The Bluffer - Red Bluff, CA
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/109798
���Girls Varsity Soccer��� Staff Pick���The Patriot��� -Page 5 -Page 4 Volume CXIV Issue 10 February 15, 2013 Serving Red Bluff High School since 1901 Winter Play: ���The Diviners��� Photo by Laurel Shoop C.C. Showers and Jennie Mae (Miles Leyba and Caitlin Ruszczyk) converse and fish together, as both of their characters are developed and revealed to the audience. Egan Meagher Sports Editor Tonight at 7 will be the second showing of a production that took over 4 months of work. Red Bluff High School���s performing arts programs debuted their production of ���The Diviners��� last night in the PAC as their annual Winter Play. ���The Diviners��� tells the story of a young braindamaged boy living in the Great Depression. It chronicles the interactions between him and the people in his town along with his relationship with a pastor who has lost his religion. The play is under the direction of Cleo Gambetta, who has directed numerous plays at Red Bluff High. The process of preparing for this year���s Winter Play began in early September with the prospective actors taking part in the play try-outs. After the try-outs 11 students were chosen for the roles in the play. These students were then given their lines so they could begin memorizing their lines. ���A lot of us tried out for parts and then once they decided who would get what parts they gave us scripts for our lines so we could get a head start on memorizing them,��� said Evan Meagher, who plays the part of Buddy, one of the leads in the play. The actors met several times prior to Christmas break to read through lines and to make sure everyone was studying their lines. It wasn���t until after Christmas break that the play kicked into high gear. ���After Christmas break we started to practice everyday from 3:30 to 6:30 to work on the play,��� said Meagher. They practices started out as learning lines but then turned into to learning movements and the acting skills that the play would require the actors to know. The group also had to decide what message they would convey to the audience during the play. The actors had some help in making the final product. ROP Stagecraft helped to build the stage for the play and will also help with the lighting during the play. Implementation of Common Core State Standards to occur following year Unification throughout the entire nation in standards will mostly concern math, science classes T his upcoming year, there will be a series of changes to the California State Standards. The Federal Government has now instituted Common Core Standards, CCS, by which all schools will structure their classes and standardized testing. Before now, different states had different state standards. As of now, only two states will have different standards while the other 48 states will adopt the Common Core. This means that ninetyeight percent of the United States will be unified in the Common Core. The changes will begin in August of 2013 through 2014 school year, and the testing changes will occur in the 2014 through 2015 school year. The change that will affect schools the most dramatically is the new literacy components. Each class, including the mathematics and sciences will have a new mandatory literacy factor. Now students must not only know how to solve a problem, they must know why they are solving it the way that they are. This will improve students��� ability to reason and critically think. Those involved in the educational system are still deciding which math sequence is the best option for students. ���I think the change to integrated math will be good for Algebra students who have to repeat the class they took it in the eigth grade; it will be nice to teach something new,��� said Math Teacher Mrs. Tomasetti. The first option is to keep the current structure of Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-calculus and Calculus. The second option that is being considered is called integrated math, and with this option there would simply be integrated math with different assigned numbers. This would result in classes with generally one to two grades per class, rather than the current situation in which seniors and freshman can end up in the same class. There will also be changes in the literature subjects. There will be more nonfiction reading as well as an increase in speeches and essays. Students will also need to be able to work in groups in order to show cooperation. Students will have to think, read, write and speak. The initiative for these changes will be placed on the shoulders of the teachers. As well as alterations in the curriculum, there will also be changes in assessment. This means students can no longer guess the answer and get a high or passing score because there will be much less bubble answers. The CST exam, as a whole, will no longer exist. This is due to the fact that evidence has shown that in the last decade the system used has not been effective. These changes will be in place within the next few years in forty-eight states thus affecting both the curriculum and the way it is tought, including the grade levels it is taught to, as well as the process of state testing. Rebecca Blanchard Viewpoints Editor February Break February break begins today, and due to President���s Day, school will not be in session for the entirety of the week. School will resume on Monday, February 25. This Monday also marks the beginning of a new six-week grading period. States��� deadlines to implement Common Core State Standards Mr. Spartan Pageant The anticipated, annual Mr. Spartan Pageant will be on Saturday, March 2, at 7 pm. Your last chance to buy tickets will be during lunch throughout the week when we return from February Break. Tickets with an ASB are six dollars, and without an ASB are eight dollars.