They mean business

Johnston High School business department head Linda Nixon knows what her students are capable of doing in just a matter of weeks, and she was at a loss for words describing her pride.

“We were talking about how great everything was here, and one of the boys said, ‘We should hold [this],’” Nixon said. “I said, ‘Go put it together and present your idea to [Principal] Mr. Dennis Morrell for approval.’ And they did.”

It took her kids just two weeks to put together a sprawling eighth-grade fair, which took place in the high school’s gymnasium on Friday, Nov. 8. She said, “thankfully for the digital age,” the students were able to contact clubs and groups and receive quick responses.

“An awful lot of an effort in a really short period of time. The boys who came up with this idea have done a lot of hard work,” Nixon said. “I love them like they’re my own. I’m extremely proud of them. Extremely proud. They impress me so much.”

Two groups of eighth-graders – Team 8 Blue and Team 8 White – roamed the room, and they were all presented with JHS folders upon arrival.

The inside of the folder contains a bounty of reference information, including weights and measurements conversions, the three branches of government and state capitals and abbreviations. Each folder also offered a “Welcome Class of 2024” pamphlet, maps of the school and the fair’s layout and a scavenger hunt. Perfect scores were entered in to a raffle for free Johnston High School attire.

Dozens of groups and departments outlined the gymnasium, with sports squads taking the back of the gymnasium with DJ Joey, and the music and art departments each taking one of the front corners. The Fishing Club, Above the Influence, Mock Trial, Robotics and Student Council were among the clubs with representation at the event.

“We had all the kids chipping in and a great sense of community within this building,” Nixon said. “The building has a lot of heart. It really does.” (Sun Rise photos)