Air Academy High School - Vapor Trails Yearbook (USAF Academy, CO)

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Special Programs Build Special People For some students, a regular high school environ- ment did not fit their needs. For these students, PEAK was offered. This was a program for those who needed a different approach to accomplish the common goals of high school. Students spent at least two periods a day in regular classes, and the rest of the day in the PEAK trailers behind D building. PEAK's goals were to teach self-respect and re- sponsibility as well as basic courses such as math and English. Students received college credit for be- ing in PEAK and had to adhere to a strict attendance policy. PEAK was modeled after Project Focus, a program in Minnesota which some teachers and the director of PEAK, Mike Parent, observed. Mr. Parent reflect- ed that f'PEAK is an attempt to have kids take charge of their own lives through success-oriented activities. They compete against themselves and find they can be successful in many different as- pects of life. PEAK encouraged personal growth in those stu- dents who wanted something different from the traditional approach to high school and was one way Air Academy helped to build on the best - its students. For the past seven years at Air Academy, a course called Reading Lab has been offered. Aimed at students with low comprehension or vocabulary, Reading Lab helped students to improve their skills. Eighty-five students were in Reading Lab the past year. For some it was a required course and for others it was voluntary. Students did daily class work and had to do four book reports, oral or writ- ten, a semester, on books of their choice. Reading Lab gave students two English credits or elective credits if the student had taken it the year before. Mr. Bill Klein, one teacher of this class, felt that it offered students a good opportunity. We cater to a student's individual needs: no two students do the same work, so specific students get the time they need. PEAK stresses individuality Brian Young and Dennis Dekrey study subjects based on their academic needs Kbelow rightj. Through Miss Kathy Lombardy's assistance, Beth Poe is able to complete her work Cbelow leftj. Part of the philosophy of PEAK is allowing students to express themselves. Mark Will, Tlm Jantz, and Mike Kaderka express themselves as cowboys while studying Cbottom rightb. ex . s .' '... Academics! 17 'R' T

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Class Gains Altitude History of Air Power, a course offered to those who were interested in learning more about the planes of the past and present, was taught by Colonel Watt Hill. Col. Hill has spent many years around air power and sees it as An extremely significant force for good and evil. His objectives for the course included showing the rapid growth and development of planes throughout history as well as their significance in today's world. ln the class, students were required to write three reports, seven to eight pages long, as well as do three oral reports on famous personalities or aircraft. Hill's curriculum covered the Chinese in 4000 B.C. up to the space shuttle and future aspects of space. He covered aerodynamics of aircrafts as well as func- tions of different parts of a plane through lectures, demonstrations, and films. The history of aeronautics is taught to junior Liz Sharp by Col. Watt Hill Ctopj. Some morn- ing announcements are presented by senior Radio and TV student JoAnne Roberts Cobove rightl. While instructing Latin, Mrs. Harriett Connolly conjugates verbs with sec- ond year students Claudia Clayton and Ke- vin Wolfgang Cobovej. Sessions of the round table, given by Miss Christine Kingsolver in her AP English class, are informative to sen- iors Tonya Anderson and Edith Jacobs Crightj. 16 I Academics

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ff -3 SWS i Nara is i At an outdoor pep assembly, Kim Darby, Jeanne Mobley and Darin Brown adds the final touches to his ceramics project Ctop Linda Morton warm up Ctop leftj. rightj. Band members Kim Darby, Linda Morton and Mark Warson take a break Cabovej.