Electives are an important part of the school day because they help students learn and focus in school. Many surveys have shown that electives give students a break from the standard core classes throughout the day, which actually allows them to concentrate easier in their remaining classes. Not to mention that electives are some students’ favorite part of their day because it allows them to make connections from their education to the outside world.

Here is a list of all the electives offered at Highland Park:

• Beginning Dance
• IB Dance
• Ceramics
• Drawing
• Digital Filmmaking
• Photography
• Jewelry
• Painting
• Sculpture
• IB Art & Design
• PLTW Architecture and Civil Eng
• AVID
• Intro to Agriculture
• Natural Resources
• Fish and Wildlife
• Small Animal Care
• Horticulture
• Floral Design
• 3D Modeling and Programming
• Programming, Game Design & Internet Security
• Engineering Design
• Principles of Engineering
• Architecture and Civil Engineering
• IB Computer Science
• Percussion
• Piano
• Music Tech
• Band
• Orchestra
• World Music Appreciation
• Mixed Choir
• Women’s Choir
• Gymnastics
• Strength & Fitness
• Racquet Sports
• Volleyball
• Health
• IB World Geography
• World Languages; Chinese, French, and Spanish

Some factors that decide what electives are offered include budget, popularity, and availability of teachers. This year due to budget cuts, some electives in the art and performing arts category are no longer offered. This includes Intro to Theater Arts, Acting, Technical Theater, and IB Theatre. Also, last year Highland lost an agriculture/industrial technology teacher, who was never replaced. This means the electives he taught, like Home & Auto Care, along with Construction & Design are no longer offered.

Although some electives were lost, there are a few new ones this year including yearbook, journalism/newspaper, and study hall. Many students chose to take a study hall instead of an elective, which is why we asked them, “If you could see one new elective here at Highland, what would it be?” This is how junior, Anna Chirhart responded; “I would like an art class that is not focused on one element because I prefer a variety of subjects.” When asked, “What seems to be the most popular elective requested by students?” Mrs. Esso, a school counselor, replied, “Students at Highland are very well rounded so there isn’t one elective that stands out too much compared to others, but I would say engineering is the most popular.”

Thanksgiving is that time of year that you can come together and spend time with family, eat good food, and relax. I always remember going to my grandma’s house and helping in the kitchen and then sitting down at the table that was set so beautifully. Spending time with mom, dad, aunts, uncles, grandma, and grandpa. It is one of my favorites holidays. I love to spend time with family and relax. Knowing how much Thanksgiving means to me, I decided to ask a few people what they thought about Thanksgiving.

Darron Chapmen

I asked Mr. Chapmen the following questions:

What are you thankful for? Being the age that he is. He didn’t want to comment on his age.

What do you do for Thanksgiving? “Eat a lot of food when visiting with relatives.” 

What does Thanksgiving mean to you? “It’s when family gets together and sits down and eats a good meal and talks about things that pertain to family.”

Andrea Dickinson

Ms. Dickinson, my school counselor, was asked:

What do you do for Thanksgiving? “Get together with family.” 

What are some traditions you do every year? “Eat food tried to go out for a walk.” 

What are you thankful for? “Heath ,family and spend time with family.”

John Edwards

I asked a student in my class the following:

What does Thanksgiving mean to you? “Sit down with the family and eat and talk about about how thankful we are for each other and how we appreciate each other.”

What do you do for Thanksgiving? “Eat with his family.”

What are you thankful for? “I’m thankful for having a good family.”

Tationna McGee

Another student in my class was asked:

What do you do for Thanksgiving? “Gather  with family and play game and hang out.” 

What does Thanksgiving mean to you and what are you thankful for? “Giving thanks to people in your family and being thankful for what I have.”

What is bullying? Does bullying even matter? Do people still bully anyone anymore?

According to stopbullying.com, bullying comes in different formats wether it’s verbal abuse, cyberbullying, or physical bullying. Bullying is a aggressive, bothersome behavior among school aged children that inolves a real or discern power imbalance. This behavior has the pontential to be repeated over time and will continue to keep going if not stopped. Bullying can include physical abuse, verbal abuse, calling names, harming others, spreading rumors, threatning someone, and excluding someone from a group on purpose for no reason.

Bullying seems to have been around for as long as anyone can remember. Whether it’s calling someone a name, to making fun of someone, or craking a quick joke, what you say can and will have an impact on someones life.

If you were to look up the word “Bullying” in Google, different informational websites about bullying will pop up such as:

• http://www.stopbullying.gov
• http://www.Kzoo.edu
• http://www.Violencepreventionworks.org

On the website stop bullying.gov, it says students who are bullied are more likely to commit suicide, not show up to school, disconnect with others, have low self esteem, may have depression, and will feel uncomfertable everwhere they go. When people are bullying others, they tend to not have anything better to do, they are jealous, not happy with theirselves, dislike school, and love to see others in pain.

According to us.reachout.com, when bullying happens and a school does not take action, kids will automatically see that bullying is O.K., keep on doing it, and the entire climate and culture can be negatively affected. The impact on student learning and engagement can also be negative, which can lead to:

• Students not liking school
• Students feeling unwanted, feeling worthless
• The school developing an enviroment fear and disrespet
• Not caring what is being taught to them
• Not listening or following teachers instructions

As it says on the website eyesbullying.org, being a bystander, a person who witnesses bullying, is also a big problem. Chances are, those students who watch someone get treated badly, called names, and being hurt in any way, and that do not take action to step up and tell a authority figure, will get in just as much trouble as the bully.

Multiple sources say that the best way to avoid getting bullied is to walk away, surround yourself with people who care about you, stay positive, and be confident. If the person keeps bugging you, go to the closest adult you can find and tell them.

IF YOU ARE BEING BULLIED AND NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO, CALL OR GO TO http://www.reachout.com or ask your counselor, teacher, a safe adult, or parent for more sources.

St. Paul Public Schools (SPPS) has been looking into whether or not they should change their current school start times.

According to spps.org, the official website of the school district, the leading recommendation made by SPPS leaders is for SPPS to keep their current starting times for 2016-2017. Although the leading recommendation is for start times to remain the same for 2016-2017, SPPS is hopeful to continue working with Metro Transit to find a solution. SPPS also presented the Board of Education with two alternative options for start times.

The alternative options would be to change the school start times, overlooking the downside such as the $2 million increase due to less efficient bus routes, and the changing of 90% of schools’ start times, including elementary schools, causing difficulties for many families and staff.

The second alternative is for SPPS to stop searching for possible ways to change start times, and remain with the current structure. SPPS contacted Metro Transit in a year-long process of research and analysis, along with conversing about a possible partnership between Metro Transit and SPPS.

The main advantage of the partnership between Metro Transit and SPPS, would be allowing the majority of elementary schools to keep their current start times, creating less of an impact on families, staff, transportation costs, and school programs.

Despite SPPS and Metro Transit’s efforts to find a solution to school start times, in mid-September Metro Transit contacted SPPS notifying them they did not have the capacity/resources to expand to more high schools. Metro Transit notified SPPS that their east metro garage does not have the space to house any more busses, and for Metro Transit to expand to additional high schools, it would require an estimate of 20 more busses.

For more detailed information about possible changes in school start times, please go to: http://www.spps.org/starttimes

In an effort to find out whether the freshman were prepared for high school, we printed out 61 copies of a survey-like quiz to see if their middle school actually prepared them for high school or not. The survey asked about their middle school and if it ever prepared them for high school. It also asked a series of questions on math, English, history, and science to see how much they knew about those subjects. The questions were at an eighth grade level, so the students should have been able to answer them correctly if they had been properly prepared.

Out of the 61 people that completed the survey, the middle school they attended broke down accordingly: (* Stated that their school prepared them for high school)

25 Highland Park Middle School*
10 Capitol Hill*
7 Linwood Monroe*
5 Ramsey
2 Highland Catholic*
Vandenberg Middle School*
Holy Spirit*
Nativity/Nova*
Battle Creek Middle

Based on the students feedback, 7 out of the 9 schools prepared the middle schoolers for high school in different ways such as: supporting and helping them set goals to achieve in high school. For example some ways that prepared kids from Linwood Monroe was that “they taught us how to be organized, told us how to write notes neatly, and had us use Naviance.”

Some students had AVID which really went through the basics of how high school is and how to stay on top of everything. It also introduced them to Cornell note taking, and how to organize your supplies. AVID is a college ready class that prepares students from 7-12 grade, filling their minds with helpful information. They also go on college field trips, and do team building activities that helps them have an open mind, and helps them achieve their academic goals.

Based on the data that we collected from the surveys, it seems as though Capitol Hill and Highland Park Middle School gave students the best advice on how to be prepared for high school and to be committed to their work.