Our Grade 5 math scores rose from 44 percent in 1999 to 66.7 percent in 2000. This also surpassed the county score of 58.4 percent and the state score of 46.7 percent.
Grade 5 writing scores increased from 16 percent to 56 percent, again surpassing both the county (48.8 percent) and state (41.8 percent) averages.
The students at Funkstown Elementary School achieved the highest social studies score of 73.3 percent in Grade 5 in all of Washington County! This score, once again, was higher than both the county (50.5 percent) and the state (44.5 percent).
Our fifth grade students again posted outstanding results in language usage with an increase from 35 percent in 1999 to 75 percent (with 39.3 percent of students scoring at the excellent standard) in 2000. Our children again posted higher scores than both the county (57.1 percent) and the state (54 percent) to achieve an excellent standard in Grade 5 language usage.
Many congratulations to our superb staff and administration for their dedication and hard work with our children.
Also, congratulations to the students at Funkstown Elementary School for a job well done!
Bridget Pearl
PTA President
Pam Newhouse
CAC Chairperson
Funkstown
Nebraska attack was unfounded
To the editor:
I am responding to a letter to the editor from a resident of your town. This person, whom I shall not mention by name, was incredibly displeased with central Nebraska. In fact, our lovely state nauseated him and his wife. First of all, you may be a sociology major, but your opinion of our state means squat to us.
You were here for a short time. You have no idea what our state is about or who Nebraskans are. We take great pride in being called Nebraskans. To us, being a Nebraskan means dedication, loyalty, hard work ethic and pride. It is the rest of you who think that the Midwest is still in the '50s. If you thought traveling through Nebraska would be like take a trip through Pleasantville (the imaginary place in TV land), you have only yourself to blame.
No place was, is or will be that perfect. You also commented on our rude manner and superficial attitudes. I wanted to see what exactly you were comparing us, here in Nebraska, to. So I found your newspaper on the Internet (we do have computers here). I read the news in your town and I think that all of that education you supposedly have is laboring your ability to make correct comparisons.
In short, I don't think that you have a right to bash all Nebraskans based on a short trip through our state. You should have learned in sociology that a conclusion based on a poorly supported hypothesis means absolutely nothing!
Audra Kelly
Grand Island, Neb.
