The Crossbones Chronicles

The Crossbones Chronicles A Shepherd Middle School Student Publication October 4, 2011

Issue No. 1

Mr. Keel, Our Amazing Principal! By: Shelby Barlow and Trey Keel Mr. Keel has been working at Shepherd ISD for 10 years now, but this is his first year working at the middle school! Some of us already know him from the ballpark or church, yet most of us don’t. Here are some interesting facts about Mr. Keel. Mr. Keel grew up in Natchitoches, Louisiana. He went to Sam Houston State University and Stephen F. Austin. His plan was to get a degree in coaching. After he got his degree, he became a coach here at Shepherd ISD. After a few years of being a history teacher and a track, football and power lifting coach, he decided to become the assistant principal for the high school. After many years of working for the high school, he is now SMS principal. He really enjoys being a principal and his favorite part is watching the kids excel. He said, “The hardest part about being principal is seeing kids that try their hardest but still aren’t successful”. Mr. Keel has a beautiful family. He has a wife and five kids; four girls and one boy, 6th grader, Trey Keel. They all enjoy playing or watching softball/baseball. One serious question we asked Mr. Keel is “What do you think we could do to stop bullying?” He replied that we need to stay together as a whole and the teachers/staff must have zero tolerance for it. He’s big on family, love’s sports, has a good sense of humor and is like a father figure to some of us. Just ask around. Everyone will tell you that Mr. Keel is an amazing person!

All about Mrs. Cronin By Sherry Murphy and Jackson Washburn Mrs. Cronin is the new Assistant Principal here at Shepherd Middle School. Her birthday is February 5th. She told me the year but it’s a secret. Did you know that Mrs. Cronin grew up here in Shepherd, Texas? She graduated from Shepherd High School in 1979. We found many interesting facts about Mrs. Cronin that we want to share. Did you know she has two children? She has a daughter named Leslie that works as the counselor at the high school here in Shepherd. She also has a son named Clayton who is currently attending Texas A&M. Mrs. Cronin went to Anglo State and Stephen F. Austin for her Masters Degree. As an assistant principal for Shepherd Middle School, we asked her what she was doing to help the school’s learning ability. Mrs. Cronin said that she was “offering special classes that meet individuals’ needs.” We asked her two silly questions. If you could drive any vehicle, what would it be? She answered, “an Escalade”. When asked if she could make any 3 wishes, what would they be. She answered, “that all students kept their hands to themselves, that all students would be successful, and that it would rain”.

Bullying

Did you know? By: Tiffani Mott

By: Tessa Rutledge

If you, a friend or even someone you don’t know well is being bullied and you don’t know what to do, then tell an adult like a teacher, a parent, an aunt, or an uncle. You can tell any adult. Try not to be afraid of the bully. Bullies commonly only bully because they like to see you scared. There are a lot of different types of bullying, such as text messages, emails, facebook, or in person. There are many ways you can try to stop bullying. If you’re being bullied by text messages, you can call your phone company and get your number changed or you can block the number of the person bullying you. If you’re being bullied by emails, you should delete that email account and don’t read the emails! If you’re being bullied on facebook, there’s a way to block that person. You can go to their profile and scroll down to under their friends; it will say “report/block”. If you click that, it gives you the option to block them. If those things don’t work, then you can try ignoring them and my suggestion would be to begin building up your self esteem. Also you can hang out with a different crowd. Surround yourself with good friends. Your friends can help you get your mind off of the bully. Always travel in groups; never be alone. Don’t give into a bully and stand up for yourself. Never be afraid of the bully, that’s exactly what they want. Try to have a great bully free school year!

Do you like knowing things that others don’t? Do you like knowing things that you find amusing? Well now here’s your chance. Below are a few facts you might find interesting, whether it’s about animals, people, or inventions.

Hunting Season By Trey Harper and Trey Keel Is your trigger finger itching? Well young hunters, it is almost here. The season starts October 29, 2011. It is almost time to start putting up the stand and throwing out the corn. Make sure you are not skipping school to go hunting. Also be sure you’re always safe in the woods. Hopefully, you have taken your hunter safety course. If not, you need to. You can take it at the age of nine and up. Check out the McClain’s paper. It will tell you the hunter safety courses nearby. Be sure to tell the journalism class if you shoot any wildlife, that way we can post it in the paper. Have a great time!

Ask Pirate Pete! Do you have a problem? Does it feel like NO one has a good answer for you? If so, then all your problems are solved! Just ask Pirate Pete! ☺ Here’s how you do it: Step 1- Go to www.shepherdisd.net Step 2- Look under the tab “Organizations” and click on the link Student Newspaper Step 3- Go to the Ask Pirate Pete section and ask your question! *You MUST use an anonymous name!

1. Did you know that a duck’s quack doesn’t echo, and no one knows why? 2. In just 10 minutes, a hurricane releases more energy than all of the world’s nuclear weapons combined. 3. Did you know that on average, more people fear spiders than they do death? 4. Did you know that thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for dating are already married? 5. Elephants are the only animals that can’t jump. 6. It’s impossible to lead a cow upstairs, but not downstairs. 7. Did you know that only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older? 8. Did you know that a snail can sleep for three years? 9. Did you know our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing? 10. The cigarette lighter was invented before the match. 11. Americans on average, eat 18 acres of pizza every day. 12. Did you know the continents end with the same letter they begin with? (Ex. Asia, America, Africa, Ect.) 13. Did you know China has more English speakers than the United States? 14. Did you know that you share your birthday with at least 9 million other people? 15. Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated. 16. Did you know that starfish don’t have brains? 17. Did you know that if you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days you would have produced enough sound energy to heat a cup of coffee? 18. If you fart consistently for 6 years and 9 months, enough gas is produced to create the energy of an atomic bomb. 19. Did you know that there are more chickens in the world than people? 20. Almonds are members of the peach family 21. A dragonfly has a lifespan of 24 hours. 22. In England, the Speaker of the House isn’t allowed to speak. 23. A giant squid has the largest eyes in the world. 24. The average person falls asleep in 7 minutes. 25. Did you know that the microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket? For more weird facts go to: http://www.indianchild.com/weird_information_humor.htm

Golden Whispers (Part1) By: Tessa Rutledge It was a hot summer’s day, like any other. The bees were buzzing, the birds were chirping and I was grazing. My master had finally gotten out of school for the summer. He’s been looking forward to this day and I kind of have too. I flicked my white tail and pricked my soft, golden ears as the front door opened. My master, his parents and I always went out to the country during the summer. It’s where we all could go ride together and it’s where my master and his friends could hang out and race me against the others. Today was the day we were supposed to be departing for our summer vacation. I raised my head and stuck it over the fence as my master walked out. He was like most boys his age, tall, sturdy and cool. He always seemed to find time for me in his busy schedule even if he was having a bad day. My master stopped and looked around, his hands in his pockets. I snorted and pawed the ground with my front hoof, hoping to get his attention. He looked my way and a smile immediately crossed his face as he walked over. “Hey Shimmer, what’s up?” he asked as he stroked my nose. I was a golden palomino with a pure white mane and tail. I had four white uneven socks on each of my legs and unlike most horses I had blue eyes with a stripe running right down my face. I nickered softly as I nosed his pockets for some hidden treat he might have for me. Instead he stroked my neck and hopped up onto the fence rail, spreading his arms out to keep his balance. I snorted and trotted over to him, knowing what he was fixing to do. He smiled and climbed onto my back, kicking his heels into my side as he did so. I reared up and took off at my fastest speed; my mane and tail whipping out behind me as my legs blurred beneath me. My master laughed with joy as he gripped my mane and leaned into my neck. I snorted and slowed to a trot, my sides heaving as I walked in a circle to cool off. “That’s a good girl,” my master sighed as he sat up and stroked my neck. I tossed my head and lowered it for a drink in the nearby stream. My master, Jack, climbed down from my back and looked around. With a shrug he walked over to the nearest tree and sat down beneath it, a few startled birds taking flight. He sighed and twirled a piece of grass around his fingers, humming a soft tune to himself as he did so. I lifted my head and pricked my ears forward, water dripping down from my snout. “What is it Shim?” Jack asked as he looked off in the distance. I snorted and pawed the ground, a flicker of movement appearing in my view. I tossed my head and stood protectively in front of Jack, my ears back against my head as I pawed the ground. Out from the forest a wild stallion broke free. He was a blue-gray color with a pure black, mane and tail. His legs were pitch black and his eyes were a dark, menacing brown. He reared up and lashed out his front hooves, clearly angry that we were in his territory. I snorted and held my ground. Jack would have to be protected even if it meant putting my life on the line for him.

To be continued…

Boys Athletics By: Trey Harper and Trey Keel The 7th graders are excited about football starting up. They have been practicing really hard since the first day of school. They start at 6:30 in the morning. What a workout! The kids all love the coaches even though they have to get up that early. I have been out to watch their practice and it is hard work. Their first game was September 15, 2011 at Diboll. The 8th grade team won 14-0, the 7th grade “A” team lost 34-0, and the 7th grade “B” team lost 18-6. In the Cleveland game on Thursday, September 22, the 8th grade team lost 22-12, the 7th grade “A” team lost 24-0 and the 7th grade ”B” team lost 14-0. Did you see the awesome games between Shepherd and our biggest rival, the Coldspring Trojans on Thursday, September 29? In our next issue, we will write an amazing article all about the incredible game. You will not want to miss it!

Easy Money By Sherry Murphy Hey kids, do you want to know how to make some money? Here are some ways to earn extra money. Save cans, unwanted metal, and junk cars and take it all to J&L Scrap Yard. You will be surprised at how much money you can make. See their ad in this issue.

Girls Athletics By: Shelby Barlow 7th grade- The 7th grade girls are extremely excited about being in athletics this year. ”It might not be the easiest thing in the world but it is really fun” says 7th grader, Jenna Watson. 8th grade- These girls are a little more used to being in athletics and know what to expect. When asked, “What do you think about athletics this year?” most of the girls responded that “It’s hard work, but in the end it’s all worth it.” Volleyball- SMS athletic girls had their first volleyball game of the season on Thursday, September 8th. The outcome was pretty good. 7B and 8B won both of their games! Good job, ladies! On Sept. 12, they played Coldspring and 7B won 25-12 and 15-9 and 8A won 25-12 and 25-23. Awesome! They played Huffman on Sept. 18th and although they didn’t win the game, 7A did win a match with a score of 25-23. On Sept. 26th, they played Liberty and 8B won 25-17 and 25-19. Be sure to wish the girls luck on their upcoming game on October 17th against Splendora.

9/11 What Really Happened?

Weird Phobias

By: Shelby Barlow

By: Tiffani Mott

We, as students, are way too young to remember what actually happened on September 11, 2001. All we know is that two planes hit the World Trade Center/Twin Towers. Yet, there’s a lot more to it than that. Here’s what actually happened. September 11, 2001, or 9/11, was a series of four coordinated suicide attacks upon the U.S.A in New York City and the Washington D.C area. On that Tuesday morning, 19 terrorist, later referred to as Al-Qaeda, hijacked four passenger jets. The hijackers intentionally crashed two planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Both towers collapsed within two hours. The hijackers also crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The fourth jet, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after the brave passengers made an attempt to take over the plane, when they learned what the bombers were planning to do. Sadly, nearly 3,000 Americans died in the attacks, including the amazing heroes of 9/11 who risked their own lives by trying to save others trapped in the building. In 2004, the U.S army found out who planned the Al- Qaeda attack. It was Osama Bin Laden, who was later killed May 1, 2011 by the American Army. The destruction was horrific. It caused horrible damage to the economy of Lower Manhattan and had a huge impact on global markets. Cleanup of the World Trade Center site was finally completed in May of 2002, and the Pentagon was repaired within a year. For more information, you can go to: www.wikipedia.com SMS would like to thank The New York Fire Department, The New York City Police Department, and The Port Authority Police Department for risking and even losing their lives for all the innocent people trapped in the buildings.

Are you afraid of snakes? What about spiders? How about crossing bridges? Is there something you’re just deathly afraid of? That’s called a phobia. Many people are afraid of weird things. These are the strangest phobias I could find. • Venustraphobia: The fear of beautiful women. • Decidophobia: The fear of deciding. • Papaphobia: this is the fear of the pope. • Arachibutyrophobia: The fear of having peanut butter on the roof of your mouth. • Hellenologophobia: The fear of Greek or complex scientific terms. • Nomophobia: The fear of being outside of cell phone signal. • Phagophobia: The fear of swallowing. • Spectrophobia: The fear of looking in the mirror. • Melanophobia: The fear of the color black. • Ephebiphobia: The fear of teenagers.

From the Editor: The Crossbones Chronicle Staff would like to apologize that we were unable to get every new teacher to SMS in this issue. Please look for articles on Ms. Quezada, Mr. Nelson, and Mr. Seagroves in our next issue. Also, look for San Jacinto County Fair information in our next issue. Would you like to see an article about something special in the paper? Go online to the Shepherd Middle School website under ‘organizations- SMS Student Newspaper’ and submit your ideas. We want to hear from you!

If you want to find out more about these phobias then visit these websites! http://www.oddee.com/item_96516.aspx http://www.nursingdegreeguide.org/2010/100-weirdphobias-that-really-exist/

What’s Hot? By: Shelby Barlow and Trey Keel Whether you know it or not, everyone is involved in fashion. For example, all you guys out there that claim to hate teen heart throb, Justin Bieber, most likely you have your hair cut just like his! The girls, on the other hand, are more interested in fashion and tend to dress like their favorite stars ALL the time! Sometimes, this could be a good thing! Other times though, trying to dress like others is a bad thing! For example, Selena Gomez or Justin Bieber would be a good influence on us kids, while Lady Gaga would be a bad influence. Here are some trends that are in this 2011-2012 school year. For the girls, floral blouses, bell bottom or boot cut faded jeans, DC’s and Sperrys (shoes) are the big trend! For the guys, brand name shirts like Aeropostale and Hollister, Destroyed Jeans, DC’s, Vans and Zigtechs (shoes) are what’s hot.

Andy Gibb- Photo courtesy of bradcoweb.com

Val Kilmer- Photo courtesy of dailytaosnews.com

Duran Duran- Photo courtesy of www.sweetlyrics.com

Heart Throbs By: Tiffani Mott and Brooke McAnally Do you have a heart throb? Most people do, including our teachers! Don’t believe us? Well check this out! • • • • • • • • • • • Debbie Reynolds – photo courtesy of noodleinahaystack.blogspot.com

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Mrs. Cronin, Mrs. Dahl, and Mrs. Cadwalder’s heart throb was Elvis Presley Mrs. Brawner’s heart throb was Jon Bon-Jovi Mrs. Bowen’s heart throb was Val Kilmer Mrs. Carraway’s heart throb was Michael Landon from the Little House on the Prairie Mrs. Manwaring’s heart throb was David Cassidy from The Partridge Family Mrs. Johnson’s heart throb was Keanu Reeves Mrs. Schubert and Mrs. Ducharme’s heart throb was Duran Duran Mrs. McAnally’s heart throb was Scott Baio from Happy Days Mrs. Gibbon’s heart throb was Paul McCartney Ms. Soliz’s heart throb was Kirk Cameron from Growing Pains Mrs. Thompson’s heart throb was Shaun Cassidy Mrs. Rice’s heart throb was Donny Osmond Mrs. Whitmire’s heart throb was Andy Gibb Mrs. Corbridge’s heart throb was Jonathan Taylor Thomas from Home Improvement Mrs. Hues and Ms. Ripley’s heart throb was Davy from The Monkees

Jenny McCarthy – photo courtesy of celebrity9.com

We didn’t forget the guys! • Mr. Alexander’s heart throb was Debbie Reynolds • Mr. Katz heart throb was Marilyn Monroe • Mr. Thompson’s heart throb was Jenny McCarthy from 90210 • Mr. Bennett’s heart throb was Brandy Want to know more about our teacher’s heart throbs? Feel free to look them up on Google or Wikipedia and have a laugh!

Jonathan Taylor Thomas – photo courtesy of momandclosetwriter.blogspot.com

Kirk Cameron – photo courtesy of ztams.msmalls.com

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Mr. Thompson the New Art Teacher By: Bobby Rivers & Danny Sowell Mr. Thompson is the new art teacher at Shepherd Middle School. Last school year he taught science and coached athletics. He started teaching Art because he thought it would be good for the community. He says he likes teaching art better than science. He has been teaching for 3 years. He became interested in art as soon as he could hold a pencil! His favorite drawing is of a monster called, ‘Monster Pam’. He is hoping for his students to do well with their art submissions in the San Jacinto County Fair. Did you know that he plays 4 instruments? He plays bass, guitar, drums, and the keyboard. He is best at playing the drums. If he could drive any car in the world, it would be an International Scout. That is a type of Jeep. Down below are some of Mr. Thompson’s student’s artwork.

A kangaroo drawn by Jordan Wright (left) and Jessica Salas (right).

A rabbit drawn by PJ Shipman (left) and Michael Fuentes (right).

All about Ms. Miller! By: Tiffani Mott and Sherry Murphy Ms. Miller was born on January 19 in Hamilton, Texas. She went to McMurray University. She has taught at two other schools before, Coleman and Whitney. Currently she is teaching 7th grade science, but she has also taught 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. She said her favorite grade to teach is 7th. Her favorite sports are basketball, football, baseball, soccer, and volleyball. When we asked her who her favorite singer was and why, she said, “Jennifer Hudson, because she can sing”! Ms. Miller said if she could vacation anywhere, it would be in Jamaica. She said if today was her last day on Earth, she would spend it eating a fat, T-bone steak and drinking as much Mountain Dew as she could handle. Ms. Miller seems like a really nice person, don’t you think? I would be happy to be in her class!

A king cobra drawn by Talyn Beach (left) and Ernest Flores (right).

A wolf drawn by Ashton Callahan (left) and Mario Castillo (right).

Coach Scott By: Trey Keel & Trey Harper

From the High School to the Middle School By: Brooke McAnally Lets all get to know Coach Bennett. Coach Bennett has been coaching for six years and it’s his fourth year coaching here at Shepherd. He has also coached for a different school called Leggett. Coach Bennett says that Shepherd is different from Leggett ISD because Shepherd is bigger. Coach Bennett likes coaching for the middle school and he is still coaching at the High school. One of the things Coach Bennett likes about the middle school is that the kids listen better than the high school kids. Just for us to get to know him better, I asked him some questions. Did you know that Coach Bennett’s favorite animal is a dog and his favorite kind of dog is a Pitbull? Also, his favorite color is red? When Coach Bennett was in school, his favorite subject was math and he loved to play basketball. Also, he wanted to go to Texas University. Coach Bennett’s favorite candy is Snickers and his favorite fruit is banana. For a laugh, I asked him some wacky questions. If you had three wishes what would they be? “The first wish would be to win the state championship in basketball, the second wish would be to have a lot of money and for his third wish he said, “I wish I would have gone to a bigger college”. He said if he could have any super power, he would choose to fly and if he could have any job in the world, it would be to be a Professional Agent. The car of his choice would be a Bentley because he likes the doors and it has a lot of room.

Do you think you know Coach Scott? Well if you do, do you know these facts? As a kid, Coach Scott played his favorite sports which are football and baseball. Throughout his high school and college years, he played those same sports. He is a college graduate from East Central University located in Oklahoma, and got his Masters from Texas A&M. When he knew he wasn’t going to make it to the pros, he decided to coach to stay involved in the game. During his free time, he collects comics and graphic arts. He also likes to watch old movies from 1930-1940. Be sure to watch out because if Coach Scott gets a super power, he will be flying everywhere.

Coach Punch By Trey Harper and Danny Sowell Do you know Coach Punch? If you don’t here are some interesting facts. She teaches 7th grade ELA. Coach Punch went to East Texas Baptist University. During her college years she played basketball. The reason why she coaches is because she loves sports and wants to help the athletes prepare for the future. Also, she wants to become a role model for the kids. When Coach Punch is not coaching or teaching, she works out, plays basketball, runs, and reads. She has taught and coached for three years. Coach Punch was born on February 17, 1986. We asked her if she believed in ghost. She replied by saying, “no.”

Coach Norris By: Trey Keel and Bobby Rivers Coach Norris is a 24 year old graduate from Texas State University! He is a 7th and 8th grade coach and a 7th grade science teacher at the Shepherd Middle School. His parents live in Sealy, Texas where he grew up. Sealy is about 1 hour and 15 minutes away from Shepherd. Some of his favorite things to do are working out, playing sports and coaching. Some sports that he played as a kid are football, baseball, soccer and many others. When asked if he could have any vehicle in the world, he replied, “a Gray Toyota Tundra 4x4 with a 3 inch lift and black rims”.

Mrs. Brawner The New Smiling Face in Our Front Office By: Jackson Washburn and Trey Keel Mrs. Brawner is our new secretary at Shepherd Middle School. Before she came to the Middle School, she was the art teacher at Shepherd Intermediate. Mrs. Brawner attended Lon Morris College where she went for 1 year and graduated from Kingwood College where she went to for 2 years. She grew up here in Shepherd and has 3 children. Her oldest daughter, Vicky, is 21 years old and she also has fraternal twin girls that are 13, named Emily and Shelby which are 8th graders at SMS. If she had one super power, it would be teleportation, the ability to “POOF!” be gone and appear in a different location. If she a choice of any car, it would be a Lincoln Navigator. Some of her hobbies are to bake and visit with friends and family. Another fun fact about Mrs. Brawner is that her favorite Major League Baseball team is the Houston Astros and she is very upset that Hunter Pence left the Astros. She also said that if she could go on any vacation, it would be on a cruise to the Caribbean. When asked If today was her last day on Earth what would she do, she replied, surround herself with her family and friends.

Youth for Christ By: Jackson Washburn

New Games By: Danny Sowell & Bobby Rivers Are you a gamer? Do you want to know when the new games come out? Well, we can tell you when these games will be available! On October 8th, Modern Warfare 3 will be available in your local Game Stop! Madden NFL 12 and NCAA 12 are already in the stores. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is also coming to your local Game Stop. Space Marines is a new game that will be coming to your game store soon. Save your money if you want these games because new games tend to be more expensive than the older ones. Have fun!

Youth for Christ is a fun club where kids can learn about the ways of Jesus Christ and God, while still being in school. The directors for Youth for Christ are Mr. Alexander and Mrs. Johnson. Youth for Christ meetings are on Wednesday mornings from 7:30 AM to 8:00 AM in the Middle School library. Youth for Christ also accepts parent volunteers. If your parents are interested, encourage them to go to the meetings to find how they can help. Youth for Christ plans to take field trips to interesting places and is also doing volunteer work for the community. I hope you make the decision to attend meetings and learn about the ways of Christ.