Category: News

  • Funds for Film

    Contemporary video teacher, Laura Stringer has been attempting to make her video class more advanced in order to help her students create and produce the best quality films.
    Doing this has been proven to be a challenge, as throughout the three years of her teaching this class she has moved rooms twice and has been denied film equipment until this year. Prior to this semester, all film students have been forced to record on their cell phones and edit on outdated computers.
    Last year, Mrs. Stringer received a grant which allowed her to purchase enough equipment for each student in her class including video cameras, a green screen, tripods and other softwares.
    While her future classroom has been under construction, Miss Stringer has been funding for a big screen on various donation websites. So far she has made close to $1,000 in donations from both students parents and anonymous supporters.
    The website that Miss Stringer is currently funding was Donors Choose, recommended to her by English teacher Miss Garcia.
    Laura Stringer believes that this website will benefit her class more quickly and efficiently then if she were to use a website like GoFundMe.com, “a host of a late night shows once paid for all the donations on this website a few years ago so i’m hoping maybe someone from the district will see this or someone with a little more extra money to spare then the average parent will seizes and be able to fund our screen.”
    Until the class is able to permanently move into their new room number and receive their big screen, they have been working on documents and critics and practicing their film critiquing skills.
    Miss Stringer expects the screen to be fully paid for and delivered in time for the next school year.

    By Yesenia Pacheco
    Poster, thanking those who donated.

  • Let’s Have that Speech!

    On January 25, Poly’s speech and debate team competed in the Spring Debate Competition.
    At this competition, sophomore Dana Kriebel and freshman Inanna Khanas made debates regarding three topics.
    The topics covered: the ethics of responsible gun ownership laws, birthright citizenships, and the Paw Act, the act that gives service dogs to veterans. Dana Kriebel won 14th out of about 65 competitors in the novist portions. Inanna won 26th which is a great achievement considering this being her first year. During this competition, 23 schools were present.
    Inanna and Dana both agreed that they “debated [their] best that [they] could have.”
    The debate for them wasn’t easier nor hard because they were about to come up with accurate evaluations in their arguments.
    They do plan on going to finals in their league.
    These two will participate in a Novice Tournament at Millikan on February 23rd. Those two, along with the whole novice debate team will suit up and perform their best at this tournament.
    The varsity debate team, last Saturday, at Arcadia High School, participated in the Spring Speech.
    There was about “4 inches of rain, but that did not stop us” said Speech and Debate teacher, Brett Alexander.
    Coco Sanabria and William “Big Sexy” Terlinda spoke in the Impromptu Speak lasting in a 5 minute speech. According to Alexander, “Coco and Big Sexy will be ready for State qualifications, I believe in them.”
    The state qualifications will be on March 1 and March 2 at CSULB. This competition will bring out 1,600 people from all over Southern California.
    This debate will be for the varsity debate team. Alexander states that he agrees, “that Coco and William are capable of qualifying for state.”
    In the 25 years that Alexander has been here he’s had 3 state champs.

    By Syanne Patton
    Freshman, Inanna Khanas

  • Tree Planting

    On January 26, from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM Poly’s Reserve Officer Training Course (R.O.T.C) participated in Operation Jumpstart’s Beautification Project by planting sycamore tree seeds in the neighborhood of Alamitos Beach Senior Center.
    The beautification project took place along the Long Beach Senior Center which marks its 25th tree planting anniversary.
    Fifteen R.O.T.C cadets put in three and half back-aching hours digging up plots for seeds to be planted in and any litter around the neighborhood.
    The R.O.T.C program seized the opportunity to participate in this grand event as it hopes to offer its cadets volunteering events to give back to the community and add to their resume when applying for a job.
    Jasmin Jallorina, one of the cadets present during the event felt, “humbled,” to be part of such a, “wholesome, heartwarming event.”
    Jallorina hopes to continue the event with the remaining two and a half years left in high school.
    After witnessing how, “jubilous the volunteers and the pedestrians passing by with a smile from eye to eye.”
    Not only does this open up R.O.T.C to another one of the several volunteering events, but also opens up the Operation Jumpstarts scholarship and mentoring program.
    Just from last year, 2018, Operation Jumpstart has railed in $50,000 of scholarship money, 1,500 hours of mentoring hours, and has served 410 students.
    After all the dust has settled, OJS has calculated a 98% of students involved in there program, had a 98% college attendance rate, an astounding figure especially in today’s college tuition.
    Over the course of the year Poly’s Reserve Officer Training Course has participated in many events serving the community in any way possible whether it be tree planting or helping out local schools with there science fair, R.O.T.C does it all.

  • Fine Money, Who?

    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.

  • The World is Ending?

    As of recently the focus on climate disruption is almost non-existent or ignored. President Donald Trump has also stated it as something he does not “believe in”. With even the President not even showing an interest in this, is concerning, as this situation seems to only get worse.

    According to statistics provided by NASA, there has been a global temperature rise of about 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit since the late 19th century. With the years passing, the climate only gets worse. Over the past 35 years, 2016 was considered one of the hottest years.

    Ocean life has had some awareness brought to it, in how plastic and trash easily gets into it, but yet after this knowledge being shared, results in fixing these issues are not as present. People advocate for these causes, such as World Wide Fund for Nature and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and yet the support is not nearly enough on a larger scale.

    Of course most people are aware about the glaciers and ice melting, but almost nothing is done in order to reverse these effects. Statistics on the effects of climate disruption are available for everyone to view, and about half a million of youth have taken action into this issue. Information gathered from the United Nations states 84% of youth believe more knowledge should be shared regarding climate, 73% feel the changes in our climate, and 89% say that the youth can make a difference.

    In what differences the youth can do is: go green, such as walking or different ways of transportation for the benefit of the earth, collaborating with others (maybe also coming together to form an organization), and finally partnering with the government, like the United Nations Joint Framework Initiative on Children, Youth and Climate Change.

  • Students Honored With Breakfast!

    As of this year, Student of the Month has been created in order to recognize students on a broader scale and on a more personal note. Teachers are able to nominate students through a letter for each month and 2 students are selected in each pathway.

    For the month of January, on Friday 18th at exactly 7:00 AM, students came in with relatives in order to celebrate their nomination along with breakfast. Of these nominees was sophomore Jeremy Puerto, as he felt “excited” and felt “super surprised” at being picked. When he received the e-mail he was “shocked” but also proud for being acknowledged. Puerto offered some advice to students, “never give up” and keep up the good work.

    Senior, Kaelah Franklin’s feelings towards being nominated was “weird” but “interesting”. Franklin was confused as to who nominated her but found out through her teacher, Linda Bon. In what she’s been doing this year to be a possibility in being nominated, is involvement with school such as: drama, stage tech, and choir. Yet with so much on her plate, she’s still able to balance everything out, and chooses to do even more.

    Senior, Thalia Hernandez was yet another nominee who felt surprised, which seems to be the common theme amongst majority of the nominees. Hernandez felt “happy” towards being selected. Besides her being surprised, she has been involved a lot with school but has admitted that in recent months, has been “falling behind” but has picked herself up.

  • The Government is Going Down

    The government shutdown! What does that mean? The government facilities has suspended their service due to an executive order given by the president. This means services like passport distribution, tax refunds, financial aid, and social security services are no longer running. This by far has been the longest on record in American history. The government has shut down for 22 days, and counting, yet no one knows specifically why this is happening. Trump announced in his public service announcement on January 8th, that he is very concerned about the borders. So until people consider raising money for a wall to be built to protect Americans from “drug smuggling….criminals.”, shutting down the government disables the border from allowing people into the country. Making the issue of immigrants and refugees less problematic for the President.

    The most important issue that interferes with the government shutting down is the impact on the community. The community’s need government assistance for public reconstruction, facilities that are government profit. Workers are not getting paid, so people are not showing up to work, which will sooner or later have a huge impact on government runned systems.

    How doe this affect you? In the long run, important services could stop all together due to lack of funds. The government supplies money each year to the district of Long Beach if the government postpones taxes, that could cause a Domino Effect of events that could lead to insufficient funding for schools. Not only schools, but financial aid for college students as well. The voices of the people are not being heard and California is suffering the consequences.

    A news report from NBC explains how a tree in Yosemite Park, that was one of the oldest, was cut down. Even though it may not seem like a big deal, the need to keep nature reservations is essential to keep a balanced ecosystem. Without these reservations, we would not be able to protect wildlife and essential resources for survival. The rangers blame the government shut down for not doing anything about it. This shutdown is affecting the US on a large scope. This allows the president’s agenda to go unchecked, meaning the voice of the people is not being heard. Corrupt businesses and capitalists are taking advantage of the shut down because there is no order. If this proceeds any longer than it has to, will our government truly be considered a democracy?

  • Letter to The Editor: Mr. Puth Speaks Out About Grad Night

    Letter to The Editor: Mr. Puth Speaks Out About Grad Night

    All In Press
    Dear High Life Editors and Jackrabbit Class of 2019,

    Thank you for expressing your frustration regarding Grad Night (“Goodbye Disney, Hello Universal” published October 15), giving voice to you and your peers. Let me first state that Grad Night has traditionally been a parent-led event and the previous Grad Night Committee disbanded at the end of last year due to lack of parent volunteers. In my earlier loopmail to the class of 2019, I explained the financial issues involved:

    “Two years ago, Disneyland offered Grad Night with a park hopper pass for $90. Last year, they raised the price to the current cost of $139 for the tickets alone. Our Senior Spirit Packs reflects the pricing that is student-friendly for ALL of our activities and has our Grad Night prices starting at $90. With 437 students buying

     senior spirit packs… the senior class would have to cover for $57,970 [more] to keep with our allotted 700 Disney Grad Night tickets.”

    [700 Tickets x $139 = $97,300 /// 437 Spirit Packs x $90 = $39,330 /// $97,300 – $39,330 = $57,970]

    Two areas I would like to clarify: First, students in last year’s class of 2018 did not overspend. Their Grad Night Parent Committee raised money over several years so that when the price for tickets went up last year, the committee decided to cover the missing funding for the class of 2018 to attend Grad Night at Disneyland.

    The parents on that committee had students that graduated last year or earlier, so at the end of last year’s they quit the committee. At the beginning of this school year, there were no parents from the classes of 2019, 2020, 2021, or 2022 left on the committee, so I realized Activities would have to do something to make it happen this year.

    Disneyland revealed their offer to us with the pricing of $139 per ticket on September 17, 2018 and we had to make a commitment to cover that cost within that week.  Disneyland had the luxury to choose who and when they would offer Grad Night spots to, while we had to move forward with a plan that was best for all of our students right then. It would have been impossible to make up the $57,970 that we still needed to commit to Disneyland.

    Secondly, the Senior Spirit Pack was sold based on the whole package for seniors to have an all around senior experience. Prom, extra graduation tickets, yearbook, a class ring, cap and gown, an ASB sticker, a senior shirt/sweatshirt from senior senate, and grad night. Senior year is already expensive, and making the Senior Spirit Pack more expensive would potentially mean some students wouldn’t be able to purchase it, missing out on opportunities every senior should get to have.

    Third, there have been people who have asked for refunds thinking that they can go to Grad Night at Disneyland on their own. You can’t go to Grad Night at Disneyland without going with your school – they won’t let you in. You could go to Disneyland with your friends or by yourself, but it just isn’t the same: You don’t get to stay after hours when the park normally closes, there won’t be any special events for the class of 2019, and most importantly, you won’t be with all the classmates and friends that you’ve been with during your last four years at Poly.

    Lastly, I thank everyone for doing what Poly is best known for, striving for an open and inclusive campus. While I understand it can be disappointing that we are not going to a more local place for Grad Night, I believe that the class of 2019 knows that it’s always better when we have more Jackrabbits celebrating together.

    Respectfully,

    Vincent Puth

    Activities Director

  • The AP Room is Now Open

    The AP Room is Now Open

    This year Jason West, the new AP Coordinator for Poly High School has turned Room 132 into a study lounge for any student who is currently enrolled in at least one Advanced Placement class.

    This lounge was inspired by a coffee shop as a place where AP student can receive tutoring, study in group, and access a wide variety of resources as well as other non-traditional materials, including a welcoming cup of tea if you bring your own mug. The room offers a warm, relaxing, and welcoming vibe. This will allow students to remain comfortable and focused.  Much like most college campus’, who offer a study room, students must be signed in upon arrival.

    Poly’s AP room is a learning atmosphere where students can join a study group and succeed in their classes, it symbolizes as a badge of honor for all the hard works students have put into their classes. Teachers are always welcomed to visit West for support, resources, materials, and for addressing students needs.

    If students are even in need of supplies, textbooks, study materials, or a spot to study, they are more than welcomed to stop by in room 132 for freebies that West has collected over the 12 years as a teacher.

  • National Merit Finalists

    The National Merit scholarship program provides opportunities for students to be recognized for their phenomenal academic achievements. Students with PSAT scores at the top one percent of scores in the state, with the addition of reflecting transcript records of their score, qualifies them to be semifinalist. There are currently three semifinalist at our school that will compete against students from other states for a $2,000 scholarship.

    Many Ivy league colleges and corporations sponsor these scholarships, potentially giving semifinalist additional scholarships to almost any school they apply to. Pace Counselor Connie Loggins strongly believes the Poly students will “have no problem entering the final round” because of their strong commitment to academics and extracurricular activities.

    Erin Shin, a PACE senior, is one of the semifinalist, and she dreams of going to Stanford or Yale. She hopes to major in neuroscience and one day become a physician. Through her experiences thus far, she believes it is important to be a leader by taking the initiative to help others.

    Shin is persistent in her school work, but makes sure to make time for outside activities. She belongs to a youth orchestra and piano quartet at Colburn School of Music in Downtown LA; works at Kumon and the school cafeteria; and recently began tutoring in the AP Resource Room.

    Despite her full schedule, Erin is persistent in managing her time “by trying to stay off social media” though she admits that “doesn’t really work these days”.

  • Robotics Club Hosting Fundraiser

    Long Beach Poly Robotics Club participated in an off-season competition called Fall Classic and placed first in the competition.

    The Fall Classic is hosted by a company yearly with the objective of having games created for schools to compete with their designed robot.

    The LBP Robotics Club completely redesigned their robot within 4 weeks.

    Although this is their second year as a rookie team they’ve done well with the club and competitions. There are currently 30-35 members active in the club.

    Senior Marine Alais has been part of the club for two years now and said she was recruited by Theana Guttieri, a now graduated Poly student, when Guttieri stopped by the science classes to discuss about recruitment, Alais said it sounded interesting and joined. Alais experience with competitions makes her feel like it’s “a really big community”, with most schools helping each other out and working together.

    The club not only has their focus on competitions but also in community outreach, working on projects, and mentoring middle school students.

    An upcoming fundraiser  for the club will be taking place December 15 at Applebee’s.

    The club is also hoping to create a Vex team and have an upcoming competition taking place during the beginning of January.

  • Poly North: From a Counselors Perspective

    Poly North is an opportunity for sophomores to gain experience in the woods that will dramatically change their lives forever.

    The origin of Poly North started 4 decades ago. It is focused on supporting the students on a more personal level. Anyone can say that the activities, for instance, the mountain hikes and seminars that are introduced to the students, impact everyone including the staff, senior counselors, and students.

    At Poly North, students interact with each other through seminars about topics or problems that Poly or society has and focuses in on solutions that could benefits students on a personal level.

    For instance, Vincent. Puth (Activities Director/Mentor/Poly Alumni/etc) shared his story of the time he went to Poly North and how he went from wanting to do bad things to being Student Body President. His story contributes to the meaning behind Poly North. This opportunity is a life changing experience that Poly believes every sophomore should endure.

    The first camp took place on October 26-28. Once the bus landed at approximately 3:00 pm, the sophomores eagerly waited to be grouped into their seminar groups. Once the seminar meeting ended, both senior counselors and staff members handed out meal cards for the hungry campers.

    In the dining hall, group activities called Warm Fuzzies took place. The game was to pass a softball from one person without using hands. The purpose of Warm Fuzzies was for the sophomores to get close and comfortable with close interactions. Staff members then performed skits in front of the sophomores.

    The last activity on the first day, was the night hike. Temperatures at lowest reached 38 degrees whilst on the night hike, as the hikers looked upon the starry night. Finally, the campers participated in their own cabin talks.

    On Saturday, the second day, campers rose bright and early at 7:30 to breakfast. After eating, seminar groups met up again for a seminar talk and to participate in several outdoor activities. Some activities included rock climbing, hiking, low ropes, and co-op games working their seminar groups.

    The sophomores then headed back to the dining hall for another round of Warm Fuzzies, this time passing a lifesaver between toothpicks held in the mouth.

    After all activities and seminar talks, the sophomores and seniors were then ready to perform their own skits for the staff and everyone else.

    After all the skits were performed by each seminar group and senior counselors, the usual night hike took place and short dance happened.

    On the final day, the seminar groups met up one last time as everyone said their goodbyes. Free time was then administer as the sophomores chose what they wanted to do, such as archery, volleyball, or just hanging out. Senior counselor took the traditional route and all jumped into the freezing lake together.

    After lunch, were the goodbyes. With the cabins all packed up, everyone who attended camp said their final goodbyes and bittersweet farewells.

    The committee for Poly North can  aided with donations – which can be accessed on Long Beach Poly’s school website.