The Trojan Oracle Vol 6
Semester 1 2024
Fall Sports Assembly
Being a student-athlete in high school is a huge task, and at CPHS, we love to celebrate those who go above and beyond. Junior Leilani Roche says that the hardest part about being a student-athlete is "getting home at 10 from a game and having to wake up at six to get to zero period on time. Not to mention when I still have homework to complete. But it's very doable, and I wouldn't have it any other way." Junior Reina Guerrero enjoys playing a sport because "I like to stay active and get some exercise. It's also fun to meet new people and makes my time here in high school more enjoyable."
Thank you to all our student-athletes.
Hands-on learning and applying classroom skills to a career are essential in today's world. This is why our CTE Construction class at CPH is one of the most popular electives. Here, students learn the ins and outs of electrical work, plumbing, and framing. These skills are highly desirable in the workforce, which is why the Construction and Trades Fair hosted by Mr. Gamez is key to helping students plan for their future.
This year, the event was held during the school day after lunch to ensure we meet students where they are. Teachers signed up their classes to attend the quad during the period and talk to various union trades, colleges, and other community partners. Senior Jacob Carillo said that this event was "cool because we had the chance to talk to different representatives from varying backgrounds and careers. I like that it showed students other options than just going straight to a traditional four-year after high school."
This amazing event benefited many students, and we appreciate those who helped organize it and volunteered their time. We are looking forward to next year's event.
Halloween time is always fun at the Land of Troy. If there's one thing we love to do, it's dress up. Whether it's as a favorite cartoon character from our childhood or a horror movie slasher, getting dressed up is always a blast. This year, we had a lot of student and staff participation.
One of the most memorable staff outfits was Mr. Manroe as Gargamel, the villain from the Smurfs. Some standout student costumes included senior Karolina Angulo as Daphne from Scooby-Doo and seniors Mia Sanchez and Camila Carranza as the early 2000s hip-hop artist Soulja Boy.
All in all, this time of year always brings a lot of joy and laughter to the Land of Troy.
Wow, how time has passed! CPHS celebrated its 61st Homecoming, a tradition that brings together current students and alumni to celebrate school spirit and community. As one of the oldest schools in the district, CPHS boasts a rich history with a deep alumni roster proudly wearing red and black.
This year, due to ongoing stadium renovations, we had to make some adjustments, but it worked out in the end. The Homecoming court included Ruben Rivera, Jazmine Coronel, Daniel Mendoza, Chloe Cortez, Evelyn Rodriguez, Junior Lopez, Ashley Rodriguez, Christian Hayes, Mia Meza, and Israel Zavala. Students enjoyed a fun-filled week of activities, from dressing up in their favorite HOCO team colors to playing musical chairs at lunch.
On Friday night, excitement filled the air as students eagerly awaited the announcement of their favorite candidates. The Homecoming court walked down the field with friends and family by their side as Mr. Vargas Jr. announced Christian Hayes as King and Jazmine Coronel as Queen.
Another Homecoming is in the books for CPHS. Although this one was a little different, we appreciated the tradition being kept alive by ASB and Mrs. Acosta. Thank you to the court for participating, and we hope you have made some awesome memories that will last a lifetime.
At Castle Park High School, we strive to ensure that students who are eligible and wish to apply to a four-year university feel supported. This year students who were A-G eligible and had a GPA of 2.8 or higher were given a congratulatorymletter and encouraged to apply to one four-year university. We also hosted a UC Personal Insight Question workshop, in conjunction with the counseling team, during 3rd period on September 11th. We invited A-G students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher to receive guidance on how to effectively and professionally answer these questions. A representative from UC Berkeley was present to explain the process to the students.
During the week of September 16th to 20th, students who met the requirements to apply to a UC were invited to the computer lab. There, Mr. Dunkle, Mrs. Miller, and a UCSD representative assisted students during class time to complete their applications. During the week of October 7th and November 11th students were given class time during English to receive help from the CARPE and counseling team to work on their UC and CSU applications.
Here are some words from students who attended the workshop:
In an interview, Camila Carranza, a 12th-grade student, was asked how the workshop helped her with the UC application process. She responded, "I think it was really nice to have a UC representative come in and explain to us in detail all the steps toward completing the application. That way, any confusion can be cleared up."
Emilio Surposa, another 12th-grade student, said, "I think it helped me out a lot because the teachers helping informed me about the applications and what I need to do. The teachers also walked around, answered my questions thoroughly, and helped me every step of the way."
Isabel Rodriguez, a 12th-grade student, was asked what Castle Park High could do to improve the college application process. She answered, "I think if they were more descriptive about life on campus and the campuses in general, it would bring more interest to students to apply to these schools. I also think that students need to be reminded of the requirements periodically."
As we move into the second semester CPHS has plans to support students with community college registration, trade school applications and the FAFSA or CADA (financial aid) application. More information to come. It brings us joy to hear that students are being served and staff are willing to help.
Before Thanksgiving break, CPHS hosted their 4th annual College and Career Week. It had been since before COVID-19 that this event was held at CPHS, but the staff were eager to get this meaningful event up and running again. The event consisted of students working on special projects such as conducting a career research project, interviewing a family member or friend about their career pathway, and completing a college research project. With the help of staff and alumni, CPHS was able to host more than 40 presenters who shared their career pathways with students. We hosted lawyers, realtors, engineers, cosmetologists, small business owners, nurses, law enforcement officers, financial planners, construction workers, professors, and many more.
Students were engaged and asked many great questions. English department lead, Mrs. Miller, explained, "We aimed to reintroduce this special event at CPHS because we recognize the significant value it brings to our community. Students learn most effectively when they hear firsthand accounts of others' career journeys. Our goal was to help students understand that there are numerous pathways to achieving their career aspirations. We are proud of the students' engagement and participation, and most importantly, we are pleased that they gained valuable insights that may assist them in making informed decisions about their future post-high school."
This event is special, and the CPHS family looks forward to making it even better next year. Special thanks to all the staff who helped connect us to great people who were willing to donate their time.
Club food fairs are a fantastic opportunity for campus clubs to raise money, but most importantly, it's a time for everyone to enjoy some fun, new foods. This semester, between our two food fairs, we had the chance to savor lumpias, fresas con crema, corn in a cup, loaded potatoes, tostilocos, and many more delicious treats.
Senior Mia Meza, the AP Spanish Club president, shared, "My favorite part of the food fairs is how we all come together for a singular cause. It's really hard to raise money for clubs, and we want to make sure that we sell something good so we can make a profit. We know what sells, and we love to come together as a club and accomplish our goal."
All students and staff agree: we should have more of these events!
The Class of 2025 organized a fun-filled event to raise funds for senior activities. Teachers volunteered to be pied in the face by students for a $2 charge. The event was a huge success, with students eagerly lining up to take a shot at their favorite teachers. Among the brave participants were Mrs. McDaniel, Mr. Manroe, Ms. Flo, Coach Turi, Coach Chris, Mr. Amaral, Dr. Meisner, Coach A, Mr. Romero, and Mr. Vargas Junior.
Senior Brandon Reyes shared, "This was fun because we don't always get to see teachers in this situation. I was so inspired that I decided to let students pie me too." Iris Miranda also joined in, calling it a true YOLO moment!
Every year, the CPHS staff votes for the Teacher of the Year, a challenging task given the dedication and excellence of our entire team. This year, the honor goes to Mrs. Vasquez, who started as an instructional assistant in special education and then transitioned to a special education teacher for the past 10 years. Let's learn a little more about her through some questions we asked:
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: "I like interacting with students and seeing their progress, whether it's emotional or academic."
Q: Who in your career has been a significant inspiration for how you work with students and staff?
A: "Mrs. Botawright (Ms. Calip) because I was her instructional assistant. When I was an IA, I had the opportunity to see how she works with students who have disabilities. One thing I make sure to model that she taught is to be flexible, understanding, and ultimately have fun with the students. Another characteristic I value from her is how she advocated for her students. My job is to make sure that students are receiving the resources to be successful in their classes."
Q: What do you like most about CPHS?
A: "The friendships I have gained and the support from my colleagues are second to none. Even though we may not have the spotlight shining on CPHS, we are doing great work here, and I am happy to be a part of this community."
