Kevin L. Zadina

    Adding new teachers and making changes with the current teaching staff at Seward High School will give students more course offerings and the school more instructional units.
     The current administrators did a student survey, which helped them come up with what students are looking for. Seward is adding a music instructor and a science/PE or social studies teacher in the 2008-2009 school year.
     Seward High Principal Chad Denker said the two new teaching positions allow the teaching staff more flexibility.
     "This opens up a lot of course offerings for our kids. Right now Leslie Stratton was buried with being the only one in the music department. She has done a great job, but I knew we were going to burn her out in a short amount of time if we didn't do something," Denker said. "My hope is that we hire a instrumental band or music teacher that may also have experience in playing the piano and could help Mrs. Stratton or is a person that maybe has some experience playing the guitar and we could offer up some beginning guitar lessons."
     Denker said the new music position will also help take care of some of the jobs that are handled by outside help. The flag corps and drum line are led by volunteers or someone who is paid very little. He added that currently if Mrs. Stratton is gone with a group of kids for an event then they can't have the pep band at ball games, because there is no one here to supervise.
     The Science-PE position also gives the staff a lot of flexibility according to Denker.
     "The plan is Coach (Greg) Welch would become fulltime social studies. That would give us the opportunity to offer additional American history classes and down the road maybe a history AP class. His strength training classes and PE would be covered by this new person," Denker said.
    The new science-PE teacher would spend half of their day in the science department covering biology or classes currently taught by Andy Christensen. Christensen, who is dual endorsed in science and vocational would be able to teach a welding class or principals of technology or drafting class. Denker said those classes haven't all been decided and will be determined somewhat by what students want.
    A survey was given to the freshman, sophomore and junior classes, which was helpful, according to Denker. He said the survey had 10 elective classes that weren't offered now and students could also identify others classes. Several students requested digital photography and Denker said that class maybe available through a multi media class. He said they are looking at all the options.
    Welding was another class, which had several responses from males and females.
    Denker said the new positions won't be easy to fill, but more teachers are coming out of college with dual endorsements.