ht Walnut Hills High School
Volume CIX, Issue 12
Testing the limits Allie Berding, ‘16 The past four weeks at Walnut Hills have been filled with reverse schedules, over-tested students, aggravated teachers and wi-fi shutdowns due to the PARCC. The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) is a standardized test administered by 13 states (including Ohio) that is aimed to align with Common Core standards. Ohio only requires that it is administered to students in grades 7-10, while in other states it is given to students in grades 3-12. The PARCC test has faced criticism from students, parents and even school district staff members from around the country for various reasons. One of the reasons the PARCC is criticized is because it is administered on computers, which puts schools who do not have enough computers for every student at a disadvantage. Computers are considered to be an unreliable source for testing because of technical problems that may arise. “My class is maybe a chapter and a half behind because of computer training, which has not happened in the years before. This is solely because of the PARCC,” math teacher Michael Herald said. Standardized testing has always been a controversial topic for parents and students. It has been speculated that it could be an inaccurate way to track student improvement and determine readiness and that the amount of money spent on it could be better spent on other improvements in education. An initiative called Ohioans Against Common Core has made it simple for parents to allow their children to opt out of the PARCC by placing a form on their website. In some school districts, including Loveland, students whose parents let them opt out received more inclass learning during testing. “I think that some [standardized tests] are important to gauge where students stand as far as general knowledge so that the state and schools can see what subject matter needs to be focused on, but the amount of different tests is overkill,” Sam Ferre, ‘17 said. “I want to find a person who can tell me a benefit that outweighs all of the expense, loss of instruction and wear and tear on the teachers,” Herald said. A bill was passed in the Ohio Senate aimed to eliminate the PARCC; if it stands, the state will choose a different standardized test. “Teachers only have so much enthusiasm, and when it is drained with something like this, I think that great teachers may end up wanting to reconsider what they’re doing with their career. The amount of time spent on trying to prepare each kid to do things such as logging on, having their password, trying to get logged off and all of the issues that happened was ridiculous,” Herald said.
daolnwoD
March 27, 2015
Breaking away from the classroom Avery Samuels, ‘16
France and Spain
Bored in an airplane or car? -Rent a movie or TV show on your electronic device. Do this before you leave, because you might not have wifi while traveling. -Download a new music album, or make yourself a playlist to listen to. -Start a sing-along. Note: Do not do this on airplanes. -Start a conversation. (Two words: outer space.) Additionally, The New York Times’ Learning Network has compiled a list of discussion questions, including: “Given unlimited resources, what scientific or medical problem would you investigate?” and “Who would be your ideal celebrity neighbor?” visit <http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/12/163-questions-to-writeor-talk-about/?_r=0> for more information. ~ Make lists. For example: things to do when you arrive at your destination, places you want to visit before you die, things you are good at, etc.
Hawaii
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JULIAN SHOCKLEY/CHATTERBOX
SENIOR Kaitlyn Cooper is an AP Art History student traveling with the school to France and Spain over spring break. The group will visit locations such as Cezanne’s studio and the Picasso Museum. AP Art History students were given the opportunity to visit Spain and France for this year’s spring break. They will stay in hotels in Barcelona, Spain as well as Provence, France and Paris, France. The 11 day trip is focused on excursions to art museums and sightseeing of various landmarks. “I’m really excited to see the lavender fields in Provence, if they’re in bloom,” Hannah Leytze, ‘16, said. “And the Louvre. I’ve been there before, but it will be cool to see now that I know stuff about art.” “I’m most excited to see Spain and the Provence area,” SENIOR Kaitlyn Cooper said. Along with the Louvre, students will get the opportunity to visit the Eiffel Tower, ChampsÉlysées and the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. In Provence, they will visit sights such as Aix-en-Provence, Paul Cezanne’s studio and the Aries Amphitheater. In Barcelona, they will see places such as the Picasso Museum and the Parc Güell.
JULIAN SHOCKLEY/CHATTERBOX
Ginger Allgood, ‘16 is traveling with the school to Hawaii over spring break. Group activities include planting trees on the side of Mount Mauna Kea and snorkeling.
➀ Bored at home?
Students interested in science are journeying to Hawaii’s big island for spring break. Their trip includes planting trees on the side of Mount Mauna Kea, the tallest mountain in the state. “[We will see the] volcanoes first, then the black and green sand beaches and then I think we go to Mauna Kea and we volunteer.” said Ginger Allgood, ‘16. They will be staying in cabins, permanent tents and a hostel throughout their trip. “ [After volunteering] we come back down to sea level, and that’s when we stay in the hostel and we go snorkeling… We’re going to be staying in less touristy places, so we get to learn more about actual Hawaiian culture, not the appropriated ‘American’ Hawaiian culture,” Allgood said.
“AIRPLANE” BY STEPHEN MCKAMEY/THENOUNPROJECT.COM
~ Read a book. ~ Watch your favorite childhood movies. ~ Stargaze. ~ Experiment with Ouija boards. ~ Give yourself a fabulous makeover. ~ Start a project: doodle, collage, cook yourself a nice meal, begin a spring garden. ~ Do something physical . A little exercise or movement--even something as minimal as stretching-- can improve your day. Some gyms offer student discounts, such as CycleBar, Pure Barre and Modo Yoga. ~ Teach yourself something EDX is a website that offers over 400 official college courses for free from institutions like Harvard, UC: Berkley, the University of Tokyo and the Sorbonne. Courses include “The Science of Happiness,” “The Greatest Unsolved Mysteries in the Universe,” “Religion and Hip Hop Culture,” “Western and Chinese Art: Masters and Classics” and “Artificial Intelligence.” The site offers review courses for various AP’s, such as Environmental Science, Physics, Biology and French. <http://www.edx.org>