Sammi Carr's The Jaguars’ Spot column for Wed., Dec. 05, 2007

Third time’s the charm!

Congratulations to VCHS for again making it to California Interscholastic Federation football finals! This will be our (It is correct to refer to a team as “ours” when they win, “them” when they lose!) third CIF final.

Instead of playing at Qualcomm like the we have in years’ past, we'll be at Torero Stadium at the University of San Diego near SeaWorld. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. We’ll be playing against Mission Bay High School. Considering we won last weeks game versus La Jolla 42 to 0, we're in pretty good shape. Come out and support your team this Saturday!

Staph infection:

A staph infection known as MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) has been reported at out school. It is a very serious condition that is extremely resistant to antibiotics. Fortunately, you can prevent yourself from getting it by making sure you stay clean and wash your clothes regularly (Sorry, football players, those “lucky jerseys” will have to get acquainted with the inside of a washing machine!).

The way you'll get MRSA is by touching either an infected person (duh!) or something that an infected person has already touched.

Important: MRSA looks like an ordinary spider bite, but it continues to grow larger and the surrounding area becomes very red. Get to a doctor immediately because there IS a treatment for it. The sooner the better!

Staff infLection!:

Who’d a guessed it? Our own beloved English teacher, Linda Saffiote (Saffi), can act -- and she’s really great! Catch Saffi in this weekend’s performances of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” being presented in the Maxine by the Valley Center Community Theater. She’s playing the part of Mr. Potter’s secretary ... er, he’s the mean old banker who ... well, go see the play!). Check out http://maxine.vcpusd.net for more info (there’s also an article in this very newspaper).

Here’s something I betcha didn’t know:

The last few weeks, as I’ve gone to quite a few high schools in our region to take my SAT, participate in competitions, etc., I couldn’t help but compare them to our own school.

Though many of the campus’s have a more “Hollywood High School” look on the outside, VCHS definitely trumps them where it counts: on the INside. No classroom I’ve so far visited is even remotely as large as ours are -- and they squeeze the same number of desks in those tiny spaces. On top of that, our teachers do a much better job of making their rooms look comfortable and inviting.

So a big thank you to the people who designed our schools and the people who teach in them.

Next time: Our drama program appears to be rising from the grave. Tune in!

Know something I don't know? Catch me on campus or send me an e-mail at sammi@carrfamily.com. See ya. Sam.

Read all of award-winning writer/director Sammi Carr’s past (but not future!) columns at www.carrfamily.com.