Bishop Amat High School - Tusitala Yearbook (La Puente, CA)

Page 166 text:

160 Academics Examining print-outs, Mr. Anthony Victoria works in the new data pro- cessing room. He spent much of his time at the terminals and printer. Teach IVle Knowledge What is science? The for- mal definitions are: 1. a knowledge of facts and laws arranged in an orderly sys- tem 2. a branch of such knowledge 3. a skill, a tech- nique and 4. the search for truth. Sr. Lorita, head of the Science Department, said that the goal of the depart- ment was, to teach the pro- cess of science not just the facts, to involve students in the learning process of hands on experimentation, to teach students to analyze and think critically, and fi- nally, to teach the scientific method used in Koh joyll later sciences. At least two years of sci- ence were required for gradu- ation. One course was taken freshman year, Introduction to Earth Science, Earth Sci- ence, or Introduction to Physical Science. The second course was Biology, taken ei- ther sophomore or junior year. Once the two selected courses were completed, a student could choose to go on to Chemistry or tGod-will- ingj Honors Chemistry. After completing Chemistry, some students advanced to Physics, Human Physiology, and Introduction to Human Anatomy. Science asks the students to learn, to think, to ask questions, and to use meth- ods of education not used in other subjects-for example, experimentation and hands- on activities, said Mr. Brian Miller. Experiments ranged from flipping coins to deter- mine probability to building your own alien for a specified planet. Yes, science classes were demanding and hard to ace. One had to have patience and the will to succeed. Sometimes it was hard to Mr. Dave Medina explains the up- coming lab. Experimentation was an inherent part of the science pro- gram. comprehend exactly why sci- ence is useful in life. Ms. El- len Ybarra gave the explana- tion, Science is used in ever- yday life. Cooking is chemis- try you can eat, and photog- raphy is chemistry you can seein

Page 165 text:

Keeping The Lines Open 's. Paula Sheldon, discusses moral issues with r class. When teaching, she covered the con- rns of young people, and when counseling, she oke on a more personal level. -S -...- .ss- ..... esss will me 5: f:i? m535'K ff' 1'f'.E:!!::s J J liifi zial Studies . . my wardrobe, espe- ly my ties. ogg Ms. Ellen Ybarra Science, Christian Ser- vice, Campus Ministry . . . the disease of MDS. Keeping the lines or means of com- munication open was the most impor- tant aspect of being a counselor. Giving advice and listening to students was not the only hard work the counselors had cut out for them. For Mrs. Paula Shel- don, Mrs. Mary O'Neil, Sr. Mary Sulko, Miss Christi Velasco, Miss Cindy An- dries, and Mr. Chris Spohn who worked as counselors, several other responsibil- ities made for a busy schedule. Head counselor, Mrs. Paula Shel- donls job consisted of coordinating the Counseling Department, overseeing the five other counselors, handling the re- registration proceedings, scheduling students and guiding them on their per- sonal, career, and academic goals. This, coupled with teaching two Christian Vocation classes kept her schedule full. When asked about her Views of the Counseling Department she responded, Problems are natural, and people do need help at times. I just hope they know that they have a place to turn and even though we can't cure the problem, we can offer them some affirmation. College counselor, Mrs. O'Neil, pro- vided students and the other counselors with information on colleges. She as- sisted the counselors and faculty by giv- ing them instructions on writing schol- arship and college recommendations. As the financial aid consultant, Mrs. O'Neil explained the complicated array of financial aid forms and scholarship material to students and parents. Mrs. OlNeil attended conferences in order to keep up on college requirements and changes in their programs. She also commented, I enjoy a student's excite- ment when they are accepted into the college of their choice. Some of Mrs. O'Neil's biggest projects were planning college night and publishing a newslet- ter to acquaint juniors and seniors with opportunities after high school. The counselors worked with students according to homerooms. Their job in- cluded working with schedules, pro- gress reports, and report cards. Aside from performing these tasks, they were also on the faculty roster as teachers. They always found time to try to meet the personal needs of the students de- spite the shortage of time in a day. Personal and academic counselors worked hard for the students' best in- terests. They tried to teach them how to make their own decisions by carefully balancing emotions and practicality. Ultimately, the counseling experience was beneficial to both sides. Sr. Mary Sulko explained, Through working with the students I learned one of the most important aspects of counseling . . . affirmation. Rev. Roland Mrs. Virginia Ashdown Mrs. Pat Buccola Mrs. Gerri Dawson Zimmerman Receptionist Secretary to the Princi- Attendance Office Athletic Chaplain pal llhat is too serious to be joked about? Physical Education!CounseIing 159

Page 167 text:

Setting The Records Straight aide, senior Eddie Martinez, carefully enters endance records. Students as well as faculty ed the new system for the benefit of the entire iooi. s. Leona Lemeiie Mrs. Barbara Meraz :endance Office Bookkeeper During the summer a pilot adminis- trative computer system was intro- duced to the campus. The system's functions were meant to improve the efficiency of the school tremendously. Not only was it cost-efficient, but pro- cessing information at school rather than resorting to outside services, made the school more independent as well. Future plans were also made to further assist administration by expanding the computer system. The program to computerize the school was actually started as a test by the Los Angeles Archdiocese. During the first week of school in September, scheduling did not run smoothly. Mr. Anthony Victoria, Data Processing Ad- ministrator and chairperson of the Computer Department, explained, There were simply too many students who changed their schedules. Because of inexperience with I.B.M. and the new software, we could not interact the attendance file with the schedule file, thus creating confusionf' The computers, which were located in the rear of the attendance office, dealt chiefly with student information. They handled everything, from grades to tardy records, that could be added to student statistics. By owning comput- ers, the cost of processing data was sig- Mrs. Edith Torado Mrs. Lena Vaileio Registrar Bookkeeper Maintenance: Mr. Sai Ojeda, Mr. Jose Gomez, Mr. Sixto Pala- cio, Mrs. Concepcion Pa- lacio, and Mr. Esquivel Zavaia nificantly lowered. Administrative pur- poses such as tuition billing and report cards were processed at school and sent directly to the students' homes. Each student had a personal file in the com- puter that included locker assignments, membership in clubs and organizations, scholarship potential, and even car- pools. The computers allowed the ad- ministrative department to perform tasks that were previously too compli- cated and tedious to do manually. The system, which consisted of four modules, was still considered small- scaled although it revolutionized the method of record-keeping. The school hoped to buy at least two more comput- ers to aid individual departments. Emergency health information and dis- ciplinary records were in the process of being added to personal student files. In all, the computers helped the ad- ministration a great deal, not only be- cause of their capabilities but because of their investment value as well. Their convenience enabled the school to func- tion more efficiently and the addition of new computers in the future could only lead to progress. The project that began as a test for the archdiocese de- veloped successfully into a permanent part of administration and paved the path for technological advancement. Mrs. Mary Pat Wiard Kitchen: Bookstore Manager Mrs. Mary Moniz and Mrs Connie Almeida Science!New Computer System 161