2.19.10 This Week @ Eastwood
2/19
- Debate Tournament #5
- 3:40-5:00 Open Computer Lab (Platt)
- 3:40-4:40 Homework/Independent Test Prep (Library)
- 3:40-4:40 Video Games Club (Vance)
- 5:00-7:00 Adult ESL/Citizenship class
2/20
- AP Exam Prep Workshop @ Rice University
- Debate Tournament #5
- 9:00-1:00 PM SAT Prep Class
2/21
- 9:00-1:00 PM SAT
2/22
- 7:45 AM Faculty, Seniors & Group photos
- 3:40-4:40 Homework/Independent Test Prep (Library)
- 3:40-4:40 English Tutorials (9th & 11th)
- 3:40-5:00 Bored Games & Open Computer Lab (Platt)
- 3:40-5:00 Math Tutorials (10th)
2/23
- 3:40-4:40 English Tutorials (10th)
- 3:40-4:40 Homework/Independent Test Prep (Library)
- 3:40-4:40 Math Tutorials
- 3:40-5:00 Open Computer Lab (Platt)
- 4:00 & 5:30, Soccer Games vs. Kipp @ Kipp
- 5:00-7:00 Adult GED Class (Distance Lab)
2/24
- 3:40-4:40 Homework/Independent Test Prep (Library)
- 3:30-5:30 Energy Audit (HCC – Cooper)
- 3:40-5:00 Music Club
- 5:00-7:00 Adult ESL/Citizenship Class (Distance Lab)
2/25
- 11:40 Staff Meeting
- 3:40-5:00 Open Computer Lab (Platt)
- 3:40-4:40 Homework/Independent Test Prep (Library)
- 5:00-7:00 Adult GED Classes
2/26
- GO TEXAN DAY
- 3:30-6:00 PM Science Club
- 3:40-4:40 Video Games Club (Vance)
- 3:40-5:00 Open Computer Lab (Platt)
- 3:40-4:40 Homework/Independent Test Prep (Library)
- 4:00 & 5:30, Soccer games vs. East Early @Mason #6
- 5:00-7:00 Adult ESL/Citizenship Class
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HAPPY BIRTHDAYS 
- 2/14 Robert & Moses Castañeda
- 2/16 Joann Quintanilla
- 2/19 Jose Miranda
- 2/22 Michelle Glennon, Yadith Salazar
- 2/23 Carla Ayala
- 2/24 Baltazar Pacheco, Herminio Ramirez
- 2/26 Stalina Martinez, Carolina Martinez, Sandra Medina
- 2/28 Yecenia Flores
IDEAS
Do you have any ideas about how you would like HISD to spend the $7.5 million on the Eastwood expansion wing? If so, send your ideas to a member of the Shared Decision-Making Committee or to Mr. Trevino.
$7.5 million for Eastwood….but, what exactly happens next?
Thanks to our school board representative, Ms. Diana Davila, who advocated for Eastwood, the school was awarded $7.5 million to make some major improvements on our campus. At this point, those improvements are not define, but the Eastwood community is encouraged to think “outside the box” about how the campus should grow. Should the improvements include things such as additional classrooms, a new cafeteria, a gym, a theater, an expanded library, more office space, or what? The money comes from HISD through a taxpayers bond program and the planned expansion should be completed in about two years. Plans call for actual construction to begin sometime around next February (2011) with completion one year later. - Miriam Villanueva
Did you go to the Valentine’s Dance? If you took any great photos, consider sharing them with the Journalism class for the yearbook.
Soccer 
Eastwood fields girls and boys soccer teams, and the teams participate in the Independent School Soccer Conference. Games are played at different parks across the city. See the calendar (above) for games this week.
The Lovely Bones Review 
“My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973.” – The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson’s latest, The Lovely Bones, based on the 2002 best seller of the same name written by Alice Sebold, portrays an “in between” world amid heaven and earth, one in which we can escape. Sebold’s story is centered on 14-year-old Susie Salmon. After being brutally killed by her neighbor, who is revealed to us from the start, Salmon finds herself “alive in her own perfect world,” watching her family grieve and her murderer escape. She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her family’s need to heal. For those who are fans of the book, The Lovely Bones will most likely be a disappointment. But what movie has ever been exactly like the book? Forget about the “raped, murdered and dismembered” part. Jackson, in the press conference, says that he “did not want the film to be disturbing….It was not about murder, but about the events after the murder.” It is PG-13 after all. And so, naturally this film avoids the chilling and sentimental in exchange for fantastical and spellbinding. At times overdone and erratic, Jackson, a man of experience (i.e. The Lord of the Rings and King Kong), interjects a “twilight zone” into the realm of real life through captivating special effects. The tree and its butterfly leaves, which appear to be the symbol of the film, are absolutely mesmerizing. In fact, every scene is. There are rolling hills of brilliant green and moving wheat fields that transform into an ocean. The landscape is meant to shift with Susie’s emotions. And from start to finish, we are captured by everything. With all those dazzling visuals, character development fails to continue. Rather than follow Sebold’s plot chapter by chapter, Jackson, who acquired the rights independently and developed a script of his own, has reduced it down to a basic story beefed up by special effects. That way, we only get surface level reactions from the family. And worst of all, Susie’s “desire for vengeance” falls flat. Although it’s not precisely like the book the movie is great! I highly recommended if you haven’t seen it. -Ana Rodriguez
Is Edward Scary???
We all have heard of Edward Cullen (Robert Pattison), the vampire from the movie Twilight. He is the dream of every teenager. Well, not all people think he is appealing. In my opinion, he is scary and freaky looking. I conducted an informal poll of people at Eastwood to see if they thought he was scary. I asked ten people and they all turned out to be Edward lovers. So, none of them thought Edward is scary looking. But, I still think that the life-size Edward in the library is scary. -Yesenia Castañeda
The Energy Audit After spends $92,000 last year on electricity alone at Eastwood Academy, the Energy Audit Team plans to make changes on campus to increase energy efficiency in the buildings. They received a grant of $12,000 to reduce the high levels of electricity usage. The team is currently trying to find a vendor that will supply motion sensors to turn off the lights when a person leaves the room and a thermostat in the assembly room. The team seeks to help the school move from using the T-12 light bulbs to T-8 bulbs which use even less electricity. The Energy Audit meets every Wednesday for two hours. Ms. Paula Cooper and her students hop on a bus to HCC behind Furr High School where they meet to work on making the changes necessary to make Eastwood a greener high school. If you are interested in being part of the Energy Audit Team, come along and join the fun to being green! -Emily Hernandez
COCA-COLA
Did you see the article about the Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program in La Voz, the Spanish edition of the Houston Chronicle? The article included a photo of Luis Chapa working with elementary students at Lantrip Elementary. We are proud of this recognition of the hard work of our Eastwood students!
SENIOR PHOTOS 
On Monday, February 22, Eastwood Academy’s Senior Class will be taking their graduation pictures. The cap and gown pictures will be taken here on campus beginning at 8a.m. First, there will be individual pictures taken of each student wearing graduation attire. Afterwards there will be group pictures that will include volleyball team members, soccer team members, and other clubs or teams within the school. “As a senior, this will be a very memorable day for us because this is the last year we will spend together here at Eastwood, ” said senior Miriam Villanueva.
Dress requirements are as followed: All boys will have to wear a white dress shirt and a dark tie (preferably black) and all girls need to wear a white collarless V-neck shirt. This dress style will ensure that formality is displayed when wearing the graduation gowns during the pictures. -Gerardo Briano
HAITI PROJECT On Saturday, February 6, the Student Council met at Eastwood Academy to help the people of Haiti by gathering money and non-perishable goods. The students that showed up made posters to get people’s attention to donate and also contacted local radio stations to make public service announcements about what Eastwood students were doing to help the earthquake victims. Even though only a few members of the Student Council showed up for this fundraising event, they collected $206 and some non-perishable goods in one day. The project isn’t over yet! So, please help the people of Haiti and contribute to this worthwhile cause. The Student Council thanks all the people from Eastwood – the community and the school – for their donations. 
-Brenda De La Cruz
Piano Lessons
As part of Eastwood’s growing after-school program, piano lessons are now being offered. The instructor for piano lessons is David Rodriguez, an Eastwood alumnus who graduated last year. Piano lessons are offered once a week on Wednesdays from 4-6p.m. in the Assembly Room.
Piano lessons can be very interesting, especially if you’re into music. So if you are interested in learning how to play piano, you know when and where to go for some cost-free lessons. -Bryant Rubalcava
Eastwood’s Debaters
Eastwood Academy’s debate team participates in its fifth debate tournament this week on Friday, February 19, and Saturday, February 20, at Westbury high school.
The team has been successful in always bringing home some sort of award. Eastwood is proud of the debaters and wish them continued success! On March 10, the HUDL Debate League sponsors a debate tournament at the University of Houston for about 200 debaters, and qualified winners who advance to the octofinals win the privilege of debating at the Federal Courthouse in the finals. The two winning teams will have the opportunity to travel to New York City where they will debate against other schools from around the country. This event is scheduled for April 23-25, 2010. -Janeen Gutierrez and Bryant Rubalcava
Math Competition
Congratulations to all the Eastwood math students who traveled to the University of Houston on Saturday, February 13, to participate in a math competition. Students took a test that measured their knowledge in Algebra I, Geometry, Pre-Calculus, and Algebra II. Special thanks to Mr. Elegarle, Ms. Hinojosa, and Ms. Vance who accompanied the students on this trip.
Collecting Milk Cartons 
Eastwood Academy School’s community garden is ready for seedlings to be planted; however, because weather at this time of the year is often accompanied by winds, efforts must be made to protest the young, tender plants. Eastwood students are asked to help collect milk cartons which will be used to protect the plants when they are transplanted from their germination site (in the library) to the planting beds.
Please drink your milk, rinse out the milk carton, and place it in the plastic bag outside the library. - Selena Delgado
