san newsletter february2014 blog

8/12/2019 SAN Newsletter February2014 Blog

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Student of the MonthFebruary 2014

S tuden t Achie vemen t Ne wsle t ter

Hi gh School Edi tion

Bledsoe Advisor Carly B.

Cullop Advisor Elizabeth M.

Sprott Advisor Elizabeth M.

Walker Advisor Munirah M.

Waters Advisor Mary C.

Covert Personal Finance Caitlin C.

Covert Digital Arts II Mallory I.Covert Comp. Lit. Oliver M.

Howze Personal Finance Nicole C.

Howze Design & Editing Alejandro R.

Howze Marketing II Alison S.

Nyland Comp. Lit. Kensley B.

Nyland Entrepreneurship 2 Michaela H.

Patterson Comp. Lit. Maegan A.

Patterson Web Design Chandni A.

Patterson Comp. Lit. Mariam E.

Patterson Game Design Alexander V.

Benton Other Brantley T.Betris Spanish 2 Taylor P.

Betris Spanish 1 Alena P.

Betris Spanish 3 Sarina K. .

Blanton Other Kristen C.

DeWalk Physical Education Ashley W.

Richardson Health Caroline S.

Spicer Math Michael B.

Wheeler Music App. Oliver M.

White Other Jordan D.

Williams Other Olivia C.

Witbeck Life Skills Ben A.

Young French Maresa C.

Brewer English IV Bradley B.

Brewer Block English IV Jaison L.

Brewer Honors English IV Brittany S.

D'Annunzio English 204B Erin F.

D'Annunzio English 202B Emily L.

Knoerr English 102 Mitchell B.

Lowery English 3 Mariam B.

Sasser AP Lang and Comp Emma B.

Sasser Honors English 104 Jacob W.

Sasser English 102 Ashley Y.

Smoak English 302B Gregory B.

Smoak English 302A Block Ashley P.

Barbara Willis Algebra II Block Ashley P.

Crocker Math Tech 2 Brantley T.

Dowling Math Tech 1 Brittany H.

Dowling Math Tech 1 Bl Fletcher H.Genco Geometry Honors Erin F.

Genco Geometry Joshua R.

Langford Prob. and Stats John F.

Langford Precalculus Oliver M.

Reed Algebra 1 Nathan B.

Sherbert Geometry Tech Alan M.

Sherbert Geometry Tech Bl Tori P.

Shuler Honors Algebra 2 Nicolas F.

Shuler Algebra 2 Ainslie N.

Boyd Biology Krista B.

Boyd Applied Biology I Bl James C.Brown CP Biology Natalia P.

Brown App Blk Bio II Ashanti T.

Hatcher Chemistry-Block Chealtsy F.

Hatcher Honors Chemistry Simon K.

Hatcher Chemistry Eric M.

Hawkins Applied Biology II Kristen C.

Hawkins Forensic Science Seth M.

Lauricella Honors Biology Nicolas F.

Lauricella College Prep Biology Nick H.

Lauricella Applied Biology 1 Albert K.

Morris Physics Curran C.

Morris Physical Science Meredith T.

Smith Earth Science Marshall C.

Smith Block Earth Science Omari J.

Chambers Geography Emily L.

Chambers World History Haley T.

Forrest US History William T.

Mayfield Geography Macie S.

Pennington Government Lydia F.

Pennington Anthropology Lauren W.

Wood Economics Alina M.

Wood Psychology Austin S.



Joseph is a hard working student

who sets goals for himself and

goes after them with 100% effort.

He has improved all of his grades

throughout this semester and it is

clear that this trend will continue

as the semester goes on. He has

put a lot of effort and hard workinto all of his classes. As we are

nearing the second half of this se-

mester I’m sure that Joseph will

finish strong and complete all of

the goals that he has set for him-

self!

—Ms. Cullop

Most Improved Student of the MonthFebruary 2014

Each month, SCVCS will be rec-

ognizing two students for attain-

ing Student of the Month status:

one student for overall Studentof the Month and one for Most

Improved Student.

SCVCS high school teachers and

advisors recommend students for

this honor.

Each month we will have various

prizes for our winners! This

month we will be sending out a

certificate to each student nomi-

nated and our winners will re-

ceive a $10 Target gift certifi-

cate. Congratulations to all of

our nominees and winners!



Joseph Kompanik

SCVCS 9th Grader



Most Improved Student of the MonthFebruary 2014



Sasser English 102 Jessie K.

Smoak English 302B Lucero G.

Smoak English 302A Block Meghan B.

Barbara Willis Algebra II Block Rebecca B.

Crocker Math Tech 2 KaJana H.

Dowling Math Tech 1 Bl Umar A.

Dowling Math Tech 1 Kailynn C.

Genco Geometry Megan C.

Genco Geometry Honors Lindsay H.

Langford Prob. and Stats Miranda H.

Langford Precalculus Brittany S.

Reed Algebra 1 Kaitlyn V.

Sherbert Geometry Tech Bl Larissa M.

Sherbert Geometry Tech Tre'anna Y.

Shuler Algebra 2 Ialiyah R.

Shuler Honors Algebra 2 Michaela W.

Boyd Applied Biology I Bl Mykaela C.Boyd Biology Michael M.

Brown CP Biology Donielle L.

Hatcher Honors Chemistry Samuel F.

Hatcher Chemistry Benjamin J.

Hatcher Chemistry-Block Carry K.

Hawkins Forensic Science Autumn T.

Lauricella Applied Biology 1 Emily A.

Lauricella College Prep Biology Jedadiah O.

Lauricella Honors Biology Lauren T.

Morris Physics Alexander B.Morris Physical Science Ellys B.

Smith Earth Science Lindsey D.

Smith Block Earth Science Colin T.

Chambers Geography Jedadiah O.

Chambers World History Shaiann T.

Forrest US History Kirsten R.

Mayfield Geography Ashleigh L.

Pennington Anthropology Lahra G.

Pennington Government Joy N.

Wood Economics Raelynn L.

Wood Psychology Sydney S.

Bledsoe Advisor Sean H.

Cullop Advisor Joseph K.

Sprott Advisor Dylan H.

Walker Advisor Whitney M.

Waters Advisor Jasmine D.

Covert Personal Finance Morgan B.

Covert Comp. Lit. Will P.

Covert Digital Arts II Knapp II R.

Howze Marketing II Sabrina J.

Howze Personal Finance Emily M.

Howze Design & Editing Coby W.

Nyland Comp. Lit. Hunter C.

Nyland Entrepreneurship 2 Andrew S.

Patterson Web Design

Kaitlyn AlexandriaD.

Patterson Comp. Lit. Haley F.

Patterson Game Design Justin K.Patterson Comp. Lit. Carli L.

Benton Other Katherine S.

Betris Spanish 3 Carmen C.

Blanton Other Zachary H.

DeWalk Physical Education Attiyah L.

Richardson Health Sharmaine A.

Spicer Math Jeremy H.

Wheeler Music App. Mary C.

White Other Stephen C.

Williams Other Maddie S.Witbeck Life Skills Joshua D.

Brewer English IV Austin B.

Brewer Block English IV

Kaitlyn AlexandriaD.

Brewer Honors English IV Nathan V.

D'Annunzio English 202B Aaron C.

D'Annunzio English 204B Kelly C.

Knoerr English 102 Tyler M.

Lowery English 3 Keshawn G.

Sasser Honors English 104 Robert B.

Sasser AP Lang and Comp Nicholas B.



triple pirouette or that part you

wanted, make it all worth it.”

The dance studio is a place

where Elizabeth can go to escapefrom everything that goes on

outside of her world of dancing.

“When I dance I can be anything

or anyone I want to be, almost

like acting. I get to express my-

self musically and artistically.”

She explains that she dances not just because she wants to dance,

but because she needs to dance.

Some of the shows in which Eliz-

abeth regularly performs are Co-

lumbia City Ballet’s Dracula: Bal-

let with a Bite, The Nutcracker,

and the studio’s annual com-

mencement performances

(recitals). She has also partici-

pated in performances of Snow

White, Cinderella, and The Little

Student AchievementElizabeth Meade — Ballerina

Elizabeth Meade began studying

ballet at age six, started tap clas-

ses in the 5th grade, and has taken

jazz and musical theater classesintermittently for several years.

She says that she wanted to be a

ballet dancer as far back as she

can remember, even before seeing

her first live ballet performance.

Through her experiences, Eliza-

beth has learned that being a

dancer involves a great deal of

commitment. She says, “Dance, es-

pecially ballet, is a lot of hard

work, long hours, blood, sweat, and

tears often without being able to

see improvements or feeling like you’re getting the recognition you

deserve. But finally getting that





“When I wake up on a day where

I have a performance, the first

thing I do after eating is make

sure that I’m all packed. On theweekends I go ahead and apply

the basic of my stage makeup

before heading to the studio or

theater for a warm-up class.”

During the week, after doing her

school work, she puts her hair in

a performance bun before head-ing to the studio or theater.

When she arrives at the theater

she signs in, does stretching rou-

tines, and dons her costume and

shoes. She says that she does

not have any “good luck” tradi-tions other than marking through

her choreography before going

on stage. The thing that Eliza-

beth enjoys most about dancing

is performing. While the class

Student AchievementElizabeth Meade – Ballerina

Mermaid. The City Ballet produc-

tions require rehearsals on Tues-

days, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

“This year we had nine rehearsalsfor both Dracula and Nutcracker

before either getting to the thea-

ter or our first touring perfor-

mance.” In preparation for the stu-

dio’s recitals, Elizabeth can begin

working on choreography anywhere

between October and March.These rehearsals occur once a

week for each dance in which she

is involved. This year Elizabeth

has five dances and three that she

assists the teachers with. During

weeks when she has recitals and

productions, Elizabeth spends a lot

of time preparing for the events.





on my ankles, shins, and toes.”

For aspiring dancers just getting

started Elizabeth recommends,

”Persevere, do your research,have realistic expectations, set

goals, and have fun!” Before get-

ting involved in dance she stress-

es that students should find a

good and reputable school that

will provide the proper progres-

sion of instruction. Some studios

might put girls on pointe based

solely on their reaching a certain

age, and this can be dangerous

and physically damaging to a

dancer. Elizabeth believes that

setting realistic goals can helpdancers stay motivated, and she

advises them to “work a little ex-

tra at home if you feel like you

aren’t reaching your goals quickly

enough in the studio.” To get


sessions are important, they are

not as gratifying as being in the

shows. She explains, “I need to

dance, but I don’t always enjoyclass.” One thing that she would

change regarding her dancing ex-

periences is to concentrate more

on stretching her feet at the on-

set of her training. She advises

young dancers that it is important

to be dedicated to doing thingscorrectly early because it will af-

fect them in the future. “I’m now

very ‘one-sided’ and much more

flexible on the right than on the

left. Having less flexible feet

makes it very hard to get over my

pointe shoes, which makes it hard

to balance and applies more strain





Way to Go Elizabeth!


the most enjoyment out of the

dancing experience, she cautions

that one should not take things too

seriously. “You’ll hit times when you’ll feel like you don’t want to do

this anymore, or like you’ve just

stopped improving, but trust me, if

you push through them and don’t

let them get you down, those times

will pass. Lighten up and enjoy

yourself!”





and mature. Over the past 12

years Kensley and Dylan have

been in several dance perfor-

mances. Dylan says, “Every yearwe are in two to three perfor-

mances: a fall performance that

changes each year, The Nut-

cracker every Christmas, and a

year-end recital. This year we

are also doing a fourth perfor-

mance this spring. We prepareby rehearsing for four to six

hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. eve-

ry Saturday until the day of the

performance.” Dylan and Kensley

are motivated sisters who enjoy

dancing and are dedicated to al-lotting the time needed to be-

come better dancers each day.

What makes them so motivated,

you might ask? Kensley says,

“The thing we enjoy most about

Student AchievementDylan and Kensley Brandemuehl— Ballerinas

Dylan and Kensley Brandemuehl’s

love for dancing began twelve

years ago in Spartanburg, S.C. at

Ballet Spartanburg. “We dancefour days a week for approximate-

ly two hours.” The twins’ love for

dancing was inspired by their

cousin who is a professional male

dancer in American Ballet Theatre .

Along with a regular practice

schedule also comes discipline andconcentration to perfect the craft

of being a ballerina. Kensley says,

“Learning discipline and concentra-

tion very early on can enhance

your memory, help with studying

and also help you to have a very

healthy life. Dance has made us

both very independent, disciplined





2. Write down any correction

that the teacher gives you.

3. Have confidence.

4. Go into every class with a good

attitude.

5. Don’t. Give. Up. Ballet is very

hard and demanding and there

will be days that you want to

quit. You have to know that you

WILL get better and there willbe just as many good days as

there are bad days.

Excellent advice Kensley and Dyl-

an, I couldn’t agree more!


dancing is that we just feel our-

selves when we are dancing; when-

ever we aren’t dancing we don’t

feel whole, we love it so much!” Thebest way to know you’re doing what

you love is definitely to feel it pas-

sionately deep within, each and

every day. To recognize this early

and apply it in life will help the

Brandemuehl sisters to always stay

on track with their academic andpersonal goals. To other teens as-

piring to become a ballerina Dylan

and Kensley have the following tips

that they feel are very important

while on your personal journey:

1. Practice all the time; practice

makes perfect!





junks foods like hamburgers and

large fries, which I ate every

day. I cut out all sodas, even

sweet tea. I didn't drink sodasof any kind, not even diet.” Ryan’s exercise routine has ben-

efitted him greatly. He started

out by using a treadmill and walk-

ing outside. He now bikes five to

ten miles a day. That’s a huge in-

crease considering at one timehe didn’t exercise at all. He

credits Mrs. DeWalk, his Physi-

cal Education teacher, for teach-

ing him the important aspects of

exercise and dieting. He said, “I

always tried to remember whatmy PE teacher was teaching, and

I worked hard. Thanks Mrs. De-

Walk for everything you taught

me this year.” The combination

of eating healthy and daily

Student AchievementRyan Benson — Exercise

Ryan Benson is a great exam-

ple of what hard work and deter-

mination can do for your body. He

has been a “man on a mission” sinceAugust of 2013. “So on August 27,

2013, my journey began. I knew I

had to lose weight and get

healthy,” Ryan said. Ryan had been

struggling with his weight for five

years. He lacked the motivation to

eat healthy and exercise. His doc-tors expressed concerns, so he be-

gan trying to make healthier choic-

es and exercise daily. Ryan says,

“I ate lots of veggies of all kinds. Inever skipped meals, I learned in

my PE classes that you needed to

eat foods with nutritional value. Ialso began to exercise every day.”

He went on to say, “I cut out all





Student AchievementRyan Benson — Exercise

exercise led Ryan to a weight loss of one hundred pounds. Ryan had

this to say for others wanting to lose weight and get healthier,

“Remember you cannot lose weight by skipping meals. It will not be

easy for some people. You can do it, just believe in yourself. I foughtwith my weight for five years. Losing weight was a battle for me.” Clearly, Ryan Benson’s story is something to aspire to. He has laid a po-

tential blueprint for others to accomplish their weight loss goals and

live a healthier life. Congratulations, Ryan for setting such a great ex-

ample of hard work and determination!!



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