Seniors leave with some final words
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a student newspaper
shstalisman@gmail.com
the Talisman
Sheldon High School 2455 willakenzie Rd., Eugene, OR 97401 vol. 48
Issue 8 June 5, 2013
Springfest leaves students wanting more There seems to be something missing from Springfest, but studetns and staff enjoy the lighthearted event nonetheless Cya Silva opinions editor Springfest has been a long-standing tradition at Sheldon High. Everyone has end-of-the-year-itis, and we all need a moment to acknowledge the sunshine. Although several days have been set aside for the springtime activities in the past, due to schedule changes, what remains is one single extended lunch period. But that didn’t stop students and staff from making the best of it. Walking through the courtyard on Thursday, it was clear to see that the Irish were enjoying the event. The full hour of free time following a positive springrecognition assembly gave students the
opportunity to spend time with peers. Senior Haley Powers said, “I was at the GSA table hanging out with friends.” Powers said that Springfest was fun, but she said that, if the event went for multiple days, “I think it would have been more fun. You really need [Springfest] to be longer in order to experience what it has to offer.” Similarly, English teacher Ms. Tierney said, “It used to be a lot less stress-filled. When there’s an entire week of things like this, it’s different.” Regardless, senior Brandon Hawks and his crew were rocking out on the courtyard steps, helping to create a festive atmosphere. The inflatable obstacle course was a draw for those willing to give it a go, while the jousting ring gave spectators some very good entertainment.
Micah Tamasaka photo
Sophomore Keegan Nolan, senior Justin Graff, and senior Brandon Hawks set the tone for Springfest with their jams as students crowded around in the courtyard.
Sheldon will face big changes and unknowns Proficiency grading, Smarter Balanced testing, 3x5, and the list goes on
and faculty. One of the main drawbacks is the necessity of more testing in order keep the accessible information up to date. It will attempt to better assess the critical thinking aspect of a student’s learning experience, as well as implement a more “computer adaptive” system into the schools Grant Schmaedick (thought to produce a more accurate snapshot of knowledge staff writer and ability of a student body as a whole). In essence, this change represents the further standardization of curriculum One thing is for sure: Sheldon will be different next year. and learning. This new testing system that will be used to Talk of change has clouded the air and made its way into gage the progress of students is yet to show concrete evinumerous articles in the Talisman and other publications; dence of a positive effect in other states where it has been however, many of the details of these changes are yet to implemented. Once it is implemented at Sheldon during the come to light and are shrouded by the rumors and emotions 2013-2014 school year, the effects will become more obvious of all those involved. The changes include a new schedule as they are witnessed first-hand by the faculty and students. and a new grading scale, the latter being less commonly unAside from the issue of testing, actual grading policies are derstood but just as profound in effect. A’s and B’s will be being altered in a nation-wide push for “proficiency-based harder to come by, and tests will play an even more promi- grading.” As defined by the Eugene School District, the new nent role in the classroom. As new details arise, our image grading rubric includes evaluations such as “Highly Profiof what school will be like next year will become clearer, cient,” “Proficient,” and “Nearly Proficient,” which will be but one thing is sure: Sheldon will be different next year. used to determine the letter grade earned by a student. AcThe omnipresent obstacle of standardized testing is also cording to the district, “In order to earn an A, the student undergoing changes. The previous OAKS testing system must be highly proficient in most content learning targets.” that has been in place for a number of years is being reAnother relatively unrecognized change coming Sheldon’s placed by a new system, namely the Smarter Balanced As- way next year is the replacement of school health-centers, sessment Consortium. This new system of testing is sup- which will be replaced by a single school nurse. Together, posedly more comprehensive and accessible to the students the health centers of Churchill, Sheldon, North Eugene, and
South Eugene require a budget of approximately $800,000 dollars per year in district funds. 4J denies that money is the only factor behind the shutdown. In an interview with KVAL, 4J Support Services’ Cheryl Linder said, “By reallocating those funds and increasing our nursing services, we can lower [the nurse-to-student] ratio to one to 1,400 kids.” Because the ratio is still so uneven, its relevance in explaining why 4j decided to make the change is often questioned. The district will save $100,000 by closing the clinics, which appears to be the true motivation for the shift. While nearly all of these changes will affect the staff at Sheldon, a change to the attendance program appears to have the most benefits. The Synergy Student Information System is expected to be a more whole, effective system than the previously implemented eSIS program. When asked about the problems related to the current system, attendance clerk Mary Livermore said, “The biggest problem with the current system is that it is no longer supported by the software company that developed it.” This means that when problems occur with eSIS that cannot be resolved by on-campus technicians, the problem often cannot be fixed at all without the help of the development company. This flaw compounds errors that occur every day—an extreme hindrance to the efficiency of the attendance office. The new Synergy system looks to correct the problem and further stream-line Sheldon’s attendance and grading procedures.
Juniors have mixed feelings about siblings Gain some insight into the lives of Sheldon students who share the halls with their siblings Sammie Tracewelll staff writer Each year, quite a few Sheldon students attend the first day of school with their freshmen siblings by their side. To the bystanders in the hallways, it may seem as if the siblings can tolerate each other. What is it really like, though, for the siblings themselves? Some siblings are best friends, while others feel beyond embarrassed when they are seen together in public. With summer just around the corner, now’s the perfect time to discover what students may be feeling about attending Sheldon next year with their younger brother or sister. Junior Morgan Bailey is most looking forward to her sister being on dance team with her this coming school year. Although Bailey is extremely close with her sister, she doesn’t want her to be, ‘the annoying freshman’ next year. Bailey also noted that she’ll probably take her sibling
to lunch a few times. One piece of advice that Bailey has for her sister is, “Don’t ruin your GPA freshman year like I did.” Next year should be a pretty exciting one for the both of them, especially since they get along very well. Junior Cody Blakenship currently has a brother in eighth grade, and plans on, “making his first year (of high school) a little miserable,” said Blakenship. Although Blakenship may be set on this idea, he also noted that he’ll “play hacky sack with him, and maybe take him to lunch once or twice.”
Caleb Patrick photo
Junior Mckinley Patrick and her eighth grade brother, Solomon Patrick, look forward to next year.
Blakenship also said that his younger brother is looking forward to the transition between schools because he can eat better food. Another thing that Blakenship’s brother is most looking forward to about high school is taking AP chemistry. Lastly, Blakenship does indeed believe that his sibling will act “too cool for school” this upcoming school year. Two things that junior Mckinley Patrick likes most about her younger brother are that he is very responsible and punctual. Patrick is excited for her sibling to attend Sheldon next year because “he’ll probably do cross country, so that’ll be fun to be on the same team together.” Patrick also said that she will definitely acknowledge her brother in the hallways by screaming whenever she sees him. Patrick noted that she and her brother get along great on a daily basis. Lastly, Patrick is looking forward to her brother going to Sheldon with her so that she can “see him at school every day.” Many siblings get along fine and enjoy being around each other, but there are also some who absolutely cannot stand each other. Several Sheldon students will be joined next school year by their siblings, and most are looking forward to it. From being on the same sports team to going to lunch together, current Sheldon students are looking forward to making new memories with their incoming siblings.