Category Archives: Clubs and Organizations

Pa’Lante helps students prepare for college and more

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By Natasha A. Moran,

Pa’Lante is a student organization that started in 2013. Pa’Lante is run by Ms. Kelly O’Brien and Mr. Licier, as well as Ms. Melissa from the University of Baltimore.  They have formed this program in order to help students proceed in life and get to a point beyond relying on their parents. In this program, we visit colleges and universities like Towson University, the University of Baltimore, and Johns Hopkins University.  They do this in order to help us prepare for our life after high school by making sure we get done now what we would most likely need in the future.

The leaders of the group don’t just like helping Hispanic and other minority students, but also love helping those in need and those who let themselves be helped.  The program takes teenagers from grades 9-12 and helps them with any challenges they face, whether in or outside of school.  Twelfth grader Alvaro Flores says, ” Pa’Lante is a very motivating and helpful organization; it has helped me prepare for college and motivated me more for it”.  Jennifer Moran states “Pa’Lante has helped me to recognize that a degree makes a difference in your life, not just a high school degree but a college degree; it helps you find better opportunities in life as an adult”.  Jennifer, who graduated from Patterson, is still a student in college and believes that the leaders of the program do an outstanding job.

One of the recent trips was to the University of Baltimore where the students attended a college fair.  This helped us to prepare for college by being exposed to more colleges, especially the juniors and seniors. We attend this gathering every year. We always have more and different questions to ask and more colleges to see.

Pa’Lante also helps us with scholarships. For example, last year they had the Susana De Moya foundation come in and give us scholarships or gifts.  The requirements for this scholarship were to be able to provide proof that you or your parents are from the Dominican Republic and to submit an essay about an impact on your life. The winners of this scholarship this year were Brandley De La Cuz and Alejandro Jimenez.

Interview with Ms. Ball about VEX Robotics Competition

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A student works on his robot. (Photo: Patterson Press)

A student works on his robot. (Photo: Patterson Press)

By Brian Clark Jr.,

Below is an interview with Ms. Ball about the VEX Robotics Competition.

Patterson Press: Why do you do this competition for the students? 

Ms. Ball: The reason I do this competition for the students is to teach them problem solving, communication and programming skills. In addition to learning about engineering, students are able to interact with each other in a positive manner while applying Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) concepts.

Patterson Press: Who can participate?

Ms. Ball: Anyone can participate. We welcome students, parents, and staff.

Patterson Press: What made you want to start a Robotics Club in Patterson High School?

Ms. Ball: The reason I wanted to start a Robotics Club at Patterson High School is because at my old school, we had a VEX team and a FIRST Robotics team. So, when I came to Patterson, we were able to implement a VEX team with the resources we had. The students were able to engage the robotics concepts right away so the program grew.

Patterson Press: What do the students do with the skills they learn from the Robotics Club?

Ms. Ball: They use the skills to improve robot designs and to increase their gaming skills and/or to learn about engineering.

Patterson Press: Do any of the students go on to college to study robotics or engineering?

Ms. Ball: Yes. Several of the students in the Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Engineering Program use robotics to get scholarships to pay for college. Last year, two PLTW students in the robotics club got over $170,000 in scholarship money. They both are studying engineering and computer science in college.

Patterson Press: How many students are on the robotics team?

Ms. Ball: Right now there are 15 students who come on a regular basis. A lot more are interested, but we don’t have the resources to support more students. Though students work in teams of two and three, at some point they should be able to build their own robots, not to just learn about the concepts. We are writing grants to fund our club, but until we get more resources we have to turn some students away.

Patterson Press: How many faculty members help with robotics?

Ms. Ball: Everybody at Patterson supports our robotics team, but currently only two teachers (Ms. Ball and Mr. Funk) runs the program. We would like to have more teachers attend the club meetings to help the students.

 

Students testify at MTA bus pass hearing

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Students and parents lined up testify against recent changes to the MTA student bus pass (Photo: Brian Clark Jr., Patterson Press)

By Amadou Bah,

Students, teachers, parents and others attended a public hearing on Thursday, January 5th to testify to City Council about the need to extend the MTA student bus pass to 8:00 PM. The hearing took place at Frederick Douglass High School at 4:00 PM.

Until this school year, students were using S-PASS, which allowed users to ride the MTA bus for free between from the hours of 5 a.m. and 8 p.m. The S-PASS allowed for multiple rides throughout the day, making it possible for students to go from home, to school, to after-school activities and back home again.

However, with the new “One Pass”, this has changed. The current contract between the school district and the MTA limits the hours students not taking part in school-sanctioned activities can ride the bus for free, cutting it from 8 p.m. to 6 p.m. In reality, this is also impacting many student athletes as well as students who participate in after-school clubs like Coding Club, the Patterson Press, Chess Club and many others.

Many critics of the new MTA policy believe that the changes are being implemented in order to save MTA money. However, Sean Adgerson, deputy chief operating officer at MTA, denies this. In an interview with ABC2 News, Adgerson asserted that “any suggestion that the MTA has changed its S-PASS policy to save money at the expense of Baltimore City’s school children is simply inaccurate”. Adgerson told ABC2 News that MTA has created a process for the school system to provide bus fare for after-school programs.

Despite these assurances, students participating in non-athletic after-school clubs at Patterson are still not being provided with any additional bus fare and often have to leave their activities early to ensure that they get on the bus before 6:00. With a dismissal time of 3:35 PM, after-school programs at Patterson often do not start until 4:00 or later. Also, many Patterson students live far from the school and have to transfer busses multiple times. This makes it necessary for some students to board a bus after 6:00 PM if they stay for an after-school activity.

Additionally there is the issue of students who work after school or participate in other activities outside of school, such as volunteering, buying groceries for their families or spending time at a community center or a place of worship. MTA officials insist that this is not their concern. “Our contract was always designed to take kids to and from school and school related activities, not for jobs, not for those other things,” Adgerson said to ABC2 News.

Students and teachers stated their opinions about the bus pass issue at the City Council hearing and elsewhere.

“It’s really a shame that students are not able to ride the bus for free between the hours of 6 am and 8 pm as they were in the past”, said O’Brien Bobbi, an English 1 teacher. “I also think that there are a lot of problems with how the new S-Pass policy was rolled out to the schools because the first we’ve heard about it–well, the first I’ve heard about it–was when students were struggling and didn’t know that the bus pass stopped working at 6pm. I hope this problem will be fixed soon”, she said.

Nathan Nieves, a sophomore from Patterson High School, talked about having to leave Casa de Maryland’s Mi Espacio program early every day. “I’m trying to do my part by seeking out the positive, by learning how to help my community. I hope Baltimore City does their part too, to make sure I get home safe”, he said.

A Patterson student named John Dingzon commented on this issue, stating, “It’s really unfair for students that have after-school activities and don’t have enough time, due to this issue. Students that leave after-school activities wait at the bus stop and sometimes buses are running late.” Dingzon added, “When students get on the bus they’re expected to pay a fee of $1.70 which most kids don’t have and some bus drivers are rude and will not allow them on, due to this issue. All I want is that the new Bus pass be extended back to 8 or 9 pm.”

Dingzon had more to say but the City Council didn’t have enough time to hear him testify. A long line of students and parents who were still waiting to testify were turned away without getting an opportunity to speak. At 5:45 a member of City Council said, “Students need to be dismissed right now. City Council and MTA will try to find the best way to pass this bill”. Some members of City Council have pledged to fight until a new bill is passed and the bus pass for students is extended.

The hearing closed promptly at 5:50 p.m. so students could get that 6 p.m. swipe for the bus home, an irony that was not lost on the students and others who had come to the meeting to testify.

It remains to be seen whether City Council will figure out a way to get this issue resolved.

Jonathan Ogden Club inspires students to help others

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Sponsors and advisors of the Jonathan Ogden Club (Photo: Justist Rice, Patterson Press)

By Justist Rice,

The Jonathan Ogden Club is a popular club going on at Patterson High School. This club is based on a retired Ravens football player named Jonathan Ogden who has decided to sponsor Patterson High School. For over ten years this club has been active helping kids motivate themselves to try harder and do better for not only themselves but others as well.

The club also rewards students for all their hard work by hosting Christmas parties at fun places such as Dave and Busters where you can have as much fun as you want, eat as much as you want, and receive gifts and possibly money.

This year the club has read to the little kids at Graceland Park Elementary School, delivered food to the homeless, and helped kids with their school work.

This club is not for every one, only for students who want to put in the work to achieve their goals. If this sounds like you, go to the Zone and talk to the sponsor, Coach Kelley, the head coach of the girls basketball team.

 

 

Journalism Students Attend Conference At University of Maryland College Park

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Some of students who attended the J-Day event at University of Maryland College Park,(Photo: Patterson Press)

Some of students who attended the J-Day event at University of Maryland College Park,(Photo: Patterson Press)

By Sartre Ndebaneza,

High schoolers who plan to pursue a career in journalism, and students who love to shoot photographs, attended a special event called J-Day (Journalism Day). During this annual event held at University of Maryland College Park, many high school students took advantage of the opportunity to learn important skills that make their photojournalism work valuable.

Professor Tony Richards, in what he called, “Quality Photography,” explained there are some keys to be a successful photographer. During the first thirty minutes of the lecture, Professor Richards shared with the audience the techniques of shooting a good photo, but he emphasized making a plan before you start working on your sample. He stated, “Planning things ahead of time gives you a better photo.” He advised young journalists, and photographers to plan things ahead of time in order to get good results.

Sarah, a 10th grade student at Patterson High School, testified that the J-Day was an interesting event. Smiling, Sarah said, “I went to the workshop about taking better pictures and I have learned new skills.” Sarah connected those new skills she gained from the J-Day event with her project of taking pictures. She learned the use of exposure and other tips in photography that will help her to do well when she will be taking pictures.

The J-Day was an interesting event for all high schoolers who attended.

Parent Life Club Provides Support For Teen Parents

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By Dabria Brown & Joselin Miranda,

Are you a new parent or expecting to become a new parent? If you’re having problems or need help or support with your child, there’s a group called Parent Life that can help. Parent Life is a group that helps and gives you advice with your child. They help you set goals, they talk about self-awareness, etc. If you might need help with anything like providing for your child, they’re there. One call and they’re on their way.

Parent Life meets every Thursday from 12-1 pm in room 206. In Parent Life, fathers and mothers who go to school attend the meetings when they feel they want to; it’s not mandatory. If you’re an expecting parent or already a parent, you can attend. It helps you get through whatever you are experiencing. They’re there to support and give advice. Some people may be shy or uncomfortable talking in front of others, but everyone is nice and understanding. Parent Life is part of a bigger project that involves people outside of Patterson High School. Ms. Hope is the advisor for Patterson and she helps out with the girls inside this school. The person who came up with this club does not work at Patterson.

Editor’s note: below is Joselin Miranda’s personal perspective

In the meetings, we talk about things people feel they need to know about their baby and the growing stages. They always provide snacks to the people attending the meeting. When attending the meetings, you get to know people who are teenage parents just like myself and go through the same thing as me. I learned many things from the meetings I’ve attended: we talk about how babies grow, how they may feel at their age, and what things they should be doing in their months. The adults in the room always make you feel welcome and at ease when they’re around. They never judge you by the decisions you make.

The members always make dates with the babies and the parents when out of school: for example, going to the park and having a picnic and going to places to get items needed for the baby. When being a young parent in school, it may be hard and tiring, but attending the meetings makes you less stressed out during the day. Whenever I need someone to talk to or help, I always have the number from the group leaders; I can text any time and they answer the questions I have.

For more information about Parent Life, talk to Ms. Hope in Room 206.

Ms. Ball Wins “Teachers are Heroes” Award

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Ms. Ball, winner of ABC2 Teacher Hero award (Photo: John Dingzon, Patterson Press)

Ms. Ball, winner of ABC2 Teacher Hero award (Photo: Amadou Bah, Patterson Press)

By John Dingzon,

This year’s nominee of Teachers are Heroes was Ms. Sharon Ball. She was nominated by her colleague Mr. Nicolas Yates. Ms. Ball used to be an Engineer; now she’s a teacher at Patterson High school. She teaches Engineering classes, coaches Robotics, and mentors students in STEM programs.

She won the award of Teachers are Heroes, sponsored by MEW & ABC 2 News. Ms. Ball said when she found out she won, “I was surprised and excited.”

Ms. Ball would like to thank her colleague Mr. Yates for getting nominated so she could receive the award of Teachers are Heroes.

 

Coding Club is Back to Making Apps

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Coding club (photo: Mohamed)

by Mohamed Alhamdani

Coding Club is back at it again!

Coding Club is an inspiring way to learn about computer science, Cyber security and a lot more things about the internet-even apps. In Coding Club, you can make websites; it’s about developing knowledge that is useful to have. In Coding Club, you learn new things that it is very far beyond the average human knowledge. It can give you a pathway of engineering or computer science.

“Coding club is a fun that to learn,” Mr.Yates said. “And at Coding Club, we have fun and snacks. We make a lot of things that you will like.”

Now you can even get the Patterson app. Download it on Playstore or the App Store.

Coding club is on Wednesdays after school in Mr. Yates’ room, #110, at 3:45. All are welcome.

Seniors learn communication skills at PGC retreat

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PGC Poster (Photo: Mikal McCoy)

PGC Poster (Photo: Mikal McCoy)

By Mikal McCoy

Seniors who are participating in this year’s PGC program went on a retreat from October 12th-14th to help them prepare to work with 9th graders. PGC, which stands for Peer Group Connections, is a group of 12th graders who are learning communication techniques. PGC leaders are mentors to the 9th graders.

Some of the responsibilities of PGC members are to follow all school rules and go to all their class. Recently, 12th graders that were a part of PGC went on a retreat where they learned different tactics and why it’s important to communicate with others.

  During the 2nd week of September, PGC leaders were on a retreat for 3 days and 2 nights in Towson while their classmates were at school. One of the purposes of the retreats was to gather leaders together so they could learn about communication skills. “I learned how to communicate and listen to others, including 9th graders”, K. Lopez, a PGC leader said. When 9th graders transfer from middle school to high school, change can be surprising. Like most of us, 9th graders go through a lot of stuff that they would love to talk to someone about. That’s when PGC leaders are there to save the day. Communication is important; many problems can be solved if we simply communicate. “Communication saves relationships”, singer/rapper Drake says in his song, “Poetic Justice”, featuring Kendrick Lamar. PGC leaders are training every day to learn how to better communicate with 9th graders to create a brighter Patterson High School. Communication is key, but not everyone is willing to communicate.

Using communication skills helps get things done. In an organization or your everyday classroom, people have to communicate in order to complete tasks. Not communicating can have a negative impact on your environment. According to Al from http://www.crucialskills.com, “It is very frustrating when you want to talk something out with someone and the only response you get is, ‘I don’t know,’ or ‘I don’t want to talk about this,’ or worse, an icy-cold stare laced with a fake smile”. Sometimes we as students (and people in general) feel like there is no one we can talk to. PGC leaders are taking a class to prepare to work with 9th graders, communicating with them to solve problems and build relationships.

PGC advisors Mrs. Stiles and Mrs. D’agostino have been meeting every day with PGC leaders, guiding them to become better communicating leaders. This is the third year of PGC, and students are working together to communicate their way through the future.

Gardening Club promises benefits for school and community

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The Patterson Garden. (Photo: Mikal McCoy)

The Patterson Garden.
(Photo: Mikal McCoy)

By Mikal McCoy

Ms. Steigner and Ms. Scott are working together with students at Patterson High School to develop a ongoing gardening club. It is their hope that this gardening club will impact students’ lives in a variety of ways.

The Patterson High School garden was first created during the summer of 2011, around the time period when Mr. Benton became principal of Patterson High School. Using two grants, a hoop-house was added in 2013. In the past, students and teachers have worked on the garden. However, during the summer of 2016, little attention was paid toward the school garden. To get things back on track, students and teachers at Patterson High School are developing a gardening club.

Having a school gardening club is a goal Patterson’s Student Government Association (SGA), is pushing to reach. One of the problems we face today here at Patterson is that some students want to learn gardening while others do not.

In response to the question, “If there was a gardening club at Patterson, would you join?”, T. Moore, a student from Patterson, responded saying, “No, I don’t think I would be interested’.’ Although some students have no interest in joining a gardening club, others think it’s a great idea, ”If you grow food, you can save money and it looks good”, says M. Adams, an intern from Morgan State University.

Around the world, a large number of people believe eating healthy can improve our mental, physical and spiritual environment. Ms.Scott, an ESOL teacher at Patterson, believes students should eat healthy because eating healthy helps a person focus in class. “When you eat healthy foods, your brain responds to the ingredients like a car reacts to gas. If you put the right gas into the car it will perform to its highest potential”, explained Ms.Scott. In the past, Patterson’s garden has produced large quantities of quality vegetables such as strawberries and tomatoes, which students have eaten.

Patterson High School is a place where students and teachers can grow food and eat healthy. Patterson’s gardening club is dedicated to teaching, growing, and providing healthy foods for the surrounding community. Ausar Mesh, a teacher on healthy living, gave a few words to share: “Urban farming may not be the solution to all the problems in the inner cities across America; however it’s a prerequisite to the achievement of practical solution of the most faceted issues. Food sovereignty in urban neighborhoods and global climate change into connected sustainable organic urban farming is a low industry that is ambitions enough to tackle both issues on a micro and macro economic level”.

The gardening club will teach students useful skills and contribute to a healthier community. To get involved, see Ms. Steigner in Room 113.

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