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Show r J A recent telephone call from a patron wanting to know, 'What is going on at that school?' prompts this article. The call was seeking information and was well intended. in-tended. Much of the concerns the caller expressed about incidences at the school were unfounded and the result of wicked ''gossip and yet there was truth to some of the situations situ-ations which prompted the inquiry. The caller made reference to the recent public pub-lic meetings and posters in downtown businesses urging patrons to help solve the problems at the high school.. These concerns need to be put in perspective asthey relate to the total program and the reason behind the public involvement. Nationwide, the public school system is undergoing tremendous stress from students stu-dents and parents and being aided by federal involvement and state laws. Many students stu-dents are leaving the public school to enroll in private school. The reasons are varied but basically the same I.E., student discipline, and apathy, drugs, violence and curriculum . Milford High faces similar simi-lar problems if for not other reason than it houses a group of teenagers in the process of growing up, and this process pro-cess is becoming much more difficult for the teenager; In turn it becomes much more difficult for the home and the school. In an effort to help identify and solve problems at Milford High School, the administration requested help from the Parent Advisory Ad-visory Committee and patrons pa-trons of the school. Several Sev-eral meetings involving students, stu-dents, teachers and parents were held and problem areas identified. This was not an admission admis-sion that the schools were incapable of handling the programs and problems or that the school was failing, but an effort to get the parents par-ents involved. Parents and others many times are reluctant re-luctant to face problems their students are confronted confront-ed with and communication , between home and school becomes nonexistent. As a result of the meetings, meet-ings, new ideas have been presented which have already al-ready had positive effects on the school and students. Parental Pa-rental cooperation with school officials has greatly improved. A better understanding under-standing of school programs, which are limited in smail schools, has been evident. In conjunction with this understanding, un-derstanding, recommendations recommenda-tions have been made regarding re-garding an activity program and possible policies and regulations to make the activities ac-tivities work. Some of the concerns i-dentified i-dentified are: (1) apathy of students toward highachiev-ment, highachiev-ment, (2) non-commitment toward extra curricular activities, ac-tivities, (3) use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs, (4) low grade point average of majority ma-jority of students, (5) use of profane and vulgar language, langua-ge, (6) peer group pressure to conform. The identity of such items is the first step toward solutions. Investigation and discussion discus-sion with student leaders indicate a small percentage of students are contributing to a very large percentage of identified problems. The average patron of our school hears mostly of the activities which create and promote a negative view -point of the school program. However, there are many more positive results than negative. Examples are: (1) test scores indicate above average improvement in English, math, science and social science for the same student tested in the seventh grade and again in the ninth grade, (2) the school is maintaining a 95 attendance atten-dance record which is high for secondary schools, (3) students desiring post -high school education are well prepared . for college work (personal interviews with students), (4) a high percentage per-centage of students submitting submit-ting scholarship requests are recipients of awards, (5) the business department achieved the highest ranking' in last year's business meet of all small schools, (6) the drill team received it's high, . est placing this year, (7) the Milford HighSchoolBand is known as one of the best small school bands In the State of Utah, (8) the football team earned a quarter -final berth in the state in spite of being the second smallr'. est school to play football, (9) vocational students have placed high in past vocational vocation-al contests. The above should serve as an Indication that the school is achieving. Perhaps this may serve as a challenge to emphasize the positive rather rath-er than the negative. Give credit when and where it is due. get involved in your school; perhaps you will be surprised; at least you will be informed. LEE PETTEY Principal Milford High School |