Churchland High School - Trucker Yearbook (Portsmouth, VA)

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14 CHANGES Norcom arrivals. Checking in after two class periods at Norcom, which became a center for technology and the arts, are Todd Cologgi and Amy Ewing. A new CHS? Ceiling problems like the one being corrected by Mr. Mike Patillo and Mrs. India Wheeler were a regular happening. Building conditions and the increased student body were just two of the reasons cited for building a new high school in Churchland. The Xerox lady. On a lighter note, the school received a new Xerox machine which collated, stapled, and even printed on two sides of the paper at the same time. Here Mrs. Carole Platt shows how simple the new machine is to operate as she prepares her art midterm examination.

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Marilyn Monroe visits CHS A tall, blonde figure entered the room. All eyes were entranced upon this vision of loveliness. From her high heels to her diamonds, Jason Farwell had put Marilyn Monroe to shame. This stunning blonde had captured the attention of everyone crossing her path. Marilyn Monroe just began the list of celebrities. The halls were filled with the faces of the silver screen. Hollywood day was just one of the days that the Trucker spirit was at its height. On dork day Mike Seay was ready for the deepest flood with his highwaters; on international day, Chad Dennis could have passed for a true Scotsman. From the glamour of Marilyn Monroe to the taped glasses of the typical dork, the participation in spirit week was outstanding. The senior class accounted for a large number of participants, but those underclassmen gave them a run for their money. The count was close, but the class of 88 came shining through. Overall, the homecoming activities led to a fantastic homecoming evening. The night was a perfect climax for revealing the secret of our success. Beth Atkinson Poised for Hollywood. Marilyn Monroe, or Jason Farwell as we know him, dressed to impress on Hollywood day. Want to buy some cookies? Junior Rachel Rivera has the girl scout spirit on crazy day. The Fritz. Sporting the greaser look, reminiscent of the fifties, is Randy Fritz, who completed the outfit with a leather jacket and a white t-shirt. HOMECOMING 13

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ae Governor’s School. Several students from Churchland, as well as from other Portsmouth and Hampton Roads high schools attended the Governor’s School for the Arts. Churchland’s Felicia Flores was enrolled in the performing arts program which was held at Old Dominion University. She like other students left after fourth or fifth period to attend the Governor's School. A new face. Senior government teacher Mrs. Phyllis . Wermeister was just one of the many new staff members at Churchland. Joining Mrs. Wermeister were Mrs. Janet Fedei, Mr. James Davis, Ms. Lori Passios, Mrs. Catherine Winslow, Mrs. Joanne Funk, Mrs. Julia Thompson, Ms. Jule Gibson, Mrs. Barbara Taber, Mrs. Marcella McNeil, Mrs. Alice Hundley, Mr. Mark Didawick, Ms. Zelene Battle, and Mr. Michael Gilpatrick. Changes at CHS? What Changes? In Septem ber of 1986 drastic changes were introduced into the instructional and discipline procedures of Portsmouth Public Schools. The grading system was changed, and students were allowed to retest. Mastery Learning was put into effect. Reality Therapy down played the role of the teacher and the administrators as authority figures and put the thrust of discipline in the students’ hands. By April of 1987 teachers, adminstrators, parents, and certain members of the School Board were up in arms over the new policies implemented by Superintendent Rondle Edawrds. This frustration soon led to the resignations of Dr. Edwards, Dr. Robert Mitchell, and Mrs. Carol Barber. In July of 1987, many school board members made motions that led to the removal of Mastery Learning and Reality Therapy. The school system voted to return to a more traditional discipline policy and to give teachers more flexibility concerning what and how they teach. The textbook became the principal teaching tool and the report cards returned to the traditional A - F system that allows for a better, more consistent evaluation of the student’s performance. “I’m very glad Mastery Learning was done away with because it was ridiculous,” noted Mrs. Elizabeth Duke, mathematics department head. When questioned about whether she could see any differences in the way discipline problems are handled this year as opposed to last year, Mrs. Duke noted, “Absolutely. The teachers can handle the children now instead of the children taking their actions in their own hands.” Even students like Shelton Twine found the system frustrating. “Reality Therapy was not working because discipline was out of hand,” noted Twine. Ross Cherry Back to the basic approach. Junior Bert Scott completes a journalism test where teacher Mr. Marvin Fanny offers no retests, a principal component of Mastery Learning. Some teachers, however, still used the retest as a viable alternative in the classroom. CHANGES 15