Gladiator Gazette
Student Edition 004
Celebrate Freedom Week (9/14 - 9/18)
What Is Celebrate Freedom Week?
Each year, during the week that includes September 17, Texas schools honor Celebrate Freedom Week (TEC § 29.907) to highlight the values and ideals on which the United States was founded as well as the sacrifices that were made for freedom in the founding of the country.
Celebrate Freedom Week coincides with Constitution Week, established by the U.S. Congress to encourage all Americans to learn about the Constitution. Both Celebrate Freedom Week and Constitution Week focus on September 17, the date in 1787 when delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution. Congress has also designated September 17 of each year as Constitution Day.
This week September 14-18 is Celebrate Freedom Week.
Monday-Stars & Stripes-wear stars and stripes
Tuesday-Supporting Our Troops-wear camouflage
Wednesday-College Day & Crazy about Our Freedom- wear a college t-shirt and crazy styled hair
Thursday-Constitution Day-wear red, white, and blue
Friday-Hats off to the U.S.A & School Spirit Day-wear a hat and school shirt or school colors
Send Mrs. Poblano your pictures or tag us on social media.
Virtually Learning
The following journalism students contributed to this article:
Presley Carey, Olivia Carmichael, Xavier Castillo, Vivek Gowdhman, Avery Hales, and Oliver Shapcott
Photography by Boston Olguin
As Coronavirus has swept the world, students have gone back to school in the form of distance learning. In distance learning, students attend school online and communicate through video calls. One popular video call app is Zoom. Zoom has seen a very large growth in its userbase and has become a very important tool for educators and students. We asked several students for their views on distance learning after the first three weeks of school. Here is what they had to say.
Samantha wakes up at eight am every school day for virtual learning. She does her school work in her bedroom. Samantha prefers in-person learning because she has less work, and she gets to work with others. "Being able to ask questions is a lot harder on zoom," she says. Samantha admits that distance learning is easier in some ways though. For example, Samantha says,"I like being able to wear comfortable clothes, and I don't have to wake up as early." Overall, Samantha has mixed emotions about virtual learning, but she cannot wait to go back to school.
Research offers insight into why it may be easier for some people to adjust to distance learning. Some students are natural visual learners. Platforms such as Zoom and Schoology offer advantages for these students.
Another student finds different advantages. “I can be home with my family and relax in bed with a cozy blanket. Sounds like a score to me! I also like how much time we have to think and really try to get good grades. It has definitely helped me more with organization because we have more time. Getting up later is amazing too.”
However, some Gladiators view things differently. “Online schooling has been stressful during the last few weeks, but it is the only way that we can learn right now. The Zoom meetings have been an improvement from last year where we could only chat with our teachers through Microsoft Teams. Schoology is also a step up from Teams because it is a platform that allows us as the student to see our assignments and our grades clearly. A suggestion I have for teachers to help them teach better is to not teach with their own style, but with a style that adheres to the student’s needs and that is fun for the students.”
Andrew said, "I enjoy it, because I've never liked actually going to school, and now we get to sleep in longer, but it can glitch out a lot and it is difficult to turn work in."
There are still some problems with distance learning. On August 24, the first day of school, the NISD portal was down and no one could go to school. Many teachers are struggling with using distance learning because it is new to them. Even though we may have hardships, distance learning will benefit us all because we are social distancing and staying safe.
HGMS Academic Coaching Started Monday, Aug. 31
Students will find the schedule on each course's Week-At-A-Glance Paper in their Schoology Folders.
Just look at the day/time you would like to attend and all you will need to do is click on the zoom link. All sessions are open to all HGMS students and ALL teachers are here to support.
Please watch the video below to see where to find the WEEK-AT-A-GLANCE & The Academic Coaching Sessions for Your Teachers!
HGMS Counseling Services Available!
HGMS Parents & Students,
Your HGMS counselors are here to support you even while you are away from campus. Please use this counseling form to request an appointment. Once the form is submitted, our counseling office is notified, and you will be contacted by Google Hangouts, Google Chat, email, or phone.
We are are to support you.