We conclude our Fall check-in with the Palm Valley School Class of ’25 with a collage compilation of seniors Kyle Knight, Kiera Nash, Preston Pillard, Riley Jorgensen, and Bianca Torres.
Fall Check-In: Palm Valley Class of ’25 Highlights
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
I don’t know . . . . They were pretty smart. During last quarter’s Move-Up Day, 5th-grade bloggers joined our Middle-Upper School Journalism class. We interviewed them. They interviewed us. Here’s what we gleaned.
5th-grader Reagan Kaminsky shared her experience, wisdom, and eagerness with 8th-grade Blogger Jack Edelstein:
- “I’ve learned that to move on if I get something wrong or if someone is making fun of me.
- “My favorite teacher Mrs. Delegans, the music teacher; she is not just a teacher but is also a friend. She has really helped me excel in my knowledge.”
- “I’m excited for middle school because of more freedom such as lockers and being able to spread around the campus during lunch.”
- “I am excited for electives, especially this one (Blog). I’m excited for this elective because I get more freedom on work compared to other classes with stricter work.”
5th-grader Cleo Antle told senior Blogger Gil Maruvada . . .
- . . . she loves basketball and performing. She’s always loved to dance around the house. She did a play at Palm Valley, The Wizard of Oz. And, she wants to be a doctor, go to UCLA ,and do gymnastics. Her favorite class? Science, music or drama. Favorite quote? “Everyone gets their own turn.”
Freshman Blogger Louisa Richardson asked 5th-graders Levi Laberge Ranger and Savannah Sanchez, “What are you excited about next year?”
- “I’m excited for things to be different. I want to blog next year. . . . I like lower school better because I am more used to it, I guess. Today we threw pencils at Mr. Killeen; it was fun.” –Savannah
- Levi says he wants to blog. “One of the big differences is that there is more free roam in the middle school. I’m in Mr. Spurlock’s class, and I enjoy… that he is funny but has boring jokes. I liked math today; I had Mr. Gil.
Senior Blogger Indiana Behr asked Remington Rice, “What’s fifth grade like?”
- “I think it’s pretty fun, and you get to… have fun.”
- “Who is your teacher?”
- “My teacher is Mr. Spurlock.”
- “What did do today for move up day?”
- “We did math with Mr. Gil. I am having robotics later, and I am having fun in Blog. I went to English with Ms. Maguire. Oh, and we did World Studies with Ms. Schapiro.”
A Volleyball Game from the Perspective of Someone Who Knows Nothing About Volleyball
By Freshman Louisa Richardson, Special Volleyball Correspondent
Our 2023 PVS Varsity Volleyball Team went undefeated in league. They were the league champions. I know nothing about volleyball. So, volleyball and I make the perfect match for a good article. At the last league home game, I decided that I just had to know what all the fuss was about. I knew our team was good, but I have never had an interest in volleyball. I had never been to a full game before. The last league home game started with a brief Senior Volleyball Ceremony and then plunged right into the game. I was pleasantly surprised by the players’ skill, Coach’s coaching ability, and the crowd’s support. I made sure to take very detailed notes, and here is what I got.
First of all, the players. The girls were great with teamwork; they seemed able to work off of each other very easily as though it was second nature. If Bianca Torres was serving and got it over the net, it reflected on the whole team. I think that this teamwork was what made the girls so good at their craft. Rachel De la O was incredible! She always got the ball over the net with the strength of a god, and made it look easy. Kristina Panagiotaros communicated well with her teammates and was always watching her fellow players. Together they fed off each others’ energy. Christina Lam made everyone get in line. She was always very focused. And, she encouraged everyone. Keira Nash, Team Captain, whether she was doing well or not, always kept a smile on her face, and the look alone was enough to keep everyone in good spirits. Kayliee Augustine-Sails moved with ease and confidence, whether it was a ball she was catching or a ball she was serving, she was capable. Leah Ferreira was the only freshman playing in this game. She did an amazing job watching that ball like a hawk. All of the girls seemed to have a blast playing and, while taking winning seriously, had tons of fun.
Second of all, the crowd. Our student body and faculty were what made these games so fun to go to. The players and sport were, of course, incredible, but the positivity radiating from the crowd was remarkable. If we did badly, you heard, “It’s okay; you can recover,” and if they were doing great, it was “We knew you could do it!” The game was competitive and suspenseful, but the crowd was what made it so fun. The audience also might have been so happy because of the delicious food being eaten from the Firebird Cafe (formerly known as the Snack Shack). A few of the sixth-grade girls also held up red and yellow flags in order to signal whether the ball was in or out. The girls took their jobs very seriously and clearly had fun. In the crowd, there was one little girl in particular who made it her absolute mission to get the whole crowd chanting, “Let’s go, Firebirds, let’s go.” This girl got the crowd going.
Thirdly, Coach Erenberg. He is the perfect balance of fun-loving and strict. He gives the players–individual as well as group–criticism that seems to help rather than put down. Coach also yelled out encouragement: “It’s okay!” emanated from him a few times during the game if players seemed particularly discouraged after getting out. He started off the game with the very nice Senior Ceremony surrounding seniors Ally Bankers and Christina Lam. The seniors seemed to love it; Coach seemed to love it, and Matteo Lam seemed to love it (who was also inexplicably there on the court).
Finally, my overall reaction. My favorite part of the game was watching Christina Lam lie down on the floor waiting for the buzzer to ring in the middle of a team meeting. I also really enjoyed the food. I recommend the mini pizzas. At one point of time, the ball flew into the bleachers about two feet in front of me, and Ally Bankers retrieved the ball like a champion. We won the first two sets by a landslide but the third one was troublesome. A quick side note, Coach Erenberg was rocking that blonde hair and truly becoming “Kenough.” We did end up winning, and the players congratulated each other with a heartfelt high five. I highly recommend you go to any volleyball game you can–whether on the beach, in college, or during next Firebird season. The games are tons of fun, and, this year, a very good reason to be proud of the school you come from.
Growing Up: The Highs and the Lows
By Upper-School Blogger Alyna Rei
I have been at Palm Valley since the 6th grade, and, throughout the years, up till now, I have mixed emotions for every year. Here is how I rate my middle and upper school years.
6th grade:
In my first year at Palm Valley, I remember making my parents come with me inside on the first day of school to help me with my locker lock and to show me the way to my class. We had an advisory class in the morning, so my parents would see me off in my advisor Ms. Farley’s class.
Throughout the year, I adjusted pretty well in school and had a small group of friends (which I was totally okay with). This group of friends was fine, but I feel now in that time I just needed people to hang out with. I was intimidated by pretty much everyone.
My favorite memory was when my friends would decorate my locker when it was my birthday. I would keep those decorations up until the end of the year.
My least favorite memory was when I had to find my classes when I still wasn’t familiar with the campus and had to ask around.
Overall I give 6th grade a 7/10.
7th grade:
By my second year, I was adjusting well to school. Some of my friends from the previous year left the school, so it was time to find new friends. I made a new friend group, which I was able to be comfortable with.
This was also the year where I had classes in the high school, so I had to see scary high school people. That was new to me.
My favorite memory would be meeting new friends and people. I gained friends who had similar interests to mine.
My least favorite memory would be science class. Life Science wasn’t my strong subject. It was a subject I needed a lot of help with.
Overall I give 7th grade a 6/10.
8th grade:
My 8th grade year was cut short due to Covid, so that was upsetting. Again, some of my friends left the school, but it didn’t matter to me because I still had a good amount of friends. I don’t really remember the first part of online school, but I do remember it being confusing trying to figure out Google Meets.
My favorite memory was when I was able to be in the comfort of my own home and do school work. I felt like I could do work at my own pace.
My least favorite memory was leaving my friends and only having to see them through a screen. But, I was able to chat with them through the internet.
Overall I give 8th grade a 6.5/10.
9th grade:
9th grade is probably my least favorite year. I pretty much did the entire year online. I was scared of Covid and was also not willing to go back. It’s safe to say 2020 was the year that took a big toll on me, so I would say I did not like this year at all.
My favorite memory would have to be staying in my house. Since I stayed home a lot, I was able to come up with new and different hobbies that I still carry on to this day. These would include reading and drawing.
My least favorite memory from 9th grade was changing my lifestyle to an existence online. I feel like 2020 is why I’m so attached to the internet.
Overall I give 9th grade a 5/10.
10th grade:
10th grade redeemed almost everything in 9th grade. I went back to in-person school, and my grades and my education improved a lot. I met many friends and lost many friends, but, thankfully, I was able to learn true friendships. I made friends I envision will be my friends for a lifetime. They were friends in and out of school. 10th grade was what made me actually enjoy school and attending.
My favorite memory would be changing that year for the better by being more motivated and focused on my studies and extracurricular activities. I completely redeemed myself from 9th grade.
My least favorite memory was the end of the year. Even though this year was really good, I had really high expectations and always got a high honor roll. But, at the end of the year, I got just an honor roll (instead of “High” honors), and I remember being really disappointed in myself.
Overall I give 10th grade a 8/10.
11th grade/ my last year
This year was also one of my favorites. I did not love this year as much as I did 10th grade, but I would say this was the most exciting year.
In November, my parents and I were joking about graduating early because my parents both graduated a year early. I also thought about graduating early because I want to go to med school and want to get a start on that. At first I thought about getting a GED, but instead I am taking another class to reach graduation requirements. So now, I am on the road to graduating this May 26th.
My favorite memory WILL be when I graduate. I am excited to start college and can’t wait for the future.
My least favorite memory WILL be leaving my friends. My friends have been so supportive of me, and I will miss them a lot.
Overall I give 11th grade a 7.5/10.
I can see how I changed through the years mentally and physically. I would say school here gets an 8/10. I am ready for college and can’t wait to see the new possibilities I will meet in the future.
Senior Spotlight: Alyna Llapitan
Alyna Rei is featured as second in our Blog series on Graduating Seniors and Returning Alumni. Penny interviewed fellow blogger Alyna on her longtime PVS Firebird experience.
By Penny Andreas
This week, our blog post theme is focusing on seniors. I chose to have an interview with Alyna Llapitan. Alyna has been here at Palm Valley for six years, or since she was in 6th grade. Here are some of the questions I asked her.
How would you describe your overall school experience?
“I would say pretty eventful; I experienced many opportunities in my life that I’ve never thought of myself doing.”
What opportunities?
“I joined a group called CSF (California Scholarship Federation) in high school and there were events such ice skating and volunteering that helped me break out of my comfort zone.”
What was your favorite part?
“I liked working and hanging out with my friends Christina Lam and Cole Robinson. They are the ones who put me in a better mood everyday. I’ve been friends with them since middle school.”
What was your least favorite part?
“The stress. When I get stressed, I build anxiety and bad expectations in my head.”
What are some pros and cons of school for you?
Pros:
– “you gain friends that help you even outside of school”
– “there are teachers that are great even outside of class”
– “the lessons you learn that actually help”
Cons:
– “lots of homework can be stressful”
– “bad days can bring your self esteem down”
– “cramming the night before an important day”
And, finally, is there any advice you would give to other students?
“There are always going to be ups and downs at school, but you just have to accept that it will be fine in the end. :)”
Alyna actually turns out to be graduating a year earlier than her peers. She plans to attend the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, studying pre med coursework. The reason that she graduated early is “I plan on going to medical school which can take a long time and I wanted to start a little earlier.”
The Annual Decoration of the Doors
A summary of the Halloween contest as seen through the eyes of Indiana Behr.
By Junior Indy Behr
It was officially Halloween season, and so began the annual Palm Valley tradition of classroom-door decorating. Last week, I wanted to see this tradition in progress, so I went around to several advisories throughout the Upper School to see what was up and what was being taped up.
Ms. Zachik
Ms. Zachik, a 9th-grade advisor, showed me what the ultimate plan for her door’s decoration is. Her advisory’s door was expected to be a scene from Angry Birds. When I saw it, they had a sky background on the door with several cutouts ready to be added. I asked myself, Will this be enough to win? We shall see…
Ms. Maguire
Ms. Maguire’s 10th-grade advisory was the runner-up in the door-decorating contest last year, and her advisory is known to be very competitive when it comes to their door decoration. So far, when I saw it, nothing had appeared on the advisory’s door. As most of the preparations were done inside of her classroom, Ms. Maguire said confidently, “We’re ready,” and time will tell if they can come out on top.
Mr. Jowett
Mr. Jowett is a 10th-grade advisor as well, and so far his door has been seen to have several skeletons on it. They even had several skeletons peeking out at those crossing the halls through the window in the door. It seemed that a lot of effort had been put into these decorations. My thoughts were This door could definitely be a serious contender.
Mr. Satterfield
Mr. Satterfield’s 11th-grade advisory had a large amount of purple pieces of paper attached to the inside of his door. He told me that Christina and Alyna were collaborating on decorating their advisory’s door, and that the end result was going to be three-dimensional in some way. If this was executed correctly, this door could definitely have had a shot.
Ms. Castellano
Ms. Castellano is an 11th-grade advisor (and my advisor). Her door was covered by a huge spooky octopus, with tentacles sprawling all across the outside of the science building. I may be biased, but I think that our door was one of the best, and I was very hopeful that we could pull it off.
Mrs. Bernstein
Mrs. Bernstein, a 12th-grade advisor, attributes college counseling on Tuesdays and Fridays as the reason for which her advisory had not been able to decorate their door this year. Hopefully next year her class will have an opportunity to participate!
After administrative judges scoured all of the competition, on October 31st, the winner of the Upper School was declared. The winner was my own advisory, Ms. Castellano! What was the secret? Ms. Castellano said, Go beyond the door. Think outside the box.
The Yearbook is Coming!
By Lilah Nick
Palm Valley’s yearbook committee has been working hard all year long to put together the 2021-22 yearbook. Mrs. Bernstein is the advisor for this class; Sara Habibipour is the editor in chief; and Abby Assefa is the business manager.
This year’s theme for the yearbook is Reflection. If you bought a yearbook, you’ll receive it this week, the last week of school, and you’ll be able to go around to get them signed on May 25th, the second to last day of school. If you didn’t buy one, there will be a limited few for sale for $70.
Here’s what the committee has to say about their experience making the yearbook:
“This is my 6th yearbook, so I’ve been here for a long time, and I’d say this year went by really fast with making it, but I think it’s definitely one of the best ones.”
– Sara Habibipour, Senior
“I love to take photos, and I thought it was interesting. Making the captions for photos was kind of difficult, but it was really fun overall, and being here with Mrs. Bernstein was really nice and fun.”
– Mia Meyer, 8th grade
“I basically joined Yearbook because I didn’t want to do chess, but after being here . . . I actually really enjoyed it, and I made a lot of new friends.”
– Rachel De La O, Freshman
“It’s fun, sometimes difficult, but the process is super enjoyable. In the end when you get to see the yearbook in person, it’s very rewarding.”
– Evan Wang, 7th grade
“It’s not easy, it takes a lot of hard work, passion, and dedication, so the people who have stuck through all year deserve the highest praise for their persistence. But, it is still fun.”
– Mrs. Bernstein
The New Leaders of the 2022-2023 School Year
By Abigail Horwitt
This week the new Nest Captains and their Nest Deputies have been chosen. After tallying up all the votes from each of the Herons, Hawks, Owls, and Roadrunners, the new faces of the Nests have been finalized. Starting off with my Nest, the Hawks, our new leaders are Jerry Wang and Sierra James. Next, the Herons have new leaders Tal Maruvada and Rylie Conway. The Owls will be led by Lily Jones and Walker Craven. And finally, Ally Bankers and Evan Wang will lead the Roadrunners. Congratulations to all the new Nest leaders for the year of 2022-2023. Hopefully, you live up to the same or maybe even better standards of your previous captains. Say goodbye to the old and hello to the new faces of all the different Nests.
Next, is the current scoreboard of all the Nest points and where they stand.
- Standing in first place is the Hawks with a total of 471.
- In second place we have the Roadrunners with a total of 439.
- Close behind in third place is the Owls with a total of 433.
- And, last but not least, we have the Herons with a total of 328.
There was also another election that had taken place around the same time as the Nest elections. The new ASB Executive Officers for the 2022-2023 school year were elected this month. Each candidate had to submit to their own video to help encourage students to vote for who would fit the role the best. And, if you looked around the school, you may have noticed some posters of the different candidates who were running. There were four different offices up for re-election: Business Manager, Spirit Commissioner, Vice President, and lastly President. After all the votes were tallied the results were in.
- Your new ASB President will be Harliana Otto,
- with the Vice President Ani Madanyan,
- Spirit Commissioner Jocelynn Montoya,
- and Business Manager Abigail Assefa.
Congratulations to the winners of the new ASB executive officers of 2022-2023. Let’s see what they will bring to the table for next year and how they could even improve on and differentiate from this current school year.
The Tea Club Revival
By Levi Kassinove, Tea Club Founding Member
Two years ago, the former 8th grader Remi Benomar had the idea of starting a middle-school Tea Club. He pitched the idea to me during a Wednesday assembly meeting in the MPR. We talked at length about our visions for the Tea Club and how it would evolve in the future; we dreamt up Tea Club meetings where we would have tastings and discussions of flavor notes. It would be a place where people come together and have peaceful conversations. It wouldn’t just be about the tea, but rather the community. Immediately after hearing his idea, I knew we had something great.
Mr. Killeen (now the Tea Club advisor) loved the idea and, fortunately, so did the middle school. We had the former Science room completely filled on the first meeting. Around 30 kids were showing up for these weekly tea parties at lunch. Overnight, it became one of the most popular clubs in middle school. We had multiple varieties of tea, including spiced chai, hibiscus, and green tea. Members were to pick their tea at their leisure and add honey if they so desired. Some brought their own mugs, such as Indy Behr, and others used the mugs generously provided by Mr. Killeen, who also provided the tea. The club was a thriving community, but, unfortunately, it had some issues. For instance, moderation was extremely difficult with our large member count. Dozens of kids were in a single room, each with a cup of near boiling water. Spills and burns were inevitable especially with the shaky plastic tables we had. When Covid hit, the Tea Club disappeared into the shadows and was largely forgotten, save for a few of us who drank tea over Google Meets in its memory. By the time we were allowed to come back to school, the Tea Club was gone.
Nowadays, a handful of middle schoolers still meet every week behind the gym to drink tea. But it’s known as an informal gathering rather than an official Tea Club meeting. So I’m revamping it. It’ll be the same aesthetic meeting place (behind the gym, mountains in the background), same core idea, but our methods will be slightly different. For instance, instead of having a fixed set of regular teas, we will have one type of tea available per week. The tea will change every week–a tea of the week, if you will. This way, the general discussion will be geared more towards the specific tea rather than normal lunch talk. The previous tea club was more club than tea, and now we want to put more emphasis on the tea. We will have fewer members, but in turn we will have higher quality teas. We will introduce members to the world of teas, from normal green, to matcha, to hibiscus, to oolong, and even to blends carefully curated by tea enthusiasts. It will be a place where people can discuss flavor notes and ultimately bond over tea, just like Remi’s vision all those years ago. This time, it’s without the chaos of a large group. It’ll have a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere, unlike the rowdy type that seems to be an inherent part of middle-school groups. It’ll be a tight-knit family of 16 high school students that come together every Tuesday to enjoy tea. Our debut was yesterday, Tuesday, May 4, at lunch behind the gym. The next meeting is next Tuesday the 11th. If you want to make friends and explore the wondrous world of tea, you can stilll sign up for the club. But, there are only 16 slots!
Senior Spotlight: Isabella Goetschel
By Lilah Nick
In just about a month we will all have to say goodbye to our beloved seniors. While they are still here gracing our company, let’s talk about them. Here’s graduating Senior Isabella Goetschel.
I have known Izzy since I was a freshman. We’ve acted together. We share ASB responsibilities. So, I talked with Izzy and asked her some questions about high school.
How was your high-school experience?
I think I have had a pretty good high school experience. I have been so lucky with some of my teachers and the friends I’ve made have been…interesting. Interesting but hilarious. I’m truly grateful to have been able to enjoy it as much as I have.
Do you have any favorite memories?
There are so many funny memories. A lot of them are probably from lunch in the student lounge. I do have a really good one from golf, but I can’t expose Jane like that–lol.
What’s your favorite thing about high school?
My favorite thing about high school has got to be the people. My friends and teachers have just been the best!
What’s your favorite subject?
My favorite subject in my whole high-school experience was probably AP Government or Algebra II. I’ve just always loved politics and math. AP Gov really allowed me to learn more about the government and things going on in real time, which I loved. As for Algebra, I just find math to be fun when you understand it, and I just have fond memories of that particular math class.
Are you involved in any club?
In school, I’m the Captain of the Owls, Founder/ President of Amnesty International Club, President of United Way, President of Film Club, and Vice President of Junior Statesmen of America (JSA).
Are you excited to graduate from PVS?
Let’s just say I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited in my life.
What university are you going to?
As of right now, I’m going to UC Santa Barbara, but it all depends on whether I get accepted from the waitlist at UC Berkeley.
What are you planning on majoring in?
I plan on majoring in Political Science with perhaps a double major or minor in French.
What are your plans for the future? Dream Job?
I would love to become a civil rights attorney. If not that then something with human rights and perhaps public administration.
What are you most excited about in the future?
I’m definitely most excited about the independence and freedom that comes with college.
What are your favorite hobbies?
My favorite hobbies are definitely dancing and acting.
What are some things you do outside of school?
Outside of school, I’m usually at work. I work at the movie theater. I work at the Cinemark at the River. Honestly, it’s been one of the best experiences I’ve had in all of high school. I love working there! I also do dance! I mainly do contemporary and lyrical dance. I love hip hop as well, but I find it much harder to find a good teacher for hip hop. I tried to find a lot of places to dance here in the desert, but they were either too far or just not the right fit for me. I danced at Starlight Dance out here for a while, but then Covid hit. I plan on just picking up dance again in college rather than finding a place now.
What’s your favorite thing to do in your free time?
My favorite thing to do in my free time is read. I loveeee reading!! I also love to watch youtube. I can’t say I have a favorite book because there are just too many good ones, but one of my top books is for sure the Shadow and Bone/ Six of Crows series. If you read them, READ THEM IN ORDER!!! Do not start with Six of Crows!!
What’s a fun fact about you?
A fun fact about me is that I used to go to a French school.
What is your favorite kind of music?
My favorite kind of music would have to be rap. I’m really the type to listen to everything from classical to rap, but there’s just something about rap music. I have wayyy too many favorite songs. I love music so much, I could never pick one, and they constantly change. Right now some of my favorite songs are probably “Lucky You” by Joyner Lucas and Eminem, “Parents” by YUNGBLUD, and “Achilles Come Down” by Gang of Youths. Veryyy different songs but all so good! I usually use the last one to study or do homework.
So, let’s all congratulate Izzy on her future endeavors. Izzy, keep us in the loop; drop us a line; let us know how you’re doing as a Gaucho or a Bear.
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