Long Time Crossing Guard Passes Away From Cancer
by david.thacker | Wed, 12/05/2012 - 09:08
Ernest (Ernie) LeRoy TaylorErnest (Ernie) LeRoy Taylor, or Grandpa Taylor as many knew him, passed away on October 19, 2012 from a terrible cancer called Leukemia. Ernie was a well-known, well-trusted gentleman who worked as a crossing guard near our school.
He was very close to many children and enjoyed being in their company. For years he surrounded himself with loving people and generous souls.
Ernie fought in the Korean War. He is considered a hero. Grandpa Taylor accepted a crossing guard job many years ago and has loved it ever since. As cars passed by he greeted them with a smile and what he is known for, his friendly, day-making wave.
I have grown very close to this man in the past years, and he has affected my life tremendously. In the springtime of 2010, Ernie had a seizure. As I was leaving my house to cross the street, I had noticed something was wrong. Grandpa Taylor hadn't answered my question and was stumbling backwards. Before I knew it, he had tripped over the concrete and was reaching behind him to catch onto me.
I was in shock; I didn't know what to do. He fell onto the sidewalk; his eyes were cloudy and glazed over. His breathing sounded terrible, like a dog growling. My heart lurched and my eyes filled with tears. At that very moment I thought I was going to lose him forever. I'm just so grateful I got to spend another couple years with him.
Ernie was a very generous man. He spent much of his time reading with the young children of Park Elementary School. He also enjoyed hunting and fishing.
The memory of this man will stay deep in my heart, and I believe in many others. He has touched us all in one way or another. All I can say is that I wish I could have given him one last hug.
A True Hero
by david.thacker | Wed, 12/05/2012 - 09:04
Ashley ThompsonHeroes aren't just comic book characters or people you see on TV. They don't have to be able to fly or turn invisible. They don't have to have super strength or x-ray vision. They are just everyday people, the people we see walking on the sidewalk or the kid who says “Hi” to in the hall. These people can be heroes, and we may not even know it.
My mother is my hero. She isn't able to fly and she doesn't have super strength, but she does possess all the qualities that even Superman has. She is strong, fearless, courageous, determined, caring, loyal, and brave. Not only has she been through a lot, but when the going gets rough she keeps fighting. She is my inspiration to keep going myself.
Right now, as I am writing this, my mom is in the hospital. She had to have brain surgery and even though it was life threatening, she has fought through it. She keeps pushing to open her eyes, and she talks when she feels strong enough, which means she is determined, a quality all heroes have. She is also a fighter. She has been through everything you could imagine, thick and thin, and she is still going strong. She keeps her head up and tries her hardest, especially when people tell her she can't do something.
My mom possesses all of the qualities I think that a hero should have. The best thing is that because of all the things she has been through, people can relate to her. She is a hero to a lot of people, for many reasons, but she holds the one quality I think is the most important to all heroes. She is loveable. She is the easiest person to love, simply because she puts her love out there or others.
Androcles and the Lion 7th Grade Honors English Field Trip
by david.thacker | Fri, 11/30/2012 - 06:11
On November 13, 7th Grade Honors English students had the opportunity to attend the production of "Androcles and the Lion" at UVU's Noorda Theater. Aesop's fable goes like this: "A slave named Androcles once escaped from his master and fled to the forest. As he was wandering about there he came upon a lion lying down moaning and groaning. At first he turned to flee, but finding that the lion did not pursue him, he turned back and went up to him. As he came near, the lion put out his paw, which was all swollen and bleeding, and Androcles found that a huge thorn had got into it, and was causing all the pain. He pulled out the thorn and bound up the paw of the lion, who was soon able to rise and lick the hand of Androcles like a dog. Then the lion took Androcles to his cave, and every day brought him meat from which to live.But shortly afterwards both Androcles and the lion were captured, and the slave was sentenced to be thrown to the lion, after the latter had been kept without food for several days.The emperor and all his court came to see the spectacle, and Androcles was led out into the middle of the arena. Soon the lion was let loose from his den, and rushed bounding and roaring towards his victim. But as soon as he came near to Androcles he recognized his friend, and fawned upon him, and licked his hands like a friendly dog.The emperor, surprised at this, summoned Androcles to him, who told him the whole story. Whereupon the slave was pardoned and freed, and the lion let loose to his native forest."
Androcles and the lion are natural enemies. In our world today there are many who are troubled with the threat of enemies. Just like the civil rights activists, Androcles had to overcome obstacles to resolve differences and become allies instead of enemies. When Androcles helps the lion he risks sacrificing his freedom. In our class we have discussed slavery, pondered freedom, and questioned our own loyalties and choices. There are several themes running throughout the play such as friendship and loyalty, freedom, and trust, but most of all, the theme running throughout the play is " "I want to be free to be me." Don't we all?
Ironically, the play is a comedy. Upon our return we had an in-depth discussion about why people use humor to deal with hard issues.
Mrs. Brockbank – Teacher of the Month
by david.thacker | Wed, 11/28/2012 - 08:25
Mrs. BrockbankCongratulations to Mrs. Brockbank. She has been chosen as our teacher of the month. Mrs. Brockbank works hard to make our school an exciting place to learn. She is always prepared with her lessons and has made a tremendous impact here at SFJHS.
Mrs. Coxson nominated Mrs. Brockbank by saying, “Even though her room was a total mess right before school started with having to move into a new room and take over the Read 180 program; like the true professional she is, she stayed late, came in on Saturdays, and had her room completely ready for her students. She was ready and smiling on the lst day of school! She is truly an example to all of us as a dedicated teacher”.
Mrs. Brockbank loves Mexican food, the U of U sports teams and camping with her family. Her favorite quote is, “Have the courage to say no. Have courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity”. – W. Clement Stone
Her teaching philosophy is to put herself into the students’ position then threat students the way she would want to be treated. Mrs. Brockbank truly makes our school a better place. We appreciate all that she does to make SFJHS such a great place to be and to learn!
Spanish Fork Junior High Teacher REPresents at National Convention
by david.thacker | Wed, 11/21/2012 - 11:45
Spanish Fork Junior High teacher, Rillene Nielsen, presents at the National Council for Teachers of English Annual Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, November 17, 2012.Spanish Fork Junior High English teacher, Rillene Nielsen, had the distinguished opportunity of presenting at the NCTE Annual Convention held in Las Vegas, Nevada. During a November 17 Saturday breakout session, Nielsen and her co-presenters led a philosophical discussion, encouraging English teachers to see themselves as “Englishists” whose specialty lies in the literature they love. Participants considered the different ways scientists, historians, or even artists might read and interpret texts, then juxtaposed those practices with those of the devoted “Englishist.”
Nieslen demonstrated a way to use film as a tool to help interpret literature by sharing a short piece she created so her students could gain a better understanding of Rodman Philbrick's use of metaphor in the YA novel, Freak the Mighty. She also shared ways in which informational texts can be used to supplement literature and poetry.
Participants were encouraged to reflect and even redefine their roles as analysts and writers of literary works at a time when Common Core Standards emphasize the reading and writing of informational texts—texts which are primary sources in history and science classrooms but are secondary in the Englishist's.
Nielsen's inquiry into the Common Core prompted her to write the NCTE proposal and will continue to guide her practice in the classroom. Her colleagues wish to thank her for her ambition, conviction, and leadership as her efforts have prompted them to draft proposals for next year's NCTE convention.
8th Grade Honors History Students Visit Crandall Museum
by david.thacker | Tue, 11/20/2012 - 06:29
Mrs. Peterson’s 8th grade honors history class had a great time when they went to the Crandall Printing Museum on Thursday the 15th of November. For those of you who do not know, the Crandall museum is located just off of University Avenue in Provo close to the big Wells Fargo building.
While at the museum the students were shown a replica of the Gutenberg printing press. One impressive thing about the museum is that it had the most complete Gutenberg collection in the whole world. Students were also shown many different types of printing machines. Students also enjoyed playing with a dog at the museum.
Many stories were told to the students, including the one when the LDS Prophet, Thomas S. Monson took a trip to the museum. While at the Museum the Prophet dedicated the Desert Room. What was also interesting is that the museum had a replica of the printing shop in Palmyra that printed almost 500,000 copies of the Book of Mormon.
Overall, students learned a lot and had a great time on this field trip.
Krishna Temple
by david.thacker | Fri, 11/02/2012 - 05:18Over 100 ninth-grade World Studies students visited the Krishna Temple this past week. The students were able to experience a buffet lunch, tame the llamas, feed the fish, stretch their muscles with yoga, and learned about another culture.
Thank all the people at our own local Krishna Temple for your wonderful hospitality and generosity. The students will never forget their experiences there!
SFJH Golfers
by david.thacker | Mon, 10/29/2012 - 08:55
Our golf team is in full swing. Spanish Fork Junior High has some very talented golfers. None of them are like Tiger Woods, (no one can be that good), but we have kids who know what they're doing when it comes to golf.
Our school got 2nd overall in the district. Our lowest scorers (those who helped to achieve the low score of 200) were Creed Seremershein with a score of 45, Mckade Mecham with a score of 49, Bryce Peabody with a score of 51, and Tyler Sanderson with a score of 55. For those of you who don't know much about golf, the best score is the lowest.
Our golf team is up there with some of the best golf teams in the district. Some other team are good, but we have a very, very exceptional golf team.
Spanish Fork Girls Soccer Wins Again
by david.thacker | Mon, 10/29/2012 - 08:52
Goal! Spanish Forks Girls soccer team has done it again! The Dons JV soccer team just finished off an amazing season. They had 11 wins, 1 tie, and 1 loss. They have four great coaches led by head coach Dennis Gillie.
Four Lady Dons are from from Spanish Fork Junior High! They are, Taylor Jones, Lauren Roberts, Bailey Smith, and Adah Tuttle. Each of them plays an important position on the team. Taylor plays midfielder, Lauren ,Bailey, and Adah play forward.
These four players are amazing! Bailey has 4 goals this season, Adah has 19 , and Taylor has 1. Lauren has 1 assist this season.
The Lady Dons played a total of 14 games. Some of the top match-ups were against Manti, 8-0; Beaver, 8-0; Millard, 6-2; and North Sanpete, 5-0.
Our Lady Dons are amazing! They are now going to State. Good luck Lady Dons!
Boys and Girls PE Have a Full Schedule
by david.thacker | Mon, 10/29/2012 - 05:36
Excited for this year’s P.E? You defiantly should be! The PE is a great way to get moving after sitting through all those other class. Some might think P.E. isn’t important, but actually it’s one of the most important classes you’ll take!
Mrs. Binks, (the girls P.E coach) has been coaching PE for 29 years. She loves the whole idea of a class that encourages kids to get up and move. Some of the athletic activities Mrs. Binks likes to do in her spare time include, playing badminton, riding her bike, taking long walks, or just being outdoors. As a kid, she enjoyed playing volleyball and basketball. The sport she finds most entertaining to watch is baseball, and her favorite team is the New York Yankees. She also enjoys the teams from SFHS and any team from the SUU, the school she attended.
The girls P.E classes will be playing softball, soccer, badminton, basketball, volleyball, volley tennis, and end the semester with recreational games. The girls that are in first semesters P.E, have just finished with badminton, and will soon start basketball.
Coach Gubb, (real name Casey Nelson--the boys P.E coach) has been coaching for 5 years. He also coaches Aerobic and Body Conditioning. He believes that P.E. is a very good way for kids to get moving. It also lets kids know what it’s like to be on a team.
He tries to get everyone in the game by motivating them to play hard and participate. Coach Gubb enjoys playing baseball, doing video workouts, and jogging, in his spare time. When he was a kid, he played lots of baseball. He loves it. He enjoys watching the Cubs, and BYU college football games.
After the boys 3 minute warm up, they begin their activities. The sports they are doing throughout the semester are softball, flag football, Ultimate Frisbee, soccer, basketball, badminton, and handball.
The P.E. coaches are excited to play sports this year, and so are we!
