Raven Report

Sequoia High School

Volume vii, Issue 1

1201 Brewster Ave. Redwood City, CA 94062

September 11, 2013

Chromebooks
digitize physics
curriculum
In addition, the Chromebooks have helped reduce the
estimated 5 million pieces of
From using pens and paper paper, or 594 trees, that our
to programs and passwords, student body alone uses each
the Physics Department has year.
adopted its curriculum to
It was never our intention
match modern technology.
to have a more eco-friendly
Physics teachers Allison classroom, but it has been a
Stafford and Ben Canning nice bonus, Canning said.
began the second full year of
With the Internet full of
using Chromebooks instead distractions far more appealof notebooks this fall.
ing than physics worksheets,
We started not knowing teachers have to be wary of
what it would look like and students being on task much
what kids would do, said more than normal.
physics teacher Ben Canning.
It started to [become a
Under pressure from phys- problem] in the beginning,
ics teacher
and
then
Jack West, [Using Chromebooks] was a
we got the
c u r r e n t l y good way to organize my work Hapara Reon leave to because it was all on labeled
mote Condocuments
in
labeled
folders,
work at a
trol up and
startup, the and it was cool because I could r u n n i n g ,
Physics De- access it at home or at school,
which alpartment has without having to carry all
lows us to
transformed my work with me
see what a
Junior Jasmine Simmons student is
teaching
strategies to
doing and
modernize their classrooms.
what tabs they have open.
Each day, every student From that point, most stuis given a Chromebook, to dents were fairly on task,
watch online lecture videos, Canning said.
type notes on Google DocuStill, anytime a teacher was
ments and view all worksheets not actively monitoring studigitally.
dents from their computer,
The hope for going paper- the open door to YouTube,
less was that students could games and social media drew
work at their own pace in class in students rapidly, causing inand would be more organized creased time off task.
in a paperless setting.
I know all my friends got
It was a good way to or- distracted, Im not gonna lie,
ganize my work because it I did too, senior Nick Chang
was all on labeled documents said.
in labeled folders, and it was
Others, however, utilized
cool because I could access it the Internet to increase proat home or at school, without ductivity.
having to carry all my work
Sometimes I would put
with me, junior Jasmine Sim- on a Pandora station and lismons said, referring to her ten to music while I typed
time in physics last year.
notes or did problems, but it
Chromebooks have also actually made me work more
made note-taking faster, in- effectively, Simmons said.
creasing students productivity.
See PHYSICS, page 2

By GLENN BILLMAN
Staff Reporter

Photo By Carmen Vescia

Counselors began accommodating schedule change requests on the third day of school. Over
200 students lined up to have their schedules modified on that day.

Counselors work to start year right

By CLAIRE BUGOS and

CARMEN VESCIA
Photo and Feature Editors
Amid the hype of choosing first day outfits, reuniting
with friends and receiving the
first homework assignments of
the year loomed the inevitable
mass of over 200 stressed students that mobbed the Guidance Office on the first day of
schedule changes. Although the
line snaked almost all the way
to Carrington Hall, counselors
saw every last student, though it
meant staying until 6 p.m.
We know that what your
schedule looks like can make a
difference in your joy that year,
said head counselor Guadalupe
Navarrete.
The guidance office worked
13 hours straight the first day of
schedule changes.
Creating ideal schedules can
be complicated and tedious, but

counselors do what they can to

provide students with all the
classes they desire. However,
limited space and a tight school
budget can get in the way of
reaching that goal.
Were happy when were
able to give you exactly what
you need and want, Navarrete
said. Its very hard to say no,
but we have to uphold rules for
the whole of the body.
Although students may
think a counselors job ends
after classes are finalized, their
schedules last far longer than
seven periods. They continue to
work throughout the year, writing letters of recommendation
for college-bound seniors, offering crisis and career counseling
and presenting to classes about
graduation requirements.
I would hope a student
would feel comfortable coming
to us with anything at all, counselor Joni Gordon said.

Despite how busy the guidance department can be, getting

help doesnt have to be a challenge. Some counselors have an
open-door policy which allows
students to stop in and chat
with their guidance counselor at
any time. Additionally, email is
a fast, easy way to get a response.
I love email, Gordon said.
I try to have all my emails answered by the end of the day.
Responding to emails daily is
one of the many ways that counselors show their dedication.
They work hard throughout the
year for the benefit of the student body. However, Gordon,
like many others in the Guidance department, doesnt mind
working hard for the students
benefit.
Ive been in this district for
27 years, and I wouldnt have
it any other way, Gordon said.
Its a beautiful way to connect
with youth.

Our Voice program launched

By CLAIRE HARKOLA
Staff Reporter
Our Voice, a program for students of color
taking IB classes, held its first meeting Sept. 4
with a turnout of seven teachers and 11 students.
Senior Matvari Maharaj created the program
to give students tools to feel more comfortable
and successful in their IB classes, as students
of color are more likely to drop honors and IB

Feature:

courses than their peers.

People need to be informed; its not just the
10 of us that feel intimidated in our IB courses,
senior Esperanza Jimenez, a meeting attendee,
said.
The purpose of the first meeting was to create
a safe space to start the conversation about how
race affects the performance of students of color
in their honors classes.

Editorial:

Maestros inmigrantes We need bike safety

Page 6
Page 3

By the Numbers

Number of football players and coaches:

Varsity 78 Frosh 35
Junior Varsity 42

Total 153