N O V E M B E R I S S U E V O L U M E 1 6 , I S S U E 3

Editors:

Michael Decker

Melissa Ellis

Contributors:

Paige Bennett

Ellie Bower

Brody Mahon

Austin Dorsey

Breanna Kubly

Grace Fox

Brady Eilders

Emily Perez-Sorcia

Jaydon Stouffer

Ben Gardner

Izzy Flaminio

Belle Jordan

Kamron Klever

Maddex Sargent

Tyler Croatt

Connor Karnatz

Henry Engel

Levi Gable

Sethly Wagner

Adviser:

Mrs. Fry

I had the honor to interview Jake Schumacher

for Student of the Month. He was born on January 7,

2006. He is an only child, and his parents are Jess and

Jody Schumacher. He was accepted to Student Leader-

ship, and makes a great attribute. Jake’s favorite food

is Chicken Alfredo. He plays multiple sports, but his

favorite sport is Basketball. When interviewing Jake, I

could see how he was chosen to be the Student of the

Month for November. I hope you get to know him as

well.

By: Grace Fox

This year the eighth graders were taken to Adkins Energy and Cave of the

Mounds by Mr. Lobdell and Mrs. Schultz. To start the trip we took a short drive

out to Adkins Energy. There, the employees taught us how corn was transformed

to ethanol, biodiesel, and even cattle feed. From there they took an hour bus ride

to Cave of the Mounds. Once there we ate lunch at the top of a hill. Then we ex-

plored the many million year old cave. There were some tight squeezes, but every-

one made it.

By: Maddex Sargent

P A G E 2

The Halloween costume contest was fun and great because of all of the creative and

amazing costumes some of the students had. Nick Swedlund won the costume contest with his

anti-terrorist costume. Halloween night was very cold and lots of people were handing out candy

and trick-or-treating. Some students ended up getting sick due to the very cold temperatures.

By: Austin Dorsey

P A G E 3

T E T E K L N A G Z S X K T K

Y S K U M L I L O A H K O R Z

P A A V Z P R O B S U I H E Q

B I A E Y Q B J B F A L L S F

E V E O F U L K L M T V K S D

H O L I D A Y U E V U N N E G

K I D U S T D Q F L H O H D C

G N I F F U T S E K V C Y D T

F B D J G D X A K E N R D S Y

Y E E I T C V V M U G A E W V

F A R G N E E B B E J V H N A

G F X D S N E Y E K R U T T R

V L F D D R E S H A S P C D G

R M J O R O W R H A Q C I Q C

F C S E F N I R P V I J X X F

BAKE FEAST HOLIDAY STUFFING

DESSERT GOBBLE LEAVES THANKFUL

DINNER GRAVY NOVEMBER TURKEY

FALL HARVEST PIE

P A G E 4

Ellie Bower

Tess Dameier

Bella Lawson

Brooklyn Quinn

Payton Scace

Caroline Reed

Cheer Coach: Kristin Reed

By: Ellie Bower

P A G E 5

What is your favorite holiday?

Molly A. —Christmas David Jr. — Christmas Cohen G. —Christmas

Janessa E. —Christmas Deaken R. —Easter Jordan R .— Christmas

Faith O. — Christmas Chloe M. —Christmas Natalie M. — Christmas

Trenton S. —Christmas Daely K. — Christmas Jacob C. —Christmas

By: Breanna Kubly

What is your favorite Thanksgiving activity?

Drew—Watch football Kaymee– Eat & text (Snapchat)

Ayden– Watch football Nyiona-Play softball, eat, spend

Camdyn-Play football outside time with family & be on the phone

Jada– Play softball & eat

Jossy-Eat

By: Emily Perez-Sorcia

What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?

Zoe – Pumpkin Pie Gina– Rolls/Buns Lily– Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Juan – Turkey Tiara– Stuffing Kylie– Pumpkin Pie

Mikhail– Turkey Wyett- Everything Tess– Mashed Potatoes

Connor K.– Mashed Potatoes Conner R.– Pumpkin Pie Nate– Mashed Potatoes

By: Paige Bennett

P A G E 6

I had the privilege to interview a 7th grade student, Owen Gilbert-

son. Owen has one little brother (Cooper), his Mom (Wendy), and his Dad

(Tony). He also has a three-year-old ghost in his room named Jeff. Owen

was born May 15, 2005. Owen had one pet, a goldfish, named Snappy which

had recently died. Owen’s favorite subject is Math. He would also do any-

thing for a juicy cheeseburger. Owen is a major fan of the Wisconsin Badg-

ers and the Green Bay Packers. In Owen’s free time he loves to do math and

hang out with his friend Jeff.

By: Brody Mahon

Devon Bania is one of our newest student in Le-Win Jr High.

Devon Bania has one sibling; a brother named Trenton. He has 6 cats.

His favorite subject is social studies, and his favorite sport is football;

which he plays. Devon’s favorite food is tacos and his favorite NFL

football team is the Green Bay Packers. In the future Devon hopes to

become an engineer. Please welcome Devon to Le-Win Jr. High.

By: Ben Gardner

Today I had the opportunity to interview a 6th grade student, Lyric

Stouffer. She is 11 years old and was born on June 30, 2006. Her parents are

Holly and Shawn Stouffer. Her best friends are Aleeyah and Daely. Also she

has 4 sibling Jaydon, Lincoln, Noah, and Zane. Her favorite teacher is Mr.

Geiseman. Also her favorite subject is Health. Her favorite sports team is the

Cubs. Her favorite holiday is Christmas. And her favorite food is Mac &

Cheese. It was a pleasure interviewing Lyric Stouffer.

By: Belle Jordan

P A G E 7

Hi my name is Izzy and I would like to be part of the student council. I have been involved for

two years and believe that it was an excellence experience for me, including that it was very fun. I

helped a lot of people and I enjoyed the tasks and work that we were expected to do. I believe that I

should be accepted again because I like to set a good example for younger students and everyone

around me, I have good grades and like to be helpful, and I am able to be places when needed and

have a lot of experience being on a team.

The first reason I believe that I should be accepted is that I like to set examples for everyone

around me. I like being a good citizen and helping others do the same. I achieved the citizenship

award in sixth grade for being a role model and would like to do that again this year. I also have expe-

rience in the class and can help anyone who wants to try out for it, and I have never gotten a detention,

suspension, or been sent to the office in trouble. I can also be almost anywhere when needed, as i have

a flexible schedule.

The next reason is that I can keep my grades steady and I like to be helpful. I have had many

babysitting jobs, farming jobs, and anything with helping around my house. I have babysat my family

and many others children. I have worked on my farm, feeding cows, mucking out the barn, feeding

and watering chickens, getting cows in the barn and out, mucking calf huts, and bedding them. I also

work on my grandma's farm by helping her plant trees, dig weeds, plant fruits and veggies, harvest

plants, and help around her house. I am willing to help with anything anytime I possibly can. I have

received the presidential award last year for keeping my grades at an A and I also have gotten the citi-

zenship award. I also enjoyed picking up trash from the roads in sixth grade and working at the thrift

shop in seventh grade.

Furthermore for my idea, I think we should have a mini fair like we did two years ago for

Mrs. Huneke because we raised an astounding amount of money. If we decided to do that for the

school then we would also raise a ton of money for extracurricular activities, books and more necessi-

ties for the school. I think it would be a ton of fun and an opportunity for work. We could have little

concession stands in the hallway and have booths where you can buy things. I believe that we could

truly raise quite a bit of money from that.

Lastly I believe that there is good in everyone and that sometimes it just takes the right person

or group of people to see that. I know that we as a team can help make the school and community a

more fun and calm environment for everyone in it and around us. We should all be more aware of sit-

uations around us and instead of just watching say or do something, because sometimes action can

mean more than words.

P A G E 8

My name is Madison Young, and I would like to be in student leadership. To be in student leadership,

you have to be kind, hardworking, and a leader. I have been able to maintain good grades and I really

enjoy school. I have received the Presidential award for the past two years. And I also have had perfect

attendance for the entire school year for at least three years. I always try my hardest when it pertains to

school, sports and other activities.

I do many volunteer activities through school, 4-H, and my church. I really enjoy helping out in

the community. A few other kids and I went to the Lena Living Center and went Christmas caroling.

We also brought some of our 4-H animals there, which the residents enjoyed very much. On Valen-

tine’s Day, we make cards for the residents as well. Through church I volunteer at vacation bible

school, help serve in the kitchen for special occasions, and I have also worked at fundraisers and bene-

fits.

During school, I feel I always have a positive attitude which creates a more positive environ-

ment. I am always there to cheer someone up when they are having a bad day. I get along with all my

peers and also all my teachers. I am also always willing to help out whenever needed.

One idea I have for the upcoming school year is having a bake sale. There could be student

leaders who bake treats and others who will sell them. The profit could be used to improve our school.

I would also like to see more done to help prevent bullying; I like to make everyone feel like they mat-

ter and treat others the way that I like to be treated.

These are just some of the reasons why I think I would make a great candidate to be on the stu-

dent leadership team.

I will be a great student leader because I enjoy school. I contribute to a positive environment

every day by following the rules and respecting my teachers. I am happy, funny, and I love to help oth-

ers. I get along with everyone. I work hard and participate in extra activities, whenever possible. I also

encourage others to do well in class.

In elementary school, I received all A/B grades. I was on my best behavior and never got in

trouble. I was a helper after lunch with Mrs. Rabb’s pre-school class. I really enjoyed helping the little

kids. I washed tables after lunch in the cafeteria. I was part of the “We Deliver” team for three years

and was the leader (Post Master) one of those years. I was also a volunteer leader for our Vacation Bi-

ble School this summer at our church. I participate in sports like volleyball and softball. I enjoy being

involved at school and in our Lena community.

In Junior High, I plan to continue being a good student. I always pay attention in class. I look

for areas for improvement. I am also a good leader. I am a good student and participate in activities after

school. I encourage other students to participate in activities.

One way I would like to improve the school is have a salad bar in the cafeteria. It is tastier food

and a healthier option. I am learning more about the Junior High every day and keeping my eyes open

for other things to improve. Thanks for considering my application for student leadership.

P A G E 9

“3,000 year-round schools enrolled more than 2 million students in the US” (Huebner 1).

Year-round schooling is a topic of controversy. Year-round schooling benefits everyone involved.

Evenly spaced breaks allows students to stay on course with lessons without the learning loss that

tends to come with summer break. Teachers and students also have less burn out with more fre-

quent breaks. Clearly, the idea of spreading the school year out over twelve months benefits stu-

dents, teachers, and families more than the traditional school year calendar.

Summer is a time to relax away from school, but it is also a time to forget. Because of

summer break, most students easily forget math facts and spelling patterns (Huebner 1). Many

students also become lazy during the summer break and lose their educational foundation they

gained during the school year (Klassen 2). It seems the long summer break is not helpful in re-

taining information. Year-round schooling can also benefit kids who struggle more. Students can

receive extra help throughout the year with year-round schooling instead of waiting until summer

school to get caught up (Yeager 2). They can request help from teachers as they go along instead

of have to catch up over summer school. There is also better time management with year-round

schooling. Not as much time is wasted getting used to a new teacher, new classmates, and new

rules when students start a new school year using a year-round calendar (Huebner 1). Teachers

spend a lot time reviewing things learned in the previous year during a traditional year. Year-

round schooling allows teachers to spend more time teaching new material rather than reviewing

the last year’s lessons (Towler 3). Not only does the longer school year help keep materials fresh

in your mind, but it also helps prevent stress and frustration.

Year-round schooling prevents frustrations and burn out. Year-round school replaces

summer vacation with short vacation periods that are placed throughout the year. Families are

able to take vacations at different times throughout the year instead of relying on summer vaca-

tion. Teacher and student stress is reduced as more breaks more often allow for creative vacation-

ing and other stress-reducing activities. For instance, more field trips relating to what is being

learned in class could be planned. Long instruction blocks can be broken down into shorter

lengths of time, which reduces stress because information is not being crammed into a single ses-

sion (Yeager 2). Teachers could break up lessons and add hands-on activities to help students un-

derstand material better. While these are all good points, some people may disagree with year-

round schooling.

Year-round schooling has many advantages, but nothing is perfect. Some argue that it could

cost the school more money due to electricity, transportation, teacher salary, and other additional

expenses. Although, this may be true, the School Improvement Grant offers financial help for

year-round schooling (Zubrzycki 2). Others may say that the changes to the calendar would

change the schedule for extra-curricular activities as well. If the whole district converted, though,

the schedule would not be disrupted (Towler 3).

Year-round schooling has many benefits. These benefits include the prevention of both learn-

ing loss and burn out. The extended school year helps students, teachers, and families reduce

stress due to overwhelming curriculums. Year-round schooling is beneficial to everyone involved.

By: Connor Karnatz

P A G E 1 0

For many kids (in over 3,000 schools around the country), school isn't out for the sum-

mer. The idea if this surfaced in about 1970. (Zubrzycki) Year-round schooling can prevent

many things including summer learning loss. Burnout and overcrowding are also too common

reasons why schools opt to go to this calendar. This changes things for nearby schools and

parents because of scheduling.

There are many reasons to support a year round calendar. The first reason that many

schools switch is because summer learning loss occurs. After students take a long 2 month

break, they come back to school and teachers spend the first quarter having to re-teach the

material the students have forgotten over the summer months. The way this is works is that

Throughout the school year, there are shorter breaks more often rather than longer breaks less

often.(Klassen 1) This means that teachers won't have to spend so much time reviewing the

material lost over a longer summer break. In return, if teachers don't have to spend as much

time reviewing they can teach more material to the students throughout the year. (Towler) If

there is a student that is failing, they can come in during the break to be re-taught the material

they are struggling with. (Zubryzcki) Math facts and spelling material are the two most com-

mon pieces of material that students forget over the summer break.(Huebner 1)

Stress and burnout are also two things that can be very hard on students. Having a

long, two-month summer break means that the school year must be packed into 9 months,

which can be very stressful for both students and teachers. Spreading the school year out can

reduce stress on students. (Yeager 2) Student achievement increases when there are more

breaks spread out through the year.(Huebner 2) There is also time for additional courses for

kids who want more learning or for kids who are struggling with certain material.(Yeager 2)

There are some negatives about year round schooling. If a school were to switch to this calen-

dar, they would have to implement air conditioning due to the high heat of the summer. Also,

the school will have to change sports schedules and parents will have to adjust. Luckily, there

are programs that help pay for the extra costs.

In over 3,000 schools around the country, year round schooling takes place. This has

many reasons it happens. Stress and burnout are two major reasons this happens. As students

go to traditional schools, they are learning material in a shorter amount of time so they can

get through it all. After staying in school, doing this for a while, students and teachers experi-

ence burnout. They are so overwhelmed with all the material they have to cover and go

through. Summer learning loss is another reason for this. As kids go on their annual summer

break, they often come back to school forgetting what they learned in the past school year.

Math facts and spelling are two major things that are forgotten over the summer. Year round

schooling can help majorly in schools around the country.

By: Tyler Croatt

P A G E 1 1

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