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New Staff in WCS p. 3 - Changes to School Policies
Mattie Dunlap
Principal Scott Musser and assistant principal Margaret Davis join the WHS administration team for the 2022-2023 school year. Administrators share ideas for new year
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MATTIE DUNLAP
cover editor Principal Scott Musser and assistant principal Margaret Davis have joined the WHS community for the 2022-2023 school year. Musser, who worked as the director of career-technical education at Madison Comprehensive High School, says he has a main overarching goal as a new administrator. “We're [WHS administration] going to focus on school safety. We're going to redefne what high school looks like after the pandemic… I want to have a student leadership team that meets with me and I want the students to have a say in items that impact student life,” Musser said. In looking at the start of the year, Musser said he has many things to which he is looking forward. “I'm excited to get to know the students and the people and I am very much a people oriented person. I also like to be at sporting events to see what you guys [WHS students] are doing. But, I still need to learn all the ins and outs of Wooster,” Musser said. Musser shares that he lives on a hobby farm with goats, llamas, and miniature cows and loves to travel. Davis, who worked as a math teacher at West Holmes for nine years, says she has always known she wanted to work in education and in an administrative role. Davis continues by stating what she is excited for this school year and what challenges she thinks she may face. “I think my biggest challenge is that this [WHS] is a very different school environment, so just kind of getting used to a different student population. But, I also think that's something I’m really excited for,” Davis said. Davis shares she taught at Flex Yoga in Wooster and notes that she loves ftness and the outdoors. Nate Steiner, associate principal at WHS, shares the strengths he sees in Musser and Davis. “Mr. Musser has wonderful experience at other schools and brings those experiences to WHS. He is organized and has a clear vision for WHS. Mrs. Davis is willing to learn and has the confdence to try new things that will help strengthen WHS,” Steiner said. Steiner says with Musser and Davis on board, there is a sincere desire to grow and strengthen WHS.
WHS welcomes six new staff members for the new school year
Blurbs by Ethan Keating and Jackson Stansifer and photos by Ben Stavnezer and Ryan Smith
Barbara Arnold
Arnold has taken the position of a family consumer science teacher. Arnold has been in the feld for 16 years, beginning with some subbing in Wooster, one year at Orrville, the rest at Wadsworth. Arnold said she wants her students to feel comfortable and have fun in her class while they are learning.
Family Consumer Science Dept.
Torri Young
Liberty Lutes Art Dept.
Lutes is a new member of the Art Dept. at WHS. Before coming to Wooster, she worked part-time at a private school in Orrville. As an art teacher, Lutes said Wooster is a good ft for her due to the high availability of resources in the arts, along with other extracurricular activities. Young has begun her career at WHS as a family consumer science teacher. This school year will be Young’s 13 as a teacher, working previously at Loudonville, BrecksvilleBroadview Heights and Rittman. At Wooster, Young is excited to get to know her students and fellow staf members and to be a part of the Wooster community.
Jay Vitallo Intervention Specialist
Vitallo works as a ninth grade intervention specialist. Previously, Vitallo taught English Language Arts 3 at Wayne County Schools Career Center and at Wooster. Vitallo said he is looking forward to working with the ninth grade staf and helping students reach their goals, both in the classroom and in their respective sports. Kate Smith Math Dept.
Smith works at the high school as a geometry and Honors Algebra II teacher. Smith has had 19 years of previous teaching experience before Wooster, at Galion, Rittman and, most recently, West Holmes. Smith would like students to know that her door is always open and she is happy to assist students in math, and other subjects.
Spenser Whisler Intervention Specialist
Whisler is a new high school intervention specialist. Whisler is coming to Wooster following fve years of teaching and one year substitute teaching at Northmor High School/Elementary in Galion, Ohio. Whisler said he would like his students to know that his door is always open, and if they need help with anything in class, to reach out.
WHS administration reviews changes for year
LILY CAMPBELL-LEHTINEN
staf writer In the beginning of the 20222023 school year at WHS, there have been numerous changes, with the majority of them involving changes to the daily schedule and modifying some rules. The school day now ends 15 minutes earlier at 2:33 p.m. and academic assist has been replaced with a new lunch schedule. Another big change is the new principal, Scott Musser. In looking at how students are responding to the new scheduling procedures, Musser pointed out some changes that he felt needed to be made. “It's a change that's needed to have a really successful school,” Musser said. Musser also mentioned that although the new rules and guidelines may seem intimidating to students, they are necessary to have a well-functioning school after nearly three years of the pandemic. On the topic of safety, the administration has implemented new guidelines, such as banning pepper spray from school grounds, which worries students who carry pepper spray for protection. Musser addressed this student concern by saying: “Pepper spray is considered a chemical weapon and we can’t allow weapons in the school regardless of what it is… ideally we’d like to create a school where pepper spray isn’t needed.” Musser said he believes these changes and updates to policy to be both benefcial and mandatory for the well-being of the students and of the school.
Speech and Debate team plans Homecoming
CALEB SINGER-HOLDEN
staf writer
Mark your calendars because on Sept. 24, the WHS Speech and Debate team will be hosting the annual Homecoming dance. The theme for the 2022 dance is “all that glitters is gold” As many students go to the dance to have fun with their friends, many students may not think about what the people did to plan the dance. Speech and Debate team members take on the big task of doing all the planning for the dance. According to Holly Custer, head speech and debate coach, the Speech and Debate team has been hosting the dance since the 1980s as a fundraiser for the program. President of the Speech and Debate team, Jacob Hannan (12), commented on the necessity of such events to help better fund Speech and Debate. Hannan notes the price of going to national tournaments is expensive. “Many other teams pass on these costs to students, but for the Wooster Speech and Debate team, it is our top priority to make Speech and Debate accessible for students from all backgrounds.” The team will compete in the Novice Tournament in Carrollton on Oct. 22.
Ben Stavnezer During an Honors English II class exercise, English Dept. member Diane Mealey circulates around the room in order to assist students with their work. Mealey has taught for 23 years.
Foundation recognizes Diane Mealey as Outstanding Teacher of the year
OLIVIA HINER
co-editor-in-chief
Diane Mealey, who is entering her 23 year of teaching in the English Dept. at WHS, is the recipient of the annual 2022 Ralph and Grace Jones Foundation Outstanding Teacher Award. Mealey said she wanted to go into teaching as she enjoys working with young adults and other people. She knew, “it would be something diferent every day. English, specifcally, because you need English for everything else… I can dip into a little of math. I can dip into a little of science and art and whatnot.” Mealey said her goal is always to have people enjoy studying the subject of English, or at least, enjoy it a little more. After receiving the award, Mealey said she had an out of body experience and would like to thank her colleagues in the English department. Mealey also said she wanted to thank, “everyone, because you learn something from everybody.” Mealey expressed that she is honored and very grateful to have been recognized. Despite all of this worthy recognition, she said she hates the spotlight and expressed that it has been a little overwhelming, although she is very grateful to be honored in this way.
Robin Long wins the 2022-23 outstanding staff member award
JAELYN FREDERICK
staf writer
Every year since 2007, the Ralph R. and Grace B. Jones Foundation has awarded one staf member the Outstanding Staf Member Award. The person who received the award this year is the secretary at Littlest Generals, Robin Long. Long has been working at Wooster since 2008. Long said in her free time, she also works as a licensed realtor where she helps clients fnd their dream homes. She also enjoys gardening and going on walks and notes that she loves working with children. Long said she believes the most rewarding thing about her job is the hugs and smiles she receives from the kids. According to Long, “I think the best advice I can give a new staf member is to get to know the rest of the staf. They can become your best friends and can be there for you.” Working with children is her main motivation. To her, the children fulfll her career and make it feel less like a job. “It was a shock to me to be given an award for doing what I love to do,” Long stated. The Outstanding Staf Member Award is awarded to staf members that excel in service to the district and the students.
LAURA RAPPORT
a&e editor
At the beginning of the 20222023 school year, the WCSD increased security measures within the schools. Although most of these security measures were already in place, the new administration is enforcing them more, according to WHS Principal Scott Musser. The increased security measures include banning hoodies and earbuds in the hallway and mandating hall passes, among others. April Teichmer, WHS School Resource Officer, spoke about the security measures, saying, “From the police standpoint, nothing has changed… we still make sure all the doors are locked and do patrols throughout the day.” Teichmer spends the school day making sure the school is safe. “I walk around the school at least twice a day and make sure that all external doors are locked at all times and see if there’s anything that would be concerning on the exterior of the building,” Teichmer said. Musser said the administration chose to increase security measures at WHS. “School security is really important to all of us, myself included…Officer April walks around twice a day, checking all doors to make sure they’re secure. If something is not secure, she secures it. And, she notifies me immediately. I reviewed some rules at the class meetings, [particularly why] we wouldn’t let anyone in. The other thing is, aside from keeping the doors safe, we do have a visitor sign in process that’s really well done… I tried to give the why behind that to everybody,” Musser said. Teichmer also addressed steps WHS is taking to prevent school shootings, starting with ALICE drills. Musser said that the staff will be going through an ALICE training in September. “... we’re going to be having some ALICE drills as a school this year, to reinforce what to do, if, heaven forbid, something happens, we hope that it never does. But, we have to be prepared,” Musser said. Brian Questel, social studies BRITTANY WACHTEL During the school day, WHS School Resource O cer April Teichmer repeatedly checks doors around the building in order to ensure proper security measures are being taken by students and sta .
teacher at WHS, spoke about his feelings on the new security measures, saying, “I like them. The thing that drives that for me is Uvalde, happening right at the end of the last school year. I suppose you can argue certain aspects of anything... but I think the only way to protect students and staff is if there’s uniformity and [the rules] are being carried out.” Questel said. Both Teichmer and Musser encourage students to alert the administration if they see anything concerning. “If you see something, say something. I’d much rather look into something that maybe is not a true issue, rather than ignore something that could potentially become an issue,” Teichmer said.
JAMIE OGLE
sta writer
Free school lunch was available for all students for the past two years as a result of the COVID pandemic. However, this year, the USDA cut federal funding for access to free lunches for all students. In looking at the removal of funding to provide free lunches for students, Don Lewis, WHS food service manager, commented, by saying, “It cost the government a lot more money to run free lunches for every student in the United States, which the school districts would have to cover now if we stayed in ‘all free’ mode. With inflation moving upward, with government spending being one of the reasons, I am sure that was a motivating factor to go back to ‘normal.’” In the Wooster City School District, some students may qualify for free and reduced lunch if their family’s income is less than $51,338 per year and there are four people in their household. At WHS, 31.6% of students are on free or reduced lunch, according to Lewis, which means that about 409 people qualify for free and reduced lunch this year. According to the district’s food service section on their website, students are able to see if they qualify for free and reduced lunch by going to the high school’s website and going to the food service’s page. There, a student can fill out a form to apply for free and reduced lunch costs. If a family is unsure if they are eligible, they can check on the Free/ Reduced Lunch paper on the food service page in order to see if they qualify. Another service that was offered for about two years by the Wooster City School District food services was a summer food service. According to the WHS Food Service page, during the pandemic, students were able to pick up lunch and breakfast on this route. In looking at why the free lunch and breakfast program was cut, Lewis says that “The free program was through the USDA to help during the pandemic…since we are through the pandemic, the USDA stopped the free for all program and went back to the traditional breakfast and lunch programs.” For some WHS students, the free lunch option was greatly appreciated. Sadie Spears (10) says that “when free/reduced lunch was available, I would get it daily.”
