Solve Arizona's Budget Crisis!

The Arizona Republic Online News site is giving everyone an opportunity to solve the budget deficit that Arizona has been facing ($1.15 billion and counting). Take a few moments to solve the problem by choosing from a variety of budget solutions. The web site will track your progress. When you have solved the problem you may send your name and email to the site to show how you arrived at a balanced budget.
This is a fun activity. Start by clicking the link below. Let me know how you did it!

http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/state-budget/

Fire Up!

Coach Rod/Mr. Rodriguez

Lobos Howl at the Griffins and win 46-15!

The Alta Vista High School basketball team played their final game of the 2o10-2011 season tonight at the Kino Memorial Center. After starting slow, the Lobos picked up the pace and ran to a 46-15 victory over the Griffins of Greenfield Country Day.
We celebrated the seven senior players on the team during our pre-game festivities. The seniors have worked very hard this season to leave a positive legacy for the underclassmen on our team. Jesus Leyva, Angel Martinez, Tre Lewis, Milton Hernandez, Miguel Maldonado, Frankie Romero, and Shaheed Clemens have laid a foundation for the younger players to follow and emulate.

The Lobos were led by Jesus Leyva's career high 23 point performance. Shaheed Clemens added 8 points and many ferocious rebounds. Other scoring contributors were:
Miguel Maldonado 4
Josue Boldin 4
Frank Leon 3
Milton Hernandez 2
Frankie Romero 2

I would like to take a moment to thank many people for many reasons:

• Alicia Alvarez and Chris Jackson for allowing me the opportunity to coach our wonderful young men.
• Marissa Goode and Valeria Romero for their efforts as team managers which included game day book keeping and filming.
  
• Coach Garrett for setting up the game day hype machine at school and giving us an authentic 'arena' style of vibe at our home court.
• The staff and faculty who constantly frequented our games both home and away.
• The Lobo students who followed us to every game and cheered us to victory!
• Mr. Harris and his mad camera skills. I know you will put the raw footage and weave it into an amazing experience.
  
• The Lobo parents who allowed their sons to play the great game of basketball for Alta Vista High School.
  
• The Kino Center for being great hosts for our season. We are lucky to have such a facility to call home.
  

I hope everyone enjoyed the season as much as I enjoyed coaching it.
Looking forward to a wonderful spring!


Fire Up!
Coach Rod

Lobos battle Lynx and triumph 54-36!

The Alta Vista Lobos basketball program continues to improve with their convincing 54-36 victory over the Academy of Tucson Lynx at the Kino Memorial Center Gymnasium. In doing so the Lobos even their record to 6-6 on the season. The overall performance was a rebound from the night before. The Lobos led after every quarter and pulled away in the second half with opportunistic fast break points, efficient half court offense execution, and a smothering defense. Angel Martinez led all scorers with 28 points, tying his career high for points scored. Jesus Leyva and Shaheed Clemens added 8 points each and played very good defense. Other Lobos who contributed to this team victory were:
Frank Leon 6 points
Josue Boldin 2 points
Milton Hernandez 2 points

The Lobos return to action next Thursday vs. Greenfields College Prep.
We will be celebrating the careers of our Senior Class this night!

Thanks go out to Marissa Goode and Valeria Romero for their powerful contributions to our team on a daily basis. The filming and score book keeping are many times overlooked vital parts of a program. Marissa and Val do an incredible job for our team.

Thanks again go out to our amazing fans which include parents, administration, faculty, staff, and our student body. THANK YOU for your tremendous support! We are grateful!

Go Lobos!

Coach Rod

Lobos Battle Wolves: Fall 72-50

The Alta Vista Lobos traveled to St. Augustine Catholic Prep and fell 72-50. The Lobos showed great effort in their attempt to hold off the Wolves. Turn-overs and poor shooting at the freethrow line (16 for 30) were to blame for the loss. Alta Vista was paced by Frank Leon with 11 points and a high level of defensive energy. He was also 9 for 14 from the free throw line with his now appreciated "Rick Barry" style of shooting that is affectionately called 'automatic' by his teammates. Josue Boldin continues his tremendous growth with another double double night (10 points 12 rebounds). Other contributors were:
Jesus Leyva 7 points
Frankie Romero 6 points
Shaheed Clemens 5 points
Miguel Maldonado 4 points
Mike Leon 4 points
Milton Hernandez 3 points

The Lobos return to action tomorrow night vs. Academy of Tucson.
Thank you for everyone who continues to support us. We are grateful!

Fire Up!
Coach Rod

Lobos crown the Knights 44-24!

The Alta Vista High School Lobos basketball team evened their record to 5-5 with a victory over the Immaculate Heart Knights 44-24. The Lobos played excellent team defense but was slow to find the hoop in the first half. The Lobos held a 20-13 lead at half time and emerged from the locker room with the needed adjustments. The seven point lead then ballooned to a 14 point lead with a 7 point outburst by Miguel Maldonado who hit back to back lay ups and a game changing 3 point dagger. Josue Boldin had a career high scoring night to lead all scorers with 14 points and 12 rebounds. The sophomore is realizing his potential for the future. Frank Leon, with his throw-back, Rick Barry style of shooting, continues to lead the Lobos in free-throw percentage and overall team hustle. Jesus Leyva was the Iron Man for the Lobos by playing the entire game and playing multiple positions on defense. He showed true senior leadership last night.
Overall it was a great team effort by young men who are learning how to trust one another on and off the basketball court.
The Lobos return to action on the road at St Augustine Catholic High School next Wednesday.
We will celebrate our annual Senior Night next Thursday vs. Academy of Tucson.

We give a huge THANK YOU to the parents, faculty, staff, alumni, and students who continue to support us. We are grateful!!!!!

Fire up and GO LOBOS!

Coach Rod

Welcome to 2011!

Welcome to the year 2011! The new year always is looked at with the possibility of great opportunities. As we approach the new block I look forward to the prospect of teaching my United States Government classes with a renewed energy and focus. I also look forward to igniting a fire inside of students who took my American History classes last year.
I look forward to helping my students explore the complexities of government and the inter-connections that make up our great nation.
See you on Tuesday!

Fire Up!

Coach Rod

Final Exams and the End of Block 2!

A huge Thank You goes out to my students for a fantastic block 2 of the school year. Time has flown by the past 10 weeks as we make our way to the end of the year.
We take our Final Exams this week in our classes.
Please make sure you look over your study guide and take time to understand what is being asked of you.
Thank you again and let's finish strong!

Fire Up!
Mr. Rodriguez

Lobos battle Vipers but fall 65-54

The Alta Vista High School Lobos basketball team traveled to San Miguel High School and played a hard fought game vs. the Vipers. The tightly contested game was neck and neck the entire way as the Lobos won the first quarter 16-14. The Vipers went into the intermission winning 31-30. The Lobos then cut the lead to 44-42 after three quarters while winning the quarter by a 14-13 margin. The Vipers would pull away in the 4th quarter by outscoring the Lobos 21-10.
The Vipers were given a 36-24 advantage at the free throw line as the Lobos were whistled for 25 total fouls to the Vipers 17. The Vipers made 18 of those attempts while the Lobos cashed in on only 7 of those opportunities.
The atmosphere was fantastic with a full gym filled with Alta Vista fans. Both sides cheered their teams on and it gave our players an amazing opportunity to shine.
The Lobos were paced by Jesus Leyva's 18 points. Angel Martinez checked in with 17 before fouling out of the game with 3 minutes to go.
Shaheed Clemens added 8 points and multiple rebounds before fouling out with 4 minutes to go in the game.
Milton Hernandez scored 4, Josue Boldin scored 4, and Frank Leon scored three out of 4 free throws with his Rick Barry throwback technique.
Coach Rod is very proud of the effort and heart displayed in the face of adversity.
We have improvements to make, but we have also come a long way.
The loss drops the Lobos to 4-5 on the season with 5 contests to go.
We are grateful for the support and thank everyone who traveled to cheer at our game.
Fire Up and Go Lobos!

Coach Rod

Lobos Howl To Victory over Knights 51-20!

The Alta Vista Lobos traveled to Immaculate High School last night and played a complete game winning 51-21 over the Knights.
The Lobos were paced early by Jesus Leyva's three 3 pointers in the first quarter. Angel Martinez then caught fire in the 3rd quarter with 10 points including a pair of 3 pointers and a set of spectacular drives to the hoop. He finished with 20 points on the evening.
Nine different Lobos scored points in the collective effort toward victory. They are:
Angel Martinez 2o
Jesus Leyva 11
Josue Boldin 6
Shaheed Clemens 4
Frank Leon 3
Milton Hernandez 2
Tre Lewis 2
Martin Simpson 2
Miguel Maldonado 1

The Lobos return to competition next Tuesday vs. Lourdes Academy.
We will be honoring our Pearl Harbor Veterans as the game lands on December 7th.
We thank everyone who comes to our game. It is great having our fans travel and cheer on the Lobos!

Fire Up!
Coach Rod

Lobos Growl to Victory over Griffins: 42-11

The Alta Vista Lobos Basketball team emerged with their first victory of the season last night over the Griffins of Greenfields Country Day School 42-11. After a tough start in the Boyd Baker Tournament, the Lobos rebounded with a quality win over an opponent who showed great effort and class.
The Lobos were paced by Angel Martinez's 19 points and 6 assists. Defensively Shaheed Clemens dominated on both sides of the glass with 13 rebounds.
Ten Alta Vista players scored and all Lobos contributed to the first victory of the season.
The were:
Jesus Leyva 3
Fausto Fimbres 2
Shaheed Clemens 2
Milton Hernandez 4
Frank Leon 2
Mike Leon 2
Josue Boldin 4
Frankie Romero 4
We return to competition tonight vs. Immaculate Heart High School.
We thank the students and faculty who continue to travel and support our program.
We are grateful for your presence at our games!
Fire Up!
Coach Rod

Lobos fall to Miners 51-21

The Alta Vista High School Lobo basketball team opened the 2010-2011 season in the Boyd Baker tournament held at St. Gregory's College Prep gymnasium.
San Manuel High School turned the Lobos away 51-21. The combination of missed shots and turnovers lead to an unbalanced effort.
Overall Coach Rod was pleased that the boys did not give up throughout the game but recognizes that we have much to do in order to have success.
Angel Martinez led the scoring effort with 10 points.
Milton Hernandez, Martin Simpson, and Shaheed Clemens led the charge under the boards.
I wish to thank all of the Lobo faculty who made the trip to the game:
Mr. Harris
Mr. Davis
Mr. and Mrs. Garcia
Mr. Martinez
I also wish to thank the students who made the time and effort to come support us.
We are grateful for your support and promise to give better effort next time!
Fire Up!
Coach Rod

Thankful Hands for Thanksgiving

My wonderful daughter Ani (10) taught her dad a valuable lesson on the impact of simplicity. She and her sister Maile (7) created a cut out turkey out of construction paper and proceeded to create the feather's of the turkey with cut out hands. Within the hands was written what they were thankful for. My daughters' turkey is proudly displayed in my home.
I decided to take this very simple approach and apply it to my students.
I asked my daughter to re-create the turkey and then have my students trace their hands so as to make the feathers. The students then were asked to write in their hand what they were thankful for. The following are pictures of our version of the Thanksgiving turkey.

I believe it is important to take a moment, daily, to thank my students for everything they do for me in our classes. They are the reason I am a teacher. I find equally important to let the staff, support personnel, and faculty know how grateful I am for what they do for our students on a daily basis. After reading each hand I feel a tremendous sense of community with the campus.
Thank You Lobos for everything you do.
Have a great Thanksgiving!

Mr. Rodriguez

2010-2011 Lobo Basketball Team

It is with great pleasure to present the 2010-2011 edition of the Alta Vista Lobo Basketball team. We begin our quest for excellence at the 2010 Boyd Baker tournament held at St. Gregory's Prep.
The Lobos are:
#3 Angel Martinez
#5 Miguel Maldonado
#10 Tre Lewis
#11 Fausto Fimbres
#12 Martin Simpson
#13 Francisco Romero
#15 Jesus Leyva
#20 Miguel Leon
#21 Frank Leon
#22 Alvaro Contreras
#25 Josue Boldin
#32 Milton Hernandez
#33 Shaheed Clemens
#34 Cesar Fuentes
#44 Levi Marcus

Team Managers
Valeria Romero
Marissa Goode

Game results will be posted after every game.
Our home opening game will be held at the Kino Memorial Center gymnasium December 7th vs. Lourdes Catholic.
Come out, stand up, and cheer the Lobos to Victory!

Fire Up!
Coach Rod

AIMS test October 26,27,28 2010

Greetings Lobos!

The annual AIMS (Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards) test will be administered Tuesday October 26, Wednesday October 27, and Thursday October 28. The subjects tested are Writing, Reading and Mathematics.

Here are some tips to prepare for the testing week:

• Get a good night's rest before the test.


• Eat breakfast before the test.


• Use deep breaths to curb any test anxiety


• Plan an alternate route to school in the event of traffic problems


• Plan an alternate ride in the event of transportation problems

Here are some test taking tips for the day of the test:

• Take as much time as you need. It is not a race.


• Scan the test before attempting to answer any questions. Answer the questions you are confident you know. Come back to the more difficult questions later in the test.


• If it is a writing prompt, use a graphic organizer to gather and organize your thoughts. After you have written your rough draft, re-read your response and edit any needed areas.


• DO NOT use text language (4=for, u= you, k= okay) while writing your response. Use proper grammar and spelling.


• Stay focused throughout the testing session.

Have confidence in your abilities and do your best!

Fire up!

Coach Rod

KVOA's Kristi Tedesco visits AVHS

Greetings Lobos,

Today we hosted our annual Career College Fair. My classroom was fortunate to have KVOA's anchor Kristi Tedesco visit.

The students had many relevant questions are were engage at the comments and advice that Kristi gave.

Thanks to Ed Wagner for setting this up.

We are grateful for the opportunity to have a local television news personality come to our class to inspire us to seek success in our lives!

www.kvoa.com/news/kristi-tedesco

Mr. Rodriguez

Lobo Students Pay Tribute to First Responders

Greetings Lobos,

Saturday marks the 9th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.

Our class studied the events and we decided that we would pay tribute to our local Police and Firefighters by writing letters of thanks.

My letter reads:

Dear Officer/Firefighter,

My name is David Rodriguez and I am a teacher at Alta Vista High School in Tucson, Arizona.
We studied the events of September 11th in our American History classes. I wish to take this moment to thank you for your service to our community. I have known of the courage and sacrifice shown by the police and fire departments of New York City, Washington D.C. and Shanksville that fateful day. I also realize that you show that same courage and sacrifice on a daily basis in order to keep me safe.
On behalf of my community, my school, my peers, and my family: THANK YOU!

Respectfully,

David Rodriguez
Teacher

Alta Vista High School

Tucson, Arizona

This weekend, please take a few moments to remember.

Thank you.

Mr. Rodriguez

Lobos are NEVER gymless!

Greetings Lobos!

Thanks to the philosophy I learned at http://www.rosstraining.com/ of 'Never Being Gymless' we are better people.

Here are some photos of our class using a community park's soccer goal as the anchor for our suspension strap workout. AnJeanine, a member of our Volleyball squad is demonstrating a bench press and curl combination along with what is known as an 'Atomic Crunch' which is a push up followed by a crunch while your feet are suspended. A 'killer' excercise!!

Miguel is demonstrating a suspended pull up and a successful dismount!

Isabel is demonstrating an alternating deltoid raise.

There are too many reasons not to be active. We work very hard to find reasons to work out. There is no excuse in our class. We workout everyday and we are better people because of our collective attitudes.

Thanks again to Alta Vista for allowing me to teach this fantastic course. Thank you also to my students for working hard!

Fire up and Go Lobos!

Coach Rod

Stadium Running Lobo Style!

Alta Vista High School is very fortunate to have the use of the Kino Memorial Center and Tucson Electric Park for our Fitness Strategies class. Every 5 weeks we challenge ourselves with running the stadium steps at TEP. Today we ran 22 rows of steps with an average of 20 steps per row for a total of 440 steps.

We accomplished this twice in 20 minutes for a grand total of 880 steps!

Here are a few post-run photos of the 2010 Block One Fitness Strategists!

I want to thank my students for working hard the past 5.5 weeks. Their bodies are changing because they are choosing to work beyond their comfort zone. I am proud of them and look forward to a great second half of the block!

Enjoy and have a great Labor Day weekend!!

Prom and Tuxedo Sale at Alta Vista High School

What: One Day Liquidation Sale on prom dresses. All Dresses $55!!

When: Saturday August 21, 2010

10 AM to 2 PM

Where: Alta Vista High School

5040 S. Campbell Ave (Just south of Irvington)

How: Cash Only Sales! (No Checks, Credit, or Debit Cards)



Who: Both guys and gals (Tuxedo Coats, Pants, Shoes, and more for the guys, and Evening, Prom, and Party Dresses for the Girls).



See more samples at



http://www.azformalstore.com/



Mr. Rodriguez

Alta Vista High School and Great Schools

Greetings Lobos!

It is no secret that I love teaching and coaching at Alta Vista High School. I believe we offer a great education for any student who wishes to dedicate themselves to having a top notch education.

There is a website called Great Schools. This site is a great way to rate our school and get the word out on how good you think our school is.

We encourage all who follow this blog and those who attend Alta Vista High School to take a few moments to write a review of Alta Vista.


Click on the link, scroll down, and give your opinion.





http://www.greatschools.org/arizona/tucson/3072-Alta-Vista-High-School/





Thanks and Go Lobos!





Mr. Rodriguez