CIBERNEWS

Since Myers Park High School has a high rate of its graduates heading to a four (4) year college, many such schools have representatives who visit Myers Park High School throughout the school year. The representatives come to the Guidance Office, and any senior or junior student with a pass may come and see them. The following is the list of the colleges whose representatives which will be visiting the Guidance Office of Myers Park High School through Thursday, November 1, 2001:

College Date Day Time

Mrs. Tribble reminds all seniors to make the deadlines for college applications and wishes everyone the best of luck.

Please join us on October 27th from 9 - 11 am for the next Campus Clean-up. We need adults to help supervise the clean-up and the planting of flowers. We will meet in front of the cafeteria. Let's make our campus look great for the big 50th celebration the next weekend!

2. HELPING PLAN FOR COLLEGE

We've already gotten you to as far as the SAT's and some college preparation, but now you're probably wondering on how to pay for college. Do you know where you want to go to school? Or what you want to major in? If you want some help, go to www.schoolboard.com , Once you narrow it down, do you know how to get there? To be prepared in time, follow the academic calendar from the College Board:

NOVEMBER - strive to get the best grades you can. A serious effort will provide you with the most options during the application process.

NOVEMBER - be sure that you have requested your ACT and SAT scores be sent to your colleges of choice

- complete and submit all applications. Print or photocopy an extra copy for your records.

- meet with your counselor to verify that all is in order and that transcripts are out to colleges.

Now let's take a look at one of the many options you can pay for your college education.

Financial aid is intended to make up the difference between what your family is expected to pay and what college costs. Almost 50 percent of the students currently enrolled in a college or university are receiving some financial aid. Financial aid is any type of assistance used to pay college costs that is based on financial need. There are three main types:

Also called gift aid, grants don't have to be repaid and you don't need to work to earn them. Grant aid comes from federal and state governments and

Most financial aid comes in the forms of loans -- aid that must be repaid. Most need-based loans are low-interest loans sponsored by the federal

government. These loans are subsidized by the government, which means no interest accrues until you begin repayment after graduation.

Student employment or work-study aid allows students to earn money to help meet education costs such as books and supplies and personal expenses.

One of the basic premises of financial aid is that the family is expected to contribute to college costs to the extent the family is able. If that amount cannot cover the cost, financial aid can help make up the difference. This concept is frequently referred to as the Expected Family Contribution, or EFC for short. The EFC is determined by whomever is awarding the aid -- usually the federal government or individual colleges and universities. The federal government and financial aid offices use formulas that analyze your family's financial circumstances (such as income and family size) and compare them proportionally with other families' financial circumstances.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Student Financial Assistance programs are the largest source of student aid in America, providing 75% of all student aid. (Federal Student Financial Aid Planner, 2001) Help is available to make education beyond high school financially possible for you and your family. Visit www.ed.gov/studentaid or call 1.800.433.3243 (1-800-4-FED-AID).

TYY: 1.800.730.8913

For an online version of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, go to:

www.fafsa.ed.gov (this completed document is required to qualify for federal aid).

U.S. Department of Education Student Financial Assistance home page: www.ed.gov/studentaid

FAFSA help: www.afsa.ed.gov/hlp.htm FAFSA on the Web help: 1.800.801.0576

For a free copy of a book on FSFA programs and application procedures, Funding Your Education, from the U.S. D of E., write to:

FEDERAL STUDENT AID INFORMATION CENTER

PO BOX 84

WASHINGTON DC 20044-0084

3. IB STUDENT AND TEACHER ACCOLADES

As another year commences for the IB Mustang student body, students are gearing up for a rigorous year of academics. With this comes endless opportunities for our students to excel in a variety of areas. We are using a section of this newsletter to recognizing these achievements and need your help in ensuring that all Mustangs receive proper acclaim for their efforts. If you know of a student or teacher that has been recognized for his or her accomplishments, please email Anna Johnson at annablair6@carolina.rr.com, Anna Wyatt at AGW4012@aol.com, or Mark Hamilton at dmh584@carolina.rr.com.

The Mustang Student Body is making outstanding progress in the rigorous competition of the academic environment. As juniors and seniors start their search for colleges, many students have recieved recognition for their achievements on the PSAT. Meagan Bolles, Robert Etter, Emily Rotberg, Aly Spencer, Karen Warren, and Mary Williams have obtained esteemed recognition as National Merit Semi-Finalists. Danielle Brockington, Garjae Lauien, and Trey Mack are National Achievement Semi-Finalists. Emily Crutcher, our student body president, is the Myers Park High School Daughters of the American Revolution nominee. Congratulations to these IB Mustangs!

BEN SMOLEN was featured on NPR on "From the Top," a radio show for young classical musicians, hosted by the pianist Christopher O'Reily. It was recorded July 28th at the Brevard Music Center, and is now supposed to be broadcast Sunday, October 28 AT 1:00 PM. He played the flute in Georges Enesco's "Cantabile and Presto" for flute and piano.

Congratulations to student environmental activist, Heide Iravani, alumnae of Myers Park High School's Free the Planet Club, named by The Charlotte Observer' as receipient of the prestigious "Guardian of the Environment", 2001. Robert Corbin is Heide's club advisor! Heidi was also the recipient of the prestigious David Brower Environmental Award through the Earth Island Institute. Earth Island Institute established the Brower Youth Awards to honor lifelong environmental leader David R. Brower who inspired generations of environmentalists to provide CPR for the planet: conservation, preservation, restoration. The Brower Youth Awards give these young environmental leaders the recognition, visibility and credibility their efforts deserve. Thank you to Robert Corbin and all you environmental science teachers who are working with our young people to encourage students like Heide to care for the Earth! For more, see The Charlotte Observer Opinion page, Saturday, September 22, 2001.

MYERS PARK HIGH SCHOOL IS TURNING 50!

THE MPHS 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION is Nov. 2-3, 2001. Please mark your calendars and join us for a fun weekend. All the details are on the web page www.mphsmustangs.org . The party Saturday night is for current and past parents of MPHS students-- NOT JUST FOR ALUMS. It is going to be a great party at Ericsson with the Catalinas. Did you know the Catalinas originated from the chorus room of MPHS ? If you have any questions , please visit the website and email us from there.

In order to retain tax-exempt status, the IRS and the State of North Carolina require the MPHS PTSA to have current bylaws on file at the State PTA office. Current bylaws are also a requirement for "good standing" status with the North Carolina PTA. Bylaws must be reviewed every three years to meet these requirements. A PTSA committee has reviewed our bylaws; changes were presented to the PTSA board and approved. The next step is the process is approval by the general PTSA membership. This will be done at the PTSA program night on November 13 at 7 PM in the auditorium. Copies of the revised bylaws are available for your review in the main office at school. Look for them on the table near the attendance office. Please contact Jean Anderson (704-364-2152 or jpanderson@prodigy.net ) with any questions or comments.

Similarly, changes to the IB-PAC Bylaws are being formulated for presentation at the Board meeting and, if approved, to the Council at its next general meeting. Anyone with questions or comments regarding the same, please contact the Editor at 704.333.7848 or devilr@mindspring.com.

UPCOMING OPEN HOUSES AND TOURS: To help inform prospective parents and students about why they should choose Myers Park on their choice applications this fall, PTSA is holding several open houses and tours. Please note the dates below, and pass the information along to friends! Individual tours are available by appointment. Just call the school at 704-343-5800.

Oct. 27 Campus Clean-up 9-11 AM

JAN. 3, 2002 RECOGNITION CEREMONY FOR THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE CLASS OF 2001

By Elizabeth Rudisill

Mr. Wayne Fisher teaches 10th grade Middle Years IB Physics. He earned a bachelors degree from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, a masters in education from the University of Massachusetts, and a masters in physics from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. Before teaching, Mr. Fisher was an officer in the Coast Guard and a program manager in private industry. Mr. Fisher's family includes wife Linda, 18-year-old daughter Megan, and 16-year-old son Matt.

Mr. Fisher's favorite color is royal blue. His favorite food is steamed crabs. "Andy of Mayberry" (a.k.a. "The Andy Griffith Show") is his favorite TV show. Mr. Fisher's favorite movie is "The Great Escape." Tom Hanks and Audrey Hepburn are his favorite actor and actress, respectively. "Jeremiah was a Bullfrog" is his favorite song. Harry Chapin is his favorite musician. Mr. Fisher's favorite vacation spot is Monterey, California. Citizen Soldier is his favorite book. His favorite author is Tom Clancy. Mr. Fisher prefers track and field over every other sport, and in fact competes in the senior division in North Carolina. Bruce Jenner is his favorite athlete. The Baltimore Orioles is his favorite sports team. Mr. Fisher's favorite animal is a Labrador retriever. His role model is Martin Luther King, Jr.

Mr. Fisher enjoys teaching IB for many reasons. He likes working with a group of very talented students who will be the future leaders of our society. He aims to help students learn "how to learn" in every class. He also enjoys talking with students and their parents.

The Editor apologizes for the multiple transmissions and faulty receptions of Volume II, No, 1 on its inaugural day, September 28, and thereafter. The system servers of both the school system and the school were interrupted by computer virus attacks, and one transmission by Word file attachment was mistakenly attempted. All future editions will be in plain text format like this issue until further notice. The IB students are currently working on a CBI bin for on-line registration for cIBernews on the MPHS IB Web page. Until this is on line, please advise the editor of address or profile changes, technical difficulties, etc. at devilr@mindspring.com or 704.333.7848.

The Editor thanks the students who have written most of the articles for cIBernews.

The IB PAC Board would appreciate your input on suggested changes and additions to the Home Page for IB-Parent Advisory Council, accessible at www.myersparkhigh.org/ib/pac . All links are accessible and contain valuable information, excepting the last two that are labeled “under construction.” The “No/Low Cost Summer Enrichment” link provides further links valuable to 10^th and 11^th graders, and some updating of the links is in process. As is true for this newsletter, technical improvements are possible to the extent of volunteer help of our talented students and their parents. Bryan Crutcher is assisting us in this regard.

CAS stands for “Creativity, Action and Service,” a required component of IB students, but these opportunities may also represent community service hours required of pre-IB students. The student volunteer coordinator for this opportunity is Seema Kakad.

1. For CAS hours and for MPHS Ecology Club members, volunteer for The Catawba Lands Conservancy. Call Marsha O’Brien, 704.968.3475 or the FLD Volunteer Hotline, 704.342.4744 x 209 to sign up or get more information at the web site, www.catawbalands.org. .

2. CAROLINAS JOINT WALK TO CURE ARTHRITIS at Queens College, Saturday, October 27, 2001. They need volunteers to run carnival booths, hand out balloons and recognition prizes, or simply encourage participants. Contact Shawna M. Culler, Arthritis Foundation, Carolinas Chapter, 704.529.5166, or sculler@arthritis.org.

3. Avondale Presbyterian Church needs volunteers Monday and Wenesday, 4:00 to 5:00 PM for tutoring or mentoring middle school students. Contact Laura Meier, Director, 704.333.6194 or devilr@mindspring.com .

4. For those looking for a way to get Action hours for your CAS requirements (Community, Action, Service), winter sports tryouts begin soon. The tryouts for school sports are on the following dates:

There is a need for student(s) to head up this volunteer opportunity at MPHS. For more information please call Brenda Maloney (A MPHS IB parent and Co-Chair of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer) at 704 849-8963 or e-mail at brenda.maloney@infi.net.

One event, two ways to serve! Join the American Cancer Society and Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K/3.1Mile Run/Walk on November 3, 2001 at 6:00am at Carolina Place Mall.

* We need volunteers to Register Runners, Hand Out race Bibs, dispense water to the runners, Help with traffic flow, etc.

* We can also use people to organize teams of runners/walkers from your school. (Students raising $20 for MSABC will receive a free T-shirt!)

Either way, you participate will count as community service as we raise money for breast cancer research and awareness of breast cancer in our community.

Thank you for your help. Wendy Ikoku IB PAC

6. Some possible places to volunteer are: Room in the Inn at various churches, Habitat for Humanity, or Crisis Assistance. The YMCA, Jewish Community Center, and United Family Services also offer volunteer opportunities where you can assist with after-school programs, sports, etc. The possibilities are endless when it comes to helping others in the community. Ask your guidance counselor about more volunteer opportunities.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2002

You and your students(s) are invited to attend a Recognition Ceremony for the Class of 2001 International Baccalaureate Alumni on Thursday, January 3, 2002 at 7:00 PM in the Myers Park High School Auditorium. The evening’s keynote speaker will be Doug Marlette. Mr. Marlette is the creator of the “Kudzu” comic strip, a Pulitzer Prize winner, a novelist, and a former editorial cartoonist for the Charlotte Observer. A reception will follow the ceremony in the Art Gallery.

Thank you to everyone who generously donated to the Myers Park High School IB PAC. Our donations exceed $7,000, but the exigencies faced by our staff for the new year threaten to exhaust our budget before the needs of Dr. Thomas, the IB teachers, and the IB students for the 2001-2002 school year are met. The Board will meet again on November 8, 2001 at 7:00 P.M.

by Spero Katsanos and Tim Varner

With a win 16-12 over the Garinger Wildcats Friday, October 12, Myers Park moved to a 3-4 record on the year and a 2-1 conference record. The game against Providence at Homecoming October 19 was crucial in order to keep the Mustangs' playoff hopes alive, as only the top three teams from the Southwestern 4A Conference will qualify for the state playoffs at the end of the season, but Omar Gaither suffered an injury in the second half and the ‘Stangs dropped a heartbreaker to fall to a 3-5 (2-2) record.

Myers Park began their postseason with a quick start with a three sets to none victory over Waddell in the first round of the conference tournament. The

tournament is being played at South Mecklenburg High all this week, so go out and check out the Mustangs in action as they win the conference championship. Their next match will be against Butler High in the second round.

The Mustang roundballers are excited about the potential this season holds for them, as they started workouts late in September. With a Nike sponsor secured

12. MISSION STATEMENT: To provide interesting, timely and important information to students, parents, teachers and staff about the MPHS IB Program via the Internet.

GOALS: 1. To involve IB students in all phases of production, creation, distribution and institutionalization of the Newsletter.

2. To involve parents of IB students and provide a media to make information accessible and answer frequently asked questions.

3. To assist teachers in allowing students to learn about and from them, communicate issues and concerns they have to parents, and facilitate IB activities and programs.

13.IB COORDINATOR NOTES: The IB curriculum model is displayed as a hexagon with six academic areas surrounding the core. While overall balance is maintained, flexibility in choosing concentrations is encouraged to allow students to pursue personal interests or meet college entrance requirements. In keeping with this educational philosophy, we plan to add four new IB courses for the 2002-2003 school year: IB Philosophy, a second year of IB Computer Programming, IB Islamic History and IB Photography. We are also exploring offering IB Geography.

RON THOMAS

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of . CIBERNEWS or its participating editors, teacher consultants, and publishers. CIBERNEWS is distributed by e-mail every two weeks beginning 09.28.01 to anyone interested in the MP-IB program who has submitted an e-mail registration form. To subscribe or submit articles, please e-mail to devilr@mindspring.com .

By Bobby Samuelson and Matt Jackson