The cheer squad is going to the Citrus Bowl!

On Tuesday, December 9th, the John I. Burton cheer squad was interviewed for a segment on WCYB News. Both the squad and their coach, Melissa Wharton, were asked questions about about being chosen to perform at the Citrus Bowl.                   

Coach Wharton said that she could not be prouder of her girls and how hard they have worked this year. This is only the second year of Melissa Wharton's coaching career at John I. Burton and she and her cheerleaders are already All American.

Jaycee B. said, "As a freshman, I am very honored to be able to participate in the Citrus bowl. It's been one of our goals to participate at a national event. We hope to not only make our school proud, but the entire community proud."  


The Citrus Bowl will take place Thursday, January first, at 1:00 PM eastern time in Orlando Florida. The bowl will be broadcast on ABC and ESPN.   

A math lesson with Mr.Fultz

A drama lesson With Ms.Davis

Ms. Vickie: Walking a mile in a librarian's shoes

Ms.Vickie has been an employee with John I. Burton for fourteen years. Within these fourteen years she has been a substitute in the classroom and in the office. However, this year she was in for a big change.  This year she has worked as Burton's sole librarian.  When offered this job, she had only acted as a substitute librarian; she had never had to run a library on her own.  

Everyone thinks being a librarian is probably the easiest job in the world. Contrary to popular belief, being a librarian is harder than it looks. Remembering where the books go and who checked them out and when they need to be turned back in is a task. She says the hardest part of being a librarian is getting books returned. She said, "I literally have to chase children down room to room to remind them to return their books, sometimes more than once." However, there are perks to this job. She says she enjoys this job a lot because not only does she get to see certain students like she did in a classroom, she get to see all the students. 

When the 2015-2016 school year arrives, Ms. Vickie has plans to work outside of the school system, as the school plans to hire a full time certified librarian to fill this position long term.  It is uncertain at this point who the next librarian will be.

With no official training, Ms.Vickie has caught on very quickly. She is knowledgeable about a lot of books and about reading.  When students need assistant with getting a book, she helps to the best of her ability. Not only is she good with helping students picking out a book, she is great with helping students in general. After this year, I am going to miss going to her for advice and her sense of humor.

Inside SWAG: Mark Salyers

This week, I met with John I. Burton's SWAG director, Mark Salyers. SWAG stands for Students With a Gift. We talked about his role with SWAG and his career outside of helping with the show choir.

Mark has worked with SWAG since it first began here at Burton in 2011. The idea to start a show choir was conceived by Burton's cheer coach, Melissa Wharton. Mark and Melissa met when they were in fifth grade and have been best friends ever since. When her idea was approved, she asked Mark to come back to Virginia to help direct this show choir

Outside of SWAG, Mark lives in California where he directs, produces, teaches, and performs in theatre. He has worked in performing arts for about 25 years and recently co-wrote a play titled "Firecracker." He doesn't just work in Virginia and California; his work stretches from New York, Atlanta, North Carolina, and many other locations.

As we were speaking, he told me about this year's Christmas show and how it differs from past SWAG performances. This year's show will include many more dance numbers and many new voices. There will also be a few special performances from SWAG Jr.. SWAG Jr. is the show choir from Norton Elementary School, which is under the direction of Gabrielle Caruso, the new music teacher. Though SWAG has shrunk since its first year at Burton, Mark believes the performance quality will stay the same, if not grow.

This year's Christmas show will be Thursday, December 11 at John I. Burton High School. There will be two performances Thursday, one for the school during the day and the other that night for the public. Times for these performances have not yet been determined. SWAG has worked very hard on th show this year so come out and support your SWAG show choir this Thursday!

The bathroom situation

The start of the journey: Burton wrestling team travels to Lee High

On Saturday, December 6th, the John I. Burton wrestling team will be traveling to Lee High to compete in a dual tournament. Dual tournaments usually take place on Saturdays and last from early in the morning to late at night; these tournaments consist of different local teams. In a dual meet, teams are randomly drawn to decide which team will go against whom. Starting off, the wrestler at the lowest weight class will go against the wrestler at that same weight from the opposing school. This continues until the heaviest weight match has ended. At the end, the team with the most points wins. 

There are several different ways to earn points for your team. Wrestlers can win by pin (putting someone on their back for five seconds with their shoulders touching the mat), which is worth six points; by forfeit, which is worth 6 points; by technical fall (getting ahead of the opposing wrestler by 15 points, automatically ending these two wrestlers match), by major decision (the champions points subtracted from the losing wrestler is between 8-14 points), worth four team points; or by minor decision (the champions points subtracted from the losing wrestler is fewer than 8 points), worth three team points. With hopes of winning the tournament and bringing the trophy home, these wrestlers have been working very hard to prepare for this event. 

Coach Armistead said, "We are young and have time for improvement as the season progresses. I have high expectations for these wrestlers and am looking forward to seeing them strive." Come out and support your Raider wrestlers Saturday as they travel to Lee High! The tournament will begin at 9 a.m in Lee High's gymnasium, and will last until every team has competed against one another. 

Burton wins $25,000 from State Farm

During the ten day span from October 15-24, John I. Burton competed in Celebrate My Drive presented by State Farm. Celebrate My Drive is about the celebration of getting your driver license and making smart decisions while behind the wheel. During this ten day period, Burton students and teachers were on their phones or on the computers making commitments. Both students and teachers got other people in their family and in Norton's community to make online commitments. This competition was nation-wide and there were two categories: large schools and small schools.  State Farm's focus was to spread the message 2N2, which means two eyes on the road and two hands on the wheel.

John I. Burton won $25,000 from competing in this event. On Monday, December 1 during Burton's activity period, there was an assembly to celebrate this exciting occasion.  Burton won  $25,000  because we placed in the top 100 in the nation, meaning we had a large number of safe driving commitments. Our school had some special guest speakers and students during this time. The special guest speakers were Virginia Senator Bill Carrico; Nick McDavid, a representative from US Congressman Griffith's office; and Virginia Delegate Terry Kilgore. Student representatives from each grade level were also selected to participate in this assembly and to accept this huge check from State Farm.  The students who participated in this program were Conner W., Tyree B., Jaycee B., Torie A., Jon B., and Eryk N.

A big thanks goes out to Mrs. Carter, a science teacher at Burton, who initiated our participation in this competition.  Burton has hopes of winning again next year! Remember, keep two eyes on the road and two hands on the wheel!

Band fundraisers: The fruit is in!

Earlier this year, the John I. Burton marching band began their fundraising for their spring trip. This year's trip will be to Georgia. The band as a whole collected hundreds of orders from numerous people for not only fruit, but other items such as cookie dough and cheesecakes from their other fall fundraiser. They turned in their forms and waited for the day that the orders would arrive and they would have to unload and deliver all of their orders. December first marked the beginning of this process.

The fruit fundraiser is the largest and most profitable fundraiser the band has each year. All of the fruit that they order comes on a very large truck that pulls up next to the school and opens its doors. The band does the rest from there.  They unload and organize - they do it all. They begin by setting up a portable conveyor belt that stretches from the truck to one of the windows of the band room and they start sliding box after box into the band room.


From there, other members of the band grab and place the boxes in their corresponding pile until they have unloaded the entire order from the truck. After this is finished, the band room is busy for the next few days as band members and their parents come in and out taking their fruit orders.

This event leaves the band room packed to the brim with boxes and smelling of oranges and other fruits. The band usually spends one to two hours unloading and sorting the boxes. Although this sounds like an awful event, the band agrees on one thing: the work is worth the trip is pays for. This year the band will be traveling to Georgia for their trip where they will visit places such as Six Flags and other attractions. If you ordered fruit from a band member, you should receive your order in the next few days.

GIS day

Did you know that November 19 was GIS day? GIS Day is an educational event created by the company Esri. GIS stands for geographic information systems. 
Esri provides opportunities on this day for schools and businesses around the globe to showcase the real-world applications of GIS. 

In recognition of GIS day, Jordan Bates and Rohini Swaninathan from the Wise branch of the NASA DEVELOP Project came and spoke in Mrs.Carter's and Mr.William's earth science classes to present information about GIS day. They explained about how they use GIS data for NASA DEVELOP, and they also explained how GIS is used by Wise County. They also went over mapping, latitude, longitude and elevation which are all parts of the earth science Standards of Learning, so this was a good review for the science classes. Students participated by asking questions and putting their home address in the search engine as a target. 


There is a website you can visit to learn more about GIS in Wise County.  You can visit this website: www.wisecounty.org/gis 

You can also discover more about GIS day by clicking here:  http://www.gisday.com/

General Physics at MECC

This week, I had the opportunity to meet with Austin S. to discuss one of his classes at Mountain Empire this year. He is one of the 15 students who go to Mountain Empire Community College for half of the day as part of the Dual Enrollment Academy program. Austin is currently a senior in high school while being a freshman at MECC. 

Just recently I had the pleasure of asking Austin a series of interview questions concerning one of his classes. Austin chose to take General Physics rather than Biology 101. He is the only student in the Dual Enrollment Academy who took advantage of the Physics class offered at Mountain Empire. This class requires it's students to have already taken pre-calculus and to have a basic understanding of science.   

The reason Austin chose to take this class is because he is required to have this class in order to pursue a career in engineering. When I asked Austin how he felt about being the only student from John I. Burton taking this course at Mountain Empire, he says, "Being able to branch off from my peers is helping me prepare for college after I graduate because then I really will be all alone!" Austin says this class is challenging but he still encourages students to take advantage of this incredible opportunity. 

After interviewing Austin, I strongly encourage any student who meets the requirements to take advantage of this interesting class at MECC! Any student who wants to pursue a career in Engineering will need this class. Austin has been highly successful in taking this class independently and encourages upcoming students to branch away from their peers when deciding what courses to take in college. General Physics is on the same difficultly level as Biology 101; therefore, upcoming Academy students who prefer Physics over Biology should take this course! Any student who has questions regarding the Dual Enrollment Academy or the classes dealing with the program at Mountain Empire Community College can  contact Mrs. Davis in the guidance department here at John I. Burton.

Mrs. Becky: the best administrative assistant

Ever wonder what it is like to be a administrative assistant for a high school? I know I sure have! I have walked past the office many times during the day, and I always see Mrs. Becky working busily behind her desk. When I walk by, I often wonder what it would be like to be in Mrs. Becky's chair. Mrs. Becky is a problem solver; she is always trying to help everyone she can. Becky is often an information guide for the students at John I. Burton, as well as for the faculty. Being an administrative assistant and a truancy officer is a very busy and sometimes stressful job. 

When Mrs. Becky arrives at her job, she has many things to do during the day. To start off, she has to open up the office for the day. She also has to find substitutes for absent teachers, and write admits and tardies for students. In addition, she has to assist the teachers and students, and she has to find out why students are absent. One positive thing about this career choice is that she has people to help her out with her job when she is to busy. Guidance Assistant Marsha, Nurse Shannon, and Librarian Vicki help her out during the day. When students are absent, Mrs. Becky has to keep up with the days that they miss from school. To many absences can result in a meeting with Becky, the principal, and the student's parents. If the student continues to miss school, Mrs. Becky has to go to court with the students who have excessive absents.

She also constantly has to answer the phone and assist the callers. Mrs. Becky's phone rings numerous times throughout the day. Becky is always managing many different tasks. After being with John I. Burton High School for 15 years, Mrs. Becky continues to love her job at this school. We all love Mrs. Becky and appreciate the things she does for our school.

Burton's new winter/indoor track team

As many of you know, Burton does not have many out of the ordinary sports at our school. We have the standard football, basketball, baseball, outdoor track, cross country, etc. This year though, we are adding a new sport: winter track!

Winter or indoor track is almost the same as outdoor track but it lacks a few of the events that outdoor track has. Outdoor track hosts all of the traditional track and field events but indoor track cuts out: hammer, javelin, and discus.  Plus, some distances may be shortened in track events. Indoor track includes two dashes, four runs, one hurdle, three relays, pole vault, three types of jumps, and shot put.

Our own Dr. Perrigan will be coaching this sport along with his assistant coach, Phillip Prince. As of right now, the track team's first meet will be held January 3, 2015 at Liberty University. Since there are no indoor tracks near Norton, the team will be doing a lot of traveling throughout their season. The closest meet location will be at Abingdon High School for an outdoor meet called a "Polar Bear Meet." Next we will be at ETSU and then Liberty University.

The first meeting was November 24, but it is not too late to join. Students who are interested can check in with Dr. Perrigan or Mrs. Beauchamp to get more information. Track is a wonderful sport with many different events for people to compete in. Not only is track a very lively sport, it gets students in shape for other sports and gives them a team to be a part of. Practices are set to begin by December 2, so come join today!

Spanish II's bullfighting debate

Every semester in Señora Beauchamp's Spanish II class, there is an annual bullfighting debate that takes place. This is a very exciting assignment for students because it encourages competition while promoting learning about other countries and their cultures.This debate consists of two teams which are chosen by Señora. One team is assigned to be against bullfighting while the other is assigned to be for it. These two teams must debate against each other while Señora keeps the score. For every good argument that is made, the team that made that statement is awarded a point. At the end, the points are counted and a winning team is selected. 

There are several steps, and a lot of work that must go into this project before the day of the debate. Prior to this event, the students are required to research the sport of bullfighting and become familiar with it. The next step to this project is for students to work with their teammates to develop a plan for debate. Later on, a mock debate is held to give the students an idea of what the real event will be like. Both the mock and actual debate are set up with four members of each team lined up facing one another. The rest of the team members are in a row behind the leading four, adding information in to what is said.

This project is very informative and is always a great learning experience for those involved. Señora is an excellent teacher and always has a way of keeping students entertained and eager to learn by making assignments fun. This project results in students learning a lot about other countries and what they do for entertainment. 

Varsity basketball is looking to win it all . . . . . . .

The varsity basketball team has been very successful under the coaching style of head coach, Aaron Williams. Two years ago his varsity team made it all the way to the final four, which means  they were one of the best four teams in the state. As a twenty-three year veteran basketball coach, Coach Williams knows a thing or two about how to put players in the role most suited for them.  It is expected that our basketball team will be very successful again this year.

This year's team will consist of several different players rotating in and out of the starting lineup. One of the keys for this team's success is senior all-star Alex K.  When asked about Alex's role for this season, Coach Williams said, "He is a very versatile basketball player. He can play almost anywhere on the floor. This year Alex will be playing more on the perimeter even though he is a very skilled post player."

The teams' first basketball game will be December, 2nd, against Council High School at Council. Be ready to watch a very talented basketball team succeed this season. Coach Williams said, "At the end of the day hopefully we will be the last team standing." He continued on to say, "The day I can not give one hundred percent as a coach for these players, is the day I will relieve myself of the position." 

Robert B.: State runner

This past week, I had the pleasure of interviewing John I. Burton cross country runner, Robert B. Robert is a junior and he has been running cross country since he was in eighth grade. With Robert placing high in regions, he advanced to the state tournament. Only the top 6 teams and top 15 individuals are selected to go to this competition, making this a very prestigious accomplishment.

The state competition was held at The Plains, located in Fauquier County, close to Washington D.C. The day of the competition was very cold, with strong winds and temperatures around 30 degrees Fahrenheit. These conditions made a horrible running environment. Robert's time in this fierce competition was 20:04 to complete the required three miles.

Robert frequently puts in work during the off season and outside of practice, but he says, "You can always work harder." It is this attitude that sets Robert apart from others. Robert went on to comment on Burton's cross country team saying, "We are just getting together an actual team. It's very exciting." Robert made this comment because each year our cross country team has continued to grow.  Our cross country team has hopes of getting every member to state next year.

Haysi is victorious over the Raiders

This past Saturday, November 15 the John I. Burton Raiders played the Haysi Tigers in the first round of the playoffs. It was an important game for the Raiders as this game could have been a statement game. The game began with the coin toss which the Raiders won, and they decided to kickoff. The Tigers scored off a pass from Jalen S. to Ryan T., making the score 6-0. The extra point kick was no good by Andrew H. As the Raiders got their first possession they went down and scored with a one yard run from Tra A., and then the two point attempt was good. Haysi came back and scored again off of  Jalen S.'s one yard run, making the score 14-6 with the two point attempt being good. At the end of the first quarter the Raiders were trailing the Tigers 14-6.

All of the second quarter was about Haysi. It was a rough second quarter for the Raider defense. The Tigers scored again with 11:15 left on the clock. The first score was a pass from Jalen S. to Gauge H. for 41 yards to increase their lead to 22-8. They also scored again off a pass from Jalen S. to Gauge H. for 27 yards. Haysi scored off a Jalen S. to Ryan T. pass for 14 yards, making the score 30-8 to end the first half.

To start out the third quarter Burton's Daniel M. caught a pass from Tra A. for a touchdown. Two minutes later the Tigers answer back with a score of their own. The Raiders' offense did not score for the rest of the game. Tigers' running back Tristan Y. made a 21 yard touchdown. The Tigers scored yet again with little time left in the third quarter. The Tigers' Jalen S. threw a pass to Gauge H. for a 31 yard touchdown ending the third quarter with the score being 48-16.

To begin the forth quarter, the Tiger's scored again, making the final score 54-16. That was the end of the Raiders' season, giving them a 5-6 record for the season. The Raiders' season this year ended the same way last year, with a loss to the Haysi Tigers.

Cubes in Space

Mrs. Carter has been working to advertise one of NASA's competitive experiments, which she hopes to get Burton students involved in. If you enjoy problem solving, space, or science, and  want to design your own experiment for spaceflight, then this program is for you. The program's name is Cubes in Space. Every participant will be required to spend time outside of the regular classroom with Mrs. Carter and other participants. The participants will meet before or after school to discuss the program and begin to brainstorm and design an experiment. The participants must be able to work in a team environment and be able to cooperate with others. 

The program is allowing over 100 experiments to be integrated into NASA's RaD-X mission. The scientific balloon will be launched from NASA's Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility location in Fort Sumner. The experiments are to fit in a in a four centimeter cubed box.

NASA will be tracking and recovering the scientific experiments. All of the experiments will be sent to other NASA facilities and universities.  The program provides the service of launching large, unmanned, high altitude research balloons into the Earth's atmosphere. I strongly advise anybody that enjoys science to join in this program.

Angel tree

Have you ever wanted to help a child in need? With the holidays approaching, now is the perfect time! Norton Social Services will be doing their annual angel tree program. The angel tree program helps to provide children in need with clothing, shoes, and toys. Children who are at a disadvantage are selected as participants in this program. For this year, there are a total of 102 children currently on the tree.  The agency works to contact the parents of these children to find out the following information: shoe sizes, clothing sizes, and items most needed. 

When you go to Norton Social Services there will be a tree with tags all over it. This is where you can select a child to provide with gifts.  When you pick out a tag you will be provided with the following information: the age, gender, shirt size, pant size, shoe size and their needs and wishes. Winter coats are in very high demand this year. Also in high demand are Monster High and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle toys. 

Gifts should be given to the Norton Social Service's office no later than December 19. Also, if needed, packages can be picked up by the Norton Social Services; just contact an employee to make this arrangement. Social Services also accepts monetary donations in support of the angel tree.  Checks can be made out to Norton Social Services Christmas Fund. Monetary donations will be used to buy gifts for any children who did not get picked off the tree. Cash or a check can be dropped off or mailed to P.O. Box 378, Norton, VA 24273. If you are interested in selecting a child off the tree, contact Terry Sadler at 276-679-2701.

Book review: "Eleanor & Park"

This past month, I read a book which quickly became one of my favorites. "Eleanor & Park," by Rainbow Rowell, is a beautiful and haunting story that is almost impossible to put down. This story focuses on the two main characters, Eleanor & Park, and their love story during the late 80's.

Eleanor Douglas is a red-haired, over-weight, gawky girl who recently moved back in with her family after being kicked out by her step-father. On her first day at a new school, she is faced with the challenge of finding a seat on the bus. While dealing with this problem, she finds the person she will eventually fall in love with: Park Sheridan. Park Sheridan is a biracial boy (half white, half Korean), who has been trained in martial arts since he was old enough to walk. Over the next few weeks, Eleanor & Park bond over comic books and mix tapes though they never say a word to each other.

Eventually they begin speaking to each other, and they become closer and closer; eventually they fall in love. As their relationship progresses, reader's dive deep into Eleanor's past and her home life to discover the awful conditions she lives and has lived in for the majority of her life. Through out the rest of the book, readers follow Eleanor & Park's relationship leading up to the point where Eleanor has to leave her home to escape from her abusive step-father.

I really enjoyed this book and strongly suggest it to anyone who enjoys a good old fashioned love story. Rainbow Rowell is also the author of many other wonderful books such as: Fangirl, Landline, and Attachments.

Homecoming and senior night turnout

Here at John I. Burton homecoming is a big deal. This past Friday we crowned our senior homecoming king and queen during halftime. Friday night's game was also senior night. Even though the weather was dreadful, our Raider fans still came to support our football team in our last home football game. 

Our senior homecoming court consisted of: Patience E., Jazmane B., Laken S., Miracle S., Devon W., Daniel M., Landon M., and Ryland S. These seniors looked absolutely stunning! They all showed great spirit and supported each other on this memorable night.

Our senior homecoming queen is Laken S., while our senior homecoming king is Daniel M. Both of these seniors are very thankful to have been awarded this honor! 

Senior night on the football field functioned to honor our fall senior athletes. These students received picture frames with various photos of them participating in their respected activity. These students also got a small trophy related to their sport or activity. 

Krispy Kreme fundraiser

The John I. Burton math department is doing a Krispy Kreme fundraiser. The purpose of this fundraiser is to purchase new technology for our school. The main intention is to fund some technology improvements to our math classrooms, that will benefit students in the educational process.

This year, the fundraiser will be a little different from the traditional Krispy Kreme sales in the past. Typically, money is collected, a delivery date is set, the doughnuts are ordered, and then the students deliver them. However, if you have ever ordered donuts from a fundraiser and received your order a day or two after the set delivery date, you know this may not be the most efficient way to get fresh donuts.  The math department's fundraiser will strictly be selling prepaid Kirspy Kreme cards, which can be used to purchase donuts at nearby Krispy Kreme locations.

Two types of prepaid certificates are being sold and can be used in any Krispy Kreme store: one is a 'prepaid card' and the other is a 'BOGO (Buy One Get One) card.'

•With the single 'prepaid card' ($8) you can purchase ONE dozen glazed doughnuts  at any Krispy Kreme store (including those in Kingsport, Johnson City, or other locations). This means you could get your doughnuts when the HOT sign is on! You can upgrade to a mixed dozen by paying an up-charge at the time of your purchase.

•With the 'BOGO card' ($16) it will allow you to receive a free dozen doughnuts when you purchase a dozen doughnuts in stores. You can use this card 10 more times - for each time you purchase a dozen of doughnuts you can receive a dozen free for up to ten visits. Again, you can do this when the HOT sign is on! This card also allows for an upcharge at the time of your purchase for something other than glazed doughnuts. 

The math department, already has the cards in their possession. As soon as your money is collected and turned in, you will be given your card(s) so you will be ready for the next doughnut opportunity. 

Get your card(s) today, and enjoy your fresh HOT doughnuts! These will also make great stocking-stuffers!

Cross country's Nathan W. makes all-district

This week, I had the opportunity to meet with one of the runners on the John I. Burton cross country team, Nathan W., to talk about his achievements this season and at the district conference. Nathan is currently a junior and is the number one runner on the team. He has been running since his freshman year and joined upon request from the coach, Mrs. Beauchamp.

At this year's district conference, Nathan placed 6th over-all, making him all-district. With this title, he achieved best time of the season so far, 19:06. It takes lots of training to get to the point where he could achieve this. For Nathan, training never stops. He runs team practices during the week, distance training on the weekend, and competes in meets on Wednesday. When you run cross country, it requires far more than massive amounts of running; it requires a change in diet and lifestyle. You cannot drink soda or sweetened drinks, you cannot eat an abundance of junk food, and you have to make time to run at least five days a week.

In addition to cross country, Nathan runs track which helps immensely with his speed during cross country. When asked why he joined track, he responded with: "It helps me prepare for cross country." Nathan says that his favorite sport during cross country season is track, and his favorite sport during track season is cross country.

Nathan's hopes for this season are to make it to state individually. If he is not able to make it individually, he hopes that his team will be able to make it into the top six teams and advance to state. After the end of this season, Nathan plans to run cross country again next year, which will also be his senior year. After graduating next year, Nathan says that he might continue running competitively if it leads to a scholarship.

Finally, I asked him what he hopes to achieve next year. He responded with "I want to improve my time and go to state." I also asked if he was satisfied with what he has accomplished this season, to this he said, "Not yet; there is always room for improvement."

Nathan and the John I. Burton's boys cross country team recently competed at regional competition at Sugar Hollow Park where the team finished in eighth place. The team did not advance to state competition but one of the runners, Robert B., advanced on his own.

Guidance announcements

Here at John I. Burton our well dedicated counselors in the guidance department have a difficult time getting announcements out to every student involved. These announcements involve seniors and upcoming events happening here at John I. Burton for next two months. Different colleges from around our area will be coming to our school for various occasions and it is important for all students to be aware!  Upcoming events are as follows:

Mountain Empire Community College will be here for a lunch visit on Monday, November third during first and second lunch time periods.

Radford University will be in the library on Monday, November 3rd, from 2 pm to 3 pm.

Mountain Empire Community College will be coming back to visit on November 21 in the library starting at 2 pm for on-site admissions. They will be here with applications to apply for MECC and to assist anyone who wants to apply.

UVA Wise will be in the library for on-site admissions on November 3 at 2 pm.

Initial FAFSA Workshop will be held in the library at 2 pm on December 3.

Talent Search will be here for be here in the cafeteria for a lunch visit on November 6 during both first and second lunch periods. Educational Talent Search is a college access program whose purpose is to help students define educational and career goals. Advisers from the talent search will be available to conduct workshops about a variety of topics including but not limited to:

• Study Skills
• Test taking strategies
• Learning styles
• Goal setting
• Financial literacy
• Bullying
• Career exploration
• Leadership skill development
• College planning
• How to prepare for the SAT and ACT

Also here at John I. Burton, our students need to be taking part in the community services opportunities that have been given to us. Norton Elementary and Middle School needs students to help with an after school program on certain days from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm. Additionally, The Laurels Nursing Home needs student volunteers! If interested, please call 276-679-5635 and ask to speak to Laura or Carolyn. 

I encourage everyone to take part in these immense opportunities that have been given to us here at John I. Burton. 

Burton puts a hurtin' on the Eagles

On Monday, November 3, the John I. Burton Raiders played the Rye Cove Eagles at Lawson-Fitchko stadium. Going into this game, the Raiders had not played in 17 days. To begin the game, the Raiders won the toss and received the kick. The Raiders had three consecutive incomplete passes and were forced to punt. The Eagles moved the ball down the field until Matthew B. forced Dakota H., from the Eagles, to fumble. The Raiders drove the ball down the field and scored a touchdown off of  Tra A.'s pass to Daniel M. The two point attempt was no good, which made the score 6-0.

In the beginning of the second quarter, the Raiders drove down to the goal line and threw an interception. The Raider's defense stopped the Eagle's offense and forced them to punt. Once again, the Raider's offense drove to the goal line and turned the ball over on a fumble. The Eagle's offense drove down to the Raider's goal line, with the help of two defensive face masking penalties. The Raiders forced the Eagles to throw the ball, resulting in an interception to Andrew C. in the end zone. The next play for the Raider's was a pass from Tra A. to Daniel M. for 73 yards. The Raiders scored off of Tra A.'s four yard run. With the two point attempt by Aaron S. being good, the score became 14-0 with the end of the second quarter and the first half.

In the beginning of the third quarter, the Raiders started to pick the tempo up fast, and the defense of the Raiders made the Eagles punt. With 6:50 left in the third quarter, the Raider's scored a touchdown off of Tra A.'s run for six yards. The two point attempt by Devon W. was no good and the Eagle's offense was forced to punt by the Raider's defense. With 3:53 left in the third quarter, the Raiders scored off Tra A.'s pass to Daniel M. The two point attempt was successful making the score 28-0. The Eagles drove down the field and scored off  Dakota H.'s six yard run. The two point attempt was unsuccessful with 50 seconds left in the quarter. The score became 28-6 and ended the third quarter.

In the start of the fourth quarter, the Raider's scored right off the bat. The score was off Tra A.'s two yard run with one and half into the fourth quarter. The two point attempt was also good and made the score 36-6. The Raiders forced the Eagles to turn the ball over on downs, causing us to go down the field for a several yard gain. Devon W. scored the touchdown for the Raiders, with the two point attempt not good the score became 42-6. The Eagles turned the ball over on downs again and the Raiders scored again. Dakota W. ran in for a score. The ending score to the game was 50-6. This upcoming Friday, the Raiders will be playing the Thomas Walker Pioneers. It will be Senior Night, and homecoming court. I strongly encourage everybody to come out and cheer for our Raiders.

Homecoming week outcome

Between October 27th and October 31, John I Burton held their yearly football homecoming week. Every year the cheerleaders put together a series of different dress up days to celebrate and honor our football team. Monday was 'Merica Day. On this day most students dressed up in red, white and blue. The best dressed for 'Merica day was Zachary F. He wore an American flag around his back and American flag cowboy boots. Also, on his head he wore a red drinking hat. 

Tuesday was pink out day. This day was intended to celebrate breast cancer awareness. The best group on this day was the sophomore class. They wore pink and white tie-dyed shirts. Each student had an individual letter, number or symbol to spell out sophomores and the year they graduate. This included: On the top row: Asya G., Niko G., Kaylee D., Kemia B., Torie A., Kaitlyn H., Brandon A, Matthew J,Sierra K, and Colleen G. On the bottom row: KFC, Conner W., Cameron J., Hobbs, Roy T., and Sophie G.   

Wednesday was decade day.  We decided not to choose a best dressed for this day because so many represented their decade very well. 

Thursday was Halloween Day. This day was for students to dress up in their favorite cosutmes. The best dressed for this day was Conner W. She dressed up as  the boy out of the movie "ET." 

Daniel M. on football

I had the pleasure of interviewing Daniel M., a senior from Burton this week. I was interested in interviewing him because he is a senior and a responsible student and a leader on the football team. Daniel is a captain for the Raider's football team. He is originally from Norton, Virginia but he did not attended Norton Elementary School. Daniel attended an academy called,"State Line Christian Academy," which is located in between Pound, Virginia and Jenkins, Kentucky right on the state line. His reason for coming to Burton was to be involved in sports. Daniel transferred here when he was just a sophomore.

I asked him how his experience has been at Burton, his response was: "It has been phenomenal." Daniel participates in football and Students With a Gift. (SWAG). He has also been a part of the football team for the past three years. I asked him how he thought our football team has done this season and his response was, "Decent, for a young team." Daniel's season performance has been good this year, and thinks the football team has came a long way in the past three months. Even though the football team is 3-5 he thinks they will make the playoffs and will be playing either a one seed or a two seed team. He is not nervous for the next two games but he is nervous for the playoffs. Daniel said, "I try not to think about it." Senior Night, which is November 7 ,  is important and special to him because it is the last home game and it honors the seniors. I asked Daniel if he dreaded Senior Night, and he responded with, "Yeah, because it is my last season and game of football in my high school career." Daniel wants to end his career by winning a state championship, and does not want to end it in the regular season. 

Even though we are getting closer to the end of the season, Daniel does not think we could win a state championship. However, he is also quite excited for the next two games against Rye Cove and Thomas Walker. When I asked Daniel how he thinks our team will be next year he replied, "Well, we will have a good team because the younger players will be more experienced." Both Daniel and I encourage everyone to come and watch the Raiders play Rye Cove, on Saturday, November 1 at 2 o'clock at Lawson-Fitchko Stadium in Norton.

Homecoming events

Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Parade 6:00 Bonfire at school 7:00	Dance 7:30-9:00	Homecoming 2:00

Blood drive

On October 24, 2014,  John I. Burton hosted a blood drive. We host three blood drives yearly; one at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. When someone donates one pint of blood they are given a free t-shirt saying that they have given blood. A total of twenty-five parents, students, and teachers donated on this day. 

The donation process is not a difficult one, and I encourage everyone who can donate to try and donate at some point. The process can take up to an hour all together, but for most people it only takes 8-10 minutes to actually donate blood. The first steps are to be hydrated, wear something comfortable, maintain a healthy level of iron and also bring a list of your medications and your identification card. The next step of the donation process is registration, which consists of going over the history of your health and having a mini physical.  After this, certain candidates are allowed to donate and they receive a refreshment.  After a person donates, it is best to hydrate and avoid heavy lifting for the rest of the day.

When someone donates blood, their blood can be used to save three adults or eight babies. Also, any senior students that have donated a total of three times during their high school career receives a Hero Cord to wear around their neck at graduation. This is an extra incentive Burton provides to encourage their senior students to donate.  The purpose of donating is to help others and to give blood to ones who truly need it. If you did not get to donate that day, I recommend you go to their website http://www.redcrossblood.org/ and find out their next location to schedule an appointment. 

The Cumberland Conference One-Act Theater Festival

On Thursday, October 23rd, our Dramatic Raiders competed in the Cumberland Conference. The competition was hosted by John I. Burton High School. Our Dramatic Raiders competed with the comedic play "CUFFED" by Sherman H. Mossison. Also competing was Rye Cove, Clintwood, Twin Springs, Thomas Walker, Castlewood, and Eastside . The Dramatic Raiders came in fourth place. Winning the festival was Eastside High School in first place and Twin Springs in second. First and second place winners will move on to regionals. Burton coach and teacher, Lisa Davis, was the festival director.

John I. Burton junior, Sam Shortt, won the Best Actor Award at the Cumberland Conference One-Act Theatre Festival. Shortt played Jerry, a congressional aide who is forced to deal with his obsessive workaholic tendencies while cuffed to a lamppost.  This was Sam's first foray into acting, and he is to be congratulated for a great performance!

One drama actress says she believes Sam won the Best Actor Award because he worked really hard on his part. She also says, Sam memorized the entire play, he is a good actor, and he also really understood his character. 

St. Anthony's 5K/one mile fun run for St. Jude's

On November 1, 2014 behind Wells Fargo Bank in Norton, St. Anthony's youth group will be hosting a 5K/1 mile fun run for St. Jude's. The 5K will begin at 9 a.m. and the one mile fun run/walk will begin at 9:15.

Pre-registration is now closed but runners will be able to register the day of the race. A waiver will have to be signed upon race-day registraiton and t-shirts will be available with a $35 donation/sponsorship. If you pay with a check, please make it payable to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

This 5K will be a non-professionally timed race. Medals will be awarded to the top three male and female runners in the 5K, and the first place male and female runners/walkers in the one mile fun run/walk. There will be prizes for people who raise the most money for St. Jude's, in addition to many door prize drawings.

Headphones and strollers will be permitted on the course. The course that will be run for the 5K will be the same as the course used for the Best Friends' Festival 5K. For more information please contact Elevate for St. Jude, P.O. Box 205 Wise, VA 24293.

Lesson with LoBiondo: How to summarize

Senior superlatives at John I. Burton

Every year the graduating class is brought together to vote for the senior superlatives. This is a fun and memorable time for the seniors.

This years Senior Superlatives are as follows: Most Spirited: Shane A. & Miracle S., Friendliest: Eryk N./Daniel M. & Michaela I., Biggest Ego: DeShawn P. & Meygan T., Life of the Party: Ryland S. & Adrianna S., Most Change Since 8th Grade: Daniel C. & Nikki M., Most Athletic: Cobye R. & Jazmane B., Most Laid Back: Keaton B. & Vanessa B., Best Dressed: Landon M. & Laken S., Loudest: Ethan K. & Meygan T., Biggest Flirt: Devon W. & Karissa R., Most Talented: Ryland S. & Madison F., Class Clown: Aaron S. & Kali A., Best All Around: Austin S. & Olivia D., Sleepyhead: Christian S. & Honest C., Teacher's Pet: Blake P. & Vanessa B., and Most Likely To Succeed: Josh B. & Olivia D.. 

This years Ideal Seniors are: Best Hair: Chris H. & Cheyanne C., Best Eyes: Daniel C. & Madison F., Best Smile: Andrew P. & Karissa R., Dream Date: Daniel M. & Miracle S., Best Legs: Alex K. & Jazmane B., and Best Physique: Austin S. and Abby E.

This is a great way to get a title in the yearbook that you can look back on in your later years. Getting a senior superlative is a honorable accomplishment during your high school career. Congratulations to those chosen!

Clintwood destroys the Raiders

This past Friday, October 17, the John I. Burton Raiders traveled to Ralph Cummins Stadium to play their last game against the Clintwood Greenwaves. This was an important game for the Raiders, as it could have given the Raiders a first round playoff game at their home stadium. To start the game, the Greenwaves won the coin toss and chose to kickoff. The Raider's offense was stopped and was forced to punt. With 35 seconds left in the first quarter, the Greenwaves scored a 19 yard pass from Tyler S. to Austin T. for a touchdown. At the end of the first quarter the score was 7-0.

The start of the second quarter was very similar for the Raiders. The Raiders were forced to punt again by the Greenwave's defense. With the Raider's offense not moving the ball, it was all up to the defense. With 5:02 left in the second quarter Dakota D. scored a five yard run. He made the score 14-0 and the game went into halftime. The Raiders were held scoreless for the first time all season.

To start the third quarter, the Greenwaves got the ball. With 8:25 Tyler S. scored one yard and Dakota D. kicked the extra-point and made it - making the score 21-0. Once again the Raider's offense was forced to punt by the Clintwood defense. The Greenwaves scored again with Tyler S.'s seven yard complete pass to Austin T. with 6:16 left in the third quarter.

The Greenwaves scored a touchdown with Dakota D.'s seven yard run with 2:04 left; this basically ended the game. The game ended with a final score was 35-0, a devastating loss for the Raiders. Next Friday will be open for the Raiders.

The Haunted forest: Halloween attraction causes real-life horror

Halloween is coming up, and what better way to celebrate the season than a spine-chilling forest full of frightening monsters? The "Haunted Forest" in Big Stone Gap, located on the town's campus of Mountain Empire Community College, is among the many Halloween-themed attractions scattered across the country.

The "Haunted Forest" of Big Stone Gap costs $10 per person and will be up and running Fridays and Saturdays through the end of October from 7-11 p.m. The Haunted Forest is recommended for age 10 and up. All proceeds will benefit student scholarships and funding for club activities at MECC. This is an amazing way to celebrate the season of scares and get a bloodcurdling experience in a dark and gloomy forest. 

I went to the "Haunted Forest" this past Saturday, and my life became a horror movie as soon as I entered the attraction. Each year the forest turns into all new terrors that will make you scream. Come to this outstanding scream-fest located on campus at MECC. Be prepared to have nightmares.

Burton defeats Castlewood

On Friday, October 11, 2014, the John I. Burton Raiders took on the Castlewood Blue Devils. The Raiders began the game by the wining of the coin toss. Beginning the first quarter, Matthew B. ran for four yards and made the first touchdown for the Raiders. The point after kick by Blakelee C. was good. Castlewood did not score any touchdowns. At the end of the first quarter, the score was 0-7 with the Raiders leading. 

In the beginning of the second quarter, Castlewood scored a touchdown. After the touchdown they ran a two point conversion. This left the score at 8-7 with Castlewood in the lead. Near the end of the second quarter, Matthew B. ran four yards resulting in a touchdown for the Raiders. Shortly afterwards, Blakelee C. made a two point conversion. At the end of the second quarter the score was 15-7 with the Raiders in the lead.

After halftime, the Raiders began the third quarter with a touchdown! The Raiders two point conversion attempt was failed. Near the end of the third quarter, Castlewood had the ball and Matthew B. intercepted the ball and went for a touchdown! After the completion of the touchdown, the two point conversion from Tra A. to Deshawn P. was incomplete. At the end of the third quarter the score was left as 27-8. The score remained the same and the Raiders took the victory over Castlewood. 

Pepping up the pep rally

This Friday, October 17, our school will be having a pep rally for the Raiders' game against the Clintwood Greenwaves. This is one of the last pep rallies we will be having during the rest of the football season. The pep rally will be in the gym at the end of the school day. I would like to encourage the whole school to participate and be really loud during this pep rally.

The pep rally will be started by the Raider football team entering with the fight song being played by our Raider marching band. Our cheerleaders will be doing the "Varsity Stomp." The cheerleaders will also be performing another cheer called, "Wish you were a Raider," and then they will be dancing to the song, "Pause'' by Pitbull. Next, students from every grade level will be playing three games: "Who are you Rootin' for," ''Gummy Worms," and "The Cheetos Game." The game "Who are you Rootin' for" consists of a baby bottle filled with Root Beer; each grade will have a participant racing each other to empty the baby bottle. The next game will be ''Gummy Worms." This is a game where gummy worms are hidden in a pie and students have to find them. This activity is a race between grades. The last game is ''The Cheetos Game."  In this game a partner paints another participant's face and throws Cheetos on their face.

After all the games, there will be an announcement about Celebrate My Drive. Next, the cheerleaders will be giving snack bags to all the football players. The cheerleaders will be dancing to 80's music, doing chants, and throwing t-shirts to the students. I encourage everybody to come and see the Raiders play the Greenwaves for the last time in both schools' histories.

Marching bands fall fundraisers

It's that time of year again! Every group imaginable is fundraising for their team or organization. Along with those groups is the John I. Burton Raider marching band with one of their longest running fundraisers: fruit. In addition to their annual fruit fundraiser, they will be selling several different items from a new company.

As opposed to the usual fruit fundraiser, the band will be selling from a new company. We will be selling: grapefruit, apples, pears, tangerine, tangelos, and many other oranges with the exception of red navels. The fruit will be ordered at the end of October and should arrive around the beginning of December. The fruit will be delivered to John I. Burton and then delivered to you.

For the band's other large fundraiser they will be selling several different items. These items include: cookie dough, in tubs or pre-pressed; cheesecake; dips; cheese balls; soups; pretzels and pretzel items; chocolate; pizza; candles; and more. Like the fruit fundraiser, we will order at the end of October and everything will be delivered near the beginning of December. Everything will be delivered to John I. Burton and then delivered to you.

Support your John I. Burton Raider marching band! The deadline for orders and payment is October 31. To place an order, contact a band member or the band director Cassandra Butler.

"Blackout" for senior night

On Thursday, October 16, 2014 the volleyball team is playing their last home game of the year. So far this year, we have not had a student section during a volleyball game, but for this particular game we will. Thursday's game would be an excellent chance to come out and cheer on our Raider volleyball team.

This night will be "Black Out Night" to celebrate our only senior on the team, Jazmane B. Students can participate by wearing black clothes and sitting in the student section. We want to have large crowd to cheer for our team and leave an excellent final impression for our senior. For all students who attend this game and participate in the black out, the cost to get in is one dollar and one bag of popcorn is free.

John I. Burton needs students to come out in force tonight. This is a great way to enhance school spirit and compete with others schools' student sections. Do not miss your chance to be loud and support your Raider volleyball team.

Photos courtesy of Sammy Belcher Photography www.belcherimages.com  

Halloween bash in Norton City Park

Everyone likes to have a little fun during Halloween. If you are looking for some fun around Halloween, there will be a Halloween Bash in Norton City Park on Saturday, October 18th from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 pm. If it rains on October 18th, have no worries! The bash will be rescheduled to Saturday, October 25th with the same time and same place. Get ready for a lot of fun from this event.

At the bash, there will be: inflatable rides for children, pumpkin painting, Halloween crafts, face painting, temporary tattoos, a hooty hoot cupcake walk, and games for children. There will also be music played by Freddie Bradley. Hay rides will also be available for the children. There will be a costume contest held at 4:00 pm, categorized by the store the costume was bought at and homemade costumes. 

Make sure to bring your camera for pictures with the fall display. There will be concession stands open during this time. This event will be sponsored by the Norton Lions Club and Norton Recreation Department. Need more information? Call the Norton Recreation Department at 276-679-0754 or you can reach Judy Miller at 276-679-0031. Come out, bring your children, and enjoy some great Halloween fun! All activities provided will be free.

The search for the wood booger continues

Here in Norton, High Knob is a very popular tourist attraction for our small town. In 2011, the show "Finding Bigfoot" did a documentary on big foot sightings in High Knob. 

Our community is hosting a search for this wood booger during this month of October at the Flag Rock recreation area. This event will be held on the 24th and the 25th from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is free for this event! 

There will be tons of activities for everyone to participate in such as: 

• Free canoe rides at the Norton Reservoir beginning at 5 p.m.
• Pumpkin decorating 
• Marshmallow roasting
• Door prizes  
• Crafts
• Games
• And lots more!

Food and drink vendors will also be set up!

I encourage anyone and everyone who wants to participate to come out and join our community for this event! If anyone has any questions and concerns about this event please visit www.facebook.com/woodboogersearch.
I hope to see everyone there!