Student store introduced for coming year BY LAUREN TAI
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VIKING RED, WHITE BOAT AND BLUE” REDEDICATED JOEY LI—EPIC
ext year, a school store headed by the Academic Community Transition (ACT), or Special Education Program, will be opening in the cafeteria. Education Life Skills teachers Jim Schussler and Ashley Fox are currently planning the store’s creation, having included their idea on a schoolwide poll to get a better feel of how the students and staff feel about the idea. While the store will be selling simple products such as pencils and lanyards, its goal is not to make a profit but to become a second classroom for special education students. Schussler and Fox’s ultimate vision is to have students in the ACT program run the store. Their hope is that students will develop work skills that will potentially open up more job opportunities for them in the future. This way, says Fox, “students have a functional skill to work towards and prepare for adulthood and the jobs they could potentially be exposed to.” She adds, “Their options used to be very limited. But we want them to have more chances and more opportunities open, just like everyone else.” At the same time, students will be assigned shifts for the store based on their interests. This way, the store helps students discover skills sets that they like to do, or things in which they may be interested in the future. The ACT program is supposed to help foster working skills in students and have so far applied this requirement by having them help out with the food cart during brunch and lunch. The store would be another extension of this goal, falling under a more structured format controlled by the two teachers. More specifically, Schussler adds, “This store is for our students to learn how to work, such as by practicing how to stock items, keep records, greet people, work the cash register, and improve customer service. Even through saying ‘hello,’ the skills they can develop will help them in the future.” He says that the store will let the students apply the math and reading lessons they learn. It “puts a purpose” to their education. The money transferred through the LHS store will only be used to restock items, functioning at a non-profit level. The only real profit will be measured in the skills and experience that the students gain.
“BLEEDING
BY JANE JUN & YASMINE MORTAZAVI
D
uring lunch on Tuesday, May 29, Lynbrook will celebrate the rededication of the new viking boat, replacing the original 42 year-old boat. During the celebration, Principal Gail Davidson, Associated Student Body (ASB) President Kevin Tu and alumni from the class of 1970 will speak to commemorate the history and culture of Lynbrook. Davidson says the ceremony is a time “to pause for a moment and rededicate to all vikings the past, present, future” and the new ship is a “reflection of what always was and updating it in a beautiful way, while maintaining history and tradition.” The graduating class of 1970 built the original boat 42 years ago. Says Patricia Kruse, a class of 1970 alumnus, “We wanted a lasting memorial to the school and our class and for future classes. We also wanted a special meeting place for current students, like, ‘Hey, at brunch
meet me at the ship’.” Class of 1970 alumnus Joe Coleman, who will be speaking at the rededication, says “It seemed like we were doing a grownup thing, ‘building something permanent.’ It soon became ‘the place’ to meet.” Within 10 years, however, the monument had been vandalized, and was missing its head, tail and mast. Throughout the years, classes such as those of 1986 and 2001 donated money for a new boat. In 2009, when the National Honor Society (NHS) proposed the construction of a new boat, the administration wanted a contract with the company building the new ship to ensure durability against future damages. The demolition of the old boat, which occurred during the summer, was funded through the Bond project, a contribution of the district administration. At the May 29 rededication, the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), as well as classes and families that donated more than $1,000, will be honored with a plaque. Students were actively involved in colllecting donations and designing portions
District considers social media usage
BY JOEY LI & BRIAN ZHAO
T
he FUHSD is currently re-evaluating its stance towards social media technologies, hoping To include them in school curriculum as valuable learning tools. With an Advisory Committee consisting of select teachers and administrators chosen for their varied perspectives as well as dedication to improving the quality of education, the goal is creating a policy that balances the benefits of collaborative online technologies with their potential drawbacks. The District has recognized that the ability to collaboratively gather and share information may be the most useful component of what is frequently referred to as “Web 2.0.” The new policy aims to reflect the changing nature of information access, and discussion
came naturally as wireless Internet became available at all of the district’s schools, and teachers and students began requesting more internet-based content. FUHSD Director of Technologies Menko Johnson explains, “In general, collaborative learning engages students to use higher order thinking skills such as analytical and creative thinking. It is an active process that teaches students to gather and utilize information to support their original ideas. Giving students experience using online tools will better prepare them for life beyond high school and our increasingly digital world.” The new curriculum will mirror the six key areas of modern student learning the International Society for Technology in Education has identified, including communication skills, appropriate online behavior, and
media-rich presentations. Although the policy is currently being drafted with the belief that educating students about proper use is better than merely blocking access to certain websites, filtering software will still be used in accordance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act. Two of the most challenging aspects of the process, however, are yet to come: how to integrate the new standards into the curriculum, and how to educate teachers and students about the changes. Creating and implementing the education program to go with the policy will be a multiyear effort. While the role of the committee is to facilitate the communication of ideas between teachers, administrators and students of different schools, ultimately, it is up to the district as a whole to implement the new policy once it is in place.
of the new viking ship, such as the shields. Says freshman class president Amit Pasupathy, “The donation process was informal; we asked freshmen to give any amount of money.” The majority of the freshmen of 2015 donated at the $5 level, but it added up to over $1,000. Freshman Hima Rajana says, “I was collecting charity money for my birthday; when I realized we were still $15,000 low for the viking boat, I thought it would be cool to donate my money towards the boat.” Freshman Gauri Patel hosted a dance performance earlier and raised about $2000 in ticket sales. The senior class of 2012 donated $1,000 to the boat. Senior class treasurer Jared Kim says, “We’re leaving a little piece of our class.” Additionally, the PTSA gathered a total of $10,000 in donations. Kruse says, “The class of 1970 so appreciates the fact that Lynbrook wanted to continue this tradition. We are very proud of our school and will always bleed red, white and blue.” All students are invited to attend the rededication at lunch on May 29.
Depression and support groups pg. 5