Volume 25.1

Page 1

Hawkeye

tech-ready? | need-to-haves this school year Page 5 Go out or stay in| what to do tonight Page 10 sports at a glance| what players think

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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

$100K slashed from building budget

V.25.01 | 8 September 2009

Hawks swoop into action

By Megan Resler News Editor

Due to the financial downward spiral Washington has recently taken, the Edmonds School District was forced to cut $11.5 million from its overall budget over the summer. In order to keep cuts from affecting students directly, each school has had to decrease its annual expenditures by 66 percent – from $150,000 to $50,000. “The amount of funding we received from the state was drastically reduced to help solve the state’s $9 billion shortfall,” Edmonds School District Assistant Superintendent Ken Limon said. “In addition we will have about 200 fewer students in the district this year than last year. That means we get less money from the state as well.” Students will see a rise in class sizes all across the board. Increased class size will save $2 million throughout the district, Limon said. First semester will see a P.E. class with 43 students and an English class with 35. “I’m going to use the wait until I see the whites of their eyes approach,” Principal Greg Schwab said, insinuating Barrett Rayan / Hawkeye that although students are enrolled in certain classes now, The varsity football team rallies to build spirit before their game against the Lynnwood Royals. The game was held last Friday at 5 p.m. at Edmonds Stadium – the first game of the season for both teams. For more sports, see pages 11 and 12. he is hoping class sizes will balance out within the first few days of school. The MTHS administration has developed a plan for each piece of paper they print on. Students can purchase bring in their own paper. “I am going to personally buy all making this reduction go as smoothly as possible. “Nothing sheets of paper in $1 increments in the Main Office. of my own paper this year,” Derr said, “especially in my AP but the bare essentials,” Schwab said. “We’re all scratching Administrators are in the process of looking for elec- classes; there are a lot of things I think are important for our heads to figure it out,” he explained. “Nobody said this tronic alternatives for teachers to communicate with stu- students to see as well as hear.” was going to be an easy thing do to.” dents. “Hawk Talk (the parent newsletter) will no longer Teachers are not the only ones being asked to conserve Everyone will be seeing changes in the coming be mailed, but sent via e-mail,” counselor paper. During the freshman parent orientation over the year. Teacher, administrator and school staff work Colleen Egger said. summer, parents were asked to send reams of paper in days will be reduced to save $1.5 million. District Gaynelle Derr, English teacher, plans to with their students. Some teachers are discussing the idea In order to keep cuts communicate with her AP English stu- of giving students extra credit for donating a ream of paper administration is being reorganized and reduced from affecting students dents via e-mail to conserve paper. to save $500,000. to the school. directly, each school Along with a handful of teachers losing their “I think for us to use our technology more According to The Public Education Foundation for the jobs, the counseling office cut their staff from five has had to decrease its effectively isn’t a bad thing,” Derr said. “I’m Children of the Edmonds School District, the districtdown to four, half a full-time secretary was lost annual expenditures by just more concerned about those who won’t wide music department has had to cut $200,000 from its 66 percent. in the Administration Office, and two secretaries be able to afford to print homework assign- budget. This decrease will get rid of all music transportawere lost in the Attendance Office. ments sent to them, or download assign- tion, instrument repair, and replacement of supplies. One cut students will face most directly will be ments off a Web site.” The athletic department had to cut $250,000 districtthe school’s inability to allot each student with Teachers are being asked to turn their wide, affecting all levels of sports transportation. In addi100 sheets of paper per semester like it has done the past computers off nightly, turn their lights off when they tion to this, the assistant athletic director’s job will not be few years. don’t need to be on, and recycle whenever possible. replaced in January 2010. Starting this semester students will have to pay $.25 for Administrators are also asking teachers to print less or

WASL requirements continue to evolve By Jessica Lim Hawkeye staff

Starting in 2009 the WASL has been changed to the OSPI Assessment. Part of the OSPI Assessment is that students, grades 3-8, will be taking the Measurements of Student Progress (MSP) while students, grades 9 – 12, will now be taking the High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE). To earn a high school diploma within the state of Washington, students have to accumulate a specific amount of school credit, pass the state assessment test or an approved alternative, complete a culminating project, and complete a High School and Beyond Plan. In previous years, students completing the WASL were expected to take the assessment their sophomore year yet many chose to sign up early as a freshman. If they did not pass as a freshman they were required to take the test again their sophomore year; the same rule applies for every year until they pass the examination. If students failed the math portion of the WASL, they were given the option of

taking and passing four years of math as an alternative to help them graduate. Statistics show the majority of students tended to pass the writing and reading portions of the WASL, but not the science. Randy Dorn, Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction, revised the state assessment because schools weren’t performing as well on the test as predictions assumed. Washington state test scores were reviewed and no school saw improvement in the past several years except for the Mercer Island School District. With the lack of visible statistical academic improvement, the state assessment was revised to meet legal needs. The 2010-2012 classes will be required throughout Washington to either pass the reading and writing sections of the WASL/HSPE, or pass the reading and writing Certificate of Academic (CA). In addition to passing the reading and writing WASL/ HSPE, Washington studentsº also have to pass the math WASL/HSPE, pass the math CA or earn two math credits after 10th grade.


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Volume 25.1 by The Hawkeye - Issuu