backs were counselors. Due to the state’s ongoing economic crisis, $60.5 million will be required to be cut from the district’s budget for the 2010-11 school year. It just so happened that counselors were one of the things deemed unnecessary for a school to function. Luckily, after the math was done, the 29 counseling positions that were set to be cut will be saved for another school year if two days are cut from the present school year at each of the Elk Grove Unified schools, both primary and secondary education schools. So, we get to keep the counselors, and even get a couple of days off to celebrate it. Win-win? I think not (though I will admit that the two days off will be pretty sweet).

THE CON’S OF FURLOUGH

Though the two furlough days this school year will indeed help keep our counselors for another year, it will still require the district to cut $60.5 million from the budget. So say goodbye to sports, several of your favorite teachers, librarians, and fun electives (as if you didn’t already know). Teachers will also be forced to shorten lesson plans, or remove lessons completely from their carefully planned schooldays. If you ask me, this won’t be helping the decline in education (but we’ll save that for another article).

So what is left to do during this downward spiraling economy? For now, all we can do is hope and pray that the budget comes together and will eventually get to keep our favorite things at school. Make the best out of the rest of the school year while we still have everything we’ve got. While you’re at it, enjoy a movie or a cup of coffee at the local Starbucks (because they’re oh so hard to find) on April 30 and May 14 as you mark off the final days of the school year. We dodged a bullet this time. Just barely.

It is saddening that our great teachers, counselors, and librarians will be laid off. With this, our resources will be depleted, and our school’s programs like ROP courses, after school sports, and our summer school will be gone. Recently I interviewed many staff members to get their take on this dilemma as well as a student to see how she felt about these drastic cuts. Our principal, Derk Garcia pleasantly agreed to my interview. How do you feel about the pink slip and budget cuts in general? “It’s depressing and it goes against every thing we say we value as a society to be provided for children.” The worse part of it as he states is that “Monterey Trail has a lot of younger staff member so we have more than most high schools in other districts, which is concerning for two  reasons 1) I know the personal stories of the teachers, and [how the cuts] affect them 2) we have great teachers here at MTHS, and I am worried how the student would be impacted without great teachers, counselors, and librarians.” In our insightful interview we went over a few scenarios that would more than likely play out. As of now there is a potential of only having two counselors, how would that work out? “Actually there is a potential of having NO counselors at all,” Principal Garcia states sullenly. Surprised, as I am sure everyone would be to hear that, again I asked, how would that work out with all of students MTHS currently has enrolled? “If we only had two, we would split into priority, where seniors and juniors would be at the top, since they are the ones closer to graduating.” Principal Garcia had these final words to say “I would like the students at MTHS to understand that we all have the same goal and that is to maintain our current staff.” I, personally, would like our peers to understand that Mr. Garcia or any principal for that matter is not the one who chooses which teacher, counselor, or after school activity stays or goes; it is our state legislators who decide what department should be priorities.

As we can see, many of our resources will be limited or gone completely. How can we be told that we are the future doctors, lawyers, or scientist of tomorrow, when we won’t be able to get there with the help we need?  “Reach for the stars”, will no longer have the same meaning it use to. It is important that not only the present, but the future students at school have the choice to take advantage of the sources our high schools provide. I got a chance to speak to Ms. Tran, an English teacher, working her seventh year at MTHS. What was your reaction when you received your pink slip? “I was not surprised; I had a sense of humor for it.” Ms. Tran was one of thirty teachers to open up the school on its first day; it doesn’t make her happy to receive one, but she’s not really sure what to do about it. In addition, I got to talk to Mr. Jacobson, one of the counselors at MTHS. How do you feel about the pink slip and budget cuts our state legislators are making? “It’s a tragedy in the making for the entire district; we are already one of the states spending less money on each student, while we have one of the biggest economies. I then asked Ms. Jacobson what he would like students to know on getting involved and spreading the word “The more awareness there is the more work that can be done. Students and parents should write letters not just too local officials, but to our state legislator as well.” As with many others planning for their future, Ms. Tran plans to take some time off and do some community service and Mr. Jacobson plans to get a special education teaching credential.

As students we need to take a stand; our MTHS Budget Funeral was a great success, but we can do so much more! We ARE the politicians of our own lives and of our futures, we can make many things happen, we influence people on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis, whichever it maybe, and we don’t even know it. The opportunity to raise our voices has come again, let’s take that chance and go all out.

What YOU can do:

• Register to Vote on this year’s 2010 census
• Vote at the polls on important issues
• Send a letter to your legislator (attached to this page is a downloadable sample letter and how to find information for your legislators)
• Get Involved with your school
• Volunteer in cut areas to reduce the impact these cuts will have on students
• Organize a fundraiser, or donate money, supplies and/or time to help save programs
• Organize a rally to bring more public attention to stop the cuts to education
• Circulate a petition to stop budget cuts, collect signatures from registered voters, and submit it to your legislators. For more information, go to www.supportcakids.org
• SPREAD THE WORD!

Remember it only takes one person to make a difference; will the next leader be you?

Mandatory Parent Meeting: Students will NOT be allowed to tryout if a parent/guardian does not attend this meeting; Thurday, April 29th 7pm-8pm, Cafeteria

Mandatory Tryout Meeting Agenda:

• Tryout Procedures
• Cheerleading 2010-11 Expenses
• Uniforms, Cheer Camp and Parent Participation

Cheer Tryouts:

Attendance at all three days of tryouts is mandatory

• Tuesday     May 4th 5:30-7:30  Sign in at 5:15
• Thursday   May 6th 5:30-7:30
• Friday          May 7th 5:30-7:30

Location: Small Gym

Attire:  Shorts, T-Shirt, Athletic Shoes

 A lot of students don’t even fully comprehend what they are or their importance. When I asked freshman Brittney Harvey, she replied “No, not really. I just think of it as just another test we have to take and not think about why it’s important. Its good to know why though, but I just don’t want to psyche myself out.” Once a year, 9^th through 11^th graders are tested on the California Standards to measure how well they’re comprehending and applying skills they’re supposed to be learning in school. The tests don’t affect student’s grades or are reflected on transcripts, and the overall goal of these tests is for all students to score at or above proficient level demonstrating their understanding of the aforementioned standards. When asked for her opinions on the tests, teacher Laura Bott stated “I think a lot of people don’t like it, but it’s a very good opportunity for students to be able to show what they know. It is an opportunity for teachers to know that they have taught what they needed to teach. I think it’s a good structured, balanced system.” The more students who do well, the better their school appears and provides for more funding. At Monterey Trail High School, the overall scores of students have improved over the past couple of years going from 26% in 2007 of proficient or better students to 37% in 2009 on the World history exam and from 12% to 23% in Algebra II.

 Now how can students continue this ascending trend of higher test scores? Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors can simply just try their best on the CST’s. Even though three days of nonstop testing sounds nauseating, by just putting forth a little effort students can make their school a place they’re actually proud to attend. Ms. Bott simply advised students to “…make sure that it [the CSTs] is really taken seriously and have the confidence and go with it. Eat a good breakfast, stay in a positive state of mind, have strategies, like using process of elimination and feel confident.”

Come on out to the games and watch them countinue to rock the volleyball court. The next game is April 13th at Folsom High School, and the next home game is April 15th in the MTHS gym, JV starts at 4 and Varsity at 6. Prices for the games are $5.00 for adults and students without ID, $3.00 for students with MTHS and EHMS ID’s, $2.00
for children (ages 6-11) and Senior citizens, and Free with MTHS and EHMS students with ASB. Come on out mustangs  and support your mens volleyball team