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Show Field trip provides input Attendance at Uintah High School The recently established Student Improvement Im-provement Committee at Uintah High School UHS were able to get some perspective on problems at the school during a field trip to see other high schools in the state this past week. "I came back feeling a little better about our school," said Assistant Principal Prin-cipal Jan Nelson at a meeting of the committee com-mittee Thursday night. "I feel better about our school in general. I'm now committed to do my part to work on the problems we have here," said teacher Kris Wilson. Similar comments came from other members of the committee. After seeing other situations, the problems at UHS don't loom so large. There seemed to be a majority of the committee who believe apathy does not begin and end at UHS, but society as a whole has a problem right now which must be dealt with. Bill Caldwell, UHS Principal, said since the school cannot do anything about other situations, he is dedicated to do something about the situation at hand problems at UHS. The Student Improvement Committee is made up of students, teachers, administrators, ad-ministrators, and parents. Its purpose is to make recommendations to the administration, ad-ministration, and its goal is general improvement im-provement of UHS. Schools visited on the field trip were Murray, Timp View, Springville, Provo, Brighton, Viewmont, and Pleasant Grove. Since each member of the committee com-mittee only visited two schools, reports were given by each member present at the meeting explaining what they observed at the schools visited. Reports of the group varied from thinking some schools had better situations situa-tions than UHS, to others thinking schools had problems just as bad, if not worse, than UHS. While at the schools, the committee members spoke with administrators, teachers, and students to see how they varied in operation from UHS and to see what they might do to make school a better bet-ter place. Among things mentioned by members of the committee were attendance policy, promotion of academics (especially at Provo), advanced placement classes, changing from two lunch schedules to one longer lunch schedule with time for intramural sports programs, schools with similar crowding problems to Uintah's, Uin-tah's, under-staffing problem at Uintah, counciling inadequacies, garbage problems pro-blems at other schools, possibility of eliminating announcements which disrupt classes, modular scheduling, recognition of academic achievements, athlete and academic halls of fame, and the possibility possi-bility of printing a parentstudent manual which has been previously done at UHS. It is hoped that each of these issues can be addressed by the committee. During this meeting, an attendance policy became the major issue for discussion, since that was the number one item of student concern in a recent survey completed com-pleted at the school. Of the six schools visited, attendance policies varied drastically. The policy at UHS revolves around a five day leniency lenien-cy policy, during which time students are not questioned as to why they were not at school, as long as their parents know why they are not at school, know where . they are, and give permission for the student stu-dent to be absent. After five excused absences students must make up class time in order to get credit for the class. This make ud time is spent after school with the teacher whose class was missed. The present policy also has a check incheck out system, whereby a student must check into school at the office if he is not present when school begins, and must check out with the office whenever leaving school prior to the final bell. This check incheck out system is handled through phone calls to parents of students. If parents cannot be reached, the student may not leave school. Attendance at UHS is about 92 percent. Among the schools visited by the committee, com-mittee, attendance policies varied significantly. Some schools had similar attendance policies, while others actually actual-ly had varying policies within the school. At Provo High School each department has its own attendance policy, and total attendance is reported at 97 percent. At Murray the leniency period is seven days, but once a student has reached the eighth day, there is no possibility to make up additional absences. The student simply fails that particular class. After lengthy discussion, the general feeling of the committee was that the attendance at-tendance policy at UHS is a good compromise. com-promise. A motion was passed to keep the present policy of five days of excused excus-ed absences before time must be made up, with these changes: 1). Phone calls to parents should be made by adults, not by students, for verification of check ins and check outs. 2 ).. Make up time should be completed within a five day period of the absence. This gives a student a better bet-ter chance for a learning experience, rather than simply punishment time. 3 ) . Since students are expected to be in class on time, teachers should also be to class on time. Teachers who are tardy should receive some type of punishment. 4). Communication to students to clarify attendance at-tendance policy is imperative. Student members of the committee said there, are many student's who "get in trouble over the attendance policy, and don't even know it until it is too late to make up the work or time. These recommendations were passed along to Principal Caldwell and Principal Prin-cipal Nelson. Although the Student Improvement Im-provement Committee is not a policy making board, Mr. Caldwell said he would take very seriously recommendations recommenda-tions of the committee. Mr. Caldwell said some of the recommendations would be implemented almost immediately. ', Future meetings of the committee will deal with the rest of the student concerns listed during that recent survey. They were, in order of importance, attitudes of students and administrators, school facilities, need for qualified teachers in their field, funding and recognition of extra-curricular clubs and activities, poor curriculum and graduation requirements, re-quirements, physical education, and mandatory school attendance age. |