the
reporter
Paola High School • 401 N. Angela • Paola, KS 66071
October 2011
New teachers
3 (news)
Unusual art
8-9 (features)
Fall plays take off
11(arts)
Beware the Panther
15 (sports)
Adminsadjust Friday school replaces ISS
Hines, Bressler make few changes for now
riley sawyer co-editor-in-chief
rosalyn lucas co-editor-in-chief Principal Phil Bressler raises an eyebrow when he’s referred to as ‘new administration.’ “New administration?” he laughed. “You’re getting rid of me already?” New might not be the right word. Assistant principal Jeff T. Hines agrees. “It’s new because I’m in a different part of the building at school and that I have a new job description; wear different clothes,” Hines said. “But it’s also the same because I’m still at Paola. It’s my ninth year and I’m still dealing with students and parents; still doing what I’ve always done.” The end of September marks Bressler’s two months at the high school. He said his adjustment has gone well. “[It’s been a] great start to the school year,” Bressler said. “So far, faculty, staff, students and community support has passed my expectations; and I had high expectations to begin with.” Bressler said the greatest difficulty has been learning names. “I’m such a believer in having someone know your name,” he said. “My goal is to know who everyone is by Christmas.” Bressler said he looks forward to getting to know staff, students and families. “Relationships are important things in school,” he said. “Learning important traditions, how does it work and why do we do the things we do.” Bressler estimates he spends 70, even 80 hours a week at school and extracurricular
Photo by Jacinda Dent
Phil Bressler “spots” for a Developmental Leadership student during a teambuilding activity at Wildwood on Sept. 19.
activities. “I want to see as much as I can so I can understand the high school and the culture of the community; to get to know people,” Bressler said. “I went to a cross country meet, even though I didn’t get to see them run, I did to talk to a couple kids, the coach and a parent. After cross country I went to a volleyball game.” He said he watches everything. “I think it’s important to see students do their things, not just sports; drama, forensics, concerts,” Bressler said. “I want to go to each at least once.” Hines said his reception to his new position has gone well. He said he’s looking forward to watching the teachers in the classroom and talking with students he hadn’t had the chance to meet when he was teaching. The most difficult adaptation has been the amount of time the job has taken away from his family he said. “Any week I work less than 60 hours is a blessing,” Hines said. “I’m doing two people’s job right now. One minute I’m dealing with a parent on a student issue, next I’m helping a teacher build something, the next I’m in a meeting or helping
a student. I come to work and I don’t know 100 percent of what I’m going to be doing. Half the time it’s just reacting to what happens.” Hines said it means he has to be a problem solver, which he enjoys. He also said if something happens at school that doesn’t fall under someone else’s job description, he and Bressler do it. Business and technology teacher Pam Fette said both administrators are accepting the challenge of their new positions in a positive manner. “Part of the challenge is them trying to do three jobs between two people,” Fette said. “That can be very overwhelming.” The administration has changed some policies. The changes include: • teachers in the parking lot in the morning to welcome students and address disciplinary issues. • cell phone policy. • Friday school replacing inschool-suspension . • re-introducing the fight song at the pep rally. • Minute-to-Win-It every Friday at lunch. • altered the teacher report
Admins: see page 2
Terrible. Awful. Brutal. Those are the words of special education teacher Nick Traugott when describing Friday school. Replacing ISS, Friday school is stricter and more inconvenient to students, which is why assistant principal Jeff Hines said he is so optimistic about it. “The kids I have personally talked to that have already been in it say they hate it,” Hines said. “It takes away their social time and they don’t want to go.” Hines said Friday school was implemented instead of in-school suspension because it provides immediate disciplinary action. “Last year, the administration would usually wait until there were three or four students to serve it,” said Hines. Traugott said he never really saw ISS as a punishment for students. “I used to hear students talk about trying to get into ISS,” he said. “They are still considered ‘in class’ but they can just sit in there in sleep all day.” Friday school goes from 2:25 until 5:25 p.m. Any students who do not attend assigned Friday school will have one more week to make it up and then will receive two days of out-of-school suspension starting the next Monday. “While students are in Friday school, there are strict rules they have to follow,” Hines said. “The only things they are allowed to do is to work on homework, read an educational book or stare at the wall.” Traugott has supervised Friday school and says some kids try to “act tough” about being in Friday school. “Some kids come in and just stare at the wall determined not to do anything, but after about 45 minutes
you can see them starting to break down because they are so bored,” he said. “You can only stare at a wall for so long.” Teachers are asked to volunteer to supervise Friday school, but there are added incentives to sweeten the deal. “Teachers are paid an hourly rate and Mr. Bressler and I give them a gift card as well,” said Hines. Traugott said the incentives are fair. “[The administration] makes it as pain free as possible for the teachers,” he said. Student’s reactions to the new policy are mixed. “I think it is the worst idea ever,” said junior Matt Bastarache. “Students will just try to find new ways to get past things to avoid serving a Friday school.” Senior Kelsey Loftiss disagrees. “Forcing students to stay after school will make them not get into trouble because they do not want to stay after on a Friday,” she said. Sophomore Ian Johnston said he thinks students will probably try to harder to not get into trouble so they do have to serve a Friday school. “But ISS is better because kids still have to do their work and it is more convenient,” he said. Some teachers, like language arts teacher Duane Lintz, are unsure how well the new policy will work as a punishment. “I don’t think it has been in place long enough to change students’ behaviors,” he said. “I’m not sure if it will.” Most agree though that you do not want to get sent to Friday school. “It’s a punishment for me and I don’t have to be there,” said Traugott.