Digital Learning Newsletter - Anderson School District One

NEWS NOW
Palmetto Middle School 7th Grade Digital Learning
Student Names
Madison Crumley
Micah Cheek
Jessica Fletcher
Madyson Karstens
Kaden King
Collin Mullen
Kylee O'Donald
Cody Redford
Josh Rogers
Michael Sanders
Benjamin Sargent
Austin Smallwood
Hailey Smith
Anna Stoffel
Kane Tidswell
Maddie Wright
7th grade Digital Learning students, from
Palmetto Middle School, have collaborated
together to create this newsletter. Articles
ranging from education and school activities
to sports and special interests, these articles
should entertain everyone. Special interests
include technology, music, movies, cars, and
fashion.
1
Safe Sidewalk Route
Last year Palmetto Middle School submitted an application to Safe Routes to
School (SRTS) to have a sidewalk installed at our school. The sidewalk will be
constructed behind the school and run straight through the town of Williamston.
Our district is the only one in South Carolina to make it this far into the process!
Engineers will be visiting from Washington DC to look at the landscaping.
Palmetto Middle School received a silver award last year. This year we are
going for the gold! As part of receiving the gold award we will be walking
around the school with our related classes monthly. The first walk was held on
October 8th. Our next walk will be November 12th.
By: Collin Mullen
2
New Student at Palmetto Middle
Hello, my name is Kane Tidswell, and I have moved to Belton from Ohio. As a new student I would
like to explore activities that I did not have at my school last year.
Activities and Programs at Palmetto Middle
*Student Council
*Beta Club
*FCS.
*Palmettos Finest
*Honor Roll
PALMETTO'S FINEST
I have been told I have the grades to be Palmetto's Finest. However, I must
complete 10 community service hours. That is cool because I love to help
people.
After the student has met the requirements for Palmetto's Finest:
*Students must receive 80 or higher on the nine week report card.
*Must have less than 2 unexcused absences
*Must not have received any demerits
I spoke to Madison Crumley, who has been Palmetto's Finest since entering
middle school. I learned from Madison that Palmetto's Finest is cool because students are
recognized for doing community service, having no demerits, and receiving good grades. After the
students have met the requirements, they are eligible to participate in field trips. Palmettos Finest
adventures include movies, Frankie's Fun Park, Six Flags, and bowling.
Beta Club
To be inducted into Beta Club students must have excellent test scores, 87 or above in all classes,
83 and above in all accelerated classes. Then students must complete 20 community service hours
and sell 2 butter braids. The President of Beta Club is Taylor Merner, the Vice President is Mary
Alice Butler, the secretary is Savannah Shealy, the treasurer is Madison Crumley, and the historian is
Morgan Roberts. The students have their First Friday Food Drive To collect food for children who
don't have a lot of food. Students have the choice to dress up on certain days and if he/she dresses
up the best, they get a prize. Also, at the end of the year they will receive an award.
FCS (Fellowship of Christian Students)
Tuesday mornings at 7:30, students lead a group devotion in the auditorium. Everyone is welcome to
attend the devotion.
STUDENT COUNCIL
Student Council is a representative group of students who wish to benefit the school. Our Student
Council has student body officers. The President this year is John Ross Cox and the Vice President
is Rosalie Summerlin. Each homeroom has 1 or 2 representatives. They promote Red Ribbon
Weeks with dress up days. In February, Student Council sells chocolate roses for Valentine's Day.
The group also helps with Relay for Life and supports it by raising money, such as hat days and Pink
Out Days. Students raise money for different charities by selling candy bars and hosting school
dances. The students go on fun trips such as buying Christmas presents for children in need.
Student Council representatives should be respectful to teachers, students, and staff.
By: Kane Tidswell
3
Single Gender Education. ❗️
Would Single Gender Education benefit Palmetto Middle
School? Single Gender Education classes is where males
and female students attend separate classes, separate
buildings, or totally different schools. There are many
advantages and disadvantages to Single Gender Education.
Some advantages include, girls will exhibit higher levels of
self-confidence and self-esteem in single gender classrooms.
Boys might feel less pressure as they mature physically .
These classes provide positive same-gender role models.
Disadvantages may include, undermines gender equality and
cost too much to run two parallel programs. Single Gender
Education is spreading all across the world; Idaho, Missouri,
Louisiana, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maine, West
Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi, Kansas, and Kentucky. I
honestly think we should not have Single Gender Education
at Palmetto Middle School because it cost more money for
two parallel classes and the males and females might be
treated unequal. I agree with Donna Lieberman, executive
director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, who said, "
When the government promotes separate schools based on
gender, it raises serious concerns about educational
equality."
By: Anna Stoffel
4
Middle School Girl Sports
Many female students from Palmetto Middle are interested in playing fall sports.
Fall sports include cross country, cheerleading, and volleyball.
Cross Country
Students interested in running cross country
must have strong lungs to run the long distances
that cross country athletes run. Be sure to drink
lots of water before a 5k. On race day, eat a
breakfast full of protein such as a peanut butter
banana, or a bagel. After finishing the 5k, drink
more water and eat a nutritious snack.
Cheerleading
Rising seventh graders interested in
cheerleading must be very strong and flexible.
On competition day, all cheerleaders should eat
a filling breakfast and bring small nutritious
snacks to fuel themselves throughout the day.
After the competition, drink lots of water and eat
a nutritious snack.
Volleyball
Students interested in volleyball need to understand what the body needs to
perform at its highest level. On game day, eat a good breakfast, lunch, and a
couple of snacks throughout the day. Be sure to hydrate on the day of the
game. After all matches are finished, players should start their recovery time
while they are still on the court. Ideally, the athletes will be eating within a few
minutes of walking off the court.
A common problem for all student/athletes is waiting too long to eat between
meals or snacks. By eating more frequently, they give their body the
sustenance it needs to perform well.
By: Madison Crumley
5
🏈🏀
SPORTS⚾ ️ ⚽ ️
Athletes should eat a nutritious snack before games. Eating
fruit, peanut butter, and drinking water helps athletes stay
hydrated. The food an athlete eats gives the athlete
nutritious energy. Athletes need to eat 300 calories before a
game.
A post game meal might consist of chicken, potatoes, and
green beans. To prevent a cramp, the athlete should stretch
before and after a game. To prevent a cramp after the game,
athletes should take an Ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
Athletes can also eat bananas, which have potassium,
before or after the game to prevent cramps.
By: Josh Rogers
6
Hazing vs. Bullying
Is hazing and bullying the same thing?
Hazing is activities that involve harassment, abuse, or humiliation. Hazing
can be found in groups that included gangs, sport teams, schools,
fraternities, and sororities. Hazing normally occurs in higher education,
such as college or other public institution of higher learning.
Bullying is being very mean to somebody. Bullying can be found in
behavioral groups that involves social classes, race, religion, gender,
sexual orientation, appearance, body language, personality, strength,
size, etc. There are many types of bullying, but the main four are; verbal,
physical, cyber, and emotional. Verbal bullying would be name calling,
insulting, making racist, sexist or homophobic jokes, using sexually
suggestive or abusive language: verbal bullying is the most common form
of bullying. Physical bullying would included hitting, punching, spitting or
any other form of physical attack. Cyber bullying is any bullying that
happens over the Internet. Emotional bullying is anything that involves
spreading rumors, and nasty stories.
Some examples of hazing and bullying in Palmetto Middle could be;
pushing someone up against a locker (physical bullying), name calling
(hazing), spreading rumors about someone (emotional bullying), posting
something inferior(bad) on Facebook that is not true (cyber bullying), and
making fun of someone with sexist or homophobic jokes (verbal bullying).
At Palmetto Middle School the character trait is respect.
Source: National Center Against Bullying, www.stophazing.com
By: Anna Stoffel
7
Does music support student learning?
Most students believe that music can be a big help, when they are
learning. However, the school does not allow students to listen to
music.Some students disagree that they can listen to the teacher and
music at the same time. Teachers think students do not pay attention
to the lesson while listening and view this as disrespect. Other
teachers find that music calms down students who are restless and
disruptive. Foreign language students showed a 92% retention
(remembered words) while listening to baroque classical music.
There was no major differences noted when listening to classical or
jazz music.. According to Mrs. Brooks, the music must be the same
as the beat of a human heart, 60 beats a minute. People recall
information better when tempo of music is the same as when they
learned the material. Research also has found that Alzheimer
patient's memory return while listening to classical music.
Source - cerebro
By: Kaden King
8
Digital Decade
Teenagers today often hear their parents say, "Well, that's not
how we did it back in our days!" Many things have changed
since today's parents were teens. Having only lived 12 - 13
years, we all have seen new products and inventions that have
changed the way of living. These inventions have helped impact
our generation.
By: Maddie Wright
9
"Year of The Tech"
iPads have recently been given to everyone at Palmetto Middle
School. Before one becomes too excited, they need to be
aware of the responsibilities that come with having an iPad.
1. Student email is for school/instructional purpose only. Do not
send isolated emails to faculty and staff. Faculty and staff can
view your email at any time. Student email privileges can be
removed if policies are abused.
2. Apps students may download are whitelisted games and apps
at home. Games and apps will be deleted if storage is low. No
social media, violence, or mature content. If a student has black
listed apps, they will receive a 5-minute warning to remove it
before the iPad is frozen. Games should not be played during
instructional hours (begins in hallways in the AM).
3. Care of device- keep the iPad in otter box case at all times.
iPad covered when not in use, especially in transport. Names
should be taped or labeled and attached to the cover and iPad.
Lost chargers and covers are not covered under the iPad
protection plan ($40 to replace). Wash hands before using the
iPad and keep it away from food and drinks at all times.
By: Michael Sanders
10
Book Reviews
Surprisingly, 41,923 books have been made
into movies. Harry Potter, Twilight,
Divergent, and The Hunger Games are
movies most teens have seen.
Many people have read a book they love and want to read more. The
library, internet, and even in the classroom library, students can find all kinds of
genres like nonfiction, fiction, romance, science fiction, realistic fiction, and/or
history.
A science fiction book people are reading is The Hunger Games. trilogy
(The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mocking Jay), describes how twentyfour teens fight to the finish. During the seventy-fourth annual hunger games,
two teens are fascinated with each other. Will one die or will both die? Read
The Hunger Games by Suzan Collins to find out.
Twilight, a four book series about Edward Cullen and Bella Swan,
portrays two characters who become infatuated with each other while taking
serious risks.
The series by Stephanie Meyer include
Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and
Breaking Dawn.
The third book ( Eclipse ) has a
novella, which is a side story. The
novella is called The Short Second Life
Of Bree Taner.
Harry Potter, a fantasy book
about a wizard that lives without his
parents.
His parents died trying to protect him
from Voldemort, a dark wizard.
Years later he was invited to the
Hogwarts school of witchcraft.
However, his aunt and uncle did not
approve.
By: Kylee O'Donald
11
Does learning to play an instrument
make you smarter?
According to Christopher Bergland of The Athlete's
Way, learning to play an instrument actually does make
people smarter.The children that are exposed to music
are smarter than the children that are not. Albert
Einstein's mother, a talented musician, made music a
part of daily home life when her children were young.
Albert Einstein began playing the violin at the age of
six. At thirteen years of age he knew how to play
Mozart. Einstein once said, "Life without playing music
is inconceivable to me. I live my daydreams in music. I
see my life in terms of music… I get most joy in life out
of music."
Source: Psychology Today
By: Austin Smallwood
12
Hidden Secrets of Movies and TV
Shows
In beloved movies, from Lion King, Toy Story, and even Hercules, there are
hidden references to other movies. Little details that go unnoticed, as well as
theories that would blow one's mind. For example, in Monsters, Inc. the little
girl tries giving Sulley a Nemo toy. Not only do famous movies have secrets,
there are unknown TV facts and explanations that may go unnoticed.
Lion King:
Did you know the warthog, Pumba, was the
first Disney character to pass gas? Disney was
concerned it would ruin their family friendly
style, and these jokes were not common at the
time. Lion King still holds the best selling VHS
award. It also was the first Disney animated
film to be translated into Zulu. Remember the
sad scene in which Simba is nearly trampled
by wildebeest? It took three years to animate
this scene!
Let's not forget, Lion King was sued by researchers for defamation of hyenas.
The reason researchers sued Disney, was because the movie portrayed Scar's
minions as stupid and evil. This might compromise the protection of the
mammals. Lastly, Disney nearly copied Lion King, from a lesser known
Japanese movie called, "Kimba the White Lion." They shared many similarities
13
like Simba and Kimba are only a letter different. Both share similar scenes and
characters. Though the producers never sued, people speculate that Disney
bribed them to keep quiet.
Rugrats:
There is a theory some people believe is not true. Guilty of darkening people's
childhood, it has caused many to look back at the TV show, Rugrats. The dark
secret? The children do not exist. They are said to be part of the older girl,
Angelica's, imagination. It is an effect of her parents' negligence. The theory
explains that the actual children died. Chuckie passed with his mother, which
explains why his father is always nervous. Tommy was stillborn, dying before
birth. This explains why his father builds toys for the son he never had. Lastly,
the boy and girl look alikes were aborted. For gender reasons Angelica had
imagined boy and girl twins.
By: Madyson Karstens
14
Development of Writing
Students writing in school began in China in 3500 BC.
Egypt began writing in schools in 3400 BC. The worlds
oldest known alphabet was established in 2000 BC in
Ancient Egypt.
The early oracle bone script has survived tens of
thousands of years. After the American Revolution,
Georgia and South Carolina funded a public university
in Georgia. Public country academies became more
common after 1811, when South Carolina opened
common schools.
By: Benjamin Sargent
15
Trends 101
A variety of personalities fill classrooms throughout Palmetto Middle
School. Most students wear clothes to show their personality. Some
teenagers think they will not be accepted if they dress a certain way.
The way a teenager dresses usually defines the group the student
wants to identify with. Palmetto Middle has students represented as
Jocks (athletes), Preps (trend setters), Emos (scene), Country
(outdoor folks).
Emos, wear black and anything else that explains their emotions.
According to the Wikipedia, Emos are emotional people who's heart
can easily be broke or is already broken. Jocks (Athletes) wear
Jordans, Nikes or anything else that is in style for athletes. They can
be seen wearing jeans, gym shorts, a school football uniform or team
attire.
Preps usually wears Ralph Lauren Polo, Vineyard Vines, Lily Pulitzer,
Jack Rogers, Uggs, Vans, Jordan's. Fashion trends are set by
celebrities, bands, movies that teens try to identify with. Country
folks wear attire such as boots, hunting clothes, camo, and Carhart.
In reality, people are a mix of personalities. Which means there are
people who do not want to be classified by a certain way they dress.
Each day may represent a different style according to how the
individual is feeling.
By: Jessica Fletcher
16
By: Hailey Smith
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By: Hailey Smith
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By: Cody Redford
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By: Cody Redford
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