TWO
Happner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, February 5, 1997
tetters to the Editor
Editor's noto: ¿.«fliers to the editor must be signed. The Qezette-Times will
not publish unsigned letters. Pleese include your eddress end phone number
on eU letters tor use by the Q-T office. The G-T reserves the right to edit.
Favors four-day
week
To the Editor:
I am in favor o f the four-day
week. It gives my children the time
and opportunity to do some things
they would not otherwise be able
to do, such as “Hands on Science,”
tumbling and dance. If we did not
have the four-day week and the
help of the Morrow County Arts
Council and Willow Creek Park
District, we would have to drive to
Hermiston or Pendleton to be able
to do any of this. Many of us work
and are not able to do that. I feel
that these activities are just as im
portant to our students as going and
sitting in a classroom on that day. I
admit, I like the four-day week for
selfish reasons; I am able to spend
more time with my kids on that day
watching them learn new things.
I believe the four-day week ben
efits the high school students with
sports being on that day. Someone
in an earlier letter stated that a lot
of the younger kids are taken out
to follow their older siblings who
are in sports. I can see how the
five-day week would benefit the
elementary students, but, aren’t
social skills, learning to follow di
rections and staying on tasks a part
of what we teach our kids in el
ementary school?
I find it interesting that a lot of
the people wanting to make the
decision for our kids on a four or
five day week do not have kids in
our schools anymore.
(s) Terri Palmateer
lone
Oops
To the Editor:
Oops. You inadvertently omitted
the last line of my letter to you last
week. That line read: "Our
children K-12 need the fifth school
day." It was my punch line and the
statement my entire letter sought
to support.
However, I can forgive you if
you will print this.
(s)Jane Rawlins
Heppner
Students getting
wrong message
To the Editor:
Petitions in favor of a five-day
school week will be submitted to
the Morrow County School Board,
Monday, Feb. 10, at Sam Board-
man Elementary School at 7:30
p.m. The petitions were placed in
circulation because there are those
in our communities that reject the
administrations’s contention that
the taxpaying voters in the county
have no right in decision-making
that affects their schools.
Our generation has a responsi
bility to not only prepare its chil
dren for the future, but to also give
them the necessary work ethic to
survive in a stressful workplace.
Our students are getting the
w rong m essage from Morrow
County’s educational system.
Come to the meeting at Sam
Boardman Elementary, Feb. 10,
7:30 p.m.
(s) Meg Murray
lone
Rethink four-day
week
To the Editor:
I wish to issue a plea to the good
citizens of Morrow County to do
some" rethinking and reconsidera
tion of an issue o f great impor
tance. Two and a half years ago,
our school board made the deci
sion to im plem ent a four-day
school week. At the time, a very
real financial crisis was at hand. It
must be remembered that this was
the only purpose for the change at
the time. It must also be noted that
it has never been an unanimous
decision on the board’s part; the
vote has always been split.
Over this time, it has become
clear that the savings have been
minimal and relatively insignificant
in the grand scheme o f things. It
has always been o f question in my
mind that o f all die areas that were
available to be cut, the area chosen
was that which most directly af
fected the children’s time and ex
posure to the learning environment
and their teachers.
think we should as long as we don’t
spill anything or stick gum on the
seats. I hope you work on this be
cause the rules are too strict.
Sincerely,
(s) Jessica Kneger
The money that goes to support
Morrow County School District is To the Editor:
My name is Kory Waterland and
dedicated to educating young
people. It is morally wrong to con I’m a fifth grader at Heppner Middle
tinue other areas of spending while School. I would like to talk to you
cutting out time for education. The about Colt basketball. There are
fact of the matter is that we have about 80 girls and boys in the fourth,
not extended the learning day ap fifth and sixth grades playing Colt
preciably. The child who has the basketball this year. I think it would
largest extension to his day under be a good idea if you could write a
few articles on the Colt games and
the four-day week plan is the very
youngest-the ones who most need maybe show the scores.
Sincerely,
their learning to be limited to short
(s)
Kory Waterland
blocks of time and also desperately
need the consistency of five days
To the Editor:
of school.
As time has gone on, we adults
Hi. My name is Kiel Naims and
have invented many excuses and I’m a fifth grader at Heppner Middle
reasons for maintaining the four- School. The fifth and sixth grade
day week. I think we need to re students have begun a reading pro
consider and reevaluate these rea gram called “Time Out For Read
sons and keep our focus. Our fo ing.” Each week they have to read
cus needs to be on what best en an hour and a half to move to the
hances the education of our chil next week.
dren, and that is all. We also need
By the end of this program, ev
to remember we did not choose this ery student has a chance to earn a
option at the start because it did prize. The students have held a bake
that. We chose this option only be sale and opened the concession
cause it seemed a financial way out. stand at Colt basketball games to
However, there is little real con raise money to purchase the prizes.
cern in the community to find a
Sincerely,
way to return to a five-day week.
(s) Kiel Naims
The reasons we give are: 1) My
child gets more rest on the week To the Editor:
end; 2) My family have more time
I’m a sixth grader from Hepp
to go places; 3) I don’t think I could ner Middle School. I would like to
work five days anymore; 4) Kids have a longer recess, also basket
missed all of Friday for sports any balls, footballs and basketball nets.
way. They probably have more tune We also need some more play
with their teachers now.
ground equipment.
Each of these statements miss
(s) Tony Looney
the point. The first three deal with
what’s “easy” and convenient for
us adults, not with what will pro To the Editor:
Hi. My name is Tanner Britt and
vide the best education for our chil
I
am
in the fifth grade at Heppner
dren. The fourth is a direct fallacy.
Middle
School. I am writing about
What we do about this option is
the
band
program.
our choice. This should not be a
Mr.
Werner
is our band teacher.
criterion in deciding if five days are
He
has
been
working
with the kids
better. We do not have to eliminate
very
well.
The
kids
have
been hav
sports, but maybe make wiser
ing
more
fun
and
they’ve
been
scheduling choices (Saturday still
learning
more.
exists). At this point, our middle
Speaking for myself and the rest
and high school students have a day
of
the kids, I hope band continues
that is only 30-45 minutes longer
for
a long time. We are proud of
than it was on a five-day plan.
the
way that we are improving.
There is no way that two hours of
Sincerely,
extra time in a week makes up for
(s) Tanner Britt
an additional full day of school.
We seem to be using the same
kind of reasoning that embarrassed To the Editor:
I am a fifth grade student at
the emperor in the childhood story,
Heppner
Middle School.
“The Emperor’s New Clothes.”
I
would
like to talk about the
The emperor convinced himself
four-day
school
week. I know it’s
that he was dressed in finery when,
a
touchy
subject,
but it’s a really
indeed, he was not. We are con
good
idea.
The
teachers
like it and
vincing ourselves that we are pro
so
do
the
kids.
I
personally
think
viding a quality education for our
the
kids
are
learning
the
same
as
children, when, indeed, we are not.
kids
with
the
five-day
week.
Please
Buying millions of dollars of new
computer technology, at the same think carefully about this and don’t
time that we cannot even provide a make snappy decisions.
Sincerely,
full five days of exposure to it for
(s)
Chantea
Macaulay
our students seems extremely ques
tionable. The money to return to a
To the Editor:
five-day week is available; we just
I’m a sixth grader from Hepp
need to wake up and fight for the
ner Middle School. I want to com
truly important values and get our
plain about loose dogs around
priorities straight. The school board
town. I have to pick up garbage
will be considering this issue at its
almost every day and so do my
next meeting on Feb. 10. Encour
age them to cast a vote for educa mom and dad because o f those
dogs. They are nice, but they tear
tion in Morrow County.
Sincerely, up everything. Please keep your
(s) Kerry L. Rietmann dogs on your own property. Neigh
lone bors should be more considerate.
Sincerely,
To the Editor:
(s) Chris Dilley
I’m a sixth grader from Hepp
ner and would like more equipment
for the school, like more sports To the Editor:
equipment: footballs, basketballs
My name is Brooke Rust and
and nets for the hoops. If you want I’m a fifth grader at Heppner Middle
to donate money for the stuff, you School. I would like to encourage
can.
all parents to help out at the elemen
I would also like better play tary or our building (the middle
ground equipment for the school school). Not that the teachers can’t
because if you don’t play football handle us, but some teachers need
or basketball, you don’t have any help doing little chores to make it
thing to do. Please donate if you so they will have more time to cor
would like.
rect.
Sincerely,
I would also like to talk about
(s) Robert Whalen the rule of no food or drink on the
bus. See, I get on the bus at 3:40
To the Editor:
p.m. and get home at 5 p.m. I eat
Hi; my name is Adam Bergstrom lunch at 12 noon and we can’t eat
from Heppner Elementary School. during classes, and being on the bus
When kids stand up on the bus, they for one hour and 40 minutes, I get
get one warning and then a write hungry.
up. A write-up means a trip to the
Sincerely,
principal’s office. Also, kids can’t
(s) Brooke Rust
have candy, pop or gum on the bus.
I think that the kids that make the To the Editor:
mess on the bus shouldn’t get to
My name is Aleshia Geer. I’m a
eat.
sixth grade student at Heppner
Sincerely, Middle School.
(s) Adam Bergstrom
I think students should be able
to eat on the bus. I get on the bus
To the Editor:
at 6:30 in the morning and get off
Hi. My name is Jessica Krieger. at 5 at night. During that time, I eat
I think we should be able to dnnk, once. For me and other friends, it
eat and chew gum on the bus. I is too long of a bus ride not to be
able to eat. I think kids would be
have better if they got to eat. And
the parents could go over the rules
to make sure kids pick up their
own messes.
Sincerely,
(s) Aleshia Geer
To the Editor:
Hi; my name is Stacy Delveaux.
I think the school should have a
four-day school week (coming
from a kid’s opinion, since I am a
kid), so we kids can spend more
time at home with our families, and
most parents work Saturdays. That
makes just one day (Sunday) with
our families. I especially think that
is not enough time.
Sincerely,
(s) Stefanie Hanson
To the Editor:
My name is Cindy Gall and 1 am
a sixth grader at Heppner Middle
School. I am writing to you about
our band class. We have a won
derful band class going, but some
of the school’s instruments are bro
ken. It is going to take at least $800-
1000 to fix them.
I think we should have a fund
raiser. It would be good for the
community and the students to do
something together. I think it would
be fun to have a walk/jog-a-thon.
If the community would support
the school on this, when the instru
ments are fixed, they would be able
to enjoy our music. My opinion is
that it would just be fun for every
one and it benefits everybody who
participates.
Sincerely,
(s) Cindy Gall.
To the Editor:
My name is Ben Turrell and I
ride the bus home every night. I’m
on the bus from 3:40-4:30 p.m. I
get really hungry, but we can’t have
any food on the bus. I understand
kids get litter on the floor, but if
we clean up after ourselves, I think
we should have food on the bus.
Sincerely,
(s) Ben Turrell
To the Editor:
My name is Rachel Howard. I
am in the sixth grade in Heppner
Middle School I think students
should be able to eat and drink on
the bus. I get on the bus at 3:33
p.m. and I get off at 4:15 p.m.
During the bus ride, I get hungry,
but food and drinks aren’t allowed
on the bus. I understand that they
don’t want any messes on the bus.
If we are able to eat and drink on
the bus, we should all be respon
sible for our messes. If the bus
driver has to tell one person time
and again to pick up his or her
mess, then he or she won’t be able
to eat or drink on the bus anymore.
I really know that a lot of kids want
this. One way the parents could
help is if we are able to eat and drink
on the bus, the parents could go
over the rules with their children
and make sure they understand they
need to clean up their messes.
(s) Rachel Howard
To the Editor:
My name is Zachary Skaggs.
I’m a fifth grader at Heppner El
ementary. I know every person
doesn’t wear a seat belt, but people
should. So many people get in bad
accidents and get hurt when they
don’t wear a seat belt. At this time
o f the year, the roads are icy and
slick, so please wear your seat
belts.
Sincerely,
(s) Zachary Skaggs
To the Editor:
My name is Sally Calvert of
Heppner Elementary School. I am
writing on account of the great
growth of the five-six band. Last
school year, our band was only 24
instrumentalists strong. This year,
our band reached 31 last semester
and 41 this semester, with 10 new
instrumentalists. As band grows
more popular, we need more instru
ments, but many need costly re
pairs which the school can’t afford
at this time. We are looking for
small donations to fix the needed
instruments.
Sincerely,
(s) Sally Calvert
To the Editor:
My name is Sibbea Jones. I am
a sixth grade student at Heppner
Middle School.
My opinion is that we should
have a four-day week. The kids as
well as the teachers can get more
rest, spend more time with their
families, have more time to do their
homework and play more. The
four-day week should stay as it is.
I also asked four people what
their opinion is. The following con
tains the results: my sixth grade
teacher, Jannie Allen, had the opin
ion of this, “I like it because every
year the teachers are required to
do more and the free Friday gives
me time to keep up with all of the
new requirements.”
Then I asked three students. "I
appreciate the four-day week be
cause I enjoy having three days
off,” said fifth grade student Jes
sica Westberg.
Josh Winters, a sixth grade stu
dent, said, “I agree with the four-
day week because it gives me more
time with my family.”
The last person I asked, Justin
Botefuhr, said this, “I like it because
you get more time on the week
end.”
So, I hope you all can see that
school is feasibly best without a
five-day week.
(s) Sibbea Jones
To the Editor:
My name is LaRena Penturf. I
am a student at Heppner Elemen
tary School. I’m writing about the
great growth o f our fifth-sixth
grade band class. Last year, we
didn’t have nearly as many students
as we do this year. This year we
have 41 kids and the most popular
instrument is the trumpet. There
are 12 trumpet players. Mr. Werner
has done an awesome job of build
ing up the band. Watch for us in
the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Sincerely,
(s) LaRena Penturf
To the Editor:
My name is Lacey Davis. I am a
sixth grader at Heppner Middle
School. I would like to keep hav
ing the four-day school week. It
took us a long time to get adjusted
to the four-day school week and it
will take us forever to get adjusted
to it being moved back to a five-
day school week.
We wouldn’t have as much time
with our friends and family or to
go on family vacations.
On Friday, I have time to do my
homework and school projects. I
am able to help do chores for my
mom around the house and spend
time with our animals.
This is why I think we should
keep the four-day school week.
Sincerely,
(s) Lacey Davis
To the Editor:
My name is Trevor Rhea from
Heppner Middle School. I am on
the Colt basketball team. I just
wanted to say I appreciate all the
coaches for giving their time and
effort to help kids like me with their
basketball skills. To learn it’s just a
game and to have fun is very im
portant. We learn to stay in school
and keep our grades up so we can
play sports and get a job. I appre
ciate the coaches very much for
their time.
Sincerely,
(s) Trevor Rhea
To the Editor:
My name is Lacey Matteson and
I am a sixth grader at Heppner
Middle School. There has been talk
about changing our school week
back to five days. Some people say
that we aren’t getting enough edu
cation because we don’t go as
many days as everyone else. The
one thing these people don’t look
at is how many hours a day we go
to school. I think I am getting as
good an education as anyone else.
The four-day school week has
been a great change. This way,
with not having school on Fridays,
I can go to the basketball games,
spend more time with my friends,
and also have time for other activi
ties.
Sincerely,
(s) Lacey Matteson
To the Editor:
Hi; I’m Blake Allstott and I’m a
fifth grader at Heppner Middle
School. I think it would be nice if
you would do something for the
middle-aged kids.
It is a “Kids Comer” in the news
paper. You could put in the most
popular books of the month. Or the
best singers. Or talk about Colt bas
ketball, such as who won the most
games or who they are playing.
I just though you might want to
do something for the middle-aged
kids. I know the East Oregonian
has the Mini-Page, but that is for
little kids mostly. It also might sell
a lot of papers.
Sincerely,
(s) Blake Allstott
To the Editor:
My name is Danielle Looslie. I
live in Lexington, OR., and go to
school at Heppner Elementary. I’m
in the fifth grade.
I would like to tell you about the
new music teacher. Her name is
Heather Hacking. She is very good
at the piano.
She has some very fun songs
that we are going to sing at the
spring program. They’re called: “A
Burger and an Order of Flies,”
“Music Brought Us Together,” and
“Pie Jesu.”
I think she is very nice. Every
one seems to like her very well.
Sincerely,
(s) Danielle Looslie
To the Editor:
My name is Ariel Johnson and
I’m a fifth grade student at Hepp
ner Middle School. I would like to
talk about littering. It’s a serious
problem that we’re all involved in.
Heppner is a very nice town. It has
a nice park and nice people. But
lately I’ve noticed pop cans or gum
wrappers whenever I go outside.
It upsets me to think people just
throw their trash on the ground in
stead of disposing of it properly.
To solve this problem, maybe we
need more trash cans. But what
ever the case, I encourage every
one to throw away their trash so
we can keep our community clean.
Sincerely,
(s) Ariel Johnson
To the Editor:
My name is Jerry Shank from
Heppner Middle School.
I am writing you because the
Heppner Middle School needs a
new playground to play on. A
couple months ago, the tower got
shorter and now it is bonng. We
need sponsors so we can get the
stuff we need. The Parents' Club
also helps with this. Without them,
none of this would be possible.
"Sincerely,
(s) Jerry Shank
To the Editor:
My name is Lindsey Clough. I
am a fifth grader at Heppner Middle
School. Having the four-day school
week is not a problem for me or
my family. If we were going five
days, my class periods would be
shorter. Going four days gives me
more time with my teachers.
My sister is in high school and
plays sports. I get to go to all of
her games and not miss any school
because most of her games are on
Fridays and Saturdays. I think we
should stick with the four-day
school week.
Sincerely,
(s) Lindsey Clough
To the Editor:
I am a fifth grader here at Hepp
ner Elementary. I wish that they
would have built the swimming
pool last year, but I understand it
takes a long time.
I hope that the prices to go
swimming will be low enough so
everyone can afford to go swim
ming.
Sincerely,
(s) Zachary Whalen
To the Editor:
My name is Nicole Wilson. I’m
a sixth grader at Heppner Middle
School I think that we should keep
the four-day school week. It took
a long time for us to get to going
four days a week. So if we go back
to the five-day school week, it will
be very hard.
I think I’m getting as good an
education in four days as I was in
five days. If you think about it, the
three-day weekend is nice. So
maybe you should think before
choosing the four or five day
school week.
(s) Nicole Wilson
To the Editor:
My name is Brad Adams and I
am a sixth grader at Heppner El
ementary School.
I think the “Time Out For Read
ing” program is a great way to en
courage kids to read. Every week
we have a meeting in the hallway.
If we read at least 1 1/2 hours, we
get a treat. At the end of the pro
gram, the one with the most time
gets to pick out the first prize and
so on from there until we run out
of prizes.
Sincerely,
(s) Brad Adams
letters cont.
page 8