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MS Newsletter |
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Friends of Rachel
This year the South Central Middle School is mixing things up. After attending the Rachel’s Challenge Presentation, we’ve decided that we would like to incorporate Rachel’s Challenge into our school and community. For those of you who do not know about Rachel, she was the first student killed in the Columbine High School shooting. After she died, her family found journals containing 5 challenges. These challenges were: Look for the Best in Others – Eliminate Prejudice; Dare to Dream – Set Goals – Keep a Journal; Choose Positive Influences; Kind Words and Actions = Huge Results; Start a Chain Reaction. The Friends of Rachel of South Central Middle School, which includes over 60 students, has divided into four Chain Reaction Teams. These teams are: Students in Need, which helps new students, handicapped, and those that are picked on make friends; Letters of Kindness, in which we send notes or letters to let people know how much we appreciate them or just to brighten the day for someone; School Pride, which encourages students and people in our community to show pride in all areas of our school; Community Outreach, in which we help by picking up, mowing lawns, or running errands for people in need. We encourage you to help the Friends of Rachel by helping us with these tasks. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please contact the school at 622-4545. Let us know if you have anyone to refer to Friends of Rachel. YOU MAY JUST START A CHAIN REACTION!
Written by Friends of Rachel members Brena Alexander, Shelby Bender, Michelle Burt, Madeline Colter, Jera Gales, and Chianne Reid
Well, our newsletter finally has a name!! Brena Alexander suggested the name and will receive a homework pass for her efforts. Middle School Leadership chose Timberwolf Challenge because they wanted to include a connection to Rachel’s Challenge – the program they are using to make a difference here at South Central. Of course, Timberwolf was necessary because we are the Timberwolves. Thanks for all of the great suggestions. Participation, especially from the elementary classes, was awesome. How creative and interesting the suggested names were. The following students turned in their ideas for a name: Jessica Kissel, Emily Vaught, Rylee Jellison, Andrew Woodward, Grant Dunn, Lindsay Haas, Jacque Cline, Madison Rickabaugh, Taylor Bayne, Bayler Kelley, Kassadee Harris, Jordan Beeley, Corey Erickson, Rylee Alexander, Darian Trost, Laura Baker, Brooke Ferrin, Morgan Turley, Cole Lohrding, Jacob Bruckner, Jacob Caldwell, Haley Unruh, Abby Gales, Cabe Lindsay, Addison Colter, Brooke Smith, Peyton Freund, Brenna Jellison, Ashleigh Slattery, Terry Moree, Bailee Levering, and Alex Woodward. Mrs. Kay, Mrs. Slattery, Mrs. Brass, and Dennies Anderson also had suggestions. Thanks for your help.
STUDENT IN NEED
The Chain Reaction Teams of the Friends of Rachel have decided that they would like to show the elementary students how they can participate in Rachel’s Challenge. Every Wednesday, 10 Middle School students go out with the elementary students for their last recess of 15 minutes. When we go out, our goal is to model inclusion play for the younger students. We look for students who are playing alone or who look like they could use a friend. Last week, several students joined a kickball game that they hadn’t participated in before. Everyone seemed to be having fun. Hopefully, the other elementary students will follow our lead and learn not to leave anyone out.
Written by Madeline Colter and Taylor Davis
YOU ARE MY HERO!!!!
This week’s hero is Mrs. Brass. This is kind of a switch because we usually don’t have a teacher as the hero, but we feel that she really deserves it. Some of the reasons why she is our hero are: she always has a smile on her face; always makes you feel like you are worth something, no matter how bad your day is going – she will cheer you up. She also is involved in everything and is always thinking about how to make the school a better place for students by getting them involved. We love you, Mrs. Brass. Keep up the good work.
Written by Lindsay Haas and Megan Kissel
Community Outreach Chain Reaction Team
Thanksgiving is coming soon – November 22nd. The Community Outreach Chain Reaction Team has made door decorations for the residents of Protection Valley Manor. We used paint to make handprints on colored paper and then decorated the print to look like a turkey. We will deliver the posters later this week. We will making posters for Pioneer Lodge also.
Written by Alyssa Ediger
SOUTH CENTRAL ACTIVITIES
This is a new addition to the paper. Basketball season has begun. 21 boys and 30 girls are out for basketball. The boys’ coaches are Mark Slattery and Charley Ferguson. The girls’ coaches are Nicci Jellsion, Kayla Herd, and Gina Hoffman. We are looking forward to a successful season for the Middle School Timberwolves. Be sure to come out and cheer on the teams!! Show your Timberwolf Pride.
Written by Kestyn Frederickson and William Storie
TIMBERWOLF PRIDE
The Pride Chain Reaction Team has tried to encourage as much academic pride as we do in athletic events. We have only started a few things, but we have lots more ideas. We have started by making things to put on the Quiz Bowl students’ lockers. This helps to acknowledge students who are participating in Quiz Bowl and let them know we are proud of their accomplishments. Our team also has plans to make locker tags for the Kansas Choral Directors’ Association (KCDA), Kansas Music Educators’ Association
(KMEA), and Math Contest participants. Our plan is to wear green and black for academic and athletic events to show our pride. You may also wear green and black if you would like to show your pride at these events. Pride badges will be made for each event with an encouraging sentence and a piece of candy. On Thursday, SCMS will be hosting Bucklin and we will make a welcome basket with treats for them. The 8th grade class made posters for the high school Timberwolf football team on their last football game. If you have any suggestions to help improve our pride, please call the school. YOU MIGHT JUST START A CHAIN REACTION!!!
Written by Brena Alexander and Michelle Burt
MIX IT UP!!!
You all know that we have started Rachel’s Challenge at the middle school. One thing that we do is mix everyone up. Every week we draw 12 names of people who go and sit together at lunch, separate from the rest of us for the whole week. So far it has gone well, and you can see people sitting with other people that aren’t in their regular clique or group. Since we have done this, a lot more people are getting included in other activities. Keep up the good work, guys! YOU MIGHT JUST START A CHAIN REACTION!
Written by Steven Westrup, Nick Beatty, and Jonathan Caldwell
Rachel’s Challenge – Everyone is Included
Over the past few weeks, the Middle School Leadership Team has practiced and performed skits for the K-5th graders. The skits showed how to include and be nice to people, even if they are a little different. One skit showed someone pushing boxes out of the kid’s hands and someone helping pick them up. Another skit showed a kid who didn’t like sports and was picked on – then later was included. We asked the students who saw the skits if they had ever been picked on and many said they had. We hoped this helped incorporated Rachel’s Challenge into the elementary classes. By looking for the best in others – YOU MIGHT JUST START A CHAIN REACTION.
Written by Jera Gales and Clay Jarnagin
Tutoring in the Elementary Classes
Our tutoring program has been going very well this year. Each and every day, except for Friday, at about 3:00, eight or nine middle school students go down to the elementary classes – about 2 or 3 in each class. When we’re in there, we help the teachers with whatever they need. Sometimes we pass out papers; sometimes we help the students read their AR books. Sometimes we spend time talking to the students and getting to know them better. They really like to talk about their favorite activities. The middle school students have enjoyed helping the teachers and seeing all of the kids.
Written by Allison Adams and Breanna Unruh
