Midlothian High School - Trojan Yearbook (Midlothian, VA)

Page 18 text:

4. Making the Grade The New Scale is Controversial hether on teacher’s bulletin boards, students’ assignment pads, or the front of report cards, the new grading scale became a part of the high school student’s life. The Chesterfield County School Board approved this new scale on April 12, 1988, and by September 6, when classes began, the change went into effect. With the new scale, students received a wider numerical range for each letter grade as eleven points were added to the B and below letters. One frequent complaint was that with only one point added to the A range it was very difficult to pull up grades each nine weeks. This system brought conflict as some students slacked off in their study habits and their grades re- mained the same. Other students found their grades had dropped as teachers made tests more diffi- cult to accommodate the more generous scale. When the new school year be- gan, a few students discovered that the scale allowed for more free time after school. Junior, Catherine Martin, commented about her most academically chal- lenging year, “I don’t know why ('m getting worse grades. I’m not studying less; I think I’m just hav- ing more fun! “Did this mean stu- dents thought the new grading system was more lenient, and they would not have to study as much? Freshman A.J. Anonick, explained his change from middle school to high school with the new scale as, ‘““much better, it takes a lot of the pressure off. I don’t have to worry so much about adapting ACADEMICS Grading Scale to the high school grading system, for the scale is easier.” Pressure or not, students com- plained that teachers made their tests more difficult, compensat- ing for the less demanding scale. Jimmy Devries realized this in some of his classes, “I’m getting about the same grades because the teachers have made tests harder. This new grading scale ba- sically helps the marginal stu- dents.” As the competition re- mained active throughout classes, many grade conscious students found the scale was less challeng- ing and were almost shocked at the numerical values that corre- sponded to the letter grades. “It’s so confusing when you get a 75% on a test, and it turns out to be an A plus!” an anonymous student joked about her personal battle with the system. In the end, members of all dif- ferent grades adjusted to the scale in their own personal ways. Some rejoiced and breezed by, while others tugged even more books home to study each night. When erades, interims, or report cards were distributed, students real- ized the new approach to grading was, in fact, a benefit. “I can’t be- heve how much those pluses can pull up your GPA, stated Diane Hamilton, after calculating her own grade point average. Overall, students formed either a liking, disliking, or indifference to the new scale. Yet one fact remained the same: each student developed their own unique attitude toward “making the new grade.” SENIOR JEFF DUTY FINDS TIME TO DOZE DURING CLASS. Who said the grading scale was unfair? SENIOR, TONIA SANBORN, WORKS DILIGENTLY to stay on top of the scale. LAUREN ENGLAND AND NATALIE MCCONNEL DISCOVER they have to “hit the books” frequently. THIS FRESHMAN CLASS EXPER- IENCES a popular high school pas- time: the test. Qa 2 eae Ses Tt 6—l Ss — — Oe er. fs - F

Page 17 text:

Indians An Original Performance n December seventh at seven- thirty a.m., the drama depart- ment anxiously awaited the first performance of their fall play, “Indians.”’ Exhausted from the great effort and lack of sleep nec- essary to pull off a stunning per- formance, the cast and crew bat- tled their nerves to the best of their ability. The faculty allowed students to purchase tickets to this matinee performance, and to miss their first three classes. Upon entering the auditorium, students did not know what to ex- pect. The house lights dimmed after an introduction by Miss Kather- ine Baugher, and the show began as Nic Fantl, playing Buffalo Bill, came down center stage. What followed during the next two hours was an emotional story of Buffalo Bill’s battle with his con- science. His guilt over an involve- ment in the conflict of the Indian removals caused him great pain. Wayne Blankenship’s portrayal of the betrayed Sitting Bull moved the audience. Junior Tree Seyfried, who played one of the Sioux Indians, commented, “I think we did an overall good job. We did the best we could with it. Iam really empa- thetic to Indians now.” Several students agreed that they felt sympathy for the Indians. “The play made a lot of interesting points. It made me rethink my opinion about the Indians and their treatment,” explained soph- omore, Kris Kishore. Although most students attended in order to get out of class, many left ques- tioning the morality of what hap- pened to the Indians and admir- ing their fellow schoolmates for their hard work. Senior John Rickman stated, “Even though it was their first performance, I thought they did a great acting job.” The devotion of the cast and crew made the production ex- tremely unique. Lance Kump, who played a U.S. Senator, sum- marized the thoughts of both the students and the faculty by say- ing, “I thought the performances showed that the cast definitely cared about what they were trying to do.” THE GRAND DUKE (KRISTEN SMELTZER) energetically expresses his desire to attempt to kill an Indian. ACADEMICS Vudians 13:

Page 19 text:

ACADEMICS 15 re Grading Seale —