JBE NEWS
May 2015
A Letter from Will Eaton, JBE News Editor
Hello, this is the editor of the school newspaper, Will Eaton. My crew and I have put a lot of effort in this so please, enjoy! I am positive you know Mrs. Jacobs too, right? Well, if you do and you see her, please say thank you to her for letting the school newspaper even be possible. And that’s right, we made a newspaper! But, this newspaper has lots of fun filled columns like “Chase-ing Sports” with Chase Staley; this column is good for all of those people that love sports. There are human interest stories by our very own Malik Lomax and an interview with Lauren Ellis by Katelyn Shackelford and Omar Alchab. Find some good book recommendations for summer reading from Omar Alchab and what JBE students think about Independent Reading with Katelyn Shackelford. Comics and other fun activities with Lawson Kyle; this is for all of those people that love to laugh. Even tips with Lydia Lawrence; this is good for people that love reading, writing, and want to improve their skills. “Whad’ya Think”, our roving report on what JBE kids think about important topics, is hosted by all the crew. This is unlike most schools because most do not have a school newspaper exclusively written by students. This fun filled newspaper will blow you away it’s so good! Now, get ready to get pulled into a world filled with awesomeness! I hope you will love it! Enjoy reading!
Mrs. Rose, Principal
The JBE staff asked for Mrs. Rose’s opinion in our newspaper. We wanted to feature her picture in our newspaper along with her review. Thanks Mrs. Rose
When I was in elementary school, 6th grade actually, I was member of our school's newspaper team. My first year as a teacher at Jesse Boyd, my class's first project was to do a newspaper all about themselves. A few students then started the JBE newspaper that was around for about three years. Every morning, I wake at 5am and I read the newspaper. Each Sunday, I wake up before everyone else in my family and make a huge cup of coffee and sit and read not 1 but 3 different newspapers. Newspapers have been and will continue to be a huge part of how I gain information.
When Mrs. Jacobs described to me that a group of students were interested, my excitement level was so high! I am thrilled that these students are interested in seeking information, putting that information into quality writing, and distributing that information to our school. It excites me because this is REAL learning. I cannot wait to see the finished product. I am so very proud of these students.
Mrs. Rose
Mrs. Kislik, Art Teacher
In case you didn’t know, Mrs. Kislik is retiring this year. We wanted to feature her in the newspaper to show how much we appreciated her. She has been an art teacher at JBE for 20 years. Thank you for giving us the great gift of art Mrs. Kislik.
Coach "B", Teacher of the Year
Congrats Coach “B” for earning the title Teacher of the Year. This is a very important honor for a teacher here at JBE. You teach many students about sportsmanship, commitment, being active and eating the right foods. Great job and keep pushing us to be our best.
Mrs. Martin, Staff Teacher of the Year
Mrs. Martin was named support staff person of this school year. Congrats from all of us at JBE, you deserve this honor. Mrs. Martin is also retiring this year. Thank you for teaching our kindergarten students all these years. We will all miss you.
"Chase-ing" Sports, with Chase Staley-Sports Reporter
Chase Staley here, from Mrs. Hawkins` fourth grade class, and a staff writer for the JBE NEWS. This column is all about sports and things like that. This time I am talking about Whiffle Ball, my favorite PE sport. I hope you like reading my column! ENJOY!
Sun beaming down on my back, sweat dripping off my face and “CRACK” goes the bat! “I got it, I got it … I don’t got it!” I scream as the ball rockets in the air and wizzes over my head. What am I playing? Oh, yeah, whiffle ball of course. If you`re like me, and whiffle ball is your thing keep reading to find out how to play.
To play whiffle ball, you have to have equipment. Obviously you need a ball, a bat for hitting, bases for running, and gloves for catching. You also have to have enough players to make up two teams. Oh, did I mention a place to play? Oh, yeah… one GREAT BIG Grassy Field is best!
Okay, now you’re set on what you need. Time to Play Ball! Wait, you need to know the rules. Sorry, you’re not ready quite yet. Well, baseball and whiffle ball are very similar. In both games you have a home team and a visiting team. Each game has nine innings. First, all players have to play different positions. As usual you have first basemen, second baseman, third basemen, shortstop, pitcher, catcher, and three outfielders. Now that everybody has a position, it’s time to think about the rules (This may take a while L). Well, here we go… The pitcher has the ball and throws the ball to the batter. The batter has a bat and swings to try to hit the ball. If the batter swings three times and misses, that’s called a strikeout, he`s out. But, if the batter hits the ball that’s called a hit and he runs to first base. Now, if a player catches the ball in the air that’s called a pop up and the batter is out. Also, if a player fields the ball on the ground and throws the ball to the first basemen the runner is out. But, the first baseman has to be in position to catch the ball before the runner gets to first base. When you get three outs the two teams swap positions. The team hitting goes to the field to get the outs and the team in the field goes to hit. To score, a runner has to make it around all the bases without getting out. Whatever team has the most runs at the end of the game, is the winner.
There you have it…the basic rules of whiffle ball.
If you read this entire column, then you know what you need to play whiffle ball and how to play. Now, you can PLAY BALL! Good Luck and hope you enjoy!
Book Recommendations for JBE Students, by Omar Alchab, Staff Writer
My name is Omar Alchab and I am a 4th grader in Mrs. Alverson’s class. I am also a staff writer for the JBE NEWS. I noticed my friends have been asking me for some book suggestions to read during independent reading, so I thought other students might like some recommendations too. I decided a survey would be the best way to find out what my friends would suggest as their favorite books. I chose one class per grade level as my source of information. The survey asked students to name their favorite book or book series and why they chose the book or series. Students were also asked to rate their book choice from 1-5 with 5 being awesome and 1 being horrible. If they rated their book choice awesome, would they recommend it to a friend? I decided to survey all the students in one class per grade level. The classes chosen were: Mrs. Brownlee’s kindergarten, Mrs. Ponder’s 1st grade, Mrs. Whelchel’s 2nd grade, Mr. Harris’ 3rd grade, Mrs. Bush’s 4th grade, and Mrs. Amos’ 5th grade.
The most recommended books from Mrs. Brownlee’s kindergarteners are:
All Robert Munsch books
BOO! by Robert Munsch
The Pigeon Books by Mo Willems
Some other recommended books are:
Audrey’s Treehouse by Jenny Hughes and Jonathan Bentley
Fifty Below Zero by Robert Munsch
Froggy and Toad by Jonathan London
The most recommended books from Mrs. Ponder’s 1st graders are:
Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold
Junie B. Jones, by Barbra Park
Froggy and Toad by Jonathan London
Some other favorite books are:
Minecraft by Jinx
Owl Diaries by Rebecca Elliot
Power Rangers by Ace Landers
The most recommended books from Mrs. Whelchel’s 2nd graders are:
Piggie and Elephant by Mo Willems
Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osborne
Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
Some other favorite books are:
Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel
Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
Building A House by Byron Barton
Secret Kingdom by Rosie Banks
The most recommended books from Mr. Harris’s 3rd graders are:
I Survived by Lauren Tarshis
Harry Potter by J.K Rowling
Thirty Nine Clues by Peter Lerangis
Some other favorite books are:
Quarterback Rush by Carl Bowen
Minecraft by Jinx
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The most recommended books from Mrs. Bush’s 4th graders are:
Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russell
NFL Football books
Weird but True by Jonathan Halling
Some other favorite books are:
Monster High by Lisi Harrison
Warriors by Erin Hunter
Big Nate by Lincoln Pierce
The most recommended books from Mrs. Amos’s 5th graders are:
Harry Potter by J.K Rowling
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Maze Runner by James Dashner
Some other favorite books are:
Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
Old Yeller by Fred Gibson
Number of the Stars by Lois Lowry
Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russell
My favorite books from this list are the Harry Potter series, Minecraft books, and Captain Underpants, and I look forward to reading more books from this list. I hope this article gives you some ideas for excellent books to read too. You could choose a couple from this list to read for summer reading. You could even check some of these books out the next time you go to the library. Check back in the next issue to find some other great books to read!
Challenges of an Amputee, by Malik Lomax, Staff Writer
Hi I’m Malik Lomax and I am a staff writer for the new JBE news. Many of you guys that are reading this newspaper already know that I have an artificial leg AKA: ROBOT LEG. I am here to tell you my story and the challenges of being an amputee.
Let me start from the beginning. I was born on December 24th, 2004 in Spartanburg Regional Hospital early in the morning. I had a bone that was facing the wrong way in my right leg. As a baby I went to the doctor almost every day and they did X-rays to check on the bone. “Finally…” I said in my little baby mind as we were heading to Shriners Children’s Hospital. I was going to have the lower half of my right leg amputated and have surgery to have an artificial leg.
I got my leg when I was 10 months old. I don’t remember what design was on it or when I got out of the hospital. When I was one year old I learned to walk. When I turned 2, I got a brand new leg because my real leg got too big and I grew out of it. The doctors picked a Mickey Mouse design to put on it because my mom told them that I liked to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Every time I am about to get a new leg, I get to choose a fabric design to put on it.
At 3 years old I felt confident enough to wear shorts for the first time. People would ask my mom a lot of questions about what happened, so she would tell them the story of my leg. Some people even wondered if I had been attacked by a shark! I took many pictures during the time I was wearing that artificial leg. It was my favorite! My first leg gave me the ability to walk and made me feel like every other kid my age. I enjoyed the freedom that leg gave me.
I had many challenges then, and I still have them now. Things that are easy for others can sometimes be difficult for me. Some of my challenges take place at school. For example, just walking down the hallway can be hard because my foot catches the ground, making me trip and fall. When I climb on the new playground equipment, it is hard to get a good grip and keep my balance, so sometimes I fall off. Running is a challenge because my artificial leg can twist, causing me to fall. Just getting in and out of the car has its own challenges. I have to lift my leg into and out of the car and it’s very uncomfortable.
At home, taking care of my leg is like a job. I have to keep my artificial leg clean and safe. I try to protect it from damage and keep objects, like sand and dirt, out of the hinge so it will work properly. I take off my artificial leg before taking a bath, which means I have to carefully hop into the tub. After a bath, I don’t put my leg back on and instead hop around the house on one foot. Crawling into bed is my favorite time of the day. I don’t sleep with my leg on because it would be very uncomfortable. After a long day, it feels nice to have my leg free and just be Malik.
Now that I’m older, people ask me about my leg. I get all kinds of crazy questions. It’s easier to talk about it with someone I know, but I understand people’s curiosity. If you would like to know more about my artificial leg, JUST ASK ME!
Independent Reading at JBE, By Katelyn Shackelford, Staff Writer
I am Katelyn Shackelford, a fourth grader in Mrs. Alverson's class and a staff writer for The JBE NEWS. Don’t know about you, but I love to do independent reading every day. Now, I have loved independent reading since kindergarten. This year, we haven't had enough independent reading time, in my opinion. So, I decided to find out if other JBE classmates agreed or disagreed with me. I sent out a total of 69 surveys on 3/25/15 to Grades K-5 but as of 4/15/15 only 49 surveys were returned.
I looked over the all the survey. Here are the results:
5th Grade
9 surveys returned
9 want more time
All the 5th grade students that turned in a survey said they wanted to have more independent reading time.
4th Grade
6 surveys returned
6 wanted more time
All the 4th grade students that turned in a survey said they wanted to have more independent reading time.
3rd Grade
7 surveys returned
6 wanted more time
1 wanted less time
Six 3rd grade students that turned in a survey said they wanted to have more independent reading time and 1 boy said less time because he can’t read words by himself.
2nd Grade
12 surveys returned
12 wanted more time
All the 2nd grade students that turned in a survey said they wanted to have more independent reading time because they love to read.
1st Grade
9 surveys returned
8 wanted more time
1 wanted less time
Eight 1st grade students that turned in a survey said they wanted to have more independent reading time. One said less time. I interviewed that person from Mrs. Price’s class and she said it was because she wanted to choose different books.
Kindergarten
6 surveys returned
4 wanted more time
2 wanted less time
Four Kindergarten students that turned in a survey said they wanted to have more independent reading time. Two said less time. One said less time because they “can’t read hard books," and the other one said that they “like writing better."
Out of 49 responses, 45 people wanted more time and only 4 students said less time. I started this whole thing because I wanted more independent reading time. When I get lost in a book, I don’t want to stop reading. Also, I know I become a better reader every time I read! I’m so happy that most students here at Jesse Boyd agree with me!
Lydia's Corner, by Lydia Lawrence, Staff Writer
Reading and Writing Expertise
Being a fourth grader, I know from my experiences that some stories can get a little dull. All of you are amazing writers out there, but we all need a few tips now and then. So… here are a few ways you can spice up your writing pieces!
Tip Number One: Use Similes
Have you guys ever heard of a little something called a simile? They are just small sentences using like or as to compare one thought to another. Authors use them a lot, and I think you should, too!
Here’s an example I thought you would like!
“That was funnier than a hotdog wearing a mustache!”
There are bunches of ways you can use similes. It really makes your writing pop!
Tip Number Two: Using Your Five Senses
Need to describe something in great detail, to get your readers to know exactly what you’re talking about? Well, I’ve got something just for you! Try using your five senses. What are they, you ask? They are your sight, taste, smell, touch and hearing. This always works!
Tip Number Three:
A little advice from me to you… Try your hardest to find another word to use instead of “said.” To be honest, most people would get pretty bored of hearing “He said,” “She said,” “They said…” Get the idea? You could use words like exclaimed, protested, shouted, you know, all that juicy stuff. There are so many different words out there to choose from!
Those are all the tips I have for you guys today. Stay tuned for more school tips from your fourth grade pal Lydia. J
An Interview With Lauren Ellis, Second Grader at JBE, by Omar Alchab, Katelyn Shackelford, & Lydia Lawrence
Lauren Ellis is an extraordinary second grader in Mrs. Whelchel's class. You may have seen her walking around the building with her cane which helps her navigate through life as well as the JBE halls. We interviewed Lauren and here are some of the things that impressed us about her.
Lauren has a mind that is very opened to expansions. Just because she hasn’t had access to sight doesn’t mean she’s not a brilliant girl. We say this, because it is very hard to do everyday things…but she learns to do it all! She makes her way through the school by remembering patterns on the walls, and the whole structure of the great school we are in.
Lauren also has her walking cane, which helps a lot. Although this is a big part of the navigational process, her hands are what she relies on the most.
Speaking of navigation, for 5 days, Lauren Ellis went to a camp, moving around with almost no assistance. There, she met one of her best friends whose name is Annabelle. She just so happened to be color blind, losing her vision over time. We here at the JBE News admire both of them for being so strong and independent.
During our visit, we talked to her about her writing. She commented about writer’s workshop, and how she loves to write stories. She even finds a way to make writing projects fun! She told us that her favorite things to write are silly stories. We noticed that she has a real skill for writing, and this will help her all throughout life. J Now that I mention projects, she also finds a way to do her math homework. Our crew thought this was just pure astonishing that she like everyone else has to do her regular-day math homework. You may be wondering how she does it…well, it’s called mymoth braille. We thought the concept of numerical braille was amazing, let alone a second grade girl memorizing it. Astonishing! Mymoth braille is basically numbers transcribed into braille by her amazing teacher, Ms. Tallon.
Our team has also learned that Lauren has dreams at night! She told us one of them which she had very recently: She said she heard a phone ringing…projecting school announcements out of its speaker. Amazingly, she can recall every single thing that the phone message said.
The interview team, Omar, Katelyn, plus the editor Lydia think Lauren is an amazing girl, and we are so lucky to have her at JBE. We hope we opened your eyes the way Lauren opened ours to see just how amazing Lauren Ellis is.
Thank You Mr. Duvall
"Whad' ya Think" K - 1
The JBE News Crew set out to find certain students in Kindergarten and first grade to interview and answer questions about school and other things. Tune in and find out the answers to “Whad`ya” Think?
"Whad' ya Think" 2nd - 5th
Coffee House, by Lawson Kyle, Staff
JBE Terrific Kid of the Year, Adianna Steinbach
Great job Adianna for being named the Terrific Kid of the Year! I’m sure the entire JBE family agrees with me that you deserve this award. Congrats!
With Appreciation, by Chase Staley, Staff Writer
All of the JBE NEWS crew really appreciate the people who helped us along the way. Thank you all for making this newspaper possible. The people are…
Mrs. Jacobs - for letting this newspaper be possible. Also, for keeping us under control and focused.
Mrs. Davis (1st Grade) - for letting us barge into your room to type whenever we needed to.
Dr. Greenfield - for helping us with the formatting and all of the technology.
Mrs. Hastings - for helping us revise and edit our articles.
Mr. Duvall - for leading our school in coffee house each month.
Mrs. Alverson and Ms. Hawkins - for letting us out of class to produce this newspaper.
Mrs. Davis (in the office) - for buying our JBE NEWS stamp.
Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Davis (in the office) - for letting us keep our JBE NEWS basket in the office.
Students - for taking our surveys and giving our writers information for their articles.
Teachers - for handing out our surveys to your students.
Mrs. Rose - for being the best principal and letting us start this newspaper.