Friday, January 27, 2012

Prom Information

Date: April 14th
Prom pictures: 4-6 p.m.
Doors open to public: 6:00 p.m.
Grand March: 7:00 p.m. (takes place in the main gym)
Grand March ends: 8:00 p.m.
Prom starts: 7:00 p.m.
Prom ends: 11:00 p.m.
After prom follows.

RRMR prom statistics:
Days to decorate: Sunday-Thursday
Hours to decorate: 16 hours
Parents that help decorate: 15 is the average number
Food and drinks: Donated by parents
There will be 8 chaperones at prom (teachers and administrators)

RRMR After Prom statistics:
*Junior and senior parents set up the after prom
Food donations: local businesses and parents
Parents:
*pick gift cards up
*help decorate
*get food ready
*set up

Meet the Basketball Cheerleaders

There are five basketball cheerleaders, I would like you to meet them; so I asked each of them a few questions to let you get to know them.

I will start with Sarah Heft, She is 17 years old and a senior, she has been cheerleading for four years. Her parents are Nancy and Shane Heft. Sarah enjoys getting the crowd involved and cheering on her friends.

Angie Staudt is a senior and she has been cheering at Rockford for four years. Her parents are Kelly and Gerald Staudt. Angie enjoys being a cheerleader because she likes to have the "Spirit".

Lindsay Ott is 17 and a junior, she has been cheering for the Varsity Basketball team for two years, she also cheered for the JV basketball team for a year and she enjoyed cheering for the Varsity Football team for three years. Her parents are Todd and Donna Ott. Lindsay enjoys cheering with all the other cheerleaders, they are alot of fun to cheer with. She also likes to watch basketball. "Its fun to watch and support our team and players".

Skylar Woodruff is 17 and a junior, she has been cheering at Rockford for three years. Her parents are Linda Woodruff and the late Scott Woodruff. Skylar enjoys cheerleading because she gets to go to all of the basketball games and cheer on her friends who are playing in the game.

Mandy Demaray is 17 and a junior, she has been cheering at Rockford for three years. Her parents are Melody and Mike Demaray. Mandy enjoys cheering at all the basketball games and supporting her friends. She likes the bus rides to the games, because she talks to the coaches.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Iowa State Dance Marathon.

By: Jocelyn Arends

Last weekend (Saturday, January, 21) the annual Iowa State Dance Marathon was held. What is Dance Marathon? Dance Marathon is a year long fundraising effort that benefits children and their families at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. One day a year everyone from dancers and committee members to children and their families, come together for a once a year event that showcases several different acts and dances to celebrate the fundraising efforts throughout the year for 15 hours straight. This year, Dance Marathon raised $380,742.15 for it’s 15 year anniversary. Compared to last years 264,290.14, that’s an amazing 44 percent increase. There was nearly 900 dancers this year, which bested last years 810 dancers. All the dancers that participated were there for one reason, because they were simply “Kickin it for the kids” as they say. One of the new additions to this years Dance Marathon was the “Why We Dance” room. This showcased several letters from children, family members and dancers who shared their own thoughts on why they dance. As well as the games and entertainment throughout the night, Dance Marathon had plenty of activities to keep the children and dancers busy. Nobody was ever hungry either, Panda Express and Pancheros donated lots of food to keep everyone full. At the end of the long evening it was revealed that this year’s Dance Marathon made the staggering number of $380,742.15. This left many families and committee members in tears. Joy rang through the place, because their year long efforts had finally paid off. So many kids and their families will be affected positively and to everyone that was involved, it was enough. I was honored and fortunate to attend the Sunday brunch that honored committee members for their efforts. The room was filled with family and Dance Marathon executives from not only Iowa State but also The University of Iowa and Zach Johnson, who is the National Dance Marathon Director for Children’s Miracle Network. Johnson had kind words for everyone involved with Iowa State Dance Marathon and noted that this year’s goal for every Dance Marathon held in 2012 has to have at least 20 percent higher increase than last year’s Dance Marathon event. Iowa State set the bar high by being the first Dance Marathon held in 2012 and posting a 44 percent increase which is over half of what the actual goal that was set. It was also noted that UNI would now be starting up their own Dance Marathon, making all state schools in Iowa involved with Dance Marathon.
No matter what events that went on during Dance Marathon, everyone always had the kids on their mind. 100 percent of the proceeds will benefit the children and families of the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. For that reason and that reason alone is why “Kickin It For The Kids” is so important. So if you ever want to get involved, help children who are ill, and have fun while doing all those things, just be a dancer at a Dance Marathon event. Your time, money, and effort will surely change someones life.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Interesting Facts

1.It is impossible to hum if your nose is plugged.

2.If you mouth the word "colorful" to someone, it looks like you are saying "I love you".

3.SONY was originally called 'Totsuken'.

4.Play Doh was originally used to clean wallpaper.

5.Butterflies taste with their feet.

6.80% of the flowers in the Australian rainforests are not found anywhere else in the world.

7.40 percent of McDonald's profits come from the sales of Happy Meals.

8.ELEPHANT teeth can weigh as much as 9 pounds.

9.A jellyfish is 95 percent water.

10.A hummingbird weighs less than a penny


Sources:

http://www.tealdragon.net/humor/facts/facts.htm

http://www.allrandomfacts.com/

http://www.srl.caltech.edu/personnel/krubal/rainforest/Edit560s6/www/facts.html


Election 2012 By: Jocelyn Arends

Election 2012 is fast approaching and though the Democratic party has their nominee set in President Barack Obama, the Republican party have a few candidates vying to be the Republican presidential nomination to face President Obama in the November election. But before the two parties duke it out with their nominees this November, we must find out who will be the representative for the Republican party.
There are quite a few characters trying to win the hearts of Republican voters. Though Michelle Bachman, John Huntsman, and Herman Cain have dropped out do to bad showings in the polls or in Cain’s case sexual scandal, there are still a few candidates going for the nomination that are still in the hunt. Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Perry are still out there for the Republican voters to choose from. First there is the front runner Mitt Romney, who has won both the crucial Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primaries going into the South Carolina primaries. Romney has been in politics for years but this election seems to be the one that has him breaking away from the pack. Mr. Shultz, the high school government teacher believes that at this point nobody can beat Romney for the nomination, saying, “We are pretty close to the point that nobody will be able to give Romney a run for his money, although Santorum can give him a run in the South Carolina primaries.” Mr. Shultz also added that Romney has a bit of an advantage by having his organizations in other states, money and is running ads in places where voters have not decided on what their vote is going to be. This strategy will probably get Romney the nomination at this point, that’s not to say that the race is over.
Rick Santorum, who some say has been the underdog through out this election is making a huge case for his campaign to become president. Romney versus Santorum is the true “David versus Goliath” matchup, where Santorum, who doesn’t have as much money or popularity as Romney, but is rather focusing on the people face to face, which has proved to be a great strategy this far in the election. Here at RRMR, we actually have ties to Mr. Santorum. I was fortunate to talk to Emily Laudner, who’s dad Chuck Laudner is a campaign strategist and advisor for the Rick Santorum campaign. I asked Emily what Rick Santorum is like as a person, she says “ He’s nice! He’s a big family and faith kind of guy, he likes to make sure that he can meet people face to face.” I also asked Emily what it was like to see her dad’s famous “Chuck truck” all over the news. Laudner says, “It’s awesome! The truck will be headed to Florida right after the South Carolina primaries.” It sounds like the “Chuck Truck” has a lot of miles on it!
Other candidates that are still in the race include Ron Paul. Paul, a doctor from Texas is still going strong through out the election. Many say Ron Paul is a big hit with the young voters. With good poll numbers in Iowa and New Hampshire, it wouldn’t be surprising if Ron Paul won the Republican nomination going forward. The next candidate that is still in the race as of now is the Texas Governor Rick Perry. Right now Perry is hanging by a thread. After showing bad numbers at the Iowa caucus, Perry went back home to Texas to reassess his entire campaign. After much consideration, Perry decided to stay in the race and is hoping to have a good showing in the upcoming South Carolina primaries.
The last candidate, who has had many ups and downs through out his campaign is Newt Gingrich. A couple months before the Iowa caucuses, Gingrich looked to be in the driver seat to win the pivotal Iowa caucus. His popularity among Iowa voters decreased in that time and Gingrich ended up finishing 4th, which was not what he had his sights set on.
At this point the only candidates that have a legitimate chance of winning the Republican nomination is Romney, Paul, and Santorum. But after the Republican party has their man, they must begin the more important campaign for the November election.
In the 2008 election, the number of young voter participation was at an all time high. I asked Mrs. Arickx, a high school history teacher, her thoughts on whether or not the percentage of young voters will show up or replicate as well as they did in 2008. “I certainly hope so! I think the issues are important to young constituents, I also think that as a person who studies history that it is really important to use your right to vote” says, Arickx.
As of today, (Thursday, January, 19) CNN is reporting that Rick Perry has indeed dropped out of the race. There are also rumors swirling that Rick Santorum had actually won the Iowa caucus and beat Mitt Romney in a vote recount. The fight for the Republican presidential nomination is nothing short of interesting and everyday there can be changes in who’s on top and who’s dropping out.
So who are you voting for this election season? What are the issues that you want to be resolved? Which candidate shares your beliefs or values? These are questions that every voter must ask themselves when they are choosing who they want to represent our country. So go to the polls this November! Your vote counts.

2011-2012 Winter

The weather outside has not been very frightful, it has been rather delightful. With temperatures outside consistently above freezing, we have been very fortunate for such nice weather. But as everyone knows, all good things come to an end, and this week has been the end. Forecasts this week have all been under 15 degrees, and are expected to get worse with 5-6 inches of snow on Friday, and another chance of snow on Sunday. I guess you could say we deserve some bad weather, because we've been spoiled all winter.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Rockford Lady Warriors Against Northwood-Kensett

The Rockford Lady Warriors are a younger team that have been showing their talent. They have one Senior, two Juniors, five Sophomores, and four Freshman. They took on the Northwood- Kensett Vikings, Tuesday January 17th, 2012 at Northwood, Iowa and had an exciting battle; they walked away with a 52-49 win.
Here are some highlighted stats from the game:
-Sadie Wyborny led the Lady Warriors with 9 rebounds and 21 points.
-Emily Carroll with 11 rebounds and 13 points.
-Madison Wood with 1 rebound, 5 assists, 3 steals and 6 points.
-Emily Laudner with 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 5 points.
-Madison Thieman with 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 4 points.
-Alison O`Connor with 1 steal and 3 points.

With the win on Tuesday their record is now 5-8-0. The Lady Warriors have 7 more regular season games left.

GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance)

I talked with group member Tristan Paulus about GSA, because I was interested to know more about it. GSA stands for Gay-Straight Alliance group. They focus on advocacy (standing up support). It is a group that responds to gay bullying with support and nonviolent counter measures and that promotes equality no matter who or what you are. GSA's goal is to create a place where you can feel safe no matter what.

Paulus said that he started this group at RRMR because there is bullying happening at schools everywhere whether its face to face or cyber bullying. One of the group's objectives is to show and to prove that our school is a place where kids can feel safe regardless of what they believe in and who they are, just like other Gay-Straight Alliance groups in other countries across the United States.

They meet and have speakers come in to educate them on anti-bulling and just to be able to have the general feeling of safety, as well as having group discussions on the topics of bullying and what they can do to stop it.

What they want to improve in the group is connections with larger groups, trust with one another, knowing that everyone is there for one another, and the safety realization of knowing that they can happily go on with their lives, just like other students should be able to do without being bullied in any way.
If you have any questions about GSA or are interested in joining, talk to group member Tristan Paulus.



Thursday, January 12, 2012

Rockford Golf Team

I had a chance to sit down and talk with RRMR's golf coach Andy Klemesrud. Coach Klemesrud is very excited for the upcoming 2012 golf season, and the changes that they face. The biggest change for the team will be moving from the Rockford Golf & Country Club, to West Hills Golf & Country Club in Nora Springs. Coach Klemesrud believes that the new home course will be viewed as an opportunity to improve in certain areas that weren't possible last year. With 4 of the team's top 6 golfers returning, Klemesrud has a lot of confidence in the team's ability to bring Rockford its 5th straight conference title, he also believes his team has the ability to make it to the state tournament for the first time since 2000, when they brought home the state championship.

FFA Chili Heat

I interviewed Mr. Hansen, the Rockford FFA Director and the Rockford Ag teacher about the Chili Heat that was Held on Friday January 6th in the High school cafeteria during the Varsity Basketball games.



-What are your thoughts about the Chili Heat you put on?


Lots of students showed up to help and it went well. It will help many families with their heat this winter.



-Do you believe that you are succeeding?

We raised $475 this year. That was the second highest we have raised. We could have actually sold another roaster of sweet chili this year.


-What do you think you could do to help you in the future years?

We will have more chili next year so we raise more money. 100% of the proceeds go to heat assistance.

-The Chili Heat Proceeds go to the families that need heat during the winter months.

Did you know?

1. Weird Al Yankovic was the valedictorian of his high school graduating class.

2. More than ten people a year are killed by vending machines.

3. Ice cream is Chinese food.

4. Abraham Lincoln was a licensed bartender.

5. The filming of the movie ‘Titanic’ cost more than the Titanic itself.

6. One in every 4 Americans have appeared on television.

7. If you eat lots of carrots, you will start to turn orange.

8. When you are looking at someone you love, your pupils dilate, they do the same when you are looking at someone you hate.

9. If you mouth the word “colorful” to someone, it looks like you are saying “I love you.”

10. One human hair can support 3 ounces.

11. Kilts are not native to Scotland. They originated in France.

12. If the population of China walked past you in single file, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction.



Source: www.funfactz.com

Friday, January 6, 2012

Hello, My name is Wesley Winters.

Hello, I`m Wesley Winters. I am a Senior at RRMR High School. I enjoy playing basketball. I am a FFA Member. I have a younger sibling that goes to RRMR, Dalton Winters (brother); he is 14 and in 8th grade. I have lived in Rockford for my whole life. I was born to Tracy and Heather Winters on July 14th, 1994 in Mason City, Iowa.

Hello my name is Nicole Brady

My name is Nicole Jane Brady. I'm a senior at Rockford High school.

Darrin Kingery

Hi, I'm Darrin Kingery. I am a senior at RRMR high school, I am active in sports, also a member of the FFA. I live in Marble Rock, with my Mom and Dad, (Dan and Lynn Kingery) and have 2 sisters Megan 22, and Abbie, 20.

Hello my name is Jocelyn Arends.

Hey everybody! My name is Jocelyn Arends and I am a senior at Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock high school. I am 18 years old and have been involved in activities such as Softball, Cross Country, and Model UN as well as other activities though out my high school career. I have a identical twin sister and have three older brothers. I love to listen to music and helping animals. I plan on eventually going to Iowa State University and my major is undecided for now. I hope that this blog will excite you and fill you in on what activities are going on at RRMR.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Welcome!

Welcome to the RRMR-21st Century Writing blog!  Our class hopes that you will check out what we have to say about what is happening at RRMR High School.

Mrs. Jana Huebsch, Teacher