8th Graders: YOU HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED!!

The 6th and 7th grade classes have thrown down the gauntlet and have issued a challenge to see which grade level is REALLY the most spirited!  Show that you are the Top Cats of The Trail by coming out in full force to support our 8th grade football team as they host York on this coming Wednesday in a battle of two heavyweight programs!  The game will be held under the lights at South Pointe High (5 pm).  We will walk as a school over to District Three South Stadium and show the Cougars of York what WILDCAT PRIDE is all about!! Please have your ride there to pick you up by 6:30 pm at South Pointe since we will not walk back to Saluda Trail after the game.  Tickets will continue to be sold through lunch on Wednesday and the grade level with the most student body attendance will earn the right to dress in their team spirit gear (dress down) on next week!  Surely the 8th grade Class of 2014 will not be outdone by the 7th and 6th graders...or will they?!!

Did Someone Say Final Jeopardy?

On Thursday the 8th grade science classes continued their Jeopardy game with Final Jeopardy being played in each class. Each class could wager 0 to 16 pts. each.
After strategic wagering. . . 

Mr. Consalvi's final total wager was 10 pts. = 106 pts. final total

Ms. Carter's classes total wager was only 1 point = 113 pts. final total

AND, the new 1st place goes to Mr. Davis' classes with a final total wager of 29 pts. equaling a final score of 125 pts. All of his classes answered their question correctly!

So, as it stands. . .  Consalvi - 106
                             Carter   - 113
                             Davis  - 125
                                                                     Until Next Time. . .

Upon winning, Mr. Davis exclaimed, "Never count an old dog out 'til it is over!!!"

GREAT JOB TO ALL TEAMS!!!!!!!!

8th Grade Volleyball vs Sullivan (Video Highlights)

Special thanks to Mr. Nesbitt!

8th Grade Football dismantle Castle Heights!

Another dominating defensive performance by the Wildcats helped to secure a 28-0 victory over the Knights of Castle Heights! Next week promises to be among the toughest challenges for 'Cats as they host York in a battle of two of the top teams in the conference. The game will be played under the lights at District Three South Stadium, better known as The Stable, home of the South Pointe Stallions!  Make plans to cheer your Wildcats on to victory!

iOS7 Upgrade: Patience is a Virtue!

Students and parents,
The excitement of new and innovative technological tools is something most of us can appreciate...especially me, a self-proclaimed geek! However, under the insistence of our district technology department, I must continue to insist that we RESIST the temptation to upgrade district owed iPads to iOS7 until we get the clearance to do so. It is not that we do not want you enjoy the new look and features that Apple is offering; it is that there are several security features within the architecture of this new operating system that must be deployed before it is safe to upgrade without problems and restrictions on our district servers. As soon as we get the green light to upgrade, I promise you will be among the first to know.

For those of you that ignored my pleas last week and upgraded the district devices despite being asked kindly not to do so (parents, I literally visited every classroom five days straight announcing this, including a day prior to Apple releasing the upgrade), you may experience some odd issues and will undoubtedly have a few added measures placed on your district device that will in fact cause you and your teacher some inconvenience. Even if it appears that your device is working fine, you may be inadvertently causing problems in other areas. With all of that said, your patience is a must! Until things are worked out by the experts, we will all have to do our best to work with what we have in place.
I apologize for this inconvenience but I sincerely thank you for understanding!

Yours every step of the way,
Mr. Moton

Team 8-3 Wins Round One!!

In the first of many Jeopardy-styled team competitions to be held throughout the year among the science classes, Ms. Carter's Team 8-3 science students prevailed in what turned out to be a closley contested, spirited contest this past Friday! The final scores after all four core classes competed were Team 8-1 (Consalvi) 96 points, Team 8-2 (Davis) 96 points, and Team 8-3 (Carter) 112 points!

"It was a good experience and a great way to give the kids an idea of what the benchmark test questions on Monday are going to be like," stated Mr. Consalvi.

All three teachers are impressed with the content knowledge of the students, but also recognize that this is only the beginning...there's a long, long ways to go for everyone!

Defense is Key to Home Win for Wildcats!

The 8th Grade football team, led by a stingy defense, defeated Fort Mill this past Wednesday by the score of 28-0 in their second game this season, the first home game here at the Trail!  The Wildcats face a tough road challenge next Wednesday vs Castle Heights!

Photos by Yuderria Sibley, Terriana Gaiton, and Mr. Moton

Mighty Wildcats for the WIN!

 

Both 7th and 8th Grade Lady Wildcat Volleyball teams pulled out exciting wins against Sullivan on Thursday night. The roar of the crowd came over the STMS gym as the 7th grade girls won their match in two sets. Shortly after their victory the 8th grade team took the court, also clenching their first win of the season. MVP of the game was Sydney Chisholm and Best Hustler went to Brianna Stacks. Congratulations to these girls and the whole team on a fantastic victory! The Lady Wildcats will be back in action next Tuesday at home against Castle Heights! Come out and support these awesome teams!  

Amazing Grace!

Grace Mozingo represented the STMS Class of 2014 not once, but TWICE at two separate Rock Hill Schools board meetings.  Her first appearance August 12th, where she opened the board meeting and discussed her participation in the iTEAMS summer camp that was held at Saluda Trail. The iTEAMS camp was sponsored by the SC Governor's School of Math and Science. Her second appearance was at the August 26th board meeting, where she was recognized for her winning essay honoring Ms. Busbee as her favorite teacher in a contest sponsored by the Rock Hill Herald newspaper!  Congratulations Grace! Continue to make us proud to have you as a fellow Wildcat!

Wildcats in Action. . . on the court AND the field!

Come out this week and show your Wildcat spirit!

Tuesday, September 17: Our Lady Wildcat Volleyball teams will be taking on the Gators of Dutchman Creek at DCMS!

Wednesday, September 18: First 8th Grade HOME Football Game against Fort Mill! Come out and support our undefeated team!

Thursday, September 19: The Wildcat Volleyball teams are back in action at HOME against Sullivan. Hope to see you there cheering on these fantastic teams!

Amazing Academics Abound

Some of our outstanding 8th grade students were recently rewarded for their hard work in academics by being offered the opportunity to take part in our academic honors programs, Jr. Beta Club and Jr. Scholars.

Jr. Beta Club: Students who had a 3.3 GPA last year qualify to be a member of the Jr. Beta Club. Invitations and permission slips were given to eligible students last week and are due back with the fees to Mrs. Stillman by this Friday, September 20. Congratulations on this accomplishment!

S.C. Junior Scholars Program: I am excited to say that there are more than 145 8th grade students that qualify for this program! Students who scored Exemplary on the ELA and/or Math PASS test, are in advanced classes or are identified as gifted qualify for this honor and are given the opportunity to take the PSAT at Saluda Trail for $14. If you were given a letter today, permission slips and money are due back to Mrs. DePinto by next Wednesday, September 25 if you want to take the PSAT. This is a great opportunity to get a head start on your future!

Yours every step of the way,
Mrs. DePinto

8th Grade Teachers: Awesomeness Takes Planning!

When the 8th grade students go to Related Arts, the core classroom teachers often pull together to collaborate on integrated units, pitch engaging ideas, and plan student activities. In other words, their awesomeness is a product of the hard work and effort that they demand from their students!!

8th Grade Volleyball: Wildcats fall, but coach is encouraged by effort!

Repost from STMS Mobile App:

For the 8th grade game tonight our MVP was Raejah Roe and our Best Hustler was Sydney Chisholm.  Our girls played so very well and fought hard against a really tough opponent.

Congratulations to Rawlinson Road on the win and keep working hard, Wildcats! We will always be proud of you!

All we do is WIN, WIN, WIN (you know the rest)!

The 8th grade football opened the 2013 season with a big win over Springfield at their place.  The defense pitched a shutout, holding the Mustangs scoreless in a 12-0 victory.  The coaching staff conceded that the Wildcats have work to do to polish their execution in all phases of the game, but that the opening win bodes well for the future of a team with championship aspirations!  The 8th grade squad will host Fort Mill next week here at the Trail so make plans TODAY!!

8th Grade Washington, DC Field Study Parent Meeting

Attention all 8th graders interested in going on the Washington, D.C. Field Study May 20-24, 2014.

We will have a parent meeting on Monday, September 16th in the auditorium at 6:30.  Please see Mr. Mew, in room C-116, if you have any questions.

Visit Mr. Mew's website at http://st.rock-hill.k12.sc.us/teachers/wilsonmew.aspx for more details!

Again by popular demand...!

Many of you have asked about the inspirational video we showed on the first day of school about the NASCAR engineer that despite being born without arms, never used excuses to prevent him from doing anything he wanted to do...including working for one of the premiere automotive engineering companies on Earth!  Here is the story of Richie Parker!

Yours every step of the way,
Mrs. DePinto and Mr. Moton

Now the fun REALLY begins!

Class of 2014:

We had a great initial start to the school year!  Experiences so far include getting to know a phenomenal group of 8th grade teachers, welcoming new classmates, and of course, everyone receiving their iPad!  NOW the fun REALLY begins!  This week is particularly exciting because it marks the beginning of several aspects of 8th grade life that really make Wildcat Way awesome and unique!

Beginning on Monday, the teachers will be "full steam ahead" in regards to using your iPads.  Please keep in mind that you are completely responsible for how well you take advantage of this personal electronic device.  Mrs. DePinto will show you ways to keep yourself organized and several steps ahead in regards to your assignments.  The teachers will have exciting and innovative delivery methods that will engage you in ways unlike in the past.  Again, your approach will dictate your success...NO EXCUSES! :-)

On Wednesday, our mighty Wildcats football team will travel to Springfield to take on the Mustangs in their first game in what promises to be a great season!  If you can make the trip to Fort Mill to support your classmates, please do so!  If you cannot make the trip, stick around to watch your little brothers in 7th grade as they host the Mustangs' 7th grade team here at The Trail!

On Thursday, our Lady Wildcats volleyball team begin their 2013 campaign against the Raiders from Rawlinson Road.  Let's pack the gym in support of our Lady 'Cats as they set forth on a quest to bring another volleyball title back to The Den!!

Stay tuned to more announcements and opportunities to take advantage of your last and BEST year in middle school! Be sure to SUBSCRIBE for the latest information as it arrives!

COMING SOON!
Your opportunity to vote for our Class of 2014 T-shirt design!!

Yours every step of the way,

Mr. Coach Moton