April 2014

The counseling office hosted a service project on April 25th during Quest time.  Students had the opportunity to work on four different projects.  The first one was writing uplifting letters to soldiers.  The notes will be distributed to active duty and wounded soldiers worldwide.  The second project was putting together "bedtime bags" for kids in the women's shelter.  The bags included a book, a stuffed animal, a blanket, and a toothbrush.  The third project was making baby hats out of yarn and blankets, and the last project was putting together hygiene kits for the homeless shelter.  The kits included soap, tissues, razors, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.  

The end of the school year is approaching quickly, and there is so much to do to get ready for next year!  One of those things to get ready is next year’s student council election.         

“Student council is changing for the next school year,” said Mrs. Murray, a student council supervisor at SJHS. “We will have eight students, like we have had in the past, but they will all be on the council together for the whole year. We will work together, like a knights of the round table. Student Council will help plan activities, plan and prepare for dances, do the morning announcements, help maintain the new school, and get involved with students and school activities.”    

 Have you met Ms. Anderson, one of our teachers here at SJHS? She has taught for eighteen years, 10 in Green River, Utah and eight here in Nebo District. Ms. Anderson has always wanted to be a teacher. She said that in elementary school they drew a picture of their career, and she was a teacher.

“I like to see the excitement in students when they learn a concept they think is too hard to do, and they do it. I like interacting with youth. I learn things from my students as much as they learn things from me,” said Ms. Anderson.    

Mr. Kindrick has been working at SJHS for 12 years. He is one of the science teachers at SJHS.  “Everyone always told me I was good with kids, or they always told me I acted like a kid. I can’t remember,” Mr. Kindrick said. 

Spencer Livesy, an eighth grade student, said, “He’s funny, and he’s a good teacher.”  

Sarah Tucker, another eighth grader, said, “He’s the funnest to joke with. He’s awesome, and he is always willing to help even in the studpidest situations.” J

ulia Singleton, also one of Mr. Kindrick’s students, said, “He’s funny, and he does fun experiments for the sake of science.” 

Have you seen Mr. Kindrick’s class? They have been working on mouse trap cars. They have been driving them down the upstairs hall. 

Daniela Meledez, a eighth grade girl in Mr. Kindrick’s class, said her mousetrap car went well and got her an A. Daniela said her favorite part was “finding out it actually worked.” The hardest part was trying to come up with a model, Daniela said. It took Daniela two to three days to complete.

Shayra Riches, an eighth grade girl, is starting to work on her mousetrap car. She said so far it has taken her one week to get as far as she has. Her favorite part is the lever, it seems really powerful.  Shayra said the hardest part is getting it long enough and getting it to work right.

Mrs. Caras is a science teacher here at SJHS.  Her favorite color is periwinkle and her favorite tv show is “Modern Family”. She often goes to the movies with her husband, and she especially likes the super hero movies. 

Mrs. Caras has a passion for science. “I love that science is all about discovery,” she said. “I love to learn new things about living organisms and our world.”

Mrs. Caras loves teaching at the junior high because the students want to have fun in her class.  She has been interested in science since she was little.  She collected things like geodes and sea shells. 

The students in SJHS’s Orchestra II class had an opportunity to perform a concert with the BYU New Horizons Orchestra on Thursday, March 27. The concert was held in the Springville High School auditorium at 7:30pm.

The New Horizons Orchestra is a group made up of adults who just recently started to learn how to play their instruments. This orchestra is for people who want to learn a string instrument and never got a chance to do it when they were younger. The group is mostly made up of elderly members who just started playing sometime in the past two years.

Student council elections for next year are coming up!  Please download the application for more information.

 On Friday, March 28th, we held another Super Knights Assembly.  This month’s Super Knights were Melody Anderson, Macarthur Reilly, Anne Wallace, Dakota Dalley, Carlie Maughan, and Steven Bartholomew.  Here are some comments by teachers at SJHS about each Super Knight:

Melody Anderson - 7th Grade

● I think she is the ideal student. She is always on task, willing to do whatever the teacher asks, and always smiling.

● She is very hardworking. She completes her assignment above and beyond what is asked of her.

Do you remember taking a field trip to SJHS when you were in sixth grade? The sixth graders from Art City, Brookside, Cherry Creek, Sage Creek, and Westside elementary schools came to visit SJHS on Wednesday, March 26. The sixth graders met in the auditorium to get their registration sheet and learn about the different electives available to them next year. 

“One reason I think it's important to have them come is to ease their anxiety about the transition from elementary school to junior high,” said Mrs. Distefano, the seventh grade counselor. “We want to answer their questions, and we want them to be excited!”