Pages 6-7: Worlds of Fun, Finding Nemo the Musical Jr.
Pages 8-9: Getting Ready for High School
Pages 10-11: End-of-the-Year Activities
Page 12: Open Enrollment
Page 13: Interactive
Pages 14-15: Trends
Staff: Malin Carlson, Landry Dean, Sarah Drake*, Laurel Hake*, Callie Henderson*, Ella Kellogg, Olivia Kline, Reese Lehr, Natalie Niebaum, Alice Shephard, Kai Shunatona, Kynslee Trask, Dakota Trosper, Nova Unger and Esther Von Stroh.
*Editor
MARCH MADNESS
by Kai Shunatona
Family Time
On March 20 and 22, Wichita hosted the first and second rounds of March Madness at the Intrust Bank Arena. Several Eagles attended the games, including Mrs. Jordan Camfield with her son Dayson, who plays basketball. She went to the Drake vs. Mizzou and Texas Tech vs. UNCW games. Camfield said, “Both games were very exciting games with close scores. It was exciting to see Drake beat Mizzou because they were the 'underdogs' in that game.”
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Photo by Mrs. Jordan Camfield.
Round One
Max Rhodes, 8, attended the Drake vs. Missouri game. This game was in round 1 of the NCAA tournament, and Rhodes went to the game with his dad. Rhodes said, “I liked watching some good basketball.” Photo credited to vsin.com.
Gavin Luna, 7, was at the Gonzaga vs. Georgia and the SIUE vs. Houston games. Luna said, “I liked the food because the food is yummy.”
Photo by Travis Heying.
FRESH START Spring SeasonSports Is
byEllaKellogg,AliceShephard andDakotaTrosper
Here
As spring starts, the spring sports come with it, including boys’ tennis. After much practice, the team has already been going to a few Wichita Suburban League meets in the last few weeks.
Although the season has yet to finish for the year, so far, they have had a great start to the season with wins coming and going. With the victories they have claimed so far, the boys’ tennis players stand ready to face any challenges in the upcoming season.
Adan Le, 8, said, “The reason that I joined the tennis team [is] because it is fun and also my brother plays tennis.”
Jumping for the stars, Brody Robertson, 8, makes sure he’s got his hurdles down. Robertson said, “I love running and hanging out with my friends.” Photo by Ella Kellogg.
Leaping with power, Ayden Johnson, 8, works on his jumping for the hurdles. Johnson said, “I like track, running relays is fun [and] shot put is fun too.” Photo by Ella Kellogg.
Pace, Push, Prevail
Track runners are getting ready for their season by practicing the events that they were best at. The first 2 weeks of track were full of time trials so that the coaches could put athletes in the
event suited best for them. Their first meets were April 14 and 15. Maize overall got second in their first meet and started strong. Once the first meets were over, they could reflect and think about what they could do better for their next meet on April 27. Maize is ready to show their track skills and finish the season with good performances to look back on.
JustKeepSinging
Choir Prepares for the Upcoming Musical
by Sarah Drake, Callie Henderson, Olivia Kline and Natalie Niebaum
Choir is preparing for their musical, “Finding Nemo, Jr.,” which will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on May 15 and 16. Auditions were the week after spring break, and students received their roles on March 28.
1. Emory Northcutt, 7, practices for her role as a shark dancer in the song “Fish are Friends.” Northcutt said, “I am practicing my songs at home...[and] in class while learning the dances.”
2. Gracie Gould, 7, sings with her class. Her role is an electric eel in the song “One Dedicated Father.” Gould said, “[I’m preparing] by practicing a lot and memorizing lines.”
3. Janna Bsharat, 7, reads Gurgle’s lines for the choir musical. Bsharat said, “I am preparing by practicing my lines, actions, body language and facial expressions. I’m feeling pretty nervous [for the musical], but also excited.”
4. Grace Ethridge, 8, works hard for her role as a moonfish, who directs Marlin (Jace Murdock, 8) and Dory (Isla Wadsworth, 8) on their quest to find Nemo (Oliver Anderson, 7). All photos by Sarah Drake.
Mason Fortine, 7, said, “I’m most excited about the rides at Worlds of Fun.” Photo by Sarah Drake.
Isla Wadsworth, 8, said, “I am most excited to perform. I enjoy singing, and I love having opportunities to perform.” Photo by Sarah Drake.
Evony Roszel, 8, said, “I’m excited for Worlds because I’ve never been there. I am excited to go on my first real roller coaster and to hang out with friends.” Photo by Sarah Drake. 1. 2.
Mateo Fernandez, 8, said, “I’m excited for riding rides and eating and the bus ride.” Photo by Sarah Drake.
Having Worlds ofFun
Music Classes Share Their Excitement for the Worlds of Fun Field Trip
MMS choir, orchestra and band students work hard all year to prepare for their concerts. They diligently practice their instruments and learn new songs to perform. From tours to competitions, the members work together to create beautiful music.
In celebration of their accomplishments, the classes are going to the Worlds of Fun amusement park. Choir is attending on May 3, orchestra is next on May 9 and band will be last on May 16.
They will be performing songs they’ve practiced, and then will spend the rest of the day enjoying the park and come back in the evening.
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ReadyOrNot? HereWeCome...
High Schoolers Give Tips on Adjusting to High School
by Landry Dean, Laurel Hake and Esther Von Stroh
Tessa
Hoyle Ava Howerton 4
Tessa Hoyle, 9, said, “I would say that one tip I have for incoming freshmen is to get involved in something. There are so many different opportunities and activities you can do at the high school, and I've met so many amazing people and have formed many new friendships from the things I've done and been a part of this year.”
Nola Olien
Nola Olien, 12, said, “One tip I wish I knew before high school was that there will always be someone to help you. It's important to take things at your own pace and to ask questions if you need help. Your teacher is there to help you.”
Ava Howerton, 9, said, “One tip that I have for incoming freshmen is to stay on top of your assignments, in high school you have a shorter amount of time to submit assignments, and it's so much easier to go ahead and get them done instead of procrastinating.”
2 5 Chloe Ebel 6
Sunny Connor 3
Sunny Connor, 9, said, “No one really cares about how 'embarrassing' you are as much as you think they do. I'm so serious; they don't (and it's on them if they do).”
Isabella Scott
Isabella Scott, 9, said, “One tip I have for incoming freshmen is to find a club, sport or activity that you enjoy. Some of the best friends I have were met through extracurriculars. Get involved and find your people.”
Chloe Ebel, 9, said, “I wish I wasn't so nervous. The teachers and people were a great help in case you get lost. One piece of advice I would give to incoming freshmen is to join a club or sport. It's a great way to meet new people.”
GettingReady forHighSchool Students
Prepare to Head to High School at the End of the Year
by Laurel Hake and Esther Von Stroh.
Around this time, the school year is starting to wrap up, bringing memories of the past and expectations of the future. Students have started to boast about their upcoming summer plans to their friends and teachers; field trips and parties are coming up as the end of the year rolls around. But along with this, high school has just gotten much closer. For the 8th graders, it is just around the corner.
High school, to many, seems complicated and scary. You have so much more freedom, which can be overwhelming to the majority of students. This can lead to concerns and confusion about how to fit in and find new friends and the differences between middle school and high school.
But you shouldn’t be worried. While it can be frightening at first, high school isn’t something you should fear. It should be an exciting time, one that will be a highlight of your life.
Q&A
With High School Coming Closer, 8th Graders Question What Is to Come
Mrs. Katie Shephard, a counselor at Maize High School, answers 8th-graders’ questions about the transition to high school.
Q: “Do teachers have one-on-one time with a student?”
A: “Flex ... [is] a great time for students to schedule time to work with teachers oneon-one.”
Q: “How many classes can you enroll in for the spring or fall semesters?”
A: “Students attend four classes day plus Flex.”
Q: “How strict are [high] school rules compared to middle school?”
A: “I think our rules and polocies are about the same. The impact of your grades and attendance is much stronger.”
Q: “How much free time do you get after school?”
A: “Students don’t stay at school after classes unless they have a club meeting or sports practice.”
Q: “What are the time differences compared to middle school, and how will it feel compared to middle school?”
A: “The length of the school day is the same ... [and] classes and passing periods are longer.”
Counting DowntheDays Students Prepare to Move to High School Next Year
by Kynslee Trask and Nova Unger
On April 16, the 7th-grade students went on a field trip to Carousel Skate Center. Then on May 21, Reality U, which is an organization that teaches financial information, is coming to teach the 8th-grade students about what to expect for the future. Finally, the 8th graders will end their year with a field trip to Aviate.
RollingThrough MiddleSchool
The 7th Graders Looked Forward to Their Skate Trip on April 16
Steven Sampson, 7, said, “[I am most excited about] talking with friends from different classes that I can’t talk with and probably the all you can buy.”
Ava Longhofer, 7, said, “I am very excited for the skating trip, I skate almost every day.”
Asher Romaine, 7, said, “I am pretty excited, I can’t skate at all.”
Natalie Satterfield, 7, said, “[Because I can skate,] I am excited for skating and playing with my friends.”
RealityCheck
Reality U to Teach Students Financial Information for the Future on May 21
Mr. Chad Cramer, principal, said, “I think it is beneficial for 8th graders to get some perspective on some realities of after high school, so they can begin to prepare for that. The group that is coming specializes in the work, so that is why we have them joining us.”
DefyingGravity
On May 20, 8th Grade Students Will Go to Aviate
Leeland Maddix, 8, said, “The thing I am most looking forward to is doing a backflip.”
Suzi Harper, 8, said, “The thing I am most looking forward to is just being at Aviate with my friends.”
Greyson Shephard, 8, said, “I’m looking forward to being with friends and hanging out.”
How Will EnrollmentOpen Impact Maize? ChooseYourPath
by Kai Shunatona
Open enrollment is a new policy related to education, which makes it mandatory for any school in Kansas to allow in out-of-district students if their district has room. This new policy will not impact the Maize School District next year because it is at maximum capacity, but in the future, if the district loses kids, it will be required that kids from out of the district are allowed to enroll until the district is full. Last year, USD 266's Superintendent, Dr. Raquel Greer, mentioned to KWCH that we would have a substantial increase in students. Dr. Greer said, “We did a demographic study. For us, we’re forecasted to
Maize Middle School
have a moderate enrollment increase over the next eight to 10 years... part of the recommendation capacity involves establishing an ideal class size, and all of our classes right now are bumping up on the higher end of that ideal range... so we did not want to open it for additional students beyond our residents.” During its April meeting this year, the Maize Board of Education confirmed this and voted that the district will not offer spots to nonresident students for the 2025-26 school year.
Ms. Jill Marshal, a Maize Middle School secretary, said, “I think if we offer this in middle school we might get more than we bargain for because we are awesome and everyone would want to come here.” Photo credited to Homes.com. Information from KWCH.com.
What’sUp?
Guess the Zoomed-in Sports
Hot Bites: Trending Foods
Henry Britton, 8, said, “I have never tried the Hot Cheetos Pickle. It sounds appetizing.”
Photo by Reese Lehr.
Ashley Robinson, 7, said, “I feel like a cucumber salad would be good and is a good trend. I have not tried it, but it looks good.” Photo by Reese Lehr.
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Chance Buckley, 7, said, “Chocolate covered strawberries are good. I like them.”
by Reese Lehr.
Photo
Hot Cheetos Pickle
Cucumber Salad
Buzz
by Malin Carlson and Reese Lehr
Students Share Opinions on This Years’ Fashion Brands
Harper Adams, 7, said, “Lululemon because their clothes are comfy and nice.” Photo by Malin Carlson.
Max Garcia, 8, said, “Hollister because it has a lot of good clothes and it’s the style right now. I also pick Nike because they have outdoor clothes for track season. Also, American Eagle because it’s in style too.”
by Reese Lehr.
Becca Lee, 8, said, “My favorite brands are Lululemon and Hollister because of their clothes.”
