Ms. Wimer’s French 3 is a relatively new third-level class for students wanting to pursue higher education in the language. Newly created last year, it has already experienced massive changes that may interest those who wish to take the class. 

Previously, French 3 was built into French 2, preventing Carter’s French teacher Ms. Wimer from focusing her entire attention on third-level students. “Last year, it was interesting to manage two different classes at the same time,” Ms. Wimer begins, “but it was, at the same time, hard to target what the students in French 3 needed.” Luckily, the class was given its own separate period this year, allowing Ms. Wimer to teach the students in a manner to fit each individual student’s needs. 

Only two students are enrolled this year: Belle Gibson and Laiken Wolfenbager. The two seniors encourage underclassmen to take it if it interests them with Belle citing that it is “something new that challenges us while also enriching our knowledge in the French language and culture.” Overall, French 3 is an exciting new chance to expand the program while creating an environment to fuel future opportunities.

Everyday teens and adults around you struggle with mental illnesses. Not everyone talks about what they struggle with, so some administration has some wise words to share for everyone.

While chewing the fat with Mrs. Flatford, the cosmetology teacher, there were a lot of encouraging things she wanted to share with the students and the admin. “We all need to understand we all struggle and if we gave more grace to each other, thing’s wouldn’t escalate.” 

Many students know Mrs. Flatford as just a cosmetology teacher, but the students that have had her know her as the “loving and uplifting” woman, who makes a big difference in her student’s lives. 

Some more advice Mrs. Flatford has vocalized, “It may be tough right now, but it’s really just a glimpse of time.” She also shared the golden rule she preaches, “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” She was then asked what has she noticed in students after presenting a positive attitude and she responded with, “How I act in the classroom dictates how students react.” Sharing positivity is exhausting, but it is very much appreciated to those who don’t give up. 

After interviewing all 3 school counselors, Mrs. Duda, Mr. Meade, and Mrs. Bowman, they had a lot to say. “Make the step to get support.” Mrs. Duda says. “A lot of people are struggling right now, and you never know what someone is going through.” Mrs. Bowman states, “Finding their person in school, or a type of relationship, some person that can connect with counselors and get help.” Then Mr. Meade felt compelled to say, “Make the appointment, talk to us, see what’s needed. We will get the right people for you.” Kindness goes a long way.

Mr. Meade also wanted to share that “It’s important not to be ashamed. Everyone needs help sometimes and more people relate to you than you think.” Mental health and the way you treat yourself is important to the counselors. They’re not as scary as you might think, and even if they don’t personally know you, they care about you. 

“Learning to love yourself is the hardest but the most rewarding feeling in life” Mrs. Bowman exclaims. She also talked about how important it is to surround yourself with people who feel the same way you feel because “you’re more worthy of love and care than you believe you are.” 

“There is hope.” “Be contagious.” “Be the example- be self aware.” As the counselors shared for admin and students. You are not alone. The first step is always scary, but it will be worth it in the end. 

If you do take that first step and need to call somebody, the Suicide Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. Your life matters. We love you. 

Some students are upset by the medication rule at Carter High school. 

The rule does not allow you to bring or take any medication without getting permission from a nurse or the office. Many students think that this rule is unfair and could use some improvement.

“I think that the rule is stupid, honestly,” says Sailor Bivens, a freshman. She continues to say that the rule especially isn’t fair for girls when they have their periods, as they need pain medication, usually, to relieve cramps and headaches. She feels that it is fair sometimes though, as you don’t want people misusing drugs, but it just isn’t fair to the people who need normal medication on occasion. The rule would be much better if we were allowed to take just the basic medications without having to see a nurse or the office.

Sailor isn’t the only one to have poor experiences and a dislike for the rule. 

“I have really bad headaches every day in band, and I’m unable to take medicine for it because of the rule,” says Pierce McNew, a junior. The rule seems fair in some situations, but unfair in others. It could be improved by changing it to allow students to take regular medicine whenever they want to, but they would have to take other prescription medications in the nurse’s office. 

However, some have different opinions on the matter, as they actually agree with the policy. 

Stacie Osborne, the school nurse, says, “I feel that this process is efficient in keeping our students safe and healthy. This also allows me, as the nurse, to be aware of medications that students are taking daily or as needed.” Drug use and overdoses aren’t uncommon in high school. Even though over-the-counter medications are usually harmless, we need these rules to keep it in check. She uses the example of, “A student has a headache and tells someone on the bus, the other student gives them a pill and says it’s Tylenol, the student takes the pill trusting that it is harmless…What can happen?”

Mr. Steinke walks over, unscrewing a cap of the water bottle, and holds it just above a student’s head, water at the very edge of the bottle watching as the students react “This shows tension, you don’t know if I will just tip this over” he says. 

Mr. Steinke has a unique style of teaching, using activities such as throwing chairs to show surprise in a story or pouring water on a student for tension. When asked why he claims he uses it to keep students engaged in the same ways novels do. When asked what his favorite activity to do he said “Whatever can get the student most engaged in the lesson.” Showing how, even with how unique the lessons are, they are still personalized for who he is teaching. When asked what his favorite thing to teach was, he said it is constantly changing based on what he is hyper-fixating at that moment. He believes his purpose in teaching is to help students with who they are, whether that be as a person, or a novelist because he believes if you’re not learning or improving that you are only getting worse. Many of his students also agree, such as the freshman Kit Coulson, when asked why you think his class is so engaging she said: “He makes sure to capture your attention by doing things other teachers don’t.” She also believes his classes are easier to understand than any other class she has taken.

For Newer High School Students

Upperclassmen have advice for underclassmen about things they’ve learned through the years, along with things they wished they learned sooner. 

Every year Carter High School gets a group of freshmen who are lost, not just in the building, but throughout the first couple years of high school. Seniors share several pieces of advice. 

Lauren Dantuma, a senior, had several things to say on this topic. “If they struggle with peer pressure, the people you hang around basically determines your high school experience.” Don’t let your friends convince you that just because they’re doing something, means you should as well. 

Seniors have been through everything under the sun, and have fought for some things just for the next generations to come. Seniors have had more experience through high school so listening to their advice should speak volume, and some day, underclassmen will be listening to you!

Another high school senior, Kaydence Hancock, states, “Your grades matter” “Don’t get caught up in petty friend drama”, and “Develop your career plan as soon as possible… It’ll affect your GPA overall.”

“Have fun, go to football games,” Lauren says. “You don’t have to make it boring for yourself.” The high school senior experience is wrapped around the fun at these games, and dressing up for “spirit days”. 

“The school should have a class that focuses on adult life..” Kaydence exclaims as she feels very passionate to get a head start as soon as possible. Knox County should help provide better education for the senior students for the next years to come.  “…driving, taxes, how to manage bills, housing etc. Not everyone has parental figures to help out.” 

Some of these topics would be great to add to the curriculum to help better students in “real life”. 

Not all people are exactly the same.

Kloie Powell is a sophomore at Carter High School. When asked the question, “How do you learn best?” Kloie responds with, “I learn best in a more interactive environment where the students are engaged and the teacher lets them communicate with one another.” She adds on to this saying, she likes to have a lively teacher. This helps her be engaged in the learning process. She begins to list the different types of work she prefers. “ I prefer doing notes and book work. Book work helps me because I can look back on it and it just gets the information into my head more efficiently.” 

Kloie relates with many students in the aspect that they like being able to communicate with the people around them. In an article from the Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, the text states that, “ Students learn by connecting new knowledge with knowledge and concepts that they already know, most effectively in active social classrooms where they negotiate understanding through interaction and varied approaches.”  This shows the connection between Kloie and kids across the world. These children are known as auditory learners. The website Ability Path states, “Children who are auditory processors learn through participating in discussions and talking things through.” This information helps support that children that like communicating and being involved in the class discussion, are auditory learners. 

Harrison Fortenberry is also a sophomore at Carter High School. He is on a completely different side with these questions. When asked the same things as Kloie, he says “ I would much rather be in a calm, quiet environment. If people are talking around me then I can’t focus at all.” This is all the input he put on the topic. He didn’t really know what to say about anything else. 

Harrisons way of learning is completely different from Kloies, and that’s how it is for other kids as well. On the website Everyday Mental Health Classroom Resource, there are all kinds of articles talking about children who prefer calm environments. One of which says, “Calm classrooms are good for all and especially important for students who need a predictable and steady environment to be successful.” This shows that it is very important for certain kids to have a calm environment to learn and be successful. The article also talks about how calm classrooms make kids feel safe. So, Harrison is one of the kids who learns best when they feel calm and safe.  

This supports the fact that not all people are the same. We are all at least slightly different and definitely don’t think in the same way. 

Have you ever walked the halls, glanced from wall to wall and wondered, “what exactly are those paintings that line the Carter High School corridors?” Well as it turns out, these pieces of art are Carter students’ legacy projects. For those who decide to take Mrs. Adams’ Advanced 2D Art class, at the end of their time in the course they will, along with a small group of 1-2 others, create a 1.5ft x 3ft piece of artwork, with materials and subject left up to their design. As Mrs. Adams puts it, the assignment gives students an “opportunity to leave a visual legacy: a piece of their own creativity” inside the school, even long after they graduate. Students seem to appreciate the opportunity to express their creativity. One of these students who left their legacy in the school, Mia Ogle, a junior, commented on her experience: “I worked really hard on it, and it’s nice to see my effort displayed in the school every day.” Carter High School has been doing the student Legacy assignment for four years, and as it stands, none have come down. Mrs. Adams cites that the origin of the project came from an idea to “cover the school in artwork,” and create a “visual interest” along the hallways. Many different styles and ideas have come together to form the legacy project, students have created works of animals, architecture, abstractities, landscapes, and more. Students are allowed to have their full creativity flourish, having access to numerous acrylic paints, air dry clay, and more. Have you ever paid attention to the various canvases among the school, and if so, which is your favorite?

A classroom sits past the main office and down the left hallway, furnished with comfy seats and overflowing with a comforting ambiance. “What can I help you with?” a woman asks with a sweet smile every time a student wanders into her room. Mrs. Bell is the College and Career counselor at Carter High School. While she always is open to assisting students of any year, her specialty lies with the upperclassmen, especially seniors. She aids with applying to colleges, financial aid (FAFSA), scholarships, and many more things which makes the spring semester active. “At this time, it’s very busy to say the least,” Mrs. Bell laughs, “We are right in the middle of scheduling classes for next year and updating GPAs. I have even been working on graduating programs.” And her actions do not go unnoticed by those around her. “Obviously, she is a very vocal and kind person,” senior Leslie Lambdin begins, “But she is also empathetic and just a great influence to everyone around her.” And this is not just a comment from one student; multiple students love her and appreciate what she does daily to make sure seniors graduate with as much accomplished as they desire. “There is a lot of behind-the-scenes paperwork that I am currently checking the box on,” Mrs. Bell finishes. With the amount of work that this time of year holds, Mrs. Bell’s compassionate nature is evident in how she never fails to take time, even when she is the busiest, to support and reach out a hand to those who just ask for it. When asked about her favorite thing in her occupation, Mrs. Bell responded, “My favorite thing has to be graduation. It is amazing to see these students cross the stage and look back at previous years and their accomplishments when they might have been struggling.” 

Lanie Jonhson, a freshman, does track and here is what she has to say about it. She started track at the age of seven when She was in the third grade, and throughout fifth grade.

 Lanie does track, because she loves running and she is really good at it. Lanie says, “The important thing about track is to always have to work as a team, and put effort into your work, and you should always pay attention and not get distracted by anything.” 

The events that Lanie does are: 2×4 relay, 100m dash, 200m dash, 400m dash, long jump, so technically Lanie is a sprinter in track. Her two favorite events to run are the 2×4 relay and the 100m dash.

Lanie is 15 years old and she is still doing track at Carter High School. Another thing she wanted to say was that you have to have a 15.17sec time to qualify for the 100m dash, her fastest time so far is a 13sec. 

Lanie has won 2 first place medals during elementary school, and she won 3 silver medals during middle school. She had a little back fall when she competed in middle school. 

When Lanie had her back fall in middle school she started to train more to get better at running. It was an upsetting experience at that time, but now she is ready for whatever comes next.

Lanie is a very cool person, and she is really good at track. She is also a really good runner. She also is a very funny person you just got to get to know her.

Now here is another person that does track. He is the captain of the track team.

Sam North, a senior ,is also the captain,he has been doing track for 3 years at the age of 15. He won stuff at KIL, they were in 4th place.

“The most important thing about track to me is the hard work you put into it. I was doing basketball then one of my teacher’s wanted me to do cross country and then I started liking to run, so I started to do track, and that is why he did track.” 

Track is really fun. You should try it someday or get on the track team at Carter High School.

Both teachers and students have suggestions for improving Carter High School.

Lanie Johnson, a freshman, said, “On Wednesday we should not have hives, because our classes get cut off and I don’t have time to do all my work, and we rush to get everything done.” According to her, she has no time in class to do all the work and doesn’t have time to do it.

Also she thinks we should have hives in the morning, she said, “We should have hives in the morning and have it where the classes do not get cut short and it makes it easier for the       students, and make it a regular day.”

Another thing she said was, “What I do not like about this school is that they have to have an early release day. I think that it is stupid, because we do not need it. There is no use in having it and there is no point in going to school if you are just going to leave early.” According to this there’s no use in having an early release day.

On the other hand, Ms. Bowman, a counselor, had different ideas. She said, “My perspective to improve the school is creating an environment  as a family and staying together as a family.”

Also she said, “What I do not like about the school is the gossiping, drama, and judgment.” According to this she wants everyone to get along and stop all the drama and the gossip and just be friends with everyone.

Another thing she said was, “What I like about the school is getting to know all the teachers and the students.” 

One more thing she said was, “What I would change in the school is the fact that the students judge people.” According to this, the one thing that she would change in the school is people judging each other.

After hearing both sides of their perspective,  the school might just do something about it.