April 1984

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

APRIL 1984

Graduation and Promotion
Requirements
     A total of 26.6 credits is required for graduation:

1) Four credits in English

2) Three credits in Social Studies

3) Two and a fifth credits in in Health and Physical Education

4) Two credits in Science (one must be a Lab Science)

5) Two credits in Mathematics

6) Plus twelve credits earned in elective sequences in Foreign Language, Industrial Arts, Business Education, Home Economics or other areas in the program

7) Vo-Tech students will receive (3) credits in Vo-Tech curriculums plus 1/2 credit for Career Math

8) Successful completion of the 12 grade Social Studies Seminar

Any student receiving a falling grade in the third marking period and the fourth marking period (in the same discipline) will automatically fail the discipline for the entire year.

The School Day
     A typical day at Mt. Penn may consist of as many as 6 or 7 major subjects out of the 8 forty-two minute classes. There are no study halls, with the exception of an activity period. This is scheduled as 9th period 2 days a week. The 3 remaining days of the week, the students are dismissed at the end of the 8th period, and the 9th period time is used for make-up work and individual help.
     In the areas of math and science which reports show ore being neglected, we offer...


science biology chemistry physics earth & space adv. chemistry adv. biology solar system oceanography anatomy & physiology	math algebra I algebra II geometry trigonometry statistics intro to analysis calculus business math finite math

Time at Mt. Penn is not being wasted. Students here are getting an education, if they want one.
- Stephanie Rosenthal

Penn Post Staff
Editor	Jill Moyer
Editorials	Julie Hyman
Features	Sam Heizmann
News	Christine Jurasinski
Sports	Laura Schnader
Art	Kelly Grim
Reporters	Jeff Corliss Dawn Hill Julie Horst Jenny Miller Lisa Pacharis Stephanie Rosenthal Gabrielli Savitz Vickie Woolever
Advisor	Mrs. Strickler

     Recently two articles were written in the Reading Eagle about Antietam School District, which this paper feels presented an unfair image of our school and our students.
     The reporter, Daniel B. Hoffman, had few facts on which to make his statements. One particular comment in his second article claimed: �Youngsters in the Antietam School District are being turned loose in the world at the end of 12 years with scholastic accomplishments that are inferior to the hip school graduates of larger districts.�
     Another inaccurate statement was made about our computer technology: �However, as student population shrinks, marginal studies are discarded in the interest of keeping budgets within bounds. So, to cite just one field strictly as an example limited instruction in computer technology is offered.�
     This page of the paper was prepared to give facts and figures to refute Mr. Hoff�man�s irresponsible journalism.

ANTIETAM SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT

Interview with a Journalist
Because the staff of the Penn Post was extremely concerned about the tone and content of Mr. Hoffman�s article, they asked to be allowed to interview Mr. Hoffman, and 4 representatives were invited to attend a meeting with him, Dr. Darlington, Mr. Orlando, Mr. Bruchak, and Mr. Cox. Most of the meeting was spent informing Mr. Hoffman about our program. The following are just a few of the questions and answers during this meeting.

Penn Post: What was your basis for writing that our students were turned �loose in the world at the end of 12 years with scholastic accomplishments that are inferior to the high school graduates of larger districts?� Mr. Hoffman: I was not comparing Mt. Penn to larger school districts but was thinking of small schools in general.
PP: Inferior to what?
Mr.H.: I don't know.
PP: Where did you get your information?
Mr. H.: The father, a fellow employee of the newspaper, of a pregnant woman living in the Antietam District told me that his daughter was planning to move from the area because she felt that the schools were
no good. The daughter is a teacher in another school district.
PP: Did this father know that his information was going to be used for an article?
Mr. H.: Yes, he did know.
PP: Did you consider this a reliable source?
Mr. H.: Yes.
PP: Do you feel that you had the right to judge us as inferior?
Mr. H.: Why should anyone listen to me? I�m not an educator.

Mr. Orlando: (After familiarizing Mr. Hoffman with our computer program) I can take you over and show you our computer room facilities if you like.
Mr. H.: No, don�t bother. I wouldn�t know what I was looking at anyway.
Mr. 0.: We have no study halls.
Mr. H.: Do you think that is a good idea?
Mr. 0.: Yes, the only way students can learn is through student-teacher contact. Our SAT�s are an indication of that. Besides study halls are a breeding ground for discipline problems.
PP: Do you still feel that our school is inferior?
Mr. H.: No, I can see from the evidence that it is definitely not inferior.
PP: Will you consider writing a retraction?
Mr. H.: Well, I certainly would want to clear up any misunderstandings, but I don�t know how I could write that you are superior because I am not an educator and not in a position to judge.
- Julie Hyman
- Gabrielle Savitz

Comments from a College Administrator
This reporter�s task was to find out if the area colleges felt that the graduates of Mt. Penn High School were receiving an inferior education. After calling several colleges and receiving the response, �I�m not qualified to give that information,� I talked to John A. Diamond, Associate Director of Admissions at Albright College. He gave me the qualifications needed to be even considered for entry to Albright. A student must have 1100 or more on his SAT�s, approximately 525 verbal and 575 math. The SAT scores from MPHS are well over 1100; on the verbal we average 660 and on the math, 740. Mr. Diamond stated that he was �more than pleased with the Mt. Penn High School graduates.�
- Dawn Hill

Editorials
Computer Technology
at Mt. Penn
     Since our limited instruction in computer was specifically cited in Mr. Hoffman�s article, this reporter called the guidance counselors of several area schools to inquire about the computer courses offered at their schools.
     Responsible journalism does not permit me to print names, but of the 4 area schools Mt. Penn offers comprehensive computer work. Of the 3 other schools, one offers computer 1 & 2, 1 semester each; another offers business and academic computer, 2 semester each; the third offers computer literacy, 1 semester, BASIC 1-3, 1 year each, and advanced programming, 1 year.

Computer Courses at MPHS
* Computer Literacy - 1 semester (includes word processing)

* Programming 1-6 - 1 semester each (includes BASIC through Pascal)

* Computer Physics - 1 year

* ITB Intro to Business 1 year (includes 1/4 of year in computer programming)

* Beginning with the year 1985, all graduates must have at least 1/4 credit in computer science.

* The computer room in the high school is used 7 our of 8 periods every day.

* Mt. Penn Elementary School now has a micro-computer in every classroom.
          - Sam Heizmann

A Dream
     A dream is not something merely to be taken lightly and casually tossed away in some dark, desolate corner of the mind.
     No matter how poor or how rich, if you hold on to your dreams, you�re never left with nothing.
     In some cases a dream is worth far more than any dollar value could ever be.
     A dream is yours; it is given to you to work with and to achieve.
     It is there if you�re willing to fight for it, and once you�ve obtained it, it�s yours forever.
          - Kelly Grim

So Let's Hear It -- SPIRIT!
     The basketball season did pretty good this season, and we�re proud of them. However, this article isn�t for or about only the players. This article is for you the student body. You deserve praise and congratulations for the spirit you provided during the season. Whether you did it for fun, because you wanted to, or whatever the reason
- you did it. Any team can go farther with fans behind them. Take the first Central game, for example � that won�t be forgotten for a long time. Not one second passed without the sound of �Mount Penn,� �we want two,� or �defense� echoing through the gym. Not one basket passed without confetti flying everywhere. And then those last seconds � the ball in the air, the buzzer sounding, and whoosh! All Mount Penn fans poured onto the court as the Cardinals sat and watched. The spirit was overwhelming. Hopefully it will continue, not only during basketball season, but throughout all the sports seasons. A spirited school makes things much more fun. Good job � keep it up!
          - Jenny Miller

Antietam Has Something
To Offer
     The Antietam School District has something to offer consolidation, despite its small size. Most obvious is the Stony Creek Middle School, a new and beautiful building that is now unused. Our Mt. Penn Elementary School is modern and well equipped, and Mt. Penn High-School is still an adequate facility.
     In addition to the buildings, the Antietam District has some of the best and newest equipment available (see computer article). Textbooks and other instructional materials are kept up to date; audio-visual equipment is readily available. Our high school library now overflowing with materials, is especially well equipped for research.
     It is what goes on inside the schools, however, that is most important. And those of us at Mt. Penn have much to be proud of. The teachers here are experienced and dedicated to their profession. Finally, we can offer students who are willing and able to achieve. We would not go into a merger empty-handed.
          - Stephanie Rosenthal

New Students
Compare Schools
     By randomly interviewing this year�s new students at Mt. Penn, this reporter was able to make a solid conclusion: Mt. Penn is academically harder than most schools.
     Karel Frymoyer and Jill Moyer both come from a nearby school, and in comparison, both feel that Mt. Penn is definitely more difficult academically. Theresa Goodbred from Newport, Virginia, also finds Mt. Penn more difficult, as does Cathy Ketcher from Maryland. Another new student, Sam Heizmann, feels that MPHS is more demanding than his old school. Finally, from my own experience, I would agree with all the students.
     Most of these students agreed that our small size allows students and teachers to know each other better, and students here are more likely to get individual attention.
     Our guidance counselors work with incoming and outgoing students. It has often been their experience that a student leaving here places much higher than his grade or section level at Mt. Penn. For example, a student leaving here in the middle of 9th grade was placed in 10th grade in the new school in another state. Conversely, students coming in with a high class standing often can not handle the work in our top section. Most students moving into the district are placed at least one section lower than their present level.
          - Jeff Corliss

Marijuana Legalized?
     Unimed, Inc., a small New Jersey company, could be the only company with a license in the United States to produce tetrahydrocannabinal (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana.
     Approximately 30 states have made legal provisions for cancer patients to use marijuana to alleviate nausea associated with chemotherapy. Although these states don�t say how the patients should buy the drug, Unimed Inc. wants to solve that problem. When the company receives the FDA approval, they will market THC under the brand name of Marinol.
          - Lisa Pacharis

The Penn Post staff is attempting to put together a list of graduates who are now professionals or who are outstanding in their field, Anyone having in formation on our outstanding graduates, please send It to the Penn Post, Mt. Penn High School.

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