Sing Along with the Choir

Mrs. Andre, the choir director, has very high expectations for her vocal students. For instance, the most recent upcoming events include a select ensemble of seventh and eighth graders singing at Comstaock Park. During this time, the park owners will be lighting one light for every student in Lenawee county schools. That’s over 20,000 lights! The park singers have been practicing every day before school in order to perfect their songs.

The second upcoming event is for eighth graders. The eighth grade choir will be going around to the local elementary schools, (Patterson, Herrick Park, and Sutton) giving them a pre-look at their holiday concert.

Lastly, the seventh and eighth grade concert will be held on December 17. Come out to all of these events and support the choir!

Author: Stacia S.
Editor: Carley L.

We love it!

Everyone loves videos. That is why the Builders' Club decided to use some to help increase sales for the Scholastic book fair being held this week all day, including during conferences.


Each video has a short summary of a book the club members thought would be of special interest to students and maybe parents looking for good Christmas gifts.



If you are looking for a good book, you may want to check our our book fair. Sales also earn benefits for the Middle school. This is the conference schedule:
11/11, 5:00-8:00
11/12, 12:00 – 3:00, 5:00-8:00


There's something for almost everyone, every age group, reading level, and a large variety of subjects.

Fifth Grade Football

Last Saturday morning, at Tecumseh High School's football stadium, was the game rivalry of a lifetime. Okay, maybe not a lifetime, but it was a pretty interesting setup. At the beginning of the season, the fifth grade football sign up was so huge that the coach had to make two separate teams called Tecumseh and the Indians. So basically, it was the fifth grade vs. the fifth grade. The game started with Stacia (me!) singing the national anthem. Tecumseh had the starting kick-off at the twenty yard line, which Tecumseh caught. They ran to the thirty yard line but were sadly tackled by the Indians.

There were a lot of great plays during the game, not to mention a few injuries. Nothing serious though--the players got back up and played, despite their wounds.

Tecumseh started out ahead, but shortly after halftime the Indians shot right back and made three touchdowns, winning the game. Way to go boys! If you're interested, the fifth grade games are every Saturday morning at ten.

Written by: Stacia S.
Edited by: Laura A.

New Drama Class!

The newest class provided to eighth grade encore students, is the Creative Writing and Drama class. Taught by Miss Ashley Brubaker, this class is a good opportunity for eighth grade students to learn better acting and writing skills. In my opinion, this class is creative and fun. A performance is to be done every semester by each class. The first semester class is doing a play called "Lockers" on December 11th. "Lockers" is a play of funny little stories based on middle school experiences.
Currently in the class we are working on our creative writing skills and are taking baby steps towards getting rid of our stage fright. Our project is to talk as though we are 50 years older and are looking back on our lives. The creative part is that we get to decide what has happened, who we are married to, and what our children not only look like, but their personalities too. Creative Writing and Drama is the newest encore class and is certainly one of the most creative!

Edited by: Jessica C. & Renee A.
Written by: Anna G.

Spirit Week

Spirit Week

The week of September 28th was our Spirit Week for homecoming. Monday was pajama day, Tuesday was hat day, Wednesday was mix 'n' match day, Thursday was dress like your favorite actor day, and Friday was orange and black day.

Monday, pajama day, was the easiest day of them all. All it required was wearing your pajamas to school. People showed up in fuzzy slippers, robes, flannel outfits-the works.

Tuesday, hat day, was another easy one. It was the one day of the year when middle school students can wear a hat for free, without having to pay a dollar that goes toward a good cause (like all of the other hat days) or be forced to take their hat off. Almost everyone participated, and there were baseball caps, stylish hats, jester hats, silly hats, and fuzzy top hats, to name a few. Some teachers even took part in the hat-celebration. It is a day that everyone looks forward to.

Wednesday, mix 'n' match day, required you to wear an outfit that absolutely, in no way, is coordinated. For example: red plaid skinny jeans, a long-sleeved black and white striped top, and a black vest over that. It was very easy for some people to accomplish, and impossible for others.

Thursday--dress like your favorite actor day--probably had the smallest number of participants. People dressed like characters from TV shows, movies, and books.

Friday was orange and black day. To show their homecoming school spirit, almost everyone involved themselves in the festivities.

We can't wait until next Spirit Week, even if it is next year!

Edited by: Laura A.

Written by: Austin B.

Photographed by: Austin B.

Chinchillas for Sale! Can You Say Awww?

I have two chinchillas and I want to sell them. I will get you started on basic information of chinchillas by filling you in on what you need to know about them.
In my opinion, These are truly the simplest pets to take care of. They don't smell, unless you don't clean out their cage every once and a while. Their cage needs to be cleaned out once a week. Its simple and easy. Now on to other matters, toys for instance. They will need a wheel, a house, and something to chew on (they love toilet paper rolls!) They also require, a bowl for their food, and a specialized Chinchilla water bottle. The food I recommend is Vita Prima Chinchilla Formula. It costs thirty to forty dollars a month for a small batch, but it's all worth it.
All they need is plenty of attention and they will be happy for as long as they live, which can be for about twenty years. So plan on having these companions for quite a long time. They have to come in pairs, and I highly recommend a male-male or female-female combination. If you give them a good home, I will be eternally grateful!


Edited by: Renee A.
Written by: Aaron C.
Photographed by: Aaron C.

Sidewalk Art

One of the cool things we did for the end of the year was our sidewalk art. This movie shows some of the cool projects.


Music courtesy of Discovery Education

Photographers: Erin S., Laura A.
Movie: Carley L., Jessica C., Renee A.

Spring Band Concert

The band had their last concert of the year on May, 20th. Everyone did very well; there was a lot of improvement from the beginning of the year. 7th grade played "Activity March," "Clouds" and "And All That Jazz." I even had solo in "And All That Jazz!" The 8th grade played great; this is their last concert at TMS. =( We hope that you all stay in band next year so that we can have another great year!

Reporter: Carley L.
Video: Carley L.
Editor: Erin S.

Horse Shows

I’m going to take you on an adventure about horse shows. First, I’m going to talk about what people do at the shows. So let’s saddle up and begin!


Well, when most people get their horses out to the fairgrounds, they groom them so they can get used to the surroundings. This isn't always true; some horses don't require any familiarization with the fairgrounds.


Then people sign up for their classes before the actual show starts. Each show has multiple classes for different things, like Western, English, halter, trail, dressage, and showmanship, to name a few. Each class is judged differently, and a horse that can do well in everything is considered a good all-around horse. These are hard to come by, considering it that it takes a good horse/rider pairing to make it to the top.


In the morning there is halter and showmanship, two non-riding classes. In halter, you are not judged; the horse is. Good conformation and behavior is a must in this class. Each breed has different standards for how the horse must look and stand. There are even certain horses that have been bred especially so that they can win in this class. But beware--a horse older than seven isn't likely to place high.


Showmanship, unlike halter, is judged on how you can handle your horse. You enter the ring and perform an already set-out pattern that will lead you to the judge standing in the center. When you get to the judge, you must set your horse up, meaning that they are standing correctly according to their breed standards. The judge will walk around you and your horse, inspecting every tiny move you make. When the judge nods, you exit the arena.


Then later in the day come the riding classes. I personally do western, so I will tell you what I do in these classes. You enter the ring on your horse and the announcer will tell you what to do--trot, walk, canter, halt, back--while the judge watches you. There are a lot of people in these classes, so they can take a while.


The English riding classes are the same, yet different. You wear different clothes and the horse behaves differently, but overall you're judged the same way: on how you and your horse can work together.


Don't think that horse shows are all just riding your horse around an arena in circles--it's a lot more complicated than that. There's all the different tack and clothes to take care of, not to mention your horse in general. Each class is different and you have to act in certain ways for them. Not to mention the fact that something could always go wrong--your horse could be spooked by something and not want to cooperate, or a sudden rainstorm could come out of nowhere, drenching you and your expensive show saddle.


It's fun though, despite all of the hard work it takes. All the hours spent riding and training pay off when you enter that arena.


That’s mostly what goes on at shows, so thank you for reading.



Reporter: Amber S

Editor: Laura A

Virtual Tour for New Students

Some of the Editors have created a movie showing how to get around TMS, primarily for students entering Grade 5. The movie is shown in it's entirety on YouTube. You cannot find it by searching as there no key words associated with it, but you can find it if you click on the link below.

YouTube Video

Otherwise, you may watch the movie here. It is split into three areas, shown below.

The first movie shows the South Entrance by the Fifth Grade Center and the areas nearby.

Hint: Ignore the Subtitles and it is really not very hard to find your way in the middle school - Jessica C

The second movie shows the Cafeteria, Gyms, Orchestra, and how to open a combination lock.



The last movie shows Band, Art, the Office and Library, and the Computer Labs.

E2 (squared)

On May 5th, you got to do something fun for the last hour of the day. The time is called E2, or E-Squared, which is short for Extra Encore. It allows students to experience things they don't normally get to do in school.

This reporter was personally with Mrs. Andre for karaoke, but most of the other teachers were making crafts and such. There was a cemetery walk, a nature walk, making hats, and making computer games to name a few.

Some had fun making movies. An example of the fun is shown below. Some interesting movies are still in the process of being edited using Movie Maker.

Eighth Grade can SING!

Eighth grade singers are having a great month. Many have already tried out for festival singers at THS. According to the director, Ms. Andre, "These singers also tried out for Concert Women and Company. They are strong singers!"

They are going to State Festival at the end of the week. There is a concert you won't want to miss on May 26th. The concert on the 26th will be a concert of popular music.

Eighth grade singers were filmed in preparation for E-Squared day, showing the extent of their skill and versatility. They are singing a song in German, called "I Will Rejoice" or "Ich Will den Herrn Loben." It is based on a canon by Georg Philipp Telemann. It is about singing, praising, and being joyful.

Linsey's Trip to Mexico

Linsey Cory, Jessica's sister, is traveling to Merida, Mexico for school studies. She will be in Mexico for two and a half months. Linsey is one year from graduating from an anthropology degree. She says "I am very excited to go to Mexico!" Linsey has been to Mexico many times and has loved every one of her trips. "We all love her and hope that she gets home very safely," says Linsey's aunt, Dawn Harsh. We hope you have fun watching this video and we are sorry for the constant shaking (we were all a little nervous at the airport). God bless Linsey Cory!

Reporter: Jessica C

Editor: Carley L

Random picture

Since we haven't posted anything in a while, we saw fit to give you all this lovely picture, straight from the library rejects cart.

High School Musical Play

Last week Tecumseh Youth Theatre put on productions of High School Musical. It was shown on April 17th, 18th, and 19th at theTeenter for the Arts. All of the old songs were in the show, as well as some new ones. The shows went very well, and there was even a standing ovation on Sunday! All of the leads did well and would have been heard well to, if it wasn't for some mic troubles. All in all it went very well, and I hope that you enjoyed in if you went to one of the performances.



Written by: Carley L.

Edited by: Jessica C.

Getting Brighter with the "Spark" of Knowledge

When we grow up we learn that electricity is "shocking" in the form of static in the carpet. We learn that it can kill you when unleashed in its more powerful forms, such as lightning. We have now learned that, when it is harnessed in the form of a circuit board, it can spark knowledge of facts that might otherwise be boring. This happened when we made circuit boards for Mrs. Kirsch's class.


First, we had to come up with ten questions about a chapter with the correct answers. On a cardboard, we created a table with the questions on the left and the answers, in a the scrambled order, in the the right column. We punched hole by the the numbers for the questions and answers. Then we flipped the board over. We took aluminum foil and masking tape to match the questions and answers, creating part of a circuit with foil as the conductor of electricity.

Now the next step was putting together the power and light source. We used wire and a 9-volt battery and made our wire harnesses. Then we attached the wire to a small light. The battery and bulb assembly was then attached to the top of the cardboard with a length of wire hanging from each end. To test our knowledgee and the circuit, we would touch one end of the wire to the foil in the hole by the question. When we match the question to the correct answer, the light would light up. If we match the question with an incorrect answer, it would not light up. As we tried the circuit boards of our classmates, it was a great way to test our circuits and our knowledge.


Reporter: Elissa K.
Photographer: Elissa K.
Editor: Mrs. M.

Riding is the Best!!

Everyone thinks that galloping across a big field is the best part of being with a horse. There is much more to horse ownership, and after a while, these things can be just as important, maybe even better in some ways. These are the many ways a person cares for their horse, including brushing and feeding. Of course, a good ride is important to the care of your horse.

Brushing is an important part of horse care. It is the time when you groom your horse, but you also talk softly and develop a close relationship. You must brush your horse with a soft brush and a hard brush. A comb is used for its tail and mane. This keeps their appearance beautiful and their coat free from burrs and debris.

When you are ready to ride, you have to get its saddle and blanket. Then you have to put the blanket right on the withers. Then if you have a western saddle you tighten the girth strap than you strap it on to the hook and you have to make sure that the saddle is tight enough so you can get on.

After the horse is saddled, you will want to get on to ride. Your horse needs to get out regularly, and it is fun. First you must put on your helmet, to be safe. Then, if it helps, you can get a stool then you put it next to the horse's side. You step right on the top of the stool and then you put your right foot in the stirrup. Then you push of with the other leg and you swing the leg over the saddle and you put the other foot in that other stirrup.

When you ride it is important to sit properly, so that the ride will be better for both you and the horse. You should keep your back straight at all times and your shoulders lined up with your back. To start the ride, you tell the horse to walk and all you do is tap it on its side and squeeze your legs to the saddle and you are off walking your horse. If you want it to trot, all you have to do is tell is to trot and kick it a little harder. If your horse is well-trained, it will behave most of the time, but if your horse is acting up, all you do it hold on tight with your legs and tell it to whoa. He will stop for you.

If you want a healthy horse, it is important to feed it properly. Oats are an important food, but you must give them the right ones. It all depends on what kind of horse it is and what size. For the hay, most horses only eat 2 flakes of hay for their dinner, lunch, and breakfast, and for snack, too. A flake is a portion of the bale.

One more thing, when you are taking your horse outside, you must remember to check the weather and the condition of the area where you will be walking. If it is icy outside or if it is rainy outside, you should not have your horse outside. It is better for it to remain in its stall.

Riding a horse is fun, but having a horse for a friend is even better. If you take care of your horse, it will become your special friend and companion.

Author: Amber S.
Photographer: Amber S. and her mom
Editor: Mrs. M.

Power of the Pong

Some Players
Mrs. G. --- Alex

On the week of February 18, a lot of children suddenly flocked to the back of the TMS cafeteria. The reason? Ping pong. For some strange reason the students went there to view the legendary fight between Nathaniel Coffin and one Mrs. Gnotke duke it out for truth, justice, and Bosco Sticks.


The stakes were drawn, and the end score was decided. At a score of 11, the game would be up. Nate would serve first. A slight touch to the ball, and the tournament would begin. And begin it did! Nate took an early lead in this game, quickly taking control of the table. However, what Mrs.G didn’t have for the game was definitely made up for with her dazzling outfit.

They fought long and hard, but at last, it seemed that Mrs. Gnotke couldn’t take it any longer that she did, because with one power shot, the game was up, with Nathaniel Coffin as the victor of one ball fight no one will forget.

Reporters: Sabrina M., Ryan L.
Photographer: Ryan L.
Editor: Mrs. M.

Reading Month Contest Rules

READING MONTH GOES DTV
though not Hi-Def

Every day a new contest.
Every correct entry is rewarded.
Win Cash!

Watch the clue video every day
AND ENTER!!!
Video will also be on the newsblog.
http://tms-news.blogspot.com

Put your answer on 1/4 sheet of paper
from the recycling bin!
Include your FULL NAME and Teacher or Section.
Only recycled paper will be accepted.

Bring your entry in by 7:45 the next day.

Cash Drawing every Friday.

Writing is Wacky!

Today in writing we did a lot, as usual. We did our DOL (Daily Oral Language), then some handwriting. Sometimes we do our Daybooks, in which we write about different topics. Right now, we are working on some music people like Woody Guthrie and B. B. King. The Daybook includes both reading and writing.

For DOL, all we do is correct sentences, then write them in the correct way. It is important to listen and make the appropriate corrections. If you don't, you won't have the correct information for the test we have on Friday, which is about the same corrections. We do this to help us write and speak correctly.

In handwriting, we occasionally take time to practice writing in cursive, but not very often. This is what we do in my writing class with Mrs. Harrison.

Reporter: Paige S.
Editor: Mrs. M

Maddie's Story

The Green Team got to make a difference in someone’s life, a baby girl named Maddie. This reporter heard about Maddie at Appleumpkin. She has a rare skin disorder called Congenital Pigmented Nevus (CPN). She was with her family who was selling raffle tickets to help pay for a surgery which is not covered by insurance.

After meeting Maddie, a couple of class members asked Mr. Palmer if we could help. He knew about her because her parents had been his students. When he agreed, we started collecting change, nickels, dimes, and quarters, and sometimes dollars. Altogether, the Green Team raised $211.94 to put towards Maddie’s surgery.

On January, 20th, Maddie went to Chicago on a train. The surgery was at Children’s Memorial Hospital. Maddie’s Doctor was Dr. Bauer. He looks like a lot of fun! The surgery took about two hours to put in the tissue expanders.

Our team is pleased and happy that we could do something to help. If you would like further information, or maybe help with a donation, go to www.helpmaddie.org

Reporter: Brianna W.
Editor: Mrs. M., Renee A.
Photographs courtesy of www.helpmaddie.org

Do you hear wedding bells?

Mrs. Gross, a 5th grade teacher and Mr. Keyser, a 6th grade teacher, became husband and wife on December 20, 2008 late in the afternoon. They got married at the Church of Christ in Tecumseh. The wedding was a full mass and the couple decided on having family and friends at the wedding. Mr. Keyser's daughters were the bride's maids and one of his friends was the best man. Mrs. Gross's sister was the maid of honor and her sons were grooms men. Mrs. Gross wore a beautiful ivory dress, with lots of beading and a lace train.

The reception was at the Pines Banquet Hall in Tecumseh. The newly weds didn't do what most couples do at receptions. They didn't shove cake in each other's faces, but Mrs. Keyser did put a little dab of frosting on Mr. Keyser's head.

HAVE A GREAT LIFE TOGETHER MR. AND MRS. KEYSER!!

Reporter: Kelsey B.

Editor: Renee A. , Jessica C.

Cupid's Comin' to Town

The Builders' Club will soon be holding a Valentines dance! There will be lots of decorations and anyone, 6-8th grade, can get in for a fee. You can buy refreshments like Valentine inspired treats, boxes of candy, and mints. The dance will be held on Friday, February 13th from 7-9:30 PM. The will be Dance Dance Revolution, Rock Band, basketball, pictures, a ticket raffle, and of course, dancing!

The Builders' Club will also be holding Crush sales. You can buy Valentine heart suckers for 50 cents, Airheads for 25 cents, and Pixi Stix for 25 cents. You can buy things for yourself, your friends, or your crush! This can be anonymous if you'd like. Sales start January 28th and end February 6th. You can buy them during lunch.

Reporter: Carley L.
Photographer: Carley L.
Editors: Renee A. Jessica C.

One fancy ride for The Wheelmen!

The Wheelmen is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to keeping alive the heritage of American cycling, promoting the restoration and riding of early cycles (1918 or earlier), and encouraging cycling as part of modern living.

Some of the names of the common antique bikes are a Boneshaker, a Three-wheeled Tricycle, a Highwheel, Hard-tire safety, and a Nomadic safe-tire.

The Boneshaker is one of the first bikes that ever set foot on the streets. This bike is really hard to ride because there is no chain on the bike and usually the pedals are on the front wheel. This bike usually had no rubber for the tires so the wooden rims were in place of that. Currently we have two or three in the club, one which would be my grandfather's if he would have been alive.

A Three-wheeled Tricycle looks just like a nowadays kids tricycle but is much larger than that. These bikes would have hard tires, solid tires made out of rubber, and were normally ridden by a lady.

A Highwheel is pretty much explained by the name. A Highwheel has hardtires, a big front wheel, and a tiny back wheel. You get on this bike by a tiny step on the back of the bike. A highwheel can also be called a Penne Farthing. The height of your highwheel is determined by your inseam, or the height from about your waist to the ground.

Next are the Hard-tire safety and the Nomadic safety. These are very similar and the only differences are the hard tire has hard tires and the safety has regular rubber tires you can buy at the bike shop and how you get on.

Because we go to parades we have to dress a special way. The traditional outfit for a lady is a white blouse, bloomers or a skirt, and fancy tites or socks. The traditional outfit for a gentleman is a white shirt, a blue hat, red or blue suspenders, blue or black knee-high pants, ans blue knee-high socks.

I love the Wheelmen because it gives me a chance to learn about the history of America and it gives me a chance to do something out of the ordinary, ride a highwheel.

If you would like more information you can talk to me or Mrs. Metzler or you can just go to http://www.thewheelmen.org/ to find out some history or just look at pictures of my family and me!

Reporter: Jessica C.

Pictures: Jessica's family and http://www.thewheelmen.org/
Editor: