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Show mm? Thursday, February 21, 2008 Page 4 AMERICAN FORK CITIZEN NEWS AND IDEAS FROM CLASSROOMS AND EDUCATORS . TRIXIE WALKERNorth County Janet Davis sits in the school bus she has driven for the past 19 years. Bus driver serves students If si' ( , , lit ..-.A . i.. 4 r ir i Winners of the Forbes Elementary School science fair: Front row, left to right, Cordelia Morris, Katie Powers, Matt Harding, Kehin Carter Middle: Lower grade science teacher Mrs. Jiles, Elyse Johnson, Andrew Bunker, Kaylie Green, upper grade science teacher Mr. Maughan Back: Luke Gunther, Portia Dinsley, Kole Brimhall, Taylor Hawks, Breck Jensen, Kenedy Wright, Sami Racktnan, Brianna Peierson. Not pictured Breanne Packer, Taylor West. Finalists at Forbes science fair go to districts Barbara Christiansen NORTH COUNTY STAFF Forbes Elementary School had its science fair last week, with students participating. The top 10 finalists will go on to the district science fair Feb. 27, 28 an 29. They are Andrew Bunker, Luke Gunther, Gun-ther, Taylor Hawks, Kenedy Wright, Breanne Packer and Sami Rackman, Taylor West, Kole BvimhaU, Brianna Peterson. Peter-son. F.Vyse Johnson, Breck Jensen Jen-sen and Portia Dinsley. Fourth-grader Kaylie Green had a project, "Let it Snow," which capt ured second place in the upper grades, but will not go on to the district competition, competi-tion, because only fifth- and sixth-graders compete in that. "I got snow from different places to see if they were the exact same amount," she said. "1 found out they were different." differ-ent." Sixth-grader Andrew Bunker's project captured first notes Alpine School District-wide Event Alpine School District Science Sci-ence Fair On Feb. 26-28, the winning entries from school science fairs will be on display " to the public from 8-9 p.m. Displays may be viewed at . Pleasant Grove High School's cafeteriastudent center. Tuesday's displays will be the elementary division from American Fork, Highland, Lehi and Eagle Mountain areas. Wednesday will be elementary students' displays from Pleasant Pleas-ant Grove, Lindon, Cedar Hills and Orem. Thursday evening will be district -wide junior and senior high school students' displays. The awards ceremony ceremo-ny will take place each evening , at 9 p.m. . American Fork High .School Statues available The !" public is invited to purchase ' bronze Caveman statues, approximately ap-proximately 12 inches tall. They are replicas of a life-size life-size statue in the hallway of American Fork High School. The cost is $159 and needs '( to be paid to Kathy Evans at American Fork High School by Monday. Drill clinic A drill clinic will be held for anyone interested in-terested in trying out for the 2008-09 Cavette drill team. The clinic begins today from 4-5:45 p.m. in the dance room. Clinics Clin-ics will run the following two Thursdays (Feb. 28 and Mar. 6) at the same time. The cost is $20 and participants can register reg-ister outside the dance room. 3 ttwi ' fir - r place. It was titled "Shape and Viscosity Effect." "I tested some different substances," sub-stances," he said. "I wanted to see which one would sink the fastest. I found out that the more angles something had, the less time it would take to sink." Brianna Peterson's project dealt with corrosion. She placed steel wool with different differ-ent objects into containers adjacent ad-jacent to tubes with the same amounts of water. One was by itself, one had road salt, one had tap water, and one had Rustoleum paint. "J watched it for 10 hours, then watch water go up the tube and monitored it four days," she said. "In the ones with road salt and tap water, the steel wool was rusting. The dry one and the one with paint didn't rust at all." "There are three ways to control rust," she said. "One is to keep it dry, one is to use protective substances, and the Tryouts for the Cavettes will be Mar. 11-14. Those wishing to try out do not need attend the clinics to do so. Homework center A homework home-work center is available every Monday from 1:15-3:30 p.m. and Tuesday through Thursday Thurs-day from 2:15-4:30 p.m. in the Career Center, room 3. Computers Com-puters are available for student use. Students in need of tutoring tutor-ing or help with homework are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity. Forkaster seeks help The school newspaper, The Fork-aster, Fork-aster, is looking for talented writers, photographers and artists for next year's journalism journal-ism staff. Anyone interested in applying can pick up an application ap-plication from Mrs. Westover in room 43. Students sought for Youth City Council slots The American Ameri-can Fork Youth City Council is looking for student leaders who want to make a difference and be involved in the community. commu-nity. Applications are available in the front office. For more information, see Mr. Atwood or any current youth council member. Eating disorder presentation scheduled - The Counseling Center wants parents and students to be are aware that the next NAMI presentation is scheduled for Feb. 28 from 10:26-10:56 a.m. The presentation presenta-tion is on Eating Disorders, Discussions will take place in the classrooms following the presentation. American Fork Junior High School Conferences scheduled n .4 third is to avoid wet objects." Cordelia Morris took first place in the lower grades for her project, "The Gum Factor." "I weighed gum before, had people chew it for one hour, then weighed it again," she said. "The first time won, it weighed more. The one that weighed the most was Wrigley Juicy Fruit." She had several reasons for being glad she entered the science fair, in addition to winning. win-ning. "My older brother did it," she said. "I wanted to give it a try. I had lots of fun doing it. I thought it was cool winning first place like my brother. He is 15 now." Kehin Carter decided to enter en-ter the fair for his first time. "I had never done it before," he said. "I just came to this school this year and decided to work with my cousin to do a project. I am glad I did." He and Matt Harding took second place in the lower Parent -teacher conferences are scheduled for today from 3:30-8 3:30-8 p.m. Parents and students are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to meet with teachers. Community Council The School Community Council will meet Friday at 7 a.m. Band ensembles The small band ensembles will be Tuesday Tues-day from 6-8 p.m. Principal's brunch The next principal's brunch will be Tuesday from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Patrons are invited to meet with the principal to discuss any subject. Scoliosis screening Scoliosis Scolio-sis screening will take place on Wednesday and Thursday for students whose parents have requested or approved the screening. Registration information Registration materials will be sent home for seventh and eighth-graders Feb. 28 and 29. The registration window for registering on-line begins Feb. 29 Concert rehearsal There will be a Grand Concert dress rehearsal on March 1 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Students need ticket to ride late bus The late bus is running every Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 4 p.m. It stops at the elementary schools and American Fork High School. The bus is for students who have stayed after school for tutoring by teachers. Students must get a ticket from teacher they work with. Barratt Elementary School Registration Kindergarten registration (for all students within Barratt Elementary's boundaries that will be 5 years old before Sept. 1) will be Monday Mon-day and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Parents should bring the following . BARBARA CHRISTIANSENNorth County grades for "What Drink is Best for Plants." "We used Coke, water, milk, Seven-Up and nothing," he said. Some of the results were what they expected. "Water is the best and nothing noth-ing is the worst," he said. The plant with no moisture died in about a week, he said. Other results were surprising. surpris-ing. "Coke really attracted bugs all over," he said. "I was surprise by the Seven-Up. It stayed alive." Sixth-grader Luke Gunther did a science project testing the durability of milk jugs when they are dropped from varying heights. "It was safe to drop it from one foot," he said. "Two feet was almost OK. Four out of 10 survived. We probably don't want to drop it at all." Luke said he might want to be a scientist some day, although al-though his favorite subject at school now is math. information for the child being registered: 1. State issued birth certificate certifi-cate 2. Social security number (optional) 3. Updated immunization records (even if they aren't complete) 4. Proof of residency (only needed if an older sibling is not already attending Barratt such as a utility bill, bank statement or some other official document docu-ment that provides proof of address.) 5. Incoming kindergartners do not need to attend; this registration is primarily paper work. Traffic information changes Parents are reminded that there are two lanes in front of the school where students may be dropped off and picked up. In the past, only the right lane was designated for dropping drop-ping off students. However, both lanes may be used now. Parents are also reminded that the center lane is not to be used for dropping off or picking pick-ing up. Drivers are also asked to be courteous. Drivers also reminded that they should not stop in the middle of the street on 900 East near the crosswalk to drop off or pick up children. Aside from being illegal, this is very dangerous for the children. chil-dren. Second trimester ends The end of the second trimester is Feb. 29. Report cards will be sent home with students on March 5. Forbes Elementary School Yearbooks The PTA is offering a 2008 Forbes Patriot yearbook this year. An early bird special is being offered through Friday for $12 (the cost for PTA members is $10). Regular price orders will be Feb. 26 through April 5 for Trixie Walker NORTH COUNTY STAFF Highland resident Janet Davis Da-vis loves to travel, and in the last 19 years she has logged more than enough miles to travel around the earth 24 times all without leaving Utah County. As a bus driver for the Alpine School District, Davis averages 175 miles a day picking pick-ing up special needs students and delivering them to their various schools. "I get up at 4 a.m. each morning to start my route," she said. The students, ranging rang-ing in age from 3 to 47 years old, are picked up at their homes and delivered not only to specialized schools, but also to regular schools with satellite satel-lite programs. Alpine School District has the second largest bus fleet in the state, Davis said. "District buses carry more than 21,000 students a day," she said. "We now we have 230 buses, and cover from Orem to Fairfield, from the southern end of Saratoga Springs to the top of Traverse Mountain." Davis began working with the school district almost 20 years ago. "I was a housewife and divorced, and needed a job," she said. "My sister worked at a school media center and recommended I check at the district office to see what was available. I worked as a lunch lady, and then as a bus aide. "Then I got my CDL license and I've been driving special needs ever since," she said. Davis drives two "runs" a day, as well as driving for special activities. Loving children is a necessary neces-sary quality to become a bus driver, Davis said. "You have to have a rapport rap-port with the kids on your route," she said. "You get to know them and their personalities, person-alities, and then they'll usually behave for you." She stressed the importance of teaching the students ground rules so they know what behavior is expected on the bus. "I'm honest hon-est with the kids about what I expect, and I've never had problems," she said. Charleen Clegg, who has driven a special needs bus for nine years, echoed the need for teaching students how to behave. $17 (the cost for PTA members mem-bers during this time period is $15). The yearbook will be paperback and in color. Order forms were sent home with students. Kindergarten registration Kindergarten registration for the 20084)9 school year will be Monday from 8:30-11:30 a.m. and 1:30-3:30 p.m. For more information, contact the main office at 756-8531. In order or-der to sign up for a timetrack, the child's birth certificate and immunization records must be presented at the time of registration. regis-tration. NOVA program The NOVA program for all sixth grade students starts on Monday. This is the drug free program for all sixth-grade students that is run in conjunction with the American Fork Police Department. Depart-ment. Greenwood Elementary School Field trip The first-grade students will participate in a field trip to the Gateway tomorrow. to-morrow. Fundraiser kick-off A kick-off kick-off assembly for the cookie dough fund raiser will be Friday. Fri-day. Community and patron support will be greatly appreciated. appreci-ated. Kindergarten registration Kindergarten registration will be Monday and Tuesday. Parents of incoming kindergartners kinder-gartners are asked to bring proof of residency, as well as the child's birth certificate and up to date shot records. Legacy Elementary School Upcoming events Students at Legacy Elementary will celebrate cel-ebrate both literacy week and family week next week, Feb. 25-29. V Bus Drivers Bus drivers and aides are always in demand, Davis said. Drivers need a CDL license, which requires several hours of class time and a test. Applications are available online and classes class-es are offered at the school transportation office. For more information, contact con-tact Alpine School District Transportation at 763-7072, or visit the school district Web site. "We tell students 'butt to butt, back to back, and facing forward,' " Clegg said. She said that by following that rule, students would likely be well-protected in the event of an accident. "If they are sitting properly, they would probably just slide down underneath un-derneath the seats." Clegg, who used to be a long-distance truck driver, said she enjoys driving a bus, even in bad weather. "I've done so much snow driving, it doesn't scare me," she said. She also enjoys working with the students. "You see kids who are not in a good mood, and sometimes some-times you can get them cheerful," cheer-ful," she said. "Then they are happy and they start their day out right." Another reward of being a bus driver is meeting students from previous years. "I used to haul youth in custody, and one time when I pulled into a gas station, a former student jumped on my bus," Davis said. "He was so excited to see me. I hadn't seen him in a couple of years, and it was satisfying to hear he had his life together and was making good decisions." Bus drivers are pleased when students return to share memories of riding the bus, and some drivers have even worked with more than one generation, Davis said. "A couple have driven so long they have driven the parents and the kids and sometimes even grandkids," she said. Davis said she enjoys her bus route so much that she doesn't look forward to retirement. retire-ment. "I don't ever plan to retire," Davis said. "I'll just die and be buried in my bus." Shelley Elementary School Storytelling The Storytelling Storytell-ing Troupe performances will be Tuesday for families from 5-6 p.m. Families are encouraged encour-aged to bring their children to this event. The students have worked hard getting ready for this performance. Mountain Man Rendezvous The annual fourth grade Mountain Man Rendezvous is scheduled for Friday. Parents and students are reminded that all fourth graders will attend school from 8 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. on this day only. Kindergarten registration Kindergarten registration is scheduled for Feb. 28 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. More information informa-tion is available from the main office at 756-8540. White Ribbon Week Shelley Shel-ley had its White Ribbon Week Feb. 4-8. We had various activities ac-tivities throughout the week to help the students understand about Internet safety. The theme was "Crash and Tell" that if a student comes upon something inappropriate on the Internet, they should immediately im-mediately "Crash" (turn the computer or monitor off) and "Tell" an adult. Students signed a banner pledging they would be safe on the Internet. Students did creative cre-ative projects about the theme. Some did poems and artwork. Student Sarah Adams made up a board game with questions about being safe on the Internet. Inter-net. At the end of the week, the students did bean bag tosses to help the children "crash the computer" by hitting a power button with the bean bag. Aside from teaching the children chil-dren to "Crash and Tell" school officials also encouraged them to keep personal information private and to be aware that online friends aren't always safe. |