CAHS NEWS JANUARY 13

ALL ABOUT ROTC AT CAHS
Michael Campbell
Michael Campbell, who is a sergeant in the ROTC, explains the program and its benefits.
People join ROTC for many reasons. Some join the program for the challenge and to see if they can endure the demands that are set ahead of them. Others join the program to get the program’s scholarship to go to military schools such as West Point. I believe the main reason for many people joining R.O.T.C. is to experience something new.
The program is set up with five classes a week. Every Friday there is cadet challenge where the cadets are run through a series of exercise and activities in which they become physically fit. If you are in the program for two years it counts for the high school credits for P.E. and health.
There are a number of teams that you can join and activities that you can participate in. The teams are Rifle Team, Armed and Unarmed Drill Team, Engineering and Detachment, Color guard, and Drum Corp. The different activities are Cadet challenge, Chorus, and various sports teams.
We are required to dress in full uniform every Tuesday and we have battalion drill where we practice for our upcoming parades. When a mandatory parade comes around we must partake in it. Also we do our own fund raising for our beach parties, Christmas party, and our traditional end of the year military ball. All of the teams and events are almost entirely voluntary, but if you partake in as many as possible they count toward your community service.
WHAT’S ALL THE FUSS ABOUT STANDARDS ????
Jeanette Smith
Principal Charlotte Amalie High School
All of us at Charlotte Amalie High School have probably heard by now that we are placing special emphasis on "standards." What this means is that we want to do an even better job for providing a good education for our students by setting clear goals for successful learning. Simply, we want to make clear what students are expected to know and be able to do, and we want to make certain that the work done by all students and teachers will be at the highest levels possible.
Thus, here at C.A.H.S., in this district, and throughout the nation, educators are engaged in the process of setting content standards and performance standards. These standards will identify the knowledge and skills students should possess, specify what thinking and performing capabilities students should master, and tell the levels at which students should be able to do this in each grade and course. We are working to make sure that we raise student and teacher expectations to high standards. In every class, the day’s objectives should be stated, and students and teachers must be clear on the standard that the lesson addresses and the results that should occur. Our challenge comes in getting to the point where standards drive everything we do and in getting all of our students to learn what they are supposed to learn.
Recognizing the need to enhance our students’ reading and writing skills we have made this our focal point for the year at C.A.H.S. We want all of our students to be able to read and comprehend materials of all types and be able to write effectively for particular audiences. These are just two content standards we will focus on in every subject area. The performance standards or bench marks we will use as we develop these standards may involve all students reading a certain number of books each year and producing a certain number of various types written assignments.
Developing and refining our standards will take some time, but the most important task is using them to determine lessons, assignments, tests, and needed resources. Additionally, to truly have a profound impact on the improvement of student learning, every student, teacher, parent, and administrator must be held accountable. Standards will keep us focused on living our motto, "To Excel Always."