Paw Prints - West Elementary School

WEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Spring 2012
Volume 4, Issue 3
Paw Prints
2012 Relay for Life: A Community Event
By Vanessa Rakestraw
Once again this year, Cullman County’s Relay for Life event was a huge success!
This event raised $176,688.00 for the American Cancer Society to use for cancer
research. This year’s theme was “The Power of Purple.” The night was filled with
inspirational stories of people in our community who have been affected by cancer.
If you’ve never been a part of this all-night event, you should make plans now to
attend next year!
Colton Evans
This is why we Relay!
Special points of
interest:
 Relay for Life
 Seriously Strong
Celebrations
 Summer Reading List
 Summer Word Search
 Book , movie & music
reviews
 Poetry
 And more...
This edition of Paw Prints is dedicated to everyone who is fighting cancer, has been
cured of cancer or has lost their battle with cancer. On January 2, 2012, my nephew,
Colton Evans, passed away after a long, hard-fought battle with brain cancer. His 7
1/2 year battle with cancer was long and painful, but he never complained. He was a
special person who inspired and taught others more in his 17 years than most people
will in a lifetime. He loved to laugh, watch movies, play with dogs of any kind, and
eat chocolate. I have so many special memories of Colton and his outlook on life that
was well beyond his age. One special story that his mom shared with me continues
to inspire me to this day. Not too long after Colton was diagnosed, he went with his
mom to watch his big brother’s football game. His chemotherapy treatments made
him very weak, so they watched the game from their van. While sitting in the van,
Colton watched as some kids were playing in some nearby mud puddles. His mom
could tell he wished he could join them, but he never complained. While he was
watching them play, one girl’s mother got angry at her for getting her shoes muddy
and wet. The little girl cried as her mother led her away from the puddles. As the
mom and daughter walked away, Colton asked his mom why that mom was so mad at
her daughter. Colton’s mom explained that she did not want her daughter to get her
shoes dirty. Colton looked at his mom very serious and said with great wisdom, “It’s
just a little mud. It will wash off.” Colton’s mom held back her tears as she agreed
with Colton and wished that her little boy could run through those puddles and get
muddy too! This story reminds me that we should not get upset or bothered by the
little things in life that are not really important. We should enjoy every moment and
not worry about getting a little “muddy” sometimes. Don’t take life for granted and
tell the people in your life how much you love them every day! And if you get the
chance...get your shoes muddy from playing in a puddle!
Have a great summer!
Check out this inspirational video that was made at Seattle Children’s Hospital .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihGCj5mfCk8&feature=youtu.be
Page 2
Paw Prints
Spotlight on West Elementary PTA
by Lindsey Hill
Our PTA has worked very hard to raise money to buy our school things we need. Sometimes they are
things for learning and to help us with our schoolwork. Other times they provide things that are for our fun activities or our P.E. classes. Let’s find out a little more about West PTA. I’m going to interview Courtney Hill, PTA
president who is just one of the many great officers.
LH: First, can you tell me who the PTA officers are?
CH: We have several moms who have helped so much this year. I could not have done my job without each of
them! Our officers are the best!! Julie Ray serves as our Treasurer. Joey Orr is in charge of our membership. Julie
Apel is over ordering and designing our t-shirts for the school. Our main event is our West Fest and these are our
officers over that: Julie Apel, Natalie Drake, Leigh Ann Braswell, Debbie Lowery, Delaine Van Dyke, Connie
Sandlin, Shannon Witcher, and myself.
LH: What are some projects that have been done by the PTA?
CH: Well last year we used our money for the Incentive Room! This year we did a Teacher Appreciation Luncheon for our teachers plus several other “happies” for them. We have given to various activities throughout the
year for the students also. We also have replaced the sound system in the gym with new head mikes and wireless mikes. That is used every day by the P.E. teachers and is used during award programs. We are still determining what to do with the money we have raised this year.
LH: What are some future projects you are planning on doing?
CH: With the money we have from this year, we are looking into swing sets for our playground by the gym and
fixing up the playground in the back of the school. In the future, we are looking at adding sets of I-pads or Kindle
Fires for each grade and possibly a fitness room to go along with the P.E. program. Our purpose is to help our
school, students and teachers in any way we can and make it the best school possible!!!
Thank you West PTA!!
2012 Beta Club Convention
by Lauren Harbison & Kylie Williams
On March 15, 2012 some of the West Elementary Beta Club members went to Huntsville for the State Beta Club Convention. Some of the members participated in the Quiz Bowl and a Spelling Bee. Some of the Beta Club members that competed in the convention were Lexy Sivley (Pres.), Kylie Williams (VP), Josh Skinner (Tres.), Savanna Ball (Secretary.), and Jaiden
Philyaw (Historian).
We asked these students about what they did at the convention and this is what they said:
Lexy - I did a Quiz Bowl and Math Test.
Savanna- Hung out with friends and went to StarBucks.
Josh- I was in the Quiz Bowl and took the Science Test.
Tori– I competed in the State Spelling Bee and I got 5th place.
Page 3
2012 Hoop Shoot
6th Grade: Tailgate Fun!
By Brannon Calvert
By Elizabeth Collins
The Cullman Elks Lodge held their annual Cullman
County Hoop Shoot contest Jan. 28th at Cullman Middle School. Over 3.5 million contestants nationwide
participated in the event, which is in its 40th year.
The six local first-place winners — Brooks Stephenson
(8- to 9-year-old boys), of Cold Springs; Neely Ellison
(8- to 9-year-old girls), of Cold Springs; Cooper Beck
(10- to 11-year-old boys), of East Elementary; Kenzie
Brown (10- to 11-year-old girls), of West Elementary;
Jacob Mosher (12- to 13-year-old boys), of West Point;
and Emme Willoughby (12- to 13-year-old girls) —
advanced to the district contest, which was held Feb.
11 in Decatur at Cedar Ridge Middle School.
The 6th grade students enjoyed a
Tailgate Celebration after testing was
over last month. Students worked hard
on the test because they did not want to
miss the fun. They enjoyed food, games
and fun with their friends. The
celebration was held at the football field.
across from West. Everybody had a
great time!
2011-2012 Archery Team
by Maddison Graveman
The 2011-2012 West Elementary Archery team members are Sam Briehn, Bailey Calvert, Ashlynn
Cook, Tucker Heaton, Lindsey Hill, Cameron Johnson, Keaton Kinney, Sam Lowery, Will Lowery, Tyler Nunnelley, Trey Partain, Jaron Potter, Jarret Scott, Savanna Ball, Maddison Graveman, and Dylon
McSwain. The regional tournament was held on March 8, 2012 at Good Hope High school., and the
state tournament was held on April 5, 2012 at the BJCC arena in Birmingham. What is archery? The
physical education curriculum entitled “Archery: On Target for Life” was co-created by the Kentucky Department’s of Education and Kentucky’s Fish and Wildlife Resources in the spring of 2002. A
similar program was implemented in 16 of Alabama’s middle schools in 2003. Approximately 75 Alabama middle schools applied for inclusion in the pilot program conducted during the spring of 2003.
A committee comprised of State Department of Education and Division of Wildlife and Freshwater
Fisheries employees selected two schools each of the eight state school districts for inclusion in the
program. Designed to teach Junior Olympic Development style archery programs to 5th-12th grades
as part of an in school curriculum to improve educational performance and participation. The goal of
this program is to provide middle school children with the ingredients to become involved in a life
skill that has no barriers. Most of all….it’s just fun!
Page 4
Paw Prints
2nd Grade: Mother’s Day Memories
By Jastin Gonzalez & Parker VanDyke
Mrs. Moon’s 2nd grade class made a class book to celebrate and honor their mothers for Mother’s
Day this year. We asked them a few questions about how they made it and this what they had to say:
PV: Did you work together or was it
more of an independent project?
JG: Was it hard?
Class: Sort of hard, but not really.
Class: We helped each other
PV: Did you like drawing it?
JG: What was the book about?
Class: Yes it was fun to draw
Class: It was a Mother’s Day book
PV: Was it fun writing the book?
JG: How long did it take to make the
book?
Class: Yes
Class: About one week
Page 5
Page 6
Paw Prints
3rd Grade: Fun in the Sun “Seriously Strong” Celebration
by By: Abby Young, Jordan Millican, and Mallory Harper
Third grade is the first year students take part in state testing. It can be a very stressful time for
everyone. So, to relax and unwind, 3rd grade students were rewarded for their hard work with
a day of Fun in the Sun. Here is what a few 3rd graders had to say about the day:
Questions:
Hannah Hoffman
8
Baseball with
Friends
Yes!!
Popsicles
Baseball
On a scale from 1 to 10, how fun was it?
What was your favorite part?
If you could do it again, would you?
What was your favorite snack you had?
What did you spend most of your time doing?
Sadie Young
7
Playing Games
Yes!
Ice Cream
Kickball
Cherries
Eliza Hollingsworth
8
Playing games
Yes!!
Popsicles
Baseball
Whipped Cream
Page 7
4th Grade: Pig Pen Party
by Elizabeth Echeverria
After testing, 4th grade got to go to the Pig
Pen Party if they got all 4 seriously strong
tickets. They had a fun celebration and got
to spend time with their friends. Their privileges were to play in the mud, to slide
down the slip n’ slide, ice cream, freeze
pops, and they also had a relay race!!!
Did you have a fun time with
your friends?
Yadira Echeverria- Yes, a lot!
Makayla Lynn- Yes!
Aubrey Robertson- YEAH, I
DID!!!!
Jaxson C.- Yeah!
Zac B.- Yes!
Luis Gante- Yup!! A lot!!
Did you try your best on the
test??
Y.E.-I tried really hard!!
M.L.-Yes!
A.R.-YES!! GO TEST!!!
J.C- SURE!!
Z.B.- YEAH!!
L.G.- Yes I did!
What was your favorite part??
Y.E- mud and slip n’ slide.
M.L- Slip n’ slide!
A.R- Slip n’ slide! It was
AMAZING!!
J.C- Mud!
Z.B- slip n’ slide!!
L.G- Slip n’ slide!!
Page 8
Paw Prints
5th Grade: Rockin’ at the Hop
By Bailee Clark
5th graders that worked hard and earned their seriously strong tickets during testing were rewarded with a Sock Hop in the gym. I asked a few students about it and this is what they told me:
Q: When was the Sock Hop?
A: April 19th.
Q: What did you do at the Sock Hop?
A: Danced, hula hoop, dance contest, best
dressed, snacks.
Q: What kind of music did you dance to?
A: 50s music.
Q: What was your favorite part about the
Sock Hop?
A: The dress because it made me feel like I
was in the 50s. It was so cute!
6th Grade Advice
by Jazmin Gante & Jennifer Herrera
Our West Elementary 6th graders have some advice for the 5th graders that will be moving up to 6th grade next
year. We asked some of the 6th graders and teachers some questions. Let’s find out what they said:
What advice do you give to the 5th graders for 6th grade?
Ninfa M.-Be prepred
and try your best at
everything. Work hard
and set a goal.
Michael M.– Pay attention, do your homework
and try not to get
checkmarks.
What is your favorite part about 6th grade?
Hannah S.– Work
hard and pay attention during class.
Jordan R.– Being top
dogs!
6th Grade teachers’
Advice:
Parker V.-Being the oldest!
Ms. Hoffman-Be
ready to work hard!
Jazmin G.-Be more
responsible with
their assignments.
JastinG.– The Tailgate
Party!
Zane E.– Work hard
and do your best!
Keira R.– More free time
and fun!
Cole L.– You get more
respect
Mrs. Cummings-Be
organized for class
and enjoy yourself.
Listen more than you
talk!
Page 9
Mrs. Gunter’s 5th
Grade students wrote
poetry about spring
Page 10
Paw Prints
New Additions to the West Family By Molly Gilliand
There are some new arrivals at West that we would love for you to meet!
Mrs. Bouldin’s
grandbaby
Nurse Tankersley’s
baby
Abigail Lyn
Bouldin
Trammel Kyle
March 20,2012
February 5, 2012
April 27th: One Year Later
By Brock Story
Last year on April 27th, 2011 hundreds of tornados destroyed the
south; thousands of homes destroy with lots fatalities. 358
tornadoes were confirmed by the National Weather Service in 21
states from Texas to New York and even isolated tornadoes in
Canada. Widespread and destructive tornadoes occurred on each
day of the outbreak. Most of the fatalities occurred in Alabama,
and had $2.925 billion in insurance claim payouts . This has
been the deadliest natural disaster to strike the US since
Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Mrs. Lori’s
grandbaby
Kenley
May 2, 2012
Coach Mac’s Baby
shower for
Ryleigh Mae
due to arrive on
June 3, 2012
Page 11
2012 West Elementary Teacher of the Year
By Jada VanDegriff & Nicole Graveman
We interviewed 5th grade West Elementary teacher, Mrs. Hall. She has been awarded with Teacher of the Year!
Here are the questions we asked Mrs. Hall:
Nicole: How did you feel when you won the 2012 Teacher of the Year Award?
Mrs. Hall: I felt very surprised and undeserving.
Jada: What did you do to get the Teacher of the Year Award?
Mrs. Hall: I have to accept an award at CCSF Luncheon. (May 2)
I also have to go to an interview at the Chamber of Commerce.
Nicole: When were you announced Teacher of the Year?
Mrs. Hall: I was announced in November.
Jada: How long have you been working for Cullman City Schools?
Mrs. Hall: I have been working here for 8 years.
Nicole: Did you expect to get chosen for Teacher of the Year?
Mrs. Hall: Certainly not.
Jada: What are your teaching habits?
Mrs. Hall: I set clear classroom expectations, and give parents as many as specifics as I can. I also try to go beyond
the regular curriculum when possible.
West Elementary is much honored to have Mrs. Hall as the 2012 West Elementary Teacher of the Year!
Congratulations Mrs. Hall!
2012 AAHSA
Baseball Playoffs
by Jaiden Philyaw
With a 22 -17 record, the Cullman Bearcat’s season ended Saturday,
April 27, 2012. They played two games on Friday and one game on
Saturday. The first game Cullman lost 5 – 4 but with lots of effort.
The second game Cullman won 3 – 1, then the third game sadly, we
lost 7 – 5, but they still had a great game. This year they had an amazing 1,337 hits. We appreciate our Bearcats,
and also we need to pray for a Bearcat player his named Andrew Winfrey. He was a 3rd baseman for Cullman this
year, but then he had a terrible car accident that kept him from playing this season. The Bearcats are praying for
him, having lots of fundraisers, and donating to Andrew’s family. We need to keep on praying for him and pray
that he continues to gain progress and returns to the field soon.
Page 12
Paw Prints
Summer Word Scramble
Summer Trivia
Karina Cabanas &
By Madison Hunkeapillar & Maddy Kilpatrick
Alexandra Holt
Questions:
1. What is the most popular summer sport?
olop = _ _ _ _
rmseum = _ _ _ _ _ _
2. What is another name for flip-flops?
3. What year was the 1st Popsicle invented?
4. In what country were the 2008 Olympics held?
ebse = _ _ _ _
atvoianc = _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
ebahc = _ _ _ _ _
mswmnigi = _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
spwsa = _ _ _ _ _
tho = _ _ _
rmacceie = _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
eakl = _ _ _ _
troidgnoba = _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
feosoda = _ _ _ _ _ _ _
taeyws = _ _ _ _ _ _
wrfoser = _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2nd Grade: Tia Lynn
5th Grade: Ty Whaley
1. Dance
1. Baseball
2. Sandals
2. Sandals
3. 1805
3. 1905
4. United States
4. China
3rd Grade: Sadie Young
6th Grade: Kylie Williams
1. Softball
1. Baseball
2. Sandals
2. Shoes
3. 1945
3. 1942
4. Canada
4. Russia
4th Grade: Mason Herron
1. Baseball
2. Sandals
3. 1983
4. Brazil
3rd Grade Teacher:
Mrs. Hollingsworth
1. Swimming
2. Sandals
3. 1910
4. China
ispepoc = _ _ _ _ _ _ _
ANSWERS: 1. swimming 2. Sandals 3. 1905 4. China
Key: pool, summer, bees, vacation, beach, swimming, wasps, hot, ice
cream, lake, boat riding, sea food, sweaty, flowers popsicles
Page 13
Ask The 3 Musketeers
Dear 3 Musketeers,
Dear 3 Musketeers,
Dear 3 Musketeers,
My brother is always bothering me.
What should I do?
My friends are always getting mad at me
at school. What should I do?
Sincerely,
Sincerely,
I am always forgetting my homework at
home. How can I become more responsible?
Cinderella
Percy
Sincerely,
Medusa
Dear Cinderella,
Dear Percy,
Try to be very nice to your brother and
when he gets on your nerves just let it go
and be the better person.
Try to work it out with your friends, and if
they are still mad you try to apologize. If
they are still mad at you just wait and let
them settle down.
Sincerely,
The 3 Musketeers
Sincerely,
The 3 Musketeers
Dear Medusa,
You could write yourself a note to help
you remember your homework, or you
could put it in your backpack as soon
as you finish it.
Sincerely,
The 3 Musketeers
CMS Spring Training
Spring Chorus Program
by Jacob White
by Vanessa Hudgins
Some of the sixth grade boys
had football spring training March
23 – April 5. I asked them some
questions about it and here is what
they said:
What was your favorite part of
spring training?
Tucker Heaton: the water break.
The 6th grade chorus classes from East and West Elementary
School recently held their annual Spring Concert. Their teacher is
Mr. Tim Clemmons. They performed nine different songs. The
names of the of the songs were “Galop”, “Something Told the Wild
Geese”, “You Raise Me Up”, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”, “My Heart
Will Go On”, “Footloose”, “A Moment Like This”, “A Tribute To
Queens”, and “The Climb”. They also did great at State Competition
this year. If you like to sing, you should really think about joining
chorus in 6th grade. It’s a blast!
Trey Partain: catching balls.
SJ Walker: the locker room.
Lane Watley: going to practice.
Josh Skinner: playing left tackle.
What was your least favorite part of
spring training?
Dylon McSwain: locker room.
Fletcher Jennings: the ride to practice with my friend.
Jaiden Philyaw: the water break
Pray for Andrew
By Chandler Jeschke
I’m sure all of you have heard of the terrible accident involving Andrew
Winfrey. He was in a horrible car accident and it caused a lot of injuries to
his body. He is a sophomore at Cullman High School as well as an amazing
football player. Andrew is in our prayers as he continues to get better.
You can buy pray for Andrew T-shirts at Cummings Sporting Goods. There
are also other fund-raisers to help Andrew and his family during this time.
Andrew returned home on April 30th and he continues to recover.
Page 14
Paw Prints
4th Grade iPAD App Designs by Emily Towns
I recently interviewed Mrs. Fowlkes about her class project called
APP-lication. Here is what I found out from her:
Emily: What was the project about?
Mrs. Fowlkes: I had the children design a science or math related iPad
App. I wanted them to think of something that would be useful to other children their age…maybe something that would help other kids
study or review science concepts they learned in school. My main
purpose was to show how I integrate technology within my
science class.
Emily: Did they have fun doing the project?
Mrs. Fowlkes: Yes! This was probably the most fun they had all year in
my class. Everyone put forth 100% effort on this project. I had so much
fun reading their ideas.
Emily: What were some of the APP’s about?
Mrs. Fowlkes: I had several on the topic of space and learning about
the different planets. Zeb Emerson designed an APP where you could
take a picture of yourself and it would tell you how old you look. That
one cracked me up! These 4th graders are so creative!
Page 15
Poetry Page
The summer winds blow
Beckoning to the flowers
Summer sizzles
Like hot dogs on a grill
Iced lemonade is the only chill
In the summer mist
Tori Lynn, 6th grade
Brinna Horton, 6th grade
Spring
Enchanted Season
The joyful little birds crying their hearts
Out to one another
The rays of sunshine light up the vast prairie
The tulips do a happy little dance
in the comforting light breeze
Bees buzzing past the flower garden
The butterflies are incredulous at all the blooming flowers
The prickly grass tickling the children’s bare feet
The trees giggle to one another
S-wim
P-lants
Friendship is like you met a person kinda like
you but they’re not you,
they’re something new
It’s like the one person you don’t want to lose
They’re with you when you’re up or down
They will always come around
So you try to do the same
So when you call out their name
They will know you’re there
Even when you’re a little scared
A friend is all you need when you feel sad
They won’t make you feel bad
With them you’re always glad
Moni Bell, 6th grade
R-ain
I-ncredible
N-ewness
Spring time is near us
Smell the new flowers blooming
That flow in the breeze
G-ames
as little blue jays land on their branches
Spring has bloomed!
The enchanting and wondrous things it shall bring!
Nate Spicer, 6th grade
Savanna Ball, 6th grade
Nicole Graveman, 6th grade
Spring time is here
Snow finally melting, Dew trickling off the blooming flowers
The sun smiling down
Spring time is near
Flowers dancing joyfully in the relaxing spring breeze
Just open your eyes
Bears eating honey after a hibernating winter
And you will see
Butterflies fluttering around, The old maples are opening
The most beautiful sights
Beetles crawling around the prickly grass
All things are starting to grow back
Cole Lawrence, 6th grade
Spring is here!
Nicole Graveman & Jada VanDeGriff, 6th grade
2011-2012 Editors:
West Elementary School
303 Rosemont Ave. S.W.
Cullman, AL 35055
256-734-4271
Karina Cabanas
Madison Hunkeapillar
Brannon Calvert
Chandler Jeschke
Bailee Clark
Maddy Kilpatrick
Elizabeth Collins
Tequila King
Elizabeth Echeverria
Jordan Millican
Jazmin Gante
Jaiden Philyaw
Molly Gilliland
Jordan Ray
Jastin Gonzalez
Brock Story
Maddison Graveman
Ashlyn Teeling
Nicole Graveman
Blake Tetro
Dalton Hamby
Emily Towns
Mallory Harper
Jada VanDeGriff
Lauren Harbison
Parker VanDyke
Jennifer Herrera
Kylie Williams
Lindsey Hill
Jacob White
Alexandra Holt
Abby Young
Vanessa Hudgins
Vanessa Rakestraw, Sponsor
Summer Reading by Ashlynn Teeling
6th grade-The Hunger Games
First of all let me say-Why did I wait so long to read this book? It’s been out for 4 years! So I finished it in a few days and am now
on the 2nd book-Catching Fire. Let’s hope it’s as good as the first one!
The Hunger Games is one of those books that you just can’t put down for fear of not finding out what is going to happen. It has
little twists and turns throughout that couldn’t have been foreseen. Even though I think that Katniss sometimes isn’t emotional
enough or sensitive enough, I rooted for her all the way.
So I give this book 8 out of 5 stars. Oh, wait-I can’t do that! :) 5 of 5 stars!
5th grade-If Only by Carole Geithner. Corinna's world is crushed after her mother dies of cancer. How does she get through the
funeral, trays of ziti, a father who can't communicate, the first day of school, Mother's Day, people who don't know what to say,
and the entire eighth-grade year? Despite her alienation from many of her peers, including her best friend, she succeeds in
finding support. She dares to bare her innermost fears, hurts, and wishes, and even allows herself to have a flowering crush on
a boy in the school band. She also finds out deep secrets about her mother which she never knew. It's a year that will change
Corinna's life forever.
4th grade-A Pocket Full Of Kisses
When Chester Raccoon promises to be good if his mother will send his little brother back, Mrs. Raccoon shows that she has
enough love for both of her children.
3rd grade-A Color Of his Own- Elephants are gray. Pigs are pink. Only the chameleon has no color of his own. He is purple like
the heather, yellow like a lemon, even black and orange striped like a tiger! Then one day a chameleon has an idea to remain
one color forever by staying on the greenest leaf he can find. But in the autumn, the leaf changes from green to yellow to red . .
. and so does the chameleon. When another chameleon suggests they travel together, he learns that companionship is more
important than having a color of his own. No matter where he goes with his new friend, they will always be alike.
2nd grade-The Kissing Hand- When Chester the raccoon is reluctant to go to kindergarten for the first time, his mother teaches
him a secret way to carry her love with him.