Clockwise from top left: Students (l-r) Rachel Young, Kjersti Gustafson, Olivia Malis and Melissa Lutes in a happy first day back hug. (l-r) Tammie Christianson, Kailie Shillig, Nick Onyshko and Jonathan Rivette (all 11th graders). Malerie Grajeda and Elsa Pineda (both 12th graders) in Spanish class. Malerie said, ?School has changed a lot but I?m just glad this is my last year.? Elsa said, ?School is hard, but you just have to try. I can?t wait to graduate.? Connie Angel (11th grade) said, ?Summer was too short! But it is nice to see familiar faces.?
Return to School Brings Reunions
By Sara Woerter, Intern
"Welcome students back to Frazier Mountain High School!" said Brandon Conover over the FMHS public address system on the first day of school. The beginning of school brought tears and smiles. Nick Onyshko commented: "It is so great to see all my friends but I still wish it was still summer break." But many of the students feel a change in the air. This year seems to be a bit different from the past years at FMHS.
Students no longer have the privilege of lockers. Since last year’s senior prank, the lockers are still not fixed. [In what they characterized as a "prank" a senior and a recent graduate exploded a small gunpowder bomb in student lockers the weekend before graduation. The two young men went to jail, awaiting trial on serious charges, with bail set at $1.5 million.–Editor.]
Jonathan Rivette wonders why this is. "I just don’t understand why they didn’t fix these lockers over summer, now we have to carry all of our books for at least a month." Students attending classes will have to carry the books by hand-some carrying as many as six. One positive spin is that some students may lose weight and get more physically fit.
This year we also have a "homeroom." We now have eight periods, counting our homeroom, which lasts only about 15 minutes. Homeroom time is used to hand out school papers, give recent news and morning announcements. Students are not allowed to use the homerooms for storage of books.
To limit ditching class, several cameras were installed over the summer. Students may not leave a class without supervision. If they ask the teacher to use the bathroom, the teacher calls the office for a teacher or Vice Principal Kevin Triance, to walk the students to the bathroom.
This year the music program was cut, but students have the option to learn French. There are also new teachers such as our new P.E coach, Mr. Jarudd Prosser and new Math teacher, Mr. Geoff Webberley. All the teachers had a smile on their faces on the first day of school and are ready for yet another year of teaching.
For their part, students are ready to learn and are glad to see old faces. Tammie Christianson reported: "So far the first week of school has been pretty interesting. It’s hard adjusting to the new rules but it is nice to see my friends who I haven’t seen for most of the summer."
Sara Woerter is enrolled in The Mountain Enterprise student intern program. She is a junior at Frazier Mountain High School.
This is part of the August 24, 2007 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.
Have an opinion on this matter? We'd like to hear from you.
