By: Eileen Jaksik

Pride Month is a month dedicated to those who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community. The month of June is completely dedicated to those who celebrate pride. There are many celebrations to show appreciation to pride, such as rallies, marches, commemorations, community days, dance parties, and festivals.Pride month is celebrated in the United states to remember the Stonewall riots. The Stonewall riots occurred at the end of June 1969. Many pride related parades and marches were created as a result of the Stonewall riots. June was declared Pride Month in 1999-2000 and has been celebrated every year since then. Since pride month became a national celebration more and more things became legalized and available to the LGBTQ+ community. Same sex marriage became legal in 2015 and same sex adoption became legal in 2016 in the United States.

As a result people started to become more comfortable with coming out with their sexuality. Large amounts of bullying are still seen, and there are still a lot of people being treated differently. An anonymous contributor said “I’ve definitely been treated differently in high school. There’s been times I’ve felt very uncomfortable by other students and teachers.”, but as time goes on, the amount of bullying for same sex relationships is decreasing.
If you would like to support the LGBTQ+ community there are many opportunities to do so, including events even here in San Antonio, Texas. Show support and show the community that it is okay to not be ashamed of your sexuality.

By: Eileen Jaksik

The Pleasanton Eagle Softball Team is coming towards the end of their season, they have won and lost many games. Lady Eagles still have three more games until they advance to the playoffs. 

Starting off, on March 23, The Lady Eagles played Devine High School and sadly came out short with a loss of 17-2 March 30, The Lady Eagles traveled to Somerset but came out with a loss of 17-2. On April 1, the start of a new month the Pleasanton Softball team played against Hondo at the Hondo High School, sadly they fell short once more with a score of 12-0, on April 9, the lady Eagles came out with a big win against Brooks Academy with a score of 17-0. April 13, the softball team played Devine again and fell with a score of 19-0, then they played Holy cross and lost with a score 9-2. April 20, the Lady Eagles played against Somerset High School, and lost with a score 12-1, and April 23, the Eagles Softball team played Hondo High School, they sadly fell short and lost by 12-1. The Lady Eagles have one last game that will determine if they proceed through playoffs or if their season is coming to an end. 

Coach Savage is very proud of all that the girls have accomplished and wishes to give them this short piece of advice, “If there is any advice I can give my girls for the future it would be: Not everything is gonna be fair, things will not be handed to you, you have to do the extra to reap the reward. Believe in yourself because there is always gonna be someone who wants to see you fail. Believe!” Coach Savage is overall proud of how the girls performed this season among-st the circumstances of the games.  

This year is some of our girls last year, one of the players has some encouraging words for our leaving seniors. She says, “I love each senior we have. They’ve all helped me become a better player in one way or another. The only thing i’d say to them is that I hope they continue to love the game even after their season is over. I’m very grateful to have gotten to play with them, and I hope they all do amazing things once they get their lives started.” Everyone is very sad the seniors are leaving, but are happy that they are going to go off and start new things. 

The Lady Eagles are going to play amazing at the playoff game whether they win or lose they are going to end the season off great and accomplished. Pride! Pride!

By: Eileen Jaksik

Mrs. DeWaal is a teacher here at Pleasanton High School. Before she decided to become a teacher she was a pharmacist, but she says that she got very bored and wanted to change directions in her career. She says, “It was an accident, I didn’t like the pharmacy job I had and I wanted to change directions and I wanted to go into the medical field and they required me to take an elective. I thought the easiest elective was student teaching and after taking it I saw that I enjoyed it a lot and I decided to try it for a year to see if I would like it and I did.” 

Ever since she started teaching she fell in love with it and has now been teaching for 5 years. She fell in love with being with her students and helping out around the school. Mrs. DeWaal contributes to the school by running the Pleasanton Pacesetters, running the science club, and helping out with dual credit classes all while juggling her regular and AP classes. Mrs. DeWaal has a lot on her plate and has a lot of things going on and she still keeps her head up high and has a smile on her face, She says “It’s been tough, several mental breakdowns… but overall it is so worth it” 

Juggling all of her classes and extra contributions is not the only stressful thing she is going through. We are all trying to adjust to the new COVID-19 restrictions, but the teachers have the worst of it out of everyone. Mrs. DeWaal says that it has changed her way of teaching and the way she sees her students. “It has caused me to be more reflective on my teaching, on my learning, and has made me pay more attention to what the student needs as an individual and as a whole class. I’m really stepping back and realizing that not a lot of students have a lot of support because they’re at home and they’re having to go through school and stuff on their own. So I’ve had to modify a lot of my lectures, videotape my lectures, videotape notes, have examples, and zoom.” she says. 

Even though this year has been really hard for Mrs. DeWaal, she still loves to teach and she says that she loves seeing her students succeed and just building that bond with her students is what she looks forward to when waking up in the morning. 

Mrs. DeWaal has contributed so much to this school, and our whole school is thankful for her and her hard work. Thank you, Mrs. DeWaal!

By: Eileen Jaksik

Every year during the month of December over 800 people have died due to drunk/drugged driving. In 2018 it was reported that there were 839 deaths due to drunk driving. Most of the crashes are on December 24th and December 31st. The month of December is the  time of the year where drunk and drugged driving is the most severe. While driving your vehicle you need to be aware of your surroundings, just because you aren’t the one drinking and driving does not mean there aren’t others out there on the road.  

There are many different options to take instead of drinking and driving, you can call a taxi, an uber, a friend, and even a parent to come pick you up. Don’t be the person that ruins a family’s life because you chose to drive while intoxicated. The numbers of deaths daily due to drunk driving are tremendous. There are 29 deaths every day due to driving while under the influence. There is one death every 50 minutes every day. 

Drunk/drugged driving is not only harming yourself and others, but it is also a huge crime. If you are caught driving under the influence then you can get something called a “DUI” (driving while intoxicated) or an “OUI” (driving under the influence). These consequences stay on your record your entire life, after getting caught it is very hard to get a job or even get into college. You can also get your license revoked, license suspension, fines, fees, ignition interlock device (IID) installation, and even jail time.

The month of December is supposed to be the time for family and friends, don’t ruin that happiness by making a wrong choice. So remember before you chose to get in your car and drive home while under the influence, remember the families and people you are going to harm. Call a friend or even call a family member, just do the right thing. 

By: Eileen Jaksik

Aries (Mar. 21-Apr. 19) – The month of January is going to bring you much-needed healing and an optimistic approach to life. During this month you may discover that your relationships with your peers, colleagues, and even siblings are transforming radically. These eclectic lunations speed up the inevitable, so don’t be surprised if you end up leaving certain bonds in the dust. No change is never easy, but trust that there’s a method to the madness. As long as you honor your truth, the cosmos will take care of you!

Taurus (Apr. 20-May 20)- For a Taurus, life as you know is about to change forever. I know you can be hesitant about change, but this is important! By the end of the month, you’ll want to jazz up your resume, chat with your boss about a promotion, or even start a business venture of your own. Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself, you deserve success!

Gemini (May 21-Jun. 20)- This is an excellent month to reflect on your values and make sure that your personal philosophies are infused in every aspect of your life. In order to do this, you’ll need to focus not just on the present, but also the past. Don’t be surprised if you suddenly return to school, relocate to a different country, or dive deep into spirituality. Embrace your curiosities, the more you’re willing to step outside your comfort zone, the more luck, abundance, and fortune you will find!

Cancer (Jun. 21-Jul. 22)- Cancer you may be biting off more than you can chew, so take a breather and reassess your energy levels, be kind to yourself as you evaluate how you’d like to move forward. Take the chance to build up your sense of independence and self-esteem during this powerful transit. If you’re in a relationship, you might notice that your priorities are being shifted and that you need to strengthen your confidence, it’s time to toughen up that shell. So remember your worth and you will begin to find yourself again! 

Leo (July 23- August 22)- Leo someone very appealing isn’t trying to hide their feelings for you. Of course it’s great for your ego, but don’t fall too short for a sweet talker. You’re only interested in someone who is going to treat you like a queen/king, and anyone whose intentions aren’t honorable will not even be in the question for you. Too easily charmed could mean too easily harmed, the opposite of what you want!

Virgo (August 23- September 22)- Virgo Keep your nose to the grindstone and avoid spending beyond your means. Your confidence could take a down fall, so keep that chat window open with supportive cheerleaders. Just because one of your ideas gets hard doesn’t mean you should pack up the whole show. If you’re always the first one to leap up and offer an opinion, this is a golden chance to practice self-restraint. 

Libra (September 23- October 22)- Libra this is a wonderful opportunity to practice saying no. Instead of rushing in for the save, let someone else play problem solver. Don’t let a little bit of shyness or shaky confidence stop you from taking a bold step. Speak from the heart, even if it takes people a few minutes to understand you.

Scorpio (October 23- November 22)- Scorpio be vigilant about cutting out distractions and setting clear boundaries with chatty friends who keep texting. A needy person may try to guilt trip you, and it will be hard to say no. For the sake of self preservation, avoid emotional manipulation. Do your part and say what you mean, with as much kindness as you can muster!

Sagittarius (November 23- December 21)- Sagittarius obviously if something sounds too good to be true it probably isn’t, but watch for false promises spoken by good friends. Anyone who trash-talks mutual pals in your company is likely to be doing the same about you to them. Rule of thumb. When they go low, do everything in your power to keep your vibe high!

Capricorn (December 22- January 19)- Capricorn this month encourages you to pace yourself and evaluate the long-term commitments first. While you love the rush of hitting the jackpot, a slow and steady approach will serve you better here. This is a good day to polish up your image and presentation. 

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)- Aquarius while you enjoy treating your crew, you might be bothered by the fact that one or two folks in your circle conveniently never have cash when it’s time to pay the bill or consistently ignore your Venmo requests. It’s time to speak up. It may be awkward in the moment, but the alternative is letting their debt continue to build up.

Pisces (February 19- March 20)- Pisces you’re in perfectionism overdrive. Your to-do list could quickly expand, so do your best to stay organized amidst the chaos. If you start to feel overwhelmed, call for backup! Don’t try to do everything alone, ask a friend to come and help you out. 

By: Eileen Jaksik

Mrs. Shearrer, a name you may or may not know, is the CTE/CCMR coordinator here at PHS. She has worked a total of 14 years for PISD, and she plans to work even more. Mrs. Shearrer has not only been a CTE/CCMR coordinator at PHS, but also, as she states, “I taught Agricultural Science from 2002-2005 and Principles of Information Technology for the 18-19 school year.” She has worked all around campus, “I taught Agricultural Science for 15 years at 3 different high schools including Pleasanton High School. I taught 8th Grade Science at Pleasanton Junior High as well as serving as an Assistant Principal for Pleasanton Junior High. I also served 2 years as PISD District Testing Coordinator and then took some time off from working for the School District before coming back 2 years ago to teach Principles of Information Technology at PHS.”

When asked about her education, Mrs. Shearrer shared, “Typically a CTE/CCMR Coordinator will be a CTE teacher who has managerial abilities in addition to the years of CTE classroom experience. The minimum would be 4-5 years for a Bachelor’s Degree. Most will need 2 more years for a Master’s degree and 5-10 years of CTE classroom teacher experience.” She also said that she attended Texas A&M College Station and Texas A&M Kingsville to get her Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, and a Teacher Certification for any class in the CTE field.

Mrs. Shearrer’s job is a very big responsibility. She explains, “As a CTE/CCMR Coordinator I provide support to all of our CTE teachers and students. That support includes researching and providing curriculum, managing the budgets for the CTE programs, and completing all of the required paperwork from Federal and State Agencies. I serve as a resource for whatever the CTE programs need to help students be successful. As CCMR Coordinator, I manage all of the components, provide resources, and track progress of students becoming either college ready, earning and industry based certification, or deciding to enlist in the military.”

Thank you Mrs. Shearrer for everything you do for our amazing campus!

By: Eileen Jaksik 

It’s that time of the year again, time to get out your recipes and bake some goodies. There are lots of sweet treats you can make for your Thanksgiving dinner. I decided to share these yummy Oreo cookies that look like turkeys with you. Here are the ingredients so you can go ahead and get started… 

Ingredients  

• Package of original Oreo cookies
• Package of Whoppers chocolate malt balls 
• Package of Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups 
• Package of Candy Corn. 
• Mini eye candies
• Royal Icing in colors, tan, white, yellow, orange, and red 

Directions 

Use picture for reference 

• For the tail of the turkey, separate the Oreo in two pieces in order to make the tail feathers (candy corn) stay up in the cookie filling. 
• Use the white Royal Icing as “glue” and put a thick line on the bottom of the separated Oreo cookie. 
• Begin to put the Candy Corn in the top of the separated oreo with the white piece of the Candy Corn in the oreo filling. 
• Lay the top half of the Oreo cookie with the Candy Corn on top of the second Oreo.
• cookie, use more white icing as “glue” if needed. Let dry. 
• Take out the Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, cut about ¼ of the peanut butter cup to make it lay flat on the oreo. 
• Use the tan icing as “glue” to stick the Reese Peanut Butter Cup to the oreo Let dry. 
• Check the Oreo cookie with the Candy Corn and make sure it is dry, if dry then use the tan icing as “glue to stick the whopper to the back oreo.  
• Add the mini candy eyes to the head (the whooper) of the turkey, then using the orange icing add a small nose. let the nose dry for about 30 seconds. When the nose is dry add the red waddle with the red icing. Allow time for this to dry also about 30 seconds.
• Add two Candy Corn facing down as arms, use icing as “glue”. Let dry. 
• Use yellow icing to draw out the feet on the turkey on the base oreo. 
• Let it dry for 1 hour.

By: Eileen Jaksik 

Paul Vallez is a foreign exchange student at Pleasanton High School. He has come to Pleasanton, Texas all the way from Centre-Val de Loire (Center West France). Paul is a 17 year-old junior here at PHS. When asked why he chose to come to America, Paul stated, “[I came]To improve my English and spend one year in high school, because in France i’m grade [school] so I have to choose something to do and I don’t know.”

Paul wants to participate in extracurricular’s at school. He explains, “I want to do sports. I do baseball, but it’s in the day and it’s in December. I think it starts after spring.” In France, students don’t get to experience sports, so he wants to see what it’s like to play sports in America. He hopes to make the team and meet new people while doing so. 

Coming to a new school was very hard for Paul. he said “… it was hard coming to a new school… I knew the other foreign exchange students but it was still hard.” Over time Paul met new people and started making new friends. 

In France they do not partake in very many of our traditions, Paul said “We don’t do the homecoming.. Uh, the burning of the P, we don’t have this.” They do have some similarities though- they celebrate Christmas and Halloween like we do in America. Although Paul has never gotten to go trick-or-treating in America, he said “I’m very excited to do Halloween here.” 

Paul is very thrilled to be attending Pleasanton High School, and cannot wait to learn and try new things. We hope you enjoy living here in the states, and have fun learning new things the American way!

By: Eileen Jaksik

On Thursday, July 30th the Pleasanton High School Pacesetters started their summer dance camp at home in our Pleasanton PAC gym. The Pacesetter camp was a sum of two days, each day the practice lasted a whopping 7-8 hours. The Pleasanton Pacesetters learned a total of three dances, they relearned a competition pom, which is a jazz style of dance with pom poms, the dance is from the previous year to the song “light it up”, a hip hop pep rally dance, and they learned a competition novelty dance to “Just Can’t Wait to be King.” The Pleasanton Pacesetters had help learning these routines from the amazing Albert Ruiz. They learned an original routine, but decided to correct much of the choreography in the span of two whole days.

This year the Pleasanton Pacesetters have 5 new officers leading and helping their team, Colonel Kaylie Stratton, Lieutenant Colonel Alexandra Luna, Major Milagros Garcia, Lieutenant Briana Aguirre, and Sergeant Kaitlyn Allen. The new Pacesetter Officers had to not only take care of and worry about themselves, but they also had to learn how to worry and take care of the other Pacesetters at the same time. The officers had to help the new team members coordinate their team outfits and they set up sisterly events to help make the team more comfortable around each other. The new officers did very well according to Mrs. DeWaal, “They did exceptionally well, especially for the majority being first time officers.” 

The Pleasanton Pacesetters attended camp during the Covid-19 virus. They wore face masks and stayed six-feet apart while dancing. According to some of the Pleasanton Pacesetters adjusting to the masks was not a very hard thing to do. Before camp even started the Pacesetters were already use to wearing the masks due to multiple practices prior to camp. 

Mrs. DeWaal is very proud of how the Pacesetters did at their private camp. They can’t wait to compete these wonderful dances they worked so hard on to learn. A huge congrats and good luck for the 2020-2021 Pleasanton Pacesetters!