Fall @ PCHS

Where to start.....so many things are going on here at Pike Central High School, that I don't know where to start.
Fall sports have been completed and our winter sports athletes/sports are getting underway.
The school play this year is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, it will be held in December. The dates for the play are the December 4 and 6th in the auditorium.
Swing Choir performances have already started and will continue through the end of April, 2010. Pep Band and Winter Guard is preparing for their busy winter schedule, along with the PCHS Dance Team.
Various Pike Central clubs and organizations are gearing up for the holidays. The junior class just completed their annual fruit sales, while Key Club and the National Honor Society are preparing items for the needy.
Oh, and yes, education is taking place everyday and every hour during school hours and the PC Academic teams are meeting often to prepare for competitions in the Spring.
Though our lives are very busy, with little time to rest, most people enjoy doing things in order to keep busy.

NASCAR Chase 2009

As a NASCAR fan I'm excited about the 2009 Sprint Cup "Chase". Twelve of the best drivers for 2009 run 10 races to determine who wins the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. Jimmie Johnson has won three straight Cup titles and is again in the chase this year. Joining Johnson are Hendricks Motor Sports teammates Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin. Other drivers in this year's chase include: Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle from Roush Racing, Kasey Kahne from Petty Motorsports, Brian Vickers from Red Bull Racing, Kurt Busch from Penske Motor Sports, Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman from Stewart-Haas Racing, Denny Hamlin from Joe Gibbs Racing, and Juan Montoya from Ganassi Racing. If Johnson would win the Chase, he would become the first driver to ever win four-straight championships. The "Chase" started last weekend at Loudon, New Hampshire and concludes in mid-November at Homestead, Florida. Who do you think will win the Sprint Cup Championship this year?

PCHS Athletic Fan Club

I want to tell you about a new page that I created on "Facebook". It is entitled PCHS Athletic Fan Club. I encourage all sports fans in Pike County to become a member. Each week I try to post the Pike Central sports highlights of the previous week and allow people to know about upcoming special activities. Everyone is welcome to join and even contribute to the special page about PCHS Athletics. Current membership is well over 200; it's free and easy if you're a member of the social network called "Facebook". Take a look, I'd love to have you!

Welcome to 2009-2010 School Year

Welcome to the 2009-2010 school year at Pike Central High School. I truly hope all of you had a glorious summer. With the new school year already in motion, everything seems to be going on.

PCHS Sports are in full swing with season-ending tournaments just around the corner. PC Academic Teams are forming and already preparing for competitions, and of course the Charger Brigade & Flags are already performing and preparing for district. Good luck to all teams, striving towards success!

Swing Choir

On Sunday, May 3 the Pike Central Swing Choir had their final performance of the 2008-2009 school year with their annual concert and senior solos. Under the direction of Vance Hays (and student teacher-Matt Rhodes), the choir performed four numbers including the ever-popular Battle Hymm of the Republic and the emotional song Friends. The program opened with all 19 seniors performing magnificently with their solos. All were wonderful and each received loud applause. Afterwards all of the seniors presented Mr. Hays with a brand new briefcase...loaded with money!!

I've been watching senior solos now for several years, and in all that time I'm not sure this wasn't one of the best overall performances by the seniors. The program was enjoyed by all and when the program ended the crowd gave the choir a standing ovation. Thanks to Mr. Hays and the 2008-2009 PCHS Swing Choir for a truly memorable season.

By the way, PCHS Concert Choir will have their final performance and solos on May 17 @2 PM in the auditorium. Hope to see you there.

YouTube - rascal flatts

YouTube - rascal flatts

Pike Central Prom-2009 is history and graduation is near. However.....there is so much still going on at PCHS.

The Spring Choral Concert (Senior Solos) will be held May 3 in the auditorium. Nineteen seniors will be singing their final solos that day beginning at 2 p.m.

Final exams will be May 15, May 18, and May 19. May 19th is the seniors last day in class! On May 20, the seniors will travel to Holiday World for their annual class trip. May 21st at 9 a.m. will be the Senior Awards Program in the PCHS Gym. The Senior Dinner is at 2:30 p.m. at The Village Inn; it's all-you-can-eat and the menu is very promising! Graduation is May 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the PCHS Gym. An optional baccalaureate will be held that evening at 7 p.m. with the Reverend Mel Camp in the auditorium. Expectations are that the graduation ceremony will last approximately one hour with 151 seniors graduating this year.

School will resume on May 26 and 27 for all underclassmen, with the 27th a PBA Day. PCHS Summer School begins on June 1.

As you can see, though school is almost over with, there are still several items left undone. So, buckle up and study hard! Good luck Class of 2009!!

PCSC Spring Break

It's almost Spring Break time for Pike County Public Schools!! I don't know anyone who can't wait. However, there is a lot to do prior to the Spring Break celebration.

First, there are Parent-Teacher Conferences the week of March 16. PCHS Parent-Teacher Conferences are Tuesday, March 17 from 4-8 P.M. and Thursday, March 19 from 10:30-3:30 P.M. Hopefully, lots of parents will come and tour the building while meeting with their sons/daughters teachers. I think most teachers look at the conferences as a way to establish or continue communication between the parents and themselves, plus the time usually allows teachers to prepare for the final push, once they return from their break.

PCHS Spring Sports is getting under way already. By the time vacation comes, all PCHS sports teams will be allowed to officially begin practice. Sporting events begin on April 1st, when girls softball kicks the spring season off. Boys and girls track have a meet on April 2nd and then the rest of the sports begin the week of April 6th.

With the PCHS Spring Musical the weekend of March 13th out of the way, the next big event is the PC Junior-Senior Prom on April 18th, followed by the Academic Super Bowl in early May, then of course PC Awards and Graduation still set for May 21-22 (more on that in a later blog).

With lots of events to keep everyone busy, spring break is a welcomed time to relax before the last big push of the school year. I hope everyone has a safe and restful spring vacation!

PCHS Basketball

Wow, Pike Central High School Basketball season is over! Did it go quickly for you? Gee, where do I start? Our girls team finished 10-13. They finished second in the PAC and lost only one player from this year's team; Jamie Brown. Though she will be missed, the team returns everyone else for next year and people are already getting excited about it. The girls will look to improve their overall play, represent the school well in both the Toyota Classic in December and in the PAC next season; maybe even winning the conference title?? The sectional in 2010 is coming here to Pike Central and the fans are very happy about that!! With an off-season to improve in every category and great stronger, the 2009-2010 season will be one to remember. Good luck girls!

The boys season just ended on a sad note; losing to Washington in the sectional. However, did this team get better or what?!!? From just six wins a year ago to nine wins this season and a third-place finish in the conference. Overall, the team finished 9-14, but started the year 0-7, what an improvement! They won five games in the PAC, the most of any PC Boys team in 10 years. Overcoming many obstacles, these fine young men learned to win games; close games, come-from-behind games, and conference game against good competition. Now, that they've learned to win, hope are very high for next year's group. Unfortunately we have to say goodbye to some great seniors: Kyle Jones, Evan Biesterveld, Ryan Dowdell, and Jake Robinette. They will all be missed; I wish they were all back next year. We do have a good core of players back next year to hopefully improve and maybe make a run at a conference title and becoming at least a .500 team.

Overall, it was a fun winter sports season here at PCHS. Cody Kendle, a sophomore, advanced to the state in wrestling. Boys and girls swimming both had another great year, and of course basketball was great fun to watch. Thanks to all the winter sport athletes and good luck next year. Thanks to all seniors winter sport athletes-all of you made the season very memorable!

NASCAR 09

The 2009 NASCAR season begins this weekend with The Daytona 500-The Great American Race. I've been around sports all my life and NASCAR is probably my favorite professional sport. My youngest son Kyle got me interested 4-5 years ago when he really loved and attending some races. Naturally, it increased my interest to the point that I soon started watching races almost every weekend. My oldest son soon began watching and enjoying the races as well. Eventually, it led my sons and I to Indianapolis to attend the Brickyard 400. This year, I'm scheduled to go back to Indy and, for the first time, attend the race at Bristol, Tennessee in March! I can't wait!

Many who don't enjoy NASCAR see no point in it saying "all they do is go round and round." Actually there's lots of strategy involved, especially from a technical standpoint. NASCAR drivers, crew chiefs, and crews are all highly specialized. I truly believe if you dislike NASCAR, you would really enjoy the experience of attending a race; it would definitely change your mind about the sport!

Hendricks Motors remains my favorite stable of drivers including 3-time NASCAR Champion Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and this season veteran NASCAR driver Mark Martin joins the team.

Thanks to my son(s) NASCAR has become my favorite professional sport. There's nothing like attending a race and seeing the drivers up close. Hope to see you at the track in 2009!!

The "Era" of Shakespeare

My sophomore Honors English class is beginning, what I term, Shakespeare and his Theater. It is one of my most favorite things to do during the school year. Personally, I not so sure that William Shakespeare wasn't the world's most intelligent person, considering that he was at least partially responsible for modern spoken English. My class seems very excited about reading "Julius Caesar" and learning about the life of this brillant man. Did you know that several years ago Pike Central High School offered a Shakespeare class? Ms Sims taught the course (she's in love with the man). I found it very sad that the class was only offered for one year because few students were willing to read and study his poetry and plays. Here's hoping today's PCHS students enjoy, respect and at least appreciate the man and all his work. He was and still is a most amazing person!!

Inauguration Day 2009

Today is Inauguration Day in the United States. As a nation we are beginning a new era in this country with the swearing in of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama. It seems to be a time of vague optimism in this country, especially with the economy, layoffs, war in foreign countries, etc. Hopefully with the help of God, the newly elected senate and congress, and patience by all Americans the new president can get things turned in the right direction. Nevertheless this is an exciting time in history.

What makes this time ironic is just yesterday (January 19) we celebrated another great American with Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Dr. King was assassinated before his life-long dream could be realized, but to be sure, he would be very proud of the turnaround in this country in regards to prejudice. Dr. King's vision was not only for white people to come to terms with blacks, but to get along with all people of all nations, religions, and cultures. I'm sure he would say today is a very proud moment in history; in fact Dr. King is probably smiling down on America from heaven....this very moment. It's a hope of mine that Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream stays alive and I pray that our new president, with help from people all over this great nation of ours, come together to rebuild and restore this country to all it's greatness and glory. God Bless America!