WELLS PRESS
Wells Middle School - October 2020 - Catoosa, Oklahoma
Fall sports' opponents include softball's COVID battle
As Catoosa's junior high fall sports come to an end, the volleyball teams celebrate success, football teams lock up winning seasons, and softball laments a shortened season.
Both COVID-19 and the weather kept the Wells softball team off the field. The global pandemic ended the 2020 season early, as players and coaches were forced into quarantine in mid-September. Along with no chance to make up rained out games later in the season because of the quarantine, Wells' softball team was denied the chance to improve from its 1 and 19 start.
“The team was sad about their season getting cut short because of the unfortunate circumstances,” Coach Matt Shepard said. "We improved as we went through the season -- we just got better and better. It didn't show in our record, but continuing to improve is what I look for."
The volleyball teams did well in 2020, including just two total losses for the eighth grade team. Coach Carolyn Replogle said Wells beat a lot of good teams this year, and had improved greatly with players returning from 2019.
The seventh and eighth grade football teams went into fall break with 5-2 records, assuring winning seasons with one week left.
[Wells Press reporters Bailey Cameron and Hannah Sanders contributed to this story.]
[photo by Kiley Turley]
Wells adopts new creed
by Ava Pruett
The Wells Middle School culture team has changed the Wells Creed -- the beliefs and promises students recite each day at the beginning of seventh hour. The culture team is a group of teachers that are in charge of always improving the school’s culture and environment.
Students and teachers at Wells said they did not think that the creed fit the school. “It was written by adults with no real input from the students,” said language arts teacher Kimberly Wallace, who is a part of the culture team.
The team directed all the advocacy teachers to have their students vote Oct. 8 and choose between two different, rewritten creeds. The new creed, chosen by 54.7 percent of voters, has fewer words than the old one, so it may be a little bit easier to remember.
The culture team and Principal Mark McVay said they want the new creed to show what the students believe their school represents, and also in language the students understand.
“The students are in charge,” Ms. Wallace said. And because students chose it, the hope is that the new creed represents the school a whole lot more.
* * * * * * * * * * * The (new) Wells Creed * * * * * * * * * *
I will take pride in myself and my school.
I will not let anything stand in the way of my dreams.
I will respect myself and others.
I will make smart decisions.
I am a Catoosa Indian.
Red Ribbon Week 2020 starts Oct. 21
by Natalie Fitzgerald
Red Ribbon Week, an annual drug abuse prevention national campaign, is publicized as the Oklahoma's largest such campaign with multiple promoters, including the Oklahoma Education Department. Catoosa Public Schools will observe Red Ribbon Week Oct. 21-29.
Wells Middle School’s culture team has been planning and organizing Red Ribbon Week the past several weeks. Red Ribbon Week is made for kids and parents to be aware of what drugs can do.
“ I think Red Ribbon Week makes you think and be more aware,” said media specialist Carla Brummett, who is the leader of the school’s culture team.
Red Ribbon Week is just there and then gone until next year, so some question whether it really helps stop drug abuse. “I think it is like slapping a bandaid on something,” Mrs. Brummett said.
During Red Ribbon Week students all have a choice on certain days to wear like crazy hair or crazy socks. Wells usually does Red Ribbon Week the week of Halloween so students can wear their costumes.
On Oct. 21 students can wear orange, which is the color that symbolizes a support of unity. Oct. 26, students can wear camo -- like the military -- as a symbol to fight and defeat drugs.
On Tuesday Oct. 27 students will wear crazy hair and crazy socks because, as the theme for the day says, "It’s crazy to do drugs." On Wednesday Oct. 28 students will wear school colors (Black, white, and green) to "Cheer away drugs."
On Thursday Oct. 29 students will wear their Halloween costumes to "Scare away drugs." The costumes must be school appropriate, no face covering, no face paint, and nothing that needs to be carried around with your costume, Mrs. Brummett said.
Red Ribbon Week reminds everyone to be safe and don’t do drugs.
Thursdays reward good grades, behavior, attendance
by Nixon Dickinson and Tomacelo Velazquez
Students who have no tardies or are passing all classes can have a special treat. It could be ice cream, it could be popsicles, it could be you can play on your phone, or it could be being able to run around outside.
“Reward Thursdays were created by the Blue Team, which is our academic team, who felt that a weekly reward Thursday would have a positive impact on the students,” said Wells Middle School Principal Mark McVay.
Wells students line up for popsicles, then head out to the playground during reward Thursday, Oct. 8.
[photo by Timothy Taylor]
To earn the reward, students have to follow the weekly requirement. An example of a requirement is not being tardy for any classes, or you have to be passing all of your classes.
“I think it (the reward day) motivates students to make good choices, whether it's behavior or grades or tardies,” Mr. McVay said.
“The weekly approach was better than something that happened in a month,” he said. “It’s harder to look forward to something that’s so far in the future.”
“I like Reward Thursdays because I get to see my friends and get a bit of food,” said seventh grader Bailey Million.”
Staff commentary - Reagan Blackburn: "Why can’t we just leave things alone?"
Every year we seem to do something different.
Last year we used Google classroom, sixth grade we used Edmodo, and this year we are using Canvas. I just don’t understand why it’s so hard to keep the same thing around for more than one year. We’ve changed so many things that don’t need to be changed whatsoever.
On top of that, we’re changing the Wells Creed too. What’s the point of changing everything if we do something else the next year? I think changing all these things every year just makes the start of the school year that much more difficult for students and teachers.
For example, I couldn’t get into grade book until about two or three school weeks ago. Other people in my advocacy could get into grade book, but I couldn’t. Then I found out it was because my password had changed.
Eryn Whiteis, an eighth grader in my advocacy, had no problem getting into grade book. Maybe that’s why other changes don’t bother her so much.
“Sometimes it gets a bit stressful when they (the platforms) don’t work properly, or I don’t understand how they work, but other than that I’m pretty open to the changes,” Whiteis said. She does say, though, that her favorite learning platform was Google Classroom because it was very easy to get access to and use on a daily basis.
We’ve had to make some changes due to Covid-19, but that’s not really a choice. Masks, social distancing, separate lunches … All those things are mandatory. But changing the creed and everything else? We seem to change by the new school year and, personally, I think it’s unnecessary.
All-school assemblies go virtual for 2020
by Hannah Sanders
Wells Middle School is hosting virtual assemblies online this school year for all advocacy classes. The first assembly was Sept. 24.
For September, people were to submit dancing videos to their advocacy teachers, but not a lot of people responded. Eighth grader Landon Honeyman from Mrs. Brummett’s advocacy produced the only dance video.
“I was very happy Landon Honeyman was doing it for our class,” Mrs. Brummett said. “He did a really good job and he was a very good leader.”
Seventh grader Timothy Taylor recored the first virtual assembly newscast “Wells Video News September Edition," which reported on the need for all students and teachers to keep their masks on so we can stay in school.
The assembly also recognized student leaders by grade. Sixth grade leaders were Damien Verner and Lucianna Underwood; seventh grade leaders were Brenda Vasquez-Gomez and Ayden Carlile; and eighth grade leaders were Ben Sears and Haylee Dunlap.
inquiries to kmcanany@catoosa.k12.ok.us