Academics – Page 8 – Pueblo High School

Congratulations Class Of 2017 Winter Graduates

This semester, seven Pueblo students will be receiving their high school diploma. (This list is subject to change at the last moment, grades pending.)

According to Ms. Rachel Apalategui, Pueblo’s registrar, the following seven students will be graduating tonight:

1. Yuriel Escalante Valenzuela
2. Eva Espinosa
3. Raul Garcia
4. Cody Johnson
5. Jazmin Rivas
6. Joel Molina
7. Gabriel Palomino

Most of these students will be attending a graduation ceremony for all T.U.S.D. high school students tonight, Thursday, Dec. 21 at 6 p.m. at Catalina High School. According to Apalategui, perhaps as many as 100 students across the district will be graduating tonight.

One of those lucky Warrior graduates is Gabriel Palomino, who needed an extra semester to catch up his credits. Specifically, he needed two credits in science and math.

“I still feel as if I’m the Class of 2017, even though it’s going to be in December,” Palomino said. “I’m an example of a student who didn’t concentrate and didn’t do work on time. But, I just want other students to know that they should push on—things do get better. It all comes with time.”

Palomino plans to pursue a career in culinary arts at Pima Community College immediately after he earns his degree from Pueblo.

“This degree means a lot to me, but it’s not the end of my academic road,” Palomino said. “I’ve worked too hard to give up now.”

Warriors Honored For Perfect Attendance

by Arlie Kontic

Beginning this school year, Pueblo High School administrators will honor students who have perfect attendance in an effort to encourage students to be present every day.

Earlier this school year, in September, 252 Pueblo Warriors earned a certificate because of their perfect attendance. Freshmen led last month’s perfect attendance statistics, according to Assistant Principal Kathryn Gunnels, who created this program in order to stimulate better attendance.

Gunnels said, “We want to reward [our students with] good behavior, and perfect attendance is a great start.” She added that they will be awarding students who achieve perfect attendance with certificates each month throughout this school year—and surprising some students with prizes.

Juan Romero Ruiz with Assistant Principal Kathryn Gunnels

One of those “surprised” students, freshman Juan Romero Ruiz, was very honored by Gunnels.

“I’m just doing what I’m supposed to do,” he said. “I come to school every day like all students should.”

Sophomore Jessica Prado, another student who was honored for her perfect attendance, said, “I do face some challenges with the traffic, but I still manage to get to Pueblo. Waking up and getting here are definite challenges, but earning high grades motivates me the most.”

Freshman Alyssa Soza echoed Prado.

“I’m committed to high grades,” Soza said, “and that means having perfect attendance so that I don’t miss anything in the classroom.”

Gunnels said she hopes seniors—the class with the worst attendance during the first quarter—take their last year of high school seriously, and to “kill” the “senioritis” bug now.

Teachers, too, have been receiving “Perfect Attendance” certificates—a message from administrators that teachers are definitely appreciated, too, for their commitment to being here every day.

In October, another 214 Warriors achieved perfect attendance; in November, however, the number of students with perfect attendance dropped drastically—to just 150.

Gunnels said that she does not speculate why there was a dramatic drop from October to November.

Learning Support Coordinator Ms. Sarah Barnes, a new employee to Pueblo this school year, distributed these certificates to teachers.

“Teachers should definitely be rewarded for their stellar attendance, too,” Barnes said. “It says a lot about our educators when they are here every day.”

Sub Speaks Out, Encourages Students To Take Risks, Dress For Success

By Jessica Prado

Among the two or three hundred substitute teachers that Pueblo welcomes every school year, very few can boast that they have published a book, attended the legendary Woodstock Music Festival in 1969 and dress better than most of our contract teachers.

Ms. Diane Donato is definitely difficult to miss. She loves fashion—her fashion—and she wears it well.

“The way you dress truly represents yourself to the world,” Donato said. “When you look better, you feel better.”

Donato feels so strongly about clothing and fashion that she based her published book, Clothes Encounters of the Divine Kind, on the premise that what she wears has made—and continues to make—a colossal difference in her own spiritual awakening and that her attire has helped her to “heal” from a series of personal tragedies in her past.

Raised in Waterbury, Conn., Donato said that she grew up “a free spirit”. After graduating high school in 1967, she attended college and was among the millions of young people protesting the Vietnam War.

“I wanted to help the world become a better place,” Donato said. “I still would love to help save the world.”

She added that she “took a break” in the middle of her college years in August 1969 to attend the Woodstock Music and Art Festival in upstate New York—known today as simply “Woodstock”—where nearly half a million people rejoiced in their generation’s greatest musical artists.

“I definitely identified with much of the music from that era,” Donato said. “One of that era’s greatest songs was John Lennon’s ‘Give Peace A Chance’, which is still as relevant today as it was nearly 40 years ago. I’m all about world peace.”

After a lot of cold winters and expensive real estate, Donato ventured to Arizona at age 65, a few years after she retired.

“I really want to be a motivational speaker,” she said. “I have a lot to say to a lot of people. One thing I would like to tell all young people is that they should take risks and follow their passions.”

Donato’s book, Clothes Encounters of the Divine Kind, is available at Barnes and Noble or online at Amazon in both soft and hard covers.

Mr. Cortez—Back in ‘Familiar’ Territory

by Inez Gonzales

Spanish teacher Mr. Eleuterio Cortez is one out of the two dozen or more new teachers and staff members new to Pueblo this year.

Cortez, who teaches students in grades 9-12, is very motivated to teach them about the Spanish culture and language. If he looked familiar to some students on the first day, it is because he substituted at Pueblo last year.

“I have absolutely no complaints as a new, full-time teacher,” Cortez said. “I love it so far, and my students have been great!” he said.

“I enjoy my time in what I do, and I hope to be here for many years,” said Cortez.

As a Pueblo graduate from the Class of 2006, Cortez said that he is already familiar with the school, and he is glad that many of his former teachers are still here—such as science teacher Ms. Fatima Lopez; Spanish teacher Mr. Eleazar Ortiz; and English teachers Ms. Andrea Ayala and Ms. Kathryn Gunnels. He added that “it helps to have family here, too”; one of Pueblo’s newest English teachers, Ms. Imelda Cortez, is his cousin.

He added that even though Mr. Steve Lopez is now an administrator at Valencia Middle School, Cortez learned a great deal in his classroom.

“Pueblo was always very good to me,” Cortez said, “and it’s a privilege that I have this opportunity to return as a teacher and give something back in return.”

Warriors Get Hint Of Future At College Night

by Paula Fierros & Celestina Marinez

On Oct. 24, several thousand high school seniors (and even some juniors!) attended College Night, once again held at the Tucson Convention Center—a golden opportunity for our Southern Arizona near-high school graduates to be offered hundreds of collegiate choices and opportunities.

Nearly 50 of our Pueblo Warriors attended this two-hour evening event, giving students enough time to tour the booths for each college. There were nearly 200 colleges and universities represented at this event.

Class of 2018 Senior Carlos Chavez at Tucson College Night

Senior Ashely Andrade said she enjoyed looking at the U of A booth—which offered her education for her career interest in nursing.

Senior Robert Marinez also enjoyed the U of A booth since it offered engineering.

Senior Iram Arce said, “I spent a lot of time talking to representatives from the University of New Mexico not necessarily about that school’s academic classes but because of the great personality of the representative. He didn’t treat us condescendingly, and I picked up a couple of tips about college while I was talking to him.”

Seniors who have an idea of their future career have simplified their options based on what universities had to offer.

Senior Adela Garados said that she enjoyed speaking with multiple college and university booths.

“I really want to study foreign languages such as Italian and French,” Garados said. “It’s difficult to find universities and colleges that offer languages as a career.”

Plenty of high school juniors who attended College Night, as they are already becoming curious about their futures.

“Attending College Night was refreshing and definitely eye-opening,” junior Laura Conde said. “Even though I won’t be graduating for another year and a half, I am taking my time deciding where to attend college when I graduate in 2019. It’ll be here sooner than later.”

Pueblo Welcomes Mr. Alejandro Menchaca

by Kyra Ycedo

With the arrival of many new faculty and staff members, Pueblo welcomes new College and Career support interventionist, Mr. Alejandro Menchaca, to the Warrior family.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Menchaca taught two years of Spanish before moving to Arizona approximately two years later, where he taught another five years of Spanish. However, despite leaving his high school job, he still wanted to continue work with secondary education students due to his passion for teaching.

“Working in [high] schools with students is great because they are very optimistic and very energetic,” said Menchaca.

“I really like Pueblo because of Dr. Romero’s leadership,” Menchaca said. He paused and added, “I also like working at Pueblo because it’s a South side community, and I’m able to relate to the Latin community.”

This year, Menchaca hopes to work closely with students, teachers, parents and the community to help with whatever he can. However, for now he has a lot of advice for our seniors.

“I recommend they [seniors] participate in events that I am helping to plan,” he said. “Our seniors also need to complete their FASFA, learn about college and the many career opportunities. At the same time, they also need to ask their teachers about their college experiences. I hope that the events that I help coordinate this school year will allow our seniors to better prepare for post-high school life.”