For this issue of the KHQ, we posed as Parkview Vikings for a day. 

   As we entered the school, we met with the Assistant Principal, Mrs. Brown. She gave us a tour and informed us on the layout of the building.

    While on the tour, it was brought to our attention that it was a ‘B’ day. At Parkview, they have an eight-class schedule but break the classes into two days, referred to as ‘A’ and ‘B’ days. On ‘A’ days, students attend classes one, three, five, and seven. On ‘B’ days, they attend classes two, four, six, and eight.

   As Mrs. Brown gave us the first part of the tour, we stopped by to observe Ms. Cockell’s English III class. The class worked on an ACT preparation packet for the first half of the block, then transitioned into reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. 

   Though we were just sitting in the classroom and listening, we could feel the connection Mrs. Cockell has with her students. 

   Halfway through the class, two cabinet members, seniors Jada Lowery (Assemblies Commissioner) and Jack Dougherty (Elections Commissioner), borrowed us from Mrs. Cockell to give us the second part of the tour.

   “I love everything about Parkview, especially the diversity. So many people who go here know how to express themselves. Every day we make more memories and build the community,” Lowery said.

   On this tour, we briefly spoke with a few of the extracurricular students and staff members about what they had planned for their upcoming classes.

   The second class we visited was Mr. Farouki’s Journalism II class. He was excited to have us visit his class and meet the yearbook team.

   “When we first got the team together we did a symbolic ‘marriage’ of, ‘All right, we are all together now. We are a team, we are bound together.’ I think that it really helped us connect. I think it was a special moment for all of us,” Farouki said.

   While getting to know more about Mr. Farouki, we learned that this is his first year teaching journalism. In addition, he teaches English, Journalism One, and Film as Literature. In earlier years, he was a staff member of the Glendale Yearbook. It gave him a good perspective on his students.

   “To come back and help kids create something they are proud of makes me happy,” Farouki said.

   One of Mr. Farouki’s favorite parts about being the journalism teacher for Parkview is that he gets the chance to help kids express themselves through his class.

   “I like the opportunity to give students the space to be creative and do what they want within the framework of the yearbook and next year the newspaper,” Mr. Farouki said.

   They plan on resuming their newspaper in August of 2023 since they had to postpone publishing due to COVID-19.

   Along with being able to talk with Mr. Farouki, we had the chance to speak with Editor In Chief of the Parkview Yearbook, Evelynn Peralta.

   Many students at Parkview feel that their school has the crucial traits for a strong school community that Kickapoo may be lacking.

 “Everyone here is involved with something. We have a lot more diversity and student involvement with clubs and extracurriculars,” Peralta said.

   Parkview is a welcoming school to many students, and Chris Anderson, (Cabinet Assemblies Co-Commissioner,) agrees with this.

   “There are many unique people who are part of the school, and there isn’t any section that’s excluded. Everyone just kind of lives together,” Anderson said.

   As the second block concluded, we discovered Power Hour which is a system that was introduced to Parkview this year. The system allows juniors and seniors with A’s, B’s, and C’s, and a 95% attendance rate to leave campus for lunch from 11:10 to 12:10. 

   “It’s an hour where you can do whatever you want. You can have lunch in here [cafeteria], or in the courtyard. Sometimes you have the option to watch a movie, go to different clubs, or you could go play basketball in the gym,” Lowery said.

   If a student is an underclassman or does not leave campus, they may sit in the library, cafeteria, common area, or certain classrooms where they can eat lunch and hang out with friends. 

   But, if a student has a D or F in any class, they have to go to a designated teacher during Power Hour to get help in the subject they are struggling with. Once that D or F is brought up, their Power Hour privileges are returned. 

   For students who wish to stay on campus, Parkview has a mini food truck that drives around occasionally during Power Hour. 

   “We have an actual mini food truck that just drives around the school so kids can get food off the truck,” Brown said.

   The food truck carries snacks and certain food items for students to pick from if they don’t feel like going into the cafeteria.

“They can get food here [cafeteria], and of course, there are a lot more options from that little truck too,” Brown said.

   As our time at Parkview came to an end, we made a quick trip to the American Sign Language class. 

   During class, students tested to see whose partner could correctly sign the most words without needing hints. It was very interesting to see these students use this intricate form of communication to have conversations with classmates.

   From the outside, Parkview may appear to be any other ordinary high school. However, visiting the school opened our eyes to the intelligence, charisma, and family within their walls.