By Elizabeth Gilingham

PHHS Students of the Month for Nov. and Dec.

Congratulations to Nicolas Martin and Lexi Gygax who were selected as the Kiwanis and PHHS Students of the Month for November and December. Martin was selected in November and was recommended by staff member Jim Achenbach, who had this to say:

“Nick has been an active member of Circle of Friends for well over two years. This year he has stepped up and become one of our Co-Presidents. Nick is one of the kindest and most thoughtful young men I’ve ever met. Nick comes across as quiet and reserved, but he has insight and a kind heart, and this leads him to seek out the people who need him most to render a kind word, some assistance or some encouragement. He is the person who, after fulfilling his commitment, stays around to make sure there isn’t anything else that needs to be done –– whether that’s cleaning up and taking the trash out to a dumpster after a dance or simply taking the time to stop and chat with a student with special needs on the way back to class; Nick takes the time to do more. Nick is not only able to work with challenging situations, he embraces each challenge. He is patient, thoughtful, and determined. His calm demeanor helps the members keep things under control, but his athletic skill and energy motivates people in such a positive way –– it is really something more akin to an art form that is hard to explain. And all this from a young man who could probably just get by on his killer smile alone!”

Lexi Gygax was nominated from several different staff members for December, making our selection very easy. Candace Hamilton wrote:

“Lexi is one of my Link Leaders during Advisory and she has been a tremendous help. She is a leader, without a doubt! Her ability to bring reluctant students into the fold to participate is gentle and encouraging; she asks good questions; and she is polite and respectful to all of those around her.”

Her English teacher Florise Seip stated:

“I wholeheartedly recommend Alexis Gygax to be recognized as Student of the Month. Lexi is an intelligent, personable, kind, highly motivated, confident, persistent individual, and poised beyond her years. Academically, she is always well-prepared for class and offers insightful questions and answers during the lessons. She has been on the Honor Roll every semester since her freshman year. In addition to Lexi’s superior academic accomplishments in challenging classes, she also shines as an athlete, having participated in basketball, field hockey, and softball since her freshman year. Her perseverance and determination are especially evident considering the fact that during her sophomore year, after recovering from two knee surgeries, she was able to come back and compete at 100 percent capacity in field hockey. She was ultimately recognized for her athleticism and leadership skills by winning the Patriot Award in basketball and softball. Besides Lexi’s academic and athletic achievements, she also finds time to be actively involved in Peer Mediation, Link Crew, Yearbook, and Circle of Friends, which has ignited her passion to work with people in the fields of occupational therapy or child psychology. Her patience, kindness, and extraordinary capacity for empathy render her well-suited for these careers. Lastly, Lexi was crowned Homecoming Queen at the beginning of her senior year. It is a distinct honor which she proudly, but humbly acknowledges. Lexi’s drive, persistence, and tenacity, in addition to her dedication to her family, friends, academic pursuits, athletics, and life-long goals, signal a tremendous sense of honor, integrity, and responsibility. These outstanding qualities and inspiring accomplishments make Alexis Gygax a perfect choice for being recognized as December’s Student of the Month.”

Calling all freshmen baseball players  

After you have tried out for the Henry Junior Varsity Team, there are plans for tryouts for a Freshmen Club Baseball Team. Any player that is successful for a position on the JV Team will no longer be eligible for this club team and all players must try out for the JV team first. As with other club teams, this team is not sanctioned by SDUSD or Patrick Henry, but is currently being organized to allow freshmen ballplayers a chance to play with classmates against other schools in a spring league. More information to follow at a later date regarding club tryouts. To get on the Club Team’s email list for informational updates, email [email protected]

PHHS Varsity and JV soccer teams win big over break

The Henry women’s varsity soccer team brought home the first championship cup of the year.

Henry varsity soccer squad and head coach Jason Aldous were quite busy over the holiday break. They played five games in three days in the 21st Southern California High School Classic Tournament presented by Nike.

On day one, Henry dominated in their first game against Valley Center with a 3-0 win. Fatigue got the best of the Henry girls in the second game of the day and although they were tied 1-1 at half time, they finished the game with a loss of 1-2 against El Camino.

The girls came out strong on day two and defeated Mission Vista 2-0 in the quarterfinal. After a short break, the Henry girls found themselves in the semi-final against Oceanside whom they had suffered a 2-0 loss to the week before.

The Henry girls came out strong and surprised Oceanside with a lead of 1-0 at half. Oceanside tied the game up mid-way through the second half but the Henry girls surprised them again with a second goal for a 2-1 score with eight minutes left in the game. Oceanside was determined, however, and managed to pull out a last-minute goal before game time ended with a tied game at 2-2. After a 10-minute overtime and still a tied score of 2-2 the game went into penalty kicks. The Henry girls prevailed and won the hard fought game.

The excitement was palpable! Could this team possibly bring back the first women’s soccer trophy to Henry with a win in the final on the following day? The Henry girls answered that question with a resounding “yes” as they defeated a frustrated Bonita Vista team 2-0. What an amazing three days for this tenacious and talented group of young women.

The Henry squad was missing a number of valuable team members due to injuries and conflicting club soccer events but they came together and fought through the fatigue to win for each other and their temporarily missing teammates to bring the Championship Trophy home to their school with pride. It looks like quite a promising season for the Patrick Henry Varsity Women’s Soccer Team. Go Patriots!

Also during the winter break, the PHHS women’s JV soccer team won two tournaments they participated in, starting their season off with a huge bang!

First, they won the Inaugural 2015 San Diego Holiday Jubilee hosted by University City High School. They beat Valhalla High on Dec. 15 by a score of 1-0.  Allie Arend scored the winning goal.

On Dec. 17 they beat University City High 2-0. The goals were scored by Caroline Grisafi and Alyssa Koza. They lost 0-1 to West Hills HS on Dec. 18, but made the finals and played West Hills again on Dec. 19. The game was tied at 1-1 at the end of regulation. Arend scored the goal. After double overtime the game was still tied and went to penalty kicks. Arend, Edie Mueller, and Emma Maxwell scored and Goalie Katelyn Hasbrooke defended to give PHHS the win 4-3.

On Dec. 28 and 29, the JV girls played in the SoCal Classic in Oceanside. On Dec. 28, they beat Mount Carmel High 3-1. Maxwell scored twice and Arend scored once. Next they played El Camino High and won 2-1 on goals by Maxwell and Koza, both assisted by Arend. On Dec. 29, the girls tied Oceanside High 1-1 with a goal by Koza to advance to the finals. The girls played Mt. Carmel High in the final game and won 3-0 with goals by Arend on a penalty kick, Koza, assisted by Arend, and Arend, with an assist by Carolyn Grisafi.

––Elizabeth Gilingham is the principal of Patrick Henry High School.

Hope at Henry

By Terri Clark

When you witness high school students spending a Saturday morning serving others –– others they do not know, and will probably never know –– it gives you hope. Hope with a capital H.

On Saturday morning, Dec. 12, Patrick Henry High School students joined the Lake Murray Kiwanis Club to give Christmas spirit and bring holiday cheer to children from two Southeast San Diego elementary schools. Our band played Christmas music; Associated Students Body students served pancakes; cheerleaders painted faces, caroled and entertained; and students who had no club affiliation but simply wanted to give back, showed up to help. They spent four hours creating a joyful Christmas experience for every elementary student who walked through Henry’s doors.

When you get to be the adult witnessing this experience, watching it all unfold, it brings alive in you a renewed sense of hope –– hope for our students, hope for others, and certainly hope for the next generation.

Thank you to Lake Murray Kiwanis for continuing to be that beacon that points others in the direction of service, sacrifice and generosity. Patrick Henry students are looking to you for that light that shines hope into the lives of others. Thank you for giving them the sense of “otherness” when many out there are quick to say this generation simply does not have it. I have ultimate hope they do.

–Terri Clark is a physical education teacher at Patrick Henry High School.