A SPECIAL PUBLICATION OF
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Wednesday, March 4, 2020
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ewspaper in Education Week, March 2-6, calls attention to the fact that newspapers are living textbooks and valuable educational resources. To celebrate this week, we invited classrooms from elementary through high school to participate in a variety of classroom activities including: writing editorials, writing creative stories based on classified advertisements, designing editorial cartoons, and designing ads for local businesses. All of these activities give students a chance to be creative, use language arts, math and artistic skills.
You’ll see the results of all these activities in this special section. Judges from several Missoulian departments selected editorials, creative stories and editorial cartoons to be featured - an outstanding effort was accomplished by all the students. All classrooms represented in this special section will receive enough copies of today’s newspaper so that every student has one.
missoulian.com
Every minute. Every day. The Missoulian is proud to be part of this celebration in learning
1st place editorial cartoon
designed by: Zandyr Silvas, 8th grade Frenchtown middle school Teacher: ms. murphy
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
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Creative stories
1st place - 6th grade Today, we are getting a new math teacher. At my school, Hellgate Elementary, the kids have a way of sorting through the teachers. If we don’t like the teacher, we frame them or drive them crazy so they quit. And if we don’t like this teacher, we know what to do. The bell rings. Class starts. In the classroom, my classmates and I wait. A stern looking bearded man walks in and says “Hello, I’m Mr. Marcille. I’ll start our lesson with a PowerPoint of what I expect in this classroom.” PowerPoint is the most boring thing ever. This teacher isn’t off to a good start. Throughout the rest of class Mr. Marcille gives out two detentions, yells at seven kids and makes one cry. We definitely know what to do. After school, we make a plan. We will frame him for stealing lunches! The next day, we hide our lunches in his desk and tell the principal that Mr. Marcille stole our lunches. Mr. Marcille protests, but it’s no match for puppy-dog eyes and our complaints of hunger. Our principal has no choice but to fire Mr. Marcille. We are so happy. Now Hellgate needs a new math teacher.
Reagan Tingley Hellgate Elementary Teacher: Ms. Hines
Human Resource Council - Ayanna Baty-Zdziebko, 5th Grade, Lewis & Clark Elementary, Teacher: Dr. Ferrell
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Wednesday, March 4, 2020 Creative stories
1st place - 7th grade
It’s Alive! This house may look appealing on the outside, and maybe the inside too, but the walls, that’s a different story. Forget what you heard about ghosts haunting people at night, this house is ALIVE! You may not believe me now, but I promise you, this house isn’t from this world. It all started when an alien twirled down from the sky and dropped magical seeds right where this house is. The people of Missoula, Montana were planning on building this house for years, and when the alien came, they didn’t even know he had been there. They built and after a year, they finished. By then, the magical seeds had started growing; they grew up through the pipes, around the base of the house, and in the walls! Since the seeds grew in the walls, they took control of the house and made it attack humans! To this day, people have gone missing when they entered the house; even the real estate agent disappeared. So fair warning: do not buy this house, or you will be eaten up by the fireplace or sink or even the toilet! Would you want to be eaten by a toilet? I didn’t think so.
Maya Halter Target Range Teacher: Ms. Belcourt
Republic Services- Kaylee Robinson, 4th Grade, Lowell Elementary, Teacher: Ms. Hewey
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
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Creative stories
1st place - 8th grade I was walking down the street yesterday, and I caught a glimpse of a sign that said, “Talking dog for sale.” I was confused why anyone would sell a talking dog, but I doubted that it was real. I walked up, and immediately, a man in his late sixties flung open the door. The man seemed very excited to see me. “I am glad you are here,” he said “I have been trying to sell this dog for so long!” “Why are you selling him?” I asked, “He’s a talking dog.” “Well, you’ll know once you hear him,” the man said as he led me into the living room to show me the dog. He was a beautiful German Shepard. “Hello there,” the dog said, “I am excited you are here, and you should be too cause’ now I get to tell you my story. I was in the military for a while and was a mine landmine sniffer. I saved my whole platoon, we were just about to walk right over one, and I sniffed it. I won the medal of honor from that.” “Why are you selling him,” I asked, “he can only lie,” the man laughed.
Noah Hensley Target Range Teacher: Ms. Belcourt
Rick’s Auto Body- Chloe Baker, 1st Grade, Chief Charlo Elementary, Teacher: Ms. Contos
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Wednesday, March 4, 2020
honorable mention Hi, I’m Stella-Rose Mayfield and I really, really enjoy huntin’, fishin’, and anythin’ monogrammed. Any bag, cup or pillow I own has the letters SRM stitched on it, so people know it’s mine. I live in a small town in Georgia, called Angles Acres, and go to Rutland High School. I need to sell this Ford because my lure makin’ business is not doing so well, and I need some extra cash. You see, this truck may not have a flatbed currently, but she has spirit. I’ve worked for everything I own, and by selling my truck; I’ll be able to buy my dream High School Rodeo Trailer, with a few sponsors that is. Now, more about my truck; I’ve named her Stacy-Lou, and she’s been through everything with me. One time I forced my boyfriend to go noodling with me, and because of this truck breaking down, we didn’t have a run-in with an angry gator. Unlucky for the other guy in the news…anyway, Stacy-Lou can sense these kinds of things. It is so very important Stacy gets the best possible home. Rayah Nelson 8th Grade, Target Range Teacher: Ms. Belcourt
The Village Health & Rehabilitation - Morgan Ann McKay, 4th Grade, Lowell Elementary, Teacher: Ms. Kuntz
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
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editorial
1st place
Standardized tests should be banned from schools Standardized tests should be banned from schools because the test scores don’t show how intelligent you are. Many students can be bright and creative but struggle with tests because of anxiety or many other reasons. Standardized tests might help with any future decisions, but since we are a more advanced community, we can come up with many other solutions that work. Some alternatives could be a project or essay writing. Another option could be an inspection of the student’s G.P.A. If the student has a bad grade, because of not turning in homework, or not trying, that would be their fault. This could push the student to do their best, or ask for extra credit. If a student struggles in school because of ADHD or another personal reason, there would be a different activity for the student. As a community, we can come up with something to help our students. Whatever their needs are. Therefore standardized tests should be banned from schools.
Kaely Bradley 8th Grade, Target Range Teacher: Ms. Belcourt
United Way of Missoula County United Way of missoula - Mason Case, 3rd Grade, Lowell Elementary, Teacher: Ms. Robinson
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Wednesday, March 4, 2020 editorial
2nd place
Missoulian Hunting season should be year-round. Hunting season to most people is their time of year to get in shape or to get ready for long walks or the cold. Hunting licenses are a big part of the funding for cleanup and management for resources people hunt. A longer season would cause licenses to cost more; therefore charging more for them would help with better control for areas people hunt in. Some people say that hunting is not for them or think they’re not good enough and then decide to try hunting or want to get better. Unfortunately, the season is over. Having a year-long season would provide more time for new hunters to get better or even people who don’t hunt, have more time to decide to go hunting and see what they think about it. As you may know, there are multiple accidents caused by animals running into the road and being hit by cars. Having a year-long season and the government letting people kill more animals will lower the percentage of animals being hit by vehicles and total vehicles. Montana should have a year-long season.
Kaedyn Richards 8th Grade, Target Range Teacher: Ms. Belcourt
historical museum at fort missoula - abbie duncan, 3rd grade, lowell elementary, teacher: Ms. noti
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
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editorial
3rd Place Many schools have used textbooks for a countless number of years, but they are now being outdated by newer technology. As schools around the world flourish, technology shows new, updated information. Textbooks are becoming a bad idea because they are bad for the environment, they are becoming less updated and they, believe it or not, cause health problems. First of all, fifteen-twenty million trees are cut down each year to make textbooks, and up to 30 million are cut down for books in general. On the other hand, textbooks get revised and renewed every three-five years. Technology, such as computers, can provide updated articles every day. Last but not least, back to the health problems that are caused: an average teenage carries sixteen-twenty pounds of textbooks in their backpacks and book bags. This can heavily affect your upper and often lower spinal area. The effect of carrying this amount of weight can severely damage your health and carry out through your older years. Schools should get rid of textbooks because they are causing these common issues in schools and when used for educational purposes while restricting anything off school topic, technology can be a change for the better.
Kaidyn McIntosh 7th Grade, Target Range Teacher: Ms. Belcourt
park side credit union - nova miller, 3rd grade, Franklin Elementary, teacher: Ms. Danielson
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Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Sage Brown, 8th grade, Frenchtown Middle school, teacher: Ms. Murphy
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Caitlyn Wilcox, 8th grade, frenchtown middle school, teacher: Ms. Murphy
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Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Layla Wilkerson, 8th grade frenchtown middle school teacher: Ms. Murphy
Tanner Larson, Jaxson Smith, Malakai Montanez, Taylor Sprenkel, 8th grade Frenchtown middle school teacher: Ms. Murphy