The sixth grade class went on a virtual field trip to Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park, to visit the rhino barn. The rhino barn is 17,500 square feet. We learned that there was a volcano in Idaho that spewed ash clear to the Ashfall Fossil Beds. The Fossil Beds were once a water hole that became filled with over ten feet of ash. Some of the 12-million-year-old animals we saw were rhinos, horses, camels, saber tooth deer, turtles, and birds. The smaller animals died first because they had smaller lungs so their fossils were on the bottom. One unique thing about Ashfall Fossil Beds is that the ten feet of ash preserved the 3D fossils. This summer will be their 27th summer of exploring this site. They estimate that they STILL have 10 to 15 more years of digging.
Category Archives: Middle Level
2018 Quiz Bowl

The Eighth grade quiz bowl team and the gold medals they were awarded for their performance at the Chadron Middle School Quiz Bowl competition.
The Panco meet in Crawford was cancelled due to weather. However, the Middle School participated in the Chadron Middle School Meet on Wednesday, March 21st. We took two teams of seven students, one eighth grade team and one seventh grade team. The eighth graders finished 2nd last year in the seventh grade division and we were looking for a win this year.
The Chadron meet has grown to include 12 schools: Alliance, Bridgeport, Chadron, Crawford, Gering, Gordon/Rushville, Hay Springs, Hemingford, Lusk, Mitchell, Scottsbluff, and Sidney. The competition is tough as many of the larger school compete in several meets over the year. The two teams with the highest total points for three rounds go to the Finals to determine the winner.
Both Hay Springs teams performed well answering questions on a variety of topics including: English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Fine Arts. When we finished the day, both teams had placed third. However, the next day we were notified that due to an error, the eighth grade team should have been in the finals and would be awarded gold medals. Congratulations to the Eighth Grade!
Members of the 2018 Middle School Quiz Bowl team are:
Eighth Graders – Ashley Tobiasson, Gabe Varvel, Julie Johnson, Jazzy Smith, Laney Smith, Logan DeCoste, and Sam Hindman.
Seventh Graders – Aydon McDonald, Breely Smith, Colter Meeks, Hally Johnson, Mia Skinner, Samantha Morrison, and Toby Scherbarth
7th Grade Mousetrap Car Tournament
The Mousetrap Car Tournament champion was Hally Johnson, followed by Toby Scherbarth in second place, and Mia Skinner coming in third. The object of the lesson was for students each to create a vehicle that was solely powered by an unmodified mousetrap. The vehicle was to be no longer than 18 inches and no wider than 10 inches. Students were encouraged to decorate their vehicles but the mousetrap couldn’t be decorated or altered in anyway. Students were able to earn points based on how closely they followed the project guidelines; those winning the tournament earned extra credit.
6th Grader Reader’s Theater
During December the sixth graders practiced on three different Reader’s Theater Plays: “Christmas Truce”, “Reindeer Names”, and “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas”. On Tuesday, we performed the plays “Christmas Truce” and “Reindeer Names” for the elementary students.
The “Christmas Truce” is a play set during World War I. A group of German and Britain soldiers agreed to a truce. They decided that there would be no shooting over Christmas. During the truce they exchanged items. The British soldiers were writing letters describing the truce to their families back home. Next we performed “Reindeer Names” by Kathryn Reedy. “Reindeer Names” is a play about how Santa’s Reindeer got their names.
Wednesday, we performed “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” by Dr. Seuss. The Grinch was played by Jordyn Anderson. This play was about a Grinch who tried to steal Christmas but did not succeed. The Grinch realized that Christmas is about giving not just receiving and about the people who we celebrate Christmas with.
We would like to thank the classes who attended and everyone who helped make our plays a success. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
by Alexa, Ava, Gabby, Abbey, Anthony, Gage, Jarhett, Noah K, Noah Y, Taden, & Jordyn
Electrifying Halloween Cards
The sixth grade created Halloween cards as part of a unit on circuitry. The students learned about how to make open, closed, series and parallel circuits; using single and multiple LEDs, and troubleshooting their circuits. Every card was different, highlighting their creativity in design and circuitry. Of course, nothing goes right the first (or second, or third) time but the students persisted until things worked out. Sometimes they had to change the initial plan to make things work.
JUNIOR HIGH PANCO VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT BRACKET
MATCH # GYM TIME HOME TEAM VISITOR
MATCH #1 ELEM 9:00 am St. Agnes vs Hay Springs
MATCH #2 ELEM 10:00am Sioux C. vs Crawford
MATCH #3 High S 10:00am Hem vs Edgemont
MATCH #4 ELEM 11:30 Match #1 Winner vs Match #2 Winner
MATCH #5 High S 11:30 Morrill vs Match #3 Winner
15 Minute Break
MATCH #6 at Elementary School Gym
1:00PM
Championship Match #4 Winner(H) vs. Match #5 Winner(V)
JH Track meet for tomorrow 4/4 in Bayard, has been postponed
JH Track meet for tomorrow, 4/4 has been postponed due to weather forecast, a later date will be announced.
Saturday, February 18th – JH B/BB Gordon/Rushville Invite Bracket
Junior High Boys Basketball PANCO Bracket for Monday, January 30th in Crawford
JH G/BB PANCO Bracket in Hemingford, December 12th
TOURNAMENT BRACKET
GAME #1 9:00 am Crawford vs Hay Springs
GAME #2 Sioux County vs St. Agnes
GAME #3 Morrill vs Edgemont
GAME #4 GAME #1 Winner vs GAME #2 Winner
GAME #5 Hemingford vs GAME #3 Winner
15 Minute Break
GAME #6 Championship GAME #4 Winner vs. GAME #5 Winner
Crawford
GAME #1 __________
Hay Springs
GAME #4 __________
Sioux County
GAME #2 __________
St. Agnes
Championship __________
Morrill Warm-up will start 15 minutes after GAME#5
GAME #3 __________
Egdemont
GAME #5 __________
Hemingford




















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