Pearson PowerSchool - North Olmsted City Schools

.
North Olmsted Middle School
27351 Butternut Ridge Road, North Olmsted, OH 44070
Mr. Tom Dreiling, Principal
Mrs. Mary K. McDade, Assistant Principal
Quarter 2, 2012-2013
Our quarterly newsletter is written and published by our 7th grade computer students using Microsoft Word. They spent
countless hours interviewing, researching, and compiling information for their articles. Please enjoy seeing North
Olmsted Middle School through the “Eagle Eyes” of our students. Mrs. Walters, computer teacher
Mr. Dreiling, Principal
Interview by Steven Hauer & Zach Rondeau
We interviewed Mr. Dreiling and asked him what life lessons that students should learn
because of the rules they have to follow in the middle school. He stressed that avoiding
rumors is important. If someone wants to tell you something, they should say it directly to
your face. North Olmsted Middle School discourages rumors because they hurt others’
feelings and sometimes lead to fights. We also asked him what his favorite subject was in
school. He said math. Actually, he was a math and science teacher before becoming a
principal. However, he believes all subjects are important for students to be well -rounded
and well-educated.
Mr. Dreiling would like to thank all the
parents for their overwhelming support.
Pearson PowerSchool
Monitor your child’s grades online.
Usernames and passwords were mailed
home September 28th.
To log in and create an account, go to the
N.O.C.S. website or log onto
https://psno.nccohio.org/public/home/html
With questions or technical problems,
contact the guidance department at
440-779-8504
Scan our QR code to
be immediately
connected to the
middle school
website.
Visit our district website: www.northolmsted.org
Special Features
Administration................................................................page 2
Curriculum News ............................................................page 4
Thinking Outside the Nest ...............................................page 8
Headlines ..................................................................... page 12
Students of the Month .................................................. page 15
Sports Page .................................................................. page 16
Crossword .................................................................... page 19
Clubs & Activities .......................................................... page 20
1
Mrs. McDade
Interview by
Josh Klobusnik & Maydy Doleh
I interviewed Mrs. Gradisher and Mrs. Hoffa
about their careers and students here at N.O.M.S.
I asked how they thought the students have
changed since day one. Their responses were,
“7th graders are more confident and comfortable
here, and the 8th graders are looking more grown
up,” Mrs. Hoffa said. Mrs. Gradisher added, “the
students aren’t only more comfortable in classes,
but overall more comfortable.” The next question
was “What are some of the life lessons that
students should learn because of the rules they
have to follow in middle school?” Mrs. Gradisher
replied, “getting along with other students and
being kind to others whether they like
them or not. Also, what you put into
school is what you get out of it
academically and socially.” Mrs. Hoffa
said, “being true to themselves and not
being afraid to stand strong.” I then asked
Mrs. McDade is new to N.O.M.S.,
but has both enjoyed and
survived her first quarter. Mrs. McDade doesn’t think
the students have changed, but she thinks she has, by
learning what it takes to be a good principal.
Mrs. McDade thinks that students should learn some
life lessons like taking responsibility for their actions,
believing in themselves, and having an “I can” attitude.
She also hopes that parents have had a chance to log on
to Pearson Power School. Some activities she is looking
forward to are W.E.B. socials,
dances, girls’ basketball, boys’
“North Olmsted
basketball, and many more.
parents, you have the
greatest kids in the
world.”
P.T.A. is important because
students get to benefit from their parents’
involvement in school activities. Students may come
to understand that teachers and parents really want
to help them grow, develop, learn and enjoy it!
P.T.A. is cool because students get to participate in
fun activities they would not be able to otherwise.
P.T.A. works with the student council to sponsor
dances. This year, two dances will be held. If you like
to be with your friends in a fun, non-school
atmosphere,
The P.T.A. is hosting a blood drive
come to the
during parent conferences on
dances!
January 31 from 3:30 - 7:00. It
By Sara Czarnecki
will be held in our cafeteria.
What do you get
when you turn Justin
Beiber upside down?
them what influenced them to
become guidance counselors?
They answered: (Mrs. Gradisher)
“I knew I always loved to help kids
and families.” (Mrs. Hoffa) “You
get to know people in a different
way.”
By Grace English
“Even when kids can be difficult at
times, love them to pieces and hug
your kids every day.”
Hi
BLUB
BLUB
BLUB
BLUB
A mop
BLUB
BLUB
2
Attendance Reminders
Please call the following number when your student is absent or will be coming in late to school:
440-779-8503
When your student has a doctor/dentist appointment that takes place during school hours,
please provide a note from the medical appointment when your student returns to school.
If your student is absent a minimum of two full days and you would like to request homework
assignments, please call the attendance office before 8:00 a.m. The work can be picked up after 2:30.
Cafeteria
The cafeteria serves many different things. The most popular is pizza according to my classmates. Out of 47
students polled in my classes, 21 pack lunches and 26 buy. So, out of 26 buyers, 11 like pizza, 6 like pretzels, 1 likes
the hot dog, 1 likes mash potatoes and 2 like the chicken nuggets. The cafeteria provides healthy lunches that
promote students to stay fit.
By Emanuel Mills
By Gabe Colon
Let’s build a snowman! First we need to have a really
(adjective)
snowstorm, of course on a
__(adjective)__ day. Watching all that __(color)__ snow fall makes me __(verb)__ for a bowl of
__(adjective)__ __(vegetable)__!
__(exclamation)__ it’s still __(verb/ing)__ and there’s a lot of it!
Let’s go! Next is __(Verb/ing)__ to go out in the cold. Once that is done, we need to get busy. We
make a __(noun)__ and __(verb)__ it in the__(place)__.
It gets so __(adjective)__ we can’t roll it
anymore. Then we do __(number)__ more and stack them on top of each other. We __(verb)__ for
__(noun)__ in the driveway for the __(noun)__, eyes and __(noun)__.
Mom gives us a scarf, hat,
and __(vegetable)__ to complete Mr. __(person)__! __(exclamation)__ he’s done! Finally.
3
SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT
MATH DEPARTMENT
Social studies is cool because students get to think like people
from the past and imagine what their lives would have been
like. Social studies is important because students get to learn
about why things are the way they are. A knowledge of the past
helps people understand today’s world. 7th graders have been
learning about Ancient Greece. They just finished studying
about the Battle of Thermopylae and its role in preserving
democracy throughout the world. 8th graders have been
learning about all the events that led up to The American
Revolution. They are now learning about the war itself.
Jamilia Najjar says that her favorite thing about social studies is
that her teacher always allows students to look at their notes
for quizzes. Sara Gazvoda says her favorite thing about social
studies is getting to know the history of our country.
By Rachel Gazvoda
I interviewed Mrs. Contenza, the math
department chair. Mrs. Contenza thinks
math is cool because you get to think, but
also important because you use it in
everyday life and in your future career. She
has been teaching math for about nineteen
years so she is very experienced. So far,
algebra students have learned to factor
while the other 7th graders have been
learning about percents, graphing, and
graphing equations. I interviewed Sean
Kronz, a 7th grade algebra student,
regarding what he likes about math. He
said that he likes to solve different
equations in algebra and he just likes math
overall. The 8th graders have learned how to
factor binomials and trinomials. I also
interviewed Phillip Re, an 8th grade math
student. His favorite part about math is all
of the extra credit.
By Colin Dunn
SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
This school year Mr. Schopf has been teaching both 8th
and 7th graders. The 7th graders have been working
with cells and heredity. Sunny Heer said that he had
fun and he liked learning about the cells the most. He
said it took a lot of studying for the test!! It was a hard
topic for some of the students, but most of them liked learning
about it. The 8th graders have been working with roller coasters
that deal with energy and matter. The roller coaster shows how
the energy transfers to the coaster. I asked Mr. Schopf if he
thought the students liked working with this stuff. He said, “Yes,
they are able to build on prior knowledge and expand what they
know by doing lots of hands on labs.” Science is cool because
students get to do hands-on activities and learn by doing,
instead of just reading it out of a book
By Domonic Guzzo
Study Island is
coming soon.
YAY!
7th grades on the red team working on a timeline since the
beginning of the world for a science project.
4
LANGUAGE ARTS DEPARTMENT
This past quarter has been a busy one. Both 7th and 8th grade have been working extremely hard on getting ready for
OAA testing as well as reaching the grade level standards. Both grades have been working on text features and text
structures. Text features include such things as bold print, titles, subtitles, graphs, charts, etc. Text structures are how
an author writes. It is based on what is written, who is writing, as well as who the audience is. Text structures include
cause and effect, compare and contrast, chronological order, order of importance, and problem and solution, to name a
few.
7th graders have been busy working on fact and opinion and analyzing tables. The author’s purpose is stressed. Why do
authors write? They write to inform, persuade, or entertain. Comprehension and defining words in context are always
stressed especially while reading our novels. Examples of novels 7 th graders are reading are Stargirl and MaYan just to
name two of the many. 7th graders have also been working on using reference material. There is always so much to do
in 7th grade.
While getting ready for the high school, the 8th graders are working on several important items in language arts like the
author’s purpose and why authors write. Writing for an audience and identifying what audience authors are writing to
are also being discussed. 8th graders have been reviewing their prefix, suffix, and roots definitions and how they are
used. The 8th graders are continuing to work in literary circles for reading and comprehension.
The students have taken their second quarter assessments and are continuing to make fabulous progress. Content
standards are always in the forefront and both 7th and 8th graders are working hard to meet their goals.
Health & Beauty
It’s GALLY (Allison+Gabby) here giving you 5 tips on Health and Beauty!
Acne:
Avoid using heavy foundation; it will make acne worse.
Eating junk food and not washing your face will create more.
Never pop your pimples.
By Allison Roath & Gabby Ocasio!
Hair:
Don’t use straighteners unless you have heat/hair serum that protects your hair from heat damage.
If you have curly hair and want straight hair, blow dry it first, apply protective serum, and then straighten
it. That will make your hair extra straight!
I know it seems cool to dye your hair because everyone does it. However, when dying your hair, make sure
you don’t bleach it; that will make your hair fall out. If you dye it a dark color, you might want to get a
good dye so it doesn’t fade out.
New trends:
UGGS®
The North Face®
Skinny Jeans (LEVI’S®)
Phiten’s
Mac, Bare Minerals™, Smash Box™, Baby Lips™(make up)
Diet:
Eat veggies, meat (protein), fruit and other healthy things.
Try to avoid eating a lot of junk food and drinking a lot of pop.
Try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day.
Attitude:
Keeping a positive attitude will make you look good and feel good.
Even if you get mad, try to think of happy things!
Keep calm and carry on because YOLO!
5
Mrs. Demby
Mrs. Wolshuck
Mrs. Sanborn
Ms. Sereika
Mrs. Bittinger
Mr. Hart
Mrs. Sandru
Mr. Hausknecht
Mrs. Curran
Miss Holecko
Mrs. Holecko
Mrs. Baerenstecher
Mr. English
Mrs. Whitehouse
Mrs. Kuharik
Solutions on page 22
6
Miss Mohar
By Saajan Patel & Shehrazad Ahmad
K
A
C
H
A
L
K
B
O
A
R
D
S
E
H
L
Y
W E
R
W T
F
O
O
T
B
A
L
L
S
T
I
R
Y
U
I
I
L
I
A
O
P
A
T
M R
D
R
A
K
E
J
H
G
F
D
L
S
E
A
A
E
K
E
N
U
M B
E
R
S
B
K
C
R
C
L
A
E
I
R
P
E
N
O
L
A
J
H
T
K
Z
B
R
Q
R
R
T
U
Y
I
S
H
E
B
A
X
O
W A
M V
N
B
V
C
K
G
D
O
N
C
B
O
P
S
A
I
S
D
N
E
F
S
A
D
V
E
R
T
Y
E
Q N
E
E
T
K
P
R
F
B
G
B
L
A
C
R
W G
P
B
Z
I
D
I
N
N
I
P
R
I
N
C
I
P
A
L
R
S
E
M
O
R
A
N
G
E
T
R
O
L
X
I
E
L
E
P
Y
B
O
O
K
S
U
A
L
C
T
W D
Q
U
C
A
V
S
U
E
A
G
L
E
S
Hey you
wanna
hear a…
joke?
What do you
call a fake
noodle?
NO.
Okay so
I’ll tell
you.


















FOOTBALL
CHALKBOARDS
SMARTBOARD
KYIREIRVING
DRAKE
BOOKS
BASKETBALL
PRINCIPAL
TECHED
EAGLES
BLACK
ORANGE
PENS
PENCILS
ERASERS
CAVS
ILIA
NUMBERS
NO
.
An
impasta!
Shut
up.
No
7
Technology Education
Mr. Hart’s Tech. Ed. class has been working very
hard this quarter. 7th graders learned about
safety at home, school, and at work. They also
completed the design process, while 8th graders
completed their modular assignments. Tech. Ed.
is cool because students get to hang out with
Mr. Hart. Tech. Ed. is important because
students get to think creatively and explore new
career activities. Mr. Hart’s favorite color is
blue. A 7th grader, Adara Lewis, said her favorite
part of Tech. Ed. was flying the rockets. An
8th grader, Heather Reber, said her favorite part
of Tech. Ed. was Mr. Hart always helping out
students and being very nice and funny.
By Maura Lang
Sean Rogers and Garrett Fess won the
contest for the rocket that traveled the
longest distance. Pictured above.
8th Grade Computers
important because students get to experiment with
creating different multimedia projects. They then have
different ways to present information to an audience. This
will help them in high school and beyond.
Mrs. McCullough said that 8th grade computers is a lot of
fun. Most of the students are more mature so they stay on
task more than 7th graders do. They also enjoy working
with computers and especially music, which also helps to
keep them on task.
I interviewed two 8th graders and they said that they loved
creating their own songs. Those two 8th graders were
Abby Nola and Emily Kemp.
By Jared Zarefoss
7th Grade Computers
I interviewed Mrs. Walters about her 7th grade computer classes
for this quarter. I asked her what the 7th graders learned. She
answered by saying, “7th graders have learned how to type,
write letters, format reports, make comics, make power points,
and learned about internet safety.” Mrs. Walters also said, “7th
grade computers is cool because students get to learn all the
neat tools in Microsoft Word and how to use them creatively.” I
asked Mrs. Walters to finish the following sentence: 7th grade
computers is important because students will be… She replied
by saying, “7th grade computers is important because students
will be using this software for the rest of their lives.” I asked
Mrs. Walters why she wanted to be a computer teacher? Her
reply was, “I’m a hands-on learner and I like teaching hands-on
skills to students.” I also asked Grace English and Izzy Torres
what they like most about this class. They both agreed their
favorite part is being able to be hands-on learners and learning
to type for ten minutes each day.
By Sareen Mustafa
I interviewed Mrs. McCullough about
8th grade computers. She said that the
8th grade computer classes worked on many
different multimedia projects using Sony
Vegas Movie Studio. One of the things that
they did was create their own mini audio
mixes. They also worked on videotaping and
producing infomercials for products they
created.
8th grade computers is cool because
students get to make their own crazy, corny
infomercials.
8th grade computers is
8
$$ Financial Literacy $$
Physical Education
My
favorite
classes are gym
(or P.E. as we are
supposed to call
it), advisory and
lunch.
This
th
quarter, 7 grade
classes learned
to stay active and have fun. Mr. Kaufmann likes
7th grade gym classes because they have tons
and tons of energy. Brian DeChant said that he
likes P.E. because they get to play basketball
and a bunch of other fun stuff. 8th graders did
the same activities as 7th graders. Seamus Kean
likes P.E. because he likes taking a break from
all the work in school. It keeps him active and
wakes him up in the morning. The teachers are
great! P.E. is important because students get to
be healthy. P.E. is cool because students learn
to be tough both mentally and physically.
By Deeb Najjar
The art department is
happy to take
donations and art
supplies. Just give
them a call.
Thanks.
I interviewed Mrs. Walters about teaching finance. Mrs. Walters
said that this quarter students learned about couponing,
spending money, credit cards, the stock market, and budgeting.
Mrs. Walters’ students held a taste test with cheese curls. The
taste test was between Cheetos and Giant Eagle brands. In the
taste test, Cheetos won hands down and Giant Eagle came in
second. Finance is important because students get to save
money for the future and learn the value of money and time.
Mrs. Walters said that in today’s economy, Americans can’t rely
on social security so they need to start learning to save money
now while they’re young. Mrs. Walters would like to thank the
manager of Giant Eagle for donating $30.00 to buy products for
the taste test. I interviewed Allison Roath and she said, “I like
financial literacy because you can
learn about money and learn about
the world for the future.” I also
interviewed Hillwa Oudeh. She
said, “I like financial literacy
because you can learn how to save
money, use coupons and learn
which banks to put money in.”
By Adara Lewis
The Art Department
In art, 7th graders have been creating portraits and 8th graders have been
working on various individual projects. Art is cool because students get to draw
and put their expressions in paintings. Art is important because it lets students
show off their creativity. I interviewed a couple of students. One 7 th grader said
that he likes art because he is not confined and has the freedom to be unique and can still get a good grade. He thinks
Mrs. Pisanelli is awesome! An 8th grader said she likes art because she gets to express herself and she loves to draw.
By Johnny Kresila
Hello
doctor.
I have some
bad and
horrible news.
The bad
news is
you’re
going to die
tomorrow.
What’s the
bad news?
9
I forgot to
tell you
yesterday.
Notes from our Music Department
th
th
I had the privilege of interviewing Chair of the Music Department, Mrs. Whitehouse, about the amazing 7 and 8 grade groups.
Here are her answers to a few questions I asked:
Q: What have your groups done this quarter?
A: Band, Orchestra, and Jazz Band have all reviewed and practiced so everyone is at the same level. All groups have worked very
hard to prepare for the concert. Band started at the beginning of the year. Jazz Band started in October, after school on Thursdays.
This group is a chance for instruments, other than the basic band instruments, to play music. These instruments are guitar, d rums,
baritone, and various percussion instruments to name a few. We also learn about improvisation.
Q: Any upcoming events?
th
A: All groups performed a concert on Thursday, December 13 .
th
The concert was phenomenal. There were solos by flute and baritone in jazz band, and a violin solo in 8 grade orchestra. All
groups played unique holiday songs and kept everyone in the audience entertained. Each group played 2-4 songs, and they
executed them flawlessly. Everyone was awarded with an outstanding applause and we can’t wait for next year!
Music is cool because you get to be creative. Working together is important becau se students get to learn from one another.
th
th
I also interviewed students from 7 and 8 grade from each group. Here is what they have to say about their favorite part of the
different music groups:
th
Band:
8 Grade: Hannah Croston
th
7 Grade: Laura Goduni
My favorite thing about orchestra is the songs we play.
My favorite thing about band is getting to play music with my
Jazz Band:
th
friends.
7 Grade: London Hughes
th
8 Grade: Taylor Panzerella
My favorite thing about jazz band is the fact that the music
My favorite thing about band is the music we play.
isn’t typical and boring.
th
Orchestra:
8 Grade: Sabrina Barghouty
th
7 Grade: Allison Flatico
My favorite thing about jazz band is that the music is cool and
My favorite thing about orchestra is the songs. They’re
has a good beat.
happy, energetic, and fun.
By Jasmine Hasanain
Choir
Our middle school needs a little music. The perfect way to get music is from our choir! The teachers
that direct the choir help every day to get the students ready for performances. The glee club is also a big part of our
school’s music program. Containing beat boxers and singers, the glee club provides a perfect way to sing if joining the
choir is not possible. The fantastic voices fill the halls after school. Choir practices every day, and glee club practices
every Tuesday and Thursday. On December 18, the 7th and 8th grade choirs and glee club members put on a show! The
concert choir and the accapella group from the high school also perf ormed. For five dollars, they brought smiles to
everyone’s ears. Check out our website for more details! These awesome musical groups will surely speak to you!
I asked some choir and glee club students what their favorite things were about their musical groups. Their responses
are below.
Supreet Attar – “Mr. Phan is really funny and he helps us when we’re struggling.”
Hope Frederick – “Even if you mess up you can still try again.”
Taylor French – “We always laugh and have fun.”
Mallory Scott – “I like singing with my friends.”
By Allison Flatico
Drama Club
Aladdin
March 22nd
Drama club is cool because students get to do things they wouldn’t normally get to do at home. Some kids even use
technology while setting up the stage, lights, and audio for the productions. Auditions for drama club were in January
and the upcoming performance is in March. They will be performing Aladdin on March 22 nd. Mr. Greene was in drama
club when he was in high school. He said it was amazing and he still talks to many of the other people that were in the
club with him.
By Isabella Torres
10
zz
Solution on page 22
Sudoku | By Hunter Baylon
By Grace English
Mrs. Contenza,
you wouldn’t
punish me for
something I
didn’t do, right?
Ha Ha. Do you want to know where it will be even funnier?
No,
why?
Because I
didn’t do my
homework
Where?
A lunch detention!
Oh. Ok, I guess I’ll start
doing my homework…
11
4. What do you do in your free time?
I seriously do not have much free time. I work 13 hours
a day. I have a mile walk to work and a mile walk back.
By the time I get back and eat, I am so tired I just want
to sleep. There's not much to do here anyway except
watch movies on your laptop, so if I did have freetime, I
guess that's what I'd do. Or just hang out with my
friends. There is a coffee shop down the road that we
sometimes have a chance to go to.
Letters from Miss Craigie
Even though Miss Craigie is
in Afghanistan, I got a chance
to interview her over the
internet. She answered the
following questions:
1. Have you seen any violence?
Some - we have rocket attacks quite frequently, but
fortunately they usually miss all their targets. The only
thing they've destroyed so far is Pizza Hut, which was
very devastating to those of us who love pizza and
cheesy sticks! Sadly, there have been a lot of roadside
bombs. I, personally, have not been involved in any of
those but people in my unit have. No one has been
seriously hurt in those yet due to the armored vehicles
we drive. Our vehicles have also been hit by rocketpropelled grenades. Again, I have not personally been
involved in that but several of my friends have been hit,
but no serious injuries (again due to the armored
vehicles we have). Although I have not seen this, the
Taliban is known for using children as shields because
they know we won't shoot back at them. Their method
works, but it must be very scary for the children.
5. Do you miss Ohio?
YES!!!!
6. What is the first thing you want to do when you get
home?
Go to Olive Garden with my family and eat some real
food!
7. Which do you like better, teaching or being in the
Army?
Definitely teaching. There are some cool things I get to
do in the army, but teaching is so much more fun and I
feel like I'm making more of an impact on people's lives.
8. Are you going to share stories about Afghanistan
when you get back?
Yes -- I love to talk, so I can't imagine NOT sharing
stories.
2. What kinds of vehicles do you drive?
We drive vehicles called MRAPs. They are all armored.
Many have netting around them too, to stop the rocketpropelled grenades from hitting the trucks. We also
drive trucks that are military versions of tractor-trailers.
We haul just about anything. We even hauled a broken
down helicopter.
3. What type of educational system do they have in
Afghanistan?
Right now, the educational system is better under their
current government. If the Taliban ever takes back over
(which many predict will happen when the troops all
leave permanently), it will probably go back to the way
it was. Girls will no longer be allowed to go to school.
And even the boys mostly don't go to school. Many
grow up to become soldiers. I read an interview many
years ago and the boy (who was a soldier) wanted so
badly to be able to go to school, but instead he had to
fight in the Afghanistan army. He was only around 12
years old. I think they realize that if the boys are
educated, they won't want to fight in the army. So they
limit their education.
Armored MRAP
To keep in contact, send letters to:
SSG Chris Craigie
1486 TC
KAF
APO AE 09355
12
Kalahari
Presidential Election
The Kalahari trip was fun. I got to go because I sold
fifteen boxes of cookie dough and some magazines. We
left at 9:00 am and came back at 3:00 pm. A lot of kids
went; both 7th and 8th graders. We got free pizza and a
bottle of pop and were allowed to run off by ourselves
until 12:45. That is when we had to change clothes and
meet up for lunch. Our trip to Kalahari was really fun!
I’d like to thank the volunteers for coming with us.
By Brian Doyle
Barrack Obama was elected to
his first term in 2008. He ran
against John McCain and won.
Mitt Romney was elected
Massachusetts Governor in
2002. Last quarter, Eagle Eye
Reporters held a mock
election. Obama won with 70%
of the total votes. The real
2012 election was much closer. Obama won the 2012
presidential election with 332 electoral votes, while
Mitt Romney had 206. The key state was, of course,
Ohio. It was a close race. Obama had 50.1% and
Romney had 48.2% in Ohio.
By David Kenney
Dessert Drive
There was a food drive at the middle school during
November. The staff thought it would be
fun to make it a contest. Students were
encouraged to bring in non-perishable
dessert items. When it was over, the red
team won by about 100 items. Since the
red team won, they got to have a popcorn
party. It was well worth it to help the
needy.
By Josh Klobusnik
Parent Teacher Conferences
The 7th grade conferences were fun. When I went,
there was a desk with a sign-up sheet so you
would have to wait to talk with that teacher.
When it was my turn, all of my teachers said that I was
doing a great job at school and to keep it up. I think that
the conferences are fun for you and your pare nts
because you can show them everything that you have
been doing at school so far. Also, if you go to
conferences, I think it shows that you’re supporting
your school by going to things like that. I think the
conferences for 7th graders were awesome.
By Brianna Luptak
Afro Blue
On Friday, November 2, students from the middle
school and high school bands, orchestras, choirs, and
glee club were pulled out of class to see a spectacular
performance. We got to see Afro Blue, a singing group
who won NBC’s The Sing-Off. My friends and I were very
excited. At the beginning, they introduced themselves
then went straight into laying down beats and singing
their funky Jazz. The entire performance only lasted 57
minutes and I was disappointed to have to leave so
soon. Overall, the performance was great and the
school should definitely bring Afro Blue back next year.
By Christopher Sherman
Snowball Masquerade Formal
On December 7th , there was a snowball masquerade
formal! It was held in the gymnasium. Many people
didn’t wear masks, but I did. It was white with black and
white feathers and it was epic. It was spectacular to see
everyone dressed up all fancy. There was cool music,
sweet beverages, and tasty snacks. It was loud and the
music was booming! The tickets were $5 at lunch or $6
at the door. Everyone was
dancing in a big group, but
some people stood on the
sidelines and watched.
By Hana Arabi
13
overwhelming. Jasmine Hasanain said, “Last year I was
run over by a shopping cart. This year I was hit with a
cart and fell over!” Moufideh Allan said, “People were
literally playing tug of war with clothing.” Lexi Kipp
agreed with Moufideh that the stores were just trashed.
“The lines were too long and my overall experience was
ok but it was slightly overwhelming,” said Lexi. Many
teachers agreed that Black Friday was just plain crazy.
Mrs. Walters said “You couldn’t pay me 150 billion
dollars to step foot into the mall on Black Friday.”
Sareen Mustafa added, “I had a great time shopping.
Everyone was kind and the prices were too good to be
true!” Some people actually enjoyed Black Friday
shopping while others thought it was terrible. Were you
brave enough to go Black Friday shopping?
By Grace English
Red Ribbon Week
I interviewed Mrs. Hoffa and Mrs.
Gradisher for Red Ribbon Week. It
took place on October 22nd, 23rd,
and the 24th. The reason we had
Red Ribbon Week was to raise
awareness to make healthy choices
and for kids not to do drugs. Two events that took place
were that the students signed a drug free banner and
received a wristband and received a lollipop for wearing
red. Red Ribbon Week raised awareness of living drugfree and alcohol-free lives to the middle school
students.
By Imani Donovan
Snow Days in
October?!
8th Grade Polaris Visit
On October 31, November 1 and
November 2, 2012 North Olmsted
School District and many other
districts around North Olmsted
didn’t have school or power. A week
before the power outages and school closings in Ohio,
Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast causing many people
to lose their homes. Fortunately, for Ohio, we weren’t
hit as bad as states in the east. On October 31st, the first
day off of school, I was at my cousins’ who had
unfortunately lost power. Luckily for me, my house
never lost power so my mom told my cousins and aunt
to come over. The first day wasn’t so bad. Everyone was
excited not to have school, but everyone was a little
disappointed that they had to postpone trick-ortreating. The second and third days out of school were
boring. With no power, I don’t know how kids
entertained themselves before technology! But, on
Friday, November 3rd, school resumed and most people
regained power. I never thought I’d say this, but I was
actually excited to go back to school!
By Megan Gaines
At the end of November, 8th graders took a field trip to
Polaris. I interviewed some of them and they told me
that it was really fun and they got to learn different
things. 8th graders told me that they toured the whole
place and learned little parts of each type of vocation.
Some careers that the 8th graders learned were
cosmetology, welding, and machinery. I can’t wait until I
visit Polaris next year!
By Meriam Al-faleh
Gingerbread Houses
The web leaders held a gingerbread house building
contest with the 7th graders after school on Friday
before break. They provided candy, icing, graham
crackers and a lot of fun. The teams that were the best
won IPod cases, headphones and hats. The two themes
were tropical resorts and
winter wonderland. It
was hard to keep the
houses together, but
after an hour of building
them, the
students
actually got to eat them.
By Kyle Lange
Black Friday
This year during my Black
Friday shopping experience
I had a very calm and
enjoyable time with my
family. Unfortunately, not
everyone had a good time.
Many students said that
their experience was not
worth the sales and slightly
14
Student of the Month
Student of the Month is one of the highest honors bestowed upon a student at North Olmsted Middle School. Students
are selected by their team teachers, as well as by their specials teachers. These students are chosen because they show
respect toward others, are productive students who work to their ability, and display a positive attitude. We are very
proud of all of our Students of the Month. The following students were honored for the month s of October, November,
and December:
By Erica Spiezio
7th Graders
Mia Cichowski
Kolbi Holston
Jamila Najjar
Anwar Shahin
Grace Slattery
7th Graders
October
8th Graders
November
8th Graders
Annie Bloomfield
Jasmine Hasanain
Carolyn Needles
Kyle Sobota
Ghaleb Wahdan
7th Graders
Matthew Hull
Kelly Lavelle
Destiny Remy
Will Samples
Samar Shahin
Jessica Payne
Lian Sandoval
Gabe Schreiner
Mohammed Wahdan
Kaitlyn Zemek
Nicole Clancy
Emily Heidleman
Keith Johnson
Camryn Menefee
Trevon Talbott
December
15
8th Graders
Zach Dispirito
Lauren Osadczuk
Joyoshri Sadhukhan
Pamela Vancs
Abbey Warszawski
Stats from our AD
Today I interviewed Mrs. Kuharik, the Athletic Director of North Olmsted Middle School. I asked
her about the athletic program; she said eligibility rules to sign up for a sport state that a student
must pass 75% of all classes and must carry at least a 1.25 G.P.A. 7 th grade fall sports (sports
during 1st quarter) are exempt from the
1.25 G.P.A. standards due to summer
break. Eligibility standards are the same
To check out the schedules for upcoming games,
at the high school.
visit our website:
Mrs. Kuharik would like to tell N.O.M.S.
parents to always make sure if your child is going to try out for
www.northolmsted.org/MiddleSchool_Athletics.aspx
a sport, they must have a sports physical which is good for a
calendar year. Also, that all students’ eligibilities are
monitored closely. If an ineligible student participates in an
OHSAA-sponsored contest(s), all must be forfeited. It is important to keep a close eye on eligibility. North Olmsted
Middle School sports are a good way to represent your community, your school, your family, and yourself.
By Samer Babi
Cheerleading
Cheerleaders for N.O.M.S. get to have a lot of fun experiences. The cheerleaders get to cheer
every home game, perform dances at half time for basketball season, and do a “Hello” cheer for
football season during half time. They also get to perform dances at the winter pep rally and get
the 7th and 8th graders pumped to compete. Cheering for basketball began after winter break.
“Cheerleading is cool because students get to be entertained by our highly talented and super
spirited N.O.M.S. cheerleaders!” said Coach Curran. Mrs. Curran was a cheerleader when she was
in school and she says it was very fun. Maddy Reich, a 7th grade cheerleader said, “I had a lot of fun this season. It was
good even though the 7th grade football team didn’t have a winning year. The cheerleaders did a great ‘Hello’ cheer each
game. We had an end of the season party when football ended. It was a fun time and I got to meet a lot of new people.“
By Monica Jones
Wrestling
The wrestling team is made up of mostly 8th graders with only two 7th graders, me and Cody Webb. I
think wrestling is cool because we get to “fight” other people without getting in trouble.
I also enjoy being part of a team and riding the bus to away matches. My favorite part
about this season was when I pinned two opponents at the Solon meet. It was awesome!
As of January 10, our team had a record of 7 wins and 4 losses. Unfortunately, the
newsletter had to go to press before we went to tournaments. Coach Kaufmann is very
proud, “All the boys are doing a great job this year.” Impressive records this season are:
Zeyad Nooman 11-3, Alex Gribble 6-0, Chandler Johnson 15-1, and Alahit Ahmed 13-3. Kevin Kelly would
have been really good too if he hadn’t hurt his arm at the beginning of the year.
By Adam Habbas
16
8th Grade Boys Basketball
7th Grade Boys Basketball
By Lindsay Hufford
Mr. DuBroy is the coach for the team. The season
started on January 22 and it ends on March 14. I
asked Mr. DuBroy to finish this sentence
“Basketball is cool because students get to…” and
he said “It’s cool because they all get to work
together as a team.” I asked him how the team
looks? He said that they all look promising because
we have a lot of talented young men who work
hard and are very unselfish. I asked a couple of
players on the team some questions. One of the
questions was, “What is your favorite thing about
practice?” Josh Hufstetler said that he enjoys drills
like, Carolina Numbers, advantage plus, and 11man. Josh also likes to win. Dynis Frigic said that
Coach DuBroy is awesome and basketball is really
fun! He also likes traveling on the bus to away
games. The members on the team are:
Basketball at the middle school is sure different than it
was in 6th grade. Last year was just rec. ball and there
were several teams that played each other. Now, we
have to go through cuts and combine all of our talents
into one team. About forty players tried out for the
team. Sixteen were cut, then another twelve to leave
only a dozen. The team practices every night for an
hour and a half in preparation for their first game on
January 22. Both Brian Doyle and Jon Kramer believe
that their team has a great shot at winning tons of
games. They also agree that the best part about
practicing is doing drills with the 8th graders and the
worst would be the sprints. Brian thinks basketball is
cool because they get to perform and show other
students what they can do. Come on out and watch
the 7th grade boys hit nothing but net.
By Reggie Sulhanic
7th Grade Girls Basketball
The basketball team this year learned a lot and played
their hearts out. We went 2-12
this year beating Roehm both
times we played them. Grace
Slattery said she enjoyed this
season very much and here
favorite part was when we
went to Hot Dog Heaven. Also, Dena Ahmad enjoyed
the season. Her favorite part was during the S.W.C.
game when she scored nine points after hitting three 3pointers. We had a lot of close games and should be
awesome next year as 8th graders.
By Annie Bloomfield
Devyn Baker
Ben Bring
Andrew Bussman
Bryan Concepcion
Dynis Frigic
Brian Harboldt
Josh Hufstetler
Keith Johnson
Jett Kobak
Shunji Nitta
Jae Shin
Matt Wiegandt
Jack Yeager
17
8th Grade Girls Basketball
8th grade had a good season. I asked Coach Sizer how he thought the girls did
this year and he said that he was really happy because they did their best and
tried hard to win. The 8th graders’ record was five wins and nine losses. The
8th graders finished off their season with a win against Olmsted Falls by a score
of 28 to 19 with Nicole Robinson hitting a huge 3-pointer
and
Megan Seighman scoring 4 points. Julie Kemp had a great game scoring 11
points with Mary Fuerst scoring 7. I asked a couple of 8th graders about their
season. Caroline McMullen said, “My favorite part about the season was
becoming good friends with the 7th and 8th grade girls and winning games.” I
also asked her if she achieved her goal that she set at the beginning of the year. She said, “Yes, I tried
my best to be a better basketball player.” I interviewed Allie Yasenchack and Megan Seighman
together. They agreed that their favorite part about the season was making memories that last a
lifetime. Both of them had a goal to improve defensively and learn each team members’ strengths
and weaknesses. They both feel that the team improved since last year. Julie Kemp loved being with
the team and winning games. Her goal was to score ten points in a single game and she achieved
that goal by scoring eleven points against Olmsted Falls. Julie is happy that the team members are so
close; almost like sisters.
By Ronnette Rahmon Sumlin
The ref is
calling
everything!
!!
Jumble| Elise Jarachovic
I know,
right?
Unscramble these four jumbles,
one letter to each square,
to form four ordinary words.
BOR UN E D
Hint: The EAGLE hoopsters were careful not to…
SPINOT
Now arrange the circled
letters to form the
surprise answer
G LAWNIK
EF ERE RE
Solution on page 22
18
By Sean Carney
1
2
7
10
3
8
4
5
6
9
11
12
13
14
17
18
15
16
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
Across:
1. These headphones are called Beats by ___
4. The Road Runner says ____ twice
7. He ______ the halls for Christmas
10. Another word for dirt or silt
12. Short for Albert
13. When in the wilderness, you want to build
a camp ____
14. You yell __ when you fall.
16. The letters on the periodic table for Iron
17. Short for electricity
18. You do this at school
19. Who won the dessert drive?
20. Short for operating system
21. Running backs in football score this.
22. Abbreviation for Burger King
23. ESL Teacher at N.O.M.S.
26. How to say “the” in French
27. 8th grade Math and Language Arts teacher
(200 Hall)
28. A robber saw a ___ and ran away.
29. Students baked ______ Bread Houses in
the winter.
Down:
1. We had a _______ drive to help the needy.
2. A revised statement would have been _____
3. The 8th graders will take a trip to __ in the
spring
4. Let it __ by the Beatles
5. A nickname for Edward
6. Yellow team social studies teacher
8. President Barack Obama won the ________
9. You had to sell 15 items in the catalog to go
here.
11. He _____ the squeaky door.
12. This jazz group performed at the middle
school
15. The ___ of your pants is at the bottom
23. Machine Gun Kelly sings this kind of music
24. The abbreviation for Millennium
Development Goals
25. A female member of any religious order
27.__ be it
Solution on page 22
19
8th Grade Activities
th
Mrs. Caroscio is the 8 grade class activity advisor.
She is planning great stuff for the 8th graders such as
the D.C. trip. They will go to Washington D.C. on
May 29th and come back on May 31st. Their second
fundraiser, Malley’s, started November 7. Students
earn 33% of what they sold toward their trip. Candy
was delivered December 11. Sadly, Veteran’s Day
Ceremonies for the 8th graders at North Olmsted Park
were canceled because of the rain. Mrs. Caroscio is
looking forward to a spontaneous year!
By Moufideh Allan
7th Grade Activities
I interviewed Mrs. Brocone, the activity advisor for 7th
grade, and here is what she said: The 7th graders
have been having a great year. Second quarter,
N.O.M.S. participated in a food drive. The 7th grade
red team won and celebrated with a popcorn party.
On December 21, all were invited to take part in the
W.E.B.’s second annual gingerbread house contest
held in the cafeteria after school. In the spring, all 7th
graders will be going, by teams, to the Cleveland
Botanical Gardens at University Circle.
By Iman Shoman
Horizon
Horizon is a cool place. One can have extra time to
do their homework if they have tons of HOMEWORK!
Another thing is that you can participate in awesome
clubs like Lego Robotics, media, and karate. If you
don’t like those, you can try science club, art club,
and cooking club. These clubs are held on Tuesday,
Wednesday, and Thursday. There is no Horizon on
Friday. Mrs. Dugan and the students in Horizon have
a group brainstorm on what they want to do when
they go on a field trip. There are also many FUN
activities like playing the Wii, going outside when it’s
nice, using the computers, and MANY MORE! The
program lasts the whole school year so you can get
all that extra homework done. If you join Horizon,
you just might have lots of fun. Hope to see you
there!
By Dave Webb
Library/Recycling Club
The Library/Recycling club is participating
in the Adopt-a-Family community effort.
They will purchase, wrap, and give gifts
to a family here in North Olmsted so
they, too, can enjoy the holiday.
Library/Recycling club is cool because students get to
help keep the world clean. It’s fun to go all over the
school and visit former teachers during collection. The
Library/Recycling club scheduled Jack Gantos, a
famous author, to speak at our school. That was
scheduled in the early autumn, but is rescheduled for
spring because of hurricane Sandy.
By Ta’shae Fomby
Spirit Club
Spirit club is a fun club for girls
and boys. I interviewed two of
the four boys in spirit club. I
asked Brendan Cummings
what he thought of spirit club and he said, “We get to
plan everything so we know what’s going on.” Our club
plans things like pep rallies and other activities. There
are mostly girls and only four boys! I asked
Robert Haas what he thought of spirit club and he said,
“The people are nice and easy to get along with.” If
you’re in 7th grade and didn’t join this year, you
always have next year to join! Spirit club is worth the
time and you will get to meet new people!
By Lexi Kipp
Women in Science
I interviewed Mrs. Sereika about the women in science
club, which will not start until next quarter. They plan
to have discussions on science and do some hands-on
learning. Woman in science is cool because you get to
hang out with a cool teacher and learn about the
world around you and have a chance to explore
science outside of the classroom. Meetings will begin
in the third quarter, so stay tuned for more
information. I asked Mrs. Sereika if it were true that
women are smarter in science then men. She said,
“Definitely, most women are smarter than men.”
By Erica Wagner
20
Student Council
This quarter, student council
planned their first dance of the year
and hosted it December 7th. They
have also done community work,
made holiday/greeting cards for
nursing home residents and made a
giving tree. The council plans to buy a new sign for
the school store so students know where it is and
they can stock up on needed school supplies. The
store is located in the west lobby by the auditorium.
Look for a new sign in January! Student council is
cool because students get to run the meetings,
manage the school store, and plan activities for the
school and community. If a student wants to join
student council, they can show up at any meeting.
The meetings are held every Thursday at 7 a.m. New
members’ ideas are always valued and they can also
participate in all of the fun activities.
By Jamila Najjar
Chess Club
Chess club is a great club that you can learn
to play chess and have fun. There is an
upcoming championship that Mr. Schopf
has apparently won for the last three years.
Evan Wasen says that chess is the ultimate
sport and that he is the best player in the world.
Trevon Talbott is one of the most skilled chess
players I have ever met and he says that everyone
should join chess club because it is awesome.
By Christopher Brunst
Ski Club
Mr. Hart has been advising ski club
for seven years now. Ski
club
members started skiing on January 8th. Mr. Hart
says, “Ski club is cool because he gets to hang out
with the kids and go skiing and snowboarding with
them.” Ski club will be going to Brandywine Ski
Resort this year. Mr. Hart’s favorite part about skiing
is going over the moguls, which are hills that you ski
over.
By Celeste Okulovich Seifer
Bowling Club
I interviewed Mr. Hart, the bowling club advisor. I
asked him what the club did this quarter. He said bowl.
I asked him to finish this sentence: “Bowling is cool
because students can______.” He said bowl. He is a
man of few words. Bowling club is over for the year,
but he said students can still bowl at Buckeye Lanes for
$7 for fun. I asked Mohammed Wahdan what he likes
most about bowling club? He said he likes to have fun
and set records. Also, I interviewed Becca Sweany,
Megan Juergens and Nicole Clancy regarding what they
like about bowling club. They said they like to hang out
with friends and learn new techniques.
By Kareem Darabed
Intramural Games
Intramural games is a fun club. You get to play a lot of
sports like football, soccer, kickball, lacrosse, and
dodge ball. Intramurals is cool because students get to
hang out with Mrs. Holecko. The intramural games
play every Thursday after school until 3:15. Mr. Wolf
likes intramural games because he gets to see kids in a
different environment other than the classroom.
Ilia Aleksic likes intramural games because he gets to
play a lot of different sports. Jared Zarefoss likes
intramural games because he gets to play sports and it
is fun. Intramural games is really exciting and you get
to meet new people.
By Josh Trexler
Yearbook Club
Everyone gets really excited to
get their yearbook at the end
of the year, but not everyone
knows the hard work that
goes into making the
yearbook. Mrs. Opdycke runs
yearbook club and it’s LOTS OF
FUN! The yearbook club this quarter is picking out
some designs for the yearbook and looking through
pictures that could possibly be in the yearbook.
Yearbook club is cool because students have a say in
what goes into the yearbook.
By Hayley Nagy
21
Computer Club
I interviewed Mr. Roman, the advisor of computer
club. He said the club will be doing lots of
interesting activities like learning to use Publisher,
web cams and Power Point. To Mr. Roman,
computer club is cool because students use topics
of interest to build a website.
By Gregory Melnyk
W.E.B.
Interviewing Mrs. Bestor:
Q. What has W.E.B. done this quarter?
A. “We had two big themes, a big social and an Iron
Chef Gingerbread contest.”
Q. Please finish this sentence. W.E.B. is cool
because students get to…
A. “…meet other people they might not otherwise
get to know.”
Q. Do you have any upcoming events planned? If
so, what are they?
A. “W.E.B. leaders are going to a conference to
find out how to be the best W.E.B. leader they can
be.”
Q. Do you think students are becoming more
responsible and organized because of W.E.B.?
A. “Yes, I think, again, that students learn more
about their fellow classmates and make a better
environment for our school.”
Student’s Thoughts
Q. What do you like most about the club?
A. It teaches me how to be organized and teaches
me manners. (Colin Dunn)
A. They have good and fun activities. (Saajan Patel)
By Sean Kronz
Jumble Solution:
rebound
points
walking
referee
ANSWER: “FOWL” OUT
10 Differences Solution
1. A candy is gone
2. Smile is gone
3. Star is upside down
4. Snowflake is gone
5. A bow is gone
6. Hair is gone
7. One of the button is gone
8. Dolls dress
9. Stripes on candy cane
10. Ornament
SOLUTION FROM PAGE 6
1. Mrs. Demby; e. Goat; Blue Team
2. Mrs. Wolshuck; n. Wolf; Green Team
3. Mrs. Sanborn; p. Monkey; Green Team
4. Ms. Sereika; a. Cats; Blue Team
5. Mrs. Bittinger; h. Weimeranar; Blue Team
6. Mr. Hart; f. Tasmanian Devil; Green Team
7. Mrs. Sandru; m. Polar Bears; Green Team
8. Mr. Hausknecht; o. Cheetah; Green Team
9. Mrs. Curran; L. Turtle; Green Team
10. Miss Holecko; c. her cat “Pickles” ; Blue Team
11. Mrs. Wolf; g. Elephant; Green Team
12. Mrs. Holecko; b. Golden Retriever Charlie; Blue Team
13. Mrs. Baerenstecher; k. Dog Zoey; Blue Team
14. Mr. English; d. Kermit the Frog; Green Team
15. Mrs. Rogers; j. Labrador Retriever; Green Team
16. Mrs. Whitehouse; r. Labradoodle; Blue Team
17. Mrs. Kuharik; i. Road Runner; Blue Team
18. Miss Mohar; Q. Koala Bear; Blue Team
22
NORTH OLMSTED MIDDLE SCHOOL
BOYS BASKETBALL
2013
DATE
DAY
OPPONENT
LOCATION
01/22/13
TUE.
FORD
AWAY
01/24/13
THUR.
WESTLAKE
HOME
01/29/13
TUE.
AMHERST
AWAY
01/31/13
THUR.
BRECKSVILLE
HOME
02/05/13
TUE.
ROEHM
AWAY
02/07/13
THUR.
AVON LAKE
AWAY
02/12/13
TUE.
OLMSTED FALLS
HOME
02/14/13
THUR.
FORD
HOME
02/19/13
TUE.
WESTLAKE
AWAY
02/21/13
THUR.
AMHERST
HOME
02/26/13
TUE.
BRECKSVILLE
AWAY
02/28/13
THUR.
ROEHM
HOME
03/05/13
TUE.
AVON LAKE
HOME
03/07/13
THUR.
OLMSTED FALLS
AWAY
**7TH grade games begin @ 4:30
8th grade game starts 20 minutes after the conclusion.
COACHES
rev. 10/9/12
SWC TOURNAMENT
MARCH 9, 12, 14
7th @ Amherst
8th John DuBroy
7th John Sizer
8th @ Brecksville
23