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.

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!  

   

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.

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.

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)

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.

Four-legged Visitor Comes to Class

by Hannah Sergent, junior, and Tyrell Ingram, junior

4-legged visitor from PAWS

On Friday, Sept. 15, Annie Sutherland, the spay/neuter coordinator from P.A.W.S. of Southwest Virginia, Inc., was a guest speaker for Mrs. Godsey's Resource Management class. She briefly explained exactly what happens when somebody adopts an animal through P.A.W.S, an organization that works with local animal shelters.

The kids in the class were so interested in the dog she brought with her.  There were so many pictures taken with the dog, it was insane! Mrs Annie wanted everyone in the class to know that  PAWS is a "tax-exempt entity dedicated to to a neuter and spray program that reduces the number of healthy animals that are euthanized by local shelters and  reduces pet overpopulation."

She shared with students that here are many different ways for students to volunteer for PAWS such a taking care of cats at Petsense, participating in fundraisers, promoting spaying/neutering in the community, sharing adoptable animals via Facebook or email, helping with spay/neuter van, or transporting animals to vet appointments or new homes.

PAWS funds go straight to the low-cost neuter and spray for adopted animals and toward the care of all the animals awaiting to be adopted or have been adopted. 

        

 

Coach Caudill Returns to his Alma Mater

by Mary Tootill, sophomore

Jacob Caudill is a new face at John I. Burton High School. He teaches eighth, ninth, and tenth grade Physical Education, along with Driver's Education. "I didn't expect to get the job, but I really wanted it. Everything worked out really great," he said.

Many students at JIB already know Coach Caudill because he has been coaching sports here for several years. This year, he is helping with football and basketball, and he will be the new varsity head baseball coach in the spring.

Caudill previously worked at L.F. Addington Middle School in Wise as a Physical Education teacher but has never held a position as a high school teacher. Before holding any teaching jobs, Caudill worked at Lowe's and with his dad's company working on telephone poles.

Caudill is an alumnus of John I. Burton, graduating in 2008. He attended college at Mountain Empire Community College for one year and continued to UVA Wise and graduated from there. He received his bachelor's degree with a major in Health and Physical Fitness and a minor in Education.

"The adjustment to the school was pretty easy, thanks to Dr. Goforth and Mr. Helton," Caudill said. The biggest challenge for Coach Caudill so far has been the difference between how his students act depending on if they're in the Gym or the Health room, "They like to talk more in the Health room," he says. "The experience has been great, I feel back at home in Burton," Caudill said.

Outside of school, Coach Caudill and his wife, who will soon have two children, love to do outdoor activities. Some of their favorite activities are camping, deer and turkey hunting, fishing, and hiking. "We don't use the TV or play video games a lot; we love the outdoors," he says.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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