Looking for fall, spooky fun? We have you covered!

By HANNAH KINDLEY, Old Post Sentinel staff writer

Halloween is a fun loving holiday that kids love and enjoy every year. What’s not to love? Candy, costumes, going with friends, pumpkins, and festivities! Knox and Daviess counties have lots of events going on in October. Many events are perfect for a fall family outing with the kids or grandkids!

Haunted High ll: Terror On Main Street.

Washington Catholic High School, 201 NE Second St., is hosting their annual haunted house.

Every Friday and Saturday night in October, with the last night set for Oct. 23. There are two options. A lights on, no scare, highly recommend for kids 8 and below, is from 6-7 p.m. The admission for lights on is $3. The second option is lights of and is called an “extreme event” with strobes, fog, and low/no lights from 7-11 p.m. The admission for lights off is $10.

Autumn Ambling

Join local Master Naturalist Terri Talarek King for a casual walk on woodland trails at Ouabache Trails Park, just north of Vincennes. During “Autumn Ambling”, participants will be taking in the autumn splendor, looking for changing leaves, and being aware of how animals are preparing for winter. All ages are welcome, and families are encouraged. Meet at 2 p.m. in front of the park office. The walk will begin on Trail 1 nearby, with a stop at the butterfly garden, and will continue for 1 to one and a half hours. The event is free with no registration required. For questions or information, email leapingfrog55@yahoo.com, or leave a voice message at 812-881-8987.

Fright Night Middle School Halloween Dance

On Oct. 20, Fright Night will take place at Clark Middle School from 6-8 p.m. The admission is $5 per student. Concessions and novelties will be for sale, along with a costume contest and a photo booth. IS THIS LIMITED TO CLARK STUDENTS ONLY???

4th Annual Halloween Fall Festival.

The Fall Halloween Festival will take place at Ouabache Trails Park from 3:30-9 p.m. The admission is free, and this event includes fun booths, trick-or-treating, a haunted house, guided haunted trails, free halloween children’s games and a costume contest beginning at 5:30 p.m. Free pumpkins will be available after 5 p.m. Volunteers are needed for games and trails. For more information please contact Kristy at 812-890-5148, David at 812-324-2489 or the Knox County Parks and Recreation office at 812-882-4316.

“Fort Fright”

The annual Halloween program of the Vincennes State Historic Sites will be held Oct. 25-27 from 6-11 p.m. at historic Fort Knox II. The first part of the program is for younger children with fun activities, dramatic stations, featured haunted trails, games and a hay ride. The second part is for older children and adults with haunted trails and dramatic stations following a literary or historic theme. Admission is $5 for children 12 and under, $8 for children 12 and up, and $8 for adults. For more information, please contact the Vincennes State Historic Sites at 812-882-7422.

Halloween Comic Fest

Oct. 27 from 2-5 p.m. at The Geek Boom, 431 Main St., we will be giving out free Halloween themed comics, and hosting a costume contest. They will host local artists doing free sketches for kids, and holding game demonstrations.

Vincennes trick-or-treating hours will be announced after Oct. 22.

Kindley is a sophomore at Lincoln High School and is enrolled in the newspaper publications class.

Filed Oct. 10, 2018

Lincoln trails behind national averages in chronic absenteeism

By JULIA EARNST, Old Post Sentinel staff writer

According to a study done in 2013-2014 by the U.S Department of Education, 13.7 percent of all males and females are likely to be chronically absent.

Lincoln High School finds itself just below the national trends, with 8 to 10 percent of students chronically absent in the 2016-2017 school year.

As of October 19 of the 2018-2019 school year, seven students missed seven or more days already, bringing just this year to 0.9 percent, before the first quarter of the year has concluded.

To be considered chronically absent, a student would have to miss 15 days of school in the school year.

Regardless of where they are, students who don’t come to school are negatively impacted.

“It is imperative that students be in attendance each school day in order to not miss a significant portion of their education,” explained social worker Kellie Cargal. “Important learning results result from active participation in classroom and other activities which cannot be replaced by individual study.”

The Lincoln attendance policy allows parents to excuse any absence up to seven days for any reason, but after that, disciplinary actions are taken.

According to student handbook, students who have reached seven absences in one semester without a doctor’s statement will not be able to participate in class field trips.

Students under the age of 18 reaching five unexcused absences in one school year will be reported to the Knox County Juvenile Probation office.

Students under the age of 18 reaching ten unexcused absences will be reported to the Department of Children and Family Services and to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles for suspension of driving privileges.

Although, there are exceptions, such as certified absences, which do not count toward the days allowed missed per semester.

“Students who miss school are obviously missing instructional time,” said Cargal. “This makes it difficult for them to complete their make-up work or at times the student is not proactive in finding out what they missed which leads to a grade of zero on the assignment, quiz ot test. Our teachers cannot go back to reteach a class because a student was not there. Being here is important.”

Studies have found absenteeism rates differ between ethnicity.

When referring to race or nationality, the American Indian nationality is more likely to be chronically absent more than any race at 22.5 percent and chronic absenteeism is 20 percent more likely among non-English learners than English learners.

It also is greatly affecting those with a learning disability versus those without. Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) were among 16 percent of the chronically absent students. People with disabilities are 6 percent more likely to be chronically absent then those without them.

Over all though, chronic absenteeism doesn’t differ significantly by gender, females at 13.8 percent, and males at 13.6 percent, but what grade a student is in school greatly affects the amount of chronic absenteeism.

Elementary learners are only 10.9 percent chronically absent while middle school students are at 12.5 and high schoolers are at a staggering 18.9 percent.

That means that approximately 98 million school days were lost throughout a year.

According to research, the reasons for chronic absenteeism varys with the challenges students and families face, including poor health, lack of safely, limited transportation, and poverty.

Lincoln is making an effort to combat attendance apathy by touching base with students when they miss.

At a recent faculty meeting, the Teachers Interact Everyday program was launched by Vice Principal Shea Duke and Cargal. They are looking to build stronger connections with students who have had attendance related issues in the past. Teachers keep an eye on individual students’ attendance and make contact with kids if they miss, letting them know their absence was noted.

Cargal wants students to feel more connected to their school and noticed that they tend to have better attendance if they do.

She also wants students to know that the LHS faculty notice when they are not here and care about students having the best high school experience possible.

Earnst is a sophomore at Lincoln High School and is enrolled in the newspaper publications

Filed: Oct. 10, 2018

Lincoln students raising money for Vincennes, France Trip

By SIERRA BAREKMAN, Old Post Sentinel staff writer

Students are putting in the work to study abroad in France. Whether they’re baking or washing cars, they need to raise a lot of money.

In order to travel to Vincennes, our sister city and a subdivision of Paris, students need to raise nearly $2,700.

It’s worth the hefty price though. They’ll be attending some classes at private Catholic high school La Providence during the day and spending time with host families at night. During free time French teacher Bailey Hacker will take the students to over a dozen tourist places.

“I just believe it’s a once in a lifetime chance to travel,” said sophomore Skyleah Risley.

The money raised will go towards individual cost for plane tickets, passports and souvenirs. Hacker puts time and effort into getting the cheapest flights she can. As a frequent traveler to France, she’s experienced enough to save students money by getting the cheapest flights, setting up students with host families and planning lots of group activities. If everything is paid for in bundles, it becomes cheaper overall for the students.

So far, about 10 students have confirmed they’re going on the trip and submitted their $50 non-refundable deposits. If more would like to go, it would lower costs a little bit, but they’d have to submit their deposit now because it was due in September.

Since Hacker has so much on her plate with planning the trip, students take fundraising into their own hands. Some even divided into a group.

The group consists of sophomores Skyleah Risley, Hya Pasana and Julia Earnst. They’re currently doing an ongoing bake sale in which they make and sell cookies, cupcakes, brownies and vegan cookie dough. They bake on Fridays and start selling the following Monday. It’s hard work, but they keep at it.

They carry baked goods with them and sell to classmates and teachers throughout the school day.

So far they’ve made a little over $240 just from bake sales, but that’ll be divided between the three of them. Even though it’s not much, it definitely helps.

This group also has a car wash planned for Oct. 13 at Memering Motorplex, 1949 Hart St., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They have been selling car wash tickets for $5, and people can pay or donate at the carwash.

Additional fundraisers will include trash bag sales, and a future dessert raffle at Pea-Fections.

Pasana explained, “I want to experience the culture of France and what the country has to offer.”

Being exposed to out of country customs is very rare, and although the trip’s focus is Paris, there’s also a side trip. It’s Hacker’s favorite part because it changes every year and no one ever knows what to expect.

One year they went to Bordeaux, a small village on the west coast, for their side trip.

Those willing to support or donate to the students’ efforts can contact the school at 812-882-8480.

Barekman is a junior at Lincoln High School and enrolled in the newspaper publications class.

Filed: Oct. 9, 2018. This story additionally appeared in the Oct. 7 edition of the Sun Commercial.

GSA and the League hold registration drive

OPS staff report

The Gay Straight Alliance and the League of Women’s Voters hosted a voter registration drive on Sept. 27. They didn’t register as many students as they would have liked, but they’re hopeful for the spring.

The League cares about voting and vote turnouts, due to the fact that the rate keeps lowering. And rates were lower than nearly every state that has released numbers.

More Hoosiers voted in this year’s primaries than they did in 2014, but the voter turnout rate was still lower than nearly every other state that has released numbers so far.

More than 870,000 Indiana residents voted in this year’s primary, or 19.6 percent of registered voters. That’s seven percentage points higher than the historically low 2014 primary turnout and one percentage point lower than the 2010 primary.

Only a handful of Lincoln students were eligible to register this fall, but the League and the GSA will partner again in the spring, when students who are 17 can register and vote in the May primary if they will be 18 by the November 2019 general election.

Of the 15 states analyzed by the IndyStar, only Iowa had a lower primary turnout rate than Indiana this year. North Dakota’s rate was nearly identical to Indiana’s.

According to Secretary of State, Connie Lawson, contested statewide and county races brought voters from both parties out in very pleasurable numbers, and thanks to preparations made by clerks and election administrators in all 92 counties, Indiana’s reputation is protected and efficient elections continue.

Most state’s percent turnout fell within the 20’s, with Oregon, Idaho, California and Montana reporting turnouts of over 30 percent.

A number of states haven’t held their midterm primaries yet, and other states still haven’t released official voting numbers, so Indiana could still have a higher turnout rate than some additional states.

In Indiana, early voting accounted for 20 percent of those who voted, compared to just 11 percent eight years earlier.

Jay County had the highest voter turnout rate, 57 percent. Vanderburgh County had the lowest turnout rate at just 10 percent. With the LWV, they hope to raise the lowest turnout rates, and even raise the highest up just a smidge.

Staff writer Hannah Kindley contributed to the writing of this report.

Filed: Oct. 3, 2018