The Wolf Street Journal Eastlake High School
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WSJ June 2021 // Issue III What’s Inside? EHS rep in music prestig- Asian American hate with- How To: Bullet History of Eastlake- pg. 3 ious groups- pg. 7 in the U.S.- pg. 8 Journal- pg. 12 The Wolf Street Journal Eastlake High School School Getting to know Mr. Wessels AP tests adapt to online formats Kate Hillman Isabella Duan Mr. Wessels is an Honors Biology and Botany teacher at With all the unprecedented changes that the varying state policies, College Board has Eastlake. Here are his respons- are occurring this year, it’s no surprise that decided on three distinctive testing sessions es to the questions that were the format for the 2020-2021 AP (Advanced for all tests—the first one in early May, the asked. Placement) tests has been altered. second one in late May, and the third one early June. When did Mr. Wes- Anyone who took AP tests last year will sels first figure out that he remember that almost all tests were short- According to Mr. Ward, a humanities wanted to become a teach- ened to a 40-minute, digital test session. For teacher at EHS, May will include in-person er? example, AP World was shortened to a brief tests, while June tests will take place online 40-minute DBQ (document-based question) and in-person. Mr. Wessels had a teacher and AP Physics 1 & 2 turned into two FRQs named Canfield Smith that real- On March 15th, LWSD finalized the dates (free-response questions) each. ly inspired him, but he for the test. All foreign languages are re- did not want to be a teacher These changes caused some debate quired to be in-person and will take place when he graduated high among many, especially college administra- during the first testing session (AP Spanish) school. He said that he wanted tors. While many universities will accept the or the second testing session (AP German, “to be super rich and drive a 2019-2020 AP scores (such as UW, Carnegie Chinese, Japanese, Latin, and Spanish). Fur- purple Lamborghini.” To make Mellon, Emory, NYU, and Cornell), some thermore, Music Theory will be during the that happen, he went into busi- have decided not to (such as Princeton, second testing session. This test will be ness for ten years, but hated it which is planning to administer its own proctored in person and will have remote and quit. “Princeton test to confirm course placement make-up tests during the third testing ses- and credit”, according to their website). Be- sions. Mr. Wessels then travelled cause of this, College Board decided to ad- the world for a year, ended up Updates during the week of March 29th just several components of its AP tests for in Aspen, Colorado to ski, and allowed students to decide whether to take this year. stayed there for another 10 the following tests during the second or years. He eventually moved The biggest change is that AP tests are third test session due to interference with back to Sammamish in 2011 going back to being full-length, 3+ hour long senior graduation: Calculus AB/BC (seniors and became a stay-at-home tests and will include the whole curriculum, only), Physics 1/2/C-Mechanics/Electricity dad. He soon realized he want- except for AP Physics 1. Information re- and Magnetism, Statistics, and Chemistry. ed to do more and went back to leased on February 9th shows that most All remaining AP tests will take place during school to become a teacher. tests will be very similar to their pre-COVID- the third testing session and will be digital. 19 counterparts. For example, AP Physics 2 Was Eastlake his first Below is a timetable of each AP test tak- is reverting back to its original MCQ teaching job? ing place this school year. (multiple-choice question) and FRQ styled test. While the content of the tests will remain (Continued on page 2) Furthermore, in order to accommodate (Continued on page 2) 1 WSJ June 2021 // Issue III (Continued from page 1) tests. Unfortunately, all de- Date Morning Exams Afternoon Exams Format cisions are made on a district (Continued from page 1) (Start at 12:00 PM) level, so teachers were not (Start at 8:00 AM) been able to provide their Mr. Wessels spent four months as opinions on how tests should a substitute at Redmond High School Tuesday, May 11 Spanish X In-Person be conducted. before teaching at Eastlake. Friday May 21 Japanese German, Chinese, In-Person French, Music Theory “I like the idea of having a Did he always want to survey for the AP teachers teach science classes (like Honors Monday, May 24 Calculus AB Physics C – Mechanics, In-Person regarding what they would Biology and Botany)? (Seniors Only)/BC Physics 1, Statistics think […] would be best, but (Seniors Only) Mr. Wessels was hired to teach there was no such survey”, Biology in 2016 and was later asked Tuesday, May 25 Physics C – Elec- Physics 2 In-Person Mrs. Timofte writes. tricity & Mag- if he could teach Botany, which he netism, Chemistry Regardless of what format or accepted. Now he loves teach- Tuesday, June 1 English Literature Computer Science A Remote/Digital date the AP tests will take, ing both subjects and doesn’t see & Composition teachers at EHS recommend himself teaching anything else. to prepare as needed and to Wednesday, June European History, Art History, Macroeco- Remote/Digital What is his favorite experience take pride in one’s own ac- 2 US History nomics from teaching so far? complishments. As Mr. Aus- Thursday, June 3 US Government & Psychology Remote/Digital tin, a humanities teacher at His favorite experience has been Politics History - Modern EHS, puts it, “No matter the “international science-based trips what, when you sit down to with students.” He went to the Gala- Friday, June 4 Japanese, Spanish German, Chinese, Remote/Digital take AP tests in May or June, pagos Islands and Panama in recent French (Foreign language the very act of doing that will years and is looking forward to going make-up) show you’ve passed real-life on more of them because they tests far more difficult and are such incredible opportunities to Monday, June 7 English Language & Computer Science Remote/Digital valuable than anything Col- “grow and learn.” Composition Principles, Seminar lege Board can devise. Be How has online learning been Tuesday, June 8 Comparative Gov- Microeconomics Remote/Digital confident […] and bring what for him? ernment and Poli- you know and can do”. tics, Human Geog- Mr. Wessels says online learning raphy Regardless of the date or has been “awful, horrible, the Wednesday, June Calculus AB (Non- Physics C – Mechanics, Remote/Digital test, Eastlake’s AP teachers worst.” Biology curriculum had been 9 Seniors & Seniors)/ Physics 1 are always available for help cut to a third of BC (Non-Seniors & in any way possible. Seniors) what is normally taught and also mis For more information on AP ses being able to interact face-to-face Thursday, June 10 Chemistry, Physics AP Physics 2, Statis- Remote/Digital testing this year, visit with students. He can’t develop rela- – Electricity & tics Magnetism https:// tionships with students when he apcentral.collegeboard.org/ can’t see if they are understanding Friday, June 11 Biology Environmental Sci- Remote/Digital about-ap-2021/updates. something or not. ence Mrs. Strange, EHS’s AP coor- the same, there are differences between digi- dinator, is also open for any questions and Overall, Mr. Wessels has enjoyed a tal and in-person tests. In order to prevent can be reached at [email protected]. She successful teaching journey with lots cheating, most tests have seen a decrease in says that EHS plans to release most infor- of fun with his students and interest- FRQs and an increase in MCQ. A whole list of mation regarding AP testing through Wolves ing stories to tell. He loves to teach changes is found on this document: https:// Weekly Updates and additional emails. and is excited to see his students in apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-2021- exam-formats.pdf. person again. According to Mrs. Timofte, an AP Calculus teacher at EHS, the biggest change is that digital tests will prevent students from look- ing at previous questions on the MCQ section and force students to type all mathematical equations for FRQs for math and scientific 2 WSJ June 2021 // Issue III History of Eastlake Sophia Wang Introduction Building Remodeling Established in 1993, Eastlake High School carries nearly three Eastlake’s building currently consists of decades of history. We decided to travel back in time to bring four wings: B, C, D, and E. E-wing was you a holistic overview of the events and memories that took constructed about a decade ago, when place at our school over the past generation. our district’s high schools added fresh- Motto men, since previously we only had stu- dents from grades 10-12. According to our principal Mr. Bede, “Around 2014, the ‘Wolf Strong, Pack Strong’ motto started amongst students. For the This was also when the Upper Commons most part, students rebuilt our school culture around this (a part of the cafeteria) was built to add motto, with a loose definition of personal improvement in ser- more seating for lunch, as well as anoth- vice of the greater good. The motto also served as a guide as er meal line for to buy their lunches. The we revised our Mission and Values in 2015, clarifying that our new gym was also built to accommodate school was about more than just academic and personal suc- the growing student population.