Sent: Thursday, July 13, 2000 3:54 PM Subject: Encina Update (homecoming/siblings/search/teachers/gradeschool pix/classes/teaching/lance ballance/cathy steinkoenig/whats new) ENCINA ALUMNI, Some of you noticed there was no update last week. I was on vacation last week and decided to take a week off from the Encina website too . The first reunion of the summer is upon us. This Saturday is the class of 75's 25 year reunion! This week I received RSVPs for the Homecoming 2000 party from Encina staff members John Sander and Elise Wolz. John Sander was the 1000th subscriber to the Encina Update mailing list! We added 100 alumni and staff to the mailing list in the past five weeks. HOMECOMING 2000 PARTY All Encina alumni and staff and their families are invited to the Homecoming 2000 party. Date: Friday, October 20, 2000 Location: 707 Commons Dr, Sacramento, CA 95825 (corner of Commons and Campus Commons) Time: 5pm to 2am (game from 7-10pm at El Camino HS) The venue is an office building located in Campus Commons at the corner of Commons and Campus Commons Dr. Many thanks to Kathleen O'Neill Cabe 79 for offering to host the homecoming party. Her husband's law offices are located are the first floor. We will have access to a small indoor lobby area, bathrooms, a small kitchen and conference rooms where we could set up tables for the potluck. There is a large terrace in front of the building along with a large lawn area between the building and Commons Dr. In back of the building is a partly covered walkway which runs the length of the building and ends in a gazebo. A large parking lot is located behind the building. The entrance to the lot is from University Ave. There is also lots of street parking available on Commons Dr and Campus Commons Dr. The building is located in a beautiful wooded area of Campus Commons. There does not appear to be much street traffic so the lawn area is reasonably safe for children. The lobby is small so I would guess we'll spend the pregame party outside on the terrace, the lawn and in the back walkway. Hope for good weather as we'd probably have trouble squeezing more than 100 people indoors... I anticipate poor attendance for a night football game if the weather is bad in any case. Last year the homecoming game was just before Halloween and the weather was very pleasant. Keep your fingers crossed. As far as the post game party goes, we can stay late but the outside areas are not lighted plus it may get cold. If we have too many people we will have problems squeezing all of us indoors. It's about 10 minutes from Campus Commons to El Camino HS where the game will be played. There are pictures of the bulding here: Note that this party is free and being organized by volunteers. We're going to need lots of help to make this a successful party. There are about 30 folks on the homecoming party mailing list who have volunteered to help. If you wish to help or participate in the discussion on the mailing list let me know. HOMECOMING RSVPS We have about 200 RSVPs from Encina alumni and staff, not counting guests or family! I received an rsvp from Encina math teacher John Sander. I contacted John after getting his phone number from the class of 65 mailing list for Encina staff and was surprised to find he remembered me from his excellent calculus class. John taught at Encina from 1959-94 and now teaches at American River. John has email. I also received an rsvp from Encina German and French teacher Elise Wolz, who taught at Encina from 1960-76. Elise is suffering from macular degeneration in her eyes and is unable to use a computer or email. Elise said she feels very left out sometimes without email or access to the internet. Elise is looking forward to seeing her old colleagues and students. I'm still trying to contact Cornelia Whitaker. I've verified that I have the right address but the phone number is busy continuously. Christine Kojima has contacted someone at the district office to try and get a current phone number for me. The rsvps are distributed as follows: staff: 28 1961: 6 1962: 2 1963: 2 1964: 3 1965: 7 1966: 1 1967: 2 1968: 4 1969: 2 1970: 8 1971: 4 1972: 7 1973: 21 (first) 1974: 4 1975: 6 1976: 5 1977: 6 1978: 8 1979: 6 1980: 6 1981: 9 1982: 3 1983: 3 1984: 1 1985: 11 (third) 1986: 13 (second) 1987: 1 1988: 3 1989: 4 1990: 7 1991: 2 1992: - 1993: 1 1994: 2 1995: - 1996: - 1997: - 1998: - 1999: - 2000: - The class of 73 is still leading with 21, while the class of 86 has 13 and the class of 85 has 11. Staff RSVPs: Eleanor Brown Jack Bassett Shirley Bordisso Jack Carey Eric Dahlin Don Day Jack Dutton Evelyn Fedler Don Golden Laverne Gonzales Kathy Howser Bob Kirrene Christine Kojima Rees Lee Vince Marelich Karen McClelland Lee Susan McGuire Joe Patitucci Marilyn Carlson Spartz Terry Reed John Sander (new) JoAnne Smith Larry Stallings Bob Trathen Tom Wilde Judy Wilson Elise Wolz (new) Stephanie Woo New alumni RSVPs: Greg Vitaich 62 Tom Sertich 65 Lynda Hulin Armitage 70 Joetta Nevis Connors 72 Scott Cook 76 Carol Markell Keller 78 David Robinson 79 Mary DiStasio Hoffman 80 Please RSVP if you think you will be attending the homecoming alumni party this fall: http://www.encinahighschool.com/homecoming/homecoming_form.htm I'll keep the RSVP list on the Homecoming 2000 page up to date so you can check and see who's going: http://www.encinahighschool.com/homecoming/homecoming2000.htm SIBLINGS Joe Kramer 84 wrote: Joe Kramer 84 Mike Kramer 84 Joe Kramer 84 is in contact with Cara Schmitt 84 Shannon Fisher 90 is in contact with: Korenna Sinn 90 Cher Michael 90 Karen Darkenwald 75 wrote: Karen Darkenwald 75 Janet Darkenwald 77 Linda Darkenwald 79 Susan Darkenwald 83 Robert McCue 79 wrote: Margaret McCue 75 Robert McCue 79 Rodger Ogren 65 wrote: Rodger Ogren 65 Linda Ogren 66 Kim Kazee 90 is in contact with: Rina Ambaram 90 Tammy Good 90 Henry Meier 80 is in contact with: Scott Simon 80 Steve Perata 79 Lisa Perata 81 Mike Skube 80 Paul Sheehan 80 Randy Abbott 69 is married to Leslie Pearsall Abott 69 Craig Walker 81 is in contact with: Brian Boyle 81 Bill Kehoe 81 Lori Kehoe 76 ALUMNI SEARCH We located Shannon Fisher 90, Cher Michael 90 and Korenna Sinn 90. TEACHERS Jeanne Kern 65 sent me the 65 teacher mailing list and it had a lot of new contact information. I've updated the Teachers&Staff page with the new teachers which were on the list: http://www.encinahighschool.com/teachers.htm GRADE SCHOOL PICTURES Last week Ben Franklin 73 was good enough to send me two class pictures from Greer Elementary School. The first picture is of Mrs Elms' first grade class and the second is of Mrs Warner's third grade class. I received additional pictures from Ben for Edison along with one from Betsy Dozier 73 with promises of more pictures from Greer from Heather Kendall 73, from Sierra Oaks from Diane Schoenborn Kelly 73, and from St Ignatius from Cathy Steinkoenig 72/73. It has been a long term project of mine to add elementary school pictures to the Encina website as many of us attended the same elementary schools before Encina. Since Ben sent me these pictures, the class of 73 was the first class to have grade school pictures online. I've created a gradeschool section of the 73 homepage which will have a page for each elementary school: If you would like to add your grade school pictures to your class homepage, scan them and send them my way. I would prefer 200dpi jpeg images. Please identify all the people you can. So dig out those old grade school pictures and get them online. It's great fun to check out how we looked in those golden years so long ago. CLASSES 1965 REUNION Chuck Long 65 asked me to include this note from the reunion committee: The 35th reunion of the Encina Class of 65, "Blast From The Past" on August 19th, is almost here. I you plan to attend, we really need your ticket payments by August 10th if at all possible. The Reunion Committee would greatly appreciate this favor in order to be able to pay required and necessary deposits. We have great entertainment lined up for the evening, including the Contenders/New Breed and others great local artists of the time. Many former teachers will be there, so no smoking in the bathrooms! Don't Miss out-- Send your money in NOW!!! Date: August 19, 2000 Place: Unitarian Church 2425 Sierra Blvd (between Howe and Fulton) Sacramento, CA 1970 REUNION Date: Saturday, October 21, 2000 Where: Doubletree Hotel 1975 REUNION The reunion is this Saturday! Please send pictures and I will be glad to add them to the 75 homepage so that those who could not attend can experience the reunion vicariously. Jenny Bender was kind enough to invite me and my wife but I'm afraid we cannot make it this Saturday. Where: The Sutter Club (1220 9th Street, Sacramento) When: Saturday, July 15, 2000 Time: 630 - 1130 pm Contact: Jenny Bender Bittner (916-972-8530) Jay Michael (916-978-9611) 1980 REUNION Where: The Firehouse When: October 14, 2000 1984 REUNION First planning meeting for the 20th reunion: Date: Wednesday, August 2, 2000 Time: 730pm Place: Susan Hobson's home 1985 Melinda Cope sent me the class mailing list. There were many 85 alumni on the class mailing list who were not in the alumni database. I've added their names to the 85 class directory so you know who is contactable. Check it out: http://www.encinahighschool.com/directory/directory85.htm 1990 REUNION Date: Saturday, October 21, 2000 Place: TBD Denyce Bellinger wrote that classmates should plan to attend the Homecoming 2000 party on Friday, October 20th and the 10 year reunion on Saturday, October 21st. TEACHING Gregory Albright 78 wrote: Thank you for the article from the Wall Street Journal. I am posting it in the school where I teach. The example of Ms. Abad is typical of teachers in private schools here in New England as well, where the economic disparity is even greater. Teaching is a 'calling', a professional calling, and teachers must speak up and demand the respect they deserve. Pay is often not commensurate with the true importance of a job. Would parents pay more if it meant better education? In the public sector it has not, dollars don't necessarily buy test scores. Parents often would like to think that education should prepare their child to fit into the economy and to be painless. But this is not the reality of growing up. Growing up is sometimes difficult and means becoming an individual, not a consumer. Teaching children for a full, satisfying life and preparing consumers are not one and the same thing. Parents need to be aware of how they want their child prepared to meet the world, is it for a happy and fulfilling life? Tests don't measure satisfaction and future happiness. It is assumed that happiness is derived from financial success. Happiness results from becoming an individual in the world. Education can have a profound effect, not only on mental capacities and earning potential, but the health and well being of children later in life. If teachers are continued to be paid low wages and disrespected they will be unable to persue the kind of work demanded of them by the children developing today. In schools all over the technologically sophisticated world, children are entering classrooms with more disabilities. It is common for half a class to have some form of learning problem. This is not only disadvantaged children, in fact, some problems specifically effect children of well educated families. Many of the less severe problems must be ignored by schools due to short resources. If a disability is detected, the district must pay for help. But at the same time budgets (and salaries) are being capped. We need well regarded professionals, educated and prepared to do the special work required. When society does not provide this, the teachers and students loose and children slip through the cracks. Is this how we want our children treated? No wonder parents are pushy! The new challenges facing teachers demand a deeper understanding of the human being in order to work with a child to overcome these difficult blocks to their destiny. Often the people working with the children needing the most help are the least prepared and lowest paid. The future of many children, if not our society, depends on teachers being freed of economic pressure to focus on their profession. Parents should be mighty concerned about their child's education and inform themselves of the current crisis. If society would go to any length to save a life through medical intervention, why not save a life at the beginning? Don't children need a healthy educational start as well? Gregory Albright Waldorf Educator White River Junction, VT LANCE BALLANCE Lance Ballance 85 wrote: Just a quick note to let you know that my hours have changed at KBIG. I'm now on the air from Noon-4pm (Yes, I still do that god-forsaken disco hour....:)) CATHY STEINKOENIG Cathy Steinkoenig 72/73 wrote: Occupation: Payroll Manager for Gensler, Architecture, Design and Planning Worldwide Bio: Got my Bachelor's in German from CSUS (thank you, Mrs Kojima!)and spent my Junior year at the University of Heidelberg. Had a VAGUE notion of working in Europe -- Ha! How I ended up in accounting, I'll never understand. At least the languages have stood me in good stead with various of my obsessions, like opera. I moved to the Bay Area in 1979. Thought for a time that I would try to have a career in opera, but decided that I preferred a steady paycheck. Until a few years ago (when my current job fully consumed my life) I performed in community theater in the San Francisco Bay Area and gave classical recitals. Hoping to get some of those aspects back in my life soon. Trivia: 1989 was a very interesting year for me -- I won a bunch of money in a radio contest, quit my job and went to Europe for several months. Came back and interviewed for my current job the day before the Loma Prieta earthquake, and less than a month after starting my job, a crane fell off the top of a building at Kearny and California Streets and missed me by THIS much (I was injured, but it could have been worse). Eerily enough, I now work in the building the crane fell off. Friends: I've lost touch with everyone from Encina but Charlene Devere -- we grew up together. I remember "The Trilogy" fondly and was very sad to learn of Lynne Vasquez' passing. Hobbies: Music, reading, travel, cooking Memorable_teachers: Mrs. Kojima and Miss Wolz, for giving me a lifelong love of languages. Mr. Lawrence -- the coolest English teacher that ever was. WHAT'S NEW 7/12/00: Jeff Howser 86 update, Marci Sanschagrin 86 update, Teeandra McIntyre 87, Richard Rivas 90/bio, Craig Walker 81/bio, Brian Boyle 81 7/11/00: Kevin Black 86, Cathy Steinkoenig 72/73/bio 7/10/00: John Jensen 83 update, Margie Hyland 73 update, Michael Skube 80 7/9/00: Catherine Steinkoenig 72/73 7/8/00: Jamie Simmons 84 update, Bert Lau 81 update, Anika Swisher 80, Randy Abbott 69, Leslie Pearsall 69 7/7/00: Michelle Ford 78, Janis Rufino 61 7/6/00: Kim Kazee 90 bio, Henry Meier 80/bio, Steve Perata 79, Mike Skube 80, Paul Sheehan 80 7/5/00: Peter Simon 77 update, Victoria Stafford 98 update, Patti Hereford 75, Kenneth Clayton 69 bio, Robin Fischer 82 7/3/00: Stephen Frei 77 7/1/00: Karen Darkenwald 75/bio, Janet Darkenwald 77, Linda Darkenwald 79, Susan Darkenwald 83, Paul Bean 75, Robert McCue 79, Eugene Montano 75, Rodger Ogren 65, Shannon Fisher 90, Cher Michael 90, Korenna Sinn 90 6/29/00: Suzi Howard 65 update, Kim Kazee 90, Michelle Johnston 88, Teresa Wooten 75, Joe Kramer 84/bio, Michael Kramer 84, Pat Power 77 Don't forget to RSVP for the homecoming party: www.encinahighschool.com/homecoming/homecoming_form.htm and submit your contact information or bio: contact: www.encinahighschool.com/directory/submit_contact.htm bio: www.encinahighschool.com/submit_bio.htm Harlan Lau '73 Encina webmaster www.encinahighschool.com harlan@rambus.com