Faculty fails to approve raising GPA requirements for TAs
Sydney Jasper, Staff Writer
June 11, 2019
Bear Creek’s Teacher Assistant (TA) and Tutor policies – which are the most lenient of all four comprehensive high schools in the district – will remain the same for the 2019-20 school year after a school-wide faculty vote failed to garner the 75 percent participation among staff needed to override...
Nutria ― giant swamp rats ― on the rise in Stockton
Leilany Perez, Opinion Editor
June 11, 2019
With its shaggy, yellow-brown fur, webbed feet and orange buck teeth, the nutria could be mistaken for a muskrat. San Joaquin County is being invaded by nutrias, also known as copyu ― but these rodents, despite their spooky appearance, are no laughing matter. These “giant swamp rats” are two...
Rise in bathroom vandalism, lack of security leave students fearful of using facilities – if they can find one
Gabriella Backus, Editor-In-Chief
April 26, 2019
Every Bear Creek student has noticed the hordes of students wasting time, smoking and gambling in the bathrooms, offset only by seemingly fruitless attempts at intervention or apprehension by administration and security. The bathrooms themselves are often trashed and vandalized with broken bits ast...
Camps offer leadership and career opportunities
Jasmine Castillo, Opinion Editor
April 26, 2019
Although some students are able to gain leadership experience by being elected to an official position in a club or being chosen as the captain of their sports team, the truth is that leadership opportunities are few and far between for teens. To address this issue, different organizations sponsor...
Lack of honors classes leaves students with two options: CP or AP, seen as ‘too hard’ or ‘too easy’
Sydney Jasper, Staff Writer
April 26, 2019
Before the College Board began to exert its influence in 1952, most high schools offered two options for courses: College Prep or Honors. The distinction between the courses was difficult to define, and schools sometimes faced accusations that the system “tracked” minority students into lower classes. Today,...
Increasing reliability on classroom technology concerns some educators
Jason Aquino, Staff Writer
April 26, 2019
Educators across the world are ditching the chalk and whiteboards for laptops and Smart Boards. Assignments are routinely assigned through Google Classroom, grades are finalized on Aeries and papers are written on Google Docs. Because of the increasing reliance on technology, a common complaint from...
Robo calls help improve parent communication — even if some find them unwelcome
Eyan Atad, Staff Writer
April 26, 2019
In an effort to increase communication with the Bear Creek Community, the school frequently uses automated calls — better known as ‘robo-calls’ — to inform parents of upcoming events and points of concern. Some families are beginning to question just how necessary these calls are — especially...
New SRO office survived 1989 shooting
Mia Pascual, Staff Writer
April 26, 2019
In 1989, Stockton suffered one of the first mass shootings on a school campus — Cleveland Elementary School. Israel Camarena, Bear Creek’s new School Resource Officer, was there. Even 30 years later, Camarena remembers that day with clarity. “I recall being extremely afraid as I tried to keep...
Speech and debate captain earns All American Award
Amara Del Prato, Entertainment Editor
April 26, 2019
Jasmin Prasad became the first Bear Creek student to earn the prestigious All American Award for her accomplishments in Speech and Debate. Prasad, a senior, joined Speech and Debate in her freshman year and will join the fewer than 1,000 student orators nationwide to claim this award. To qualify for...
Governor commits funds to study CSU Stockton campus
Gabriella Backus, Editor-In-Chief
April 26, 2019
New governor Gavin Newsom establishes a committee to study bringing CSU campus to Stockton; cost? Necessary? Although Stockton’s population exceeds 300,000, it remains the only city of its size in California without a major public university. Thanks to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s establishment...
Inconsistent grade rounding policies leave students feeling cheated
Bailey Kirkeby, News Editor
April 26, 2019
In the final days of last semester, some students expressed frustration with teachers for their refusal to round grades that are .5 percent or less away from the next letter, resulting in lower letter grades. According to Bear Creek Principal Hillary Harrell, Bear Creek does not have a schoolwide policy...
Students question change to single color blue graduation caps and gowns
Jacqueline Guillena, Staff Writer
April 26, 2019
When Bear Creek High School opened in 1991, the first graduating classes dreamed of the moment they would be able to don their blue and silver caps and gowns as they walked across the stage clutching their hard-earned diplomas. Since the school opened, males have worn blue gowns, while females have...
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