The Classic newspaper Volume 9 Issue no. 3

Page 1

., ., ..

,

' _•

, .

.- : . .. c. ..

'

.

Vol. 9, No.3, May, 1993

,.

~

,

\

• 75-40 Parsons Boulevard. Flushi ng, NY 11366

Townsend Harris High School at Queens College

Safety measures prove successful by Diana Tuite "Back to normal," said Assistant Principal of Organization Malcolm Rossman of the apparent cessation ofviolent incidents that had threatened student safety earlier this year. Largely through a recent Safe Street, Safe City Grant from the Board of Education, administrators hav e taken steps to safeguard the school and its surrounding area. There have been no reported incidents for the last four and a half months. This grant, whose funds must be channeled specifically towards safety, provides for Safety Officer Leroy Howard to remain after school until 6 PM. Leroy patrols the building, making sure no unsupervised groups linger. In the past, problems arose when students did not head directly home. "I stay around in front to make sure that when kids leave, they go where they're supposed to

go," said Leroy. In accordance with the grant, administrators took other steps to insure safety, especially after school. Every day at dismissal, Officer Michael Matthews of the 107 Precint directs traffic outside. The library now remains open until 4:00 on Wednesdays and Thursdays, providing students with a place to go if they must wait for a ride . Newly designated Security Coordinator Arthur Boulanger remains sometimes until 5:30. "My job is basically supervising the security force that is available in the building after school hours, "he said. Teachers who run afterschool activities are encouraged to ensure everyone has a ride home. However, the faculty did not neglect morning activites. Spanish teacher Ilene Marcus supervises the cafetorium breakfast program. In addition, teachers organized tutorial programs, of-

fered as yet another morning activity. School officials also extended precautionary measures for seniors on the Queens College campus. They appointed Marion Rutigliano, a new school aide, as daily supervisor in the college office through 3:00. Staff members recently formed a Safety Committee co-chaired by Mr. Rossman and Assistant Principal of Guidance Sheila Orner. They intend to update security plans for such extracurricular events as dances and performances, and tomonitor ticket sales more closely. Eventually, this committee will expand to include parents and students. Even now, parents assume an active role in the situ ation . A PTA Safety Comrnitee, headed by James Morrison, father ofjunior Ryan Morrison, keeps in contact with the police and area politicians. They seek to maintain the current level of

police cooperation. Past incidents prompted administrators to set aside blocks of time for peer mediation before and after school. According to Ms. Orner, these sessions, scheduled to start soon, are aimed towards "peaceably resolving conflicts." Under the terms of the grant, two faculty members, Dean Wanda Nix and Coordinator of Student Affairs Judy Biener, must attend classes which train them to be peer mediators. There have been new deve lopments involving arrested assailants . Most recently, one youth, the chief instigator of attacks earlier this year , was sentenced to 18 months in prison. At this point, the school community has banded together in the name of safety. Mr. Rossman feels their efforts have succeeded. "I think we' re back to the same sense we had where people can go to school and feel they 're safe outside," he said.

Construction on new building runs smoothly h h been ad? Wh by"H Ther ese Ferguson . . . .. ow muc progress as me ere are we the new building ready hfor now? What th ldIS bnotildi . S happens ber if1994' " entry m epte m smce e 0 ill mg as

-

., . already been leased out? These were some of the ques. • • . by the Schoo l Connons raised at a meeting sponsored

"

said . Assistant Principal Malcolm Rossman. These acuviues . .. mc . 1u de'instal lin g heating and cooling pipes . plumbmg, and the concrete cinderblock in the internal' w all s on th e 1ower 1evels.

-

concrete declcing has been poured on fue In addrtion, . OOT, fifth fl halfa f w hi c h iIS fitn1S . h e d . N'mety-mnepercent .

,;.,' • "1 "

strucnon Authority held on April 2 at the Queens College site for the new Townsend Harris building. During the meeting, which was open to parents and school members as well as other members of the com-

of the stillwork has been done. This includes tigh tening the bolts on the balance of the metal decking. Ducts, which will allow air conditioning and fresh air to circulate throughout the building, have been installed in the

munity, it was stated that the present schoo l building has alreadybeensignedoutforSeptember,1994.Butworkers and members of the SCA are confident that everything will proceed as planned. Louise Shapiro, of the SCA's community Relations department, said that construction is progressing "on schedule" and the new building should be open as planned.

lower level of the building. Although Mr. Rossman does not foresee any problerns, he does say that the Townsend Harris staff and students will face a big challenge in September of 1994. "We will have to start from scratch. We will need new materials, anew bell schedule, have to practice fire drills because of the new exits, and other thing s,"he said. "The

,

Much work is going on at the site due to multiple

scen~. "This means

u

••

o~

"

WI

key is having all the materials in place by then . But I

...

Vovcabljiary Month challenge·s':·savants

contractors on the

that a lot of

STEEL SKELETON IN PLACE, the new building is on its way towards completion

by Jessica Steinmetz

don't think it's a problem, I think it's kind of fun,

Assistant Principal of Humanities Lynne Greenfield, who coor-

lary Month enriches the mind. It's a fun way of learning vocabu-

Thirty-one students achieved a perfect score on the April Fool's Day Vocabulary Challenge test .They, along with 97 others whose scores were "almostperfect," received a certificate ofachievement from Principal Malcolm Largmann, and a certificate for a free candy at the candy store near the gym. For this annual event, all faculty , staff, and members of the Parent-Teacher Association are asked to contribute vocabulary words which they think would be challenging for the students. The Humanities Department then makes a list of 25 of the "best" words. Each day in English classes, the students are given a new word from the vocabulary list. At the end of the month, there is a mandatory vocabulary quiz givenin English classes, which covers

dinated this event, felt that "it is fun to have a school-wide activity such as this, where everyone is involved. We're so fortunate to be able to do things like this, as no other school can. Vocabulary Month is an opportunity to focus on vocabulary and to provide a fun and exciting way to leamnew words, to think about words, and to share words." According to Ms . Greenfield, Vocabulary Month evolved from this school's commitment to vocabulary and precision of language. Administrators wanted this to come across in a unique and pleasant way. So how do Townsend Harris students feel about this event? "Vocabulary Month enhanced my vocabulary skills tremen-

lary and it will prepare me for the SAT's," she said . Other students feel differently. "I think Vocabulary Month helps me, but I do not particularly enjoy it. I hate having to leam words and memorize definitions for no apparent purpose," said junior Natalie Krauser. Jesse Lieberman, junior, said , "I could study vocabulary words on my own time." Danielle Fishman, jnnior, who once scored 100% on the Vocabulary Month Quiz, reported, "It felt good to get 100% on the quiz, but I think our school should create a better incentive than a free candy bar in order to promote our vocabulary skills." Sophomore Elena Coleman added, "Since the quiz they make us take doesn't count, it's just an extra burden for us, in addition to the 50 required vocabulary words we have to

all 25 words from the list. The scores students get on these quizzes have no effect on their class grades.

dously. Hopefully, this year I'll get 100% on the quiz," said Ron Zaidman, sophomore. Adrian Muzich, junior, agreed. "Vocabu·

i

i

Career Day

Trade Center Bombing

p.4

p. 13

-'-)1 >"~ ~" _._~ ••

•••

study in English class ." Continued on page 4

' i

I


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
The Classic newspaper Volume 9 Issue no. 3 by The Classic - Issuu