Fort Madison High School - Madisonian Yearbook (Fort Madison, IA)

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ABOVE: June Ryner fDarla Deedsj and Sally Young fLaura Cooperj deliver the orchid. ABOVE LEFT: Susie Johnson fLori Brecountj ex- plains why the orchid can'l be worn. FAR LEFT: Linda Robinson fMichelle Smithj waits for her answer from Burt Ryner fDon Flayj. LEFT: Stage Crew, prompter Margie Wellington and Lynn Stoyer look on during the play. PHOTOS BY: B. Fitzsimmons. 23 Freshman One Acts

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FRUSH UNE-ACTS oung actors make debut March 4, '76 Under the student direction of Nora Baker and Brad Benge, the freshman one-act play Honey of a Peach was presented March 4. Nora called the play a serious type, but Laura Cooper who plays the part of Sally Young said she felt the play was a comedy. When the student directors were asked how the play progressed, their replies were that it would be a great play. The kids are work- ing very well, they use their own imagination, stated Brad Benge. When asked how it felt to be on stage for the first time, students replied that it was scary but you get used to it when you really feel the part. Freshman One Acts 22

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Students given time to Iear fter two years of planning, the new curriculum which is believed to be the only one of its kind in the coun- try was put into effect. Under the new system, students were viewed as indi- IS THE NEW GRADING SYSTEM FAIR TO ALL LEVELS? DOES IT GIVE AD- VANTAGES OR DISADVANTAGES TO ANY PARTICULAR TYPE OF STUDENT? ' MR. BOWEN: Advantageous to slow and top students. Average students seem to fall behind because of the in- ability to discipline themselves. MISS MOORE: No, every student should have the same opportunity. Not just fail- ing students should be able to take units over. Students who get B's or C's should be allowed to try for A's. It is not sewing the purpose intended, helping slow students. MR. McVEY: Yes-all are treated the same. It should give some advantage to the slow learner-some disadvantage to the fast learner at present. In most classes there is no advantage at this time. MISS MACKIE: Yes I think it is advan- tageous for every student although they may not realize it. It will eventually teach students responsibility as soon as they get used to the system. It could become an easy cop-out for lazy students. MR. CRAWFORD: It is not unfair. The disadvantage for kids is that it forces kids who normally don't do the work. Under the new system there is no more coasting. 24 Opinion viduals, each of whom could learn, given enough time and opportunity, to his or her own capacity. Students who failed to master a unit were given extra time to do so. If they were still behind at the end of the school year, they could catch up in summer school or during the next semester. F's were still given in cases where students made no at- tempt to work. KAREN DICKEY, junior: It isn't fair. Some people can't take tests. They clam up. But they are otherwise good students. RIC SANDOVAL, senior: Slower stu- dents think it's fair. Intelligent students may abuse it. LARRY DRESSLER, junior: Dis- advantage to the ones who try. CINDY BLANCHARD, freshman: Dis- advantage to the less intelligent stu- dent. They have to be retaking so many tests all the time. DENISE COPELAND, junior: I think so. Advantageous to poorer students be- cause they have more time to get as- signments in because there's really no time limit. DOES YOUR DEPARTMENT HAVE FACILITIES NECESSARY TO IMPLE- MENT THIS PROGRAM? MR. CRAWFORD: We need a media center staffed with department people who can work with students. MR. BURROW: Need for each teacher to have his or her own room all day long without interruption not met-We have to lug all kinds of materials all over. Sim- ilarly the courses were not formerly set up for individualization so we had to do this on our own time. MR. WALLERICH: Not really, to do it you would need more free time to be in classrooms and have access to materials. Carolyn Wellborn, high school Ian- guage arts teacher and co-chair of the district's curriculum council, said, ln the past the education system has pe- nalized the student for something he couIdn't help: his capability of learning. Commenting on the individualized HAVE TEACHERS BEEN ABLE TO SPEND MORE TIME HELPING STU- DENTS THIS YEAR? SCOTT KINCAID, senior: I don't think teachers' and students' schedules get together like for make-up tests. JULIE METZGER, sophomore: No, it seems that they are on a tight schedule in order to get all the units in the alloted time. MR. MUELLER: Teachers spend more time helping students this year. KATHY STEVENSON, junior: No, be- cause most teachers just give you a unit test to take over again. Then if you pass it, you just continue on with the rest of the class. They don't help you individ- ually unless you ask. HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO REPEAT A UNIT? DID YOU LEARN MORE OR UN- DERSTAND THINGS BETTER BE- CAUSE OF THIS? SHIRLEY ZACHMEYER, senior: l've failed a few tests and have had to retake them and l've learned more the second time because l've had to reread the whole chapter more carefully. KATHY STEVENSON, junior: No, l've had to take a test over. No because I just studied to pass that test and get it over with.