JA Writers - February 2012

JA Writers
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Visit our website at www.jonesacademy.org
Serving Native Americans Concerned With the Education of Native American Children February 2012 Issue
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Many cards and flowers like the ones held by Desma Valdez and Jazlynn Bernal
were sent to fellow classmates and friends on Valentine’s Day. For more Valentine
photos see page 8.
10 Lovely Stories In This Issue.....
Lazer Zone
JA Writers Applying For Workshop
Biggest Loser Challenge
Learn and Serve... Spreading A Little Love/ Super Students
Will You Be My Valentine?
They Got Caught...Who Is Next?/ Song
Mrs. Sander’s Magic Broom
Happy Valentine’s Day Jones Academy!
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EXPERIENCE THE LAZER ZONE
By Lexus McAfee
Hector Bernal and Ethan Thomas took advantage of the bowling alley at Lazer Zone and
enjoyed every minute of it.
Residents at Jones Academy attend several activities each month and recently the younger boys
traveled to Ada, Oklahoma to enjoy a fun-filled
night at Lazer Zone. Lazer Zone is a monstrous
arcade where kids can go and enjoy many different activities such as bowling, glow- in -the- dark
putt putt golf, laser tag, and many other popular
arcade games. At the end of the evening students
were able to redeem prizes for the tickets they
won while enjoying the activities. This was definitely a good time for everyone who attended the
outing!
Johnny and Hunter Sparlin were very inquisitive about the
technology used at the bowling alley.
Sabian Hawkins had a bit of an “equipment malfunction”
with his multicolored bowling shoes!
JA Writers Applying For
Crazy Horse Memorial Workshop
Markita Cross, Kim Black Bear, Joshua Sam and Brandon Thomas fill out applications for the Crazy
Horse Journalism Workshop, in hopes that they will be accepted to attend.
Every day is a busy day in the newsroom for Jones Academy’s JA
Writers, but lately students have been filling out applications to attend the Crazy Horse Memorial Journalism Workshop. The workshop is set to be held April 15-19 in Custer South Dakota at the
Crazy Horse Memorial. Only top journalism students are invited to
participate and students are selected by application. The workshop
is held by the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute in conjunction
with Crazy Horse Memorial. During the workshop students are
taught by professional mentors who work in the field of journalism. The goal of the workshop is to help students hone their skills
in writing, reporting and photography. The journalism workshop is
only open to Native American students and only 45 students will
be chosen to attend the event. Good luck our students who have
applied for this inspiring event!
Jones Academy’s
Jones Academy is proud to announce that
once again, various staff members have chosen to participate in The Biggest Loser Challenge sponsored by Choctaw Nation Healthy
Heart. The event is being coordinated by
Choctaw Nation Healthy Hearts Program
Activity Coordinator Mandy Grammar and
Raina Sparks MS,RD/LD-Community/Clinical Dietician.
The event is designed to promote healthier
lifestyles, educate participants about healthy
nutrition and teach successful way to lose
weight through diet and excercise.
The Biggest Loser Challenge is a 12 week
program that features a different topic each
week concerning healthy life styles. Participants are required to attend atleast 10 classes,
in which nutrition information and successful exercise plans are introduced. Participants
may either compete as individuals or as
team members. Participants weigh in every
4 weeks and on May 16th the Biggest Losers
will be awarded with Nike products such as :
Shoes, Gym Bags and Water bottles.
February 29th kicked off the first official
weigh in. Top team losers include:
1st Place -Team Ohoyo Okchakko
Brenda Martin
Lori Wells
Sheila Bailey
2nd Place -The Elliptical Wizards
Denell Cooley
Kim Sanders
Linda Civic
3rd Place-The Thinner Winners
Dennis Dugan
Rhonda Dugan
Jennifer Bolt
Dietician Raina Sparks visits with Shayla Peters about
Body Mass Index and fat percentage.
Linda Civic strikes a muscle bound pose as she walks the
designated exercise track.
Each week the exercise track is marked with cones
depicting what exercises are to be done during that days
workout. Changing up a workout is very beneficial if a
plateau has been reached in weight loss.
Learn and Serve....
“Spreading A Little Love”
Pictured taking Valentine gifts to the residents at Beare Manor are: (front
row) Wilmer Guerrero,Reina Rodriquez, Melina Tushka, Hector Bernal, and
Tysheena McMillan
(back row) Jade Wakolee, Samantha Lopez, Terrell Warrior, and Johnny
Sparlin.
Wilmer Guerrero delivers a little Valentines
Day Cheer to a resident at Beare Manor.
The elementary members of Learn and Serve decided that in honor of Valentine’s Day they would “spread a
little love” to residents at Beare Manor. The students used their group time to make some very special flowers
and gift bags containing “goodies” to brighten the residents day. They then hand delivered all of them to some
very deserving elders. Outings such as this not only help the young people to reach out to the community they
live in but also teaches the importance of honoring and respecting one’s elders. The residents enjoyed the gifts
and cherished the time spent visiting with the children.
Super Students
Congratulations to our students who were chosen as Jones Academy’s Super
Students for the 3rd nine weeks.They are: Wilmer Guerrero (6th),Kaitlan
Wilson (6th), Carlos Rodrigues (5th), Jade Wakolee (5th),
LaRae New Holy (4th), Kendra Wakolee (4th), Tysheena McMillan (1st), and
Desirea Sparlin (2nd).
Will You Be My Valentine?
Markita Cross, Kim Black Bear, and Emilia Farmer display some of the Valentine flowers they made. Each
Flower was its own distinct creation, with many colors and shapes.
Students at Jones Academy’s Alternative
Learning Center often participate in seasonal
activities. For Valentine’s Day they got to
make cards and flowers for their loved ones
during their life skills group. As a special
treat, Prevention Specialist Amber Hearn,
also brought a giant heart shaped brownie to
the class to share with everyone. The students enjoyed learning how to make flowers
out of crepe paper and they really enjoyed
Miss Hearn’s frosted brownies!
Prevention Specialist Amber Hearn visits weekly
with the students at Jones Academy to promote
healthy life skills.
They Got Caught...
Who Is Next?
Three elementary students were caught being good in January. These students are (left to right): Terrell
Warrior, Sabian Hawkins, and Braimes Jim. We are so proud of our students who are witnessed carrying out good deeds on campus. The students exhibit good character and make Jones Academy shine
with pride! Congratulations boys!
Song
And I think over again
My small adventures
When with a shore wind I drifted out
In my kayak
And thought I was in danger.
My fears,
Those I thought so big
For all the vital things
I had to get and to reach.
And yet, there is only
one great thing,
The only thing:
To live to see in huts and on journeys
The great day that dawns,
And the light that fills the world.
Eskimo
-Translated by Knud Rasmussen
Desma Valdez (5th grade) recites the poem “Song”
as Kim Black Bear (Junior Alt..) reads along.
Desma and her classmates have learned many
poems in Mr. Sirmans’ class and recite them often
for various groups of people.
Mrs. Sander’s
Magic Broom
This raw egg is defying the laws of gravity.
Mrs. Sanders poses with her “magic broom”. She
got the idea from a friend who posted a photo on
Facebook.
Is it a scientific fact or is it
fiction? Try it and find out!!!
I thought it was a little odd when I walked in
to Mrs. Sanders classroom at the Alternative
Learning Center on March 5th. I couldn’t
place my finger on it but something was
definitely different! Was the carpet new? No.
Were the desks arranged differently? Negative. How about the windows.....And then
it hit me! A broom was standing straight up
in the middle of the room without any thing
supporting it and later I witnessed an egg
standing straight up on a plate. Now that’s
crazy...Unless its during the Spring Vernal
Equinox. What exactly is the Spring Vernal
Equinox? It has to do with the planets being
lined up and the day and night being exactly
the same amount of hours and minutes and
gravitational pull and ... well lets just say
its a very complicated scientific anomaly.
Let me encourage you to research it a little
for yourself at www.verenettawarner.com/
vernal-equinox-brooms-eggs-standing-alone
and you can see for your self whether it is a
scientific fact or fiction.
Mrs. Sanders invited the 5th grade students to come and witness
her “magic broom”. Here some of the students are successful at
demonstrating the free standing broom trick.
5th grader Jeremy Pitts tries to get a raw egg to stand straight up
with no support.
Happy
Valentine’s
Day!!!!!
Alanna Brown
Melina Tushka
Lastenia Lainez- Ortiz
Reina Rodriquez
Melvin Birthmark and Jenaro
Lujano
Diaz Moore