HARPER HERALD
The monthly newsletter of Frances Harper Junior High School Parent-Teacher Organization
4000 East Covell Boulevard, Davis, CA 95616
(530) 757-5330
www2.dcn.org/orgs/harperpto
harperpto@aol.com

APRIL 2006

STUDENT OF THE MONTH
CONGRATULATIONS
To February’s Students of the Month
T. Gendron T. Mohr S. Hill
R. Brooks J. Kennedy B. Thompson
J. Adams N. Butler G. Flory
T. Riel C. Varland M. Chui
S. Seritan E. Fullerton B. Hassid
J. Perrin N. Kline C. Kodira
M. Ward E. Diaz M. Sauceda
E. Eser M. Hamaguchi M. Chui
H. Meier K. Hopper P. Utts-Smith
G. Hinesley E. Servin J. Olmos
L. C. Harris
* * * * *
MATH DEPARTMENT
News from Mrs. Shaffer
Thank you to all of the families that have donated supplies to my classroom.
Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Transition students have been working on solving multi-step equations and inequalities.
Next we will be studying, proving, and applying the Pythagorean theorem.

Algebra students have learned all they ever wanted to know about factoring and graphing
quadratics. We are working our way to the quadratic formula.

Please encourage your student to keep up on their daily work!
* * * * *
CHORAL NEWS
Chorus Honored with Invitation to Perform

Congratulations to the Harper and Holmes Jr. High Choruses for their invitation to give a pre-
concert performance for Sacramento’s Camellia Symphony Orchestra. Come hear the kids sing
on Saturday, April 8th, at 6:30 p.m. at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. For ticket
information contact Mr. Zinn at wzinn@djusd.k12.ca.us.
* * * * *
STAR Testing is coming!

The STAR testing window for the Davis Joint Unified School District is April 24th – May 12th. Our
students will be testing after first period during the first two weeks of this window. The daily
schedule will be posted on the website once it is complete. It is important students come to
school on time and prepared to test so their testing results are an accurate depiction of their
academic ability. Students who arrive late for their assigned testing time WILL NOT be allowed
into the class during the middle of the testing period. They will need to wait in the office until the
time period is complete. Students not on campus during testing times will be pulled from classes
to complete their tests as time allows. Please insure your children are getting enough rest and
have a balanced breakfast to prepare them for the day! Seventh graders took the STAR writing
portion of the test (which is only tested in 4th and 7th grades) on March 7th and 8th. Great job 7th
graders! Individual STAR test results are sent home to families in late August. If you have any
questions about the testing, please contact Heidi Perry at hperry@djusd.k12.ca.us
* * * * *

SPRING is here!

Please review the dress code with your child, as dress code referrals increase once the weather
gets warmer! Referrals are mostly made because:
* undergarments or underwear are visible (no boxers, bra straps, etc. should be visible)
* students are showing too much skin (no cleavage or stomachs should be visible, and
skirts should not be too short)
* Students receiving dress cuts are asked to change into their PE clothes and pick up their
clothing after school.
* If inappropriate dress continues to be a problem, detention and other consequences may
be assigned.
* Remember…. Any dress that disrupts the educational process can be considered a
dress cut!
* * * * *
SITE COUNCIL NEWS
Since the last report in the Harper Herald, the Site Council has approved
grants of $2500 to purchase classroom sets of science textbooks; $4000 to purchase wall
and desk maps for U.S. history and geography classes; $500 to purchase primary-source,
social studies materials from Stanford University’s SPICE Program and Jackdaw
publications; $1400 to upgrade the CNC 3D-modeling software and $800 to construct a
storage for industrial technology classes; $500 for ethnic foods and clothing projects in
home economics classes; and $1500 for materials to build permanent sets for drama
productions. Totals for school-improvement monies the Council has allocated during the
academic year 2005-2006 are:

Advisory Program $ 3,000
Library Resources $ 5,000
Substitute Teachers $ 2,500
WEB Program $ 4,000
Art $ 4,000
Drama $ 1,500
English $ 2,060
Home Economics $ 500
Industrial Technology $ 2,200
Math $ 3,900
Science $ 5,500
Social Studies $ 4,500

$38,660

The Council is in the process of reviewing updates to the 2004-05/2005-06 School
Level Plan and focusing on school-improvement goals for next year. To lighten heavy
backpacks and relieve school expenses for extra classroom sets of textbooks, the Council
is intrigued with the possibility of giving students the option of purchasing textbooks for
home use.
Council meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month. The next
one is on April 20 from 7:30 to 9:00 am in Room G49. All interested parents and
students are welcome to attend and make comments.
* * * * *
SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

Thank you so much to all or our wonderful donors. From Mr. Inns’ donation of a ladder, to the
Harper Helpers who duplicate our hand-outs, to all the small and large “tips” that will help us
purchase equipment for next year. We are truly blessed to be supported by such a wonderful
community.

8th grade science: Students in Mr. O’Brien and Mr. McKim’s classes have concluded the Family
Life units and are now deep into the studying of the human body’s various systems. Students will
soon be discussing the merits and details of dissecting a beef bone, a chicken wing, a sheep eye,
and a sheep heart.

7th grade science: Mr. O’Brien reports that his classes have finished up their unit on astronomy
and are going to begin to look at matter and the periodic table!

Open House was held Tuesday, March 14th and science teachers displayed curricula, student
work, various lab apparatuses, classroom animals, and class experiments in progress. Thanks for
all who attended and especially for any donations made to our science department.

Thanks to funding from the Site Council and some other wonderful sources, four members of the
Harper science department will attend 3 days of the National Science Teachers Association
convention in Anaheim on April 6,7, & 8. This is a wonderful opportunity for learning the current
status of science programs and lessons throughout our nation. Science equipment vendors will
be demonstrating their wares, giving a rare chance for seeing and testing their durability –
something essential for junior high programs.
* * * * *
YEARBOOK NEWS

By the time you receive this newsletter, yearbooks will have reached their maximum price of $40.
It isn’t too late to buy one, but be careful as we approach late May and June. There are roughly
650 students at Harper and only 550 yearbooks have been ordered. Last year, we sold out on the
last day of school! Pick up an order form from the office or G-48. Cash and checks are accepted.

Yearbook Class:
Now that all of our print work is done, the yearbook class now turns its attention to the production
of slide shows for each of the three grade levels. We’ll also be busy working out the logistics of
distributing the yearbooks during the last two weeks of school. Keep working hard – we’re nearing
the finish line!
* * * * *
PTO MESSAGE
Harper PTO Board Positions Open for Next Year!

Do you ever wonder what the difference is between a mediocre school and an exceptional
school? Well, Harper Jr. High is an exceptional school not only because of the wonderful
teachers, administration and students but because we have a very committed and active group of
parents. Your involvement makes a huge difference in our school! One very important aspect
of parent participation is involvement on the PTO Board, which provides oversight of critical
relationships and events.
In June the PTO will hold elections for the officers for 2006-07. If you are a PTO
member you are eligible to submit your name to the nominating committee (email
Harperpto@aol.com) by April 18, 2006. The PTO website (//www2.dcn.org/orgs/harperpto –
look under “About Us”) has a list in the bylaws of all the Executive Board positions and a
detailed job description as well as a list of current board members.

These positions are:
President: Presides over meetings and the Executive Board and serves as the primary contact and
spokesperson of the PTO. Coordinates the work of all officers and committees and handles
correspondence. Also serves as PTO representative on the Superintendent’s Parent Advisory
Committee (or delegates representation) and communicates with school administrators, teachers
and parents.

1st and 2nd Vice-Presidents: They assist the President and carry out the President’s duties in his
or her absence. Each V.P. shall chair one or more committees and coordinate at least one PTO
event each year. For the2005-06 year the 1st V.P has coordinated fund raising activities such as
the “Frances Fund” and the 2nd V.P. has been in charge of membership and volunteers.

Secretary: The Secretary keeps all records of the organization, takes minutes at all meetings and
works with the President to prepare the agenda, handle correspondence, and send out notices of
the meetings to the PTO membership.

Treasurer: Manages the PTO funds, keeps accurate records of receipts and expenditures, pays
advances/reimbursements of approved expenditures, and oversees the preparation of financial
statements and federal and state tax returns.

Historian: Assembles and preserves a written and photographic record of activities and events
sponsored by the PTO. Documents the number of volunteers and tasks involved for each activity
or event for use as a guide in future events.

Parliamentarian: Attends PTO meetings and gives advice regarding the order of the meeting
(according to Robert’s Rules and PTO bylaws). Conducts the election of officers and chairs the
Bylaws Committee as well as serving on the Nominating Committee.

Auditor: Audits the books and financial records of the PTO twice a year and audits the financial
records for any fundraising activity or event that generates gross receipts or expenses over
$5,000.

Note: This past year the President and 1st Vice-Presidents positions were each shared by two
people and proved to be an effective way to spread out the responsibilities.

The PTO would also like to see someone who enjoys hospitality to chair that committee. There
are many school events that require coordination of food and hospitality and it would be great to
have a person outside the PTO Board in charge of that committee. We are also in search of
someone interested in leading a garden committee since there are currently several opportunities
for grant funds in this area.

There are also opportunities to serve on various committees such as
1.Membership
2. Newsletter
3. Fundraising
4. Nominations

If you are interested in any of these positions please send in your name to the nominating
committee (Leslie Baroody, Katie Rustad and Wendy Allen) at Harperpto@aol.com. If you have
specific questions about any of these positions we would be more than happy to discuss them
with you.

APRIL PTO MEETING CHANGE
We are moving the TIME of the April 18 PTO meeting back from the usual 7pm
to 6:15 to accommodate families who wish to attend the Davis High School Open House.
* * * * *
STUDENT ACTIVITIES
School Dance
-Friday April 21st. Sponsored by Foreign Language Club and Honor Society

Opportunities for next school year
-Election information distributed to prospective ABS candidates
(7th and 8th grade only)
- WEB information distributed
(8th grade only)
* * * * *
DRAMA PRODUCTION NEWS
Robin Hood - The Musical, is coming to Harper. Students are hard at work preparing for our
spring musical. Come visit Sherwood Forest, boo the Sheriff of Nottingham, and cheer on our
hero, Robin Hood. Performances will be on May 5th and 6th at 7pm in the MPR. Come support
the talented actors of Harper.
* * * * *
Counseling News

The Summer School Program this year will be at Davis High School and will be in
session from June 26th through August 4th. Summer School applications were given to
students during the counselor visits to the classrooms and were due on Thursday, March
9, 2006. After that time, classes will be filled on a space available basis.

As we approach the end of the school year, it is important for parents to help their
children focus on keeping their schoolwork organized and making sure all their
homework and projects are completed and turned in. This is a busy time of year for
everyone and often students can quickly become overwhelmed with all the schoolwork
and other events going on in their lives. At the beginning of April, the counselors will be
reviewing the 3rd quarter grades and sending letters to the parents of students with F’s on
their report cards. Many students will need to attend summer school to make up courses
that they did not pass during the school year in order to be promoted to the next grade
level.

Bereavement Group
A part of life that everyone must face at some time is the death of a person we care about
or love. The counselors here at Harper would like to help students who may be dealing
with feelings and emotions due to the loss of a loved one. We are offering a grief support
group to interested students. The purpose would be to share experiences, discuss
concerns, and explore what is helpful in dealing with loss. It would be the student’s
choice of what they would like to share. The main activity when we meet will be an art
project that will help generate discussion. Interested students can pick up a permission
form from Mr. Dutton in the Counseling Office.
* * * * *
For 9th graders
Music Auditions
Davis High School Jazz and Symphonic Bands will hold auditions the week of April 3-7
at 3:30pm in the music classrooms at DHS.
* * * * *


HARPER JUNIOR HIGH ARTISTS SHOW THEIR WORK
Art Show at the Davis Art Center

Save the last weekend in April and the first week in May to visit the Davis Art Center for
the annual junior high art show. Enjoy paintings, ceramics and multimedia pieces by
students from all of the junior high and middle schools in Davis.
* * * * *
HUSKY SPORTS
Soccer
Congratulations to the Lady Huskies who went undefeated in league play. They posted
8 wins and 2 ties, including 7 shutouts. They scored 48 goals in their combined efforts
and only allowed 3 goals scored against them. The girls head into the YCAL tournament
with high hopes for success.

The Husky boys’ team has been challenged by some tough opponents, but have some
highlights of their own, including a lopsided win over Woodland Christian. When asked
how the boys’ team was doing, a parent responded that their good sportsmanship has
made the team stand out. Congratulations to the guys for representing Harper in such a
positive way.
* * * * *
PRINCIPAL’S CORNER

Agriculture Class is a HIT – WEB Gets A New Look

Exciting news! The new AG 1 Class that was approved by the school board this
year has attracted a following. Being offered for the first time, the class has filled
up with next year’s 9th graders looking forward to many new agriculturally related
experiences. The AG program has been part of the high school offerings for
years, but this is the first time junior high 9th graders will be able to participate.
This is due in large part to the fact that some of the open land around Harper has
been made available to the DHS program for farming. Having those students
and teachers here prompted Amy Shulte, high school AG teacher, to seek a 9th
grade program at Harper. She did a lot of work in a short period of time to bring
this to fruition.

AG programs are much more than farming. Not only can they include animal
husbandry, horticulture and crop farming and other hands-on areas of study, but
also speaking and debate with students competing for honors statewide. AG
classes teach leadership, scholarship, and citizenship and enable students to
gain skills and confidence in those areas.

This is a major addition to the Harper school schedule and students can look
forward to an exciting year as this program takes off for 06-07.

WEB (Where Everybody Belongs!) is a welcome and orientation program for 7th
graders lead by 9th graders. The Harper program got off to a good start this year
under the direction of Patty Marlow, math teacher. Recently two new staff
members have been trained and are preparing to provide a bigger and better
program for 06-07. Scott Thomsen, History teacher and the Harper Activities
Director, has signed on along with Heather Ulrey, also a history teacher at
Harper. This outstanding team will be providing a great leadership program for
the participating 9th graders next year and also giving a great Welcome to the 7th
graders coming to Harper in the fall. Look for more news in the future.

In other news…………..

Advisory Class Changes for 2006-007

After much discussion over the past several months, the staff at Harper Junior
High School has decided to end our Advisory Program.

During the spring of 2004, a group of the future parents and staff of Frances
Harper Junior High School formed a committee to develop program plans for the
new school. This group reviewed a great deal of information and noted that one
of the elements of effective schools is said to be “student connectedness”.
Although hard to measure, when connectedness is present, student success in
academic and personal indicators is higher.

In order to address this goal of connectedness, the study group decided that one
of the key components of our school would be an Advisory Class. In its best
form, a middle school Advisory program is intended to increase student success
at school by building positive relationships and connecting students and adults
through meaningful discussions, activities, community service opportunities and
school spirit events. This then would be our goal.

In any form, Advisory programs are extra duties for teachers and administrators,
and yet every staff member at the new Harper Junior High agreed to support and
direct a daily Advisory class as part of our program. Each student would have
one adult who could be their advocate and know them personally. We agreed to
a two-year implementation period and then to evaluate the program to determine
next steps.

Our first year had mixed results. Some staff members were more able than
others to establish a solid foundation with their group. In some cases the make
up of the class was difficult. In other cases, staff members needed a clearer
curriculum to follow. This past fall, in order to address concerns by staff and to
facilitate the new 7th grade orientation program (WEB), we hired two teachers to
write a specific advisory curriculum and we implemented changes in the
program. One major change was to regroup the students, but unfortunately this
proved to be a mistake. The new classes have had even more difficulty building
bonds and teachers and students lost connections they had made during the first
year.

This year the Harper staff has felt strongly that few advisory classes have been
meeting their goals of positive relationship building. In general, the new advisory
classes have increasingly become an extra burden and not a vehicle for positive
connections with kids. Having put more time and effort into the program and with
even less evidence that students and adult staff are moving in the right direction,
the staff has decided not to continue with advisory in 2006-07.

We are not giving up our vision of positive relationships where an adult on
campus knows every child personally, but we have determined that our advisory
program is just not the way for us to reach our goals. Over the next year we will
be looking at new ideas and ways to make connections with students and we are
certain that we can continue to provide a school environment where students are
cared for and nurtured in positive ways.
* * * * *
Dialogue with Dr. Deborah
April 2006

Please respond to Dialogue with Dr. Deborah. Forward any comments, questions, or any concerns
to me, Deborah Kimokeo, Ed D. - Crisis Guidance Manager for DJUSD.
I can be reached: Email:dkimokeo@djusd.k12.ca.us & Phone: 757-5400x133.

Dear Dr. Deborah:

Recently, my daughter told me about a t-shirt a classmate was wearing at one of Davis
schools. It had wording that degraded people with mental illness, (“Alcatraz Psycho
Ward”). We have experienced the pain of mental illness in our family. People often
inadvertently make remarks about people being “crazy” or “psycho” without weighing
the pain it causes others or the negative message it conveys against people who are
afflicted with mental health problems. I have spoken to the administration about this and
it is being dealt with in terms of dress code. What else can I do to help my daughter raise
the level of awareness and sensitivity in the school community to how hurtful and
offensive these types of words can be—whether they are displayed on clothes, bumper
stickers, or whatever?

Feeling Offended

Dear Feeling Offended:

Bringing this issue to attention in this forum is certainly one positive method to raise
awareness. Hopefully, it can generate some discussion with students and their parents
about messages sent via clothing and the impact they can have. People have different
boundaries and sensibilities as to what they consider offensive, comedic, or in the realm
of free speech. You certainly are appropriate in voicing your concerns via administrative
channels in relationship to the dress code if you believe a piece of clothing being worn at
school is disrespectful, hurtful, or discriminatory. I would also suggest an “Op-Ed” piece
in the student newspaper, explaining how painful this kind of thing is and, (within the
bounds of your own comfort), how it personally is difficult for you. Perhaps you might
suggest to PTA/PTO leaders in charge of parent education programs that they might
invite a guest from an organization such as NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
to speak about this subject to raise consciousness. I applaud your motivation and effort to
deal with this constructively and in a way that will build better communication and
community.

Dr. Deborah

BOOK OF THE MONTH
DON’T CALL ME NUTS: Coping with the Stigma of Mental Illness
Author: Patrick Corrigan & Robert Lundin
Recovery Press: University of Chicago Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation
Tinley Park: IL
Copyright 2001
ISBN: 09674794-1-X