TTHHEE TTAATTTTOOOO BRISTOL PRESS MAKING A PERMANENT IMPRESSION SINCE 1994 VOLUME 8 No. 10 Will Bristol Eastern pass the test? By JOE KEO AND MIKE NGUYEN But, Lyons added, “Obviously, if get a thumbs-down from the experts. The school’s jazz band, directed by the facility and resources for learn- The Tattoo company is coming, you dress up a lit- “We are very well prepared,” said Brian Kelly, played invigorating music ing.” tle bit.” Lawrence Hochman, a veteran guid- to keep the cheery mood of the Beginning Tuesday, team members Ten years have passed. It’s now During the school’s first accredita- ance counselor at the school and evening alive. will begin to write up their assess- judgment day for Bristol Eastern High tion inspection in a decade, outside another member of the steering com- “The food is good,” said John Voss, ment report in response to the School. experts are reviewing everything from mittee. a member of school’s own “self-study” report, to An inspection team from the New Eastern’s mission statement to the “I think we’re going to do very the visiting eventually submit to the accreditation England Association of Schools and class work done by students. well,” Lyons said. committee board to be voted on. In addition to Colleges is at the school this week to who seemed the two years of preparation, Bristol determine if Eastern’s crucial accredi- happy to be at Eastern will have to wait until the end tation will remain in place – and “Teachers aren’t planning any whoop-de-doo the school. of the summer for the accreditation school officials have been doing all “So far, so process to end, when the report and they can to convince the visitors that activity.” -- Principal V. Everett Lyons good,” said his recommendations are finally released. everything’s going great. fellow commit- Lyons said the report will contain For weeks, students have seen cus- tee member “commendations” and “recommenda- todians and electricians working in “The stakes are high,” said John Hochman said the accreditation Gary Gula. tions.” the hallways fixing the lights and Harris, who heads the steering com- effort is more of an overall improve- On Sunday But the mostly unstated worry is repositioning televisions and trophies, mittee at Eastern that’s been prepar- ment process at Eastern and it will afternoon, the that it could also include some bad trying to spiff up appearances. ing for the inspection. have a positive effect for students in visitors news. “It’s stupid,” said student Ashley “It’s not acceptable to not be the long run. appeared free Accreditor Nicandra The inspectors will look at seven Perondine. “They change the school accredited,” Harris said. “It would be On Sunday, school officials held a of stress and areas within the school, including its for that week.” a very serious indictment” of the catered reception for the accreditors any worries of Perusi curriculum, leadership and resources, Joe Keo / The Tattoo But appearances don’t matter school if that happened, he said. and the students they will “shadow” the work and rate each of them on a 4-point much in the process, according to Lyons said the students realize the today. Men in suits and women in ahead, munching on exquisite scale. In each category, the school can Principal V. Everett Lyons. impact of an accreditation. skirts and dresses roamed and chat- desserts and scrumptious appetizers. be rated either exemplary, acceptable, “Cosmetic stuff doesn’t really get Without it, said Harris, “Students ted in the school’s cafeteria, nibbling There’s no telling, though, what sort limited or deficient, according to you accredited,” Lyons said. “Teachers who graduate would have a hard time on fancy hors d’oeuvres that differed of mood they’ll be in after a few days Harris. aren’t planning any whoop-de-doo getting into college.” greatly from the usual fries and burg- giving Eastern a close-up look. A deficient score “would be a very activity. It doesn’t really do anything But neither Harris nor Lyons said ers of the ordinary school lunch This week, inspectors are shadow- strong statement that something to put on a show.” they are worried that the school could menu. ing some students to see what actual- needs to be done,” he said. ly happens in the classroom. Harris said, though, that Eastern is As part of a 1999 change in shooting for more than just an accept- assessment protocol, they’ll able rating. also be required to stay in a “It’s not a question of being above classroom for a full period. the minimum,” he said. “If you have The inspection team of 16 things that are good about the school, educators from across then it should be recognized.” Connecticut will study the Generally, the inspectors’ report school’s instruction, curricu- “triggers a follow-up effort to convert lum, student assistance pro- recommendations into an agenda for grams and more. change and improvement. Schools They will meet with facul- that are committed to the process ty, talk with students, eat find that it works,” according to a lunch in the cafeteria, visit statement on the association’s web classes, speak with parents site by Jacob Ludes III, the group’s and pore over documenta- director. tion provided by school Although Lyons is confident that administrators. the school will be accredited, it prob- “They’ll actually eat the ably won’t be a flawless effort. food,” Lyons said. “We have some problems in In an online account of staffing,” Lyons said, referring to the what happens during inspec- growing class sizes and teacher short- tions, Pamela Gray-Bennett, ages. He predicted that the school director of the Commission might get a recommendation for that on Public Secondary Schools, by the committee. a part of the regional group, He’s not worried about the stu- said, “Team members dents, however. observe the students’ learn- “They’re a great bunch of kids,” the ing experiences, note the principal said. He said he knows practices that teachers use they’ll “be themselves.” related to curriculum, Tattoo writers Sam Yosafi, Katie instruction, and assessment Jordan, Sara Greene and Nicole and evaluate the adequacy of Bernosky contributed to this story. Joe Keo / The Tattoo The grass is greener... Hypnotist mesmerizes teens on the golf course By DANIELLE LETOURNEAU By JACQUI MOREAU states of mind. In trance, the last years’ presentation, half “moshing” at a rock concert The Tattoo The Tattoo intellectual mind relaxes, and of the crowd thrust their arms was dancing ballet, a group of people are enabled and more into the air. The audience was junior and sophomore boys Letters from the Bristol Water Department usually say some- You only graduate from willing to do as their nature full of energy: they wanted to stood out as they learned to thing like: “Dear customer, Please conserve your water because at high school once. You remem- dictates. People under hypno- have fun that night, too. luau, and a senior boy yelled the time we are in a middle of a ber what you wore, who you sis only act under their value “I won’t make you act like a at the audience in Chinese. drought.” were with, and everything you system. chicken or a dog,” LaRosa When asked if she was a That means don’t water your gar- did that day for the rest of Participants often lack full promised the two dozen vol- believer, audience member dens, take shorter showers and try What I say your life. awareness of their surround- unteers that he called onto the and Lewis Mills senior Lauren not to flush the toilet much. Every year, a dozen dedi- ings, and in this case, that stage. “I won’t make you tell Cables said, “Some people just And we’re not supposed to use sprinklers either. cated parents of Lewis Mills they have an audience. your deepest, darkest secrets, fake it, but sometimes it’s But have you ever thought how much water the golf courses use? seniors run ‘Project Because they’re not quite either.” real.” They water their lawns constantly so that they are green. Graduation,’ a year-long fund- asleep, but not fully awake, La Rosa quickly weeded Senior Catie Aylsworth Yet you don’t need to golf on green grass. It’s just a luxury. raising campaign that affords they may act in ways that later out those he considered resist- said, “I think that you have to If you are a golfer and you don’t want to play on brown grass, an unforgettable after-gradua- make them feel embarrassed. ant to hypnosis, leaving only have the right mindset to real- then don’t play! tion party. LaRosa entertains about about a dozen. ly be hypnotized.” The city’s reservoirs are half empty and people are already talk- Sales of coupon books, 150 crowds each year. He trav- “I’m going to make you feel LaRosa’s 22 years of expe- ing about big summertime restrictions so that we don’t run out of Yankee Candles, and ‘The els distances ranging from as relaxed, like at a bus-stop,” rience was evident in the water for drinking, bathing and other necessities. Pampered Chef’ culinary close his hometown of was one of the jumbled sen- crowd’s awestruck responses Why should stupid golf courses water their lawns when nobody accessories have been the big Middletown to Europe, where tences the hypnotist spoke. to the show. else can? fundraisers so far this year.