Week of: 2/10 - 2/17

Important Upcoming Dates at RJSHS

Bad Weather Make-up Days Announced

RISD announced that it will be in session this Friday, Feb. 15, as well as on Thursday, March 28, to make up for the two days missed due to weather. The two make-up days were built into the school calendar as part of the District’s proactive approach to planning for days in which weather could make potential travel to school unsafe. The next date designated by the school calendar as a make-up day would likely fall at the end of the school year in May.

RHS Swimming Competes at Regionals

The RHS Swim Team, led by coach Bethanie Hargett-Slack, traveled to Owensboro where they competed in the 2nd Region Swim and Dive Meet. At the meet the Panthers hit the water to compete against some of the best in the state and held their own. Junior Ben Slack notched personal bests in the 200 meter IM and the 100 meter Freestyle, both of which times earned him a ticket to the State Championship Swim Meet which runs from Thursday, Feb. 21 through Saturday the 23rd at the University of Louisville Aquatic Center. It was a special moment for Senior Katie Ray Holloman, as she closed out her swimming career of seven years as a Panther Swim Team member.

Student Generated Articles

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Twitter: @RHSPawPrint

Campus Life

Panthers Prepare for a Fairy Tale

By Derrick Deen

Russellville High School started auditions for a musical on Monday (02/04) this week, and many showed up to showcase their singing voices and acting talents to earn a spot on said musical.

Wait a minute, what exactly is this musical, you ask? Well, its Shrek: The Musical, of course!

The musical will follow the story of the first Shrek movie that hit theatres in 2001, which is based on William Steig's Shrek picture book from 1991. The story follows the characters Shrek (an ogre), Donkey (...a talking donkey), and Princess Fiona (princess/ogre that was stuck in a tower since childhood), to stop Lord Farquaad’s plot to marry the princess to become the king of the small kingdom Duloc.

The experience of auditioning for the musical was nerve racking, but overall, a valuable experience. If you want to be an actor or something of sorts in the future, it’s so essential that when you step into the role of another character, and really adopt, that you have no shame. Auditioning really gets you to do that. When you audition, and it's your first time, it’s important to go in confident and sure of yourself, and ready to put on a character’s shoes, because on that stage, you’re no longer you. Waiting will really give you the sweats, by the way. It’s all okay in the end though!

Now, for the cast of Shrek. Carson Cash will lead the way as Shrek, with Brendan Farlee playing Donkey. Katie Ray Holloman will perform as Princess Fiona, and Lord Farquaad will be portrayed by Zach Baker. Some other fun roles include Taylor Gwynette as Pinocchio, Laura Mullen as the Dragon, Andrew Colston as Gingy, Cassidy Farwick as Fairy Godmother, Addie Cundiff as Wicked Witch, Derrick Deen as Big Bad Wolf, Kenyon Kerr as Thelonious, and Kyran Williams as Captain of the Guard. There are many other roles, but those are the most notable.

There currently isn’t a date for the premiere of the musical. But, practice will be underway soon and the cast is ready to begin!

What the Counselors Can Do For You

 By: Rian Saul

The problems that plague teenage life may seem unsolvable, but the school does offer many services to ease the students of these everyday struggles. The roles of the various counselors at Russellville Jr./Sr. High School has been misinterpreted by much of the student body and faculty of the school, however, each individual does have a distinct service that they provide to students of any grade level.

Problems that many students face in their day-to-day life are struggles with drama, emotions, and mental health. In these cases, it is recommended for students to visit Mrs. McGinnis in the science hall. While she is the Life Skills teacher, students may also visit her for any problems they are having with anxiety, depression, or problems they are having with their mental health. In addition to this, Mrs. McGinnis is the main counselor for the freshman, focusing on the variety of career pathways those students have available for them. Due to her busy class schedule, meetings with Mrs. McGinnis can be hard to plan, but she is available from 8-10am for conferences, and it is recommended that students email her to schedule a time to meet.

Another problem that the student body faces is with schedules. From a class that is out of their comfort zone to classes that are unnecessary for a student to take, schedules can be changed using the help of both Mrs. Naylor and Mr. Booth. With Booth holding the ability to change the schedules in the computer and Mrs. Naylor's knowledge of the student's individual needs, schedules can be changed with a quick meeting with Mrs. Naylor and an email or meeting with Mr. Booth. Mr. Booth is best contacted through the office, always having a radio on hand that can be contacted through the main office lady.

Mrs. Naylor does more for students than just scheduling help, though. She holds the position of College and Career Coach, which manages all internships, dual credit classes, and can help with ACT and scholarships. She helps dual credit students get all paperwork turned in, get their classes paid for, and get them where they are supposed to be. The school currently offers dual credit through SKYCTC, Murray, and Campbellsville, but is looking to expand that horizon further. She also helps students, especially seniors, work at internships, helping them "schedule it around their classes so that they can go to their job and work during the day." In addition to all this, she helps the students stay informed on due dates and opportunities for scholarships.

For seniors, Mrs. Naylor also runs the Russellville Ready system along with Mrs. Fynboe. If a student needs assistance with any of these academic aspects, Mrs. Naylor is easily and quickly accessed through email at any time during the day, and students can find her in the Senior Center for in-person meetings.

Features

The ACT Shifts from Pages to Sites

By: Chaun Cheaney

Living in a world of technology, it is expected that the ACT will eventually be taken only online in the near future. As a result, on February 27th, the Russellville High school sophomores will be piloting the ACT test online. Straying away from the traditional ACT on paper, the online version will definitely be different, and it will have its pros and cons.

Some advantages that students are given if they were to take the written test may not roll over to the online version. For instance, some sophomores that have taken the written test previously may have written on and annotated the text as they read through the passages. On the other hand, the online version will not give students this ability. Annotating makes answering questions and navigating throughout the booklet much easier, so without this power, the online ACT may negatively affect sophomore's scores. Conversely, an advantage that the online test gives students is the speed of the results. Whereas the traditional paper test makes students wait from two to eight weeks, the online test will distribute scores to students in a week.

In addition, a lot of uncertainty and fear surrounds the idea of taking the ACT online for students. Makayla Jefferson, a sophomore who had taken the paper ACT in the past, stated, "I feel like I'm not going to like it. I think I'm going to have trouble focusing on the computer, and I also think it's going to be hard bubbling in answers on the computer when the time is running out".

For many students, time is a huge factor as to their performance and their scores. Since the ACT provides a short amount of time to answer an abundance of questions, many students have to bubble in answers to questions they were not able to answer with their full ability before the time runs out. Although the paper test allows for this process to be completed quickly, the online version will take multiple clicks of the mouse requiring more time.

Overall, this online ACT is a great opportunity for younger sophomore students. In addition, the fact that the school administration is paying for all students to take it for free, students can also learn and adapt to the technology-filled life that is soon to evolve in the near future.

Calendar

What’s for Breakfast and Lunch this week?

Breakfast:

BREAKFAST ITEMS SERVED DAILY: Pop Tart choices, Cereal choices, Fruit,100 %  Fruit Juice and Lowfat Milk Choices.

Lunch: