Volume 44, Edition 6 November 23, 2010 InT This he Edition:V iking S aga A True Friend Retires BY KAYTLIN MURPHY lots of “Good morning, it is now people on five minutes before the start a personal of Block A,” is heard every l e v e l , ” 5 submitted by e. gada morning, cueing the mayhem she said. Ceramics Class of the school day to begin. Resetar Eileen Resetar has worked r e c a l l e d Glass Blowing Trip with East Lyme High School m a n y for over two decades, making memories the announcements and at ELHS. brightening up the main office O n e with her smile. Recently, this m e m o r y vital staple to ELHS annonced that not many other that she will be retiring from k.murphy/saga her position as the main office f a c u l t y 7 l.kastner secretary in December after 23 members After two decades of saying ‘hello,’ Ms. Hays Sisters Take years at ELHS to spend more could say Resetar says it is time to say ‘goodbye.’ time with her family. they went Over the School “She has been the voice through is having the offices set and can’t be replaced. She’s of ELHS for so many years, I up in the gym in the ‘90s when a true friend and help to don’t know who could be better the addition was being built. everyone,” said math teacher at what she does. I do know that She also loved watching her Dianne Condon. everyone will miss her deeply,” children grow up at ELHS in During retirement, Ms. said junior Gowtham Yenduri. the classes of ’95 and ’96. Resetar looks forward to At an early age, Ms. Resetar “I’ve made lots of lifelong traveling with her husband already knew what career she friends, and picture them as and spending time with her 9 submitted by l. kirschblum wanted to pursue. family. Every day was different grandchildren in Connecticut Winter Sports “Definitely in an office job; here, which made the job and North Carolina. I’ve always wanted to be a interesting,” said Resetar. “I would like to be more Preview secretary. I remember as a little “Honestly, she is my hero. available, and not have a girl playing ‘work’ and I always There will never be another schedule so I can spend time chose to answer the phones and like her. She is an amazing, one with my family, just change such,” she said. of a kind woman,” said Ms. up the routine a bit,” said Ms. “I’m sure there were thousands Resetar’s dear friend and co- Resetar. “I look forward to of memorable moments; I have worker Ms. Jones. sipping my tea while watching the best job in the place. I meet “She is the face of ELHS the Today Show, too.” 10 submitted by k. sinko Concert Choir Saying Goodbye to NEASC BY ALICE NAVARRO England interviewed and the visit. Visits Ithaca NEASC has left the building. shadowed students and faculty To conclude this decade’s The New England Association and conducted walkthroughs accreditation process, a report On the back: of Schools and Colleges of every classroom. NEASC will be drawn up by the chair finished their accreditation visit representatives were judging If you could have of the NEASC committee, of East Lyme High School on how well ELHS was held to formally detailing whether or anyone at the head Wednesday, November 10. the seven standards of teaching not ELHS has been accredited. of your Thanksgiving After arriving on November and learning. When their This report will not be available table who would it be 7, a group of approximately examination drew to a close, the until March, as there is a long and why? 15 faculty and administrators representatives held a meeting process involving the changes from schools around New to reveal the initial findings of and input of the report. www.thevikingsaga.org East Lyme High School, 30 Chesterfield Road, East Lyme, CT 06333 2 november 23, 2010 opinion Talk Less; Say More editorials by Kate Kielty and Emily Mooradian between high school students need to know our exact class there is always someone who across the nation, with the rank at all. is ranked higher than you. Of intent to accurately assess the In order to decrease the course, there are those who performance of a student in a pressure and competition that have worked unbelievably hard certain subject. After all, an A in comes with class rank, the East and deserve to be rewarded, but Mr. Warykas’ AP English class Lyme High School guidance knowing that they are in the may not be the same as an A in counselors are considering top 5 percent, 10 percent or 25 an AP English class anywhere possibly changing to a decile percent of their class at one of else across the country. system. In this system, the the top 500 schools in the nation While I have come to school will only report whether should be enough recognition terms with being assessed by a student is in either the top 5 for their hard work. these standardized test scores, percent, 10 percent, 25 percent, Sending college applications is b.grimwood I do think that the excessive 50 percent, etc. of their class stressful enough without having amount of numbers is a little… to both the student and any to analyze extra numbers. With The Right Rank well, excessive. colleges they are applying to. an activities list, standardized This brings me back I, for one, think it is a great test scores, transcript, letters of BY KATE KIELTY to last February, when the idea. This change would allow recommendations and personal Applying to colleges seems Class of 2011 first received a rank to be specific enough to essays, colleges have more than to revolve around numbers, and their unweighted GPAs and know exactly what a student’s enough to get a feel for what seniors will know what I mean weighted class ranks. At the work throughout high school kind of students their applicants by this. A student’s GPA, class time, I was extremely frustrated has contributed to, yet vague are. ELHS allowing colleges rank, SAT scores, ACT scores, with the several classmates enough that he or she cannot and students to know an exact AP scores and SAT Subject who were openly comparing stress about it too much. class rank provides little benefit Test scores can dictate which their class ranks on Facebook. This is not to say that to college admissions and only schools are reasonably within Why should it matter who has everyone is obsessed with adds pressure on students. reach for the student and which the better rank when it’s only their class rank, but there are Outside The Classroom schools are unrealistic. there to inform students of certainly those who let it get to compiles statistics and For the most part, this makes where they stand among their them that Bob or Nancy has a quotes from ELHS students sense. Both the ACT and SAT classmates? But this year I am better rank than them. Indeed, about various topics. The tests are compared evenly beginning to wonder why we unless you are the valedictorian, information and data published in OTC’s is Outside The Classrooms: gathered from Saga surveys that can be accessed at PRESSURE AND STRESS www.thevikingsaga.org. CO M PILED BY ATE IELTY AND M ILY OORADIAN K K E M Out of 257 students who took a Viking Saga8 survey... 7 What do you think about the pressure on students to succeed? 6 Students said that the most Students5 said that their biggest 4 “You need some pressure to 3 “It’s much better if YOU want pressure to succeed comes from: concern2 at the moment is: 1 get anywhere in life. Without to succeed and not if someone 5 4 50% it, I know that I would just 3 else wants you to.” 2 the future be lazy.” 1 - junior girl 45% 40% (college/career) 22% - sophomore girl parents themselves classes and “Students in East Lyme have grades “I just think the hardest thing to a skewed sense of success. learn is how to say no or when 5% standardized Why does everybody have to test scores to say enough’s enough. No 10% GPA 2% family be the best at everything all one ever stops or takes a break and class rank 3% friends 8% teachers 1% employment 5% having fun the time?” when they should.” 4% feel no pressure to succeed 5% sports -senior girl -senior girl Other statistics: “I think that it’s good in “There’s too much pressure • 213 of the 257 students said that they feel great pressure to succeed in classes moderation, but it gets to you to get good grades, and not • 65 said that they feel pressure to do well on standardized tests • 55 said that they feel pressure to succeed in athletics after a while so you definitely enough to find a career that will • Also, 14% are never or rarely stressed, 41% feel a normal amount of stress and need to relax a little.” make us happy.” 45% said that they are very or always stressed. –freshman girl –senior boy The information and data published in ‘Outside the Classrooms’ is strictly for informational purposes and The Viking Saga does not encourage or discourage any of the views presented.