See
Homecoming Court
spread, pg. 6 & 7
Curious Savage
Oct. 17 & 19
GRIMSLEY HIGH LIFE
^ “Voice of the Whirlies” Greensboro, North Carolina October 18, 1985_^
Volume LV, Number 2
Grimsley Senior High School
Joyner named Teacher of the Year
by Eugene Naughton
0f-
|Ms. Peggy Joyner . Teacher of the Year _ ^
Basic Education Plan prohibits pep rallies
. c ] the new minutcs of instructional time ina nf 11
There is definitely an aura
about room 202. Upon entering it,
one is definitely overwhelmed by
the number of posters and other
paraphenalia found displayed
around the room. However, what
is most striking is the constant
presence of the animated soul of
the room, Ms. Peggy Joyner. An
English teacher, Joyner has been
nominated by her GHS collegues
to represent the school in the
1985-86 Teacher of the Year con
test. Day in and day out, she
epitomizes the kind of teachers so
well perceived by her fellow
teachers and her students.
One of the more notable
qualities about this teacher is the
dedication of time apparent in the
atmosphere she has created in
room 202. An abundance of
posters and stuffed animals
decorate her room. To her this at-
3 mosphere is vital. In a recent in-
^ terview she stated, “The at-
u* mosphere of the room must make
2 you feel wanted.” She added,
^ ‘Sometimes students learn more
a from the posters than they might
I from a class.”
5 Joyner also uses the stuffed
animals as learning tools. She ex-
S
plained, “They are able to take
on their own personalities which
add to the class.” The at
mosphere of the room is also uni
que in that students have con
tributed to it themselves over the
years.
English is Joyner’s subject and
for her, it is the most versatile.
“English speaks of life, the fears,
the joys, the tears, all the emo
tions. English and literature
speak life.” Through this tool,
Joyner hopes she adds perspec
tive. “Adding perspective is ad
ding happiness to someone’s life.
Each student must be made to
feel happy and important.” She
also feels that teachers have a
responsibility to be friendly to
students and acknowledge each
one. ‘“We owe students a smile,”
she added.
The concept of education also
plays a vast role in Joyner’s life.
“I truly believe in education
itself. Sure, I believe in learning
about Faulkner, or the setting of
a novel, but utmost is the educa
tion of life,” she said. Grimsley’s
candidate explained in her
philosphy of education written for
the contest, “I am a human being
who ... teaches the dreams, the
laughter and the thoughts of
others, and without relationship,
lies my philosophy of education,
my philosophy of human need.”
“Teaching and education,’
Joyner pointed out, is a constant
ly changing process. “As people
change, so too must the teachers.
You cannot stay the same from
year to year. I am as excited
about the beginning of each new
year as I was the first day I walk
ed through those doors. Teaching
is a difficult process. You must be
an actor - you play a role that I
learn from you and you learn
from me.”
Joyner was typically modest
about being selected as the
Teacher of the Year candidate.
“It is bad that there have been
teachers who have done just as
much or more for students and
who go unrecognized.”
Most important to the occupant
of 202 is her belief in the student.
She feels the continuing urge to
make a difference for students.
“If I did not believe I could make
a difference in someone’s life, I
would never come back to
school.”
by Mark Neerman
In-school pep rallies, long part
of the GHS tradition have been
banned because of the newly
adopted state Basic Education
Plan. The plan requires that
students be “on task” each
period of the day. This schedule
can only be interrupted for in
structional purposes. The BEP,
which is aimed at equalizing
educational opportunities for all
North Carolina’s students, began
with the 1985-86 school year. The
pep rally change is only one part
of the new plan the goal of which
is to provide sufficient money for
North Carolina schools and to
provide all public school students
with an equal education whether
she or he lives in Charlotte or not.
The BEP will probably not affect
Grimsley, or other Greensboro
Public Schools too much since the
schools already equal or surpass
most basic requirements set
forth in the plan.
Already the plan has been the
object of confusion and
misconception,, for it has been
confused with many of the new
school baord policies. Students
mistakenly believe the ban on
tobacco, the middle school plan
and the closed lunch for
sophomores are a part of the
BEP.
Another possible change will be
the elimination of senior skip
day. The concept of senior skip
day according to Renn “is in
serious question” and will be
decided by the school board in the
near future.
The plan also requires
55
minutes of instructional time
within a class period. Grimsley,
at present, falls short of this re
quirement. By next year the
school board expects to make a
decision on how this will be
achieved. Being presently con
sidered are a longer day, less
time between classes, or a
shorter lunch period.
Another school board decision
is to put the middle school plan in
to effect next year. This plan will
send the ninth grade students to
the city high schools. The bann
ing of the use of tobacco on cam
pus is also a new measure passed
by the Greensboro School Board.
To date Grimsley has punished
six violators of the policy.
According to Renn, parent
reaction to the changes resulting
from BEP is practically non
existent. When asked how he
feels about the plan Renn
responded, “I think every student
ought to have a good education. 1
think the basic education plan
helps to guarantee that.”
oep rally cnange is oniy one i ^
Homecoming Court decided
« IB ir T»/r _ _ . . y-kVi o I if f TVlOTTlhot* f
by Maureen Musgrove
Tonight one of twelve girls will
be crowned the 1985-86
Homecoming queen. The long
process of voting for the court
started in late September beginn
ing with the nominations of three
girls from each senior
homeroom. These fifty-one girls
were then narrowed to twenty-
five by a senior vote. On October
first a vote, by both the junior and
senior classes, determined the
final twelve. The candidate with
the top vote will be crowned
queen, followe4 by two maids of
honor.
Members of this year’s court
are: Melody Badgett, Tina Baer,
Amy Cass, Sally Clark, Verna
Collins, Leslie Estes, Cindy Gay,
Cindy Banning, Beth Mengel, Tif
fany Noah, Jenny Savage and
Tanya Vance.
The theme for Homecoming
this year is “The Way We Were.”
The dance will be held following
the game against South Stokes.
Single tickets will be sold for $2
beforehand and for $3 at the door.
It will be sounded by Paul Cordts,
a Greensboro D.J.
The halftime presentation of
the court will be highlighted by
the classic cars dating from the
1920’s through 40’s which will
chauffeur each member of the
court as the band plays “The Way
We Were.” As each candidate is
escorted onto the field she will
receive a small gift from one of
two children participants. Lori
Singer, last year’s queen, will
return to crown the 1985-86
Homecoming queen.
Tina Baer, this year’s chair
man, along with Beth Mengel,
Maureen Musgrove, and Michelle
Spessard are the YRC represen
tatives in charge of all aspects of
Homecoming. It is their respon
sibility to provide everything
from a theme, decorations,
flowers, cars, to the queens crown.
1985-86 Homecoming Court
photo by Tracy Furman