Inside The Blue And White

By Editor | February 14, 2024 |

Welcome back to another exciting edition of “Inside the Blue and White” after another busy week. Students are loaded with assignments while looking forward to a packed calendar of school activities.

As fall sports are coming to an end,spring sports are getting underway! The basketball team has officially completed their season as the girls and boys varsity teams ended the year in the first round of playoffs against the Bruce Trojans. Their final scores fell slightly short, and the season ended!

Last week officially started the Water Valley archery team season! They traveled to compete in their very first invitational match of the season. They shot with confidence and claimed victory over teams from larger schools including Oxford and Lafayette. The team’s total score was 3,161 points. The top individual male shooter was Arthur Fielder with 286, the highest from all competing teams. Alexis Kordak had the highest female score from all teams with 278. This archery season is off to a phenomenal start! Catch the team in action at home on Feb. 2, starting at 5 p.m.!

Students in Michael Loper’s agriculture class are learning how to grow crops and gardens, tend to livestock and much more. The class includes hands-on instruction including caring for chickens that students have all created a close bond with! Class members include (from left) Tyler Richardson, Donovan Wilson, Dylan Moore, Jordan Morgan, Christopher Stanfield, Jacob Stacy, John McMinn, Matthew Osman and Kameron Wood.

Both the baseball and softball teams are swinging off their season! Baseball has already begun its season and the next home game is Feb. 17 against North Pontotoc. The junior varsity team will play at noon and the varsity team at 2 p.m. The softball team’s first game of the season will be held in the Blue Devil territory against J.Z. George. Junior varsity at five and Varsity at six support the team as they take on J.Z. George.

On the educational side, high school English teacher Anna Koshenina has allowed her students to take a brief break from advanced-level reading and writing to step into the creative and artistic world of creating children’s books. Each class has reviewed and revised children’s books by various authors and read them to fellow classmates. After many additional assignments, students are now creating their very own children’s books. Mrs. Koshenina says the purpose of this assignment is to “have a writer’s view of children’s books so students can write and illustrate their own books.” She would like to thank Linda and Jamie Scott for art supplies and the Oxford printing company for donating paper!”

Not far down the hall, agriculture and natural resources teacher Michael Loper has also been busy. Water Valley High School implemented an agriculture program to cater to students interested in developing skills such as growing crops, tending to livestock, gardening, and much more! While taking this course, students are encouraged to enhance their entrepreneurship, technical skills as they consider potential occupations. Among first subjects reviewed were the safety requirements along with tool identification, and how to use them. They are a project-based class and have been working on a unique project creating a go-cart. They also build diesel engines other projects, learning to weld as part of their instruction. Most products they make are sold to people in the community and include tables, benches, and other homemade products.

The funding that is made from selling the products as well as donations given is invested back into the agriculture funds to continue the fun! When students aren’t creating go-carts, they are out in the garden working on their natural resources. In springtime, the garden is always a big hit! The ag students grow onions, turnips, mustards, snow peas, carrots, lettuce, and spinach. Everything is planted by hand using seed. Mr. Loper has even taken it a step further to get assistance from several local businesses to help with gardening.
Members of the ag class are also busy helping with some basic needs around the campus like cleaning flower beds, power washing signs, and keeping the grass looking good. By the end of the school year, the goal is for the students to take their new knowledge into the real agriculture business world.

Though Mr. Loper’s occupation is teaching, he is also passionate about giving back to the community with small acts of kindness, teaching life lessons, and catering to the needs of his students!

Thank you, Mr. Loper and Water Valley High, for creating young agricultural leaders!
As you’ve read, the Blue Devils are booked and busy. Don’t forget to check back in next week!