The Black and Gold Issue 16 April 22, 2022

THE BLACK AND GOLD "WHAT A PAWFECT DAY!" APRIL 22, 2022

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VOLUME I: ISSUE 16

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWS SOURCE OF BUCHANAN COUNTY R-IV

Newspaper Staff Members:

Mekayla Boydston | Helaina Geoffroy | Jaxon Harris | Abigail Miller |Tricia Simpson

FFA GOES TO DISTRICTS, PREPS FOR STATE

BY ABIGAIL MILLER As the end of the year approaches, the FFA Meats and Floriculture teams went to Districts and prepared for State. Both teams are prepped and taught by Mr. Medsker.

The Meats team consists of Harley Hall, Rachael Reagan, Kalyn Hartman, and Jaxon Harris. “We got third overall, so I think it went well,” says Harley Hall.

We also had students compete on the Floriculture team: Brandon Griffin, Caden Weinmann, Carli Browning, Natalyn Killoren, Rebbie Reagan, Macy Dittemore, and Rebekah Gunter. The State competition for both teams was held on April 21 and 22, and results will be forthcoming.

The Trap Shoot Team also went to Districts, and they will be going to State competition.

At Districts, “Hunter Servaes shot very, very well. It was his best day,” says Medsker. The entire team will compete at State on April 29. The Trap Shoot team consists of Brody Knorr, Hunter Servaes, Landon Williams, Brayton Sybert, and Riley Pyles.

If you have any questions about FFA’s District and State competitions, you can ask Mr. Medsker or any of the team members.

Pictured: Mr.Medsker Photo Credit: Abigail miller

SPANISH WORD OF THE WEEK

Granjeros Definition:

farmers Use it in a Sentence:

Los granjeros son nestera futura.

REBEKAH GUNTER GOES TO FBLA STATE

BY KENZIE PFLUGRADT

Rebekah Gunter went to the FBLA State Conference in Springfield, Missouri, on April 10-12.

Rebekah is a senior at De Kalb High School. She has been doing FLBA for 4 years, and she is currently one of the 6 officers in the state.

When Rebekah arrived at State a day early, she practiced her opening speech, which she would deliver in front of 4,000 students. In addition, Rebekah and Ms.Nelson helped with the staff during the FBLA conference. Ms. Nelson says “It has been fun since they have been out of season for 2 years.”

As Rebekah’s time comes to an end being a senior at De Kalb High School and a state officer for FBLA, Rebekah says “I’m going to miss all of my state officer friends.”

So, if you see Rebekah, tell her congratulations for going to FBLA State.

APRIL 22, 2022

Pictured: Rebekah Gunter Photo Credit: Ms.Nelson

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DE KALB’S STUDENT TEACHERS LEAVING SOON

BY CECI SHERLOCK Student teachers Ms. Bretz and Mr. Wilkinson are leaving De Kalb on April 29. Their student teaching experience is coming to an end, and they are getting ready for the new experiences to come.

Ms. Bretz enjoyed getting to know students during her time at De Kalb.

She thinks it’s important for students to be well educated for the real world.

Ms. Bretz looks forward to teaching “anything history” after she graduates from Missouri Western.

Pictured: Ms.Bretz

Photo Credit: Ceci Sherlock

Mr. Wilkinson is still deciding his future.

He wanted to become a teacher because he enjoys working with kids and has fun doing it. He says his experience here “felt good, felt fine.”

Mr. Wilkinson looks forward to moving after he also graduates from Missouri Western.

Both Ms. Bretz and Mr. Wilkinson will graduate from college on May 7th. Ms. Bretz plans to find a job in teaching and Mr. Wilkinson is looking forward to whatever comes next. Be sure to congratulate them on their graduation before their last day here.

APRIL 22, 2022

Pictured: Coach Wilkinson Photo Credit: Kenzie Pflugradt

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NHS INDUCTS NEW MEMBERS

BY MEKAYLA BOYDSTON

With spring comes the induction of new NHS (National Honour Society) members. This year, the De Kalb NHS has inducted the following new members: Sophomores Kalyn Hartman and Rachael Reagan, and Juniors DJ Johnson, Brody Knorr, and Lainie Vogan.

Mrs. Katasanou is in charge of NHS at our school.

She says, “The NHS celebrates and supports students' continued commitment to the values of scholarship, service, leadership, and character.”

NHS has been an organization for over 100 years and is a great opportunity for students who have worked hard to be inducted.

Junior Lainie Vogan, inducted this year, recalls finding out she had been accepted: “I was confused at first because they gave notice to Brody, but then they came back and I was really excited.” She also leaves a piece of advice for people who are applying next year: “Get community service.”

Pictured: Kalyn Hartman, DJ Johnson, Brody Knorr, Rachel Reagan, and Lainie Vogan.

Photo Credit: Mr. Lawson

Mrs. K says “Becoming a member of the NHS is an honor and a responsibility. Members are prepared to serve their community, take leadership roles and become exemplary members of society. NHS membership helps with college applications and is often considered an indicator of success in life. As such, it should be something that students should strive for during their academic career.”

Be sure to congratulate the new inductees!

GAVIN MOORE'S BOOK OF THE WEEK

BY TRICIA SIMPSON

In Mrs. Miller's freshman English class, students were assigned to pick out of three options. These options were Speak, Shout, and Ender’s Game. A majority of the boys chose Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card. One of these students is Gavin Moore. Gavin has finished the book, and he said his favorite part about the book is that “The battles are pretty cool." Gavin recommends this book because “It’s very interesting." If you would like to read this book, make a stop by Mrs. Miller’s room.

APRIL 22, 2022

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SPRING MAP TESTING UNDER WAY

BY TRICIA SIMPSON says “We studied." 8th grader Ava Donaldson agreed: “Review and games”.

The students that were asked what the hardest subject was came to a mutual agreement on math. They stated math was the hardest because it’s the most difficult to learn and retain the information.

As the end of the school year approaches, so does MAP testing. Some people love the test, and others don’t. Some think it helps the school, others don’t. MAP stands for Measure of Academic Progress. It is a test that goes over everything the students have learned in a certain subject to see if they have learned the material they need to learn or not. The weird thing is that you only take it at the end of the year. Results also don’t come in til the fall of the next school year. Mrs. Taylor’s thoughts on that are “I think that they should give the test when the kids walk in my room, and when they walk out and if a student has made individual progress, then I have done my job. Like a pre-test, post-test."

The 7th graders took their math test last Tuesday, and 8th grade took theirs on Thursday. The 8th graders took the science test on April 8th. 7th grade took the English test last week and 8th grade took their test April 11, and 12th. Map testing is a semi-long process. First, you have to prepare for the tests. This process usually starts about a week to two weeks before the test. 8th grader Presli Punzo APRIL 22, 2022

For the easiest subject, the agreement was science because “Mr. J has done a good job”. The test times can vary for different subjects. Mr White’s math test “Usually takes around three hours”. Mr. J’s science test “It’s about a two to three hour test."

Mrs. T’s English test usually takes “two to three days.” In conclusion, the MAP test is a test that shows if the student has met the state's standards of what they need to know for their grade level.

MAP testing weeks can be stressful, but good teachers like Mr. J, Mrs. T, and Mr. White have spent all year preparing their students for this moment.

Photo Credit:Tricia Simpson PAGE | 05

RUSHVILLE STUDENT VISITS ALASKA

BY KARA TAYLOR

I went to Anchorage Alaska with my Mom and Dad and it was so fun, except for the way there and back. It took about thirteen hours to get there. We went to Seattle first for a 3-hour Layover. Our AirBnB was only five minutes from the airport, but it took us an hour to unpack, because we always bring too much stuff. We had fun inside the house and hung out and then we got to see my new niece, Haelyn Oceania; she is so cute!

After that we went to Fairbanks, Alaska where we had a lot of fun. We went ice skating for the first time and even went to an outdoor ice park, complete with an ice slide, ice fence and even ice furniture. We spent two days there and even got to see the Northern Lights. We drove through Mount Denali which is the highest mountain peak in North America! There was so much ice and snow there, we almost got snowed in, so we had to leave early. We did see moose, eagles, and squirrels while we were there.

time to head home. We went out for some delicious seafood (I got calamari) and stuffed ourselves full. We went back to our AirBnB and rested up for our trip home.

We said our goodbyes and spent our last evening with our family.

Then we got packed up to head home.

We caught an early flight and arrived in Kansas City at midnight.

We drove back to Anchorage that day and just hung out inside. The next day was spent spending time with my baby niece and Sister. On our last day there we went to the beach and walked for a while. There were icebergs on the beach, and it was cold, but they had an ice-cream man there selling ice-cream and I had to get one! It was the coldest ice-cream ever. Then it was APRIL 22, 2022

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Odin Visits De Kalb On April 11th, at De Kalb High School, the morning started normal. I, Tricia Simpson decided to walk to school early that morning and I had a surprise following me. My dog, Odin! Early in the morning, around 7:00 AM, he was causing chaos, jumping at the door and the windows. As more students arrived, he invited himself into the school. Kyle Funk and I had to wrestle him out of the building.

As the second hour came, he made a visit to Mrs. Miller's window. He wanted to make a feature in the paper, and he accomplished that goal. As the third period began, he was nowhere to be seen.

His mom came and made sure he was done begging to get inside. An anonymous teacher says "He might just be the best student I ever had."

Quote of the week brought to you by:

Wardlow

"Don't do drugs. Have a good weekend!"

APRIL 22, 2022

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Spotlight on 11th Grade Trying to manage

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of sports and your personal life.

-Rylie MALAK EL HALABI

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I learned that I need a daily nap.

I learned how to be a better

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person.

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APRIL 22, 2022

MALAK EL HALABI

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SCHOLAR BOWL SEASON ENDS WITH DISTRICT COMPETITION

BY HELANIA GEOFFROY

Lunch Menu Monday, Apr. 25 Cheeseburger Tuesday, Apr. 26 Bacon Mac N Cheese

Pictured: Mr. Jenkins Photo Credit: Helaina Geoffroy

Pictured: Rylie Johnson Photo Credit: Helaina Geoffroy

On Saturday, April 9th, the De Kalb High School Scholar Bowl team went to Braymer, Missouri, for Districts. The team lost the first and third rounds but won the second round. The District meet was the last Scholar Bowl event for the year.

According to Mr. Jenkins, “At districts, eight teams are there. Everyone plays three rounds in the morning, and the top four play in the afternoon.

We got a pretty tough draw; we played the first and the third-ranked team in the afternoon.

Mr. Jenkins summarizes that "Overall, we finished fifth out of eight teams.” Every match is different.

“The team's greatest strength is how we don’t rely on just one individual. It was a fun group to be around.”

Junior Rylie Johnson, who did Scholar-Bowl in middle school and is now finished with her first year of it in high school, recalls that “ Rawley got All-District after getting All-Conference." She is "pretty proud of him for that" and believes that the team's " greatest subjects are science, history, and sports.”

APRIL 22, 2022

Wednesday, Apr. 27 Chicken Patty

Thursday, Apr. 28 Spaghetti and Meatballs

Friday, Apr. 29 Pepperoni Pizza

Monday, May 2 TBA

Tuesday, May 3 TBA

Wednesday, May 4 TBA

Thursday, May 5 TBA

Friday, May 6 TBA PAGE | 09