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Show Cyan Magenta Yellow Black Wednesday, February 16, 2005 Survey to query students about drugs By Lloyd Call Associate publisher MANTI—The South Sanpete School District authorized a survey at their regular district meeting last Wednesday that will determine just how many South Sanpete students use tobacco, alcohol and drugs. “We know students are smoking, drinking, and using drugs, but we don’t know how widespread the problem is,” said school superintendent James Petersen. “This survey, given to our secondary school students, may tell us how many students may be at risk for these behaviors.” The last school survey on drug and tobacco use, done about two years ago, took only a 10 percent sampling and looked at students from several counties, including Sanpete. “The data was just too diverse for us to use it at all,” Petersen said. At the district’s request, the state approved funding for a larger sampling (nearly 30 percent), and the test, administered in late February, should provide specific data about South Sanpete schools. About 900 surveys will be handed out at Gunnison and Manti high schools, out of some 2,700 students. Students will be asked anonymously if they smoke, use, drugs, drink alcohol, or engage in other risky activities. Parental permission will be required for participation. “The goal is to find out if we are doing all we can to help atrisk students, and since smoking, drinking and drug use are ‘gateways’ to addiction and other serious problems, we need to know how big a problem we face,” said Petersen. In other business, the board members discussed how to reorganize the district office when Superintendent Petersen retires at the end of June. The board has scheduled a work meeting March 1 at 3 p.m. with State School Board Association members to look at similar school districts’ office organization. Don Hill, the current assis- tant superintendent, who will take over as superintendent on July 1, 2005, has been in charge of transportation, testing, policies, and personnel. The board must decide if another assistant needs to be hired for those duties, or if they can be apportioned to other district office personnel. The board also approved the calendar for the next school year, and it was announced that Manti High will hold their Junior Prom on Friday, March 4, while Gunnison High will hold theirs on Saturday, March 5 this year. In capital projects, board member Kim Pickett learned that the football bleachers at Gunnison High School will be upgraded this summer. Low Iowa test scores puzzle school board By Geoffrey Pace Staff writer MT. PLEASANT—North Sanpete School Board members expressed puzzlement at their Feb. 8 board meeting over district’s performance in last year’s annual Iowa Test. The Iowa Test took the place of the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT), a nationally normed test that had been administered for decades in Utah schools. North Sanpete School District third-graders’ performance on last years’ test garnered far lower percentile ranking than had been anticipated. School board staff member George Bench, director of the district’s school programs, expressed his concern over the ratings. “I’m puzzled why the third and eleventh grades are so low. I’m surprised.” Bench said he was “hesitant to venture a guess,” but there were several possibilities to explain the low scores. One explanation could be that a language barrier exists for certain students in the elementary school level. A 10 percent score gap between district and state scores was indicated in the 11th grade. Test results gave no apparent explanation for the gap, although Bench said that excessive absenteeism on test days could have been a factor. Scores in the 5th and 8th grades were closer to the state averages, although they also were lower than the state average for those grades. A7 Sanpete Messenger-Gunnison Valley Edition The board also discussed the subject of activity trips, and scrutinized the tradition of coaches, faculty and staff taking their own children and grandchildren on out-of-town school functions. Board members are considering changing the policy on the issue and have questions about supervision and safety. School board President Kathryn Parnell expressed her concern over the monitoring of young children. She said,”...I was looking at it as a mother, grandmother and former teacher knowing that if I have one child with me and I have a second child with me, my attention is a lot more spread than if I’m trying to supervise students at the same time. I think it becomes a risk issue.” Vice President Robert Hansen said, “If you take one child with you, you’re bonding. If you take two with you, you’re babysitting.” Superintendent Courtney Syme wanted board members to look at the seriousness of liability in case of accidents with one of the children. He said, “All it takes is one ‘header’ off the bleachers and the district has got a problem...When I was principal 10 years ago, I was told ‘coaches do not take their kids with them.’” Hansen agreed with Syme in principal. “All the verbal and written things on this would not mean a thing in a court of law,” he said. “If this issue would just go away, we’d all benefit from it.” (See “Scores” on A8) Farming isn't what it used to be But that doesn't make it any easier, either. We Can Help. School briefs... Sanpete Academy Principal Adam Burningham and Rachel Routt, manager of Border’s Books and Music in Orem (center), with students who display books they received during a recent field trip. S ANPETE A CADEMY In December students and faculty at Sanpete Academy, an alternative high school in Ephraim, traveled to UVSC, where former Ephraim resident Emily Winn Anderson— who now works for the High School Relations Office at UVSC—met them and took them on a tour of the campus Afterward, the students went to Borders Books and Music in Orem, where they were able to purchase books in their interest with funds donated to the school for the field trip. Principal Adam Burningham thanks those who made the experience possible, including the Ephraim Lions Club, the Mary Peacock Foundation, the North and South Sanpete School Districts, Borders Books and Music, and Utah Valley State College. G UNNISON V ALLEY ELEMENTARY Family Reader Night is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 16. All children are encouraged to come dressed in their favorite pajamas along with blankets and pillows to enjoy a night of reading. Special visitors, such as Cat in the Hat and Curious George will also attend. Every child in attendance will receive a free book donated by Volunteers of America. Door prizes will be handed out, including two Gunnison Bulldog banana chairs and two beanbags. The winning teacher of the “Kiss the Pig” contest will actually kiss the pig for everyone to witness. Parent Literacy Night is scheduled for Tuesday, March 1 at 7 p.m. KBYU, in partnership with PBS, will give a presentation about teaching children to read through handson activities. This workshop is for adults only, and a babysitting service will be provided. Call the school at 528-7880 for more information. M ANTI E LEMENTARY On Wednesday, Feb. 16 the third, fourth, and fifth grades will attend a children’s choir performance at Snow College in the afternoon. Parent conferences will be held Feb. 17-18. No school will be held on these days. School will also be out on Monday, Feb. 21 for President’s Day. All parents are invited to attend a KBYU Shared Reading Workshop on Tuesday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. Please R.S.V.P. to Karen Soper at 835-2271 if you are interested in attending. GUNNISON V ALLEY M IDDLE S CHOOL GUNNISON—The school is planning an after-school program for instruction in violin, viola, cello and bass, and will form an orchestra as soon as enough players are ready. Information about the program will be available at the school’s parent-teacher conferences on Friday, Feb. 18 and at the elementary school’s parent-teacher conferences on Thursday, Feb. 17. Students and/or parents, from the elementary through high school, are encouraged to indicate their interest. Anyone interested may call Mr. Peterson, Mr. Roberts, or Mr. Hughes at 528-5337, or Lisa Johnson at 528-7719. CHECK We've been helping local farmers with loans on equipment, crops, and farm management for years. We can help our farmers manage the resources they need to stay profitable. Compiled by John Hales THE WEB FOR OTHER SCHOOL NEWS Be sure to check the Sanpete Messenger online for other school-related items. Certain school-related items, such as school Reflections contest winners and honor-roll lists, are available on the Internet. Click on “Schools” at www.sanpetemessenger.com and follow the link to the school of your choice. Stop by and let us talk about your current and future farming needs. Camp Read-a-lot is success 528-7221 Students at Ephraim Elementary School celebrated their mascot’s birthday on Friday, Jan. 28. The school was turned into “Camp Read-a-lot” for the day as Readasaurus celebrated his 24th year at the school. Pictured are Kayle Dotson, Gavin Rouska, Lane Robbins and other students in tents. |
