May 21, 2008
By SETH AUGENSTEIN
SPARTA — In Desiree Viggiano's seventh-grade language arts classes, the past is repeating itself.
At least that's what the students have noticed and are trying to fix.
The Sparta Middle School students were studying the Great Depression and its beginnings earlier this year, and the lessons from the past started to sound familiar. In fact, they seemed to echo today's newspaper headlines.
Just as now, increased housing foreclosures, rising gas prices and state budgetary problems existed in Sparta student1929.
"It was weird to hear what's going on — that it's happening again," said Amanda Salmeri, one student.
The classes saw the proposed closing of the state parks as a particularly foolhardy state decision. As the class is quick to point out, cutting the jobs provided by the state parks would likely put those people back on state unemployment and decrease tourism.
The ongoing lessons spurred each student to write Gov. Jon Corzine a letter last month trying to convince him to reconsider his proposal and save the parks.
The students' letters expressed their concerns about the future of the state's finances, and about how High Point State Park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression — a coincidence they find startling. Since those letters were delivered, Corzine has reconsidered his original plans for the state parks, and the teacher believes the classes may have helped play a part in shaping history.
"We write about what happens in our lives, and it becomes history," Viggiano said.
Viggiano has a unique insight of the history she teaches. Her grandfather was in a concentration camp in Nazi-occupied Europe, because he was caught harboring Jews. In her second year at the middle school — after four years at Sparta High School — Viggiano has found a method of teaching that engages students by finding aspects of the curriculum that interest them. Whether they relate to contemporary songs about child abuse or the arts from the Harlem Renaissance, the students said their interest has been piqued — and they feel like they're keeping up with the world as it has been, and as it will be.
"We get the feeling like people are more aware than they have been," said Lindsay Cappetta.
The coincidences between the seventh-grade curriculum and the news has been consistent, Viggiano said. The classes have studied the environmental movement, the unfolding economic recession and other headlines from the past that seem to echo today.
"This year, almost every unit we do has something to do with what's showing up in the news," Viggiano said.
The students said they want to help address those headlines before they happen again.
"You realize what's happening around you, and you realize you'll be living with this when you're older," said Amanda Camacho.
Showing posts with label Sparta Student Corner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sparta Student Corner. Show all posts
20080323
Sparta school remarks spark reaction
February 24, 2008
By SETH AUGENSTEIN
SPARTA — A 16-year-old Sparta High School student's critical remarks at a recent Board of Education meeting have thrust him into the spotlight surrounding the workings of the board.
Anthony Maitilasso and his mother Mary Ann Maitilasso said that Anthony has been called down to the principal's office and even called at home by Sparta police. They say it's because he exercised free speech at a recent school board meeting.
Maitilasso spoke at the board's Feb. 4 meeting, and explained concerns on the Sparta student drug testing policy and First Amendment rights for the high school newspaper.
But one thing he said became a point of contention. He called the board's drug testing policy a "complete double standard," saying there should be drug testing for teachers. He said there was a teacher who had been seen in a bathroom doing cocaine last year. Board Vice-President Richard Sullivan corrected him, saying that the teacher's use of drugs was only "alleged." Maitilasso conceded to the use of the word, but some audience members burst out laughing.
"Alleged?" one called out.
It was further explained later in the meeting that the teacher in question was no longer working at Sparta High School, but that no formal charges or disciplinary action had been taken against the person.
But the issue did not end there for Maitilasso. He said he was called down to Acting Principal Jim Bevere's office a few days after the meeting, and was told to sign a document retracting his statements to the board. He said he refused.
"They told me I was going to have to write a letter or sign something saying what I said was wrong," he said. "All my statement was was a general statement.
"They basically thought that if they put me in there, they could get me to crumble," said Maitilasso.
Bevere said in an interview last week that he and Maitilasso had begun their conversation about some other issues, including the student newspaper. However, he said their meeting was "non-threatening," and that he was simply helping Maitilasso understand what you "can say" and "can't say" in a public meeting.
Bevere maintained in the interview that no teacher was dismissed because of drug use, and no student had been disciplined.
"Anthony's been in my office to discuss several things.... no one was ever forced to retract their statements," Bevere said. "What we try to tell to tell people, is when you make public statements, you should be sure of the facts ... I wanted to let him know that his facts were wrong. He shouldn't be making statements that are not fact.
"I don't know how you're going to portray it; I love how the paper's been portraying us lately," he added.
The Maitilassos also were contacted by the police by phone about a week after the meeting. Mary Ann Maitilasso and her son said that Keith Hannam, the high school's resident police officer, called their home to request Anthony to come down to the police station to talk to the police. Both mother and son refused and directed police to the family's attorney.
Det. Sgt. John Schanstra said the Sparta police had contacted Anthony in a "standard follow-up call" about his statements to the board.
"We did make a call," he said.
Schanstra confirmed that there had been a Sparta police investigation involving the high school last year, but refused to comment further about it.
Mary Ann Maitilasso is angry about they scrutiny her son is facing, especially because she and he say his words were not slanderous or illegal.
"I was right behind him when he spoke," she said. "If you don't want to hear what he said, that's one thing, but don't put words in his mouth."
School board members Michael Schiavoni and Richard Sullivan both said last week that they had not heard about any repercussions for Anthony Maitilasso or what he had said at the meeting. Both, however, said it was inappropriate for him to have spoken about the alleged incident.
"I can't imagine there would be any cause for anything like that," Sullivan said.
Schiavoni said any disciplinary action would come from school administrators. The board would not be informed on a "real-time basis," unless there was some outstanding disciplinary action.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Thomas Morton was at a conference out of the district during the alleged contacts between Maitilasso and Bevere, and the Maitilassos and the police. He said last week that he was looking into the situation.
The issue is likely to be one of the public issues at tonight's board meeting. Mary Ann Maitilasso said she had spoken with school officials, and she was going to follow the lead of her son — by publicly addressing the board.
"My son does not lie," she said in an interview on Saturday.
Anthony Maitilasso guessed there was a simple reason his words had become a point of contention: "They're all teaming up; because they're afraid the students are going to do something for once."
By SETH AUGENSTEIN
SPARTA — A 16-year-old Sparta High School student's critical remarks at a recent Board of Education meeting have thrust him into the spotlight surrounding the workings of the board.
Anthony Maitilasso and his mother Mary Ann Maitilasso said that Anthony has been called down to the principal's office and even called at home by Sparta police. They say it's because he exercised free speech at a recent school board meeting.
Maitilasso spoke at the board's Feb. 4 meeting, and explained concerns on the Sparta student drug testing policy and First Amendment rights for the high school newspaper.
But one thing he said became a point of contention. He called the board's drug testing policy a "complete double standard," saying there should be drug testing for teachers. He said there was a teacher who had been seen in a bathroom doing cocaine last year. Board Vice-President Richard Sullivan corrected him, saying that the teacher's use of drugs was only "alleged." Maitilasso conceded to the use of the word, but some audience members burst out laughing.
"Alleged?" one called out.
It was further explained later in the meeting that the teacher in question was no longer working at Sparta High School, but that no formal charges or disciplinary action had been taken against the person.
But the issue did not end there for Maitilasso. He said he was called down to Acting Principal Jim Bevere's office a few days after the meeting, and was told to sign a document retracting his statements to the board. He said he refused.
"They told me I was going to have to write a letter or sign something saying what I said was wrong," he said. "All my statement was was a general statement.
"They basically thought that if they put me in there, they could get me to crumble," said Maitilasso.
Bevere said in an interview last week that he and Maitilasso had begun their conversation about some other issues, including the student newspaper. However, he said their meeting was "non-threatening," and that he was simply helping Maitilasso understand what you "can say" and "can't say" in a public meeting.
Bevere maintained in the interview that no teacher was dismissed because of drug use, and no student had been disciplined.
"Anthony's been in my office to discuss several things.... no one was ever forced to retract their statements," Bevere said. "What we try to tell to tell people, is when you make public statements, you should be sure of the facts ... I wanted to let him know that his facts were wrong. He shouldn't be making statements that are not fact.
"I don't know how you're going to portray it; I love how the paper's been portraying us lately," he added.
The Maitilassos also were contacted by the police by phone about a week after the meeting. Mary Ann Maitilasso and her son said that Keith Hannam, the high school's resident police officer, called their home to request Anthony to come down to the police station to talk to the police. Both mother and son refused and directed police to the family's attorney.
Det. Sgt. John Schanstra said the Sparta police had contacted Anthony in a "standard follow-up call" about his statements to the board.
"We did make a call," he said.
Schanstra confirmed that there had been a Sparta police investigation involving the high school last year, but refused to comment further about it.
Mary Ann Maitilasso is angry about they scrutiny her son is facing, especially because she and he say his words were not slanderous or illegal.
"I was right behind him when he spoke," she said. "If you don't want to hear what he said, that's one thing, but don't put words in his mouth."
School board members Michael Schiavoni and Richard Sullivan both said last week that they had not heard about any repercussions for Anthony Maitilasso or what he had said at the meeting. Both, however, said it was inappropriate for him to have spoken about the alleged incident.
"I can't imagine there would be any cause for anything like that," Sullivan said.
Schiavoni said any disciplinary action would come from school administrators. The board would not be informed on a "real-time basis," unless there was some outstanding disciplinary action.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Thomas Morton was at a conference out of the district during the alleged contacts between Maitilasso and Bevere, and the Maitilassos and the police. He said last week that he was looking into the situation.
The issue is likely to be one of the public issues at tonight's board meeting. Mary Ann Maitilasso said she had spoken with school officials, and she was going to follow the lead of her son — by publicly addressing the board.
"My son does not lie," she said in an interview on Saturday.
Anthony Maitilasso guessed there was a simple reason his words had become a point of contention: "They're all teaming up; because they're afraid the students are going to do something for once."
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