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The student news site of Portola High School

Portola Pilot

The student news site of Portola High School

Portola Pilot

The student news site of Portola High School

Portola Pilot

IUSD will follow procedures for both reopening and closing in case of a COVID-19 outbreak in accordance with the Orange County Department of Education’s guidelines, including the protocol outlined in the above graphic.

First COVID-19 Case Confirmed at Portola High

Jenny Won, Opinion Editor | October 5, 2020

As of Oct. 5, fewer than two weeks since the return to in-person learning on Sept. 24, there is one confirmed COVID-19 case at Portola High out of nine total across Irvine Unified School District (IUSD),...

With the new hybrid model, teachers and students are changing their learning habits to adapt to the struggles of distance learning.

Teachers and Students Share Struggles with Learning Models

Clara Ferreira Lopes and Haruka Noda | September 23, 2020

Challenges were introduced for teachers and students who chose the hybrid model. Some teachers such as Kearci Moir wanted to have a larger say about decisions for the learning models.  Art teacher...

Despite many of the negative effects, quarantine has also provided an opportunity for students to explore their artistic and creative abilities on a deeper level. “I really like to focus on the quality of my notes … with [IVA and] the lectures, we get to click pause and go back or do whatever we need to do [to fit] our personal needs without having to feel like we’re disrupting the class,” sophomore Katherine Chang said.

Students Reflect on their Selected Learning Model

Cara Chan, Business Manager | September 23, 2020

After COVID-19 struck, IUSD attempted to devise a safe and effective method of education, in which high school families were allowed to choose from four models: Irvine Virtual Academy, blended, hybrid...

A Swedish Doctor injects the Coronavirus vaccine into an AstraZeneca volunteer. The many stages of vaccine development depend on the success of previous trials.

Potential COVID-19 Vaccine is in Development

Sidra Asif, Staff Writer | September 21, 2020

AstraZeneca, a Swedish pharmaceutical company, started the third and last phase of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine clinical trial on Sept. 1. The vaccine would be administered world wide  if all trials...

IUSD communicates with parents, teachers and staff primarily through Instagram posts and emails.

Parents, Students and Faculty Weigh In On District Communication

Justin Tang and Ryan Jung | September 21, 2020

Stay-at-home orders and closures of schools caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have made online communication more important than ever. As students who opted for the hybrid learning model begin their first...

On the left, instrumental music director Kyle Traska holds his pet chicken, Elsa, for whom he assembled a coop out of a neighbor’s old kitchen cabinet. On the right, junior Safah Faraz spends time with her four-month-old calico, Pepper, who is a clumsy yet lovable fool.

Feathers, Fur and Fins: Facing Quarantine with Newfound Friends

Kayla Moshayedi, Lauren Hsu, and Zara Shirwany | September 18, 2020

For many students and staff, adopting a pet this past summer provided not only some much-needed entertainment to curb quarantine boredom, but also a lifelong companion.  For junior Shreya Shah, making...

To promote healthy behaviors and encourage environments that will reduce the spread of COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that players refrain from sharing equipment, practice in a properly ventilated area and maintain physical distance as often as possible by focusing on individual conditioning.

Sports Will Continue to Be Safe if Precautions are Followed

Bia Shok and Lauren Hsu | September 18, 2020

Some teams, such as football, baseball and wrestling, have resumed on-campus training during the off-season while following safety precautions. Although these practices may appear risky, students are ultimately...

In addition to her typical boba shop employee duties, senior Kayla Espiritu has taken on photography, graphic design and publicity management for her store’s social media. Despite the dangers of COVID-19, the pandemic has brought opportunities and challenges to student workers in unexpected ways.

Student Workers Adapt to COVID-19

Naila Talib and Jenny Won | September 16, 2020

As the COVID-19 pandemic forced stores across the country to shut down, many former and aspiring student workers had to postpone their employment as well. However, as the world is slowly adapting to life...

Like most others who teach via IVA, English teacher Madeline Greenwood works from home. “I have a hallway where I have a desk setup. I have a pretty nice setup — I have two monitors,” Greenwood said. Greenwood’s husband who teaches math also chose IVA for the same health reasons and works alongside Greenwood during the day.

IVA vs. Hybrid Teaching: What’s the Difference?

Jaein Kim and Michelle Kim | September 16, 2020

Before the 2020-21 school year started, all K-12 chose between three academic models: Irvine Virtual Academy (fully online), Hybrid (two in-person days) and Blended (combination of IVA and Hybrid). Along...

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