Surprise baby shower held for science teacher

 

By HAILEY SMITH and PAIGE HARMON

What is it like to be pregnant and teaching?

Sixth grade science teacher Ms. Lara Stamper says, “It’s okay; the students are okey with it, but’s more tiring than usual.” Ms. Stamper’s baby should be coming in the next month or so and South Middle School faculty and staff held a surprise shower in her honor Oct. 19 in the library.

Ms. Stamper received presents and a cake, but she did not have to open any of the presents. She left that to her five-year-old, who quickly and efficiently took care of the task.

The baby will be named Evan Grant Stamper.

(Photo: Ms. Lara Stamper opens presents during her baby shower Thursday in the SMS Library. Photo by Paige Harmon)

Is South Middle School safe?

By LAINIE NICOLAS

 On Monday, Oct. 9, a seventh grade student at Memorial Middle School came into the school with an assault rifle. He fired one shot into the ceiling and then was apprehended. After this event, some students and faculty in Joplin feared for the safety of their schools.

Mr. Ron Mitchell, South Middle School principal, said he did not fear for South students’ safety that day. “No, I really wasn’t worried about us; we were notified about what happened, so we were okay her.

Some South students thought the school had gone into a lockdown that day, but we were not, Mr. Mitchell said.  During a lockdown, “we turn off the lights and the teacher locks the door and you go into a corner of the classroom. In an evacuation, we would go down to Irving (Elementary).”

After the incident at Memorial, some students were still worried about the safety of the school and thought we might get metal detectors at the doors and at the moment there are no plans of adding them, Mr. Mitchell said.

“We were lucky,” he said, “because we already had pretty good safety precautions.” Anyone coming in the back door after 8 a.m. cannot come in without being stopped by a faculty member. Visitors have to come in the front door and go through the office. Other doors are locked.

SMS Vocal Department fall program is a success

“Sing, Sing,” the South Middle School fall vocal music program, was presented Oct. 9 under the guidance of director Ms. Julie Yonkers.

   The program included six numbers from the Concert Choir, “Sing, Sing,” “Something Told the Wild Geese,” “Gloria Del Patris,” “Down by the Riverside,” “The Turtle Dove,” featuring a Katie Wood solo, and “The Voices of America,” with solos by Mariah Sanders and Taylor Camden.

 The Southern Belles, South’s show choir, performed “Broadway Ladies.”

Concert Choir members are: Andrea Alexander, Cierra Asher, Jacqueline Bogarin, Tozia Burris, Cameron Bryan, Taylor Camden, Nikki Carter, Gina Casada, Beau Carroll, Jordan Chambers, Tolby Clemons, Christen Cool, Cecil Cornish, Tanner Crawford, Cynthia Crouch, Takada Davis, Hannah Doerge, Ariana Dudley, Shane Ellis, Rachel Ethridge, Tara Fleming, Rachel Foster, Leah Forkner, Makenzie Freeman, Jared Fuller, Christina Gates, Tessa Gordon, Justene Gowing, Jordan Hamilton, Kole Hammond, Paige Harmon, Alexis Hawk, Colten Hawkins, Jamie Hartje, Lacy Heiskell, Ashley Henson, Christy Hernandez, Joe Huddleston, Rachelle Hughbank, Andrew Ideker, Alex Johnson, Shaynee Johnson, Selena Jordan, Alex Karns, Katie Kemmery, Dylan King, Tera Knight, Lauren Layne, Kelley Leach, Grant Lewis, Loryn Ligon, Tessa Luper, Breanna Martin, Sarah Matthews, Adriana Maturino, Shelby McDonald, Tori Mitchell, Amber Morris, Holly O’Dell, Nayelli Ortiz, Kelsey Pace, Sarah Painter, Cindy Pham, Katie Phelps, MacKenzy Pierce, Tymber Pope, Dylan Prauser, Tyra Raby, Rachel Richins, Hannah Rosario, Jesse Rowe, Abby Sadler, Mariah Sanders, Mollie Sanders, Adam Schilling, Cassey Schultze, Beau Scroggins, Kaylee Sexton, Shelby Shumaker, Alicia Shofner, Angela Sliger, Amber Smith, Hailey Smith, Sydney Snider, Shanna Striegel, Kaitlin Sullivan, Taylor Tressler, Emily Tripoli, Hannah Ward, Samantha Warren, Kris Watts, Sarah Wells, Ashley Whittington, Kendra Wilson, Tamera Wirick, Katie Wood, Shandera Workman, Jaclyn Wright, and Nichole Yeoman.

Members of the Southern Belles are:

Taylor Camden, Jordan Chambers, Hannah Doerge, Tara Fleming, Leah Forkner, Christy Hernandez, Tera Knight, Lauren Layne, Tessa Luper, Sarah Matthews, Tori Mitchell, Amber Morris, Cindy Pham, Tymber Pope, Hannah Rosario, Mariah Sanders, Mollie Sanders, Shelby Shumaker, Taylor Tressler, Kendra Wilson, Katie Wood, Jaclyn Wright, and Nichole Yeoman.

LAB members read to elementary students

Girls basketball team to open season

The South Middle School seventh and eighth grade girls basketball teams will open their schedule Monday night at Carthage. The first home game is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 2, at Memorial Middle School.

Missouri schools falling behind in teaching world history; South heads in opposite direction

By BECKY COOPER

A recent survey by the Heartland Institute shows Missouri students are not learning world history. Missouri and most other states received failing grades when it comes to teaching world history.

The only states earning A’s in the survey were California, Massachusetts, Virginia, Indiana, Georgia, New York, Minnesota, and South Carolina.

Though Missouri students as a whole are not being taught world history correctly, that is not the problem at South Middle School.

Eighth grader Christen Cool says her seventh grade world history teacher Mr. Jason Weaver “explains what he’s teaching us; he makes it to where we want to learn.”

One problem for Missouri schools has been the focus on getting good scores on the MAP tests, with the emphasis on math and communication arts. Fewer school districts buy the social studies MAP test because of its cost ($9.25 per student).

Of course, it also depends on the teacher. If teachers do not really care about their subject, they are not going to teach it to the best of their ability.

Mr. Weaver said. “I think world history is one of the most important subjects I could be teaching middle school students; I like the things I teach to be worthwhile.

Faculty basketball game set for tonight

The Middle School Co-Ed Faculty Basketball Game will be held 7 p.m. today at Memorial Middle School. Admission is $1.

The first game will pit North Middle School teachers against Memorial teachers.

The winner will play South in the second game.

South faculty members scheduled to play are: Mr. Ron Mitchell, Mr. Kasey Pliler, Mr. Mike Wallace, Mr. Jermaine Boykin, Mr. Brent Thompson, Ms. Yonika Powell, Ms. Barb Rooker, and Ms. Joyce Wall.

South cheerleaders will be: Ms. Angela Mense, Ms. Maribel Chairez, Ms.  Crystal Burkhart, Ms. Linda Weaver, and Ms. Claire Ervin.

Ms. Jamie Washburn will be at the concession stand, Ms. Corinne Koch on the camera, Ms. KarenSue Hensley will serve as the announcer, and Ms. Jennifer Wallace will work the clock.

Former SMS students part of JHS Homecoming royalty

Two former South Middle School students were among the homecoming royalty recently at Joplin High School.

  Paige Curry was the junior attendant for the homecoming queen, while Haylee Coleman was the sophomore attendant.

Reading promotion kickoff held

The kickoff assembly for the South Middle School Reading Promotion was held Monday morning in the auditorium. This year’s goal is 1,200 books. More information will be featured later in Room 210 News.