Results tagged “Park View Middle School” from Yucaipa Now

By Bob Otto / Staff Photographer

YUCAIPA - Will Wood looks the part and acts the part. He's a living, breathing model of Sir Francis Drake of the Renaissance Period from about 1460 to 1600. The seventh grade students taking part in the Renaissance Faire at Park View Middle School on Thursday were mesmerized by his performance.

"He is great," said seventh grade history teacher Becki Miller, who has coordinated the faire for the past five of the 10 years the school has held the event. "Our next Renaissance unit will be the age of exploration. Sir Francis Drake will be in our unit so when we (study) him they will know about him."

The seventh graders dressed in the attire of kings and queens, princes and princesses, knights and peasants. They moved about to several workshops testing their skill at wheat weaving and face painting. They played a game of Nine Men's Morris and learned about Renaissance weapons and horses.

The 4-H Pass Pioneers American Hoofbeat Drill Team demonstrated jousting as kids watched, wishing they were gallant knights aboard the steeds.

"We're trying to teach them about a knight's life from birth to death, and about Renaissance horses," said Drill Team Leader, Jenny Anderson. "A knight's horse was very expensive and worth about as much as a private jet plane is today."

Shakeout drill an orderly success at Park View.

YUCAIPA - It wasn't the real thing, but the students at Park View Middle School reacted like it was on Thursday during the largest earthquake drill in history - The Great Southern California Shakeout.

When the announcement came over the intercom at 10 a.m., students did as they were taught and told - duck, cover, and hold on. In Sandy Suchil's seventh grade classroom, within a few seconds all the students were under their desks with their hands and arms covering their heads.

Jessica Brasher, 12, was in her third-period science class when the "earthquake" struck. She said her classmates reacted quickly and got under their desks. "We've been doing this since Kindergarten," said Jessica. "If the real earthquake (struck) we'd be safe because our teachers know how to keep us safe."

In Stephanie Sharp's seventh grade science class, her students reacted with speed and efficiency. She has also taught them how earthquake waves differ and what to expect.

"We have talked about the different waves, the P (primary) and S (secondary) and how the rolling (secondary) waves cause more damage than the first jolt," said Sharp, "and why we need to cover our heads to protect our brains and our spinal chords from falling objects."

After the initial "earthquake" the students filed out of their classrooms, lined up, and walked to the far side of the school's blacktop playground about 100 yards away from the nearest building. There was no pushing, our load voices. Everyone remained calm, quiet, and orderly.

After they were assembled, teachers took roll call to make certain every student was accounted for. Meanwhile, the security staff scoured each classroom searching for anyone who may have been left behind - as they would in an actual earthquake. And they took additional precaution with a complete campus sweep.

Teachers, staff, and students took the Shakeout seriously. But disaster drills such as the Shakeout are nothing new at the school.

"We prepare by having disaster drills once a month," said Park View Principal, Jeff Litel. "Two months a go we did an entire evacuation drill. We do this often enough that they know what to expect, and they cooperate with the procedures."

Seventh grade teacher, Bob Rosenthal, lined his students up outside, well away from the school. He said that Park View staff has instilled within the students that they must treat disaster drills as the real event. "They take these drill pretty seriously," he said. "I think they did pretty well. I'm very proud of my group."

Eighth grade student, Hank Eurich, 14, ducked and covered under his desk when the alarm sounded, just as his teacher, Joseph Mead instructed the class. "Our teachers know what they are talking about," Eurich said. "I think we will be prepared if an earthquake happens."