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! 

Scholarships for seniors

Around this time of year, most seniors are considering going off to college.  In college, would it not be nice to have extra cash or to go to college on scholarships? 

There is a very helpful website called FastWeb, which can help you to achieve this goal. This website can help you with scholarship matches, college resources, financial aid tips and internship opportunities. This is an any time opportunity but do not wait until shortly before or after graduation. Here is what you do to get started:

• Go to http://edu.fastweb.com/
• Create a profile.
• Fill out your own profile so it will be personalized for scholarship match ups.
• Stay up to date on your email for news on new and due scholarships.
• Login in to FastWeb and apply for all scholarship matches.
• Use your scholarship match ups on dashboard to keep track of all your applications.

Another scholarship that is available is the 2015 Horatio Alger Scholarship. The required criteria is:

• Be a full time enrolled senior student in the United States.
• Graduate in the year 2015 in the United States.
• Attend college the following fall after graduation.
• Maintain a GPA of 2.0.
• Display integrity and perseverance and be involved with community service activities.  

How do you apply?  There is an online application available at www.horratioalger.org/scholarships. One Support Form must be completed online by an adult over 21 not related to the applicant. Also you need to have a high school transcript, income verification, and an online certification form. This must be turned in by October 25, 2014. 

If anyone has questions or is looking for more information contact Mrs. Davis in guidance. She can be reached at 276-679-2554.

The science assembly

When was the last time you have been to a science fair or a science assembly? On Friday May, 10th the John.I.Burton science classes will be having an event to promote science for National Science Week. Students currently enrolled in biology, earth science, chemistry, and physical science courses will be participating in this event.

This event will be held in the auditorium at 2:45 where students, faculty, and parents will be able to attend this event. Different local news programs will be reporting on this event, so if you do not get to attend you can look forward to seeing it there.

This event will hopefully continue to grow into a science fair, where students will be able to make, design, and build experiments to be judged. For now it will be an annual event. Please come and support your scientific Raiders. 

"Side sports" and other team competitions go unrecognized

Out of the several extracurricular activities existing at John I. Burton, it seems only three are recognized by the local area: football, basketball, and baseball. These sports are constantly talked about among students and people in the community. There are several other competitions and sports that go seemingly unrecognized. 

I interviewed two students who are state champions in forensics: Conner W. and Olivia D. I asked both students the same question: "Do you feel you are granted the recognition you deserve for being state champions?" They both replied with almost the exact same answer, "No. It's not as big of a deal as people would make it if it were football, basketball, or baseball." According the these students and many others, it seems state champions in other sports and competitions would be more glorified.

Many students in this school are unaware of recent state champions and state placers in numerous unrecognized sports. Representing the tennis team, Austin S., district champion and state qualifier said, "Programs such as: forensics, band, wrestling, scholastic bowl, tennis, track, and the swim team have been successful both recently and in the past, arguably as or even more successful than the big three sports teams. These successful teams don't get recognized and have to fund raise the majority of their funding. If the football team were this successful, everyone in the entire state would know, and their funding would be increased even more."

Located in the lobby, there is currently a large flat screen television displaying only football players. Athletes representing other sports are not displayed at all. Colby D., four-time wrestling state champion, and arguably the most successful athlete and definitely the most successful wrestler in John I. Burton's history, does not even have up to date information on his plaque. Furthermore, forensics championship plaques and band trophies are in unnoticeable places or not displayed at all in the lobby. Out of a variety of students that I interviewed, they all come to an agreement that "side sports" and other team competitors are not credited with the recognition they deserve.

The color war rebellion

Over the past week, signs have been going up all over the building to announce the dress up days for homecoming week.  While I am sure you have noticed these posters, you may not have noticed the markings that continue to be placed on these signs. It would seem that seniors are not too happy with their assigned color, for color war day: PINK. On many of the signs, seniors have crossed out the word pink and written black. Although I am not a huge fan of pink, I am somewhat curious as to the reasoning behind this rebellion. Do they want some choice of what they should wear? Maybe they should have a choice. They are seniors, so this is their last year here at Burton. My curiosity led me to get some opinions on the matter from a few of our seniors.

Zachary S. said, " I think seniors should choose their own color. A lot of people do not even own pink clothes, and a lot of guys surely do not." Olivia D. said " A lot of people do not have any pink to wear, but everyone has a lot of black." Adrianna S. gave us her opinion: " Since no other grade has black, I do not think it should be a problem. We are seniors so we should be able to pick." Allison R. said, " I feel like the seniors should have their own opinion on what color they want to wear their last year of high school." Ultimately, it seems out of everyone I interviewed, the seniors feel that should be able to select their own color for color war day.

I think it is safe to say the seniors are indeed rebelling against this color catastrophe. I support it because they are standing up for something they believe they should have. The seniors believe they should have some sort of choice in the matter. I am amazed at their dedication, but I am not sure vandalizing the posters was necessary.  At this point, the seniors' assigned color for color war day remains pink; it has been decided that the faculty will wear the color black on color war day.

Burton's "Crazy Legs Contest"

Here at John I Burton, Mrs. Wharton, our cheer leading and Swag coach has started a new, interesting way to raise money for our school. This fundraiser is called "The Crazy Legs Contest." 

This contest consists of twenty different jars with various pictures of legs belonging to various members of the Burton faculty and student body posted on them. These legs consist of different characteristics ranging from "the hairiest" to the "whitest." 

These jars will be on a cart outside the gym in the morning before classes start, in the evening after classes, during activity period, and during lunch periods. There are ten jars with pictures of male faculty members' legs and ten jars with pictures of male students' legs. Each jar will have a slot at the top, so people can put money in whichever jar they think has a picture of "the best legs."

This contest will be active until the last day of homecoming week, which is October 31. On this day, Mrs. Wharton will announce who each picture belongs to and she will also announce what set of legs were ranked as "the best." I encourage everyone to donate money to your favorite set of legs!

Burton beats Eastside in district game

This past Friday, October 3, the John I. Burton Raiders played the Eastside Spartans in a Cumberland District football game. Both teams coming into the game were 1-0 in the Cumberland District. Also, going into the game,  the Raiders were starting a three game road trip, meaning they will play all away games for three consecutive weeks. Currently the Raiders are 2-0 in our district. To begin the game, the Raiders won the coin toss and deferred to the second half.


To begin the first quarter, the Spartans returned the kickoff  to the Spartans 40 yard line. The Spartans drove down the field and scored off a Justin B. pass to Tyler T. for a touchdown and a two point conversion. The Raider's first drive resulted in a touchdown from Tra A. pass to Daniel M., missing the extra point conversion. The score was 8-6 to end the first quarter.

For the next three quarters, the Spartan's offense was held scoreless by the Raider defense. The Raiders drove down the field and scored off a Tra A. pass to Daniel M. and received the two point conversion. The score was 14-8 going into halftime. The third quarter was the same for the Spartan's offense; they were stopped by the Raider's defense. The Raiders scored off a two yard run by Tra A., missing the extra point kick. By the end of the third quarter the score was 20-8.

The fourth quarter was started by the Spartan's offense which was stopped again by Raider defenders. The Raiders scored for the final time, when Matthew B. ran for a touchdown. With Blakelee C. providing an extra point kick, the score became 27-8. The Raider's next upcoming game will be against the Castlewood Blue Devils. Come and watch the Raiders play the Blue Devils next Friday, October 10.

Homecoming week nears at Burton!

The most entertaining and enjoyable week of the school year is slowly approaching. That's right - homecoming week is almost here. Everyone enjoys dressing up and acting wacky with all the other students during this fun-filled week. All students should participate in this exciting week and show their school spirit. Homecoming week will begin on Monday, October, 27th  and will last through Friday, October, 31st.

Homecoming days are as follows: Monday- 'Merica' Monday: Show your love for America by expressing your patriotic spirit; Tuesday- Pink Out Day: Go all out in PINK clothing for Breast Cancer Awareness Month; Wednesday- Decade Day: Dress like your favorite decade, from poodle skirts to hippie attire and everything in between; Thursday- Halloween day: dress in your favorite costumes. (NO MASKS, TRENCHCOATS, OR WEAPONS ALLOWED); and Friday- Spirit day: Go all out for your Raiders by dressing in orange, black, and white. The crazier the attire, the better.

In addition to the aforementioned dress up days, there will be a dance on Halloween night: Friday, October, 31st.  It will last from 7:00 pm-9:30 pm and will be a costume dance. The dance will be held at Quality Inn in Norton, beside Hardee's. Tickets to attend will be $5.00, and all students will receive a wristband. This wristband will let adults and teachers know that the person is a student. Everyone should dress up and come and enjoy the games and good food. Awards will be given to the most creative costumes, best couple costumes, and best group costumes!

"Sweet" shirts for the bloggers!

If you like sweets, then you are in luck! Burton's Blog is working on selling a variety of baked goods, so we can purchase t-shirts to advertise our blog!  Sweets are lovely, and I am pretty sure that people cannot turn them down because they are delicious.  Surely everyone will have enough time and money to participate in this fundraiser. The prices will never go above a dollar, so everyone can afford these treats.

New baked goods will arrive on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  You can expect cupcakes on Tuesday, October 2.  Baked goods will be sold from Mrs. Bias's classroom between blocks.  They will also be sold in some classrooms during fourth block on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Make sure to have your pocket change ready and waiting!

There will be many different sweets arriving over the next few weeks.  Some of which include: cookies, brownies, and cupcakes.  So keep an eye out for a blogger and help us reach our goal. If you are allergic to any ingredients normally found in baked goods, let us know beforehand.  Thank you!

Interview with Jazmane B.: Volleyball

Fundraiser: Christmas Ornaments

Are you looking to add some new decorations to your tree this year? Maybe one to support your local school? Then our newest fundraiser is perfect for you. The Scholastic Bowl team and the Lady Raiders Basketball team is selling glass ornaments with Burton insignia. The money they will be receiving will be split between the two teams. The ornaments are three inches in diameter and are made of glass. On the front is the Burton shield and the back they will say Burton. The cost of the ornaments are ten dollars. 

One of the purposes of this fundraiser is to allow Scholastic Bowl to pay their bills. The Scholastic Bowl is a non revenue activity meaning they do not charge for admission as other events do. They take the money they raise and put it back into the school system. When they need a bus to travel, they take the money they have raised and pay for their gas. They also pay for officials, and they need to buy new shirts for their team. Last year, they used left over fundraising money to purchase a new score board. The Lady Raiders Basketball team is still working toward purchasing new Nike shoes, so any funds they receive will be put toward this purpose. 

If you are looking to purchase one of these you may contact the Scholastic Bowl coach, Mr. Sharpe. Also, you can contact the Basketball coach, Mr. Coffey. 

Festival to kick off fall

Nestled in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, and on the Crooked Road (Virginia's Heritage Music Trail), is the ideal place to be during the second weekend of each October. This year is the 36th annual Fall Fling - held annually to celebrate the beginning of autumn. This exciting festival will be held on October 11-12 in downtown Wise.

The Fall Fling will be a great way to kick off autumn, as crisp clean air and an array of beautiful fall colors can be viewed on the way to the festival. The festival features over 150 vendors selling crafts, food, jewelry, and more. In addition, live traditional music ranging from banjos to bagpipes will be played at Big Glades Square on Main Street.

The music schedule is as follows:

Saturday, October 11, 2014	Sunday, October 12, 2014
Opening Ceremony/Welcome (Ray Wells – VFW)	South Mountain Boys
Center Stage Cloggers	Rich and the Po Folks
Tyler Hugses	Appalachian Highlands Pipes & Drums
Wolf Creek Grass	Dennis Cove Band
Angel Mefford & Three Times Gone	Appalachian Strings
Whitetop Mountain Band	Country Cabin Line Dancers
Blue Grass Circle	Misery Creek
Bluegrass Travelers
Benny Jones & CMT Country

The Fall Fling also features essay, photo and art contests; a chili cook-off; 
a 5K race; and an astonishing play area for kids that includes a variety of inflatable rides and games. This extraordinary festival is fun for all ages. Come out to the Fall Fling to experience the friendly southern atmosphere, traditional music, and unique variety of arts and crafts.