What an exciting season it’s been around here! Our outdoor learning space fundraiser is growing faster than our students on picture day—thank you to everyone who’s helping make this dream come true. We need a big push at the end to meet our goals…. SUNSHINE, LEARNING and FUN! 

A big shout-out to our football and volleyball teams for an amazing season full of teamwork, school spirit, and unforgettable moments. Now, as we swap cleats and kneepads for sneakers and basketballs, we’re ready to bring that same energy to the court. Go LIONS! 🏀

In the classroom, students are working hard toward the goals they’ve set with their teachers—proving that excellence isn’t just something we talk about, it’s something we do (and occasionally high-five about).

Keep up the awesome work, everyone. Together, we’re making this year one to remember!

— Kimberly McCage

This week in Mrs.Hubbard's 8th grade ELAR, we started a new unit on scary stories. After reading "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe, groups of students made a scene of a scary story they had written. The groups could pick to act or read out their scene.

By: Parker Jackson

Students are learning in art how to break down complex structures into basic shapes along with combining different parts of different animals into one singular creature. The students are also learning how to put their color blending skills to use.

-Katelyn Starr

6th Grade Math 

In 6th grade math we are learning about rates this week and last week. In 7th grade math they are doing slopes and rates of change and in 8th grade math they are learning slope intercepts. By Logan Mueller

Science:

6th: Currently, 6th grade science is learning chemical and physical reactions as of week 11 of school

7th: Currently, 7th grade science is learning distance time graphs as of week 11 of school

8th: Currently, 8th grade science is learning about Newton’s 3 laws of motion as of week 11 of school

-Mason Thedford

In GT (gifted and talented) we are presenting our Stem project. We are making bridges and showing our plan and how we made it and the cost to make it. We will present to the class and we will vote whose bridge is the best.

-Iker Garcia

Middle School History by Truitt Laney.

In 6th grade history we are currently learning about the culture and physical features of Brazil and Argentina. For example the capital of Brazil is Brasilia, and the capital of Argentina is Buenos Aires.

In 7th grade Texas history we are learning about the Mexican eara over Texas. Something that we have learned is that 1 acre cost 0.04$ compared to the 4,702 today. That just shows how much the economy has grown over the years.

Currently in 8th grade history we are learning about federalist and anti-federalist. For example The Federalists led by George Washington, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton, and the Anti-Federalists led by Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and George Mason. Overall they had different opinions of how the U.S. Should be run. 

The choir is getting ready for their first concert! 

They will be performing Zum Gali Gali.

Concert- Wednesday, Oct 14  6:00 pm

-By Kendall Custy

This is Kase Felderhoff. He is a great student. He gets good grades by studying and working hard. He gets his work done by staying focused and ignoring his friends. His favorite class is math. In his free time he practices sports and does work he needs to. When he is down he gets back up from the support of his friends. 

By: Liam Lapinski, and Triston Sands

By: Beau Penland

Currently in 6th grade boys pre-athletics, we are doing a 7 game kickball series. It is the first team to win 4 games.The team captains are Peyton Berte and Beau Penland. As of right now the series is tied 1-1. We are playing it on the Ponder High School softball field. With each team having 1 win, who knows who will win the series. 

Ponder junior high had their last away game at Peaster and 7th grade won 31-0  and 8th grade lost by 40. The last home game is Ponder vs Paradise on  October 30th same as the pep rally during advisory and it will be the last home game. If 7th grade wins they will go undefeated this season

-Jesus Jimenez

 By: Mason Garcia

How was the deep throw to Jagger Nix when you got hit in the back really hard? It kinda hurt because I got hit really hard in my back, but then I looked up and Jagger scored so I was fine after that.

 What were you thinking when you threw the go ball to Beau Wood and he caught it and took it back to the crib? I thought I overthrew him because I always do, but this time it was a beautiful throw.

  Why did you spike the ball when you scored your rushing touchdown? I was just really excited that I scored so I just threw the ball at the ground.

 Do you like playing QB or do you want to play a different position? I love playing QB and no I don’t want to switch positions.

 Do you like playing just offense or do you want to play defense too?  I wish I could play defense too, but the coach doesn’t want me getting hurt.  

By: Mason Garcia         

Bowie

7th grade won their game at Bowie. The highlights were Parker Calhoun got a rush touchdown. Madden San Miguel had 2 touchdowns and a blocked throw on defense. Jagger Nix also had a touchdown. Fortress had some good tackles on defense. Hutcher Cox got 6 pancakes.

Iowa Park

The next game against Iowa park had 7th grade A and 7th grade B. On defense Mason Garcia got multiple sacks. Wyat and Travis got some good tackles. The running back from Iowa dropped the ball and Case got on it for a fumble recovery. On offense Cooper, Wyatt, Travis, and Carson all got points on the board. 

On A team Parker Calhoun threw a 35 yard touchdown to Beau Wood. Bryson and Caden got big hits on kickoff. Madden San Miguel got a big running play. These were the crazy highlights for these games. 

By: Truitt Morris

This week in college football (Week 7 of the 2025 season) there were shifts in the Top 10, including upsets to several highly-ranked teams and the firing of a major head coach.

One of the biggest upsets were the Indiana Hoosiers defeating the Oregon Ducks 30-20. This earned their first road win against a top 5 team ever since 1967.

 Alabama barely gets past a tough road victory against Missouri with a score of 27-24. This gave the Missouri Tigers their first loss of the season.

Penn State’s coach fired. After a loss of 22-21 to Northwestern (Their third consecutive loss), Penn State decides to fire their longtime coach James Franklin.

Texas A&M makes a climb up to the top 5. After a win against Florida with a score of 34-17, A&M go to NO. 4 in AP Poll. They also remain undefeated and are a top contender in the SEC. 

 Here is the new AP top 5 rankings

Ohio State (6-0)

MIami (5-0)

Indiana (6-0)

Texas A&M (6-0)

Ole Miss (6-0)

High school XC

The Ponder High Cross Country team isn’t just running anymore... they’re running all the way to state! Rylie, Rhett, and Hunter have been showing their determination. Every mile, every practice, every early morning paid off! All season long, these runners (along with everyone else) have shown what determination looks like. Early mornings & tough hills, bring it on. They’ve trained through heat, sweat, and exhaustion, because that’s what champions do. So show your support for Rylie, Rhett, and Hunter.Three runners who give it everything, every single race.🏃🏼‍➡️🏃🏼‍♂️‍➡️🏃🏼‍♀️‍➡️

Old Settlers Park in Round Rock, TX, on October 31.

By: Lilli Allred, Kaylee Martin

What's your favorite candy? Watermelon sourpatch kids!

What's your favorite sport and why? Volleyball because it's fun and pushes her to be better!

Who is your favorite volleyball player and why? Andi Jackson always has a good attitude on the court and is always supportive to her teammates.

What’s your bible verse? "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Philippians 4:13

What does leadership mean to you? Taking ownership for what you do and being kind to others.

Who do you look up to and why? My mom because she tries her hardest in everything she does and she never gives up even when she's having a hard time.

What does sportsmanship mean to you? Being kind to others and being supportive to everyone.

This weekend the 7th grade A team and the 8th grade A team are playing in a tournament. The 7th grade A team is playing in Paradise and the 8th grade A team is playing in Callisburg. We have been practicing our serve receive and our eye work/ watching where the ball goes and calling passer, setter, and middle, outside, or right side. Please come out and support our 7th grade or 8th grade A teams.

-Georgia Angeley

This is B team girls huddle up in a time out.

Cori Johnson

“Team Funded” came to our school to tell us about the fundraiser, so parents and students start sharing so we can raise as much money as possible! We are going to be creating an outdoor learning area with all of the money we raise. 

(By Tucker Dishman)

Hope Squad had their first meeting during advisory last week. Hope Squad starts soon! 

-Rozalee Sanchez

HALLOWEEN DANCE Saturday, October 18 was a HUGE SUCCESS!! 

By: Mason Hanes

During the halloween dance many people showed up in amazing costumes! There were awesome songs played and a ton of fun dancing! There were 3 contests and everyone who won got candy! After going to the dance I think many people will want to go again!!

GET READY!!!!! Red Ribbon Week is Next Week 

Hey parents! Start sending your kid with money on Thursdays for the STEP kids! Every Thursday morning the STEP kids and teachers sell snacks in a snack cart. So send your kids with money to buy snacks!

- Evelyn Raymond🌻

By: Kannon Barksdale

Last week the pep rally was Hawaiian themed. The PJH football team played Iowa Park last week. The game they played in the pep rally was musical chairs. Eric, Mrs. Berte, and Mrs. McCage placed in the top three. Then Eric dragged Mrs. McCage across the gym floor while she was holding on to the chair for dear life. Eric finally got her off the chair, and Eric and Mrs. Berte were in the finals. While Eric and Mrs. Berte were going around the chairs and everybody was cheering so loud, Mrs. Berte went to sit down and Eric pulled the chair out from under her! Eric wins!!!

In Mrs. Wiggins class ( ART ), we are working on alebrijes. By Easton Nordie 

(Alebrijes are animals mixed together to make a new creature.)

By: Jackson Fairbanks,  

Did you know that Napoleon Bonaparte was once attacked by a group of rabbits? 

Did you know that George Washington's false teeth were made of ivory, animal teeth, and human teeth, not wood.

Did you know that the carrots that we know today as orange were originally purple?

The original London bridge which originally was opened in 1973 was dismantled and sold to an American entrepreneur who rebuilt it in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. 

Did you know that the ancient Romans used urine as laundry detergent and as mouthwash? 

What is one of your hidden talents? My hidden talent is that I can speak in a Scottish accent.

What is your dream vacation? My dream vacation would be to travel through Europe and see all the sights and history.

What makes a "Good day" at school for you? A good day for me is when my students have a good day! Love seeing them happy!

If you won the lottery what would you do? If I won the lottery,  I would pay everything off and go on my dream vacation!

What drives you to teach?  Teaching truly makes me happy. Being able to help students learn, grow and realize math really isn't that bad!

What is your favorite thing about being a teacher?  My favorite thing about being a teacher is the students. They make me laugh everyday. They are so much fun to be around!

Sailor Moon By:Naoko Takeuchi

Sailor Moon is a manga series that follows a middle school girl named Usagi Tsikino (Oo-saagee-shikeeno). Usagi is a clumsy and not very smart girl, she has a younger brother, and a few friends. The friends that are closest and are mentioned are: Naru Osaka (Childhood friend), Ami Mizuno (Sailor Mercury), Rei Hino (Sailor Mars), Makoto Kino (Sailor Jupiter), and Minako Aino (Sailor Venus). If you would not like to read the book then there is also an anime based off of it. You can watch it on Disney+ or other streaming platforms. Their mission is to stop the monsters that are trying to drain their energy

Charlie Thorne and the last equation: By Stuart Gibs.

Charlie Thorne and the last equation ( among others in the series) is an action packed thriller-esque type of book. The book is about a 13 year old girl who is a genius and is already in college. At the beginning as Albert Einstein is dying, as he is dying he has no idea where he is or that he is speaking German, he speaks in German to his doctor. His exact words, in German, are: "Pandorabüchse!" and "Sie ist im Holmes. Die Gleichung muss geschützt werden!" Which translates to "Pandora's box!” and “ It is in holmes. The equation must be protected! “  I recommend this book to anybody that loves action or suspense, you'll never be able to put it down!

Today isn't just a book, but it’s a topic of some. History books, which can diverge over a wide range of battles, discoveries, and people, could interest you quite a bit.

This book features the stories of quite a few famous people and aviators.. Many of them have risked their lives doing absurd, intense stunts in the air with light-weight and fast planes. The main character, Lincoln Beachy, is a famous and renowned stunt-man who has set many records and paved the way for how stunts were done. If you find interest in aviation, this book may be for you. 

By: Andrea Soto

Today, people are wearing baggy jeans, cute but simple tops, Adidas shoes, or even Nike shoes. People often wear clothing that is trendy. If your child is thinking of buying clothing to wear at school or in public, buy the clothing for them! Clothing is a very important idea of somebody’s appearance. The fashion clothing that they ask for is what is trendy or what makes them feel confident. At school kids wear what they feel most comfortable in which is trendy clothing. There is also clothing that is really cheap, but is FASHION! Baggy jeans are trendy because they’re stylish. Have you ever heard of baby doll tops? These tops are trending, they are very flattering and comfortable. Boys at school usually wear athletic clothing. For example, Nike, Adidas, and Puma! Kids love to wear expensive brands because they think it’s the MOST trending clothing. Expensive clothing isn’t always trendy. Cheap clothing is awesome too, you can find some very amazing things at thrift stores. One time I found some leggings that are usually $98, but I got them for only $15 at the thrift store!

By:Ethan Johnson 

For the past 12 years there hasn’t been an EF5 tornado. Now, the drought has finally been broken. During the tornado outbreak earlier this year, an EF5 occurred in North Dakota. On June 20th, the first EF5 in 12 years happened in Enderlin, North Dakota. This tornado was officially confirmed as an EF5 on Oct 6 after the NWS updated its rating from EF4 to EF5. This upgrade in rating was due to the fact that the tornado lofted several tanker cars. This tornado was a bad thing because it killed 3 people, but it is a good thing that it didn’t take another Joplin or Moore (meaning that it didn’t take a really powerful tornado to break this drought.)

UIL is a wonderful way you can learn new things and learn collaboration.

If you are in UIL, please keep attending practices. We are really trying to win this year!

We need 7th and 8th graders for chess UIL. Please see Mr. McLarty if you are interested. 

UIL A+ Academics Tryouts – Coming Soon!

UIL A+ Academics gives students in grades 6–8 the chance to shine in a variety of academic and performance events. This program builds on classroom learning while helping students grow in confidence, teamwork, and problem-solving.

Tryouts are happening now! Students may try out for more than one event as long as they are not scheduled on the same day. To participate, students should talk with the teacher sponsoring each event. Permission forms need to be turned in!

Events include:
Art • Calculator Apps • Chess • Dictionary Skills • Editorial Writing • Impromptu Speaking • Listening • Maps, Graphs, & Charts • Mathematics • Modern Oratory • Music Memory • Number Sense • One Act Play • Oral Reading • Ready Writing • Science • Social Studies • Spelling • Theatrical Design (Pilot)

We can’t wait to see our Lions showcase their talents at UIL!

Teacher Favorites

Teacher Websites

Ponder Junior High

940-479-8220

501 Shaffner Street. Ponder, TX 72259