The Bluffer - Red Bluff, CA
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/171165
September 13, 2013 Page 3 Features Our Little House: Leaving or Staying? After all the memories and experiences, will Our Little House Daycare Center be cut? Garrett Ward Staff Writer Bluffer/ Ceighlee Fennel Previously at an August School Board Meeting, discussion of cutting Our Little House Daycare Center continued because of a few problems that were centered around a lack of funding. Our Little House is a much needed daycare for children in the surrounding area especially kids of faculty members from the school district. Our Little House has positively impacted several families from Red Bluff and it would truly be a shame to see it vacated. However, this daycare means more to the high school than just its sentimental value. Our Little House is vital to the ROP Childcare program. The ROP program uses the easily accessible daycare to teach its lessons and continue its progressive learning techniques. Without the daycare, the ROP program's effectiveness would crumble especially without the field of hands-on experience. How can you learn to care for a child without actually interacting with any children? Teachers that are also parents also benefit heavily from the daycare. "Our Little House means everything to my family. It's our home away from home. I can feel safe knowing that my kid, Alyssa, is treated like family," said English teacher, Mrs. Dausse. Our Little House provides teachers with direct access to their children throughout the day such as during a teacher's free period or during lunch. Teachers have access to nurse their children if needed or comfort them. The daycare eliminates stress for parents. There are obviously funding gaps for this daycare, but the school should hold on and persevere through these economic struggles. Our Little House has been a daycare for generations of kids and has become a symbolic place for future bright, adorable generations to come. Our Little House has become a special part of the Red Bluff High School family and needs to be saved. You can help Our Little House by contacting Maryanne Montandon at 529-8830. Sign ups for CSF were due Sept. 6, and with this year's new members also comes some new changes to the CSF workings. CSF is one of the larger clubs on campus, and as most people know, it is largely used as a way for students to acquire community service hours. In the past CSF had a set minimum time of ten hours each member was supposed to volunteer. Now however, members set a "pledge" of how many hours they will volunteer to the community, and they are recommended to pledge over ten hours. In addition, the cheerleaders now run football concessions. These two changes have been made so that the community service will be more of the members choice than an obligation, because CSF desires to have its members to want to help, not to do it grudgingly. As Mrs. Clawson said, it was to make the work "more intentional" Unrelated to these changes, is also the loss of the service scholarship which is no longer offered because of lack of funding. Though most students find the ideals of these changes agreeable, some are disappointed not to have some of these options and opportunities available to them. Red Bluff High School Junior Karl Parks and CSF member said, "Although I never worked at the concession stands I recognize that many people receive the majority of their hours from them, and now they won't have that option available". He also expressed disappointment that the CSF service scholarship would no longer be available. He did also state, however, that if CSF simply had a suggested set of hours then he would just aim for the minimum ten, but with the pledge system, he found himself pledging to hit fifteen hours. CSF member Alyssa Shanks also noted that "people are doing it to make their resume look good," (referring to the previous form of CSF). So, CSF members seem to be taking to the changes well. In addition to these changes, there are also a few changes in the events of CSF. CSF will no longer be arranging winter formal, but there is the possibility of the kids at CSF offering a volunteer dinner in honor of the adult volunteers in the community. What are you doing to help the environment? Bluffer/ Ceighlee Fennel Taylor Nguyen (9) "I turn off the water when I brush my teeth." OLH children take a break from playing in order to enjoy a quick snack. CSF undergoes changes Stop Bullying Grey Groetke Staff Writer S partan ound off River Mist Staff Writer Everyone knows bullying occurs, but what is being done to stop it? In order to battle the large bullying problem present at Red Bluff High, an Anti-Bullying Rally will be put on (insert date of rally here). At this rally, inspirational videos, interviews and witnesses will be present to open the eyes to and bring light to the everpresent problem of bullying in high school. The most common type of bullying is pack bullying. In a 2009 Wesley Report put on by an Australian-based group, pack bullying, or bullying undertaken by a group, was reported to be the most prominent and common form of bullying. There is a 26% higher level of bullying in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade than in senior year of high school. Emotional bullying is the most prevalent form of bullying, with slight violence (spitting, pushing, tripping) being the second most common. Some of the most common responses to bullying include: low self-esteem, difficulty trusting others, lack of assertiveness, aggression, difficulty controlling anger, and isolation. The same 2009 Wesley Report found that these responses do not immediately happen after bullying. These responses can take place much later in life, even into adulthood. The most common media for bullying in high school is cyber-bullying, or bullying over electronic devices. Sixty-seven percent of high schoolers witness bullying everyday, but may not recognize it. Surprisingly, suicide is more common in the bully later in life than in the individual being bullied. Convicted homicide perpetrators were found to have been bullied almost twice as much as homicide victims. Go Green Grey Groetke Staff Writer There is a lot people can do as individuals, even here around campus, to make RBHS greener. Teachers can use half or even quarter sheets of paper for some quizzes, and students can help out in those aspects as well. Anyone can help pick up trash around school or anywhere else for that matter. As individuals, though, there is only so much that can be done to reduce the waste production of society as a whole. Sometimes much larger effects can be generated by changes in the way schools operate from a day to day basis. Of course, I am not suggesting that the school actively search out ways to help clean the environment, that isn't the function of a school. I do, however, believe that we shouldn't consume more resources than needed for the continuation of eduction. If we can use fewer resources, then why shouldn't we? I believe a great example of this exists in our scheduling system. As anyone going to this high school should know, Red Bluff High School has a five day school week, with a shortened schedule on Monday. When the students go home the teachers stay at school and have meetings for the purpose of developing better education methods. The reason that I mention these staff development days is that to bring the students to school for a shorted educational period, it is somewhat wasteful, both in terms of money and environmental cost. The cost of transportation and running the utilities quickly stack up. There are multiple ways the school could at least consider when designing future years schedules. They could lengthen Mondays out to an ordinary length, or they could get rid of them to make place for a longer school day the rest of the week, or more school days later in the year. Either way, the teachers could still have meetings at the school on these days. It would still be more cost effective because we would not be have the need to run the buses to school or the AC for these scorching hot days. Earl Bonham (10) "I actually shut off lights when I leave the room." Kristina Horn (11) "I recycle and donate to whale foundations." Kyle Lemmerman (12) "I pick up trash when I see it on the ground" Mrs. Coker (Teacher) "My family has a compost pile." Mr. Hein (Teacher) "I recycle as much as possible ." Sound Off/Maggie Tallan