All Around Information

Veterans Memorial Middle School, 131357 Brown Bridge Rd. Covington, GA 30016 770-385-6893

November/Decem

ber 2013

Issue 8, Volum

e 4

Generals 360 Up, Up, and Away

On Monday, November 11, eighth grade science teacher Mr. Cliff Roberts took his academic classes outside to the school’s bus ramp to ex-perience science in action. A few days earlier, his students built water rockets out of 2-liter bottles and then they were able to launch them to see how far and high they would go. All his academic classes took speed, velocity, acceleration, air resistance, and inertia into account when trying to create the highest flyer. They employed various designs and ideas to help make each rocket reach its highest point. Using cardboard and hot glue guns, as well as any materials brought in from home, students attempted to make the best fins and nose cones to help with the rocket’s ascension. Each student looked at their bottle in a different way, and no two rockets were the same. While it seemed like this was all fun and games, they learned that science is more of a factor in the rocket’s lift off than it seems. Students now fully realize that Newton’s third law of mo-tion, which they had talked about in class weeks before, had almost everything to do with this experiment. Mr. Roberts has completed this activity with his students for the last four years, and when asked why he likes to do this, he replied, “It makes things go fast, fly, and go boom!” By Seth Carpenter and Garrett Pitts

Lights, Camera, Action! Recently at Veterans, many of the students participated in Literacy Days, which is a competition where

students perform in plays, recite poems, and write essays with some students competing in more than one event. Even though every student tried their hardest, only twelve students moved on to the next level of com-petition. The drama group who won performed a play titled “The Bad Actors”. Seth Carpenter, A.J Dorough, Hunter Dickerson, Garrett Pitts, Julio Torres, and Marcus Hunter were the “bad” actors. Three students, one

from each grade, won the poetry recitation. Saniah Howard, who won for sixth grade, Miracle Gosier, who won for seventh grade, and Genesis Willoughby, who won for eighth grade, all performed at the county competition. The writing contest win-ners were Nina Williams for sixth grade, Keana Thomas for sev-enth grade, and Kelly Robinson for eighth grade. The judges were Ms. Emily O’Sullivan, Ms. Kelly Mullins and Ms. Leah Felthoff. At county level competition, ”The Bad Actors” won 2nd

place for the drama competition. Literacy Days this year was very successful; many students had fun displaying their talents, which is really important. By Gavin Grindle and Mattie Hinton

November/December 2013 Page 2

No Remorse…Wrestle! This year’s wrestling team is getting bigger and better! Coach Robinson, head coach of the wrestling team, ex-

pects his wrestlers to develop a passion for the sport and improve as the season goes along. “I love to win as much as the next coach, but that’s not my end goal. I want to see some of these boys wrestling in high school and in col-lege, if at all possible,” says Coach Robinson. There are 21 weight classes, which is a challenge, but the team always comes up with wrestlers for each class. The classes run from 75-285 pounds. Another expansion to the team are the thirteen Gener-alettes. There has never been this many before, but Coach says he’d rather have

them at practice than getting into mischief. Wrestling is im-portant because it is simply defined by one word-DISCIPLINE. It’s one of the hardest and oldest sports to attempt and suc-ceed in. Seventh grade student, Zach Whitmire says, “I joined wrestling because once you accomplish wrestling, you can accomplish any other sport.” The first match was on November 20 against Edwards

Middle School, at Veterans. It was a huge success. The team took home another victory on November 23 in Social Circle, GA at the Redskin Rumble, placing third out of 15 teams. On December 10, the Generals won first place at the Newton Cup Tournament, located at Alcovy High School. Coach Robinson is always looking for more wrestlers to get out on the mat. This sport will either “make you or break you”! By Kia Kilgore and Kelly Robinson

We Got Spirit! With the 2013-2014 Basketball season underway, basketball cheerleaders are working

hard to perfect the routines with the help of returning Coach Barbara Ward. Tryouts were held October 25 in the Chorus Room. In order for the young ladies to become a Basketball Cheer General, seventh and eighth grade girls must be able to maintain passing grades throughout the season and obtain good teacher recommendations. During tryouts, girls were required to learn a cheer, chant, and a small dance routine. After learning the routines the girls were judged by four teachers on their skills and qualifications. Five girls were selected for the basketball cheer squad because the football cheerleaders were transferred to cheer basketball season. First time cheerleader Aanya Moore says, ”Cheerleading is a sport where I can show my strengths along with the strengths of the team.” By Genesis Willoughby and Braxton Freeman

Generals with Footballs The Generals’ football team did a great job this year; Coach Roberts summed it up when he said, “We got better

every week, and learned new skills. It all depended on the effort they gave to win.” He says that the most improved player was the quarterback Shamal Alexander, because in the beginning, Shamal had little knowledge of the quarter-back position but as the season progressed, he learned more every day. The regular football season, in which their

record was 4 and 3, ended October 23 with a Pink Out game against Cousins. The Generals overwhelmed Cousins with a score of 38-12. At the first game of the playoffs, which started the very next week, the boys defeated Davis Mid-dle school to qualify to play the final game. They faced Conyers Middle School for the NewRock championship, fighting hard the whole game but in the end the boys met a hard defeat of 42-28. Seventh grade player Roy Jackson says, “The coaches wanted us to do what’s right, telling us not to cheat and always showing good sportsmanship.” Roy says that winning made him happy, but

losing made him work his hardest to correct his mistakes. One of coach Robinson’s most memorable moments dur-ing the season was when they beat Davis Middle School and knocked them out of the playoffs. Good job, Generals, on the great season! By Logan Williams and Zach Whitmire

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Students Get Technical On November 6, 2013, six tech-savvy students were selected to go to the Georgia Education Technology Conference

(GaETC) to demonstrate the Veterans Memorial Digital Yearbook in the student showcase. The conference was held at the Georgia International Conference Center in Atlanta. Secondary Instructional Coach and STEM Institute Coordinator Mrs. Lynn House attended the conference and said, “The student showcase was amazing and a great use of technology!”

Educators from all over Georgia attended GaETC, and were able to learn about the latest developments, listen to amazing speakers, as well as visit the student showcases and vendors’ exhibit hall. The conference attendees were able to stop by at their convenience and speak with Veterans’ students about how to view and create the digital yearbook via Prezi. Prezi is a web-based zooming presentation and storytelling tool for pre-senting ideas on a virtual canvas. Mrs. Christy Mortimer, the yearbook editor, applied to have

students showcase the digital yearbook at the conference. Once she was accepted and notified, she chose six students from the yearbook staff who were outgoing and could clearly articulate how the digital yearbook was created. The six students chosen were Danila Kentish, Gavin Grindle, Braxton Womack, Seth Carpen-ter, Genesis Willoughby, and Mattie Hinton. Mrs. Christy Mortimer said, “The showcase was a success!”

By Genesis Willoughby and Amira Williams

Veterans Day at Veterans! Many people may not realize that in World War II over 400,000 people were killed and

over 670,000 were wounded. On November 11, 2013 at Veterans, students and faculty ob-served Veterans Day with Mr. Peek, the principal, who served in Afghanistan. One way stu-dents chose to honor veterans was to write letters to the soldiers thanking them for their service and wishing them a Happy Thanksgiving. Students also purchased small United States flags that were placed around Veterans marque sign. To focus on those who serve, Mr. Bigby, a sixth grade social studies teacher, interviewed retired Command Sergeant Major (CSM), Simon Ramos giving students a first-hand account of life as a veteran. Sgt. Ramos retired from the U.S Army after 35 years of active service. He enlisted in the army in the early 1950’s and was sent to fight in the Korean War shortly after. For more than twenty years, Sgt. Ramos served in Special Forces in Pakistan, Brazil, Nicaragua, Panama, Laos, Cambodia, and also during the Vietnam War! In one of his last assignments, he was responsible for more than 22,000 enlisted troops in Korea. Veterans Day is a very special day to everyone at Veterans, especially because the school was named to honor all of the brave veterans. By Braxton Freeman and Julia Cuadros

Dress Code “Prior to leaving your home, take a second look,” advises Veterans Memorial Assistant Principal Mrs. Mary Roach.

Time after time students seem to break the dress code that Newton County Schools adopted to promote a positive learn-ing environment throughout their schools. The most common rule broken is when there are holes in pants. Most of the time females are the guilty parties, but occasionally males, and even staff members slip according to Ms. Roach. Breaking the dress code can consist of many consequences for students, the first of which is a warning, resulting in on-team ISS. The second time is in-school suspension with Mr. Fulton, and after that it’s out of school suspension. Clothes that are not per-mitted at Veterans include: Inappropriate graphic clothing Crop tops and tank tops Hats, bandanas, and chains Ripped pants, and skirts that are not at fingertip length

Eighth grade student, Yaa Kwayana says about the dress code, “It has some good parts and some bad parts.” Most students say that their least favorite dress code rule to follow is not being able to wear ripped jeans. Even though the dress code may seem strict to some, it’s important that these rules are followed to promote the best atmosphere for learning at Veterans. By Meghan Alexander and Braxton Womack

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Sounds of the Season Veterans Memorial just held their second annual Jingle Jam hosted by Mrs. Mansfield. Several other teacher

and club sponsors contributed to the celebration. This event took place on December 12, 2013 in the café and gym-nasium. The entire community was invited to come out and hear the choral and band performances. Various ven-

dors lined the café to sell a variety of holiday gifts and food to eat. There were also crafts for kids to make. The sixth, seventh, and eighth grade choruses, led by Mr. Cannon, sang a collection of hit Christmas songs including: “Someday at Christmas”, “Bring a Torch”, “This Christmas”, and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”. Even though chorus classes are designed for singing, Mr. Cannon’s students show their emotions by adding move-ment to the songs, dancing in unison. The crowd enjoyed the many solos sang by Kelly Robinson, Shamira Dawson, Selah Stewart, Ambria Freeman, Kayla Wyatt,

Caleb Key, Trinitee Brown, and Cheyenne Sheckles. The crowd also joined the fun singing along to “Jingle Bells”, “Jingle Bell Rock”, “Let it Snow”, and “I Saw Mom-my Kissing Santa Clause”.

The sixth, seventh, and eighth grade bands, led by Mr. Seymour, performed their Sounds of the Season. The sixth grade band played “First Holiday Concert”, the seventh grade played “Jingle Bells and Jungle Drums”, “Flutist We Have Heard on High”, “Deck the Halls with Dazzling Drummers” and the eighth grade played “Sleigh Ride” and “Nutcracker Suite Petite”. All of the performances were a hit with the crowd and fun to watch. In all, the Jingle Jam was a success and fun for everyone who participated. By Brooklynn Jones and Kelly Robinson

Field Trips! Veterans Memorial Middle School students are provided with opportunities to

enhance their learning by going on multiple field trips throughout the year, from ex-ploring the Cyclorama of Atlanta to making memories at the Oakland Cemetery. The red team on eighth grade hall, recently went on a field trip to the Cyclorama, where they explored historic artifacts from Georgia ranging from the past to present day. Inside the Cyclorama they experienced a 3D presentation or Diorama of Georgia his-

tory including realistic sculptures, soldiers from the past wars, a Civil War museum, and the world’s largest oil painting. “It was great! I got to learn more about the Civil War.” says Ethan Col-ley. Georgia history is part of the eighth grade social studies curriculum, so experiencing some hands-on trips were a step forward to passing the CRCT. The eighth grade blue team traveled to the Oakland Cemetery, which is located in Atlanta, and afterwards enjoyed a tasty lunch at the Stonecrest Mall Food Court. “I experienced some-thing I’ve never experienced before; each gravestone at the cemetery had a different story. Every person went through something different.” says Sammy Mostek. “It’s my favorite field trip! I love seeing all of the Georgia history from the cemetery.” says Mrs. Scott. One of the fea-tured gravestones at Oakland Cemetery was the famous Bobby Jones, King of Golf. Every year when the eighth grade team visits Oakland Cemetery, science teacher Mr. Cliff Roberts and his

students set a memorial of golf balls in front of Bobby Jones gravesite, in memory of the greatest golf player in Geor-gia history. Students are very grateful that field trips are both educational and fun at the same time.

By Tomas Ramirez and Danila Kentish

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Club News GEMS- GEMS (Girls Engaged in Meaningful Services) is sponsored by Mrs. Keim, Mrs. Johnson, and Mrs. Tucker. The GEMS club held a canned food drive, which ran from November 11 through November 20. The top three homerooms in each grade who donated the most cans participated in a dodge ball tournament during connections on November 22. Gems club members also helped at Special Olympics Bowling on December 5. In February, GEMS is planning to do a Penny for Patients fundraiser. FBLA- FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) is sponsored by Mrs. Esguerra. Club members work on projects benefitting the school and other charities. FBLA is selling Chick-Fil-A biscuits every Wednesday morning to raise money for an upcoming school improvement project. They designed, printed and sold bookmarks to raise money for Relay for Life in December. Jr. Beta- Beta is a club that promotes the ideas of academic achievement. Mrs. Mo-ran and Mrs. Ellis are the sponsors for Beta. From November 12 to December 11, Beta worked on the Toys for Tots, which is a project in which students donate toys to give to families of children who can’t afford them. FCCLA- FCCLA (Family Career Community Leaders of America) carries out many school and community projects. For the Jingle Jam on December 12, FCCLA made cupcakes for parents and teach-ers who decide to attend. They also hand-made letters to those who are serving our country, in the armed services, on December 3. By Shelby Knighton and Maddie Autry

Relay for Life Students and faculty at Veterans are again joining the effort to save lives. Relay for Life is a national overnight

event held to raise funds to fight cancer. Locally, it is held on Friday, April 25 at the Church of Covington. Students, faculty, and family members should join Relay for Life to help promote the fight against cancer because cancer touches so many lives. Everyone’s help is needed. The Relay for Life team at Veterans is already busy raising money for the cause. Items sold as fundraisers are Pink Out T’s, multicolored dog tags with Veterans inscribed on them and holiday wreaths. The money goes directly to the American Cancer Society to help cancer pa-tients. Newton County was one of the first counties to participate in Relay for Life. Once the county started raising money, other counties joined in. Mrs. Lisa Blackerby, the sponsor of Vet-erans’ team, says, “Every penny counts”. To help Veterans earn more money for Relay for Life, go to the Veterans website and click on the Relay for Life link. This website will provide all the information anyone may want to know, to help this amazing organization that helps so many people. By Isabel Caid and Alina Svirida

STEM Institute On December 11, at Veterans, the eighth grade Generals attended an assembly held in the caféteria. The speak-

ers were three former students, Tyler Williams, Hannah Hinton, and Logan House, and STEM Institute coordinator, Ms. Lynn House. STEM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, is a rigorous program designed for high school students, to prepare them for college or a career. The STEM campus is located next to the Newton College and Career Academy in the old Newton High School. The institute is partnered with uni-versities and colleges which include UGA, Georgia Tech, Emory University, and pos-sibly, in the future, Harvard. In order for students to receive a diploma, the pro-gram requires them to earn more credits than regular high school students. Eighth

grade students must go through an application process to be accepted into the program. When asked why he thinks this is a good program, Justin Faichney said, “ I think this is a great program because I love engineering, science, and math.” By Zayniha Elliott

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Students all over the school are learning through hands-on and engaging les-sons. Mr. Corbin’s seventh grade stu-dents (pictured above left) learn about manufacturing by creating a candy dis-penser. Ms. Braswell’s sixth grade math students (pictured above right) make a human graph on the floor in the main foyer. All seventh grade students creat-ed their own “Bodies” exhibit (pictured left). Eighth grade Georgia History stu-dents (pictured right) watched a fasci-nating presentation about Creek and Cherokee Indians.

Red Ribbon Week During the week of October 28-Novemeber 1, Veterans’ students and staff participat-

ed in Red Ribbon Week or Drug Awareness Week.The week-long events were organized by Dr. Rhonda Turner and Mrs. Denna Alston, the Veterans Memorial student counselors. Stu-

dents and staff were asked to dress according to the slogan each day of the week. Monday’s was ‘Don’t get mixed up with drugs,’ meaning stu-dents were asked to wear a variety of crazy mixed matched clothing symbolizing how drugs can mix up a person’s life. Tuesday’s slogan was ‘Be Sharp! Drugs dull your mind,’ and students were asked to dress “professionally”. Wednesday’s slogan was ‘PINK OUT drugs’ and students were asked to wear the color pink. Thursday’s slogan was “Be All You Can be…Be Drug Free, ” and students and staff wore camouflage. On Friday stu-dents and staff were asked to ‘Put a STOP to drugs’ by wearing all red. Generals are, and always will be drug free. By Danila Kentish and Zaynah Elliott