The Downey Legend

On Tues., Mar. 4, Mr. Pittenger counts the plants and gets them ready for his next Botany class. “Plants have the ability to do cool things animals can’t,” Pittinger said. “You can do surgery and clone them.”

Botany Sales

Esther Rodriguez, Parents & Teachers Section Editor March 10, 2014

In order to spread the news about the annual pepper and tomato plant sale, Mr. Pittenger and his Botany students are advertising the sale on various social media sites. Turning to sites such as Instagram...

During Mrs. Ortiz’s maternity leave in November, her sister, Ms. Flores, manages the library until her return in March. Mrs. Ortiz said the hardest part of returning is missing her newborn daughter, Eva Catalina.

5 Questions with Mrs. Ortiz

Moises Martinez, Community Section Editor March 7, 2014

After a three-month hiatus since giving birth to baby Eva Catalina, Mrs. Ortiz returned to the library Mon., Mar. 3. Her replacement, Ms. Flores, is now preparing to bid farewell to the Viking Library....

Beginning this semester in the Math and English departments, the Downey Unified School District will require teachers to change their curriculum. Mrs. Orca has changed her curriculum after six years of teaching to fit the curriculum requirements.

Oh, the times they are a-changin’

Moises Martinez, Community Section Editor February 25, 2014

Beginning this spring, the Downey Unified School District will be implementing a series of changes to the curriculum that will affect primarily the English and Math departments. This year, students...

Once the semester ends on Jan. 30, Ms. Vargas will have finished her student teaching for Cal State Long Beach. ”I heard a lot of good things from Downey,” Ms. Vargas said. ”It was just what I was expecting.”

Student teachers leave

Moises Martinez Cortez, Writer/Community Editor January 22, 2014

Student English teachers are preparing to conclude their stay with their master teachers and students after spending an entire semester at Downey. After a five-month program which gives college graduates...

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, better known as FAFSA, is an application that provides high school students with financial resources when entering college and furthering their education. The FAFSAs are required by numerous colleges and universities and is used to determine a student’s eligibility for federal, state, and college-sponsored aid, including grants, educational loans, and work-study programs.

Time to get some money

Rodas Hailu, Co-Editor-in-Chief January 22, 2014

On Jan. 1st, the United States Federal Government released FAFSA, the Free Application for Student Aid for any undergraduates and graduates who desire financial assistance for his or her college years. The...

On Dec. 10, Mr. Jose De La Torre is pleased to be part of the Downey High School staff and have assisted his students for the past seven years. “It is great to be given the opportunity to help students daily,” De La Torre said. “What if I make a difference in a student’s life?”

Teaching beyond the limits

Mizhelle Cortes, Writer/ Business Team December 13, 2013

The Teacher of the Month award, for the month of December, has been presented to math teacher Mr. De La Torre who has been teaching for seven years.   Mr. De La Torre, who teaches Geometry and...

While she’s adjusting to being the new, temporary librarian, Yvette Flores substitutes for her sister Martha Ortiz, who is on maternity leave. “There’s always a lot of stuff to do, even though it looks like I don’t really much, I do,” Flores said. “I have an agenda I have to follow.”

Substituting a sister

Esther Rodriguez, Parents & Teachers Section Editor November 18, 2013

On Nov. 1, Mrs. Ortiz bid a temporary farewell to her job as the school librarian. While she is on maternity leave, her sister, Miss Flores, has taken over the job.   Flores, a substitute art...

On Thurs., Oct. 31, Mr. Roger Rios reminisces about his rocker days and playing guitar with The Mosleys, a surf garage band he was a member of during his teenage years. “It was a joke to us because we weren’t trying to make it big,” Rios said. “We turned down three record deals and many gigs.”

Once a rocker, always a rocker

Moises Martinez Cortez, Writer/Community Editor November 1, 2013

Freshman/Junior English teacher, Roger Rios, was once part of The Mosleys, a 90s Orange County garage-rock band. Although he was a member of several musical groups, his involvement in The Mosleys was...

After leaving London in 1981, Mrs. Vadgama came to Downey and now teaches all six periods of the Career Technical Education classes: Principles of Education. She has been teaching for thirteen years and is also in charge of Skills USA.

A woman of multiple countries

Lucia Hernandez, News Editor October 28, 2013

Mrs. Frida Vadgama has spent 13 years of her life teaching at DHS, and enjoys it just as much as her first day. Vadgama is no ordinary American though she was born in Kenya, East Africa. She moved to...

For the month of September, ASB members announce English teacher, Mr. David Kraus, as Teacher of the Month. Mr. Kraus has been teaching English at Downey High for the past four years.

A long time coming

Edward Valencia, Writer/Parents and Teachers Editor October 18, 2013

English teacher Mr. Kraus, in his fourth year teaching at Downey High, has been awarded Teacher of the Month Award for September. Although Kraus has taught different levels of English, such as 9th through...

Load More Stories

Comments (0)

All The Downey Legend Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest
Activate Search