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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

Social studies teacher Virginia Nguyen began a book club this summer to facilitate anti-racism work within IUSD. Over 80 educators have participated so far. Nguyen uses “So You Want to Talk About Race” by Ijeoma Oluo to guide discussions on how to destigmatize the topic of race and implement these conversations in various environments.

Staff and Students Bring Discussions on Racial Equality to the Classroom

Kelthie Truong, Managing Editor | September 30, 2020

After protests associated with the Black Lives Matter Movement increased the pressure on discussions about systemic racism, teachers and students initiated a series of proposals over the summer that initiated...

With school districts’ increased reliance on remote learning, high-speed internet access at home has become a higher priority for many students. Without a reliable online connection to their classes, students affected by the digital divide have no choice but to be less active participants in their learning.

IUSD Serves as a Model in Bridging Today’s Digital Divide

Ryan Jung, Staff Writer | September 30, 2020

Access to technology plays a significant role in ensuring academic success for today’s students, which has been amplified by the shift to virtual learning due to the spread of COVID-19. However, not...

Many student athletes play in front of college recruiters in order to establish relationships with them.

Student Athletes Try to Find Solutions For College Recruitments

Ava Caleca and Haruka Noda | September 29, 2020

COVID-19 has had a large impact on high school CIF tournaments, students’ college scholarships and college recruitments. Many student athletes are concerned that the pause in games, tournaments and on-campus...

All departments are working on their own equity and social justice based goals to audit their curricula. This is reflected in social studies classrooms through lessons and activities on Black contributions to philosophy, major world events and American culture, according to social studies department chair Jon Resendez.

Teachers Adopt Racially-Diverse Curricula to Support Anti-Racism

Akshay Raj and Dheeksha Bhima Reddy | September 28, 2020

Since the IUSD Board of Education adopted Resolution No. 19-20-48 on June 23 to support the Black Lives Matter movement and racial justice in the classroom, teachers have taken steps to address the marginalization...

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...

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