I FOOL MOON
(C-c •
Volume 53, No. 7
ALBEMARLE HIGH NEWSPAPER
311 Park Ridge Road Albemarle, NC 28001 982-3711
AprU, 1988
42% of AHS Students Assigned to N. Stanly for ’88 -’89
If this unfortunate symbol appears in
front of your house, you are now a
“Comet”!
Final Exams
Cancelled
For ’88
By BLAIR JOHNSON
And MELYNEE MORGAN
Due to an oversight during school calen
dar scheduling, the Albemarle City School
Board of Education has cancelled final ex
ams.
The school calendar was approved
without taking into account the fact that
1988 is a leap year. Leap year comes but
once every four years and adds an extra
day to our normal 365 day year. This extra
day, or February 29, fell on a Monday dur
ing 1988 causing the remainder of the
weekdays to be thrown off one day.
Therefore, the remaining scheduled
Fridays have been moved into the
weekend. These Fridays, thirteen in all,
are not covered in current teacher con
tracts.
Teacher contracts do not include class
room instruction during weekends except
during designated make-up snow days.
The School Board cannot, otherwise, legal
ly require teachers or students to attend
school on weekends.
The error was discovered- too late to
renegotiate contracts without substantial
legal fees and payroll increases. Rather
than bear the expense and hostility of revi
sion, the School Board has advised that
students may subtract these thirteen
Fridays from the end of school,
obliterating final exam week.
April Fools!
The 1988 Albemarle High School Exam
Committee and Superintendent Bryce
Cummings were not quite as lenient as the
previous article indicates; however, they
have established ways of being exempt
from final exams. Junior Marshals as well
as seniors can exempt exams as long as
they have an 85 average in the subject. The
exams for seniors will be objective and
designed to last for fifty minutes.
The exam schedule for seniors will be as
follows:
Thursday, June 2,1988
Friday, June 3,1988
Monday, June 6,19888
Underclassmen Exams
Monday, June 6,1988
Tuesday, June 7,1988
Wednesday, June 8,1988
The new exam schedule should be an in
centive for all seniors to strive for an 85
average so they won’t have to take thos
dreaded final exams and also for under
classmen to increase their class rank so
they can be a marshal as a junior.
2nd and 5th
3rd and 6th
1st and 4th
1st and 5th
2nd and 5th
3rd and 6th
By KENDALL HOMESLE Y And ADRIENNE SOYER
Have you noticed the white arrows and crosses on the town’s streets? You probably
looked over them, but actually they are very important. The Albemarle City School Board
and the Stanly County School Board, in closed secret meetings, have decided to merge and
supervise the school systems from one school board. A direct result from this decision is
that school zones will be redrawn. These white arrows and crosses have profound mean
ings! If near your home, street, or block you observe a cross, you are to reihain at the
school you presently attend. If you find an arrow, and are an AHS student, beginning the
’88-’89 school year, you will become a “Comet.” If you are presently a Comet, then you are
fortunate to receive the astounding privilege of attending the “Doghouse.”
Undecided districts are marked by an arrow and cross or no sign at all. Under these
circumstances, please call Mr. R.U. Afool at 982-9006 after six o’clock to be informed of
your new district.
Due to the inconvenience of the decisions of the school boards, many families have
decided to move to allow their children to remain at their previous schools.
So be sure to check your neighborhood for any of these signs so you can make plans to
attend your new school. (Doodle-Doodle-Dee, Wubba-Wubba-Wubba!)
Some dedicated “Dogs” are even selling their houses due to the new school zoning.
If this symbol appears in front of your
house, breathe a sigh of relief, for you
are still a “Bulldog”.
With the cancellation of final exams,
Stephanie trashes her books.
AHS WARDon
By KENDALL HOMESLEY
A major administrative change will take
effect beginning the ’88-’89 school year.
Ms. Barbara Ward, who is presently work
ing diligently out in “the bam” reforming
AHS delinquents, will be promoted to
assistant principal. Ms. Ward will be tak
ing over assistant principal Reed Furr’s
job and working alongside Mr. Taylor. Mr.
Furr will monitor the In-School Suspension
program full-time. Ms. Ward’s job will in
clude determining punishment for infrac-
of school rules and planning
assembly programs. Ms. Ward intends to
ho ^ sum rule.” Offenders will
nn«h performing the task of 50
wads of touching their noses to
of IhP chewed gum. Offenders
WaJdN l clean Ms.
to?one weef In ^
Ward is niannw^ u assemblies, Ms.
an ODeretta anri ^ foreign speaker,
Coneratuiations^^^^ u® festival.
Barbara '^‘^hes to Ms.
Barbara Ward for her new assignment.
Barbecue To Follow Graduation
By BLAIR JOHNSON
Albemarle High is well known for upholding cherished traditions, but also for its strik
ing innovations as well. For years, graduation exercises have been held with pomp and
circumstance in the auditorium for seniors and their families. While this tradition has^
maintained the dignity of ceremony, friends and family members, beyond the usual limit
of four per graduate, were simply overlooked and left out.
This year, our graduates will celebrate with all their loved ones in attendance. Instead
of crowding into an auditorium with limited seating capacity, the exercises will be moved
outdoors to the stadium.
•11 u constructed on the 50-yard line where microphones and amplifiers
will be wired to relay sound throughout the stands. Graduates will be seated on the field, as
will the band and chorus.
After diplomas are awarded, the entire gathering will cross the field where a luau-
style feast will be served. Graduates and guests will dine on suckling pig, poi, marinated
vegetables, and punch prepared and served by members of the Future Homemakers of
America.
J.V. Cheerleaders will serve as waitresses and the wrestling team will transport food
from the cafeteria in decorated wheelbarrows. Flag girls will perform the traditional
“Bulldog Shuffle” and the rifle squad will twirl fire batons to the band’s brass and drum
sections. Blues Brothers, Keith Byrum and Greg Harwood, will close the festivities with a
medley of Motown’s Greatest Hits.
Although the new plan met with initial resistance, the School Board finally agreed
unanimously that graduation from Albemarle Senior High should be a celebration for the
entire community. Everyone is invited to attend. Tickets go on sale May 21 and will cost
$15.00 per person. Plan now to attend.
Help Wanted
By MELYNEE MORGAN
The 1988-89 Student Council Elections
will be held in early May. All interested in
running for a school government position
should get a petition from Mr. Blalock and
have it signed by 100 of your fellow stu
dents. Those planning to run for president
or treasurer must be a rising senior, and
those wishing to be vice-president or
secretary must be a rising junior. You
must have good leadership qualities and
be in the top half of your class. This is a
good chance to make things happen for Al
bemarle High School.
Moonbeams
April 1st is the deadline for SAT registra
tion forms to be postmarked.
Saturday, May 7th, is the day for SAT
testing at AHS,
Removal of parking stickers will be al
lowed after April 3rd.
11
Ms. Ward reviews the Disciplinary
Code to brush up on her enforcement
skills.