Flu shot necessary to keep everyone healthy
Pony Express Staff
December 5, 2018
Some say they are toxic, that they make people sick and are unsafe for people to get. Others say they are necessary and help keep individuals healthy. So what do flu shots really do for us? Flu shots are a necessary vaccine, and for those who can get one should receive every year. They keep the pop...
Citizens should have respectful response to George H.W. Bush’s death
Emma Stansbury, Distrubtion Reporter
December 3, 2018
A person grieves and responds to death in different ways, but is there a correct way to respond to the death of a prominent figure? George H.W. Bush died on Nov. 30, 2018, and served the United States from 1942-1945. Many people including Donald and Melania Trump, Obama, and Al Gore, along with various n...
Grading policies must reflect growth and learning
Grace Roeske, Social Media Editor
November 21, 2018
The Stillwater Grade Reporting Policy is focused on reflecting student’s achievements and it explains what grading includes. It is also the link between teachers, parents/guardians and students when it comes to communicating academic progress. Although the policy covers many things like student standards,...
EIC Column: Afton Lakeland Elementary demonstrates civic efficacy
Hannah Sween, Print Editor-in-Chief
November 17, 2018
As his class flipped through the brand new pocket constitutions they had just received, one boy recited the preamble to their very own Constitution, “We the P.I.E.sters, in order to form a more perfect fifth grade, establish leadership, ensure learning, provide for our classmates, promote kindness...
Grading policies varies, consistency encouraged
Ashlynn O'Connor, Social Media Editor
November 13, 2018
The hot topic that is lingering throughout the schools hallway is the grading system. The grading system is not a gentle subject because of the fact that there are so many different opinions. The middle schools grading system is the 80 percent summative, 20 percent formative rule all around. The m...
Minnesota, highest for political ad spending
Grant Erickson, Podcast Reporter
November 9, 2018
If Minnesotans have turned on the television at any point this month, they have almost certainly seen some of the many political advertisements bombarding them. They may have seen House candidate Dean Phillips comparing opponent Erik Paulsen’s elusiveness to that of Bigfoot. Alternatively, they may see...
EIC Column: peer counseling program long overdue
Abby Banks, Print Editor-in-Chief
November 6, 2018
With three deaths within three years in the Stillwater school district, the ISD 834 school board finally took the initiative to create a mental health program for middle and high school students. It's easy to feel unheard in our school district, but if there's any cause that's important for them to actually tun...
Trump’s threat to revoke birthright citizen laws immature, impulsive
Rosie Nichols, Layout Editor
November 3, 2018
America is posed as a country of freedom, freedom formulated from the birth of the Constitution. Standing by our nation's morals has never been an issue, but now more than ever, our morals are being put through their paces. The rules and regulations in which our governmental ancestors handcrafted have be...
Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation sparks uproar of support for Christine Blasey Ford
Hannah Sween, Print Editor-in-Chief
October 30, 2018
Brett Kavanaugh, a Yale University graduate and former United States Circuit Judge, was sworn in to the Supreme Court on Oct. 6. This swearing in was preceded by sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford during the process of his confirmation. Ford’s allegations, whi...
Building entry times changed to increase security
Pony Express Staff
October 27, 2018
As students walk towards the school doors ready to enter the building for the day, they are stopped when the door does not open and a staff member comes out to tell them they have to wait. The school policy, newly enforced this year, does not permit students to enter the building before 7:10 a.m....
Potential Brookview addition sparks debate
John Franklin, Copy Editor
October 23, 2018
The School Board has met on multiple occasions over the past months to discuss a possible expansion to Brookview Elementary. They have also explored whether to re-open Oak-Park and spend money to hire new staff. The agenda item under consideration was labeled "Facility & Financial Considerations...
Schools should provide opportunities for weekly Pledge
Catherine Monty, Distribution Reporter
September 25, 2018
Now that students are back in school, the controversy around the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance will most certainly surface again. There was a time when students stood with hand over heart and recite the Pledge every day without much fanfare. Those days are long gone, and the divide between ...