Volume 5 Issue 1
April 30, 2015
Miss Pleasant Hill Pageant
By Morgan Gietz and Taylor
McElwain
Paw Print
PHMS
PLEASANT HILL MIDDLE SCHOOL
Eighth graders Kelly Grice, James
Walsh and Hoda Abdulla, local winners of the Sertoma Club’s National
Heritage Essay contest.
Lights flashed as girls
crossed the stage at Lexington
One Performing Arts Center.
Donned in gowns, the students who entered the pageant
helped spread awareness for
Relay for Life by competing
in casual and beauty wear. The
pageant’s purpose was to raise
money for the American Cancer Society and the athletic
department and provide entertainment for the audience.
“The reason I chose to participate in the pageant is because I thought it would be a
great opportunity for me to try
something I haven’t done
before. It was an experience I
will never forget,” said eighth
grader Jessie Cook.
The girls rehearsed after
school to prepare for the performance. “My prep took like
3 hours. I just did my hair and
makeup,” said seventh grader
Taylor Keel.
The PHMS Dance Team
provided some of the entertainment with a piece called
“Party” and 8th grade student
Savanah Griffin sang “Latch”
by Disclosure. “I mostly enjoyed going up on stage with
my amazing teammates and
performing,” said Dance team
member Caroline Brown.
That morning, contestants
met with judges for personal
interviews and then prepared
for the pageant that night.
“I wasn’t that nervous when I
went onstage because I knew I
would try my best,” said Sarah
Beth Sheridan, second runner
up for eighth grade.
Pageant director Brandon
Wooten said, “The pageant was
a great way for the girls to
break out of their shells, stand
before an audience and represent the school.”
Many girls felt they gained
close relationships through this
pageant. Belle White said, “The
girls had a good relationship,
almost like sisters.”
Miss PHMS Winners: IsaBella DuPree, 2nd Runner-up 6th grade; MacKenzie Wood, 1st Runner-up 6th
grade; Sandiya Bouknight, Miss Congeniality; Sara Beth Sheridan, 2nd Runner-up 8th grade; Grace Ann Simpson, Miss PHMS; Emery Brooks, Miss 8th Grade; Tina Stegman, 1st Runner-up 8th grade; Lindsay Holley,
2nd Runner-up 7th grade; Madeline Owens, Miss 7th Grade; Caitlyn Craig, Miss Cougar Spirit; Taylor Spires,
1st Runner-up 7th Grade; Addie Lynn Evans, Miss 6th Grade.
Orchestra on New York Tour
By Ariana Quetglas
On Thursday, March 27, at
approximately 6:00 P.M., Mrs.
Susan Cafferty’s 7th and 8th
grade Orchestra students departed from PHMS to travel to
New York.
The group visited some of the
most iconic sites in the city
such as the Statue of Liberty,
Ellis Island, Times Square and
Rockefeller Plaza. They also
enjoyed two Broadway shows,
The Phantom of the Opera and
Les Misérables.
But the highlight and focus
of the trip was the New York
Philharmonic’s presentation of
John Adams' new piece
“Scheherezade.2.” which was
written to portray the modern,
independent woman, and the
challenges facing women
today. He took inspiration
from the Arabic folk-hero
Scheherezade from the Arabian Nights.
"The value of my students
being able to interact with a
world-renowned composer, Mr.
John Adams, and learning the
inspiration behind Scheherezade.2 and immediately seeing
that piece performed by one of
the finest ensembles in the
world, is very profound," said
Orchestra teacher Susan Cafferty. The trip was a success and
exposed the students to a professional orchestra setting.
Page 2
Fitness For Everyone
By Mary Claire Robinson and Nathan Seigler
Practice and discipline creates success
and reward. Students and staff members
alike worked this year to get fit and lose a
little weight through various schoolsponsored walking, running and exercise
programs and by eating healthier food.
Two of the student programs were Run
Hard for boys and Girls on Track for
girls,
which
met
after
school.
Run Hard coach Mrs. Anne Peterson said,
"It's a team-building run club to develop
fitness and character traits."
Girls on Track coached by Ms. Rebecca
Ritchie and Mrs. Sylvia Shealy offered girls who the chance to stay active
and learn how to eat better. Coach Ritchie
said, "The Girls on Track girls stayed
motivated with group activities where
they worked to accomplish a goal. Spontaneous dance parties were also a motivator."
King Takes on Cuba
PHMS PAW PRINT
Other groups were also active to stay
healthy. Mrs. Shealy, leader of the Couch
Potato to 5k, said, "After the Girls on
Track season ended, I thought I could
motivate other students and adults here as
well, so I began the Couch Potato to 5K
group." The CP5K group walked the
PHMS track or hallways on Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays.
Others walked independently for their
fitness. "I knew I needed the exercise to
maintain a healthy lifestyle. Mrs. Stacy
Rozonkiewiecz and I talked and decided
to start walking in the afternoons. And we
have been walking for years!" said Mrs.
Anne Lott.
The cafeteria staff continued their twoyear drive to eat healthy and model the
get-fit lifestyle to students and teachers.
“As role models for meals that students
and staff members select, we felt that we
needed to exercise and eat right to
demonstrate a healthy life,” said Cafeteria
Manager Mrs. Kimberly Guertin. Collectively, the lunch ladies lost over 200
pounds in the past two years toward their
journey to fit lifestyles and are continuing
to increase that number.
Motivation was an essential part for
those wanting to achieve fit and healthy
lifestyles. One motivating group was the
“Biggest Loser” staff club. "Everyone
helped me stay motivated. Watching all
of them accomplish their goals motivated
me to make better choices. Being accountable with your friends to reach goals
is a big key to success for me," said Biggest Loser organizer Ms. Cindy
McMahan.
by Ariana Quetglas
Last summer, Senora Claudette King took a mission trip to the island nation of
Cuba, a country that is still ruled by a Communist leader and racked by inhumane
treatment of its citizens. Working with the Cuban people, however, was Mrs. King’s
favorite aspect of the trip.
“The people of Cuba are the sweetest, kindest and friendliest people I have ever
met,” said Mrs. King. “When conducting our mission visits, the citizens would graciously invite us in and offer us food and drink,” King added.
Two misconceptions about Cuba is their lifestyle and food. “Cubans are not still
‘living in the fifties.’ There are cell phones and internet (restricted by the government) and much poverty. It is not all tropical and pretty. Also, Cuban food is not
spicy like Mexican food. Their diet includes plaintains, different types of beans, and
pumpkin which is used in stews,” she said.
Enjoying the Colonial Spanish influence of the architecture and sightseeing the
statues and monuments added to the cultural aspect of the trip. “Our mission trip was
a success, but my favorite part was interacting with the people of Cuba,” King said.
ACT/ASPIRE/STAMP/MAP/EOC
By William Hobbs
Every spring, students and teachers ready themselves for the
onslaught of standardized testing. This year, in addition to the
SCPASS, MAP, and EOC tests, students added ACT/ASPIRE and
STAMP tests to the mix.
“ACT/ASPIRE will be timed, so teachers have been training
students for this new challenge,” said Assistant Principal Mrs.
Michele Zee.
Teachers should benefit from these new tests. “Once we get the
scores and see how our students perform, the results will help our
program soar,” said World Language teacher, Mr. Jeff Baisch of
the STAMP testing.
As everyone geared up for the marathon of testing, 16 out of the
final 26 school days, students were often overwhelmed. “It’s a lot
of testing at one time. I wish it was more spread out, maybe one
test a week,” said eighth grader Andrew Zapor.
Senora Claudette King meets with Cuban House Church leader Lazaro
and his wife, church members and workers in front of the workers’
sleeping quarters and meeting area for worship service in Cuba during
her mission trip..
Cougar Project to Greet Visitors
By William Lamb
Through funding by the SC Arts Commission ABC grant (Arts in the Basic Curriculum) that the Fine Arts Department
received, PHMS Art students were introduced to a new way of learning through a
professional artist, metal and laser cutters.
Art teacher Mrs. Joanna Alford used the
grant funding to invite Mr. Bob Doster,
artist and metal sculptor, to work with her
students on a project to give them a different and fresh expierience of working with
a professional.
"I think that it is wonderful for students
to be exposed to professional working
artists and to work in conjunction with
them," said Mrs. Alford.
The Lion King, Jr.
By Katie Slick
Rising seventh and eighth graders jumped
for joy in the commons after hearing they will
be performing The Lion King for the 2015 Musical Theater Production. The three directors
Mrs. Shannon Canady, Mrs. Lori McKelvey
and Mrs. Mickey Summerall played the recognizable song of “The Circle of Life.”
Since next year will be the school’s ten-year
anniversary, the directors wanted to do something spectacular and The Lion King fit this
perfectly.
“We picked it because it just came available
for middle schools to be able to perform it and
Sports Round-Up
New coaches and systems added
to the current success of the
PHMS sports year.
New football coach Bryan
Schroder worked to rebuild the
team. “It was a good learning
experience for myself and for the
kids while changing the mentality
here. I think it was a good
experience for everyone,” said
Coach Schroder.
The volleyball team also had a
new coach this year. Mrs. Kim
Koon with the help from assistant
coach Mrs. Cameron Anderson.
Working to rebuild the team with
group-bonding activities helped
lay the foundation for success to
grow.
Page 3
The metal cougar has been placed next
to the front door, inviting and greeting
students, parents and visitors into the
school.
Connor Lobash originally designed the
statue while sixth and seventh grade art
students cut the stencil out using laser
cutters under the guidance of Mr. Doster.
Jessica Merkel, Hope Blair, and Carsyn
Reed worked together to paint it.
"PHMS Art students had a unique
experience with metal, a laser cutter and
paint," said Mrs. Alford on how the cougar is helping art students academically,
and how this experience will be different
from others in her classroom.
“We knew with the tenth year anniversary of our school coming up, we
wanted to do something really big
and new,” said dance director for the
musical Mrs. Shannon Canady.
we were the first one middle school in this area
to obtain rights to The Lion King,” said acting
director Mrs. Lori McKelvey.
“I have always liked The Lion King movie,
and I think the movie as well as the musical
teaches really good morals overall,” said seventh grader Madeline Owens.
Announcing the popular choice for next
year’s musical helped begin the excitement for
the 10th anniversary and the special events that
will go with it.
By Lawson Estridge
“We had a lot of team-building
things at the beginning of the year, so
we knew each other and our skills
before we went on the court for our
first game,” said eighth grader Janie
Mosier.
The Lady Cougar basketball team
coached by Mr. Ron Mulligan found
that teamwork and commitment
helped them achieve a 17-2 record
and second place in the PAC
Championship game.
“It felt so good to make it to the
championship game. At times it was
tough, but we hung in there, worked
hard and gave 100% effort.
Frustration never overtook us, we
kept our heads high and played our
game,” said eighth grader Cassidy
Dancing for a Cause by Jared O’Berry
The PHMS National Junior Honor Society recently incorporated raising money and spreading awareness of cancer into an
enjoyable Dance-A-Thon.
More than 50 students
attended to raise over $800
as they played Wii games,
indoor team sports, and
danced during the four-hour
fundraiser.
Students also enjoyed a
variety of party foods including pizza, cookies, chip
and soft drinks. Students
gathered in small groups for
conversation and laughter.
Throughout the evening,
raffles and door prizes from
Target, Starbucks and iTunes kept the students listening for
their names in addition to the variety of music.
Raising money for the American Cancer Society created an
evening of entertainment for the students.
Opinions
Rumor Has It
By Georgia Guest
Everyday, all around, students hear things that
may be true or may not be true. These false
statements are called rumors or a currently circulating story or report of uncertain or doubtful
truth.
No one knows exactly how they start, but we
do know that they can begin when people assume things and instead of asking if true or not,
they go ahead and spread that information.
For example, a couple of weeks ago, people
told me that we were getting new tables for
lunch. The new tables were supposedly round
tables instead of our old rectangular tables. Everyone in our class became very vocal about the
change with most having a concern about
changing the seating arrangements with friends.
Apparently, that rumor was not true and,
hopefully, we never do get the round tables, but
the main point is that rumors can go a long way
in creating trouble and arguments. They even
gain a life of their own to grow and change
throughout their journey. Rumors also hurt people's feelings and emotions as they can become
a form of bullying.
Most people do not support the idea of rumors and their contagious growth.
"People jump to conclusions, and they tell
what they assume to pass along before asking
anyone," said eighth grade Math teacher Mr.
Nathan Finnell.
Along with how they spread, rumors are also
hurtful.
"Rumors hurt people because something can
be spread about them that’s not true. Then everyone starts to judge them because of something
that may or may not be true," said eighth grader
Olivia Thompson.
So, rumors do not need to be started, spread,
or repeated as they always result in something
wrong or bad.
Paw Print Staff
Editor - Katie Slick
Asst. Editors - Jared O’Berry
Ariana Quetglas
Staff- Lawson Estridge
Morgan Gietz
William Hobbs
Ethan Hutcherson
William Lamb
Taylor McElwain
Mary Claire Robinson
Nathan Seigler
Grace Ann Simpson
Adviser - Ms. Rene’ Horton
Ever wondering what happens
to all the wasted food?
By Grace Ann Simpson
and Ethan Hutcherson
Have you ever wondered what happens
to all the untouched food sitting on students’ lunch trays? By federal regulation,
students are required to have either one
fruit or vegetable added to their lunch tray
daily. Yet, so much untouched food is
being thrown away. Due to the amount of
food that is wasted, students have begun
to wonder if they could make a change to
the cycle.
“I believe that we should save the
food that is not eaten, such as the fruit,
and give it to those in need. They should
form a club that gathers all untouched
produce and redistribute it all back out,”
said eighth grader Kara Beth Boring.
After realizing how much food was
being wasted while others were in need,
students began to voice their opinions on
what could be done.
Eighth grader Jocelyn Nivens agreed
with Kara’s statement. “I totally support
the idea of redistributing the food to those
in need, instead of completely wasting it.
It would open many people’s eyes to the
reality in their hometown, raising awareness
for the help that’s needed,” said Nivens.
Students began to wonder what they can
change about the accustomed cycle. Though
the law requires students to have a balanced
meal such as having a fruit or vegetable,
much of the unpeeled fruit is just thrown
away. People began to question what
PHMS could do with all of the extra fruit,
such as donating to LICS so they could
have fresh fruit each day, giving it to those
in need at Finley Park or creating a compost
pile to recycle the unused food.
iCivics teacher, Ms. Susan Braddock believes in making a change as well. “I think
it would be possible. I am still working on
finding an organization to donate it to. I
also believe a compost pile would be great.”
Though it may take some time to change
the rules, PHMS is beginning to take on a
new look to the wasted food. Whether it is
made into a compost pile, donated to LICS,
or given to those in need, many people believe that any type of change needs to happen.
Going to Disney World!
Seventh grader Brianna Kordes smiles as she receives her
four One-Day passes to Disney World. The drawing was
a PTSA raffle to raise funds
for the school’s special projects. The passes are good for
all Disney Parks and include
the Park-Hopper upgrade. Dr.
Thomas Rivers pulled the
winning ticket while PTSA
representative Bethany Keisler held the bucket of tickets.