2 (quick news)
42
116.7
million estimated number of trick-ortreaters in 2010
occupied households in the USA to trick-or-treat at
1.1
billions pounds of pumpkins produced in 2010
Compiled by Rosalyn Lucas
quick picks
pounds of candy consumed by each American during the Halloween season
by the numbers
24.7
The Reporter • October 2011
Information from Halloween Stats website.
10.17,20, 21 No school In-service
10.14 Homecoming Paola vs. Osawatomie Kick-off at 7pm
10.25 Fall Choir Concert Starts at 7:30pm Photo by Lexi Loya
Sophomore cheerleader, Nina Lopez, painted whiskers and a nose on a kindergartener’s face at the home game, Sept. 23. All the cheerleaders were painting the Bleacher Creatures faces to prepare them to perform.
Lunch cards save time Students have been getting used to the new district-wide lunch card system. Instead of lunch personnel swiping the cards through the reader, the new system puts more responsibility on the students to remember their lunch card or student ID number every day. The system allows parents to pay for lunches online via the school website for a fee. “The new system was brought in to be incorporated with Infinite Campus and make the file compatibility easier,” said cashier Rita Wobker. An advantage is by the students remembering their cards or student ID, it makes the lunch line more efficient said Wobker.
SITS in flux
Students sauntering through the senior hall after spring break noticed a gold coat of paint on the pillars. This was junior Patrick Kennedy’s inspiration for a program to get students more involved in similar projects. SITS (Students Improving the School) was formed before summer as a way for all clubs to help out. Erica Bayles, senior, said SITS has planned to fix doors in the bathrooms. Emma Dixon, senior, did not think the program was a success at first. “It was an idea that wasn’t acted upon,” she said. “We had one meeting with all the clubs and they were all going to, but no one
“Since every student only gets one lunch card, it saves me a lot of time from having to make new lunch cards,” said Wobker. Junior Dustyn Mize also said the new lunch card system is a step forward. “It makes the line a lot faster so it takes less time to get your food,” Mize said. Every transaction has to be assigned to a student. If a student pays with cash, his name has to be found in the database which can slow down the line, Wobker said. “So far the students have been very patient and we ask them to keep being patient, even if the system is not working right,” said Wobker. - carl schmidt
took the initiative to do anything about it.” Justin Elliott, sponsor, stressed the need for student participation. “We need to find ways for people who are not involved to be involved,” he said. Dixon said she hopes SITS succeeds. “If Patrick decides to commit, I think it will turn out really well,” she said. Kennedy said he has a lot to do before his idea gets fully formed, like talking with the principal. “Once I have it approved, it will be a school club,” he said. - lane harris
Administration: contd. from page 1 time to 7:30 rather than 7:45, to make it easier for students to find their teachers in the mornings and seek help. “A few things have changed, but they have been well received,” Hines said. Overall, Bressler said, nothing has really changed. “We haven’t had time to talk it over,” Bressler said. “I’m a believer that you shouldn’t change things for the sake of change. You should also involve everybody who would be impacted by that change. If we’re making changes that affect the students, I want students to be involved in that change.” Junior Tony Telegin said he thinks both Hines and Bressler are “pretty awesome”. However, he said he doesn’t care for the changes in cell phone policy. Telegin said it’s the student’s fault for having their cell phone out, but the punishment can be a bit harsh. According to the school handbook, students with a second offense will have their phone taken away and a parent or a guardian will have to retrieve it. On a third offense, the student is assigned Friday school and the parent or guardian can decide whether to pick the phone up from the office themselves or opt for the student to take it after Friday school is over. “Hopefully Mr. Bressler loosens the policies a bit after he realizes these are
responsible students for the most part,” Telegin said. Senior Jessica Drews agrees. “I don’t want things to change drastically to were my senior year was terrible because of the changes,” she said. What she’s most worried about is that the administration will get really strict. “I want to keep a bright personality inside of the school,” Drews said. “Keep it open and fun and be able to joke with the administration.” Bressler and Hines said there will be more changes in the future. It’s hard to say what changes there will be, Bressler said. “We’re looking virtually at every part of the policy and procedures and cultural issues,” he said. “Look at what there is, if we like it and if we could make it better.” “The changes we’ve made are not necessarily because they were wrong before, but we’ve just got to keep moving forward,” said Hines. “That’s important. The pep rally was the perfect example, because it shows how we’re using traditions from the past and reintroducing them, the new and the old.” “When you come in, you can’t make a lot of changes,” Fette said. “Bressler and Hines have been good about that. They see a need, then it’s discussed.”