Cougar Call
Volume 4, Issue 8. January 2018
New Year's Day Superstitions
There are numerous superstitions that many people believe about what you do, what you eat, and who you let in your house on New Year’s Day. One superstition that my family has made a tradition is to eat black-eyed peas and greens on New Year's Day. The black-eyed peas bring good luck, and the greens bring financial prosperity. One of the most popular superstitions is kissing at midnight. Kissing someone at midnight on New Year’s Day is said to result in affection for the next 12 months. Another superstition is that your first visitor of the new year is said to affect your entire year ahead. A few more beliefs about New Year’s Day include the following: crying brings unhappiness for the year ahead, opening the doors at midnight lets all of the bad out from the previous year, being loud scares away evil spirits from entering your life in the year ahead, and finally, what you do on New Year’s Day, you will do all year.
By: Mallory Boyd
Y-Club Visits the Nursing Home
On December 5th, the Piedmont Academy Y-Club visited the Jasper County Nursing Home. They brought Christmas cards and sang Christmas carols to the guests. This Piedmont tradition is a wonderful event that we do each year for our community. The smiles on the faces of the residents brings great joy to our hearts. Y-Club handed homemade Christmas cards to the residents who could not make it to the carols. The caregivers and residents were very appreciative of the visit.
By: Mallory Boyd
Varsity Basketball
The Piedmont Academy varsity basketball team has vastly improved so far. The team is playing hard, and the coaches are working diligently with the players. The coach for the varsity boys team is Coach Johnson, and the coaches for the varsity girls team are Coach Wilson, Coach McCart, and Coach Holder. The scores for the previous games are shown below.
By: Kelsey Leach and Mallory Boyd
Top Movies of 2017
2. Get Out released February 24, 2017
3. Wonder Woman released June 2, 2017
4. Star Wars: The Last Jedi released December 14, 2017
5. Spider-Man: Homecoming released June 28, 2017
6. Beauty and the Beast released March 17, 2017
7. Coco released November 22, 2017
8. John Wick: Chapter 2 released January 30, 2017
9. Logan released May 23, 2017
10. The Post released December 22, 2017
Giving Back
By: Kelsey Leach
Elementary Field Trip
The kindergarten, first, and second grade classes all went to see the play “Rudolph” in December. The play was held at the Center of Puppetry Arts in Atlanta. Mrs. Julie, Mrs. Crowder, Mrs. Sanders, and Mrs. Pope attended, and Mr. Tony Wild drove the bus. Multiple parents joined in on the fun, too. The kids started the day by making a puppet of King Moon Racer. Next, they played on the “island of misfit toys.” Walker Peden especially enjoyed the play, and his favorite character was Rudolph. The puppet show was his favorite part of the trip. All of the teachers, parents, and students had a blast!
By: Kelsey Leach
Devotional
Everyone endures insecurity; it does not matter your age, abilities, looks, or qualities. We will all face times when we feel insecure about ourselves, our lives, or our decisions. The summer of 2016, I went on a Christian retreat in Panama City, Florida. The woman leading the singing was named Bethany Barr Phillips. She wrote a devotional called “Facing Your Fears.” The book contains eight weeks focusing on eight different topics that contribute to fear, and week two was insecurity. Until I read the devotional, I didn't realize how many of us really battle insecurity. To make one thing very clear, doubts and insecurities are from the devil. The insecurities we believe are true are quite the opposite of what God has to say about us.
Insecurity is a place where fear begins to take over our lives. It is important to believe everything God has to say about his children (Psalm 139). Allow God to fill your mind and heart in the place of whatever bothers you. In everything you do, allow God to be God. When we try to handle these problems on our own, we are acting in the place of God. We are all human, and God is so much greater than us; trust Him to fill your life. Insecurities hold us from God, and we must let it go if we want to continue to grow in a positive way.
By: Kelsey Leach
Shotgun
Piedmont Academy’s shotgun teams have done an outstanding job this season. Varsity team members included seniors Andrew Chapko, Kevin Davis, Anne Marie Hildebrant, and Mitch Marsh; junior, Madison Sanders; sophomores, Owen Brady, Blake Calhoun, and Eli Waits; and freshmen, Drake Coody, Tanner Locklear, and Cody Vaughn. Junior varsity team members included 8th graders, Brody Anderson and Mark Hicks; 7th graders, Spencer Carter and Drew Maddox; and 6th graders, Rhett Harris, Jake Vaughn, and Ridge Stroud. The PAC shotgun team recently finished in sixth place out of 14 schools and 59 shooters at the GISA Clay Target state meet at Forest City Gun Club in Savannah from November 30 to December 2.
High schoolers, Owen Brady, Blake Calhoun, Andrew Chapko, Drake Coody, Kevin Davis, Anne Marie Hildebrant, Tanner Locklear, Mitch Marsh, Madison Sanders, Cody Vaughn, and Eli Waits all qualified for the competition. In skeet shooting Mitch Marsh scored a 97, Anne Marie Hildebrant and Drake Coody tied with a 93, and Owen Brady scored a 90. In the discipline of trap, Eli Waits scored a 91, Anne Marie Hildebrant and Mitch Marsh tied with an 87, and Andrew Chapko scored a 79. Mitch Marsh and Eli Waits made the All-State Team, and Anne Marie Hildebrant placed fifth in ladies skeet, fifth in trap, and third place in a shoot-off for sporting clays.
Middle schoolers, Brody Anderson, Spencer Carter, Rhett Harris, Mark Hicks, Drew Maddox, Ridge Stroud and Jake Vaughn all qualified for the competition. In skeet shooting Brody Anderson scored a 40, Mark Hicks scored a 37, and Spencer Carter scored a 35. In the discipline of trap, Drew Maddox scored a 44, Mark Hicks scored a 37, and Jake Vaughn scored a 36. In sporting clays, Mark Hicks scored a 74, Brody Anderson scored a 69, and Drew Maddox scored a 62. They all did really well at the meet.
By: Taylor Boyd
Christmas Program
This year's annual Christmas Program was run by Mrs. April Allen. She started
practicing and setting up in October with the help of Mrs. Jennifer Johnson and Mrs. Tracy Brady. The soloists in the play are Gabe Moore, Karly Maddox, Averie Cook, Bailey Pitman, Isabel White, Matt Allen, Hunter Thomson, Gavin Mccart, and Jake Pope. When asked what her favorite part of doing the Christmas Program every year is, Mrs. April said, "I enjoy teaching the children about the real meaning of Christmas through song."
By: Taylor Boyd
Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. April Allen
By: Taylor Boyd
Paws at a Glance
Class Resume
Start: Wed Jan 03
End: Wed Jan 03
Varsity Basketball Girls Vs TJA
Start: Fri Jan 05 - 6:00 pm
End: Fri Jan 05 - 7:30 pm
Varsity Basketball Boys Vs TJA
Start: Fri Jan 05 - 7:30 pm
End: Fri Jan 05 - 8:00 pm
Report Cards Issued
Start: Mon Jan 08
End: Mon Jan 08
Wrestling Tournament @Milledgeville
Start: Tue Jan 09
End: Tue Jan 09
Varsity Basketball Girls @ MonDon
Start: Tue Jan 09 - 6:00 pm
End: Tue Jan 09 - 7:30 pm
Varsity Basketball Boys @ MonDon
Start: Tue Jan 09 - 7:30 pm
End: Tue Jan 09 - 8:00 pm
Wrestling Tournament @Westfield
Start: Thu Jan 11 - 5:00 pm
End: Thu Jan 11 - 8:00 pm
Varsity Basketball Girls @ Twiggs
Start: Thu Jan 11 - 6:00 pm
End: Thu Jan 11 - 7:30 pm
Varsity Basketball Boys @ Twiggs
Start: Thu Jan 11 - 7:30 pm
End: Thu Jan 11 - 8:00 pm
Parents Conferences 1/2 day
Start: Fri Jan 12
End: Fri Jan 12
Wrestling Tournament @Mills Spring
Start: Sat Jan 13 - 12:00 pm
End: Sat Jan 13 - 3:00 pm
January Holiday
Start: Mon Jan 15
End: Mon Jan 15
Varsity Basketball Girls @ Brentwood
Start: Tue Jan 16 - 6:00 pm
End: Tue Jan 16 - 7:30 pm
Varsity Basketball Boys Vs Gatewood
Start: Tue Jan 23 - 7:30 pm
End: Tue Jan 23 - 8:00 pm
Wrestling Region Tournament @Westfield
Start: Thu Jan 25 - 5:00 pm
End: Thu Jan 25 - 8:00 pm
Varsity Basketball Girls Vs MonDon
Start: Thu Jan 25 - 6:00 pm
End: Thu Jan 25 - 7:30 pm
Varsity Basketball Boys Vs MonDon
Start: Thu Jan 25 - 7:30 pm
End: Thu Jan 25 - 8:00 pm
Varsity Basketball Boys Vs NGA
Start: Sat Jan 27 - 6:00 pm
End: Sat Jan 27 - 7:30 pm
Varsity Basketball Girls Vs NGA
Start: Sat Jan 27 - 6:00 pm
End: Sat Jan 27 - 7:30 pm
Varsity Basketball Girls @ Gatewood
Start: Mon Jan 29 - 6:00 pm
End: Mon Jan 29 - 7:30 pm
Varsity Basketball Boys @ Gatewood
Start: Mon Jan 29 - 7:30 pm
End: Mon Jan 29 - 8:00 pm