Students are protesting for a teacher they love.

On Wednesday morning Treasure Mountain International Middle School Students rallied to protest science teacher Alisa Felton's termination.

The event was organized by ninth grader Andrew Jerome, a ninth-grader and former student of Felton's.

"I feel that it was really unjust that she got fired," he said.

Felton was fired earlier in the month for missing the first eight days of school to go to the Grand Canyon. She had appealed to the Park City School Board to get leave and was denied twice, but decided to go anyway because the private permit she traveled on is extremely difficult to get.

Students were unhappy at the news she was fired.

"We were outraged," Jerome said. "A lot of the students didn't really think that was right,"

He estimated that nearly 200 students attended the event.

"The entire student body can make a difference, it's a lot more effective when everybody else pitches in," he said.

In Felton's absence he said they have had four substitutes.

"We've had just a bunch of substitutes, we do all this busy work and it doesn't really amount to anything," he said.

Felton could have not only learned from her trip in the Grand Canyon but brought that information back to the students, Jerome said.

"She was fun, she treated us more like a friend than a student," he said. "She taught us like we were responsible."

Assistant Principal Sean Kuennen is sympathetic towards the students.

"She's a wonderful teacher, and kids are understandably upset they're not going to have the opportunity to be part of her class," he said.

Principal O'Connor eventually broke up the protest.

"However, they were disruptive to the learning of others so he asked them to disperse," Kuennen said.

Some students sacrificed participation points to be part of it. Those in Steve Macias class docked a portion of their points which can amount to 15 percent of their grade.

"I think it was their choice, but with choices come consequences," Macias said.

Kuennen was pleased to see their participation.

"I think it's fantastic that they are exercising their voice. I think it's a shame they were not really given a voice before the process was finished," Kuennen said.

Jerome said the students have plans to attend the next school board meeting.

"We just want to get it out to the rest of the public, why she was fired it was wrong,"

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A pool near Kimball Junction along with park and trail improvements would be part of a $12 million bond. Special projects coordinator Bonnie Park said $7 million of that would go toward phase two of the field house project which includes the construction of a pool, something that was in the original master plan of the building.

"We built that building with the expectation we would add a pool," Park said.

That includes knock-out walls that are part of current field house.

The district's new director Ken Mickelsen said the pool will most likely be very different from what is offered at the Park City Aquatic Center.

"The one at Ecker Hill is designed for competitive swimming, lap swimming, lesson teaching it's more of a traditional standard pool," he said.

A splash pool is more what Basin Rec had in mind.

Park has had conversations with Park City School District officials about the project and how it relates to the school district's facility.

"Their concern was centered on the fact that their pool is subsidized, and their concern is that with a competing pool nearby, they will lose their open plunge revenue," she said.

Community Education Director Judy Tukuafu reported the aquatic center made approximately $144,000. Of that $40,000 was made from open plunge. Last year's subsidy was $130,000.

She said the new pool would not necessarily jeopardize the open plunge funds. A lot of that would depend on the hours, how much they charge, what age range they target and what programs they run.

"I go to a pool in Salt Lake, the leisure pool is pretty much younger kids. Other leisure pools are really set up for all ages with larger slides and deeper water," she said.

Because the aquatic center is primarily designed for lap swimming while the new pool would focus on recreational water activities, Mickelsen said the two would serve very different needs in the community.

"In many ways there would not be competition between the two facilities," he said.

Park said she spoke with the district about the possibility of partnering with the Park City School District to build the splash pool at the Park City Aquatic Center but this raised a few concerns.

The first is that the language on the ballot has already been chosen, but Park said that can be changed.

"The way the ballot language is worded, it specifies the field house, but we may make some adjustments in the voter information pamphlet," she said. "Presently we're having a discussion about whether we need to do that."

Park added that parents like the idea of having a splash pool at the field house because it would enable them to drop one child off at soccer while taking the other one swimming, an option that is not available at the Ecker Hill pool.

Another concern she has heard is the amount of traffic an addition would generate along the road that goes past the Aquatic Center.

It also has the potential to disperse the available $7 million, leaving phase two at the field house incomplete.

Discussions between the Park City School District and the Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District continue.

"I think the important thing is that both staffs are in the process of looking at and discussing these issues," Mickelsen said.

The Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District is hosting an open house to discuss the pool on Oct. 23-24 from 6-8 p.m. at the field house on 1388 Center Drive in the new park project.

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The Park City High School sophomore's adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's "Tell-Tale Heart" was selected for the Eerie Horror Film Festival.

"We got submissions from all over the country and Jake's really stood out from the rest," festival president Greg Ropp said.

The film, he added, was more professional than what they usually expect in their new student category for those ages 5-17. He admitted to being very "shocked" when he discovered that Topkis is 16 years old.

Ropp began the Eerie Horror Film Festival in 2004. Since then it has grown in size. This year he anticipates nearly 4,000 attendees and one of the honored guests is George A. Romero who directed "Night of the Living Dead."

"Jake's film was very meticulously crafted and actually showed some very good signs of someone who is going to have a career in film someday," Ropp said. "We're honored to be an early part of his career."

Topkis said his goal, ultimately, is to make a feature film, but in the meantime he said it is, "really cool," to have his movie be part of the Eerie Film Festival.

For the retelling of Poe's classic tale he cast his friend Eric Seltenrich as the old man and Jonathan Draxton, a past winner at the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

"I can't tell the difference between him and a professional actor," Topkis said.

He will not be able to make the festival because of school, but he is still excited the film was selected.

"I try to make films that I would like to watch," he said.

In addition to films, Topkis said he is an avid fan of comic books with "Batman" being his favorite. He said any many ways comics are similar to the way films are created from writing a script, creating a storyboard and putting it on film.

He tried his hand at acting too.

"That was fun but it just didn't feel like the right place for me," Topkis said.

The director's chair is more comfortable for him.

"I like gathering ideas and putting everything together," he said. "Just making sure all the pieces fall into place."

Patience and humility are also qualities of a good director he said.

Next, Topkis plans to direct, "Lightning Lad," a satire of the superhero genre.

Trying out different genres is something Topkis said he enjoys.

Also on his radar is making a film from the Roald Dahl's "Lamb to the Slaughter." The story follows a house wife who murders her husband with a leg of lamb, then serves the evidence to the officers who come to investigate.

"This one's going to be a dark comedy," Topkis said.

In all his films, he said the focus is not necessarily on the action or special effects.

"I focus solely on telling a story," he said.

Some directors he admires include Steven Spielburg and Christopher Nolan who directed the recent "Batman Begins."

He said he hopes to attend the University of Southern California to study film and someday maybe have an entry in the Sundance Film Festival.

"I'm not at that level, but I think it is possible for me to get there," he said.

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For the first time in the history of Park City High School they are putting on the Tony-nominated musical, "Starmites."

Students just began rehearsals for the musical about a girl who enters her own comic book world where she is the key to saving the universe.

"This is totally new stuff," said senior Gabi Caro who has been in every school musical since her freshman year.

Caro will play Diva, the queen of the galaxy.

"She does anything and says whatever she wants," Caro said.

Doing something completely different has been a good experience for her.

"I think it's good it's definitely expanding my horizons," she said.

Dallin Quinn plays Ack Ack Ackerman, right hand man to Space Punk, King of the Universe.

It is his first time in a school musical.

"It's something I've always wanted to do," he said.

A lot of the costumes and language, Quinn noted, are inspired by the 1980's. The themes are a little more universal and include, "sticking to your dreams, love and believing in yourself."

The humor will be a big draw for audiences.

"You will laugh a lot," Quinn said.

Drama teacher Nicole Madison began teaching at the beginning of the year and is quite pleased with the students.

"I'm happy with the full cast, they're all doing a really great job," she said.

The schedule is tight, similar to that of a professional show.

"It's a challenge for the kids," she said.

Many of them are feeling a little bit of pressure to memorize their lines, Madison added, but they are handling it well.

"I'm so impressed with how they're stepping up," she said.

Starmites debuted in New York City in the late 1980's, now over two decades later it has come to Park City. The performance will be Nov. 9, 10, 11 and 13. Ticket prices and time will be announced later.

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After a hearing the Park City School Board decided to uphold her firing.

Felton's job was advertised in late August after she left to go to the Grand Canyon. She said she applied for leave twice, but was denied because the trip coincided with the first eight days of school. She decided to go anyway.

The rafting trip was on a private permit, something that can take more than ten years to obtain. The opportunity was especially appealing to Felton, who has her Master's degree in geology. She was accompanied by eight other geologists on the trip, and she said geology was a focus while there.

Felton, a teacher in the district for three years, said she arranged for a substitute and left lesson plans for the eight school days she missed. Felton returned to find her job had been posted and received a termination notice in the mail the day after Labor Day.

The reasons the board gave for the termination, she said, were neglect of duty and insubordination.

"I'm really, really sad," Felton said.

Since her return she met with interim Superintendent Tom VanGorder to discuss the possibility of getting her job back and most recently exercised her option to have a hearing with the School Board. They decided to uphold her termination.

"I did make a mistake, I'll admit that," she said.

Felton added part of her frustration is how little leniency they demonstrated for her, given that in three years she has only taken two sick days.

She said the School Board acknowledged this and added they had a difficult decision to make.

"They're trying to uphold their policies and I can understand that," Felton said.

Upon her return, Felton said she was ready to go back to school and continue classes with the lesson plans she outlined early in August. Instead, since her termination, Felton reported, the students have had as many as four substitutes while the school works to find a replacement.

Science teachers with field experience are not always easy to find, she said.

Felton said she may give up on teaching, and will look for jobs in the geology industry in Salt Lake City.

"I loved (teaching) up until now," she said.

Several teachers in the district have rallied around Felton. She said many of them wrote to the School Board on her behalf.

Her termination could hurt students. Felton said she has gone through the Teacher Induction Training Program and learned how to differentiate instruction and impact students still learning English.

She was at the high school prior to the realignment and said she understands how to prepare ninth-grade students for a more rigorous curriculum after leaving the middle school. Felton is also familiar with the International Baccalaureate program and understands how to bring those concepts into the classroom. A replacement could lack a lot of the same training and cost the students, she said.

"Students liked my classes, I had a really good time with them," she said.

School Board President David Chaplin declined to comment.

"Personnel issues are so desperately delicate," he said. "I wish I could be more forthcoming, because it's important for people to know how we deal with these interests."

Human Resources Director Tim McConnell also declined to comment.

Felton is continuing to look for another job.

"I just want the students and other teachers to know I'm sad about what happened and I wish I was there with them," she said.

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His talk was in line with the Utah Scholars Initiative, a $300,000 grant given to four school districts in the state, which encourages students to take a more challenging curriculum.

Clarke is the former president of Lord & Taylor and also former chairman and CEO of Caldor Corporation, a Fortune 500 company. He is currently the Guatemala area president for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

"Leaders aren't born, they're made," he told students.

It is a skill that can be learned and a person's future is determined by what they do today, he said.

"You have to start living today what your dreams are," he said.

One of his first suggestions to students was to call the college they dream of attending and introduce themselves. He said they should ask what requirements they need to fill to get accepted and start working toward those.

"What leaders do is they breathe their vision," he said.

Part of what helps them accomplish that is the company they keep. Leaders surround themselves with people who are better and smarter than they are, he said. Clarke used a sports team analogy explaining that given a choice, most people would pick to be on a team of players who were better at the sport than they are versus worse.

Great leaders also acknowledge the accomplishments of those around them and give credit where it is due, he said.

They also help inspire people to excel and be the best they can.

One important step students can take in becoming a leader is to educate themselves, and also look at what the world needs in terms of services so they can study that in college.

"I would have liked to study to become a professional basketball player but my chances of becoming a professional basketball player are slim, zero and negative three," he said.

Another key, Clarke said, is to love to work. A lot of young people in this generation have not learned that yet, he said.

"Learn to work. I always had a job, I put myself through college," he said.

He coached his daughter in running and always told her to run with her heart, then with her head and then with her feet. While there may have been faster runners, not many beat her. Clarke advises students to take a similar approach to work.

"You're going to spend most of your waking hours working learn to love to work," he said.

Most successful people are not necessarily the most intelligent, he said, but they are the ones who know how to apply themselves. They also take responsibility for their actions and are accountable.

In high school, Clarke said he was in a geometry class and got a B. When he spoke to the teacher, Clarke learned that the grade was lower than an A because he talked too much in class. Rather than argue with the teacher, he asked if he performed at the same level and did not talk in class again would he get an A the next time. When his teacher said yes to this Clarke moved his chair to the corner and did not speak to friends during class. He got an A on his next report card.

"I learned that I was responsible for what I did and what I received," he said. "Generally you determine your success."

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Since 2001, the Park City Education Foundation has raised $2 million for the school district. Among other things, the money has gone to help fund a math specialist, the middle school International Baccalaureate program, the full-day kindergarten and the Park City High School scholarship counselor.

Last week, as part of its field trip series, the foundation hosted an information session about the importance of community support for education.

District Business Administrator Patty Murphy gave an overview of funding sources and the resources the Park City School District has at its disposal.

Fourteen percent of the school district's funding comes from the state. Much of it is in the form of what is called a weighted pupil unit, or money spent per child. The current value of the WPU is $2,417. More money is provided for special education students and approximately $1,200 is given to the district for kindergarten students. The number is not tied to enrollment.

"We have enrollment declines, we have enrollment increases. It does not affect the value of the WPU," Murphy said.

Utah spends the least amount of money per pupil of any of the states, said Murphy. In 2003 the national average for expenditures per pupil was approximately $8,000. Utah spends $5,000 while Park City spends a little over $6,000.

With 75 percent of funding for the Park City School District coming from property tax, Parkites have more control over what they can offer. This is one thing, Murphy said, that makes the district, "unique in the state and across the country."

"You want a certain program in the schools, you take it to the School Board and go through the process and voila," she said.

The income and education level of Parkites also plays a role.

"The kids have incredible access to adults with an education, who convey that to the students," said Director of the Education Foundation Lynn Heinlein.

Murphy reported that, in 2000, the number of adults in Summit County with a bachelor's degree or above was at 45.5 percent, compared to the state at 26.1 percent and the United States at 24.4 percent.

The Education Foundation is hoping to raise more than $1 million this year and encourages people to contribute $180, which amounts to $1 for every day that one student is in school.

The next Park City Education field trip will be held on Oct. 18 at McPolin Elementary School. The topic is full-day kindergarten and a time has yet to be determined.

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For people arriving late it was a little tricky to find a seat at the crowded Tower Theatre on Wednesday night.

The draw was Spy Hop's eighth annual "Best Of" screening event, showcasing student films, including the work of about a dozen young Parkites.

Communications Coordinator for Spy Hop, Larkin Sealy stood in front of the large crowd and introduced the films as the "cream of the crop" from those made through Sept. '05 - Sept. '06.

Park City High School senior Patrick O' Malley said it was great to see his own work on the big screen.

"I just like being able to express myself through this medium," he said.

O'Malley and fellow senior Nick Demondo said they liked being part of Spy Hop because film is something they might study in college.

"We really want to get into the film business and it's a great opportunity," O'Malley said.

The boys worked together on two films. "The Coolest Guy in Town," played by O'Malley, is a short mockumentary about a hero who comes to the rescue when things in everyday life go awry.

Narrated in the nostalgic sleepy town style of "A Christmas Carol" and "The Sandlot" it is one man's reflection on how the coolest guy in town brought random acts of kindness when they were needed the most.

The tone of the film is set in an opening scene when a boy sits outside on a hot day licking an ice cream cone. His scoop of melty vanilla falls to the pavement after one over-enthusiastic bite. The Coolest Guy in Town appears, clad in a leather jacket and dark sunglasses, with a fresh ice cream cone in hand. Then he vanishes as quickly as he appeared.

As the narrator reminisces about the coolest guy in town the audience watches the coolest guy rescue kites from trees, and offer a spare red balloon to the boy who has just lost one.

They also helped on a documentary titled "Guillermo Colmenero: An Artist's Work."

Colmenero is a sculptor whose work was on display at the Kimball Art Center during the Arte Latino exhibit earlier this year.

In the film he discusses his craft and interpretations of his pieces.

The five-minute movie follows the artist to a studio and watches him sculpt as he offers an explanation for an unusual work of a male and a female skeleton form kissing. Much of his work is inspired by The Day of the Dead and the sculpture conveys the eternal nature of their love, Colmenero revealed.

Jarrett Reich, a Spy Hop instructor, commuted to Park City from the Salt Lake Valley to help Park City students with their projects.

He said in addition to getting exposure to the equipment students learn life skills, or what they like to call 21st-century skills, including teamwork and accountability.

The work is also satisfying to students, he said, because unlike a lot of school projects they walk away with something tangible.

"You have a nice concrete finished product," he said.

Larkin said Spy Hop helps give the students a medium to express themselves and bring attention to issues they find important. A valuable part of the process, she added, is, "having your opinion and idea respected and manifested."

As for the "Best Of" production, she said it allows them to showcase the work of highly talented kids.

"It is definitely a nice way to showcase the talent and creativity of our youth community," she said.

Spy Hop is a non-profit youth media studio which began in 1999. They offer classes ranging from film making to sound engineering. For more information visit www.spyhop.org or call (801) (801) 532-7500.

Work of Park City students shown during the best of showcase:

Coolest Guy in Town, Guillermo Colmenero: An Artist's Work

Patrick O' Malley

Nick Demondo

Guillermo Colmenero: An Artist's Work

Tracy Lewis, Juliana Duran

Gabi Wilson

Jessica Christjans

Alvin's Bright Idea

Kase Mikolajczak

Thomas Whitworth

Nate Innis

Sammi Eastin

Gage Eastin

Claymation

Chris Fedor

Patrick Schloesser

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"Relative to what the other districts have been through, we're still in pretty good shape," said Human Resources Director Tim McConnell.

He has heard other Human Resource directors from districts around the state who face shortages, some as high as the double digits.

The state of Utah faces a challenge because the number of children in the area is growing exponentially and a larger workforce of teachers is needed. Universities in the area cannot produce enough teachers and the state must constantly recruit people from outside the area.

"Our local universities certainly don't have the number of graduates that we need to hire, but that's never going to be an opportunity," McConnell said.

With surrounding states offering attractive recruitment incentives like signing bonuses, paid relocation expenses and generous wages it is becoming more difficult to attract talent.

"At this point in time we're fully staffed, but we are seeing similar trends with regards to the actual number of applicants we're seeing," McConnell said.

Park City has been fortunate enough to not be as affected by the shortage. McConnell credits this in part to the benefits offered in the district.

"Our overall compensation package is the best in the state," he said.

This includes salary, insurance and the planning time the teachers are allowed.

With the requirements of becoming a qualified teacher getting more stringent, fewer are drawn to the work and there is tough competition for those that are.

"It's also fairly daunting when you look at the requirements for No Child Left Behind," McConnell said.

But for now, the Park City School District is staffed and has dodged the bullet once again.

Teachers at a glance:

Number of teachers: 299

Licensed and endorsed: 268

Advanced degree: 163

English as a Second Language Endorsed: 108

National Board Certified: 5

Average years in the district: 8.9

Starting salary $31,304 or approximately $20 an hr

Top salary $67,524 or approximately $45 an hr

Turnover 9.5 percent

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Figure out a route:

Park City High School Scholarship Advisor Dana Ardovino recommends that parents sit down with their children and have a frank discussion about what they can and cannot afford. This helps students determine where they would like to go for college and how much money they need for scholarships.

Students should also not get discouraged if they do not have a perfect grade point average.

"There are scholarships for everyone. I believe every student is unique and amazing. What they don't realize is they each have a great story to tell," Ardovino said.

Some scholarships are unrelated to scholastic achievement and have other criteria such as overcoming adversity.

It also helps to know how to play up your strengths.

Students who are heavily involved in the community or have leadership experience should highlight this in scholarship applications.

"The big leg up over everyone else is leadership," Ardovino said. "You don't have to be president of the National Honors Society to be a leader."

From volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters to holding a manager position at an after school job, students have more leadership experience than they realize, Ardovino added. This can also include being a mentor for an older sibling or organizing an event for church.

Another thing most people do not realize, Ardovino said, is people can begin their scholarship at any time.

"It's never too early or too late for them to apply to scholarships," she said.

Where to start digging:

Get connected and learn what scholarships are out there by visiting several websites.

"The first thing that they can do is get registered on fastweb.com," Ardovino said.

Other online resources include collegeboard.org, collegenet.com, wiredscholar.com and scholarships.com.

"Get online and look all over the web," Ardovino said.

She cautioned students that it should never cost more than a stamp to apply for a scholarship. Students should veer away from scholarship offers that ask for money.

Once students have found scholarships they are eligible for they should begin applying for as many as possible.

I tell kids, 'The more you apply for the higher your chance of getting one,'" Ardovino said.

With so many scholarships to apply for Ardovino suggested one way to stay organized is to keep a file of scholarship applications and sort them by due date. Then students should apply for scholarships about a month prior to the deadline. This helps students not worry so much about filling out scholarships.

Striking gold in other places

"If kids and parents don't have time for anything else what they absolutely must do is: in January of their senior year they should complete a FAFSA," Ardovino said.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid can help get students government money for college. More information can be found at www.fafsa.ed.gov .

Another source for college money can be specific schools.

"Once you start talking to colleges you should be asking what they can do for you," Ardovino said. "It never hurts to ask."

Making scholarships possible

Each year Ardovino encourages Parkites to contribute to the community scholarship fund.

"People always ask me, 'What does $500 do?' And for some students it makes the difference between going to college and not going to college," Ardovino said.

While Park City High School is often thought of as a fairly affluent school, Ardovino said there is still a strong need for scholarships for a number of intelligent students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to go.

"There's so many deserving, hard working, outstanding and amazing students here," Ardovino said.

For more information about scholarship opportunities contact Dana Ardovino at 645-5657.

The post The hunt is on for scholarships appeared first on Park Record.