by Steve Glumaz

At the helm of Visitacion Valley Middle School (VVMS) is new principal James S. Dierke, a member of the San Francisco Unified School District for 25 years.

With certain VVMS academic scores up for the fourth year in a row, Dierke vowed to continue the trend and build upon achievements that previous VVMS principal John R. Flores spearheaded.

"Our schools and our kids are on page one, and not on page two like everybody else's" said Dierke in reference to their academic well-being. "There is a vast range in public school selection after VVMS and kids are going to make choices. I'm going to make them aware of those choices for career paths."

Dierke, a fourth generation San Franciscan whose career as a teacher, counselor, department head, dean, assistant principal and now principal has tackled some of the toughest of public school concerns, especially those in which violence has played a part.
Spawned out of teach-ins, students coming together in every class for a specific period of time to brainstorm ways to combat school-related problems, Dierke created an anonymous hotline program while assistant principal at Washington High. This allowed callers to disclose criminal activity without fear of being identified. During the first month of the program alone, crime was cut by approximately 50 percent. Dierke implemented the program while at McAteer High and is currently preparing to start a similar one at VVMS.

Community members, faculty and average citizens also use the hotline to thwart crime. Leaflets are disseminated into the community after the students have been appraised.

"This school is a small city of 530 students and the program is not expensive to put in place," said Dierke.
Other goals for the new VVMS principal include obtaining additional computers for every classroom--nationwide average is five per class while VVMS observes three--teacher and counseling support.

According to Dierke, "Counseling is 542-to-1 at middle schools. VVMS Coordinated Care Team is becoming a model for inner city schools."

 The care team meets once a week to discuss student needs through case management formats.
Dierke is putting the finishing touches on a Critical Incident Response program. With recent school shootings nationwide, most notably Columbine High School in Colorado, the program's main purpose is to cease trouble prior to it becoming a critical incident. A key ingredient of the program discloses to law enforcement, staff and students key areas of interest within the school to avoid and/or travel to in the advent of a Columbine eruption.

VVMS is currently enjoying paramount support through 15 different grants which assist the school in operating programs while other city middle schools possess a single grant. Dierke expects to continue tapping sources to aid the school in meeting its overall challenge to prepare students for the future.

"We're in the education business. We are not making toasters," said Dierke. "What is in place here at VVMS is cutting edge technology; taking over a well-run school and community means to continue its improvements. Please support our school."

Healthtalk with Stephanie:
Medications Put the Brakes on Headache Pain

For many of us, headaches are an occasional annoyance. But for the 24 million Americans who experience severe, throbbing pain that lasts for hours, or even days, headaches can be cruel and crippling.

"At least twice a month, my headaches were so unbearable that I had to lie in a darkened room for most of the day," said 36-year-old Vanessa Kimmel, a professional in the computer industry who often missed days of work. "It took me years to finally talk to my doctor. I didn't want to appear weak and I was convinced there was nothing he could do. I was wrong."

What many headache sufferers are learning is that there are many prescription medications that are now available to relieve the pain of most headaches. Being able to describe what kind of headaches you are having is the first step to help your doctor choose the right medication to treat them.

Tension headaches can occur occasionally--or daily. When you have a tension headache, you may feel a dull, aching, or squeezing pain, usually on both sides of your head that can last for several hours to a full day.

Migrane headaches, which are more common in women, often start in your teen years, and may occur monthly. Most migrane sufferers experience a throbbing or intense pain on one or both sides of their head that can last four to 72 hours.Other migrane symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound.

Cluster headaches are intense 35 to 40-minute attacks that usually occur on one side of your head. You may have several cluster headaches a day for weeks or months--then not again for months or years. Cluster headaches are also more common in men ages 20-45.

While we usually associate headache relief with pain relievers like Excedrin or Advil, another type of headache, rebound headaches, are mild to moderately painful headaches that occur often upon wakening when people overuse pain relievers for several days--and stop taking them too abruptly.

While we all react differently, there are some common headache "triggers" that may bring on headaches:

*Stress (crisis, death, divorce, job loss or stress, relationship difficulties)

*Diet (caffeine, chocolate, nuts citrus fruits, alcohol, aged cheeses, MSG, processed foods, aspartame)

*Sensory (bright or flickering lights, odors)

*Hormonal changes in women (menstruation, ovulation, hormone replacement therapy)
If frequent or severe headaches are disrupting your life, talk with your doctor. With so many effective treatments available, there's no reason to let headache pain keep you from enjoying daily activities. For further information about headaches, contact:

*American Council for Headaches, 800-255-ACHE, www.achenet.org

*National Headache Foundation, 800-842-2256, www.headaches.org

*Migrane Resource Center, www.migranehelp.org

For more headache links visit: www.healthed.com

Stephanie E. Mazzeo-Caputo. MSW, MS RD, is vice president of Health Education for Doctors+Designers in Westfield, New Jersey, a health communications company that specializes in Patient-Centered Health Education Programs.

Five Years Ago in the Grapevine

OCTOBER 1994

*Local residents attending a meeting of S.F. Public Library's Preservation Fund at the Valley Branch on Sept. 1 said they wanted more books and materials with longer library hours, preferably on weekends.

*A letter of support was requested of the Visitacion Valley Task Force for local ESL classes at a Sept. 19 meeting.

*Silvia Sweidan of Woodrow Wilson High School was awarded a medal for academic achievement.

*Both HUD and the City recommended the demolition of Geneva Towers, with residents of the twin 20-story structures assisted in moving and finding new homes.

*Construction began on a Vista Overlook project on the corner of Visitacion Avenue and Mansell Street.

*Registration remained open for the Saint Francis Bay project commenced at Executive Park.

*Members of the Korean Presbyterian Church held a special feast for those attending a meeting of the S.F. Planning Commission Advisory Committee.

*Ingleside Station school patrol officers began working closely with a new Transit Unit which expanded to handle complaints of crime on Muni.

Historic Proportions

Match clues to answers.

1954
1. First of these is produced by Motorola.
2. They were the NBA champs on Apr. 12.
3. Their surrender on May 7 at Dien Bien Phu ended the Indochinese War.
4. National authority began regulation of these.
5. United States gave this a test on Mar. 1.
6. Nautilus was the first of these to be launched Jan. 21.
7. First of an annual event July 18 in this Rhode Island town.
8. Vice President Nixon proposed improvement of these July 12 for an expanding nation.
9. Hairstyle became popular with men.
10. Senator was leading an investigations subcommittee.
11. Dash 80 debut on July 15 had later well-known name.
12. Procedure first successfully performed on Dec. 23.
13. Westinghouse comes out with the first of these in March.
14. World Series winners in four straight games.
15. School children began receiving mass immunizations for this dreaded disease.
16. Popular TV show first aired Oct. 3.
17. First flight on Aug. 5 exceeded all expectations.
18. Best Picture at the Academy Awards on Mar. 25.

A. Father Knows Best
B. Newport Jazz Festival
C. Color TV
D. Joseph McCarthy
E. Boeing 707
F. Interstate highways
G. Polio
H. Hi-Fi
I. Atomic submarine
J. Comic books.
K. From Here to Eternity
L. Crewcut
M. French armed forces
N. B-52 bomber
O. New York Giants
P. Minneapolis Lakers
Q. Hydrogen bomb
R. Kidney transplant

Answers: 1-H; 2-P; 3-M; 4-J; 5-Q; 6-I; 7-B; 8-F; 9-L; 10-D; 11-E; 12-R; 13-C; 14-O; 15-G; 16-A; 17-N; 18-K.

Sez Who?

Match quotes to speakers.

1. "Good fences make good neighbors."
2. "When producers want to know what the public wants, they graph it as curves. When they want to tell the public what to get, they say it in curves."
3. "Truth never damages a cause that is just."
4. "No matter how calmly you try to referee, parenting will eventually produce bizarre behavior, and I'm not talking about the kids. Their behavior is always normal."
5. "Instead of giving a politician the keys to a city, it might be better to change the locks."
6. "An advertising agency is 85 percent confusion and 15 percent commission."
7. "Popularity? It's glory's small change."
8. "In Europe an actor is an artist. In Hollywood, if he isn't working, he's a bum."
9. "Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence."

A. Anthony Quinn
B. Doug Larson
C. Victor Hugo
D. Charles de Gaulle
E. Fred Allen
F. Robert Frost
G. Marshall McLuhan
H. Bill Cosby
I. Mohandas K. Gandhi

Answers: 1-F, 2-G, 3-I, 4-H, 5-B, 6-E, 7-C, 8-A, 9-D.