Letters to the Editor May 25, 2005

To the Editor:

I recently received an email from my son, Sgt. Jason Newton, who is in Baghdad as a member of the 3rd Infantry. He hasn’t been there very long... just a few weeks.

Up until this time he has watched the conflict from a distance; watched his comrades get shipped out one by one.

He’s not one of those “gung-ho-shoot-’em-up” type of people who think there is glory in combat. Rather, he believes with his whole heart and soul in the fight for freedom and equality for all peoples, for all nations. He is a loving, compassionate 28-year-old, a good husband and the father of five beautiful children.

I would like to share with you his thoughts from the front lines:

“This place is a real eye-opener. Everybody has their opinions as to why we are here but all I know is what I see. These people have lived in such poverty it’s heartbreaking. I had to see for myself to really understand. They have little money, few jobs, and years of fear.

“Even though they are ‘free’ they won’t really be free for years. They are still prisoners of their own minds, not really able to understand true freedom. Yes, there are people here who don’t want us here but at the same time there are people who think that we are their salvation. They want us to catch the ‘bad guys’ just so they don’t have to walk down the streets in fear. Just looking at their faces when we pass, that look of hope, gives us strength and courage to do what we must. No matter what others think I know what good we are doing.”

As we observe this Memorial Day, let us remember that we have it for a reason. It’s not just about a three-day weekend or the beginning of summer or a day off of work or school. It is to remember those men and women who gave of themselves, who gave the ultimate sacrifice, for what they believed was right and just.

I may not agree with the politics, but I support each and every man and woman who serves. They make us all proud, and I ask Creator to watch over and protect them one and all and let it end soon so our loved ones can return home.

Namaste,

Sharon Sparrow

To the Editor:

The formula food ordinance draft presented on May 12 at Sisters Fire Hall was approved by the Planning Commission unanimously. The ordinance was presented as a compromise proposal to those in favor of the ordinance and those against. The final vote was met with applause by the audience.

None of these points was made in the recent article in the Nugget about this meeting (“Public weighs in on formula food,” The Nugget, May 18, page 13).

The audience was described as “boisterous.” I would have described the audience as mainly supportive. This was made clear by the numerous times applause was heard after various members of the community had spoken in favor of the ordinance.

In another Nugget article entitled, “Senate passes watered-down junk food bill” that would have banned junk food in schools, the onus was handed over to the school districts to form wellness policy councils who would decide district-wide standards on nutrition in the schools.

Clearly, these two articles are related. There is a growing concern within our schools, community and the state about what we teach our students and offer our community in regards to eating well and leading a healthy lifestyle. Each fork and spoonful of food we intake, every item we drink, is a vote that shows our commitment to that lifestyle.

I was one who applauded the Planning Commission’s unanimous decision. It was obvious that a great deal of careful consideration had been put into the ordinance by the commission, weighing the pros and cons from both sides of a complex issue. I applaud their thoughtfulness as much as their support of the ordinance.

Sincerely,

Paul Alan Bennett

s s s

To the Editor:

I enjoyed your discussion on grading criteria. I can offer several opinions which I think are important considering I have been a teacher, coach and educator for over 15 years.

I currently teach at Sheldon High School in Eugene. I am moving to Sisters this summer and leaving the education industry for I truly believe that the educational model in the State of Oregon is clearly broken.

As a coach and recruiting coordinator for Willamette University, the grade point average is of little significance. Due to the ramifications of Measure 5 and House Bill 3565 back in the early 1990s, the course offering and educational opportunities among the various high schools are drastically different, due to site management and control principles.

Thus, the grade point average is an initial indicator, but carries little weight in the eyes of a college or university when recruiting students.

The SAT is the ultimate indicator of student success, which can be boosted by a student who has taken a considerable number of advanced courses throughout his/her high school career.

The whining for those that think the students are being penalized because their grading scale is significantly higher is way off target. It is yet another example of society claiming that the educational system needs to be improved with higher standards, yet when we raise the bar and kids cannot meet the standard, they place blame on the grading scale

My uncle was a policeman for nearly 30 years and he often commented that you can only police a community as much as they want to be policed. The same concepts apply to education. You can only educate a community to a level that they care to be educated.

If you try to raise the standard and the students can’t meet the standard, then the adults will move to change the system.

To blame a system which has a higher standard for the lack of success in your own students is really saddening and further supports my belief that we continue to dumb down our students when the rest of the world is raising the bar in terms of education.

Regards,

Ben Johnson

s s s

To the Editor:

The Nugget recently reported that some parents and school board members are thinking that the current grading scale at the high school is unfairly high.

I suggest they think again.

This is the 21st Century and it is a fact that our students will be competing for employment with people in every other country in the world. Sisters High School would not be doing our students a favor by lowering the grading standard.

The mandate of our public school system is to maximize the education of every child according to his or her ability. To lower standards in any way is to lessen student’s preparation for college and life. If students are worried about coming close to getting an A but not achieving it, shouldn’t they change their study behavior, rather than Sisters High School change the grading standards? If students are afraid they will not get into the college of their choice or not get a scholarship based on a lower GPA, shouldn’t they put more effort into their studies?

Colleges do not change their grading standards just to satisfy students. High schools shouldn’t either.

I recently heard of two Sisters High Schools’ seniors who had As throughout their high school career, were active in community service projects, essentially the ideal college candidates and still didn’t get into the colleges of their choice: their SAT scores were not high enough.

It would appear that the grading standard at Sisters High School is not too high. Their experience would also suggest that the rigor of education at Sisters High isn’t high enough.

It is foolish to think that the United States is going to continue to be at, or even near, the top of the world economic heap unless we maximize the rigor of our students’ education. Students in Singapore, of all places, are better at math than U.S. students.

The jobs presently lost to the Third World aren’t just in the manufacture of clothing, shoes and plastic toys. Computer programming, accounting, insurance claims adjustments, medical tests and analyses, book printing, flu vaccine manufacture, customer service phone centers, and dry dock ship repair are just a few of the jobs that I have heard of as going overseas in the last few years.

Sisters High School and School District should “think globally and act locally” — keep the present grading standard and raise the rigor of the classes.

Sincerely yours,

Nancy Bright

To the Editor:

This letter is to comment on the decision made by the school board to start school in August for the next two years (see story page 7).

Thank you Barb Wilson for bringing this concern in a Letter to the Editor.

I am disappointed in this decision.

August can be the best time of year to enjoy Sisters and Central Oregon. My family enjoys every minute of August. Students, families, and all employees of the school district give enormous amounts of energy and time to conducting school. Which is worthwhile and important.

It is also worthwhile and important to spend family time just being. I feel we take school and schedules too seriously to the point of it controlling all of our lives. We all live around some one else’s schedule. I wonder do our children really need such a full schedule that is so serious and structured. Families have to dictate all vacations, family time, and work schedules around the school district’s schedule.

I encourage anyone involved in the decision making to revisit this issue. Let’s start school in September. We live in a beautiful place with abundant outdoor opportunity. It is so fun to enjoy the beauty here when the weather is warm. Happy summer!

Amy Berg

s s s

To the Editor:

I don’t know whether information on intelligent design is now allowed in Sisters school curriculums.

But I hope that Mr. Corrigan and other school board members will be open-minded enough to allow all scientific inquiry, rather than only what may fit their choice of belief. His contention that ID is religious, but evolution is science is mistaken. He has probably not had time to research beyond the so-called proofs for evolution that were, and often still are, contained in textbooks, such as vestigial organs, Neandertal man, Piltdown man, Haeckel’s embryos, England’s peppered moths. These have proven to be mistaken or outright hoaxes.

What empirically provable evidence for evolution do Mr. Corrigan and Mr. Thomas have? If space permitted, I could list many fascinating observable examples that contradict evolutionary thinking. Evolutionary scientists frequently have to rewrite their theory to attempt to explain new discoveries that contradict it.

Yes, it’s sad but true that many religious people have also fallen for the Darwinian view of origins, being indoctrinated by that teaching themselves. But hundreds of so-indoctrinated scientists have become aware in their own further research of the implausibility of evolution, and now accept intelligent design.

Evolution is a belief. Accepting “proofs” given for it depends upon believing that millions of years of evolution is proven fact. That is circuitous reasoning and cannot be empirically proven by observation, experimentation or history. None of us, including Mr. Darwin, were there at the beginning. Intellectual honesty would allow all lines of inquiry, and let them stand or fall on subsequent discoveries.

To censure scientific information from students because it may agree with the Bible and beliefs of some religious people is narrow-minded and ethically dishonest. Let students use their reasoning and research skills to decide which view they choose to believe.

Respectfully,

Lorene Richardson

s s s

To the Editor:

I would like to highlight this year’s success of the girls’ varsity basketball team.

Many people expected this past season to be a rebuilding year after losing five starters from the previous season. This year’s team stepped up, rose to the challenge and went to the state tournament for the first time in Sister’s 3A history. What an accomplishment!

I would like to congratulate the team: Cindy Harp, Jenny Boswell, Emily VanBlaricum, Torie Smith, Katie Hughes, Brandi Palmer, Elyss Clasen, MacKinzie McClain, Courtney Metcalf and Kristi VanBlaricum. Not only did these girls earn a trip to the state playoffs, they did so with a 3.78 GPA.

That places them fourth in the state academically of over 50 3A teams. This is an excellent reflection on the teachers and coaching staff as well as the athletes. This goes to show what team effort, hard work and determination can create. I would like to personally thank the coaching staff of Sarah Dempsey, Gary Hedin and head coach Bill Blevins for their dedication and commitment. Congratulations girls on a job well done! We are all looking forward to this year’s season.

Sincerely,

Jeff VanBlaricum

s s s

To the Editor:

I would like to offer a heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported the SMART (Start Making a Reader Today) program at Sisters Elementary School this year.

There were so many caring and committed individuals it truly was a wonderful sight to see. To the incredible students, teachers, office staff, principal and librarian. For the awesome help of the fifth grade “Jr. Readers” and their teachers. Most of all, thanks to the adult volunteers, a group of individuals made up of parents, grandparents, community employees, business owners and retirees.

The program wouldn’t be a success without you! We owe each one of you our respect and appreciation for your dedication. You’ve enriched us all.

Last year we ended the program with 34 students being served. This year we ended serving 54 students! Way to go!

Next year, Jerry West will be coordinating the program. She brings with her, three years of experience with SMART and she is very excited to be in Sisters. I know you will welcome her with open hearts. Thank you for a fabulous year!

Sincerely,

Yvette M. Chandler

2004-05 SMART Coordinator