mendon buzz · mendon buzz a newsletter brought ... during the first week of december, mr....

MENDON BUZZ A newsletter brought to you by the Mendon Middle/High School Journalism Club

VOL. 1, ISSUE 1 12.14.2017

Trip photos courtesy of

Susie Shimer and

Crystal Feek

Trip to the Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago By Kerrigan Gage

On November 28th, Mrs. Jergens took her Physics class and two

Chemistry classes to the Science and Industry Museum in

Chicago. In small groups, students visited various areas of the

museum where they saw many interesting artifacts such as the

German U-505 Submarine that was captured by the U.S. in

1944. The students also saw numerous other exhibits in the

building, including robots that could draw pictures and

dance. Some of the other popular exhibits included the mirror

maze, fairy castle, human body display, among many others. They

explored, ate lunch at the cafe, food court, and coffee shop. They

took lots of pictures, especially of the enormous Christmas

tree. Mrs. Jergens, Mr. Rivard, Mrs. Shimer, and several parents

chaperoned the adventure. The classes had tons of fun and truly

enjoyed the museum; the trip was a great educational way for

them to learn about the interesting aspects of the scientific field. A

special thank you to the Mendon Foundation for generously

funding this amazing field trip.

The Hornets’ Nest Learning Center

By Matt Bakeman

The Hornets’ Nest Learning Center is open for middle and high

school students who would like help with their school work or are

just looking for a quiet place to study. Students can work alone or

with friends. The hours are currently limited, but may be expanded

if the need arises. Presently, they are open on Tuesdays from

5:00 - 7:00pm and Wednesdays from 3:15 - 5:00pm. It is located

at 217 West Main Street in the building that was the former Blue

Bird Cafe’. It will be staffed by trained and screened volunteers.

The Mendon Football Tradition By Kaylee Allison

What is tradition? Tradition is the passing on of beliefs and customs

from one generation to another. For our football coach Bobby

Kretschman, who started coaching right after he graduated, he has

gotten to see the traditions grow over 12 seasons. He said that the

most important tradition is the hard work all of the boys put in over the

summer and throughout the year. The boys on the team know what is

expected of them; they respect that and give it their all. The oldest

tradition is when they bring up the J.V team for the playoff

games. Bobby feels that it gives the lower classmen a good

experience. During playoff season when we have a home game, we

often schedule it for a Saturday because the coaches feel it makes it

special for the boys to play at that time. The coaches let the boys

play in their grey jerseys once or twice a season; they are not allowed

to wear them more than twice a season because the MHSAA rules

say that their uniforms have to be mostly green. When the boys wear

these jerseys, the coaches feel that it too makes the boys feel

special. All in all, these boys become a family over the years they

play together, repeating tradition and creating new ones.

Mendon Drama Club

The Mendon Drama Club proudly and successfully performed its fall

production of “A Comedy of Errors” by William Shakespeare on

November 17th-19th. The show was well-received and very well

done; the cast and crew did an exceptional job. Next up, the drama

club will be bringing the musical “James and the Giant Peach” to the

stage in the spring.

Mendon Middle/High School

148 Kirby Rd. Mendon, MI 49072

(269) 496-8491

Photo by Kaylee Allison


VOL. 1, ISSUE 1 12.14.2017

Mendon Considers Change that May Impact Farmers Market By Zoey Carnes

The Mendon Village Council is thinking about charging rent for the

Farmers Market. Village Manager John Hyden said that some

Mendon residents questioned the council about why they are charged

rent for the using the pavilion but the Farmers Market isn ’t

charged. Some vendors are worried, that because they are small

businesses, the fees will force them out of the market. Right now, the

Village Council is waiting to hear back from the Farmers Market group

to discuss the change. The next Village council meeting is set for

December 11th.

Pep Rally!!!!! By Rosalie Wittendorf

Mendon High School had a pep rally on November 11th, 2017 to

celebrate several of our teams. The Mendon volleyball and cross

country teams were recognized for their excellent performance, and

entire football team was also congratulated for their season. The

assembly also included the band playing “The Mendon Fight Song”

and “All I Do is Win”.

Biology Class Project By Rosalie Wittendorf, Sarai Hawley, & Katherine Miller

During the first week of December, Mr. Rivard’s biology class began a

science experiment to learn about bacteria, their three primary

shapes, and how the organism multiplies. The students swabbed

various surfaces around the classroom and grew the samples in petri

dishes in an incubator over the weekend. On Monday, Mr. Rivard

showed them how to stain the bacteria and the safety procedures that

should be followed during the process. With this in mind, they stained

their bacteria with their table partners on Tuesday. The samples were

then observed under microscopes. The class had a great time with

the project

.

Change War Competition

From November 6th through November 21st, the Middle School

Federation and High School Senate held a Change War competition

to see which grades could earn the most “loose change” for Keystone

Place in Centreville. Together, the students raised $564!!! Wow!!!

Mendon Band : A Legend in the Process of Revival? By Nick Slocum

Who were state champs in 1948, 1949, 1950? Division champs in 1950, 1953, 1955? Won multiple championship titles throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s? Mendon’s football program? Basketball? Baseball? Wrestling?

The answer is none of these. The answer is the Mendon Band. In the twentieth century, Mendon’s band was a force to be reckoned with. In 2016, the band program suffered a major loss when Mr.Gaertner, the band director of 16 years, left the Mendon school district. After completing a successful fall marching and winter concert season with interim director Brian Shetterly, current director Mrs. Keck took over. Mrs. Keck believes that Mendon’s band program will come back better and stronger than ever before, and that the current members of the band are the stepping stone to becoming the best that the program has ever been. The band is one of the strongest families you can be a part of, and will continue to march and play with pride. The future looks promising for Mendon music!



(269) 496-8491

Photos courtesy of Liz Kelley and Carolyn Link


VOL. 1, ISSUE 1 12.14.2017

Mendon Varsity Football Season By Beatrice Mikel

Mendon Varsity Football won 12 games and only lost 1 in the 2017 season. The team had a fantastic year and fought their hardest and best, Let’s go, Hornets! Let's go to state next year! We believe in you! Mendon isn’t just any football team; we are The Mendon Hornets! Go Green!

REGULAR SEASON Mendon vs Bloomingdale 39-0 Mendon vs Eau Claire 54-0 Mendon vs Hartford 41-14 Mendon vs Bangor 61-0 Mendon vs White Pigeon 42-7 Mendon vs Centerville 49-0 Mendon vs Decatur (homecoming) 41-0 Mendon vs Cassopolis 34-24 Mendon vs Marcellus 45-0 PLAYOFFS Mendon vs St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic 28-12 Mendon vs Muskegon Catholic 26-15 Mendon vs Climax Scott 14-6 Mendon vs Ottawa Lake-Whiteford 21-50

National Honor Society

The Mendon High School National Honor has been very busy this fall and winter with many events for and with the community. Here is a brief summary of their recent accomplishments and upcoming projects. Recent Projects : From November 2nd through December 15th, NHS held their first annual toy drive. Donations were given to local

homeless and assault shelters.

From November 13th through December 8th, the second annual food drive took place. Both the elementary and middle/high schools held competitions for prizes. In total, nearly 2000 items were donated to our local food pantry. Midwest Energy and Communications also generously donated $1000 toward the drive. As an additional part of this project, NHS provided Thanksgiving meals to 12 local families. On November 14th, the NHS students assisted with Mendon Elementary’s STEM night helping with dinner as well the educational stations. This year’s induction ceremony was held on November 27th. 14 new members were inducted into National Honor Society, bringing the group’s current membership to 35. The Senior Citizen Luncheon and Grandparents’ Day was December 14th. NHS members escorted attendees from the parking lot and through the building as well as serving lunch and helping with other various tasks. The middle and high school bands performed, and the entire afternoon was very enjoyable and successful. Upcoming Projects : * Adopt-A-Family : 6 families will be provided food and presents for Christmas during December * Elementary Holiday Carnival on December 20th * Community Dinners : 2 members help every Thursday at the Methodist Church * Concession stand workers at athletic events * Spring clean-up at both the elementary and middle/high school * Second annual fundraiser * Special Olympics with the St. Joe County ISD * Blood Drive

Recent & Upcoming Events

12/14 Senior Citizen Luncheon 12/15 Snowball Dance after Basketball Game 12/20 MS/HS Winter Concert 12/23 Winter Break Begins 01/08 School Resumes 01/19 End of 1st Semester



(269) 496-8491

Photos courtesy of Lisa Vedmore and Haley Kramer

mendon buzz · mendon buzz a newsletter brought ... during the first week of december, mr....

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