2015-2019

Narrative

Life continued at Buena like normal from 2015 to 2019.  This period was headed by Principal Bobbi Powers, who oversaw the addition of new elements on campus, such as the murals on the outside of the Gym, some new umbrellas across campus along with new banners on the parking lot light poles (Cox). A new garden and pathway were added in between the Little Theater and the ASB Store, and the orange peel received its most current mural, which has been kept since it actually contains orange peels on it. Another major change came in 2015, when the senior class voted to wear black only for graduation, ending gender-based colors with Columbia Blue for girls, and Black for boys.

In 2019, Buena had its first-ever wellness week and it was a total success! Students and faculty that attended this event truly seemed to benefit from it. Wellness week focused on mental health awareness, support, and education in order to lift the stigma surrounding mental health issues. Students and teachers that attended all agreed that the first Buena Wellness Week helped them realize that they need to focus more on their social well-being and their mental health. 

Buena’s new book club also started in 2019 and started flipping its first pages. The group consisting of all grades made it a priority to meet every Monday in Room 23 throughout the school year. To our knowledge, they read 3 books from November 2018 to June 2019! Very consistent readers!

Sports in 2019 were also outstanding! All levels of most sports exceeded all expectations, including the always great girls basketball team! According to student Gianna Facocchia, “it’s one of the best teams we’ve ever had."

Buena would end the decade strong, but would soon have its foundations rocked by COVID-19. Just how much COVID-19 will change life at Buena in the long term is a little too early to tell, so we will need some time and analysis to make sense of the current news, and to place it within its proper historical context. For now, if you would like current updates about Buena High School, check out our school's student news website, www.buenaspeaks.org.

Works Cited

Buena High School. Paws in Time: A Picture's Worth 2015 Words, Vol. 54. Ventura: Graduating Class of 2015. Print. Archives, Buena High School Library.

Buena High School. Out of the Blue, Vol. 55. Ventura: Graduating Class of 2016. Print. Archives, Buena High School Library.

Buena High School. Dog Days, Vol. 56. Ventura: Graduating Class of 2017. Print. Archives, Buena High School Library.

Buena High School. Year of the Dog, Vol. 57. Ventura: Graduating Class of 2018. Print. Archives, Buena High School Library.

Buena High School. 2019, Vol. 58. Ventura: Graduating Class of 2019. Print. Archives, Buena High School Library.

Buena Speaks. Buena High School, 2022. https://buenaspeaks.org/. Accessed 12 April 2022.

Cox, Kevin. "Principal Bobbi Powers Leaves Buena After Six-Year Tenure As Lead Administrator." Buena Speaks  [Ventura, CA], Accessed 23 March 2021. https://buenaspeaks.org/1821/news/principal-bobbi-powers-leaves-buena-after-six-year-tenure-as-lead-administrator/ 

This part of the project was completed by:

Juan Carlos Ozuna: Researcher

Stephan Plahn: Narrator

Brody Padilla: Archivist

Emily Arend: Researcher

Lexsea Kimball: Web Designer

Mr. Downey: Editor