The Leprechaun Gold - St. Vincent-St. Mary High School

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School Leprechaun Gold St. Vincent-St. Mary High School 15 North Maple Street Akron, Ohio 44303 On the Web: www.stvm.com Advisor Mrs. Maureen Harrigal Assistant Mrs. Barbara Wood Co-Editors-in-Chief Meghan Dannemiller Jackson Ewing Staff Reporters Ian Edgley Mandy Sollenberger Erica Bratton Kristen Bratton Erin Farrell Kelly Lauck Connor Wallace Brianna McVicker Photos Yearbook Staff Mrs. Beth Dolan Mrs. Patty Burdon (front cover) AN IRISH PRAYER May the road rise ever to meet you May the wind be ever at your back May the sun shine warm upon your face May the rain fall soft upon your fields And until we meet again, May God hold you in the Palm of His hand. The Leprechaun Gold is published throughout the year for the students of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. There is no charge for the paper but donations are accepted and appreciated. Unsigned editorials represent the consensus of the editorial board. Letters to the editor are encouraged, provided they do not contain material disruptive to the educational process and that they are signed. The Leprechaun Gold reserves the right to edit submitted material for length. Leprechaun Gold Summer reading debated Jackson Ewing Co-Editor-in-chief “PRO” Summer reading, while it may seem tedious and boring to some students, is something that many experts feel is necessary. Many studies about summer assignments have been conducted, and summer reading is something that they feel is vital to a student’s development. Mark Bauerlein, a professor of English at Emory University, finds that summer reading is absolutely necessary. Bauerlein believes that not only is the time for summer break too long to retain knowledge, but students’ attitudes toward school also come into play. “The reason stems not only from the brain drain of summer and the fog of texting that enwraps youths during leisure hours but relates also to an attitude young people take toward education. In a word, they regard learning as a classroom thing, that’s all.” Bauerlein cites the 2007 American Freshman Survey as proof of students’ attitudes towards learning being a problem. In the survey, it was revealed that the rate of high school seniors who went to college and talked to teachers less than one hour per week came in at 53.4 percent. Bauerlein argues that this survey shows that students’ attitudes toward work are only to get a good grade on the assignment and not to retain or completely understand the material. “The outcome is unsurprising,” Bauerlein said. “Once the assignment is finished and class ends — poof! The knowledge goes away. It’s done its work.” This, according to Bauerlein, can be changed by incorporating education into student’s lives, especially outside of the classroom. Other educators feel that summer reading Ian Edgley stafff reporter It’s the night before school and rather than enjoying the last hours of freedom, students are reading some awful book and answering a seemingly endless packet of questions at 3:00 a.m. They sit at their computers, tired and exhausted, and wonder, “Why am I doing this? This is a waste of my time.” Unfortunately, almost all schools from Alaska to Hawaii require summer reading, claiming that summer assignments lessen the amount of information lost over a summer. Nancy Kalish, co-author of “The Case Against Homework” states, “The truth is, homework doesn’t accomplish what we assume it does. According to a Duke University review of more than 175 studies, there is little or no correlation between homework and standardized test scores or long-term achievement in elementary school, and only a moderate correlation in “Con” is important as well. Richard Allington, a professor of Reading Education at the University of Tennessee, says that reading during the summer is important. “Every summer the lack of reading practice produces losses in reading proficiency, while doing some reading during the summer produces small gains.” According to Allington, research shows that students who do not read during the summer are losing three months of reading proficiency. This can lead to falling years behind in the future. There have been many studies as to the effectiveness of summer reading and homework in general, and many experts in education feel that the two are necessary for students to expand their knowledge. Many educators say that summer homework is something that can greatly benefit a student’s education by taking education out of the classroom and keeping the skills used in school in use. “I thought The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time was a very good choice for a summer reading book. It was really interesting and I’m glad I read it,” said junior Leah Tomazic. Senior Brigid Graham thought, “Tuesday’s with Morrie was a great book. I loved that it was a true story and how the reader could relate to the characters.” “I loved reading Tuesday’s With Morrie. It was full of life lessons and how to express emotions. I absolutely adore the kind of person Morrie was. He made me feel warm and loved,” stated senior Sierah Kaalima. middle school.” Duke analyzed the effect of homework on students in a 16-year long study titled, “Does Homework Improve Academic Achievement?” Many studies claim that students lose skills they don’t practice over the summer. “However,” Kadish insists, “ if a child can’t regain his grasp of fractions with a brief review, maybe those skills weren’t taught well enough in the first place. Doing a mountain of math sheets without a teacher’s help — and perhaps incorrectly — is not the answer. Worst of all, summer reading affects how children view learning. Do teachers want their students ready to start the year refreshed and ready to learn, or burned out and resentful from the last week they have dedicated to their summer assignments? It’s something that every teacher should consider. 2 September 2011
Leprechaun Gold Shamrock Alley Amanda Sollenberger stafff reporter Spiritual Adoption prayer begins at STVM STVM students have been invited to pray for babies and their mothers and fathers who are in critical need of support. A year longeffort of prayers will be culminated with a baby shower in April and a prayer service in May, when the “spiritual” babies will be born. Key rings, posters, and monthly e-mails will remind those who are participating to pray each day for these families and their needs. National Honor Society collects Books for the Bahamas The National Honor Society is sponsoring their sixth annual “Books for the Bahamas” project which will take place from September 26 to October 14. This project is done in collaboration with other schools in Ohio and the Family Library Group, who will send the books to elementary school libraries throughout the severely impoverished island. The homeroom in each grade that brings in the most books will be rewarded with a doughnut Annual College Fair planned for October 4 STVM will be hosting a College Fair on October 4 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. It will be held in the gym and Student Center where approximately 100 colleges will be in attendance. See Mrs. Knapp for details or questions. This is an opportunity for students to be exposed to different colleges without having to travel to them. Open Houses scheduled STVM will open its doors to the community and prospective students on Sunday, October 16, 2011, from 11:00-1:00 p.m., Thursday, November 3, 2011, from 6:30-8:00 p.m., and Thursday, February 23, 2012 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Showcase comes in October The 26th Annual Showcase will be held at the school on October 22 at 5:30 p.m. The theme for this year is, “The Best is Yet to Come.” This event is presented by Mrs. Jan Giles along with the Advancement Department. Wellness program continues Mr. Anthony Gary, the STVM Athletic Trainer, is once again offering a Wellness Program for students during their study halls. They may sign up with parental permission to go to the Cosgrove Center at least two days per week during study halls to work out. Graff visits Costa Rica Meghan Dannemiller Co-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Summer vacation is usually a time that teenage students spend relaxing, sleeping, or just being lazy. For senior Kate Graff, her summer was filled with experience, work, responsibility, and a lot of fun. Over this past summer, Graff had the opportunity to spend her time living in Costa Rica. She became a participant in the Amigos de las Américas Program after hearing a presentation during Spanish class. Amigos is a non-profit organization that allows high school and college students to develop leadership skills and raise awareness about different Latin American cultures. Volunteers like Graff are offered the chance to live in a Latin American community and serve the native people. Graff left her family and friends in Ohio and traveled to San Martín, Costa Rica, in June where she stayed for seven weeks. She lived with a host family which consisted of a mother and father, a 17 year old daughter This summer, senior Marty Klee had the opportunity to go to Russia as part of an educational program. Klee an Honors Russian IV student, went to Kazan, Russia as part of the National Security Language- Initiative for Youth program. He found out about the program through last year’s STVM Russian teacher, Mr. William O’Neil (VAS). Marty said , “I really wanted to learn more about Russian culture and see the country.” He went to Kazan, Russia, which is in the western portion of Russia, and stayed with a host family from June 23 to August 10. Feature named Danícxa, and a nine year old son named Manfred. On a typical day, her host father would work, and Danícxa and Manfred would attend school. Graff says that her host parents would often go to church in the evening. Her host mother would always cook delicious traditional food for dinner. When asked if she will stay in touch with the people she met, Graff replied, “Yes, my host sister and a lot of kids my age in the community have Facebook! I want to go back and visit next summer.” Graff and her Amigos partner worked in the community of San Martin. They taught in Spanish at the local school every day and started many projects for the community, including a youth group. They often played soccer with the children. Graff said, “My Costa Rican family was awesome! I miss them so much!” Although Graff did miss her own family and friends, she would recommend the experience to anyone. “It’s so fun. Hands down, the most amazing experience of my life. Plus, the food is awesome!” Klee studies in Russia Erin Farrell stafff reporter Kate Graff poses with her Costa Rican friends. Marty Klee poses in front of a Russian Church. Klee went to school daily for four hours, visited malls and cafes, and explored different cities. Throughout the trip, Klee was able to speak Russian during his classes, with the host family, Russian friends, and at the camp. He also used English on the trip when he was with the other 15 American students and with the father of the host family. A typical day consisted of breakfast, school, cafe with friends, homework, tea with the host family, and sleep. His favorite memory of the trip was going to camp. “I stayed in a cabin with four other Russian guys and got to swim in the Volga River. Also, it was a nice break from school.” When asked if students should do such a program, Marty replied, “I would definitely recommend this program to anyone who is serious about learning another language.” September 2011 3
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The Leprechaun Gold - St. Vincent-St. Mary High School

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