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Sophomore immigrates from war-torn Syria, finds home at RHS
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OCTOBER 14, 2013 | ISSUE 3, VOLUME 12
Foundation grants junior piano for cancer struggle
BY MARIAN ABDELMALEK
marian.abdelmalek@eyeofthetigernews.com
Junior Ethan Roberts can’t open his front door. There’s a piano in the way. Roberts, who was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia last February, recently received a used baby grand piano from the Sacramento Make-A-Wish foundation at a surprise luncheon on Sept. 26. The day he received the instrument, Roberts thought he was simply attending a benefit breakfast in honor of celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of Sacramento Make-A-Wish, but little did he know what was to come when Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson began introducing the organization’s 5000th wish. “I had no idea,” Roberts said. “I was just like, ‘Oh, that’s cool, you guys are good,’ and all of a sudden, the mayor of Sacramento comes up and starts giving this big speech.” Johnson began his speech talking about the work the foundation had done over the course of 30 years, but then started to speak about a sixteen-year-old pianist who was diagnosed with leukemia. “It was a sinking feeling in
my gut,” Roberts said. “Like, ‘Oh God, he’s talking about me.’” Roberts first received his diagnosis at the University of California at Davis Medical Center the day after visiting his pediatrician for a routine check-up. It was then that his doctor told him that he had a very high white blood cell count of approximately 270,000 per liter, a key indication of cancer. “I was in shock at first when the doctor told me in the emergency room,” Ethan’s mother Tammy Roberts said. “It all just seemed like a horrible nightmare.” Roberts’ specific type of cancer allowed him to go through oral chemotherapy, meaning that he self-administers his medication by mouth, as opposed to the more common method of intravenous treatment. Roberts takes the pill Gleevec daily. “[Chemotherapy makes you feel] exhausted all the time,” Ethan Roberts said. Though the treatment takes a toll on his health, as of last month Roberts’ body has just one-thirtieth as many cancerous cells as it did when he was first diagnosed. Despite his situation, Roberts has remained strong throughout ROBERTS | Page 6
PHOTO BY MADISON MACHA
Junior Ethan Roberts works the keys of his baby grand piano in his kitchen at home. Roberts, who was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia last February, received the instrument from the Make-A-Wish Foundation at a surprise luncheon Sept. 26 and now plays it every day.
District may add grad requirement State assembly kills STAR testing Administration currently planning new financial literacy course, requirement would first affect RHS Class of 2015 BY NETZY ORTEGA
netzy.ortega@eyeofthetigernews.com
Roseville Joint Union High School District seniors may soon have to take an additional course in order to graduate. Currently, the district is planning a new personal finance course. This course is scheduled to be implemented at the start of the 2014-15 school year and will become a graduation requirement for the Roseville High School graduating class of 2015, along with the 2015 senior classes at the other district schools. As it is right now, the class will be online. This means that students will not have to use an additional class slot. Other details about the class, however, are still to be determined. This class will inform students about the ways that they can manage their money in order
to be successful in life after high school. According to assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction John Montgomery, this course will be a general district graduation requirement similar to the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE). “The one area that is unanswered is the budget and cost for instructors due to the online nature of the class,” said Montgomery. “Before we can estimate those, more details not yet available are necessary.” Senior Evan Bechtel thinks the class will be helpful to RHS students. “I think it’s a great opportunity for students to learn about real life activities, rather than geometry or science,” Bechtel said. RHS business teacher Ron Volk attended a seminar on financial literacy last summer and is a
candidate for the teaching position. “I attended a seminar in June put on by the Wharton School of Business out in Philadelphia and Pricewaterhouse Coopers, which is a huge CPA firm,” Volk said. “About 13 states there already made [a financial literacy class] a graduation requirement.” Volk says the class should be incorporated into the regular semester class schedule. “There appears to be a tremendous need for this knowledge for high school students,” Volk said. “It should be more than a one-unit class.” According to RHS principal Brad Basham, the class is aimed at high school seniors so that the information they learn will not be forgotten by the time they leave the school. This information will include things such as how to balance a budget, manage and pay bills and other financial responsibilities that come with living independently after graduation.
BY AARON SOUZA
aaron.souza@eyeofthetigernews.com
Students at Roseville High School will never again take Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) tests. Due to the signing of Assembly Bill 484, the Roseville Joint Union High School District (RJUHSD) has suspended most forms of STAR testing, with the exception of those that follow federal guidelines. Tests that will remain include the California High School Exit Exam, Early Assessment Program exams and all grade 10-level science tests. The discontinuation of STAR is entirely necessary, according to teacher Paige Powell. RJUHSD instead plans to adopt Common Core, an entirely new set of testing standards that, according to Powell, will better prepare students. “Common Core standards are so much better,” Powell said. “They are so much more rigorous.” Common Core offers a new
set of curriculum standards that focuses on real-world situations. This, combined with its relatively low cost and high opportunity for retakes, convinced many states to make the switch. According to assistant principal Matt Pipitone, the transition from STAR to Common Core will not be easy. The school may see a decrease in test performances as Common Core continues to develop. States that have already switched to Common Core, such as New York, have already witnessed this trend. “It will look like our students can’t do anything,” Pipitone said. RJUHSD is working with Smarter Balanced, a testing consortium that will work with it to develop a Common Core practice test. Juniors will take the test this spring, when STAR testing would normally take place. It will test them on either English or math, but administration has yet to fully work out the details. One focus of Common Core is to better prepare students for the
real world. Common Core exams will test students on their ability to solve problems by formulating their own solutions, instead of selecting from a range of answers. Many teachers have begun to adapt their lessons in order to reflect the new tests. Despite these precautions, the transition from STAR to Common Core may raise still some challenges, according to assistant principal Judi Daniels. “It’s going to take some time to transition,” Daniels said. “But it’s something I’m really excited about.” One major concern for the school is how the absence of STAR may affect programs, such as Every 15 Minutes and Senior Olympics, that previously took place during the STAR testing schedules. According to principal Brad Basham, the administration will try its best to save these events. “It will continue to be a focus,” Basham said. “But there are still a lot of unknown things.”
Baseball program moves on without DeMello BY ROBBIE SHORT
robbie.short@eyeofthetigernews.com
PHOTO BY EVELINA KISLYANKA
An administrative team composed of, from left, RHS principal Brad Basham, RHS assistant principal in charge of athletics Jason Wilson, RHS athletic director Jamie Bunch and RJUHSD executive director of personnel services Steve Williams answer parent and player questions at a team meeting Oct. 1.
For the first time in 11 years, Roseville High School’s baseball program is starting to prepare for a new season without Hank DeMello at its head. The RHS Health and Safety teacher, alumnus and long-time varsity baseball coach was relieved of his duties by the administration two weeks ago, sparking a display of support from baseball players and parents. Roseville High School principal Brad Basham called an emergency team meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 1 – the day after DeMello’s dismissal – to “discuss the future of RHS baseball and to clarify some misperceptions regarding fall ball,” according to an email he sent out to baseball parents Monday afternoon. The meeting took place in the Julie Estridge Library, where parents and players listened to a team
of administrators – composed of Basham, RHS assistant principal in charge of athletics Jason Wilson, RHS athletic director Jamie Bunch and Roseville Joint Union High School District executive director of personnel services Steve Williams – explain the recent events affecting the program. The first issue the administrative team addressed was the program’s recent self-reported violation of the Sac-Joaquin Section bylaws governing limited dead period play. California Interscholastic Federation rules dictate that spring sports teams may hold weekday practice during the limited period – which lasts from Sept. 7 to Oct. 6 – but may only compete in official contests on weekends. Teams must also play games through an outside organization, such as American Athletic Union. The varsity team played a weekday game without the supervision of a governing body not affiliated
with the school, thereby violating the bylaws. After learning of the transgression, RHS administration contacted the section and informed them of the program’s fault. SJS administrators then delivered a one-day program suspension as punishment, meaning that RHS players will start practice a day later than the other teams in the section once season training begins Feb. 3. Administration also found the program guilty of violating the California Education Code’s guarantee of free education in public schools by charging its players to pay $75 to participate during the last fall ball season. Because extracurricular athletics programs fall under the umbrella of public education, programs looking to charge students to participate must work through an outside organization like AAU. DEMELLO | Page 2
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