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Show 1 By Supt. Lynn Haslem j Superintendent of Schools We often hear the com-' com-' plaint that there are too many competitive school activities especially in high school. We have In our District: Athletic teams: Boys -basketball, football, wrestling, wrest-ling, track, cross country, baseball, golf, and tennis. Girls - volleyball, softball, f I track, gymnaftics, golf, drill j team, and Just starting Is j ' girls basketball. Music competition: Band -marching groups, stage band, pep band, and orchestra. orches-tra. Choral - group, Individual, Individ-ual, and madrigal. Fine Arts: Speech - oratorical ora-torical contests, writing, evaluating, etc. Drams -plays, writing, etc. Vocational Arts:Art -(vocational, avocatlonal, and professional). Business Ed-, Ed-, ; ucation - (type, shorthand, j B.O.S., etc.). Shop - (weld-j (weld-j ing, carpentry, plumbing, ' electricity, drafting, etc.). Home -making - (cooking, sewing, housekeeping, etc.). "Solid Academics": Math - annual statewide skill competition. Science -annual state and national project pro-ject competition. English -annual state and national literary lit-erary competition. Social Studies - local and state pro -ject competition; e.g. governmental gov-ernmental experiences such as model U.N., student government, gov-ernment, current event projects. pro-jects. As we look at the list one concludes "well, there is competitive activity in the whole curriculum!" This is true - and in my opinion is rightly so. If we were to take the extra-curricular activities activi-ties out of the high school program we would remove much of the student interest factor. That occasional opportunity op-portunity for a student to be recognized for superior achievement, the opportunity activity programs. These ar.e essential parts of the i school experience (true, we should be careful not to get . out of balance in athletics for example) and therefore require considerable time and effort by staff members to successfully guide and co- ! ordinate each program. Within each school individual indi-vidual staff members direct various programs. Within the Region 8 area each of the 15 principals of the seven ' county area is responsible J for a particular program and plans and coordinates I these , activities during monthly board meetings. At the state level each region is represented by a board member (which thisyear'is the Beaver Superintendent representing Region Eight) who along with the Board members of the other nine regions, coordinates these programs, directs postseason post-season statewide competitive competi-tive activities, and trys to build improved programs in each area of activity. The activity programs are important, True, time committment com-mittment is extensive -1 think It Is worth the effort. for the public to see some of the "fruits" of its tax dollar, the opportunity for student growth gained in competi, tion, the opportunity for post -school preparation for life in a competitive world -- all of these things would be largely lost without the |