The Mind Of My Twin Sister

College is really important to me. It is also important to my twin sister Kale’a. After high school my sister plans on going to college to get a good education. She plans on going to either the University of Connecticut or the University of Oregon because of the  occupational classes and the sports programs. Good goals of hers to have during college are to not give up because it is too hard and to just keep trying because you always can accomplish great things. Having good grades in school means everything to her because if you don’t get good grades in school and even college then you won’t get a good job and you won’t succeed in life. My sister has always wanted to become a Surgeon or an  Emergency Doctor. She has always been interested in those occupations because it doesn’t bother her to see gross things. Having hobbies in college can also make your life better because you are doing some kind of activity. My sister’s favorite hobbies to do are sports and also being involved  in music programs. She is an amazing cello player .The classes you take also involve what occupation you desire to do. The classes she wants to take are classes that involve doctors. Like, medicine classes, and surgery classes. They are important because she needs to know all the skills she will need to become a surgeon. Kale’a is going to play basketball for sure and maybe track and field. She loves playing basketball and it is her favorite sport. The people that have inspired her are her family members and a basketball player in the WNBA, Maya Moore. Maya Moore has inspired her because she is an amazing basketball player but she didn’t get where she is now just because she is good. She got there because she did well in school and college. Kale’a thinks that if you go to college it helps with your future because if you learn what you need to then you will be able to have an easier life and you will be able to choose your future.

Tired of Arguing

               

Dear New News Now,

My mother is always after me to clean my room. I like my room the way it is. It’s my room. I should be able to keep it the way I want. What can I do?

            -Tired of Arguing

Dear Tired of Arguing,

You  should listen to your mom and clean your room and keep it that way. By doing this you will make your mom happy and also make it easier for you to find and keep track of your belongings. You should also do this with your school work. This way you will be able to pull things right out of your binder without having to go through a big mess.

-New News Now

Let's Decorate

      Are you having trouble decorating? Well here’s some advice. First you must decide what type of mood or theme you want. If you’re looking for something happy or to lift the mood, then try something bright. Like yellow, pink, neon green, orange, and light purple. If you want more colors but are dark then make sure you mix them in with some bright colors. You can use glitter, bright shapes over-laying each other, like circles, ovals, or squares. Or you can draw and cut out letters then, have to second color shadow the first.
    For a fancy theme you can try something a Roman theme. You can use the colors white, tan, and gold. Try sticking to light shaded colors, and for the invitations you can have a white card with fancy cursive writing and a gold trim.

Paulina readies for her photo shoot

Paul Sanchez

The Interview of a Special Ed Assistant

    She came up here from Hawthorne Elementary to work with a student in a wheelchair. He moved shortly after school started, but by the time, she loved being here and ended up staying. She started work here at 1995 as a Special Ed Assistant, and her name is Roxanne Duecheck. She enjoys working here because she gets along with and enjoys working with both staff and students. Her favorite subject is History, although subjects are of interest. Except math. If she looked at a lesson and studied, she could help students. Some of her favorite hobbies are, sewing and cooking. She has fun trying new dishes. Sometimes they don’t turn out, but she learns from her mistakes and can improve it for the next go ‘round. Some tasks of being a Special Ed Assistant is, you have to keep up with all assignments in all subjects so you can be able to help students. You would also have to know accommodations and learn each student’s way of learning. What was required for this job hiring was to, either get an associate’s degree or pass the work keys. Some pros and cons about Roxanne’s job are, not enough pay but she loves her job. Some pros and cons about Roxanne is, she likes to read and try to keep up with everything that goes on, yet she has a hard time retaining something she’s read that doesn’t interest her. If Roxanne were to work anywhere in the whole world it would have to be her home. Lots of ideas crop up, but she’s not disciplined enough to be her own boss.

The Mystery of Lincoln Johnson

Lincoln Johnson, a man of mystery. He is true marauder, adventurer, and blonde. He enjoys playing sports, gaming, and playing with his dog. In the future he plans to go to college at OSU for a teacher’s degree. Ten years from now he sees himself with a nice steady job as a teacher. In an average day in Lincoln’s life is to go to school soccer practice do homework then go to bed. His favorite food is corn-dogs and enjoys a nice hot serving of Dirty Rice. Lincoln believes that his best quality is that he is easy going, and is very helpful. He solemnly emits his worst trait is he is not very tidy. If Lincoln had the choice, to change one thing in the world he would restore peace and tranquility to the world. As Lincoln Johnson states it:” I like people who are funny and can dance well, but hates people who are late.” Lastly, his favorite subject in school is orchestra because there’s no homework and he like learning new music. In conclusion Lincoln Johnson is a good man and a good friend.

INSIDE THE PRISON

          

 

 

    Working or living inside a prison is never easy, especially if you're a senior correctional officer. Being a corrections officer means you have to put your life on the line by preventing fights and escapes from prisoners. You are expected to be able to work overtime, holidays, and weekends. Working in the prison means you expect that the prisoners will try to con you, cheat you, hurt you, or even kill you. (says the senior correctional officer.) The prisoners assume that the officers have pepper spray, and various fight trainings, and that if you back talk, you get hurt. Prisoners’ lives are different than ours mostly because they have no freedom, but the weaker inmates are expected to pay money or join a gang to be safe from other inmates. Even when you’re off duty, you’re still at work. If you see a former inmate, and someone says “Hey! C.O.!” that immediately puts you and everyone with you at risk, because most inmates aren’t very friendly to officers. The requirements to work as a C.O. are a high school diploma or higher, be at least 21 years of age, have no felonies, and be a U.S citizen,along with good health, fitness, eyesight, and hearing. Many prisons are also looking for people with degrees in psychology, criminal justice, and criminology. Between inside and outside the prison, senior correctional officers are always in danger and working hard.

The Life of Wyndi Kannier

          Wyndi kannier born in California but raised right here in eastern Oregon. What she remembers most about her childhood is friendships throughout her life and a strong bonding family. She’s looking forward to personal growth, continuing her education, and looking at a healthier lifestyle. Her greatest memory is the birth of her 3 children and becoming a mother. Some of her hobbies include engaging in social events and being involved. She works for the State of Oregon with the Department of Human Services as a caseworker. Wyndi enjoys living in small towns, for the most part. Her inspiration is her mother Irene Boatright, who is a strong, encouraging, hard working woman. Wyndi enjoys activities with her kids, shopping, and being in the sun. If she could change one thing about her life it would have to be her career, because she wants to learn, grow, and experience new challenges. As you can see Wyndi Kannier is very social,outgoing, and all around a great person.

My Twin Faith

Who has blonde hair and green eyes? Who do people say looks like me? It’s Faith Akers. Faith was born in Hermiston, Oregon, on May 31,2001 and then moved to Pendleton Oregon at the age five in kindergarten. Her favorite sport and sports team is gymnastics and the Oregon State Beavers. Faith has been doing gym for three years now and if she keeps up with this sport,  will become really good. The reason the Oregon State Beavers is her favorite them because she thinks they are awesome and better than the University of Oregon Ducks. When Faith grows up, she wants to become a nurse and choose this job because it gives her a chance to help people out. To be a nurse, Faith will choose to go to Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton, Oregon. She decided to choose this college because Blue Mountain has a really good nursing program there. Faith can attend there for two years and then go to a different school to finish up or stay there for all four years to get a good degree. I asked Faith how it was to be a student at Sunridge Middle School and she replied ‘“ It feels awesome because I’m at a school with older students then the little kids at McKay Elementary School. There are more things we can have like lockers and more classes. I’ve been waiting awhile to be up  here at the middle school.” Faith is really looking forward for this year. She is really excited to be a middle school student and most of all, the sixth grade dance and has been waiting for a long time to go to her first dance. Her favorite and best subjects in school are science and math. Science is her favorite subject because she likes to all the really cool experiments that they do in sixth grade. Math is her best subject because she always tries her best and gets good grades in this topic. Faith’s favorite holiday is Christmas and it’s her favorite because she likes getting all the presents and it's a special occasion in our family. When Faith was little, she had a lot of memorable memories. Her favorite memory was when my family and I went to Disneyland for the first time out of four. It’s her favorite because she remembers all the rides she went on and all the characters she met. Faith Akers has a very interesting life and I hope she gets the job she wants and gets accepted to the college of her choice.

Mighty Fine

There are many students in Sunridge Middle School, but there is never one like the other. As for this peer, he is himself, an adventurer, a finder for peace in the galaxy, a true hero, he is, Colin Rickman. This so called ‘hero’, likes such hobbies as sports, hanging with friends, and drawing…a lot. A regular day for him is a regular day like no other! Such activities include going to school, then, a grueling football practice, going home to what he calls ‘gamin’, homework, a feast at the table, then going to bed, awaiting his next adventurous day ahead. His interests in subjects in school include just one, Social Studies. He is fascinated by this subject because he likes learning about past civilizations such as the Aztecs and those ‘stuck up’ Europeans. His plans for the future are going to college, getting a career, not getting married but still having a son. He absolutely does not want a daughter. He does not know at this time what college he wants to attend; he just says that he wants to go to a college that accepts him. The feature he likes most about Pendleton is that it’s a small town, you can walk anywhere, and you pretty much know everyone. His favorite number is sixty-nine. Why sixty-nine you ask, well according to Colin he likes it because it is the same number upside down. The types of food that he likes are donuts, spaghetti, and cake. As for drinks, he likes Dr. Pepper and Code Red Mountain Dew. On the more healthy side, he likes apple juice as well. When he thinks of school he thinks of the words “fun”, it has its “good days”, and he likes seeing his “friends”. The traits he looks for in a person are humor, kindness, and the kind of people that don’t take life too seriously.  These are all the thoughts, ways of life, and beliefs of an adventurer, Colin Rickman.

Mad Maddie

         Sports is a way of life for some people. One such person is named Madison Parker
she has been committed to sports all her life and she lives for it. A “sportster” named Madison Parker is into sports such as Volleyball, Softball, and running. She would want to meet Andy Samberg because he is funny and tall. In five she sees herself in college. Her favorite song is a “Little Bit Stronger” by Sarah Evans, because she likes the lyrics. Her favorite movie is Charlie's angels because of fond memories with her father. She would never ever run for Mayor because it is too much work and she is not political at all. Her dream job is to be a Teacher because she likes kids and her mom was a teacher. She would like to meet herself in five years because she finds herself interesting. She wouldn’t write a novel because she isn’t fond of writing. She views herself as sporty, fun, wild, crazy, and extremely happy. These are the facts of Madison “Maddie” Parker.

Just Call Her a Safety Hazard

Have you ever wondered what its like to walk in the shoes of an 8th grader? Zoee Jones is a normal 8th grade student that has many friends and is called a “safety hazard” and “psycho path” by many. Zoee Jones has two siblings. Their names are Rubie and Griffin. She doesn’t like school, due to the fact ,that there’s too much homework given by teachers. Her favorite hobby is to read. She likes reading because it gives her something to do. The last book Zoee read was The Deal With Mr. Player. She says she chose the book because it looked interesting. Her friends call her a “safety hazard”, “crazy person”, and “psycho path” because she is a hyper person and sometimes has crazy antics. Her favorite teacher she’s had so far is Mr. Curtis from science class. He’s her favorite teacher because he is cranky and stubborn. Mr. Curtis has taught Zoee for two years. Science is her favorite subject because she thinks that all the scientific ‘stuff ’ you learn is interesting. She listens to all kinds of music except country. She likes the other music because she likes the beat of the music. All of her friends inspire her because they sometimes act silly but always have good ideas. Zoee plans to go to college to study art, marine biology, or writing. She doesn’t know where she’ll go to college yet. So now you know what the life of a typical 8th grader is like.

Getting to Know Brett Rinehart

    Do you have any goals or interests for this school year? Well, a sixth grader named Brett Rinehart does! His goals for this school year are getting all his work in on time and getting good grades. His favorite subject in school is P.E. because he can go outside, have fun, and play sports. Brett’s role model is John Boyet because he is Brett’s favorite football player and plays for the school Brett would like to attend, the University of Oregon. Not only would he like to attend this college because his role model plays there, he would also like to go there because he thinks it’s generally a great school and he likes their athletic programs. Brett also enjoys playing baseball, even though football is his favorite sport to play because it’s a sport where he can go out and purposely hit people. Finally, his other interests besides tackling people are playing video games, drawing, and reading. These are only a few goals and interests of Brett’s, and you should always remember that it’s always good to get to know someone before you judge them. 

Blue Mountain Recovery Center

      It’s a great job that keeps her on her toes. Melissa works at Blue Mountain
Recovery Center in Pendleton Oregon. She was 18 years old when she started
working at the Blue Mountain Recovery Center, not always wanting to do this
particular job but always knowing she had the ambition to help people. The
reason why she likes this job is because she is helping people live independently,
better job skills, and improve their self-esteem. The most difficult part of the job
is working with people who hear voices, have delusions, see things, and some
that just have no self-hope and she realized she can’t control or take away their
delusions so her job is to reassure them that they are safe and they will get
better. Anther motivation for keeping this job is because of the benefits (health’s
insurance, dental insurance, and retirement benefits). Yes, Melissa feels this job is
fulfilling because she gets to see people get better so they can leave the recovery
center where they can live independently. Melissa plans on retiring from this job
at an early age, while feeling the accomplishments that she made in many lives
along the way.

That One Girl

It’s hard to explain her personality. It’s the enthusiasm and courage she has in others that keeps her strong. We’ve been best friends since birth, and to this day, we have never been closer.  Most best friends aren’t really family, but we are. Skylar Bill was born in Pendleton, Oregon on August 17, 1999. In her free time she likes to hang out with her friends. Her main goals in life are to get a good education and to make her way past college by working hard. She wants to attend a college in Portland to become a designer and have her own fashion line one day. At the beginning of a new day she tells herself “Come on Skylar, you can get through this day!” Her parents Robby and Wendy Bill keep her motivated by standing by her side through tough times. One of her role models is Mariah Kiefer because of her strength and beauty. She describes of herself as a strong, confident person who tries her best to make it through school. She enjoys running Cross Country and Track because it’s an honor to support her school. She can’t wait to see what God has chosen for her in life, and neither can I because she deserves the best.

Life As Mrs.Duchek

Life isn't easy. Nobody ever said that it WAS easy. But Mrs.Duchek makes everyone's life much easier by helping out at Sunridge Middle School.

Growing up, Mrs.Duchek was your typical teenage girl. She lived with her mom and dad. While her dad was a psychologist, her mom was at home busy with the kids. When Mrs.Duchek was younger, her and her brother were crazy little kids. They were always fighting or just having a blast with each other. Her dad was her inspiration in life and she wanted to grow up to be just like him. After graduating from high school Mrs.Duchek went to Aims Community College in Greeley, Colorado. She liked collage, and took general classes. She doesn't know why she went to Aims but said, “I guess Greeley was a college town, and I caught the bug.” Mrs.Duchek today feels that she is a strong woman. She has three stepchildren, and one son that is 31. She lost a child a few years ago. Mrs.Duchek works at Sunridge Middle School as an assistant. She LOVES her job here and says; “The staff is great and I love the kids. I think of myself as the oldest teenager.” Working with kids all the time is stressful, so Mrs.Duchek eats chocolates to relieve the stress of her everyday life. I, and many others, are just grateful that Mrs.Duchek takes her meds in the mornings and we get to see her each day.

Fun in P.E.

Jenna Rains and Lauren Spicknall enjoy their fun in the PE room playing basketball.

Christmas Name That Phrase

Christmas Double Puzzle

Click here to print a Christmas Double Puzzle

Merry Christmas crossword!

Snowman Maze

Christmas Maze

Cookie Craze Maze!!

Click here to solve The Cookie Craze Maze. 

 

A Day as Sheila!

       We all have different backgrounds and stories, experiences we have that define who we are. We are in control of our own life, and future. In 1963 one of God's greatest creations entered into this world. Some call her Sheila, but I call her mom. As a child she moved many times. She went to four different middle schools! In junior high and high school she was quite reckless and carefree. Believe it or not, some say she was even boy crazy! Her mom was always falling in and out of love, and was married half a dozen times. She had three half-brothers and three half-sisters. At nine years old her oldest brother drown. It was a very hard time for her and her family, and she has never experienced such sadness. In high school she was quite the athlete. She participated in track, basketball, cheer leading, and gymnastics her favorite sport of all. Her best friends were Valerie Dunham, and Kim Ruckman because they did a lot of activities that teenagers do today. In the eighth grade she met, and fell in love with my father. Much like me her favorite school subject was English. Her biggest regret is college. The economy when she grew up was quite stable and rapidly growing, so she didn’t feel that college was very important. My mom’s life was a little crazy growing up, no different from most teenagers.

Creepin'

Creepin' in the hall much?
(Haley Bradley, Payton Hergert, Jenni Kannier, Baylie Paul)

Amazingly Beautiful

Cristal Pounce Palomera sitting at a computer!

The Fishy Tale of Donna Collins

Swimming is a great sport for athletes although it is commonly overlooked. Coaches work hard to pass their knowledge down to young swimmers; this year my swim team, PSA has Donna Collins as our coach. Donna was born in Pendleton and is currently living with her fifteen year old dog Pax, she has been a swimmer since 1955. She started coaching in 1983 when her son started swimming in the fishies program. She enjoys coaching and loves watching the kids improve. Her favorite thing about coaching is watching the kids achieve something they never thought they would. Donna is looking forward to seeing the kids excited about racing. Her greatest memory was when the high school boys’ relay team was two points behind second place. This was especially exciting for her, because the kids were not from a strong program and she remembers the coaches from other teams going “Wait a minute, that’s Pendleton!”

She would like the paper to have more press on the sport, but mostly she wants the kids to be more involved in the community. She plans on having the swim teams (Pendleton Swim Association and Pendleton High School) help rebuild Pioneer Park, as she herself had many great memories from when she was a kid. Her favorite memory is when she was learning to swim butterfly in the small pool they had there. Donna is a great coach, with many useful tips, I can’t wait to see how she helps the swim team improve.

Criss Cross Christmas Time Puzzle

Across
7. German Christmas song
8. tiny person with big ears
10. protectors that watch over others
11. represents a shepherds cane
Down
1. Saint of Mira
2. flies Santa's sleigh
3. packages wrapped in green and red
4. the birth of Jesus
5. plant bringing love
6. Christmas treat
9. flies through the night to bring gifts

RAEANAS LIFE IN THE MAKING

        Raeana Mikel is a teenage girl who has a lot of dreams and a
lot of goals. One of her goals for this year is to get good grades. She hopes
on getting good grades because she wants to go to college. She wants to go
to college at Walla Walla University for a few years, then finishing off in
Portland. Raeanas inspiration is Gerard Way, he is in a band called My
Chemical Romance. He is her inspiration because he supports all kinds of
people, donates to charity, is a great person, and makes amazing music.
Raeanas favorite memory is when she went to a Justin Bieber concert in
Portland, Oregon. Raeana says her pros about herself are that she is great
at writing and that she treats everyone fairly. A few cons about herself are
that she is very impatient and she gets irritated very easily. Raeana isn’t
scared of much but she does have a fear of spiders, ghost, and being in
front of a crowed. Raeanas favorite hobbies are playing basketball, writing,
and being with her friends, she loves to do these things because she can do
them easily and has fun while doing them. Raeana thinks that in twenty
years she will have a nice family and a good job, she hopes that she will
love her life. When Raeana retires she would like to go on a lot of vacations
with her husband and grandchildren. Raeana hopes that her life will turn
out just the way she wants it....perfect.

Christmas Word Cross

Across
2. Santa's Lovely wife
4. its what you receive Christmas morning around the Christmas tree
5. A time to celebrate Jesus' birth
7. "smooch Smooch"
9. a red nose reindeer
10. what Santa eats after he delivers your presents
11. He lives in the North Pole and delivers presents
12. what the weather should  be like on Christmas
13. He died on the cross
Down
1. Smells fresh after being cut down
3. the only type of candy you hang on the Christmas tree
6. the emotion you have on Christmas
8. what hangs above the fireplace
11. Santa's little workers

Leadership Unicorn

Leadership's pink unicorn made for Spirit Week.

Fun Time With Scissors

Nathan Bliss and Brooke Larson playing with scissors.

Christmas Criss Cross Puzzle

 Christmas Challenge!

Across
1. Hangs above the fireplace.
2. This is what Santa goes down.
3. White and very cold.
4. A holiday on December 25th.
7. The type of animal that leads the sleigh.
10. Some people go around to houses doing this.
11. We put them on our houses.
Down
1. He has rosey red cheeks.
2. Yummy peppermint candy.
5. Santas transportation.
6. What lays under the tree.
8. He has a red nose and is the main leader.
9. What we put our presents under.

 

http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/code/BuildCrissCross.asp

A Christmas Crossword