Volume 94, Issue 3 - My High School Journalism

2 News Little Dodger, Fort Dodge Senior High Nov. 5, 2010
Fort Dodge in need of a new middle school
By Sloane Morrow and Rachel Lerkamp
Staff Reporters
One of the biggest debates going on in Fort
Dodge is the building of a new middle school.
As former students we all can remember attending
both Fair Oaks and Phillips. The schools are
both both over 50 years old and have numerous
problems inside and out. The problems have
only gotten bigger as we have made our way to
the high school.
Many problems at the schools are major and
need attention immediately. Many people in the
community feel that a new middle school is not
needed at this current time. However, they only
see the clean, well kept parts of the building.
This is because the buildings are constantly being
repaired and fixed by custodians and district
workers.
The Little Dodger sent four staff members
to uncover the truth about the buildings and
problems within. The results of those interviews
made it clear that the district is in definite need
of a new middle school building.
Fair Oaks Middle School
Fair Oaks was built in 1931 as a junior high
and later became Fair Oaks Middle school in the
mid 1980s. Through out those years the build-
ing has seen many repairs to the inside and out
both cosmetic and infrastructure repairs.
The building has many problems that would
cost more to fix than to build a new building. The
walls have moister problems from water coming
in from the old mortar in the bricks, which
had been tuck pointed many times through out
the years. The walls have been patched and
re-painted to fix the moisture damage, only it
is not working. The roof leaks in spots which
causes the ceiling to fall and collect moisture.
The building has very little ventilation. Steam
pipes carrying the heat through the school during
the winter are rusting from years of use. The
boilers are old and need to be replaced, however
they are very complicated systems to figure out
how to remove and to refurbish. The heat return
system in the school leaks when it is running
during the winter which can cause a problem for
the janitors.
The three story building can see temperatures
of over 100 degrees in July. During the winter,
the custodial staff works hard to keep it warm
inside the building.
“The ventilation becomes a problem during
the winter because it can be hot on one side of
the school and cold on the other,” commented
Van Zyl settles into Fort Dodge
By Josey Ayala
Staff Reporter
For some kids switching schools and moving
to a new town or state can be a pretty big deal,
but for Superintendent Doug Van Zyl and his
family this isn’t a new concept to grasp.
As for the Van Zyl family, this isn’t their first
move to a new community and school district
except for Doug’s youngest daughter.
“The school district and the community is just
the right size,” said Doug, while explaining why
he and his family moved to Fort Dodge. He also
went on to say that not only did he move his
family here for his new job but also to be closer
to family members in Iowa and Minnesota and
that he likes seeing family.
Doug Van Zyl has taught at other schools
previous to becoming the school district’s new
superintendent. He has taught in Texas, in Independence,
Missouri, and lastly Harrisonville,
Missouri, where he was employed for the past
five years. This is his fourth year being a superintendent.
While explaining the differences between Harrisonville’s
school district and Fort Dodge’s,
Doug clarified that, “the Fort Dodge School District
helps support school districts in the sur-
rounding area.” He explained this because the
school district is larger and has more to offer
to the smaller schools in comparison to Harrisonville,
which was located just south of Kansas
City it was not the go-to-school district.
Doug and his wife, have three children, Parker
who is a sophomore at the high school, and
Lani an eighth grader and Liza who is in the fifth
“The school district and the
community is just the right size.”
Doug Van Zyl
Superintendent
grade, and according to Doug, it has been a
good transition for both his career and his family.
“I like getting to play baseball through the college,”
stated Parker. He went on to say that he
misses a lot of friends from Harrisonville, but
has been making new friends here. Also, as
many kids of all ages can relate, he has enjoyed
visits to The Darriette.
Like Parker, his sisters also participate in different
sports. Lani was out for cross country
this fall and also plays basketball and Liza participates
in swim team.
Being new to the community, the Van Zyl’s
usually try and stay busy. “We try and be out
and about and at school events,” stated Doug,
and he also said he and his family have been in
the process of visiting different churches.
The Van Zyl family is settling in nicely to their
new home and town.
www.littledodger.net
Jess Matsen, Fair Oaks head principal.
The school has seen small repairs such as
patching and painting of walls, the pool was
closed about six years ago due to rusted pipes,
along with the tuck pointing and small repairs
to the boilers. Other smaller problems with the
school are that the windows are not energy efficient
and allow for lots of cold air to come in.
Parking is another problem at the school.
There is not enough parking for the amount of
staff employed at the school. The school is also
not very handicap accessible and it is a hassle
for the staff and student.
“A student with a broken leg has to have a
staff member unlock the elevator and then another
staff member has to get them and take
them to another part of the school to use the
elevator. It’s just a hassle for both the student
and staff member,” Matsen stated.
The problems also affect the teachers. “Space
is a big issue for all teachers. There is not
enough for students to work in groups within
the classroom,” commented Julia Hatcher, science
and social studies teacher.
See NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL, Page 13
New schedule
considered
for next year
By Ashley Ebelsheiser
Spread Editor
Word around the school is that there will
be a new schedule for the 2011-2012 school
year. This information may very well be true.
According to Dave Keane, the principal at the
high school, a new schedule could be the fix
to problems students experience while trying
to learn on the current block schedule.
One of the issues with the current schedule
is that special education kids have to be
pulled from class. Because of the lack of down
time in the block schedule, it is even harder
for them to learn. Another issue Keane sees
for some students there is a significant gap
between classes. Keane stated, “You could
have a foreign language class in the fall and
not have it again until the spring of the next
year.”
There are a few options the school is looking
at for next year's schedule. A choice will
be made between staying with the four block
schedule, switching to a trimester schedule
or going to a flex mod schedule. The start
of the new schedule will depend on which
schedule is chosen as some will take longer
preparation time then others.
The trimester schedule would include six
periods each day and the periods would last
See SCHEDULE, Page 4