Palisades High School dance team performed at halftime of the PaliHi – San Fernando football game.
Special to Circling the News
By MARGOT BARRETT and OLIVER NEWMAN
After more than a year-and-a-half of virtual schooling, Palisades Charter High School is officially back to in-person schooling.
On August 18, the campus was brought back to life, with students as far as the eye could see. Friends were reunited after a long period of isolation and students were thrilled to get back to normal schedules.
Events such as the Annual Football Fest on August 27 have left the student body excited to begin participating in the events we all had longed for. Our community has never been stronger, with higher game attendance than in years prior, crowds of parents and students alike cheering our teams on, and ASB’s spectacular planning and organization of the Football Festival.
Not only was the football team the center of attention Friday night, but the dance team, cheer team and marching band alike got a chance to perform, showcasing all of the hard work they have been putting in behind closed curtains. Our new school mascot brings mystery as we all wonder which student is under the mask, dancing on the field like nobody’s watching and hyping up the crowd.
Friday night ended in a spectacle in Pali’s favor, 49 to 6, as we took down one of our rivals, San Fernando. The crowd cheered the team to the end zone. But Pali’s enthusiasm didn’t end on Friday.
From Addison Rae’s new Netflix Movie “He’s All That” (filmed at Pali during Covid) hitting number one on Netflix, to Pali’s own documentary filmed by Lauren Greenfield, showcasing Pali’s own students and the lives they live, we are beginning a school year like no other.
Professional Director Lauren Greenfield, whose documentary “Generation Wealth” was featured at opening night of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, contacted Pali administrators late last year with interest in doing a documentary based on Pali’s diverse, go-getting student body and the struggles they persist through in their day-to-day lives, especially in this new modern age of social media.
Now that Pali has returned to on-campus life, students have the opportunity to find their passion through the start of extracurricular activities.
Last week the Palisades Ambassadors, the link between Administration and the community, had their first meeting, preparing for upcoming community events as well as the revival of in-person school tours.
Additionally, Pali Mock Trial, DECA, and Youth and Government are back in full swing. Students have the opportunity to experience the glory of these international organizations by learning more about business, the current political environment, and law, helping many find interest in future career paths.
Sports teams are thriving, as fall sports begin competing with schools around the greater Los Angeles area. The JV and Varsity girls volleyball teams are off to a good start after winning last week’s matches.
The girls tennis team, which won the city championship in the 2020-2021 season, has high hopes for back-to-back titles. Cross country, girls golf and boys water polo teams have begun their seasons and are looking forward to their first league games/matches.
Although it has only been a few weeks, Pali is off to a great start with all students and teachers excited to finally meet in person. After a year of no in-person classes, former seventh graders have become freshmen, and sophomores, now seniors, are finally able to experience the memories made in high school.
(Editor’s note: Margot Barrett is a senior and Neman is a junior at Palisades High School. Both attended Paul Revere Middle School and both say their favorite class is Yearbook, taught by Palisades resident Rick Steil.)