Representative Winters Interviewed in Middle School News Room; Discipline Discussed

Monday April 7, 2008

State Representative Dave Winters (R-Shirland) visited Kennedy Middle School Monday morning. In the middle school’s television studio, the students along with Jim Ambruoso, teacher and news media advisor, directed and recorded their daily school news program featuring Representative Winters.

In a very high-tech process for 7th and 8th graders, the news program is filmed daily and shown in each classroom during their 6th hour class period.

Representative Winters fielded questions written out by students ranging from, “Who is the most important person you have ever met,” to “If you weren’t a Representative, what other job would you have?” Former President Jimmy Carter and a commercial pilot, respectively, were his answers.

Joined by the school’s Principal, Theresa Kallstrom, progressive concepts on how to mitigate altercations during school hours were discussed. Kennedy Middle School operates a separate bell schedule for sixth, seventh and eighth grade students that reduces the mixing of students.

 “Minimizing the number of students in the halls at any given time allows for much less opportunity for trouble” Kallstrom stated.

Also, the daily news team provides a sense of discipline and incentive for the students.

“I feel it is a way to help keep the kids out of trouble because if they mess up, they have to come off the news team,” Ambruoso said.

Also, placed on the hot spot by Kennedy Middle School 8th graders, Representative Winters faces a challenge he has never before come up against: The Constitution Test.

“Because of how I moved from Shirland Elementary School to Lincoln Middle School and then onto 9th grade at Hononegah High School, I just missed the constitution test each year,” Winters said.

Although the test is a “take home test,” Mr. Ambruoso and Kennedy Middle School 8th graders fully expect it to be finished and turned in by Friday.

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Posted Wednesday April 9, 2008