October 2015
Volume 4, Issue 4
West Jackson Middle FFA
Newsletter
West Jackson Middle FFA members participate in BASIC Training FFA members from the West Jackson Middle FFA chapter attended BASIC Training at the Georgia FFA-FCCLA Center in Covington, GA on September 23rd. WJMS FFA members were joined by East Jackson Middle FFA members for this leadership based field trip. BASIC stands for Building and Achieving Success in Chapters and is a program available through the FFA center and is coordinated by Educational Program Specialist, Leroy Bagley. BASIC is designed to teach leadership and team building skills to students in an exciting hands-on learning environment. The FFA members enjoyed the high ropes course, including the rock wall and zip line, and the mud obstacle course. FFA members WJMS worked with each other and the EJMS members to challenge themselves and learn to work together as a team. WJMS FFA members attending this event included Tiffany Holly, Ella Hardegree, Michael Howard, Sydney Wiggins,
Robbie Miglionico, Kayla Driskell, Alyssa Bradley, Melody Bray, Wyatt Wallace, Savannah McGee, and Caleb Frey. Continued on page 2
Inside this issue: BASIC Continued
2-3
Remind 101
4
Officer Message
4
Livestock Judging
5
CDEs
6
FFA At The Fair
7-8
Corn Maze Trip
8
Georgia National Fair Cattle Show
9-10
Corn Maze Permission From
11
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Newsletter
BASIC Training continued Check out some highlights from our trip to BASIC Training!
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Volume 4, Issue 4
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Newsletter
October Officer’s Message: Hannah White Hello! My name is Hannah White, and I am your 2015-2016 FFA Vice President. Agriculture has been the light of my life for some years now, and I hope that it is the same for you! From being ranked 2nd in the nation and being competitive in some Career Development Events, we have worked hard to get West Jackson Middle’s name out there! FFA has something for everybody! From Floral Design to Floriculture, Livestock and Horse Judging to showing livestock, Creed Speaking and
other leadership events, and anything in between, there are many different possibilities for students to get involved. This month is super busy for FFA, and two big events that we have are the Georgia National Fair and the National FFA Convention. We have students that are competing in Floral Design, Floriculture ID Contest, and Minibooth competitions at the Georgia National Fair. We also will be competing once again for the title of Outstanding Middle School Chapter at the National FFA Convention. I hope that you have enjoyed the beginning of the year, and I hope that you will get involved in and enjoy the activities and trips we have planned for the rest of the year! If you are interested in participating in an FFA event, stop by the Ag room (503) and check out the CDE wall. Talk with Mrs. Davis for more information.
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Volume 4, Issue 4
West Jackson Middle FFA members Attend Livestock Judging Fair Thirteen Jackson County FFA members participated in the Southeast Empire Livestock Judging Contest at the Gwinnett County Fair on Monday, September 21, 2015. FFA members competing in this event included Katie Sosebee of Jackson County High FFA; Tanner Hart, Austin Hill, Wyatt Chandler, and Katie Weigand from East Jackson High FFA; Sabrina Livingston, Bella Chandler, Cale Howington, and Makayla Gooch of East Jackson Middle FFA; Charlie Brooksher, Madyson McDaniel, Savannah Page, and Hannah White from West Jackson Middle FFA. All of the Jackson County teams were competing against each other as well as multiple other FFA chapters from across state. Students were required to judge classes of breeding heifers, breeding ewes, market lambs, and market hogs. These students were also required to take notes and give a set of oral reasons to a judge, and the students were evaluated on the correctness of their reasons as well as their overall presentation. Students were scored individually and their scores were added together for their overall team score. It was a clean sweep for the Jackson County teams with East Jackson Middle FFA placing third, East Jackson High FFA came in second, and West Jackson Middle FFA took home first place honors. Additionally, East Jackson High FFA member Katie Weigand was named first place individual of the contest, and Jackson County High FFA member Katie Sosebee was named third place individual. Over the past two months these FFA members have worked hard to learn about evaluating livestock, and they have been fortunate to visit many farms in the county to practice up to this point. The Southeast Empire Livestock Judging Contest was the first test for these livestock judgers, and it was a great accomplishment for everyone!
Members of the East Jackson High, East Jackson Middle, Jackson County High, and West Jackson Middle FFA chapters competed at the Southeast Empire Livestock Judging Contest at the Gwinnett County Fair.
The West Jackson Middle FFA Livestock Judging Team came in first placed in the Southeast Empire Livestock Judging Contest held at the Gwinnett County Fair on September 21 st. WJMS FFA team members include Charlie Brooksher, Savannah Page, Hannah White, and Madyson McDaniel.
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Newsletter
WJMS FFA Members Compete for First Time Four members of the West Jackson Middle School FFA chapter competed in the Area II Meats JudgingCareer Development Events on September 24th at Oconee County High School. Parker Garrison, Savannah McGee, and Katelyn Steinbauer all took part in this FFA contest, and this was the first time any of them had competed in an event. For the Meats Judging CDE, FFA members are required to learn to identify 50 different cuts of meat and learn how to judge classes of meat products. At the contest, FFA members were given 20 different cuts to identify and had three placing classes. They competed against both middle school and ninth grade teams, and the WJMS FFA team placed seventh in the contest. In addition, Savannah McGee was the high individual on the team, and she placed sixth individually.
WJMS FFA Members Compete in Area CDEs Two members of the West Jackson Middle School FFA chapter competed in the Area II FFA Career Development Events on October 1st at East Jackson Comprehensive High School. Jesse Womble competed in the FFA Quiz Career Development Event (CDE). She was required to answer a 50-question test about FFA events and history. Savannah Van Buren competed in the Floral Design CDE. She was required to construct one body flower and one bud vase based on two different scenarios with the flowers and materials provided for her. Forty middle school and ninth grade FFA members competed in the Area II Floral Design CDE, and Savannah placed 13th overall. Both members represented the WJMS FFA chapter well and look forward to competing in other FFA events in the future. Any FFA member interested in competing in a Career Development Event or becoming more involved in WJMS should get in contact with Mrs. April Davis or any WJMS FFA officer.
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Newsletter
WJMS FFA Members Attend FFA Day at the Fair By: Ashlyn Tomlin, West Jackson Middle FFA Reporter Members of the West Jackson Middle FFA Chapter were a part of the more than 2,100 FFA members that recently attended the 2015 FFA Day at the Georgia National Fair. The event was held on October 13th at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry. West Jackson Middle FFA members attending FFA Day at the Fair were Michael Howard, Katelyn Howard, Whitney Hulsey, Ian McClure, Jay Dailey, Ella Hardegree, Hailey Sawyer, Emmalee Holder, Cheyenne Stewart, Gracen Dutton, Harley Martin, Madyson McDaniel, Garret Bryson, Kayla Driskell, Hannah White, Savannah Van Buren, Cassie Jones, Ashlyn Tomlin, Noel Plunkett, Gracie Alldredge, Lauren Segraves, Elizabeth Garmon. The FFA Day at the Fair program is designed for students in grades 6-9 to learn more and get excited about FFA and agricultural education. Throughout the day’s events, students interact with Georgia FFA Area Officers while discovering the opportunities FFA offers. Students hear from supporters of the agricultural edu-
cation program, listen to a motivational speaker, and enjoy the Georgia National Fair’s midway in the afternoon. West Jackson Middle FFA members were invited to attend the FFA Day at the Fair event as a reward for competing in an event during the Georgia National Fair. Before the fair began, Hannah White, Whitney Hulsey, Cheyenne Stewart, Michael Howard, Jay Dailey, Emmalee Holder, Lauren Seagraves, and Elizabeth Garmon all completed minibooths. Minibooths are in-
formational booths and can be related to a topic in forestry/ natural resources or horticulture. This was the first time that any of these members had completed minibooths, and they all earned first place! Also prior to the fair, Gracie Alldredge, Hailey Sawyer, and Ella Hardegree completed silk floral designs.
While at the Fair, Cassie Jones competed in the Floral Design competition while Ashlyn Tomlin, Noel Plunkett, Gracen Dutton, Harley Martin, and Katelyn Howard all competed in the Floriculture competition. The theme for the Floral Design competition was “Famous for Fun” and participants were required to bring their own materials, develop a design of their choosing, fill out a price sheet for those materials, and create their designs within the allotted time of 30 minutes. The Floriculture competition involved FFA members learning more than fifty different species of common plants and being able to identify twenty-five of those specimens at the contest. Gracen Dutton was the high individual for the Floriculture team and had this to say about the fair, “First we went to go compete at the Floriculture CDE which was both fun, yet nerve-racking. I had a lot of fun at the fair and will definitely be going again next year!”
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Newsletter
October FFA Meeting: Corn Maze Trip The October FFA Meeting will be held on Friday, October 23rd. The Chapter meeting will begin afterschool, and at 4:30, we will leave for our trip to the corn maze! In order to attend this FFA meeting, you must sign up with a permission form and $15 by October 21st. Only the first 15 FFA members to sign up will be able to attend, so stop by the Ag Room to get a form!
What: October FFA Meeting & Corn Maze Trip When: Friday, October 23rd Time: FFA Meeting will be immediately after school, and we will leave WJMS by 5:00 to travel to the corn maze. We will return to WJMS at 9:45PM. Where: Washington Farms in Watkinsville, Ga Who: Only the first 15 FFA members will be allowed to attend Cost: $15 covers dinner, corn maze, hayride, and farm activities. They may also bring money to purchase pumpkins, sunflowers, and concessions are available.
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Newsletter
Jackson County Livestock Show Team Earns Many Awards at the Georgia National Fair The Georgia National Fair Steer and Heifer Shows were held on October 8th-10th at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry, Georgia. During this annual event, Jackson County 4-H and FFA members exhibited livestock projects and earned many accomplishments. Successes in the show ring started with showmanship on Friday. Jackson County 4H member Keely Shultz placed second in Fourth Grade Showmanship, and Morgan McDaniel won Fifth Grade Showmanship. West Jackson Middle FFA member Savannah Page won Sixth Grade Showmanship, and Bella Chandler of East Jackson Middle placed second. West Jackson Middle FFA members Madyson McDaniel and Charlie Brooksher competed in Seventh Grade Showmanship and placed second and eleventh, respectively. In Eighth Grade Showmanship, West Jackson Middle FFA member Abigail Allen placed fourth, and East Jackson FFA member Wyatt Chandler placed third in the Ninth Grade division. We ended the day with Senior Showmanship where Jackson County FFA member, Cindy Cooper, placed fourth and Jackson Schieszer of East Jackson FFA placed twelfth. The Heifer Show took place on Saturday and started with Cindy Cooper and Madyson McDaniel placing 1st and 6th in their Simmental classes. Cindy went on to be chosen as Grand Champion of the breed. In the Maine division, Landis Seagraves of Jackson County 4H placed second in class. Jackson Schieszer placing second with his Shorthorn heifer, and Austin Hill placed first with his Beefmaster heifer in the All Other Breeds division. In the Percentage Simmental Breed classes, West Jackson Middle FFA member, Charlie Brooksher placed fifth while his brother Drew placed sixth. Morgan McDaniel and Cindy Cooper both won their classes while Bella Chandler of East Jackson Middle FFA placed second in class. Cindy Cooper went on to be chosen as Grand Champion while Bella Chandler was chosen for Reserve Champion honors. Keely Shultz placed first with her Limousin while Jackson Schieszer placed second, and Keely’s heifer, Bri,
went on to be chosen as Grand Champion of the breed. In the Angus breed classes, Cindy Cooper, Abigail Allen, and Peyton Puckett all placed second in their classes. Savannah Page had two class winners, and they both went on to be chosen as Grand and Reserve Champion of the breed. In the Commercial heifer classes, Heidi Seagraves and Wyatt Chandler both placed third in their classes and Car-
son Jackson placed fifth. And finally, as if four Grand Champions and two Reserve Champions weren’t enough, Cindy Cooper’s Percentage Simmental heifer went on to be chosen as Reserve Supreme Champion Heifer, Bella Chandler’s Percentage Simmental was chosen as Third Overall, and Cindy Cooper’s Simmental heifer was chosen as Fourth Overall. The Jackson County Showteam also excelled in other areas of the show as well. The showteam competed in the County Group of Five competition and was chosen as champion. Also, a group of three heifers raised by C & C Farms was chosen as champion of the Breeder’s Group award. Just before the championship drive, the Georgia Junior Livestock Foundation presented showmanship awards to the Top 5 individuals. These showmen earned points through the past show season for their placings in showmanship classes throughout the year. Out of
Georgia National Fair continued. more than 100 entries, Jackson County had three students in the top five in the Junior Beef division. Savannah Page of West Jackson Middle was fourth overall, Gum Springs fifth grader Morgan McDaniel was second overall, and West Jackson Middle’s Madyson McDaniel was first overall in this division. Jackson County had a great weekend of student successes and memories made, and we are all looking forward to the next one!
West Jackson Middle FFA
West Jackson Middle School 400 Gum Springs Church Rd Jefferson, GA 30549 Phone: 706-654-2775 Extension: 503 E-mail: adavis@jackson.k12.ga.us Website: wjmsffa.wix.com/wjmsffa
PERMISSION SLIP West Jackson Middle School 400 Gum Springs Church Road Jefferson, GA 30549 (706) 654-2775 www.jackson.k12.ga.us/wjm
Place To Visit:
Washington Farms in Watkinsville, GA
Dates of Trip:
Friday, October 23, 2015
Time of Departure:
4:00 p.m. from West Jackson Middle School, students may stay after school in their advisor’s room until departure
Time of Return:
9:45 p.m. to West Jackson Middle School
Cost of Trip:
$15.00 - This covers dinner, the admission for the corn maze, hayride, and farm activities. They may also bring money to purchase pumpkins or sunflowers. Washington Farms does have a concession stand available.
Transportation:
Bus
Approximate Mileage:
46 miles round trip
Sponsoring Teachers:
FBLA Advisor – Erin King FCCLA Advisor - Kathy Jones FFA Advisor - April Davis
Think About This…
Students should wear school appropriate attire. Tennis shoes or boots are recommended! If the weather is chilly, dress warm! BRING A FLASHLIGHT! We are participating in the Dark Maze which means…everything is in the dark!
If you give permission for your child to participate in this trip, please sign below and complete the other information as it pertains. Regardless of the precautions taken by sponsors and school authorities to assure student safety, accidents will occur. Therefore parents are encouraged to assure that their children are properly insured. “I also do hereby, on behalf of named student, absolve and release school officials and teacher from any claims for personal injuries which might be sustained while he/she is present during the trip.” Students Name: __________________________________________________________ Parent/Guardian Name: (Print) _______________________________________________________________________ Parent/Guardian Signature: __________________________________________________________________________ Emergency Contact Phone #: _____________________________________________________