Spirit Week is held every year, once a year. It is a Patterson tradition where we can express ourselves, having fun by dressing up and being silly. This year Spirit Week happened on the week of October 7-11.
Usually Spirit Week is held on the week of Homecoming. However, this year was an exception. According to Ed Associate and Senior Class Advisor Mrs. Blankenfeld, Spirit Week was scheduled for the week before Homecoming week because there were SATs and PSATs during the week of Homecoming.
Each day during Sprit Week students and staff dressed according to different themes; Monday’s theme was “Dynamic Duos”, Tuesday’s was “Student/Teacher”, Wednesday’s was “Holiday Spirit”, Thursday’s was “Anything But a Backpack”, and Friday was “Cohort Colors”.
Mrs. Blankenfeld helped with Spirit Week but she wasn’t the one who came up with the idea. “Ms. Myrick, Mr. Sankofa, Jazzy [Blessett] and Coach Blum made Spirit Week”, Mrs. Blankenfeld explained. These were four of the people who were in the meeting that came up with the themes and Spirit Week itself. Since she wasn’t in the meeting she only knew a little about the planning process.
The fun on Friday didn’t end with wearing cohort colors; there was a pep rally in the afternoon followed immediately by a soccer game. Then there was a Homecoming dance on October 17th and a parade and Homecoming football game on Saturday, the19th.
Bullying has been a big issue in America for a long time now, involving children, teens, and even adults. Bullying can affect someone’s physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Bullying involves aggressive behavior physically or verbally.
With modern technology, bullying has increased and taken new forms. According to Panda Security, a cybersecurity company, 55% of students between the ages of 13 and 17 have experienced cyberbullying in their lifetime.
Bullying can put fear in people and cause them to not want to go to school, work or any social setting. Bullying not only impacts victims but also bystanders and bullies themselves.
Preventing bullying requires motivating efforts from individuals, schools, families and communities. The first step is understanding how to prevent bullying, what to do if you’re being bullied, and how to stop if you’re engaging in bullying behavior. With a better understanding of bullying, we can create a much more safe and secure environment for everyone.
Encouraging kindness and respect is one way to prevent bullying.
According to Patterson Health teacher Ms. Mahoney, “Bullying can seriously affect one’s mental health and can lead to suicide. You do not know what trauma you are causing to other students.” She suggests the best way to prevent bullying is to have conversations. Ms. Mahoney believes that the key to stopping bullying is “education, discussing, having conversations with teenagers, because sometimes, especially in this day and age with texting you don’t know what damage you are causing.”
When children witness adults being judgmental, aggressive, and dismissive, they may mimic these actions in their interactions with peers. Additionally if parents or guardians don’t foster open communication or create a supportive home environment, children may feel unable to discuss bullying situations, allowing the issue to escalate. Parents can also unknowingly enable bullying by not setting clear expectations for kindness and empathy in their children’s behavior.
Adults, especially parents, play a huge role in preventing bullying by modeling respectful, compassionate and non-aggressive behavior towards one another.
Spreading kindness and positivity can help prevent bullying. You never know what someone could be going through and spreading kindness could play a huge role in making our community a better and much safer place, whether online or in person.
JROTC Color Guard marches to Patterson pep rally (Photo: Patterson Press)
by Snit Kahsay
JROTC is a youth program that gives students the opportunity to acquire basic military knowledge and leadership abilities. This program is related to the Armed Forces but doesn’t force students to join anything after high school.
The teacher, Lt. Col. Bill A York, has been in the program for six years now. The part of teaching that he loves the most is “the part that teaches leadership. The reason I like to teach that is because I see a lot of technical issues going on with children at home and to help improve their communication, decision making skills and not give up on themselves.”
This program can help kids feel more confident about public speaking due to the way they do their attendance and their way of communication and leadership. JROTC is one of the most popular pathways in Patterson High School, with more students joining every day. Some students were initially placed in the JROTC pathway without signing up for it but later came to appreciate it.
“I didn’t choose it, actually.”, explained Commander Alison Licona-Pacheco. “They gave it to me and I really liked how they organized the program and got cadets involved in everything. That’s why I liked it and that is how I got my position in leadership.”
This program is mostly known for its unique way of teaching students to act like responsible adults and how to handle stressful things. This program includes uniforms that students must wear. On Thursdays, cadets must wear either their blues or OCPs (Operational Camouflage Pattern). On Fridays, cadets wear sweats because they do exercises on those days.
JROTC organized a citywide 5K run on October 3 at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (Poly) that any cadet (JROTC student) could participate in. The Patterson High School JROTC finished in 2nd place overall.
Teen drug abuse is a growing concern as many teens are experimenting with substances like alcohol, cannabis (weed), and prescription drugs. While some teens are driven toward drug abuse by peer pressure, others use drugs as a coping mechanism. Many teens nowadays experience high levels of stress due to family issues, emotional issues, school, etc. Many don’t have the opportunity to speak to someone or find healthy outlets for their feelings, and this leads them to look for other ways to deal with these emotions, which in turn can lead to teens to drugs as a way to cope with everything.
Drugs can have serious long-term consequences. Drug abuse can interfere with brain development, and lead to legal problems. It can also affect the relationships people have around them; it can cause damage to family relationships, friendships, and more. It can even lead to death. According to U.S. News & World Report, an average of 22 U.S teens die each week because of drug use.
There are many ways that we can help teens that are struggling with these issues, and help prevent it from happening more. Preventing teen drug abuse requires education, communication, comprehension, and support. Parents, schools, and communities can help prevent teen drug use. Building strong relations with teens can make it easier for them to ask for help before their problem becomes unmanageable.
Patterson guidance counselor Mr. Hawkins expresses how it all starts at home. “Parents make it seem okay. It makes the teens think it is okay.”, Mr. Hawkins explains.
According to Mr. Hawkins, drug abuse is a very widespread problem. “It is a very high usage amongst those who use drugs; it’s more prevalent than people assume.”
He advises students to seek help and seek change in order to overcome struggles like this. “My advice is to admit you have a problem.”, states Mr. Hawkins. “Students who don’t realize they have an addiction do not want the help.”
Speaking to trusted adults can allow a teen to feel open enough to speak about these issues. “Change your environment with power[ful] supporting people and surround yourself with the right people to restrain from drug use.”, Hawkins advises.
Many teens and adults dealing with drug addiction suffer in silence, but being that support system for someone can go a long way toward helping them break free from their addiction.
Patterson High School Assistant Principal Mr. Sankofa has been running to raise money for Cohort 2025 senior activities.
Mr. Sankofa traveled to Richmond, Virginia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to participate in running events. At “Run Richmond”, he ran 16.19K, clocking in at 1 hour and 39 seconds with a pace of 9.53 per mile. In “The Great Race” in Pittsburgh, Mr. Sankofa ran 10K, clocking in at 52 minutes with a pace of 8.25 per mile. So far, he has raised approximately $400.00 from families, Patterson colleagues, and friends who pledged to donate if he ran.
Mr. Sankofa began running in middle school and has been an avid runner ever since. He enjoys running for our school because he gets to work on his fitness and raise money for our school at the same time. His main supporters are his brothers because they also enjoy running together.
In my opinion, everything Mr. Sankofa is doing for us seniors is amazing. He’s doing something he enjoys and also rising money. It takes a lot to decide to take on a big role like that but he did it and he is definitely succeeding. This will help pay for senior events, prom, dances, etc.–anything we need money for.
“Running for Patterson was a great way for me to reach my fitness goals and also raise money for Patterson”, said Mr. Sankofa.
I appreciate it and I know many other seniors and teachers in our school appreciate and are very thankful for what Mr. Sankofa is doing for Patterson High School.
Next Generation Language Access (NGLA) is a training program for students at Patterson High School who want to become professional interpreters.
Since there are many people that have limited English proficiency in Baltimore, there is a shortage in access to interpretation services. Currently NGLA is partnering with 3 different high schools: Patterson High School, Benjamin Franklin High School, and Digital Harbor High School. The program started at Patterson in 2023. They did their pilot program last year and now there are five students who are certified to work as community interpreters.
NGLA’s mission is to train high school students to become professional interpreters to reduce language barriers in Baltimore City and also provide a career opportunity after graduation for first and second generation immigrant high school students.
“The reason we focus on high school students is…there is research showing that students that are first or second generation immigrants that are 18 and older are more likely to fall into poverty than students that are not first or second generation”, shared NGLA Founding Director Omari Jeremiah.
“We want to solve two problems by providing meaningful employment opportunities for high school graduates that are first or second generation immigrants in the United States.”
Aside from providing a career path for immigrant youths, Mr. Jeremiah’s other goal is “reducing language barriers so that everyone, regardless of their language that they speak, is able to receive the services they need to thrive in Baltimore City.”
Students join the program for a variety of reasons.
“I want to learn how to interpret”, said Jesler Caledron. “I’ve never liked any class like this class because I participate a lot.” Calderon hopes to find work as an interpreter after he earns his certification.
“I want to have better communication in Baltimore City”, explained Raymond Alabi. While he’s looking forward to earning his certificate and getting paid to interpret, he has also made some personal connections through the program. “I feel good to have new friends”, Alabi said.
Zeinab Al-Ali is hopeful that the program is going to help her when applying for college. She also believes that her interpreter training will help her family. “ I feel this class is going to help me in the future because I have to interpret for my parents so I can know what to say and how to do it.”
Although Next Generation Language Access is currently only operating in a few schools, the program has plans to expand.
“We are always growing and evolving. There is a huge need for interpreters throughout the country, not just Baltimore City”, said Mr. Jeremiah. “We are excited to see how things continue to evolve.”
Students in the Esports club practice their gaming skills as they prepare to compete against other schools. (Photo: Mr. Sokolski)
by Jamira Ellison
Patterson High School has a variety of different clubs supporting the interests of students and preparing them for what they want to do as a future career. Some examples of student clubs at Patterson include Next Gen Learning Access (NGLA), the Patterson Press, E-sports, the Jonathan Ogden Club, and Chill Snowboarding.
Mr. Sokolski (better known as “Ski”) is the advisor of the E-sports club.
“The E-sports [club members] play video games competitively, and the games we play are Super Smash Bros, FIFA, Madden 2K, Rocket League, and Brawlhalla.”, explained Mr. Sokolski.
“It’s a lot of fun, and the league is still trying to get going but they still play against other schools in Baltimore City. It’s a great social atmosphere and a great place to make friends.”,
The club plays Super Smash Bros the most, but they are getting more players for the other games and they talk about potential future careers related to video games. Mr. Sokolski wants to focus more on that career aspect of E-sports as the next step for the club, so that students can have future careers in E-Sports.
Mr. Sokolski is looking for a co-advisor so the E-Sports club can expand.
“So far it is just me. I am the only coach for E-Sports but I could use another hand.”
All Patterson students are welcome to join the E-Sports club.
“You can find me in room 363. We meet Tuesdays or Wednesdays after school so feel free to come on down and join and have fun.”, said Mr. Sokolski.
For those who prefer more of an outdoor experience, there is Chill Snowboarding.
“The Chill Snowboarding program focuses on teaching kids how to snowboard.”, explained advisor Ms. Mahoney.
“They take weekly trips to the mountains to learn those skills.”
One goal they would like to accomplish this year is to apply for a grant to pay for the group’ s activities. Chill Snowboarding has qualified for this grant for the past 12 years and would like to receive it again this year.
Chill snowboarding isn’t necessarily a club in the traditional sense but more of a program. Students are hand picked to be invited to participate. Students can request to join but Ms. Mahoney mainly chooses 12th graders and sometimes 11th graders. Participants have to be athletic and be able to be picked up from where they meet at night.
To find out more about Chill Snowboarding, talk to Ms. Mahoney or Ms. Brooks (who also helps out with the program).
While many of Patterson’s clubs are fairly new, there are others that have been a school tradition for many generations. One such club is the Patterson Press.
“The Patterson Press is the official student newspaper and media club of Patterson High School that is written by students for students and has been around since 1943.”, explained club adviser Mr. Pesa.
“Students should join the Patterson Press because it’s a good opportunity to get their work published and make their voice heard.”, added Mr. Pesa.
“They’re also learning valuable skills that could help them in a variety of careers, and they get service learning hours.”
The main focus is on reporting news about Patterson and the surrounding community, including sports, clubs, activities, and performances. They do that with by conducting interviews, taking photos and videos, and publishing original articles both in print and online at pattersonpress.org.
The Patterson Press also has plans to start producing news broadcasts that students and staff can watch on the TVs and Smart Boards in school, as well as on their YouTube channel. The club will collaborate with Mr. Antoine and the AV Club to to broadcast news to the whole school.
Beyond that, Mr. Pesa is trying to expand the range of articles and videos that the Patterson Press is creating. He is also bringing in a group called Wide Angle Youth Media to train his journalism students in photography skills.
The Patterson Press is looking for more students to join the club.
“I’m in Room 364, so anyone can come up and talk to me to join”, Mr. Pesa said.
Patterson has many amazing clubs that students can join to have fun, learn new skills, and prepare for the future.
A new art club at Patterson is making art for charity.
“There are a lot of students who like art”, said Ms. Marchewka, one of the art teachers at the school.
She would like to use that interest in art to do something positive for the community. She decided to start a new club this new school year for students to create their own individual art and to sell it to raise money for charitable organizations.
Ms. Marchewka has participated in art for charity projects outside of Patterson, so she wanted to bring her experiences to our school this year. Ms. Marchewka loved leading these clubs, so she brought the concept to Patterson so other students can experience it as well.
“I thought it would be a great opportunity to bring that experience to Patterson.”, said Ms. Marchewka.
Ms. Marchewka sent out a Google Form to staff members so they can order commissions of custom artwork. Students will receive service learning hours for their work.
“Currently we are working on a variety of posters and signs for folks.”
Any students who are not working on a commission are making paintings to sell at the Winter Concert and the Spring Arts festival. These paintings will be available for anyone to purchase.
Ms. Marchewka will let the students decide what they want to do with the money and which charities they want it to go to.
“The students will actually decide that,” she explained.
Ms. Marchewka doesn’t know what the charities will spend the money on, because it’s their choice.
“It depends on the charity itself.”, she stated.
After students create original works of art, they will sell their artwork and Ms. Marchewka will be donating that money to any charity that the students in the club choose.
The Art for Charity club meets during Advisory. Currently Ms. Marchewka does not plan to add more students to the club.
“However, if I hear student interest in that, I would consider it for sure.”
The Patterson band gets ready to perform at Back to School Night (Photo: Jamira Ellison)
by MirianMaurizaca
We’re back to school! August 26 was the first day for students at Patterson High School. There are many events being planned to make this school year fun and memorable. There have also been achievements made already.
Our attendance has increased since last year. “I am proud of our attendance rate,” said Principal Myrick.
“Attendance rate went up to 82%. Last year we had a 69% rate of attendance. Also Patterson High School was in the top 10 of high schools for growth and achievements.”
Principal Myrick wants to add on to Patterson’s achievements from last school year.
“This year really focuses on academic achievement,” stated Principal Myrick.
There are also new programs at Patterson High School. There is a program for families that want to learn English or Spanish that will happen after school. For the first semester there is only one class but next semester there will be two classes. Additionally, Patterson High also has dance class and an NGLA program for students to become certified interpreters.
Principal Myrick has many ideas for this school year.
“I’m excited for this school year,” explained Principal Myrick.
One event from last year that will be returning is 405 Day. It will be a community event to invite family and friends to. There are many other events being planned as well, from Spirit Week to cultural celebrations, concerts, plays, and much more.
This school year promises to be a memorable year for all students. This year will bring us new achievements, more goals, and fun activities.
Editor’s Note: What follows are reflections from two graduating seniors who participated in Patterson’s Teacher Academy of Maryland (TAM) CTE Pathway. We were not able to include these in the May 2024 print edition of the Patterson Press but we present them to you here:
In the program, I learned many things. I progressed in my learning skills and people skills. Before, I was quiet, not really an interactive person, but the program helped me out of my comfort zone to succeed further in everyday life. This program expands my education to have a positive effect on my life. It showed me very important lessons. The T.A.M. program teaches you how to be a teacher and the ways to be a successful one. Being with my mentor (Mr. Baron) was a great experience. He let me in on key things when teaching and he helped me to really interact with students as if I was a teacher. This let me see a different perspective. Enjoy the T.A.M. pathway–It will be a great experience! -Iyanna Jenkins – Internship TAM program, Cohort 2024
My experience being at the pathway Teacher Academy of Maryland has been wonderful. I have learned very nice things and I have also overcome some of my fears in grade ten. I learned all the wonderful things about child development. Throughout this year I have overcome one of my biggest fears, which is to be speaking in front of people I don’t know. The most difficult thing is learning how to teach like a professional, but Ms. Sanchez has helped me and she has has also given me the example of how to do it at the same time. Just like my mentor: he has been patient with me and I have learned a lot in his class because his class is in Spanish, my first language, and I feel good learning too. And of course I am going to recommend this pathway to my friends because it is very nice to learn so many things. -Nesly Oliva, Cohort 2024
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