news Panther Prowler • Oct. 5, 2018
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PSAT to be administered during school day Hannah Gross Staff Writer This year students will take the PSAT during the school day, on Wednesday, October 10. Previously held on Saturday and costing $25, the PSAT is now offered to juniors for free. The test is open to all students, and school will be dismissed at 12:05. The decision to hold the test during the school day was made by the district, the College Board said. “The College Board provides a few date options, but it’s the school or district that decides whether the PSAT will be administered on a Wednesday or Saturday,” said Jaslee Carayol, College Board Associate Director of Media Relations. While the school district opted for the change, they were left with few other choices. “The College Board decided it by limiting our options,” said Bennett Wutkee, assistant principal. “They said if you do it on a Saturday, we’re not going to give you access to those
things that actually benefit the students, including keeping your test booklet. So, all the high schools in the district decided that it needs to be during the week so the students get the benefit of the exam,” said Wutkee. The PSAT can be beneficial to students who plan on attending college. “The results of the PSAT will provide their strengths and weaknesses, which will allow students to focus their studies for the SAT,” said Lesley Nedwick, counselor. “The PSAT reflects what students are learning in the classroom, measures the skills and knowledge necessary for postsecondary success, and is an important step toward college,” Carayol said. Wutkee emphasized the test’s importance. “If you’re planning on going to a four-year school, you definitely want to consider taking the PSAT as way to get a little bit more experience,” Wutkee said. Underclassmen can benefit from
taking the PSAT for practice, while juniors can qualify for scholarships. “Juniors can qualify for the National Merit Scholarship,” said Nedwick. “(The) National Merit Scholarship provides $2,500 towards the student’s freshman year of college.” Students taking the PSAT will not miss any classroom instruction. “All teachers are aware of the testing schedule and will not go over any new material,” Nedwick said. The weekday test date ensures more students can take the test. “On a Saturday, there are conflicts with students and their extracurricular activities, so a handful of students cannot participate,” Wutkee said. “During the school day it is beneficial because the kids are already going to be here.” Wednesday testing also replicates a collegiate environment. “Administering the test during the school day fosters a collegegoing culture, especially among first-generation
college-bound students and students who may otherwise face barriers to standard Saturday administration,” Carayol said. Despite the benefits, the change presents some drawbacks. “It’s really hard for teachers to have to stop what they’re doing so that there’s a day for kids to take the test, and it’s even harder at our school because of the block schedule and the rotators,” Wutkee said. “For kids it’s great, but for teachers it’s very challenging to give up a full day of instruction. (Proctoring is) part of their regular work day so they don’t get additional compensation,” Wutkee said. Ultimately, whether it’s Wednesday or Saturday, the goal of the test is helping students succeed. “We’ve all got a vested interest in our students doing well, but at the end of the day we just want kids to be able to do their best so that they can have the best opportunities available for them,” Wutkee said.
School board rejects censure Maya Chari Photographer An unprecedented policy Everett’s original premise for silence parents by bullying and procedure at the Oct. 2 CVUSD the censure was an alleged misuse intimidation is wrong”. school board meeting left both of social media by Connolly. Others spoke against the board members and community According to Everett, Connolly proposition. “(Connolly’s) members perplexed. Vice engaged in several discriminatory work on this board is focused President Sandee Everett had interactions using a public social and makes a difference for previously proposed an action media account. Connolly sent our students, parents and item to censure Trustee Betsy out an email that, according to community,” Jamie Alberg, Connolly under the premise of Everett’s claims on the meeting community member, said. social media misconduct. Yet in agenda, “disparaged fellow board One piece of evidence the third hour of the meeting, members.” presented by Everett came from when President John Andersen Several community members a Betsy Connolly Twitter parody called for a motion on the issue, voiced their support for the account with the handle @ Everett was silent. dvmmum, which included After a moment of a post that read, “When confusion, Connolly a person claims to act on requested that Trustee instructions from God, I’m Patricia Phelps make starting to look for a place the motion for a to hide.” censure. “I think the “I did not find this good purpose of this is to behavior. That is why I agreed get the discussion on to put it on the agenda,” the table,” Phelps said, Everett said, referring to tearfully obliging. Panther voices- Gus Gress, Sophomore, Connolly’s alleged actions. Connolly seconded. addresses the board during the public “I take these kinds of things I m m e d i a t e l y comments section on the October second very seriously. I do not want following, Everett board meeting. “I feel like I’ve seen so many anyone to feel cyberbullied.” requested that the complaints (about Ms. Connolly’s bullying on In their statements, social media), when we have the president motion be withdrawn. many community members of the United States,” Gress said. “I scrolled She was denied; through her twitter feed for 10 minutes and I compared the censure of according to board couldn’t find one example of what you were Dunn to the attempted bylaw, this action referring to. I scrolled through his for 10 censure of Connolly. “The could only have been seconds and I could.” Several students were last time we were discussing a valid had it been made present at the meeting, which adjourned well censure, Dunn was censured at the beginning of past 11:00 pm. Maya Chari/Prowler after he reached out to my the meeting when the employer and threatened agenda was approved. censure during public comments. retaliation to my employer if “This clearly was a political “Instead of apologizing for the I continued to speak at public stunt,” Mary Anne Van Zuyle, email, you claimed it was sent board meetings,” Jessica Weihe, community member, said. Every by mistake. That doesn’t make community member recounted, community member who spoke it legal or right,” Nikki Jones, noting the contrasting during the action item spoke community member, said, parameters of each censure. against the censure. addressing Connolly. “Trying to
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