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School Reopens, One Year Later (Page 3) Lions Find New Activities in Quarantine (Pages 10-11) Musicians Receive Accolades from State, CCSD (Page 20) Senior Awards Night Honors Volume 19, Number 2 THE NEWSPAPER OF SIERRA VISTA HIGH SCHOOL Spring 2021 Top Graduates (Page 22) Student Athletes Hit the Clubs (Page 17) Photo Courtesy of Ainsley Ayala Sophomore Ainsley Ayala competes on the uneven parallel bars at the Nevada State Gymnastics Championship on March 26 in Reno. Ayala took third place in the event. Page 2 NEWS NEWS Page 3 SVHS Graduation Rates Rise Welcome to the First Day of School... for Third Consecutive Year in March! By Jade Noochan Rickards said. “For the three previous years, Staff Reporter the graduation rates were 91.96%, 91.9%, By Jayniel Arreola That buzz began the week before and The maximum number of students is 16-18 and 91.5%.” Assistant Editor the week after spring break. Freshmen and per classroom, based on classroom size.” Sierra Vista High School has in- Anzalone believes that the increase seniors returned to school during the week Callisto added that SVHS will be creased its graduation rates for the third in the school’s graduation rate is a team On Mar. 15, 2020, Sierra Vista High of March 22, and sophomores and juniors maintaining social distancing and that consecutive year, reaching an all-time high effort, relying on input from students, staff School shut down due to the coronavirus returned the week of April 5. facemasks will be mandatory for staff and in May 2020. and families. that flooded America with the disease. New students needed maps and di- students. This record-setting statistic was an- “Our students have risen to the chal- After one year of quarantine, SVHS has rections to find their way around campus, a “We will be enforcing social distanc- nounced in the fall edition of Education lenge, supported by our Apex team, our finally reopened for a limited number of process complicated by the implementation ing, mask wearing, hand sanitizer in every Now, a special version of Desert Com- teachers, our support professionals, and our students to attend classes in person. of one-way hallways. classroom, and extensive cleaning through- panion Magazine, published by Nevada parents,” Anzalone said. “They have found SVHS is currently following a hy- Within the first two weeks, LifeTouch out the day,” Callisto explained. “There Public Radio. creative ways to help students succeed, brid for this school year, only allowing a was on campus to take school pictures and will also be assigned desks for students, “The school recently celebrated a and our administration team has scheduled small number of students in for two days print student identification cards. which will not be shared with other students 16% increase in gradutaion rates in three students in flexible ways to maximize their a week. Assistant Principal Catherine Callisto explained that there will be throughout the day. All teachers will have reola years, reaching 94%,” the article pro- potential and ability to graduate.” Callisto was very happy for the students. three groups, called Cohorts. The total extra masks, hand sanitizer, and general claimed (“60 Standout Schools”). Both Anzalone and Rickards admit “I was very excited that our students population for both Cohort A and Cohort equipment like bandaids and alcohol wipes Principal John Anzalone said that that this trend may not continue this year, as would have the opportunity to come back B, which is students that will be on campus, for each room.” Graph by Jade Noochan the graduation rates at SVHS have been the COVID-19 pandemic forced all students to campus if they felt comfortable and be- is very low. Not only has the school classroom growing steadily. to attend school through distance education. with their credits before the graduation rate the time is right,” he said. gin participating in some of the activities “As of now we have just about 500 stu- changed, the school hours have also been Photo by Jayniel Ar Photo by Jayniel “Graduation rates have been steadily Because many students struggled with is announced by the district.” Anzalone looks forward to the oppor- and events they have missed out on for a dents under Cohort A and B, leaving about modified. On her first day on campus, freshman Natasha increasing at Vista because of the hard online learning, Anzalone said that this While he is proud of the school com- tunity to bring the school’s graduation rate year now,” Callisto said. 1700 students in Cohort C,” Callisto said. “School hours for being on campus are Ballard receives directions from Assistant work and dedication of the entire Vista school year’s graduation rates may drop. munity to achieve such high numbers, An- back to its pre-COVID percentages, but he Assistant Principal Derryck Rick- Although SVHS will be returning, not from 7 am to 10:30 am, with the third block Principal Ron Isaacs. family,” Anzalone explained. “Graduation rates will likely decline,” zalone knows that there are other important knows that it may take a while for that to ards was also excited about the students everything will be back to normal. of the day occurring virtually for everyone the year on Distance education,” Rickards Over the past three years, the num- he explained. “Sierra Vista has touted a things to consider as well. happen. returning to campus. “The classes will be set up in rows and ending at 1:16 PM as usual,” Callisto added. bers have increased, according to Assistant 90%-plus graduation rate for the past few “Though I am proud when we have a “Though we may see a drop off this “I was happy that we would be able with classmates six feet or more from one added. Many of the plans that are in place Principal Derryck Rickards. years, but that will likely drop to 80% or high grad rate, it is more important that we year, we know we will adapt and see those to see the students in person this year,” another,” she continued. “The teacher will All of these changes are happeneing for SVHS are based on the reopening ex- “The numbers have gone up in small so. I believe our students will eventually find the best educational option for each high numbers again very soon. We will do Rickards said. “I miss the buzz around the assign rows and seats for students to sit in for in order to keep students and staff safe and perience at nearby elementary schools that increments, but they continue to go up,” graduate, but they may not be completed student, and get them across the stage when this together.” campus when the kids are here, so I am the first block of the day and different rows healthy. opened earlier this school year. looking forward to it.” and seats for the second block of students. Rickards said that there will be a In February, CCSD elementary sickroom for students who are showing schools, including Tony Alamo, opened Online Classes Cause Drop in Grades, Rise in Apathy symptoms of the coronavirus. for students from kindergarten through “We will need to work through the third grade. By Jennifer Padilla explained that he made adjustments in an When they were learning in person, help ends meet in their families,” he said. district and contract tracing to determine Assistant Principal Todd Lindberg Senior Editor effort to help his students. most students passed and seemed to pay “Those situations are extremely difficult. I who will need to quarantine and who may said that the first day for the students was “Overall, I have been a bit more le- more attention to their grades. To some feel for them in a big way. However, many have been exposed to the virus,” Rickards exciting. Student learning has been different nient this year due to the difficult learning teachers, that is not the case this year. It students just need to get to work.” explained. “It was great,” Lindberg said. “All for everyone this school year, and many circumstances we’re in,” he explained. seems that many students are not as con- As the second semester approaches “Extensive cleaning is done in any of the kids were able to keep their masks plans have been put in place for the safety Independence plays a major factor in cerned about passing their classes as they its end, many students are hoping to see classroom where someone may have been on and to maintain social distancing. Both of others. Some students have adjusted distance learning, as most of the learning were in previous years. a change in their grades, since distance exposed to the virus as well,” Rickards the staff and kids were excited and it was a perfectly, while others have struggled to has to be done independently by the stu- English teacher Amy Cropley noticed learning has taken a toll on GPA’s. continued. “Every school must establish a great day for both Cohort A and Cohort B.” grasp the content of what has been taught. dents.This means that it is more difficult a dramatic change in her students’ academic This is especially true for seniors, ‘sickroom’ separate from the Health Office, Lindberg explained that the school Senior Maria Ponce is one student to learn. effort this year. such as Dominic Rieken, who is concerned for students who are exhibiting symptoms. implemented the same safety procedures who faced some challenges this year. Math teacher Amanda Phillips real- “Second quarter, I really saw an over- about his grades. The regular health office will be used that SVHS follows.