The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

PAGE 13-PLAINDEALER-WED., NOVEMBER II, 1970 SCHOOL BOARD, PARENTS STUDY MODULAR SYSTEM (Continued from page 1) Miss Cramer said she didif t wish to return to the trad­ itional system but feels the present program could be im­ proved greatly. She stated there was little discipline prob­ lem in the classroom compared to the traditional system but the hallways are always full and instead of I.S. time n resource centers, etc., they are in the commons. In continuing her thoughts, she said the maturity level of the freshmen and sophomores are changing drastically at this time and they need "to let off some steam in the com­ mons". Nevertheless, she questioned whether a commons should hold 200 or 300 students at one time. Miss Cramer fett a limited number of students and a limited amount of time should be allotted in that area and I.S. time could be effective with more equipment and educational materials to use. On controllability, she said "students loose in a building every fifteen minutes are always in the hallway and always making noise". We should all work together on the open cam­ pus", she concluded. Bob Hendricks of West campus offered his opinion that "there is so much we can do with this system, we have not scratched the surface. We are now offering mini-courses which use up some of the I.S. time of the pupils". He explained further that under the system, teachers who are free may come into other classrooms to lecture. Regarding discipline, he admitted there may be smoking in the boys' room, and perhaps too much noise in the commons, but added that the latter could be used for good purposes if teachers would only do so. Mr. Hendricks then concluded, "Never would I go back to the traditional system. If you want to get rid of me, that's the quickest way to do it." Ruth Fenwick, English teacher at East campus, told the assemblage that she has 162 English freshman students and said that after listening to West campus instructors, she could hardly believe they were under the same system. "It is supposed to be a flexible system, but right now it is completely inflexible", she explained. TWo of her English classes, she explained, meet three 1 times on Ttiesday and twice on Thursday. She said she never sees them on Monday, Wednesday or Friday, and that in nine weeks of school there has been no way t6 regulate the situation. Mrs. Fenwick asked, "How can you giv$ an assignment when the same kids will be back in 30 minutes?" Her honors class which needs the least help, meets once a day, five days a week. She continued to tell the assemblage that the scheduling is so erratic that on Tuesday and Thursday she has ten classes to teach and on Monday she has only four, plus a supervision assignment. In referring to the commons at East, Mrs. Fen- f wick observed that it is "entirely too large" and in the twen­ ty-seventh and twenty-eighth mods there are approximately 300 in that room. She said it was there that she finds her students who are failing, adding that "the good kids wouldn't be caught dead in the commons". She continued to say that in the first couple of weeks there were 200 a day cutting classes. Mrs. Fenwick in­ sisted that "they are having too much fun in the commons and don't want to be bothered coming to classes. When they do get in class, they resent the teacher for spoiling their fun". She continued to say that in the commons they play 'cards, shoot pennies and paper around the room. Mrs. Beverly Aweve, sophomore English and speech tea­ cher at East, says she likes the modular system and likes team teaching. I.S. time, she feels, could be very good if it is controlled and structured. But she added, "Right now it 'is a mess at East. It doesn't provide for flexibility. The in­ terlocking small discussion groups do not work in many "subject areas". ^ , . Mrs. Aweve stated that she sees one class twice a week and in two months still cannot remember their names be­ cause these meetings are so infrequent, yet she must now evaluate and grade these students. This, she retorted, she does not like. Mrs. Aweve said she wants to know her students. She continued to state what she felt are injustices in student ratios within East campus and also between the two campuses. She cited one example of small groups of 24, 32 and 50 which are assigned to her compared to small groups at West campus of 15. , „ _ . c 4 Mrs. Aweve ^Iso complained of the halls filled with I.S. students and the " noise in the I.S. room. She said she is not opposed to a commons, but believes there is a need for I.S. rooms which are controlled. . "Teachers are being called names and there is a iacK of respect shown teachers. I don't like this", she concluded. Jon Meyer, math teacher at East campus, admitted he was "blessed with almost a perfect schedule" but felt those who are not should allow time to "iron out the bugs". "Teachers should have more patience", he said. On the discipline problem, he feels teachers and administrators • are too inconsistent. It was his opinion that too much respons- ^ ibility and pressure is placed on the principal. Mr. Meyer suggested employing a dean of women rather than an assistant principal and said it was his opinion more attention should be shown to the average student. He said, "When you ask a teacher about his students, he knows who the excellent students are because of their good grades, and he knows who the trouble-makers are, but he seldom knows much about his average students". Concluding the teacher talks were brief statements by Marilyn Muntz, counselor at West campus, who observed that "this system may be more painful but more rewarding in the long run. When the bugs are taken care of, the pupil will receive a much better education from this system . President James Althoff of the board announced that there will be a reorganization of the scheduling at the end of the present semester at East campus, which brought nods of ap­ proval from teachers in that building. Mrs Petrick stood up and introduced herself as the per­ son in charge of the commons, which she descnbed as much improved after a start that was "terrible said that after a period in which "the students were taking bets among themselves on how long I would remain", she has no problems now. Herb Reinhansperger, one of the many parents present, read excerpts from a letter he had previously given to the board concerning his communication with the superintendent «, . of New Trier high school, which he said is known to have one of the finest systems in the country. Reihansperger pointed out that this school is now on the traditional system. He said he brought up the subject because after listeiung to some of the information at the meeting he said it left the impression that "if you don't have the F M.S. you are not with it" The New Trier administrator, Reihansperger con­ tinued, while not committing himself, noted that the new sys­ tem has "strength and weaknesses". New Trier, according to the information received, has nine periods of traditiona system which they consider effective. , , Reihansperger concluded, '|If there has teen any intent at this meeting to tell the public that the mod system is the had attended Evanston high school another good school, which is now operating on the modular system. He explained that the ^ it the svstem failed. The administration and board found more money was deeded to assure that it would operate "the way It to'^ ,s employed at East campus vvorking with the principal on discipline problems, °bs«ved that the faculty is overworked and some are overscheduled. She s d she has two children under the mod^ystcrn and Par^cl?'ar^ referred to the "C" student who needs guidance. That kind of student she concluded, would rather be with their friends than studv and she feels they are the ones who need the guidance. Other ?emarks were made by Don Seaton, assistant prin- , cipal at East, who commented that students there have had * no prior training in this type of scheduling. West, he continued, will not receive some problem students because the> either will have left school or will learn to fit into the system. "TTieir students are more mature; their building is bet­ ter. Our students are learning to use the commons better n°W Edwan^Newman, new member on the board, addressed hi«j remarks to the board and admimstrators as follows: "K enough to talk about these problems but I think we a "e emphasizing the wrong thing. There is a reason that this is happening. We, as a board, are very narrow in our per- % spective in that the kids we have most considered are not the average kids. Most kids do not even see the inside of a college much less go to one. I taught in the traditional system. Av­ erage students do not cooperate now any more than in the traditional system. Why do they take this route? Who are these kids when we talk about kids in the commons? Generally the kids in the lower 30 per cent of the class who are not in­ volved in athletics, music, etc . Newman continued: "They have been compared with their peers all during their school life. We have a lot of "D" and "F" students here which is normal with such a large enroll­ ment. I can't really chastise these kids sitting in the commons for not using the time to sttidy when it is a purely academic curriculum they are involved in. When you have an irrelevant curriculum, that is the whole problem". Newman continued to say that the matter of the modular system and its effect on students came to light because of a recent Plaindealer report of a meeting. He said the same night the board acted constructively in setting up a trades schedule program. He stated he had visited East campus in the middle of the day recently and of the five shops, it was nec­ essary to open all rooms, none of which were then in use. He explained that the Citizens Advisory Group will meet a- gain in a week, and expressed enthusiasm in arranging a vo­ cational school. This could be such a school now on a smaller scale, but it is not active, according to Newman. Whatever the system, he said a relevant curriculum is the important thing. "We should set up a vocational trade ai)d technical sys­ tem and we can use the same staff and the same building", he observed. Clint Claypool, another board member, said he felt the group had lost the concept of his original statement, which was cost. He reminded that the school was defeated in its recent tax referendum. "There are over 100 people here tonight, and that is one- third of the people who voted yes", he continued. "My point is, we have to live within a regimented budget. My question is, "Is the modular system more expensive to run than the tra­ ditional system"? Another thing, East campus now has 1,002 students. West campus can only hold 1,050. Will you vote for another referendum for a building program? Must we change this system to live within our budget"? Mrs. Thomas Davis, /a member of the audience, asked if comparision studies have been made available, to which Althoff replied that they had not been completed to date "but as of now it looks like a stand-off'. An unidentified woman in the audience said it was not because of money that she voted against the referendum. "When you show us that you are furnishing our children with the best possible education and the type of education we want", she said, "we willpass your referendum". Mrs. Charles Cuda, a parent and member of the board of School District 15, said perhaps the situation at East campus may be improved in the years ahead since the new Parkland Junior high is considering establishing a modular type program. "Maybe if they are given a taste of the program there, they will be able to adjust faster in the freshman and sophomore years and many problems being experienced now will not exist then". ® There were several comments at the conclusion of the meeting, in which observers expressed different opinions on the accomplishments of the meeting. 17 - Ceuiu&v g f O & L A M P , A P O W P O F 5 V G A R C 0 5 r CHICKEM5 1 From The e Farm FERTILIZER APPLICATION An efficient fertilizer system must always have these charac­ teristics: --Fertilizer is applied to supply the soil with the nutri­ ents necessary to achieve the most economic production of the crops. --Fertilizer placement, as well as the timing and the ap­ plication method, should pro­ vide for: 1. efficient nutrient use from plant emergence to maturity; 2. prevention of salt injury or toxicity to the seedling; and 3. convenience in the pro­ ducer's crop production sys­ tem. --Maximize net returns. Obviously, combining these characteristics into a fertili­ zer system demands a broad understanding of soils, weather, and of management decisions that affect the efficient use of applied nutrients. designed to be vented. Replace^ or repair defective equipment. RULE OF THUMB C*J BOARS A good rule of,thumb is to always have at least one more boar around than you will need. Work at the South Dakota ex­ periment station indicates that some boars may sire litters that average more than three pigs more than do other boars. Having lots of boar power will help reduce the chance that one boar of low fertility will have a big effect on your pig crop. S Deaths ILLINOIS SWINE BETTER SAYS LOIN-EYE DATA Illinois swine have improv­ ed markedly during the past 10 years. Ten years ago, only one pig out of 35 killed in the State Fair Carcass Show had more than 5 square inches of loin eye. This year, of 185 head killed in the carcass contest, 18 had more than 6 square inches of loin eye. This year, of 185 head killed in the carcass con­ test, 18 had more than 6 square inches of loin eye, and another 99 head had between 5.0 and 6.0 square inches of loin eye. CHECK HOME HEATING SYSTEM Shorter days and cooler nights are a sure sign that colder weather is on the way. Put furnaces and space heat­ ers that were idle all summer into shape for the long win­ ter months ahead. Check out water heaters, kitchen ranges and other heating devices that have been in continuous use all summer, as well. Air intakes of burners often collect dust and lint. Clogged air intakes can cut fuel-burning efficiency which in turn, in­ creases the amount of carbon monoxide produced. The chan­ ces of a dangerous build-up of carbon monoxide from im­ properly operating heating ap­ pliances increases. All home­ owners should make a careful survey of their home heating systems now. Be sure all burn­ ers are clean and properly ad­ justed. Vent all units that are SHIVERS AND SHAKERS Shivers, shakers and tremb­ ling in newborn pigs is thought to be caused by a subclinical virus infection in the dam dur­ ing her gestation period. From Dorothy May Tnrner, West Union, Ohio. I remember that my childhood was filled with good days. We used to pack a picnic basket on Sunday, catch the trolly car -- a summer car open on all sides. It would slowly Hrive waile you walked alongside, grabbed the handles and got on. Two men were on the car, one to drive, the other to collect fares. Dad never did have to pay for us to ride. We always had a good time in the park. I remember the canal that ran through Cincinnati. We lived nearby and could watch the hors­ es or mules pull small barges up the canal. It was always busy. I remember when animals were driven through the streets on the way to the market. I didn't mind the pigs or chickens, but I was afraid of the cows. We went to the store on Satur­ days to pay our bill. We looked forward to that. The groceryman would bag up a bagful of candy, something we kids received only once a week. Sundays, we always went to church. I never had a silk dress until I was 21 years old. Mother made dresses out of gingham. But, I do remember wearing high heels and slik stockings at the age of 12 years. I guess I had a good childhood in the good old days. (Send contributions to thit column to The Old Timer, Box 639, Frankfort, Ken­ tucky 40601.) SCOTT WEST Scott Allan West, 22 month- old son of Mr. and Mrs. El- dridge West of 521 Mineral „ Springs drive, McHenry, died' Friday night, Nov. 6, in Chil­ dren's Memorial hospital, Chi­ cago. He was a victim of leu-/, kemia. Scott was born in McHenry Jan. 6, 1969. Besides his parents, he is survived by two brothers and two sisters, Vaughn Edward and Mrs. Daniel (Virginia Marie) Kamp of McHenry, Clifford Gene and Mona Lisa at home; also the paternal granc^arents, Mr. and Mrs. Clifford West, of Woodland, 111. GUN SAFETY Hunting accidents are tragic. But, the fact is that 80 percent of the gun accidents in Illinois last year occurred in the home--not in the field. Many of these ac­ cidents happen because guns are stored improperly. Here are some simple, easy- to-follow safety rules to help reduce the number of home gun accidents this fall and winter: --After each hunting trip, be sure that your guns are unload­ ed before you bring them into your home. --Once inside, clean your guns promptly and lock them in a. safe place. Always store am- In 1874, alone, three rail lines hauled 21,000,000 pounds of buffalo bones, picked up on the plains and sold to fertili­ zer companies. munition separately and be sure to keep the keys out of the reach of children. --As a final safety measure, teach each member of your fam­ ily safe gun-handling pro­ cedures and respect for fire­ arms. --Even if your family doesn't own a gun, your youngsters may come across one somewhere else. If they have had proper training in the care and use of firearms, the chances of an ac­ cident are greatly reduced. Services werfe conducted at 1:30 Sunday at the First Bap­ tist church, with Rev. Virgle C happell officiating. Burial was in Woodland cemetery. ETHEL M. HOLLY Funeral services were con­ ducted at 2 o'clock Monday af­ ternoon at the George R. Jus- ten & Son funeral hone for Mrs. Joseph (Ethel M.) Holly, who died at Memorial hospi­ tal, Woodstock, Friday, Nov. 6. Burial was in Woodland cem­ etery. Mrs. Holly, 83, formerly re­ sided at 3307 W. Elm street, McHenry. She was born Sept. 2, 1887, in Barre, Vt., and had resided in this community for many years. Mrs. Holly was the last charter member of Riverview camp, Royal Neighbors of America. Her husband preceded her in death in 1958. She leaves one son, Warren S., of McHenry; a grandson and two great­ grandchildren. MARIAN DRAMA CLUB PRESENTS "OUR TOWN" (Continued from page 1) Marian Central students. Cur­ tain time will be at 8 o'clock sharp. Proceeds from this fall play will be used to help finance the spring musical at Marian in April. NATURAL RESOURCE INVENTORY HELD (Continued frbhi page 1) sources. This project is sched­ uled to be finished Nov. 15. After all of the resource in­ formation is gathered it will be sent to the University of Illinois, where it will then be programmed for the computer. Kenneth Fiske, executive direc­ tor of the Resource Service center cautioned, however, that "the computer is not the final word in regard to our natural resources and land use. It will only be an aid, a highly sophis­ ticated and special aid, in deter­ mining land use and use of our natural resources." Fiske added that "the computer will not tell us where or where not to do something. It will only tell us where conditions (Soil, Geology, Water, Vegetation)are favorable for a specific use." The computer system will be linked by teletype to the planning commissions in each county. Users will be able to query the computer by typing questions on a teletype, and re­ ceive the information in a mat­ ter of seconds. For example, a user might want to know what natural resource problems would be presented by a real estate development in an ur­ banizing area outside Chicago. The computer printout would provide information on the strength of soils, water table, land use, forest cover, and others. The system could also help guide highway construction so that areas of prime natural resource value could be avoid­ ed, or assist in the development of zoning ordinances by identi­ fying, for example, areas suit­ able for septic tank instal­ lations. Along with the Ford Founda­ tion grant, this project is also being supported by state and lo­ cal funds and by local foun­ dations. An easy reducing plan for Long Distance budgets. •<5%, ROPP NAMED DIRECTOR Gordon L. Ropp, a Normal dairy farmer who has been act­ ing director of the Department of Agriculture since John W. Lewis was sworn in as secre­ tary of state, has been named director of the department. Gov. Richard B. Ogilvie, who ap­ pointed him, said: "I am con­ vinced he will command the con­ fidence of the agricultural com­ munity." Ropp has announced that the department will partici­ pate in the 1971 Mid-Ameri­ ca Food exhibit April 12-17 at the U.S. Trade Center in Tokyo. The exhibit is spon­ sored by the Mid-America In­ ternational Agri-Trade Coun­ cil, a 12-state cooperative for trade expansion. Here are a few simple exercises that'll help you trim down the out-of-state Long Distance portion of your phone bill. Exercise number 1: Take your forefinger and dial the number yourself. If you're calling out-of-state, 200 miles or more, it's cheaper to dial direct than to go through the Operator. Exercise number 2: Scribble down this note to yourself a hundred times: "Evening bargain rates now start at 5 pm instead of 7 pm on weekdays. Bigger bargains apply all day on Saturday; and Sunday till 5 pm." Exercise number 3: Switch off the late show and sprint over to the nearest phone. Because every night from 11 pm to 8 am, you can dial a one-minute call for as little as 350 or less. For each additional minute, the rate dips to 20^ or less. You'll be amazed what these little exercises can do to trim your Long Distance phone bill. To learn more (including tips for calls within the state, too), write to Illinois Bell, Box LD-30D, 225 W. Randolph, Chicago, 111. 60606. We'll send you the free folder "How to Get More for Your Money on Long Distance Calls." It's guaranteed to get rid of budget bulge. ̂|||jnojs M We're a lot more than just talk. i \