Raven Report Sequoia High School
Volume V, Issue 1
1201 Brewster Ave. Redwood City, CA 94062
Sequoia’s prayers answered by new administrator Priest
Sequoia Says...
How do you feel about the new later start to the school day?
By SARINA GROSS Editor-in-Chief
“I really like the schedule change. I’m always on time now. I was constantly late and rushing when school started at 8 a.m.” —Senior Charissa Teller
Sequoia welcomes new Administrative Vice Principal Sean Priest, who served last year as Dean of Students at Menlo-Atherton High School. Priest transferred to Sequoia to replace last school year’s Administrative Vice Principals Ricardo Cooke and Donald Milhaupt, after one administrative position was lost due to millions of dollars in budget cuts last year. Priest said Sequoia has been welcoming and he is excited for the new school year. “I’ve been really lucky to never have a job that I didn’t love, and that hasn’t changed this year,” Priest said. Priest said his experience as a teacher has influenced the way he connects with students. Before becoming Dean of Students at M-A, Priest taught Spanish and AVID classes at South San Francisco High School for seven years. Because of his previous position as an AVID teacher, Priest said he tries to provide students with as many oppor-
“I hate getting out later. I had to turn down a job opportunity because they asked me to start at 3:30. No job I know is going to hire someone who can’t even start until 4 p.m.” —Senior Cameron Logie “I get a lot more sleep and I’ve noticed I’m more focused in class. I think I will do a lot better this year.” — Sophomore Devon Marmol
“I don’t really mind it. Thirty minutes doesn’t make a big difference. I don’t think I’m getting more or less sleep.” —Junior Nick Pauley
“I love it for many reasons: I’m not a morning person, I can take my daughter to school without having to worry about being late, and I feel more awake in the morning and ready to go.” Math teacher Joshua —Activities Director Yezerski surveyed his two Lauren Reibstein Pre-Calc classes about their feelings towards the schedule change. “I had about 25 against it and 5 for it in both classes. For me, the big thing is the traffic in the morning; It’s worse later in the morning.” —Math teacher Joshua Yezerski Photos by Sarina Gross
Feature:
Survival guide to Sequoia High School Pages 2-3
September 15, 2011
Photo by Sarina Gross
Administrative Vice Principal Sean Priest was a Jeopardy contestant and taught high school humanities in Mexico. tunities as possible for life af- know what they are saying.” Priest has other hidden talter high school. ents. In February, Priest won After a year of teaching humanities to high school $1,000 on the show Jeopardy. students in Mexico, Priest In addition to being a trivia became fluent in Spanish. He extraordinaire, Priest is an said his bilingual skills have avid traveler. He said he and his wife try to plan a trip every been helpful at Sequoia. “I’m not sure if everybody summer to some place new knows I speak Spanish yet,” and immerse themselves in Priest said. “Kids in the hall the different cultures. “We are very lucky to have will be talking and then I’ll come up and they will start Mr. Priest,” Principal Bonnie speaking Spanish like I don’t Hansen said.
Schedules change as enrollment tops 2000 By ANNA DAGUM and CAROLINE LEMPERT Close to forty students unexpectedly enrolled at Sequoia this year, increasing our total student enrollment to over 2000. Three weeks into school, multiple scheduling changes occurred to accommodate this growth. “Sequoia unexpectedly grew over the summer beyond the number of expected students,” Instructional Vice-Principal Lisa Gleaton said. “Those extra students were not taken into account when making the master schedule, hiring, assigning rooms, lockers, etc... [but] we shoved them in anyway. Teachers went over their contractual limits, classes were huge and no one was happy,” said Gleaton. To ensure a direct student-to-teacher relationship, the teachers’ union limits the number of students one teacher can have to 172,
Opinion:
Only girl in the world... without a Facebook Page 4
according to history teacher Marc Crownover. Although the over-enrollment was evident in the first days, teachers had to keep a tally of students until the district acknowledged Sequoia’s predicament on Sept. 2. Fourteen teachers were over their contracted limit. In response, administration and guidance spent the weekend of Sept. 9 busily interviewing, hiring, making hundreds of schedule changes, and rearranging sections in an effort to reduce class sizes. Students received notice on Monday, Sept. 12. Although there are negative implications of the rising population, the numbers mean that Sequoia’s popularity is increasing due to years of hard work put in by our staff. “Former Principal Marchbanks and Principal Hansen have had to spend an enormous amount of energy trying to change our reputation,” said Crownover. “It has worked!”
180 students responded to a Facebook survey:
Do you like the new later start?
72% No 14% Yes 14% Does not affect me
sequoia survival guide
Welcome back! For those of you who are new this year and haven’t already figured out the campus boundaries during lunch or how to read the room numbers in the hallways, check out this survival guide. Complete with the best bathroom on campus, the biggest traffic jam during passing periods, classrooms to know and love, this map will supply you with tips and tricks on how to embrace the Sequoia lifestyle.
LOCKER BUDDIES
Always be friendly to your locker neighbors because you will be seeing them four to six times a day.
SENIOR PARKING LOT
B-QUAD BATHROOM BLISS
TEEN RESOURCE CENTER
Park here at your own risk. Foul balls have been known to shatter windshields.
While many restrooms are spoiled with broken hand dryers and clogged drains, the B-quad bathroom is by far the nicest bathroom. Let’s keep it this way!
Come here for free counseling services and SAFE programs after school.
PASSING PERIODS
Avoid having loud, lengthy and overenthusiastic reunions with your friends during passing periods. It’s annoying. People have classes to get to.
SEQUOIA SEAL
Do not touch! Nunca lo tocas! It doesn’t matter what language you speak, Ravokees know not to touch the seal to avoid bad luck.
ANTARCTICA
IB ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEM AND SOCIETIES’ GARDEN
Throughout the day, it’s normal to go from subzero arctic conditions in the 200 and 300 wings of the main building to that sticky, lethargic, too-hot-to-focus-on-anything temperature in the math wing. Wear layers and check the weather beforehand so you can focus on school work and not the bead of sweat dribbling down your nose.
There’s a secret garden on campus. No, really! It may not look like much at first sight, but the IBESS class has spent class periods upon class periods observing and working in the field.
LOCKER ROOM
Locker rooms may be smelly, dirty, and whatnot, but it may be your only ticket to getting clean after a hard workout. Try to shower first. The lukewarm water only lasts so long.
VENDING HAVEN
Knowing where these metal-clad machines are located is a must. What teenager can live without Hot Cheetos and Nutter Butters?
JAPANESE TEA GARDEN It’s banned. Don’t go there.
BIGGEST TRAFFIC JAM
All halls seem crowded when the one minute bell rings and you’re caught in a standstill. However, we have come to the conclusion that this junction in the downstairs of the main building has the most tall people, the most frustration, and the highest average heart rate.
PARENT CENTER The Parent Center helps families get through the many complicated details of school and college applications. Go to a meeting on the second Tuesdays of each month.
IB ROOM For you IB and ICAP students, this room may be your new home. It is now in room 14 instead of room 44.
by anna dagum and laurel dearborn
4
opinion Staff Editorial
Unexpected schedule changes demand flexibility from both teachers and students
Student ‘likes’ living without Facebook
ever found those useless tidbits about other people amusing. Had social networking really beWhen I de- come that large a part of my life? I leted my Face- had always laughed off a comment on book over the our generation’s obsession with online summer, I only connections, thinking that older genthought I would erations just did not understand our gain a few extra evolving society. However, as I began minutes each to live without the lingering presence day. However, of Facebook, I found I was much betin the short ter off without social networking. In a Facebook-free life, daily intertime I’ve been Facebook-free, I have learned valuable lessons and gained actions with friends and classmates perspective on the ever-entwining re- have more value. There are so many lationship between teenagers and so- things that you would find out from Facebook, but 99 percent of them cial networking. I made a profile in 2008, and have didn’t matter. Now I only know about witnessed it take over our generation. the lives of people that actually matter Facebook trends have helped define to me, and what they tell me is a lot the past three years of teenage culture, more valuable because I’m hearing it for the first and only but there is a point at which it turns into “I was almost disappointed time from them, not from their profile. an incessant waste of when I realized that I no My daily routine time. How many paglonger had an outlet for has become much es of “Like my status more productive and for... :) <3” can you every detail of my life.” punctual. Homescroll through? work is done as soon Do I really care that Sally is dating Bob? No. Is the value of my life as I get home, without, “Oh I’ll just be increased because I spent 20 minutes on Facebook for five minutes…” situlooking through over-edited pictures ations. However, for all the needless overof people I’m not really friends with go to Great America? That shouldn’t load of information I’ve been spared, there are some benefits of Facebook even be a question. The decreasing entertainment value that are difficult to replace. As the and obvious time suck of Facebook president of a club, it’s harder to get prompted me to deactivate my ac- information out to a large group of count. By doing so, I removed myself people. I can no longer “friend” all of from the world of constant commu- the people in my math class, so if my nication, freeing up more elements of friends in the class aren’t picking up their phone, I’m out of luck. my life than I had anticipated. Social networking has become as esDuring the first couple of days, there were little things that prompted sential to one’s social life as sleepovers witty comments and rants, and as I and school dances. Teenagers get a reached for my phone to inform my Facebook because they want to be soFacebook friends what was “on my cially current, then they subconsciousmind,” I was almost disappointed ly allow it to take over more aspects of when I realized that I no longer had their life than intended. Its superficial an outlet for every detail of my life. I functions have become second nature further realized, after about two min- to most teenagers, and the postitive utes, that the thought was very insig- functions of Facebook are overshadnificant, and I was amazed at how I owed by overuse. However, when used in moderation had ever thought anyone else would care. I started reflecting on all the and for the right reasons, Facebook “Facebook stalking” I’d done in my 3 can enrich your social life and provide ½ years on the site (I’m not creepy I resourcses for various information. Emphasis on the “in moderation.” promise), and was amazed at how I’d
By CAROLINE LEMPERT Staff Reporter
With the largest student body in Sequoia’s history, patience and flexibility is needed more than ever. In the first few weeks of school, finding a lunch spot was difficult and walking through the crowded halls was virtually impossible without bumping into someone. Students packed into classrooms, some with over 40 students, leaving many without desks to write on. Now, three weeks into school, many students are receiving notice that their schedules have been changed. New teachers were hired to alleviate congested classrooms, but that resulted in many surprising schedule changes. Facebook statuses popped up showing frustration and confusion. Complaints were heard in hallways and bathrooms. We acknowledge that this situation isn’t ideal, but it affects more than just students. Some teachers have to prep for new classes and many share rooms. Counselors
are overwhelmed by the hundreds of students lining up, and even worked on the weekend. And administrators have been busy hiring new teachers while being bombarded with student complaints. While you may be upset that your crush is no longer in your class, or that a member of your project group has been transferred and the project is due tomorrow, or you want physics 2nd period instead of 5th period, these changes are ultimately made to help you learn. No one wants to be stuffed in a classroom with forty-one students. We think that students need to be accommodating and understanding to help everyone transition smoothly. Teachers, we hope that you can understand that students are struggling to deal with schedule changes and some feel lost in new classes or worried about their grades. We all need to work together in order to have a good year.
Sequoia High School
Raven Report 2011-2012
Editor-in-Chief Sarina Gross Layout Editor Caroline Lempert News Editor Laurel Dearborn Feature Editor Anna Dagum Staff Reporters Tiffany Ah Tye Neyra Bedolla Silva Hanna Bolaños Peter Bugos Erick Castro Jarrett Crowell Ty Dewes Cole Dunbar Araceli Efigenio Taisha Griffie Lily Hartzell Lauren Kirkpatrick Catalina Mares Sophie Miller Matthew Morrow Bogart Sandoval Ramirez Jr. Mission Statement The Raven Report strives to provide Sequoia High School with informative, engaging, and relevant news. The staff will exercise integrity amd adaptablitity while promoting justice and transparency through professional reporting about the school, the community, and the world. Letters to the Editor The Raven Report welcomes letters to the editor from students, parents, or community members, sent to Room 308 or by email to ravenreport09@gmail.com. Letters must include the writer’s full name and ID number, and the staff reserves the right to edit for space and style.
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