Spooky Reading!

by Sydney S.

I interviewed a few ELA teachers to find out if they were planning to do anything for Halloween. Mr Moser, and 8th grade teacher, and Miss Buechler, a 6th grade teacher, both agreed that teaching a few spooky things every year is fun for the students and themselves.

Miss. Buechler talked about letting her students write the ending to a short story, playing a fun Blooket, and watching a few Scooby Doo episodes that connected to her class. Some of you may not remember, but Miss Buechler’s short story is call “The Thing in the Walls”. It’s about Goodman, one of the main characters, hearing alarming sounds from his walls. Finally, he has enough and tells his wife to take their kids to her mother’s house. His wife, Paige, is worried, so she drives back to their house. She looks everywhere and hears a weak voice calling her name. Paige follows it to the attic, and answers her phone. It’s Goodman telling her he’s sorry and that he is at her mother’s house. Paige slowly shines a light on the thing making the noise. 6th graders get to write their own endings to this scary story.

Mr. Moser talked about reading works by Edgar Allen Poe and other Halloween related stories.

For those of you who don’t know, Edgar Allen Poe was a distinguished writer, poet, and editor. His story was a tragic one, being orphaned as a toddler and going on to lose many important people in his life. He was best known for his spooky stories that are still read today.

We're Back!

 cartoon by Quelby B. 

Volleyball

by Aubrey H. 

Volleyball season for 7th and 8th kicked off with their first game on September 1st. I’m gonna start off by interviewing some of the 7th and 8th grade volleyball players on how they are liking volleyball this season.

Starting off with 7th graders. We have Kaden S. Kaden said, “I love how in volleyball you could have a whole group of people and they would hype you up about stuff and they wouldn’t just put you down if you did something wrong and I would suggest it to other people because it's a very fun sport and you have a whole bunch of people to hype you up for a game and we have so much fun on the bus rides especially.

Next we have Rian M. Rian said she likes volleyball “because it's fun, keeps me active, and lets me spend time with my teammates. I would suggest playing it to other people because it is a fun sport that keeps you busy and can build new friend-ships throughout the season."

Last but not least we have Katelyn B. Katelyn said she likes volleyball because she can do many different things like hitting, setting, passing, blocking, and serving. It helps keeps that game exciting. “Yes, I would suggest it because it is very fun and active. You also get to make new friends and meet new people.”

If the 7th graders haven’t convinced you yet to try volleyball out, maybe our 8th graders will.

Starting off strong with Presley S. “Something that I like about volleyball is the support from my teammates. The reason I chose support is because it will build you up not only as a volleyball player but also as a person. Yes, I would suggest playing volleyball to every girl in the world if I could! I think volleyball brings you closer to other players and helps you see each other’s weaknesses and strengths on and off the court,” Presley said.

Next off we have Frankie J. Frankie says that she “likes volleyball because it can boost your social interactions, you get to play with friends, travel, leave school early, you can compete, and you can get drawn into certain positions."

“I like volleyball because you get to have fun with friends at practice and at games. I like to travel with my team to play our games. Other people should play because you can get closer to the girls at YMS and you get to play volleyball," Kollins said.

Last but not least we have Norah B. Norah said that she likes volleyball because she likes to hang out with all her friends after school everyday and meet new people. She would also suggest playing volleyball because you get to play a sport while having fun and it doesn't matter what team you are on, you still get to make memories and have fun with friends.

I can tell you that all these girls love volleyball and think you should play it as well. It would bring more people into the sport and more friendships. I hope some of these girls persuade you to try volleyball out. You never know if you will like it if you don’t try.

Meet Mr. Davis!

Mr. Davis

by Hattie H.

Recently, I interviewed our new counselor, Mr. Davis, about a range of questions, mainly about himself and why he chose to come to YMS.

Did you know that he was in middle school when the first Nintendo came out? I know, crazy. When asked who his favorite video game character was, he said Mario for this reason, and because, unlike some teachers, he isn’t into them as much anymore.

He believes being a good listener helps him be a counselor, but did you know he was a teacher before? He comes from a family of teachers; his mom, dad, and brother are all teachers. Before moving to YMS, he was a counselor at another school in Sioux Falls, where he worked with a range of people, since it was a combined middle and high school.

So far, he says the weirdest thing he did here at Yankton Middle School was helping the janitor catch a bat. That could explain one of the many holds we’ve been in. However, that sounds quite cool yet gross. For some reason, bats really like the school, which is strange because most kids don’t enjoy it.

Did you know Mr. Davis has a guitar in his room? It’s kinda cool. When I asked him if he could trade places with any teacher in the school, his response was quite fitting. He would trade places with Mrs. Belgum or any of the music teachers, really.

Did you know that he used to coach sports? When asked what his favorite quote was, he said, “Do what is right, not what is easy,” which, if you have Mr. Savey, was on his board a few weeks ago. Apparently, it’s popular for coaches.

Lastly, I asked what one thing he wished people knew more about him. Mr. Davis said he was thrilled to be a part of not just YMS but also the Yankton community. He says everyone has welcomed him warmly and is excited to continue being a part of the community.

News: Agri-Voyage Field Trip

article by Avery O., photos by Mrs. K. Olson

On Friday, September 11th, Mrs. Olson’s Agri-Voyage class went on a field trip to Gayville, SD, to the “Field to Table” program by Valley Ag Supply to learn about the different careers, crops, machinery, and livestock you utilize when you farm! I interviewed Mrs. Olson, the LCE and Agri-Voyage teacher at Yankton Middle School, and Tara Olson, the owner of Valley Ag Supply in Gayville, SD.

A total of 800 students (4th and 8th graders) from 16 schools attended this year, and over 7,000 students have attended the 18 years of this event so far. The “Field to Table” program consists of various “stations” covering topics such as corn, soybeans, machinery, soil erosion, and livestock. The kids also got a swag bag to remember their day.

Valley Ag Supply has been running this program for about 18 years and will definitely do it again next year. Owner of Valley Ag Supply, Tara Olson says, “A farmer named Ray Hall started it in about 2000 and invited a couple local schools near the Vermillion area. My late husband, Greg and I were invited to help him and when he was getting a bit old he asked if we’d take the event on. With the help of my colleague, Cathy – a former teacher – she was able to give schools the educational standards being met with each station so teachers could convince their board/principal that this was not just a field trip but a true educational event.” She also said that it took 2 hours to set up with 18 people and a loader.

Mrs. Olson said the trip needed approval from Dr. Olson and the administration, that the busing needed to be paid for, and that Valley Ag Supply fulfilled that need.

If you aren’t interested in agriculture or being a farmer, it’s South Dakota’s #1 industry, and this field trip helped kids get exposed to things outside of the classroom. Kids must learn that there are many different aspects of farming and that it takes a lot of people to get food to your table!

Feature: Meet Mr. Haak

Mr. Haak

by Cate H.

The new 7th grade math and social studies teacher Mr. Haak has interesting facts about himself he’d like to share! He really likes his job as a teacher here because how funny the kids can be. He said if he wasn’t a teacher he would probably be a professional golfer. He also stated the hardest topic to teach is Negatives and Positives. His favorite color is blue. If he could time travel he’d go to the end of the American revolution, (Not for long). He also said that based on the history AND holiday, Christmas is his favorite! His favorite topic in Social studies is the American revolution. That's all the fun facts about our new 7th grade math and social studies teacher!

Newspaper is Back!

 Hi YMS staff and students! Watch this space for articles, art, and photography by your very own YMS Happenings Newspaper Staff. If you have an idea for content for our blog, let a YMS newspaper reporter know or email Mrs. Andrews at Michelle.K.Andrews@k12.sd.us

(cartoon by Quelby B.)