April 2011
Atherton High School eNews
You are receiving this news because you have provided your email address to Atherton High School as a
means of communicating with you. If you would like to change your email address, you may modify this
contact information using Infinite Campus (IC) Parent Portal at www.jefferson.kyschools.us. You may
receive your IC portal activation code and directions by emailing the principal at
thomas.aberli@jefferson.kyschools.us.
From the Principal
Atherton Family:
All juniors take the ACT this Tuesday, March 15. These scores are now being used to benchmark, rate, and
rank Atherton among other high schools. Teachers prepare students daily for assessments such as the ACT by
providing a rigorous learning environment focused on core concepts that engage students in higher-order
thinking, reasoning, and problem solving. These same instructional strategies and learning goals apply to the
upcoming CATS assessment, College Board AP exams, and International Baccalaureate exams (see testing
dates later in this eNews). I encourage you to take a little time to talk with your child about the importance of
these exams. Please consider discussing the following:
 Whether we agree with it or not, our School, our Teachers, and our Students are judged by the results
of these assessments.
 Point of encouragement to share with your child:
o When you face a struggle on the test, don’t give up!
o Skip a tough question/problem then come back to it later
o Look at the answers and see if there are any you can eliminate to make wiser guesses
when needed
o Verify answers whenever possible.
o Re-read the directions; re-read the reading passage
o Skip the reading passage and read the questions first and go back to the reading passage
so you have an idea of what will be asked
o Review your answers when you finish the test.
As you talk with your children about their futures, include discussions of where they want to go to college, what
career they may choose, what courses they make take now to learn more about their aspirations. Challenge them
to take electives at Atherton that may educate and/or prepare them for these post-secondary aspirations.
- T. Aberli
Atherton High School: Vision
Atherton will be:
a place where all persons relate to one another with integrity, fairness, and an appreciation for
individual differences and worth.
a place made up of diverse backgrounds with everyone seeking to reach his or her fullest potential.
a place where academic excellence is stressed to the extent that every young person will be adequately
prepared for post-secondary education.
a place where young people live out what it means to be members of a community.
an essential building block for success in life and in the workplace.
a non-disruptive and safe environment in which to learn and grow.
Special Web Links
The Atherton website has been overhauled and is now available:
http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/Schools/High/Atherton/index.html
Check out district news located on the JCPS Monday Memo:
http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/Pubs/MondayMemo/index.html
Keep connected with Upper Highland Neighborhood news:
www.neighborhoodlink.com/Upper_Highlands/home
Keep connected with Highland Youth Recreation sports:
www.hyrsports.com
Contact any teacher by email:
www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/Schools/High/Atherton/contactstaff.html
Atherton Athletics
Atherton Athletics-TALK IT UP!!!
By Steve Shartzer
Occasionally, someone might ask you what is going on with Atherton athletics. Most of the time your response
can only be based on what you read in the sports page which devotes most of its coverage to high school (and
college) football and basketball. Atherton, like a lot of high schools and colleges throughout the country, has a
few teams that struggle on occasion, but most of our sports teams are competitive and very successful on a
regular basis. Unfortunately these successes are not recognized because no one is ―talking it up‖.
Consider this information when you are asked about Atherton athletics. Atherton enrolls about 1,200 students.
For the past four years, and again this year, we will turn away more than 200 students who want to attend
Atherton but cannot because of school capacity. Our student population is approximately 600 boys and 600 girls.
Many schools we compete against have 900+ boys and 900+ girls. Due to our school size, we depend on many
students playing multiple sports and they are very successful in doing so. Many Atherton athletes continue their
playing careers in college. If you followed the University of Louisville national runner up men‘s soccer team or
Spalding University‘s national runner-up volleyball team you would have seen two former Rebels play major roles
in the accomplishments of these two programs.
Here‘s what most people don‘t know: Most of our teams are highly competitive! Following are some recent
Atherton athletic successes:
 Boys Soccer has won 31 games in the last three years and was the 2008 Regional champion.
 Girls Soccer was 8-6-0 in 2008; 11-7-1 in 2009; 13-4-2 in 2010.
 Girls and Boys Basketball have both had two players in the last four years reach the 1,000 career













points mark.
Football fielded freshman, JV and varsity teams during the 2010 season. The football team has
increased its numbers from 23 players in 2009 to 44 athletes in 2010. This is the first time in fifteen years
that enough students have participated in football to field a freshmen team (22 players). Additionally, four
athletes have offers to play on the college level.
Wrestling had 6 wrestlers during the 2009-2010 season and 15 wrestlers in the 2010-2011 season.
Rebel wrestlers were represented in 12 out of the 14 weight classes in the 2010-2011 Regional
Championships.
Boys and Girls Tennis had winning records the last two seasons. They currently have 35 players on
their rosters.
Softball has had double digit wins the last eight seasons and in the last four years has averaged 15 wins
per season.
Baseball has had double digit wins two out of the last three seasons and has advanced to the Regional
Tournament three out of the last five years.
Cheerleading and Dance have competed and placed in or won numerous competitions over the past
several years.
Field Hockey roster numbers and number of wins increased from last year. The field hockey team
fielded both JV and varsity teams.
Cross Country had a Rebel runner qualify for the 2010 KHSAA State Championships. We also host
numerous middle and high school meets on the Rebel campus. Another interesting fact about Atherton
CC is that Atherton is the only Jefferson County school to win both the boys and girls State
Championships in the same year (1978).
Volleyball had double digit wins and advanced to the Regional Championships the last two seasons.
Swimming had 12 swimmers on their roster and fielded a diving team for the first time in several years.
A Rebel diver competed in the 2010-2011 KHSAA State Championships.
Track had an athlete qualify for the 2010 KHSAA State Championships. 2011 roster totals 64 (32 boys
and 32 girls).
Boys Golf Team went 13-10 in 2009 with 6 golfers; 14-7 in 2010 with 11 golfers.
Girls Golf Team has increased its roster.
As you can see, a lot of good things are happening in athletics at Atherton High School. Now when someone
asks what is going on with Atherton athletics, you can reference some of the information above and proudly
respond that numbers are growing, teams are winning and our athletes are excelling academically, athletically
and professionally after high school. There‘s no reason to keep it a secret any longer. Please ―talk it up‖!
Fall Sports Tryouts
Fall sport tryouts will begin on July 15th. Exact information on each sport will becoming out in early May. Each
athlete may also contact their coach for further details. Incoming freshman will be recieving a brochure in the
mail by late April.
Dance tryouts for next season will be held on May 11-13. Cheerleading tryouts will be held on May 19th and
20th. Current up to date information and physicals will need to be on file before a student may tryout.
Physicals will be offered on May 13th at a cost of $15 in cash. Physical forms will be available on the counter in
the front office.
Atherton Academics
NINE STUDENTS INDUCTED INTO THE
JAPANESE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY
th
On Thursday, February 17 , nine of Atherton‘s second year Japanese students were inducted into the prestigious
Japanese National Honor Society. The inductees were:
Maddie Cormier, Shakiyla Davis, Alek Flener-Satre, Monica Fuerte, Sara Loving, Deborah Pryor, Rene
Shamberger, Olivia Utley, and Christy Walker. In order to be eligible for membership, each student had to have a
3.5 overall GPA in Japanese and a 3.0 overall GPA. The purpose of the Japanese National Honor Society is to
encourage students to serve as ambassadors to promote friendship and understanding between the U.S., Japan,
and other countries. Congratulations to these students on their outstanding academic achievement!
Annual Holocaust Museum Trip
Mr. Penner's annual trip to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.- the first being in 1997- took
place on February 10, 2011. An excited, well behaved student group was accompanied by Dr. Aberli and Ms.
Foster-Terrell. A group from Manual High School also made the trip.
After around 3 1/2 hours at the museum, the group braved the cold and saw the Lincoln, Korean and Vietnam
memorials as well as the White House. It was a long day, but most, if not all, found the experience to be one they
will always remember.
America Heart Association: Crystal Heart Gala
On Saturday Feb 26, 15 Atherton students and 9th grade social studies teachers Rita Cron, Pat Patrick and Mrs.
Cron's student teacher Anthony Reddington volunteered for the American Heart Association's biggest fund raiser
of the year. Last year, the gala raised $3.3 million dollars. This is the second year that Atherton has been asked
to participate in the event as greeters and heart appeal balloon persons.
It was a chance to wear tuxes and prom dresses, and see that community service and charitable gifting extends
beyond the classroom and into adulthood.
Yearbooks
Yearbooks are still available for $60. You can mail in a check made out to Atherton High School with your
student's name in the memo line. You may also send a check to school with your child; they just need to come by
room 116 and will be given a receipt. There are a limited number of books so reserve yours today!
Atherton’s Math Team Wins First Place
Atherton‘s Math Team placed first in its district for this year‘s Greater Louisville Math League. The Math League
consists of four exams given over the course of the school year. Three students from each grade take the exam
and awards are given to the top scorers from each grade. The following Atherton students placed in the top 10:
nd
th
Freshman: Elijah Eisert (2 Place), Sahadat Mohammad-Wali (7 Place)
th
th
Sophomores: Elliot Eckel (4 Place), Jordan Springmeir (7 Place),
st
rd
th
Juniors: Sara Sinback (1 Place), Braden Diefel (3 Place), Adam Cohen (6 Place)
nd
th
Seniors: Nick Teale (2 Place), Russell Williams (6 Place)
Other math team members include Kelsey Crick, Jordan Golding, Jeremy Taylor, Tyler Smuskewicz. The team
will receive a trophy at the Awards Banquet in April.
Atherton Theatre
The Atherton Theatre Department will also present the musical You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown on March 2326, 7:00 pm in the Large Auditorium. This fun musical features two casts that alternate in performance as they
depict the lovable characters of Charles Schultz's famous comic strip, Peanuts. The time of the action is "an
average day in the life of Charlie Brown." It really is just that, a day made up of little moments picked from all the
days of Charlie Brown, from Valentine's Day to the baseball season, from wild optimism to utter despair, all mixed
in with the lives of his friends (both human and non-human) and strung together on the string of a single day,
from bright uncertain morning to hopeful starlit evening. Tickets are $5.00 in advance and $7.00 day of
performance.
Who Will Be the First Atherton Idol!
Join us on April 15 at 7:00pm in the large auditorium as the top ten semi-finalist compete for the title of Atherton
Idol. Cheer on your favorite singer as Ms. Walker, Mr. Prince and Mr. Tucker judge the songs and eliminate
would be Idols. Admissions $5 at the door. Congratulations to our top ten semi-finalist:
Nico Botones
Kira Clayton
Adriana Cleasant
Chloe Forsting
Julie Fuchs
Hannah Gribbons
Jordan Golding
Scott O'Donnell
Austin Talbert
Nick Teale
19 Atherton Juniors Selected as Governor’s Scholars Recipients!
In February, nineteen Atherton Juniors were selected by the district for consideration for the Kentucky Governor‘s
Scholars Program. The Governor‘s Scholars Program is a summer residential program for outstanding high
school students in Kentucky who are rising seniors. Selection for the program is highly competitive, with an
application process similar to that of prestigious colleges and universities. In addition to an academic profile that
includes difficulty of course load, GPA, and at least one standardized test score, the application requires an
outline of all extracurricular activities, a history of volunteer service, and a list of job positions held. The following
students will compete in the statewide selection process and be notified in April of their final status:
Kristofer Anderson
Wesley Bohn
Jorge Castorena
Allison Caudill
Julie Fuchs
Erin Gibbons
Samantha Goodwin
Catherine Hankins
Selma Harambasic
Kimberly Heller
Lori Johnson
Elyssa Kay
Drake Lee-Patterson
Erik Mann
Alexander McTeague
Samual Misleh
Jonathan Sarfin
Alexander Schwendau
Sara Sinback
Juniors: Mark your calendars!
Junior Ring Ceremony - March 25 @ 1:00pm in the large auditorium
Junior Prom - March 26 @ 8:00pm at Wildwood Country Club
BLAST FROM THE PAST
In 1963, twenty Seniors from schools in Bristol, England spent a week in Atherton High School as part of an
exchange visit to America organized by the English-Speaking Union. A few weeks later, twenty Seniors from
Atherton then visited Bristol.
One of the English students, Colin Luke, was commissioned to make a 16mm film about this visit. Colin, who had
won a national prize for film-making, went on to spend his entire career directing and producing documentary
films all around the world for the BBC and for broadcasters in Europe and the USA.
48 years after this visit he is returning to Kentucky and has been invited by Tom Aberli, the principal of Atherton
to address the school and show the film, which he has edited down to twenty minutes. Colin is screening the film
nd
at 9:30am on Tuesday March 22 and any interested members of the Class of ‘63 (and any alumni) are
welcome to attend.
Colin and his wife Felicity, a family law judge, live in England, will be visiting their son who is a You Tube
executive in New York and will be on their way to a wedding in Atlanta. Colin says: ―It seemed a shame to by
pass Louisville. I‘m very much looking forward to seeing Louisville and Atherton again after all this time and it
would be great to meet again anyone from that exchange‖.
ATHERTON GRADUATES IN THE NEWS
Grammy winner Clarke Schleicher has Atherton roots
Written by
Martha Elson
Courier Journal
March 9, 2011
Neighborhoods
Highlands/Crescent Hill
Clark Schleicher graduated from Atherton High School in 1976.
(Courtesy of JCPS) / Courtesy of Atherton High School
Grammy winner Clarke Schleicher's career in the recording industry began with a portable tape recorder and a
pair of scissors when he was an eighth-grader at Highland Middle School in Deer Park. His father, Lt. Col. Lloyd
Schleicher, an architect who was in the Air Force Reserves, recruited his son to record speeches he gave to
organizations, using a recorder provided by the Air Force. Clarke Schleicher used scissors to cut and edit the
tapes together at his home on Cherokee Road, and he also started recording music off the radio. He was playing
tuba and electric bass at the time.
Fast-forward about 40 years, and Schleicher, now 52, was on stage with Lady Antebellum at the Grammy Awards
in Los Angeles last month to receive a Grammy for his audio-engineering work on the song ―Need You Now,‖
which won Record of the Year. Schleicher, a 1976 graduate of Atherton High School who now lives and works in
Nashville, Tenn., also won a Grammy for the album ―Need You Now,‖ which won Best Country Album. Calling
himself a ―studio dog,‖ Schleicher said in a recent interview that being at the Grammy ceremony was ―a
completely new experience. It was very exciting and unusual for me, because I'm chained to the studio all day.
We don't get out much.‖
Schleicher manages the Nashville recording studios for Warner Bros. Records and also works as an independent
recording engineer. His professional credits also include projects with Neil Young, Joan Baez, Marie Osmond,
Martina McBride, Travis Tritt, the Dixie Chicks, Amy Grant and Taylor Swift. In Louisville, Schleicher played bass
in a couple of ―minor bands‖ that played for parties, he said, and he played tuba in the band and orchestra at
Atherton, where he also was the drum major. In addition, he was a musician for the senior play, ―Rock-N-Roll,‖
set in the 1950s, which featured student Jonathan Wolff in the lead role of Corndoggie. Wolff, an Atherton Hall of
Fame inductee in 2008, is an Emmy award winner who wrote the music for ―Seinfeld‖ and other hit television
shows.
Clarke Schleicher recently won Grammys for his work with the group Lady Antebellum.
(Associated Press) / Jae C. Hong/AP
Risk taker Jeff Newton travels the world's hot spots for 60 Minutes
Courier Journal
Travel & Feautures
March 6, 2011
Reporter Katya Cengel
Growing up in Louisville, Jeff Newton was known for his charm, fearlessness and penchant for getting into
trouble. Not a lot has changed. His stepmother, Martha Newton, who currently lives in Lexington but has a
condominium in Louisville, still worries about him. ―I always live in fear of that phone ringing, someone showing
up … ,‖ she said in a telephone interview.
That's because, at 43, Jeff Newton is still taking risks the way he did when he was younger — when he was
partying a little too hard and getting a little too physical while playing ice hockey and soccer. Only now the risks
are of a different sort. As an associate producer at ―60 Minutes‖ who specializes in covering conflict zones,
Newton has been shot in the arm (―It wasn't as bad as it sounds‖); was in a vehicle when it blew up; and was in
Egypt when CBS chief foreign correspondent Lara Logan was attacked and sexually assaulted by a mob. It is
Logan whom Newton credits with getting him a job at CBS almost 10 years ago and launching him on a career
that has earned him an Emmy and a chance to travel the world and see history as it unfolds.
It's only fitting that his path there wasn't straight. Newton admits that early on he wanted to be a professional ice
hockey player and not a newsman. It isn't quite as outlandish as it sounds when you consider that he comes from
Canadian stock and spent periods of his childhood in Canada. In Kentucky, his father, Gordon Newton, an
architect who died in an auto accident about 10 years ago, was a youth hockey coach.
As a youngster, Newton was more into athletic than academic pursuits, he said, but he did write for the Atherton
High School newspaper, and he still remembers his first story. He was covering a baseball game and decided to
focus not on the game, but on the Atherton pitcher and catcher who were making bets about who would strike
out. When the paper came out, Newton was excited to see his name in print — but also had to deal with the
pitcher wanting to beat him up. ―I remember thinking to myself how interesting it was to write something and have
people take notice, because I think it was at a time academically I wasn't doing anything where anybody could
take notice,‖ said Newton, who lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.
His academic performance was so lackluster that he was ruled academically ineligible to play soccer his senior
year. He managed to graduate, though, and enrolled at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond. He chose EKU
in part so he could be close to his sister, Kim Rideout, who was in Lexington attending graduate school at the
University of Kentucky.
Martha Newton still remembers them both coming home with carloads of laundry and Jeff paying his older sister
to do his. She credits Rideout with keeping Jeff out of serious trouble while in college and a single story he wrote
for the school newspaper with helping him take things a little more seriously. For that story, Jeff had to interview
the parents of a student killed in a drunk-driving accident, and the experience was an ―eye opener,‖ his
stepmother said. ―That made him be more responsible,‖ she said. ―Because I think when you have to research a
story like that and actually go talk to the deceased's parents, I think you can't help but stand up and notice.‖
Still, Jeff had a lot to learn, and Martha Newton said if it hadn't been for her nagging and the prodding of an EKU
professor, he would probably not have received his college diploma. He left to take a fellowship in California
before graduating and only later completed his studies because of their insistence, she said.
To Europe and back
Later, he made his way to Eastern Europe, where he worked for an English-language newspaper in the
tumultuous years after the fall of the Berlin Wall. ―I remember writing about all the companies being privatized,‖
Newton said. ―I was given like the beer beat; it was hilarious.‖ While there he covered the war in Bosnia, and
when he returned to the United States, he got a job covering the military, first with The News-Enterprise in
Elizabethtown and then with The Fayetteville Observer in Fayetteville, N.C. The military beat was one that
perfectly suited Newton's personality, said childhood friend John Bruggman. ―He doesn't have a lot of fear,‖ said
Bruggman, a financial adviser in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Playing sports when they were younger, Bruggman said, Newton was a very physical player who was willing to
―mix it up a bit.‖ ―So it doesn't surprise me he's in that field because it's obviously pretty exciting; it's dangerous
and scary too.‖ In high school, Bruggman and Newton played soccer and partied together, and as adults when
they get together, they still have a good time. They have traveled to England together on a soccer-watching trip
that involved drinking some of the strongest beer in the world, and they try to meet up every few years to spend
time at a cabin in Tennessee.
Still humble
Despite his success, Newton remains humble, Bruggman said. Jackie Collier, director of alumni relations at EKU,
agreed. When Collier told Newton the university planned to induct him into the Hall of Distinguished Alumni in
April, he was extremely gracious, she said. Newton is being recognized for his work with CBS, she said, a job he
obtained while freelancing in Afghanistan after Sept. 11, 2001. It was Logan who brought Newton on board, and
they have been traveling the world together ever since. Out of respect for Logan and her family, Newton did not
want to discuss what happened to her in Egypt, and The Courier-Journal in turn chose not to contact her
concerning their work together.
CBS producer Max McClellan has known Newton for five years and last fall worked with him on two stories —
one on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the other on the first living soldier to receive the Medal
of Honor since the Vietnam War. As an associate producer, Newton works on everything from script writing and
story development to the questions a correspondent will ask, and in all of this his print background is an asset,
McClellan said. ―If you come up through the TV side, I think it's easy to sort of think of things as much in terms of
pictures and the visual as you do the story line, and I think that he, because of his print background, really thinks
of the content of the story and substance of the interviews and the information that we will need in order to get a
story over the top,‖ McClellan said.
Preparation and luck
And despite his fearlessness, Newton is not reckless, his colleague said. Before embarking on a road trip in
Afghanistan, Newton will make sure there is another car for backup, a full tank of gas and a spare tire, details that
could ―truly make the difference between safety and not safety,‖ McClellan said.
It is this preparation, plus plain dumb luck, that Newton credits with keeping him in one piece. He arrived in Egypt
the hour that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was forced from power, he said, and the situation was very
volatile. ―You're literally going through the airport, and they're confiscating your cameras and everything, and
you're trying to explain to them, ‗Look, your president just resigned, and didn't you get the memo on that yet?' ‖ he
said.
Fear for his safety is a factor of his job, he said, but so is fear of failure. To survive a firefight and come away with
nothing to show for it would be extremely disappointing. The risk, of course, is real, Newton said, but so is the
reward. ―I feel lucky to have this sort of front row to history where we've done stories on the most important
events that have happened in the globe in the last 10 years.‖
Student Reflections
“Common Nightmares”:
Nay Blu (student), Paw Shae (student) and Thura Al-Windawi (author)
By Scott Wade, Atherton ESL Teacher
Atherton junior Nay Blu Htoo and her sister Paw Shae and seven fellow refugee classmates in
their ESL class recently looked into the eyes of Iraqi refugee and author Thura Al-Windawi as Thura
told her story of being in Baghdad when the bombs fell. They were interviewing Thura from a
classroom in Atherton, even though she was in Toronto. The students used connected to Thura through
Skype, a website that allows free computer to computer communication world wide.
The 9 ESL students and the author could also see each other through a webcam provided by
University of Louisville technology instructor Steve Swan. For one class period, Thura answered
questions, as students watched her on a 37- inch flat screen HD monitor, and she saw the students on the
screen of her laptop in her Toronto apartment.
Nay Blu and Paw Shae listened intently, amazed that they were speaking with the author of the
book they were reading in class, Thura‟s Diary.
Thura Al-Windawi is known as the Anne Frank of Baghdad. She was a 19-year-old college
student in Baghdad studying pharmacology when Allied bombs began hitting on her city, cracking the
walls of her home. She wrote her diary by candlelight late at night in her bed, as bombs pulverized the
city she grew up in.
It was Paw Shae‟s idea originally to communicate with Thura. In early February, the Karen
Burmese student said in class that she wanted to write a letter to Thura. Her ESL teacher Scott Wade
found Thura using Facebook, and she quickly agreed to a Skype webcam interview on Feb. 21.
“I couldn‟t believe I was actually talking with Thura and she was talking with me,” said Paw
Shae, the younger sister by a little more than a year.
To Paw Shae‟s classmates, parts of Thura‟s story seemed familiar – soldiers, guns, death,
escape, and starting over in a new country, in a new language.
Nay Blu, whose classroom nickname is Coral Blue, said she was a child in her village in Burma
when Burmese soldiers attacked as part of a campaign to wipe out members of the Karen ethnic group,
who Burmese junta leaders saw as a potential threat. Soldiers set fire to the village, and Nay Blu‟s
pregnant mother picked up 1-year-old Nay Blu and ran into the jungle.
While in the jungle in hiding and on the run, Nay Blu‟s mother stopped running long enough to
give birth to Paw Shae, who is now a sophomore. Both girls grew up in the Mae La refugee camp, sat
on a steamy, desolate jungle hillside in Thailand.
After the interview with Thura, students in the class wrote their own diary entry, which included
how they connected to Thura. Below are excerpts from the diaries of Nay Blu and Paw Shae.
From Nay Blu:
Dear Diary,
When I spoke with Thura Al-Windawi, when I was asking questions and she was talking to me,
I had a strong feeling to learn more and I loved school even more.
I connected to the story when she said she was scared by the sounds of bombs. As I listened to
her talk about the sound of bombs, I remembered when I was nine years old with my grandma in the
camp. A bomb came into the river and exploded and I started to run and cry and I lost where my
grandma was. My grandma was looking for me and I ran to the market. I saw people around me running
and screaming. I was a little girl. My grandma found me.
From Paw Shae:
Dear Diary.
I was happy to see Thura and happy to talk to her, but I was nervous that she would not
understand my question.
I connected to her story most when she said lots of people became homeless when the war started
in her country, and lots of people died and got hurt. That connected to my life story because when I
heard her say that, I remembered my country, my people. Lots of my people got killed and a lot got
hurt, and they didn‟t have a hospital and didn‟t know where to go to save their own life.
Like my family, my mom ran into the forest and tried to find a way to the safe place but still lots
of people died and they didn‟t have food and a home and water.
I will never forget the day I got to talk to Thura.
CALENDAR*
MARCH
March 10 – Thursday
March 15 – Tuesday
March 24 – March 26
March 25 – Friday
March 26 – Saturday
March 29 – Tuesday
March 30-31
APRIL
15th District PTA Vendors Fair 7 a.m.-9 p.m Small gym
ACT Testing
“You‟re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” play performance 7 p.m.
Junior Ring Ceremony 1pm Large Aud
Junior Prom Wildwood Country Club 8-12 p.m.
ACT Make-Up Testing
KMEA 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.
April 2 – April 10
April 13- Wednesday
April 19- Tuesday
April 30 – Saturday
Spring Break Week – NO SCHOOL
School Spring Pictures
CATS Testing begins (Sophomores and Juniors)
Senior Prom The Gillespie (West Market St.) 8 – 11:45 p.m.
IB, AP, and State Testing
April 18-29: KCCT Testing Window (Sophomores and Juniors)
April 29 - May 23: International Baccalaureate testing windows (primarily seniors)
May 2 – May 18: College Board Advanced Placement testing window (all grade levels)
MAY
May 6 – Friday
May 6 - Friday
May 8 through May 12
May 11 – Wednesday
May 12 – Thursday
May 13- Friday
May 13-14
May 14 - Saturday
May 16 – Monday
May 17 – Tuesday
May 18 – Wednesday
May 19 – Thursday
May 27 – Friday
Professional Development Day - NO SCHOOL
Scholastic Chess Tournament 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
AP Human Geography Review Sessions 2:30-5pm in Cafeteria
Junior Awards Ceremony 6:30 Large Aud
Spring Band Concert 7 p.m. Large Aud
Sports physicals for athletes 2:30pm at Atherton, $15
„Children Of Hercules” play. 7 pm. Courtyard Production
Trivial Pursuit fundraiser at Atherton 7pm
Senior Belle of Louisville Cruise (rescheduled)
Primary Election – NO SCHOOL
Senior Awards Ceremony 6:30pm Large Aud
Spring Orchestra Concert 7 pm. Large Aud
Senior Belle of Louisville Cruise- NEW (DATE CHANGE)
JUNE
June 2
Last day of school for students; GRADUATION 5:00pm at Bellarmine
LAST DAY OF SCHOOL & GRADUATION are subject to change based on snow days and school closures.
*All events subject to change. Call the front office for confirmation the day of the event.
Parent Portal – Progress Reports & Transcripts
Progress reports are given to students to take home every six weeks. You may also monitor the progress of your child using
the Infinite Campus Parent Portal.
Access your child‘s class schedule, progress reports and attendance.
http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/Parent/ParentPortal/index2.html
To gain access to your Infinite Campus portal account, email the principal thomas.aberli@jefferson.kyschools.us.
PTSA
The PTSA meets the third Tuesday of every month at 5:00pm in the library.
Please note: December‘s meeting was cancelled.
Remaining 2010-2011 PTSA meeting dates: March 15, April 19, and May 10.
Atherton Wrist Bands
The PTSA is selling the bands for $1.00. Look for PTSA representatives at school events. Thanks for your
support and showing your Rebel pride!
We Want Your Help!
If you would like to provide your support of the Atherton PTSA, we can use your help:
April 11, 12, & 13: The annual PTSA Spring pictures; 11am-12:30 April 11 & 12; all day long April 13
May 11: Help during Junior Awards Ceremony serving cake and drinks 6:00pm
:
May 18 Help during Senior Awards Ceremony serving cake and drinks 6:00pm
May 20: Teacher Appreciation Luncheon 10:30-12:30
Parents interested in helping April 11, 12, or 13 should email Jaime Patterson jaimepatterson@gmail.com.
Parents interested in helping May 11, 18, or 20 should email Bonnie Echleberger at jechelberg@aol.com.
SBDM
Site Based Decision Making (SBDM) Council meetings are open to all parents, students, staff and school
community. The SBDM Council is a leadership body that directs and supports several areas of our school
including student achievement programs/initiatives, policy, curriculum, finance, and school improvement. Our
Council is a twelve-member team composed of six teachers, four parents, the principal and an assistant principal.
SBDM Council meets the third Thursday of every month at 3:00 in the school library.
FEBRUARY SPECIAL CALLED MEETING: Due to the rescheduling of Parent Teacher Conferences on
th
February 17, the regularly-scheduled SBDM meeting in February has been moved to February 24 . Important
agenda items include: Finalizing plans for inclusion of two student representatives on the Council starting next
year, review and approval of the school‘s Comprehensive School Improvement Plan, and developing a plan of
action for a comprehensive review of SBDM bylaws and policies.
Atherton Alumni Association
Learn about the Atherton Alumni Association, the Atherton Alumni Hall of Fame, or join the Atherton Alumni
Association by visiting the only official Atherton Alumni website www.athertonalumni.com.
The Atherton Alumni Association meets every month. Email Nick Gardner at ngardner@galthotel.com to learn
more about becoming involved with the Alumni Association.
You can nominate the next Atherton Hall of Fame recipient!
Approximately ten years ago, a small alumni group gathering at Atherton High school had the vision of honoring
Atherton alumni who have contributed to our community and our country. Through this vision, senators, a
brigadier general, authors, teachers, university presidents, doctors, financiers, congressmen, entrepreneurs and
more have been welcomed home to Atherton High School and inducted into the Atherton Alumni Association Hall
of Fame. Our list is distinguished, impressive, and inspiring to each of us. It is especially important for the
students of Atherton High School to witness this rich legacy. Go to www.athertonalumni.com to learn more and to
nominate our prestigious alums!
Multi-Generational Atherton Families!
The Atherton Alumni Association is attempting to compile a list of families that have had more than one
generation of students graduate from Atherton High School. If your family has multi-generational graduates from
Atherton please send a list of those who graduated, providing the name and relation (i.e. Thelma Atherton,
grandmother, Steven Spielberg, son). You may send your responses to john.hudson@jefferson.kyschools.us.
The Alumni Association would like to recognize these families at the Tenth Annual Atherton Hall of Fame Dinner
in October of 2011.
From the Attendance Office
If your child is absent or tardy to school, please call the office at 485-8202 to notify the school.
When your child returns to school, please send her/him with a note that includes:
Child's FIRST and LAST Name
Grade
Date of absence/tardy
REASON for absence/tardy
Parent/Guardian best contact number (home/cell/work)
Parent/Guardian signature.
This information is necessary when we receive our regular attendance audits. If you child is absent more than two
consecutive days, please also provide a copy of a physicians' statement for the reason of absence (StudentParent Handbook, pages 11-13). Students absent ten or more days will be required to submit a physicians'
statement for every absence thereafter to excuse further absences (OCBE Policy; Code of Conduct page 21).
Check your child's tardies and absences under the Attendance tab on the left side of Infinite Campus
Parent Portal. Any unexcused events should be rectified immediately. Remind your child to turn in any
notes that you give her/him to first period teacher.
Thank you so much for helping us maintain high standards in all areas of our school!
Driving: No Pass No Drive Law
Attention Students About to Get a Drivers License
State legislature passed a law that requires students to maintain satisfactory grades and attendance to obtain a
driver‘s permit/license. Students cannot receive a permit or driver's license unless they have fewer than 9
unexcused absences and passing at least 5 of 7 courses.
Students are required to present the COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY SCHOOL COMPLIANCE
VERIFICATION FOR DRIVER LICENSING KRS 159.051 form to the Department of Motor Vehicles upon
applying for a driver‘s permit/license. Contact the Attendance Office to obtain the form or for more details.
Immunizations
In accordance with the immunization laws of Kentucky, ALL STUDENTS are required to have a current Kentucky
immunization on file as well as a completed Preventative Examination Form (JCPS requirement for grades 5
through 12). You may turn them in to the counseling office.
Contact Us
Front Office............ 485-8202
Principal..................485-8202
Assistant Principal. 485-6528 - (Student Discipline, Lockers, Lunch schedule)
Records Clerk........ 485-8730 - (Enrollment Information, Immunization Information, Transcripts)
Counselors............. 485-8730 - (Student Counseling, Schedules, Schedules Changes)
Bookkeeper............ 485-8202 - (Student Fees, Fee Waivers, Refunds)
Athletic Director..... 485-8732 - (Sport Schedules, Eligibility)
Transportation....... 485-3470 – (All bus routes and times handled by JCPS Transportation)
TO REPORT A STUDENT ABSENT 485-8202 (also return child with a signed note)
TO REQUEST AN EARLY DISMISSAL 485-8730
TO LEAVE A MESSAGE FOR A TEACHER 485-8202 (message will be sent to teacher via e-mail)
TO GET AN EMERGENCY MESSAGE TO A STUDENT 485-8730 (only emergency messages please)
Atherton Clubs and Extra-Curricular Teams/Groups
INVOLVED STUDENTS ARE SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS! The following is a list of active teams/groups/clubs
that meet regularly along with the staff sponsor (contact the sponsor for meeting dates/times and how to get your
child involved!):
Aerial (Newspaper)- Matthew Rhinehart
Art- Kathy Niles; Shanda Koster
Band, Jazz Band, Percussion Ensemble - Sarah McClave
Baseball - Chris Booth (visit www.athertonbaseball.com)
BETA Club - Julie Anderson
Book Club - Lynn Bridwell
Boys Soccer - Val Bole
Boys’ Basketball – Tom Wilson
Boys’ Golf – Byron Hill
Cheerleading - Julie Anderson
Chess Team - Dave Hernandez
Choir- Nan Tate
Class Officers- Patty Schweinhart
Dance Team – Megan Hill
ESL Club - Kim Courtney
Fellowship of Christian Athletes - Kenneth Walker
Field Hockey - Sandra Forster-Terrrell
Football - Kenneth Walker
French Scrabble - Sylvain Fasciotto
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)- John Ferguson
Future Educators of America (FEA) - Adrian Layne; Nancy Morrow; Willie Rhodes
Future Problem Solvers - Doug Stutz
Girls Soccer - Carlo Ellard
Girls’ Basketball – Dean Zangari
Girls’ Golf – Gayle Blair
Gospel Choir- Connie Schlieker
Helping Youth Performing Exceptionally (HYPE) – Madalyn Marables
Japanese Club - Carole Terkula
Journalism - Matt Rhinehart
Marine Biology - Barbara Bennett
Math Team- Jeaneen Aldridge
Men & Women's Choir - Nan Tate
Men & Women's Tennis - Rita Cron
Men & Women's Track - Kenneth Walker
Men’s Cross Country - Dave Withers
Men of Quality – Richard May
Multicultural Teacher Recruitment Project (MTRP) –Layne; Morrow; Rhodes
National Honor Society- Kay Stanton
Orchestra- Nelson Dougherty
Phenomenal Women - Madalyn Marables
Photography- Shanda Koster
Quick Recall - Rita Cron
River City Players- Adam Perry
Softball - Steve Shartzer
Spanish club - Maria Suarez
Student Council - Kim Courtney
Swimming – Elissa Belak
Table Tennis (Ping Pong)- Adrian Layne
Theatre- Adam Perry
Volleyball - Amanda Green
Women’s Cross Country - Melissa Early
World Quest- Scott Wade
Wrestling - Jeff Brutscher
Yearbook- Shanda Koster
Contact any teacher by email:
www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/Schools/High/Atherton/contactstaff.html
Senior Scholarships, College Information,
College Open Houses and Graduation News
*** Contact senior counselor Diana Stogner to receive her monthly newsletter on scholarships and college news.
NATIONAL TESTING DATES (see appropriate web links below to register)
ACT
SAT
Test Date
April 9, 2011
June 11, 2011
Registration deadline
March 4, 2011
May 6, 2011
May 7, 2011
June 4, 2011
April 8, 2011
May 6, 2011
IMPORTANT TESTING LINKS
ACT
www.act.org
SAT
www.collegeboard.com
KEES
www.kheaa.com
FASFA
www.fafsa.ed.gov
FASFA PIN
www.pin.ed.gov
Fin Aid
www.finaid.org
Next Step U
www.nextstepu.com
Student Loans www.estudentloan.com
NCAA
www.eligibilitycenter.org
General IB website
IB Exams Schedule
http://www.ibo.org/diploma/
http://www.ibo.org/documentlibrary/examinationschedules/index.cfm
General AP website
AP Exams Schedule
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/about.html
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/cal/cal2.html
KCCT and NCLB Reports
http://applications.education.ky.gov/ktr/default.aspx