PAGE TWO ~ District, Dallas, Superintendent and is issued Dr. Linford A. Werkheiser The third issue of the Dallas Reporter contains information about new and established school programs. One of the major goals of the district is to expand community involvement with the schools and to develop deeper community un- derstanding and support for the objectives of the schools. We think COM- MUNICATION AND COOPERATION are key factors in promoting and maintaining this type relationship. With these goals in mind, THE DALLAS REPORTER is published to inform citizens of the Dallas School District about their schools and the activities and educational programs that take place there. The DALLAS REPORTER will maintain a strict policy of honest and accurate reporting. Public Education IS public business and the district is committed to keeping the public fully informed. Recognizing that communication must be two-way to be effective, the district solicits your comments, concerns, and suggestions. Each parent and interested citizen is asked to read carefully and thoughtfully this and future issues of THE DALLAS REPORTER. Your schools are your investment in your children’s future. The DALLAS REPORTER is not designed to supplant news articles and information published in local newspapers. Rather, THE DALLAS REPORTER is planned as a supplement to the information reported by the regularly existing media. As a supplement, THE DALLAS REPORTER will report on the plans and progress of the Dallas School District toward the goals of quality education for every child. Both the Dallas Intermediate School and Westmoreland Elementary School have building principals. The principals, John Mulhern, at the Dallas Intermediate School, and Mr. Walter Prokopchak at Westmoreland, have also had teaching responsiblities. Mr. Mulliern has been scheduled at least one-half of each day as special science teacher, and Mr. Prokopchak has fulfilled the irregular responsibilities of a fourth grade teacher along with the duties and responsibilities associated with being principal. For the 1972-1973 school year the Inter- mediate School principal will be relieved of the teaching responsibilities and will assume the building administrator’s responsibilities for the kindergarten building and the Dallas Elementary School, as well as the Dallas Intermediate School. Along the same lines, the principal of the Westmoreland School will relinquish the full-time teaching duties and replace them .with administrative responsibilities for the Westmoreland, Trucksville and Shavertown elementary schools. The primary purpose of this shift in responsibilities is to provide more direct leadership and supervisory services for staff and students. It is expected that at least fifty percent of the elementary principals’ time will be devoted to the supervision and improvement of in- struction by working directly with teachers and students. The principal provides leadership for the instructional staff in accomplishing the district’s educational expectations for children. He will also be responsible for the maintenance of pupil services and management of the overall activities in the various buildings to which he is assigned. This includes the establishment of plans that will help students develop self- discipline and procedures for handing dis- ciplinary action as necessary within the policies of the school district. The prinicpal will also supervise the school’s non-instructional staff and be responsible for the conditions of the building and grounds. He will also par- ticipate in the budgetary processes and supervise the maintenance of a continuous inventory of books, equipment and sup- plies. The irresponsibilities are extensive and time consuming. The priorities are service to students, teachers, and parents. Principals will direct their efforts toward working cooperatively with teachers in expediting necessary routine matters so that students and teachers can spend more time engaged-in real learning activities. The professional staff of the Dallas School District participated in a Drug Education Seminar on Monday, May 15 in the Senir High School. Dr. Paul Wilcox, Director of the Division of Drug Control, opened the program by discussing the problems of drug abuse and the drugs being abused. He stated that many adults are regular users of tranquilizers and other drugs, legally prescribed by physicians. Cigarettes and coffee are also forms of addiction but not considered as serious as other narcotics. : He reported information obtained in a survey of 7,000 junior and senior high school students throughout Pennsylvania. Eleven percent of the persons interviewed were regular users of drugs and 35 gave correct responses to questions about the physical effects, names, and other queries about drugs and their. effects. It was suggested that this detailed knowledge resulted from an intimate, personal contact with drugs. Dr. Wilcox went on to discuss the types of drugs being abused by young people. Mr. Roger Pilotti, Investigator with the Division of Drug Control! for the Penn- sylvania Department of Health, informed the teachers that alcohol was the number one substance being abused in this area. Amphetemines were ranked second and marijuana third in the list of most abused substances. He went on to say that it is difficult to tell the extent of the problem by looking at the number of drug abusers who are apprehended or using drugs openly. Mr. Pilotti said that as long as you have one person using drugs, you have’ a tremendous problem. He pointed out it is no fun to get high all by yourself and that as young people en- courage one another to join them in the use of drugs, the epidemic spreads. Drug usage among young people was reported to be more widespread in this area now than earlier and children are experimenting with drugs at earlier ages. Mr. Pilotti charged schools with the responsibility for educating young people about the dangers of drug abuse. He told teachers that they must recognize the problem and want to help combat it. The way adults can be most effective, in his opinion, was by knowing students, understanding and caring for them, and by establishing honest open relationships with young people. Joseph Morton, Supervisor with the Division of Drug Control, discussed the drug abuse laws. He reminded those present that Act 64 is brand new and becomes effective on June 13. The new Act shifts the emphasis for heavy penalties from the user to the pusher. He told that the new laws rank narcotics and dangerous drugs in five scheduled steps depending upon the severity of the dependency and other problems produced by each drug. Violations involving the more dangerous and severe dependency producing drugs can result in longer terms of imprisonment and larger fines of up to five years and $15,000 fine. Violations of the laws regulating the use and distribution of drugs considered the least dangerous carry penalties up to one year and $5,000 fine. Cough medicines and similar materials are included in this latter group. Dr. Charles Krievenko, a Dallas physician, described the physical and emotional effects of drugs. He reported research in the area of marijuana and drug ‘abuse, and reviewed physical symptoms and changes associated with the different types of drugs being abused. Reverend Robert Bartlett is Executive Director of Teen Challenge an organization designed to help young people in trouble by helping them .to help them- selves, Reverend Bartlett stated the usual causes of drug abuse, pointing out that most addicts are frightened, lonely people without hope for the future. He suggested that school could do the most to help young people stay away from drugs by informing them of the inherent dangers and probable consequences, but more importantly schools can become more human in- stitutions where people learn to be con- cerned about others and where students can learn about themselves and learn to like themselves. He also stated the young people with strong convictions and positive values are not likely to turn toward drugs as a short cut to happiness. Dr. Catherine B. Hess, Narcotics Ad- visor to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, addressed district teachers, to begin the afternoon session. She discussed the concepts of values and value teaching as important in working with young people today. ‘Exposure to drug information and learning knowledge about drugs is not the real answer to combat drug abuse among our youth.” What is needed is an un- derstanding of causes of drug abuse in- cluding home conflict, pure pressure, low self esteem and advertising. This program should be a preventation program that is integrated within every aspect of the school curriculum. A program that gives young men and women experience in confronting problems and making decisions upon the basis of values that they establish. The key to any education should be the development of a positive self image. If we wish to assist young people to develop humanistic values, the institution must provide human experience. For people to develop realistic self esteem and to become self actualizing individuals, they and to exert their influence and be actively involved in the educative processes. Schools must recognize that academic knowledge and factual information are only one phase of learning. True educational experiences must also provide (continued on PAGE EIGHT) 5
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers