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8th Grade Reflections on Marticville

The 2021-2022 school year is slowly coming to an end. We finally made it through the Coronavirus and other obstacles, but the year also brought amazing and fun times. The 7th graders are about to become 8th graders in their next year in middle school, and we will miss all the 8th graders who are moving into the high school after two years at Marticville.

Our middle school newspaper wanted to end the year by coming up with a few questions for every 8th grader in the building. These five questions ask the soon-to-be high school students their opinions on how middle school went and what it'll be like for them going into the new high school building.

The questionnaire started by asking, What are you nervous about for high school? Many of the 8th graders responded by saying socializing with people, fitting in and the fact that there would be so many more people would be difficult. Rayn Andrechek mentioned that, “It’s a big school! And I’m going to be a 13-year-old going there as a freshman. No way I’m not picked on.”

“I’m just nervous about not getting any classes with any of my friends,” said Hunter Chalfant. Others said that not being comfortable walking around the hall and not finding classes at first was a major stress issue, and according to Summer Milhouse, she’s nervous about, “...getting lost and being late to class.”

In general, high school is a very different atmosphere; there are more courses, higher expectations, more independence, and sometimes a bigger workload, which can be very overwhelming to some people. Ali Smith said she’s anxious about “...the new environment with loads of new people” and also “the building and [her] new classes”.

As several mentioned, just the thought of being the first freshmen in the high school can be nerve-racking, and you have to take on the responsibility afterwards of finding your own career. On the other hand, some people are excited about the new school year with no worries whatsoever. They are ready for all the challenges and changes high school brings, from big to small. An anonymous 8th grader said there’s nothing to worry about since, “confidence is key”.

The next question 8th graders were challenged with was What are you excited about for high school? Starting off, some kids like the fact that they’re going into a different building and have a chance to restart. “I am most excited about everything being big and new…” wrote Aubrey Squires.

With transitioning into this school, the upcoming 9th graders are not only closer to graduating, but closer to finding a career as well. Sabrina Wilson said that she will enjoy, “knowing that [she] passed middle school” as part of that big stepping stone to life.

Our results also showed that almost every kid agreed the new experiences to embrace in high school would be the most exciting. “Getting involved with school sports and school activities” (Alena Carrodo) allows students to take part in fun events and clubs, plus there are so many new courses to get a taste of to prepare for the future.

There are a variety of electives to pick from that interest different people, and some of the top ones students mentioned being excited about are Ag, FFA, welding, mechanics, math, sports, art, music, band, driving and lifting. Overall, there are fewer classes a day, (only four instead of six) and there could be less homework, which many kids are relieved about.

In addition, high school also brings together the two middle schools and has a bigger staff, so there are many more people to meet. Alexa Maillis mentioned that she’s “most excited about the classes and teachers, but also [being] able to… see some Manor kids…”

Students can easily expand friend groups and reconnect with old friends. On the other hand, high school does bring a lot more independence, and students are expected to be responsible for their own choices. There are much more freedom and privileges given to students, and as Kaylie Eshbach said, chances at “having more opportunities, and facing new challenges.”

Our third question, which resulted in some unique answers was What is your best middle school memory? Some of the most popular answers were having fun and reuniting with friends and teachers, and an anonymous student wrote, “My best middle school memory was making new friends and meeting a lot of new and amazing people.” Getting into sports and playing them, experiencing extracurricular clubs (band, Aviedum, swag, book club, floor hockey, soccer, football, basketball, lacrosse, peer helpers, WMMS, and quiz bowl were all mentioned) along with participating in and watching the middle school play were other unforgettable memories students had.

Talking about sports, David Kirkley said, “My best middle school memory was, and is, playing sports with my friends.”

Speaking of the play, Ryan Brenneman mentioned his favorite memory was, “watching the play preview”, and Sara Herhr added to that by saying, “Being on the stage crew for the play where I got to spend time with my best friend, my cousin, and all my other friends” was her best memory at Marticville.

Some other answers were very personal but interesting, and here are a couple of our favorites: “...when Mr. Evans called me Ralph” (Vernon McDonah), “All memories in Mrs. Foulk’s 3rd period science class - mainly talking about horsepower to duckpower conversions” (Nathaniel Frey), “When I got my nickname “Larry” in Ms. Goodhart’s class last year” (Ryan Larrick), and “...talking about football with teachers. And when I was in class and the kid next to me got a pencil stuck in the ceiling” (Justin Onderdonk).

The fourth question asked, What will you miss most about Marticville? A lot of students said they would miss all the teachers and staff throughout the building, from the blue to the gold to the green team. Many of the students grew close to their teachers and thought they were all amazing to learn and talk with. One eighth grader, Owen Dailey mentioned that he will miss “the teachers and environment of the building.”

Matthew Eshbach added to that by saying, “I will miss the teachers because a lot of the teachers are great here and taught me a lot.” So many of the teachers were kind-hearted and fun to be with, so we give a big thanks to all of them for their hard work.

Other students said they'll miss the awesome friendships/friend groups they made, and Jacoby Martin wrote that he’d miss “knowing every day I will see my friends”. Once you get to high school, friendships can easily shift, in a good or bad way, and many students are afraid to lose them with all the changes that come with going to high school. Another topic students touched on that they would miss was the fact that the school was so small and that they could find their way around easily. Several other students suggested the fun activities as something they’d miss, such as the fun fest, music bingo, watching movies, and like Christian Rare, the “clubs”.

Finally, Kiwi and the other helping animals were also something a lot of people said they’d miss having around. We all know it'll be hard saying goodbye to the dogs!

Lastly, the questionnaire ended with Do you have any advice for 7th graders? There was a lot of good advice coming from the eighth graders, and they all had different themes, for example, not giving up, showing kindness, seizing the day, being you, trying your hardest, being part of the world, realizing what’s more important in life, staying patient, and showing leadership. Here is some outstanding advice that students gave from what they wrote down: “Don’t let drama get to you; it won’t matter in the future” (Maya Cardamore), “...enjoy being a kid as much as you can and make the best out of middle school” (Myra Musser), “Try your best when one marking period starts because if you don’t do well, it is hard to get your grade back up” (Matti Richter), “Study a lot because there will be a lot of tests and quizzes” (Khali Crittenden-Zito), “Believe me, you will never know where life is going to take you, so make the most out of it.” (Morgan Gaylord).

Additional advice for a positive school atmosphere was to be part of the activities/events, seek help by asking questions, show respect to teachers and other students, keep focused on grades, don’t procrastinate on work, follow all the rules, stay out of trouble, work ahead (and bring extra supplies), and don’t be rude. All of these tips will surely prepare future middle school students for high school!

We give a big thanks to all the students who filled out the questionnaire and who will be going into ninth grade next year. We hope you enjoy your time at the high school!

We’d also like to thank the teachers and staff again for being such a big part of all the student’s lives; you played a significant role in their years in middle school according to what they wrote in their papers. We’d like to give a special thanks to Ms. Goodhart, who helped the Croaker become possible again and directed her writers of the newspaper. Sadly, she will be retiring next year, but the Croaker will still continue on, so stay tuned for more articles next year!

Opening Day of Trout Season a Success

Several people from Marticville were out for opening day of trout season.

Cayden Deiter caught a trout while fishing. He was fishing with a spinner in a creek with his dad. He decided to throw it back. He has been fishing since he could hold a fishing rod.

Sam Westfall caught 7 trout earlier this year. He stood in a creek at his “secret spot.” He has been fishing since he was 7-8 years old. He went with his mom's boyfriend. They kept 3 and released the rest.

Grant Bradburn went trout fishing with his friend Braden Kahl and his brother Cooper Bradburn. He caught 7 trout from a bank and in the water. Grant decided to throw them back. He has been fishing since he was young.

Torsten Neff caught a rainbow trout. He has been fishing for 3 years. He went fishing in Conestoga with his step dad and his little brother an was fishing with a spinner from a rod. They decided to keep it.

Mr. Sheaffer has been fishing for 45 years. He and his son caught 2 trout each. They were reel fishing from a bank in Refton in the Little Beaver. They decided to throw the fish back.

Jackson Mathers caught one rainbow trout while he was fishing with his dad in a creek in Hershey. They decided to keep the fish and grill it. He has been fishing for 7 years.

Brayden Hickey caught 32 trout with a spinning reel. He went with his step-dad and kept some and threw back some. They went fishing at Little Pine Creek. He has been fishing his whole life.

Kayden Runk was fishing with his dad and a friend at Amitic. He caught 4 trout and decided to keep all 4.

Waylon Strubel caught one trout by standing on some rocks. He was with his family and his dad's friend's family. He has been fishing for a couple weeks.

Gavin Kirsch was fly fishing and caught one rainbow trout. He went fishing with his friends. He has been fishing for 9 years.

Caden Brown was fishing with his dad and caught 3 trout; the biggest one was 1 to 2 pounds. He was fishing at a lake in Heresy. He decided to keep the trout.

Marticville Student Supports Alex's Lemonade Stand

Alex’s Lemonade Stand (ALS) is a foundation that started after a girl named Alex experienced cancer and wanted to support people who had this tragic illness like her. Alex’s Lemonade Stand was created, and now it gives donations to the children’s cancer research program to keep Alex’s wishes alive. The program allows people to make lemonade stands and sell lemonade to donate the money for ALS.

Leo Zerbe, a student at Marticville Middle School, is passionate about donating to charities and helping people who need the money. Once Leo found out about ALS, she knew she should join, and shortly after, she started raising money with her own lemonade stand.

Leo said that she was inspired by this wonderful program to raise cancer awareness. Hearing about Alex, who started it all and had cancer, really motivated Leo to raise money for others than just herself.

From 2014 to 2019, Leo and her dad raised over $1,000 for ALS. They worked hard for around five or six years making their own lemonade and cookies for the stand. Everything was homemade, from the lemonade, to the cookies, to even the stand! Cookie sales went to Leo instead of ALS since it wasn’t lemonade, and it gave Leo a reward for her hard work.

The night before, Leo’s dad would make and prepare the lemonade while Leo baked cookies. They stored the lemonade in big jugs and refrigerated them overnight until morning when they would set up. Leo and her father woke up early, around 6:30-ish, and set up the tables and refreshments. Sometimes Leo’s grandmother would also help set up and sell lemonade. When they were all prepared, it would be around 7:30, and all Leo had to do was wait for customers to walk by and buy refreshments.

When they first started in September, Leo and her family decided it would be best to set up near a yard sale close by, where most people seemed to be. In addition to selling lemonade and cookies, they also provided bottles of water for customers who didn’t want anything else. They used posters and made the tables look pretty with tablecloths to draw people’s attention.

As lemonade selling went on, Leo went from using tables to wanting a true stand. She and her father worked hard to make the stand, and it turned out to be a success.

Around 1:00, Leo and her father would end the sales and start packing up. They would reuse posters and signs for other sales and make new ones many times.

Leo got to meet so many new people through selling lemonade and realized that it was a very educating experience. She learned stories from people with cancer and enjoyed getting to help so many of them, even if it was just by offering a cup of lemonade.

Unfortunately, the Coronavirus had a big impact on Leo and her father’s lemonade stand, and they couldn’t continue selling lemonade. This year, Leo had spinal surgery, which also stopped her from selling lemonade.

Leo said that the stands were overall a success, and she really wants to get back to selling lemonade for ALS again. If she could, she might try setting up near the main entry of a grocery store and would see if she could do it with her father again.

We want to recognize Leo for her hard work to help others and sell lemonade for the ALS cancer research group. Way to go, Leo!

Leo at her lemonade stand

Leo built her own stand after outgrowing her table.

Student Develops Own Games

Thomas Trussell, an eighth grade student at Marticville Middle School, is being recognized for his unique skills at coding and drawing.

Thomas loves coding and drawing. He mostly enjoys these things because it forces him to be creative and think differently. It’s a really great way to relax and learn new skills on the computer for Thomas as well. He also enjoys biking, playing music, and the arts.

So far, Thomas has published his own fully-developed video game and is currently making another one. He also has been making a card game that he’s been working on transferring into a video game. The card game has individual cards with different drawings on them.

Thomas has been coding since he was 10. He started out on block coding websites such as Scratch for about three years. Since then, he’s moved onto more difficult programming, like word coding, where he’s started making video games. He’s only been making video games for the past year, but he says that it’s been going well and he’s been making good progress.

The main objective of Thomas's published video game is to use strategy to get to the goal and discover the hidden secrets. Most of the inspiration Thomas gets for his games comes from other games he’s played. Most of all, Thomas wants people to enjoy the game and think hard. There’s been at least one person to play his video game, Seth, and Thomas hopes more people will in the future.

Thomas also loves to make up and draw his own characters both for fun and sometimes for video games. Thomas has been making drawings for a long time and hopes to continue drawing.

Thomas also hopes to continue his coding career in the future. He says that it is the perfect way to express himself and think about strategy. Thomas encourages as many people to play his game as there can, especially people who love playing action games like Pokemon , or even to people who like strategy and creative thinking in general. Thomas hopes to pursue this hobby and create more video games for people to play.

If you would like more information about the game, you can email Thomas at 205633@pennmanor.net.

Game creator Thomas Trussell

Thomas's game logo

Marticville Hunters Have a Successful Season

Landon Hess has been hunting for 3 years. This year he went with his dad and shot a doe, but he has shot 4 other deer. They were on his property in a field. Landon ate his deer.

Mr. Evans has been hunting for 44 years and has shot 30+ deer. This year he shot an 8-point. He was hunting by himself on his father’s farm, so he doesn’t have a picture of himself with his deer because he is not good at taking selfies. He butchered his deer and made bologna and sweet sticks (which he shared with Ms. Goodhart).

Julia Ditzler shot a 6- point buck. This was her first year hunting and her first deer. She went with her dad and is planning on hanging the antlers and eating the rest of the meat.

Maybelle Rineer has been hunting for 1 year. This season she shot 2 deer. She went hunting with her dad’s friend somewhere in Lancaster and amazingly got a doe and a buck. She had beef jerky and burgers made from her deer.

Elijah Hurst has been hunting for 2 years and has shot 1 other deer. He plans on getting the deer mounted. He was hunting with his dad and shot a 5 point buck in PA.

Bret Hunsberger shot both a doe and a 6-point buck. He has been hunting for 7 years and has shot 5 other deer. He was hunting with his dad at his uncle's farm. He plans on eating it and mounting the buck.

Graham Williams shot a 6-point buck and has shot 2 other deer. He has been hunting for 3 years. He was with his dad hunting at his dad's boss's house in Conestoga. They plan on eating the meat.

Jarred Shelly has been hunting for 4 years. He shot an 8-point buck with his dad while he was hunting in his backyard. He plans on turning the deer into jerky, burgers, and baloney. He will also get a European mount for the head.

Landon Park went hunting by himself and shot a 10-point buck. He has been hurting for 2 years and has shot 3 other deer. He was hunting in Virginia and plans on eating it.

Mason Peffer has been hunting for 2 years and has shot 2 other deer. He was with his step-dad and shot a buck in Conestoga. He plans on getting jerky and sweet sticks.

Marissa Harnish went hunting with her dad. She has been hunting for 2 years but shot her first deer this year, a 7-point buck. She was hunting at her uncle’s cabin and is planning on getting the deer mounted.

Gavin Kirsch has been hunting for 6-7 years. This year he shot a doe while hunting by himself, but he has shot 4 other deer. Gavin is planning on getting meat sticks from his deer.

Ben Paterson has been hunting for 4 years and has shot 6 total deer. He was hunting with his dad this year and shot a doe in Conestoga. He plans on making it into jerky, burger, sausage, smoke backstraps, and some deer sticks.

Ethan Farmer went hunting with his grandfather and shot a doe. He was hunting in Perry County. He shot a doe this year and shot 4 others within the last 4 years of hunting. He plans on making it into different meats.

Mr. Aungst, an avid hunter, has been hunting for 28 seasons and has shot 35 deer. He was hunting with his brother, nephew, and dad and shot two doe on the same evening - the first at 6:00 and the second at 6:30. He hated to reveal his “secret spot” but finally admitted that it’s in Dauphin County. He turned his deer into bologna, burgers and steaks.

Patton Devonshire has been hunting for 1 year. He went hunting with his dad this year and shot a doe; it's his first deer. He was hunting in Renovo. He plans on eating it and hanging it up.

Noah Gadberry shot an 8-point buck. He has been hunting for 4 years and has shot other deer. He went hunting with his dad and sometimes his grandpa. Noah went hunting this year in Delaware and plans on eating the meat his family wants and giving the rest to friends.

Bo Barton shot a doe and has shot 9 other deer. He went hunting with his dad at his cousin's house. He plans on making burgers and beef jerky.

Hoshea Groff went hunting with his dad. This was his first year hunting, and he shot a buck. He was at his uncle's house and is planning on getting jerky made.

Meet Some of Marticville's Talented Artists

I interviewed two very talented artists, Dezi Mattis and Addie Ream. These self taught artists have an unending creativity that they express through their art.

Dezi Mattis

Dezi practices to improve her art skills. She likes looking at photography of animals, landscapes, seascapes to then recreate them in a drawing. She will sometimes sketch recreations of her own photography. Dezi’s favorite things to sketch are sunflowers and roses. She enjoys trying new art materials, but her favorites are graphite pencils and colored pencils. Dezi has never entered anything in an art show or contest, but she hopes to one day.

Created by Dezi

Addie Ream

When Addie was asked how she improves her art skills she responded, “Practice! I mess up a lot, but it’s a big part of learning.” Addie says she gets inspiration from other artists. She looks at other pieces of artwork and then combines them all into something of her own imagination. Her favorite things to draw are fantasy scenes or realistic recreations of things from real life. Addie envisions what she draws before putting a pencil to paper. She says that what she creates is affected by her mood.

Addie enjoys using basic materials to create her art like pencils and markers. She says she does paint too, but when she does, it’s very messy. Addie has never entered anything in an art show and she doesn’t ever want to.

Created by Addie

Students Enjoy Thanksgiving Break

We thought it would be nice to feature some things that our Marticvile students did over Thanksgiving break.

We had a lot of responses from people who enjoyed spending time with friends and family. William Aston enjoyed spending time with family and celebrating his dad's birthday. Anna Nonnemacher was excited to see her grandparents. Brody Bowermaster also says spending time with family was the best part of his Thanksgiving break.

We also had some responses that people enjoyed eating the food. Jelena Ngo ate turkey, corn, stuffing, and mashed potatoes with gravy. Nate Frey ate apple sausage bread stuffing. Lily Fox also says she enjoyed the delicious food.

There were many hunters this Thanksgiving. (We hope to feature them in an upcoming article.)

We did have some very unique responses like Joshua Reigner went to Sky Zone, Vanessa Dmitriyev got two parrots, Sophia Geiter went to the beach, and Torsten Naff ran the Turkey Trot 5K. Dylan Bonfanti celebrated his birthday over the Thanksgiving break. People also relaxed, watched Netflix and just chilled.

We hope you enjoy your Christmas break just as much!

Jacob Rodriguez Makes Everyone Smile

School has been great so far for Jacob. He enjoys all the opportunities he gets and loves the experience. Every day Jacob shows his school spirit.

Jacob performs many helpful deeds around the school. He mentioned that he’s not only great at sports, but he also pushes a fellow student in her wheelchair. Jacob said that he loves to push her and that it makes him feel proud. It makes the person he helps feel happy as well, which makes him have a great atmosphere to be in.

Jacob’s teacher, Mrs. Hankle, said that she’s noticed Jacob showing aspects of a being a good teammate, generous student, and kind friend, and that he loves to compliment everyone. If someone compliments Jacob, he always will compliment them back.

Jacob also is a jokester and is fun to hang around with. He always smiles and greets friends with a high five. He plays ball with the kids outside sometimes, and he has a cheerful attitude. People can count on Jacob to hold the door for them, help them if they need help, and smile.

Not many people can look on the bright side and complement people the way Jacob can. Jacob goes above and beyond what is expected, and his social skills are great based on what his actions show.

Jacob is a very friendly, helpful student to be around, and we are happy to recognize him for his efforts.

Aaran Keohane Participates in Youth in Cadet Program

Seventh grader Aaron Keohane is a part of the Youth in Cadet Program of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). According to their website, it is a "congressionally chartered, federally supported non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force. CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded membership that includes people from all backgrounds, lifestyles, and occupations.”

Any boy or girl from the ages of 12-18 can join the cadet organization. CAP's main missions are Cadet Programs, Aerospace Education, and Emergency Services. They also take part in SAR (search and rescue) and volunteer service/community service. They help kids achieve their dreams in technology, engineering, mathematics, aviation, aerospace, military development, and more by having meetings/classes every Monday night from 7:00 - 9:00 at the Lancaster Airport.

A typical meeting goes like this: There is a safety briefing (weather, Covid, physical safety) and share news and ask questions about the program. Then members go outside and open formation (that means falling into 3 rows) to start marching or practice for parades. The first meeting of every month includes PT (exercise time) instead of drill or marching.

After that, members come back inside and take part in whatever class there is that week: Leadership, Character Development, Aerospace, or Emergency Services.

Some Community Service activities Aaron has participated in are parking events such as at the Lititz Craft Show, the Labor Day Hospice Auction, and his group is taking part in the Veterans Wreath Laying Ceremony in December.

It might sound simple, but Aaron explains that it takes hard work. Students can also earn scholarships through this program for flight academies and other colleges.

Aaron wants to be an Avionics technician and commercial pilot, and he says CAP has done wonders for helping him achieve his goals. He has even been a "Cadet of the Month."

If you are interested in this program, please talk to Aaron about it.

Meet Our New Secretary

We have a new secretary at Marticville! Mrs. Minney is new to our building...but not that new. She worked here years ago with Mrs. Bitler in her classroom but left to work at the Lancaster Property Assessment Office in a full time position. She also worked as a secretary in LS before coming back to Marticville.

She has been happy to come back to our amazing school. Her favorite thing about her job is the people and working with all of the students.

In her spare time she enjoys reading and playing games with her family. She has two sons who both went to Marticville; Kegan is 27 and Jarod is 24. Mrs. Minney grew up in the New Providence area and wanted to be an interior designer as a child.

Welcome back to Marticville, Mrs. Minney! The next time you see her, say a friendly hello!

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