SMS Bands hold holiday concert

The South Middle School bands, under the direction of Mr. Reed Barnes, performed their annual holiday concert Dec. 11 in the school auditorium.
The concert featured two numbers by the Jazz Band, four by the Beginning Band, and five by the Concert Band.
Jazz Band members are: Cheyenne Howard, Geoff Aiken, Gareth Evans, Aaron Hodges, Leif Larson, Nathan Morris, Grant Evans, Gil Randolph
Beginning Band members are: Abby Bates, Emily Jenkins, Emma Rice, LynnLee Shepherd, Kelsey Tressler, Kylie Lewsader, Austin Mallory, Michael Oyler, Lauren Temple, Jed Larson, Cory Miller, Tyler Nonemaker, Alex Whittington, Calvin Alumbaugh, Madison Briggs, Isaiah Hicks, Brandon Laub, Spencer Peterson, Orion Quintana, Dakota Smith, Drew Welch, Matt Cruzan, Tera Hall, Cody Miller, Stephen Miller, Dakota Reasoner, Dillon Warlaumont, Tommy Winstead, Brandon Ross, Dylan Caldwell, Dylan Goad, Jordan Ivey, Hunter Mills, Damien Mitchell, Axle Vene, Ethan Wastler, Emilee Wills.
Concert Band members are: Breanna Baker, Molly Baker, Becky Cooper, Steven Denmark, Jessie Kennedy, Lynn Nichols, Tiffany Douglas, Brittany Frisbie, Cody Gilmore, Aron Hembree, Taylor Johnson, Lainie Nicolas, Catherine Stewart, Savanah Sweeton, Dakota Williams, Kisha Adams, Austin Bolt, Zack Cloven, Cheyenne Howard, Andrew Mays, Brittany Mitchell, Bryan Ross, Amanda Webster, Jordan Adame, Joran Bailey, Nathan Baker, Tyler Beall, Nathan Cox, Zac Dunnic, Gareth Evans, Corey Hounschell, Sarah Kessler, Leif Larson, Luke Lenhart, Nathan Morris, Amanda Needham, Casey Sharp, Brett Stearnes, Jeffrey Terry, Kyle Vene, Brian Geier, Will Kessler, Christian Miller, Sam Quinones, Geoff Aiken, Tate Duley, Aaron Hodges, Kelli Newberry, Desean Triplett, Timmy Davis, Daniel Story, Daniel Vanderlip, Jarvious Britt, Levi Crews, Fischer Dowell, Grant Evans, Tyler Graves, Zach Hibbard, Billy Nguyen, Allen Peterson, Blake Putnam, Gil Randolph, Dalton Smith

SMS teacher has second novel published

By DYLAN PRAUSER
Room 210 Staff Writer

Mr. Randy Turner, eighth grade communication arts teacher's second novel, Devil's Messenger, has been published. Books may be purchased from Mr. Turner for $15 apiece and are also available over the internet. More information is available at the book's website.
The book is about a teenaged girl named Cassandra Harper who communicates with her murdered father through instant messenger. The story is a combination murder mystery and horror story.
Mr. Turner's first book, Small Town News, was published in 2005.

LAB members volunteer at Ronald McDonald House

Fourteen members of the SMS Library Advisory Board (LAB) recently volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House in Joplin.
Students participating were: Leah Forkner, Kane McCaslin, Becky Cooper, Cassey Schulze, Shawn Spicer, Jordan Hamilton, Lauren Layne, Bayley Strella, Brittany Frisbie, Gareth Evans, Cindy Pham, Brandon Holman, Kaleb Szulakiewicz, and Amanda Needham.

Five South students selected for color guard

By KELLEY LEACH
Room 210 Staff Writer
Five South Middle School students have been named to the Joplin Middle School Color Guard. Those selected were Becky Cooper, Amanda Needham, Kelley Leach, Savanah Sweeton, and Cassey Schulze.
The girls were surprised when tryouts were held, thinking they would have more time to prepare since they had missed three snow days, but the tryout was held as planned.
"At first, I thought this was something I could never do," Becky Cooper said," but as the week went on Ms. Palmer (the sponsor) made it more fun and easier. Then the last day of tryouts, we were all super nervous because we didn't know that tryouts were that day. But I had more fun trying out than I did at practice week."
The students will perform at halftime of basketball games.

Winter choir concert held

Photos by Marina Dudley
"With a Joyful Song," the South Middle School Choir Concert was held Thursday in the school auditorium. Students had an opportunity to see the program earlier in the day during TA.
The sixth grade choir opened with six numbers, "With a Joyful Song," "O Come O Come, Emmanuel," "Mary Sat-a-Rockin," "Candlelight Silent Night," "A Winter's Day," and "Gonna Catch That Santa."
Haley Bowers performed a solo.
Sixth grade choir members are:
Torri Ackerman, Jodi Anderson, Haley Bowers, Clayton Brown, Lexi Brown, Ethan Bryan, Courtney Burns, Hannah Cady, Tracie Cottrill, Shaney Delzell, Felisha Derrick, Calisha England, Eliza Fausto, Riley Gass, Allison Hankins, Shelby Ingram, Mason Johnson, Carson Jones, Morgan Jones, Shani Knight, Morgan Lamar, Ghenessa Moore, Jade Moore, Kassidee Myers, Gus Ortega, Hailey Oxford, Stefon Rich, Krystal Schulze, Jordan Shumaker, Taylor Shutte, C. D. Smith, Clay Sweeton, Kaylee Tressler, Storm Whittington, Shannon Williams, Tiffany Williams.

The Concert Choir performed eight numbers- "A Holiday Madrigal," "The Snow Begins to Fall," "Born, Born in Bethlehem," "Breath of Heaven," "O Come, Little Children," "Twas the Night," "Blue Christmas," and "Frosty the Snowman."
Featured soloists were: Sarah Matthews, Molly Sanders, Taylor Camden, and Alex Karns.
Concert Choir members are:
Andrea Alexander, Cierra Asher, Jacqueline Bogarin, Tozia Burris, Cameron Bryan, Taylor Camden, Nikki Carter, Gina Casada, Beau Carroll, Jordan Chambers, Tolby Clemons, Christen Cool, Cecil Cornish, Tanner Crawford, Takada Davis, Ashley Dean, Hannah Doerge, Ariana Dudley, Shane Ellis, Rachel Etheridge, Tara Fleming, Rachael Foster, Leah Forkner, Makenzie Freeman, Jared Fuller, Christina Gates, Tessa Gordon, Justene Gowing, Jordan Hamilton, Kole Hammond, Paige Harmon, Alexis Hawk, Colten Hawkins, Jamie Hartje, Lacy Heiskell, Ashley Henson, Christy Hernandez, Joe Huddleston, Rachelle Hughbank, Andrew Ideker, Alex Johnson, Shaynee Johnson, Selena Jordan, Alex Karns, Katie Kemmery, Dylan King, Tera Knight, Lauren Layne, Kelley Leach, Grant Lewis, Loryn Ligon, Tessa Luper, Breanna Martin, Sarah Matthews, Adriana Maturino, Shelby McDonald, Tori Mitchell, Amber Morris, Holly O'Dell, Nayelli Ortiz, Kelsey Pace, Sarah Painter, Cindy Pham, Katie Phelps, MacKenzy Pierce, Tymber Pope, Dylan Prauser, Tyra Raby, Samantha Rice, Rachel Richins, Hannah Rosario, Jesse Rowe, Abby Sadler, Mariah Sanders, Mollie Sanders, Adam Schilling, Cassey Schulze, Kaylee Sexton, Shelby Shumaker, Alicia Shofner, Angela Sliger, Amber Smith, Hailey Smith, Sydney Snider, Shanna Striegel, Kaitlin Sullivan, Taylor Tressler, Emily Tripoli, Hannah Ward, Samantha Warren, Kris Watts, Sarah Wells, Ashley Whittington, Kendra Wilson, Tamera Wirick, Katie Wood, Shandera Workman, Jaclyn Wright, Nichole Yeoman.

The program concluded with two numbers, "Jinglin' Bells," and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," by The Southern Belles, South's show choir.
Members of the Southern Belles are:
Taylor Camden, Jordan Chambers, Hannah Doerge, Tara Fleming, Leah Forkner, Christy Hernandez, Tera Knight, Lauren Layne, Tessa Luper, Sarah Matthews, Tori Mitchell, Cindy Pham, Tymber Pope, Hannah Rosario, Mariah Sanders, Mollie Sanders, Shelby Shumaker, Taylor Tressler, Kendra Wilson, Katie Wood, Jaclyn Wright, and Nichole Yeoman.

The program was under the direction of Ms. Julie Yonkers.