School Awards – Pueblo High School

Look In The Sky…It’s A Bird…It’s A Plane…No, It’s Our Drone!

By Angelita Delcido

On March 29, 2017, during 4th period (and first lunch for some), Pueblo’s CTE Graphic and Web Design teacher, Mr. Ernesto Somoza, gathered all of the spring sports girls’ teams—including soccer, basketball, volleyball, softball (as well as Cheer)—to celebrate their upcoming “AIA Tony Komadina Award” with a group picture.

This picture was taken a little unusual; in fact, a drone snapped the picture in effort to “stay in the current world,” Somoza explained. “[The drone] is a fairly new consumer product,” he added. “A year ago, the drone wasn’t as prominent as now.”

Freshman (Class of 2020) Jacquelyn Gutierrez, a member of Cheer this season, was part of the crowd. “It was exciting to be part of this event,” Gutierrez said. “I felt inclusive with Pueblo—like I was a member of this great school, like I was really connected to the school. As a freshman, this is a great feeling because I think we all come into high school and feel a little left out. But, that’s all changed now.”

Another freshman (Class of 2020) Alina Cuen, member of cheer, also took part of the crowd photo and said, “I felt special and proud to represent Pueblo. The drone was definitely a unique way to take our pictures. Mr. Somoza was brilliant to have thought of this approach.”

Sophia Shivers, a freshman (Class of 2020), was on this season’s girls’ JV basketball team said, “Even though it was really hot that afternoon, I felt cool to represent Pueblo’s girls’ sports programs. The drone was cool, too, and I think that this is how future group pictures should be taken.”

Sophomore (Class of 2019) Yazmin Almazan, a member of the girls’ JV volleyball team this season, said that she felt a sense of unity with the other girls at Pueblo, and she loved the drone!

“The drone took some very unique shots of us—pictures that a person would never be able to take. I hope that the drone is used again to take more interesting pictures,” Almazan said.

Some of our Female Warrior Athletes gather at Farber Field to celebrate our 2016-2017 AIA #TonyKomadina Award! ????#DroneShots #Recognition pic.twitter.com/pzVXm4CMDC

— Pueblo HS Athletics (@PuebloAthletics) March 29, 2017

Mr. Campbell: Being His Best

By Aliah Luna

$Math Heroes By Raytheon Logo$ Pueblo math teacher Mr. Charles William (“Billy”) Campbell was honored for being the recipient of the “MathMovesU Math Hero” award. He received the official news that he was just one of 25 math teachers in thirteen states to be honored for this award.

Nominated by co-teacher Ms. Shanti Foster last semester, Campbell learned early last summer that he would be competing in the finals. Campbell was asked a series of questions on an application and his responses determined him to be a finalist.

On August 31, Campbell was informed that he was one of the 25 recipients of the math award.

Charles Billy Campbell Math Teacher Pueblo Awarded — Mr. Charles William “Billy” Campbell

“I feel a greater sense of accomplishment for being honored for what I do every day,” Campbell said. “It’s a pretty big thing, you know? Being recognized for the hard work you do is always nice—and we [teachers] feel as good as students who are nominated for an award. It’s like somebody saying, ‘Good job’.”

Campbell said that he wholeheartedly loves his job and is always striving to teach math to Pueblo students to the best of his ability. He added that no matter what he does, there is always a way to be better.

“Whatever I do, I want to do it well,” Campbell said. “Whether it’s teaching, playing video games, being and playing with my son, I want to do it the best I possibly can be.”

Campbell said that after receiving this award, he felt a sense of knowing that he is doing something right. He also expressed gratitude to his students for allowing him to teach them and that they continue to motivate him to always be his best.

“I feel there are a lot of people to thank, but most importantly, I’d like to say, ‘Thank you’ to all of my students,” he said. “They allow me to work hard with the best educators. I have worked with a lot of great teachers throughout the years, especially here at Pueblo. I am so fortunate to work with and belong to the most awesome math department!”

Campbell received $2,500 for his award, and that same amount was matched and awarded to Pueblo.

Congratulations Mr. Campbell! We are proud of you!

Student Advances to Spring ‘Bee’ Finals

By Gabriela Gastelum

Bernadette Romero Wins Pueblo Bee 2014 — 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.

Pueblo Honored With Bronze Award In HealthierUS School Challenge [Update: Video]

Video of entire ceremony:

From TUSD Press Release:

Event to celebrate three TUSD schools that won national
Bronze Awards in HealthierUS School Challenge

C.E. Rose, Tully elementary schools, Pueblo High lauded for improvements in food, nutrition, exercise

Tucson, AZ, November 15, 2013 – Three Tucson Unified School District schools will be honored for earning a Bronze Award in the HealthierUS School Challenge at a celebration on Nov. 20 from 10 a.m. to noon at Pueblo High School’s auditorium, 3500 S. 12th Ave.

C.E. Rose and Tully elementary schools and Pueblo Magnet High School earned the designation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s voluntary healthy school initiative by meeting criteria in three areas: offering healthful food options, providing nutrition education and increasing physical activity.

The TUSD schools are the only schools in Tucson to be recognized with the awards, and Pueblo is the first high school in Arizona to win the award.

At the celebration, each school will showcase activities their teams accomplished to earn the award, and students will share their stories. TUSD’s Food Services department will host a taste-test exhibit featuring new FUSION stations that have been added to some school cafeterias. FUSION menu items incorporate cuisines from around the world.

Mary Szafranski, associate superintendent for Health and Nutrition Services at the Arizona Department of Education, will present the awards. TUSD Superintendent H.T. Sanchez, Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, community partners and other representatives from the Arizona Department of Education will be in attendance to congratulate the schools.

Shirley Sokol, director of TUSD’s Food Services, and her department have worked closely with the schools and their nutrition teams to develop menus and make changes that led to achieving the Bronze Award.

“I was impressed by activities at each school: The walking paths, the field trips to the grocery store, the school gardens that tie into lifelong lessons,” Sokol says. “Students at Pueblo High School wanted to know what they should do to incorporate a healthy diet and exercise plan into their life. I found their commitment to pass on the information they learned to their families and communities unbending.”

Pueblo Biotech Featured On NSTA

Pueblo’s Biotechnology Program was featured on National Science Teacher Association’s website.

Here’s the excerpt:

Another awardee also has introduced innovations to the classroom. Andrew Lettes, a science teacher at Pueblo Magnet High School in Tucson, Arizona, received the Ron Mardigian Memorial Biotechnology Explorer Award, sponsored by Bio-Rad Laboratories, and says he has “worked for over 10 years to bring biotechnology into the classroom.” He points out that “students must be engaged with relevant ‘hands-on’ curriculum, but the trick is to find the ‘hook’ for our student population…At Pueblo, I found the ‘hook,’ biotechnology.” He says his school’s biotechnology program “provides college preparation for our students, plus provides genuine work-based learning. Students work in science, not simply read about it during a career search on the internet.”

According to Lettes, biotechnology “not only attracts the already college-bound students, but also those who are interested in work experience. Students who have mastered the content and students who have mastered the technical skills are equally valued in my classroom. This fosters a cooperative atmosphere where all students try to do well. Truly biotechnology is the rising tide that lifts all boats.” His award also provides funding to attend NSTA’s national conference. When asked about his agenda in Indianapolis, he replies, “I plan on enjoying the workshops given by my peers. Classroom teachers have a wonderful insight on what works. I also would like to network with other educators.”

Congratulations Dr. Andrew Lettes! You represent Pueblo with Pride!

Read entire article.

Pueblo Takes 1st Place At UA Trebuchet Competition

Pueblo science students took 1^st place at the 1^st Annual Trebuchet Competition at UA on Sunday October 30^th sponsored by Raytheon, MESA, and the Physics Factory. Warriors competed and beat teams including Salpointe and adult engineers.

Pueblo trebuchet fired 98 meters hitting target dead-on on second attempt. 1st attempt was only 3 feet off.

Competition was to design, construct and fire a trebuchet (gravity-powered catapult) for distance and accuracy. Competition took place on the UA Mall where over ten teams competed from various schools and groups including Salpointe Catholic High and a team of professional engineers.

Teams were given four shots (2 for distance and 2 for accuracy.) Pueblo’s range was around 100 meters. Despite having the option of pulling target back in to have a better chance of accuracy as most teams did, Team Pueblo was so sharp that they set their target at the maximum distance they fired previously and still hit the 7 foot by 5 foot target dead center 98 meters away. This is the length of about a football field! Here’s a short video of winning shot:

A big crowd gathered at the UA Mall and the team definitely represented Pueblo well.

No team was more efficient in setting up and launching within the 3 minute time limit than Pueblo. No team showed more spirit than Pueblo. No team showed the most character in helping other teams than Pueblo. No team deserved the win more than Pueblo.

Student participants were:

Maricela Bravo (Freshman), Cecilia Machado (Freshman), Zelin Pallanes (Freshman), Raul Ballesteros (Junior), Rafael Lopez (Junior), Aaron Barrera (Junior), Rodger Seratt (Junior), Bill DeLaRosa (Senior) & Arthur Hernandez (Senior).

Thanks to everyone for your support and encouragement. Special thanks goes to Diane and Mark Bouchard for financial, carpentry, and engineering support.

[Story compiled by Jim Uomoto]