The Lion’s Tale December 3, 2010 Leo Junior/Senior High School Volume LIII Issue IX Lions’ monumental season makes history By Rachel Burtnett Editor-in-chief On Nov. 5, the Leo Lions varsity football team made history when they ventured to Eastbrook High School and defeated the Panthers, ranked first in the state of Indiana. This Sectionals victory is only the second in Leo Jr. /Sr. High School history. In the first game of sectionals at Norwell, Leo’s all-time leading rusher senior Connor Kacsor suffered a torn ACL. Junior Mike Shawd, his replacement, broke his leg during the next play. After losing two strong players, many could assume the confidence of the team would go down despite the strong school and community support, but the injured players stood and watched from the sidelines as their team made them proud. The Lions, ranked third in state, came out strong in the first half with a touchdown; an Eastbrook fumble recovered by the Lions led to yet another PHOTO BY RACHEL BURTNETT TD. The scoreboard read 14- 0. Eastbrook caught everyone Senior football players Nick Silver, Rob Rohrbacher, Billy Schenkel, Elliot Adams, Ben Waters, and Jordan Baer celebrate their Regionals win. by surprise when they scored two consecutive touchdowns tying the score 14-14. fought it out in the fourth and an indescribable experience,” community members decorated Red Devils. When the Lions At halftime the final quarter. The first snowflakes said senior Gretchen Hiler. their homes and vehicles with reappeared on the field, they teams headed to the locker of the year began to fall as the “Standing in the freezing cold as much purple and white as brought with them a new fire. rooms with the Lions Leo players and fans watched for hours was definitely worth possible, and the school itself Junior quarterback leading the Panthers 28-21. the time on the clock go down. the win against the number one displayed signs and embellished Ryan Leiter, effortlessly pushed Senior Kyle Marzec There were thirty team in Indiana at their field.” the front windows with paint. his way through four defenders had the last touchdown before seconds until the Lions were After the Panthers, The team, students, and made his way to the end halftime with a 90-yard kick- to be crowned the champions the Lions took on the faculty and community zone making the score 7-7. off return. This was an extreme when the fans began to crowd defending state champions, members were prepared, The Red Devils then morale booster. Everyone, the near the open gate at the end of the West Lafayette Red Devils. but the Red Devils were not. made their way down the team, the cheerleaders, and the field. The scoreboard read The week prior to the This time, the Lions had field far enough to attempt a the fans, were into the game. 49-40 when the final buzzer Regional Championship game, the the advantage of the home field. forty yard field goal. With a This was the Lions’ year. sounded and Leo students Leo community united together At half time, the teams headed little over a minute left, the The third quarter took over the field, hugging to show the team exactly how to the locker rooms with the score remained 10-7, but the ended with the Lions fighting the players and one another. proud they were of their team. Lions trailing the Red Devils Lions were not giving up. to regain the lead and “Rushing the field Businesses posted signs rooting 7-0, but this would be the only succeeding; the teams then after winning sectionals was on the Lions, proud parents and touchdown of the game for the see Lions, page 2 Deserving students given “Student of the Month” Leo Jr./Sr. High School misses AYP SCIENCE: Leo does not make Adequate Yearly Progress for 2010/2011 Isaiah McGillivray ENGLISH: (grade 11) Josh Creech (grade 10) By Taylor Hipskind meals); race/ethnicity (Overall, graduation targets. Second, they Feature Editor White, Black, Hispanic, or Asian); can meet AYP by reducing the CAREERS/BUSINESS: Limited English Proficiency number of students not meeting PE/HEALTH: Half of all of the public (LEP); and Special Education. performance targets. The Cassie Aker (grade 10) Cydney Lock (grade 12) schools in Indiana made AYP for “[Leo Jr./Sr. High School] second method is called making the 2009-2010 school year. The list met AYP standards in math, but “Safe Harbor,” said Green. SOCIAL STUDIES: of schools that made AYP for the not in English for free and reduced “Leo Jr./Sr. High School FINE ARTS: Nick Smith (grade 12) 2009-2010 school year does not lunch,” said Dr. Neal Brown, has 13 AYP categories with 30 or Elizabeth Huber (grade include Leo Jr./Sr. High School. principal of Leo Jr./Sr. High more students. There were three 12) According to Dr. School. “In order to make AYP, you subgroups (Overall, White, FAMILY AND CONSUMER Karyle Green, superintendent must pass all categories. Leo Jr./Sr. and Free/Reduced Meals) for SCIENCES: of East Allen County Schools, High School has 13 categories.” each of the four areas including BUSINESS: Rachel Schnelling (grade “Adequate Yearly Progress, or According to Green, English Performance, English Jacob Scheitlin (grade 9) AYP, is a part of the No Child AYP designations for Indiana Participation, Math Performance, 10) Left Behind (NCLB) Act of school corporations and schools and Math Participation totaling SPANISH: 2001. Since 2002, NCLB has are determined by student 12 groups. The final category was 7TH GRADE STUDENT OF required public schools to performance and participation Overall of English Performance Jaron Birkley (grade 10) MONTH: make AYP for both the overall rates on the Indiana Statewide missing their target. The target student population and any Testing for Educational Progress- passing rate in that category Nate Morris TECHNOLOGY: demographic group within the Plus (ISTEP+) assessments. was 60.1 percent and the actual school that includes 30 or more Schools can make AYP passing rate attained was 55.1 Derek Dewitt (grade 11) 8TH GRADE STUDENT OF students called “subgroups.” by one of two methods. First, percent. In addition, the Safe MONTH: These student subgroups they can meet all academic Harbor of 10 percent fewer are characterized by economic performance targets, test MATH: Alex Coley see AYP, page 3 Amy Roth (grade 9) background (free and reduced participation, attendance or PG 6 PG 8 PG 10 Learn why seniors are so stressed and how they can Find out how Leo students spent the Thanksgiving Coach Sauder is named Colts/NFL Coach of the make the best of their last year. holiday and Black Friday. Week. TCID:PP 2 News The Lion’s Tale December 3, 2010 New schedule comes to Leo By Abbie Trosper are using,” said Hissong. This change will Along with of having the same classes Hissong also said drastically affect both teachers the change will come for long periods of time. opinion editior that with the way things and students alike. Angela reactions from teachers/ Although Rohrbacher isn’t currently are, three buildings Snyder, a teacher at Leo Jr./Sr. faculty and students alike. looking forward to the change, in the district running grades High school, is concerned that “I think they will like he does think that it would East Allen County 7 and 8 on a semester schedule since teachers will have more the change once they get used be easier for the school body school board officials have and grades 9 through 12 on students, there will be less to it,” said Smith. “Classes are if everyone were operating decided that schedules will a trimester schedule, it is time for individual attention. shorter, there is less time for of the same schedule. be no longer organized in difficult to share teachers “Science labs fit lab classes and internships, With a trimester trimesters. Starting next between junior high and better in 74 minutes than 50 but you have more weeks in a schedule, the electives of school year, East Allen County high school students. A cost minutes,” Snyder said. She semester to complete a course.” students will be affected Schools will be operating savings is created because prefers the trimester schedule. Some students of and will change. A trimester on a semester schedule. fewer teachers are needed on a Jody Smith, assistant Leo High School, such as schedule includes 15 credits a “East Allen County seven period day, considering principal at Leo High School, sophomores Brooke Seibel and year, and there are 4 years in Schools feels that it is in the teachers will be teaching 86% said that there are several Reid Rohrbacher, do not think a student’s high school career. best interest of students and of their day, whereas no they reasons as to why schedules the change will be beneficial. This adds up to 60 credits. A staff to make the change at are teaching 80% of their day. are being switched. Most Seibel will not semester schedule possesses 14 this time,” said Chris Hissong, The Superintendent obvious of the reasons, this appreciate the change from credits a year and 2 increments Executive Director of School of East Allen County Schools, new schedule is more cost trimesters to semesters. At her of 18-week periods. 14 credits Management of EACS. “The Karyle Green, also feels effective. Besides the financial old school, they operated on a year multiplied by 4 years in decision to move forward that the newly adopted factor, Smith said that this a semester schedule and she a high school career equals 56 is based on the continually semester schedule will be new schedule aligns better found it much more stressful.