Griffin Rites, Volume 53, Issue 1, 2023

Letter from the Editor

The staff members of Griffin Rites work hard on every issue we publish to provide our readers with valuable information and entertainment

This year, we have a committed staff of four students and a new Advisor Together, we strive to uphold the ideals of honest journalism.

Special thanks to our Advisor for leading us in the right direction, encouraging us in our endeavors, and challenging us to improve our skills.

Thanks, also, to our teachers for pushing us to succeed and to our peers for their willingness to be interviewed and photographed in this publication.

Most of all, we appreciate you, our reader We value your support

Staff

Cheyenne Brown - Editor in Chief

Molly Bryant - Copy Editor

Sam Littlecreek - Design Editor

Rahand Omer - Writer and Editor

Aimee O'Connell - Advisor

Purpose

Statement

Griffin Rites strongly supports the first amendment and opposes censorship. Freedom of expression and press are fundamental values in a democratic society. The mission of institutes committed to preparing productive citizens must include teaching these values, both by example and lesson.

We welcome letters to our staff and reserve the right to edit them for length and clarity, but not to change ideas Letters may be opinionated and argumentative, but not hostile They must be signed and submitted to tech 10 or mailed to "Griffin Rites Editor" at 5815 NE 48th St. Kansas City, MO 64119. Advertising space is available.

Please contact Griffin Rites Editor at Winnetonkanews@gmail.com for more information. Our student news program is a member of JEMKC, MIPA, and NSPA.

On the Cover: The phone policy has students bent over checking their phones at their seats until the bell rings or as they stroll through the hallways. Sam Littlcreek leans over on their own device during passing. Many additional policies can be witnessed in act during this time

Photo by Cheyenne Brown

Seniors Lan Linh Tran and Drew Jackson cheer on the Tonka team at the football jamboree

Photo by Molly Bryant

Seniors Lan Linh Tran, Kayla Ross, Elle Snider and Makena Kutter cheer the Tonka football team at the annual jamboree on Aug 19, 2022

Picture by Cheyenne Brown

4 Griffin Rites

Spirit Starts Here

Kicking off the School Year

By Cheyenne Brown

Tonka students filed into the stands of the Staley high schools’ stadium on Aug. 19, 2022 for the football jamboree between Winnetonka, Staley, Oak Park, and North Town. Each school had a student section that splits one of the two stadium stands in half. Tonka scholars, dashed in red and gold, sported miniature megaphones, poms and painted handprints on their limbs This is the first display of school spirit for members of the student body

“I love the themes, and I love seeing my friends happy while getting hyped in the stands," senior Cheyanne Sparks said, "and that's what it’s all about, having fun together.”

Displays of spirit occur throughout the school year from passionate members of the student body. Experiences like assemblies, sporting events, and dances all influence the pride

one feels for their learning institute. Upperclassmen attempt to bring back the traditions that they experienced full out only in their freshman year

"Whenever seniors and other upperclassmen leave, or if we are not able to show up to the games, [underclassmen] can still show up and appreciate and support our players on the field," senior Lan Linh Tran said.

A football jamboree is an event in which multiple teams come together and each play one another in miniature games to kick off the season For the players, it is a fun competitive event to show the community what they have been practicing over the summer For students, it’s the first opportunity to express their pride and set an example for underclassmen.

"I most enjoy that the games show what Winnetonka really is, and it's cool to see everyone cheering," senior Kaitlyn Traxler said. "It shows how much spirit we truly have and that most of our [reputation] is not true."

Tonka seeks to reclaim its traditions and show the community that the school is worth more than what it has been labeled. Providing spiritbased opportunities for students to participate in is important to encourage true pride in the school. Presenting this to the future generations of Griffins is where it all starts.

RockOut

Chalk

Out

Art club and volunteers participate in a unique opportunity, brought back for the first time in years.

By Cheyenne Brown

Heather Sulzen, the art teacher at Winnetonka high school, has been taking her students to the Kansas City Chalk and Walk festival for 9 years. Sulzen,

for the first time since the pandemic broke out, she was able to bring her students to the festival once more.

"My experience doing a chalk art festival started when I was in high school in Florida We had a similar festival," Sulzen said "Since I've been teaching here, I've started taking students to this event. This was year nine [of] having students participate. We haven't done it in the past 3 years because of COVID."

In years previous, the event was held at a different location where the participating artists would do their task on the brick walkways of the city. This year the festival was held at the historic River Market in downtown Kansas City The plots for use were marked out in squares using tape, Art club possessed two of these.

"The Kansas City Chalk and Walk is an event that we get to do for free. There are sponsors that pay for all the materials," Sulzen said. "All we have to do as a school is apply, and the person in charge of the festival takes care of the sponsorships It makes it simple, so you can get more people out there doing it and participating."

Art club members were not the only students volunteering for the 2-day event. Students in Sulzen’s art classes were able to sign up for either of the days as well. The students assisted in starting and finishing the two pieces. It was this batch of students’ first time participating in the sponsored event.

"I went as a journalism student to take pictures of the art students, but I actually helped out and did some of the chalk painting myself and it was a lot of fun," senior Molly Bryant said. "My friend and I walked around the river market on a break and got to see all of the fun artworks the other groups were doing and see art being created live. I also enjoyed getting to work with the other students that showed up and get to know them better outside of school. I really enjoyed the festival and would recommend it to all students, not just art club members "

Senior Emilia Taylor and sophomore Destiny Slater work on chalk art at the River Market on Sept 4, 2022

Photo by Cheyenne Brown

Putthe

Win InTonka

Cheer takes first place at regionals for a second time within the last 4 years.

By Molly Bryant

“It was a good feeling. Like a really good feeling In the past, we haven’t really won a lot and it was good to know we broke another team’s winning streak last year and now we ’ re the team to beat for taking first place,” junior Dominic Mayberry said.

Eleven cheerleaders competed in the Regional Championship

on Sept 24, 2022 at Avila University They competed in Small Co-ed and were scored on their difficulty, execution, tumbling, stunts and dancing

“I was very nervous but excited. I also was a little sad because it was my last regional competition as a senior and I’ve been on the team for 4 years, so it was a little bittersweet,” senior and Captain Luiza Wakeman said.

The competition team is split into two groups those on the competition floor and those remaining as alternates; able to step in in case one of the cheerleaders got hurt or couldn’t compete. Small Co-ed is one of the most competitive divisions with eight schools competing.

“I think people should care about the cheer program a lot more than they do because we cheer for so many sports throughout the year. Unlike all the rest of the sports, we are year round, we ’ re always there supporting other teams so it’s kind of nice when we also get the support that we give the other sports programs," Wakeman said "Winning is a very exciting thing; especially winning against seven other teams at a competition, and placing at the end and qualifying for the state level is also very exciting. I think that’s something our school should recognize.”

Cheerleaders hit their marked positions during their competition performace at Avila University on Sept 24, 2022 Photo submitted

in Changes Policy

Taking digital distraction out of the classroom and more

By Cheyenne Brown

North Kansas City Schools sent out an email to students and parents in preparation for a district wide reinforcement for a previously neglected policy. The policy was tweaked to better fit the standards the district and board of directors desired to meet within their schools. Many students were initially appalled by this change.

"When I first heard about the policy I was upset As someone who uses their phone frequently for learning purposes, it created some challenges," senior Luiza Wakeman, student body president, said. "In leadership class, we need to reach out to other students quickly. Not having my phone makes that a little more difficult."

The policy is best described as a multiple-chance process. The correctional action that is to be taken proceeds to get stricter

each time the code is broken first offense, second offense, third offense and so on.

“At first, I felt increasingly negative about it. It was a shock to me just considering the fact that we ’ ve never had something so strict put in place. It has gotten better over the last couple of weeks in school. Especially with the policy itself gaining some lenience,” senior Josie Hougham said “It has impacted me in both negative and positive ways. While the distraction aspect is reduced by not having my phone out, I also feel my anxiety and paranoia has increased.”

Teachers had different reactions to this change. After all, they were the ones that would be in trouble if someone caught them allowing students on their phones while in class. Other teachers would follow the guidelines to the exact outline

“Overall, I love the policy and I think it is great for our scholars and our school. I appreciate the parents and our scholars embracing it and supporting it. I am anxiously awaiting grades and EOC scores at the end of the year to see the academic impact this cell phone policy is having,” Principal Edward Tate said. “I will also add, I think the overall discipline issues within our school will continue to decrease as well ”

Though the data is not officially published; the results according to administration seem to be more positive than negative on the learning environment at school

“Scholars appear to be more engaged in their classes. Numerous scholars have come up and had one on one conversations about feeling more connected to their teachers and their classes because of the fact they aren’t

Students pull out their devices before class starts or sneak them out during lesson time despite the reinforced policy like this scholar on Nov 17, 2022 Photo by Cheyenne Brown

on their phone the whole time,” Tate said, “Overall, I just feel that scholars are more focused on learning now instead of what notifications they have on Snap[chat].”

The phone policy is not the only policy to go in effect during the 2022-2023 school year. Originally, the school started a policy in 2022 requiring students to be put into a holding tank within the school’s cafeteria as not to interrupt the learning environment of others if they happen to be late to their first block Now, the holding tank has been scrapped and replaced with a tardy system. A tardy is nothing new to students, but the consequences are.

"The tardy policy is three strikes and you're out. You can get a total of three tardies before you're given Saturday school. If you miss that, you receive a suspension," senior Kristina King said. "However, these three strikes are confusing and not well documented even in the student handbook It provides multiple instances where a tardy would count, but depending on who marks who tardy, those circumstances are up to change. Some people don't even get punished. It's a biased group system. I think that's what frustrates me the most. This policy doesn't impact everyone equally."

As of the week before Thanksgiving break, it was announced that blankets were not to be brought to school

much less carried to each of the students’ classes A much larger change with Tonka Time also occurred. Tonka Time was once an organized block during which students were assigned to one class for a period after second block. This year, students chose where to go each of the 3 days rather than choosing one for all. It was seen with the change many students found going to their assigned classes challenging. Students were unaccounted for during this time and were not where they were assigned This was a problem for both attendance and safety As a result, Tonka Time was stripped away from the student body, and a new schedule was introduced.

“Since we don’t get to have Tonka Time anymore, we have an extra 30 minutes at the end of each class. I’m pretty sure it was supposed to be meant for catching up, ” senior Jackson King said. “Instead, I feel like my teachers’ lecture time and my work time have just shifted. It’s not anything extra for me and doesn’t really help me all that much I don’t have a single teacher who uses the time for extra help.”

Though some students find no extra help in the time allotted, some have found it to have beneficial qualities. Though, the overall viewpoint appears to be negative.

"The time added was harmful and helpful, it caused me to have more time in class; however, it made my days feel so long So,

mentally, days now exhaust me Tonka Time gave me a mental break and gave me time to catch up on work. I feel like now I’m fighting for my life to catch up on work,” senior Zoe Drew said.

“A policy change is always going to cause some sort of uprising whether it’s a reasonable one or not. Change is always going to cause people to panic, it’s inevitable. Fighting change isn’t going to do any good, it’s going to happen.”

Depending on who you ask and what policy you refer to, students seem to have conflicted feelings Some policies have been well adapted, while others have been met with opposition. The changes are new but are meant to improve the school. With cooperation between the student body and staff, these changes may prove to be the solutions the district, and Winnetonka in particular, have been looking for.

Policies New

A brief summary of the changes made at Tonka that students may need to know

If a student's phone is heard, seen, or actively in use; it will be confiscated by admin of campus security. Each strike intensifies the consequence. As of last year, changes and reinforcement to the dress code required stomachs, armpits, shoulders, and undergarments covered.

The holding tank has been disbanded, and instead a three strike tardy policy has been applied with three, students will get Saturday school

Classroom Shuffle

By Molly Bryant

Boxes and crates full of classroom-enriching decorations and student learning tools passed between rooms and storage closets as the school was rearranged at the end of the 2021-2022 school year and the following summer. Many teachers were displaced and reorganized.

“What we want to do as educators is make all of the classes you take relevant. For the longest time in education, you go to your math class and then you do math, and then you go to your history class and you do history, then you go to English class and you do English and everything is kind of separate," Assistant Principal Joelle Hendrick said. "What we want to do is have all of your classes be relevant to what's happening in the industry outside of school and we want it to be in a topic that interests you. ”

The new pathways include Business, Leadership and Entrepreneurship; Design, Innovation and Technology; Health and Wellness; and

Human Services. The pathways each get their section of the school, with Design, Innovation and Technology being the largest pathway using up the downstairs of the school Human Services use the A hall, the tech rooms are the Business pathway, and the Health and Wellness pathway use the C and B halls with a few exceptions for classes like science and art that remain in classrooms especially designed for that subject.

“Change is always hard, and moving isn’t always fun either. Things get lost in moves and it takes time to organize new spaces Teachers just had to take extra time to move into their new spaces, ” English teacher Laura Ryczek said

With the first-year pathway students being sophomores, the juniors and seniors have had their classrooms moved all around the building without a pathway to keep them in a specific section of the school.

“I prefer the past setup a lot, because I knew where specific types of classes were. I knew where social studies, math,

science and debate were. I knew where those areas were and now I don’t,” senior Kristina King said

Each school year, more of the pathway system will be introduced into the school This year, they moved the classrooms into the pathway sections and added decorated walls to those areas to represent their function.

“I’ve been in several other school districts, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I came to Winnetonka, and they gave me options, an open mind and helped me figure that out. I think throughout the years, it’s going to be a positive effect, especially with the class of 2026,” freshman Megan Henson said.

ACTPrep

By Sam Littlecreek

Students of Winnetonka

High school were introduced to the newly established ACT Prep class at the beginning of the 20222023 school year

ACT prep is available to students, allowing them to take the class one semester, then choose another class the other semester. The ACT Prep class was implemented to encourage students to discover strategies and prepare for the upcoming ACT test.

According to Principal Edward Tate, the idea of implementing an ACT Prep class originated

from the shocking number of students that did not meet an average ACT score of 23. The administrators agreed that instating a regulated ACT course would be the best action for success. As Tate stated, the main goal of the class is to present scholars with more opportunities after scoring well on the ACT exam.

“For the college that I want to go to, there’s many scholarships available for people who get good scores on the ACT I’ve learned to not waste my time when I’m taking tests and to use test management to analyze the tests I take in other classes,” said junior Juliannah Stobaugh.

Currently, the class is available primarily to juniors, because they are the main demographic of ACT test takers. Other students would also like the opportunity to take such classes.

“I definitely think that ACT Prep should be available to more people than it is now, ” senior Josie Hougham said. “I am retaking the ACT, and all I have is a packet given to me by one of my teachers with no other guidance ”

Dr. Tate responded by explaining next year's plans to better incorporate seniors and other grade levels that wish to

Senior Ericka Kennedy works on submitting classwork in ACT Prep while Coach Young gives a lesson on Oct 20, 2022

Photo by Cheyenne Brown

prepare to take the ACT “It’s primarily for juniors, but we will open it up to seniors. I hope we get to the point where we have more than one teacher teaching the ACT Prep. I’d like to have two teachers, where [ACT Prep is] all they do.”

Currently, the only teacher providing the ACT Prep class is Luke Young, an AVID and math teacher. Young explains that taking an ACT Prep class is important for all students “The ACT is a beast of a test It would be awesome if I could just throw out a few tips and tricks that would raise your score. But the truth is, to significantly raise your score, it takes regular, dedicated effort and practice. In ACT Prep, we practice ACT questions in small chunks in a safe setting so students can build their confidence level.”

Most students who take the ACT just need encouragement

Q+A

from not only their teachers but from their parents as well. Many students’ parents did not go to college either because they could not afford it or they found a job right out of high school, encouraging students that college is not necessary.

“Part of my mission as the Principal is [that] I want to increase the number of our graduating seniors [who] are going off to 2- or 4-year universities right now," Tate said “I think what we lack knowledge at is a number of our scholars do not have families that aren’t necessarily college graduates themselves and that’s okay.”

The ACT Prep class gives students the resources they need to get more opportunities to go to college if they wish. It is an encouraged course that helps with not only the ACT, but other tests such as EOC tests and AP

exams Winnetonka’s mission is to have all the students succeed, regardless of future plans.

“We’re trying to make it our main mission here at Tonka to make sure you all have the full access to the opportunities that are out there. But it starts by telling you and presenting to you and putting you in the position to be able to receive those opportunities.” Tate said.

An ACT Prep class has helped many students to build up their confidence and score greatly on the ACT. The test itself is taken during a stressful time in a student's life, so by ensuring that students have the help they need, it may just encourage students to become more focused on their futures and most importantly, have the opportunity to.

Does ACT Prep help you?

How

"

Cheyenne Brown

Juliannah Stobaugh

"Our teacher gives us good strategies that I didn't know before that have helped with time management and taking tests in other classes

“ACT Prep helped me do better on the actual ACT through preparation and practice testing My grade on the ACT went up by the end of the semester thanks to ACT Prep”

"ACT Prep is helping me better understand how to take the ACT, teaching me different strategies to use that will make me a better test taker. ACT Prep is also helping me prepare for college.”

Heleen Ali

Nickson Mario

Senior Junior Junior Junior

HopefortheHomeless

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, homeless students accounted for 2 5% of all enrolled students

In the North Kansas City School District, approximately 2.8% of the student population (i.e., about 600 students) are unhoused per year.

Students, especially homeless students, have a lot of protections in place to ensure

that they do not encounter any barriers to education.

“We take in all the factors of a student’s or family’s needs to get them connected with services,” Counselor Todd Maher said The district evaluates each student’s needs on a case-by-case basis.

Even if a student is designated as “homeless” at some point during the school year and that student’s status changes, the

student does not lose services.

Executive Director of Student and Community Services for the North Kansas City School District Janelle Porter oversees the implementation of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act. This group ’ s goal is to identify students who experience homelessness even when it may not fit the idea that many people have of what it means to be homeless.

Content Contributed by Rahand Omer

Students, especially homeless students, have a lot of protections in place to ensure that they do not encounter any barriers to education Photo by Rahand Omer

“We have families who are doubled up with other families or relatives, students living without their parent or guardian, people in hotels... those living in shelters, and those who are completely without shelter,” Porter said

Once identified by the school district, she and her team assess the needs of the student. Then, the district may provide or connect students and families with resources such as free breakfast and lunch, transportation, legal services, clothing, food, school supplies,

and other necessities. Last semester, sophomore Logan Brinton characterized his family’s living situation as “rough,” rather than “homelessness.” He likes coming to school. Brinton found that school served as a positive distraction from his home life “It [gave] me something to look forward to besides being in a 33foot trailer.”

Though he knew that the school and district could provide resources and assistance and some teachers offered help, Brinton admitted that he was too proud. “I’m just not big on getting help,” Brinton said. Fortunately, his experience was brief; he and his family have stable housing now

The challenges and adversities facing homeless students may take a toll on their academic and psychological health “We have always seen exceptions to the rule though,” said Porter. “We know of students who have been quite successful in school despite the challenges they faced "

"Many times, families are able to find stable housing after a period of time. Unaccompanied youth are sometimes able to go home to their families after a reconciliation; however, we do know children who are never welcomed back into their homes. This is more prevalent in the LGBTQ+ community,” Porter said.

English teacher and co-sponsor of GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance)

Andrea Caspari shared that some LGBTQ+ students fear coming out their parents and sharing who they are, because they worry

that their parents will not approve. “They’re afraid to get kicked out and then they often will sleep over at friends’ houses or with people who accept them like family members or siblings,” Caspari said

Caspari especially works alongside Tonka’s Resources and Administrative staff to identify and provide necessary resources to LGBTQ+ students who are dealing with homelessness. According to her, Trevor Project and GLSEN (Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network) provide resources specifically for LGBTQ+ students so that they will not be unhoused.

“Bottomline,” said Maher, “ we work to remove as many barriers as possible to ensure that students' education is not hindered by life’s challenges ”

Children’s Crisis Hotline: 816321-7060

Youth Crisis Hotline: 816-7418700 or 888-233-1639

Synergy Services

www.synergyservices.org

TXT4HELP

This is a nationwide number that you can text if you are in crisis. Text “SAFE” and your current address to 4HELP (44357).