According to goodhousekeeping.com, There are 107,918 foster children eligible for and waiting to be adopted. One out of every 25 U.S. families with children have an adopted child. This is sad because there are couples that have fertility issues that aren’t able to have children, when there are other women that can’t even raise the kids they are bearing.
 
In 2015, my family adopted my baby brother from birth, Jaxson John Scully. His birth mother was a college student and decided she wanted to have an open adoption. This is the biggest and most selfless decision a women can make. My baby brother is now two, and never has any reason not to smile. Adopting him was also the biggest decision for my family and I.
 
Adoption can be hard because foster homes may sometimes push more children on parents then they can handle. Foster homes don't always take in consideration of the foster parents, there main goals are just to get kids in homes. Adoption is not very appealing to most parents because there's a lot of paperwork and meetings needed. Foster kids  don't  always stay in there new homes. If they had young birth parents they might want them back when they are stable.
 
My friend, Anna, had fostered two kids in 2017. Their family had planned on only one child  but they were persuaded into getting two because they were siblings. Once they received, them they fell instantly in love and everything had seemed fine. Sadly, both children had a large amount of meth in their systems. This caused them to act more and more different the longer they had them. It started to affect the older child, so she could no longer stay with them. The foster family had so much love for the younger boy so they suggested to only keep him. They would not separate them. When children are taken away from loving families that causes them to think differently about adoption.
 
In conclusion, adoption is such a journey filled with ups and downs. At the end of the day, it is helping birth parents get back on their feet and giving children a family and a home.

Story by Isla Scully

Some people think that if you do school sports you will get behind in your schoolwork. This can be true if you don’t stay on top of it. You have to find a way to balance the two. Leaving homework and schoolwork to the last minute can really hurt your grade. Taking that last ten minutes in class to get a head start on homework is the better.

I have heard a recurring statement from many students at AMS, “school is always first, so if you keep that mindset it’s a lot easier to balance school and sports.” This is great to know! If you’re concerned about getting behind in school, don’t be. There is enough time in the day to get your work done and be successful in sports if you stay focused.

From personal experience, if you have a break in your day for some free time, take advantage of that and do your homework then so you don’t have to worry about it later. Doing this will catch you up on your school work so after sports you don’t have to stress about staying up late. Take my advice to balance your school and sports, trust me it will help.  

Story by Hazel Scully

​Aries:
March 21-April 19
Aries, with your independent, and strong willed character  good grades are\ in your future. Your magnetic personality will attract new relationships as the school year progresses. With that, be careful as to not over power others with your exciting personality.

Taurus:
April 19-May 20
Being the determined person that you are, now is your time to stand up for what you believe in, along with others around you. It's time someone stood up to make the world a better place. With  comes stubbornness. Be careful as not to let that stop you on your path to success.

Gemini:
May 20-June 20
Gemini, since you're clever and curious, be sure to use this trait wisely. Soak up all the knowledge possible. Your expressiveness and quick witted head will come in handy later down your path of life. Be careful not to get caught up in stress. Take some time off! You deserve a break from your ever busy mind.

Cancer:
June 20-July 22
Being the sympathetic and sentimental person that you are, it is important for you to keep the bonds that you have close. As hard as it may seem, allowing new relationships into your life is key. You care about your family and friends greatly, which in return, gives you close bonds that last a lifetime.

Leo:
July 22-August 22
Leo. Being the lion of the zodiacs, you are adventurous and highly charismatic. You are a genuine born star. Your desire to be in the spotlight will take you far in life. Although a bit too playful at times, your warm spirit will draw all the attention to you.

Virgo:
August 22-September 22
You have an analytical and hardworking with your right side brain. Your practical views on life will drive your chosen career far. You tend to view things with logic and often times take things to literal. Although you tend to worry about things, try taking a break. Don't stress!

Libra:
September 22-October 23
Being a Libra, you are gentle and kind. Your love for harmony and peace will typically attract people to your warm and kind nature. You lead a balanced life and work to please others. Be careful as not to say yes too often. Stand up for what you believe in.

Scorpio:
October 23-November 21
Since your symbol is represented by the scorpion, you tend to be strong willed, knowing what it takes to achieve your goals. You can be mysterious, sometimes not showing your true self to the world.  This will sometimes make others mistake you for cold and dark. You truly are a secret loving soul.

Sagittarius:
November 21-December 21
Sagittarius. You are adventurous, and curious, often taking the road less traveled. You love exploring new ideas, and going new places. Without this, you tend to become bored and restless. You are very optimistic and love change. You have the tendency to grow accustomed to things and take them for granted, so be careful to appreciate every moment.

Capricorn:
December 21- January 19
 The sign of the goat. Being born as a Capricorn, you tend to be Responsible and have good self control. Sometimes you expect the worst outlook. Try looking at things with a new and more optimistic point of view.

Aquarius:
January 19- February 18
Born under the Aquarius sign, you are mysterious and eccentric. Your humanitarian outlook on life drives you to make the world a better place. Sometimes you tend to go off track, be careful as not to let this get in the way of your success. You have a very affectionate character and tend to be extremely curious. `
 
Pisces:
February 18- March 20
Being a Pisces, you are kind and often times selfless. You keep true to yourself even when times get tough. You are extremely emotionally which can have both good and bad aspects.  Being this way, they can often times sense the mood of others around you. 

Story by Julianne Lally 

A lack in self confidence throughout teen girls is common in this day in age. Some girls are constantly comparing themselves to others and making themselves feel bad for it. This is called having a low self esteem. From talking to some girls who have experienced this, I have learned that the most common  things girls are worried about is their appearance.
 
Media plays a huge role in how girls compare themselves to others who are fake and considered perfect. Juliana, an 8th grade student at Asheville Middle School said, “It makes me feel self conscious when I look at models and fashion icons with perfect bodies.” Society has taught us a different meaning to beauty and even little girls are being taught at a young age. Dolls such as barbies are a prime example of what is the ideal body shape in some girls minds. This might just be the beginning of girls being self conscious for the rest of their teen years, and even adult life.
 
It certainly happens that at times girls could be teased for their appearance or the way they look. When you are constantly being told a lie that you're ugly, fat, or wear ugly clothes, it becomes a truth in a sense and you yourself begin to believe what others say about you. A lot of the knocking of confidence that girls have to deal with develop from other people or themselves. Whether it be tearing yourself down by judging yourself or it is through being told mean comments.
 
It’s really helpful to establish thick skin to combat the haters. The more you care about and listen to people's opinions, the more it hurts. It’s harder than it sounds, but once you learn to ignore the snotty things people have to say to you, they will stop. All they want is attention and to be noticed, once you take it away they will pick a new victim.
 
A lot of girls have a hard time understanding that everyone is different, but more importantly everyone is gorgeous in their own way. A wise girl from AMS said, “I think everyone has dealt with being self conscious about themselves in some way shape or form. But everyone's different and everyone's beautiful.” This is a lesson all people need to know. 

Story by Hazel Scully

First thing first, middle school is not all that bad. There will be great UPS and terrible DOWNS. To be honest all you need is a couple loyal friends and a great solid personality.

6TH GRADE
SO, when you first come in 6th grade it's a good idea to have some friends that are older than you because they give you good advice...Like me. Next make sure that your friends are down for anything because middle is gonna be like a scary rollercoaster.
Next, make sure you know where you're going. THIS IS IMPORTANT. Also, don’t make any enemies on the first day of school. The more enemies you have the more trouble you get in.

7TH GRADE
When your going to the 7th grade you have a clear idea of what going on. One thing is that there is way more drama than 6th grade. When you get there they make you use you locker. I never used or have to use my locker in 6th grade but they made me use it and i still can’t  use it.  It’s hard because you have 3 minutes to get to your class and if you don’t know how to use it you are probably gonna be late.

8TH GRADE
I'm looking forward to 8th is the OBX trip, which is Outer Banks trip (you go to the beach). Also i am looking forward to formal. Formal is like prom for 8th graders.

All and all, Middle school is cool and a great experience. Just stay out of trouble and you’ll be fine.
​
Story by Lorya Harbison

Do you enjoy spending time with animals? Did you know you can have a career solely based on wildlife? Sergio Silva is a wildlife biologist. He grew up in Mexico. He spends his time at work finding evidence of different animals. He especially looks for endangered species. He also tries to convince the public and/or politicians of the importance of animals and preservation of the environment in which they live.

Silva is also involved in many eco-conservation projects in the Southwestern U.S. and Mexico. He monitors the population  of different mammals such as a variety of large cats. He tracks them down and estimates how many are left and if they’re species are becoming more or less prominent. When you are considering careers, if you are interested in big cats and other endangered mammals, think about maybe becoming a wildlife biologist.

Story by Willow Schenk


​Sources: NewsELA

Materials: Yoga pants, booties, starbucks cup, blouse, jacket with a hood, fidget spinner, sticks, paper.
Directions: 
Step 1- Buy Starbucks 
Step 2- Get all of the things on the table
Step 3- Use the sticks to make a broom
Step 4- Make the nose with the paper by folding a triangle piece of paper and glue it    
Step 5- Dress in your costume and have a fun halloween!

Sixth graders have been prohibited to play middle school sports for decades, but recently that has changed. The Board of Education recently changed the rule that left the school systems with the power to decide if 6th graders play sports or not. Although 6th graders can play non-contact sports, football and wrestling aren't an option in school leagues. Asheville City Schools decided to continue the rule that was put in place about 10 years ago, and prohibit 6th graders from playing any sports. Even with 6th graders prohibited from playing sports, they aren't completely banned from participating. If you are a 6th grader you can be a manager, which allows you to participate in practice, travel with the team, and attend all the games.

The Board of Education originally changed the rule when they started to receive phone calls complaining about private and charter schools allowing 6th graders to play on their teams. Soon after the calls, the North Carolina Board of Education had a meeting which would declare whether or not 6th graders would be allowed to play sports. As we know, they voted for 6th graders to play non-contact sports. My opinion is that 6th graders should be allowed to play sports, because it provides a good thing to do instead of being bored or getting in trouble all afternoon. Others say that it is too dangerous for 6th graders, which is also understandable. I talked to one of my friends about it, and he agreed that 6th graders should be allowed to play sports because it gets them up and active. I got some of my information here if you'd like to learn more! 

Story by Stephen Koeschner