@VILKES-BARRE, PA. Vol.121 No. 14 THE BACK MOUNTAIN'S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1889 May 22 - 28, 2011 The ATTAS Post. www.mydallaspost.com AN EDITION OF THE TIMES LEADER DHS directors mulling more restrictive dress code There is an existing district policy last updated in 2000, but each of the four school buildings - Dallas High School, Dallas Middle School, Wycallis Elementary and Dallas Elementary - also have By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com The Dallas School District is mulling a dress code policy for students attending the new high school building that would be more restrictive than those from past years. Jeffrey Shaffer, principal of the high school, presented a proposal to the school board May 2 for a district-wide policy that would their own policies. address issues with closing that is too loose, too tight and too re- vealing. He said the policy change is an ongoing process, and it is only now being discussed as a possi- bility for the new high school. “In polling the other adminis- trators, and through conversa- tions and staff meetings, we found there’s not that much of a problem at elementary and mid- dle schools (concerning dress code),” said Superintendent Frank Galicki. There is an existing district policy last updated in 2000, but each of the four school buildings — Dallas High School, Dallas Mid- dle School, Wycallis Elementary and Dallas Elementary - also have their own policies. Changing the code Shaffer said the idea to change the dress code policy was spurred last fall when he was asked to speak at a student council meet- ing about clothing issues. “I must have been there for 45 minutes answering questions and explaining what the issues were,” he said. In February, Shaffer said there was talk of proposing a school See CODE, Page 12 Christine McCarthy shows acceptable, strapped-backed sandals for next year at Dallas High School. The school is re- vamping its dress code. CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK PHOTOS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST After releasing these young ducks into a stream at The Lands at Hillside Farms, fourth-graders at Apple Tree Nursery and Primary School found coaxing them back was almost impossible. Lauren Golden, of Dallas, a fourth-grade student at Apple Tree Nursery and Primary School, releases her duck which she raised since it hatched to a stream at The Lands at Hillside Farms. Madison Shaver, a fourth-grade student at Apple Tree Nursery and Primary School, releases a Mallard duck she raised to a new life outdoors at The Lands at Hillside Farms. Assignment was JUST DUCKY Apple Tree students raise ducklings, release them into waters at Hillside Farms. By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com leven proud parents waived goodbye to their waddling “children” on May 13. Ten ducks raised by a fourth- grade class at Apple Tree Nurs- ery School/Susquehanna Prep were released into a stream at The Lands at Hillside Farms. Fourth-grade teacher Cindy Berry said raising the ducklings was part of a science experi- ment on embryology, one the school has sponsored for the past 10 years. A first-grade class from the school was also able to witness the release, and many students tossed grass and giggled at the ducks while the quacking cu- ties splashed and swam in a lit- tle stream between Hillside’s greenhouses. “Go duckies! Go duckies!” the children shouted in unison. The students were solely re- sponsible for keeping the eggs safe before the ducks hatched ‘and feeding and cleaning the web-toed offspring for nearly a month afterwards. Madison Shaffer, 9, of Laurel Run said students had to keep the eggs in an incubator and turn them three times a day to keep their temperatures warm. Nineteen eggs were received from a mail-order service in California, but only 10 survived. Berry said it's common for some of the eggs to be unfertil- ized upon arrival. One of the ducks almost didn’t make it — Mikayla Kathio, 10, of Pittston, said a certain billed buddy was a bit weak af- ter hatching, but Kathio’s fa- But it didn't mean students weren't attached to waddling little creatures. As the class left the stream to have a sweet treat inside the farm's dairy store, several children waived goodbye to their feathery friends. ther, a veterinarian, was able to help. “First, he wasn’t hatching properly and then he wasn’t eat- ing and he couldn’t walk,” Kath- io said of the duck, which stu- dents later named Lucky Duck. “He was weak and we had to give him special food and keep him in the sunlight.” Kathio said it took Lucky Duck just a day or two to get back in shape, and on May 13 he frolicked with his siblings in the water — a first for all 10 of the ducks. “They’ve never been in water before,” said Berry. “In past years, we had a little kiddy pool for them but this year we didn’t.” Lucky Duck is the only one with a name — Kathio said be- cause there weren't enough ducks for all the students to choose a moniker, the rest re- mained anonymous. But it didn’t mean students weren't attached to the wad- dling little creatures. As the class left the stream to have a sweet treat inside the farm’s dairy store, several children waived goodbye to their feath- ery friends. “We’ll miss you!” yelled out 10-year-old Mia Raineri, of Sha- vertown. Hillside volunteer Chip Mar- tin said the ducks will most like- ly nest on the farm grounds for a few days or weeks before ven- turing out on their own. @ Axe-LEHMAN SCHOOL DISTRICT Board votes to keep tax line : By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com The board voted at a meeting Monday night to keep the tax line steady for its proposed 2011-12 budget despite facing cuts in state funding. It was a 54 vote — board mem- bers Andrew Salko, Walter Glo- gowski, David Paulauskas and Kevin Carey were against the measure while Mark Kornoski, Lorraine Farrell, Bo Kreller, Mod- erno Rossi and Harold Cornell steady in spite of proposed voted in favor of holding the tax line. The $25,005,72 budget has $25,985,281 in expenditures — the difference will be paid with money from a fund balance, which is akin to a savings ac- count. About $900,000 will be used and the district will have about $600,000 left over, accord- ing to Rossi. Business Manager Thomas Melone said the millage rates are slightly different from last year’s due to a state Department of Edu- cationequiredh wshalancing of udget cuts housing market values within the district. He said it’s an annual re- quirement of districts that span more than one county. In February, the board voted for a 4.18 percent tax increase for See BUDGET, Page 1 8151200 6'"B098 1512007 0 Re}
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