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Show WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2009 • B l Covering what matters most SFHS Calendar More money allocated for Chinese classes in high schools Dons' Early Light Mary Anne Hillier Lindsay B. Wolsey STAFF WRITER Week at a Glance The Nebo School District Board of Education received quite the treat at the Wednesday, February 11 meeting. Drama students from Diamond Fork Junior High performed a scene from their upcoming production of the musical Mulan Jr. Like most teenage attendees of School Board Meetings, the students filled the back two rows of the meeting room until they were brought forward by Principal Troy Peterson. "We are grateful to be here tonight. We are proud of our drama students," Peterson said. Diamond Fork Jr. has good reason to be proud. The 16 students, clad mainly in black and with only a rope for a prop, performed "I'll Make A Man Out Of You." Members of the Board moved into the audience for the duration of the performance, and the drama students did an excellent job of transforming the conference room into a soldiers training camp. Diamond Forks production of Mulan runs March 11-14. After the drama students had received their applause and taken their bows, Diamond Fork Community Council Chair Laurie Dallin addressed the Board. The Community Council for Diamond Fork Jr. High was able to fund a Monday, Feb. 23 - B Day Tuesday, Feb. 24 - A Day Band Concert Boys Basketball vs. Pleasant Grove Wednesday, Feb. 25 - B Day Parent Teacher Conferences 3:30-8 p.m. New Gym Thursday, Feb. 26 - A Day Drama Department - "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying" Courtesy photo LANGUAGES: Pictured, back row, left to right, are Debra Wells, Delon Lier, Laurie Haupt and Julie Haupt; front row, Mary Wells, Nedra Call and LioXiaoXi. math lab and homework German, Japanese, Spanlab out of the 2008 Trust- ish, and American Sign lands Money. The coun- Language," Call said. "In cil also purchased LCD 2005 the state invited our projectors and funded schools to pilot a Chinese professional training for language program." teachers. Due to the success of "We provided new the Mandarin Chinese materials for the special program at Mapleton Jr. education department, the High, Springville High journalism department, and Payson High, in 2008 books for the level library," more money was allocated for Chinese language proDallin stated. According to Dallin, the grams in the schools. council fakes responsibility "Recently we added for the Trustlands money Arabic at Salem Hills High very seriously. School," Call continued. "We, make sure we're "District wide, we have all comfortable with the 1944 students in World expense, and that it ties in Language Classes." with our school improveSpringville Jr. High ment plan," Dallin said. teacher Debra Wells exFollowing the presenta- plained how the Chinese tion by Diamond Jr. High, program works. "We have Curriculum Director Nedra live teachers and also Call introduced the World broadcasts of classes from BYU with Master InstrucLanguage Report. "Traditionally we've tors," Wells said. offered classes in French, Two students from Springville Jr, High demonstrated their education by conversing in Chinese, while Level 4 student Laurie Hought translated. During the demonstration, every member of the School Board was smiling. Hought is the only Level 4 Chinese student at Springville High School. "I had an opportunity to go to China with a performing group, and then I took Mandarin Chinese at Mapleton Jr. High. I took an immersion class at BYU last summer," she explained. At Superintendant Chris Sorenson's request, Hought further demonstrated her skills by telling a story. "If anybody is worried about 21st century education in Nebo, they should see this. We should be celebrating," said Board Member Randy Boothe. "This is top notch education." Mechatronics program available to secondary education students Lana Hiskey NEBO DISTRICT Valley University (UVU) received a federal grant to get Mechatronics started at JoAnn Turtle, director the college level. As Gorof Career and Technology don Stokes, from UVU, Education (CTE), intro- wrote the federal grant, he duced some amazing junior worked with Career and high students from across Technology Education the district to the Nebo (CTE) Directors from area School Board. These ju- school districts to include nior high students showed equipment that introduces the Nebo School Board of secondary students to the Education how they had Mechatronics program learned and used com- as well. UVU personnel puter programming logic then trained Nebo District to build robots with light, teachers on the use of the sound, and motion sensors. equipment during a twoThe students programmed week summer session. and demonstrated a stuJoAnn stated, "The judent-built, voice-activated nior high students begin catapult with a remote con- using the Robots in their trol vehicle. Career and Technology Students from Nebo ju- Education (CTE) Introducnior high and high schools tion and Exploring classes. are learning new skills us- The senior high students ing Lego Mindstorm Ro- apply even more advanced bots. Mechatronics is a new concepts such as measurprogram which combines ing distance, velocity, and the use of computers, elec- acceleration in their rotronics, and robotics. Utah bots in the Physics with Courtesy photo MR. ROBOTO: A students shows off his Lego Robot. Technology classes. Our students are excited to explore and apply math and science concepts as they design, build, and control their new Lego Robots." Key Club's service project helps to display vision statement in all of the classrooms Kaydee O'Brien SFHS ber of the Key club who helped out by putting up the stickers. She said, "The stickers were very difficult to put up, and it was cool to do service for the teachers at our own school." The Key Club approximately did between 20-30 classrooms, because some of the other classrooms already had the stickers Spanish Fork High School Key Club is doing a banner service project for the teachers here at tbe school. The Key club advisor, Mrs. Poulsen, came up with the idea to hang the "Here, We Learn For Life" vision statement in every classroom. ^W!M '">' Katy Dallon is a mem'--• Ifhank you key club! Courtesy photo VISION: The Key Club helped to display SFHS's vision , statement in all of the classrooms. ••• : \' i; * / "'>\';;'\'-:>r^^> Friday, Feb. 27 - B Day Drama Department - "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying" Saturday, Feb. 28 Drama Department - "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying" Upcoming Events March 4 - Winter Choir Concert March 7 - Saturday Detention - 6:30-10:30 a.m. March 14 - Saturday Detention 6:30-10:30 a.m. March 20 - Teacher Development Day No school for students March 23 - 4th Term Begins Sharisa Nay places nationally Kaydee O'Brien SFHS We would like to congratulate Sharisa Nay, a senior at Spanish Fork High School, for being one of the top 3 finalists for the "Being an American" essay contest. This is the first year this national contest has been opened for competition to Utah. There were over 30,000 entries in the nine regions. Sharisa said, "American History is my favorite subject to follow, and when I saw this essay contest it caught my eye!" She wrote on the subject American Virtue and the Founding Father George Washington. When Sharisa got the package in the mail she said, "I noticed that it was a big envelope, so that means a lot of information, which Sharisa Nay means BIG prize! I just couldn't get the envelope opened fast enough, I was so excited." Sharisa will get to go to Washington D.C. for the awards ceremony in March 2009. The grand prize is 5,000 dollars, 2nd prize is 2,500 dollars, and 3rd prize is 1,250 dollars. We wish Sharisa the best of luck! Hatch interns at Art City Family Medical Center Victoria Williams SFHS Chelsea Hatch is a senior at Spanish Fork High School. She has acquired her CNA certificate from Mountainland Applied Technology College. She is currently enrolled in the internship program at Spanish Fork High School, and is helping out at Art City Family Medical Center. At the Art City Family Medical Center, Chelsea helps by taking the patients to an examination room, checking patient's blood pressure, weight, and temperature, asking why they are visiting the doctor, and observes many medical procedures. "I love being able to help Chelsea Hatch thqse who are sick!" exclaims Chelsea, "Because it gives me an enlightened feeling when I do." Chelsea plans to attend the University of Utah for the nursing program. |