Category: News

Monarch butterflies are in danger! Monarch butterflies are in the Nymphalidae family, the largest butterflies with more than 6,000 species around the world.
This winter, the Monarchs migrated to Mexico more than a week later than their usual date, October 20th, due to the cold and rain that’s been happening in the United States.
Other causes for their decreasing numbers are because of pesticides, habitat loss, and fewer native plants (milkweeds are where they lay their eggs).
According to an article on The Guardian, Andrew Rhodes, Mexico’s national commissioner for protected natural areas, stated that “Once in Mexican territory, the butterflies occupied an area that gives us a lot of hope for the future..,” but this doesn’t guarantee that the Monarchs are out of danger.
These butterflies are needed because they “help plants pollinate and are a crucial part of the food cycle (they are a food source for other animals),” says Ms. Indira Jimenez, teacher at Poly.
Luckily, Poly has a garden bed in the Poly community garden dedicated to the Monarchs and this January, 3 caterpillars were found in the garden which is a great start to help them out.
We can all continue to help Monarchs by planting more milkweeds, avoid using pesticides in gardens, finding a way to stop climate change, and spreading the word.

On February 9, 2019, R.O.T.C (Reserve Officer Training Corps) ascend to higher heights by attending their first formal competition for unarmed exhibition, armed exhibition, physical training, map reading and academics at Fullerton Union High School.
Poly faced several formidable schools such as Western High, Paramount, Santiago, Buena Park, Fullerton, Katella, Mongolia, Sonora, Lorara, and the Army Navy Academy.
Triumph they did. Starting with unarmed exhibition, known for there pristine taps and crisp formations, commander CPT.
Khan, Lenny and first segargent CSM. Boonlua, Calvin displayed to Army and Naval soldiers why they’re the best at what they do taking 2nd in exhibition an 8-minute formulated performance and also 2nd in regulation a sequence of marching commands performed close to perfection. Commander CPT.
Khan, Lenny expressed that they, “performed to their capacity,” and, “proud,” how his senior year as a commander is going.
Poly didn’t stop there, but also steam rolled the competition when competing in armed exhibition (informally known as the, “Dark Knights”).
There on the raining, pouring basketball courts did commander CPT.
Tran, Ryan and first sergeant MSG Corza, Brandon lead their team to exhibit precise and veteran spins with 8.69 pound rifles, a formidable task even for the best.
They seized 1st in armed exhibition with not a word leave on the drill pad. Commander CPT.
Tran, Ryan expressed the same emotion as CPT. Khan Lenny as he, “made the most of it,” at his last Fullerton competition
Putting the cherry on the top, Poly’s physical training team (Known as the, “Raiders”) led by MAJ. Kristine Ordinario placed 1st in the physical training test consisting of 2 minutes of push ups and sit ups and a 1 mile time trial.
Poly dominated the competition on the track and under the football stadium averaging a time of 6:57 and high 100s for push and low 120s for sit ups. MAJ.
Kristine Ordinario only a junior learned much from the, “vigorous training and mental test,” that lead up to the competition and also wants to, “fabricate the same performance,” at competitions to come.
Although Poly did stumble when it came to map reading and academics.
Map reading led by CPT. Carrasco, Israel consisted of deriving essential information presented by the map such as distance, direction, natural and man-made features, and topographical features.
After that was academics led by SFC. Vo, Jessica which was based on deep American history. Questions such as, “Who and what did the 26th president of the United States of America do?”
As the dust settled, Poly placed 3rd in map

reading and did not place for academics.
Do not falter as Poly placed 1st overall out-doing 10 schools, one being based on military education.
We hope the best for our cadets as many more competitions are to come this winter and spring.

Essence Patton graduated 2 years ago and she still has not received her diploma. She owes $107 to Poly but does not plan on paying it back believing “fines are not a reasonable explanation for holding a students diploma,” and that if they wanted the money they could just “get it from the district.”

When you turn in a book late or you lose it, you get fined, forget or lose your i.d., you get fined. Here is what happens to our fine money. Fines come from the library, the book room, or the school bank, and no one likes to pay them.
The book room collects between $5,000-10,000 in fines a year, money that goes back into the district, in a general fund which is used to pay for whatever they need, such as new textbooks.

The library takes an inventory every year to check for lost books, and the fines are split into lost books and late books. Those paid fines go into buying a new copy of the books lost. However the student doesn’t have to pay the fine, they could instead bring in a new copy and the fine will be cleared.

The banker handles temporary I.D.’s and new I.D.’s once someone has gotten a certain number of temporaries or lost theirs. This year however the school has stopped charging for temporary I.D.’s. Which only leaves fines for the new I.D.’s, which come when a student has had 3 temporaries.

So far this year, the school has made roughly $2,000 in those fines. The money for those fines goes into the cost of ordering and printing new I.D.’s, and the general ASB fund to help important school programs. If the fines are not paid then the student cannot attend certain activities or get clearance for extracurriculars on campus.

California has just passed a law where public schools cannot withhold high school diplomas for unpaid fees. So maybe Essence Patton can finally receive her diploma.