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November 29, 2011
Alex Rich
In 2010, the district created a committee to gather feedback on the updated homework policy. The committee released a report of their findings at the Oct. 26 FUSD Board of Education Meeting.
The purpose of the committee was to give an update on how the homework policy was affecting students, teachers, and parents.
“We were told that the board was not interested in changing the policy,” world language teacher Jennifer Pardini said. “So that any suggestions we made would likely not result in any changes by the board.”
Pardini is one of the two WHS teachers on the committee, along with English teacher Sharon Jones.
Teachers have expressed concerns about the policy since it went into effect during the 2010-2011 school year.
“I had to cut out an entire book,” Jones said, referring to Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Pardini is not happy with the way the board is handling the policy. She argues they don’t know how their own policy works and are unwilling to act in the best interest of students by not realistically preparing them for their future in college.
“The committee was a waste of time for many teachers since our professional opinions [were] often disregarded by the board,” she said.
Ivy Wu, clerk on the board, maintains that the committee was only intended for the public’s general information.
“Since it was for information only, there was no action taken by the Board,” Wu said.
After analyzing data from parent, teacher, and student surveys, the committee published that an average of 22 percent of students not enrolled in AP or Honors classes felt they experienced a decline in the amount of work assigned, while 41 percent AP or Honors felt they experienced a decline or no change.
A total of 60 percent of parents are under the impression that their children go to school with all their homework completed, while only 40 percent of Honors and AP students say they do all their homework on a regular basis, and only 22 percent of college and non-college-prep students.
However, a majority of students and parents agree that completing homework is an essential part of academic success and that the level of the difficulty of current homework is appropriate.
“The homework policy didn’t change much,” senior Kevin Ou said. “They might as well go back to the way it was.”
The committee also found that 3 percent of college prep students feel they are not academically stressed, and 61 percent of teachers could not complete the required textbook or readings within the policy’s guidelines.
“[The policy] does not take into consideration that our students take very different workloads,” Jones said. “It’s one size fits all.”
This article originally appeared in the print edition on November 29, 2011.
Ryan Evans's family was one of the families that hosted a French exchange student last year.
May 25, 2011
Ninon Becquart
Madame Pardini is looking for 10 families to host the French exchange students that are coming to Fremont from July 11 to July 31. Families would only have to provide a bed and meals for the exchange students. From Monday to Friday, the French students would take part in activities as a group with Madame Pardini. Mornings would be spent meeting at Washington or BART and they would go to visit different places like San Francisco, and host families would be allowed to join in. During evenings and weekends, French students would spend time with their families. Madame Pardini emphasizes that the experience would be really fun, because students can get to know each other and exhcange cultures.
“A lot of times students connect, so they wanna travel and see the other student’s family” Madame Pardini said.
Families from different schools in the district are already participating, and hosts would not need to be taking French or have much knowledge of French language or culture. Families could also cooperate and “share” a student if they will be gone for part of the time. This means that one family could host for part of the time, and then let another family host for the rest of the time.
For more information, or if you are interested in hosting, Madame Pardini said that she could be contacted by email at mmejsadler@gmail.com, or students could visit her room, P4.
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February 2, 2010
The French Club is raising funds to award scholarships for the annual summer trip to France. Officers are brainstorming fundraising ideas for spring. The club has already made profits from the holiday See’s Candy sales.
French club participated in International Kitchen during Multi-Cultural Week last year. French club also raised money selling croissants during an official fundraising schedule. However, the newly-adjusted food regulation laws do not classify croissants as healthy snacks.
“We also plan to participate again with croissants, Nutella, madelines, and orangina at International Kitchen on March 19,” French teacher Jennifer Pardini said. “We also raise money through our movie nights hosted certain Fridays of the month, which are open to any student, not just French students.”
The French Club administration awards the central scholarship to French language students who have signed up for the France study abroad program in summer 2010. A valid candidate must have be in at least a French 2 class with a recommendation from Pardini.
“After studying French for four years, I’m curious and excited about experiencing the French culture and practicing my language skills,” junior Avtar Josen said. “Through numerous visits to distinct places around the world, I believe that the pleasure and knowledge gained from actual experiences exceeds anything that can be achieved from textbooks and movies.”
The trip costs about $5000 per person, but the cost is relatively low compared what a person would pay independently.
“I believe a lot of kids don’t end up going because of the costs,” senior Schaffe Rodriguez said. “Yet, if I add up all the travel, food, and hotel costs for myself alone, they end up being far more than this one cost of five thousand.”
Rodriguez is an AP French 4 student.
During the three-week trip, students live with a host family, and students will afterwards have the option to revisit France with to learn more language skills.
A study broad program helps students to improve language skills through involvement with the culture and community. It also allows students to observe and explore the many parts of France.
French club encourages all qualified candidates to attend the trip.
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October 29, 2009
Simoneel Czar
October is a month usually known for celebrating Halloween and trick-or-treating, but what people might not know is that October is also LGBT month. It celebrates lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. And this year the Gay-Straight Alliance Club at Washington wants to bring LGBT month to everyone’s attention. They will make mural-like posters of great people in history who were LGBT or LGBT supporters
English and social justice teacher Stewart Perlman hopes the posters and flyers will stir awareness of LGBT month and that more students will show up for club meetings held every Wednesday in room E222.
Perlman, along with French teacher Jennifer Pardini, special educator Carl Bullard and Spanish teacher Julianna Danner-Vera attend these meetings and support GSA.
“It’s the four of us who basically run things at GSA,” Perlman said.
GSA welcomes everyone to the club.
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October 15, 2009
Judy Wu
This Halloween, French teacher Jennifer Pardini is going to her cousin’s birthday party located in a barn at Santa Cruz. She plans to be dressed as a flapper. Usually, she would dress up, pass out candy and then head to The Castro, located in San Francisco. This year, however, Pardini has decided to not go to the district filled with stylish restaurants and stores. But she can still recall many great Halloween moments she has had.
“One Halloween, I took a picture of a couple of guys who were dressed as Hooter girls. The next day, I showed my students the picture and the boys kept denying that they were boys. They would say, ‘No, they’re really girls. Are you kidding?’ It was hilarious,” Pardini said.
Pardini has had countless funny costumes. One year, she dressed up as a target with fake knives stabbed into the costume; she even had an apple with an arrow on her head. Last Halloween, Pardini was dressed as Cinderella, complete with a blond wig and sparkly dress. This Halloween, Pardini says her costume at school will be a surprise.
