Category: Academics

Uomoto ReTIRES from Pueblo, Expands Bike Business

By Julio Moreno

After a dozen years as a science teacher at Pueblo Magnet High School, Mr. James Uomoto decided to retire last month at the end of the first semester —or, as he would prefer to call it: “to switch his focus.”

Since ’02, Uomoto taught freshman integrated science and physics. He occasionally interjected to his students not only his enthusiasm for his subject matter, but his passion for his other job—owning and maintaining a motorized bicycle shop, which he affectionately calls “U-MOTO Motorized Bicycles”.

“I am not actually retiring,” Uomoto asserted. “I’m just transitioning to my business full-time.”

Although excited for the success of his bike business, Uomoto said that he could not deny his sadness about leaving Pueblo, his home, after 12 years.

“I will definitely miss helping students grow and achieve, being part of the process of helping student better themselves,” he said. “I’m also going to miss the faculty and staff here at Pueblo because they are truly the standard of excellent education.”

Uomoto said that he was inspired by his father, an Amphi Middle School teacher, to become an educator after witnessing the joy that his students brought to him.

He added that education is not a particularly easy field to dive into, but wants future educators to know some of the most valuable lessons he has learned while at Pueblo.

“You [new teachers] definitely need to develop a sense of humor early on,” Uomoto said, “and don’t take things to seriously or you’ll go crazy!”

“Teaching always comes with its share of challenges,” he said. Uomoto’s biggest challenge, he said,” was finding new ways to inspire students and to engage them intellectually.”

“The challenge is to motivate students to find the answers as to why they need to pursue education in life,” he said. “It’s a good challenge, though, don’t get me wrong. Anything in life worth doing is a challenge, and I appreciate it because it has helped me become better at my craft.

With a heavy heart, Pueblo Magnet High School says its goodbyes to Mr. James Uomoto and wishes him luck in all of his future endeavors.

If you would like to learn more about U-MOTO Bicycles, visit umotobikes.com.

Student Advances to Spring ‘Bee’ Finals

By Gabriela Gastelum

Bernadette Romero Wins Pueblo Bee in 2014

The annual Vocabulary Bee was the buzz earlier this semester, and on Nov. 24, two Pueblo Magnet High School students competed—sophomore Valentino Lugo, and the victor, junior Bernadette Romero.

According to counselor Ms. Teresa Toro, the Academic Scholar Club wants to address the need for the students to use the most frequently used words on the SAT/ACT in order to help them be more successful for higher college-entrance exam scores and also to increase their diction in all writing assignments.

“Last year, I lost the Bee,” Romero said, “so I’ve been studying ever since because I really wanted to be the champion this school year. For the past year, I’ve been practicing using all the words in sentences—and I even tried to use these words on a daily basis.” She paused and added, “I felt very successful as the Vocabulary Bee champion this semester.”

“The Vocabulary Bee started with great support, but unfortunately, the enthusiasm seemed to wane,” Toro said. “Maybe we can generate more enthusiasm next year because we really want our students to increase their word choice.”

Toro said, “This contest is not a traditional spelling bee. Students are not required to spell the vocabulary word. But, they do have to enunciate the words, know their definitions and be able to utilize the words in sentences.”
She added that it’s not too early to promote interest for next year’s Vocabulary Bee, and if students are interested in participating, they should find a teacher-mentor who would like to spend time preparing them for the next Vocabulary Bee in the fall of 2015.

Romero has been rewarded with a Samsung Galaxy tablet and will have the opportunity to have lunch with her mentor and Pueblo’s principal Dr. Augustine Romero, on Wednesday, Dec. 17.

Mr. Jesus Orduño, Romero’s teacher mentor, was awarded a tote bag full of school supplies.

Students Attend Camp, Learn Leadership Skills

By Julie Harrison and Cynthia Rojas

Pueblo SkillsUSA Students attend Camp

Pueblo Magnet High School’s SkillsUSA 10 club members and its two advisors attended the 2014 SkillsUSA leadership training camp in Williams, AZ, for three days, Nov. 12-14.

One of the primary objectives of this trip was to train SkillsUSA members to build leadership skills and to unite the group through a multitude of activities during the three-day event.

“The trip was very helpful—not only for me personally but for the entire group as well,” said Jesus Alvarez, a senior. He added, “We were able to bring back ice-breaking techniques and learn new ways to become effective leaders.”

During their trip, SkillsUSA members networked with other SkillsUSA groups and programs across the state, and in the process, they learned their own strengths and weaknesses as well as communication skills between their own members and other groups.

When the students arrived, they had the opportunity to set up their cabin rooms. Then, they had a chance to socialize with other students until opening session that evening. At this session, students listened to a key-note speaker who engaged them in ice-breaking activities. Dinner followed this session, and then students were divided into six regional meetings.

A dodge ball tournament, which was hosted and organized by one of the Tucson schools (Canyon Del Oro), followed the meetings, and Pueblo’s team advanced to the semi-final tournament.

The next day, the students participated in various classes that provided them with a multitude of leadership activities and trainings.

Advisor Pete Pederson, who also teaches graphic arts and the yearbook, said, “As an advisor, I also was able to gain knowledge of how to incorporate my students’ talents and their individuality into the classroom. This camp helped me with altering my curriculum in a way that built a community and develop student leadership.”

Pederson added that he noticed that members who attended this camp were already exemplifying better and stronger leadership qualities upon their return to Pueblo.

Ms. Marie Little, the other SkillsUSA advisor, said, “I picked up materials in leadership and personal responsibility that can be integrated in automotive skills and utilized by myself and my students in the delivery of instruction.”

Leonardo Serrano, a senior, said, “When we got back from this trip, we decided to plan a new lesson with Ms. [Marie] Little. We participated in ice-breakers, and gained a lot of knowledge about each other.” He added, “This trip and all of the activities that we did during those days really brought us together while helping us students to become better leaders.”

Library Opens (Finally!)

by Cynthia Rojas

Pueblo Magnet High School’s wait for our library to open full-time has finally ended. This week, Pueblo’s library will be open to students, as a library assistant has been hired: Mr. Leo Graves.

For the first 15 weeks of this school year, Pueblo students did not have access to the library throughout the entire school day.

“Not having a full-time library goes against common sense regarding education, especially at a time when I desperately needed help researching or looking for a book,” said Julie Harrison, a senior.

Our new principal, Dr. Augustine Romero, was working diligently to ensure students access to their school’s library.

“The district thought we had a set fund for a librarian, but when brought to their attention, they saw that there was no budget for this position,” he said.

Up until this week, some Pueblo teachers served as substitute librarians in the mornings and after school. However, this was little comfort to some who needed access to the library throughout the school day.

Ms. Karen Rimmell, who teaches sophomore and junior English, said, “It is difficult for teachers and students alike to receive the help they needed when it comes to researching a subject for an essay, especially when their time in the library was limited to before and after school.”

Students also were unable to visit the library before the school day to finish work. This frustrated many Pueblo students.

Yasmine Osuna-Saenz, a junior, stated, “For the first quarter and a half, I had to interrupt teachers who have a computer lab in order to finish work I have yet to complete.” She added, “Unfortunately, during this time, students who did not have access to computers at home needed to use a computer in the library—when the computer labs were completely full. To even have an assistant librarian is awesome! Maybe nobody will be stealing books now.”

Mr. Jesus Orduño, Spanish teacher, said, “It is a shame that we could not afford a librarian at Pueblo until now. Throughout my K-12 grade years and all throughout my college years, I have always had a librarian. They were major contributors to my success.”

Not having a librarian for the first 15 weeks of the school year made our library a popular ditching spot, according to parent-mentor Ms. Evelia Lopez, whose office is near the library. She said that students ditched in the library every day and nearly every period.

Dr. Romero said that many students and teachers have vented to him about the hardships of not being able to use the library and is relieved that students and teaches will be able to use this important resource. He added that he is aware that some books have been borrowed or have “walked away”—and he asks those who have taken these books to return them to the library.

Dr. Romero insisted, “There will be a full-time librarian next year—the district will ensure that we have a budget for this much-needed position.”

Class of ’15: All the Way to May!

by Anais Salais

Pueblo Class Of 2015 Motivated To Graduate
Back row: Julio Moreno, Destiny Felix, Leo Serrano, Hilario Ochoa, Joseph Ochoa. Front row: Catalina Flores, Julian Francisco, President Maria Louisa Vega, Sabrina Parra, Sierra Mejia, Esmeralda Salazar

The past 2013-14 school year experienced the lowest graduating class in the recent history of Pueblo Magnet High School, with only 197 students walking the night of graduation, May 22 (although another 23 graduated after attending summer school), according to Ms. Marina Ordonez, Pueblo’s registrar.

There are several factors why not all 283 seniors walked in May, but the biggest was students’ lack of credits, she said.

Another factor that held back seniors were AIMS scores. Of the 2013-14 seniors who still needed to pass math AIMS, only 17% actually did—accounting for just 12 students.

Despite the grim Class of 2014 graduation numbers, the statistic could have been even worse. Several dozens of students were able to graduate on time because of AIMS prep courses and through the CCLC program, which allowed many students to pass one or more portions of AIMS.

This school year, CCLC is in full-force, Ms. Mary Wallace said. Also, math tutoring will continue this school year after school with various math teachers; Mr. Rashad Robinson will continue to tutor students on Saturdays to help those students who are struggling to pass math AIMS.

To ensure that all 360 seniors graduate on May 21, 2015, some believe it will take more than just credit recovery classes and AIMS prep.

Few students care as much about this year’s graduation numbers as senior class president Maria Louisa Vega.

“I think that last year’s seniors may not have been as academically driven,” Vega said. “The graduation number was small, but they were a small class to begin with at the beginning of their senior year. We [the class of 2015] are a larger class, and I feel that our class of 2015 is a more unified group [than the class of 2014] who really wants the best for each other.”

Vega is hopeful that this year’s seniors will continue to motivate each other.

“I plan to be everyone’s shoulder to lean on whenever they need help,” said Vega. “I just feel that if everyone has someone to help them along the way, we can make sure that our class remains united and, in the end, triumphant.”

Wallace said, “First and foremost, our [Pueblo] students need to step up. We also need to better educate the students and their parents on the importance of graduating and furthering their education.”

Warriors Welcome New Assistant Principal

By Anais Salais

Pueblo Magnet High School welcomes a new member to the administration team this year, Ms. Alma Carmona-Alday, who is the new Assistant Principal of Community, Advanced Learning and Academic Associated Projects.

This is Carmona-Alday’s first assistant principal position, and with her strong background in education in teaching kindergarten—as well as being a learning support coordinator for TUSD at McCorkle K-8—she said that she feels ready to make a positive impact at Pueblo.

“I feel really welcomed and I am excited to be here!” said Carmona-Alday. “I love being in the classrooms and at the lunches because it gives me the chance to get to know the students better.”

Carmona-Alday was born and raised here in Tucson. She attended Davis Elementary, Utterback Middle School and Tucson High Magnet School. She earned two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Arizona in bilingual education and Spanish, as well as two master’s degrees from Northern Arizona University—in school counseling and educational leadership.

Even though she is very busy with her duties as an assistant principal, Carmona-Alday said that she enjoys dancing and even was a Zumba instructor at Desert View High School.

She admitted that she always loved dancing, and for many years, she thought that she would become a full-time dance teacher.

“After I earned my administrative degree, I found out that Pueblo didn’t have a dance teacher for a while, and I was hoping to become long-term substitute teacher—but I couldn’t because all of the work I was involved with as an administrator,” Carmona-Alday said.

Her husband is a teacher at Sunnyside High School, and they have two children, ages three and five.

“I wwouldn’t have gotten where I am now without my husband and family,” said Carmona-Alday.

Carmona-Alday has a positive outlook on this school year and the future of Pueblo that she aims to be a part of.

“I never thought I would love Pueblo so much,” she said. “I hope to be here for a long period of time.”

She admitted that she is very ambitious and that her goal is to one day become a principal. Her goal for now is to inspire Pueblo students to help make a positive impact at the school and in the community.

“Pueblo is going to be what our students make of it, and I hope that our students don’t ever give up on Pueblo,” said Carmona-Alday.