Log
The Northmen’s
Friday, October 23, 2009
“We are not the type of
team that’s going to be able to go out and make mistakes right now...” -Coach Keith Ross |p. 2
Oak Park High School
Issue 3, Volume 45
Students receive Mini Notes Your Thoughts
“I think they are useful and I’m happy we have them.” sophomore Jasmine Scott
“I think they are a good tool, I haven’t used my pencil in a couple days.” freshman Eric Crump
“I think they are useful and convenient but, they don’t really enhance our education as much as the district had hoped for.” senior Joe Martin
“Potentially a great tool.” communication arts
teacher Tim Rupp
The mini notes are in the hands of every student, giving them the opportunity no other school in the district has had so far. With these minis, teachers can use electronic resources and if need be have the students do homework electronically, many technological doors were opened to the student body when these were introduced. by Ally Sansone, photographer
School converts to paperless classrooms
technology. “I actually started covering the “how to” a week before students got the mini’s,” social studies teacher Seth DeRose said. “Once they were handed out, I had my students jump right into them.” by Jessica Nichols and Courtney Kelley Others found themselves with students who alfeature editor and lifestyles editor ready knew what they were doing; having used the Students have started the adjusting process as school’s traveling laptops regularly last year. “All of last year I actually asked the administrateachers integrate the new mini-note laptops into their lesson plans. With the technology available in tion if I could permanently check out a laptop cart the classrooms, teachers have a variety of ways to for my English classes,” communication arts teacher teach their lessons and keep their students interested. Todd Marcantonio said. “They said no, so I reserved Some teachers began the mini-note process by them as much as I could. We had them 90 percent of teaching their students the basics of the computer the time.”
In many classrooms, teachers have personalized the required curriculum so it includes the mininotes. Some teachers now use Blackboard to communicate with their students. Online textbooks have also become a useful tool to students who prefer not to carry the paper books home. The mini-note process has helped to speed up the schools process of becoming a paperless environment. Some teachers now have students turn in assignments through e-mail and Blackboard. “My students haven’t turned in a piece of paper and I haven’t handed out a piece of paper,” Marcantonio said.
Tech skills class expands future by Kim Shields photographer Technology students, or in other words the resident tech geeks, can be seen every hour excluding the last hour of the day helping technology coordinator Todd Beeck in the tech office. These students include: seniors Ian Mc Donough, Arturo Pino, Matt White, Eric Daniels, Gibson Whitaker, Ryan Gibbs, Justin McAfee and Joel Brandom. One of their jobs includes trouble shooting. For example, when a computer won’t turn on, technology students check hardware and look for problems within the computer. This remains only one of the many jobs these students perform, but their main job this year so far has been working with the mini note laptops. “I help fix computers around the school,” McAfee said. Their jobs included packing computer cases with charger cords and helping hand out the minis to students. Since this job has come to an end, they carry cords to classes, fix computer problems and assist the tech personnel with anything they may need.
Senior Gibson Whitaker takes mini notes to the computer lab on Friday, Oct. 16, during his technology block. His tech blocks were time for him to help the tech coordinators with the many tasks they may have for him, or any of the other tech students. by Kim Shields, photographer
Most of the time, when one walks into the tech office they will find them working on their computers. When problems arise, this ceases until technological missions have been completed.
People show care by Gabrielle Young copy editor Teachers and students have reached out to those in need by providing basic necessities through Help Our People. “Instead of clubs giving to the needy we need to take care of our people first,” said drivers education teacher Tom Stout. HOP, originally the idea of Stout and school and community resource specialist Kathleen Poehlman, has spread to students wanting to help out. “I decided to get involved with HOP because some students here need help, although they are reluctant to admit it,” said senior HOP member Amanda Resner. “I want to try and make school and life easier for those students.” The planning for H.O.P. started last May, but has just been put into effect this year.
“I was at home one day thinking about some of the students struggling maybe in personal life,” Stout said. “I felt we needed to do something as a school.” A donation pile was compiled from students and teachers giving items. Many donations were made before the school year. Space became limited when donations started piling up. “By word of mouth, my office became a huge storage room with no place to put them [donations],” Poehlman said. “At the end of the year, we were given the room next to the health room upstairs…it was cleared out… and a lot of good donated items were taken up there.” Many students also need money. “I think schools are always more positive when kids are connected and involved,” said senior Molly Creagh. “Having the money to participate, they want to
be at school.” Participants in HOP understand the students who need help can be embarrassed about their financial situation. “Many people feel like everybody has the same amount of money which is not true,” said senior HOP member Iana Newton. “Thanksgiving and winter holidays are a fight for many teens at OP.” The major need as winter approaches are gloves and hats. “I don’t want people to not be successful because they don’t have what they need,” Poehlman said. To help raise money for the students, HOP hosts a spaghetti dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, in the cafeteria. Tickets cost $5, and $6 at the door. There will be child care provided and entertainment, with a raffle drawing.
Many take this seriously, while others have different reasons for taking this class and the responsibilities that come with it. “I needed something to do,” Whitaker said. Other students took this class for their future; Daniels and McAfee look to work with video games or elsewhere within the technological field. This class helps them become better acquainted with what they may need to know when they go into their particular field of work after graduation. “My career is revolved around computers,” McAfee said. Each student does something different during their tech block, depending on what happens around the building. On Monday, Oct. 19, Daniels organized all the mini laptops alphabetically for redistribution to students who had theirs’ taken in for repairs Friday. Redistribution happened during advisory, students went to the tech office, to receieve their mini notes from tech kids passing them back. Doing this was no tedious job for Daniels. “I like technology,” Daniels said.
Kids taught fundamentals by Kayla Smith writer Growing up, little kids look for someone to look up to and something to aspire toward. Students in some of the schools groups have taken on the role of mentors to kids in preschool through eighth grade. Teaching them all they know when it comes to dancing and cheering. Pommies are one group who participates in this mentoring every year, twice a year. They host a clinic in the fall, during football season, usually around Gladfest, and another in January or February during basketball season. “We use it mainly as a fundraiser, but also to get girls interested in dance early on, so that hope-
fully one day they can be a Pommie too,” said Pommie captain, senior Tara Baumgartner. “We benefit by getting the chance to work with amazing little girls and spending some bonding time as we make up routines together.” The girls get to make new friends and learn two dances that they can take home and feel accomplished for learning. They also get to come to a football/basketball game and perform in front of a crowd, some for the first time. Another group taking part in this is the cheerleading squad. The cheerleaders also use these clinics as a fundraiser, and as a break from the normal practices. “A lot of girls sit on the bleachers and just watch, it gives them a chance to get
Senior Lauren Phillips dances at the St. Joe Central game on Friday, Oct. 17. The Pommies had a clinic and brought their students to the game to perform. photo by Gina Drapela, editor-inchief./photo editor
out there and experience it,” said cheerleader senior Katie Croswhite.