Winter 2024-2025

THE TIMBERWOLF

Winter Edition

INCLUDES:

Rethinking Normal: The Importance of

Neurodiversity In society

Asl brains and Bonds: How to balance academics and socials

Top X-mas gifts

Winter social recap

RETHINKING NORMAL:

THE IMPORTANCE OF NEURODIVERSITY IN SOCIETY

You probably have heard of something called Autism, ADHD, OCD, Anxiety, or Dyslexia. Those along with many other mental disorders are a part of Neurodiversity (nur-ro-diever-city). Neurodiversity is the differences in which people’s brains work or develop. It is also an umbrella term for the many mental differences people may have. Although people with these disorders, or the disorders themselves, can get a bad rep, being neurodivergent doesn’t mean they are any less than a “normal” person.

There are many disorders and mental illnesses under the term neurodivergent, some you don’t even realise are part of it. For example anxiety and social anxiety. Speaking of anxiety, many people deal with it. Some people only experience anxiety during certain situations while for others it can be a more constant challenge. Lillian Sickel, an 8th Grade MTMS student, shared her experience with anxiety. When asked what her biggest challenge with anxiety is, Sickel responded, “When people talk to me, sometimes I take a minute to respond because I truly don’t know how to respond. I physically struggle with what I should say and there's a little voice in my head who panics on how I should respond and continues to panic even after I’ve finished the conversation.”

We interact with neurodiverse people all the time and often times it isn’t obvious that their brains work differently It’s called a mental disorder because most symptoms aren’t visible Now, some disorders do cause the person dealing with that disorder to act or move certain ways, because that’s how their brain works. For example, the disorder known as Tics has to do with movement. Tics are irregular, uncontrollable, and repetitive movements of muscles that can occur in any part of the body. Autism is another movement involved disorder as it can include stimming. Stimming is the repetitive performance of certain physical movements or vocalizations, as a form of behavior by persons with autism or other neurodevelopmental conditions This behavior is thought to serve a variety of functions, such as calming and expression of feelings.

In recognizing and embracing neurodiversity, we take a step toward a more inclusive and empathetic society, one that values the unique perspectives and talents that all individuals bring. By moving beyond outdated stereotypes and misconceptions, we create space for those who think, learn, and experience the world differently to thrive. Whether it’s in social settings, the classroom, or within our communities, understanding neurodiversity is not just about tolerance, it’s about celebration. The more we acknowledge and support all the ways humans are different, the stronger and more innovative our society becomes As we continue to break down barriers, we must remember that diversity, in all its forms, is not something to be fixed, it’s something to be celebrated and embraced.

REPRESENTATION IN THE LIBRARY!

-Here’s a picture of Haley Taylor being the first MTMS student to check out a book from the school library’s Neurodiversity book feature.

(Photos by Mrs Ketterling)

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American Sign Language

Dear hearing people, We have some things to tell you about us Sometimes we use a different language to communicate, and sometimes we can speak, sometimes we don’t, and some of us use hearing aids or cochlear implants to hear. some of us need interpreters to communicate with others. Please do not force or expect us to wear hearing aids or lip read for your benefit. That is our personal and private choice Don't make decisions for us without our participation or permission Most of the time our societal struggles occur when other people make it difficult for us. Sometimes we are too tired to explain ourselves We suggest: that you ask us questions and are open. Don’t be scared Don't run away Running away only means you will continue not to understand us That lack of understanding will only hurt us more We are human beings just like anyone else. Just say hello. -the deaf

ASL ASL INFO

American Sign Language (ASL) has all the basic features of a full language, just like spoken languages do. It has its own rules for grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure. ASL is not just a set of hand gestures or a visual form of English; it's a complete language with its own unique ways of expressing meaning It also uses facial expressions, head movements, and body posture to add extra meaning and show things like emotions or tone. So, ASL is a fully developed language in its own right, with its own way of communicating that’s separate from spoken languages.

WHY LEARN ASL

Only 2.8% of Americans know asl, but over 91% know English. If you can learn English then you can learn asl, and since so few people know asl you can use it as a way to communicate silently with your friends.

Winter 2025 Article by: Lillian Sickel

BRAINS & BONDS

HOW TO BALANCE ACADEMICS AND SOCIAL LIFE

Many students, especially older students, struggle with keeping their grades up and keeping their lives on track. Remembering to do homework while spending time with your family can be difficult. Let’s put it into numbers.

You spend roughly 8 hours sleeping and 8 hours at school, which is 16 hours out of your 24-hour day already. You also have to eat, so that's another 3 hours total You also have to factor in your transportation, which is about 1 hour. Extracurricular activities account for about 2 hours, depending on the activity. So you only have 2 hours left in your day: 1 hour for free time and 1 last hour for what, family or homework? That’s where we run into problems. How can one student have a whole day and still end up with no time to be with their family or friends if they have homework?

Luckily there are tricks and tips for how to stay on top of homework and that’s what this article is all about so strap yourself in and let’s get down to business.

TIP #1: KEEPING ORGANIZED

It’s hard enough to keep track of assignments you have done, but not being organized could be the one factor that’s keeping you from staying on top of your work. It’s a good idea to regularly clean out your binder or folders Whatever you use to house your papers. There are lots of kids who probably still have papers from first quarter in their binders so this is a little reminder to maybe clean that out You can also ask a trusted teacher during WIN if they aren’t too busy to help you clean out your binder When it comes to cleaning out certain folders you might want to talk to that teacher to make sure that you’re not throwing away any papers you need.

TIP #2: STAYING ON TASK

Everyone knows it can be difficult depending on your surroundings but you have to try Staying on task can be difficult for some people for lots of reasons so here are some tips that might help you Writing lists of the things you have to get down and want to get done The trick: put the most important things first that you absolutely have to get down and the not-as-important things lower on the list. For those who don’t stay focused well here’s another trick you should remember. If you can’t stay on task try taking a break in between work sessions. This will give your brain time to process everything and after about 5 minutes you can go back to working. Timers are another big one. Setting timers can help ensure you stay focused and get things done on time.

X-mas Gifts Top

What were the gifts to get for Christmas?

Beats and Airpods

Wired headphones seemed great until about the 1960s when wireless headphones were made People went crazy for a pair and said how they were more convenient to use Before school, everyone is always caught coming in with airpods or beats, especially in the new year. In the photos on the right twins Jackson and Cameron Baker, both had their headphones on in ELT to stay focused and jam out to their music

White fox

White Fox was popular before Christmas but has been noticed as one of MT’s favorite hoodie brands Seventh grader Kate Krates said,” I love white Fox because it is super comfortable and cute. It is my go-to hoodie brand.” When M. Rasdall, V. Strathman, and M. Hutchens went around looking for Christmas gifts, they were shocked by the number of people in white Fox merchandise The picture on the left features eighth grader Jordyn Johnson wearing her comfortable, cute, and trendy white fox hoodie

Nike gear

Nike has been selling out of all their merchandise. The top 2 are hoodies and shoes Similar to the cologne “collection” students in every grade love getting the “new” Nike shoe or the different hoodie colors. Some of Nike best selling shoes are their 270's and Air Force For hoodies there is not known to have one color on top, all the colors are loved and worn Sixth grader Autumn Walker said, “ Nike shoes make me look good and are fresh.” Also, sixth grader Eleanor Weldner was caught saying, “Nike supports my ankles in sports, and I choose them over all other brands because they make me look better.”

Boys in middle school have gotten lots of cologne for Christmas. They have been seen loving different brands and trying to grow a collection It was definitely at the top of many of their lists. When the publications staff M Rasdall was conversing with seventh grader Bradley Eustler he said, “My favorite cologne is Valentino Uomo Born In Roma ” A bunch of other students mentioned that cologne too.

When you think of UGGs, you probably think that it's just for girls, but after Christmas staff and students have been noticing that boys have been catching in on the UGG trend along with the girls. Eighth grader Landon Nicholson said” I wanted Ugg's because it was a popular trend and parents had them Once I saw they had black ones, I got them. I think other boys changed their mind because they saw a bunch of boys wearing Uggs and they joined in ” The picture above shows 5 publication students who all wore their new Christmas Uggs

Article by: Tori Strathman

THE TIKTOK BAN THE TIKTOK BAN THE TIKTOK BAN

What Happened? What Happened?What Happened?

Should TikTok be Should TikTok be Should TikTok be BBaned? Baned? aned?

Following | For You

On January 19 at 10:30 pm EST, the popular social media app TikTok was suspended from services and taken off the app store in America, causing an uproar of angry customers. The app was removed along with many other popular apps, like Capcut and Lemon 8. The owners of these apps are called ByteDance: a Chinese-run business that was speculated for stealing information from users of their apps. The Supreme Court ruled that the company must sell the app to an American buyer or they would ban it. Bytedance failed to do this so the American government had followed through with the ban. Lots of pushback came from the teens and adults who use the app. Many even had called senators to express their anger. After 14 hours of America having the platform down, Tiktok services resumed and was given an extension to evaluate, but the app can still not be downloaded from the app store.

YYES YES ES

LydiaClark

“TikTok isafun waytolearnnew thingsand connectwith yourfriends”LydiaClark

“TheTikTokBanwasn’t thatbad, itfeltbettertogetoff myscreen,plusIgotto getawayfromthe toxicityandconstant negativityofitall”-Izzie Stanfeld IzzieStanfeld

NNO NO O

WINTER SOCIAL!

The MTMS Winter Social was a wonderful and fun experience for sixth, seventh and, eighth graders! The theme of this exciting event was Here’s some great pictures of students enjoying it all!