Friday, October 24th, was Midlothian's Homecoming. Homecoming started with a community parade with cheerleaders, football players, school clubs, High School Class Floats, community floats, and of course horses. The parade ended at the Multi-Purpose Stadium with a pep rally to cheer on the Panthers. Friday night, at the game, the Homecoming Court was presented and the winner of the High School Class Float Contest was announced. Our 2008-2009 Homecoming King was Josh Moreland and Homecoming Queen was Paige Jackson. The Junior Class won the Float Contest with their float themed "Wipe out Waco" featuring a wave which is about to crash on the Trojan warship.

(Video is approxiamately 15 minutes long)

On October 25, 2008 at the Grandbury Young Farmers livestock show C.J. Hill (left) of Midlothian FFA exhibited the grand champion steer. After getting up at 4am the morning after Homecoming the win was well worth the loss of sleep. Then on Sunday, J.D. Pruitt (below) exhibited the grand champion Lamb. It was almost a midlothian sweep of the show. Congratulations to all who participated.

Freshman Brandon Hartgraves dresses as Mario on Superhero Day, Oct. 23, for "Beat University." Hartgaves showed his Panther spirit by participating in all the dress up days for Homecoming Week. Friday is Spirit Day "Make 'Em Black & Blue." Classes will be on an early release schedule with the Homecoming Parade scheduled to kick off at 3:15 p.m.

<<Shannon Auvil
Panther Pride newspaper photographer

Commended Students in the 2009 National Merit Scholarship Program

MHS principal, Dr. Al Hemmle, announces today that Matthew R. DeFreitas,Taylor Walling, Kacie Rowlette, Katherine Owen, Megan Gary have been named as Commended Students in the 2009 National Merit Scholarship Program.  The principal will present a letter of Commendation from the school and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), which conducts the program, to these scholastically talented seniors.

About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise.  Although they will not continue in the 2009 competition for National Merit Scholarships, Commended Students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2009 competition by taking the 2007 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).
         
“Recognition of academically talented students and the key role played by schools in their development is essential to the pursuit of educational excellence in our nation, “ commented a spokesperson for NMSC.  “The people named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding academic potential by their strong performance in this highly competitive program.  We hope that this recognition will enhance their educational opportunities and that they will continue to diligently pursue their professional goals.”

The Panther Pride newspaper placed in two national categories--the National Scholastic Press Association's Design of the Year and Picture of the Year contest for entries published in 2007-2008. It was the first year the staff competed.

2008 graduate Emily Nutt who served as graphics editor of the Panther Pride newspaper last year received a national honorable mention in the illustration category for Design of the Year. Her  illustration was of a college dorm room. Only one entry per category per school was allowed. There were 578 entries. Judges from Adobe Systems selected the winners.

< 2008 graduate Allison Harp who served as news and photo editor of the Panther Pride newspaper last year received an honorable mention in the environmental portrait category for her photograph of a soccer player (pic at left). Schools were limited to only two submissions per category. There were 866 entries and only 36 winners in all the photo categories. Judges from the following organizations selected the winners: Panorama Productions & Digital Services, National Press Photographers Association and Discovery Communications.

Journalism teacher Carol Richtsmeier advises the award winning Panther Pride newspaper.