For the second consecutive year, Mr. Truong planned a snowboarding trip to Reno, Nevada, where he (along with other staff) took a selected few of students to enjoy Reno and have fun in the snow. We (the students) spent three days and two nights in Reno and were able to stay at the Circus Circus Casino/Hotel. Before enjoying all of the fun and games, we needed to make sure we had fulfilled all of the requirements asked of by Mr. Truong. Since Mr. Troung could not take the entire school, he had to put requirements in order to narrow down the list of students. In order to go, we needed the following:
* Have no less than a 2.0 GPA
* No F’s
* No behavioral issues
* No detentions
* Attend all trip meetings

Once we met the requirements, we were one step closer to going to the trip. The snowboarding trip cost $150 for each of us wanting to go to the trip. This was not an expensive trip because through fund raising; by selling candy we could lower the price of the trip and pay less. Food was provided for us and the rental supplies were payed for with the $150 each of us paid. It was only our responsibility to bring extra money in case we wanted to spend money on anything else.

On February the 17th, everyone had to be at school before 9am in the morning; so everyone had to be ready, and had to come on time with all their things. As soon as the bus arrived to the school parking lot, most of the students going on the trip were all there with their bags packed and half asleep. All of the students and staff members were anxious to just get on the bus and go to Reno. The bus ride over to Reno was very interesting, which put the students and staffs patience to the test. We already knew that we were going to be seeing snow and for the first time for some.

Ashley Ornelas, one of the sophomore students that went to the trip said, “I decided to go to the Reno trip because I knew it would be really fun and I wanted to throw a snowball at Mr. Truong. What I enjoyed most of the trip was going tubing and having a snowball fight.” She added, “Thanks a lot for all the chaperons and Mr. Truong for organizing the trip.”

Ms. McCarty was one of the teachers who went on the trip. Karla Tapia asked her what her thoughts of the Reno trip were and she said, “I really enjoyed the Reno trip. It was a lot of fun to get to hang out in the snow. And, I had never been to Reno before, so it was a new experience for me.” When asked what she enjoyed doing the most on the trip she said, “I enjoyed playing in the snow (I went tubing) and hanging out with students in a non-academic context. You can get to know students at school, of course, but it’s not the same as going on a trip.” Ms. McCarty said that she would definitely go to Reno again. “I had a lot of fun, and the students seemed to have a good time too,” she said.

Osvaldo Herrera asked another student that attended the trip about his thoughts. Javier Chavez went on the snowboarding trip last year, and this year also. He said, “I enjoyed going on the trip last year and this year. It was going to be hella fun too.” Javier didn’t fundraise, he choose to pay for the trip himself. When I asked him what trip he liked better he answered, ” I liked this year’s cause I got to play Madden and cause the stay in Reno was longer.”

I got to ask Mr. Troung, one of the teachers that planned the trip about his thoughts of the trip. He stated, “I chose to plan this trip again cause last year’s trip was really fun, and this years was too. We chose to rent a bus this year, cause we were able to get a good deal from the company (San Jose Charters) because we knew the Bus Driver” (Osvaldo’s Dad). Mr. Troung said that last year’s trip was good, but this years was a lot better. “Last year’s trip was hard on the drivers, cause we had to be doing a lot of driving and we couldn’t really enjoy the time in the snow with the students.” Truong added, ” I hope I get the opportunity to do this trip again next year, and I think all of the teachers and students had a lot of fun and enjoyed themselves.” Mr. Troung also said, “Thank you to all of the parents and teachers for helping me out and to Mr. Herrera for driving us there and back safely.”

The trip was a great experience for everyone and hopefully Mr. Truong does this in the following years.

This is a transcript of a students’ podcast:

This is Ranfis Villatoro, and Joseph Fernandes, with the story on the showcase at LPS SJ which occurred on Friday, January 10th. The showcase was an opportunity for the students of LPS to show off some of their incredible talents and skills, and an invitation for fellow students, their families, and other families, to view the work of students. A total of sixteen performances took place, kicking off with a piece by Amanda Carter, better know to us as Skittles, followed by Ivy Torres, Rachel Baeza, Armond Witherspoon, Sean Powell along with Kelcey Simbulan, Alfredo Martinez, the Martial Arts Club, and Jeo “Thumpa” Bautista along with Chris “Saucey” Smith, before an intermission.   The intermission was followed by eight further performances, in order, Luis Gutierrez, Liz Burwell, Chris Luna, the Graffiti Art Exhibition, who’s artists were Johnny Gonzalez, Leo Benitez, and Edgar Lopez,followed by another performance by Jeo Bautista, Ashley Ornelas, Melanaite Tohi along with her family, and the closing performance being Amandalina along with Ixchel. 

We talked with Mr. Smith, one of the audience members and he had plenty of positive responses to the show.  When we asked him if he thought the showcase was entertaining, he had quite a good response for me. ”Yeah, the showcase was very impressive. You could sense watching; I was a member of the audience; you could tell from watching that students had done a lot of work to prepare for the showcase. Mr. Robinson especially was excited to see the students up there. We also asked him what he liked about the showcase and it’s performances. ”I liked how much variety there was. That we could have students that were being honored for being good artists, students that were singing, students that were plying music. So it’s nice to see in the showcase not the same thing, but lots of different kinds of activities.”

We also asked him what got him to go to the showcase as well.  ”It was really well advertised, and I had a few students from my classes that were going to be performing so I wanted to see them. At the same time I was just kind of curious to see what the showcase entailed, and I know we’re going to have a spring showcase and I wanted to have a reference to where I can compare the two. But this is a really strong performance to begin with, so the Spring one should be even better.” We asked if he would change anything about the showcase, what would he change. ”There wasn’t any one thing that I would have had the students differently. But I think, for example, our school could help support the next showcase by getting some additional curtains, maybe getting more lights, maybe getting a new sound system. Those kinds of things that would have helped the performers perform better, but otherwise I wouldn’t have changed anything.” Overall, his view of the showcase was very positive and he thought it was very impressive. ”Overall i’d say that this was a great example of how we can get students, and families, and teachers, and everyone more involved in our school. Also it was a chance for us to be proud of our own students and what we do here. Having it in LPS four was cool that we could have families come, students come, they could use Rosales’ room to get ready, and then we could watch them show off their skills, and I thought that was really cool, and I’m looking forward to the next one.”

Mr. Andy, our Drama and sophomore english teacher headed the production of the showcase, getting the help of students to set up and advertise the showcase. Before coming to LPS, Mr. Andy took high interest in performances using poetry, despite his coming to LPS he still continues to write plenty of poetry not only for himself but for others as well. Mr. Andy did have a bit to say about how he got in to drama before he came to LPS. ”Actually I had never done drama until I got to college, and I when I got to college, there is an organization called Rainbow Theatre on the campus of UC Santa Cruz. It’s the only multi cultural theatre troupe in all of California, and alot of my friends had really found their purpose for school, and for learning, and for life through this theatre group. Because they not only did plays, but when went to schools and tried to get young people thinking about expressing themselves, which is right up my alley. So because I had been a performer, performing my poetry for years before that, it was sort of a natural progression into Drama, that’s where it started.” Mr. Andy also had a bit to say about how he came up with the showcase. ”Well pretty much, I knew that I was coming here to teach drama and I was coming here to teach english. But I also knew that, through Camp Every-Town, I knew that there was alot of students who create, who make music, who like to write poetry, who could dance, and they weren’t able to be in my Drama class, and I knew that if we were going to put on full plays that it probably would be most of my drama class that could be part of it. So I wanted to think of something that we could do that could get everybody involved on campus who wanted to make art, and could do anything they wanted. So there was the idea of the showcase, so that’s pretty much where it came from, because we wanted everyone to have an opportunity to express themselves.” We also asked Mr. Andy about the talent on stage, if there was any that the school did not recognize. ”Yeah I think definitely some of the talent on stage during the showcase, some of the school knew about that. But just the fact that drama class is the only art class here, I think there is some of the artwork that people didn’t know they created. They didn’t know that Alfredo or Chris Luna wrote poetry. So I think that it was a mix of both people who we knew created, and people who folks had no idea created and got up and read poetry or singed.”

SHOWCASE from Page 1

We also asked him how he felt about the showcase and it’s participants. ”I loved the showcase. I just loved seeing how into it alot of the students got who were performing in it, and how excited they were getting on stage and how excited some of their friends were to see them on stage. I liked the performances alot. I thought they were great, I thought they stood up and it’s not easy, it’s such a hard thing to stand up in front of your whole school and perform, and to share yourself, whether your singing, whether your dancing, whether you’re reading poetry. So I’m just proud of all of em, every single one that was up there.” There was quite a bit of equipment that went in to the showcase according to Mr.Andy. ”Equipment, lets see, we needed easel pads for the Graffiti showcase, for that we also needed pens, we needed big light stands, we needed amps, and big speakers, we needed a mixing board for all the sounds, we needed stuff to create the backdrop for the stage. That was most of it, but yeah alot of stuff, alot of equipment goes into the showcase. Mr. Andy did perform one of his own pieces for the showcase, reading a poem during the Graffiti Art Exhibition. We asked if he would perform again, given the chance. ”Probably, the reason I performed then is because my fourth period Drama asked me to, so if they ask me again i’ll perform again. I’ll probably do another poem, I might do a song, but i’ll probably do another silverware poem.” Our last question to Mr. Andy was whether there would be another showcase, so those of you not so sure, listen up! ”There will be, so this year there will be another one in May it will be a spring showcase, that was our winter showcase, and if everything works out we’ll have one or two next year.” So if you’re looking forward to performing in another showcase, talk to Mr. Andy and be on the lookout for announcements and details about the showcase next month. ”Come to the Spring Showcase, it’s gonna be off the hook!”

 All together, the showcase had a very good turnout and had varying performances all who did very well in their respective arts. While there is no announced date on the Spring Showcase at his time, we imagine that it will be announced early May or late March barring unforeseen problems. So bring out your poems, songs, dances, routines, or whatever you would like to perform in the Spring Showcase and get ready! This is Ranfis Villatoro and Joseph Fernandes.

For those of you who don’t know what WASC is, WASC is the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. They are one of six organizations which provide accreditation for public and private schools, colleges, and universities in the United States. WASC is further divided into 3 commissions, which deal with different levels of education. WASC- ACS (Accrediting Commission for Schools) is the commission which deals with all elementary, middle and high schools. If a school isn’t approved by WASC, it’s not really a school.

WASC is responsible for schools in California, Hawaii, U.S. territories in the Pacific Islands, and American Schools located in East Asian countries. All schools in these areas must be accredited by WASC in order  to ensure that your classes are accepted by other schools that you transfer to, particularly any colleges/ universities that you apply to. 

Students who attend LPS San Jose wonder why they should even care about the school being accredited or not. WASC’s accreditation is a measure of acceptance in the wider academic community. Students who attend non-accredited schools may experience HUGE difficulties when they transfer or go to apply for college.

During LPS San Jose’s early years, we were not accredited, because it was not required of such a new school. This led to transfer problems for many students who left after our school’s first two years of existence. According to Mr. Garcia, the site coordinator for LPS San Jose’s WASC Self-Study, “Mr. Vilaubi  filed the initial application for WASC  accreditation for our school during the 2006-2007 School year.”

The first time a school applies for accreditation, it receives an initial accreditation of one, two, or three years. Thanks to the students and staffs’ hard work, we received the maximum term of three years. This means that all of the students transcripts are stamped with an official WASC seal and are valid anywhere. LPS San Jose is the only LPS school that has received a 3 year accreditation; the rest of the LPS schools  have received 2 year accreditation’s. Although we are renewing our accreditation, Mr. Vilaubi felt that completing the renewal process early would be a positive move for our school.

This all comes to the point that without WASC’s accreditation, nothing counts.

This increase in student population has both positive and negative aspects. Here at our location next to Overfelt, there are only 24 classrooms available and not all of the rooms are used to teach an academic subject. Right now, there are about 20 to 25 students per class. In some classes there are even less, but that all depends on the subject that is being taught. If there is another increase in student body, then the class rooms will be packed, and it would be really hard for a teacher to be able to pay attention to every student in the classroom.

At the same time, if student population increases in the next school year, it would be a good thing in the sense that there would be a larger variety of students, each with their own stories and personal backgrounds. When I asked a Sophomore Ranfis Villatoro if he likes the current class sizes, he answered, “It is alright, it isn’t too crowded and you get more room to move around. There is also more space to get your work done; then the teachers pay more attention to you, and you are able to get more work done.” 

However, the good thing about being at a small school is that you are able to get more attention from a teacher. You can get along better with your teachers, and the teachers here are actually your friends.  At a smaller school, you get to know everyone and are able to find out which students are like you. I was able to ask Mr. Truong what he liked about teaching in a small school and he answered: “You get to know all the teachers and become close friends with them outside of school.” He also said, “You get to come up with unique lesson plans, new and improved ones. You get to know all of the students by first names and it feels like a family.” By what Mr. Truong said, it is easy to tell that he feels very comfortable teaching here. 

Another change that has happened at  LPS are the teachers and staff. Since it is my second year at LPS, I have seen teachers come and go. Six teachers that were here last year are no longer here. According to Mr. Smith, there were about 20 teachers at LPS last year and this year there are 22 teachers. The other teachers each left for their own reasons, possibly pursuing another dream they had.

It really affects the students and teachers as well because the more time you spend at this school, the more you are able to build up relationships with your teachers. Mr. Truong said, “Its a shame that we lose good talent each year….” The teachers become your friends. You expect to see your teachers the following year, but some don’t come back.  After the whole year you spent getting used to the teacher and how they run the class, now you have to adjust to the new teachers and their rules. With new teachers coming and going from LPS, it gives a bad view for the school. Teachers leaving LPS can mean a few things. They didn’t enjoy teaching here, the pay here wasn’t what they expected, or that they were moving on to bigger and better things.

This school year started off really differently than any before because we had a large increase in student population and a lot of new teachers and staff. The new staff members this year are about 15 new teachers and staff members here at LPS. Each new staff member has something new to offer and some new knowledge that can help the students. With the teachers’ extensive knowledge of the real world, they can help out the students and each other with whatever they need help with. With the increase in population, there could be a lot of of problems. With more people, the school gets a bit more crowded. The lunch line is longer and not everyone gets along well with the new students and teachers. 

For the past two years that I have been here at LPS East San Jose, I have also seen students come and go. Each year there are new faces in the crowd, and some students decide to go to other schools. Some kids go to other schools because this school doesn’t offer all of the sports that other schools do. Other school have classes that specialize in what the student wants to be when he or she grows up. A lot of kids stay at this school for a lot of reasons. A lot of students like the attention that they get from their teachers.

Some of the students come here to LPS to better themselves and earn the remaining credits that they need in order to graduate. Others come because there feel that students get more personal attention. The teacher is able to help each student more due to the small nature of the LPS environment. I believe that students coming to this school have a greater chance of graduating from high school because the teachers and staff members are always on our students’ case about our grades and other school related topics. The average class is from 20-25 students, and in some classes there are even less. Over at Overfelt, the classes range from 30-40 and some have even more. 

LPS East San Jose offers a lot of things that other high schools don’t. LPS has a freshmen field trip the first three days of school, and they take every new incoming student on a trip to Stanford University. This gives each student a feeling of being away from home, and it is kind of like a college experience. Everyone that is able to go on the trip gets an amazing experience. They get to meet new people and start to learn to be on their own. LPS offers a lot of things that aren’t offered anywhere else. LPS has its signature Week Without Walls field trips, when teachers design their own field trips and the students get to choose where they want to go.

I truly believe that coming to LPS has helped me out a lot. I was able to meet some new people and I was able to get to know a lot of very different people. The teachers here at LPS have been really nice to me and have been very helpful. When I need help or have a question, they are here to help me. When I ask Mr. Truong for help with my Geometry work he helps me out and makes sure I understand the material. This is true for every teacher, they are here to help you. 

I am really glad that I was able to come to this school, and since it is my last year here, I want to make it my best year at LPS. I am really going to miss this school, the teachers, my friends, and all of the people that helped me out throughout the years. I would recommend this school to everyone who wants to be in a friendly environment and learn a lot from the people here.
    
I was able to go and get an interview from an ex-LPS student (my brother, Irving Herrera) who went to LPS for his Freshman and Sophomore year. When the asked what he thought about LPS during the time that he attended the school, he answered: “I really enjoyed my two years at LPS. I got a lot of support from everyone and I am really thankful that I was able to get along well with my friends, teachers and other staff members. With all of the help and support I got from them, (and a lot of hard work from my part) I was able to get a full Scholarship to Bellarmine College Prep for my junior year. I had a 4.0 at LPS, but when I went to Bellarmine, I had a lot of trouble adjusting to the workload and higher standard of education. I am thankful, because if I wouldn’t of come to LPS for my first two years of High School, then  I would of never gotten the opportunity to go to Bellarmine.”

Overall, LPS East San Jose is a very good and coming here is one of the best decisions that you could make. We are LPS San Jose and we are going to college. Hurah!!!