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It’s our time for a change
Ajo High School...
by: Savannah McCasland
Here she is Ajo High School. The lady bringing us our change and her name is Dr. Painter. She came to Ajo Schools with a different attitude than we usually see. She came to us with one goal; For Ajo Schools to get a fresh start, and for everyone to be more school-spirited and involved. Failure is not an option, and we hope that this will be a great and brand new year!
Open House 2009
Following Ajo Schools tradition, we had our annual open house August 13 before school started. While Open House usually consists of the assembly in the Dicus Auditorium, meeting your new teachers, and the famous 'Ice Cream Social', this year Dr. Painter teamed up with the student council to make it bigger and better than ever. The Student Council sold Red Raider t-shirts. A joined effort of classes ((9-12) sold hotdogs, chips, and drinks whereas the National Honor Society sold snow cones. Not only were there things for sale, the Y.E.S. Team, Border Patrol Explorers, and ISDA had informational booths set up to talk to people about programs and ideas for the new school year. The students lined up with their parents to enjoy the new events that surround them. As always, there was the assembly, and afterwards the student council still gave out free ice cream. This years’ open house was definitely a big success. Everyone can already tell that along with a new principal, big changes are coming for Ajo Schools. Let’s see where this year will take us.. 
The New Schedule
This page was researched & writtien by all Red Raider Review STAFF
Let’s face it..
Ajo High School has been going through a rough couple of years. Over summer break there were rumors that a big change was coming along with our brand new principal. We’ll admit it, a lot of us were excited for a fresh start, a clean slate, a new beginning! Then we here that along with all the good things, we have a changed schedule. A HUGELY CHANGED SCHEDULE. With class lengths an hour long...AND to top it off a shortened lunch. The reaction from the students? Less than great. If you were wondering why this happened, here’s your answer.
The Chain of Command
A lot of factors, as well as issues, were considered when planning the re-make of this years' schedule. The factors including the students' well-being, and the issues being our lack of hours for the middle school. This lack of hours is the reason why there was a need for a schedule change in the first place.
According to Dr. Dooley, last year we were barely going to school for the minimum hours required by the state standards. ‘We were borderline for our hours necessary per day, and we had to make up for early release days'.
Dr. Painter had the same answer; based on the state, we are required to have a certain number of minutes for K-12, and we had to accommodate for those minutes that were not accomplished last year. Given that she doesn’t have information from previous years.
Don’t Forget About the Teachers!
Though it is known that there have been arguments between the students and the administration, the teacher’s opinions have been muffled. When asked about their thoughts on the new schedule, many of them stated that it is very inconvenient, and that it can even be seen as a punishment to the high school students, because we are going to school more than is required by the state standards.
Others feel that it is comparative to other schools and that the class times, and lunch times are the same. It is seen as unfair to students as well as to themselves, says the teachers. Everyone is serving more hours than are required by the state standards. Apart from the long class periods, many teachers are disappointed that there is no prep period, and that their prep time was cut very short. Some think that it may even be smart to have shorter class periods to allow seven periods a day.
Also, teachers are hoping there will be some change before the new semester starts in January, including the possibility of adding in school suspension, instead of students having what they consider a ‘free day’. The all around opinion that teachers had was that the schedule needs work.
An AHS Student’s Opinion
Many questions have come up about the “new and improved” schedule. Well, if you honestly want to know my opinion, I think that this schedule has gone through a rough planning process. Our staff has thoroughly examined the way our school should be organized. As a result, they came up with an earlier start, longer class periods, shorter class breaks, a shorter lunch, and FORTUNATELY we get released 5 WHOLE MINUTES EARLIER! Now, isn’t that sweet?
Anyways the reason they decided to do this was because they needed to complete the total hours required for students to be in school. If enough hours was what they intended to have, then why not keep the same hours as they had last year? We obviously completed those necessary hours, AND we were entirely satisfied by the way the year was designed.
Class of 2010 Presents:
Luz Flores
By: Cinnamon Robles
Luz Flores is one of Ajo High Schools' graduating seniors. Some of Luz’s hobbies are eating, hanging out with friends, and reading. Luz has participated in Student Council as Junior Class President, Secretary for Student Body, and the Drama Club. She has also been part of Volleyball, Softball, Track, and Basketball.
As a child she dreamed of becoming a teacher, so she could write on the chalk board, but her dreams have changed since then. After high school she plans to attend Pima Community College for two years to learn the basics in medicine and then transfer to the University of Arizona to pursue her career as a Pediatrician.
Her advice to underclassmen is, "Don’t waste time fooling around in class, because it's hard to catch up." She also added, "Try to be active during your four years."
Dr. Painter and Our School
By: Kim Robles
Why is she called “Dr.” Painter, you ask… well, she went to school to obtain her doctorate’s degree in education leadership, and because of her many years of studying and job-experiences, she was recently granted the privilege of being our school’s new principal. Considering her position here at Ajo Schools, her main priority is enclosing the parent / teacher / student relationship to create one dependable community. She is also working towards getting students to love being at school.
Her short-term accomplishments include getting Student Council meeting early on in July, communicating well with school related persons and the community, Peace Day murals, involvement from all angles, and plenty of spirit building.
Expectations for students and teachers are that they are each accountable for themselves and others, as well as being respectful, and especially honesty- from EVERYONE. She believes that the problem between students and the willingness to learn is that students feel unheard and unimportant. She wants all students to know that their teachers really do care for them, and although they present themselves as unwilling, they shouldn’t give up.
Dr. Painter feels that all organizations, groups, and clubs are extremely important because they all need one another to survive; one group cannot do it alone, she assured me that there aren’t going to be anymore changes or rules that are going to be enforced…for now. So PLEASE try not to get anything else taken from us. I’m sure that we all somehow feel “grounded” by these regulations, but it could get worse.
She is most excited for the students’ fun activities and the participation by the uninvolved students who wish to get involved, one way or another. Our principal also believes that students should be allowed to voice their opinion on any issue, as long as they are respectful, unbiased, and open-minded.
The most important advice that she has for high school students as we begin the school year is that we only get one chance in high school. She urges us to get involved in as many things as we can because once we graduate, that is the end. Her last comment is that it is important for the community to get involved in Ajo, because this is a small town and we all need each other- as a group or individuals.
The Newbies!
Ajo High School Says Hello to Three New Additions to the Teaching Staff
WELCOME TO AJO SCHOOLS!
By: Joseph Bailey
Mr. Harvey is the new high school teacher for history. He was a graduate at the University of Michigan, and received his masters degree in education at the University of Phoenix. He has taught in Las Vegas and substituted in Idaho near the Boise area.
Although this is his first year teaching, he has high hopes for how smoothly it will go. His outlook for this year is to, "Survive it." He also wants to get to know the students, and be a good sponsor and supporter of the AHS Student Council. What he loves about Ajo is the desert.
Mr. Harvey had previous knowledge about our small town of Ajo, so he saw the opportunity to teach, and took it. In his spare time he enjoys traveling, reading, and playing golf.
By: Joseph Bailey
Ms. Zanot is the new English teacher for classes such as English 9, English 11, and AP Literature. She attended college at Northern Arizona University.
Her expectations for this coming year are to get students college ready, and to also get a drama production going.
So far she loves Ajo, it has been great to her. When asked what attracted her to Ajo, she responded, "The friendly people, the climate, and the school." Some of her hobbies include hiking, reading and writing.
By: Kacy Tryon
Mr. Gage is the new Auto shop teacher here at Ajo High School. "I like working here very much most of the time," says Gage. "I expect to get the students in auto excited about being mechanics." Mr. Gage chose the word “intense” when he was asked to describe the first week of school in just one word. "The student mix is very challenging," said Gage. "However, I look forward to having a very productive year. I love automotives, I am self taught with some factory training and I taught middle school last year."
He intends to break up the class into groups of 3 or 4. "We have enough projects so they will be able to fix these projects up and get them running," said Gage. "They are going to learn by doing it."
When is Love too much Work?
By: Savannah McCasland
We all see the little small town relationships that form at this school. Some are repeat flings, others get the, you are supposed to be my best friend, and you’re going out with my ex!’ response. Everyone sees that a lot of girls go out with a lot of boys here, and vice versa. The real question is when is it too much work to keep these sometimes unhealthy relationships going?
Some people will go to great lengths to keep it going, even when it really isn’t worth it. For example, having to deal with the totally clingy or overly jealous girlfriend / boyfriend? NOT WORTH IT. Not even a little. Many can tell, from experience most likely, that those relationships are really unhealthy. I’m not talking about the occasional ‘Why are you hanging out with your ex?’ jealous, I mean the ‘You’re not allowed to talk to him ever again, otherwise we’re through’ jealous. Who really needs that? No one should tell you what to do with your life. The only opinion that matters when it comes to things like that isyour own. Or how about the situation, where one graduates and goes off to college, and the other is still stuck in Ajo for another year or two, and they still try to keep it going. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with long distance, but there is a point where a line is crossed. For example, fighting all the time; NOT GOOD. Being angry all the time is a horrible thing, and forcing it to work when it is way past over is bad also. Plus, you never actually know what the other person is doing, and they could be lying about their activities. For example, ‘I’m heading to the mall with the guys’ could actually be code for ‘I’m going to meet my other girlfriend for dinner’, and you would never know.
Honestly I think these little ‘Ajo High School’ flings should not be taken seriously. Have you ever actually known what it would be like to not be here? If you have, you would know better. The chance of you finding your true love at age sixteen is a very unlikely thing. Don’t set yourself up for heartbreak. Be realistic. Have fun, and be a kid. Don’t tie yourself down for the rest of your life, just because you think your love will last.
SURVIVING A 48 HOUR POWER OUTAGE..?
July 19, 6:30 pm to July 21, 8:00 am
Experienced by:
Luz Flores...
and the rest of this town!
During the summer our precious little town happened to get a 15 or less minute storm that consisted only of wind and dust (and as usual, no rain), and of course what happens when a storm comes? The power goes out. All of us are used to the occasional short power outage now and then during monsoon season for about an hour or so, except this time it went out for over 48 hours.
Those who were unlucky enough to be stranded here in Ajo, as I was, would know how hot the day was and how sticky the nights were. Many neighbors had generators, so some even had to endure the sound all through the night. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, there was still that thought that right next door there was some nice cold air.
During the power outage the Red Cross set up a shelter in the gym for those who wanted to get out of the hot, sticky nights. Toward the end of the long days, they gave out dry ice at the Holt’s Shell Station. Lucky for our appetites, Holt’s Shell had a generator and was able to stay open, as well as Olsens’ Marketplace. Our new principal, Dr. Painter, happened to be coming back with her things from her move the day the power went out. She was one of the “lucky” ones to have had the experience of the power outage, and on her first month here!
So be prepared for next time! Go buy yourself a generator! Ok not really, but at least be prepared with some flash lights and little held hand fans! You never know when the power might go out next!
Red Raider Sports
Volleyball!
Lady Raiders 2009
By: Luz Flores
The Lady Raider volleyball season for 2009 is underway with many freshmen, returning players from sophomores, juniors and seniors. I had a chance to sit down with Coach Nicola Jensen and ask her a couple a questions about this new season.
When asked about what she is expecting from this new season she said "I expect to do better than last year and for them to be in better shape with all our extra work." This year there are a lot of new faces with six freshmen and a few upper classmen, and Coach Jensen is happy with the turn out. I also asked what she was expecting from her returning senior players she said "They need to step up and be leaders, which means work harder than everyone, make all the players feel included and lead by example not their mouths."
The Lady Raider’s first home game was September 8, so go and support your high school volleyball team.
Football!!
Red Raiders 2009
By: Joseph Bailey
Mr. McGoldrick is back again for another great season here at Ajo High School, along with assistants Mike Seeley and Ramon Allviar. His expectations for this year are to keep all of the players, learn a lot, do their best, and become successful.
When asked how this year will be better than lasts he said, "The good news is we have more participants, but are not very experienced." Coach McGoldrick hopes to improve on timing and fundamentals. A total of 25 players have come to try out this year. His hopes for the season? "Hold our own, and hopefully learn from our mistakes."
The first home football game this year is scheduled for September 11, 2009 against St. David. Come out and show your support and school spirit for the Red Raiders!
Raider Review
Bi-Weekly
Announcements
Anyone seriously interested in playing softball this upcoming season, and interested in attending a softball camp in December, see Mr. Sepulveda for more details.
This years' first home football game is scheduled for September 11, 2009. Be sure to go out and support the Red Raiders.
There will be a tailgate party in honor of the first home football game on Sept. 11. at 5:00 pm
'Red Raiders' T-shirts are being sold by the Student Council for only $10! See Mr. Harvey to purchase.
Red Raider Review Staff
Staff Editor: Lloyd Sedillo
Editor: Savannah McCasland
Assistant Editor: Kim Robles
Features/Reporters:
Joseph Bailey
Arely Nunez
Cinnamon Robles
Luz Flores
Kacy Tryon
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