signal
The Smoke September 2024 Newton Local Schools
Vol. 6 Issue 1

meet the editors

Hi! My name is Meg Yoder! I am a sophomore and president of my class. I am in Drama Club, Leo Club, and Spanish Club. I do soccer, cheer, and track. I chose to be in News Writing because I thought it would be a really fun class, and Liam begged me to join. I have three older brothers, and a pet dog named Bruce Lee. In the future I plan to go to college to get a degree in marketing.

Hi, I am Liam Woods I am a senior here at Newton. I am the social media manager for the senior class, I run cross country and track, and I am also on the swim and bowling team. I joined News Writing because Miss Rhea is awesome. My interests are Spider-Man, anime, Mac Miller, Pokemon, and Legos but I swear I am not a nerd.

Hi, my name is Dylan Bauer and I will be the sports editor for the smoke signal this year. I am a member of the cross country and track teams as well as National Honors Society. My interests outside of sports are cooking and drawing. If someone were to ask me what superpower I would like the most it would be to fly. I am looking forward to this year and I have some good ideas for the sports articles that I cannot wait to put to paper.

Hi my name is Vivien Clark I am in charge of the clunker of the month and the club announcements. I am also one of the editors who will be doing Upper Valley check in photos so feel free to send in photos of you and your friends. I am in multiple sports and clubs, you can practically find me anywhere. I chose news writing because Candace told me I could not drop it and quickly realized I would enjoy my time in this class.

Hello, I am Candace Shellenberger and I am the entertainment writer for the newspaper this year. I wanted to take newswriting, because I thought it would be fun. I am a junior this year. I play volleyball and am in marching band, as well as being in FFA, Leo Club, National Honor Society, and Student Council. In my free time
I like hanging out with friends and Bible journaling. In the future I would like to be an elementary teacher.	1

History Made! By: Dylan Bauer

This past Saturday on September 21st, for the first time ever, the girls cross country team won the Miami County Championship meet. The team was led by Michaela Flora who finished 4th overall. She was followed in order by Claire Stull (10th), Cole Thompson (14th), Gentri Deaton (20th), Emily Flora (22nd), Ellie Bradshaw (31st), Evelyn Case (47th), and Ellie Bauer (66th). This team is loaded with talent, but this season has not always been a cakewalk. Many of the girls have fought through some major injuries to be able to run competitively again. In fact, not all of them were at 100% on Saturday, but they toughed it out and brought home the win. In the process, they beat Tippecanoe and Troy, whose runners together made up more than half of the race! Great job girls!

athletes of the month

Sienna Montgomery	Will Bowser

As the middle hitter for the	With around 9 nine years of varsity volleyball team, Sienna	golfing experience, Will is no was selected for showcasing	stranger to the fairway. He was great	leadership	and	a	selected for his outstanding competitive	drive.     She     has	attitude and leadership. Will is played volleyball for 6 years and	most proud of helping the team her proudest achievement is	beat the 9-hole low score school getting 1st team all conference	record shooting a 35 and getting and all district last year as a	first team all conference this

junior. Sienna is also grateful for
those closest to her, saying, “
	My
	
parents have always been my biggest supporters! My coaches have also tremendously helped me become the player I am
	
today!
	” Way to go Sienna!

year. It is clear that those years of practicing golf have really helped him become a top tier golfer for the school. Great job Will!

Q&A

1. If you had to play any other sport what would it be?
Sienna:
	Probably softball because I grew up playing it!
		
Will: I think I would be pretty solid at volleyball. 2. What is your sport’s most satisfying sound?
		
Sienna: Hitting the volleyball!
		
Will: I would say either a very pure long iron shot or the sound of the ball dropping in the hole.
	
3. Does pineapple belong on pizza?
		
Sienna: No.
		
Will: Absolutely not.

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Voyage to the Blue Planet By: Liam Woods

This month I attended a Weezer concert in Columbus. The opening bands were “Dinosaur Jr”. and “Flaming Lips.” “Dinosaur Jr.” only played for 20 minutes but that is a good thing because it might have been the worst live performance ever. You could not hear the lead singer and the guitar sounded like two cats fighting. But on the other hand, “Flaming Lips” was amazing. Their show was fun and unique. They had many fun props and the lead singer had a lot of energy. After their performance there was around a 30 minute wait until “Weezer” and in that time about 40 people complimented my shirts and multiple people even asked for pictures of the shirt. Then finally it was time for “Weezer”. The theme of the tour was “Voyage to the Blue Planet” so it started with “Weezer” entering a rocket and blasting through space and they would stop at different places that would correlate to their different albums. My favorite part was when they crashed into the Pinkerton Asteroid Belt and played 5 songs off the Pinkerton Album. After that segment they played the Blue Album in full. This was the main event and it was the most fun I have had in a while. The whole entire stadium knew every word of every song and the energy was unmatched. If you have not listened to Weezer before I highly recommend listening to them especially the Blue Album.

artist of the month By: Liam Woods
Your September Artist of the month is Maddie Karns! When did you get into art? I got into art when I was probably like six years old just because it was fun to scribble on paper and now it is my favorite hobby. What is your favorite art medium? Pencil
What does your art consist of? My art consists of mostly watercolor and charcoal drawings, but some of my favorite things to draw are animals and kind of random things.
What motivates you to make good art? I like the feeling of taking hours to make something and then just looking at it like I did that, and just because it is really calming kind of an escape from the world no pressure or anything.
Do you plan on pursuing a career in art after graduation? I think it will always be something I will do in my free time but after graduation I want to go to
college to be a nurse.	3

movie review

Earlier this month as a class we watch, A Walk to Remember which is a 2002 romantic drama. It is about an unpredictable couple who is faced with a tragedy. This is what our class had to say. Candace says, “I liked the movie because it showed how much of an impact one person can have on another person’s life.” Meg agrees, “it is a very good movie that shows how much a person can change.” There is no doubt that this has an emotional journey, “this was a movie with a lot of emotions, I would say it was an emotional rollercoaster” says Vivien and Liam says, “it is a good way to prank your mom into crying.” The movie definitely had it’s ups and downs Dylan says, “the ending will surprise you” and to sum it up Liam gives a final review, “It was enjoyable, but I wouldn’t recommend it.”
On a scale of 1-5 Liam, Dylan, and Vivien rated it a 3, Candace and Meg rated it a 4, and Miss Rhea who advocated to watch the movie rates it a 5. Miss Rhea classifies this as a classic and was disappointed when our editors only focused on one line from the trailer, “I like your sweater” which has quickly become a oneliner said about a million times a class. Upon further review Miss Rhea agrees it is kind of cringey but it is a 2000s movie so what else can you expect?

jayla at porch fest

By: Candace Shellenberger

Recently Jayla Leland performed at Porch Fest in Troy. She got chosen to perform based off of clips she had submitted of past performances and a short biography she had to write about herself. When I asked her if she was nervous she said “Yeah, a little, but I have built up confidence on stage from past performances.” She has been performing since the age of six. The most exciting part for her was finding out she was one of the forty selected this year to perform. She performed an array of well-known covers such as Zach Bryan, Daniel Nunnelee, and some others. For the first time she performed “Fire to the Rain”, by Adele. I also asked her what the support from others means and she said “The support from others means a lot to me. It makes my hard work feel worthwhile and it helps keep me going. It feels good to know people enjoy and appreciate my music.”
looking forward to

By: Candace Shellenberger Looking forward to…….
Corn mazes - Taylor Swift themed one at Wheeler Farms, Youngs Jersey Dairy Hay rides, Apple picking, pumpkin patches - Brumbaugh Fruit Farm
Crisp Mornings

Fall colors - Hocking Hills, Charleston Falls Fall drinks - The Local Coffee and Creamery September 27 - Homecoming Soccer Game September 27- Homecoming Parade September 28- Homecoming Dance
October 4- Fall Fair and Class Challenge	4

teacher of the month

By: Candace Shellenberger

Mrs. Stevens is the teacher of the month this month. During her interview I asked her how many years she had been teaching and she responded with 12 years together and 11 years at Newton. I asked if she had always wanted to be a teacher and she said yes, but did not know if she wanted to be an elementary or high school teacher. Her biggest accomplishment while in high school was being the 1st team All Softball Player and the valedictorian of her class. Her biggest accomplishment since high school is becoming a mom to her daughters, Kenzley and Knoxley. When I asked her what she was looking forward to the most this year she said helping coach softball again. Her favorite things she did this summer with her girls were going to Myrtle Beach and going camping.

student of the month

By: Candace Shellenberger

Each month I will be asking teachers who they think is best fit for the student of the month. Student of the month is not solely based on academics, but also character outside of the classroom.
This month I asked Mrs. Hoosier who she thought was best fit and she responded with, “Jackson Blair. He is studious, tenacious, creative, considerate, kind, and friendly! He is a well rounded student who is liked by peers and staff!”
Jackson’s reaction when I told him was “What! Oh my Gosh!”

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get involved around the school

By: Vivien Clark

Welcome back!!! Looking around we see a lot of familiar faces, but we also see a lot of new ones. Being new to a school can be very intimidating and scary. Making friends can be hard especially when you do not know where to start. One good way to make new friends is to find people who have similar interests as you. The best way to find those people is by getting involved in the school clubs. There is a lot that Newton has to offer so to simplify it for you I will make a list. Let's start with the Drama Club, they put on a performance every spring and have a lot of fun doing it. Second is the Spanish Club, they take multiple trips throughout the year. The Chess Club meets almost every Friday to play a couple rounds. The Future Farmers of America (FFA) judge against other schools and tend to do very well. If you are looking for a leadership position in the school you can run for a student council seat next year. Join the Leo club and get some community service time in before graduation. If you fit the requirements, apply to the National Honors Society; they choose new members each year. Embrace your creativity and join the Art club after school, they have a lot of projects they do throughout the year. Finally, the band and choir are always looking for new members who have a love for music. Joining even one of these clubs can help new students acclimate to this new environment. Use this as an opportunity to get to know new people who share interests with you, and remember even if you are a senior it's never too late to join.

band wins Troy invitational

By: Vivien Clark
The band had their first competition on Saturday, September 7th. They attended the Troy invitational in class A performing their show entitled “For The Crown,” the show consists of lots of visuals and big impact moments. The show is based on the famous chess game which highlights the element of human versus machine. In the band's show they are competing against each other with the brass being the good guys and the woodwinds as the bad guys. Their show consists of many soloists. The soloists being Emily Floria, Audrey Miller, Hannah Williams, and Rilee Owens. Breanna Ingle, Colton Shellenberger, Parker Conning all perform a mellophone trio as well. The two sides are mostly distinguished by the uniforms they wear and the demeanor of each member. Over the weekend the band came home with 6 awards. With First in class A, as well as best percussion in class A. After class awards they won best general effect overall, best percussion overall, best music overall, and grand champion. They did not qualify at Troy but they hope to do better in two weeks at Perkins and get their one to make it to state. Update the band earned their superior at Perkins in order to go to state.
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Clunker of the month

By: Vivien Clark

This month's winner of clunker of the month is Rebekah Shough, she drives a 2005 Chevy Aveo. She's had it for just about 2 years, and it is mostly reliable. From the dents, rusted frame, and brake lights that are on and off she does not plan on getting a new one anytime soon. She also does not plan on getting it fixed as it would be less to just get a new car.

fall fair	editors Advice

Some back to school advice from our editors.

If you drive, do not be that guy that has to have the same parking spot every day or else their entire day is ruined. Sleep at night.
Walk on the correct side of the hall, it is like a road.

Be in school, do not miss out on opportunities just to grow up faster, you will miss it.
Do not procrastinate. Use your locker daily.
Keep a calendar with everything on it. Get involved in different clubs.
Be in a sport if you can.

Focus on grades and do your homework.

Do not drink from other people’s water bottles.

Do not be embarrassed, who cares what people think. Concessions are lowkey fun to work, sign up, it may surprise you.
Do not stress too much, you will forget in two weeks anyway.                                                                              7

Questions of the month

By: Liam Woods

For the month of September we asked many hard hitting questions to start off the school year. The first and most important question was what is your favorite snack food. The most common answers were chips, popcorn, and goldfish, but some standouts were John’s Pork Rinds, and Freddy Fazbear Candies. The thing that most people missed about summer was sleeping in and freedom. The thing that no one missed was school. But on the topic of school there were very mixed opinions on the first month of school 33% said it was great 42% said it was mid and the last 23% said it was not sigma. The things that people are looking forward to the most this year are Homecoming, Graduation, Christmas Break, and playing Dress to Impress. The end of the questionnaire I set out a list of movies and everyone picked their favorite. The school favorite with 29% of peoples vote was The Lorax and The Bee Movie came in a close second with 23% of votes. The rest of the movies trailed pretty far behind but the order was Perks of Being a Wallflower, Scott Pilgrim Vs the World, National Treasure, and last was Grease. Look out for next month's questionnaire it will be packed with fire questions.

new classes

By: Meg Yoder

This year there were four classes students could choose to join: Astronomy, Composition 1, Composition 2, and History Through Film. Astronomy is being taught by Ms. Short, Composition 1 is taught by Mrs. Kenworthy, Composition 2 is being taught by Ms. Rhea, and History Through Film is taught by Ms. Meyer. I asked each teacher four questions about the class and here’s what they said:
What is this class about?

Ms. Short, “The study of stars, moon, exoplanets, and other things in space.”

Mrs. Kenworthy, “Composition 1 is a college freshman entry level writing class that focuses on analytical writing. Composition 2 is an introduction to literature that is more interpretive writing, also a college freshman entry level class.”
Ms. Meyer, “Watching 6-7 films that all tie into the theme of fighting for freedom. Each movie has an activity that goes with it.”
Why did you decide to teach this class?

Ms. Short, “I have always been interested in teaching it, and a series of workshops came up.”

Mrs. Kenworthy, “I love teaching a writing class and I think this is a great class for that. A benefit for Newton is that juniors and seniors were already taking this class, and I am hoping it keeps them on campus in the future.” Ms. Meyer, “I have always been intrigued by it because it’s a new way to learn.”
What are you hoping for the students to get out of this class?

Ms. Short, “For them to leave with an appreciation for space and how astronomers figured out things.”

Mrs. Kenworthy, “To feel prepared and confident with their writing skills with whatever they’re doing after high school.”
Ms. Meyer, “A better understanding of each topic we’re learning and an appreciation for these movies. How is it going so far?
Ms. Short, “Very good!”

Mrs. Kenworthy, “I am loving it! We have already finished writing our first paper as of 9/5.” Ms. Meyer, “I could not be happier! It’s a small class, but they are all so engaged.”

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Student Submissions

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Happy 🎉 Birthday!

August: Jaden Deaton Celia Stucki
Caitlin Pleiman

apples friends pumpkins

cider harvest school

corn	football leaves
soccer

September: Estie Rapp Journie Smith AJ Church
Colton Shellenberger Will Bowser
Chloe Adams Brynnasen Fiely Isaiah Nance Andrew Long Bentley Hess Miranda Nance Kellany Merritt Griffin Reimer Kyleigh Holbrook Emma Rapp
Erika Shellabarger

Izzie Ballard

Smoke Signal’s September Playlist

See if you can match the song to the editor by filling out to google form!

“Gold” by Britt Nicole

“Mr. Brightside” by The Killers “Aquarium” by Mac Miller “Youforia” by Mac Miller “Shake it Off” by Taylor Swift
“Wrong Ones (Feat. Tim McGraw)”

by Post Malone	10