Challenge Early College High School PTO

Spaghetti Supper

Thursday February 11, 2010
5:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Dinner consists of 2 different sauces, spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, drink and dessert.
Catering by Los Tios

$10.00 cost includes dinner and two coupons for the drawings
Take out is available for the same price.
Teachers and administrators will be available.
Speak with teachers about plans for the upcoming year.
Reconnect with your child's school and see what great things are happening.
Students' work on display.
Prizes and surprises.
Additional Coupons for the drawing are only $1.00 each.
Contact Kathy in the Main office at 713-664-9712 or send e-mail to challengepto@gmail.com.

PTO GENERAL MEETING 

Date: Monday, February 8, 2010
Time: 6pm
Location: CECHS Commons

Save the date.

PTO NEEDS VOLUNTEERS

Volunteers are needed for the Spaghettei Dinner and Drawing February 11, 2010  before, during, and after Spring Open House to:
  Set up before the start time
  Serve, host drawing, etc during the open house
  Clean-up afterwards 
Please send an e-mail reply to challengepto@gmail.com or call  Kathy 713-664-9712.

CECHS SPRING OPEN HOUSE 

 

Date: Thursday February 11, 2010 

Time: 6pm-730pm

This open house will give parents an opportunity to speak with teachers about their students since some schedules have changed this semester.   

Teachers will be in their department groups so you can speak with all of them to plan for the upcoming year.   

Reconnect with your child's school and see what great things are happening. 

SAT/ACT for current Juniors is being pushed. Colleges like to see a student take the exam multiple times. This also helps improve how well they do on the exam.  Familiarity, practice, and knowing one's weaknesses to prepare for the next opportunity are all positives.  

All teachers and administrators will be available that night.  

Students' work will be displayed. 

ROSES FOR SALE BY THE SENIORS  

Roses/ Cupcake Sales for Valentine's Day.
Cost: Roses $2; Cupcakes $1 
Orders will be taken beginning Feb 1, 2010

 See a senior class officer to place your order.

VALENTINE DANCE HOSTED BY THE SENIORS  

Seniors will be hosting the 2nd Annual Valentine's Dance
 Date: February 12th
 Time: 6:00pm-10:00pm. 
 Location: CECHS Commons
Tickets are $3 in advance and $5 at the door.
Ticket sales will be during lunch the week of Feb. 8th-12th. Pizza and drinks will be sold at the dance.

"WHAT'S UP" WITH BPA?

Congratulations to CECHS' Business Profesionals of America Club!
Though it is only their first year at Challenge, the tiny team made a huge splash at Regional Competition.
The first eight people on the list below have been selected to go to State. (This list includes all of the officers plus the members who weren't officers and placed.)
Ashley Lopez- Human Resource Management, 5th place
Heberth Flores- PC Servicing and Troubleshooting, 4th place
James Joseph Anderson- Fundamental Accounting and Financial Analyst Team
Emary Uzomah- Computerized Accounting, 2nd place and Financial Analyst Team
Selene Burns- Keyboarding Production
Luke Jones- Prepared Speech, 2nd place and Web Design Team, 3rd place
Shanika Parris- Web Design Team, 3rd place
Madison Johnson- Web Design Team, 3rd place
Kyana Freeman, Jasmine Blackmon, Keyana Simmons- Presentation Management Team
Brittney Randall- Advanced Word Processing Skills and Mgmnt/Mktg/HR Concepts
Tayler Milburn- Mgmnt/Mktg/HR Concepts
Lovie Valentin- Fundamental Word Processing Skills    
Come hear more about BPA and meet the members of the club at the Spring Open House  and PTO Spaghetti Dinner.

TEXAS ASSOCIATION FOR THE GIFTED AND TALENTED
PARENT CONFERENCE

The Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented (TAGT) will host a day-long program for families that will focus on issues and skills relative to parenting gifted children. 

The annual TAGT Parent Conference is a state-wide event that is being held in Houston this year  at
Location: the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center 
Date: on February 13, 2010
Time: beginning at 8:15 A.M

Selected sessions will be offered in Spanish including a breakout session with the featured speaker.

To register, parents must complete the enrollment form and mail their check for $49 to TAGT. or register on the TAGT website www.txgifted.org.  The registration form is printed in English and Spanish.

SENIOR PROM 

Senior Prom will be held on Friday, May 14, 2010

Location: The Courtyard on St. James Place
                1885 St. James Place,
                 Houston, TX 77056
Website: courtyardonstjames.com
 Seniors who have paid dues will receive a ticket to attend.

SENIOR WEEK ACTIVITIES      

Senior Week Activities will be held the week of May 17th through the 21st or 22nd.

Senior Dues are now being collected!

Dues are $225 and will cover the following:
Senior T-Shirt
One ticket to Senior Prom
2 days/1 night trip to San Antonio that will cover the cost of bus rental, hotel, a ticket to Fiesta Texas, breakfast, and snacks
Field trip (including transportation) to "play place" such as Main Event or Dave and Busters. TBA.
Activities, lunch and transportation for an old fashioned "Field Day" at the park
Breakfast during senior week

  Please contact a Senior Class Officer for more information and to pay your dues.  

TALENT SHOW BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE SENIORS 

Seniors will be hosting a Talent Show 
 Date: Friday, April 23rd at 6:00pm. 
 Time: 6pm

We are currently looking for parent volunteers to Co-Chair this event.  Please contact Jana Harker at jharker@houstonisd.org or Denise Manocchio at dmanocchio@sbcglobal.net to volunteer.

SENIORS' FUNDRAISING GARAGE  SALE

Seniors will be having a Garage Sale
 Date: Saturday after Sping Break on March 27, 2010
 Time: 8am  
 Location: CECHS

 Save all your junk! We are currently looking for available storage for donations. 

Volunteers are need to chair/ co-chair this event. 

Please contact  Denise Manocchio at dmanocchio@sbcglobal.net  or Janice Watson at janice@janicemwatson.com to volunteer.

FREE TAX PREPARATION SPONSORED BY UNITED WAY  

Tax season is here, and Neighborhood Tax Centers are offering free, IRS-certified, tax preparation assistance to parents of HISD students. 

Neighborhood Tax Centers will have 20 locations across Houston from January through April 15, 2010, and services will be provided in Spanish and English at all of the locations.

Tax preparers who speak other languages such as Chinese and Vietnamese will be available at select locations.

For more information  call the 2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE  or visit www.neighborhood-centers.org/tax.

PTO Officers 2009-2010

Co- President:   Gayle Davies-Cooley
Vice- President Membership:  Norma Del Bosque
Vice- President Communications:  Janice Watson
Vice- President Activities:  Alma Aguilar
Secretary:  Melissa Roschal                                         
Treasurer: Kathy Ostroff
Historian:  Rhonda Jones
Parliamentarian:  Pat Brentzel

Committee Chair

Teacher Appreciation: Rhonda Jones 
Food Sales: Rhonda Jones, Kathy Ostroff

Class Chairs (Non PTO Positions)

Senior Class:  Denise Manocchio, Janice M. Watson 
Junior Class:   Rhonda Jones, Pat Brentzel
Sophomore Class:  Vera Reynolds, Sabrina Loeb