Ninth Graders Dance Their Way into Winter Guard

School Activities, Sports, Student Life, Student Spotlight December 21st, 2009

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SJHS students Kara Dunn and Makaiah Williams made the high school Winter Guard team.

Hayde Blanco
SJHS Staff Writer

Winter Guard tryouts took place in mid-November, and two ninth graders from SJHS made it in. Kara Dunn and Makaiah Williams worked hard to learn the routines and dances, and they were excited to make it into Winter Guard.

The girls had to go to the high school and learn an eight count flag routine and a dance. Then they had to go perform it for girls that were in Winter Guard but are now graduated and came back to help.

Winter Guard does many things. They do flag and rifle spinning and dances. They have competitions where they get to show off their dance and routines to the other schools. Their first competition is January 30th at Orem High School. They also do the salute at the basketball games.

The ninth graders like working with the older girls. Makaiah said, “It is cool to get to know the older girls and hang out with them.” Kara and Makaiah both love winter guard. Kara said, “Winter Guard is the highlight of my week.”

SJHS students make the high school girls basketball team

Sports, Student Life, Student Spotlight December 11th, 2009

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Hannah Packard, Amberly Austin and Ashli Averett, 9th graders at SJHS, show their Red Devil pride.

Andrew Garza
SJHS Staff writer

This year, three ninth-grade students at Springville Junior High made the Springville High School girl’s basketball team: Ashli Averett, Amberly Austin, and Hannah Packard.

“I think it is really cool and great experience to be on the high school basketball team,” said Ashli Averett, one of the freshmen that made it to the girls high school basketball team. Ashli said, “I watched my sister play for many years. She had a lot of fun, and learned a lot. I hope to get the same experience.” Ashli also said, “Basketball is a lot of work, but it’s so much fun. I love it.” Ashli’s siblings, dad, and cousins have played high school basketball, and she said they are the ones who help her and teach her new skills.

Hannah Packard, another freshman that made the high school basketball team, said that she thinks high school basketball is a good opportunity and a privilege. Hannah said,“Basketball is one of my favorite sports.” Hannah has also been to many high school basketball games and wants to be like the people who play in them. She likes basketball because of the “Intensity-it’s a sport where you think and need skill.”

Amberly Austin, the other freshman that made the high school basketball team, said, “I think it is a big accomplishment to make the team as a freshman. It is something I have wanted to do since I was little.” Amberly said she went to some games last year and liked it because the intensity level is a lot higher. Amberly also said, “I like basketball because it is a fun sport and it is also a team sport.

Wishes Being Granted at SJHS

Classes, School Activities, Student Life November 17th, 2009

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Jacob Buhler, Oscar Portillo and Jace Hartman sold stars during lunch.

Katya Wagstaff
SJHS Staff Writer

The first wish granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation was for Christopher James Greicius in Arizona.  Since that time, Make-A-Wish has grown to become a non-profit organization that has granted wishes all over the world.  Springville Junior High students have helped grant the wish of Jessenia, a seven-year-old girl who has ALL leukemia.  Jessenia wishes to go to Disneyworld and meet all the Disney princesses.

Students in the service learning class at SJHS, taught by Mrs. Diane Bird, are in charge of the Make-A-Wish fundraiser for Jessenia.  During lunch, stars can be purchased for a dollar each.  Each student puts their name on the star and places it on the wall, showing that they have donated.  If students donate $1,000, an SHS Student Council member, Josh Buhler, will have half of his body shaved.  Though the stars were a dollar each, any amount of money given was appreciated.  These stars were sold November second through the ninth.

The service learning students in charge of this fundraiser are Jace Hartman, Oscar Portillo, and Jacob Buhler.  Jacob Buhler and Oscar Portillo both feel that they have a bond with Jessenia even though they haven’t met her.  A ninth-grade student who has helped sell stars, Cami Sumsion, said, “Even though I don’t know her, I’ve come to love her.”

SJHS students aren’t the only ones donating money for Jessenia’s wish, Springville High and Mapleton Junior High are helping out too.  SJHS hopes that Josh gets shaved, and everyone can’t wait to see Jessenia’s wish come true!

Carnival is Held at SHS to Help Jessenia’s Wish Come True

Classes, Community Events, School Activities November 17th, 2009

Hayde Blanco
SJHS Staff Writer

The annual Make-a-Wish Carnival was held at Springville High School on Monday, November 9 from 6 to 8:30. This carnival helped raise money to make Jessenia’s wish come true. Jessenia has ALL Leukemia, and her wish is to go to Disneyworld and meet all of the Disney princesses.

This carnival had games like pie throwing, an ice cream eating contest, miniature golf, face painting, standing long jump, skateboard races and pin the tail on the devil. Springville Junior High’s service learning class had the chance to help out in some of the events. The events that service learning helped out were skateboard races and standing long jump. Participants sat on the skateboard and pushed off with plungers for the skateboard races. Then for the standing long jump people stood on a line and jumped as far as they could. The further participants jumped, the more candy they won.

Springville Junior High is hoping to raise $1,000 for Jessenia.  If they do, Josh Buhler, a member of the Springville High School student council, has volunteered to help motivate people to buying more stars by shaving half of his hair off. Mrs. Diane Bird, service learning and sewing teacher at SJHS, said, “It would really be nice to see Josh Buhler’s head shaven.” Haley Norman, a seventh grader here at Springville Junior High said that her favorite games were miniature golf and the face painting. Haley also said, “This was a really good way to earn money for Jessenia.”