Cub's Column
The Voice of Jackson Memorial Middle School
May 2018
Principal's Message
As we approach the end of the 2017-2018 school year, I want to thank all of you for a great first year back at Jackson Memorial Middle School. It has been a pleasure to greet you every morning as you come into the building. I am looking forward to some exciting initiatives next year as we roll out TEAMs. Check out the video below!
Let's make sure we have a great close to this year by making good choices and continuing all the positive work that everyone has put in to this point. We have 6th and 7th grade Field Days, the Washington DC trip and Cedar Point coming up, and I want to make sure everyone can enjoy those fun events. Let's keep moving forward!
Go Polar Bears!
JMMS Principal
Care Bears help new students learn the ropes
by Alanna McClain
Can you imagine going to school without knowing anyone or where to go? Most people would say they'd feel very uncomfortable. Luckily, new students don't have to worry about that because of the Care Bears program.
The Care Bears program allows students at JMMS to show new students around the building. "The purpose of the Care Bears program is to help when we have a new student start school," said Mrs. Snyder, the Care Bears adviser and Student Services secretary at JMMS. "The Care Bears spend the day with students helping them learn their way around the building and meet new people."
The Care Bear will take the new student to each of their classes while going through their daily schedule as usual. The Care Bear will then be able to show the new student around the rest of building in their free time (such as in S.A. or study hall). Olivia, a seventh grader who participated in the Care Bears program last year, said, "It was a great way to help others and provide a way for new students to get used to the school."
Becoming a Care Bear is simple. Anytime throughout the school year, students can fill out an application form. These forms can be found in the Student Services office.
Why should students sign up for the Care Bears program? For one thing, it would probably mean a lot to the new students, or at the very least help them find their way around the school. Some people can also be more shy than others. Helping these new students could also help them make friends with other students. If you're the kind of person who likes meeting new people or helping new students, then this program is definitely for you.
Another reason is it makes it easier for Student Services to match new students to kids with similar schedules. Although generally 50 or so students sign up each year, Student Services needs a lot of options, or else it's difficult for them.
Students at JMMS are encouraged to sign up for the Care Bears program in order to help new students get used to their new school. If you have any questions, Mrs. Snyder would be the best person to ask. There is also information on the announcements at the beginning of each school year.
jmms students shine at talent show
by Lily Wahl
Everyone in JMMS has a talent. Maybe it’s singing, dancing, playing an instrument, doing a card trick, art, sports, or maybe you’re just really good at Fortnite. The P.A.T.T (Parents and Teachers Together) hosted a talent show on April 13 to showcase all of the talent in the middle school. Veteran Master of Ceremonies and eighth grader, Lily Wahl, hosted the show with sixth grader Emma Rowbotham. The show was run and organized by Amy Wahl.
The talent show is an annual event where students perform acts of their choice as a fundraiser for P.A.T.T. This year there were over 20 amazing acts, from solo singers, duets, and trios. There were a few students who wrote original songs, piano and violin players, a magician, dancers and baton twirlers.
In order to join the talent show, students first had to submit a complete application with parents permission, act choice, music, lyrics, etc. Applications were available in March and due prior to spring break. Then during the week of the show, there are auditions and a dress rehearsal with the big show on Friday, April 13th at 7 PM.
Emcees Lily Wahl and Emma Rowbotham created the program for the show.
sixth graders compete in Norwegian twirling competition
by Ella Fox
Gabi Resnick and Brooke McClain traveled to Norway over spring break to represent JMMS in an international twirling competition. These sixth-grade girls practice for hours each day to improve their techniques.
In Norway, Gabi won the silver medal. She has been twirling for nine years. The girls said their trip to Norway was amazing.
"There was almost five feet of snow," Brooke said. "We went into town and saw Norwegian shops."
There are 25 girls on the team. There practices on Monday and Tuesday are two hours, then Wednesdays are an hour and a half, Thursday is 2 hours and 15 minutes, and Saturday is 9 to 5.
Both girls loved Norway and loved the experience. They worked very hard and it payed off when they won a lot of prizes.
JMMS students learn to be safe online
by Joel Morris
Online safety is an important factor in life, at home and at school. At JMMS, safety is a top priority. Teachers and other staff, along with students, are working together to keep JMMS safe everyday.
"Many adults and teenagers spend a significant part of their day online," said Mr. Huthmacher, a technology teacher at Jackson Middle School. "Understanding ways to protect yourself online is a must if you use the Internet and social media."
"We take online safety very seriously at JMMS," Mr. Huthmacher said. "Our network to the Internet is filtered for school-inappropriate content and teachers are trained to help students get the most out of the Internet for their education. Ultimately, though, the user is the one responsible for making positive choices online."
"In my seventh grade course, we spend time discussing topics like oversharing online and ways to avoid becoming a victim of scams such as phishing," Mr. Huthmacher said. "Through online resources, short video clips, and class discussion, I hope my students become better prepared to protect themselves online. Students can help by reminding their friends to avoid oversharing online, educating others about online scams, and by not sharing content that is false or hurtful to others."
Every time you access the Internet, engage in social media, or stream content, you are leaving a digital footprint that can be traced. Your choices online can affect you socially, financially and legally. If you are not careful, you may experience negative consequences in real life.
We all use technology, but it can come with a price. Remember that we all need to remain safe online. Stay Smart and stay safe!
6th graders reflect on first year at jmms
by Ashley Scaife
JMMS has a new generation of people coming into the building every year. This new generation is known as 6th graders. In 6th grade there are 3 different sections or communities: 6A, 6B, and 6C. For the first time, 6th graders have lockers all to themselves. But, a con to have a locker to ourselves means he have to have a combination to get into our locker. Although combination locks are tricky at first, eventually it gets a lot easier to do.
Alyssa Snyder is a 6th grader in community 6B. “Walking up and down the stairs everyday, multiple times a day is not only painful but very tiring," Alyssa said. "But it’s worth it if I want to see Mrs. Easterday who is my favorite teacher. Mrs. Easterday is my favorite teacher because she tells us fun stories and we get to do exciting things."
"I look forward to going to Washington DC in 7th grade," Alyssa said. "But I’m also nervous about getting to class on time, especially gym."
"My first impression was that the middle school was a scary place and I felt like I wasn’t going to fit in," Alyssa said. "But now I don’t feel like it's as scary. The hardest thing I’ve gone through this year is fitness testing, Air and MAP testing."
Gabby Morris is a 6th grader in community 6A. “I don’t have to walk up and down the stairs, and I am thankful for that," Gabby said. "My favorite teacher is Mrs. Laverick because she’s awesome and she teaches my favorite subject, which is math."
"I look forward to nothing except for the fact that I will be that much closer to graduating in 7th grade," Gabby said. "I am nervous that I will have strict teachers in 7th grade. My first impression about the middle school was that I was never going to make it to the end of the year. The school was so big I thought I would get lost. Now my impression on the middle school is better. I'm still alive, and I know way around, soI know I won’t get lost."
Peer tutors offer opportunity to improve marks
by Jordyn Myers
Peer tutoring is a program in which students have the ability to have extra practise in the skills they need help in. It also allows students to teach someone else, which students seldom get a chance to do in class.
"It is easier to relate to someone since they are closer to your age than the teachers," said a peer tutor. "And you can look back on times when you felt like them to find a way to help them out.”
Many students benefit from peer tutoring, said Mrs. Ripple, the adviser. "A lot of the students improve their grades through peer tutoring," said Mrs. Ripple. "Some of those students stop tutoring but others continue for the extra help and the structure of having a certain time with fewer distractions to do their work."
This program has been going on for about 20 years, although Mrs. Ripple is not sure of the exact number of years.
Tutors say that for the most part the 30 minutes given is enough time to efficentally help their student.
"I like pairing a student in need of a tutor with a tutor that excels in the subjects needed," Mrs. Ripple said. "I do not have a lot of interaction with the students, but I do enjoy when I get to talk with the students about a question that I have or when I am able to help them with a need that they have."
"I also enjoy coordinating with the teachers that give their time to monitor the after-school peer tutoring," Mrs. Ripple said.
Math Counts challenges students to improve skills and compete
by Chloe Zackary
Math Counts is a club that challenges JMMS students to improve their math skills in a competetive way. The club runs from September to March. There was about 22 students in Math Counts this year and students from 6th, 7th and 8th grade may take part in this club.
The students meet every Tuesday for an hour and practice the “Math Counts” way of presenting problems. One week they work on problems that need calculators, and the next week they work on problems that do not require the help of calculators.
Mrs. Putney is in charge of Math Counts. She has been in charge of the club for four years. The club has been a part of the school for a little longer though. She does have the help of one high schooler who was a part of the team for all of his time in middle school. He helps the students learn different strategies for solving the Math Counts problems.
You do not have to qualify to join the club, but to compete you have to qualify because only ten students can compete. They have a group competition in January to determine who can compete in the regional competition in February.
For the competition there are three different rounds: one that involves a calculator, one without a calculator and a team round where everyone works together. Stark and Summit County schools are involved in the regional competition in February. The winning team and the top two individuals from regionals go on to compete at states in March.
This year the JMMS Math Counts team took all six spots to compete at states. States were in Columbus, and they placed 13th overall in Ohio. Their top individual, Tanishq, placed 13th overall, which is great considering he is only a 6th grader.
Chamber ensemble offers great opportunities for jmms singers
by Alyssa Snyder
"Chamber Ensemble is very fun!" said choir and chamber ensemble director, Mrs. Vaughn.
Chamber ensemble is an auditioned choir that consists of 6th, 7th and 8th graders.
According to Mrs. Vaughn, the kids get to sing some challenging music during chamber ensemble.
Student Madeline Stewart said that the group of students are separated into five different groups, including soprano one, soprano two, alto, tenor, and bass. The group comes together on Wednesday for a whole group then on Monday they are separated. The groups switch every other Monday.
Chamber ensemble performs at eighth grade concerts, art extravaganza, and some assemblies. Chamber ensemble practices in the choir room. There are 24 students in chamber ensemble.
Girls on the run offers friendship while exercising
by Gabriella Morris
Girls on the Run is a soul and heart program where girls run after they talk about stuff like bullying, life lessons and more. One of the coaches is Mrs. Sullivan, the 6th grade band director. There are many girls in Girls on the Run. Girls on the Run takes place in the fall and the spring during the school year. Participants run around the school after they have a lesson.
Kayla Branch is a sixth grader at JMMS who is a member of Girls on the Run. Kayla enjoys participating on Girls on the Run. Kayla said that at first her mom made her do it, but now she likes Girls on the Run. She said that this year is her first year.
Mary Ford is a sixth grader at JMMS who is also involved in Girls on the Run. She says in Girls on the Run, members can walk, run and jog, and they help you with motivation to get stronger. She also says she likes Girls on the Run because it motivates her to try harder. She says that Girls on the Run is on Mondays and Wednesdays.
"I started Girls on the Run because it helps me find the motivation and being social, open and fit," Mary said. This is Mary's first year in Girls on the Run, and she is doing it again next year.
Ashley Scaife is a sixth grader at JMMS who also participates in Girls on the Run.
"Girls on the Run is a program that girls talk about life while running," Ashley said. "They have conversations about life lessons, bullying, etc." Ashley participates because she likes it, and she enjoys making friendships. She has been doing Girls on the Run for two years.
Nadia Carter is a sixth grade Girls on the Run student at JMMS. This has been her third year.
"Girls on the Run is when you bond and run together and get to learn about other girls," Nadia said.
Girls on the Run is an organization that focuses on life skills through conversation-based lessons and running games. The program culminates with the girls taking part in an all-female 5k on May 19. Heart and Sole is for girls in middle school. It meets on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30-7:00 pm.
"I coach Girls on the Run because I love the feeling of accomplishment when you finish a race," said Mrs. Sullivan, a program coach. "I didn’t run my first 5k until I was 40 years old! I wish there had been a program like this when I was in middle school. Running can empower girls and make them feel strong in other areas of their lives."
This is Mrs. Sullivan's fifth year coaching Girls on the Run, and she loves it.
Girls on the Run is a great experience for girls at Jackson Memorial Middle School. It helps girls get exercise and teaches them why it is not okay to do bad things. Girls on the run sign ups are in the fall and in the spring. Members run around the school and get life lessons. Students can also do Girls on the Run in the elementary schools in Jackson. Girls who do it say that they have a really fun time and they like spending time with friends and making new friends.
Teacher Feature: Mrs Vaughn
by Abby Moore
Mrs. Vaughn is the Jackson choir teacher for sixth through ninth graders. Her favorite part about teaching watching students mature and grow.
This is Mrs. Vaughn’s 22nd year of teaching. Twenty-one of these years were spent teaching in Jackson, and her first year was in Lakewood, Ohio. She has always been a music teacher and has taught every grade except for third.
Mrs. Vaughn has always enjoyed singing, and that is why she became a choir teacher. In middle school and high school she was in the choir. In college she majored in vocal performance but took a music education class in freshman year and changed her major to music education.
In her free time outside of school she enjoys spending time with her friends and family. She also enjoys reading and has read 66 books since 2017. Outside of teaching at school she is a part of chamber ensemble, which is a auditioned group for grades 6-8 that meets after school. Along with Chamber Ensemble she co-directs the musical with Mrs. Bantum.
Mrs. Vaughn
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Effects of Change
In the first book of the Grandmasters series, Cub's Column writers Mierae Taylor and Olivia Richardson present this epic fantasy story. To read the story, click the link below:
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editorial: is homework beneficial?
by Abby Williams
We all know what homework is a controversial issue between teachers, students, and even some parents. Everyone has basically one of two views: it gives students an excellent opportunity to work on anything that they don’t understand, or that it’s extremely overbearing on the students’ already busy lives. But there’s a contradicting problem with both. Without being required to do homework, students wouldn’t necessarily work on something that they may be struggling with, making normal school work more difficult. On the other hand, certain homework may not be necessary and can waste students’ time outside of school. With all of these issues, is it even possible to come up with a compromise between the two?
As I’ve said earlier, there are many different views on homework; therefore, we should investigate both sides of this argument before creating a solution. First of all, homework is a way for students to practice the skills that the teachers have taught us. As the saying goes, “practice makes perfect”. In other words, we need to practice what our teachers have taught us in school to master it and be able to continue to learn more advanced and complex ideas. Also, if homework were made optional, students may not be particularly motivated to do it. Additionally, homework can help save class time. If we have more down time in class, then the teacher can give one-on-one time with those who need it. Also, assuming that all of his/her students understand the previous concept well, a teacher can teach them how to interpret things beyond what the curriculum expects.
Now that that has been covered, I’ll discuss the contradicting view. This side isn’t necessarily saying that homework is a bad thing; students just have many things that they view with more importance than it. Every year, our after-school schedules are becoming increasingly overfilled with sports, clubs, projects, you name it. Not only are students running out of time for homework, but sometimes it can also be completely useless to them. After all, if you’ve clearly mastered the material, what’s the point in eating up your time practicing it over and over again? Even if you haven’t mastered it, a lack of time to do it can lead to many students rushing to finish, diminishing any help it could have given. Not to mention, whether or not you know when President Jackson was elected or the formula for the volume of a cylinder, it has hardly any impact on the ultimate goal of your education.
Speaking of which, to lead us to the solution, what is the ultimate goal of giving as many students as possible a quality education? As far as I can tell, elementary, middle and high school’s purpose is to prepare us for college, and college’s goal is to help us earn a foundation for a good job and will eventually, hopefully help most find a great future life. Also, a recurring problem between both sides has to do with time, or at least the lack thereof. We need to cut back on wasted time - and I’m not talking about leisure and rest time. No longer spending excessive time on mindlessly memorizing facts that will (if I’m being completely honest here) be forgotten promptly will work out for both sides. Both are looking for more time, and this could possibly create a significantly greater amount of time both during and after class. Talking about things is nice, but for the most part, really only one thing can be done to cause change - action.
Teachers, students and parents alike need to work together to discover what students do and do not need to learn. Especially with the internet and Chromebooks, knowing plain hard facts is declining in value as interpretation and analyzing skills are increasing in it. Working together to maximize time used efficiently will provide great benefits to us all.
Movie review: Star Wars episode viii
by Kenny Gutierrez and Jova Lolich
Star Wars Episode VIII was a huge hit. It sold $1.321 billion in the box office. It hit $1 billion in just 19 days. It was a good movie, but there were some flaws.
Many people believe this Star Wars movie is the best since the original trilogy. They think that for a multitude of reasons. Many people don't like the Finn and Rose story line, but we disagree. Another pro in this movie was the return of the beloved character, Yoda. Yoda is a favorite character to many Star Wars fans across the world.
There are many cons as well. Many people believe there wasn't enough big lightsaber battles through the entire movie. The only lightsaber battle was the one between Rey & Kylo vs Snoke and the First Order. Also many people believe Luke Skywalker (the main character) died in a terrible way, because many people believed he would die fighting Kylo or having this really big lightsaber battle, but he just meditated too much. Also many people believe that this movie focused too much on the Jedi mythology, which isn’t a bad thing on its own, but if you put in too much of it it gets boring. One final con is that Princess Leia didn’t die. You might be saying, "Why would you want Leia to die?” The actress, Carrie Fisher died in real life. Rest in Peace Carrie.
In conclusion, Star Wars Episode VIII was a very good movie with its flaws here and there. It it one of the better movies in the Star Wars series. There is a lot of action and adventure in this movie. Star Wars Episode VII: The Last Jedi was the second best at the box office and is regarded as the best Star Wars movie since the original trilogy.
Jmms talent showcase:
Stick Dude Catches a Pokemon
Animator Alex Braun has created three sequels to his Stick Dude Catches a Pokemon series. Alex used Google Slides to create these stories. To view each animation, click on the link below. Then click the right arrow on your keyboard to advance the slides and animations.
Cub's Column
Email: jem2jc@jackson.sparcc.org
Website: tiny.cc/cubscolumn
Location: Jackson Memorial Middle School, Mudbrook Street Northwest, Massillon, OH, United States
Phone: (330) 830-8034