The Poly Optimist John H. Francis Polytechnic High School Vol. XCVIII, No. 4 Serving the Poly Community Since 1913 November 2012 New Poly Policy Tackles Tardies Crackdown overdue, says Parrot principal. “I tend to walk around school a By Catherine Ramos Photo by Vanessa Aquino Staff Writer lot,” Bennett said, “and I noticed that increasingly, there were a lot of stu- dents out of class. I also received a Eat This Photo by Daniel Castro Tardy Parrots will now be number of complaints from teachers ANNEX: Poly’s ninth grade center students will move here in January. searched as well as processed regarding students being out.” through the online attendance The issue was discussed at a Course system. Sweeps will be conducted safety meeting and again at an ad- at the beginning of all four periods. ministrative meeting, where the new By Aranza Gonzalez Administrative personnel will also Staff Writer policy was devised. Teachers Tour patrol the campus during classroom “I believe it was Mr. Glen Lamos instruction for students out of class who made the recommendation to do Señorita Alieia Piña has been without an orange vest and a pass. searches at tardy sweep and I have decorating cakes for almost as long New Building “The sweeps will help us identify heard that before and thought it was as she can remember. the kids who need help,” said Poly a good idea,” Bennett said. “I started decorating cakes when arrot ninth grade teachers got a Principal Ari Bennett. “Ninety-nine Students should become ac- I was nine,” said Piña. “So by the By Yenifer Rodriguez sneak peek at the newly completed per cent of our kids are not willing customed to the new culture quickly, time I reached 14, I would do a good Editor in Chief three-building campus adjacent to to go through the process of being Bennett said. job at it.” Byrd Middle School on Tuesday. searched every day. But there are a “Ultimately, we want to imple- Piña came from Compostela, P few that are and they end up on our Poly Principal Ari Bennett and LAUSD Owner ment Friday after school work Nayarit, a small town in Mexico, 23 Authorized Rep (OAR) Dan Holmquist conducted the tour that included a radar in a really big way. Those kids service and Saturday work service,” years ago. look at a typical classroom, administrative offices, the library and the amphi- are telling us that they need help. So “My neighbor Antonia Ortega theater. we will provide counseling and sup- [ See New Sweeps, pg 6 ] inspired me to decorate,” said Piña. “I think you guys will be happy with what you see,” Bennett said. “If there port services and possibly alternative “I went back to Puerto Vallarta, are any problems that we’ve missed, feel free to tell us now.” educational settings for them.” Mexico last year and took a The tour began in the administrative building, C1. Additional personnel will enforce decorating course.” C1 will have a warming kitchen only, with food served out of Byrd’s caf- the new policies. Will Poly Baking a cake is a long process, eteria next door. Students will eat at the outside lunch area nearby. “More man power or more Poly Piña said, and typically takes two to Some logistical details are still being worked out, Bennett noted. power, I guess you can say,” Ben- three hours. Go Pilot Students will dress for physical educations in the converted multi-purpose nett said. “The administrators made “When I decorate a cake,” said room. The remainder of the room will be coaches’ offices. a commitment. I personally made Piña, “it is like I am playing.” The library, originally designed as a computer lab, is on the second floor a commitment to be out there and Poly’s faculty is Piña, who works in a Peruvian of the C building. The library will include 40 computer stations. help and support, to be visible. We bakery decorating cakes, does not Two carts with 25 computers each will provide mobile labs for teachers. included the coordinators and the asked to consider call her decorating style “Mexican.” A large double room on the second floor can be used as two classrooms deans. We’ve made a commitment.” “My style does not reflect on Bennett said the need for a more LAUSD’s Pilot a particular country or region or thorough sweep program became place,” Piña said. [ See Teachers, pg 6 ] increasingly evident. School model. Decorating a cake usually requires six ingredients and takes By Tracy Salcido Staff Writer 40 minutes to bake. The five-pound cake serves 20 and sells for $68. Aca Deca Will Scrimmage “I have to put a lot of detail into Poly Principal Ari Bennett has it,” said Piña. Poly’s Academic decathlon in the District. asked Poly’s faculty to consider By Yesenia Careterro Piña teaches a six-week cake Staff Writer squad will get its first test “We have never finished higher than eighth in the adopting a Pilot School model of decorating class in Poly’s Parent in a scrimmage with 10 scrimmage,” Block said. “Last year we finished 13th in operation. Center Thursdays from 8 to 10:30 other District schools at the scrimmage and made it to state.” Pilot Schools were created to be am. North Hollywood High on A top ten finish would be a good indication that the models of educational innovation “I bake six cakes and I teach them November 17. Fifty other District schools will also team can go to state. Anything lower and the amount of and to serve as research and six different decorations,” Piña said. compete at five other sites on the same day. work they need to do will increase, Block said. development sites for effective urban Parents are not allowed to bake at “The scrimmage gives you a very good idea of what “After the scrimmage, we have ten weeks to prepare public schools. Poly because a permit is required. you have been working on, how good the other teams for the actual competition,” Block said. Pilot Schools have autonomy “I tell the parents what they need are and how your study compares to that of the other The scrimmage scores will also have a great deal of over budget, staffing , governance, to bake the cake at home and how to schools,” said Poly Academic Decathlon coach Brian weight in determining the final nine-member Poly team. curriculum & assessment and the make them,” said Piña. “They bring Block. The current eleven-member team includes Hannah school calendar. These autonomies the cake ready here and I just have to The Academic Decathlon consists of seven multiple Almonte, Maria De La Rosa , Jihae Snyder and allow Pilot Schools to operate with teach them how to decorate.” choice tests, two performance events and an essay. Andrew Koh (Honors), Armen Aslanyan, Janet Cabrera, greater flexibility in order to best Piña, who taught at Strathern, Each team has nine members divided into three Reymundo Cano and Evaristo Capalla meet students’ needs. Lankershim, Roscoe and Saticoy divisions based on grade point average: Honors (3.75– (Scholastic) and Luis Miranda, Lesleigh Millhauser and Pilot Schools were established in elementary schools, has taught the 4.00 GPA), Scholastic (3.00–3.74 GPA), and Varsity Paola Pereda (Varsity) February 2007 when a Memorandum decorating class since 2011 (0.00–2.99 GPA). Capalla, Cabrera and Miranda were on last of Understanding was ratified by Piña’s 20-year old daughter has Each team member competes in all ten events against year’s team. The rest are new and young, juniors or LAUSD and UTLA to create and learned cake decorating from her other students in his or her division, and team scores are sophomores. implement ten small, autonomous mom. calculated using the top two overall individual scores “We went to state two years ago and last year,” said Belmont Pilot Schools with a focus “She has been assisting me in from each team in all three divisions. Block, “so this would be the training year. However, this on creating new, innovative schools four or five different schools,” said Block said right now the team has no idea how well year’s group is so smart they might be able to make it.” to relieve overcrowding at Belmont Piña. “She helps me out a lot.” they have done to prepare compared to the other schools Like mother, like daughter. [ See Aca Deca, pg 6 ] [ See Poly, pg 6 ] Off Limits Killers on at Lunch the Court Math/Science building Six Lady Parrots with subject of cleanup. a passion for volleyball. Photo by Vanessa Aquino CAMPUS - page 3 Photo By Vanessa Aquino SPORTS - page 7 2 November 2012 The Poly Optimist polyhigh.org/opt.jsp OPINION EDITORIAL the OPTIMIST VOL XCVIII No. 4 A Lack of Appreciation November Every school day at Poly, some kids disrespect teachers, talked about other stuff when they were supposed to be doing disrupt classes and mock students who try to get "A's." group work? Every school day in Pakistan, teenage girls fear for their Even if Malala survives, the Taliban has sworn to terminate QUESTING FOR DOLLARS lives as they attend schools banned by the terrorist group the her when she gets released. 3 Four Lady Parrots, all Questbridge finalists, are hoping Taliban. Malala can't speak yet but she remains committed to educa- to come into some money soon and see all their hard Parrots attending Poly get educated in a safe environment by tion rights for Pakistani girls. work pay off.