Students benefit from various high school programs

BY CHRISTI PARRISH

LITTLE ROCK — North Pulaski High School, established in 1977, is a unique high school located next to Little Rock Air Force Base. Although it is a transient school by nature of military proximity, it is unique because of its diverse population of students, many of whom speak a variety of languages and have lived overseas for much of their lives.

North Pulaski offers a variety of special programs and electives, such as Advanced Placement (AP) classes, a culinary arts program, a community-based instruction program, a fine arts department that excels in all areas, as well as Environmental and Spatial Technology (EAST) lab and CISCO, a technology program that teaches computer networking.

North Pulaski’s Advanced Placement program is an open enrollment program, where students can have a more rigorous academic schedule and receive college credit. Classes offered include AP biology, AP calculus, AP literature, AP language, AP music theory, AP American and world history and many others. In May of this year, 70 percent of our AP calculus students scored a three or better on the state test to receive college credit.

North Pulaski’s Simply Delicious is the only student-run restaurant in the state of Arkansas.Students cook, wait tables and run the cash register. With its crisp tablecloths and fresh linen napkins, the restaurant provides a muchneeded elegant oasis for teachers, students and the community. The menu changes every day but always includes a soup, salad and sandwich. Open Tuesday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. until 1 p.m., this award-winning restaurant lives up to its name, as it is truly simply delicious.

EAST, an elective at North Pulaski, is a technology-based program where students work on projects to better the school and community. CBI (Community-based Instruction) Prom, where students hold a prom for disabled students; Stream Team, where students clean up surrounding streams and test the purity of the water; Arkansas Ordinance Plant, where students GPS the planet providing a map to the Jacksonville Historical Museum; recycling project, where students recycle throughout the school and community to better the environment; and Darfur Awareness are just a few of the projects EAST students are working on this year.

CISCO, another technology elective offered, teaches students computer networking - computer knowledge is a vital skill in this age of technology.

The North Pulaski fine arts department is an outstanding department that not only wins awards but taps into the creative talents of students. In art, students compete in at least five competitions per year: The PTA Founder’s Day Reflections, Arkansas State University-Beebe Art Competition, Central Regional Art Competition sponsored by the Arkansas Educational Television Network, Arkansas Art Education Competition and the Congressional High School Art Competition sponsored by U.S. Rep. Vic Snyder. North Pulaski has exceptionally strong art representation in all competitions.

The North Pulaski choir department competes in three competitions a year. Last year 32 students (more than any other year since North Pulaski has been established) made All-Region and eight students were eligible for All-State. At the Choral Performance Assessment, North Pulaski Choir received a Division I Superior rating two years in a row, and they won second place at the Show Choir Competition.

The award-winning drama department runs three plays a year, staffed by a drama teacher and a technical theater teacher. The competitive drama team consistently wins the division sweepstakes competition and participates in Student Congress every year. The program offers a full range of drama classes and technical theaterclasses. The Drama Club is one of the largest clubs at North Pulaski.

The North Pulaski High School Falcon Marching Band is a program that builds character, wins trophies and recently won first place in the Region VI Marching Assessment Contest. Wall-to-wall trophies decorate the band boom and represent the tenure of the dedicated bandleader, Karen Dismuke. This year the band has competed in the Arkansas Open, the Showcase of Bands and the Cabot Invitational, winning numerous awards at each contest.

North Pulaski’s unique population and many elective programs allow us to reach students’ interests and talents, but the primary goal of teachers is to prepare students academically for the future. Professional discussions center around what teachers can do for students to help them prepare goals beyond high school. North Pulaski consistently has strong, dedicated faculty members with more than 34 educators winning the Pulaski County Special School District Bobby G. Lester Teacher/ Administrator of the Year Award. Our teachers have high expectations, with their fingers on the pulse of the future.

Christi Parrish is the literacy intervention coach at Jacksonville High School.

at a glance

Grades: Nine through 12

Enrollment: 855

Faculty: 67

Mascot: Falcons

Colors: Maroon and gold

Athletics: 5A football, basketball, baseball, softball, baseball, volleyball, track, crosscountry, bowling, wrestling

Principal: Tracy Allen

Assistant Principals: Charles Humphrey, Chris Jones

Address: 718 Harris Road

Jacksonville, AR 72076

Telephone: (501) 982-9436

Web site: http://www.pcssd.org

Three Rivers, Pages 51 on 11/20/2008