Bulldog Beat UMS-Wright Preparatory School*Middle School Newspaper* volume 5 Issue 2

The Mad Hatter (Ian Lynch) tells the King and Queen of Hearts (March Tremayne and Grace Lyons) that he has nothing to do with the Knave of Hearts (Clayton Davidson) stealing the tarts. The Mad Hatter is a wacky character and is very nervous in this trial scene.

Alice Amazes by: OLIVIA GLEASON

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was the absolutely Everyone in the production had a wonderful amazing production that the Middle School Drama Club experience. Overall, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland put on this fall. The Middle School Drama Club and was phenomenal! Some adjustments were made. For Mrs. Maisel chose to do the Tim Burton version of the example, the chorus was going to sing the whole five- play because of the haunting and eerie music for minute song, but instead they only sang for about two Halloween season. The young actors and actresses minutes, so the cast made the play truly their own. worked diligently from September all the way to The costumes looked absolutely stunning on stage; October 28 so that the production would be fun and every single one was vibrant and colorful. The Mad enjoyable for people of all ages. Interestingly, four Hatter’s costume as well as the royal’s costumes were young ladies portrayed Alice. Helen Delaney, one of the perfect replications of the costumes in the movie four Alices says, “I thought it was cool that there were production, and the backdrop was beautiful. The entire four Alices.” production and everyone involved proved that the Arts The young ladies who played Alice thought it was are thriving on campus. helpful to have four girls playing the part. Mrs. Diane Maisel said, “The playwright suggested four young ladies to play Alice because of the complicated dialogue.” Bulldog Beat/December 2017 2

Photos by Ally Smith Bulldog Beat/December 2017 3

Photos by Ally Smith Bulldog Beat/December 2017 4

Bulldog Beat UMS-Wright Preparatory School

President Dr. Tony Havard

Head of School Isabelle Gautier, Julia Ramsay, Grace Lyons, Lydia Fowler, and Isabelle Hooks took advantage of the photo booth provided for students to take snapshots. The seventh and eighth grade dance is always a Mr. Doug Barber highlight for students as they are out of uniform and spend time with their friends after school. Middle School Principal Mr. Wesley lathan

Homecoming Festivities Academic Dean by: LOUISE LADD and CHARLES SAUCIER Dr. Keith Rice

During Homecoming Week, students in all grades had many Dean of Technology fun activities. Thursday night of Homecoming Week, the fifth Mr. Brent Daugherty and sixth grade classes enjoyed a sock hop, and the seventh and eighth grade dance took place after the sock hop concluded. The Counselor sock hop preceded the dance, but both the sock hop and dance Assistant Academic Dean had a photobooth and DJ Feelgood. Friday, at the end of day, the Mrs. Dana Stewart parade traveled around the campus. The Baby Bulldogs, Sponsors cheerleaders, seniors, Homecoming Court and Middle School Ms. Ashley Hill and Mrs. Janey Miller Congress members walked along the parade with unique signs. The rest of the school lined up on the sidewalks to watch the Reporters exciting parade. High school students were dressed in wacky Ann chason Brock costumes. That night, UMS-Wright defeated Thomasville in the Ken brown football game. “I had a really fun time at the football game Alex cave playing with friends,” stated Liza Perry. Many students cheered Cartan church Alex esses on the football players while running around the stadium. Shep fountain Olivia gleason Jackson gregory Hop to It Ava harvill by: MARY BLAKE PRITCHARD Martha kaufman Kirk kennedy One of the most fun activities during Homecoming week is Louise ladd the fifth and sixth grade sock hop. Students danced, took James Lewis pictures with friends, and enjoyed having a blast on the Amelia meador bouncies. Students wore crazy and wacky socks. One might not Carol murray know the history of the sock hop. Sock hops were held as early Jillian ngando as 1944 by the American Junior Red Cross to raise money Jack otts during World War II. They quickly became a popular tradition Charles perry Mary blake pritchard among American teenagers. Years later, hops became strongly Kacey quinnelly involved with the 1950s and early rock and roll. Decades later, Charles saucier with the widespread popularity of sneakers and other types of Thomas Sawyer shoes, the practice of removing shoes was dropped and that Grace swain inspired less formal dances for teens. Bulldog Beat/December 2017 5

Bulldog Homecoming Chatterbox

**Asked to give the newspaper staff a quote about Homecoming festivities, fifth and sixth graders shared the following thoughts.

“My favorite thing about Homecoming “At the fifth and sixth grade sock “Homecoming in 2017 had fun was the football game. I liked it hop I had so much fun jumping and and games that children of all because it was a good game to watch, dancing with friends, listening to the ages enjoyed. If the ones who and it was kind of close. I also caught a DJ, taking crazy pictures with set up these events are reading t-shirt out of the t-shirt shooter.” friends, seeing everyone’s amazing this, I would like to thank them. Katharine Goodloe and crazy socks, and, finally, the It was very fantastic with great food was amazing and the jumpers catering.” “Homecoming was amazing like were so much fun too.” Colton Fowler always. My favorite part was the sock Julia Russell hop. We sang, danced and played on “Homecoming Week was so the jumpies.” “The sock hop was awesome! moving; there were a lot of great Elle Harrigan Dancing and singing with my best costumes at the parade.” friends until we couldn’t dance or Pryor Covan “The Homecoming pep rally was so sing anymore was one of the best cool and was fun to watch. I had so times I’ve ever had with them. I will “Sock hop is only one of the much fun watching Eugenia get never forget my last sock hop.” many things that I love about Homecoming Queen and Will Liza Perry this school.” Chapman get Mr. Hero.” Braydon Williford Bonnie Faulkner “I was in the parade, and it was awesome.” “Crazy socks+party+music+ “Homecoming was a great week like Ellie Mostellar inflatables+food+friends=mega the sock hop and the carnival. It even fun.” gave people from other schools a “I loved the sock hop so much. Charles Saucier chance to join the fun. Homecoming Why? There was a photobooth. I was really fabulous and great, and I took fun pictures with all my friends “I’m glad we get to celebrate look forward to it every year.” for memories of my first sock hop. with our whole school. It is my Jewel McCrary We also got to dance around with all very favorite.” my friends and jump ‘til our heart’s Corinne Graddick “The activities were a very awesome content. I also liked this because I way to get in the Homecoming spirit! got to spend my first sock hop with “I hopped in my socks and My favorite was the sock hop because my neighbor who is new here, cheered for the Bulldogs as they we could dance, have fun and enjoy Mallory Barnes. There was lots of won the game!” ourselves.” candy and good foods to eat and two Helen DeLaney Caroline Outlaw fun jumpies. I loved the sock hop so much, and I can’t wait to go next “My favorite part of “Well, Homecoming Week is over; year.” homecoming was the awesome what a shame! Homecoming was Olivia Rocconi pep rally!” awesome! We went on to the sock hop Cate Sullivan and had a blast, and the DJ was the “Homecoming was a week full of best DJ I had ever heard or seen. Then excitement and of dreams. All of the “I loved rockin’ out at the sock we went on to Homecoming Day, and activities were off the charts! The hop and wearing my funky we dressed out. Homecoming Week Homecoming football game was socks.” was a tiring week but a fun week.” extraordinary! The whole week was Anne Roberds Sadie Norris fabulous!” Callie Padgett “It knocked my socks off!” “Out of uniform is always the best.” Matthew McPhillips Mae Elliott Bulldog Beat/December 2017 6

Homecoming parade 2017 Bulldog Beat/December 2017 7

Building furniture is just one activity eighth graders participate in at Camp Grace. Will Kaufmann, Elliott Esses and Joseph Perry work on assembling an Adirondack chair. Giving back to the community is a vital part of the UMS-Wright mission, and the annual trip to Camp Grace is one way that mission is fulfilled.

Building Bonds Quick look by: ANN CHASON BROCK

The week of October 30-November 2, the Class of 2020 took their annual 8th graders trip to Camp Grace.The goal was to get the classmates out of the classroom and have a bonding experience and get to know everyone in a different way. 99 They participated in a ropes course, and they made wooden benches, picnic chairs created tables, chairs and shooting houses. They sold everything they made, and all 80 the proceeds were divided between Camp Rap-a-Hope, which is an organization that provides a free week at camp for children 7-17 years of age Tables created who have or have ever had cancer, and Camp Smile, an organization that also 15 uses Camp Grace for their summer camp for children and adults with Benches created cerebral palsy. They raised enough money for each organization to get $3500. They also did a ropes course. Mr. Schultz stated, “They had to work 25 together as a team of eight or fewer people for the ropes course.” Every day Shooting houses at lunch they had motivational speakers, and topics included character development, how to be remembered, leaving a legacy of integrity and 25 honor. The speakers were Chaplain and Director of Student Ministries Mr. Proceeds to charities Michael Schultz, and two students from UMS-Wright, Leigh Rogers and Kara Beth Greene, Jean Downing from the Drug Education Council. Mr. $7000 Earnest, and Head of School Mr. Doug Barber. Bulldog Beat/December 2017 8 Camp Grace 2017

Photos by Cindy Wildberger Bulldog Beat/December 2017 9 Bulldog Spotlights

by: JACK OTTS

Fifth grader Jack Blackerby wants to be a professional baseball player when he gets older. Jack describes himself as very active after school because he regularly rushes from school to sports practice. The sports that he plays are baseball, basketball and football. His favorite subject in school is math because he loves calculating. Jack’s favorite app on his Macbook is Powerpoint because he likes to be creative. Jack’s favorite book that he has

Jack Blackerby read has the name of Holes by Louis Sachar. Jack’s favorite part about homecoming was that students had no homework on Thursday. Jack’s favorite food in the cafeteria is the chicken biscuits. The very competitive Jack Blackerby loves baseball, and he dreams of being a professional baseball player.

by: AMELIA MEADOR

This outdoor girl, Emmy Eckert, likes hunting and riding four-wheelers. She loves riding her horse Diamond, traveling, and crab hunting at the beach. Emmy can also play the violin. Emmy enjoys civics and science because she loves hands-on activities and loves learning about current events. Stickies, which every student has on his or her laptop, is very useful to record important activities for Emmy. In the cafeteria, Emmy’s favorite meal is breakfast. She loves breakfast especially when they serve hot

Emmy Eckert chocolate. Emmy’s favorite book is Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman. After school she practices volleyball or tennis, plays with her dog Thunder, does homework, and listens to 80’s music. Her favorite Homecoming activities were meeting with her friends for a 7th grade street party, riding the trolley to school, and going to the Homecoming Dance. Finally, in the summer time, Emmy still stays quite busy and works with her uncle and dad to learn about land management and the different types of trees.

by: THOMAS SAWYER

Owning a seven-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is just one interesting fact students may not know about Shep Fountain. Chosen as the sixth grade spotlight, Shep enjoys visiting his neighbor’s house after school, riding his bike, playing basketball and running cross country. During the school day, his favorite subject is STEM because of the experiments. He is a huge Nascar fan. For anyone who enjoys mysteries,

Shep fountain he recommends reading The Twisted Ones, a favorite book of his. In his downtime, he enjoys watching Youtube. He rates the cafeteria’s hashbrowns as the best cafeteria food. Bulldog Beat/December 2017 10

by: JILLIAN NGANDO

What eighth grader do you know who loves the color blue, the sport of gymnastics and has a great sense of humor? Anna Claire Bowden also loves homework and volleyball. Her favorite thing in the cafeteria is ice cream. During homecoming her favorite part was the sock hop because she played and visited with friends. She enjoys taking Spanish because fun activities are involved. Anna Claire’s favorite app on the Macbook is Spotify because she enjoys listening to music, and her favorite book is the series The Hunger Games. On a normal school day, she likes to play volleyball and then go home and do her homework. Anna Claire Bowden

UMS-Wright Hosts Washington Museum

by: ALEX ESSES

“The Many Faces of George Washington” is just one of many national traveling exhibitions available to schools through the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, a nonprofit founded in 1994 by philanthropists Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman. UMS-Wright was able to secure the exhibit for the month of November. Found at the Roberts Library, this amazing exhibition explained the various stages of Washington's leadership through color graphics and paintings. Seventh grade civics classes visited this museum November 3, took detailed notes, and constructed timelines based on George Washington's life. High school classes also visited the museum and assumed the role of museum curators and examined the content and the interpretation of the material. This exhibit was produced by George Washington's home, Mt. Vernon, in conjunction with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, and made possible

by a generous grant from the F. M. Kirby Examining Washington as a risk-taker, Elizabeth Elliott makes notes in order to complete her Foundation . timeline for her seventh grade civics class which is led by Mrs. Vicky Bedsole. Seventh graders participated in a gallery walk on November 3 and analyzed the aspects of Washington’s life in which they were most interested. Bulldog Beat/December 2017 11 Bulldog Spotlights: Teachers and Staff

by: SHEP FOUNTAIN

Mrs. Melody Fillingim attended college at the University of Mobile, and she has been coaching volleyball for nine years at various schools including Victory Christian School, Piedmont College, Truett-McConnell University, Chowan University, and she has also coached in many volleyball clubs. She is now in her first year of teaching P.E. Mrs. Fillingim’s favorite thing about UMS-Wright is all the support that is shown by all the fans, teachers and administration toward the athletic program. Mrs. Fillingim’s favorite book is any book about leadership. Her favorite authors are Pat Williams and Robert Morris. In her free time she likes to spend time with her newly wedded husband. Outside of UMS-Wright, she is a club director at Southern Elite Volleyball Club in

Mrs. Melody Fillingim Mobile and leads worship at the Vision in Wilmer.

by: KEN BROWN

University of South Alabama graduate Mrs. Kim Catlett is the new eighth grade Algebra teacher. A veteran teacher, she previously taught at Phillips Preparatory School for eleven years. She enjoys reading a good book or attending sporting events in her spare time. Anne of Green Gables tops her list of all-time favorites, and Mrs. Catlett claims, “It is such a classic and never gets old.’’ Finally, the staff asked Mrs. Catlett to reveal what

Mrs. Kim Catlett she would take if she were stranded on a deserted island. She responded that she would bring her Bible, a good beach chair and some good classic ‘80s music. Clearly, one can see Mrs. Catlett is a very interesting lady.

by: JACKSON GREGORY

A new member of the UMS-Wright family in the Middle School Office, Mrs. Nancy Erwin handles the hectic pace of the office with ease. This is her first time to work at a school, and she has been at home with her children for the past 13 years. Her children are John Charles, a seventh grader; Brantley, a fourth grader; and Ann Colleen, a K4 student. Mrs. Erwin enjoys spending her free time with family and friends, reading and decorating, and taking their boat out to Dauphin Island. When asked to pick a favorite thing about UMS-Wright thus far, she states, “My

Mrs. Nancy Erwin favorite thing about UMS-Wright is how wonderful it has been meeting everyone - the middle school students I see every day. They are fantastic. Each one has welcomed me and made me feel at home. I am loving getting to know each one of them. UMS-Wright is truly a family, and it is so nice for myself and my family to be a part of it.” Bulldog Beat/December 2017 12 Recipe for Reading Hot Chocolate Bar and Book Tasting Recipe

hot chocolate scoops of marshmallows scoops of chocolate morsels peppermints Hershey’s Kisses several new books all of the fifth grade class **Mix well and enjoy! Bulldog Beat/December 2017 13 The Julius Journal

Famed Flea Gallery for the Arts Circus by: JAMES HOLSTON LEWIS by: KACEY QUINNELLY

Nicknamed the “Flea Circus” because According to From the Chairs: A History of UMS-Wright For Its they were small in size, the 1935-1937 Trustees, Sandy Stimpson writes, “Before 1956, facilities for the arts of UMS football team was highly praised. UMS-Wright were non-existent with the exception of a place for the band According to The Wright Way: The to practice.” When the school moved to Mobile Street a more modern band UMS-Wright Tradition edited by Edward room was constructed. In 1966, the Dunlap auditorium-chapel was Bradford Ladd, “They played a constructed to host assemblies, choral performances and band wide-open game that made up in razzle performances. dazzle what they lacked in avoirdupois.” The Louise Robinson Moorer Center for the Performing Arts was They caught the eye of sportswriter Bill constructed at Julius T. Wright on University Boulevard in 1976 and was Keefe of the Times-Picayune in New unparalleled in the area. After the 1988 merger, plans continued to change Orleans, and he traveled to Mobile to but included a comparable performing arts center with greater seating watch the team. Keefe was amazed at the capacity. team and wrote, “‘I never saw anything The plans were created and the estimated price tag was over like it. Their interference carries the ball. $6,000,000, so plans were temporarily shelved. “The plans called for A man will block...straighten up, take a renovating the Dunlap Auditorium; adding an annex onto the west end for lateral, run a few yards, shoot the lateral dressing rooms, set construction, and storage; and adding a foyer and to a running mate, and then block out a reception gallery on the north side which would connect to a new building man who was going to tackle him. The housing classrooms. The entire facility would be called the Arts Complex ball moves around like a shuttle.” The and would be comprised of three components- The Dunlap Auditorium; the best record of any UMS team until that foyer and reception gallery; and the Arts Building (which would house the season was held by the team of 1936, and classrooms). This facility was constructed as part of the Raising the Bar the 1937 team beat Murphy for the Campaign. Ground was broken on September 5, 2003, and the students second time in the school’s history. began occupying it in October 2004,” writes Stimpson.

Bulldog Beat/December 2017 14 Newton Gives Back Student Snapshots by: CARTAN CHURCH

Our WOW Speaker Andy Newton graduated from UMS-Wright in 1990 and is a board member and the 2017 Alumnus of the Year. At the age of 16, he started his first business using cheaper technology than his competitors. He had a Buick Century station wagon with wood panels. He described it as a “lady killer” when he was 16. He asked his dad for a business loan so he could buy a laser printer and computer so he could make his car payment. Andy went to college at Birmingham Southern and graduated Pictured at the state swim meet, Tori Waters, Coach Vicky Bedsole and with a major in economics and minor in history. Blakeslee Elliott celebrate Blakeslee being the 1A-5A Diving State After that Mr. Newton became the CEO of Champion for the second year in a row, and Tori placing 3rd in the Southern Light in 1988. competition. Currently he is the Unity Fiber President of Infrastructure and Operations. They have seven floors of offices and a fun floor. The fun floor is a place where people come together and take a break from work. They have stand up video games, pool tables, ping pong and portholes. Once a week he goes and spends an hour with his little brother at George Hall Elementary. They have forty employees who are big brother/sisters. One of his quotes was, “If you want to be known as one of the best, you have to work hard. Nurture your reputation every single day, so it will not be tarnished.”

The Drug Education Council hosted the fifth grade class on November 28 as they unveiled the DeBakey Drug Education Vehicle. Class President and Vice President Ellie Mostellar and Rhea Mostellar gave the opening invocation at the ceremony. Class representatives Josie Jaye and Camden Taylor assisted in cutting the ribbon. Fifth graders were to tour the bus and view the new emoji-themed design.

The second quarter newspaper staff consisted of Shep Fountain, Kirk Kennedy, Charles Saucier, and Alex Esses. Back row Olivia Gleason, Mary Blake Pritchard, Grace Swain, Ava Harvill, Kacey Quinnelly, Ann Chason Brock, Beautiful artwork is displayed in the upper school hallway and was Martha Kaufman, Jillian Ngando and Carol Murray. created by fifth grade art classes. Students created colorful letters as a Members not pictured include Ken Brown, Jack Otts, way to celebrate all of our veterans who have served our country. Louise Ladd, James Holston Lewis, Thomas Sawyer, Cartan Church, Jackson Gregory and Amelia Meador. Bulldog Beat/December 2017 15 Exam Tips by : KIRK KENNEDY

Worried about exams? Well, fear not. First, complete your study guide, and pay close attention as your teacher reviews in class. Gather up all the information from the semester and study. Ask questions in class if you're confused or need to catch up on notes. Study early. It's always good to be ahead. Remember though that you are human, and humans need rest. Take a break periodically to refresh your brain. After some resting time, quiz yourself on anything you know and improve in things you don't know. Also, remember to stay focused. You can always teach a classmate a thing or two Thanksgiving Baskets as well. If they are struggling, assist them. Last, but not least, make it fun. Donated by: MARTHA KAUFMAN

An assembly line was created and middle school Junior Optimist Club members gathered donated items, which students in each advisory collected for the Sybil Smith Family Village residents. Seventeen families are currently residing there, which means the Village is at capacity. During Thanksgiving there were fifteen families staying there, and they were provided items for a Thanksgiving Day meal. Each advisory was assigned items to bring and students were asked to donate two dollars to help purchase turkeys. Ms. Dorothy Dinkins, Residential Care Manager, said, “Fourteen of the fifteen families stayed on site and had Thanksgiving dinner here.” The Sybil Smith Family Village was formed in 1999 to assist women and families who experienced homelessness. As of today, more than one thousand individuals have been helped.

Robotics Brings Results by: CHARLES PERRY To Bee or Not to Bee The robotics team competed in the Jubilee BEST Robotics by: CAROL MURRAY competition in October at the USA Mitchell Center. Kick off was held in September, and teams received a handheld joystick Capturing the title yet again, Grace Lyons won the controller, plywood, PVC pipe, glue, string, hardware, and 2017 Spelling Bee by spelling the word niche other miscellaneous items. The machines built with materials correctly, and Paul Murray was the runner-up. Other provided by the hub could not weigh more than 24 pounds and competitors included Elizabeth Catranis, Bo Wills, were required to fit within a 24-inch cube. In forty-two days, Hilton Nguyen, Henry Arras, Connor Fowler and the team built an exhibit booth, created a marketing Ella Fridriksson. The Mobile County Spelling Bee presentation, wrote an engineering notebook and constructed will be held February 10 at Davidson High School the robot. Finishing in the top third, they earned the and is sponsored by the Dollar General Bowl. iHeartRadio Best Video Award. The next competition will be held in the spring. Interested? See Mrs. Bela in the Tech Center. Bulldog beat/december 2017 16

Trip of a Lifetime: The World Series by: JACK OTTS and KEN BROWN

Son of Dodgers hitting coach Turner Ward, seventh grader Olin Ward had a fantastic time at the World Series. His favorite player is Kenta Maeda because every game he goes to they play a game in the outfield and the winner gets Starbucks. His favorite food at is the 12-inch-long Dodger Dog. It is his favorite because it is marinated in butter. He sat on the second deck above the Dodger dugout. Although he went to both the Houston Astros stadium and Dodger Stadium, his favorite was Dodger Stadium. He has somewhere between twenty and thirty autographs from players. After game seven everyone who was cheering for the Dodgers was in tears. Although the Dodgers did not win, Olin still had the best experience of his entire life. Bulldog beat/december 2017 17

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CAN’T GO WRONG WITH KONG (1)Olin is grabbed by king kong in (2)in the broadcast booth in dodger stadium with Orel hershiser and Joe davis (3) playing a game with kenta maEda and the winner gets starbucks (4) olin, with his mom, dad, and older sister kendall (5) keeping up with homework while on the road (6) OLIN AND HIS DAD, TURNER 6 Bulldog Beat/December 2017 18

Prepositions and Paper Airplanes

Invited to hear astronauts Katie Morgan and Kirsten Siebach, the sixth grade girls visited the Exploreum on December 1. The astronauts were at the Exploreum for a series of talks, meets, and activities focused on the research of the rover. The replica of the Curiosity Rover is pictured behind the girls.

Reviewing prepositions with a new twist, sixth graders in Mrs. Brown’s English classes created paper airplanes and flew them in the Roberts Library and outdoors. After each flight, students recorded the prepositional phrase on the plane. In the stacks, through the chair, over Mrs.Brown’s head were just a few of the phrases recorded. At the end of the class, each student created a prepositional phrase poem. Photos by Ashley Hill

The Aztecs, the Incas, and the Mayas were the topics researched by sixth grade Spanish students under the guidance of their teachers- Senora Deakle, Senora Pool, and Senora Fenton. Students and teachers were invited to discuss the students’ projects. Dean of Technology Brent Daugherty stopped in to visit with first period in the Roberts Library.

Toys Galore by: MARY BLAKE PRITCHARD

Middle school students gathered toys for the annual Dumas Wesley Toy Store again this year. Serving seventy-five low income families this year in the Crichton community as well as the residents of the Sybil Smith Family Village, the Toy Store allows parents to come and shop for toys and bikes which are heavily discounted. They pay only a fraction of the retail price. Our Middle School Congress spearheaded the project for the holidays. The deadline for all toys and bikes was December 4, and the parents who were invited in the community shopped on December 9. This tradition of giving back to our community has become a Christmas tradition at UMS-Wright.

Bulldog Beat/December 2017 19

Plucked from the country of China, Fernando the chicken found a new home with Harrigan Weston. Sixth graders attended the Mobile International Festival on November 16. Harrigan said, “The golden chicken was not for sale, but I like gold things and I talked them into it. I asked what the Chinese letters meant on the base, and they mean hope and good luck. That sealed the deal.” A Golden Opportunity by: GRACE SWAIN

On November 16, 2017 the 6th grade visited the Mobile International Festival. At the International Festival, booths display a variety of items from different countries where visitors can purchase merchandise and learn about the culture. The Mobile International Festival first started thirty-seven years ago, with a lady who made tissue-paper flowers.

According to the official North Exam Schedule Pole website on Google, the elves’ favorite foods are candy, Wednesday-English candy corn, and syrup; They have different uniforms due to Thursday-Math their ages, and they love having snowball fights and Friday-Social Studies building snow sculptures. Bulldog beat/december 2017 20

Club Updates Neither Snow nor Rain by: AVA HARVILL Here on our campus, we have many clubs for students. First, we have the fifth and sixth grade Book Club led by Mrs. Brown. A few book recommendations the students in the club gave us are Nine Ten by Nora Baskin, The Ballad of a Broken Nose by Arne Svingen, The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau, and Shadow Children by Margaret Haddix. The Book Club just finished reading the book Miss Bixby’s Last Day by John Anderson. They will soon start reading The Unlikely Story of a Pig in the City by Jodi Kendall. The seventh and eighth grade Book Clib led by Mrs. Meek is wrapping up The Book Thief. Congratulations to the varsity football team on winning the 4A State Championship We also have the Junior Optimist Club led game against Fayette County. The snowfall began before the game started but the by Mrs. McPhillips. On Thursday October 26, Bulldogs seemed unfazed. The final score was UMS-Wright 21 Fayette County 7. students who participate in the club helped with the UCP Trunk or Treat. They also put together Thanksgiving baskets for Dumas Wesley. We have the World Cultures Club led by Sra. Pool, Sra.. Bryant, and Sra. Deakle. The students in this club explored the country of Puerto Rico. They learned about the culture, people, geography, and interesting facts about the “coqui”. They also took a field trip to The 34th Hispanic Festival at St. Catherine’s Church. There was music, dancers, singers, and people dressed in typical clothing representing their Hispanic countries. Last, are the Scholastic Challenge Teams. The A Team’s last competition was November 15th and the team won both games. They defeated Lott Middle School 390 points to 140 points. Afterwards, they defeated St. Ignatius 360 to 285. The B team has also had two competitions so far this year. First, they played St. Paul’s and won 190-175. In the second competition they played Lott Middle School and St. Ignatius. The team defeated Lott with a score of 315 to 45 and St. Ignatius with a score of a score of 345-120.