Image provided by: Oregon Historical Society; Portland, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 1982)
..... Spilyay Tymoo Page 4 February 12,1982 Alternative school offers choice in education by Julie Mitchell The Alternative Education program has been one of the best kept secrets in the Warm S prings com m unity. The program, which is housed in the old b o y ’s dorm , is considered an extension of Madras High School. And as the name implies, the program offers practical alternative to tr a d itio n a l h igh sc h o o l te a c h in g m e th o d s a n d atmosphere, but the curricu lum remains the same. Primary funding comes from Johnson O’Malley, with Title IV and 509-J School District contributing partial funding for staff and materials. The JOM committee plays a role in the section of staff for the program and before final staff selections are made, interviews are held with the committee and district administrators. During the first semester, the two-teacher staff offered 31 subjects to 55 students. During the second semester, there are two full-time and one half-time teachers and a community liaison on staff. The teachers are Rob Hastings, Elizabeth Hayes and Julie Mitchell, with Ned H u rta d o being the community liaison. Students can either attend the Alternative School full-day or attend the Alternative School half-day and Madras High School half-day. Half- day students take four classes, while a full-day schedule consists of six or seven classes. Currently 28 students are attending the A lternative School. The n um ber is expected to increase as the semester enters its fourth week. C lasses are scheduled according to a stu d en t’s academic requirements and needed electives, ultimately leading to a diploma. Weekly contracts are individually discussed and signed between the student and teacher, indicating work agreed to be done in each subject by a certain time the following week. If course work is completed before the given day, the student is encouraged to begin a new contract. Within a nine-week period, a minimum of six contracts must be completed to earn a passing grade and credit. Students are not required to follow a defined time schedule, rather, they complete work at their own pace during a time of day agreed to in their contract, contract requirements also include keeping a daily journal, mastery of subject skills and a behavior agreement. The A lternative school attendance policy is based on consecutive days absent without contact from the student. Five days non- attendance requires a referral to the justice system. Ten unexcused absences results in dropping the sutdent from the program. The Alternative School’s le a rn in g a tm o sp h e re is informal and unintimidating. There are no tardy bells and no hall passes. Students talk freely among themselves and with teachers while com pleting weekly course work. The two classrooms have desks, tables and chairs and a radio. Textbooks, paperbacks, d ic tio n a rie s and v ario u s brochures and pamphlets are plentiful and readily available. Teachers are accessible in both classrooms to guide learning and to answer questions. The primary objective of the Alternative School is to avoid severing a student’s educa tional chain and to provide a program that inhances every learning process available. Increased staff and student fam iliarity will hopefully contribute a great deal to this unique program. Good working relations and understanding am ong the com m unity, M adras High School and the Alternative Education program are all demanded. Understanding of and involvement in alternative teaching and learning methods is a pre-requisite to keeping local high school students in a learning atmosphere. The A lternative School certainly should not be a “well- kept” secret any longer. Staff and students would like to share their secret by welcoming visitors to observe alternative education in action. Alternative education teacher Karen Leep (right) instructs new teacher Elisabeth Hayes on student contracts. Hayes replaces Leep at the center. Other teachers at the Alternative Education Center are R ob Hastings and Julie Mitchell. Spilyay Tymoo photo by Shewcsyk Letter to the editor— Japanese students return visit Police standards not set by personnel dept. Attention students who went to Japan last summer!! Ten Japanese students will be staying in Siletz, Oregon as part of the same exchange. Pat Darcy, who chaperoned the Warm Springs students would like to arrange a get- together. Any students who would be interested are asxea to call Mike or Pat Darcy in Siletz at 444-1070 or 444-2523. The Japanese students will be arriving March 14 and will be leaving April 4. A meeting can be arranged for anytime within those dates. U K a training program for a job description. If the job description is to be members to become fnvolved in I would like to clarify the revised, then it must go through becoming properly trained for stateent made by Richard L. the same procedures if any those positions. There is a definite need for a Burton, JSA, in the February major changes are to be made. 2, 1982, issue of Spilyay Tymoo I believe that Mr. Burton was policy to cover the training of which is carried on page 11 referrin g to P e rso n n e l’s local people to fill the police under the heading: “Police enforcing the approved job positions nd other positions in position sta n d ard s.” Mr. description. The Personnel our o rg an iz atio n . T rib al Burton’s statement was in Department only attempts to members can then be hired with response to a question as enforce the standards set by the a training program established department. In this instance we to eventually become qualified. follows: I wanted to clarify this as “Standards advertized for were enforcing the standards police officers are too high for set by the Police Department. several Tribal members have our people,” one concerned If the Police Department questioned me about this citizen commented. “With wishes to change those statement. people wanting to deal with standards, then that is up to other community members by them and not the Personnel serving as police officers these Department. As Personnel Manager I standards are preventing local Lloyd G. Smith, Sr. citizens from even applying for believe that if the standards are Personnel Manager jobs in the police department.” high for the Police Depart Burton replied that the ment, the tribes need to develop standards were set by the personnel department. As the Tribal Personnel Manager I would like to state that the requirements for a job that are put into a job February 16 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m. description are set by the 1. 10:00 a.m. Hydro Chrono/Sale of Mill Power— s u p e r v is o r o r m a n a g e r E.F. Dibble/Dennis Karnopp resposible for that particular Enrollments—Dennis Karnopp jo b , Personnel does not February 17/18 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m. establish those requirements; 1. 10:00 a.m. Committee Reports—Detailed Agenda h o w ev e r, o n ce th e jo b to follow description has been submitted February 22 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m. through the proper channels 1. 10:00 a.m. 509-J Report for the organization and has 2. 2:00 p.m. Realty th e r e s p e c t i v e b r a n c h February 23 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m. 1. 10:00 a.m. Management Report manager’s approval, it does go Housing Numbering Ordinance/Report to the Personnel Department to be evaluated by the Job February 24 Tour of water plant and Hydro Project by Tribal Evaluation Committee. Once a Council job description has received a Housing/Credit Referendum—Community Center preliminary evaluation and February 25 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m. 1.10:00 a.m. Report of Prineville site (Susan Crowley) subsequently a final evaluation by th e J o b E v a lu a tio n MOIHS Report Housing/Credit Referendum—Community Center Committee, the job description and job (salary) group are final. February 26 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m. On the basis of that approved 1. 10:00 a.m. Referendum Results job description, Personnel Comp Plan Review holds the department to that To the editor, Tribal Council Agenda February 14 you can either say “Happy Valentine s Day or opy Birthday Oregon.” District Representative Bitt Bellamy erf Madras Elementary School’s second grade students and nasho students as they celebrated both. The children noticed Bellamy wore both a belt buckle and tie clasp with the Oregon imprinted on t h « n . ^ y
