By Mark Knight

In a time of economic strain, it might seem too difficult to come together for those in need.  But Jemison Middle School continues to do so into the winter and spring.
JMS is already focused on its award-winning Relay For Life team and the team’s fundraising.  According to Relay chairwoman Shonda Copen, the school is not at a loss for ideas.
“Our faculty and student participation has been incredible,” Copen said. “We’ve even had kids bring in lists of Relay fundraising ideas because they want to help out even more.Our Valentine’s Day pictures raised over $1,000, and we’re also selling Valentine’s candygrams.  But that’s just for starters.”
Copen said other fundraising ideas include Jean Fridays for faculty and a big school dance in the spring when the weather is warmer.
Assistant principal David Seale is also getting into the act.  A part-time musician, Seale has created a downloadable album of original songs with the proceeds going to the Relay team.
“I’ve released a few albums on iTunes, and I had a couple of new songs as well, so I set up an online store with an 18-song collection of old and new tracks for only $10, and that money will go to our team,” Seale said. “It’s a way for people to donate to a terrific cause and get a little something for themselves in the process.”
Two of the songs have true JMS connections.  One song, “Closer”, is a duet with JMS 7th grader Sarah Brantley that was performed at last year’s JMS talent show.  Another is a song Seale wrote years ago that he has played for JMS kids in past years.
“I played ‘Fat Dog’ for some fifth graders a couple of years in a row, and this year, several of them asked when I was going to record it,” he said.  “So I thought, ‘Why not?,’ and it’s now a reality.”
The album is available at davidseale.bandcamp.com. Buyers can get the whole album or just individual songs in formats that are compatible with mp3 players, iTunes, and iPods. He is also selling a seven-song CD for students for $3.
The Relay fundraising comes after two other incredibly successful drives.  As reported by The Clanton Advertiser in December, JMS history teacher Scott Ellison initiated a winter coat collection in which JMS sixth graders accumulated nearly 150 coats for needy students and families in Chilton County.
And Copen headed up the freeze pop drive for US troops fighting overseas.  With an initial goal of 1,500, the school surpassed that mark within the first few days.
“We had one homeroom alone reach 1,500, so our goal had to be adjusted,” Copen said. “I am just overwhelmed with the response from our school family here in Jemison.”
Ellison echoed Copen’s sentiments: “I know times are tough for so many families in our area and state.  To see the spirit of giving come through so strongly in our students is very inspiring, and I know that it will make a difference in their lives to see that their positive actions have an effect on others.”

JMS names students, teacher of the month
Jemison Middle School recently selected its students and teacher of the month for February.
The teacher of the month is Julie Lawrence.
Students of the month are: eighth grade, Madison Smith and Austin Dansby; seventh grade, Tyler Henderson and Maggie Zhang; sixth grade, Jordan Mahaffey and Kasia Millender; fifth grade, Alexis Easterling and Drew Bryant.

Mark Knight is the principal of Jemison Middle School.

Jemison Middle School inducted 65 new members to their Beta Club on Feb. 4.

The club had 39 members.

New officers are Morgan Lucas-president, Tyler Henderson-vice-president, Tayler Mazingo-secretary, Yoandra Camarillo-treasurer, Lauren Crosby-seventh grade representative, Madison Smith-eighth grade representative, and Brady Graves-activity planner.  Club sponsor is Karen Hayes. Pictured are (seated): Morgan Lucas, Tyler Henderson and Tayler Mazingo; (standing): Madison Smith, Yoandra Camarillo, Lauren Crosby and Brady Graves.

By Scott Mims

Jemison Middle School is collecting items to send to U.S. military troops in Iraq. The item of choice? Flavored freeze pops.
Seventh grade teacher and SGA sponsor Shonda Copen attended a conference last fall in which she participated in a Freedom Calls teleconference with soldiers in Iraq. One of the soldiers said the temperatures were around 90 in the fall, and the troops couldn’t get enough of the frozen treats.
“One of the things that he said when we asked, “What do you guys need?” was that they cannot keep freeze pops,” Copen said.
The JMS Student Government Association is sponsoring a school-wide project, Operation Freeze Iraq, through Feb. 12. The goal was set at 1,500 freeze pops, but nearly 3,000 have already been collected.
“Every student was asked to bring at least two unfrozen freeze pops,” said seventh-grader Griffin Street, SGA vice president. “One fifth grade classroom has already collected 1,600.”
The last day to donate is Feb. 12. Businesses, churches and individuals may also make a monetary donation to help with shipping expenses. All those who donate will have their name printed on the box.
As for the freeze pops, the more the merrier. Copen noted that all pops should be delivered in their unfrozen state.
“You don’t hear of freeze pops going over there that often,” she said.
Several students and school staff have relatives in the military who are either on their way overseas or will return soon. Street has a cousin, and seventh grade teacher Clarissa Smith has a stepdaughter.
“It’s personal. It makes you want to do all you can to help out,” Smith said.
“If I were over there, I would want something cold to eat,” added SGA treasurer Macey Thompson.
For more information, call the school at 280-4840.

By Scott Mims

Yoandra Camarillo has softball in her blood. The Jemison Middle School student, known to her friends as “Yo Yo,” shares the love of the sport with her parents.
“My parents taught me how to play. My dad was a star baseball player in Mexico. He was really good,” she said.
Yoandra’s father, Plutarco Camarillo, played shortstop; while her mother, Teresa Robles, caught for her school’s softball team. Yoandra plays center field on the Jemison Middle junior varsity softball team.
“It’s pretty much like it’s in your blood,” she said.
When she’s not on the field, Yoandra can be found helping her mother in the kitchen. Her favorite dish to cook is fried chicken and rice. Her culinary skills may one day translate to an interesting career, as her top two fields of choice are culinary arts and medicine. As for college, Yoandra will likely head for Tuscaloosa.
“To attend Alabama would be like a dream come true for me,” she said.
At JMS, Yoandra is a member of the yearbook staff, Beta Club, SGA, FFA and FCCLA. Her favorite subject is math because she likes the challenge.
Yoandra’s short-term goals include getting more involved with school athletics.
“I plan to try out for volleyball next year,” she said.

By David Seale

This fall, 14 Jemison Middle School seventh graders were invited to take part in the Duke University Talent Search, whereby they took the ACT.
This is the exact test high school students take for college admission. The test measures students’ abilities in four areas: English, reading, math and science, with a 36 being the highest score possible.
Six JMS students scored high enough in certain competencies for their scores to be deemed “college-ready”: Tylor Curtis, Gilberto Flores, Brady Graves, Brandon Harris, Derek Millard and Macey Thompson. These students all had one or more ACT benchmark scores, mostly in English and reading.
Harris had the highest composite score, 22—high enough to qualify for admission to the University of Alabama and Auburn University, to name just a couple.
Other students invited to take part in this prestigious program were Evan Baird, Griffin Burnette, Christian Gilliland, Grant Martin, Trent Ray, Christopher Robertson, Jessica Smitherman and Maggie Zhang.
The program is facilitated on the school level by seventh grade English teacher Karen Jones.

David Seale is the assistant principal of Jemison Middle School.

By The North Chilton Advertiser staff

It’s no surprise that our soldiers stationed overseas love receiving gifts from back home, and those that go to the trouble of sending packages to our men and women deserve commendation.
It’s rare to see a truly unique idea, but Jemison Middle School teachers and students have just that.
The JMS Student Government Association is sponsoring a school-wide project, Operation Freeze Iraq, through Feb. 12. The goal was set at 1,500 freeze pops, but nearly 3,000 have already been collected.
“Every student was asked to bring at least two unfrozen freeze pops,” said seventh-grader Griffin Street, SGA vice president. “One fifth grade classroom has already collected 1,600.”
The last day to donate is Feb. 12. Businesses, churches and individuals may also make a monetary donation to help with shipping expenses. All those who donate will have their name printed on the box.
There are plenty of ways to support our troops fighting for our freedom in foreign lands, but this idea is worthy of special mention.

By David Seale

Beginning Jan. 19, the Jemison Middle School Student Government Association will hold its “Operation Freeze Iraq” campaign.
SGA is asking each student to bring a minimum of two unfrozen freeze pops to school, and the collected treats will be sent to US troops serving in Iraq.
“Our goal is to send at least 1,500, but sending more would be even better,” SGA sponsor and JMS computer teacher Shonda Copen said. “We thought this would be a nice way for our troops to celebrate the last summer they’ll have to spend in Iraq.”
Operation Freeze Iraq will continue until Feb. 12.
Jemison Middle School officials have announced that semester exams for seventh and eighth graders will start in May.
Semester exams in each class will cover the entire second semester’s content, will take place the last week of academic classes at JMS, and will count for 25 percent of the 4th nine weeks average.
A student may be exempt from an exam if he or she has an “A” in that class and has missed three or fewer days in that class from Jan. 18 to the end of the semester or has a “B” in that class and has missed two or fewer days in that class from Jan. 18 to the end of the semester.
Furthermore, absences for exemption include excused and unexcused absences and a day in In-School Suspension. Students cannot be suspended to be exempt nor have no more than 5 tardies.
Academic and athletic absences—such as baseball, scholar’s bowl, spelling bee, Beta, FCCLA, tennis, softball—will not count against exemption.
Finally, no requests for taking exams earlier than the scheduled days will be honored. JMS exam days will be announced in April when the Chilton County Board of Education decides on exams for all schools.
More information about the exams can be found on the school’s Web site, www.chilton.k12.al.us/JMS/jms.htm.

– David Seale is an assistant principal at Jemison Middle School.

I am writing this letter in hopes of encouraging Chilton County residents to take advantage of a wonderful resource we have available located here in Chilton County.
I, along with several other committee members, recently had the opportunity to plan a faculty/staff Christmas party for Jemison Middle School. When original plans fell through as to the “where,” I immediately decided to try to contact Minooka Park in Jemison about the possibility of hosting it out there.
I was out there last December to check out the grounds for a professional development activity for our teachers, so I knew it would be a great place to go. Plus, all of the people I work with who had not been out there in many years would have the perfect opportunity to revisit an “old friend.”
Gerald Arrington, the park manager, was extremely helpful in assisting us plan our party. Not only did he help us get everything organized but accommodated our requests for seating.
He decorated the office and rooms where we would be having the party.
We had a nice, warm fireplace inside and even enjoyed the spacious deck with the aid of fire pits we brought. All we had to do was show up.
Not being from Chilton County originally, I do not have the fondness of Minooka Park that some of my people who are Chilton County natives hold. I do not know what it looked like before the restoration, but I can honestly say that is it something to behold now.
I encourage all of you to take advantage of the many resources Minooka Park has to offer. Not only can you walk miles and miles of trails, ride ATVs, or just enjoy the beautiful scenery, but you, too, can rent the building for a nominal fee.
I feel confident in saying that Mr. Arrington welcomes anyone who desires to rent the facilities at Minooka.
Our faculty and staff thoroughly enjoyed having our party out at Minooka Park and are already planning on having our next one at the end of the year out there as well.
Thanks to all of the people who worked on restoring Minooka Park, who work to maintain it, and those who are constantly striving to improve it because it is truly one of Chilton County’s treasures!
If you have not visited Minooka lately or in years like so many of my fellow teachers, I hope you will add it to your to do list very soon.
– Shonda Copen, Jemison Middle School

By David Seale

The Jemison Middle School basketball season got underway Nov. 5 and Nov. 7 at the Jemison Middle Tip Off Classic for boys. After dropping the first game to Millbrook, the Panthers rebounded on Saturday to defeat Clanton Middle.
The full season began when both the boys and girls teams traveled to Holtville and left with two wins.  For the boys, John Underwood led the Panthers with 10 points and eight rebounds, with Kortlin Zeigler adding nine points and B.J. Kornegay tossing in seven.
The girls were led by 7th grader Jennifer Paschal’s five points and three others with four points, giving Jemison the 20-12 win.
Fortune turned the other way when JMS went to Dallas County to take on Martin Middle School.  While the boys lost, the bright spot was the 20-point performance by B.J. Kornegay, along with Randy Satterfield’s seven rebounds. The Panthers lost by only one point.
The girls we led by Yasmine Stoudamire’s two points and eight rebounds as they also took the defeat.
The Panthers returned to their winning ways in their home opener against Marbury on Nov. 16.
Laura Vinzant paced the girls with six points and four rebounds, and Kaitlyn Caudle added five points as the Lady Panthers dominated the Bulldogs 23-15, and leading 12-0 at the half.
The boys were even more powerful as they trounced Marbury 58-26. Satterfield led all scorers with 16 points and had seven rebounds and five assists. Zeigler and Underwood were also in double figures, with 12 and points, respectively, as the Panthers never trailed.
Both teams will host rematches after Thanksgiving, with Holtville visiting on Nov. 30 and Martin Middle coming for a rematch on Dec. 1. The action for both evenings will start at 5 p.m. at the Jemison High School gymnasium.

– David Seale is the assistant principal of Jemison Middle School.

By David Seale | Jemison Middle School

On a perfect night for a homecoming, Jemison Middle School finished its football season in winning fashion as the school crowned its Homecoming Princess.
Quarterback Jacob Hatch piloted the Panthers to a 28-0 shutout of the visiting Marbury Bulldogs, giving the school a final season record of 5-2. The Panthers were also sparked by Randy Satterfield’s interception return and catch for touchdowns, as well as scores by Hatch and running back Kortlin Zeigler.
Before the teams squared off, JMS named Kasey Killingsworth its 2009 Homecoming Princess. Escorted by her step-father  and crowned by 2008 Princess Brooke Glazner, Killingsworth joined seventh grader Savannah Barefield, sixth grader Kelsey Mitchell and fifth grader Kelsea Trice as members of the Homecoming court.
In other JMS news, JMS will join other schools in the county by celebrating Red Ribbon Week this week.  Students wore blue jeans on Tuesday to recognize that “drugs give me the blues”; on Wednesday, students will bring a canned food item and wear shirts that acknowledge their youth group, hometown, or local business to celebrate Community Pride Day; Thursday is Red Ribbon day when students will wear red; and Friday is Team Spirit Day, when students will wear jerseys of their favorite team.
“This week is an excellent time for students to not just recognize the harm drugs can do to their bodies but also see how great a drug-free life can be,” Jemison Middle School counselor Sherry Parrish said.
Parrish also said that the involvement and initiative of the school’s FCCLA has made a big positive impact.
Also in news from Panther Country, fifth grader Kayla Lowery won her division in the Chilton County Farm-City Poster Contest sponsored by 4-H. Hers was chosen from hundreds of entries county-wide and will represent Chilton County at the state level.
Lowery and her reading teacher, Nancy Sewell, will be recognized at the Farm-City Banquet on November 12.
Finally, JMS students voted for Student Government Association officers last week. The new SGA President is Wendy Spigener. She is joined by Vice-President Griffin Street, Secretary Shelbie Robinson, and Treasurer Macey Thompson.

– David Seale is an assistant principal at Jemison Middle School.