Back to School Issue 2020

The

Bell

September 2020

Volume 97, Issue 1

Liberty High School lhsnews.net

Contents

Letter from the Editor

Staff

Editor-in-Chief & Ads Manager

Regan Johnston

Managing Editor & Copy Editor

Emma Stauffer

Online Manager & Indepth Editor

Paige Hodges

Opinion & A&E Editor

Derek Katzer

News, Asst. InDepth & Co-Sports Editor

Caty Franklin

Asst. Copy, Features & Co-Sports Editor

Sarah Blankenship

Spotlight Editor Reporters Lejla Aganovic Shane Bass Donna Binns Lucas Kilgore

Ethan Atkins Alexander Klein Ari Revella Lucia Umbreit Sadie Watkins

Photo Jay Editors Charlene Nguyen Emma McDonald Hattie Ludwig

On the Cover

Photos by Charlene Nguyen (Top Left and Middle, Bottom Left and Right Middle), Alyssa Griffith (Top Right) and Hattie Ludwig (Bottom Right)

The Bell

Back to School

Contact Us

Questions, Comments or Concerns?

Liberty High School 200 Blue Jay Drive Liberty, MO 64068

If you have questions, comments, concerns or a topic you want The Bell to respond to, write a letter to the Editor.

Your letter must be a maximum of 250 words and appropriate for an underage audience.

Writing a Letter to the Editor does not mean it is gaurenteed to be published.

Submit your letter to: Opinion Editor Derek Katzer dkat7119@lps53.org or the Editor-in-Chief Regan Johnston rjoh3357@lps53.org

Editor-in-Chief Regan Johnston

rjoh3357@lps53.org

With a new school year, The Bell wants to celebrate the students that make LHS so lively: from the exciting assemblies held, to the band that strengthens students’ enthusiasm and the activities provided by Blue Jay Nation. The Blue Jay spirit lives on in students like junior Kylen Young, graduate Maddie Marwitz, sophomore Natalie Kessler, and seniors Brindi Gale and Kirsten Lewis when they thrive in the school activities they enjoy.

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Another summer has passed and another school year is starting.

It’s now time for another Back-to-School issue. But this is not just another issue because the 2020-2021 school year is not just another year. With new classes, new freshmen, new construction and new school policies (page 10), the school year is a year that has even staff and administration unsure of what’s to come.

Students and staff may be nervous about how to handle COVID-19 and so many changes, so The Bell’s mission for the 2020-2021 school year is to give students and staff accurate information to keep them informed.

Support can be found all over LHS, if one knows where to look.

From the principal’s office (page 4) to the students who roam the halls (page 8), staff and students are here to help.

The Bell is here to help as well. The staff has worked hard over the summer to give students and staff a great welcome back with the Back-to-School issue and new strategies to improve writing and designing capabilities to give the best issues we can.

Lastly, with a new school year ahead and endless story possibilities to cover, The Bell wants to give a special thanks to the new advisor, Jamie Gumina, who has helped give the smoothest change of advisors possible, has supported the staff’s ideas and has brought her own ideas to make it the best student newspaper it can be. The Bell would also like to thank the LHS administration for supporting and taking the time to speak with staff about the stories being written.

With support from staff and students, despite the changes, The Bell is ready for another great school year.

Contents

Adviser Jamie Gumina (816)-699-2124 jamie.gumina@lps53.org

@TheLHSBell Online: lhsnews.net

Contents

Administration

04

Connecting with the Principals

Reported by Ethan Atkins, Shane Bass and Derek Katzer

06

Back to School Games

Design by Emma Stauffer

04 Photo by Mercedes Peck

Students

10

08

Been There, Done That

10

In With the New

Reported by Sarah Blankenship and Ari Revella

Reported by Paige Hodges

08

Photo by Jenn Carmony

Photo by Connor Callahan

Contents

lhsnews.net

3

Administration

Connecting with the Principals The principals welcome students back to school while still maintaining social distancing.

Reported by Ethan Atkins, Shane Bass and Derek Katzer

Design by Derek Katzer

Due to COVID-19 and new construction, LHS is going through quite a few changes.

Administration worked hard to make the transition into alterations for the 20202021 school year more bearable for staff and students.

Because of how busy they have been with all these revisions it can be hard for students to talk with administration directly and ask questions about the school’s new developements.

To answer some of the student’s questions, principal April Adams and assistant principals David McDorman and Sara Wickham have agreed to ‘tune-in’ to greet students for another school year.

Interview with counselor Mindy Beard:

COVID-19 produced uncertainty over what this school year is going to look like. No matter what the future holds, Principal Dr. April Adams was looking forward to welcoming students and teachers back.

“I am super excited to have students back in the building so that we can create great relationships and great memories with each of the grade levels,” Adams said. “School is not fun without our students and our teachers. I can’t wait to have everyone back in the building.”

No matter what the learning environment looks like, Adams advises students to do their best to continue learning.

“Be connected with your teachers and peers and know that we’ve got to reboot,” Adams said. “We’ve got to focus on learning and know if we have to pivot back to a quarantine setting, learning continues and the grade Hold Harmless is not in

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effect. My advice is to really enjoy the times we get to come together, hopefully it is more than not. If we are unable to come together, continue to engage and dial in and work on being a self-motivated learner.”

Adams knows these changes will be hard for students to do their best to make the transition smooth.

“Being willing to be flexible, being organized, really figuring out how to manage time, listening and asking questions, being proactive in their communication with their teachers, really embracing online learning in its full capacity, if we have to pivot to a quarantine setting and realizing that everyone is in it and everyone is in it together,” Adams said.

“It’s not an optimal choice if we have to pivot to online, but it is what we want to do to make sure everyone is safe.”

The Bell Back to School Administration

Aside from the changes resulting from COVID-19, students will have to face a few challenges. The entryway into the school is under construction, which will affect the way students and teachers enter and exit the building and navigate to the 900s and the fieldhouse, cafeteria and parking.

Adams hopes that the students will be able to learn from this experience.

“My hope is that every student has a wonderful experience learning, growing, being a fantastic civically minded citizen, that they have fun, they challenge themselves, really contribute to the school and get involved in their community so they can be better citizens,” Adams said.

“I wish our students the best of luck and I am proud of our students because of the resilience they have shown and the positive attitude they have for learning.”

Administration

Assistant Principal David McDorman hoped students could all go into the school year with respect for others to support each other through the challenges this year may bring.

“We can offer grace and kindness to those who make mistakes, as we will likely find ourselves making a mistake at some point,” McDorman said. “My second hope is that we can all use empathy. Empathy is not necessarily knowing exactly what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes, but it’s trying to understand how someone feels and honoring their feelings. I think if we can practice these two things, kindness and empathy, we will have a great school year where we learn a lot about one another while we also can focus on our studies in an environment where we can all thrive.”

Like many, McDorman is not sure all the ways COVID-19 will affect the school year. He believed that, to make the school year better, students and staff need to work together.

“The way the virus is affecting schools is still being studied deeply and we are looking into all the data that’s available,” McDorman said.

McDorman is excited for the new school year and to welcome back everyone to LHS. “I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts on this upcoming school year. My door is always open, please stop by and say ‘hi’ or say ‘hello’ when you see me. I’m looking forward to a great school year with you all.”

A common question students asked was ‘what should I be expecting when I go back to school?’. Assistant Principal Sara Wickham shared her advice.

“We will all need to be extremely flexible and expect that state or local health officials may need to put restrictions in place that impact how we operate school,” Wickham said.

“Teachers and staff will be there to support our students every step of the way.”

With all of the changes, some students may need assistance with the stress and confusion, Wickham is prepared to help.

“I’ll connect with students to understand their needs and address any concerns,” Wickham said. “We also do a lot of work to support our staff to create positive school experiences that can help all students be successful.”

Along with the school principals, the counseling department, teachers and Sprigeo will all be available to help. Although these are confusing times for many students, Wickham has some advice for those who are struggling.

“Focus on wellness and stay consistent with habits that help you feel grounded,” Wickham said. “Embrace flexibility and communicate with your family, teachers and friends when you need support.”

While the school year might be more challenging than usual, administrators don’t want students to fear going to school and welcome them with open arms.

“We are excited to welcome students back to school and look forward to the 2020-2021 school year,” Wickham said.

Administration lhsnews.net

5

Search for the Pencil It’s the begining of the school year and yet some students are still missing pencils. Help them find one:

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The Bell Back to School

Back to School Word Search

Math Textbook Backpack Desk Science Homework

History Computer Pencil Notebook Classes Teachers

Writing Schedule Learning Student Whiteboard Cafeteria lhsnews.net

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Students

Been There, Done That

Upperclassmen share wisdom to help freshmen have a successful first year of high school.

▪ Reported by Sarah Blankenship and Ari Revella ▪ Designed by Sarah Blankenship

(Back Row) Graduates Tyler Gough and Victoria Southall, seniors Paige Hodges, Aryonna Straws and Saweit Craig, (Front Row) graduates Audrey McBride and Noah Lively, sophomore Natalie Kessler, and graduate Olga Duku working a booth for Diversity Council during the 20192020 Diversity Fest at LHHS. Photo courtesy of Diversity Council

“High school is the time to figure out who you are and what you want to do. So try everything and anything. Even if you have little interest in something, it doesn’t hurt to try it. Make friends, join clubs and have fun. Don’t worry about anything else.”

- Senior Aryana Yazdi “Do the most activities and clubs you can because high school goes very fast.”

- Senior Maya Diaz

Aryana Yazdi

Photo courtesy of Aryana Yazdi

Maya Diaz

Photo courtesy of Maya Diaz

Seniors (Left) Abby Nickell and (Right) Zoe Poulsen write letters to their French pen pals in French III. Photo by Charlene Nguyen

“Remember that it’s just another school year. Yeah it’s scary and intimidating, but it only lasts that way for about a week. You get the hang of it pretty fast so there is no reason to go into the school year thinking it’s going to be horrible.”

- Sophomore Avery Gartin “Don’t be afraid to explore things that might scare you, there are so many opportunities waiting for you during the school year so don’t be afraid to take them.”

- Junior Olivia Centa

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The Bell

▪ Back to School ▪ Students

Avery Gartin

Photo courtesy of Avery Gartin

Olivia Centa

Photo by Grace Bushroe

Students

Photo by Grace Bushroe

“With the incoming freshmen experiencing a lot of changes within their school career and around the world, especially COVID-19 and protests, it may seem like the change to high school will be more difficult.

It’s important to know that you are one of many that are experiencing these changes. You can work with them and the people who have already made the jump. Just be sure to stay involved with your school and the transitions will fly by and you will feel at home in no time.”

- Junior Jacob Tatum

“Keep an open mind.”

- Sophomore Zac Goens

Jacob Tatum

Photo courtesy of Jacob Tatum

Photo by Makenna Smock

Zac Goens

Photo courtesy of Zac Goens

“Whatever it is, it’s not worth it.

Your own personal happiness and mental health comes before school performance and relationships. You cannot excel or be your best without conquering your own personal problems before anything else. Don’t be afraid to take a step back.”

- Junior Aiden Norris “Don’t be afraid to do what you love. And no matter what happens, no matter how people look at you, do what you think is best, even if it means you lose a so-called friend.

Never forget who you want to be.”

- Graduate Lillian Gaither

Aiden Norris

Photo courtesy of Aiden Norris

Lillian Gaither

Photo courtesy of Lillian Gaither

Students ▪ lhsnews.net

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Students

In With the New

Introducing the new additions, structural changes and updates to LHS. Reported and Designed by Paige Hodges

lllUnlike most changes that happened in the world, the new additions and structural changes to LHS weren’t a consequence of COVID-19.

These various adaptations were a result of a $49 million no-tax-increase bond issue approved in April 2018. Since it’s approval, schools across the district have or are currently constructing updates. The most recent renovation in the district includes LHS’s new Performing Arts Center, updates to The Little Theater and roofing and Library Media Center improvements.

Because of the projects, students and staff have to find ways to work around the construction.

Until December, the front of the building will be closed due to continuous construction. Visitors and students will be instructed to enter through the Performing Arts Center and everyone will access the 900s tunnnel either through the scaffolding hallway, or the single set of stairs located by the counseling office, leading down to the Lower Jay. The new PAC is a project that began in the summer of 2019. It will serve as a multi-performance and learning space

Photos by Regan Johnston

for the fine arts courses. Each fine arts group will have their own storage spaces and classrooms. It will also include a new auditorium, practice room and atrium.

“We all get our own space, so we have more opportunity to serve the students different activities if we want to,” orchestra instructor Michelle Davis said. “We can do

anything from an after school orchestra to an after school band. We also will have our own after school theatre, so that we don’t have to go to the Liberty Performing Arts Center anymore. Although the arts have always been supported, we feel like this is now an even better place for fine arts students to grow and succeed on a more sophisticated level.”

The PAC will not only give students and staff more independent space, it will also support the orchestra and band in delivering improved performances.

“The ability to actually be in the hall before we perform is great,” band instructor Eddie Owen said. “For so many years, we have used the community center.

We have a good partnership with them, which is great, but we could never do our rehearsals there, so students didn’t know exactly what pieces sounded like. The night of the performance, we would do a quick dress rehearsal, however, it wasn’t really enough. So being able to just go across the hallway and practice in our own auditorium is very nice.”

Aside from improving learning, the space will also allow for more variety in theatre production selections and executions.

“As far as theatre productions go, there were certain shows that we just could not pull off in the little theatre due to just not having a fly space, adequate wing space, or seam shoppe space,” theatre and forensics teacher Mick Turpin said. “Now that some of the newer productions are being produced at the high school level, we are able to do them because we now have a space that can pull off more advanced scenic and technical elements.”

Performing Arts Center Construction Tour

Top: Inside the scaffolding tunnel that leads to the stairs by the counseling office. Bottom: The Austrian inspired auditorium is located in the new performing arts center, which is currently under construction.

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The Bell

Back to School

Students

Students

lllThe new PAC will also give fine arts students a new sense of confidence, a factor that will hopefully contribute to the growth and enhancement of an already established program.

lll“If I were to speak on the kiddos, I would say that they are going to feel more validated,” Turpin said. “Like their passion in the fine arts is truly being supported by the community and school district. Having that feeling will give them confidence. Not only about themselves, but also about the programs.”

With the new auditorium in the works, the building’s former theatre is also hosting some construction. The auditorium dubbed The Little Theatre has held 23 years of theatrical productions and will be renovated into a large conference area with the ability to convert into a black box theater for evening performances, providing a more intimate experience for specific productions.

Another space in the school that will be renovated is the 800s’ hallway, which was previously home to orchestra, band and choir classrooms. It will now be an open space that can accommodate a multitude of meetings, entertainment, events and any daily uses. Along with that renovation, the Library Media Center is experiencing renovation that is expected to be completed this fall. Everything in the LMC will be completely new, including windows, carpeting, flooring, an audio studio, video studios, a virtual reality studio, doors, paint color, furniture and other features to

modernize the improved LMC. “Before we were doing our very best to make our vision a reality, but now with this renovation, it’s like putting the bow on the package,” library media specialist Christine Anderson said. “We always knew what we wanted the library to be, but now we have all the final pieces to make this a completely functional, fluid and mobile space. It’s truly an exciting transformation.”

Librarians were assured that they were going to receive new roofing and windows, along with the other construction updates in the April 2018 bond issue funded in the building. However, it wasn’t until later that it was confirmed it would get other needed updates.

“The day we found out that they were going to renovate, we just couldn’t believe it, we were so excited,” library media specialist Lori Riedel said. “But we have tried to make the library what we wanted with what we had for so long. I also like that the look of the space will match our philosophies.”

Change is a constant factor with the pandemic still on the rise. Sometimes the change does not always have the best results. However, for the LHS building, these alterations are meant for the better.

Top: Entrance to the scaffolding tunnel near the entrance to the counseling office. Bottom: The stairs near the front administrative office leading to the Lower Jay and 900s’ classrooms.

Students

lhsnews.net

11

Need Report Help?

Visit Website

Sprigeo is an online platform that allows students to contact their schools and recieve the help they need to make school a safer place.

Photo by Emma McDonald

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