Spokane Skills Center Emphasizes Academics

“OK, here is how we are going to do it…”

With the sound of hammers falling in the background, Dale Reuschlein and Jacy Todd leaned over the blueprints and rubbed their unwrinkled foreheads.

While their fellow students at the Spokane Skills Center nailed down the flooring for a house, the two were running the calculations in their heads for necessary supports for the bay window.

“We are going to need a mark at 10 feet, then come out three feet,” said Reuschlein, a North Side senior who goes to the Skill Center full time.

Under the direction of teacher Kirk Hopkins, Reuschlein, Todd and two dozen other students are building a house at the Spokane Skills Center for a couple in Pend Oreille County.

When finished, the two-bedroom, modular house will have the look of a country rambler, with a big bay window in the living room and wings on either side.

Hopkins has high expectations of his kids.

“These are industry standards,” said Hopkins, pointing to a graph showing the dips and bumps in the floor grade. The students’ floor has variations of 1/16th of an inch.

“They (the students) aren’t used to the quality aspect. They think you do something halfway and it’s a C.”

The home construction project is part of a new emphasis at the Skills Center on academic skills. “In the past, students would come here to escape math and come here and work on their car,” said director Bob Olfert. “We are showing them to succeed they are going to have to learn to be more than a wrench-turner.”

The Skills Center has 725 students, 200 more than last school year. Olfert expects the center to top 1,000 students next year, when it begins offering G.E.D. classes. The center now gives occupational training credit and academic classes for students with learning difficulties, but is not certified to graduate students.

For the construction class, the shift toward academics means critical thinking, teamwork and math skills are stressed as much as the proper way to hit a nail. Hopkins says he pushes the students to figure out problems on their own.

The class is perfect for junior Brandy Marshall. She used to attend Rogers, but switched to the Skills Center because she found regular classrooms “like day cares.”

“Here, it’s not busy work because you are on your own time,” said Marshall, who wants to set up a construction business with her boyfriend. “This isn’t boring because it’s what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

Mead student honored

Mead High School senior Sarah Westergren is being considered for the Presidential Scholars program, one of the highest academic honors for public high school students.

Westergren is one of 2,600 candidates for 100 spots. Academically, she has already been named a National Merit Scholarship finalist and scored a perfect 800 on the verbal portion of her SAT.

She won an award at a debate contest for her sense of humor. She also teaches piano and volunteers at Spokane Legal Services, which provides free legal advice to people who can’t afford a lawyer.

Shadle Park students protest

A class of Shadle Park High School students quietly protested the passage of an Internet censorship bill by darkening the school’s World Wide Web homepage last week.

Teacher Don Story said he agrees with the intent of the Communications Decency Act, but calls the bill’s wording “terribly misguided.

“As it is now written … it would be a felony to include words in your e-mails that are commonly heard in the halls of the high school at which I teach,” Story said in an e-mail message.

Students Bryan Koschmann and Khoi Nguyen also registered the disgust. Koschmann acknowledges on-line smut, but says Congress should treat users like adults. “If you don’t want to see it, then don’t go there … if you don’t have the common sense not to go there, then you shouldn’t even be on the Internet.”

Computer demonstrations at school

Lidgerwood Elementary School is honoring business partner Holy Family Hospital Thursday with student computer demonstrations on the machines the hospital donated.

The hospital gave $14,000 to Lidgerwood for five new Macintosh 580 computers with CD-ROM drives. Students will give guests demonstrations on the computers.

Call the school at 353-4440 to get on the guest list.

School out June 10 in Deer Park

Because of school days lost to snow closures, the Deer Park School District is moving the last day of school back to June 10.

, DataTimes MEMO: Education Notebook is a regular feature of the North Side Voice. If you have news about an interesting program or activity at a North Side school or about the achievements of North Side students, teachers or school staff, please let us know. Write: Jonathan Martin, Education Notebook, North Side Voice, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. E-mail: jonathanm@spokesman.com. Call: 459-5484. Fax: 459-5482.