Sabrina Chen

Reporter reviews the Mission Peak and Castle Rock hiking areas.

Choosing a reliable, dedicated college counselor can relieve seniors of significant amounts of stress during the application season.

In December 2013, Spotlight published an online page about the Falcon’s reporting for the story titled “Tutoring in the Shadows.”

Who's to blame when students see old quizzes that later turn out to be the same quizzes they take in class?

Math teacher Audrey Warmuth has been named district teacher of the year for 2014-2015.

Twelve juniors were recognized for their academic and leadership achievements on May 21 at a breakfast in the cafeteria organized by the guidance department and the school’s CSF (California Scholarship Federation) club.  

Offer a new AP course, and students will sign up. That is the clear conclusion after more than 140 current juniors have signed up for the new AP government class to be offered in the fall, according to principal Paul Robinson.  After taking into consideration the number of students who requested the class, the social studies department has decided to open five sections so that no students will be left out.

“She’s hot, hot, hot!” My eyes bulged out as I stared blankly at the Facebook comment. Each additional word cut like a sharp knife into my growing anger. I’ve let it slide when I heard guys call my sister tall, pretty, even cute — but hot? Hot is one step away from the word that starts with an “s” and ends with –exy. 

As expected, a bill inspired by the incident that led to the suicide of Audrie Pott in 2012 will be heading to the state Legislature soon.

Despite dominating the scoreboard for the majority of the game, the girls’ soccer team was unable to pull out a win on Jan. 31 against their rival, Los Gatos, losing 2-1.

In recent months, the Pott Foundation has worked with attorney Robert Allard and state Sen. Jim Beall to pass a new sexual assault law.

A new California law, Assembly Bill No. 526, that allows schools to punish off-campus bullying, took effect on Jan. 1. School administrators and superintendents can now suspend or even expel a student for bullying that occurs via an “electronic act,” such as sending messages via text, email or social media from an on or off campus location. 

Fifty years ago, a 17-year-old named Steven Spielberg first walked through the halls of Saratoga High School. 

In his “Week at a Glace” email on Aug. 21, principal Paul Robinson announced that a “Face to Face” policy, inaugurated at senior prom the year before, would continue to be enforced during dances in the new school year. He wrote, “We want everyone to see who they're dancing with, and not have to grind away the night backwards.”

Choir director Andrew Ford looks around at faces of the students around him. Some are smiling, other dazing off into the distance, still others forcing their eyes open in an attempt to fight their fatigue. 

Only a few seconds remained on the clock before halftime during a preseason soccer game against Carlmont High last year. The score was tied 0-0. Sophomore Lauren Plesse raced down the field with the ball her feet, her face intense, eyes unblinking.  

Some parents think it's a bad idea for their kids to have every Wednesday afternoon off

After the suicide of Audrie Pott in the fall of 2012 and the resulting fallout, the school has employed three counselors from the Counseling and Support Services for Youth (CASSY) in an effort to provide extra therapeutic support on campus.  The school offered students access to an on-campus therapist in the past, but with CASSY, three counselors are on campus to help students deal with personal issues.

Since the 1960s, each graduating senior class has fundraised tirelessly to make money for events like prom. Only recently has the administration told the ASB that leftovers of these funds, totaling to $50,826.62, are currently still sitting in separate bank accounts under the school.

Sophomore Nina Harris looked around the quad at all of her friends and classmates cheering for her during the sophomore Homecoming Quad Day on Oct. 2.  She suddenly felt a little nervous. Taking a deep breath, she looked to her left, and her twin sister Sonia Harris gave her a reassuring smile.  

I’m a competitive person; ask any of my friends or family.They’ll tell you that if I find out that someone is better than I am — in grades, fruit ninja or otherwise — I will try to push myself to get back to that No. 1 position.So when my Falcon Lifestyles editors Rohan Hardikar and Amy Lin told the class that we were going to do a cultural cook-off, I was already craving that first place win as top chef.

I’ve never been great at anything to do with electronics or building and sketching.  I just learned how to type with 10 fingers last year, and my only design experience is basic graphics in newspaper.  Nevertheless, when an opportunity arose to try out the new Introduction to Engineering class, I thought it would be a fulfilling learning experience.

Downtown seems to have all the elements of a successful villa: location, market, cleanliness and high-quality restaurants. So why, then, is downtown failing?  

Ever since I’ve started high school, I’ve considered television a big waste of time. OK, OK, I know what you’re thinking right now: “She’s the typical Saratoga student who spends all of her time studying and won’t spend even a minute doing something that won’t increase her SAT score.” 

Blissful, time-wasting summers in the rear-view mirror, I was nevertheless overjoyed to receive news that I had made it into a summer science research program at UC San Diego.  I threw APUSH summer homework in the backseat and immediately began to read up on the piles of pamphlets the program sent, deciding this was the perfect place to explore a possible career path in medicine.   

“YOU are ATHLETIC P.E. YOU are an ATHLETE. Which means YOU will be held AT A HIGHER STANDARD.” Mr. Ellis’ blaring sergeant’s voice filled my ears as I cowered in the corner of the weight room. It was the seventh-period P.E. class of my first day of high school, and I could tell right off the bat high school P.E. was no square dancing and badminton games. 

“YOU are ATHLETIC P.E. YOU are an ATHLETE. Which means YOU will be held AT A HIGHER STANDARD.” Mr. Ellis’ blaring sergeant’s voice filled my ears as I cowered in the corner of the weight room. It was the seventh-period P.E. class of my first day of high school, and I could tell right off the bat high school P.E. was no square dancing and badminton games. 

The school was recognized recently for its achievements by both the California Distinguished School Program and by the magazine US News and World Report.   

The school was recognized recently for its achievements by both the California Distinguished School Program and by the magazine US News and World Report. 

Artist Alexandra Conway grew up in Saratoga. Attending both Redwood Middle School and SHS, Conway graduated in 2006. Her passion for painting sparked during high school under the guidance of late art teacher, Steve McCue.

Most students know English teacher Erick Rector as the  hilarious and entertaining emcee at school football games. But senior Venkat Munukutla sees Rector as much more.  To Munukutla, Rector’s a coach, a mentor and, most importantly, a friend.

"PRETTY PRETTY PLEEEAAAAAAASEE, if you ever ever feeeeel, like you’re nuhhhthing, you are perfect to meeee,” my middle-aged dad all but belts out as he rushes into my room.

The family of Audrie Pott, accompanied by family attorney Robert Allard and two investigators, spoke to the public at a news conference on Monday at a San Jose hotel and announced that they are filing a wrongful death case in Santa Clara Superior Court against three sophomore boys who were arrested Thursday.

Although the national media reported that illicit photos of sophomore Audrie Pott’s unconscious body went “viral” among students at the school, several students familiar with the situation have said that they think roughly 10 people saw them, and that the photos never went on Facebook.

A majority of 108 teachers and staff members on April 8 voted against switching to a full block schedule. Roughly 55 percent of the staff voted to keep the current bell schedule and not to implement principal Paul Robinson’s proposed block schedule. 

Senior Liana Riley was overjoyed when she found out that she had been accepted into Cal Poly and American University. However, as she basked in her moment of victory, she realized that she had to make one of the toughest decisions of her life— which college would she attend?

Principal Paul Robinson has proposed a new schedule that, if approved, would move the school from its current modified block to a full block schedule similar to the one at Los Gatos High School. This proposal is being debated by teachers and administrators.

This May, eight track athletes will be participating in the high school decathlon and heptathlon competition at Mount Sac High in Walnut, a town of 30,000 just outside of Los Angeles.

Since 2005, counselor Judy Jackson has helped teens with a variety of issues, including school stress, grief, drug and alcohol counseling, and nutrition issues.

Ever since the rise of chivalry in medieval times, men have been expected to take care of their female counterparts.

There’s no need to be passing handwritten notes under desks. Forget inking your palm with math equations before the final.  If students today want to cheat these days, they have a much easier more effective method available: the cell phone.

When students attended their class guidance meetings in early February, many were excited to find out that the administration had decided to add three new applied arts classes to the course selection.  

For the first time in over 10 years, the Falcons advanced to CCS in division A, but lost 1-0 to Burlingame in the first round on Feb. 19.

Teens from multiple schools gathered for a night of entertainment and free food March 1 when the Saratoga Library hosted its third Coffeehouse, an event planned by the Teen Advisory Board (TAB).

Adrian stands at his usual spot in the quad under the shade of the redwood tree near the base of the quad steps.

On Jan. 31, students visiting the school website noticed a dramatic change. The now-red website has a new appearance and format.

Have you ever wanted to hear what it’s really like to be an FBI agent? Or dreamed about one day becoming a professional musician? The 2013 Career Day is the perfect opportunity to learn about a wide range different careers. 

It is 7:45 on a Monday morning, and the last thing senior Amanda Schwartz wants is to be late to first period.  She breathes a heavy sigh of relief when she finds a parking spot to the entrance of the school, but just as she turns on her blinkers to claim it, a parent driver pulls into the parking space from the opposite direction. 

It’s 5:15 a.m. on a Tuesday and sophomore Hannah Hulme is already awake, before the sun, as usual. 

Mormonism, as described by its followers, is a restoration of the Christian Church, founded by Joseph Smith and later developed by Brigham Young.

Educators statewide breathed a huge sigh of relief when California voters passed Proposition 30 on Nov. 6.

With new coach Ben Maxwell and many talented freshman players, the girls’ soccer team is rebuilding this year after the loss of key seniors from last year, such as graduates Kari Clark and Meghana and Antara Rao.

Newly elected student representatives in middle school are usually excited to represent their class at meetings and report back to their classes.

Each morning at the crack of dawn, Deputy Damian Camarena drives off to work. However, unlike most law enforcement  officers, the place he calls "work" is not a sheriff station, but the various Saratoga schools he is in charge of protecting.

When sophomore Kimberly Zai entered her first-period Trigonometry/Precalculus Honors class on the first day of school, she found a room of unfamiliar faces. 

With all the hype that comes with the impending presidential election, students and parents often tend to forget about changes that will affect them the most in their immediate community. 

They finished third on the seventh series of “X-Factor.” They were the first British group ever to debut at U.S. Billboard 200 with their first album.

Over a decade ago, alumna Mandy Armes (then known by her maiden name Manousos) participated in the dance commission, served as a class representative and was even in the Homecoming court.

With the start of the new school year, the school has made several changes to the curriculum in order to better serve the diverse student body.

Saratoga hires a new counselor, Monique Young, who has gotten a warm reception from many.

Examining the bright yellow activities form he received in early August, junior Aria Hooman noticed spaces to fill in the number of locks he would need and the total cost of those locks.