Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Board updated on athletics; student problems with math

Along with having a successful football season, the Curley Wolves placed several players on the All-District team.

This is what Athletic Director David Maxwell told the Prescott School Board at its regular monthly meeting Tuesday, December 17.

Those named first team All District were: Joe Stueart, Jarrod Norwood, Martel Woodley, R.J. Vanhook, Zach Martin and Jason Butler.

Wolves named to the second team were: Haris Williams, Brad Glass, Adam Beaver, A.J. Lewis, Jeremy Purifoy and Aaron Tosch.

Other accolades for the Wolves, Maxwell said, included Stueart being picked as an alternate for All-State consideration, Butler tabbed as the second outstanding lineman from the 7AA, and Greg Smith being named as the conference's outstanding coach.

Basketball season, he said, is underway, with the Wolverettes off to a good start. As of the meeting, the Wolverettes were 4-1, and made it to the semifinals of the SAU tourney.

Madeline Taylor and Mary Delgado, both juniors, were picked for the All-Tournament team.

The Wolves opened roundball season on the road, he said, as Prescott traveled to Gurdon, and got the year off to a good start with a win.

Maxwell said the cheerleaders are getting ready to compete in January.

To help them out, Monica Chaldwell, an instructor and choreographer from the Universal Dance Association, has been hired to work with the squad on its routine.

According to Maxwell, participation in athletics is at a six year high.

Wolf athletes, he said, have participated in 45 football games, 26 basketball games, one cheerleading competition and two swim meets.

"We've been busy this semester," he said. "I hope to have a schedule for all events in the spring by the next meeting."

Willie Wilson, Dean of Students, also addressed the board with areas of concern.

One of the concerns is self restraint and control, primarily of freshmen students.

He said Prescott High School Principal Carroll Purtle has instituted some successful programs, but the students need to understand and take responsibility for their actions.

It doesn't help, he said, when several children with discipline problems are in the same class. They tend to "feed" off each other and disrupt the class for everyone else.

A possible solution for this, Wilson said, may be to do the arena scheduling a month earlier and get a list of problem children from eighth grade teachers so they can be kept separated.

Another area of concern is seniors who haven't passed Algebra II. This course is required by state law for graduating seniors.

Wilson said several seniors are failing this course and aren't taking advantage of the tutoring programs available.

Some students opted to try and get a General Equivalency Degree (GED), instead of dealing with Algebra II.

Wilson has talked to the parents of these students on two different occasions, telling them the problem. He told the board there are two other options aside from a GED degree. One is for the student to take a correspondence course, which would cost the parents. The other is to have the student work on the PLATO program to pass the course.

The bottom line, he said, is if they don't pass the course, they don't graduate.

To try and prevent this problem in the future, he said, an attempt is being made to motivate those in Algebra A, a lower level math course.

"We're doing all we can," he said. "They need this course to graduate. It's mandated by the state. We're offering tutoring, but it's not being taken."

On the flip side of this coin, he said there are eighth grade students who are bused to Prescott High School each day to take Algebra I.

Getting students to take correspondence courses in Algebra II, he said, is preferable, as parents have to pay for it and would be more likely to make sure their children did the work required.

Work is also being done with the Arkansas Consolidation School Improvement Plan (ACSIP), for math and literacy. The ACSIP plan replaces the old Comprehensive Outcome Education (COE) program.

Wilson said work is being done to improve student life on campus within the confines of district policies and the student handbook.

A group of students was recently selected to help make a lunch menu. These students picked items available to the lunchroom staff for the rest of the student body.