eléonore A u g u s t, 2 0 1 6
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BACK TO SCHOOL
IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN It is a fresh slate, a new beginning, and most importantly it is your time to cultivate yourself into the best version of yourself. It is Back to School! I love back to school so much you would not even believe it, and I can give most to the credit to just the fact that autumn and winter are a part of the first semester. First semester of the school year is just so cozy to me. It is a time to hang out at football games after school on Friday nights, to start planning what you are going to wear to the Snowball dance, and to make rich memories with familiar faces in the classroom. I know that sometimes high school is a little more than this simple pleasures, such as essays, tests, oral presentations, collaborative efforts, and major projects that will make your head spin. School can get pretty crazy at times, and that is okay because every experience that we undergo has been brought to us for a reason. The crazy times help us knock
elĂŠonore AUGUST 2016
Volume 2 Number 1 Published by students of La Salle High School, Pasadena, California www.lasallehs.org Moderator, John Blackstock '67
Copyright 2016. All rights reserved
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out problems in the future without a second thought because we already know what to expect, and most importantly what is expected of us. So I ask you that next time someone asks you “are you happy to be back at school” hold off on the moaning and groaning, and focus on everything that is beautiful about new beginnings. Who knows? This year you might meet someone that changes your views on the world, a teacher that pushes you to reach your greatest potential, or even a situation that forces you to leave your comfort zone that enables you to reach the stars. The fact of the matter is that YOU determine your own experiences and your outlook on life. Make this school year your best year! Take a breath, put on some red lipstick, and get to business. You’ve got this! Elizabeth Ayala, Editor
august 03
Our Advice to New Freshmen
By Annika Suderberg
Don’t be afraid to ask questions - Who, What, Why, huh? Ask it!
The teachers at La Salle want you to succeed! If you’re struggling with a concept in class, ask your teacher for extra help. You can also go into to their classroom during academic support for step-by-step assistance. Try not to wait until the very last day before a test, if you’re confused get yourself cleared up as soon as possible. Additionally, you can email the teacher from home if you don’t see them at school or if you only realize you have a question at home.
Organize your work - Get organized!
Organization is a must for keeping yourself on track this school year. If you have multiple binders at home, I would suggest keeping a separate one for each subject. You can also use tabs to separate your work by unit or by type: homework, tests, basic info. However; if you have limited resources try using just one binder where each subject has its own section. Most binders aren’t big enough for all the work you will have completed by the end of every semester. A quick fix for this issue is keeping the current unit in your binder and storing all the past work at home to study off of later.
Take a short study break - Take breaks!
Sometimes during studying for a big test or prepping for a project, you just need to clear your head. I’ve found that when I’m stuck on a problem, or I simply can’t read one more paragraph, it helps to take a 10 minute break. During this time it’s hard to stay away from Netflix, and I mean really hard, but it’s much easier to come back to studying if you eliminate screen-time during your breaks. I know I always feel refreshed after I draw or take my dog for a walk.
Join a Club - Sign up and be a part of the action!
There’s a wide variety of fun clubs to join at La Salle! Near the beginning of the year, the school has a club sign-up day for students. During this time, we can sign up for any club we want. My advice would be to try at least one, maybe more! Even if you don’t like it, you can quit whenever you want. Clubs range from hip-hop club, who perform at rallies, to the hiking club, which goes on local hikes, to the Gifted club, which gives students the opportunity to assist the special needs community through volunteering, to robotics, which competes in many competitions. There is something for everyone!
Try something new - Jump in. Try it on!
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La Salle offers an extensive variety of activities. There truly is something for everyone! Love music? Try the jazz band or music for the masses. If you’re passionate about acting, get involved in the fall play or spring musical. It’s a wonderful way to meet new people and bond over a common interest. Even if you prefer to stay behind the scenes, you can join stage crew and still be involved with the theater without performing. No experience with a sport? Don’t be afraid to try. There will probably be other players on the team in the exact same position as you, and if this thought still doesn’t comfort you, find a friend to join with you. Have fun!
august 05
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Balancing School and Sports By; Raquel Ruiz
Being a student athlete comes with its challenges. It’s not easy balancing homework, studying, practice, and games, while still getting a decent amount of sleep. Here are 9 tips for the amazing, hard working, student athletes out there.
Keep a Planner
When I first started water polo, my coach noticed that my grades were slipping. One day at practice, she brought me an agenda, and we wrote out all of my assignment due dates, test dates, games and other activities. Activities (such as a game or meeting) are in blue, due dates in red, and assignments and things I need to study for that night are in black. It was such a simple system, but helped my grades so much. Plus, the Lilly Pulitzer planner is just too cute!
Don’t Procrastinate
Stopping procrastination, though hard, helps so much. Getting homework done as soon as possible is especially important to athletes, because a good night’s rest is vital to one’s performance. Some good ways to help stop procrastination are putting your phone in another room, and not listening to music while studying.
Remember, school ALWAYs Comes First!
Don’t be scared to skip practice. Let your coach know before skipping practice. Your coaches should be on your team and want to see you succeed both in your sport and academically. Sometimes coaches can be sticklers about attendance, but just remind them that school comes first.
august 07
use Your Weekends to study
This might not sound like a lot of fun, but just a few hours on the weekend can help a lot during the week.
Keep Your Teachers in the Loop
ALWAYS tell your teacher BEFORE class that you have a release. Sometimes, you won’t know the release until the day before. If this happens, just shoot them an email! They will really appreciate it and it will show that you are serious about school and your grades.
Try Not to Stay Up Late
Going to practice on three hours of sleep is not fun, and also not healthy. Set a bedtime for yourself to make sure you are getting an appropriate amount of sleep. Not only will this help preserve your health, but it will also help with procrastination. If you really have too much homework, you can skip practice,or use your academic support block.
Bring School Work to Meets and Tournaments
Tournaments can take forever, and you’ll have a ton of free time. This is the perfect opportunity to do your math, or read your english book!
Never forget to do your make-up work
Student athletes miss a lot of school, so don’t forget to do the work you missed! A missing assignment can be detrimental to receiving a good grade.
Cool for School Nails
By Chelle Encinas
Unfortunately fun in the sun has to end, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have the perfect nails! Here are two easy DIY back to school designs. DIY Crayon Nails: First, prep your nails to your own liking: cut, filed, and cleaned. Second, apply your tan (or color preferred), and one nail of purple (or color preferred) as in the picture. Third, once nails are almost dry, apply the stripe of black over the colored nail. Fourth, once the black is dry, use your paint pen to draw the crayon line. Lastly, apply the clear coat and you have completed your back to school crayon nails! DIY Apple Nails: First, prep your nails to your own liking: cut, filed, and cleaned. Second, apply your tan (or color preferred), and one nail of red in the shape of an apple as in the picture. Add a tan stem and green leave to complete your apple. Lastly, apply the clear coat and you have completed your perfect nails! Both these designs are perfect to get you back in the swing for school. They are easy and fun DIY nails that anyone can do. You are now ready to go back to school!
august 09
Three Vivacious Girls
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Inspiration roots from four main entities in my life - my family, my friends, my faith, and my surroundings. My mom, dad, and sister have made tremendous sacriďŹ ces to give me the life I have today. Without their hard work and love, I would have never been exposed to the morals and values I hold highest in my life. However; love and sacriďŹ ce does not only come from family, but it can come from friends as well. Witnessing all of the meaningful accomplishments made by my friends and family through the simplicity of dedication has inspired me in every way. Lucky enough for me, these two groups of people in my life have also been able to assist me in my faith journey and appreciation for my surroundings. With all of the blessings in my life I have learned to give my best in everything I do, despite others disbelief in me. To achieve happiness and success in life you must use your roots to build that empire. Why not be great?
Katherine Sabido '18 august 11
What inspires me everyday is knowing that I can always be a better version of myself. I can work harder. I can have new goals. I can learn new things. No one is perfect and we must all set high expectations for ourselves. We all have something we need to improve on. I am inspired to better myself each and every day. Whether that be, spending more time on homework, spending extra time on my sport skills, or just being a better friend. The reason I am inspired to better myself everyday is because there are goals that I want to accomplish. I want to be able to be something outstanding. This as well inspires me. I want to be able to reach goals other people can’t reach. Pushing yourself to great heights enables you to have a higher self-esteem and self-confedence.
Xochitl Sosa '19 12 elĂŠonore
Curiosity. I am driven by curiosity to try new foods, new activities, to make new friends. I want to see all that the world has to offer. I don’t want to look back on my life and be upset with the chances that I didn’t take. I want to look back on my life with no regrets. My curiosity drives me to take chances and make decisions based on my “gut-feeling.” I never want to wonder “what if,” even though there are times you can’t help but wonder. I want to look back on the memories that I’ve made, whether they be bad or good. My drive from curiosity is combined with inspiration from those around me. I think that the people you surround yourself with motivate and challenge you to become a better person. I am inspired by my family, my friends, or people that I read about because they push me to take those “risky” chances. They challenge me to push myself to see who I can become. Let your curiosity drive you. Let your inspiration push you to achieve your goals. Live your life without regrets. Take chances, regardless of the consequences. We learn from doing. We learn from action.
Gabi Navarro '17 august 13
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Teachers Open the Book, But You Must Enter by Yourself
august 15
Our Advice to New JUNIORS By Aly Hartman
- Jocelyn Flores
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Junior year can seem daunting. SATs, college planning, driving, increased social obligations it all hits in your third year of high school. There isn’t much you can do to avoid it, unless you plan on dropping out (not recommended), but there are plenty of ways to tackle your Junior year of high school and make it as stress-free and fun as possible. The key to having a successful Junior year is balance. It doesn’t come easy, but if you are willing to work to achieve it, I can assure you that you will be very pleased with the results. Finding a happy medium of time spent on academics, friends, family, and extracurriculars is always important, but in 11th grade, it becomes the zenith of important things. Here are some tips on how to find your balance during the craziness of Junior year!
. . . ..
· Dedicate yourself to tackling your homework! Don’t just let it sit. Do smaller assignments as
soon as possible, the night they are assigned. Break up bigger assignments so you complete them in a timely manner, but are not swamped with work.
· · Schedules are your friend! Take the time to really plan
out your week. Set aside time for homework and friends and family. Make sure to include break days (I always set aside Friday nights as my “relaxing” time).
· · Don’t overextend yourself! Junior year presents a lot of
new opportunities, and it’s easy to get caught up in trying to be involved in everything. It’s better to pick a couple things that you’re passionate about instead of overloading yourself with a bunch of random stuff because you think it will look good for college.
· · Communicate with your teachers! Building good rela-
tionships with them is crucial. They want you to succeed.
· · Create a healthy routine (and stick to it)! Take the time
. . .
to really dedicate yourself to a healthy lifestyle. Force yourself to go to bed at a reasonable time, make sure to eat, and exercise as often as possible. Good grades and intense involvement are meaningless if they are negatively impacting your lifestyle. Plus, putting effort into your health and wellness pays off! You tend to look and feel better if you’re sleeping and eating properly!
· · Don’t ignore college! It’s closer than you think. Spend-
ing some time planning during your Junior year ensures that you have enough time to come up with a solid plan.
· · Make memories! Don’t skip out on the big activities, and
even some of the little ones. Go to dances, cheer on your favorite sports team, and go on random adventures with your friends (provided all your homework is done)! Yes, school comes first, but if you end up with free time, use it. High school goes by fast - enjoy what it has to offer while you can.
· · Don’t stress, but don’t slack! Find your balance!
Countless others have endured Junior year before you, and countless others will follow you. It isn’t impossible. The most important thing is to try your best! I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s true! Good Luck!
august 15
Healthy*School Lunch Ideas A school day is not complete without lunchtime. Whether your favorite subject is Enlish, math, or art, lunch has to be the best part of the day. I love lunch because I get to spend time catching up with all of my friends. However; the most appetizing part of lunch, has to be the food. Here are three simple lunch ideas that you can prepare whether you wake up with some extra time to get ready, miss the sounding of your alarm, or end up somewhere in between. Sometimes I wake up before my alarm rings and I can’t go back to sleep so I just decide to get ready for the day. I often take leftovers to school because it’s easy and all I have to do is throw them in the microwave in the Dining Hall. I honestly love eating leftover pasta because it always tastes just as good, if not better, than it did the night before. Pesto Pasta Sweet Mini Peppers Trader Joe’s Hawaiian Potato Chips Green Grapes
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*What is healthy? There are a million diets, charts, regulations and suggestions. We think these lunches are pretty healthy fare and really delicious too! Enjoy.
PPP - Pasta, Peppers and Potato Chips
If I remember, and I don’t have too much homework, I usually try to pack my lunch before I go to bed. This is an example of a more elaborate lunch that I would make if I did that. It’s one of my favorite lunches filled with a few of my favorite things.
Caprese Salad Delight
Avocado Caprese Salad Hummus and Carrots Nutella-Covered Strawberries
Unfortunately I’m really good at sleeping through my alarm, which means I tend to wake up with barely enough time to get ready. When this happens I try to make my lunch as quickly as possible, but still keep it filling. A good tip is to slice up a bunch apples (and other fruits and veggies) before the week starts, and put them in ziploc bags in the fridge. That way you will have them ready to throw in your lunch bag no matter what time you wake up.
PB Fruit Smash
Peanut-Butter and Banana Sandwich Mango Smoothie Apple Slices
august 19
Join one of the newest and most creative clubs on the La Salle campus. We want you! Club Day Wednesday, September 7