KCS discovers lead in water fountains
By Aubree Puckett, John Sevier Middle School
November 14, 2019
Recently, lead was found in Kingsport City Schools water fountains. These water fountains were located at Dobyns-Bennett High School, as well as the elementary schools Jefferson, Johnson, Kennedy and Roosevelt. Overall, thirteen water fountains tested positive for lead levels that are simply too high. Jaycee...
KCS teacher pay change coming soon
By ShayLeigh Honaker, John Sevier Middle School
November 11, 2019
For the last few years, Kingsport City Schools has based teacher pay in part on students’ TNReady scores. Next year, this is set to change. TNReady scores will no longer count towards teachers’ overall pay. “Several years ago, the Tennessee Department of Education laid out rules that some school...
Harriet Tubman’s $20 bill delayed
By Ellie Jackson, John Sevier Middle School
November 6, 2019
In 2016, the Treasury Department proposed that the seventh president of the United States, Andrew Jackson, would be replaced with an accomplished black woman, Harriet Tubman, on the $20 bill. Although many citizens believed this would be a positive change, the current Secretary of the Treasury, Steven...
NBA’s Controversy with China
By Shivani R., Day Creek Intermediate School
November 4, 2019
On October 4, general manager Daryl Morey of the Houston Rockets sent out a tweet about the recent conflict between China and Hong Kong. He tweeted in support of the Hong Kong protestors. Some people agreed that Morey was trying to voice his opinion, while others thought that the tweet was absurd. He l...
Shelters vs. Breeders
By Carolina A. and Mikah C.
October 29, 2019
60.2 million U.S. households own a dog. But how many of them were adopted from a shelter? According to the 2019 Woof Stats, an estimated 6.5 million animals are taken into an animal shelter every year. About half of these animals never find a permanent home, as they are either euthanized or unending...
World Health Organization declares gaming addiction a health disorder
By Chloe McConnell, John Sevier Middle School
October 24, 2019
Video games have been slowly taking over the world. They are played frequently and are becoming a problem. About 67% of Americans, or 211 million people, play video games on at least one type of device, with more than half of them playing on multiple devices. The World Health Organization, or WHO,...
“Vaping” becomes a dangerous trend among teens
By Olyvia Flemming, John Sevier Middle School
October 9, 2019
Tobacco has been an epidemic around the world since it was first harvested and used. The cancer-causing plant, filled with addictive nicotine, has had a major negative impact on the world. Alternative methods to smoking tobacco have been produced, such as vaping, juuling and smokeless tobacco. Vaping...
Schools continue to evaluate safety measures
By Micah Maynard, John Sevier Middle School
October 8, 2019
School safety: a common topic among students, parents, teachers, and even politicians. Teachers, students, police, and government officials have been debating new safety procedures to keep students safe in schools. Holly Flora, the principal at Sevier Middle, makes sure that the school is safe and...
Students sing their way to upcoming chorus concert
By Destiny Montgomery, Altoona Area Junior High School
May 14, 2019
On May 3, eighth and ninth grade varsity chorus members will be performing for their spring concert. Choral director and teacher Jessica Connell has been preparing the students for their concert. Students have a period of chorus everyday. Eighth grade has it first o...
Pennsylvania System of School Assessment tests get closer
By Zakary Hicks, Altoona Area Junior High School
May 14, 2019
The seventh and eighth grade PSSA's are here. These standardized tests include reading and mathematics for seventh and eighth grade, writing for eighth grade and science for eighth grade. These tests require early planning. “There just never seems to be enough time to get in all the different...
Sen. Scott visits DMS
By Whitley Brown, Duncan Middle School
April 11, 2019
Oklahoma Sen. Paul Scott of Duncan, paid a visit to Duncan Middle School Friday, taking the opportunity to hear from teachers about their concerns with education in Oklahoma. Throughout his time at the middle school, Scott took time to talk with teachers during the three lunch period, took a tour of the...
Seventh, eighth grade track and field kicks off
By Brayden Adams, Altoona Area Junior High School
April 2, 2019
The seventh and eighth grade track and field team began practice on Monday, March 4 at the junior high with an informational discussion about what athletes will do in track and field. The track and field team will be having a total of 12 eighth grade meets and nine seventh grade meets. Four of these...
Teachers decide between buildings
By Destiny Montgomery, Altoona Area Junior High School
April 2, 2019
With the new high school coming during the 2020-2021 school year, teachers in the junior high faced the decision to move to the high school or stay at the junior high. Teachers could either stay and teach sixth, seventh or eighth grade, or they can move and teach ninth, tenth, eleventh or twelfth. Since...
Indoor teams take wins in Portage
By Destiny Montgomery, Altoona Area Junior High School
March 21, 2019
On Feb. 17, the indoor silks and majorettes traveled to Portage, PA to compete in a TU competition. Indoor majorettes The indoor majorettes won first in the “Junior High Majorette” category. Indoor adviser Samantha Cessna brought the girls to the competition and was eager to win. “Goi...
Family Fitness Night 2019
By Alisha G. and Ashima G.
March 4, 2019
Day Creek’s P.E. teachers are scattered throughout the gym, darting around on scooters alongside students and teachers alike. Music plays in the background, but not loud enough to drown out mixed sounds of laughter and frustration that fill the air. On Wednesday night, Day Creek’s Family Fitness...
Pairs of seventh-grade twins share birthday
By Whitley Brown, Duncan Middle School
February 24, 2019
For seventh-graders Callen and Emersen Villagrana, Feb. 21 is an important day. It's their birthday. And while sharing a birthday isn't unusual for twins, what's different is they share their birthday with another set of twins at Duncan Middle School, Alexandra and Daniella Agular-Ortiz, both of whom...
Flu season continues at DMS
By Whitley Brown, Duncan Middle School
February 15, 2019
The flu has returned once again, only this time early. Flu season normally happens starting around September or October. However, flu is in full swing at Duncan Middle School and surrounding areas. Flu a viral infection caused by contact with someone else who has the illness. School nurse Kristen...
Longest-ever government shutdown affects local citizens
By Alexa Davis, Freedom Area Middle School
February 12, 2019
On Friday, Jan. 25, President Donald Trump signed a bill to reopen the government for three weeks after a 35-day shutdown. A partial government shutdown started in the United States on Dec. 21, 2018. A partial shutdown is the result when Congress fails to pass a budget for the country. When a shutdown...
PDE identifies FMS as Additional Targeted Support and Improvement School
By Mason Geibel, Freedom Area Middle School
February 12, 2019
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is a Federal Act that provides guidelines for the education of students throughout the United States. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), ESSA requires each state to develop a plan to identify schools in need of support and improvement....
Do we Really Need a Border Wall?
By Jason M., Kraemer Middle School
February 8, 2019
President Trump is demanding $5.7 billion for a border wall, which he believes will stop the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs through the southern border. However, will a simple concrete wall, used since the 10th century, solve the 21st-century border crisis? The southern border is nearly 2000...
Students invalidating the term “gay” at WMS represents a microcosm of a larger issue in America
By Gianna Graffeo-Seda and Nisha Hodgins
February 4, 2019
According to WMS students, the term “gay” is often used with a negative connotation. Throughout the school year students frequently used this word to tease others. This is not a problem that is limited to WMS, but is an epidemic that goes on throughout the country. “It’s very sad I don’t...
Depression and anxiety: How simple gestures can solve an epidemic
By Chloe Monsanto, Woodbridge Middle School
February 1, 2019
When the term “mental illness” is spoken of, many people automatically think of depression and anxiety. But, how can these mental illnesses be stopped? Depression and anxiety have taken over the mindsets of young students. The Center for Discovery article ‘Why Today’s Teens Are More Depres...
Trees on the playground removed due to disease
By Joanna Odebode and Samantha Young
January 8, 2019
Six trees on the playground behind the middle school have been removed and others are dying. Mr. Ron Miller, fifth grade math teachers, and Mrs. Tina Boyd, fifth grade English language arts teacher, planted these trees as an Earth Day project. They are Bradford Flowering Pear trees and Oak trees. ...
Freedom High School Girls Soccer Team becomes first team in school history to make the PIAA state championship
By Dylan Scheel, Freedom Area Middle School
January 8, 2019
The 2018 season for the Freedom Area High School Girls Soccer team was one to remember. The team was the first ever Freedom High School athletic team to advance to the PIAA State Championship in any sport. The team ended up losing in the State Championship 3-2 in overtime to Southern Columbia on Friday,...
Students raise funds to support family affected by fire
By Destiny Montgomery, Altoona Area Junior High School
December 21, 2018
On Oct. 12, a home went up into flames causing a family to start their lives over. One of the family members living in the house was seventh grader Bailee Miller-Dicken. She was not home when the fire happened, she was spending the night at a family member's house. “When I found out that...
T-shirt design winner selected
By Whitley Brown, Duncan Middle School
December 19, 2018
The theme was "Dreams Don't Work Unless You Do." The design was simple. And the winner was sixth-grader Brooklyn Rowell. Rowell's T-shirt design was selected by a vote of Duncan Middle School students through a contest for "best T-shirt design." The voting was open to all DMS students. Additionally,...
Learning From Your Mistakes
By Crystal M., Day Creek Intermediate School
December 13, 2018
Everyone makes mistakes, right? We’ve all done something we regret that we wish we could go back and change. And some mistakes are bigger than others. But the only way to truly learn from a mistake is to acknowledge it and move on. One assignment in Language Arts required our class to complete ...
Seventh-grade tours Cameron University
By Whitley Brown, Duncan Middle School
December 11, 2018
Before seventh-grade students visited, Cameron University changed its policy to only allow 100 kids to visit at a time. This forced Duncan Middle School to separate into two groups and visit campus over a two-day period. Only four employees were available to do the tour. The seventh-grade stude...
Student Council tapes Clark to wall
By Maria Montell, Duncan Middle School
November 27, 2018
The Bedlam contest ended today, with counselor Bubba Clark being duct taped to the gym wall. The contest, which ran from Nov. 5 through 9, allowed students and teachers to donate money to containers marked either for the Oklahoma State Cowboys or for the University of Oklahoma Sooner. Depending o...
Important lessons for all in ALICE training
By Watertown Splash staff, Watertown Middle School
November 13, 2018
An intruder bursts through your door, you know it's not real, but it seems like it might be. Alert. Lockdown. Inform. Counter. Evacuate. All schools in Watertown practiced ALICE training this fall, in case an active shooter ever came into the school. Every year, the Watertown Middle School goes over an...