Product Review: McRib

Photo Credit: McDonald's

by Keaton Ingle, senior

The McRib is back at McDonald's! Grabbing one of these for dinner is a great way to start off December with its sweet, savory taste. Its barbecue sauce is full of flavor the instant it touches your mouth.

The McRib costs around $3 for just the sandwich. Its made from a rib patty, pickles, onion, a square of molded barbeque meat, plus a bun. If you want fries and a drink, you can have this whole meal for around $5. The McRib is only a seasonal item on the menu and comes to McDonald's around the beginning of November.

Personally, this is my favorite meal of any restaurant, even restaurants that are considered a lot nicer than McDonald's. Even though you can get a cheaper meal with the combo that I mentioned already, I think that it's best with a sausage McGriddle and a large vanilla ice coffee. The contrast of all the flavors makes this meal very desirable for my taste buds and would recommend this meal to anyone wanting a savory taste.

Opinion: Why SOLs are Unfair

by Riley Lawson, junior

SOLs, SOLs, SOLs. It's all you'll hear all day long in a Virginia school; after all, it's what the entire school year revolves around. At least that's what it seems like in a class that has the state-required test at the end of the semester. SOLS only lead to stress on teachers, stress on students, and altered classes.  

Stress on Teachers
The Virginia SOLS, which began in 1998, are a flawed system; all they do is make teaching harder for teachers. SOLs put so much stress on teachers due to the fact that they have to make sure the students learn all of the materials that they will be tested  on in the limited amount of time they have. It ends up that the classes revolve around them.  This means that teachers may not have time to teach additional material that is not on the test, even if it would be beneficial to the student. For example, learning to do more writing instead of just answering multiple choice questions would help teach skills that might be needed in college. In Science, you might not have as much time to do experiments, which are good for learning, but they're not like the written work that's tested on the SOL.

Stress on Students

Additionally, SOLS cause a lot of stress on students due to the fact that their entire school year revolves around it. From the first day of school, to the very end, all that they are told is that they need to prepare for the SOL and that "This is going to be on the SOL." Pretty much if you fail an SOL, you're not going to pass th class and then you'll have to retake it. All students do all year is stress about the SOLS.

There's even more stress involved when it's time to take the SOL. When you see the test, it gets you anxious and even after you take it, all you do is worry if you passed it. It's not even a good measure of what you've learned. Since it's multiple choice, you can kind of guess on the SOL sometimes without having to fully understand everything. But the opposite can also be true. Some people have test anxiety. They're so nervous and stressed out about the SOL that it can cause them to overthink it and do bad even if they know everything.

In conclusion, the SOL tests are a flawed testing system. The students' year should not revolve around a test; it should be the other way around. While some form of test is necessary, I feel that it should be done on a case-by-case basis. The tests should be on what was taught in the class and the teachers should have much more involvement in what goes on the test. A final exam that's created by the teachers would be a better way to test students on what they learned in the class.

The Stranger Game: Book Review

(Book Review) by Mary T., sophomore

The Stranger Game is a dark, suspenseful, mystery novel by Cylin Busby, and was published on October 25, 2016.

The main character is a fifteen-year-old girl named Nico Morris. When she was eleven, her older sister, Sarah, went missing at the age of fifteen.

Before Sarah's disappearance, she would verbally and physically abuse Nico. Nico could never tell their parents because they wouldn't believe her and it would make Sarah become more cruel towards her.

Despite how Sarah treated Nico, everyone else saw her as a wonderful person. She was the head cheerleader, made good grades, and was beautiful.

Once Sarah went missing, Nico felt as if her life took a turn for the better. She was no longer being tormented everyday, she didn't have to live in Sarah's spotlight anymore.

Nico and her family searched for Sarah for four years, with all the leads and attempts coming to dead ends. People began to assume that she was dead, until the Morris family receives a call about a girl found a few states over claiming to be Sarah.

The Morris' make their way to meet the girl who's saying she's Sarah. Once the family sees her, they all believe it's really her, everyone except Nico. Nico notices small differences about Sarah, her hair is darker, she's slightly shorter, and thinner than Sarah was before she went missing.

Nico was the only one to recognize these differences, so she feels as if she's overthinking it.

Sarah doesn't recall much of anything from her experience. She only remembers waking up on a bench when the police found her. She has cigarette burns all over her back, evidence of sexual abuse, a healed broken arm, and some missing teeth.

After the family brings her home, more and more things point to this girl not being the real Sarah. If this isn't truly her, what actually happened to the real Sarah?

 There's many twists and turns throughout The Stranger Game.  This book is great for anyone who enjoys mystery novels.

J.I. Burton Honors Hispanic Heritage

Students Alma Perez and Aaron Madrigal; Teacher, Mrs. Adams

by Caitlyn Collins, sophomore

John I. Burton’s Spanish classes recently celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month and Day of the Dead.

Hispanic Heritage Day is a national holiday that is celebrated in Hispanic and Latin countries from September 15 to October 15. Citizens in these countries commemorate their culture and history by highlighting their food, letting children make crafts, and participating in other festivities. The countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Chile, and Mexico come together for their anniversary of independence.

Hispanic Heritage Mural colored by 2nd block Spanish

Madison Adams, Burton’s Spanish teacher, said she does not celebrate the holiday exactly as if she has Hispanic heritage, but she enjoys reading stories and bringing the holiday into the classroom. Ms. Adams wants other students to recognize the holiday and realize that is it something to celebrate. She finds introducing new cultures and ideas to the classroom extremely fun and enjoyable. In her class, students played online webquests that let them read and answer questions about the holiday. They also created murals and had a party dedicated to the holiday. 

Mrs. Adams makes it a priority to teach students not only the Spanish language, but also about the culture of Spanish-speaking countries. "It is important in America because so often we are focused only on ourselves and our American culture," she explained. "I think it opens up a brand new portion w don't get to experience every day."           

Day of the Dead mural

On October 31, students celebrated Day of the Dead, which shares a connection to Halloween, or All Hallow's Eve.  On this day, people in Hispanic countries  decorate their loved one’s graves and set up altars with family photos, flowers, candles, and ceramic skulls. On these days, they eat their family member’s favorite dishes and pan de muerto, a bread recipe for the dead. Burton students in Mrs. Adams's Spanish classes celebrated the day by learning about these traditions and enjoying treats in class; they also colored a mural depicting a "sugar skull."

Although they know the Spanish language even better than she does, Mrs. Adams works with Hispanic students who are new to John I. Burton and our country by bringing English into her curriculum to help them learn their new language and how it relates to Spanish. She tries to make them comfortable by helping them realize that she understands their culture decently well. 

Alma Perez, a John I. Burton freshman, recently came to America from Mexico in order for family members to work. Alma attends regular classes although she doesn’t know English well. “It is difficult and makes me nervous,” she said about not understanding the language. In her classes, she learns through a combination of immersion in English classes and online technology. Although she prefers Mexico because her extended family is still there, she is adjusting well and especially enjoys shopping in America. 

Aaron Madrigal is another Burton student who came to America from Mexico. Unlike Perez, he has lived here most of his life. His family moved to America when he was four years old to open Mexican restaurants in the area. El Dorado, a restaurant in Wise, is one of the restaurants owned by his extended family and he has a part-time job there now.

When Aaron started school, he was held back in kindergarten because of his weakness in English, but now he considers himself fluent in both languages. A variety of teachers and tutors assisted him in learning English when he was an elementary school student to help him catch up with native English speakers.. Since Spanish is still spoken at his home, it came naturally to him and he never had to consciously learn it.

Aaron does not notice a difference between the dialect taught in Spanish class and the language spoken at his home.“There might be a difference, but I don’t notice,” he said.

Both Perez and Madrigal said that Burton students have been very welcoming and they have not encountered racial prejudice at school. However, Madrigal said he has heard a few racial slurs while working his part-time job at El Dorado overheard from customers who thought that he couldn’t speak English.

Madrigal says that the food in his family restaurants is mostly authentic, but in Mexico, there is a shorter path from farm to table. For example, he said if his family were eating beef, chances are it would have come from a "cow right outside the door."

He prefers living in America over Mexico because there are more opportunities here, although he said he would like to spend time there to learn more about his Hispanic heritage to honor his family.

Tyrell Ingram and Keaton Ingle also contributed to this article.

Cross Country Makes it to State

by Keaton Ingle, senior

Cross country is a sport that takes extreme endurance and love for running. These are the qualities that motivated John I. Burton's Cross Country team to qualify for state finals.  plus, the entire boys team qualified as a team.

Bethany Powers, individual qualifier

The boys' team got second place at regions with 49 points, making it eligible to go to state as a team. Owen Lindsey led the boys' team when he came in third place overall with the other runners not far behind; he had placed first in district.

Burton sent one individual competitor, junior Bethany Powers, from the girls' team to state. She's made it to state before when she attended a different school, but this is the first time she's made it since being at Burton. At regional, she placed twelfth.

Boys' cross country

Making it to state is a challenge and hasn't been done in years for the J.I.B. cross country team. Most of the boys team who went to state were not even on the team last year, so they achieved an impressive accomplishment. It will be exciting to see how they improve next year since most of them are underclassmen. The recruiting has been outstanding from the second-year coach, Mr. Robert Fultz.

The state meet had the best runners in Virginia and Fultz said is an honor just to go. To be a finalist in state a runner needs to place in the top 15 out of 104 runners. Owen Lindsey placed 16th while the rest of the team was 40 places behind him. Bethany Powers got 60th place out of 100 as an individualist for the girls.

"The course was a challenging course. It even had a two foot deep river you had to run through. We will have it next year, though, since we know what to expect now, " Jonah Cochrane said.

While the team was attending state, they even managed to take a day to visit some historic sites around Washington, D.C., making it a fun and educational trip.

The Origin Project Publishes Student Writing

The Origin Project student anthologies
(source The Origin Project)

by Keaton Ingle, senior

The Origin Project has made its way to John I. Burton.
Norton Elementary students have participated in this program for a few years, but this year an opportunity came to the high school. Students in the Online Communication class that writes the Burton Blog will be participating. The Origin Project makes these kids really think about what home is and makes them think about the small details in life that makes home home.The program was started by Adriana Trigiani, the author of Big Stone Gap and ten other books.

Trigiana says on her website, “I always loved when guest artists came to our school. It sparked something in the students to meet writers from other places, and I know for sure it changes the lives of the writers.”

The Origin Project gave each participant a small orange journal to put stories and notes in as they write about their home, family, and sense of place. At the end of the project, each student will submit one piece of writing to be published in an anthology of all the student writers taking part in the project. The people who participate in the project will be invited on a field trip to celebrate the publication of the anthology of student writing and hear professional authors read and talk about writing.

My own attitude about having this chance to do the Origin Project is really joyful. We have looked at some writing from Rick Bragg, an author who won the Pulitzer Prize for journalism, to get a feel of the sense of imagery we need to have in our writing to make it good.

We have also done a poem to get us started on it  modeled after one called "Where I'm From." We brainstormed a list of things we remembered about our home and childhood to give us ideas.  The poem is still in progress; however, it's showing us the importance of home.

Another student in the class, Caitlyn Collins, said, "It is a fun experience for us to see all the small details that make my home." She continued, "My favorite part so far is sharing it with my classmates."

At the end of the semester, the students who participated will choose their best, or favorite piece of writing and submit it to be published in the anthology.

Girls Basketball Gets Going

by Tyrell Ingram, junior

It is finally basketball season here at Burton! Everyone is excited that the girls and boys both have done this school and the city very proud. We have a winning tradition here at Burton. In order to win, you have to have a great philosophy and Coach Chris Smith's philosophy is “Coaching is still a work in progress as this is only my second season as the head girls basketball coach. I learned some wise words from J.I. Burton state champion coach, Dr. Mike Goforth, now our principal. Those words were Effort, Attitude, and Ability."

He explained that a great player isn’t someone who just has the ability to be a great player. "They must also have a great attitude every day, and put forth great effort every day," he said. "If a player is lacking in any of those three areas, their performance is not going to be as successful as it could be. I am going to build my coaching and teaching philosophy around those three aspects.”

In order to have a successful program coaches have to express themselves and let parents know the expectations, as well. Coach Smith says his way of communicating with parents is to "have a preseason meeting with parents and players where I discuss the team rules and expectations. I give the parents and players the opportunity to also tell me what they expect from me as a coach. If I know what they expect from me and they know what I expect from them, our season usually goes pretty smoothly.”

While all this sounds good there’s always a problem in any sports with players missing practice. ”The only time this issue really occurs is in the early season when seasons overlap," Smith said. "For example, volleyball season, band, or cross country overlapping into the first couple of weeks of basketball season. If this occurs, there is no issue. If players miss basketball for any other reason, there are consequences listed in our rules contract that are pretty straight forward.”

Coach Smith describes himself as a new coach. " I have to learn from each team that I coach and take what I can from each team and their experiences. As a coach, every year the team dynamics are probably going to change based off of individual player strengths and weaknesses, " he explained. "So, the way I coach and strategize for each season is going to be based on those strengths and weaknesses.”

Coach Smith said that it is still too early in the season to tell exactly who his starting players will be for sure. Senior Sarah Mullins and Sophomore Maggie Williams were both starters on last season's team. "They will most likely start again if they continue to improve," said Coach Smith. Senior Zoe Ellis also started some games last season and got substantial playing time from the bench. The other spots will be up for grabs between Sr. Kaitlin Lindsey, Junior Akyssa Holinger, and Freshman Kaylee Jenkins.

Coach Smith’s expectations for this year are”like any other coach's expectations for their team. I want my team to be constant. Consistency is the key to success." He expect them to consistently show up for practice, play as hard as they can play and practice hard,and be there for each other as a family. "That will lead to consistent wins," he said.

Before They Were Burton Faculty and Staff

by Hunter R., senior

When the faculty here at Burton looks back on their lives, one of the things they remember is their first jobs. Some of the first jobs worked by Burton employees back when they were high school or college are secretary, a bag boy, waitress, disc jockey, bank teller, and insurance company employee..

Being in school limits people to only part-time jobs most of the time. Like most students, most of the teachers we interviewed had part-time jobs as their first jobs. Many kids may think that jobs are forced on teenagers by their parents; however, all of these teachers chose to get a job on their own because they wanted to have their own spending money.

Mr. Robert Fultz worked as a bag boy at a grocery store as his first job. He said, "I made around $2.00 an hour." That was the minimum wage at the time, but it is way less than the minimum wage today, $7.25 per hour. This job was only part-time and he only worked there a year and half. He learned communication skills and how to work with the public from this job.

Mrs. Stephanie Adams' first job was as a secretary at the Wise County Administrator's Office, "It was very difficult managing school and work because I was married and a full-time college student, but I was able to use time management skills to allow time for studying and only working Monday through Friday days helped me out too."

 Mrs. Addison got an even earlier start in the work force while she was a high school student. She said, "I was able to use work release, so I attended a few classes and then went to work." She worked as a bank teller for a few months, mading minimum wage at that time, which was $5.15 per hour. She decided to get this job to gsave enough money to buy a car. In addition to earning money, working as a bank teller with the public also taught her communication skills.

Mrs. Marshia Hunsucker's first job was a full-time job at an insurance company. She said, "My guidance counselor recommended that I graduate, get married, and get a job, so I did just that." She ended up working at the insurance company for sixteen years before changing to her job at Burton. She also stated that the job taught her communication skills and how to work with the public.

Mrs. Roop has had some really good jobs and some not-so-good jobs, she said. Mrs. Roop's first job was working as a waitress at Bonanza. "I made around minimum wage, which at that time was about $5 per hour." She was not nervous about interviewing even though it was her first job. She felt confident about getting the job because one of her extended family members owned the restaurant.

Her favorite job was being a disc jockey for a radio station in Tenessee because she got to attend special events such as the Bristol races and meet lots of people, including some celebrities. Her lest favorite job was working at a nursing home because she didn't like teh way that some of the staff treated the patients.

We are glad that all of our faculty decided to leave those previous jobs and come here to work at Burton!  

   

Burton Students Honor Veterans at Assembly

by Mary Tootill, sophomore

The John I. Burton community held a Veterans Day assembly on November 12, 2018. The entire student body, along with the NEMS choir, and several veterans and guests from the community participated.

The assembly began with the John I. Burton band playing The National Anthem, followed by the playing of the military service songs. The Pledge of Allegiance was then led by junior Caleb Barnette.

Dasanye Smith, also a junior, read a text about the end of WWI and spoke about the celebration of the anniversary held on November 11 every year.

The NEMS and JIB choir sang several patriotic selections.  Senior Brooklin Baker performed a vocal solo of "God Bless the USA."

A slide show created by history teacher Coach Sharpe was then presented,  including a montage of photos, videos, and songs depicting the service of veterans through various wars.

A porion of the ceremony was also planned by the Korean Wars Veterans Auxiliary and led by veteran Sgt. Ray Wells, accompanied by his wife Anna Wells, Taylor Bolling, and auxiliary chaplain Brenda Bolling,

Sgt. Wells shared  his own military experience and discussed the respect that students and all Americans should have for veterans.  He suggested that even better than thanking veterans for their service is to tell them they we will "never forget" their service and sacrifice.

Wells asked all of the veterans who had been invited as guests  to stand according to what war or when they had served. He then asked students who had close family members who served to also stand, and at least a third of the students stood.

Tayler Bolling, a J.I.B. alumna, sang the National Anthem, and Anna Wells played the autoharp and sang "This Land is Your Land." Sgt. Wells and Major Rasnick then told a story about a worn flag being insulted and did a dramatic recitation of Johnny Cash's "Ragged Old Flag."

Major Joe Rasnick  presented Corporal Hayward Gilliam with a Silver Star Award proclamation honoring him for his bravery in holding off the North Koreans and Chinese during a battle until reserve forces could respond.  Gilliam's brother, who had been killed during the incident, had received the Silver Star Award posthumously.

During the veterans' presentation, J.I.B. senior Skylar Williams was presented with the Veterans Appreciation Award, which Sgt. Wells explained is given to a student, who not only demonstrates academic accomplishment, but also shows sportsmanship, leadership, and good citizenship. 


All veterans were invited to attend lunch in the John I. Burton cafeteria after the assembly, and many of  them accepted the invitation.

Paper Planes and Other Things We Lost: Book Review

(Book Review) by Mary T., sophomore

Paper Planes and Other Things We Lost is a romantic novel by Mindy Hayes and Michele G. Miller. The first book in a three-part series, it was published in June 2016, followed by Subway Shops and the Places We Meet (February 2017), and Chasing Cars and the Lessons We Learned (May 2017).

The main characters names are Ruby, Brett, and Amber. Brett and Amber are twins who live in Pennsylvania, and Ruby is an only child who lives in California.

On June 18, 1993, Brett and Amber's mother and father, and Ruby's mother were passengers on Flight 397. The flight crashed off the coast of Long Island, killing their parents.

Brett and Amber are then left to live alone, considering that they're both seniors in high school. Ruby is also a senior, and is left to live with her dad.

Ruby goes in search of a coping mechanism to help her get through the loss of her mother. Her grandmother finds out about Amber and Brett, and suggests that she write a letter to Amber since they're the same age and are going through the same situation.

Ruby then writes and sends the letter to Amber, but Amber never writes her back because she's been going downhill since the crash and doesn't care enough to respond. Her brother Brett goes into her room and finds the letter and decides to write Ruby back himself.

Ruby and Brett begin to exchange letters and help each other cope with the loss of their parents.

They slowly begin to fall for one another, but the distance between them is one of many complications they experience.

Paper Planes and Other Things We Lost is a great choice for anyone who enjoys cheesy romance novels. It's a very heartfelt and sweet story about overcoming tragedy.

Benji: Movie Review

by Riley Lawson, junior

The 2018 remake of Benji is a modern  retelling of the classic  1974 film of the same name; its main characters are Benji the dog, and Carter and Frankie, who are human siblings. It is a excellent choice for many different situations: families watching together, adults wanting to watch the retelling of a classic movie from their childhood, children, dog lovers, or nearly anyone.

The movie features two child actors as the lead characters,  14-year-old Gabriel Bateman as Carter, and 9-year-old Darby Camp. Both of these actors have past experience with Gabriel playing parts in shows, such as American Gothic, and Outcast, and Darby has played in The Leftovers, and Big Little Lies. Probably the most interesting member of the cast, however, is the dog who plays Benji, as he was once a flea-ridden stray dog.  He was found by the director and his son in a grocery store parking lot, malnourished and scruffy, as they were looking for the perfect dog for the part (New York Post).

In the movie, Benji is a stray dog who quickly befriends Carter and Frankie against the will of their mother, who doesn't want them to adopt the dog. The kids soon find themselves in a dangerous situation where Benji must come to their rescue. Of course, after he saves the kids, the mother has a change of heart.

The movie does a good job of incorporating modern  amenities such as cellphones and computers, but doesn't make them a main focus point, which should help as the the movie ages. The only downside to this movie, which can probably be said about most movies intended for younger audiences is that the story is pretty predictable and can get boring at certain points.  Overall, Benji is a very good movie that I would recommend. 

Sources:https://nypost.com/2018/03/15/benji-star-was-once-a-flea-ridden-stray/

Fall Fashion Review

By Hannah S., junior

Mary T.. in a mustard-yellow sweater

This fall has brought us many new additions to our modern fashion -- everything from scarves and other accessories to jeans! Everyone knows that the fall is when we like to start wearing boots with boot socks, cozy sweaters, scarves and fun hats. 

The best part about a new type of wardrobe for fall is the colors. Fall colors usually include dark purple, yellow, red, orange and brown. These fun colors just help the fallen leaves stand out.

My favorite look of fall fashion is yellow sweaters and plaid scarves. To me, these can be paired with anything from stripes to solids. I personally think that yellow and orange shouldn't be paired together but look great with a multi-colored scarf. If pairing a scarf with stripes, most people like for it to be a solid colored scarf.

Kinley L. in a denim look

Another thing that seems to be coming back into style more than ever is denim. Denim is being paired with colorful leggings, boots, and a scarf. I wouldn't pair it with jeans, because it would just be too much of the same color, but that's just me. Nor would I wear pants and a shirt that are the same color. Fall is about being colorful with warm colors and warm clothing.

Marley S.in a skirt and burgundy tights

Trinity S. in a cozy fleece pullover

 My idea of "fall" is a warm dress, a scarf, boot socks, and boots.  I love seeing the different things that people come up with during the fall. Here are some fall looks being modeled by Burton students.

Cassie I. in  skinny jeans

Grace O. in  fleece-lined boots

Eragon: Book Review

by Caitlin Collins, sophomore

Eragon, by Christopher Paolini, is the first novel in the book series called the Inheritance Cycle. The book is about dragons, intense adventures, and includes hints of romance as well. It is written in third-person point of view, but focuses on Eragon's encounters.

The novel begins with Eragon, a poor farm boy in Carvahall entering the deadly forest named the Spine. While in the Spine, he finds a mysterious, sapphire-colored stone, which turns out to be an egg. At first, he tries to sell the egg to Sloan, but the butcher refuses the offer. Eragon keeps the egg and soon realizes it is a dragon egg once it hatches. He hides the dragon from his family, but eventually King Galbatorix, an immoral, controlling king of the empire, finds the location of the egg. The king sends the Ra'Zac, soldiers who aren't human, to retrieve the dragon and Eragon.

Brom, an old storyteller, leads Eragon and his dragon Saphira out of Carvahall to escape the king's forces and travel towards the Varden, an alliance fighting the king's strict rules. While they are running to the Varden, they meet many new faces, from Arya the elf, Orik the dwarf, and Murtagh, son of the forsworn.

Eragon is a fantastic book filled with epic adventures, dragons, elves, and other mythical creatures. It is a very detailed, interesting novel, and it became my favorite book by far. I highly recommend this novel, and series, to anyone who enjoys fantasy, books similar to medieval times, and legendary beasts.

Silent Reading Party Hosted by the Book Club

by Mary T., sophomore

John I. Burton Book Club, sponsored by Mrs. Bias, will  host a Silent Reading Party on November 16, 2018 in the library during fourth block! 

Students who wish to attend need to go to Mrs. Bias and sign up, as there are limited spots. There is a three dollar fee to attend, and food and drinks provided by the Book Club are one dollar each. 

Students who attend will silently sit and read any choice of book; the book can be read through an electronic device, also.  

Mrs. Bias and the Book Club are holding this event to raise money for their upcoming field trip to Knoxville to visit book stores and eat at a restaurant.

Come and support the Book Club!

The Bone Witch: Book Review

(Book Review) by Mary T., sophomore

The Bone Witch, is a science and fantasy fiction book by Rin Chupeco. It was published in March of 2017 and is the first of a three book series, followed by The Heart Forger (March 2018), and The Shadowglass (expected in February 2019).

The main characters name is Tea, a 12-year-old girl. Her family lives in a small town in a time when people each have their own specific magical powers.

 Each person is given a necklace called a "heartsglass" at birth. The necklace stays empty until their thirteenth birthday, when they partake in a ceremony that shows them what their magical power is, and depending on the power they have, their heartsglass will turn a certain color.

Tea's brother was sent to fight in a war, and was killed by a creature called a Daeva. His body is sent back home, where Tea and her family gather together for his burial. During the ceremony, Tea's emotions overwhelm her, and she feels as if her brother is speaking to her from underground, begging her to save him. She runs to his grave, and while she's digging up the earth surrounding the grave, her brothers hand comes up through the dirt. Soon after, she faints.

Tea's powers that were supposed to come during the ceremony on her thirteenth birthday came an entire year early, meaning that her powers were powerful enough to come before the ceremony.

After Tea raised her brother from the dead, she wakes up at home in her bed next to a strange woman. The woman is known as a Bone witch, or a Dark Asha. There are many different types of ashas throughout the book, but dark ashas deal with raising the dead and are very looked down upon by society for their dark powers. The woman tells Tea that she is now a Bone Witch, and explains to her the powers she possesses.

The Bone Witch and Tea leave together to take her to asha training, so she can learn to control her powers and make the right decisions.

Tea faces many challenges throughout her training with other jealous ashas, classes, and even having a crush on a famous prince.

The Bone Witch is an amazing book choice for someone who enjoys science and fantasy fiction. The book is well written and interesting: it's hard to put down!

Homecoming the Raider Way

Football riding through town 

by Tyrell Ingram, junior

Homecoming at Burton was extremely fun this year! The theme of this year's homecoming was "The Raider way. Here to stay" to emphasize the 65 years of tradition that Burton has.

Everyone  anxiously awaited the week so they could dress crazy and show off our school spirit.We had a lot of themes and amazing activities this week:

• Monday-America Day(Wear red, white, and blue)
• Tuesday-Tie dye vs Camo( Wear either tie dye or camo)
• Wednesday-Holiday Day(Wear your favorite holiday)
• Thursday-Decade Day (Wear clothing from your favorite decade)
• Friday-Spirit Day (Wear your orange and Black)                         

Norton Elementary School Cheerleaders

Another exciting part of  homecoming was the chance to crown a queen and king again.Sarah Mullins and Derrick Allen were chosen as this year's queen and king. The members of their homecoming court were:

•  8th grade- Carter Addison and Olivia Webb
•  9th grade-Xadrian Tayborn and Sareena Sergant
• 10th grade- Landon Bolling and Maggie Stinnett
•  11th grade- Najee Steele and Naomi Torres
•  12 grade- Malachi Kyle and Haley Mullins Derrick Allen and Sarah Mullins Houston Thacker and Raeana Smith

Sr rep Malachi Kyle and Haley Mullins 

There was a parade Thursday and all the representatives from each class rode through the parade, and each class had a float to represent the theme. The 8th grade won the float contest, and the sophomores came in second. . The band also marched and played, and the football team, the cross country team, and the cheerleaders also participated.

We also had a door decorating contest, and almost every teacher decorated their door and competed for a class pizza party. The winners were 1st-Mrs Godsey; 2nd --Ms Kinserl; and 3rd -- tie between Ms. Compton and Mrs Potter.

Sophmore Reps Maggie Stinnett and Landon Bolling

Sr rep Houston Thacker and Raeana Smith

Freshman Reps Xadrian Tayborn and Sareena Sergeant 

Eighth Grade Reps Olivia Webb and Carter Addison 

Photo cred:Cindy Combs Stidham

Schools Jump Rank in SOL Results

by Caitlin Collins, sophomore

Norton City School's superintendent, Mrs. Gina Wohlford, reported the student's pass rates. These pass rates were on 2017-2018 SOLs statewide.

As a school division, our school's rank went from 49th place in 2016-2017 to 30th in 2017-2018. It was the third highest rank gain with the lowest per-pupil budget in the state. Our schools continue to improve in the areas and grow, in spite of our funding.

The percentages on individual subject tests changed slightly since the previous year.

On the reading SOL tests, 79 percent of the students passed. During 2016-2017, though, 80 percent of them were successful.

In writing, 78 percent passed, compared to 79 percent the school year before. 77 percent passed the mathematics test, with 79 percent in 2016-17.

81 percent passed the SOL tests in science and 82 percent previously. Last, in history and social studies, 84 percent had passed in 2017-2018 and 86 percent before.

Compared to the state average, our schools scored 79 percent in reading, 82 percent in mathematics and science, and our highest was in history with an 89 percent. That means our schools scored at or above the state's averages in these subjects.

"Dedication and work ethic continue to be strong points for us within the faculty and staff of our schools," Mrs. Gina Wohlford says, "We are fully accredited by the state for 2018-2019!"

Taking the Classroom Outdoors

by Hunter Rose, senior

Mr. Sharpe's Appalachian Studies class and Ms. Kinser's Ecology class went on a field trip to Bullitt Park in Big Stone Gap on Friday, October 12. Although both classes traveled together they each had different reasons to go on this trip.

The Appalachian Studies class went on this trip to learn about the native trees in this area and what the pioneers used those trees for. The Ecology class took part in this class so they can use it as learning material for learning binomial nomenclature.

Both classes are going to  preserve the leaves and then place them throughout the school. The classes also had to research about the trees and find out things like the height, diameter, descriptions, and the scientific name. This field trip was useful to students because not only did they get out of class, but they also learn about the native trees in this area.

Keaton Ingle said, "I learned how to identify the trees based on their leaves." He also stated that he had an amazing time during the field trip. He has been on this same field trip twice, once when he was in Appalachian Studies and again this time in the Ecology class. Keaton also stated, "I had a better experience the second time on the field trip, and I learned more."

Tylan Jackson, a senior in the Appalachian Studies class, said, "I had an amazing time on this field trip." This is Tylan's first time going on this field trip and he said he wished the field trip could have lasted longer. Tylan also stated that he learned a lot about the native trees in this area and it was an fun to get out of the classroom and still be learning.

Both classes are currently pressing the leaves between wax paper along with a note card, labeling the scientific name, common name, height, diameter, bark, and three descriptions of the tree. We collected leaves from 13 different trees: Coniferous Cedar, Black Oak, Sugar Maple, Holly, Buckeye, White Oak, White Pine, Eastern Hemlock, Poplar, Sycamore, Sassafras, Beech, and Flowering Dogwood.


*Co-written by Keaton Ingle, senior.

One Act Going to Super-Region

Second place in district!

by Keaton Ingle, senior

The Burton High School one-act team is moving on after winning second place in conference at Coeburn Middle School. Eastside High School, the previous state champion, got first place.

Outstanding Actor Award and Honorable Mentions

These kids have worked hard for weeks and deserve to go to super region. One kid in particular, Carter Addison, won an Outstanding Actor Award at the competition. He is a determined eighth-grader that does many school functions like tennis, cross country, and president for the eight grade class. Also, Shamiyen Noel, Shakira Cooney, Dasanye Smith, Noah Elkins, and Justin Sexton won Honorable Mention Outstanding Actor awards.

The one-act team is working harder than ever with practice everyday after school making sure their performance of Charlie Foster is perfect for super regions on November 10.  They'll also be doing a school performance on Nov. 5 at 1:00 p.m.

Alex Carroll had nothing but excitement and joy for this years performance saying, "Im glad we did this play this year. As a senior, I want to go as far as possible and keep the adventure going, not wanting it to end."

Mrs. Cassell said, "I am incredibly proud of how hard these students have worked to bring this story to life."

Everyone here at the blog wishes them the best in super-regions and hopes they get to state.

Mr. Walker Turns Recreation into Business

Stone Mountain Adventures

by Riley Lawson, junior

Started in April 2018 by Burton art teacher Neil Walker and his wife Beth, Stone Mountain Adventures is a new business in our area

Stone Mountain Adventures was mainly started due to the poor economy in our area, said Mr. Walker, whose wife runs a farm store while he teaches at the high school. "The  economy around here was slowing down badly, the sales for our other store had slowed down, and we needed to do something to increase sales."

The grant 

Stone Mountain Adventures was started when the city offered a $15,000 grant to start a tourism business in our local area, after the original idea for a mobile zip-line company fell through.  The idea was changed when they were quoted at $12,000/ per year for insurance alone. The city had suggested a van transportation/shuttle service, and that is how the Walkers' company became what it is today.

Activities

Stone Mountain Adventures offers a variety of activities such as renting kayaks, mountain bikes, and inter-tubes.  They also do tours and ghost tours, as well as offer a shuttle service and various other activities. Of the offered activities, kayaking is the most popular. Customers can choose amonf several area lakes and rivers, including Pound lake and the Norton Reservoir.  Some of the kayaking outings were recently marketed to view the fall colors.

Mr. Walker and his wife have also marketed educational hikes to Devil's Bathtub with a guide who can tell hikers about the wildlife, plants, and rock formations.

During the month of October, they offered ghost tours of Wise County taking the van to about seven different places that have ghost stories related to them.  It is more of a storytelling tour than a search for actual paranormal activity. To design the tour, Mr. Walker researched the sites through interviews with locals or looking online.

Other info

According to Mr. Walker, business has been "fair" but not always consistent. Some events and days are very busy, but other times have been slow.  One big challenge has been with "no shows" and last-minute cancellations.


Stone Mountain Adventures has a  website available www.stonemountainadventures.com where you can read more  about them, their various activities, their staff members,  and other helpful information. You can also make reservations for activities as well as pay for them.                                                                                                                                                                            

                                                   

Student Reps Provide Voice on School Board

Madison Bonhert and Derrick Allen

by Mary Tootill, sophomore

Most students do not put much thought into the difficulties of the operation of a school, considering that this task is primarily left up to elected school board members who make important policy decisions for our school community. Among the members of the school board this year, however, are John I. Burton High School's own Derrick Allen, (senior) and Madison Bonhert, (junior) as student representatives on the school board.

The two attend the school board meetings and assist in making decisions for Norton City Schools. Although they are not permitted to vote as representatives, they are allowed to express their perspective on issues. "Our board has been very supportive of the representatives and have welcomed their input on policy, school morale, and suggestions for improvements within the schools," said Norton City Schools Superintendent, Dr. Gina Wohlford.

The student representative position is fairly new to the Norton City School Board. "We initiated the representatives in January of last year," said Dr. Gina Wohlford, school superintendent.  "I wanted representatives to have a voice for our students and a perspective from their viewpoint. It is important to value their thoughts and input. Their insight comes from within the school walls and they are living the decisions made in many cases."

One junior and one senior from John I. Burton are chosen by the school administration based on their academic success and responsibility. The students who are chosen as a junior can hold this position through their senior year if they wish. Allen is now in his second year as a school representative, and Bonhert, who was newly elected this year, plans to continue through her senior year.

They do not receive pay for holding this position, but they do have an opportunity to apply for a scholarship offered by the Virginia School Board Association. "The scholarship is the best part," said Bonhert.

Student representatives have an important role at school board meetings. They provide the school board members a student perspective on the issues being discussed, "I'm always on duty receiving information and opinions from students," said Allen.

Board meetings are held once a month on Monday evenings, and normally last three hours, "The meetings are very time-consuming," said Allen. Allen and Bonhert alternate who attends the meetings; If both of the representatives have school activities and are unable to come, they must decide which one will have to sacrifice an activity in order to attend.

Both representatives have already had involvement in making important school policy decisions. Bonhert recently helped the school board come to a decision on how suspension affects student grades. The school board originally planned to give suspended students zeroes, but Bonhert gave them her standpoint as a student. She pointed out to them that sometimes even very good students may get caught up in a situation, even if they did not start the problem that caused the suspension.
Ultimately, the board decided that students will have a chance to earn a fifty as a grade for assignments missed while they are suspended.

In another situation, Allen assisted in making a decision about make-up work concerning how many days a student is given to complete missed work and how many points can be taken off. "They were seeing it from an adult standpoint - the point of view of what they would want to do with their kids - but I was able to think about what I would want as a student."

Along with contributing to decision making, Allen and Bonhert have acquired new knowledge about the school system from attending the meetings. "I've learned that there is a lot more to running a school than what a typical student would think," Allen said.

"I found out that Norton City Schools has around eight hundred students, and has been continuing to go up in the past few years. I believe this is amazing, since this helps with our income," added Bonhert.

Neither of the student representatives plan on having a future in local government, but both agree that being a student representative has been a great experience for them. "I plan on going into the medical field, but I think it's a good experience to have," stated Bonhert.

"I'll at least know I have the background. This community is really good to work with," said Allen.

Both representatives value their opportunity to influence the school board and the decisions made for Norton City Schools. "I just want to improve the school and everybody's well-being here and help advocate for students," Allen said.

New Raider Gear Online Store!

We now have an online store to purchase John I. Burton Raider merchandise! Merchandise is for students, staff, fans, parents, and alumni. Orders can be customized and are shipped directly to the customer. A percentage of the profit earned goes to J.I.B.

Online store:
https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/virginia/norton/j-i-burton-high-school

Officer Church Protects and Serves as S.R.O.

By Hannah S., junior, and Hunter C., sophomore
 

Students may have noticed that J.I. Burton has a new school resource officer this year. Zack Church, a hard working police officer, has been on the police force for about three years but was just recently appointed as an S.R.O.

Officer Church wakes up every day at  7 a.m. to be at the school by 8 a.m.. He works long hours and although his job may not look hard sometimes, he never knows when he might have to deal with a very difficult situation.

Although the job can be difficult, he says it is worth the sacrifices that officers have to make for others. Certain situations can be difficult to handle,but they make him a better officer at the end of the day. An officer may handle many different situations in a single day. Some are more difficult than others, but almost none are easy.

At our school, he tries his best to make a connection with the students. He believes that he is not just here as a police officer; he is here to get to know all of us. He talks to students as much as he can to get to know them personally. He isn't only our resource officer here at the school; he is a friend to anyone that may need one. In this way, his presence at our school could even prevent situations from escalating into violence.

Some examples of how he is trying to get to know students are talking to students in the hallways, playing games in the gym with students, and participating in classroom activities. He likes to be  involved in school as much as he can.

When students in an English 11 class were writing argumentative essays about the issue of police brutality that has been in the national media, he visited class as a guest speaker to provide a law enforcement perspective on the issue.

Officer Church says that "one of the biggest challenges is dealing with tragedies and trauma." One such example is a stabbing that just recently happened in Norton when he was called from the school to respond.

He said the craziest thing that he has gone through as an officer, which happened before he became an S.R.O.,  is getting shot at. He couldn't tell the details of what exactly happened, but he claims that it was "very scary".

As far as his life outside of work, Officer Church's hobbies include "anything outdoors". He loves and owns a Jeep, loves classic cars, and also likes to go off-roading with his kids. He has two boys, a five-year-old and a two-year-old, and a girlfriend whom he loves very much.



                                               

Photo Gallery: Homecoming Door Decorating

Mrs. Godsey's class; 1st place

To celebrate homecoming, classes participated in a door decorating competition. Classes were challenged to interpret the homecoming theme: "The Raider Way. Here to Stay," which focuses on the 65 years of school tradition. 

Ms. Kinser's class, 2nd place

Norton City Schools superintendent Dr. Gina Wohlford and central office staff judged the competition.  The winners were Mrs. Godsey's class, 1st place; Ms. Kinser's class, 2nd place; and Ms. Compton's and Mrs. Potter's classes, tied for 3rd place.  Almost all classes participated in the competition, which created a festive hallway and lots of school spirit.

Ms. Potter's class, 3rd (tie)

Ms. Compton, 3rd (tie)

Ms. Compton, 3rd (tie)

Linger: Book Review

by Caitlyn Collins, sophomore

Linger, by Maggie Stiefvater, is the second book to The Wolves of Mercy Falls series. So far, I have read only the first two books, but this series is very interesting. However, there were some characteristics I did not favor.

The story begins with Sam and Grace, the main characters in Shiver (the first book), reuniting after months of being away from one another. They feel like everything will be perfect since they have each other until Sam meets the new wolves.

Beck, Sam's father-figure, chose to turn Cole, a singer, into a werewolf, which results in many new problems. While Cole is causing trouble, he becomes close to Isabel, one of Grace's best friends, and she attempts to take care of him. Sam and Cole have a strong hatred for each other, but when Grace starts to get ill, they are forced to work together. Grace's parents don't approve of Sam, so Cole is the only one who can turn her into a werewolf for her survival. This helps relieve the tension between the two boys. Cole takes Grace away from the hospital and Sam doesn't follow him, hoping for the best.

I am really enjoying the series so far, but I favored the first book over the second one. I thought this book was a lot slower than the first one, although I still found it to be outstanding. Linger was touching, adventurous, and saddening all in one. I would recommend the book to anyone who loves fantasy, romance, and werewolves.

Park is a Place to Come Together

by Keaton I., senior

The best place in Norton to hang out at or meet new people is at the city park, located less than a half mile from the high school a block off  Virginia Avenue.

I have tennis practice after school and I've meet many new people of all ages with similar interests. The park is in the center of the city, making it easily accessible.

Yesterday I was at tennis practice and a guy and a girl came and played on the court next to us. I talked to them a bit and asked how long they have been playing tennis, and they responded, "A couple months." Our conversation made me think about how many people they have met. Personally, I've met many people playing tennis for the two years I've played, and I have met even more people playing basketball and football at the park.

It's not only kids who live in Norton that you'll meet at the park, either. Many people from Wise come to our park because they have friends in Norton. It sometime is for after-school activities, also, as other cross country sports teams like to practice by running the streets of Norton.

You'll always find people at the park no matter what time of year. People love seeing High Knob from it and looking at the mountains to see the trees in fall and winter, making it a great place to have a picnic with a loved one or a boyfriend or girlfriend. People love the park during winter to sled with family or play in the snow. The summertime is when most people are at the park and it's a great environment for families.

Norton City Park is a great park for many ages to interact with each other. It's a safe and beautiful place to have fun with friends or family.

Students and Parents Challenged to Avoid "Chronic Absenteeism"

by Mary T., sophomore

A letter to parents sent out by our principal, Dr. Goforth, discusses "chronic absenteeism" and the importance of attending school.

To be considered "chronically absent," a student would have to miss 10 percent of any point of the school year. In other words, if a student misses nine or more days in a ninety day period, they will be considered "chronically absent."

The Virginia Department of Education has now began asking school districts to track students who are considered to be "chronically absent." This issue has recently became very important, considering that schools that do not maintain a low rate of "chronically absent" students will lose their fully accredited status.

For this new requirement, excused and unexcused absences both count towards a student being "chronically absent." However, "chronic absenteeism" is not based off of tardies and check-outs.

Therefore, students are highly encouraged to attend school for the time they can even if they have to be tardy or check-out. Despite tardies and check-outs not being a factor in a "chronically absent" student, they do still count towards the state attendance laws.

In addition to affecting school accreditation, chronic absenteeism puts individual students at a high risk of failure since they lose time that should be spent learning, and many students fail to make up missed work.

Mrs. Justice Joins Science Department

Brandi Justice

by Mary Tootill, sophomore

Mrs. Brandi Justice is a new face at John I. Burton High School! She teaches chemistry and physical science. Justice attended college at UVA-Wise and graduated with a chemistry degree. This is her first year being a teacher, but she was previously a freshman mentor at UVA-Wise, along with being a teacher assistant.

"The adjustment has been going smooth so far. Just taking everything day by day with God's good grace," Justice said.

One of the biggest challenges so far has been trying to adapt to the pace of teaching, along with learning people's names, "The hardest thing for me is learning everyone's names! I am awful at names," she said.

Despite the few challenges Justice has faced, she has enjoyed her time at John I. Burton so far, "The experience has been amazing, I couldn't ask for a better working staff as a first year teacher."

Mrs. Justice has a husband, a 3-year-old daughter, and a baby on the way! "After receiving my job at Burton, I found out that we are expecting baby number two; we are very excited," she said. Justice's husband is currently attending Southwest Community College to obtain his nursing degree.

Outside of school, Mrs. Justice spends her time working outside, playing tennis, camping, attending church, and playing with her daughter, "We color a lot," she said.