Newspaper Page Text
October 22, 2014
PAGE 5B
^Reporter
Spotlight on
Monroe County Middle School
Each week The Reporter spotlights activities and achievements of students, faculty and staff at a different Monroe
County school. Thank you to Randi Mullis and the MCMS journalism club for news and pictures from Monroe County
Middle School. Next week look for news from Mary Persons. Email school-related news, including news for “Monroe in
College,” to Diane Glidewell at news@mymcr.net
Teacher Feature
Melissa
Pettinger
BY LEXI BENNETT
Ms. Pettinger is a new
teacher at Monroe
County Middle School
William Hubbard
Campus. She is a sec
ond year
band
teacher.
She previ
ously
taught in
Bibb
County.
Ms.
Pettinger
graduated
from
Florida
State
University
and
enjoys
teaching
and being involved in
band. She has learned
to play many instru
ments such as flute,
French horn, clarinet,
trumpet, saxophone,
tuba, euphonium, trom
bone, percussion, oboe,
bassoon, viola, cello,
bass, violin, and piano.
Ms. Pettinger loves
playing the saxophone.
She enjoys playing all
of the instruments, but
struggles with the
trumpet. She has had
an interest in playing
the saxophone for 14
years and has played it
for 13. The person that
has inspired Ms.
Pettinger the most is
Bob Cowles, her private
tutor during high
school.
Ms. Pettinger was
born in Kent, Wash. A
few years after she was
born, her family moved
to Georgia. As a child,
she was in marching
band, soccer, dance, and
basketball. When it
came time for Ms.
Pettinger to decide
what job she wanted to
pursue, she knew she
wanted to teach. The
one thing she didn’t
know is what subject
she wanted to teach.
Ms. Pettinger was
stuck between teaching
social studies or band.
She chose band because
that is her passion. Ms.
Pettinger loves being in
Monroe County. Every
day when students are
leaving her classroom,
she says that we are a
joy to teach, and she is
blessed to be here.
Teacher Feature
Tammy Hart
BY BAILEY STOREY
Mrs. Tammy Hart is a
Georgia Studies
teacher at Monroe
County Middle
School Banks
Stevens
Campus. She
has been
teaching for 17
years total,
and has taught
sixth and
eighth grades
in various sub
jects.
These sub
jects include:
Georgia
Studies, social studies,
science, and language
arts. Mrs. Hart says
her favorite part of
teaching is hearing the
funny things her stu
dents tell her.
Mrs. Hart’s students
enjoy hearing her
funny stories; we love
her teach
ing meth
ods. She is
fair and
under
standing.
In her
spare time,
Mrs. Hart
likes to
cook or
watch foot
ball. Mrs.
Hart has
been mar
ried for 27 years. She
has one son, who is in a
contemporary Christian
band.
Tammy Hart
Middle School has Bulldog Break
BY REAGAN M.
WILSON
Do you always wish
for a break during the
school day? Well, not to
brag, but sixth, seventh,
and eighth graders at
Monroe County Middle
School have a break
every day. Most of the
time, anyway. The only
time we don’t get a
break is when we don’t
follow the rules.
For instance, if we
talk a lot in the hall
ways, we can lose
“Bulldog Break” as a
class, grade or individ
ual. I suggest you be on
your toes and obey the
following rules:
When we go to break,
walk quietly in the hall
ways to the gym. Upon
entering the gym, notice
the line of red cones
dividing the grades,
depending on your
grade, you go right or
left. While on break,
you can sit, talk or walk
around. Warning: No
running!
Have a positive atti
tude. Act responsibly.
Work hard. Show
respect.
Just think what a
Bulldog Break can do
for you. Time to catch
up with friends not in
your classes. Time to
take a moment for your
self. Maybe time to
make a new friend. Are
you ready for a Bulldog
Break?
Middle School makes changes
BY AURORA SETZER
When it comes to our
school this year, things
are very different at
Monroe County Middle
School. Sure, it's a lot
stricter, but overall it's
for the better. Our new
principle, Dr. Effrem
Yarber, has made some
good changes.
Not only did he make
changes for the better
at our school, but over
the summer the inside
of our school got remod
eled. It looks a whole lot
better compared to last
year. Our gym is tile
instead of carpet. We
got new carpet in all the
classes. The hallways
are now tile also; there
is a fresh coat of paint
over the entire inside of
the school.
The school seems to be
a lot cleaner this year,
no offense to our staff
workers. The changes
Dr. Yarber has made
this school year have
impacted our safety and
climate of our school.
There seems to be less
physical altercations
between students
because of the rules.
Because of the rules
for the restroom and the
nurse, students are in
class most of the day,
and they are not wast
ing their time in the
hall. Honestly, our
school looks a lot better
and is a lot safer for
students, staff and any
visitors in the building.
Homecoming at Banks
Stephens campus
BY MADISON
STARK
Oct. 7-10 was
homecoming week
for Mary Persons;
Monroe County
Middle School
Banks Stephens
Campus followed
suite and celebrat
ed as well.
The first day was
game board day. I
saw some people
dressed up like the
twister game and
cowboys and
Indians. The second day was
video game day. I saw a couple of
Mario’s and also one person
dressed up as a character from
Grand Theft Auto. Oct. 9 was
athletic day. You had to wear
something to represent your
favorite athletic/sports team. I
saw many
the Falcons, Georgia Bulldogs,
Alabama, Georgia Tech, and
Mary Persons.
The Monroe County Middle
School Student Council had an
awesome float in the
Homecoming Parade that after
noon; they won first place!
The parade was really fun.
You were supposed to wear
black and gold from head to
toe on Friday, because it was
Mary Person’s spirit day.
Cheerleaders, football play
ers, and the Mary Person’s
team mascot visited the
Banks Stephens Campus. A
lot of teachers and students
wore Mary Person’s T-shirts.
Some students had Mary
Persons written on their
faces.
Students collected canned
goods for the local food bank
as part of the homecoming cele
bration. The homeroom with the
most canned foods wins a fun
prize. At the game Friday night,
the Bulldogs played Howard. It
was an epic win.
Monroe 8th graders make atoms
BY KATHERINE
SAMUELSON
About two weeks ago, the 8th
grade science classes at Monroe
County Middle School started a
project about atoms. The project
had two parts to it. The first part
of the project the students had to
bring in items from home and
look at the ingredients of the
items to see how many elements
were in everyday household
items, such as soap and sham
poo. The second part is where
students made life-size 3D mod
els of their chosen atom.
All the atoms that were creat
ed look like actual atoms. You
can tell that these students put a
lot of hard work into these mod
els. It was a great project,
because students were allowed to
be creative and show what they
have learned.
6th grade enjoys 1st Fall Festival
BY SARAH BOYER
On Sept. 20 Monroe
County sixth graders
celebrated a Fall
Festival for the first
time. Admission to the
Fall Festival was $10
and good behavior.
Students were
released from their
school work for one hour
and 30 minutes to eat
junk food, talk, hang
out, and participate in
many different stations.
The stations included a
dunking booth, movie
room, dance room, face
painting, hayride,
bounce houses, karaoke,
and a photo booth.
Students were allowed
to walk around the
school as they pleased
and talk with their
friends. Students could
purchase candy and
drinks, and everyone
had bucket loads of fun
including the teachers.
The Fall Festival was
a success.We are look
ing forward to more fun
events at the Hubbard
Campus.
Middle School is
Seeing Double
BY DEANDRE & DEVONIS ZELLNER
We are Deandre and Devonis Zellner, and we are
identical twins that attend Monroe County Middle
School. Growing up as a twin has been very fun.
Our mom dressed us alike, until we decided we
didn’t want to dress alike at the age of seven. We
get along most of the time, and sometimes we will
argue or have a little disagreement, but in the end
we make up and are back to having fun again.
The funniest thing about being a twin is people
asking which one are you or who are you. We never
get lonely at home because we always have each
other. We keep one another laughing. We play video
games together and play basketball. Whenever one
of us does not understand our homework, we help
each other out. We love being twins; we wouldn’t
change it for anything in the world!