Just Grab and Go
August 30, 2019
Editor’s note: The following article is a continuation of What’s in a Meal? published in Vol. VIII Issue III of Aquila’s newsmagazine. Free snacks are not a new concept to UPA’s student body. Otter Pops or free popcorn are regularly distributed during ASB-sponsored events like Fun Friday...
Behind the Scenes of a Rally
March 13, 2019
The Associated Student Body (ASB) spends several months each year planning the five rallies that take place in the gym, generally at the end of each spirit week excluding the senior send-off rally. ASB can start planning for a normal rally one or two months in advance, according to senior Francesca D...
From Monday to Friday
Desiree Pekar, Reporter
February 15, 2019
The clock ticks 8:15 and students are filing into their chairs. 50-minute periods back-to-back along with break, lunch, and passing periods add up to release for middle school students at 2:35 and high school students at 3:31. The decision of switching the 1-7 schedule from Monday to Friday was well-...
Danger, Content Banned.
Colin Updyke-Welch, Reporter
February 14, 2019
On Jan. 15, YouTube released its new policies regarding videos featuring dangerous and harmful pranks and challenges. The company has officially banned content that contains challenges with apparent risk of harm or even death to any of the participants, and the act of challenging others has also be...
Surf Club Makes Waves
Katherine Nguyen, Copy Editor
February 12, 2019
On a Tuesday afternoon, students cluster in the Johns Hopkins classroom to review surfing safety rules. One of UPA’s newest club additions—the Surf Club—was founded by freshman Hannah Janse and junior Aaron Janse on Sept. 21, 2018. As one of the few sports clubs at UPA, it has sparked interest...
New Clubs for a New Start
Jenica Pham, Reporter
February 7, 2019
Some people feel anxious when they first attend UPA, and they might not know if they will find a place to belong to in this new school environment. But a variety of new clubs have been established at school tailored to the interests of the student body. If students want to learn more about Vietnames...
Movie Night: A Tradition Not Forgotten
Betty Nguyen, Reporter
January 21, 2019
Jenica Pham Once a tradition at UPA since 2010, Movie Night enabled students to watch the latest blockbuster films with their friends and family. The films shown at Movie Night included “Wonder Women,” “Shrek,” “Maze Runner” and more. Additionally, students earned volunteer hours by s...
Comedy: A New Type of Sport
Emily Hung, Co-Editor-in-Chief
January 21, 2019
The whistle sounds. “Reverse,” Christine Welsh-Buck, the coordinator for UPA’s ComedySportz high school league team, says. The players on stage—seventh graders Nicole Eike, Adam Janse and freshman Julia Wong—perform their actions in reverse as their teammates watch, dissolving in laug...
All Blue
Kristian Crowther, Multimedia Manager
November 17, 2018
At around 10 a.m on Nov. 16, just as the ten-minute break was about to end, students in the Learning Center found themselves shoved inside random classrooms by faculty. On the final day of instruction before the highly anticipated Thanksgiving break, the heavy smoke outside was not the only threat th...
![One full month of consideration from the Santa Clara County Board of Education passed, and the night of Nov. 6th, after the meeting was delayed a full two hours after the initial start time, ended with UPA’s reauthorization for another five years. At approximately 8:30 p.m., the members of the Santa Clara County Board of Education met with Executive Director David Porter, other UPA Administrators and even teachers who attended the meeting and watched with anticipation if the school would be cleared to operate for another half-decade. With concerns raised about conflict of interest on the Board of Trustees, performance gaps, special education and vaping, UPA responded to each concern well enough to maintain the faith of Santa Clara County, further supported by the students and staff members that spoke on behalf of the school’s performance. Although UPA overcame the hurdle of another authorization, the Santa Clara Board offered key advice such as the increase of special education and further inclusion in the school’s demographic that UPA will hope to follow into 2025. The final vote for the reauthorization was 6-1 in favor of UPA, with board member Cladia Rossi (Area 7) voting against UPA on the notion that the school did not do enough to represent those that do not speak English as a first language. “When the board is asking questions, they will make concerns known,” Director of Student Services Andrew Yau said, “and that will drive us for the next five years [...] to make sure we address those.”
First Photo: Executive Director David Porter and Director of Curriculum and Instruction Matt Daughterey answer questions from the board.
Second Photo: Board Members Peter Ortiz (Area 6), Kathleen M. King (Area 2) and County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mary Ann Dewan read over the third issue of 2018-2019’s Aquila newsmagazine.
Third Photo: Board member Joseph Di Salvo (Area 4) addresses his reasons for voting ‘Yes’ in renewing UPA’s charter, flanked by board members Grace Mah (Area 1) (Right) and Anna Song (Area 5) (Left).
Fourth Photo: UPA parents and staff members watch the meeting.
Reporting and photos by Kristian Crowther, Co-Editor-in-Chief.](https://upaaquila.org/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)
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May 1, 2019
Mental Illness at UPA | Episode 2
April 27, 2019
Mental Illness at UPA | Episode 1
April 27, 2019