The Eagle Eye

By Nikki Kooienga and Bailey DeJong

Image: realbollywood.com

Morgan Seaver, an 8th grader at BMS, said that she always does her homework before watching TV. But that statement might not be true for everyone, so should teens be allowed to have a TV in their bedrooms?

Mary DeJong, 8th grader Bailey DeJong’s mother, said that she would not let her kids have a TV in their bedroom because, “They don’t need to watch that much TV.”

Kim Kooienga, 8th grader Nikki Kooienga’s mom, said that she would not allow her kids to have a television in their bedroom because, “It is not necessary.”

But everyone knows that parents aren’t perfect, so is their decision to not allow a TV in their bedroom a good one?

Some parents think that children should have a TV in their room because it makes them more independent.

A study by sciencedaily.com shows that teens who have television in their bedrooms are less likely to engage in healthy habits such as exercising, eating fruits and vegetables, and enjoying family meals. They also consumed larger quantities of sweetened beverages and fast food. Another study concluded that you have a higher risk of being overweight and smoking if you have a TV in your room.

Mrs. VanderLugt, an 8th grade BMS English teacher, said that she might let her son have a TV in his room when he is older, if he buys it himself, but wouldn’t let him have one right now–– because he is too young.

Mr. Powers, the principal of Baldwin Street Middle School, said that his kids did have television in their rooms, but they did not watch too much of it, and they were responsible with it.

Research from New York Times concludes that half of American children have a television in their bedroom, and kids with TVs in their room score lower on school tests and are more likely to have sleep problems.

Out of BMS students surveyed, 44% had a TV in their bedroom. Out of those, 40% had limited channels, and 20% have rules and restrictions about their TV. The 69% of kids who do not have a TV in their rooms want one, 35% of those who want a TV are allowed to have one, and watching too much TV is a bad thing because it may damage your brain.

A 7th grader at BMS, Connor Heidma, stated, “I only watch TV on Saturday and Sundays,” when asked if watching TV effected or interfered 73% of teens parents have a TV in their bedrooms.

Brandi Lucchetti, a 6th grader from Baldwin Street, thinks that with homework.

So what about you? When you get home from school, do you fight over the remote control with your  siblings or do you go into your room, collapse on the bed, and have full control of the remote for your TV?

Having your own TV might seem like a good idea to you now, but what about the effects it will have later on? Is it more positive than negative, or the other way around?

By: Tyler Ostapowicz and Derek Mulvey

Do kids ever fake sick to miss school?

When kids wake up with a cough, headache, or sore throat is it a cold? The flu? Or are they faking sick to skip school? Almost 65% of surveyed students at Baldwin Street Middle School admit to having  faked sick, while 35% haven’t. There are a number of students gone everyday, but just how many of those students are faking it?

When asked how often he thought students faked being sick, Baldwin Street’s principal Mr. Powers said, “Not very often, we have a high attendance rate at Baldwin Street.” On the average school day there is only about 30 kids or roughly 4% of all students sick. During flu season there is usually about 10% of students gone.

Some kids don’t fake sick beacuse of their parents. Brayden Texer, eighth grader said, “I don’t fake sick because if my parents find out I will get in trouble.”

Many students agree with Mr. Powers. Eight grader Nicole Sperling said “students don’t often fake sick, but school can be stressful. Sometimes kids just need a break.”

When interviewed about why kids fake sick eighth grader Lucas Collins said, “Kids ditch school because they don’t want to work or that they might have a test they’re are not ready for, and they want more time to study.

Another reason students might choose to fake sick and stay home is because of a social problem. Mr. VanSlyke said, “Kids who fake sick could be having problems socially. They may be having a fight with a friend and don’t want to face them.” Other reasons students miss school could be because of reasons like going to a funeral, going hunting, or leaving for vacation.

Overall, when most kids fake sick, they are doing it for reasons like going somewhere else, avoiding social problems, or they might just need a day off.

By Allie Overbeek and Jessica Garcia

In high school, kids have so many opportunities to go to school events like dances. Why can’t middle school have those opportunities, too?

This year, during Baldwin Street Middle school’s annual magazine sale, the principals decided that if the eighth grade class was able to sell an average of two magazines each, they would be rewarded with a fall dance. If the eight grade does not reach their goal, they will be rewarded with nothing.
In the past, the eighth graders have sold the lowest average of magazines. Baldwin Street Middle School principal Mr. Powers says that the dance is a “good motivator.” The question is, will the dance really encourage the kids to sell more magazines?
When asked if the dance sounds like a good idea, eighth grader Allyson Mesman replied, “Yeah, it would be fun to hangout with friends.”

When asked the same question, eighth grader Bailey Woody replied, “It would be very fun and classy.”

Eighth grader Bailey Woody thinks a dance would be "fun and classy."

Seventh grader, Max Byers, also stated that a dance would be a  good way to meet “hot girls”. He said that nobody wants to buy magazines, so it is just a waste of time walking around and asking if they want to buy any.

Mr. Powers said that they stopped having eighth grade dances last year. Baldwin Street and Riley Street used to have a dance called the Eighth Grade Mixer. The two schools would come together and meet each other before going to high school. It gave them a good chance to meet new people before entering a whole new place. He doesn’t exactly know why it stopped, but he says that some parents were saying that middle school age is too young for a dance. He also said that there might have been some inappropriate  dancing and relationship issues. This year, Mr. Powers believes that the eighth grade is mature enough and he is hoping that the dance will happen.

Eighth grade teacher Mrs. Smith thinks that the eighth graders should have a dance. She said, “They can learn how to act appropriate at this one so Homecoming won’t be such a shock.”

Baldwin Street’s goal for the magazine sale is to get the eighth graders to sell more than they normally sell by rewarding them with the dance. Two out of the six middle school kids that were interviewed said that the magazine sale is a waste of time, the other four said that it is not a waste of time because they get prizes.
Money raised through the magazine sale goes to help fund students and team activities, field trips, etc.

So what is your thought about eighth graders having a dance? Do you think that the eighth grade will do what it takes to achieve their goal?

By Anthony (Dragon) Snead

Should students be allowed to text in class?

Should we use cell phones in class — yes or no?
No, said eighth grade mom Melissa Snead. “They are disruptive to yours and others focus.”  All staff members and parents that were interviewed said no, we should NOT have cell phones in class.
Mrs. VanderLugt said,  “No they’re not a good idea for class,because they are distracting. Alsoo because students have plenty of time to text already.”

However 8th grader Collin Kosten says we should be able to use them if they are on vibrate and or silent.

Is it okay to take pictures of study papers?  Yes says Collin Kosten because if your friend is sick you can send him or her the pictures so they know what they missed in school. Mrs.VanderLugt said she doesn’t think this is necessary because usually teachers have fill you in on homework or it’s available on their Moodle site.

We also asked if students could step outside the classroom and call their parents for missing work. No said Mrs.VanderLugt, “You should do it before school or at lunch, plus I hope you don’t rely on your parents that much.”
However Collin Kosten said that students should only be able to call their parents when they forget an assignment when the teacher says you can.  Collin also said students should be able to have cell phones in class because if a student is hurt when the teachers aren’t around they could call for help.
Students were also asked if they should be able to use their phones for calculators if needed.  Librarian Mrs.Ball said yes we should be able to use our phones as calculators because it is a tool you already use.  And Nicole Sperling said yes because students might not have a calculator.  Eighth grade mom Melissa Snead said no there is to great of temptation to send texts.
We will never know if cell phones are good for school, so all we can do is guess.

By Nicole Sperling

Do you chew gum in class? Well if you answered no and your grades are not as good as they could be, you may want to give it a try.  Studies from Swineburne University and the University or Northumbria both show that chewing gum helps you complete mental tasks up to 20% more efficiently, and improves memory up to 25%. The studies also showed that most peoples’ anxiety dropped an average of 17%. These statistics suggest that  chewing gum helps you focus, but do actual students feel that chewing gum helps them in school?

Could students' performance in class be improved by chewing gum?

When asked in a survey how often do they chew gum in class, only 10% of the 30 Baldwin Street Middle School students surveyed reported never chewing gum during class, which means that 90% of students chew gum at some point during class time.

Also, 63% surveyed felt that it did help them concentrate, while 37% said no, it did not.   When asked whether she believed the studies were true in that chewing gum helps people concentrate, Jessica Campos, 8th Grader at BMS replied “Yes.  If you are nervous on a test, it calms you down.” She also felt that schools should supply gum “ because it will make everyone happy and everyone will concentrate better.”

But not all people think it’s a good thing. Eighth grader, Anthony Snead is one of these people. When asked why he doesn’t chew gum in class he said, “I don’t like to chew gum in class because it’s distracting.”

Some people are against it because of the mess it makes. Gum gets stuck to the bottom of desks and in the carpets. It’s also not good for musical rooms like band because it can get stuck in the instruments. These are some reasons why 27% of people surveyed answered that gum shouldn’t be allowed in all classrooms.

It’s not for certain on whether or not chewing gum helps concentration but with MEAP testing coming up, it might just make sense to grab a pack of chewing gum along with your number two pencil — just don’t stick it to the bottom of the table when you are done!

By Hannah Arnson & Maddie Baar

Eagle Eye reporter Maddie Baar applies lip gloss while asking whether girls are too concerned about their appearances.

You wake up in the morning, and the first thing you grab is your make-up. Some girls are becoming more and more obsessed about their appearance. Studies by Find Your True Beauty said, Americans had 11 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures in 2006- up to 7%. Studies also show that women spend 2 ½ years of their lives washing, styling, cutting, coloring, crimping, and straightening their hair at home and in the salon.

When BMS girls were surveyed, 15% of girls said that they think girls wear too much  make-up because they want to feel pretty. However, 35% of girls at BMS  also say they wear make-up everyday, 27% of girls don’t want to wear make-up and 8% of girls only wear make-up three to five times a week. Are girls really become too obsessed about their appearance?

Eighth grader, Maddie Bunning said that “Girls want to wear make-up to have a different appearance.”

Eighth grader Nicole Sperling said, “ Girls should wear make-up, but if you wear too much it means that you have a low self-esteem.”

Additionally, studies say that 80% of American women are dissatisfied with their appearance. It also says that 80% of women say that the images of women and in television and in a movies, fashion, magazines, and advertising make them feel insecure.

However eighth grader Caitlyn Visch said, “Girls don’t wear too much make-up because it’s not like they cover their eyes in black.”

Counselor Mrs. VanZalen said, “Some girls do wear too much make-up, and there is a big difference between sixth and eighth graders. Also they should wear make-up in moderation,” She also said, “Girls wear make-up to feel grown up and too feel pretty.”

So the next time you wake up in the morning, think about why you put on all your make-up, or why you don’t wear make-up, and be proud of who you are, not what you look like.

By Emily Garrison & Megan Taylor

Do students get enough sleep? Pictured here, 8th grader, Makayla Beld rests her head on her desk.

According to an Eagle Eye survey, 92% of BMS students say they feel they need more sleep. The National Sleep Foundation says teenagers need at least 8 ½ hours of sleep. Do most teenagers really get that amount?

One of Baldwin Streets counselors Mrs. Sherringon says “An appropriate bedtime would be 9:30 at the latest.”

That’s a lot different from Jomar Williams, a current 7th grader, who said he goes to bed around 1:00 a.m.

Many students here at BMS read or do other quiet things before going to bed, while some watch T.V. and text. Which is better? According to a news report on Wood T.V. 8, watching t.v. is not a good thing while trying to settle down.

CNN said “It’s not uncommon for teens to stay up late finishing school work, talking or emailing with friends, being involved in social activities or working a job.”

“I think reading is better, it makes me tired before going to bed so then I sleep better” said Bailey DeJong a current 8th grader at BMS. Baileys way of settling down is the right way to go according to many sources. While T.V. keeps the mind going reading will slow your mind down and not make you think.

A survey of BMS students also showed that 60% of students say that they get 8-9 hours of sleep which is the recommended amount of hours. The other 40% of students say that they don’t. If most teens say they feel they need more sleep and almost half of teens are not getting the recommended number, that shows that more sleep will make you feel better during the day.

“A study published in Preventive Medicine reveals that more than two-thirds of U.S. teens report they’re getting less than eight hours of sleep on school nights, and researchers say that lack of sufficient sleep is associated with risky behaviors such as smoking, drinking alcohol, using drugs, lower physical activity, and feeling sad or helpless.” says CNN

Grace Michienzi a current 8th grader here at Baldwin said “students should pick their own bedtimes because they are old enough.” This may be okay but is it causing teens to be tired during the school day? What about your parents, do they agree with Grace’s statement?

Lori Brooks, a mom of two teens, was asked why she thinks teens don’t feel they need a set bedtime.  Her reply was “they think that they are mature enough and they will be able to get to sleep when they think is the right time.”

Leslie Garrison also a mother of two teenagers was asked the same question, why do you think that  teenagers feel they don’t need a bedtime, and her reply was “they don’t feel sleepy at night.” What about your parents? Do they think that teens are trying to get out of going to sleep at a set bedtime because they don’t think they are tired.

An 8th grader named, Taylor Haveman, said “I don’t think that teens need a set bedtime because it’s not a parents job to make them go to sleep.” Is this true or do teens need a little help when getting to bed?

Next time you wake up and push the snooze button think about going to bed earlier tonight. You might not realize the benefits of doing something as little as that.

By: Trent Anderson & Bryce Postma

Nine out of ten BMS students say they want pop in class, so why don’t we have it?  When interviewed, 6th grader Seth Doornbos said, “I want pop in school because it gives me energy.”

Image: seekingalpha.com

When asked if they allow pop in class 95% of teachers said they don’t, and only 5% said they do. So why do so many teachers not allow pop in class? Fifty percent of teachers say pop in class could effect students academic performance negatively, 41% of teachers said it could sometimes negatively affect academic performance, and 9% said it wouldn’t have an effect. But could caffeine help sleepy students stay awake?

Mrs.Ghysels 7th grade science teacher said, “Caffeine affects everyone differently and when the caffeine wears off the student may feel even more tired.”

Also Mr. Kunzi said that, “It could keep a student awake, but relying on caffeine to keep you awake is not addressing the real issue. I would be more concerned with why they are tired in class.”

According to state law there may be no pop sold in school for the middle school, but at the high school level the school can serve caffeinated, fortified, or flavored beverages with less than 5 calories per serving as packaged, up to 20 oz.

So what do the janitors think about pop in school? Mr. Parm said he didn’t want pop in school for health reasons.  Also that it would make a sticky mess that he doesn’t want to deal with.

The state law says the school can’t sell pop in school, but do you think we should be able to bring it to class?

By Zach Okic and Collin Kosten

Credit: okcbroncos.com

There is football, soccer, volleyball, and basketball BMS teams. Why isn’t there a baseball team? Out of 41 BMS students that were surveyed, 55% said yes there should be a baseball team, 2% said no, and 43% said the do not care at all.

“Middle schools should have a baseball team because kids that play they can improve and practice more for the high school teams,” said Derek Mulvey, an 8th grader.

Mr. VanSlyke, the gym teacher said, “Yeah, BMS should have a baseball team, because BMS has all the other major sports (football, soccer, basketball) and baseball is one of the most popular sports. But BMS couldn’t have one because there is not space for a baseball field and there is a lot of work and money that would have to go into it.”

According to our survey 2% of kids say that 0-10 kids would try out, 28% of BMS kids say that 10-20 kids would sign up, and 66% kids say that 20 or more kids would try out.
Eighth grader, Anthony “Dragon” Snead said, “ He’d play for a school team and that BMS should have one to have bragging rights with other schools.”

Mr. Saint, 8th grade teacher, said “ There shouldn’t be a school team because there is a lot of little league teams and that there wouldn’t be enough kids that would sign up to play.” He also said, “There aren’t very many other middle school baseball teams to compete with.”

Joe Stanford, an 8th grader said, “ I’d rather play on a little league team because there is more games to play.”  He also said that he thinks a lot of people would try-out for a school team as well.

Some people might say that BMS shouldn’t have a baseball team, but others say we should, so would you sign up and play for a BMS baseball team? Or just be lazy and sit at home and watch TV?

  By: Ryer Huizinga and Joe Stanford

What do you think of having new sports uniforms? Do our athletes look cool when they run onto the field? Our Athletic Director Mr. Murphy thinks it’s a great idea, but the cost would be bad for our school. Mr. Murphy also brought up how he wants his school to always look good during their sports.

When surveyed 67% of students say we should get new sports uniforms, but 11% say no to new sports uniforms. Students said yes to getting new jerseys, but most of the people said no to new colors. It looks like the students love the maize and blue,  as 81% said we don’t need to think about new school colors.

Hunter Holman, a seventh grade student said, “I would love new sports jerseys but I don’t play much sports. But I would change the maize and blue to red and black because I think a lot of people like those colors.”

Another seventh grader, Roger Larson said, “I would not change the maize and blue because I think it shows our Eagle pride. I also think that we should get a graphic on our helmets such as a “H” or an eagle.”

Varsity defensive coach, Kevin Schuur said, “I would  not change the maize ad blue because it fits with our mascot. I also think that the new jerseys would be nice, but it would be too much.”

Breaden Stevens, a sixth grade student said, “I think we should get new uniforms because our uniforms are bad. I also think that we should get Nike elite gear instead of Russell  gear because Russell gear is a very cheap brand.”

Therefore, most students and coaches would be in favor of new sports uniforms, but don’t think we should change the maize and blue to different colors because it’s a school tradition.

By Alex Terpstra and Kassie Bylsma

Who, who’s in the mall? Well, you’re about to find out!!

The mall is a very popular place to hang out for teenagers, but is it the most popular place to get in trouble at too? If you answered yes, you are correct! Why? There are so many people, and so many stores to steal from.

Imagine your mom drops you off at the mall… when you first walk in, what do you think of? Food? Hanging out with friends? Movies? Well how about shoplifting?

Vikki Scott, currently a security guard at the mall, said Love Culture is the most common store to steal from, because the store is so big and has a younger style of clothing.

Two Sixth graders  Austin Terpstra and Noah Kiellor and seventh grader Kyle Szymanski said that,“People steal because they think it will make them cool.” Do they really seem cool after they get caught?

Sixth graders Noah Keillor and Austin Terpstra say that people steal because they think it makes them look cool.

Kidshealth.org says, there are consequences for stealing. “They may be arrested and paraded through a store in handcuffs. They may face charges for theft, banned from stores or malls, and people who have been arrested for shoplifting — especially if it’s more than once — may end up with a criminal record. This can make it harder to get a job, get into college, or do the other things they want.”

Out of all the students that were interviewed, only one said they have got in trouble at the mall. Jaden Jasky, a sixth grader, said that he got in trouble because he was in the play area when he was too tall for it.

Eighth graders Natalie Kallemeyn and Sierra Lopez think “Ages 16-18 are the

Sierra Lopez, 8th grader, thinks that teenagers are often the culprits of shoplifting.

most popular ages to steal because they just got their driver’s license.”

There are many ways to get in trouble at the mall. There is stealing, fighting, and harassment. Don’t be one of those people, because you will get caught.

Maybe stealing seems harmless. It’s not! If you do something bad enough, it could possibly ruin what you have planned for your life. So, going back to our very first question… Who, who’s in the mall? TROUBLE MAKERS IN THE MALL!

Is the 2012 Apocalypse really going to happen?

Is the end of the world really coming in 2012? Photo source: http://2012predictions.blogspot.com/2008/06/dutch-prepare-for-2012-apocalypse.html

By: Ingrid Campos & Josh Stutz

The Mayans predicted it, but were they correct? Is the world really going to end next year?  Studies show that December, 21, 2012 is the set date of the apocalypse (“The City Edition”). How can they be so sure that the world will end?

After taking a survey of 100 8th graders at Baldwin Street Middle school, 94% of the students said the 2012 apocalypse won’t happen. Just 13% of the people they know say they think the apocalypse is really is going to happen.

Eighth grader Mason Underhill said, “I think it will happen because I’ve noticed a heat change.” Could this really be leading to the apocalypse?

Others such as Zach Glass, 8th grader, thinks that it wont happen because they’ve predicted the  end of the world before and it hasn’t happened. Scientists say that the solar system, a black hole, and the Earths equator will line up and cause a shift in the poles of the Earth(Yahoo Answers). This is one of the many scientific theories that exist today.

We asked English teacher Mrs. McDermott, how she thought the world would end. She responded, “Humanity will do something stupid, or a natural disaster will occur caused by human error.”

After asking what people would do on their last days of life, we got interesting answers. For example, eighth grade student Emily Brouwer said,“I would party, have a sleepover with Ingrid Campos, Morgan Herrema, and Jessica Good, eat chips, ride dirt bikes on public roads, light my lawn on fire, and run around my neighborhood.”

So how is the world really going to end? Well, after surveying 100 8th grade students, 56% said that Jesus will come back, 15% think it will be a natural disaster, 14% said that it will be zombies, and 15% said other theories such as the sun exploding, or a second ice age.

What do you think will happen?

BMS students were asked: How do you think the world will end?

By Taylor Fox and Makayla Shuck

Photo source: tammyamorton.com

You and your best friend are dropped off at the mall. Where will you go? What will you buy? How much will you spend? Where do kids spend their money?

Allie Stroh, eighth grader, said that she mostly spends her money at Aeropostale, Charolette Russe, Kohls, and American Eagle for clothes, shoes, and accessories.

Other kids like Kyle Fox, sixth grader, said that he spends money at skateboard and video game shops. In fact, the majority of students  in all grades (83% in sixth grade, 84 % in eighth grade, and 69 % in seventh grade) said they spend their money on electronics and entertainment.

Unlike many, Bailey Gulch says, “I usually only spend ten dollars in a month because I’m saving up my money for college.”

Do others do the same as Bailey? Kyle Fox said, “No, I don’t like putting money away because there are too many cool things to buy.”

Is saving money really worth it in the long run? Sure you won’t get to spend as much as you would like to because you have to put the money in the bank, but maybe you will benefit years from now when you have to buy something that you really need.

So if saving up your money for later use isn’t really what you want to do, what do you use your money for? Olivia Martin, an eighth grader, said that she buys clothes and jewelry, unlike Morgan Wright, who buys books and sports equipment.

The real question is do people buy this stuff to impress people? “Sometimes I think that people do because it makes themselves look and feel cool and it makes them feel better around their friends,” said Paige Keenan, an eighth grader. Out of nine people interviewed individually  all said that they think people buy stuff to create a better self-image for themselves and to appear cooler.

So next time your at the mall, ask yourself why you would buy that, is it for yourself or to make you look better in front of your friends?

By Mitchell Burgess and Ben Byers

You’re just getting back from lunch — you want to talk with your friends for a little bit, but you have no time. You were very thirsty and you rushed to the drinking fountain — glancing at the clock you see you have to get to class in one minute. You rush to class, trying not to get a tardy because next time you get a tardy, you have stay in the office at lunch for a TARDY DETENTION! You make it to class seconds late — the teacher catches you and gives you a tardy. Now you wish you had more time in between classes.

When we asked Alex R. a BMS 7th grader, if he thinks we should increase the time in the halls, he said, “No, because if you don’t mess around talking in the halls — you will have plenty of time to get to class.”

A recent survey said that about 63% of the student who took the survey said we sometimes had enough time in the halls. Every teacher in the school that responded to an online survey said that the main reason students are late to class is because they are talking. About 56% of the students who did our survey said that they always talk in between class — 40% said sometimes, and 4% said they don’t talk in between class.

Mr. Powers said, “ Students don’t spend too much time talking in the halls, I think they spend enough time in the halls to say hello and visit for a second before going to class.”  Mr. Powers also said that during TWEAK days that students only have four minutes in between classes and are more focused to get to class on time.

Twenty-one of the thirty teachers that responded to an online survey said that students have enough time in between classes to use the restroom, locker and get to their next hour. Nine teachers said that students sometimes have enough time in between classes.

When we asked Chandler Cobb,  an 8th grader, If his teachers were ever late to class he said “about one or two a day.” So do you think it is fair that the teachers can be late to class but you can’t? When asked how much time should we have in between classes in our survey, about 36% of students said we should have six minutes to get to class. Approximately, 45% of the students said they have no tardies, 34% said they had one to two, 18% said three to five, and 3% said they had six to eight tardies. Overall BMS students are good on managing their time, but most students wish they had a little more time in the halls to get to class, and socialize.

By: Britney Ledger, Makenzy Schuiling, and Victoria Way

Do middle schoolers care too much about their appearances? Photo by Brittney Ledger

Some days you might find yourself looking in mirror and picking out things that you don’t like about yourself.  But why do you care so much? Is it that you care or that others care and you feel the need to keep up with them?

According to a recent survey done at BMS, 90% of people say that they think other people care too much about their appearance, but less than half think that they care too much about their own. When we asked eighth grader Anna Lepsch if she thought she cared too much about her appearance she replied, “Yes, I won’t leave the house without make up on and my hair done.”

Mrs. Murray thought that some people care too much about their appearances, but for the most part we (our school) do a good job.

When asked if people get bullied or picked on for their appearance most people said they don’t see this. Sixth grade social studies teacher Mrs. Toppen said, “I don’t  see people getting picked on for their appearance but that it may be a reason that they’re picked on.”

Mrs. Toppen and Mrs. VanDyke (eighth grade science teacher)  think that girls spend more time getting ready than boys. When we asked eighth grader Ingrid Campos how much time she spent in the morning getting ready she said, “Probably about 20 minutes.”

But when we asked eighth grader Josh Stutz the same question he said that he only took about two minutes, confirming the teachers prediction.

Some people might care too much about how they look and some might not care at all, but maybe we should take some advise from our counselor Mrs. Murray, who said “There is an acceptable or healthy way to present yourself.”