Annual Peer Tutor Picnic held May 16

Photos by SARAH KESSLER
Room 210 Editor (with a little help)

Talent show set for last day of school

By MARY JEAN MILLER
Room 210 Staff Writer
Auditions for South Middle School's annual last-day-of-school Talent Show were held recently. The talents are scattered in between various awards, shows, and goodbyes. Many try out for the Talent Show, and this yearʼs acts and participants are as follows:
Elvis and Priscilla
Southside
Annie
Adam Schilling
Merisha Alderman
Christina Gates
Gil Randolph
Tozia Burris
Sarah Matthews
Ervinʼs TA

Dress Rehearsals are:
May 20, 3:10-4:50
May 22, 3:10-4:50
May 27, 3:10-4:50

(Christina Gates sings, Mr. Rocky Biggers helps eighth grader Adam Schilling with his act; Nichole Yeoman, Holly O'Dell, and Lauren Layne practice their dance routine. Photos by Alex Kangethe and Mr. Turner)

SMS cheerleaders selected for 2008-2009

By MARY JEAN MILLER
Room 210 Staff Writer

As you all probably know, the South Cheerleader Tryouts occurred recently. Congratulations to the girls that tried out. It takes a lot of courage to learn a cheer and a chant in just 3 days, and then perform it in front of many judges in the auditorium by yourself. I would know. Good job girls.

8th Grade
Torri Ackerson
Victoria Backer
Lexi Brown
Allison Hankins
Elisha Mansour
Jamilet Mendez
Thea Voutiritsas
Elaina Warren
Ashley Wescoat
Alexis Woods
Emily Yarbrough

7th Grade
Heather Copeland
Katie Earll
Jordyn Ganes
Kaci Gowen
Bailey Hale
Aleecia Hardin
Stormi Potts
Kahla Quinn
Marti Westfall
Adison Wright

South girls prepare for cheerleading tryouts

By ALEX KANGETHE
Room 210 Staff Writer

Practice for South Middle School Cheerleading squads are being held in the South Middle School gymnasium and cafeteria. 6th and 7th graders are practicing for May 9th, which is the night of the tryouts, which begin right after school.

Eighth graders tour high school

By SARAH KESSLER
Room 210 Editor

South Middle School eighth graders visited Joplin High School today, receiving an opportunity to tour the school where most of them will be attending during the 2009-2009 school year.

The visit began with lunch in the cafeteria, followed by a performance from the High School Jazz Band in the auditorium, and a tour guided by Student Council members.

(Pictured: The Jazz Band performs, Freshman Principal Joe Boyd speaks to South's eighth graders. The bus prepares to leave. Photos by Sarah Kessler)

SMS Band holds spring concert

The South Middle School Band Spring Concert was held tonight in the school auditorium.
The program began with three numbers from the Jazz Band, followed by four by the Beginning Band, and concluded with four from the Concert Band.

Jazz Band members are:

Saxophones- Tyler Terry, Cheyenne Howard
Trumpets- Sarah Kessler, Luke Lenhart, Calvin Alumbaugh, Jeff Terry, Drew Welch
Trombones- Corey Hounschell, Gabby Londe
Rhythm- Gil Randolph, Gareth Evans, Emilee Wills

Beginning Band members are:

Flutes- Elisabeth Heimberg, Tianna McCarthy,
Saxophones- Mac Owen, Eric Spicer
French Horn- December Hedge
Percussion- Mason Atwood, Victoria Baker, Eric Banfield, Tyler Price, David Reed
Clarinets- Shelly Carrier, Heather Cowan, Summer Dean, Lauren Leibee, Tori Thompson, Kylee Tipton
Trumpets- Dylan Castillo, Gavin DePaul, Kyle Gradwohl, Courtney Huggins, Nick McKay
Trombones- Aaron Dunaway, Tyler Dye, Preston Miller


Concert Band members are:

Flutes- Molly Baker, Abby Bass, Amber Chacon, Jessica Kennedy, LynnLee Shepherd
Alto Sax- Callum Eldred, Bryan Ross, Alex Vaughn
French Horn- Jeff Terry
Percussion- Dylan Caldwell, Zach Hibbard, Hunter Mills, Damien Mitchell, Billy Nguyen, Blake Putnam, Gil Randolph, Dalton Smith, Axle Vene, Ethan Warstler, Emilee Wills
Clarinets- Brittany Frisbie, Aron Hembree, Kylie Lewsader, Austin Mallory, Michael Oyler, Trey Randolph
Trumpets- Calvin Alumbaugh, Nathan Cox, Gareth Evans, Sarah Kessler, Luke Lenhart, Spencer Peterson, Orion Quintana, Brett Stearnes, Kyle Vene
Baritone- Nathan Baker, Drew Welch
Trombones- Geoff Aiken, J. J. Buxton, Dakota Reasoner, Desean Triplett, Dillon Warlaumont

Former SMS students shine in high school musical

Former South Middle School students shined during performances of the Joplin High School musical "Little Shop of Horrors" held Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights in the T. Frank Coulter Auditorium.

The cast included former SMSer Hunter Dowell in the lead role of Seymour. Other SMS alumni included Skye Smith, Kaycie Trumbore, Becca Mascher, Mollie Sanders, Serena Bannasch, Zach Bradley, and Nikki Burkett.

Other SMS alumni involved in the production included Chase Neely, Lauren Bynum, Mariah Hibbard, Fox Navarre, Ashlee Stephens, Mary White, and Lainie Nicolas.

A special day for special athletes

By SARAH KESSLER
Room 210 Editor
"A race is on the way... please clear the track!!" The stadium speakers blared over the field for everyone to hear. When I heard these words, I directed my gaze over the field to the starting line where three athletes stood, crouched in a starting position. The gun sounded and they were off, running like the wind, at least two of them were. The third was running, but not like the wind. I felt compassion for the little boy who was lagging behind, but I also felt respect. Even though this athlete at the 2008 Special Olympics wasn't winning, he just kept going, running as fast as he could down the track.

Seeing this boy's perseverance made me realize how honorable people with mental disabilities really are. Even when all the odds are against them, they just keep going. They keep going until they reach the end. Despite the ridicule they face from their peers and the doubt they receive from the world, they never quit. Whether it's reaching the finish line in a race, or reaching high school graduation, these kids will persevere. No matter how much better we think our minds are, we can all learn a lesson or two from kids with mental disabilities.

In the past two years at South Middle School, I have had the amazing opportunity to be a peer tutor. Through this experience, I have really gotten to know some to the kids in the special needs class at my school, and I never cease to be amazed at how strong those kids are. I don't just mean physically strong, but strong in character and in heart.

Kids with Down's Syndrome and other similar disabilities are made fun of on a daily basis, yet they hold their heads high and continue to be some of the nicest kids in school. I can't even imagine how hard these kids work just to learn things like how to spell their name and how to count to ten. They have my respect for their amazing work, kindness, and perseverance.

The athlete finally crossed the finish line and the crowd went crazy! From my seat in the bleachers, I could see the boy smiling as the crowd applauded him. I smiled too. He had finished the race, and even though he didn't cross the finish line first, he was a winner.

Sixth grade honor roll students enjoy field trip

By TARYN PARKER
Room 210 Staff Writer
The sixth grader honor roll students ate at the Northpark Mall. After, the students ate they went to Rangeline Miniature Golf. Sixth grade honor roll is where students who achieved either an a or B get to skip 3 hours of an school day to go on a fieldtrip.

The following students are qualified for honor roll:

Tiffanie Alexander, Desirae Anaya, Mason Atwood, Trinity Bennett, Joceline Bogarin, Kenneth Braun, Alexander Bryant, Meagan Camden, Preston Carpenter, Kasen Chew, Damian Cochran, India Coleman, Heather Copeland, Drew Cox, Leigh Ann Craig, Khristopher Dailey, Gavin DePaul, Shelbie DeWitt, Abigail Dial, Aaron Dunaway, Katelyn Earl, Bain Edens, Sammatha Eshom, Oswaldo Gomez, Kenny Gonzalez, Kaci Gowen, Khaled Graham, Lane Grimes, Bailey Hale, Chase Hall, Erica Handy, Aleecia Hardin, Cayley Hardison, Haleigh Hawkins, December Hedge, Sarah Heimberg, Chandlar Hendrix, Stesha Hiebert, Wesley Hooks, Courtney Huggins, Colton Johnson, Keaton Jones, Bradley Kennedy, Spencer Layne, Jessica Little, Joanna Lopez, Amanda Marvin, Chanci McGowen, Nicholas McKay, Bethany Meehl, Emily Merritt, Robert Metsker, Preston Miller, Jacie Mitchell, Morgan Osburn, Alexandra Oviedo, Austin Oxford, Taryn Parker, Hailee Peek, Amara Pendergraft, Alivia Plassman, Stormi Potts, Gannon Purdy, Cole Putney, Kahla Quinn, Luke Randolph, Kymbre Resler, Amanda Schilling, Keyna Schmidt, MacKenzie Shamblin, Marissa Shofner, Scott Simmons, Eric Spicer, Devon Stahl, Shaffer Stevens, Christian Still, Alexander Tanner, Stephen Tatum, Ashley Taylor, Cheyenne Thomason, Kylee Tipton, Kristen Tyler, Zachary VanLoon, Michael VanSlyke, Georgina Velazquez, Brooklyn Vickers, Nicole Walker, Trevor Walker, Lesley Wallace, Megan Walls, Rebekah Walters, Robert Walters, Alexia Westfall, Caleb Willis, Dayza Winters

Seventh grade honor roll field trip held today

By ELAINA WARREN
Room 210 Staff Writer

The seventh grade honor roll field trip held today at Range Line Miniature Golf. The Students ate at Northpark Mall.

Those who qulifed for the trip were:
Torri Ackerson, Calvin Alumbaugh, Dalton Anderson, Jodi Anderson, Victoria Baker, Sierra Bartholomew, Abigail Bass, Eric Bauersfield, Lisa Bromley, Charlee Brown, Casey Burkhart, Austin Burns, Elmer Byrd, Joseph Capehart, Chelsea Clevenger, Alex Cole, Ronald Darby, Aaron Daum, Shaney Delzell, Danielle Doerr, Karissa Dowell, Caroline Dutton, Preston Eafrati, Callum Eldred, Wesley Estes, Judith Fausto, Caleb Garton, Danielle Gideon, Kelsey Gould, Tera Hall, Olivia Hampton, Allison Hankins, Hannah Hare, Shanice Hazley, Elisabeth Heimberg, Alex Hill, Esteban Hinijosa, Kevin Justus, Brandon Laub, Nicholas Laub, Kylie Lewsader, Hunter Mills, Damon Monasco, Alexander Musgrave, Hailey Oxford, Spencer Peterson, Devin Plassman, Thomas Richins, Alexandra Ritter, Bryson Sexton, Victoria Thompson, Theodora Voutiritsas, Elaina Warren, Ethan Warstler, Andrew Welch, Ashley Wescoat, Allison White, Storm Whittington, Alexis Woods, Emily Yarbrough

MacKenszee Roberts to attend Scholars Academy

Joplin High School sophomore Mackenszee Roberts, a former South Middle School student, has been selected to attend the annual Missouri Scholars Academy in Columbia. The following news release was issued by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education:

Three hundred and thirty gifted students from public and private high schools across the state have been selected to attend the 2008 Missouri Scholars Academy which will be held June 8-28 at the University of Missouri campus.

Established in 1985, the Scholars Academy is a unique and concentrated “summer school” for academically gifted rising juniors. Every public and private high school in Missouri may nominate at least one student for the annual state-funded program.

The Scholars Academy is sponsored by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, with support from the University of Missouri which has hosted the academy every year since its inception. Scholars live in university dorms for the duration of the academy.

Participants in the Scholars Academy do not earn grades or academic credit. They select one academic subject in math, science, social studies or the humanities as their “major” topic of study at the academy. The program also features a rich variety of lectures, workshops and guest speakers.

This year, students may choose courses that focus on architecture, religion, the Middle East, Japanese language and culture, marine biology, leadership skills, understanding modern art, understanding Socrates, and many others.

Third quarter honor roll released

Students making the third quarter honor roll at South Middle School are:

Eighth Grade- Spencer Abts, Molly Baker, Jonathan Ballard, Kirsti Banning, Lindsey Beall, Joseph Bennett, Emylee Brown, Sara Buck, Tozia Burress, Taylor Camden, Jordan Chambers, Marcus Clark, Cecil Cornish, Natasha Coursey, Matthew Cruzan, Brittney DeMasters, Breanne Diles, Derek Dillon, Gareth Evans, Taylor Fetterman, Brittany Frisbie, Devyn Hale, Dustin Hall, Gage Haskew, Jeffrey Haynes, Aron Hembree, Zach Hibbard, Icesus Holland, Brandon Holman, Amie Howard, Rebecca Huff, Josefina Irrizary, Joselyn Irrizary, Jacob Johnson, Amanda Jones, Alex Kangethe, Alex Karns, Sarah Kessler, Tera Knight, Allie Lacey, Blake Lamb, Lauren Layne, Sydney Long, Thomas Loucks, Hunter Lynn, Jacob Lyons, Wade Mathis, Candace McGillvray, Nicholas McIntosh, Ian McPherson, Mary Jean Miller, Brittany Mitchell, Ian Mitchell, Victoria Mitchell, Ann Nguyen, Billy Nguyen, Holly O'Dell, Olivyah Parker, Andrew Perry, Sarah Phillips, Chloe Potts, Justice Pulliam, Shalea Purdy, Blake Putnam, Gilbert Randolph, Bryan Ross, Joshua Ruiz, McKinzy Sadler, Mariah Sanders, Adam Schilling, Daniel Scott, Beau Scroggins, Adrienne Self, Unyajit Sirichok, Candace Smith, Adam Snearly, Shawn Spicer, Brett Stearnes, Bayley Strella, Nathan Stripling, Raven Taylor, Jeffrey Terry, Raycee Thompson, Christian Underwood, Brittany Utley, Greg VanLoon, Kyle Vene, Jamie Walters, Hannah Ward, Casee Wheeler, Nichole Yeoman

Seventh Grade- Torri Ackerson, Calvin Alumbaugh, Dalton Anderson, Jodi Anderson, Victoria Baker, Sierra Bartholomew, Abigail Bass, Eric Bauersfield, Lisa Bromley, Charlee Brown, Casey Burkhart, Austin Burns, Elmer Byrd, Joseph Capehart, Chelsea Clevenger, Alex Cole, Ronald Darby, Aaron Daum, Shaney Delzell, Danielle Doerr, Karissa Dowell, Caroline Dutton, Preston Eafrati, Callum Eldred, Wesley Estes, Judith Fausto, Caleb Garton, Danielle Gideon, Kelsey Gould, Tera Hall, Olivia Hampton, Allison Hankins, Hannah Hare, Shanice Hazley, Elisabeth Heimberg, Alex Hill, Esteban Hinijosa, Kevin Justus, Brandon Laub, Nicholas Laub, Kylie Lewsader, Hunter Mills, Damon Monasco, Alexander Musgrave, Hailey Oxford, Spencer Peterson, Devin Plassman, Thomas Richins, Alexandra Ritter, Bryson Sexton, Victoria Thompson, Theodora Voutiritsas, Elaina Warren, Ethan Warstler, Andrew Welch, Ashley Wescoat, Allison White, Storm Whittington, Alexis Woods, Emily Yarbrough

Sixth Grade- Tiffanie Alexander, Desirae Anaya, Mason Atwood, Trinity Bennett, Joceline Bogarin, Kenneth Braun, Alexander Bryant, Meagan Camden, Preston Carpenter, Kasen Chew, Damian Cochran, India Coleman, Heather Copeland, Drew Cox, Leigh Ann Craig, Khristopher Dailey, Gavin DePaul, Shelbie DeWitt, Abigail Dial, Aaron Dunaway, Katelyn Earl, Bain Edens, Sammatha Eshom, Oswaldo Gomez, Kenny Gonzalez, Kaci Gowen, Khaled Graham, Lane Grimes, Bailey Hale, Chase Hall, Erica Handy, Aleecia Hardin, Cayley Hardison, Haleigh Hawkins, December Hedge, Sarah Heimberg, Chandlar Hendrix, Stesha Hiebert, Wesley Hooks, Courtney Huggins, Colton Johnson, Keaton Jones, Bradley Kennedy, Spencer Layne, Jessica Little, Joanna Lopez, Amanda Marvin, Chanci McGowen, Nicholas McKay, Bethany Meehl, Emily Merritt, Robert Metsker, Preston Miller, Jacie Mitchell, Morgan Osburn, Alexandra Oviedo, Austin Oxford, Taryn Parker, Hailee Peek, Amara Pendergraft, Alivia Plassman, Stormi Potts, Gannon Purdy, Cole Putney, Kahla Quinn, Luke Randolph, Kymbre Resler, Amanda Schilling, Keyna Schmidt, MacKenzie Shamblin, Marissa Shofner, Scott Simmons, Eric Spicer, Devon Stahl, Shaffer Stevens, Christian Still, Alexander Tanner, Stephen Tatum, Ashley Taylor, Cheyenne Thomason, Kylee Tipton, Kristen Tyler, Zachary VanLoon, Michael VanSlyke, Georgina Velazquez, Brooklyn Vickers, Nicole Walker, Trevor Walker, Lesley Wallace, Megan Walls, Rebekah Walters, Robert Walters, Alexia Westfall, Caleb Willis, Dayza Winters

Final exams set in algebra

By RAYCEE THOMPSON
Room 210 News Editor
On May 6, all eighth grade advanced math students will start taking the final exam for algebra, (the exam will last for about 2 class periods). The final exam for algebra is a test over everything the students have covered over the year. Mr. Brian Neugebauer, teacher, compared the exam to the MAP, except this test will cover what the advanced math students have been covering, because it was made for algebra students, not eighth grade math students.

The government recently decided that since algebra is a high school class middle schoolers taking algebra should be held to the same responsibilities of covering the material and knowing it. From here on out, if this works well with this year's students, all algebra students in middle school will be required to take the final exam for algebra.

This year, the exam will count for 15 percent of the eighth grade algebra students' grade for fourth quarter. Next year, the exam will count for 25 percent of the eighth grade algebra students' grade for fourth quarter. Whether a student does well on the exam or not will not affect his or her placement for next year, but this test will help teachers see if a student may need to retake the class again. This test now helps parents and teachers have a better idea of where a student should be, Mr. Neugebauer said.

Groundbreaking held for new South Middle School

By TARYN PARKER
Room 210 Staff Writer

Imagine yourself walking into the new South Middle School. Well, that vision
will soon become reality because in 2009 the South Middle School will be finished.
The groundbreaking, which was held March 27, was not just breaking ground, there is a lot more to it. Mr. Ron Mitchell, South Middle School principal, attended the groundbreaking ceremony.
"A lot of people went there," Mr. Mitchell said. "There was the superintendent, architects, R. E. Smith (the contractor), and the principals of all the district. Everybody had gold shovels who were doing the groundbreaking. They didn't really have to dig into the ground. R. E. Smith already dug up some dirt."

Dr. Jim Simpson, superintendent, Mr. Mitchell, the boss of R. E. Smith, and a school board member spoke at the groundbreaking. Mr. Mitchell is excited about the new
South because the rooms are going to be bigger, there is not going to be a
gravel playground anymore, and students will have a new school because the old
South is 87 years old and not very safe.

"It was built to last a long time, but we need more room." All the teachers at South and some new teachers are going to teach at the new South, Mr. Mitchell said.

Students from Cecil Floyd, Stapleton, and Irving will go to the new South Middle school.

(Joplin R-8 School District photos)

New Joplin R-8 superintendent hired

(From the Joplin R-8 School District website)

The Joplin Board of Education has named Dr. C.J. Huff as the new Superintendent of Joplin Schools. The selection follows a comprehensive search by the Missouri School Boards' Association, interviews of several top applicants, and a unanimous vote by Joplin's Board of Education. Dr. Huff will begin leading the district on July 1, 2008.

Dr. Huff is currently the Superintendent for Eldon R-I School District in Eldon, Missouri, where he has served for four years. He began his career as a third grade teacher in Pleasanton, Kansas, and began his administrative responsibilities as an assistant principal in Bolivar, Missouri. He is now completing his tenth year in school administration.

Dr. Huff received his Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Pittsburg State University, his Masters and Specialist Degree from Missouri State University, and his Doctorate degree from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Kessler, Strella tops among eighth grade science fair contestants

By ALEX KANGETHE
Room 210 Staff Writer
The 8th grade winners for this year's science fair project were Sarah Kessler and Bayley Strella, both of Mr. Wallace's class.
Sarah Kessler's experiment was about the refraction of water with and without sugar. " First, I mixed up several water/sugar solutions and then I measured the differences of the index of refraction when a laser light was shone through a prism holding the solutions. I discovered that the more sugar there is dissolved in a liquid, the more the light refracts," Sarah said.
Sarah thought of this idea from an online site and her love for science, she said. Her favorite branch of science is physics. Sarah said, " No matter how complicated your science fair experiment is, you can always ace your project because it's all about presentation in a very scientific way.

Bayley Strella's experiment was about what diet affects earthworms' growth. It was eggshells and coffee grounds. She found the idea for this in a book. The experiment took about five weeks and she did so by taking a clear container and putting it next to a glass door so that they could receive sunlight.

Freshman cheerleaders selected

By MARY JEAN MILLER
Room 210 Staff Writer
Freshmen. In high school. To the 8th graders, this is a big step. But there are some who like to go higher than just the title of Freshman.
Some of these people are Sara Buck, Taylor Camden, Emylee Brown, Candace McGillvray, and Mary Jean Miller. These are the names of the new freshman cheerleaders at Joplin High School. Out of 25 girls, only 16 made it. Congratulations to the new Freshman Cheerleading Squad!

High school debaters, improv team perform at assembly

By RAYCEE THOMPSON
Room 210 Editor
Members of the Joplin High School debate team came to South Middle School March 25 to show eighth graders what debate was all about. Debate isn’t just all about arguing a case; you can also do some improvisations and other things, too. This class is all about getting students able to be comfortable and speak well in front of other people.

Former South Middle School students who performed were: junior Skye Smith, and sophomores Tiana Clemons, Melody Ketron, and Roni Leonard.

Eighth grader goes to jail

(One South Middle School student spent part of his spring break in jail, but things were not as bad as they sound. Bret Gibson's father is is law enforcement and took his son to work with him one day during the break. One of their stops was the Jasper County Jail.)

By BRET GIBSON

For spring break, instead of hanging out with my friends like other kids would, I went to jail.
Now I may have to failed to mention, it was with my dad. I asked him if I could go to work with him on Friday. He agreed, so we went to the Jasper County Sheriff's office. He took me on the tour.

First, we went to central control. That's where one guy controls everything in the jail. Next, we went to the tower. That is where you can see all of the cells and watch the prisoners. There are A to F pods. Each pod is broken into a split level with each level holding 10 cells, two levels per pod.

A pod is for your basic prisoners who have to do their time at county. B Pod is for women in jail.

C Pod and D Pod are for the same as A Pod. E Pod is for the child molesters and F Pod is for the murderers.

After we took the tour, we went to McDonald's for lunch.

Molly Baker wins Best in School in Joplin Chamber of Commerce Essay Contest

Eighth grader Molly Baker won top honors among South Middle School student during the annual Joplin Chamber of Commerce Essay Contest. Awards were presented during a ceremony Thursday afternoon at Memorial Hall.
Miss Baker's essay, on the topic "Joplin is a cool place now, and in the future, Joplin will..." was judged best among more than 200 entries from SMS students. Her essay is printed below:

By MOLLY BAKER


Joplin is a cool place now, and in the future, Joplin will be amazing.
Consider all the technology at the present time. Now imagine how much more things there will be and how much better they will be. Soon, we will be in cars that fly and we will be living in the sky.
Walk down Main Street and be amazed. You will see the friendly trolley strolling down the lane. Look at the beautiful parks and entertain yourself at the mall or any place in Joplin.
Today, Joplin is a blast and an amazing experience. Picture how much more it will be 25 years from now. We are proud to be citizens of this amazing city- Joplin.

Groundbreaking held for new South Middle School

Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new South Middle School building were held Thursday morning. Room 210 News will have a story on it next week.
From the Joplin Globe:

South Middle School Principal Ron Mitchell said the school’s current sixth-graders are excited about having more elbow room.

“The seventh- and eighth-graders are upset they won’t be able to go,” he said. “But in a few months, we’ll have classrooms where we won’t bump into each other.”

Four classrooms at South now have 700 square feet each; the rest have 500 square feet, Mitchell said. The new building will have 900-square-foot classrooms, modern science and library rooms, a 700-seat auditorium and an expanded gymnasium.

The 127,500-square-foot school is part of a $57.3 million middle-school campaign authorized by voters in a bond issue last April.

R.E. Smith Construction Co. was awarded the construction contract on March 11. The company submitted the low bid of $18,140,000.

Amie Howard takes second in Elks Lodge Essay Contest

(Eighth grade Amie Howard took second place in the annual Joplin Elks Lodge Essay Contest. She will receive a $50 savings bond. This year's topic was "What is an American?")

By AMIE HOWARD

Sometimes when I close my eyes and think about America, I can see Betsy Ross, just a young woman, sewing your first American flag, pricking her delicate fingers every now and then. I see an old man with his right hand placed over his heart, tears trickling down his cheeks as he looks up at the flag, remembering how he fought so we could keep it and remembering his dear friends who died in the process. I see two astronauts, solemnly placing our flag on the moon. These people are true Americans.

Americans should be the kind of people whom other people would risk their lives to be with, just so they can call themselves Americans. But in my modern day American life, I do not see these things in people my age.

On Mondays, when we say the Pledge of Allegiance, most students mumble the compelling, inspirational words written long ago. Some kids don't say it at all, just because they don't feel like it. When I see these kids doing this, I want to ask them, "Don't you know what these words mean?" I am not afraid to show pride in being an American. Most people would die to call themselves Americans.

Another thing that is contributing to loss of pride in our country is that we don't say the Pledge of Allegiance every day. Why would anyone oppose giving just that small amount of time for something that expresses what it means to be an American?

Trapped in ISS

By KENZY PIERCE

(Kenzy Pierce kept a journal of her time in in-school suspension.

JAN. 17, 2008

I am in ISS and I'm already scored. I've never been in this much trouble to be down here for five days. It's cold, it's smelly, and there's barely any light. They tape this blue plastic over the lights- I think it's to make it look gloomy. You have walls all around you- to your left, right, and one in front of you. They call it a "cubicle."

They make you copy this paper of all the rules. "No talking allowed," "Raise your hand before you speak," this, that, and the other. All you do down there is work, work, work. I get to get out sixth hour and sixth hour only! Then I have to come straight back.

When you are assigned ISS, and you're able to leave the room, you do what you've got to do, then come back. It's like a prison down here- the school is now the jailhouse, the room is your prison section, and your cubicle is your cell.

Well, the bell just rang and I have four more days, so I will write again tomorrow.

Jan. 18, 2008
Here I am again in my cell. It seems colder than yesterday. I have realized we only have three bathroom breaks a day, our lunch is served in our cell. The food is all right but I haven't eaten lunch today, nor yesterday and I don't plan to until my days are up. You are probably wondering, "Wow, what did she do?" Well, a lot of people already know, so I don't have a problem with telling you.

Well, this boy doesn't know when to shut his mouth, I got tired of it, so I hit him. Gosh, did I feel good and boy, was I happy! I kind of regret it seeing as I got five days of ISS; he got three days OSS (out of school suspension).

***
Bored...I've done all my work, I don't have a book, so I'm sitting on my butt...which I cannot feel because that's what happens you sit on your butt basically. Seven hours straight. I cannot with until sixth hour...it's freedom...for one hour...not even that. I'm about to go so until I come back...

Jan. 22, 2008
Today was kind of fun. Markell is in here and we were laughing away. That was the most fun we've had in here. At lunch, I stole Kaleb's fries, and Markell bought me chocolate. There isn't really anything going on today. It's just a normal day. Tomorrow will be more interesting, I'm sure.

Jan. 23, 2008
"Just one more day, just one more day," I kept telling myself. Hopefully, today will go by pretty quick and so will tomorrow. I don't understand how I can't get out early tomorrow or something if I don't have any work for two days. I mean, come on. I've had good behavior, I've finished all my work, I don't normally talk. Gosh, that should be a rule: If you have good behavior, finished work, and don't talk a lot, you get out early."

But today there are like 10 students down here. I'm so tired, I want to fall asleep, but can't- the prison guard catches everything. Every now and then, I'll catch myself falling asleep and jerk back up again. I'm so stoked; I'm getting out tomorrow!

A quick word of advice: DON'T GET ISS. It sucks terribly. It's only 8:26 a.m.. I have a long way to go. I'll probably try to sleep today seeing as I have no work. So I'll write when something new happens.

Jan. 24, 2008
Nothing new happened so far. Today is my last day!

It's fifth hour and I'm getting out sixth hour and seventh hour. Yesterday, five people got thrown out of ISS. They used foul language to the teacher. There's this guy down here, we have talked every day we've been down here. Today's his last day, also. I won't be able to say goodbye to him, but at least I got a number!

Jail has actually not been too bad. It's pretty good, not as bad as people think. Yeah, it's colder than any other jail, but it's pretty quiet and gives you good thinking time. I have about an hour to go until I get out...I'm dying.

It's pretty funny...everyone's attitudes. When you talk to them, they are all funny and nice, but when the guard talks to them, all of a sudden they are the total opposite...rude and snobby.

Well, I am almost out of room to write, and my time's almost up and in a few moments I will be free, so you have my cold, long story of how ISS (also known as prison) went.

Until next time...NOT!

South eighth grader receives letter from civil rights pioneer

One of the highlights of this year's third quarter civil rights research project in Mr. Randy Turner's eighth grade communication arts class was when Raycee Thompson received a letter from Carl Holmes, one of the attorneys who helped conduct the research that helped the NAACP present the winning case in the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling.

Raycee wrote a letter to Carl Holmes, whom she had met briefly two years ago at an event in South Dakota.

"I received a reply letter from Carl Holmes. He was one of the attorneys who helped to do research for the Brown v. Board of Education case. The sad thing is he has bladder cancer, but he still decided to reply.

"In the letter, he answered my questions over the case. He told me that he researched the question, "Is the 14th Amendment being obstructed by school segregation?" He did the research because he felt it was the right thing to do and by doing the research he was treated differently; with more respect from his friends. He said initially he did have some doubts about winning the case, but he knew it would workout. The one thing I thought was the most important from this letter is the lesson Mr. Holmes thought teens should know:

"The roadblocks of hate and injustice can be set aside by serious study, hard work, and unflagging determination."

The content of the letter is printed below:

Dear Raycee:

We got your letter and unfortunately, Carl Holmes is in the hospital right now. He has bladder cancer. I took your letter to him and he dictated the following answers:

1. Did you believe the case had a chance of winning with a white Supreme Court making the decision?

Initially, I did not.

2. What kind of information did you research for the NAACP?

What evidence is there that the Congress which enacted, and the state legislators which ratified the 14th Amendment, understood or did not understand, contemplated or did not contemplate, that it would eventually abolish segregation in the public schools. This question, propounded by the Supreme Court, is the one that I worked on the summer of 1953.

3. When schools first began to desegregate, did you have any second thoughts?

No, because it was the beginning of change, even though I knew there would be problems.

4. Did people treat you differently because you volunteered to help research information for the case?

Yes. My friends thought it was a good thing to do, and in time as the significance of the decision achieved national attention, they were proud of my efforts.

5.How did the segregated schools affect you when you were younger and in school?

Not at all. I went to schools in New York City where there was no segregation by law.

6. Why did you volunteer to do research for the NAACP?

Because I felt it was the right thing to do at the time- I had just graduated from law school.

7.Recently, Sen. Ernie Chambers from Omaha, Nebraska, suggested that the schools be segregated again. How did it feel to hear an important African-American leader make such a suggestion?

I was greatly disheartened and I totally disagree with San. Chambers.

8. What do you feel is the most important lesson today's youth can learn from your generation's struggle?

The roadblocks of hate and injustice can be set aside by serious study, hard work and unflagging determination.

9. Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Thank you, Raycee, for your lovely letter and may you succeed in all future endeavors.

South eighth grader reports on Disney World trip

(Note from Mr. Turner: I thought I had put this story on the website a few months ago, but just discovered it never made it. My apologies to Mary Jean Miller.)

By MARY JEAN MILLER
Room 210 Staff Writer




We’ve all been to, seen, or heard about Disney World, right? Well, on Tuesday, October 30, 2007, my family and I took a family vacation to Disney World for a week. I would like to share my experiences with the readers of the room 210 news blog.

Day 1 (Wednesday 31, 2007)

Happy Halloween everyone! Today was the day we went to our first park of Disney World!

Our first park was MGM Studios. We passed a huge Christmas tree at the entrance, and we were soon on our way down the central street of MGM. We took a right turn and found ourselves looking down the street that would take my family and me to the Rockin’ Rollercoaster starring Aerosmith; beyond that being the Hollywood Tower Hotel, Home to the Tower of Terror! I rode the Tower of Terror 4 times, and for skeptics, yeah, it was that good. We all rode the Rockin’ Rollercoaster 3 times. Not as good as the Tower (I may be just a little biased there…. TOWER OF TERROR ROCKS!!!! …. ya know, just a little biased) and it rattled your brains a little, but still completely amazing (you really get to go through a doughnut…. seriously).

My family and I really wanted to see 3 shows. 1st, we saw the Indiana Jones show. We saw how they make all the films, and we even got to see how scenes were shot. Right after that, we saw Lights, Motors, Action! which was a lot like the Indiana Jones show, but instead of a person or people in a scene, Lights, Motors, Action! is an awesome car chase brought overseas from the Disney World in Paris, France! It was a whole bunch of cars, motorcycles, jet skis, and props/ramping fun and action. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

We had time between the motor show and the next show, so we went on a back lot tour. We got to see how film makers produced an “out-of-control” flash flood in a canyon, but it was all carefully planned and controlled so nobody got hurt.

After the back lot tour, it was time to go see the third show called Sounds Dangerous. The main character, Drew Carey, is an undercover cop who has to bust a smuggling dude called Lefty Malone. I didn’t like it that much, but if you like listening to things without seeing them, you’ll love this show.

My family and I then went over to a Star Wars simulator ride called Star Tours. You get to travel through space like you see in Star Wars while on a trip to Endor. It was LOADS of fun!

At the end of the day, we got to see the firework show called Fantasmic. Mickey is having a dream, and Disney villains soon invade! You watch as Mickey fights Jafar the snake, and then Maleficent the dragon from Sleeping Beauty. You will love this pyrotechnic, water shooting, fireworks show.

It was GREAT!



Day 2 (Thursday, November 1, 2007)

We’re going to Sea World!

When we got to Sea World (had to take a taxi….better than a bus) I was sure my little brother, Preston, was going to go completely wild. He wants to be a marine biologist, so he’s really interested in sea creatures….especially sea lions. The main square wasn’t open yet, but we were able to look at some of the gift shops. When Sea World opened, we headed over to the sea lion enclosure. Before we go any farther, you should know that Sea World and Disney don’t capture animals in the wild. All the animals you see were rescued and they can’t fend for themselves, or were born in captivity.

Now....back to the sea lions. They were so playful! They chased each other, sunned themselves, and goofed around a lot. You could even feed them. 1 of the sea lions had cataracts, so it couldn’t see the food. You had to wave a fish in front of its face (leaning carefully over the rail to do so). It would open its mouth, find the direction the fish was, and wait. You had to toss the fish into its mouth or at least toss the fish to where the fish hit the mouth so it could catch the fish. Otherwise, because this sea lion can’t see, it won’t get the fish. Preston and I found this out when we fed the sea lions.

After that, we went and rode the newest attraction at Sea World. With 7 (yes, 7) inversions (when you go upside down), the Kraken is an incredible rollercoaster that will push your nerves to the limit. This rollercoaster features high speeds, high height, loop-de-loops, corkscrews, huge hills, and more! Preston and I rode it 3 times whereas my parents only rode The Kraken once. Talk about dizzy!

We saw 3 shows in this theme park as well. The 1st show was a show full of dolphins, whales, gymnasts, and stunts. The 2nd show had 2 sea lions, a walrus, and an otter, co-working with a man and woman. All of them were trying to take over an island called Pirate Island. This show was a hilarious comedy full of laughter and fun (they had a mime entertain the audience before the show, and he was really funny when he imitated people finding seats). Last but certainly not least, we saw the Shamu show. All the killer whales are of the same family (pod), so Shamu is their last name. The killer whales splashed the audience, waved to everybody, flipped, dove, and amazed the crowed over and over again. We also rode a flight simulator that simulated a helicopter ride to an Arctic Base that was so real, when everyone saw the screen and ride move to doge avalanches, rocks, and even the sea after a ledge broke off, everybody screamed because everything was so close and real-like. We even went “underwater” in the simulator. After we got off the ride, it opened into a mini-area where we saw real walruses, polar bears, and very playful beluga whales. All in the Arctic! It was kind of cold, though. We even got to see a bunch of penguins and cousins of the penguins at a walk called Penguin Encounter. They were all so beautiful and cute. Sea World was great!



Day 3 (Friday Nov. 2, 2007

Magic Kingdom….here we come!

Caught a bus to Magic Kingdom this morning. After we got inside the park, we caught a train to Frontier Land. The first ride we rode was Splash Mountain. My mom and I got in the 2nd seat so we wouldn’t get too wet. Of course, we ended up getting off the ride pretty wet. Go figure. To dry off, We all headed over to Big Thunder Mountain. My dad and I rode it before my mom and brother, but the coaster was pretty mild. My mom and I were a little drier when we got off, though.

After we rode Big Thunder, we went next door into Adventure Land. The 1st ride we rode was Pirates of the Caribbean. It was great! We spent a half hour shopping after the ride, though. There was sooooo much pirate stuff! We saw a show called The Tiki Room, and it was okay. Then we went on a little boat ride through a bunch of different rivers and learned a little about each one. When that was done, we saw a tutorial given by Captain Jack Sparrow. My brother even got to swordfight him. The actor was just like the real Jack. It was awesome!! After dueling with Jack, we headed over to get a Dole whip. It’s really great tasting pineapple ice cream. Then we went and rode the Haunted Mansion over in Liberty Square. It was really sweet.

We headed over to Tomorrow Land and rode Space Mountain (2 times), the Space Orbiter, and the new Buzz Lightyear ride (it wasn’t little kiddish at all). We went to Fantasy Land and rode Mad Hatter’s Tea Party (the spinning cups) and Snow White’s Scary Adventures. They were cool (but the Tea Party made me feel kinda sick because I get motion sick when I spin around a lot). We headed to Main Street, did a little shopping, lift the park, ran like the wind to catch a monorail, went to Disney’s Polynesian Resort, and had a great time at a luau. That was fun.



Day 4 Saturday Nov. 3, 2007

Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!

My family and I went to Animal Kingdom today. But before we did, we slept in, had a nice breakfast (usually, we skip it all together), and decided today would be an easy day. When we caught a bus to Animal Kingdom, we were standing by a really nice family, so we had a great time on the bus ride. When we got to the park, we immedeatly headed over to Expedition Everest, Animal’s newest ride. We ended up riding it 3 times.

After Everest, we went on a jungle walk to see jungle animals like komodo dragons and tigers and exotic birds. Then we went to Dino Land, where we rode Primeval Whirl and Dinosaur (based on the movie).

We took a break to have lunch, and then went to a show about the Lion King. Right after the Lion King show, we saw It’s Tough to be a Bug in the base of the Tree of Life. It was extremely real (Don’t take little kids). To end our day at the park, where else to go than the Kahli River Rapids. My dad, my brother and I rode it 4 times and came off cold and soaking wet.

We came back to the hotel and swam in our heated pool run by the hotel, then went and ate dinner and had popcorn.



Day 5 Sunday Nov. 4, 2007

Big giant ball for a symbol….must be Epcot!

Today, my family and I went to Epcot. There were 3 main rides we wanted to ride. They were:

1: Soarin’~ you get to fly high above the golden state of California in a simulated hang-glider ride. It’s incredible. I have no words to describe it except that it’s so realistic and you don’t even know that Soarin’ is a ride.

2: Mission Space~ you may have heard of this one. The original had to be toned down and a “Less-intense” ride was created because people were having heart attacks on it. It was great. I first rode the Green Team because the Orange Team is a giant centrifuge, and don’t forget that I get motion sick if I see people spinning or I’m spinning and can’t focus on anything. I got bored on the Green Team, so I decided to wing it and try the Orange Team. I LOVED IT!!!! It was so awesome. Disney did a great job.

3: Test Track~ enter this building and get transported to a car testing lab. The first time, we all got to the boarding area and the cars broke down. We came back later and finally got to ride it, and it was great. You went over bumpy road, almost crash into a wall, go through extreme heat, cold, and a corrosive chamber, then take a lap or 2 around the outside of the building before coming back to unload. All of this is done in a convertible type test car.

After rides, there’s the World Showcase. Visit countries all over the world without ever leaving Florida. My favorite was Japan, where I got a silk Screen. At 9:00, Epcot’s fireworks show, Illuminations, began. It was spectacular. Completely amazing. Towards the end, a rotating globe came out (all of this was done over a lagoon), opened up, and revealed a giant torch.

It. Was. Great!



Day 6 Last day Monday, Nov. 5, 2007

Time to park hop!

Today we started in Magic Kingdom and redid rides we got to do and didn’t get to ride. We came back to the hotel to drop off some packages, then caught a bus to MGM Studios. I rode the Tower of Terror 4 more times with my father for a total of 8 times this whole trip. I rode Star Tours and the Rockin’ Rollercoaster one more time and went primal on a gigantic turkey leg. We had some dessert at the hotel, and finally got to stop standing on our feet.



My family and I had a great time on our trip to Disney World. I hope that everyone who reads this journal will get to experience some of the fun I had. Who knows? It may help you map your next trip to Walt Disney World!

Mitchell, Gates, Reddell are top eighth grade poets

Tori Mitchell, Christina Gates, and Sabra Reddell have been named winners in the annual South Middle School Eighth Grade Poetry Contest.

Their poems will be published in Teacher Select: Anthology of Eighth Grade Poetry, a national book. The poems were chosen by a faculty committee from a field of 30 poems, according to Mr. Randy Turner, eighth grade communication arts teacher. The poems are printed below:

BROKEN WINGS
by CHRISTINA GATES
Can’t you see her broken wings,
How she wants to fly?
As she plummets to the ground,
Don’t you want to cry?

Can’t you see her will to try,
The look in her brown eyes,
The sadness you can see in her,
As you look toward the blue green
sky

Can’t you see her shattered hopes,
Her dreams gone with the tide?
When you look upon her face,
Can you tell she has recently cried?

Can’t you hold her in your arms,
And say that it’s OK?
Won’t you wipe away her tears,
Or have you nothing to say?

Can’t you hold on to her hand
And chase her fears away?
Or are you just another face,
That brings pain each passing day?

Won’t you carry her in your arms,
When she cannot stand?
Or will you just stand there and watch,
As she falls into the sand?

Can’t you see her broken wings,
How she wants to fly?
As she plummets to the ground,
Don’t you want to cry?


SCREAM

By TORI MITCHELL

I’m ugly: I’m fourteen.
The girls at my school
Make me want to scream.

They whisper things in
each other’s ears
as if I can’t even hear

She’s ugly, she’s fat,
She’s such a whore
Their words,
so hard to ignore

My name doesn’t matter:
I’m fourteen
the girls at my school
make me want to scream

When I go home at night,
it’s always just another fight.
I hate you. I want you to die.
I go to my room, I just cry.

Night goes by
to bring another day.
Taunting things
Are all they say

She’s ugly, she’s fat,
She’s such a whore
They seem to know
I can’t ignore.
I want to be something: I’m fourteen.
The girls at my school
Make me want to scream.


ICE, ICE EVERYWHERE

By SABRA REDDELL

Ice, ice, everywhere
Take each step with precious care
Limbs break off like popsicle sticks
But take the toll of 10,000 bricks.
I see creatures walking so slow.
This lets me know
It’s going to be a deadly snow.