The Cruelest Cut
Budget deficit forces proposed change for high school schedule
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Hawk
Hendrickson High School 19201 Colorado Sand Drive Pflugerville. Texas 78660 Volume 20, Issue 2 November 6, 2026
In this Issue... Grebb named Football, Admin of Year Volleyball
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Fall Break Page 12
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News Volume 20, Issue 2
Grebb named Admin of the Year by TAJE for outstanding leadership
Lucas Chan | Asst. Editor Michael Grebb was named the Texas Association of Journalism Educators (TAJE) Administrator of the Year for his leadership and dedication to student success. From supporting student
publications to expanding academic opportunities, Grebb said he strives to prepare students for success both inside and outside the classroom. Grebb said receiving the award was unexpected, as he typically prefers to see others recognized for their accomplishments. “Sometimes it’s embarrassing because I like when other people get awards- kids and teachers,” Grebb said. “But it was nice.” The award reflects the importance of creating an environment where students and teachers have the resources they need to succeed. He said that commitment extends to student publications, which provide opportunities for students to develop their skills and share their work. “It shocks me sometimes when I listen to other teachers that they don’t get
the support that our newspaper and our yearbook get,” Grebb said. “I think that’s important when I talk to other principals, to tell them, you really need to support all your programs.” As a journalism teacher, Kari Riemer said Grebb’s support has played an important role in allowing students to produce real journalism and share their work with the community. “I’ve actually nominated him a couple of different years, and so, you know, for him to finally get it was really, I was really proud of him,” Riemer said. Riemer said Grebb’s support allows students to produce journalism that reaches audiences beyond the school. “Having a principal that supports the students doing real journalism is everything for a high school journalism program,” Riemer said.
She said Grebb’s trust in student journalists, yearbook staff and photographers is essential to their work. “His trust that he puts in the newspaper and yearbook and students and the photographers is a huge deal for us,” Riemer said. Riemer said Grebb’s speech reinforced the importance of giving students opportunities to practice real journalism. “His speech, I think, was really on point when he talked about allowing students to do real journalism,” Riemer said. Through his support for academics, extracurricular activities, and student journalism, Grebb said he hopes students will take advantage of the opportunities available to them and develop the skills they need to succeed beyond high school
UNICEF club formed to help raise money for children in need Angela Ngo | Asst. Editor Worldwide international conflict has been steadily increasing and one of the top organizations currently providing aid to those affected is UNICEF, which is now available as a student-led club. UNICEF stands for the United Nations Children’s Fund, which is run by the UN that aims to protect the well-being and rights of children in disadvantaged countries globally. Its core services include funding vaccinations, education, nutrition, as well as administering emergency services during active conflicts. Although UNICEF is mainly run by the UN, students can reach out to bring it to their schools as a club. “Our mission is really just to be able to give back, especially to third world countries,” junior Secretary Haermon Tewodros said. “Especially for children who have been affected by global conflict no matter what their country has done, the majority [of current global conflicts] are war and a lot of countries in the world are going through a lot of political conflict, like Ethiopia and around the Middle East.”
So far, the UNICEF club’s main plan is to raise money locally to not only help children internationally, but those in the Austin area as well. “We plan to accomplish our goals by having fundraisers, and we’re already planning our first fundraiser for the month of October,” junior President Azul Carrizales said. “We also plan on helping people in our community too, altogether we’re doing and providing support as much as we can.” Carrizales also aims to use the club to educate students on global and local conflicts, which can help generate more support from the overall community. “I feel like UNICEF brings a lot of awareness to people that there’s so many issues going on in the world that people aren’t aware of because of where we live, specifically that we live in such a privileged country,” Carrizales said. “Bringing UNICEF to Hendrickson and just to the area in general is gonna make people more aware [of global conflicts].” Tewodros became UNICEF’s secretary
to make sure that all children had access to the same opportunities, regardless of what country they live in. “My parents are immigrants, I come from Ethiopia myself, and I've gone there too,” Tewodros said. “Seeing what I have
compared to children who didn't grow up in the same place as me, I always want to be able to give back, knowing that they have so much potential just if they were given the chance and the resources.”
Sophomore Sean Babb donates to junior Haermon Tewodros’s UNICEF box. Photo by Gio Morrison
TSI now required for graduation, testing done through English Candice Palmer | Reporter The Texas Success Initiative (TSI) is a college readiness assessment that all 10th-12th graders are required to take for their ELA and math classes if they haven’t already. The main purpose of the TSI is to prepare students for college and career readiness. Being college ready is a key factor in being able to do dual credit classes. “The TSI is required
by the state to help schools see where kids are with their math, reading, and writing skills,” Assistant Principal Rebecca Embry said. “Anything you do after high school is going to require your basic ability to take information and move forward with it, and I believe the TSI helps us see what we need to do to support you.” The TSI mainly tests students on the college level. Even if it is to help students
become more familiar with the college level, Assistant Principal Clarissa Alvarado feels it can be improved upon in this area. “I do think there should be more alignment with the high school curriculum,” Alvarado said. “There’s more emphasis on the TSI now than years prior, so I do think there should be more resources to support all students.” Students who do not meet one or more of the
established benchmarks of the TSI assessment are required to receive developmental education and academic support. These courses are usually costly. “If a student doesn’t take the test, then they are placed in a remedial course,” Alvarado said. “If a student takes the TSI in high school, that actually saves you money which is important so that you’re not having to take remedial courses at the college level.”
If someone is stressing over the test, then they are able to practice before the TSI to become more prepared and familiar with the test. “It’s one of those tests in the sense that you’re not going to fail. It’s just taking your time and doing your best,” Alvarado said. “We have some courses on Canvas that help prepare for the TSI too.”
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National Merit Semifinalists share test prep, college plans Lucas Chan | Asst. Editor Four Hendrickson High School students earned National Merit recognition through their PSAT performances, opening doors to scholarship opportunities and future academic goals. Despite taking different paths to success, Elijah Duvvuri, Ivan Nguyen, Lucas Tong, and Max Amador share ambitions of pursuing higher education and successful careers. Student Elijah Duvvuri was named a National Merit Semifinalist for his PSAT performance, an achievement he described as one of the happiest moments of his life. After earning a perfect math score, Duvvuri credited consistent preparation, focused studying, and his faith for helping him reach the milestone. “I’ve never been happier in my life,” Duvvuri said. Duvvuri prepared by completing practice SATs through Bluebook and taking the SAT after the PSAT. He also credited Mr. Kaatz with strengthening his understanding of math and algebra. “He really sharpened my math and algebra skills and was really important on the PSAT,” Duvvuri said. Balancing academics and extracurricular activities requires Duvvuri to prioritize one responsibility at a time rather than multitask. “I go all in on one thing at a time,” Duvvuri said. “I don’t do multitasking because it just limits your focus.” Although chemistry has presented challenges, Duvvuri said developing a better understanding of the subject helped him approach difficult concepts with more confidence. Looking ahead, he hopes to study electrical engineering and eventually start his own business. “I want to get a degree in electrical engineering and start my own business straight out of college,” Duvvuri said. For younger students preparing for standardized tests, Duvvuri recommended practicing early and learning grammar rules before test day. He also credited his faith, saying he prayed before each section of the PSAT. Ivan Nguyen was also named a National Merit finalist, although his path to recognition involved little formal preparation. Nguyen said he was surprised by his score and initially did not realize it was high enough for National Merit recognition. “I was a bit surprised. I knew I got a pretty high score on the PSAT, but I didn’t know it was enough for National Merit,” Nguyen said. Rather than studying specifically for the PSAT, Nguyen focused on his regular coursework, particularly precalculus. “I didn’t really do much specific preparation,” Nguyen said. “I think I was in precalc at that time, so I just kept studying for that.” One of the biggest benefits of becoming a finalist,
Nguyen said, is the potential for college scholarships. Opportunities at Texas universities, including UT Dallas, the University of Houston, and Texas Tech, influenced his college search. “The biggest thing is all the scholarship opportunities to get a full ride through a lot of these schools in Texas,” Nguyen said. Nguyen plans to pursue chemical and materials engineering, with UT Dallas and the University of Houston among his potential choices. He also credited his teachers for providing structured lessons and allowing him to learn
at his own pace. When advising younger students, Nguyen encouraged them to remain curious and develop a broad understanding of the world. “Just really stay curious about everything,” Nguyen said. “I think that will help you just understand everything a lot better.” Lucas Tong, another National Merit finalist, said he expected his PSAT score to qualify him for recognition. However, completing the additional requirements for finalist status came as a surprise. “I assumed that it would be high enough. So at that point, I was like, okay, expected,” Tong said. “And then when I found out I had to write an essay and stuff, I was a little traumatized.” Tong said he did little preparation before the PSAT, relying mostly on what he had learned in school. Despite limited preparation, he felt the recognition reflected the work he had completed throughout high school. “It is nice because it shows that the work that you’ve done in high school, even though all I really did was just look at the night before, it paid off,” Tong said. Tong credited his teachers, particularly his English teachers, with strengthening his grammar skills. He also emphasized avoiding procrastination when balancing school and personal responsibilities. “I think it’s just not procrastinating. I think that’s the
biggest thing,” Tong said. Although he has experienced academic challenges, Tong said communicating with teachers can help students through difficult classes. He identified digital electronics, particularly working with circuits, as one of his biggest challenges. Looking toward college, Tong hopes to pursue pre-med studies and eventually attend medical school. He said National Merit recognition could help make that goal more attainable through scholarship opportunities. For younger students, he recommended taking practice tests and memorizing math formulas. “I would just say do as many practice tests as possible and just memorize all of the math formulas,” Tong said. Max Amador, another National Merit finalist, said the recognition brought excitement and financial relief. Although attending the University of Texas at Austin became less viable, scholarship opportunities improved his outlook on completing college with little to no debt. “I was pretty excited that I wouldn’t have to worry about college debt,” Amador said. Amador prepared for the PSAT by learning how to use Desmos for mathematical regressions and completing multiple practice exams. He said these strategies helped him become familiar with the exam’s questions. For Amador, scholarships are especially important because of the cost of medical school. He hopes to become a pediatric surgeon and plans to attend Texas Tech before continuing his education. “It means I get to graduate college with little to no debt due to the scholarship opportunities, and it vastly improved my outlook for medical school, which, as you know, costs a lot,” Amador said. When advising younger students, Amador emphasized learning Desmos and completing practice exams. “Please learn how to use Desmos. It is the most powerful tool for the math exam,” Amador said. He also credited his parents with helping him develop mathematical skills beyond the classroom by encouraging curiosity and teaching him new concepts. “My parents taught me how to advance myself in math beyond what school taught me, sitting down with me, teaching me concepts I was curious about and just feeding my curiosity,” Amador said. Although Duvvuri, Nguyen, Tong, and Amador took different approaches to preparing for the PSAT, their experiences demonstrate how academic achievement can open doors to future opportunities. From engineering and entrepreneurship to careers in medicine, all four students hope to use their recognition to support their educational and professional goals.
District reports Chromebook shortage, plans to solve problem Landon Green | Reporter Since the Covid pandemic most schools have 1:1 technology for students and staff. But the Pflugerville district is short on Chromebooks for students. People have been breaking or losing Chromebooks and it’s starting to add up. “As kids leave, sometimes they don’t turn them back in,” Principal Michael Grebb said. “The collections team is really
working on calling families that didn’t turn in their Chrome books, to get them back. But for seniors that don’t turn in their Chromebooks, we hold on to their transcript” This has become a problem for students in the district, but as more Chromebooks are lost, and less Chromebooks are available, students will not be able to do their work for classes.
“We bought 30 loaner computers as they get their specs and then if they lose it or whatever, then they need to pay that money and we can give them another one,” Grebb said The 400 dollar price tag on the Chromebook might prohibit students. If students lose or break a Chromebook then students won’t be able to access school websites like eduphoria due to district law
saying that tests have to be done on an issued Chromebook and not on a phone. “All the principals raised some concerns.” Grebb said “and I think they’re trying to figure out how they can refurbish some older Chromebooks and then fix the ones we have and then maybe call people to get the old ones back so we can put those back in our inventory.”
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News Volume 20, Issue 2
Budget cuts force travel restrictions at away games Hutton Weirich | Editor With the goal of saving money, the district has implemented a new rule which restricts programs such as band, cheer, and Silver Dancers from traveling to football games that are more than 50 miles away. This new implementation has raised concerns from students about school spirit and future organization in their programs. “I think we do play a big role in lifting up our school spirits in school and outside of school and kind of taking that away from football,” junior Silver Dancer Brooklyn Flores said. “We don't get to show our appreciation for them as much as we usually do.” A huge reason why this initiative is important and necessary is due to the programs failing to privately raise funds for themselves. “We didn't meet our fundraiser goal last semester of last school year to raise funds for this year's season, so that's been affecting us a lot,” Filoteo said. “The total cost for meals, transportation, uniforms, props and supplies adds up to a lot, and I'd say we have at least 75 more people in the band this year.” Another issue that has led to the enforcement of the new rule is insufficient numbers of buses and bus routes for the
programs to travel. “Now we take six buses instead of five because we have more people in the program, and a lot of the bus drivers from last year transferred over to other districts because they were getting better pay, so we have less this year,” marching band sophomore Vida Filoteo said. “Since we leave after school around 5:30, not all the buses are back from taking kids home after the high school lets out. So there's not enough bus drivers to get over here to take us to and from the game.” The students are able to recognize that this plan is imperative to maintain budgeting for the district optimization plan. “I think it's really helpful, especially for all the other schools of Pflugerville,” Flores said. “I do think it kind of hurts Hendrickson specifically because a lot of the teams that we play are further than 50 miles, so we don’t really like not getting to perform as much, but I think we made the best choice.” Despite this, the students still have their concerns and complaints about the rule, and even offer up ideas for less drastic solutions. “I think we definitely could have taken like a smaller pep band,” Filoteo said. “They could have taken the leadership and drumline to the games, just so some
people can still be there to support the band. I feel like the game is a little less motivating for the teams without us there.” The students also feel that this change is negatively impacting school spirit and student enjoyment. “The Silver Dancers love away games because they're less stressful,” Flores said. “We can freely be ourselves in the stands. We still have the same rules to follow, but there's less pressure put on us because we're not home and the people that really travel with us to away games are just football parents, our parents and band's parents.” Overall, the students who are in programs that are impacted by this new rule find that it is making them miss some very fun experiences and learning opportunities that come with the football season. “I just don’t like missing out, not being at those games and knowing if something happens or not, celebrating those wins with the football team,” Filoteo said. “We get to see a new stadium, perform for another crowd, and it's good to practice in different environments. Then with us and Cheer and Silver Dancers not being there, I think that's like a major part of football games and all, so I think we’re losing a lot of the audience too.”
Holding her flute, junior Gabriella Orellana plays at a public performance the night before Area competition.“I had a lot of fun, a lot of us were very tired,” Orellana said. “It was a good time, it took a lot of perseverance”. Photo by Brooke Malott
Esports club builds experience Lucas Chan | Asst. Editor For students interested in competitive gaming, the Esports club provides an opportunity to compete, socialize, meet new people, and develop real-world skills and future career opportunities. For Damien Sanchez, a senior, joining the club centered on having fun while competing alongside familiar faces. Sanchez plans to compete in VALORANT and Marvel Rivals—two titles he has played for several years. “I feel like competing with some of the people on the team you already know, you just want to enjoy having fun,” Sanchez said. “I’ve already played them for a couple of years, so I’m decently okay with them. So like, you know, it’ll be fun playing something I know.” While socializing is a major highlight, Sanchez finds the competitive environment manageable thanks to strong leadership support. “There’s a new coach, Coach Flores,” Sanchez said. “He doesn’t care about losing because he’s been playing the game for three years.” Beyond gaming mechanics, Sanchez believes esports instills essential life skills
like leadership and stress management. “Leadership: I think it’s the easiest thing you can learn, even from simply competing in video games,” Sanchez said. “For me, esports is about more than playing—it’s an opportunity to have fun and pursue opportunities outside of gaming. It means having fun and being able to go to Baylor [on an esports scholarship].” New member Joseph Chapa, a freshman, also views the club as a way to hone his abilities while competing with friends. “Definitely the fact that I could compete and play with people I know, and like to meet new people,” Chapa said. “Playing VALORANT, and probably more Rivals. Because my favorite thing about VALORANT is probably the headshots.” Chapa highlights communication and focus as crucial elements during highstakes matches. “I think the bragging rights, and just like it’s getting to display my skill [are great],” Chapa said. “Definitely the fact that there’s good communication and we’re all ourselves around each other. To calm down [from competitive stress], maybe think about a song.”
Locked in on the game, senior Steven Berry stays in the zone to perform his best. “I learned to trust my friends from this tournament,” Berry said. “We instilled confidence in each other, so we were able to be at 100%”. The Esports tournament went from 9:30 a.m. to 3p.m.
Senior Gerardo Lopez intensely focuses on bringing his team to victory. “I think I was a bit off. I definitely could have done better, but it was good enough to get first,” Lopez said. “I think I did all I could do to prepare for the tournament, I was practicing a lot and staying on the game so that I could stay warm”. Lopez placed first out of sixteen in Fortnite: 2V2 Zone Wars. Photos by Sean Babb
The Stories We Tell
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Musical explores high expectations for life Photos by James Cox and Itzel Muniz
Pippin (Jackson McCutchin, 11) refuses to fulfill the Players’ goal of sacrificing himself to the fire, and instead realizes that he doesn’t want to lead an extraordinary life. “Playing Pippin was surprisingly easy for me,” McCutchin said. “At first, I was very worried about line delivery and specific moments within his story, but as I developed choices, I began to feel very connected to the story.” The titular role features solo singing in seven songs and intense character development, all while only having a couple scenes offstage. At the end of “War is a Science”, Pippin carries his gleeful father, Charlemagne (Deacon Garcia, 12). “I memorized my lines within a day just because of the stress that I was under from other stuff,” Garcia said. “And it’s good because the character is broad, I just love doing my thing and making the audience laugh”. Some major technical aspects of the show were the haze machines, which produced fog that emphasized the show’s mystical feel. Pippin’s family (Melody Cano, 12) and the Leading Player try to persuade him to jump into a pit of fire for the grand finale of the show. “Honestly [the choreographers] tried our best to not watch other productions,” Cano said. “We really wanted the choreography to be uniquely our own to make it special.” To create the look of a fire within the pit, the technicians placed small lights within it and lit them in oranges Theo (Inara Kamenicky, 10) introduces his duck to an irritated Pippin. “I really liked the new interpretation of Pippin we did, because it felt very reminiscent of the cult phase,” Kamenicky said. “The Players at times feel very much like a cult in the way they’re connected to each other and the way they follow the leading player through everything”. The show was reinterpreted from the traditional circus setting to a hippie aesthetic Aiming their weapons, the Players (Zaniah Anzaldua, 12) embark on a war for their king. “My favorite part of Pippin is that it shows that a meaningful life is not found in special events” Anzaldua said. “But rather in the moments that reflect the love of an ordinary existence”. There was 16 PCP pipes used for Glory, wrapped in duct tape to resemble guns. Leading Player (Zoë Jackson, 11) sings mischievously in “Glory” about the Players’ goals in combat. “The interpretation of war [in Pippin] is seen as enjoyable from some people’s perspectives, like romanticized in peoples’ deaths,” Jackson said. “But in Glory, it shows how it really is, and I love how the show is so real itself”.
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Feature Volume 20, Issue 2
The Cruelest Cut
District Task Force debates plans for future schedule change Hutton Weirich | Editor With the goal of saving money, the district has started holding High School Schedule Task Force meetings to discuss different formats of high school schedules. The latest meeting ended with the attendees discussing the current top four scheduling concepts, with certain scheduling ideas taking a clear lead once pros and cons were taken into consideration. “We just go there and sit down, and then a bunch of grownups just talk to us about things that pertain to the sort of economic issues that the district faces with all the different schedules,” junior Marcelo Molina said. “They ask us questions, they want us to ask them questions, and we kind of just bounce ideas back and forth.” One of the most popular plans being considered is an A/B block schedule almost identical to the one we have now, only teachers would lose one of their conference periods. “My main goal is to try to protect some more time within the day so teachers can have a little more than just 90 minutes, especially the days they might not have a planning period for 90 minutes,” Principal Michael Grebb said. “So how do we maximize that 90 that they have every other day? And what are some things we can do in the morning with the kids coming in? Maybe everybody goes to the cafeteria so the teachers can not be bothered by students and makeup tests and parents' emails.” Some people, however, feel that this new schedule could present problems such as stress and burnout for teachers who choose to stay. “It really all depends because it means
that the teachers have to shift their ways of planning that they've been doing for forever to match this new schedule, especially with having one less off period,” Molina said. “I feel like they're really going to feel it and they're already having issues when it comes to things like teacher retention, teacher mental health, teacher salary and all types of issues.” The other m o s t
preferable plan of the top four is a traditional schedule with eight 45-55 minute classes each day, with teachers teaching seven classes per day. “The pros about a traditional schedule, because I used to teach on one, I actually went to high school on one, is if you're someone who can't sit for long periods of time, it's
good to get up and do something new,” Grebb said. “You also get information in smaller chunks where on block you have to give double the information. The cons of a traditional schedule, I really think it goes down to transitions and having to move through the building and it can be hard to dig into some of the subject matter.” Some people oppose the traditional schedule, and are even proposing other alternative ideas for the schedule that could save money. “I actually heard something interesting from one of the school board candidates. She said that in her high school, they had a hybrid schedule, so they ran the first three days of the week traditional, and then on Thursday and Friday, they had an A and a day and a B day,” Molina said. “I mean, I don't know how much the district has looked into things like that, or if they'd already ruled that out. It would definitely be very complicated to run, but I think looking into something like that would be interesting.” The other two possible plans are not really being considered right now, with one being a traditional schedule with only STAAR tested teachers getting two conference periods, and the other being a traditional schedule where all core class teachers get two conference periods. Neither make as much money as the previous two plans. “I just think some of the modified block plans weren't brought in because they couldn't get to the $3 million,” Grebb said.
“So that's why I think we're looking at these traditional and block models and trying to maximize staffing by adding another section, but also keeping the required four hundred-fifty minutes every two weeks that teachers are required by law.” A common worry associated with all of the new plan ideas is that certain departments will suffer no matter what scheduling adjustment we make. “We have a really good band, and we have a really good theater program, and I'd say, honestly, those are kind of our strong suits,” Molina said. “So everywhere pretty much received a cut in teachers, but those departments received it the most. To see that, you're likely going to see a deterioration in the quality of the performances that we have for those fine arts programs.” In the end, the plans are in the best interest of the district, and the school board and members of the community will continue striving to achieve the best possible plan for everyone. “Hopefully we'll figure out something that will also help the district finances so we can do more things or fund more programs or stop having to cut back,” Grebb said. “So I'm hoping this is a way to kind of balance the district budget and let us move forward.”
Proposed schedule forces likely teacher cuts for next year Landon Green | Reporter Asher Parks | Reporter As part of the ongoing need for district budget cuts, a committee has been tasked with choosing a new high school schedule as a way to save money. All schedule options will involve some sort of additional class load for teachers which will result in fewer teachers at each high school campus. “The schedule committee has been tasked to save the district $3-5million. I don’t think there’ll be cuts,” Principal Micheal Grebb said. “But I think teachers will leave, retire or take another job that we won’t replace them with. So every teacher that leaves will be kind of into that bucket of savings.”
With every teacher filling the gap that the teacher who left made open, it may mean some teachers will get less offperiods as a result, or hire someone new. “I feel like I’m not going to have to hire anybody. We could lose people,” Grebb said. “But what’s probably going to happen is they’ll get placed at another high school.” Teachers have been hearing about the cuts and are aware of the possibility of moving away. For some teachers it might just be moving to a new school, but for others, it’s leaving behind friends at work and students they’ve made connections with. “Yeah I’ve been hearing about the cuts,” Theatre Director Wes Naron said. “I think
I’m going to be okay. You can’t have only one director in theatre, you need at least one more person to help. I’ve also taught English before so they could hire me as an English teacher.” When the schedule is complete, some teachers may be surplused, meaning they would still have a job, but be moved to a school where there are openings. “No teachers like getting fired at the end of the year, I’m almost positive everything we’ve done with any sort of reduction in staff has always guaranteed jobs anywhere in the district,” Grebb said. “Like I said, I think here we’ll have 15 to 20 openings. Now, it might not come in the right spots, but for the most part, I don’t think we’ll have any issues.”
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Proposed change causes concern for advanced classes’ structures Angela Ngo | Asst. Editor ACC and AP classes are opportunities for high school students to earn college and prepare for the college workload. With the regular block schedule, these classes have the opportunity to simulate AP/college exams and try to fully teach students the required, dense content needed to pass. One of the two schedule plans includes a switch to a traditional schedule that features eight classes in a day. This may impact the structure and the quality of these classes as the traditional s che du l e heavily differs from the block schedule in core aspects, such as t i m e and workload. Cu r rent ly, students such as sophomore Inara Kamenicky
spend at least two to three hours daily on homework for AP classes. “It’s a very heavy workload, both inside and out of class,” Kamenicky said. “The [AP World History] readings are only doable because we have two days to do them.” A concern students bring up is with balancing daily assignments and studying while still having time to themselves in the traditional schedule. This especially affects ACC/AP students, as a majority of them are already heavily involved in multiple extracurriculars. “I think it would definitely be harder [to balance work], especially for juniors and seniors taking a ton of AP classes,” junior Srishti Nair said. “Because then that means you might have AP homework every single day, and that's going to be really tough to manage.” Another conflict that students have with the traditional schedule is whether or not students will be able to learn the content
to the highest quality, with many believing that the change could influence their academic performance. “I don’t think I would learn anything if they cut any more of our class time,” Kamenicky said. “[In AP World History] we spend half our time doing a reading quiz over the homework, which again, takes so long to complete. My grades would be 100% affected because I wouldn’t be able to learn as much of the content.” Students also bring up how the time constraints in the traditional schedule could push even more schoolwork onto their increasingly heavy plates. “Since I have my ACC classes during third and seventh [period], there would be no time for classwork, like you have to do everything as homework,” junior Leilani Bautista said. “I feel like I would be more rushed to learn the content so that I can come to class prepared, since there’s barely any time in class.”
Teachers agree that switching to the traditional schedule would affect the students’ ability to learn the content. “I think the time constraint hurts the quality of the practice of writing or lessons that I like to do, because it's going to be such a short period of time,” AP U.S. History teacher Hellen Barczi said. “Obviously we see each other every day, but there's a lot more of a break, and I like for those things to connect and flow together.” Overall, students find that switching to the traditional schedule would be a negative change, as it would force students and faculty to restructure their school lives. “It kind of feels like going back to middle school,” Bautista said. “Everyone's already used to the schedule, and I just feel like the block [schedule] works better.” Illustration by | Karina Bon
Newly-built APEX center poses schedule complications Marcelo Molina |Asst. Editor In 2022, a voter proposition was passed that would raise $76 million in property taxes to go towards funding the construction of the Advanced Pathways to Excellence (APEX) Center. The center will begin seeing students in the 2027-2028 school year simultaneously as the district implements their new schedule model for the high schools. Due to the current district optimization plans regarding the future high school schedule model, decisions regarding what schedule model the APEX center will follow are contingent on the district’s decisions. If the district decides to adopt a traditional 8-period schedule, it is possible that the schedule may create an unintended conflict with program-specific needs or desideratum of the CTE programs offered at the APEX center. “Clearly for what we do, the block schedule works the best,” Fire Academy Captain Michael Rhea said. “If they went to the 8 period days, even if they double blocked those, a lot of times that’s barely enough time to get equipment out, get into position, do stuff, and then have to tear that all down.” Nevertheless, the CTE courses will be compatible with either the traditional schedule or the A/B Block schedule. Once the High School Schedule Task Force is done considering the schedule options for the 27-28 school year, the APEX center will begin building their schedule. “In my professional career, I've worked under both schedule types,” CTE Director Latasha Walker said. ”However, whichever model the High School Task Force
recommends to present to the public and the executive cabinet will be what is best for all.” The APEX center also provides students with the locational advantage of being relatively equidistant to all of the high school campuses, upholding that students all get an equal opportunity to attend the center. ”Besides being a state-of-the-art facility for our students and community, the main strengths are a centralized location… without transferring between campuses,” Walker said. ”[APEX] provides free transportation to and from the center and home campus, while still giving students opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities.” Transportation costs add another fiscal element to the maintenance of the CTE center for the district. The transportation costs are dependent on both how many buses are needed and how far the buses have to travel, and CTE specific route service costs are proportionally similar to the costs of regular route services. “If you’re bussing a student over to a CTE program, there’s reimbursement to your
cost of transportation over to the center,” Principal Michael Grebb said. “The state government can cover the costs of the district doing that.” The program offering pathway at the APEX center is course-specific, meaning some programs will be offered solely at the APEX center and some programs will have introductory teachers at the high school campuses for the preparatory classes. “Some of the programs at APEX will have introductory courses at the home campuses, others will be fully located at the center,” Executive Curriculum Director Traci Hendrix said. “Automotive Career Academy is fully at the center, so even freshman students will be able to take classes there, and there will not be an automotive teacher on any home campus.” On a practical level, the APEX center offers many different perspectives on its strengths and dif ferences, with the main strength being the prospect it offers for those in CTE pathways. “I think the strength is giving people access to high-quality programs, especially if they know that they want to be a firefighter, an EMT, or work on cars,”
Grebb said. “As far as weaknesses, I can’t really think of one. This will be the first district I’ve worked at that actually has a CTE center.” Additionally, the new APEX center appeals to certain qualities of CTE programs that— understandably—cannot be catered to in a school campus setting. “I like the CTE center. This classroom is not designed for what the fire academy does,” Rhea said. “The classroom at the CTE center is designed for the fire academy; they call it a high-impact lab, so we can do a whole lot more on campus than what we currently do.” The APEX center, beyond just providing specialized learning, also prepares students for opportunities in life beyond high school. “I'm so excited for the students enrolled in the district,” Walker said. “We're not just teaching content; we are preparing students for tomorrow with academic and technical skills for the workforce.” Ultimately, the APEX center’s schedule model is dependent on the district’s decision regarding the high school schedule model, with block scheduling being favorably compatible with some CTE programs. Regardless, with its inauguration just around the corner, the facility is ready to benefit students from all over the district in their academic careers. “I am excited about the opportunities that having CTE courses at APEX will afford all our students across the district,” Garcia said. “By having the CTE programs at APEX students across the district will have the opportunity to access programs that might not have had otherwise.”
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Sports Volume 20, Issue 2
An Unbreakable Bond
Volleyball team shares traditions, dedication to teamwork Marcelo Molina |Asst. Editor Throughout the volleyball season, the team has continued to defend their winning record, maintaining their spot within the top 3 of the district and a playoff contender. Like any team sport, the relationships between teammates is commonly built upon as part of playing volleyball. “I think volleyball’s biggest strength is having a strong bond with your team and truly trusting them, both on and off the court,” senior Caroline Robbins said. “Having a connection with each and every teammate truly allows you to play for the team rather than yourself.” That connection also plays a role in how the team communicates during games. The relationships formed outside of playing volleyball have continued to grow, helping the players work together on the court. “Our biggest strength is our team chemistry,” junior Ellie Perez said. “We formed a close bond during preseason
that has continued to grow throughout the season.” “My personal goals for this season are to continue improving my consistency on defense and serve receive while also becoming a more confident and vocal player on the court,” Perez said. “I want to be someone my teammates can rely on during tough moments.” In addition to promoting positive player and team attitudes, team traditions are also a commonly used strategy for improving team chemistry. “I prepare for games by spending lots of time with my teammates in the locker room,” Robbins said. “We all warm up with line dances, and I usually stretch as well to get into the right mindset.” While team activities provide opportunities for players to connect, balancing volleyball with responsibilities outside the sport can present challenges. For junior Emma Zoss, managing junioryear academics alongside practices has been a hurdle for her.
Above: Senior Caroline Robbins bumps the ball after an opponent hits it to her side of the court in the game against Elgin. “I hope to play consistently this season,” Robbins said. “I also hope to do well in serve receive.“ Varsity won the game against Elgin 3-0. Center: Junior Kenna Braden sets the ball for a teammate to hit. “A good set makes it easier for the hitter to hit the ball,” Braden said. “It also helps the team score points.” The team made it to playoffs, but lost the first round 1-3 to Anderson. Right: Junior Emma Zoss spikes the ball to the other side of the court. “On the court, we challenge and encourage each other,” Zoss said. “Off the court, we hang out and make memories.” The team finished the season out 27-19. Photos by James Cox
“The biggest challenge for volleyball this season would be balancing school work and practices,” junior Emma Zoss said. “But volleyball was still something I looked forward to each day.” Apart from managing their academic responsibilities, players must, of course, manage their game responsibilities during games, especially when mistakes or difficult moments occur. The team finds working to maintain its energy and keep its attention on the game to be the most effective and uplifting strategy for them. “When a game isn’t going our way, we make an effort to celebrate every little point to keep our energy up and maintain a positive attitude,” Perez said. “We remind ourselves to play for each other, trust one another, and focus on the next point rather than dwelling on mistakes.” A memorable matchup filled with moments like those Perez mentioned was the game against Glenn. Here, the team earned a 3-win streak in a clutch contest at home.
“I remember the game against Glenn was a great game and we did so well,” Robbins said. “We barely won and it was very exciting, and the student section was also very prominent.” Nonetheless, volleyball provides experiences and opportunities that extend beyond those tense, invigorating moments on the court. Like most sports, it's common for players to have started out playing when they’re younger. “Volleyball means a lot to me personally, as I have played for a majority of my life in and out of school,” Zoss said. “Volleyball has allowed me to grow as a person, and has played a significant part in my life journey.” For players like Robbins, however, this year marks the end of their high school volleyball career. “Playing volleyball has brought me the best friendship and funniest moments that I wouldn't have without it,” Robbins said “It is truly such a blessing and amazing part of my life that I am so thankful for.”
Sports November 6, 2026
Nelson wins District, Regionals, moves on to state Asher Parks | Reporter Senior Morgan Nelsen placed first at the District Cross County meet on Oct. 15, and the Regional Cross Country meet on Oct. 27. Alongside her, the team placed second at District making them eligible to move onto the area meet. “This team’s been growing, and we have a tough district with Georgetown. Georgetown is always a state qualifier, and they’re always up there,but going toe to toe with them. It felt pretty good, especially on the boys side. We only lost first by five points,” Cross Country head coach Hector Flores said. “but we do have a pretty large team. I mean, it comes with still a large team if it’s only 30 or 40 people showing up. That just comes with growing the program and where kids are becoming involved and actually want to try something new or come running and compete.” While running for a while to place at District seems simple, students in Cross
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Country have to prepare themselves mentally and physically. “I’ll get a good rest, drink water, and mentally tell myself I got this. It is always a good thing to do,” sophomore Matthew Smulski said. “I’d say it’s a really good opportunity to join cross country, and if you think you can’t you definitely can.” Cross Country is a sport that involves long distance running in rough terrain with a group that does it individually to earn points against opposing schools, with this year’s team currently placing well enough to go to the Area Championship. “She was second place last year. So this year, we’re shooting for her first. She should take first place. And then this is the first time we’ll have a girls team that’s slated for fourth place and top four go to state,” Flores said. “I hope we make it. It’s not up to me, but It’s up. I hope so, too. But it’d be the first time a girls team makes it ever.”
Senior Morgan Nelsen runs past two other runners in the District meet at Eastview. Photo by CADY.
Football players, team push through eventful season Audrey Soape | Reporter As the football season continues, players are working hard to finish the season strong and make it to the playoffs. Senior quarterback Pete Vallejo Jr. and sophomore wide receiver Karson Kemp have both faced challenges this season but continue to stay focused on helping their team improve. For Vallejo, this season hasn’t gone exactly how he expected. He believes the team has more potential than what they have shown on the field so far. “I feel like it’s been surprising for others,” Vallejo said. “But as in how I know the team can play, underachieving.” As a senior quarterback, Vallejo has taken on the responsibility of leading his teammates, especially during difficult games. “My biggest challenge this year,” Vallejo said, “has just been keeping everyone afloat when things are bad.” While Vallejo focuses on leading the team, Kemp has been working to prove himself during his first year on varsity. Being one of the younger players hasn’t always been easy, but he feels good about his performance so far. “I would say I have had pretty good performance for a sophomore,” Kemp said, “and it being my first year on varsity.” One of Kemp’s favorite moments this season was during the opening drive against College Station, when he made multiple catches despite people doubting the team.
“It felt good to show that we weren’t Senior Cam Jones celebrates going to go out there and lay over,” after junior Bryce Major Kemp said, “and being a part of that was intercepts the ball at the awesome.” homecoming and Military Both players believe that teamwork Appreciation game against and communication are important for Connally. “The Homecoming success. Kemp has worked on building game was personal for me chemistry with his quarterback by because of the disrespect giving his best effort during practice [Connally] had for me when I and spending time with his teammates transferred from there,“ Jones outside of school. said. “My favorite moment “I’ve built chemistry with my QB,” Kemp from that game was the game said, “by always running my routes hard winning sack I had.” The football even if I know the ball isn’t going to me.” team won 28-14. Even with the challenges they have Photo by Miles Lehmann faced, both players have the same goal in mind. Vallejo hopes to lead the team to the playoffs, Kemp wants to help the team accomplish something they haven’t done in years. “I hope to help our team,” Kemp said, “make it to the playoffs for the first time in 6 years.” With the season moving forward, the team is ultimately hoping to come together, improve their Senior EJ Neal-Adams carries the ball, breaking a tackle attempt by a defender at the game against performance, and earn Shoemaker. “I feel like as a team, we went out and executed, and even though it didn’t go our way, we still a spot in the playoffs. fought,“ Neal-Adams said. “I wasn’t starting that game, so it put a red fire under me, and I feel like I had to go out there and prove myself.“ The team lost that game 29-31 at Shoemaker. Photo by James Cox.
10 Our Turn
Opinions Volume 20, Issue 2
Hit or Miss
Cutting staff impacts programs Sam Speichinger | Reporter It’s not controversial to say that teachers are some of the most important workers in our society. They help educate the next generation and are integral to the running of a school. Unfortunately schools find themselves short on teachers time and time again. Be it due to the poor pay, long path to the degree, or overwork, more people than ever are choosing not to pursue teaching and current teachers are leaving en masse to other career paths. That’s why I think it’s a travesty to even be considering these new plans to cut back on an estimated 14 teachers per school. We live in these times where teachers are already under so much pressure and stress and our current administration is trying to add to that by reducing teacher planning time and increasing the amount of students each one has. While it’s true our district needs to save money due to the lack of funding across the board for public schools, I fully believe this is not the way to do this. To break down the currently proposed budget plans the district is trying to reduce the amount of core teachers per subject as well as reducing fine arts teachers. They plan on doing this by not rehiring, leaving vacancies closed, and reassigning current teachers to new locations. This will undoubtedly result in an immediate decrease in the caliber of all of our fine arts programs, with our schools no longer having the resources or planning time to put on performances at the high quality and rate we are known for. Coming from the perspective of someone involved in theatre I’m worried for the freshmen and sophomore coming into our program. Putting on a show is such a magical experience, but it’s already stressful and a time crunch. The only reason we are able to do it is because of our theatre teachers who spend hours of their personal time to make it magical.
Asking one person to do all that work is both unfair and unsustainable. I believe that departments, such as our own, simply cannot continue to function with our leadership being cut in half. I have strong suspicions that other fine arts may face the same problems under these circumstances. This then will tie in with the decrease in the quality of our education as a whole with core subject teachers having less time to plan and an increase of students per individual teacher. I personally believe all of this will come together to undermine the increasingly scrutinized institution of public education in our community and lead to more families choosing private schools. More a n d more, friends of mine have started choosing private and ch a r te r instead of public s ch o ol and with budgets like this I can’t blame them. I think public school is amazing due to the fact it gives everyone the opportunity to succeed and a safe place away from home. But giving our teachers less money and time is going to hurt the things I love the most about this place. The fact of the matter is that while our district doesn’t get a say in how much money it’s afforded by the government, it does get a say in how we use that money and choosing to use it to continue to disrespect our teachers and fine arts programs should not be allowed. Each teacher in this school has changed lives and is precious to someone, they’re not just tools to be thrown away at a moment’s notice. The community needs to make its voices heard if they too think this is unacceptable and we need to find a path forward that makes sense.
Illustration by | Ella Hiserote
Recent walkouts lead to questioning of motivation Walkouts have been a big way to make change recently, With many protesting against ICE and their recent dealings in the city. Student walkouts started to protest the Vietnam War in the late 60’s, and became so popular they lasted decades, with some of the most notable being the East Los Angeles walkout, where students walked out in LA to protest unequal education conditions, and a national student walkout against gun violence in 2018. While the point of walking out to protest something is effective, some students at this school use it as an opportunity to skip classes instead of caring about the actual issue. Protesting makes a big difference, but the fact that students join together to protest makes it a thing that makes this type of protest stand out. Still some people skip during it, defeating the purpose of that. For that reason, using the protest as an excuse to skip is a miss. But the actual ideas of protest are good and effective. With a reason and cause to protest something that mostly disagrees with it is a hit.
School email reveals Chromebook shortages Chromebooks have been the source of the district’s 1:1 learning tools. But in an email sent out on Friday, Sept. 25, stated that there is a shortage of Chromebooks due to the students not returning Chromebooks the last few years. Students who recently moved here are not able to receive Chromebooks. This gives them a heavy disadvantage in school compared to those with Chromebooks. District policy students should return their Chromebooks at the end of the year or sign a paper saying they will have it for the summer and take care of it. Otherwise it is logged as missing, causing a shortage. Fixing this however is possible, by making turning in Chromebooks to the school mandatory while enforcing it more and keeping track of who hasn’t returned it and constantly emailing those who have not turned it in, similar to late library books. For now however, it remains a Miss.
District saves money on away games Football games are a way for the community to get together and enjoy the teams playing, but there are other communities that join, like Band, Cheer, Color Guard, Silver Dancers, Etc. But this year the district has cut those communities from football games. If an away game is more than 50 miles from home, only the football team will be allowed to go, leaving the others in the dust. This hurts these communities because it doesn’t allow them to perform more. A lot of these performances are there to hype up the players and fans, but without them the field is less empty and quiet. The district has to save money, but it’s not football without the rest of the team. Which is why this is a Miss..
Opinions November 6, 2026
Staff Editorial
Your Turn Which of the proposed schedules do you think will work best?
New proposed schedule conflicts with students interest
“I think four periods every day is better than eight periods a day because you have more time in class This October Pflugerville ISD had a meeting and invited to learn and do assignments.” members of the community to discuss new proposed -Brylee Hendrix, 10 budget cuts and reassignments. A small part of those “I think having four periods a day is discussions however was the proposed schedule more beneficial because it allows changes in high schools from the current alternating for more class time for efficient block schedule to new proposals of having eight periods learning and extra time after school in one day. One purpose of these proposed schedule changes to complete homework without stressing about it being due the next comes from a money saving perspective, with the current block schedule costing an estimated approximate two day.” -Isabella Dorsey, 10 million across all schools each year, according to the “I think we should have eight periods district. These new changes would allow each teacher to a day because let’s say for example teach more classes and have less planning time. While you’re having trouble on your math our budgets need to be balanced somehow, giving homework and let’s say the teacher teachers less time like this is not a good plan. The current block schedule doesn’t have any tutorials. Instead of works for a few key reasons. waiting for the next B day or A day First and foremost is the time you can just say, oh well i’ll ask her it gives each teacher the time about it tomorrow and plus one more to properly plan lessons. They point we should have eight classes are given an hour and a half a first there should be no reason why day to catch up on work and we are sitting in a room for two hours straight i’m sorry but that seems not get overburdened by the harsh realities being a teacher crazy to me.” -Payten Marshall, 10 sometimes entails. Teachers “Four periods every day as it gives then are also paid extra for us a chance to complete homework taking on an extra class in class sometimes and it’s not as directly leading to rewards for rushed so we can absorb more things harder work from teachers. thoroughly and also we have more The extra time to plan aside, time to hang with friends in classes hour and a half classes give certain benefits such as allowing each class to be fully completed in one day. In we know people.” -Kristi Bagby, 10 many AP classes they often work from bell to bell for the “Yes, because no kid should sit in a whole hour and a half, with even that not being enough class more than two hours and plus if time often. Consequently, this bell to bell work without we miss a day of school we don’t have interruption then leads to lessons that flow better and to like, wait for a whole day to catch have natural conclusions. Another benefit of the block schedule then is allowing students a whole day to catch up.” -Kimora Marshall, 10 up on homework in classes and study materials before “I think the four periods each day getting back into it. The alternating block schedule then is beneficial because in each class is in no small part what allows us to maintain the way our you get a longer time to work rather school district is run. One common thread throughout these proposals than forty-five minutes. It also puts is the idea of having eight courses every day. Some less stress on students rather than students may say this sounds like a good idea, less cramming everything in one class class time with annoying teachers is always good after period, this gives time for students to all. But unfortunately in practice this won’t be the case take their time.” as the amount of time spent in each class is the same -Brooklynn Pfluger, 10 overall. What will change is the amount of workload each student has however. It’s not hard to imagine some The Hawk, the official student newspaper of Hendrickson High School, is an open forum for the exchange of ideas and opinions. Hendrickson High School 19201 Colorado Sand Drive Pflugerville, TX 78660 http://www.pfisd.net/HHS (512) 594-1100 Student Population: 2,134 Staff: 180 Principal: Michael Grebb Adviser: Kari Riemer www.facebook.com/HawkNewspaper
Budget deficit forces proposed change for high school schedule
Hawk
Hendrickson High School 19201 Colorado Sand Drive Pflugerville. Texas 78660 Volume 20, Issue 2 November 6, 2026
In this Issue... Grebb named Football, Admin of Year Volleyball
Cover art by Ella Hiserote Page 2
Page 7 & 8
off in E211. Corrections will be printed when brought to the attention of the staff.
The Hawk is printed monthly at Community Impact in Opinions expressed reflect the Pflugerville, Texas. 1,000 beliefs of the student author copies are printed each run, and do not necessarily reflect and are distributed to the the opinion of the entire Hawk student body for free before Staff, the Hawk Adviser, the school on publication day and Hendrickson Faculty and Staff, on newsstands throughout the or the Principal. building.
The Cruelest Cut
Pages 6-7
11
Fall Break Page 12
Letters to the editor are welcomed, and may be dropped
kids having upwards of four tests in one day, as well as getting eight whole homework assignments each night. This is going to lead to student burnout and anger. This is also a problem for students in certain courses as forty five minutes is simply not enough to properly learn our advanced subjects, and they’ll need to come up with new plans for courses like EMT or fire that are double blocked. They managed to cut their proposals to two main categories. First off is arguably the worst proposed idea where the block schedule is cut completely and replaced with an eight period system where teachers are given one planning period each day. This would cut down the daily time each teacher has to plan in half while also giving them an extra class. This is undoubtedly unsustainable as with no time to plan or catch up with work we are forcing these teachers to either lower the overall quality of their work or forcing them to work outside of school for no pay, a problem already plaguing educators. Then the second proposal is to keep the alternating block schedule while cutting back each teacher’s planning from two to one. This has the same problems of proposal one with the only difference being not having to deal with the headaches of eight periods. Recent data from the school district has shown that even with these newly proposed budget constraints the school would still fall behind the target goal of the district by around half. That means that even if we haphazardly reduce our facility size the remaining budget is still going to have come from somewhere else. It is completely ridiculous to propose these extreme changes and to have those changes not even solve the issue they set out to solve. This is not the easy way to save money, some claim it could be, and our district cannot keep disrespecting its teachers and students to save a quick buck. These new proposals then are going to lead to more work and hassle for both students and teachers in our district, which then leads to a lower quality of all our education. That is why communities need to defend and support their teachers and their schedules by reaching out in meetings and voting in board meetings. Illustration by | Ella Hiserote Associations
Editorial Staff Editors
Reporters
Artists
Hutton Weirich, Editor
Landon Green
Karina Bon
Lucas Chan, Asst. Editor
Izzy Medina
Ella Hiserote
Marcelo Molina, Asst. Editor
Candice Palmer
Lin Ho
Angela Ngo, Asst. Editor
Asher Parks Audrey Soape Sam Speichinger
Interscholastic Press League Texas Association of Journalism Educators Journalism Educators Association National Scholastic Press Association Columbia Scholastic Press League
Honors
ILPC Bronze Star 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2024 ILPC Silver Star 2021 Columbia Scholastic Press League, Gold Medalist 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021 Silver Crown, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026 Gold Crown 2025 Pacemaker Finalist, 2018
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Entertainment Volume 20, Issue 2
The Breakout Move
Programs continue games, competitions over fall break Boys Varsity cross country team (Jacob Franquelli, 12) walk across filed to accept awards. “I had to show up at cross country practice at 7 am everyday and I wasn’t able to go on vacation during break,” Franquelli said. “Honestly, I feel good because it gave us time to practice on our training and really lock in for district.” Photo provided by CADY photos Varsity Girl’s cross country (Addison Gutierrez, 12) compete in a meet, running through the track at as fast a pace they can muster. “Over the break we still had cross country practice and we weren’t able to go out of town to miss practice, because we had a meet over that break,” Gutierrez said. “I mean, it was alright, I think he took it a little too far whenever he said that we weren’t allowed to go out of town, but people still went out of town and still came back with enough time for practice.” Photo provided by CADY photos Speech and debate kids (Vivaan Talwar, 12) prepare for their tournament. “Debate had to do a lot of case writing and research over the break because we had a tournament in the last weekend,” Talwar said. “I mean it’s not that bad, because obviously we’ve been part of the program for years, so we knew it was kinda expected, and it ended up paying out really well at the tournament, so I don’t think any of us actually minded.” Photo by Cole Sayers Silver Dancers (Kyrie Anderson, 11) do the splits mid-air while dancing to one of their routines at a football game. “I had to make sure that everyone in Silver Dancers was in check with the things and items that they had and we had to make sure that we were at the school by 5:00 on game day that Friday,” Anderson said. “I feel like we needed that break and that everyone was very responsible in their time management and that it was very fun to come back and see each other that Friday.” Photo creds by Brooke Malot Football players (Bennett Rodriguez, 11) bend down in a huddle before they run out of the tunnel on the field. “I had to go to practice, I had to show up for my team and work every single day to be better and better,” Rodriguez said. “I feel good, and I was able to come here on my break and work with my brothers.” Photo by Brooke Malot Band (Jacob Vargas, 10) performs their halftime performance, sprawled across the field at a football game. “We had four rehearsals, Wednesday leading up until Saturday, and we had a competition on Saturday and a football game on Friday,” Vargas said. “It was a lot of work that week, it felt like less of a break, but it was definitely still a lot of fun getting to come to school and see my friends instead of just hanging out by myself at my house and doing homework.” Photo creds by Brooke Malot
Hutton Weirich | Editor