Artículos en Español
Musicales Sofía Ciarlante
Los musicales se Ballard son algo que muchos personas disfrutan. El programa de teatro produce la musical todos los años pasados y producirá más musicales. El año pasado fue Annie, y este año es Spamalot. La musical es normalmente en la primavera pero toma muchos meses para producir.
Los estudiantes que participan en la musical trabajan muy duro. Lo quieren muy bien pero es difícil. Uno estudiante dice me disfruta la música porque hago muchos amigos.” y otros personas dice “los personajes en la musical son muy simpáticos”. Los personas en la musical son una familia porque pasan mucho tiempo con otras porque los ensayos.
Audiciones son en Diciembre y para las audiciones necesito un canción y un monólogo. Hace una audición para tres profesores quien es Señora Anderson, Señor Crocker, y Señor McDonald. Ellos ayuda con la musical pero es realizado por los estudiantes. Son los los directores a la muscial y los estudiantes son los actores también. Es hace que los estudiantes principalmente.
El programa de teatro consigue dinero de recaudación de fondos. Hace buen dinero que los. Es muy importante para la musical functionar. El dinero consigue vestuarios, y accesorios.
Los estudiantes que participan en la musical trabajan muy duro. Lo quieren muy bien pero es difícil. Uno estudiante dice me disfruta la música porque hago muchos amigos.” y otros personas dice “los personajes en la musical son muy simpáticos”. Los personas en la musical son una familia porque pasan mucho tiempo con otras porque los ensayos.
Audiciones son en Diciembre y para las audiciones necesito un canción y un monólogo. Hace una audición para tres profesores quien es Señora Anderson, Señor Crocker, y Señor McDonald. Ellos ayuda con la musical pero es realizado por los estudiantes. Son los los directores a la muscial y los estudiantes son los actores también. Es hace que los estudiantes principalmente.
El programa de teatro consigue dinero de recaudación de fondos. Hace buen dinero que los. Es muy importante para la musical functionar. El dinero consigue vestuarios, y accesorios.
Nueva Generación de Profesores Tori Minteer
El Camino de Enseñanza y Aprendizaje es un nuevo programa a Ballard. Es una clases de crédito doble al Universidad de Louisville. La profesora se llama Señora Loew y ella solía enseñar inglés a los Freshmen. En los últimos tres años, Señora Loew creó muchas oportunidades para sus estudiantes en el camino. En Octubre, Señora Loew y sus estudiantes irán al universidad de Louisville para una clase.
Señora Loew tiene 103 estudiantes en sus clases del camino. Las clases están más o menos pequeñas que otros a Ballard pero es un ambiente de aprendizaje muy grande. En JCPS, solo hay siete escuelas involucradas en el camino. El camino está creciendo despacio así que en el futuro, hay más estudiantes y escuelas que están participando.
El camino permite muchas oportunidades para las estudiantes. Por ejemplo, hay una estudiante de Senior y ella trabaja a Wilder Elementary durante el día. También, los estudiantes juntan el camino porque hay una necesidad para más profesores en las escuelas.
En el camino, los estudiantes aprenden psicología de los niños, dónde educación llega de y sobre educación especial. Un estudiante del camino está emocionada para la sección de educación especial porque ella quiere trabajar como una terapeuta de comportamiento. Un requisito de la clase es que todos estudiantes necesitan 18 horas de observación. Es una manera para los estudiantes trabajar con chicos de escuelas primarias y usan qué ellos aprenden en la clase de Señora Loew.
El camino es una programa muy beneficial para el futuro de educación. La necesidad para más profes es muy grande y Señora Loew está enseñando el próximo generación de maestros. ¡Si está interesado, habla con Señora Loew!
Ballard's Team Ursa at the Aspen Challenge
Katie Moore
Ballard High School’s resident team participating in the 2020 Aspen Challenge is taking the school by storm, and strengthening feelings of inclusivity and community.
The group, named Team Ursa, promotes togetherness through its bold and creative solutions to combat isolation and divisiveness. The team’s logo and name both are inspired by the connection of stars to form the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. This speaks to their connection to the Ballard Bruins through the common link of the bear mascot, as well the message of coming together to make a whole that they are determined to portray
The team is targeting the extracurricular aspect of the school, hoping to tap into comradery and togetherness that the side of the learning environment provides. By promoting clubs, Team Ursa is promoting community.
Team Ursa has taken on the challenge of promoting cultural inclusivity within their community. Ballard’s 25% of students that feel disconnected from the school speaks to the need the environment has for change, and inspired the group to take action.
Through their formation of a new Inter-Club Council, creation of a spirit “Club Week”, and the introduction of Ballard Snapchat and Instagram, they are successfully improving direct communication to students, and creating spaces for the promotion of activities.
The Aspen Challenge is a project with the hopes of creating solutions for pressing matters using the minds and ideas of young people. The participating groups get to choose an issue out of five presented challenges and come up with a creative and impactful solution to help improve their community and world.
The challenges scale from expanding the conversation on mental health, to political issues like immigration, or even social issues dealing with oppression and prejudice. The team with the best solution wins their team an all expenses paid trip to Aspen, Colorado to present their ideas at the Aspen Challenge Idea Convention.
20 high schools across Louisville are participating in the project with their selected team of eight students. The teams were intended to be diverse in race, gender, and sexual orientation, highlighting groups of people oftentimes overlooked.
The group, named Team Ursa, promotes togetherness through its bold and creative solutions to combat isolation and divisiveness. The team’s logo and name both are inspired by the connection of stars to form the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. This speaks to their connection to the Ballard Bruins through the common link of the bear mascot, as well the message of coming together to make a whole that they are determined to portray
The team is targeting the extracurricular aspect of the school, hoping to tap into comradery and togetherness that the side of the learning environment provides. By promoting clubs, Team Ursa is promoting community.
Team Ursa has taken on the challenge of promoting cultural inclusivity within their community. Ballard’s 25% of students that feel disconnected from the school speaks to the need the environment has for change, and inspired the group to take action.
Through their formation of a new Inter-Club Council, creation of a spirit “Club Week”, and the introduction of Ballard Snapchat and Instagram, they are successfully improving direct communication to students, and creating spaces for the promotion of activities.
The Aspen Challenge is a project with the hopes of creating solutions for pressing matters using the minds and ideas of young people. The participating groups get to choose an issue out of five presented challenges and come up with a creative and impactful solution to help improve their community and world.
The challenges scale from expanding the conversation on mental health, to political issues like immigration, or even social issues dealing with oppression and prejudice. The team with the best solution wins their team an all expenses paid trip to Aspen, Colorado to present their ideas at the Aspen Challenge Idea Convention.
20 high schools across Louisville are participating in the project with their selected team of eight students. The teams were intended to be diverse in race, gender, and sexual orientation, highlighting groups of people oftentimes overlooked.
A Goodbye to Mrs. Gapen Kiki Chandler
It’s the end of an era here at Ballard, as Mrs. Gapen is retiring after 23 years. Her contribution to the school and students will never be forgotten; she has helped many seniors send their transcripts to colleges and universities, she has collected juniors’ applications to the Governors’ Scholars Program, and has served as a mother-figure to more students than can be counted.
“Ballard has been like a family to me,” said Gapen. Since two of her children have attended and graduated from Ballard, Gapen has always felt close to the school. “I have worked here for 23 years and before that I was PTA president 4 times, SBDM, and I was on the committee for the fine arts building and I have loved every minute of it. It has never been a job or career for me, I just loved it.” We have been lucky to have Mrs. Gapen here in the building for as long as we did.
She clearly deserves a break, yet she plans to return as a volunteer at some point, because as she says, “I’m going to miss the kids terribly, I’m going to miss everybody, but the kids especially, so I’m going to maybe volunteer to still be a part of kids’ lives.”
She said she has always loved helping kids succeed and it has been a two day street. Her secret to building bonds with students is to “understand that not everyday is wonderful for everybody, so you have to have the good with the bad and learn from the down days.”
While she adores the students at Ballard, she also has seven grandchildren who she plans to visit in her newly found free time. Mrs. Gapen explains that she will “sit tight until probably August, and then get things lined up and figure out what I’m going to do.” She will be kept busy by her friends as well as “[her] friends are already signing [her] up for activities.”
Ballard will miss Mrs. Gapen, but she wants to leave Ballard with these parting words: “I want to thank everybody, because, literally, this has been a wonderful experience for me. A lot of people have never, ever had that opportunity to share in kids lives and watch them succeed. I just loved every minute of it, so I want to thank everybody; the kids, the staff. This has been like a family to me and I love it.”
“Ballard has been like a family to me,” said Gapen. Since two of her children have attended and graduated from Ballard, Gapen has always felt close to the school. “I have worked here for 23 years and before that I was PTA president 4 times, SBDM, and I was on the committee for the fine arts building and I have loved every minute of it. It has never been a job or career for me, I just loved it.” We have been lucky to have Mrs. Gapen here in the building for as long as we did.
She clearly deserves a break, yet she plans to return as a volunteer at some point, because as she says, “I’m going to miss the kids terribly, I’m going to miss everybody, but the kids especially, so I’m going to maybe volunteer to still be a part of kids’ lives.”
She said she has always loved helping kids succeed and it has been a two day street. Her secret to building bonds with students is to “understand that not everyday is wonderful for everybody, so you have to have the good with the bad and learn from the down days.”
While she adores the students at Ballard, she also has seven grandchildren who she plans to visit in her newly found free time. Mrs. Gapen explains that she will “sit tight until probably August, and then get things lined up and figure out what I’m going to do.” She will be kept busy by her friends as well as “[her] friends are already signing [her] up for activities.”
Ballard will miss Mrs. Gapen, but she wants to leave Ballard with these parting words: “I want to thank everybody, because, literally, this has been a wonderful experience for me. A lot of people have never, ever had that opportunity to share in kids lives and watch them succeed. I just loved every minute of it, so I want to thank everybody; the kids, the staff. This has been like a family to me and I love it.”
Ballard Science Fair Winners Emily Richardson
All students taking advanced chemistry during their sophomore year have to participate in the science fair. This is a very rigorous task, where students spend months on one project. They begin by coming up with an idea of a question they want to test, and then they come up with an experiment to test this question. Once they test their experiment, they eventually have to write a paper explaining their overall process, as well as examining the results. I think it is safe to say that science fair is one of the most stressful parts of sophomore year for many students. But, many Ballard students pushed through and made it to the Louisville Regional Science and Engineering Fair.
Students made poster boards to present their project and they were all set up in the fine arts center. Administrators and judges walked around and viewed the boards, asking students an array of questions about their projects.
The following students qualified to compete at the Louisville Regional Science and Engineering Fair Saturday, March 7th at the University of Louisville:
Animal Sciences 3rd Place Darian Wicker "The Effect of Ultraviolet Light on Drosophilia Melanogaster"
2nd Place Max Natalie "The Effect of Melatonin on Daphnia Heart Rate"
1st Place Sydney Taylor "The Effect of Juul on Brine Shrimp"
Behavioral and Social Sciences Runner-up Ava Jackson "How Accurate and Reliable is Eyewitness Testimony"
1st Place Soleila Elliott Gonzalez "The Effect of Advertisements on the Preference of Drinking Water"
3rd Place Sasha Anhouse "Nature VS Nature: Half Siblings Raised By Different Families"
2nd Place Mia Clark "The Effect of Phone Distractions while Focusing"
Biochemistry 2nd Place Brady Risinger "The effect of various sugar ratios on the carbon dioxide production of Saccharomyces cerevisiae"
1st Place Allison Wagoner "Glyphosate in Cereal"
Biomedical and Health Sciences 1st Place CarmenOsiecki "The Effect of Video Games on The Human Eye"
2nd Place Mei Thomas "Does Washing Hands Affect Student Absences Due to Illness"
3rd Place Graycee Merten "Does Cinnamon Affect Blood Glucose?"
Runner-up Brooke Gray "The perception of color"
Computational Biology and Bioinformatics 1st Place Emma Westerman "The Effect of Social Media on Business's Annual Sales
Earth and Environmental Science Runner-up Emmy Cathcart "Heavy Metals Found in Water"
3rd Place Haley Kingery "Dangerous Contaminants in the Environment?"
2nd Place Michael Harris "Can Sunlight Disinfect Contaminated Water"
1st Place Niyati Vukkum "Electrical Outputs of Substrates in Mud"
Embedded Systems 1st Place Reese Taylor "Photo - Toaster"
Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design 1st Place Andrew Raderer "The Wheel Deal"
3rd Place Stephanie Oswald "Solar Panel Toy Car"
2nd Place Lillian Humble "Lacrosse Sticks: Comparing Ball Speeds"
Engineering Mechanics 3rd Place Eden Jessie "Design and Development of a device to quantify the “sweet spots” of fast pitch softball bat barrels"
1st Place Stellan Johnson "Gombocs: Fascinating Geometry from Fascinating Biology"
Runner-up Mihir Duggal Water "Wheel Rotations"
2nd Place James Green "What Boat is the Most Stable?"
Environmental Engineering 1st Place Dominic Panella "River Recycled"
2nd Place Camryn Gunter "Can algae save the fishes?"
3rd Place Duncan Phillips "Will Mixing Different Amounts of Plastic Into Cement Affect the Strength of Concrete
Materials"
Science 1st Place Carter Chapman "The Effect of Temperature on Golf Ball Bounce Height"
3rd Place Kendall Wessells "How Much Do Earplugs Effect Sound"
2nd Place Tristan Newland "The Bullet vs The Many Materials"
Mathematics 1st Place Francesca Lorenzo "The Effect of the Fibonacci Sequence on Photo Attractiveness"
Microbiology Runner-up Betsy Scanlan "The effect of face washes on bacteria growth"
1st Place Meara Wilcox "Ballard Bacteria"
3rd Place Jennavieve Dunbar "How Should Hands Be Dried?"
2nd Place Alayna Johnson "How Much Bacteria Do Volleyballs Hold?"
Physics and Astronomy Runner-up Ethan Barnett "The effect of air deflation on a foot when punting"
1st Place Caleb Bowlin "Quantum Levitation"
2nd Place Hayden Sizer "Symmetrical Shapes on Metal Plates"
3rd Place Riona Whalen "Effects of a Dampener"
Plant Sciences 1st Place Alexandra Bradshaw "The Effect of Microwaves on the Growth of Herbs"
Runner-up Molly Schleck "Does Proximity Affect Plant Growth"
3rd Place Christian Fernandez "Comparing Fertilizers for Plant Growth"
2nd Place Naomi Genus "Banana Peel Healing"
Robotics and Intelligent Machines 1st Place Reaiah Rogers "Lego EV3 Can/Bottle Sorter"
Systems Software 1st Place Vishnupriya Ramasamy "A Security System Using Face Detection and Recognition"
3rd Place Eric Rankhorn "The Effect of Radio Frequency-Electromagnetic Fields on Mag-stripe Keycards"
2nd Place Matthew Miller "The Wi.D.O.W."
Translational Medical Science 2nd Place Yash Arabati "What is the most effective way to treat a Glioblastoma?"
1st Place Vaitheesh Jaganathan "Hydrophilic phenolic components of Tender Coconut Water are responsible for its anti-cancer properties."
Chemistry 1st Place Lauren Cail "Reducing False Positives in Kastle-Meyer Presumptive Blood Tests"
2nd Place Ella Harrington "How Strong is the Hair Follicle with Shampoo on it?"
3rd Place Bhanusri Satyavolu "Evaluation of Wastewaters from Distillery and Potato processing plants for biogas production and water treatment"
Runner-up NicoleDrucker "The Effect of Different Liquids on a Cake’s Density"
Students made poster boards to present their project and they were all set up in the fine arts center. Administrators and judges walked around and viewed the boards, asking students an array of questions about their projects.
The following students qualified to compete at the Louisville Regional Science and Engineering Fair Saturday, March 7th at the University of Louisville:
Animal Sciences 3rd Place Darian Wicker "The Effect of Ultraviolet Light on Drosophilia Melanogaster"
2nd Place Max Natalie "The Effect of Melatonin on Daphnia Heart Rate"
1st Place Sydney Taylor "The Effect of Juul on Brine Shrimp"
Behavioral and Social Sciences Runner-up Ava Jackson "How Accurate and Reliable is Eyewitness Testimony"
1st Place Soleila Elliott Gonzalez "The Effect of Advertisements on the Preference of Drinking Water"
3rd Place Sasha Anhouse "Nature VS Nature: Half Siblings Raised By Different Families"
2nd Place Mia Clark "The Effect of Phone Distractions while Focusing"
Biochemistry 2nd Place Brady Risinger "The effect of various sugar ratios on the carbon dioxide production of Saccharomyces cerevisiae"
1st Place Allison Wagoner "Glyphosate in Cereal"
Biomedical and Health Sciences 1st Place CarmenOsiecki "The Effect of Video Games on The Human Eye"
2nd Place Mei Thomas "Does Washing Hands Affect Student Absences Due to Illness"
3rd Place Graycee Merten "Does Cinnamon Affect Blood Glucose?"
Runner-up Brooke Gray "The perception of color"
Computational Biology and Bioinformatics 1st Place Emma Westerman "The Effect of Social Media on Business's Annual Sales
Earth and Environmental Science Runner-up Emmy Cathcart "Heavy Metals Found in Water"
3rd Place Haley Kingery "Dangerous Contaminants in the Environment?"
2nd Place Michael Harris "Can Sunlight Disinfect Contaminated Water"
1st Place Niyati Vukkum "Electrical Outputs of Substrates in Mud"
Embedded Systems 1st Place Reese Taylor "Photo - Toaster"
Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design 1st Place Andrew Raderer "The Wheel Deal"
3rd Place Stephanie Oswald "Solar Panel Toy Car"
2nd Place Lillian Humble "Lacrosse Sticks: Comparing Ball Speeds"
Engineering Mechanics 3rd Place Eden Jessie "Design and Development of a device to quantify the “sweet spots” of fast pitch softball bat barrels"
1st Place Stellan Johnson "Gombocs: Fascinating Geometry from Fascinating Biology"
Runner-up Mihir Duggal Water "Wheel Rotations"
2nd Place James Green "What Boat is the Most Stable?"
Environmental Engineering 1st Place Dominic Panella "River Recycled"
2nd Place Camryn Gunter "Can algae save the fishes?"
3rd Place Duncan Phillips "Will Mixing Different Amounts of Plastic Into Cement Affect the Strength of Concrete
Materials"
Science 1st Place Carter Chapman "The Effect of Temperature on Golf Ball Bounce Height"
3rd Place Kendall Wessells "How Much Do Earplugs Effect Sound"
2nd Place Tristan Newland "The Bullet vs The Many Materials"
Mathematics 1st Place Francesca Lorenzo "The Effect of the Fibonacci Sequence on Photo Attractiveness"
Microbiology Runner-up Betsy Scanlan "The effect of face washes on bacteria growth"
1st Place Meara Wilcox "Ballard Bacteria"
3rd Place Jennavieve Dunbar "How Should Hands Be Dried?"
2nd Place Alayna Johnson "How Much Bacteria Do Volleyballs Hold?"
Physics and Astronomy Runner-up Ethan Barnett "The effect of air deflation on a foot when punting"
1st Place Caleb Bowlin "Quantum Levitation"
2nd Place Hayden Sizer "Symmetrical Shapes on Metal Plates"
3rd Place Riona Whalen "Effects of a Dampener"
Plant Sciences 1st Place Alexandra Bradshaw "The Effect of Microwaves on the Growth of Herbs"
Runner-up Molly Schleck "Does Proximity Affect Plant Growth"
3rd Place Christian Fernandez "Comparing Fertilizers for Plant Growth"
2nd Place Naomi Genus "Banana Peel Healing"
Robotics and Intelligent Machines 1st Place Reaiah Rogers "Lego EV3 Can/Bottle Sorter"
Systems Software 1st Place Vishnupriya Ramasamy "A Security System Using Face Detection and Recognition"
3rd Place Eric Rankhorn "The Effect of Radio Frequency-Electromagnetic Fields on Mag-stripe Keycards"
2nd Place Matthew Miller "The Wi.D.O.W."
Translational Medical Science 2nd Place Yash Arabati "What is the most effective way to treat a Glioblastoma?"
1st Place Vaitheesh Jaganathan "Hydrophilic phenolic components of Tender Coconut Water are responsible for its anti-cancer properties."
Chemistry 1st Place Lauren Cail "Reducing False Positives in Kastle-Meyer Presumptive Blood Tests"
2nd Place Ella Harrington "How Strong is the Hair Follicle with Shampoo on it?"
3rd Place Bhanusri Satyavolu "Evaluation of Wastewaters from Distillery and Potato processing plants for biogas production and water treatment"
Runner-up NicoleDrucker "The Effect of Different Liquids on a Cake’s Density"
Take the Right Classes and Kickstart your Career Fardowsa Hassan
What do you want to be when you grow up? This question is asked often to students as we go through school. By the time we are in high school we should be thinking about and discovering what we want to be. When we decide what we want to be, high school is the place to try to get a head start in it.
When choosing your next classes you should choose the classes based on your ability and interest. To discover your fit you should talk with friends and teachers in what the class provides you can also look on ballard high school website and read the description but it would be best if you don't choose the class only because your friend is in it.
The 2020 class schedule will be held from the beginning to middle February. Counselors around the school can help you find your fit by giving you guidance to your interest. For example
If you want to be a Doctor, nurse, physician's assistant, genetic counselor. Conservation ecologist, environmental advocate. you may take AP Biology.
If you want to be
When choosing your next classes you should choose the classes based on your ability and interest. To discover your fit you should talk with friends and teachers in what the class provides you can also look on ballard high school website and read the description but it would be best if you don't choose the class only because your friend is in it.
The 2020 class schedule will be held from the beginning to middle February. Counselors around the school can help you find your fit by giving you guidance to your interest. For example
If you want to be a Doctor, nurse, physician's assistant, genetic counselor. Conservation ecologist, environmental advocate. you may take AP Biology.
If you want to be
- A Doctor, nurse, physician's assistant, genetic counselor = take AP Biology.
- A post-secondary professors, secondary and elementary music teachers, musicians, singers and composers = take Music Theory
- An Astronaut, Aerospace engineer, Mathematician, Software developer, Electrical engineer, and Environmental engineer = take Calculus AB and BC
- An Accelerator Operator, Applications Engineer, Data Analyst, Design Engineer, High School Physics Teacher, and Web Developer = take Physics B
- An Analytical Chemist, Chemical Engineer, Chemistry Teacher, Forensic Scientist, and Water Chemist = take Chemistry
- Art Therapist, Aviation Psychologist, Clinical Psychologist, Consumer Psychologist, Counselor = Psychology
- A Mathematician, Market Research Analyst, Meteorologist, Statistician, Operations Research Analyst, and Financial Analyst = take Statistics
Art Teacher Ms. Bradford Set to Retire Fardowsa Hassan
Ms. Bradford has been an art teacher at Ballard for 16 years. While every year change happens, over the years in the department she has seen several transitions. “I’ve had the opportunity through the changes to work with a lot of people, and each of them has helped me become a better teacher.” Now, after 16 years, Ms. Bradford is retiring from teaching.
Ms. Bradford said that the best experience she has had while teaching is meeting great people, making connections that go beyond the classroom, and gaining friends. She said she loves having former students she is friends with through social media send her photos of their artwork from high school on the walls of their homes as adults. “But it’s nice to just having a former student stop their car and waved to me while I walk my dog,” she said.
The experience of seeing students develop their artistic skills is also something Ms. Bradford has enjoyed immensely. “I love when a student struggles with a project and their perseverance pays off and it all falls together and they surprise themselves. That’s one of the things I’ll miss the most when I retire from teaching,” she said.
Ms. Bradford will be missed. She has been an instrumental part in making the Ballard Art Department so successful, and why so many students in the district want to come to Ballard. Fortunately for her, she will now have much more time to spend with her family and her beloved dog.
Ms. Bradford said that the best experience she has had while teaching is meeting great people, making connections that go beyond the classroom, and gaining friends. She said she loves having former students she is friends with through social media send her photos of their artwork from high school on the walls of their homes as adults. “But it’s nice to just having a former student stop their car and waved to me while I walk my dog,” she said.
The experience of seeing students develop their artistic skills is also something Ms. Bradford has enjoyed immensely. “I love when a student struggles with a project and their perseverance pays off and it all falls together and they surprise themselves. That’s one of the things I’ll miss the most when I retire from teaching,” she said.
Ms. Bradford will be missed. She has been an instrumental part in making the Ballard Art Department so successful, and why so many students in the district want to come to Ballard. Fortunately for her, she will now have much more time to spend with her family and her beloved dog.
45 Plays for 45 Presidents Kiki Chandler
Ballard’s theater department recently staged the play 45 Plays for 45 Presidents, which discusses the lives and terms of the 45 men who have served as American presidents. While on the surface the play may not seem very interesting, many people agree that our thespians brought the play to life through humor. The theater department always does an amazing job no matter the subject of the plays selected.
A Ballard senior, Kristin Tran, claimed the play was “hilarious.” “The part that I thought was the funniest was when Abel started popping balloons at the celebration of another president’s election,” commented Tran.
Another senior, Taylor Broder, saw the play and said, “It was a fun take on the historical bias of controversial presidencies.” Most of the people who saw the play can agree that it was executed well and the theater department’s hard work paid off.
One of the actresses in the play, Audrey Russman (12), explained that “the play goes through all of the past presidents, and basically goes deeper into their lives and makes fun of them. I think the script was a little weak, like some jokes weren’t good, but the production and the flow of the play I actually liked. I really liked how I never realized how much I didn’t know about the presidents.” Audrey played President Buchanan, Cleveland and Eleanor Roosevelt. She felt that it was hard to portray the characters at first because she didn’t know much about them, but as she learned about them through the play it became easier. It was more than just a theatrical performance, but also a learning experience.
Casey Guzman (12) who worked the lights for the production, claimed, “The play itself was super funny and entertaining to people who can appreciate political satire. Translated onto Ballard’s stage, it was really difficult to accomplish what we did, but I think as a unified team, we did awesome from acting to props, etc. and I’m super surprised and happy we pulled the show off.” Casey had a great perspective on the play as a whole as she watched everything from a distance while also being apart of the production.
Now that the production is complete, the Ballard Theater Department turns its attention to the Spring Musical, Spamalot, which is sure to be fun and entertaining as well.
A Ballard senior, Kristin Tran, claimed the play was “hilarious.” “The part that I thought was the funniest was when Abel started popping balloons at the celebration of another president’s election,” commented Tran.
Another senior, Taylor Broder, saw the play and said, “It was a fun take on the historical bias of controversial presidencies.” Most of the people who saw the play can agree that it was executed well and the theater department’s hard work paid off.
One of the actresses in the play, Audrey Russman (12), explained that “the play goes through all of the past presidents, and basically goes deeper into their lives and makes fun of them. I think the script was a little weak, like some jokes weren’t good, but the production and the flow of the play I actually liked. I really liked how I never realized how much I didn’t know about the presidents.” Audrey played President Buchanan, Cleveland and Eleanor Roosevelt. She felt that it was hard to portray the characters at first because she didn’t know much about them, but as she learned about them through the play it became easier. It was more than just a theatrical performance, but also a learning experience.
Casey Guzman (12) who worked the lights for the production, claimed, “The play itself was super funny and entertaining to people who can appreciate political satire. Translated onto Ballard’s stage, it was really difficult to accomplish what we did, but I think as a unified team, we did awesome from acting to props, etc. and I’m super surprised and happy we pulled the show off.” Casey had a great perspective on the play as a whole as she watched everything from a distance while also being apart of the production.
Now that the production is complete, the Ballard Theater Department turns its attention to the Spring Musical, Spamalot, which is sure to be fun and entertaining as well.
It's Madrigal Season Kristin Tran
Tis the season, everyone! The holidays are just around the corner, and you know what that means... Madrigal dinners! If you don’t already know, the Ballard Madrigal Singers is an after school group that rehearses and performs madrigals and traditional Christmas music. Madrigals are secular pieces of music, typically from the Renaissance era, written for several voice parts without instrumental accompaniment. Hearing these performances live is a unique experience that many people say is like stepping back in time.
With one third of the Madrigal Singers being freshmen and sophomores, the 2019-2020 group is one of the youngest Ballard Madrigal groups yet. Although the group altogether has a low average age, the grit and determination runs high. As a senior madrigal singer, I can attest that this is one of the hardest-working groups I’ve collaborated with.
At the dinners, the Madrigal Singers perform the songs they have been rehearsing for the past four months, accompanied by a theatrical performance. Meanwhile, the audience is served a five course meal. While Ballard is not the only school to organize such an event, the Ballard Madrigals are consistently acknowledged as being one of the best and most elaborate productions anyone has seen.
In order to attend, however, you have to buy tickets early, as there are only four performances a year (one student night and three regular shows). This year, the dinners are on December 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th. For tickets, visit ballardhschoir.ludus.com. The group would love to see you there!
With one third of the Madrigal Singers being freshmen and sophomores, the 2019-2020 group is one of the youngest Ballard Madrigal groups yet. Although the group altogether has a low average age, the grit and determination runs high. As a senior madrigal singer, I can attest that this is one of the hardest-working groups I’ve collaborated with.
At the dinners, the Madrigal Singers perform the songs they have been rehearsing for the past four months, accompanied by a theatrical performance. Meanwhile, the audience is served a five course meal. While Ballard is not the only school to organize such an event, the Ballard Madrigals are consistently acknowledged as being one of the best and most elaborate productions anyone has seen.
In order to attend, however, you have to buy tickets early, as there are only four performances a year (one student night and three regular shows). This year, the dinners are on December 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th. For tickets, visit ballardhschoir.ludus.com. The group would love to see you there!
Blood Drive to Honor Ms. Eschels Fardowsa Hassan
Mary Eschels became a teacher at Ballard in january 1985. Mary has taught thousands of students a variety of mathematics, ranging from computer programming to calculus. But Ms. Eschels has been more than just a teacher at Ballard.
Eschels has always encouraged all students to reach their potential, no matter the odds. Helping students has always been part of her nature, as she began the math tutoring program in her classroom before and after school and finally established a peer tutoring class during school. Eschels was the math department chair for over ten years and returned to Ballard after retiring to work in our tutoring program three days per week. Mary Eschels is one of the most dedicated educators to ever work in our school, placing the learning of students at Ballard above all else.
As Ms. Eschels has been fighting cancer for some time, she now must have a blood transfusion. As a result, this year’s blood drive will be held in her honor. The Red Cross and hospitals counts on high school for donations every year, and there is almost a constant and critical shortage of blood. That’s why it is so important for students and faculty to give blood, both to helko with the shortage and to honor Ms. Eschels.
The blood drive will be held in the Small Gym on Tuesday Oct 22, 2019. Sign-ups are available in the North and South Office.
Eschels has always encouraged all students to reach their potential, no matter the odds. Helping students has always been part of her nature, as she began the math tutoring program in her classroom before and after school and finally established a peer tutoring class during school. Eschels was the math department chair for over ten years and returned to Ballard after retiring to work in our tutoring program three days per week. Mary Eschels is one of the most dedicated educators to ever work in our school, placing the learning of students at Ballard above all else.
As Ms. Eschels has been fighting cancer for some time, she now must have a blood transfusion. As a result, this year’s blood drive will be held in her honor. The Red Cross and hospitals counts on high school for donations every year, and there is almost a constant and critical shortage of blood. That’s why it is so important for students and faculty to give blood, both to helko with the shortage and to honor Ms. Eschels.
The blood drive will be held in the Small Gym on Tuesday Oct 22, 2019. Sign-ups are available in the North and South Office.
Theatre Dept. Holds Voter Registration Drive
Caroline Johnson
Voting is an important duty for all citizens, and a way to make your voice heard. In order for our current government of Democracy to work, everyone has to vote. As young people who have jobs, we are directly affected by lawmakers and politicians. In a few years we will have to deal with the economy, which affects college debt, finding full time jobs, and more.
As November approaches, the debates have started and polls are being set up. Additionally, teens are also trying to do their part. The Ballard Theatre Department and Symposium Club held a voter registration drive during all three lunches from September 23-30. Anyone turning 18 by November 5th (voting day) was allowed to register, with buttons and stickers provided to encourage eligible registrees.
Millennials and other young voters are currently the most diverse demographic group, so if we all vote, the needs of the entire population will be represented. Many think that our individual votes don’t matter, but that is a flawed mindset. If everyone in the world didn’t care about littering, for example, and said their actions didn’t matter, it wouldn’t be long until our entire earth was covered with trash. Although it’s intangible, it’s the same concept. Every vote matters! We have to live in a society where the citizens’ rights are put first, our economy is sufficient, and America moves forward!
Voting is an important duty for all citizens, and a way to make your voice heard. In order for our current government of Democracy to work, everyone has to vote. As young people who have jobs, we are directly affected by lawmakers and politicians. In a few years we will have to deal with the economy, which affects college debt, finding full time jobs, and more.
As November approaches, the debates have started and polls are being set up. Additionally, teens are also trying to do their part. The Ballard Theatre Department and Symposium Club held a voter registration drive during all three lunches from September 23-30. Anyone turning 18 by November 5th (voting day) was allowed to register, with buttons and stickers provided to encourage eligible registrees.
Millennials and other young voters are currently the most diverse demographic group, so if we all vote, the needs of the entire population will be represented. Many think that our individual votes don’t matter, but that is a flawed mindset. If everyone in the world didn’t care about littering, for example, and said their actions didn’t matter, it wouldn’t be long until our entire earth was covered with trash. Although it’s intangible, it’s the same concept. Every vote matters! We have to live in a society where the citizens’ rights are put first, our economy is sufficient, and America moves forward!
New K-Pop Club Promotes Korean Culture Kusum Kumar
K-Pop is a rapidly spreading genre of music that is not only valued for its music, but also for its dance, visuals, and pure talent. The term “K-Pop” is a shortened version of Korean Popular music, and K-Pop artists are usually organized into groups who spend all their time together. This year a new K-Pop club is available for students to join, where they can learn about and celebrate all things K-Pop.
But why is Korean popular music becoming so popular in the first place? There’s an entire range of reasons. First, it's storytelling. K-Pop musicians use every tool at their disposal to create a beautiful story through music videos that pull at the heartstrings, connecting the audience to the lyrics, even if they can’t actually understand what they mean. Secondly, it’s the fashion sense of K-Pop idols that wins over and appeals to a wide range of audiences. On or off stage, their outfits shine because of their intensity and originality. Based on their interpretations of current fashions, K-Pop stars are always trend-setters.
For many Americans, however, K-Pop is just a weird trend that they will never understand. One big reason K-Pop doesn’t appeal to some people is because of the language barrier, but their melodies and creative music outshine that barrier for many others. Many K-Pop idols are actually multilingual. They mix all other cultures into their songs and music videos - American, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, and other cultures and languages are sometimes represented. Not only does it appeal to fans in Asia, it also makes idols more accessible to fans in the Western World.
In addition to listening to the music, learning the dances, and watching the videos, the K-Pop club also plans to use their club as a way to expose students to different aspects of Korean culture. They will have nice meals in Korean restaurants, watch Korean movies and shows. To raise funds, the K-Pop club is attempting to devise a plan to sell famous Korean foods on Fridays so that the rest of Ballard will also get a taste of the diverse Korean culture.
K Pop idols - whether solo artists or groups- come up with dances that go hand-and-hand with their songs. Bands perform these dances on stage at award shows and concerts while their fans show their support by doing these dances in public settings. The K-Pop club has decided to do just that, performing dances to a variety of songs in a variety of places. They plan to record it all and put it onto a soon-to-be-created YouTube channel and a planned Instagram account. Not only dances but also songs covers.
The K-Pop club is a great club for Ballard High School because it promotes diversity. Ballard is fortunate enough to be a very diverse school and this club will add to the mix. Not only that, but you only like what you’re exposed to and sadly many people don’t have exposure to K Pop and all it’s beauty. This club will let people who’ve never heard of K-Pop experience something new.
But why is Korean popular music becoming so popular in the first place? There’s an entire range of reasons. First, it's storytelling. K-Pop musicians use every tool at their disposal to create a beautiful story through music videos that pull at the heartstrings, connecting the audience to the lyrics, even if they can’t actually understand what they mean. Secondly, it’s the fashion sense of K-Pop idols that wins over and appeals to a wide range of audiences. On or off stage, their outfits shine because of their intensity and originality. Based on their interpretations of current fashions, K-Pop stars are always trend-setters.
For many Americans, however, K-Pop is just a weird trend that they will never understand. One big reason K-Pop doesn’t appeal to some people is because of the language barrier, but their melodies and creative music outshine that barrier for many others. Many K-Pop idols are actually multilingual. They mix all other cultures into their songs and music videos - American, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, and other cultures and languages are sometimes represented. Not only does it appeal to fans in Asia, it also makes idols more accessible to fans in the Western World.
In addition to listening to the music, learning the dances, and watching the videos, the K-Pop club also plans to use their club as a way to expose students to different aspects of Korean culture. They will have nice meals in Korean restaurants, watch Korean movies and shows. To raise funds, the K-Pop club is attempting to devise a plan to sell famous Korean foods on Fridays so that the rest of Ballard will also get a taste of the diverse Korean culture.
K Pop idols - whether solo artists or groups- come up with dances that go hand-and-hand with their songs. Bands perform these dances on stage at award shows and concerts while their fans show their support by doing these dances in public settings. The K-Pop club has decided to do just that, performing dances to a variety of songs in a variety of places. They plan to record it all and put it onto a soon-to-be-created YouTube channel and a planned Instagram account. Not only dances but also songs covers.
The K-Pop club is a great club for Ballard High School because it promotes diversity. Ballard is fortunate enough to be a very diverse school and this club will add to the mix. Not only that, but you only like what you’re exposed to and sadly many people don’t have exposure to K Pop and all it’s beauty. This club will let people who’ve never heard of K-Pop experience something new.
Muslim Student Association
Promotes Diversity and Tolerance Fardowsa Hassan
The MSA is an organization that serves the need of the Muslim community at Ballard High School and helps educate the student body about Islam.
The MSA is not exclusive to muslim students and will help everyone at Ballard High School continue to embrace diversity. The MSA will welcome anyone that has questions about any aspects in islam and will welcome them to come and share it with the MSA. The organization plans on helping to benefit URM (Unduly Refuge Ministries), Norton children and operation smile. Working with both local and international organizations which allows students in MSA to be aware and learn more about giving back since it’s a huge part of the Muslim faith.
Mariann Sleimat, the president of MSA, said, “I wanted to create this club because the world is more diverse. We need to personalize Islam, rather than alienate it and the MSA is a safe place where anyone and speak up their thoughts and feel worthy.” Mariann explained that the club is a place where people can voice their opinion about Islam and where they have others listening to their opinion abou Islam and where they can see the facts and logic through their opinion.
MSA allows anyone at Ballard High School to join. MSA is not a club that acts as a biased and secluded organization, but does seeks to benefit students at Ballard by building a more tolerant and educated society. The club meets every Monday in Mr. Ransom’s room (S114) after school.
The MSA is not exclusive to muslim students and will help everyone at Ballard High School continue to embrace diversity. The MSA will welcome anyone that has questions about any aspects in islam and will welcome them to come and share it with the MSA. The organization plans on helping to benefit URM (Unduly Refuge Ministries), Norton children and operation smile. Working with both local and international organizations which allows students in MSA to be aware and learn more about giving back since it’s a huge part of the Muslim faith.
Mariann Sleimat, the president of MSA, said, “I wanted to create this club because the world is more diverse. We need to personalize Islam, rather than alienate it and the MSA is a safe place where anyone and speak up their thoughts and feel worthy.” Mariann explained that the club is a place where people can voice their opinion about Islam and where they have others listening to their opinion abou Islam and where they can see the facts and logic through their opinion.
MSA allows anyone at Ballard High School to join. MSA is not a club that acts as a biased and secluded organization, but does seeks to benefit students at Ballard by building a more tolerant and educated society. The club meets every Monday in Mr. Ransom’s room (S114) after school.
Football Homecoming Fardowsa Hassan
Homecoming is an event that means many different things to different people. It is an event with origins that go back over 100 years in the United States. Ballard has always had a tradition of making homecoming night extremely special for everyone involved as well.
The first homecoming events in America were held at the annual Harvard/Yale game beginning in the 1870’s. Alumni members were invited to return to their college to see the rivalry football game being played. The tradition later spread to other parts of the country, such as Ohio, where the Ohio State University began its own tradition around 1910.
This year, Ms. McClanahan and Mr.Woodworth were the faculty members in charge of organizing homecoming. This included everything from spirit week, the pep rally, the tailgating events before the game, and the dance itself, which is basically designed to be similar to a “Fall” prom.
“Homecoming in my opinion at Ballard to me is a time of unity. Current and former students come together with faculty and parents to cheer on our Bruins,” Ms.McClanahan said. Mr.Woodworth added, ”In my opinion, homecoming is an opportunity for alumni and current students to come together and celebrate the school community and culture.”
*winners:
Freshman Lord- Jack Kaplin
Freshman Lady- Sarah Lamb
Sophomore Duke- Aiden Longmeyer
Sophomore Duchess- Taylor Crites
Junior Prince- Owen Phillips
Junior Princess- Mikayla Johnson
King- Horace Gaither
Queen- Kiki Chandler
The first homecoming events in America were held at the annual Harvard/Yale game beginning in the 1870’s. Alumni members were invited to return to their college to see the rivalry football game being played. The tradition later spread to other parts of the country, such as Ohio, where the Ohio State University began its own tradition around 1910.
This year, Ms. McClanahan and Mr.Woodworth were the faculty members in charge of organizing homecoming. This included everything from spirit week, the pep rally, the tailgating events before the game, and the dance itself, which is basically designed to be similar to a “Fall” prom.
“Homecoming in my opinion at Ballard to me is a time of unity. Current and former students come together with faculty and parents to cheer on our Bruins,” Ms.McClanahan said. Mr.Woodworth added, ”In my opinion, homecoming is an opportunity for alumni and current students to come together and celebrate the school community and culture.”
*winners:
Freshman Lord- Jack Kaplin
Freshman Lady- Sarah Lamb
Sophomore Duke- Aiden Longmeyer
Sophomore Duchess- Taylor Crites
Junior Prince- Owen Phillips
Junior Princess- Mikayla Johnson
King- Horace Gaither
Queen- Kiki Chandler
Clubbin' at Ballard George Goepfrich
Ballard, like most other high schools, offers a plethora of activities for students. The range of offerings includes sports (i.e. soccer, football, cross country, or ultimate frisbee), academic clubs (i.e. Spanish club, math tutors, or quick recall), cultural clubs, special interest clubs, and more. Our school may offer all these extracurricular activities, but not everyone understands the advantages of joining one. These activities offer the chance to meet new people, strengthen your resume, build communication skills, and, of course, have fun.
Starting a new year in school can be a challenge, especially if you are a freshman. Meeting new people and starting conversations, despite us being social creatures, is one of the hardest things teens and young adults can do. One thing to ease our anxieties over starting conversation is to find people with similar interests, values, or work ethics. There’s no better place to find similar people than a club or sport. It’s also important to note, clubs and sports are welcoming environments and want new members to get involved, so make sure you jump on every opportunity to participate in club or sport activities. Before you know it, the people you meet at your extracurricular activities may become close friends that last throughout your high school career, or longer.
For many students, the strength of their resume comes before all else. Luckily for these students, not only do you get to meet new people and have fun in an activity, but it adds strength to your resume. “Joining a club shows employers and college admissions officers that you have done more than your core classes, and involved yourself in school,” said Mr. Ransom, sponsor of the Ballard’s Y-Club (KYA and KUNA). You may have even achieved a leadership position, which is only an added benefit to an application. Not only that, but according to research, students involved in sports or clubs usually have a higher GPA than students not involved in their school.
Finally, involvement builds communication skills in students. Many may be skeptical on the importance of communication skills, but according to a Vanderbilt study on global companies, one of the key components missing from all college graduates was a lack in communication skills.
When joining a club, your main goal should be to enjoy it. High school life passes in the blink of an eye and it should be remembered as a fun time. Joining a club will help you remember create some of those memories.
New Year Brings Many Changes Wesley Holt
Ballard has undergone a HUGE change the past few years. This year we have 573 freshman, 400 juniors, 500 sophomores, and 480 seniors. So in total Ballard has 1,953 students. That’s a lot of kids! Our enrollment numbers are as high as they have ever been. In addition to an increased number of students, we also have many new teachers to Ballard this year, and some returning staff members with new positions.
We also have a new Freshman Academy assistant principal. Her name is Ms. Mayes. She has a number of experience with education. From teaching math at Shawnee and Central, to being a new Assistant Principal at Ballard last year. Her office is now in the North Building along with the Freshman Academy counselor Mrs. Hebermehl.
New this year we got a new assistant principal in the south building for grade 10th - 12th and letters H-O. Her name is Ms. Cissel. She was the goal clarity coach here at Ballard already, and has now earned the new position.
We, along with many JCPS schools, also have a new position in the building known as a mental health counselor. Ms. Riddick is a mental health professional who is here to help anyone who might be struggling with mental health issues. Her office is located in the East building.
We also have a new Freshman Academy assistant principal. Her name is Ms. Mayes. She has a number of experience with education. From teaching math at Shawnee and Central, to being a new Assistant Principal at Ballard last year. Her office is now in the North Building along with the Freshman Academy counselor Mrs. Hebermehl.
New this year we got a new assistant principal in the south building for grade 10th - 12th and letters H-O. Her name is Ms. Cissel. She was the goal clarity coach here at Ballard already, and has now earned the new position.
We, along with many JCPS schools, also have a new position in the building known as a mental health counselor. Ms. Riddick is a mental health professional who is here to help anyone who might be struggling with mental health issues. Her office is located in the East building.
Access to Technology in JCPS: For Better or Worse?
With the emergence of technology in everyday life, its presence in classrooms is on the rise. Although schools in JCPS aren’t necessarily technology hubs, more assignments are finding their way to Google Classroom, and other schools outside the district are beginning to issue individual chromebooks. Though this may seem like the natural progression of the fast-growing trend that is technology, is it really as beneficial to the learning environment as some make it out to be?
Carson Wolf, a sophomore at Gahanna Lincoln High School (GLHS) in Columbus, Ohio, was given a laptop by her district along with everyone else attending Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools. All schools in the system are filled to the brim with technology; a noticeable amount more than what can be found in many facilities within JCPS. Wolf describes the immense impact technology has had on both her and her peers’ experience in their education. In an interview with her, Wolf describes the assistance constant contact with computers brings. She states, “Technology has made group projects and group work easier because you can share assignments and email each other.” The personal chromebooks issued by GJPS allows some of the obstacles of group projects to be avoided entirely. The inability to keep in touch with a member that may not have access to a phone or computer can be a large issue when trying to complete work. The guarantee that all students have the ability to contact one another in a fast and effective way is just one of the many benefits to technology that Wolf described. The idea of contact and communication was not just discussed by students from schools with an abundant amount of technology. Students at Ballard also had opinions to share. Noah Apolinar discusses his belief that, “all teachers should be using it to connect to their kids.” He explains how technology is the modern language and that he believes any teacher not using it is doing a disservice by increasing student to teacher separation. Students’ opinions on the advantages of technology doesn't end at communication. Many claim that computer access actually benefits the quality of the work they are producing. One major point being brought up by both GLHS and Ballard students is how an increased availability to different sources and articles not only makes the process of writing essays easier, but betters the content of the piece itself. Another opinion students are nearly unanimous about relates to the topic of organization. All of the students interviewed discuss how much technology benefits the management of their assignments. It decreases the amount of lost papers with the ability to search documents by name, and everything can be found in one place. Wolf even explained how she “noticed it has helped the people around me,” despite her already being proud of her own organization skills. She explained that kids who once had backpacks overflowing with papers can now access everything online, and without the mess. Despite the high praise that the abundance of technology in Gahanna Lincoln High School has received, there are some noticeable disadvantages as well, especially concerning equal internet access outside of school. Wolf discussed the roadblocks brought by the technology she has access to. She explained her belief that “online worksheets take longer… It takes a lot of work to get the formatting correct.” She went on to explain the simplicity in using paper worksheets and how they erase that issue almost completely. Ballard student, Emma Russell, seconded this opinion when she said that “It’s easier and faster to do problems in math on paper rather than on the computer.” Wolf expands on this topic when she spoke of the reliability that technology fails to provide. “The other day CPM [an online textbook website] shut down in the middle of math class,” she explained, adding that it brings the whole class to a halt and no one can complete their work, so the class is forced to wait until the website was back up and running. These failures in dependability could be a cause for concern for many students and educators. They have the potential to bring up doubts on the benefits technology brings to the classroom. Another Gahanna Lincoln student, Gabriella Fabrizio, had more mixed of an opinion about the speed of technology. She says that “using a chromebook helps me work better… when I’m typing essays or answering questions on documents online because I can type all of my thoughts out faster.” Fabrizio also echoes the thoughts of Russell and Wolf when she explained, “I like being able to write things down on paper when I’m taking notes on subjects like science or history and it helps me learn better that way.” Fabrizio’s contrast in opinion reveals the complexity of the topic at hand. Most importantly it showcases that answers to this debate are case by case. Technology may work better in one scenario, but pen and paper may be the most effective in another. Despite this, it cannot be disputed that the world’s future is a technological one and society will continue to adapt to it. |
Ms. Mayes Named Freshman Academy Leader
by Fardowsa Hassan
Photo by Kristin Tran
A new school year always brings change. This year the Freshman Academy will be run by Ms. Mayes.
Ms. Rogers ran the freshman Academy last year, but now she is the principal at Olmsted North. Ms. Mayes was named head of the Freshman Academy, which is a large role in the school community, because it involves a big responsibility.
When asked about her leadership position, Ms. Mayes said, "I view my role as an empowering team player, I value everyone’s distinct talents and I am very supportive of my team. I try to be a servant leader, to one who can take charge and make decisions when needed." She went on to say that she hopes to empower teachers by listening to them, learning their strengths, finding ways to utilize their talents, and by delegating them in a way which allows them to lead.
Teachers evaluations corresponds to students achievement. Teachers evaluations is probably the most important thing Ms. Mayes does. Ms. Mayes said, "the coaching and feedback I give teachers directly corresponds with students’ achievements." Coaching and feedback allows teachers to reflect on their practice in a meaningful way, which allows them to evaluate areas of growth. This positively impacts students achievements. Ms. Mayes said, " I will help teachers improve by first allowing them to reflect on their practice and identify areas of growth." From there, she observes their classrooms and looks for ways she can help them grow. She provides feedback and suggestions, and even attempts to find articles that describe best practices for the areas they're teaching in.
Back when she was a teacher, the classroom management strategy that she found most effective was the bell to bell instructions because, from her viewpoint, it's keeping the students engaged in learning which drastically reduces behavioral issues. Ms. Mayes wouldn't use the term "negative" feedback, she would call it coaching. Ms. Mayes uses powerwalk data to show that a particular method a teacher used may not be working, and gives suggestions that may improve their situation. Building positive and trusting relationships allows Ms. Mayes to give feedback in a non-threatening way, so there will be no confusion.
Ms. Mayes is excited to run the Freshman Academy and is dedicated to improving it. She is excited to build relationships with the students. She is a good listener that would love to hear from you in a positive circumstances rather than meeting you for the first time in her office.
Ms. Rogers ran the freshman Academy last year, but now she is the principal at Olmsted North. Ms. Mayes was named head of the Freshman Academy, which is a large role in the school community, because it involves a big responsibility.
When asked about her leadership position, Ms. Mayes said, "I view my role as an empowering team player, I value everyone’s distinct talents and I am very supportive of my team. I try to be a servant leader, to one who can take charge and make decisions when needed." She went on to say that she hopes to empower teachers by listening to them, learning their strengths, finding ways to utilize their talents, and by delegating them in a way which allows them to lead.
Teachers evaluations corresponds to students achievement. Teachers evaluations is probably the most important thing Ms. Mayes does. Ms. Mayes said, "the coaching and feedback I give teachers directly corresponds with students’ achievements." Coaching and feedback allows teachers to reflect on their practice in a meaningful way, which allows them to evaluate areas of growth. This positively impacts students achievements. Ms. Mayes said, " I will help teachers improve by first allowing them to reflect on their practice and identify areas of growth." From there, she observes their classrooms and looks for ways she can help them grow. She provides feedback and suggestions, and even attempts to find articles that describe best practices for the areas they're teaching in.
Back when she was a teacher, the classroom management strategy that she found most effective was the bell to bell instructions because, from her viewpoint, it's keeping the students engaged in learning which drastically reduces behavioral issues. Ms. Mayes wouldn't use the term "negative" feedback, she would call it coaching. Ms. Mayes uses powerwalk data to show that a particular method a teacher used may not be working, and gives suggestions that may improve their situation. Building positive and trusting relationships allows Ms. Mayes to give feedback in a non-threatening way, so there will be no confusion.
Ms. Mayes is excited to run the Freshman Academy and is dedicated to improving it. She is excited to build relationships with the students. She is a good listener that would love to hear from you in a positive circumstances rather than meeting you for the first time in her office.