Weekly announcements

SENIORS

• Greever Crouse Scholarship due April 18th. 
• Lacy Mattie Meador Scholarship due April 18th. 
• Attention seniors: You will need to turn in $23 by Friday, April 4 to Coach Coffey. $15 will go for your senior shirt. $8 will go toward senior picnic.

PROM

• All juniors or seniors that plan to attend the prom must sign up in the office. See Ms. Becky for the sign up sheet.

GENERAL

• There will be a Student Advisory Committee Meeting April 2nd at 12:00.
• Please wear BLUE to school on April 2nd; it is World Autism Awareness Day. Help raise awareness for autism.
• Miss Norton Applications can be picked up in the office.
• No remediation this week. Eighth grade writing SOLs will be Monday, March 31 and Tuesday, April 1.
• Wise County Schools are on Spring Break this week, therefore there will be no Vocational School.

CLUBS

• Book Club will meet Thursday April 3 immediately after school. Please make arrangements with your coaches and employers to attend. Only students who regularly attend meetings will be allowed to participate in field trips. No members should miss more than one Book Club meeting. Plan to be there the entire 30 minutes. 

The Beekeeper's Son: part I

The following is an excerpt from a short story written by Olivia Lowery inspired by stories told by her Grandmother when she was a child. The Beekeeper’s Son takes its roots from Appalachian folklore about old magic and the healing powers of nature. The main character and narrator, Violet, is loosely based off of Olivia’s grandmother who shares the character’s name. The original Violet grew up in the old Needmore area near Thacker’s Branch in Norton, Virginia in the twenties and thirties. The stories she told Olivia as a child have inspired many of Olivia’s unpublished works.

The Beekeeper’s Son

The sun shining isn't an odd sight for the valley in April. My mountains, tall and somber, seemed to sleep soundly against the crisp blue sky, not yet fully awake from their long winter’s nap.  The trees stood motionless like crooked soldiers by the side of the dirt road, their leaves just beginning to return to the tops. I pulled my old wrap close around me and surveyed the sky for rain clouds. It had rained for three long days, and I wasn't prepared to be caught in a surprise April shower. The rain had cooled the air down considerably; it was a bit cold for spring in the mountains. Ready to finish the task at hand, I hurried down the path kicking up loose gravel behind me.

On this day in particular, I was walking the half mile back into the hollow to fetch honey from the beekeeper. Mother had taken to bed with a headache and would take no other remedy but his honey. The beekeeper was an old man with a weathered face who lived in a small cabin that sat right on the edge of the untamed forest; he had kept bees as long as anyone could remember and sold the best honey in three counties. Not only was the beekeeper’s honey rich and sweet, it was a cure-all remedy for any ailment. The beekeeper’s honey could cure headaches, heartaches, and the like. Some swore the beekeeper’s bees were magic, but I had never been one for fairy-tales. I tried to come up with more reasonable solutions to mother’s ailment but she refused to be swayed. She insisted on the beekeeper’s honey. I believed my mother was a silly woman with too much faith in what she could not see, but I went to the hollow anyway to purchase the sacred nectar.

I arrived at the beekeeper’s cabin and heaved a sigh; this was not what I wanted to do today. My mind wandered back home to my four sisters in the kitchen and mother in bed with a washcloth draped over her forehead, as I dragged my worn leather boots through mud and up the last hill to The Beekeeper’s porch steps. However, instead of seeing the old, weathered beekeeper sitting in his usual rocking chair with a pipe between his lips, I came upon a clean faced boy bent over a piece of stripped wood in immense concentration. A small carving knife in his left hand and tongue held firmly between his teeth, I considered not breaking his fixation and going back home. For what business did I have with Eli, the beekeeper’s son? I hesitated for a moment, deciding whether to speak or tread back through the muddy yard and go home when my decision  was interrupted by Eli's voice.

Senior summary: Kelsey C.

Eighth grade plundered and varsity dominated

On Friday, March 21, 2014, Burton clashed with Lee High in both junior varsity and varsity. The games both ended with one team winning by 10 points. Eighth grade players were smashed with a loss of 13-2 and varsity triumphed with a 16-5 victory.

Attention all seniors

Attention seniors and parents:

If you have any candid* shots of the senior class for the senior slideshow that will play during graduation, please turn them to Kathy in the office by April 4th,the Friday before spring break. Ms. Wharton needs these ASAP, so we can display them at graduation. 

*Candid picture - A picture that is not posed for. These pictures can be action shots taken during school events such as pep-rallies or even in the hallways. If you do not have these on hand, consider taking some and submitting them. 

Weekly Announcements

SENIORS

• Jostens graduation representatives will be here on Tuesday, March 25th. 
• Kiwanis Club scholarship available in guidance. Stop by and pick it up.
• Santa Train Scholarship due to guidance by March 26th.
• Cheryl Richardson Scholarship due March 26th.
• Blankenship / Justice Scholarship due on March 31st.
• Greever Crouse Scholarship due April 18th. 
• Lacy Mattie Meador Scholarship due April 18th. 

PROM

• All juniors or seniors that plan to attend the prom must sign up in the office. See Ms. Becky for the sign up sheet.

GENERAL

• There will be a Student Advisory Committee Meeting April 2nd at 12:00.
• Jostens will be taking class ring orders on March 25th  with a 50 dollar deposit; any Sophmores, Juniors, or Seniors may place their orders during lunch. 
• Please wear BLUE to school on April 2nd; it is World Autism Awareness Day. Help raise awareness for autism.
• Book Club will meet Thursday April 3 immediately after school. Please make arrangements with your coaches and employers to attend. Only students who regularly attend meetings will be allowed to participate in field trips. No members should miss more than one Book Club meeting. Plan to be there the entire 30 minutes. 

Eastside crushes Burton's junior varsity baseball team

Earlier this week Burton's junior varsity baseball team clashed with Eastside. The outcome of the game was very unfortunate for Burton. With a score of 10-0, Eastside took the victory. Although the outcome was not the most favorable, Burton does have time to improve as this was their first game of the season. I personally look forward to see how the rest of their season progresses.

A look into our past

Norton was settled in the late eighteenth century. William Prince settled in the area in 1787. Norton used to be called "Princes' Flats" named after Prince.  In 1890 it was later renamed Norton in honor of Mr. Eckstein Norton, President of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad.

The railroad business was what intentionally sparked interest and brought people and business here. On April 6, 1954, the Virginia General Assembly granted a City Charter to the Town of Norton, creating the first city this far south in Virginia. Today believe it or not, Norton is a focus point of Southwest Virginia.  

Below is a video I made of some old pictures of Norton and Wise County. I really hope you enjoy it!

Senior Summary: Carson M.

Pie a teacher video clip

World history art work

Mrs. Bias' third and forth block world history classes got creative and came up with their own Greek God's; they drew these in response to studying Greek religion. Students were prompted with the following question: If you were a Greek god what would you be like? On this assignment, students were required to name their Greek god and write an explanation of the powers and purpose of their god.  Each had to have a symbol or weapon and had to rule over a certain area of life.  Mrs. Bias feels that creative activities such as these engage students to think on a higher level.  She also thinks it makes learning more memorable. The following are the responses she received.

Theatress

"Theatress is the goddess of theater. Her purpose is to guide the direction of productions and make sure they run smoothly. She has the ability to grant people talent by singing to them while they are sleeping.  She places the comedy mask on your face and wears the tragedy mask to transfer talent."

By: Sophie P.

Catilina
"My goddess is the goddess of all cats. She can control all cats on earth, and catnip is her weapon.  She can chenge cats to different colors and can make them talk."
By: Allison B.

Batgirl

"Batgirl is the goddess of Softball. Her weapon is a bat and her symbol is a softball and two bats. She is always playing softball and never messes up."

By: Sierra K.

Ken Minajesty " To bring fashion and world peace to the Nation of Pinkslam, one fashion spectacle at a time!" By: Jon V.

Ken Minajesty

" To bring fashion and world peace to the Nation of Pinkslam, one fashion spectacle at a time!"

By: Jon V.

Hoodina " My goddess is the goddess of hoodies. Her name is hoodina and her ability is to spread warmth by making hoodies appear. She is quirky and sometimes hateful." By: Alexis S.

Hoodina

" My goddess is the goddess of hoodies. Her name is hoodina and her ability is to spread warmth by making hoodies appear. She is quirky and sometimes hateful."

By: Alexis S.

Weekly Announcements

SENIORS

• Financial Aid Workshop has been rescheduled for Friday, March 21, 2014.

• Santa Train Scholarship due to guidance by March 26th.

• Blankenship / Justice Scholarship due on March 31st.
• There will be a career presentation on Monday, March 17 in the auditorium at 2:00 pm.

JUNIORS

• Math compass testing will be on Wednesday, March 19 in the computer lab starting at 8:30 
• There will be a career presentation on Monday, March 17 in the auditorium at 1:00 pm.

SPORTS

• Jonah S. ran the tobacco marathon in Cary, North Carolina on Sunday. His finish time was two hours eight minutes.

PROM

• All juniors or seniors that plan to attend the prom must sign up in the office. See Ms. Becky for the sign up sheet.

GENERAL

• We will have a blood drive on March 21st from 9-3. Sign up in the office. If you have questions regarding piercings or tattoos, please see Nurse Shannon or Mrs. Sharpe.

The foulest food: part II

I know they everybody is just dying to know more about the school lunch, but I think that everybody should hear statements from more than just myself concerning school lunch. When I say that just about everybody hates school lunch, I mean it. A common theme found through all of the people I asked about school lunch is that it needs to change, and it is currently awful. Below are a few examples of said statements.

"We need to have bigger portions and more selections that people prefer," said JIB freshman Brandon A. regarding school lunch, "My least preferred thing is the sweet potato fries."

Senior summary: Brian H.

Renaming Mrs. Fields' computer lab

Mrs. Fields wants to rename the computer lab something other than "The Lab" or "Mrs. Fields' Lab." The names below have been suggested:

shKno Tower

Kno Tower

The Tower of Knowing 

The Aqua Lair

There is a Poll on the left side of the Blog to vote for one of the names listed above. You can vote for your favorite name among these or you can email myself or Olivia your suggestion for a new name at the email addresses below. Suggestions will be added to the poll and voted on as well.

Kier.sharae@gmail.com

Askprincessolivia@gmail.com

Book review: "The Shiver Trilogy"

Last week I read 2 of the 3 books in "The Shiver Trilogy."  I really enjoyed these books! There is action, romance, and suspense.  These books are fast moving and could easily be read within a week. I have started the third book in the trilogy, and once I finish I will add my thoughts about it to this article.

The first book is called "Shiver." The storyline centers around a girl named Grace who was attacked by wolves when she was young, and was saved by a wolf with the most unforgettable eyes.  Every winter after the attack, the same wolf sits at the edge of the woods and watches her; she never feels threatened by him.   People in Grace's small town are terrified of the wolves because of a disappearance and probable death of a local boy and a local lawyer's son.

Spring forward

Top 3 reasons we all hate daylight savings time

1. We lose an hour of sleep.

2. We have to be at school an hour earlier than normal.

3. We lose an hour of sleep. 

Weekly Announcements

SENIORS

• Granville P. Meade Scholarship is due to guidance by March 14th.

• Financial Aid Workshop has been rescheduled for Friday, March 21, 2014.

• Santa Train Scholarship due to guidance by March 26th.

• Blankenship / Justice Scholarship due March 31st.

SPORTS

• Attention boys tennis team - Practice will start at 3:45 today at the city park court.

PROM

• All juniors or seniors that plan to attend the prom must sign up in the office. See Ms. Becky for the sign up sheet.

CLUBS

• SWAG will meet during lunch on Thursdays in the Band Room.

• The Book Club will meet March 11th immediately after school in Mrs. Bias's room.  All members are required to attend.

PIE A TEACHER

• Students have raised $431.09 for the "Pie a Teacher" fundraiser. The following teachers will be auctioned off on Pie Day, March 14, 2014: Mrs. Reed, Mrs. Farmer, Mrs. Carter, Mr. Fultz, Mr. Roop, Mr. Walker, Mr. Pierson, Coach Stidham, Coach Smith, Coach Dales, Coach Coffey, Coach Potter, Coach Williams, Mr. Helton. Bring in your extra change to make a bid on March 14, 2014 for the auction!

FORENSICS

• The following Forensics members will be advancing to state on March 29, 2014. In the 1-A West Regional tournament: Amber Gentry placed first in storytelling, Jakub Blach and Torie Adams placed third in serious duo, and Olivia Davis and Conner Wharton placed third in humorous duo. Congratulations and good luck at state.

GENERAL

• We will have a blood drive on March 21st from 9-3. Sign up in the office. If you have questions regarding piercings or tattoos, please see Nurse Shannon of Mrs. Sharpe.

Senior summary with Katie M.

Five things to do in Southwest Virginia to get out of the house

In the winter months, SWVA can be a little boring. If you are feeling the effects of cabin fever here are five things to do in Wise County to keep you occupied. 

1. Take a hike.

Wise County is full of wildlife, trails, and scenery. Take your pick and take a hike!

Students to advance to state forensics competition

Forensics is a speech competition that is usually held during the first months of the year. Students from all over the region come to compete in categories such as storytelling, impromptu, and interpretation. These range in demand but are overall challenging and require a lot of memorization and thinking skills. Basically, each participant takes a piece of literature, memorizes it, and performs it so it can be understood and enjoyed by spectators. These individuals are judged based on understanding of their piece and their overall performance in a competition held on district, regional, and state levels. 

On March 1, 2014, students Amber R. (storytelling category), Jakub B. and Torie A. (serious duo category), Olivia D. and Connor W. (comedic duo category) all advanced to the state competition set to be held on March 29, 2014 in Harrisonburg, VA. They will compete with students all over the state for a chance to win the state title in their category. These students have all worked extremely hard and are sure to make Burton proud. Bring home those titles! 

Good luck to those individuals going to state and congratulations on all those who participated this year on a great season! 

The foulest food

Just about every single student at John I. Burton, has at one time or another, experienced the foul taste of school lunch in their mouths. Now do not take this the wrong way, every once in a blue moon the lunch is not so bad; however, the vast majority of the time, the lunch is outright disgusting. Often times the milk is almost completely frozen. The food can be soggy, as is the case with a lot of the sandwiches that they serve, or the food can be straight up inedible. 

Teacher Report: All about Mrs. Wampler

For this week's teacher report, I interviewed the lovely Mrs.Yvonne Wampler. She is currently fifty-eight years old. Mrs. Wampler is married with three kids. Tragically, one of her daughters passed away at the young age of seventeen due to Leukemia. Nonetheless, it is true that Mrs. Wampler lives a happy and fulfilling life.

Mrs. Wampler grew up in Wise, but now lives in Norton; she is definitely not an only child. She has twelve other siblings, eleven currently living. Four of her siblings are men and the other eight are women. I asked "What was it like growing up with so many siblings?" Mrs. Wampler responded "It was really great. There were many people to play with when we wanted to play, and sure the money was low at times but we got through."

Mrs. Wampler did many activities as she grew up. She remembers going outside playing with her friends and family. One of her favorite outdoor activities was Red Rover. Mrs. Wampler was very athletic as well. She played basketball and softball in college. In softball she played played second base and shortstop and she was an incredible batter as well. In basketball, she was one of the best; she could shoot shots as good if not better than anyone could.

Mrs. Wampler went to school at J.J. Kelly High School, currently known as Central High School. Then, she went to college at Clinch Valley, currently know as UVA-Wise. Mrs. Wampler now teaches here at John I. Burton with a bachelor degree in Science and Math. She teaches Algebra 2 and geometry, and the students in these classes are normally in 9th-11th grade. Mrs. Wampler enjoys teaching here at John I. Burton. When I asked her, "How do you treat your bad students?" She responded, "I haven't had any." In her classes students do many activities, including group work and foldables. I have personally enjoyed my experience in Mrs. Wampler's geometry class. She teaches geometry very well and does a great job at keeping her class enjoyable. I have not known her long, but for the last month that I have known her, I have really come to love Mrs. Wampler.

Spring sports

It is March; it is getting warmer. The snow is kind of melting, and do you know what that means? No, its not spring break yet, but it is time for spring sports!

Softball, baseball, track, and tennis are all spring sports that students here at Burton participate in. There is only one problem. Nobody really comes out and supports these students during their meets, games, or matches.  These sports are just as important as football or basketball, and the players work just as hard. In fact, you will most likely even see the some of the same players as those you saw participating in football or basketball. So why should we not support them in their spring sports as well? 

I know that the spring athletes would love to look over and see some familiar Raider faces. Come on guys, it is almost spring. It has been a terrible winter: get out and enjoy the fresh air and warmer weather. Go support your Raiders!

Remember to check the Burton Blog regularly to get your spring sports updates! 

Stay tuned!

Be sure to keep watch here on the Burton Blog for our first video in a new video series called "The Senior Summaries." In these videos we will talk to JIB seniors about their time here and about their future plans.

Here's a sneak peak!

Senior Katie M. Being interviewed by Olivia L.

Book Review: "The Mark of Athena"

In the past week, I  read "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan. This book is the third part of the "Heroes of Olympus" series, which itself is a continuation of the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" book series which is about Percy Jackson, the son of Poseidon, and his quest with his fellow Greek demigods to save Mount Olympus from the Titans. "The Heroes of Olympus" book series picks up where its predecessor left off, only with a brand new set of villains, giants, and Roman demigods. The two demigod groups are introduced when one of their own has their memories stolen and are taken in by the other.

Weekly Announcements

SCHEDULE CHANGES

• Parent/Teacher Conferences will held Thursday, March 6. Please note that Friday, April 18 will now be used as a make-up day. The additional four make-up days will be added to the end of the year.

SENIORS

• Financial Aid Workshop has been rescheduled for Friday, March 21, 2014.

PROM

• All juniors or seniors that plan to attend the prom must sign up in the office. See Ms. Becky for the sign up sheet.

CLUBS

• The Book Club meeting for today, March 4, 2014 has been cancelled due to schedule changes. Book Club will meet Tuesday, March 11, 2014 after school.
• SWAG will meet during lunch on Thursdays in the Band Room.
• FCS will not be meeting on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 due to the SOLs. But will meet next Wednesday, March 12, 2014.

PIE A TEACHER

• Students have raised $431.09 for the "Pie a Teacher" fundraiser. The following teachers will be auctioned off on Pie Day, March 14, 2014: Mrs. Reed, Mrs. Farmer, Mrs. Carter, Mr. Fultz, Mr. Roop, Mr. Walker, Mr. Pierson, Coach Stidham, Coach Smith, Coach Dales, Coach Coffey, Coach Potter, Coach Williams, Mr. Helton. Bring in your extra change to make a bid on March 14, 2014 for the auction!

ACADEMICS

• We will not have SOLs today, March 4, 2014, due to the three-hour delay. We will test multiple choice tomorrow, Wednesday, March 5, 2014 and writing prompt on Thursday. Friday will be our only make-up day, so perfect attendance is very important.

FORENSICS

• The following Forensics members will be advancing to state on March 29, 2014. In the 1-A West Regional tournament: Amber Gentry place first in storytelling, Jakub Blach and Torie Adams placed third in serious duo, and Olivia Davis and Conner Wharton placed third in humorous duo. Congratulations and good luck at state.