We are coming to the halfway point of the third grading period, which means our students will get credit checks to make sure they are achieving and moving positively forward to graduation.

We are now a little over halfway done with the 2009-10 school year!

Getting towards spring means that prom is coming up before we know it. Carlé High did a fundraiser on Saturday, Feb. 13, at Foods Etc. in Clearlake and sold hot dogs, soda and chips to help offset the expense of putting on prom. The list of students volunteering will follow next week. We would like to thank Foods Etc. and our principal, Mr. Zander, for their generosity.

Odyssey Of the Mind went to Lower Lake Elementary School Thursday, Feb. 11, to perform a play they have been working very hard on since the beginning of the school year and we heard everything went great!

We would like to acknowledge our new students: Daniel Alvarez, Holly Brumback, Jake Brumback, Richard Iniguez, Brittany Krumsiek, Ricardo Olmedo, Raylon Ray and Alejandra Guitierrez. We hope you all feel welcome and comfortable here and do great things both for yourselves and this wonderful

community.

A very big thank you to Ryan Cumpston and Ellie Hackler for taking over the school recycling duties from Geneva Hudson and Brooke Robb who have been doing it since the last year.

This is a very important job because it helps our school look better and benefits everyone. All money raised through the recycling goes to buy blank media that the students use for various video and audio projects.

We really appreciate all the hard work Geneva and Brooke put in all year and Ryan and Ellie for taking over.

Due to the fact that Carlé students usually are only here for a year, two at most, all positions at this school such as Web site person, yearbook designer, business designers, TV editor of our morning bulletin, etc., have to constantly be trained by those who previously held the jobs and change is a constant here.

More portfolios are coming up! We have Vince Copas and Chris Clark on Feb. 25.

We would like to thank Michelle Larue for doing birthday cards on her own time, out of class, for all the students in our school. She makes sure that even if no one else is looking out for our kids, we are. Thanks very much for your kindness, Michelle.

There are many students and teachers who are hoping we get our tree replaced; it was the only tree in the quad and had to be cut down because it was dead. We would really enjoy having shade in the quad this spring.

Carlé recently hosted a meeting with the Gang Task Force on Feb. 10. Officer Ryan Peterson from Clearlake Police Department and Deputy Gary Frace of the Lake County Sheriff's Office were very helpful in raising awareness about gang activity in Lake County. The goal is to keep all of the students safe, whether they are at school or out in the community.

“I really appreciate the officers' time spent at Carlé, talking about the increased gang activity in the county and their down-to-earth responses to the students questions,” said Principal Ed Zander. “I also think it was a positive experience for the students to see that police officers truly care about the community and youth in Clearlake.”

Carlé teachers will give the model curriculum standards and talking more with them about how lessons are tied in with the standards. This is so students can better get an idea of what they're being taught and tested on and why.

There is already a good grasp on lessons and students involvement, but this will help everyone to be on the same page with everything so there is no question unanswered by students or the staff.

See you next week.

Andrea McMullen is a student at Carlé Continuation High School in Lower Lake.