Neoga Students Pay Respect to Fallen Solider

Kendra Schooley

9/30/11

Recently the Neoga Jr-Sr High and the Neoga Middle School paid their respect to a fallen solider. Sgt. Timothy Sayne was killed by an improvised explosive device while on duty in Kandahar, Afghanistan. On Monday, September 19^th, the students of the middle, junior, and senior high schools, lined the east side of Route 45.

The Neoga Middle School principal, Seth James, issued the following statement: "I didn't question for a second having our kids view Sgt. Sayne's processional. Once we realized it was coming through Neoga, we just had to work out the logistics of getting everyone up town, on time. I felt like we could send an important message to Sgt. Sayne's family. We wanted them to know that we were paying attention. We wanted to honor him, and let them know we were grieving with them. For our students, I believe they now have a real connection with what the flag flying at half-staff means; that a life was lost defending our country. I think the passing of Sgt. Sayne's processional will be something that all of us will always remember."

Infant Death Awareness Month

by Kendra Schooley

8/30/11

September was “Infant Death Awareness Month”, in which SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), stillbirths, and other SIUD (sudden infant unknown deaths) are recognized. SIDS is the sudden death of an infant under one year old. Since 1983, SIDS is at an all time low. However, it’s still the cause of 2500 deaths every year. SIDS normally occurs within the second to fourth months of life. Stillbirths occur when the infant dies in the uterus. Stillbirths are found in one in every hundred pregnancies. The majority of stillbirths happen before labor, however there are occurrences during labor and delivery. Neoga’s Family and Consumer Science teacher, Mrs. Sheri Schafer, covers this issue in her classes. When asked about the importance of this issue, she responded, “Education about infant care has reduced the number of SIDS deaths. For example, it is now recommended to lay the infant on their back, not the belly. Also, no extra bedding should be left in the crib.”