The Oracle-March 2025

the

Oracle

Stratford High School • March 2025 • Vol. 52 • Issue 3

the growing pains issue

LETTER FROM THE

EDITOR

I like to think that my overthinking has been more helpful than not. Whether repeatedly reviewing for a test or planning all the minute details for a group project, running through every possibility in my mind sounds better than living any out unprepared.

But my overthinking has also kept me up at night. Memories of awkward presentations, unflattering outfits and incorrect responses to the teacher’s questions plague me in bed. In the shower, I’ll revisit year-old conversations, regretting all I said and all I didn’t.

I know many other high schoolers fall into similar, nagging cycles. I wish I could say that, in a few months, we’ll have outgrown this phase. But, truthfully, our growing pains have disturbed us for years, and it seems like they’ll continue doing so for longer than a few more.

In this issue, we face some of these pains: the decisions we doubted and the outcomes they led to. On page 4, we investigate how students ended up joining the theater program they grew up watching. On page 8, we discuss students’ increasing dependency on caffeine for energy. On page 13, we hear from student-athletes who will forego their sport in college for a more traditional student experience.

Despite the struggles we face (and the recollection of those struggles), our discomfort reshapes us and, ultimately, pushes us to evolve. These stories serve as a reminder that our peers are all navigating their own versions of uncertainty.

Meet “The The Growing Pains Issue.

Issue.” I hope you find comfort in knowing we’re all feeling them.

By the students. For the students. About the students.

Happy reading, Sophie Sagastume Editor-in-Chief

COVER PHOTO BY REESE SPRADLING (11)

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MISSION The Stratford High School Oracle works to develop student skills while following the standards of professional journalists. Our mission is as follows: To provide a forum for student writing, photography and art: the Oracle creates a community of students who share a common passion through group learning, mentorship and fostering an atmosphere of creative collaboration.

To provide training in not only journalism, but in marketing and business: the Oracle is entirely self-funded. Students must sell ads to local businesses to pay for printing. Members of the ads staff practice business techniques by speaking to other companies to secure finances that allow paper production to continue.

To open dialogue and give students a voice: few other outlets allow students to inform and express themselves to a large audience. Whether an article is about Stratford’s newest teacher or nationwide change, student voices will always be heard.

STAFF Editor-in-Chief* Sophie Sagastume Associate Editors* Mawara Khan Natalie Patranella Online Editors* Elizabeth Meadows Bella Smith Ads Editor* Elizabeth Meadows Photo Editors* Bella Smith Reese Spradling Story Editors* Alejandro Aponte Melina Banan Reporters Foster Burton Ryann Calvert Jacob Cobb Olivia Crider Aleeya Davis Katie Hamilton

Yahya Hasoon Jackson Hiler Ryan McDowell Sebastian Mendoza Molly Kate Minyard Martie Montalbo Nicholas Neumann Brynn Pera Brooke Sponsel Caden Stone Kendall Walters Hailey Wisdom Sophia Yarborough Adviser Sara Boyle

*Editorial Board

04 - 07

STUDENT LIFE From Seat to Stage

Stratford Playhouse inspires younger generations to pursue theater

Stress for the Dress

Students navigate the world of dance preparations

Let Them Cook

Five seniors build a trailer smoker for ASE capstone project

08 - 09 CULTURE Caffeine Craze

Staff members weigh in on debate between coffee and energy drinks

Oracle Outlook

Poor moviegoer etiquette and divisive online film criticism is threatening “movie magic”

SNEAK PEEK

10 - 13 SPORTS Are You Better?

Does an average person compare to a high school baseball player?

To the Sideline

Star athletes step back from sports to focus on college experience

14 - 15 FEATURE

When “Mom” Becomes “Mrs.”

Students with Stratford teacher parents discuss quirks, challenges

PHOTOS BY MOLLY KATE MINYARD (11) AND REESE SPRADLING (11)

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BELOW: Seniors Carly Corn, Hallie Hodge and Angelica Salva perform for middle schoolers during “The Little Mermaid” Brat Mat.

From Seat to Stage Stratford Playhouse inspires younger generations to pursue theater WRITTEN BY KATIE HAMILTON (11) AND NATALIE PATRANELLA (11)

I

PHOTO BY MOLLY KATE MINYARD (11)

n the dark Stratford auditorium, a spotlight focuses on the expressive actor passionately performing on stage. An elementary student in the audience watches in awe, thinking, “I want to do that.” Right then, they know: someday, they’ll be performing on that very stage.

Whether it was watching ensemble members flip across the stage in “Newsies” or older siblings perform in “West Side Story,” many students have felt a calling to shine on the Stratford Playhouse stage since a young age. Some students, like junior Elizabeth Swoboda and senior Angelica Salva, got their start in Playhouse through director Courtney Prudhomme’s summer theater camp. “[Prudhomme’s summer camp] is how I got introduced to Playhouse,” Swoboda said. “Since then, I’ve done plays every single year, and it really has shaped me into who I am today.”

Salva also attended Prudhomme’s camp and was further inspired

by Stratford shows that she attended throughout middle school, including “Drowsy Chaperone” and “Something Rotten.”

“I would watch the ensemble during Brat Mats and would [ask], ‘Can I do that?’” Salva recalled. “Everything they did, every note they hit or every dance move they did, I would think, ‘I think I can do that … no, I can’t do that.’”

Salva was initially intimidated by the performance level of Stratford theater and worried about her chances to succeed in Playhouse.

“I watched [‘Something Rotten’ in middle school] with my best friends, Miranda Gutierrez and Sierra George, and when we got on the bus afterwards, we all said we were never going to make a

4 Student Life

Stratford show,” Salva said.

Ironically, Salva has gone on to participate in many shows, including playing lead roles of Maggie in “42nd Street” and Donna in “Mamma Mia.” In this year’s “The Little Mermaid,” she was one of the Mersisters, Arista.

“I learned to fall in love with theater, and it just made me feel empowered,” Salva said. “Theater is just an instant community, and I don’t know where I would be if it wasn’t for Playhouse.”

In contrast with Swoboda and Salva, who were introduced to Playhouse at a young age, junior Aziz Waters moved from a different city at the beginning of high school; however, he found a calling to join Playhouse just as quickly.

“I would say my inspiration for joining Playhouse was definitely [watching] ‘Young Frankenstein’ my freshman year,” Waters said.

“It was just so magical, and I thought, ‘Wow, I want to be on that stage.’”

In the weeks leading up to the highly anticipated performance of “The Little Mermaid,” the “Under the Sea Adventure” clinic and two Brat Mat performances for elementary and middle students brought excitement to the community. Whether performing on stage or working behind the curtains, the cast and crew hope to share their infectious energy with the audience, sparking inspiration for future students. “[Playhouse] is definitely like one big family,” Waters said. “It is a great place to be a part of, and everyone cares for each other so much.”

WRITTEN BY FOSTER BURTON (11), ELIZABETH MEADOWS (11) AND HAILEY WISDOM (11)

H

air, photos, dinner, transportation. With Sweet 16 and Prom right around the corner, students are beginning to feel the stress of preparing for a dance. Even though these events remain months away, we looked at a few people who have established routines leading up to the day, and what they do to get ready for it.

When it comes to dates for the dance, some students prefer to go in friend groups, rather than as a couple. Despite this, many people find going in pairs simple.

“For most people at this school, asking to dances is pretty casual: asking through text, asking through friends, etc.,” junior Zoe Ju said.

To prepare for the dance, some girls dedicate a lot of time to searching for dress inspiration.

“I have a Pinterest board of a bunch of dresses I like, and for each dance I pick one that I think would be cute,” Ju explained.

We gathered input from Stratford girls via an Instagram poll about what their favorite places to get dresses are. The most frequented include Lulus, Nordstrom, Lucy in the Sky, and Revolve. For guys, however, the outfit-shopping scene is completely different.

“I go to the tux place, they measure me for my tux and, a few

ILLUSTRATED BY MELINA BANAN (11)

days later, I pick it up,” junior Parker York said.

For most girls, outfit shopping is followed by smaller preparations, like getting nails done. Recent trends include Gel-X and acrylic nails which typically last a few weeks.

“My favorite place to go [get my nails done] is Palazzio Nails,” Ju said.

Palazzio Nails, Nails of America and Blush are popular salons near Stratford. Girls often dye or cut their hair days before, and they do their makeup at home right before the dance.

On the contrary, to get himself ready, York keeps it simple and easy.

“I make sure I have everything I need, get dressed and then drive to the dance,” he said.

Some students go to a restaurant with their friend group before arriving at the dance.

“One person usually thinks of a restaurant and we collectively agree to go,” Ju said. “It is definitely hard to make reservations with a bigger group. For homecoming we had to split [the group] into two.”

So, to enjoy your dance experience to the max, make sure to plan ahead, including making dining reservations, nail and hair appointments and saying yes to your dress (or tux!).

Stress for the

Dress Students navigate the world of dance preparations

45% Lulus

20%

Revolve

10% 15% 10% Rent the Runway Nordstrom Lucy in the Sky

Student Life

5

Let Them Cook Five seniors build a trailer smoker for ASE capstone project WRITTEN BY ALEJANDRO APONTE (12), MOLLY KATE MINYARD (11) AND SOPHIE SAGASTUME (12)

T

he Heights workshop buzzes with activity. In one corner, senior Marin Pavlin dons a helmet while welding together a frame. A few meters off, seniors Julian Hemmer and Ricky Conticello lift heavy sheets of metal. Senior Nathan Moss looks over project plans with his dad nearby. This is Academy of Science and Engineering (ASE) — specifically, one of 21 capstone projects created entirely by graduating students.

ASE is a two-year program: the first year consists of hands-on lab-based classes while the second year is a year-long self-directed passion project in a group atmosphere. For Pavlin, Hemmer, Conticello, Moss and Tyler Spann, that entails long days transforming scrap materials into an offset barbecue smoker.

“We want to learn and emphasize the importance of reusing and recycling, hence why we are using all scrap metal and a large propane tank as the basis for our project,” the students explained in their project proposal. “This idea combines each one of our passions for building and manufacturing along with our desire to reuse valuable materials.”

The school doesn’t fund any projects or provide materials, which posed a slight challenge at the beginning of the guys’ journey.

“We had to find different connections and ways to obtain metal and the tank,” Conticello said. “The propane tank we got for $75 in League City. Then we bought the trailer for $100 in Galveston.”

While the group has an active GoFundMe, the guys have had to shoulder nearly the entire cost themselves. “[The GoFundMe is] not enough to cover what we spend, but we saved a lot of money from Tyler,” Pavlin explained. “He got us

6 Student Life

PHOTOS BY MOLLY KATE MINYARD (11)

a bunch of free metal from his cousins.”

Once they had gathered most of the necessary metal, the group quickly encountered another hiccup: storing their project.

“At first, we were just planning on moving in between people’s houses,” Hemmer remarked. “We ended up finding a place to put it at Nathan’s dad’s workshop, and we’re keeping the trailer at Ricky’s house, so we solved that problem.”

While the students are completing nearly all of the construction by themselves, they’ve received some advice and helping hands, particularly when transporting materials.

“Tyler’s brother drove the car and the truck because we had to rent a U-Haul trailer and his parents don’t trust Tyler to do that,” Pavlin said. “[Transporting materials from League City and Galveston] wasn’t really difficult.”

Perhaps the most significant outside influence has come from Stratford itself: the group’s mentor, ASE founder and teacher Davy Barrett.

“We originally had a couple of other ideas, but they were either going to be too much work or too expensive,” Pavlin said. “So we [went] to Barrett, and he gave us the idea of something that he wanted someone to do because he wanted his own trailer smoker.”

Now, the boys are fully engrossed in making Barrett’s idea a reality while taking away important life lessons. “[ASE has] helped us with problem-solving, just learning how to research and then implement [a solution],” Hemmer said. “I’m glad that we are working on this project.”

LEFT OF PG. 6: 6: Mr. Moss assists in welding.

RIGHT OF PG. 6: Seniors Julian Hemmer and Ricky Conticello carry a sheet of metal.

TOP OF PG. 7: Senior Marin Pavlin welds a metal frame.

BOTTOM LEFT OF PG. 7: Pavlin welds a frame corner.

BOTTOM RIGHT PG 6.: Mr. Moss looks over plans with Pavlin and Hemmer.

Student Life

7

e n i e f f a C Craze

Staff members weigh in on debate between coffee and energy drinks WRITTEN BY OLIVIA CRIDER (11), MARTIE MONTALBO (11) AND BRYNN PERA (11)

ILLUSTRATED BY MELINA BANAN (11)

C

affeine is a staple among Stratford students. Walking the halls, you can easily spot caffeinated cans of varying sizes and bright colors. Celsius, Alani NU, Starbucks, C4s, and Uptime are the most common, each containing at least 150 mg of caffeine. This topic has become controversial among students and adults as more information and health concerns have arisen around the beverages.

While a number of students favor energy drinks for a quick boost of energy, one Stratford staff member begs to differ.

“I think [energy drinks] can be problematic because they give you bursts of energy, then later you don’t have that,” English teacher Kristy Abusaid said. “The short-term effect of caffeine leaves students feeling more exhausted than before once it wears off.”

Spartanaire assistant director Emma Geiman agrees.

“I think energy drinks are good in moderation, but I don’t think they should replace sleep,” Geiman said. “Especially with early morning practices or activities, students have become reliant on caffeine to keep them awake throughout the day.”

The school’s nutritionist, Meredith Parmley, expresses similar ideas and concerns, describing caffeine as an “energy band-aid.” “[Caffeine is] making you think you have energy when you really don’t,” Parmley said.“It can increase performance during tests and sports, but if you tend to be an anxious person, it will decrease performance.”

8 Culture

Parmley further explained that caffeine can make you nauseous, suppress your appetite and give you headaches, and that using caffeine consistently creates problems like addiction. So, which one does she think is better? Coffee or energy drinks?

“I personally prefer coffee because energy drinks have a lot of stuff in them, and they’re not very regulated,” Parmley said.

“Also, the caffeine dosage in energy drinks is double, maybe even triple, the amount I would recommend for high school students.”

Currently, coffee has dominated older workplaces, appealing to millennials and Gen-X, while energy drinks rule younger generations. So, what makes these energy drinks more appealing to the youth? Popular coffee chains have begun to include seasonal flavors of caffeinated drinks to appeal to younger customers. During winter, Black Rock Coffee Bar sold fun winter energy drink flavors like cranberry and winterberry. Similarly, handcrafted energy drinks like Witch’s Brew Fuel were sold during fall, and fruity, tropical drinks during summer. Starbucks is also known for their seasonal beverages — every holiday season, its coffee sales rise 12% compared to regular sales rates.

Ultimately, it appears a classic coffee still has the heart of Stratford students. In a poll of 155 Spartans, 62% preferred coffee, beating the 38% of energy drink voters.

Regardless, whether it be through a triple shot latte or an extra large energy drink, staff members’ overarching concerns about students and caffeine are worth keeping in mind while consuming either beverage.

Oracle Outlook

Poor moviegoer etiquette and divisive online film criticism is threatening “movie magic.”

WRITTEN BY JACOB COBB (11) AND SOPHIA YARBOROUGH (10)

ILLUSTRATED BY MELINA BANAN (11)

W

though. There has also been a rise in amateur movie criticism on social media sites like TikTok and Letterboxd. Letterboxd, a website where people track the movies they’ve seen and give a star rating and review, has exploded in popularity, going from 1.8 million members in mid-2020 to over 17 million members now. Reviewing movies has become accessible to the common man. While this is not inherently wrong, as it allows more opportunities to hear about new movies and decide if it’s worth it to go, it also means that the culture around movies has gotten a lot more critical. Reviewers are much more likely to post when they hated a movie compared to when they just felt neutral about it. This has made the general field of movie conversation hostile and divisive, often scaring off more casual moviegoers. Instead of watching movies for your own enjoyment, you feel obligated to critically dissect the film. This has also led to a split between amateur and professional movie opinions.

This has been recently seen with “Emilia Perez,” which racked up 13 Oscars nominations but was panned by amateur reviewers, currently sitting at a 2.4 star average on Letterboxd. On the other hand, 2023’s “Anyone But You” was hailed by TikTok users as the return of the classic rom-com, while professional reviews found it to be bland and trying too hard to be edgy.

Even after all the issues that have come up with going into the movie theater, the “movie magic” isn’t completely dead. With “Barbenheimer” defining summer 2023 and, more recently, the release of “Wicked” having people hold space, the excitement around the movies isn’t dead. The key is that, as moviegoers, you prioritize respecting those around you and try to make sure that talking about movies online doesn’t become a battlefield.

e come to this place to laugh, to cry… to listen to other people belt out the “Wicked” soundtrack? With the end of the pandemic, the return of the Blockbuster movie is here. But with inconsiderate audience members, increased ticket prices and the domination of streaming, is it even worth visiting the movie theater anymore?

Over the past 20 years, ticket prices have increased by more than 68%, making the theater feel like a special occasion rather than a casual outing. This price change has shifted movie habits, with most people opting to wait for a film to release on a streaming service they already pay for. The pandemic showed that convenient movie watching was possible, right in your own home. People discovered that the movie watching experience wasn’t necessarily reliant on the movie theater, and that when watching at home, the social pressures of etiquette in the movie theater do not apply. Plus, watching at home allows for you to pause and work on other things while enjoying the film.

Unfortunately, some movie-goers seem to be taking the multitasking to the theater. Since the end of the pandemic, people have been declaring movie theater etiquette dead. From people scrolling on their phones during the entire movie, dying laughing at the smallest moments and having full on conversations with their friends, audiences have lost respect for their fellow moviegoers. The issue of ill-mannered viewership isn’t limited to one demographic either. From elderly couples to groups of young kids, this loss of decorum pulls others’ focus out of the film and onto this poor behavior.

The rise of streaming services wasn’t the only thing that has affected the film industry post-COVID-19,

Culture

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Are You Better?

Does an average person compare to a high school baseball player?

WRITTEN BY YAHYA HASOON (11), CADEN STONE (10) AND KENDALL WALTERS (10) PHOTO BY BELLA SMITH (11)

Stratford Baseball ABOVE: Senior Owen Bennett prepares to bat.

ABOVE

I

t’s a near universal experience for fans of any sport to, at one time or another, belt out a “Come on, he’s wide open!” or an “I could have caught that.” However, it’s also true that athletes are considerably better than the average person at their sport. Or at least that’s what we discovered when we matched up with some of Stratford’s premier baseball players.

Before our comparison, we asked junior John Ryan how fast he believed he could throw a baseball.

“Probably less than 60 [mph],” he said. “Baseball is the hardest sport, and normal people don’t know pitching mechanics.”

Some students were not as humble. Junior Jack Watson believes he could “easily throw 70 [mph].”

From our experiment, a high school varsity baseball pitcher throws over 21 mph faster than the average person. That is a 31.3% increase in speed.

One of the factors that differentiates the average person from a baseball player is size and build. Pitchers are generally over six feet tall and weigh much more than the average person. Size and practice over the years creates a massive difference in pitching speeds between the two groups.

Not everyone is a pitcher, however. When it comes to hitting, an average varsity batter gets on base safely with 25% of their bats, a batting average of 0.250 0.250.. We asked varsity baseball player Carsten Vasut if he thought an average person could get a hit:

10 Sports

“Somebody who’s never hit before? No chance they could even make contact.”

In 20 pitches at about 80 mph, the average person was able to hit one ball in play and foul off another ball. That is a batting average of 0.05 0.05.. In batting, the statistical difference between the groups is much more apparent. A high school varsity batter can hit four times better than an average person. To add on, the average person’s ball was a ground ball that would likely be converted into an out. This would bring the batting average to a horrific 0% 0%..

Baseball poses difficulties beyond physical ability. For junior Drew Emery, consistency is key.

“The hardest thing about baseball is staying on a consistent path rather than searching for other shortcuts,” he explained. “Keeping your head down and just working hard everyday is the way to go, but it is 100% the hardest thing to do.”

Practice is definitely tough, but some players, like sophomore Quinn Fitzpatrick, believe that the biggest challenge with baseball is remaining positive.

“The hardest thing is having a good mental state because if you do something bad, like make an error, you have to let that go,” he said. “Otherwise, the small error will turn into many more.”

Whether it be mental or physical factors, athletes will always be better at their sport than the average person. So, next time you think you can “catch that,” think twice.

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To the Sideline

Star athletes step back from sports to focus on college experience WRITTEN BY BELLA SMITH (11) PHOTO BY CHARLIE AMIS (10)

F

or some student athletes, playing their chosen sport in college is the light at the end of the tunnel. They work tirelessly at both practice and school for the opportunity to continue doing what they love for the next four years in college.

When this isn’t the case, however, many people ask, “Why would somebody take the time to play sports in high school if they don’t plan to continue in college?” Could stress have made them hesitant to continue? The desire to focus on academics instead of sports? Or maybe the risk of injury?

To those who aren’t involved in sports, it might seem as though it’s a waste of time and energy. Nonetheless, from the perspective of someone involved in sports, there are plenty of reasons behind the choice to play in high school but not in college.

Hana Riley, a senior involved in swimming and water polo, had a lot to say about her decision to choose academics instead of sports in college.

Riley relishes the challenges water polo brings. She appreciates being able to “push herself to be better,” and she is grateful to be able to exercise while having fun.

While Riley enjoys these aspects of her sports, the one she cherishes most are the friendships she has made with her teammates along the way.

“I so love getting to spend every morning with some of my favorite people,” she said. “I’m confident that these relationships will continue to flourish beyond these sports.”

Senior Rachel Ashby has played basketball and volleyball all four years of high school. Like Riley, throughout her time in these sports, the one thing she loves the most is the impact that her teammates have had on her. On the other hand, senior Emerson Hamlin’s competitive nature shines through when he explains his reasons for playing tennis.

“I love to play sports with intensity and purpose of making my opponent suffer,” he explained.

Although these students have very different motivations ABOVE: Senior Hana Riley celebrates with her teammate at a swim meet.

to play their sport, they both share the passion to finish high school doing something they enjoy.

“Tennis has helped me develop my brain in ways that aren’t tennis,” Hamlin said. “[But] I play for fun.”

Ashby is similarly devoted to the game, and considers it an extension of her beliefs.

“I’m grateful for the ability to use my gifts for the glory of the Lord,” she said.

While Ashby plans to pursue friendships and future careers while she is in college, Hamlin is holding out hope for a D3 offer.

Senior Ethan Shuck can often be found pole vaulting at track and field practice after school. Attending Colorado School of Mines in the fall, Shuck says he never planned to continue pole vaulting in college.

“Even if I did [plan to], my [personal records] aren’t close to college level,” he explained.

Simply put, Shuck says that he is addicted to the feeling of watching himself improve and, quite literally, “reach new heights.”

One of the reasons Shuck and other athletes remain in their sports is to stay in shape.

Senior Izzy Glover, a swimmer, says that she took Stratford’s swim class because she needed the PE credit. She is now committed to Denison University, where she will continue to pursue her found passion for swimming.

Although some Stratford athletes commit to their sport for their college years, many decide to switch their focus to academics to launch future careers. To stay in shape in college, they will find new ways to workout, like running trails or athome programs. In the meantime, our seniors will begin to say goodbye to the sports they’ve loved for the past four years.

Sports

13

WRITTEN BY MELINA BANAN (11), ALEEYA DAVIS (12) AND MAWARA KHAN (12) PHOTOS BY ALEEYA DAVIS (12), JACKSON HILER (10) AND COURTESY OF VICKIE HERRERA AND AMY SERVAT

When ‘Mom’ Becomes ‘Mrs.’ Students with Stratford teacher parents discuss quirks, challenges “Oh my gosh, you’re Mrs. Servat’s son!” is probably the most common phrase senior Sam Servat has heard throughout high school. His mom, Amy Servat, began teaching English at Stratford when he entered as a freshman. For the past four years, there hasn’t been a time where the two have been apart.

“It’s been cool to experience it together,” Amy Servat said.

Despite how cool it might be, it’s led to some pretty awkward interactions. Sam Servat recalls one time in his sophomore year where students in the lunch line were complaining about his mom.

“One, only one of them knew that she was my mom, came up to me and asked, ‘Is it okay that we talk about your mom?’” Sam Servat said. “It’s just weird because she’s my mom.”

It’s not the same for all students in this situation, though. Take senior Leo Herrera, son of Spanish teacher Vickie Herrera, for

14 Feature

example: “Honestly, students don’t even know,” Leo Herrera said. “I was in her class and it probably took [the class] like three months to figure it out.”

According to Leo Herrera, the room was full of shushes and whispers of “Oh my gosh, they look so familiar!”

“Everybody turns so crazy when they find out,” Leo Herrera said.

It’s not just students that make a big deal out of these relationships, but teachers too.

“All these teachers know, so they play with me like, ‘I’m gonna call your mom!’” Leo Herrera said. “And then, sometimes, they actually do it.”

Vickie Herrera recalls a time math teacher Christian Marquez texted her about her son’s grades, and another time social studies

LEFT OF PG. 14: English teacher Amy Servat poses with senior Sam Servat in her classroom.

RIGHT OF PG. 14: Spanish teacher Vickie Herrera and senior Leo Herrera hug in her classroom.

LEFT: Amy Servat poses with her sons Sam and Georges.

RIGHT: Leo and Vickie Herrera smile for a selfie.

teacher Sara Russo called her because he went to the bathroom during the passing period without a pass. But, it’s mostly just jokes. In fact, Leo Herrera believes his mom’s reputation actually benefits him.

“All the teachers know my mom, and she’s very outgoing and kind to everybody, so they’re like, ‘Oh my God, you’re Señora Herrera’s son!’” Leo Herrera said. “They just love me automatically, so it’s kinda like I get a freebie.”

Vickie Herrera’s two older kids have both graduated from Stratford while she has taught here. So, not only is she used to the experience, but so are her coworkers. “[My coworkers] have known [Leo Herrera] since he was little,” Vickie Herrera said. “So, if anything, it’s more like a community or a family that built him, and he helps me.”

It’s the same for Amy Servat. Her older son, Georges, was a junior at Stratford when she started teaching, so both of her kids were brought up to her frequently.

As you can see, having a parent teach at your school isn’t all awkward conversations and confrontations. Having a community to help raise your kid is only one convenient aspect.

“Every now and then I can drop by and get a piece of candy, or get some permission forms signed that I forgot about,” Sam Servat said. “It’s pretty nice.”

Amy Servat, being on the other side of that, agrees.

“It’s nice being able to help him out and not have to leave work to do it or anything,” Amy Servat said. “So, it’s been great.”

Vickie Herrera agrees, describing how much easier it is to keep up with schedules and even getting to know her son’s friends.

“I don’t have to guess, ‘What? Who are you going with? Who’s that?’” Vickie Herrera said. “I have had many of his friends in my class and it makes it more comfortable for them, too, as students, because they know me.”

On some mornings, Leo Herrera catches a ride to school with his mom. While he believes it “ruined” off-campus for him, both he and his mom cite this dynamic as a reason for their relationship being stronger than the average mother-son pair.

“Most of the time on the ride to school we talk, or we just listen

to something,” Vickie Herrera said. “There’s just more communication because I do spend more time [with him] than most.”

Not only has this dynamic made their relationship stronger, but, according to Leo Herrera, it has changed the way that he views teachers.

Teachers often tell their students how much work they put in to create lessons and grade assignments outside of class, but many students dismiss it as petty complaints. When he sees his mom “working at her computer or grading papers instead of playing a board game or watching something,” it motivates him to be a better student.

“I see the sacrifice she makes and I’m like, ‘Okay, other teachers do this for us,’ and it makes me want to be kinder to them,” Leo Herrera said. “So I [am], and I just want to create a loving environment for them.”

It goes both ways. These teachers have already once been students, but seeing how late their kids stay after school or stay up completing projects and homework brings about more understanding.

“I do see all the effort and extra stuff [students] do on the side,” Vickie Herrera said. “So, if there’s an assignment [for which] I’m like, ‘Do they really need to do this tonight? No?’, they can just do it next time.”

Throughout ever-changing relationships, one thing has stayed constant for Vickie Herrera: her love for teaching.

“I didn’t consider it ‘work,’” Vickie Herrera said. “For me, going to teach to be with kids, it wasn’t like, ‘Ugh.’ It was more like, ‘Okay, I’m gonna connect with them and make their day better.’

So, having my kids there is just a plus.”

Most parents raise their kids with the knowledge they’ll be saying goodbye when their kids leave for college. For Amy Servat and Vickie Herrera, though, this growing pain aches more.

“These kids have been with me since they were at Bear Boulevard as newborns, so it’s going to be really strange to not have my sons in the district with me,” Amy Servat said. “I’m kinda sad. I’m gonna miss them.”

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by the students. for the students. about the students.