OCR Text |
Show ols B4 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2008 Covering what matters most Board discusses technology Lindsay B. Wolsey STAFF WRITER i i * I f"l Can M«e « Oift*rtncu Bv Courtesy/>/io(o MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Region Reflections winners from Spanish Fork and Salem are, left to right, Spencer Van Ausdal, Jessica Jensen, Jennifer Clark, Bethany Graham and Anna Tanner. Regional Reflections winners The Region 10 PTA Reflections Awards Program was held at the Provo School District's Art Center on Jan. 31, 2008. This year's theme was "I Can Make a Difference...". The region winners came from students in the Provo and Nebo School Districts. There are 52 schools from Provo down to Santaquin and Goshen. They had almost 3,000 entries from the local level entered into this year's Reflections Contest. Students who were winners on this evening had been previousfirstplace winners at their schools and the council levels. In attendance at the evening's program were Nebo School Districts Superintendent Chris Sorensen and Ray Morganfromthe Provo School District to present students with their awards. We want to congratulate the following students from Spanish Fork and Salem who took first place in their arts categories. The Music Composition Primary. Winner was Jessica Jensen, a second grader from Larsen Elementary with entry titled "I Can Make a Difference by Helping Animals be Nicer and Better for the World". The Theater Primary Winner was Spencer VanAusdal, a second grader from Salem Elementary, with entry titled "Service". The Dance Choreography Primary Winner was Bethany Graham, a second grader from Larsen Elementary, with dance titled "I Can Make a Difference by Playing with People who are Left Out." The Dance Choreography Intermediate Winner was Anna Tanner, a fifth grader from Canyon Elementary, with dance titled "Together We Can Make a Difference". The Dance Choreography Middle/ Junior High Winner was Jennifer Clark, a sixth grader from Brockbank Elementary, with dance titled "I Can Make a Difference by Smiling". These students will now go on to compete at the State level PTA Reflections Program. Congratulations! Brenda Burr appointed at Salem Hills Lana Hiskey NEBO DISTRICT years and occasionally choreographed the school plays or choir productions. Brenda Burr has been apShe also teaches classroom pointed by the Nebo Board management for secondary of Education as the Assiseducation majors at Brigham tant Principal of Salem Hills Young University as an High School. She is curadjunct faculty member. rently an English teacher at In 2007, Burr was Springville High and is finawarded Springville High's ishing up the Brigham Young Teacher of the Year. MA University's Leader PrepaAnn Anderson, Salem ration Program (LPP). She Hills High principal, said, graduated from University "Mrs. Burr's ability to teach of Central Oklahoma with a and connect with students bachelor's degree and will is extra ordinary! She is an graduate from BYU with a Brenda Burr outstanding teacher who goes master's degree. above and beyond the duties Burr has taught in four School for nine years teaching required. Upon entering her states: Nevada, Oklahoma, English. She coached cheer classroom, you quickly realize Missouri and Utah. She has and was the advisor for the the students are working hard been at Springville High student council for four and at the same time having fun. If there is something Brenda can't do, I don't know what it is!" Ms. Burr believes in serving the community. She serves as an ambassador for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. HONORING EXCELLENCE AT She said, "I will be forever grateful to the students of Springville High School for joining me in my passion to Senior Kyle Zeyer is the help families with critically son of Kathy and Rodney ill children. Together, we continue to be touched by the Zeyer of Spanish Fork. Kyle's power of a wish." favorite classes are a cappelBurr said, "I found great la, seminary and history. He friends and mentors within enjoys doing photography in the faculty and staff of his spare time, and is an avid Springville High School and Spanish Fork sports fan. On appreciate all they have taught a road trip, Kyle would travel to Glacier, Mont. As for music choice — "definitely country," he said. f" Security Insurance TOP DON SFHS Kyle Zeyer me. Many of Springville's teachers are legends who have inspired me with their years of dedicated service to students. I am thrilled to be part of opening a new high school and forming tradition. I look forward to being part of an administrative team with Ann Anderson and Troy Bohling, both of whom I respect deeply. I appreciate what I have learned from my former administrators, Mike Hicks, Dr. John Webb, Rick Robins, and Reese Brunson. And I carry with me into an administrative position my absolute love for teaching. The students of my classrooms gave me the chance to do what I love and taught me to look forward to a future with them in charge. They have kept me young at heart. As an administrator, I hope to continue to be able to motivate and encourage students." Ms. Burr's personal motto is taken from a quote by Winston Churchill, "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." Brenda loves reading* jogging, dancing, and watching old movies. She is married to Kevin, and they reside in Springville. Their four children are all in college at NYU, BYU, OU, and OSU. The Nebo School Board Meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 6, was all about technology. This was the first time the School Board used their new laptops during a School Board Meeting. Board President Dean Rowley asked attendees to bear with them as they learned how to use the new technology. It's a good thing he mentioned that, because Rowley got a little mixed up OH the order of the agenda, calling for the program review before the agenda was done. As Rowley said, "Things might not go as smoothly tonight as they have in previous meetings." Spanish Fork High School Principal Dave McKee introduced Shauna Whittekiend, a teacher in the business department at SFHS. Whittekiend and two of her students walked the School Board through the basics of making a website. Students start out using Notepad and basic HTML code, men move into using Macromedia's Dreamweaver and Adobe Photoshop. "Four years ago, we offered three basic web design classes; now we offer eight classes and we have to turn kids away," Whittekiend explained. "And each year enrollment in our advanced classes grows." Students begin the web design classes with a limited amount of knowledge, and actually create their own web sites before the class ends. "By the end of the class, pages look more professional as students grasp the skills being taught," Whittekiend said. SFHS Juniors Sadie Allphin and Michelle Clare showed the Board the web sites they had completed after taking the web design classes. Allphin said she learned valuable skills by taking these classes. "I don't think a day goes by that I don't use the Internet as a source for something," she said. Allphin is also using the skills she has gained in the web design classes to help put together a web site for the school newspaper. • Students in the business classes at SFHS are sought after to do web and desktop publishing for local companies. These opportunities don't just come along after graduation — it is common for students who are still in the program to be working on outside contracts. Right after the students from SFHS showed off what they are learning in their business classes, Nedra Call reported to the Board on the 21st Century Learning Skills project At the request of the Board, Nebo's Curriculum Department has been working on ways to help students prepare for life in the 21st Century. Assessment Specialist Seth Sorensen reported on some of the technical changes currently being made in Nebo Schools. 'Technology shouldn't stand alone, but should be integrated into every aspect of learning," he said. 'The current movement is to move to computer based testing instead of pencil and paper testing. We have tests where students can demonstrate actual knowledge — we can see exactly what the students know," Sorensen said "Students come into class with cell phones and iPods, and that's not going to change. So we treat this as learning opportunities, not as a distraction." Teachers are also focusing on teaching students how to evaluate Internet sources for credibility and validity. "We live in a media rich society. Anyone can post anything they want We've all gotten e-mailsfromthe King of Nigeria asking us to give him our social security numbers and bank account information. We need to teach our students how to find out what's accurate," Sorensen said One of the newest uses of technology in the classroom is MOODLE, an on-line learning environment Students (and teachers) are able to take advantage of MOODLE to take additional classes, supplement regular classes, or even download assignments. Literary Specialist Debbie May spoke on the importance of staff development, particularly on the importance of keeping up-to-date. 'It's a whole new learning environment Kids can manipulate technology in so many ways. They need to see how the content they are learning is relevant to the real world," she said Parent/Teacher conference scheduled Dons' Early Light Mary Anne Hillier Spanish Fork High School parents and students, remember third term Parent/Teacher Conference, coming up on Thursday,-Feb. 28, 2008, 3:30-8 p.m. in the Spanish Fork High School New Gym. Week at a Glance Monday, Feb. 18 - President's Day - no school State Girls Basketball Tournament Tuesday, Feb. 19 - A Day State Girls Basketball Tournament Boys Basketball Game v. American Fork Wednesday, Feb. 20 - B Day Broadway Blast - Choirs Collaboration -.Late Start Thursday, Feb. 21 — A Day Broadway Blast - Choirs Friday, Feb. 22 - B Day Broadway Blast Sponsored by: - . ^ ^SilRBgFitu Q Aliiad P ^ s i , h . » g 290 N. Main Spanish Fork Insurance A iG •E i N iC iY Upcoming Events m Feb. 25 — March 1 — State Boys Basketball Tournament Feb. 29 — Career Fair for Juniors and Seniors 798-3500 i X |