Leo Club participates in area-wide service activity for the blind

GOOSE CREEK MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL’S
Vol. 02,
Issue 2
PATRIOT PRESS
EDITION
NEWSLETTER
WHERE EVERYDAY’S A HOLIDAY AND EVERY MEAL’S A FEAST
Above Left: Sophomore Darin Owens helps a blind man get to his table at Luby’s. Above Right (Top): Sophomore Jenna Bagley
and Freshman Victoria Savoie pose with Leo Club Sponsor Carol Baker at Deerbrook Mall. Above Right (Bottom): Sophomores
Kaley Sedivec and Kayla Scott pose with a blind man during the shopping trip.
Leo Club participates in area-wide
service activity for the blind
The Goose Creek Memorial Leo
Club recently attended an event
sponsored by the Lions Club. The
GCM Leo Club joined other Leo
clubs from the Houston area at this
event.
The Leo Club met all of the participants
at Deerbrook Mall to
escort blind people on a shopping
trip. The Lions club gave each blind
person $50 to spend while groups
took their assigned person to stores
around the mall.
Before the shopping began, the
groups had lunch with the blind
person they were assigned in an
effort to get to know them.
One of the Goose Creek Memorial
Leo Club members, Junior, Kyle
Butler, attended this event.
“Seeing is a privilege because
you see people who can’t function
on their own. Our club did this to
give back to the community. The
best part was seeing the smile on
our guest’s face when we were
helping him. The man my group
had became visually impaired in a
motorcycle accident”, said Butler.
Another member, Sophomore,
Kayla Scott, who attended this trip,
said “I did this to help others and to

SEASON FOR GIVING
Contributed photo
Student Council President Lauren Deluca and Student Council Vice President Brelyn
Donato stand next to the Giving Tree in the Main Office. Student Council members
will wrap presents for all of the children represented by angels on the tree on
Monday, Dec. 13.
“I got involved
because its
something I do,
every year I try
and help someone.
I adopted
a boy the age
of nine for this
project, and
enjoyed very
much shopping
for him. It really
means more
to give than to
receive.”
- Ms. Nelda
Fayle
“The purpose of
this project is to
give to families
in our district
who are in need
for the holidays.
The students
have been so
involed its amazing,
donating
wrapping paper,
tape and boxes,
it reminds you
what Christmas
is truly about.
- Ms. Angela
Johnson
“The biggest
thing is I have
three daughters
who are grown
and I enjoy
buying for
children who are
still believers in
the mysteries of
Christmas.
Plus, I believe
it is a better
blessing to
give instead of
receive.”
- Ms. Karen
Swart
FROM THE DESK
OF MR. RICHARD
The spring of 2011 is rapidly
approaching as we bring
the first
semester
of another
school
year to
a close
and make
preparations
for the
second
half of the
2010-2011 school year.
It is hard to believe we are
already turning the page on
another calendar year. As
always, the spring semester
is shaping up to be an active
five months in terms of extracurricular
and academics at
GCM.
A quick glance at the
upcoming calendar of events
for the fourth six weeks
reveals district-required
benchmark testing in science
and math as well as yetto-be-determined
dates for
state-mandated TAKS field
testing. These benchmark
tests are vital to our instructional
staff to better prepare
your child for the TAKS in late
April.
The dawn of a new year
also brings with it extracurricular
activities such as district
basketball and soccer as
well as UIL fine arts competitions
for band, choir, orchestra,
and drill team. It is our
goal to continue to excel in
extracurricular activities as
well as academics at GCM.
As always, it continues to
be a great time to be a Goose
Creek Memorial Patriot,
where every day’s a holiday
and every meal’s a feast!

PARENT PIECE
FROM THE DESK OF MR. BOLINGER
I drove an old Nissan truck when I began my teaching
career many years ago. This truck was very reliable in
many ways, but I always had an issue with the alignment.
Even though I was faithful in my tire rotations and had a
mechanic attempt to align the vehicle more than once,
the truck would always pull to the right. As a result, the
truck was frustrating to drive and my tires would wear out
prematurely. When I went shopping
for my next vehicle, you can bet the
first thing I tested…
Alignment is a major component
in education. Teachers and curriculum
coordinators make every effort
to align the curriculum and instruction
at each grade level. Athletic programs
implement coaching systems
at the junior high level in order to
build necessary skills at the high
school level. In scheduling, a sense
of alignment should exist as students progress through
their high school courses. When students consider various
colleges, majors, and careers, their schedules should begin
to line up with these ambitions. For example, a student
who plans to attend a four year university after high school
needs to be taking one or more advanced course, such as
Advanced Placement or Dual Credit, in order to prepare
for the rigor and workload that lies ahead. Similarly, if a
student has the desire to be an engineer, then his high
school classes should “align” with this profession. Since
this profession most likely requires an extensive amount of
math and science, this should be reflected in the student’s
schedule.
The registration process for next year begins in early
spring. We recommend that parents become familiar with
the GCCISD High School Course Description Guide and
begin discussing the following two items with their child:
future ambitions (college majors, career options, talents,
skills, etc) and high school courses that align with these
ambitions. Many parents are surprised to see the multitude
of course offerings available to our students. Goose
Creek students have the opportunity to take courses such
as Culinary Arts, Health Science, Meat Processing, Web
Design, Computer Programming, Welding, Engineering,
Journalism, Auto Body Repair, and Anatomy and Physiology
just to name a few. In addition, many of these courses
align with programs offered at Lee College, which means
that students are able to work towards certification in a
particular program or field. Through Advanced Placement
and Dual Credit classes, students are also able to earn college
credit during their high school years.
As your child begins to decide which classes he or she
is considering for next year, take the opportunity to ask if
these courses are in alignment with future goals and ambitions.
With proper planning, the schedule can provide your
child with leverage and set the stage for future success.
GCM announces AP scholars
Advanced Placement students who received honors
from the College Board for their performance on AP tests
were recognized for their outstanding achievements at
the GCCISD School Board meeting on Dec. 13. The Patriot
students receiving recognition are listed below.
Adriana Capilla-Garcia AP Scholar
Ashley Miller
AP Scholar
Francisco Chavez AP Scholar
Jacob Bailey
AP Scholar
Jacob Miller
AP Scholar
Jayson Lindley AP Scholar
Kaitlyn Cryer
AP Scholar
Ryan Armstrong AP Scholar
Tannya Singh
AP Scholar
William Gross
AP Scholar
Sunayana Yadav AP Scholar with Honor
Andrea Martinez AP Scholar with Distinction
MON:
TUES:
WED:
THUR:
FRI:
FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE

SPRING CALENDAR OF EVENTS
January 3
Day
January 4
Teacher Work
Students Return
from Christmas Break
January 17 Martin Luther
King Holiday
January 18 Science
Benchmark Testing
January 19
Math
Benchmark Testing
CHRISTMAS CONCERT
February 18 District Staff
Development Day / No School
February 21 Presidents’ Day
Holiday
March 1-4
Re-Testing
Exit Level TAKS
March 14-18 Spring Break