END OF FINALS!!!

Yes! Finals time is over! Many of you might really be happy and some of you might not really care, but I am very happy. I'm just glad that I don't have to worry so much about studying or coming to school on time (everybody should still come to school on time anyways), but you don't have to worry about missing a test because you were late. Hopefully you all got the grades you were hoping for and noticed that some of your studying really paid off.

Now that finals are over, you can relax a little more and feel less pressure to make sure you remember everything you studied, that's if you even studied (and hopefully you did!). If you did study and know or feel that you did well on a test, then congratulations, you probably did! In case you didn't, it's okay, just try harder next time. Now, all you have to worry about is getting to school on time so that you don't get detention and turn in your homework on time so that you don't get home work center!

Student Government: Inside Access

Good afternoon LPS community, this is your Inside Access report of February 2nd, 2010. Great news! I am very excited today because the proposal for Student Congress has finally been approved.

This means that your Student Government is growing fast and the best part is that I'm looking for people like you to be a part of it. Many of you have come to me with very great concerns about the school and what affects students.

Very soon you will be able to make your concerns heard better than before if you become a Congressman, Congresswoman, or voice your opinions to more than one leader.

Personally, being a Student Government of only five people is hard work and leading it is even harder. There's an expression, "don't put more on your plate than you can eat." Although I love my responsibilities, this year the Officers and I have been eating a lot and now we can share the food.

I'm still trying to find a way to promote Student Congress but I assure you advertisement is on its way. Thank you all for reading. Have a good afternoon and your access has been expired.

Student Government: Inside Access

Good afternoon LPS community, this is your Inside Access report of February 1st, 2010.  I hope you all had a relaxing weekend and welcome to a new month. 

Today I'm going to layout my priority list for this month. 

Priority number one: Establish Student Congress, which is the newest installment to Student Government. This group's purpose is to help make decisions based on student affairs. 

I'm pushing to get this group established because I have experienced great stress dealing with student affairs as a small group and with a larger Student Government, the future President and Officers can make decisions faster and more stress free.

Priority number two: Establish a consistent fundraising machine. By this I mean something like a Student Store.

For various reason we have been without a Student Store for a longer period than ever before. A store is a centerpiece for our Student Government because it is what allows us to have the money to do things for the students.

With a return of a Student Store there will be money stored for next year's Student Government to put on events.

Priority number three: Increase diversity at LPS. Although our school is very well represented by intelligent Hispanics, African Americans, Caucasians, and Asians or population leans heavily towards Hispanic. 

I will be working with administrators and parents to figure out why we are not as diverse as we should be and how to get more ethnicities representation in our school.

There you have it; my priority list for February. Thank you for reading and expect me to get on these things very soon. Have a good evening, and your access has expired.

Family Meeting, January 15, 2010

I know we're a little late on this one, but as they say, better late than never.

Congratulations to all of the PUMA nominees and winners, and a big thank you to all of the performers who honored Martin Luther King Jr!

9th Grade Health Fair

On Friday, January 15th, Ms. Wolfe's Academic Literacy students held a Health Fair on the blacktop during lunch. The variety of poster boards ranged from why people are stressed, to depression, anxiety, eating disorders, obesity, and how to eat and live healthy.

The overall purpose of the fair was to showcase to the entire LPS community what that freshman students have learn in Academic Literacy as well as to educate us on the common health issues that so many people in our country face.

Personally I enjoyed the creativity that the students had to design their posters and more importantly I enjoyed reading the valuable information on them. I was pleased by the maturity of the students having the ability to thoroughly explain their projects and the great teamwork that they had with each other.

Great job to all the students who participated and the LPS community thanks you for teaching us something very valuable for our health.

FINALS TIME!!!

As you all may know, finals are coming up real soon. This means it's time to STUDY! Some of you might be thinking "Oh no, I have to study!" but you can always make studying easy and a little more fun than what you're used to. If you're the type of person who likes to study with friends, which a lot of you might be, you can get a little group of people and all study together. Make sure that you don't end up just goofing off, and actually study. If you're the type of person who likes to study alone, you can make flash cards on the things that you know are going to be on the test.

For me, I think studying alone and playing some music or studying with just one other person is better because that way you don't get to distracted. Sure, there are going to be times when you do get distracted, but if it's just you and someone else, one of you is eventually going to say "o.k, o.k, lets finished" and you'll get back on track. When the test comes up and you see how easy everything was because you studied, you'll be very happy and proud of yourself when you see that you did well.

So study hard and get a good night sleep!

The LPS Art Blog!

I am very excited to announce the LPS Art Blog! This is a new way to stay up to date on what's going on in Ms. Rivera's art classes, as well as see some of the amazing work that her students are doing.

Thanks, Ms. Rivera!

Check it out here: LPS Art Blog

Oakland Students Helped Make MLK Day a Holiday in California

For anyone who has ever doubted the fact that teenagers can have a real political impact, check out this video about Oakland Tech students who played a role in Martin Luther King Jr. Day becoming an official holiday in California.

Very inspirational!

Is it The End or a New Beginning?

When you think of the year 2012, do you really believe that the world is really going to end? Or do you think its just all a lie and people are just making to big of a deal about it? Everyone thinks something different. But the truth is that no one really knows, so you shouldn't get worried or scared about it because it might all just turn out to be a big lie. Also you shouldn't believe what anyone is saying about this because there were many times, three times from what I heard, that people were saying that the world was going end and obviously they were all wrong. Just because this time it seems like it really might happen because everyone is making a bigger deal out of it doesn't mean that it is actually going to happen.

I wouldn't think of it as the end, I would think of it as a new beginning. A couple days ago my family and I were having a little conversation about it. My aunt was the one who made me think that way about 2012. She said that it is not going to be the end the world, it is just going to start back at year 1. I don't really know why they would want to do that if that's what they're planning to do, but it makes it less scary to think of it as a new beginning rather than to think of it as the end of the world.

Student Government: Inside Access

Good afternoon LPS community, this is your Inside Access report of January 6th, 2010. In my previous report I began to tell you my Presidential agenda for the remainder of the year. If you did not read the first half I encourage you to do so and if you have welcome to part two.

I last left of telling you about bringing back the Student Store. I'm also focusing on bringing more clubs to the student body. Currently I am collaborating with Ms. Barrios as well as UC Berkeley volunteers to bring unique, fun, and of course skill building clubs to the school. 

Another big thing on my agenda is to bring fun social events to the school that go out of the box of just dances. There is a variety of ways to have fun as a community and in my last few months in office I want to bring new ideas of entertainment. 

The finally thing on my agenda is to help make the Senior Prom as good as an event as possible. The Prom is the main event for a high school senior and for our entire community and as one of my finally projects at LPS I'll make sure it is a success.

This is what will be done by June by me and my fellow Officers so expect great things from us from now on to the end of the year. Thank you for reading my agenda. Thank you for visiting the only site to read updates by me, Voices of LPS Richmond. Your access has been expired.

Student Government: Inside Access

Good afternoon LPS community and welcome back to school. This is your Inside Access Report for January 4th, 2010. First off I hope you all enjoyed your two week vacation and had a happy holiday season.

Today I'll be giving you Part one of my Presidential agenda for the remainder of the year. This year in Student Government was very rough, which I completely expected due to the changes we've encountered. 

It is my intention to make sure that a rough Student Government year never happens again at LPS. This will happen by the Student Government Officers taking younger students under our wing to prepare them for an Officer position.

This will be done by creating committees for students of all grade levels to participate in and members of these committees will have direct association with the Officers. Secondly, the Peer Leaders will be recruiting more people and we will be accepting freshman applicants.

It is my goal that by the end of the year our community will have young, vibrant students with the skills necessary to continue to raise the bar of excellence for Student Government.

The next thing on my agenda is to create a central, continuos fundraising establishment. For the remainder of the year I will attempt to re-establish a student store for the enjoyment of students and the profit of the Peer Leaders.

I'll stop there and let part one settle in. Tomorrow I will resume with my plans for the remainder of the year. Thank you for reading and I encourage you to tell your friends about the only place where you can read about my thoughts: Voices of LPS Richmond. Your access has been denied.

"The Orphan"

First of all, I know this movie is not one of the newest movies out, but it is a good

movie. This movie is about a little girl who gets adopted by a family who believes she

is an innocent little girl. The little girl comes into their home making it seem like she's

an angel and a perfect daughter for them, when she's really not. As she does whatever

she can to destroy their family, they discover a very interesting, but somewhat scary

secret about her, a secret you'll find out when you watch this movie, if you haven't

already seen it.

I've seen this movie a few times and I think it's really interesting. There is a lot of

excitement in this movie, at least that's what I think. If you've seen it and think I'm

wrong or something different, make a comment and share your opinion about.

One Warm Coat(:

Have you noticed lately the weather going on? Freezing cold and rain! Worst mix ever, but here's another thing to think about; the people that have to survive through this weather without a jacket. In my opinion, this is very sad and unhealthy. If you were to stand out in the rain and it's very cold at the same time, you would get very sick! Point blank; it's FREEZING!

If you are a person with a kind heart and feel bad for these people, here's an idea; look through your closet for a coat you never wear. What sounds like a better idea; throwing away something that you don't need, or giving it away to someone that really needs it? In my opinion, I would go with the second idea. It's better to give than to waste.

It's not that hard either. All you have to do is go through your closet and look for a coat that you don't need/wear, bring it to school, and make someone's life warmer. This is a thoughtful thing to do and will make someone happier. Trust me, you'll feel good at the end of this because you'll know that someone out there will be warm for this Christmas.

Student Government: Inside Access

Good afternoon LPS community. Today I regret to inform you that I have no actual news to make public. As I stated in previous updates applications would be going out this week for Peer Leaders as well as Grade Level Committees. 

Unfortunately, for various reasons both the Peer Leaders as well as the Student government have lacked consistency with making the applications. As it seems at this point either we will wait until we return to release the applications or find a way to quickly pull it off this week. 

Today is a very brief article and I do expect to have a complete report posted tomorrow after the meetings to discuss next semester. For complete information please check in here tomorrow. Thank you very much.

What Should I Say?

Hey! I'm back with information that I have been learning recently in Ms. Wolfe's Academic Leadership class. This week we are talking about how people see themselves and what can be some serious outcomes. One serious question that we focused on today had to do with what some people may have on their mind: "How should I tell my friend that I think he/she has an eating disorder?" These few simple and easy steps can probably help you figure out how to do this and how to help your friend get out of a serious problem.

P.S. This can work for almost any problem.

1. The first step would be to find a place where you could sit down with that person and have a serious talk. Make sure there are no distractions around you because he/she won't really listen to you.


2. The next step is to recap on moments that you felt you knew what was going on. For example, "I remember when we went to the resturant in San Fransico, you ..." and continue with what you have been noticing.


3. Step number three: ask your friend to talk about your concerns with a professional. For example: doctor, counselor, nutritionist and any other professional with knowledge about these types of things. Also, make sure you're the one who scheduled this appointment and go with them to make sure they actually go.


4. Next, try your best to avoid arguments. If your friend refuses to accept the fact that you might know about their secret, simply restate your feelings and show them that you will be a supportive listener.


5. Step number five: do not make your friend feel ashamed or guilty. Try not to say the "you" statement. For example: "You need to stop being like this!" Try to say "I", that way, they'll know your concerned about them. For example: "I'm concerned about you because.."


6. This next step is a step that I think is the most important. Do not make them think there is any easy way out, but at the same time, let them know that you are there for them. Try not to say something like "If you stop, everything will be okay." This is not good because you're not letting them know the reality; they have a serious problem and it's not an easy way out.


7. The final step is to simply remind your friend that you're there for them and your willing to give them all your support, love, and care.

Student Government: Inside Access

Good afternoon LPS community, this is your Inside Access report for December 9th,  2009. As I posted in my most previous Inside Access report the Student Government will be starting Grade Level Committees.

For those of you who stopped by the Peer Leader/Student Government table we might have handed you a piece of paper describing the committees to you. Currently, we are planning out the application process for becoming a committee member and once we have settled agreements we will be able to establish the groups. 

As I stated before, we do plan to have the committees up and running by the time we return from Christmas break. Although the committees are open for anyone to run for we will acknowledge distinctive candidates that we believe are well prepared for the job.

In other news, the Peer Leaders are looking to recruit more members. The Peer Leader interest sheet was completely filled on both sides on Thursday. I am very pleased that so many people have gained an interest in the organization. Like the Grade Level Committees we will be starting to recruit new Peer Leaders at the end of this month to begin work in January. We are expecting to promote these to group more in the very near future.

That's all for today everyone. Have a great afternoon, stay warm and check in with me tomorrow. Your access has been expired.

Hey...

I hope these interviews are interesting enough to read. I'm sure all of you are going to love this one. My most recent victim is the famous Michael Gonzalez. This is what he had to answer in order to get away from me...

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve?

A: People tagging at school because there is not really a point to just destroying things that aren't theirs.

Q: How do you wake up for school?

A: My phone alarm wakes me up.

Q: What talent would you like to have?

A: Speaking multiple languages because it is unique and interesting. Also, because I get very

curious when people are saying something I don't understand.

Q: If you could have any superpower what would it be?

A:I would like to be able to turn into whoever I want to be like the blue lady in XMEN.

Q: What's your favorite commercial?

A: The old Coca Cola commercials with the polar bears in it because the polar bears are cute.

Q: What are your favorite chores?

A: I like to take out the trash and do my own laundry because I like to stay clean and also just in case I marry someone that does not know how to.

Q: What are 3 things that you cannot live without?

A: Music because it calms me down; my cell phone because it is useful for contact information also for the time; and the piano because it helps release stress

Q: What was in your refrigerator in November?

A: Lemons, tomatoes, eggs, milk, lettuce, tortillas - the typical stuff.

Q: What time did you fall asleep last night?

A: At 12 am because I was doing my homework.

Q: Would you rather take a bite out of an onion or take a bite out of an UN-pealed orange?

A: I would do either one because my mom has told me that I have done both of them before. So it wouldn't make a difference.

LPS College Day

Last Thursday we participated in LPS Richmond's first annual College Day. To recap what took place, we gathered outside on a very chilly morning, heard three guest speakers, went to a workshop, experienced what it's like to have the chance to sign up for clubs, saw two performances, and then went back to workshops to finally gather for one last Family meeting.

College Day gave us insight into how to afford college, how to write personal statements, how to get involved on campus, and much more. The La Raza group from U.C. Berkeley did a fantastic job of providing us with the speakers and information best fit to enhance our preparation for going to college.

College Day took a lot of hard work from the Cal students, who took time out of their learning to do what they did for us, the Peer Leaders, as well as the staff who helped to make this day move smoothly. But, most importantly, Ms. Barrios.

Ms. Barrios has been working extremely hard to make going to college become a reality for every student at LPS and what she organized for us was nothing less than a great experience. Year one was a success and it will only get better next year!