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Menlo-Atherton

The Mark

The Official Student Newspaper of Menlo-Atherton High School

Editors’ Note:

We’ve hit the ground running this Mark season and we certainly have a lot to celebrate! We’ve expanded our social media outreach to broaden our readership and seamlessly stepped up to the challenges of our growing program with a dedicated team of staff writers and copy-editors, and an eager new design team. Recent coverage of former district staff has hit record views, currently standing at over 20,000 reads on one article.

This Mark recognizes the wonderful people and fascinating stories in our community, featuring the returning columns “Bears Doing Big Things” and “Bear Bites,” as well as a spotlight on the beloved bear mascot. Whether you’re interested in a heartwarming self-narrative about M-A’s AVID program, wondering about M-A’s athletic alumni, curious about recent detracking data, or want to play a fall-themed game, this Mark has something for everyone to enjoy. Thank you to the PTA, students, faculty, and our readers for your support—you make the stories worth writing.

Front and Back Cover illustrated and designed by DonnaBella Gaetano Table of Contents illustrated and designed by Celine Chien

Natalie Fishman

Sonia Freedman

Dylan Lanier

Cleo Rehkopf

Sarah Weintraut

Chase Trigg

Samuel Leslie

Collin Goel

Lydia Honerkamp

Celine Chien

DonnaBella Gaetano

Riona Faruqi

Andrew Ahn

Kate Budinger

Jolene Chu

Tessa Ellingson

Leehan Kim

Ameya Nori

Arden Margulis

Lindsay Park

Amala Raj

Ben Siegel

Celeste Zucker

John McBlair

Editor-in-Chief

Sports Editor

Webmaster

Design Lead

Copy Editor

Journalism Advisor

Damian Boye

Rose Chane

Penelope Chapman

Kitty Cormican

Mateo Cuellar-Koh

Mackenzie Danzig

Charlotte Fisher

Ellen Forte

Gaby Foster

Avery Galles

Tessa Goldman

Logan Greenbaum

Isabel Habibi

Allegra Hoddie

Brian Hoyle

Tiffany Karp Niklas Klemmer

Becca Koenig

Akemi Kwan

Sarah

Libunao

Karen Martinez

Riya Mehta

Sofia Merlino

Huraman Orujov

Nava Riahi

Michael Roman

Micaela Rubinsky

Isabel Seniawski

Jace Thomases

Jonathan Weeks

Amari Witt

Dashi Japanese Restaurant

Dashi Japanese Restaurant is a small, family-style establishment tucked away along the intersection of Hamilton Avenue and Willow Road in East Menlo Park. Located across the street from the Dumbarton Bridge, Dashi has seen how the establishment of new tech companies has changed the neighborhood and brought new construction projects in its 20-year lifespan.

John and Sunhwa (Sunny) Bek have owned the restaurant since 2003. John Bek, an aspiring finedining chef, began cooking when he was five years old. Ever since they purchased Dashi, the Beks have held close to the restaurant; in some ways, it’s their second home.

Walking into Dashi is like being welcomed into a friend’s house. The restaurant–––a cozy, minimalistic establishment–––boasts distinctive features. Its cream-yellow walls and faded watercolor frames greet customers, often local families or Meta employees hungry for a hot dinner on a Friday night.

relationships with their customers and employees–––a tradition they’ve maintained since their opening day. Throughout their time in East Menlo Park, the Beks created a tight-knit community with loyal customers.

away.

“One by one, they said goodbye,” said John Bek. “The families that I knew for generation after generation, they all left.”

Moreover, Dashi lost many of its customers from the pandemic lockdown.

Even afterward, this rate has never fully recovered. Unpredictable supply chain issues have also made it difficult for the Beks to adequately secure fish, noodles, and other goods for their customers.

Despite these challenges, the Beks have stayed true to their values: never cutting corners and always ensuring that customers are getting the best service and quality food.

The Beks make an effort to establish good

restaurant is uncertain. The rise of Meta in the East Menlo Park area along with other nearby tech companies drastically changed the scene for Dashi and crippled numerous small, family businesses. Dramatic rent increases and gentrification have forced many of Dashi’s faithful customers to move

Unagi Yakimeshi ($22.99)

Dashi’s unagi Yakimeshi (eel fried rice) is a definite highlight of every meal. The rice isn’t too savory or oily, but it offers a nice umami flavor, accentuating the slightly smoky vegetables and eel. It’s a family favorite, and I highly recommend this dish to those looking for something filling but not too heavy.

Udon ($18.99)

A steaming bowl of udon is a must for cold winter days! The light, umami broth compliments the chewy udon noodles. A generous handful of fresh green onions and narutomaki––––pink fish cakes commonly found in Japanese noodle soups–––adorn the bowl.

The noodles come with a plate of fresh tempura: an assortment of fried foods including shrimp, pumpkin, sweet potato, and vegetables.

“I don’t live an extravagant lifestyle. This is pretty much what I do and where I work. I’m usually in the kitchen, but when we have no wait staff, I’m the waiter,” John Bek said.

“I believe every cook has a good heart,” Sunny Bek reminded me before I left. “One who cooks with their heart treats a restaurant like giving food to their own family, so they must have a good heart.”

This dish packs an unexpected kick–––most Japanese curries are dark in color, but Dashi’s are lighter and offer more spice and flavor. The curry sauce covers the fried pork katsu and rice like a warm, golden blanket. If you are dining alone and are looking for a comforting, hearty meal, I highly recommend this dish.

Chien

Tempura

Pork Curry Katsu Donburi ($20.99)

written and designed by Celine

Los Gallos Taqueria ´

Located on the border of Menlo Park and Redwood City, Marsh Manor’s Los Gallos Taquería is an exceptional spot to grab a meal. From 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day, you can find anything from huevos rancheros to the classic super burrito.

I went there for dinner with my friends and was pleasantly surprised by the variety of options on the menu. Los Gallos is cashonly, but there is an ATM inside for your convenience.

Four screens displayed oval-shaped plates of choices as we waited in line to order. In the corner of my eye, through archways, I could see a filled bar with soccer on a big TV screen that played across the whole restaurant. We went up to the counter and ordered fish tacos, chicken enchiladas, and chicken tamales. For drinks, we ordered horchata and hibiscus agua fresca ($3.50 each). At the sidebar, we grabbed free chips, limes, and picked from an array of salsa options. Once we found an empty table, we snacked on some chips and sipped our drinks during our quick wait for our food.

Junior Celia Bernstein said, “The horchata at Los Gallos is my favorite because I love the taste, and it has a strong spice flavor.”

Fish Tacos ($5.99 each)

The first thing to come to our table were the fish tacos. Overflowing with white fish, lettuce, and salsa verde, these were well worth our money. Sophomore Elise Riney said, “Almost every time I come to Los Gallos, I order the fish tacos. They have the perfect amount of spice, and three tacos are just the right amount of food.”

Chicken Enchiladas ($14.99 for one, +$1 for each additional)

Lastly, two chicken enchiladas coated in tomato sauce arrived at our table. Bernstein said, “I loved the enchiladas. They were great with a bit of sour cream and guacamole to balance out the spice.”

Chicken Tamales ($19.99)

Our chicken tamales came next. On a jam-packed plate with beans, rice, lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, and sour cream, these tamales were delicious.

written by Celeste Zucker designed by Celine Chien

Bears Doing Big Things

Janelle Brown ‘91

Developing her talent for writing as early as first grade, five-time New York Times bestselling author Janelle Brown has captivated countless readers with her thriller novels including All We Ever Wanted Was Everything and Pretty Things.

From her time at M-A, Brown recalled, “Shannon Griscom [AP English Language teacher] always encouraged my writing and has come to some of my book events. I loved all my English classes and teachers and also had fun in social studies and the arts program. I even remember doing typing classes on a typewriter.”

After Brown graduated from the

Alex Waitz ‘21

Alex Waitz explored everything from orchestra and debate to coding while at M-A.

On his high school experience, he said, “I really appreciated how my teachers were

Joe Ksander ‘91

Joe Ksander spent his time at M-A “running around town with a video camera and friends.” Since then, Ksander has animated, co-written, and directed several films, from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in 2005 to the Netflix special Next Gen in 2018. Ksander’s filmmaking journey began in his AP European History class. “We were supposed to write a big essay and, instead of doing that, some of my friends and I shot a short-film about the Dreyfus Affair,” he said. “The film was way more work than just writing an essay would have ever been, but it was a lot of fun because everyone played

University of California, Berkeley, she began her career as a writer for Wired, Salon, and other online news sites. “I was writing about how technology was changing our lives, including the digital music movement and other online cultures,” she said.

Brown eventually felt burnt out on journalism and began working as a freelance novelist. She said, “[My fiction writing] comes from bits and pieces of my own lived experiences and the world I know.”

Brown’s advice to M-A’s future writers: “Find a group of people who also want to be writers. Get together, read each other’s pages, give each other feedback, and

written by Tessa Ellingson and Celeste Zucker designed by Ben Siegel and Celeste Zucker

willing to meaningfully engage with me about ideas. That definitely helped me grow and become more confident in my own ability to think about the world.”

Waitz currently attends Stanford where he majors in computer science. Waitz also developed a passion for cycling in college. At the last minute, he subbed in as the sixth member of the 2023 Stanford Spokes team. “Every year, a group of six undergrads come together and plan out a bike trip,” he explained. “We bike from Palo Alto to Washington, D.C. and work with organizations that host summer programs for kids.”

encourage each other. It can be really helpful to have peers who are doing the same thing as you when you’re first starting out and trying to learn.”

After serving as a teacher’s assistant for a computer science class, Waitz is exploring his newfound passion for education. “I’m currently designing and teaching a class at Stanford which is very exciting,” he shared.

“There are many different ways to get involved in high school,” Waitz advised current students. “Your relationship with an activity or class is very specific to you, so don’t settle for something because you think you have to do it. It’s really exciting when there are endless interesting ideas in the world and so many people to meet and things to do.”

different parts. We wrote and cut the whole thing together.”

Ksander studied animation at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and film at University of California, Los Angeles. He animated for multiple visual effects studios until 2016 when he began creating freelance projects.

Ksander’s advice to future filmmakers and animators: “There’s a saying in art that goes, ‘We all have 10,000 bad drawings in us. The sooner we get them out, the better.’ Make lots of stuff. Most of it’s not going to be very good, but we can continue to learn from it all.”

surveyed by Dylan Lanier designed by Ameya Nori and Ben Siegel illustrated by Riona Faruqi

Bears in the Wild

Troy Franklin ‘21 University of Oregon football

Anna Ryan ‘23 Claremont McKenna College volleyball

Clara Cronin ‘23 Chapman University volleyball

Jurrion Dickey ‘23 University of Oregon football

Jeremiah Earby ‘23 University of California football

Skyler Thomas ‘21 Oregon State University football

Wilson Eisner ‘20 Cornell University soccer

Chloe Leung ‘22 Columbia University diving

Gigi Edwards ‘23 Tufts University

George Zaharias ‘23 University of Texas at Austin baseball

Kiely

Tabaldo ‘23 Colorado Mesa University wrestling

Karim Nasr ‘23 George Washington University water polo

Jalen Moss ‘22 Fresno State University football

Ava Peyton ‘21 Oberlin College swimming

compiled by Chase Trigg and Sam Leslie / designed by Jolene Chu

Soane Faasolo ‘23 University of Washington football Ava Martin ‘23 University of Wisconsin-Madison tennis

We Need Better Holocaust Education OPINION

In my 1,024-page AP World History textbook, there are two paragraphs about the Holocaust. This is essentially the only Holocaust education I’ve received in any history class from kindergarten up to the start of junior year, and it is not enough. In the United States, Holocause education is flawed, both in terms of length and quality. California is one of only twenty states that require Holocaust education. Even in states with mandated Holocaust education, it can be inconsistent, inaccurate, and even antisemitic. Although Holocaust education at M-A is better than in many other schools across the country, it is not adequate.

Nationally, antisemitism is on the rise. According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), “In 2021, ADL tabulated 2,717 antisemitic incidents throughout the United States. This is a 34% increase from the 2,026 incidents tabulated in 2020 and the highest number on record since ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979.” M-A isn’t immune to antisemitism: in December of 2022, a custodian found swastikas painted on the walls of a school bathroom. With this surge in antisemitism, it is essential that youth learn about the historical hatred of Jews in order to prevent ignorance that can lead to violence and prejudice.

There is far more than a single cause of this rise in antisemitism, but a lack of Holocaust education is undoubtedly one of them. A nationwide survey by the Claims Conference found that “11 percent of U.S. Millenial and Gen Z respondents believe Jews caused the Holocaust.”

Holocaust education at M-A begins for ninth-graders in Multicultural Literature & Voice (MCLV) with a unit studying Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel’s

autobiography Night. MCLV teacher Erin Walsh explained, “I always teach the history of the Holocaust as we read the book. I start the unit with a mini-lecture on what led up to World War II and the Holocaust so that we can identify some of the root causes. I think it’s really important to supplement Night with additional historical texts.”

The Night unit is valuable; the book itself is powerful, and the MCLV teachers teach the historical context for the story well. But this unit is only a first step. Walsh agreed, saying, “I don’t think the Night unit is sufficient on its own. We have put a huge amount of work into the

unit, but it doesn’t cover every aspect of the Holocaust that should be discussed. If anything, it’s an introduction, and it provides an access point.” It’s also important to note that MCLV is an English class, not a history class, and thus much of the unit is spent analyzing literary elements of the autobiography rather than learning details of the Holocaust.

The next time the Holocaust appears in M-A’s curriculum is in sophomore history, in either World History or AP World History.

The two paragraphs detailing the Holocaust in the AP World textbook are at least historically accurate and cover a variety of key facts. Of course, not all learning comes from a textbook, and a strong education is largely based on a teacher’s choice to spend more or less class time on any given subject. Regardless, a curriculum given to our teachers with just two paragraphs about such a significant tragedy is unacceptable. And for me, the supplemental in-class learning about the Holocaust was a two-page Google Docs worksheet about mass atrocities, with ten sections for ten genocides, one being the

written and designed by Ben Siegel illustrated by Riona Faruqi

Holocaust. The worksheet asked students to identify the basic details of each atrocity, including “by who” and “number killed.”

History teacher Austin Hunt explained that AP World and grade-level World have a similar amount of Holocaust coverage, and that AP European History–––the sophomore history course that AP World replaced in the 2022-2023 school year–––did not significantly differ in its amount of Holocaust coverage.

Holocaust education at M-A hasn’t always been this way. Kjersti McCormick, an M-A graduate of the class of ‘88, said, “My AP European History Class was very thorough. The Holocaust, including the context of how things evolved in Europe in the early 20th century to get to that point, was definitely well covered.” It is possible that M-A’s Holocaust education used to be more comprehensive, but in an effort to diversify topics covered, important coverage of the Holocaust was omitted. One teacher added that sophomore history classes used to spend a substantial amount of time creating a Holocaust-museum project.

Sophomore world history is the primary opportunity for Holocaust education at M-A–––and throughout local public schools–––and it is also the most lacking in appropriate Holocaust education. Hunt said, “I think the Holocaust warrants a longer discussion [than other topics] in my classes. I think the Holocaust could, should be a two-week long class, but it’s all opportunity cost. Any time I’m spending on the Holocaust means I’m spending less time on other things. In high school, the idea is that we should be giving an overview of a lot of information, but to dive really deep into it, you need to take a whole course on it, and go to museums.” The majority of M-A students will not end up taking a year-long Holocaust course, and therefore depend on M-A classes for their entire Holocaust education. And so, while it cannot be an in-depth week-long topic, the Holocaust should at the very least take up one day of the school year.

It

is possible that M-A’s Holocaust education used to be more comprehensive, but in an effort to diversify topics covered, important coverage of the Holocaust was omitted.

The Holocaust appears–––or should appear–––one more time in the M-A curriculum, in junior-level U.S. History or AP U.S. History (APUSH). In a 2022-2023 APUSH class, Holocaust

education consisted of one optional assignment. Senior Danielle Koo explained, “We had a substitute in APUSH and our teacher left us a note on Canvas saying that we could use the class time to study or to complete two optional assignments. One was about the Holocaust and the other one was for Long Essay Question practice. Since these assignments were optional, I bet most people did not complete them.” Senior Thomas Scott, who was in a non-AP U.S. History class, said, “We did not talk about the Holocaust this year.”

While the U.S. was more detached from the events of the Holocaust than European countries, the Holocaust is still undoubtedly relevant in U.S. history. Koo said, “Holocaust learning is extremely important because of the U.S. involvement, or lack thereof. To not know about the Holocaust is to lose a crucial part of understanding history and culture. It also helps us recognize what the Jewish community had to go through and understand why younger generations still carry that pain today.”

Koo said, “To not know about the Holocaust is to lose a crucial part of understanding history and culture.”

M-A’s U.S. History classes ought to include at least one mandatory, in-depth assignment about the Holocaust and its relevance within U.S. history.

Holocaust education has immeasurable benefits. As the adage goes, those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Walsh explained, “The only way to ensure that something like the Holocaust doesn’t happen again is through education. We have to tackle the topic head on, and we have to be uncomfortable, and acknowledge the horrors that occurred. Education is empowerment.” Holocaust education prevents antisemitism, both by demonstrating how Jews have been oppressed throughout history and by helping students understand that antisemitic ‘trolling’–––drawing swastikas, doing Nazi salutes—–is far more serious than a joke.

This shouldn’t just be a concern for Jews, as hatred of one group quickly spreads to hatred of others. Lessons about Nazi theories of Aryan superiority and scientific racism are beneficial in teaching about diversity and acceptance. Appropriate Holocaust education also includes information about the persecution of other minorities during the Holocaust, such as Roma and LGBTQ+ people.

Holocaust education provides context for Jewish emigration out of Europe and the establishment of the state of Israel, demonstrates the dangers of scapegoating, and, as explained in a UNESCO article, “deepens reflection about contemporary issues that affect societies around the world, such as the power of extremist ideologies, propaganda, the abuse of official power, and group-targeted hate and violence.”

The JFCS Holocaust Center provides Holocaust learning frameworks for teachers in order to impart students with a rich education regardless of the time frame they have to learn it. Thorough Holocaust education includes a discussion of Jewish culture, the rise of antisemitism and Nazi ideology, the terror of the Holocaust, and the short and long-term impacts.

Taking the time to hear from a Holocaust survivor is another way to provide students with fulfilling Holocaust education. The William J. Lowenberg Speakers Bureau brings Holocaust survivors to speak at schools in the Bay Area. Jeannette Ringold, a Menlo Park resident who survived the Holocaust as a hidden child in Holland, said, “For those of us that can still speak, it is worth doing. There is nothing like hearing it from the person who experienced it.”

Improving Holocaust education is not a difficult or lengthy task, and it is one that must be done. A meaningful history education includes thorough discussion of the Holocaust in order to understand the past, contextualize the present, and make progress in the future.

FACES OF M-A

illustrated, photographed, and designed by Riona Faruqi

Existing Parental Leave Policies Disadvantage Teachers

written by Sarah Weintraut / designed by DonnaBella Gaetano

“Our society doesn’t do a lot to support women in motherhood,” Physics teacher Kari Brown said. “Sometimes I wish that we could unionize or protest at the lack of support we’re given as new mothers, but in order to do that we have to be willing to refuse to do the work. And refusing to do the work means that you’re sacrificing your children and most mothers are not willing to make that sacrifice. Our society knows that, so they’re just like, ‘Nope, you have to figure it out.’”

LEAVE LOGISTICS

For an average teacher, maternity or paternity leave looks something like this:

As a result, teachers try to plan their delivery for late second semester or early summer to maximize their leave.

STILL ON THE JOB

Teachers have a uniquely difficult time stepping away from their jobs, as they leave behind a classroom full of students.

Maldonado said, “For me, the biggest stress was worrying about my students while I was gone.”

Science and AVID teacher Erika Shepard said, “I put in a lot of extra unpaid time outside of school so that my classes would still have engaging lessons and activities while I was gone.”

take leave someone actually subs in and takes over those responsibilities. Whereas here, even with a substitute, it seems like I’m still responsible for the learning.”

THE SICK-DAY POLICY

Both the birthing parent and the nonbirthing parent must use up all of their sick days before using any other type of leave. This means that upon returning to work, teachers have little to no sick days at their disposal, even with a young child at home.

Shepard said, “I had to use up all my sick days right at the start of my leave. I would have preferred to save some of them for when I return to work and my little one

a. Teachers have six weeks for a natural birth and eight weeks for a Cesarean birth.

b. Teachers do not qualify for state Disability Insurance; they must pay an outside insurance carrier to qualify.

c. Teachers need a doctor’s note.

For students, “maternity leave” is a sudden absence at the head of their class, but for teachers, it can mean a long and complicated process of planning. Spanish teacher Maribel Maldonado said, “You have to plan your baby a year in advance.”

Under CFRA–––which, at 12 weeks, is the largest portion of available leave–––teachers only receive differential pay. This pay is unsustainable for most teachers, and for new teachers with lower salaries, it amounts to virtually no financial support. For teachers in our district, this leave only applies to contract hours, so summer break and holidays don’t count. This is not the case in all districts.

a. The California Family Rights Act (CFRA) guarantees differential pay during this time and the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) protects teachers’ jobs during this time.

b. Differential pay is when teachers receive what is left of their salary after their replacement is paid.

Biology teacher Mark Helfenberger, who went on paternity leave, said, “As a teacher, the leave is such that I cannot fully forget about my job or my students. I was still planning lessons and grading students’ work all six weeks I was away.”

M-A’s current substitute shortage exacerbates this problem; it’s often difficult to find qualified long-term substitutes because of the affordable housing shortage in the Bay Area. This results in a rotation of short-term substitutes who may not be proficient in the subject they’re teaching, forcing teachers to stay tethered to their classrooms.

Brown said, “For other jobs, when you

starts at daycare because it’s very likely that she will get sick a lot in the beginning.”

Edith Salvatore, the Sequoia District Teachers Association (SDTA) president and bargaining chair, said, “I think the hardest thing about parental leave is that, depending on when your baby is born, you come back to work and you’ve used all your [sick] leave. It’s not realistic for the way families work.”

Our district does grant all teachers ten additional personal necessity days. These are ten days of paid leave teachers can take each year without providing a reason to the district. However, these days do not carry over every year like sick days do.

birthing parent non-birthing parent

Vox; “Children and gender inequality: Evidence from Denmark,” National Bureau of Economic Research

THE MOTHERHOOD PENALTY

Our current system disadvantages both parents by making it difficult for the nonchildbearing parent to support their child and their partner at the beginning of their child’s life. Under the district’s leave policies, it is much harder for the non-birthing parent to take extended leave off with their new child, placing the responsibility on the birthing parent. According to the American Association of University Women, “Though childbearing has economic benefits for our society, women are financially penalized for having children. A study by Census Bureau researchers found that between two years before the birth of a couple’s first child and a year after, the earnings gap between opposite-sex spouses doubles. The gap continues to grow until that child reaches age ten. Though it narrows after that, it never disappears completely. This is referred to as the ‘Motherhood Penalty.’”

A Vox article elaborates on this; being assigned the role of primary caregiver by default stunts women’s career growth–––and therefore their increase in salary. The state’s parental leave policies make it harder for men to take on the role of a primary caregiver. The only paid leave that nonbirthing parents receive is their sick days. After they’ve run out, they only receive twelve weeks of leave with differential pay. This further encourages women to stay at home, as it makes more financial sense for the non-childbearing parent to return to work.

It is not only unfair to women to assign them as the primary caregiver by default,

but it is also unfair to their partners because it prevents them from having the opportunity to bond with their child or take on a caregiving role.

Helfenberger said, “I only took off six of the twelve weeks offered under FMLA, and used all my sick time to do so. I couldn’t take the time off otherwise, as paying for the sub from my salary is more than I can afford.”

“I think the hardest thing about parental leave is that, depending on when your baby is born, you come back to work and you’ve used all your [sick] leave. It’s not realistic for the way families work.”

The lack of paternity leave in America makes it unique amongst other wealthier countries: countries like Canada and Germany have changed their system of parental leave to encourage fathers to take a more active role in their young child’s life. Canada’s system gives a certain amount of leave to the child-bearing parent, but also includes an extended period of paid leave time that can be shared amongst the parents. Furthermore, they offer five weeks of paid parental leave that are specifically for the non-childbearing parent.

Germany also has a robust maternity leave and parental leave system that requires

childbearing parents to take six to twelve weeks of paid parental leave without having to dip into Disability Insurance. Unpaid parental leave extends for three years, is shared between both parents, and allows for both parents’ job to be protected.

The sick-day policy is especially effective in increasing the gender wealth gap even after teachers retire; Salvatore explained, “When male teachers retire, they are at a financial advantage over female teachers who have had multiple children because the sick days count towards service credit for retirement. If you retire with 150 sick days it’s like you worked almost another full year in terms of what you can earn in retirement. Because we force women to use those days when they are recovering from pregnancy or during that baby bonding time, they are retiring with less financial advantage.”

MOVING FORWARD

Teachers wished to see an increase in the amount of time allowed off and wanted to receive paid leave without having to sacrifice their sick days.

They advised other teachers going through this experience in the future to register for Disability Insurance early on, to do research before talking to HR about leave time, and, above all, to have a spring baby.

Helfenberger explained, “[The flaws in our parental leave system are] not a failing of the school but of the state and federal laws. Admin and fellow M-A teachers have gone above and beyond what they are required to do to make my time off as enjoyable as possible.”

Many consider having children to be one of the most–––if not the most–––rewarding experiences of their lives. However, the current economic condition along with the Motherhood Penalty is discouraging people from having children, and studies show that as a result, people are already having fewer children.

There is a possibility for improving conditions. The SDTA is currently bargaining for six weeks of guaranteed paid leave from the district. Salvatore said, “What we’re asking for is for it just to be an expected cost of business that the district is going to have pregnant employees who are going to go on leave, and the district should pay for six weeks of leave for them and that leave should not come off of our sick leave. Teachers could use this leave at any point because of the pregnancy when they are unable to work.”

How Has Detracking Impacted AP Chemistry?

Although some speculated that the removal of Advanced Standing (AS) Chemistry would harm students’ preparedness for the Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry exam, AP scores showed little change from previous years.

Three years ago, as part of the movement to “detrack” certain advanced courses, M-A removed the option to take AS Chemistry, combining all students into grade-level Chemistry to diversify enrollment. Last year’s AP Chemistry students were the first to take the class and AP exam without having taken AS Chemistry the year before.

According to numbers provided by AP Chemistry teacher Matthew Sandora–––who taught all of last year’s sections–––enrollment in the 2022-2023 school year nearly tripled to an all-time high of 98 students. In the previous year, there were 36 AP Chemistry students.

“A main reason [for increased enrollment] is that students definitely feel more competent taking AP Chemistry after taking sophomore Chemistry,” Sandora said.

While interest in the course itself increased, many students felt that the course diversity remained similar to previous years.

Senior Zahara Agarwal, who took the course last year, said, “Almost all of my classmates were white or Asian and from La Entrada or Hillview.”

According to newly released data from the district as part of the Streamlining Course Offerings report to the Board of Trustees, no

socioeconomically-disadvantaged students from the Class of 2024 enrolled in the AP Chemistry course their junior year.

Last year, 14% more students passed the AP Chemistry Exam than the year before, 4% more than the previous all-time high. This data shows that a lack of AS Chemistry and increased course enrollment had little to no impact on students’ AP scores.

Nationally, pass rates saw an all-time high of 75%–––roughly 20% more than the preCOVID record. A more lenient curve might explain M-A’s increase in scores.

“While the percentage of students who scored a four or a five remained about the same, many students who initially would have scored a one or a two scored higher, achieved a three, and increased the pass rate,” said Sandora.

“A common sentiment among my peers is that we feel like we never took chemistry while our teachers expect us to know things we were never

Sandora said, “Last year was the first year that I had students who could not take AS Chemistry, and I had to do more catchup–––about a week’s worth of knowledge–––than I did in preCOVID years. As a result, I talked about it with the current chemistry teachers, and [last year’s sophomores] will now be coming in with more knowledge than the previous year’s Chemistry classes.”

While the COVID-19 pandemic may have affected students’ preparedness, many students still had difficulty adjusting to the rigor of AP Chemistry. Junior Jack Preston, who is taking the course this year, said, “I feel like the gap between sophomore Chemistry and AP Chemistry is very large, and I don’t feel fully prepared for the course. A common sentiment among my peers is that we feel like we never took chemistry while our teachers expect us to know things

written by Ameya Nori designed by Tessa Ellingson illustrated by Riona Faruqi and DonnaBella Gaetano

we were never taught.”

Agarwal said, “A lot of first semester was spent covering basics because no one had a good foundation, and that made it harder to cover new topics.”

Junior Leo Mazzon, a student in this year’s class, said, “I feel relatively prepared going into the course; however, all the chemistry teachers taught in different ways and used different curricula so I think it’s hard to adjust at the beginning of the year for both teachers and students. I think it’s pretty early in the year to tell if people are struggling, but I feel a bit behind.”

AP Chemistry has always reviewed AS Chemistry content to ensure that all students are comfortable with the basics before taking on more complicated concepts. Connor Dunne, who graduated in the Class of 2023, took both courses. He said, “In AS Chemistry, the teacher had the

normal Chemistry was too slow, and I think that it took away from the overall goal of learning because, although the teacher was trying her best, the students themselves were just coming from too many different levels.”

The main argument for detracking is that advanced classes are more accessible to underclassmen coming from wealthier feeder schools like Hillview and La Entrada.

“A main reason [for increased enrollment] is that students definitely feel more competent taking AP Chemistry after taking sophomore Chemistry,” Sandora said.

This makes these classes, like those schools, stratified based on income and race, and students often feel pressure to take classes that put them with peers instead of matching their levels.

Science Department Chair Lance Powell explained, “What was happening with AS Chemistry was the same as AS Biology: it became a course that only students from certain zip codes took.”

Sandora said, “With both COVID and the removal of AS Chemistry, it’s difficult to know for sure what caused these changes, but as years and classes go by, the data should become clearer.”

Number of Students Enrolled

Course Enrollment

AP Exam Pass Rate

Students who did not take AS Chemistry

Ethnic Studies Leaves Lasting Legacy Through New Mural

Students rushing across the G-Wing to their next class will notice a vibrant splash of color: a painting proudly displaying themes of diversity, equality, and history. The new mural, designed by junior Celine Chien* and brought to life by alum Jose Castro, debuted this school year.

The mural’s unveiling honors the new freshman Ethnic Studies course, which replaced World

Studies in the 2021-2022 year following a community outcry for more minority representation in school curricula. Ethnic Studies teacher Mallory Byrne said, “The teachers wanted to commemorate the inaugural Ethnic Studies course in a creative and permanent way. We know that murals are important to a variety of ethnic groups in the United States and we wanted to contribute to the beautification of our school with a lasting visual representation of Ethnic Studies.”

“Everyone was drawing flags and hands but I thought, ‘I think M-A’s history is more than that.’”

Ethnic Studies teachers received approval from administration, then asked students to create a mural for the school as their fall semester final. The open-ended assignment asked students to represent the school’s motto, ‘Strength in Diversity.’ Students voted on their favorite, and Chien’s design was the winner.

“Everyone was drawing flags and hands, but I thought, ‘I think M-A’s history is more than that,’” Chien said.

The mural’s brightly colored illustrations

begin with a display of the Ramaytush Ohlone people at the bottom left and progresses to modern social justice movements. “To the right of the Ramaytush, it depicts the new immigrants that settled in California during the Gold Rush, and then, to the right of that, there’s the counterculture movement,” Chien said. “There are labor strikes for the Chicano movement, LGBTQ rights protests, and Black Lives Matter signs–––it goes from the ‘60s to present-day protests.”

Castro, a professional muralist, said, “I took Celine’s exact design and

written by Allegra Hoddie designed by Cleo Rehkopf and Sarah Weimtraut illustrations

taken from mural

said, ‘Okay, let’s add a little extra.’” He began the process of bringing Chien’s drawing to life near the end of June, and revisions from the initial draft reflect aspects of his personal style and cultural beliefs. The two have collaborated extensively throughout the process.

Atop a hill in the mural’s top-right corner, M-A students stand unified, looking towards a hopeful future. “The ultimate symbolism is establishing the Ethnic Studies class. It’s sparking this continuous journey towards the day when M-A lives up to its motto, ‘Strength in Diversity,’” Chien said.

In the fall of 2020, the District adopted Ethnic Studies as a required course. Later, in October of 2021, the state approved a measure to make California the first state in the country to require Ethnic Studies for

graduation. The state will enforce this policy for all California high schools beginning in the 2025-2026 school year.

Mara Cavallaro, who was part of the small group of M-A ‘18 alumni who initially petitioned for the class to be mandated throughout the district, said, “It became a community fight in the summer of 2020. There was a lot of momentum surrounding anti-racist policy.”

Former Ethnic Studies teacher Ronnie Sanchez, who was involved in the class’ implementation, said, “The Bay Area is the birthplace of Ethnic Studies. It’s a field of study that started off with SF State and has really made its way throughout the Bay, even before M-A became part of it.”

In 1968, the Third World Liberation Front led a student strike at San Francisco State University, advocating for the establishment of an Ethnic Studies department and more representation for people of color. Decades later, in the mid2010s, school districts in San Francisco and Oakland added the course to their catalogs. Now, M-A enrolls all freshmen in the course to learn about race, migration, and power structures. “It was just the next step in the development of the history curriculum,” Sanchez said.

Byrne said, “It felt full circle to have our Ethnic Studies students design a mural at M-A to celebrate something that former M-A students had been instrumental in

Chien

and Castro holding

a sketch of the mural.

creating.”

Castro said, “What’s important to me is to get kids asking more questions. I want everyone to ask themselves about their history.”

Despite Ethnic Studies’ recent arrival at M-A, the class is already

“It felt full circle to have our Ethnic Studies students design a mural at M-A to celebrate something that former M-A students had been instrumental in creating.”

“I hope that when people walk by it, it’s going to remind them that this is just the beginning of Ethnic Studies.”

contributing to the campus landscape through the mural’s addition. Cavallaro said, “I hope that when people walk by it, it’s going to remind them that this is just the beginning of Ethnic Studies.”

*Celine Chien is a journalist for the M-A Chronicle.

My Experience in AVID

All my life I have been seen as dumb. Since kindergarten, I felt like my peers were always ahead of me. They all somehow had connections throughout the school, like they got a head start in life. My parents didn’t go to college. My mom didn’t even finish high school. Although my parents were lucky enough to get me and my brother into good schools, we were still behind. I often missed out on bonding events with classmates because my parents didn’t know English and couldn’t connect with the other parents.

I often missed out on bonding events with my classmates because my parents didn’t know English and couldn’t connect with the other parents.

I began AVID (Accelerated Via Individual Determination) my second year of high school. In freshman year, everyone in my old friend group made fun of my closest friend for being in AVID. They called her stupid and slow for needing an extra course to help her with classes. She put up with the bullying and didn’t bother to correct them, because to us, they were the smarter ones. We were women of color arguing with white boys with big egos. They felt that their privilege made them better than us. I don’t think they even acknowledged how fortunate they were to have parents who knew how to preset and organize their lives. It took me a while to realize that they weren’t born with hardwired racism and hatred; it was taught by their parents, who also had their lives set.

I previously thought that AVID was just

a class to help students who were falling behind, but now I feel so much more confident in all of my classes. I have a class that helps me be organized through binder checks, group presentations on homework problems we don’t understand, and help from classmates with similar questions.

What I love most about AVID is the people. Before AVID, I was really ashamed of my culture and background because I went to predominantly white elementary and middle schools. My old friends teased me for not being white, which made them think that I was inferior to them. I suppressed my cultural heritage, which made it hard for me to truly be happy because I didn’t accept myself. Although AVID is not just for people of color, there are a lot of Hispanic people in the class because many of us have parents that did not go to college. When I joined AVID, I saw people like me that shared a lot of the same interests in food and music, so I didn’t have to hide that part of me around them. The students are so accepting of each other. It’s more like a family than a class.

During a big three-day AVID field trip,

I suppressed my cultural heritage, which made it hard for me to truly be happy because I didn’t accept myself.

all classes–––freshman through senior–––went to a hotel pool, played Spanish music, and splashed around in the pool as it rained. It was an amazing bonding experience because I found myself talking to people from different grades in Spanish and laughing with new people. It was such

written by Karen Martinez designed by Jolene Chu illustrated by Sarah Larson

a therapeutic experience being able to be myself; the same comfort I feel with my family.

Another great thing that AVID has to offer are connections. Before AVID, I would have never imagined myself touring colleges. Now, I have an idea of the colleges I want to go to like UC Davis, Fresno State, UC Santa Barbara, UC Merced, and Cal Poly. My former AVID teacher, Mr. Gerth, connected me to Mr. Giambruno to borrow a camera for an English project, and now I hope to one day go into broadcasting. Mr. Gerth encouraged me to take journalism and AS English III–––things I would not have done if I doubted myself.

A lot of AVID students complain that it’s too much work, but it just gives us a peek into what college is actually going to look like. The reality of AVID is that it helps students who worry about their future get a sense of stability by making sure they’re on the right track and are signed up for the right classes as well as keeping a strong GPA.

AVID truly changed my life for the better. I love all the different people I’ve met, and I’m so incredibly grateful for all the experiences and opportunities I wouldn’t have had without it.

AVID truly changed my life for the better.

Mi Experiencia en AVID

Mehan visto como una tonta mi entera vida. Desde la primaria, sentí que todos mis compañeros estaban delante de mí. De alguna manera, ellos tenían conexiones en toda la escuela, es como tuvieron un ventaje en la vida. Mis padres no fueron a la universidad. Mi mamá ni siquiera terminó la secundaria. Aunque mis padres tuvieron la suerte de poner a mi hermano y yo en buenas escuelas, todavía estábamos atrasados. Siempre perdía eventos de vinculación con mis compañeros porque mis padres no sabían cómo hablar inglés y no pudieron conectar con otros padres. Empecé AVID (Avance a través de la Determinación Individual) mi segundo año de secundaria. El primer año, todos en mi viejo grupo de amigos se rieron de mi mejor amiga por tomar AVID. La llamaron

El primer año, todos en mi viejo grupo de amigos se rieron de mi mejor amiga por tomar AVID.

estúpida y lenta por necesitar una clase para ayudarle con sus otras clases. Ella soportó el acoso y no se molestó en corregirlos, porque para nosotras, ellos eran más inteligentes. Eramos mujeres de color discutiendo con chicos blancos con egos grandes. Ellos se sintieron como que su privilegio los hizo mejor que nosotras. No creo que ellos reconocieron que eran afortunados de tener padres que sabían como pre-establecer y organizar sus vidas. Me tomó mucho tiempo para realizar que ellos no nacieron con racismo cableado y odio. Fue enseñado por sus padres que también tenían sus vidas arregladas.

Previamente pensé que AVID era una clase para ayudar estudiantes que estaban atrasados, pero ahora me siento más segura en todas mis clases–––tengo una clase que me ayuda a ser organizada cuando revisan nuestros encuadernadores, y hacen presentaciones de grupo en problemas que no entendemos y trabajar con compañeros con preguntas similares.

Lo que más amo de AVID son las personas. Antes de AVID, estaba avergonzada de mi cultura y antecedentes porque atendí escuelas predominantemente blancas. Mis amigos viejos me molestaban porque yo no era blanca, lo que los hizo pensar que era inferior a ellos. Reprimí mi herencia cultural, lo que me hizo verdaderamente feliz porque no me aceptaba a mi misma. Aunque AVID no solo es para estudiantes de color, hay muchos hispanos en él porque muchos de nuestros padres no fueron a la universidad. Cuando me junté a AVID, vi a muchas personas como yo que tenían los mismos gustos de comida y música, entonces no tuve que ocultar esa parte de mi alrededor de ellos. La gente se acepta mucho a unos a otros porque es más una familia que una clase.

Durante nuestro viaje de estudios de tres días, todas las clases fueron a la piscina del hotel, tocamos música español, y jugamos con el agua aunque estaba lloviendo. Fue una experiencia asombrosa y llena de bondad porque me encontré hablando en español y riéndome con personas de

Reprimí miherencia cultural,loquemehizo

diferentes años. Fue una experiencia muy terapéutica pudiendo ser yo misma; la misma comodidad que siento cuando estoy con mi familia.

Otra excelente cosa que ofrece AVID son las conexiones. Antes de AVID, yo nunca me hubiera imaginado visitar diferentes universidades. Ahora tengo una idea de las universidades que me gustaría asistir, como

UC Davis, Fresno State, UC Santa Barbara, UC Merced, y Cal Poly. Mi anterior maestro de AVID, Sr. Gerth, me conectó con Sr. Giambruno para prestar una cámara para un proyecto de inglés y ahora, algún día, me gustaría ir en radiodifusión. Sr. Gerth me motivó a tomar periodismo, y AS Inglés III–––cosas que nunca haría si dudara de mi misma.

Muchos de los estudiantes en AVID se quejan porque hay mucho trabajo, pero sólo nos da una ojeada en como se ve la universidad. La realidad de AVID es que ayuda a los estudiantes que se preocupan de su futuro y les da estabilidad asegurándose de que estén en el camino correcto y que estén escritos en las clases correctas, además de tener un GPA sólido.

AVID realmente cambió mi vida para lo mejor. Amo a todas las diferentes personas que conocí, y estoy muy agradecida por todas las experiencias y oportunidades que nunca tendría sin él.

Which Cozy Fall Animal Are You?

created by Sonia Freedman and Dylan Lanier

Dear Bearby,

I feel some distress because my friend has been spending more and more time with a boy that she likes. She never has time to do things anymore. Are friendships not as important as romantic partners?

From, Distressed Friend

Bearby

her time with the addition of a new, special connection. While it is hard to feel undervalued, be patient and know that she may feel overwhelmed by her new responsibilities. Even so, you could try gently asking her if there is any time she can set aside for a plan with you after school or on the weekend. It’s important to strengthen valuable friendships just as much as romantic ones!

Love, Bearby

Ad designed by Natalie Fishman College Email written by Sarah Larson designed by Dylan Lanier