VHS Timberline—Page 3
VHS Timberline part 2
Kindergarten provides education, discipline, creative outlet
By Tracv Wilkerson and April Durst
Remembering,
experiencing
and
looking ahead to the kindergarten
systems of yesterday, today and of
tomorrow, we can judge how school has
and will continue to mature over the years
. Remembering
Thinking back twelve years, I can
remember the good old days when I went
to kindergarten with my pals.
Entering the room at 8t35 am, we all put
away our yellow rain slickers, galoshes,
rain hats, coats, sweaters, scarves and
mittens.
I was in the morning, session, and
although we only went to school for half
of a day, it always seemed like a whole one
to me. Mornings were wonderful, we used
to start the day off with twenty minutes
back in the toy kitchen or with the blocks
and trucks.
Then we would get out our scissors and
paper and cut out and color different
pictures to take home to put on the
refrigerator.
Recess was a fun time to run through
the basement and scramble over the
jungle gym.
Back in the classroom, we had story
time, in which there was always a contest
to see who could be the quietest. After
that came nap-time (which always seemed
unnecessary).
Wake-up time was the most fun. The
person who was the quietest got to be the
wake-up fairy, and go around and wake
everyone up.
About half-Way through the school day
(two hours), the teacher would bring out a
box of graham crackers and cartons of
milk for everyone/ Then as the day was
drawing to a close, we made one last trip
to the sandbox.
As we left the kindergarten room, we
met the afternoon class on their way to
their half a day of adventure.
Experiencing
Kindergarten today isn't all milk and
crackers.
' Students come to class
prepared for learning and learn more than
just how to use crayons.
A major reason for their increased
preparedness is that parents are
becoming more involved in their early
education.
They receive pre-school
packets from the district education
coordinator which include different lesson
plans for each day of the month.
Pre-school children learn skills like
counting, become familiar with colors and
the seasons of the year, and learn their
alphabet before they are even enrolled in
kindergarten.
‘Another helpful learning experience,’
said
Mrs.
Ginger
Johns,
WGS
kindergarten teacher, ‘is television.
Shows like The Electric Company and
Sesame Street give children a head-start
on counting and alphabet skills.’
Because they are more prepared,
kindergarteners can become involved in
more advanced skills, like reading. They
learn to read, spell and print at the same
time by using worksheets that help them
associate each letter with its sound while
printing it on paper.
After the children learn to read, parent
helpers come to the class to listen to them
and assistthem. Mrs. Johns also has
aides from the high school.
There are many facilities available for
the children. A listening center, at which
the children listen to tapes of stories and
follow along with the words in
corresponding books gives them greater
aid with their reading skills. In the small
library, they may check out books, listen
to story tellers or watch films.
Other subjects that the children are
studying include math, science, health
and plant life. They are encouraged to do
artwork, also, since it develops hand and
eye coordination.
Working at the carpenter’s bench with
hammers and nails, jumping rope,
painting, singing, learning poems and
other activities that they participate in
help the children learn and have fun at the
same time.
If any of them need special assistance
with speech or language difficulties, it is
provided by either Mrs. Carmancita Vigil
or-Mrs. Cheryl Fitzsimmons, In this way,
the children become familiar with working
with several different teachers.
Special activities for this spring will
include taking walks around Vernonia,
visiting parks and the museum, and trips
to other places of interest.
Encyclopedic^ After this, students will
move on the psychological analysis, based
on Freud’s views.
Recess will have a new meaning for
these new kindergarten geniuses. Instead
of a brief run over the jungle gym, a
complete diet and physical training
program will be offered.
Returning to fourth period, the young
tots take it easy for a while with a class in
home-economics. This includes cooking,
budget planning and designed clothes for
the future. Of course that will be taught
to the boys only. The girls will be
tinkering with the engines and motors of
their fathers’ $10,000 space machines or
designing plans for their own new floating
carbo-hydrolic buggies.
After fourth period, it is time for the
teacher to pull her cot out from the wall
and conk out for thirty minutes in
preparation for the second half of the day.
Minutes before the noon bell rings, the
students are sitting on the edge of their
Seats. When it does ring, they are off and
running to the cafeteria for the daily meal
of meat loaf, carrot, pea,mashed potatoe,
and milk supplement and their vitamin
capsules including a, b, c, d, e flat, and b
natural. After this healthy meal break,
they go back to the classroon for their last
two classes.
Fifth period consists of computer and
robot programming for students who plan
to take advanced computer design and
structural analysis in first grade. For
those who don’t, it is a period of combined
English
and
twenty-seven
other
languages, a must for communications
majors.
„
Drama class, the last subject df the day,
is as much fun for the children as it is for
their combined teacher/director/producer.
These young actors and actresses portray
the favorites from the olden days
including Eric Astrada, Jerry Lewis,
Richard Pryor, JBruce Dem, John
Davidson and for those with good history
books, the Fonz.
Remembering,
experiencing
and
looking ahead one cam see dramatic
differences in kindergarten. As food for
thought, just think what high school will
be like in the year 2000.
Looking Ahead
Kindergarten in the year 2000 may be a
Very
surprising
and
enlightening
experience.
Taking six classes during an eight hour
school day will more than likely by part of
the new advanced kindergarten program.
Upon arriving at school at 8:00 am, the
children will immediately hang their anti
pollution suits in the closet and begin
their
first
course
of
the
day;
trigonomical calculus for advanced
students and Algebra III for those less
gifted.
Geometrical algebraic chemistry will be
taught during the second class hour.
Third period will consist of memorizing
either a section from ¡the Webster's
Collegiate
Dictionary
or
Colliers'
I Support your local golf and
i track teams. Attend their
I next meets.
David Carter takes a flving leap into the sand pit of the long jump arena at a recent meet.
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Golfers off to a good start
By Thorgen Brown
• VHS golf team is off to a good start this
year with three first place finishes, one
tie, and two losses.
Two seniors,
five juniors, two
sophomores, and five freshmen make up
the team.
An interesting change from last year is
the membership of four girls. ‘I’m glad to
see that girls are out for the golf team,
and sticking with it,’ said their coach, Mr.
Greg Brown.
Medalist for VHS at the first home
Mrs. Ginger Johns helps a kindergarten
student with her association skills.
match was Thorgen Brown, with a score
of 41. Steve Grady and Dave Battrick
tied at the second match with 86. At
LaSalle, Thorgen Brown was the medalist
again, with a score of 37. At Tillamook,
Steve Grady was the medalist, with a
score of 83, and again at the fifth match at
Seaside, with a score of 80. Thorgen
Brown was the medalist at Lutheran,
with a score of 79.
‘Some of the scores were good, but they
could be improved, especially at home,’
said Coach Brown.
Track team 'improving in all areas'
By Vickie Pitt
VHS Track Team has participated in
several meets since the season began
nearly a month ago.
Approximately 30 students are out for
the team which is coached by Mr. Ron
Remsen (running events) and Mr. Terry
Nimz (field events).
‘The team this year is a well-rounded
squad in both events and age,’ said Coach
Remsen when asked how he felt about the
team.
‘Everyone is improving in all
areas.’
Knappa High School was the site of the
first meet of the season, on April 7. Both
teams placed second out of a field of four
schools.
Second meet was the Kennedy
Invitational at John F. Kennedy High
School in Mt. Angel. It was a Saturday
meet that lasted from 10:00 am to 5:00
pm. Nine schools participated in the meet
at which the boys’ team placed fourth and
girls’ team placed sixth. Junior Brad
Gardner, of Vernonia, was chosen
Outstanding Boy Athlete for the meet.
He placed first in the javelin and discus,
and second in the shot put.
The Third meet was at Portland
Christian on Tuesday, April 14.
Warrenton, Vernonia and PC were the
teams that competed. The VHS Boys’
team placed second behind PC and the
girls placed second behind Warrenton.
VHS track team travelled to Seaside*
Thursday, April 16, to compete in a four
way meet. Both teams placed fourth.
Thursday, April 23, the Vernonia teams
went to Rainier High School to compete in
a three-way meet.
The teams who
participated were Rainier, Knappa, and
Vernonia. Results of the meet were not
available due to the malfunctioning of the
Xerox machine.