Big Sky High School - Sunrise Yearbook (Missoula, MT)

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iQs5S,,,gf is Sin-ei' - -:f. . X Q f i , . r - KAMM Maw - su DIVERSITY IN THE CLASSROOM - Don Falldorf hop! helps Seniors Greg Bauer and Angie Massey with their math while Senior Catherine Valgenti works on her own. - W- WRITTEN DEMONSTRATION - Jim Lodge lbelowj explains a math U problem to Freshman Larry S m o I i n s K y. I xggyf NTENSE CONCENTRATION - Senior TAKING PRIDE Sophomore Y P' - - mhony Faught labovel focuses on a Writing i 'i Ll0Yd Hettick lmiddlel reads his honor ssignment. roll certificate. Back to the basics - 97

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yum:- The current trend in education is towards giving every student an equal opportunity for learning. Schools throughout the nation are tightening curriculums and stressing the im- portance of gettin 9' K 0 ffl f f mulallnl fi CHEMICAL ENGINEER- ING - Senior Brent Schneeman itop righty mixes chemicals in the Science classroom. BUSY AT WORK - A stu- dent lleftl studies hard in the forestry room. A HELPING HAND - Teacher Ron Perrin gives Freshman Trudy Bruun help with a science question. rrring, the seven tifty-five a,m. bell rings for class to begin. Students dash headlong toward their classes ready for another day. A typical morning at Big Sky Highschool. Academics played a vital role in the lives of students. This year was a markedly different from previous years because teachers crack- ed the whip harder than ever to stress the im ff portance of learning. That meant getting back to the meat of education. In Missoula, that trend has existed for several years, ln 1983 the Northwest Evaluation team commended Big Sky for its excellence. Additionally. administrators have added graduation re- quirements in several curricular areas. Principal Darlene Smith said improvement is important. What makes a school good is the degree of improvement. The difference between a good school and an average school is that one moves forward while the other stands still. This year Students realized the importance of studies and grades. Senior Brent Schneeman said he takes school seriously because, I feel that a good education is necessary for a suc- cessful life. School provides this and broadens my horizons. Senior Michelle Potter said, I realize a good education is becoming more and more important in the job market. Students polled by the Sunrise said the average time spent on homework a night was two to four hours. The situation at home reflects national sentiments. Big Sky stands very well on a national level because it is a school always on the move. said Smith. X. Qtirwraise --he ,gf i f. s l .. 4 i it 'Ji' Af- ...v- x k Z A. .,,.

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The new Cli- tendance policies at Big Sky have g lm............, he Missoula County High School Board of Trustees IMCHSJ in 1984-85 cracked down on truancy with the students of Big Sky. Its new policy required students to make up two hours in alter school detention study for each single hour they miss- ed during the regular day. The new guidelines also outlined that if students missed a class in which grades were assigned, they still had to make up the work. However, their work would be lowered by one letter grade. If numerical grading was used, the grade was lowered by ten points. As a result, many students ended up spending their Saturdays, or after school hours at the school in detention. Senior Bruce Greene said, The new Saturday detention system is not the smoothest place to hang out. I think it is bogus. But, sophomore Casey Spicknall disagreed. Not that I'm in there everyday, but when I am I do get a lot of work done. Big Sky Vice Principal Teri Wing said, The detention has helped some students to improve their attendance, and their grades have reflected the improvement. A new hall pass system at Big Sky also helped cut down on truancy. Any student in the halls during class had to have a pink hall pass. Teachers monitored halls for students without passes. In order to receive a hall pass students had to have a legitimate reason for getting out of class. Often. students were going to the library. This year the pass system was rigidly enforced. Students found they had a better chance of being checked for passes than in the past. Some students considered the system insulting. Junior Teri Skaja said, I think that the faculty should have more trust in us, Just because a few people will try to get away with things, does not mean the rest of us will. Most students of Big Sky have realized that cutting class will result in cutting their free-time. By early in the year, however, students had adjusted to the new system, They found they could still get hall passes if they needed them. And' others quickly found that any absence from class had to be legitimately excused. The system was tighter, but it didn't keep students from getting the job done . o OFF YOU GO - Studyhall teacher Jim Harkins ilopi hands Juniors Tony Dionne and Angel Blize a hallpass to the library. DOUBLE CHECKING - Jack Alley lleftl checks the names of students who show up for detention. STUDYING QUIETLY - Junior Kristy Stratford irightj reads a book while in detention.