From the Bus: Players and Coaches Excited, but Focused Heading into Today’s Championship

By Nick Seminerio

Following an exciting, school-wide sendoff of the Men’s Varsity Basketball team, players and coaches are feeling the positive energy but staying focused before today’s 4:00 p.m. championship.

Students and staff lined the main parking lot, and cheered the team as they boarded the bus.

“The parade was a blast – it makes the whole experience more special,” said head coach Doug Donnellan.

Junior Ben Bloom agreed with his head coach.

“The parade was unreal – what’s crazy is how much people care about our team,” Bloom said. “I’m  excited, It’s an experience I may well never have again – it’s good to share it with my friends and family.”

Donnellan said while the parade has been exciting, he is focused heading into the game. “I’m going through every possible scenario, I’m focused. My enjoyment comes after,” Donnellan said.

Donnellan hopes that any nervousness will fade away by game time. “High school kids aren’t used to playing in a game of this magnitude. [There is] a certain sense of nervousness, feeling of awe, which will hopefully dissipate by the end,” Donnellan said.

“They’ve earned this opportunity today. It’s an honor,” Donnellan said.

Schoolwide Sendoff, Final Details Planned for Friday’s Championship

By Nick Seminerio 

Details were finalized today for an exciting send off of the Men’s Varsity Basketball team as the team departs for Sacramento tomorrow morning.

Classes will assemble in pre-determined locations near the main parking lot at 10:15 a.m. to cheer the team members, according to Assistant Principal Eric Saibel in an email sent to staff members.

Teachers have the option of allowing their classes to walk out to the parking lot to watch the bus drive away, Saibel said.

Also, Comacad student John Hassen today released a promo video for Friday’s championship game in Sacramento. The video can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeu5LxvWhBw and below.

Four student buses will depart our school at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow, and ticket sales for students wishing to ride on those will end at 3:30 p.m. today.

Saibel wanted to remind all students that no beverages of any kind will be allowed, and that students are subject to search. Bottled water will be provided, he said.

Friday’s contest comes on the heels of Saturday’s 54-49 win versus Archbishop Riordan, a team from San Francisco, in the Northern California finals.

The Pirates will take on Chaminade High School from Canoga Park, CA at 4:00 p.m. at the Sleep Train Arena, the home of the Sacramento Kings.

 

Short Day, Transportation Plan Set for Friday’s Championship Basketball Game in Sacramento

By Nick Seminerio

It’s official – Pirates will see a special, short day on Friday.

Principal Liz Seabury today announced that Friday, March 28 will be a 12:45 p.m. dismissal day so students and staff can trek to Sacramento to watch the state championship basketball game.

The Pirates will take on Chaminade High School from Canoga Park, CA at 4:00 p.m. at the Sleep Train Arena, the home of the Sacramento Kings.

“It’s an exciting time to be a Pirate,” Seabury said in her address to the school.

Friday’s contest comes on the heels of Saturday’s 54-49 win versus Archbishop Riordan, a team from San Francisco, in the Northern California finals.

Late Monday, the Administration released a letter detailing ticket sales and transportation logistics for students wanting to attend. The letter can be found below.

This story will be updated with more information.

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Tamalpais Union High School District Board Upholds Dismissal of Tam Teachers

By Nick Seminerio

Following a lengthy, passionate public comment section during last Wednesday’s Tamalpais Union High School District (TUHSD) board meeting, board members voted to uphold the dismissal of three probationary Tamalpais High School math teachers.

Over 100 people showed up at the meeting, which was held at our school’s Student Center, to support the teachers: Ryan Fedoroff, Juan Vidal, and Anders Fairbanks.

Those who spoke out in favor of the teachers included current Tam students, parents, and fellow math teachers, including Tam Math department head Dave Wetzel.

“Do you know how rare a teacher with a math credential is, let alone a good one?” said Tam math teacher Curt Gebhard in his speech to board members.

After the public comments session, the board went into closed session and re-emerged with the decision that tenure for the teachers would not be granted.

Our school’s Math department teacher leader, Judy King, who also attended the meeting, said she cannot understand the decision. “I can’t understand this decision…everything I know about Anders and Ryan is that they are great teachers – and it’s very difficult to find great math teachers,” she said.

At the end of his speech, Gebhard asked the board to re-elect the teachers

“Do the obvious thing, the right thing,” he said.

Winter Rally Theme Changed After Concerns

By Nick Seminerio

The theme of the Jan. 31 Winter Rally was changed after a group of students had concerns that some transgender students might feel uncomfortable. Originally, the theme was Boys vs. Girls, but was changed to Evens vs. Odds, with sophomores and seniors competing against freshmen and juniors.

“For a while we have thought that the [Boys vs. Girls] rally promoted a harsh environment of binary gender stereotypes; ones that reinforced the typical roles of what girl or boy should be like,” said Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) co-President Mick Bruckner.

Before the rally, Bruckner and fellow GSA co-president Sam Blanchard, had a conversation with Assistant Principal Eric Saibel and Leadership teacher Kendall Galli about the possibility of changing the theme for future rallies.

“We made it clear to Leadership that we did not expect them to change the rally, given the timing. We hoped to influence future rallies. [Kendall] Galli decided that it would be awesome to make the change for THIS rally. She was unbelievably understanding and supportive,” Bruckner said.

Assistant Principal Eric Saibel said that while the Boys vs. Girls theme isn’t offensive to most students, it has put some in an awkward position. The conversation about the rally themes was positive and a collaborative decision.

“It’s about the spirit of friendly competition,” Saibel said.

Community Rallies to Support Student Crash Victims

By Samantha Gilbert and Nick Seminerio

Update:  Feb. 13, 2014

The Feb. 8 Vaccaro benefit night was a huge success, according to event organizers. The combined events at Deer Park Villa and various bars in Fairfax raised around $22,000, according to lead organizer Dianne Zellers. Deer Park Villa was sold out at 400 attendees, she said.

Two more benefit events are planned on March 8 and 22. Full details on both events were not immediately available, but the March 8 event will be at Nave’s in Fairfax, and the March 22 event at the Fairfax Pavillion hosted by the Native Sons.

Full details and ticket purchasing details will be online soon, according to Zellers. The website can be found at www.vaccarofund.org.

The donation site is still live at www.gofundme.org/vaccarofamily.

We will update this story with more information as we receive it.

Update:  Feb. 7, 2014

Vaccaro benefit organizers have launched a website where tickets can be purchased for the Feb. 8 benefit event at Deer Park Villa. Attendees are being asked to print their receipt and bring it to the event, according to organizer Dianne Zellers.

The website can be found at www.vaccarofund.org

Tickets for the second part of the evening cost $20.00, and only one ticket is needed for entrance to all three venues, which will have live music performances throughout the night, Zellers said. These tickets are available for purchase at the door at any of the three venues the night of Feb. 8 only.

Peri’s Silver Dollar Saloon, The Sleeping Lady, and 19 Broadway are all participating, Zellers said.

Read below for the full story, and more details on the Feb. 8 event.

Update:  Jan. 23, 2014

Vaccaro’s medical condition has improved, according to best friend Foster Zellers in a Facebook update. Vaccaro has been able to breathe on his own without a ventilator, which has enabled him to speak, Zellers said. He was scheduled to be moved to a facility in Santa Clara on Tuesday, Jan. 21.

The list of venues for the Feb. 8 benefit has grown to four: Deer Park Villa, 19 Broadway, The Sleeping Lady, and Peri’s Silver Dollar Saloon, according to Dianne Zellers.

Tickets to attend the first portion of the evening at Deer Park Villa are $30.00. The event includes appetizers, dinner, a silent auction, and live music performances by Drake students. Tickets to the Deer Park Villa event are available for purchase in Susanna Nash’s classroom #209, or by emailing Dianne Zellers at dz@marketingmachine.net with “Ticket Reservation” in the subject line.

Tickets for the second part of the evening cost $20.00, and only one ticket is needed for entrance to all three venues, which will have live music performances throughout the night, Zellers said. These tickets are available for purchase at the door of the three venues the night of Feb. 8 only.

In addition to event attendees, Vaccaro benefit organizers are also looking for babysitters for the second portion of the event. The babysitters are needed from 9 p.m. until the event’s conclusion later that night. The money for babysitting will go to the Vaccaro and Reeder funds, so babysitters would need to work for free but for a good cause, according to Cyndi Cady, who is organizing the babysitting. “If you or anyone you know is willing to babysit, please email me at cyncady@soundbureau.com with the word ‘babysitting’ in the subject line,” Cady said.

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A single vehicle accident on Christmas Eve involving six teenagers, including four Drake students, has resulted in an outpouring of community support.

Around 11 p.m. on Dec. 24, 2013, a 2003 Chevy Tahoe driven by senior Christian Gordon overturned on eastbound Lucas Valley Road in San Rafael.

“I was going too fast going around a corner,” Gordon said. “The wheels slid to the right, so I counter-steered. Then the wheels then started sliding to the left, and I over counter-steered. The tires caught on the pavement and the truck flipped twice, landing upside down on the hillside.”

Two passengers sustained moderate injuries, including one sophomore and 19 year-old Drake graduate Dameon Reeder, who sustained spinal, hip, and leg injuries, along with a concussion.

Sophomore Louie Vaccaro received major injuries, according to Vaccaro’s best friend, junior Foster Zellers.

The other three teens, including Gordon, had minor injuries. All six were wearing seat belts, Zellers said.

Following the crash, the six teens were taken to Marin General Hospital. Vaccaro immediately underwent a ten-hour surgery to fix three damaged vertebrae, one of which was replaced. He was put in a medically induced coma for three days, according to Zellers.

Vaccaro moved from Marin General Hospital to Kaiser Terra Linda, but will soon be transferred to a long term rehabilitation facility in Vallejo. He is expected to remain on a ventilator for at least two to three months, Zellers said.

Vaccaro’s family and friends are hopeful that he will make a full recovery.

Diane Zellers, Foster Zellers’ mother and a close friend of the Vaccaro family, is coordinating community support efforts. She created a GoFundMe website where anyone can donate to help Vaccaro’s recovery. Vaccaro’s page can be found at gofundme.com/vaccarofamily.

The web page has raised over $31,000 as of Tuesday, Jan. 14

Administrators also asked the community to help. “We urge the Drake community to support the family in any means they can. Our hearts and warmest thoughts are always with Louie and his family,” said Principal Liz Seabury and Assistant Principals Eric Saibel and Chad Stuart in a statement.

A series of community events have been planned to support Vaccaro. The first, on Jan. 9, 2014, was held at The Sleeping Lady restaurant in Fairfax, and raised nearly $2,200. Of that, $500 went to Reeder.

The next two events will be held on the same night, Feb. 8, 2014. The first event is for families and will take place at Deer Park Villa in Fairfax, featuring appetizers, dinner, raffle prizes, and more, according to Dianne Zellers.

The night will continue for adults at both 19 Broadway and The Sleeping Lady in Fairfax, with live music performances from over fifteen bands, she said. Attendees should email Zellers to reserve tickets at dz@marketingmachine.net with “Ticket Reservation” in the subject line.

In the wake of the tragedy, Vaccaro’s family and friends have found hope. “Through this tragic situation, I can’t believe the beauty I’ve seen,” Dianne Zellers said. “The outpouring of love from the community – It’s changed the view of where I live.”

—For more information on donation and upcoming events, see below.

Link to the Vaccaro family’s GoFundMe website: gofundme.com/vaccarofamily

Two Daytime Car Burglaries Shock Staff and Students

By Nick Seminerio

Two car burglaries committed in broad daylight Wednesday have left staff and students shocked at the daring nature of the crime. Two cars were burglarized, one on Saunders Ave at Devonshire Hall, and the other in the Saunders staff lot next to the art building.

The burglaries took place some time during third period Wednesday. Senior Julia Kinsolving was the first to report the crime after seeing the broken glass while walking along Saunders Ave.

“I heard a strange crackling noise, like glass was breaking off something. I was all by myself on Saunders [Ave] at the time. I turned around and saw a pile of broken window glass on the ground [next to the car],” Kinsolving said.

A purse was stolen out of Senior Audrey Recollon’s car, according to Kinsolving. Kinsolving is a frequent parker on Saunders Ave and reported the theft to Recollon, who told administrators.

English teacher Diana Winkler’s car was the second to be victimized. Winkler’s purse was stolen, along with three credit cards.

After both cars were burglarized, the suspect(s) headed up Park Avenue, which crosses Saunders Ave, hid between two cars, and rifled through the purses, according to Winkler. The purses were discarded, but Winkler’s credit cards were taken, she said.

Campus Assistant Lena Herrera spotted the discarded purses during the investigation.

Shortly after the theft occurred, over $500.00 was charged to Winkler’s card at an Old Navy store in Novato. Winkler has since retrieved her purse.

The number of suspects is not known, according to Assistant Principal Chad Stuart. Stuart said that it’s also unknown whether the suspect(s) is a student.

A review of the security camera pointed at the Saunders Ave parking lot did not turn up any results, Stuart said.

Winker has concerns about the timing of the thefts, and potential danger to students. “I feel shocked, violated, sad, angry, and concerned that two crimes were committed during school hours in broad daylight.  It makes me wonder whether a student would have been in any danger if he/she had startled the thief/thieves by walking by the crime scene,” Winkler said.

Ceramics teacher Beth Cederstrom, whose classroom is near where the theft occurred, said that while the theft is unsettling, it might be a sign of the times. “I think there’s a lot of pressure that’s put on people over the holidays…Marin has changed, it used to be a safer place,” Cederstrom said.

Stuart reiterated previous instructions for staff and students if they witness a theft. “[We] urge anybody who witnessed a theft to not approach the suspect, and call 911 immediately,” Stuart said.

Students Rally Support to Improve the Quality of Canteen Food

 

By Samantha Gilbert and Nick Seminerio

Students in the new Picnic Club are working to improve the quality of canteen food. They have started an online petition and are making an effort to have students share their concerns at the upcoming Tamalpais Union High School District (TUHSD) board meeting on Wednesday, Dec 11.

Picnic Club President junior Chelsea Supawit created the petition on change.org, which has received over 330 signatures as of Tuesday, Dec 9.

Supawit is hoping that the canteen will serve healthier, more organic food. “We live close to some of the most abundant farmland –  growing organic fruit, vegetables and meats of all kind – in the world! Why can’t we eat the food we grow in our own backyards?” Supawit wrote on the petition’s description.

She also raises concerns about the quality of the chicken from Tyson Foods, the company that has recently supplied the Canteen.

However, Canteen Manager Sandy Partee says that the district recently switched to a different supplier, dropping Tyson altogether.

Chef Bonnie Bottarini and other Canteen staff believe that if prices were raised, the Canteen would be able to serve better quality food. Bottarini said she would like to see more fresh cooked vegetables and organic fruit.

Supawit believes that while the salad bar has been a good addition, there is still room for improvement. “I think it’s a great step that we added a salad bar to our Canteen, but it isn’t enough – entrees need to be improved,” Supawit said.

As for funding, Supawit believes that some of the money raised by the Drake Fund could go toward healthy eating alternatives.

Partee said that she wanted to incorporate more vegetables from the garden into the food. “We would enjoy more food [from the] fresh garden brought to the Canteen,” Partee said.

Another hope for Supawit is that students would stay on campus during lunch if the food were improved.

Do you think the quality of food in the canteen should be changed? Vote in our poll above!

 

Internet Access Allowed, Speeds Restricting

By Eamon Kummert

Since the beginning of this year, our school has been wracked with internet problems. In Advisory, students are treated to endless buffering while watching Pirate TV, preventing them from knowing about the week’s activities. During lunch, the network is lethargic at best because students are using the school’s wifi to get updated about their classmate’s lives.

Teachers encounter the same problem when they’re showing an instructional video in class, sometimes forcing their pupils to look at half-inch-wide pixels. In late November, IT staff (information technology) had to block YouTube in attempt to save bandwidth for the rest of the network. What’s happening to our school’s internet?

The internet has always occupied an important but barely-talked about position at our school. Essential for the bulk of most students’ research, the internet has been a vital tool for years.

Recently, however, online applications such as Google Drive and Prezi have been introduced into classrooms to make schoolwork easier to access wherever a student is—Cooper Clark made Mobius’s Integrated Science classes put a heavy emphasis on Google Docs and Prezi starting in 2011. As opposed to Microsoft Word or Excel, however, Google’s and other companies’ applications are constantly connecting to the internet.

High-bandwidth sites like YouTube and previously blocked sites—Instagram, specifically— have been putting the school’s internet connection under more stress than it can handle. It is still possible to pull up a teacher’s website in a couple of seconds, but every delay prevents students from effectively researching at school. Assignments that require students to listen to an audio clip or watch a video—an increasingly popular device for flipped teaching—are pushed off into after school hours.

Rose Chavira, the district’s Director of IT Operations, addressed this issue in an email to all staff on the 24^th of September: “TamDistrict’s… internet access was upgraded over the summer break.  However, due to configuration issues, the full bandwidth has not yet been accessible.” AT&T, the district’s internet service provider, has been slow to fix the district’s internet problems, citing problems with their network and the schools’.

On October 16^th, Ms. Chavira sent another email to all staff: “[AT&T] do not have an ETA on when [their issue] will be resolved.” The district has started to evaluate other internet providers because of AT&T’s slow response to the problem, a process that could take many months.

However, the AT&T’s failure to upgrade our school’s service is only part of the internet speed problem. The freshman/sophomore academies’ iPads have added strain to a network that awaits higher promised speeds. The mobile iPad and laptop carts can be reserved but are generally sluggish because of unrealistic demands on our school’s current wifi network. For many students, there are two options: use the slow wifi on their new computers or use slow computers on a more reliable but barely faster internet connection.

There are ways for teachers to avoid the difficulties of slow internet access. Showing videos on one screen instead of thirty will lessen the load, as will placing documents or programs on the N-drive, our location for sharing files with teachers. A more strict observance of the internet usage policies by everyone would also provide more bandwidth for legitimate school activities.

However, these are all temporary fixes to a larger problem. Over the past few years, internet providers have been on a free upgrade spree in the San Francisco area, improving internet speeds in households by 50% on average according to speedtest.net. It’s a matter of fact that Facebook, Instagram, and other sites are becoming parts of many people’s lives, in school or out of it. For internet speeds, there’s only one way to go—up.

Theft of Master Key Leads to Re-Keying of Entire School

By Amelia Rosenberg and Nick Seminerio

Update – November 21, 2013

New estimates of cost and number of locks that have been replaced are now available.

The cost to re-key the entire school is $17,000, according to Tamalpais Union High School District Head of Maintenance Tony Catrino.

Greg Farley of Transbay Security Service, the company installing the new locks, said that over 500 new locks have been installed so far.

The work is scheduled to be completed shortly, according to Assistant Principal Chad Stuart.

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The theft of our school’s master key in late September has prompted the decision to re-key the whole campus in late November to early December, according to Assistant Principal Chad Stuart . Not every staff member has a master key, that can open any door on school grounds.

On Thursday, Sept. 26th, a teacher reported that their keys had been lost, according to Stuart.

Leadership teacher Kendall Galli refused to comment when asked if her keys were the ones stolen.

The next day, Friday, Sept. 27th, Spanish teacher Hannah Lingrell’s wallet and phone were stolen out of her locked classroom.

On Saturday, Sept. 28th, Lead Custodian Robert Amaral happened to find the key ring, which was missing the master key, in a trashcan. “Whoever took it knew what they were doing,” Amaral said.

Administrators then made the assumption that the lost keys and theft were connected, according to Stuart. Stuart is guessing the suspect is a student, but can’t release any more details on the case because it is an open investigation.

“It’s a sad situation; my feeling is [that] Drake, between staff and students, is one of the most connected schools I’ve been at, and this is one of the biggest breaks of trust that one student chose to make,” Stuart said.

Although the theft of the key hasn’t impacted students, staff have felt the effects, especially those who are involved. After her wallet and phone were stolen out of her locked classroom, Lingrell felt that her privacy was violated.

“It’s horrible when you are used to a place being safe and then it’s suddenly not safe. It makes me feel differently when I come to work now. I feel like I have to be overly cautious and lock everything up tight and be really wary of my surroundings. Most of the students I teach are really great though and sweet, and I just have to remember that when I’m feeling upset about what happened,” Lingrell said.

Amaral gave a low estimate that at least 100 doors will have to be re-keyed. “[The] money could have been spent on [equipment] for the kids,” Amaral said.

With the master key and suspect still on the loose, and new leads unlikely, administrators notified staff that the entire school would be re-keyed. The work is scheduled to be completed by winter break, according to Stuart.

This is an ongoing story, and we will update it with more information as we receive it.