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

The facts presented in the podcast may not exactly be the type of facts that you’ll need to know for your American History class, but they’ll definitely make you laugh out loud and put you in an upbeat mood.

Podcast Recommendations for Those Who Don’t Know Where to Start

Celine Lee, Staff Writer | September 25, 2020

With millions of podcasts in dozens of genres and subgenres, the world of podcasts can be intimidating for beginners who don’t know where to start. Here are four podcasts, from daily news to crime, that...

According to head football coach and athletics director Peter Abe, the athletics department is constantly considering the balance between slowing the spread of the Coronavirus and maintaining the physical and emotional health and wellbeing of student athletes.

Football Prepares for Season with Socially Distanced Practices

Kate Hayashi, Co-Editor-in-Chief | September 24, 2020

While the earliest sports games are not scheduled to take place until January, football is one of the few sports that has begun in-person practices under strict health and social distancing guidelines.  Football...

Although the four houses may not exist anymore, ASB has already started hosting competitions between classes on the ASB Instagram page @portola.asb. Classes can earn points if they win, which will go toward winning the house cup at the end of the year.

Switch to Class System Leads to Boost in Spirit

Zara Shirwany, Staff Writer | September 24, 2020

The new class system is officially in place this year, replacing the house system that was used in prior years now that all four classes have had a chance to experience being a part of one of the four...

Quarantine Brings New Meaning to Comfort Foods

Quarantine Brings New Meaning to Comfort Foods

Jaein Kim and Kelthie Truong | September 24, 2020

Whether it be the joy that comes from birthday cake or the childhood nostalgia from a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese, food is often associated with certain emotions, one of which is comfort. The quarantine...

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...

According to a 2017 study published by Occupational Medicine, longer working hours are associated with depression, anxiety and sleep issues. This research helps explain why students often feel exhausted and overwhelmed after each virtual school day, in which they have few breaks and the learning is continuous.

Five Minutes Is Not Enough: Why the Distance Learning Schedule Requires More Breaks

Charlotte Cao and Aryan Mittal | September 21, 2020

The Coronavirus pandemic has brought about many significant changes to Portola High, but one of the most noticeable was the transition to distance learning. The distance learning time schedule might appear...

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...

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