Both Jeremiah and Joleigh enjoy being active, and have each decided to participate in the Strong Girls, Strong Boys program. The program is designed to promote good health, healthy choice, being active, along with other valuable lessons to Newton Elementary fifth and sixth graders. Joleigh said that a friend of hers had participated, so she decided to try it last year, and liked it, so she did it again this year. “Well, you can … learn more about yourself, and you get to run [the 5k] at the end. … It’s very interesting,” she said. Jeremiah’s motivations for participating were slightly more targeted. “I decided to do it because I play a lot of sports, and you run up and down the court. Since I knew there was a 5k, I decided to try it,” he said.

 

Teachers volunteer as coaches for the program, and other community members are invited to speak to the students at various times throughout. These guest speakers, in Joleigh’s opinion, are a big part of what makes it so interesting. “Sometimes other adults come in and teach us about stuff, like good posture for running, and then what to eat and what not to eat,” she said. A total of 52 girls and 39 boys, from both fifth and sixth grade, currently participate in the program.

 

Joleigh and Jeremiah are both active in sports. Joleigh plays volleyball and participates in JFL cheer, and Jeremiah plays basketball and JFL football. They also enjoy spending quality time fishing with their Grandpa Norm. Friendships are also important to the Hills siblings. Jeremiah’s friends are on the same sports teams with him, and they like hanging out and playing their games together. Joleigh likes going to sleepovers with her friends, and sometimes staying up until 10 o’clock chit-chatting and playing games.

 

If his friends were asked to describe him, Jeremiah believes they would say something like, “He likes to play football and basketball. And he likes to run. … [He’s] a good friend [because he’s] he’s there whenever [his friends] need help.” Joleigh said, “My friends would probably say that I’m … nice, and kind, and … responsible a little bit.” When asked for further clarity on the “little bit” portion, she said, “Like, the person that makes sure everything goes as planned. … I wouldn’t say I’m not organized. But … sometimes I can be, … and sometimes I’m not.”

 

Jeremiah enjoys seeing his friends and having recess like most other students, but he said he also enjoys getting to see, “All my teachers, … Mrs. Boggs, Mrs. James, Ms. Will, and Mrs. Chapman.” His favorite subject is Science, and right now they’re learning about the solar system, which he finds very cool. Joleigh, too likes seeing her friends and recess time, but she also just likes school in general. Her favorite subject is Math, and right now, “We’re working in perimeter and area of shapes,” she said.

 

Though sixth grade is a little early to have a concrete 10 or 15 year life plan, we’re still always interested to hear what ideas students might have for their future at this stage in their lives. Joleigh answered very confidently right away with, “I want to be a teacher.” Jeremiah, however, didn’t seem to want to limit his scope just yet by declaring a possible future career path, and said he was unsure.

 

Another question we like to ask in our interviews is what we call the ‘magic wand’ question. We ask the students to imagine they are gifted a magic wand to use on whatever they wish, with no limit on scope or scale, and tell us how they would use it. We always love the answers we get; spreading more love, happy and healthy families, and things of that nature always give us a good feeling to hear. When asked the ‘magic wand’ question, Joleigh and Jeremiah gave an answer we haven’t heard before. “I would use it wisely,” Jeremiah said. Joleigh echoed her brother’s caution, saying, “I’d probably say the same thing because … say when I grow up, I might have a bigger decision to make then [rather than] now. So it’d be easier to save it, and then, instead of using it right now.”

 

Jasper County is a special place; it’s a close-knit community full of wonderful folks who genuinely care for and support each other. It is made clear every time we have the opportunity to sit down with students, that important community values are being passed down through the generations. Small towns really are the best, and Newton never disappoints.