Tag Archives: School

Return to School Opinion: What Choice Would You Make?

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by Eliza Rodrigueza

School is a big part of a student’s life and it will prepare them for adulthood, but since 2020 students have been in distant learning and taking classes over Zoom. If given the option to go back on campus, I wanted to see what the students would choose, so I created a Google survey and asked students to participate. 

My question was simple, If high schools were to open again and you were given two options to choose from: (1) going back on campus, or, (2) staying home and continuing to do distance learning, which one would you choose?

Out of the fifty students who responded to the survey, the results were pretty close. 52% said they would opt to return to campus while 48% stated they would remain home.

When asked about her choice to continue distance learning, Cadet Paula Huerta stated,  

“I personally do not think it is safe enough to go back. My dad is very prone to getting sick and it could be very risky. The vaccine is out but it doesn’t mean it is a cure.”

Personally, I agree with what Huerta has said because it is not yet safe to go back to school even if the vaccine has been released.

Cadet second class Briana Guvara shared that, “Yes I would go back on campus because distance learning is very distracting.”

Staff Sergeant Mia Martinez states, “I would like to go back on campus because I need to get out of the house. And because I miss seeing my friends even if we are conversing from 6 feet apart.” It’s easy to understand that students miss seeing their friends. 

Those wanting to return to school have valid reasons. The distractions at home can really get in the way of learning, and all of us miss socializing with friends. 

What to Consider?

In January, Harvard Health Publishing released information on the Coronavirus Outbreak, and it stated that younger kids can get COVID-19 too. 

Still, Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District just reopened elementary schools beginning Monday, March 29th. But unfortunately, there has been no vaccine released for younger children under the age of 16.

Therefore, I don’t believe that it is safe to send them back to school; younger kids are very naive, and they do not always listen to what adults tell them to do. They may not wear their masks. They may share them with friends.  If it is not safe for high school students, why would they send little kids to go back to school? 

Just because a vaccine was released there are still many possibilities where it can go wrong and turn out for the worst. 

UC Davis and WebMD both published articles that share why many people are still hesitant to take the vaccine.

The decision about whether or not it is safe and advisable to return to school remains quite controversial. 

If you were given the option, which would you choose? Sound off in our comments section.

Staff spotlight: Custodians

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By Jimmy Gomez

One year has passed since the COVID-19 pandemic started, and finally, the reopening of schools is starting to become an even greater discussion. Custodians have played an important role in the reopening of schools and are helping prepare for hybrid learning in order for the students and staff to feel safe to return to school.

Even though health workers and law enforcement are crucial during these times, we can not forget about our custodial staff. Our custodial staff consists of: Carlos Feliciano (Head Custodian), Robert Lopez (Day Custodian), Daniel Vargas (Night Lead Custodian), Anthony Zaragoza (Night Custodian), and Paul Galvan (Night Custodian).

At school, they have been preparing and setting up the classrooms and other parts of the campus, which has made it reassuring to return to school. “We have been trying to keep busy setting up for hybrid learning and taking care of other projects that are not possible during regular class hours and days,” says Mr. Galvan. Some of the actions they have taken to prevent more COVID-19 cases from arising at school are setting up each desk with clear plastic dividers, measuring & separating desks to make sure they are 6 feet apart, and having marked stand-by lines for entrances and exits.

The custodians have also made sure that all the classrooms and offices are deep cleaned and disinfected after being used by any staff. They have also been adding air purifiers to all rooms, gyms, and offices and have been removing any extra furniture to make as much space possible. Mr. Zaragoza stated, “As a custodian it’s just preparing for new safety measures we must take to make sure students and staff can return to school and feel safe to want to come back.” 

The pandemic has also affected the custodial staff and the work that they do. They no longer have students to take care of, which is an important part of their job. Mr. Zaragoza says, “Covid has been tough, with the schools being closed and the world being closed, it’s given me little options to do anything.” Others have lost loved ones or family members. I’m sure that most of us, if not all, can relate to this. And it has not been such a grand experience. However, they have found ways to distract themselves and do things that they love.

I am sure that I can speak on behalf of the seniors of this year’s graduating class that we are thankful for them because without our custodians, there wouldn’t be any possibility that we could return to school. Some of us have lost our motivation, but returning to campus as a student for the last time is meaningful to us. It is important that we remind ourselves that our custodians work very hard to make sure that we are safe and comfortable at school. Not only during this pandemic, but also during “normal times.”

The Bugle thanks them all for their work and the actions they have taken in order to make us feel safe.

Congratulations to Our UC-Bound Eagles

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By Aideth Palacios

Hello John Glenn Eagles, 

We have made it through March, and it’s now time that UC’s have notified students of their acceptances. We have other students who have also shared where it is that they would like to attend, but their decisions aren’t final. Many are still waiting for their FAFSA or perhaps another school they had in mind. On the following list, however, I’m proud to congratulate many of our seniors, who have shared their UC acceptances with me:

UCLA 

Monserrat Juarez

UC Irvine

Heidi Olmedo

Valery Montinola

Fatima Castillo

UC Merced

Andrea Arias

UC Santa Cruz

Andrea Gonzalez

Alyssa Chavez

Jacob Hernandez

Arlett Renteria

Ximena Cabrera 

UC Riverside

Monserrat Juarez 

Alyssa Chavez

Jacob Hernandez

Ashley Manzano

Destiny Perez

Valery Montinola

Fatima Castillo

UC San Diego 

Aideth Palacios 

Karina Flores

Heidi Olmedo

Monserrat Juarez

Valery Montinola

Jimena Urena

Andrea Arias

UC Santa Barbara 

Alyssa Chavez

Karina Flores

Arlett Renteria

Keanna Elisaldez

Natalie Luna

Fatima Castillo 

UC Berkeley

Karina Flores

Valery Montinola

UC Davis

Heidi Olmedo 

Keanna Elisaldez

Andrea Arias 

We are anxiously waiting for our students to now commit to their dream college! With that being said, we are closely getting to the finish line and we are almost there, just a few months away from attending our dream schools. I’m proud to say that we have all worked hard for this day to come, and we are excited to see a new beginning.

I would like to introduce some words of our John Glenn seniors:

“I’m most likely going to commit to UC Berkeley. I want to become a pediatrician because I feel like I have a great connection with kids.”

-Karina Flores

“I have committed to Cal State Long Beach, and I chose to major in criminology to become a forensic investigator. After that I would like to go to law school to become a lawyer. I’m choosing to pursue this career because I want to bring justice to the country.”

-Daisy Chiquito

“I am like 97% sure that I will commit to UC Santa Barbara. I would like to become a veterinarian technician because I love animals and I want to be of help to them.”

-Arlett Renteria

“I haven’t completely made my decision yet, but I will most likely go to Cal State Dominguez Hills. I applied for business in marketing. I chose this because I like working with others and also because math is my strong suit, so I feel that business is a good fit for me.”

-Flor Castillo

Class of 2021 Graduation Plans

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By Ximena Cabrera

It has officially been a year since every student in California went into quarantine on March 13, 2020. We were all told it would only take two weeks for everything to return back to normal, but it has been over a year, and we have not returned to school yet.

Multiple school events were completely cancelled, the graduation for the class of 2020 included. Now, seniors in the class of 2021 are starting to wonder if their graduation will be cancelled as well; or if, since schools are slowly opening, they will figure out a way for us to have an in-person ceremony. The school administration has been open to answer any questions the students have about the graduation or any other senior activities through scheduled interviews or via email.

After interviewing Mrs. Choi, one of the Vice Principals of John Glenn High, it was concluded that the school administration has not yet been determined if the class of 2021 will have an in-person graduation ceremony or any other senior activities. During the interview, Mrs. Choi said, “I would like to know what the students would prefer, and based on their votes we would go with that option, if it’s possible. This ceremony is for the seniors and their families, so I would like to hear from students and then go from there, obviously keeping safety in mind.” She is encouraging students to express their ideas with the school administration, since they are considering what the students would prefer, but they are also keeping their safety in mind (Feel free to add your voice here in the comment section).

Mrs. Choi also mentioned that they are planning on honoring the seniors with a Senior Awards Night. “We are planning on honoring the seniors with a Senior Awards Night. In terms of a format, we are not sure, but it probably won’t be anything in person.”

Based on the information Mrs. Choi gave to me, it is still possible for the seniors to have an in-person graduation and some of the senior activities, if they plan everything thoroughly and are allowed to do so. They could have the usual ceremony in the stadium, keeping all the students and staff six feet away from each other, and allowing only one or two family members per student. They could also split the class of 2021 graduation ceremony into two or three different groups so there are fewer people present in the stadium. The school administration could do a live stream during the ceremony so that the family members that were unable to witness the graduation in person could watch at home.

Several schools are opening once again with certain precautions, as well as theme parks such as Disneyland, and our local MLB stadiums. Local grocery stores, such as Stater Bros., have a limit of 195 people in the store, not including all their employees. The number of Covid-19 cases has drastically decreased in the past few months, and the amount of people getting vaccinated keeps increasing more each day. All of these examples are giving the seniors hope.

Ed. Note: The Bugle will update the graduation possibilities as soon as we hear anything new. Stay hopeful!

Opinion: Elementary Schools are Reopening

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By Evelyn Aquino

Starting this Monday, March 29, preschool through 2nd grade students in the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District returned back to campus for in-person learning on a hybrid learning schedule. 3rd to 5th grade students are expected to be back after spring break on Monday, April 12, 2021. Parents were given the option to either return their kids back to in-person school or continue digitally online.

In my opinion, schools should not reopen yet; instead, they should focus on how to improve for the following school year instead of possibly putting kids at risk of getting the virus right now. If one person–either a student, teacher, or staff member–got the virus, they would have to close again or send multiple people into quarantine, which could possibly lead to kids falling behind once again. It will also take time for students to adjust to the sudden change of going from online to in-person, and there are fewer than 40 days of school left.

Although young kids are less likely to transmit the virus, it is still important that the schools continue following safety precautions. They should still be 6 feet away from each other while wearing masks, and teachers and custodians should clean any surfaces that the students would most likely touch, such as the door handles, desks, books, and any electronic devices.

It was believed that many parents didn’t want their children to return to school when cases were at the peak. Now, around 50% of parents want their children to return to school since cases are decreasing and L.A. County is slowly reopening since it approached the red tier. Opening schools in general was something that wasn’t settled knowing the risks of getting the virus. Reopening elementary schools was the first approach because they only stay in one room all day.

Young kids will most likely have difficulties following the same precautions an adult has to follow. It is also a concern for kids with special needs. Most might be capable of following safety protocols, but others might not.

It might be better if schools didn’t reopen for the rest of the school year; but the opening has begun, and now we wait and see how things go.

District Waives C-Average Graduation Requirement

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By Jimmy Gomez

During these tough times, we have all been challenged in one way or another. It has affected everyone, from the elderly to young children. Not only mentally, but physically and emotionally. One of these obstacles has been online school, which has been a challenge for students. When attending online classes, many students are expected to behave and act as if there were no problem and continue working, while they see those around them worry and stress. This has resulted in a drop of grades and quality of work that the students have done. 

On Tuesday, January 26, the Norwalk La-Mirada School Board members decided to take action in order to help students. After a 6-0 vote, board members decided to eliminate the 2.0 grade point average graduation requirement in hopes that it would reduce the stress of the students. This discussion was first brought up to the board members after seeing a noticeable change in the data and reports of the schools and district over the course of a year that COVID-19 has been going on. It was talked about with principals and administration, in which a majority spoke that it was agreeable.

This change will not be a permanent one, but it is only temporary in order to help the students in this challenging time; which means that the grade point average graduation requirement will resume to normal when everything else returns to normal.

From the movie The Perks of Being A Wallflower

Although this decision may not be a grand change, it will nonetheless help students. The Superintendent of the NLMUSD District, John Lopez, stated, “This year we anticipate that number [of students] being higher, given the restrictions on being able to bring students back for in-person instruction.” This will give aid to students who are struggling with reaching the graduation requirement and give them motivation to work harder even when faced with such a large obstacle.

School Board member Jose Rios adds, “This will help reinforce, motivate, and give a positive outlook to students.” 

However, there are still a number of people who do not support this change. Some may say that this decision is lowering the standards for students. Others say that students do not deserve this opportunity, because they did not put in the effort and dedication in their first 3 years of high school. But, one must understand the struggles and lack of motivation that students have during these times. “Challenging the kids, it’s a big positive plus for everyone; yet these are not normal circumstances,” says Rios. “Students are facing challenging times, not only dealing with grades but with death.”

As the school year is coming to an end, it is crucial that any support be given to the students. Mr. Lopez stated, “During the pandemic, some students have been impacted disproportionately as the support services become difficult to deliver remotely. It is for that reason that we felt it necessary to temporarily modify our 2.0 GPA graduation requirements.”

Although it is unclear when this pandemic will come to an end, it is important to continue staying safe and avoiding any contact. In order to prevent any more hardships through the pandemic, Mr. Jose Rios would like you all to remember to stay safe and follow the requirements and regulations set in order to return to normalcy sooner than later.

Congratulations Seniors: Class of ‘21 College Bound

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By Aideth Palacios

Hello John Glenn Staff and Students. On behalf of the Shoemaker Bugle, I would like to take a moment to congratulate the class of 2021! We have made it through the first semester with all this chaos and we have entered a new phase in our lives. We are all taking a new step towards adulthood, and I’m honored to celebrate this special moment with all of you.

As we all know, college acceptance letters have been rolling in and I would like to say that we are extremely proud of everyone! Our class has been stolen of a year that should’ve been filled with memories and happiness, but we have managed to get through it. We are strong, we are powerful, and we will succeed!

Many do not understand the struggles we are going through or have faced this year just to get to where we are right now. But I place myself in all your shoes, seniors, to tell you that I understand. I understand the struggle–which is why I am here today to congratulate you all and honor your hard work. No matter what path you have decided to take, we honor your hard work and respect your decisions. Many have chosen to go straight to work, or to a community college, private university, vocational school, Cal State University or a UC, and we are very proud of you for all your accomplishments.

I would like to name some students that have shared with us their college acceptances and to once again honor their hard work and dedication this year.

  • Nancy Alejo- Cal State Long Beach
  • Katherine Ambriz- Cal State San Marcos
  • Andrea Alaniz- Cerritos College
  • Andrea Arias- Cal State Fullerton, CSU Channel Islands, Cal State Long Beach, Humboldt State University
  • Ximena Cabrera- Cal State LA, Cal State Fullerton, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Long Beach
  • Daysi Castillo- Cal State LA, Cal State Dominguez Hills
  • Flor Castillo- Cal State LA, Cal State Dominguez Hills
  • Andrea Charro- Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State Long Beach
  • Alyssa Chavez- Chico State, Channel Islands
  • Daisy Chiquito- Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State Long Beach, Cal Poly Pomona 
  • Celeste Cruz- Cal State LA, Cal State Long Beach
  • Samantha De Avila- Cal State LA, Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Dominguez Hills
  • Herbert Diaz- Cal State LA, Cal State Dominguez Hills
  • Karina Flores- Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State LA
  • Kassandra Flores- Cal State LA
  • Nicholas Forquer- Cal State Fullerton
  • Andrea Gonzalez- Cal State LA, Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State Long Beach
  • Stephanie Hernandez- Cal State East Bay, Sonora State
  • Monserrat Juarez- Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Long Beach, Cal Poly Pomona
  • Anthony Lira- Cal State Long Beach
  • Natalie Luna- Cal State LA, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Long Beach
  • Ashley Manzano- Cal State LA, Cal State Dominguez Hills
  • Meegan Mirasol- Cal State LA, Cal State Dominguez Hills 
  • Kaitlin Molina- Cal State LA, Channel Islands
  • Valery Montinola- San Diego State, Cal State Long Beach, Cal Poly Pomona
  • Evelyn Ordaz- Cal State LA
  • Aideth Palacios- Cal State LA & Cal State Bakersfield
  • Destiny Perez- Cal State LA, CSU Channel Islands, Cal State Dominguez Hills
  • Reyna Perez- Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State Long Beach
  • Arlett Renteria- Chico State
  • Lizbeth Reyes- Cal State LA
  • Dante Rojas- Cal State LA, Cal State Dominguez Hills 
  • Mathew Ruiz- Cal State LA, Cal State Dominguez Hills
  • Hermaione Sanchez- Cal State LA, Cal State Long Beach, Cal Poly Pomona
  • Nayeli Tec- Cal State LA
  • Caleb Tzic- Arizona State University, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Dominguez Hills
  • Jimena Urena- Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Long Beach,  Cal Poly Pomona
  • Daniela Vazquez- Cal State LA
  • Rafael Valdez- University of Oregon, Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Sacramento State, University of San Francisco, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Azusa Pacific University, Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Northridge, & Fresno State

Should Students Return to Campus?

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By Mathew Ruiz

Despite the pandemic going on, Covid-19 is affecting thousands of people each day. Focusing on school, I believe that it is best for students to stay home because it can protect their health and their families. If a student tests positive for Covid and is at school, that student is putting everyone at risk, including their family at home. There is a vaccine for Covid from Pfizer or Moderna, and this helps for people who have little chance of getting the virus. Right now, however, almost every school in California is doing online learning which is especially good for children since they are at such a young age.

•Teachers getting vaccinated?

Many teachers want to be vaccinated so they can go back to work, but few have gotten vaccinated due to limited supply. Taking the vaccine can give you mild to severe side effects such as fatigue, fever, or body aches, but many teachers say it’s worth it. I believe that despite the vaccine for teachers, we should still stay home because if a student has the virus at school then it could spread to others.

Covid is a virus that we have never seen before in our time. Thousands of people are dying from it every day because of how contagious this virus really is. It is very important for every single person outside to wear a mask because the virus can spread so easily with just one breath.

Therefore, it is best for us to stay home despite the fact that learning in school is much easier than having to do a Zoom with other classmates. In the end, our health and families are more important.

Second Semester Tips: How Can You Re-focus and Stay Organized?

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By Mario Ruiz

Learning how to stay organized, stay focused, and get things done are must-haves when it comes to school. This can help you in many ways, by achieving your goals, and getting good grades for the semester. The more you practice, the better you get.

Getting Organized

What you want to do when it comes to getting better grades is to organize your stuff. Being organized makes everything so much better. It helps you work way faster, and it will not waste your time when you have to look for your stuff. Keep your work and assignments organized by a subject. If it helps you more, keep your work in a binder.

Organize Your Space

What you need to better focus yourself is to be at a good workspace, but make sure it is quiet enough to focus. What I recommend is to work at a desk, or at a table where you can put your things and spread out your work. Make sure you also have a place where you can focus more quickly. Put some earphones on, and listen to peaceful music. This will help relax the body, and will clear your mind to help you better focus yourself.

Organize your time

Buy a planner, or even make your own planner at home to keep track of assignment due dates and times that the teacher gives, or even for things you need to do outside of school. Write down all of your assignments for the subject, and make sure to always write down when they are due. Mark dates for when you have tests; this will help a lot. But you also want to study for them. Don’t do things at the last minute because you will spend more time trying to do that assignment. But one main thing to prepare for any sort of test is to study!

Getting Focused 

The biggest things to avoid are distractions. What I have learned is that when i’m multitasking, I tend to be less focused. Some people concentrate better when it’s quiet. Or others listen to music in the background to help them focus. Take breaks in between. Taking short 5-minute breaks can help your mind. Get up, stretch, and move from your desk or table. Motivate yourself. Motivating yourself will make you want to work harder, and it will make you want to accomplish more of your goals.

Tips to Keep in Mind

  • Make a calendar of things and when they are due.
  • Make a note of your assignment deadlines.
  • Know the expectations of you and your teachers.
  • Take breaks. Trust me, it will help you!
  • Don’t do your work at the last minute–you will struggle.
  • Have the proper materials organized.

Different Opinions: Should Schools Re-Open?

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•Schools Should Stay Closed

By Hermaione Sanchez

As a student, being in front of a screen for more than 7 hours a day is exhausting; and for teachers, I’m sure it is too. Although reopening schools sounds like a wish come true, it is dangerous and shouldn’t be done unless it is completely safe to do so.

It is no news that Covid has ended thousands of lives and has affected millions, but that doesn’t mean that we should risk our lives just because we’re bored or tired of it. A problem doesn’t disappear just because you want it to. We have to work towards it. Staying inside, wearing masks, it’s all very simple, really. Follow simple rules for a couple of weeks or months and we won’t have to stay this way for a couple more years. There are many people saying, “Yeah, but Covid cases decreased and it is somewhat safe to open schools up again.” What they don’t see, though, is that opening schools up will increase Covid cases and will just lead to closing again. It’ll become a cycle. It has to be completely safe in order for students and teachers to get back out there.

Imagine this: A student who lives with their parents, young siblings, and grandma. Their mom has an extremely low immune system, their grandma is over 60 years old, and their sibling is only 6. If schools made the selfish decision to re-open, this student would have to get back out there and possibly bring the virus home. Their dad, who works, could spread it at work, his coworkers to their families, and so on. What has this created? Hundreds of more cases. They could’ve easily been prevented. Not to mention, teachers also have kids and spouses they go to after school. They are all at risk. Teachers shouldn’t be put in that position. 

The best thing to do is wait and be careful. Hopefully, this vaccine that is being worked on will allow us to go back to normal without any deathly dangers. 

Although there are many problems with grades, attendance, and participation, the solution shouldn’t be risking our lives, or our family’s. There are other ways to solve issues that online school brings upon us. Regardless, we all appreciate everyone’s hard work through all this.

•Schools Should Re-Open

By Angelica Moreno

With the idea of being in the presence of friends or just to be near people again as a collective, us teens and students have been waiting since March to be in school again. Even though we’ve hated going to school five days a week since Kindergarten, we never knew a plague would hit us; and I hope that a lot of people are with me on this–we didn’t get to cherish it, especially this class of 2021. 

Going on the second school year in quarantine, we, the class of 2021, have not gotten to sit in a school desk yet. (Remember sleeping on your desk instead of paying attention to the teacher? A high school student can only dream…) The class of 2020 at least had their first half (actually, nearly 3 full quarters). They cried about not getting their prom and walking for graduation, but we didn’t even have the chance to get ready for the first day of senior year. Although many people give up and just wear sweatpants, I liked seeing the people who wore sweatpants to the first day of school (and to the people who wore sweatpants with CROCS deserve a “do not care” award. I applaud them).

With the many protocols it would take to go back to school, I would suggest they’d be strictly followed like the “girls’ dress code.” There would be many things to take into account, rules to follow, obligations to get tested, always wearing a mask, keeping the social distance, etc. It’s not like every student and teacher wanted the “hybrid learning model.” The votes should be taken into account of how many kids and teachers would actually go. A “direct democracy,” it’s called. Everyone would get what they want for the rest of the school year. Although, if all teachers decided to continue online, then we’re out of luck for hybrid (I say this as if i’m in charge of this).

Here’s what I propose: I suggest that only seniors take part in hybrid learning. By that I mean ONLY the senior class set foot on campus for the second half of the school year. The graduating class is always small and it would really help those with low grades. We have no more time other than this year to finish our four year contract–earn those credits needed to graduate. Juniors still have time to redo classes over summer or retake them their senior year (assuming Covid gets better over the summer of 2021). Sophomores still have lots of time to make up classes and especially the freshman, they can figure themselves out over the course of their next three years. Something about online learning to the extent of daily Zoom calls discouraged my good time management habits and now my grades are crumbling to rock bottom. I know this isn’t only me because everybody in the district is concerned about what to do with students who have low grades. 

There’s no right or wrong answer to what should happen with online learning. Okay, yes, continuing online to keep people safe is a great idea; but there are pros and cons to hybrid and continuing online. Yes, you can ask questions on Zoom but we all know it isn’t the same. Should we continue online and have students who need help have constant low grades, or should we shift into hybrid learning and hopefully pass into learning thoroughly during a real lesson, able to ask questions and receive meaningful feedback? I opt for the latter.

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