The Mail-Journal, Volume 20, Number 46, Milford, Kosciusko County, 30 November 1983 — Page 10

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THE MAIL-JOURNAL — Wed., November 30,1983

School news

Syracuse Elementary gets cake and icing tool

By CATHY BRILL Staff Writer Syracuse Elementary administration, staff and students believe that there is a need for volunteers in their school. Pricipal John Naab used this analogy to explain the function of the volunteers in relation to the staff. Says Naab, basic education is like a cake. It is palitable by itself, but when the icing is added the cake is richened. So is the school enriched through volunteer help. However, he added, the school can not depend on the volunteers to provide the basics. To do so, he said, would disable the staff to function without volunteer services and threaten the students’ education. Volunteers at Syracuse Elementary fall into four basic categories. These include: students who come from all grade levels; parents; interested

Bl B HELPING OUT — Pictured here are PTO president Carol Swartzendruber and Mrs. Wright, a second grade teacher at Syracuse Elementary School. Mrs. Swartzendruber is one of the many parents who volunteer their help as classroom aides. (Photo by Cathy Brill)

North Webster to present concert The North Webster Schools will present their annual Christinas Concert Monday, Dec. 12, at 7:30 p.m. in the school gymnasium. The public is cordially invited with no admission charge taken. All students in grades kindergarten through five; and those students in the junior high bands will perform during this time of celebration of Christmas. Selections include: Kindergarten — “Welcome,” “I’d like to get a peek at Santa Claus,” and ‘‘Holly Jolly Christmas, ” grades four and five — “The Christmas music train,” “Go tell it on the Mountain,” and “Christmas in the Air;” Grade three — “Almost time for Christmas” and “Winter of ’78.” Grade One — “Behold that Star;” Grades One and Two — — Ho Ho it’s Christmas,” along with a solo by Brian Kern; grade four — “Little Christmas Tree;” grades two and three will sing “Rock the Cradle;” fifth grade boys’ group will sing,“Christmas on the Beach at Waikiki;” grades four and five will sing “Ring the Bells,” “God must be happy Tonight,” while the fourth grade girls will entertain the audience with “Christmas fills the Air.” In a special number, the fifth grade special choir will sing, “Over in Bethlehem” and “I can feel the Christmas Spirit.” In the finale, the group will sing “Come on, ring those bells.” The elementary choirs are under the direction of Karilyn Metcalf.

Milford fourth graders hear feature speaker

Bonnie Nicolai of Bacon Patch Farm, northeast of Milford, was a featured career speaker for Lura Hoover’s fourth grade room as part of their career study. Mrs. Nicolai spoke on one of her favorite jobs, raising feeder pigs, and her daughter, Shonda Bushong, was one of the 25 students who completed a threeweek unit on career awareness. The opportunity evolved from a language arts lesson and since the students had already interviewed two adults, they were primed to listen to what hours Mrs. Nicolai worked, what tools she used, the feeds and medicines necessary and what training was needed to perform her job, according to Mrs. Hoover The class learned she has had an interest in this type of work since childhood and was impressed with the necessary recordkeeping for the job. As Mrs. Nicolai explained, a fanner is a person who must like the land and animals and not be afraid of hard work. She emphasised that reading and being aware of the

individuals from the community; and senior citizens. Says PTO president Carol Swartzendruber of volunteers, “People are scared off because they think they need teaching skills, but being willing to come in is what’s really important. She also stressed that senior citizens have a lot to offer elementary students, especially those students who have never known a grandparent. Volunteers serve numerous functions in diverse areas, so there is something every individual can do. Some areas include: classroom assisting; library assisting; assiting with activities; punching lunch tickets; preparing learning centers; helping with bulletin boards; enriching curriculum by sharing knowlege, hobbies and talents; providing help to students; relieving the staff of non-teaching duties; assisting in programs for handicapped or

■ V w ■JU' INDUCTED — Shari A. Miller, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Miller, r 5 Syracuse, has been inducted into the National Resident Hall Honorary, Ruth Peters Chapter of Ball State University. This organization provides recognition for those individuals who have contributed outstanding service, leadership and involvement for the advancement of the resident hall program at Ball State University. Shari was a Resident Hall Association representative from Beeman Hall and was the national corresponding co-ordinator representing Ball State University at many conferences. She is currently an executive council advisor. She is a senior and will be doing her student teaching this spring with Jeri Mahnensmith at the Syracuse Elementary School.

latest methods are important parts of raising pigs. Education can be the difference between profit and loss. Mrs. Nicolai encouraged the children to raise a 4-H pig since her daughters have won many trophies and have been able to save money for their future col lege’education. She delighted the children by letting them touch and watch a two-week old pig which is one of the 1,200 raised each year. In the class’ thank-you notes, the children suggested names for the baby such as Petunia, Porky and Squealy. Career awareness is important for the students and after research and thought, each child chose a career possibility for the year 1996. The fourth graders will be in the job market at that time and they are beginning to realize how the age of technology might change their present choices. According to Mrs. Hoover, their “pretend” interviews of their own choices indicated they did good thinking.

gifted students; making items; providing funding for equipment and materials; and assisting in special projects. Since volunteers are individuals their reasons for volunteering vary. Three basic reason include providing extra benefits for the children through activities, information or equipment; providing help and encouragement and providing the community input today’s schools are seeking. Perhaps the best reason to volunteer can be summed up by Clyde Johnson who recently completed a reading loft for Mrs. Huey’s kindergarten room. Says Johnson, a 72 year-old member of the Syracuse United Pentecostal Church. “Just seeing the smiles on these kid’s faces is pay

■WMLw’jl W .J 1 11 1 B I 13U o *-7 * n _ _ _ .■ r”* —JHflB gjpk. Jw T gw-- 1/ / I ■ . •• k-ZJ : 1 >oa me*. wMBBBI BB READING REACHES NEW HEIGHTS — Pictured here with the newly built reading loft are: Mrs. Huey’s kindergarten class; volunteer, Clyde Johnson, who built the loft; and Rev. Hudson of the Syracuse United Pentecostal Church, who initially suggested Johnson for the project. (Photo by Cathy Brill)

Know your teacher

By MARK WEINSTEIN Staff Writer Teaching is an “art” and for Syracuse Elementary teacher Sally Ringler, art is what she enjoys teaching. “I really enjoy working with young children and help them in the area of art,” said Mrs. Ringler. “They have so much potential and I am glad that I have the opportunity of working with them.” Mrs. Ringler, who teaches elementary art for all classes along with first grade music, came to Syracuse in October of 1976. A native of Minerva, Ohio, she graduated from Grace College in 1973. It was during her time at Grace that she recieved the education that’s allowed her to experience success in teaching. Before joining the Lakeland Community School System, she taught one year in Kendalville. The personable art teacher and her husband, Tim, own Vintage Instant Print in Syracuse. When she is not in the classroom, she helps out at the print shop. But what really fascinates Mrs. Ringler is a personal collection of art. “I enjoy collecting Christmas ornaments and artwork from all over the world,” said Mrs. Ringler. Items collected in just a few short years include weavings from South America, sculptures from Africa, articles from Poland and some European garments. Even though she takes pride in her collections, her main emphasis is educating the children Rotary dub sailing fruit cakes for holidays Claxton Fruit cakes were distributed to members of the Syracuse-Wawasee Rotary Chib Tuesday, Nov. 29, for sale in the community. All proceeds from the sales will go to the Senior Citixens organization of Syracuse. The one pound fruit cakes are available at Northern Indiana Public Service Company, Pickwick Insurance, local banks, Precision Automotive, Augsburger’s Super-Vahi or from any Rotarian.

enough. There’s nothing I love any more than making little kids happy.” Johnson was referred to Mrs. Huey by his minister, Rev. Hudson, who has a son in Mrs. Huey’s kindergarten room. Rev. Hudson related this of Johnson, “Mr. Johnson is a big help around the church. This has been extemted to school.” And Mrs. Huey, who with her family helped paint the learning center, commented, “the children certainly enjoy it.” Usually volunteer activities are task oriented. The volunteer completes a task identified by the classroom teacher or PTO. If the activities are not a specific task they are limited in terms of time, for example 9 to 10 a.m. on Tuesdays during the month of November. This way both the

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SALLY RINGLER

in Syracuse. “Art is a very important part of education,” said Mrs. Ringler, “and because of this, the school system takes it serious. We need art to develop the other side of the brain. Art helps the students’ perception and creativity, while academics work on the other side.” Along with teaching art, Mrs. Ringler has one class in music. According to her, music was a part of her growing up days. “My family has always been musically inclined,” she said. “We would travel around our area in Ohio giving concerts in schools and in churches.” Mrs. Ringler is a gifted teacher, fulfilling a lifelong dream of helping younger children as they grow and mature into tomorrow’s leaders. Neighbor scares off intruders An attempted robbery on Sunday night at the Gary Helman home, r 1 Cromwell, was foiled when a neighbor scared off the intruders. Helman’s neighbor, Roger Purnell, saw the intruders’ Chevy pick-up in the driveway of the Helman home and stopped his car to investigate. Upon getting out of the car, Purnell was shot at by the intruders, but was not hit. The interruption apparently frightened the would-be thrives who soon left the scene. The only damage was to a door window which was broken in order to gam access to the garage. Helman reported that the incident, which happened around 6 p.m. must have been carefully planned because he only left the house for approximately one

teacher and volunteer can plan their time wisely. Not all volunteers work in the classroom, however. Many volunteers do their work at home and are able to set their own time table. Johnson for example worked on sub-assemblies for the reading loft for two weeks at home before coming in for 13 hours of completion work. Volunteers come to the school through several usual sources. These include through a classroom teacher; through the PTO; through the library (LRC); and through the school office. Principal Naab suggests the best ways to volunteer however, as contacting a teacher or the PTO. Both of these he says are more direct to the level in which the needsexist.

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To date in the 13 weeks of school which have expired 2,052 hours of volunteer time have been donated by interested individuals. (This however, does not include the time Clyde Johnson donated in building the reading loft. His hours have not yet been calculated.) Much of this time has been arranged for and organized by the PTO which is involved in numerous projects. Some of the functions PTO has had include selecting room mothers, organizing the soup label collection, organizing the book fair and coordinating efforts in the playground project. In fact, PTO president Carol Swartzendruber states, “The key thing is coordination and that comes through the PTO.’’ Perhaps Mrs. Swartzendruber best described the spirit and scope of volunteerism at the school by saying, “Anything that can envolve the community more with school.. .kids are our greatest resource any input into their becoming better people. . .that’s worthwhile.”

am IbRBHHMM*' vW m Irw SBMH'' W UmbIBBW 'ob ■lilt 1-bwml w-J SHELVING BOOKS — Students at both the Syracuse Elementary School and Junior High School, as well as some Wawasee High School students serve as volunteers. Pictured here are Learning Resource Center volunteers, Donna Bowling. Heidi Moore and Andy Tatman. They are all fifth grade students at Syracuse. In the foreground is one of several pillows constructed for student use in the LRC by a class at Wawasee High. The pillows were made with donated materials. (Photo by Cathy Brill)

* ISIIIhSy - — JI PUNCHED FOR LUNCH — One of Syracuse Elementary School’s cafeteria volunteers is shown here punching lunch tickets as the students go through the lunch line. This is one of the many activities volunteers have assumed which would otherwise have to be performed by the school’s staff. (Photo by Cathy Brill)