Mrs. McCoy, the 7th grade counselor, hands  Bryson Connor an item from the Cat Coin Store.

The Cat Coin Warehouse  at Saldua Trail has become a welcomed addition. Students go to the store on Fridays and cash in their cat coins for rewarding prizes.

Mrs. McCoy, the seventh grade counselor, stated the most popular items students like to receive from the cat coin store were Takis, candy, and Popits.  The Cat Coin Warehouse  is open every Friday during lunch.  

Students can receive tickets from teachers for various reasons.  Mrs. Byrd, a 7th grade ELA teacher gives out  tickets for  “right behavior and for being respectful and being on task.”

Once tickets have been earned, five t

Wildcats enjoy cashing in their cat coins and tickets for cool stuff.

ickets can be traded in for a Cat Coin.  The coins can  be cashed in for the items in the warehouse. For example  – chips and Popits are 2 Cat Coins and candy is  3 cat coins.  Other items in the warehouse include Airheads, Skittles, chocolate candy bars and Fidgets.

Mrs. McCoy shows of the many items students receive when cashing in their Cat Coins.

Mrs. McCoy said she enjoys working at the warehouse. “I love working at the Cat Coin store because  love seeing kids spend the coins that they earned and hope it encourages them to do better,” she said. 

STMS students have enjoyed receiving items from the warehouse.

Ayden Neal said that he loves the Cat Coin Warehouse because he likes the candy and chips.   Ty’Quan Brice said he likes the dress down passes because he likes to be “dripped out.”

Each Friday the Cat Coin Wareshouse is opened for students to cash in their tickets and coins.

Zimer Smith said he loves the candy so he can have “more energy” for when he goes outside.

Mr. Newton, the 7th grade Assistant Principal, said the Cat Coin Warehouse was invented last year. It was opened Thursdays and Wednesdays during that time because they had 2 groups of students. One group came Mondays and Tuesdays and the other came Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Jasmine Cousar said the warehouse reminded her of a store at her former elementary school.  “We had a store called the’ Dragon Store’ at Oakdale Elementary,” Cousar said. “It was like the same thing because they had toys, shirts, water bottles, passes and other things like the Cat Coin Warehouse.”

Rock Hill’s Mayor John Gettys

Newly re-elected Mayor John Gettys says he’s excited about his second term as he continues to work toward making Rock Hill a “City for All.” Mayor Gettys says he is committed to creating a better future for all citizens.

‘’Rock Hill For All is for us to remember that the benefits and opportunities of our community should be available for anyone no matter where the person lives or their condition in life,” Mayor Gettys recently said.

On October 19, 2021, Gettys reclaimed the job of mayor of Rock Hill for his second term, beating William ‘’Bump’’ Roddey and Ishmael Lowery. Gettys received 51.30% of the votes, While Bump

 Roddey came in second with 33.70% of the votes, and Ishmael Lowery came in last with 14.80% of the votes.

During the last election in 2017, Gettys was defeated Bump Roddey in a runoff race.  Bump Roddey was hoping for a different outcome this time. He will, however, be able to make an impact in York County, as he returns to his position in politics as a County Councilman for York County.  Ishmael Lowery, who made his first run in politics, will  continue working as a business owner. 

According to the South Carolina Election Commission, to be eligible  to vote in South Carolina a resident has to be at least 18 years old. Although middle school students aren’t able to vote, some STMS Wildcats still had their thoughts on the election.

Jack Neal, a 7th-grade student at STMS, said  he believes  Gettys will have a positive affect on  Rock Hill.  ”He will affect Rock Hill in a positive way because he will improve the well-being of Rock Hill,” Neal said.

Mr. Charles a 7th-grade social studies teacher stated he hopes to see improvements in Southern Area of our city.

”Now since mayor Gettys is re-elected for mayor he should spend money on Southern schools in Rock Hill, including Oakdale Elementary School, Saluda Trail middle school, and South Point High School,” said Mr. Charles.

Mayor Gettys stated that he would take a closer look at additional entertainment for teens in Rock Hill.

Dress down days, daily trivia, Kahoots and bingo. Plus lots and lots of red. For Saluda Trail this means Red Ribbon Week has finally arrived.

According to redribbon.org, Red Ribbon week dates back to 1985 when DEA Agent Kiki Camarena was murdered by Mexican drug traffickers. His family and friends then started wearing red ribbons in his honor and the movement rapidly spread across the country. The first national red ribbon week took place in 1988. Since then millions of families have participated in red ribbon week. Saluda Trail and many  other schools view this as an opportunity to educate students on the dangers of substance abuse.

To a lot of students Red Ribbon week means getting to dress down and be free of our uniforms. When asked if he liked red ribbon week and if so why STMS 6th grader Kade Mcallister said, “Yeah because there is freedom you don’t have to be a 100 percent uniform.”

Through out the week, the counselors planned several opportunities for students to either dress down or wear different gear related to different themes.

On Monday students and faculty wore orange or red shirts to show they were proud to be

Students wore crazy socks on Wednesday. They showed they were drug free from head to toe.

drug free. Tuesday students were given the option to wear athletic or team sports wear. On Wednesday the halls were full of crazy hats and socks. Thursdays theme was peace out to drugs and their was tie dye as far as the eye could see. The grand finale on Friday was a dress down day if you donated two dollars to Keystone, a local substance abuse program.

Miss. McCoy the 7th grade counselor shed some light on what exactly goes into planning red ribbon week, “We try not to repeat days from last year. We also plan activities during lunch and talk with officer Malicki about other possible events.” The STMS counselors said they spend many hours deciding on the details so that the students of STMS can have a meaningful and enjoyable red ribbon week.

That’s not all, students have also been able to participate in trivia and games.

Students participated in trivia and bingo as a part of Red Ribbon Week Activities. Not only did they learn more about drugs and substance abuse, they also had an opportunity to earn prizes.

Our guidance counselors have done everything from morning trivia to Blookets and bingo too. For Friday the guidance counselors  planned a special event during lunch. The Drug Dogs from the Rock Hill police department will pay the students of STMS a special visit with their handlers. Miss. Johnson, the 8th grade counselor, stated that in the past, activities have included door decorating contests, poster contests, and essay contests. This year’s activities have also come with prizes! Winners could choose from bracelets, cups and candy. Even students who participated in the Blookets and Kahoots but didn’t win walked away with two wildcat tickets.

Students were thankful for the opportunity  to participate in Red Ribbon Week activities.  They were appreciative of the guidance counselors who put so much effort and hard work into making sure the students of Saluda Trail Middle School had an amazing red ribbon week and stay drug free. Hannah Watts, a 7th grade student, wanted to give a special thanks to the three guidance counselors  – Miss Johnson, Miss.McCoy, and Miss.Hardy-Holmes Wilson. “Thank you for putting in all of your hard work and dedication, ”  Hannah said.

For more information on red ribbon week go to:
https://www.redribbon.org/

To learn more about Keystone and what it does for our local community go to:
https://keystoneyork.org/

Crocs have become a major fashion trend at STMS this school year. The shoe, a rubber clog, once seemed to have disappeared but has not made an amazing comeback, not just at The Trail, but around the world.

“I have two pairs of crocs,” said 8th grader McKinley Hood. “I have a blue pair and a purple pair,” Hood said she purchased hers from the Croc store. “They cost around 40 dollars each,” she added.

Hood and other Croc wears like to decorate them with shoe charms like  Jibbitz. Jibbitz shoe charms can cost around $2.99 each. Other Charms can be bought in bulk off of sites like Amazon and cost less.

Throughout the halls of the trail you can find students wearing Crocs in many different colors and styles. Both girls and boys can be seen sporting them. Even some teachers have been wearing them too.

Crocs are a major fashion trend this year at the trail. Students McKinley Hood, Claire Williams, and Makenzie Mitchell show how they have personalized their Crocs with charms.

Croc wearers say adding charms allows them to personalize them.

Garrett Brown, a 7th grader, likes how lightweight and comfortable Crocs are. He said when he walks it feels like he does not have any shoes on.                                                   

Erin Huff, another 7th grader, has also taken a liking to how stylish Crocs are.  Huff said they are easy to put on and easy to personalize. Jibbitz can easily be popped on and off. They come in hundreds of different designs.

“They are good for walking around in and just staying around the house,” said Huff who purchased her for $39.

Claire Williams, an 8th grader, has 3 pairs of the rubber clogs. “I have one black pair, one pink pair, and one blue pair and they’re all decorated with Jibbitz,” said Williams.  Williams said she has 15 Jibbitz. “I have 3 volleyballs, a number 3 and a number 8 for my volleyball numbers, an egg, a rainbow, 2 piglets, a Dory, a Sully, 2 ice creams, a Winnie the Pooh, and an American flag,” she added.

Makenzie Mitchell, who owns two pairs, said “I like how you can style them how you like.  They’re easy to just throw on and they are easy to clean.”

A’Najiana Wade, an 8th grader, owns 8 pairs of Crocs.  “They are very fashionable because they go with anything and they make your uniform stand out,” Wade said.

Cliff Anstey was one of several Vets who was honored recently by students and staff during lunch for Veterans Day.

Cliff Anstey was a medic in the United States Air Force when he saved the lives of four pilots who ejected out of an airplane just before crashing.

“It was an honor to serve my country and there’s lots of pride in doing so,”  said Anstey was one of many Vets who was honored by STMS recently during lunch for Veterans Day. The veteran was invited by Crystal Anstey his daughter and Parker Sibley, his step-daughter.

Veterans Day is a U.S federal holiday. It is a time to honor and thank those who are serving in the military and are still with us. Veterans Day, however, is different from Memorial Day. Memorial Day is a day to reflect and remember those who lost their lives in service to their country.

Colby Posey’s day, a Navy Vet, also took time out to be honored during the Veteran’s Day Lunch.

Students and staff decided to show Anstey and other Vets their appreciation by inviting them to lunch. Throughout each lunch, numerous Vets from all branches of the military were seen eating and talking with students. Students enjoyed hearing stories about their service. “I  am very proud of my father for his service, “Crystal Anstey said.

Bryanna Young, a 6th grader, enjoyed having a dad who is an Air Force Vet spend time during lunch.

Dalvin Rawlinson had 10 bucks in his pocket and he was eager to spend it. The 11-year-old 6th grader spent some time searching for a good book recently at the Saluda Trail book fair.

Ms. Inman, Saluda Trail’s Media Specialist, helps Dalvin Rawlinson, a 6th grader, looks for books at the annual Fall Book Fair.

“I like buying books and reading them”- Rawlinson said. 

The Fall Book Fair was held November 12- 17 in the media center.  Saluda Trail usually has two book fairs a school year.

Students and teachers of Saluda Trail were able to buy books as well as some of the novelty items such as bookmarks, necklaces, invisible pens, markers, etc.

Students and staff could also shop online. The online shopping was easy.

Ms. Shelton, a volunteer for the book fair, said, “You just pull up the website which is ww.scholaltic.com/bf/saludatrailmiddleschool .” 

Throughout each day teachers brought students in to browse and shop. There were many new books titles and sections at the fair this year, including The Diary of a Wimpy Kid, an animal section, and last but not least a scary section. 

Some popular titles were  The Meltdown and the Getaway, Maze Runner #2: The Scorch Trials, Shadow House #1: The Gathering, and of course the Goosebumps novels.

Ms. Inman,  Saluda Trail’s Media Specialist said $560 was raised from the scholastic book fair. “The money is used to buy more books,” Inman said.

According to Inman, the book fair is held each year as a fundraiser to not only purchase more books for the school but “to give students the chance to build their own home libraries.”

Dala Tinsley, an 8th grader, says she always enjoy shopping for books at the book fair.

“It also exposes students to titles they may be unfamiliar with,” she said. 

Overall, the BookFair was deemed a great success. Students always seem to enjoy the big selection and the quality of books.

School closures and delays create many emotions each time it occurs.

School is only halfway through the first semester and has already taken a toll on you. You’re eagerly counting down the days until the next day off. Suddenly a weather alert pops up on your phone, it says that a hurricane will be coming through your county late that night and continue through the next day. There are possible flooding and dangerously high wind speeds. Desperation washes over you as you pray that they will cancel school tomorrow.  Ever wonder how that decision is made? Well, it isn’t as easy as you might think.

“We make the best decision based off of the information we are provided and the information we gather with our research. We always come back as a group, and when those decisions are being made we always think of student safety first.” Says Mychal Frost, the Director of Marketing and Communications for Rock Hill School District 3.

Mychal Frost, Director of Marketing and Communications for Rock Hill School District 3,  answers questions for The Paw Print Reporter Nadia Durocher.

In October, Hurricane Florence caused many schools throughout  North and South Carolina to close down because of high wind speeds and possible flooding. Saluda Trail closed on a Friday and then the following Monday. Many students and York County residents questioned why schools were canceled when the weather conditions were just wind and rain.

Frost said it’s not an easy job of deciding if Rock Hill schools need to close to keep students safe. Schools can also be closed due to snow,  sleet or freezing rain.

Frost said school officials take many things into consideration when canceling school. “The superintendent makes the decision with a team including myself, the transportation department, people who maintain the buildings, and the property instruction department,” said Frost.

According to Frost, officials communicate with many people before reaching a consensus. There is a process where they work with York County Emergency Management Team. They consult with local meteorologists, and they also take into account what time conditions will occur.

Late starts, half days, or entire days off can be decided on based on the weather, he said.  This is why it is important to know the time of a predicted disaster.   

While days off usually cause excitement for students, make-up days are cause for irritation.

When school is canceled, make-up days usually follow. Make-up days are when students and teachers come in during what would usually be a break to make-up for a day or several days they missed.  According to Frost, make-up days are essential because by law each district has to have a certain amount of class time.

Kateleigh Crocker, a 7th grader, said understands the importance of make-up days.

“We do need school days so we can get our education, ” Croker said. “Teachers do have things planned for each day that we are supposed to be at school, in which if we missed a day from something important it could possibly throw the lesson off track due to us not being there to learn the lesson for the day.” 

Crocker, added, “Even if I do think they are necessary, I don’t really like them.” Crocker said makeup days take away from scheduled days that are built in for student breaks.   When  those days are taken away, Crocker  said it gets rid of days that “could be “used to relax or be doing school work/projects.” 

Sometimes students and staff luck out and don’t have to make up all bad weather days.  Make-ups days can be excused .“The first 3 days by state law have to be made up, ” said Frost explained. “The second 3 days can be waved by the school board. If we miss 7, 8, and 9 the state board of education can wave them. If we miss days 10 and beyond the state legislature has to vote on it.”  

The emotions from canceling schools vary each time it occurs.

“ We get all kinds of reactions,” said Frost. “We know that canceling school creates a disruption in many families. We understand that this generates a lot of emotion.”

Frost said they try to make decisions as soon as possible.

“We can’t wait until 9 to see if the wind speeds are going to be as it was forecasted, ” he said. “We have to make a decision for the safety of the students.” 

LEI off drugs. was a big hit for students who enjoyed wearing Hawaiian shirts
and Leis.

STMS students were ecstatic to participate in the annual Red Ribbon week. Red Ribbon week was held from October 23- 31 worldwide. It is a  week filled with activities to get the point across that drugs are not cool and neither is drinking alcohol.

At STMS, all four guidance counselors, along with School Resource Officer Moreno came up with the activities for the week.

“I was really excited to see so many students participate this year,” said Counselor McCoy.  “Although Red Ribbon week is a nationwide program, it’s not a requirement,  it’s just something that’s encouraged. “That’s what red ribbon week is to share that drugs and alcohol are dangerous,” McCoy said. 

 Red ribbon week was started because of Henry Lozano. His friend Special Agent “KiKi” was brutally murdered and terminated by drug traffickers he was investing in Mexico. At first, he and Congressman Duncan Hunter made the”Camarena Clubs” and then later added red ribbons says website get smart about drugs. Red ribbon week has now become an annual event that many schools around the world participate in.

And STMS is one of them this year’s activities included these days. Many students enjoyed this year activities Monday’s theme was “RED OUT against drugs” were all student and faculty were asked to wear a red shirt with the dress code bottoms. Students also participated in a  red ribbon walk. Students were given red suckers to eat as they walked the track.

Students enjoyed the Red Ribbon Week Walk.

STMS student Emily Greene said this was her favorite day. “We got to go outside and talk to our friends and just be ourselves.”  Tuesday’s theme was “Don’t get TIED UP in drugs.”   Throughout The Trail, students could be seen sporting tie-dye shirts with dress code bottoms. Wednesday’s theme was “LEI off drugs.” Students enjoyed wearing Hawaiian shirts with dress code pants. Students were given a Lei to wear as well. Thursday’s theme was  “TEAM UP against drugs.” Students wore a team shirt with dress code bottoms. Friday’s theme was “PASS IT ON.” Students who paid $2 were allowed to participate in a Full Dress Down. Student Marquis Armstrong said this was his favorite day. “Everyone got to be themselves and they were all super happy.” The money that was collected from the $2 dress down was donated to Keystone,  a local drug and alcohol rehabilitation center.

Counselor McCoy said the week was a success.

 “I’m just happy that students participated, McCoy said, “It shows that there understanding.” STMS students were having fun while they were learning the importance of not doing drugs and drinking alcohol.”

Many 7th students thought that they were done with vaccines until they found out they were required to get another before entering school this year. For some, this came as a big surprise.

“It scared me at first, but I knew, in the end, it would help me,” said  Lily Grace Huddeltson A 7th grader. “I am glad I got it.”

Saluda Trail’s Nurse Bailey said the Tdap Vaccine helps protects students from serious diseases.

In the state of South Carolina, all 7th graders are required to have a Tdap vaccine. Saluda Trail Middle School Nurse Chante Bailey said this vaccine protects students against three very serious diseases – tetanus, diphtheria and acelluar pertussis (whooping cough).  

“The Tdap shot was new to me, so I did not know whether it would help me or not,” said Tavion Grissitte. “I  am glad I got it because even if I did not know what it was it could help me not be sick,” he said.

Babies and little kids get aDTaP shot to protect them from diphtheria, tetanus, adn pertussis (whooping cough), but it wears off when they get older which causes pre-teens and teenagers to be at risk. Because of this, many states including South Carolina and North Carolina require this booster shot. According to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, the requirement for the vaccine began during the 2013-14 school year. This is the 6th school year that the requirement has been in effect. All students in public and private schools must have this vaccine.

Nurse Bailey said there are currently 271 7th graders at Saluda Trail this school year.

Although Nurse Bailey said she hasn’t seen anyone with any of these diseases as of yet, she said “I think that everyone should get the vaccine. The vaccine protects you from getting P.W.T.” Nurse Bailey said students could get the vaccine from their family doctor or health department.  

“Most insurance pays for the vaccine,” she added. The cost of the vaccine could be $110 to $120 without insurance.

Nurse Bailey said the diseases that the vaccine protects from are very serious. They can cause everything from muscle spasms to infections. For example, Tetanus is a disease that causes a serious bacterial infection that causes painful muscle spasms and can lead to death. Diphtheria is a disease that is a serious infection of the nose and throat. Pertussis (Whooping Cough)  is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection. It can cause a bad cough that makes someone gasp for air after coughing fits.

Although some students find shots to be scary, the CDC and the American Academy of Family Physicians say the shot has been studied carefully and is safe.

One side effect from the shot can be soreness in the arm. However, health officials say the benefits outweigh the side effects.

There are, however, some side effects. Those are redness, soreness in the arm where the shot was given, headache, fever, or tiredness.

The benefits, health professionals say, outweigh the side effects. “All and all,  the Tdap vaccine is a very good vaccine and protects from very serious diseases,”  said Nurse Bailey.

Saluda Trail Middle Schoolers have discovered new ways to lace up their shoes. It’s called shoe braiding. Students say it saves you time.

“At first I  didn’t like the idea of braiding shoelaces,” said Summer Martin, a 7th-grade student. “But then when I tried it, it became easier.” Martin added, “Because my bus comes early,  it’s easier to put on my shoes,so it saves me time.”

Martin, who said she learned how to braid her laces from a friend and the internet,  said, “Sometimes I like to change the color of my shoelaces to switch up the look.”

Jessica Perkins, another 7th-grade student  said, “I learned from the internet, but I didn’t understand it so I asked a  friend that already had their shoes braided and she taught me how to braid my shoes.” Perkins said that her favorite style was the fishtail braid. 

There are many different styles of braiding, including the french braid.

Katelyn Armacovitch said she first started braiding her shoes in 6th grade. She said learned from watching a youtube video. Armacovitch said she searched life hacks. The first hack was somebody braiding shoes. The hack, she said, was for when you’re in a rush and it takes time to tie your shoe, just braid it the night before so all you have to do is slip your foot in it. Armacovitch said she told herself, “I need to do this!” 

Armacovitch added, “Sometimes I like to change my color; I like to be different.”

The December Teacher’s Spotlight shines brightly on one of the new teachers at STMS, Mr. Bey.   Mr. Bey,  who teaches 6th-grade math,  started teaching at Saluda Trail in August and said he has enjoyed being here thus far.

“The students seem to be happier and willing to work harder here than my previous schools, said Mr. Bey. “There are a lot more elective classes that the students can choose from.”

Mr. Bey helps one of his 6th grade students with math. He is one of the newest Wildcat teachers.

Learn more about Mr. Bey below.

Q: What school did you teach at before you came to STMS?

A: “I taught at Lewisville Middle School for 13 years.’’

Q: What subject did you teach at your old school?

A:  I taught 8th-grade mathematics at Lewisville middle school.’’

Q: What are your favorite movie, foods, and music?

A: “My favorite movie is Lean on Me starring Morgan Freeman. My favorite food is pizza with olives and mushrooms.  I love 70s slow jams  – The O’jays, Otis Redding, and Earth Wind and Fire .’’

Q: Where did go to college”

A: “I did undergraduate at Center State University (OH) and Graduate school at Winthrop.”

Fun Facts About Mr. Bey:

• Mr. Bey has a 9-month-old daughter.
• He was an All city basketball player in Pittsburgh, PA  in 1996.
• Mr. Bey is a big time Pittsburg Steeler Fan.
• Mr. Bey likes to weight train and jog.
• Mr. Bey is a big fan of the AMC hit series The Walking Dead.
• Mr. Bey comes from a family of educators. “My mother, father, brother and sister are all current or retired teachers,” he said.

Did you know: Mr. Bey has an identical twin brother? “Being a twin is great,” he said. “It taught me how to share, and I had a companion to play sports with growing up.”

Wildcats are relieved that the creepy clown sightings have ended.

From August to the end of October there were numerous reports of clown sightings in the country, even in Rock Hill. Children and adults claimed to have spotted creepy clowns out and about.

The sightings brought about a lot of fears. Mrs. Madden, a 7-grade math teacher, did not like hearing about the clowns.  “I don’t like clowns, not a bit,” she said.  Mrs. Madden said she fears clowns “will come after her in her dreams.” Mrs. Madden thought people were trying to get attention and trying to scare people and had wished they would stop.

Officer Hammond, the STMS school resource officer, said he hasn’t heard of any sighting in months. “The last time I heard of one was back in October around Halloween,” Office Hammond said.

Although Ms. Tracy, A 7th-grade science teacher, said she isn’t scared of the clowns, she is also happy that the sightings have stopped.  Mrs. Tracy said at first she thought the clown sightings were real, but now she thinks people were just making it up.

Kimberly Vincent wasn’t worried about the clowns.  “They are ok,” she said. “I’m not scared of them.”

Jessica James wasn’t afraid of them either.  However, she was relieved the sighting have ended.  “I think that stuff is crazy,” James said. “Somethings I get concerned about people.”