[music playing] Rameen: Tomco Insurance Agency is a full service insurance# agency offering auto, home, farm, toys, business,## health, and life.

Tomco is proud to support School# Talk on WEIU.

More information is available at## 217-345-6750 or email info@tomcoagency.com.

Tomco# is an independent, family owned operated insurance## agency in Charleston.

[music playing] Brayden: Hi, I'm Brayden Armstrong, host of## School Talk.

Today I'm here with Sophia Goodwin.# So Sophia, tell me a little bit about yourself.

Sophia: My name's Sophia Goodwin.

I## am 13 years old.

I live in Charleston, Illinois.# I go to Charleston Middle School and I have three## pets and I'm a dancer.

Brayden: So I've known you like dance for a while.# Tell me a little bit more about that.

Sophia: I've been dancing since I was five## and I just love dance because whatever I'm# feeling, I can just move and I just like being## able to express myself through dance.

Brayden: Tell me a little bit about your pets.

Sophia: I have one dog and her name is# Livy.

Her real name's Olivia,## but we call her Livy and I have two cats.

One's# name is Tally and my other one is named Belle.

Brayden: How long have you had them all for, roughly?

Sophia: I've had Belle since 2016.

I've had Tally## since 2019 and I've had Livy since 2021.

Brayden: So going on to my first question here,# what has been your favorite school memory?

Sophia: My favorite school memory is probably## just my whole sixth grade year.

Brayden: What made that memorable for you?

Sophia: I had really good friends in my class# and I loved both of my teachers.

Brayden: Who were your teachers?

Sophia: My homeroom teacher's name was Ms. Boston and## my switch teacher's name was Miss.

Busher.

Brayden: Going along with that, who are your teachers# this year and what subjects did they teach?

Sophia: My teachers this year, my science teacher, I have## Ms. Lutz.

For my math teacher, I have Mr. Kinaus.# For my social studies teacher, I have Mr. Pitcher## and for my ELA teacher, I have Miss.

Bigford.

Brayden: Out of those subjects, what do you think# would be your favorite subject out of those?

Sophia: My favorite subject is probably ELA.

Brayden: Why is that your favorite?

Sophia: Because I love writing.

I just, and I really## like Miss.

Bigford and I like my class and I# just like how I can just write what I'm feeling.

Brayden: What do you like to write about?

Sophia: I like writing about the books we're reading## and stuff because it's just kind of fun to just go# through and just write what I learned about them.

Brayden: What are some of the books that you've## learned about that you like to write about?

Sophia: Well, right now we're reading a book called How# I Became a Ghost, and previously we've read The## Lottery and Lamb to the Slaughter and... Brayden: It sounds nice that you like to read# and just put down what you've read just## write in general.

Do you feel that our# school is a good place to learn daily?

Sophia: I do.

I think it is.

Brayden: What makes you feel that way?

Sophia: Because all of the teachers, they're really## understanding and it's just they make school# a lot of fun and all of the people, all of our## classmates, they're really fun to just be with.

Brayden: What are some of the things your teachers have# done to make your learning fun in science or ELA?

Sophia: In science, we've done a lot of projects## and labs and that's been really fun because we get# paired with partners and we get to talk to people## we usually wouldn't talk to.

And just overall, the# work that they've assigned, they've kind of made## it to where we would enjoy it.

Brayden: What lab has been your favorite this year?

Sophia: My favorite lab that we've done this year is# probably the, my favorite lab we've done this## year has probably been the Allele Lab.

Brayden: Why was that your favorite one?

Sophia: Because it was fun to match# up different genes and stuff.

Brayden: Going along with that kind of, is it easier## to learn when you're in a fun environment?

Sophia: Yes, I think so.

Brayden: What makes you feel that way?

Sophia: Because usually when it's fun you're more# interested and it's just more enjoyable.

Brayden: Do you get nervous at all## when we have a test or quiz?

Sophia: Yeah, I do.

Brayden: How do you cope with that?

How do# you make yourself feel better?

Sophia: Well, I like to study and## I like to know in advance so I have time to study# and plan out what I'm going to write and stuff.

Brayden: How do you study for your tests and quizzes?

Sophia: Usually I read over it and then I have my## mom or dad quiz me on what the subject is.

Brayden: And going along with that, do you have a# set time to do any homework you may have?

Sophia: I don't really have a set## time.

Usually on nights I have dance practice,# it's later because I get home pretty late.

Brayden: Is there any time that you would make to do it## besides the nights you have dance practice?

Sophia: Yeah, usually if we get assigned homework and I# have dance practice, I like to try to do it in## EPIC if I have dance that night.

Brayden: And for people out there that# don't know, what is EPIC?

Sophia: EPIC is our last class## of the day and it's just a class where we learn# about leadership and stuff and then we also get## time to work on work and stuff.

Brayden: What are some of the things# you've learned in EPIC this year?

Sophia: Well, we've learned a lot about## our feelings and we've learned how to know what# we're feeling so we can fix any bad feelings.

Brayden: Do you think that's helped you## at all throughout the year?

Sophia: Yes, I do because I've learned more about# what I'm feeling and why I'm feeling it.

Brayden: That's pretty nice that they're teaching us about## that and just how to handle stuff in general.

Sophia: Yeah.

Brayden: My next question for y.. at our school?

I know you participate in# dance, but is there anything else you do,## like any sports or anything?

Sophia: No, I'm just a dancer.

Brayden: Well, tell me a little bit more about dance# while we're kind of on the topic of it.

Sophia: I do a bunch of different genres.

I do jazz,## musical theater, contemporary, lyrical.

Yeah.

Brayden: What has been your favorite out of those?

Sophia: My favorite is probably contemporary.

Brayden: What do you do in contemporary?

Contemporary.

Sophia: It's like where you move, it's like lyrical,# but it's more tight and it's more slower and## it's just, yeah.

Brayden: Why do you think, since you do dance, why do# you think it's meaningful to you and others## that may do it?

Sophia: I think it's meaningful because after, if I# have a long day, I know I can just go to my## studio and just feel better because it's just so# much fun and I love it and I love just being able## to move.

Yeah.

Brayden: What has been your favorite part of dance# since you've done it for roughly seven,## eight years now?

Sophia: My favorite part has probably# been the competitions because## I work so hard at practices and then I# finally get to do what I love on stage.

Brayden: Have you won any of the competitions?

Sophia: Yes, I've gotten many awards and I've won.

Brayden: Sounds pretty nice## that you've gotten all them awards and stuff.. we're going to high school.

Do you think you're# going to continue doing dance in high school?

Sophia: Yes, I want to do the Trojet## Dance Team in high school.

Brayden: What makes you want to continue to do it?

Sophia: Because dance is just what I love and in high# school you get a lot more opportunities with## the Trojets.

Brayden: So going along into the high school theme here,# what are your feelings on going into.. hearing about year two?

Sophia: I'm kind of nervous for high school because# it's like a bigger deal than middle school.

Brayden: Yeah.

What do you think high## school's going to be like?

Sophia: I think high school you'll get a lot more freedom# and stuff, and I feel like you'll have to put in## more hard work, but I think it'll be more fun.

Brayden: Are there any classes that you know# of that you would like to take?

Sophia: I haven't really thought about that yet,## so I don't know.

Brayden: So going on to one of our most# popular questions here this season,## what has been your favorite school# cafeteria or just school lunch food?

Sophia: I really like the Bosco Sticks.

Brayden: Why do you like those?

Sophia: Because I don't know,## they just taste really good.

Brayden: Amy Parsley that was also on this season, she says# that she's also enjoyed these Bosco Sticks.

Going## on to our most popular question yet, what's# your opinion on tater tots?

Do you like them,## do you not?

Sophia: I don't really like them.# I don't really like them.

Brayden: Why don't you like them?

Sophia: I don't know.

I feel like they're kind of soggy.

Brayden: That's what makes them good though.## Going on to one of my last questions here.# What advice would you have for younger## students starting at our middle school next year# from either Jefferson, or a different school?

Sophia: My only advice would be don't try to be the## most cool kid in school because it really doesn't# matter.

And just try to have good friends that## will always have your back.

Brayden: It's good advice for anyone starting at our school# next year.

So my last question for you here is,## is there anything else you'd like to share with# me about school or just anything in general?

Sophia: No, I don't think so.

Brayden: Okay.

Well, thank you for## being on School Tech Sophia.

Thanks for joining# us on School Tech.

I'm Brayden Armstrong.

Thank## you for watching.

Rameen: Tomco Insurance Agency is a full service insurance# agency offering auto, home, farm, toys, business,## health, and life.

Tomco is proud to support School# Talk on WEIU.

More information is available at## 217-345-6750 or email info@tomcoagency.com.

Tomco# is an independent, family owned operated insurance## agency in Charleston.

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