Photo Gallery | 3-and-0!!! SJO off to a solid start after hosting Prairie Central

James Barron (left) and Tim Blackburn-Kelley celebrate in the end zone after Blackburn-Kelley took the ball 60 yard on a pass from Logan Smith for a first-quarter Spartan touchdown. Locked In, St. Joseph-Ogden took care of business at Dick Duval Field on Friday night beating the Hawks, 26-19. SJ0 improves to 3-0, a feat last performed at the start of the 2018 season.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Top-left: St. Joseph-Ogden's Coy Taylor takes the ball for a 14-yard run through the Prairie Central defense for a first down. Taylor, a junior, finished the game with 49 passing yards and 3 yards rushing. Top-right: Spartans' Nolan Earley plows into Hawks' quarterback Avery Elder, who got rid of the ball a split-second before impact between the two. Bottom-left: With Garrett Denhart holding, senior kicker Joe Frasca hits an field goal for SJO. Bottom-right: Logan Smith pitches the ball out to running back Justice Wertz. Smith threw for 189 yards on 21 plas and ran for another 39. Wertz finished the conference game with 69 yards.

Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Linebacker Caleb Ochs puts a lick on Prairie Central quarterback Avery Elder to break up a fourth-quarter pass play. The Spartan football team plays at home again this Friday when they will host Illinois Valley Central. The 0-3 Grey Ghost will come to Dick Duval Field looking to spoil SJO's Homecoming plans for their first victory of the season.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Turn TikTok from social media to a learning tool

Did you know that short, digestible TikToks are making it easier than ever to learn to play music or learn a new language?

Photo: Olivier Bergeron/Unsplash

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StatePoint Media - While TikTok often gets a bad rap as a time-waster, in reality, there are thousands of influencers on the app sharing content designed to inspire, educate and encourage creativity.

It’s no wonder then that a recent survey by Study.com found that 1 in 4 Americans use TikTok to enrich their education, with over half doing so because it’s easier to understand. So, rather than tell your kids to stop scrolling, here are three ways to leverage TikTok to enhance your children’s learning outside the classroom:

1. Music-making: Did you know that short, digestible TikToks are making it easier than ever to learn to play the piano online? From @gray_toven, who offers quick tutorials of trending music to @thepianopath, who provides time-strapped prospective piano players tips for getting started, there is an array of content to suit the needs of students looking for instruction and motivation. Just be sure to pair these resources with a great keyboard. The CT-S1, the spiritual successor to the original Casiotone CT-201, allows anyone to make music, regardless of skill level or budget. A stylish, ultra- portable keyboard offering great sound quality, it’s an ideal musical partner for beginners and seasoned players alike. Plus, it connects to the free Casio Music Space app, which acts as digital musical score, music teacher, live performance simulator, and all-round tool to enjoy learning and playing music.

2. Language learning: The best way to get fluent in a new language is to hear it spoken aloud and to have actual conversations. Fortunately, there are plenty of TikTok accounts making it easy to pick up new vocabulary, absorb grammar, learn common phrases and even connect with a community of students. Check out @yospanishofficial, which in addition to quick TikToks packed with tips and short lessons, also offers a weekly role play on Zoom so that students can practice conversational Spanish with others on the same mission. Or, to get familiar with Chinese words and phrases you’ll need in common scenarios, such as ordering food in a restaurant or asking for a Wi-Fi password, @chinesewithyan is a great place to start.

3. Homework help: Students no longer need to do their math homework alone. TikTok “tutors” abound that help guide students through their lessons, often in unique and creative ways. For example, @melodiesformath explains important math concepts through songs, whereas @your.bummy.math.tutor dishes tips for saving critical time on tests and acing important exams, like the SAT. TikTok tutors are also familiarizing students with their scientific or graphing calculator, so they can arrive at the answer quickly and easily with their device. Pair these virtual lessons with the latest in calculator technology, such as the fx-991CW ClassWiz, which can store and recall up to nine variables that can contain integers, computations and functions. The variables will remain in the calculator’s memory between sessions. Plus, by partnering the ClassWiz with an internet-capable mobile device, solutions can be graphed and visualized through ClassPad.net, a free online workspace for computation, graphing, geometry, statistics and more, by scanning a QR code on the calculator’s screen.

While TikTok may not seem like a learning tool, by digging a little deeper, you’ll find complicated concepts and information explained in bite-sized chunks on a familiar and fun interface.

Myths about hospice care: A bunch of things people think that aren't true

Photo: Use at your Ease/Pixabay

StatePoint Media - Hospice is intended to provide comfort and support to patients at the end of their life so that they can experience their remaining time in the best ways possible. Experts say that unfortunately, misconceptions about hospice often lead people to make uninformed decisions at a critical, complex juncture in their lives.

"There is often an idea that hospice equates to giving up. But hospice is actually about taking control," says Paul Mastrapa, president and chief executive officer of Interim HealthCare Inc. "It’s the job of the hospice team to understand what a patient’s goals for end-of-life care are, and help them live that last trajectory of their life the way they want to."

To help patients, their caregivers and family members, and those in the healthcare industry better understand the services and benefits hospice provides, Interim HealthCare is dispelling some of the most common misconceptions:

Myth: Hospice means giving up.

Fact: The primary goal of hospice is delivering comfort, support and specialized medical care to those ready to forgo curative treatment. Research has shown that a person who spends time on hospice has a greater quality of life at the end of their life. And while the goal is not to prolong life, there are statistics that show that hospice gives patients more time compared to patients who had the same disease trajectory and didn’t receive hospice.

Myth: Hospice is only appropriate for the last few days of life.

Fact: Hospice can actually last for months, and entering hospice sooner rather than later translates to fewer hospitalizations, better symptom relief and greater comfort.

Myth: You must give up all your medications.

Fact: While the hospice care team will make recommendations about which medications are still beneficial to a patient at their stage of illness, patients and families get the final say.

Myth: Hospice is a place.

Fact: Hospice can entail in-patient care, but more typically, services are delivered wherever a patient calls home. The nurse, social worker, spiritual care provider, aide and other members of the hospice care team meet the patient where they are, be that in a residential home, an assisted living community or in another institutional setting.

Myth: Hospice is only for patients with specific diseases.

Fact: Anyone with a life-limiting chronic disease, from congestive heart failure to pulmonary disease to Alzheimer’s, can choose hospice.

Myth: Hospice ends when the patient dies.

Fact: Hospice providers often offer support to those who have lost a loved one. In the case of Interim HealthCare, bereavement services are offered for 13 months.

Myth: Hospice work is draining.

Fact: When done right, hospice work can be extremely rewarding. Hospice care workers help patients and families find peace of mind, and reach a place of acceptance during a complicated and emotional time in their lives. Hospice workers believe in the mission of providing compassionate, patient-centric medical care and support to those at the end of their life, and they’re given a voice in the individualized care they provide.

The hospice market is the second-fastest growing healthcare segment nationwide, according to Bank of America research, which translates to a growing number of job opportunities. Hospice providers are currently recruiting candidates just starting out in their career and those looking to make a change. To learn more, visit careers.interimhealthcare.com.

For more information about hospice care services for yourself or a family member, visit https://www.interimhealthcare.com/services/hospice/.

"Although people don’t always feel comfortable talking about end-of-life care, having these conversations can ensure one’s final days are peaceful and fulfilling," says Mastrapa.

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Photo Gallery | Spartans posts road win at Unity

St. Joseph-Ogden's Jackson Ennis blocks Unity's 6'4" 195-pound sophomore lineman Coleton Langendorf during first quarter action of their Illini Prairie Conference regular season game. In a battle of the area's best quarterbacks, the Spartans (2-0) prevailed 38-35 to remain undefeated in conference play.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Top-left: Unity quarterback Dane Eisenmenger hands the ball of to teammate Garret Richardson. Richardson, a junior, finished the game with 53 yards against SJO. Top-right: SJO's Wyatt Wertz tackles a Unity receiver during firt quarter action on September 1. Bottom-left: Spartans' Nolan Earley celebrates a defensive stop against Unity. Bottom-right: St. Joseph-Ogden quarterback Logan Smith dumps off a quick pass during his team road game a Unity. Smith, one of the leagues leading signal callers, threw for 321 yards against the Rockets.

Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Unity senior Brock Suding celebrates a defensive stop on the 10-yard line by the Rockets. The Rockets would later score two touchdowns in the quarter to go up 14-3 on the Spartans.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Top-left: Rockets' Tre Hoggard returns a kickoff in the first quarter. Hoggard, a sophomore, carried the ball 11 yards before being stopped on the play. Top-right: Unity's Ethan Reifsteck and Ryan Rink try to stop St. Joseph-Ogden's Justice Wertz during first half action. Bottom-left: SJO fans look concerned as Unity picks up another first down against the Spartans. Bottom-right: Dane Eisenmenger looks to unload a pass in the first half. Eisenmenger, a sophomore and starting QB, finished the game completing 15 of 26 passes for 197 yards.

Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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SJO student fans celebrate a first down as the Spartans march the ball down the field. Spectators were treated to a great offensive and defensive battle between the two rival teams.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Justice Wertz crosses into the east end zone at Hicks Field to score St. Joseph-Ogden's first touchdown of the game after an 11-yard run. The two-point converstion good on a pass from Logan Smith to Tanner Siems, SJO trailed 14-11 on the scoreboard. Wertz went on to finished the night with 53 yards rushing.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Top-left:Tanner Siems makes a catch in the end zone for a Spartan two-point conversion. Top-right: Joe Frasca boots a PAT to give SJO an 18-14 lead in the second quarter. Bottom-left: SJO's Tanner Siems barrels his way through the Unity defense. Bottom-right: Igniting St. Joseph-Ogden fans in to a cheering frenzy, three-sport athlete Coy Taylor celebrates his go-ahead TD in the east end zone at Hicks Field giving his team a 17-14 lead before Frasca's extra point conversion moments later.

Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Justice Wertz, Tanner Siems, and Tim Blackburn-Kelley celebrate Siems' catch on at two-point converstion to cut St. Joseph-Ogden's deficit to three on the scoreboard.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Top-left: Unity running back Garrett Richardson turns on the speed while carrying the ball in the first half. Top-right: Richardson gets the call on another play before the end of the first half against visiting SJO. Bottom-left: Spartans' Coy Taylor is wrapped up and pulled out of bounds by Rocket defender Coleton Langendorf. Bottom-right: St. Joseph-Ogden Nolan Earley 'pancakes' a Unity lineman during a play in the third quarter.

Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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St. Joseph-Ogden senior Mitch Wright clears a path while fighting off Unity defenders during second quarter action. The Spartan offense finished the night with 446 yards.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Left and Right: Members of the Unity Marching Band perform during halftime. Middle: Rocket student fans show support for their team during the start of the second half.

Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Members of the Unity dance team perform during halftime. In complete control of the game, the Rockets led at the break, 28-18.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Left: SJO QB Logan Smith is brought down by Unity defenders in the fourth quarter. Center: St. Joseph-Ogden head coach Shawn Skinner praises players after a big play. Right: Spartan lineman Nolan Earley explodes with excitement after teammate Garrent Denhart recovered a Unity fumble halting a drive that would have likely resulting in a score in the final minutes of the Illini Prairie Conference contest.

Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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SJO senior Garrett Denhart celebrates as he returns to the sideline after recovering a Unity fumble with 2:29 left in the game. The recovery on the play ended a long march down the field by the Rockets and allowed the St. Joseph-Ogden to protect their three-point lead for the eventual win.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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St. Joseph-Ogden assistant coach Ben Gorman celebrates his team's win after time expires on the scoreboard. Gorman, an SJO alum, was a three-sport athlete for the Spartans.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Left: Junior wide receiver Tanner Siems celebrates his team's victory before congratulating Rocket players on a game well-played. Siems made six catches for 89 yards in the road win. Right: SJO junior Josh Courter rushes to the sidelines to join players and fans to sing the school song after the game.

Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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St. Joseph-Ogden senior Hayden Lewis goes wild for the camera after his team's upset victory over the heavily favored Unity Rockets at Hicks Field.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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