Students of the MONTH

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

A week of Warrior advocacy



Warrior Weekly
March 21, 2014

Week of Kindness and Heart Attack
Showing kindness is seldom seen anymore. To help the students realize that building each other up instead of tearing each other down is the way to go, ASB Leadership put on a Week of Kindness. Monday was Compliment Day, so the students were encouraged to say something nice about each other, spreading great vibes throughout the school. Tuesday was Grateful Day, and the students were able to tell the school what they were grateful for by writing it down for Chain Reaction Day. The ASB students pulled all of these together to make one long chain and showed this off to the students, while the students were doing nice things for each other and encouraging others to do the same. Thursday was Try Something New day. The students were asked to step out of their comfort zone and, well, try something new! Friday was Heart Attack day, and there were names of every student printed on paper hearts all over the 600 and 300 wings. Students searched diligently to find their hearts on the walls. This week was definitely a success, as everyone seemed happier at the end and hopefully we can carry on some of these habits without the reminders. 






Tennis Wins Big vs Mount Diablo
The boys tennis team served up a victory for YV during Thursday’s game versus Mount Diablo! With a big 7-0 victory and a perfect game served up by one of the school aces, the YV Tennis team looks ahead for even more victories to come! Way to be awesome Warriors!

Warrior Lacrosse Marches on against College Park
The Warrior Lacrosse team, in its 3rd year in existence, continues to march on to victory after successfully subduing the Falcons at College Park High School. 
Go Warriors! 



 
Freshmen Info Night
Parents of 8th graders from all feeder patterns were invited to visit on the night of the 20th to find out what YV had to offer and why we are a great choice in the district. Programs were highlighted and parents were invited to learn more about the academies, the arts, the Puente program, and more. Spread the word! YV is a great place to be.

Kick Butts Day
Did you know that every 30 minutes, at least 50 people in the United States die from tobacco related illness? Renaissance did, and raised awareness during National Kick Butts Day! The Renaissance Class spent the last few weeks preparing tombstones and facts about smoking for this national awareness day. There was also a booth out by the office to show the students that right now was the time to quit if someone was smoking! Renaissance had bracelets, treats, and coupons for cessation assistant materials, to help students kick the habit for good! Thank you Warrior Renaissance!

Teen to Teen Clothing Drive
Renaissance Leadership has been collecting clothes and shoes from students since last week for the Teen to Teen Clothing Drive. Some teenagers don’t have shirts or pants to keep them warm during the harshness of Winter, so this drive was to help those students out. It’s a great chance to help out and do a little cleanup for your closet!

Jammy Jam
Friday students were invited to blow off their week with a Jammy Jam! ASB Leadership decorated the Multi Use room with clouds and stars, had jars full of candy, and music pumping of course. Students were invited to wear their most comfortable jammies and dance the night away. With a good turnout for a first time event, the night was a success and students had a blast dancing to hip hop, salsa and country, visiting the photo booth, and hanging out on the couches. 


Athletic Booster Annual Banquet
The YVHS Athletic Boosters raised money for our programs through their annual banquet, this year held at St John Vianney and Catered by Kinders. They had a live and silent auction, and did a great deal to help keep our programs afloat as they have been self funded for the last 5 years after the district cut all sports funding. 


 
#icanhelp
Last week, during the CAHSEE, the freshmen, sophomores and juniors were able to listen to a speaker against cyber bullying, Ms. Kim Karr. Being a local teacher at a middle school not too far from here, she knows of the drama and things that students say to one another. Her job was to raise awareness of this and put a stop to it. Using various activities, she got every one of the students involved with these life lessons. She captured the attention of everyone, with her frankness and real life examples that all of us could relate to, and spread the word that we can help one another instead of tearing each other down all the time with the things that we say. She encouraged all to look at one another through better eyes, and see what each of us could become instead. Thank you to the #icanhelp group and the ASB Leadership classes for helping in putting this on!



 






Alum in the Spotlight- Adrian Pena, Class of '93

What was your major in College- Mathematics from UC Santa Barbara

Current Job? What do you love about it? I am an IT program manager at Kaiser Permanente. I love figuring out how to make our IT service offerings more efficient for our customers. 

Advice for YV Students? As you grow in life, be ready to adapt. While you will not forget where you came from, always embrace your future. 

Favorite Class? Mr. Silvey's Calculus class. It's the one class that turned my aptitude towards math into me seriously and eventually considering it for a career.

HS Activities? I took as many AP classes as I could take. I was on Cross Country, Soccer and Swimming and I did dance 3. I had some major realizations about who I was and what I could achieve in my life during my time at YV. 



Monday, March 17, 2014

MARCH-ing along...

Warrior Weekly News

Santa Cruz Jazz Festival:
Over the weekend, the YV Jazz Band had the opportunity to go on down to Santa Cruz for sun, fun, and jazz! Leaving during 4th period, the Jazz Band wanted to get down to the Torchlite Inn early, so that they could have some down time before going to a concert that was being performed later that night. Students and parents quickly got settled into their rooms, and walked around Santa Cruz, getting some food, and playing around before they had to be back at the hotel at 6:00. They then drove down to the venue where the performance would be held. In this case, one of the local colleges. The first group to perform was a vocal jazz group who were called "The Bobs." Following the Bobs, Bobby Shew, a famous trumpet player (and quite honestly one of the best), played with a band comprised of instrumentalists from around the area, both college and professional alike. The performance was finished around 9:00, and all the students were eager to get to their next location, a local ice cream shop, Marianne's. Afterwards, the Jazz Band went back to the hotel and fell asleep after a long day. That morning, after a hearty breakfast and energy to tackle the day, the Jazz Band headed over to the venue for the Santa Cruz Jazz Festival, to knock the socks off the judges. They had a while beforehand, so the students were invited to try Jazz Clinics that were available around the area, to better their skills in jazz. The band then put on a hearty performance, and being tired from the long day, crept into the cars and drove home. Way to be awesome, Warrior Jazz!


Pops Concert:
In what Mr. Carter said had been the, "best Pops Concert we've had in a while," the Madrigals, Choir, Guitar, and soloists Rory Tank and Nicholas Hutchins put on a show that was certain to be remembered by all who attended and performed. Choir opened up the show with a YV rendition of "We're All in this Together" and continued to sing more songs that would get you pumped up for Nicholas Hutchins performing the song, "It's Fine by Me" and Rory Tank performing, "Brave." They were a perfect setup for the Guitar classes, who had been working hard on their pieces for the performances. Then Nicholas Hutchins performed the song, "It's Fine by Me" and Rory Tank performed, "Brave". After Guitar, the MadMen and the MadriGals switched off, both performing songs that would tug at your heartstrings and make you want to giddy-up! The biggest hit was said to be the Bella's Finale, from the movie "Pitch Perfect." which had the Madrigals dancing all around the stage. The MadMen finished off the performance, with "So Much in Love" and "Jump in Da Line" which had the audience on the edge of their seats. Special thanks to Mr. Carter who filled in for the Tenor 2 section, who was at the Santa Cruz Jazz Festival, the second night!


Legally Blonde Set Building:
Saturday and Sunday were no option for the Legally Blonde cast. They were required to be at YV Saturday and Sunday for set building. With the show just a few short weeks away, the cast had plenty to keep them going. The cast has yet to finish some of the important sets for the production, and were working on which sets would go where during the production. Keep up the spirits Warriors!





Alum in the Spotlight- Allison Swick- Graduated 2004



What was your major in college- My major is Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts. - The less confusing answer is that I went to school to study TV and Radio. 

What is your work and why do you love it? I currently work  for KTVU Channel 2 and Group 236. It's so exciting working in a busy news studio. I get to work side by side with our reporters and the crazy deadlines keep me busy. One of the best parts of my job is how almost instantly rewarding it is. I may have to create something out of nothing and it needs to be on the air in three hours. I write scripts and send them off to get recorded. I edit whole commercials and send it off to air and then 'Poof!' Like magic what was nothing is now something. It's a great place that allows be to be creative while always being new and challenging. 

Any advice for YV students today now that you've begun your career? Things you weren't ready for? Looking back now I wish someone had told me in high school that I didn't need to have everything planned out. High school, for me, was really about finding out who I was. I know it sounds cliche' but college is the time to try new things, to take risks. For me, I was really shy in high school. I was outgoing but I always played it safe. Didn't want to look stupid, didn't want my friends to see me fail, so I went through high school always planning and thinking about what could have been the worst case scenario. I wish someone had told me how much easier life would be if I took risks when I had a safe place with friends I had known my whole life around me. That high school is the place to put yourself out there and really find out who you are. Once I got to college I knew I wanted to work in TV but there were a lot of things that took me out of my comfort zone and I had to really discover myself while embarking on a new and scary journey. 

All I'm saying is that high school is when you look back at everything you achieved and realize you are a grown mature person and you have so much to be proud of. Once I realized that I had a lot to offer the big grown up world, I was able to try new things and step outside of my comfort zone to find something that I didn't even realize I was passionate about. It's a hard transition from high school to college and I think I understood that the work load would be massive and classes would be harder, but I wasn't ready for how much I would need to rely on just good old fashioned self-esteem. Don't get me wrong, work hard in high school. Take hard classes and do the reading but don't forget that you worked so hard to get there and that's something to be proud of because there will come a time when you are frustrated and you will be struggling with school and work and just all of the demands that come with growing up. Yet, when that time comes, look back and count your blessings because you need to be your biggest fan to succeed. 

What was your favorite class in high school and did it pertain to what you do now? My favorite class was English. Oddly, I didn't think I ever finished an assigned reading while I was at YV, but I liked hearing the class all share what they thought the reading was all about. I liked how the story changed depending on who was interpreting it. I guess that's part of the reason I love working in TV, I get to tell stories and tell it from all of these different angles and that just excited me. 

What did you do in high school? I did so much while I was there! Before I tell you all the crazy things I did, I know that juggling all of these activities in high school was probably the best training I ever got for college and now for the fast-paced media industry. 

I graduated with 10 varsity letters. I played soccer, softball, tennis, and I ran cross country. For two years I was President of our Multi-Cultural club and directed our very popular multi cultural assembly, and for a year I was the President of our Art Club. I played flute in the marching band and bassoon in the wind ensemble. I acted in a few of our school plays my senior year. I know it seems silly but I still regret not trying new things I had never tried before like Volleyball or audition for the Improv team. Like I said take risks and try new things while you are in high school!

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Spring is coming! Jump forward!



Warrior Weekly

March 7, 2014

Bay Area Band Festival
Monday and Tuesday, at the beginning of what Mr. Pattison calls the “worst week ever,”  (Jam packed with festivals mon and tues, rehearsals wed-sat for honor orchestra with a performance that evening... phew!) The band and orchestra performed with some of the local middle schools, putting on a good show for band and orchestra fans alike. Mr. Pattison was pleased with all the groups that performed, and afterward commented that all these students, middle school and high school alike, should keep on being in music programs, as it has changed for the better greatly over the years.



Spring Sports Update
The Ygnacio Valley High School Girls Lacrosse Team has won the past two games, and the sports community is abuzz with excitement! Also, the YV community has a new sport to watch… RUGBY!! That is correct. The Ygnacio Valley high school Rugby Team has not only started up practices, but games as well! Come on down and see the sports at YV!


Jammy Jam
Newest in the ASB Leadership events, the all new Jammy Jam will have you jiggying in your jammies! Tickets are on sale for five dollars! Come and shake it up in the Multi Use Room on March 21 from six o’clock to nine o’clock PM.


Marathon Time
Our own  Senior Annalisa Romero ran in her first half marathon this past weekend- and placed first in her age group! With an outstanding time of 1:49, Annalisa proved she is a cross country runner to be reckoned with! Way to go, Warrior!! 

Making YV a Better Place through Leadership
This week, Leadership teachers Kelly Cooper and Corissa Stobing, Yearbook coordinator Carolyn Moore, and one of our VP's, Efa Huckaby all went to the State conference for the California Activities Directors Association- they were inundated with new ideas and innovations for campus climate, student inclusion and connection, and innovation. Look for some exciting new programs to come! And of course they had fun with the Cartoon theme in the meantime... 


New weekly feature- Alumnus Spotlight! We will be featuring a YV grad in each blog in the weeks to come- we have some amazing Warriors out there! 
 
Alum Spotlight - Adam Schuman- Class of 1998 
Adam Schuman- Guitarist for Trophy Fire


Adam is currently in a hit band, The Trophy Fire, and makes music his business as an instructor and performer. His two brothers and his father also attended YV, and came back to coach wrestling for years. Warrior family, indeed.

What did you do right out of high school? I went to Los Medanos College and got an AA in recording arts, and starting putting bands together. 

What is your current business and why do you love it? Music is my business. I love it because I get to create something instead of doing tasks for an organization or business. The business is mine, for better or for worse. I've also been able to meet several people whom I look up to. 

Any advice for YV Students now that you've begun your career? Anything you weren't ready for? Yes. 1- I believe a college degree will be as important as a high school diploma was in the past. Go to college and don't major in a subject that is useless or stupid (I think most of you know what I mean) Economics and Business are always good choices. 
2- Teach yourself about finance and avoid going into debt at all costs. Finance is taught in the home, if it wasn't - self educate. Grab whatever reading material you can and ask people who are good with money for advice. I can't stress enough how important that is. 
 3- Never be afraid to ask for help. And be available to help those around you. "Do well by doing good." ~Ben Franklin
4- Networking is just as important as studying. Being somebody who is pleasant and dependable is as important (perhaps more) than being efficient and talented. Keep in touch with all contacts that can help you. 

What was your favorite hs class and why?   I liked physics and band, because they had information that was pertinent to my career choice. 


What were you involved with in high school? Did any of it prepare you for your chosen field now? I was involved in waterpolo, wrestling, swimming and music in high school. Yes, they all helped to teach me how to accept victory and defeat graciously, they taught me humility, teamwork, and goal setting. Plus I hung out with girls in bathing suits. That's important too.
 

Monday, March 3, 2014

Rain rain- thank goodness...

Warrior News 
February 28, 2014

It was a rainy week in Warrior-land, and the much needed water flow was welcome by most. It did make for an interesting soccer match Wednesday, and several practices were cancelled with the wet fields, but with the district cutting back on watering areas, the landscaping was relieved! 
Here's the week in review

Time to sign! 
Students in the 9-11th grades have been meeting with admin all week, weighing their options for courses for the coming school year. With some great options like the academies, digital arts courses, Engineering I, AP bio and AP chem, Drama- the students have a tough choice ahead! Teachers are looking forward to some new department offerings and anxious to see how signups will play out. 

Boy's Soccer falls to Hercules
In a great match played on the YV pitch, Boys soccer ultimately fell to Hercules in OT, 3-2. All goals scored were made during the second half, which made for a great back and forth game. Hercules scored both of their regular time goals on corner kicks. BigBee scored the first YV goal, with Jonathan Ayala bringing in the second one. The Warrior soccer team had an incredible soccer season and we are so proud of their work! 


Speakeasy
 
On Tuesday the Health Academy juniors were treated to a "Speakeasy" and illegal nightclub during the prohibition era. Students dressed in costume, were given a secret password and had to find the hidden location of the Speakeasy. Once inside, students were treated to illegal drinks and snacks (sparkling apple cider and Cheez-its) watched a silent film, and rotated through different stations and learned about different parts of the 1920's. In the end it was busted up by admin and Mr. Lucas was escorted away in handcuffs. It is a great way to bring history to life!







YV's Got Talent
The Renaissance class put together the annual talent show, with a Hollywood theme. Student acts included singing, freestyling and dancing and proved once again that we are a hotbed for some great natural talent. The night belonged to Salvador Gonzalez, who sang a Jessie J song, complete with balloons, strobe lights and confetti. Second place went to Amec Lujan and two of his guest dancer friends, YV alum Jesus Lizarraga and Julian Damontay, dancing to a love medley. Third place was awarded to another trio, Aaliyah Minor, Laxmy DeLeon and Rhyndyl Sardina, who sang a medley of songs, many of them throwbacks to the 90's. All three acts will be featured in the WOW assembly in May. 

Leadership Exchange
 ASB leadership attended the 6th annual Concord high leadership exchange on Wednesday. They were able to meet with 8 local high schools and spend time networking and attending workshops. The keynote speaker was Scott Greenberg, who taught the students the important lesson of being true to yourself. It was a great day and a ton of ideas were exchanged!

EWaste and Rummage Sale
Fundraising efforts peaked this weekend, with the Grad Night committee putting on an ewaste Fundraiser all day and the Music Boosters putting their efforts into the rummage sale. Both events were successful, and students came to put their hours in for the cause. 


Speaking of Fundraising
We need your help in supporting our only fundraiser that benefits all YV Sports teams. This adult-only event is on Saturday, March 22, and includes a catered dinner by Kinder's BBQ, raffle and silent auction- with great items like Disneyland tickets, SF Giants and SF Ballet tickets, Hornblower dinner cruise, waterskiing on the Delta, and gift certificates to many local restaurants! Please plan to attend so that we can continue to support all of our school teams- we may have limited funding next year from outside sources, and we want to make sure our sports teams can continue to thrive! Tickets cost $35 until March 5th, and $40 afterwards. To order tickets please contact heidihastings@att.net or pick up a form in the school office or go to the YVHS website and click on the Athletic Boosters tab. We look forward to seeing you there!

And in Good News- 
One of our school Donorschoose projects just got funded! Ms. Cooper's Renaissance project just got fully funded thanks to the generosity of parents, personal friends, alums and community members! Ms. Cooper's class will be receiving much needed supplies for the awards season, where they will be putting together the awards shows for the end of the year, including the Spring WOW Assembly. 
Thank you to everyone for your support! Still looking for ways to donate? Go to www.donorschoose.org and search for Ygnacio Valley High School. We still have projects open!