Student Council by Brenden Lynn and Justin Brock
Have you ever thought about being a big part of your school? Did you know that there’s a place for you right here at Sulphur Springs Middle School (SSMS) in Sulphur Springs, Texas? Well, then Student Council is the job for you.
Student Council is a group of student leaders who work with an adult supervisor to collaborate with others to impact their school community, which impacts their city or town, which impacts our state, which impacts our country, which changes the world.
Mrs. Frazier is over the 8th grade and Mrs. Glenn is in charge of the 7th grade, and in order to become a Student Council representative, there are three things you have to do.
First, you have to be the best student you can be starting now! Your teachers will give a grade (0-3) 3 being the best and 0 being the worst. TEACHER’S votes count TWICE so it’s 50% of your votes!
Second, your application will be graded. They are looking for a nicely written application with all questions answered. Lastly, the students vote! All of the votes that were recorded, and the student’s grades, will be averaged in and the students with the highest averages would make Student Council.
Student Council is important because it gets students to participate with the affairs of the school. It helps students share their concerns with teachers or school principals. We always are looking for students who follow the WILDCAT way.
Student Council participates in Empty Stocking, Special Olympics, canned food drives, and Relay for Life at various times of the year. “My favorite event that we did last year was Special Olympics- Cause I love to see the smiles and when the kids win you see them light up.” says Mrs. Frazier. They also are trying to adopt a highway at the moment. Mrs. Frazier said “It’s our volunteers who keep this Texas-born program going strong, and your help is needed now more than ever.” Participation is simple:
You adopt a highway that stretches about two-miles for a minimum of two years, interstate highways are not eligible for adoption. You agree to pick up litter four times per year. Adopt-a-Highway signs will be posted with your group’s name at your location of your adoption.
Student Council meets every Tuesday and Thursday in the cafeteria. “This year Student Council is running the concession stand during all home volleyball and basketball games as a fundraiser for students to represent the voices of their fellow classmates!! Voices for SSMS!!” says Mrs. Frazier. Also, at the end of each year Student Council goes on a trip. Last year they went to Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas to tour the Texas Rangers baseball stadium. “Several of our students had a love for the game so we decided to treat them to a tour.” says Mrs. Frazier.
There are approximately 10% of 7th and 8th grade students (about 60 in total) that are in Student Council. Mrs. Williams didn’t want 6th graders in Student Council because she wants them to acclimate to the middle school before they look on the responsibility involved in being a part of Student Council. “Our 7th and 8th grade Student Council has over 60 members which is plenty of representation here at SSMS.” says Mrs. Williams.
“Updated” Lady Cats Win District Championship With Decisive Win
The Lady Cats Basketball Team wrapped up the district championship with a 47-19 win over Pine Tree in Wildcats Gym Tuesday night. The Lady Cats ended district play with a 12-2 record. They had a one game lead over Hallsville when play began Tuesday night. The Lady Cats season record is 25-6. They will play Lindale in a bi-district game next week either Monday or Tuesday with the site and time still to be determined. The Lady Cats defeated Lindale 73-40 in Wildcats Gym back on November 17. It was the Lady Cats home opener and only their third game of the season. In that one the Lady Cats got 28 points from Kaylee Jefferson, 14 points from Lexie Moore and 12 points from Sheretta Hill.
On Tuesday night against Pine Tree, the Lady Cats jumped out to a 19-4 first quarter lead and increased the lead every quarter. Point Guard Sadavia Porter led the Lady Cats with 15 points, Kaylee Jefferson added 9 points and Daieyshia Pruitt 8. The district championship for the Lady Cats is the first since the 2001-2002 season. That team, coached by Caron Hoffman, was a perfect 10-0 in district play.
Howling Winds Blow Wildcats Golf Into Fourth Place Finish
Playing in the cold with the wind howling Monday, the Wildcats Golf Team managed to shoot a 338 at Pinecrest Country Club in a Longview tournament. Brody Blackmon led the Wildcats with a 76. Matt Calhoun shot 85, Alex Motes an 86 and newcomers Caleb and Carter Lewis both shot 96. Wildcats Golf Coach Ross Funk said the team finished fourth.
He said their team score was a little high but he added it was not too bad considering the gusting 20 to 30 mile per hour winds. Next the Wildcats will get to play on the course that will host the district and regional competition this year, the Rockwall Athletic Club. The Rockwall Regional Preview will take place February 26-27.
Lady Cats Softball Scrimmages Enable Improvement
softball
Lady Cats Softball Coach David Carrillo says he is more concerned with evaluating players than in wins and losses during scrimmages. Saturday the Lady Cats played what Coach Carrillo called three quality teams during their second scrimmage. They defeated The Colony, 7-3, lost to Rockwall, 9-5 and then lost to North Forney, 17-2.
Coach Carrillo said playing good teams would make his team better. He said everybody got to play. Coach Carrillo again used Brinklee Driver, Landri Bell and Sarah Womack in the pitching circle. He said they had some difficulty finding the strike zone in games two and three but he added they were around the zone. Coach Carrillo said all the problems he saw during the scrimmage were fixable.
He said he is most pleased by Lady Cats hitting against good pitching so far. There were several Lady Cats home runs Saturday.
The Lady Cats will have their third scrimmage tonight (Tuesday, February 9) at Lindale. The Lady Eagles are another good team. Coach Carrillo said he’ll coach the third scrimmage game a little differently as he’ll soon have to make hard choices about who stays up on varsity and those that will be moved down. He said he may play fewer players and the scrimmage may appear to be more regular game like. The Lady Cats fourth and final scrimmage will be at Lady Cat Park Friday against North Lamar and Prairiland.
The Lady Cats will open the regular season in their own Sulphur Springs Tournament February 18-20.
“Video Update”SSHS Culinary Arts Teams Advance to State Competition
Pictured are Autumn Hammans, Diego Perea, America Luna, Tyler Maloney, Ashley Franklin, and Chandler Eichenour (left to right).
Culinary Arts students at Sulphur Springs High School competed February 4-6 in Waco at the FCCLA Leadership Conference for Region III. SSHS students took 2 culinary teams which took first and second place out of 30 competitors. They will advance to State Competition in Dallas April 7th- 9th.
Sulphur Springs Middle School District 15 5-A UIL Meet Results
On Februrary 6th, 2016, the Sulphur Springs Middle School UIL students competed at the District 15-5A Academic Meet.
For 6th grade, in the Art category, Bailee Burnett placed first, Shelby Ray placed fourth and the third place team consisted of Bailee Burnett, Shelby Ray, Allie Grace Woodard, and Anna Adair. In Calculator Applications, Peyton Hammack placed fifth individually, and Peyton Hammack, Micah Flemens and Mary Cruz placed third as a team. In Dictionary Skills, Jasmine Cordova placed third, Cason Foster placed fourth, and Kennedy Goldsmith placed fifth. As a team, Jasmine Cordova, Cason Foster, and Kennedy Goldsmith placed first. In Inpromptu Speaking, Tori Mejie placed first, Addison Caddell placed second, and Connor Bailey placed third. Tori Mejie, Addison Caddell and Connor Bailey placed first as a team. In Listening, Sam Wilks placed second individually, and Sam Wilks, Clayton Boykin and Cannon Graves placed second as a team. In Mathematics, Joel Villarino placed third, and Matthew Sherman placed fourth. Joel Villarino, Matthew Sherman and Addison Lamb placed second as a team. In Music Memory, Litzy Chacon placed first and Savannah Lilley placed sixth. Savannah Lilley, Litzy Chacon, Ashlyn Bettis, and Jessica Yanez placed third as a team. In Prose Oral Reading Emily Atkinson placed first, Cable Glenn placed third, and Paige Bimmerle placed fourth. Emily Atkinson, Cable Glenn and Paige Bimmerle placed first as a team. In Ready Writing, Harley Speed placed second, Paige Bimmerle placed third and Matthew Sherman placed fourth. As a team, Harley Speed, Paige Bimmerle and Matthew Sherman placed first. In Social Studies, Jose Mejia placed fourth. Jose Mejia, Claire Bybee, and Justin Haire placed third as a team. In Spelling, Dawson Carpenter placed third. Dawson Carpenter, Reese Rabe, and Chad Maynard placed third as a team. Overall the sixth grade team took third place sweepstakes for District 15-5A.
For 7th grade, in the Art category, Wiley Bennett placed second and Kimberley Wheatcraft placed fifth. Wiley Bennett, Kimberley Wheatcraft, and Jackie Olivio placed second as a team. In Caculator, Justin Brantley placed fifth. Justin Brantley, Jhanvi Parmar, and Hayden Hurst placed third as a team. In Dictionary Skills, Mady Posey placed first, Trinity Sherman placed fifth, and Miriam Tran placed sixth. Mady Posey, Trinity Sherman, and Miriam Tran placed first as a team. In Impromptu Speaking, Hannah Shultz placed first, Raydon McCormack placed second, and La’Modrick Johnson placed fifth. In Listening Skills, Cheyenne Fouse placed first and Paige Daniel placed fourth. Cheyenne Fouse, Paige Daniel, and Quincy Chisolm placed first as a team. In Modern Oratory, Brianna Boykin placed sixth. In Music Memory, David Moreno placed first and Gregg English placed fourth. In Poetry Oral Reading, Evie Cox placed second, and Zach Goodson placed fourth. As a team, Zach Goodson, Evie Cox, and Maurie Flecker placed second. In Prose Oral Reading, Rorie Young placed second and Harleigh Stegient placed sixth. Rorie Young, Harleigh Stegient, and Nathan Eastmond placed second as a team. Kayetlynn Ricks placed fifth in Ready Writing. In Social Studies, Tristan Stewart placed fifth. As a team, Tristan Stewart, Sadie Washburn, and Patrick Synott Owens placed third. In Chess, Dillan Blevins, Robert Dyer, and Lige Leavins placed second.
For 8th grade, in Art, Kennedy Lee placed fifth. Kennedy Lee, Ashlyn Bimmerle, Violet Altenbaumer, Reagan Kesting and Aaron Lucas placed third as a team. In Listening Skills, Meredith Hooten placed first, Alivia Walker placed third, and Giselle Garcia placed fifth. Meredith Hooten, Alivia Walker, and Giselle Garcia placed first as a team. In Maps, Graphs, and Charts, Michael Jefferson placed sixth. In Music Memory, Lainee Ashford placed first and Hope Williams placed fourth. Lainee Ashford, Hope Williams, Korlin McDowell, and Hayden Booth placed second as a team. In Poetry Oral Reading, Ally Owens placed first and Chase Berry placed first. Ally Owens, Chase Berry, and Trevon Pryor placed first as a team. In Prose Oral Reading, Monica Mejia placed first, Caroline Goggans placed third, and Rachel Bramlett placed fifth. Monica Mejia, Caroline Goggans, and Rachel Bramlett placed first as a team. In Chess, Logan Brown, Tyler Schmitt, and Milique Zirretta placed third as a team.
Kids’ Kingdom Open Wednesday
Although earlier plans called for Kids’ Kingdom to be closed through Wednesday, the playground at Buford Park will be open Wednesday morning, February 10th. Monday and Tuesday city crews put new mulch in place at the playground. According to a city staff member, the area could be opened late Tuesday afternoon but will definitely be open Wednesday.
SSISD Board Hears Report of Educational Performance, Academic Achievement
SSISD
Monday night the SSISD Board were briefed on the Annual Report of Educational Performance, including the 2014-2015 Texas Academic Performance Report. Josh Williams, administrator, noted that several reports are received during the year and that each report includes basically the same information regarding performance of students. Williams pointed out that the local students are performing above state levels in many of the categories of performance review. Williams noted that the district is working on a the few areas of less than state average performance.
In reading and writing, the district is implementing new programs and the science department curriculum is improving assessment and instructional practices. Williams stated that a systematic approach is addressing each issue.
The 32-page report included student performance on STARR tests, a look at postsecondary performance, progress being made, success initiatives, performance in bilingual areas, attendance and dropout rates. Student disciplinary action is also summarized in the report. Disciplinary action has primarily been in student code of conduct violations and no major issues are noted.
Also during the board meeting, student performance in UIL Academic meets for middle school students and elementary school students were noted as well as the performance of the culinary art class at the FCCLA regional meet.
Public School Week—“Public Education-A Texas Tradition”—in SSISD will be observed March 7-11. Schools will be open to the public during the week and an opportunity to view student work will be available during the open house set for each school.
Trustee election was set for Saturday, May 7. Michael Wolfe was appointed election judge and Celia Bagwell, alternate judge. Currently only the three incumbents have filed for the board positions to be on the ballot.
The school district entered a two-year extension of contract with The Faulk Company for custodial services. The extension calls for a 10-cent per square foot reduction in cost.
Two new maintenance department vehicles were purchased from Brian Toliver Ford for a cost of $45,521.19. Dan Froneberger, Director of Maintenance, told the board that there were other vehicles that would be replaced soon and that he planned a staggered replacement schedule to be put in place as soon as full replacement was accomplished.
Personnel changes include:
Resignations
*Janie Hammons 1st Grade Bowie
Cassie Cannon Secretary SS Elementary
New Personnel
Andrea King Secretary SS Elementary
Hailey Tucker SpEd Aide Douglas
David Westberry Math High School
*Early retirement notification
Citations and Warnings Increase for Winnsboro Police During February 1-7 Period
Joshua Poole, 34, of Winnsboro, was arrested February 1 for Driving While License Invalid with previous conviction and Fleeing from a Winnsboro Police officer. This is the only arrest made by Winnsboro police during the February 1-7, seven day period report.
No accidents were investigated during the seven days.
Winnsboro Police Department responded to 159 calls for service and issued 57 citations and 50 warnings during the reporting period.
No Leak in Auditorium Following Rain; Work Progresses on Civic Center Auditorium
Work at the Regional Civic Center auditorium is moving along at a rapid pace. Don Roundtree and Charlie Wilson reported to the Sulphur Springs School Board that no leak occurred during the recent rains. This is a first for the auditorium in many years. SSISD is remodeling and upgrading the auditorium as the result of a multi-year lease between the school and county.
Electrical work is underway. A new transformer has been set. Lights are in place but are yet to be set at their address for the lighting system. New electrical lines are in place and cable is being put into place throughout the building.
West entry concrete has been poured making entry much easier for those attending activities at the auditorium.
