Local program founder and event facilitator Karena Zermeno also represents one of the sponsors, Altura Credit Union. Backpacks filled with gifts, a Student of the Month award, certificates of recognition and much more were donated by community sponsors to the award recipients. Each student was invited to the podium to share their personal story, past challenges and future goals with a room full of supporters that included principals, teachers, peers and family members, as well as community and school district dignitaries.

December’s students of the month from Hemet Unified School District schools are Do’Jonni “DJ” Bryant, Natalie Perez Flores, Jasmine Moralez and Loren Sullivan. San Jacinto Unified’s honorees for December are Donald Downs and Trinity Jones.

Hemet Unified School District

Do’Jonni “DJ” Bryant

Tahquitz High School recognized DJ in December for standing out in many different ways – his athleticism, in the classroom, and in his acting but most notably for being positive and optimistic. He has become one of the best football players at Tahquitz l after transferring to the school at the start of his junior year. Teacher Monique Knibb said DJ, “immediately became a game changer and undoubtedly will paint this world with his passions, tenacity, humility, humor and above all, his love for others and his family.” She said when he is not carrying his team on the football field or blazing a trail on the track, DJ spends his time building up others around him. “DJ also has an innate ability to lead others in acts of kindness,” Knibb said. “He is truly a remarkable young man who excels in academics, athletics and is just a good human, pure and simple.” DJ said his greatest contribution is his ability to uplift others around him. He plans to attend college where he can continue to play football, hoping to get a full ride to a Division 1 school. “I’m excited to see what my future holds. I’ve had many blessings in my life but I have had challenges that have forced me to see life differently,” DJ said. “Most recently, my granddad (William Bryant Jr.) passed away. He was the man who taught me to have respect and good manners. He always believed in me and never let me forget who I am. He was one of the smartest people that I’ve known; his wisdom was communicated through all his life lessons and talents.”

Natalie Perez Flores

West Valley High School Principal Gerardo Zavala said Natalie was chosen to be recognized for her ability to unify peers and staff. She is the current ASB president, has a 4.3 GPA, is on the soccer and track teams and serves as Varsity Cheer captain while taking rigorous AP and IB classes. In her spare time, she loves to attend leadership conferences, learn new things, and is active with her church’s youth group and homeless outreach programs. Her teacher William Valenzuela said, “What stands out to me for Natalie isn’t this list of accomplishments; it’s the values she carries with her on a daily basis. She’s genuine, authentic, hopeful and optimistic. Every day that Natalie is on our campus, she makes it a great day to be a Mustang. Natalie said her parents taught her to give back to her community through her local church after moving to Hemet about four years ago. “Being involved with extracurricular activities has brought me great joy but it never failed to get in the way of the importance of my academics,” Natalie said. “School has always been my top priority and I have been fortunate enough to obtain awards such as the one today but also for being top five in my class for both my sophomore and junior years. My education has been the most important thing in my life and ever since I was a little girl, I have dreamt of becoming a pediatrician.” She plans to attend the University of Redlands or UC, San Diego to major in biology. “My values and morals that my parents have instilled in me is what I will take with me on my journey to college,” Natalie said.

Jasmine Moralez

Hamilton High School singled out Jasmine for being a student who has taken advantage of all the opportunities a small school offers and has stepped up as a leader. She was selected for this honor by her College/Career Counselor Amy Allen who shared that Jasmine was one of only six students from California invited to Washington DC last summer to represent the Anza Electric Cooperative at a national convention. “What I appreciate most about Jasmine is her resilience and unwavering belief in herself,” Allen said. Jasmine feels her greatest contribution to her community is her willingness to be a leader, whether it is volunteering for community events or helping out with school functions. “I plan to use this quality in my future career as a political scientist,” she said. “I’ve chosen to spend my life in the world of politics after growing up in a home that was shattered by jealousy, lies and the confusion between the words love and control.” At the age of 14 Jasmine had to choose to continue living with her father or go with her mother and sister to live in a shelter for domestic abuse victims. She said that after a year of watching her father be consumed by drugs and anger, she left. “The whole situation forced me to grow up and be the bigger person in a room full of adults,” Jasmine said. “It taught me what I would say is the most significant life lesson I have learned which is that you can’t be living for someone who won’t live for themselves. She thanked her grandmother, who she said, “gave me an out to a very bad situation.”

Loren Sullivan

Hemet High School’s top choice this month is Loren and principal Jeff Franks described her as a “Jill of all trades with a unique skillset” and a cheerleader who is involved in the school’s AG program and a leader in its automotive program. She was nominated by teacher by Joshua Thomson because she “goes out of her way to make sure all of her peers are included.” Loren was born and raised in Hemet. “Being a student-athlete and a member of the HH Cheer team, I have developed skills such as team building, leadership, hard work ethic and integrity,” she said. “Apart from cheerleading, I’m also an equestrian.” Animals have always been a big part of her life that keeps her busy but she also works part time at a hair salon. Loren plans to continue her education at Cal State San Marcos to major in psychology, a complete 180 degrees from earlier goals of a future career involving animals. “Since the COVID pandemic, I have struggled with mental health issues, falling into a deep depression and losing interest in school,” Loren said. “Bouncing back from that has been a hard struggle but through cheer and automotive I was able to regain a sense of community and passion to learn again. I would not possibly be who I am today without my family, friends and teachers who have never stopped pushing me and believing in me. I only ever wish to be that (support) for someone else.”

San Jacinto Unified School District

Donald Downs

Mountain View High School’s honoree for December is Donald who began his high school career in independent study at Mountain Heights Academy, mastering the program and responsibilities that come with that mode of learning. His favorite teacher, Ramona Ford, said Donald soared to new heights as a member of the eSports team after transitioning to Mountain View High School in the middle of his sophomore year. He became a student of the first AP computer science program offered at any alternative school in the state of California. “This year, he was awarded the first ever Mountain View letterman’s jacket for completing the first AP computer science class offered, passing the AP exam and receiving college credit,” Ford said. Donald serves as secretary of the school’s student council and is a one-time school board representative. “A life lesson that I’ve learned and that I’ll be taking with me to college is that it’s okay to be scared or have fear, but don’t let it control you,” Donald said. “What helped my confidence with my public speaking was Mountain View and its small classes with friendly and supportive teachers.” After earning a citizenship award from the Riverside County Bar Association, he was given an opportunity to attend the RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awakening) camp in the summer of 2022. “RYLA helped me with a lot by teaching me lessons to overcome my fears and challenges and how to become a leader,” Donald said. “The skills I have acquired at Mountain View will help me in college and life with facing my fears and problems. My greatest contribution to my school is that I helped jumpstart an AP computer science class. Through this class, I found my passion and plan to go onto college with a major in computer science.

Trinity Jones

San Jacinto High School chose to honor Trinity for making a significant impact on campus, especially in the science department working with the newly acquired 3D printers. Teacher Joe Torres said, “Trinity’s contributions to our school cannot be overstated. One aspect that makes Trinity’s achievements even more remarkable is the unique set of challenges she’s had to overcome as a young black woman pursuing a path in STEM. She has faced and triumphed over obstacles that many may not fully comprehend. Trinity’s presence and accomplishments serve as an inspiration to all, especially to those who may have felt discouraged or under-represented in these fields.” Torres said Trinity has not only demonstrated outstanding technical skills but has also become a source of inspiration and motivation for her peers and educators alike. “As chief editor of San Jacinto High School’s yearbook, my greatest contribution has been capturing the spirit of my school,” Trinity said. “Through this role, I’ve had the privilege of showcasing my school’s talents and diversity within our student body and creating a lasting legacy.” Trinity aspires to attend UC Berkeley to major in computer science and minor in political science with the goal of pursuing a career in technology, legal consulting or in the field of tech journalism. Her mother said Trinity has always been kind and empathetic and has been able to maintain her inner light through commitment and dedication.

For more information, www.studentofthemonth.net.

The post San Jacinto Valley students honored in December appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

The Soboba Foundation reached out to a few department stores to help them with this large endeavor, and special elves from the San Jacinto Walmart stepped in to help out. Walmart’s Store Manager Sandy Cifuentes, Academy Lead Lisa Flores and GM Coach Irma Hernandez worked closely with the Foundation’s coordinator Andrew Vallejos in the true spirit of community and Christmas. Cifuentes said, “We appreciate this event and are here to give our support!

And support they did. Before the popular Unstuff the Bus events could take place, Walmart team members shopped, rang up and ensured toy inventory to help accomplish the mission. They also provided manpower to load 1,000 toys onto the Soboba bus for each day of delivery.

“It’s always the season for unity, inclusion and giving,” Vallejos said. “We are grateful to all those who said yes and asked how they could help.”

The first event took place at San Jacinto Unified School District’s main office parking lot on Dec. 5 where hundreds of community members waited for the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians’ bus to arrive. Forming a “toy brigade” from where the bus parked to the entrance of the DO’s warehouse, gifts were passed along one at a time. SJUSD’s School, Family and Community Liaison Sheila Blythe helped members of the San Jacinto High School cheer team and other volunteers sort each gift onto tables labeled for age groups and gender located inside the huge warehouse.

“We love to see everyone out here working together,” Blythe said. 

Soboba Tribal Council and Foundation members were on hand, as well as Soboba Fire Department personnel, working alongside other volunteers as toys were passed down the line. Tribal members were there to help, too.

“It filled my heart to see so many wonderful people come out and jump in to help and be a part of such a huge community giving event,” Carla Adame, Family and Community Engagement Specialist for SJUSD’s Student, Community and Personnel Support Department said.

She explained that each year, the school site family liaisons work with their principals and staff to identify worthy students. There were about 350 families who got selected this year. Plus, they always save a small stash for last-minute needs so there will be close to 400 SJUSD families that Soboba will help this Christmas with their generous donation. The toys were distributed during a Christmas-themed event on Dec. 10 and Adame said she was thankful to all the amazing liaisons, principals and staff who helped make it a great event by decorating beautiful stations.

“Soboba has been one of our biggest and most consistent blessings by far,” Adame said. “It’s never about anything else for them other than to help. They are always asking us how they can help so in turn our district works hard to be the best stewards we can with what they give us for our students and families; we implement equitable systems into each step of our process. We make it fun for our families because at the end of the day we’re all here for them and seeing their grateful, happy faces is what it’s all about.”

Vince Record, SJUSD’s Director of CTE and Special Programs, welcomed all the volunteers and guests at the Unstuff the Bus event and thanked the Soboba Foundation for 13 years of giving back to the San Jacinto district’s families and community.

“The Soboba Gives Back toy distribution program started in 2009 with former Soboba Tribal leader and SJUSD Board Member Rose Salgado, who is dearly missed,” he said. Some of the special guests that were acknowledged with a round of applause included Soboba Tribal Council, Soboba Foundation and Tribal members, Hemet/San Jacinto Valley Chamber of Commerce members and Walmart team members who helped make event possible by providing the toys that were purchased by the Soboba Foundation and Soboba Casino Resort.

San Jacinto Unified Board and Cabinet members, students, staff and families and Riverside County Office of Education’s Superintendent of Schools Edwin Gomez were also introduced before everyone got ready to unstuff the bus. Hot chocolate and fresh cookies were provided by the district’s Nutritional Services Department and the holiday music was turned up as the crowd cheered the arrival of the bus, led by a Soboba Fire engine.

Cathi Hill and Billie Jo Williams, from the American Cancer Society, said they were happy to help out at such a great event. “We are always happy to support Soboba because they do so much for the American Cancer Society and the community,” Hill said.

Soboba Tribal Chairman Isaiah Vivanco said, “We are thankful to be in a position to help out others. The Tribe has had its ups and downs this year but we’re still in a position to give back and that’s a good feeling.”

The Soboba bus was then stuffed with another 1,000 toys at the San Jacinto Walmart store on the morning of Dec. 8. That evening, at Tahquitz High School, it was unstuffed for distribution to children within the Hemet Unified School District. Christmas lights shined over the heads of a long line of volunteers who made sure all the toys were safely stored at the school while joyful Christmas music played on loudspeakers.

“We are continually overwhelmed by the generosity of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians and their support of our children and families,” Emily Shaw, HUSD’s Director of Wellness and Community Outreach, said. “Through their generous toy donation this year, more than 1,000 children will receive a toy who may otherwise not have gifts. We are extremely grateful for their ongoing support and commitment to our community.”

Miriam Ortiz, HUSD’s Coordinator of School, Family and Community Partnerships, said Hemet families continue to express gratitude for the toy donations.

“The toys provide our parents relief during the holiday season and allows them to sprinkle joy into the lives of their children!” Ortiz said.

 Soboba Tribal Vice Chairwoman Geneva Mojado said she looks forward to connecting with the community at these events. “To see so many people take time to come out to help us secure Christmas gifts for the neediest children in our valley always makes me smile,” she said.

An additional 3,000 toys purchased at Walmart were made available to local nonprofits that serve the mission statement of the Soboba Foundation and had requested the donations. More than 300 Starbucks cards in the amount of $20 each were given to each district as gifts for students 14 and older in selected families receiving toys for their younger siblings.

Soboba Foundation President Dondi Silvas said, “It’s a blessing to be able to help bring some joy and cheer to kids, especially at this time of year.”

The post Soboba Delivers Busloads of Toys for Area Children appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

San Jacinto Unified School District was able to distribute vouchers to 800 families at its school sites as well as Betty Gibbel Regional Learning Center, St. Hyacinth Academy, San Jacinto Valley Academy and 65 for the Valley Community Pantry. Hemet Unified was able to give 1,000 families the opportunity to enjoy this generous donation and included sites in outlying areas such as Anza and Idyllwild. About 200 meal boxes were provided to various nonprofits.

On Nov. 17, close to 100 volunteers spent the afternoon distributing food to voucher holders who drove through the San Jacinto Unified School District’s main parking lot, as well as directing traffic and checking in each vehicle. All food items were delivered on pallets by the district’s nutrition services personnel. Each food box was filled with a 20-plus pound frozen Butterball turkey, six-pound cans of corn and green beans, cranberry sauce, four pounds of frozen mashed potatoes, stuffing mix and a three-pound can of turkey gravy. A 12-count package of fresh dinner rolls and a frozen pumpkin pie rounded out the meal fixings.

SJUSD’s Family & Community Engagement Specialist Carla Adame trains and supports the family liaisons at most of the school sites. They are the ones responsible for identifying and selecting the neediest of families to receive one of the Thanksgiving dinner donations.

“We definitely saw an increase in requests this year. We try to be sensitive to the demographics in determining who gets served,” Adame said. “My favorite part of this event is looking inside the cars and seeing if there are kids that I can say hi too since that is who this is for.”

Each box carries an approximate value of $120 had the families purchased the items outright and Soboba Foundation Coordinator Andrew Vallejos said it was important to help out this year due to inflation affecting everyone. He said he was happy that Sysco was still able to provide a good price on everything and that the Soboba Foundation was able to come together and make this happen again this year.

“The Tribe is fortunate to be in a position to give back at a time when there is so much uncertainty in the economy,” Soboba Tribal Council Chairman Isaiah Vivanco said. “Even now when food prices are up, we are happy that we are able to provide Thanksgiving dinners so families can enjoy this special time together and not have to worry about the cost of the meal.”

Soboba Tribal Council Vice-Chairwoman Geneva Mojado stayed busy at the pallet of pumpkin pies, making sure each roll cart that made its way down the assembly line of food items got what was needed. After all items were placed into one large box marked with a Happy Thanksgiving sticker, other volunteers hoisted them into waiting vehicles.

“I enjoy seeing everyone come together for this event each year,” Mojado said. “We are grateful that we can help the community and students and their families are grateful, too. You can hear it in their voices when they thank us as they drive up.”

Soboba Tribal Council Secretary Monica Herrera said, “During this time of reflection as we prepare for the holiday, our Soboba family wants to provide other local families with a full meal to enjoy, despite these hard economic times.”

“It warms my heart to see all these families smiling and saying thank you as they receive their box of food,” Soboba Foundation President Dondi Silvas said.

SJUSD Superintendent David Pyle volunteered to help fill the food boxes that were loaded into trunks and back seats of vehicles that drove through the District Office parking lot in two lanes.

“An incredible tradition has continued for yet another year,” Pyle said. “The support our families receive throughout the year on behalf of Soboba is unmatched year-round and truly magnified during the holiday season. Providing over 800 Thanksgiving meals to many of our neediest families is yet another example of Soboba’s above and beyond service to the San Jacinto Unified School District. We are hopeful this tradition will continue for many years to come.”

The following day, Hemet Unified School District’s main office set up a distribution center so chosen families could drive through and receive their boxes, which were prepackaged by HUSD nutrition services employees. The Business Services department was highly involved in the entire process, including creating different signage and banners to remind families that Soboba was behind the turkey meals they were receiving.

Soboba Tribal Council Treasurer Daniel Valdez pitched in to help for a second day. “It’s great to be back again this year. I always love contributing when I can,” he said.

Catie Stanley, who is the marketing director for Soboba Casino Resort and a Hemet-San Jacinto Chamber of Commerce board member, recruited a dozen volunteers for the first day of distribution and at least 10 for the second day at HUSD. All sported turkey drumstick headbands and special Thanksgiving tee shirts.

“As a community member myself, I love this event,” Stanley said. “It is so much fun being able to see the people we are giving back to and we get to work together with our team members.”

Soboba Casino Assistant General Manager Jason Cozart was one of those that volunteered his time both days. Also a Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians Tribal member, he enjoys being able to help out each year.

“Our doing this brings a lot of relief to families who are struggling,” he said. “Anything we can do to help is a blessing. It also gives our team a chance to work together with the Foundation, it’s a team effort.”

As the Coordinator of School, Family & Community Partnerships, Miriam Ortiz said she feels everyone at HUSD who was involved with the event helped refine the processes so things were running smoother this year.

Emily Shaw, who is HUSD’s Director of Wellness and Community Outreach, said, “I think the support that Soboba provides to our community is immeasurable. We are so grateful for their partnership because without them, we wouldn’t be able to do this. They always go over and beyond.”

Soboba Foundation Treasurer Julie Arrietta-Parcero said she likes the fact that they are always able to help someone else out. Foundation Secretary Antonia Briones-Venegas worked alongside Julie to keep the line of cars moving as items were placed in the vehicles, two at a time on each side of the canopy-covered pallets of food items.

“I like knowing that there will be kids that won’t go without because we are able to give them this food,” Antonia said. “To me, family gatherings for whatever reason mean a lot. I’m glad we do this.”

Another benefit to SJUSD recipients was the inclusion of a care bag that included hand sanitizer, COVID-19 test kits and other items for a safe gathering. Those items tied into a door hanger that was put in each box, reminding parents and guardians that “Attendance Matters” and the importance of keeping children home if they are sick but verifying all absences for possible follow-up by the District Nurse or school health office staff. HUSD also offered at-home COVID-19 test kits to each family as they checked in upon arrival.

The post Soboba Provides Hearty Thanksgiving Meals to Area Families appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

On Friday, February 7 at 9:15 a.m., the Hemet Unified School District (HUSD) will host their annual Super Kids Bowl. The event encourages inclusion among special education and general education students. Our students with disabilities are given the opportunity to play football with one of the school district’s local high school football teams.  This year it is West Valley High School.

Students are hiked the ball, and, with the assistance of the football team, the students run into the end zone and score a touchdown!  The event is always extremely inspiring.

The public is invited to attend this transformative event.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: Hemet Unified School District

The post Hemet Unified School District appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Local perspectives and experiences with bullying

We’ve all heard the term “bully” and we may casually throw the term around as a label when we see one kid being mean to another.

Some may say “It’s just kids being kids” or “That’s just part of growing up.” Why do some find it necessary to bully others? What’s it like to be the parent of a bullied child? And how does a school district, with thousands of kids, identify and respond to reports of bullying?

Bullying can be defined as recurring aggressive behavior amongst school-aged children, where an imbalance of power, real or perceived, is used to control and harm a victim or victims. Public Information Officer at Hemet Unified School District (HUSD), Alex Sponheim, believes one obstacle to identifying genuine bullying is over-usage of the word “bully” and in separating the one-off incidents that are common amongst school children, saying, “Part of the bullying epidemic is education, and not throwing around the term, because it lessens it for students that are actually targeted and going through it daily, as the term defines.”

The roots of bullying behavior and its effects are a multidirectional and complex issue.

A “reformed bully” we’ll call Mr. B., says he was bullied for having a lisp and a stutter and that he became a bully himself after gaining other’s respect through fighting back, saying, “I began bullying them. A lot of us had things in common: hard upbringings, no fathers . . . a lot of instability at home. Zero tolerance policies wouldn’t have done anything to help me. I think bullying is a symptom of something deeper and I think sometimes children just need to be shown that there are more similarities than differences amongst peers.”

One Mother mentions that her 12-year-old daughter is victim of bullying at a local middle school, where she is physically and verbally abused daily, by both male and female students. Bullying has led this student to lose interest in her hobbies and she suffers from depression and panic attacks, so severe, they’ve landed her in the emergency room. The mother says, “She’s lost all her friends for “telling.” There are days when she doesn’t want to go (to school) or even get out of bed . . . she desperately wants to be homeschooled now because she dreads facing what they might do to her.” Frustrated and desperate, the mother feels her voice isn’t being heard and that schools need to be harder on bullies. She fears the worst of what bullying can lead to: children killing themselves and others out of hopelessness and retaliation.

Regarding parents who feel current policies are not effective, Sponheim says, “It’s a frustrating situation to be in . . . it’s not going to be solved if we’re not communicated with. Each of us has a different piece of the puzzle, and until we have the entire picture of what’s happening, we can’t get to the solution. Never assume that staff knows. There’s over a thousand kids that we’re all trying to look after, and so inevitably, there’s going to be things that we miss.” DMS Principal, Kristen Anderson adds that communicating face to face with parents is the best way to coordinate services and efforts, saying, “Sometimes there’s a disconnect between what’s going on with the student at home and at school . . . together we can come up with action steps to monitor and make a plan; check progress and reevaluate . . . I think together we can make a really big difference.”

On every website for Hemet Unified, information can be shared anonymously about bullying incidents. Students, peers, or family members are urged to report what they see at http://sprigeo.com/

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: Teasing Out the Bully

The post Teasing Out the Bully appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Amidst a Flurry of Negativity, HUSD Stands Firm in its Commitment to Childrens’ Education and Safety

It has come to my attention through posts on sites like Hemet Eye News and Hemet Valley Incidents that, as of late, people are trying to shed a less-than-positive light on the schools in our valley. Many parents are complaining about bullying, abuse, drugs, drinking, and a lack of change that takes place on campus. Recently parents have started conversations of protests and have been staging walk outs to get the districts’ attention.

We are happy to announce that the district has been paying attention and has been combating the situation all along. Although they may not address every issue publicly, the district cares…and is paying attention.  

How do we know this?  We asked…and Alex Sponheim, PIO of HUSD answered.  “The safety of our children always has and always will be the priority for Hemet Unified School District (HUSD). We are taking steps to help ensure the safety of our students. This includes; random bag checks at various schools, bringing trained police dogs on campus to help find drug paraphernalia, and installing metal detectors on-campus at Hemet High. The district does not encourage or endorse violence, drug use, or underage drinking on or off campus. We will do whatever we can to help students feel safe and maximize their education.”

It’s reassuring to see that the district is putting a priority on student safety. This quote was pulled from www.edweek.org, “Studies routinely show that students learn better when they feel safe.”  When they feel safe, they have an easier time in the classroom. 

Campus officers have found knives, Marijuana, Vapes, Cigarettes, Alcohol, and other banned items in lockers, backpacks and pockets.

Parents are quick to blame the district for all of the problems on campus, but there is obviously something happening at home, and in between home and school that is exacerbating  this situation. The majority of parents don’t send their kids to school and say, “go be a bully today buddy.” or take them down to the local smoke shop and buy them their first vape pen.

As a community, we should work together and bridge the gap between Home and School. What is happening in between these two places that children have access to such things?   The district is doing everything it can within its power to help combat the situation. What are we, as parents and community members doing to help our district?

Violence is surrounding our children on and off campus. On Oct. 30 Hemet High Students engaged in a fight that took place off campus. The fight escalated into an uncontrollable riot. When everyone scattered it was discovered that one of the students had been stabbed by a 26 year-old man.  What’s a 26 year-old doing near a high school campus to begin with?  Rest assured that the HPD takes such matters very seriously. 

On November 1st the West Valley/Hemet High football game was “called” early because players from both teams engaged in a brawl with five minutes left. On the final play of the game Hemet Quarterback Jeremiah Graves ran the ball to his sideline, West Valley’s Derrick Golightly made the tackle out of bounds. The two got in each others face after the play, and before anyone could tell what was happening, the two teams were engaged in a brawl on Hemet’s sidelines. Hemet’s coaching staff did an excellent job separating the two teams.

Many parents feel as though this incident could have been avoided if the referees paid more attention to what was happening on the field. We can’t say that that’s the case, but we believe that these things need to be addressed by everyone concerned.  There was a lot of banter back and forth between the two teams throughout the game. Hemet and West Valley have had a pretty heated rivalry in the past: possibly stronger measures should have been taken. 

Angela Aguliar (mother to Hemet’s kicker Asaiah Aguliar) said this about the fight, “The refs need to do a better job of controlling the game. A couple players from West Valley should have been ejected before halftime, the way they were acting. But the refs let it get out of hand and because of the lack of sportsmanship the fight broke out with West Valley running over to Hemet’s sideline to fight Hemet players. I hope that everyone involved gets held accountable for their actions. There is no reason to act like that on the football field.”

Nick Flores (father of West Valley’s Marcos Flores) also gave a quote about the situation, “From what I understand, the QB on Hemet stiff-armed #21 on West Valley’s team twice and trash talked. It escalated from there.  There was already tension prior to that from previous years, and the refs definitely didn’t help the situation at all.” 

Two different parents, from rival schools agree on one thing: proper action wasn’t taken to prevent this event. 

The District/ Schools can only do so much: they pay for police officers and security at games and on school days. What more do they have to do to keep our children safe? And again I ask, what can WE do to help them keep our children safe?  

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: HUSD Stands Firm

The post School Daze: HUSD responds with integrity appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Initially negative, students now actually prefer new policy

Tahquitz High School has implemented a new rule to prevent students from using their cell phones in class. The idea behind this rule is that if all the students in the school can’t access their cell phones. Without access to their cell phones students won’t develop what the kids nowadays are calling “FOMO” or Fear Of Missing Out. Students won’t be as tempted to check their social media or text each other. Most importantly their number one tool to cheat in class is now taken out of their hands. 

Hemet Unified School District (HUSD) claims that their original case study, initiated last year, showed great improvement in students’ behavior/test scores. This led to school-widen implementation of the rule.

Although Tahquitz and the HUSD claim that they are already seeing improvements, there are Pros & Cons to this rule. At least the HUSD is doing everything they can to help students learn with ease. Classrooms can be tricky environments. Classrooms are becoming harder to manage, with kids attention spans shrinking and having various learning styles. Teachers struggle to remain in control. Taking cellphones out of the classroom will help the teacher obtain the students’ undivided attention, but we will have to wait and see how this turns out for Tahquitz to find out if other schools will follow their lead.

Right now, two other schools have followed Tahquitz’s lead in limiting cell phone usage. Acacia Middle School has adopted a zero tolerance rule, basically outlawing cell phone usage at school. Teachers at the school claim that it’s been an adjustment, but that students are starting to comply. They don’t hand out detentions for cell phone usage: teachers simply issue the students a simple reminder to put their cell phones away. Acacia has noticed a significant difference in the classroom since enforcing this rule. Students pay more attention in class and are willing to learn, and that’s a surprise in and of itself.

Alessandro Continuation HS (ACHS) has also adopted the no cell phone policy, but it’s only during class periods. Teachers at ACHS have even set up charging stations for students for use during class times. 

We spoke to Tahquitz High School junior Iran Estrada and asked her views on the policy at Tahquitz.  “Honestly, I don’t mind the new rules. In my opinion, they have made a change, because i’ve noticed students getting more work done in class than they did before, when they had contact with their phones.”

Some wondered if the fact that the new policy might lead to cell-phone theft, but Miss Estrada finds that’s not the case.”No phones have been stolen that I’m aware of, but some teachers do stand where the phones are placed at the end of class when the bell rings to make sure everyone only grabs one phone. It’s not mandatory that teachers do this, but some do it for the students,” she says, adding, “There was a lot of negative responses to these new rules at first. Most students didn’t like the policies and they complained about them a lot. The majority of the students have adjusted now. You don’t even notice that you don’t have your phone anymore!” she smiles.  “I would highly recommend other schools adopt this policy. A lot of students will complain in the beginning, but it will only benefit the school as a whole.

Most students seem to be taking the new policy in stride.. Tahquitz just needs to implement a safer protocol that prevents cell-phone theft, such as a a check-in system: you get a card with a number on it when you turn in your phone and you have to turn in that card at the end of class to get your phone back.  Other school districts have implemented such precautions and have done so with great success.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: New policy at Tahquitz

The post New policy at Tahquitz puts student cell-phone use on hold. appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.