October 2009

The Service Learning class is busy working on posters for the upcoming dance. The Halloween dance will be held on Thursday, October 29 at 7:00 p.m. The posters help make the dance more “colorful, make it sparkle and have the atmosphere,” said Liz White, a Sercive Learning student at SJHS. 

The students in Service Learning make posters for every dance. The requirements for a good poster are: “They have to be neat, you have to take pride in your poster, and the posters have to do with the subject,” said, Cami Sumsion, a Service Learning student.

Ready, set, SCORE! Basketball tryouts are happening November 9th at Springville Junior High. The ninth-grade boys are going to be able to participate in this event and show off there skills to Mr. Shaun Blakey, the basketball coach and counselor here at Springville Junior High.

On Friday October 23rd, students at Springville Junior High who sold one or more cookie dough tubs for this year's fund raiser got to go see the Stunt Team All Stars do some pretty cool tricks!

The reward for selling cookie dough was a BMX show, it was held in the south parking lot by the Nebo Credit Union. Mr. David Knudsen, one of SJHS’s vice principals, said, “They have performed here before, and it is a very entertaining show.” The performers do some pretty amazing things. Alyssa Nance, a ninth grader, said, “They jumped over the vice principal!!”

Springville Junior High School has a couple of science teachers. Among them is Mrs. Lori Caras, who teaches seventh and ninth grade students at the junior high. She’s taught at SJHS for ten years, and she taught at Woodenville High School in Seattle for four years.

Mrs. Caras decided to teach because her father was a professor and as she was growing up, Mrs. Caras saw how he loved teaching. She would also see him grading papers, but besides that, she said it looked like fun. She chose to teach science because she loves it.  She went on the explain, “Sometimes I think kids struggle, so I want to make it easier, and I want to make it fun.”

At Springville Junior High many students enjoy the Foods class.  Mrs. Natalie Luke, the Foods class teacher, enjoys teaching this class full time throughout the year.  The point of foods class is so students can learn how to cook food and to make it nutritious.  The students also learn about the properties of food.  Austin Jensen, an eighth grader at SJHS, said, “We take notes, go outside, exercise, and learn about nutrition.”

The class has made many things so far this year.  They’ve made things like pizza, shortbread, scones and shakes called Orange Julius.

Students at Springville Junior High have many different fine arts classes that are available to them. One of these classes is a photography class, in which students learn how to use a camera and take different pictures and digitally modify their pictures. According to Mr. Mitch Cudney, the photography teacher at Springville Junior High, any student who wishes to take this class needs to have patience and be willing to work hard.

“I chose to take this class because I thought it would be fun, and I like to learn how to use a camera,” Andi Dockstater, a photography student at Springville Junior High said.

One of the most exciting things about starting junior high is that you can earn the privilege to eat outside.  Springville Junior High’s kids are divided into two lunches, first lunch which has eighth and ninth graders, and second lunch which has mostly seventh and eighth graders. Students in first lunch earned the privilege to eat outside just a few weeks ago.
   
Chelsea Ricks, a ninth grader in first lunch, said, “I like to be outside in the fresh air.” Many kids feel the same way about eating outside. According to Chelsea, kids in first lunch are more mature, so they can pick up their trash. 

 At Springville Junior High School, room 54 is full of astute thinkers reading advanced books. The eighth grade students of Mrs. Mary Rice’s class have been reading Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death” and “The Black Cat.”
   

The H1N1 virus has hit Springville.  Many students have been absent from schools.  According to the Utah Health Department website, the virus is a pandemic, which means that there isn’t a single country without the virus.  But The Utah Health Department also said, “The sickness isn’t as bad as expected.” 

The symptoms include fever, cough, soar throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headaches, chills, fatigue, and sometimes diarrhea and vomiting.  Most cases have not been very serious, but people should still be careful.  Officials suggest washing hands often and to cover mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.  Officials also suggest coughing and sneezing into your elbow. 

“At Springville Junior High we are effective communicators, responsible citizens and successful learners.”  This is the SJHS Mission Statement.  Students recite it every Monday.  Another Monday event is the Knights of the Round Table.   On Monday October fifth, the Knights of the Round Table debated on a suggestion presented.  It was whether or not students should have days to wear their best clothes and how often.