Senator Square: Proficiency tests slated this week

Accreditation results are not official yet, but we were told this week in a staff meeting that we have successfully passed the rigorous process. After year-long efforts by staff, students and community members, Carson High School is fully accredited.You never had to convince me of our “awesomeness.” I’ve known all along, Carson High is the best high school in Nevada (of course, I may be a bit biased). Continue to read on about the great things going on at our school.STUDENT COUNCIL REPORTThis week the entire student body is excited for the three late-start days that mark the first round of proficiencies of this school year. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are late starts, where school starts at 10:30, except juniors who are taking their writing proficiency for the first time. Also this Wednesday, there will be our final cancer support dress-up day. Carson High School leadership is requesting that all of the student body and staff wear orange to support leukemia research, due to the fact that Halloween dress up will not be allowed this year, because of the distractions it may bring with the proficiency testing.Let’s make this last one count and make it big to end our cancer support on a high note!VETERAN’S DAY CEREMONYThe Naval Junior ROTC Unit will host its annual Veterans Day ceremony at 9:40 a.m. Nov. 7 in Senator Square. The unit will recognize veterans from different wars and extend a special invitation to them, along with Blue and Gold Star Mothers. Veterans and Blue and Gold Star mothers are invited for refreshments after the ceremony, compliments of the culinary classes. Contact the NJROTC Unit at 775-283-1780 for information.CHS PTSA WALK/RUNSafe Grad needs your help. The 5k Run/Walk will be 10 a.m. Nov.10 at the Carson High track. Cost is $30 for adults and $20 for 18 and under. All proceeds benefit the PTSA Safe Grad program. To register, go to www.race360.com and find the Carson High School Safe Grad Run/Walk.For sponsorship opportunities or questions, contact race coordinator John Dodge at 775-771-8715 or race.safegrad@gmail.com.SPEECH/DEBATE RESULTSCongratulations to the speech and debate team for another successful tournament. This was the largest group of competitors that Carson has ever had, and one of the largest league tournaments in Northern Nevada in many years with 21 schools participating.Eighteen CHS students competed in the tournament at Reno High School. Carson High students placed in the top three in 24 different rounds.Nearly every competitor ranked at least once and several ranked in every preliminary round. A special shout out for Luke Szatmary competing for his second year who placed third overall in novice impromptu, and Walker Barnett competing at his first tournament and taking fourth overall in novice impromptu and third in novice student congress.Congratulations also to Bailee Barber who ranked eighth overall in novice Lincoln-Douglas debate for speaking points. The next tournament is Nov. 16 and 17 at North Valleys High School.WORLD HISTORYIN ACTIONLast year Mr. Houk’s world history classes did a Skype conference with a group in Iraq that is providing heart surgeries to Iraqi children. They are called the Preemptive Love Coalition.Because of years of warfare, going back to the ’80s, children born in Iraq have a significantly higher chance of being born with heart defects. This group is trying to fix this by training Iraqi doctors to perform these surgeries.They are having amazing success. The classes will be doing another Skype with this group again on Nov 20-21 in the library. To find out more information about this group, visit http://preemptivelove.org/.SENIOR SPOTLIGHTCarson High School is proud to spotlight David Yamamoto. David maintains a weighted grade-point average of 4.49.David is planning on attending the University of Nevada, Reno in the fall. He will be majoring in biology and hopes to get into medical school. Even though David is busy with school, he volunteers out in the community at Food for Thought, through his church and has volunteered at the Japanese American Citizen League. We are proud of David’s achievements and look forward to his future accomplishments.• Angila Golik is a government and sociology teacher at Carson High and also a member of Senator Pride.