Fun in the Valley
On Saturday, November 1st, Logan Bowers received his American FFA Degree, the highest honor an FFA member can achieve!
This prestigious award is earned by only 10% of FFA members nationwide and represents years of dedication through FFA activities, community service, and Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) projects.
Logan is now the 28th member in Maple Valley FFA history to achieve this incredible milestone. Congratulations, Logan, on your hard work, commitment, and outstanding representation of Maple Valley FFA!
Sports
For sports schedules, please visit the Athletics Website: Upcoming Sporting Events
The high school cross country team raced its final regular season run in the Barry County Championships at Lakewood. The girls' team finished 3rd overall, beating both Delton and Lakewood. All of the girls ran a new personal best time. Melanie Jones was the 1st Lion across the line in a 3rd place finish and made 1st Team All-Barry County. Izabelle Soper came in next in 11th, making 2nd Team All-Barry County. Other top runners were Athena Morehouse, Lydia Emerick, and Ada Marie Blakely. The boys' team finished 5th just behind Hastings. Tyler Curtis and Cameron Murray both finished strong to make 2nd Team All-Barry County. Other top runners were Kelvin Davis, Quincy Page, and Grady Wilkes. Murray, Davis, and Page all raced their fastest times this season.
Melanie Jones raced in the Division 4 Girls State Finals Race at the Michigan International Speedway last Saturday. In a race of 240 girls, she finished with a time of 22:30 near the top half of the field. Being one of 19 Maple Valley girls to ever race there, she posted the 2nd fastest time ever by a freshman. Great job, Melanie!
Activites/Clubs
Band Concert
On October 26th, the Junior High and Marching Bands performed at their Fall Concert. The Junior High Band showcased their talent with Creepy-Crawly Creatures, arranged by Brian Balmages, Waltz Macabre, arranged by Katie O’Hara LaBrie, and Ride of the Red Knights, arranged by Randall D. Standridge. The Marching Band then took the stage for their final performance of the season, playing their halftime show selections: Creep, arranged by Nick Baratta; Mr. Brightside, arranged by Matt Conaway & Jack Holt, and Don’t Stop Me Now, arranged by Matt Conaway & Jack Holt. Great job to all the musicians for an outstanding performance!
From October 28th through October 31st, the Maple Valley FFA Officer Team attended the 98th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis!
Their trip began on Tuesday with a stop at the Fort Wayne Zoo, where they had a wild time learning and laughing together. They also visited the University of Northwestern Ohio, touring its facilities, classrooms, and hands-on shops.
On Wednesday, the team headed to Beasley’s Orchard for a fun-filled day complete with a hayride, tours of the apple orchard, flower patch, pumpkin patch, and corn maze, plus some time shooting apple cannons and shopping in the gift shop. Afterward, they explored the Garfield Park Conservatory, taking in the tropical and exotic plants, trees, and flowers. That evening, they attended the 1st General Session of the convention, where the National Officers were introduced, and the National FFA Band and Chorus performed. They also listened to keynote speaker A’ric Jackson, who inspired members to break their box of limitations. The night ended at Rascals Fun Zone, where the group enjoyed arcade games, mini bowling, and pizza.
On Thursday and Friday, the team explored the Expo & Career Fair, shopped, networked, and took in the energy of downtown Indianapolis. Overall, the Maple Valley FFA Officer Team had an unforgettable experience full of fun, learning, and memories that will last a lifetime!
Senior Highlights
Sienna Lowe
After graduation, Sienna Lowe plans to get he bachelor's degree at Michigan State University in Marketing. The staff member who has had the greatest impact on her is Mr. Wilkes, as he has taught her a great deal about leadership and responsibility. Something she is looking forward to after graduation is trying new things. Some advice she would like to give to incoming freshmen is “Be you. Don’t let anyone change that, no matter what.” The highlight of her senior year so far has been Homecoming, because it feels like an even bigger deal than it has been before.
