About Us
The Class
This full-year course offers students an introduction to the basic elements of visual communication and the print world. Students will learn the fundamentals of photography as they document important events from the school year. Students will develop their pre-collegiate communication skills via reporting, writing, class discussions, presentations, and publications. Students will create the yearbook and a variety of narrative projects that show how photography and the written word combine to inform society.
The Name
Chaparral is a highly appropriate name deriving itself from the surrounding environment of Castaic High School -- the natural habitat for the Coyote.
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The Mascot
In an effort to align with the macots of the other schools in the Hart Union School District, it was decided the mascot would be an animal. Specifically, an animal indigenous to the area that embodied the qualities that represented the new school community.
The team selected a mascot that:
- is quick
- works together
- has keen vision
- is resourceful
- has high levels of communication
- travels in family groups
- represents adaptability and playfulness
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For all these reasons, the team selected the COYOTE!
Our Colors
Our Castaic HS Official Colors are
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Burnt Orange
PMS 159
CMYK: 0, 65, 100, 9
RGB: 191, 87, 0
#bf5700
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Dark Gray
PMS 432
CMYK: 65, 43, 26, 78
RGB: 51, 63, 72
Hex: #333f48
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White
PMS: n/a
CMYK: 0, 0, 0, 0
RGB: 255, 255, 255
Hex: #ffffff
Content Statement for Publications
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By virtue of the fact that the productions are student conceived, planned and produced as well as products of academic programs, there are certain guidelines that must be put into practice ethically and legally.
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Journalistic in nature, the productions attempt to inform, educate and entertain their audiences in a broad, fair, thorough and accurate manner on all subjects that affect readers. The entire student body of prospective readers constitutes the primary target audience of the productions with secondary audiences of parents, school personnel, community members and other scholastic journalism groups. Content focuses on coverage that will meet the wants and needs of the majority of these students.
While the staff not only allows, but also encourages, constructive criticism of any part of the production, before or after distribution, final authority for the content rests solely in the hands of student journalists through the Castaic High Yearbook editorial board (see also California Education Code 48907). No material, opinionated or otherwise, will be printed which is libelous, irresponsible, advocates an illegal activity or which the editorial board deems in poor taste.
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Editorial leadership
The editorial board is the decision-making body. Members will be selected during spring and summer by the adviser and staff for each upcoming school year and will consist of an odd number of voting members. The adviser will attend meetings but will not vote.
Members must represent all grade levels represented on the publication staff.
The board controls its own membership and may remove a member for failure to attend meetings or meet other expectations through a majority vote. If the adviser appeals that vote, the board may confirm the decision with a unanimous vote. By the same method, the board may remove staff members who are not meeting job expectations. The adviser will work with the student to continue academic work until such time as their schedule can be changed. The teacher/adviser may request a schedule change for disciplinary reasons.
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All board members will vote on decisions such as policy-making or controversial content when the need arises. A majority vote determines the decision. The adviser will not vote but may advise and make suggestions or comments.
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Castaic High School programs are a public forum as defined by AR 1325 and BP 1325. At all times, the editorial board will work within the guidelines of the California State Education Code 48907.
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Use of Generative AI Tools
During some class sessions, we may leverage generative AI tools to support your learning, provide you with an opportunity to explore how they can be used, and/or better understand their benefits and limitations. Learning how to use AI is an emerging skill, and we will work through the implications of these evolving systems together, during class sessions.
However, use of generative AI will be limited to exercises during class sessions. I will always indicate when and where use of AI tools during class sessions is appropriate (and not).
Examples of use during ungraded classroom exercises might include:
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brainstorming new ideas,
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developing example outlines or approaches to your work, and/or
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generating different ways to talk about a problem.
In contrast, yearbook staffers may not use AI tools to generate work for an assignment to be submitted for a grade, as this cannot be considered a substitute for developing the fundamental skills and expertise represented by the learning objectives of this course.
Generative AI tools rely on predictive models to generate content that may appear correct, but has been shown to sometimes be incomplete, inaccurate, taken without attribution from other sources, and/or biased. Consequently, an AI tool should not be considered a substitute for traditional approaches to research and you should complete all graded assignments without any assistance from AI tolls.
The student staff of the Castaic Yearbook are ultimately responsible for the content of the information you submit and may not attempt to pass off any work generated by an AI program as your own.
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GUIDELINES AND PUBLICATIO
PROCEDURES
These are determined by the Castaic High Yearbook editorial board prior to the start of each school year and are reviewed and/or updated annually. The areas below outline for students, parents, administrators and community members how Castaic High Yearbook operates in various areas of media production.
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Corrections
The print publications are a $70,000+ student business produced as part of a learning experience in the curriculum, and it is not possible to reprint the book or news magazine if/when minor errors arise. The staff regrets any errors and learns from constructive feedback provided via surveys, focus groups and thoughtful email messages. The process for creating the yearbook is rigorous and involves multiple rounds of careful editing. Because the yearbook is printed once annually, it is not possible to run corrections. If a staff discovers, from any source, that a factual error or major mistake was published and passed the editors, the editor(s)-in-chief will issue a written apology to those affected.
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Advertising
To help finance the productions, the staff may sell advertising at rates published annually. Students who appear senior dedications, must not be “selling” or “advertising” any product.
The editorial board reserves the right to determine the appropriateness of advertising and refuse sale and publication without cause. No advertising will be published for activities illegal to the youngest member of the student population.
The yearbook will sell space for senior recognition and businesses as determined by the editorial board. The staff will publish a payment and submission schedule by Sept. 1 of each year and reserves the right to refuse publication to any parent or advertise who does not meet deadlines. Payments will not be refunded.
Errors in ads and senior tributes will be addressed in the following manner.
a) Correction of minor errors with a reprint or reprints of the ads on stickers.
b) Partial repayment up to cost of the book for misspelled names or major errors.
c) Complete refund only in cases of errors that are deemed to destroy the intent of the ad.
The Chaparral Yearbook will not be responsible for errors in printing caused by submissions that do not meet published specifications.
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Covering death
Should a student or staff member die at any time during the current coverage period, Castaic High yearbook will treat the death in a tasteful, respectful manner.
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In the yearbook people section with student/staff portraits, the portrait of that person will appear as it would under normal circumstances. Next to the portrait will appear birth date and date of passing unless the death occurs after the book’s final deadline, which is generally March 1. There is the possibility that no obituary or other memorial item will appear in the yearbook.
Families and/or friends or other parties may purchase space for a memorial or tribute to appear in the senior dedication section of the yearbook, and may do so at the “early-bird” pricing structure regardless of purchase date, but advertising space generally is available only August-December and production of these pages is complete by January.
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The editors will communicate with the family of the deceased in order to hear their wishes as part of this process. It is the aim of the staff to handle any such situation in a fair and sensitive manner.
Students may use social media to post a memorial within a one-week window of a student or staff member death depending on the situation, including cause of death and timing. Posts will follow a consistent format to provide name, years of life and a copy of the school portrait image (pending availability) with the consent of the family.
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​Portraits
All students and school personnel must have their portrait made with the official school portrait photographer by the published deadline in order to be included in the current volume of the publication.
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Seniors may choose to pay a minimal fee for a formal portrait sitting to cover the costs of proofs. The deadline for seniors will be published during the previous spring, mailed to students over the summer and announced by at least three different methods (WHS website, posters, morning announcements, ParentSquare, home mailer and so forth) during August and September leading to the Oct. 1 date.
Students not pictured by the final deadline may not appear with their classmates in the senior section. By having all portraits taken by the same photographer under the same conditions, the publications staff can be assured of the highest quality reproduction of all photographs, serving the best interests of all students and staff.
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All underclass photographs must be taken in a timely manner according to a schedule to be determined by the yearbook editorial board or adviser. All photos will be taken by the designated school photographer. The final make-up will be no later than Oct. 1 of each year. The school receives and uses the portraits with names and grade data attached. Castaic yearbook staff members will make every effort to ensure accuracy with correct names and grade levels. Students who wish to be listed as a name other than what is provided by the school and/or school photographer must contact the yearbook staff directly, in writing, by Oct. 15. Administration reserves the right for final approval.
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The Castaic yearbook staff is not responsible for portraits taken but not provided to them. Errors and or corrections, if needed, will be addressed on an individual basis among the student/parent, Castaic yearbook staff and school photographer.
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Sales
Yearbooks will be on sale each year from August through May. Price will vary and increase based on a scheduled rate plan, which will be published on the Castaic yearbook website, social media and on the printed order forms.
Students who do not purchase a book in advance run the risk of not receiving one; only a small number of extra books will be ordered and will be available for late purchase on a first come, first served basis for cash or money order only. Books are available online for purchase directly from the ASB Student Store.
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Exchanges can be made for books with minor flaws if no writing has been done in the book. If a book has been written in, then no exchange can be made unless the adviser feels the flaw in the book if of major proportion (pages missing, pages in upside down). Books are not returnable or refundable unless there is a print defect.
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It will be the responsibility of the buyer to provide proof of purchase if the staff can provide no record. A valid receipt or a cancelled check deposited in the publications account will constitute proof of purchase.
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Any purchased book not claimed within the calendar year it is produced will become the property of the program and the price forfeited. Students who withdraw or move away from Castaic High School can pick up books in person which are held in the Assistant Principals office.
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The administration staff determines the cost of an individual copy based on a balanced budget. The Senior Dedications prices are determined by the Castaic yearbook editorial staff and the advisor.