Carmody News

"Tech Policy" by Logan V. - 3/15/24

The cell phone and AirPod policy should be changed at Carmody. Cell phones and AirPods should be a student's choice. They can be distracting but not that big of a deal. AirPods can help kids focus, “Music can work wonders on the ADHD brain, improving everything from language development to impulse control.” As ADHD in younger kids increases, listening to music can help those kids. Taking this away from them could make it very difficult for them to focus and do well in school. If kids are allowed to use their cell phones and AirPods, it will make them more disciplined by teaching them to learn to keep good grades themselves. Music can help with students' mental health. According to PsychCentral, “Benefits in mental health treatments. An overview of 349 studies on music’s usefulness as a mental health treatment for conditions including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression, found that 68.5% of music-based interventions had positive results.” This is another great reason why students should be allowed AirPods because 1 in 5 kids struggle with mental health and taking something away from them that could help them is crazy. Poor mental health can lead to bad grades, poor effort, and bad health.  An opposing factor is your brain takes time to refocus and that could take away from your learning. A study by Boston University states; “It might take students only 10 seconds to respond with a thumbs-up emoji, but their brain will need 20 minutes to refocus on the algebra or history or physics lesson in front of them—20 minutes''  That is crazy to me because you might be losing out on 20 minutes of learning just from one message. Although there is research that shows cell phones and AirPods may take away from learning, in my personal opinion this policy should be changed at Carmody.

"Could Social Media Positively Effect Carmody?" by Brennan G. - 3/1/24

Social media is a very influential part of students’ lives with them having access to the internet and a device. Could social media affect all of the students and parents of Carmody in a positive way? After interviewing several students, almost all of them said that they go on social media more than 11 times a day, 100% of them stated that they receive their news off of social media, when asked why they use social media so much, they stated, “It's just like what most people use and everybody thinks it’s the best.” With so many students using social media Carmody strives to take advantage of it. You can find their profiles on Instagram and Facebook where they reach hundreds of parents, students and community members. They post students and staff of the month, socials, Spirit Weeks, calendar reminders, celebrations, and much, much more. But could they go even further by moving onto platforms like Snapchat, Youtube, and TikTok where they might get more student engagement? Since students will use social media so much, it might be best to move to the more popular platforms. This might be a better way to reach even more students and parents. If something could appeal to students more, it would be incredibly beneficial to the students, parents, and staff of Carmody.

"Grand Junction Band/Orchestra Trip" by Cayden W. - 5/19/23

Music gives soul to everyone.” That was shown on the Grand Junction band and orchestra trip with Carmody Middle School on April 20th-21st. “We had so much fun on the trip! There were a bunch of fun memories made that weekend. The bus ride was very chaotic on both buses at 3 a.m. The hotel was fun. Glenwood Hot Springs was relaxing,” Simon Blair explained. He plays the saxophone and his favorite piece they played at the competition was In the Wake of Spring by James Swearingen. “I had a lot of fun at Bananas Fun Park; my favorite activity was laser tag,” he explains. His favorite memory was everything but mostly eating snacks on the bus. Ashlyn Bjorklund said, “The hotel was also very chaotic but very fun and loud.” She plays the violin and her favorite piece was Gauntlet by Doug Spata. “Our orchestra did pretty well. My favorite part of Bananas Fun Park was the spraying bumper boats and the salad they had.” She also explained, “The hot springs were a lot of fun but it smelled bad because of the sulfur.” Her favorite memory of the whole trip was the hotel stay because of how much fun they had. Reese Martin said, “I had so much fun at the hot springs.” She does percussion and her favorite piece was Acclaim by Rob Grice. “I had a lot of fun at the fun park and my favorite activity was laser tag. The hotel stay was terrible but got better through the night,” she said. Her favorite thing was being with friends. Overall, the whole trip was perfect for everyone that went. The band and orchestra got an excellent rating from the judges. Everyone had so much fun and it was a life-changing experience that should continue at Carmody throughout the years.

"Freyta Trip" by Faith D. - 5/19/23

Are you interested in going to the East Coast and traveling with your friends and classmates? You should check out Mr.

Freyta’s New York, Boston, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia trip for next summer 2024. Any teachers are allowed to go and grades 6-8. The more people that sign up, the more teachers that go and experience new things and places that they have never been to before. After interviewing Mr. Freyta, he said, “I love New York and want to take others to go see it and I’ve never been to the East Coast and want to go experience it with others.” Everyone that is going will fly into New York and then take buses to Boston, then Philadelphia, then to Washington D.C. and they are going to fly back to Denver from there. The teachers that are going so far are Mr. Harris, Ms. Webb, and Ms. Scritchfield. If this trip sounds fun to you, ask Mr. Freyta for more information or check out posters in the hallways. 

"Into the Woods" Interview by Sofia M.G.- 5/4/23

“Into The Woods” is a musical that Carmody Middle School presented for the community last month.  I asked some questions to students and teachers that got the chance to see the musical in person. Here’s a little back story about the musical. Set in a fairy-tale kingdom, it  re-imagines the Brothers Grimm tales with their narratives intertwined, and the various plots all tied together by a narrator. The story centers around a baker and his wife who wish to have a child and to do so they must undo a witch's curse. Ms. Yost is the theater teacher who directed the musical. She said, "This was the play the class selected based on the fact that they wanted a challenging musical score with many opportunities to develop fun characters and have solos in songs. Students audition for roles in front of an audition panel of teachers and student directors. Final casting is decided based on input from the entire audition team. This semester, there were five teachers: Ms. Yost, Mrs. Swackhamer, Mrs. DeLuca, Ms. Hahn, and Ms. E. Smith on the audition panel as well as student directors Lauren Segovia, Naya Ferguson, and Camilla Della Giustina." "This was one of our strongest productions, and the only production issue we had was that the actor microphones didn't work during the first show. Nonetheless, the students performed wonderfully. I was more excited than nervous before the play. As I said earlier, we had an incredible cast and I knew they were ready and excited to deliver a phenomenal performance!”  Ms. Kaspersen, the 6th grade Math teacher, replied, “The play went very smoothly. The tech crew did such a nice job changing sets and the actors were consistently spot on! I enjoy lots of movie genres and am a big Disney fan so it was fun that it had so many characters that I grew up watching or hearing about in stories. I absolutely would see the play again. It was the perfect mix of heartwarming and funny!” Emyah Riley in 8th grade said, “The play was awesome. I think it went great. The cast was very good at what they were doing. I would totally see it again!” Sounds like a great musical. Be sure to come to more musicals that Ms. Yost and her students perform.

"Hallway Procedures" by A.J. S. - 5/4/23

Have you ever noticed people don't follow hallway procedures, and have you ever seen the teachers tell kids constantly to get to class? Some of our hallway procedures are getting to class, respecting teachers, not pushing people out of the way, appropriate language, and much more. Sometimes students get right to class and move out of the way for others and people like students and teachers respect each other. Some of the things we can be doing are; throwing our trash away, being aware of our surroundings, and respecting our teachers. The teachers will really appreciate it if we respect the halls, the other students, and the time we have to get from one class to the other. All we need is to make sure our language is appropriate, and please pick up any trash you may drop. Make sure to show your Carmody P.R.I.D.E even when no one is watching.

"Art Show Success" by Cayden W. - 4/4/23

Sophie Bowman was in the Foothills Art Show, she made a zebra and giraffe sculpture. It was on January 27th from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm. I interviewed Sophie and asked her how she came up with her idea and she said, "I have always been a big animal person and one day I hope to be a vet and do art on the side as a hobby." She picked animals because they were the first thing to come to mind and she thought she should make them. She has been doing art for as long as she can remember. She has always had her eyes on art. She wants to continue art in the future.

"Carmody Rock Stars" by Faith D. - 4/4/23

We all know the student rock stars in Mrs. DeLuca’s classroom because of how awesome they are, but do you know what makes them special? Every week they help out staff and students by bringing staff coffee and taking recycling cans out. They are also known for participating in the Special Olympics. It’s sports that are specially made for kids with disabilities. After interviewing Mrs. DeLuca with some questions, we have some exciting news about her students. The following students Xavi, Xander, Bella, Heidi, Sammy, Jaxson, Suza, Kendra, Khang, Lupe, and Brynn all participate in the coffee cart on Wednesdays, recycling every Thursday with the help of N.J.H.S. members, and the Special Olympics. She has 17 customers for their coffee cart and she says that she loves seeing the excitement on their faces every Wednesday when they brighten the staff’s day with a hot cup of coffee. Mrs. DeLuca loves her job, working with kids and teaching them life skills. They have dance breaks during class to get up and move, they do mock restaurants, and they cook. This can help with teaching her students simple life skills. We can all thank her students for being such a helpful hand at our school.

"Spirit Week And Social"  by Isabell M. - 3/10/23

The Spring Social and Spirit Week was awesome! All of the students had a fun time. Some kids danced in the gym, played games in the art room, played volleyball in the small gym, played Guitar Hero in the band room or hung out in the cafetiria eating and visiting with friends.  The photo booth was a hot area and students walked away with memories to last a lifetime. There was tons of food like fruit roll-ups, cupcakes, chips, and the water to drink. During Spirit Week people got to wear different clothes like student-teacher swap, twin clothes, Hawaian day,  glitter clothes, and the color challenge.  Students at Carmody really know how to show their school spirit and P.R.I.D.E.

"Outdoor Lab Interviews" by Sofia M.G. - 3/10/23

I had a great time at Outdoor Lab but let's hear from some other kids that went. What's your favorite part of Outdoor Lab? A student named Alorah said, “My favorite part was the class site history; you get to learn new things about nature.” Another student named Gabby responded, “Making new bonds with people you didn't know is amazing.” Now let's see how they felt about being away from home for the week. Dazz replied, “No, I've been away from home way longer and I kinda wanted to stay.” But on the other hand we have Nicolas who answered, “I was homesick and yes it was the longest I've been away from home.” So for some people they had mixed feelings and some loved it! I think every student should get an opportunity to attend Outdoor Lab.

"New World Cultures Level 2 Class" by Mcaylynn G. - 2/15/23

Carmody Middle School is getting a new elective! Ms. Smith, the teacher of World Languages and Cultures, is finally getting a World Language 2 class after teaching it for 4 years. This class will begin fall of 2023. Many 8th grade students are a bit disappointed in not being here next year for her new elective. Which just shows how great her class is! To be able to take World Language 2 you must have done the 1st World Language class. It will be a one semester class which will be able to have around 30 kids per semester. The class will go more in-depth with the evolution of food, the practice of culinary arts by experimenting with recipes of food around the world, and nutrition, like the food pyramid. In World Language 1 the focus is on the culture of countries that are Spanish, French, German, and Japanese. When asked how she feels about her new class she said, “I'm super thrilled to be offering the opportunity for the level 2 of World Languages and Cultures class. I can't wait to explore food around the world with my students who have already taken World Languages and Cultures 1." You’ll never regret taking her class!

"A Magical School Play" by Izzy K. - 2/15/23

The spring musical cast and tech members are excited about the production of “Into The Woods” this semester. Students who attend the musical are hyped to see the musical talent of friends and classmates. “Into The Woods” musical includes drama, singing, and fairytale characters. The musical is tied together involving characters from all your favorite fairytales, including Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Bean Stalk, and a few new characters too! The musical is based on the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales so come prepared to see the “Into The Woods” Junior version. Here’s an interview with the theater director Ms. Yost: What are you excited about in the spring musical? “It’s one of my favorite shows, it's a very talented class. The joy in production and making the musical come to life as a group.” What are some goals you have for the cast? “It’s difficult music so definitely developed music and vocal skills. Bonding as a cast is also important for a great show.” What do you predict for the spring musical? “We have strong vocalists that have grown over the years and just bring the characters to life and perform with exuberance.” When and where is opening night? “We don’t know yet, we’re waiting to hear the information that should be forthcoming.” How did you choose the cast and the roles right for students? “We test the vocal ability, skills to look for certain roles, ability to take direction, to try. We also have an audition panel of students and teachers. We pay attention to how well they fit a character and how well they work with other characters. We look at confidence and then select students who best fit the role and would grow the best with their role. Since Ms. Smith didn't audition for the stepmom we had to cast a student though she would've been a perfect person for the role,” Miss Yost joked. Don't miss this amazing musical this spring!

"Cares With Cans" by Alijah R.G. - 12/16/22

Nearing the end of this semester, our school did a food drive. The point of the food drive is to get food for people/families who need support. To encourage people to donate, our school runs a competition with a party for the 1st place connections class. Standings were Mr. Freyta  1st place, Mrs. Roush 2nd, 3rd Mrs. Swackhamer, and 4th Mr. Franz & Ms. Poux. Carmody Cougars showed their P.R.I.D.E. by bringing in over 3,000 items!

"New Year! New Schedule!" by Sawyer G. - 12/16/22

This week on December 7th new schedules for the second semester came out. For this special event, I interviewed one of the counselors, Ms. Gisetti. I asked about connections. For next semester, they will no longer be splitting connections. The amount of time from the P.M. connections will be added to the A.M. connections; meaning that A.M. will be an hour and you will leave after your 5th/6th-period classes. You have until the 13th of January to change your electives. You cannot change your core classes (ELA, math, social studies, and science.) and you can’t change your connections classes either! Lunches will remain at the same time, depending on your classes, you will have lunches A, B, or C. You cannot switch period times, such as switching period 5 with period 2.  For any questions, please email your counselor.

"Musical Magic" by Riar B. & Jennifer L. - 12/2/22

In the last month, some people at CMS performed in the High School Musical. The play was a success and many people enjoyed it! Congratulations to all the performers, Directors, and Producers. After the play, we interviewed some cast members and staff to see what they thought of the play and many people had good things to say. When we interviewed Mrs. Swackhamer, she said, “ … It went beyond my standards, you guys rocked a middle school performance…” A student actor, Kayla Turner said, “It was a lot of fun and I plan to do more plays.” Many people said that the play was a lot of fun and the outcome was amazing. Great job Cougars and I hope you can guys keep producing exceptional performances!

"Practicing P.R.I.D.E" by Dylan S. - 12/2/22

When the school year started, most everyone followed the code of conduct and showed P.R.I.D.E. really well. As the year has been going on, it has become less enforced and less acted upon. Even though it is not being enforced as much, we should still follow the code of conduct, dress appropriately, and not take laps in the halls. Although our clothes express our fashion and may show our beliefs, it is our responsibility to wear appropriate clothes to school. It is also our responsibility to stay in class and learn about important subjects being taught, instead of taking laps in the halls. An anonymous form was conducted to see how many students take laps in the halls and how often they did it. Around 50% of kids said that they took laps in the halls. Around 15% of kids said they took laps often. Part of being a member of our community is showing integrity, you can do it Cougars!

"Pink Passion" by Lilly Y.- 11/10/22

Pink Out was an amazing success with many people joining in to dress in pink! Pink Out was incorporated into Spirit Week on the 25th of October for Breast Cancer Awareness. I asked Caitlyn Barela, an 8th grade student a few questions on why she chose to participate. “I decided to participate because I like to be a team player and I could have fun at school with my friends.” Then I asked her if she had anyone in her family or if someone close to her has had cancer, “Yes, my mom. She went through skin cancer before I was born and my grandfather died from cancer.” The last thing I asked her was how successful she thought the day was at bringing spirit into the school. “I think it was very successful because we all actually were wearing pink, even if it was just face paint or pink clothes, we all participated in some way.” Many Carmody Cougars showed their pride and spirit by showing up with pink on and showing their support for Breast Cancer Awareness!

"Spirit in the Air" by Mazzy R. - 11/10/22

Spirit Week was a big success. First we started off with Disney Day. It was super fun from people to wear just shirts to them wearing onesies. On the 2nd day it was neon day. We knew where everyone was because they were like highlighters. On the 3rd day it was anything but a backpack day. That was super exciting. People brought shopping baskets and carts; they also brought dog crates. On the last day of spirit week it was costume day. People were super cute. I'm super happy that they participated. Make sure to participate in upcoming spirit week events!

"The Mysterious Puddle" by Ava C. - 10/24/22

The puddle by the blacktop has grasped some people's interest. Some people want to remove it but on October 13th, a group of kids started protesting to keep the puddle. The group of kids call it "History." People have been throwing things in the puddle to add to it, saying they will be a part of it now. The puddle has collected a jacket, tons of trash, lipstick, toys, etc. Kids were found jumping in the puddle as well and now the puddle has caution tape around it to hopefully deter students from adding items or themselves to it. Please do not throw things into the puddle because it is bad for our environment.

"Paleontoligists in the Making" by Allan M. - 10/24/22

In the last two weeks, 8th graders in both Jowsey’s and Webb’s science classes had the chance to visit the famously known Dinosaur Ridge, located near Red Rocks, for a chance to see ancient dinosaur fossils. This is the first year that science was able to get funding for a field trip. Eighth graders in science have recently been learning about the Earth’s past and how scientists can make inferences about the past using fossils from those times. Students got to talk to the paleontologists (Paleontology is the study of bones.) of Dinosaur Ridge, where they learned more about sandstone layers, types of fossils left behind by the ancient dinosaurs, and many more interesting facts. Maybe this will inspire students to choose paleontology in the future as a career! 

"Room with a View" by Lauren S. - 10/1/22 

After 5 years in a room without windows, Ms. Spivey was able to move rooms. She always wanted windows: She had fake windows to fix her sadness. There was no natural lighting. We aren't the only ones excited about this. She said, "I love seeing the sun and knowing what weather will come." She and her students couldn't be happier to have a new classroom with windows.

"NJHS Hard at Work" by Ethan H. - 10/1/22

N.J.H.S. is showing what Carmody is all about. Showing P.R.I.D.E. through all their service in the community. They are trying to make the community a better place by upholding the standards of N.J.H.S. Members will demonstrate character, citizenship, leadership, service, and scholarship. You can become an N.J.H.S member going into next year by having a G.P.A. (grade point average) of 3.5 or more. You have to get two teacher recommendations and get invited by the leader.