Unprepared students suffer comprehension gaps after skipping math levels February 8, 2024 — by Skyler Mao and Andy Zhu In the past decade, the number of students skipping to higher level math classes at the school has spiked dramatically — a trend that math teachers say has hurt overall understanding of the subject, especially when combined with pandemic-related learning loss. According to the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) — an accrediting commission […] read more » Parenting advice from teens: I wish… February 6, 2024 — by Anika Kapasi and Jane Lee Editor’s note: In order to elicit more honest responses, all sources were granted anonymity and are referred to by grade level and gender. Students started with two words — “I wish” — to convey how their ideal parenting styles were different from the one their parents’ raised them with. The Falcon recently explored these differences […] read more » Spanish teacher balances teaching and co-running startup Mexican food restaurant February 6, 2024 — by Kathy Wang and Andy Zhu In recent months, Spanish teacher Stephany Marks has added something new to her daily plate of preparing for classes and grading: helping run Kito’s Taco Shop, a restaurant in Marin County that she co-owns with her boyfriend Tommy Guerrero and best friend Billy Vela. At times, she has been making the 1.5-hour commute to the […] read more » The Tarbox and Torrens Show: using photoshop to provide comic relief for the staff February 3, 2024 — by Sam Bai When Media Arts Program teacher Joel Tarbox first came to the school nine years ago, he met Matt Torrens, then a 11th grade MAP and history teacher. Their sarcastic sense of humor matched immediately, and thus a simpatico relationship began. Nearly a decade later, one tradition in their friendship remains as strong as ever — […] read more » Gish Jen’s ‘Thank You, Mr. Nixon’: encapsulating a 50-year legacy in 272 pages February 1, 2024 — by Leyna Chan Rating: 5/5 Falcons “‘But the old people are hard to change their minds.” “It is hard to change the minds of the old,” corrected Duncan automatically. “It is hard to change the minds of the old,” repeated William. “It is hard to change the minds of the old.’” (Jen). I couldn’t erase that short snippet […] read more » 49 Saratoga students qualify for national math competition, AIME January 31, 2024 — by Ruiyan Zhu This year, 59 students from the Los-Gatos Saratoga Unified School District (LGSUHSD) have qualified for the American Invitational Math Competition (AIME); the test will be given on Feb. 1. Of the 59 students who qualified, 49 are Saratoga High School students and 10 are from Los Gatos. Qualifying students scored approximately in the top 5% […] read more » AMC 12A test leak underscores new era of low-risk, high-reward cheating January 30, 2024 — by Florence Hu and Alan Cai It was lunchtime on Nov. 4 at the Berkeley Math Tournament (BMT), a competition where 700 of the most promising young mathematicians participate as teams through four rounds of group and individual tests. Each test seeks to assess the team’s deep understanding, general knowledge, speed and strategy. Most participants also planned to take the American […] read more » Science teachers reflect on their shared chemistry and long friendship January 25, 2024 — by Jex Sammael Popov The bond that science teachers Kristen Thomson and Lisa Cochrum share is legendary in the science wing. Their names go together like peanut butter with jelly or macaroni with cheese. Known for their opposite personalities, the pair nonetheless share a strong, nearly 24-year friendship that has included numerous trips together all over the world. “We […] read more » Rector’s proximity to school crafts strong bonds with students and staff January 25, 2024 — by Bill Huang While many teachers live approximately 40 minutes away in cities such as Santa Cruz or Half Moon Bay, English teacher Erick Rector has a relatively fast, 20-minute commute from his home in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Los Gatos to Saratoga. “Although sometimes Highway 17 has accidents that result in heavy traffic, I usually get […] read more » Students volunteer their time as TAs to decrease teachers’ workloads January 25, 2024 — by Sarah Thomas For many upperclassmen, taking fewer than six academic classes often leaves a hole in their schedule that many seek to fill with some kind of school service for a period. Of the few options for school service, dozens end up being teachers’ assistants (TAs) each year. The job varies by teacher, but many end up […] read more » firstprevious...678910...2030405060...nextlast
Parenting advice from teens: I wish… February 6, 2024 — by Anika Kapasi and Jane Lee Editor’s note: In order to elicit more honest responses, all sources were granted anonymity and are referred to by grade level and gender. Students started with two words — “I wish” — to convey how their ideal parenting styles were different from the one their parents’ raised them with. The Falcon recently explored these differences […] read more » Spanish teacher balances teaching and co-running startup Mexican food restaurant February 6, 2024 — by Kathy Wang and Andy Zhu In recent months, Spanish teacher Stephany Marks has added something new to her daily plate of preparing for classes and grading: helping run Kito’s Taco Shop, a restaurant in Marin County that she co-owns with her boyfriend Tommy Guerrero and best friend Billy Vela. At times, she has been making the 1.5-hour commute to the […] read more » The Tarbox and Torrens Show: using photoshop to provide comic relief for the staff February 3, 2024 — by Sam Bai When Media Arts Program teacher Joel Tarbox first came to the school nine years ago, he met Matt Torrens, then a 11th grade MAP and history teacher. Their sarcastic sense of humor matched immediately, and thus a simpatico relationship began. Nearly a decade later, one tradition in their friendship remains as strong as ever — […] read more » Gish Jen’s ‘Thank You, Mr. Nixon’: encapsulating a 50-year legacy in 272 pages February 1, 2024 — by Leyna Chan Rating: 5/5 Falcons “‘But the old people are hard to change their minds.” “It is hard to change the minds of the old,” corrected Duncan automatically. “It is hard to change the minds of the old,” repeated William. “It is hard to change the minds of the old.’” (Jen). I couldn’t erase that short snippet […] read more » 49 Saratoga students qualify for national math competition, AIME January 31, 2024 — by Ruiyan Zhu This year, 59 students from the Los-Gatos Saratoga Unified School District (LGSUHSD) have qualified for the American Invitational Math Competition (AIME); the test will be given on Feb. 1. Of the 59 students who qualified, 49 are Saratoga High School students and 10 are from Los Gatos. Qualifying students scored approximately in the top 5% […] read more » AMC 12A test leak underscores new era of low-risk, high-reward cheating January 30, 2024 — by Florence Hu and Alan Cai It was lunchtime on Nov. 4 at the Berkeley Math Tournament (BMT), a competition where 700 of the most promising young mathematicians participate as teams through four rounds of group and individual tests. Each test seeks to assess the team’s deep understanding, general knowledge, speed and strategy. Most participants also planned to take the American […] read more » Science teachers reflect on their shared chemistry and long friendship January 25, 2024 — by Jex Sammael Popov The bond that science teachers Kristen Thomson and Lisa Cochrum share is legendary in the science wing. Their names go together like peanut butter with jelly or macaroni with cheese. Known for their opposite personalities, the pair nonetheless share a strong, nearly 24-year friendship that has included numerous trips together all over the world. “We […] read more » Rector’s proximity to school crafts strong bonds with students and staff January 25, 2024 — by Bill Huang While many teachers live approximately 40 minutes away in cities such as Santa Cruz or Half Moon Bay, English teacher Erick Rector has a relatively fast, 20-minute commute from his home in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Los Gatos to Saratoga. “Although sometimes Highway 17 has accidents that result in heavy traffic, I usually get […] read more » Students volunteer their time as TAs to decrease teachers’ workloads January 25, 2024 — by Sarah Thomas For many upperclassmen, taking fewer than six academic classes often leaves a hole in their schedule that many seek to fill with some kind of school service for a period. Of the few options for school service, dozens end up being teachers’ assistants (TAs) each year. The job varies by teacher, but many end up […] read more » firstprevious...678910...2030405060...nextlast
Spanish teacher balances teaching and co-running startup Mexican food restaurant February 6, 2024 — by Kathy Wang and Andy Zhu In recent months, Spanish teacher Stephany Marks has added something new to her daily plate of preparing for classes and grading: helping run Kito’s Taco Shop, a restaurant in Marin County that she co-owns with her boyfriend Tommy Guerrero and best friend Billy Vela. At times, she has been making the 1.5-hour commute to the […] read more » The Tarbox and Torrens Show: using photoshop to provide comic relief for the staff February 3, 2024 — by Sam Bai When Media Arts Program teacher Joel Tarbox first came to the school nine years ago, he met Matt Torrens, then a 11th grade MAP and history teacher. Their sarcastic sense of humor matched immediately, and thus a simpatico relationship began. Nearly a decade later, one tradition in their friendship remains as strong as ever — […] read more » Gish Jen’s ‘Thank You, Mr. Nixon’: encapsulating a 50-year legacy in 272 pages February 1, 2024 — by Leyna Chan Rating: 5/5 Falcons “‘But the old people are hard to change their minds.” “It is hard to change the minds of the old,” corrected Duncan automatically. “It is hard to change the minds of the old,” repeated William. “It is hard to change the minds of the old.’” (Jen). I couldn’t erase that short snippet […] read more » 49 Saratoga students qualify for national math competition, AIME January 31, 2024 — by Ruiyan Zhu This year, 59 students from the Los-Gatos Saratoga Unified School District (LGSUHSD) have qualified for the American Invitational Math Competition (AIME); the test will be given on Feb. 1. Of the 59 students who qualified, 49 are Saratoga High School students and 10 are from Los Gatos. Qualifying students scored approximately in the top 5% […] read more » AMC 12A test leak underscores new era of low-risk, high-reward cheating January 30, 2024 — by Florence Hu and Alan Cai It was lunchtime on Nov. 4 at the Berkeley Math Tournament (BMT), a competition where 700 of the most promising young mathematicians participate as teams through four rounds of group and individual tests. Each test seeks to assess the team’s deep understanding, general knowledge, speed and strategy. Most participants also planned to take the American […] read more » Science teachers reflect on their shared chemistry and long friendship January 25, 2024 — by Jex Sammael Popov The bond that science teachers Kristen Thomson and Lisa Cochrum share is legendary in the science wing. Their names go together like peanut butter with jelly or macaroni with cheese. Known for their opposite personalities, the pair nonetheless share a strong, nearly 24-year friendship that has included numerous trips together all over the world. “We […] read more » Rector’s proximity to school crafts strong bonds with students and staff January 25, 2024 — by Bill Huang While many teachers live approximately 40 minutes away in cities such as Santa Cruz or Half Moon Bay, English teacher Erick Rector has a relatively fast, 20-minute commute from his home in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Los Gatos to Saratoga. “Although sometimes Highway 17 has accidents that result in heavy traffic, I usually get […] read more » Students volunteer their time as TAs to decrease teachers’ workloads January 25, 2024 — by Sarah Thomas For many upperclassmen, taking fewer than six academic classes often leaves a hole in their schedule that many seek to fill with some kind of school service for a period. Of the few options for school service, dozens end up being teachers’ assistants (TAs) each year. The job varies by teacher, but many end up […] read more » firstprevious...678910...2030405060...nextlast
The Tarbox and Torrens Show: using photoshop to provide comic relief for the staff February 3, 2024 — by Sam Bai When Media Arts Program teacher Joel Tarbox first came to the school nine years ago, he met Matt Torrens, then a 11th grade MAP and history teacher. Their sarcastic sense of humor matched immediately, and thus a simpatico relationship began. Nearly a decade later, one tradition in their friendship remains as strong as ever — […] read more » Gish Jen’s ‘Thank You, Mr. Nixon’: encapsulating a 50-year legacy in 272 pages February 1, 2024 — by Leyna Chan Rating: 5/5 Falcons “‘But the old people are hard to change their minds.” “It is hard to change the minds of the old,” corrected Duncan automatically. “It is hard to change the minds of the old,” repeated William. “It is hard to change the minds of the old.’” (Jen). I couldn’t erase that short snippet […] read more » 49 Saratoga students qualify for national math competition, AIME January 31, 2024 — by Ruiyan Zhu This year, 59 students from the Los-Gatos Saratoga Unified School District (LGSUHSD) have qualified for the American Invitational Math Competition (AIME); the test will be given on Feb. 1. Of the 59 students who qualified, 49 are Saratoga High School students and 10 are from Los Gatos. Qualifying students scored approximately in the top 5% […] read more » AMC 12A test leak underscores new era of low-risk, high-reward cheating January 30, 2024 — by Florence Hu and Alan Cai It was lunchtime on Nov. 4 at the Berkeley Math Tournament (BMT), a competition where 700 of the most promising young mathematicians participate as teams through four rounds of group and individual tests. Each test seeks to assess the team’s deep understanding, general knowledge, speed and strategy. Most participants also planned to take the American […] read more » Science teachers reflect on their shared chemistry and long friendship January 25, 2024 — by Jex Sammael Popov The bond that science teachers Kristen Thomson and Lisa Cochrum share is legendary in the science wing. Their names go together like peanut butter with jelly or macaroni with cheese. Known for their opposite personalities, the pair nonetheless share a strong, nearly 24-year friendship that has included numerous trips together all over the world. “We […] read more » Rector’s proximity to school crafts strong bonds with students and staff January 25, 2024 — by Bill Huang While many teachers live approximately 40 minutes away in cities such as Santa Cruz or Half Moon Bay, English teacher Erick Rector has a relatively fast, 20-minute commute from his home in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Los Gatos to Saratoga. “Although sometimes Highway 17 has accidents that result in heavy traffic, I usually get […] read more » Students volunteer their time as TAs to decrease teachers’ workloads January 25, 2024 — by Sarah Thomas For many upperclassmen, taking fewer than six academic classes often leaves a hole in their schedule that many seek to fill with some kind of school service for a period. Of the few options for school service, dozens end up being teachers’ assistants (TAs) each year. The job varies by teacher, but many end up […] read more » firstprevious...678910...2030405060...nextlast
Gish Jen’s ‘Thank You, Mr. Nixon’: encapsulating a 50-year legacy in 272 pages February 1, 2024 — by Leyna Chan Rating: 5/5 Falcons “‘But the old people are hard to change their minds.” “It is hard to change the minds of the old,” corrected Duncan automatically. “It is hard to change the minds of the old,” repeated William. “It is hard to change the minds of the old.’” (Jen). I couldn’t erase that short snippet […] read more » 49 Saratoga students qualify for national math competition, AIME January 31, 2024 — by Ruiyan Zhu This year, 59 students from the Los-Gatos Saratoga Unified School District (LGSUHSD) have qualified for the American Invitational Math Competition (AIME); the test will be given on Feb. 1. Of the 59 students who qualified, 49 are Saratoga High School students and 10 are from Los Gatos. Qualifying students scored approximately in the top 5% […] read more » AMC 12A test leak underscores new era of low-risk, high-reward cheating January 30, 2024 — by Florence Hu and Alan Cai It was lunchtime on Nov. 4 at the Berkeley Math Tournament (BMT), a competition where 700 of the most promising young mathematicians participate as teams through four rounds of group and individual tests. Each test seeks to assess the team’s deep understanding, general knowledge, speed and strategy. Most participants also planned to take the American […] read more » Science teachers reflect on their shared chemistry and long friendship January 25, 2024 — by Jex Sammael Popov The bond that science teachers Kristen Thomson and Lisa Cochrum share is legendary in the science wing. Their names go together like peanut butter with jelly or macaroni with cheese. Known for their opposite personalities, the pair nonetheless share a strong, nearly 24-year friendship that has included numerous trips together all over the world. “We […] read more » Rector’s proximity to school crafts strong bonds with students and staff January 25, 2024 — by Bill Huang While many teachers live approximately 40 minutes away in cities such as Santa Cruz or Half Moon Bay, English teacher Erick Rector has a relatively fast, 20-minute commute from his home in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Los Gatos to Saratoga. “Although sometimes Highway 17 has accidents that result in heavy traffic, I usually get […] read more » Students volunteer their time as TAs to decrease teachers’ workloads January 25, 2024 — by Sarah Thomas For many upperclassmen, taking fewer than six academic classes often leaves a hole in their schedule that many seek to fill with some kind of school service for a period. Of the few options for school service, dozens end up being teachers’ assistants (TAs) each year. The job varies by teacher, but many end up […] read more » firstprevious...678910...2030405060...nextlast
49 Saratoga students qualify for national math competition, AIME January 31, 2024 — by Ruiyan Zhu This year, 59 students from the Los-Gatos Saratoga Unified School District (LGSUHSD) have qualified for the American Invitational Math Competition (AIME); the test will be given on Feb. 1. Of the 59 students who qualified, 49 are Saratoga High School students and 10 are from Los Gatos. Qualifying students scored approximately in the top 5% […] read more » AMC 12A test leak underscores new era of low-risk, high-reward cheating January 30, 2024 — by Florence Hu and Alan Cai It was lunchtime on Nov. 4 at the Berkeley Math Tournament (BMT), a competition where 700 of the most promising young mathematicians participate as teams through four rounds of group and individual tests. Each test seeks to assess the team’s deep understanding, general knowledge, speed and strategy. Most participants also planned to take the American […] read more » Science teachers reflect on their shared chemistry and long friendship January 25, 2024 — by Jex Sammael Popov The bond that science teachers Kristen Thomson and Lisa Cochrum share is legendary in the science wing. Their names go together like peanut butter with jelly or macaroni with cheese. Known for their opposite personalities, the pair nonetheless share a strong, nearly 24-year friendship that has included numerous trips together all over the world. “We […] read more » Rector’s proximity to school crafts strong bonds with students and staff January 25, 2024 — by Bill Huang While many teachers live approximately 40 minutes away in cities such as Santa Cruz or Half Moon Bay, English teacher Erick Rector has a relatively fast, 20-minute commute from his home in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Los Gatos to Saratoga. “Although sometimes Highway 17 has accidents that result in heavy traffic, I usually get […] read more » Students volunteer their time as TAs to decrease teachers’ workloads January 25, 2024 — by Sarah Thomas For many upperclassmen, taking fewer than six academic classes often leaves a hole in their schedule that many seek to fill with some kind of school service for a period. Of the few options for school service, dozens end up being teachers’ assistants (TAs) each year. The job varies by teacher, but many end up […] read more » firstprevious...678910...2030405060...nextlast
AMC 12A test leak underscores new era of low-risk, high-reward cheating January 30, 2024 — by Florence Hu and Alan Cai It was lunchtime on Nov. 4 at the Berkeley Math Tournament (BMT), a competition where 700 of the most promising young mathematicians participate as teams through four rounds of group and individual tests. Each test seeks to assess the team’s deep understanding, general knowledge, speed and strategy. Most participants also planned to take the American […] read more » Science teachers reflect on their shared chemistry and long friendship January 25, 2024 — by Jex Sammael Popov The bond that science teachers Kristen Thomson and Lisa Cochrum share is legendary in the science wing. Their names go together like peanut butter with jelly or macaroni with cheese. Known for their opposite personalities, the pair nonetheless share a strong, nearly 24-year friendship that has included numerous trips together all over the world. “We […] read more » Rector’s proximity to school crafts strong bonds with students and staff January 25, 2024 — by Bill Huang While many teachers live approximately 40 minutes away in cities such as Santa Cruz or Half Moon Bay, English teacher Erick Rector has a relatively fast, 20-minute commute from his home in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Los Gatos to Saratoga. “Although sometimes Highway 17 has accidents that result in heavy traffic, I usually get […] read more » Students volunteer their time as TAs to decrease teachers’ workloads January 25, 2024 — by Sarah Thomas For many upperclassmen, taking fewer than six academic classes often leaves a hole in their schedule that many seek to fill with some kind of school service for a period. Of the few options for school service, dozens end up being teachers’ assistants (TAs) each year. The job varies by teacher, but many end up […] read more » firstprevious...678910...2030405060...nextlast
Science teachers reflect on their shared chemistry and long friendship January 25, 2024 — by Jex Sammael Popov The bond that science teachers Kristen Thomson and Lisa Cochrum share is legendary in the science wing. Their names go together like peanut butter with jelly or macaroni with cheese. Known for their opposite personalities, the pair nonetheless share a strong, nearly 24-year friendship that has included numerous trips together all over the world. “We […] read more » Rector’s proximity to school crafts strong bonds with students and staff January 25, 2024 — by Bill Huang While many teachers live approximately 40 minutes away in cities such as Santa Cruz or Half Moon Bay, English teacher Erick Rector has a relatively fast, 20-minute commute from his home in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Los Gatos to Saratoga. “Although sometimes Highway 17 has accidents that result in heavy traffic, I usually get […] read more » Students volunteer their time as TAs to decrease teachers’ workloads January 25, 2024 — by Sarah Thomas For many upperclassmen, taking fewer than six academic classes often leaves a hole in their schedule that many seek to fill with some kind of school service for a period. Of the few options for school service, dozens end up being teachers’ assistants (TAs) each year. The job varies by teacher, but many end up […] read more » firstprevious...678910...2030405060...nextlast
Rector’s proximity to school crafts strong bonds with students and staff January 25, 2024 — by Bill Huang While many teachers live approximately 40 minutes away in cities such as Santa Cruz or Half Moon Bay, English teacher Erick Rector has a relatively fast, 20-minute commute from his home in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Los Gatos to Saratoga. “Although sometimes Highway 17 has accidents that result in heavy traffic, I usually get […] read more » Students volunteer their time as TAs to decrease teachers’ workloads January 25, 2024 — by Sarah Thomas For many upperclassmen, taking fewer than six academic classes often leaves a hole in their schedule that many seek to fill with some kind of school service for a period. Of the few options for school service, dozens end up being teachers’ assistants (TAs) each year. The job varies by teacher, but many end up […] read more » firstprevious...678910...2030405060...nextlast
Students volunteer their time as TAs to decrease teachers’ workloads January 25, 2024 — by Sarah Thomas For many upperclassmen, taking fewer than six academic classes often leaves a hole in their schedule that many seek to fill with some kind of school service for a period. Of the few options for school service, dozens end up being teachers’ assistants (TAs) each year. The job varies by teacher, but many end up […] read more » firstprevious...678910...2030405060...nextlast