Petaluma High School students ‘own it’ this year

The Associated Student Body has come up with the slogan, “Own It,” and it has been adopted by the entire school as a way to show unity and pride as Petaluma High School begins the new year with some new programs, some new faces and its ongoing tradition. The school year began with a school-wide rally that featured John Crowley from Aqus Cafe leading the students in a juggling activity. Crowley has been piloting the concept of using juggling as a social connector, teaming students to juggle with one another.

A new program at Petaluma this year is the Link Crew program designed to help freshmen more easily transition into high school. Led by teachers Jamil Jawsari, Megan McClelland and Rachael Yannes, the program pairs incoming freshmen with selected upper-class students who provide mentorship, direction and advice.

Realizing that the transition to high school can be difficult for parents as well as students, the Petaluma administration has extended the idea of Link Crew to everyone in the PHS community. There already has been a freshman parent orientation where parents and school officials brainstormed ways to keep the adults connected to their children’s educational process.

“We know that parents sometimes feel they have to stop participating when their kids start high school, but now is when they need them the most, even though the students may not say so,” said Petaluma principal David Stirrat. “Parents can sit on our new engineering and health advisory committees, participate in Site Council, PTSA or Athletic Boosters, and there are many other opportunities.

“Like Uncle Sam, we want you!” Stirrat said.

Technology continues to be an important part of the Petaluma High School curriculum, with each student using a school-provided iPad, and most classrooms now equipped with large screen HDTVs.

Those TVs now telecast the daily news bulletin and other video stories prepared by a new media class under the direction of English teacher Johnathon Knox. Students gather news, write the scripts, edit the videos and then broadcast them to the classrooms.

Petaluma High also is moving into a new era in print media, with Jessi Redfield taking over as adviser for the Trojan Tribune. There will be new looks to both the Tribune’s print and online editions.

Among the new faces is Giovanni Napoli, an assistant principal who comes to Petaluma from McClane High School in Fresno where he was activities director and Link Crew leader. He also spent a year at Casa Grande in the physical education department.

“We are headed for an exciting year,” Stiratt said. “Test scores are going up, AP participation is at record levels and more students were accepted into four-year colleges last year than ever before.”

Stiratt is anxious to share more information about Petaluma High School, and he is holding parent coffees every two weeks on Tuesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. at Aqus Cafe.