The M-A Girls Volleyball team welcomes all kids in grades 3-8 to participate in their annual community clinic fundraiser on Friday, September 26 from 4:00 to 6:30 pm at Ayers Gym, Menlo-Atherton High School. The focus will be on hitting, setting, passing, digging, blocking, serving, and ball control. The current M-A team will lead the various clinic stations. Cost is $30; all proceeds go to the M-A Girls Volleyball program. More information is available online.

Bob Gaughran coached water polo and swimming at Menlo-Atherton High School for just seven years, ending his tenure almost 50 years ago.  So, it’s a testament to the man that three dozen or so of his former players gathered at the M-A pool yesterday on the occasion of his upcoming 80th birthday, a celebration organized by Jim MacKenzie.

Not surprisingly, tales were told. One of the most memorable was the afternoon that Coach Gaughran turned the water on to fill the pool — and forgot to turn it off. The result was a flooded football field. That was salt on the wound to football coach Art Boettcher, who Bob had already “stolen” a number of players from, including Bill Ready and Jim.

“I got a call  from Bob Ayers [head of PE department] who said I better get over here because the Superintendent was on his way to campus in a canoe to fire me,” recalled Bob.

That didn’t happen and Bob went on to notch 18 sport titles before leaving in 1965 to take a coaching position at Santa Ana College. But yesterday his heart was in Atherton.

“Being here at M-A was one of the best coaching experiences of my career,” he said. “I was blessed with really great athletes.”

Retired College of San Mateo swimming and water polo coach Rich Donner, who is a Sequoia High School alum like Bob, was an assistant coach for Bob at M-A while doing his student teaching. Most of his stories were more for laughs than veracity, but there was credibly when Rich recalled an incident when they were both at a Block S membership meeting at Sequoia: “A somewhat timid guy came up saying he wanted to become a member. Bob asked why, to which the kid replied ‘to serve my school.’ Bob shot back: ‘Then why don’t you go work in the cafeteria!'”

The returning athletes and their coach got a tour of the current athletic facilities from M-A Athletic Director Paul Snow, most of which, including the pool, had been rebuilt since their era. Head custodian Brien Oliver continued the tour, stopping at new library and Performing Arts Center.

And while name tags were required to sort out who was who some 50 years after playing together, the consensus among attendees was that Bob had changed the least among them. “OK, we are all gray or bald, but Bob looks pretty much like he did all those years ago,” observed one former athlete. “Today, it’s hard to tell the coach from his players.”

Caption information (top to bottom):

-Bob Gaughran at Spieker Pool at Menlo-Atherton High School

-Three Olympians — Ann Warner Cribbs, Jim Gaughran (Bob’s brother) and Dick Roth — share a laugh

-Tod Spieker, who hosted a lunch at his home after the campus event, makes a point to Pete Damsgaard

-Three of Bob’s water polo/swimmers — Gordy Gourdin, Dennis Nugent and Greg Burns, none of whom are the class of ’67 — arrive at Tod Spieker’s house for Bob’s party. Note: Tod is class of”67.

-Former athletes and their coach under the Bear sign at Ayers Gym on the Menlo-Atherton Campus

The Menlo-Atherton High School Athletic Hall of Fame celebrated a long overdue induction ceremony at the sold-out Palo Alto Elks Club on Saturday night (11/8/14).

The inception of the Hall of Fame took place in the early 1990s. In the midst of his tenure as principal, Dave Theis approached Coach Plato Yanicks to inquire about the possibility of establishing a Sports Hall of Fame at Menlo-Atherton. The first induction ceremony took place in 1994. There were additional ceremonies through the 2005 school year, but the Hall added no more recipients until this year.

There are now over 300 athletes, teams and coaches enshrined, including many First Team All-Americans and two World Record holders (Greg Buckingham,’63 and Dick Roth,’65). As a result of the 10-year hiatus, more honorees were recognized than in previous years. This year’s selections include 5 athletes, 3 Community Service recipients, 2 teams and 1 coach.

Planning for an event of this complexity and magnitude takes many volunteers and M-A is blessed with amazingly capable individuals. The effort was spearheaded by the current dynamic duo of Steven Kryger and Paul Snow, the Co-Athletic Directors.

The ceremony commenced with a “Happy Hour” at 5:00 pm, followed by a sumptuous dinner, dessert (beautifully decorated cakes with an M-A theme, of course) and ended with the induction ceremony where the recipients were glorified by speakers and then presented with inscribed plaques and commemorative medallions.

For those fortunate enough to attend, the ceremony was a grand event, providing excellent recognition for many outstanding athletes. The current Hall of Fame selection committee has decided that this event will be bi-annual, so the community should be looking forward to the next chapter of the M-A Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016. Until then, there are many wonderful memories as a result of the ceremony at the Elks Club in 2014.

The following were recognized for their roles in furthering the prowess M-A enjoys with their sports programs:

Greg Camarillo (Class of 2000) Football and Basketball: Greg was one of the finest multi-sport athletes to ever attend M-A. He excelled in football and basketball. He was an All-County selection in football and All-League in basketball. Greg was known for his competitive play, fine hands, sharp routes and encyclopedic knowledge of the game. After M-A, Greg played wide receiver and special teams at Stanford before embarking on a pro career that saw playing time in San Diego, Miami and Minnesota.

Kelly Eaton (2006) Water Polo and Swimming: Kelly was a four-year selection as MVP and 1st team All-League in Water Polo. She was also PAL and CCS Player of the Year. In swimming, Kelly qualified in all 8 events for CCS and did this all 4 years while attending M-A. She is certainly one of the most talented 2 sport athletes in school history. Kelly went on to play for Stanford, coached by M-A grad, John Tanner (’78).

Erica Hayes (2008) Basketball: Erica is easily one of the most talented athletes to ever attend Menlo-Atherton. She excelled in basketball but was a multiple sport standout. She took All-League honors for three years running, was PAL MVP in her senior year and the M-A MVP for three straight years. She is currently playing professional basketball in Hagen, Germany.

Jeremy Mineau (2004) Cross Country, Track: Adding to the already impressive track performers, Jeremy was an elite and highly competitive athlete. He set the track record at Toro Park in Salinas, established the 3200 meter record at M-A and was the top CCS Runner of the Year for 2 consecutive years, making him one of the most recognized runners in section history.

Brent Vartan (1994) Football: Sometimes with a squad as large as the football team, it is difficult to single out one athlete, but Brent was so superior that his athletic promise was immediately realized. Not content to be merely a 1-sport star, Brent was also the striker on the CCS championship soccer team and the MVP of the track team for all 4 of his years at M-A. There were also individuals who greatly contributed to the success of the M-A sports program.

1978 Girls Swim Team: This team was absolutely loaded with talent. Coached by Inez Nagai, who has already been installed in the Hall, the team was the first girls team to claim the CCS crown. This is also one of the M-A sports teams to have enjoyed an undefeated dual meet season.

1989 Boys Basketball Team: In one of the most memorable accomplishments in the history of M-A athletics, the 1989 basketball team won the California State Championship. This was a team that simply dominated other teams of lesser abilities, wins averaging over 25 points. The team, coached by Jeff Klenow, finished the season with an incredible 32-4 record. For those fortunate enough to attend, the ceremony was a grand event, providing excellent recognition for many outstanding athletes.

These four were inducted in the Community Service category:

Connie and Owen Hawkins (1989-’93): Connie and Owen were largely responsible for establishing the Athletic Booster Club in 1989. Funds raised by the Club have been supporting M-A teams for decades.

Susan Mohr(2003-Present): Susan became co-chair of the Boosters in 2004. Her contributions to the M-A athletic program include the first Big Bear Run (2005), which is still the biggest fundraiser for M-A sports teams.

Kitty Moore(1969-2012): One of the longest serving of all community volunteers, Kitty became involved in 1969 and stayed on in many supporting roles for over three decades providing snacks, uniforms and making sure that the referees were properly compensated.

Plato Yanicks (1965-’94) Coach, Cross Country and Track: There are six coaches already in the Hall of Fame. Plato Yanicks is the seventh. He began his career at Menlo-Atherton in 1965, coaching Cross Country and Track. He retired in 1994 as one of the most successful and respected track coaches in Northern California. He was responsible for founding the Cross Country program and instrumental in creating the CIF State Meet. Plato’s teams won 20 Varsity Championships. His teams posted over 300 wins and took second place at the CCS meet on 3 separate occasions. During his tenure, Plato coached 105 league and 14 individual CCS champions.

He also had the pleasure of mentoring several All-Americans. Plato was largely responsible, with Pam Wimberly, for the creation of the Menlo-Atherton Athletic Hall of Fame and was inducted into the San Mateo County Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

Top photo of current and past Hall of Fame inductees and cake photo by M-A teacher Betsy Sergeant Snow; photo of retired coach Plato Yanicks surrounded by admirers by student assistant Lauren Bruce. More photos available online.

Devin Joos, Senior and Captain of the Menl0-Atherton High School Varsity Volleyball team signed a letter of intent to attend UCSB on November 12th. She and her teammates will be playing in the first game of the CCS play offs this Saturday,  at 7:00 pm on the high school campus.

There was a steady buzz the Tuesday morning we visited John Giambruno’s TV Communication and Production class on the Menlo-Atherton High School campus. Half the class was preparing to air a live show called M-A Today. The other half was working on Friday’s show. Both air on highschoolCUBE.

And while, yes, they are high school students, this is an amateur production only in the sense that they are unpaid. After rotating between on camera and off camera responsibilities at the start of each school year (and again at the second semester), students are assigned specific roles by Mr. G (pictured right). These include director, floor director, on camera reporters and anchors, camera operators, technical director, playback/graphics, audio mixer, and teleprompter.

The equipment comes courtesy of bond Measure J passed a few years back, grants from M-A’s Foundation for the Future, and Facebook, which donated the Apple computers. The classroom is equipped with a real production studio.

“This year we have a lot of kids who want to be anchors,” said Mr. G. “Guess you’d characterize them as a lot of extroverts. What we don’t have a lot of is girls. There are only three [one of whom was co-anchor on the day of our visit].”

The students are graded for each show, based on various criteria including script quality, presentation/performance, set up/dress rehearsal, and professionalism, among others.

The content on M-A Today is a mix of school announcements and features on various personalities around campus. In addition to the Tuesday and Friday show, the class streams live events like school sports and performances.

We asked a number of students if they were interested in pursuing news careers when they graduated. While most were clearly engaged in the class, they weren’t certain what the future holds. What is clear is they are gaining invaluable hands-on experience, which is a real plus if they do pursue degrees in broadcasting.

Photos by Rebecca Flanagan

Sometimes InMenlo turns personal. That was the case yesterday when we received a request from a Raleigh, NC, television station asking permission to use an InMenlo photo that Scott R. Kline had taken of Michael Rosenberg who had died in a plane crash earlier in the day.

Michael was not a routine InMenlo interviewee. We had been high school buddies who’d rekindled our friendship at a Menlo-Atherton High School reunion. He’d practiced medicine before starting a successful global health research company, Health Decisions in Durham, NC, in 1989, for which he garnered numerous awards. Both business and visits to his parents brought him back to Menlo several times a year where we’d catch up over breakfast or lunch at Cafe Borrone.

The crash was all the more tragic in that it took the lives of a mother and her two small children, who were in the home that the Embraer EMB-500/Phenom 100 twin-engine jet piloted by Michael crashed into. The jet was  its way to Montgomery County Airpark in Maryland from Chapel Hill. Two others, whose names have not been released, were also on board the plane.

“Everyone at Health Decisions is devastated by the loss of our friend and colleague Michael Rosenberg,” Health Decisions Vice President of Clinical Affairs Patrick Phillips said in a statement. “The thoughts of the management and employees of Health Decisions go out to Dr. Rosenberg’s family as well as to the families of the other passengers.”

Fellow M-A classmate and Menlo Park resident Barb Slaton paid tribute to Michael on Facebook:

“Just learned that I lost an old, dear friend, Michael Rosenberg. He was my first MALE friend. 6th grade confidant, buddy through all the years, true friend at high school reunions. [Michael was a] gentleman and a scholar of the first order: BS, MPH, MD, devoted Dad, pilot, entrepreneur, lover of travel and life. My sympathies to Michael’s family and numerous classmates, friends, colleagues, students, employees, and loved ones.

“We will grieve this wonderful man. Oh, Michael, you will be missed!”

We second that emotion.

Photo by Scott R. Kline

This year M-A broke records by raising just over 201,475 can, exceeding the Canned Food Drive goal of 200,000 cans, which “was set to be outrageous,” notes leadership teachers Jonathan Senigaglia and Mike Amoroso.

“I’m really proud of the school. People sometimes say that M-A doesn’t have a lot of spirit, but I point to that number and say M-A has school spirit when it matters… Maybe the senior class doesn’t dress up every year, but they bring food to feed hungry people, and that’s all that really matters,” says Senigaglia.

Last year’s goal of 100,000 cans was set as something Amoroso and Senigaglia thought the school could to aspire to but were blown away when the school far surpassed that goal by raising 159,000 cans. This year, the goal was doubled and again surpassed, proving that it truly is “like a whole movement. The school comes together once a year for this amazing thing,” describes Senigaglia.

As a grade, the junior class contributed the most to the drive, followed by the seniors, sophomores, and then freshmen. English teacher Shannon Kirkpatrick’s third period class raised the most cans at 39,331. Biology teacher Patrick Roisen followed in second with 14,090, and Jenny Green-Heffern (G-H) and her class placed in third with 9,196.

The statistics of the exact amount of money and cans raised separately are still being determined by the leadership class, but $12,000 were spent purchasing fresh food and chickens for families. This year, the students raised more money than ever, allowing for more purchases from Grocery Outlet. Senigaglia recalls that 900 chickens, 2,800 bags of frozen vegetables, 600 bags of potatoes, 400 bags of onions, 400 bags of apples, 400 bags of tangerines, and 500 containers of oatmeal were bought with just a fraction of the money raised.

While there has been some controversy over whether the drive should be money- or canned-based, it is important to remember that the end goal is simply to feed families in need. Senigaglia says that “to me, cash means fresh food. You bring in more dollars, and I will buy more fresh food.” The integrity of the drive is not lessened by an increase in money donations, and all donations regardless of size or type should be welcomed, not discouraged.

Because of this, Senigaglia is thrilled with the spike in monetary donations, and Amoroso speculates that despite this increase, students are bringing in just as many cans as before. If anything, more students have participated in canning than in the past, and both leadership teachers recall the stampede of students to sign up on the Canning Wall once the calendar was posted in room B-21.

This year’s Distribution Day, hosted at Ecumenical Hunger in East Palo Alto on the morning of Dec 6, was a huge success. That day, students aided an estimated 400 families, with the help of 100 M-A volunteers in addition to the leadership students. This year’s process was quite a bit different than those of years in the past because the Second Harvest Food Bank sent food that was not sorted into food groups for the first time. Because of this, volunteers spent extra time separating food into different categories to ensure that each family receiving donations would get an appropriate amount of each type of food.

This story originally appeared in M-A Bear News; used with permission.

Some students spend their free time playing sports, reading, watching TV, or any number of relaxing activities. Others, however, such as Menlo-Atherton High School freshman Patrick Kao, spend their free time designing a space flight simulator program.

Early in September, Kao was a semifinalist at Broadcom MASTERS, an exclusive state science fair. MASTERS requires its competitors to succeed in school, county, and state competitions prior to presenting before a panel of distinguished scientists.

Kao began his project as an 8th grader, creating video game where he attempted to integrate gravity into space flight. The calculations he performed and the information he learned along the way formed an impressive project that Kao wanted to share at the La Entrada Middle School science fair. After blowing away the judges, Kao continued through rounds until he reached the state competition.

He and the other 2,054 other contestants presented their ideas in the hopes of taking home the title of finalist. The state fair was held in Los Angeles and those who continued on would ultimately present before an impressive panel in Washington, D.C. Despite his failure to advance, Kao’s feat is undoubtedly impressive for a high school freshman, who simply wanted to explore a topic that interested him.

The idea of competing in a science fair is taboo to many high school students. Regardless of the existence of a scientific field students wish to pursue, very little publicity is made about science competitions in general. M-A lacks a formal science fair, making the next available fair the fair hosted by the county.

According to Kao, several of his old science or math teacher offered extra credit for competing, but little incentive is offered to older students. Kao believes, “a school fair would greatly boost participation,”–an easy and beneficial way to promote a competitive and intellectual environment in M-A’s scientifically inclined students.

When asked about the incentives of the other competitors he faced, Kao noted there was “a little bit of everything.” He went on to say how younger competitors didn’t have the desire to impress colleges on their mind, and most did what they did just “out of curiosity” or passion for their respective subjects. Regardless, science fairs provide a fruitful outlet for those passionate about science.

Author Joey Ellefritz is a senior at M-A where he serves as Social Media Editor at M-A Bear News, where this article first appeared; used with permission.

Photo courtesy of Kao family.

Chris Rubin, a Menlo-Atherton High School teacher and alum, and his brother and fellow M-A grad, Josh Rubin, who teaches a Woodside High School, were contestants on Wheel of Fortune last month.

Upon request from his brother, Chris (left in photos) filled out an online application for the show. He explained: “It was totally random. He [Josh] probably saw it on TV, online, or something, so we just filled out the application. It was just name, phone number, email, and one reason why you would be fun to have on the show.”

A few weeks later in April, they received a phone call from the show and headed up to San Francisco for the audition. Chris recalled: “There was a room full of around 400 people all auditioning for the show.”

During the audition, they first had to “stand up and call out a letter,” replicating what the contestants must do on the show. They were then handed a written test with similar questions to those on the show. However, Chris added, “I’m pretty sure I failed [the test]; I never watch the show and I didn’t know the strategies.”

After this, around 200 people were dismissed. Those remaining introduced themselves to the “audience” and then spun the wheel. After about 30 minutes the judges returned and dismissed about 75 more people. The judges then explained that if the remaining contestants didn’t hear back from them in two weeks, they probably were not going to be on the show.

After two weeks, neither Josh nor Chris had heard anything, so they figured “whatever.” However, five months later in October, they received a call asking if they were available to come down to Los Angeles and film the show.

Chris remembered: “We got picked up from our hotel in L.A. at six in the morning and went to the Jeopardy set for training. We went through three hours of training and then met Vanna White. She was super chill.”

Recounting the experience, Chris mentioned how he “was a little nervous to meet [Pat Sajak] because I figured he was super old and… had a bunch of plastic surgery, but everyone was so nice. [White] came out onto the set in jeans and a sweatshirt with her Starbucks coffee in the morning and was giving us all a pep talk.”

Regarding the atmosphere on set, Chris added, “It’s weird to say that I was really nervous. I think it might be because I’m a little bit competitive, and also because I didn’t want to make a total fool out of myself on national television. But it was really exciting and such a fun experience.”

The brothers had an agreement that “Josh had to spin [the wheel] the whole time, and [Chris] would call out the letters.” This allowed them both to share credit for their wins.

Chris and Josh ended up winning a little over $32,000 in cash and a vacation for themselves and their wives in Puerto Rico. However, Chris’s favorite part was “getting to go down [to L.A.] and spending time with my brother. It was kind of perfect how it all worked out.”

This article, which originally appeared in M-A Bear News, was co-written by Lexi Lobdell. Used with permission.

When she was nine, Simone Kennel and her family waved goodbye to a life many of us could never imagine — living under Apartheid. Though she’s spent the majority of her life in the United States, her original experiences in South Africa have remained an integral part of who she is and how she works.

The recent transition of Kennel, former Administrative Vice Principal at Menlo-Atherton High School, into the role of acting Co-Principal has provided her with another opportunity to apply her experiences as a child in South Africa during Apartheid. For the rest of the Spring semester, she will be interim Co-Principal with Matthew Zito as he transitions into his new role as Chief Facilities Officer. She discloses that this new role will provide her with “a bigger, broader view of the whole school [and] larger responsibilities.”

Both Administrative Vice Principal Karl Losekoot and Zito agree that Kennel’s experiences as an AVP, teacher, and Special Education department chair have made her a prime candidate for her new role. “It was certainly not my decision, but it was my recommendation that she would make an excellent Co-Principal during this interim period,” Zito explains. He describes Kennel as “competent and organized, thoughtful, and very committed to students.” Losekoot, who spent many years teaching in a room next door to her, believes that “she brought a lot of stability and structure to a department that didn’t have a lot of that before she got there.”

In addition to her administrative prowess, her commitment to students has contributed to the success of the Anti-Bullying Club and the Pride Pals program — both of which she helped found — and the special education department. While her schedule prohibits her from being the advisor of the Anti-Bullying Club, Kennel still contributes to the lunchtime activities and the segments on M-A Today.

“There’s just so much bullying that happens that students don’t always realize it’s bullying […] so just getting kids to be more aware of why someone might bully, why someone might feel bullied and what can be done about it, and that we also have support for that on campus,” she says. Similarly, while discussing the Pride Pals program, Kennel comments that “the kids feel really included and part of the school, which is kind of the feeling [she wants] to create.”

Looking back on the nearly 13 years she has been at M-A, Kennel notes that one of the major changes she has seen is the improvement of the school climate, which may be in part due to the Anti-Bullying Club. “Students treat each other better. Of course there’s issues […] but just the overall climate in general is just calmer. I don’t sense tension among groups of students.”

As for the future, Kennel presumes that the major changes to M-A will involve the new facilities. She reveals that tentative plans have been made regarding the possibility of new restrooms, student spaces, and food services. Besides the facilities, which “are only going to get better,” Kennel notes that another area of change may be the dress code. “We’ve been in talks about that and it’s definitely a dynamic document that we’re willing to look at and make changes to if necessary.”

While Kennel has held an administrative role for almost eight years, she wants to end her career teaching. “I miss the classroom a lot. Whether I teach English or resume supporting students in special ed, I definitely want to teach again at some point.” She explains that “being in administration is really time consuming. There are a lot of school events, which I really enjoy and it’s basically a 24/7 job. And teaching can be too, don’t get me wrong — our teachers work really hard, but you do have some more built-in, structured time, like the summers.”

Kennel has transitioned through several positions within the education department, but has remained loyal to M-A for about 13 years. “I think she’s had the opportunity to go elsewhere and take an advancement in a position at other schools,” Losekoot states, “but [she] has really shown a commitment and loyalty to M-A, and wanted to serve M-A’s population, M-A’s students, and […] the community at M-A, and I think that’s something that makes us fortunate.”

This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared in The MARK, a publication of Menlo-Atherton High School; used with permission.

Photo by Katrina Wijaya

By making it to the CCS Championship game, the Menlo-Atherton Bears Girls’ basketball team was one of 32 teams selected for the State Championship Tournament. M-A drew the 11th seed in the Northern Division and traveled to 6th seed, James Logan, last week, ending their great season with a loss, 51-48.

The team bids farewell to its seniors — Naomi Baer, Erin Goode, Sarah Howell, Maddy Kim, and Carolyn Watson — who showed outstanding leadership and character. We asked them to reflect on their milestone year:

Naomi Baer
“Playing basketball throughout high school has been such an unbelievable experience. I’ve played with one of my teammates since 3rd grade and three of the other seniors since middle school, and each year we’ve become closer friends and better teammates. In addition to the obvious dribbling, shooting and basketball skills, I learned how to be a leader and become family with people I likely would never have met without basketball. I also learned how to (or somewhat attempt to) manage schoolwork with 2.5 hours of evening practice everyday. Because of my unforgettable high school experience with basketball, I also look forward to playing at Pomona College next year!”

Erin Goode
“This season has been the best season I have ever had in my basketball career. I could not have asked for a better team or teammates. I think our team chemistry made all the difference in every close game, big games and practice. I learned so much from both Coach Kish [Markisha Coleman] and Coach Hayley [Hayley Grossman] and from all my teammates as well. I hope to coach in the future and I will definitely take away what I have learned from this season to teach others in the future. Despite ending on a loss this season, I am proud of the way we ended the season and how we challenged every team we played.”

Sarah Howell
I have treasured every year of M-A basketball. I am sad to leave my teammates as I head off to college, but I am grateful for the experiences I have had with them and my coaches. I never could have imagined that our team would be playing for a CCS championship during my senior year. The team has challenged me to grow as a basketball player and a leader and I am thrilled to carry these skills with me as I begin my life outside of Menlo Park.”

Maddy Kim
This season was truly the best of all four years at Menlo-Atherton High School. The team was all very tight knit, and I believe that the cohesion and amazing team dynamic played a huge role in our success this season. I also have to give a lot of credit to our amazing coaching staff. They pushed us harder than any of us thought we could take. However, we all know it was done with love and the hard work was shown on the court when push came to shove. I hope to play basketball in college, but I must say, I will very much miss this team. This was a great way to end my high school basketball career.

Carolyn Watson
This final season has been an awesome way to conclude my Menlo-Atherton basketball experience. We had a great team chemistry and I became closer with the previous players and friends with the new freshmen. It was amazing to finish the season with a CCS Championship game because, even though we lost, it was an achievement to prove to everyone that we could get that far. I couldn’t have asked for better teammates to play, practice, work hard, and laugh with on and off the court. I’m sad to be leaving but excited to see the future of the program. I’ll definitely continue playing basketball by way of club or intramural sports in college.

Photos by Lara Hoyem

Jumping in the air (from left to right): Erin Goode, Maddy Kim, Naomi Baer, Sarah Howell, Carolyn Watson  

Senior night with leis (from left to right): Naomi Baer, Sarah Howell, Maddy Kim, Carolyn Watson, Erin Goode

When Mary Fischer took the job as creative co-chair for Menlo-Atherton High School’s annual fashion show, she was told by her fellow co-chairs Michele Culhane, Karen Fryling and Nancy Kessler that everything creative in the show would be up to her. She recalls thinking, “‘Well, this is a fashion show to raise money for the school, so I want to get as many kids involved as I can. They are talented, so let’s use them, let’s showcase them.’” With that goal in mind, Mary got to work.

With this Saturday’s performance of M-AKING FASHION H15TORY, M-A’s Class of 2015 will be making their own kind of history with a record level of involvement. As in past years, nearly 200 seniors will be walking the runway, modeling the latest fashions from local stores, but their efforts will be punctuated by countless other classmate contributions.

Mary says she started by unleashing M-A’s Digital Photography II students on campus: “I asked them to go around and take a bunch of photographs of all the styles they see, tight shots of funky shoes, someone’s cool earrings, the back of somebody’s hairstyle.” The class whittled down 60 favorite photos into a montage poster that will feature prominently in the fashion show experience.

“You can tell right away when someone has good fashion sense,” says M-A photography student Sally Stevens. “You just look at them and you may not know exactly what you like about their outfit, but you can tell when someone feels good with what they’re wearing.”

Next up, the Video II Production students. According to Mary, “they walked around campus interviewing kids wearing different fashions, asking questions like ‘What’s your style?’ and ‘What’s your favorite thing to wear?’ They put together a fun, fast and funky video that we’ll be showing before the actual fashion show starts.”

Mary then put out a call to anyone who wanted to design their own outfits, which will be featured in the show’s grand finale. She tapped M-A’s acapella singers for a special role, and then turned her attention to the dance segments “just because we didn’t have enough going on.” Rather than hire a professional dance choreographer, “we pulled seven seniors with massive experience with dance and they’re going to be the choreographers of the five dances in the show,” she says.

Dance team captain Devon Smith paired up with Sami Gaston to choreograph two of the dances. “It was a little daunting at first but also exciting,” Devon says. When it comes to teaching non-dancers, creativity and simplicity are essential. “We can’t just say kick up your leg and grab it right next to your head. They can’t do that. It was kind of tricky to figure out how to make it simple but still fun for the audience to watch.”

Senior technical wiz Kendall Lee is leading the show’s tech crew, and former M-A student Eisa Evans is bringing back her legendary DJ skills to the production. Mary says “to get all these wheels in motion and to add all this extra student help and to keep all that coordinated” made for extra work, but this year’s show will be a true reflection of M-A’s style and spirit. “It has been really fun to interact with all of these super creative, talented students,” she says.

M-AKING FASHION H15TORY will be performed at 1:00 pm, 4:00 pm and 7:30 pm on Saturday, March 21, at M-A’s Performing Arts Center. Tickets can be purchased online and may be available at the door for shows that aren’t sold out.

Top photo by Maria Lobo; M-A’s Photography II students display their completed fashion show poster. Back row from left: Sally Stevens, Bella Lopez, Julia Moreton, Zoe Hafter-Manza, Ydalise Jacob Front row from left: Alex Jin, Lauren Bruce (not pictured Elana Schulman, Jackie Lopez, Diamond Hawkins)

Right photo by Michiko Miner: M-A senior and choreographer Devon Smith teaching classmates dance routines for the show.

Menlo=Atherton High School seniors Katrina Wijaya and Misato Muraoka (profiled earlier this month) not only took part in this year’s fashion show but they modeled the dresses they designed using origami cranes.

One of the spring entertainment treats is the annual Menlo-Atherton High School Dance Team Show and Fundraiser, which will happen this year on April 4 and take place in the M-A Performing Arts Center at 6:00 pm (doors open at 5:30 pm). Coached by Nona Ybarra and Kate Lynn Roberts, the Team will display its abilities in hip-hop, jazz, lyrical, tumbling, ballet and more.

Students, families and fans of dance always enjoy this show, and all event proceeds go towards team expenses for competitions, camps and uniforms. Tickets can be purchased in advance from Dance Team members or by emailing MADanceTeamShow@gmail.com. They cost $12 for adults and $7 for students. This event has often sold out, but if any tickets are still available they can be purchased at the door for $15. Delicious baked goods and drinks will also be for sale at this wonderful, family-friendly event. But this year, that’s just part of the story.

Four remarkable dancers (right to left in photo) — Devon Smith, Miranda-Alfano Smith, Caroline Hayse and Samantha Gaston — will be making their final appearances as M-A Dance Team members. The “Fab Four” have been devoted to the team through four years of high school and have contributed hugely to mentoring younger dancers, boosting the morale of M-A football and basketball teams, and creating a positive, inclusive climate.

Here’s what they have to say about their experience.

Samantha Gaston: “Dance Team has become a home away from home. It has allowed me to find a place in high school — a place to belong. It’s my rock, my family, and my passion.”

Her advice for younger team members: “Live the best life possible. So often we get caught up in getting perfect grades, being the perfect athlete, the perfect person, etc. The truth of the matter is that not a single thing on this planet is perfect and striving for perfection isn’t worth it!”

What others say about Samantha: “Samantha is creative, selfless, compassionate, self-motivated, helpful, full of integrity. She’s the queen of braids and hairstyles!”

Caroline Hayse: “Dance Team has been like a family to me during my four years at M-A. It is always so fun to go to practice and perform with a group of amazing girls who are nice, funny, and very supportive.

Her advice for younger team members: “Enjoy every moment on dance team because it is such a special experience and always keep a positive attitude even when practices get hard.”

What others say about Caroline: “Caroline is an unflappable, loyal, generous role model. She’s always looking out for others.”

Miranda Alfano-Smith: “I love having danced with the same girls for four consecutive years. The sense of family I have with the girls is wonderful. I’m going to cherish the bonds I’ve made with them forever. They are my best friends and I can go to them for anything.”

Her advice for younger team members: “Work hard and study hard, but don’t overwhelm yourselves. It is key for teens to put themselves first and make sure they are still happy and healthy. Also, stay open to meeting new people, because some of the best friendships are made with people you wouldn’t expect it from.”

What others say about Miranda: “Miranda is remarkably intuitive and kind. She is sassy, powerful, strong, caring, hard working, smart and dedicated.”

Devon Smith: “M-A Dance Team has given me a home and identity in high school. It gave me the wings to fly and figure out who I am. I learned numerous lessons from the older girls and made irreplaceable bonds with the ones my age.”

Her advice for younger team members: “Enjoy every single moment in high school. It will fly by in the blink of an eye.”

What others say about Devon: “Devon is passionate, optimistic, witty, diligent, loyal, compassionate and friendly. Her energetic nature makes her a natural leader.”

A grand piano fills up much of the living room at Jerry Liu’s home. That’s not surprising, given that the Menlo-Atherton High School freshman has been studying piano since he was eight years old. What surprised us was that his award-winning composition in the PTA-sponsored Reflections arts competition is written for stringed instruments — a trio of violin, viola and cello, to be exact.

Explains Jerry: “I played the violin in an orchestra from 5th through 8th grade. I thought that composing for a string trio would be an interesting challenge and suit the piece.”

M-A parent Julie Ann Lowry told us about Reflections, which is a theme-based arts competition that covers six arts disciplines: Film Production, Music Composition, Dance Choreography, Visual Arts, Photography and Literature. “It’s been a national PTA program for over 40 years,” she says, “but this is M-A’s first time participating in the program.

“The students create a work of art based on this year’s theme, The World Would Be A Better Place If…  The work is judged by working artists within our community, and the winners at the high school advance to district, then hopefully State and National competition.”

Jerry’s composition is titled Drought, Death, Water. Sitting in the family living room, he takes us through the three sections of his piece, pointing out how the various instruments mimic the sound of rain drops, display anger at the lack of rain and then rejoice when a storm comes, knowing that water will need to be conserved in the future. You can listen to it here.

Jerry studies classical music at the Community School of Music & Arts but he is also involved with music at M-A, but not (surprise again) with the orchestra. He’s a member of the Jazz Band and played piano for the recent school musical, Bye Bye Birdie. And while music plays a big part in his life, he enjoys doing martial arts, solving rubics cubes and playing video, most recently a strategy game called Scrolls.

What he’s not interested in is popular music. “I really don’t pay any attention to it,” he says. “Lately I’ve been listening to the jazz pianist Bill Evans. Classically, I like Beethoven and Chopin.”

We are relieved that he didn’t surprise us by being a fan of Brittany Spears!

Photo by Rebecca Flanagan

This weekend Menlo-Atherton High School will be hosting the Pastimes Classic Car show, a fundraiser for the baseball team, from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm, which is free to attendees. Last year we interviewed M-A baseball coach Mike Amoroso, who provided some background about the show and some of the school’s baseball memorabilia.

Photo from 2014 car show

I stopped by the Classic Car Show held Saturday at Menlo-Atherton High School, an annual benefit event for the high school’s baseball teams. Lots of beautiful old cars (and drivers!) in attendance again this year. I snapped a handful of photos while taking a walk through the display – shooting with my Fujifilm X100T rangefinder camera – see below!

Simone Kennel, Kennel, who has been working at M-A since 2002, will be taking over as the sole principal at the high school on July 1st.

Karl Losekoot, M-A’s Administrative Vice Principal, comments that “she is very well deserving. M-A will be very lucky and fortunate to have her”. Furthermore, he recognizes that the selection of the new principal was quite a thorough process. A consulting firm was hired and parents, staff members, and students were asked what they wanted in a principal.

Losekoot also acknowledges that a principal must be able to “look at all the different components of the school… it’s like a small city. They must be able to listen and hear everyone’s perspective, and be able to synthesize those things into a coherent vision that people can get behind.”

He believes Kennel is quite capable, and fits the descriptions that community members want very well and that she clearly “surfaced as the best candidate.”

Kennel herself says, “I’m thrilled, excited and honored to be selected as principal. M-A- has been my home for 13 years, and I’m committed to making sure that students enjoy coming to school every day, are challenged academically, and feel successful when they leave us in four years.”

This article originally appeared in M-A Bear News; used with permission

Photo by Katrina Wijaya

After one of her family’s frequent moves, Adrienne McDonnell, whose novel The Doctor and the Diva was published in 2011, arrived at Menlo-Atherton High School as a freshman. She already knew one thing: She wanted to be a writer, an aspiration she’d had since first putting pencil to paper in early grade school.

“My father worked for Time Life,” she explained, “and we moved around a lot. I was one of eight children, and my parents would pack us on a plane and off we’d go. We landed on Selby Lane in Atherton just before I was to start high school.”

She recalls driving down the tree-lined street for the first time, thinking that there were stories behind the hedges and long driveways [fewer gates in those days]. “And there were,” she said. “One neighbor was one of the founders of American Motors, another one of the partners of Shipstads and Johnson Ice Follies.”

“There’s a novel inside me that’s definitely going to be set in Atherton!” she added with a smile.

Her first novel, The Doctor and the Diva, took a long time to “marinate,” as she explained. “I wrote the first draft and it stayed in the drawer for 20 years. But I finally took it out and recast the characters, beginning the book through the doctor’s eyes rather than the opera singer’s.”

The book is inspired by real life people, which Adrienne recounts on her website. The married couple in the novel, Erika von Kessler and her husband Peter, were inspired by her son’s paternal ancestors — his great-great grandparents. The novel also casts its eye on fertility treatments available long before most people realize.

In Menlo Park to visit for the day, the Berkeley-based author talked about some of the key takeaways from her four years at M-A. “I had a wonderful English teacher, Mr. Dempsey, who taught us more like we were college students. We read a new novel every week written by authors from all over the globe.

“And Frau Parker [who taught language arts for two decades] was the greatest teacher I ever had in my life. Her standards were high; she believed in learning and learning it well. That kind of discipline really stuck with me.

“Plus, she had a great sense of theatrics. When you came into her room, it was like she was on stage!

“And here’s a confession. I used to make lists of her clothes. I don’t think she repeated an outfit over a three month period. It was my way of learning to impersonate the gender of the person I was learning to be.”

Photo by Irene Searles