California Flu Crisis
The Golden State is currently experiencing what could be one of its most deadly flu seasons in the past decade. Since the beginning of the season, the number of flu-related deaths has risen to 165 people-eight times the number seen at this time last year, according to recent figures released by state public health officials. The state doesn’t collect data on deaths among people over the age of 65 though, meaning that the actual death toll of flu related deaths could be much higher. California hospitals have been packed in the past few weeks, with doctors struggling to…
Chinese New Year Brought to SMHS
Gung Hay Fat Choy! Chinese New Year began on Friday, February 16 and the Chinese Language 1 and 2 classes performed in the quad at lunch on that day to celebrate! The holiday, also known as Lunar New Year, begins on February 16th. It is the first day of the new year on the traditional Chinese lunisolar Calendar and spans for a total of 15 days. Each new year on this calendar is represented by an animal of the Chinese Zodiac. This year, Chinese New Year will be in celebration of the Year of the Dog. Celebrations for this holiday…
Shaun White Wins Gold at Pyeongchang
Shaun White, after his 14 year career, finally sealed his legacy of one of the best snowboarders to live, by winning the gold medal on the men’s halfpipe in Pyeongchang. It was an extremely close match between him and the Japanese olympian, Ayumu Hirano. In the first run, White led the competition but at the second run, Hirano was in a good position for gold. White needed to one-up Hirano’s 1440 spin with two 1440 spin and he did. White also landed his signature move on the run and the final result: an astonishing 97.75 run. After his victory, White…
“The Mini Show”
Art- it comes in many shapes, sizes, and forms, but what can be better than a piece that is no bigger than five by five inches? SMHS’s art classes, including drawing and photography have come together to bring “The Mini Show,” where you can have the artwork of all the students at your fingertips. The focus of this specific exhibit is the size of the pieces and the detail that is in them. Imagine having a story that tells itself in the palm of your hand. Starting November 28th, all bearcats and families are welcomed to visit the Art Studio;…
College Visits
A slight breeze, a ray of glorious sunlight, a ruffling of leaves, the perfect setting for… college visits! San Mateo High School has welcomed over 50 colleges this semester during Tutorial and/or Lunch times. These colleges send a representative to San Mateo High School to spread details about the colleges. In October, San Mateo High School has been honored to have these following colleges on campus; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Pace University, University of Utah, University of la Verne, Trinity College, Savannah College of Art and Design, Willamette University, Cañada College, Waterloo University, California College of the Arts and UC Santa…
Bearcats Qualify for the National Merit Scholarship
National Merit Qualifiers at SMHS On the morning of October 11, 2016, 10th and 11th grade students from all over the nations took the PSAT or the NSMQ. The test is composed of three sections; reading, writing, math and, while the test prepares students for the SAT, it also allows 11th grade students to qualify for the prestigious National Merit Scholarship. At San Mateo High School, there are 5 students who are semi-finalists in the competition to the receive $2,000. Recipients of the scholarships are chosen by a committee of college admissions officers and secondary school counselors. The selection…
Bearcats Blown Away by Chalk Fest
With the sun beating down and chalk dust floating through the air, SMHS Bearcats spent the best of four periods completing their Chalk Fest masterpieces in the quad. This year’s theme, “movies,” or animated movies in particular, was expressed incredibly colorfully. A few works included scenes from “The Lion King,” “Wall-E,” “Up,” “Mulan,” “The Hunger Games” and “Tangled.” The scenes and gridwork were mulled over for weeks before showcasing on Monday, May 15. “Everybody is very collaborative in working together. They have very positive attitudes, and are probably enjoying a much-deserved break from AP’s. It’s a good stress releaser,” said…
The New Tardy Policy Pilot Is Over
If you were hoping to restart the semester with a clean tardy record, now is the time to do it. San Mateo High School began to pilot a new tardy policy that could possibly be put into use for the 2017-2018 school year. This new policy came into fruition on April 17 and lasted until May 12. Instead of teachers writing tardy referrals, students are given consequences after accumulating a certain number of tardies to any class, not just the first class of the day. Each semester, the tardy policy is reset, so you can start with a clean…
Eureka, We Built It!
What did you do this spring break? Stay home, catch up on sleep, go to Disneyland? The San Mateo High School Interact Club planned an exciting event this April that was both fun and served a community! SMHS Interactors and Foster City Rotarians went on the SMHS Interact Club Yurok Native American Reservation Trip from April 2 through April 5, where they traveled to the Klamath River Reservation located in Northern California. This trip was the second year that the club installed a playground for the Yurok tribe. The Yurok Reservation is an economically challenged community with few safe areas…
Another Successful Year of Open House
Open House was Thursday, March 16 this year, and it was a huge success. Hundreds of students and parents from all over the Bay Area came to get an idea of what SMHS is like. Leadership students volunteered in the dozens to answer any questions, in any language, that incoming students and parents might have had. The infamous Bearcat mascot even made an appearance! The night was one of spreading both information and fun, with teachers hosting the guests in their classrooms and explaining all that is taught throughout the year. Ms. Cowey, Leadership and Renaissance teacher, organized much of…
