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Pulaski News

-Thursday, September 22, 2011

History of the Pulaski District PHS to create Part Three student focus group
by Jack FitzGerald The Pulaski High Schools lunch menu has a tough job: it needs to please and satisfy the appetites of 1,200 hungry teenagers. This year, the PHS lunch menu was stripped of one its most traditional, and most popular, side dishes: French fries. The change is part of new federal guidelines that require public schools to serve their students healthier, more nutrient-rich meals. The Pulaski Community School district has also launched a fresh food initative to offer students, at all grade levels, healthier lunch choices throughout the year. For example, some of the changes include the addition of more vegetarian menu items as well as increased offerings of fresh vegetables and fruits for students. Removing the fries from the menu, however, has caused a bit of an uproar among members of the PHS student body. In response to the new lunch menu, PHS seniors Taylor Maroszek and Justin Erley created a Facebook page to vent their frustration entitled Give me back my fries. While both Maroszek and Erley did not expect the page to have any impact, both were surprised when it gained enough popularity to attract 215 members. The issue was so popular, in fact, that both Superintendant Dr. Mel Lightner and board members discussed
it at a recent school board meeting. To better understand student concerns, members of the PHS administration, including coprincipals John Matczak and Dan Slowey, and district food service representatives Sheila Price and Kath Fischer, met with Maroszek and Erley. Using graphs, charts and the lunch menus of other school districts, Maroszek and Erley spoke to the administration about their concerns after noticing the changes when school began on September 1. A lot of us just arent feeling full enough after lunch. Personally, without an option of a potato or alternative starchy side, I just dont feel filled up after lunch, Erley said. The students also told members of the administraton what they enjoyed about the lunch menu as well. After listening to Erley and Marosezk, the students and administration officials decided to create a focus group of students from each grade level to better understand student lunch concerns. Eventually, Matczak and Slowey hope to expand the type of issues the focus group discusses beyond the schools daily menu. The groups first meeting has been set for sometime during the first week of October. Ultimately, the groups aim is to increase communication between students and PHS administration to create a better learning environment for all PHS students.

by Jessica Skinkis Editors note: This is the last installment in the threepart series highlighting the history of the Pulaski Community School District. The pieces were designed to build upon and update a similar segment of articles that were published in the Pulaski News in 1981. All of the 2011 articles, as well as pictures, can be viewed on our website at www.pulaskinews.org. Thank you to all the community members that contributed to the writing of these articles. A major part of the Pulaski Community School District todayPACE--- did not begin until 1980, one year before the districts final elementary school, Sunnyside, opened. PACE was designed to to help meet the needs of the greater Pulaski community. At the time, high school students surveyed residents to help determine what needs area residents felt were not being met. Ultimately, it was Dan Kuzlit who established the program to help improve the lives of children and adults in the district. Shortly after, the community food pantry began to help

Pulaski residents in need. The organizations summer school program, a major draw for PACE today, was then created. Originally, the PACE summer school program was designed to improve the quality of the education students recieved as a member of the Pulaski Community School District. However, it eventually grew to include fun classes, and continues to thrive today. Today, PACE is known nationally as one of the countrys best community outreach efforts. According to Mark Heck, current PACE director, the organization uses resources that the community already has. The Philosophy of PACE is to use resources we already have such as schools and parks to create activities, which are fun for the community, Heck said. The final addition to the Pulaski Community School district came in 1998, with the creation of the new high school. The referendum for the high school occurred in 1997, following many discussions and school board meetings.

School board and community members were given the opportunity to view layout plans for the building as well. At the time the referendum was proposed, the districts high school population was increasing by roughly four percent each year. According to Dan Jung, a teacher at the then high school (what is now Pulaski Community Middle School), students and staff had almost no room to breathe in the buildings cramped conditions. The old high school, was busting at the seams. There was no class space, Jung said. In May, residents approved the project. About 74 percent of the buildings cost was covered by the state, while voters approved a $1 million increase in the districts revenue cap to cover the remaining cost. Ultimately, the new school allowed more students and residents to move to the area. Today, the school houses about 1,200 students, with room to breathe, and is still the centerpiece of the district, with community events held in its many meeting rooms, classrooms and auditorium throughout the year.

Red Raider crew update

by Sam Schwartz For the 2011-2012 school year, the Pulaski High School Red Raider Crew has many exciting ideas and events to serve its sole purpose: increasing involving high school freshmen in PHS activities and student life. Since the start of Red Raider Crew, upperclassmen have been coming together to make the lives of high school freshmen easier everyday. For many students, the transition from a middle school student to a high school student can be overwhelming at times. Members of the Red Raider Crew attempt to make this transition smoother. In the past, Red Raider Crew has hosted dances, study groups and many other social events to get freshman involved in extra-curricular activities. According to countless Red Raider Crew members, it is crucial that students get involved when entering the high school because it allows freshman to meet new people with similar interests which, in turn, makes for
a smoother transition from PCMS to PHS. As the 2010-2011 school year came to a close, members of the PHS Red Raider Crew members met to discuss the 2011-2012 school year, brainstorming fun and interesting ways to help incoming freshmen enjoy the high school atmosphere and all it has to offer. Immediately the crew members were split into teams of three students and each group was assigned a crew leader and a homeroom to work with throughout the entirety of the year. When the new school year began on September 1, Red Raider Crew teams met their homerooms and got to know a little bit more about each student. Although the teams only had an hour to meet and greet with their students, the freshmen had to the opportunity to participate

Pulaski High School students were upset after arriving for the new school year on September 1 and noticing a lack of their favorite side dish-- french fries. The PHS administration will create a student focus group to help get a student voice on more school issues.

in ice-breaker activities, learn what it takes to be successful as a high school student as well as ask any other questions any student may have had about their new surroundings. Crew members also discussed the bell schedule, lunch etiquette and study hall expectations. The freshmen were given a tour of the school, highlighting classroom locations and where their locker may be. The student members of Red Raider Crew as well as crew Advisors Amy Burns and Katie Sukow are excited about the year because it gives the students a way to give back to the people that once mentored them as crew leaders. The 2011-2012 Red Raider Crew hopes that involvement stays high, and students will continue the mentoring program well into the future.

October 3rd