A Wise resident and the run from communism

This article is about Alena Holbrook, a local resident of Wise, VA. When she was a child, she lived in Czechoslovakia, a state in Europe This is how Alena came to escape communism and live in the United States.

 After 1948, Czechoslovakia was under communist government. In 1967-68, the Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia wanted their country to be free, or neutral, which meant to have democracy. Well, Russia would not stand for it and on August 21, 1968, they occupied Czechoslovakia. Alena and her family waited until September, 1969, and since it did not look promising, her parents decided to escape. For her, at 13 years old, it seemed like an adventure. For her parents, however, it was a nightmare. The day they left, Alena's best friend came over and she could not tell her goodbye. The whole family had to keep quiet about their escape, so nobody would report them to the secret police. It was sad for them to leave all their friends, family, and animals behind. They did not know if they would ever see their friends or family again.

The countries Alena and her family had to pass through on their escape were Slovakia, Hungary, and Bulgaria. Then from there they took a turn to Romania and Yugoslavia. They stayed there in Yugoslavia for about a week, then they continued to Austria. They waited for about a month for their Visa's to Sweden, where they lived for six months. They then decided to go back to Germany. Then after 5 years, her mom, dad, and her brother moved to Canada while she stayed with a friend, and in 1977, she moved to the good 'ole U.S. of A. When she got here, she was driven to Clintwood, Virginia to live with her veteran fiance, whom she met when he was called over seas to fight Hitler.Yes, it was a bit of a culture shock for her, but she has grown to love it here!

 When I spoke to Ms. Holbrook  for this interview, I asked her if she would ever want to go back. She said " I would LOVE to go there for a vacation and see my relatives, but to live there? No way!" Ms. Holbrook also added a piece of advice: " Unless you have lived it, you never know what a communist government is. Most Americans do not know how lucky they are to have freedom, freedom of speech and the right to bear arms."

Thank you to Ms. Holbrook for taking the time to tell me her life story, and thank you all for reading this!

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John I. Burton is snacking healthier

As most of you may know by now, our drink options have been extended since last year. The new drink machine, located near the gymnasium, contains carbonated fruitwater. The flavors are as follows: black raspberry, strawberry kiwi, watermelon punch, and orange mango.

There are many varying opinions on the new drink machine.  When asked about the new fruitwater, students said that it was okay or they were not really a big fan. Many of the students said they would rather have regular water, and a rare few said they really liked the new fruitwater.  According to sophomore, Brandon A., "Regular soft drinks would be better. Some people need a perk in the middle of the day." Although there were many different opinions, students agreed that their favorite flavor was the Watermelon Punch. 

A survey was also completed asking students about the new healthier snacks, which are due to arrive in our old snack machine any day. Students replied with various answers. Some thought it could be a good thing for our school because throughout the day students get hungry and new snacks could offer a healthier alternative. Other students believe the idea of healthier snacks is horrid. Most students already do not like the lunch food, so they often purchase their lunch from the snack machine. Many students fear the new snacks will not be edible, and that as a result they will be going hungry throughout the school day. Students continuously commented that they would much rather have junk food such as, chips, beef jerky, Chex Mix, cupcakes, cookies, Jalapeno Poppers, Sour Patch Kids , and other candy. Out of all the students interviewed, only one student preferred we have new healthier snack chips and dehydrated fruit.

Welcoming new faces

This year John I. Burton is welcoming several new faces to its faculty.  Among those is Kayley Phillips, our new biology and anatomy teacher. On August 21, I had the pleasure of interviewing her. As a young child, Mrs. Phillips always loved being around and interacting with children, which inspired her to become a teacher. Some of her other inspirations were, Suzy Coffey, a teacher at J.J. Kelly High School. and Mike Olde, a professor at UVA Wise. One of the main things that got her interested in science is how it is always changing. 

Ms. Phillips has lived  in Wise County all her life. She attended J.J. Kelly High School, and after she graduated she attend Mountain Empire Community College.  She then transferred to the University of Virginia's College at Wise.  During college she worked as a pharmacy tech and after graduation she did her internship and substituting at Union High School.As you can see, she loves living close to home. She says her family is a big part of her life, and she wants to stay as close to them as possible. 

Ms.Phillips favorite subject to teach is biology because it's simply a mixture of chemistry, ecology, physics and anatomy. As far as teaching goes she says, "As long as I'm in the room doing what I love, I'm always having fun."  Oustside of school she spends time with her family and fiancé. Overall, she loves Norton and how welcoming it has been. She says the coworkers have made it easy to get around and be comfortable. My best wishes go out to her and her students this up coming year!

Better cafeteria food coming soon!

Some students have said that the school lunch has already improved from last year.  If you are one of those students, get ready for it to get even better!

                   
According to Mr.Williams we will be getting new food containment systems. Our current containment systems are quite outdated We will be getting three brand new ones which will keep moisture inside of the food which will make the food even better than it already is. If the moisture stays inside of the food, so will all of the flavor.

We will also be getting a salad bar which will be placed in the main serving line.  Students will be able to pick their own toppings for their salads; we will be getting a variety of toppings. The students will also be getting several new serving lines which will make getting  food much faster so everyone will have more time to eat.  This will all be taking place sometime in September. I am very excited about all of these new additions. I believe that many students will be excited to eat school lunches after these changes.

Book review: "If I Stay"

Every summer I read an array of different books, and this summer was no different.  Out of all the books I read this summer, one book in particular stood out. "If I Stay," written by Gayle Forman, is a young adult fiction novel filled with drama and emotion. It follows the main character Mia Hall, an incredibly talented cellist, after a catastrophic car crash involving herself; her brother, Teddy; and both of her parents.

The story begins on a normal day. School has been cancelled due to snow and Mia and her family have decided to go visit some friends. On the way there, they are involved in a car crash with a large pick up truck. The crash ultimately leaves her entire family dead and herself in a coma. As the story progresses the reader follows Mia into her coma as she has out-of-body experiences and flashbacks about her life. During this time, Mia sits in on visits from her family and friends while still in a coma.

Beautifying JIB: Key Club and volunteers plant flowers

On Monday, May 26, Key Club members and volunteers worked to plant flowers on John I. Burton's front lawn.  A big thanks goes out to all these hard workers for helping make John I. Burton beautiful!

Burton Exam Days

3rd and 4th block exams will be given on Thursday, May 29.
1st and 2nd block exams will be given on Friday, May 30.

World history students forge medieval shields

Last week, Mrs. Bias's world history students spent time constructing their own medieval shield.  Each student chose colors, dividing lines, and symbols from medieval heraldry to represent their personality. Pictured below are students from Mrs. Bias's 3rd block class.