Students Send S.O.S to Presiden- Tial Candidates About Education
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The Poly Optimist John H. Francis Polytechnic High School Vol. v 12431 Roscoe blvd. sun valley, california, 91352 May 2007 Polytechnic First High School in Students Send S.O.S To Presiden- Nation to Offer tial Candidates about Education Advantage Plus Students meet with to Freshmen MTV News on stu- Program of Academic dent issues. Rigor Presented By Julissa Delgado & Jennifer Ri- to Poly’s Incoming vera Staff Writers Freshmen. Retired school superinten- By Francisco Perez & Belle Tade- dent, Roy Romer met with stu- na dents from six San Fernando Staff Writers Valley schools in a townhall Beginning in the Fall mester, discussion to emphasize why 2007, the Advantage Plus education should be a prior- Program is being introduced to ity in the upcoming Presiden- the incoming freshmen class. tial campaigns. Leading the This new program enables discussion with Romer was students to advance in classes MTV News Correspondent and prepare themselves for SuChin Pak and State Super- the competitive universities intendent of Public Instruction they are to encounter. Selected Jack O’Connell. The filmed members of the Advantage discussion took place at Grant Plus program are provided High School on Wednesday, with a curriculum, giving them May 2. The students had the access to their full learning opportunity to voice out their opinions on education, the Photo by Jennifer Rivera capacity. A SELECT FEW: Students represent Poly at MTV forum. Left to Right: Aaron Sanchez, Mr. “The program gives good and bad. The campaign for education Leclair, Sergio Huizar, Michelle Aguila, Benito Gonzales,Joey Lemus, Julissa Delgado, AP Ge- non-magnet students the rardo Loera. opportunity to accelerate is called Ed in ’08. It is funded their classes to keep them by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation. [Students cont. Page 7] from being held back from the classes they truly need,” proposed Patricia Flenner, ESL Students Celebrate Dreams Come True Assistant Principal, from the Gowns and tuxedos were the order of the Freshmen Center. Accomplishments Students are chosen based on night for Poly Parrots at Prom 2007. academic excellence, and for By Vilma Diego Korean, Thai, Tagalog, Viet- Staff Writer CST (California Standardized namese, and other languages By Ana Loera seated. Three male and seven Test) test scores. Freshman Students entering Poly- from India and Pakistan. The Staff Writer female contestants stood, Center staff looked at technic High School where program helps students with May 19, 2007 was an nervously awaiting the final students’ records to determine English is not their native English classes and includes unforgettable night for many, results. acceptable candidates for the language have additional all the A-G requirements. but especially for seniors Sanchez and Salvatierra program. An open house was obstacles to overcome. Af- The Small Learning Com- Ruby Sanchez w e r e munity of The Newcomers held to invite those who were ter many years of having an and Bryant announced as ESL program at Poly, the (ESL students) celebrated interested. Salvatierra. Poly’s 2007 first formal ESL awards cer- students moving to regular “Students who scored The two Prom Queen emony was held to celebrate English classes on April 27 ‘basic’ on their CST and have and King to the hard work and success of in the cafetorium. It wasn’t were crowned A’s and B’s on their report the students. just a celebration of complet- queen and king the cheering card have a higher chance of Mr. Fishman, the ESL ing a program, but also a cel- at this year’s crowd. being admitted to this program counselor said, “I think it ebration of the Newcomer’s Senior Prom, The new as opposed to students was very heartwarming.” group moving to the other held at the queen and who scored ‘proficient’ or The ESL program has stu- Small Learning Communities Omni Hotel in king took ‘advanced’ and have D’s and dents from a variety of native at Poly. “The feeling was of a Los Angeles. center stage as F’s in their academic classes. languages including, Spanish, As students junior council But the question is, do they [ESL cont. Page 7 ] and guests m e m b e r s have the drive to do it,” said arrived and did the Flenner. r e g i s t e r e d , Photo By Mildred Fuentes coronation. The program is for the they placed ROYALTY AT THE The couple students that feel held back their votes in PROM: Queen Ruby Sanchez c o m p l e t e d and are willing to be pushed the ballot for and King Bryant Salvatierra the traditional further. “Every student has their favorite share the traditional waltz at first waltz and access to the maximum of Prom court this year’s prom. then the crowd their ability,” Flenner said. contestants. partied on The beginning course will Everyone was then invited dressed in their formal gowns start with one month review to have dinner, take photos, and tuxedos.The DJ played a of Algebra 1B and continue and hit the dance floor. variety of music that ranged with Geometry and Foreign Hector Colon, 12th grade from 50s to techno to Spanish Language. Three years of council sponsor stopped the rock. The genre of the music English is still required. Photo by Tatiana Tejeda dancing to announce this played changed from one song AWARDS BY THE DOZEN: Left to Right: Rodrigo year’s Prom court. to the next and kept people [Advantage Plus cont. Page Rivas,Ada Nuñez,Elizabeth Peña,Gabriela Portillo,Laura Gon- The votes were counted and moving for the rest of the 5 ] zalez, Lervin Lopez and Ms. Slezak the crowd of appx. 600 was evening. Opinions The Poly Optimist The Poly Optimist EDITORIALS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR John H. Francis Math Coaches Give Thanks Polytechnic High School Hope Still Lies Ahead For 12431 Roscoe blvd. sun Dear Editor, valley, california, 91352 Undocumented Students We read your Optimist article on the Sudoku and were very Editor-In-Chief surprised, excited and pleased that the math finally got a spot Jennifer Rivera By Christian Faundez dents have fought so that il- light. Coming from the math people, we would love Sudoku Assistant Editor Staff Writer legal immigrants can have puzzles to be a frequent occurrence in our Poly Optimist. Thank Fernando Marquez the same opportuniy as any you. Photographers Everyone should have the other student. The laws have - Norma Grimaldo, Math Coach and Jenny Pacho, Efrain Rodriguez opportunity to go to college. changed and this is all for the Math Coach Tatiana Tejada For some students however Page Editors better. Four year colleges have even the application seems programs that make it easier Surveillance Cameras in Poly? Christian Faundez our of their reach. That has all Daniel Jimenez for undocumented students to Dear Editor, surveillance cameras by citing Camille Ocampo changed in California since the pay off student loans or sim- One of Polytechnic High a cleaner campus and saving Marcie Ulloa passing of CA State Assembly ply pay their tuition. Some School’s biggest problems is money. Two out of twenty or Cartoonist Bill 540 which allows illegal offer jobs and some have or- tagging. Have you seen tag- 10% of teachers said NO, cit- Raymond Carillo immigrants to pay “in-state” ganizations in support of their ging on campus? Most of the ing civil rights and privacy is- Optimist Advisor tuition. Not all undocumented daily needs whether it is with tagging happens on the week- sues. One teacher said maybe. Ethel Matlen students do not know that they a financial or a legal problem. end or at night. About 1,440 Twenty seven out of twen- Writers: really can afford to go to col- If you are undocumented work hours are spent between ty or 90% of the 30 students Eric Bejarano, Natalie lege in California today. Castaneda, Jane Cenon, you should not give up on pur- 3 custodians just to clean off surveyed said NO to video Some ask why go to college suing higher education. Many tagging each year at Polytech- camera surveillance. All of Vilma Diego, Evelyn if it is not going to change Escobar, Sergio Fajardo, parents who crossed the bor- nic HS. By using video sur- these students said that they Joseph Garcia, Osvin anything in my life? The truth der, worked on farms, fields veillance cameras we can pre- would have no privacy. Many Gonzales, Alejandra is that college, all over the and who suffered and endured vent tagging from happening. students didn’t want to go to Grimaldo, Evelyn Lemus, world, is a treasure that not so much, did so to open up op- We surveyed 10 adminis- the restroom and be watched. Jennifer Miranda, Fran- many people have because it portunities for their children. trators because we wanted to Video surveillance would be cisco Perez-Linares, Belle is either unaffordable or out of They wanted more for their know their opinion of video like prison for many students. Tadena, Tatiana Tejada, reach. A college education is children. Do not let their hard camera surveillance. Their Three out of thirty or 10% said Marcie Ulloa, Vianey Var- a recognized standard in this work and effort be in vane. unanimous 100% opinion was YES, citing a cleaner school. gas, Sergio Veliz, Michelle global economy and valued as Zamora Grab hold of all the educa- YES to video surveillance. Tagging is a serious prob- an intellectual asset. Students tional opportunities you can. Their reasons ranged from the lem at Poly and we need a should take advantage of what “The educated differ from obvious stopping tagging to solution.