The Chief Online - Pontiac Township High School

New Teacher Report:
The Chief Online
PONTIAC TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL
February 2015
Inside this Issue:
Painting a
Difference
By Cassidy Murphy
By Cassidy Murphy
For the last few months, many of you have probably noticed the mural next to the office
that has been a work in progress. The group behind this was AP Art students Sidney
Dunning, Chloe Mayback, Jenna Salvator, and AP Art Teacher Mr. Vogt. I was able to talk
with Sidney and Chloe to get their insights on the making of the mural.
Q: “Was this mural your idea, or was there a push behind doing it?”
SD: “Mr. Bohm came to Mr. Vogt with the idea of having some of his students paint a
mural on the blank wood “canvas” left on the wall that was previously the teachers‟
mailboxes. Mr. Vogt then decided to ask us if we could come up with ideas and paint it.
Music Dept.
2
Upperclass Acts
3
Inside this issue:
Book Review
4
FFA
5
Student Poetry
6
Speech Team
7
CATCH UP WITH
PTHS EVENTS AT
HIGH SCHOOL
CUBE
Q: “How did you decide on a design?”
CM: “We basically worked together on agreeing with a design and each made different
ones and compared, and then chose what we thought would be best.”
SD: “We knew we wanted the school included in the mural. We all started to sketch out
different ideas with very different styles and theme. Eventually, we all came to an
agreement on a basic design. From this, we incorporated different aspects into it, whether
it‟s what color we want for the ground, or what theme we want in each letter.”
Q: “What was the inspiration behind it?
CM: “We wanted to do something to represent PTHS in a unique way that can last beyond
our time at the high school.”
Q: “How long did the whole process take?”
SD: “We started in early December.”
CM: “It only took so long because we could only work on it a single class period every
day."
Q: “How does it feel to have your artwork on display for years to come?”
CM: “I think it was a really neat opportunity to do. It‟s really cool to know a „piece‟ of us will
always be there.”
SD: “It was an honor to be the three students asked to paint this mural that will be there for
many years to come. It was a wonderful way for us to bring art into the hallways.”
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Congratulations,
Jake Lanning!
2A 160 3rd @
State
Solo & Ensemble Contest
Held at PTHS
Music Department
Update
Pontiac High School music students participated in Solo &
Ensemble Contest on Tuesday, February 10th, at Pontiac
High School. Students were rated in one of five divisions,
with a Division I being the highest awarded. In addition,
judges awarded Superior Performance certificates to top
performers in their respective performance room. Judges for
the event were Daniel Marcotte and Scott Jones –
instrumental, and Tom Tropp and Sarah Windham - vocal.
“Superior Performance” certificates were awarded to the
following events:
Vocal Solo – Steven Arthur, Haley Dickey, Allyson Heil,
Kevin Kuska
By Jessica Ping
One month into 2015 already! It’s crazy, isn’t it? Well,
the Music Department has been extremely busy these
last few weeks. Both the band and choir students
have been preparing various pieces for our annual
solo and ensemble contest. The pre-contest has
already taken place, and real thing is right around the
corner! Good luck to all of those people participating
in this nerve-wrecking and confidence-building
experience!
This past month seven music students were lucky
enough to travel to Peoria to participate in the Illinois
Music Education Conference. These students put in
many hours of practice while there, performing
extremely complex pieces of music. On Saturday,
these students gave an amazing performance
alongside 200 of Illinois’s top high school musicians at
the Peoria Civic Center. Congratulations to all of them!
Instrumental solos – Grace Lyons-clarinet
Instrumental ensembles – Trumpet Duet-Noah White and
Brandi Mueller
The following students received a "Division I" rating:
Vocal Solos – Sarah Albrecht, Alexis Hall, Aleena Lloyd,
Caitlyn Rickets, Brandi Mueller, Rachel O’Lone, Clara
Arthur, Kaelee Germain, Camryn Tickle, Rachel Watson,
Naomi Madrigal, Macey David, Jeremiah Rowland, John
Leverton, Grace Lyons, Logan Mies, Jessica Ping, Baylee
Ritter, Madison Grundler, Cody Hatzer, Aubrey Gill,
Hannah Tronc, Mason Vilt, Dillon Hunt, Andrew Hurt,
Trentyn Hart, Katie Dixon, Anneka Carlson, Carrie
Campbell, Lucy Hodgson
Instrumental Solos – Noah White, Chloe Mayback, Kevin
Kuska, Caitlyn Ricketts, Jeffrey Elem, Ethan Putnam,
Tatum Joerndt, Henry Woodburn
Click HERE for the
Music Department website
Winter Choral
Showcase Concert
The Pontiac Township High School Music Department
proudly presents its Winter Choral Showcase Concert
on Thursday February, 26 at 7:00pm in the Pontiac
Township High School Auditorium!
Enjoy selections from the Concert Choir, our two
women‟s ensembles Bel Canto and Cantabile, our
Men’s Choir, male barbershop quartet, We’ll Take it
From Here and Vocal Jazz Choir Route 66! Hear pop
selections from the 60‟s 70‟s and 80‟s, 90‟s and today!
Enjoy to music from Swing and Vocal Jazz to Musical
Theatre! Come and be treated to an evening of toetapping music that you‟re bound to recognize and love
from radio, T.V., Film and Stage!
Instrumental Ensembles – Brass Sextet, Percussion Duet
The following students received a "Division II " rating:
Vocal Solos – David Gualandi, Eve Pouliot, Abigayle
Orndorff, Seth Corrigan, Alex Coan, Alec Bristow
Instrumental Solos –Brandi Mueller, Abigayle Orndorff,
Emma Burns
Congratulations to all Music Department faculty and students
for your excellence in performance!
Tickets are $3.00 for adults and free for students and
those with the Golden Age Pass.
Bring yourself and friends to enjoy a tremendous
evening of Choral Music from PTHS!
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Upperclass Acts
3 major areas of interest: Travel,
animals, Disney
Pet Peeves: people who chew with
their mouth open, when people say
“I could care less” instead of “I
couldn‟t care less”, when people
change their personality depending
on who they‟re with
Plans after high school: Attend
Illinois State University to major in
Parks and Recreation and hopefully
work at Disney World some day.
What my friends will remember
about me: My love for volleyball,
how amazing I am at Just Dance,
and my obsession with Disney
Favorite Movie: Saving Mr. Banks
and the Hunger Games series
How would you spend $1,000,000:
I would pay for my college and my
sister‟s college, buy my parents a
new house, go on an African safari,
and then travel the world
Fondest Memory of High School So
Far: Painting up at the home football
games and all of the dances
Most Inspirational Song: “Believe”
by Josh Groban
Abby Muir
Favorite teacher/class: Mrs. Mullen
(Accounting and Marketing), Mr.
Krause (Pre-Calc)
Nickname: Gail
Role Models: My parents and Walt
Disney
Favorite author/book: The Fault in
Our Stars by John Green
Activities at PTHS: volleyball, track, Key
Club, CAPTAINS, National Honor Society,
National Technical Honor Society,
Science Club
Katie Dixon
Nicknames: Kates, KDix, Peggy
Role Models: My mom, Baylee
Ritter, Faith Hill
Activities @ PTHS: Madrigals,
Route 66, HOSA, Thespians, TriM, NHS, NTHS, Stage Manager
for The Importance of Being
Earnest
Fondest Memory of High School
So Far: The Chorus/Band Spring
Break Trip to California
3 Major Areas of Interest: Music,
Movies/TV Shows, Helping
People/Children
Plans After High School: Attend
Heartland Community College for
2 years and then transfer to OSF
St. Francis School of Nursing for 2
years
Most positive moment: getting an All
Conference award in volleyball my
senior year
Favorite Movie: The Transformers
Series
Most Inspirational Song: “Nobody
Ever Told You” by Carrie Underwood
Favorite Teacher/Class: Favorite
Teacher – Mr. Sweetwood, Favorite
Class – Anatomy
Favorite Author/Book: Favorite
Author – Nicholas Sparks, Favorite
Book – The Fault in Our Stars
Most Positive Moment: Getting
accepted into all of the academic
clubs I am involved in – Tri-M,
Thespians, NHS, NTHS
Pet Peeves: People borrow things
and don‟t return them, people who
are irresponsible, people who are
negative towards themselves
What My Friends Will Remember
About Me: I am an outgoing and non
judgmental person
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If you were stranded on a desert
island, what 3 items would you
want with you?: my dog, water, a
speed boat
Last words of advice: “All your
dreams can come true if you have
the courage to pursue them.”
How Would You Spend $1,000,000: I
would save some money for college, after
college, and for my future kids‟ college. I
would build my own house, travel, give
money to my family, and donate some to a
charity.
If You Were Stranded on a Desert Island
What 3 Items Would You Want With
You?: My mom, Fresh Water, Helicopter
Last Words of Advice: Be yourself, live
your own life, and don‟t care about what
other people think
Book Review: H2O
Review by Dena Boatman
Ruby and the rest of her friends didn't think anything was wrong
with the rain. When Zach's parents started freaking
out and made them come in, they all laughed. The kids
thought they were just being overdramatic, until they heard
the radio announcement.
The rain was deadly. One drop would kill you.
Practically everyone Ruby knows is dead. Almost everyone
in the world is dead. Despite this, Ruby is confident that
her father is still alive, so she decides to take the journey
to London to find him. Along the way she joins forces
with the nerdiest boy in the school, Darius Sprout, who
she totally cannot stand, and a little girl who can't speak.
The plot of the book really excited me, although I struggled
with the character of Ruby. She is a realistic, stereotypical
popular teenage girl, but in an apocalyptic world, which is
not a good thing. Instead of looking for food, she raids
boutiques to get sequined dresses and heels and hopes no
survivors from their school find out that she and Darius are
together. Apart from that, the book is actually quite good.
I have not read a dystopian book like it before and I definitely
will be getting the sequel.
Author‟s official website:
http://virginiabergin.com/
DVD Review: Gone Girl
By Cassidy Murphy
The much anticipated and Oscar nominated Gone Girl is now out on DVD, and
I decided to take up the offer to save a few dollars and rent a movie instead of
seeing one. And this was in fact, a great decision. The mystery thriller based off
the book of the same name by Gillian Flynn, tells the story of Nick Dunne (Ben
Affleck) on the search to find his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike). On Nick and
th
Amy‟s 5 wedding anniversary, Nick comes home to find a table and some
pictures broken, and Amy gone. The press soon finds out, and the case is
shown everywhere because Amy was the inspiration for her parents‟ popular
books Amazing Amy. The suspicions start to pop up that Nick murdered her,
and are heightened by Nick‟s awkward behavior in front of the cameras. We
then see flashbacks of what was once a very loving marriage turn into a distant
one. Both Nick and Amy had lost their jobs, they moved out of New York and to
Missouri, and Nick began an affair. We see Amy contemplating buying a gun
and find out her secret pregnancy. Flashing back to present day, Detective
Rhonda Boney (Kim Dickens) and Nick search through the clues Amy has left
Photo Courtesy of 2oth Century Fox
for Nick on their anniversary. They soon find out *Spoiler Alert* that Amy had
intended to frame Nick for her murder. It appears she has run off, changed her appearance, and wrote a fake diary
that is leaving the clues that point to Nick murdering her. Throughout the search for Amy, Nick meets with an exboyfriend of Amy‟s, Desi Collings (Neil Patrick Harris), for details about their relationship; however he refuses to give
any information.
Now, I don‟t want to give away anymore of the movie, however it is full of twists and turns, and definitely kept me on
my toes. As many good movies do, I thought of it for days afterwards. The acting by all the actors was phenomenal
and is a must-see for any avid movie watcher.
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Once in a Blue Moon
By Alexis Hall
th
On February 7 ,
Pontiac Township High
School hosted its
annual Sweetheart
Dance from 8:00 –
11:00 p.m. This year‟s
theme for the dance
was “Once in a Blue
Moon.” The
decorations included
fairy lights strung up all
across the ceiling,
silver streamers, as
well as a moon hung
by the DJ stand. A decorated backdrop was set
up in the auditorium for students to have their
pictures taken to commemorate the night. Many
people showed up to celebrate the event and the
gym was packed with people dancing and having
fun. The students enjoyed their night up through
the last few moments of the magical evening as
the dance came to a close.
The Literary Society
Pop Culture 2015
By Jessica Ping
On February 1st, the iconic Harry Styles turned 21! Now, this in
itself isn‟t news, but the massive party he threw is. It‟s said that he
spent over 200,000 Euros on the big bash. Only the top A-list
celebrities were invited to the super private party like bandmates
Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson, Jennifer Lawrence, and David
Beckham. Also on the invite list were Style‟s friends Kendall
Jenner and Cara Delevine. With Harry‟s current rumored girlfriend,
Nadine Leopold, also in attendance, we hope it wasn‟t too
awkward of an event. Pictures were not allowed to be taken;
however, a few have leaked showing the big star‟s five birthday
cakes. All five displayed baby pictures of Harry imprinted into the
frosting. Though most of the night is still a mystery, from the list of
those in attendance alone, it seems to have been a fantastic
evening!
Sorry Jelena lovers, but it‟s been all but confirmed that Selena has
moved on from the “As Long As You Love Me” singer. She is
currently rumored to be dating the well known music producer and
DJ, Zedd. Recently Zedd‟s good friend Diplo posted a picture of
himself and Zedd hugging and captioned it with “Look out
@selenagomez”. Selena responded with an angry and laughing
emoji! This, along with the couple‟s adorable pictures together,
have most people close to certain that they are definitely a thing!
FFA Update
By Jordan Triplett
The Literary Society has been very busy this
month. Chris Karlsen and Jennifer Conner, two
authors, Skyped in with the Literary Society and
offered writing tips. Jennifer owns her own
publishing company and even offered tips on
publishing. One of the biggest pieces of advice
they gave us was to develop a thick skin; not
everyone will like what you‟ve written nor will your
work be accepted right away. Chris even told us
a story of when someone gave her a one star
review because there were no pirates in her
story! They also told us to research everything:
time periods, dress styles, and especially
publishing companies. According to the authors,
writers should look into the types of books they
publish and how many they‟ve published to make
sure that that publishing company is the one you
want to go with. Also, one should not settle with
someone self-publishing in their mom‟s
basement! Next we plan on Skyping with
Garrison Kelly, a self-published author.
ACT STUDY GUIDE
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO
By Amy Wyant
We‟re over half way through the year and still have one of our
biggest activities coming up. The annual Pontiac FFA Auction is
coming quickly and we need all hands on deck! We ask for any
members who are interested in helping to contact Mr. Faber, Mr.
Bane, or any other officer. Our chapter is very lucky to have the
majority of our trips paid for because of this auction so we
appreciate any help we can get. Even though we finished up some
of our favorite activities such as the ski trip and Tour of Schools,
we still have Ag in the Classroom and our Chapter Exchange to
look forward to. Also, our February chapter meeting is being held
Wednesday, February 4, and we are having an Italian night
complete with homemade bread and pasta! We are also having
our monthly Games at Evenglow coming up and we will be
throwing a Valentine‟s Day-themed party and make cards for all
the residents. Once again, you don‟t have to be a member to come
to any activities. We love to see non-members at our activities and
ask for our current members to invite some friends whenever they
get a chance! Lastly, a little shout out goes to all the FFA members
who are competing for their State Degree this week. The State
Degree is the highest degree that a member can earn at the state
level and it takes a strenuous amount of work to earn it, so wish
our members good luck!
FFA information can be found HERE.
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Student Poetry: Haiku
Blooming in the
spring,
Smells of delight fill
the air,
Beauty all around
Imagine the world,
Where peace
becomes delightful,
Where hate turns to
love
Spiderman is great.
He‟s my favorite
hero.
He swings from his
web.
By Rachel Sypult
By Robbie Craig
By Jordan
Holzhauer
Wind blowing my
hair,
The sound of
rustling leaves,
The singing of birds.
The ball comes
toward me.
I take a deep breath
and swing.
Past the fence it
goes.
By Louis Nesbit
By Hannah Tronc
Music Review: Haim
Review by Grecia Araujo-Torres
Haim is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California.
This sister act band are slowing rising in the music industry. The
three sisters, Alana, Danielle, and Este Haim come from a
musically talented family and spent their childhood playing
instruments and singing along with their parents. They have
already received a number of awards but there is much more
success yet to be accomplished. Haim‟s unique 70‟s soft-rock
sound musical style is really what puts them apart from many other
artists. Haim has recently released their first album, Days Are
Gone. Some of their greatest hits include “The Wire” and “Forever.”
Haim will be joining Taylor Swift on her upcoming tour this summer.
Check out their website for more! http://haimtheband.com/
The 2014-2015 Chicago Bulls (Midseason)
By Adam Shelton
The 2014-2015 season has been a disappointment in the eyes of many, as we reach the midseason all star
break. While going 34-20 through midseason may not exactly seem ideal for Bulls fans, the team did manage to
reach the halfway point with a 1.5 game lead in the division over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Derrick Rose, who has averaged 19 points per game and five assists per game so far, has played a very calm and
efficient first half. Off season pick-up Pau Gasol is averaging a double-double midway through, putting up 18 points
per game while pulling in twelve rebounds per game as well. Jimmy Butler, one of the biggest surprises in all of
NBA so far, averaged 20 points per game while leading the league in minutes played. Both Gasol and Butler were
selected to this year‟s All Star team. Joakim Noah is averaging career lows, while steadily recovering from an
offseason knee surgery. The Bulls have obviously underperformed so far this year, going 13-11 at home to start the
season. If the Bulls hope to go deep into the 2015 Playoffs, the defense must improve and get back to that elite
level that coach Tom Thibodeau is used to seeing. The Chicago defense ranked 13th in the league for the first half,
which is the lowest it has been in six years.
ADAM"S PROJECTIONS:
Comeback Player of the Year: Derrick Rose (1st)
Most Improved Player: Jimmy Butler (1st)
Sixth Man Award: Taj Gibson (3rd)
Rookie of the Year: Nikola Mirotic (2nd)
Playoff Result: Lose to Cleveland in Eastern Conference Quarterfinals 4-3
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Ask Trippy
PTHS Speech Team
Compete in Regional
Dear Trippy,
I got the worst news ever! I had my whole future
planned out and I knew exactly what I wanted to
do but I got a letter in the mail telling me I‟m
ineligible to go to the place I was sure I would get
into. What am I supposed to do now? My whole
future shattered before my eyes and I don‟t know
what to do at all. I have no idea what I want to
do as a career or where I want to go! Please
help me! I‟ve never felt more lost in my life!
Please help me!
Helpless and Drowning
Dear Helpless and Drowning,
First thing to do is calm down and think. Flying
off the handle will get you nowhere. Now, start
looking into different colleges. There are plenty
of places that you could go to; you just need to
open your mind. Do some soul searching and
figure out your strengths; it‟ll help you get an idea
of what you really want to do. Once you know
your career path, look at colleges who have good
programs for what you want to do. Just
remember that when one door closes, two more
open and not all roads lead to a dead end.
By Kamryn Moore
The PTHS Speech Team recently had three members, Hannah
McCoy, Kamryn Moore, and Merle Dissen compete in the regional
competition at U-High. All members did extremely well and broke
finals. First year member Merle Dissen took home 8th place in the
event of Dramatic Interpretation. Freshman Kamryn Moore
received 7th place in Poetry Reading. Captain and three-year
member Hannah McCoy won 4th place and advanced to
sectionals! Sectionals were held February 14, at Normal-West
high school in Normal. Congratulations to a great Speech Team!
Project Unify Peers in Action
Launches PTHS Read for
Respect Reading Marathon
Hosted by Project Unify Peers in Action and the PTHS Library,
participants have from now until April 24 to read books for the
race!
There are four ways to participate:
o Marathon: Read 26.2 books
o Half Marathon: Read 13.1 books
o 10K: Read 6.2 books
o Mighty Miler: Read 5,280 pages
Yours, Trippy
Have a question for Trippy? Send it HERE
·
Race forms are in the library or can be printed off from
the Read for Respect LibGuide (linked from the Library
webpage). To sign up, please visit the Read for Respect
LibGuide and mark which race you plan to participate in.
·
For more information or to print off race forms, visit the
Read for Respect LibGuide , or speak with Ms.
Baumgardner or Mrs. Mueller.
The Chief Staff
Jessica Ping, Editor-in-Chief
Grecia Araujo-Torres
Dena Boatman
Alexis Hall
Kamryn Moore
Cassidy Murphy
Baylee Ritter
Adam Shelton
Jordan Triplett
Jeanette Wooldridge
Amy Wyant
Mr. Soares, Faculty Sponsor
Attention Teachers!
Check out the revamaped Teacher Resource Webpage @
http://libguides.pontiac.k12.il.us/content.php?pid=495677
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