By Anonymous — Wednesday, March 14th, 2012
The Fillmore High School Project Unify Club held a pledge signing drive on March 7 to “Spread the Word To End the Word”. The word retard(ed) hurts millions of people with intellectual disabilities, their families and friends. Over 350 Fillmore High School students and staff took the pledge, “I pledge to and support the elimination of the derogatory use of the r-word from everyday speech and promote the acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.” Make your pledge at www.r-word.org. Pictured are Mrs. Helmer's Class and Project Unify Club members. Enlarge Photo Pictured are Jenna Wilber (Vice President), Paola Lozano, Letty, Susana Suarez, Kiara Garibay (President), Jessica Sears, and Kassy. Enlarge Photo Pictured are Susana Suarez, Jessica Sears, Paola Lozano, and Kiara Garibay, Project Unify Club President. Enlarge Photo |
By Laura Garnica — Wednesday, December 7th, 2011
When ASB isn’t working on an event of some sort, the organization is working on internal improvement- what better way to enrich the FHS campus then to improve those responsible for its enrichment? On December 1st, ASB hosted its own convention, inviting Santa Paula’s high school ASB to come and share ideas, and grow from the teachings of a special leadership speaker, Richard Parkhouse. The first part of the convention kicked off with a fantastic lecture from aforementioned Mr. Parkhouse himself, and his message proved effective as students left with inspiration and the desire to make their school better not only for themselves, but for the entire student body. Parkhouse emphasized just how many students don’t feel welcome at their own school, a pressing issue manifesting across the country with the growing trend of heartrending suicides and shootings such as the Columbine High massacre. An alarming 50% of students don’t feel like a part of their school according to a country-wide study, and Mr. Parkhouse made us realize how this is a problem that has gone unaddressed for far too long. Overall, his message of understanding and putting oneself in other people’s shoes was a success, and hopefully made a great enough impression on the students present that they will want to “change lives and impact futures” as much as Richard Parkhouse. The rest of the convention was a rotating system of sharing ideas and practices used in Fillmore and Santa Paula ASB’s. When a song was played on the speakers, groups of students from both schools would move from table to table, each table headed by 1-2 Fillmore ASB members who were in charge of a specific job or activity. They would present Fillmore’s way of going about the activity, then listen to the other students from Santa Paula share how they did the same activity differently at their school. The exchange of techniques turned out to be a great way to bring the schools together and learn countless new ways to improve FHS into the campus we know it can be, not just in an aesthetic sense, but to make Fillmore a school kids can really feel like they’re a part of. |
By Anonymous — Thursday, November 10th, 2011
Fillmore Unified School District Dear Parents and Supporters of FHS Athletics: I am writing to you to inform you of a very serious funding challenge that we are facing at Fillmore High School. As you may be aware, we are no longer able to require our athletes to pay fees for participation in sports. As a result we have had to rely on donations to fund our athletic programs. We calculated that if each athlete donated $75.00 per sport we would be able to maintain our current athletic program as it has been in the past. Unfortunately, as the fall athletic season comes to a close, we are behind in our anticipated donations by approximately $10,000.00. Our biggest concern is that if we don’t do something immediately to generate funding, we may run out of funds in the middle of the year, forcing us to cancel away games and the possible elimination of lower level (Frosh/JV) teams. This is something we do not want to have to do. In order to avoid eliminating athletic programs and travel, we have taken immediate action by freezing all athletic supply budgets, and we have asked the Athletic Booster Club to assist us with organizing three major athletics-wide fundraisers. Our goal is to provide our athletes with an opportunity to raise money each season if they are unable to make a donation. We will be asking for your full support to make each fundraiser a success. Parents and community members wishing to make a donation may do so by mailing a check to Fillmore High School Athletics - Donation, P.O. Box 697, Fillmore, CA 93016. Your donation is 100% tax deductable. Any amount will be accepted. Please include the student name if you are making the donation to support a specific athlete. With your help, we can raise the funds necessary to provide our students with a quality athletic program. Thank you in advance for your support. Sincerely, Example: |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
ASB sponsored a blood drive today November 1, 2011 with the United Blood Services. They were able to draw blood from approximately 55 students and adults. Participants were able to learn about the different types of blood and they will be notified their specific blood type in the next few weeks. Students were introduced to another way to save lives. They had to be at least 16 years old and weigh a minimum amount. |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, October 26th, 2011
Fillmore High School has been buzzing with activity lately as they prepare for Santa Paula Week and support Red Ribbon week . This week is national Red Ribbon Week and their theme for this year is “The future relies on you and me to be drug free.” ASB made the poster with the new slogan and handprints from the members to symbolize their dedication to the drug free cause. To get students involved and aware of the events, they are holding fun noontime activities relating to National Red Ribbon Week and Dress Up Days. In upcoming events at FHS, they are holding a Blood Drive on campus, Nov. 1st, and Santa Paula Week begins November 7th. Enlarge Photo |
By Laura Garnica — Wednesday, October 5th, 2011
As every Fillmore citizen knows, Homecoming Week is a big deal for not only FHS but the community as well. The preparations for this - one of the school’s most momentous events- were well underway by Monday the 19th when the festivities began with a dress up day on campus and the float building kickoff party after school. There, at around 8o’clock the Homecoming Court was announced and Homecoming truly began. Every day was a different dress up day, and every day after school the trucks in the bus garages ceased to be trucks and evolved into the “Fables” themed floats. On Friday, the floats were all (more or less) completed and the homecoming rally began after sixth period at FHS. Homecoming Court was presented and the Queen was revealed: Jaynessa Lopez, an academically and athletically gifted senior was crowned with Robert Bonilla, the Flashes football quarterback as Homecoming King. Our Grand Marshal was Nada Vaughn, and toward the end of the rally the court was dismissed to prepare for the Homecoming Parade, which showcased not only court, but also Miss and Miss Teen Fillmore, Flashes varsity cheerleaders and football players, the Floats, and the FHS band- among other participants. All this fanfare and celebration- preparation for what? The football game of course! It wasn’t looking good for the boys as halftime approached and the Flashes held the lead by only one point, not to mention lightning that lit up the sky before the game even started, delaying it a full fifteen minutes before it was sanctioned to continue. Things only got stranger when, as the Homecoming court lined up in all their finery to walk down the field, the heavens decided to open up at that exact moment and, though their presentation continued, it made for some very waterlogged memories. Despite all these unusual and almost discouraging events, the lightning strikes earlier in the night plus the rain must have been good luck, because the Flashes came back after halftime and soundly defeated the Frazier Mountain Falcons with a final score of 59-30. On Saturday the 24th the Homecoming dance brought the festivities to a close- the turnout and reception of the dance was more positive than it has been in a long time. Hopefully it will encourage equal enthusiasm in school events for the rest of this term! With the last song, Homecoming ended and FHS has since returned to the less intense business of normality, though the fond memories of this week’s events will surely last much longer. |
By Laura Garnica — Wednesday, September 28th, 2011
The past few weeks here at Fillmore High have certainly been busy ones- September 13th was our Renaissance Celebration, recognizing all students with a 3.0 GPA and above for their academic excellence. This event was held in the Sespe Auditorium and despite a modest turnout was more successful than many in years past, thanks to its planning committee from ASB, headed by Commissioner of Renaissance Johnny Wilber and the members of his committee: Anissa Magdaleno, Sammy Martinez, Esperanza Ocegueda, Ana Morino, Alejandra Amezcua and Nathan Zavala. After each award was handed out to the students present, senior at FHS Vanessa Villa presented a speech to Mrs. Juarez, who was chosen to be honored with the Renaissance Teacher’s award. “Mrs. Juarez is being presented tonight with the Renaissance award. I was asked to give a small speech on her behalf. Ms. Juarez is one of the two Spanish teachers at Fillmore High School. She currently teaches classes ranging from Spanish level 1 to AP Spanish Literature. She is also MEChA Club advisor. I had Ms. Juarez as a teacher for three consecutive years beginning with my freshmen year in Spanish Native Speaker 1. I recall her putting on Jorge Ramos, a news reporter, and then beginning a discussion in class concerning a current event. The experiences in Ms. Juarez’s class teach the students to be more accepting of others, the value of being bilingual, appreciate cultures, to work together, and the value of knowing one of the most popularly spoken languages of the world. I recall the enthusiasm she had for all the material we covered, including grammar packets. The Pluscuamperfecto has never escaped her editing wrath. Whenever a question arose as to how to say a word in Spanish, she always directed them to the dictionaries along the wall. The usage of Spanglish towards the end of the year was forbidden. The docking of participation points were used to motivate the class to try to keep it Castellano, especially during the final exam, also known as the ten-minute presentation. The time after an exam was considered sacred movie time. The Orphanage is still my favorite, even if the class was screaming every 20 minutes from the suspenseful music. The approach of any Spanish-speaking countries holiday was always announced and then a snippet of that countries’ culture was included into the day’s lesson. I do not know exactly how line dancing is related to Cinco de Mayo but it works. I recall going into her classroom in the mornings and finding new students helping each other with homework and chatting in fluid Spanish or Spanglish. Whenever a question arose in regards to English or math homework, she always managed to pull an unsuspecting student in to help. That student was, at times, me. The preparations for a MEChA Celebrated holiday were, to say the least, stressful times. In the end though, everything always worked out. The new officers did not have time to settle down. September 16, was Mexican Independence Day, November 2 was the day of the dead and then some time in December would be the enchilada dinner. Then the biggest celebration would be Cinco de Mayo, with the court of princesses, queen, and music. On each of these days, everybody would be encouraged to dress in the traditional colors or costumes. Ms. Juarez always wore her huaraches. With this, I leave you now. Ms. Juarez is not only a magnificent teacher, but also an advisor to a great many students. She has helped, guided and inspired. She has repeatedly told us that we will go to college and has helped us achieve that goal. Without Ms. Juarez, I do not know how many students would not have gone on to the University to achieve their dreams.” You may have noticed that Fillmore Highschool has been buzzing with Homecoming week activity since Monday. Our theme this year is ‘Fables in Flashland’ and our parade is on Friday at 2:50pm. All are welcome to come outside and support our football team, the cheerleaders, Homecoming Court and the Grand Marshal among others that will be present in the festivities. Details on the events of Homecoming will be in next week’s issue! |
By Laura Garnica — Wednesday, September 14th, 2011
There was an exciting air of anticipation surrounding Fillmore High on August 16th- our first official day of school. “Welcome back” posters and signs, trumpeting the superiority of each class over its peers in gestures of friendly rivalry, contributed to the positive mood that was electric across campus. Bagels and coffee: the staple breakfast of business people everywhere. However it seems teachers are fans as well- this simple yet apparently delicious fare proved a hit with the school staff; courtesy of Fillmore High’s new ASB cabinet and the local Starbucks. Speaking of ASB, the roster for 2011-2012 cabinet consists of: Ana Morino (’12) as ASB President, Jenna Wilber (’12) as Vice President, Anissa Magdaleno (’12) as Secretary, Jaynessa Lopez (’12) as Commissioner of Finances, Collin Farrar (’13) as Commissioner of Activities, Robert Marinez (’12) as Commissioner of Clubs, Laura Garnica (’13) as Commissioner of Publicity, Johnny Wilber (’12) as Commissioner of Renaissance, Johnny Golson (’12) as Sergeant at Arms, and Sammy Martinez (’13) as Speaker of the House. Along with the cabinets for each class, ASB is working hard to make this year great. On Friday the 26th before the first rally of the year, we conducted the noontime activity- a competitive tricycle race between the classes. It was a close win for the senior class, as the freshman upstarts were neck and neck for most of the final round. Following sixth period was the rally itself, which proved to be one of the most successful Fillmore High has hosted in years, a sentiment vocalized by many staff members as well as students. Games included an ice-melting contest, won by the juniors, a game where teams of two try to catch the most Cheetos thrown by their partner with shaving-cream covered heads, and a few others. Seniors won the rally overall, much to their enthusiasm. The past few weeks here at Fillmore High School have really set the tone for what is looking to be a fantastic year for every class. |
By Anonymous — Monday, June 6th, 2011
FILLMORE HIGH SCHOOL |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, June 1st, 2011
FILLMORE HIGH SCHOOL |
By Anonymous — Tuesday, May 31st, 2011
FILLMORE HIGH SCHOOL |
By Anonymous — Monday, May 23rd, 2011
Nominations for the 2011-2012 Site Council members are being accepted until June 15th. Please call 524-6103 or email blemons@fillmore.k12.ca.us if you would like to nominate someone to be on the 2011-2012 ballot. There will be a school board study session on Tuesday at 6:30 in the board room that will include the topic of Accelerated Reader. FILLMORE HIGH SCHOOL |
By Anonymous — Monday, May 23rd, 2011
FILLMORE HIGH SCHOOL |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, May 18th, 2011
Fillmore Ebell Club who have always supported the arts in the Fillmore School System will be entertained by the Fillmore Drama Class at our May 24th Meeting. The drama students will be presenting "The Best of 2011" showcasing the best scenes performed by the Drama Class this year. They will also include a scene or two from the latest collaboration with the Sespe Players "Totally Rad" Come and join us in supporting the youth of Fillmore ad help bring their future into the world of Arts and Entertainment. Our Luncheon Meeting is at the Memorial Building and starts at 12:30 pm. Lunch is catered by Dustin Anderson chef of the Double AA here in Fillmore Cost of lunch is $12.00. For reservations please call Lavonne Deeter at 524-2090. Anyone wishing to attend the program only the cost is $10.00 and will start at 2:00 pm. The Ebell Club will also be having their installation of officers for 2011-2012. If you are interested in learning more about the Ebell Club or in becoming a member please call Melodie Stitch at 521-1235 |
By Anonymous — Tuesday, May 17th, 2011
FILLMORE HIGH SCHOOL |
By Anonymous — Monday, May 16th, 2011
FILLMORE HIGH SCHOOL |
By Anonymous — Thursday, May 12th, 2011
FILLMORE HIGH SCHOOL |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, May 11th, 2011
FILLMORE HIGH SCHOOL |
By Anonymous — Tuesday, May 10th, 2011
FILLMORE HIGH SCHOOL |