Hopi Jr/Sr High School begins

KEAMS CANYON - Hopi High School has five new teachers, a new special education director and a new director for its alternative school. The new staff was introduced during the school's two-day back to school in-service Aug. 14-15.

School began Aug. 16.

The new teachers are Michael Tenakhongva, math; Ken Burns, science; Miriam Jackson, English; Mary Ann Love, computers; and Emma Talashoma, home economics.

Darold Joseph is the new special education director.

Desire Timeche moves from teaching home economics to special education.

Laurel Poleyestewa switched from junior high school counselor to high school counselor for ninth and tenth graders.

Ben Willey will be the school's first director of the alternative school program.

Erika Lalo and Marvin Parra have joined the security staff.

Grace Mahkewa is the new eighth grade science teacher at Hopi Junior High and Beth Giebus has moved from high school English to eighth grade reading at the junior high.

Lynn Fredericks, formerly the eighth grade reading teacher, is now seventh grade social studies teacher. Kay Lowe is the new junior high academic counselor.

Policy changes

Some new policies are in place as tardy students will be cause for after-school detention rather than in-school isolated classroom environment as it has been in the past. Isolated classroom environment has been renamed in-school suspension, which will handle all in school suspensions.

Bonnie Poleahla, school's health practitioner, said students with asthma can carry inhalers in their backpacks and use them as long as parents have signed a permission sheet.

Lynn Root, alcohol/substance abuse prevention counselor, said the school's substance abuse prevention program is working, because they are seeing a reduction in substance abuse. He said this is due to a community effort of working with outside agencies such as police and health care entities. He said the reduction was seen most dramatically in the 12th grade.

Root said in order to maintain funding the program has to show at least a 2 percent reduction in substance abuse and violence each year.

Don Walker, public information officer for Navajo County, gave a presentation at the teacher orientation on public health emergency preparedness and response in case of bioterrorism.

James Mackenzie, regional coordinator For Futures for Children, gave a presentation at the teacher orientation about youth leadership and parenting programs.

(Stan Bindell, former Observer editor, is journalism and radio teacher at Hopi High School.)

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