Bobcat Chronicle
Volume 2, Issue 2
Faculty vs. PTA Kickball Game
by Grace Y.
On October the 17th, the school kickball game took place, sponsored by the P.T.A . Well-known teacher, Mr.Bradley, was captain of the staff team. Mrs.Condon, the P.T.A president, was captain of the P.T.A team. It was a good game. At the end, the staff walked away with the victory. The team captain that lost had to run around the bases wearing a tutu, but both team captains had a surprise waiting for them at home base.
After the game, I got to talk to Mr.Bradley and ask him a few questions. Mr.Bradley was put in charge of the staff team by his fellow teammates and Dr. Wilson. Mr.Bradley was surprised when he was standing at home base because Ms.Jones came up behind him a pushed a pie into his face. Mr.Bradley’s teammates made everything possible . Because Mr.Bradley won, he said it felt like dodging a pie-shaped bullet.
Later, I got to talk to Mrs.Condon on her thoughts about the game. To put together a big kickball game it takes a lot of people willing to help out. The purpose behind the game is to give a break to the teachers and have a social event. Her motivation to win was bragging rights and to see Mr.Bradley in a tutu. Our staff and P.T.A do a game every year, I hope to see you at the next game!
New 1st Grade Teacher - Mrs. Tinnell
By: Jewel P.
There’s a new teacher in town and she lives in the first grade hallway… it’s Mrs.Tinnell. She attended Texas State University and got a degree in teaching. Her career started in San Antonio, where she began to tutor students. Then she moved to California and taught first grade. Next she came to the Bluff and started teaching first grade here.
What inspired her to become a first grade teacher? Her grandmother was a teacher. When she would visit, she would go to her grandmother’s classroom and she would read and write in the there. Her favorite book to read to her class is called “The Giving Tree.”
Mrs. Tinnell dislikes there not being enough school time in the day for teaching because she would like her students to learn as much as they can in a day. Mrs. Tinnell loves to teach because she can meet so many new people and personalities. That’s how Mrs.Tinnell got to be the phenomenal teacher she is today.
Getting to Know Mimi
by Jack C.
Have you ever met Mimi? She has been at this school for about 5 years. Her real name is Maryann Hargis. She got the name Mimi when she was two years old. She is a grandparent mentor at Fern Bluff, which means that she helps kids by tutoring them and giving them brain breaks from class.
Elizabeth Yocum, a parent at our school, runs the foster grandparent program for the state of Texas. “I have the largest program in the nation and we currently have 465 foster grandparents across the state of Texas. There are 17 programs in the state of Texas and I supervise 8 of those programs.” There are about 27,900 foster grandparents currently enrolled in the program.
Ms.Yocum added, “I LOVE the program because it helps so many people! The kids get special attention from a grandparent who can help them with school work, maybe help them with problems they may be dealing with and make them feel good about who they are as a person!”
Grandparents are also helpful to the staff they work with. If a child is getting time with a grandparent then that frees up staff to work with other kids that need help. The program helps the grandparents stay involved in their communities rather than sitting around the house. They make new friends all the time!
“Mimi had a daughter who worked at the school part-time and she and I started talking about what I did for a living, and she told Mimi, who then called me to apply,” said Ms.Yocum. Mimi gets a small stipend for every hour that she volunteers, she is paid for her mileage (the miles it takes to drive from her house to the school) and she is also offered a meal for every day of service.
Mimi won an award in May called the Mentor of the Year award because she does a great job here at Fern Bluff!
Field Day
By: Presley M.
Every year we do Field Day, each year with a different theme. This year, it was all about pirates. Some people ask, why do we do Field Day? Well, the answer to your question is just to get outside and have some fun!
Mr. Thompson said Field Day was started by the P.E. teachers who taught P.E. before he got to Fern Bluff. I don’t know who they are, but I’m glad that they started Field Day!
I talked to a few students, and it seems the three most liked stations are water balloons, pillow fight, and tug-of-war. Thanks to the PTA and parents though, we get enough water balloons every year to all have fun and get splashed a lot.
Planning and running Field Day is a big job though, so Mr. Thompson gets help from Ms. Traci and the PTA. Mr. Thompson told me that if he could add one more station to Field Day, he would add a bouncy castle. The only reason he isn't adding a bouncy castle is he would have to have a large quantity of bouncy castles, and they are expensive. Also, 4th and 5th graders might not have as much fun at bouncy castles as a younger kid.
In conclusion, Field Day is an exciting day that we all have fun at. Next time you see Mr. Thompson, tell him thank you for this awesome tradition called Field Day.
Our New Music Teacher, Ms. Powers
By Thomas M.
Have you met our new music teacher, Ms.Powers? She is in room 505, down the fourth grade hall. You should go down there and meet her. She also works as a music teacher at Old Town Elementary.
I had a chance to meet with her recently and learned that she is very nice. She has always loved to sing.(She likes to sing jazz and opera.) That is a part of what inspired her to become an elementary music teacher. Her grandmother and elementary music teacher inspired her as well.
She has been on stage and sang as an evil, funny sorceress in an opera in Taiwan. She said that it was very scary, yet exhilarating.
To her, it is easier to express her feelings by singing. She also said singing feels natural.
She likes her job because she likes to watch kids express themselves through music.
You should really get to know our new music teacher, Ms.Powers.Coins for Coats
by Evan K.
What is Coins For Coats? I thought it was Mrs. Wimmer’s idea but it really wasn’t; it was a lady named Cynthia Flores’ idea. Mrs. Flores works at the Round Rock Serving Center. Every year Mrs. Flores asks all the Round Rock ISD librarians to raise money. The Student Council was helping out too. They made a video advertisement trying to encourage kids at Fern Bluff to donate money for Coins For Coats.
Coins For Coats is a fundraiser to buy coats for kids in Round Rock ISD. Mrs. Wimmer had the option of accepting coats but Mrs. Wimmer has never done it at Fern Bluff. Mrs. Wimmer said maybe next year.
Last year we raised $1,334.19. This year we raised $ 3,052,58! The following are the classes that won Flashlight Friday in the library: Whitehead, Schrott, Carneiro, Bradley, Davis and Harden.
Backpack Project
by Sophie M.
Have you heard of the “Backpack Project”? Some kids in Student Council have, after they went on a field trip to find out about it! After interviewing Mrs O’Brien, I found out more information about Fern Bluff’s involvement.
Since 2011, Fern Bluff Elementary has been doing the Backpack Project. It was started by a woman named Kathy Ford. She realized there were some kids in Round Rock ISD that did not have enough food over the weekends, so she started the Backpack Project.
Our school heard about it through the Round Rock Methodist Church. The project has been running in our school for 3 years and benefits all Round Rock ISD children.
I asked Mrs.O’Brien how the children received the food, and she said that the children pick up bags filled with light-weight food which is placed in their backpacks. You can always help them by donating food to Fern Bluff’s food drive. Everything helps!