Tag: Long Beach Poly High School

  • New Dog in Town

    New Dog in Town

    Kelly Rodriguez, center, with Zion, left, and King, right.

    This is Zion, my dog. The small dog is my sister’s dog, named King. We are going to talk about King first. We got King when he was two weeks old. My mom got him from my grampa for $50. We have had him for two years now. He´s really smart and we don´t have to put a leash on him. Also, we never trained King or Zion.

     

    Zion is a really good dog. We got him when he was two months old. Zion was my brother’s dog at first. My brother’s name is James. He paid $400 for Zion he was supposed to pay 800, but my tia’s girlfriend was friends with the girl who sold Zion to us. James and I agreed that I would take care of Zion when he’s at work.

    Zion when he was a puppy.

    So I took care of Zion and my brother would come home and not give him any attention because he was tired and Zion would make a lot of mess, so my brother decided he wants to sell him and my mom was okay with it because she doesn’t want him. After all, he’s going to grow big but I told both of them no I’ll keep him since I take care of him more than my brother since he’s always working. My mom said no I can´t keep him but I begged her to let me keep him and she said okay.

     

    Now Zion is seven months. He’s a husky mixed with a   german shepherd. Zion still makes a lot of mess. I walk him every day for like 30 minutes or less. I take him everywhere with me because my mom doesn´t want him in the house. Sometimes when I try to go somewhere I can´t because of him since my mom doesn´t want to babysit him, so I just stay home or try to figure out something.

    Zion is in the festive Halloween spirit.

    Zion is an indoor dog because I live in an apartment and my neighbor has other dogs outside and they don´t want Zion close to their dog because he’s big so I try to take him out when I go somewhere.

     

    Zion loves meeting new people and kids, he is so nice to them. One day we went to the dog beach and he lay down next to someone and tried to hug them – I got a little jealous.

     

    Zion is my whole world, the only one who makes me happy. Also, dogs are better than people.

     

    Kelly Rodriguez with Zion.
  • Humans of Quarantine: Chilling, Exhausted, and Not Missing the Beach

    Humans of Quarantine: Chilling, Exhausted, and Not Missing the Beach

    “Lately I have been feeling extremely exhausted and overwhelmed by not only school and distance-learning, but from my community being torn apart and all over the place from past/recent tragedies.”
    —Mahogani Sogules-Corbin

     

    “Quarantine just means I don’t have to worry as much about wearing sunscreen.”
    —Sophia DelBello
    Reymar Santos, High Life Staff Writer: “This is my Uncle Eddie, he’s been chilling and pushing through this quarantine and he said, ‘Make the most of the time spent with your family because that is all that we can do. Enjoy life that’s it.’ “
    “Life WAS like a box of chocolates, but now its as uneventful as a Kit Kat Bar from the 99¢ store.”
    —Christian Gisborne
  • How Covid-19 Affects Youth’s Mental Health

    How Covid-19 Affects Youth’s Mental Health

    Mental health, though often stigmatized, has been an issue since before Covid 19 shifted our everyday lives. Now, as stay at home orders displace us from our work and school environments and our everyday routine, mental health continues to be a top issue, especially among young people. 

     

    According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 10–20% of adolescents globally experience mental health conditions, yet these remain undiagnosed and untreated. 

     

    At least one in five youth aged 9–17 years currently has a diagnosable mental health disorder that causes some degree of impairment; one in 10 has a disorder that causes significant impairment. 

     

    Regardless of whether youth have a diagnosed or undiagnosed disorder, factors such as isolation, fear, and a lack of engagement with friends and peers can negatively affect a young person’s mental health and lead to stress and anxiety.

     

    As social distancing, isolation, and online learning become the norm, how has this taken a toll on students’ mental well-being?  Four Poly students were asked how the Covid 19 pandemic has affected their mental health personally. Here’s what they said:

     

    Lizette Karina Ramon, Pace Senior

    “It’s been so hard because I’ve had a lack of motivation for doing things. This whole situation is depressing, and the way our country is handling this pandemic is frustrating. My mental health has not been the best because I try my best to be optimistic but the way things are going, I don’t think they are going to get better soon. I’m just very tired mentally.”

     

     

     

     

    Luis Cuahtli Sanchez, Justice Junior

    “You lose a lot of motivation for doing school work just for passing, it’s like they’re simply giving us things to do and not giving things for us to learn. 

     

    But I’ve forced myself to get used to this because this pandemic will last a long while so it’s better to make it easier for me rather than harder. 

     

    But still….just knowing this virus is out there and there’s no vaccine just scares me, it can infect anyone, my friends, my family and even me. But there’s no point in being scared all day, there are still things that have to be done and we can only hope for the best outcome for everyone in the future and hope this ends soon. This has affected me quite a lot and it takes time to get used to it.”

     

    Maya Morales, CIC Freshman

    “The first few weeks were easy mentally. I was being lazy but I was happy. After about a month or so, I started to feel depressed. It went on for a few days and the whole time I didn’t leave my house at all. I didn’t want to go anywhere and for some reason, I would just listen to sad music and make myself even more sad and cry. So dramatic!

     I think just being inside all the time and feeling a little lonely because my sister, my mom and my dad would work for so long, it messed with me a little. But I learned you just need to be a little more active and not simply do homework and stay in the house all day. Working-out or any physical exercise like a walk helps boost your mental health and makes you a little more productive.”

     

    Lance Manago, Meds Senior

     

    “I’m doing pretty good honestly. Online school is okay, but I just miss everything about waking up early and driving to school and seeing all my friends and teachers.

    I would say it didn’t affect my mental health but rather affected my physical health. I’m an outside person, I love being outside and try to be active every day. 

    I was also looking forward to graduation and prom and grad night, it truly sucks what class of 2020 has to go through”

     

  • Why I’m glad schools are closed

    I was sitting in my TA period when it was first announced that schools would be closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Needless to say, there was a range of mixed feelings with my classmates; some excited, some upset, some afraid how it would affect the school year. Although I was a little anxious about the virus itself, most of that fear was for the effect on the economy. Schools closing, however, was a huge sigh of relief for me.

    I’ve learned a lot from Poly. The yearbook and newspaper teams are more responsible than my last school. The English teachers actually teach you how to compose essays without killing any existing passion you had coming into the class. The music students are held accountable, and the staff and administration encourage students to push themselves and be eligible to attend four-year universities.

    But I’m not upset about the cancelled events. I’m upset that I can’t edit or distribute a physical newspaper, but there were no events I was planning to attend aside from choir concerts and my graduation ceremony.

    I can’t say I hate Poly. But as a transfer student from another district, I can’t lie that I miss my previous high school. Four years ago, I had a completely different plan for my senior year. I never expected to be in a school with open enrollment or block schedules. At my last school, I was the de facto section leader in marching band. At Poly, I never even marched. I would never have thought I’d be writing (and especially drawing comics) on a newspaper team, either, yet here I am as a staff writer for The High Life. There were so many promises made to me in San Bernardino that I expected to be there for. So in a way, my senior year was disrupted a long time ago.

    Just as any stereotypical high school senior, I had a terrible case of senioritis coming into my final year. My two older siblings, who had similar feelings as me coming out of high school, became different people upon attending college. They used to leave me out of everything, tease me like most siblings, and always want to be alone. Since attending college, they are constantly calling me to chat or play video games, and they are almost always around friends whenever I call them. Heck, my brother has even asked me for help with writing and editing a screenplay.

    Seeing my siblings’ demeanors change after leaving high school has only made me more anxious to graduate. I’m sick of being told what I have to learn and when, and I want to have more freedom in my education. I find myself more productive in career building when I have a break from school, and whenever I have to go back, I feel drained, cranky, and sometimes a little depressed. After school, I don’t want to work on homework or personal projects, I don’t want to play my instruments, and I don’t even want to hang out with friends. While I love my teachers this year and enjoy my electives, the idea and pressure of having to survive another three months on little sleep and low motivation was killing my energy and creativity.

    Now that I am at home, I am able to work where I want to work. I can get up and walk around when I need to, and I have no more homework because now it is combined with my schoolwork. I no longer have to break my back lugging a full bag of books on my back, and I can keep my hands busy during lessons with whatever I feel like at the time. I’m wearing headphones less, playing my instruments more, and I feel more creative and less pressured by deadlines because I choose where I work. I’m at the point where I’m considering homeschooling my own children in the future.

    I don’t know if I regret coming to Poly. I probably wouldn’t be on the path I am now if I had chosen Wilson like I considered. But after four years of disappointment after freshman year trials, band drama, one of the hardest moves of my life, and newly developed social anxiety, I’m not sure I could have a better end to my senior year than this. I want this virus to end just as much as the next person, but I couldn’t be more grateful for the break from high school.

  • Sweetheart Gifts

    With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, several couples are beginning to prepare their gifts for their significant others as a form of appreciation

    • Chocolate- make your partner’s day the sweetest on this day of love. Be it a heart-shaped box of chocolates or their favorite chocolate, get them a little treat!
    • Flowers- by getting their favorite flowers, that might be enough to make your partner’s day the absolute best, with their inner beauty blooming through.
    • Teddy bear- it doesn’t have to be a big one, but just the right size for your partner to embrace while you are not there with them.
    • Love letter- whether you do this on a daily basis or not, a bit of appreciation for your partner would be nice
    • Anything Handmade- If you can’t afford anything this year, you don’t really have to buy anything, and can always make something instead. After all, it’s the thought that counts in the end.

  • Ready for the Real World?

    This week, I and many other seniors will be given a diploma and moving on into whatever kind of life we want to live. It is up to us to determine if we will continue education, have jobs, or just do nothing.

    I’ve been waiting for the moment to finally graduate and have my life set. But as that day is approaching closer, I dread it more and more. Why was I so excited for this as a kid and what made me think I would have everything figured out by then?

    If anything I feel more confused and overwhelmed than ever before. What exactly is in store for me? And why does it seem like I’m being pushed out into something I’m not really prepared for? Yup that’s right, adulthood. This has been a long struggle, being in in school, for SO many years. It’s routine and what I’ve been doing the past 13 years. In these 13 years what have I learned? Maybe some social skills and how kids can be cruel sometimes. The basic subjects such as math, history, english, and science. But what about managing my money? That’s only something that I’m really learning and investing in my senior year. Why does everything cost so much anyways? Applying for jobs, it’s a struggle, especially when I’ve been trying for months to get a job. Hello? I’ve been calling for so long now. Please give me a job, please.

    I’ve decided for myself that I will continue to do even more education, all in the favor of trying to have a career that will hopefully keep me stable. Good luck to me and all the other seniors who are going to struggle and try to survive.

  • Wellness? Check.

    Wellness Week took place between the dates of March 4-8. The purpose behind it is to promote a full week of teen health and wellness, alongside with celebrating Women’s Day.

    Throughout the week there were daily lunch activities, arts, and games, as advertised on the flyer passed out to students.
    Majority of the workshops took place at the library around 3:00-4:30 PM in the Poly Library, with the exception of Thursday and Friday.
    Thursday, March 7, being about Loving Our Partners and Community Healthy Relationships at the Teachers Lounge at 3:00-4:30 PM.
    Other workshops were surrounded around the subject of taking care of ourselves, unity amongst women, and dealing with stress/anxiety.
    Friday March 8, the 6th Annual Health and Wellness Resource Fair, presented by Khmer Girls in Action, took place in the Quad from 10:00-11:30 AM.

    Some teachers took their students earlier out of class, to get an opportunity to check out the different tables and what they had to offer.
    There were about 65 organizations present.

    There was a table explaining about stress and providing interactive activities such as asking in what ways does one cope with stress and a paper given with what kind of emotion your feeling and where you feel it.

    Afterwards students would then throw that paper into the trash and if you made it in, you would get a prize.
    And if not, students were still given a bubble wrap to pop attached with coping skills, good and bad, in order to see the difference and develop better ones.

  • Banker Blues

    Banker Blues

    With the AP test payment storm now complete, many Poly students have now interacted with the new banker, Lynne Amyx.
    For the past few years, Poly students have faced what seems like an ever-changing banker and system.
    It has confused many students and done little to assuage potential concerns about the organization of the high school’s financial system.
    According to Brett Alexander, Yearbook and Speech and Debate teacher, Poly was “spoiled” by the previous banker, Lovinia Ilog.
    Ilog worked as a banker at Poly for over 25 years, and had an efficient approach honed by years of experience working with the system.
    She was a “well-oiled machine” as described by Alexander and many students.

    After she left about a year and a half ago, the Poly community got a new banker by the name of Andrea Sanchez.
    Sanchez was enthusiastic but “notoriously slow” according to sophomore Jason White.
    Her hiring came at a time of a transition in Poly’s banking system from paper-based to electronic.
    This transition proved difficult for her, which may have partially caused the long lines to pay for dance tickets and AP tests that plagued the school last year.

    Several people said that at one point Sanchez left a vendor payment check for around $30,000 unsent, and it was found later on the bottom or a pile of papers.

    In addition, she also failed to deposit over $200 in personal checks that were intended for an academic program.
    Sanchez applied for a position at Wilson High School and was hired, leaving Poly.
    Alexander believes that this was largely due to better alleged opportunities at Wilson than at Poly.
    With the new electronic banking system well in place, new banker Amyx is well-positioned to succeed at Poly.
    It is in the high school’s best interest to have a well-organized and thorough banker to keep the school and students in good fiscal order.

     

    Update: A previous version of this article stated that Sanchez was transferred, however she applied for the transfer, interviewed, and it was approved.

  • MOLAA for the Peers

    Students from Intensive Studies program attended a free tour and workshop at the Molaa as part of their community based instruction course.
    Thanks to the generous donations from donors at the Gala in October, Molaa is able to offer free educational programs.
    Students took the public Long Beach transfit and then walked to Molaa to learn sbout trending artist such as chicana artist Edith Hernandez and Long Beach tattoos history/landmark.

  • 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.