ehesson@pvs.org, Author at the bird on fire

April’s Jokes and Fun

April 3, 2026 by ehesson@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Part of The Bird on Fire’s What’s in the News

By 8th-Grade Blogger Soleil Antle

The first day of every April is celebrated by making jokes and pranking your peers. Have you ever wondered why we celebrate the famous holiday “April Fools Day”? Does it even have a history behind it? Or was it just something that randomly started for no reason? I have discovered the answers to your questions, so you don’t have to go searching.

April Fools’ Day, in most countries, is the first day of April. It received its name from the custom of playing practical jokes on this day—for example, telling friends that their shoelaces are untied or sending them on so-called fools’ errands. Although the day has been observed for centuries, its true origins are unknown and effectively unknowable. It resembles festivals such as the Hilaria of ancient Rome, held on March 25, and Holi, the Hindu spring festival celebrated on the full-moon day of Phalguna (February–March) (Britannica).

Some people think that the holiday might have originated in France, but no one knows for sure. Here are some pranks that the Palm Valley School students have played.

Emerson suggested “Covering brussel sprouts in chocolate to make them look like cake pops.”

Julian suggested, “Upside down hot chocolate in a glass. This is when you really quickly flip a mug upside down so the liquid is on the bottom. You clean up the mess and then add whip cream to the top so when the person goes to drink it there is only whip cream, so the liquid falls onto the person.”

Sami goes with, “Put a rubber chicken to the exhaust of a car, and as it drives, the rubber chicken will make noise!!!!!!!”

“Putting salt into my Dads cup of tea.” – Cleo

“Sticking googling eyes on everything.” – Livia

“The French tradition of putting fish sticky notes on people.” – Sophia

“Replace the sugar with salt, or replace the toilet paper with real paper.” – Anna

A World Filled with Possibilities

March 25, 2026 by ehesson@pvs.org 3 Comments

Op-Ed Post: How do we really feel?

By 8th-Grade Blogger Soleil Antle

I often catch myself wondering about the future, wondering who I want to be when I’m older–not like the type of job I want, but who I want to be as a person. Do I want to be someone people look up to? This is an original poem about not knowing what the future holds:

No matter how you feel right now,
About this moment,
This moment will never repeat itself.
Growing up is inevitable.
What do I want to be?
A person everyone trusts?
Someone everyone goes to see? 
In a world where I can be anything,
A world where I could have a crown, 
Or be the most famous,
Or be the smartest of the town,
I would choose to be the quiet listening ear,
Who helps her neighbour through the tears.
I would choose to be the person who holds open the door,
Never a mean word, wouldn’t want to leave a scar.
I would choose to be delicate with a certain poise,
But also a fun person filled with love and joy.
I would choose to see the world,
In all its glory and light.
Finding the beauty in everything,
Throughout the starry sky.

For me, it’s not what I want to be, but who I want to be. It’s hard to imagine that in a few years I won’t be here, young, with my friends; we will all be separated and on our different paths in life. I want to be someone people remember and trust. In a world where I could be anything, I would choose to be kind.

The Horrible and Great Flags of the US

March 24, 2026 by ehesson@pvs.org 6 Comments

Op-Ed Post: How do we really feel?

By 8th-Grade Blogger Max Pretorius

About a week ago, I blogged about the guidelines to creating flags. I went by the guidelines established by the UK’s Flag Institute and the North American Vexilogical Association. While doing this I used different examples of flags, some good, some bad. When finding these examples, I was forced to look into the horrible world that is American state flags. This has compelled me to make this post, looking into American state flags, going from best to worst. I will be grading the flags on a scale from 1 to 10.

The New State Utah Flag – 10/10

The current Utah flag features the Utah landscape with the red ground, white mountains, and blue sky. It also features a hexagon and beehive, representative of the Utah bees (Image source: https://flag.utah.gov/ ).

The old Utah flag was very ugly and overcomplicated. Interestingly enough though, it features a beehive just like the new one (Image source: https://onlinelibrary.utah.gov/state-symbol/historic-state-flag/ version 3).

One of, if not the best, US state flags has to be Utah’s. Utah actually had an old flag which was horrible, but they redesigned it for one that is much better. The new flag has three simple colors in the background, representing the Utah mountains with the red ground, white mountains, and blue sky. The center of the flag is a hexagon representing the bees with a beehive for them as well. The Utah beehive is iconic, representing the industrial drive of the Utah people, working together like a hive of bees, so it is quite symbolic. And, right below the beehive, there is a star, representing Utah’s star on the American flag. This is an AMAZING flag. I love it so much, and it shines in following the guidelines: it’s distinct, not too complex, and is filled to the brim with symbolism. Because of this, I give the Utah state flag a 10/10.

California – 7.5/10

The California flag has a bear above the text “CALIFORNIA REPUBLIC.” The bear is walking towards a star in the sky with a red stripe on the bottom (Image source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-California ).

I’ve always had a soft spot for the Californian flag, as a Californian myself. Despite this, I have to acknowledge its imperfections. The flag is overall quite good. It has a big grizzly bear on it and has a red stripe along the bottom helping it be distinct from a distance. However, I cannot ignore the giant, bold text in the middle of the flag “CALIFORNIA REPUBLIC.” This does hurt the flag due to the use of text. But, as I mentioned in the last post, this use of text is somewhat of an exception to the rule because of the symbolism that comes to relating to the original Californian flag when California was rebelling from Mexico. The flag also has an awesome bear which is very nice. As much as I love this flag, the most I can give it is a 7.5/10.

Florida – 4/10

Florida’s flag has two red, diagonal strips going under the center of the flag with the Florida state seal. The black borders are caused by the Florida government website (so they aren’t really there on the flag). (image source: http://dos.fl.gov/florida-facts/florida-state-symbols/state-flag/)

Florida is a bad flag, but the main reason why it’s on this list is because it’s a copycat. Alabama has a flag that is nearly identical, to the point where Florida practically took Alabama’s decent, 8/10 flag, and not only stole it, but made it worse! The seal is super small, to the point where you can’t see much, and it is riddled with text. And, since they copied Alabama’s flag, their flag is less distinct! Because of this, the Florida state flag, in my opinion, is a 4/10.

Oregon – 2/10

This is the front variation of the Oregon flag. It’s a pretty lazy design with a name tag and date of “birth.” And, of course, it has an overcomplicated design in its center emblem (Image source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Oregon ).

This is the back of the flag, and it’s just a beaver, which is awesome (Image source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Oregon ).

At least I can say that Florida’s flag is somewhat distinct. I cannot say the same about Oregon. About 19 other states have the EXACT, SAME, FLAG. They follow the SAME, BORING design. It is just a blue background, stamped with an overcomplicated seal, coat of arms, some overcomplicated design, or in the case of Oregon, the added state name and date of admission. It’s such a LAZY template to use. And, the worst part is, because so many states have done it, each one makes it less and LESS distinct. The only SLIGHTLY decent part about this flag is the official back of the flag. It simply has a yellow beaver on a blue background, and that is so much better. Accounting for the front and back design, this flag gets a 2/10.

Illinois – 1/10

This is the flag of Illinois. It has the Illinois seal, and blue text saying “Illinois.” It’s a very lazy approach, and I don’t like it (Image source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Illinois ).

Words cannot describe the HATE I feel for this flag. It is the epitome of US state flags, the king of the lazy flags. It’s as if Illinois realized they needed a flag on government buildings so they just stamped a seal on a white flag, put a name tag on it, and called it a day. It is so indescribably lazy. At that point they shouldn’t have even made a flag, just hung up their state seal because it’s the same thing anyways. Illinois is an amazing state, which makes this flag even more disappointing, and because of that, 1/10.

Conclusion

If vexillology has taught me anything, it’s that it is very easy to make a bad flag, and when little effort is put into a flag, it becomes bad. Florida’s flag was only bad because they copied a flag and put their seal on it. Oregon’s flag is only bad because they use a simple template. And Illinois’s flag is only bad because they were too lazy to actually design a flag. However, if you really make sure to focus on the guidelines and just put in real effort into a flag, you can make an amazing flag like that of Utah or California.

Don’t Overlook the Moments that Connect Us

March 20, 2026 by ehesson@pvs.org 3 Comments

Feature Post

By 12th-Grade Blogger Melina Brodeur

The school grows crowded with students by about 8:45 a.m. People who I have seen for years but never spoken to walk inside the big building–backpacks slung over their shoulders. Some of them are out of dress code. I should get out of the car and join them, but I don’t. I continue to look down at my phone.

The small screen that I hold shields me from the world right in front of my eyes. I swipe and swipe on my phone. Minutes pass. Five minutes, maybe even eight. I tend not to pay attention to the time. This is a pause I make every day. It’s almost even a routine, a moment not big enough to be remembered, a moment that happens almost every day. But one day I notice there are many other students who do the same. Many students around me in the parking lot also sit in their cars–some scrolling on their phones, others sitting and listening to music; some even sit there and stare until they’re ready to walk inside.

We are alone, all in our own cars with the same little pause in the morning. This is the time we take to get ourselves ready to get out of the car and start the day.

We define high school as this huge moment that shapes who we are. But high school is made up of these small, unnoticeable moments too: the time it takes to walk from class to class, the minute before the teacher calls your name for attendance, or the moment before you open the car door. Waiting isn’t anything dramatized, nor is it meaningful.

But waiting takes up our lives. Waiting makes up moments that may feel empty and mean nothing.

In these moments, we think about things that we forget the next second; we worry about the day; we wonder what people think of us, maybe even wonder who we may be in the future. Sitting in the car for me is a moment to understand and brace for the day. It is the moment when my private life switches into my public life–outside that car door stands every expectation.

These moments are not the person we present in a class environment, not the one posting on social media, but instead the person alone in their thoughts. And tomorrow morning, everything will continue; students will sit in their cars, looking at their phones, looking around, and listening to music all over again. And these moments will be overlooked.

Notice those moments before school when you just wait for something to happen. (Photo credit: Kayliee Augustine-Sails)

How PVS Spent Its Mid-Winter Break

March 19, 2026 by ehesson@pvs.org 1 Comment

Part of The Bird on Fire’s What’s in the News

By 8th-Grade Blogger Max Pretorius

When it comes to vacations, people do all sorts of different things. Some travel; some hang out with friends; and some just play video games all day. I decided to look at the different things people do during their vacations.

Some people traveled during this past Mid-Winter Break. In a survey of middle and upper-school students, I found that Calum went to Boston and saw Paul Revere’s house and the Boston Common. Sami and Sarah went to Newport Beach. Valeria went skiing, and Emmy went to Universal and Disney World in Florida. Jackie and I went to Egypt and saw many ancient sites. And, Peter went surfing on the North Shore in Hawaii.

Max and Jackie stand next to the Great Pyramid of Giza. Photo Credit: Dad.

Peter surfed Hawaii’s North Shore. Photo Credit: Peter Collier.

Some people played sports throughout the break. Ivana and Millie played volleyball. Mason and Ben played in a hockey tournament–they ended up losing, but they tried.

Many people used the break as a way to hang out with friends. Senior Melina went to Big Bear to hang out with her boyfriend. Others like Chase, Sami, and Jaxon went to the mall and were pressured into trying an Asian egg tart. This would later be turned into a TikTok:

@exoticasiatastytreats
Some UK students trying out our homemade egg tarts !! Come grab yours we only have a few left !!
♬ original sound – Exotic Asia Tasty Treats

But in reality, most people just relaxed at home. Millie and Chase said they slept all break. Sophomore Valeria read books and played with her dog. Sophomore Nevan played Fallout: New Vegas, and “rotted.” Freshman Steven played video games, celebrated the Chinese New Year, and watched the Unstable Smp on YouTube. Ivana played “feet piano,” and Morgan said she cried.

So, you can see, our Mid-Winter Break was varied, with people doing many different things. Whether it be “rotting,” traveling, or hanging out with friends, PVS people are able to make the most of their break. Get ready. It’s just two and a half weeks until Spring Break!

Spring Ahead

March 19, 2026 by ehesson@pvs.org 2 Comments

Part of The Bird on Fire’s What’s in the News

By 8th-Grade Blogger Jackie Pretorius

Daylight savings is a stupid thing we do that changes our clocks twice a year. It’s stupid in my opinion at least. Why do we do such a thing in the first place? It just seems unnecessary.

Well, according to usafacts.org, it all started in WWI to conserve fuel because working when it’s sunny out helps burn less fuel and it also makes people work later into the day. This was called the Standard Time Act of 1918 (https://usafacts.org). However, after the war ended so did the daylight savings, until it was enacted again in 1942 and then repealed again in 1945–all because WWII was going on. The daylight savings system we are familiar with began in 1966 due to the Uniform Time Act. Then, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 made daylight savings even longer than it was before!

In spring, we “spring ahead” an hour. Photo credit: Ms. Zachik

Most states have daylight savings, but it is possible to opt out of it like Hawaii and Arizona. Meanwhile 19 other states wanted daylight saving to go year round. This in theory will make it less confusing as time won’t randomly switch while still keeping the benefits of more sun. To make this opting out official, Congress needs to approve it. That’s what the Sunshine Protection Act hoped to do, but it was only brought up in 2021 and 2025. Nothing has been done so far.

I personally think daylight savings is stupid, but do others think the same way? Ms. Schapiro says, “I am not a fan. I have a very difficult time adjusting afterwards. So I’ve been falling asleep at 7 p.m. since the time change, and then not waking up again until 11 p.m. and not going back to sleep until 3 or 4. I hate it.” I think she agrees with me.

Coachella Lineup 2026

March 18, 2026 by ehesson@pvs.org 1 Comment

Part of The Bird on Fire’s What’s in the News

By 12th-grader Melina Brodeur

The Coachella lineup came early this year; usually, we see it in late January, but this year it came out in September (Stereogum 2025).

Every year, many people complain about who is playing, and this year is no exception. Arielle Gordon, a writer for music zine Pitchfork, notes, “[T]he festival was officially more cooked than the parched earth beneath its main stage” (Pitchfork 2025).

This year’s festival runs from April 10th through 19th. The headliner most people are super ecstatic about is Sabrina Carpenter. She is headlining because it is the peak of her musical career, she has lots of personality on stage, and her live vocals are fantastic.

Our next headliner is Karol G, a Colombian pop star who is pretty big in the music industry. She just dropped her fifth album this summer, called Tropicoqueta (Consequence 2025).

The following headliner, Anyma, has gained much traction due to the visual aspects of his shows, but many say he is the headliner who doesn’t fit in this year’s lineup due to his music being more futuristic.

Now Justin Bieber, our most controversial headliner this year, has been somewhat rocky as of recent due to his “it’s not clocking to you” (Complex 2025), which was a misuse of slang and is now being turned into a meme. He angrily confronts the paparazzi for taking videos of him, and he has questionable Instagram live videos looking like he’s crashing out. Still, many are excited to see him because he hasn’t been on stage much in recent years (EOnline 2024).

This year’s lineup is very 2010 Indie-focused, and there are plenty of bookings that are remarkable. David Byrne is finally back; Geese is about to drop a new album, and Nine Inch Noize is exciting to see due to their reputation for their visuals. Even if people are complaining about the headliners, the smaller artists and groups’ energies are going to be unmatched.

*Credits to Relix: Coachella Unveils 2026 Artist Lineup: Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Karol G, David Byrne, Iggy Pop, Young Thug, and More*

Sources Referenced

https://consequence.net/2025/09/coachella-2026-one-day-later/2/ (Consequence)

https://stereogum.com/2323042/23-thoughts-on-the-coachella-2026-poster/columns/sounding-board (Stereogum)

https://www.complex.com/music/a/jaelaniturnerwilliams/justin-bieber-becomes-viral-meme-for-misusing-aave (Complex)

https://www.eonline.com/news/1394366/justin-bieber-returns-to-the-stage-a-year-after-canceling-world-tour (EOnline)

https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/coachella-2026-lineup-issues/ (Pitchfork, Arielle Gordon)https://relix.com/news/detail/coachella-unveils-2026-artist-lineup-justin-bieber-sabrina-carpenter-karol-g-david-byrne-iggy-pop-yung-thug-and-more/ (Photo Credit)

The Dangerous Landscape of Roblox

March 12, 2026 by ehesson@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Feature Post

By 8th-Grade Blogger Jackie Pretorius

Roblox is a platform that has loads of games built by different creators on the site. The games are usually multiplayer–meaning that you can see other avatars in whatever game you choose to play. Some games require players to use the in-game chatting system. However, recently Roblox changed its guidelines to allow people to chat with each other only if they were in the same age groups. They did this because Roblox was getting sued regarding child safety. Even as recently as the 19th of February 2026, Roblox was sued by Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA). DCBA accused Roblox of failing “to implement adequate safeguards to protect children from predatory behavior and inappropriate content” (lacounty.gov).

When you see this box within a box within a box, you are looking at the Roblox logo. Graphic Source: https://www.youtube.com/roblox

Why exactly is Roblox so dangerous? It’s literally just a ton of “experiences” to have fun in. Well, according to the Los Angeles County DCBA, some people on the site have exposed children to sexual content, abuse such as grooming, or even assault! About 75 percent of children in the United States ages 9-12 play Roblox on a daily basis, and safety measures couldn’t have been worse (lacounty.gov)!

The Los Angeles County of Department of Consumer and Business Affairs has locked horns with Roblox over child safety. Graphic Source: https://lacounty.gov/

This brings us to why Roblox implemented this group chatting system. Although this is the best they’ve done so far, Roblox chatting system still has some flaws. First off, it makes servers feel like a ghost town since people are quiet because of age restrictions; sometimes the system lags, still allowing inappropriate things to be said, and it ruins the social aspect of Roblox. However, Roblox is taking a step for child safety and will hopefully get better as time progresses.

Source Referenced: https://lacounty.gov/2026/02/25/la-county-files-lawsuit-against-roblox-dcba-urges-parents-to-report-complaints/

The Power of Journaling

March 12, 2026 by ehesson@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Feature Post

By 8th-Grade Blogger Soleil Antle

Believe it or not, journaling has a big effect on your mental health as it reduces stress and anxiety, giving you a safe space to compile your thoughts. I started journaling when I started gymnastics. Journaling has helped me to alleviate the stress I endure everyday at practice. I open my book, pen in hand, and write whatever comes to mind; this could be as little as a sentence or even a page. Once I close the book, I no longer focus on the negatives or overstimulating thoughts that stress me out. This way I am able to write about whatever troubles me in a safe space while not dwelling upon what happened that day. I think it is important for everyone to journal; you don’t have to be an amazing writer to do it; you don’t even have to write about big dramatic events, just something that impacts your daily life. Personally, I think everyone should journal, and there are many studies on how it benefits your mental health.

Bloomington Meadows Hospital discovered that journaling can help you in taking a step back to reflect on all the thoughts and emotions you could be feeling (bloomingtommeadows.com). By writing down your experiences you are able to gain better insight into your feelings and behaviors. This can help you to identify patterns and triggers that could be affecting your mental health, and you can track your progress to see how far you’ve come. They have also realized that writing down your thoughts on paper can help you to gain a sense of control over all your emotions and assist you in feeling empowered to manage them (bloomingtommeadows.com)

Journaling becomes a healthy habit in bringing out the positives in our lives by just writing about some things that really impact our lives. It’s a safe space where you can put your thoughts with no judgement. You can also use journaling to track your sleep, exercise, dreams, etc., just like an Oura Ring can. For example, if you write down when you went to bed and how long you sleep, you can identify patterns and habits.

Mr. Jowett, one of Palm Valley’s admired teachers of science and wellness, tells us how journaling benefits his mental health.

“Putting pen to paper allows me the freedom to be my genuine self. Mentally, it helps me to identify my thoughts and feelings and to clarify their associations. Spiritually journaling allows my spirit to creativ[ely] express my opportunities of growth and where to align my energy each day. By prioritizing the use of my energy I can be more responsible to myself and more reliable to achieve my soul’s desire.”

Overall there are so many benefits to journaling, and I think it would be very good for everyone to try it.

Journaling is meant to be calming. Graphic Source: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd_iYQRGa4kTrfCUehvJlj2DM4WaNXsaYu7lcEhkcU23vBt7g/viewform?pli=1

Palm Valley School’s Academic Achievers

March 11, 2026 by ehesson@pvs.org 1 Comment

Part of The Bird on Fire’s What’s in the News

By 8th-Grade Blogger Soleil Antle

This spring semester our Palm Valley students put in their application for CSF (California Scholarship Federation) and CJSF (California Junior Scholarship Federation). These are our state secondary-school honor societies. It is our second year of CJSF, which is only for 7th and 8th graders, and our 28th year of CSF, which is for grades 9th through 12th. The application process is different for both, but, for both, it is based off their academic grades.

For CJSF, students must meet the following guidelines to qualify:

“Honor students qualify based on CJSF state rules. For spring-semester qualification, Fall semester grades are used. Students must earn twice the number of points than courses in which they are enrolled. No points are earned for P.E., a repeated course, or work experience. An “A” is worth 3 points, a “B” 1. Two weighted grades are allowed. No “D” or “F” grades.”
csf-cjsf.org

This semester’s CJSF members include 8th graders Sami Alnabelsi, Sarah Alnabelsi, Soleil Antle, Julian Berumen, Sophia Bottine, Peter Collier, Mason Conway, Emerson Dunn, Millie Flemings, Silvanita Garcia, Emerson Kaminsky, Jaxon Pacilio, Jackie Pretorius, Maxwell Pretorius, Benjamin Rouche, Ivana Vega, and Calum Webster and 7th graders Cleo Antle, Miller Bacal, Daniel Bagheri, Greenlee Bartley, Cash Brasfield, Mark Huber, Lina Kakoussian, Reagan Kaminsky, Mikel Lomsky, Roman Magallanes, Remington Rice, Savannah Sanchez, and Logan Sanders.

For CSF qualification in the Upper School . . .

“Students earn a membership in CSF if they apply and have earned 10 points. Points are earned on grades from the previous semester according to the following scale.

A = 3 CSF points

B = 1 CSF point

C = 0 CSF points

D or F in any course, even if not counted for CSF, disqualifies the student from membership.

*Students earn 1 extra point for an A or a B in an AP, IB or Honors-designated course, not to exceed two such points per semester.

*Academic courses are prioritized first, then elective courses. Only five courses may be used.” (csf-cjsf.org)

Keep in mind that courses such as P.E., teacher assistant, office aide, or repeated courses do not earn any CSF points. Poor citizenship may also disqualify students from membership.

This semester’s CSF members and associate members include Isolde Junge, Matteo Lam, Oliver Martinez, Gabe Rodriguez-Portugues, Elijah Berliner, Rylie Conway, Zander Eaton, Leah Ferreira, Shayan Habibipour, Shibo “Tom” Hong, Ace Mendoza, Olivia Puetz, Lousia Richardson, Evan Wang, Phillip Pip Watson, John Webster, Moses Gizaw, Zoey Guess, Lincoln Johnson, Steven Liu, and Sam West.

CSF and CJSF host activities for fun and service in the PVS community. CSF Junior Zander Eaton emceed the CSF Winter Open Mic contest.

As you can see, it is challenging to become an honor-society member, so it’s important we congratulate all the students who have qualified!