Author: thelegendonline

By Daniel Kokoski

Jacqueline Ng

APED (Associate Principal of Educational Development) Jacqueline Ng will be leaving Piedmont Hills after working as a history teacher for seven years, Associate Principal of Administration for two and a half years and APED for half a year, totaling to 11 years.
Ms. Ng will be moving to Southern California and will be working in a similar position as an Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction at another high school.
“My husband lives in Los Angeles and we have had a long-distance relationship for almost three years. We want to be together!” exclaimed Ms. Ng.
Ms. Ng hopes to be able to utilize the skills she has acquired through leading Piedmont Hills to hopefully start her own school in China.
“It’s important for students to know that they should enjoy their time in high school,” advised Ms. Ng. “Find that balance between meeting academic expectations and just being a teenager. Make happiness and well-being your every day goals.”

Joseph Keuter

Math teacher Joseph Keuter will be retiring from Piedmont Hills after serving for 25 years.
One of the first things Mr. Keuter plans to do after he retires is to visit his son in South Carolina. His son had always been the one to visit Mr. Keuter, so he wants to return the favor for his son.
“I’ve been promising my son in South Carolina that I would come visit him in June since I haven’t had a chance to do so,” said Mr. Keuter.
Along with visiting his son, Mr. Keuter has other plans in mind, such as cleaning up his house, cooking and exercising more often to maintain a healthy life.
“I plan to do a lot of walking and moving around,” casually described Mr. Keuter. “I even have a nice exercise room upstairs with an exercise bike, weight set and tread walkers. I just haven’t had the time to use it that often.”
Mr. Keuter had become fond of the school and will miss the time he has spent here when he leaves.
“Piedmont’s a really great place. The kids are nice, very responsive and care about their education,” remarked Mr. Keuter.

Archie Kregear

Science teacher Archie Kregear is retiring after having taught for 13 years at Piedmont Hills. Mr. Kregear had taught Biology, AP Biology and Biotechnology on campus.
With the end of the school year closing in, Mr. Kregear has dynamic plans in mind, such as traveling all around the world.
“I would like to go just about anywhere,” eagerly expressed Mr. Kregear.
Along with traveling, Mr. Kregear will begin doing hikes more often for exercise and just for fun. Likewise, Mr. Kregear also enjoys photography, and takes photos on his hikes.
“I do a lot of nature photography; like taking pictures of flowers, bugs, and animals,” described Mr. Kregear.
Although he has his leisure planned out, the memories that Mr. Kregear made at Piedmont Hills are irreplaceable.
“Piedmont’s a good school with a lot of good students so I’ve enjoyed my time,” chuckled Mr. Kregear.

Charles London

Having taught at Piedmont Hills for 32 years, science teacher Charles London will be retiring at the end of the school year.
When he leaves, Mr. London plans to travel to places such as Colorado and Australia.
“After I travel, I’ll probably take some motorcycle rides around California,” said Mr. London.  “I enjoy riding motorcycles and even driving my sports car.”
Mr. London will dearly miss teaching at Piedmont Hills.
“I felt very fortunate to get hired here in the first place, and I’ve never wanted to change schools because we have a great science department,” expressed Mr. London.  “I enjoyed laughing with the students and the teachers, just having good times with the people I’ve met.”
Mr. London advises students to value the long term benefits of educating themselves.
“I would encourage everyone to continue their education, (it)will help them in the long run,” affirmed Mr. London.

David Fredericks

After having taught at Piedmont Hills for 22 years, Industrial Education teacher David Fredericks is retiring at the end of the school year.
Following his departure, Mr. Fredericks plans to travel around the world and fly fish, one of the things he enjoys most.
“Fly fishing is a style of fishing in which you fish with artificial flies as bait, cast those out into the water and then the fish swims by, looks at it, and bites it.” thoroughly explained Mr. Fredericks.
Fly fishing is Mr. Fredericks’ passion, as he has been fishing for a while. He had fished all over the west in places including Canada, South America and Idaho. A fun fact about him is that the license plate of his car has the phrase “to fish” in Spanish.
“When fishing, you’re out in nature and it’s very interactive,” said Mr. Fredericks. “It takes intelligence and skill to fish, so it can be very challenging.”
As he will make his departure soon, Mr. Fredericks will miss the time he spent at Piedmont Hills.
“It’s been a really fine, great experience. I’ve really enjoyed being here,” smiled Mr. Fredericks.

Blanca Sandoval-Guerra

Spanish teacher Blanca Sandoval-Guerra will be retiring after working for 20 years.
Ms. Sandoval plans to read and cook more often during her free time. Also, she hopes to travel to countries such as Spain, Italy and Japan.
Even though she is retiring, Ms. Sandoval had no regrets during her teaching career and greatly enjoyed the journey.
“Teaching was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I was born to be a teacher,”passionately conveyed Ms. Sandoval.
Educating her students and witnessing their development as people is a fulfilling passion that can never be replaced.
“I enjoy seeing the progress of my students, their growth and their acquisition of the language from the beginning of the school year to being able to fluently express Spanish with perfect accent at the end of the year,” expressed Ms. Sandoval. “But I hope that I was able to teach not only the language but also skills and knowledge that would be useful for them in life.”
Ms. Sandoval hopes that students will learn of the valuable impact that education can have on their lives.
“Education is not just a way to a goal, but is also a rewarding experience. Learning is about enjoying the actual process, and I think that a person who discovers that is a very lucky person.”

Brian Ward

Physical Education teacher Brian Ward will be retiring after teaching at Piedmont Hills for about 32 years.
Mr. Ward plans to travel to places such as the Caribbean and Australia.  Along with traveling, Mr. Ward also wants to perform with his guitar more often in the future.
“I usually perform at local restaurants, private parties and even weddings,” said Mr. Ward.
Mr. Ward’s teaching experience at Piedmont Hills was phenomenal, and he appreciates the support of the school’s staff members.
“The support here is unbelievable,” declared Mr. Ward.  “I worked with some really great teachers, and the principal has been very supportive by providing the facilities for our special education events.”
One of Mr. Ward’s memorable experiences are the annual barbecues held for his students.
“At the end of every year, we have a barbecue for my kids,” fondly recalled Mr. Ward.  “We award our seniors trophies and we give out other awards as well.”
Mr. Ward advises students to try new things and become involved in new activities.
“Push yourself to get involved in things you haven’t done,” stated Mr. Ward.

Rudy Borello

Gardener Rudy Borello will be retiring after working at Piedmont Hills for eight years.
As our school’s gardener, Mr. Borello takes care of the plants, and keeps the campus clean.
“I make sure the grass is green, the shrubs and trees are trimmed, have the trash picked up and make sure every plant is watered,” elaborated Mr. Borello.  “All of that alone keeps me pretty busy.”
When he retires, Mr. Borello plans to do gourmet cooking, travel to national parks and fish.  However, he will greatly miss working for Piedmont Hills.
“Honestly, I really don’t want to leave this school,” admitted Mr. Borello.  “I still enjoy working here, but I’m getting too tired to be outside in the heat all day and waking up at 4 AM every day.  This kind of work wears me down over a long period of time.”
Despite the hard work of being a gardener, Mr. Borello enjoyed serving Piedmont Hills, and was fond of the students and staff here.
“I take pride in this school and the work that I do,” happily stated Mr. Borello. “I worked at several schools in the East Side school district but this is the best school I’ve worked at.”

Jovita Nava

Math teacher Jovita Nava will be retiring at the end of the school year after having taught at Piedmont Hills for 18 years.
Ms. Nava would like to travel in the near future, but remains undecided as to where to visit.
“I have all the time to decide after I retire, so I don’t have to plan for anything.” joked Ms. Nava.
Throughout her teaching career at this campus, Ms. Nava enjoyed teaching math of various levels like CCSS (Common Core State Standards) Math 1 and AP Calculus AB to her students.
“It’s always nice to teach students, especially if they’re interested in the subject,” said Ms. Nava.Teaching has always been a fulfilling responsibility for Ms. Nava as she makes a difference in the lives of her students.
“Teachers always make a difference on the students,” affirmed Ms. Nava.  “Whether it be a positive or negative way, but there will always be a difference.”
Ms. Nava advises students to use technology responsibly without abusing it, like using it for cheating.
“Use technology in a positive way rather than use it as a quick shortcut. You won’t learn anything from taking shortcuts like that.”

Sergio Reyes

After having been a teacher for about 40 years throughout his career, Mr. Reyes believes that Piedmont Hills is the best school he has taught at.
Mr. Reyes’ first plan on his to-do list is to travel back to Mexico to visit his family and friends.  Before he started teaching at our campus, Mr. Reyes taught most of his career in Mexico.
“This school is the best well-rounded school with good parents, good students, good administrators, good staff,” confidently stated Mr. Reyes.  “For me, everything here is the perfect balance.”
Although he is departing soon, Mr. Reyes will cherish the time he had spent here as a teacher.
“At the end of every school year, some students give me cards and are very thankful,” recalled Mr. Reyes.  “Saying things like ‘Mr. Reyes, you were a great teacher, I learned a lot from your classes.’  Those are the best compliments somebody can give a teacher like me.”
Mr. Reyes advises students to stay in school and to pursue post-secondary education.
“Education is a warranty that you will succeed in life,” asserted Mr. Reyes.

By Phuong Nguyen

The annual International Faire was held last Friday, with a school rally during the day and a night fair from 7 pm to 9 pm. While the school rally had only cultural club performances, the night fair had both performances and food vendors.

During the school rally, only a small segment of performances were showcased. In addition to the time regulations due to classes, it was a way of advertising what the events had to offer.

Another incentive International Faire had for students to attend was the variety in food. With fairely low prices and several choices, students had a wide range to eat from.

“I was most excited for the spicy rice cakes,” exclaimed ASB Cultural Commissioner Naomi Nguyen. “They were a hit last year, and I’m really glad they were back with it.”

Though Internatial Faire is an ongoing school tradition, not everyone has experienced it.
For Korean Fan Club President Lauren Young, this year was her first time attending International Faire.

“I was happy with how the performances turned out. SXC (Seoul Extreme Choreography) was really cool with their synchronized dancing, and (the) waltz was really cute,” said Lauren.

To make such an entertaining night possible, several people in ASB had to spend much of their time preparing for the big cultural event.

“My parents were the ones that really got to see how many sleepless nights I went through to make this event happen,” Naomi recalled. “Knowing that they were in the crowd made me really happy.”

In addition to ASB members, club members practiced frequently to ensure their performances were a success.

“Besides International Faire, we have another show on April 15, so we have an extra week of practices. Then, we have Tuesdays and Fridays at school to practice,” Hungama Secretary Mansi Patel revealed.

According to Naomi, the idea of this faire was to celebrate cultural and racial similarities and differences. After all, the colorful dances reflect the collaborative efforts of the students.

“I think that International Faire is an amazing opportunity for not just the Korean (Fan) Club, but for other culture clubs as well, to know the beauty of the culture whether it’s through the performances shown or the foods sold,” Lauren elaborated.

For ARK (Acts of Random Kindness) Historian An Nguyen, she has never missed an International Faire since her freshman year because it is one of her favorite events of the year.

“I love seeing the diversity that genuinely brings out our school’s true colors,” she continued. “As an immigrant myself, I feel proud to see other students embracing their heritage and their culture.”

Although ARK is not considered a cultural club, the club still believed that people of different cultures should be treated with respect and kindness nonetheless.

“As an ARK officer, I feel that cultural diversity is an especially pertinent element to understanding other people and ultimately treating everyone the way they deserve to be treated,” An elaborated.

“International Faire exemplifies the idea that no matter how different, we are all one big family and we should all appreciate each other despite different race, nationality, color of skin, culture or beliefs,” Naomi agreed.

By Michelle Lin & Alyssa Gutierrez

On April 8, the Class of 2018 hosted its Junior Prom “Celestial Nights” in the Piedmont Hills L-Building from 7pm to 10pm.

“Overall, prom was a really fun experiences,” gushed junior Eileen Vu. “No matter what the DJ played, the room was energetic, and I think as a whole, everyone enjoyed dancing and spending time together.”

Juniors John Sanders and Alliyah Latiph were crowned prom king and prom queen, respectively. Other contestants included couple Andrew Tran and Vy Truong, as well as couple William Bui and Carissa Cui.

“It was amazing, exciting, and just mixed emotions,” commented John, when asked about winning prom king. “I was proud that I could make my girl happy about her high school life.”

Since the beginning of the school year, officers have been working hard to prepare for the big night. Between thinking of a theme, setting prices for tickets and putting together decorations in the L-Building, students have been tirelessly planning for this event.

“The officers and I first decided on the elegant theme: space. Then, we brainstormed about words relevant to space, thus ‘Celestial Nights.’ It sounded elegant and it was straight-forward,” explained Class President Natalie Yeh.

As for decorations, officers had put them together themselves, making a large poster to hang on the wall for students to take pictures by.

“We’re practically making all the decorations and organizing and reserving things that have to be done,” said Publicist Emily Wong. “We’re trying to go for an elegant space theme instead of just planets. We’d like more moons and stars and backgrounds for people to take pictures with.”

Last year’s Junior Prom was hosted in the Small Gym due to certain complications. This year, however, it was held in the L-Building.

“In April, the weather is unpredictable. Last year, it was raining on the day of prom. It wasn’t ideal that the prom goers had to walk from the student parking lot all the way to the Small Gym,” explained Natalie. “The L-Building is closer, so no one would have to worry about getting their dress or tux wet.”

This year, the juniors did something different from past proms, creating a buzz of excitement.

“I (was) most excited for the Shirley Temple bar!” exclaimed Natalie. “We sold Shirley Temples for $1 dollar each. Each dollar we make from Junior Prom contributes to Senior Ball.”

A total of 137 junior prom tickets were sold. All the money made from selling these tickets also contibuted to the expenses of paying for senior ball next year.

“I loved that I was able to enjoy this experience with my friends and favorite classmates,” admitted Eileen. “I truly applaud the class officers and thank them for their hard work because they made it a night to remember.”

By Arthur Hoang

The PHHS Music Department performed at the CMEA (California Music Educators Association) Festival. The choral groups went on Sat., April 1 at Saratoga High School. The instrumental groups performed last Friday at Independence High School.

Each of the groups played three pieces of varying styles and difficulty to a panel of acclaimed judges and is given scores based on the performances. Overall, the String and Symphony Orchestra received a score of ‘Excellent.’

“The judges were definitely more picky than last year; they made more comments about the ensembles balance than usual,” said Cellist Aaron Tran.

The Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, and Varsity Choir all received an overall score of ‘Excellent’ as well. The Concert Choir received an overall score of ‘Unanimous Superior’, the highest score a group can get.

When the Music Department got back from its Anaheim trip, it had very little time to practice for CMEA.

“We had four weeks from Anaheim and the Symphony Orchestra was given one new piece to get ready before CMEA,” said Orchestra teacher Emily Ray.

The Orchestra groups also had one new piece that that they had to prepare for CMEA. In addition, both instrumental and choral groups were also working on the pieces they had performed in Anaheim.

“The atmosphere for CMEA was definitely a lot worse than Anaheim but we (the concert choir) did a better job at CMEA,” explained vocalist William Chung.

The music groups were given constructive criticisms about their respective performances from judges during their time at Anaheim, and the groups and the teachers took those criticisms to heart to try to improve their music.

For the first time in three years, PHHS Instrumental group went to Independence High School instead of Evergreen Valley High School. Other years, both the instrumental and choir groups went to Evergreen for CMEA.

“Both Evergreen and Independence are running CMEA on the same days, but we chose to go to Independence because it was closer,” confessed Ms. Ray.

In addition to the change in venue, there was a date switch for the Instrumental groups. Initially, the performers were going to perform on Sat., April 8; however, that conflicted with Junior Prom for many of the students.

By Ashliana Rodriguez

On March 29 through April 1 PHHS’s Drama Department presented the musical ¨9 to 5,¨ based on the movie released in 1980. The story revolves around three women: Judy, Violet and Doralee who work for their “sexist, lying, egotistical, bigoted boss,” Mr. Franklin Hart, at Consolidated Companies.

Fed up with Mr. Hart, these women want to do more than take his notes and get his usual coffee. These women want to show that they can be ¨One of the Boys.¨

“I wanted to showcase the talent we had this year,” explained Director Anna Woods.

The cast is made up of a lot more female leads and newcomers to theater. Between learning lines and dance moves, these newcomers get to learn what it is like to be in high school theater.

“It’s big change,” expressed freshman Amanda Gill.

There were many rehearsals and dance workshops to pull off the show, but that gave the chance for cast and crew more time to prepare.

“It’s definitely an experience of a lifetime,” said senior Cleo Lagunilla.

For some of the cast and crew this is their last show, and they spend every moment cherishing it.

With the beautiful songs and smooth choreography there is also the technical crew known as Tech Crew. Their job is to build and paint the set to help the cast make the show really come to life. During the actual show their main focus is to move the set pieces during a “blackout” in under 30 seconds.

“We are all running around backstage,” explains Tech Crew member Delaina Pedroza. “(We are) making sure that everything get’s put on in time.”

With how well the first two shows were going 9 to 5 sold out their two last shows on Fri., Mar. 31 and Sat., April 1. It gave the cast and crew the boost to do their best job to give a full house a show of a lifetime.

“I thought the musical was amazing,” raved senior Janice Saturnino. “Definitely my favorite musical I have seen so far!”

On the last show, Ms. Woods gave a senior tribute to all those who have worked hard to present the musical. She brought them all out on stage and thanked them to the audience, making a point to explain the dedication that they all put in for the past three months. It was a thoughtful way to end the musical and all the productions that were presented this year.