The last Beta Club meeting was Wednesday, January 19. That was the first meeting the sixth graders attended. The sixth graders included Sydney Duncan, Audrey Farnam, Josh Graff, Brock Gregory, Corey Herrman, Brady Messman, Nick Simpson, Emily Terrill, Allison Trettin, Seth Van Dyke, Nathan Wagle, and Jacob Weyhrich. The movie night for Beta Club members is on Friday, February 4 from 6:00- 8:30. The members will bring in different movies and then they will vote to see what movie they will watch. They will be eating Avanti’s pizza and gondolas at the movie night. The Beta Club meeting has been canceled on Wednesday, February 2. Have fun Beta Club members!
Advanced Seventh Grade Reading Project by Michelle Szczepaniak and Kait Wilbur
In Mrs. Harrison’s seventh grade advanced reading class, the students are preparing to start on a new book jacket-themed project. They will be working on this project from February 24 to March 11. They had to commit to a book they were currently reading by January 26. The students needed to look for a main idea for each chapter and three problems and three solutions that occurred in the book. They also had to find the most exciting elements or memorable moments in the book and summaries about the beginning, middle, and end of the book. Students were also asked to illustrate a picture relating to the book on the front of the project. The project is due on February 24.
Health Skits by Joe Hohenshell and John Wilcox
For over twenty years, seventh grade students in health have been performing short skits. Mrs. Coers started these skits because first aid is hands on and an important life skill. In the past Mrs. Coers’s favorite skit had to do with a fake tractor accident involving a fake tractor. She also said her favorite subject to teach in health is first aid. The requirements for the skits are a 911 simulation phone call and to treat for shock.. So far the seventh grade students have learned about bee stings, snake bites, sprains, all kinds of fractures, poison, and other injuries. By the end of the unit all the seventh grade students will be educated and certified for first aid.
Advanced Seventh Grade English Project by Elias Kibby and Elric Gaddy
Last week the students in Mrs. Cross’s advanced seventh grade English class began working on a video on the prefixes and suffixes they need to know for the ISAT test this March. They started by choosing a prefix or suffix. Then they made slides with the prefix/suffix, the definition, and at least one example using the prefix or suffix. Then the students found pictures to go with the affix they chose. The picture had to be as interesting and entertaining as possible. When the final video is completed, it will be placed on the MCMS Seventh Grade Wiki (http://mcms7thgradewiki.wikispaces.com/Prefixes%2C+Root+Words%2C+and+Suffixes).
Constitution Booklets in Social Studies with Mrs. Gaskill by Brijana Spraggs and Michaela Lane
Mrs. Gaskill started teaching the Constitutions around twenty-five yeas ago. It is a state requirement that students are taught both federal and state Constitutions because years ago when there was no requirement for teaching Social Studies the soldiers that were captured by the Japanese would be brainwashed because they didn't have enough knowledge about their country. Therefore they believed everything that was false that the Japanese claimed. Right now Mrs. Gaskill's seventh and eighth grade social studies students are learning about the Constitution. In seventh grade they are learning about the federal Constitution because they just got done with the Revolution and Mrs. Gaskill thought that it would flow better and help her students understand it. She also is having the eighth grade do the state Constitution. She split them up because she didn't want to put the two Constitutions back-to-back and give them so much information at once. Many may remember the Preamble song which might be Mrs. Gaskill's favorite part of the Constitution. She also states that it is all very important, so she has no least favorite.
Eighth Grade English Project by Dalton Richardson
At the Midwest Central Middle School in Green Valley, Mrs. Cross's eighth grade class is working on a reading project from January 19-27. Students were encouraged to work with a partner. First they went to www.storybird.com to find inspiring art. Storybird is a website that young story editors use to make their writing dreams come true. Online books can be made at this site. Then the students created their own stories using Google Docs and pictures found on the site. Their stories had to include a character(s), background, simple conflict, and resolution. After completing the story, students used the sentences and pictures to create a children's book. When completed these project links can be accessed in the eighth grade wiki.
Sports by Jill Berg and Julia Jacob
The Lady Raiders volleyball team faced the challenging Havana Ducks on January 13, 2011. The seventh grade team came out shaky and let the opposing side take the first game. The Lady Raiders came back strong to win the second game and made it a three game match. On the third game the Lady Raiders blew them off the court and won easily. The eighth grade team lost the first game but came out confident and stole the win for the second game. The third game was a sad loss as the Ducks walked off with the win. On January 18, 2011, the Lady Raiders took on the Parkview Warriors. The seventh grade was missing five players because of cheerleading and illness. The Lady Raiders had a good night serving and won easily in two games. The eighth grade lost the first game, but the second game the Lady Raiders came out positive and won! The last game was down to the wire and the Lady Raiders suffered a tough loss with a final score of 25-27 against the Parkview Warriors. The Lady Raiders next game is away at the Broadmoor’s Bruins house.
Boys Basketball by Brady Askins
The seventh grade boys’ basketball team has won nine games and lost nine games. They had their last game of the regular season against Pekin Edison on January 18. The seventh grade jumped out to a seven to zero lead, but they couldn’t hold on to the lead. The seventh grade basketball team's first game in regionals was January 24 against Porta (Petersburg) Junior High. They won the game with an ending score of 37 to 39. The seventh grade boys basketball team then faced Pleasant Plains Middle school in the regional championship on January 27 in Pleasant Plains.
When the Eighth grade boys’ basketball team also played against Pekin Edison, they lost. January 18 was their eighth grade night. The eighth grade boys basketball players are Dallas Askins, Jordan Breedlove, Alex Canada, Jarrett Dean, Nick Friedrich, Jeremy Gathman, Garret Graff Gavin Keefauver, Tommy Schureman, and Kyle Urish.
New Years Resolutions by Mikaela Hartsfield
New Years it is a time to put behind the past year and say hello to a new one. People make a new person of themselves. One way is to make a New Year’s resolution. Some are personal; some are open to others. Some people follow them; others don’t. We sent out a survey to about 100 students. Out of the hundred that did the survey, fifty-two made resolutions. The survey asked questions like, "Did you make New Year’s resolutions, what were they, have you followed them, and why do people make resolutions? People make resolutions for accomplishment, to be a better person, improve lifestyle, quit bad habits, and set goals for the New Year. The most common resolutions were to lose weight and eat healthier, improve attitude, and do better in school and sports. Good luck to all of you that made resolutions.
Honor Roll Field Trip by Jerrad Stevens and Eli Sanchez
It was a snowy morning January 19th when the Midwest Central Middle School honor roll students went on a field trip to Planet X the skating rink in Pekin and Firehouse Pizza as a reward for getting all A’s and B’s on their report cards. One hundred and twenty five students went on honor roll trip. Forty-four students were sixth graders, forty-two were seventh graders, and thirty-nine were eighth graders. At Planet X the students roller skated and had a really fun time. At 12:30 they departed from Planet X to go to Fire House Pizza. When they arrived, the students lined up for a pizza buffet. Seventh grader Joe Hohenshell said it was the best pizza he had ever tasted. The students left Firehouse Pizza at 2:00 and arrived back at the school at 2:30. Nathan Wagel (a sixth grader) said the promise of an honor roll trip helped encourage him to do better with his grades. Matthew Sondag (seventh grader) said, “My dream honor roll trip is to go ice skating.” The students had an overall great time.
Cheerleading Competition by Shelby Garman
“Go Fight Win,” was all the parents of the Midwest Central Middle school (MCMS) cheerleaders were hearing at the IESA cheer competition on January 22. The competition was held at the Civics Center at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday the 22 in the Exposition Hall. The MCMS cheerleads entered this competition and had practices for two weeks for it. They were new to the competition world, but they had a good coach leading them. For the competition they combined floor cheers, sidelines, tumbling, and stunts and put them into a three minute routine. There were eleven teams in the cheer portion of the competition. The performances and girls were judged on voices, smiles, use of pompoms and signs, crowd interaction, timing, and correct moves. Sadly, the girls did not place, but they did earn an honorable mention. The cheerleaders would not have been able to do any of this without Angie Urish, their coach, or without the support of their parents. Good luck to the eight graders in high school. “Go, Fight, Win,” in the high school ladies.
Words of the Week by Kendall Graff
Wayzgoose: a printers’ annual dinner or excursion.
Beta Club News by Julia Jacob and Jill Berg
The last Beta Club meeting was Wednesday, January 19. That was the first meeting the sixth graders attended. The sixth graders included Sydney Duncan, Audrey Farnam, Josh Graff, Brock Gregory, Corey Herrman, Brady Messman, Nick Simpson, Emily Terrill, Allison Trettin, Seth Van Dyke, Nathan Wagle, and Jacob Weyhrich. The movie night for Beta Club members is on Friday, February 4 from 6:00- 8:30. The members will bring in different movies and then they will vote to see what movie they will watch. They will be eating Avanti’s pizza and gondolas at the movie night. The Beta Club meeting has been canceled on Wednesday, February 2. Have fun Beta Club members!
Advanced Seventh Grade Reading Project by Michelle Szczepaniak and Kait Wilbur
In Mrs. Harrison’s seventh grade advanced reading class, the students are preparing to start on a new book jacket-themed project. They will be working on this project from February 24 to March 11. They had to commit to a book they were currently reading by January 26. The students needed to look for a main idea for each chapter and three problems and three solutions that occurred in the book. They also had to find the most exciting elements or memorable moments in the book and summaries about the beginning, middle, and end of the book. Students were also asked to illustrate a picture relating to the book on the front of the project. The project is due on February 24.Health Skits by Joe Hohenshell and John Wilcox
For over twenty years, seventh grade students in health have been performing short skits. Mrs. Coers started these skits because first aid is hands on and an important life skill. In the past Mrs. Coers’s favorite skit had to do with a fake tractor accident involving a fake tractor. She also said her favorite subject to teach in health is first aid. The requirements for the skits are a 911 simulation phone call and to treat for shock.. So far the seventh grade students have learned about bee stings, snake bites, sprains, all kinds of fractures, poison, and other injuries. By the end of the unit all the seventh grade students will be educated and certified for first aid.Advanced Seventh Grade English Project by Elias Kibby and Elric Gaddy
Last week the students in Mrs. Cross’s advanced seventh grade English class began working on a video on the prefixes and suffixes they need to know for the ISAT test this March. They started by choosing a prefix or suffix. Then they made slides with the prefix/suffix, the definition, and at least one example using the prefix or suffix. Then the students found pictures to go with the affix they chose. The picture had to be as interesting and entertaining as possible. When the final video is completed, it will be placed on the MCMS Seventh Grade Wiki (http://mcms7thgradewiki.wikispaces.com/Prefixes%2C+Root+Words%2C+and+Suffixes).Constitution Booklets in Social Studies with Mrs. Gaskill by Brijana Spraggs and Michaela Lane
Mrs. Gaskill started teaching the Constitutions around twenty-five yeas ago. It is a state requirement that students are taught both federal and state Constitutions because years ago when there was no requirement for teaching Social Studies the soldiers that were captured by the Japanese would be brainwashed because they didn't have enough knowledge about their country. Therefore they believed everything that was false that the Japanese claimed. Right now Mrs. Gaskill's seventh and eighth grade social studies students are learning about the Constitution. In seventh grade they are learning about the federal Constitution because they just got done with the Revolution and Mrs. Gaskill thought that it would flow better and help her students understand it. She also is having the eighth grade do the state Constitution. She split them up because she didn't want to put the two Constitutions back-to-back and give them so much information at once. Many may remember the Preamble song which might be Mrs. Gaskill's favorite part of the Constitution. She also states that it is all very important, so she has no least favorite.Eighth Grade English Project by Dalton Richardson
At the Midwest Central Middle School in Green Valley, Mrs. Cross's eighth grade class is working on a reading project from January 19-27. Students were encouraged to work with a partner. First they went to www.storybird.com to find inspiring art. Storybird is a website that young story editors use to make their writing dreams come true. Online books can be made at this site. Then the students created their own stories using Google Docs and pictures found on the site. Their stories had to include a character(s), background, simple conflict, and resolution. After completing the story, students used the sentences and pictures to create a children's book. When completed these project links can be accessed in the eighth grade wiki.Sports by Jill Berg and Julia Jacob
The Lady Raiders volleyball team faced the challenging Havana Ducks on January 13, 2011. The seventh grade team came out shaky and let the opposing side take the first game. The Lady Raiders came back strong to win the second game and made it a three game match. On the third game the Lady Raiders blew them off the court and won easily. The eighth grade team lost the first game but came out confident and stole the win for the second game. The third game was a sad loss as the Ducks walked off with the win. On January 18, 2011, the Lady Raiders took on the Parkview Warriors. The seventh grade was missing five players because of cheerleading and illness. The Lady Raiders had a good night serving and won easily in two games. The eighth grade lost the first game, but the second game the Lady Raiders came out positive and won! The last game was down to the wire and the Lady Raiders suffered a tough loss with a final score of 25-27 against the Parkview Warriors. The Lady Raiders next game is away at the Broadmoor’s Bruins house.Boys Basketball by Brady Askins
The seventh grade boys’ basketball team has won nine games and lost nine games. They had their last game of the regular season against Pekin Edison on January 18. The seventh grade jumped out to a seven to zero lead, but they couldn’t hold on to the lead. The seventh grade basketball team's first game in regionals was January 24 against Porta (Petersburg) Junior High. They won the game with an ending score of 37 to 39. The seventh grade boys basketball team then faced Pleasant Plains Middle school in the regional championship on January 27 in Pleasant Plains.When the Eighth grade boys’ basketball team also played against Pekin Edison, they lost. January 18 was their eighth grade night. The eighth grade boys basketball players are Dallas Askins, Jordan Breedlove, Alex Canada, Jarrett Dean, Nick Friedrich, Jeremy Gathman, Garret Graff Gavin Keefauver, Tommy Schureman, and Kyle Urish.
New Years Resolutions by Mikaela Hartsfield
New Years it is a time to put behind the past year and say hello to a new one. People make a new person of themselves. One way is to make a New Year’s resolution. Some are personal; some are open to others. Some people follow them; others don’t. We sent out a survey to about 100 students. Out of the hundred that did the survey, fifty-two made resolutions. The survey asked questions like, "Did you make New Year’s resolutions, what were they, have you followed them, and why do people make resolutions? People make resolutions for accomplishment, to be a better person, improve lifestyle, quit bad habits, and set goals for the New Year. The most common resolutions were to lose weight and eat healthier, improve attitude, and do better in school and sports. Good luck to all of you that made resolutions.Honor Roll Field Trip by Jerrad Stevens and Eli Sanchez
It was a snowy morning January 19th when the Midwest Central Middle School honor roll students went on a field trip to Planet X the skating rink in Pekin and Firehouse Pizza as a reward for getting all A’s and B’s on their report cards. One hundred and twenty five students went on honor roll trip. Forty-four students were sixth graders, forty-two were seventh graders, and thirty-nine were eighth graders. At Planet X the students roller skated and had a really fun time. At 12:30 they departed from Planet X to go to Fire House Pizza. When they arrived, the students lined up for a pizza buffet. Seventh grader Joe Hohenshell said it was the best pizza he had ever tasted. The students left Firehouse Pizza at 2:00 and arrived back at the school at 2:30. Nathan Wagel (a sixth grader) said the promise of an honor roll trip helped encourage him to do better with his grades. Matthew Sondag (seventh grader) said, “My dream honor roll trip is to go ice skating.” The students had an overall great time.Cheerleading Competition by Shelby Garman
“Go Fight Win,” was all the parents of the Midwest Central Middle school (MCMS) cheerleaders were hearing at the IESA cheer competition on January 22. The competition was held at the Civics Center at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday the 22 in the Exposition Hall. The MCMS cheerleads entered this competition and had practices for two weeks for it. They were new to the competition world, but they had a good coach leading them. For the competition they combined floor cheers, sidelines, tumbling, and stunts and put them into a three minute routine. There were eleven teams in the cheer portion of the competition. The performances and girls were judged on voices, smiles, use of pompoms and signs, crowd interaction, timing, and correct moves. Sadly, the girls did not place, but they did earn an honorable mention. The cheerleaders would not have been able to do any of this without Angie Urish, their coach, or without the support of their parents. Good luck to the eight graders in high school. “Go, Fight, Win,” in the high school ladies.Words of the Week by Kendall Graff
Wayzgoose: a printers’ annual dinner or excursion.Bombilation: a buzzing or droning.