Signal The
May, 2013
Volume 88, Issue 9
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Read “Letters to a Leukemia survivor” page 2 and “Anime trends around TJ” on page 3.
A new beginning for Mrs. Tvrdy By Kaylinn Taggart Editor in Chief
Before Spring Break, Mrs. Jesse Tvrdy stepped into Dr. Martha Bruckner’s office to discuss the opening position as principal at Kanesville Alternative Learning Center. Tvrdy has worked at Thomas Jefferson High School for four years. She also worked as a Dean of Students at Santee Educational Complex in Los Angeles, California, as the Resident Principal at Castlemont High School in Oakland, California, and served as Assistant Principal at East High in Des Moines, Iowa. “I did an internal application for the position and was appointed to the position by Dr. Bruckner after she considered all internal and external applicants,” Tvrdy explained. Tvrdy accepted the position, but will still have to go through an extensive process for the remainder of this year and the summer before officially given the title. Some of these steps include attending some of the professional
development meetings with staff at Passages and will start going to professional development with Kanesville staff and Principal Jennifer Barnett before the year is out. “The current principal, who has done a fabulous job, will also be available for support in her new position as Director of Family Services,” Tvrdy said. “To have a mentor, and someone who knows my new position, is a great resource and source of support.” It is a 12-month position that will require Tvrdy to work collaboratively with high schools and middle schools in the district. Tvrdy will be leading Kanesville, Passages, and serve as the high school summer school principal in the 2014-2015 school year. “Kanesville is a small school that can really focus on the relationships between staff and students,” Tvrdy said. “The small school environment will allow me to really get to know all the staff and students, which is very important for me as a person and a building leader.”
At Kanesville, Tvrdy will be in charge of the School Improvement Plan (SIP), the staff, budget, professional development, climate and culture, and comply to the state and district school expectations. Tvrdy will be performing many of the same functions that she does here at TJ, but as the Principal of Kanesville, she will be responsible for the decisions and success of the school. “When you are the principal of a school you must treat it like your second family, and be willing to give it your all while making decisions that you feel are in the best interest of the students,” Tvrdy said. “You are also responsible for making sure your staff is receiving opportunities to grow professionally, develop and deliver professional development, and serve in leadership positions.” There are many initiatives in the works at Kanesville and Passages that have come from the dedicated and talented teachers there. Read “Tvrdy” on page two.
Photo of Mrs. Tvrdy by Shelbie Granger.
Summer school options By Dana Mefferd Reporter I’m sure we have all heard of the dreaded summer school. People are always talking about the bad things about going to summer school, but it is not all bad. The summer school program for students entering grades 9-12 is a six week long program. This year it is running from June 3 through July 12. The registration information is ready to be filled out. You get credits for the classes you pass. It is also open campus and everyone gets free breakfast and lunch. Instead of making up failed classes in twelve weeks, you can make them up in six weeks. And if you pass all the classes it is free, and you get your deposit back. “It’s shorter,” said summer school principal Erica Shannon. “Over the summer there’s a lot less daily instructions. Mean-
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ing it’s a lot more independent. You get more independance, it’s project based, [and] you get a project to help you get ready for a test.” Students work hard during the school year and they want to relax during the summer. “The pool is right next door so its hard to walk into school and see everyone having fun,” said Shannon. Going to summer school is a great way to get caught up or even to jump ahead. It is also a chance to see some friends you might not normally see during the summer. “Last year was my first year as principal we had 18 kids graduate,” Shannon said. “We had a really nice ceremony. We had a great senior speaker. That was a really proud moment for me as a teacher and a principal.” So you might lose some pool and relaxing time, but in the end summer school can benefit you.
Photo of senior Brett Sprinkle lifting weights by Kelsi Thurman.
Athletes fire up with tunes By Kelsi Thurman Reporter Headphones in; nobody exists. Your mind is in the game. The combination of rhythm, lyrics, and beat help to motivate you. Before a runner takes their mark at the starting line, so nervous, yet calm, they have that song in their head. Sometimes the song differs from race to race. Running a 100 meter dash is explosive and fast, compared to running 2 miles and having to pace your yourself for a long period of time. “Music gets me in the zone,” sophomore Lakendra Black said. “I feel like I’m in my own world. I think I run better with music because I run with the beat of the music. It also helps me keep a pace!” A football player takes the
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first step onto the field, listening to the crowd go wild; a powerful feeling. They are pumped up and ready. The team is willing to do anything and everything to fuel a passion for the sport that will enhance each player's performance. “I listen to music while I’m lifting and running,” senior, Dominic Wi1 lson said. “When I lift it just gets me pumped up and ready to go. When I run it takes my mind off of running so I'm not convincing myself how bad it is.” “Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent,” said Victor Hugo. Latest research from FourFourTwo Performance suggests well-chosen tunes at the right time can aid performance and recovery by up to 10%. “If you synchronise whatever activity you're engaging in to the tempo of music there's a very
clearly energetic effect,” said Professor Peter Terry of the University of Southern Queensland. The Serendip Studio website describes four main components of how music could help athletic performance. “First, music can distract an athlete from fatigue, second, music can act as a mood altering catalyst, third, music can synchronize an athlete’s rhythm and movement and finally, music can act as a trigger for learning certain motions and aid with muscle memory.” So when your coach or PE teacher yells at you for listening to music, show them these facts. Maybe they will change their mind. “Music helps you focus,” Mike Brinson of the Council Bluffs Boxing Club said. “The words help with focus and the beats help stabilize your rhythm.”