Marion Times (Newspaper) - September 17, 1998, Marion, Iowa anon IVIt imes September 17 1998 INSIDE Swamp Fox Photos Swamp Fox Results Parade Results Pet Competition Golf Tournament 3On3 Thursda r 1 STowa limes Marion Independent School Board discusses curriculum changes A Fabulous Swamp Fox Festival By Richard Beavers Freelance writer Some changes in school curriculum which would benefit students with low scores on standardized tests and eventually help raise test scores were discussed Monday night at a meeting of the Marion Independent School The in its 14 work first reviewed results of standardized tests given to students the previous school The Iowa Tests of Basic Skills were given to students in grades two through Iowa Tests of Educational Development were given to high school Bob Hoy Vernon Middle School prin presented the results of the Marion students scores were very close to those of other Iowa Eighth grad ers scored the highest and fifth graders scored slightly below Iowa Compared with scores from across the students from each grade scored well above the national the Board was The middle school up through eighth grade has done a good job getting our stu dents ready for high said William Marion Mike high school said scores also compare very 4 favorably with Iowa and national concern was expressed with the number of students falling in the lowest cat These as characterized by the test have trouble reading at a basic They also have difficulty with basic math or computing One concern we have is when a Marion student graduates he or she should have the basic skills required for With such low scores we have some doubts if they are pre Jacobson told the Do want to award a diploma to people who cant read Strategies to identify and help these students were One idea would require students with low performance to take an additional English and math class in their senior year before they could Another suggestion involves adding classes to help students make better Informal for was added this school year to help bridge the gap be tween algebra and We need an attitudinal change on the part of the The faculty needs to under stand the importance of the and help students do their Jacobson He added that The Department of Education has issued a challenge to school administrators and faculty to work to help students improve test scores as much as pos Additional ideas discussed to help dents do their best on tests involved reward ing students for high test getting staff to take testing more seriously and the addi tion of more required These ideas will be discussed in more detail at later Several teachers attending the meeting praised the Block concept adopted by the high school where students have four 90 minute classes per day and no study In such a students get more class variety and classes last nine weeks in stead of the traditional Marge Reynolds is Marions Citizen of the Year Marge Reynolds was chosen as Marions 1998 Citizen of the Reynolds is president of the Granger House Board and a member of Friends of the Library since its She is a former teacher who taught fifth and sixth grade as well as She is also a charter ber of Alpha Delta Kappa an honor ary teachers In a ceremony Mayor Vic Klopfenstein issued a declar ing it Marge Reynolds Day in recognition of the contributions she has made through her volunteerism to the TRe Citizen of the Year is chosen each year by the Swamp Fox Festival Board to provide recognition for those who have given back to the The Marion Home School lawn chair drill team saluted bands serenaded the crowd and in the ninth annual Swamp Fox Parade The parade was said Evelyn a 1939 graduate of Marion High It always They have she Its a wonderful touch of said her Liz a 1967 Marion High School Both were headed to Marions reunion Saturday The Swamp Fox Festival be gan Friday morning with a Mayors Swamp Fox Golf Tournament at Indian Creek Coun try Later that day the citys old settlers gathered for a reunion at Marions And City Square Park became a picnic zone with baked potato salad and coleslaw Marions Swamp Fox Festival even has enough bang to raise the dead every year at Oak Shade Each year a different set of old settlers who now reside under the cemetery are un earthed to tell their stories to tour This year ghosts included Mary Plummer who died in 1880 and was unearthed from her Oak Shade grave to give onlookers a taste of 19th Century dressed in a long black dress with a black veil covering her face sat on a chair behind the granite stone marking her grave and spoke of the pain of losing a hus band and son to the Civil She picked up a framed picture at her side and spoke like a This is my Isnt he hand some I think he takes after his Irish Mary The interactive history lesson has a set of dedicated Im a historian so I find it very inter said Joan Ackerman of who toured the cemetery this year and last What is a parade with out a band Heres one of many inthe Swamp Fox Festival At the right Kelly of Cedar Rapids holds a guinea pig as Ryan feeds a carrot to Swamp Fox included competitive like Saturdays 3on3basketball chal For competitive shoppers there a craft show between the Depot and Keeping with the historic festi val goers were serenaded off and on by a Civil War music Saturday night they helped Granger House staff and volunteers celebrate their 150th anniversary with a mystery boxed sup per auction and singing and dancing to the Battle Cry Six former Students receive scholarships These former students re a variety of scholarships from the University of Northern Iowa Office of Ad missions Tracy 1829 Somerset resident scholar Kristine 4000 Bruce resident scholar Shannan 2900 25th provost scholar Kristin 2960 26th provost per year 3300 McGowan freshman Jacquelyn 3475 Whithall Bethel won an achieve scholar as a transfer from Candy Drive Wearing their familiar yellow the Knights of Columbus are now accepting contributions in exchange for candy outside local stores and The which runs through continues a more than 20year tradition in Eastern Proceeds are given to ery Living and the Iowa Special More than area Knights of Columbus and their families began their annual four day drive on 10 to benefit mentally disabled children and adults in Linn The which is a national as well as a local supports people who have mental It is the major source of capital funds for nearly 60 men and women who live in small homes or apartments in Linn Discovery Living is a nonprofit orga that provides supported living ser vices for adults who have developmental dis The funds go to the Iowa Special Olympics and support a variety of Linn County Farm Bureau Elects officers at 32nd Annual Meeting The Linn County Farm Bureau held its 83rd annual meeting on 10 at the Local 405 1211 Wiley SW in Cedar During the business portion of the an election of officers was Elected to a one year term of office were Carol Vemon president John Cedar vice president and James Marion Shirley Central will serve one year as Womens Committee Randy was elected to serve a threeyear term as the Linn County Farm Bureau voting Board members appointed to serve as directors in townships with terms up for ap pointment are Boulder Ron Coggon Buffalo George Central City Col Marvin Swisher Franklin Don Lisbon Jackson Mitchell Manchester Maine Jim Monticello Flo rence Toddville Putnam David Directors terms are two years each with half of the township terms expiring each A change in the member bylaws was Past presidents and womens com chairs can be seated with voting rights on the Linn County Farm Bureau Board of Marcia Machacek spoke about the Iowa Mothers Association and thanked the Farm Bureau for being her Machacek is currently serving as the Iowa Mother of the Year and represented Iowa at the American Mothers Association meeting in Guest entertainer was Faye a country music singer from Central More Swamp Fox photos inside Phone Scam Targets Teens The Marion Police Department is ask ing parents to be aware of an apparent unau phone survey that targets teenagers with personal questions about issues like teen abortion and According to Marion Steve a man who calls himself John has called sev eral Marion homes and asked teens similar personal As far as we know there is no legiti mate Glenn The same thing happened nearly two months Glenn and it stopped when information about the survey was Glenn said since a woman visiting the area from Denver called Marion police to say a similar phone survey case had evolved in Glenn said several complaints came from parents after the first round of The latest round of calls started last week and there have been three reports made to the police department so The man calling himself John tells teen agers he is calling from an Illinois asks personal questions then asks for refer rals to other He usually hangs up if parents get on the Glenn Parents need to monitor Glenn And teenagers need to be warned not to give out any personal Parents and their teenagers are urged to report any unusual calls to the police de at
