Lately, the tables in the Springville Junior High cafeteria seem to be cleaner. Why is that? It’s because the student council and the school administration have decided to create the Lunch Wars. The whole purpose was to keep finished lunch in the trash instead of on the tables or floor, and to encourage students to pick up their mess. “Lunch Wars is to make lunch clean, but fun and rewarding!” said Amanda Ripley, the student council vice-president.

This year something mysterious came to our school. A mysterious thing that has students stay after school and learn about things they don’t learn in class! This mysterious thing is called 4H clubs. These clubs are a way for students to learn about the things they’re interested in outside of school hours. The person behind all this work is Ms. Justine Kent. She gave SJHS the opportunity to have these clubs at our school. 

Every Monday, the Springville Junior High School golf team has a tournament. The tournament is at either Hobble Creek in Springville, Spanish Oaks in Spanish Fork, or Gladstan in Payson. Joseph Bell, a member of the golf team, said, “I like going to Hobble Creek because I like the way the holes are set up.” 

Mr. Dallin Krebs, math teacher at SJHS and coach of the golf team, expects the team to finish in the top three at the districts. The golf team consists of nine boys and one girl. They are: Tanner Gervais, Nicholas Cooper, Joseph Bell, Cortez Nelsen, Charlie Fry, Lydia Austin, Jaden Warren, Alex Donahue, Michael Nelson, and Brandon Merkley. According to Joseph Bell, the golf team is the "bomb dot com."   

This year, several SJHS ninth-grade girls are playing on the high school soccer team. They play soccer games on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week, and they practice three times a week for two hours at Springville High School. The girls' high school soccer team has won four games, and lost three, and tied three.  They defeated Provo High School's junior varsity with a team of 8-0.

The coach of the girls' high school soccer team is Jay Mason, and his assistants are Kim Marchbanks and Mike Shulski.  Jay Mason used to be head of coach for boys' soccer team.  Kim Marchbanks has always been involved with high school sports. Mike Shulski was also a coach for boys’ soccer team.

This year Springville Junior High School is having a no tardy party at the end of the term for students who are never tardy for class.  According to Mr. Ken Van Ausdal, principal of SJHS, the administration wanted encourage kids not to get tardies and reward the ones that don’t.  Being on time helps students develop life long skills, shows respect to teachers, helps gain academic skills. 

Mrs. Kim Rice, English seven and pre-algebra teacher at SJHS, said, “ If the quality of the party was interesting, I think it would be a fun, adventurous opportunity.”

At Springville Junior High School, we have a new program.  Hope Squad!  The Hope Squad is for students that are having problems, or students that are struggling in their personal lives and need someone to talk to.  Mrs. Courtney Droz, the ninth-grade counselor, said, “Most students feel more comfortable talking to their peers and not an adult.” The purpose of Hope Squad is so that students can have someone to talk to. 

This year there’s a safer way to drop off your children at Springville Junior High! Mr. Ken Van Ausdal, the principal of SJHS, and the School Community Council decided they needed a more organized, quicker, and safer way to drop off the students.

Here’s how it works: Parents pull into drop-off lane in front of the school, which is between the sidewalk and the yellow line, and students go right out onto the sidewalk. That way they’re not in danger of being hit by a car when their parents drop them off in the middle of the road.

Knights are asked to protect the weak, defenseless, and helpless. They are sworn to uphold the values of courage and honor.  As Springville Junior High Knights, these things are expected and wanted in students’ actions towards each other and themselves. As a representation of our school and its mascot, Mr. Mitch Cudney, art teacher at SJHS, and SJHS students reproduced the painting of a knight and a lady, entitled "God Speed," painted by Edmond Leighton. Mr. Cudney said, “I decided to paint a new mural because I wanted to paint something that was fun to look at and that showed school pride. I chose that specific painting because it represented both boys and girls at the school.”

This 2011-12 school year things are changing at Springville Junior High School. There are new banners in the hallways to show our school pride, Monday advisory period during Quest Time to improve student’s grades, early morning enrichment for tardies, the school mural, and more varied choices for classes like dance, math common core, pods, and sculpture. Another new change at SJHS is instead of being required to take service learning as an elective, the student council meets two times a week during Quest Time to think of ways to improve the school, and plan fun activities for students to participate in. 

Mrs. Walker, the choir teacher at SJHS, is now teaching a new Quest Time class: Musical Audition Prep.  In this class, she helps students prepare to audition for the 2012 school play, Oklahoma. Audition Prep takes place every Friday in the choir room and will go on every Friday until the musical auditions in January.