NEWS

Jazz Legend Wynton Marsalis Performs at IHS - By David D.

On Friday October 1st, jazz legend Wynton Marsalis performed in the newly renovated Kulp Auditorium. Rather than simply perform, Marsalis taught a lesson in jazz, following the story of his own musical education.

The New Kulp - By EMILY S.

It’s unanimous: the new Kulp Auditorium is a hit. From freshmen to teachers, everyone is pleased with the new facilities. Some of the new additions to the auditorium include sound boards, a catwalk, new seats and a brand new sound booth. Yet as impressive as these additions are, they only scratch the surface of our new state-of-the-art high school musical facility.

New Gym Policies: Interview with Ms. Bryant, Head of the Phys. Ed. Dept. - By ANNELISE R.

As many students at IHS are aware, some major changes have been made to the gym curriculum this year. Students have noticed that the units have changed: some gym classes are playing Twister and golf. However, the main source of distress for many is the fact that now juniors and seniors have to swim. In the past, students have always felt a sense of relief as their swimming unit during sophomore year wraps up: that sense of it’s okay, I can live this time, because at least I’ll never have to do it again. The teachers informed us that they completely understand, so they took pains to make the swimming for upperclassmen as painless as possible. But what exactly are we doing this year in the pool? And besides swimming, what other changes have been made to gym class?

Second Year of the Chinese Teacher Exchange Program - By ANNELISE R.

For IHS's Language Department, this school year is quite a special one. We are one of only 15 schools in the country to have this unique opportunity; this is the second year of the Chinese Teacher Exchange Program at IHS. This program, started in 1996, selects top teachers from China to come to the United States for one year to teach Chinese classes. According to the National Committee on United States-China Relations, six or seven American teachers are sent to China every year in exchange. The program also exists in Egypt, where 11 teachers are chosen to teach Arabic in the U.S.

New York State’s New Grading Policy - By JULIE S.

Starting this school year, IHS’s grading system for report cards will be changed in accordance with new state mandates. Rather than giving students letter grades such as A’s, A-’s, or B+’s, students will now receive numerical grades: 99’s and 84’s. The new report card system is part of New York State’s (NYS) transition into a new report card system. Slowly, NYS intends to make every school in the state utilize the same grading system. Report cards will gradually be transitioning out of the 4.0 grading system and into a common grading system.

BoE Report - By Helen B.

The recent Board of Education (BoE) meeting was the usual scene of students fulfilling their participation in government requirements, with the Board and a few community members all trying to fulfill the group’s mission “to educate every student to become a life-long learner.” The meeting was opened by reports from Student Representatives to the Board. These representatives brought student concerns to the Board’s attention, including issues such as the 6th period lunch lines closing early, which the Board promised to address. While this year’s budget seemed a bit barren to the whole community, the Board voted to reinstate the IHS and LACS Musicals, the LACS community service bus, and modified and freshman basketball teams. These additions remind us that even in a difficult fiscal time, the BoE is working to find ways to make every student's experience fun and meaningful.