Students of the MONTH

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

A Break is coming...

Warrior News
April 14, 2014

Rossmoor Scholarship Winners
YVHS Students were the top recipients of the Rossmoor Scholarship this year, the most of any school in the area with 7 Recipients!! Each recipient receives a $3000 scholarship at the Senior Awards Night on June 3. 
Congratulations and GO WARRIORS!

First game under the lights! 
This Thursday April 17th marks the FIRST GAME to be played under the lights, with Girls Lacrosse vs Newark Memorial! The girls Lacrosse team got off to a great start this season with 4 wins, and they look forward to making history on the Warrior field! Come join us at 6pm for this occasion! 




Legally Blonde closes with biggest weekend yet! 
 Legally Blonde the musical has been touted as the school's best endeavor in musical theater yet! The cast had heavy hearts as they said goodbye to this show, and the audience was on their feet for the last three performances. Congratulations to everyone involved in producing this one! 


Health Academy takes the USS Hornet for a day
The Ygnacio Valley HS Health Academy Sophomores were treated to a living history lesson when they boarded the USS Hornet Museum for a tour of the medical facilities on board, as well as the historical reference points, getting talks from war vets about the War in the Pacific and the role that aircraft carriers had in the US ultimately gaining an advantage in the fight. It was a great day for the Warriors to hear and feel history in a very  tangible setting. 
 

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Spring in Swing!

Legally Blonde Is a Smash!
The wait is over! Legally Blonde opened with a bang, and has received rave reviews from show-goers all weekend! The show features a large cast, a huge dog (and a tiny one too), energetic dance numbers, great music, and a heartthrob UPS man.. and more! The CC Times featured a snippet about the show, and we are expecting even better attendance this weekend. Don't miss out on what many are calling YVHS' best musical in years! Show this Friday at 7:30pm, Saturday 2pm and 7:30pm. Tickets available at the door. See you there!






Indoor Soccer Tournament
ASB Leadership for the last week has held and indoor soccer tournament, for all who would want to come and participate! The soccer tournament had a tremendous turnout, and plenty of teams were ready to play!

Teachers get Honored in the District Teacher of the Year celebration
Two teachers from Ygnacio Valley High School were sent up for Teacher of the Year at the District level and honored at a recent school board meeting.

Shannon Carr is in her 8th year at YVHS and is the lead teacher for the Health Academy. She teaches English and has in the past coached Basketball as well.
 

How long have you been at Yv?
8 years

How has your teaching evolved over the years?
Believe it or not, I've actually mellowed out through the years! I still value structure, but inwardly I've worked to find balance and value each student as an individual. Daily I strive to give each one my best so I can help pursue excellence.

What other teachers have influenced your style and helped you grow? My 7th grade English teacher, Mrs. Norma Griffin, and my middle school Principal,  Mrs. Marcie Brown showed me tenacity and respect for perfection. Mrs. Gower modeled indefatigable dedication to our students, the Health Science Academy and HOSA. Ms. Erin McCabe, my master teacher, taught me how to survive and thrive in the classroom, while offering students rich and engaging lessons. My mother has been the greatest model, demonstrating structure and enthusiasm.


What's your philosophy on balancing the need to have all students succeed vs maintaining rigor and high expectations?
Everyone should have high expectations for learning rigorous content. All of the strategies used to make content accessible to all learners are just that-- for all learners! It's good teaching and makes sure we strive to meet students where they are and propel them forward.

What is one of your favorite moments from the last few years with students?

Besides cracking me up in the classroom? Each year I am fortunate to attend HOSA's State Leadership Conference. It brings me great joy to see students prepare, practice and demonstrate their best with other career-focused students. Because of their determined pursuits, they prove themselves successful.

What advice do you have for new teachers?
Effective classroom management makes teaching easier! It allows us to craft our students' learning experience. Prepare yourself and your students ahead of time. Despite the whining, students respect structure. Be exacting yet reasonable. They will meet high expectations if they know we care.






Thatcher Palmer is in his 9th year at YVHS and is the lead teacher for our Education Academy. He teaches Social Science.
 How many years have you taught here?  This is my 9th year at YV.
 How has your teaching evolved over time? My teaching has evolved over the years in many ways. Specifically, I learned to focus more on the specific needs, strengths and challenges faced by students.  I no longer focus on myself as a teacher, but on the students and how they learn.
What teachers have been big influences in your teaching style? Teachers like Mrs. Hallberg (connecting to students), Mrs. Gower (creating an engaging classroom), Mrs. Cooper (dedication to students and teaching), Mr. Poppas (efficiency) and Mr. Rudy (constantly improving and perfecting content), amongst others, have each taught me different individual parts of teaching that make up who I am as a teacher.
What's your philosophy on balancing the need to have all students succeed vs maintaining rigor and high expectations?Success is different for each student.  Even the terms "rigor" and "expectations" are different for each student.  A true teacher knows when a student has succeeded, no matter what the circumstances of that student's life are.  No matter where the student starts, if they grow and improve, then success has been achieved.
What advice do you have for new teachers? My advice for new teachers is to take time for yourself and create a happy balance in your life.  Hard work and dedication are necessary to being successful as a teacher, but you are no good to anyone if you aren't taking care of yourself.  (Sometimes I have to remind myself to take my own advice.)


Congratulations to Ms. Carr and Mr. Palmer!

ASB Leadership heads to CASL and gets honored as one of the top programs in the STATE!


HOSA heads to the State Leadership Conference 


Twenty-two students attended the Health Occupations Students of America annual State Leadership Conference which took place in Anaheim, March 29-April 1. Students competed in First Aid/CPR, Medical Terminology, HOSA Bowl, Health Career Display, Sports Medicine, etc. The Public Service Announcement team of Alisa Thorsen, Audrey Boer and Nelson Flores won 4th place for their ad campaigning to end childhood hunger. The Health Education team of Sofia Campos, Kayla Samuels and Ariana Whitmarsh taught elementary students about the need to stay active; they finished in the top ten statewide. The trivia HOSA BOWL team of Patrick Valencia, Marisa Sozzi, Maria Mata and Isabella Romero also finished in the top ten. Students that also received recognition for being knowledgable about Health Care Issues and current events include Marisa Sozzi and Isabella Romero. Congratulations to Stephanie Martinez for winning gold for the Health Care Issues Exam!






2nd Annual Athletics Hall of Fame Dinner a Success! 




VP Rianne Pfaltzgraff Honored by Mountain View Elementary
 Our very own Ms. Pfaltzgraff was honored with a Make a Difference Award for her services to special education students in the district. Congratulations Ms. Pfatlzgraff! It's called a You Make a Difference Award. It's an award for making a difference in the lives of students with special needs and recipients are chosen by a team of special educators and CAC which is the parent advisory group.

Rianne was nominated along with about 80 other people in the district. Nominees were teachers, students, parents, admin, etc. and the person nominating them had to write why they should get the award. A committee reviewed the nominations and selected recipients. They selected Rianne and 19 others.


Workability Career Faire Well Attended by YVHS Hopefuls! 
Workability sponsored a career fair at YV last week, and more than 500 students arrived with copies of their resume, professional attire and a great attitude. Employers included the US military branches, Waterworld, Zachary's Pizza, Paris Beauty College, and Concord Pavilion. Students were able to speak to potential employers, give resumes and get applications for summer work.