Microwave Safety Tips
A few weeks ago there may have been an incident regarding a microwave that has prompted a much needed article on how to properly use the microwave. The first and most important tip for using the microwave safely is to never ever for any reason set the microwave to 99:99. This will cause serious damage to the microwave and anything that might be inside it. As a matter of fact, one should never leave the microwave unattended for any amount of time. You should always keep a close ear out for any strange sounds that you might hear in case something goes wrong.
Here are some more tips to safely operate a microwave. Never put metal inside a microwave, as this will cause a “sparky” experience. Keep the inside of the microwave clean. Although not necessarily a safety tip, keeping the microwave clean will avoid any leftover food getting stuck to the microwave, which could cause a mess. It’s also very important to follow the cooking instructions very carefully. If you don’t, you could get food poisoning from undercooked food.
So, be safe and use that microwave in good health!
– Gordon Jermann, Class of 2012
Prom 2012: Buy Your Tickets Now
Calling all PLHS juniors and seniors: it’s time to find a date, buy your gown, and rent your tux! Prom is just around the corner, and this year it’s sure to be spectacular. The theme for this year: You Only Live Twice, taking cues from the elegance of classic James Bond films. The dance is taking place at the Tumwater Room in Oregon City on May 4 from 7 to 10 p.m. The junior class has been working to make this prom fabulous, and it’s sure to be a night to remember!
– Emily Roan, Class of 2013
ADVICE: Ask Dr. Jericho
ATTENTION PLS SENIORS: There are only two months left in the school year, which means that now is the time to get your low grades back up. Now, some of you may have already been accepted into the college that you want to go to, but you will not be going anywhere until you graduate from high school. It is spring, and a lot of people are falling victim to Spring Fever as they do every year, but you have to fight the urges that come along with SF and get done what needs to be done. Getting a GED is an option if you are not able to raise your grades to passing levels, but you would not get the same opportunities that you would be able to get with a college education, so do your homework, get your grades up, and get out of here already!
If you are having trouble getting your grades up or maintaining the grades that you have, there are a lot of ways to make it easier to get the good grades that you want. You can ask a teacher or classmate, or you can hire a tutor to help if you are having trouble understanding an assignment or something that you have been going over in class. If you have not been using a planner, which I highly recommend you do, buy a planner or use one that is on your computer (if you have one) and plan out your schedule to set aside some time every day or every other day to study and do homework. If you are part of something such as a sports team or choir group, or if you do extracurricular or community service work and it is getting in the way of you doing your school work, then it would be a good idea to take a hiatus for a while until you have your school work straightened out. These are just some popular strategies that have worked for people before, but if you come up with ideas of your own then feel free to try them as long as they help you with your school work.
For those of you whose grades are at passing levels, do not slip up now and let your grades fall when you are this close to the end of the school year. Fight the urges to fall victim to Spring Fever or to Senioritis, and slack off on doing your school work. College is right around the corner, and you do not want to start developing bad habits now that you would have to try to get rid of later on when your grades really matter. You may have already been accepted to a college that you like, but, as I said earlier, you have to graduate from high school first, so get to work!
~ Dr. S. B. Jericho
Cover the Night is Coming
Joseph Kony is the wanted criminal who forced innocent children in Uganda into his “army,” making them do horrible things such as killing other innocent children. This man is feared, and people want him captured. Cover the Night is an event that is taking place all over the world on April 20, 2012, and it’s here in Portland as well. When this night comes, the goal is to actually cover the city throughout the night with Kony posters and get his name known; this way, people can’t miss the message. These posters are meant to get his name out there so people can ask questions, get inspired, and want to do something about this man who created an army of children.
– Morgan Grubb, Class of 2012
Open House a Big Success
Thursday, February 23 was a big night for PLS Ambassadors, teachers, and staff. It was another Open House night involving all grades, from Pre-K all the way through the high school. No one was expecting the turn-out that we got; there were over 50 people that came to see our school! This was overall a great success, especially since 75% of the Open House attendees typically register at PLS. That means that we are expecting about 14 of the 16 attending families to register.
This was one of the best attended winter open houses that the Ambassadors have ever seen, which means the spring open house should be even better. The good thing about having student Ambassadors is that it allows PLS to provide a much more personal experience for the visiting students as they get personalized attention from a real PLS student. The student Ambassadors received many compliments on their work at the winter open house, and with a little luck the spring will be our best attended yet.
– Emily Roan, Class of 2013
Feeling blue? Here’s what to do!
Know someone who seems down all the time? What about lacking the energy they used to have for their favorite activities? If you do, you may have a friend with depression. Some other symptoms are sadness most of the day, low energy or fatigue, feelings of hopelessness, difficulty concentrating, irritability, restlessness, feeling worthless or guilty, trouble sleeping, significant weight change, and thoughts about suicide.
There are some things you can do to help someone through their depression: Number one, be on their side; two, give plenty of reassurance; three, give understanding and sympathy; four, offer to help them. You can never tell them to get over it or tell them there is not really a problem, because there is a problem to them, or they wouldn’t feel the way they do. Don’t say, “It’s all in your head,” or “Snap out of it!” Questions like, “What do you have to be depressed about?” and “Why don’t you go for a nice walk?” are not the questions to be asking. Instead, ask the person to tell you honestly how he or she is feeling, without judgement, then offer to stay by his/her side while you get in touch with a professional counselor and make an appointment.
Some facts about depression are:
- Two-thirds of people suffering from depression do not seek necessary treatment
- 80% of all people with clinical depression who have received treatment significantly improve their lives
- The economic cost of depression is estimated at $30.4 billion a year, but the cost in human suffering cannot be estimated
- Women experience depression about twice as often as men
- By the year 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that depression will be the number two cause of “lost years of healthy life” worldwide
- According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suicide was the ninth leading cause of death in the United States in 1996
- Major Depression is 1.5-3.0 times more common among first-degree biological relatives of those with the disorder than among the general population
- Of the estimated 17.5 million Americans who are affected by some form of depression, 9.2 million have major or clinical depression
If you or a friend need help, please see a teacher or counselor right away!
– Sarah Stitzel, Class of 2013
Cuties of the Month: Leslie and Richard
Once upon a time, there were these two little critters roaming the land known as the University of California at Riverside. The male had just returned from a year of study in Germany and the female was getting ready to go on the same journey the following year. He was two years older than said female. She lived in a non-coed German residence hall where you had to speak German all of the time. She later went on to become a German teacher where she was given the well-known name of “Frau Wong.”
When the Frau and the male, Richard, started dating on the campus of UC Riverside, they went to a classical music concert. They had a grand old time! For a while, they shared a tennis class with one another. After 6 months of knowing each other, Richard thought it “was time.” Leslie and Richard were together in his room and he just proposed, there was no dramatic element to it. Their honeymoon was a nice, romantic camping trip to Yosemite National Park.
They share some favorite things about each other. They both have the same cultural interests and both love to learn new things! However, there is one thing about him that just bugs her beyond belief. She gets annoyed when he wants to watch TV with her in the evenings and he sits there “on his computer, using his phone, doing this, that, and the other. He can’t just sit there and watch TV with me.”
Keep an eye out for next month’s cuties – Kieffer and Kathy Tarbell.
– Matt Hunt and Gordon Jermann, Class of 2012
Blue Jays Accomplish Great Results in LEST
After several months of practice and preparation, it was time to show it off. Students throughout the elementary school grade levels competed in the weekend long event, LEST, at Concordia University, showcasing their many talents. All across the board, students won many awards. Several 1st place awards were given in chess from fifth through sixth. The knowledge bowl team worked great as a team and secured 2nd place, and the science team earned a perfect score for working together and supporting one another, winning the Outstanding Performance in Science. Swimming to success, Caldon Culy (8) placed 1st in both the 25 yd freestyle and the 50 yd freestyle. Laurel O’Brien (5) received a blue ribbon in instruments. Lydia Brandt (7) played her way along with Noe Lommasson, and Hannah Bergdolt, Sydney Peck, and Maggie Wahlers to each receive a blue ribbon in piano. Noe Lommasson and Lydia Brandt each placed in most promising writing at 5th and 7th grades.
As you can see, many students had great accomplishments. Many students participated, bringing home awards in those areas. Awards were handed out from spelling to Champion of Character, the “grand award”, which was given to Natalie Bergdolt. “All of our teams did an excellent job of showing positive sportsmanship and worked well together. All of our participants should be commended,” said PLS elementary school Principal Kara Kaufman.
– Jessica Ferguson, Class of 2012
Slowing Down in a Fast Paced World
We live in a fast paced world. Things are going on constantly. People are always on the go, cramming as much as they can into their day. It may seem as if there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything. Trying to accomplish as much as possible in a 24 hour span, or trying to cram a million things into one day can be pretty stressful. Sometimes all you need is some time away to relax after a hard day of work.
For some people, relaxing means a getaway to the beach or a massage. However, you don’t need to spend anything to relax and reduce your stress. Taking a mental vacation will work just the same. All you need to do is set a side 5, 10 or 20 minutes a day for your mental vacation.
Here are some inexpensive ways to reduce your stress levels. Get up and talk a walk. Walk around your neighborhood, find a park or a nature trail to walk; this way you get exercise and a chance to clear your mind. If you prefer to stay indoors, grab a mug of your favorite hot beverage, go into a room where there is a window, and take a seat. Just spend some time looking out the window gazing at the white fluffy clouds, watch the birds, or the people go by. Pop in a CD of some calming music and just sit there and let your mind wander, taking a break from the world. Finally, slip into some warm pajamas, grab a good book and jump into bed. Your bed is warm, cozy and a peaceful place. You can lose yourself in a great book and escape the everyday stresses. These easy mental vacations should give a great start to in reducing your stress.
–Jessica Ferguson, Class of 2012
Spanish Classes Watch the End of the World Unfold
During finals week on Tuesday, January 17, the Spanish I, II and III classes took a field trip to the Miracle Theater in downtown Portland. They went to see a bilingual Spanish-English play called B’aktun 13, which is about Mayans predicting the world coming to an end. There were only a few actors, but overall it was an interesting play.
The three PLS Spanish classes were the only people in the theater, so it made the experience for the students powerful and unique. The actors did an overall amazing job; they taught us about how the end of the world isn’t a bad thing and to enjoy life. Daniel Barnes, from the Spanish I class, said, “I thought this play was very well acted. The actors seemed to know what they were doing, and portrayed emotions very well. Their lines flowed naturally and had the emotion of usual human conversation. The music added a nice sense of rhythm to the play, and provided nice transitions.”
– Morgan Grubb, Class of 2012