Front row: Ava Thompson, Miranda Laabs, Alexis Wasson and Taylin Woolheater; Back row: Karleen Ploeger, Brayden Galvan and Brayden Meinecke. Not pictured: Baylyn Herring.
NHS INDUCTION CEREMONY
By Maddy Carstens, junior, staff writer
The Panorama National Honor Society (NHS) held its induction ceremony on May 8 in the Panorama High School auditorium. At this annual ceremony, old and new NHS members walk into the auditorium one by one with a candle. Once members are seated, new incoming members, usually sophomores, sit on the stage. Older members, mostly seniors and some juniors, speak about the four pillars of NHS: scholarship, service, character and leadership. Superintendent Huebner also gave a speech focused mainly on leadership.
There were eight new NHS members inducted on May 8: Brayden Galvan, Baylyn Herring, Miranda Laabs, Brayden Meinecke, Karleen Ploeger, Ava Thompson, Alexis Wasson and Taylin Woolheater. These members were each called from their seats, one by one, to sign the book and receive a pin for their varsity letter. Seniors of the NHS were also recognized at the ceremony. Afterward, members provided ice cream and toppings for everyone to enjoy. Congrats to the new inductees.
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FFA STATE CONVENTION
By Zach Hayden, sophomore
On April 15-16, 14 members of the Panorama FFA chapter went to Ames for the State Convention. These members were Cody Kastner, Abby Zaruba, Evan Johnson, Taylor Fronapfel, Ashton Kunce, Ella Carico, Ava Thompson, Bridget White, Danica Isom, Chris Hayden, Emma Johnson, Sam Hansen, Isabelle Davidson and Malia Jacobsen. Members participated in contests and workshops, spoke to ag businesses and colleges, listened to the main speakers, and watched members Weston Ploeger, Riley Gibson, Hadley Klein and Sarah Westergaard walk across the stage to receive their state degrees.
Some of the contests and workshops include the following. Poultry judging was participated in by Ashton, Evan and Abby. The middle school leadership development workshop was participated by Chris, Sam, Malia, Isabelle and Emma. Cody and Ella received a silver rating in their chapter display, and Danica received a bronze rating in the Greenhand exam. Ava, Bridget, Ashton, Cody, Taylor, Abby and Danicka packaged meals for Meals of the Heartland as part of community service.
Some members said that the convention went well and was fun. Others said that it had many people and that it was a great way to socialize and meet people with similar interests as you. A few said it’s a good experience for new and old members, and you will have many different learning opportunities.
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FUN THINGS MATTER
By Addie Astley and Peyton Walker, sophomores, staff writers
Fun activities in school help students. Kahoot, Blooket and Quizlet are fun learning activities that get students engaged in school subjects. Activities like these enhance students’ motivation, enjoyment, engagement and concentration. These are positive tools that can help students learn in positive ways. Students get excited about getting to participate in playing these games. They really do promote positive and active learning in classes and help students study.
How do Kahoot, Blooket and Quizlet work? A teacher will make a quiz with multiple choice questions. They can be true or false, or however they prefer. Then the students will join. Some of the websites have different types of games they can play. However, the goal of the game is to answer learning-based questions correctly. These games are appropriate for all ages and can be used in every classroom.
Not everything in a classroom is supposed to be fun, and we all know that. Having a few fun activities planned for your classroom can help the kids want to learn and help them memories better by having fun. By doing fun activities in the classroom, it releases dopamine that improves memory, attention and motivation. These things don’t just have to happen in a classroom. Having fun outside of school is more important than you think. By having fun, it can boost your emotional well-being.
Sometimes, exploring new activities can be stressful. So when you want to have fun, do something you know you’d like to show yourself. You could develop a strong social connection by just scheduling a time with family and friends to have fun and bond. You could be better at problem solving, as you can learn faster by seeing other people. You could get your spark back. What I mean by that is that you could’ve been feeling sad and you could push yourself to go out and feel like yourself again. These are just some reasons why having fun is very important for you and everyone around you.
Information from
https://www.bryan-harris.com/why-fun-matters-more-than-you-may-realize
https://www.bravethinkinginstitute.com/blog/life-transformation/benefits-of-having-fun
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SCHOOL IS ABOUT TO END
By Bjoërg Skovgaard, sophomore, staff writer
School is almost over, and it’s time to say goodbye to the seniors. Remember to show your love and support when they graduate and at their grad parties. For non-seniors, the last day of school is slowly approaching so make sure all your grades are in check, homework is turned in, and your locker is clean.
As sports like golf, soccer and track and field are ending and preparing for a chance at state, softball and baseball are slowly starting. It’s important to show support to the sports teams and give the seniors’ last game an extra round of applause. What a great school year we all had. Next year will also be a lot different. New schedules and new teachers. See you next year and don’t forget about school over the summer.
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CHOOSING CLASSES FOR YOU
By Lillie Greenlee, freshman, staff writer
It’s important to choose the right classes for you and your future. High school is where you should start thinking about your career and what you want to do. You can get prepared for what you want to major in while still in high school. For example, if you want to be an engineer, there are many engineering classes that you could take whether it’s through your high school or through a college. There might even be classes you could take in high school so you don’t have to take them in college, which could open your schedule up.
I want to study psychology and/or psychiatry. So, while I’m in high school, I plan on taking psychology courses through my high school or through college. You should pick what classes are best for you. You shouldn’t take a class just because it’s easy or just because one of your friends is taking it. This being said, it’s also good to be open minded and try new things. However, you should take classes that will help your future the most and that you have the most interest in, even if they’re difficult.
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DRONE DEMO
By Miyah Small, eighth grader, staff writer
The eighth-grade science classes had a drone demonstration on Tuesday, May 7. Two biologists gave a presentation about drone safety, flying and about the different types of drones. They used a DGI drone to capture about 100 photos of the area demonstrated. The drone flew by itself on the route created before takeoff. Soon, the photos will be transformed into one photo and sent back for student observation.
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TEACHER FEATURE: MR. CAMERON LITTLE
By Peyton Walker, sophomore, staff writer
Panorama’s business teacher and assistant baseball coach, Mr. Cameron Little, has been teaching at Panorama for 12 years but has been coaching baseball since out of high school. The thing that inspired him to start teaching was his love for coaching. He started coaching baseball because baseball was his favorite sport, and Mr. Bahrenfuss got him into coaching right after high school. He played baseball in high school, and he loved it. Mr. Little chose to teach business because before he decided to be a teacher, he started to go into a business major.
He was inspired to start teaching by his mom, Mr. Bahrenfuss, and Mark Johnston; his favorite part about teaching is being able to help the kids. Mr. Little was homeschooled but duel enrolled at Panorama. He stayed to teach at Panorama because his family, friends and the things he loves are here. His favorite part about coaching is being able to share his value with his players and their families. Mr. Little loves working at Panorama. What he’s learned most from being a teacher is to put kids first, but to put God above all.