Mila Obnial, a dedicated Math teacher at Jimmy  Carter Early College High School, has been voted Teacher of the Month by Red Gold News .

Ms. Obnial is someone that truly showcases what the job of a teacher is, not only in academia but also as a key role model to her students, and these attributes have made her a better person.

With her signature phrase, “Liars go to hell,” she teaches her students to speak the truth, even when others don’t. Two years ago, she asked the principal at the time, Ms. Zepulveda, if she could be given the advanced math students to train them, and within the time together, both Ms. Obnial and the students grew a bond that was special. “We treat each other like family,” said a previous student that belonged to that group, Janie Cruz.

Hardworking, dedicated, organized, motivational, outgoing, and intelligent are a few words to describe Jimmy Carter’s teacher of the month. Her personal goals are to improve every class period and to make sure that her student doesn’t leave the classroom without having understood the topic discussed. “I will not go on until everyone has mastered it,” is what she’d say.

The confidence she has in her students is genuine and from the heart. Mrs. Obnial will continue to go above and beyond to build positive relationships with her students. 

Have you ever noticed that students get to school late? One of the main reasons that students arrive at school late is because they have to wake up early. Even though some students may wake up early, it has become a problem for them because they do not get sufficient rest. Students arrive at school very early, but they might also not be able to concentrate because of the early schedule. If students are not able to focus, they will not learn what they are supposed to learn. Students who go to school early will always be falling asleep in class. This affects the students because they do not get their proper sleep and they do not concentrate. Obtaining not enough sleep can make the students fail their classes.

According to the centers for disease control and prevention they have proven that starting school later may help teenagers get enough sleep and improve their health, performances, and quality of life. It has also become common among all high school students and is associated with several health risks including overweight, drinking alcohol, using tobacco and using drugs, as well as reduced academic performance. The ( American Academy of Pediatrics ) has recommended that middle school and high school start at 8:30 or later to give students the opportunity to get the amount of sleep they need, but most adolescents start school too early.  About 42 states have reported that most (75%-100%)  public middle schools and high schools start school earlier than 8:30 am. Adequate sleep enables improved academic performances.The American Academy of sleep medicine has recommended that teenagers from 13 to 18 years should regularly sleep 8 to 10 hours per day for good health. Those who do not get enough sleep are most likely to

• Be overweight 
• Suffer from symptoms of depression
• Perform poorly in school
• Engage in unhealthy risk behaviors such as drinking,  smoking tobacco, and using illicit drugs.

“I think it is great because not everyone likes waking up early,  ” said Daniela Garcia, JCECHS student. With that said, students are better off with a later schedule.

any Have you ever noticed that when students ask to leave the classroom, to go to the restroom, get something from their locker or for any reason whatsoever they magically come back with chips, cookies, Gatorade, chocolates, brownies, and even tacos?

Now anyone can walk down a hallway and end up with a full course meal. However, the real question here is that, from who are students getting all of this junk food? Moreover, is the food safe for their customers? Does the food meet the safety standards and requirements? 

Students engaged in the purchase of junk food.

The USDA ( U.S. Department of Agriculture) prohibited many types of foods and created new restrictions:

• Calories for snacks must not exceed 200, and 350 calories are the maximum for entrees.
• Sugar cannot exceed 35% by weight (although some fruits are excepted.) 
• Sodium must not exceed 230 mg.
• Only 35% calories can come from fat
• Only 10% of saturated fat
• No trans-fat.

The school’s  junk food ban, and the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act as a whole, emerged partly as a result of Michelle Obama’s campaign to end childhood obesity. The primary goal is for kids to keep healthy eating habits for a lifetime —and maybe even pass on healthier eating patterns to their parents. For that reason, many schools have closed down and removed their vending machines away from their students ever since the USDA passed the new guidelines.  Also, schools banned the sale of junk food between students, for the safety of their health. Not only because they want the obesity rates to decrease, but because schools do not know what the merchandise carry in it. 

Although schools stopped the selling of junk food altogether, students found a way to still make it available in school environments: food contraband. Like I mentioned earlier, the selling of junk food between students is unsafe but why do students engage in this activity?  There are many reasons why students tend to enter the contraband business, but one of the most common is financial pressure. Kids who are usually in need of some quick money, can just easily sell their homemade snacks or boughten snacks and sell it at school with no competition at all.

Ultimately, the law of the land at Jimmy Carter is that junk food and other consumables are not allowed for distribution, sharing or sale. 

[aesop_quote type=”pull” background=”#282828″ text=”#FFFFFF” align=”left” size=”1″ quote=”Teaching over the constant ripping and crunching of snack backs is too much!” cite=”Mr. Silva” parallax=”off” direction=”left” revealfx=”off”]