August

ASB began the 2024-2025 school year with their annual back-to-school rally on August 19. Each grade, decked out in their respective class colors — purple, orange, yellow, or green — battled it out through various team games to prove themselves the most spirited. Students played tug of war, rallied together to pass around a large beach ball, threw objects to their classmates for a scavenger hunt, and frantically wrapped each other in streamers to see which class could complete the tasks the fastest. By the end of the day, the green-clad seniors were named the winners.

September

The week of September 16 welcomed ASB’s annual spikeball tournament back onto the football field. Competition was stiff, with 146 registered teams and nearly 300 student participants. However, two students rose above the rest: the previous year’s champions, seniors Penn Kaplan and Cole Massey, continued their winning streak to emerge victorious.

October

LAHS’s annual STEAM Week celebrated its 20th anniversary from October 14 through October 18. Guest speakers held in-class discussions with students and gave speeches in the Eagle Theater about their respective fields of expertise. The week included student presentations from the Capstone and Advanced Science Investigations (ASI) classes, and showcased student STEAM clubs in the Aux Gym.

November

November started off filled with crowns, gowns, and Disney-themed floats in Los Altos High School’s Homecoming Parade. Student clubs and sports teams marched down the streets of downtown Los Altos on November 1, accompanied by the school’s marching band and class floats — each based on a different Disney movie. The members of the Homecoming Court were driven through the parade in community members’ cars. Later that night, seniors Osvaldo Valenzuela and Elliott Song were crowned Homecoming royalty. The week ended with ASB’s annual Homecoming Dance.

December

The week of finals, the City of Los Altos issued parking restrictions on several streets north of LAHS. The restrictions were meant to address resident complaints of safety, speeding students, and inconsiderate parking. Many students argued that the restrictions were unfair and weren’t solutions to those problems. The controversy over parking restrictions continued past December, with students attending City Council and Complete Streets Commission meetings to argue against restrictions. The restrictions are still in place, but students and the school are having conversations with the City.

January

The Asian community of LAHS welcomed 2025, the Year of the Dragon, by celebrating their heritage through Lunar New Year festivities. Many different LAHS clubs collaborated with the Mandarin classes to celebrate Lunar New Year during lunch on January 31. The Mandarin classes, the Chamber Symphony Orchestra Club, the English for Chinese Tutoring Club, the Asian American Student Union, the Chinese Culture Club, the Korean Culture Club, and the Taiwanese Student Association prepared a variety of activities and treats to share in the quad. Students enjoyed Asian food, such as dumplings and warm servings of hot pot, and engaged in activities like gonggi and practicing Chinese calligraphy. Mandarin students performed traditional Asian dances intended to bring good fortune.

February

After several dormant years, LAHS’s Black Student Union hosted a celebration in honor of Black History Month on February 26. The event featured a food fair and line dancing. Members also offered traditional soul food such as hot links, bread, and lemonade, which they prepared the day before. After the food was served in the quad, students and line staff danced to the Cha-Cha slide, Wobble, and TV Off. The next day after the food fair, BSU hosted a Guess the Lyrics competition where students in teams of three to four would guess the next lyrics after a song was played.

March

This year, LAHS’s annual Writers Week celebrated its 40th anniversary. From March 3 to 7, writers visited LAHS to speak in classes about their careers and distinctive fields. Depending on the presenter, students learned how to write forms of literature ranging from novels to poetry to journalism to screenplays. A highlight of the week was a guest presentation from Pulitzer Prize finalist Dave Eggers, who hosted a workshop reviewing pieces written by students.

April

In the first week of April, ASB hosted the diversity rally and diversity week, where students showcased their pride for their cultural heritage. These performances included Grupo Inicial, a student corrido band, a K-pop dance to “Attention” by Newjeans, performances by choir and chamber ensemble, cultural dances from the Indian Student Association and Latino Student Union, and original poetry. Each day of the following week, ASB organized activities during lunch in the quad. Students enjoyed a flag sticker giveaway on Monday, poster coloring on Tuesday, Travelers Trivia on Wednesday, cookie decorating on Thursday for Gender and Sexuality Day, and a Diversity Faire on Friday to learn about different cultures.

May

The Class of 2025 dressed up in sparkling gowns and sharp suits for LAHS’s Senior Prom to celebrate their four-year journey through high school coming to a close. The event was held at the Blanco Urban Venue on May 17 in downtown San Jose. The attendees spent most of their Saturday night dancing with friends. Other activities included taking pictures at the photo booth, playing poker, and enjoying the catered snacks, complete with a chocolate fountain.