New Staff

New teachers join Panther family

Jessica Zhou Photographer

Danielle Ellis Danielle Ellis is the new IB and AP psychology teacher. She has worked in psychology for years and the fi eld has become a highlight of Ellis’s life. When Ellis moved to the US she became a high school teacher because she wanted have the chance to work with students and teach more teenagers about psychology. “I think that psychology helps make people be more thoughtful, more well rounded and able to connect better with others,” Ellis said. Previously teaching in Westlake High School for four years, Ellis came to Newbury Park to experience the IB program. Her goals NPHS are to spread more knowledge of psychology to students and help them experience the fun in it. “ I want to create a really solid psychology program, to have students who really enjoy the class to talk to their friends and recommend them taking it in the future,” Ellis said.

5things you did not know about

Hannah Gross/Prowler

Jennifer Pershes

//Special Education

Hannah Gross Staff Writer

She was a competitive weightlifter in high school.

After graduating from college, Pershes lived in London.

Although she received her credentials in special education, Mrs. Pershes teaches multiple subjects.

She went to UCSB

Chris Forrest has started his 19th year teaching special education. He gained many experiences in education from previous jobs at Palisades Charter High School and the Conejo Valley Waverly Program. Now, wanting to change his working environment and be part of a bigger school. Forrest began his fi rst year teaching at NPHS. He is also the girls’ volleyball coach. “I want to make a diff erence in this population of students, to help the school out any way I can,” Forrest said when asked about his goals for the future at NPHS. Chris Forrest

Lora Harney Lora Harney always dreamt she would become a teacher. She also had an interest in special education in her previous years as a parent educator. Aft er fi nishing her student teaching at NPHS, Harney took the opportunity to become a special education teacher on campus. Th is is not only her fi rst year being a staff at NPHS but also her fi rst year teaching. Harney has loved her experience here and aspires to build up the special education program for in her future years of teaching. “I want to do something within the school that gives the students more job skills so in the future when they go to the job sites they feel more confi dent and are ready,” Harney said.

Jennifer Graham

Growing up in Conejo Valley, Jennifer Graham wanted to return and be a part of this community. She is joining NPHS as a new special education teacher. Graham has taught a total of 10 years in special education starting from a teaching assistant at Casa Pacifi ca in Camarillo. Originally, she wanted to teach English, but her experience as a teaching assistant led her to becoming a high school special education teacher. “I really liked it. I liked the staff and I liked the students,” Graham said. “I thought if I like this then I should do it because not everybody does. I felt called to.”

Megan Lazar

Megan Lazar is entering her fi rst year teaching at NPHS. She is the new directed studies, earth science and biology teacher. Lazar has always had a passion for science and wanted to experience working at a high school so she took the opportunity to become a new member of the Panther family. “I really like working with students. Developing relationships and getting to know who they are as they are getting older is really something that I enjoy,” Lazar said. In her future years teaching at NPHS, Lazar aims to contribute as much as she can to the school. “I would love to continue working here as long as possible, expanding and teaching my knowledge of what I know to more students,” Lazar said.

Kyle Agnello is a Fortnite Fanatic

Emily Augustine News Editor

It is not just a game. As he looks down from the battle bus, he sees a world of virtual anarchy. Ready for battle, he descends toward Tomato Temple with the press of a button. Kyle Agnello, junior, has mastered the game of Fortnite with over a thousand victories.

Fortnite is a video game in which the player is placed on an island with 99 other players who are all trying to eliminate each other. Th e goal is to be the last man standing on the island. Since it was released on July 25, 2017, its popularity has been proliferating as it captivates primarily younger generations.

“I feel that as gamers, when bonding together, (we) can achieve anything we put our minds to,” Agnello said. He has played Fortnite with famous gamers such as ChickenxSlayer and Ninja over four times. Th ose gamers are widely known personalities who claimed their fame on YouTube as well as Twitch, which is a popular streaming network. Devoting the past eight months to this game, Agnello has developed a strategy.

“I oft en enjoy camping in bushes and hiding until there is me and one other person,” Agnello said. He advises new players to do the same.

“I fi nd the amount of dedication that (Agnello) puts in is very impressive” Jacob Malone, junior, said, “I also fi nd it really impressive that he is playing with such high tier people.” Malone used to play Fortnite regularly but had to reduce his play time due to school work taking up most of his time.

“All the hype around (Fortnite) has most likely died out but there are still a lot of top tier players out there that still get a lot of respect,” Andrew Young, junior, said. As Agnello’s classmate, he is aware of Agnello’s experiences with playing Fortnite among famous gamers.

Although Agnello’s reputation as a Fortnite fanatic is spreading throughout the school, he does not do it for the fame. “Fortnite is more than a game to me. It’s a part of my life at this point,” Agnello said.

Student

Anastasia Borisoff/Senior

What were jack-o’-lanterns originally

made from? Borisoff: I don’t know, were they gourds? Squash? Coffman: They were like lights, like string lights, right? Turnips It looks like no one is able to “squash” the competition yet. 0-0

Which continent are pumpkins not grown on?

Well they both get an A for effort, but the point goes to Ms. Coffman. 0-1 Borisoff: Asia? Africa? Coffman: Australia.. Antarctica! Antarctica

From base to point, what is the order of colors on a piece of candy corn?

Borisoff: Oh um white orange yellow? White yellow orange. Coffman: White, yellow, orange! Yellow, orange and white Apparently they do not know the classic candy as well as they thought. No one gets the point. 0-1

In, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, who does Linus mistake for the Great Pumpkin? Despite being a stranger to the movie, Coffman still takes the point. 0-2 Borisoff: Uh… I don’t know. Coffman: I’ve never even seen that! The dog? Snoopy? Snoopy

VS

Hannah Gross Staff Writer

3-3

It is a tie!

Rahul D”Souza/Prowler

Teacher

Mrs. Coffman/ASL Teacher

How many federal holidays are there? during the fall? Leave it to a student to know the holidays. The point goes to Borisoff. 1-2 5

Borisoff: Oh um, 4! Coffman: Can I look at my calendar? 4 (Columbus Day, Election Day, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving)

6

Which states don’t fall back on daylight savings?

The clocks in Arizona and Hawaii stay the same, but the score changes. Coffman gets the point. 1-3 Borisoff: Which don’t? Coffman: Arizona..and Hawaii? Hawaii and Arizona

7How many colors are in a bag of m&m’s? Borisoff: Red.. 1..2… uh 5- 6! Coffman: 5 Six colors It took a few tries, but Borisoff gets the point. 2-3

8

Which national park is the geyser, “Old

Faithful”, located in? Although Borisoff blew this question away, it ends in a tie.. 3-3 Borisoff: Yellowstone! Coffman: Hmm.. Yellowstone National Park

Calvary touches the hearts of high school student

Jessica Zhou Photographer

Th e countdown reached the last ten seconds. Hundreds of high schoolers made their way to the front of the stage as the lights scanned across the room, the music blasting through the speakers and vibrating the fl oor. It was the fi nal three seconds: three...two...one...and the worship began.

Around 300 students gather at the High School Ministry of Calvary Community Church every Sunday to learn about and worship God. Welcoming high school students from all diff erent schools of Conejo Valley and beyond, Calvary has become a large community for teenagers to learn and have fun.

Sydney Leff , junior, has been going to the Calvary High School Ministry since freshman year. Being raised in a Christian family, Leff deepened her relationship with God as she grew up. Now going to Calvary, she feels like there’s always something new waiting for her time she walks in the church doors.

“I loved the people that I met and I feel that I relate to the sermons a lot,” Leff said. “Th ere’s always something that you can learn from going there and even if it’s times where I feel like I’d rather go do something else, if I encourage myself to go to church that day, I feel like I always get something out of it.”

Helping Leff deal with stress and diffi culties, Calvary is the wire that connects her to God and friends.

“I feel like when I’m there, I don’t feel really alone, I feel like there’s so many other people that are going through similar things to me and there’s always someone I can talk to about it,” Leff said. “It’s like God’s a friend that’s always there for you to lean on whenever you need it.”

Trying to be more than just a church community, Calvary is aiming to turn these 300 individual teenagers into a one big family. “Here at Calvary we take the idea that we are brothers and sisters in Christ seriously. Th at means we aren’t just a collection of people who attend a service together on Sundays, but rather a family that loves each other, prays for each other, encourages each other and challenges each other throughout the week,” Brian Howard, pastor of high school ministry, said.

According to Howard, Calvary is trying to create fun experiences for students and also provide them with support and guidance by having a world class worship team and well-trained, passionate adult leaders and mentors.

“I’ve never had someone go there and not enjoy some aspect of it and it’s defi nitely a lot diff erent than any church that I’ve been to before,” Leff said.

Jennifer McDonnell, senior, has been going to Calvary for two years. Aft er going to the Calvary high school summer camp, McDonnell experienced the love and power from God and has been a member of Calvary ever since. “It’s like a second home to me, everyone there is so kind-hearted and welcoming, and we’re always doing something fun,” McDonnell said.

Even though Calvary has been receiving praise and compliments from the majority of the students attending the church, they are always looking for ways to improve. In order to build stronger personal relationships, Calvary has been working on making sure they have fantastic small groups where everyone can have a chance to share, as well as trying to be better equipped to help serve students with mental illnesses.

Calvary is seeking to improve in every aspect they can think of, striving to reach the desires of the teenagers as more and more students join this big community. “Most of the pain in this community is hidden, but when you scratch below the surface you will fi nd in every teenager the same desire for love, peace, hope and joy,” Howard said.