Spring | 2016El Molino High School | School of Scholars and Champions

Most Honored High School in County

Inside this Issue

At the Heart of It

LION LINES

El Molino has been honored as one of the state’s outstanding schools more often than

any other high school in the county, according to the Sonoma County Office of Education.

In 1988, 1992, 2001, 2009, and 2015 — through three different principals — state officials found that El Molino was doing a great job.

Colleen Pettis, a teacher at El Molino since 1991, said a key reason for the persistent excellence is the staff’s relentless commitment to the kids, through support for programs and academics.

“We’re a close-knit group, and through all these years we have always worked together well to offer our kids the best possible education,” Pettis said.

Principals at the time of the awards were Tom Glover in 1988, co-principals Frank Anderson and Doria Trombetta in 1992, 2001, and 2009, and current principal Matt Dunkle in 2015.

A key goal for the El Molino site council — a group of parents, staff, and students that helps Principal Matt Dunkle — is to connect the school with its community. They sponsor popular classes offered free to the public, such as holiday wreathmaking, hip hop and salsa dancing, and Italian cooking.

El Molino is deeply involved in its community, and the community is deeply

involved at El Molino.Every day students, teachers, and staff juggle

dozens of projects from Timber Cove to Santa Rosa, and every day El Molino is uplifted by the support from its greater family.

“El Molino’s connection to the community is vital,” said Principal Matt Dunkle.

Junior Gabby Bushgen is the campus Community Service Liaison officer. She maintains a bulletin board that features requests for student help, such as elementary and middle school tutoring, peer counseling, animal care, service for seniors, and community clean-ups.

“It brings us together as a school, and it lets El Molino get recognized as caring about our community,” Bushgen said. “It makes us proud.”

Teachers and staff contribute countless hours to oversee student projects, and they also pitch

in themselves with crab feeds, clothing and toy drives, fundraisers, neighborly off-campus visits, and more.

At the same time, people from the community are at El Molino speaking, tutoring, coaching, harvesting, donating, managing, advising, supplying, and helping.

At 7050 Covey Road in Forestville, where the Lions live, community service is truly a two-way street.

Here are some of the ways Lions are involved in their community:

Students help service clubs, volunteer at fire departments, enter parades, and work in middle school gardens and plant sales. They cater, dance, sing, and play for gatherings, serve on a variety of commissions, and help

EL MOLINO

“The administrators care about the teachers. I’ve always felt that,” said Vice Principal Dani Barese, who came to El Molino in 1997 as a teacher. “You’re empowered as a professional on this campus to make the choices that are best for the students. It’s a very cooperative environment.”

Barese said attention to detail and data are also important. For example, the staff parses and studies test scores to spot areas of need.

From 1986 through 2014 the state gave Distinguished School awards to exemplary schools. In 2015 it switched to the Gold Ribbon School award.

El Molino students are convinced their high school is different. At a recent gathering,

here’s how one teen expressed it.“You’re never going to get another supportive

community like El Molino.”State officials agree. The 2016 California

Healthy Kids Survey found that El Molino ranks higher than 94 percent of the state’s high schools in caring relationships, safety, high expectations, school connectedness, meaningful ways to participate, low bullying, and low drug abuse — factors shown to strongly influence students’ motivation to learn and their academic achievement.

Lions are proud of the El Mo way. Pressed to explain why their school is different,

some wonder if it’s because El Molino has more feeder schools than any other high school in the

An “A” for Safety & Support

College acceptances pour in for the Class of 2016. So far ...

AZ: Arizona State, U. of Arizona; CO: Colorado State, UC Boulder; DC: Georgetown U.; HI: U. of Hawaii; ID: Boise State; IL: U. of Chicago; IN: Purdue U.; MI: Michigan State; MT: Montana State, U. of Montana; NV: UN Reno; NY: Parsons School of Design; OR: Oregon State, Portland State, U. of Oregon, U. of Portland, Willamette U.; SC: Clemson U.; UT: Newmont U.; WA: Seattle U., U. of Puget Sound, U. of Washington, Western Washington U.

CA: Santa Rosa JC, Cal Poly SLO, Channel Islands State, Chico State, Fresno State, Fullerton State, Humboldt State, Monterey Bay State, San Diego State, San Francisco State, San Jose State, Sonoma State, Stanislaus State, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Los Angeles, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, St. Mary’s College, Santa Clara U., Stanford U., U. of Pacific, U. of San Francisco. Waitlisted: Cornell U., Georgetown U., Stanford U., Tulane. U.

Jessica Van Rillaer, left, and Sydney Casey below school awards.

Annual community cleanup of Steelhead Beach.

New this semester, El Molino students have personal accounts with Naviance, a

cutting edge website for college and career planning. Throughout their high school years, students can sign on anytime and explore, to learn about themselves and plan their lives. What careers are you best suited for? What colleges can best help you meet your goals? “You can learn about everything that’s out there,” counselor Doug Pepe tells students.

This Site’s for You

Continued on page 2

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College Acceptances

2 A Word from the Principal2 Intramurals, Fall, and Winter Sports3 Money and Speech4 Calendar and Shout Outs

I often speak with families when their child comes to shadow an El Molino student. Being a shadow is a great opportunity to learn about our school from a student’s perspective, and it’s also a chance for me to meet prospective family members and answer questions about El Molino.

During a recent shadow visit, I was asked what makes El Molino a great school for all students.

Wow. This could have easily been an all-day discussion. But I was able to keep it short, because I know why El Molino is a great school for all students.

El Molino is a small school that offers big school opportunities. We’re a tight-knit family. Our teachers and staff are dedicated to helping all students achieve academic success in an environment that supports social and emotional growth. From Advanced Placement and Career Technical Education courses to dance shows and goal line stands, we prepare our students for life.

I am proud to be a Lion and grateful for the support El Molino receives from our community.

Together, We are El Molino.Principal’s Coffee: Please join me the second Wednesday of each month at 7:45 a.m. at the school office to share ideas.

A Word from the Principal

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Lion Lines

Publication of Lion Lines is made possible by a grant from the El Molino High School Foundation, a charitable non-profit founded by alumni that raises money for programs valued by the El Molino community. It is supported by memberships and yearly fundraisers. Contact president Christopher D. Carver at crvrlaw@aol.com. Past issues are available at www.elmolino.org.

NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION: West Sonoma County Union High School District policy prohibits discrimination and/or harassment of students, employees and job applicants at any district site or activity on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, ancestry, ethnic group identification, medical condition, genetic condition, genetic information, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sex, sexual orientation, age, political affiliation, organizational affiliation, veteran status, marital status, or parental status. Please direct inquiries regarding district policies to any school or district administrator.

Our Community: El Molino serves a wider community than any school district in the county. In its boundaries are Fort Ross, Montgomery, Guerneville, Forestville, Monte Rio, Harmony, and Oak Grove districts. See map at scoe.org/files/district_map.pdf.

El Molino’s integrated sports, with coaches coordinating across teams and teams studying

and working out together year-round, is producing results. Here are some highlights from this year’s 12 fall and winter sports:

Scholars: Seven varsity teams scored a grade point average of 3.0 or above, to be North Coast Section Distinguished Teams: girls’ and boys’ basketball, cross country, girls’ and boys’ soccer, girls’ volleyball, and girls’ golf with the highest GPA of all (3.62).Girls’ soccer: In a smashing season, the varsity team became the first in the school’s history to get third seed in NCS division playoffs and finish third in the semifinals. Anamaria Morales and Kristine Daniels made first team all-SCL.Wrestling: A stunning seven out of eight Lion wrestlers in the SCL championship tournament qualified for the

Scholars and Champions

Matt Dunkle

At El Molino, you don’t have to be on a sports team to play sports.

This year Activities and Athletics Director Mike Roan has started a lunchtime intramurals program.

“I really like it,” said freshman Forrest Templin, who is also on the school’s golf team. “It gives you a chance to play against your friends. It’s fun.”

The first intramural sport this year was badminton, with 20 two-person teams competing. Next came dodgeball, with 20 six-player teams. All the courts

Intramurals: New at El Molino!

NCS championships. Sam MacDonell took first in the SCL championship at 138 pounds.Cross country: Brian Schulz won his second straight SCL championship. He ran first in the NCS championships until a misdirection that brought him in second, earning him his third straight trip to State. He was selected first team all-Empire.

Football: Austin Sani and Leo Garza were SCL first-team offense and defense. Ryan Fernandez was first-team defense.Girls’ golf: Lily Diamond made first

team all-SCL.Girls’ tennis: Joy Risley made first

team all-SCL.Girls’ volleyball: Torrie Boles made first team all-SCL.Coaches of the Year: Tomas Morales, girls’ varsity soccer coach, was selected All-Empire Coach of the Year. Morales and Monty DeLozier,

girls’ varsity tennis coach, were both named Sonoma County League Coach of the Year.

county. Instead of incoming cliques, “it’s a lot of different people coming together. It’s like going away to college,” one student said.

Even student government isn’t a clique of popular kids who always get elected, because five of 22 positions are appointed and anyone can apply.

In a recent Battle of the Fans competition, which grades league schools on positive sportsmanship — and which El Molino won — a judge asked how El Molino gets upper and lower classmen together.

“I told them we have no problem hanging out together. It’s completely different here,” said senior Ryan Fernandez. When judges told about a senior at a different school who was picking on a freshman, Fernandez simply said, “That would never happen at El Molino.”

Instead, at El Molino upper classmen mentor freshmen with monthly Easing Into El Mo meetings. Student government sponsors Unity Week, so kids hear from diverse voices. At Challenge Day, youth learn to talk about their fears and how to treat each other with kindness. Students trained as Safe School Ambassadors help prevent bullying and hurt feelings.

Project Success coordinator Xochiquetzal Lubin-Amaya has a comfy couch where youth can pour out their heartaches to someone they trust.

In 2006 El Molino teachers were asked what they most wanted students to take with them when they graduate. They toiled over the exact words to describe the values interwoven with everything they did. They wrote these Three R’s:

* Respectful and compassionate people* Responsible and ethical citizens* Resourceful and articulate students

“This is what we have always believed,” said Vice Principal Barese.

with the Active 20-30 Club Crab 4 Kids fundraiser, Farm Trails Weekend, Calabash fundraiser, Levi’s GranFondo, crises like the Valley Fire, and more.

Students in Leadership class each do at least 40 hours of community service a year. For 15 years they’ve also joined with Analy to raise $5,000 to $10,000 a year for the Bob Burke’s Kids charity.

El Molino’s Interact Club holds warm coat and prom dress drives, serves holiday dinners, and this year raised the equivalent of $13,851 in food and funds for the Food For Thought Food Bank. Lots of other groups work on ambitious service projects.

With the motto “Living to serve,” FFA students juggle scores of activities that include collecting school supplies  for foster youth, conducting food drives, and working at ag events like the Farm Bureau Crab Feed and the Gravenstein Harvest Fair.

Many seniors choose community service for

their Senior Project, such as volunteering at Forestville’s teen health clinic, Sebastopol’s Ceres Community Project, and Guerneville’s Armstrong Woods. They make health presentations to youth, collect oral histories of seniors, and coach Little League baseball.

“It’s not just about raising money,” said teacher John Grech, who advises the Interact Club. “It’s about putting in the time, spirit, and goodwill.”

Event for Bob Burke’s Kids.

were full, and the stands were packed with fans.

Soccer and 3on3 basketball are in the spring. La Raza Club

hosts soccer, and science teacher Nick Stoll runs basketball.

“It’s a fun way to be engaged at your school,” Roan said.

Purple Worms prepare for dodgeball.

Hanging out with friends on campus.

Monty DeLozier

Tomas Morales

Community, continued from page 1 Supportive, continued from page 1

Published by El Molino High School

Editor: Patty SullivanReporter: Mary FrickerDesigner: Jenny MountjoyCopy Editor: Shawn Connally

You can’t graduate from El Molino without learning something about money.

Even though California is one of only 12 states that do not include personal finance in graduation requirements — earning the state an “F” on the Center for Financial Literacy’s 2015 report card — El Molino refuses to send its teens out into the world without this critical knowledge.

“It’s about being in control of your life, and student engagement is off the charts,” said Eric Wycoff, who teaches six weeks of personal finance to seniors as part of their economics semester.

El Molino seniors take his class or the AP economics class from teacher John Grech, who also

Lions LearnMoney Smarts

3

includes a personal finance component. “It’s extremely important to know how to

handle your money, because it can cost you a lot if you don’t,” said senior Haley Magner of Forestville, a Wycoff student.

Other teachers also work personal finance into their curriculum. For example, Mary Beth Smith teaches her Project Make students how to make things and manage their money.

Among the topics the teachers cover are financial planning, real-life budgeting, smart shopping, car and home ownership, investing, taxes, insurance, debt, credit cards, credit scores, retirement planning, interest rates, fees, compound interest, and smart choices.

One of Grech’s life lessons: “The world is way more expensive than your life experiences have told you.”

When Smith’s students complain about having to stop Making to study money, she says, “We’re teaching you skills for your career. It would be irresponsible of us not to also teach you how to take care of what you earn.”

Watch next fall for El Molino to repeat its dynamic eight-session course on how to be an entrepreneur. Last year sophomore Ian Kraybill won $150 as a finalist in the regional business plan competition. The program is sponsored by Napa Valley College and the Napa-Sonoma Small Business Development Center.

Senior Haley Magner makes a financial presentation in Eric Wycoff’s

economics class.

Youth Entrepreneurs

El Molino’s award-winning speech team has a reputation for excellence in Bay Area

forensics circles.The team, coached by teacher Ginger Riley,

competes annually in three local speech contests and in at least three Bay Area competitions, with consistently strong results.

“Speech competition is really good to raise kids’ self esteem and self confidence, make better writers, and improve their overall academics,” Riley said. “They have to analyze so many things and present in a very lucid and educated way.”

Coach Riley’s oral interpretation class, which is state-approved college prep, is at the heart of her speech program. The room is alive with students delivering lines for critique, practicing their articulation, or working on stage presence.

There’s plenty of study, too. To argue a position, students have to research the issue and write their presentation. To recite poetry, they have to analyze it word for word and get to know the poet well.

When Riley began a forensics program at El Molino six years ago, she chose speech over debate, even though her debate teams were state champions in Tennessee for several years

Winning Out Loud

before she came to El Molino. But, she said she does not like the cutthroat nature of today’s interscholastic debates.

This year Riley has 10 students on her speech team. Seven travel to Golden Gate Speech Association regional tournaments, which feature about 400 competitors.

Sophomore Seryna Bonacorso of Santa Rosa, who took fourth in a recent Golden Gate tournament, loves public speaking. “I want people to be able to hear what I say. I like having a level of understanding with a room of people.”

Successes for the speech team in recent years have included:

• The Sebastopol Rotary Club speech contest, held in the spring for Sebastopol high schools: In 2014 Lions swept the top three places; in 2015 two students tied for first and one took second. In 2016 two again tied for first, and one took fourth.

• Poetry Out Loud, held every winter and open to all county high schools: El Molino took third in 2014, 2015, and 2016, each time beating out all but two other area high schools. This year junior Arthur Timpe of Camp Meeker presented.

Some speech team members gather around Coach Ginger Riley.

A New Charter SchoolA charter school for 7th and 8th grades that gives students

a head start toward success at El Molino is scheduled to open August 2017 on the Forestville Academy campus. Students countywide will be welcome.

This year the Russian River Rotary raised a record $26,500 for scholarships for El Molino students, contributed $5,000 for Project Make laptops, and $6,200 for the culinary department.

Amazing But True

Dollars for AgAgriculture teacher Sarah McMaster

has two new grants to help send ag students to conferences and help cover costs for three new UC-approved classes: sustainable ag biology next

year and ag soil chemistry and ag systems management in the future. She’s receiving an SUV for field trips, and she plans to expand the school barn and add a greenhouse.

Career Excitement  El Molino, Analy, and Laguna youth applied for jobs, did

mock interviews, and got resume feedback at the schools’ annual career fair March 31.  Hundreds of teens and families enjoyed a spaghetti dinner and met with more than 50 employers and experts about jobs, internships, and careers. This semester 52 students at El Molino have jobs outside their schoolwork. Counselors and the career center help students get college credit at the Santa Rosa Junior College for their jobs.

Digital-Age MakersThis year teacher Seth Friesen opened

his digital media classroom for kids to do the national “Hour of Code” introduction to computer science, and his room was packed. Ruben Escamilla told his Algebra II class about Keysight Technologies’ Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, and junior Lily Andersen participated. Project Make teacher Mary Beth Smith will take a bus load of students to the Bay Area Maker Faire in San Mateo on May 21.

El Molino continues to build a robust online learning program. This semester teacher Carin Johnson has 10 students who could take three online courses each, and she has a waiting list. She also oversees distance learning, most recently

for students who spent semesters in Spain, Thailand, and Hawaii. Teacher Seth Friesen also has three students taking Adobe Photoshop 1 from Santa Rosa Junior College. Online students need to have good study skills and a strong work ethic, Johnson said.

University of Chicago anthropologist Shannon Lee Dawdy, El Mo class of 1984 and Guerneville native, is one of the nation’s leading researchers on New Orleans and the Caribbean. In 2010 she was awarded a “genius” grant from the MacArthur Foundation.

Alumni Corner: Genius Grant

Online Learning

Lily Andersen

“The world is way more expensive than your life experiences have told you.”

El Molino High School7050 Covey RoadForestville, CA 95436El Molino Calendar & Shout Outs

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FORESTVILLE, CA95436

Honored to Sing: Choir members Haley Magner, Jacob Robert, John Lushenko, and Ruby Van Dyke joined more than 100 students from across Northern California in the 54th annual Northern California High School Honor Choir at Humboldt State.

18th Ashland Trip:* Teachers took 22 El Molino students to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for the 18th year in a row, led this year by John Grech, Dani Barese, Keith Baker, and John Thomas.

On The Road Again:* During spring break teacher John Grech and 10 seniors took an eight-day civil rights road trip. They started in New Orleans, explored historic towns like Vicksburg, Selma, Montgomery, and Birming-ham, and ended in Nashville.

FFA’s Highest Honor: Seniors Jake Dutton, left, and Cole Crawford have received a State FFA Degree, California’s highest FFA award, given only to about 3 percent of members each year.

Go to elmolino.org to see the events and sports calendars in more detail, watch the daily news video produced by students, sign up to get the email news bulletin delivered daily to your inbox, visit our Facebook and Instagram #elmoyouknow pages, connect with parents groups, and more.

The Spirit of Sport Award: Beating all candidates in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and Hawaii, El Molino High School and El Molino Boosters won the 2016 Spirit of Sport Award given by the National Federation of State High School Associations for support of Middletown High School after the Valley Fire. The award is given to those who exemplify the positive spirit of sport.

Riding in Style: Our mountain bikers, ranked #2 in Sonoma County, have a nifty new trailer to carry gear and bikes, a $7,000 project sponsored by Empire Tree Experts. El Mo Boosters and Foundation each donated $1,500, which the team used to buy new Niner mountain bikes from Breakaway Bikes in Santa Rosa.

You People ROCK: Thanks to El Mo teachers who spend weekends writing dozens of detailed college recommendation letters. Thanks to 10,000 Degrees for holding a Cash for College night at El Molino. Thanks to Russian River Rotary Foundation for sponsoring the Spring Concert at the Luther Burbank Center. Thanks to El Mo Boosters for the outdoor bulletin board by the school office. Thanks to T.R.A.D.J.A.S.S. for jamming with our musicians. Thanks to John Jordan Foundation for grants to teachers Mary Beth Smith and Lana McNamara.

Legion Selects Lions: The American Legion Post 21 in Santa Rosa has selected three El Molino juniors to attend week-long leadership conferences in June. Catalina Membrila will go to Girls State at Claremont McKenna College, with Noelle Terrero as alternate. Aubrey Mikus and alternate Jesse Osman will go to Boys State at CSU Sacramento.

Winning Scholars: Junior Maddy Bar-nard got a Champion Medal at the county’s National History Day competition for her paper on Darius the Great, which qualifies her to com-pete in the state finals in May. She also took first in chemistry (luminol false positives) and junior Anthony Paneno took third in physics (sound proofing) at the Sonoma County Science Fair.

APRIL28-30 Thurs-Sat: Dance Spectrum, El Molino Dance Company, intermediate, advanced, choreography classes, 7:30 p.m., Cafe Theater.MAY4 Wed: School board meeting, 6 p.m., El Molino High School library.5 Thurs: Sonoma County Youth Film Festival, 7 p.m., Rialto Cinemas.7 Sat: Junior-Senior Prom, 8-11 p.m., Fountaingrove Golf & Athletic Club.11 Wed: Principal’s Coffee, 7:45 a.m., office.11 Wed: Friends of Music, 7 p.m., band room D4.12 Thurs: Open House, 6 p.m., classrooms (English Learner Advisory Committee, 5:30 p.m., Room H2).16 Mon: Spring Sports Awards, 6:30 p.m., gym.17 Tues: Senior Awards Night, 6:30 p.m., library.18 Wed: Ag Boosters, 7 p.m., Room J5.19-21 Thurs-Sat: Thespians present Completely Hollywood (abridged), hilarious tour of 187 great Hollywood films, 7:30 p.m., Cafe Theater, $10.23 Mon: El Molino Boosters, 6 p.m., teachers’ lounge.24 Tues: Senior Project presentations, 5 p.m., classrooms campus-wide.25 Wed: Senior Picnic, 10:30 a.m., Wikiup Tennis & Swim, Santa Rosa.26 Thurs: Day On The Green, 12 p.m., gym and athletic fields.27-31 Fri-Tues: Final exams. JUNE1-2 Wed-Thurs: Final exams.2 Thurs: Senior Breakfast, 9 a.m., Negri’s Restaurant.2 Thurs: Graduation, 6:30 p.m., in the quad, followed by Project Graduation.

SUMMER LEARNING at El Molino for middle schoolers:Introduction to Wood Construction: Entering grades 7-9, El Molino teacher John Novak, June 13-16, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Room A3, free.Culinary Arts: Entering grades 6-8, El Molino teacher Christopher Correa, June 6-9, 11a.m.-3 p.m., Room C6, free.Mini-sports camp: Ages 8-14, El Molino coaches and athletes, Fridays, June 17-July 29, 9:30 a.m.-noon, 1-3:30 p.m., multiple sports, $5.

*Trips are privately sponsored by the teachers and are not El Molino or district activities.

Don’t miss the El Molino High School Foundation’s biggest annual fundraiser, its ninth annual day of golf, auctions, dinner, raffle, and

fun on Friday, June 17, at the Windsor Golf Course. Check-in begins at 11 a.m., shotgun starts at 1 p.m. Cost is $125 for 18 holes, lunch, and dinner. Dinner-only option is available. Contact President Chris Carver at crvrlaw@aol.com or (707) 888-9544. He’s looking for golfers, sponsors, and volunteers. See elmofoundation.org. 

Best High Schools 2016: For the second year in a row, U.S. News & World Report ranked El Molino among the top 13 percent of all public

high schools in the U.S., one of only three high schools in Sonoma County so honored.

Top Entrepreneurs: Seniors Anamaria Morales and Julia Weggenmann each won $1,000 for El Mo by presenting winning projects in AdCap’s Northern California entrepreneurship contest. Morales took first and advanced to the national competition where she placed second.

Hawaiian Lion Golf Tournament

¿Quieres ir a España?: Spanish teacher Miguel Crawford was one of eight U.S. teachers in-vited by the Tourist Office of Spain to spend a week in Spain to visit the world- renown language schools in the university city of Salamanca, Spain. He hopes to lead a student trip to Spain in the summer of 2017.

Membrila, Mikus

Iron Lions: Austin Sani and Leo Garza are the mightiest Lions in the Class of 2016. They played three sports every year.