Spokesman Issue 1 2011-2012

Page 1

online

index

Dunbar to retire, pg 10

news 1-2 forum 3 feature 4-5 focus 6-7 la voz 8 a&e 9 sports 10

News

WHS hosts BattleBots

A&E

Three full CD reviews

Sports Homecoming game

Spokesman ‘With Their Eyes’ pg 9

whs

Volume 48 Issue 1

Sept. 23, 2011

Wheeling High School 900 S. Elmhurst Rd. Wheeling, Ill. 60090

District 214 students react to increase in cookie prices

Buffalo Grove High School made shirts about the cookie prices. As of this school year, “I bought a shirt, and I’m the prices of the WHS and not buying the cookies at the rest of District 214’s school either. One student cookies rose from 25 cents started selling our shirts to 50 cents, causing mixed at the corner where The emotions from the student Melting Pot was,” Violet body. Luczak, junior at BGHS, The prices of the cookies said. increased because of the Although a majority of economy and the cost of the the upperclassmen refuse supplies to make cookies. to buy the cookies, the “We fought to keep the freshmen do not mind the cookies rise in prices the same because The prices of price as they did last year not attend everything went up: but we W H S flour, sugar, eggs, d i d n’t last year everything. win. It when the Cindy Kennedy was out cookies of our 25 cafeteria worker cost c o n t r o l ,” cents. Cindy Kennedy, cafeteria “I don’t really care for worker, said. the raise in the price. I Charlie Kirk, senior, wasn’t here for it, and I like started a Facebook group the cookies so I buy them,” called, “Wheeling High Jenny Afonina, freshman, School Against Cookie said. Inflation.” Over 550 students Rumors have circulated have joined this group. around the school that “I’m not buying those said WHS would get new cookies until the prices go cookies and get rid of the back down. Why couldn’t current cookies, according they wait to raise the prices to Stephanie Maglaris, till next year when I won’t sophomore. be here?” Sara Kowynia, “No action has been senior, said. made yet about getting a Other schools in District new cookie. There has only 214 made Facebook groups been talk about it,” Ms. on the cookie prices as well. Kennedy said.

Lizz McDaniel Asst. Sports Editor

District 214 chose to switch over to School Logic to update grades, transcripts, schedules and attendance rather than continuing to use mygradebook and SASI. The district decided to switch over because mygradebook and SASI no longer met the needs of the large district. District 214 officially stopped using mygradebook and SASI on June 18 and started using School Logic on July 15. This transferring period made it difficult to report summer school grades since the switch occurred with classes still in session. Unlike mygradebook, School Logic has three portals: School Logic, which the counselors and administration use; Teacher Logic, which the teachers use to mark attendance and grades; and Home Logic, which students and parents can access. According to Dr. Holly Ravitz, associate principal, SASI included many different programs under the same label, while the three portals of School Logic work together. “Since we’re such a huge district with lots of different needs, it’s nice to have a system that we can customize to meet those needs,” Karen Barrett, English teacher and academic technology coordinator, said. Kristina Piamonte Asst. Photo Editor Eric Bobrob, freshman, buys two cookies for $1 in total. Recently, the prices of cookies and other food in the cafeteria have risen. “Why should we (the student body) be affected when others (upper classmen) got charged less?” Bobrob said.

English classes require students to purchase books District 214 aims at having their curriculum more skills-driven by requiring students to purchase the novels for their English classes this school year. The district expects students to purchase one or two books per English class with the exception of AP courses, which require the purchase of four books due to the longer reading list. According to Erin Deluga, associate principal, since students will not need to purchase of all of their English books, the surplus of books used in previous years will rotate throughout classes.

Students who qualify can receive free books

District 214 put forth district funds to purchase books for students identified as being unable to purchase the books. However, District 214 is still in the process of figuring out what to do with students who come across hardships in purchasing books but do not necessarily qualify to receive free books. “We will take care of all of the students to make sure all of the students have a book, but how they come about doing that is still the process they are in right now,” Megan Knight, English and fine arts division head, said.

Staff, students adjust to switch to School Logic Valerie Westin Photo Editor

Jasminne Hernandez Asst. Focus Editor

<www.wheelingspokesman.com>

Why students must buy books

“It’s ridiculous, it was a lot easier renting According to Ms. Knight, the district the books,” Vollmer said. According to Vollmer, even though she decided to require their students to dislikes having to purchase purchase the books because new books, having new it wants its students to ones is somewhat good have the opportunity They (my parents) because many previous to annotate their own say it’s (purchasing used books were in bad books. In previous books) a waste of condition. years, teachers provided money and that it’s “I think that’s books to students, but what’s beneficial about better using sticky they could not write in purchasing books, them. Kamilla Sikora, notes you can get. Vollmer said. sophomore and honors Kamilla Sikora Daniela Miranda, world literature student, sophomore senior and AP English said that her parents do not literature student, purchased agree with the change. According to Sikora, the change will four books as well. “Well, I buy my books anyway because I make it easier for her to learn because one annotate them, but for kids who can’t afford can now take better notes in the book. Annotating gives students the them and have other siblings in school, opportunity to interact with the reading in they shouldn’t be required to buy books,” a way they have not been able to in the past Miranda said. According to Miranda, she did not like because now they can write in their own using the books in class because she would books. “The district believes annotation is such always use a lot of sticky notes to write on, an important part of learning to read and and now, writing on the books makes it less learning to read well in developing critical complicated. Miranda’s parents do not mind her purchasing the books with the help of reading skills,” Ms. Knight said. cheap prices on the website <www.follett. com> that was in the letter every student Student opinions Miranda Vollmer, junior and AP received informing them about the change. “I think it (being able to write on the philosophy of American life student, does not appreciate the new change since she books) enhances my learning and makes it easier to learn,” Miranda said. needs to purchase four books.

Adjusting to School Logic

The many options available to adjust can make the system complicated, so Ms. Barrett and Brian Hauck, social studies teacher and academic technology coordinator, help make sure all of the changes made work properly. Students like Roman Schluter, senior, find adjusting to Home Logic fairly difficult. “It (Home Logic) might be be easier for them (freshmen) because they never had mygradebook when I did for three years,” Schluter said. According to Dr. Rick Watson, counselor, scheduling and changing schedules will take more time with School Logic than with SASI. Counselors now must drop and switch classes separately when before they could switch more than one class at once. Dr. Watson still foreshadows the faculty adjusting to the program in the long run. Starting last spring, teachers could attend training sessions on how to use the program, and on the institute day before school, they had a reminder seminar. Since some staff members need to use different parts of the program, summer seminars were separated for each specific task. Last year with mygradebook, many teachers did not actively update their online grades. To prevent that trend from continuing, teachers will no longer have the ability to record grades by paper. Teachers must submit their grades into Teacher Logic by every Sunday evening whether scores have been reported or not. “The majority of the staff has adjusted really well,” Ms. Barrett said.


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