On January 31, 2013, the seventh graders at Springville Junior High were able to take a field trip to the State Capitol in Salt Lake. Mr. Hansen, a history teacher at SJHS, and Mr. Hatfield, a science teacher at SJHS, arranged the outing so that the seventh graders would be able to see how the government makes the laws that we have in Utah.  

Mr. Hansen said, “Teaching about the Utah State government is part of the Utah Core. This experience gives the students a firsthand experience with the legislative process. They got to experience a tour of the Utah Capitol, and Avyrie Fellows’s father pulled some special strings to let us see where he works at the administrative office of the governor.”

Who is one of the longest serving teachers at Springville Junior High? Take a guess.

Well, Mr. Hansen! He has been teaching at SJHS for twenty seven years now! He is one of the history teachers here at Springville Junior High.  According to Mr. Hansen, he wants to be able to learn how to be a great teacher to all of his students. 

Ms. Gardner is a new seventh and eighth grade math teacher here at SJHS. Mrs. Packer, as many students may know, left right before Christmas break, so Ms.Gardner is the new math teacher. Jake Chatfield, an eighth-grade boy, said, “She is way chill with you and understands you.” 

Mr.VanAusdal, principal at SJHS, said, “She is very eager and excited to teach.” Many students already like Ms. Gardner. Kenzie Keane, and eighth grader in Ms. Gardner class, said, “She is awesome!” The teachers also think Ms. Gardner is great. Mrs. Gleave, a math teacher at SJHS, said, “She’s always looking for ways to increase student learning.”

From its opening in 1957, all the way to 2012, Springville Junior High has had no more than three working computer labs at a time.  This January, that all changed as a fourth lab was added to the three already existing labs at SJHS.  The lab is now set up in room 21, and will travel to the new school in 2014.  According to Mrs. Bass, an English teacher at SJHS, the purchase of this lab will help free up labs for class periods that classes may have had trouble getting to use a lab before.

On Sunday, February 3, a little boy named Kasen Tim Maughan came into this world.  His mom may be someone you have seen around the junior high.  You guessed it, Mrs. Maughan, a dance and an English teacher at SJHS, is now a mom of two.  But while she is home to take care of her new baby, we have a great long-term sub filling in for her at SJHS.  According to Emo Apaui, a ninth grader and a TA for Mrs. Maughan, Ms. Erickson is amazing.  Ms. Erickson will be here until spring break.  You might see her smiling face in the halls.

This Valentine’s Day at Springville Junior High School, the Service Learning class is arranging small gifts called Valegrams.  According to Emily Bird, an eighth grader in Service Learning, their class is selling Valegrams for kids who want to get something for their friends.  Jillian Boyer, an eighth grader at SJHS, purchased some Valegrams for her friends “to show my friends that I truly love them.”  According to Jillian, people can express their feelings, without telling them face to face.  

Football is one of the most popular sports in America.  All who watch have their own opinions, whether that be who the best team is, who has the best defense, or even who is the best player.  But if there is one thing that NFL football fans love to discuss more than all of these topics, it is the Super Bowl.  Even experts can have a tough time predicting the outcomes of the playoff games, which are played early in the year each year.  But you don’t have to be an “expert” to predict football games.  Some students, and even some teachers at Springville Junior High, love to try and figure out who will win which games.

Far away over the Grey Havens, and across Rohans’ realm, and into The Shire, there lived a hobbit. Now this particular hobbit lived in a hole. Not a hole that was dirty or dark, but a hole rather to the liking of himself and to others. For this hole was a hobbit hole and hobbit holes are full of comfort, warmth, and food. Now the hobbit that lived in this hole was  Bilbo Baggins. Many students have heard of The Hobbit, and many have read the famous fiction book by J. R. R.  Tolkien and have enjoyed it immensely, and now, this book has been made into a movie. Peter Jackson, the director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, took up the job to film and direct the Hobbit.

There is one day in the school year when seventh grade students at Springville junior high get to participate in job shadow day.  Job shadow is a day where all seventh grade students get the opportunity to miss school and go explore the job of an adult.  This event was on Friday February 1, 2013. The students actually got to choose what job they wanted to go explore, which makes things a lot better for their learning experience.

What is Mrs. Gleave like? What subject does she teach? What does she like to do? Most of the students think that teachers don’t do anything or don’t have a life besides teaching. Well those students are wrong! Mrs. Gleave has a very neat personality. “I think what makes Mrs. Gleave a very good math teacher is that if someone has a question she will answer it and explain it fully,” said Ben Stewart, a ninth grader, at SJHS.