The Colony Courier-Leader (The Colony, Tex.), Vol. 36, No. 46, Ed. 1 Sunday, December 18, 2016 Page: 4 of 12
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4A starlocalmedia.com
The Colony Courier-Leader
Sunday, December 18, 2016
PATTOIVEEOVERNE
TO SUBMIT YOUR STORY IDEAS
OR PHOTOGRAPHS, EMAIL
LDAY@STARLOCALMEDIA.COM
A MATTER OF OPINION
Merry
Christmas,
y’all
LISD makes changes to GPA policy
AP Spanish 4 will
only middle
counts.”
Board President Trisha Sheffield
school course to count in
grade point average
Board Vice President Tracy Scott and Board Member Kronda Thi-
Miller and Board Secretary Kristi mesch disagreed, saying a student
Hassett voted against the changes, who has the chance to get credit in
CI omeone once wrote, "Yes Virginia
. there is a Santa Claus. ” I have
• to agree because at my house if
you don’t believe you don’t receive. I
have taught my children that Santa
Clans is the spirit of
giving. In my house,
if you don’t give to
others in either a gift
or a gift of time then
don’t expect to find
anything under the
tree because Santa
remembers.
I do want to share
my Christmas wish
with you because my
TOM
OLIVER
tomwoliver@
live.com
wish involves you. It is pretty simple
and it could mean the word to some-
one and it is cheap, just like you like
it. You don’t have to order it online or
stand in the crowd at the store. Could
I just get you to be nice to folks for the
Christmas holidays? I know it can be
rough but it will be worth it.
Ever been in a nursing home during
Christmas? The workers do what they
can, but their time is limited as well
as their money. Stop by and visit with
someone. You don’t need to know
them. I did it at dinnertime and sat
and had coffee with a couple of folks.
They seemed to enjoy it and I know I
did. Stopping by and visiting means
a lot to some of the people as many
don’t have anyone else or they feel
used up. Trust me it could be you or
me in a few more years.
Have you ever been to a shelter for
abused women? Ladies and gentle-
men, it can suck the wind out of your
lungs and it can make you feel blessed
like never before. These ladies need
all kind of things but what they really
might like is a friend. They want to
talk to someone who isn’t living there,
someone who will listen. I think most
of us would like to have someone to
talk to who would listen to us.
I’ll probably be working Christmas
Day so I won’t be having an open
house this year, but my kids will. We
have an open house every Thanksgiv-
ing and Christmas for those who might
be a bit lonesome to come and sit,
visit and eat. We usually have several
folks turn up and trust me, it isn’t for
my cooking.
Now, if you are one of the zillion
people that wait until Christmas to go
shopping, I will pray for you, but be
nice to the store clerks. It is not their
fault you waited and it is sold out. If
you only have two items and the man
in front out you has three carts, it is
not the store clerk’s fault. It is your
fault.
I want to ask you to remember
your friends who are raising a family
alone. That is a heck of a job for two
adults, and I know it is a big job for
one. I know we can’t afford to pay for
two Christmases but maybe we can
afford an extra present. Check and see
if your single parent friends are doing
okay for Christmas. It will make both
of you feel better. I have been doing
it for over 30 years and I have bought
more than a few presents but it came
back for me.
In 20101 suffered a major stroke. It
knocked me to the ground for a long
time and I missed six months of work,
but a couple of the ladies I had offered
to help with their Christmases called
and offered to help with mine. While
-1 didn’t need it just having them be in
a place where they could offer meant
the world to me.
Santa Claus is out there. Still. Yeah,
Virginia, Santa is here. He is in all of
us.
WORD ON THE STREET
Miller said he disagreed with pro- eighth grade should take the course
viding an exception, in part because then rather than waiting.
he said it would be discrimination “If you’re in it and have the op-
. if it was English 4 that was the ex- portunity for the GPA, having a year
It was either going to be the ception. delay will not support the student,”
only AP course not to count toward “I would prefer LISD to take the Sheffield said.
The Lewisville ISD Board of rank in class or the only course position that says we do not offer Other changes to the policy in-
Trustees on Monday approved taken prior to the ninth grade that GPA credit for middle school class- elude allowing dual credit courses
changes to its academic achieve- counts toward
ments policy as they relate to GPA rank in class,” said
and class rank. Joseph Coburn,
Among the biggest changes was assistant superin-
not allowing any course taken be- tendent of schools
fore the ninth grade to count toward and student ac-
a student’s GPA and rank in class. tivities. “Because
CHRIS ROARK
croark@starlocalmedia.com
enrolled in dual language.
, “If you’re in it and have the
A \ opportunity for the GPA,
. having a year delay will not
D support the student.”
-TRISHA SHEFFIELD. LISD BOARD
PRESIDENT
to count as Level 3, which gives it
equal weight as AP courses.
“We think this will do a great deal
to expand our dual credit enroll-
ment and help students see that as
a viable option for them to receive
college credits,” Coburn said.
The update also changed the
multiplier value used in determin-
The reason for the change is to the students take
lessen the stress of middle school the same AP test
students. they take in highes” Miller said. "But you ing GPA. It went from 1.1, 1.2 and
The one exception is dual lan- school, auu because it is the same are absolutely welcome to take En- 1.3 to 1.1, 1.15 and 1.2. The reason
guage students enrolled in AP Span- course any student can access in glish 4 and get the benefit of that, is to prevent students from taking
ish 4. District officials have said tak- high school, we feel it is in the best It s just not going to get in your GPA. courses solely for the larger point
ing AP Spanish 4 in eighth grade is mterest of the students we serve to Instead, use that time for a pre-AP va]ue since now the difference
the natural progression for students include it as a one-off to where it or AP class allocated elsewhere.” won’t be as large
PRODUCTIVE
MORNING
| From left, Jim Buchanon, Brett
■ Larson, Lisa Hendrickson, Charles
I Ansley and David Cross. Hendrick-
I son, Denton County Republican
| Party Chairwoman, was a guest
speaker at the Stonebriar Men’s
I Breakfast Group meeting on Dec.
15 at Stonebriar Country Club in
| Frisco. The group is comprised of
| more than 100 retirees who meet on
I a weekly basis to learn more about
current issues.
PHOTO COURTESY OF DCRC
District of Innovation designation
could impact calendar decision
Administrators discuss benefit
challenges of starting earlier
CHRIS ROARK
croark@starlocalmedia.com
pros and cons of becoming a DOI,
including putting a link on its web-
site that provides information about
theprogram.
. , ., Rogers said he spoke to Athletic
questioned whether DOI actually Director Tim Ford, Fine Arts Direc-
HOLIDAYS
Labor Day: Sept. 4
Thanksgiving week: Nov. 20-24
Winter break: Dec. 22 to Jan. 5
MLK day: Jan. 15
Spring break: March 12-16
Good Friday: March 30
Memorial Day: May 28
benefits student achievement, said tor Bill Watson and Professional
it would be nice to start a week ear- Learning Director Shawna Miller to
Lewisville ISD is examining its Tier and, thus, end the school year get their feedback. Rogers said all
options for the 2017-18 academic before June. But he encouraged ev- three said it would be beneficial to
calendar, and becoming a District of eryone to examine the effects of be- their programs to have school start and 94 in the second. It’s unclear
Innovation (DOI) could be a factor, coming a DOI 1----------------
The district has presented two before making
calendar choices for the commu- the decision on
nity to provide input on. Option which calen-
A includes a start date of Aug. 28, dar option they
which is the uniform date set for by prefer.
thestate. . "The provi- D
Option B calls for the first day sions accessi- W
of school to take place Aug. 21. But ble to us under Tracy Miller
that would require approval by the Dol limit the
Board ofTrusteesof aDOIplanthat things we can t do that charter tion where the first semester ends do we get back to the place where
includes the option of being exempt schools can, like no nepotism, before the winter break, which is the semester ending and the exams
from the uniform start date. like no transparency. Miller said. Dec. 22 through Jan. 5, 2017 for before winter break.”
The DOI allows districts to have "There are things depending on both calendars. LISD will have both calendar
some exemptions to state rules, what you select in DOI -and there Officials are looking to see if options on its website (lisd.net)
such as the uniform start date. can be amendments over time - that can be done with Option B. for the public to provide input until
During Monday’s school board that open us up for change thats As proposed, Option B has 86 days Monday.
meeting, LISD officials discussed different. Ithink you really need to in the first semester and 89 in the The board will discuss the calen-
the various factors that could come research this. .. second. Brockman said moving the dar again in January and is expect-
intoplay. LISD superintendent Kevin Rog- first-semester exams to before the ed to vote on it in February. The
Board Vice President Tracy ers said the district has done all it winter break would give the calen- board will also have a work session
Scott Miller, who in the past has can to educate the public about the dar 81 days in the first semester Jan. 6 about DOI.
one week earlier.
if 81 days would be enough to have
While options A and B differ on exams before the break, but having
the first and last days of the school 94 second-semester days could be a
year, they both have the first se- benefit.
| mester ending in January after the “We lose a lot of time in the spring
| winter break. due to the assessments,” Brockman
Beth Brockman, assistant super- said. “Not just EOCs (end-of-course
intendent of strategic initiatives exams) but two weeks of AP testing,
and community engagement, said So we’re asking the question. There
LISD is looking into having an op- has been significant interest in how
What At one memorable
Chatad okedent qoe P
Receded?
JOWANNAH M.
ALICE C.
NOELLE R.
“My grandson! He was due “The first year we were “My parents adopted a
for this Christmas but came married, we put up a tree. My dog for me a couple of
early. He had to be in the husband hadn’t had a Christ- years ago. They knew 1
NICU and was released just mas tree in about 20 years,
in time for Christmas." so to him it was so special.
---------- That was memorable to me." Christmas.’'
TAMMY B.
"We didn’t have a lot of money
growing up, and I remember i
. got a little doll wrapped inside
had been looking, so they an egg carton.”. -
surprised me with one on
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McGathey, Liz. The Colony Courier-Leader (The Colony, Tex.), Vol. 36, No. 46, Ed. 1 Sunday, December 18, 2016, newspaper, December 18, 2016; Plano, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1622400/m1/4/: accessed July 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The Colony Public Library.