Author: adviser

  • Must Reads of The Year

    The arrival of fall brings with it the need fir a good read. To help the indesisive bookworm, I have two book  suggestions that you can choose from that you might want to check out.

    First up in recommendations is Rupi Kaur’s The Sun and Her Flowers, a book filled with short poems dealing with the after effects of a breakup, the reflecting of being in one, and the redemption of one’s self. Rupi Kaur is well known for her first debut book Milk and Honey which was released in November 4th, 2014. If you loved her first book then you’ll surely enjoy her second. It’s an easy read of about 242 pages and filled with a variation of short and long poems along with some drawings spreaded here and there in the book. The book is split into 5 sections entitled; the wilting, falling, rooting, rising, and blooming, which helps Kaur tie her experiences with metaphors of flowers. About almost anyone can relate with her universal messages.

    If self reflection isn’t your cup of tea, try Amber Smith’s New York Times Bestseller The Way I Used To Be. In recent news there’s been one topic that has been talked about the most and that seems to be an ongoing issue even into today, sexual assault. This realistic fiction novel tells the story of a young girl dealing with a traumatic experience that happened just before her first year of high school. While the book is 384 pages long and split into 4 sections, each being her freshman, sophomore, junior and senior year, it documents the changes of how she copes with this experience she’s kept to herself. If you’re someone who’s into the dark realities of society,  this might be the one for you.

  • Netflix Nails Coming of Age Story

    By now everyone has at least heard something about “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”, a Netflix Original teen romantic comedy.  Almost every girl is gushing over this movie, some even saying it’sbetter than “The Kissing Booth”, another Netflix Original. Its release date was August 17 and I encountered the trailer a few days before it was released and saved it to My List on Netflix to watch.

    I’ll admit the first few minutes in were abit boring, but as I continued to watch more of it, it grew interesting. The main character Lara Jean is the middle child of 3 siblings and attending high school. She fantasizes about love in the books she reads, but doesn’t indulge in taking the risk of being in an actual relationship. She keeps love letters addressed to the 5 boys she has known in her lifetime, but doesn’t plan on them ever reading the letters. The recipients are crushes she had growing. She is weel aware they’ll only just be crushes and nothing else. When the letters are suddenly released she has to deal with the consequences.

    One of the recipients confronts Lara about the letter and later uses the situation to convince her of being in a fake relationship with him in result of them trying to get back with his ex-girlfriend.

    The movie it had its moments where it pulled my heartstrings or made me feel overwhelmed with emotions. The way the movie ended things it left me satisfied, while also hinted at there being a sequel which hopefully will be released in the near future. I consider this movie to be a 7/10 and a great coming of age story, if you’re someone looking for a cheesy but sweet popcorn romance.

  • Poly’s First Ever Homecoming Dance

    Poly’s first Homecoming, themed “18k” was held in the big gym on October 6th, 2018. The schools decision to make a homecoming was prompted by activities director Vincent Puth and Senior Senate, to raise money for the rest of the years activities. The dance was held on a Saturday after the homecoming game against Compton.

    “I was super excited for this years Homecoming dance, Poly has never had one before so it feels great to be a senior and to experience this for the first time. The theme was also super cute!” said PACE senior Sandra Berenice Rosas about the dance.

    “I’m happy that Poly finally had a Homecoming dance! I always wondered why we didn’t have one but I’m thrilled to go with my boyfriend. I had fun picking out my dress and getting ready with my friends,” said CIC senior Gladys Salamon Mora.

    “About time! Homecoming was like a breath of fresh air to Poly. It’s exciting to have something new brought to campus. I’ve been to all the dances at Poly and I was super ecstatic to learn that Homecoming was coming to Poly, and it just seems right since all other high schools have one,” said MEDS senior Ashley Salgado.

  • Why Should Job Companies Hire Teens?

    Teenagers are needing jobs, but there is controversy about allowing student teens to get hired. The problem is, the working force isn’t as friendly as we think. In reality business and companies want profit,which means they don’t want to spend money on an extra paycheck. Teens are willing to multitask and practice there time management, but the truth comes down to corruption. This corruption has been seen throughout big companies like Nike and Zaful. These companies  don’t want to pay people to do harsh work, so they use workers from other countries who would gladly work for small amounts of pay (or a forced, P.S slavery still exists). Thus, no job opportunities for teens. But then again, some people might think: Why do teens need jobs? They already have school and parents, so why? Well, in some cases (seniors especially) cannot afford things such as; senior activities, school spirit-wear, supplies, etc. Some may even help hold a household together, but since companies choose to be corrupt and sometimes prejudice against student teens, life is more difficult than it should be.

    Another aspect to this problem is the recession of 2008. There are many jobs that were once offered to teenagers, but now they are primarily open for adults over the age of 21. Jobs such as, kitchen staff, team members, cashiers, retail assistants, and sales associates are now given to adults because they need the money to support their families and themselves. It is almost, always heartbreaking to know that companies use these tactics when selecting job careers, but it’s the reality of it. People are struggling. Teens are struggling.  Now we need to understand and anticipate how things are going to work out for the future. Maybe jobs can be offered on high school sites or maybe companies could stop being so cruel and actually invest into the society rather than lay people off and neglect the constant need for job opportunities. We want the best for the lives of the future and give jobs to the youth and benefit lives as well as creates new paths for individuals. Money is not more important than the happiness of others and it does not grant people the world, but it does give responsibility, success, and learning skills for the future. That is why teens need jobs.

  • Chelsea Powell

    Long Beach Polytechnic High School welcomed Chelsea Powell this year as a Spanish teacher.

    Ms. Powell received her bachelor’s degree at California State University, Long Beach and her teaching credentials at San Diego State University. She also studied abroad and lived in Salamanca, Spain and was also granted the opportunity to teach English in Costa Rica.

    “I like to do activities that get the kids out of their seats, that get them talking to each other,” Powell said in describing her style of teaching. About Poly, she said, “Everybody is very friendly! Even though it’s [Polytechnic High School] so large, it feels small once you start to meet people and see how nice everybody is.”

  • Veronica Bradley

    Long Beach Poly hired versatile Veronica Bradley to be our new testing coordinator, she is a teacher for second language learners, as well as an advisor and aide for students. She is here to support second language learners adjusting to English and to help Poly parents understand their students goals for a higher education. This is her first year at Long Beach Poly as she has high aspirations to help students understand how important setting goals and state tests are. Ms. Bradley is available in room 121 or 201.

  • Run From The Nun

    The Nun finally hit theatres on Friday, September 7, 2018. Many people have been waiting for this movie since the nun herself first appeared in the Conjuring 2, leaving everyone who watched it with questions about who she was, why she was in the movie, and how was she connected to the rest of the Conjuring franchise. The film started off by telling the viewers what they were about to see is based off of true events that actually took place in Romania in the 1950s. Throughout the movie bits and pieces of how the nun came to be were shared along with the history of the land of the real-life church. The movie does a good job of showing her timeline, however, it leaves you with questions. In the last scene two demonologists, Ed and Lorraine Warren, from both Conjuring movies appear on the screen and you finally get to connect this movie with all the others, but will leave you with even more questions. Overall, the movie is not up to par with  most superior horror films, relying soley on tension building and a few jump scares here and there, but nothing an average horror fan can’t handle.

  • Linda Cargile

    Being in the Long Beach Unified School District for over 19 years our Assistant Principal Linda Cargile is here to empower students to be their best personal self, to support parents and staffs with any concerns or problems. With a Master degree in educational administration and political science, Ms. Cargile supports the CIC pathway, Special Education, Physical Education and Health programs with an open door policy. Not only does she love being active, going to music festivals, and concerts she is also passionate about starting initiatives to spread respect, equality, and awareness about social justice. Ms. Cargile also advocates for members in the LGBTQ+ community as well as for people with disabilities.

  • Arinn Filer

    Our newest data specialist Arinn Filer believes that teachers are the heart of the school therefore she is always available to help teachers with Chromebooks or looking up data to help with lesson planning. Being a Poly graduate class of 1997 and rocking that pride Ms. Filer’s goal is to continue to make Poly one of the best high schools in the nation. She was previously at Narbon’s Hearts Academy but is now enjoying being a traveler and a foodie with an open door in room 122A, who will do whatever it takes to give the necessary help to the Poly family.

  • Tameesha Massey

    Long Beach Polytechnic High School gave Tameesha Massey a permanent position as a Spanish teacher at our campus. Massey began her teaching career as a substitute teacher in 1999 after obtaining her bachelor’s degree at University of California, Irvine.

    Ms. Massey has experienced the Latin culture by visiting Puerto Rico, Spain, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico. Her signature teaching methods include relating the Spanish language to English, providing tips to remember the meanings of certain Spanish words and sounds, and a variety of practical activities to help students fully learn the Spanish language.

    Ms. Massey also reflected upon her feelings about her new school: “I like the diversity here, this is a very large campus, I like how we have different academies and different pathways that students can go into for careers that their interested in. Their studying to prepare themselves for what’s after high school.”

  • Alaa Shub and Doc’Kale Bowman

    Just this year Poly has acquired two new college and career advisors, Alaa Shub and Doc’Kale Bowman. Both advisors are of the age of twenty-two and both attended California State University, Long Beach. Each advisor attended the prestigious college for four years studying Human Development. Despite the facts, this job is the first time both advisors have ever seen each other!

    Ms. Bowman held a teen conference called, “You’re worth it,” for girls from the ages eleven to eighteen. This conference was to give self-esteem and self-respect to the individuals.

    Ms. Shubb on the other hand, is a first generation college graduate. The advisors can help with college related necessities like college applications, scholarships, loans,  job offers and internships when needed. Stop by room 801 near the attendance office to meet our new College Career Center advisors!

  • Stop What You Are Doing and WATCH Castle Rock

    Castle Rock is a show that takes place within the Stephen King multiverse. It was promoted frequently on both tv commercials and youtube ads. So. many. Youtube ads. And yet somehow almost nobody I know has seen or heard of it. The show is based off the universe of King novels, but contains original characters. This makes it great for both the super Stephen King fans and the casual viewer. The main universes that occupy this first season is Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, and The Shining. Based on the later episodes I’m guessing season 2 will be more The Dark Tower.

    All the characters are created for the show and each one has something supernatural going on with them. Our main character is Henry Deaver, a boy who goes missing for 11 days, experiences a traumatic event, and forgets about it right away. When he returns and is mute, his father suddenly dies. The city of Castle Rock puts all the blame on Henry and label him as  a murderer. Almost 30 years later,  Henry returns as a Lawyer to help a client who has been held captive in Shawshank against his will and without having committed any crime. ‘The Kid’ (Bill Skarsgård) is thought to have some kind of telepathic power. Molly Strand, Henry’s childhood best friend, who definitely has the shinning, is another main charater. Henry’s mother (Sissy Spacek) is suffering from Dementia and has the purest heart in Castle Rock. The only character you might recognize from King’s novels is Jackie Torrence, niece of Jack Torrance. Jackie is minor character, but a relatable one. She is obsessed with the town’s history of gruesome murders and often spectates rather than advance the plot. The show contains amazing performances and easy-to-love characters.

    What happened to all those Stephen King superfans that swore they were lived off of horror? I guess they only showed up because Pennywise became suddenly attractive and left when the hype did. (no wait, that was me, that was my fanfiction) Why is nobody watching this show? It is so good, I can not even put it into words. It has everything, thriller, mystery, murder, flashbacks, 90’s, hot people, old people! Each episode leaves you with so many questions. All episodes are now streaming. I haveyet to watch the last episode and wow I have no idea what is going on. American Horror Story is running out of ideas and Evan Peters is engaged and is therefore no longer it, we need to move on. This is the horror anthology series we all deserve, and people should definitely start tuning in.