to read edition 3 of The Paw!

EDITION 3
T HE
PAW
JUNE 20TH, 2013
THE PAW IS ONLINE!
Finally, The Paw is no longer only on paper. Mrs. Lear has had a
website for a while, and The Paw has at last been added to it. This
is a great milestone for our paper and one of the many to come.
Just go to http://www.griswold.k12.ct.us/, then Middle School, and
search Mrs. Lear. Click on the website link and click on the sidebar
Special Feature:
that says The Paw. Then you can read The Paw directly from the
internet!
The continuation of Z Day
is online!
-The Paw Staff
CAGED
She dreamt,
Day and night,
To escape
Caged,
Locked away in her own
sorrow,
For she could not leave,
She was bound by the
chains of her cage
Constricted,
And could not break free
She dreamt,
Day and night,
To escape
She wondered if she
would feel the air on her
face
Separating her feathers
like grass in the wind,
She wondered how far
her wings would spread,
Can I even fly? She wondered,
Can I even spread my
wings?
She wondered,
If I tried,
How hard would I fall?
She had dreamt,
Day and night,
To escape
Yet she cannot fly and no
longer has the will to try
Yet here she is locked
away for amusement
Yet here she is with her
soul on display
By Nyila Carter
THE PAW
Page 2
MYSTERY AT THE MALL
I regretted waking up this
morning to yet another dreaded day.
My money stored in the bank was
starting to dry up, and rent is due next
month. Might-as-well go to work since
my “sick” days are no longer available.
I got ready as I usually do, and by that
I mean have my morning drink, get
dressed in my blue shirt and khakis,
grab my jacket and go. So far I perceived that today was just not the day
to be me. First, I spill my tea all over
my leather seats. Next, traffic gets
backed up by, I’m not kidding when I
say this, chickens crossing the road.
Finally, when I get into the parking lot
of my mortal enemy, work, the tire on
my brand new and slightly tea stained
car flattens. At last I made it to my
compact cubicle for work, tricking
myself into believing that this nightmare was over, when out of the blue
my boss approaches and he was talking a lot, maybe too much, but I only
heard...
“Blah blah blah work, work, work you
can’t be sick for three weeks straight!”
then the two-to-three words I am most
familiar with were spoken… “YOU’RE
FIRED!” he screamed.
I decided by myself that being an executive tech support manager at Apple
Co. wasn’t really my cup of tea. I
packed up everything that belonged to
me (and a few that didn’t) into my bag
and walked out with my dignity still
intact. When I got back to my humble
abode I took one of the most needed
naps in history. I awoke once barely on
the verge of consciousness and flicked
on the T.V. to the news to help me
pass out again. The blurred face of the
reporter on the screen kept talking
about some type of murder at the old,
abandoned Dahwell Mall.
“Heh, stupid gang wars,” I said to myself.
Suddenly I was on the wrong
end of a massive headache, sending me
to the ground in a spasm with veins rising to the surface of my neck. To me it
felt as if someone was taking a very
large needle and slowly pushing through
my temples. I blacked out. I arose from
the ground, but I knew that this was all a
dream just from the way the place
looked. Even though it was only a dream
I could feel everything as if it were real. I
started to walk around and it made it
seem like it was the first time walking for
me, again because I stumbled on nearly
every step. Eventually when I got the
hang of it I finally reached somewhere
that could’ve been familiar to me, but I
didn’t really recognize anything in this
dream-state of mind. When I turned
around to explore some more it came to
my attention…that everywhere behind
me was littered with bodies, motionless,
pale and lifeless corpses. Throughout the
area I scanned of these people I saw the
man from the news that had been murdered! Before I could even comprehend
what was happening my real self awoke.
“That is the very last time I sleep on an
empty stomach,” I thought.
The next day when I sat up in my bed I
felt a bit better since I did not have to
leave the comfort of my home. Once
again it was time to find another job. I
trudged into the kitchen practically dragging my feet, because I was still not awake.
I lazily leaned on the counter, cup of tea in
hand. My gaze rose to the black screen on
the television, and it flashed on by itself
which caught me by surprise until I realized
I was sitting on the remote. It was on the
news as usual and they were talking about
a different murder than before, but it was
at the same location, the Dahwell Mall. I
wondered why they were at this place, but
my thoughts could not agree on a reason.
Suddenly I staggered, a dizzy spell caught
the best of me and my legs became jelly.
The cup I grasped shattered on the tile
floor. Before my skull smashed on the corner of the counter, the last image that met
my eyes was the frightened look on the
decaying body. I do not remember how long
I was out cold, but the pool of sweat and
iced tea on the floor stuck to my face.
“Maybe some fresh air will help me,” I mentioned to no one.
As I stepped outside I almost tripped on
the simple newspaper I normally recycled.
It was going to be of some use to me now.
Obviously I flipped to the job section and
one job, just one, really stuck out to me. It
was printed Dahwell Mall Security: No
Qualifications Necessary just call 860-6667892. This seemed odd to me, but the best
chance I had. I called the number. Someone answered.
A hoarse voice spoke, “Hello? How’d you
get this number? What do you want?”
I quietly replied, “I called about the job you
advertised in the newspaper.”
Suddenly the voice turned sweet, “Oh, alright then my friend if you want it, it’s
yours,” cooed the eerie tone.
EDITION 3
I nearly jumped out of my skin
when the dial tone started to play.
That was the worst phone call I’ve ever
had. Just when I thought it was over I
could hear the slightest sound emanating from the phone. I put it back up
to my ear.
Page 3
“A lot of memories here,” I thought.
The electric sliding door was almost
sealed shut so I used the crowbar in my
trunk to open it. I brought a flashlight
believing I may need one for this graveyard of a mall. I knew there were going to
be dead people and that it would be
dangerous, but I needed the money. This
first night wasn’t too bad so far until I got
to the food court. The McDonald’s I
strolled by was destroyed, but the French
fries looked as if they were made yesterday. I scowled and moved on. When I
had reached the very center of the mall,
the floors and stores were almost hidden
from all the corpses around. There were
ones of all kinds from children to elders.
Most of them were skeletal or nearly
decayed. That’s when I spotted him, a
fairly fresh man resting against a pillar in
a blue outfit.
The man didn’t fully hang up! It
sounded like he was mumbling something in a different language, but it all
sounded like gibberish to me. Then
the moment of truth came, he started
I slipped on my jacket and hesitantly made
speaking English again and what he
my way out the door. I looked at the clock. I
said made me shudder while it echoed had completely forgotten how late it was. The
in my head.
clock read 10:00 p.m. and I could finally take
a
sigh of relief that I didn’t have to go tonight.
“That fool has no idea what he’s getting into. The first guard I sent in there I nearly skipped through the front door with
excitement until I realized I had to sleep if I
hasn’t even come out for his first paywanted
to wake up in time for work/doom. I
ment yet. I wonder how long this fresh
blood will last,” he cackled as these rested on the couch and hit the button on the
remote, but before I could watch anything I
words left his throat.
was asleep.
I thought “Hmm... why didn’t I get a uniI hung up momentarily. I decided to
form?”
keep all that to myself when I finally On every morning like this one I turned on the
news. Once again someone had been murbuilt up enough courage to do it, I
I got very up close and personal with the
dered at the mall, but this one was gorier
called back.
body. He wore a name tag! It was enthan the others. The person they said had
graved with “2013 Dahwell Security
He angrily answered, “You again! I
been without any limbs when she was found.
Officer: Jim”.
already told you that you have the job,
My thoughts sped up as I remembered I work
what else could you possibly need
I was thinking, “That’s not possible this
there. The car hummed when it backed out of
from me?”
place burnt down in 2010,”
the driveway. The rural back roads of town
were calm and quiet because not many chilIt took me a second to find my voice,
Then it hit me and the words echoed
dren lived here, and the ones that did only
“I’m sorry to bother you, but you never
again,
came outside their rooms for school and
told me my hours and payment.”
“The first guard I sent in there hasn’t
food. I shifted the thoughts in my head back
even come out for his first payment,”
“Oh, well yes I guess that would be
to the job. When that occurred I received a
again and again it played in my mind.
useful information. Um, uh… okay
flash of a migraine that sent my mind whirlyou’ll work Monday through Sunday 8
I jumped off the ground and ran as fast
ing. The muscles in my arms tensed, jerking
a.m. to 9 p.m., fifteen dollars an hour,”
the wheel, turning the two-ton metal can to- as I could out of there. I left the crowbar
said the now calmed voice.
and the flashlight, figuring I’d rather
wards the approaching sidewalk. I managed
He also mumbled something else, but to regain my bearings quick enough to rotate trade them than my life. I nearly burned
out the tires trying to leave there. As
I’d rather not share that part. So I put
the vehicle back onto the road ahead. After
the phone away and got ready even that tragic happening I arrived in the lot of the soon as I got home, not even attempting
to park the car, I called the man back
though I knew something was going to decrepit, rotting, glass box we call the Dahabout that job.
happen to me. I guess the saying for
well Mall. I could still see the glowing neon
me would be “better sorry than safe “.
sign of the food court.
THE PAW
Page 4
MYSTERY AT THE MALL CONTINUED
My mind being scattered I could barely talk,
“What have you gotten me in to?! What
kind of sick person are you!?”
They revealed handcuffs to me and put
them on my wrists. My rights were read to
me, but I heard nothing except
Again his calmness shocked me, “Oh, child
you have so much to learn. It’s actually
‘What have you gotten yourself into?’”
“Cole Davidson, you are under arrest for
thirteen separate counts of murder.” He
stated.
I kept yelling, “You know more than you’re
telling me. Give. Me. The truth.”
After the multiple years of my trial, I still
wait in my cell on death row. With literally
only weeks until my execution, I finally
realized when I killed! It was in my sleep!
So I am deciding from now on until my final
hour I will never sleep again. I want my final
words to be…
He suddenly perked up, “Okay this shall be
fun. First of all, I knew that I hadn’t hung up
and the words I was mumbling were spells
releasing the demons within us all, but
yours was the only one who heard me and
was out before I said the spell. They all
feast by killing, but only at a special time
that is different for everyone. All you have
to do is find that time and stop it. Have fun,
hungry one.”
The call ended. For the next week or so I
continued to check the news every day,
with a new murder every single time. I kept
wondering when is this happening to me? I
decided to sleep on it and regain my composure. I awoke hours later and put the
news channel on. The reporter spoke excitedly.
“Double murder discovered at Dahwell
Mall, police are saying DNA evidence was
found on one of the deceased, they are
testing it now!” exclaimed the nearly jumping woman.
I knew something like this was going to
happen, it had to be me from what the man
had said anyway. A knock at the door
caused me to jump off the couch for a moment. I opened it slowly; it was the police
(no surprise there). They looked down on
me.
“Are you Cole Davidson?” they asked.
“Yes,” I replied.
“Beware of yourself, you never know when
your demons may need to feast, that is my
warning to you.”
Who knows, even I could be your demon,
and I’m feeling a bit hungry…
By Gage Morin
Dear Rachel—Ditch Dismay
Q: “My friend and I had plans and she ditched me. What should I do?” ~ Ditch Dismay
A: Dear Ditch Dismay,
You may be upset over your friend ditching you, but have you looked at it from
her point of view? Maybe she really didn’t know she left you and forgot your plans. When
it comes to scheduling, things may not always go as planned. This could have been her
parent’s fault. They could have said no to her about your plans. Then, she might not
have told you what her parent’s said, making it seem like she ditched you. Either way,
you’re going to have to tell her what’s wrong. It may be difficult, but talking to her is
much better than avoiding the problem. That way you will know the truth and you won’t
be guessing about what you think happened.
Just make sure you remind her that next time, she needs to tell you if she can’t
make it. Remember, don’t take out your frustration on her, but let her know how you
feel.
Sincerely,
Team Rachel
EDITION 3
Page 5
TRACK AND FIELD GIRLS
The past track
and field meet for the girls
was a big WIN over Putnam and Eastford. Griswold won by scoring 81
points, Putnam with 16
points, and Eastford with
18 points. Now, going into
the 100 meter dash, Haley
Camacho came in first
with 14 seconds flat. Coming in second was Shyla
Krick. Now for the 200
meter dash the wolverines
swept the board by coming in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. In
first was Ashley Williams,
right behind her was Kim
Acede and in third was
Meghan Ritz. Next for the
400 meter dash Meghan
Ritz came in 1st with a
time of 1 minute and 14
seconds, and in second
place was Samantha Casey and Makenna Perry.
Then for the 800 meter
race, coming in first was
Makayla Kinnie with a
time of 2 minutes and 55
seconds. Next in second
and third were Brooke
McCormick and Jessica
Ellis. For the mile, in first
was Makayla Kinnie with a
time of 6 minutes and 37
seconds, in second was
Brooke McCormik. Going
into the 4x4 and 4x1 both
teams were able to capture 1st place.
Going into the
field events, in discus Sam
Casey came in 1st with a
throw of 54 feet and 5
inches. Then in the shot
put Emma Higgins came in
3rd place. For the long
jump, Casey Rubino came
in second and in third was
Shyla Krick. Finally, for the
high jump, Casey Rubino
came in first with a jump
of 4 feet and 2 inches. In
third place right behind
her was Shyla Krick. With
such a great performance,
the wolverines were able
to easily win the meet!
By Connor Svab
“Griswold won
Dear Rachel—Forever Alone
Q: Dear Rachel,
“My boyfriend broke up with me for a girl he might go out with. I was so angry! When he said “Hi” to me later
that day, I totally ignored him, but then I felt bad. I was worried about his feelings when he clearly wasn’t worried about
mine. Two questions, why did I worry about him, and how can I ignore him while making him earn my trust and friendship
back? Being chosen as second best does not feel good! Please help!”
Yours truly,
Forever Alone
A: Dear Forever Alone,
You worried about him because you might still have feelings for him, which is okay! It is normal for you to still
have feelings for him. It would be difficult for you to ignore him while making him earn your trust and friendship back. You
should try to sit down and have a face to face conversation with him and let all your feelings out. This can be difficult, so
texting or talking on the phone with him could work just as well. For most people, to let your feelings out helps you by getting it off your mind. Focus on building your confidence in yourself, and have friends and family that care about you, everything will be alright!
Sincerely,
Team Rachel
with a score of
Eighty-one
points.”
THE PAW
Page 6
RECESS
We think that we should
have more recess! A lot of kids
are overweight. Not enough
kids have time for daily exercise. Children need to get their
energy out and spend time with
friends. It is a long day sitting in
classrooms, and teachers need
a break, too. Recess would be
good for all of us!
So many kids are overweight! If kids got a daily recess, then they could burn off
some calories to help lose
weight. Being overweight is not
healthy for kids and adults. Recess everyday can help keep
kids from becoming obese.
About 35 percent of children in
the United States are overweight. Being obese can cause
health problems and other
problems. Some kids are even
bullied for being too heavy. Recess everyday can make a difference in a child’s exercise
habits and weight.
Kids don’t have enough
time everyday for daily exercise.
We have to wake up early every
single morning to go to school.
Then we go to school for most of
the day. Some kids even stay after school for after school activities. Once we get home from
school we have to do homework,
and homework for many students usually takes hours. By the
time kids finish homework, it is
already time for dinner. After dinner you have to get ready for
bed, so there is no time to go
outside and it would be dark anyway. Having consistent daily exercise can give students a chance
to stay fit.
Kids also need to socialize
face to face with other peers.
Last year someone could have
become best friends with someone else, but this year they almost never see each other or
hang out because they are on
opposite teams. Recess is one of
the only times we can hang out
and talk to each other. Also, going outside is when kids make
new friends. Students sit inside
and do work for hours, so they
should be rewarded. Kids should
have the time to socialize with
their peers. If they could do
more of it outside, maybe they
would do less during class.
EDITION 3
Page 7
RECESS CONTINUED
Teachers also need a
break during the day from work
and teaching. All school day long,
teachers are teaching, correcting
papers, helping students, dealing
with student drama, etc. Recess
can be the perfect time to give
them their break. Although teachers have to watch the students,
they can still relax and socialize
with other teachers or students.
Teachers need their exercise as
well, which can be done during
recess by walking around or by
doing something else. Many
teachers actually have fun playing
with the students. Who said
teachers can’t have fun too?
Teachers also learn a lot from students by watching them during
recess. Recess is not only needed
by students, but by teachers, too!
In our opinion, recess
should be everyday for at least 20
minutes. The 20 minutes can
really help students lose weight
and get their exercise. It could
help them get energy out and focus better during class time. Recess can also give students the
time to hang out with their friends.
Recess will not only benefit students, but teachers as well.
Teachers need a break from what
they do every day, too. Recess isn’t the only thing that will help
kids lose weight, but it may help.
Having recess everyday would be
perfect!
By Skylar Petersen, Frances Yeung, and Cate Deponte
Dear Rachel—Help Me
Q: Dear Rachel,
“My BFF is being so mean. She’s ignoring me and it really hurts my feelings. She is hanging out with someone else who
I think she is replacing me with. What should I do?”
Sincerely,
Help Me
A: Dear Help Me,
If your friend is ignoring you, you should have a conversation with her. Address the problem that you two are facing and
talk to her about how you feel. You need to let her know that she is hurting your feelings. If you tell her what is wrong, she may
not do it again. A real friend would understand how they are making you feel, and try to help. If you think she’s replacing you, tell
her that you feel like that. Maybe she got so caught up in her new friendship that she didn’t realize she was hurting your feelings.
Try asking her if the three of you can get together and try to all be friends. That would be the best way to solve the problem because no one’s feelings will get hurt. Also, look to develop some new friendships. Try talking to someone you have never
talked to before, like Rachel would do. This not only will make your day better, but also the new person you are talking to.
We hope things get better!
Sincerely,
Team Rachel
THE PAW
Page 8
NATURE
See the wind flow,
Through the trees,
Not a rough, but a cool
gentle breeze.
When I am in nature I
shall never fear,
I recognize the beauty,
A flower I see,
There is always something to see,
In the meadow so pretty,
In nature,
So colorful and bright,
Where I always should
be.
What a wonderful sight.
The sky so blue and big,
Clouds everywhere,
So fluffy and white.
I am so wonderfully
happy,
That I am near here.
The wonders of nature will
never fade,
The sun sets,
It sets to rest,
For the new day.
Nature will always be
fun.
By: Shealani LeBeau
EDITION 3
Page 9
EIGHTH GRADE PROJECTS
Nick Buchas and his friends making
posters for Health Class
Congratulations
8th grade class
of 2017
8th graders making “We Didn’t Start the
Fire” posters.
8th graders having fun while working in
Health Class.
8th grade students hanging up posters
they made in Health class
THE PAW
Page 10
THIRTEEN REASONS WHY
1st book: Th1rteen R3asons Why
Reviewed By: Melanie Rondeau
What was your favorite part of the
book?
~Clay’s reaction when he got the
tape from Hannah about the reason she committed suicide. Clay
regretted the time he could have
spent with her.
What is Th1rteen R3asons Why
about?
~ A girl who commits suicide and
tells people why they are in the
tapes (7 tapes with 13 sides).
How did you feel about reading it?
~ I was intrigued by it because I
didn’t understand what people did
or why they did it in this novel.
Is there a series to this book?
~ No
Would you recommend this to others?
~ Yes, it was a coming of age novel
that gave readers a taste of what
could be happening all around
them if they did pay attention.
On a scale from 1-10 how would
you rate this book?
~ 9.5
What things interested you about
this book?
~ The summary because it left you
hanging and wondering what would
happen next.
How difficult was this book to read?
~ It was an intermediate level book.
Some parts in this book could be
confusing to me, but I understood it.
Who are the main characters and
how did they act in this book?
~ Clay Jensen- caring but depressed when he got the tapes
~ Hannah Baker (suicidal)-bullied
a lot.
EDITION 3
Page 11
DEAR RACHEL—FAILURE
Q: Dear Rachel,
“I get F’s in every subject. What should I do?”
Sincerely,
Failure
A: Dear Failure,
Even if you feel like you are a failure, you’re really not! You are smarter than you think you are. If
you just add a little bit of effort in everything, it will benefit you so much. Maybe you have too much on
your plate. If you are doing a lot of extracurricular activities, try making a list of the most important
things in your life and focus on those things. If you are failing in school, (getting your grades up), should
be on the top of that list. Just remember, if you truly don’t understand something, ask one of your
teachers. That is what they all want you to do. They are always there to help you.
Sincerely,
Team Rachel
Memorial Day
takes place on the last
Monday of May. People
celebrate Memorial Day
all over the United States.
They mostly have parades, but they can also
have other events. The
only problem with this is
that most people don’t
know the difference between Memorial Day and
Veterans Day. The history
of Memorial Day is not
very well known by others. Memorial Day this
year (2013) was on May
27th.
Memorial Day’s
main idea is to show respect for all the fallen
soldiers in any branch of
the military. Many soldiers have lost their lives
in battle over the course
of all of the wars the
United States has fought
in.
All soldiers deserve an infinite amount of respect.
They risk their lives for the
sake of our country completely voluntarily. The
fallen soldiers deserve
even more respect because
they put themselves on the
line and get killed just to
keep us safe.
Memorial Day was
first created to recognize
the fallen Union and Confederate soldiers after the
United States Civil War
ended. Memorial Day was
originally known as Decoration Day. It was later
changed to Memorial Day
in the 20th century. The first
Memorial Day was right
after the Civil War ended.
The date of the first Memorial Day was June 3, 1861.
John Logan was the creator
of Memorial Day. He felt
the need to remember all
of the fallen soldiers who
died in the Civil War.
Many people do not know
the difference between
Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Memorial Day is
a holiday where we
should remember all of
the soldiers who died in
battle. Veterans Day is a
holiday where we should
remember all of the soldiers who served for the
country, either alive of
deceased. Veterans Day
was also invented in a
different time period. Veterans Day was first made
on November 11, 1919. It
was created by Woodrow
Wilson and was also first
named Armistice Day.
Memorial Day
shows a lot of respect for
our fallen troops and
should be celebrated by
everyone, in all of the
United States.
Many people don’t
celebrate Memorial
Day for its true
meaning. Some
people just think
it’s just another
long weekend off of
school or work. All
fallen soldiers
should be accounted for in some
respectful form.
By Jared McShane
See the front page for our website!
THE PAW STAFF
Derek Janca
Mel Rondeau
Alexis Robillard
Derek Taylor
Connor Svab
Skylar Petersen
Hunter Bossie
Vanessa Swepson
Makenna Perry
Hunter Barnes
Frances Yeung
Paige Briggs
Zachary Brown
Sarah Burkart
Tayler Plante
Gage Morin
Nyila Carter
Jared McShane
Cate Deponte
Kiera Anderson
Rylee Dombrowski
Libby Merchant
Mackenzie Florence-Kirk
Thank you for your support!