The new grading policy at Maine-Endwell that was created to generate grading consistency and transparency for teachers, students and parents is called “80/20.” The two main goals of 80/20 are consistency on the source of the grades, and emphasis on the learning process. If 80 percent of the grade is based on achievement grades, such as tests, and 20 percent is based on process grades such as homework and projects, the grade should be understood by all those involved. Additionally, if learning is demon-strated through achievement grades like essays, tests, and formal assessments, then the grade should reflect exactly what a student knows and does not know. Our school administrators believe that a grade weighted 80 percent on what a student knows based on test

scores is a fair and accurate demonstration of achievement. According to research performed by the administration, there are not many differences between 80/20 and the grading policies

that were already in place at Maine-Endwell. Many teachers’ gradebooks fell into an 80/20 mix; some had 70/30 or 65/35. The administra-tors did not

ask teachers to change what they were teaching or change the amount of assessments they should give; they wanted the teachers to keep teaching in the same way they always have. The difference is when grades are now entered into the gradebook; there will be two categories: achievement and process. Read the full story on pages 2-3...

New 80/20 Grading Policy I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

80/20 Grading

System

2-

3

The Miracle

Worker—The Play

4

Welcome Mrs.

Burlingame

5

Art Club 5

Pokemon and

Tech Club

6

Mrs. Ward’s

Class

7

Homecoming and

Reveral Game

8

Clubs and

Activities

9

Recipe 1

0

P A G E 1 F A L L 2 0 1 4

The Spartan Spirit

Newspaper

P A G E 2

New 80/20 grading system Although the

changes have been mi-

nor, the policy has shifted

teachers’ focus to “what is

an achievement grade

and what is a process

grade?” Maine-Endwell

Superintendent Mr.

VanFossen believes that

one of the few disad-

vantages with the system

is that it is new, and peo-

ple typically have a hard

time adjusting to change.

Another con is the per-

ception that some sub-

jects do not seem to lend

themselves to 80/20, and

the administrators want to

continue to enlighten peo-

ple that learning is still

learning. If the class is gym,

music, or art, the admin-

istration still wants to know

what the students are

learning, and not only that

the students are showing

up to class. One of the pros

of the system is that it is

unique for Maine-Endwell

because the school has

never instituted something

like this before. VanFossen

states “I am very excited

that for the first time we

can explain to someone,

and you can explain to

someone, how your grade is

determined.”

Parents, teachers,

and students all have

passionate opinions about

the new grading system,

many of which have contra-

dicted the administration.

Some parents believe that

the system will work well

because if the grade is truly

about the learning, then

the test should be the

ultimate assessment of

what a student does and

does not know. Other

parents look to programs

like music, art, and gym as

the single most noticeable

flaw because those classes

are based on creativity and

effort, thus it will be diffi-

cult to assess a student on

those elements. Approxi-

mately 10 teachers were

approached regarding their

opinions about 80/20 and

all of them had similar re-

sponses. To begin with, all

were reluctant to go on the

record for fear of reprisal.

The teachers stated that

the policy has already

resulted in lower overall

grades with reduced op-

portunities for students to

raise their averages. This

is due to the fact that

homework grades do not

count for as much as tests.

T H E S P A R T A N S P I R I T

P A G E 3 F A L L 2 0 1 4

This is unfair for students who

are poor test takers, and made

worse by the fact that teachers

are no longer allowed to give

test corrections—instead, they

are encouraged to keep retest-

ing the material. With-

out test corrections, a

student taking a difficult

course no longer has a

safety net to bounce back

from a poor test grade.

The teachers also feel

that while they have

been educators longer

than the administrators

have held their posi-

tions, the administration

still makes important

decisions without asking

the teachers their opin-

ions. Additionally, the

administrators are re-

moved from the classroom and

thus do not see the potentially

adverse effects that 80/20 has

on the students. While all of

the teachers I spoke with ex-

pressed the opinion that learn-

ing comes first, they felt that

the bottom line for the admin-

istration was good data for

Maine-Endwell as a whole.

Comically, gym teachers are

being required to assess stu-

dents on performance, for

example how well they can

kick a soccer ball or throw a

football, and this is unfair

because some students are

naturally more athletic than

others, and there is no way of

changing that. Music

teachers are struggling with

assigning achievement

grades because concerts are

not frequent enough to

substantiate a full grade. As for

the students, most of them

dislike the system because their

grades are lower than usual.

Many kids put a lot of time and

effort into their homework but

are disappointed when

all of their hard work

reflects only a small

portion of their grade.

Clearly, 80/20 is

a policy that has sparked

a considerable amount

of debate between the

administration and the

parents, teachers, and

students. However, if

everyone can agree to

put their best foot

forward and make a

concerted effort to

implement the system

with a positive attitude,

then whether it fails or succeeds,

everyone can say they did their

part. This approach will elimi-

nate further resistance to the

new system and everyone will be

able to experience 80/20 for

what it really is.

Investigative Reporter:

Stacey Blansky

P A G E 4 Spartan Theatre Company Presents:

The Miracle Worker

Get ready for another fan-

tastic show by the Spartan

Theatre Company! This

year, the fall play is The

Miracle Worker, by William

Gibson. Set in the 1880’s,

The Miracle Worker follows

the struggle of Helen Keller,

a blind, deaf, and conse-

quently mute child, and

portrays the determination

of her family and the young

teacher, Annie Sullivan, as

they search for a means of

communication between Hel-

en and the outside world.

This inspiring story is sure to

leave the audience in awe of

the human will to survive

and thrive in even the most

adverse situations. Director

Bob Graves had come across

a video showing footage of

Annie Sullivan working with

Helen Keller, and he found it

beautiful and inspirational;

The way that Annie helped

Helen communicate with

those around her was bril-

liant, and he shares with

Spartan Spirit Newspaper

that the viewing of this video

was a major factor in his de-

cision of choosing The Mira-

cle Worker for this year’s

play.

On November 14th, the ac-

tors of Maine-Endwell will

have been working hard for

six weeks, readying them-

selves for yet another won-

derful performance at

MEHS. A new development

for this year, there will be

TWO casts performing, with

Cast A performing at 7:30 on

November 13th, and at 7:30

on November 15th, while

Cast B takes the stage at

7:30, November 14th, and

at 7:30 November 16th.

The main characters of

the play, Annie Sullivan

and Helen Keller, have a

great set of ladies gearing

up to take on their per-

sonas. Annie will be por-

trayed by senior Crystal

Lee (Cast A), and junior

Ari Giamei (Cast B), while

the role of Helen Keller

will be filled by senior

Brittney Miller (Cast A),

and sophomore Jennifer

Ackley (Cast B). These

girls are all phenomenal

actresses, along with the

numerous 9th-12th graders

of the MEHS drama club

playing the supporting

roles. In result, this show

will be one that touches

your heart and opens your

eyes to the unbelievable

strength of the human

will.

*Ticket Sales: $5.00 for

students and Senior Citi-

zens, $7.00 for Adults

Written by:

Ashlen Wright

T H E S P A R T A N S P I R I T

Welcome Mrs.

Burlingame

P A G E 5 F A L L 2 0 1 4

Q: When does Art Club meet and what goes on during the meetings?

A: We meet tenth period on Tuesdays, and we make arts, crafts, projects, and we plan fundraisers.

Q: What are some current projects Art Club is working on?

A: We made watercolor hearts for Elliot Root and face painted at his fundraiser. We also put together centerpieces for Good Sheppard’s fifth year anniversary.

Q: How has the Art Club given back to the community?

A: We have many fundraisers and help at events such as face painting at the bus garage ice cream social, creating water-color paintings that were raffled at the Elliot Root benefit as well as face paint-ing there, and face painting at the Most Holy Rosary Oktoberfest.

Q: Has the New York City trip been planned out yet?

A: Not yet- but we are still going. We co-ordinate with the international club in spring.

Q: What projects are being done around the school?

A: Murals are being painted starting with the art doorways, then we will go bigger from there.

Art Club - Mrs. Smith Interview

by Hannah Ingalls

By Hannah Ingalls

This interview was between our Spartan Spirit Newspaper reporter and art teacher Mrs. Jean Burlingame.

Q: How was the transition from teaching at Homer Brink to the High School?

A: It’s been very different but nice because the kids treat me really well up here. The students here are very talented and fun to work with. I was shocked at how much more they could do and how independent they were, although I do miss the kids at Homer Brink. My high school students are smart and crea-tive which has helped my transition.

Q: What changes have you made to your teaching structure?

A: I’ve been more serious but a lot less controlling.

Q: What have you learned from your high school stu-dents so far?

A: They’ve gotten me very interested in painting all sorts of things, the past ten years I have just been painting figures. Watching them paint different things inspires and helps me. We are kind of helping each other- and that’s how it should be. Mrs. Smith has also helped me learn to address this age group!

Pokémon club interview

with club president

Colin MacHaffie

Ijaya Waterman: What gave you the idea to start

Pokémon club?

Collin MacHaffie: Well, I was a former Harry

Potter Club member and really I just borrowed

the cassette of that and made it Pokémon.

Ijaya Waterman: Do you have a secret to your

success from last year, having 12 people signed

up to this year with 31 people signed up?

Collin MacHaffie: The Pikachu poster board and

the freshman, but anything other than that I

don’t.

Ijaya Waterman: In your opinion, what makes

Pokémon club fun and interesting?

Collin MacHaffie: Just the good gaming and that

everyone’s very completive.

Ijaya Waterman: What activities are you plan-

ning for your club this year?

Collin MacHaffie: More technology involvement

and more teacher battles.

Ijaya Waterman: Do you just play Pokémon in

Pokémon club or do you play other Nintendo

games? If you play other Nintendo games, have

you thought of going bigger with the club to Nin-

tendo club or something like that?

Collin MacHaffie: Yes we allow other games. We

would like to go bigger, like

a Nintendo club, but we don’t want to get too big.

Interview with

Tech Club

What actives are you planning for your club this

year?

Students: We will make pens for retirees, Geodes-

ic Sculptures, and will remake the plaque for the

Board of Education.

Have you won any robotics contest? If you did,

how long did it take you to build the robot?

Robotic students: We haven’t won any contests,

but we participated. We just build the basics and

we’re still constructing.

What made you sign up for tech club?

Newer students: You can work with the equip-

ment or interact with each other to do projects or

to build stuff like Minecraft but real life.

In your own opinion, what makes tech club fun

and interest-

ing?

Students: We

do our own type of projects

to help out the

school, its envi-ronmentally

friendly, to hang out with

friends and to socialize, the

variety of thing

you can do.

Mrs. Ward’s Class

P A G E 7 F A L L 2 0 1 4

Mrs. Ward’s class is a huge asset to our school

community. While the students in this class

have mental and physical disabilities, they're

learning academics just like a typical high school

student. In addition they learn self help skills

(such as cleaning and cooking) and knowledge

they can apply to a career. Mrs. Ward says the

most challenging part about teaching this class

is maintaining a balance between functional

learning and state testing. One of her favorite

parts of the job is that she gets joy out of face to

face interaction with the kids and getting to

know each of their personalities. Some upcom-

ing things the class is doing this year is selling

spider plants around the holidays (make sure

to get one) and planting flowers in hand deco-

rated pots outside the district office in the

spring. Also, look for possible appearances

from her students in the winter assembly in

December. The most important thing for you to

know is that Josh, Monica, Hailey, Carl, and

Hannah are doing math, writing, reading,

science, social studies, and testing and that

they are loving, happy, and hard-working stu-

dents. By: Michael Kuhl

P A G E 8

Reversal Game

Homecoming Football Game The Maine-Endwell Spar-

tans Varsity Football team

won their homecoming

game 36-0. The Spartans

were led by Adam Gallagher

who ran for 2 touchdowns,

and Michael Palmer who

returned a punt. Unfortu-

nately, the Spartans lost

two key contributors in the

opening four minutes.

Trent Story suffered a terri-

ble dislocated left ankle as

well as a leg fracture as he

was tackled after a 19-yard

run down to the Owego 5.

Also, Drew Gallagher in-

jured his right shoulder dur-

ing the second play of the

game.

One of Maine-Endwell’s

touchdowns was started at

the Owego 40 as Cordell

Woolfolk caused a forced fum-

ble and recovery. Adam Gal-

lagher then scored the touch-

down with thirty two seconds

left in the second quarter. The

Spartans won, making that

game their 42nd consecutive

win. This year, the Spartans

are currently 6-0 with 44 con-

secutive wins after a 20-7 vic-

tory over Chenango Forks.

mates and past the defenders

for a 55-yard touchdown.

When the seniors received the

ball, they had only made one

play when Kylie Honnick-

Payne, a defensive guard,

intercepted the ball and ran it

into the end zone. Makena

D’Arpino kicked another extra

point over the senior defend-

ers, who made a human pyra-

mid in the end zone to try to

block the ball. The teams

went into halftime with the

score 14-7 in the juniors favor.

The senior cheerleaders, in-

cluding Jacob Felice, Tao

Chen, Johnny Plouffe, and

Hunter Hazen, did a halftime

show to a music mix of Beyoncé

and other artists. The junior

cheerleaders, however, did not

have a halftime show, as there

was only one boy remaining to

perform. During the second

half, Shea Osovski and the sen-

ior cheerleaders had a cheer

battle. Once the second half

started, the seniors tried to rally,

but another touchdown by Sam

Connery of the juniors blew the

game open. The seniors tried to

use multiple balls, and even re-

ceive help from the cheerleaders

to score, but in the end, the

score was 21-7, and the juniors

beat the seniors.

The reversal game is a day when

junior and senior girls play

against each other in a flag foot-

ball game, while boys from each

grade cheerlead. The juniors

were wearing blue, and the sen-

iors were wearing yellow. The

seniors scored on one of the

first plays of the game when

Miranda Mattiace, the quarter-

back, ran past the junior de-

fenders to the end zone for a

touchdown. Someone kicked an

extra point and the seniors

boosted the score to 7-0. This

was to be their only lead for the

entire game. The juniors quick-

ly answered when Makena

D’Arpino ran through her team-

T H E S P A R T A N S P I R I T

Clubs and Activities

P A G E 9 F A L L 2 0 1 4

Chorus: November 7th and 8th: 9th grade NYSSMA Area All-State in Cortland, NY

December 15th: HS Winter Concert 2 Chorus/Orchestra

Mixed Chorus and Women’s Chorus perform

January 30th and 31st: 10-12 NYSSMA Area All-State at Ithaca College

February 9th: HS Pops Concert at Maine-Endwell High School

Upcoming Meeting:

Monday, November 10th-

Meeting in LGI

Monday, November 24th- Meeting in LGI

Key Club

SADD Club One club that our school has to offer is SADD club. The acronym stands for

“Students Against Drunk Driving.” In general, this club is trying to promote

good decision making and is trying to keep everyone safe. The people who are

in charge of SADD club are Mr. Ocker and Morgan Wood. Some SADD club

members just recently visited the Binghamton Events Center and learned in

depth about the effects of drunk driving, and how serious it is. SADD club’s

goals for this year are to keep promoting smart decision making, to not drink

and drive, and to also not abuse drugs. There are meetings every Thursday and

new members are always welcome! Article by: Stephanie Kinsey

The Spartan Muse and

the Spartan Spirit Newspaper

Each Tuesday, the staff of both the Muse and the Spartan

Spirit Newspaper meet to talk about what is going on in

the school community, work on creative writing , and to-

gether build two great examples of student talent!

Come join us in either room 136 or 150!

caramel ice cream topping on top

of the ice cream. Also add a pinch of

cinnamon on top.

2.Pour in the apple cider until the

ice cream is covered. Then add an-

other scoop of ice cream on top.

Drizzle another spoonful of caramel

on top and add another pinch of cin-

namon on top of that.

3.Serve cold with a spoon or straw.

Ingredients

•Apple cider

•Ice cream (can also use dairy free

ice cream)

•Caramel ice cream topping (can

use dairy free caramel sauce)

•Cinnamon

Instructions

1.In a glass add two scoops of ice

cream. Then drizzle a spoonful of

Reporters and Staff

Madison Blackwell

Stacey Blansky

Bradley Cook

Hannah Ingalls

Stephanie Kinsey

Michael Kuhl

McGinnis Miller

Paul Quinlivan

Ijaya Waterman

Ashlen Wright

Editors:

Stacey Blansky and McGinnis Miller

Formatting:

Jonathan Biggs

The Spartan Spirit Newspaper is a pa-

per for you, by you! Students at the

school write the stories, take the pic-

tures, edit the paper, and create a

newspaper for everyone to enjoy. If you

are interested in becoming a part of

the reporting staff, please see

Mrs. Hackett in room 150.

The Spartan Spirit Newspaper

Apple Cider Floats

OUR MOTTO:

WE’VE GOT ISSUES!

S P A R T A N

S P I R I T

N E W S P A P E R