Read the Spring 2011, Issue 1 here

T I E RR A PA C I F I C A
T I ME S
TIERRA PACIFICA CHARTER SCHOOL /SPRING 2011/VOLUME 1
ISSUE NO.1
Tierra Pacifica
Shakes its Booty!
by Sarah Ruymen
Banana Slug
•••
Almost Chaos blasts music
into your ears as you and
your friends run across the
dance floor to send a request
to Mr.Trinh Halperin, the
D.J. The Tierra Pacifica
school dance was held on
February 4th at the Del Mar
Students Get Down at the All-School Dance
school in Santa Cruz and it
Who: Tierra Pacifica students from Stars to Spots
was a blast! Linda Lambdin,
What: Dancing to DJ Mr. T’s tunes
the school principal, said, “It
When: February 4, 2011
was absolutely fabulous!”
Where: Del Mar Elementary auditorium
Ten out of 11 students
Why: Fun!
interviewed thought the
dance was great.
School Dance continued on
page 2
PAGE 5: Wall Ball
PAGE 3: Campus Fashions
PAGE 8: Cyber Bullying
PAGE 9: School Lunch
PAGE 10: Teacher Talk
PAGE 4: Book Review
PAGE 7: A new building for T.P.
PAGE 11: Track Meet
PAGE 6: Pasta Mike
PAGE 1
EXTRA-CURRICULAR FUN
School Dance continued
from page 1
The dance had refreshments
to buy and some great free
drinks. Linda said she was
amazed by all the choices that
were provided. “And they’re all
so healthy!” she added. The
money raised from the
refreshments and tickets went
towards the new building that
will be constructed soon (see
story page 7). There was a small
outside area for people to sit and
chat, and also catch their breath
before going back inside to
dance.
Justin Trinh Halperin, also
known as Mr.T, teaches 7-8th
grade and has a special talent for
being a D.J. “Justin is the best D.J
I know!” said Linda.
“I love Thriller” said Kena
Delong, former Tierra Pacifica
student.
Almost Chaos played some great
cover songs and also many of
their own original songs. The
dance floor was definitely full
when they were playing! Almost
Chaos drummer, Diego Picazo,
thought the dance was really fun,
and rated it 9 out of 10.
Director Linda Lambdin gets groovy at
Tierra Pacifica’s All-School Dance
D.J. Mr.T rocks the house with a variety
of dance tunes.
kindergarten-8th grade was
invited. So you could hang out
with your 1st-grade buddies or
dance with your 7th-grade friends
— it didn’t matter. Many people
enjoyed having an all-school
dance, though some would have
preferred just 6th and up. Either
way, the dance was a fun event
for everyone. Parents were
required to watch over their kids,
but they also showed off some of
their great moves.
what would it be?” Linda’s
response was “I would have one
every week!” Everyone had a
great time — and there will
probably be even more people at
the next school dance after
hearing what a great time
everybody had.
Overall, everyone had a
great time and the ratings ranged
from 6-10. The gym was packed
with people and 99% of them
were dancing. When asked the
This was an all-school dance, question “If you could change
which means everyone from
one thing about the school dance,
PAGE 2
AROUND CAMPUS
T.P., Are We Trendy?
comfortable t-shirts with skinny jeans
are popular at TP
by Lalita Kane
Redwood
•••
The answer to the question of
whether Tierra Pacifica students
are trendy is, “No, we’re not!”
But this doesn’t mean we’re not
fashionable. At TP, we’ve found
the balance between comfort
and fashion that expresses our
personalities.
To find out what students at
TP are wearing, I made some
observations — and set out to
interview students.
T-shirts bearing messages of peace and
love are frequently seen on campus
In 2009 our school switched
from regular or boot-cut jeans to
The hairstyles at our school
skinny jeans. Skinny jeans are
now a very popular thing to wear; are all great. For girls it’s usually
hair down or up in a nice
almost half of Tierra Pacifica
ponytail. For guys it’s usually
students wear skinny jeans.
much easier: short and straight or
Tierra Pacifica girls love to
short and curly. But, once in a
wear Ugg boots, because they
while, the younger grade boys
keep their feet warm and look
wear Mohawks.
good with almost every kind of
This spring, I interviewed
pants. A little bit more than 50%
of the girls at Tierra Pacifica wear students from our school, asking
them questions including “What
Ugg boots — but of course they
is your favorite color?” I found
put their running shoes in their
that six out of seven people in our
backpacks so they can still log
school like the color purple.
miles on the field!
Another question I asked was
At Tierra Pacifica, we like to
“What is your favorite outfit?”
wear pictures or logos with
The older grade response was
messages of peace and love on
skinny jeans and a plain colored
our clothing. We also love to
shirt because they’re perfect for
support our charter school by
any kind of weather. The younger
wearing our own school logo on
grade response was shorts and a
our shirts and jackets.
shirt with a crazy design.
Rather than following trends,
Tierra Pacifica students seem to
do a good job choosing clothing
styles that fit their personalities.
And as far as fashion goes,
comfort is the most important
thing on campus.
2010-11 FASHIONS:
Skinny Jeans!
!
Ugg Boots!
Plain T-shirts!
Simple hairstyles
Purple hues
PAGE 3
BOOK REVIEW
The Hunger Games Leaves
Readers Starving For More
by Molly Olmstead
Redwood
•••
Would you ever volunteer to take
the place of your sister in a fight
to the death with 23 other teens?
That's exactly what Katniss
Everdeen does in the gripping
novel, The Hunger Games.
“I think the book was written
very well. It has a good amount
of action, suspense and romance,”
said T.P.C.S student, Dakota
Shankland.
The post-civil-war U.S. is now
divided into 12 “districts” and the
Capitol. The Capitol has kept a
stronghold over the districts, who
are poor and exist primarily to
supply it. Each district has a
certain trade. Katniss Everdeen, a
sixteen-year-old girl, lives in
District 12, the mining district
somewhere in the Appalachian
mountains.
characters' feelings. I would
Katniss is the oldest child highly recommend this book to
in a family whose father died in
anyone willing to take a dark look
the mines of District 12. She
at a world where America took a
hunts to feed her frail sister, Prim, different path.
and their depressed mother. She is
not yet old enough to work in the
mines so she has to find other
ways to feed her family. It is
Prim's place she takes in the
Games.
Each year, the Hunger Games
are held by the Capitol. One boy
and one girl between the ages of
twelve and eighteen is selected
from each of the districts to
compete. The children fight to the
death, with only one child
surviving. The games are
televised, like a sick reality show.
Hunting with her longtime
hunting partner, Gale, Katniss
provides their family's main
source of food . Peeta, the Baker's
son, is chosen as the Male tribute
participant in the Hunger Games).
“The book reminds me of all
the reality TV, only it's taken
things to the extreme,” states
T.P.C.S. Parent, Kelly Olmstead.
The Hunger Games is a
fantastic book, with heroic
characters, an exciting plot,
compelling questions and great
writing. Suzanne Collins makes
you feel you're actually inside the
game. You understand the
Author, Suzanne Collins
PAGE 4
SPORTS
Wall Ball Player Numbers
Skyrocket: Too Many
Body Blocks and Crashes
by Griffin McKenzie
Banana Slug
•••
Double. Fly shot. Normal.
Roofie. An under-therainbows. Cross country.
Bullet. “Out!” I yell, and we
all crowd in for another game.
Sebastian is now the server,
and starts out on a single.
Welcome to the world of wallball. It’s related to handball,
which has been played in
many countries for several
decades. It’s a popular
playground game, and has
been played at Tierra Pacifica
Charter School for some time
now.
Jack Smetana Hansen, a
sixth grader at TPCS, summed
up the idea of the sport. “It’s
kind of a fun game. You hit the
ball and hit the wall.”
Wall-ball has many rules,
moves, and skills. Rules
include that the first person to
get out has to stand in the back
of the line, the second to get
out is next to last, and so on.
Some of the many moves
include roofies, babies, bullets,
cross countries and fly shots.
Skills include hand-eye
coordination, timing and good
sportsmanship. All of this
makes for a fast- paced and
popular game for which you
need a quick wit.
Even though Wall Ball is a
popular game, there are some
problems. Some kids use
others’ rules. Some use their
own rules. Some people use
old-school rules, which
include under-the-rainbow and
roofies. So within one game,
several players could be
playing under different rules.
Think what would happen if
this was in a professional
baseball game!
Another problem is
overcrowding. When a game
first starts it will have five to
ten people, but after fifteen
minutes there will be twice as
many people. Body blocks
happen when too many people
are playing at once, and this
can lead to a lot of pushing,
bumping and yelling.
Jack says one of the biggest
problems are body blocks.
“Sometimes people who are in
line do pink elephants.” This is
running out in front of the ball
in the middle of the game, and
it can mess up the score and
cause disqualifications.
Right now the group is
considering solutions.
Wallball continued on page 8
PAGE 5
PARENT PROFILE
Mike Ruymen: owner/chef of
Pasta Mike’s
A Mouth Watering Taste
of Opportunity
The history of a local pasta
business, Pasta Mikeʼs
by Savanna Dayton
Banana Slug
•••
What do you get when you
blend health with a feast?...
Undoubtably, Mike’s pasta.
Last year, Tierra Pacifica was
lucky enough to experience
Pasta Mike — an enthusiastic
and expert pasta maker. Mike
Ruymen served his organic
pasta to Tierra Pacifica
students as part of the hot
lunch program. Though Pasta
Mike’s food was irresistible, he
could only come every other
Wednesday. Linda Lambdin,
the school principal, had
dreamed of an everyday hot
lunch program for years, so
when she found Revolution
Foods she had no choice but to
let Mike go. He’s still making
pasta, though — and Pasta
Mike’s organic creations can be
found in health food stores
throughout Santa Cruz .
Pasta Mike’s is a 3-man
business, operated mainly by
Mike. But his life is not all
business — he is the father of
two children, his son, Satchel,
and his daughter, Sarah, who
currently goes to Tierra
Pacifica. Besides pasta and
children, Mike has many other
hobbies, like cooking, baking,
Pasta Mike’s original pasta label: Positive
Pasta
biking and anything to do with
art.
as “Positive Pasta.” Every night
from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., they
would crank out pasta. Their
Pasta is his ideal choice; he arms were sore and because of
even wrote a book about it!
their lack of sleep they were
When asked what his
getting cranky. Mike finally
inspiration was, he replied,
decided he had to get a
“This sounds weird, but without machine. After that, things went
my mother I truly don’t believe so smoothly he decided to start
I would be making pasta.” His
a restaurant — but soon he
Italian mother had always made went bankrupt. After shutting
pasta so he was raised with
down, Mike started hearing
experience.
people complain: they missed
Mike’s pasta. He decided he
It all started when Mike was better work harder. Eventually,
working at a restaurant in Santa he earned enough money to
Cruz. One of his partners had
start his business again.
taught him how to make pasta
and everyday he would bring
Pasta Mike’s has changed a
some pasta home and give some lot over the years, but one of
to his girlfriend. Eventually, she the first changes was from the
suggested he start selling it but hand crankers to a machine.
he needed her help and she was Then he decided to start
too busy. Then he got a second delivering by car instead of
pasta cranker and jokingly
bike. When he first started, he
suggested that they start a
Pasta Mike’s continued on
page
7
business. The joke came alive
PAGE 6
AROUND CAMPUS
Tierra Pacifica Jumps For
Joy at the Thought of a New
Building
by Dakota Shankland
Redwood
•••
Is a school’s dream finally
coming true? How is the building
going to affect the school? How
will the students adapt to the loss
of playground space the building
will take up? Some people think
this room will have a big impact
on the students, others think it's a
great way to have a better
education, and that it holds
opportunities for stuff we don't
usually do.
The building was in the
original plan for the school, but
we didn't have enough money for
the construction. Two years later,
due to parent donations, we are
finally going to to have this new
building. The room should arrive
in June.
“If there were no donations,
we wouldn't have this room or a
lot of other things," says Linda
Lambdin, the school principal.
“I’m completely amazed!"
And how do the students feel
about another room? “I LOVE
the idea,” says Tierra Pacifica
student Ella C. “If I had the
whole room to myself, I would
have a music room with a variety
of instruments. You would be
able to walk in, pick up an
Model of Tierra Pacifica’s new building
instrument, and play it!"
The new building will be used
as a classroom, freeing up the
gathering room for music,
cooking, dancing, art and rainy
day activities.
The design of the building is
very simple, similar to the rest of
the classrooms. Linda says, “It
will look and be amazing. There
will be skylights so during a
bright day you won’t have to turn
on the light."
The building will be the first
'green' building at the school.
“We’re one step closer to being a
green school!" Linda adds.
In all, the whole school is
excited and happy for the
building to come. Parents,
students and teachers can't wait
for it!
Pasta Mike’s continued from
page 6
delivered by a bike with a cart
attached to the end of it. After
going bankrupt, Mike knew better
than to employ a lot of people so
he also reduced the amount of
workers. Last of all, Positive
Pasta has become Pasta Mike’s.
Mike’s Pasta is full of
nutrients and high-quality
ingredients. One of his healthiest
sauces is the red sauce. It is full
of vitamin C and nutrients from
the fresh vegetables. Also, dough
pasta is much more healthy then
the average dry pasta. “I keep it
simple,” said Mike. “Just raviolis
and noodles.”
Pasta Mike’s effort and
dedication to his career has been
the reason for his success. If
everyone had the same attitude
Mike used while he was out of
business the world would be such
a better place. Over all he misses
us and says, ‘‘I kinda miss it—it
was my only chance to hang with
the kids.’’
PAGE 7
SOCIAL ISSUES
Would You Say It In
Person?
by Violet Gilliam
Redwood
•••
But unkind words on a computer
screen can hurt just as much as
unkind words said in person.
Here are some tips from the
National Crime Prevention
Council to prevent cyber
bullying:
• Never give out personal
information online, whether in
instant message profiles, chat
rooms, blogs, or personal
websites.
It is hurtful, harmful, and it can
happen to anyone.
Cyber bullying is using
technology to send cruel
messages to hurt or embarrass
other people.
Cyber bullying is a nationwide
issue that most commonly
affects the age groups 10-24,
according to the Cyber Bullying
Research Center.
Common venues to be bullied
on include Facebook, Twitter,
email programs and text
messaging.
“Cyber bullying is using the
internet and cell phones to
harass people,” said Kristin
Schrandt, the counselor at Tierra
Pacifica. “A cyber bully can lie
about who they are.”
Since cyber bullies hide behind
a computer screen, they often
say things online they would
never say to someone’s face.
• Never tell anyone but your
parents your password, even
friends.
• If someone sends a mean or
threatening message, don't
respond. Save it or print it out
and show it to an adult.
• Never open emails from
someone you don't know or
from someone you know is a
bully.
• Don't put anything online that
you wouldn't want your
classmates to see, even in
email.
• Don't send messages when
you're angry. Before clicking
"send," ask yourself how you
would feel if you received the
message.
• Help kids who are bullied
online by not joining in and
showing bullying messages to
an adult.
• Always be as polite online as
you are in person.
Wallball continued from page 5
They could have more games
with smaller groups, but there
isn’t space on the court.
Whatever the idea, everyone
should be involved regarding
rules and decisions. It should be
a democracy. When everyone is
involved, they don’t feel left
out. Recently, the team met with
Mrs. Bowman to create a
playlist that everybody can
respect.
Last week Jack and I had a
conversation where I asked, “If
the server had the only say in
the sport, what do you think
would happen?”
He replied, “I think it would
be complete and utter chaos. It
would go something like
‘You’re out, you’re out, you’re
out....’” I agreed. “That would
be a pretty short game,” I
muttered.
Wall Ball must be democratic
to work, otherwise everyone
will be fighting. Players must
know and respect the rules, the
server and each other. Rules
should be clear and known to
everyone: how can you follow
the law if you don’t know what
the law is?
Playing with a group is a
good way to get coordinated and
get to know other people. When
the group works well as a team,
it teaches valuable citizenship
skills.
PAGE 8
AROUND CAMPUS
Revolution Foods:
Good Or Bad?
First, I interviewed Linda
Lambdin, the school principal. I
asked Linda how she feels about
by George Martisius"
Revolution foods. Linda
Redwood
responded, “Revolution Foods
•••
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! was the best supplier of healthy
foods. “Most parents (90%)
“Yuck,” my Grandpa Darryl
wanted Revolutionary Foods
Rooney said. That’s all he said
when he volunteered in his school because their food does not
contain trans-fat or sugar. They
cafeteria when he was a boy.!
have a lot of veggies and they use
“They serve you the grossest
some organics.”
stuff,’’ he remembered.
!!!!!! Over the years, cafeteria
foods have gotten worse and
worse. Obese children are
popping up everywhere.!Is this
due too their diet? Yes, Indeed.!
For children of today, the two
main
meals are
at home
and
school.!
!!!!!!
Tierra
Pacifica
now
purchases
hot lunch,
also
known as
cafeteria
food, from Revolution Foods.
The questions most students ask
are, “Is my food good for me?
Will I get fat? Will I get sick?”
She added, “I feel sad when I
think of all the kids that have
diabetes so it is important for our
kids to eat healthy.”
!!!!!! The next day, I interviewed
some kids. I ask them, “What do
you think of the lunch program?”
“It’s good, some days and bad
others,” they replied.
For my next question, I asked,
“What food do you like and
why?”
!!! “I like the hamburger and
spaghetti because they taste
good,” one kid replied.
“Not really,” she said. “I felt like
I was eating fast food.”
“How do you feel about
Revolution Foods?” I asked.
“I actually have not heard of
this company,” she said.
“However, from what you have
told me about them, they sound
like a decent company that gives
children the nutrients they need to
have fun and grow.”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After my survey, I think Tierra
Pacifica has made a good choice
with Revolution Foods.
Then I asked, “What food did
you hate and why?”
“One day they made this
burrito (and) it was bad,” said one
student. “I hated it. Why did they
put potatoes in it?”
My friend said to me, “I just need
Next, I interviewed people
to know some answers!” I saw
from
the community.! I asked a
my chance to find out and I
community member named
grabbed it.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lindsay if she liked cafeteria
food.
PAGE 9
TEACHER TALK
by Jennifer Proudfoot
Redwoods / Banana Slugs class teacher
•••
Question: What physical activity could you never live without?
“Walking. I love hiking and
walking because it clears my
head and makes me feel at
peace. Also, it’s the one
physical activity I don’t
dread!”
— Ms. Bowman, Spot Teacher
“Surfing. I started in 6th grade,
but I stopped (when) I got into
rock climbing. I climbed every
peak above 14,000 ft from here
to Alaska. Then my heart
doctor told me I had to give it
up, so I gradually got back into
surfing.
— Mr. Trin-Halprin, Spot Teacher
“Biking. It is so rewarding to be
able to get so far, so fast on your
own power. From the time
you’re five years old you realize
the fun and the usefulness of
riding a bike. It’s perfect.”
— Mr. Dennis, Redwoods/Banana
Slugs Class Teacher
“Dancing. Even with two left
feet, the music just carries
me away and I forget that I’m
even exercising.”
— Jennifer Proudfoot,
Redwoods/Banana Slugs Class
Teacher
“Dancing. It’s great exercise,
but it’s also really fun! You
can be expressive and tell a
story with your dance.”
— Juliet Lohrey, Suns Class
Teacher
“Walking. It relaxes me and
clears my brain. I can get
centered while I’m getting
good exercise.”
— Beth Edmonson, Redwoods/
Banana Slugs Class Teacher
“Yoga/Stretching. It makes
my body feel good. It’s a
great de-stressor.”
— Laura McFarland, Oaks Class
Teacher
“Definitely walking. We live
near downtown, so we can
walk to do our shopping, or
to entertainment. We take
walks as a family and our
two dogs love it, too.”
— Tiger Prior, Suns Class
Teacher
“Walking. My family takes
walks as a means of bonding.
It’s a German thing; they hike
and walk a lot. On a walk you
can see the world in a slower
way than you can from a car.”
— Verena Reece, Music and Math
Teacher
“Hiking. I love being out in
nature. It’s cheap, and every
time I go I can take a
different trail to see
something I’ve never seen
before.”
— Erin Edwards, Redwoods/
Banana Slugs Class Teacher
“Swimming. It’s as close to
flying as I can get.”
— Adrian Garsia, Oaks Class
Teacher
“Walking/hiking. It’s a form
of mediation. It’s a time I can
be out in nature, feeling good
with friends, or just on my
own.”
— Tiffany Waddell, Hearts Class
Teacher
PAGE 10
THE BACK PAGE
Bodhi Stahl and Mack
Hesson placed in the top three in
the spring track meet.
Notes from the Track Meet
by Bodhi Stahl"
Spot Class Correspondent
•••
anxious to go run.
Finally, my first event
was up: The 1600 meter
FROM THE EDITOR
I’m so proud of all of
the
hardworking staff rep
orters who
collaborated with su
ch enthusiasm
and dedication to cre
ate this first
issue of Tierra Pacifi
ca Times! I
hope this will be the
first volume in
a continuing tradition
of student
journalism at Tierra
Pacifica
Charter School.
race. My time was in the
When I first arrived at San
high 5:40s or the low
Lorenzo Valley High School,
5:50s — and I got second
I was full of butterflies in my
place in my division.
stomach. It was our first
Mack Hesson placed 3rd
track meet of the season.
in the 100-meter dash
But that was just the
and also got 1st place in
beginning of the butterflies:
Warmest regards,
the long jump. Mack
When the Tierra Pacifica
Hesson and I were the
Lily Dayton
track team met on the field,
only kids on our track
everyone got even more
team that placed in the
butterflies in their
top three. The Tierra
stomachs. All the other
Pacifica track team did
schools had around eight
very well for only
was a very exciting and fun
times as many members on
practicing two times a week, time. I would recommend
their track teams as we did.
and at the end only one time that everyone try track.
Everyone was nervous and
per week. The track meet
ABOUT TIERRA PACIFCA TIMES
STAFF REPORTERS
Tierra Pacifica Times is a student-created
newspaper, written by members of the Tierra
Pacifica School Newspaper Elective class.
Under the mentorship of instructors/editors,
students came up with original article ideas,
researched their topics, conducted interviews,
wrote stories and took photographs or
illustrated artwork to run with their pieces.
Savanna Dayton
River Fullmer-Gray
Violet Gilliam
Lalita Kane
George Martisius
Griffin McKenzie
Molly Olmstead
Sarah Ruymen
Dakota Shankland
TIERRA PACIFICA TIMES
ISSUE no. 1
VOLUME 01
Spring 2011
Tierra Pacifica Charter School
986 Bostwick Lane
Santa Cruz, CA! 95062
EDITORS
Lily Dayton
Jennifer Proudfoot
PAGE 11