Summer reading changes
by Daniel Merritt
This year's summer reading program has brought many changes and, teachers hope, improvements from its predecessor. Listening to students concerns from the 2003 program, the 2004 summer reading program is now more tailored to individual students. There is a different required book for each grade level, a wider selection of choice books for all grades, and more integration with the curriculum.
Upon return to school, students will take a quiz and participate in an activity based on each book during the first week of school, language arts teacher Alison McPherson said.
"There will be an assortment of activities, depending on the teacher, [such as] writing extensions, writing prompts, and group work. It depends on the book that they read, and the content of that book," McPherson said. "In addition, the books will relate thematically to work done in the course. The idea is to refer back to them and make connections with books we read throughout the year."
For the choice books, each language arts teacher was responsible for reading one book, then preparinge a quiz and activity for it. Any student who read that book will take this quiz, and the language arts teachers can use the activities in their classes, as needed. []
PHOTO BY BAILEY CAPELLE
GAME ON: Freshmen race on an inflatable slide. The games included a number of different inflatable games.
SuperGames provides freshmen with bonding time
by Kaitlyn Williams
For the fifth consecutive year, multitudes of freshmen, their mentors and police officers converged upon the UAHS practice football field/ The Freshman SuperGames, held Aug. 16, offered a chance for incoming freshmen to bond while slipping down the giant inflatable slide, playing tug-of-war and slurping Sno Cones.
Principal Kip Greenhill said the event helps students from Hastings Middle School, Jones Middle School and neighboring private schools merge into one class.
"[The SuperGames are] a good opportunity for students from the middle schools to come together," he said.
Greenhill also said the activities aid in building a school community.
"Anything that helps connect people to the school is important," he said. "Anonymity is what we want to avoid." []