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(August
2010)
Here’s to the waning
days of summer, those final books to be
read, those sea shells to be collected
and those colleges to be toured. I hope
that all of our students and families
enjoyed time together, some good books
and the beautiful weather that seemed to
be reserved for the West coast this
year. Teachers and students alike have
had time to recharge our batteries and
it is time to dive into another
important year of high school. On behalf
of all the McClatchy staff, we are happy
to have you back. It is a pleasure and a
privilege to teach your sons and
daughters and we look forward to good
new experiences and plenty of creative
teaching and learning.
Fall marks the 25th Anniversary of the
launch of the Humanities and
International Studies Program and we are
proud of the ongoing tradition of
academic excellence. The program
couldn’t do what it does without the
incredible support of talented and
generous parents and hardworking
students. Thank you for partnering with
us in this most important endeavor,
educating future leaders and litigators,
doctors and diplomats. October will be a
month to look back at all that our
graduates have accomplished and we look
forward to celebrating the success of
HISP and the success of our
students…..stay tuned.
Cheers,
Ellen Wong
HISP Coordinator
(June 2010)
Phew! We made it and
it has been a good year. As we head into
summer, the HISP faculty wishes all of
our families a happy and healthy break.
May you enjoy some adventures together,
of the good sort, and read plenty of
good books, get some sun (but only a
little!), and rest up for another ride
come September. I have to say thank you
to all of the HISP Board members who
have continued the good work that makes
this program hum, and to all of the
families who have been so generous with
their time, resources and energy. You
afford us the opportunity to enrich the
curriculum for all students at McClatchy
High. We already have plans for next
fall, including a visiting Shakespeare
performance of The Tempest, a field trip
to Berkeley Rep for a play with the
seniors, and new novels on the way. I am
grateful to work with you and for you.
May the partnership continue.
Cheers,
Ellen Wong
HISP Coordinator
(April
2010)
Spring sunshine and
warm temperatures have been slow to
come, but all of the activity
surrounding spring has not waited. We
are welcoming 140 new students to HISP
for fall of 2010. This will be our 25th
freshman class and we look forward to
working with this bright new crop and
their families. We know they will
continue the tradition of excellence the
program has come to stand for and we
will continue to offer them the
challenges they are seeking.
Our attention turns to new beginnings
and the search for an outstanding
principal for McClatchy High School. We
have enjoyed the short tenure of Greg
Purcell and will certainly miss his
engaging style and limitless energy.
Parents, students, and teachers will all
be involved in the process of choosing
our next leader and we look forward to
meeting our new principal before this
school year ends.
Please join us for the many year-end
events, including our annual BBQ in May.
While it is traditional for us to honor
our graduating seniors, the event is for
all of our HISP families. It is
inspiring to lower-classmen to see the
hard work of our seniors pay off, as
they recognize our graduates and learn
of their college plans. Come and join
us!
Ellen Wong
HISP Coordinator
(March 2010)
As we emerge from a
soggy winter, one filled with college
and high school applications, I look
forward to all the activities that
spring brings to the McClatchy campus.
College entrance exams, college
admissions letters, field sports on
sunny days, proms, and cultural events
workshops all come together to make this
an especially fun time of year for both
staff and students—fun, but busy and
full of distractions. Now is the time to
help your sons and daughters stay
focused amid the flurry of things to be
done!
Again this year HISP has a bumper crop
of applicants and we plan to notify our
new freshman class at the end of this
month. It is always exciting to bring
new and fresh energy to the program.
Despite deep and troubling budget cuts,
we are optimistic that HISP will thrive.
We have the support of the
superintendent who believes in
strengthening successful programs like
ours. We have the support of amazing
parents and community partners who
continue to give generously to our kids
and staff, year in and year out.
Commitment like this sustains us and
allows us to weather even the most
difficult times in public education.
Thank you for your continued efforts to
make HISP the best that public education
can offer.
Come enjoy spring with us. Catch a
baseball game, or a soccer match. Check
out our cultural events workshops in
April. Take in some of the fun. We’d
love to have you.
Cheers,
Ellen Wong
HISP Coordinator
(November
2009)
As we enter these
next two months heavy with advertising
our program, I am thankful for the
support of a teaching staff and parent
community who make it possible to
sustain the Humanities and International
Studies Program in the toughest of
times. I have long believed that public
schools are in the business of nation
building, that public school is the one
place that brings everyone together to
create the fabric of the United States.
Sounds corny, but excellent schools are
the best predictor of a country’s health
and welfare. So in this busy month of
November, I say thank you for your
commitment to your own families, to the
larger family here at McClatchy, and to
the work of public schools.
As we wish Mrs. Clark all the best in
her new position at the district office,
I thank her for her years of service to
McClatchy and her support of HISP. We
welcome Mr. Greg Purcell as our new
principal and look forward to a
successful year under his leadership.
Ellen Wong
HISP Coordinator
(October
2009)
C.K. McClatchy High
School is a microcosm of the state of
California, with all its wealth of
diversity and all of its challenges. The
beauty of the Humanities and
International Studies Program is that we
are able to thrive in a school community
that is, in fact, international. Our
students are fully integrated into the
larger place that we know and love as
CKM and they are the better for it. With
over 2,200 students to serve, McClatchy
High School is a large school obligated
to meet the needs of all of our kids. A
strong program for accelerated students
should exist in harmony with other great
programs, and that is our desire.
Balancing the demands
of a variety of programs is often
delicate and difficult and we know that
our families understand that we must
give equal energy and attention to every
student who walks through our doors. We
hope that in this spirit, HISP families
will continue to support the work of the
school as a whole, as you so generously
do, and recognize that we are all in
this together and the school is made a
better place for your sons and daughters
when everyone is being served well.
Navigating the halls of CKM teaches
students to navigate life in the larger
community. Thank you for choosing
McClatchy High School.
Ellen Wong
HISP Coordinator
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