The students in Mr.Booth’s seventh, eighth, and ninth grade band classes have been working hard the last few months to prepare for their annual Christmas concert. The concert will be held on December 15th from 6:00-8:30 p.m. in the SJHS auditorium. 

“I’m really excited for the concert,” Bailey Jones, an eighth-grade band student at SJHS, explained, “It’s awesome, and I really like our music.”

Ms. Rachel Neeley is just one of the amazing teachers here at SJHS. Ms. Neeley teaches seventh-grade English, yearbook, and creative writing. This is Ms. Neeley’s sixth year teaching. Ms. Neeley said, “I wanted to be a teacher ever since I was little. I loved reading and writing when I was in school. I was pretty good at it, so I decided to teach English.”

Springville Junior High is blessed to have so many wonderful faculty members to work with and rely upon. One of these many members is Mrs. Sue Tarin, Springville Junior High’s new counseling secretary and friend.

“I love working with Mrs. Tarin; she’s nice and is also very helpful,” Mrs. Monica Distefano, a counselor at Springville Junior High, said.

“I started working here because I already worked for the district and I was looking for a full time job. When this one became available, I took it,” Mrs. Tarin explained.

Mrs. Distefano explained that Mrs. Tarin has a big job. “There is a lot to learn and remember. She’s done a great job of jumping in and figuring things out,” she explained. 

Last week the Make it With Wool competition took place at Mapleton Junior High School. The Make it With Wool competitors sew outfits that are at least 60% wool.  The contestants who entered this competition spent many hard hours working on their projects.

The night before the fashion show of Make it with Wool, the contestants had their item judged. The judges base 40% of their evaluation on sewing and 60% on fashion, marketability, and how the contestants accessorize. After that night, the contestants smiled for the cameras and showed what their hard work was for: the fashion show.

We’ve all seen those old black and white commercials. The ones with women in aprons standing over kitchen stoves. But not at Springville Junior High, where eighth and ninth graders have the opportunity to take foods class. However, they’re not alone with raw ingredients and dangerous tools, they have Mrs. Natalie Luke.

When you walk into foods class, the heavenly aroma of fresh baked goods and flour cling to the air, not the ordinary classroom smell of dusty books and chalk. Mrs. Luke has been teaching foods to eager students for seven years, and loves every hectic minute, “I love the interaction with fun kids who share their lives with me.”

Many people feel that one of the great things about English class is that it can incorporate all other subjects.  Students can write a science fiction story or read a book about history.  Mrs. Maughan, an English teacher at SJHS, has been helping her students learn from historical literature.  Students in Mrs. Maughan’s class have recently been reading the play "The Diary of Anne Frank."  The play is about a Jewish girl who lived during the Second World War. She lived in The Netherlands when the Nazis took over and was forced to go into hiding in a secret room above her father’s business. The students have been reading for a little while, and are now just starting the second act of the play.

Every year, girls' PE teacher Mrs. Kelly Anderson has her students play a sport with a paddle and wiffleball. The sport is called pickleball. “Most students seem to enjoy it,” said Mrs. Anderson. The girls are all done for this year, but they play pickleball every year.

Students use different strategies. “In rallies, I always aim for the person who looks bored, because they probably aren’t paying attention,” said Jamie Devenish, a seventh grader. Eighth-grade student Darby Farr said, “If they’re far back, I hit it softly, and if they’re close, I hit it hard so they can’t get it.”

“I would play pickleball at least twice a day, no doubt,” said seventh grade PE Girls student Amanda Ripley, “If I had the time.”

What is it that girls can’t wait for any longer? It’s New Moon. Many girls have been anticipating the release of New Moon, the second of four movies in the Twilight Saga.

Mrs. Mary Rice, an English teacher at SJHS, said she got into the series when a friend told her that Stephanie Meyer was going to be talking about Twilight at BYU. She then went and  read the books.

As much as the books are loved, most can agree that they aren’t perfect. Victoria Ireland, an eighth grade student, said, “The beginnings are really slow.” Savannah McNitt, another eighth grade student, said, “Bella is so ditzy.”

Mrs. Linda Woodfield is the new CTE and Teen Living teacher at Springville Junior High. CTE is a seventh-grade class, and Mrs. Woodfield teaches the Family and Consumer Science part of the class. “I’m very passionate about the things I teach,” said Mrs. Woodfield. The Teen Living class studies individual development, communication skills, self-esteem, family relations, dating, teen pitfalls, teen pregnancy, and taking charge of your life.

Last year Mrs. Woodfield finished her student teaching at Springville High School, teaching Child Development and Needle Arts. Anenia Tuttle, a seventh grader at Springville Junior High, said, “Mrs. Woodfield is a fun teacher because she always has something fun to do!”

Now that the end of the term has come it’s time for the 95% attendance award activity.  The 95% attendance award activity happens at the end of each term. Students who have 95% attendance and didn't get any F's, N's, or U's on their first term report card get to miss school and go to the Spanish Fork Red Carpet Theater where they can watch a current movie.

Maddie Joyner, an eighth-grade student, said, “I like skipping school to go see a movie!”  According to Victoria Ireland, another eighth-grade student, she liked going in the past because she can be with her friends and not have to worry about doing school work all day it’s nice to relax. The 95% Activity Award Activity was held on Thursday, November 19th.