OTMS Newspaper
By: Emily Fagg
Open Gyms for Sports
Are you into sports? Do you want to play sports for your school? Well if you are I recommend you to go to any open gyms the school offers. An open gym is an opportunity for anyone to come and get free coaching. This is also where many high school coaches get a first look at players. They can get a look at to how the players play and get to learn about your attitude and how you act. There can be many benefits in going, like getting to know the coaches, more experience, and improving your skills.
First, you can bond with the coaches. This helps because you get to know the coach and their coaching style. So when you go over to the high school you won’t be surprised by how the coaches teach you new skills. You can also get to know the coaches expectations and rules. Next, the coach can get a look at your experience. The coaches can help you learn new skills and new drills. So when you go to the high school you can know some of the drills you will be doing. Lastly, your skill level. Your skill level is important in sports. For a team to bond and play good together you need to be around the same skill level. While in the open gyms the coaches can get a look at your skill level and place you with the correct group of players. Also, coaches get to see how much you improve over time and how coachable you are.
Turning in Work on TIme
Do you always turn in your work on time? In school you have deadlines for when your work should be turned in. Sometimes even checkpoints throughout a big project. Turning in your work on time through middle school can start a good path for high school. Turning in your work on time can help have good grades, which you need for many clubs or sports. Also you will put forth more effort. Turning in your work on time can minimize your chance for getting in trouble about your work. Turning in your work can minimize your chance of getting in trouble because the teacher won’t have to get on to you and you won’t have to get phone calls home.
When turning in your work in on time you wouldn’t have to worry about it or stress about it last minute. More effort would be put into your work because you knew you had to get it done by a certain time. Don’t procrastinate with your projects either. By procrastinating you will put it off till last minute, which probably means the night before. Then you will rush that night to finish it, and you won't turn in the best work you could have done. By turning in your work on time it can also help you keep your grades up. More effort equals better work. So the better work can give you better grades.
Testing
Testing is a big part of learning in school. Testing allows the teacher to see if you understand or don’t understand the topic. Getting a bad grade on a test can affect your overall grade. So it is important to do your best and try. With taking tests there are many strategies or things you can do to help you. There is things you could do the night before and there are things you should do ahead of time.
The night before it is a good idea to go to sleep at a good time so you are rested. And eat a good breakfast that will keep you full, to start off your day good. With studying you need notes. While in class make sure you pay attention and get accurate notes. When you study you want to do a little at a time. Don’t just study the night before and try to cram everything in. You are more likely to remember the information if you study over a period of time. Strategies while taking the test. For multiple choice make sure you don’t guess use everything you know to choose the best answer. With written response make sure you explain your answer fully and make sure it is to the point. Taking tests are not just for you. Your score not only reflects on your grade, it reflects on your teacher too.
OTMS Volleyball
It was the second day of 8th grade and I was going to try out for volleyball. I had all my gear with me and I was ready. After school was let out I went to the girls locker rooms and changed. I warmed up with my friend while I waited for the coaches to come and give you directions. I was really nervous for everything. I was worried I wouldn’t make the team, and that would devastate me because I had wanted to make the team for a long time. We had tryouts for two days. On the last day they posted a list to the wall in the gym saying whether we made the team or not. I was so nervous so I had my friend go look at the list.
"We made the team!" Rachel said jumping up and down.
We started practice the next day. Volleyball practice was a way for all of us to get to know each other and prepare for the games. We would joke around and we would practice. There were some good times though like when Hutsell and Travis argued over whose feet were normal. Although we didn’t win always we were a team and we would stick together. Through winning and losing we were there as a team. Volleyball was a way for me to break out of my shell and meet new people. It built life skills like working together it showed me the meaning of team. No one could win the game by themselves, we had to work together.
Coach Hutsell said at a tournament, "You all need to pull together no one on this court is going to win alone. You are playing as six individuals. You won't win like that."
It gave us trust. We all learned that we would have to trust one another. Playing on the OTMS Volleyball team gave me a glimpse of what it will be like in High School. It will be fun but hard. You will have to trust and you need to work together.