All posts by victoria1213

Conservando energia – Conserving energy

El consumo de energía es un problema todavía creciendo alrededor del mundo. En el año 2013, Estados Unidos utilizó más de 924.442 mil toneladas de carbón. Quemando tanto carbon libera a toneladas de Dioxido de Carbono al atmosfera. Todas esas gasses estan contribuyendo al problema de Calentamiento Global, que va a afectar a todos. La problema es que nadie piensa sobre el dano que estan causando, cuando dejan luces prendidas toda la noche o la puerta de la refrigeradora abierta por 15 minutos, tratando de pensar en lo que quieres comer.

Todos en el mundo estan afectados por los efectos de usar tanto carbon. Ademas que nosotros como la populacion humana siendo afectado por ella, las personas quien viven cerca de las plantas donde queman el carbon viven con muchas problemas ambientales. Ellos viven con la posibilidad de lluvia acida, problemas de respiracion por los particulos pequenos flotando por el aire y tambien Smog.

Hay muchas cosas pequenos que puedes hacer para ahorrar energía. Una manera es secar tus platos y tu ropa afuera en el aire cuando puedes envez de usar una secadora. Puedes substituir tus focos viejos con focos de LED que ahorran energía. Debes usar agua fria envez de agua caliente en tu lavadora de ropa. Puedes plantar arboles de sombra para evitar el calentamiento natural de tu casa en el verano. También asegurarse que todas las luces innecesarios están apagados. Estas cosas aparecen pequenos pero puden hacer una diferencia grande.

Nosotros como un sociedad moderna, todavia podemos hacer algo para conservar energia y ayudar a nuestra planeta.

For those who cannot read Spanish:

Energy consumption is a problem still growing around the world. In the year 2013, the United States used more than 924,442 tons of coal. Burning that much carbon releases tons of Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere. All those gasses are contributing to Global Warming, which is going to affect everyone. The problem is that no one thinks about the damage they are causing: when they leave lights on all night, or when they have the door of the refrigerator open for 15 minutes, trying to think of what they want to eat.

Everyone in the world is affected by the effects of burning so much coal. In addition to us, as the human population, being affected by it, the people who live near the plants where they burn the carbon live with many environmental problems. They live with the possibility of acid rain, breathing problems caused by small particles floating in the air, and also Smog.

There are many small things you can do to save energy. One way is to air dry your dishes and your clothes when you can, instead using a dishwasher or an electric dryer. You can replace your old light bulbs with energy-saving LED bulbs. Also, you could use cold water instead of hot water in your washing machine. You can plant shade trees to avoid the natural heating of your house in the summer, and you can make sure that all unnecessary lights are off. These things appear small, but they can make a big difference.

We, as a modern society, can still do something to conserve energy and help our planet.

Winter Pep Fest 2017

On Thursday, February 24th, we had our Winter Pep Fest. Everyone piled on to the bleachers wearing their class colors while the HP Jazz Band played. When everyone was seated, the upperclassmen began chanting “Go home freshmen,” which has turned into a pep fest tradition.

The Pep Fest began with Highland’s clubs and sports teams making announcements. The Nordic Ski team told everyone about their success at their recent meets. Both the boys and girls teams have had really great seasons. Also, Spanish Speaking Debate announced that they are beginning their season, and if you speak Spanish, you are welcome to join. The Basketball teams, boys and girls, also had really good seasons.

After the announcements, the gymnastics team put on a performance. When the music started, the gymnasts began flipping, jumping and running across the gym. Their routine combined with their music was very upbeat and exciting.

Then the basketball teams had a shoot off. It was girls against boys, and even though they were very close, the boys took the win. The teams exited the court and some of the boys on the basketball team had a dunking contest. Everyone cheered really loud after almost every try. All of them were really good and it was very entertaining to watch.

The dance team also gave a performance at the Pep Fest. This time, their music was strictly instrumental, and aside one of the girls repeatedly hitting other girls on accident, it was a good performance.

The Pep Fest ended with a performance by the cheerleaders. They did their traditional dance with their pompoms and everyone was cheering. Like the Fall Pep Fest, the cheerleaders made a routine in collaboration with some of the basketball players, which in my opinion was also very good. The performance as a whole was a good way too end the Pep Fest.

The Winter Pep Fest was our last school-wide assembly until the Senior Send off in the beginning of June.

 

Winter pepfest and spirit week

This year Highland is going to have its winter pep fest on February 24th. Every school year Highland has a pep fest to celebrate the school, and to get everyone into the school spirit heading into the second half of the school year.

Typically, the school has spirit week, which is the week leading up to the pep fest. Spirit week is a themed week, where each day you dress differently. This year, the students got to give input and vote on which themes they wanted for spirit week. Spirit week starts on Tuesday, Feb. 21st, with the following themes:

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  • Tuesday is Pajama Day
  • Wednesday is Decades Day
  • Thursday is Flannel Day
  • Friday is Class Color Day.

( Freshmen class is Yellow, Sophomore class is Green, Junior class is Blue, Senior class is Red)

The pep fest will be held during 7th hour, and the whole school will be there. This pep fest is going to focus on the things that students at Highland are involved with during and after school. The HPSH band will play some songs. Several teams will have presentations. School clubs and activities leaders will make announcements as will sports team captains.

“It will be similar to other pep assemblies, but there are a few surprises to come,” said Ms. Hedwall, when asked about the upcoming pep fest.

Highland has a spirit week and pep fest twice a year, where students and staff are able to show school spirit and enjoy the week that celebrates all of us as a school.

 

 

 

Hannah Zavoral leading in scoring for girls hockey

This year the 2016-2017 Blades hockey team has been getting a lot of positive attention because of one of their players: Hannah Zavoral.

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The Blades is a co-op girls hockey team that brings girls from any St. Paul Public School. In the past, the team has had a hard time getting enough girls to sign up for the team. This year, the team has 24 girls and some even play for both junior varsity  and varsity teams. The coaches have rescheduled games in the past so that junior varsity and varsity don’t play on the same night.

Hannah Zavoral is a senior from Highland Park. She has played for the Blades since she was a freshman. Hannah played defense from freshman to junior year. This year she was moved to forward. Now she is leading in scoring for girls hockey in Minnesota, with 38 goals this season since January 15th. Due to her impressive skills, Hannah has been approached by collage hockey scouts.

Hannah has also had a good impact on her teammates. Helping them gain confidence in their own skills as a team will give the team a winning mindset going into next year’s season without her.

Even though The Blades had a good season, it’s unlikely they will make it to the state tournament this year, but hopefully next year the team will make an appearance.

Highland Park Showcase: 2017

Showcase is an open house for students from other schools to come see Highland. If any students were interested in Highland, this open house gives them an opportunity to come and learn more about Highland, its staff, classes, offerings, and The IB program in a more in depth way.

This year’s showcase was on Thursday, January 11th, 2017 from 6:00- 8:00 pm. Anybody was welcome to come, and the turn out wasn’t bad. The first level of the auditorium was almost full with around 200 -300 people there to get to know about Highland.

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photo courtesy of Ms. Hedwall

A variety of after school clubs and activities had boards at the showcase to advertise themselves. Some of the activities and clubs represented included: Robotics, ULA, Newspaper, Yearbook, FFA, Link Crew, Math Team, Chess Club and Anime Club.

During the showcase, the Highland Park Jazz Band preformed. They played 3 different songs during the showcase drawing in a crowd. The Jazz Band has been practicing since late September or early October and they sounded really good.

A lot of people interested in Highland went to the Showcase on Thursday. Hopefully they left with a lot more information about Highland, and a better feel overall of the schools atmosphere.

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photo courtesy of Ms. Hedwall

 

Possible schedule changes for 2017-2018 school year

The Saint Paul Public School Board is considering changing the schedule layout for the 2017-2018 school year. The board thinks that by changing the number of periods we have each day, and/or changing to trimesters, we as a district can save a significant amount of money per year. Here are some of the options the school board is considering.

  • Having a 5 period days over trimesters instead of semesters.
  • Having a 6 period day with 55 minute periods in semesters
  • Keeping a 7 period day with 47 minute periods in semesters
  • Having an alternating block schedule, “A days & B days”, with 4 periods of 75 minutes each period, in semesters.

Switching over to trimesters could have some benefits but also some complications. Trimesters would allow students to take more classes each year than they would under a 6 period day with semesters. Students could join a support class without risking graduation credits. Some complications with trimesters include a harder schedule to create. Also, any schedule change of the student may have multiple complications as counselors would have to schedule students 3 times per year instead of 2. Trimesters also would allow students to transition more often per year, so that could be good or bad depending on the student.

image2I asked 3 students their opinions on the possible schedule changes and they all had something a little different to say. Cecilia Velazco, a Sophmore, said she would like A days and B days “because it would be different everyday. I wouldn’t get bored all the time.” David Ramirez, a Junior, thinks “Having only 4 period days would get to be boring. Teachers can barely keep student attention how it is now. I cant imagine staying engaged all 75 minutes.” Mayte Rodriguez disagrees, she says “Having 5 period days would be nice. It would allow more time for teachers to thoroughly explain material.  And it might make our homework load lighter”.

Despite your feelings about the schedule change posibilities, in the 2017-2018 school year, it looks like we won’t have a 7 period day with quarters.

December holiday traditions

In the United States we are lucky to be a very diverse country. With so many different cultures and religions, December is full of celebrations. These are the three most widely celebrated holidays in the month of December.

Christmas is a holiday usually celebrated by Christians. The meaning of Christmas is to celebrate the day that Jesus Christ was born. People celebrate by decorating Christmas trees with colorful ornaments, giving gifts, and having big meals with family and friends. The iconic symbol of Christmas is, of course, Santa Claus. The idea of Santa comes from the monk St. Nicholas, who was, in his time, admired for being religious and kind hearted. Over the years Santa has changed, and now is said to bring gifts to good children. Another symbol is the tree. Some people say the Christmas Tree is a symbol to represent God’s everlasting life. Christmas is celebrated on the 25th. The first recorded date of Christmas being celebrated on December 25th was in the year 336.

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday lasting eight days; this year, from the night of December 25th to the 1st of January. A long time ago, the Jews wanted to rededicate the desecrated Temple, but only found one container of the sacred oil needed. The menorah was required to burn throughout the night, every night, for eight days, but there was only enough oil for one day. Amazingly, the candles stayed lit for all eight days, which was the time needed to collect a fresh supply of kosher oil for the menorah. This event became known as “The Miracle of The Oil” and is now marked with the celebration of Hanukkah. Jews celebrate by lighting one candle, on the nine candle menorah, each night, also spinning a dreidel and having family meals. In the United States some Jewish families also give gifts during Hanukkah.

Kwanzaa lasts 7 days. It starts on the 26th of December and ends on the first of January. Unlike the other holidays, Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday, not religious. Created in 1966, Kwanzaa is a celebration of African American values and gratitude. The holiday includes reconnecting with family, thanking and honoring who they consider their creator, remembering their ancestors, and celebrating the all the good in their lives.  People celebrate by having big meals with family and close friends and giving gifts to show gratitude.

Some things all of these holidays have in common is that they all are celebrated with family and people who are important to you, and involve showing gratitude towards each other.

HPSH Student Election 2016

On Tuesday, November 8th, we had our HPSH presidential election. 43 other Saint Paul Public Schools also participated in a mock election.

As students of HPSH, we were able to vote for more than just the presidential nominees. On the ballet, students voted for who they wanted to be President but also who they wanted to represent them as a U.S. Representative, State Representative, and State Senator along with a few other things including whether or not state politicians should set their own salaries.

All  students participated in the election. During students’ social studies classes, they were brought down to the library to sign in and fill out their ballets. The next day, during the afternoon announcements, they announced the school results. Hillary Clinton won the presidential election by 70%, Betty McCollum won as U.S. Representative, Dave Pinto won as State Representative and Richard Cohen won as State Senator. HPHS also voted no, they didn’t think state politicians should set their own salary.

Student elections in schools is a good way to get kids used to the voting process. It also helps them understand that voting is a privilege that we have as citizens of the United States. Next election, almost every Highland student, that is a Senior right now, will be able to officially vote.

Highland winter sports

The fall sports season is almost up which means it’s time for our winter sports to begin. Here is an over view of all of Highland’s winter sports.

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photo taken from http://spps.schoolwires.net/Page/8479

The Boys Hockey season will begin on November 14th, 2016. If you have experience with ice skating or play outside of school, you should consider joining the team.

The Boys Swim and Dive team, the Trojans, start their season on November 28th. Last year the team broke a relay record that had been  standing since 1983. The swim team will have a sign up meeting in early to mid November if you are interested in joining the team.

The Girls Basketball team’s season starts November 14th. Go and sign up even if you aren’t the best player, give it all your effort and you will do good. It’s also a good way to meet girls who have the same interest as you.

The Boys Basketball team’s season starts on November 21st. There is open gym time for players wanting to get extra practice in after school before the season starts. All interested players are invited to attend. The dates are October 24th & 26th and November 2nd & 7th, from 5:30-7:00pm.

The Girls Hockey team, also known as The Blades, starts their season on October 31st, 2016. There are captain’s practices, which are open to all interested players on October 24th – 28th, from 4:10 – 5:10 pm at the West Side Arena.

The Nordic Ski team’s official season starts on November 14th, but their practice starts early, on November 8th. The Nordic ski team is one of the co-ed teams at Highland. For information on necessary equipment visit the team’s wiki page: Team Wiki Webpage  which can also be found on the Highland Nordic Ski page.

Highland’s Wrestling team starts their season on November 21st. Listen to the daily announcements for further information.

The Highland Gymnastics team’s season starts on November 14th. They have been conference champions every year since 2009. They had an informational and sign up meeting on October 24th, but there is still time to sign up.

Other winter sports this year include Adapted Floor Hockey, Cheerleading, Alpine Ski and Danceline. For more information on those sports, visit their page on Highland’s website: http://spps.schoolwires.net/domain/1192

If you are interested in joining any winter sport, make sure you have all forms signed and turned in, you turned in your sports fee, and you have an up to date physical on file before the first practice.

Everyone can join Highland’s winter sports teams, regardless of experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Highland Pep Fest 2016

On Friday, September 30th, Highland had their annual Pep Fest. Grades 9 through 12 were all exited, clapping and shouting for their Royalty nominees and their favorite group of cheerleaders. There was no ignoring all that energy packed into the gym.

As everyone found their seats and packed themselves together, the Highland Park Symphonic Band played their instruments and got everyone in there all hyped up.

pep2When everyone was settled in the staff began introducing the crowd to the Royalty nominees. With this year’s change in the way people were nominated there were a lot of different pairs of nominees. Out of the 19 pairs, only one from each grade could win.

So, congratulations to our new Highland Homecoming royalty: Calvin Boone and Marcus Hansen – 9th grade, Yeabsira Tekeste and Arianna Gonzalez – 10th grade, David Argenal and Rasjus Jackson – 11th grade, and Dreem Kelly and Gabriela Masiello – 12th grade.

After the Royalty was announced, some of the after school clubs and sports teams came up and made anouncements. The football team invited everyone to the Homecoming game the following morning. The boy’s soccer team anounced their upcoming games while the girl’s soccer team bragged about winning their game against Central and invited everyone to their games. Also, the clubs anounced their meeting dates and times.

This year the dance team’s preformence was amazing. Even though they had technical issues with the music at first, they hung in there and dealt with it like champs. They also incorporated the line kicks that the dance team is known for, into the preformance. Overall, the dance team’s preformance was really fun to watch.

Right after the dance preformed, the cheerleaders ran up and began their routine. They did their dance to the song “cheerleader” by OMI then did something very different. They preformed a really cool routine with some of the football team. Both preformances were upbeat and entertaining.

Overall, the 2016 Pep Fest was a success, everyone looked like they were having a good time. It got everyone back into the school spirt and gave them a little more school pride.

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