Student spotlight

  Journalism has decided to pick a student in every grade for a student spotlight! We pick students every month to interview. These students are the ones that stand out amongst others by being courageous, outgoing, respectful, etc., or just having an amazing personality in general!

Wyatt Nicholson is 12 years old. He is in the sixth grade. His favorite subject is Language Arts because of Mrs. Thompson. "She's the bomb." He also loves to read and write. Wyatt's favorite hobby is to play the piano. As he told us, "My grandma inspires me to play the piano because when I play, it makes her happy, and she is getting old, so it makes her feel better." He has a passion for playing basketball because he can meet new friends, and get better. His favorite teacher is Mrs. Thompson because, "She's so funny, because she messes with all the students. Adding on, she also "makes learning really fun!" His favorite thing about Chisholm Trail is how you're more free. "I like how we don't have to stand in lines, and how you meet new friends." another reason to add, is because the teachers here are pretty cool. He describes himself as, crazy. "When I'm around my friends, I am super funny and I make them laugh all the time."

 Addie Ortman is in seventh grade, and she is 12 years old about to be 13. Texas History is her favorite subject because ,"It is really fun and I like the activities that we do. I learn a lot from it. It is very interesting to learn fun facts." Addie likes to read because she feels like she's in the story and with the characters. This hobby can come in hand sometimes. Her passion is volleyball because she plays it a lot. It's fun to play because she meets a lot of new people, and friends. "My friends are my favorite thing about Chisholm trail because they encourage me to be better." Plus, she also likes getting good grades! we asked her to describe herself in one word. She chose "athletic" because she likes to do a lot of sports, and also likes to try a lot of new things. Addie describes,"It's fun to be in a lot of things that you can do with your friends."          

 Bailey is in eighth grade and she is 13 years old. Language arts is her favorite subject because it's easier for her, and she likes to read and write. Sports and reading are her hobbies, because they are just fun. It allows her to get her mind off school. "My passions are volleyball and 

basketball because they are just fun. I enjoy both sports very well, and I am super athletic." sports are something she has always liked since she was younger. Bailey has been playing volleyball since she was in the  fourth grade. Her favorite thing about Chisholm trail are the eighth and sixth grade teachers because  they are "Nice and fun. I loved all my sixth grade teachers, and now I love all my eighth grade teachers. It will definitely be hard to say goodbye." She described herself as, "Bubbly, because I like to talk a lot and just have fun."

   These students we have chosen are just like you. You'll never know, you may be in the next student spotlight. So, bulldog up and be more dog!
 

Top 10 Christmas Movies

Christmas season is coming around and everyone is getting in to the holiday spirit. While decorating your house, and listening to holiday music, you always need some good Christmas movies to watch with your family and friends. We have picked some ten favorite Christmas movies for you to watch.

Top 10 Christmas Movie

• The Christmas Story
• Christmas Carol
• Elf
• The Grinch
• Polar Express
• Santa Clause Series
• Home Alone
• Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer
• Frosty The Snowman
• Its A Wonderful Life

   Christmas is a time to sit down, relax, enjoy some hot cocoa and watch a Christmas movie with your family. So sit your family down and watch some of these wonderful Christmas movies. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Meet Ella: A Girl Who's Not Letting Anything Get In Her Way

        There are some pretty amazing kids at Chisholm Trail, but Ella Slaughter really stands out. Ella is a 6th grader, who was born with only 20% vision in one eye. The other eye is completely blind.  While Ella's days may present different challenges than many of her peers, she is like any other 6th grade girl, only with a few more obstacles to overcome.
Ella is like any other 11 year old girl.  She has good days, bad days, loves, passions, and even an interest in boys. Along with being a normal middle school girl, though, Ella also has a few more obstacles in her day. For example, in addition to learning to read and write like all her peers, she also has to learn Braille to be able to overcome the challenges that come with her her blindness. "[School] is kind of hard because I have to learn Braille, so it’s kind of like I’m learning two languages at once." Braille is the written language for blind people, where the characters are a series of raised dots that people, like Ella, can feel with their fingertips. Ella has her Language Arts Springboard book in Braille, which is so big it is split into nine different books. Because of her vision issues, Ella is also worried about future roadblocks ahead. "Driving is something I’ve been thinking about," she told us, "because I think I won't be able to drive or anything like that."
Even through all of the struggles, Ella remains positive. "I think people like me because I'm never really sad. I'm always really happy. When other people are sad, I like to cheer them up,"  she explained. Ella, despite her differences, has always had a bubbly, joyful personality. She knows what it feels like to be picked on, so she doesn't let anyone else go through the same thing. "People have always teased me about my sight. It's kind of hard sometimes, but I've gotten used to it." In a sea of negatives, she always finds positives, and that's what makes her so special.
Ella is unique because she doesn't cower away from her blindness. Most people would use the disability as an excuse to get out of work, but Ella embraces the fact that she's different and she wants others to do the same. "People shouldn't worry about their differences," she told us, "they should just be themselves."

Remembering Tanner Sims

Tanner Sims October 17, 2000-August 3, 2014

Last year, we lost a wonderful young student named Tanner Sims in a motocross accident.  Mrs. Ludwig and Tanner Sims' family recently founded a community service club, Club 171, to help fulfill Tanner's dream.

Tanner was that kid that could put a smile on your face, yet he was a mess. “He liked to hide in my closet and when I would come in he would scare me to death, but I couldn’t get mad at him because he had this big smile on his face and would laugh while saying ‘sorry,” Says Mrs. Ludwig. Tanner was the one who would be there to greet a new student, and he made sure they had someone to sit with at lunch. He always looked for opportunities to make people happy, and he was that kid that everyone wanted to be friends with. Tanner was a great student, he kept his grades up and was a gifted singer on our Varsity Choir.

Mrs. Ludwig also told us that “[Tanner’s] favorite part about school was probably is friends and his social life… I think Tanner would want to be remembered by the heart he had for his friends and family.” He always had a positive outlook on life and will never be forgotten.

Here at CTMS we want Tanner Sims’ legacy to continue. “We want to let Tanner’s dream become a reality.” Mrs. Ludwig told us, “He was taken far too soon before he was able to complete his vision that he talked about before he died. Tanner wanted to make a difference in this world, and we really feel like this club is a way to fulfill his dreams.” Club 171 is a student driven group that tries to really help make this world a better place. “[The students] will get together and come up with ideas like going to the animal shelter and playing with animals or just helping out during the holidays.” Mrs. Ludwig mentioned. Mrs. Ludwig wants to keep this club student driven, because she wants to keep the Tanner Sims dream alive.

To be involved, you can follow this link here , or just show up to one of the meetings. The meetings are on the first Wednesday of every month during advisory in Mrs. Ludwig’s class, room C116. The next meeting is December 2^nd, so if you are interested in changing your community give this club a try!

You Might Be A Middle Schooler If...

Middle school students are more complex from the regular teenager or adult. Living different lives and having a different perspective on life separate us from the rest of society. From memorizing the lyrics to songs to having every social media account, there are a lot of differences that make us a middle school students. Therefore, you might be a middle school student if…

• You use made up words that adults don’t know.
• You visit the tech room more than you visit your own grandma
• You’re tired all the time
• You wear the same three outfits every week
• You can memorize the lyrics to every song on the radio but can’t ever remember to do your homework
• You’ve been going through an awkward phase for at least the last year
• You have an account for every type of social media available
• Your voice cracks constantly
• You spend more time with your friends than you do your own mom
•  You are absolutely horrified by how your body is changing
• You know where your phone is but never your ID
• Your brace face could set off the metal detectors at the airport
• You’d rather have cash than actual presents
• You have to remind yourself not to use “u” “ur” “r”  and hashtags in assignments for school

My bet is you found yourself thinking “SAME” too many of these middle school traits.  There is no doubt; middle schoolers are their own breed and different in their own unique way from the rest of society. 

A Day In The Life of Coach Pope

Coach Shawn Pope is a 7^th and 8^th grade football coach.  He also teaches 6^th grade P.E. At home, Coach Pope has a wife, a beautiful daughter, and a dog.

5:00 am- First thing I do in the morning is get up, get dressed and load up my stuff that I may need for my day. I then kiss my wife and baby goodbye.

6:00 am- I drive to CTMS arriving no later than 6:30 to open up the facility and get all game day equipment ready.

7:15 am- 8^th grade practice begins where we…

-         Stretch

-         Practice offense/defense

-         Work on special teams

-         Focus on individual offense or defense

-         Complete Pass hall/run hall drills

-         End with conditioning/team talk

9:00 am-Practice ends, then I monitor the locker room, check my email, and prepare for lessons in PE. At 9:26, I begin teaching my PE classes.

11:00 am- I have lunch duty for 6^th grade, and I manage over 300 kids.

12:00 pm- After my lunch, I continue teaching my classes.

4:00 pm- On game days, I load the bus and drive to the field with the boys. We warm up, and I coach all of the games. I then return the bus to the bus barn and fill out paper work.

10:00 pm- I arrive home and feed/walk my dogs and spend time with my wife.

11:00 pm- I try to be in bed by 11:30-12:00.

Winter Desserts

We’re starting off the holiday season with some crafty dessert ideas! Each of these would be great for your winter holiday parties or just for any winter day. They’re super easy and quick.

Click Here to Watch our Video!

We hope you loved these winter desserts. If you make them, make sure to share a picture on Instagram or Twitter with #winter2015ctms. Get ready to get in the winter spirit!

A Day in the Life: Spanky The Bulldog

 

Spanky the Bulldog is our favorite school mascot who is secretly always a dog and lives in his uniform. He is so dedicated to CTMS, he even takes showers in his uniform.
 

6:00 am: I wake up and do my yoga stretches, which include the “down-ward dog” pose and the “scratching of the ears” pose.

 

7:00 am: I sneak out the back yard and into the neighbor’s yard where I meet my girlfriend, Fluffy.

 
 

8:00 am: Together, we crawl under the gate, and spend some quality time trotting around the neighborhood marking our territory.  Sometimes, for fun, we will give the mailman a good scare. ;)

 
 

9:00 am: I then leave Fluffy to go to mascot training school to prepare for the game. The school lasts till 3.

 

3:00 pm: I load up with the 8^th grade football players, and we head to the big game.

 

5:00 pm: Together with my beautiful entourage of 8^th grade cheerleaders, we cheer on the 8^th grade players to victory.  Usually the girls throw me in a stunt or two, so I can wave to my adoring fans.

 

8:00 pm: I get home by sneaking back in my backyard, and I take a sprinkler bath. After my bath, I go to sleep, taking up all the room on my owner’s bed and snoring like a dog.

A Day in the Life: Katelyn Cantrell

Katelyn Cantrell is a 7^th grade girl who is very well known around school.  She is cheer captain for the 7^th grade black squad and plays for the A team volleyball.
 

6:00 am- I wake up and get ready for cheer.

 

7:00 am- Cheer practice starts at 7:15 where we go through all our
cheers and review the dances.

 

8:00 am- Cheer ends at 8:15, and I get ready for school which starts at 8:45.

 

9:00 am to 4:00 pm- I have all my classes.

 

5:00 pm- I have volleyball practice for the school team after school.

 

6:00 pm- After school volleyball, I have club volleyball practice, and that goes until 8:00 pm.

 

9:00 pm- I come home from practice and start my homework.

10:00 pm- I finish all my school work and go to bed.

A Day In The Life: Ms. Joanna Kysar

Ms. Joanna Kysar is a 7^th grade Language Arts teacher who owns horses and is a mom of two sons. She has been teaching for 18 years. 
 

5:00 am- I wake up at 5:00 and make coffee to start the day. Followed by a shower, I feed my kittens, horses, and dog.

 

6:00 am- After my shower, I make Karson breakfast and pack his lunch for school. I get myself and Karson ready, and we leave at 6:50.

 

7:00 am- I drop Karson off at his school at 7:15 and begin work by planning, grading and attending meetings, which lasts till the start of school.

 

9:30 am- I begin teaching.

 

12:00 pm- My lunch break is at 12:09.

 

3:00 pm- When my last class is over at 3:06, I plan and grade for about 2
hours.

 

5:00 pm- I leave the school and pick up Karson between 5:30 and 6:00

 

6:00 pm- It’s a 30 minute drive home.  Once I arrive, I feed my animals. I then ride my horses and fix dinner, doing dishes afterward.

 

7:00 pm- After I do the dishes, I do homework and read with Karson.

8:00 pm- I finish the day by getting ready for bed.

And That's A Wrap On This Year's First Pep Rally!

Meet Mr. Vercher

Meet Mr. Vercher, your new Chisholm Trail Middle School principal! Seeing as he’s your principal, we think you should get to know him. We set up an interview with Mr. Vercher, so Chisholm Trail could find out more about him.

Mr. Vercher graduated from Sterling College in Kansas, got his Masters from the University of Houston, and he also received his Superintendent Certification at the University of North Texas. He’s been married to his wife for 15 years. He also has three kids, a three year old, a six year old, and a ten year old. Some of his hobbies and interests include being with  his family, going on hiking trails, staying in shape, and going to places like the theater, amusement parks, TCU football games, and the symphony. Mr. Vercher has also been a teacher and an assistant principal before he became a principal.

“I had teachers who made a big difference in my life, and that’s why I wanted to be a teacher,” he told us, “Eventually that lead me to be an assistant principal and then a principal.”

        We also asked him about his goals for this year. He replied with, “I want to be the best possible middle school principal that Chisholm Trail could have and to motivate and inspire people to be their very best. One of my very favorite things in the world and as a principal is to see people be successful. If I can help that in any way, I’m successful.”

We hope you learned more about your new principal. He’s pretty cool, don’t you think? He also wanted us to let you know one thing, “I sincerely care about Chisholm Trail. I want them to know that if you can dream it, set goals, and work to achieve them you can accomplish anything.

Fall Survey

Fall is finally here! To celebrate, our journalism group organized a five question Fall survey for students and staff to participate in. We arranged 50 people around the school to partake in this survey which included your favorite things about the season. Here are the results:

What is your favorite thing about Fall?

Is Fall your favorite season? If not what is?

What is your favorite thing to do in the Fall?

What is your favorite Fall holiday?

What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?

After this long and gruesome summer, we’re glad to say that Fall is back! It’s finally time to start enjoying the cooler weather, football games, and the holidays!