"Past Champions Night:" Lee High vs. John I. Burton.

The John I. Burton Raider football team will be hosting the "Past Champion's Night" on Friday, August 29. This night is to honor the 2004 region D champion team from Burton. We have this night every year to remember our championship teams of the past.  On August, 26 I had the pleasure of interviewing Head Coach, Jim Adams about the game this Friday night.

In my interview with Coach Adams, he stated, "I was very pleased with our performance this past Friday. I think we held our own with George Wythe, one of the top football programs in the 1A football division." The match up with John I. Burton, and Lee High is without a doubt going to be one of the most action packed games of our season. According to Coach Adams,''This is the best team Lee High has had in decades."

This match up is going to be tough. Coach Adams quotes, "The key to our success this coming Friday will be to play offense efficiently and to not give up the big plays." The Raiders are up for a challenge as we play the Generals. According to Coach Adams, "This is the best team we will play on our schedule." Come out to cheer on the John I. Burton Raiders, on Friday, August 29 as we take on the Lee High Generals.

Bringing more pep to pep rallies

In recent years, Burton's pep rallies have not been an event any of the students looked forward to. It has been a constant battle to get a single cheer from the bored students in the stands who are just relieved to be out of class. This year, a new approach is being taken. In addition to the in-school pep rallies, we are having community pep rallies.

Our first pep rally will be held this Friday, August 29, 2014, in the John I. Burton gymnasium. This pep rally will be used to get everyone excited about the first football game of the season which will be played against the Lee High Generals. You can look forward to many activities, including the game called ships and sailors.

The first community pep rally will be held on September 11, 2014 4 at 7 pm. This will be open to all of the fans of John I. Burton to experience the hype of getting ready to play our biggest rival, the Central Warriors. The first community pep rally will be similar to last year's Meet the Raiders Night. This time we will be introducing the football team, marching band, cross country team, cheer squad, and volleyball teams along with their coaches. The involvement of the community will greatly heighten the excitement of our pep rallies.

Our next and final community pep rally for football season is being held on Thursday, October 30, 2014. This pep rally will start with a parade in downtown Norton beginning at 6 p.m. The parade will involve the cheerleaders, marching band, and all fall sports' teams. The pep rally will continue with some cheers and competitions and end with a bonfire at John I. Burton. The next day, we will play the Rye Cove War Eagles for our homecoming game.

Controversy: New computers coming to the library

As many of you may know, our library is a bit outdated.  We lack both technology and new books.  However, the library will be getting up to twenty one new laptop computers, which will replace the older desktop computers.  Teachers will be able to check out some of these laptops, and students will be able to use the computers in the library.  Teachers will also be using this as an alternate lab for instruction.

While getting new computers is always an improvement, one of the downfalls is that there will not be enough money in the library budget to buy new books. I have had the opportunity to interview several students about the current state of the library.  I have heard varied opinions from students. Nicole H., sophomore, says: "They should be getting new books - that is what a library is".  Zach S. stated: "We need new computers because the ones that are in there right now are prehistoric".   I believe both of these statements to be true; if there was a way to fit both computers and books into the budget that would be the perfect situation.

Our beloved computer teacher, Mrs.Fields, also shared some of her opinions on the topic.  She said, "Books make good gifts and can help stimulate a students mind."  I love books too, but I also think we need to be getting new computers and providing a place for students to study and read. In the near future, we are looking forward to increased funding to be able to obtain new library books. But in the meantime, I think we should be excited for new computers.

JIB has a new scientist in the lab

During the summer we had two science teachers leave, Mrs. Reed and Coach Pierson. Our school has since filled the openings that were left. Mr. Williams has taken the place of Mrs. Reed and will be teaching 8th grade science and forensic science.

Mr. Williams became a teacher in 2000 at Holston High School in Virginia. He started to teach, so he could be a coach. When I asked him if he enjoyed teaching, his response was, "I love teaching." He was a football coach at Emory and Henry, for 3 years. He also coached high school football for 12 years and high school track and field for 11 years. Culpepper High School was the last high school he worked at.

Mr. Williams has worked for 5 different school systems. However, he says that Burton was his first choice.  He has loved his Burton experience so far, and loves the students he has met.  He is very pleased that Dr. Perrigan encouraged him to apply for this position. We wish Mr. Williams the best of luck as the school year continues!  

Seniors: It's time for College Night at MECC

On Monday, September 15, 2014, Mountain Empire Community College will be hosting a College Night. It will be held in Philips-Taylor Hall in the Goodloe Center from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. All seniors and parents are invited to gather information and learn more about college opportunities. 

At this event, there will be over 40 colleges and universities. Guests will able to gather information about admission requirements, campus life, financial aid, athletics, majors/programs of study, location, cost, job placement, and scholarships. 

As a senior, I believe this is a perfect opportunity to explore our options. It is a time to look at different colleges and decide which one is the best fit.  It will also be helpful for parents, as they will be able to ask various colleges questions about financial aide. I encourage all of my senior class to attend this event with me. Hope to see you there! 

Burton sends 15 students to Dual Enrollment Academy

John I Burton's Dual Enrollment Academy Students 

Here at John I Burton, the senior students have an amazing opportunity to participate in the Dual Enrollment Academy. The Dual Enrollment Academy consist of 15 students who go to Mountain Empire Community College to take General Education classes. These classes consists of U.S Government 101, Biology 101 and 102, Physics 101, Allied Health, and English 111 and 112.  The 15 students who partake in this opportunity, take a bus from the high school to MECC to attend these classes everyday.

The students currently attending this Academy are : Adrianna S., Patience E., Allison R., Daniel M., Lakin S., Lauren S., Karissa R., Justin S., Blakelee C., Chris H., Madison F., Megan S., Austin S., Noah F., and Josh J.

This Academy provides a unique opportunity for students to make the transition between high school and college.  High school and college are two very diverse places. Going from the high school atmosphere to college life is a tremendous transition. To begin with, there are many differences between high school classes and college classes . College classes are 50 minutes long, while Burton's courses are one hour and 30 minutes. The workload in college courses significantly increases from that of high school. Plus, almost every assignment must be submitted through Black Board, which is a web-based learning management system. The Academy allows students a transitional period between high school and college.  

It is also a significant opportunity for students because these classes are completely free for these seniors students and this opportunity allows them to finish their first year of college at MECC before they graduate high school. The juniors this year should be aware of how immense this opportunity is and should take advantage of getting the college experience while being a senior in high school.  If interested in the Dual Enrollment Academy, contact Julie Davis in the Guidance Department for further information.

Ms. Davis' film studies class

As most of you may know, John I. Burton has a few new courses to its itinerary this year. One of the newest classes that has stirred up significant interest is film studies. This is a class for students who are interested in learning about the creation of movies. Many students are curious about the new film studies class.  Film studies is a course which will focus on progression of films.  During the course, Ms. Davis will move chronologically from notable older films to more current films, which will include academy award winners.

Overall, Ms.Davis elected to teach this class because she enjoys teaching students about the history of movies. There are many different movies that will be shown in her class; some of the genres include western, science fiction, comedy, crime, fantasy, historical epics, action/adventure, and horror movies. She will also be showing musicals, animated films, and war films. This class is educational and also a bonus for students looking for dual enrollment credits. The dual enrollment credit counts as a fine arts course through MECC. This class is mostly offered to upperclassmen and will only be taught the first semester of this school year.

This film studies class is for hardworking students who are interested in the history of films. This class requires taking notes, doing Powerpoints, and taking tests. It requires hard work and effort. Students have to pay attention to learn about the different types of movies. Ultimately, film studies is an enjoyable and educational class as long as students put forth effort to pay attention and learn. If anyone has not gotten a chance to take film studies, I strongly encourage you to take it.

J.I. Burton's spirit calender!

Hello fellow Raiders! It is fall and you know what that means - it's football season!  Let's get geared up to support the Burton football players. Below is the Burton spirit calendar!

Friday, August 29 : Lee / High School Pep Rally / Past Champions Night:2004 Region Championship

Thursday, September 11: Community Pep Rally at 7 p.m. ; Meet the Raiders Teams and Coaches!

Football, Band, Cross Country, Cheer, and Volleyball!

Friday, September 12, : Central / Hall of Fame Night

Friday, September 26: Twin Springs / Norton Youth League Football and Cheerleader Night

Friday, October 17: Clintwood / High School Pep Rally

Thursday, October 30: Homecoming Spirit Week: Downtown Parade starting at 6 p.m. and ending at J.I. Burton for Community Pep Rally and Bonfire.

Come out and cheer for the Raiders!

Saturday, November 1: Rye Cove / Homecoming

Friday, November 7 : Thomas Walker / Senior Night

Get your spirit on and cheer till the break of dawn!

Thank you!

*Dates and times subject to change.

Fall football schedule

*Dates and times are subject to change.

Fall football schedule
Date	Team	Location	Time
August 29	Lee (Past Champions Night)	Home	7:30 p.m.
September 5	Chilhowie	Away	7:30 p.m.
September 12	Central (Hall of Fame Night)	Home	7:30 p.m.
September 19	Union	Away	7:30 p.m.
September 26	Twin Springs	Home	7:30 p.m.
October 3	East Side	Away	7:30 p.m.
October 10	Castlewood	Away	7:30 p.m.
October 17	Clintwood	Away	7:30 p.m.
October 24	Open
November 1	Rye Cove (Homecoming)	Home	2:00 p.m.
November 7	Thomas Walker (Senior Night)	Home	7:30 p.m.

Lady Raiders volleyball schedule

Date	Opponent	Location	Starting Time
Tuesday 9/2	Honaker	Honaker	6:00
Thursday 9/4	Haysi	JIB	6:00
Saturday 9/6	Varsity PH Tourney	Patrick Henry	6:00
Tuesday 9/9	Twin Springs	JIB	6:00
Thursday 9/11	Rye Cove	Rye Cove	6:00
Saturday 9/13	JV PH Tourney	Patrick Henry	6:00
Tuesday 9/16	East Side	East Side	6:00
Thursday 9/18	Thomas Walker	JIB	6:00
Tuesday 9/23	Clintwood	Clintwood	6:00
Thursday 9/25	Castlewood	JIB	6:00
Tuesday 9/30	Honaker	JIB	6:00
Thursday 10/2	Twin Springs	Twin Springs	6:00
Tuesday 10/7	East Side	JIB	6:00
Thursday 10/9	Rye Cove	JIB	6:00
Tuesday 10/14	Thomas Walker	Thomas Walker	6:00
**Thursday 10/16	Clintwood	JIB	6:00
Tuesday 10/21	Castlewood	Castlewood	6:00
Wednesday 10/22	Haysi	Haysi	6:00

**Denotes Senior Night: Seniors on the team will be recognized between the JV and Varsity match. We will also have a banquet to celebrate them beginning at 4 pm.

*Dates, times, and locations are subject to change.  

Cross country schedule: 2014

    

Date:	Location:	Hosts:
September 10	Veldon Dotson Park	Central
September 17	Wilderness State Park	Thomas Walker
September 24	Oxbow	Eastside
October 8	Veldon Dotson Park	Central
October 15	Wilderness State Park	Thomas Walker
October 22	Oxbow	Eastside
October 29	Oxbow-Conference Championships	Eastside
November 5	Sugar Hollow-Region Championships	Eastside
November 15	State Competition	TBA

*Dates and locations are subject to change.

A and A Security Jamboree at Burton

Last Friday night, August 22, John I. Burton hosted the A and A Security Jamboree. A jamboree is a scrimmage for teams, so they can feel prepared for the first week of the regular season. Union started the event off competing against Castlewood; Union came out on top. During the Union and Castlewood face off there was a couple of rain delays, causing the game to be stopped intermittently. Then, Castlewood played Tazewell. Tazewell won the game against the Blue Devils. After that, Tazewell played Union, and Union was victorious.

In the fourth game, George Wythe played the Clintwood Green Waves. Both of these teams had won a state championship in the last 10 years. George Wythe stopped the Green Wave offense to zero points, over the course of the game. Then it was Burton's turn to play the Maroons (George Wythe). The Raiders were winning in the second half 7-0.

We had 9 minutes to go in the second half of play against George Wythe. Then the rain started coming and put us on a weather delay. With the weather refusing the clear up,the end of the jamboree was cancelled. The Raiders did not get to play the Green Waves, but we did have a great practice. Now we are heading into this week to get ready for Lee High and for Past Champions Night. For more information about Past Champions Night, see Brandon A.'s upcoming post.

Jump into the book club

"Are we having book club this year?" "When does book club start?" These questions are already being posed by a number of students and faculty members. According to Mrs. Bias, book club will definitely continue this year! She started this new club for students last year, and by the end of last year, it had 15 student members. The requirements for the book club will consist of reading one book a month that is on high school or college level.  Members are also required to attend one after school meeting every month to discuss the books they have read. 

In my opinion, this book club is a admirable way for students to get involved with other students who have the same interests in reading books for fun. At the end of the school year, the students who have participated all year in this club take a trip to Knoxville to visit McKay's. McKay's is a used book store with a wide variety of reading options, sure to appeal to any type of reader. Check out McKay's at:  http://www.mckaybooks.com/  Students who had the pleasure of visiting this book store last year stated they had an amazing experience, and they are looking forward to visiting McKay's again this year. 

In this new coming school year, I strongly suggest any students who enjoy reading in their spare time to come join Mrs. Bias and myself on Thursday, September 25, to officially start our new fun-filled year of book club! Thursday September 25 will be our first after school book club meeting. We will also be discussing what Mrs. Bias's book club has in store for us avid readers.

To become a member, stop by Mrs. Bias's room and sign up today!