Weather at Briscoe Jr. High
By: Janee Welcome
The weather at Briscoe Jr. High changes a lot, and this might effect a lot of students at school. This bipolar weather might not be good, but also help in some cases.
7th grader student at Briscoe Jr. High, Kayla Suhku said something about the bipolar weather and how it affects her. “Sometimes I just feel angry about it, cause it’s not the type of weather that I like. I feel uncomfortable when I wish it could change, and it just changes my mood.” Said Suhku about the bipolar weather. In Texas, mainly only Houston Texas has the weird changes in weather every day. This can also have an impact in school. Laura Ramos, 7th grader at BJH might have had an idea of why the weather changes a lot. |
“I think the weather is like this because were close to the coast and Gulf of Mexico.” Said Ramos.
The weather might have an effect on moods and what the students at Briscoe want it to be. “I would like the weather to be springy where like all the trees have flowers and it’s just beautiful every day.” Said Maya Swift another 7th grader. “Just not too hot, not too cold and just a little breeze.” Said Suhku. The students at Briscoe Jr. High would love the weather to be different. The weather might make them focus more, and they might do better in school. But we will never know if it doesn’t change. |
Course Selection
By: Adiha Campbell
8th graders are getting to the point where they will pick they will pick their own classes for the following 9th grade year. This is a lot of responsibility for a newly teen, who’s never had to arrange their own schedule. There are more than a hundred classes to choose from, and you’re only allowed to take seven a semester. Other people argue that course selections teach young adults to make their own choices.
Course selections may be challenging for new high school arrivals, but I feel that seniors have it the hardest. Seniors must have 26 to 28 credits to graduate on time. After high school, the student must immediately think about what they aspire to do in life.
“Though I believe that course selections are very stressful, I still believe I will get all credits by the end of high school. I am taking many dual course credits and I plan to pass all my classes,” said Camila Fernandez. Vanessa Ikomi says,
“Once you reach that age of being close to an adult you have to be more careful of the decisions you make.”
The whole course selection process would be much easier if more time was available. By spending more time figuring out what courses you want to take, could give you more time to think about your future .Kirsten Miller believes that they are given enough time to pick classes. I believe, you’d have more time to sit down with your parents, and find out which classes would be best for you.
By: Adiha Campbell
8th graders are getting to the point where they will pick they will pick their own classes for the following 9th grade year. This is a lot of responsibility for a newly teen, who’s never had to arrange their own schedule. There are more than a hundred classes to choose from, and you’re only allowed to take seven a semester. Other people argue that course selections teach young adults to make their own choices.
Course selections may be challenging for new high school arrivals, but I feel that seniors have it the hardest. Seniors must have 26 to 28 credits to graduate on time. After high school, the student must immediately think about what they aspire to do in life.
“Though I believe that course selections are very stressful, I still believe I will get all credits by the end of high school. I am taking many dual course credits and I plan to pass all my classes,” said Camila Fernandez. Vanessa Ikomi says,
“Once you reach that age of being close to an adult you have to be more careful of the decisions you make.”
The whole course selection process would be much easier if more time was available. By spending more time figuring out what courses you want to take, could give you more time to think about your future .Kirsten Miller believes that they are given enough time to pick classes. I believe, you’d have more time to sit down with your parents, and find out which classes would be best for you.
Eagles Soar For A Bright Future
By: Cole Krenek and Chris Kaar
The Bridge to Your New Career
By: Kayla Sukhu
The website, www.bridges.com, can help you find a career for a
bright future. Briscoe Jr High’s
students started using this website to find the career that is best for them
and their lives. Bridges can be a start to a new beginning and a new life.
This website became effective on July 21, 2006. Bridges is the provider of planning and exploring different careers. Bridges.com can impact, benefit, and change your life in many ways. Patricia Lozano, a 7th grade history teacher at Briscoe, said that the website is helpful. Lozano said that she thinks the website is a good source for students to start a path to your future life. Lozano thinks Bridges.com can benefit students tremendously because, they can research a career and have a brighter future. Lozano said, “I would recommend this website to students because, it is very useful and it can prepare you for the future. This site will provide more information of a career that can be perfect for you.” Our counselor, Julie Haines, had said, this website can give you the opportunity to learn more. |
“This website can give insight to students, and make them see beyond the careers they may like. They can see a brighter future and beginning,” Haines said. Gracelyn Gattis, a Briscoe Jr High 7th grader, has used this website before. Gattis says, “Bridges has helped me find a job that I love and see in my future. We can learn and see more at this website.” Gattis would like to be a psychologist in the future. The website helped her with that. Bridges can give you the courage of overcoming your fears. Bridges had also helped her see and learn more about the careers she may like. |
Stand Up To Bullying
By: Kayla Sukhu & Laura Ramos
Should Physical Education Be Allowed in School
By: Janee Welcome & Maya Swift
It is a known fact that physical activity improves overall health. Not only does it improve circulation, increase blood flow to the brain, and raise endorphin levels, which all help to reduce stress, improve mood and attitude, and calm children, physically active students may also achieve more academically, says University of Michigan.
Many student don’t like PE and don’t think it’s needed in school. Many studies have demonstrated the positive effects of physical education and physical activity on school performance.
Despite the knowledge, the benefits of physical education and physical activity, only 8% of elementary schools, 6.4% of middle schools, and 5.8% of high schools provide daily physical education to all of its students.
The research on physical education and student performance is also not very consistent. There are quite a few studies that show no significant relationship between student academic performances with increased physical activity levels.
It is a known fact that physical activity improves overall health. Not only does it improve circulation, increase blood flow to the brain, and raise endorphin levels, which all help to reduce stress, improve mood and attitude, and calm children, physically active students may also achieve more academically, says University of Michigan.
Many student don’t like PE and don’t think it’s needed in school. Many studies have demonstrated the positive effects of physical education and physical activity on school performance.
Despite the knowledge, the benefits of physical education and physical activity, only 8% of elementary schools, 6.4% of middle schools, and 5.8% of high schools provide daily physical education to all of its students.
The research on physical education and student performance is also not very consistent. There are quite a few studies that show no significant relationship between student academic performances with increased physical activity levels.
It is a known fact that physical activity improves overall health. Not only does it improve circulation, increase blood flow to the brain, and raise endorphin levels, which all help to reduce stress, improve mood and attitude, and calm children, physically active students may also achieve more academically, says University of Michigan.
Many student don’t like PE and don’t think it’s needed in school. Many studies have demonstrated the positive effects of physical education and physical activity on school performance.
Despite the knowledge, the benefits of physical education and physical activity, only 8% of elementary schools, 6.4% of middle schools, and 5.8% of high schools provide daily physical education to all of its students.
The research on physical education and student performance is also not very consistent. There are quite a few studies that show no significant relationship between student academic performances with increased physical activity levels.
It is a known fact that physical activity improves overall health. Not only does it improve circulation, increase blood flow to the brain, and raise endorphin levels, which all help to reduce stress, improve mood and attitude, and calm children, physically active students may also achieve more academically, says University of Michigan.
Many student don’t like PE and don’t think it’s needed in school. Many studies have demonstrated the positive effects of physical education and physical activity on school performance.
Despite the knowledge, the benefits of physical education and physical activity, only 8% of elementary schools, 6.4% of middle schools, and 5.8% of high schools provide daily physical education to all of its students.
The research on physical education and student performance is also not very consistent. There are quite a few studies that show no significant relationship between student academic performances with increased physical activity levels.
How Technology We Use Today Can Help Us In The Future
By: Maya Swift & Janee Welcome
Technology, something used every day in the lives of students, but
what some people don’t know that the use of technology could possibly change people’s
lives.
The use of cell-phones is widely popular among teens. In 2013, 78 percent of teens owned a cell phone according to PewResearchCenter. However, few students don’t have the privilege of owning a cell phone. We talked to 7th grader Zoie Voskuhl to see how she thinks her lack of technology will impact her in the future. “Yes, I think it will impact me in the future, now since I don’t have any technology, when I get older I’m going to want more of technology, and I’m going to probably take advantage of what I have in a negative way,” Voskuhl said. Some adults find technology totally and completely useless. However, when we asked, these students said they think that technology is important. They showed a wakeup call that nobody would have never imagined. “Yes because everyone else has technology, and it’s going to benefit them way more than me,” Voskuhl said. It is clear technology is a definite favorite. “Well, yes because they need to communicate with people better and it isn’t fair that they don’t have the same experience as us,” said Briscoe student Fabiana Saa. She has many electronic devices and uses them often. In the future technology will be used way more than it is used now we asked the student what they thought technology would prepare them for. “It will help us by creating more technology in the future,” said 7th grade student, Jaxon Mccune. Student with average access to the internet. |
“It will help me communicate with
people faster and more efficiently,” Voskuhl said.
“I want to be a Vet, and yeah, I think so because I can work better with the equipment,” Saa said. The teachers were questioned on what they thought and we are glad to report everyone was all on the same page. “Kids use technology at school for completing projects, I definitely think it will help them in the future, because when you have a job, many times you will have to do presentations for work and search up information,” ELA teacher, Lisa Garcia said. “New technology is amazing! It is really surprising how much they learn on the internet, ”said Christine Laurenson. “I feel kids today learn more on a webpage then they would learn during a lecture,” Garcia said. |
Eagles Soar for a Bright Future
By: Cole Krenek and Chris Kaar
Briscoe Junior High School is bent on providing students the ability to shape their future into something great. Most students at Briscoe aspire to have a bright future and have a good job.
“I want to be a cop because I want to help the community,” said 7th grader Jaden Gonzalez, when asked what occupation he wanted to be.
Almost every student at Briscoe has a plan for college. There are so many choices when it comes to choosing a college, so it’s really something to think about. Some students prefer Yale, Duke, Harvard, Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, and many more. It’s definitely early to be thinking about this, but it’s never bad to think and plan ahead.
“I would like to go to Texas A&M because that’s where my father and grandfather went to college,” said Ethan Hammer, when asked about what college he wanted to attend.
Students don’t only judge their colleges on their parents, but with former teachers, too. Many people say they want to go to a college because a relative or famous person went there.
Chase Albright states, “I want to go to DeVry University because my favorite ELA teacher went there.”
Students like Chase want to reach for the stars and make the best out of their life that they can, while being educated to do so.
Many Briscoe students already have a plan about what college they want to go to, what job they want to have, and what they want to do in the future. The students that don’t already have a plan will definitely have one before they graduate high school.
Our Eagles are soaring for success!
Briscoe Junior High School is bent on providing students the ability to shape their future into something great. Most students at Briscoe aspire to have a bright future and have a good job.
“I want to be a cop because I want to help the community,” said 7th grader Jaden Gonzalez, when asked what occupation he wanted to be.
Almost every student at Briscoe has a plan for college. There are so many choices when it comes to choosing a college, so it’s really something to think about. Some students prefer Yale, Duke, Harvard, Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, and many more. It’s definitely early to be thinking about this, but it’s never bad to think and plan ahead.
“I would like to go to Texas A&M because that’s where my father and grandfather went to college,” said Ethan Hammer, when asked about what college he wanted to attend.
Students don’t only judge their colleges on their parents, but with former teachers, too. Many people say they want to go to a college because a relative or famous person went there.
Chase Albright states, “I want to go to DeVry University because my favorite ELA teacher went there.”
Students like Chase want to reach for the stars and make the best out of their life that they can, while being educated to do so.
Many Briscoe students already have a plan about what college they want to go to, what job they want to have, and what they want to do in the future. The students that don’t already have a plan will definitely have one before they graduate high school.
Our Eagles are soaring for success!
Briscoe’s Family Bond
By: Megan O’Donnell and Brittany Moseley
People at Briscoe are close with the faculty members, others are related to them.
Most teachers love having their kids at Briscoe with them. It helps them have a closer bond with their children.
“I love always knowing what’s going on. I get to drop by and say hi anytime,” said 7th grade reading teacher, Jenny Cawthon, mother of 8th grader Abby Cawthon.
Most of the children love having their parent work at their school; they said they have a closer bond and it helps their friends get to know their parent.
“All of my friends get to know my mom easier and they think she is nice, even though I think she screams at everyone,” said 8th grader, daughter of Mrs. Cooper, Kendall Cooper.
Some students find that having their parent work at Briscoe is a blessing. Others say having them work at their school has made them more aware that they can’t fool around.
“Having my mom work at my school has made me more aware that I can’t mess up. If I do something bad, my mom’s the first one to know,” said 8th grader, son of Nurse Tiffany Campbell, Ti’ler Campbell.
Some teachers, such as Mrs. Cawthon, have eighth grade kids. This means next year, the parent-child-duo will be split up.
“When my daughter leaves, I’ll be really sad, but still thankful she will be next door. I have a 10th grader at Foster and several times I’ve ran next door and it’s nice to have that option,” said Cawthon.
Other families consist of more than just a duo. The Tamez/Garcia family is a family consisting of: one grandmother, one aunt, and a brother and sister who all attend Briscoe. Sandi Tamez, her mother, her niece Kirsten Garcia, 7th grader, and nephew, Anthony Garcia 8th grader all call Briscoe their home.
“I feel great to know that they all are able to work/attend the same school. We are such a close knit family that it is great to be able to bump into them during the day. I think it is very helpful to have me here just in case they have a question or need help. Neither Anthony nor Kirsten have ever taken advantage of the fact that I work here. I love to see them in the halls talking to their friends and going about their day,” Says Tamez.
Not many parents get to see their child grow on such an interactive way as the parents at Briscoe do. Parents like nurse, Tiffany Campbell have gotten to see their child grow since the very beginning.
“I consider it a great privilege. I know not all parents get this gift. With the world being the way it is, we worry when we have to leave our kids in the hands of others. I have seen many extra moments of joy, nervousness, etc. that I would have missed if not working here (at Briscoe),” said Campbell.
People at Briscoe are close with the faculty members, others are related to them.
Most teachers love having their kids at Briscoe with them. It helps them have a closer bond with their children.
“I love always knowing what’s going on. I get to drop by and say hi anytime,” said 7th grade reading teacher, Jenny Cawthon, mother of 8th grader Abby Cawthon.
Most of the children love having their parent work at their school; they said they have a closer bond and it helps their friends get to know their parent.
“All of my friends get to know my mom easier and they think she is nice, even though I think she screams at everyone,” said 8th grader, daughter of Mrs. Cooper, Kendall Cooper.
Some students find that having their parent work at Briscoe is a blessing. Others say having them work at their school has made them more aware that they can’t fool around.
“Having my mom work at my school has made me more aware that I can’t mess up. If I do something bad, my mom’s the first one to know,” said 8th grader, son of Nurse Tiffany Campbell, Ti’ler Campbell.
Some teachers, such as Mrs. Cawthon, have eighth grade kids. This means next year, the parent-child-duo will be split up.
“When my daughter leaves, I’ll be really sad, but still thankful she will be next door. I have a 10th grader at Foster and several times I’ve ran next door and it’s nice to have that option,” said Cawthon.
Other families consist of more than just a duo. The Tamez/Garcia family is a family consisting of: one grandmother, one aunt, and a brother and sister who all attend Briscoe. Sandi Tamez, her mother, her niece Kirsten Garcia, 7th grader, and nephew, Anthony Garcia 8th grader all call Briscoe their home.
“I feel great to know that they all are able to work/attend the same school. We are such a close knit family that it is great to be able to bump into them during the day. I think it is very helpful to have me here just in case they have a question or need help. Neither Anthony nor Kirsten have ever taken advantage of the fact that I work here. I love to see them in the halls talking to their friends and going about their day,” Says Tamez.
Not many parents get to see their child grow on such an interactive way as the parents at Briscoe do. Parents like nurse, Tiffany Campbell have gotten to see their child grow since the very beginning.
“I consider it a great privilege. I know not all parents get this gift. With the world being the way it is, we worry when we have to leave our kids in the hands of others. I have seen many extra moments of joy, nervousness, etc. that I would have missed if not working here (at Briscoe),” said Campbell.
Journalism Effects
By: Cole Krenek & Chris Kaar
Students are getting the chance to write and publish stories for Briscoe Jr. High.
Briscoe Jr. High has many elective choices for students. Students can be a part of the theatre, band, art, business law and tech, Spanish, French, and a lot more. In that list, there’s a class called journalism. Journalism is a newspaper class with many jobs that help contribute to the stories. There are writers, editors, photographers, and social media experts. The process of publishing the stories is really simple. The writers write the story, the editors edit the story, the photographers take photos that emphasize the main idea, and once it is put on the website, the social media experts post the story link to various social media websites. Logan Stanton, 7th grader in art says, “Journalism would be cool because I like being creative and it seems it is a really creative class.” Journalism is a selection class. To be in journalism, you have to get recommendations from some of your teachers. In the class, it’s a mix of 7th and 8th graders. This grade difference doesn’t affect the amount of teamwork, though. |
“The grade and age difference doesn’t matter in here, we all work together as one big team,” Dasha Musil, an 8th grader in journalism states.
In journalism, you have a lot of freedom in the class. You can spend your time how you like, but you are still responsible for the assignment at hand. The students in journalism agree that it is a really fun class, and you get the benefits of socializing, working in groups and independently, and doing what the journalism students love-writing. Many students have expressed their interest in the class. “Journalism seems like a cool class to be in considering the amount of freedom they get to have,” Jaden Gonzalez, 7th grader, says when asked about his thoughts on the class. Another student, Nathan Hatfield, told us, “I should’ve joined journalism because I like to write a lot, and I think it would be a fun class.” A yearbook student also stated that yearbook class is a very fun class because they get to interview people and take pictures for the yearbook. Yearbook is another class under the category of journalism. The students in yearbook mostly interview and take pictures while the newspaper team writes and publishes stories. Journalism is a very beneficial class to these students. It’s a great elective for creative students that love to write and share ideas. Applications will be made available April 1st in the counselor’s office if you would like to sign up for journalism. |
Briscoe Takes On STAAR Testing
By: Kenzie Crenshaw & Kathrine Guevara
After all the work the students and teachers have done this year, it will finally be paid off by taking the STAAR tests. The teachers of Briscoe worked to make sure their students understand all they need to know for STAAR. Teachers helped by giving lessons, homework assignments, tests, and quizzes. “We have great teachers here at Briscoe. Students learn information in a variety of styles,” said 8th grade history teacher, Marco De La Fuente. The total number of testing days is important because the entire campus is involved as decisions are made about master test schedules, testing locations, test administration, etc. “My students are prepared and ready for STAAR. They have been working really hard, and they’re going to do great,” said 7th grade English teacher, Kaley Jackson. |
Students at Briscoe worked all year to understand what they’ve been taught. They completed many assignments in school that helped them understand the lessons they learned. “I’m not fully confident about how I will do on the STAAR tests.” Said 8th grader, Ciarra Mata. STAAR will have more questions per test, measure a higher level of thinking, and have more questions that require a student’s written response. “I’m ready for the staar test because my teachers have taught me very well and I can understand the lessons they teach” said 7th grader, Maya Garcia. STAAR testing days for seventh graders will be March 31 for writing, April 21 for math, April 22 for reading. The STAAR testing days for eighth graders are on March 31 for reading, April 20 for math, April 21 for history, and April 22 for science. |
One Small Change
By: Mindy Kucera & Alli Rupert
Across America many students are suffering from unhealthy choices. In 2010, Michelle Obama passed a law stating school lunches have to be healthier. Many students disagree with Michelle’s decision. “The school lunches shouldn’t be healthier because the sales will go down, and the students might prefer less healthy choices,” said Avonlea Yeakley when asked her opinion on school lunches. Students of all ages enjoy a little fat in their everyday lunches. Fat has taste and that’s how you will attract buyers. The most unhealthy vending machine and very common snack, Drake’s Apple Fruit Pie has 440 calories, 27g of fat, 7 g of sat fat, and 8g of trans fat. “Lunches should be healthier but people still want to eat them,” said Alania Tortorise. |
Obviously, opinions will vary on what should be served in the cafeteria. A common interest is that it should still taste good.
“Taste shouldn’t be sacrificed for health,” said Makenzie Lycka. If the healthy food is unappealing to students, they will be more likely to choose the unhealthy option. If we are trying to fight obesity in children, we should make lunches healthy while they still taste good. One choice isn’t going to change a lifestyle, so make lunches in a way that is going to inspire students to change their lifestyle and habits. According to an article on the Live Strong website, in the past 50 years, obesity rates have gone up 50 percent. Teens now spend afternoons absorbed by technology and junk. One change could inspire them to live a healthier life. Eating healthy and exercising could set a path for a healthy life. Planting the seed now could influence generations later on, preventing this issue at a later time. |
BJH Exemptions in Spring 2015 for Finals
Scholarships
By : Kirsten Guerrero
Some may think it is too early to be looking into colleges, but not to Natalia Barron, who sees her role on the tennis team as an opportunity to curb her future financial college burdens.
Reading teacher Ashley Niesner believes that in order to get a scholarship students should, “Have a high GPA, have good letters of recommendation, and be in organizations in and out of school, and complete in some kind of community service,” Niesner said. Now that we don’t have someone looking into getting a scholarship we do have someone who is looking into college due to the fact that college is… “(College is) expensive and good to plan ahead because there are so many universities,” Barron said. Barron not only plays tennis but takes it to a whole other level. But because of this she has also made some sacrifices, some scarifies she even regrets. |
“Over the years, I’ve made many sacrifices for tennis. I missed time with my grandmother before she passed away, because I was practicing. I also had to miss a week of school for an important national tournament,” Barron said.
“I believe that school should always come first, because no one can take away your knowledge. In sports, you can easily get injured and never compete again,” Barron said. Now there are always two sides to the story, just because we have someone looking into colleges doesn’t mean that everyone else is. Viviyan Gutierrez, title, says that she’s not interested in exploring her college options yet. “Im only in seventh grade and playing in sports is too much due to studying and homework,” Gutierrez said. Looking into colleges can be difficult and very rare at the age of twelve and thirteen but when looking into the future it can help you in the long run. |
Student and Teacher Time
By: Kirsten Guerrero
This six weeks the teachers and students were interviewed to see what they are doing the first and second six weeks. Science teacher Mrs. Bryson says that she’s taught lab safety, scientific method, space, ecosystems, food webs, food chains, and adaptations. Next six weeks the science teachers will be going over Nitrogen and Carbon Cycle, stimulus and response in plants and animals, natural disasters, weathering effects on land, and ecological succession. Mr. Revere has gone over adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers, decimals, and fractions. He and other math teachers will be doing order of operations, converting fractions, and decimals, and lastly percents. Mr. Revere says to help your child succeed you should check over his/her work, have them go to tutorials, and periodically check Edmodo and Skyward. Social studies teacher Ms. Koehl has gone over the TEKS. Next six weeks they are going over the colonization of Texas. She says "Parents can join Edmodo and look at the calendar and communicate with their child about upcoming tests and projects. Parents can work together with their child to help them study for their test.” |
Last but not least is ELA ( English Language Arts). The teachers went over personal narrative essays, and reviewing parts of speech. Next six weeks the ELA teachers will be going over grammar, such as prepositional phrases and appositves. Students will also be continuing personal narratives figurative language and Greek mythology. Briana Creery says that homework is important because "When people take the STAAR test it will be easier.” Jordan Sanders says “I think homework's important because it helps you learn the material better.” Jordan Sanders made a comment on the importance of school, “I think it's important because I want to become a teacher." They both enjoy their teachers Briana says "They're fun to be around" and Jordan says, “She likes some of them but some are not as active." |