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

Sophomore Ellie Lian and junior Chris Stocks hang out together in a local park. Many students opted to spend more time outdoors over break, especially since open spaces make social distancing easier.

Students Enjoy a Different Summer Break

Lauren Hsu and Michelle Kim | September 15, 2020

From cancelled family trips to indefinitely-postponed birthday parties, the COVID-19 pandemic caused many students’ summer plans to be put off or abandoned entirely. Despite the global panic, students...

The Top of the World, Laguna Beach, is the traditional spot that most Irvine High schools host their senior sunrise, because of the local shops and breakfast spots nearby, and the breathtaking view of the ocean and sky from high elevation.

Seniors Socially Distance at the Top of the World

Krisha Konchadi and Clara Ferreira Lopes | September 14, 2020

The Top of the World, Laguna Beach, is the traditional spot that most Irvine High schools host their senior sunrise, because of the local shops and breakfast spots nearby, and the breathtaking view of...

 Juniors Alejandra Guio-Perez, Sriragavi Ukeshkumar and Mariam Arafa surprise their friend with a virtual Red Carpet themed birthday party.

Taking a Break: Students Celebrate Their Labor Day Weekend While Social Distancing

Grace Baek, Staff Writer | September 11, 2020

Amid concerns regarding possible spikes in COVID-19 cases, students found their own compromises to the traditional Labor Day picnics, barbeques and fireworks. Labor Day weekend is often the symbolic...

Though hybrid learning will allow students to return to campus, most elements of a traditional school day will be modified to account for safety procedures such as cohorts, social distancing and minimization of shared surfaces. The adjusted cohort schedule will make enforcement of such procedures more management for students and staff.

Irvine Unified to Begin Hybrid In-Person Instruction September 24

Jenny Won, Opinion Editor | September 11, 2020

Assuming that current downward trends of coronavirus spread continue, Irvine Unified students enrolled in the hybrid model will resume in-person instruction Sept. 24-25, depending on their cohort assignment.  The...

Under in-person instruction, freshmen would vote for their ASB leaders during their advisement period. This year, freshmen can vote on Canvas from their homes.

Freshmen Campaign Week and Elections Held Virtually

Ryne Dunman, Business Manager | September 11, 2020

UPDATE (09/15/20) 10:41 p.m.: After the voting period ended, it was revealed on Sept. 14 that freshmen Makena Wong was chosen as the freshmen vice president while Arjit Singh was elected as the freshmen...

Back to School Night videos for each teacher will be around ten minutes long, mimicking the time schedule that physical Back to School Nights had.

Asynchronous Videos Replace In-Person Back to School Night

Bia Shok, Features Editor | September 9, 2020

Parents will receive a personalized email with their child’s schedule and a link to access pre-recorded videos of their child’s teachers created for Back to School Night on Sep. 9. Videos will include...

WOW had five events, and ASB featured participating students on ASB Instagram stories. The grade with the most contributing students earned a point for the class points system, a competition in which each class competes for the most points at the end of the year. Before WOW, freshmen had 10 points, sophomores have 5 points, juniors have 15 points and seniors have 20 points in the class points system, and the updated points will be announced in a few days.

Virtual Spirit Week Replaces Annual Welcome Back Dance

Bia Shok, Features Editor | September 4, 2020

To maintain school spirit during online learning and compensate for the lack of the Welcome Back Dance this year, ASB arranged Week of Welcome (WOW), a virtual spirit week from Aug. 31 to Sep. 4.  The...

Requiring club meetings to remain virtual even in the event students return to in-person instruction allows IVA students to continue to participate in clubs.

Clubs Go Virtual for the 2020-21 School Year

Ryne Dunman and Kate Hayashi | September 2, 2020

Clubs will meet in a virtual setting for the entire school year and can include students from both the Irvine Virtual Academy (IVA) and hybrid learning models, according to clubs commissioner and junior...

Under California’s new four-tiered COVID-19 system, almost all counties in Southern, Central and coastal California are in the “purple” tier.

Orange County School Reopening Recommendations Delayed to September 22

Jenny Won, Opinion Editor | September 1, 2020

The Orange County Health Agency announced on Sept. 1 that any possible school reopenings have been extended to Sept. 22 at the earliest, in accordance with the new COVID-19 progress tracking system...

 Junior Rachel Abalos interviews junior Sofia Fidel about her thoughts on seeing people going out despite the stay-at-home orders. Throughout the podcast, she answered questions focusing on her daily emotions with both of her parents returning home after diligently working at a local hospital.

A Human Face Podcast Amplifies Voices Amid Global Pandemic

Charlotte Cao and Claudia Lin | June 4, 2020

With school physically closed until summer, many clubs have suspended their on-campus activities. Junior Rachel Abalos, president of the Toastmasters Gavel club, quickly developed a new way to spread her...

In normal circumstances, Korean American Young Leader members would gather at the Korean American Center for meetings. However, the group has been keeping in touch and plans to release a future podcast episode focusing on the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Korean American Young Leaders Empower Asian-American Youth

Claudia Lin and Jaein Kim | June 2, 2020

Founded with the intent of eliminating stereotypes that surround Asian American political participation, Korean American Young Leaders (KAYL) strives to socially empower Asian American youth and foster...

Tanaka Farms has helped upwards of 500 affected families every week with the assistance of local farms, non-profits, volunteers and donations.

Tanaka Farms Provides Generous Community Lift and Service

Krisha Konchadi, Social Media and Marketing Team | June 1, 2020

Tanaka Farms, located on University Drive, has managed to flourish by giving back to the Irvine community for 50 years, even under misfortune. Due to the current circumstances, lower income families are...

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