Pony Express | January 2017 by Pioneer Pony Express

Campus Renovations ›› Measure H Bond helps Pioneer update facilities

Stepping Up In STEM ›› Female only STEM

Heavy Rains Affect BioSITE Class ›› The rainy season brings

program being offered

page 2

page 4

Pinning Down Their Strengths ›› Wrestler’s intense

Avanzando a STEM ›› programa de STEM

training

solamente para hembras

Photo By Annika Dahlberg

flooding in the Guadalupe River creating a new challenge for BioSITE students

Musical Genius Finds His Voice ›› Pioneer senior expands his

Photo By Beatriz Lopez

musical portfolio page 7

page 5

pagina 6

page 3

THE PONY EXPRESS Opening Educational Doors On Campus Volume 57, Issue 3

Pioneer High School's Student Newspaper

January 30, 2017

Beth Stafford’s original tutoring program blossoms into homework hubs for students to get help By Melody Beam Staff Writer

Photo by Melody Beam

Last semester, English teacher Beth Stafford began an academic program for English enrichment students that struggle in other classes, such as Physics and Algebra 1. During each FLEX period, Stafford utilizes Honors English juniors to aid her enrichment freshmen. These tutoring sessions not only benefited the students, but it sparked a new idea among the Pioneer staff called “Help a Stang.” At first, Stafford proposed the tutoring idea when she realized her first period enrichment students were not being assisted in other courses. “My plan was since I had three classes of Honors juniors, I figured there has to be some students that know algebra better than I do,” Stafford said. Stafford notices tutors are really trying to teach, using whiteboards and techniques that teachers have instilled throughout their own classes. “I did a lot of demonstrations and then I made the student do the same problems again,” student tutor Katie Duong, 11, said. “I think it helped them so eventually they would be able to do math problems by themselves.” As the tutors poured in, positive feedback was collected. “(Stafford) said it’s working out great and kids are receiving support not only from her, but from other students,” Principal Herbert Espiritu said. “The kids that are tutoring are actually enjoying it.” Despite the impressive results so far, Stafford notices that there is not enough time to get work

Homework Hub schedule for the new year and Beth Stafford talking about assignments with tutor Caitlyn Greene, 11.

done, considering that there are only 40 minutes in a FLEX period. Expanding on Stafford’s original idea, Espiritu and the Pioneer administration team stepped in. “We’re trying to revamp our homework centers instead of just being in the library (and) we’re going to have it in classrooms specific to subject matter,” Espiritu said. According to Espiritu, many students and parents have asked for this service. This new program assists

Accreditation Follow Up Western Association of Schools and Colleges returns to Pioneer By Everett Bang and Katie Nguyen Editors The Western Association of Schools and Colleges is coming back after three years to reevaluate Pioneer as part of its accreditation process. Previously, Pioneer received its six-year approval from WASC to provide valid diplomas to their students and this year, the mid-cycle one day visit is to check up on the school’s progress. AP U.S. History teacher Peter Glasser, who is preparing the WASC report with Assistant Principal of Instruction Emily Yamada Burton, recalls the initial visit three years ago when the school underwent the self study to focus on the strengths and weaknesses on campus. “WASC gave us lots of compliments and then they gave us feedback about what they want to see more of,” Glasser said. “This midterm is the check to see the kind of progress we have been making over the last three years toward our goals.” Pioneer focused on five critical areas of need: improving access to student services, establishing academic progress for students of greatest need, monitoring student progress through common assessments, increasing cultural proficiency and

utilizing all classified personnel. Burton and the administration introduced the “Mustang Way” to reflect on the feedback WASC gave to improve inclusiveness on campus. “‘It seems like there is a perception of certain student groups, a lack of involvement of certain student groups, and you should really pay attention to this,’” Burton said. During the self-study, WASC highlighted the need for the implementation of systems that monitor academic progress for students especially those taking AP courses. “One of the big pushes for us is to improve and increase student participation and success in AP courses especially students who are underrepresented in those classes,” Glasser said. History teacher Priya Talreja is part of the Learners Engaging in AP program which is a summer program designed to assist students taking an advanced placement class for the first time. “(LEAP) specifically targeted first timers which does not support all students taking AP, but it is trying to make a stride towards the goal of making all students successful in AP classes,” Talreja said. Pioneer’s WASC walkthrough will take place on March 22.

not only freshmen, but any student to receive the help they need to complete assignments with peer-to-peer help. Any junior or senior interested in tutoring can sign up with the “Help a Stang” application and turn it into the student services office. Students who sign up are required to take up a weekly commitment with the assigned teacher. Community service hours will also be given if tutoring occurs after school.

Losing The Connection Power outages leave schools with no communication By Lauryn Luescher Editor-in-Chief As classrooms become more dependent on technology, district-wide network and power outages leave students and teachers stuck in the dark and the district searching for a solution. Last semester, there were two power outages originating from PG&E servicing lines leaving all 42 schools in the SJUSD without internet or landline phone access. Without crucial network services, Pioneer’s difficulty communicating with emergency services is exposed. As staff members are not required to carry a cell phone, some classrooms have no guaranteed way to access the main offices. According to Emalie McGinnis, director of SJUSD Technology and Information Services, the district has an analog phone line that gives schools a line of communication in case of an outage. McGinnis stated that the district invested in a new Uninterrupted Power Supply and an external generator

›› Continued onto pg. 2

News Mustangs and Grizzlies Expand Big Bell Rivalry Gunderson and Pioneer rally and mixer collaboration positively accepted on Pioneer campus

VS The Pioneer High School and Gunderson High School logos. The schools will face off at a mixer on Feb. 11.

By Jasmine Airem Staff Writer For the very first time in Pioneer history, the Mustangs are mixing it up with the Grizzlies. On Feb. 11, both high schools will merge for a dance and night rally filled with competitive games. Leadership teacher Michelle Mayhew acknowledged the amount of work that was put in by the Leadership students to make the mixer

happen. Pioneer and Gunderson took steps to ensure the success of the collaboration by visiting each other’s rallies and coming together to plan during weekend meetings. “It’s definitely harder to plan this dance versus the other ones because we’re constantly having to collaborate with each other,” Mayhew said. Leadership student Alexis Becerra, 11, remains optimistic about the success of the mixer because of the amount of effort and time put into this event.

“We are pumped to give the Mustangs and the Grizzlies the best experience possible and the work is definitely bteing put into it,” Becerra said. Students expressed interest for a mixer in the past, however, logistics and agreeing on the date made the task more difficult. “We are really excited that Pioneer and Gunderson are both on board and are both equally invested in making this event successful,” Mayhew said. Seydy Galvan-Reyes, 11, sees the mixer as a way to come together with friends from middle school. “It just seems like it’ll be a good time, knowing people and reconnecting with people just seems awesome. Personally, I think a lot of people will like it,” Galvan-Reyes said. Gunderson was chosen for Pioneer’s first mixer because of the Big Bell game rivalry in football which will make for competitive competitions. “They had a ton of school spirit so I think the competition should be interesting. I guess we’ll just see how the Mustangs take on the Grizzlies,” Becerra said. If you are interested in going to the mixer, tickets will go on sale Feb. 6 for $15 with ASB and $20 without ASB. The rally will start at 4:00 p.m in the Pioneer gym and mixer will follow at 7:00 p.m.

Losing The Connection (continued) for the district office to make sure the school day continues uninterrupted with network outage. The UPS will keep things running for up to 60 minutes and the external generator will run until the power comes back on from the power grid. Both projects plan on being completed in the next 30 to 45 days and will cost the district over $100,000 in Measure H funds. These new power supplies implemented by the district will help the more technology focused classrooms run smoothly even with the network down. With Infinite Campus down, schools must turn to paper rosters to track attendance making it unrealistic

to locate students during FLEX periods. Principal Herbert Espiritu explained how even with the system down, he is not concerned about students leaving campus. “(Students) can’t really ditch because we have campus security and administration in designated areas. There’s only one way in and one way out,” Espiritu said. “As long as the kids are in a FLEX room, if our system is down and we can’t locate them specifically, I trust that our students are using their time well.” English teacher Beth Stafford uses Google Classroom daily in her English classes and internet

outages disrupt her lesson plans. “You have to stop everything you are doing, but usually there is some sort of plan B,” Stafford said. “It does cause a disruption because students will use it as an excuse to not do work.” After considering the circumstances, Espiritu finds the few problems Pioneer has to be inconsequential. “Out of 180 school days, we have only counted these problems a handful of times,” Espiritu said. “When you are looking at a bandwidth of 1700 people on their phones and internet and that’s pretty good.”

Campus Renovations for the New Year Measure H Bond helps Pioneer update campus facilities both aesthetically and functionally By Annika Dahlberg Staff Writer Photo by Annika Dahlberg

After years of a hoofless horse on the sign outside the gym, Pioneer decided to reface several of its signs, but the renovations have only just begun. Pioneer is using approximately $250,000, Measure H funds, to update the campus with new exterior lights, repair the emblem, and repaint the school signs to create a more secure and aesthetic school environment. In the case of the Mustang emblem, the original artist, John Espinola, returned to campus approximately 14 years later to update his work. World History teacher Chelsea Jones believes these renovations add a new positive atmosphere on campus. “The quad is the focal point of the school and when that sign was broken, it says something about the school as a whole,” Jones said. “Getting (the sign) fixed really elevates the whole feel of the campus.” The refaced signs have received positive responses from students like Elizabeth Sinclair, 9. “It’s good that they’re changing things, getting out with the old and in with the new,” Sinclair said. The remodeling on campus was requested by Principal Herbert Espiritu to the district.

Pioneer used the money from Measure H to repair and reword the school’s Emblem on the front of the gym.

“My role is making sure that the projects that we do here are something that our school community wants to see,” Espiritu said. “If I’ve showed that I’ve given everybody a chance to have their input and school site council approves it, the district (usually) does it.” Along with the refurbished signs, the money from Measure H is being used to replace lights and add security cameras on campus. “It’s a safety issue at night when we have clubs or sports teams that are still on campus,” Espiritu said. Some students believe some of the Measure H

should be put towards repairs, like the leaking gym roof, which can be seen as a safety hazard for indoor sports. “The main priority should be the (gym) roof because it leaks through,” Sinclair said. “The wet spots can be very dangerous for kids because they could slip and hurt themselves.” The District created a survey to get the opinions of the Pioneer community as to which renovations should be done on the campus. To participate in the survey, go to http://go.sjusd.org/ pioneermeasureh

Sports Athlete of the Pinning Down Their Strengths Wrestlers go through intense physical and mental training Month By Scott Young Staff Writer

The intensity of labor-intensive training depends on finding the ideal weight class for each wrestler. A major step to determining the weight class a wrestler will participate in is a hydration test, which determines the maximum weight a wrestler can drop without potentially experiencing health issues. Some wrestlers consider the sport to be a 24-hour battle with their own perceptions and limitations. “A lot of wrestling is in your mind. It is a constant grind,” said Daniel Woo, 11. The psychological aspect continues all the way to match day, where wrestlers such as Jacob Guerra, 12, find it helpful to visualize executing their abilities they learned in practice. “For a match, I usually try to find a good state of mind and think about my moves, what I can hit correctly and techniques I like,” Guerra said. Woo also uses the mental aspect of the sport to his advantage. “I picture myself getting those takedowns and eventually it’ll come out in real life,” Woo said.

Photo by Marco Rodriguez

Stepping on a scale before the next match, wrestlers wait to see if their final push to make their weight goal paid off. Building muscle, running, and nutrition are all part of the conditioning for wrestling, but a wrestler’s mental strengths are often overlooked and can be just as crucial and demanding as their physical attributes. Wrestling coach Fernando Flanagan said the conditioning wrestling entails is both mental and Francisco Rivas Gonzalez, 12, clears the ball on defense physical, and is often more than outside observers against Independence on Jan. 20. expect. “The hardest part is dieting and getting down to By Lindsey Giraudo your optimal weight class,” Flanagan said. “Getting Staff Writer through that is one of the biggest mental barriers.” Some wrestlers are instructed to aim for a lower As the third generation of soccer players in his family, class and go through an intense weight-loss regimen 12, Francisco Rivas Gonzalez has the skills to shut down that is not only a physical drain, but requires a opponents and the heart to inspire his teammates, even strong mindset to successfully complete. though coaches say he isn’t the “most vocal” person on the field. Rivas Gonzalez began to play soccer when he was only seven and has spent three years on the varsity team. Going into varsity as a sophomore, he received the opportunity to fill the big shoes of the senior who had his position previously. “The defender before my freshmen year, he was really Young mother balances playing basketball and raising a child good so I had to fill in,” Rivas Gonzalez said. However, Rivas Gonzalez doesn’t shy away from challenges. Instead, he provides inspiration and is an influence to those around him and has been selected by his teammates as a captain for both his junior and senior years. Varsity soccer coach Nick Hoffman noticed that Rivas uses his leadership skills as a captain to motivate his teammates in practice. “When you see him on the field giving everything, it makes everyone else around him want to do the same,” Hoffman said. “He’s by far our most inspiring player out there.” In addition to his leadership role, Rivas Gonzalez also Franchesca Ortega, 12, passes the ball to a teammate in their home game against Live Oak. Briella, 7 months old, smiles at her mother, Franchesca. has the heavy responsibility of being the final defender in games. White recognizes her talent as a strong offensive “(If) another person from the opposing team gets By Andrea Winters threat to any opponent. through, I’m the last resort so there’s a lot of trust,” Rivas Staff Writer “She’s a really good shooter. She’s really fast, (and Gonzalez said. Just two weeks after giving birth, Franchesca Ortega, has) really good ball handling. She makes it very Since his start on varsity, Rivas Gonzalez helped to lead 12, was back on the court preparing for her last season difficult for opponents to stop her,” White said. the team to their first league title in 16 years. He plans to on the girls’ varsity basketball team. As she continued to grow, Ortega’s ultimate goal was play at a junior college and then transfer to a 4-year college. Ortega grew up playing National Junior Basketball to play for her high school team. Now in her final high “If he gets an offer from a 4-year school, I have every and more competitive Amateur Athletic Union teams school season, she appreciates basketball for more than confidence in the world that he can compete at that level,” later on. She credits her father, Anthony Ortega, with just the sport. The connections she has made with her Hoffman said. her introduction to basketball and her personality when teammates are strong bonds on and off the court that she plays. fuel her passion for basketball. Despite getting pregnant “He is very aggressive in his approach,” said Ortega. and giving birth to her daughter last year, Ortega did “There is no emotion (in his coaching style). If it was not miss a basketball season. WE HELP FUND THE not for that, I would not be playing basketball.” Now, as a senior, Ortega is getting ready to say Anthony Ortega knew that she would enjoy goodbye to afternoon practices and intense games with PONY EXPRESS! basketball because of her outgoing and energetic teammates she has played with for four years. personality. Basketball serves as a release from her stressful daily We are the Pioneer High School Education “It was easy for me to introduce her to the sport of Foundation and we raise funds for: life of being a student-athlete and mother. basketball. She was already athletic and she showed “It’s great being a mother, but sometimes I need a • Student Service Learning some leadership skills as a point guard,” Ortega said. break. Basketball does that for me,” Ortega said. • NHS Banquet/Scholarships • Classroom technology “Basketball is a high energy sport, so it fit her well. She’s After high school, she plans to attend San Jose City • Academic programs never stopped playing since then. She constantly looks College and play on an intramural team. While she to improve herself.” loves basketball and has played it for most of her life, ATTENTION PARENTS: We meet every 2nd Tuesday of the As a starting guard, Franchesca Ortega proved to firstshe wants to dedicate more time to her 7-month-old month in the Media Center and we’d love year coach Kevin White that her quickness and exceptional daughter, Briella, because her family comes first. to have you join us as we support PHS shooting skills are valuable to the success of the team. students in their academic endeavors.

Athlete by Day, Mother by Night

Photo by Robert Stein

Photo Courtesy of Franchesca Ortega

We are searching for parents to help raise funds in support of technology and educational needs of the school.

Visit us online and make your donation today using your credit card. It’s fast and easy. Go to www.pioneerhigh.org and select the Education Foundation link. Questions? Email us today at educationfoundationphs@gmail.com PHSEF is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization

Upcoming Games!

Jan. 31 Silver Creek @ Pioneer Girls Soccer 5:30pm

Jan. 31 Santa Teresa @ Pioneer Girls Basketball 7:00pm

Feb. 1 Santa Teresa @ Pioneer Boys Basketball 7:00pm

Feb. 2 Pioneer @ Overfelt Boys Soccer 5:30pm

Features The New Implementations Native Speakers 3-4 will replace 5-6 Honors next school year

Calendar Feb. 9 Pioneer PAC

9th-11th Grade Course Selection Night 6-7pm

Photo by Beatriz Lopez

Feb. 10 March SAT Registration Deadline

Feb. 11 Pioneer Gym Gunderson/Pioneer Rally & Mixer 4-9pm

On Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, Spanish teacher Sonia Gonzales helps students Ryder Bullock, 11, Andrew BrewerPacheco,12, and Michael Smith, 11, work on a worksheet in her classroom during sixth period regular 5-6 Spanish.

By Siya Bedi Staff Writer Students who plan on taking a third year of Spanish next year will not get the chance to experience it as an honors class. In December, the Spanish Department decided to get rid of Spanish 5-6 Honors, but keep the regular Spanish 5-6 class. They also plan on introducing a new class, Spanish Native Speakers 3-4, which will be taught by Eduardo Rodriguez. Students who complete Spanish Native Speakers 3-4 can take AP Spanish the following year. Spanish Department Chair Ricardo Chavarria believes that removing Spanish 5-6 Honors will be beneficial for students. “Right now, we have 5-6 and 5-6 Honors and the difference in the classes is that we have a lot of students who are ready to move on to AP and then we also have a lot of kids that are struggling,” Chavarria said. “By just having regular 5-6, we are going to have everybody at the same level (and) the class could go more smoothly.”

Latino Club President Fabiola Carrillo, 12, thinks that the Spanish Department should keep the Honors class. “It being removed is actually a huge mistake because 5-6 Honors is an opportunity for students to delve deeper into not only the language, but also the culture of being Hispanic,” Carrillo said. “5-6 Honors was that opportunity for students and also for teachers to be able to teach that culture aspect.” Spanish teacher Sonia Gonzales teaches both regular 5-6 and 5-6 Honors and introduced the idea of getting rid of Spanish 5-6 Honors, because she saw no benefits in having different levels of classes. “All (Spanish) classes should be geared towards providing students the opportunity to go onto AP Spanish Language,” Gonzales said. “Our purpose is to make our classes grow and make the language more accessible for students.” Students can talk to the any of the Spanish teachers available on campus for any further questions about their Spanish class placement.

Feb. 11 ACT Feb. 20-24 Winter Recess March 2 FAFSA, CAL Grant, DREAM Act Deadline

Stepping Up To STEM

Evergreen Valley College offers a female only STEM program By Emily Dao Staff Writer With the start of a new semester, mothers and daughters have a chance to spend more time with each other. Mother-Daughter STEM is a program at Evergreen Valley College for high school students and their mothers focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics whose goal is to encourage more women to go into the technology field. “Our main focus is the (Information Technology) world because females only make up 5 percent of the IT world,” Mother-Daughter STEM leader Cindy Dao said. The five classes offered are “CIT 010 - Computer and Information Technology,” “CIT 040 - Web Design I: Internet Publishing,” “AJ 115 - Introduction to Forensic Science,” “BIS 002 - Introduction to Project Management,” and “BIS 004 - Mastering Microsoft Project.” From Feb. 11 to May 20 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., mothers and daughters choose one STEM class to attend at Evergreen. “You don’t have to take the placement test because I purposely pick classes where you get credit,” said Dao. Mother and Daughter STEM allows not only daughters to get a glimpse of what college is like, but mothers too. “There are parents who went to college 20 years ago,” academic counselor Sophia Ángeles said. “(They) learn what college, finals, and group projects look like again.” Along with learning new knowledge, mothers and daughters can bond with each other. “There’s a lot of mothers who are not very confident with their computer knowledge,” said Dao. “The fact that they go to school together, study together, (and) help each other out, that builds that mother and daughter relationship.” To apply for the program, students must complete an application and a R-40 form, which can be found on the Evergreen Valley College website, through the school counselor, or by emailing Dao at cindy.dao@evc. edu and are due by Feb. 6.

Math teacher Bryan LaCaille teaches his Algebra II how to graph parabolas.

By Angelo Arriaga Staff Writer After three years of searching for his dream job, Algebra and AP Calculus teacher Bryan LaCaille’s stay at Pioneer is coming to an end. LaCaille taught at Pioneer for more than a decade, trying to find the next chapter in his life by looking for exciting new teaching opportunities in foreign nations. Despite a handful of offers in previous years, he decided to remain at Pioneer until he received the best offer possible. This year, LaCaille received an offer from the Dominican Republic to teach at Carol Morgan School in Santo Domingo, an English-speaking school.

“I’ve been looking all over the world, just finding a school where I liked the layout, the location, and the benefits package,” LaCaille said. “It wasn’t so much that it was Santo Domingo itself that caused me to go there, it was the school.” In the time that LaCaille taught at Pioneer, he made a considerable impression on campus and in the community. Math Department Chair Patrick Bernhardt is fully supportive of LaCaille’s decision to teach at Santo Domingo. “Mr. LaCaille is one of the most effective, most popular teachers in the math department,” Bernhardt said. “He’s a very good personal friend of mine, but I wish him all the best.” LaCaille’s former student and current teacher’s assistant Abigail Irick, 12, said Pioneer is losing a great teacher. “He brings a lot of energy into the classroom and the way he teaches makes students want to be in the class,” Irick said. “I think it’s a loss for Pioneer because he’s a really great teacher.” LaCaille is determined to be involved in the decision-making process to replace his position. “I want somebody that’s going to take care of my kids, take care of my classroom and leave it in good hands,” LaCaille said. “Pioneer has been really great to me. It’s a tough place to leave, but I’m excited to move on to the next chapter in my life.”

Heavy Rains Affect BioSITE

Photo by Annika Dahlberg

Guadalupe Creek flooding provides a new challenge for students

BioSITE students look for new teaching ground after Guadalupe Creek floods to three times its normal size.

By Isabella Osborne Staff Writer After record drought conditions for the past six years, rains have finally returned to California, which is welcome news to Pioneer’s BioSITE program. BioSITE, a partnership with the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose, revolves mainly around life science, research, and teaching local fourth graders about the environment. According to Weather Underground, San Jose received 1.5 inches of rain in December of 2016 and 5.45 inches in the first 23 days of January. The rain has helped improve drought conditions and revitalize local ecosystems, including the river currently used by BioSITE. The rain has also caused mudslides in the Santa Cruz mountains and flooding in much of the Bay Area. “I expected (the river) to be double in size, but it’s 10 times its normal size, now,” BioSITE student, Mikayla Bush, 10, said. The volume of water that has fallen is almost too much of a good thing.

With the increase in rain, the fourth graders may not be able to go into the water and experience the ecosystem for themselves and sophomores will miss out on opportunities to teach. The fourth graders most likely will have to rely on the samples and tests taken from the river in the classroom, rather than experiencing the change for themselves. There have also been other changes to the area. “There are willow trees that are water dependent that grow right next to the river and their roots are right in the river and they all died,” BioSITE and science teacher Rob Zaccheo said. “They stood there for awhile, but as soon as we had a storm last March all those trees have now fallen down so it’s changed the whole ecosystem out there.” The fluctuation in rain over the past few years has made a massive impact on the environment and should be approached with caution. “Just because we have all this rain doesn’t mean it’s going to be here forever,” Zaccheo said. “We have to have the attitude of, ‘how can we live most sustainably and healthy - live with a balance in our environment.”

Chelsea Jones makes the move from Guided Studies to World History

Photo by Ricky Covey

Photo by Marco Rodriguez

Features Moving To The Next Chapter Changing Bryan LaCaille is finally able to fulfill his dream of teaching abroad The Subject

Chelsea Jones goes over the Sophomore Project research paper rubric during her fifth period.

By Ricky Covey Staff Writer After spending her first year of teaching Guided Studies , Chelsea Jones has moved on to World History and Geography. Jones started her teaching career last year in Guided Studies, helping students with learning disabilities manage their school work. However this year, Jones made the move from teaching two classes of 10 students to five full classes of 33 students each. “I miss some of the smaller classroom environments and the one-on-one, face-to-face time that I got to have with students in the Guided Studies class,” Jones said. “(It’s) just sometimes (not) possible in a 30 student class.” Former Guided Studies student Ian Meadows, 11, found Jones’s teaching to be beneficial to his success in the classroom because of her positive attitude. “She was good as a Guided Studies teacher,” Meadows said. “Whenever she entered the room, she would put a smile on everybody’s face.” The biggest change that Jones faced was the increase in class size. “The challenges are different, but they’re still exciting and rewarding,” Jones said. “It’s been really fun having a different type of classroom environment and having more contact with more students.” Taujvyonne Daniels, 9, was amazed to learn that Jones is a first year history teacher. “I’m really surprised because I’ve seen people teach for the first time and a lot of the time it’s not as well as she has done it,” Daniels said. “She lets you give input and bases her teaching off of what you say.” Even though Jones enjoyed working in a smaller environment, she looks forward to her future in the history department. “I’m really thankful I went off my path to be able to do Guided Studies,” Jones said. “I’m looking forward to helping the students work their way through the Sophomore Project, that was really fun last year and rewarding to see students work really hard towards a really difficult research paper.”

Jefferson Award for Public Service Have you done outstanding service that impacts your community? If you think so, you can qualify for the Jefferson Award for Public Service!

How to apply: Submit a slip of paper with your name on it to Mr. Burrell in room P4 and you will be contacted.

Atletá Del Mes

La universidad de Evergreen Valley ofrece un programa de STEM solamente para hembras Escrito Por Emily Dao Periodista Con el empiezo del nuevo semestre, madres e hijas tienen una oportunidad de pasar más tiempo juntas. Madre-Hija STEM es un programa en la universidad de Evergreen Valley para estudiantes de la secundaria y sus madres enfocado en ciencias, tecnología, ingeniería y matemáticas con la meta de animar a más mujeres entrarse en el campo de tecnología. “Nuestra meta principal es el mundo de (tecnología de la información) porque mujeres solamente forman 5 por ciento del mundo en TI (tecnología de la información),” el líder de MadreHija STEM Cindy Dao dijo. Las cinco clases ofrecidas son “CIT 010Tecnología de computadoras e información,” “CIT 040 - Diseño del web I: Publicación del Internet,” “AJ 115 – Introducción a ciencia forense,” “BIS 002 – Introducción a gestión de proyecto,” y “BIS 004 – Dominando el proyecto de Microsoft.” Desde el 11 de feb hasta el 20 de mayo desde las 9 de la mañana hasta las 2 de la tarde, madres e hija

escogen una clase para asistir en Evergreen. “No necesitas tomar la prueba de evaluación porque yo escojo clases a propósito que te dan crédito,” dijo Dao. Madre e Hija STEM le permite a las ambas hijas y madres obtener una idea de cómo es la universidad. “Hay padres que fueron a la universidad hace 20 años,” consejero académico Sophia Ángeles dijo. “(Ellos) aprenden de la universidad, exámenes finales y proyectos de grupos de nuevo.” Además de aprender nuevos conocimientos, madres e hijas pueden conectarse. “Hay muchas madres que no están muy seguras con sus conocimientos de computadoras,” dijo Dao.“El hecho de que asisten a la escuela juntas, estudian juntas (y) se ayudan ambos, esto hace la relación entre madres e hijas más fuerte.” Para solicitar al programa, estudiantes necesitan completar una solicitud y la forma R-40, que puede ser encontrada en el sitio de la universidad de Evergreen Valley, por el consejero estudiantil, o por mandar u correo electrónico a Cindy Dao a Cindy.dao@evc.edu y deben ser entregados para el 15 de feb.

Abriendo nuevas puertas educativas en campus

Photo por Andre Winters

El programa de tutoría original de Beth Stafford se desarrolla en los centros de tareas para que los estudiantes obtengan ayuda

El horario del Homework Hub para el año nuevo.

Escrito Por Melody Beam Periodista El semestre pasado, la maestra de inglés Beth Stafford comenzó un programa académico para sus estudiantes de primer año que necesitan apoyo en otros cursos como en la clase de Física y Algebra 1. Durante la hora de FLEX, Stafford utiliza a sus estudiantes de Inglés Honores para asistir a los estudiantes de primer año de enriquecimiento en inglés. Estas sesiones de tutoría no solamente benefician a los estudiantes, pero también surgió una nueva idea entre el personal de Pioneer que se llama, “Help a Stang.” Al principio, Stafford propuso la idea de tutoría cuando se dio cuenta que su primera clase de enriquecimiento no estaba recibiendo asistencia en otras clases. “ Mi plan era que si tenía tres clases de tercer año Honores, supuse que debería de haber estudiantes que supieran Algebra mejor que yo,” Stafford dijo. Stafford se da cuenta que los tutores realmente están tratando de enseñar, utilizando pizarras

blancas y técnicas que los maestros han inculcado en sus propias clases. “Hice muchas demostraciones y luego hice que el estudiante hiciera los mismos problemas otra vez,” estudiante tutora Katie Duong, 11, dijo. “Yo pienso que los ayudó así que eventualmente ellos podrán hacer los problemas de matemáticas por ellos mismos. Mientras los tutores se expresan, sus respuestas son positivas. “(Stafford) dijo que está funcionando muy bien y que los estudiantes están recibiendo el apoyo no solamente de ella, si no también de otros estudiantes.” El director Herbert Espíritu dijo, “Los estudiantes que están apoyando con la tutoría realmente lo están disfrutando.” A pesar de los impresionantes resultados hasta hoy, Stafford nota que no hay suficiente tiempo para hacer el trabajo, considerando que solamente tenemos 40 minutos durante la hora de FLEX. Para poder expandir la idea original de Stafford, Espíritu y el equipo de administración de Pioneer ha intervenido. “Estamos tratando de rehacer nuestros centros de tarea en lugar de simplemente estar en la biblioteca y vamos a tenerlos en clases concentradas en su materia,” mencionó Espíritu. De acuerdo a Espíritu, muchos estudiantes y sus padres han preguntado por este servicio. Este nuevo programa asiste no solamente a estudiantes de primer año, pero también a cualquier estudiante que quiera recibir el apoyo que necesita para poder completar sus tareas con ayuda de compañeros. Cualquier estudiante de tercer o cuarto año interesado en ser tutor o tutora puede apuntarse con la solicitud “Help a Stang” y entregarla a la oficina de servicios estudiantiles. Los estudiantes que se apunten se les requiere un compromiso que tomará una semana con el maestro/a asignado. Horas de servicio comunitario serán dadas si la tutoría ocurre después de escuela.

Photo por Marc Rodriguez

Español Avanzando a STEM (ciencias, tecnología, ingeniería y matemáticas)

Francisco Rivas González, 12, despeja el balón en la defensa contra la escuela Independence el 20 de enero.

Escrito Por Scott Young Periodista Como un jugador de fútbol de tercera generación en su familia, Francisco Rivas, un alumno en su cuarto año en Pioneer, tiene las habilidades para pararse sus adversarios y el corazón para inspirar a sus compañeros de equipo aunque los entrenadores dicen que él no es un jugador muy vocal en el campo. Rivas empezó a jugar al fútbol cuando solo tenía siete años y ha pasado tres años en el primer equipo. Entrando al primer equipo en su segundo año, él tenía la oportunidad de tomar el lugar de un jugador de cuarto año que tenía la posición antes. “El defensor antes de mi primer año era un muy buen jugador así que yo tenía que reemplazarlo,” dijo Rivas. Pero Rivas no evita a los desafíos. Él es una inspiración y una influencia para los demás y sus compañeros de equipo le eligió como capitán en su tercer y cuarto años. El entrenador del primer equipo de fútbol, Nick Hoffman notó que Rivas usa sus habilidades de liderazgo de capitán para motivar a sus compañeros de equipo cuando practican. “Cuando lo veas en el campo poniendo el máximo esfuerzo, los otros jugadores quieren hacer lo mismo, “ dijo Hoffman. “Él es el jugador más inspirador en el campo.” Además de su papel de liderazgo, Rivas tiene la responsabilidad de ser el defensor final durante los partidos. “ Si otra persona del otro equipo pase [por la primera línea de defensores], yo soy la última línea de la defensa, así que me confían mucho, “ dijo Rivas. Desde que comenzó en el primer equipo, Rivas ayudó conducir el equipo para ganar la liga por la primera vez en 16 años. Él planea asistir a una universidad comunitaria y después cambiar a una universidad de cuarto años. “Si él recibiera una oferta para asistir a una universidad de cuatro años, tengo toda la confianza en el mundo que él pudiera competir a ese nivel,” dijo Hoffman.

Pagina traducido por Sonia Gonzalez, Nicole Pivato y Lisa Vitale

Entertainment Reveling In The Sound Of Classical Music Ethan Lin was invited to participate in the Cambrian Symphony by his orchestra teacher By Isabel Epstein Staff Writer Photo by Andre Winters

In a symphony mostly made of adults, Ethan Lin, 9, holds his own as an aspiring violonist. Lin has been playing the violin for five years and it has become an important part of his life. Due to his recognizable talent and dedication, he was invited to participate in the Cambrian Symphony by his old middle school orchestra teacher, Castillero’s Scott Krijnen. The Cambrian Symphony is made up of musicians of a wide variety of ages who share a devotion to performing, mentorship, education and expression. Lin has been a part of the symphony for two years and hopes to continue to participate in it. “The repertoire is fun and it’s challenging,” said Lin. The biggest difference between school orchestra and the Cambrian Symphony is that Lin gets the opportunity to play with adults and to play more challenging pieces. “He’s used to playing in other orchestras so he tries to challenge himself,” said band and orchestra teacher Matthew Lane. “Sometimes he finds ways to keep the music interesting for him here.” Being only a freshman, he had taken the initiative to step up in learning a solo for the first performance

Orchestra studemt Ethan Lin, 9, spends his spare time after school playing violin in the band room.

the orchestra did at the start of the year. “He tends to play them with his own flare,” said Lane. Lin’s love for orchestra and the violin had peaked in sixth grade under the mentorship of Krijnen. “He’s just full of energy constantly and it really influences everyone in his classroom,” said Lin. Lin has found that orchestra is the only thing that seems to be enjoyable and interesting for him. “I feel free to express who I am through music,” said Lin. Since music has had such an impact on his life,

Lin hopes to continue his musical career past high school and will pick colleges based on their music department. Even though it is only Lin’s first year at Pioneer, Lane believes that Lin has big things coming in the future. “He’s a fantastic violinist so I am hoping he can keep his interest in music going,” said Lane. Cambrian Symphony’s next concert “From Romantic to Surreal,” is on Feb. 3 at San Jose State University Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Musical Genius Finds His Voice Empowering Isaac Lara has recently started expanding his musical portfolio Female Roles By Maddi Kidder Entertainment Editor

Photo by Beatriz Lopez

After hearing a song from J.Cole’s album, “2014 Forest Hills Drive” towards the end of sophomore year, Isaac Lara, 12, was inspired to become more serious about his music career. Lara grew up in a household that was constantly filled with music because his mother was always playing varieties of music that brought his house to life. Lara’s mother saw his creation of music as a way to keep him off the streets. Lara was driven to make music since the age of 10. “I grew accustomed to it, but I never really started to take the culture seriously until freshman year,” Lara said. Ron Bowman, Castillero’s band teacher, had Lara as a student for sixth and seventh grade. Bowman easily spotted Lara’s true individuality with his courage to take musical risks, like playing the flute. “His decision to play the instrument he wanted, despite what most boys did and chose, which helped him stand out as someone who will do what is in his heart rather than be swayed by what is popular,” Bowman said. Jordan Spalding, 12, who raps under the alias

“Zion”, and Lara reconnected in their junior year during biology class and started a partnership. “He’s really good at listening, he’s willing to change what he has going on to make sure that the final project is good,” Spalding said. With his first lyrical song produced with Spalding, but many of his own instrumentals out, Lara can not wait to produce more music to help his musical career. Lara takes his influences from artists such as Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar and bases his beats off of them. Patricia Ruiz Mena, 12, a long time fan of Lara’s music, notices how much Lara has improved since the beginning of his musical career. “(His songs) flow well, actually have a beat and a rhythm,” Ruiz Mena said. “It is what a song needs to be.” Lara’s goal for his music is to invoke deep emotions and allow his listeners to relate to what he sings about. “I like to make stuff where you can sit down and remember something from your own life because you’re listening someone talk about their own life,” Lara said. Follow Lara, also known as Qtza, on his: Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/qtza and Bandcamp https://qtza.bandcamp.com/.

Isaac Lara, 12, in the process of recording his first lyrical mixtape at the Martin Luther King Jr. Teen HQ Recording Studio in Downtown San Jose on Jan. 18

Kids television encouraging more strong women leads By Brianna Hamilton Staff Writer Disney’s latest film, “Moana,” keeps many of the standards of the companies’ past movies including colorful action, catchy songs, and better messages for children, especially for young women. The movie was released on Nov. 23, and was the top grossing film for three consecutive weeks at the box office. Moana is the daughter of the chief of a Pacific Islander tribe who sets off on a dangerous journey to help the island when it decreases in resources. Like “Frozen,” and “Brave”, “Moana” is a part of a new type of Disney film, moving away from the old “damsel-in-distress” style where young kids can perceive the wrong lesson by watching those type of films. “Women don’t need to depend on a man to save us, we could do it ourselves,” Feminist club president Madeline Ratliff, 12, said. The Feminist club is excited that women empowerment is being taught to the younger generation, which promotes feminism and characters that young girls can model themselves after. Disney’s “Moana” stars a new Disney character that not only encourages female leadership, but a realistic image of someone who does not need to fall in love to be happy. “(Moana) looks exactly how you would expect a young 16-year-old girl to look,” Ratliff said. While female characters in films that promote feminism can be seen as empowering, some question the sincerity of movie companies. “It always feels like when (film makers) do that, not because they want to push for more feminism because they want to make more money,” Isaac Lara, 12, said. Members of the Feminist club believe featuring strong women in movies has been a slow change because of the lack of strong female leaders being broadcasted in news. “Women in other countries are doing big things and you don’t hear about that stuff on T.V. in America it makes more money to hypersexualize women,” club treasurer Olivia Watters, 12, said. “Americans don’t want to hear about that, they want to hear about Kim Kardashian.”

Opinion Increasing Opportunities The Pony Express Editorial Board Western Association of Schools and Colleges visited three years ago to initiate a self-study that provided our school with ways to improve our education program and follow up on Pioneer’s accreditation status. Since then, Pioneer has developed five methods that targeted student support services, cultural proficiency and inclusiveness on campus. The addition of four new counselors in the College and Career Center gives students a jumpstart on learning about college applications and A-G requirements. The new addition of counselors provides a sense of security for students who are unsure about what to pursue after high school. Pioneer took the step to add the Academic Language Skills class to support these students however, it is only achieving half of its potential. While it is useful for helping students who are able to speak basic English, it does not give them the confidence to use it in a public setting, according to ALS teacher Kristen Borup. The WASC committee will also see that we have

added another class for English language learners, which is great, but they will overlook how little teachers are able to accomplish due to the students’ lack of trust in their own abilities. Their lack of confidence translates into the lack of students who are able to pass the California English Language Development Test, the test that will classify them as fluent in the English language. Over the summer, the Learners Engaging in Advanced Placement program, commonly known as LEAP, aims to assist first time AP and Honors students with their transition into more advanced courses. This course of action was helpful after the fact that counselors strongly encouraged AP classes for everyone. These changes, along with the FLEX periods and other chances for additional help are vitally important, but too often they’re ignored or disregarded by Pioneer students. It’s time for us to take some responsibility as well on this campus. Administration and teachers cannot make students want to succeed, but with all the resources available, we’d like to see more of our classmates take advantage of these programs.

College: A Different League By Andrew Keller Sports Editor Being an athlete, there are dreams of being the next Michael Jordan, Joe Montana, or Katie Ledecky. Some dreams are just that: dreams. Even playing sports at a competitive college level is unrealistic for most high school athletes. After years of wanting to play for my dream school, reality hit hard. I know I won’t make the team at a Division I school like UCLA or Long Beach State. If I want to keep playing volleyball, the sport I’ve played for 11 years, it won’t be on a formal school team… and I don’t even play a “mainstream” sport. High school athletes rarely go on to play college sports. According to the NCAA, only 5.9 percent of female athletes and 5.7 percent of male athletes make any college team, regardless of division. Football, track and field, and basketball — the sports that enroll the most athletes in both high school and college — are highly selective. It is unlikely for a high school athlete to be recruited, or to a further extent, even play on a collegiate team. Even the NCAA acknowledges their studies may not represent true percentages; the majority of college

recruitments come from club teams, not high school. Club games and tournaments are full of recruiters for the top colleges in the nation. It’s easy to tell who’s being recruited, and who’s sitting on the sideline watching with the recruiters. In the hyper-competitive world of sports, college recruiters are looking more frequently at expensive and exclusive clubs that develop athletes. The key is the number of resources put into the individual. Clubs don’t need to follow CCS rules about practice time, games played, or outside assistance. The star on a high school team might find themselves blending into the crowd at the club level. Fortunately, there are other opportunities to continuing pursuing athletics in college. Many colleges have club and recreational leagues. In college club sports, clubs play in a semi-competitive environment against local teams. Recreational leagues are based on the college campus and often co-ed and less competitive. As high school sports enter the final stretch, athletes are searching for ways to continue playing the sport they love. While NCAA is the gold, sometimes taking silver in club or recreational leagues isn’t too bad.

Letter to the Editors The Pony Express wants to hear from you. Send us your thoughts, comments, criticism or praise, and we’ll potentially print it here. Letters should be exclusive to the Pioneer Pony Express and preferably 150-200 words. Contact the Pioneer Pony Express at ponyexpresseditors@ gmail.com.

Scan the QR code to check us out online or visit us at pioneerponyexpress.weebly. com

Rise to Fame or Set to Fail New Pokémon game starts slow, but improves as game goes on Follow us @PonyExpressNews By Will Majors Staff Writer

“Pokémon Sun” and “Pokémon Moon” are the newest installments in the Pokémon series and are packed with new content and new pokémon to catch, battle, and train for the best experience. “Pokémon Sun” and “Moon” have many new aspects going for it, but there are two glaring issues about this game. You only get to chose from around 300 Pokémon, but this is far less compared to “Pokémon X” and “Pokémon Y”, “Pokémon Omega Ruby” and “Pokémon Alpha Sapphire” which each have 718 Pokémon in their National Pokedex. The game starts out with unskippable tutorials that cause the game to drag on. The game does not get interesting until the second island where you can finally enjoy the freedom to do what you please in any order. The story has amazing twists and turns, especially with characters like Hau, who offers help in the beginning of the game, but will turn out much more

useful toward the end. They both offer many new characters, some of my favorites being Hau. almost a rival, Lillie, your companion at times, and Guzma, the leader of the villainous Team Skull. Pokémon Refresh, which is essentially a revised version of Pokémon Amie, similar to a Tamagotchi pet. The main idea is to get your Pokémon Poké Beans to become more friendly towards you as time goes on, which is much better and faster than playing monotonous minigames for eight hours. Some of the new Pokémon introduced in “Pokémon Sun” and “Moon” are better than the previous version. For example, the spiny starfish-like Toxapex, which has some of the highest defensive stats available, and Kartana, one of the games legendary “Ultra Beasts,” who has a 257 base attack stat, dictating how much physical damage a Pokémon can deal out. All of these features makes for an exciting new installment for the Pokémon franchise. Even though the game is flawed, the good features weigh out the bad ones. 8.5 out of 10 Pokéballs.