Tag Archives: Michael Graham

NEARK Schools Prepare for Solar Eclipse

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by Tucker Crain
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – Northeast Arkansas high schools are taking the necessary precautions in preparation for viewing the solar eclipse on Monday, Aug. 21.

The eclipse, which is predicted to take place around 1 p.m., will be visible in the United States from coast-to-coast for the first time since 1918. This brings a new challenge to the school districts, which have not faced the prospect of viewing a potentially hazardous eclipse in recent memory.

The Valley View School District opted out of allowing the students to view the eclipse altogether. Select schools in the Jonesboro, Nettleton, Westside and Ridgefield Christian districts are allowing students to view the eclipse.

“No one will be outside watching the eclipse. Our district made the decision to stay inside and watch a livestream instead,” said David Goodin, Valley View High School principal. “We were worried about the glasses. They’re supposed to be one-size-fits-all, but maybe they don’t fit some students. Younger students may not use the glasses properly, or someone might take their glasses off and get hurt.”

Valley View decided to stream the eclipse instead of going outside to watch even after consent forms were sent home with students. Glasses purchased for the event will go unused.

“Our older students may be checked out by their parents to watch the eclipse with their own approved glasses, and that’s fine. This decision is really just for the general welfare of our student body,” Goodin said.

At Jonesboro Public Schools, all students will be supplied with glasses and allowed to watch the eclipse with an approved consent form.

“We purchased approved solar eclipse glasses for all the students and faculty in the Jonesboro Public Schools district, except for our kindergarten and pre-K students,” Carol Neves, Jonesboro Public School District’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math specialist. “Every student has a permission slip to get signed by a parent or guardian to be able to watch it. If they don’t get it signed, we’ll still be streaming the event inside our buildings.”

Jonesboro Public Schools is the only district allowing all of its students to watch the solar eclipse. Nettleton, Westside and Ridgefield Christian are only allowing older students to watch, though “older” is different at every district.

“Our eighth-grade through 12th-grade students can view the eclipse. We have contacted local eye doctors and developed a safety plan for what type of glasses to use,” said Michael Graham, Westside High School principal. “We’re conducting a safety briefing before the event. We’ve had some concerns, but our consultations with the local specialists made us feel like students will be safe to watch.”

Ridgefield Christian will also allow seventh-grade students to watch.

“Our secondary students will be invited to view the event. Our glasses will be provided free of charge, but the students must have their consent form approved by a parent or guardian. All our younger students will watch a stream online,” said academic adviser Veronica Reeves.

While other schools secured enough glasses for all students to view the eclipse, the Nettleton School District only secured enough for certain classes.

“All of our science classes will be viewing the eclipse, and we’re trying to find enough glasses to get the entire school out there,” said Brian Carter, Nettleton High School principal. “The ninth through 12th-grade students who are in a science class during the eclipse will be able to go outside and watch it if they have their consent form signed by a parent or guardian.”

The path of the solar eclipse will show between 75-90 percent totality in Jonesboro and the surrounding areas. The totality in each area lasts around 2 minutes and should not be looked at without using approved glasses.

High Schools Tackle Opioid Problem

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by Madison Gomez
Delta Digital News Service

Opioid Crisis

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JONESBORO — Opioid use and addiction have become a crisis in the United States, but area high schools are working to help raise awareness and promote prevention.

High school students often encounter opioids, mainly through prescription medicine found in relatives’ cabinets.

“Probably one of the things that we struggle with most here at the high school would be pills, such as something you are going to find in your grandmother’s cabinet or your parents’ cabinet,” said Michelle Crain, assistant principal at Valley View High School.

A study of prescription opioid use among high school seniors found nearly one out of four high school seniors had exposure to prescription opioids.

Valley View High School works with an organization, Out of the Dark, which helps raise awareness of drug and alcohol abuse and awareness for teenagers. The community volunteer movement is located on East Mathews Avenue. This organization, and others like it, can be helpful in awareness and prevention. These clubs can help students band together while promoting safe habits.

“We have one of the most marvelous programs here,” Crain said. “We probably run right now around 85 – 95 in this club. I strongly feel that that sort of thing, sort of club, where like-minded individuals could come together is probably the best thing for teenagers.”

Valley View isn’t the only high school addressing the opioid problem and raising awareness. Jonesboro High School also is raising awareness and prevention amongst its students.

“I know that the school is very proactive now at trying to prevent drugs from coming into the school,” JHS school resource officer Brian Sawyer said, “and they deal with it if the drugs do come into school.”

If a student is found in possession of illegal substances — such as opioids — they are not only brought to the school’s resource officer, but also dealt a punishment through the school.

“If you are caught with any prescription that could be considered a drug of abuse … then we investigate that,” Westside High School principal Michael Graham said. “And if you have possession of it or distribute it or are under the influence of that while at school, then the policy says that the principal shall make a recommendation to the superintendent that the student be suspended for 10 days and recommend to be expelled from school.”

High schools use locker searches or backpack searches to help locate and deter drugs and other illegal substances from being in the high school. Jonesboro High School has an “open-door” policy with the K-9 unit that allows the police dogs to sweep parking lots and classrooms.

High schools are also attempting to tackle the problem outside of school by providing after-school programs and activities for students.

Parents and guardians are also encouraged to take action in prevention by locking up and keeping track of prescription medications for themselves and the teenager. Sawyer said parents must take steps to ensure their children do not abuse or sell household medications.