School Stuff Archives - Natalie Bourn

Looking Back and Looking Forward With a Senior Sunrise

June 8, 2020

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I am officially a senior. Every year, it’s Whitney High tradition for the senior class to wake up early and watch the sunrise to signify the dawn of a new year; our final year in high school. Quarantine cancelled the official event, but my friends and I decided to plan our own with some awesome custom shirts.

Five o’clock am at Clarke Dominguez Park, we all gathered in the freezing cold to watch the sunrise. This was actually the first time all of us had even seen each other since March 13, the last of school before the shutdown due to COVID.

Participating In My First “High School Musical”

March 15, 2020

I’ve always loved performing for a crowd: from elementary school talent shows to dance shows and everything in between, but I’d never been in a musical. A lot of my friends have a passion for acting and singing, so I always go to their shows to support them!

Theater had never been a priority or interest for me due to the crazy time commitments and singing (I’m not much of one), but when I heard Whitney High was putting on the stage rendition of one of my FAVORITE movies of all time, I had to be a part of it.

Competing at the FBLA Northern Section Leadership Conference

February 10, 2020

With another year of being in the Future Business Leaders of America organization, comes another Northern Section Leadership Conference. Every February, chapters from high schools all over Northern California come together to network, learn about business, and compete in competitive events through the FBLA National Awards Program.

I always look forward to FBLA competitions because I can choose something new to learn about, study, and test my knowledge on various business topics.

The Dump: A Stinky but Surprisingly Fun Field Trip

November 6, 2019

For my Junior year, I ended up taking AP Environmental Science! Although the class was originally an alternative, I am so excited I had the opportunity to be in the class. Not only did I get to focus on my love for the environment, but I also learned about the threats facing the earth and probable solutions.

One of our units in the fall focused on municipal solid waste management (aka trash). Instead of just looking at images and taking notes from slides, we got a first hand look at the amount of trash thrown away in our community. Our teacher organized a field trip to the Placer County Waste Management Authority (WPWMA).

Participating In The Annual Sacramento Historic Archives Crawl

October 26, 2019

For my dual enrollment U.S. History class, my teacher offered an awesome extra credit opportunity; participating in the free annual Sacramento Archives Crawl in October. This year’s theme was “Preserving the Struggle: Archives and Activism,” so displays in each location focused on activism and social change in the area, along with additional Sacramento and California history.

My family and I love learning about history wherever we travel to, especially when it’s interactive and hands-on! Naturally, we had to attend this event (not just for extra credit), but we had no idea how spectacular it would turn out being.

7 Tips For Time Management

June 26, 2019

Everyone knows that snow melts. Whether you have some fun, build a snowman, and have a snowball fight, or you just sit by and watch, the snow will always melt. This same idea applies to time. You can use it to accomplish your tasks and create something awesome, or you can watch it tick by. Similar to snow, no matter how you use it, or if you even use it at all, time melts away. Might as well figure out how to use it to your advantage, right?

This first half of navigating high school and getting into the swing of things has given me the opportunity to develop ways to succeed and dominate the next two years using all I have learned! So, as the new school year draws closer and closer, I wanted to start sharing some helpful tips I’ve learned throughout my first two years of high school such as time management, study strategies, reducing stress, and more.

FBLA Northern Section Competition

March 14, 2019

As April comes closer and closer, so does the California State Competition for FBLA chapters from schools across the state. FBLA stands for Future Business Leaders of America and it’s all about preparing students for their future careers in business by participating in competitive events, leadership development, and many educational programs.

In the beginning of the year, each section of the state (Northern, Southern, Central, Bay, Gold Coast, and Inland) hosts their Section Leadership Conference where students can sign up to partake in various competitive events to hopefully win and move on to compete at state. My team and I decided to try participating in some of these competitive events at our Northern Section Leadership Conference (NSLC). Here’s a little bit about what they are:

What A Busy Schedule Has Taught Me

February 5, 2019

So, I haven’t really worked on my blog since August…. and it’s February. That’s crazy! But also necessary. This is my sophomore year and I had no idea what the workload would look like or how much I would have to do. I’ve been jam packed with school, dance, friends, and family and I haven’t had much time for “me time” or blogging.

Handling any busy schedule can be extremely stressful and you may cry a little or be disappointed that you haven’t had that “me time.” I needed to find balance and make time for what I enjoy. That “me time” makes a huge difference in my mood, potential burn out, work effort, and overall happiness. I’m not perfect, but I’m trying to figure out how to maintain some balance. Here’s what I’ve figured out myself so far.

The School Year In Review: My First Year At Whitney

June 17, 2018

Starting high school last year, and getting to finally be a high school student with my friends, has been an incredible experience. Freshman year was awesome! High school is a lot different than I imagined, considering I got all of my ideas of high school from High School Musical and Bring It On. It was not like those movies at all! Nevertheless, it was a fun year full of memories, ups and downs, and a lot of “first time” things.

After the first few days, my friends and I even found an “our spot” where we eat lunch every single day together!

Speaking At Word Camp San Diego 2018

April 25, 2018

In April, I had the incredible opportunity to speak at my first WordCamp in San Diego, California. In case you don’t know, WordCamps happen all over the country, organized by locals. WordCamps are conferences where people can to go to attend different sessions about web design, developement, blogging, advanced and beginner techniques, and everything WordPress (publishing software for websites). Each one is unique with different speakers, themes, venues, attendees, and more. Anyone can go to a WordCamp whether your new to WordPress or a long term professional.

The theme for WordCamp San Diego was “A Salute to Our Troops” because the city has plenty of military history. The tracks were named accordingly, the signage, the, website, and the awesome swag matched the theme perfectly! My talk obviously didn’t match and neither did everyone’s, but mine was awesome either way!