May PPOW- Ashley Jones

Sports

Basketball

Basketball is a five man sport,

sitting in our seats,

as they dribble down the court.

We fall to our knees,

and the other team’s doing bad.

A man scores a three,

and we’re all really glad.

Cheering in our seats,

and we all sing along,

to the words that match the beat

because it’s our favorite song.

Softball

Pitching in a game,

and sitting in the dugout.

Someone screams your name;

you hope this game’s a shutout.

Playing in the heat isn’t very fun,

you deal with it anyways,

hoping you get some sun,

because these are your summer days.

Baseball

The season is finally here;

the pitcher throws a curve.

Fans scream in my ear,

and it’s getting on my nerves.

College world series,

and Pro Baseball too.

Fans make up theories,

and the players have no clue.

A hitter is up to bat,

And the dugout gets loud.

He takes off his hat,

And the hit’s in the clouds.

      

 Football

As the cheerleaders cheer,

The time is running out.

The opponents stand in fear,

and the game is sold out.

A player scores a touchdown,

And the crowd goes wild.

He is the star of the town,

And is an only child.

Volleyball

She serves the ball with pride

and hits it like no other.

Our eyes turn wide,

and the shock hits her mother.

Digging for the ball,

and bumping to the setter.

We make the team sprawl,

and they wish that they were better.

      

Soccer

Kicking the ball,

and running through the field.

I’d rather be at the mall,

than being a net shield.

Track

Running around in circles,

and catching the baton.

The opponent's color is purple,

and I’m long gone.

I don’t run,

and I never do.

It’s not fun,

and I’d rather have the flu.

Swim Team

Swimming in laps,

and early morning practice.

It takes a couple naps,

to recover from this madness.

Golf

Many types of Golf

that I don’t understand.

It’s not very fun.

Like, where was this idea planned?

I don’t like Golf,

and neither should you.

This is kinda dumb,

like putt putt and mini golf too.

My poem is almost over,

and I’m glad too.

I done with this poem,

if that is alright with you.

April PPOW - Ashley Jones

School Causing Kids Stress

School obviously has a really big impact on our lives. Without school we wouldn’t know as much as we do. The bad thing about school is that it can lead to a lot of stress. The definition of stress is: a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. The reason school causes so much stress is that teachers give us lots of homework that maybe someone doesn't know how to do. When they expect us to get all this homework done and to know it all the next day, it’s really hard on any kid.

Plus battling after school activities can create more stress. The Washington Post’s survey reported that forty percent of teens said that after school activities adds to the school stress. When you get home at 6:00-7:00 P.M., you have to eat, talk to your family, and then you end up stay up really late to do all this school work.

Teachers don’t realize how hard school can be on kids. Kids also gain stress by trying to fit in and be cool. One of the biggest causes of stress at school is bullying, and teachers can’t be around every kid for every second of the day. Let’s face it, school is terrible. You have to wake up early every weekday and sit in chairs all day learning 8 different subjects.

You never get any time to take a break and go outside. We are humans, and we need to relax for a little bit. They can’t expect us to get everything that they say. We have other classes that we need to focus on too. High-schoolers also have part time jobs, and it’s hard to focus on all of these things. I recommend that teachers need to take their lessons a little slower, so we have more time to understand what they’re saying.

It’s also really stressful when you have no time to go to your locker. You really need something, but you can’t be late to class. Trying to carry everything around on your back can really hurt it. It ruins your posture and might cause you back pain. See, school has many things causing us this unnecessary stress!

According to APA,(American Psychological Association) their survey showed that 13-17 year olds are experiencing unhealthy stress levels frequently. School was the number one source in stress, and second was pressure of getting into a good college. Since school is causing so much stress, it’s causing them to do poorly in school. That means failing tests, lower scores, and not a high enough GPA.

After researching about stress, I thought I should give some tips on how to reduce it. Number one: Take a nap and just relax, forget about the world for a little bit. When you wake up, you feel better and not so stressed. Tip number two: Visualizations, try to visualize in your head what you are going to do for a big project before you start. This helps you out so you don’t freak out about what you are going to do.

Third tip: Exercise is a great way to relieve stress. In the morning you could do yoga or after school go for a run. Fourth: Listening to your favorite songs can help you stay calm and maybe singing along will help you forget about how stressed you are. Number five: Think positive about your day and school work, so you can do better on assignments. Staying positive can also help you stay happy.

Tip number six: Everyday do something you enjoy to make you smile and be happy. Last but not, least tip number seven: Whatever you do, try not to procrastinate, so you stay on task and get your work done! Hopefully, you have listened and will see this as me helping you out. ‎"Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.” -Hans Selye

You are probably thinking, “Why did she write about stress?” Well, I have your answer. I wrote about stress because it’s a big problem with many people. I thought I would do a little research and use my own background knowledge to write about it. Since stress has taken a big toll on me, I thought that researching about it has helped a ton. I stress out about many things like homework, should I do sports, and mostly what I want to be when I grow up.

Growing up scares me because I don’t know what I want to do for the rest of my life. Plus thinking about college can be really scary if you don’t know if you can handle it. After researching, I found out that I’m not the only one stressed out by school. All around the world there are kids suffering from stress because of school. So if you are struggling with school and getting stressed out, don’t freak out because now you know you aren’t alone.

Thinking about your future is unbelievably freaky, but you do have to face your fears sooner or later. Have that talk with someone, and maybe you both can bond over it. Stress is totally normal, but if you’re stressing too much, you might need to reach out to a doctor or your parent/guardian.

Knowing about stress can help you in the long run. Stress can hurt you mentally and physically. It also can cause heart disease, they still need more research to prove how. If you stress out too much, it can even lead to a stroke. Always be careful when you are stressed out, just remember to take deep breaths and try to remain calm.

Cancer Fundraiser- March PPOW

Cancer Fundraiser

On March 8, 2015, I Ashley Jones, helped out with a cancer fundraiser. I did this fundraiser with my family and my best friend Isabella. The fundraiser was for my mother’s co-worker’s son, named Logan. Logan is 19 years old and has had cancer twice.

Here is his story: Logan kept getting morning headaches and nausea in the summer of 2002. When it was the school year again, Logan went to the eye doctor to see if he needed glasses. The doctor noticed something called hemorrhaging and he was immediately sent to a Children’s Hospital. He had surgery the next morning to remove a Medulloblastoma from his Medulla Oblongata. Luckily, the surgery removed the whole tumor, but while he was recovering he developed spinal meningitis. Logan began chemotherapy and radiation, although he lost most of his hearing because of it, he successfully beat cancer and came out of the treatments very healthy.

This summer Logan lost all hearing in his left ear, and was able to get a cochlear implant. A month or so later, he developed double vision and had trouble balancing. After a few rough months for him and his family, they had learned that Logan’s cancer had returned. This time it was a different kind of tumor- Glioblastoma Multiforme, also know as (GBM). He had surgery on November 11, and they were able to remove 90% of his tumor. That left behind 10% of his tumor, and that was on his brain stem and facial/auditory nerve. Although it was risky, they took a chance and put him under radiation again. They have seen some great results and they are planning on a new round of chemo.

Another co-worker was feeling generous and took the time to put together this wonderful event. She has known him and his dad for years and wanted to raise money so his dad could pay all the big hospital bills. This event literally turned my life around. It made me realize how short life is, and that you should live it too the fullest. It also taught me that there are kind people in this world that do care for others.

They had many different ways of raising money, Raffle tickets, baked goods, bowls of chili, hot dogs, t-shirts, and a silent auction. My shift started at 1:00 pm and ended at 3:00 pm. During those two hours Bella and I served chili to lots of people. Since my shift was just around lunch time, it was really busy. My mom sold raffle tickets and my dad helped out with the bake sale. Drew was originally going to sell t-shirts but it was really slow when his shift started, so he ended up selling raffle tickets with my mom. We had so many food donations that they couldn’t all bring them inside.

Since this fundraiser involved my mom’s co-worker, I was able to meet her other friends from work. They were so inspired to help out their friend in need. People that were working the bake sale couldn’t count money so my dad had to do it for them. Drew went around and asked people if they wanted to buy raffle tickets while they ate. Many people bought them and went to look at what they wished to win.

While Bella and I served chili, a guy came up four times to try many different kinds of chili. As we awkwardly served him chili, we were secretly dying of laughter. We also met so many amazing people there while working the stand. You probably think that serving chili isn’t fun at all, but I had the best time ever. I was so lucky to share that day with such great people.

It really warms my heart that so many people did this for Logan. We made him feel so special and we showed him that he is not alone. Logan was very happy and so was his dad. The fundraiser went from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm.

After we were all done working, we decided to stay and buy some raffle tickets. We bought four sets of yellow tickets and two sets of blue. There were different colors for the different prize areas. Later on after we put our tickets in the buckets, Drew decides to take a look at the silent auction that was going on.

Drew ended up putting the first bid on season tickets for three sports at Creighton, you had to increase the bid by five dollars and his opening price was $90. The sports ended up being: Women’s volleyball, Men’s Basketball, and Men’s Soccer. As some time passes by, a guy puts down a higher price than Drew’s. After men go back and forth including Drew, the time slowly slips away and Drew ends up losing the auction. He wasn’t too happy about it, but it’s okay, he will get over it.

It ends up being 4:00 P.M. before they start drawing the raffle tickets. It went pretty slow because half the people that won were in a different room or had already left. It also was slow because there were so many things you could win. One lady won three things, another person won about five things. After they were done naming the yellow ticket winners, they went on to the blue.

After about five or so names, it comes to my attention that I put my ticket in the one they were drawing next. The item that I put my name in for was a Mary Kay makeup set. As I mumble my name; as a joke, they literally speak my name and I jumped right out of my seat. I was super excited for no reason at all, but I was still really happy that I won something.

As the rest of the raffles went on, we all clapped when someone won something. It was about the 
end of the event when Logan comes up to the microphone to say thank you to everyone who helped 
and/or came to support. This event raised about $13,000 all together. We said our goodbyes and left 
feeling so great because we just took the time to help out Logan and his family.  

Poetry; December PPOW

 Bella

Bella is my friend,

I glued her to a chair.

It’s ok because Jordan cut my hair.

Bella is smart,

She’s good at art.

Although it’s hard,

It comes from the heart.

Tori

Tori is a good friend,

She’ll be here till the end.

She’s always by my side

When we go down the slide.

Hailey

Hailey is weird

But that’s ok

We still love her anyway.

Lizzie

Lizzie is crazy,

Bright like a daisy.

She likes to laugh.

It’s pretty funny,

Sometimes it hurts your tummy.

Ayla

Ayla is sweet,

She’ll bring you a treat.

She’s never mean,

And keeps her locker clean.

Megan

Megan is tall,

She’s good at ball.

She can sing,

She’ll get a lot of bling.

Drew

Drew is mean.

He’s not very clean.

I guess he’s all right

But he’s not very bright.

Maggie

Maggie is my dog,

She sleeps like a log.

She can jump high,

Up into the sky.

Trace

Trace is my dog.

She sleeps all day.

While we’re all away,

She’s in bed all day.

Christmas

Christmas time is almost here,

I have that holiday cheer.

Wrapping presents,

I’ll give them as gifts.

Under the tree is where they are,

I can see them from afar.

Football

Football season is here.

In the stands we cheer.

Waiting for the team,

We all scream

Winter

Winter makes you freeze,

It’s very cold,

And my coffee is way too bold.

Spring

Flower’s blooming,

Bees are singing.

Springtime is here,

I hear the noises in my ear.

Summer

I miss summer and so do you.

I hate winter, and this news is not new.

Bring back summer, and the green grass dew.  

Volleyball

Volleyball is fun,

When you hit the ball.

Set it up high,

Just don’t hit the wall.

Shopping

Shopping is nice,

When you get new things.

I hope you like my surprise,

It’s a new diamond ring.

Family

They drive you crazy,

Some are lazy.

But at the end of the day,

You love them anyway.

Shoes

You can never have too many,

I prefer more than twenty.

Shoes are my favorite things,

I prefer ones with bling.

My Trip to Nashville

My Trip to Nashville

On August 2^nd this year, my family and I drove to Nashville, Tennessee. On our way we stopped in Kansas City, Kansas to visit Schlitterbahn Water Park.  It has the tallest water slide in the world! It looked so scary!  Sadly, we didn’t go on it because you had to reserve your spot to ride it ahead of time.  That night, we went out for dinner and stayed at the Holiday Inn hotel. In the morning, we woke up early and headed to St. Louis, Missouri.

Once we got to St. Louis, we drove right to Six Flags amusement park.  It was really cool there! There was a really scary ride called Mr. Freeze Reverse Blast and it was probably my favorite. The scary part was that you went backwards first, then upside down! In the end it was really fun!

The next morning we woke up and headed to see the famous St. Louis Arch!  It was so awesome going all the way up to the top!  They had these tiny elevator cars that we had to go inside of, in order to ride up to the top of the arch.  As we were inside it, we looked out the small glass windows and saw all the tiny people and cars down below on the ground.  After we took the elevators back down to the bottom, we visited the gift shop; which had all types of St. Louis Arch souvenirs!

 After we bought gifts for a few people, we left the arch and headed for the Budweiser Brewery.  My favorite part of that tour was seeing all of the horses!  At the end of the tour, we got to have a free sample of pop and beer (for my parents) and we ate lunch in the Budweiser restaurant.

When we left we were so excited to finally head to Nashville Tennessee! It was about a six-hour drive to get to Nashville. Finally, we got to Nashville and headed to The Gaylord Opryland Hotel, it was amazing!  It had an oasis inside of it, and a little river! This was one of the best things about the hotel.  This was a hotel they made for an amusement park that Dolly Parton and someone else built. It was torn down because they got in an argument and they didn’t want it anymore.  The next day we went to a shopping center and explored our hotel.  The day after that, my mom and I went on a tour for the hit TV show “Nashville”.

 The bus driver showed us where they film and places they went in Nashville to film, it was so cool and fun!  I loved seeing the houses that they filmed in.  While on our way to some of the places we drove by some celebrities’ houses!  They were Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, and Taylor Swift’s parents house!

 One of the nights we went to the Blue Bird Café where many Nashville artists were founded, including Taylor Swift! We didn’t know the people that were performing there that night, but they were amazing! It was all sold out and we were lucky enough to get tickets. It was a small place, but they said that’s how people remember it.

 They do write some of their own songs and they were from Texas. One dude had really long hair! They also had a friend that was there and she sang a song for us. They were very entertaining, and it was a great night with my family. We all had so much fun; it was definitely one of the best nights of my life. 

 One of my favorite days was when we went to downtown Nashville! It was amazing! Its nickname is “Music Row” because all of the restaurants played music. There were a lot of cool souvenir shops and some weird shops that we didn’t really know. I really liked the diversity down there, it is way different then Iowa!

The next day Drew and I went into a museum with our parents. We had tons of fun standing on this stage you could take pictures on. It also had display guitars and a retro microphone. We took funny pictures and then looked around some more.  That day was one to remember.  

The best part of the whole trip was going to The Grand Ole Opry! When we were there, we saw some new artists that had amazing voices! During the break I helped an old guy figure out how to use a flip phone. Then close to the end of the concert Hunter Hayes, a former country music artist, performed a couple songs. Tons of teenage girls including me, ran up to get close to the stage!

While I was there I met a new friend, her name is Theresa and she is from Chicago, Illinois. We had a blast singing along to all of his songs. Hunter Hayes was the best part of the show! He sang four songs all together since there were other people that had already taken the stage. After the show we went to the gift shop so Drew could buy his girlfriend a gift.

The next morning we had to leave. We were so sad because that was the best vacation we have ever had. I really would like to go back some day. Saying goodbye to Nashville was not easy, but we had to leave at some point.