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“The biggest thing I like about my job is being here to help students and make sure sure that as community that we can help provide nursing services to all the students and staff.”
Supporting stars By Millenia Simmons
Staff reporter They are the people working behind the scenes. These friendly faces keep the school running while students listen to teachers and principals sit in meetings. Whether one is sick, hungry, happy or hopeless, teen or adult, they are here to help. They are the support staff and it’s time they are recognized. This dream team is dedicated Keri Prest, nurse to helping the halls while we Keri Prest has been working work towards our future. Each job alongside Christy Gerling in the nurse’s office for almost two years. is different but everyone works together one with one common Their jobs include filing health goal, to keep us safe, and to get records and immunizations, treating both students and faculty paid, but mainly keep us safe. SRO officer Terrance Thompson with illness and supplying everyday dedicates his days at FHC medication and the occasional protecting us and making sure cough drops and ice packs. When everything runs smoothly, along she’s not at work, Prest enjoys spending time and break dancing with other officers like Troy Inserra and Lakiesha DeSha. with her kids. “My job here [as] head of security is to maintain control throughout the school to make sure you young
people are safe at all times,” Officer Thompson said. School nurse Keri Prest comes to work everyday excited and ready to improve the wellbeing of all staff and students. “Me and the other nurse here are here to make sure all students and staff are safe, we organize all the health care plans and provide daily medication and procedures, things for kiddos if they’re not feeling well,” Mrs. Prest said. Everyday they work to make our school a better place whether that task is as small as giving out cough drops or as large as stopping an intruder. Either way, each worker has a passion for their job that is beyond what we see. “Salsa gal” Leanne Lowell shows her passion for food by trying to be an encouragement to students each day to try new things while serving. “I’d like to see the kids eat more of a variety of food. I think they’re pretty standard in their taste and
food is so much more … Life is too short not to eat fun food,” Ms. Lowell said. Jobs belonging to the janitorial staff may seem like they only consist of cleaning up after us, but according to head custodian Debbie Mitchell, there is excitement that comes with her job each day. “It’s always exciting, there’s always something that comes up, it’s never a dull moment … every day there’s no certain routine,” Mrs. Mitchell said. Aside from keeping the halls safe another highlight of these workers’ jobs are the students. When asked about her favorite part of her job, the students were the first thing that popped into secretary Mary Duncan’s head. “We get to meet a lot of different students and we have a lot of interaction in the office it’s a busy place and Spartan spirit here is pretty high ... Everybody is very happy and upbeat,” Mrs. Duncan said.
“I like the fact that I get evenings and weekends off.”
Leanne Lowell, salsa server (lunch lady) Leanne Lowell has been working at the “School’s Taco Bell’ for a year now. She prepares foods for the taco and salad bars and serves students during lunchtime. Her interest in food is present outside her job as she hosts food parties, travels, and gardens.
“I look forward to coming to work because I know I’m going to have fun and you all are gonna have fun and I do the best I can to try to make your day.”
Terrance Thompson, head of security Thompson has been the head of security AT FHC for three years. Each day he makes his rounds, making sure all students are safe and following the school rules, and securing entrances throughout the building and ticket patrol. On his off days, Thompson enjoying hiking and fishing.
“We get to meet a lot of different students and we have a lot of interaction in the office it’s a busy place and Spartan spirit here is pretty high.”
Mary Duncan, administrative assistant Duncan has been a secretary for assistant principals David Stofer and Marletha Davis for 2 years. She is in charge of issuing discipline reports, helping with administrative work, and setting up meetings.
“Most of the kids help pick up stuff after themselves I haven’t found a bad kid yet ... I guess I’m pretty lucky.” Debbie Mitchell, head custodian Mitchell has been working as head custodian for about 4 years. She starts her day with a meeting with the other custodians including Mike Peters and Dave Kemma to go over cleaning duties for that day, each having a different sector of the building to maintain. They are also keep the school in shape after hours and during school events. After work, Mitchell spends time with her grandson; going to soccer games, swimming and to the park.
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Financing college Three scholarship recipients discuss how to pay for college By Hailey Stewart
Staff reporter Financing college is a different kind of experience for everyone. Whether it’s signing up for the A+ program like Paige Pendleton, or receiving merit based scholarships like Lauren Coleman and Emma Hoffmann, paying for college without drowning in student loans is a challenge every college bound student faces. The average college tuition for a university in Missouri is $14,448 a year, not including room and board. Whether qualifying for financial aid from FAFSA or earning a merit based scholarship, financing college is just as important as getting accepted into college Since Freshman year of high school, students have been informed about a program called the A+ program. This program provides scholarship funds to students who are eligible and will be continuing their education at a public community college. If the criteria is met in the four years of high school, students will be provided with two full years of free college tuition at any Missouri community college. Pendleton describes the process as a great opportunity to get started on her future. “Whenever I was a freshman, my mom
“A+ is basically where you do tutoring hours, there are certain ones you do. There’s ones for mentoring which I’m in now. There’s also ones where you go to schools during spring break or after school tutoring.” - Paige Pendleton
heard about it from her friends and they all said good things about it, like a lot of people have done it in the past and now people are taking more exception into the A+ program,” said Pendleton. Although there are multiple steps in the process of being eligible, having the opportunity of only paying for half of her four year degree is what drew Pendleton to this program. “I feel good about doing this program because having those two free years, that’s a huge stress reliever on money,” said Pendleton. The thought of college can be exciting, especially when receiving a $12,000 scholarship to the school of one’s dreams. For Hoffman, her four years of working hard on every assignment and studying for every test finally paid off. Emma received a $12,000 scholarship from Maryville University for getting a GPA of 3.8 and a 26 on the ACT. When asked what the process was like, she explained it as hectic. “I didn’t realize how much work it would take to chose the right school,” says Hoffman. “However, after the process is finished and you find the perfect school for yourself, it’s all worth it.”
“Without this scholarship, I would have no chance of attending Maryville. It makes the last 4 years of high school worth it, and makes me even more excited for what’s ahead in my future.” - Emma Hoffman
Getting a scholarship for one’s athletics endeavors can be one of the most complimentary things. For Coleman, a four-year varsity cross country runner, has peaked the interests of three universities. As a recipient of the All-Conference Academic Award all four years of high school, Coleman was offered a $14,000 scholarship from Webster University, as well as a position on the cross country team. “Earning that scholarship, I felt good. All the hard work and effort I put into my academics and into my running finally paid off, and I feel really good about it,” said Coleman. With so many college cross country coaches vying for her, Coleman has many options to choose from. “I’m not really sure what college I’m wanting to attend yet, I’m considering a few like Webster, Lindenwood, North Park University which is in Chicago which I think would be pretty cool,” said Coleman. Finding the right college is a big decision to make. It’s the foundation on which a person’s life is built upon. Finding a way to pay for college can be draining, but working hard in order to earn scholarships will pay off in the long run.
“Webster, gave me $14,000, but it’s more of an academic scholarship. They wanted me more for my running, but because they are Division III, they can’t offer one for athletics.” - Lauren Coleman
Farewell, President Obama A look back on Barack Obama’s eight years in the Oval Office
By Jessica Fults and Elaine Mallon sStaff Reporter and Discover Editor
Eight years ago, a freshman senator from Illinois charmed the majority of American citizens with his vision of change. Now, with only 72 days until the Presidential inauguration, President Barack Obama’s time in the White House is quickly coming to an end. From instating theAffordable Care Act, to appointing two Supreme Court justices, love him or hate him, there’s no denying the fact that President Obama spent his time in office doing more than playing golf. For the students of Francis Howell Central, President Barack Obama’s exit from the oval offices marks an end of an era, an end of childhood. Other than being the first black president, how else will Barack Obama be remembered in history? What will his legacy be? While it is impossible to tell what exactly from his presidency will be engraved in the history textbooks, we, the Discover staff, have devised our own list of the top five definable moments of the Obama administration. 1. Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan were nominated and confirmed by President Obama. On June 26 2015, both justices voted in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage in all 50 states in the historic 5-4 Supreme Court decision of Obergefell v. Hodges. President Obama’s appointments of ideologically liberal leaning judges replaced two conservative judges. Due to President Obama’s nominations, the Supreme Court has shifted in a liberal direction, and since Supreme Court justices serve on the bench for life, their impact on the American legal system will last long after Obama’s end of term. 2. On May 1, 2011 the Navy Seals killed Bin Laden, President Obama called it in the next day and made sure to let people know that this was not an attack against Islam, but an attempt to fight back at Al Qaeda forces and liberate not only Americans, but everyone who was affected by this terrorist group. Many Americans were finally able to reach some closure after the attacks of 9/11. 3. On Dec. 18, 2011, Barack Obama declared the end of the United States involvement in the Iraq war, a nine year war that resulted in the deaths of over 4,500 U.S. troops. President Obama announced the Iraq war as a success, however, removing the US troops left the Middle East in shambles, allowing for terrorists organizations to consolidate power.
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4. President Obama passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009, or the stimulus bill, to bring America out of the biggest recession since the Great Depression. It was created to induce economic growth, and 23 months later, 3.7 million more jobs were created in the private sector. Simply put, more people would have been unemployed if it wasn’t for the passage of the stimulus bill. 5. The Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, denied insurance companies the ability to refuse coverage for a person based upon their pre-existing medical conditions, gender or race and ethnicity. The Affordable Care was signed into law on March 23 2010. According to a 2015 study conducted by the CDC, the implementation of Obama Care decreased the percentage of uninsured Americans from 15.7 percent to 9.2 percent.
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2016-17 YEARBOOK ORDER FORM
BUY IT! The 2016-17 yearbook will be FHC’s 20th. Celebrate our school’s 20th anniversary by giving us some information and $50 and you’ll have your name put down for one copy of FHC’s award-winning yearbook, the Odyssey. What we need from you (please write clearly): Your name:____________________________ Year in school:_________________________ Cash or check:_________________________ Date:______________ (ALL CHECKS MUST BE MADE OUT TO FHC PUBLICATIONS)
If you prefer to use a credit card, you can do so at this registration or at this address: www.jostensyearbook.com Once you are there, type in Francis Howell Central and follow the directions IMPORTANT DEADLINES: $50 price: from the start of school until Dec. 25, 2016 $65 price: from Jan. 1 until end of school year $75 price: at pick-up, no extra copies guaranteed
RECEIPT
Thanks for ordering your copy of the 2016-17 Odyssey. Books will be available at registration in the summer of 2017 (typically, late July). If you have questions, please contact Matthew Schott at matthew.schott@fhsdschools.org Order date:_______________
Staff signature
Amount paid:_____________
__________________
Dates to know FHC Publications has partnered with Club’s Choice to give students a chance to earn a free yearbook. Sell 15 tubs of cookie dough and you’ll earn a copy of the 2016-17 Odyssey for free! Get order forms at schedule pickup Collect all money and checks (made out to FHC Publications) at the time of order. Money is due when you submit order forms. IMPORTANT DATES:
Order forms submitted to Rm. 139 by: Monday, Aug. 22 Cookie pick-up: Tuesday, Sept. 20 in school cafeteria (2:30-5p) All orders MUST be picked up, as FHC Publications has no way to store your cookie dough if it is not picked up Questions? Ask Mr. Schott at matthew.schott@ fhsdschools.org
Show us your skills! ReplayIt is an app from our yearbook publisher, Jostens, which allows amazing student photographers like you the chance to share photos you take from the events and classes you attend so we can use them in FHC Publications! Just download the app from the Apple App Store or Android App Store and find our school in there. Upload your photos and the app does the rest!
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10 Movies
For romance
These are the 10 perfect movies for anyone in the mood for romance before going to see this year’s fall play, “Almost, Maine.”
1. “Wall-E”
Sent from the spacecraft humanity has moves to after the collapse of humanity, a sleek new robot discovers and falls for the last robot on Earth.
2. “Comet”
A story of parallel universes, this movie splices together the most influential moments of a couple’s relationship as they fall in and out of love.
3. “Paper Towns”
After the adventurous girl he’s been in love with for years runs away, an ordinary boy uses the clues she left behind to try and find her.
Spartan
masterpieces Displayed pieces rewards artists hard work
4. “Timer”
In a universe in which everyone has timers on their wrists counting down to when they meet their soulmates, a woman searches for love.
5. “Shrek”
A twist on a classic love story, an ugly ogre sets out to rescue a beautiful princess from her tower in exchange for the return of his swamp.
6. “You’ve Got Mail”
The owner of a small bookshop falls in love with a man online without realizing that he runs the big corporation attempting to buy her out.
7. “High School Musical”
A basketball player falls for a mathlete, leading them both to audition for the fall musical despite being from two completely different worlds.
8. “Up”
After the love of his life dies, an old man attempts to fulfill their dream of adventure by taking their house to halfway across the world by balloon.
9. “Tangled”
A take on Rapunzel, a princess is trapped in a tower before a thief promises to take her to see the world and ends up seeing it too in a whole new light.
10. “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”
A lost and confused freshman, Charlie, falls in with a group of seniors one of whom he’s been in love with over the course of the year.
A HANDFUL: Berganne Walton’s intricate drawing was inspired byt he the quote “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
By Reese McLaughlin
Staff reporter Walking around in the upstairs hallway students may have noticed the art pieces hanging up on the walls or in the display cases. These art pieces are done by the students in art classes, picked by the teachers to be on display. Having their art picked and put on display can mean a lot to a student like sophomore Berganne Walton, who has always had a special place in her heart for art. “My aunt is an art teacher and that has impacted me growing up; she has instilled an appreciation of art into me and
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I’m really grateful for that. Art is an escape for me,” Walton said. Walton regularly draws in her free time, and even though she has already fulfilled her fine arts credit, she continues taking art classes for the fun of it. Her drawing of hands holding an eye was inspired by the quote “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” It takes a lot of dedication for someone to really get their art where they want it to be, which is what art teachers look for when selecting which pieces to put up. Senior Faith Prather’s piece, two multicolored fists, certainly took a lot of effort with its multiple step process.
“I water-colored it, then I printed it and took water colored crayons and colored crayons and colored the insides of the fists then printed it again. I felt proud when the piece got put up since I put a lot of effort into it,” Prather said. Art, like most things in life, does not always go the way the artists want it to. Senior Cailyn Jones’s piece didn’t turn out as she was planning it to, but she still loves it all the same, “It was supposed to be more straight up layers, but it turned out like the sunset, which I ended up liking better. I was really happy when I saw it put in the hallway,” Jones said.
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