Foreign Language Day took place March 5 where seniors Keely West and Matt Wier participate in the cultural event at the University of Montana. Photo by Mauro Whiteman.

On March 5 CMR foreign language students traveled to the University of Montana for the annual “Foreign Language Days” event. Students gained perspective into college life by sitting through courses that opened their doors to high school students for a day. Some classes prepared a lesson plan that involved the students or asked them to participate in the discussion if they spoke the language being taught. Students in German, French, and Spanish classes sat in on a class in their primary language  while also taking exotic classes like Arabic, Greek, Italian, Russian Literature, and culture classes.

During basketball season, referees deal with pressure from coaches, parents, players and fans.

Montana refs share their stories

by Meg Smith

With their black and white stripes it seems the prey becomes the predator. These zebras don’t run away from the pack; they dive right in and keep the game from turning into a tooth and nail fight. They are the referees.

One such referee is Cory Cromwell. After 16 years of refereeing, Cromwell knows the ups and downs of keeping the game under control.

Cromwell says that watching the coach is one of the most important parts of refereeing because the referees need to have open communication with them. He also stresses that refs have to have patience with the coaches because there are two main types of coaches:

There is the coach who “talks a little bit then blows up.” This is the coach who can remain quiet the whole game and then go off about one particular call.

Or there is the coach who yells the whole game about every step the referee takes. Cromwell calls this the “cry wolf syndrome.” When the coach doesn’t know how to control his temper then it’s up to the referee to decide when enough is enough.

 “You don’t just go out throwing around technicals.”

And Shawn Schroeder, a referee coming from a coaching background in basketball himself, always tries to see from the coaches’ perspective before making any calls on them.

“They are all just competing; trying to win a game,” Schroeder said.

However, the coaches aren’t the only ones the referees have to worry about. The players can lose control during a heated game as well.

“Some schools are more known for it than others,” Cromwell said. But a referee will never take any unsportsmanlike conduct from a player. On the court, he expects the high schoolers to remain in control with their head in the game. Schroeder expects them to remain in control as well and keep their heads in the game.

Cromwell is reluctant to say which schools are the worst to handle, but he admitted, “players with bad reputations come and leave.” Cromwell knows he just has to be ready to handle whatever happens during the game.

The games can be harder to handle when cross-town comes around. “There is certainly more excitement.” The excitement can cause the student bodies and players of both schools to get rowdier.

Schroeder, who has three cross-town games under his belt, agrees with Cromwell. “There is more energy in the air. It’s a more exciting game.”

          But no matter the game, the referees keep it controlled and make it a fair game to the end. ]]> http://rustlernews.com/2010/01/officially-out-of-control/feed/ 0 http://rustlernews.com/2010/01/seery-bpe-aid-future-of-montana-education/ http://rustlernews.com/2010/01/seery-bpe-aid-future-of-montana-education/#comments Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:47:32 +0000 admin http://rustlernews.com/?p=293 by Tim Seery

For the past year, it has been a unique experience to be at the forefront of education policy on both the state and federal level. In fact, I have learned to appreciate the quality and durability of our education system in Montana despite some formidable challenges.

It has been for the past nine months my constitutional duty as the only student member of the board to represent the 108,000 students who fill Montana’s schools on a daily basis.

Providing students with the quality education they deserve is the driving force behind those of us on the Board of Public Education. The duties and powers of the state board include managing teacher licensure, school accreditation, teacher certification, graduation requirements, and federal assessment. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of a view of education from the state level is the relationship the state holds with the federal Department of Education. My term on the board started at the advent of a new administration on both the state and federal level. President Obama selected Chicago CEO of Schools Arne Duncan as Secretary of Education while Montanans elected Denise Juneau for Superintendent of Public Instruction.

This past Jan. 7-8 I spent in Helena serving on the BPE. As an ex-officio board member I hold all of the rights and privileges associated with the position except the ability to vote. However, the position has allowed me to see beyond the classroom to gain a panoramic perspective of what it takes to make education tick. 

Although we may not always be aware of it, the Board of Public Education impacts the lives of every student across Montana on a daily basis. In fact, the state -mandated graduation requirements are a standard set by the BPE. You also might be surprised to know that each school in Montana is required to maintain a minimum number of librarians, counselors, licensed teachers, and administrators for its school population. The BPE makes sure that all standards are met and works with schools who because of lack of resources or other circumstances cannot meet those standards.

From supporting and providing “Breakfast in the Class Room” programs for elementary students, making sure our schools are preparing students adequately for life after high school, establishing the Montana Virtual Academy, and working to meet national initiatives and standards, the Montana Board of Public Education is one entity that impacts the lives of every student, family, and parent in our state.

As I look back on my first year on the BPE I can honestly say that Montana is moving in the right direction. All eight of us who serve on the board have the best interests of the students, educators, and families at heart. Each one of us come from different backgrounds and represent various components of the education sector. If you take a profile of the board you see it in a new light. The board is composed of: one master elementary teacher, a retired school board member, an AP Calculus teacher, an AP Government/Civics teacher, a former legislator, an elementary school principal, a lawyer, and myself. Each individual brings his or her unique perspective to the table in the education discussion.

I take the position I hold  seriously because I believe that education is the bedrock of our society and the cornerstone of our democracy. In Montana, the leaders in education are a family, all working for the same goal .

I guess thae image that continues to come back to me was at our meeting this September in Browning. In place of the pledge of allegiance, a group of second grade children opened our meeting with the Blackfeet flag song. Each one proudly sang to the beat of the drum in the legacy of their ancestors before them. At that moment, I realized what keeps me coming back, and what keeps all of us going: the idea that one day each of these students will make their families, their tribe, and their ancestors proud and develop their own potential to know that in Big Sky Country anything is possible.