Friday, 28 October 2011 10:59

Written by Cliff McCollum - News Editor

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There was “Howlin’ in the Halls” last week at Opelika Middle School, but no disturbances or incident reports occurred.

Howling in the Halls was a way for all students at OMS to become involved with creative writing. Across the curriculum, OMS teachers found ways to incorporate creative writing into their lessons to help celebrate the National Day of Writing.

However, OMS chose to add its own spin to the event by dedicating the day’s activities to Cathy Buckhalt, a 28-year veteran English teacher retired from the middle school who still assists the Opelika system as a writing consultant.

“She has done so much for our school and our school system with emphasizing reading and writing,” Patsy Lewis, program coordinator, said. “She’s committed to ensuring all students are successful as creative writers.”

To Buckhalt, the teaching of writing is more than just employment - it’s a calling.

“It’s my passion because every child has a voice,” Buckhalt said. “Personal voices sometimes don’t always get expressed. You could have a quiet student in class, but when he gets to write, you can learn so much about who he is.”

Buckhalt said she sees writing as a means of escape and expression for students.

“Writing is your socially acceptable venue for expressing all emotions,” Buckhalt said. “Express those feelings and put it in your writing.”

Both Buckhalt and Lewis said the Opelika school system has put a tremendous amount of effort into emphasizing the importance of both writing and teaching writing in classrooms across the system.

“The question that’s being asked is ‘How do we teach writing and have it emphasized in all content classes?’ Lewis said. “Opelika is finding ways to do it and do it well.”

Buckhalt cited the example of Mr. Daniels, one of the middle school’s art teachers, who has his students create fables, myths and short stories before illustrating them.

“Teachers can find ways to work writing in to any class, because writing is in every class,” Buckhalt said.

Buckhalt said she was happy to see the school system place a value on writing, as she said some have jettisoned writing instruction to focus more attention on activities geared solely toward standardized achievement testing.

“If the system had not embraced us as a K through 12 program, I don’t think we’d see the concept of the writing community we see now,” Buckhalt said. “I also don’t think we’d see the better writing scores we’ve been seeing.”

Both Buckhalt and Lewis said they have worked hard to encourage teachers to model their own writing in the classrooms, showing students that writing is essential in many areas.

“We’re better models than the textbooks,” Buckhalt said. “Teachers should be models for their students, and most of our teachers are good writing models every day for their kids.”

Buckhalt helped found the middle school’s literary magazine, Lasting Impressions, during her tenure there, and the publication still continues on, picked up by “wonderful teachers who know the value of writing in kids’ lives,” according to Buckhalt.

Friday, 28 October 2011 10:39

Written by Opelika Observer

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Tuesday, the Opelika City school board allocated 20 percent of the state at-risk community service collaboration funds made available to the school district, with three organizations sharing more than $30,000 worth of grant funds.

$21,065 will go to the Opelika unit of the Boys and Girls club of Greater Lee County, Greater Peace Baptist Church will receive $6,000 and Youth for Christ-Teen Parents will receive a first-time grant of $3,000 for their support of teenage mothers

The board also voted to renew the system’s contract with James B. Leonard to provide dentistry services through the Opelika City Schools Dental Clinic; board member Katy Leonard abstained on the vote.

The board approved the resignations and retirements of nine employees system-wide, as many left to avoid changes in retirement benefits soon coming from the state.

Opelika city council president pro tem Patsy Jones took time during the meeting to announce her Nov. 1 retirement from her role as UNISERV director for District 19. Jones spoke on her 37 years of educational service and board members and Superintendent Mark Neighbors thanked her for her dedication to all children.

OHS principal Farrell Seymore and OMS principal Keith York both presented their continuous improvement plans to the board for approval during the meeting.

Seymore spoke about his transition from principal of the middle school to principal of the high school, and spoke about the successes he had seen from teacher meetings he conducted earlier in his transition to help him gauge what problems he would face.

Efforts to develop a potential early graduation system for high-functioning academic students or highly- skilled technical school applicants were mentioned as a part of the high school’s ongoing plans.

Both plans were approved unanimously by the board.