May
Special Outlook
MVHS adds second counselor
The newest member of our family here at MVHS is going to be Ashley Finley. Ms. Finley will be joining after the finish of this school year. Unfortunately I have no prior knowledge of Ms. Finley so I went and interviewed none other than our principal, Dr. Josh Ladd.
My first question for him was why do we need a new counselor and his response was: ”For the last five to ten years the department of education has added work to the counselors. In addition, there has been a higher need for mental support and emotional needs, and ...having virtual students has been a huge” stressor to our counselor.
My next question was, how long she's been a counselor? "She is a veteran, she has over fifteen years of experience and her expertise is off the charts," Dr. Ladd told me. Sounds like she's going to make a great addition to MVHS. I wanted to know how the workload would be for them since there is a second counselor. Dr. Ladd replied, "I don't really know how they will do their work, that's up to them to decide. I try to let them figure it out before I add my thoughts." Sounds like they've got this one.
The building will need a slight change but nothing too major, according to Dr. Ladd: ”We are going to take the current conference room and add an office to it--basically put two walls and a door." All in all it sounds like this is going to be an amazing improvement to the school, students, and staff. A special thanks to our counselor Ms. Stephanie Smith and her helpful assistant Ms. Muerita Scrivner for everything they have done and how hard they are working for all of us students and the help they provide.
Your life has just begun
A poem for our graduating seniors of 2020-2021
Four years of high school,
everything seems so cool.
Not thinking of how everything goes so quick,
the thought of leaving makes you feel sick.
from the start of it all,
you start to bawl.
Not ready to go
you have to let everyone know,
how thankful you are
for getting this far.
You look down
and see your gown
as green as can be
it’s time to be set free.
You hear Dr. Ladd call your name,
your mom’s smile doesn’t look the same.
She smiles with tears in her eyes,
she’s afraid of goodbyes,
as you walk away for college.
You then begin to acknowledge
adulting is hard,
but you won’t be scarred!
With your Diploma in hand,
everything is just as planned.
You start to feel like a man,
your life just began.
Dr. Ladd predicts how COVID might affect upcoming school year
As many students know, here at MVHS our school has recently lifted the mask mandate that was established at the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year due to COVID-19. Even though this action had mixed reviews, it still leaves many people wondering what other changes are to come for the next school year and what precautions might continue to be set in place due to the pandemic.
To answer this question enters our principal here at MVHS, Dr. Josh Ladd. In an interview, Dr. Ladd offers great input on what to expect for the soon arriving school year and how the scare of COVID might continue to affect students.
When asked “What might the next school year look like?” Ladd is quick to respond with, “Next year should look far more 'normal' than 2020-2021. I expect to lift all the restrictions that have been in place this year as both staff and students will have had the opportunity to have been vaccinated if they choose and the number of cases are extremely low in our community.”
Most students and staff here at MVHS can most likely agree that this school year was definitely different. Friends were split apart with virtual learning, teachers were tasked with learning how to navigate teaching through a screen, and social distancing was put in place for in-person learning students. The future, however, looks brighter according to Dr. Ladd.
Continuing the interview, Dr. Ladd is asked about the option of virtual learning still being offered to students next year. He responds, “Students will be able to participate in virtual instruction similar to this year. We will not be offering the number of virtual classes we did this year through the school, but we do have a virtual class catalog that students can look through to see if anything fits their needs. Students will not be able to flip back and forth as they did this year as we have seen that movement results in a large number of failing grades.”
It seems that if you are a student who has enjoyed virtual learning or are still taking the extra precautions due to the virus, there is still going to be an option for you!
Lastly, Dr. Ladd is questioned about the possibility of social distancing still needing to be a requirement for next year’s teaching. He says that “At this time, it seems unlikely that we will need to enforce social distancing next year, but we will not know for sure until August.”
Ultimately the future of this coming up school year is being proceeded with caution but also hope. The possibility of a more normal MVHS setting seems to be soon arriving for students and staff!
Teachers give seniors parting advice
Graduating high school is nerve-wracking, but the MVHS staff is here to help. Recently in a form sent by the Green & White, teachers were asked for their advice on graduating seniors as they enter the “real” world.
English teacher Ms. Emily Sampson responded, “Don’t be too hard on yourself; every hardship and mistake is an opportunity to learn and grow.” Assistant band director Mr. Noah Petti said something similar, “Be open to making mistakes.” You will make many of them. Admit to your mistakes and grow from there, he adds.
Ms. Brook Olinger, of the drama department, says you should probably have a plan;. “You definitely want to try to have a plan and some benchmark goals so that you can try to reach those [larger] goals.” She also says that life can sometimes offer you an abundance of opportunities. “...Allow yourself the time to let those influence your path.”
Mr. Petti suggests building your credit history immediately. “Get a secured credit card with a low spending limit (or a student card, if you truly know that you won't misuse it). Make a small purchase with the card every month (like a pack of gum) and pay off the card immediately.” This will give you a decent history that you can use to your advantage.