the blue jay news - jamestown public schools › activities › blue jay...while writing this, i’m...
TRANSCRIPT
Fall 2015
The Blue Jay News
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Governor’s School ........................................ 2-3
Fashion Column ........................................ 4
Movie Review ........................................ 4
Book Review ........................................ 5
New Teachers
........................................
6-7
Students at Work ………………………………….8
Junk of the Month ........................................ 9
Creative Writing
........................................
10-17
Destination Jamestown ………………………………...
18
Our Online Edition can be
found at www.jhs.jamestown.k12.nd.us
Bob Mortimer speaks to students about self-esteem and social media
This wasn’t Bob Mortimer’s first visit to JHS, but the results were
the same: delivering a powerful message to the students and a mix-
ture of laughter, dead silence, and even some tears.
Bob may be missing an arm and two legs due to making a poor
choice as a teenager, but he assured the JHS students that he does
not have a handicap. “They are adjustments,” he says, “not handi-
caps.” Bob has had to
make adjustments in
his life, just as students
will have to do every
day. “The only handi-
cap I have,...the only
handicap any one of
you will ever have is the
handicaps you put on
yourself,” Mortimer
states.
Mortimer’s discussion
revolved around self-
esteem, prejudices, al-
cohol and drug abuse,
and the dangers of so-
cial media.
For more information about Bob Mortimer’s Motiva-
tional Ministries, check out his webpage at
www.hcjourney.org
Bob Mortimer entertains students with his
harmonica and a song he wrote.
My Governor’s School experience
By Emily Lauinger
When I applied for North
Dakota’s Governor’s School for
English, I had no idea what to ex-
pect. All I knew was that I wanted
to go there but wasn’t actually sure
if I would like it.
After my application was
sent away, I spent the next few
weeks worrying about whether I got
in or not. Then once I did, I spent a
couple more weeks wondering
about what it would be like, both
exciting and scaring myself. Now,
sitting with my laptop propped up
on my knees, I recall my experience
not with horror, but with joy and
reverence.
We would wake up at be-
fore the morning meeting at 8:15.
During these we discussed group
activities that were being planned,
had guest speakers (such as Miss
North Dakota, who is an alumni of
NDGS), helped create an app for
future NDGS scholars, and learned
how to communicate what we were
learning through our bodies. These
usually went on for an hour and
then we went to class until lunch,
which was at 11:00-1:00, depending
on your teacher. It was never less
than an hour. After that you went
back to class until about 4:00. Of
course, it depended on your disci-
pline (what you were studying)
when you would be released. We
had a fine arts class Tuesdays and
Thursdays. We had many long days,
but yet we had more adventures.
Wednesdays and Fridays were free
and we had tons of fun activities
during the weekend. These included
a trip to Minneapolis, canoeing, and
many other things that will always
hold a special place in my heart.
I’m not going to describe
every single day and detail of gover-
nor’s school. The experience is dif-
ferent for everyone with one thing
(continued to page 3)
“It made it the most memorable summer of my life.”
How can you apply for Governor’s School?
If you have above-average scholas-
tic abilities and are interested in
learning more in Architecture and
Landscape Architecture, Engineer-
ing, English Studies, Information
Technology, Laboratory Science,
Mathematics, or Visual Arts, we want
you to apply to become a member of
the North Dakota Governor's
Schools class of 2016.
North Dakota Governor's Schools is
a six-week residential program for
scholastically motivated North Dako-
ta high school sophomores and
juniors. Students live, work, and
have fun on NDSU's campus. Gov-
ernor's Schools academic programs
offer high-quality, concentrated
instruction from NDSU faculty
through classroom experiences,
discussion groups, labs, field trips,
and other activities. Applications will
be available January 26th and due
by March 1st!
2
Changes for Jamestown’s National Honor Society this year
By Jennifer Nannenga
This year the National Honor Society (NHS) changed its dues for
entering the national system. They raised the rates by three hundred dollars.
The original entrance fee was eighty five dollars but now it is three hundred
and eighty five dollars.
Because of this price change the JHS members of NHS were not go-
ing to enter the national NHS because of the price change. Fortunately, the
advisor , Mrs. Mullowney, had set aside enough funds to pay for the fee for a
year. Now the decision of JHS has been changed. JHS is now going to enter
the national NHS program.
Hopefully there will be some change in price over the next year due
to most school’s budget doesn’t allow for a price change like this.
JAMESTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS MOVES TO STAR 360 TESTING, GETS RID OF NWEA
Students this year at JHS in
both math and English classes
will be taking a new type of
assessment. Adopted by the
district this year, this new
assessment, Star 360, will
replace the previous NWEA
tests.
Many students already took
the Star 360 test this fall.
Similar to the NWEA tests, the
program adjusts questions to
make them more difficult or
easier, depending how stu-
dents answer the previous
question. The testing is
aligned with both ND state
standards and Common Core.
Some of the feedback students
get from the test are their
Lexile score, grade equivalen-
cy, and their percentile rank
as compared to how other
students in their grade per-
formed on the test.
Another benefit of the assess-
ment is that it can be taken as
many times as a teacher sees
the need to take it. The tests
guide teachers in their plan-
ning to help those who strug-
gle, those who need to hone in
on their skills, and to push
those who are advanced.
JHS plans to assess its stu-
dents at least three times this
school year.
3
in common: It was perfect. Sure, ethics class (7-8 Mondays every week
for all 92 of us) bored us to tears. It was still the closest knit community
I have and will ever know. Everyone supported each other through the
long hours of studying, the horrible walks to classes, the hot weather
(sorry for those who had to wear long pants for their labs), the other
camps forcing their way into our territory, and everything else in be-
tween. Even those we didn’t talk to were like friends. We were all nerds,
whether we be socialites or outcasts. Together we were a family. Even
while writing this, I’m snapchatting friends I made while there. They are
some of the closest friends I’ve ever had.
There was not a dry eye at our closing ceremony. I hugged peo-
ple that I didn’t even talk to that much. It was honestly terrifying, but I
loved it. I still have my beloved neck wallet that once held my key and
still has my lunch card (although that is now useless). I have friends
from all over the state, which not a lot of people can really say. NDGS
didn’t steal five weeks of my summer. It made it the most memorable
summer of my life.
Governor’s School (cont. from page 2)
FASHION COLUMN: AESTHETICS
By Rory Cole Look, we can all admit that we have a particular aesthetic. For in-stance, mine would probably have to do with a nice looking forest, or a scene out of a Wes Anderson movie. The definition of aes-thetic can be broken down to this: "Concerned with beauty or ap-preciation of beauty." So basically, things that you find beautiful and want to see more of is an aesthetic. Some popular aesthetics this year are: Pastel Everything. I can not stress this enough, if you so much as dyed your toilet paper light pink, someone out there would love it. Grunge. "Everything that goes around, comes around" is a term that can be used here. People find flannels and black shoes beauti-ful. One man's unwashed sweater is another man's aesthetic I guess. The Princess Aesthetic. Known for the phrase "Touch my butt and buy me pizza" this aesthetic is basically pretty women asserting their place as queen. The Alternative Aesthetic. Primarily made up of white boys in black and white tattoos with cigarettes dangling out of their mouths while they look at the camera sad forlorn, this aesthetic is actually really liked. Don't ask me.
MOVIE REVIEW By Rory Cole
KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE
First things first: Samuel L. Jackson is the best thing that has ever hap-pened to our world. And the lisp he uses? Amazing! This movie is super totally rad, complete with spy tech, comedy, and a great cast. 10/10
4
Top Movies of 2015
According to
Time.com, these are
the top 10 movie
releases of the year
so far.
1. Mad Max: Fury
Road
2. It Follows
3. Far From the
Madding Crowd
4. Love & Mercy
5. Furious 7
6. Ex Machina
7. Clouds of Sils
Maria
8. Welcome to Me
9. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl 10. The Boy Next
Door
By Jennifer Nannenga
This year in the JHS Media center will have acquired many
new books including new books that allow students to continue their
favorite series. Many of the books that came in are popular with the
students and fit everyone’s taste. Books range from informative to
graphic novels. There will be more books coming in later, so the op-
tions will keep on expanding.
Some of the new books include a collection of true Holocaust
and Nazi hunting stories, new Maximum Ride books by James Patter-
son, survival style books, and a book of all the scholarships available
for students for 2016. If you are interested in finding a new series con-
sider trying a series of books that is the basis for the James Bond mov-
ies, or read up on the lost files from the I Am Four series.
If you ever need to look up topic for your argumenta-
tive essay, the Media Center has books on almost any subject you can
think of for that. If that is not the case and you are looking for a sports
related book look to Tim Green. He has written many football related
books. Or if you are not really in the mood for reading you can check
out some arts and crafts books. Some of these books feature origami
and card making. Maybe you want to learn something new there are
also books for that. Now books are available that can teach you how to
create code on the computer. The Media Center is full of options for
everyone, no matter what you like. So stop in after class or in your free
time and see what you are missing.
NEW BOOKS IN THE MEDIA CENTER
5
BOOK REVIEW
By Rory Cole
AN OCD LOVE STORY By Corey Ann Haydu
Shining a light on obses-sive compulsive disorders, this book shows the other sides to OCD and mental
illnesses. You may view OCD as just an adjective for "being super clean", but this story shines a light on the hardships and difficulty of doing "normal" things such as going to school and falling in love when you have this disorder. The love story is clean, and en-joyable. I’d give this book an 8 out of 10.