Oak Grove High School - Hornet Yearbook (North Little Rock, AR)

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nn W S X Kg M the WE s...-:IF The task of transporting candy from building to par- king lot became more of a joyride than work for injured Beth Harrelson. Lending a helping hand are Todd Langley and Elaine Wilson as the day arrived to pick up the fundraising candy for the seniors who planned to go to New York the following spring. When word spreads that the pizza is free, Coach John Mayes has more than his hands lull distributing food to ravenous football players. Chris Caldwell, David Day, and Clint Moore stand close at hand to receive a piece. The opportunity to learn ,more about a foreign cul- ture came when Mr. Akira Ohga of Nagasaki, Japan, spent a week observing the campus. Mr. Ogha was a member of a 40'teacher delegation to Arkansas to study the American tech- niques of teaching. Opening 5

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Tension mounted for students when tests, homework, and other assignments piled up. Teachers felt the strain when they had papers to grade, meetings to attend, and lessons to pre- pare. But before the last straw broke, the lightheartedness of teachers and students came to life, relieving the tension and stress. Students' creativity came forth in both spontaneous out- bursts and organized activities. A Puttin' on the Hits competi- tion gave interested students a chance to show off their per- forming skills. David Kersey and Wayne Brown dressed up as Grandma and the Big Bad Wolf and danced with the Drill Team at a pep assembly. Gary Williams provided an impromptu rap for Mr. Akira Ohga, a J apa- nese visitor to Ms. An- dreelli's Humanities class. Bursts of cre- ative energy were also directed from one stu- dent to another. Ray- mond Baxter and Kim Banks decorated his truck with balloons in celebration of their anniversary. Teachers also par- ticipated in the fun. On spirit days, teach- ers joined students in dressing up. For Hal- loween, Coach Jackie Higgins disguised himself as a wizard, and the cafeteria workers dressed up as witches and other Hal- loween charac- ters. Coach Tony Ad- ams used a costume as a teaching aid when he dressed up as a Pil- grim for his American History class. Ms. Penny Elliott and Mrs. Bonnie Haynie cheered for the faculty during the Student - Faculty basketball game. Whether watching from the sidelines or being the center of at- tention, the students and teachers devel- oped a definite style, which added excitement to an ordi- nary day and made it memorable. LI. Opening X -A VX RK

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CING H UNKNGW When teachers and students began the year, the fate of the Pulaski County Spe- cial School District was uncertain. Due to the unsettled consoli- dation case involving the Little Rock School District, no one was sure that Oak Grove would exist in future years as it is now known. Teachers, ad- ministrators, and stu- dents shared worries about what the future held. When the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals announced their decision in No- vember, it ended four years of court battles involving the Little Rock, North Little Rock and Pulaski County school dis- tricts. The court's de- cision to expand the Little Rock District to the Little Rock city limits involved the transfer of 15 Pulaski County schools to the Little Rock district. Oak Grove was not one of these schools, but it was still affect- ed. Attendance plans had not yet been final- ized and students feared not only the physical act of being bused, but also the emotional hurt of be- ing split from friends and teachers. Teach- ers had to ideal with the possibility of los- ing their jobs. Both school districts also felt they might not meet the new educa- tional standardsg a loss of accreditation would have lasting ramifications for stu- dents. Despite the uncer- tainty of the future for students and for the school itself, the year and its activities still moved forward. Clubs met, teams played, and students still learned. There was no turning back as stu- dents made this year count for what it was rather than dwelling on the future. Opening