Amid COVID-19 pandemic, some seniors adopt new college application strategies " November 24, 2021 — by Benjamin Li and Daniel Wu When his clock struck 1 a.m., senior Weilin Sun’s head hit his desk with a thud. He let it rest for a second before dragging his eyes back up to his computer screen where a jumble of incomplete sentences glared back at him. He had four more college applications to finish, and was on a […] read more »
District Teachers Association rallies behind effort to get higher pay " November 22, 2021 — by Sam Bai, Shreya Rallabandi and Aiden Ye Just before the start of the Nov. 16 board meeting in the school library, more than 60 Saratoga High and Los Gatos teachers — all members of the District Teachers Association (DTA) — lined up outside while holding signs with messages like “Reserves don’t teach students, Teachers DO!!” and “This Is a School, Not a […] read more »
Bell schedule change advances for second semester November 22, 2021 — by Christina Chang and Lynn Dai During its Nov. 16 meeting, the five-member district board unanimously agreed to modify the bell schedule to incorporate a daily tutorial starting next semester, but nothing has been finalized yet. Among the six possible schedules, the board unanimously supported three but didn’t yet settle on a final decision: Choice A, consisting of 85-minute periods and […] read more »
National trend of substitute shortage affects school " November 19, 2021 — by Nidhi Mathihalli On the morning of Sept. 4, assistant principal Matt Torrens found himself hustling to Social Studies teacher Todd Dwyer’s 2nd-period World Geography classroom. Twenty minutes earlier, he learned he would be needed as an emergency substitute teacher for this class. In his more than 20 years at the school as both a teacher and administrator, […] read more »
Marching band finishes season on high note " November 19, 2021 — by Shannon Ma and Brian Sheen The 150 members of the marching band waited in anticipation, their breaths misting in the cold night air as they watched drum majors Ryan Lee, Christopher Okuno and Petr Tupitsyn standing at attention on the football field below for the results of the Nov 13. Napa Valley Band Reserve to be announced. After nearly three […] read more »
New on-site COVID-19 testing aids school during first student COVID-19 case " November 19, 2021 — by Jonny Luo The school recorded its first student COVID-19 case on Nov. 4. Previously, two school employees had tested positive for COVID-19. The student, who The Falcon is not naming to protect her privacy, tested positive through a test done outside of school. After her father tested positive for COVID-19, she and her entire family got tested […] read more »
Increasing tardies, unexcused absences result in punishments " November 19, 2021 — by Andrew Lin Amid concerns about suddenly increasing tardiness and unexcused absences, the administration is considering assigning detentions and Saturday schools if the situation does not improve. Already, the administration has rolled out a community service program known as “Treasure Toga.” Students with more than 10 tardies can pick up garbage for after school on select days, with […] read more »
Culture of Consent’s trigger warning email incites teacher backlash " November 19, 2021 — by Christopher Chen and Joann Zhang On Oct. 25, the Culture of Consent task force sent an email titled “Including Trigger Warnings in Curriculum” to many teachers, urging them to include trigger warnings before covering sensitive movies, photographs and discussion topics in class to avoid student distress. The email almost immediately received backlash from teachers. Some felt targeted, as the emails […] read more »
ASB considers unofficial version of outreach commission after cut " November 19, 2021 — by Sarah Thomas Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the outreach commission organized many of the school’s annual events, including Speak Up for Change week, Red Ribbon Week and the blood drive. Last year, however, ASB made the decision to cut outreach — the less spirit-oriented commission focused on publicity, mental health and social justice issues — and hand its […] read more »
Board preliminarily supports alignment of graduation requirements between SHS and LG, leaves door open for considering full alignment " November 19, 2021 — by Christina Chang and Lynn Dai At their Nov. 16 meeting, the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District (LGSUHSD) board discussed potential methods to align the SHS and LGHS curriculums, which would drastically change the current course offerings for both schools. Three board members voted in favor of aligning graduation requirements and two graduation requirement alignment or full alignment. Superintendent Mike […] read more »