Volume 10 Issue 1. September 2015

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1 September 2015 Volume 10 Issue 1 Welcome Everyone! Veterans Memorial is off to an amazing start! This year the school has a train theme which refers to staying on track academically and behaviorally. This encourages faculty and students to get on board and keep focused and also goes along with the school s rules. Mr. Peek, Veterans principal, says that the students need to be Accountable, Respectful, and Engaged (A.R.E.), as well as keep up their grades. Mr. Peek believes Generals A.R.E. means students stay focused and take accountability for their behavior and academics. He also adds that the teachers need to come in each and every day motivated to instruct each and every student in their class. He feels that communication among teachers and students is key to success. Mr. Peek says that he is happy with the students and their progress so far. The new staff have settled in well and have grasped the routines and best practices that make Veterans special. The school now has a new assistant principal Mrs. Jeanne Rachels, who is a former advanced language arts class teacher. The school also has a new learning management system called Canvas, which is a replacement for My Big Campus. Mr. Peek wants the students, especially the sixth grade students to know that Excellence is a journey, not a destination and if students remain focused and determined they will reach success at VMMS. By Jeffrey T. Lowe Teacher of the Year: Mrs. Black Teachers come to school every day with an intention of making an impression on their students. Veterans teacher of the year, Mrs. Chandra Black, demonstrates this well. Mrs. Black is currently teaching as the 8-Red Math teacher. She was surprised to find out that her fellow teachers had honored her as Teacher of the Year. Her fellow 8-Red teammates say She is an excellent teacher who cares about kids and is conscious of wanting to help her students. As a teacher, Mrs. Black s goals are to help influence her students by being inspiring. Mrs. Black was born and raised in Georgia. She attended the University of Georgia where she earned her Master s Degree in teaching. She says she decided to become a teacher because she felt that she could impact middle school students. Mrs. Black has been teaching at Veterans for eleven years. I love my job, she says. Seeing students give 100% every day is what Mrs. Black uses for motivation throughout the year. Mrs. Black s students appreciate the way she teaches. She is great at breaking down problems so everyone can understand. She is strict, but is still fun. says one of her students. Another student says Mrs. Black is determined that every student learns, even if a student finds math difficult. Veterans is proud of their amazing Teacher of the Year. By Roberto Galan and Kashawntie Ross Veterans Memorial Middle School, Brown Bridge Rd Covington, GA

2 September 2015 Page 2 New Newsletter, New Staff Parents, students and even faculty often have questions about what goes on at Veterans. These questions can be answered by the new Generals 360 staff members who have been chosen to replace the ones who moved on to high school. The students chosen to be on the staff must have good grades, outstanding behavior, and be trustworthy. The current staff is composed of seventh and eighth grade students and two hardworking educators. These students write the newsletter, which is published six times a year and the annual yearbook. The editor of the Generals 360 newsletter staff, Mrs. Carla Esguerra, loves each of her staff members and knows she can expect growth in them as writers and as students. She is responsible for choosing the staff, proofing articles that students write, and performing final editing. She helps her students one-on-one with their writing skills and encourages them to manage their time well. Dr. Christy Mortimer is the editor of the yearbook. She makes sure that yearbook content is high quality by assigning students to create specific pages in the yearbook and proofing the pages. Parents and students will be excited to discover that the yearbook will be sold in book form this year, after offering only digital yearbooks the past two years. Mrs. Esguerra and Dr. Mortimer both advise future staff members to take the prep course, be hardworking and self-motivated. Another piece of advice they Pictured above: Bottom Row (L-R) Natalia Sanchez, Alisha Rosembert, Alyson Espinoza, Mikayla Cook, Kashawntie Ross. Middle Row (L-R) Elaina Lewis, Sydney Brown, Shantiera Wise, Abriella Farino, Amelia Knighton, Roberto Galan Top Row (L-R) Dr. Christy Mortimer, Jeffrey Lowe, Tyler Smith, Esther Adewumi, Zachary Hudson, Vanessa Ezurike, Jaiden Hall, Abraham Ramos, Nicholas Robinson, Sandra Rodriguez, Mrs. Carla Esguerra give is to work on improving writing and photography skills. The students this year have already begun to make improvements with these skills. Comments about the class from the students include It s a great way to learn new and different skills; it s a good way to get involved and it helps to teach students to write and view things differently. Many of these students have to work extra hard to meet deadlines, because they have a second Enrichment class like chorus, book club and Algebra that they attend on certain days. Even with these difficulties, this year s staff is guaranteed to provide an excellent newsletter and yearbook! By Alisha Rosembert and Natalia Sanchez Rocking PBIS Out What is PBIS and what does it stands for? PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support. PBIS is a program to help students maintain positive behavior and it allows teachers to role model the expectations for the students. At Veterans, PBIS has been used for the past three years and the number of discipline referrals have dropped dramatically.. Throughout the first week of school, the PBIS team developed lessons to introduce the behavior expectation and showed a funny video created by some of the eighth grade teachers. On August 14, the entire school came together in the gym and enjoyed a pep rally filled with skits, song and cheers to help the kids understand more about PBIS. Eighth grade student, Courtney Lee, started the whole thing off by performing a solo. During the pep rally there were many different types of awards given out to outstanding students who knew answers to questions they were given about Veterans. On August 20, PBIS sponsored a dance after school for the entire student body. Veterans has repeatedly won awards for their PBIS program. PBIS benefits the students by setting expectations to promote a positive school culture by decreasing the amount of behavioral challenges. The students who meet the expectations are rewarded with General Bucks and other rewards. Students can purchase items with their bucks and even use them for free admittance to school events. Those who struggle with behavior issues receive targeted assistance and strategies to help them. A large poster can be found in every classroom with the bounce referrals and the consequences, to keep the plan in the front of everyone s minds. If any parents or students have any questions or concerns, they can always contact Mrs. Jeanne Rachels or any other of the PBIS team members. Dr. Rhonda Turner, the school counselor, says, Right now the student have been respectfully following the PBIS process and everything is well on its way to recognition for our success in the PBIS program. By Shantiera Wise and Sydney Brown

3 September 2015 Page 3 Cape Day ATL 2015 In September, students at Veterans participated in an event called Cape Day ATL. During the second week of the month, students in Business classes made posters to advertise the upcoming event. CTAE and art students also created capes out of t-shirts and painted their own superhero emblems on the back. They wore these capes and store-bought capes on Tuesday, September 15, to encourage sick children at Children Healthcare of Atlanta who suffer through multiple challenges. This is the second year Cape Day has been celebrated all over the Atlanta area. Pictures of the event were posted all over social media to encourage these kids who struggle with disabilities or diseases like cancer. At Veterans, over $75 was collected to benefit Children s Healthcare. By Alisha Rosembert and Natalia Sanchez A Generation of Readers It s time for all those book worms to shine! Book club is starting this year at Veterans and the new media specialist is sponsoring the club! Introducing Mrs. Tonya Bowen! I always wanted to be a teacher, and I loved to read says Mrs. Bowen. Being a media specialist seemed like the ideal job for her, as the two went hand in hand. She is a huge fan of the classics, Shakespeare, Charles Dickenson; she s read them all. In fact, her favorite play is Hamlet, by Shakespeare. Mrs. Bowen is married and mother to a stepson, and her beloved parrot, Casper. Outside of school, Mrs. Bowen is as active as she is at Veterans. She enjoys yoga, working in the yard, and helping at animal shelters. Members of the club are excited to be a part of Book Club. Esther Adewumi, a seventh grade member of the Veterans book club, says, The students of the modern day are the new generation, and how can the new generation be great leaders without first being great readers? Mrs. Bowen agrees, and states We have to help students enjoy reading and we have to give students who love to read an opportunity. Not only is this club a haven for those book lovers out there, but this club also gives students a learning experience and quiet place for completing homework and academic assignments. Veterans Memorial Middle School is not the only school hosting a book club, but a majority of the elementary, middle, and high schools all over the county are participating as well. Every year in late January, each book clubs chooses ten members to represent the school for a competition called the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl. The chosen members have to read as many of the books on the book list as they can. Some of books that have to be read are This Journal Belongs to Ratchet, Saturday Boy, and Absolutely Almost. Mrs. Bowen sums it all up, Getting to read all those books. That s like happiness By Esther Adewumi and Abriella Farino Cheerleading Cheerleading is not just a hobby, it s a sport! says Indya Waller. The 2015 football cheer season has just begun and the cheerleaders are flipping into action. Their cheer coach, Ms. Kristie Gates, who used to be a cheerleader in middle school, is working the girls into shape. Along with being the cheer coach, she is also the school s bookkeeper, school webmaster, and concession stand stocker. Cheer captain, Cheyenne Sheckels, and teammate, Indya Waller, believes that Ms. Gates brings something new to the table. Also, both girls feel like year is off to a good start, with a new coach, new members, and already three amazing victories. Cheyenne and her co-captains are trusted with the responsibility of keeping the girls on task and they ve already learned over twenty cheers. The Cheer Generals work together and respect each other as a team. According to the past cheerleaders, the new ones are great and are like a bunch of cute little sisters. With the Cheer Generals contagious spirit, this year will be outstanding. By Eliana Lewis and Amelia Knighton

4 September 2015 Page 4 New Staff Focus: Ms. Jennifer Hollowell Veterans Memorial Middle School has added thirteen new staff members for the school year. There are two new seventh grade teachers, one eighth grade teacher, six special education teachers, a new media specialist, a gym parapro, and two new connections teachers. In each issue, the Generals 360 wants to introduce one or two of these staff members to its readers. Ms. Hollowell, the new language arts teacher on team 8 Red, was interviewed about her time at Veterans and, how she is enjoying Veterans so far. It has been a great first year at Veterans; I have loved it so far. It has been challenging at times but I have pushed through it overall, she says. Ms. Hollowell is teaching eighth grade language arts and Quest language arts. She received her degree at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. She thinks that the discipline plan here at Veterans is great when it is followed by students. Ms. Hollowell is looking forward to the student of the month, dances, the football season and coaching basketball cheerleaders at Veterans. Mrs. Hollowell is an awesome addition to Veterans staff. By Tyler Smith and Jaiden Hall Veterans Clubs of Tomorrow Veterans Memorial Middle School has a variety of clubs available to the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students. Though sixth grader aren t able to participate in athletics Veterans has to offer, they are still able to join clubs like FBLA and FCCLA. Future Business Leaders of America, (FBLA) is a club student organization that promotes future leaders, students, to band together in a positive working relationship through ileadership and career development programs. FBLA is sponsored by Mrs. Carla Esguerra and the motto is service, education, and progress. Students can also join FCCLA (Family, Career, and Community Leaders) which is sponsored by Mr. Ron Edwards, Veterans new Family and Consumer Science teacher. Their goal is to help young men and women become leaders and address important personal, family, work, and societal issues. Another club recently introduced to Veterans is First Ladies. This is an organization that encourages leadership and entrepreneurship in young women. Twenty six young ladies were inducted on September 26, and will be participating in school and community projects. Throughout the year, more clubs will be available to students of Veterans Memorial Middle school, so watch for announcements and posters in the hallways. By Vannesa Ezurike and Mikayla Cook Click on the picture above or visit and enter code to order your yearbook! High School Students At Veterans? Students at Veterans are being challenged academically like never before. One way this is occurring is by is offering high school curriculum to the more advanced eighth grade students. The classes offered are Physical Science, Algebra and Visual Arts, where students will be introduced to 9 th and 10 th grade level assignments. This is new to the county, so these classes are monitored with caution. The students are working hard to prove that they are mature enough to handle these classes by taking responsibility to complete their work, and staying on the projected pace. Students have said that the classes are fun and beneficial to their education. I like the hands on experience because I m more of a visual learner. The high school credits are cool too! says one student, Nicholas Robinson, who is taking both Physical Science and Algebra. Another student, Sandra Rodriguez, who is taking all three classes says, Visual Arts is challenging and I enjoy concentrating on my artwork and doing everything to the very best of my ability. The high school classes are a thing of the future and are here to stay. This will keep Veterans Memorial Middle as one of the top middle schools in Newton County! By Jaiden Hall and Sandra Rodriguez

5 September 2015 Page 5 Football Season is Back!!! This year, the 2015 Veterans Memorial Middle School football team is doing quite well. Coach Dante English is the head coach and he has four assistant coaches, each directing a portion of the team. The defensive coach, Coach Niquan Alston, spoke with the Generals 360 staff about the team this year. As a very experienced football player and coach, he expects his players to be good student athletes keeping their focus on their schoolwork and feels that it is important for the team to take each game one at a time. Veterans record is three and one with their one loss to Liberty, who had not previously been scored against. The Generals are already playing better than last year and plan to keep improving until the season is over. The new faces on the football team bring an increase of talent and practicing four days a week helps them be the best they can be for the game day. The defense and offense are very flexible this year and can achieve a great deal which will surely send the Generals to the top! By Nicholas Robinson & Abraham Ramos Batter Up! 1, 2, 3, Strikes You re Out! Coaching the girls softball team this year is Mrs. Kim Lassiter, an eighth grade social studies teacher. Mrs. Lassiter s husband, who works as an EMT, also coaches softball with her. Softball has been part of their lives for a long time as she and her husband played co-ed while dating. She says I became the softball coach because I am trying to teach students new and different things. Of the twelve Lady Generals, nine of them are in eighth grade but most of the players had little to no experience at the beginning of the season. Coach Lassiter knew this and expected the Lady Generals to do their very best when they were on the field, even when they Members of Veterans faculty bring their families to cheer for the Lady Generals. lost a game. Most players practiced at home to improve their softball skills, and aimed at a goal of becoming better as a team. Gena Lipoma, one of the Lady Generals, says, Our coaches are good coaches and they really tried their hardest to teach us. Their final record was one and twelve, but their willingness to learn made the experience more enjoyable for everyone. By Zachary Hudson and Abraham Ramos What s Happening After School? After school every day, students can be found throughout the building working on a variety of activities. One of the most important things going on after school is ASAP. ASAP is the After School Academic Program which is a program that helps students with homework and their class assignments, to help them raise their scores because every little thing helps. It also serves as after-school care for students whose parents work late. It started four years ago with a Federal Grant the school earned because the county scores were low. In after-school, many activities take place. First, Mr. Russell Parker, the after-school coordinator starts off with taking roll and giving out a snack. Then the students are placed in different groups so they can get their homework done during academic time. After they are finished with homework, they enjoy enrichment time which might include cooking, arts & crafts, world cultures, dance, team sports, outdoor sports, personal fitness, sewing or music. All these classes purposes are to expose new things and to teach students how to work as a team with all members participating. Mr. Russell Parker always has a positive attitude because he likes his job. If anyone has questions about the program, they can contact Mr. Parker or Ms. Tonique Robinson, who also shares leadership duties. All is going well; the program seems to be running smoothly at this point, Mr. Parker says. By Shantiera Wise and Esther Adewumi