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Junior high teachers and students
tough out transition time
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By Ruth
Halpin
[SEPT.
23, 2003]
Lincoln Junior High School
Principal Curt Nettles spoke to me about a few of the problems he
and the teachers have experienced at the junior high school this
year as they hold classes in the old Central School building. He
said there are a lot of differences, a lot to get used to.
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There are no lockers, and they have
no gymnasium. The lack of lockers was a concern, but the students
have adjusted fairly well, storing their bags and belongings in
their homeroom classrooms. "We had to adjust the schedule to allow
time to go back for books and things in between," the principal
said.
He said the students have not had to
wear uniforms for physical education this year because there is no
gymnasium and no locker rooms. The teachers are basically just
letting them play outside and trying to get them a little
exercise.
He also said that the band is playing
on the stage because there is no band room in the building.
Lisa Cook, a special ed teacher, said
that the main thing was finding the supplies they needed and
unpacking everything in a short period of time. She said some
things are still missing but nothing important. She also said that
the school had experienced some electrical issues in connection
with converting the former kindergarten classroom into the office.
They tripped some breakers and had to call Albert Services to fix
the problem.
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this article]
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Despite a few initial problems,
though, it is not all bad. The heat will be less of a problem
soon, and students are settling in and adjusting well. There is
less congestion in the hallways since students are not stopping at
lockers to talk or fix their hair, and Ms. Cook said it cuts down
on tardiness issues also. She also said that the seventh and
eighth grades are on separate hallways this year, which is new and
seems to work out better for teachers and students as well.
The students don't seem to like this
school very much. Alicia Baker said she doesn't like anything
about it. Sixth-grader Ryan Irwin said it's hot and it needs air
conditioning. Most of the students were in too big a hurry to
leave school and wouldn't hang around and talk.
Despite the problems, though, staff
members are looking forward to the light at the end of the tunnel,
when the new building is ready.
"There is
teaching and learning taking place," Nettles said. "The school is
the people in it, not the building." As long as students are able
to learn, the atmosphere is not as important as the content of the
lessons.
[Ruth
Halpin] |
