Seeking school heritage
Posted on Sunday, March 30, 2008
AWar Eagle Walk with the new staff marching to the new building from Oakdale, Elmwood and the Sophomore Campus might help contribute to a new culture for Heritage High School, teachers suggested at a recent professional development day dedicated to the new school's culture.
The staff of the newest Rogers school spent part of a day earlier this week brainstorming.
An Orange Fest, featuring Orange Crush soda and tours of the new building, might get parents involved, another group suggested.
Every school has a culture, Sophomore Campus Principal Larry Ben said.
"Heritage will have a culture," he told a group of teachers in a breakout session. "Either you can create it, or you can let it create itself."
The opening of the new school in August will be the culmination of a process that began in fall 2002 when a committee of parents, teachers, administrators and students began discussing a new campus to relieve overcrowding at Rogers High School. Since then, hundreds of hours have been spent in committee meetings, deciding everything from the school colors, orange and navy blue, to the mascot, the War Eagle, to the pattern of feeder schools that will divide the district into equitable halves.
Teachers learned in early March where they will teach next year, although a few positions are still open, Principal Karen Steen said. She estimated that half of the members of her new staff are now teaching at the Rogers High School Sophomore Campus. They'll be joined by ninth-grade teachers - mostly from Oakdale Junior High School. A few Elmwood Junior High School teachers and a few teachers from Rogers High School will also move to Heritage. Some current elementary-school teachers will make the move, and some teachers will be new to the district.
The professional-development session gave teachers a chance to get to know each other, Jennifer Wagner said. She's teaching at Elmwood now, but will teach U. S. history and be the ninth-grade cheer / pom coach next year at Heritage.
For social studies teacher T. J. Moss, going to Heritage High School is like going home. He taught on the campus when it was Rogers High School and when it later became the RHS Sophomore Campus. Sophomore teachers moved to their current building on First Street in August 2006 to make room for the new construction.
Moss said working at the same facility was one of the factors he considered when he requested placement at Heritage.
During a breakout session dedicated to "Opening Our School," Sophomore Campus teachers were happy to share their experiences of moving into a new building.
Teachers need access to the building and time to set up their rooms, members of the group agreed. They need computers, copiers and printers running on the first day of school and a better system to distribute textbooks.
Students need information on schedules and buses, and they need maps, another group suggested.
While teachers liked the idea of keeping many traditions at the new school, including Colors Day, homecoming and Spring Fest, some traditions may change.
Why should the homecoming queen always be a cheerleader ? Maybe it's time to open the homecoming titles to the entire school body, one teacher suggested.
Sending the marching band through the hallways before big games would be a way to boost school spirit, another teacher suggested.
Another breakout group worked on a mission statement, a vision statement and a motto for Heritage. Steen explained that the brainstorming session was only the first step. Later, department and academy chairs will consider the suggestions and compose several versions of each document. The entire faculty will vote for a final version later.
Some common themes emerged as teachers moved through the breakout session, but some new ideas were added with each session, Steen said. "Success, " "global"and "community"were some key words that may be incorporated into the documents.
Academy director Sheila Bayles led a session on career academies. The teachers were given the same interest inventory their students take. The majority of the teachers indicated an interest in the Public Service Academy, which includes teaching, she said. Before school opens, Steen will assign teachers to one of four career academies, and she'll consider their preferences. Not all will get their first choice, but most will probably be placed in one of their top two choices, she said.
Steen won't see her entire staff again until August when teachers begin their 2008-2009 professional development. However, after she chooses department heads and academy chairs, those groups will begin meeting.
"It's exciting to have the chance to create something that hasn't existed before," Oakdale French teacher Brad Gilmer said. After 15 years at the junior high school, he'll move to Heritage next year.
He said the long lead time to plan for the new high school gave everyone the chance to get used to the idea. Oakdale students, he said, are already wearing War Eagle T-shirts.
"It's exciting to see people catching the vision," he said.
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