Cub's Column
The Voice of Jackson Memorial Middle School
February 2017
Principal's Message
Greetings students of J.M.M.S.! With Spring in the "AIR" I wanted to send out a few reminders. We are fast approaching our State mandated assessments. These assessments are the AIR Assessments. AIR stands for American Institutes for Research. These tests will determine how our school matches up against every public middle school in the State as well as how our school district compares to others. J.M.M.S. has always been known as a leader in Stark county...and Ohio for that matter! Your teachers have been preparing you each day for this summative assessment taken in the Spring. As we grow closer to the dates I will be sending reminders to you and your parents on how to best prepare for these assessments at home. I wish you all the best!
JMMS Principal
Ski Club video report
by Madi Shaw
Ski Club is an extracurricular activity offered to all JMMS students every winter. In Ski Club, students could either pick to ski or snowboard, and could have anywhere from none to expert in experience. It started on January 6, and occurs each Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Boston Mills Brandywine. The head advisor of ski club is technology teacher Mr. Ben Hartley.
"I have been snowboarding for the past 11 or 12 years now," Mr. Hartley said. "Before that, I skied for 8 or 9 years."
"I've been with our school's ski club for about 20 years now," Mr. Hartley said. "I know it's been around longer than that, but I am not sure how much longer. I think at least 10 or 12 additional years."
Ski Club is an opportunity for students to learn to ski and snowboard as well as bond with new people. Below is a mini documentary about Ski Club. Enjoy!!
Music classes expand minds
by Briana Brogan
Did you know music is very important for students education? Music pulls together things like math, comprehension, teamwork and expression. Mrs. Sullivan, one of the band directors, says playing an instrument is important so you can show that you can master certain concepts.
Choir teacher Mrs. Vaughn says music is important for your brain. It helps with your studies, and it is also good for your creativity.
Students in elementary school are not graded in their music classes, but they do receive grades in middle school. Music lesson in elementary school prepares students to be graded in middle school.
Students are not able to switch from one subject of music to another if they have been in the class for a while, unless there is a special circumstances. This enables students to become more proficient at their music subject.
Art Club provides opportunities for student talent
by Madi Shaw
Every month, there is something spectacular being made in the two art rooms at JMMS. Students come and make beautiful artwork, make new friends, and have fun. What is going on, you may ask? It's called Art Club.
Art Club is held one time a month in the two art rooms. "My goal is to provide students with fun and engaging art projects that they can be proud of," said Mr. Poetter, an 8th grade Visual Arts teacher and an advisor for the Art Club. "I seek opportunities for students to collaborate with each other and sometimes even find opportunities for students to work within the community."
"There are a variety of projects that we do in Art Club," said Mr. Poetter. "Some of our projects are holiday based, some are community based, and some are for the individual exploration," Mr. Poetter said.
Mr. Poetter is in his third year of being an adviser for Art Club. "I help out with Art Club because of my passion for the Arts," he said. "I also help out with Art Club to allow students to work together to create art,” he says.
A day in the life of Mr. Salvino
by Hana Ahmed
Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a principal? Principal, Mr. Salvino has all the answers.
The opportunity to create relationships with all kinds of different people is the best part of his job. The most tiring part of his job is trying to make sure all the paperwork is completed and organized. “Sometimes, it gets a little overwhelming”, Mr. Salvino said.
Most of the time, he works with other staff members, but when he has work that he has to do by himself, he usually does it in the morning.
The first thing he does when he gets to the school is power on the computer and check his emails. He then goes to Mr. Michel's office for a cup of coffee.
The most frequent activity that Mr. Salvino does is monitoring staff members and students in different areas and working with staff members.
Depending on the day, being the principal can be easy or tough. He is always busy, though. If he ever has free time it's usually in the morning.
Even though Mr. Salvino is busy, he loves spending time with his family. “It's my favorite thing," he said, "whether it's coaching my own children in a sport or cooking dinner or playing in the yard.”
In Mr. Salvino’s second year of being principal, there was an eighth grade student who was struggling academically and socially. Mr. Salvino kept him by his side. He stayed after school with him and helped him turn in papers, get more organized, and helped him get set up with tutors. He ended up having an outstanding end of his eighth grade year, and ended up graduating really high in his classes as a senior. “That was pretty rewarding for me to see a kid transform like that”, Mr. Salvino said.
Mastroine's students create books to read at Sauder
by Olivia Richardson
Do you like reading to little kids? Do you want to be a teacher, author or babysitter? Mrs. Mastroine’s Language Arts classes got some hands-on experience reading to children in November. Mrs. Mastroine, a sixth grade reading teacher, had her students write children's stories, which were later read to students at Sauder Elementary School.
Her classes got to go to Sauder and read to a first grade class. The first graders loved having them and paid a lot of attention. Mrs. Mastroine’s classes plan to go back later in the year for a follow-up visit.
Students chose to write a story that was advanced, intermediate or simple. They worked hard on these stories for about two months. Then each student could bind their book with string or staple it. Now some students are working on books that will be hard bounded and published!
About 12 years ago, Sauder asked Mrs. Mastroine to help them write letters to Santa. When they did this, it was in December, but now that they are writing books, they go in November. Mrs. Mastroine hopes to continue this project until she retires.
Mrs. Mastroine's favorite part of this project is the interaction between the sixth and first graders. The goal of the project was to encourage kids to care more about writing and each other. Many kids said it was a fun project over all. A student who has Mrs. Mastroine for first and second period said, “It was fun. I enjoyed seeing my old school and the little kids.”
PHOTO ALBUM
Veterans honored at JMMS ceremony
by Madi Shaw
The first annual Veteran's Day Assembly was celebrated on November 11, 2016 at Jackson Middle School. This was an event where students could bring in a family member that was an active or inactive member of the military. The assembly occurred in the Purple Gym.
Assistant Principal Mr. Waltman coordinated the various groups performing or presenting during the program. “I reserved the facilities and planned the program,” he said. “I secured the choir to perform. I worked with our social studies department to contact the veterans and invite them, and I asked the art department to create a special piece of artwork for each veteran. I asked Mr. Salvino to present and read the names.”
Mrs. Skelly, 8th grade social studies teacher, coordinated the communication between other social studies teachers and families so that “we could invite as many veterans from our JMMS community as possible and honor them at the assembly with a certificate of appreciation for their service,” she said. Mrs. Skelly also helped organize this event. “My father is a veteran of the United States Army and the Korean War,” said Mrs. Skelly.
Mr. Waltman and Mrs. Skelly are thankful to everyone for helping plan and celebrate this celebration. These people include Mrs. Vaughn and the chamber ensemble, Mr. Hoffman and the Art Club, Mrs. Dunnerstick and Mrs. Bracken, along with the BTG student council, and Mrs. Fentner and Mrs. Raddish with the cheerleaders.
PHOTO ALBUM
photo story: Spirit Party
The Parents And Friends Together association hosted a Spirit Party on Nov. 18, 2016. Students listened to music, ate food, and enjoyed spirited activities in the Purple Gym. Click the link below to view a photo gallery of the event.
MILO club improves lives through social activities
by Charley Fox
MILO is a group of students that helps kids on the autism spectrum develop social skills through a range of fun activities. The name MILO is an acronym that stands for My Impact Lifts Others.
MILO was developed by one of the students. The club is not new, but thanks to Miss Stien, it is doing better than ever. Miss Stien saw a real need for kids with autism to develop social skills. However, Mrs. Fentner and Mrs. Raddish took over for her and now run the club themselves.
“We have things like snack and social time, but we also go out places like Skymax or walking to Dairy Queen,” Mrs. Raddish said. MILO involves "anything that helps build social skills, but also things that tie into typical student activity.”
The MILO club meets once or twice a month. Teachers can recommend students to join MILO, and they look out for good role models and good kids in general. “Overall, it’s a great club, and a great thing for the children in the club to see,” Mrs. Raddish said. “It brings in outside community businesses and it brings out a lot in the kids.”
Teacher Feature: Mrs. Clapper
by Joel Morris
Mrs. Clapper is a sixth grade teacher who teaches Language Arts on the third floor of JMMS. Mrs. Clapper is married, and her hobbies include reading and horseback riding.
Mrs. Clapper has taught at JMMS for five years. She has taught Language Arts for sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. Language Arts is her favorite subject to teach. She got inspiration from her sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Moore. Her favorite things about teaching are working with kids and that every day is always different.
Mrs. Clapper has two horses and she loves to ride them. Mrs. Clapper has always loved horses. When she was 16 years old, she was finally able to call a horse her own.
“Effort and attitude are the keys to success”, said Mrs. Clapper.
sixth graders adjust to life at jmms
by Abby Moore
The first day of middle school is tough and confusing for sixth graders. They had to find their classes, and they had to try and adjust to the schedule.
"I felt like I was going to get stuffed inside a locker,” said Nina Smith. A lot of students said they were nervous and felt excited at the same time.
”I felt awkward, and I got split up from a lot of my friends so I had no one to socialize with,” said Grace Ziegler.
“I felt fine and not nervous at all because I did basketball practice here,” said Julia Gossett.
A lot of people also did band, so they were used to the pattern and how the classes changed because of how early they had to get up to get ready for band.
Most of the sixth graders interviewed indicated that they did not have any older siblings to help them acclimate to the middle school. Also, a lot of students' parents did not come to Jackson Memorial Middle School when they were young. Students commented that the middle school is just a big circle, so they will find their classroom at some point.
Halfway into the school year, a lot of students said they felt good and loved their teachers. "I feel pretty good, but I do get trampled at the end of the day going to the buses,” said Grace Ziegler.
People also said that when they get to seventh grade that they will know the school better and and not be as nervous, and they will have lots of confidence.
The biggest change from elementary school is “definitely switching from class to class with a three minutes,” said Nina Smith. A Lot of students said the combination locks are tricky because of the three minutes class change. It was also weird from being the oldest in grade in 5th grade and the becoming the youngest in 6th grade.
Sixth graders have helpful advice to offer next year's new students. Some students recommended trying the locker combination many times during open house.
“Just be yourself and make many friends,” said Grace Ziegler. "Don't forget your locker combination.”
Many sixth graders feel it will be easy to transition into seventh grade. “Many people should know how to act and be adjusted to their schedule enough not to get lost,” said Bailey Randles.
Officer Danny forms bonds and protects JMMS students
by Madi Shaw
At JMMS, you may have seen a police officer walking around observing what everyone is doing. His name is Officer Danny, and he is our School Resource Officer, or SRO.
Officer Dan Sturia began his career as a police officer at the Stark County Sheriff's Office after graduating from the Ohio Peace Officers Training Academy in 1983. He then became a deputy sheriff. He was a part-time officer for the Jackson Township Police Department until they hired him full-time. He later retired in October, 2015.
In 1992, he became a K-9 officer with his first K-9 partner named Kirby. Officer Danny and Kirby were trained in drug detection. After Kirby retired, he trained his second K-9 partner, Indy. Indy was trained as a patrol dog, and together they apprehended several criminals and assisted federal agencies.
Later in 2001, after he lost his K-9 partners, Officer Danny joined the detective bureau and also worked with the FBI fugitive task force.
Then he returned to the police department in 2016 as a school resource officer for Lake Cable and Sauder Elementaries. This year is his first year at JMMS, where he is excited to be.
“My mission is to promote education and minimize disruptions to the educational process by promoting a safe atmosphere that has zero tolerance for weapons, drugs, violence, and unruly behavior,” said Officer Danny
"As SRO, I hope to bridge the gap between police officers and young people to develop positive attitudes toward law enforcement, to teach the value of the legal system, to promote respect for people and property, and to reduce juvenile crime by helping students formulate an awareness of rules, authority, and justice," said Officer Danny.
So, next time you see Officer Danny in the halls, in the lunch room, or anywhere else, give him a smile and say hello.
6th grader Beisert awarded grant to help homeless
by Max DeLuca
Sixth grader Ruby Beisert, a sixth grader at JMMS, recently won a grant of $2,100 to assist the area homless with toiletry items.
Ruby’s mom is involved in a non-profit agency called the Junior League of Stark County. This foundation, which granted the money to Ruby, promotes women's volunteerism. The foundation can be found at jlstarkcounty.org, which is where Ruby applied for the grant.
With these winnings Ruby will be making bags for the homeless with deodorant, body wash, toothpaste, toothbrushes, gloves, and hand warmers. She is using her grant money to make the community a better place to live.
What are you afraid of?
by Christina McDaniel
It’s the middle of the night, and the moonlight trickles through the leaves in small patches. Leaves and branches crunch and break beneath your feet. A shadow passes. You check the area and you see nothing but blackness.
This a common setting when people’s fears become present. What are they scared of, and why? What fears do some kids believe are ridiculous, and what are some fears you wish you didn’t have? Do you feel any of your fears are drawing you back from doing anything?
Lily Graham, grade 7, fears clowns because of the killer clowns that were rumored to be around. Yet Camden Swanson is all about the unknown since he feels that there is no way to stop it.
Camden Swanson believes personal experiences and depression cause his fears. He feels that it was because of his personal experience in the unknown hitting him that he fears it coming back and there’s no way to brace himself.
Megan Magee, grade 7, feels that it is ridiculous to fear certain types of bugs. Her and Lily Graham share the same feeling that they wish that they couldn’t fear being abducted or hurt when they are home.
Camden Swanson feels that his fears sometimes hold him back from accomplishing his objectives. "I think it’s just a trigger in the back of your mind that tells you not to do it,” he said.
Megan Magee believes that fear does not really stop her from doing things.
Everyone is different, and we all have different justifications for our fears. What do you fear, and why is that?
Fiction short story: "Another"
by Jordyn Myers
“I’m fine, just go to school!”
“You know I can't just go to school when you're sick like this, I can't just let them find you!” I boom back.
“They will not find me I promise. Okay Rory?” my mom replies calmly.
I sigh and nod I grab my backpack and head to school. I walk awhile until I come to a crosswalk. The school is straight ahead. I dart left. I sprint through a damp, dark road. I go into an alley to catch my breath.
Then when I’m just about to go back to get where I wanted to go, I hear a noise on the other side of the fence at the end of the alley. My curiosity takes over and I move a loose fence panel out of the way and walk through.
The ground vibrates.
I try to turn around and go back, but somehow the panel I came in from was screwed in place. I panic and yell for help. I look on the back on the ground and saw a hole forming slowly.
The trashcan was next to me so I threw it at the hole to see what happens. The trashcan disappears and the hole grows wider. I back myself away to the corner. If only Mom would have let me stay I wouldn’t be here. Then the hole, the great black hole, devours me whole.
To be continued...
Fan Fiction: "Afton's Daughter"
by Camden Swanson
Based on: Five Nights At Freddy’s: Sister Location
Disclaimer: This story was written before the Sister Location: Custom Night update was added.
It was a normal Sunday morning. My mother tried to get me out of bed. For some reason I didn’t want to get up. My alarm went off, but I would not get up. When she woke me up I heard the unexpected.
“Toby, get up! We’re going to Mr. Afton’s house. It’s his daughter's birthday.”
“No way! I-I’ll be there as fast as I can!”
Me, being lucky, was one of the first to see Circus Baby’s Pizza World. Well, at least before it closed. Supposedly, there were gas leaks in the building. Others said people were to blame. They said cars were parked and people came in and out to grab some objects covered in tarps. Some people say dead people, others say supplies and the robots. Personally, I believe the animatronic theory. Since I was a “special guest”, I got a special shirt. It had the gang on it, Baby, Ballora, Funtime Freddy with the Bon-Bon hand puppet, as well as Funtime Foxy.
I ran down the steps as fast my legs could take me. The small counter television was on, with my mom standing by, pouring milk into the cereal bowl. I remember very vividly what I had on that day...Lucky Charms. I always said to myself, when you eat Lucky Charms, you will be lucky. Self explanatory, right? Turns out that day, my luck didn’t come.
“Mom, why didn’t you tell me we were going to Mr. Afton’s house?”
“I wanted it to be a surprise. Here.”
She pulled out a bag, striped in pink and blue.
“Look inside.”
Pink paper flew from the bag, as I threw it into the air. At the bottom rested a card, and a box. Just a plain, brown box.
“Turn it over, silly!” She looked at me and chuckled. I chuckled along as well. I turned it over, and what I saw was amazing. A doll rested at the bottom, except it looked like one of the robots. It had a bright red dress, two orange pigtails, resting at the side of its head, and two, beady, blue eyes.
“It was made by her father,” She stated, smiling. “He told me to keep it, and give it to her.”
About ten minutes passed before we pulled into the driveway of the Afton’s. When I got out of the car you could hear kids yelling and cheering. A robotic sounding voice was also heard. It was very feminine. It was saying things like, “Please stay in your seats,” and, “Would you like to request a song?”
I ran into the back gate, opened it and walked in to see a robot, standing on a stage, singing, “Happy Birthday” as all the others sang along. The animatronic looked exactly like the doll. I realized something at that moment. I remember looking at my shirt, seeing Baby, then looking up to see the real thing in front of me, singing and dancing on stage. Mr. Afton walked up to us, me and my mom.
“Hello Mrs. Nikson and Tobias. How are you today?”
Mr. Afton was a chubby man, plumb and heavier set than most of the other parents. He had a tiara on, probably one that Charlie made for him. It had glitter and fake gems all over it, something that a young girl would do. He looked happy for once.
“We are doing just fine today,” She said. “Toby, go play with your friends, I need to talk to Mr. Afton-”
“You can call me William, Samantha,” said Afton. He was still smiling. It was just odd seeing him that way, always smiling. Charlie said she always sees him smile. When I saw him, he always had a blank or concentrated expression, nothing else. I assumed it was because he was the finance manager of Fredbear’s, so it could have put stress on him. I really never knew.
As I walked around the tables, decorated with Circus Baby’s branded decor, I walked over to the stage. The backdrop was a velvet red, with lights surrounding what was holding the curtain to the stage. The stage floor was wood, with lights that came from the floor and would shine on Baby. It was amazing. As I was turning away, a girl that was about my age at the time, 7, startled me.
“She is giving cupcakes!!”
“Who?” I asked, confused, with excitement building in me.
“Baby!” She ran away, as Baby was coming toward her group of friends.
I just stood there and waited. It took her a while. All those mechanisms were probably messing with her circuits or just, well, slowing her down. When she did make it to me, she give me two cupcakes, both green ones. I ate both so fast, I forgot they were gone, so when I tried to eat another, I bit my finger. I shook my hand, hoping the pain would leave, when I noticed Charlie didn’t get anything. I remembered her saying, “Daddy said I can’t go near her. Why can't I go to her if she’s for me?” Baby got close to Charlie.
Baby froze in place. The robot's stomach opened up, and there was ice cream, in a cone, grabbed by a claw like hand. Charlie looked around for something, then looked up to the 7 foot animatronic, then down to the ice cream. Suddenly, Baby dropped the cone.
Charlie bent over to try and pick it up, but the unexpected happened. The claw started to move forward. It grabbed Charlie, and pulled into where the chest plates opened. There was a scream. A bloodcurdling scream. The plates closed. I ran over and tried with my weak 7 year old body to get those plates to open, but to no avail.
Kids ran over looking for Charlie. Five, four, three, then two, then just me. I went home that night terrified, still hearing that scream. I thought to myself, Is Mr. Afton a bad man? Is Mommy working for a bad man? Are those robots...killers? I’ve haven’t been to a Fazbear Entertainment restaurant since. Those events will haunt me forever, figuratively and literally. Some nights, I can still hear her.
“Hi, Toby. It’s me, Charlie.”
Do you have video talent?
Athletic notes
by Mr. Michel
Academically our 124 Athletes have a GPA of 3.54!! Outstanding!
Basketball
7th Grade Girls Purple: Head Coach Rich Crossman
The girls have an overall record of 11-3 and a 7-2 record in the league.
7th Grade Girls Gold: Matt Holecko
The girls have an overall record of 7-5 and 5-4 record in the league.
8th Grade Girls Gold: Laura Cheyney
The 8th grade girls have an overall record of 6-5 and 5-4 in the league.
7th Grade Boys Purple: Jordan Johnson
The 7th grade boys team has a record of 10-4.
8th Grade Boys Purple: Teal Harvey & Mike Heidy
The 8th grade boys team has a record of 10-4.
7th Grade Boys Gold: Evan Elliott & Boyd Elliott
The 7th grade boys team has a record of 7-6.
8th Grade Boys Gold: Mike Coon
The 8th grade boys team has a record of 7-6
7th/8th Grade Wrestling
Coaches: Craig Brown & Joe Studer
The 7th/8th grade wrestling team has a record of 11-5
7th/8th Grade Cheerleaders
Coaches: Katie Raddish & Lindsey Fentner
1st Place Minerva Cheer Competition
Way to go JMMS athletes!!!
Who Am I?
Can you guess who these famous people are?
PERSON 1
- I won the 2015 Women's World Cup
- I have won every award except one
- US All-time Leading Scorer
- She went to the University of Florida
- Who am I?
PERSON 2
- Grew up a San Francisco 49er’s fan
- Joe Montana is one of his heroes
- 2nd youngest player to win a Superbowl
- Is a player in the NFL with the New England Patriots
- Who am I?
Answers in the next edition!!!
Vox Pops
Hey sixth graders: What do you like better about middle school versus elementary school?
Alex Braun
The lunches are better and the teachers are nicer.
Leah Covell
Joel Morris
Arianna Faulkner
Jova Lolich
Kyleigh Blaker
Cubs Comics
Cub's Column
Email: atr2jc@jackson.sparcc.org
Website: tiny.cc/cubscolumn
Location: Jackson Memorial Middle School, Mudbrook Street Northwest, Massillon, OH, United States
Phone: (330) 830-8034