The Accolade

Aquatics, football and wrestling resume practices under strict, COVID-19 guidelines

Although girls water polo utility player sophomore Sophia Smith cannot use a ball to pass to any of her teammates, she still winds up to practice her form Aug. 26 at Sunny Hills’ aquatics center. Unlike other sports, those in the pool are permitted to exercise without wearing a mask because they are in the water.

Rachel Yun • August 29, 2020

It’s not the same. Too many restrictions. Uncomfortable masks. Empty stands. That’s what many of the Lancer athletes in football, wrestling and aquatics have observed about their return...

Zooming from Brazil: Distance learning takes on new meaning for junior

Junior Edward Cho (right), who will attend Sunny Hills virtually this year from his home in São Paulo, Brazil, stands with his father in 2015 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Hope Li • August 28, 2020

According to Google maps, it’s 6,130 miles from Fullerton to Sao Paulo, Brazil. When the clock strikes 7:01 a.m. here on a weekday — the start of zero period at Sunny Hills — it’s 10:01 a.m....

Summer spike in COVID-19 cases in Orange County leads to cancellation of in-person graduation ceremony at Buena Park’s football stadium

Class of 2020's Johnathyn Yip and Elena Singh, wear their Sunny Hills cap and gowns at a senior graduation photoshoot at the Brea Dam on June 28. The Class of 2020 not only lost its senior traditions like prom, Grad Nite and paper toss, but last school year's seniors also never had a chance to walk down the aisle to pick up their diplomas during a commencement ceremony usually held at Fullerton Union High School's football stadium. An Aug. 5 makeup graduation at Buena Park High School's football stadium was canceled July 28 because of the continued increase in COVID-19 cases in Orange County.

Sydnee Tallant • August 27, 2020

Elise Ibara (Class of 2020) was looking forward to seeing as many of her former senior classmates again earlier this month. With traditional senior events like prom in April and Grad Nite and the commencement...

Anti-vaxxers need to change their views once COVID-19 immunization shot gets approved for distribution

Annie Bang • August 26, 2020

Ever since the coronavirus pandemic plagued the forefront of every news headline and dictated a culture of “new normal,” the intense battle against time has begun to invent a vaccine to eventually...

COVID-19 forces school officials to change the Aug. 25 Back to School Night into Zoom experience for parents

Traditionally held on campus, Back to School Night for students' parents will be held through Zoom meetings with teachers Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 5:45 p.m. for zero period and 6 p.m. for first period. Sunny Hills officials had to resort to an all-virtual program in keeping with COVID-19 health guidelines, and so like the current situation with students, they will be unable to see some of the newly designed aspects of the school such as the front doors in the main office wing.

Rida Zar • August 24, 2020

For the first time, Sunny Hills will hold a virtual Back-to-School-Night Tuesday, Aug. 25, for students’ parents in keeping with COVID-19 social distancing and health guidelines, school officials said. “We...

The Accolade: We’ve still got issues planned during distance learning; meanwhile, check us out online during this historic COVID-19 period

Tyler Pak • August 24, 2020

This past school year, The Accolade has truly lived up to its namesake. In previous years with our print issues, we’ve traveled down a two-year win streak of taking the Best High School Newspaper...

Win, lose or draw: How my summer art instructor kept me engaged during distance learning

This is the optical color wheel rising senior Elijah Jhee submitted for one of his assignments in his summer Drawing and Painting class. For the first time in Sunny Hills history, summer school sessions were held online.

Elijah Jhee • August 10, 2020

The most important item for my summer school art class at Sunny Hills wasn’t a paintbrush or a charcoal pencil. It was my school-issued chromebook. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, all summer...

COVID-19 slashes another educational tradition: the first day of school

When the 2020-2021 school year starts Aug. 11 at Sunny Hills, students will not be able to greet each other in person like in past first days of school. Sunny Hills, along with all public and private high schools, will for the first time in state history be closed as distance learning 2.0 begins. California Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this summer had mandated that schools in counties with high COVID-19 cases remain closed.

Aaliyah Magana • August 9, 2020

This was not how rising senior Jason Thomson imagined his first day of the 2020-2021 school year would go when it starts Aug. 11. “I mean, I imagine coming to school and seeing all my friends like...

Coaches, players react to revised CIF bylaws for 2020-2021 season

Boys tennis player rising sophomore Jaden Han returns the ball to his opponent in a March 3 match against Whitney. With the new CIF bylaw modifications, athletes will have the opportunity to participate in outside club activities and events during the regular school sports season.

Kristima Aryal and Grace Johnson • August 4, 2020

While the reorganizing of the sports seasons and their delay no sooner than December took center stage in the California high school prep sports world July 20, CIF State and CIF-SS made two unprecedented...

Staff editorial: Better safe than sorry

The Accolade Editorial Board • July 29, 2020

The Accolade’s editorial board count: 14 approve and one disapproves of California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s July 17 decision to close schools within the state’s coronavirus county watch list, including...

Sunny Hills sports delayed until end of 2020 given spread of COVID-19 cases

Defensive back rising junior Dane Soaper kneels while stretching following a June 23 practice on the Sunny Hills baseball field. The SH football team had been preparing to defend its 2019 CIF-SS Division 8 title when the Orange County Department of Education opened schools for sports summer workout sessions but now must wait until January 2021 to play under Friday night lights again.

Andrew Ngo, Kristima Aryal, and Grace Johnson • July 23, 2020

On March 12, the Sunny Hills boys volleyball team walked out of the SH gym with a 3-0 victory over Artesia, the Lancers’ first best-of-five set win in its inaugural season. It would also be the last...

Gov. Newsom issues mandate for campuses in 33 counties — including Sunny Hills — to start 2020-2021 school year with distance learning because of high number of positive COVID-19 cases

Sunny Hills High School’s quad and classroom buildings will remain empty Aug. 11 when school starts as part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mandate that campuses in counties on the state’s coronavirus watch list stay closed for safety reasons. The July 17 decision comes nearly a week before a July 23 special meeting of the Fullerton Joint Union High School District trustees to discuss reopening plans for Sunny Hills and the other seven schools in the district.

Alice Shin • July 19, 2020

Nearly a week before the Fullerton Joint Union High School District [FJUHSD] trustees were scheduled to hold a special meeting to vote on a plan to reopen schools, including Sunny Hills, California Gov....

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