SJHS News

Kara Dunn and Kristi Hatch
SJHS Staff Writer

Mr. Darrel Rolfe, principal at Springville Junior High, is retiring this year after 36 years of long hard work, working with students all over Utah.

Mr. Rolfe has worked in several different schools throughout Utah. He started out at Pleasant Grove Junior High teaching English for one year. He has worked as an assistant principal for five years, and taught biology and P.E. for about nine years.   He has also served as a guidance counselor for Spanish Fork High School for twelve years.

Finally, he has worked at Springville Junior High School for three tremendous years as principal.  During his time there, he has made a lot of technological improvements.  He has put LCD projectors in all the rooms, and most of the rooms have document cameras now.

Mr. Rolfe said that he will miss his association with the teachers and the students the most. “I’d do this again.  36 years of teaching, and I’d do it again.  It’s been [a job] where I can look forward to coming to work every day.”

Mr. Rolfe will definitely be missed.  When asked what she would miss most about the principal, Brenda Bales, the secretary, said she would miss his “sweet, smiling face.”  Mr. Knudsen, assistant principal, said he would miss “his professionalism and complete excellence. He always has a good sense of humor.”

Thank you to Mr. Rolfe, an amazing principal of SJHS.

Kara Dunn
SJHS Staff Writer

With the end of the year just around the corner, students, teachers, and faculty members alike are excited for a nice long break before starting up again in August. But before summer vacation, students are to be recognized for their hard work, dedication, perseverance, and improvement in different areas.

On May 24, 2010, parents are invited to attend SJHS’s annual awards assembly for students to receive different awards in different areas for each ones improvement and success. The ninth grade assembly starts at 8:00, and goes until 9:10. The eight grade assembly is from 9:15 till 10:00, and seventh graders are from 10:05-10:50.

Because Springville Junior High is such a large school, rather then having the administration choose awards, teachers, who interact more with the students, choose awards that are given to each students.

Springville Junior High is honored to have such successful students and is looking forward for the opportunity to recognize these students and award them all with everything they deserve.

Andalyn Hall and her pet kangaroo

Students enjoyed learning about kangaroos from Grandpa Dutch.

Kara Dunn
SJHS Staff Writer

On April 28, 2010, students in Ms. Tiffanie Miley’s seventh grade English class were all in shock when a kangaroo jumped into their classroom. Throughout the semester, Andalyn Hall, a student in Ms. Miley’s first period class, has told the class about her grandfather’s kangaroo.  Her grandfather and mom brought the kangaroo in to surprise Andalyn and the rest of the class to celebrate the end of state testing.

Andalyn’s grandfather, Grandpa Dutch, owns a farm in Springville where he raises animals. After his kangaroo is full grown, he will give the kangaroo to one of his friends who keep full grown kangaroos.

Andalyn was just as surprised as everyone else to see a kangaroo walk into their class room. “Andalyn’s face lit up, she was so surprised,” Whitley Hicken said.

“I was so excited when I got to present him to the class,” Andalyn explained.

The class not only got to see and pet the animal, but they also learned a lot about kangaroos. Burke Collings said, “We learned that they can grow up to be six feet tall.” The class also learned that kangaroos use their tail for a third leg and that they are a lot softer then they look.

Ms. Miley’s class was excited and eager to learn about this animal, and was grateful for the opportunity to learn hands on.

Springville Junior High School’s Student-Led Conferences will be held tonight from 3:30-8:30 pm.  The purpose of the Student-Led Conference is two-fold.  First, students will be actively involved in reflecting on their progress and accomplishments.  Second, the Student-Led Conferences provide an opportunity for students to improve communication skills and discuss their understanding of their own learning process.

Students will have the opportunity to present their parents with a collection of work and progress reports gathered from all classes.  Most importantly, the administration and teachers of SJHS hope students and parents will celebrate the completion of the portfolio and excellent work which has been done.

It is optional for parents to visit with any teachers, and since the students will be conducting their own conference with their parents, the teachers will be available to visit with parents if they have questions or concerns.  It is hoped that parents will come away from this experience with more knowledge and understanding of their child’s experience and performance at SJHS.

Kara Dunn
SJHS Staff Writer

Mr. Booth’s ninth grade band class competed in a district festival on April 16, 2010, at Spanish Fork High School. The ninth grade band has been preparing for this festival since before Christmas and has worked hard to get to where they are today.

The band played three pieces of music: Appalachian Morning, Lost Mountain, and All Glory Told. These pieces of music were challenging, and difficult for the band to learn. They worked hard, and dedicated their band class to becoming better.

The ninth grade band will also be performing in a district festival at U.V.U on May fifth, where they will be performing the same songs.

Kara Dunn
SJHS Staff Writer

Students at Springville Junior High School are considered very lucky to have the opportunities they do, by living here, in the United States. Other teens in the world aren’t as lucky to be able to go to school all through high school.

In an effort to help other teens in other places of the world, Springville Junior High is participating in fundraiser to help earn money for students around the world that aren’t as fortunate as others.

Yuda Bands are bracelets made by students in Guatemala that are then shipped to the US to be sold. Yuda Bands will be sold during lunch for seven dollars, or three for twenty, April 13th – 23rd. All the money that is raised is given to students in Guatemala to pay for their high school experience.

Springville Junior High is working hard to help other students benefit and receive the education that they deserve.

Kristi Hatch
SJHS Staff Writer

Attention! Attention!  If you’re a 7th or 8th grader at SJHS, this is your chance to be on the 2010-2011 yearbook staff!  The time has come to sign up to help make this memorable book for the whole school.

Yearbook is a fun class that lets you use your imagination.  You get to design pages, think of a theme, and put it all together.  You get to put your ideas with others’ and come up with an amazing book that the entire student body will remember for the rest of their lives.

It’s not all fun and games, however.  You need to do research, talk to teachers and students, and hurry to make deadlines.  To be on the yearbook staff, you need to be hard-working and dedicated so that the yearbook gets done on time.  You need to manage time wisely and come up with creative ideas in order to benefit the book.

If you’re a creative, hardworking person, and interested in being on the staff, pick up an application at the counseling office and turn it in to Ms. Neeley in room 58.

Kristi Hatch
SJHS Staff Writer

On Thursday, April 15, 2010, students at Springville Junior High School got to attend a movie at Spanish 8 Theater.  This activity is a reward for having 95% attendance that term, along with good citizenship grades and no F’s.

Three movies were offered: Alice in Wonderland, How to Train Your Dragon, and The Lightning Thief.  Congratulations to these students!

Springville Junior High would like to announce openings for the 2010-2011 School Community Council.  Each year, the School LAND Trust Program distributes an annual dividend to public schools in the state. The members of SJHS’s School Community Council will prepare a plan to decide how this money will be spent at our school and how we can best use it to address our current academic needs.   If you are interested in serving on the council, please send your contact information to Trent Mikesell at trent.mikesell@nebo.edu.  On the night of our student-led conference (Thursday, April 29th), a voting area will be set up outside the main office where other parents will elect members of the council.  Council members serve two years.  In order to be eligible, you must have a student attending SJHS next year.  Again, please send your name and any questions you may have to Trent Mikesell.  Thanks so much for your help!

The students who were named Citizens of the Year at SJHS are: 7th graders Annie Anderson, Emilee Christensen, Claire Hatch, Olivia Monney, Mikel Everett, Jose Romero, Hadley Roberts, Austin Dayton, Chandler Collings, Tegan Jenkins, 8th graders Paige Smith, Megan Miller, Medina Dore, Joee Lowe, Victoria Ireland, Max Schreiner, Gabe Campbell, Collin Pope, Zachary Ewing, Christopher Taylor, and 9th graders Maddie Staheli, Libby Devenish, Cicely Potter, Kara Dunn, Mindy Stapel, Braden Peterson, Mark Singleton, Mitchell Rose, Aaron Brown, and Matthew Vaughan.

Kara Dunn
SJHS Staff Writer

Springville Junior High has a tradition that once every year, thirty students, ten from each grade, are selected to be students of the year. On April 2, 2010, these students went on a special field trip to Trafalga Family Fun Center for being voted citizens of the year at Springville Junior High. These students were nominated by teachers and staff for being outstanding citizens.

Students were allowed free passage to everything that Trafalga could offer, as well as a discount on their food. Springville Junior High paid for pizza, and students were allowed to do whatever they could find to do, including miniature golf, go karts, and arcade games, before heading back to school.  These students worked hard to earn this trip, and are congratulated by Springville Junior High.

Kristi Hatch
SJHS Staff Writer

All year, eight SJHS students have been working hard to bring you a book that you will keep for the rest of your life.  Now all that’s left is for YOU to buy one!

Yearbook Week is April 19-23.  This is the time for SJHS students to buy their 2009-2010 yearbook.  During this week, students who have bought a yearbook are put into a drawing for prizes, and a prize will be given away every day.  The last prize that will be given away will be an iPod shuffle, and you could be the winner!

So don’t wait! Be sure to buy your yearbook before they run out! It’s your chance to be entered in a drawing for prizes!  You don’t want to be left out, so be sure to bring your $20.00 to the finance office before it’s too late!

Chris Crowe, author of Mississippi Trial 1955

Kara Dunn
SJHS Staff Writer

In Mrs. Bass’s ninth grade English classes, they have been reading “Mississippi Trial 1955,” by Chris Crowe. As part of their learning experience, Mrs. Bass’s classes invited Dr. Crowe, an English Education professor from BYU, to come and speak to them about his book and the history behind it.

The book is about the famous Mississippi Trial and a boy who lived during that time. Dr. Crowe spoke about the cause of the trial, the results, and how different society was back then from how it is today.

“I’m glad to meet new people who are reading my books,” Crowe said. Springville Junior High was grateful for the opportunity to hear from such a famous author and were able to connect the words on the page to the story that was told.

Seventh graders Emilee Christensen, Whitley Hicken, Andalyn Hall, Hannah Parker and Courtney O’Halloran dressed up on “Character Day.”

Kristi Hatch and Kara Dunn
SJHS Staff Writers

Every year, Springville Junior High School celebrates R.A.S.K. Week (Random Acts of Selfless Kindness). The purpose of this week is to encourage the students to perform service for others to form unity in the school.  The Service Learning class came up with different ideas to get students to get excited about helping others.  Each day, there’s a different theme to help students remember to help each other.

Starting on Monday, March 22, there were different activities going on at SJHS.  Monday was Sports Day, when students could dress up in their sports clothes and “Sport” Kindness, and there were organized sports outside during lunch.

Tuesday was Crazy Day.  Students dressed up in their craziest clothes, and could pay $1 to tape Mrs. Johnson, one of the vice principals, to the wall during lunch.

Wednesday was Movie Character Day, and students were encouraged to show their “character” by doing acts of kindness, and during lunch Pixar shorts were played in the auditorium.

Thursday was Retro Day. “Don’t make kindness a thing of the past” was the motto.  You could color with chalk outside during lunch.

Last of all, Friday was School Spirit Day.  Students showed their spirit by wearing school colors, red and blue, and singing karaoke in the lunchroom.

Kara Dunn
SJHS Staff Writer

Springville Junior High is blessed to have such a wonderful faculty and staff, teaching them, helping them, and most importantly, being their friend. One of these amazing staff members is Ms. Diane Hamilton, a math teacher at SJHS for students who need additional instruction and help in Pre-algebra and Algebra 1A.

Before starting to work at Springville Junior High eleven years ago, Ms. Hamilton graduated from BYU, and started looking around for a job. “SJHS called me, and here I am,” Ms. Hamilton explained.

Outside of teaching, Ms. Hamilton has many interests such as reading, playing Dr. Mario, watching movies, and hanging out with her friends. She also enjoys animals. “When I was little I used to want to be a vet, but now I’m a teacher and I love it.”

One of Ms. Hamilton’s other interest is American Sign Language (ASL). “I love ASL, I want to try and teach it at SJHS someday,” Ms. Hamilton said.

Just like everyone else in the world, Ms. Hamilton has her own set of dreams she wants to fulfill. “I want to be a school physiologist someday, but for now I am more than happy to be here teaching my fabulous students!” She is currently going to U.S.U. to receive her master’s degree and someday may fulfill that dream.

Kristi Hatch
SJHS Staff Writer

At SJHS, there are some pretty amazing people.  The administration is always helping out students, and teachers come every day in order to give students the education they need to be successful in life.  At the end of each year, however, Springville Junior High School recognizes some students who have been “Super Citizens.”

These students have been nominated by teachers and staff at SJHS, and they receive a letter to their parents (to inform them of the great things their child has done), a certificate, and they get to go on a field trip on Friday, April 2nd.

The students who have received the awards are: 7th graders Annie Anderson, Emilee Christensen, Claire Hatch, Olivia Monney, Mikel Everett, Jose Romero, Hadley Roberts, Austin Dayton, Chandler Collings, Tegan Jenkins, 8th graders Paige Smith, Megan Miller, Medina Dore, Joee Lowe, Victoria Ireland, Max Schreiner, Gabe Campbell, Collin Pope, Zachary Ewing, Christopher Taylor, and 9th graders Maddie Staheli, Libby Devenish, Cicely Potter, Kara Dunn, Mindy Stapel, Braden Peterson, Mark Singleton, Mitchell Rose, Aaron Brown, and Matthew Vaughan. Congratulations to these students!