Skip to Main Content
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

Hopper has been shooting goals on the soccer field since she was four years old.

Athlete of the Month: Karly Hopper

Maya Sabbaghian, Co-Editor-in-Chief | December 20, 2017

Name: Karly Hopper Grade: Sophomore Sport: JV Soccer Years Playing: 12   Achievements: “Last year, I won Top Dog for soccer, offensive player of the year and scored eight goals in...

Doug Jones, Alabama's new senator.

Southern Suffragists Select Special Senator Since Sessions

Jane Zou, Staff Writer | December 20, 2017

In a marginal victory, Democratic Senate-elect Jones won 49.5 percent versus Moore’s 48.9 percent, according to the Associated Press. The last time a Democratic senator was elected in Alabama was in...

Art students pose before entering LACMA, holding cameras and journals to document their unique experience.

Approaching Art through LACMA

Chloe Ma, Staff Writer | December 19, 2017

Visual arts teacher Kearci Moir took art students on a field trip to Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) on Dec. 5, allowing students to gain exposure to professional works of art. The artwork...

Derrick Peng performs "Seven Nation Army" with Cardboard Prison at the 2017 Spring Concert.

Cardboard Prison: Portola’s First Student Band

Farhad Taraporevala and Simrat Singh | December 19, 2017

Cardboard Prison, Portola High’s first student-led band, has been playing for about one year now, performing at lunches and at the spring concert last year. The band consists of five members: lead guitarist...

Sophomore Nishad Francis shares his passion for singing as December's Artist of the Month.

Pitch Perfect: Nishad Francis

Nathan Oh and Simrat Singh | December 19, 2017

Sophomore Nishad Francis’s fine-tuned skills as a talented vocalist and pianist were recognized as December’s Artist of the Month by Portola’s visual and performing arts department. Choir teacher...

The new grading scale is out of four points that correspond with the learner's performance and level of mastery of the learning targets on the assignment.

Reading, Writing and Thinking: The New LLA Assessment System

Ali Elmalky, Staff Writer | December 19, 2017

The Literary and Language Arts department has introduced a new mastery learning assessment system this year in order to make grading practices more transparent for students and help student re-focus on...

The toys will be dropped off under the house trees in the student union.

Giving Back to Others: Toys For Tots

Ava Caleca, Staff Writer | December 19, 2017

Toys for Tots is a charity that gives back during the holidays and students will get the opportunity to donate for three more days. Donations will be collected under the house Christmas trees in the student...

Add some sparkle to your shelves with this simple two-material decor!

DIY Decorations for December

Julia Kim, A&E Editor and Co-Business Manager | December 18, 2017

As you may have already noticed, neighborhoods are being adorned with beautiful lights or ornaments, putting Irvine in the festive holiday spirit. While there are many ways to create personal holiday decor,...

Sophomore and shooting guard #4 Omar Habibeh attempts to work around a defensive Pakuranga player in order to pass the ball to a teammate.

Basketball Defends Undefeated Home Record against New Zealand

Helena Hu and Annie Qiao | December 18, 2017

Students roared with cheers as JV boys’ basketball (9-2) defeated Pakuranga College 69-46 on Dec. 11. Pakuranga College originates from East Auckland, New Zealand, making school history as the first...

"The Picture of Dorian Gray" was first published complete in 1890, in an issue of Lippincott's Monthly Magazine.

The Not-So Glamorous Book: ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’

Faith DeNeve, Contributing Writer | December 18, 2017

Youth, beauty, admiration are the dream, are they not? For some it is, but Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” indicates otherwise. “The Picture of Dorian Gray” is a philosophical fiction...

Alex Beltran speaks from the heart about her hope for her brother's battle with drug abuse.

Irvine Talks about What it Means to be Human

Maryam Shama and Shawyan Rooein | December 15, 2017

Portola High hosted the first annual Irvine Talks on Dec. 9 in the theater. Similar to TED Talks, Irvine Talks is an event where Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) high school students perform or deliver...

Campus control assistant George Mares ensures that drivers in our school parking lot are safe to prevent any injuries.

A New Road to Driving

Anthony Chan, Photo Editor | December 15, 2017

With students now reaching 16 years of age, the school’s parking lot will be expecting many new drivers. In order to park and drive at school, getting a license during or after the age of 16 is required. At...

Donate to Portola Pilot
$200
$500
Contributed
Our Goal

Activate Search
The student news site of Portola High School
Showcase