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My First Year at Patterson High School

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Haz clic aquí para leer este artículo en español.

by Julia Vargas Pina (Student of Spanish for Heritage Speakers class – Cohort 2028)

The experience of my first year at Patterson was a little stressful, because I arrived a bit late; the first days of school had already passed. However, everyone was very kind. Many teachers treated me well and helped me understand their classes. On the first day, I was very anxious and afraid to see who my new teachers and classmates would be, but I felt relieved because everyone was very welcoming and made me feel comfortable.

At first, the great diversity of students at Patterson intimidated me, and I hoped we would all get along with one another. I was afraid people wouldn’t like me or wouldn’t talk to me, so I kept my distance, trying to avoid negative looks or comments. Over time, I realized I was wrong; all of that was only in my mind. My classmates turned out to be exactly what I needed to feel that I truly belonged here.

At Patterson, I have taken an art class because I enjoy drawing and creating things. I am also part of the AFJROTC program because, if I don’t find something I truly enjoy by my senior year, I will consider the military as an option to help support my mom financially.

I won’t lie–when I first arrived, I had some difficulty understanding the schoolwork. The transition from middle school to high school was not easy. At first, I felt shy about asking for help, but when I did, the teachers were always willing to explain and support me. They constantly remind me that it doesn’t matter if you don’t understand something right away, what matters is asking for help without fear.

To students who are just starting high school, I would say to always be prepared, complete your work on time, and don’t leave everything for the last minute. Even if it feels scary, asking for help is key to learning and gaining confidence. Don’t be afraid to make friends, either. I know it’s not easy, but once you do, you’ll realize it’s one of the best decisions you can make, because friends are a very important part of life.

I hope to pass all my classes with good grades and not fail any due to a lack of responsibility. I’ve experienced many beautiful moments at school, in my classes, with my friends, and during school field trips. Sometimes, it’s those small moments that are remembered the most.

What I enjoy the most are school trips. They are very fun, and in order to participate, it’s important to be responsible in your classes and meet behavior expectations, both in classrooms and hallways. I believe that to have a positive experience at Patterson, it’s essential to show effort and interest in learning.

I’ve never been very interested in playing sports or joining athletic teams, but I know that at this school, teams are fun and positive for students who want to participate. Joining a group can teach students new things like discipline and responsibility, challenge them, and help them feel part of a team and proud of the school they represent.

At times, teachers and coaches may seem strict, but it’s only because they want us to be good people and to put effort into both our schoolwork and the groups or teams we belong to.

I still have two more years to finish high school, but the time I’ve spent here has been very positive, and I hope to graduate from this school, where so many people have been kind to me. Many people say negative things about Patterson, but I would say the opposite because, despite some challenges, most people are respectful, well-behaved, and even take care of the school.

To finish, I want to leave a piece of advice for those who are arriving this year. Everyone deserves to feel safe at school. If at any moment that isn’t the case, many teachers and adults are willing to help. Don’t be afraid to try new things, whether it’s a sport, an activity, a class, or simply asking for help; everything adds to the experience. Patterson offers many opportunities, and when you give yourself the chance to participate, it becomes easier to feel like you belong and to enjoy your time here.

TAM program prepares students for teaching careers

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by Jose I. Serpas Montoya

At Patterson High School, there is a special program called the Teacher Academy of Maryland (TAM), designed for students who want to learn more about the teaching career and the education system. This program begins in 10th grade and continues through 12th grade, guiding students throughout their high school journey. Through classes, projects, and real experiences, TAM prepares young people not only to become future teaching assistants but also to be leaders capable of making a difference in other people’s lives.

The class is led by Ms. Sánchez, who has been in charge of the program for the past two years. Under her leadership, students gain important knowledge about the teacher’s role—from how to manage a classroom from start to finish, to how to support student learning and create engaging strategies that motivate everyone. Ms. Sánchez doesn’t just teach theory; she encourages students to put their learning into practice, giving them tools that prepare them for real-life situations.

Day by day, students learn how to organize a classroom, help other students, apply teaching strategies, and design activities that make learning fun and interesting. In addition, the program has created a strong sense of community among its members. “TAM isn’t just a class—it’s like a family. We always support each other and care about one another,” says Jihaad Everett, a TAM student.

As students move forward in the program, they reach 12th grade with a special opportunity: to work as teaching assistants in different types of classrooms. This hands-on experience allows them to apply everything they have learned—helping with classroom management, preparing lesson plans, assisting small groups, and using various strategies such as technology, games, and creative activities that make learning more dynamic and enjoyable.

The TAM program also encourages strong connections with teachers who act as mentors, guiding students and sharing their professional experience. Educators like Ms. Pérez, Mr. Pernia, Ms. Edward, Ms. Bell, Ms. Moschelle, Ms. Archie, Ms. Masati, and Dr. Tucker have opened their classrooms to us, allowing us to work alongside them, trusting us, and helping us grow as future educators. This opportunity to learn directly from teachers makes a huge difference and inspires us to continue our journey with passion for teaching.

For many of us, TAM has been more than just a class—it has been a space for both academic and personal growth. Students not only prepare for their future careers but also develop essential skills such as leadership, responsibility, commitment, and empathy. “This program taught me that teaching is not only about giving lessons; it’s also about inspiring, listening, and supporting others,” shares Nelson Fonseca.

TAM is a life-changing experience. It shapes us as students, as future professionals, and as human beings. At Patterson High School, this program has proven that education is not just about sharing knowledge—it’s about building relationships, inspiring others, and leaving a positive impact that lasts over time.

Homecoming pep rally inspires Patterson Pride

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by Saniyah Courtney

The Patterson High School football field was full of joy and excitement as the students entered the field on October 10. Every class cohort came to support their teams and get hyped up for the Homecoming game.

The event began with a powerful Color Guard performance by JROTC, setting the tone for the Pep Rally while presenting during the playing of the National Anthem. Next up was the cross country team running down the track, followed by the girls football team, the JV football team, the varsity football team, and finally, the cheerleaders. The cheerleaders brought the crowd to life with their chants, dances, and cheers, showing off their hard work and spirit.

Students filled the bleachers and field, sitting with their cohorts and waving their cohort banners, posing for pictures and shouting for their class cohort while being asked what they like about their cohort, and which class cohort is the best. Lena Brown shared, “I like that my cohort gets along and they are laid-back. The best cohort is the Class of 2026 and Class of 2027.” Roman Clark proudly declared, “2027 is the best cohort because I like the colors and we are very confident.”

The day was packed with activities, including tug-of-war, rapping performances, cup challenges. dances, and even moments when ice buckets were thrown, making the crowd laugh and cheer.

Around the entrance of the field, students enjoyed sweet treats from the Kona Ice truck and other fundraiser snack tables. The Marines were also there with their pull-up bar, joining in the fun and supporting the students.

One of the biggest highlights of the pep rally was the announcement of the Homecoming King and Queen for the seniors, and Prince and Princess for the juniors, which were both celebrated with loud cheers and applause from their fellow students.

Students shared their thoughts about what they enjoyed from the event and what can be improved for next year’s pep rally.

Larry Escobar said, “I think today’s pep rally was fine, but it should have more activities so everyone could be a part of it.”

Myra Fortune added, “They did a really good job, but I feel like it could have been in the gym and we could have our phones.”

Ms. Masati, a teacher at Patterson, said, “My favorite sports team that came out was all of them because I love all my students.”

Zoe Harris also said, “I liked the cheerleaders because they did it the best and they showed off.”

The pep rally was more than just a school event. It was a day filled with laughter, teamwork, and pride. Each class showed their spirit, teachers and students came together, and everyone left smiling. It was a perfect way to celebrate Patterson pride and get ready for Homecoming, reminding everyone what it means to be a true Clipper.

School district implements new cell phone policy

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by Genesis S. Machuca, Tiffany A. Martinez, & Jamaal McFadden

Baltimore City Public Schools will require students to keep their cell phones and other personal electronic devices powered off, put away, and secured throughout the school day beginning with the 2025–2026 school year. The policy applies to all students in the district and was approved by the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners

Under the new rules, students may still bring phones to school, but they cannot use them from the time they arrive until dismissal unless permitted for specific educational or emergency reasons. City Schools officials say the policy is intended to reduce distractions, improve student focus, and support academic performance.

“This policy is designed to create a better learning environment by limiting disruptions and helping students stay engaged in class,” said a representative for Baltimore City Schools.

The policy not only covers cell phones but also tablets, smart watches, and wireless headphones. Devices must remain powered off and out of sight during instructional time, lunch, passing periods, and recess. Exceptions will be made for approved classroom activities, emergency communication, and circumstances approved by school administrators.

School district leaders encouraged families to prepare for the new rules and to communicate with their child’s school if necessary. While many parents and educators support the policy as a way to improve classroom engagement, some have raised questions about communication and access during non-instructional times.

The new policy reflects growing nationwide efforts by school systems to balance technology use with academic priorities.

Wellness Friday revitalizes students

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by Akira Sumpter 

The staff of Patterson High School planned a special Wellness Friday, October 3, where students and staff could play stress-relieving games. On this shortened school day. students had the chance to sit in quiet rooms, do arts and crafts, or enjoy the airy outdoors.

The majority of students were outside near our baseball field basking in the sun or playing kickball, enjoying the fresh air and freedom. This day was like a middle school recess, only in high school–a time where everyone could get out of stuffy classrooms, artificial lighting, and uncomfortable chairs.

During these few hours of fun, teachers volunteered to be referees and supervise all the physical activities like soccer, basketball, and kickball. The others watched and smiled as kids had fun, which is something they don’t see often in a school setting.

Students were free of worry, pressure and finally able to interact with our peers without an authority figure demanding us to be robotic. “I wish we could do something like this every month”, said student Saniya Courtney. 

Mental health is very important in order to function throughout life effectively, so taking needed breaks should always be a top priority. Knowing when you need a positive outlet to release negative emotions helps you grow as a person and it strengthens your cognitive skills.

Since this event allowed all students to participate in fulfilling activities, the student enjoyment rate was at its most high for an activity. The days following this event were some of the calmest for teachers in this building, with few if any problems from students.

In the near future, there will be more school-wide activities like this to increase literacy rates, attendance, grades, and other things that this world needs. With this and many other successful events this school year, it is clear that the Clipper ship is sailing into a positive future.

Boys basketball team remains hopeful after rocky start

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by Quaron Walker-Bey and Breon Thacker

JV standout Sophomore Antonio Jones (Photo: Quaron Walker-Bey)

The Clipper basketball program looked to kick the season off in Patterson’s boys’ basketball home opener against Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (Poly) on December 10, 2024. The team was coming off of a great season last year when a very talented point guard, Sincere Barfield, led the team to win the regional title.

The JV game started off quickly with the help of sophomore guard Antonio Jones pushing the tempo of the game, pushing the ball on fast breaks, running through sets. Zarion Steppe played a big role down bottom for the JV clippers. The JV game came down to the wire but in the end the JV offense couldn’t hit shots and they lost 44-48.

The varsity Clippers were there to set the tone for the school despite having a whole new roster and being without a 4 year returning senior Quaron Walker-Bey, but they looked to win the season opener. The game started off hot with threes from both teams, from the jump we all knew it was gonna be a good game. Going into halftime, our Clippers had the lead. It was back and forth all through the second half. Late in the fourth quarter, the Clippers had a 7 point lead but later blew it with a good late Poly run forcing overtime. Unfortunately, in overtime the Clippers couldn’t pull out the close win making them 0-1 to start the year.

After this upsetting loss to Poly, the Clippers bounced back and grabbed two wins against Friends and Carver before suffering a string of losses in early January. On January 16, Patterson pulled off another win, defeating Lake Clifton 63-51. However, the Clippers suffered another loss the next day when they fell to City College by a score of 71-40.

Despite these setbacks, Coach Baseline has very high hopes for this team. “We might have a rocky start due to us having a lot of new players and them not being used to our system but I’m looking forward to it”, he said. The coach is hopeful that the team can overcome the loss of many veteran players because he believes the group that he has now is very athletic and talented.

Indoor Track team sets new records

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by Coach Smith

This year’s Patterson Indoor Track and Field team has been marked by records and milestones.

The boys’ team has set several school records. The 4 x 800 relay team of Joel Lukoo, Zawadi Dungi, Rancel Corporan Lagombra, and Vema Maneno set a school record. The 4 x 400 relay team of Zawadi Dungi, Joel Lukoo, Rancel Corporan Lagombra, and Marshall Mallory also set a school record and are 5 seconds away from making it to the high school indoor track national championships. Joel Lukoo set a school record in the 500 meters. Vema Maneno set a school record in the mile and a half mile and is 5 seconds away from making it to the high school indoor track national championships.

The girls’ team is very close to its first ever trophy for being in the top 3 teams in Baltimore City. They have the best distance runners in the city. Najah White AKA “Little Nae” and Nathalia Espino are the best 2 milers and milers in Baltimore City. Nyagarare Kuiy, Libni Colocho, and Annaelle Letono round out a very strong distance contingent. The relays are very strong. The 4 x 200 relay team of Dereon Taylor, Dayvia Weaver, Kamayah Daniels, and Indira Solomon is rapidly improving. The 4 x 800 relay team of Najah White, Nyagarare Kuiy, Dayvia Weaver, and Nathalia Espino are on the cusp of winning a medal in Baltimore City Championships. Mark January 22nd on your calendar for Baltimore City Indoor Track and Field Championships at the 5th Regiment Armory. It will be a historic occasion.

(Photos: Coach Smith)

Patterson auditorium transforms into Winter Wonderland for holiday concert

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Photo: Jacelyn Stith

by Kylayah Davis

Patterson High School’s winter concert was held on Wednesday, December 11 at 6 PM, and this year we decked the halls and the stage to take the audience to our Winter Wonderland. With performances from our band, choir and the newly formed dance team, we put on the first full performing arts program since COVID. With family, friends and staff all in attendance, the support we received was so great that the show ran out of programs!

We started the program with a performance of “Let it Snow/ Winter Wonderland” by our intermediate band and “A Christmas Fanfare” by our beginning band students. Then “Al Shlosha D’varim” was sung by the choir, followed by “Carol of the Bells” (choir), “3 Minute Nutcracker” (band), “Feliz Navidad” and “Emmanuel” (choir) to end the first half of the show.

After a short 10 min intermission the second half of the show started with the dance portion. The dance team performed to the songs “Sleigh Ride” and “Jingle Bell Rock’”, directed by Ms. Hamm. Guest singer Gabby Samone performed “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”. The show continued with the selections “Last Christmas’” (band) , “Temptations Medley’” (choir) and “Sleigh Ride” (band). The concert concluded with “Oh Holy Night’” sang by both choir and band with teacher and staff participation. You can view the full performance on the Patterson High YouTube page.

The Patterson Performing Arts department would like to say thank you to everyone who came and supported our program especially in the inclement weather that night. Many thanks also go out to the crew–those who pulled the curtains, controlled the lights, set the stage, ran concessions, mic check and audio, took our photos and ushered in our guest. We also want to extend our gratitude to our custodial and administrative staff, as well as parents who contributed to our program. Lastly, but certainly not least, we thank the directors, Ms. Williams, Mr. Fowler, Ms. Hamm, Mr. Whitaker, and Mr. Woods.

Please continue supporting our performing arts department in the Spring for our production of Mean Girls–the musical and the Spring Concert.

Chess club challenges students to develop their minds

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Photo: Mr. Tola

by Daniela Acosta

Patterson High School is home to a diverse group of students who engage in different extracurricular activities. Among the most intellectually stimulating and popular clubs at Patterson is the school’s Chess Club. The Chess Club is not just a place for students to challenge their chess skills but also an environment where critical thinking, problem solving, social interaction and personal growth are all made possible. The Patterson High School Chess Club ran by Mr. O’Neal, Mr. Baron, Mr. Tola and Ms. Smith provides students with the opportunity to compete in tournaments and practices. 

For some students, the Chess Club provides opportunities to gain recognition, both within the school and outside of school, maybe even by pros! Participating in chess tournaments and competitions allows students to showcase their skills and achievements. Performing well in these events can boost self-esteem and provide students with a sense of accomplishment. For those who are especially talented, the club offers a pathway to local and regional competitions, where they can represent Patterson High School and potentially earn scholarships or recognition in the broader chess community. On November 4, the Patterson chess team swept both divisions of a citywide chess tournament, winning two first place trophies.

The Chess Club at Patterson High School provides a valuable space for students to develop their minds and enjoy the timeless game of chess. Many students are drawn to the club because it allows them to challenge themselves and others. Students learn to have patience, planning, critical thinking and the ability to think multiple steps ahead. These qualities are not only valuable in chess but also in everyday life.

The Patterson Chess Club not only competes in regular tournaments with other schools but also within the school. Last year the students played against the teachers and the teachers won. A rematch took place on December 18, 2024, and this time the students pulled off a victory over the teachers!

Photo: Mr. Tola

School fights continue to be a problem at Patterson

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by Ashley Sarmiento Rodriguez

Why do students fight in school? I’m a senior at Patterson High School and over the last few years I’ve seen many students get into fights around me. Some of my fellow students have even lost their lives because of school-related problems.

My 9th grade year was the first year Patterson’s new building was open. There were always many students having problems and they would constantly be fighting around the school with seemingly no consequences. I always wondered why the teachers and staff never called the parents of Patterson students who started fights and at least let parents know what the school where their children go to had going on, especially when there would be multiple very large fights going on school.

In December and January 2024, I posed that question to some of the school’s hall monitors and Climate staff. Ms. Enjoulek Jackson (AKA “New York”) said “We aren’t allowed to just call home and tell the students’ parents that there have been fights at school because they need permission from school boards to call parents and then if that was to happen it leads to parents being worried and rushing to come take their kids out of school over a situation that they will always have under control; Unless it involves a more serious situation–then they do call students’ homes.

I walked around the school interviewing Patterson staff/hall monitors and also our school police–Officer Torbit and Officer Jones–questions about these fights.

A few hall monitors such as Mr. Rivas told me students fight mostly over drama on social media and also problems which are easy to resolve but which some students don’t really like to resolve in easy ways. 

When asked how many fights the Patterson hall monitors had seen in the past month, most estimated the number at around 15-20 fights while others said about 3-5 fights. Some hall monitors like Mr. Walker haven’t seen many fights while others have seen fights break out more often in certain areas of the school.

Average number of fights per week witnessed by hall monitors in December 2024 (Source: Interviews with hall monitors)

Officer Jones said when someone gets into a fight at Patterson, she and or her partner would go to the location of the fight and stop it and figure out what happened and make sure everyone’s OK. Then the student is brought to the administrators and they figure out who was in the wrong and the guilty parties get suspended for 3-10 days depending on the way things escalated. 

Although school fights remain a serious problem at Patterson, a lot of progress has been made over the past few years. Three years ago, fights and problems at school were really bad and there was an uncountable amount of fights and dangerous activities going on, but by the time I entered 11th and 12th grade, the fights had most definitely calmed down and the school climate has continued to be calmer than it used to be. Yet even now, every other day there is a fight going on in school. 

What do school staff members do to prevent these fights and problems happening during school? According to Mr. Will, “After a fight we break it up, figure out what happened, then have a mediation group and make sure both parties resolve and agree to not fight again during school hours.”

At the end of the day I think Patterson High School is now changing for the better and there are far fewer fights than there used to be. The school is actually trying to prevent them and has put things in place to help achieve that goal. Patterson High School has long had a problem with fights that students keep causing. Although my research shows that it has gotten better over the years, it’s still an ongoing problem. I am hoping many students read this and realize that this is a problem in our school and maybe help stop or prevent a fight. At the end of the day, there are many other ways to resolve a problem or conflict.

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