European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 1, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday april 1, 1991 the stars and stripes education7-period High school Day to return by Jimi Jones education writer bad Kissinger Germany a the seven period school Day axed two years ago is returning to military overseas High schools. A March 22 memorandum from John Stremple the school system s director said the change will be introduced in two phases. The first phase will begin in the Germany Region with the 1991-92 school year. The second phase in other regions will begin with the 1992-93 school year. The new schedule requires five periods of instruction from full time teachers and a minimum period length of 50 minutes except in cases where a 48-minute period would significantly reduce transportation costs. Current periods Are 55 minutes Long. The change affects seventh through 12th graders plus sixth graders depending on the school s program Structure. Joe Blackstead director of the Germany Region in the department of defense dependents schools praised the decision. A a it a important that we. Provide the time in the schedule to give our students the Opportunity for exposure to More subjects than currently is available a he said. He cited Art music Quot typing and computers As examples of subjects students often can to study because of the limited six period Day. But a Union spokeswoman and other school administrators criticized the move and the Way it was made. A while we done to object to the concept a we think it has Merit a the timing is bad and the mandate is going to create a lot of anxiety As Well As a lot of morale problems a said Jan Pepelnjak a spokeswoman for the overseas education association. A a we be already got so Many out there now because of the persian Gulf War. A it would have been Nice to have the ear to negotiate. People Are already getting into the registration phase looking at what courses they will offer next year and making tentative assignments for  Pepelnjak said consideration should have been Given to other concerns like bus schedule and attendance problems related to graduation requirements. The change May dictate longer Days for elementary students because they share buses with High school students. Also under the seven period concept a student could graduate As a Junior. Pitburg High school principal . Klein said he objected to cutting class time. A i have serious concerns about reducing the time on task in Many Many subjects from chemistry to Auto shop to a advanced placement English to cosmetology a Klein said. A in terms of what a Good for kids i done to think we be planned this very  Marilee Fitzgerald special assistant to St Temple announced the move last week in bad Kissinger during the annual Germany Region administrators workshop. Stremple did not attend the workshop. The move reinstates a program that Stremple dumped in 1989, primarily because Congress denied funds to hire More teachers. It ended a five year Experiment begun by Strempler a predecessor Beth Stephens to give students More flexibility in choosing courses. Mall talk a teacher at Berlin elementary school wrote to the stars and stripes with a delightful tale from her classroom. Barbara Bowers said that while teaching a math lesson to a first Grade class she chuckled at 6-year-Oid minds at work. The math problem was a How Many legs and tails Are in a barn that contains three cows and two chickens a two children working together were trying to determine How Many legs a Chicken had. One girl deducted a i know they have More than two because when we cat Chicken at our House everyone gets a leg a k you Havo a Alica of classroom Lila to Ahara Ptah a and it to Small talk Tito Stara and str Paa attn a cml Jonos Apo 09211. Classroom closeup Sis foggy Davidson Eric leathers 15, a loth grader at Kaiserslautern High school shows off a Pencil drawing he made As part of a class assignment at a school Art show last week. Leathers would like to become a commercial artist or a cartoonist. Schools in Dodds have displayed students Art during March As part of youth Art month. Tuition increases modest by the associated press private colleges. And universities Are announcing some of the smallest tuition increases in years for next fall. A Check of private four year institutions around the country found increases in the 4-7 percent Range for next fall within a percentage Point or so of the nations 199q inflation rate of 6.1  of Quality education emphasized by Jimi Jones _ education writer bad Kissinger Germany a the american school system must be the Best if the United states is to maintain its Strong democracy and prosperous Economy a military overseas schools official says. ,. Marilee Fitzgerald special assistant to the director of the department of defense dependents schools said administrators must be United and closely Monitor performance to a make the Dodds school system one of the  Fitzgerald representing Dodds chief John Stremple was in bad Kissinger last week for a four Day administrators workshop. The workshop focused on improving schools instruction and student performance. It was dedicated to Robert Lundgren who died of cancer March 3, Lundgren who previously headed the project was Deputy director of the Germany Region for eight years. In addressing More than 200 administrators Fitzgerald said Strong monitoring is crucial to improving instruction and it must flow from superintendents supervising principals to principals supervising teachers. A the study of teaching a a staff development course designed to make the study of teaching a part of school life is also a major vehicle assuring that educators have the knowledge and skills needed to meet Dodds goals Fitzgerald said. The program involves two courses a a observing and analysing teaching for administrators District and regional office staff. A a understanding teaching  room teachers and other educators. _. The course was presented at the workshop for those who had not taken it since its introduction about two years ago. By january about 1,000 Germany teachers and about 120 administrators had completed the course. In her talk Fitzgerald also spelled out several plans that Dodds is working on. A Dodds and the National endowment for the humanities plan a teachers summer program on Middle East culture. A the Middle East will remain an area of tremendous strategic economic and cultural significance in the United states a Fitzgerald said. A recent events in the Gulf have demonstrated How events in that part of the world have an immediate and direct bearing on our lives both economically and  and yet she said the Arab people culture and islamic religious continue to be among the least familiar and least understandable to americans. Participants will be Dodds teachers Section six schools and others not connected to military installations. A Dodds continues to explore the uses of various technologies including satellite capabilities for broadcasting in England and Western Germany. A the future holds Many opportunities for enhanced instruction through telecommunications and satellite instruction and Dodds is exploring a plan and strategy for incorporating these methods into our instructional program a she said. A a major Dodds goal is developing a program to help parents Monitor their children a school Progress. A research evidence overwhelming supports the need for parents to assume an Active role in their students learning experience in order to ensure maximum achievement a Fitzgerald said. The program designed for Dodds parents includes 16 ways parents can help students. The first training session for parents will be in late May in the Pacific Region with parents of students in grades 7 through 12. Fitzgerald did not say when the program would reach other regions. Thes ipes scholarship Dodds seniors Don t miss your Chance to apply for two $1,500 scholarships sponsored by the stars and stripes. Deadline for applications is april 15. For details see your High school guidance Counselor or write to stars and stripes scholarship the stars and stripes a Apo 09211-4211