Sweeter's Tiger Tracks

Your Next American Idol

Mrs. Winburn sent me this cool video.

http://www.schooltube.com/video/12420/PS22-CHORUS-2009-Viva-La-Vida-by-COLDPLAY

Two things I noticed right away is the energy that the teacher has, and that students are the same around the country.  Who is having more fun the teacher or the students?  Some of them acted as if they were the next Beyonce, others wanted to disappear and were probably lip syncing.

Building Project

Years worth of work and planning came to fruition yesterday, when the ground was officially broke for the new building addition.  As most of you know the addition will add three new state of the art science rooms, a new media center, and a new safer front entrance including more accessible administrative offices.  We are hoping that phase one of the project will be in done by the end of first semester.  I say that but also realize that we live in SD, and anything can happen. 

From time to time I will put updates here so that you can see what is going on.  This is just another example of what will make next year such a great one.

 

Economics 101

Let me start by saying that I am not an economics expert by any means.  However one thing that I am almost certain of is that if the supply goes down than the price goes up.  This is true almost everywhere except education.  Teacher supply is declining at an incredible rate and we still get paid at a rate that almost qualifies us for food stamps.  Beings it is summer I will put a silver lining on this.  Maybe just maybe our time is coming, change is slow but inevitable.

As always I read something that got my gander up.  Below is the link, from Forbes, that spurred the economics lesson:

http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/107149/the-hardest-jobs-to-fill-in-america?mod=career-leadership

Must Watch TV

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1IqqlW1U4k&feature=player_embedded

Is it a plane?  Is it a bird?  NO its Computer Man.

State Track

We had several students do extremely well at the state track last week.  Perhaps the highlight of the weekend was our throwers led by Stephanie Fey and her record breaking performance.  Stephanie placed 5th in the shot, but stepped up BIG TIME and placed 2nd in the discus throw.  Her discus throw actually broke the school record set by Marsha Locke in 1983, WOW!!!.  All this and she is only a sophomore.  Sam Thorson continued our throwing demonstration by placing 3rd in the discus.  With results such as these Coach Donovan could have a throwers clinic. 

In addition to our throwers success, we had some boys relays place as well.  The Medley Relay team of Tanner Johnson, Sam Smith, Ryan Koehler, and Justin Peterson placed 5th, and the 3200m relay team of Justin Peterson, Sam Smith, Matt Thorson, and Tony Waage placed 6th.

Way to go tracksters.  Zoom Zoom. 

Can I get an AMEN???

Mrs. Nyberg sent me an article today that further reinforced my opinion of standardized tests.  It is no big secret that I am against standardized tests, and trust me I am not saying this because our students do poorly on them.  Actually the opposite is true, our students' scores are some of the best in the state, so why the hate?  Let me break it down for you.  For 2-3 weeks out of a year our students and teachers have to stop the learning process, so that politicians can be reassured that their state or country is the best.  What is in the best interest of our students?  Filling in bubbles? What do they actually learn from this activity?  I can think of numerous other things that I would prefer TY and Dylan do than fill in bubbles.  Quit wasting my children's's education.

This is enough of a soap box for the summer.  I'll let the author further drive home the point.  I need to go fishing.

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