HJH Warriors complete season; Lady Warriors finish 17-1

The Haywood Junior High Warriors have completed their season in the West Tennessee Athletic Association (WTAC) and in tournament play. The boys finished their season 8-7, and the girls took all but the gold home.

The Lady Warriors held an undefeated season of 17-0 until they reached the West Tennessee Sectional Tournament. They won the regular season conference title, the Southern Division District Tournament title and the overall WTAC championship against a field of 14 teams. During the sectional tournament, their first loss of the season came in their second game against Mt. Pisgah on February 8.

This is the Lady Warriors’ second consecutive year to win the championship title. “We dominated our conference again this year,” Coach Ray Jones said. Last year they completed a 17-2 season, were the WTAC Southern Conference champs, the WTAC District Tournament champs and played in the Final Four in the West Tennessee play-offs. Coach Jones has been coaching the Lady Warriors for 7 years and holds a 90-32 record during his tenure.

Eighth graders create Valentine posters

Four eighth graders were winners from Haywood Junior High School art teacher Anita Rickman’s classes with their Valentine poster designs that were created “for someone special in their lives.” Each one chose to make a poster for their parents. From left, Melissa Powell, Novell Pickens and Christopher Rich, and Brian Currie (back row) were the winning artists. Mrs. Rickman required students to center all lettering, use creative touches, and have neat painting and coloring with no smudges. “These were all so well-done, Mrs. Rickman said, “There was a four-way tie for first place.”

HJH library receives book donations; promotes several reading programs

Jerilyn Thornton (left), Haywood Junior High School librarian, is appreciative of the gift of books from members of ADK, a local teachers’ sorority. Representing the sorority was another HJH teacher, Mary Jane Williams (center). Pictured with the teachers is a student who is an “outstanding reader,” according to Mrs. Thornton.

We recently visited the Haywood Junior High School Library where librarian Jerilyn Thornton was showing off new books donated to the school by ADK, a local teachers’ sorority. We also found out that members of the Eighth Review Club had donated to the school subscriptions for several teen magazines, including “Breakaway” and “Brio,” published by “Focus on the Family.”

Mrs. Thornton also told us about several programs in which HJH students have participated and enjoyed. The “Read Aloud” program encourages young people to read aloud to their young siblings or friends, thus explaining the purchase through a Vision Grant and the donation from ADK of toddler to elementary school-age appropriate books. “The response from students has been amazing,” Mrs. Thornton said. “This program is a win-win situation for both age groups. The HJH student increases his or her fluency in reading and learns to enjoy reading aloud. And for the younger kids, it increases their attention span, vocabulary and the likelihood that they will enjoy reading in the future.” Mrs. Thornton added, “There is no better preparation for young children for future academic success than to be read to in the home.”

Students at HJH are also acting as “ambassadors” for the Imagination Library program. They encourage young children to participate in the program that provides for every child, birth to age five, a new hardcover book each month. This literacy program was started by Dolly Parton and is supported by the Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation. “The goal of the program is to get each and every one of our 1,420 eligible children registered for this program so that they all have a chance to arrive at kindergarten with a love of reading and a desire to learn,” said local Imagination Library chairman Alan Callery of Insouth Bank. Local individuals and businesses donate half of the cost of the program.

First honor roll students travel to Renaissance Center

Third-six-weeks first honor roll students at Haywood Junior High School were treated to a trip to the Renaissance Center in Dickson, Tennessee, on January 28 where they saw a planetarium show and a laser show, thanks to the school’s Partners in Education. Haywood Company, Mid-South Farmers Coop and Southwest Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation provided the funds for the students to make the trip and enjoy a pizza lunch. The planetarium show featured the planet Mars, and the laser show featured poplar music by artists such as Elvis, Will Smith, the Bee Gees, Prince and Led Zeppelin. Both shows were in the center’s Cybersphere Digital Theatre.