Friday August 30, 2013
TSTRATFORD HE Freshmen Orientation Pg. 3
Volume 41, Issue 1
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R A C L E O Photo by Gil Sanchez
shsoracle.com
Spartan Adventures Pg. 8 Photo by Kali Venable
@spartanoracle
New Coaches Photo by Rebecca Williamson Pg. 5
14555 Fern Drive, Houston TX 77079
@stratfordoracle
FORTY YEARS • Stratford celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. The school first opened its doors in the spring of 1973 and the first class graduated in 1974. Several events commemorating the anniversary are planned.
‘Foundation’ of Student Relief
Alumni are encouraged to attend the Homecoming football game on Sept. 27 at Tully. To continue the celebration, the annual Homecoming Dance on Sept. 28 has a 40th anniversary theme. (Photos by Katherine Kennedy)
New graduation plan reduces standardized testing Ashleigh Garrett
The efforts of students, parents, and educators paid off in June, when Governor Rick Perry signed HB5, a bill that cut down on the number of state-mandated assessments. Since the creation of 15 end-of-course assessments (EOCs) in 2011, Superintendent Duncan Klussmann, has participated in a collaborative statewide effort to reduce the testing. “In order to receive their di-
ploma, students would have an overemphasis on standardized tests, taking most of the energy and focus from staff, teachers, and everyone in the system,” Klussmann said, regarding the former 4x4 graduation plan, which required students to complete 15 EOCs in order to graduate. School Board President Pam Goodson believes in the importance of limiting criterion referenced tests because they do not provide student and/
or parents with a comprehensive measure of ability or growth. “Having 12 to 15 end of course exams is extreme and unnecessary,” Goodson said. “As Board President, HB5 is important because the Board is responsible for establishing, reviewing, and updating policy related to graduation requirements.” HB5 creates the Foundation High School Program (FHSP); a graduation plan
that knocks the number of EOCs down from 15 to 5. Effective this school year, the only five EOCs students must complete are those in the subjects of Algebra I, English I, English II, U.S. History, and Biology I. The English EOCs will now be combined assessments, rather than two-day exams with separate reading and writing tests. Scores on the SAT, PSAT, ACT, PLAN, AP, IB, and other national-norm based test-
ing will also be able to act as substitutes for end-of-course assessments. “Students can now spend time preparing for the SAT and ACT and the things that really count for college readiness,” Klussmann said. Students who did not pass an EOC in a subject that is no longer required are no longer required to complete accelerated instruction and retake the exam. However, students who did not pass an EOC in
one of the five required subjects will be provided with accelerated instruction until they perform satisfactorily on the exams. HB5 also eliminates the component of the former testing system that required all 15 EOC scores to count as 15 percent of a student’s final grade in each tested subject area. EOCs will no longer impact the grades of students. Students can relax, as the emphasis on EOCs is ending.
Friday, August 30, 2013
The rising student population brings in a new crop of teachers
Kathy Suerth
Brittney Cooper
Science
April Crutcher
Christos Amarantos
Sara Russo
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ri P w Ne
Cathi Hofstad
ls
a cip
Pam Metcalfe
Jeff McCord
Jenna David
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Grant Nunneley
Karlsson Salek
Math
Chelsea Harmon Testing Coordinator
Spa
nish
Scott Elmore
Lisa Barrett
Fine Arts
Vickie Bucio
Aaron Plut
Melanie Hyche Art
Peter Jagdeo Orchestra
Special Ed
New Teachers
Jose Flores-Collazo
1
Danny Gex Assoc. Principal
Michelle Strickland Band
Sam Hill
30 New Spartan EDUCATORS Olivia Shirley
1
New Coordinator
Carl Blaze
Josh Gossett
Julie Henry
Promoted Principal
Athletics
English / Language Arts
h SHS Faculty Grows Wit
Amy Hulshizer
School, will replace Mr. Gex as senior principal. Part of her role includes prom planning and senior scheduling. “She definitely knows what she’s doing,” Juntti said. “She was my administrative intern when I worked at Taylor.” Ms. Kasey Alford, former Spartan testing coordinator is now at Spring Branch Middle School as a grade level counselor. She has been replaced by Ms. Chelsea Harmon. Before coming to Stratford, Harmon was a speech and debate coach at George Ranch High School in Richmond. The new teachers and administrative staff are excited to become a part of the Spartan family and are looking forward to meeting new people and helping students achieve their academic goals this year.
Speech
Despite the elimination of transfer students, the student population has increased by 165 this year. The staff, as a result, has also increased in size. This year, 26 new teachers join the Spartan family. Of these new teachers, 10 were hired due to the student population increase. Three new grade-level principals and a new school testing coordinator are also aboard, replacing the principals and coordinator that left last year. The new sophomore principal, Mr. Carl Blaze, was previously an assistant principal at Spring Forest Middle School for six years. Blaze also worked at Cy Creek High School. Coming to us from Taylor
High School is junior principal Mr. Jeff McCord. He is actually returning to the school, having taught and coached at Stratford in previous years. McCord is a former Spring Forest Middle School assistant principal as well. Mr. Danny Gex received a promotion over the summer and is now associate principal. His new position includes the task of being the master scheduler, which means he will be in charge of all courses in the building. “He supervises a lot of teachers and a lot of his job is instruction,” Juntti said. While Mr. Gex is excited about his new position, he made sure to leave the class of 2014 in good hands. Ms. Pam Metcalfe, former senior principal at Taylor High
Social Studies
Kali Venable Layla Shahhosseini
11th Grade
The Story Behind the Growth
12th Grade
The Oracle
10th Grade
NEWS
Business / Technology
2
Shelby Slay
Regi Golden
Paula Galvan
Luis Miranda
Photos by Gil Sanchez and Rebecca Williamson
Friday, August 30, 2013
The Oracle
Hanging with my Peeps
INFO AND SHORTS
BLOW IT UP •
(left) The freshmen enjoy their campus tour with the addition of party props and colorful balloons. (Photo by Joshua Wright)
FRESH PARTY• (right) Senior Rachel McCleary’s group stops to blow their kazoos and sing “Happy Birthday.” (Photo by Joshua Wright)
NEWS 3
STUDENT COUNCIL ELECTIONS
Freshmen elections for Student Council will be held on Sept. 12. Applications will be available starting Aug. 29 in Spartan Time, Counselors’ Corner, and Grade Level Offices. They are due in Room 236 by Sept. 6. Once elected, freshmen representatives’ first meeting is Sept. 18. The first major event run by Student Council is the annual Homecoming Dance, which will be held on Sept. 28.
• • • •
DATES TO REMEMBER
Spirit Night - Sept. 3 Back to School Night - Sept. 11 Homecoming Game - Sept. 27 Homecoming Dance - Sept. 28
• PICTURE DAYS for freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and faculty will be on Sept. 9 and 10 during English classes
JOURNALISM SUCCESS The SHS Journalism Department attended the Balfour Communications Workshop at Texas State University this July. This year’s Oracle staff spent three days creating Balfour’s newspaper, while the Mnemosyne staff planned and designed this year’s 40th anniversary edition yearbook. The Oracle editor-in-chief, Kali Venable, took home the award for best newspaper editor. The Mnemosyne was Grand Champion in theme packaging and won best of show. LINK TOGETHER •
103 juniors and seniors participated in Link Crew this year with groups of four organizing their best efforts to make the freshmen feel welcome in the Spartan family. (Photo by Joshua Wright)
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The Oracle also recently earned first place with two marks of distinction from the National Scholastic Press Association in a national competition.
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MUSE
Ashley Karolys Ashleigh Garrett
Friday, August 30, 2013
The Oracle
VS Rivalry in the “West Side Story” cast heats up
The famous “West Side Story,” musical will be opening this winter at the Stratford Playhouse. Known for its New York City backdrop and 1950s setting, “West Side Story” follows a heated rivalry between two teenage gangs— the Sharks and the Jets. Throughout the entire process of rehearsals the Sharks and the Jets are separated to keep the feud alive between the two “gangs”. The clash goes beyond the stage, as crew and creative teams have also taken sides. The dressing rooms for the show will be separtated by
“gangs” and there are two who is the boss on stage. through so many dance different costume crews for “We’ve been counting hours and the Jets have won the production. up which team has gone that so far,” says junior enFor each dance semble Kagroup there is a tie Moore. separate student The two dance captain, groups are compared to the separated typical single dance with differcaptian. ent rehearsUsually there al times so is one Facebook that they group for the ennever cross tire cast, but in this one another. case, there are two For the most separate groups part, they one for the Sharks do rehearse and one for the Jets. t o g e t h e r, Dance rehearsals but they stay have become a conon opposite test for these gangs sides of the DANCE OFF • Junior Caitlin Ehlinger leads the Shark to show each other room. girls in Summer Rehearsals. (Photo by Gil Sanchez )
Tweets of the Week Allie Eggert @eggandal If someone wants to figure out why McDonald’s turns off their ice cream machines @ 10 plz lemme know Laura Petruzzi @latruzzi My mom tried to make a vegan dinner so who wants to bring me something edible #desperate Campbell Ross @CampbellKRoss @TigerWoods hey man, here’s your pep talk before you win this week. Go out there, and just win. You can do it my friend Louis Birdsong @louiethebirdman I always act like Darla from Finding Nemo when I go to the dentist. Aggressive jaw snapping and yelling “I’m a piranha” gets her every time Kathryn Arcy @kat_arse Mom just fed me pancake mix that expired in 2005 #thanks
Tweets compiled by Kali Venable Graphic by Victoria Shin
The rivalry started as early as May of the previous school year when the cast list was announced. The friction between the groups of students is all in good fun, and there are many friendships between members of the opposing gangs. The friendly competition creates a realistic dynamic between the Sharks and the Jets that will make for a better show. When student director senior Mary-Kate Goss was asked which group she preferred, she said, “It depends on the day, it’s hard to pick a side. Sometimes the Jets are killin’ it but the Sharks do, too.”
JAM OUT • (Right) Cody
Finger (12) and Meg Hunt (10), along with more members of the Jets, rehearse the “Gym Dance”. (Photo by Gil Sanchez)
SHARK SWAG • (Left) The Shark boys rehearse their part in the number “Gym Dance”. Only the Sharks are at the rehearsal. (Photo by Gil Sanchez)
To buy tickets for any of this year’s shows, scan the QR code to take you to the Playhouse website.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Favorite Movie: “Friday Night Lights” Biggest Accomplishment: Turning around an 0-31 record with a 5-5 season Second Job Choice: ESPN commentator or analyst
Aaron Plut
Christo Amarantos
Nickname: “Coach A” Coaching Experience: 12 years Playing Experience: College Baseball Class: World History (wants to create “History through Film” class) Favorite MLB Team: Red Sox Attended: HBU and McMurry University Hobbies: Watching movies Favorite Movie: “Braveheart” Favorite TV Show: “Suits” Second Job Choice: Landscaping or Field Maintenance
Coaching Experience: 3 years Playing Experience: Made Youth and Junior USA water polo teams Class: Speech Attended: Arizona State
Coaching Experience: 12 years Playing Experience: Club Soccer for 12 years (no school team) Class: World History Favorite Soccer Teams: Houston Dynamo and Chelsea Attended: Texas A&M University Majored: Kinesiology Favorite Movie: “Shawshank Redemption” Favorite TV Show: “Suits” Second Job Choice: Sports Broadcaster or History Professor
SPORTS 5
Major: Business Management Hobbies: CrossFit Favorite TV Show: “The Walking Dead” Second Job Choice: Business Owner
Coach Frazee
Josh Gossett Football (Linebackers) & Track
Coaching Experience: 11 years Playing Experience: H.S. Football and Baseball Class: Health Fitness Attended: LSU Favorite NFL Team: Saints
Shelby Slay Swimming & Water Polo
Regi Golden
Boys Junior Varsity Soccer
A new year and a crop of new coaches: a brief look at Stratford’s newest additions to the roster
Football (Tight Ends) & Baseball
New
COACHES
Football (O. Line) & JV Soccer
The Oracle
Coaching Experience: 7 years Playing Experience: Football (Strong Safety) and Track (Pole Vault) in H.S. Classes: BIM and Money Matters Attended: Texas State University Majored: Business Hobbies: Playing guitar and piano and woodworking Favorite Movie: “Tombstone” Second Job Choice: Businessman (was originally a businessman, but got bored and became a coach) Graphic and Story by Scott Kennedy
Q: How long have you been coaching?
A: I’ve been coaching for 30 years, beginning at Westchester and then continuing on to Stratford.
Q: What is your playing experience in tennis?
A: I was my high school’s Team Captain, and I continued to play in tournament settings until my mid 40’s.
Q: Who do you expect to be our biggest competition this year?
Graphic by Scott Kennedy
A: Montgomery, by far.
5000
Miles: average distance run by each returning cross-country runner over the summerFlorida is only 520 miles away
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Position:
Calories: daily intake by football players during twoa-days as recommended by athletic trainers
Biggest Supporter:
612
Hours: amount of hours on the court, including tournaments, for volleyball players from August 5th to 24th
Place: earned by Stratford’s 7-on-7 team at the Texas State Championship, despite an original ranking of 55th
Outside Hitter and Captain
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STRATFORD HIGH SCHOOL
Mom
Biggest Goal: Win District
Favorite Team: LSU volleyball
Most Anticipated Match: Ridgepoint
Favorite Quote: “The Son
of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10
SHAWN TAYLOR
Story by Kelly Hewitt
FREDDY PRICE
Position: Quarterback Biggest Supporter: Grandfather
Biggest Goal: Win State Favorite NFL Team: Buffalo Bills
Favorite Shoe Brand: Nike
Favorite Number: 16 Favorite PreGame Ritual:
Team dinners the night before
Photos by Katherine Kennedy
Graphic by Scott Kennedy
Q: What are your goals for this upcoming season? A: I hope for our team to be the defending District Champions and place top 10 in the state. With many returning players, our chances of state are high.
Q: What has been your favorite memory since coaching at Stratford? A: Winning state in 1993 as a 5A school with sisters Lisa and Nancy Dingwall for doubles has to be it. Football and Volleyball game schedules are online Visit shsoracle.com or scan the code Story by Kelly Hewitt
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SPORTS
Friday, August 30, 2013
The Oracle
Living Proof
Coaches visit homes of athletes to verify residency
Scott Kennedy
They say home is where the heart is, but starting this year, athletes in Spring Branch ISD are going to need more than heart to make a home— they’ll need proof. Spring Branch is a district of high-achieving schools both academically and athletically. As a result, there is potential for fraud when it comes to enrollment. Consequently, it has recently become necessary for the district to require home visits for athletes. In every sport, varsity players are subject to a home visit by a coach in which the student must prove residency. “We just have to be sure that our athletes live where they’re supposed to,” Athletic Director Eliot Allen said. The policy, which was developed by the district last spring and goes into effect this fall, requires that a coach
visit each prospective varsity player’s home before the season begins. “We have to have a parent and a kid there, we pop in, peek around, and make sure that somebody lives there,” Allen says of a typical visit. The athlete and a parent are required to sign a district form of residency as well as provide a recent utility bill with the parent’s name and address on it. Allen, who has already made over 40 visits to the homes of football players, says he believes the policy is a precautionary step taken in response to the large influx of transfer students last year. The district instituted the policy as a way to confirm adherence to UIL rules and regulations. “I don’t know if anyone’s ever used a false address at Stratford before,” Allen said. “But the bottom line is there were just a lot of people float-
ing around, and I think we house of every varsity athlete wanted to get a better handle amounts to about 75 visits for on everything, especially football alone, which Allen where people live.” describes mildly as “a lot of But there are also many visits.” challenges associated with That number pales in comthe new policy. While Allen parison to the number of visadmits the visits themselves its Allen expects to do next take only about five minutes year, however. each, the “Right planning now the re quires policy just considerincludes able ef- If [students] just really want to v a r s i t y , fort and go to a better school... they’ll do but more just about anything.” coordithan likely -Eliot Allen nation. next year “Actualit will filly setting ter down the meeting up, e-mailing, and it will include all athletes calling, trying to get par- in every program.” ents and kids there - that has To put this into perspective, proved to me to be the biggest there are around 250 people challenge.” who play football and only 14 For football, Allen plans to who coach it. divide up some of the remainAnd the trips to players’ ing visits between himself homes aren’t confined within and his assistant coaches. But the district either; everyone even with help, visiting the is subject to the home visits,
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even transfers. “Even though they live out of district, we still go to visit their homes.” Allen said. “The UIL is very strict that you have to live where you say you live, even if you are a transfer.” And some transfers live 15 minutes away without traffic, which just adds extra difficulty for the coaches. While the visits themselves may be a pain to plan and conduct, Allen is optimistic that there will be few, if any, incidents. “I think there might be a few people here and there that we might need to red flag and do some investigating on, but I can tell you that, so far, people have lived where they said they lived and we’ve had no issue.” The one exception, he went on to say, was merely an oversight. A family had moved and forgotten to notify the
school. “I go specifically off of what the Skyward roll says, so later they just had to come in and change their address with the school.” If a student is discovered to be using a false address for the sake of attending a better school, he or she will not be able to participate in the athletic program. While Allen hopes it will not happen here, he says “it is common for high school students to use phony addresses if they just really want to go to a better school, in fact they’ll do just about anything.” While this new policy will worry any players not abiding strictly by the rules, the majority of athletes will be free to feel at home on the field and pour their hearts into the game. Support SHS football Tonight: 7 p.m. at Tully Stadium vs. Memorial
Dr. Everett Renger ORTHODONTICS
Changing smiles. Changing faces. Changing lives. 9099 Katy Freeway, Suite 175 Houston, Texas 77024 713.461.5910 www.smilesbyrenger.com Contact our office to schedule your FREE consultation.
10 % OFF ALL STUDENT TEACHERS AND FACULTY
The Oracle
THE
O
Editors-in-Chief Kali Venable Elaine Parizot Associate Editors Layla Shahhosseini Elyse Stieber News Editor Justin Todes Muse Editor Ashley Karolys Ashleigh Garett Sports Editors Scott Kennedy Kelly Hewitt Opinions Editors Claire Galbraith Maxine Tran Photo Editors Gil Sanchez Rebecca Williamson Katherine Kennedy Photographers Will Klussmann Harper Jones Cassidy Menard Michael Martin Philip Chen Alex McNees Maggie Vickers Emily Adams Karla Gonzalez Alex Milstead Managing Editor Aldo Martinez Graphics Editor Victoria Shin Design Staff Travis Bardwell Reporters Clay Barden Courtney James
Friday, August 30, 2013
RACLE The Pressure is On
Emily Adams Emily Fishman Hunter Baker Natalie Raley Staff Artists Molly Richter Claire Pena Ads Editors Katherine Mavergeorge Emily Copeland Allison Rice Ads Staff Emily Brown Lindsey Jenkins Meredith Burch Brice Stevenson Erin Higginbotham Paige Barber Kendall Marbach Jacob Pennington Phoebe Lamay Tara Breen Sarah Sturgis Copy Editors Amanda Sturm Natasha Eades Online Editors Janelle Blackwood Ben Fairchild Samantha Stazo Online Staff Jack Lin Mari Martin Jackie Velarde Bronwyn Wismer Rachel Torres Daviana Wylie Colton Slaughter Building Principal Christopher Juntti Advisor Janice Cummons The Oracle newspaper is the official, school-sponsored student media of Stratford High School. The Oracle is published every three weeks by the Journalism Department of Stratford High School, 14555 Fern, Houston, Texas 77079, 713-251-3454. The Oracle is also available online at shsoracle.com. The newspaper is a member of Columbia Scholastic Journalism Association, National Scholastic Journalism Educators, and International League Press Conference. The Oracle serves as a public forum of student expression, and is open to contributions submitted by the readers. Readers may submit material by email to info@shsoracle.com, to Room 120, or to Janice Cummons’ mailbox. All letters to the editor must be signed by the author. The staff is responsible for the content of the publication, and strives to produce media based upon professional standards of accuracy, objectivity, and fairness. The editors reserve the right to determine whether submissions will be published, subject to space availability and content. All submitted material must be typed and include the author’s full name and grade. The opinions expressed are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors, the staff, the administration, or the school district. The Oracle staff strives to produce a newspaper that covers the entire Stratford community. The staff welcomes freelance submissions and is eager to hear from readers regarding story and photo opportunities.
OPINIONS
Rising seniors struggle to write college application essays Kali Venable
It is 3 a.m. The computer cursor blinks back at you, a constant reminder of how little has been accomplished. With not a single word written worth keeping, you can’t help but feel like you are never going to get into college. Every year, it seems like rising seniors start their college essays earlier and earlier in order to be ahead of the game when applications are released on Aug. 1. Students spend hours pouring their souls into a mere 650 words in hopes that the admissions officers will see promise in their futures and grant them admission. According to college admissions expert Wendy Andreen, the essay portion of a student’s application is the most important part because it is the only aspect an applicant has complete control over. A student’s grade point average and ACT/SAT score are solely based on measurable intelligence, but the essay is a student’s chance to tell the college who they are and why they would be a good fit for their campus. The increasing impact college essays have on applications has resulted in mass
usage of college essay tutors that costs hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. Some students even take it to an illegal level and pay other students or adults to write their essays for them. Not only does this give students an unfair advantage over
other a p plicants, but it also often results in essays that don’t represent the person found in one’s resume or transcript. What many students fail to realize is admissions officers read dozens of essays each day and can tell when essays are not written by students. Perhaps the most stress-
ful and difficult part of writing college essays is deciding what to write about. Every four years, the national Common Application and the Apply Texas Application change their essay prompts for undergraduate admissions. The best
Graphic by Kali Venable
w a y to decide on which prompt to use is to first list all of the events and moments in your life that can fit in each prompt. Then go back through your list and choose the story you find yourself most eager to share with oth-
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ers. Our writing is clearest and most meaningful when we write what comes to us naturally. The more passionate you are about your essay topic, the more likely college admissions officers will understand, enjoy and relate to them. Many students make the mistake of spending excessive time trying to find something unique to write about because they’re under the impression that the more uncommon the essay, the smarter they will appear. Yes, having an original essay is appealing to admissions officers because it stands out from others, but when you try too hard t o write something unique, it usually ends up backfiring and results in an essay that is too confusing to understand. The most important thing to remember when writing college essays is that you only have one chance to tell the university what you want them to know about yourself—don’t waste it.
Starting Fresh
A new school year comes with the chance of a new future year or more. age you throughout the year. Staff Editorial It feels cliche to refer to the start of school as a clean slate or a new beginning. For freshmen, of course things are new. New school, new faces, new identity, but for the rest of us, it’s easy to question what has really changed. The students are 75% the same, in the same building, doing the same things. The reality is that it’s easy for us to continue along in the same routine we’ve been comfortable with for the past
To start over has to be an active pursuit. Your clean slate won’t fall into your lap, but there are opportunities to begin a new around every corner. If your academic life is in shambles, don’t wait for the second semester to make a New Year’s resolution. Find a friend or group to hold you accountable. Ask your teachers, too. They’ll appreciate your interest in their class and most likely be happy to encour-
Don’t be complacent this year, seize the A. While grades are important, we all know that our report card isn’t usually what we’re talking about when we say “fresh start.” When you feel yourself falling into a social rut, it’s time to take action. Your friends make a huge impact on who you are and how you feel, so don’t hang around people who make you feel downtrodden or uncomfortable. Challenge yourself by step-
ping out of your comfort zone and joining that club that your friends think is lame but you find totally fascinating. There are dozens of groups and clubs available to everyone, making it easy to find a new crowd or group of friends. Starting over or fresh can often be awkward and inconvenient. It might feel odd spending more time studying or making new friends, but in time you’ll thank yourself for making changes to brighten your future.
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BACKPAGE
Friday, August 30, 2013
The Oracle
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SUMMER TRIPS • (1) Seniors went to Wilderness on the Beach in Seaside, Florida with Young Life. They planned to go backpacking in Colorado, but because of the forest fires they rerouted to Florida. (2) Senior Makayla Lara and sophomore Dana Denney smile with a man they served on their mission trip. Many Stratford students volunteered for a week in New Orleans with MDPC’s community outreach trip. (3) Seniors Anna Bergersen, Caroline Hilton, and Elaine Parizot are covered in paint after working Camp Cho-Yeh’s Crud Wars. The three seniors served on work crew for four weeks at the camp in Livingston, Texas. (4) Stratford students and alumni smile after a hike up a Nicaraguan volcano. The group spent a week working with children, digging water wells, and building modern bathrooms and clean kitchens. (5) Junior girls prepare for a theme night at Frontier Ranch, a Young Life Camp. Activities at Frontier include a mountain climb, rappelling, a ropes course, and nightly Club meetings. (6) Several students and alumni smile with Ugandan children on their MDPC mission trip to the Lulwanda Children’s Home. (7) Boy Scout Troop 1089 summits on a mountain in the Weminuche Wilderness in Colorado. (8) Girls take a break from Visit shsoracle.com painting houses at MDUMC’s annual Work Camp. This year, the group went to Fairfield, Texas to help repair houses. (Photos courtesy of or scan the QR code for more trip photos. Katherine Kennedy, Laura Ashcroft, Sara-Paige Silvestro, Kali Venable, Hannah Baggett, Madison Allred, Eric Kuhn, and Alison Utz)
Memorial Middle School is turning
FIFTY
To celebrate we’re asking that all former MMS alumni submit photos and information about their time at MMS to:
memorialmiddle50@gmail.com Please include: name, years at Memorial Middle School, photo with brief caption and submit before Dec. 1.
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PEP RALLY THEMES 2013 8/30
GREEN OUT Memorial
9/13 Rock with Us to the 80’s
HOMECOMING WEEK: 9/23-9/27 Monday: Stratford AMERICA Tuesday: NEON Wednesday: CHRISTMAS in September Thursday: 9th=WHITE 10th=GREEN; 11th=GOLD; 12th=ANY SHS SHIRT Friday: MARDI GRAS 10/12 Round up Marshall-Cowboys &Indians 10/18 Check Out the Action- TOURISTS 10/25 PINK 11/8
OUT! (Boys vs. Girls)
BLACK OUT Ridge Point (Night Pep Rally)