The
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Departing Educators Made Enduring Impact On School
April 2026 Volume 24, Issue 5 lightningboltonline.com Sage Hill School 20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657
Students Battle in Brawl Stars Tournament By Melissa Yu
Grace Ma | The Bolt (Left to right) Merja Connolly retires from Sage Hill after 26 years of teaching. Arlie Parker retires after 24 years of teaching. Teryn Bentley departs from Sage Hill after a nine-year tenure.
By Grace Ma Three teachers will embark on new journeys in June after giving countless hours of instruction, advice and support to the Sage Hill community. AP Economics teacher Teryn Bentley will depart for a new teaching role overseas, while Health and Wellness Coordinator Merja Connolly and English teacher Arlie Parker plan to retire in June. After joining Sage Hill in its inaugural year, Connolly became one of 12 original educators contributing to the formation of the school’s mission and core values. Throughout her 26year tenure at Sage Hill, Connolly has been a crucial part of the Athletics and Health and Wellness program, serving as a volleyball coach, yoga instructor, and Health and Wellness Coordinator. Connolly has dedicated her time at Sage Hill to bettering the well-being of
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each individual she meets. After retiring, Connolly plans to devote her time to creative projects focused on spreading peace and bettering the world. “Always keep a positive attitude and know that a healthy routine is key in life,” Connolly said. Bentley joined Sage Hill in 2017 after moving to Orange County. As the teacher of AP Economics and the Principles of Business class, as well as the advisor for DECA, Bentley has fostered entrepreneurship within the Sage community. In class, Bentley likes to simplify the high-level concepts of economics so that they are easier to learn and understand. After departing Sage Hill, Bentley plans to teach Economics at an international school in Morocco. “I hope that during my time at Sage, I have inspired more students to pursue economics and finance in college,” Bentley said.
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Parker joined the Sage community in 2002 after moving from Louisiana. Parker has taught both English 4: Music and Memory and English III. He has also served as a trip chaperone for the popular Spring at Sage trip “Poetic Surfing.” Parker especially enjoys teaching haiku writing and has worked to instill confidence in students through their writing and self expression. He hopes that students continue to write as a tool for self-expression and navigating life. In his 24 years at Sage Hill, Parker’s dedication and passion for writing and teaching has inspired many students, evident in the creation of the Arlie Parker Haiku Nook, a space in the humanities building where students hang haikus about their lives. “Always have faith and confidence in yourself. And as always, go get ‘em Tigers!” Parker said.
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A Brawl Stars video game tournament sponsored by StuCo brought boisterous lunchtime competition earlier this month. Twenty-four competitors participated in a single-elimination bracket-style tournament that started April 7. “It’s a good way to meet some upperclassmen,” freshman Jasper Kim said. “Brawl Stars is fun because I can play it with my friends.” Set in a cursed theme park, Brawl Stars is a free, mobile shooter game where competitors play a one-on-one match of Brawl Ball, a soccer-like game mode in which the objective is to dribble the ball into the opponent’s goal. Players can attack each other and eliminated players spawn after a short delay. The winner is the first to score two goals. Brawl Stars achieved immediate success after its launch in 2018. Following a gradual decline in popularity the game experienced renewed growth from 2023 to 2024. With new characters released frequently, the game remains highly popular with approximately 49.8 million monthly active players in March. The Sage Hill student body underscored the game’s popularity by selecting it from a Student Council poll for the school’s latest gaming tournament However, some students raised concerns that these rules disadvantage those who are unlucky, even if they played honestly. “I’m a little worried about the disconnect rules,” said freshman Andy Yuan, who finished in the top four. “My phone’s connection isn’t always the best, so I hope I don’t get eliminated because of it.” Results must also be submitted within 10 minutes of the match ending to further ensure integrity. Organizers established safeguards against cheating because match results are self-reported. For example, students cannot disconnect their devices when they are about to lose, since players are disqualified if they disconnect more than once.
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