MELISSA HUNTER HOMECOMING

Local teen to receive diploma … officially

Melissa Hunter

Franklin Township teenager Melissa Hunter and Franklin Central High School have some very important unfinished business that will be attended to on Saturday, September 6.

The senior – who suffered a stroke while participating in her graduation ceremony in the school's gymnasium late last May – will be awarded her diploma in a presentation in the Robert L. Mason Auditorium.

The special commencement program, starting at 1 p.m. and open to the public, will include all the “pomp and circumstance” that was afforded Hunter's classmates who received their diplomas last spring.

Melissa's graduation will become official when Dr. Walter Bourke, superintendent of Franklin Township Schools, awards her a diploma that comes a little more than three months later than planned.

Hunter, now 18, will be discharged from Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana on Thursday, September 4. According to a press release, Melissa has progressed well since first being admitted to RHI on Wednesday, July 9.

“As with any victim of a stroke, her road to recovery is long,” the release stated.

After suffering the stroke during the FCHS commencement exercises on Wednesday, May 28, Hunter was rushed to Methodist Hospital, where she was placed in a drug-induced coma. She began coming out of the coma several weeks later, and then was transferred to the rehabilitation center on the northwest side of Indianapolis.

In late August, Melissa's father emailed FTONEWS.com that a special commencement ceremony was being planned, along with announcing that there will be a homecoming party at the Hunter residence following the graduation festivities.

“Melissa has come a long way and continues to improve,” said Buddy Hunter. “Her mother and I cannot express enough the gratitude that we have for all the people that gave their support when things were not going that good.

“All I can think of the past few days is that my girl is coming home!” Buddy added. “It will be 101 days since she put on her cap and gown to receive her diploma, and now she is going back to finish what she started.”

Melissa Hunter Graduation Ceremony  Franklin Central High School Auditorium September 6, 2008 1 p.m. Franklin Central Band Plays “Pomp and Circumstance” as Melissa enters Opening Remarks/Invocation – Richard Oslund/Dan Fyffe Pledge of Allegiance – Kevin Koers, Principal Welcome – Kevin Koers, Principal Remarks – Dr. Walter Bourke, Superintendent Reading of Letters from Governor Daniels and Senator Lugar Comments and Thanks – Buddy Hunter, Father of Melissa Awarding of Diploma – Dr. Walter Bourke, Superintendent Franklin Central Band plays: - …And Dream of Sheep by Kate Bush Official Graduation Statement – Kevin Koers, Principal Closing Remarks – Kevin Koers Franklin Central Band Plays Ceremonial Recessional

Buddy invited members of the Class of 2008 who will be attending Melissa's special ceremony to wear their caps and gowns in celebration, too.

The graduation ceremony will include participation by the Franklin Central Band and opening remarks by Dan Fyffe, the school's director of bands, and by Richard Oslund, an emergency medical technician with Task Force One.

Back in May, Oslund was in the stands to watch his own daughter graduate, when he saw Melissa collapse. He instinctively rushed to her side.

A flute player in the band, Melissa had just finished performing before the presentation of diplomas was to begin. Oslund noticed something with Melissa was not right while she was returning to her seat among members of the graduating class. In one local news report, he gave his first-hand account:

“Something was terribly wrong, “ said Oslund “Where I was sitting at this graduation ceremony, her mom and dad were right next to me. And at the time, they didn't know what was going on. It appeared at first that she'd fainted.”

Instead, Melissa had suffered a serious stroke. Still in cap and gown, she was rushed to the hospital while other graduates and most of the people in the jam-packed gym were unaware of the situation.

Since then, though, Melissa's battle to live, her ongoing rehabilitation and her desire to continue her education are well documented. One more success will be documented on Saturday, September 6 – Melissa Hunter will graduate from Franklin Central High School … officially.

- FTONEWS.com -

 

The Franklin Central High School Marching Flashes have a new tractor trailer to transport the marching band equipment.    The Frankliin Central High School Marching Band Invitational is Saturday, September 13, at the Franklin Township Athletic Stadium.

Band to host annual contest; parents key to success

The 2008 Frankin Central High School marching band has 125 members.  Under the direction of Dan Fyffe, Director of Band Programs, students as well as booster parents are critical in the machine called a high school marching band.

This is year five for Ron Detar as a Franklin Central Flashes Band parent. With his three teenagers marching in the 125-member band, his children Chris, Rebecca and Samantha are engaged in daily band practice while Detar enters his inaugural year as the president of the Franklin Central Band Boosters.

One of the biggest and busiest events for Detar and the Marching Flashes is at the Fifth Annual Franklin Central High School Marching Band Invitational, Saturday, September 13, at the Franklin Township Athletic Stadium.

Approximately 2,000 spectators are predicted to watch an afternoon/evening of 15 bands perform including the Indiana marching band power houses of Scottsburg, Greenwood and Avon high schools.

But for Detar, watching his children perform and work for the invitational is a project in life lessons.

"Belonging to the band makes my kids better kids," said Detar. He attributes the building blocks of respect, teamwork and "understanding what commitment means" as the reasons he supports his children every weekend for home football games as well as marching competitions spanning throughout Indiana from late August through early November.

On the day of the invitational, band members and booster band parents serve as chaperones for every guest band, run concession stands, assemble lighting for practice fields and run errands throughout the long hallways of Franklin Central High School.

"Our (band) parents are so good and organized that they were noted as running the best percussion regional in the country last year," said Dan Fyffe, Director of Franklin Central High School Band Programs.

Even so, fundraising activities, such as the annual invitational, are critical to the lifeline of the Marching Flashes. "We need to make as much money as possible," said Fyffe.

Funds for props, travel fees, transportation fees, contest fees and emergency repair fees are only a few of the monies needed to manage a high school marching band, Fyffe said.

The final (non-competitive) performance of the invitational will the Flashes' show entitled, "Sleepcycles," includes the music of Johannes Brahams (Lullabye), Philip Glass (The Canyon), Kate Bush (..And Dream of Sheep) and Joseph Curiale (Joy).

A solo by Jenny Burgess, a FC junior, is also highlighted during the show.

Using the standard Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) classifications of Class A, B, C and D, various Indiana high school marching bands will compete in the Franklin Township event. Franklin Central is in Class A because of its large student population of 2363.

Awards for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each class and awards for best percussion, auxiliary, music, visual, general effect and drum majors will be given at the invitational.

Watch for the FC Marching Flashes Invitational band performance schedules on FTONews.com.

- by Sharon Dunten, FTONews.com

 

Franklin Township students, along with other Indiana public schools, will be taking ISTEP+ tests both fall 2008 and spring 2009 as part of the transition into spring only testing.

Indiana students take ISTEP+ twice

Testing tips for ISTEP + Karen Schultz, principal of Adams Elementary School, shared testing tips in a recent letter to her students and parents. She states these tips can be used for any test (including ISTEP+) or any worksheet situation for students.     Be positive! When a teacher is giving directions make sure your eyes are on the teacher. If you do not understand the directions, ask for help. Try to answer every question, but don't spend too much time on one question. Do your best and move on. Look for keywords in the question that will help you choose the correct answer. Words such as always, never, always, none are usually bad choices. Make sure you are responding to the question being asked. As you read over the choices, eliminate the answers you know are incorrect. It may help to use a 4 X 6 index card to mark your place as you read the problems. If the test requires you to read passages and then answer the questions, read the questions first. By doing this, you will know what you are looking for as you read the questions. When answering specific questions regarding details in the passage read the questions first and then look back in the passages for the answers. It is okay to look back for answers. If you read the passage thoroughly, usually your first response is the correct one. Be careful not to over think the question. Answer the easiest questions first. If time remains, go back to the questions you skipped. For essay questions, do an outline such as four-square before answering the question. When using scratch paper on a math test, double check and make sure you have copied the problem correctly from the text booklet. Line up place value on your scratch paper (thousands, hundreds, tens and ones) or the answer will be incorrect. For math problems, if your answer does not fit one of the choices, reread the problem, recopy the numbers and try resolving it again. Remember it is okay not to know everything. Some tests are designed to test the limit of your knowledge. Double check the test number on your answer sheet against the test number every few questions to make sure you are on the correct number. Take the full time allotted for each section of the test. Don't worry if you run out of time. If you finish early, check to make sure you have answered all questions.

Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress-Plus (ISTEP+) will include fall and spring testing the 2008 -2009 school year only. As part of the transition into spring ISTEP+ testing, students in grades 2 - 8 will take ISTEP+ twice. Beginning in 2009 -2010, students will only take STEP+ in the spring.

The changes are part of a larger testing plan for Indiana that includes moving ISTEP+ to the spring (grades 3-8), replacing the current Graduation Qualifying Exam (GQE) with Algebra I and English 10 end-of-course exams and offering new computer-based teaching tools to local schools on a voluntary basis for grades K-8.

• September 15 - 26 : The fall 2008 ISTEP+ includes multiple choice essay and short answer questions covering English/language arts and mathematics at grades 3-8 as well as science at grades 5 and 7. Incoming high school sophomores (class of 2011) will be the last group of students to take the current Graduation Qualifying Exam (GQE), required to earn a high school diploma. The GQE covers English and math skills through grade 9.

• Spring 2009 ISTEP+ (March, Late-April/Early May)
  Like the fall test, the spring ISTEP+ includes questions on English and math at grades 3-8, science at grades 4 and 6 and social studies at grades 5 and 7. Incoming freshmen this fall (class of 2012) will be the first group of students to take the new Graduation Qualifying Exam (GQE) which consists of Algebra I and English 10 exams taken whenever students complete the corresponding course. For most students, that will be in late spring.

QUESTIONS?
Call 1-888-54-ISTEP or contact your Franklin Township school.

- FTONews.com -