Evans Says What's New at Ames High This Year

Ames High School parents learned what would be new at the school this year and then took a trip back in time to high school health class during a parent/guardian meeting Monday night.

Principal Spence Evans first told parents what would be different before members of the Ames Police Department and Youth and Shelter Services gave a short presentation on the signs and symptoms of substance abuse.

The changes:

• Open lunch privileges will be extended to juniors this year. Previously only seniors were allowed to leave the campus. And members of both classes will need to have a C average to participate.

• Vending machines have been removed from the building to cut down on the cockroach population.

• Classrooms dedicated to at-risk programs have been interspersed throughout the building.

• Hallways will be named after colleges and painted in those respective colors. Of course, the main hall will be named for Iowa State University, right here in Ames.

Evans said he wants parents to become more involved in education and will send graded tests home.

He also said he wants to find more activities for socially responsible youths who might stay at home on the weekends because they don't want to go to parties. 

Evans then turned the stage over to a Ames Police narcotics investigator who showed parents photographs of drug paraphernalia, including highlighters that were actually used to smoke marijuana. The officer said apples with their cores removecd could be used for the same purpose.

A list of what's new will go home with Ames High School students this week. Evans said the drug abuse and paraphernalia information would not go home with students, but said parents should discuss drug abuse with their children.

Look for more on this subject on the site Wednesday.