CIMS CONNECTIONMARCH 2017

Family Engagement Center Parent Newsletter

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Cobalt Institute of Math & Science, 14045 Topaz Road, Victorville, CA 92395; (760) 955-2530

CADET CORPS

Published by the CIMS Family Engagement CenterFamily Engagement Liaison, Veronica Hill

CIMS would like to congratulate cadets Elionexis Lopez, Geline Manuel, Hazel Garcia, Noah Stephenson, Bemwa Shoukry, Aavan Robinson, Zachary Weaver, Makayla Baldwin, Jimmy Dil-ley, Dylan Rojas, Xavier Cole and De-marrion Morgan-Harper on their recent California Cadet Corps promotions. Cobalt Institute of Math and Sci-ence is home to the 267th Battalion of the California Cadet Corps under the supervision of SGT Jacob L. Sedillo, Commandant of Cadets, and Cadet Commander C/SFC Geline Manuel. Officially founded in 1911 by the California Legislature and then Adju-tant General BG Edwin B. Forbes, the California Cadet Corps provides applied leadership opportunities for cadets by allowing them to conduct training to junior cadets, to perform as leaders in their cadet military units, and to demon-strate proper behavior and citizenship at their schools and in their communities. The 267th battalion is part of the 18th Brigade, which houses all Califor-nia Cadet Corps units in the High Desert under the supervision of The Brigade Advisor, LTC Jaime Monsalve from Silverado High School.

Manuel, Lopez promoted to

Staff Sergeant

CAREER EXPLORATION

More than 65 CIMS students attended the Pathways to Success field trip Feb. 16 at the High Desert Events Center.

Sponsored by Victorville Motors, the annual event showcases local trade, career and military programs available to High Desert students after graduation. Approximately 3,000 students from 7th-12th grade attended the event.

Representatives from Cal State Uni-

Mrs. Myles and Mrs. Sims chaperoned the Pathways to Success field trip.

CIMS students attend 'Pathways' field trip

Students came home with goody bags.

Event highlights trade, college and military programs in High Desrt

See PATHWAYS on Page 4

Students check out the interactive displays at the Pathways field trip.

Geline Manuel and Elionexis Lopez.

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EVENTS

CONTACT US

Written and published monthly by Veronica Hill, Family Engagement Liaison at CIMS.

Send comments, photos and story ideas to vhill@vvuhsd.org

CIMS juniors and seniors are invited to attend WLC’s 3rd Annual PROM PROM-ISES event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 4. The event will be held at The Henderson Auditorium at Community Hospital, located at 1800 North Western Avenue, San Bernardino, CA 92411.

Teens will be offered free prom dress-es, finance tips, career advice, makeup/hair tips, self-defense instruction, relationship advice and goody bags. For reservations, please e-mail Gretchen Strutzenberg at GretchenS@ahuw.org or call 909-884-9441. Reservation Deadline: March 2, 2017.

Prom Promises Event planned

See BEHAVIOR on Page XXXXXX

FIELD STUDY

Have you ever looked at Disneyland from a cultural perspective? Mrs. Pow-ers’ AP Psychology students did just that during a field trip to the Anaheim theme park on February 13.

“This was our first field research study and I think it went really well,” said Powers. “The students were challenged to look at something familiar through the eyes of a sociologist.”

Students were divided into groups and asked to explore the five sub-cultures of

Disneyland: Main Street, Fantasyland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland and Toontown.

Throwing technology into the mix, group members had to tweet photos to Mrs. Powers in real time, answering sociological questions about the culture, inhabitants, power structure, celebrations and social deviance found in the park.

A few sample questions included:1) Describe the subcultures of each of

the different lands (clothing, language, religion, rules, mores, celebrations, food).

2) Describe, and take a photo of, an act of deviance (do not perform this act

Students divided into groups and explored the five sub-cultures of Disneyland.

Exploring the Culture of Disneyland

Mrs. Rand, Dr. Gaskins, Ms. Selina and Mrs. Powers chaperoned.

Mrs. Powers’ psychology class attends field research study to theme park

See DISNEYLAND on Page 6

Mrs. Rand poses with Sherry Medel, Alexandria Bolanos and Sean Renner.

CIMS is seeking prizes, treats and other goodies that we can use for student incentives. Parents are invited to donate items such as boxes of pre-portioned rice crispy treats, multipacks of chips, variety boxes of candy bars, and any assortment of $5 gift cards etc. “Students will be rewarded for mak-ing good decisions on campus and will receive systematic and consistent conse-quences for inappropriate behavior,” said Assistant Principal Daniel Gervais.

Donations needed for student rewards

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CIMS Connection •Page 3

College acceptance letters are rolling

in at CIMS!

COLLEGE CORNER

Environmental Club visits Bolsa Chica Wetlands

Students from CIMS and Adelanto High School's Environmental Clubs visited the Bolsa Chica Ecological Preserve to learn more about coastal wetlands.

Mrs. Ehart’s Environmental Club traveled to Huntington Beach on Feb. 28 for a field trip to the Bolsa Chica Ecolog-ical Reserve. Funded by the New Envi-ronmental Leaders of America (NELA), the trip offered students a close-up look at California’s coastal wetlands, plants and wildlife.

As they hiked along the wildflow-er-covered 1.5-mile Loop Trail, students got a close-up look at such native birds as Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets and Turkey Vultures and native plants like Coastal Sage Scrub (also known as “Cowboy Cologne” for its fragrance) and California brittlebush, commonly re-ferred to as “California bush sunflower.”

Students enjoyed a Subway sand-wich lunch along the wetlands, and then traveled to Encino for a look at the only unchannelized portion of the L.A. River, which travels 50 miles through Los An-geles from the Santa Susana Mountains to Long Beach.

“After attending the field trip, I hope that students have a greater appreciation for the purpose of the wetlands: flood control, filtering, and habitats to maintain a balanced ecosystem,” said Mrs. Ehart. “I also hope they gained a better appre-ciation for how delicate the wetlands

Students learned about the purpose of our wetlands, including flood control and filtering.

After the tour, students were given a quiz about what they learned. See WETLANDS on Page 8

FIELD TRIP

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COLLEGE CORNER

Mrs. Ehart’s class tested their knowl-edge of osmosis during a “Naked Egg” lab experiment this week. After dis-solving the egg shells in white vinegar, students placed the raw membranes in solutions of syrup and distilled water.

The eggs in the water remained firm and plump, while the eggs soaked in corn syrup shriveled up. The purpose of the experiment was to help students understand the effects of hypotonic and hypertonic solutions on animal cells, said Ehart.

Ehart’s science students learn about egg osmosis

EGG LAB: Mrs. Ehart's class learned about hypotonic and hypertonic solutions.

Students measured the size of each egg after it was soaked in a solution.

IN THE CLASSROOM

versity at San Bernardino, Victor Valley College, University of LaVerne and Azusa Pacific University were on hand to answer student questions, along with trade schools such as the Art Institute of California and the American University of Medical Technology. Members of the Fire Department, Sheriff’s Department, Cali-fornia Highway Patrol, ARMY, Marines, Air Force and Navy were also available to share information about careers in the Armed Forces, firefighting and law enforcement.

In addition to meet-and-greets, several seminars were offered throughout the morning, covering such topics as inter-view/resume skills, financial aid/scholar-ships and FAFSA. Pathways to Success has partnered with several community groups to offer approximately $40,000 in scholarships.

PATHWAYS from Page 1

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UC Berkeley Destination College Advising Corps (DCAC) has begun its fourth year of partnership with CIMS.

“I am excited to continue the work of DCAC at this campus,” said CIMS college adviser, Ernesto Chavez. “The goal of DCAC is to work collabora-tively with the campus community to prepare students for their post-secondary educational goals, and to support CIMS’ college-going culture. I provide school-wide, community, and individual services in college preparation.”

DCAC is a college access program with the mission of making college a viable option for all students. School-wide services include classroom and afterschool workshops on the “A-G” re-quirements, UC/CSU eligibility, college systems, academic planning, and college and financial aid application process, as well as college awareness parent nights.

“In order to maximize the col-lege-going culture on campus, I will be adopting a number of classes in order to give guidance to the students on going to college,” said Chavez, who graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a degree

in Gender, Ethnic, and Multicultural Studies.

If you would like to request a meet-ing with Chavez about your student's col-lege path, please e-mail ernestochavez@berkeley.edu

Ernesto Chavez helps students achieve their college dreams

Ernesto Chavez runs the UC Berkeley Destination College program at CIMS.

COUNSELING

Mr. Chavez counsels a student about his college goals.

Prom Tickets are now on sale for $140 at the Student Store. This year's prom will take place on April 21 at the Highway 39 Events Center in Anaheim.

You are required to be dressed in formal wear going to and coming home from prom. It is suggested that ladies carry a small purse and not bring large bags of any sort. All students and guests will be searched before they enter the bus. Any unauthorized items will be confiscated and the student/guest jeopardizes their par-ticipation in the dance. The bus will leave CIMS promptly at 5 p.m.

Students need to arrive at CIMS at 4:30 p.m. To board the bus you must be on the approved list and have your picture ID. You must ride the bus to and from the prom location. Tickets will only be sold until April 8, no exceptions! Ticket prices include transportation, DJ, venue, security, decorations, food and beverages.

Deadline to purchase is 3 p.m. April 5. Permission slips are in the student store. Don’t wait until the last minute.

HIGH SCHOOL LOCK-INThe high school lock in has been

rescheduled for March 24. Tickets will continue to be sold until March 22.

MR. COUGAR PLANNED MARCH 17Class of 2017 will be hosting Mr.

Cougar on Friday, March 17 at 7 p.m. in the MPR. Tickets are now on sale in the Student Store. Presale tickets are $5 with ASB or $7 without ASB.

STUDENT NEWS

Prom tickets on sale now

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CIMS Connection •Page 6

On Feb. 25, four cadets from CIMS participated in the Brigade Individual Major Awards (IMA), considered the “best of the best” when it comes to cadet knowledge.

Danny Astorga and Jimmy Dilly took two first place awards, which will allow the team to advance to the State Compe-tition. Kayla Steidley took second place,

and and Geline Manuel took third place. This is the first time in CIMS history that any cadet has placed at brigade level.

The Individual Major Awards allow cadets to demonstrate their proficiency and knowledge of the California Cadet Corps program through an interview board process designed to annually select the Outstanding Cadets in California.

CIMS Cadets take home gold at Brigade Individual Major Awards

PARENT SUPPORT

CIMS will hold its monthly Coffee with the Principal at 3 p.m. March 16. Parents and caregivers are invited to come enjoy some hot coffee and pastries with Dr. Gaskins while learning more about the latest happenings on campus.

Family engagement liaison Veroni-ca Hill will be recruiting volunteers and sharing ideas on how we can better serve our parents’ needs. RSVP to Veronica Hill at 955-2530, ext. 45123 or e-mail vhill@vvuhsd.org

Free foster luncheon set for March 15

Are you a foster parent, or interested in becoming one? The family engagement liaisons at Victor Valley Unified School District are collaborating on a special Foster Family Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. March 15 at Silverado High School.

Join VVUSD families as we build re-lationships, offer resources and encourage one another in the challenges of foster par-enting. The event will include free lunch, guest speakers, door prizes and dozens of resources.

Please RSVP by calling (760) 955-3353, ext. 23204 or by registering online at http://vvuhsd.k12oms.org/1741-128226

Next 'Coffee with the Principal' to

be held March 16

of deviance yourself). Is there anything that would be considered deviant in one land and not another? Explain and give examples.

3) Why do people visit this land? How do they change their behavior/clothing/language to fit in to this culture? Or do they at all?

“The students provided great in-depth answers and even surprised me with some of their insights, which challenged me to look at it a different way myself,” added Powers. “I hope that we will be able to make this an annual Cobalt tradition!”

After the trip, student George Molina saw Disneyland in a whole new light. “I never recognized the different cultures they had until we had to do our assign-ment,” said Molina. “I didn't know that people had to risk things or work a little harder to be able to go to Disneyland.

A lot of the people are friendly and I enjoyed that about Disneyland. All in all, it was a great field trip.”

Samantha Garcia enjoyed the interac-tive aspects of the trip. “I'm really glad our class got to have a field trip to Dis-neyland. It was really interesting taking pictures of certain things to send to Mrs.Powers for our assignment. I enjoyed going because I haven't been in a while and it was fun getting on some rides with friends and walking around.”

DISNEYLAND from Page 2

Danny Astorga, Jimmy Dilly, Geline Manuel, Kayla Steidley and Sgt. Sedillo pose at the Brigade Individual Major Awards at Riverside Prep school.

Do you see the act of deviance?

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HONORS

• Alderete, Elena• Alderete, Julyanna• Aquino, Daisy• Armour, Sinclair• Astorga, Daniel• Castillo, Ana• Castro, Elizabeth• DelVillar, Ricardo• Farley, Kyla• Guzman, Giselle• Henyard, Ryan• Hovannesian, Vincent• Johnson, Christo-pher • Jones, Aaliyah• Juarez, Jaqueline• Kawakye, Justice• Lind, Hannah• Lisenbee, Mad-ison• Lunk, Joshua• Martinez, Sarai• Mayfield, Tremell• Mendez, Kevin• Morrison, Vincent• Morwood, Re-becca

• Ondieki, Kerubo• Palacios Velasco, Alexa• Pauling, Dylan• Pead, Janise• Perez, Anahi• Perez, Viviana• Pineda, Esmeralda• Randolph, Chris-tian• Ray-Riley, April• Rios, Jacob• Rios, Juan• Robinson, Bejon• Seales, Marissa• Synodis, Jordan• Tokhi, Slamen• Torres, Janeth• Udeh, Queen• Uranga, Erick• Valdivia, Itzel• Vasquez, Jorge• Villareal, Jacob• Villareal, Joseph• Zarate, Jose• Zerr, Kaden• Zhang, Melisa

Silence is golden. Thinking is key. To your notebooks be beholden for the prize to be set free. Read the rules careful-ly. Plan with care. Can you obtain the prize? Enter if you dare.

Mrs. Powers’ history students were greeted by this cryptic message as they entered class to discover a box on each table, secured with four different pad-locks. Using their history notebooks as a guide, each table group had 40 minutes to solve the mystery and retrieve their reward.

“I created this Breakout based on what they what learned for their China unit,” said Powers, who was introduced to the Breakout program by Mrs. Rand. “Using clues and information through-

out their China unit, students needed to solve problems that would allow them to unlock the locks keeping them from their reward. This tested not only their recall of information, but also served to show the students the importance of an organized notebook!”

Powers challenges students with Chinese puzzle box

Mrs. Powers coaches her students trying to solve the Chinese puzzle box.

Are you a Junior or a Sophomore inter-ested in going to college but worry about the financial burden on your family? Do you know that there is a full college scholarship available for you to attend the college of your dream? If you are interested in securing a full scholarship for any of the Ivy colleges or colleges in California, see Mr. Idowu.

CLASSROOM BREAKOUT

SCHOLARSHIP

Students had to solve questions in order to unlock the box.

Congratulations to star studentsCIMS would like to recognize the following students for their outstanding behavior on campus:

CIMSSTARS

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CIMS Connection •Page 8

are and how easy it is to unbalance the ecosystem by simply making one simple change; such as introducing an invasive species to the area, making changes to the flow channel, pollution from runoff water, etc.”

CIMS’ Environmental Club is open to all high school students during the third quarter of the school year. The club meets on Thursdays from 2:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. and is funded through New Envi-ronmental Leaders of America (NELA), a non-profit environmental education organization founded by La Weeda Jones Ward.

“The goal of NELA is to educate students to understand how delicate our environment is and for them to become ambassadors of it; as well as hopefully take Environmental Science courses in college,” said Ehart.

The club teaches students about en-vironmental careers, weather vs. climate, meteorology, air pollution, ground water and aquifers, global warming and climate

change, oceanography, and energy resources and sustainability. Students attend two field trips to better understand concepts of environmental issues.

“Over the past three years that NELA has been offered on campus, students have been to a renewable re-source landfill, Scripps Oceanic Institute, a waste water treatment plant, and the wetlands,” said Ehart.

Upon successful completion of the course, students receive a “Certificate of Completion” and a letter from NELA. Successful completion entails good attendance, completing the labs, writing a personal mission statement, and working in a small group of colleagues to choose an environmental topic and work on a solution. Students present their topic, re-search information, and how the program will be implemented to NELA on the last meeting day.

For more information about the Environmental Club, see Mrs. Ehart in Room 905. For more information about NELA, visit www.NELA501c3.com

After visiting the wetlands, students traveled to the LA River in Encino.

CIMS and Adelanto High School Environmental Club are funded by New Envi-ronmental Leaders of America (NELA), a non-profit environmental organization.

WETLANDS from Page 3

SKATE NIGHTCIMS is holding a skate night on

Thursday, March 23 from 5-7:30 p.m. Tickets are available in the Student Store for $8, or $9 at the door. Let’s go skating!

PI DAY CANNED FOOD DRIVEHave you ever wanted to throw a pi

in your math teacher's face? Now is your chance. Bring in a non-perishable canned food for the annual CIMS Pi Day canned food drive. Participants may get the chance to throw a pie in a teacher's face. If we collect 314 cans, one lucky student will get to “Pi” Mr. Gervais! Will it be you?

MIDDLE SCHOOL BASKETBALLCongratulations to the CIMS Middle

School Varsity Lady Cougars on their playoff win against Big Bear! The girls are headed to the semifinals and finals on March 4 at Lakeview Leadership Academy. Good luck, ladies!

TAPE A TEACHERStudents are invited to play “Tape a

Teacher” on Friday, March 3 during A and B lunch. Students will be able to tape a teacher to a pole. Cost is $1 per strip of tape. Dr. Gaskins and Mr. Gervais will be joining the fun.

HISTORY DAY MEETINGA mandatory History Day Show-

case meeting will take place during both lunches on Wednesday, March, 8 in room 303. Students will be going over important information, as well as practicing interview questions. Bring your lunch.

GOLF TEAM MEETINGA brief meeting will be held after

school on Friday, March 3, at 2:30 p.m for all high school students interested in playing golf for CIMS. See Mrs. Sims’ room 803.

SOCCER TRYOUTSSoccer tryouts will be held the week

of March 6. Be sure to have an Athletic Packet on file with Ms. Selina in 1301.

STUDENT NEWS