News – Page 2 – The Accolade

Principal holds Zoom session April 24 to announce to 12 seniors they are Class of 2020’s valedictorians

Through an April 24 Zoom meeting that included the five campus counselors, principal Allen Whitten (third from left, top row) announces his plans for the May 28 virtual graduation ceremony and how the 12 Class of 2020 valedictorians will be honored. In the past, Whitten usually summoned seniors to his office to confirm their top of the class status, but because of COVID-19-related stay-at-home orders, he opted to make the announcement online. Photo by Accolade photo editor Megan Shin.

April 30, 2020

Since he’s been principal at Sunny Hills, Allen Whitten would summon seniors to his office to confirm their valedictorian status and congratulate them on their accomplishment. But that couldn’t happen this school year because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the district’s decision to close all of...

Annual District Art Show canceled because of COVID-19 outbreak; winners receive certificates, checks by mail

Junior Grace Park holds up her two award-winning paintings --

Hannah Yi, Tyler Pak, and Aaliyah Magana

April 30, 2020

The 34th annual Fullerton Joint Union High School District [FJUHSD] Education Art Show at the district’s Education Center was originally scheduled to begin March 30 -- the first return date that the district’s superintendent had set for students to be allowed back in the classroom because of the...

Chapman University’s 21st Annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest awards ceremony canceled in light of COVID-19 pandemic; finalists still waiting for date of virtual event to announce winners

English teacher Christina Zubko stands on the stage in one of Chapman University's auditoriums with her student in 2018, the last time Zubko had a finalist who eventually became a first-place winner at the Holocaust writing contest. Images taken from a March 2018 Sunny Hills High School Facebook post taken by Allen Whitten.

Dominique Chang

April 27, 2020

A Sunny Hills sophomore who was named a finalist in a Chapman University Holocaust writing contest is still awaiting word from organizers for the date of a virtual awards ceremony to find out whether he placed first or second. “I was disappointed that the awards ceremony was canceled, [but] I am gla...

IB cancels all April and May exams because of coronavirus-related school closures worldwide

Seniors worry about being eligible to receive their International Baccalaureate diploma following the program's decision to cancel all exams this school year. Image taken by Accolade news editor Tyler Pak

Tyler Pak

April 24, 2020

Unlike the College Board that has gone on to offer a much abbreviated Advanced Placement exam for its various subjects next month, the International Baccalaureate [IB] program has issued a statement canceling all tests between April 30 and May 22, prompting many seniors to feel anxious about receiving...

With SH campus closed to students, the ASB moves class candidate campaigns for first time to social media only

Because the spread of the coronavirus canceled school as of March 13, ASB class officer candidates advertised their campaigns online. Many had themes throughout their posts like the ones pictured above by senior class president-elect junior Emma Suh, who featured a Hawaiian-themed campaign. Image created by Accolade staff writer Hannah Kim.

Nicole Chung

April 24, 2020

With school closed because of state-mandated social distancing measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the Associated Student Body [ASB] had for the first time to rely solely on social media to help conduct its class elections process. “We’ve been doing online voting for five...

Fullerton Joint Union High School District trustees approve new grading policy; teachers will follow A-C or no credit for less than 55 percent for students’ spring semester marks because of campus closures

The Fullerton Joint Union High School District board of trustees met on April 24 via Zoom call and voted to adopt a resolution to temporarily modify the traditional grading system. Image taken by Accolade news editor Tyler Pak

Tyler Pak

April 24, 2020

While trustees statewide are weighing their options for spring semester grading policy in response to school closures because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it took only 25 minutes for the Fullerton Joint Union High School District [FJUHSD] board members to unanimously adopt a modified letter grade scale Thurs...

Columbia Scholastic Press Association taps 2018-2019 Helios yearbook with top Gold Crown award; The Accolade newspaper wins Silver Crown

A screenshot of the online video awards presentation by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association recognizes the 2018-2019 Sunny Hills yearbook with its highest honor, a Gold Crown.

Lira Jeong

April 23, 2020

The Helios staff that produced the 2018-2019 yearbook has been awarded a Gold Crown — the highest honor — from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, while the 2018-2019 Accolade received a Silver Crown. “We were all ecstatic about winning the Gold Crown because we put a lot into that book, and w...

Trustees to meet today, April 23, in special session to discuss Fullerton Joint Union High School District’s end-of-the-semester grading policy because of COVID-19-related school closures

A screenshot of the online notice that can be accessed from the Fullerton Joint Union High School District’s website.

Rida Fatima

April 23, 2020

You can read about the decision that the Fullerton Joint Union High School District made here. Trustees for the Fullerton Joint Union High School District [FJUHSD] will hold a special board meeting today, April 23, to review any recommendations and hear any public comments regarding spring semester grade reports with a likely decision to follow...

Teens advised to adhere to self-quarantine measures during coronavirus pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has prompted several regulations from U.S. health or government officials with the most recent one coming from the Orange County Board of Supervisors. Beginning Friday, April 24, those working in grocery and drug stores, gas stations and other retail shops will be required to wear a mask or face covering when interacting with the public. More residents are beginning to also make their own face masks like the ones pictured above to wear when they go out in public. Image taken by Accolade staff writer Hannah Kim.

Anthony Keem

April 22, 2020

College students dance the night away on the lush beaches of Miami during spring break, forcing local government officials to limit crowds to 250 people and set an 11 p.m. curfew back on March 15. Strobe lights and loud music penetrate the silence of the night as more than 150 people go in and o...

Early March’s spread of COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County prompts school officials to cancel Chinese students’ Chinatown field trip

The last time world language teacher Soon-Ya Gordon and her Chinese classes visited Chinatown was on March 17, 2018. Here they are in front of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, where they learned that to make room for Union Station in the 1930s, the current Chinatown was built, and the Chinese people in the El Pueblo area were moved. This year’s March 13 Chinatown field trip was canceled because of the growing coronavirus threat. Image posted with permission from Soon-Ya Gordon.

Michelle Sheen

April 22, 2020

Since 2006 and almost every other year thereafter, Chinese teacher Soon-Ya Gordon has been taking her students to this 140-year-old, nearly one-square-mile location near downtown Los Angeles known as Chinatown. Their field trip would begin at the Fullerton Station on East Santa Fe Avenue, where th...

Sunny Hills AVID Senior Standout gets top scholarship prize of $25,000 from virtual Orange County Department of Education awards ceremony

Senior Dana Mabin holds up the email she received April 7 from the Orange County Community Foundation notifying her of the $25,000 scholarship she received from a county AVID awards ceremony, which was canceled and turned into a virtual slide presentation ceremony because of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the email, Mabin will be given $6,250 through a scholarship check which will be mailed directly to her educational institution to help cover each year’s college tuition up to four years total.

Andrew Park

April 21, 2020

In the midst of the coronavirus crisis with several senior-related events canceled or drastically changed, Dana Mabin received some good news from the Orange County Department of Education [OCDE]. This year’s Advancement Via Individual Determination [AVID] Senior Standout was awarded a $25,000 ...

As COVID-19 pandemic continues to make history, Science Olympiad team’s bid to make more history of its own ends

The Southern California Science Olympiad website posted its March 6 announcement about the cancellation of its April 4 state competition because of growing COVID-19 concerns. This would've been the first time that the 15-member team from Sunny Hills was eligible to compete at this level after placing fourth in the regional event at the University of California, Irvine., Feb. 15.

Nevya Patel

April 19, 2020

They had already made history for Sunny Hills High School. The 15 Science Olympiad competitors had hoped they would continue their historic run at the April 4 Southern California Science Olympiad Tournament at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. But the spread of the coronavirus and Ca...