March 1985

Penn Post
Mt. Penn Jr./Sr. High School
25th and Filbert Sts. - Mt. Penn, Pa. 19606

MARCH 1985

EQA TESTING
     Still another state sponsored test was given to some of the students in our school on March 6 - The EQA, Educational Quality Assessment. This test was designed to help our schools improve by giving them information about the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the students.
     The EQA is divided into two main categories - knowledge and attitude. The knowledge area tests reading skills, and writing skills, mathematics, analytical thinking, citizenship, social studies, arts and humanities, science and technology, and environment. The attitudinal area includes self concept in school, health and safety practices, understanding others, citizenship, societal responsibilities, arts and humanities participation, science attitudes, work opportunities and attitudes, and environment attitudes. Teachers also fill out attitudinal questionnaires to help in the school assessment.
     Grades 5, 7, and 11 took the test, but no individual scores will be returned to the students. The school looks only at group scores to determine the normal distribution curve of the school. The group scores will tell us in what areas our school is above average, average, or weak.
          - Heather Hill

CPR INSTRUCTORS
     Nine seniors attended the Red Cross CPR instructors� course on January 16. These seniors, under the direction of Mrs. Auchter, will provide CPR instruction to the faculty on the March 15th in-service day. The seniors are Greg Tucci, Matt Elvin, Sibyl Kane, Donald Mackowiak, Kelly Gray, Lori Fizz, William Reed, Alan Ganas, and Steve Newcomer.
          - Diane Churan

COLLEGE BOWL
     Our latest college bowl match was yet another astounding victory for Mt. Penn. We easily rolled over Oley with a remarkable 70 to 10 score. The team members were Matt Elvin, Don Mackowiak, Chris Hains, Lori Fizz, Greg Tucci, Brendan Kane, Jill Moyer, and Steve Kunkel. Our next match is set for March 5 at Albright. After that it�s on to Lebanon Valley, March 23, for the big competition of the year.
          - Dave Moleski

SPELLING BEE
     The Antietam finals of the Reading Eagle Spelling Bee were held Thursday evening, February 28, in the high school auditorium. The top 4 spellers were 6th grader Hillary Barth and 8th graders Jenny Reimert, Kimberly Sobjak, and Stacy Acker. Each of them received a pin from the BCIU to acknowledge their achievement.
     Hillary Barth, the winner of the spelling bee, triumphed over the runner-up, Jenny Reimert on the word sousaphone. Jenny was also runner up last year. Both the girls received dictionaries from the Reading Eagle and the right to go on to the County competition April 12, at Hamburg High School. If their performance at our spelling bee was any indication, these 2 girls should do well at the county level. They spelled through 27 words without making a mistake, exhausting the prepared list. A supplementary list proved more difficuLt with words like abecedarium, dysrhythmia, carbonaceous, delphinium, and hollandaise, but the girls were able to get through 8 more words before the champion was determined.
     The other finalists were 6th grade: Christa Ettele, John Gruber, Ethan Miller, John Rochowicz; 7th grade: Chris Lilley, Becky Quick, Brian Snyder, (Tracy Spinka and Shelby Davis were unable to compete because of illness); 8th grade: Alec Apostolou, Marcie Smith. To get to the finals, these 15 students took a written test and competed with their classmates in an oral spelling bee.
          - Jennifer Eckel

- Karen Denby

Something New
     As mentioned over the announcements, the faculty selected an All-Academic team of 4 students per grade level who excelled for the first semester. Wendy�s of Mt. Penn graciously donated coupons for free hamburgers, french fries, and sodas that were given to each member of the team. The All-Academic team for the first semester is as follows:

7th -
SHELBY DAVIS
AMANDA McGUIRE
GREGORY POCRASS
BRIAN SNYDER

8th -
YEN LIEU
ALICIA GIBB
LEAH HILL
JENNY REIMERT

9th -
JOCELYN QUAINTANCE
KATHLEEN PETRUSKA
HARRY SIKLAS
SANDY HORNING

10th -
CAROL BIGOS
NICHOLAS BAER
STEPHANIE SOSH
ALAN ROSENTHAL

11th -
CHRISTINE JURASINSKI
LEANN DEISHER
SUZANNA POST
ELIZABETH ROSSER

12th -
LORI FIZZ
MATT ELVIN
DONALD MACKOWIAK
JENNIFER MILLER

          - Diane Churan

TELLS RESULTS
     According to the results released by the PA Department of Education, 8% of Antietam�s eighth grade students need reading remediation and 11% need math remediation. Because of our small size, these percentages are somewhat misleading. In reading, this would be 5 students and in math 7 students.
     Each school district is required to give these identified students instruction in the skills that will help them achieve the minimum requirements. Mrs. Elvin is coordinating the TELLS remediation program in our district. A remedial reading class in grade 8 already existed; Those needing remediation not in that class were placed there. Those needing math remediation are receiving in-class assistance with special emphasis on the objectives of the TELLS test.
     The 8th graders will continue in this program next year. The next TELLS test will be given in the spring of 1986 and then early each spring to the 5th, 8th, and 11th grades of each district.
          - Dave Blose

Letters to the Editor

Y-Teen Variety Show
     It�s that time again for the Y-Teens to have their annual variety show. Y-Teens and their participants have a chance to perform prepared acts before an audience. All able participants will be accepted. Those students who are not involved in Y-Teens and would like to participate in the show should contact Jenny Miller (president), Roberta Schreiber (vice-president), Christine Jurasinski (secretary), or Kelly Clark (treasurer) for details. The show will be held March 28, 1985 at 7:30 P.M. in the Mount Penn Auditorium. It will last until approximately 9:00 P.M. Practice for the variety show will begin this month, It�s important for all participants to attend all practices.
          - Karen Denby

FBLA Initiation
     On Tuesday, February 19, the FBLA club (Future Business Leaders of America) held their initiation at Schuylkill Valley High School. The officers - Tracy Damiano, President; Tracy Wenger, Vice President; Robin Clouser, Secretary; Tina Seidel, Treasurer - were all sworn in by lighting a candle that represented their duties toward FBLA. All members including the officers and Mrs. Starr, had to then stand and say a pledge that united them to the statewide FBLA.
     Before the initiation, members from Mt. Penn went out to eat at the York Steak House, using some of the money made from the candy cane sale held at
Christmas.
          - Robin Clouser

Penn Post Volume XXVIII, Edition 5 March, 1985 Penn Post is published 8 times per year by the Journalism Class of Mt. Penn Junior/Senior High School Penn Post Staff
Editor	Diane Churan
Editorials	Jennifer Eckel
Features	Kelly Grim
News	David Moleski
Sports	David Blose
Reporters	Scott Christman Robin Clouser Karen Denby Heather Hill Stephan Martin Steph Sosh Sandy Steigerwalt
Advisor	Mrs. Strickler

IS IT TOO MUCH?
     Homework is often stressed too much in the schools these days. Sometimes, teachers just pile the homework so high on students that it has become a leading pressure among those attending high school.
     This aspect has two sides - a negative and a positive side.
     One might agree that there definitely is a need for homework. It gives a better understanding of the material that was taught during a class period. It also gives a student the opportunity to do something constructive when he/she becomes bored during the day. Finally, homework may help a student to achieve certain points in each of his/her individual classes. This may increase the student�s grade-average.
     On the other hand, one might tend to believe that too much homework is issued out to the students: homework is only to reinforce what was learned in the class and not act as a substitute for wasting time. Homework should not be just any type of busy-work, but something in a constructive area of learning. "Busy-work" that is issued by some teachers is not necessary for the individual student. It may cause a student to become discouraged; therefore, he/she will stop working completely. Homework should be a help and not a hindrance to individual students.
          - Karen Denby

PRINCIPAL�S CORNER
     ...and the magic number is 300. As you well know 300 is the score for a perfect bowling game, as well as the average weight of the starting L.A. Raiders defense line. In this case, however, it is the number of points you must achieve in each course in able to pass that course for the year. Those 300 points are accumulated via your quarterly grades and the score of your final exam. If you amass a 300 point total for those 5 grades and do not fail both the 3rd and 4th quarters, you will have attained the minimum average passing grade of 60% for the course.
     My question us - Why work for the minimum passing grade and possibly jeopardize your promotion or even graduation when you amass less than 300 points as the result of one or two inferior test grades? Work for the highest possible average you are capable of and don�t put yourself in a position for the fourth quarter where you find yourself fretting about the possibility of not passing as a result of apathy, lethargy or just plain laziness.
     Always remember that you should try to achieve more than you feel you are capable of attaining and that the only person who makes you a success is yourself.

BIGGER DOESN�T ALWAYS MEAN BETTER
     Many people seem to think that larger schools are better than smaller ones, but this is not necessarily so. What they don�t realize is that while some of us are wishing that we could go to a larger school, people at larger schools are wishing that they could attend a smaller one.
     Larger schools differ from smaller schools in many ways. Larger schools may offer more in the quantity of courses, but what about the quality of them? Also, as classes get harder, students might need individual help which they might not receive at a larger, more populated school. Smaller schools are better in yet another way - everyone gets a chance to play on sports teams, whereas, in a large school, students are lucky it they get to warm the bench.
Maybe a big school can offer more courses and activities, but a smaller one can offer more attention, better communication between students and teachers, and many more close friendships.
          - Jenny Eckel

A History of
Stony Creek Mills
     Recently Mary Jane Gofus had her first book published. Mrs. Gofus gathered all information and pictures that dealt with Stony Creek�s history and decided to put it all in a book. In the book there is plenty of informative material. In order to collect this information, Mrs. Gofus spoke to residents who have lived in the area and are familiar with its history. The book features all the small businesses and stores in the area. It also contains a list of all the families living in Stony Creek. I would suggest this book to anyone who lives in Stony Creek and to anyone who is a history buff interested in geneology.
          - Diane Churan

Non-Traditional Career Awareness Day
     The Reading Branch of the American Association of University Women held their 7th annual non-traditional career awareness day on March 5, at the Penn State-Berks Campus.
     All sophomore girls in Berks County high schools were invited to attend. A day consisted of informal workshops with local women who are working in careers or professions ranging from art museum curator to veterinary medicine. Questions about college preparation needed, the work, the rewards, and the difficulties were answered.
     The seminar began with a brief introduction, four 40-minute workshops and a lunch period.
          - Steph Sosh