"Guide to: Spring Fever and School Newspaper" is a season 3 episode of Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.
Plot[]
Part 1: Spring Fever[]
Winter ends and spring comes, so everyone wants to go outside, but Crubbs doesn't let them. Ned has to find a way to get outside. Cookie is no help, since it's apparently his day to spend a few class periods with Lisa, and he hopes she gets "Cookie Fever". Moze, on the other hand, is still reeling from having kissed Ned at Seth's party. She can't decide between Ned and Faymen, which is driving her nuts. Missy's spring fever is making her chase after Ned so she can kiss him. Moze is keeping Faymen from kissing her by excessively cleaning things, which causes her to accidentally spray cleaning fluid in Faymen's eyes. She winds up confiding in Mr. Chopsaw, who notices that she's cleaning to avoid her problems. When Faymen comes by, Mr. Chopsaw tells him he needs to be a better kisser.
When Cookie finds Lisa, she has reverted to her old self, glasses and allergies and all. Cookie is a little horrified, but he goes through with his plans with Lisa anyway. The first thing is a picnic, but Lisa keeps sneezing and sniffling. Cookie runs off to find Moze for help, but she reminds him it's what's inside those matters. Cookie does not listen to her and instead uses his glasses to superimpose his favorite pictures of Lisa over her face. Of course, this means he can't see anything when he walks. He tries to hide from Lisa, but Moze talks some sense into him, reminding him that Lisa's done some nice things for him. This one makes sense to Cookie, and he goes to find her. When he does find her, she's back to her post-makeover self, with her mom having dropped off new clothes and medication for her. Unfortunately, sixth period is up, and so is Cookie's time with Lisa.
Ned tries escaping to go outside in different ways, through the air vents, disguised as a cafeteria worker, but Missy finds him both times. He hopes to have gym class outside, but Coach Dirga says they're staying in the gym. Crubbs has chained the gym doors shut, but there's a window open, so Ned tries using one of the climbing ropes to swing up to the window. Instead, he crashes into a wall. Ned later appeals to Sweeney to let them have class on time. Crubbs tries to get Sweeney to hold his ground, but Sweeney defies him and lets the class go outside. Missy finds him outside, and after Ned decides that one kiss can’t hurt, Missy kisses him on the lips full of spring fever. Faymen then shows up and kisses Moze, who says his kissing is better. Things seem to be sunny, but a storm cloud quickly appears, and it starts to rain, leading everyone to run back inside.
Tips[]
- Tip#116.ACO - Got Spring fever? Ask for class outside.
Part 2: School Newspaper[]
Mr. Monroe returns after living with penguins for a year. He decides to restart the school newspaper, and Moze and Cookie trick Ned into helping. Ned captures Moze later on and forces her to be the star reporter. Ned also saves Cookie from Evelyn, by saying that Cookie is also working on the paper, writing horoscopes. During a newspaper meeting, Crubbs shows up and introduces the chairman of the school board, Mr. Hal E. Burton. Since Mr. Burton is in charge of the money Polk Middle School gets, Crubbs warns them all to behave.
When Cookie starts writing his horoscopes, he winds up just making them up but asks Coconut Head not to put his name on the horoscope page. Ned needs a breaking news story headline, and Mr. Monroe mentions that 37 students got sick after lunch last week and no one knows why. He, Moze, Seth, and Coconut Head interview the Lunch Lady, who says the school board made them switch to a new, cheaper food vendor, but the vendor gives them rotten fruit. They publish that for their first issue, and it turns out to be a hit. However, not with the school board, who shreds the newspaper and says he doesn't tolerate muckraking like theirs. Crubbs threatens the newspaper staff with detention if they don't get their act together and tells them to write about Sweeney's new hamster. It's very clear that Crubbs is on Mr. Burton's side. During all of this, the school is plagued with falling ceiling tiles.
Cookie realizes everyone takes his fake horoscopes seriously, so he begins abusing his power. Ned gets a note in his locker, arranging a meeting after school for a real story. When Ned and Moze meet this mysterious person (who is very obviously Mr. Monroe), he gives them a file and tells them to look into the maintenance budget. Crubbs and Mr. Burton catch them with the file, and they shred it. Mr. Burton seems to be very focused on his new addition, and even turns on Crubbs, shredding his jacket. Ned and Moze find Mr. Monroe again, who tells them the budget states that the tile repairs were paid for, but they were never actually fixed, leaving $20,000 unaccounted for. Ned says if they run the tile story that Crubbs could fire Mr. Monroe. Mr. Monroe says Crubbs doesn't know he's behind the story, so really, the kids would get in trouble.
Ned and the staff decide to run the Tile-Gate story, but Seth prints Mr. Monroe's picture, identifying him as the source. Ned and the staff had to grab all 400 issues of the paper and reprint them to get Mr. Monroe's picture out of them. Crubbs, unfortunately, finds the last issue. He discovers the $20,000 missing from the budget and asks if it's true. Mr. Burton quickly shreds the paper, orders the newspaper staff to be expelled, and tries to shred the plans for his addition, but Crubbs grabs it before he can. Turns out, the new addition is a pool in Mr. Burton's backyard. Crubbs is disgusted that Mr. Burton spent the money on expensive pool tiles instead of ceiling tiles for the school. Crubbs tells the newspaper staff they have a new headline.
Cookie's made-up horoscopes backfire on him, when everyone realizes they all say the same thing. Evelyn reveals that Cookie writes the horoscopes, so they all chase after him.
Tips[]
- Tip#411.LSP - Not a writer? Not a problem. Learn on the school paper.
Starring[]
- Devon Werkheiser as Ned Bigby
- Lindsey Shaw as Moze
- Daniel Curtis Lee as Cookie
- Daran Norris as Gordy
Guest starring[]
- Jim J. Bullock as Mr. Monroe
- Dave Florek as Mr. Chopsaw
- Alan Thicke as School Board Chairperson Hal E. Burton
Co-starring[]
Trivia[]
- This episode marks the return of Mr. Monroe.
- Fourth and longest kiss between Ned and Missy. This is also the first time her initial attempt to kiss him didn't succeed, prompting her to try again.
- Though Missy catches Ned in the air vent, she strangely doesn't kiss him there.