Winter Ending, Spring is on its way!

Warrior Good News 

February 24

It's been a couple of weeks of winding down here in Warrior land, as most Winter sports came to a close and the spring sports began training. We had some great moments these two weeks, so let's review! 

THE LOVE SHOW

On February 13, Dance, Drama and Madrigals got together to perform in the name of Love. The Mads started us off with some great songs about the beginnings and sweetness of love, while the drama club put together a wonderful one-act play called "Why do We Laugh" which follows a couple from the time they are 5 years old to when they are 65. Dance finished off following natural arcs of love, from flirting to frustration. It was a fun show, and the photography class added great ambience with some incredible pieces also within the them of the big heart matters. What a great collaboration! 

Mad Men singing "So In Love"

COLOR ME WILD- BLACK LIGHT RALLY!

ASB Leadership put on their annual winter rally, and brought back the black lights for the occasion. Students were decked in white shirts, glow paint, and glow sticks, and the rally was a successful celebration for the school. Some highlights included an outstanding glowing cheer performance complete with a 5 stunt pyramid and a dance 3 performance that highlighted different body parts throughout the piece. Great job to the ASB Leadership class! 

JV and Varsity Cheer at the Blacklight Rally

Watch the Dance Performance on YouTube HERE

SOCCER PLAYOFFS

Our boys soccer team finished the season as DVAL champions, which gave them an automatic berth to the NCS playoffs. They began play on Wednesday against the Alhambra Bulldogs, and they finished the game with a 1-0 win over the Martinez neighbors. The second round (quarterfinals) was played Saturday at YV vs Saint Mary's High School, and the Warriors marched to an easy victory of 4-1. Semi-finals will be played at Ygnacio Valley on Wednesday at 3:30pm. Don't miss these Warriors play! 

Boys Soccer led by coaches Cesar Chavez, Bijan Sadeghy and Rocky Gaglioti (all YV alums)

TUPE TRAINING FOR PEER MENTORING

On Friday, several of our students went to a district training to become peer mentors in YV's efforts to stamp out smoking. They were shown lungs affected by smoke, and were educated on all of the latest products and their harms including hooka and e-cigarettes. The students are ready to step up to the plate and bring their new knowledge back to the school. 

TUPE peer mentors ready to tackle the world.

BASEBALL WINS THEIR FIRST

Baseball played their first game last week, and ran to a victory to start their season off. Great job Warriors! We are looking forward to a great season! 

Jacob Samuels (9th grade) with his first career hit for the Warriors

What a Showcase for the WARRIORS!

Warrior Weekly

February 7, 2014

by Devin Rader

This has been an outstanding week at YVHS, with so many programs shining, it is hard to keep up! 

 

Open House Showcase!

Thursday February 7 was our annual Open House for Ygnacio Valley High School! Parents and students of YV and also the surrounding middle schools were invited to see what kind of teachers, clubs and programs were being offered at YV. In the Multi Use room, we had our performing arts department, featuring our Jazz Band, Guitar, Madrigals, Improv Team, and Dance programs, with a preview special number from this year’s musical, Legally Blonde. We also had an outstanding poet read her work in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Keosha Figg is part of the After School Program, and she brought the room to reflection begging teenagers of color to think before they act, reflecting on what Dr. King meant about his dream. There was a fabulous art walk by the fine arts department as well featuring photo, standard art, and ceramics. If you didn’t attend the arts showcase, you were free to roam the school, talking to teachers and visiting various departments. It was a great night and the students and parents got a very good chance to learn about the school and the faculty.

Comedy Show

On Friday, the YV Music Boosters were able to bring in a professional Improv team! These Act-letes, as they preferred to be called, put on a wacky show that had everyone clutching their stomachs because they were laughing so hard. The boosters were able to raise a lot of money to provide for the instrumental music program. This was a big step in the right direction, because the music program is looking at going on their annual band trip next month down to Disneyland! Way to go Band Moms!

Boys Soccer Clinches NCS Berth

Yes you heard right! Ygnacio Valley’s Boys Soccer team are LEAGUE CHAMPIONS and on their way to NCS for the third year in a row. The first three-peat in school history! Way to go Warriors! Looking forward to many watching your climb in the NCS Championship! Congratulations to our coaches, Rocky Gagliotti, Bijan Sadeghy, and Head Coach Cesar Chavez. What a legacy you are building! 

Photo courtesy of Max Preps

Hamlet for Health Academy

Friday, our Health Academy program went to see Hamlet, performed by the Diablo Valley College Theater department! With many of the senior class reading Hamlet, seeing it on stage is a very big bonus to understanding the story and how it is written. DVC took a fresh take on the play, interpreting it a bit differently than convention has called in the past, bringing Hamlet to his knees with the question of whether his was a fall into madness and paranoia, or if his uncle was actually to blame for the King's death... It was a wonderful interpretation, and really brought the work of Shakespeare to life for the seniors.  

Leadership Development Day

On Thursday, our award winning ASB Leadership program hosted over 300 middle school students for a Leadership Development Day. Our Warriors helped facilitate the middle school leaders in a variety of activities to increase their understanding of the great responsibility they have to increase participation on campus, to provide for safe and positive outlets to the student body, and to represent their schools positively at all times. What great examples our own ASB class provide, and it was a successful day for all.  

Love Show!

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s time to share the love with the annual Love Show! This is an important fundraiser for our Spring Musical, and features performances from the Madrigals, Dance, Drama, and Guitar, and a fantastic art walk gallery display by our Fine Arts department, you don’t want to miss out on this exciting event! The show will be next Thursday 7:30pm. Bring your "person of interest" and enjoy the show! 

Ongoing Fundraiser at Sports Basement

Don't forget to mention Ygnacio Valley High School when you shop at Sports Basement - you get 10% off your purchase and YVHS will also get 5% back! 

Second Semester... In Spring?

It was an unusually warm start to our second semester, with short sleeves making a comeback and students basking in the sun...

High Five Everyone! 

The staff have started a new recognition system, they're giving high fives! Around the school these handprints will be put up throughout the rest of the year, for students getting recognized by staff for a number of things, including attendance, behavior, effort and improvement. Students earning the high five awards will be put into a drawing each month for different prizes, including lunch with the Principal, and donated items like Warrior gear, sports bags, mp3 players, etc. 

YVHS hosts their 8th Annual Noche Universitaria En Espanol

The Warriors hosted an all-Spanish College Night for Spanish Speaking families, with over 150 people in attendance. Information was presented from several universities, and our Puente program was able to work on recruiting students and laying out the program benefits as well. Congrats to Ms Socorro Lomas and all who put this great event together! 

Performing Arts on a Roll

The Legally Blonde rehearsals have begun! The cast is excited and energetic and working on a very quick time schedule to get this monster show off the ground! With Mr. Carter at the helm of music direction, cast learned hard harmonies all week to get the pop-style soundtrack to come alive. Watch for more progress to come! Elle Woods is to be played by McKenna Duncan (11th grade), Warner Huntington III will be played by Senior Matt Boer, and Emmett Forrest is to be played by Senior Devin Rader. OMG you guys!!

Junior Rachel Gephart has been serving as a technical crew member for YV productions for 3 years now, and she just started an internship with the Lesher Center tech staff as a lighting design assistant! Lighting Designer David Lam has taken Rachel under his wing for the Diablo Theater Company production of Guys and Dolls, set to open on February 7th, and Rachel has been in the booth learning Gobos, lighting cues, programming, and more. Great job Rachel! 

Our own Performing Arts Director, Kelly Cooper, has one more weekend dancing in the PCRT production of 'A Chorus Line', closing Sunday February 9th at the Pleasanton Firehouse. The show has been receiving fantastic reviews, and Ms. Cooper has had a blast being back on stage and looks forward to doing another show soon! See it while you can! www.pcrtproductions.org

Donors Choose Projects- Warriors Need YOU!!
There are several projects that teachers have on donors choose and we wanted to highlight them here, spread the word, and try to get these projects funded! 

Mr. Larios- Ceramics- The ceramics lab needs a new kiln. They have an old one but there are many issues and it won't last too long. 
To donate click HERE!

Mrs. Fletcher- Physiology- She is seeking a new hands on skeleton to help teach anatomy- this project will only be up for 25 more days! 

To donate CLICK HERE!

Ms Cooper- Renaissance- The class needs supplies as we have no operating budget- we need paper and paints to get ready for the spring WOW assembly. 
To Donate Click HERE!

Ms. Addiego- Math- Need Common Core Lab learning supplies!

To Donate Click HERE

Ms.Conover- Trail Access Program- Needs Ink for printed materials for students with visual learning needs! 

To Donate Click Here! 

Music Boosters Host a Comedy Night! 

Ygnacio Valley Music Boosters is hosting Comedy Sportz- A PROFESSIONAL IMPROV TROUPE

Comedy, Cookies, and Cakes

Friday Feb. 7, 7:30pm

         Comedy Sportz is a live, family friendly professional performance. For the ticket price of only $15 per person you can enjoy the award winning interactive comedy show where two teams of "act-letes" improvise scenes for audience laughs and points.  We will have goodies, coffee, and water, all for just $1 per item.

For tickets email ygnaciomusic@gmail.com. or use the order form that will be in the office mailboxes tomorrow, Jan. 30.

 This link will take you to a video that will show you how fun Comedy Sportz is http://vimeo.com/28531209.

 

Please join us for an evening of laughs, while supporting our music program.

 

Final-ly... End of Semester One

The semester ended this week with final exams from Wednesday through Friday. Students were treated to free hot cocoa and tutoring through the CARES After School Program, and teachers tried to review material before test day. Students survived the exams and are certainly looking forward to clean slates for the coming semester. 

ASB donates their time and cold hands

The ASB leadership class, under the direction of Corissa Stobing, volunteered again for the second year at the Fly Fisherman Crab Feed. They gave hours cleaning and preparing the meal for the fundraiser and reminded the community of the great people our Warriors are. 

Warrior Debaters make it to Nationals

Seniors Matt Boer and Paige Oka qualified for the National Catholic Forensic League Championships in Chicago for speech and debate. Under the direction of YV alum Dan Leahy, the seniors are the first to qualify for the school's young debate team (in existence about 3 years) Congrats to all! 

Class of 2016 raises funds 

The class of 2016 held a successful garage sale, opening at the crack of dawn to appeal to the hardcore treasure hunters usually out at that hour. Raising funds for their prom in a couple of years, the kids did a great job and look forward to the next one. 

Dead Week

Warrior Weekly

January 17, 2014

Musical Auditions

As some of you may know, Ygnacio Valley does a musical every year. This year’s musical can be considered by some to be a step up from the rest. This year, Ygnacio Valley High School presents “Legally Blonde.” The director of the musical, Kelly Cooper, has promised that this show will knock everybody’s socks off. With plenty of musical accompaniment, dancing law students, and singing blondes, you don’t want to miss out on this fantastic performance! Mark your calendars for April 4, 5 and April 11 and 12 because you don’t want to miss this!

CLICK HERE FOR THE CAST LIST

www.yvdance.blogspot.com

Cash for College

Tuesday, seniors and their parents were invited out to the Cash for College meeting in the Ygnacio Valley library. This course was to help those seniors who want to get into college that extra bit of help with their FAFSA forms, but also held many opportunities for seniors who needed some help managing their money for college. This course helped many seniors get a very good idea of what they wanted and what they needed for college.

 

Sports Update

Wintertime means two things for high school, basketball and soccer teams going head to head with other schools. With everything going on it’s time for YV Sports Updates. First off with our boys soccer program which is 9-2-1 and looking for another shot at NCS. Girls soccer is sitting at 6-10 and looking to improve from there. Boys basketball is looking at a 4-14 record, but recently scored an impressive victory over Berean Christian. Girls Basketball is looking for their first win, with a 0-10 record. Keep up the awesome work Warriors!

 

Education Academy visits the Capitol

The Ed Academy made a trip out to the state Capitol to watch legislation in action. A great trip for a better understanding about legislation and how it affects education. 

Construction Updates

Some of you may know we have some construction being done on campus. First our Chemistry wing is being built for our Chemistry teachers to make some fun experiments in. Second YV got lights for the football field and those are also in construction so that the students can play in the Friday Night Lights, like we have wanted for some time now. Both projects are running smoothly and are looking ahead. According to Mr. Huckaby, the lights and Chemistry lab should be finished sometime in March! This is some great news for the spring sports!

 

 

 

First Week Back! Still Winter...

Warrior Blog

January 6th-10 2014

It tool some time for everyone to get back into the swing of things, and this was a relatively quiet week. Some exciting things though- 

ASB Gives Back

ASB Leadership students were given an assignment to go out and provide service to their community, spending at least 4-6 hours doing something nice for somebody else. The students picked a wide range of activities- several students volunteered at a hospice for patients with dementia and Alzheimer's, reading magazines and hosting a sing a long for the patients. Others worked with Rotary and the Lemon Lady, picking neighborhood fruit to donate to the Contra Costa Food Bank. Other students volunteered at the local elementary school's community garden, wrapped Christmas gifts for adopted families and entered genealogy information for their church. The class really felt this was a valuable project, as one student said, "I'm grateful we had this assignment and I look forward to volunteering more and finding more opportunities to help."

Musical Theater Master Class

Our performing arts students were given an amazing opportunity to do an audition workshop with master teachers Gia Solari-Welch and Lindsay Roebuck. Gia is an accomplished actress, director and choreographer, having performed on Broadway, on tour with the Broadway production Evita, and then moving into production. She most recently directed and choreographed the Shellie Award winning Legally Blonde with Broadway Star Bailey Hanks here in the East Bay for Diablo Theatre Company, a production that our own Ms. Cooper was a part of. Lindsay Roebuck was the dance captain for that production. They took students through each basic component of a professional audition, beginning with dance, then singing, and finally reading through sides from the script. they offered feedback and tips to students to help them on their quest for pursuing theater after high school. We are so lucky to live in an area of California rich in the arts! This coming week, students will take their new knowledge and put it to work as they audition for our Spring Musical, Legally Blonde. 

Winter Break is HERE!!

Warrior Weekly- Crazy Pre-Winter Week Reviewed

December 20, 2013

Written by: Devin Rader

One Act Reviews

The drama club presented their one act plays to the English classes before the end of Winter Week. Students were happy with the plays and were great audiences. Promaggedon was solved, and the Final Four were rescued. Superheroes were proven to be the ultimate codependents, and the Doctor helped them have a time of peace. Twitches proved to Don and Nancy that their neighbors were actually aliens trapped here for 35 million seconds (or 405.095 days) and all attracted people for the night shows showcased on that night. Thanks for all the laughs Drama Club!

Carols by Candlelight

Filled with piano pieces, dancing, singing, and plenty of holiday spirit, Carols by Candlelight was a great performance to all. With plenty of performing arts groups coming together to put on a show, what more could someone expect? Mr. Carter directed Madrigals, Concert Choir and the two guitar classes to ring in the holidays with some great songs celebrating all of the winter holidays, and the Dance 3 program retold the tale of the Polar Express through dance and music. This show has been a 35 year tradition, and there were plenty of alumni on board to celebrate and sing the final carol, Silent Night, as has been the tradition for so long. Thanks to all the groups, alumni, teachers, and parents that helped put on a great show!

100 feet of Nachos

Another Link Crew event in cohorts with the After School program - to ring in the soccer season. Students had the opportunity to go out to the Quad on Thursday and eat Nachos until their bellies were bulging. This was the opportunity to help the students reconnect with one another, seeing as it has been over a month before the last Link Crew event, which was Trunk or Treat. . Although the nachos were short-lived, the satisfaction wasn’t. We look forward to the next Link Crew event!

Senior Breakfast

Friday, all Seniors were invited to Senior Breakfast. With performances, games, and memories as we looked back, this was an event to remember for our Senior year. YV students took a trip off campus and spent time together playing board games and wii games, bonding over laughs and juice while some of the YV staff worked hard in the kitchen to get breakfast out. There were performances by several students that are guaranteed to last a long time in our minds. Senior Breakfast was a very big event and a great tradition that our Warriors look forward to. There was some extra food at the end of the event, and the seniors donated the food to the Monument Crisis Center.

Deck the Halls

With plenty of pent up holiday cheer, the clubs, with help from CARES and ASB Leadership, spent time to deck the halls with all the holiday cheer they could muster. The students and staff made posters, put up cellophane to tint the halls, hung lights and streamers and  joy all over the school. With reminders of what the holiday is really about, it was hard not to feel joyous in this special season.

Toys for Tots and the Coat Drive

Warriors work hard for those in need, and the holiday season was no exception. In cooperation with the US Marine Corp office, Winter Sports, ASB and Renaissance Leadership, and Sports Medicine all collected Toys for the Toys for Tots programs. Interact and the Concord Rotary Chapter also created a friendly competition between 3rd period classes for the greater good of warmth, in a coat drive. Both drives were very successful and Warriors can be proud of their good works for the holiday season. 

A Look in a Classroom

This week I took a look inside Mrs. Hillhouse’s AP Spanish IV and V class. The week before, the class had a test, and I was fortunate to get Mrs. Hillhouse’s opinion on the results. Although she wasn’t expecting straight A’s all around the class, she was a little displeased with the test results of some students. She also said that this is a very hard class, being a college level class and all, so she expects her students to be able to move on and look back on their mistakes, and solve them. The students in this class have been studying Spanish history and the Spanish Civil War. Talking about the past you must use the past tense of the verbs that you use, or the preterite tense. This is what the students have been studying in her classes.

Letter from Me to You

Dear Readers,

            Hello. In the spirit of the Holidays, I thought I would take the time to compose a letter to spread a little joy and show my thanks. When Cooper came up to me and wanted me to start these “Warrior Weekly” writings, I was a little skeptical at first, but through all the year we have been working together to show the community what YV really is about, and who we are as Warriors. I am very grateful to sit down each week and write about the good things that happen each week. I never realized it at first glance, but we are a very active school and we do so many things to help brighten create a better community. Thank you all for all the support you give and all the things you do for this school. Happy Holidays everybody! 

                                                                                                Sincerely,

                                                                                                Devin Rader

                                                                                                Class of 2014