Milbank High School - Kennel Yearbook (Milbank, SD)

Page 8 text:

Middle School Bridges Gap Between Schools Perhaps the biggest change in the school district during the 1984-85 school year was the transition of the junior high to the middle school. With the idea of highlighting this new concept, the middle school students were placed at the beginning of the stu- dent section which follows. Bridging the gap between the elementary school and the high school was the main objective when the junior high was converted into a middle school. Along with the title came numerous cur- riculum changes. With the exception of band and chorus, electives were eliminated. According to the principal, scheduling for these elec- tives was tricky as all of the periods of the day were filled with re- quired courses. As a result, the school had three lunch periods so that the band and chorus could rehearse during one of the lunch periods and eat later. Four exploratory courses, as well as the usual required courses, were required of every student. Each of these classes, which included woodshop, home economics, art, and guidance, lasted nine weeks. A semester of reading and a semester of com- puter were also required of all students. This year the middle school was made up of the seventh and eighth grades. The school will also include the sixth grade and their teachers next year though they will still be taught the tradi- tional sixth grade material. Threading the needle, Christy Wherry learns to sew in home economics Observed by Spanish instructor Julie Hassinger. Terri Peters carries on with her demonstration Using the overhead projector, woodshop teacher Barry Olson demonstrates a point to his students

Page 10 text:

Students Face New Government Besides facing fewer electives and newly added exploratory courses, the middle school students were faced with a new student government. Instead of having class officers there were homeroom officers. New officers were chosen each nine weeks which gave more students a chance to have an authoritative position. The stu dent council was also run this way. Another difference in the school was the emphasis put on guidance. The students had guidance classes and about every two weeks every individual had a conference with his her homeroom teacher. This conference was held to talk over problems students were having and to provide an opportunity to express opinions. The seventh and eighth graders were asked how they felt about the new middle school. Some of their opinions are printed here and on the following pages. We have different student council representatives every nine weeks, and I don t like that. I also don’t like the homeroom class because it’s just like guidance.’ — Colette Peters “The classes are okay, but we have homeroom in the mornings which most people do not like.” — Holly Meyer Maggie Aesoph Thomas Aesoph Julie Amunrud Daniel Berkner Karla Bjerke Ryan Boe Cindy Boehrns Kory Bossert Karla Butzin Daniel Carlin Sonya Cheskie David Christensen Susan Christenson Terry Classen Angela Dahle Sarah Dockter Ginry Dohrer Eric Finstad Eric Rack Shawn Folk A computerized lunch system is new to the middle school Ryan Boe and John Hulberg give their lunch tickets to Mrs Flack, a frequent substitute 6