Therapy Dogs Could Support Students

by Caitlyn Collins, sophomore

Therapy dogs would be an amazing addition to our school and schools across the country. Since they improve students physically and mentally, they would be beneficial to the students and would relax them.

Dogs can help human health in a positive way. It is scientifically proven that dogs can lower blood pressure, improve cardiovascular health, diminish physical pain, and they help release endorphins to make the individual calm.

Other than fixing physical pain, dogs also can improve mental health. They lessen depression, decrease the feeling of isolation, provide comfort, reduce boredom and anxiety, create motivation, and help kids overcome emotional disorders.

Not only do the dogs help with physical and mental health, but they also provide literacy support. Some schools have students read aloud to dogs for reading practice. Dogs improve literacy skills, make children focus, give the idea of a non-stressful environment, reduce self-consciousness while increasing confidence, and encourage the enjoyment of reading.

When I was in elementary school at NEMS, there was a poodle that children could read out loud to. The students loved the dog very much and enjoyed reading and being in the presence of the poodle. Unfortunately, the dog was taken out of the school and the program did not last long.

According to an article on www.edutopia.org by Shari Feeney, a veteran teacher and administrator whose school had a therapy dog, found their therapy dog to be extremely beneficial to the students.
Her school's dog, named Boomer, helped children's phobia of school and instantly dried their tears.

If we had a therapy dog in Norton, it could possibly bring students more enjoyment and lessen their anxiety at school. It could help physically, mentally, and educationally.

Nurse Keeps Students Healthy

                                                                 

by Tyrell Ingram, junior

The new school nurse is Mrs. Ashley Stanley. The role of a school nurse is important to a school because she helps every kid with whatever health issue they are having that is keeping them from focusing on school. If a student has a headache or stomach cramps, they can go to her and get medicine or whatever is needed.

Mrs. Stanley is an amazing person because she works and has four children. She attended school  at Mountain Empire Community College to get her R.N. nursing degree. 

Before she became a school nurse, she had a part time job at the elementary school. She said, "What made me want to become a nurse is the love and passion I have for kids."

Mrs. Stanley has seen a lot of crazy things, but the craziest thing she has seen is "a kid on the playground who fell on his two front teeth at the elementary school" and knocked them both out. They were able to save his teeth and put them back in.

Some of her role models are her mom, dad, and her grandparents.What made Nurse Stanley want to become a nurse is her love for kids. Also, her mom was a nurse. Mrs. Stanley said" I loved how my mom came home and was happy with the amount of people she got to help." 

Mrs. Stanley is not a very stressful person and keeps her calm no matter what. The interesting thing about her is that she's so experienced she can pick out if someone is really is sick or just using an excuse to get out of class.

        
Mrs Stanley contributes to this school so much. We just want to thank her for her services. 




     
     
     

Cheerleaders Work Harder than Most Realize

                                

JIB Cheerleaders leading a pep rally

by Hannah Sergent, junior

John I. Burton's cheerleaders are very hard-working and enthusiastic when it comes to learning new material, raising school spirit, and doing things around the community.

Chloe McNew, a freshman cheerleader, said, "Nobody knows how much work we put into cheer." During the summer, the girls work very hard, going to camps, helping younger kids, and learning new material.

Varsity cheerleader Sareena Sergent said that one thing that nobody sees about cheerleading is how hard the stunts are. "People think that stunts are easy, but lifting a 150-pound girl up into the air is difficult, " she said.

They also said  that the best thing about being a cheerleader for our school is that the coaches are very understanding and that they aren't as strict as some other schools' programs, so cheerleaders can participate in other activities. The girls said that they enjoy cheering for Burton. Sareena has cheered for two years, Chloe has cheered for eight years, and Ellie has cheered for nine years.  All of the girls, along with the rest of the Burton cheerleaders, are very talented.

The cheerleaders said that they really like their new cheer coach, Kara Qualls, who is a teacher at NEMS. They said that she "treats us like her own children." Some of their responsibilities are having a good attitude, knowing material, making locker signs, and having endless school spirit.

An example of the things that they do around the community is picking up trash after football games.

Although many people don't realize all that they do, Burton's cheerleaders really are working hard and are full of school spirit.

Movie Review: Jurassic World is Incredible Sequel

by Caitlyn Collins, sophomore

Before I began watching Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, I expected it to be an amazing movie. I've always favored dinosaurs, so I've loved the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World series since they came out. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was outstanding, and the ending, in my opinion, was great and interesting.

The movie started with people talking about the island the dinosaurs live on and how the volcano will wipe them out, resulting in another extinction. The Dinosaur Protection Group tries to save them, but other people would rather leave the dinosaurs to their fate. Luckily, Claire receives a call from Eli Mills and Benjamin Lockwood to help rescue the dinosaurs, since she has access to the Jurassic World system. They tell Claire the dinosaurs will be sent to their own, individual island. However, they trick Claire into thinking that was the real plan. Mercenaries, led by Wheatley, take them to Isla Nublar and eventually try to leave them to die. Owen, who joined them since he raised the raptors, and Claire realize the plan was a lie and attempt to save the dinosaurs a second time.

The ending wasn't what I expected, but it was incredible. I enjoyed this movie and I would definitely watch it again. I would recommend this to anyone who loved the Jurassic series or loves dinosaurs in general.

The movie was originally released June 22, 2018. The release date for DVD and Blue Ray was set for September 18, 2018 and it is now available on Amazon video and iTunes.

Tech School Provides Hands-on Training

by Keaton I., senior

Welding is a high-paying tech option.

According to The Quad, an online blog, the career technical/vocational school option is gaining more and more popularity. College is costing more as the value of the degree is shrinking. Many 
college students finish with high debts that take many years to pay off just for one degree. Some debts go into the hundred thousands while tech school is free if it is finished in high school. Students can then go right into a career with the skills they learned, or they can continue to a community college for additional training.

J.I. Burton students attend a combined tech school with Wise County Schools. The tech school offers many programs, including culinary, cosmetology, carpentry, computer technician, graphic design,auto mechanics, electrician, JROTC, and nursing. Some of these classes can take up two blocks or a student can choose more than one to fill up the two blocks. Those blocks can be in the morning or afternoon with high school classes filling up the alternate time.

During the first few days of the semester there is a big, ten-day test on safety. After that, the learning is hands on and straight forward from there. There is some book work for basic skills. It takes up to two years of hard work to get a certification in an industry or field of tech study.

The students at tech can obtain a certification in the career that they want to pursue. If they want to keep going beyond high school they can get an associate's degree by going two years at a technical college. Many students choose this path to further their education in the field they love. They also choose this path to make more money than the people with just a certification; however, with just the certification people can still get high paying jobs.

Many kids who love tech classes like them for the more hands-on learning they provide. Most kids at tech are kinesthetic learners so it makes them feel like they learn more because it's the preferred learning type for them. Ricky, an auto mechanics student, says, "I do tech because I want to be a good, outstanding citizen by doing something I love."

Co-written by Hunter Rose

Mrs. Cassell Joins English Department

by Mary Tootill, sophomore

Stephanie Cassell is a new teacher at John I. Burton high school. She teaches English, along with Online Communication, Theatre, and directing competitive one-act. 

Mrs. Cassell previously taught English in Jenkins, Kentucky city schools for 7 years before coming to Burton. She taught grades 7-12, but primarily 9th through 11th grade. She also taught Journalism (newspaper and yearbook), Creative Writing, Speech, and Drama. 

Mrs. Cassell has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a Writing concentration from Birmingham-Southern College in Alabama, where she grew up. She attended UVA-Wise later on to take education classes to obtain her teaching license. Recently, Mrs. Cassell has completed classes through an online program at Morehead State University for a master's degree in English, but still has to pass an exit exam to officially have her master's degree. 

She originally planned on being copywriter in the business world. "When I was in college the first time, I was not at all interested in teaching," she says. After working as a copywriter for a few years, she decided it wasn't as exciting as she expected. "When I had my own kids, I started realizing what an important job teaching is and I wanted to do something where I could make more of a difference instead of just writing ads to sell stuff nobody really needs anyway," she says.

The adjustment to John I. Burton was quite easy for Mrs. Cassell, considering that her children attended school here, "Burton feels like home to me since my sons went here and I live in Norton. I already knew a lot of people, and everybody has been very welcoming." The biggest adjustment for Mrs. Cassell was being hired only a few weeks before school started and not having a lot of time to work with her classroom. "I really like all the classes I am teaching, and the students make it fun," she replies when asked about her experience in John I. Burton so far.

Another challenge for Mrs. Cassell is adapting to the VA SOL standards, "Even though I taught a similar class with an end-of-course test in Kentucky, I am still learning specifically about the VA SOL to make sure my juniors are as prepared as possible," she says.

She has two sons, 20 and 24 years old, and a husband. Outside of school, she attends a lot of music festivals since both of her sons play music and she enjoys attending whatever festivals they play at. Along with music festivals, she enjoys reading, creative writing, and baking.

Bring Back "Crazy Hat Day" to JIB!

A Dr. Seuss-theme "crazy hat"

by Mary Tootill, sophomore

Crazy Hat Day was an annual tradition when I was growing up in NEMS. All grades from Pre-K through third grade participated in the competition. The hats were based on any book the student wanted to use. 

Teachers from different grades were the judges of the hats the children created. Every grade had a first place, second place, and third place winner, and the remaining children in the grade received a participation award. 

I remember staying up late into the night with my parents when I was in elementary school making my hat. It was something very special to me when I was little, and I always looked forward to it. I even received third place once with a hat a based on"Horton Hears a Who!" by Dr. Seuss. Besides making the hat, it was even more fun seeing everyone else's hats and the books that went along with them. It was a great way to be exposed to new books and to get the children interested in reading.

I believe that this would be a wonderful addition made to the high school. It would be an amazing way to promote the students to work more with the arts and with a hands-on activity. "Crazy Hat day was a time to promote creativity and project building," says Shealin Pruitt.

Moreover, the students could base their hats on more complex books than we did in elementary school, which would make it a lot more interesting.

Crazy Hat Day would also bring all of the students together and create a feeling of nostalgia in everyone who participated in the competitions during elementary school. "It brought all of us together and inspired us to be creative," said Hunter Coffey.

Blood Drive Exceeds Goal

Mrs. Addison donating blood.

by Riley Lawson, junior

A blood drive was held at J.I. Burton on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. The drive was organized by the National Honor Society, sponsored by Mrs. Ashley Addison.
To donate, students must have been at least 17 years old.  There is a long list of other requirements, too, such as eating a meal beforehand and not being sick. 

Students seemed happy to donate, whether to get out of their regular classes or to help a good cause. "I chose to donate because I wanted to help the lives of those in need," said Keaton Ingle, a senior who donated for the first time at the drive.

In addition to helping save lives, students who give blood at least 3 times can earn a special cord to wear at graduation. A family member can also make a donation in their name to qualify. Ingle said he hopes to achieve this goal before the end of the year.

The blood drive was held outside of the school in the parking lot in a bus referred to as the Marsh Bloodmobile. When students first enter the bus, they fill out a general questionnaire about their health.  Then a nurse checks blood pressure and pulse to make sure they seem healthy. If students pass those screenings, then they lay back in a chair while a nurse takes their blood.

Keaton said he was very nervous before having his blood taken because he has felt like he was going to pass out getting blood drawn at doctors' offices before. "The scariest thing was the needle. It was pretty huge," he said. 

The process was not as bad as he feared. "It didn't hurt, though. It was weird; it went in real smooth," Ingle said.   

After students donate blood, they are given a snack and rest for a few minutes to make sure they are feeling well before going back to class.

  
Mrs. Addison said that the blood drive at J.I. Burton "was a great success" since they exceeded their expectations for the number of students who would attend. She said, "We were not sure if we would even have 30 donors but ended up with over 40!"
                                   

Shiver: Book Review

(Book Review) by Caitlyn Collins, sophomore

Shiver, written by Maggie Stiefvater, is a book about werewolves, romance, and adventure. Shiver is the first story in a four-book series called The Wolves of Mercy Falls. It is written from the point of view of Grace Brisbane and Sam Roth, who are the main characters.


The story begins with Grace's past. When Grace was a little girl, she was attacked by a pack of wolves, which led to her getting bit. However, she didn't turn into a wolf like she was supposed to. After this incident, Grace becomes attached to the wolves, specifically a one yellow-eyed wolf she calls "her wolf."

Years after her attack, another student of Mercy Falls is supposedly "killed." People began to kill the wolves together. Grace dislikes this idea and attempts to stop it. Her wolf, Sam, gets shot, but survives and ends up on her porch. She eventually finds out he's a werewolf and that he is "her wolf." This leads to romance between to two and all the wolf's secrets being exposed.

I found this book extremely interesting and heart-warming. It always kept me wanting to read more. I would definitely read it again and recommend it to anyone who enjoys wolves and fantasy. It is available at the John I. Burton library.

(Music Review) by Hannah S., junior

Panic! At the disco is one of those bands that will surprise you if you let them. Panic! At the Disco
is an American rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada formed in 2004. Lately, you don't hear
them on the radio or hear about them very often, but once you hear their music you'll never go back.

Panic! at the Disco is one of those bands that you'll never get tired of. They just recently performed
at the 2018 Video Music Awards, and in my opinion, the performance was great.

The band members have been good friends since their early childhood. They were originally a
four-person band. They recorded their first demos while still in high school. Ryan Ross was also
originally supposed to be the lead singer of this band.

Some more interesting facts about this band are that they were originally a Blink-182 cover band.
Their name was inspired by the song "Panic" by Name Taken.

I would recommend this band to anyone that likes Fall Out Boy.

The "Heart" keeps pumping

by Hunter R., senior

Mr. Brad Hart is the new business teacher at John I. Burton; however he is a familiar face to many students because he was the assistant principal at  Norton Elementary and Middle School. for many years. When there was an opening for a business teacher here at Burton this year, Mr. Hart decided to apply for the position.

Typically, most people don't step down from being an principal/assistant principal, but he did this so he will be able to coach in the future if he chooses. He loves to watch football and baseball. Mr. Hart will be the assistant baseball coach at Burton this spring. He previously coached football in North Carolina when he taught there.

He is well qualified as a teacher. He has been in the education field for 15 years and has taught in North Carolina and Virginia. He graduated from the University of Virginia's College at Wise with a major in business and decided to get his teaching certification to become a business teacher. He decided to become a teacher because he enjoys working with kids and coaching sports.

Mr. Hart said, "My mom and dad are my biggest role models." People can relate to him a lot on this because most people look up to their parents as role models.

Dual Enrollment Lets Students Get Ahead

by Mary T., sophomore

Dual enrollment courses are classes that allow students to earn high school and college credits at the same time. Depending on what dual enrollment class is being taken, a different number of credits can be obtained. One credit is all that can be earned for each class towards a high school diploma, but multiple credits can be obtained towards college. Once in college, the credits earned during high school will be transferred to whatever college the student attends. Taking these courses looks impressive to colleges, and can also represent to students what a college class would be like.

To be eligible for dual enrollment, all freshmen take the placement test given by the college. Different qualifications are required depending on what course is being taken. If the requirements are not reached on the placement test, retakes are available.

The dual enrollment classes offered here on the Burton campus are typically taken online through Elite Learning, a platform on which a teacher communicates through the website and gives students assignments. For example, I'm taking Psychology this semester as a dual enrollment class through Elite Learning. The class is pretty fast paced, but once I got used to it, it's really simple. 

Another dual enrollment class I've taken is Computer Applications. Computer Applications is actually taught by teachers in the school instead of online, but it's still considered a dual enrollment course. Most students take this class their freshman year, like I did. The class is really easy and fun, and allows students to learn more about how to use a computer, Microsoft Word, and online software, which is a very useful skill throughout high school and college. 

I interviewed three students who take dual enrollment courses. All three students are enrolled in the United States history course that is offered through Elite Learning. I asked them what inspired them to take a dual enrollment class and they all did it for the credits, which is a very common reason as to why many students take these courses.

When asked what's the greatest benefit of being in a dual enrollment class, Sarah Bevins responded "It's more laid back and you get to go at your own pace."

 Lydia Blair-James says, "There isn't as much pressure, and it helps my GPA." Students get an extra point toward their G.P.A. for a dual enrollment class
 For example, making a B in a dual enrollment class is like making an A in a regular high school class. If a student makes an A in the dual enrollment class, they get 5 points toward their GPA, so their overall GPA can end up being higher than a 4.0.

I then asked them what the hardest part of these courses is, Regan Phipps responded, "You sometimes don't remember the material you go over." Lydia and Sarah both feel as if it can be more challenging to learn. All three students agree that taking dual enrollment courses has more pros than cons.

There's a very wide range of options as to what courses are offered through dual enrollment. These classes are separated into categories depending on what this course material is.

Literature courses:
 English 1 & 2 (6 credits), Creative Writing (3 credits), and Survey of American Literature 1 & 2 (6 credits.)

Human Behavior courses:
Principles of Psychology (3 credits), Principles of Sociology (3 credits) Survey of Criminal Justice (3 credits), and Survey of Criminology (3 credits.)

History courses:
 United States Government 1 & 2 (6 credits), United States History 1 & 2 (6 credits), Civil War and Reconstruction (3 credits), and America in the Gilded Age (3 credits.)

Math courses:
Statistical Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning (3 credits.)

All of the courses listed here are the classes that are only offered on the Elite Learning website.

Computer Information courses (taught by teachers in classrooms):
Computer Applications, Computer Information Systems, Personal Finance, Computer Accounting, Design/Multimedia (Yearbook 1), and Advanced Design/Multimedia (Yearbook 2.)

Math courses (taught by teachers in classrooms):
Calculus (one semester), and Pre-Cal 161/162 (yearlong) are math courses offered as dual enrollment also.

All these dual enrollment classes listed, instead of being offered online, are taught in school by teachers certified to teach the course.

Overall, I believe that taking dual enrollment classes is very useful. Some classes that are not offered by a teacher in the high school can be taught through Elite Learning. These classes allow high school students to earn both high school and college credits at the same time. Dual enrollment is an amazing choice for high school schedules.

8th Graders Transition to High School

8th graders Clay H. and Maleeah P.

by Hunter R. and Tyrell I.

With the Class of 2019 set to graduate this year, it is time to shine the light on the future and welcome the graduating class of 2023 to John I. Burton High School. Since Burton is an 8th-12th grade high school, this is the 8th graders' first year. We took the time to interview some of the kids in the class of 2023 about their experiences so far coming to the high school.

Most of the students interviewed said they like having more freedom here at the high school. Dauntae Keys responded by saying “My experience so far has been amazing. I have had a whole lot more freedom here, and I'm really enjoying it.” Maleeah Peters agreed, “My experience has been great. We have more freedom here at the high school than we did at the elementary school.”

We also asked some students if they missed the elementary and middle school. Caleb Sluss said, “No, I don’t really miss anything about the elementary school because we have more freedom over here than we did there.” Ellie Williams said she did not really miss anything in particular about this elementary and middle school either. However, Cheyenne M. said “I miss the food at the elementary school more than anything.”

The 8th graders we interviewed shared diverse answers on what they are looking forward to in high school. Some are looking forward to being old enough to attend prom and graduation while others are just looking forward to growing, learning, and making more friends.

Now that they are in high school, the 8th graders are also starting to think more about what they want to do after they graduate. All of the students interviewed said that they want to go to a 4-year university and/or a career technical school. Some of the careers mentioned were nursing, mechanic, cosmetology, and teaching.

8th grader Caleb S.

Class Officers Elected

by Caitlyn C., sophomore

On September 7, 2018, John I. Burton students voted for the students they want to serve as president, vice-president, and secretary/treasurer of their classes. All grades, 8th through 12th, participated in the voting.

The election process started with first electing three students from each grade for each of the positions, then giving those students time to campaign for the positions. Then two weeks later, they got to choose from the three options. The people who won the election were announced at the end of the same day.

The students who won the elections were as follows:

Senior Class: Cassie I., president; Derrick A., vice president;  Alexandria C. secretary; and Skylar W., treasurer

Junior Class: Holden H.,  president, Mikey C., vice president, Joe J., secretary/treasurer.

Sophomore Class: Mary T., president: Quaid J., vice president; Kaleb M., secretary/treasurer.

Freshman Class: Kaylee J., president; Sareena S., vice president; McKenzie T., secretary/treasurer.

8th Grade: Carter A., president; Dauntae K., vice president; Maleeah P., secretary/treasurer.

I was able to interview a few of them about their wins.  Carter A., who won president of the 8th grade, said that he campaigned by creating posters and handed out things to the students in his grade.  He said that he was surprised that he won since he just transferred to Norton schools last year and "I didn't have a lot of friends."

McKenzie Tate, who was elected secretary/treasurer of the freshman class, said that she would love to help with the  cause of eliminating bullying. She also looks forward to coming up with ideas for projects like the homecoming float.

To win her election as president of the sophomore class, Mary T. campaigned through social media. I asked her if she expected to get elected, and she said, "Yes, but at the same time, I thought someone else would probably win." Mary is most excited about getting to work on the class homecoming float, which she thinks will take about two weeks to create.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Faces in the Crowd 

Raider students were caught showing their school spirit at the football Jamboree hosted by J.I. Burton on August 17.

One-Act Play to be Performed

by Keaton I., senior

The one act play has been a tradition at Burton for a long time. Since Mrs. Davis retired this year, Mrs. Cassell has taken over the coaching job by directing her first play Charlie Foster, by Raymond King Shurtz. She said, "Theater is a fun experience to take part in whether you have a lead role as an actor or help with set design and technical help such as light and sound."

This year's one act play is described as "a powerful play about coming-of-age and the sensitive nature of walking in someone else's shoes. This dramatization about swimming and theater tells the tale of Charlie Foster, a kid no one knew or cared about until he accidentally drowned in the river. Or was it an accident? Ten young people try to comprehend this life and death, questioning their memories and each other's," according to Dramatic Publishing, the publishers of this play.

She held auditions to see who would be the best to play each role in the play. the cast selected  includes Alex C, Brooklin B., Haley R., Kelly P., Haley Q., Eden W., Carter A., Noah E., Shakira C., Dasayne S., Shamiyeh N., Elora H., Justin S., and Ashlyn W.,  In addition to getting cast members, she got tech/ stage people, including three seniors: Jackson Baker, Austin Quillen, Aidan Wells, plus Sam H.,

The team has practice after school four days a week. Mrs. Cassell makes the schedule relaxed with other after-school activities, so cast members can participate in both. They are practicing for the district competition on October 20 at Coeburn Middle School. Later there will be a performance for the school and the parents.

Alex Carroll, a senior on the cast, said "I think it's a good play that has lots of potential and there is going to be a lot we can do with it on stage. I hope it goes well and wish everyone on the team does their best."

Marshmello's New Single is Fly

(Music Review) by Keaton I., senior

Marshmello is one of the top dee-jays in the world right now. He has produced collaborations with many well-known artists such as Selena Gomez and Khalid. One of his best songs is the new single "Fly" which was released in March 2018.

Within only three minutes, this one song perfectly captures the fun, upbeat dance music that Marshmello creates. The song is electronic dance music (EDM), which has very few actual lyrics. It is created online or recorded into a digital program with mostly synthetic sounds.

The repetitive lyric in this song simply states, "I can fly." This lyric, plus the music, makes the song easy to dance to bcause of the multiple original beats.

The song was originally released on Youtube and is available on Spotify to listen to for free. I would recommend that everybody put it on their playlist for fall.

Brooklin Baker Auditions for American Idol

Senior Brooklin Baker in front of the American Idol bus

by Mary T., sophomore

Pets of JIB

by Caitlyn C., sophomore

I spoke to a few students who own some common and uncommon pets! I asked them about what the animal’s needs are and how simple the pet is to take care of.

Bonnie the Ferret, owned by Caitlyn C. Grade 10

I own Bonnie the Ferret! She’s a pretty simple pet to take care of, but she can be a lot to handle sometimes. Bonnie requires food, of course, but since she has tons of energy, she drinks plenty of water. To help her get ready for bed, she plays with her toys throughout the day and runs around the house freely, then sleeps in her hammock. The only time she needs to be caged is when she unsupervised. Bonnie needs attention, too, so playing with her is the best thing to do!

Clementine the Bunny, owned by Mary T. Grade 10

I talked with Mary about taking care of her rabbit, Clementine Claire. Rabbits are easy pets to take care of! They don’t need too much, except rabbit pellets, water, and sticks or wood to chew on. Clementine needs to be fed every day, but mainly because she tends to flip over her bowl. Because their teeth never stop growing, it’s necessary to have something they can file them down on, which is why Clementine has wood! She is not very affectionate or playful, but she does enjoy being pet sometimes. Last, she cannot sleep in the same bed as her owner, so she sleeps in her cage.

Brillo the Hedgehog, owned by by Morgan F. Grade 10

“Hedgehogs are pretty simple to take care of,” Morgan said. They like nice blankets, dark places, and baths. “We used to stop up the bathroom sink and fill it with water. We used a disposable toothbrush that we did not use,” to bathe it, she explained. They eat regular food made for hedgehogs, but they also like veggies and mealworms. Morgan’s hedgehog enjoyed being loved on as well! Generally, hedgehogs live 2-5 years and you can find them in limited pet stores for around 70-250 dollars.

Theo the Bearded Dragon, owned by Keaton I. Grade 12

Theo’s a really lazy lizard! He used to be fed crickets, but Keaton switched to worms, vegetables, and fruits because he refused to catch the crickets himself. However, as a baby, he had to be fed protein. Whenever Theo’s hungry, he gets aggressive and his beard gets bigger as well! Since he’s messy, his cage needs to be cleaned often. He doesn’t require much, except his food and a big water dish so he can relax in it, too. In his cage, one side needs to be 110 degrees to digest food, and the other side 80-100 degrees.

Jumbo the Dog, owned by Mary T. Grade 10

Mary T. also owns a dog named Jumbo! Dogs don’t require much besides food, water, and attention. Typically, the dog food Mary buys is around 8 dollars. Although Jumbo isn’t extremely affectionate, he still loves to be petted every now and then. Whenever he’s not being loved on or eating, he’s caught sleeping underneath his blankets.

Hazel the Cat, owned by Grace D. Grade 12



Just like dogs, cats are easy to take care of and they’re common pets. Grace D. told me about her cat, Hazel. “Her food is about 15 dollars,” Grace responded when I asked how much cat food costs. Her cat is very loving, so she has to pet her often, too. Some
cats love playing with toys, but most of them enjoy napping more.

Meet Shacoty Miles

by Tyrell I., junior, and Hunter R., senior

The first person that visitors see when they come to J.I.Burton is the new secretary, Shacoty Miles.

This is her first year in the education field. She previously worked for Teletech, a telecommunications
company, as a supervisor. She is a great person for the position because she always has a smile on
her face and is always in a good mood. Her email (with her first initial and last name) is even
smiles@nortoncityschools.org.    

She considers her knowledge of technology a strength and rates her computer skills an "8." She
says ”the reason I rate myself an 8 is because there always room for improvement.” This is not Miss
Miles’s first time being on a job with computers.She has previously worked at
Teletech, which is an insurance agency. She was a supervisor in the Anthem department.

What made Miss Miles come to Burton is her love for kids.She saw the job opening and said, "I
love kids, and it was a gift from God.” The role models who made Miss Miles the woman she is today
are her mom and Ms. Susan Fore, who recently passed away. She said, "Mrs Fore made a
huge impact on my life.”

Miss Miles is not really new to the Burton community; she graduated from here several years ago.
She said the best part of working here is ”getting to see the wonderful kids every day.”

Her favorite hobbies outside of school are watching Netflix and shopping.

2018 Football Season Outlook with Coach Adams

by Mary T., sophomore, with contributions from Tyrell I., junior

I had the privilege of interviewing Coach Adams about the upcoming 2018 football
season. This is his 38th season as a coach, and his 20th as a head coach. When asked
about the season’s potential, Coach Adams responded, “They’re very young. Gaining
experience is going to be very important.”  There are only three seniors on the team --
Houston Thacker, quarterback; Derrick Allen, wide receiver and cornerback; and
Devon Williams, guard -- so younger players will get a lot of playing time to build their
skills.

In the first game of the season, the Raiders played a close game until the third quarter;
then, players lost the battle to fatigue since they lacked the depth of the much-bigger
Union team, resulting in a final score of 35-20.

The next week, Chilhowee played a "hurry-up offense" and our players got fatigued
quickly; also, a few of our starting defensive players got personal foulsthat gave
Chilhowee extra yards. Although the Raiders were able to score two touchdowns,
the game ended 49-14.

Most recently, the Raiders beat Lee High 38-14 in an exciting win. Houston T.,
quarterback, set his career high for passing. The defense was very strong and held the
Generals to two touchdowns. Many players contributed to the win with almost all
the skilled players, running backs and receivers, scoring.

Coach Adams has a positive outlook for the rest of the Raiders football season.
For the team as a whole, he wants them to improve weekly, and strive to get to their
potential. To prepare for the games, Coach Adams and his fellow coaches decide what
approach to make depending on who they play from week to week.

Over all the years of coaching, his favorite part of being a coach is the passion it
brings into his life. “There’s nothing like Friday nights,” he responds when asked
what he loves most about football season. After his 38 years of coaching, what he’s
gained from it most is the way it makes him feel. “It mentally keeps you young, it’s
very rewarding,” he said.

Coach Adams, along with the coaches, players, students, and teachers, is looking
forward to this season and everything that is in store for the John I. Burton football team.

--Written by Mary Tootill, with contributions by Tyrell Ingram

Christopher Robin Revives Sweet Memories

(Movie Review) by Mary T., sophomore

The new movie Christopher Robin revisits the popular story line from the series by author A.A. Milne that we all knew as children. It shows the main character, Christopher Robin, all grown up. He’s completely different from the young, excited little boy we remember. Now, he has a job as a journalist with a tough boss. His schedule is always tied up from his job, so he hardly has time for his wife and his young daughter at home. With all of that on top of each other, he’s long forgotten his childhood friends.

Later in the movie, you see Winnie the Pooh in some sort of imaginary world all by himself. He desperately searches for his other friends and Christopher Robin. Winnie then climbs through a hole in a tree trunk and is transported into the modern day world. Once in the modern day, he continues to search for his friends and Christopher. He finally stumbles upon Christopher in a park. Christopher is obviously startled at the fact that his childhood stuffed bear is alive and in his presence, so he grabs Winnie and quickly makes his way home. At home, Winnie explains the problem of his missing friends to Christopher and persuades him to come to the imaginary world with him to help him find them.

Once they’re back in the imaginary world, they start their search to find them. They eventually find all of them, including Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Rabbit, Roo, and Kanga. Christopher Robin’s experience with his old friends gives him a rest from his stressful adult life and gives him the opportunity to revisit his childhood.

Overall, I really enjoyed “Christopher Robin.” It’s a very family-friendly movie, and it pulls at your heartstrings. The story that was well loved when we were children gets tied all together with a bow; the ending we all wanted is now a reality. If you’re looking for a family oriented, heartfelt movie, “Christopher Robin” is an amazing choice.

Goforth Goes Forth into a New Era

by Keaton I. and Hunter R., seniors, and Tyrell I., junior

One new addition to John I. Burton this year is Principal Dr. Mike Goforth, but he isn't really new

to Burton. He used to be a girls' basketball coach here.

He loves coaching but gave it up to be in administration.  He said, “I made the change to have more

time with my kids” Goforth and his wife, who teachers English at Central High School, have a son

who’s eight and a daughter who’s three.

Earlier in his career, Goforth was a special education teacher at Burton and an assistant principal

at Union High School prior to him becoming principal. While teaching at Burton he attended Lincoln

Memorial University and received his master‘s degree in education, then finished out with his

doctorate. Many people, like his mom and dad, influenced him early in life. Now that his father has

passed away, his father-in-law is one of his biggest role models.

One of the main issues Dr. Goforth wants to focus on this school year is respect and discipline.

The push to change the school rules and make them more strict is not all Dr. Goforth’s idea; there

are many new federal policies that have to be put in place. He thinks highly of respect.  “If you give

me respect, I’ll give you respect,” he stated.

At Burton, some of his goals are to make sure everyone is safe and doing what they need to do. He

also wants to support every student and teacher. “Where you are now isn’t going to be where you

are in the future,” he said. “Don't let anything get in your way of your goals.”

He thinks education and setting your goals is one of the best things you can do to have a good future.

Everything Sucks! Doesn't Live Up to Its Name

(Entertainment Review) by Caitlyn C., sophomore

On February 16, 2018, Netflix released an American comedy-drama show named “Everything Sucks!”  A
parody of teen culture in the 1990s, it’s a short, but extremely interesting series to watch.

The show is set at Boring High School with a main character named Luke.  Luke and his friends, Tyler and
McQuaid, move on up to high school and join the AV club.  Luke then develops a crush on Kate, another
member of the AV (audio-visual) club. Luke’s crush on her helps Kate realize a lot about herself.  Luke, Kate,
McQuaid, and Tyler begin to start trouble with the drama club. They try to bring peace between the clubs,
but end up joining them to film a movie, which results in a lot of conflict.

The cast of Everything Sucks! (photo credit: netflix.com)

Everything Sucks! is an easy series to finish with thirty-minute episodes.  There are only ten episodes
for one season, so I completed the show pretty quickly.  Personally, I found it to be fun and it made me want
to continue watching. I think that it can relate to anyone because it covers so many important topics, such as
the LGBT community, mental health, growing up, and discovering who you are. I would recommend this series
to anyone looking for an enjoyable, heartwarming show!