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Mountlake Terrace High School | 21801-44th Avenue West | Mountlake Terrace | WA | 98043 | 425.431.7770 | MTHS.Hawkeye@gmail.com | www.TheHawkeye.org
V.24.05 | 20 January 2009
Snow keeps students indoors
By Sharon McClintock Co-Editor in Chief
Edmonds School District (ESD) along with many other school districts in Washington state suffered from snowstorms just before winter break. Snowstorms continued to block roadways for about two weeks. In response to these weather conditions, several days of school were canceled. Principal Greg Schwab said, “Everyone was saying the storm was coming so they just took caution.” In Mountlake Terrace, weather was consistently below freezing from Dec. 14 to Dec. 21. Many of these days included snowstorms that prevented many schools from opening and now means schools need additional days at the end of the year to
fulfill state requirements. To guarantee student’s safety, ESD announced two-hour delays on Dec. 15 and 16 due to the snowfall from the weekend. These days do not require making up and students did attend all of their classes. School was canceled for Dec. 17, 18 and 19. ESD was closed Wed. On Dec. 17 weather forecasters predicted a large snowstorm to hit Mountlake Terrace around two o’clock when most students are leaving school. The school district decided that the entire day school would be canceled instead of making it an early dismissal day partly because it would be hard for elementary children to get home while their parents were at work. The storm actually arrived around four o’clock that day and
continued to fall with breaks until later in the week. Families were notified that school would be canceled Dec. 17 the night before. Typically the ESD announces its snow plans the morning of the snow day. There was also a two-hour delay on Jan. 9, the first day of school after winter break, but this time will also not require making up. When the school district decided upon this year’s calendar, it included snow makeup days to ensure there were 180 student contact days. The three canceled school days require additional days to be tacked onto the end of the school year. Instead of school ending on June 16, the academic year will continue until June 19.
June 16, 17 and 18 will all be full days meaning MTHS will release students at 1:50. June 19 will be an early release day ending at 10:15 a.m. May 22, currently a Teacher Professional Development Day, is the next scheduled snow makeup day. The last scheduled make-up day is June 22. Any more makeup days will be scheduled for after June 22. This new schedule affects all students except for seniors. Seniors will still graduate on June 11. Cultural week was canceled due to snow days and the lack of time ASB had to plan the week of lunchtime activities. Other MTHS activities toward the end of the year could be canceled or delayed but nothing is finalized.
Kevin Hense/Hawkeye
Kelsey Musch and Jazmyne Boileau push a van stuck in the snow. The Edmonds School District has decided to extend the academic year due to the record amount of snow.
Vending machine changes delayed again By Tina Rajan Hawkeye staff
The new year is opening with many changes, including a adaptations with the vending machines. Policy had it that by the end of February, most vending machine contents would be banned. However, due to negotiations mainly advocated by Kim “Stew” Stewart, both the contents of vending and soda pop machines will remain until the end of 2009. The district’s wide policy requires the vending machines contents to change to promote healthier food choices within school. Terrace vending machines include a variety of snack foods from chips, to candy, all the way to pop-tarts. As a stand-in, vending machines will be replaced with alternatives including fruits, vegetables and granola bars. Students may notice that a few things have begun to be
added, for example, the tuna and chicken salads. “Tuna salad and chicken salad have been selling, we have got in some profit from salads,” said Stewart, “its not as much as the other foods in the vending machines but at least they’re selling.” Last school year, vending machines and pop machines combined brought in at least $80,000. The revenue will decrease once the vending machines items are altered. ASB gets a large amount of its money to help clubs and sports at MTHS from the vending machines. One major problem that the vending machines will affect is sports. Students already must pay $25 to play on sports teams, but after vending machines contents change in 2009, much less revenue will be collected and as a result, sports fees will increase. “I think $25 is way too much [money] already,” said
freshmen Jasla James, “students are not going to pay $50 just to play a school sport.” Since this is a district policy and a state bill, the administration cannot reverse the decision, but has been fighting to postpone the implementation at Terrace. “All I can do is keep fighting,” said Stewart. “I can’t put an end to it but [I can] just keep postponing the date they change vending machines.” Community members, staff, and students may attend school board meetings to discuss the issue further. Jeannie Brzovic’s A.P. Government class is currently working on a bill to submit to the Washington State House of Representatives. The goal of this bill is to create awareness of school’s need of the revenue brought in by vending machines. Also, the bill will try to prove that the current policy is ineffective and only hurts students.