Before the new road, a line of cars trying to turn to the student parking lot would be backed up in front of the school.

The principal of the school, Mr. Rusty Davis, was highly involved in the project because the students and school buses have to go through the road. The road was built for the students and buses to access the parking lots without trouble.

In the past, the school resource officer, Deputy Lohr had to control the traffic because the long lines that blocked traffic.

Carlos Ramirez, a student that attends Spotsylvania High School, drives to and from school every day. He said, “I think the road helped out a lot. It is easier to get into the student parking lot then it was before the new road. Like, I use to have to come to school a couple minutes early so I wouldn’t be late, because it would be a five minute wait to get into the parking lot.”

Another student who drives to school most of the time is Zach Miller. His opinion was that “the new road was a good idea, but it was kind of confusing at first.”

He said, “It got easier as I came to and from school every day. I’m glad the new road is finished though. It is less troubling now that I won’t have to wait in the line just to park my car.”

Alexus Harris, whose brother drives her to school every day, thinks the road is amazing. She said, “It makes everything way faster and there is no wait except for the stop light.”

Asst. Principal Mrs. Lisa Andruss explained that the road has been planned for a very long time ago, but budget issues delayed the opening of the intersection until now. There’s more road to be built.

What college did you go to?

Dennis Sizemore: Va Tech

Brian Jacobs: Christopher Newport University

Keely Maitland: I earned my B.S. in Psychology from Radford University in 2005 & my M.Ed (Master of Education) in School Counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2008.

Harold Nuckols: Bridgewater College for BS degree in Health Ed., Physical Ed. and Cert. in Drivers Ed., Virginia Commonwealth Univ. for Masters in Ed. Leadership

Shawn Kelley: I graduated from the great Marshall University in Huntington, WV.

Patrick Maginnis: Sage Graduate School in Troy, NY Mass.; College of Liberal Arts, State University of NY @ Albany Northeastern University  (Boston, MA)

What brought you to SHS?

Mr. Sizemore: Still wanted to teach after retiring from 26.5 years of teaching in Northern Va.

Mr. Jacobs: I grew up in Spotsylvania County and love the area and the schools.

Ms. Maitland : I have lived most of my life in Fredericksburg and I graduated from Chancellor High. I was very excited when a School Counselor position opened up here at SHS because it was in my hometown.

Mr. Nuckols :  After leaving the classroom in 2007 I had been seeking a return and was fortunate enough to get an interview with Mr. Davis and gladly accepted the offer to come and teach/coach here.

Mr. Kelley : .  I currently live in Caroline County.  I used to work at Colonial Forge High School and I hated the drive!  In addition, my wife and I enjoy being a part of the community where we teach.  Working at Spotsy makes it easier for me to go to football and basketball games, as well as take part in all the other activities that the administration provide (I’m really looking forward to Halloween!)

Mr. Maginnis : Opportunity to teach in the Governor’s School.

What subject(s) do you teach? Why?

Mr. Sizemore: Agriculture, because of its diversity and challenges. Its scope is endless and the opportunities are tremendous. Besides, it has the best youth organization going-The FFA!

Mr. Jacobs:  I currently teach Band and Orchestra. Music is my passion and sharing it with others is very rewarding.

Ms. Maitland : I work with 10th-12th grade students with last names D-M. Working with high-school-aged students is very rewarding. It’s great to see student’s mature and grow from their 9th grade year to the time they graduate and head off to work, tech school, military service, or college.

Mr. Nuckols : I teach 10th grade Health/Drivers Ed. and Physical Education.  Because this is the area in which I enjoy working and also an area of need for Spotsy High.

Mr. Kelley : I teach AP Human Geography, AP Government (both of these in the Commonwealth Governor’s School) and also teach freshmen World Geography.  I have always had an affinity for social studies.  It is a subject I truly enjoy teaching.

Mr. Maginnis :  AP European History and AP US History.  Ever since I lived in Lexington, Mass., I fell in love with history and knew I wanted to be a teacher.

Did you want to be a teacher when you were a child? If not, what did you want to be?

Mr. Sizemore: No;  cowboy

Mr. Jacobs: I knew in 7th grade I wanted to be a band director.

Ms. Maitland: When I was little, I was very involved in dance, therefore I was pretty set on becoming a prima ballerina. I changed my mind in high school and decided to go to college.

Mr. Nuckols:  No.  I thought I would be a lawyer as a child, but some of the teachers and coaches in my high school experience influenced my life in a way that lead me to desire to teach and coach.

Mr. Kelley: I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be…and I’m still not sure!  I really liked the discussion I had with my senior social studies teacher back in WV.  He inspired me to be a teacher.

Mr. Miginnis: Yes!

What is your favorite experience being a teacher?

Mr. Sizemore: Working with interested young people who genuinely want to learn what you have to offer.

Mr. Jacobs: The end of a performance when I can see the pride and excitement in the students’ faces.

Ms. Maitland: My favorite experience being a counselor is getting to know my students and watching them walk across the stage on the day of graduation.

Mr. Nuckols: Seeing the students participate in an activity and enjoy the experience.  When a student tells me “I can’t…” I will always enjoy helping them get to the point of saying “I did…”

Mr. Kelley: The best experience as a teacher is catching up with your students several years after they’ve left.  I like seeing how they’ve progressed in life, and it makes me feel good knowing that I have contributed to their development.

Mr. Miginnis:  Being able to connect with kids and working closely with my colleagues.  I try to pass on my love of history to my students by making my classroom a comfortable and fun place to be in.

What grade(s) do you teach? Why?

Mr. Sizemore: Basically ninth (1st year of Ag. Ed. ) because of the need of the dept.

Mr. Jacobs: I teach 9-12 band and orchestra.

Ms. Maitland: 10th-12th

Mr. Nuckols: I teach 10th grade because that is the area needed here at Spotsy, but I had taught ninth grade for 16 years at my previous school.

Mr. Kelley: I teach 9th (World Geography), 10th (AP Government), and 12th graders (AP Human Geography).

Mr. Maginnis: I have taught grades 7-12 over the past 15 years, but here at SHS/CGS I teach 9th and 11th.

What are some of your hobbies?

Mr. Sizemore: motorcycle adventures, fishing, hunting, sports, etc.

Mr. Jacobs: I enjoy outdoor activities: running, camping, kayaking and hiking. I also serve on the board for the Fredericksburg Community Concert Band.

Ms. Maitland: I like to find sharks teeth and sea shells on the Potomac River and at the beach. I like to hang out with friends and go dancing. I like to take classes at the gym. I like to try new recipes and cook. And I like to travel and visit family.

Mr. Nuckols: My wife and four kids consume any free time.  I guess they are my hobby.  I have a son who plays little league football, and another [son] who has a chicken coop, which I helped him build this past summer. (He has eight chickens and plans to sell the eggs.) Occasionally my family and I have worked through our church with the homeless, orphaned, or hungry, which is always a joy for us.

Mr. Kelley:  Hobbies?  What are those?  I’m way too busy for those things.  Seriously, I love college football.  I can’t get enough of it.  I also really like gardening in the summer.  When I was a kid it seemed like the dumbest thing in the world to do, but as an adult I really enjoy it.  I also LOVE coaching my daughter’s soccer team.  She is 7.  This spring I hope to also coach my four year old’s soccer team.  Honestly, my kids eat up all of my free time….and I love it!

Mr. Maginnis: I love to golf, play tennis, and hockey.  I also enjoy coaching tennis and softball.

No, your eyes have not deceived you. Spotsy has its very own student section devoted to keeping the crowd up beat and energetic. Our student section is filled with seniors, freshman, sophomores and juniors. Any and every student is welcome to join in the fun.

Bring your facepaint and all your Spotsy gear, along with your “D-fence” signs. Help support your Knights and get a little fun out of it. The student section is open every Friday, so come on out.

The American Red Cross is a life-saving association dedicated to collecting and donating blood to people in need all across the world. In order to do that, they need selfless volunteers who are willing to donate their blood. Each pint of blood that is donated saves not only one life, but up to three.

To be eligible to donate blood one must be healthy, meaning that you feel well and can perform normal activities. You must also be at least 17 years old in most states, or 16 years old with parental consent if allowed by state law. In addition, you must weigh at least 110 pounds. If you are deferred from giving blood it could be because you don’t meet the listed requirements.

Deferral can be for other reasons as well, such as low hemoglobin, cold, flu or other illness symptoms, or if you’re on certain medications that can interfere with the healthiness of your blood.

Being deferred from giving blood doesn’t mean you should give up trying to save lives; you can work with the association in different ways to achieve their goals.

Donors are advised to maintain a healthy iron level in their diet before the day of the donation. Eating iron rich foods, such as spinach, red meat, fish, poultry, iron-fortified cereals, raisins, and beans are among the many foods that can help your donation go successfully. Avoid fatty foods like hamburgers, fries, and ice cream before donating. Getting a good night’s sleep and drinking an extra 16 ounces of water is also recommended. After the donation you should still continue to hydrate throughout the day and try not to overexert yourself.

Senior Garrett Robinson was one of the many students at Spotsy that gave blood. Before his donation he was excited to be able to donate to this wonderful cause. Like most students at Spotsy, it was his first time donating; so, it wasn’t unusual for him and others to get nervous when the time ticked closer to donating.

Kaitlyn Orris (2013) also gave blood on Tuesday and was slightly nervous, but she said, “The doctor taking my blood was so funny. He would joke around about something, keeping the mood light.”

After donating Orris and Robinson both said they felt great about themselves. “I feel really important. Someone out there needs my blood, and I’m happy to help them,” said Robinson.

The nurses that are a part of the Red Cross were very helpful to those who were nervous or had a fear of needles. Davis, a member of the Red Cross, crew was giving advice to students who were especially nervous about needles.

She said, “If you look at the needle going into your arm, you’re more susceptible to jerking away. It’s best to look away and take a deep breath; it’ll be over before you know it!”

Boggs was also giving advice to donators. He said, “The best way to prepare before donating is drinking a lot of water to make sure you’re completely hydrated.”

The freshman court members are: Ben Camacho, Elias Deleon, Dusty Hoffman and Caroline Sorrell.

The sophomore court members are: James Anderson, Ryan Smith, Kristiana Kuqi and Courtney Yau.

The junior court members are: Ashten Dixon, Sergio Mondragon, Hannah Harris and Micbeth Tunseeprasert.

The senior court members are: Joe Foley, Jacob King, Mario Mejia, Trevor Talley, Bre Alston, Shiela Deavers, Brandi Lumpkin, Tara Meehan and Alyssa Neal.

Spirit week will run Monday, Oct. 3 through Friday, Oct. 7. The pep rally will wrap up spirit week and pump up the student body for the homecoming game on Friday night. The Knights will take on King George High School at 7:30 pm.

Spirit Days are:
Monday: Hat and Jersey Day
Tuesday: Hillbilly Day
Wednesday: Fitness Day
Thursday: Twin Day
Friday: Knight Pride (Togas for seniors only)

The Knight’s quarterback, Ashten Dixon, told The Free Lance-Star that he gave the credit for the win to his teammates. “If it wasn’t for the line and everybody stepping up tonight, we wouldn’t even be in this position right now,” he said.

Dixon and wide receiver Nick Perry connected for a total of 140 yards in touchdown passes. Coach Ben Lawrynas told the Free Lance-Star that he thought Perry was “playing great.”

Referring to a disappointing loss to Caroline High School on Monday night, Lawrynas told the FLS, “I got on them the other night, but they stepped up for us and did what they had to do.”

Getting involved in school activities is a great way to meet new people and become familiar with Spotsy. Some people are afraid to participate because they don’t have people they know around them, but joining a language club or the science club or even a sport can change all that. Getting involved in your school not only opens new doors to friendship but also looks good for college.  Being an active Knight is a great way to have a successful and exciting freshman year.

Doing your homework the day it is assigned will help you get through the year easily. If you do your homework immediately and end up having a problem, you can go to your teacher the next day for help. Being responsible with your homework will make this year fly by and give the teachers a reason to trust you.  It‘s easier to plan time in your day to do homework then rushing last minute. If you do your homework the first day and have problems, you can go to your teachers during flex and get help.

Don’t be afraid to ask upper-classmen for help; they will help you find your way, you just have to ask. Mentors are here to help, and they are here to make your freshman year a better experience. Also, teachers are able to help you with any assignments – that’s what flex is for.  Befriend your mentors. They’re here for you.

Don’t be afraid to make new friends. You might not have your closest group of friends in all of your classes, but be open and make new ones.  If you try to be friendly and not judgmental, people will want to be friends with you. It will make your classes more enjoyable if you have someone to partner up with in group activities.

Follow the rules, even if your friends tell you to do otherwise. Do what’s right; don’t worry about what other people think. Making bad choices can affect the rest of your life, so make good ones!

Hopefully, these tips will help get through your freshman year with good memories and experiences.

Dolphin Tale
Director: Charles Martian Smith
Starring: Henry Connick Jr, Ashley Judd, Morgan Freedman, and Nathan Gamble
Rating: PG for some violent content.
Synopsis: Dolphin Tale is inspired by the true story of a dolphin and the compassionate strangers who band together to save her life after she gets her tail caught in a crab trap. It’s a loving story of courage, recovery, and rehabilitation.

Money Ball
Director: Bennett Miller
Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright Penn, and Stephen Bishop.
Rating: PG-13 for strong language.
Synopsis: Brad Pitt stars in the real-life tale of Major League Baseball manager Billy Beane, who built up a winning team despite the decreased budget.

Red State
Director: Kevin Smith
Starring: Jeff Anderson, Kevin Pollack, John Goodman, Dermot Mulroney, and Michael Anagarno
Rating: R for strong violence/disturbing content including brief nudity, and pervasive language.
Synopsis: Red State unfolds in a small town dominated by a fundamentalist preacher, Abin Cooper. It tells the story of three high school boys who, on their way to an internet arranged meeting with a woman, end up crossing paths with the wrong person.

Killer Elite
Director: Gary McKendry
Starring: Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Robert DeNiro, Yvonne Strahovski, and Dominic Purcell.
Rating: R for strong violence, language and some sexuality.
Synopsis: Killer Elite is based on a true story where the ‘Killer Elite’ races across the globe from Australia to Paris, and the Middle Eat in the account of an ex-special ops agent.

Machine Gun Preacher
Director: Marc Foster
Starring: Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan, Kathy Baker, Madeline Carroll, and Michael Shannon.
Rating: R for drug related violence.
Synopsis: Machine Gun Preacher is the inspirational true story of Sam Childers, a former drug-dealing criminal who undergoes an astonishing transformation and finds an unexpected calling as the savior of hundreds of kidnapped and orphaned children.

Puncture
Director(s): Adam Kassen and Mark Kassen
Starring: Chris Evans, Mark Kassen, Vinessa Shaw, Marshall Bell, and Brett Cullen.
Rating: R for drug use, language, and some sexual content.
Synopsis: Mark Weiss and Paul Danziger are apart of the personal-injury law firm and stumble upon a local case about an ER nurse who was pricked by a contaminated needle while working. Weiss and Danziger try to pull through their own principles to solve the case that stretches their attorney limits and could ultimately lead their business to the breaking point.

Toast
Director: SJ Clarkson
Starring: Helena Bonham Carter, Freddie Highmore, Ken Slott, and Victoria Hamilton.
Rating: Not Rated
Synopsis: Toast is based on the bittersweet story of food write Nigel Slater’s childhood. ‘Toast’ is delicious love letter to the taste and smells that a young boy associated with his journey into adulthood.

Released September 28
The Double
Director: Michael Brandt
Starring: Richard Gere, Topher Grace, Martin Sheen, Tamer Hassen, and Odette Yustman.
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence
Synopsis: The mysterious murder of a US senator who knows the whereabouts of the legendary Soviet assassin forces retired CIA agent, Paul Shepherdson to team up with FBI agent, Ben Geary to solve the crime.

Released September 30
50/50
Director: Jonathan Levine
Starring: Joseph Gordon Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bruce Dallas Howard, and
Angelica Huston.
Rating: R for language throughout, sexual content and drug use.
Synopsis: 50/50 was created by an inspirational real-life experience of two best friends and their journey through cancer, love, survival, and finding humor in unlikely places.

Courageous
Director: Alex Kendrick
Starring: Alex Kendrick, Kev Bevel, Kevin Downes, Ben Davies, Rusty Martin, and Robert Amaya.
Rating: PG-13 for some violence and drug content
Synopsis: Four men, one calling: To serve and protect. When tragedy hits home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Can a newfound urgency help these dads draw closer to God … and to their children?

Dream House
Director: Jim Sheridan
Starring: Daniel Craig, Naomi Watts, Rachel Weisz, Gregory Smith, Rachel Fox, and Taylor Geare.
Rating: PG-13 for violence, terror, some sexuality and bried strong language.
Synopsis: Successful publisher Will Atenton quit a job in New York City to relocate his wife, Libby and two daughters to a quaint New England town. But as they settle into their new life, they discover their perfect home was the murder scene of a mother and her children. And the entire city believes it was at the hands of the husband who survived.

What’s Your Number?
Director: Mark Mylod
Starring: Anna Faris, Chris Evans, Ari Graynor, Andy Samberg, Zachary Quinto, and Joel McHale.
Rating: R for sexual content and language.
Synopsis: A woman, having hit her sexual limit at 20 men, decided to track down the other 19 guys in hopes that she’s overlooked one who could be “the one”.

Finding Joe
Director: Patrick Takaya Soloman
Starring: Deepak Chopra, Mick Fleetwood and Akiva Goldsman
Rating: Not Rated
Synopsis: Rooted in deeply personal accounts and timeless stories, “Finding Joe” shows how author Joseph Campbell’s work is relevant and essential in today’s world and how it provides a narrative for how to live a fully realized life; or, as Campbell would simply state, how to “follow your bliss”.

Margaret
Director: Kenneth Lonergan
Starring: Anna Paguin, Matt Damon, Mark Ruffalo, Jeannie Berlin, and Matthew Broderick.
Rating: R for some strong language, sexuality, some drug use and disturbing images.
Synopsis: A 17-year-old New York City high-school student feels certain that she inadvertently played a role in a traffic accident that has claimed a woman’s life. In her attempts to set things right she meets with opposition at every step. Torn apart with frustration, she begins emotionally brutalizing her family, her friends, her teachers, and most of all, herself. She has been confronted quite unexpectedly with a basic truth: that her youthful ideals are on a collision course against the realities and compromises of the adult world.

Take Shelter
Director: Jeff Nichols
Starring: Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, and Shea Wingham
Rating: R for some language
Synopsis: Plagued by a series of apocalyptic visions, a young husband and father questions whether to shelter his family from a coming storm, or from himself.

Tucker & Dale vs Evil
Director: Eli Craig
Starring: Tyler Labine, Alan Tudyk, Katrina Bowden, Jesse Moss, Philip Granger, Christie Laing, and Brandon Jay McLaren.
Rating: R for bloody horror violence, language and brief nudity.
Synopsis: “Tucker and Dale vs. Evil” is a genre-bending indie horror comedy. Labine stars as Dale alongside Tudyk as Tucker, two good-natured hillbillies mistakenly accused of being psycho killers by a group of college kids camping at the same lake where the hillbillies have just acquired a dilapidated cabin as their”summer home.”

Released October 7
Reel Steel
Director: Shauwn Levy
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Kevin Durand, Anthony Mackie, Evangeline Lilly,
Rating: PG-13 for some violence
Synopsis: A former boxer (Hugh Jackman) gets one last shot at a comeback when he teams up with his estranged son (Dakota Goyo) to build and train the perfect contender.

The Ides of March
Director: George Clooney
Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Gosling.
Rating: R for some pervasive language
Synopsis: A young communications director works for a fast-rising presidential candidate. During the course of the campaign, the idealistic young man falls prey to the backstabbing and other dirty trickery of seasoned rival politicos.

The Way
Director: Emilio Estevez
Starring: Martin Sheen, James Nesbitt, Deborah Kara Unger, Emilio Estevez
Rating: PG-13 for some thematic elements, drug use and smoking
Synopsis: Martin Sheen plays Tom, an American doctor who comes to St. Jean Pied de Port, France to collect the remains of his adult son, killed in the Pyrenees in a storm while walking The Camino de Santiago, also known as The Way of St. James. Driven by his profound sadness and desire to understand his son better, Tom decides to embark on the historical pilgrimage, leaving his “California bubble life” behind.

Spotsy made the first strike against Fluvanna, which helped the Knights retain momentum throughout the entire game.

Around the third quarter, Fluvanna began to fight back and scored their only touchdown. The Knights answered with several more touchdowns. With the crowd roaring, the night finally came to a victorious end for Spotsy.