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Crossing class lines Bob Pennell photo Ashland High School freshman Mi-Lan Beebe and the rest of Bill Gabriel�s combined ninth- and 10th-grade classes hit the books on the first full day of school Thursday. They�re part of a new integrated program called "Small Communities." Ashland High tries new integrated learning system By Sara Murphy ASHLAND � Imagine studying art in a history class, or science in a social studies class. That�s the plan at Ashland High School. Four teachers there hope a new integrated learning system is going to change the way society thinks about high school education. "There�s not a line between art and literature, science and social science," says Bill Gabriel. "We�re dropping the lines." Gabriel, a social studies teacher, is part of the high school�s new "dream team," a squad of four teachers heading up the all-new Small Communities program. There�s also English guru Butch McBaine, long-haired art instructor Mark Schoenleber and Becky Anders, a straight-out-of-school science teacher. Beware: This is NOT your parents� high school. "We don�t offer a one-size-fits-all education," says Principal Julie Reynolds. The Small Communities program includes 90 students, all freshmen and sophomores, who volunteered to try out Ashland High�s twist on the latest trend: small-school-style integrated learning. Here�s how it works: The students, divided into class-sized groups, will stick together for four of their seven or eight classes: art, science, social studies and English. The teachers will work together to teach topics such as World War I-era art and literature at the same time Gabriel covers the period�s history. Given the nature of today�s block scheduling, that�s not too radical. So here�s the kicker: The students stay in the program for two years. "This is new territory for all of us," Gabriel says. "We�re going to be learning with the kids and, I�ll tell you, we�re jazzed." This year, students will concentrate their efforts on American studies and biology. Next year, they�ll take a look at global studies and physical sciences. Sticking together will give both students and teachers more opportunities to build a "small community," as the program�s name implies. "It�s an opportunity for us to rethink the way we teach the first two years of high school," says Schoenleber. "We�ve been using the same model for 190 years." The teachers will hold weekly meetings to discuss curriculum and talk about how the kids are doing. They�ll also hold monthly meetings with parents. "One reason why we did this is to keep track of the kids who fall through the cracks, socially and academically," says Gabriel. The program is open to all students, not just those who are either advanced or challenged, the teachers say. Schoenleber hopes the program�s vision someday will be the norm for all students. "I�m kind of opposed to Small Communities," he says. "It could become another alternative school that segregates people. "The only reason I�m taking this on is because I want it to be a model for what the whole school should look like." Record number of kids ASHLAND � A record number of students have signed up for classes this fall at Ashland High School. Though actual attendance figures weren�t available as classes got underway Thursday, Principal Julie Reynolds reported 1,264 students had registered at the high school. "Whether they�ve all arrived yet or not, we don�t know," Reynolds said. School officials are waiting until next week to see whether classes need shuffling to help balance teachers� loads, she added. Last year�s enrollment capped out around 1,240 and dropped by about 20 students, due to transfers and drop-outs, Reynolds said. Thursday�s registration figures counted some 321 freshmen, 325 sophomores, 315 juniors and 303 seniors. Reynolds said she expected this year�s sophomore class to be large � it set a school record for size last year � but the high enrollment of seniors came as a pleasant surprise. "It�s the first time in a long time, perhaps maybe ever, that we have more than 300 seniors," Reynolds said. Freshmen aside, 123 of this year�s registered students are new to Ashland High. That includes six exchange students from Argentina, the Czech Republic, Germany, Mexico, Japan and Switzerland. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA