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Ms. Palkoner's serves salad to her 1st graders in culmination of their gardening science project

As a culmination celebration of their successful science project, 1st grade students ate their unit of study!  Leaves, stems, roots, flowers, and seeds were savored in the form of lettuce, celery, carrots, broccoli, and sunflower seeds.  Ms. Graves and Ms. Palkoner were salad servers as the students kindly named the parts they preferred! Watch out veggies, our first graders are hungry herbivores!

Growing cucumbers can be a terrific science experiment; just vary the amount of water and the amount of light and, voila! growth differences emerge.

Students in first grade have been conducting a science experiment about the needs of plants in their very own garden. Students have been making predictions, collecting observational data, and will soon be sampling delicious, home-grown cucumbers!

Below are some smart quotes from our students

“All of the areas are growing really good because the ‘No Sun’ (cucumbers, that is) doesn’t need that much sun and the plants learn to get the sun they need.” Graysen

See these seeds. They will become really good cucumbers.

“The Garden is growing a lot! It got tons of rain lately. I like that it is growing so well!” Isabella

“The plants that don’t have any sun (covered by a tarp) are leaning out to get some sun and the ‘No Water’ area gets water when it rains.” Julian

“We are growing cucumbers! I like to eat cucumbers when my dad puts salt on them. Then, they taste really good!” Melanie

“In our garden, the ‘No Sun’ is growing the most! We are trying to grow really good cucumbers. They will taste a little sour and a little like nothing.” Victoria

Halloween Carnival participant gets to see the face painting she got from Stephanie Bedwell, Mt. Helix Academy's visual arts teacher.

Nathan G. writes: “Mt. Helix Academy’s 2011 Halloween Carnival was “spooktacular”! I saw all of my friends. The Carnival was on Saturday, October 29 from 3pm until 6pm. I dunked Mr. Wheless in the dunk tank and I am looking forward to going to the carnival next year.”

Zachary G. reports: “I went to the Halloween Carnival with my mom and dad. I played the “cake walk”, played the fun games, volunteered to help out, and I got to dunk Mrs. Palkoner in the dunk tank! You should come next year, the games are great!”

Giana M. exclaims: “Mt. Helix Academy’s 2011 Halloween Carnival was awesome! I went with my dad, mom, and sister. I got to see everyone! I volunteered to help run one of the games, and it was so much fun. I love the carnival and I come to it every year.”

Ava E. notes: “Mt. Helix Academy’s 2011 Halloween Carnival was the best carnival ever! At this year’s carnival, there was a cake walk, games, “dunk the teacher/principal” and great food. Come next year, it’s great.”

Dunk tank was a favorite at Mt. Helix Academy's
annual Halloween Carnival

Ryan S. reports: “Mt. Helix Academy’s 2011 Halloween Carnival was “spooktacular”! It was on Saturday, October 29th from 3:00 to 6:00pm. I went with my mom and dad, and I won the cake walk! I got to dunk all of the teachers first, then I played a lot of the games. It was a lot of fun! I even got my face painted! Mt. Helix Academy’s Carnival is the BEST!”

Cole T. opines: “Breaking News from Mt. Helix Academy….. The Halloween Carnival was spectacular! I saw my friends and teachers at the carnival. I played games, won cupcakes at the cake walk, and got to dunk Mr. Collins, Mrs. Palkoner, Mr. Wheless, and Mrs. Young in the dunk tank. I am definitely coming to the carnival next year!”

Megan J. reflects: “Mt. Helix Academy’s 2011 Halloween Carnival was “cool”! I went to the carnival with my mom and my sister, and saw all of my friends. I played games and played on the play structure. It was the best carnival ever!!”

La Mesa Environmental Sustainability Committee contest
“Our Planet, Our Home” Environmental Literacy & Art Contest-The La Mesa Environmental Sustainability Committee invited students in grades K-12 to submit a poem or work of art in which they reflect upon the environment. Congratulations to Aidan A., Grade 1 who won first place for his art work and to Quinn F. Grade 2, who won first place for her environmental poem. See their website for more information.

Mallory Davenport, a senior and Mater Dei’s Cross Country team captain, is returning as the top female runner for the Crusaders for the second year in a row. Mallory’s hard work and natural athleticism has enabled her to reach new personal records on a weekly basis and has gained her recognition as one of the top female runners not only within the Mesa League, but among all San Diego Division IV runners. She has already dominated meets and Invitationals with her speed and has earned a medal in the Vaquero Stampede where she finished third.

Sophomore, Justin Ryan, has already distinguished himself as Mater Dei’s top runner in the Boys’ Varsity Division. Coming off a very successful 2010-2011 Cross Country and Track & Field season as a freshman, Justin continues to improve as a runner both mentally and physically. His summer training has definitely paid off early as he has earned a medal in all of his September races.

My Time at Mt. Helix Academy
By Sheridan Shenkin, Age 14

“Mt. Helix Academy, a small private school in La Mesa, is unique in its teaching methods, staff, and student body. Originally named Coleman Preparatory, the school of three hundred students now goes through grades kindergarten to eighth. Mt. Helix was originally led by Barbra Moulaison, but after her retirement in 2010, Mike Collins took her position as director. Mt. Helix Academy is part of TIEE – The Institute for Effective Education – an organization whose goal is to give any child the perfect environment to learn. Mt. Helix, from personal opinion, does an excellent job in meeting and exceeding this goal.

I have been with the Mt. Helix family since I was in second grade, and I am a proud member of the graduating class of 2011. I always felt I received what I needed, and, as their motto suggests, I loved to learn! When I was younger, I loved to walk through the halls of our main building, to be greeted by all the staff and teachers and have them know me personally. The thrill of being known and cared for did not diminish as I grew older and entered the middle school building, known as the Annex. It was that familiarity and closeness that really motivated me to try my hardest at every opportunity.

When I was in fifth grade, I made the decision to tryout my local public school. While I did continue to do well in my classes, it amazed me that some of my other classmates were not energized enough to put forth their full effort. That was something Mt. Helix always strived for their students to do, and they almost always succeeded with every child. By sixth grade, I was ready to return to MHA and my closest friends.

The student body is another aspect that makes Mt. Helix Academy so special. The school teaches its students to always try to help others, and they truly are caring and kind. Having grown up with the same thirty people since I can remember, they became like an actual family. The whole school is so supportive of each other, and the older students are always happy to help the younger ones.

I was ambivalent about leaving Mt. Helix. Although I felt that I was ready for the next step in my education, the thought of leaving people I considered family was terrifyingly sad. My class was the second biggest class to ever graduate from Mt. Helix Academy with 32 students. On graduation day, my previous lack of public speaking gave me nervous moments before I approached the large crowd. Fortunately, I had my friends and teachers supporting me; it was almost impossible to feel scared. As I began to give my speech, my nerves evaporated, and a huge smile appeared on my face. I finally felt ready to start high school at Health Science High and Middle College. Mt. Helix Academy was my past, but it was also giving me a future.”