The Purple Pages April 2018 Edition

March 2018 Issue three

Apr il 2018 Issu e Th r ee

Headin gs

Th e Pu r p l e Pages

THEPURPLEPAGES Cov er A rt by Joy Lee, Grade 8

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April 2018

Opinion

St u den t s' Opin ion s on Dr agon Tim e Headin gs Sou t h ar d

By Lola

Eighth grade students Keara Greenburg, River Peery and Drake Plain are talking and having a blast during Dragon Time. Photo by Cheyanne Hunt.

PCM S students that have all thr ees and four s on their behavior r ubr ic get to attend a r ew ar d par ty ever y Fr iday.

oppor tunity to help the com m unity.

Students could help at the Hum ane Society or Wesley House.

?It w ould be nice to m ix it up,? said 8th gr ader , Abbie M usgr ave. M usgr ave thinks that m ixing the gr ade levels ever y now and then w ould be a good idea because then you w ould be able to see your fr iends fr om other gr ades.

Lee thinks that w e can do things that ar e fun but still beneficial to other people. Lee also said, ?I like how they give options instead of giving one gr ade the sam e thing each w eek .?

M usgr ave also said, ?A lot of kids say they don't m ind the 27 m inutes in the no-go r oom .?

The 27 m inutes in the no-go r oom does not seem to get the fr equent attender s to change their w ays. M usgr ave as w ell does not think that the no-go is a big deal and that it isn't m otivating other kids to behave. ?Ever y m onth or so they should do a field tr ip,? said 8th student, Joy Lee. Lee feels w e should take the field tr ips as an

Although m any of Lee?s peer s think that the options ar e bor ing, she thinks that it is nice to have a couple of differ ent things. She thinks that adding options w ould be fun but does not m ind the ones w e have now.

Hannah Gr ay, gr ade 8, said, ?M ost people don't car e to go.?

The incentive doesn't seem to m otivate kids accor ding to Gr ay.

M ost kids don't see the big deal going to no-go and don't enjoy the par ty so they, ? . . . don't

car e to go.?

Gr ay agr eed w ith M usgr ave, said, ?Som e people have fr iends in other gr ades and Fr idays ar e the only tim e you could see them .?

Fr idays m ay be the only day that you m ight be able to see fr iends fr om other gr ades. Gr ay said, "that you m ight be busy on the w eekends and Fr idays ar e the one tim e she gets to see her fr iends in other gr ades but only having the football field and m aybe the cafeter ia isn't enough options."

Lee said, ?At the end of the day w hen eighth hour is over , you w ant to go hom e or do your after schools activities but then you?r e like, oh w ait, ther e's still Dr agon Tim e. That's kind of w hat I don't like about it, but the fact that you get to hang out w ith your fr iends at the end of the day is still fun.?

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April 2018

yea r ro und school

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Headin gs

Sh ou l d We Have Year -Rou n d Sch ool ?

By Joy Lee, Edi t or -i n -Ch i ef Have you ever star ted a fr esh new year but com pletely for got w hat you lear ned the year befor e? W hat about getting bor ed at the end of sum m er ? ?Kids in year -r ound schools attend classes anyw her e fr om six- to -nine w eeks in a r ow , br oken up by tw oto -four w eek vacations,? said Scholastic. Having shor ter per iods of school days w ill give us a m aintaining attention span and w ill help us set goals. Ger tie Com eau, 8th gr ade, said, ?I think it w ould be easier [to set goals] for half the sem ester. It keeps you on your toes.?

How about the pr oblem of getting bor ed at the end of sum m er ? Abby Painter , 8th gr ade, said, ?I star t out am bitious over the sum m er and I set so m any goals, and I am going to accom plish ever y one of them .

Then, about halfw ay thr ough the sum m er , I r ealize that it?s w ay too m uch w or k to get out of my pajam as and I stay in bed the entir e day, for a solid thr ee w eeks.?

If w e get bor ed anyw ay and have nothing to do, w hy not just be pr oductive and go to school?

In tr aditional schools, after the

thr ee-m onth sum m er br eak, w e com e back to school and for get about one-thir d of w hat w e lear ned the year befor e. Rylee Lunday, 7th gr ade, said he for gets a lot of w hat he lear ned the year befor e ever y year.

?Well, at f ir st I t h ou gh t t h at I w ou ldn?t lik e it , bu t n ow t h at I?m lear n in g abou t it , I f eel lik e I w ou ld," said Ger t ie Com eau , 8t h gr ade.

The National Sum m er Lear ning Association has decades of r esear ch that show s it can take anyw her e betw een 8-13 w eeks for students like us to have to r elear n and r eview. In year r ound school, the br eaks ar e evenly distr ibuted thr oughout the year. Painter also said, ?I love the idea because you don?t for get as m uch over the sum m er br eak so then you don?t have to go thr ough the tw o m onth r eteaching.?

Som e childhood developm ent exper ts claim that childr en need to spend as m uch tim e out in the sun

as in the classr oom . The Am er ican Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatr y claim s that by the tim e students gr aduate fr om high school, they w ill have w atched m or e television than been in classes.

Char les Bar ker , 7th gr ade, said m ost of the tim e he just plays on his tablet or another electr onic device dur ing the sum m er.

Recent Har var d r esear ch states that kids gain m or e w eight in the sum m er than they do dur ing the school year. Although being active out in the sun and in natur e ar e both educational and healthy, if students have no inter est in par ticipating in those activities, w e ar e just thr ow ing valuable tim e aw ay.

Year -r ound school is m or e than just another w ay of scheduling, it is a new w ay of education. It helps set goals, ends bor edom , and m onths of r eview ing.

It even helps vacationing!

Lola Southar d, 8th gr ade, said, ?You can vacation dur ing the W inter. W ho doesn?t w ant to go to Haw aii in the m iddle of W inter ??

The things you can lear n about year r ound school ar e am azing, you just have to look into it. Com eau agr eed, ?Well at fir st I thought that I w ouldn?t like it, but now that I?m lear ning about it, I feel like I w ould.?

YEARBOOKANDNEWSPAPERSTAFF Fr on t Row : Br ee Ku sel , Kate Gavr il ys, Editor -in -Ch ief Br an don Fr eem an , Br i Lopez, Adviser Nicol e Foster , Dan n a Aqu ir r e, Ch eyen n e Ayer s, Page Editor Al exis Newby an d Raven Kin g. Row 2: Destin y W atson , Page Editor Jon ah H u n zik er , Page Editor H ayden Kin g, Br aden Ben son , M ich ael Str ick l an d, Gabe H el m s, Editor -in -Ch ief Jacob M ath ew an d Cail i Dettl in g. Photo by Cam er on Flynn.

Fr on t Row : Ren ee Gibbs, Editor -in -Ch ief Joy Lee, Car in a M or an , Editor -in -Ch ief Abbie M u sgr ave, Sam m y Tayl or an d Ger tie Com eau .

Row 2: W il l Ar bu ck l e, Lexi Ketch am , Sh an te Cor n el l , Au dr ey Gol ston , H eaven Cayl or an d Tr aci Coon r od. Row 3: Editor -in -Ch ief Fr an cisco Castan eda, Lol a Sou th ar d, Ch eyan n e H u n t, Lyn dsie Kor ou sh , Stor m y Cr eam er an d Jou r dain Gr an er e. Photo cour tesy by N icole Foster .

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April 2018

GETTING A PROMOTION Headin gs

byJacobMathew,Editor- in- Chief As the school year nears its end, eighth graders around the country are anxious of the school year ahead of them. Horror stories about high school have convinced them that worse places exist only in nightmares.

But according to freshman Rebeccah Jones, these are nothing more than urban legends. ?Most people at the high school are actually pretty nice and so helpful when you need something,? Jones said.

Keith Perkins, another freshman at Pittsburg High School, said that homework is the biggest change he?s had to face entering high school.

?It?s not as much about the amount given or its grading, but in middle school, teachers will constantly remind you that you have work missing and give you opportunities to complete it. Whereas in high school, there are very few reminders and very few second chances,? Perkins said.

When asked how much time she allocates to homework, Jones said, ?I spend about 20-45 minutes a night on homework, but I like having study hall because it gives you time to work on homework that is due soon.?

Study hall is a 25-minute class after first period that gives students time to work on any homework they might

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April 2018

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Photo by Jacob Mathew.

have for classes.

Perkins and Jones agree that it is one of the most positive changes that they have adapted to on their class schedule. ?Even if you have all your work done, it?s sometimes nice to have the 25 minutes to relax on a stressful day,? said Perkins.

One huge concern of many middle school students is the issue of bullying at the high school level. ?It isn?t nearly as common as I expected coming into high school,?

Perkins said. ?Yes, it does still happen as it does at

any other school, but for the most part, people stay in their closely-knit friend groups.?

Many students also worry about whether or not they can keep up with their classes, but Jones explained that you have the choice of whether to take Honors or Standard classes.

When asked what advice she has for the incoming class of freshmen, Jones said, ?Try as many activities as you can because you never know what you?ll like.?

April 2018

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Flag on the Play

By Jonah Hunziker Headin gs

Colin Kaeper nick, player for the San Fr ancisco 49er s, shook the United States as he took a knee dur ing the National Anthem .

26. As the season pr ogr essed, m any other team s and player s also have begun to pr otest along w ith Kaeper nick .

Sever al

team s

?I w as pr etty sur pr ised, I thought that he m ight have been doing it for attention at fir st,? said Jacob M athew , 8th gr ader.

Ther e is m uch contr over sy r egar ding Kaeper nick?s actions, though. M any believe his actions ar e not needed, and that he is sur ely kneeling for pur e attention.

"I am not going to stand up to show pr ide in a flag for a countr y that oppr esses black people and people of color ," Kaeper nick said.

Kaeper nick fir st pr otested in August 14, 2017, but w asn?t noticed until August

For many, this flag is a sign of patriotism. For others, it is just a reminder of the constant injustice that minorities face. Photoby Jacob Mathew.

dur ing Week 11 of the NFL tagged along w ith Kaeper nick, such as the New Yor k Giants, the Kansas City Chiefs and the M iam i Dolphins. ?After I under stood w hat his m essage w as, I suppor ted him ,?

M athew said.Team s also began locking ar m s, instead of

kneeling to show unanim ity tow ar d the pr otest.

W hen asked w hy he is pr otesting, Kaeper nick said, ?Ther e is police br utality. People of color have been tar geted by police. So that?s a lar ge par t of it.?

Since then, Kaeper nick w as dr opped fr om the 49er s, and is cur r ently in fr ee agency. M any celebr ities have since suppor ted this m ovem ent, including nam es such as Snoop Dogg, John Legend, Phar r ell W illiam s, Kr isten Bell, and Stevie Wonder. ?Tonight, I?m taking a knee for Am er ica,?

Stevie Wonder said. ?But not just one knee - I?m taking both knees.?

April 2018

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Bui l di ng a c r eat ive wor l d, one Lego at a t i me Headin gs

By Elli DeGr u son

Sin ce f ou r t h gr ade, Jack St ef an on i, 7t h , h as been in t h e Ju n ior M ast er Bu ilder Lego com pet it ion . Last year , h e got secon d place. Expect in g t o w in t h ir d t h is year , som et h in g u n expect ed h appen ed.

St ef an on i w on f ir st place w it h a su n f low er alien an d a br ok en dow n t im e m ach in e t h is year .

He h as bu ilt m u lt iple st r u ct u r es in clu din g m odels of air plan es f r om Wor ld War II an d car s. He lik es m odelin g an d w en t all t h e w ay t o Lego Lan d in Kan sas Cit y t o sh ow of f h is lat est m odel in t h e com pet it ion . He also lik es doin g an yt h in g t h at is ou t door s.

Th ou gh h e h as m an y pet s alr eady; a r abbit , t en ch ick en s an d a dog, h e st ill w an t s an ot h er pet .

St ef an on i said t h at

h e w ou ld w an t a ch in ch illa becau se t h ey ?r e cu t e.

St ef an on i h as a big br ot h er an d h as n ever lived an yw h er e else ot h er t h an Pit t sbu r g. Bu t , h e said h e w ou ld lik e t o live in It aly.

Regar din g h is w in w it h t h e br ok en dow n t im e m ach in e, h e said h e w ou ldn?t t im e t r avel.

St ef an on i said t h at if t h e f u t u r e w as bad, h e w ou ldn?t w an t t o k n ow in t h e f ir st place an d if t h e f u t u r e w as good, it w ou ld be r u in in g t h e su r pr ise. Bu t if h e h ad t o, h e w ou ld go back in t im e an d st op t h e assassin at ion of Abr ah am Lin coln or Joh n F. Ken n edy. ?I can?t do t h e com pet it ion n ext year ? if you get f ir st place, t h ey w on?t let you do it again ,? said St ef an on i. ?Bu t n ext year , I can ju dge t h e com pet it ion if I w an t t o? So I w ill.?

Photo By Elli DeGruson.

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2018 in Review Q&A

April 2018

By Lexi Ket ch am Questions asked to:

Headin gs

A1: Athennah Jones, 7th grade A2: Alexis Shidler, 7th grade A3: Renee Gibbs, 8th grade

Which school tr adition are you most proud of?

A1. I?m most proud of the tradition of students and teachers showing Dragon pride.

A2. I?m most proud of our Dragon pride.

A3. Literally none of them.

Which event did you look most for war d to this year ? Did it live up to its expectations?

A1. Library Olympics A2. I am/was looking forward to the beginning of sports such as volleyball, basketball, football, track and forensics.

A3. No.

What proj ect or assignment challenged you the most as a student? Why? A1. The project that challenged me the most was a book report I had to do in Mrs. Ison?s class, because at first I didn?t really know what I was going to do.

A2. A book report in ELA. A3. None.

What was the most enj oyable memor y you had this year ?

Zachery Leiker (right) 8th grader is dressed up as Chad Ruddick 8th grade English Language Arts (left) for Wacky Wear Wednesday . Photo courtesy by Nicole Foster.

because she gives us lots of candy and food.

A3. Mrs. Hartzfeld because she knows me very well.

A3. The event I was looking forward to was the solar eclipse.

A1. My most enjoyable memory this year was when the whole cross country team was riding the bus to the cross country meet and we just talked, shared stories and just joked around.

Which spor t events are your favor ite to attend and why?

A2. Doing volleyball and meeting new people and friends.

A1. Football and basketball because a lot of people come and support our players plus it can get really competitive.

A3. None yet- I can?t wait to go to Silver Dollar City though.

A1. My favorite subject is history, because I learn a lot about stuff that happened and why it happened.

A2. I love attending football games, because you can go support the Dragons and hang out with your friends which is really fun.

A3. Volleyball. It?s just interesting.

Who is your favor ite teacher ?

Why? A1. My favorite teacher is Mrs. Ison, because her class is really fun.

A2. Mrs. Ison because she is super chill

Do you think the school needs to add any more spor ts?

A3. I don't have a favorite subject.

What trend did you not like.

Why? A1. The trend I didn't really like is dabbing, because I think it is stupid and there isn?t really a good reasoning to do it.

A3. Dislike all trends.

What trend did you par ticular ly like? Why?

A2. Yes, I think the school needs softball.

A3. Dance.

A1. A trend that I particularly [like,] me being yourself.

Do you think par ticipating in extr acur r icular activities should be required by the school?

A2. No.

A2. Math because it comes really easy to me.

A2. Wearing PJs to school because it?s not fun

A1. I don?t think the school needs to add any more sports. We already have a wide variety of sports that you could play.

A1. I don?t think it should be required, because some kids are super busy with traveling teams and might not have the time to do more stuff after school.

What is your favor ite subj ect?

Why?

A2. Being yourself, because it?s the easiest thing you can do. Like is being yourself, because it?s awesome.

Wacky Wear Wednesday participants include: (from left) Lexi Ketcham is dressed up as a raccoon; Renee Gibbs is dressed up as Jack Skellington and Francisco Castaneda was dressed up as Leonardo. Photo by Shante Cornell.

A3. Literally none of them.