The Accolade

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.

August 10, 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 in past years and just feeling a kind of ‘this is it’ feeling. like this is where we’re at, thi...

Lancer Regiment takes first place at Oct. 26 tournament; first time winning sweepstakes against bigger bands

Band leaders from each school in the competition march on the field before receiving their awards at Sierra Vista High School Oct. 26. Sunny Hills is the third team from the right. Image reprinted with permission from Brian Milian

Andrew Ngo

November 2, 2019

Following the Lancer Regiment’s first-place finish at the Valencia Field Tournament Oct. 12, the Sunny Hills band won sweepstakes at the Sierra Vista Field Tournament Oct. 26 in Baldwin Park, earning five trophies. “I was really happy with the performance everyone put in,” band director Whitney...

Aug. 27 Back-to-School Night changes for parents include new locations for drama, choir, band classes

Like last year's drum line presentation in the quad during Back-to-School Night, this section of the Lancer Regiment will perform again Aug. 27 in the quad before parents visit their children's teachers. (Accolade File Photo)

Michelle Buckley

August 27, 2019

Because of ongoing construction to the Performing Arts Center [PAC], parents who want to visit their children’s drama, choir, and band classes will have to go to different locations on campus during Back-to-School Night Aug. 27. “Parents will meet me in the cafeteria where we are having class...