Volume 13 - Merrillville Community School

parent e-newsletter
merrillville high school
THE
MERRILLVILLE ADVANTAGE
November 2013 Volume 13
“We Were All Slicers That Night”
Yvonya Randle wears an orange armband in honor of LaPorte player
Jake West before the homecoming game against LaPorte.
September 27, 2013 10:00 pm • Joyce Russell
On this night of Merrillville's homecoming, many Pirate fans paid tribute to 17year-old Jake West, a LaPorte junior and football player who collapsed during
practice Wednesday and later died of a genetic heart condition.
Before the two teams took to the field, four Slicers walked to the center for the
coin toss. They carried West's jersey as a tribute.
West's mother, father and sister were at the game and received the white No.
26 jersey of Jake's after the game off on the sidelines.
A flag holding West's number, 26, flew in the south end zone of the MHS field. It
would be given to the team after the game, said announcer Mike Blaney, after
a moment of silence. Merrillville fan Lillie Washington wore an orange ribbon
dangling from her glasses.
"It's to say we grieve with them. They are sad. Our hearts are with them," she
said. On the away side of the field, Slicer fans donned orange T-shirts. They
hung homemade banners over the railing urging the team to "Play for Jake."
Another said "We Love our Angel."
NFL player and Merrillville graduate Mike Neal, of the Green Bay Packers, was
on hand for homecoming and spoke to the LaPorte players in the locker room
after the game.
LaPorte coach Bob Schellinger said the decision to play Friday night wasn't up
to him. "It was up to two groups of people. The first group was these players
and whether they felt they could compete and play tonight and focus. That
was No. 1," he said. "The second group was that family right there. The school
was not going to make this decision. They were going to let that family and
those players make it, and they both were a resounding yes, and that’s why
we went ahead and played the game." (Continued on p.2)
Times Article excerpts from NWI.com Joyce Russell.
pg. 1
November 7-10
Order your tickets online at
mhthespians.org. The family-friendly
adaptation of Herman Melville’s novel
will exite. Reinhart Auditorium this
weekend , Thurs-Sat 7pm; Sun at 2pm.
Wanting to contact us?
MHS Freshman Center:
756-5720
Main Building Student Services:
650-5380
Volume 13: November 2013
MHS ADMINISTRATION
BUILDING PRINCIPAL
Mike Krutz 650-5307 x.7030
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION
Marnita Taylor 650-5372
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL GR.12
Tim James 650-5378
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL GR. 11
James Stamper 650-5373
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL GR. 10
Sean Hudson 650-5344
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL GR. 09
LaFonda Morris 650-5371
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
DIRECTOR OF GUIDANCE
Michelle Sulich 650-5478
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
Janis Qualizza 650-5390
ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
Amy Beckham 650-5340
DIRECTOR OF SECURITY
Brad Best 650-5381
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER
Tim Finnerty 756-5721
COATS FOR KIDS:
Slicers cont…
It wasn't the first time LaPorte and Merrillville have faced off after
tragedy. They played each other after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks - another night when emotions ran high and football took a backseat to
real life.
"This shows our community, what we’re made of in LaPorte. I know we’re
not winning many football games, but sometimes life’s bigger than
football and bigger than winning and losing," Schellinger said. "Our
student body knew that and our kids knew that, and that’s why they’re
hanging together, because they’re drawing strength from each other."
Pirate players wore a decal of No. 26 on their helmets.
The school's cheerleaders wore orange ribbons in their hair and the
dance team wore orange armbands. "I respect his parents and I hope
they can get through this and I believe Merrillville does care. I will keep
them in my prayers," said Merrillville freshman Ricky Sease, who sat with a
group of friends who had fashioned orange tape into wristbands and
stripes on their jackets.
Hannah Webster, an Merrillville alum and now a student at Butler
University came to watch her brother Frank, a senior, play. "He said he
told the team, 'We have another game next week. We can give this kid
this one night'," Webster said.
Darlisa Akins, watched as her daughter participated on the cheer squad
and her son worked as the MHS mascot. She wore an orange ribbon in
her hair. "Being a parent of high school kids, it shows support. It could be
any child, any day. It makes your heart ache," Akins said.
At other high school football games across the region, teams and fans
showed support. Orange was spotted at the Andrean/Highland game
and the Hobart/Lowell contest among others.
The Merrillville High School R.O.T.C. students along with their advisors carried in
many gently used and new coats to the MIS cafeteria. The collection “Coats for Kids (and families)” drive
ended Thursday, October 31. Coats will be distributed to the community on Saturday November 2 in the
MIS cafeteria from 9 am - 12/noon. MIS is located at 1400 W. 61st Ave in Merrillville, Indiana. Coats are
displayed by size and gender
across the MIS cafeteria tables.
The abundance of coats
collected will keep many of
the
community
members
warm this winter season. A
second location for coat
distribution will be at the
Central Baptist Church on
Saturday November 9 from
9:00 am - 12/noon. The church
is located at 704 West County
Road 700 North in Hobart,
Indiana.
2
Volume 13: November 2013
October 9
Kids On The Block: Thespian students took their popular puppet show to Miller Elementary to teach our younger
students about making good decisions and being a good citizen
October 12
Band: Band-of-Pirates Marching Band competed at the ISSMA Scholastic Marching Band Competition at
Homestead High School in Fort Wayne. They have had a very successful marching season. They have competed in three contests
and have taken three Golds. They have also earned two Music Achievement Awards.
October 14-18
College Go Week: Every year, the state of Indiana establishes a week in September as, a time to encourage
all students to think about life after high school…namely college. As you walked in the doors, you saw college logos
immediately. You heard college fight songs. Every teacher and student was encouraged to wear college gear all week! The
Guidance Department asked all students to participate. Students won a college prize for wearing the same college of the fight
song being played each morning. Students also won prizes for telling their first hour teacher what fight song was
playing. Additionally, classroom doors were to be decorated by all 1st hour classes, and the doors were judged. The winning doors
earned donuts for their 1st hour class. Other activities included presentations by IUN and current IUN students and lunch activities by
freshmen counselors as well as upper-classmen counselors. Juniors or seniors who need help setting up E-Transcript accounts can still
get help from Mr. Geimer.
October 17
College and Career Fair: 6:30-8:00 P.M. in the Freshmen Cafeteria. All students and families are invited, as well as
other schools. There are expected to be over 50 colleges, trade schools, and military recruiters. Every MHS student who attends will
be entered into a drawing to win a TV, and any student that attends the presentation with Ms. Wilson that night will be entered into
that drawing again.
October 22-26
Red Ribbon Week: During the week students sponsored “spirit-wear against drugs”.
Monday – Wild About Being Drug Free, students wore camo (pass out red ribbons)
Tuesday – Sock It To Drugs, students were encouraged to wear crazy socks
Wednesday – Team Up Against Drugs, students were encouraged to wear sportswear from high school, colleges, pro athletics
Thursday - Merrillville Pirates Are Drug Free , students were encouraged to wear red shirts
Teachers and staff brought in baby pictures ; two collages were created with them
(one for the main building and one for the freshman wing). The theme was “MHS Staff
Born to be Drug Free.” We also had a student from SADD (different one each day)
read the history of Red Ribbon Week over the 5th hour announcements.
November 7-10
Fall Play: Moby Dick, $10 General Admission, $5 Students
This year the Thespians bring you a tale of revenge against a bloodthirsty whale. One
man’s quest to avenge his lost leg endangers an entire crew. No play set on the high
seas would be complete without a whaling ship and sea chanties! Performances
begin at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, followed by a 2 p.m. showing on Sunday.
Tickets now available online at mhsthespians.org.
November 16
Regionals: The Thespian Troupe will be attending the Regional Thespian Competition at Bethel College. This
year’s competition piece is Flowers for Algernon, based on the popular novel by Daniel Keyes. This production is unique in that it is
completely organized, directed, and designed by students. Senior Josh DeLeon directs a cast of 6 students who educate us on the
mistreatment of the mentally disabled and the battle between our intellect and emotions.
Required Reading Grading Changes
This year the Merrillville Community School Corporation has changed how “Read to Succeed Required Reading” grades
are calculated for students. Merrillville High School students will no longer receive a letter grade on their report card; they
will now receive a pass/fail (P or F) on their report cards. Each high school student is expected to earn 16 points each
trimester in order to earn a passing grade on their report card. The following dates should be noted for Merrillville High
School students in order to pass “Read to Succeed Required Reading” each trimester:
First Trimester: 16 or more points by November 13
Second Trimester: 32 or more points by February 21
Third Trimester: 48 or more points by May 28
Contact Media Specialist Meghan Erickson at 650-5307 x.7536 for more details.
3
Volume 13: November 2013
World Language Clubs
FCCLA BLOOD DRIVE
FCCLA and sponsor Ms. Von Behren
invite students and staff to donate at
the FCCLA Blood drive on Thursday,
November 07. Staff won’t need
appointments. Students need to turn
their blood drive permission forms into
the box located in guidance.
French Club, Spanish Club, German/Russian Club held their annual potluck
party Oct. 2 after school. Club members had the opportunity to try out various
ethnic foods and take part in a scavenger hunt. For more information on how
to join one of the more than 30 extracurricular clubs offered at MHS, students
may see their counselor or principal.
New approach to Anti-Bullying project
By Angel Oyervides Features Editor
Last year STAND started what they hoped to become an annual tradition of
covering the mirrors in all of these bathrooms around the school and writing
positive messages on them. The purpose of the activity is to fight internal
bullying, where the bully is oneself convincing one that they are not good
enough or causing low self-esteem. The idea was brought to the club by the
current director of leadership for STAND, Senior Cassie Govert, who got the
idea from Butler University. “I hope students will learn to appreciate
themselves more, and learn to accept themselves while accepting others,”
Govert said. Last year STAND members covered every mirror in each
bathroom and did not give
enough notification to the
student body about the
activity, which led to the
tearing down of most of the
coverings.
The activity did
receive plenty of positive
feedback from many students
despite the setbacks, and
multiple students took pictures
and
uploaded
them
to
Instagram stating how positive
and interesting the idea was.
This was STAND’s first attempt
at this project, so this year the group took what they learned from the
outcome of last year and approached the mirrors activity in a different way.
Instead of covering every single mirror in each bathroom, one or two mirrors
were left uncovered to avoid the destruction of the signs. STAND also gave
more advanced notice to the student body. “This year we are making
students more aware. If we let students know further in advance, hopefully,
they will be less likely to tear them down,” Mr. Danny Lackey, one of the
STAND sponsors, said. “We hope students be willing to participate in
acknowledging how we are sometimes extremely hard on ourselves when it
comes to physical appearance.”
Market Day sales provide money to
pay for all of Merrillville Academic
Teams’
·
registration fees
·
shirts
·
learning materials and supplies
·
state competitions (travel expenses,
food, and housing)
We have Academic Teams at all eight
Merrillville Schools!!
The teams are Spell Bowl, M.A.T.H., Super
Bowl, Science Olympiad,
Decathlon, TEAM, Mock Trial, and
F.C.C.L.A.
Sale Pick-Up Dates:
November 21st, December 19th.
Pick up is at the MHS Main Cafeteria
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Go to www.marketday.com to order
Merrillville Academic Teams Acct. # 13357.
Questions? Call 650-5386
Kudos to our AFJROTC students and
teachers for volunteering at Kids
Against Hunger at Valparaiso
University. Cadets helped sort and
package food for children and
families in need of assistance. After
hearing from local Valpo. residents
and seeing our students working for
such a good cause in the
community, it is clear that this was a
worth while effort. Great job!
4
Volume 13: November 2013
Dear Members of the Class of 2014:
The faculty and administrative staff recognize the importance of your final year of high school. This is an excellent time
to remind you that our expectations in all senior activities will remain high.
Shortly, you will be sitting for your portraits that will be placed in the 2014 edition of our yearbook, Merrillvue. Please visit
the online site for Giolas Photographers, the only photographer contracted to provide senior portraits for the yearbook.
Visit http://www.giolas.com for more information.
I also want to remind you that you must abide by the school dress code in pictures that will be placed in any school
publications. Young men are to wear dress shirts with ties (with or without a sport or suit jacket).
Young women are to wear dresses, blouses, or sweaters with modest necklines and sleeves. Clothing must be formal or
semiformal. No casual or athletic wear. No wording or lettering will be permitted. No tank tops. Hairstyles and
makeup should be in good taste. These guidelines ensure a professional publication for the entire community to enjoy.
We appreciate your cooperation. If you dress improperly, you will have to reschedule your
appointment and have your pictures taken at a later time. All pictures put in the yearbook
are at the discretion of the yearbook adviser
Please remember to have your pictures taken with our senior photographer, John Bir of
Giolas Photographers in Merrillville, by November 30. Abide by the deadlines set by the
yearbook staff to avoid being left out of your senior yearbook. The sitting fee for this portrait
is $10. Giolas Photographers of Merrillville can be reached by calling 769-7934. For further
information, contact Mrs. Teresa Procter at 650-5307, ext. 7100 or [email protected].
We look forward to an excellent year ahead as the Class of 2014 is presented to the
community with great pride.
Sincerely, Mr. Krutz
Tuesday, November 5:
The Class of 2016 will be having a “McSchool
Night” at the McDonalds Restaurant at US 30/Taney Place,. Please consider having dinner
with family and friends between the hours of 5 and 8 p.m. Sophomores will receive a
portion of the sales during this time. All proceeds will be used to fund upcoming
community service projects that our students are planning for this school year. THANK YOU
FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
High School S.T.A.N.D Club
Students Mentor MIS Students
Merrillville High School STAND (Socially Together And Naturally
Diverse) members and sponsors Ms. Beverly VanDrunen and
Mr. Michael Engle hosted a call out meeting for MIS students.
The Ice Cream Social took place in the MIS cafeteria. The
middle school students were grouped with the high school
students for activities and were able to ask questions about
STAND. Mr. Danny Lackey, former MHS STAND sponsor, came
by to help out. The MIS STAND Sponsors this year are Ms. Karen
Jones and Ms. Danielle Hill. STAND has been at MIS for many
years now, promoting respect for the uniqueness’s of others
through team building activities and community service work.
5
Volume 13: November 2013
Diversity Creates Possibility in Indiana District:
Merrillville Schools Learn to Close Achievement Gap
By: Lauren Williams; District Administration, October 2013 (Interviews for this article were conducted prior to the retirement of Dr. Lux)
Today, the Merrillville Community Schools Corporation, located in a suburban town outside Gary, Ind., is an
award-winning district, having achieved a 90 percent graduation rate in 2012 with 78 percent of its students
demonstrating proficiency in English, math, and science.
The district advanced despite a drastic change in demographics over the last two decades. In 1998, the
number of students living in poverty was about 20 percent, with 12 percent receiving free or reduced-price
lunches. Today, those numbers are at 60 and 57 percent, respectively. The change also meant that more
students were behind academically when they started school, says Anthony Lux, who retired this past June
after 19 years as Merrillville’s superintendent. “This was a trend we were seeing in surrounding schools, as more
poor families were leaving Gary to have better educational opportunities in other towns,” he says. “But we
consciously took the approach that we would see diversity as a strength and a positive.”
In closing the achievement gap, the district emphasized reading and writing in its five elementary schools and
on helping struggling freshman start high school on the right foot. It also began preparing middle schools for
college and careers. As a result, the achievement gap between minority and white students on state tests
decreased from 18 percent in 2007 to 12 percent this school year.
Bringing people together
The number of minority students in the district has risen from 28 percent to 83 percent since the 1990s. After a
racially charged fight between white and African-American students during his first year as superintendent in
1994, Lux says, administrators brought parents, students, and community members together to talk about how
to improve the school’s environment.
“Parents of different races were able to come together, and heard from each other,” he adds. “They realized
they wanted the same things—academic success in a safe environment. And that really set the tone for what
we wanted to accomplish,” he adds. Merrillville also provided diversity sensitivity training for every employee.
Focusing on freshmen
With more economically disadvantaged students entering Merrillville schools, staff members had to adjust to
teaching students at a wide range of academic achievement levels, especially in high school, Lux says. The
district focused on freshmen who had previously struggled with state tests or failed middle school classes. “We
wanted to make sure these students started high school on the right foot and raise their probability of
success,” Lux says.
In the 2009-2010 school year, the Freshmen Center opened on the northeast corner of Merrillville Senior High
School to help incoming students adjust. It houses seven computer labs, a lecture hall, a media center, and
two guidance counselors, all dedicated to offering students more individual attention.
Upperclassman mentors give freshmen academic and social help, such as advice about what classes to take
and what clubs to join. The center also houses the Freshman Academy, in which teachers volunteer extra time
tutoring freshmen who did not pass their eighth grade state tests in English, math, and science.
Lux says these programs have helped more students graduate on time and increased their chances of
success after high school. “All of our teacher volunteers in the Freshmen Academy just have unconditional
love for kids and an undying determination that academic success is our only option,” says Mark Sperling, the
former Merrillville assistant superintendent who succeeded Lux.
(continued on p.7)
6
Volume 13: November 2013
(continued from p.6)
Lux says these programs have helped more students graduate on
time and increased their chances of success after high school.
“All of our teacher volunteers in the Freshmen Academy just have
unconditional love for kids and an undying determination that
academic success is our only option,” says Mark Sperling, the
former Merrillville assistant superintendent who succeeded Lux.
Improving ELA
In Merrillville’s five elementary schools, intermediate school and
middle school, K8 students work in computer labs on the Fast
ForWord program 30 to 50 minutes a day, depending on the
grade level. Through individualized, adaptive exercises, students
use the program, created by Scientific Learning, to build reading,
language, and cognitive skills that are foundational to learning.
Students are assisted in the lab by an aid and their classroom teacher. At the high school, the software is targeted to
students in grades 9 through 12 who are struggling academically. “Every week, Scientific Learning sends me reports
on all our schools and where they are in each aspect of the Fast ForWord program,” Sperling says. “In the reports,
we review our current data as well as our results over time. We also discuss the reports with school principals. Using
the reports, they can then drill down to monitor the progress of all their students, so we continue to see growth at all
levels.”
As a result, from 2011 to 2012, students in grades 4 through 8 made significant improvements on Indiana’s state
ISTEP+ tests, increasing their ELA scores by an average of 21.9 points and their math scores by 27.8 points. Overall, 78
percent of students demonstrated proficiency on the ISTEP+ ELA in 2012, up from 71 percent in 2010.
The reality of college and career
The district also now emphasizes college and career readiness in middle school. In eighth grade, all Clifford Pierce
Middle School students visit the Reality Store, a yearly event in which the district partners with the Merrillville Chamber
of Commerce.
For an hour, the students pretend they work and have a monthly paycheck. They visit several booths that represent
life events, such as owning a house and buying a car. The students make choices about how to spend their money,
such as on a mortgage, a car payment or cable TV.
“This program has been very successful and it has since inspired many career days at high school, where they learn
about career options,” Sperling says. “A number of other schools in the area have come to observe the program to
replicate it in their schools.”
Receiving recognition
Since implementing all of Merillville’s reforms over the last 20 years, the district’s high school has been honored as a
top school by several national organizations, including the Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color, the
International Center for Leadership in Education, and by U.S. News & World Report.
The district’s Pierce Middle School has also been named a model site by the OSEP Center on Positive Behavioral
Interventions and Supports. It was the first middle school in Indiana to receive such a designation. Jonas E. Salk
Elementary School was also named a 2013 National Blue Ribbon nominee by the U.S. Department of Education.
“Overall, we’re just really proud of how our staff and youngsters have really embraced these positive programs and
have seen them as a way to work with struggling students,” says Sperling. The changing demographics have been
an asset, Lux adds.
“We’ve called it the ‘Merrillville Advantage,’” Lux says. “Along with our programs, our students are exposed to a
diverse environment, which prepares them for the cultural realities of working with different people in the workplace
or college.”
7
EARLY RELEASE DATES 2013-14
September 05
November 14
January 30
April 10
September 12
November 21
February 06
April 17
September 19
December 05
February 13
April 24
September 26
December 12
February 27
May 02
October 3
December 19
March 06
May 08
October 17
January 09
March 13
May 15
October 24
January 16
March 20
October 31
January 23
March 27
ALL SCHOOLS WILL FOLLOW THE SAME SCHEDULE. ONE HOUR EARLY RELEASE FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
THE MERRILLVILLE ADVANTAGE
MERRILLVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
Non Profit Orig.
U.S. Postage
Paid
276 E 68th Place
Merrillville, IN
Gary, IN
Permit No. 277
Resident
Merrillville, IN 46410