Physics, freshmen interact

Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD#2) Board of Trustees had a productive evening at their March 17 regular scheduled meeting.

Saratoga Police Chief Tom Knickerbocker discussed the possibility of renewing the contract to place a resource officer at Saratoga Middle/High School (SMHS). The current contract, which expires January 2015, keeps a Saratoga Police officer at SMHS for a minimum of 70 percent of the time during a given shift. Knickerbocker asked if CCSD#2 would pay 25 percent of the resource officer’s salary.

“It’s a very generous offer,” Knickerbocker said.

Knickerbocker said they would like to expand the resource officer’s responsibility to Hanna and Encampment as well. Though the officer would have to cover three schools, Knickerbocker said that the officer would not be on a regimented schedule.

John Zeiger, mayor of Saratoga, said having a guarantee that the position will continue into 2015 is essential in order to get high-quality officers to fill the position.

The board said they would place the item on the agenda and discuss the resource officer contract at their next meeting.

CCSD#2 Science facilitator and teacher Josh Sandlian and Encampment science teacher Joseph Blattman said the district would begin to teach Physics to freshmen starting next year.

Sandlian and Blattman both hope that teaching Physics earlier will help reinforce science and math skills through high school.

“Physics is traditionally left until last,” Blattman said. “And by that time, it is too late because students tend to take the ACT before then. By putting it in the ninth grade, we provide students for the basis for Chemistry and Biology.”

The plan will consist of moving Biology I and II to junior and senior year. Chemistry will continue to stay a sophomore level course for students in CCSD#2.

The next CCSD#2 Board of Trustees meeting is at 4 p.m. on April 21 at the CCSD#2 district office.