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Oct 23rd - Oct 27th

Embracing Linguistic Excellence: The Seal of Biliteracy in San Bernardino County

10/20/23, Bryanna Villalpando

In an increasingly interconnected world, the ability to communicate in more than one language has become a valuable and sought-after skill. In San Bernardino County, California, seniors are being recognized and celebrated for their bilingual proficiency with the "Seal of Biliteracy." This prestigious award acknowledges the linguistic talents of high school graduates, opening doors to diverse opportunities and highlighting the importance of multilingualism in today's society.

The Significance of the Seal of Biliteracy

The Seal of Biliteracy program is a statewide initiative designed to recognize high school seniors who have demonstrated proficiency in English and at least one other language. To earn the Seal of Biliteracy in San Bernardino County, seniors must meet specific criteria. They are required to demonstrate proficiency in English by meeting state standards and to attain proficiency in a second language. This can be achieved in various ways, including passing Advanced Placement (AP) language exams, earning high scores on language proficiency tests, or successfully completing an approved course sequence.

Benefits of the Seal

Beyond the personal achievement, the Seal can open doors to higher education and career opportunities. Many colleges and universities consider the Seal of Biliteracy as an advantage in the admissions process, and some even offer course credit or advanced placement for language proficiency and in a globalized job market, multilingual individuals are often highly sought after by employers. The Seal can give graduates a competitive edge and increase their employability in a variety of industries. Being bilingual or multilingual not only enhances communication skills but also promotes cultural awareness and understanding, which is increasingly important in a diverse and interconnected world. By promoting multilingualism, the county acknowledges that language is an integral part of one's identity and heritage.

How our school is affected
On October 24th many students from Apple Valley Unified School District, Baker Valley Unified School District, Barstow Unified School District, Hesperia Unified School District, Oro Grande School District, Silver Valley Unified School District, Snowline Joint Unified School District, and Victor Valley Union High School District went to Oak Hills High School to celebrate their accomplishment. Many of UP’s seniors showed up to the event. “I feel really proud because it’s something my siblings have gotten too so I’m excited to wear this at graduation” Valeria Garcia 12, answered when asked how she felt before the ceremony took place. “I feel really proud because it’s a big accomplishment and it’s all through the sacrifices that my parents made when they were young.” Jasmine Chavez 12, added.

Community Support

The Seal of Biliteracy would not be possible without the support of schools, teachers, parents, and the broader community in San Bernardino County. Teachers play a pivotal role in nurturing students' language skills and guiding them through the rigorous requirements. Parents and families provide crucial encouragement and motivation for students to pursue proficiency in multiple languages.

The community's support for the Seal of Biliteracy program demonstrates a commitment to preparing students for success in a globalized world and acknowledging the significant role that language plays in shaping our future.

The Seal of Biliteracy in San Bernardino County is a symbol of achievement, recognition, and the celebration of linguistic diversity. It not only acknowledges the hard work of high school seniors but also opens doors to higher education and career opportunities. This program reflects the county's commitment to promoting multilingualism and cultural diversity, making San Bernardino County a model for embracing the linguistic richness of its community. As we move further into the 21st century, programs like the Seal of Biliteracy remind us of the value of language and the importance of celebrating our diverse linguistic landscape.

Juniors prepare for their journey through SAT's by taking their practice SAT

10/20/23, Joseline Tanchez

On Wednesday, October 26th, Juniors from University Preparatory took their first PSAT's (Practice Scholastic Aptitude Test). That day, the school bells were silenced and many rooms were closed to prevent any unwanted interruptions for the testing students.

Juniors took their PSAT to practice for their upcoming SAT sometime in early March. The test, which is based off of various sections in English and Math, created an eerie atmosphere of students working hard as the time on their questions runs quickly by. Moments where students had hit a rough spot created the chance to improve and reflect on the sections for future reference.

One Junior who learned something from their PSAT, Julianne Lok, says, "I learned that I needed to study formulas for the math section and need to actually read slower on the English section. The kinds of questions that I really struggled on was during the English vocabulary section." Another Junior, Reva Chauhan, shared from their test, "I didn't really struggle on any question, it was more of if I knew the answer or not. Even if i did struggle the PSAT would later tell me what I need to work on."

Not only were the test questions different, but the rooms that the Juniors worked away in were varied as well. Some students received rooms where they felt good and confident and others felt a little anxious about their surroundings. Julianne Lok also commented that the room they worked in was a bit cold. On the contrary, Bianca Gomez says, "The way they arranged the class was comfortable and I was able to focus on the exam."

At the end of PSAT's, Juniors were left with all sorts of remaining feelings. Some groups of Juniors felt confident and proud of themselves and others felt weary and plan to work harder. With the guidance the PSAT provided, we hope to see Juniors doing their best when the SAT comes around.

Club Photos: Behind the Scenes

10/27/23, Joanna Vance

Club photos at University Preparatory is back once again on October 27th, 2023, giving students the opportunity to participate in a group photo with the people that share equal interest.

Prowlers At Work

Everyone knows Club Photo Day is hard for the working photographers. Luckily, the yearbook staff, known as 'Prowlers', is there to help get everyone situated and ready to take a photo. During club photos, one of the Prowlers' jobs is to line everyone up in the correct club and from shortest to tallest. This Job can be hard for some people, being that there are very few people working together. Lenny Salazar, grade 11, is a newer member of the Prowler Yearbook Crew and has chosen to assist during this day.

When asked 'How was your experience working the club photos?', Lenny replied, " I thought it was overall fun, but there was definitely some stressful moments. It was just the getting everyone situated in time and making sure they made it to their other photo that made it a little chaotic, but other than that I enjoyed working with my team and learning more about a Prowler's job."

Though the day is very tiring since it is filled with consistently walking around, with only about 5-10 minute breaks, the laughs and joy along the way make it all worth it.

(Above) Lenny Salazar, Grade 11

(Below) Johnny Sanches, Grade 11

All Lined Up

For students of U.P., Club photos can be a very exciting day as it meant not being in a classroom for a short amount of time. This year, some students had more than one listed photo to take. Some would be during the same class period while others could have them at separate hours of the day. Johnny Sanchez, grade 11, was one of the students with multiple club photos.

When asked about the rush to other clubs and the feeling of participating in school activities, Johnny answered with, " I felt as if Club Photos were a bit chaotic since not many people knew about a sign in sheet needed to attend, but overall the staff did a good job organizing the clubs and making sure people who needed to be there, were there. It was also nice to just kinda get away from class for a little bit and talk to the people I knew. The last photo I took was with my Cross Country team and I'm really glad that we are able to have a photo each year."

Giving each student the opportunity to engage with the Jaguar community through extracurricular activities is a fun experience for all. Whether its a club for studying, filming, gardening, sports, or helping around the city, there's always something for everyone to interact with. Club photos was a way for students to 'prowl'-dly show what activities they showed interest to in the yearbook.

Choir Club's Hidden Mission

10/24/23, Kayla Garcia

Choir Club represents many students at U.P., but few people understand it. It is a small group of students, with advisor Ms. Reeff, who run the choir program, a fundamental in the music classes on campus. The club wants to work with and showcase people like you on their team. They meet oTuesdays at 3:30 p.m. in room 702.

The club is misinterpreted, and the name blurs its meaning. The Choir Club doesn’t have to sing but works with organizations to fund, organize events, and raise awareness of music's impact on people's lives. Members can decide what events they want to see at school and how to fund the ideas. These skills are necessary in life (and look great on college applications…). Included are chances to play games and get snacks at the end of the meetings.

Also, people in the club feel very connected to those around them. According to Liliana Romero, 9, “Knowing that I see friendly faces just makes me want to come more". There is nothing to worry about being new or nervous about making an impression. Liliana is new to the club and said, “The nervousness just came out, and I am more comfortable”. Now, she is a regular attendee of meetings.

It is a club for introverts and extroverts alike, as you can decide how much you want to talk and share. All ideas are welcome, and the Choir Club wishes to see you next week.

For more information about this club, contact Choir Club on/at:

Day they meet: Tuesday

Time: 3:30 p.m.

Room/Advisor: Room 702, Ms. Reeff

AYLA: Club Meeting

10/23/23, Janni White

AYLA, or Asian Youth Leadership Association is a club which focuses on spreading culture and planning activities on a bimonthly basis to match the theme given to them by the organization they’re a part of. On Oct 25, AYLA had a meeting based on this month’s theme, Innovation, where they showed members how to make origami. The club officers split the club into teams and let them pick what they wanted to make. Some of those options include butterflies, rabbits, or a lotus. The officers taught each of their teams how to make what they wanted.

So, why should anyone join AYLA? If the club is specifically named Asian Youth Leadership Association, then does that mean you have to be asian to join? Club president Nicole Shek (12) responds “Others should join AYLA as everyone is welcome. Regardless if they’re Asian or not. Our club goals are to strive to serve our community, educate others, and to celebrate various Asian cultures! AYLA is very welcoming to new members and hopes to bring fun events and activities to the school campus.”

Some may be familiar with AYLA as the club who performs the “fan dance” during the multicultural assembly, although, back then they were known as Asian Diversity Institution (ADI). In response to the question “How do you feel about the name change from ‘ADI’ to ‘AYLA’?” Club Vice President Hifza Zainab (11) says “I feel the name changed in a good way, it became more clear that it was directed towards the youth.”

For more information about the club, contact AYLA at/on:

Instagram: uphs_ayla

Remind Code: upayla2324

Haunted Homecoming

10/25/23, Janni White and Amerie Telon

Homecoming took place on Saturday the 21st. The Class of 2025 has been planning Homecoming since the spring of last school year and came up with the theme Haunted Homecoming. The dance was outside in the quad and included tacos and a boba truck.

People had mixed opinions when the theme was announced. Noemi Jimenez said, “I like the theme because Halloween is around the corner.”

Lizeth Montero stated how she felt about the theme, “It's [horrible], who wants a ‘Haunted Homecoming’?”

During Homecoming, one thing almost everyone wanted to know was who was going to win prince and princess for each class and who would win homecoming king and queen. The prince and princess for the freshman were Pedro Hernandez and Kayla Lopez, sophomore prince and princess were Jayden Castillo and Yaddora Morales, junior prince and princess were Jose Enciso and Leslie Flores, and the king and queen were Aramari Gonzalez and Yahir Martinez.

After Homecoming, a problem that many voiced were the lack of chairs, the spacing between all the tables, and the way voting was set up. Many had an issue with their chairs being taken by others and the spaces between the tables bothered some people. Voting was a problem for some due to the fact multiple people did not have the chance to vote.

However, many praised the food choices saying the tacos were good and they enjoyed the boba truck, as well as the decorations and homecoming being in the quad.

Homecoming Rally

10/21/23, Amerie Telon, Caleb Frederick, Janni White

To spread school spirit in preparation for Homecoming, ASB held a rally for this year’s homecoming. The rally included performances from teachers, clubs, and our high school cheer team, a game played by students, and finished off by handing out the homecoming nominees sashes.

The Krush and Latin X clubs showed off their performances they’ve been preparing since the beginning of the year. Dr. Elder lip synced “Born to run” by Bruce Springsteen and Mrs. Andersen and her dance partner performed a two minute freestyle. The cheer team performed a routine themed to match Homecoming's Haunted Halloween vibe. They incorporated a haunted feeling, scary masks, and horror inspired outfits.

Senior Aiden Kraus said, “I actually enjoyed the assembly for once, the soundtrack was chill.” Meanwhile, freshman Niya Jones said, “The only fun part was the lip sync, but besides that everything felt the same.”

ASB freshman Andie Lujan agrees she thinks this assembly was better than the last and sophomore Lenna Ellis said “ASB had a lot of fun together, the crowd was into the teacher performances, the clubs did great performing, and the theme was executed well.”

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