ThE
Volume 54
Spartan BaNNER
December 2015
Issue 5
Spartan Union prepares for opening By Anna Sipek, Sports Editor and Elizabeth Goblirsch, Executive Editor
A Spartan Union coffee mug that will be for sale. Show your Spartan pride by buying one on opening day! Photo Credit: Anna Sipek
The Spartan Union is set to open before Chritsmas break. It will be student run and will open first and fourth block. The business management class will be operating it, along with Jo-To-Go students. Stone Creek supplies the coffee blends, which are available for purchase along with coffee drinks. Beverages such as smoothies and hot chocolate will be sold along with caffinated drinks and will be available all year. Go to the Brookfield East website for more information, or talk to Mr. Seaman for extra details.
What’s Inside:
Letters of Intent - pg 2 Life Post Musical, What’s Next for Seniors - pg 3
Crisis with ISIS - pg 4
A preview of the Spartan Union Coffee Shop’s setup. It has a lot of room ready for relaxation or studying. Mr. Seamen hopes to pay students that work before and after school in the upcoming years. The Union has transformed from vision to reality with the help of some very dedicated teachers and alumni. Photo Credit: Anna Sipek The Spartan Union’s tentative selection of drinks. The coffee shop products are provided by high-quality suppliers and retailers, namely Stone Creek Coffee. Though coffee isn’t the only product, the Union will also sell smoothies, hot chocolate, and apple cider. Photo Credit: Anna Sipek
G&T department focusing on every student’s needs By Michelle Liu, Arts and Culture Editor For the past two years, the role of the Gifted & Talented/Talent Development program and coordinator has been taking different steps under the direction of Dr. Scott Peters, a Professor at Whitewater University. The first major advances were taken around two years ago, but some, parents and students alike, may still be unsure and hold some misconceptions as to which services the high school Gifted & Talented program provides.
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Since the 2014-2015 school year, some of the changes to the Talent Development program have come about as a result of the district putting more emphasis on allowing every student to get what they need, not just the gifted and talented. The focus has shifted more to programming and talent development. In the past, students would first get their learned reasoning and problem solving abilities tested through the CogAT in elementary school. Their
score would then determine whether or not they get placed into the G&T program for the remainder of their primary and secondary education. As of now, this process for entering has remained the same, but what has changed is that many opportunities which were previously only opened up to Gifted and Talented students are now open to all students. The district’s decision to give all students an equal chance of succeeding is wellintentioned, but this has led
some to wonder what the point of having a designated group of “Gifted and Talented” students is, if everyone is to have access to the same opportunities. Some students have also taken the shift to a single GT coordinator at both high schools as a sign that the GT outreach at the district level is “weakening.” However, that is not the case, as the change came about due to discrepancies between the GT programs at each high school, as well as
the push from parents who wanted a single person as the coordinator of the program. As for the specific services the GT coordinator offers, they cover a wide range, spanning from course selection to college admissions, as well as relieving stress and providing emotional support for students. For more information, please contact GT coordinator Peggy Riemer, or visit the Gifted & Talented page on the Brookfield East website.
Spartan Banner — December 2015