Note from Sylvia Theissen, PTA President

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season with family and friends. I also hope everyone is off to a wonderful 2012. The PTA is already busy getting ready for the many activities planned for the remainder of the year. Many volunteers are needed to run these events, so please consider volunteering your time. Upcoming events include, Student and Staff Birthday Celebration, Winter Ball, Election of the PTA Nominating Committee, Used Book Sale, Book Fair, and much more. Look for articles, in this newsletter, regarding some of the listed events. Tejeda PTA encourages everyone to get involved and Make a Difference.

General PTA Meetings and Proposed Programs for School Year

2nd Tuesday of the Month, 6:30pm (Months designated in Bylaws)

*February 7th - Election of PTA Nominating Committee and Reflection Winners Recognition April 10th - UIL Recognition *NOTE: The previously scheduled Feb. 14th General PTA Meeting has been rescheduled for Feb. 7th at 6:30pm.

Mark the date Winterball Dance Friday. February 10, 2012

PLEASE JOIN US...

at our next General PTA Meeting to be held on February 7th, at 6:30pm in the Cafeteria. The PTA Nominating Committee will be elected and Reflection Winners will be recognized.

All volunteers must be DPS cleared. Contact Tracy Holzmann at tracylea1@hotmail.com

Dear Parents:

PRINCIPAL SHELTONS NOTES

We have our new semester in front of us and are ready and excited about the challenges that lie ahead. Speaking of the days ahead, I would like to offer a few reminders: STAAR Testing Dates Tuesday, March 27 7th grade Writing Day 1 8th grade Math 7th grade Writing Day 2 8th grade Reading 8th grade Social Studies 6th and 7th grade Math 6th and 7th grade Reading 8th grade Science 8th grade Algebra students ONLY EOC

Wednesday, March 28

Monday, April 23 Tuesday, April 24 Wednesday, April 25 Thursday, April 26 Monday, May 7

Please mark these dates on your calendar. Also, we have early release days in February. These days are put aside for conferences. If you are not contacted by a teacher and you would like to meet during these days, please do not hesitate to give the teacher a call. The early release days are February, 7, 8 and 9. Please note that we will have an exam schedule for the end of the year that I will publish very soon. This exam schedule is being put in place to provide quality study skills for our students. Since your children will be facing the end of course exams, we need to provide a new model for them on how to handle cumulative tests. I waited to write this note in hopes that I could report a complete victory with the Schools to Watch endeavor. The day was amazing and your children were remarkable. We received a call this past Thursday that we were not selected. At this time I do not have a report as to why. I anxiously await the report so we can continue to make Tejeda the most outstanding school in the nation. We will evaluate their comments and make certain that we continue to do what is best for all children and that we make adjustments, if necessary. Every great institution always strives to make their practices as effective as possible. Thank you for your continuous support. Please continue to share your communication with me. Always for kids, Brenda Shelton

Big News: Tejeda PTA is on Facebook

We are excited to launch the Tejeda Middle School PTA Facebook Page! Visit us at https://www.facebook.com/TejedaPTA . The page will be used to announce events, volunteer opportunities, thank our volunteers, and to advertise the many things Tejeda PTA does. We are working on the possibility of distributing forms and documents via the page as well. What we do not plan to use the page for is as a discussion board. Any discussion type business should continue to be done via phone and/or email. So, click the "LIKE" button at the top of the page to receive updates and information about the best place to be, Tejeda Middle School! Please visit the page often and suggest it to your friends!

STAAR Questions?
Having a lot of questions about the new STAAR tests, you will find many resources, as well as a comprehensive question and answer document, at the Texas Education Agency website. Link: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/

A Reminder From Attendance

Please send a note with your student when he/she is absent. A student has 2 days to turn in a Parent or Dr.s. note to receive credit for that absence.

Thank you!
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Stand Up and Make a Difference!

Three Tejeda families had a brighter Christmas this year, thanks to the generosity of our school community, which took to heart our theme to Stand Up and Make a Difference. A total of $1135 in cash and gift cards were collected by the Student Council, with support from our PTA. Shawnda Christopher, 8th grade counselor, coordinated the effort. Collecting gift cards worked great, she said. We didnt have to worry about sizes, and we had a good variety of all kinds of thingsfrom Wal-Mart, Target and Home Depotto restaurants. One family alone brought 3, $100 HEB cards, she said. Everybody came through, Mrs. Christopher added, saying each recipient was very grateful. One students family from each grade level was chosen to receive holiday assistance. A familys father told her, You have no idea how much this will help. The counseling office was able to identify who might benefit most from holiday help by teacher recommendation and qualification for government assistance programs. Mrs. Christopher mentioned she has been approached for the past several years by groups as diverse as Girl Scout troups or the Johnson Dance Team, wanting to help our families. This year, the PTA reached out to do something, she said. Thanks to everyone who contributed to make this a great holiday season for our fellow T-wolves. What a way to Stand Up and Make a Difference! PTA is not allowed to accept or distribute gift cards

Congratulations
Honors/Awards
In 1909, the Texas PTA created the Honorary Texas Life Membership as one of the highest honors that may be presented to individuals for outstanding service to children and youth. The recipient does not have to be a PTA member nor must the service for which the honor has been bestowed be connected with the PTA. At Tejeda Middle School, we are fortunate to have a large population of dedicated individuals working and volunteering with our children.

CONGRATULATIONS to the Frank Tejeda Middle School PTA Life Member Award Recipients: John Brown, Melissa Hennig, Stacy Husted and Edwina Colvina. Thank you for your service to our children!!

Pictured left to right: Edwina Colvina, Stacy Husted, John Brown and Melissa Hennig.

Special Thanks
Thank you to the Faculty Appreciation Chairs and their Committee. A wonderful appreciation lunch was served to the Tejeda Staff on Friday, January 13th. Thank you for all the hard work. - Sylvia Theissen, PTA President

Help Wanted
Calling all volunteers!
The PTA needs volunteers to be on the Nominating Committee to look for candidates to fill officer positions for the 2012/2013 school year. The nominating committee consists of five members. Two alternates are also needed in the event an elected member is unable to serve. The nomination committees responsibilities are:

Solicit suggestions for nominees from the membership Select one nominee for each officer position Contact the prospective nominees while meeting Treat all candidates in a fair and consistent manner Fill out the Nominating Committee Report to be presented at the April general meeting Committee Chairman is to read the report at the April general meeting

The committee meets only twice! If you are interested in being on the committee, please come to the PTA general meeting on February 7th at 6:30pm. All committee members will be elected by the members at the PTA meeting. - Amianne Snethkamp, Parliamentarian

Your Volunteer Hours Matter!

Did you know an hour of your volunteer time in 2010 was worth $21.36? According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, Charitable organizations can use this estimate to quantify the enormous value volunteers provide. The estimate helps acknowledge the millions of individuals who dedicate their time, talents, and energy to making a difference. Brooke Pate,Volunteer Coordinator for the North East Independent School District, announced Nov. 15 at the NEISD PTA Council meeting and volunteer recognition luncheon, that, according to this monetary value scale, district volunteer hours totaled more than $7 million. This cost represents a savings of 160 full-time employees to the district. 35 volunteers were honored for their service of 500 or more volunteer hours, and 122 reached the 250-hour level. Honorees included Tejedas own Shannon Grona, Stacy Husted, and Cynthia Zagrzecki. Top schools, clusters and volunteers were also recognized. Your time adds up. If you are volunteering at school, the check in system will count your hours for you. However, it is important you ask to be logged out when you leave. If log out is not completed, the system automatically will log you out at 5 p.m., but youll only be credited with one volunteer hour. To count your hours volunteered away from campus, call or email the NEISD volunteer office, 407-0309, or sgille3@neisd.net. They will connect you to the volunteer system with your email address and give you a password. You will then be able to connect to the volunteer system and more accurately represent your hours.

Presidents Volunteer Service Award

The Presidents Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) is issued by the Presidents Council on Service and Civic Participation on behalf of the President of the United States. It is given to recognize the best in American spirit, and to encourage all Americans to improve their communities through volunteer service and civic participation. The Award is given to individuals that have demonstrated outstanding volunteer service and civic participation over the course of a 12-month period. For Tejeda students, the PVSA time period is May 1, 2011 to April 30, 2012. All hours will need to be turned in by April 15th in order to allow enough time to review and certify service hours and to order awards. HOW TO LOG YOUR HOURS Please log your service hours on the Tejeda Middle School 2011-2012 PVSA spreadsheet found at: https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc? pli=1&key=0AnLCpJKNfP1kdEdnaHZuNnVuWGxpY09vVHMzNzFRWkE&gmrcpt You may also pick up the log at the Tejeda Front Office. IMPORTANT For any project that accrues more than 20 hours of service, please have the supervisor of the project issue a signed letter/certificate and attach to your log. The PVSA collection time for your service hours is May 1, 2011 April 30, 2012. Any service done during this time period can be logged. The PVSA log must be turned into the front office by April 15, 2012. The student and parent must sign the log to certify that the hours are accurate. There are three levels of awards BRONZE you have at least 50 service hours SILVER you have 75-99 service hours GOLD you have 100 or more service hours. The award includes a certificate and a letter from the President. Students who receive a Presidents Volunteer Service Award will be recognized at the end of May. If you have any questions, please contact Sylvia Theissen, PTA President at sylvia.theissen@gmail.com.

WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads Of Great Students) is an innovative program of the National Center for Fathering focusing on the prevention of violence in our nations schools by using the positive influence of fathers and father-figures for a two-fold purpose: 1) to provide an unobtrusive presence in the schools, and 2) to be a positive and active role-model for students at their school. WATCH D.O.G.S. was founded by Jim Moore, a concerned father who chose to take action in response to a 1998 middle-school shooting in Jonesboro, AR. WATCH D.O.G.S. serves to inspire and equip men to be the involved fathers, grandfathers and father-figures their students need. The Tejeda PTA will announce a formal launch of the WATCH D.O.G.S. program very soon, in the mean time, if you have previously volunteered as a Watch DOGS, and are DPS cleared, please contact John Ramirez, Watch DOGS Coordinator, for immediate volunteer opportunities. For more information, visit the WATCH D.O.G.S. website at www.fathers.com/watchdogs, or e-mail John Ramirez atjnjram@gmail.com or call 210-867-8648.

School Dance
Winterball is on Feb. 10 from 6-9 pm for all grades Theme: Winter Candyland Tickets will be available to purchase at all three lunches Feb 6-10 Prices: Dance ticket $7.00 Dance and meal $10.00 includes 2 slices of pizza, drink, candy (concessions will be available for $1.00) Pictures will be available for $2.00 Attire: Semi-formal Boys: slacks, collared shirts Girls: dresses, strapless is fine

Counselors Corner
Homework Hints: Use these helpful strategies to make homework go like clockwork. 1. Think It Through Before your youngster begins, have them make a to-do list. Then, suggest that they number the tasks from toughest to easiest. Then have them start working on the hardest things first. They can save the easiest things for last and this will help them finish on a high note. 2. Think About Time Ask your child to think about other time periods to get homework done. Consider a weekend morning or Sunday afternoon. Also, many students have time during school like AIM or while waiting for the bus to tackle some short assignments. Encourage your child to make the most of class time to complete assignments at school. The more they complete at school, the more time for fun at home! 3. Think Positive Help your student see homework as a chance to prove their independence by getting work done on time and without help. Boost your childs confidence by saying Homework gives you a chance to show all that you know. The more responsible they become with their homework, the more independence they gain as a teenager.

Something New on Tejedas Web Page

Have you noticed a new icon on the Tejeda web page? Cooperate with the Pack is another way to report bullying issues at Tejeda. In addition to the Bully Box, located outside the library, students can now click on the link, type in their issue or concern and press send. The emails will be checked 3 times throughout the school day. Urgent issues or concerns should be reported to proper authorities immediately or to campus administrators.

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McAfee Teen Safety Test: How Safe Is Your Surfing?

Challenge your teen to test his or her Internet surfing habits with this quiz from the McAfee security company. Then, take it yourself and compare your scores. Think you know your way around the Web? Well enough to stay safe from spyware, spam, scams and identity theft? Are you willing to put yourself to the test? If you've been a victim of an online scam, you can report it to IC3, the Internet Crime Complaint Center. Quiz link: http://us.mcafee.com/en-us/landingpages/quiz_teen.asp?cid=40968 Internet Crime Complaint Center: http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx Source: Texas PTA, Member Message, January 2012 Issue

WOLF CREDO
RESPECT THE ELDERS TEACH THE YOUNG COOPERATE WITH THE PACK PLAY WHEN YOU CAN HUNT WHEN YOU MUST REST IN BETWEEN SHARE YOUR AFFECTIONS VOICE YOUR FEELINGS LEAVE YOUR MARK

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Tejeda Clubs
Tejeda Theatre Dept. presents BOCN!
BOCN! is a light-hearted, bilingual comedy for the whole family. This oneact play explores freedom of speech and expression creatively using rhythms, song, and movement. The central character is Miguel, played by David Lunan, a loud-mouthed young boy (Bocn) who is "frightened out of his voice" by the soldiers who are occupying the village. The people of this village, which is located somewhere south of the border, are fearful because the soldiers mysteriously make people "disappear." Miguel manages to escape from them with the help of his family, who beg him to go North and "search" for his voice. He begins his journey to the land of freedom and opportunity in the north with a very unlikely guide, La Llorona. Played by Leishka Felix, La Llorona, a character from the Mexican folktale known for haunting and scaring young and old alike, uncharacteristically befriends Miguel and offers her age-old, often off-beat insight into Miguel's enlightening journey. BOCN! conscientiously takes a look at the liberties that are fundamental to all human beings. Join The Tejeda Theatre Department for this exciting and innovative One Act Play. BOCN! will be performed for the public on Friday, February 17, 2012, with a show at 6:30 p.m. The performance is at Tejeda Middle School, 2909 Evans Road, San Antonio, TX. On campus parking is available. Ticket prices are $3.00. For more information, call (210) 482-2260 ext. 268. The students in the one act play production of BOCN! will be competing on February 24, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. Eisenhower Middle School. Admission is free to the competition, which starts at 2:00 p.m. We are very excited and looking forward to a successful competition where we will see our fellow middle schools perform as well! See you at the show!

Ana (Janeth Juarez) is telling her son, Miguel (David Lunan) the story of La Llorona.

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GREEN CLUB
GREEN CLUB is selling Smencils (smelly pencils) and Smens (smelly pens) again this year! We are also selling special Valentine Smencils (Smalentines). Each pencil has a heart shaped cap. The scents are Sweet Heart, Be Mine, ChCh-Cherry, Strawberry Cream, and Mint Chocolate Chip. They are sold every Thursday before and after school. Smencils are $1, and Smens are $2. They are made from 100% recycled newspapers. They are rolled from sheets of newspaper instead of wood. You can even see the layers of newspaper when you sharpen the pencils. Not only do they smell great, but theyre good for the environment, too! Being responsible for the environment is an important part of doing business in today's world. In manufacturing Smencils, recycled newspapers, environmentally friendly fragrances, corn-based biodegradable plastic tubes, and biodegradable erasers are utilized. As we like to say: Saving trees one pencil or pen at a time. 100% of the profit from the Smencils/ Smens is used to keep Tejedas campus beautiful!

Did you know that if everyone in the US recycled just 10% of their newspapers, we would save about 25 million trees each year?
UPDATE: We are also recycling HEB bags! We recycle through the company Enviro-Bag, and for every pound of bags, the Green Club gets one dollar. However, we can only accept HEB bags. There is a specified bin outside of the front office at Tejeda for HEB bags. Did you know that it takes 91 percent less energy to recycle a pound of plastic than it takes to recycle a pound of paper? We also recycle empty ink cartridges, used or broken cell phones, and other small electronics. The school has partnered with Eco-phone to recycle these items, and there is also a bin for collection by the front office. With the money collected from recycling, the Green club will give back to the school by having a campus beautification day!

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And in Debate News

This past December, numerous students competed in the two-day district-wide Fall Debate tournament at Lopez Middle School. This years resolution for Lincoln-Douglas debate was: The possession of nuclear weapons is immoral. Tejeda had 21 students compete on day one, and 10 of those students went on to compete on day two. Tejeda would like to congratulate all its debaters for their dedication, commitment and hard work. 6th graders: Vikas Doddas Tyler Holmes* Maddie Love Lennox Marshall Sandra Moon Omar Shamaa* JT Wallace Mia Welch* 7th graders: Aman Ali Ben Elseth Colin McKay* Kristen Pallesen* Ethan Petty* Cassie Williams* 8th graders: Dylan Burner Adam Ceffalo Makenzi Gamez* Armaan Malik Brian McHorse* Taylor Sorensen* Graham Trent

*=students who went on to compete on day two On January 10th and 11th, Tejeda hosted the UIL Lincoln-Douglas Debate. The top three debaters from each NEISD middle school were able to compete. Tejedas top three debaters were Colin McKay, and Cassie Williams (each with a 2-1 record) and Taylor Sorensen (with 3-0 record). These dedicated debaters served Tejeda well. Taylor Sorensen took 2nd place in the district, and Colin McKay and Cassie Williams tied for 5th place. Way to go Tejeda Debaters! We are very proud of you! Ms. Stroud would like to thank the families who donated drinks and snacks for the hospitality room: Antonio Daniels and Family, Colin McKay and Family, Luis Padro and Family, Ethan Petty and Family, Omar Shamaa and Family, and Cassie Williams and Family. Ms. Stroud would also like to thank our newest science teacher, Mrs. Beth Norman, and our orchestra teacher, Mrs. Paula Fishman, for their donations, as well as Mrs. Bodet, Mr. Brown, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Shelton, and Mrs. Shore for their continued support of the Tejeda Debate program.

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NESA HOLIDAY SHOW

Tejeda Dance performance at the NorthEast School of the Arts, December 2012

Sport Schedule
Boys Basketball Schedule can be found at: http://www.neisd.net/tejeda/athletics/boysbasketball.html Girls Basketball Schedule can be found at: http://www.neisd.net/tejeda/athletics/girlsbasketball.html

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ATTENTION ALL 7TH GRADERS! IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A TEJEDA PAL FOR THE 2012-2013 SCHOOL YEAR, PLEASE MAKE A NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT DATES:

TIMELINE OF PAL EVENTS (2012):

March 1/Mandatory Meeting 3:25 4:00, Cafeteria March 2/Make-up Meeting 7:30 am, C145 March 21/Applications and Essays due from applicant (Counseling Office) March 21/ALL Teacher Recommendations due from teachers (Counseling Office) March 30/Notification of Interview times April 11 and 12/PAL Interviews w/Mrs. Kloza, Mrs. Jones, and Mrs. Blattner (Mrs. Jones office in library) April 13/Notification letters mailed!! Good Luck!! :0)

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REFLECTION WINNERS RECOGNITION

Attention all Reflections participants who received an Award of Excellence, an Award of Merit, or an Honorable Mention. The PTA would like to recognize your artistic achievements during the PTA meeting on February 7th at 6:30 pm. Please join us to receive your award and join us for refreshments! Here is a list of those receiving awards.
VISUAL ARTS: Award of Excellence: LITERATURE: Award of Excellence: William Hall Reagan Hicks JoAnne Long Katie Roper Angeline Rosado Award of Merit: Award of Merit: Kaylee Anderson Diana Jones Veronica Kopp James Ly Honorable Mention: Ayesha Meghani Lindsay Wilson Honorable Mention: Laura Comer Jack Jourdain JoAnne Long Rosario Moya Emily Zogrzecki Sandra Moon Eric Nguyen Julia De La Cruz Audrey Kuykendall Morgan Miller Jordyn Ruiz Kelsey Spears Hayley Springer PHOTOGRAPHY: Award of Excellence: Haley Roper Honorable Mention: Shayla Ward

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2011-2012 UIL Practice Schedule

Number Sense Mondays 7:35-8:10 in room A115, Ms. Dohoney & Ms. Kissinger 6th Grade Math Mondays 3:30-4:15 in room A214, Mr. Garza 7th & 8th Grade Math Mondays 3:30-4:15 in A016, Mrs. Crocker Maps, Charts, & Graphs Tuesdays 7:35-8:10 in room A218, Mr. James Spelling Tuesdays 3:30-4:15 in B127, Mrs. E. Castellanos Calculator - Wednesdays 3:30-4:15 in room B128, Mrs. Bodet Science Thursdays -7:35-8:10 in room B135, Mrs. J. Castellanos Dictionary Skills Thursdays 3:30-4:15 in room A010, Mrs. Jacobs Social Studies Fridays 7:35-8:10 in room A212, Mrs. Guenther

Important UIL Academic Meet Dates

Saturday, February 25th MESAC Qualifier Meet @ IKE Saturday, March 3rd MESAC Qualifier Meet @ Bush Saturday, March 10th MESAC Qualifier Meet @ Medina Valley (Castroville) Saturday, March 24th Academic District Meet @ Eisenhower Saturday, April 14th State TMSCA Meet Location TBD - Lynn Bodet, sbodet@neisd.net UIL Coordinator

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Cotillion News
Close to 100 Tejeda 8th- graders who registered for Cotillion in the fall will test their social skills Feb. 4 at the groups first gathering. They will join more than 600 students from local public and private middle schools at the Westin La Cantera from 8 11 p.m. Parents can begin to check students in at 7:30. The dress for this occasion is semiformal: coat and tie encouraged. Hors d'oeuvres and desserts will be served. According to the Cotillion Steering Committee, The purpose of Cotillion is to foster friendships among 8th grade students and to provide two fun-filled social events during the school year. All Tejeda 8th grade students were invited to join Cotillion this fall. Februarys party is for those who responded to the invitation and paid the registration fee. Chaperones will collect students phones upon entrance to the dance and return them at the events conclusion. For the safety and enjoyment of each Cotillion member, the following rules will be enforced at each event: -Members may not bring non-member guests. -No corsages or limousines are allowed. -No weapons, smoking, alcoholic beverages or drugs will be allowed. -Members register at the entrance and may not leave until the end of the event, unless picked up by a parent. -Hired security officers may search a student if necessary. -Inappropriate or dangerous behavior may result in a student being dropped from membership with no refund. Tejeda Cotillion Parent Representatives are Diane Godwin and Renee Woods.

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TIME IS RUNNING OUT TO PRE-ORDER YOUR TEJEDA 2012 LEGACY YEARBOOK!

Information is available at www.balfour.com.

Order your yearbook and accessories from the comfort of your own home. Design a yearbook RECOGNITION AD or FRIENDSHIP AD online for your child. There are 3 page sizes available to choose from. The deadline to order a recognition or friendship ad is: March 31, 2012.

Ordering is as easy as 1, 2, 3 OR

1. Click on the Yearbook button located on the Tejeda web page for a direct link. 2. Go to www.balfour.com, select Yearbooks, and then enter Tejeda to get started. Or use the following direct link: http://shop.balfour.com/smi110578/catalog/category/view/s/yearbooks/id/ 17/?limit=15 3. Once on the website, everything you need to order your yearbook and create your recognition ad is right at your finger tips! Check us out and get started now. Its really easy!

Sample Recognition Ad:

Ms. Stroud and Ms. Lavender, Thank you for all that you do for the yearbook! You are amazing teachers!

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EXTRA.EXTRA
Read All About It!!!!

************
PTA Used Book Sale April 13-15, 2012

************
Its that time again!!! Lets clean out those closets, clear those book shelves and save your used books for collection February 28 through March 30!!! PLEASE DO NOT COLLECT THE FOLLOWING:

VHS or Cassette Tapes Books on tape must be in original packaging DVDs/CDs without covers Discarded or withdrawn library books, Encyclopedias Readers Digest condensed books, Class sets, books that were previously owned by NEISD PLEASE ACCEPT ONLY TASTEFUL ITEMS IN GOOD CONDITION PLEASE DO NOT COLLECT BOOKS THAT HAVE: MISSING COVERS DAMAGED SPINES TORN PAGES/MISSING PAGES WRITING ON THE COVER/WRITING ON THE INSIDE* *(exception: college textbooks) ToYS wiTh miSSing piEcES oR SoUnD ThAT DoESnT woRK* *(childrens books)

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Dietitians Diary January 2012

Katie Mahoney, M.S., R.D., L.D. Nutrition Education / Wellness Coordinator School Nutrition Services Tips for Losing Weight With the New Year upon us, many people are resolving to get healthier or lose weight. While these are excellent resolutions, they arent always as successful as they could be. With the right information and the right mind-set, your resolutions can become permanent changes! So, if youre one of the many who plan on losing weight this year, what can you do? Incorporating these simple tips can put you on the track to success:

Count Calories Youll be amazed at how quickly they add up! Keep A Food Journal Write down everything you eat and drink during the day. Youll be surprised at how much you actually eat in a day! Exercise Sure you can lose weight by eating less, but exercising AND eating less can speed up the weight loss. Try to get at least 30 minutes most days of the week. Eat Healthy Snacks Snacking on foods like an apple with cheese or yogurt with granola may keep you from feeling hungry between meals. Focus on eating more nutrient-dense foods (fruits, veggies, whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean meats), which are high in nutrients and low to moderate in calories. Control Your Portions Start weighing or measuring your food using a food scale or measuring cups.

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Dietitians Diary February 2012

Katie Mahoney, M.S., R.D., L.D. Nutrition Education / Wellness Coordinator School Nutrition Services Growing with Good Nutrition How many times have you bought produce at the store only to have it spoil before you could eat it? It can be frustrating and a waste of money. With spring just around the corner, now would be a perfect time to think about trying to grow some fresh fruits and veggies at home! Growing at home can save you some money and be a fun and educational activity for the whole family. You may even find yourself eating more fruits and veggies if you grow them yourself. Home grown fruits and veggies dont always require a large backyard garden; there are options that allow you to grow some foods with a large pot and some soil. If youve ever wanted to give this a try, consider starting a small container garden and expand on it from there. Here are some ideas of fruits and veggies you can grow in your own backyard:

Plant a fruit tree. It may take several years for the tree to provide large amounts of fruit, but it could be worth a try! Small herb plants like cilantro, basil, parsley, mint, and sage grow quickly. Some of the individual herb plants cost about the same as a package of fresh herbs at the store, but you will be able to enjoy fresh herbs at your convenience if you grown them yourself. Sweet or hot peppers, such as jalapenos and bell peppers. Squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, and beans can also grow well in a garden or a pot.

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PTA Links
NEISD Council of PTAs
http://www.necouncilpta.com/

State PTA
http://www.txpta.org/

National PTA
http://www.pta.org/

Texas PTA
The Winter edition of The Voice is now available online. Get your copy from the Texas PTA website: http://www.txpta.org/about-texas-pta/voice/

MONEY MATTERS As of November 1, 2004, North East ISD has established the following policy for accepting checks and collecting bad checks: For a check to be an acceptable form of payment, it must include your current and accurate name, address, telephone number, drivers license number and state. In the event your check is returned for non-payment, the face value may be recovered electronically along with a state allowed recovery fee. In the event your check is returned for non-payment, checks will no longer be an acceptable form of payment for the remainder of the school year.

- Irene Cantu, Bookkeeper

Please visit the NEISD's STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) website for a basic overview of STAAR which specifies who will be taking this new statewide test in the coming school years. http://www.neisd.net/staar/index.html The website will be updated as more information from TEA becomes available.

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Meet the 2011-2012 Tejeda Middle School PTA Board

OFFICERS

NAME

PRESIDENT 1ST VICE PRES 2nd VICE PRES SECRETARY TREASURER HISTORIAN PARLIAMENTARIAN
COMMITTEE CHAIRS

SYLVIA THEISSEN STACY HUSTED SHANNON GRONA YVONNE POE TERRI SEVENING SHANNON MORAVITS AMIANNE SNETHKAMP

ADEPT ARTS IN EDUCATION CAMPUS BEAUT. COUNCIL DELEGATE DIRECTORY DIRECTORY ADS 8TH GRADE PARTY FACULTY APPR. FOUNDER'S DAY HEALS LIBRARY LIFE MEMBER LUNCHROOM MEMBERSHIP MENTORING NEWSLETTER/WEBSITE SPECIAL PROJECTS STUDENT GOVT. LIAS. TEXTBOOKS USED BOOKS SALE VOLUNTEERS WATCH DOGS WORKROOM

KRISTA FURLOW LYNETTE ROPER JULIANNA LESTER KIM GLEASON AMY MORGAN JENY MAURO TRUDY MENCKE MARTHA MONACO PATTI RITTIMANN GINA FONTENOT ELISE BARKER KEREEN BATES MICHELLE KOSKIE GINGER SIEBERT PHAEDRA KINGRY SANDY AGUILAR CINDY ZAGRZECKI BRENDA SHELTON ANN DOWNES MELISSA LING KENDRA BARNES TRACY HOLZMANN MICHELE KELLY EDWINA COLVINA SUE HERNANDEZ CARIN PETROSKY JOHN RAMIREZ SUZANNE WOFFORD HELEN KIEST

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Its that time of year again! Everyone is back in school, and our PTA membership drive is in full swing! We are off to a great start. After the first three weeks of school, we had over 680 members. Thats 45% of our student population! Our goal this year is 70% participation. Our teachers reached 100% last year and are quickly attaining it this year! Its not too late! Lets show them our support and JOIN PTA!

TEJEDA PTA MEMBERSHIP FORM

If you would like to become a member and no longer have your welcome packet information, please fill out this form and return it with your membership fee in an envelope marked PTA MEMBERSHIP to your childs teacher. Thank you! Name:_________________________________________ Address:_______________________________________ Phone No:_______________________ Email:_____________________________ Childs Name:____________________ Advisory Teacher/Grade_______________ Joining as: _____Parent _____Teacher/staff ____Relative ____Community member Membership: $6.50 per member $4.25 per life member Please make checks to : Tejeda Middle School PTA

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February 2012
Sun Mon Tue 1
NJHS Eligibility Mtg 330p Tennis 4p Girls Bball

Wed

Thu 2 Groundhog Day

Bball Tournament Tennis 4p

Fri 3
Bball Tournament

Sat 4
Bball Tournament One Act Play Clinic

6
National School Counseling Week
Tennis 4p

7 Early Dismissal
Picture Day
General PTA Mtg 630p

8 Early Dismissal
Girls Bball

9 Early Dismissal
Golf Parent mtg 630p

10
Winter Ball

11

12

13

14 Valentines Day

15
Tennis 4p Girls Bball

16
Tennis 4p

17
NJHS mtg Dinner Theatre 630p

18
Choir Clinics

19

20 Student Holiday

21
Girls Bball

22 Ash Wednesday
Spinal Screening

23
Spinal Screening Orchestra Concert 6p Girls Bball Tournament

24
Girls Bball Tournament One Act Play Theatre

25
Girls Bball Tournament One Act Play Theatre Orchestra Pre-UIL TMSCA at IKE

26

27
Tennis 4p Orchestra 6th grade Concert 630p

28
Choir Concert 630p

29 Its a Leap Year!

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