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CONTENTS:
IMPORTANT DATES
NEWS AND NOTES
WORLD HISTORY ANCIENT ARTIFACT MUSEUM: THE TRADITION CONTINUES
MID-YEAR EXAM SCHEDULE
DRIVER EDUCATION: NOW OR LATER
LOST AND FOUND: NOW OR NEVER
RCHS MUSICIANS ARE STARS IN HONORS ORCHESTRA
ANOTHER QUESTION ABOUT COLLEGE & FINANCIAL AID – DID YOU KNOW?
CAN YOU HELP?
FIGHT HUNGER IN N.C.
KEY CLUB COLLECTS BLANKETS FOR REFUGEES
PHOENIX FUND FAQs AND HOW-TO
NEVER TOO LATE TO LINK STORE CARDS
AN EVENING WITH THE STARS
THE SPORTS PAGE
ATHLETIC CALENDAR
BASKETBALL TEAMS CELEBRATE HOMECOMING WINS
RCHS SENIOR RACES TO HELP OTHERS
LINKS OF INTEREST
PUBLICATION INFORMATION

IMPORTANT DATES

NOVEMBER
25-27 Thanksgiving break, no school

DECEMBER
3-4 Ex Days
4 Ancient Artifact Museum, 300 Hall, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
14 Half day, classes out at 12:05; 7th period exams from 12:30-2:25 p.m.
15-17 Mid-year exams, classes out at 1:30 p.m.
18 Make-up exams, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
21 Winter Break begins

NEWS AND NOTES

WORLD HISTORY ANCIENT ARTIFACT MUSEUM: THE TRADITION CONTINUES
On Friday, Dec. 4, 4:30-6:30 p.m., the 300 Hall will be transformed into the annual Artifact Museum. Family, faculty and friends of Raleigh Charter's World History students are invited to check out this year's artifacts. Come browse student-reproduced artifacts from the the ancient world and interact with their exhibits. Find out what Raleigh Charter's young archaeologists and curators have discovered. Refreshments and live music, courtesy of the RCHS Strings Ensemble, will also be on hand.

For more information, please contact me.
Charles Montague, History Department Chair
cmontague@raleighcharterhs.org

MID-YEAR EXAM SCHEDULE
First semester exams will take place between Dec. 14 and 18. Students must be present at each of their exams. Any student who misses an exam due to illness should be at school on Friday, Dec. 18 at 8:30 a.m. to complete their exams. Consequently, families should not plan to leave town until the end of the school day on Dec. 18. (This is particularly important in this year of substantial illnesses.) Any modifications to a student's exam schedule must be approved by Academic Dean Shayne Klein: sklein@raleighcharterhs.org 

Also, please note that there are no food sales during exam week.

Monday, Dec. 14
Half day for regular classes 9:00 – 12:05
Students who do not have a seventh period exam leave at 12:05
Seventh Period Exam 12:30 – 2:25

Tuesday, Dec. 15
9 – 10:55 1st period exam
11 - 11:25 Break/Lunch
11:30-1:30 6th period exam

Wednesday, Dec. 16
9 – 10:55 2nd period exam
11 - 11:25 Break/Lunch
11:30-1:30 5th period exam

Thursday, Dec. 17
9 – 10:55 3rd period exam
11 - 11:25 Break/Lunch
11:30-1:30 4th period exam

Friday, Dec. 18
Make-Up Exams 8:30-4:00
Lisa Huddleston, Academic Dean
lhuddleston@raleighcharterhs.org

DRIVER EDUCATION: NOW OR LATER
Students who are at least 14 ½ years of age are eligible to take Driver Education. Students need to sign up for classes even if they want a May class. Forms are in the office with updated information and classes through May 21.

The new Dec.7-18 class has 12 open spots at this time.
Linda Hash, RCHS Office
lhash@raleighcharterhs.org

LOST AND FOUND: NOW OR NEVER
Please check the lost and found. We do not have the space to hold on to these items and they will be going to a charity like Goodwill very soon. There are many lunch boxes, water bottles, and a couple dozen jackets that have been here for over a month. More valuable items such as jewelry are in the office. We would love to get them back to their rightful owners.
Linda Hash, RCHS Office
lhash@raleighcharterhs.org

RCHS MUSICIANS ARE STARS IN HONORS ORCHESTRA
Congratulations to violinist M. Ramshankar who participated in the NC All-State Honors Orchestra this past weekend in Winston-Salem. M. Ramshankar was selected based on her Eastern Regional Orchestra audition in January 2009. The highest-scoring students from the Eastern and Western Regional Orchestras are combined to form the All-State Honors Orchestra. The weekend of rehearsing concluded with a performance on Sunday afternoon.

Congratulations also to violinist C. Nam and cellist D. Driscoll who auditioned and were accepted to the North Carolina Symphony's Young All-Stars. The students will participate in two weeks of activities this winter and again in the spring, which include coaching by members of the NC Symphony and performances conducted by NC Symphony Director Grant Llewellyn. Performances will be held at Meymandi Concert Hall Dec. 6 and April 11 at 2:00 p.m.
Sherry Lattin, Strings Ensemble Director
slattin@raleighcharterhs.org 

ANOTHER QUESTION ABOUT COLLEGE & FINANCIAL AID – DID YOU KNOW?
Q: Is our family income too high to qualify for financial aid?

A: Financial aid is intended to make a college education available for students of families in many financial situations. College financial aid administrators often take into account not only income but also other family members in college, home mortgage costs, and other factors. Aid is awarded to many families with incomes they thought would disqualify them.

If you didn't know the answer to that question, you should probably plan to attend the scholarships/ financial aid night program at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010, in Room 309 (the Drama Room).
Kern Hairston, College Counselor
khairston@raleighcharterhs.org 

CAN YOU HELP?

FIGHT HUNGER IN N.C.
Social Justice Club will be hosting the Students Against Hunger drive by the North Carolina Food Bank through Dec. 4. The grade that brings the most food will receive a sweet treat on the patio after school on Dec. 9.

The Food Bank needs canned meals, peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetables, rice, pasta and dried beans, hygiene items, infant products, and paper products. The items can be brought to bins in the 200-hall. Help Social Justice Club and the Food Bank stop hunger!
Amy Marschall, Social Justice Club Advisor
amarschall@raleighcharterhs.org

KEY CLUB COLLECTS BLANKETS FOR REFUGEES
Dear Raleigh Charter parents and students,

Since graduating from college in May, I have started serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA member in the Greensboro office of an organization called Church World Service. CWS works around the world to eradicate hunger and poverty and promote peace and justice. Domestically, CWS provides critical services to refugees coming to America through the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program. Refugees are people who have been forced to flee their homeland due to well-founded fear of persecution on the basis of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.

Many refugees have spent years in refugee camps and come here with nothing but a backpack holding all their personal belongings. Church World Service provides the support necessary for newly arrived refugees to build new lives in peace and dignity and to become self-sufficient in their new home. As part of this program, CWS sets up refugees' first homes in America with essential furnishings and household supplies.

We need your help. With the number of expected arrivals accelerating and with cold weather coming, our clients urgently need blankets. They receive very limited financial assistance, and cannot afford to keep their apartments as warm as they might like. Also, it sometimes takes a week or two before heat is turned on in their apartments after they arrive. Moreover, many of our clients come from South Asia and have trouble adjusting to North Carolina's climate.

You can help our clients by donating blankets. Other types of bedding, such as sheets or standard-size pillows (not small decorative pillows), or financial donations that can be used to purchase bedding essentials, are also greatly appreciated. You can drop off donations with your advisor or in Room 300 with Mrs. Newmark. The advisory that brings in the most pieces of bedding will win two dozen donuts. Thank you so very much to the RCHS Key Club for helping to organize this bedding drive.

If you would like to make donations, please make checks out to "Church World Services" and put "Greensboro Refugees" in the memo line. You can deliver the check to Mrs. Newmark in Room 300.

Here is an article that appeared this week about some of these refugees and the troubles they're facing as they try to start new lives in North Carolina:
http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/11/07/article/refugees_are_survivors_but_life_in_a_new_country_is_not_without_challenge

Raleigh Charter's motto means "Citizens of the World." Please help us put this ideal into practice by donating bedding to newly arrived refugees in North Carolina.

Sincerely,
Meredith Newmark, RCHS Class of 2005
mnewmark@gmail.com

PHOENIX FUND FAQs AND HOW-TO
Q. What is the Phoenix Fund?
A. An annual fundraising campaign.

Q. How is the money used?
A. Donated funds provide financial support for the current year's budget.

Q. Why do we need a yearly fundraising campaign?
A. Annual contributions allow RCHS to be a small school with small class sizes and dedicated teachers.

Q. What is the goal?
A. 100% participation by current families.

Q. Why does participation matter?
A. As we pursue a permanent home we will seek support from foundations, corporations and organizations. They will want to see existing strong support from our current families.

Q. How can you help?
A. Send your donation form and check to RCHS.
To download a donation form, type in the following to your web browser:
http://www.raleighcharterhs.org/giving/donationcard.pdf 

Q. Are there other ways to give to RCHS?
A. Donate to RCHS through The Federal Employees Combined Campaign (RCHS is charity #15467) or through the State Employees Combined Campaign (RCHS is charity #3624.)

Q. Can I magically multiply my gift?
A. Yes, through employer matching gift programs. To view a list of some of the matching gift companies in the area go to:
http://www.raleighcharterhs.org/giving/MatchingGifts.asp

Q. Is there a deadline?
A. For donations to be included in the 2009 tax year, gifts must be received by Dec. 31, 2009.
Carolyn Jackson, Alumni/Development Office
715-1155 or cjackson@raleighcharterhs.org

NOT TOO LATE TO LINK STORE CARDS!
Simple fundraising for our school — Update your customer cards for the new school year!

Several stores where you shop have school rewards programs that give money back directly to our school. Right now Harris Teeter, Target, Food Lion and Office Depot send us checks based on our shopping. We received OVER $2,800 during the last 12 months, but this total could be much higher. We need to continue these simple programs and link many more families with these participating stores.

It's easy. Click on the link below, which is part of the Raleigh Charter website:
https://www.raleighcharterhs.org/pasta/simplefund.asp

Take out your customer cards and type in your information to participate. MOST REQUIRE US TO "RELINK" EACH YEAR to continue in the program, so update your information even if you have entered it before. If you link your customer cards now, you should be set for the school year. Ask extended family members to link their cards also!

If you've been waiting for Food Lion to revise its registration page so you can link your MVP card, you need wait no longer. Food Lion has made the necessary changes, and the page is now available online.

We are always looking for new businesses with these programs. If you know of one, or if you have any questions, please email me.
Mary Lawrence Stroud, PASTA Simple Fundraising Chair
mls211707@aol.com

AN EVENING WITH THE STARS
What's NEW at Raleigh Charter? An Evening with the Stars , this year's Muse-sponsored event supporting the RCHS Fine Arts Department

NEW Date in the NEW Year: Saturday, Jan. 23, 2010

NEW Location in Downtown Raleigh: Pullen Memorial Baptist Church on Hillsborough Street

NEW Entertainment Possibilities: Auditions are open to ALL RCHS students* (not just those in the Fine Arts program)

NEW Theme and Structure: An elegant evening with rich desserts, an Art Walk, and several chances to win spectacular raffle prizes. (Don't worry, there's still a silent auction!)

For more information on how you can help with this important event, please go to:
http://www.raleighcharterhs.org/pasta/muse/musevolunteer.asp 

*Auditions for "An Evening of Stars," Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010, 3 p.m., Music House. More information about the auditions will be coming soon.

Thanks in advance for your help and support to further the pursuits of the Fine Arts at RCHS!
Janet McCormick
janetanddonnie@earthlink.net 
Tracy Whitt
swhitt1@nc.rr.com

THE SPORTS PAGE

ATHLETIC CALENDAR
Friday, 11/20
Village Christian Tip-Off Tournament, Village Christian Academy, Fayetteville, N.C.
(Women 3:00 women, Men 4:30),

Saturday, 11/21
Village Christian Tip-Off Tournament, Village Christian Academy, Fayetteville, N.C.
TBA

Tuesday, 11/24
6:00/7:30 Basketball @ Princeton
(Women 6:00, Men 7:30)

BASKETBALL TEAMS CELEBRATE HOMECOMING WINS

Women's Basketball Team Comes On Strong
The Lady Phoenix basketball team started the Homecoming weekend with an impressive 53-23 win. They started the Homecoming weekend against East Wake Academy. The team was led by H. Deters with 22 points (a career high), E. Karsten with 12 points, and L. Creech with 12 assists and 12 rebounds. The Lady Phoenix shot almost 50% in the first half! All team players got an opportunity to show their skills in front of the awesome home crowd.

The team would like to thank all of the students that came out to cheer them on and to invite everyone back to their next home game on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. at Cary Academy against arch rival NCSSM.

This year's team consists of seniors L. Creech (co-captain), H. Deters (co-captain), G. McLaughlin (co-captain), S. Rice and K. Telfer; juniors A. Cole and N. Eick; sophomores L. Peel, E. Karsten; and freshmen R. Hammond, J. Adema, and S. Austin. The Lady Phoenix team is coached by Bobby Lyons.

The Lady Phoenix travel to Fayetteville today and Saturday, Dec. 21 for the Village Christian Tip-Off Tournament where they finished second last year and hope to win it this year!
Denise Creech, Women's Basketball Parent
dlc@nc.rr.com

RCHS Men's Basketball Off to an Exciting Start
The RCHS men's basketball team is off to a solid 2-0 start with a homecoming victory over East Wake Academy and later a hard-fought win over new conference opponent, South Granville.

The team looks to continue improving this weekend as they will go up against some tough competition at the Village Christian Tip-Off Tournament today and Saturday, Dec. 21.

Thanks again to all the fans who came out last Friday in support of our teams.
Steve Efird, Athletic Director
sefird@raleighcharterhs.org

RCHS SENIOR RACES TO HELP OTHERS
Congratulations to T. McTernan, RCHS senior, who finished fifth in Sunday's United Way Old Reliable 5K Race held in downtown Raleigh. His time was 18:31 in the 5K race, a personal best for him. He has competed in this race for the past four years supporting the United Way's community support services.
Terry McTernan, Soccer Parent
McTernanHT@Cormetech.com


For directions to events, see https://www.raleighcharterhs.org/athletics/Sports_Directions.pdf

LINKS OF INTEREST
RCHS website: http://www.raleighcharterhs.org 
PASTA website: http://www.raleighcharterhs.org/pasta 
The Phoenix News: http://www.raleighcharterhs.org/pasta/news.asp 
PASTA Fund Raising: http://www.raleighcharterhs.org/pasta/fundraising.asp 
PASTA Alumni: http://www.raleighcharterhs.org/Alumni/
RCHS College Counseling Naviance: http://connection.naviance.com/fc/signin.php?hsid=raleighcharter 
The Flame: http://flame.raleighcharterhs.org 
Extracurricular opportunities: http://rchspasta.org/extracurriculars.htm

PUBLICATION INFORMATION
The Raleigh Charter High School newsletter, the Phoenix News, is published each Friday of the school year as a service of Raleigh Charter High School's Parent, Administrator, Student, and Teacher Association (PASTA) and is distributed via an electronic news group. The Phoenix News is also available on the RCHS website at:
https://www.raleighcharterhs.org/pasta/news.asp

Parents, students and faculty are invited to share school-related news, recognize accomplishments and solicit volunteer needs via the Phoenix News. The deadline for submitting articles is every Tuesday at noon for publication the following Friday. Please send articles to:
phoenixnewseditor@yahoo.com 

If you would like to receive the Phoenix News automatically each week, please subscribe to the RCHS Yahoo! news group by sending an email to:
RaleighCharterHS-subscribe@yahoogroups.com 

Please indicate your student's name in the subject line and body so the moderator can verify that you are a member of the RCHS community.
Membership is monitored and available only to RCHS parents, students and personnel.

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
RaleighCharterHS-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com