Thursday, February 10, 2011 - Tiger
News
Drug dog continues campus presence
RYLA presented to three outstanding students By Josh Roquemore Staff Writer
By Meghan Roche Staff Writer Students and administration continue to take note of “drug dog” Mya’s periodic visits to campus. Since her introduction to the school back in October, Mya has visited classrooms to patrol for illegal paraphernalia a total of five times, according to Assistant Principal Mr. Terrance Dunn. “Whenever there’s a controlled substance found (in addition to always calling the student in question’s parents) we have called the police... It’s an Ed. Code violation to not alert the appropriate law enforcement upon the discovery of something illegal,” said Dunn. Out of these five visits, Mya has “alerted” on 11 students’ backpacks, and appropriate action was taken. According to Dunn, “The majority of [the alerts] have been residual odors,” though he also said, “There have been actual substances alerted on only five times.” On a side note, he says that, “Mya has not alerted on any one person more than once.” Some people have noted that they have seen Mya come to the school several times in a short period within the last month. Says Dunn, “Mya has come twice in the past week, but her services were not able to be utilized because nobody was able to go with her. She cannot go out with the handler if a member of the administration is not present.” Dunn also noted that Mya is a working dog. “I know she’s cute, she’s cuddly, but if you want to pet her [you] have to at least ask her handler if it’s okay. Her time costs the school district money.”
Sam Gurley
Alternate RYLA recipient Thomas von Bibra will learn new leadership skills at camp.
Ms Janet Bryson began her career in mathematics as a teacher in Temple City, after getting her Master’s degree in math from Wheaton College. Since then, she has had a wide variety of experiences with teaching and coaching math. Although she has primarily worked in California, she has also traveled to schools in Hawaii and Mali, Africa. Bryson began working as a math coach when she was invited to participate in Teachers Assisting Students to Excel in Learning Mathematics (TASEL-M), a program in Orange County. There, she collaborated with the Orange County Department of Education and Cal State Fullerton to help teachers and schools in Orange improve their efficiency and reach the standards set by the No Child Left Behind Act. “I worked on program improvement,” said Bryson. “The number of students proficient in Algebra went from 60% to 81%.” After participating in this project, Bryson realized that what she really enjoyed was working with other teachers to be more effective. “How I see my job is to provide resources, but most
Three South Pasadena High School students were extended invitations to attend a Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) conference on March 4- 6. Juniors Jason Koo and Alexander Prescott are the primary recipients, and junior Thomas von Bibra was chosen as an alternate candidate. “It is a camp that Rotary puts up and completely pays for every year to help build leadership skills in students who attend,” said von Bibra. “They have a bunch of activities set up for the people there
that help teach life skills, and leadership abilities with [both] small and large groups of people.” The Rotary Club, which sponsors RYLA, promotes youth leadership and awareness on a localto-global scale. Camps and conferences such as this are meant to promote leadership and enthusiasm for local clubs. “I am looking forward to representing South Pasadena while I meet other young leaders at the conference,” said Prescott. “Hopefully it will be just as fun as it is beneficial and engaging.” While Rotary has over a million members
worldwide, few students are chosen to attend camps like RYLA. After an application and interview process, four students were chosen from the South Pasadena school district. There were two girls and two boys chosen as well as two alternates. “RYLA recognizes current leadership achievements and enhances students skills as well,” said RYLA chair member Sara Munshin. The students able to accept this honor will attend the conference on the designated Friday through Sunday and return to their peers again to apply what they learn.
Has the drug dog affected campus life? Students and staff share their opinions on Mya’s impact on SPHS. Mr. Pat Barr, SPHS Computer Technician:
Cynthia Ream, 10th Grade:
“Well, we know some items are here, but we don’t know if the drug dog is a deterrent. The only way we can tell if it is effective is by comparing data from before and after the drug dog. Other than that, we’re just guessing.”
“The dog came into my class multiple times, but didn’t find anything. I think that shows that it has reduced drug use on campus.”
Michelle Gin, 9th Grade:
“I don’t think it’s made much of a difference. People wise up... Maybe in terms of bringing drugs to school but certainly not usage.”
“I get what they’re doing and why they’re doing it, but I don’t think it’s had a huge impact.”
Math mentor to contribute to program improvement at South Pasadena High School By Amber Laird and Ande Withers Tiger Staff
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importantly, to engage in conversations,” said Bryson. “I encourage teachers to reflect on their practices.” One of Bryson’s primary goals as a math coach is to encourage teachers to ensure that their students are engaged and active in their learning. “I tend to think specifically,” said Bryson. “All the students in the classroom must be actively engaged. This can be challenging for teachers, but also for students—it’s easy to be passive about learning if you want to be.”
Like the teachers and administration, Bryson believes that there is plenty of room to grow in the SPHS math department. To her, being a math coach is about helping teachers adjust to a much different generation of students. “To expect that instruction that worked for me is going to work for [these students] is ludicrous,” she said. “Math used to be about processes. Now, we can know those processes instantly. It’s not just about information anymore. It’s about understanding.”
Edmund Mandin-Lee
Ms Bryson has been hired as a math coach for SPUSD.
John Weiner, 12th Grade:
Sam Gurley
Mya visits room 425 while on campus.