Evidence shows that you care about others and you take responsibility to make our world a better place. You're awesome! In 2008-2009 you logged over 11,140 hours of service to our local and global community. How will you make a difference this year?

What will you do to make a difference? Will you lead a campaign? Will you inspire your friends to solve a real problem? Will you write an editorial for the Beach and Bay Press urging the community to recycle surfboards instead of throwing them into the landfill or be the one to make the campus a safer, more beautiful place to study, work and play? Maybe it's you who will convince your science class to adopt a planter-box and use your human ingenuity to design a water-smart garden to hang out in at lunch.

Remember FOPBSS has a $1000.00 in grant monies to fund your service ideas. Learn to write a service proposal and get money to make your dream a reality! Read The Kid's Guide to Social Action by Barbara A. Lewis (available in the PB Library: dewey 361.2). Check out our community and service page for more ideas and resources.

International Waters is the PB Middle Theme. (Remember that Water Unites Us All) How will you take off on the theme for 2009-2010? What will you do?

STUDENT NEWS

Click here to view Student Video Bulletins

Issue: Youth in the Media. Are the images the media portrays about you, as a teenager, fair? Share your thoughts at Voices of Youth.

Scroll down for summer reading suggestions.

Congrats to the winners of the Jenna Druck Spirit of Leadership Award. These fourteen young women, nominated by PB Middle teachers, received scholarships from Soroptomists of Mission Bay to attend the Jenna Druck Foundation's Middle School Spirit of Leadership Conference on July 18th. Winners are: Maria Isabel M; Rocio P; Arianna S; Itzahana T; Kady B; Mahellen P C; Stephanie B; Yvonne C; Cassidy C; Karen C; Nancy G; Yomalie M; Nicole Z; Jessica G; Yesenia F; and Jessica C.

Clubs & Advisors, 09-10

- Video Club, Mr. Stoller, Application Only, Asst. Days

- Year Book, Mr. Wood, Application only, Tues., Wed.

- EPA, Mr. Mihalik, 7th and 8th only, lunch Wed.

- Builders Club, Mrs. Sims, walk-in members ok, Wed. after school

- PBMS Intramural Sports: (lunch / after school)  Mr. Gildehaus

Meet new friends and share your ideas on the IB Student Blogs

Test yourself. Can you handle an 11th grade IB Diploma course? Start preparing now...Download sample IB Diploma Exam Papers

Will college pay? Read College Ed Pays (biased, but in a good way!)

Below: Surfrider Paddle for Clean Water. Can you find Mr. Kasten?

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Did you know? We are an official ReRip Surfboard Recycling Site. If you have any used or damaged boards to donate to our surfboard recycling program.

Check out what's coming up for our local Mission Bay. Read the article about fish farming!

Like to fish? Remember to always drop off your white sea bass heads to HUBBS, right next to SeaWorld on Ingraham. They tag the babies then track them as they grow. You'll be helping the researchers who are working to bolster our local sea bass population.

GETTING PERSONAL

If you ever feel like you are in crisis, take a risk and ask for help. You can call...

- Youth-to-Youth Helpline at (866) 222-1886, San Diego's only teen hot-line that is run by and for teens, and is open everyday from 2:00 to 10:00 p.m. Teens who are trained and supervised by professionals are there to talk with you and help you find the information you need.

- The Access and Crisis Line For Crisis and Suicide Intervention, Mental Health Information and Referral to mental health services with in San Diego County, California please contact:1-800-479-3339 24-hours-a-day 7-days-a-week, Access to All Languages (en español) and TTY, San Diego County/Health and Human Services

NEED INSPIRATION? READ SINAI'S SPEECH...

Sinai, is a PB graduate and she's the senior from Mission Bay High School, who won the PB IB Soroptomists Award for 2009. As part of the scholarship award, she presented her speech at the 8th grade Awards Ceremony, held June, 2009. If you didn't attend the ceremony you can read her speech here...

Good Afternoon:

My name is Sinai Cota. I am a Senior at Mission Bay High School. I am honored to return to PB Middle, and stand on this stage once more to accept the Pacific Beach Middle International Baccalaureate Award.

I remember walking across this stage to accept an award in 8th grade, and as I walked up to the podium my shoe flew off. But it was ok because at least one man would surely remember my name now. PB middle was not only a welcoming environment where I could challenge myself, but it was a home.

Two weeks after starting sixth grade my mother was deported to Mexico. I was lost and confused. I have not had parents to hold my hand after a bad day at school. For six years I have looked for my own home. I easily could have fallen through the cracks, but I had so much support from the staff at PB Middle, that I decided to stay in San Diego and continue my education.

We have the liberty to make our own choices. The choices we make mold who we are.

During spring break I was reminded of this. A few of my friends and I decided to volunteer at a homeless shelter in downtown, LA to re-beautify the facility.

We were split into groups and given different tasks. One group built muscle and character when assigned to dig a 5 ft whole. The rest of us demolished walls, carried out debris and concrete, helped in the kitchen, daycare, and painted anything from street curves to fire hydrants. Because of our choice to volunteer we saved the shelter $50,000 in manual labor.

During that week we put ourselves in their shoes. We slept outside in tents on the roof of the building. While at the shelter, we found it difficult to adjust to a structured setting. Food, activities and the place you slept in were chosen for you. But we weren’t there for us, we were there for them. When we ate our meals we had an opportunity to speak with the residents of the shelter and got the chance to reflect upon the importance of one’s decisions. We were surprised to find that a lot of the people had been business owners, managers, individuals who held college degrees. But somewhere along the line, they made the wrong choice.

My mother chose PB Middle because she saw it as a way out of our neighborhood; she envisioned a future full of hope and comfort for me. She clearly chose the right school because it has lead to my successful career as a student.

Thanks to scholarships, grants, and the support of my community, I will be attending and living on campus at SDSU in the fall. It started at PB where my teachers Mrs. Buckel, Mr. Hollis and Mr. Sloan were very kind, attentive and inspiring. They loved teaching and it always made me want to learn.

I have always been told, Latina women do not go to college, and they could not be smarter than men. We were supposed to find a good husband and start a family. But I wanted more. At PB, I took advanced courses, which gave me a taste of what high school would be like. The transition from middle school to high school was hard because I didn’t have my mother, but I had a family of friends and PB staff and teachers that helped me along my journey.

In high-school I was motivated to enter the AVID and the IB Program at Mission Bay High.

These classes are challenging, but they stimulate your mind. I strengthened my writing skills and learned to manage my time. I took IB Spanish, Biology, and Psychology. I enjoyed psychology the most because it explained a lot about people and allowed me to understand behavior better.

Due to my experience in the IB program I am prepared to take on a college courses, and enter a university with credits. College will allow me to have a stable environment where I can learn and grow.

I want to continue studying Psychology, for it will enable me to be in a position where I can help others.

Your journey has begun, and a new chapter opened. Now is your time! You have to make the right choices that will ensure your success.

Because it is our choice, and it is our freedom.

Make change happen when you enter high school!

One person CAN make a difference.

What we do not only affects us, but those around us. Leave your mark in this world Class of 2009!

Thank you, Sinai Cota, Mission Bay High School senior and PB Middle graduate

ARE THE WAVES ONLY KNEE-HIGH?

ARE YOU BORED AND NEED A NEW BOOK TO READ?

CHECK THESE OUT!

Add to the list - e-mail your suggestions to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Alternative Perspectives

- Online Reading: International Online Library Introduce your little brothers and sisters to language. Practice your language here or learn something new. If you're babysitting, this is a great too for you to read to the kids over summer. And...it's free.

- Asia Society online books for free.

- The Voice and Viewpoint (The Online Edition of San Diego's Premier African American Newspaper.)

- List of Internationally Recognized Days (eg: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women)

- PBMS Ideas for MYP Books & films for 2009/2010.

Check out these titles for FREE at your school or public library or view online.

MYP ARTS

6th Arts: Exploring World Art by Belloli, Andrea P. A

7th Arts: The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash Course in Art History from

Prehistoric to Post-Modern by Strickland, Carol

8th Arts: Photography: An Illustrated History by Sandler, Martin

MYP LANGUAGE A: ENGLISH

6th English: The space between our footsteps: poems and paintings from the

Middle East America street : a multicultural anthology of stories

Anahita's woven riddle by Sayres, Meghan Nuttall

All of the above: a novel by Pearsall, Shelley (community theme)

Off to war: voices of soldiers' children by Ellis, Deborah

(Mr Gildehaus's Recommendation) Inheritance Cycle (Eragon, Eldest, Brisinger) by Paolini, Christopher

7th English: Brian's Winter (Gary Paulsen)

Call of the Wild (Jack London)

Hatchet (Gary Paulsen)

Julie of the Wolves (Jean Craighead George)

My Side of the Mountain (Jean Craighead George)

Summer of the Swans (Betsy Byars)

Walk Two Moons (Sharon Creech)

Whirligig (Paul Fleischman)

The Boggart (Susan Cooper)

Eragon (Christopher Paolini)

The Music of the Dolphins (Karen Hesse)

Apprentice (Pilar Molina Llorente)

Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit (Uehashi, Nahoko)

Blue fingers: a ninja's tale by Whitesel, Cheryl Aylward

8th English: Heroes : a novel by Cormier, Robert

I am the cheese by Cormier, Robert

Nothing but the truth : a documentary novel by Avi

New found land: Lewis and Clark's voyage of discovery: a novel by Wolf,

Allan

Jerk, California by Friesen, Jonathan (13 & up only)

The Mzungu boy by Mwangi, Mej (view of former colonial rule of Kenya)

Sweetgrass basket by Carvell, Marlen (forced assimilation)

Sunrise over Fallujah

by Myers, Walter Dean (14+ for graphic language)

The Disappeared by Whelan, Gloria (13+)

The greatest speeches of all-time: Part one [videorecording]

The Arrival by Shaun Tan (wordless book)

MYP HUMANITIES

6th Ancient Civilizations: Early Humans by Wilkinson, Phil, ed.

Ramose Prince in Exile : Ramose and the Tomb Robbers, Ramose: Sting of the Scorpion and Ramose: the Wrath of Ra by Carole Wilkinson

7th World History & Geography: World Religions: The Great Faiths Explored

and Explained. 2006. DK. by Bowker, John

8th U.S. History & Geography- Night John

Soldiers Heart

Narrative of Fredrick Douglas

The United States Constitution: a graphic adaptation by Hennessey, Jonathan

The brothers' war : Civil War voices in verse by Lewis, J. Patrick

Cuando callaron las armas by Iturralde, Edna (hispanohablantes)

Numbering all the bones by Rinaldi, Ann

The real revolution: the global story of American independence by Aronson,

Marc

10 days that unexpectedly changed America [videorecording]

The French Revolution [videorecording]

MYP MATHEMATICS

6th Math: Safari Adventure: Charts, Graphs, And Tables

7th Math: Ayres, Ian. Super Crunchers: Why Thinking-By-Numbers is the New

Way to Be Smart (College Bound)

8th Math: Do The Math: Secrets, Lies, And Algebra by Lichtman, Wendy

(fiction)

Damned lies and statistics : untangling numbers from the media, politicians,

and activists by Best, Joel (mature mathematical readers only)

MYP PHYSICAL EDUCATION

6th Physical Education: Welcome To The Ancient Olympics!: Ancient Greek

Olympics

A Little Piece of Ground- is set in the West bank town of Ramallah during the Israeli occpation. A group of Palestinian boys try against the odds to maintain a small piece of ground where they can play soccer in a period of great suffering.

7th Physical Education: Super size me [videorecording]

8th Physical Education: Let Me Play: The Story of Title IX: The Law That Changed the Future of Girls in America by Blumenthal, Karen

MYP SCIENCES

6th Earth Science: Water Power BY Maheny, Ian

Tracking trash: flotsam, jetsam, and the science of ocean motion by Burns,

Loree Griffi

Global climate change [videorecording]

An inconvenient truth [videorecording]

7th Life Science: Tree Of Life: The Incredible Biodiversity Of Life On Earth

The Devil’s Teeth: A True Story of Obsession and Survival Among America’s

Great White Sharks by Casey, Susan (College Bound List)

The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body by Macaulay, David

(College Bound list)

Cracking the code of life [videorecording]

8th Physical Science: Search And Rescue: Heat And Energy Transfer

Lost discoveries: the ancient roots of modern science--from the Babylonians

to the Maya

by Teresi, Dic (high level readers only)

(hispanohablantes) Quimica cotidiana by Magloff, Lisa

Fuerza y movimiento by Magloff, Lisa

MYP LANGUAGE B: SPANISH

Spanish 6th grade and 1/2 Spanish: The tree is older than you are : a

bilingual gathering of poems & stories from Mexico with paintings by Mexican

artists

Ghost fever = Mal de fantasma by Hayes, Joe

Spanish for Spanish Speakers: El principe de la niebla by Ruiz Zafon Carlos

Antes de ser libres by Alvarez, Julia

95 libras de esperanza by Gavalda, Ann

Cuando callaron las armas by Iturralde, Edna

Amar y otros verbos by Fernandez, Ana Maria (traducido de Francés)

El ano de nuestra revolucion: cuentos y poemas by Ortiz Cofer, Judith (13+

edad)

El secreto de If by Conejo, Ana Isabel

Una dulce historia de mariposas y libelulas by Sierra i Fabra, Jordi

Siete habitaciones a oscuras (cuentos cortos por adolescentes)

MYP TECHNOLOGY

6th Technology: How To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Potato Clocks And Solar Cars: Renewable And Nonrenewable Energy

7th Technology: The Genomics Age: How DNA Technology is Transforming the Way

We Live and Who We Are by by Smith, Gina (College Bound List)

8th Technology: Jones, Chris. Out of Orbit: The Incredible True Story of

Three Astronauts Who Were Hundreds of Miles Above Earth When They Lost Their

Ride Home. 2008. Broadway Books. (College Bound list)

(hispanohablante) El cine no fue siempre asi by Cerda, Marcelo

General Middle Years Programme Titles

Taking it Global (Global issues focused blogs, Panorama Youth Magazine, Youth media, etc.)

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking - The Universe in a Nutshell by

Stephen

Hawking

Thirty-three multicultural tales to tell / Pleasant DeSpain, and Joe

Shlichta. -- Little Rock : August House, c1993. A collection of folktales

from around the world, selected for their "tellability."

What Do You Stand For? For Teens: A Guide To Building Character by Lewis,

Barbara A.

Avoiding plagiarism [videorecording] English and Spanish

AOI - HEALTH AND SOCIAL EDUCATION

Voices of Youth (Webpage) in English, French and Spanish

Danny, Champion of the World by Roald Dahl

Bound by Napoli by Donna Jo (fiction)

Among the Hidden by Haddix, Margaret Peterson (fiction)

The Giver, Lowry, Lois (fiction)

Heroes by Cormier, Robert (fiction)

Faithful Elephants (picture book but for middle)

Bones that Float by Grady-Grossman, Kari (8th only)

Iqbal

Afghan Dreams: Young Voices Of Afghanistan

Real Families: Figuring Out Your Family And Where You Fit In

Dinosaur in a Haystack : reflections in natural

history (and other collections) by Stephen Jay Gould

America street / Anne Mazer, and Anne Mazer. -- New York : Persea Books,

1993. Fourteen stories by American authors from diverse racial and cultural

backgrounds, including Duane Big Eagle, Nicholasa Mohr, Lensey Namioka, and

Robert Cormier.

Melting pot or not / Paula Angle Franklin. -- Springfield, N.J : Enslow

Publishers, c1995. Debates whether new immigrants should maintain their

cultural identity, or become "Americanized."

Coming of age in America / Mary Frosch, and Mary Frosch. -- New York : New

Press, 1995, c1994. Anthology of that explores coming of age in fifteen

different ethnic groups in the U.S.

Half and half / Claudine C O'Hearn, and Claudine C O'Hearn. -- New York :

Pantheon Books, c1998. Contains eighteen essays in which the authors discuss

the difficulties and benefits of being biracial and bicultural.

We Need to Go to School: Voices from the Rugmark Children by Roberts-Davis,

Tanya

Hungry Planet: What the World Eats by Menzel, Peter

A Life Like Mine by DK Publishing

Material World: A Global Family Portrait by Menzel, Peter and Charles C.

Mann

Women in the Material World by D'Aluisio, Faith and Peter Menzel

First in the Family: Advice About College from First-Generation Students by

Cushman, Kathleen

Pox, pus & plague: a history of disease and infection by Townsend, John

The surrender tree: poems of Cuba's struggle for freedom by Engle, Margarite

Mismatch :a novel by Namioka, Lensey (a modern-day Romeo and Juliet)

Runaway [videorecording]

Samir and Yonatan by Carmi, Daniella

Kiss the Dust Tara and her family are forced to flee Iraq because of her father's involvement in the Kurdish resistance movement. A very moving story of the plight of a family who become refugees. (12 - 17 years)  by Elizabeth Laird

The Garbage King is a sensitive portrayal of life as a street kid in Ethiopia. Mamo is kidnapped as a boy and taken to the country but he escapes and makes his way back to the city where he meets up with other street kids by Elizabeth Laird

Against the Storm  Mehmet's family leave their beautiful village to go and live in the city of Ankara where they become trapped in poverty. (12 years up) by Gaye Hicyilmaz 

The Frozen Waterfall pb $14.95  Selda is 12 years old when she leaves Turkey with her mother and sisters to join her (dominating) father in Switzerland. Life is not easy for Selda but she is independent and determined. (11 - 14 years) years) by Gaye Hicyilmaz

Cathryn Clinton
A Stone in My Hand by Cathryn Clinton
Set in Gaza during the Israeli occupation of 1988 & 89, this story is told through the eyes of eleven year old Malaak the despair that follows her father's disappearance and his feared death and how it affects the family. (11 years up)

Benny and Omar by Eoin Colfer, Benny is devastated when he has to leave Ireland and his hurling friends and go and live in Tunisia. He is a rebel and finds the unthreatening friendly atmosphere of the international school very strange and feels more at ease with a young homeless Tunisian boy who is forced to live life on the edge. Colfer succeeds in giving a believable, unsentimental portrayal of poverty and homelessness. (10 - 15 years)

AOI-HUMAN INGENUITY

The Radioactibe Boy Scout by Ken Silverstein

Sports Technology by Fridell, Ron

Best, Joel. Damned Lies and Statistics: Untangling Numbers from the Media,

Politicians, and Activists.

Confused by all the contradicting statistical data being bantered around by

advertisers and the media? Best explains how these statistics are created

and their social implications, which will help you distinguish truth from

hype. (College bound)

Roach, Mary. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. 2003. W.W. Norton.

Discover the amazing life-after-death adventures of human bodies in this

examination of how medical and research scientists use cadavers to make our

lives better. (College Bound list)

Accidental inventions [videorecording]

AOI - ENVIRONMENTS

An Ocean of Air: Why the Wind

Blows and other Mysteries of the Atmosphere by Gabrielle Walker

Rubbish!: The Archeology of

Garbage by William L. Rathje/ Cullen Murphy

Frida Kahlo: An Artist Celebrates Life

Biomes And Ecosystems by Davis, Barbara

Inconvenient Truth: The Crisis Of Global Warming by Gore, Al

Shooting Under Fire: The World of the War Photographers by Howe, Peter

Collapse: how societies choose to fail or succeed by Diamond, Jared M (high

level readers)

Tracking trash: flotsam, jetsam, and the science of ocean motion by Burns,

Loree Griffi

(Mr. Gildehaus's recommendation: Fantastic Mr. Fox by Dahl, Roald)

Weedflower by Kadohata, Cynthi (novel about the U.S. forced Japanese

Internment camps)

Source of life: water in our environment [videorecording]

How much land does a man need [videorecording]

AOI - APPROACHES TO LEARNING

Learning About Energy With Graphic Organizers

All Of The Above by Pearsall, Shelley

Too Old for This, Too Young for That!: Your Survival Guide for the

Middle-School Years

by Harriet Mosatche, Ph.D. and Karen M. Unger

A comprehensive guide for preteens filled with information and advice to

help you make the jump from a kid to a teenager. Topics include self-esteem,

family relationships, friendships, school and extracurricular activities.

Survey of 300 A+ Students by Green, Kenneth

Yoga for the Brain: Daily Writing Stretches that Keep Minds Flexible and

Strong

How to Avoid English Teachers' Pet Peeves : Improve your writing by

eliminating the common errors that English teachers see most often.

Zeezy: Real Life Resources for Students (Getting Organized, Study Skills &

Positive Communication for Grades 6 and Up by Bridges, Lisa

School Skills 101: Get better grades, save time, and reduce stress.

(Paperback)

by Holdbrooks Townsel, Kim

Flocabulary: the hip-hop approach to SAT-level vocabulary building

Give Me Shelter (immigrant narratives)

AOI - COMMUNITY AND SERVICE

The Kid's Guide to Social Action: How to Solve the Social Problems You

Choose-And Turn Creative Thinking into Positive Action by Lewis, Barbara A.

The Kid's Guide to Service Projects: Over 500 Service Ideas for Young People

Who Want to Make a Difference (Self-Help for Kids Series)

Listen to Us: The World's Working Children by Springer, Jane (8th only)

The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth

by Javna, Sophie

Everything Kids' Environment Book: Learn how you can help the environment-by

getting involved at school, at home, or at play

In Our Village: Kambi ya Simba Through the Eyes of Its Youth by the students

at Awet Secondary School in Tanzania, East Africa and What Kids Can Do

All of the above : a novel by Pearsall, Shelle

Someone named Eva by Wolf, Joan M. (alternative view of "service)

Disclaimer: Read these titles at your own risk. Because these titles reflect

the IB learner profile, they focus on being open-minded and may have graphic

themes or language as well as alternative viewpoints. When available we have

listed minimum ages for some titles for more mature readers. Your families

are the ones who decide what summer reading is suggested and

appropriate for your families. Each family has a different perspective on

what is appropriate for a given age and each child has different interests,

background experiences, and religious or cultural beliefs that may effect

their reading preferences. We listed a wide variety of titles for a wide

variety of interests on this list. These titles also reflect the current PB

theme of International Waters and the IB theme of Peace, Conflict and

Poverty. The areas of interaction are also listed here and represent the IB

curriculum focus. This list was compiled by different people and reflect

multiple viewpoints and research from multiple resources chosen for their

multiple perspectives. No one teacher, department head, or staff member is

responsible for these titles. Please research summaries and reviews and

consult your parent or guardian to decide if these titles are appropriate.

We'd love to hear from you in September. Share with us your suggestions for 2010.

For Students

For Service Ideas Click on the IB Link Above