Bada Bing Student of the Month

Student Reporter: Ariel Beutel


Each month the high school teachers of Cedar Grove-Belgium High School vote for a student, usually a senior, who shows outstanding ability in school and is well rounded. This month senior Jordan Dykstra, daughter of Linda and Rich Dykstra, was chosen.


Jordan is involved in many activities such as soccer, basketball, cross country, band, choir, National Honor Society, and Student Council. Not only is Jordan involved in each of these activities, she also shows leadership in many. Jordan was chosen to be team captain for both the basketball and cross country teams. She also was voted to be the secretary of the Student Council. Aside from these activities, Jordan also excels in school.


After high school, Jordan plans to attend Marian University where she will study Elementary Education. Jordan has already been accepted to Marian University and she also has a received a scholarship. While attending college, Jordan will not only have her studies to focus on, but she will also be participating on the basketball and soccer teams.


When asked about receiving the Bada Bing Student of the Month award, Jordan said, “Being Bada Bing Student of the Month is an honor. What Bada Bing is doing for the students is really great. Thank you for supporting our school.”
Keep up the great work Jordan and good luck in the future!

Holiday Concert

Student Reporter: Megan Villa


Finally after two tries on Friday January 9th the middle school auditorium was filled with moms and dads, Grandparents, and many other family and friends, all coming to watch the Elementary schools production of “A Country and Western Christmas.”


Each class separately sang at least 3 songs that either were traditional Christmas songs or new country and western Christmas songs that went along with the play the kids put on. In between each class singing was a story about the evil bubble gum blaster who was going to ruin everyone’s Christmas by placing bubblegum all over the town, but luckily Rudolph, Santa and the rest of the reindeer came to the rescue and talked the bubble gum blaster out of ruining Christmas. At the end of the concert when the kindergarteners were done singing all the kids in the elementary school filled the auditorium finishing with their final song.


The holiday concert was put on by the Elementary school music teacher Mrs. Schmidt, along with help from the principal Mrs. Wolf and many other helpers as well.
Thank you to all the students and teachers and helpers that made this wonderful concert happen, it was an awesome concert to watch.

Update: Art Club

Student Reporter: Becky Lemmermann


As we enter our second semester, we will get an update from the Art Club at Cedar Grove-Belgium High School. About 30 students are involved in art club this year which is a dramatic increase from previous year. Courtney Schmidt, the previous President of the art club passed down her duties to senior Racheal Pampel when she graduated last year. Rachael, along with her fellow officers, Danielle Deblaey (Vice President), Grace Nicora (Secretary) and Stephanie Norman (Treasurer) help decide which projects the art club will participate in this school year.


The art club started their busy year with a project named Pinwheels for Peace. This project consisted of elementary, middle and high school students constructing their own personal pinwheel and delivering it to Don Urness, the advisor of the art club, where the art club members planted them in the grass to send the message of peace.


During the past few months the art club has been working on their paper piece which is a project that they do annually. Art club members all work together with Mr. Urness to construct an art piece made from recyclable litter. Lately, the art club has been designing t-shirts and sweatshirts to represent their hard work throughout the year. The art club apparel will be available for everyone to purchase once they have finished designing and ordering the tops.


Within the next few weeks the art club will be gathering in groups which will compete in an Ice Carving Contest in Kohler. This is an event which many of the members look forward to each year. During an interview with the President of the art club, I asked her on her feelings about being the president of the art club and the activities they are participating in this year. She replied, “This year is going very good. It’s been a good experience being the president of the group. I’ll miss it next year when I graduate.”


The art club takes pride in preserving the earth and the environment. Annually, the art club puts together a project which is called the Earth Day Postcard Art show. Don Urness invites residential students and schools from far and near to send in their homemade post cards to show their concern for the earth and environment. Another project associated with the environment is the Earth Day Trash Pickup. Each April art club members invited their friends and family to participate in a local trash pickup. Once the group has collected enough recyclable trash they use their findings to create a recycled paper piece. Many of these pieces from previous years can be viewed in the high school commons area.


So, if you share environmental concerns with the art club, then don’t hesitate to get involved with the Earth day Pickup! They are always welcoming more participates and truly appreciate your time and effort to help save the environment one small area of the world at a time.

“A”chievers

Student Reporter: Ashlee Ansay

It used to be a pat on the back or a parent’s bribe was enough for students to want to excel at school, but recently Memorial Mall has extended an offer to help kids strive even more.

Memorial Mall set up a program to encourage students and schools to succeed academically, and in return students could receive a reward for their academic performance. Students can register for a chance to reward themselves and their favorite teacher for each “A” they receive on their report card (1st quarter, 1st semester, 3rd quarter, and final report periods). Each month, one student’s name will be drawn during the school year for a $25 Memorial Mall Gift Card. One teacher’s name will also be drawn each month in a separate drawing for a $25 Memorial Mall Gift Card as well.

To register for the reward, you can report to the Mall Office Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm and present your report card. You then can fill out an entry form for every “A” on your report card or any grade equivalent, and also nominate your favorite teacher. The drawing is held on the first weekday of the month starting December and ending in July. The winners will be contacted by telephone.

For more information visit www.memorialmall.com or call (920)-452-2731.

Freshman 15—Truth or Myth?

Student Reporter: Rebecca Lemmermann

As high school seniors approach this coming fall, many students worry about their health once they enter college. It is a well known myth that many teenage girls gain a significant amount of weight during the start of their freshman year of college. Whether or not this is true is still unsure but has been proven that Cornell students tend to gain four pounds during their first semester of college. If this is a concern for you, there are a few ways to avoid unwanted weight gain.

Some reasons college students might gain weight is from the buffet-style dinning offered in many college dormitories. Each morning, noon, and evening students are offered an array of food choices, including unhealthy snacks which students often eat multiple times a day instead of choosing healthier foods. Students can eat healthier in their school’s cafeteria by navigating dining halls and rotating the selections to eat during each meal, skipping out on baked sweets and avoiding seconds on high calorie foods. Another way you can eat healthier while at school is by avoiding fatty snack foods and excessive snacks which are offered in vending machines. Vending machines are used to satisfy impulsive eating and are usually filled with candy, chips, soda and unhealthy snacks. Examples of expectable snack foods are crackers, baby carrots, pretzels, popcorn (minus the buttery topping), juice, milk and bottled water. By staying clear of vending machines and fast food restaurants it is easier for a college student to eat healthier.

Another factor which could attribute to weight gain is the busy lifestyles which most college students endure. College students are known to skip meals and stay up very late multiple times throughout the week to study and finish homework. When people force their body’s to stay awake for longer amounts of hours during the day, it causes your hunger level to rise and can ultimately cause someone to over eat or to choose quick fatty snacks. Skipping meals is also an unhealthy practice which causes people to over eat. When a person deprives their body of food for an extended amount of time, the person is more susceptible to over indulge when they find time to eat later during the day. By eating three meals a day and trying to get at least some sleep each night, a young adult can achieve more during the day. Sleep has been proven to improve concentration, appearance and boost the immune system.

So you’ve started college and you’re not really sure if you’re on the right track? Try checking your weight occasionally and noting any difference you’ve seen. Also try to keep track of your eating habits and try to stay consistent each day. If you have any serious concerns, do not hesitate to contact a nutritionist or a health profession. Taking good care of your body is the best way to a happy and successful future. A few helpful websites are listed below to help those who are looking for more information.

http://www.gannett.cornell.edu/top10Topics/nutrition-eating/hotTopics/freshman15.html
http://kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/college/freshman_15.html

Music in the Air

Student Reporter: Jordan Dykstra


Oh the weather outside is frightful, but Christmas concerts are so delightful. This time of the year brings blustering winds and heavy, falling snow. It also brings Christmas music to the air. Whether it is on the radio or sung in the shower, Christmas music is everywhere. Band and choir teachers also look forward to this time of the year because they can pick out music for their students to sing and play.


This year’s winter band concert was on Monday, December 15, 2008. It started at seven o’clock and was kicked off by the 6th grade band led by Mrs. Lori MacRae. The 7th graders and 8th graders played after them. Following the middle school performances the freshmen/sophomore band took the stage. Their band was led by Mr. Tom Paulson. The songs they performed were Coast Guards March, Brookpark Overture, Theme De Noel, and The Carolers, Fanfare for Band. After the freshmen/sophomore band left, the junior/senior band gave their performance. The songs they played were Bonds of Unity March, Festive Scenario, A Christmas Trilogy, and Winter Holiday. Jackie Sopko, a senior, said “Mr. Paulson does a really good job with the band. He has a really fun time picking out holiday music for us to play.”


A week after the band concert, it was the choir’s turn to perform. This year, the concert was at First Reformed Church in Cedar Grove on Monday, December 22, 2008. There were two concerts, both of which were directed by Mrs. Linda Ruona. The first one started at 7:00 pm and was for the 5th and 6th grade choirs. The second concert started at 7:45 and the 7th, 8th, and high school choirs performed. The high school choir sang five numbers. The numbers were Great Day, Carol of the Bells, Christmas Peace Canon, With a Voice of Singing, and It’s Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas. “A lot of preparing went into the concert, and with the snow days we had, we had to crunch our rehearsal times to make sure we got everything done,” said Jordan Dykstra, a senior.


Mrs. Linda Ruona, Mr. Tom Paulson, and all members of band and choir thank everyone who came out in the cold, snowy weather to support them.

Bada Bing Student of the Month

Student Reporter: Mariah Keller


Football, basketball and National Honor Society are just a few of the many activities that Josh Peterson has been involved in throughout his high school career. Recently chosen as December’s Bada Bing Student of the Month, Josh Peterson, son of Brad and Betsy, has high expectations for life after graduation.


Josh hasn’t decided where he wants to go to school yet but plans to go wherever football leads him. He has a walk-on opportunity at Western Michigan as well as many scholarship considerations from others including; South Dakota State, University of North Dakota, Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan, and many more. He has applied to Wisconsin, Minnesota, Western Michigan, South Dakota State, and has been accepted to Michigan Tech. Josh plans to go to school for Business Accounting.


Not only is Josh successful on the playing field, but he also excels academically and he’s pleased to have been chosen for this award, “It is an honor to be announced Bada Bing Student of the month! I would like to thank Bada Bing for supporting a good cause and keeping kids involved in school.” He said. He is currently taking a few advanced classes, AP Calculus being his favorite. Josh finds the class, though challenging, to be a great experience and a good reflection on his career path.


Congratulations Josh, keep up the good work and good luck in the future!