Newsletter 2009 - Port Washington School

WHO
IS
HE?
page 3
Spartan Times
Weber Middle School, Port Washington, New York
http://schools.portnet.k12.ny.us/~spartan_times/
Weber Speller Advances To
Scripps Long Island Region
Written Bee
by Mrs. Portmore-Davies
In December of 2008, English teachers Mrs. Portmore-Davies and Mrs.
Denise Fish initiated Weber Middle School’s 1st school –wide spelling bee. The
preliminary competition was a written bee that yielded 38 top spellers. After a
month of preparation and practice, many of these spellers participated on January 13, 2009 in Weber’s official Scripps Bee. Since Sydney Heiden was the
winner of our Bee, she went on to compete in the Scripps Long Island Region
Written Bee on February 10th and, again, was one of the top scorers! This student competed on March 19th, at Plainview-Old Bethpage Middle School in the
Scripps Long Island Spelling Bee Finals! Although she was not a winner in the
Spelling Bee Finals, Weber is proud of Sydney and we congratulate her on her
excellence in spelling.
For her accomplishments, Sydney was presented with the Certificate of
Excellence by School Board President Larry Greenstein at the March 17 Board
of Education meeting.
T h e En
ri
ght Inter
vi
ew :
Enri
right
Intervi
vie
T h e Secret Li
fe o
f th
e
Life
of
the
American Teacher
by Cameron Appel and Julia Zeh
Do you ever wonder what goes on in (Blue 7 Science Teacher) Mr.
Enright’s head? There isn’t much in there, but we still wanted to find out. We
visited him during our lunchtime and asked him the questions everyone wants to
hear answers about. Here are the questions we asked him and his well thoughtout answers.
Cameron/Julia: Why did you move from your previous school to Weber?
Mr. Enright: I wanted to be closer to my home, and the class sizes were
smaller. I wanted to really teach. I
had about 36 – 37 kids in a class in
my former school. I also wanted to
coach.
C/J: How does Weber compare to
any other school you taught at?
Mr. E.: Weber is just so much
better. I didn’t have a classroom in
my old school. I was “Science on a
cart.” It wasn’t fun. Also, there were
no after school sports. (continued
on page 2)
Lincolns On The Loose!
(see page 3)
CLUB
CORNER;
TALENT
SHOW!
page 4
Science Olympiad Team
Places 6th in the State
Championships!
Congratulations are in order for Weber’s Science Olympiad Team,
who finished in 6th place out of 38 New York State schools in the State
Championship on Saturday, April 18 at SUNY New Paltz. The team won
7 medals, including 1st place medals in Meteorology and Experimental Design. The team qualified for the State Championships in early March after
placing 2nd in the Science Olympiad Regional events and winning 20 medals. Team Two placed 6th and won 10 medals at this same event. Congratulations to both teams! The team has been working very hard all year,
with multiple practices afterschool and on Saturdays. They are a very committed and diligent team. Weber is very proud of all the team members,
alternates and Coaches Mr. Grande and Mr. Buchman.
The winner of the
“Name That Snack Table” contest
is.....see page 3!
Creative Arts
Festival
Brings Out
The Best
in
PEP students!
(see page 2)
Weber’s Drama
Club brings
The Music Man
and
Prof. Harold
Hill
to Weber!
See page 4
Table of Contents
Pages 2 and 3: Weber News
Page 4: Club Corner
Page 5: 6th and 7th Grade Happenings
Page 6: 8th Grade Halls of Fame
Page 7: Interviews; Opinions
Pages 8: Book Reviews
Page 9: Creative Artists and Writers
Page 10: “An Out of This World Experience”
Page 11 and Back Page: Games; Spartan
Sports
Weber News
Reminder: Reading lists with required summer reading guidelines can be found by visiting the District
website: www.portnet.k12.ny.us. Click on the “schools and programs” link, then choose “Weber Middle
School.” All students may also obtain copies of grade level lists from English teachers and the Port
Washington Public Library.
We wish Ms. Mesa, former Social Worker at Weber, good
luck as she returned to her position at the North Shore Family and
Child Guidance Center in early March. The “Helping Each Other”
Club, of which Ms. Mesa was the advisor, met for the final time on
March 4. Thanks to Ms. Mesa and her club members for their
community service and dedication to the “Helping Each Other”
Club.
P.E.P. News
Students have been learning about the judicial system of the United
States. Students played the role of a jury in deciding a variety of cases and
began to understand how difficult it is to get all members of the jury to agree
with one another to reach a verdict. Important U.S. Supreme Court cases
were also reviewed, including a case which gave students their Miranda Rights
(“You have the right to remain silent...”).
After watching the classic film, “Twelve Angry Men,” 7th and 8th grade
students began to prepare their own cases for a mock trial about the Lindbergh
Kidnapping case, known in its time as the “crime of the century.” 6th graders
did their own experiments to see how differently people can perceive the same
event and how that impacts on eyewitness testimony in a trial.
(photos, below)
Mrs. Meadows,
PEP Instructor and
Mistress of Ceremonies and students
enjoying the performances
What? P.E.P. Creative Arts
Festival
When? February 10, 2009
Where? A.P. Room
Why? Creative, artistic
expression!
T h e En
ri
ght Inter
vi
ew :
Enri
right
Intervi
vie
T h e Secret Li
fe o
f th
e
Life
of
the
American Teacher
continued from front page
C/J: How do Blue House kids compare to Green House kids?
Mr. E: All kids are similar. They are all funny, and they like to learn. It’s all
good.
C/J: How do Blue House teachers compare to Green House teachers?
Mr. E.: See, now, that’s a touchy subject. We had the best house last year.
Mr. Joseph, Mr. Dowling, Mrs. Sanicola and I worked together for four
years. Although, I’ve got a great group this year, too.
C/J: Do you truly think Mr. Bass is funny?
Mr. E.: He definitely is! I’m pretty good friends with him. He’s VERY
funny. He’s also witty, too. I’m sarcastic, but he’s got the jokes.
C/J: Where do you come up with all the things you say when you pick
up the phone?
Mr. E.: Things just come to me. I have issues. Hey, at least I admit it!
Everything I do is a joke. I was even joking on my wedding day. I didn’t
know I had a microphone attached to me. So when I heard the recording, I
was commenting on everything and everyone. When I REALLY need to be
serious, I pretend.
C/J: How do you rate the people in Blue 7?
Mr. E.: Oh, kids are great. I like this age, even when I was in Queens. Kids
are different, and have different cultures, but they’re kids, and you deal with
them and that’s that.
C/J: Why do you like to teach?
Mr. E.: Oh, I love what I do. I look at it this way. If you’re driving to work
and you’re miserable and on the way you say, ‘Ugh, I have to go to work
again,’ you’re in the wrong job. I whistle to work. I’m here early and I’m
here late. Every year my lessons change, so it’s always interesting.
C/J: Is it your main goal in life to torture your students? Or is that Mr.
Bass’s goal? Or both?
Mr. E.: I think it’s both of our goals. I guess it’s working.
We couldn’t resist making our interview a little more challenging.
We decided to play a “question and answer game.” Mr. Enright could
only choose one answer, not both.....
C/J.: Corned beef or cabbage? Mr. E.: Corned beef. Anything meat.
C/J.: Notre Dame or your children? Mr. E.: (Without Hesitation!) My children. My children easily. You’ve got nerve!
C/J.: Connor or Keira? Mr. E.: Ooooh, that’s not fair! It’s even. But, Keira
being Daddy’s little girl, she’s got me wrapped! Of course, Connor’s my little
buddy.
C/J.: Shackel or Joseph? Mr. E.: Hehehe! Those two are even. They’re
awesome, the best; great teachers. Even after 30 years of teaching, I don’t
want them to retire. I probably lean more towards Shackel, because he’s sarcastic, just like me. But the way Joseph is with kids, he’s unbelievable. Joseph
is Mr. Clean.
C/J.: Shamrocks or leprechauns? Mr. E.: Oh, McMillen. That’s the
leprechaun’s name.
C/J.: Girls’ soccer or boys’ wrestling? Mr. E.: Hmmm. Wrestling. Yeah, I
like wrestling. It’s probably more my type of sport. I jumped over to girls’
soccer. But lacrosse is my favorite!
C/J.: Us or them? Mr. E.: Us. It’s always us. Hehehe!
C/J.: Mets or Yankees? Mr. E.: METS! But, NOTRE DAME over all of
them!
Spartan Times Staff:
Editors: Luke O’Connell, Robert G., Benny Scheckner
Reporters: Jesse Epstein, Jack Simon, Cameron Appel, Julia Zeh, Sandra Kumwong, Shoshanna R., Sarah S., Naomi Boico, Jamie Sall. Photo Scanner:
Julia Zeh. Fun Page: Tal Oren, Faith Ausfresser. Artist: Nicole Boyd. Opinion Page: Jack Simon. Freelance Writers and Photographers:
Mrs.Hall, Ethan B., Mrs. Portmore-Davies, Mrs. McAuliffe, Mr. Grande, Hanah Fagan, Mrs. Kornfeld, Holly Hubsher, Michelle Kim, Janessa Miller, Ms.
Duffy,, Ms. Wright, Weber PE Department, Reed Kalash, Claudia Varner. Sixth Grade Happenings Editor: Shoshana R. Web Masters: Benny
Scheckner, Iggy L. Typists: Sandra K., Mirian Molina, Cameron Appel, Julia Zeh. Creative Writing Page: Sarah Sturman. Printer:New Media
Printing. Advisor: Mrs. Susan McAuliffe
Page 2
Letter From the Editors
Who is Mr. Mickus?
Well, we believe that there is only one way to sum up this paper
and that is with a highly disciplined form of Japanese poetry: Haiku!
Enright, Kid Rock and
Skiing, Bob Button, Sports pics,
Emily, Iggy!
Nothing like good haiku, eh? There are many exciting articles in
this edition including page 10 for Naomi’s interview with Bob Button,
page 9 for Sarah’s creative writing and poet of the month, Emily
Dickinson. Stop-n-Snack, Club Corner, and Halls of Fame make for a
great edition. Our last edition as editors! On to High School for us!
Sincerely, Benny S., Iggy L., Luke O., & Robby G.
by Jesse Aaron Epstein
Weber STARS
Many students and staff members at Weber Middle School go through
their day being respectful and caring, helping those with crutches, holding doors
for others, helping a student who has dropped their books, or saying a gracious
“thank you” to others. However, once a month, those recognized for these little
random acts of kindness are noted with a Weber STAR award. A Weber
STAR is a student or staff member that displays one or more of the following
qualities: respect, responsibility, good character, commitment to community,
academic improvement, effort, and/or exemplary behavior.
Every Weber student or staff member has a chance to be a Weber
STAR! May/June STARS will be announced during the week of June 22.
Congratulations to following the STARS from January, February, March and
April:
Grade 6: Hanthony Lopez, Iliana Ioannides, Sameer Nanda, Matheiu Guerra,
Ledner Giron, Eric Klug, Jared Klug, Stephanie Martinez, Aimee Levinson ,
Natale Scotto, Ethan Bookstein, Alyssa Marshak, Veronica Aguirre.
Grade 7: Stephany Lopez, Aeduck Lee, Stephanie-Ann Thomsen,
Elijah Wood, Chloe Margulis, Annie Kim.
Grade 8: Erin Condon, Caleb Im, Robert Gray, Adam Gatehouse, Christine
Corbo, Alex Zahn, Yume Morimoto, Kim Nahas, Emma Zorfass,Victoria
Bensen, Kate Fishbin, RJ Beil, Alex Zimmerman, Hanah Fagen, Ashley Berliner, Kelly McDonough, John Meyer, Daniella Philipson, Ray Illiano, Ethan
Kerr, Eric Tiktin, Nathan Tang, Joey LaRocca, Isabella Tallarico, Aura Yanes,
Andrew Cullen, Taehoon (Tony) Kim, John Blum, Ashleigh Scialo, Debbie
Oyarzun, Luke O’Connell, Jonathan Bellon, Ali Seltzer, Patricia Hoban,
Victoria Brown, Alex Polk, Anna Guerra, Marni Wilkoff , Gina Hernandez
Perez, Aaron Moslow, Andrew Cullen, Rina Suzuki, Taylor Eisenberg.
Mr. George Mickus (pictured, left) is
a sixth grade Latin teacher at Weber. Mr.
Mickus has retired from full-time teaching and
has been teaching at Weber, one period a day,
since 2005. Since most Weber students do
not know him, I decided to interview him.
Mr. Mickus went to Fordham University for
his undergraduate degree, and Yale University for his Master’s degree. Mr. Mickus was
a High School English teacher in Northport
(Suffolk County) for the first 15 years of his
career and also taught American History for
a short time. When Northport High School
needed a Latin teacher, they asked him if he
was interested because he had studied Latin
in College. He took a Latin refresher course and then took the position. He has
been teaching Latin ever since – for the last 25 years! Mr. Mickus enjoys
teaching Latin and thinks it is important because it “hooks us into the past in a
way that studying history may not, because when you look at the way a language works, you understand a culture and a civilization better.” Mr. Mickus
also enjoys teaching about Roman and Greek mythology. He believes that
many ancient Romans and Greeks did not actually believe in the mythological
stories, but told them generation after generation to explain science and nature
before technology gave us the explanations that we have today.
When he was in college he wanted to be a doctor, but he changed
his mind after taking advanced chemistry, and realized that it was not his “cup
of tea.” Mr. Mickus then realized that he wanted to become a teacher because
he had some very good teachers in the past who inspired and influenced him.
But, he never thought at that time that he would ever be a Latin teacher. Mr.
Mickus realized that even though you can study a certain subject in college,
“your career can take different, strange paths that you did not anticipate.” Mr.
Mickus is really glad that he studied Latin in high school and college because it
gave him the opportunity to become a Latin teacher, which he really enjoys.
I asked Mr. Mickus whether the name “Mickus” derived from
Latin because the subject case for the masculine singular noun in Latin is “us.”
He laughed and explained that Mickus is actually a Lithuanian name, and any
similarity to Latin is pure coincidence!
k!
Welcome to the Stop-N-Snac
Stop-N-Snack
The winner of the “Name The Snack Table” contest is 6th grade Green House student Jesse Aaron
Epstein (pictured, right). Jesse’s suggestion, Stop-N-Snack, will be the new name for the cafeteria snack table.
The contest began with suggested names submitted by students to members of the Human Relations
Club during lunch periods. The Human Relations Club then took the five best choices and included them on a ballot
form distributed to all homebases the following week. After students voted during homebase, Weber’s Student
Government tallied the results and the final name for the designated area was chosen. The winning name, Stop-NSnack, will serve as a springboard for the HSA to design decorations for the space.
Jesse’s winning entry, “Stop-N-Snack” will now grace the new snack space in the cafeteria to the side
of the food service area.. This contest was sponsored by a combined effort of the Human Relations Club, Student
Government, and the Weber Home School Association. Thank you to all who contributed to this exciting contest!
School-Wide Enrichment
by Mrs. Hall
Lincolns On The Loose
The School Wide Enrichment group recently finished its unit on
World Art. Students created Benin tapestries, which tell stories in brightly
colored cloth, and decorated masks for Mardi Gras and Carnival. The next
unit will focus on exploring adventures through the alphabet. Some of the
projects that we are working on include Asian inspired jewelry boxes, butterfly wind chimes, clay sculptures, and dream catchers. SWE meets as follows:
“A” days —6th and 7th grade and “B” days—8th grade (during your lunch
periods). Come and join the fun. All are welcome!
The Math Olympiad Contest is completed. Thank you to all
who participated. Official scores and awards will be posted next month.
(continued from front page)
Mr. Grande and Ms. Robles’ Green
House 6th graders honored Abraham Lincoln
by dressing as the popular 16th President on
the anniversary of the popular President’s
200th birthday. 6th grade Green House student Mike Bellomo (right) celebrated the
200th birthday of President Abraham Lincoln
by creating a stove-pipe hat and beard that
he wore to school. Most interesting about
Mike’s homemade costume is that his stovepipe hat contained reminder notes inside just
as President Lincoln is said to have done when
he was our sixteenth President.
Page 3
Club Corner
.....
Corner.....
The Music Man
by Holly Hubsher
On February 6th, 7th, and 8th, The Music Man came to town! The audience
enjoyed the hilarious lines, fabulous costumes, and the wonderful plot! In the
play, a con man named Harold Hill, comes to Iowa to sell band instruments and
promises to teach the children how to play them, even though he doesn’t know
how to play them himself! Throughout the play, Harold meets the interesting
people of Iowa, who have very interesting sayings and songs! When the town
figures out that he is a liar, Harold is prepared to leave, but realizes he has fallen
in love with the local librarian and refuses to leave town. As soon as the mayor
finds Harold and is about to punish him, the whole town sticks up for him and he
is saved! Some of the popular songs from the show include: Iowa Stubborn, 76
Trombones, and Wells Fargo Wagon. Everyone in The Music Man should be
proud of themselves for putting on such a terrific, enjoyable show!
Pictured, below: Cast and crew during a live performance.
Human Relations Club
Talent Show
Friday,
April 3, 2009
The 2009 Weber Talent
Show,
A
FUNdraiser for the
Lauri Strauss Leukemia
Foundation, was held
on Friday, April 3. A
great night of entertainment was enjoyed by all! The auditorium was packed,
filled with excited students and parents as they watched a wide array of talented
Weber performers. There were singers, dancers, musicians,and even actors
gracing our stage. Also present was Mrs. Evelyn Strauss, mother of Lauri
Strauss and founding member of the Lauri Strauss Leukemia Foundation.
Ms. Duffy and Mrs. Lax would like to thank the Human Relations Club
members for their dedication and professionalism as they ran the show. They
would also like to thank all who supported the talent show. With your help, the
Human Relations Club will be able to make a donation not only to LSLF, but
also to the Children’s Health Fund.
WeberGreenUpdate
bySandra
Kumwong
Weber Green Club has
changed Weber by making
it “greener.” We are selling
reusable water bottles that
say “Go Green” on them.
That will save a lot of energy, material, and money
in the future! If you buy a
commercial water bottle, it
will add up to a lot of waste
and spent money over time!
Refilling a commercial water bottle is dangerous to your health because of BPA chemicals that get released
into the water. Weber Green has also distributed recycling bins for the school!
One is for plastic and the other is for paper. Keep recycling in school and at
home! If you did not recycle bottles, they would be in a landfill for hundreds of
years. Please recycle and do what it takes to save our environment. It is our
responsibility to save our planet!
Student Government
by President Arianna Kosloff
The Student Government hosted “Spirit Week” during the week of
February 9-13. Each day had a theme; students and staff enjoyed sports day,
crazy hair day, pajama day, dress for success day, and teacher-student switch
day. During fourth quarter, we are going to use some of the money raised from
pizza sales to contribute to buying new uniforms for the Weber Track Team.
We chose the Track Team since it is both a girls and boys sport. The Student
Government will have one more pizza day for all grades as well. We are always looking for new members and ideas! If you are interested, the Student
Government meets on Tuesday mornings at 7:30 a.m. in Mr. Holzer’s room
108.
Page 4
Art Club
by Ms. Wright
Weber’s Art Club meets on Thursdays from 3:15-4:15. The Art Club
is open to all, and students may join at any time. During Art Club, I demonstrate a suggested project, for example, plaster face masks. However, students are not obligated to follow that particular project, but can work independently, using the art studio as a resource. One group of students elected to
work on creating their own comic book characters, using resources such as the
book How to Draw the Marvel Way by Stan Lee and John Buscema. Three
students are learning new water color techniques, and a few are creating original fashion designs. Some are even perfecting extra credit illustrations for their
book reports. The cartoons published for the February edition of the Spartan
Times were created at our Art Club’s “free choice table.” In this edition,
Nicole’s picture of the bird on page 5 was created during Art Club. The Art
Club is a place for free expression and ideas; students are welcome to join us
anytime. No idea the students bring in is rejected!
6th Grade Happenings
7th Grade
HouseNews...
by Shoshana Rabinowitz, 6th grade Editor
As Sixth Grade Staff Reporter, I visited various teachers and asked
them to share some of their units, projects, and class activities for quarter three.
Although the classes are doing different activities, I found out that one thing is the
same: quarter three was very busy for the sixth grade!
All sixth grade core teachers had two big events quarter three: the
ABT (American Ballet Theater) visitations and the Ulysses production. Students learned expressive dance through literature. Mrs. Sharon Frank (Green)
did her formal Greek Debate featuring philosophy loving Athens vs. war loving
Sparta.
Mrs.Cavallo’s students (Green) participated in the River City Project. It was funded
by Harvard University. Students visited computer labs to visit the River City website. One
of The River City Projects allowed students
to pretend to be a doctor who travels back in
time to cure a disease. Yellow house students
also participated in this project as well.
Blue 7 News
The 7th grade Blue House, under the advisement of Mrs. Sanicola, and the 7th grade accelerated students, under the advisement of Mrs.
Kamerer, participated in a Mathathon to raise money
for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for cancer
research. The children got sponsors for solving mathematics problems. There was over $3,000 raised in
all to help the children of St. Jude’s Hospital.
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Yellow 7
The Yellow 7 team has had en exciting semester. The Periodic Table of
Elements rule in science. Math class includes an “Everything you need to
know before the math final (well almost)” review sheet on PEN for the final,
and the English/Social Studies classes have been enjoying the presentations of
students who researched important figures in history such as Rosa Parks, Dian
Fossey, Todd Pennington, Walt Disney, and Roald Dahl. Thanks to Caitlin’s
The Grande/Robles Green Team did ex- awesome presentation as Dian Fossey, the audience didn’t go hungry as she
periments in the Science lab and created Earth shared bananas as part of her presentation as the famous American zoologist!
Brava!
Day recycling posters (pictured, left).
Ms. Mulqueen
(Blue) and her students experimented with chemistry and Mr.
Martin’s students studied Greek
philosophers. Also in the Blue
House, Ms. Mulfield and Ms.
McCarthy celebrated March
Women’s History Month with famous women scientists projects.
Many of the wonderful posters are
hanging in the hallway (pictured,
right).
Over in the Red
House, Mrs. Gianatempo will be
taking pictures while Mr. Smith will
be doing projects.
The Yellow Team of Ms. Silvestri and Ms. Suk participated in the
famous Olympic Games.
The Green 7 Team hallway reminds students that teamwork, effort, and an organized weekly calendar are the
key to success!
Constitutional Convention of 1787
Red 7 Team Reenacts History!
Students wrote and delivered speeches to their classmates as delegates
such as James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington.
Page 5
8th Gr
ade T
eams
Grade
Teams
eams’’
HALL
S OF F
AME
LLS
FA
Blue 8th grade English students of Mr. Novinski created artistic interpretations
of “The Hairy Ape.” (left)
Mr. Holzer’s Blue 8 Social
Studies students’ work creates a border around the entrance to his door (right).
The Blue 8 integrated English/Social Studies unit includes research related to
events during the 1980’s.
Students will be researching,
writing, and creating an original powerpoint that will be
presented to classmates as
a final project assignment.
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
GREEN 8 TEAM AACTIVITIES
CTIVITIES
Yellow 8 students
of Mrs. Sims and
Mrs. Manzo let
everyone know
that they have the
blues (above) and
share their World
War I propaganda
projects with their
peers (right).
The Green 8 team has had a very active final quarter. Mr.
Spotteck’s math students created “rotational symmetry drawings” in class (above). The final English/Social Studies integrated unit focused on research with the final presentation
being a powerpoint demonstration related to the decade of
the student’s choice.
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Red 8 Team Hall
The Red House hallway is colorfully decorated with
math students’ creations of “rotational symmetry drawings”
made in class with math teacher Ms. Silverman (right).
Also during this final quarter, Red House students
have attended a presentation by Mr. Reich, a Holocaust
survivor, have written orginal poetry as an integrated English/Social Studies unit. Red 8 students also created flyers and brochures with weather themes in Science class.
Page 6
OPINIONS
An Interview With....
Michael Szanto
The opinions stated in this paper are strictly the views of the author
or authors and not the views of the Spartan Times Staff
or Port Washington School District.
by Shoshana Rabinowitz
Kid R
oc
k
Roc
ock
In A Play
After the play The Music Man, I interviewed my cousin,
Michael Szanto, whose part was a reporter. He gave me a very interesting
personal account of his experience performing in a play.
Q. What was it like being on stage?
A. I was pretty nervous at first, but after a while I felt better because I
would get to show everyone that I’m a good actor.
Q. What was it like when working with the other actors and actresses?
A. In the beginning it was a little difficult, but later on I got to know the
other actors and actresses and became friends with some of them.
Q. Was it difficult when it came to the singing and dancing?
A. Honestly, I don’t think it was difficult because the songs were pretty
easy to learn and the choreographers were very nice and understanding.
They were very good dancers; they knew what to teach us.
Q. Did you like your part?
A. It was an exciting part because I got to work with three other people
(Wyn, Steven and Eric). I really thought it was not going to be a fun part,
but I really enjoyed it.
Q. Were you already in the Drama Club?
A. No, I wasn’t in the Drama Club. But now I’m starting to go.
by Jack Simon
Sixth graders may have heard me singing Kid Rock songs to myself
in the halls and classrooms. Robert James, better known for his stage name Kid
Rock, is a Rock’n’Roll legend. You have probably heard his most recent hit, All
Summer Long; however, other songs on his new hit album are Amen, Sugar,
Low Life, Half Your Age and Rock’n’Roll Jesus. Some of his old school hits
you have probably haven’t heard are Bawitdaba, Devil Without a Cause and
Cowboy. He could play almost every instrument you could think of: guitar, drums
and vocals. He also worked with another legend, Lynard Skynard. In 2006, he
released the album he had the most hits on, Live Trucker. All Summer Long
was his first worldwide hit. In his own words, in one of his songs that I can’t
mention, he’s “goin’ platinum, sellin’ rhymes, he went platinum, seven times.”
That number stood a long time ago so you can trust me when I say he has gone
platinum many more times than that. There are some who do not like the music
of Kid Rock, claiming it is too loud and obnoxious. One of his most famous
albums, Devil Without a Cause, was certified eleven times as platinum by RIAA,
one of the most of all time. Kid Rock married Pamela Anderson but that marriage only lasted two short months. Which I think makes it obvious that Kid
Rock can not settle down. Kid Rock, in my opinion, could be the greatest
Rock’n’Roll artist of all time.
T he Bo
g,
Bog
The Rhythm of Spain
J
ohnn
y Mosle
y, J
ohnn
y W itt:
Johnn
ohnny
Mosley
Johnn
ohnny
Great Skiiers
by Jack Simon
by Alize Margulis
Schreiber student and former Spartan Times staff reporter
“Ole!” yelled the sixth grade students as they clapped along to the
castanets of the performers. On March 31, Director of the Sol y Sombra dance
company, Ms. Maria Loretta and other members of the dance company performed in the auditorium of Weber Middle School. The Sol Y Sombra dance
company created the image of a street scene in Spain. Ms. Maria Loretta and
her partner glided across the stage as the singers and guitar music drifted in the
air. The Dance Company performed dances based on the Hispanic culture and
language. Ms. Maria Loretta told the students a brief history about Traditional
Flamenco dancing and there was an explanation of the techniques used.
“Traditional Flamenco dancing originated by the Gypsies who traveled to Spain. This dance was performed in the streets or Spain. It is a joyful
dance and is performed in time of celebration. As you all are aware, flamenco
dancing is usually performed with a singer, a guitarist, dancers and other instruments including Palmas (rhythmic hand clapping), footwork and castanets. The
dancers act like the drums, keeping the rhythm in their body to depict stories.”
At the end of the performance students interacted with the performers, performing a short choreography. The Assistant Principal of the Green House,
Mr. Swinson, elaborated on the event.
“When we looked to bring the events to Weber, several things come
into consideration: cultural exposure, academic relevance, and an event which
the students are able to relate to. Watching the kids’ response during the show
addressed all three points. Teachers and students responses were positive.”
The Weber HSA sponsored the performance and extended the invitation to Ms. Nancy Klotz’s dance students at Schreiber High School. The
performance was a connective activity to the master classes that Ms. Maria
Loretta taught to each Schreiber dance class.
“The performance provided Schreiber’s dance students the opportunity to see a full length Flamenco performance with costumes and music; which
reinforced the steps they learned during the master class taught by Ms. Loretta.
The performance was educational as well as entertaining; allowing the students
to experience and take part in traditional Flamenco music and dance. This was a
unique and comprehensive learning experience for both Weber and Schreiber
students.”
Most of you don’t know the famous names I have listed in my title.
These two men are, in my opinion, the best mogul skiers ever. I have had the
opportunity to meet both of them and received an autograph from both of these
greats as well. Another great mogul skier is Johnny Witt. I have had the opportunity to be coached by Bruce Boleski (The Bog) and Johnny Witt. Bog and Witt
are retired now. They saw their coaching tradition passed on to Johnny Mosley,
who came to Stratton Mountain two weeks ago, signed autographs and gave a
jump session. Bruce, when he was younger, was rivals with another great, Wayne
Wong. Bog was the first to do a 1080, which is three spins in the air, in a mogul
competition. In ballet skiing he was able to do an amazing 720 standing up with
all his equipment on. Johnny Mosley was the first to do an Iron Cross 360 in a
competition, which is one full turn in the air. The Iron Cross is when your skis are
behind you and they make an X. He was also the first to invert in competition,
called the Dinner Roll. Johnny, who is younger than Bog, wowed us by doing a
standing up 540 right in front of us. All of these men are great skiers and role
models and inspire me to ski every weekend. I hope they inspire you, too.
The North Hempstead Animal League
Needs Your Help!
by Cameron Appel and Jaime Sall
You’ve probably heard about the North Shore Animal League, but
many people haven’t heard of the North Hempstead Animal League. The
North Hempstead Animal League (NHAL) provides a clean and healthy place
for stray and abandoned animals. The North Shore Animal League (NSAL)
and the NHAL are very similar, but the North Shore Animal League is more
well-known; more people donate money and adopt pets from there.
There are many wonderful animals being care for at the NHAL, like
Daffy, a young terrier mix, or Noelle, a disabled dog that was picked up off the
street years ago with a slight limp and complete blindness in one eye. She has
been cared for at the NHAL ever since and needs a loving home.
If you want to adopt a pet from the NHAL or NSAL, talk to your
parents or guardians because adopting a pet is a big responsibility and commitment. You can help these animals another way: by volunteering. To volunteer at the North Hempstead Animal League, you can visit their website at
http://theshelterconnection.com/shelterinfo.shtml/ or call 944-8220.
Page 7
Book Reviews
Yellow 8 students of English teacher Mrs. Sims contributed two excellent book
reviews for this edition.
JAMES BOND TRIUMPHS AGAIN
SHOPAHOLIC IN DEBT
by Reed Kalash
by Michelle Kim
From Russia with Love
by Ian Fleming
Confessions of a Shopaholic
by Sophie Kinsella
“OK. DON’T PANIC. Don’t panic. It’s only a VISA bill. It’s
a piece of paper; a few numbers. I mean, just how scary
can a few numbers be?”
Ian Fleming does it again, in this action packed, romance filled novel.
From Russia with Love puts James Bond right in the center of the action when
he is forced to overcome his greatest challenge yet. When Russia’s counterintelligence agency, known as SMERSH, forms a nefarious plot against the English
government, only James Bond can save them. With the help of a select few,
including M, an agent of MI-6 (The British Secret Service) and a Turkish spy
known as Darko Kerim Bey, James Bond must stop SMERSH at all costs.
In From Russia with Love, General G of SMERSH formulates a
In Sophie Kinsella’s contemporary novel, fashionable and fun Becky
Bloomwood is introduced for the first time. Becky wants to be that trendy, successful journalist that everyone likes. Her only problem is… she can’t afford
anything.
When the novel starts, Becky is in her office afraid to open her
VISA bill. Becky knows that she is in debt. She has a low-wage job as a financial journalist, but she spends as much as a millionaire would spend. Becky loves
the good stuff: Prada, Chanel, etc. She lives in a trendy apartment in London,
which her roommate pays for. After her attempt at the lottery fails, Becky tries to
cut back on her spending with the help of David E. Barton’s Controlling Your
Cash. She follows his advice, but ends up spending even more than usual.
After bad dates and larger VISA bills, Becky finds comfort in shopping. Becky is so desperate that she tries to marry the fifteenth richest bachelor in
London. She even tries to get a second job, which she fails at miserably. Becky
continues to avoid the bank by making up outrageous excuses such as the death
of her dog and the acceptance of the Lord. Becky lies to the bank and her
parents and she falls deeper into debt.
Kinsella tells the story from the eyes of Becky Bloomwood, who
appears to be superficial and ignorant in the beginning of the novel. However,
Becky grows on us and she becomes our best friend. We cry with Becky and
laugh with Becky. Through Becky she reveals that lying doesn’t solve your problems.
No matter how big your debt is, it is never too late to visit
the bank.
The upcoming movie, Confessions of a Shopaholic incorporates
Kinsella’s Confessions of a Shopaholic and Shopaholic Takes Manhattan.
Kinsella’s Shopaholic books are funny and entertaining, perfect for a movie. We
are able to see Becky Bloomwood come to life and change before our eyes.
Becky has that reality TV show life that everyone can be interested in because of
her dramatic responses to her problems.
In the beginning and middle section of this book Kinsella introduced
us to Becky Bloomwood. Kinsella took her time getting to the main conflict.
Throughout the book, we got to know Becky through her small conflicts and
how she handled them. The whole novel was Becky’s conflict, but there was no
resolution until the very end. Becky’s life was so elaborate, but the ending was
rushed and everything happened very quickly. Confessions of a Shopaholic
was fun and easy to read, and seems like the perfect book to turn into a movie.
Becky has that fun, attractive personality that you can definitely connect to. Becky
is so overwhelmed with her problems we have to laugh at how she handles some
of them. Witty and charming, Becky Bloomwood will capture your heart from
the very beginning.
sinister plan to not only destroy the English Government and MI-6, but James
Bond as well. SMERSH’s head executioner, Red Grant, and the beautiful agent
Tatiana Romanova are assigned to the task of ending James Bond’s life. The
only way to fool the English Government is to lure James Bond to a foreign
country that has some tie to Russia (Istanbul). With the help of Kronsteen, a
master planner, and all of the other extremely sinister agents of SMERSH, the
odds are against our hero. When SMERSH introduces the Spektor Machine
(an invaluable tool used for creating and breaking codes) into the mix, the stakes
only get higher. Because the book is set around the time period of the Cold
War, that machine would be an extremely important tool to have. As tensions
rise a daring move is made when the Russian agent Tatiana Romanova tries to
run away from her home country. Tatiana knows that she would not be welcome in Britain unless she brings an offering; she takes the Spektor Machine.
Unknowingly MI-6 accepts. This leads to a whole host of conflict and deception that boosts the story into overdrive. With Russia’s plans in full effect the
story only gets more and more intense. The closer “Tania” (Tatiana) gets to
Bond, the better the story gets. As the lies and trickery progress, the English
Government falls deeper into SMERSH’s web of deception and evil. With
twists and turns around every corner, and an extreme ending that will shock
you to your core, From Russia with Love is the best Bond story yet!
As the story progresses many themes emerge from the plot. The
main theme is that good will always triumph over evil. This is clearly shown in
every James Bond novel. Bond, the good guy, always triumphs over his adversaries, in this case, SMERSH. Even though this specific theme is easy to spot,
there is a deeper, more meaningful theme intertwined in the writing. The other
theme is that people can change, no matter what the circumstances, when given
the opportunity, people can change. This is shown through the catastrophic
change in Tatiana. Without this transformation, the end of the book would have
been extremely different. Tatiana isn’t the only character that goes through a
change. Even though James Bond has the hard exterior and does not seem to
change, in every novel he changes a little bit. Whether it’s his outlook on his
job, or his relationships with other people, the changes he goes through make
the story that much better. Many people don’t think that the “007” series is full
of life lessons and morals, but if you really look, you can find them. The themes
Ian Fleming expresses are not that of many other books, but all of his themes
are crucial to the plot of this story and every other James Bond novel he wrote.
Every book in the James Bond series is phenomenal, but I think
that compared to all of the rest, From Russia with Love was rather lackluster.
In this novel, Ian Fleming uses extremely descriptive and very specific details,
which makes the story a slight disappointment and rather dull, but at the same
time paints a terrific picture in your mind. Every scene, every building, it’s as if
you’re there. Mr. Fleming’s writing style is rather dark and mysterious, but at
the same time uses clever plots and sequences to keep the reader interested.
From Russia with Love is not the best book for a reader looking for a nonstop action filled, shot em’ up kind of novel, but for someone who is interested
in a fantastic drama and a suspense filled novel this is the book for you. To
date, Ian Fleming is one of the best action writers in the world, and I do not
think that there will ever be a novel series that could hold its own next to the
“007” series.
Page 8
Creative Writers
Creative Artists
Horror
Weber
Middle
School hallways are
awash in creative
projects, drawings,
and writings. Although
each and every hallway is alive with the
personality and talents
of the student work, in
this edition of the
Times, we have chosen the “I Pledge”
quilt by art 7 students of Ms. Schrauth displayed in the art hallway to highlight.
Inspiration for the creation of this quilt (above) by Weber Middle
School’s seventh grade artists came from historical figures during Black History
month and from Barack Obama’s Inaugural speech in which he asked all Americans to “summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility...where each of us
resolves to pitch in, work harder and look after not only ourselves but each
other.” These words became motivation for students, as each was asked to
formulate a pledge that would guide him in becoming a positive role model for
change in his family, school community and country. Famous individuals in
Black History studied for their courage and strength of character such as Harriet
Tubman, Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes and artist Faith Ringgold.
The artistic style of Faith Ringgold was the model after which this quilt was
designed. African-American artist and author Faith Ringgold was born in Harlem
in 1930 and is best known for large painted “story quilts” using a variety of art
materials including acrylic paint, canvas and fabric. As in Ringgold’s quilts,
Weber students incorporated images and words within the quilt design. Our “I
Pledge” quilt is a motivational art piece for all to share.
Viewers may be motivated to ask themselves, “What pledge will I make
in order to be the change that President Barack Obama spoke about?”
Poet of the Month
by Sarah Sturman
Emily Dickinson
(1830-1886)
Short Biography:
Emily Dickinson, regarded as one of America’s greatest poets, is also well known
for her unusual life of self imposed social seclusion. Despite liiving a life of simplicity and seclusion, she wrote poetry of great power; questioning the nature of
immortality and death, with at times an almost mantric quality. Her different lifestyle
created an aura; often romanticized, and frequently a source of interest and speculation. But ultimately Emily Dickinson is remembered for her unique poetry. Within
short, compact phrases she expressed far-reaching ideas; amidst paradox and
uncertainty her poetry has an undeniable capacity to move and provoke.
Biography Reference: http://www.biographyonline.net/poets/
emily_dickinson.html
One of her Most Famous Poems:
I’m nobody, Who are you?
Are you nobody, too?
Then there ‘s a pair of us — don’t tell!
They ‘d banish us, you know.
How dreary to be somebody!
How public, like a frog
To tell your name the livelong day
To an admiring bog!
Story
2009
by Sarah Sturman
Addie is brave. Going inside. Someday she’ll get herself blown up,
and take the world along with her. Carrie hesitates, follows. Honestly, those two
are gonna end up in a real jam someday. A scream. Another. A moan. I stand up
and click my flashlight on. A raspy voice calls out my name.
“Elizabeth?”
I freeze.
“Who’s there?”
My voice comes out like a squeak.
“Elizabeth Monterell.” The raspy voice again. “Elizabeth. You are -” The voice
stops short, followed by another moan.
“Addie?” I call, my voice still like a mouse. “Carrie? Meryl? Hanna? Ivy?”
Something click-clacks against the stone floor.
“Ellie?”
Meryl! I’ve never heard anything so comforting in my life! I almost fall over
with relief. Luckily, Meryl supports my back with one hand, carrying her
flashlight in the other.
“Where is everyone?” she asks. Her tone is worried. “I...um... uh......well,
Addie went off into the-......over there.” I gesture towards the place where I
had last seen my two comrades.
“What!?!” Meryl cries.
I can almost feel the grief in her heart. “How...who...wait. Then Carrie’s over
there too, huh?”
I nod.
“What did you hear?” Meryl asks, her voice suddenly quiet and hopeful. “Tell
me!” “Screams. Two. Then...” my voice trailed off, leaving me about to cry.
Meryl comforted me, wrapping me in her arms.
“I see.” she sighed. I finally mustered up the courage to ask where Hanna and
Ivy were. Meryl told me the same sad news.
“I only heard one scream, though. I didn’t hear any moans, either.” She was
blanketed in darkness, only her face glowing dimly from a strand of moonlight
that had crept into the room.
“They were excellent girls.” I murmur. Meryl’s face suddenly turns angry.
“And what makes you think they’re gone?!” She practically shouts.
“Meryl, no!” I cried. I still haven’t told her about the raspy voice! Too late.
“Well, well, well” it chuckles. “What have we got here?” I glimpsed two
yellow eyes, gleaming like stars in the blackness. Meryl shines her flashlight on
what she thinks is the body, trying to see if she knows it. Oddly enough, there
is no body. Meryl’s flashlight reveals just sticks for everything. A live stick
figure. Better than a zombie.
“Ms. Meryl and Ms. Elizabeth.” The voice could be male or female. “What a
treat.” A low shuffling sound goes around us. Feet. I feel as if my body was
being searched, down to the nearest bone. It found what it’s looking for. I slip
the knotted bracelet off and close it into my fist.
“Elizabeth...we both know what I need. Make this easy and hand it over.”
Meryl gasps. “No. You didn’t!” she says, astonished. “I did.” I whisper “and I
don’t regret it.” The shuffling comes towards me. I feel a cold breath down my
neck. I shiver. Something brushes against my face. Something hard. Almost
like a bone.
A stick! “Ellie...” I hear Meryl’s voice whisper. “...Help...?” She says, her
voice barely audible. I feel my wrists being clamped in hands – stick hands. I
hear Meryl scream, right beside me. My mind shouts NO! OH GOD, NO!! I
find the strength to wrench free of my captor, grab Meryl, and run out, my new
comrade slumped in my arms. Once on the street, I stop and catch my breath,
horrified, waiting for the moan to come. Headlights. A car. BIG mistake.
It’s Mr. Myron.
Oh god, save Meryl.
Save me!
All names and characters in this story are fictional. Any relation to a person, living or dead, or animal is STRICTLY a coincidence.
A few Quotes:
“ I hope you love birds too. It is economical. It saves gong to heaven.”
“The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.”
“There is no Frigate like a book to take us lands away nor any courses like a
page of prancing Poetry.”
Page 9
Are you a writer? Would you like to have your
written work published? If so, please submit
your original creative writing story or poetry to
the Spartan Times mailbox outside of room 7 (A.P.
Room hallway).
An Out of This World Experience
by Naomi Dominique Boico
“May the wee ones ride with you, John.”
Tom O’Malley as he launched John Glenn in 1962
Three Purple Hearts earned during the Korean War, a hijacked
Lunar Module from the World’s Fair; a nomination for an Academy Award,
writer and a news reporter. Who is this man you may be asking yourself? Well,
that’s Bob Button for you. He is a man with no ordinary life. Button accomplished many things that are part of American history. Here is the life of a pilot
who has a story. I went to meet Bob Button (pictured left) and his wife Regina at
their friend’s apartment in Midtown Manhattan. When we walked in, we were
greeted by Bob with a warm smile, a steady voice and a sharp mind. Then we sat
down and started talking. Bob Button served in the Air Force when it was still
called the Army Air Corps. He moved from place to place quite a bit, but was
also stationed not far from here, on an air field which was called Mitchell Field,
and which stood on the grounds of what is now the Cradle of Aviation Museum.
Then came college, and an English degree, which explains his enthusiastic writing
and facility with words. He experienced several colleges, one of which happens
to be Midwestern University located in Texas. He became a news
reporter for all kinds of news about
aviation. He was still a reporter
when NASA began launching their
first rockets into space. Since the
next step in aviation was space exploration and travel, Button began
writing about it. Button made connections with people from the
space industry. “…and the next
thing you know is that I was invited to go work for NASA.” Well,
sort of. Button made a film about
the original seven Mercury astronauts picked by NASA in 1959
out of 69 candidates, to fly on
manned spacecraft. His research
on the subject was so extensive that he caught the eye of NASA who thought he
had great knowledge of their space programs and was asked to come work for
them as a Public Affairs officer in 1960.
“Oh, yes! There IS a difference between Public Affairs (PA) and
Public Relations (PR), you know!” says Button right away in answer to my
question, and continues, “PA is what the public and press need to know.
Business, movie-making and even organizing educational school programs are
also a part of Public Affairs. Public Relations is more political in nature – they
have a goal to accomplish; a product to sell.” Now that Button got that job, he
had to deal with the astronauts. He would plan press conferences that the
astronauts would need to attend, and schedule any other events that the
astronauts needed to be involved in.Since these were the famous original seven
astronauts – Carpenter, Cooper, Glenn, Grissom, Schirra, Shepard and
Slayton – they were in high demand to be interviewed, which caused a lot of
tension and stress. NASA eventually decided to let the press have one day out
of the week to talk to the astronauts. Friday became the press day, “…and I
had to be strict with the astronauts who always wanted to escape the press
day!” says Button.
Another part of Button’s job, when he wasn’t in charge of the news
center, was working at the PAO console in Mission Control, where he was
called the “Voice of Gemini Control.” He would work there during missions.
It was a far cry from the block house days at Cape Canaveral where the launch
conductor, Tom O’Malley, an Irish man, pushed the button that launched the
Friendship 7 spacecraft that carried John Glenn, the first American to orbit the
earth. Just a month earlier NASA launched an unmanned Mercury-Atlas rocket
that exploded 42 seconds later in front of the eyes of everyone present, including
the astronaut Alan Shepard, who said to Button: “Well, there’s a confidence
builder for ya!” Button turned to me at that point in the interview and said in a
very somber voice that astronauts did not fear death and that “the one thing they
were most afraid of was messing up a mission.”
Button was also part of the team that made a movie Friendship
Seven. The movie is 58 minutes long. Button was the second writer and the
researcher. Being the researcher, he got to watch every space mission, including
John Glenn’s. He also had to travel all around the world to different tracking
stations in order to shoot certain scenes for the movie. After a lot of hard work,
the movie was complete. The film was nominated for an Academy Award. The
story goes that Jack Warner, of the Warner Brothers, did not want the film to be
nominated, but the Academy Awards committee insisted that they would not
take a good film off the nomination list. I mentioned the movie The Right Stuff to
Button. It’s a famous movie about those original seven Mercury astronauts from
the time Button worked for NASA. Button didn’t like the movie. He said that
there is not a lot of accurate information about the astronauts that one can learn
from the movie. When it comes to space movies, there’s no doubt that Bob
Button is a good critic!!
During our interview, I was told about the landing on the moon.
Button said that it just so happened that the hatch to the vehicle opened inward,
and because of how the two astronauts were situated inside and the lack of
space to maneuver, it was Neil who made it out first and therefore the first man
on the moon. Another interesting story was that before countdown, every person in charge of something specific is asked whether they are a “go.” It’s only
after everyone gives their “go” that a countdown can begin. One person noticed
a pressure problem and called for a “hold.” The launch conductor decided to
“scrub” (cancel) the mission. At that point, all of the reporters present “ran for
their cars, and were out of there in a split second” as Button recalls. But Button
asked the reporter Walter Cronkite to stick around for a while and see what
happens next, because scrubbing a mission that costs millions of dollars is not
easy. What happened next is that Werner von Braun, the man who built the
Saturn rocket, stormed inside Mission Control to find out why the mission was
called to scrub. He was told that there was a pressure leak. When asked for the
“rate of the leak.” Button was told, “the leak would give us problems only a
week and half from now, when the mission would be long over! Resume the
mission!” Walter Cronkite wasn’t the only news reporter that covered that mission but his TV Network was the only channel to broadcast that unmanned
launch.
A long time before Button was associated with NASA, he was a
soldier and received three Purple Hearts. A Purple Heart is a prestigious award
received by a solider of the United States who is wounded in action. The last
Purple Heart was received because while he was calming down a scared new
soldier and telling him that the bombs have been falling far from where they were
standing, a bomb happened to land next to them, sadly killing the young soldier
and badly injuring Button.
After the Mercury missions, Button became the go-to person for
the Gemini missions – the first missions to send two astronauts together into
space. His job was not only representing the astronauts, but also to be in charge
of the news center, alternating with the other Senior Public Affairs Officers. He
would be in charge of the place in Houston where the reporters would go to get
the details of a current space mission. A new press site was also built at Cape
Canaveral around the time of another Apollo/Saturn rocket launch. That press
center was built about 2 miles away from the launch pad. Button described this
“center” as no more than a small area with only enough space for each reporter
to write things down on a pad, like covered bleachers with a slanted iron roof for
the rain to wash off. “It was like a Gypsy camp” Button commented on the new
press site – a far cry from today’s press center at Kennedy Space Center, which
he described as a small city made up of permanent mobile homes. He rememBob Button was a fascinating person to interview and an even
bered how several seconds after the launch, the sound and shock waves would
arrive at the covered press bleachers. He still remembers how impressive that more amazing person to just meet. He accomplished so much in life, and all on
his very own. I would love to get together again with him sometime. I mean,
force was! (That experience must have been a front pager!!)
come on! He is a pilot with a story!
Fun and Games
S ix
M ix,
the
More Spartan Sports
Puzzle
by Faith Ausfresser
Six Mix Dances were fun! Although we had our last Six Mix Dance last
month, we can relive the memories with my puzzle! Can you find the
words listed below in the puzzle? GOOD LUCK!
I R MU S I C OC B L L F S L
OA L O U D I E I O A L R S S
S P L I P CR AZYP R I A E
I AU O I AE F RS R C D Y C
AE E U F R D I S C O B A L L
P P D A U D N V HHO Y Y Z U
GR E E N A W E S O M E C U G
I EI P LNL DECP L S S L
I T S G Y C X OR R A L G D B
DZ I T GI R L S R R O V R A
L E N X E N B L U E T WI MS
E L G ML GH A P P Y C R I S
DS I X T HG R A D E O MP P
S S N A C KS S I X MI X R Z
OD G A I D E I O X L D O T I
Above: Mr. Enright’s 7th and 8th grade
Boys’ Wrestling Team
A P ROOM
AWESOME
BLUE
BOYS CRAZY
DANCING
DISCO BALL FIVE DOLLARS
FRIDAY
FUN
GIRLS
GREEN HAPPY ID CARD LOUD
MUSIC
PRETZELS
RED
SINGING
SIX MIX
SIXTH GRADE
SNACKS
YELLOW
TAL’S RANDOM PUZZLE
by TAL
What’s so great about organized categories? I think you
will like this random puzzle I created. The words are not organized; they are random words that are not connected to each
other in any way (unless you want them to be). The word list is
below the puzzle. Good luck finding my random words.
O
N
O
C
P
E
N
C
I
L
S
G
Z
O
R
I
O
T
F
I
V
E
A
T
Q
D
A
S
U
N
H
A
D
M
W
M
N
W
N
U
X
S
E
R
E
O
A
B
Above: Mr. Shackel’s 8th grade Girls’
Basketball Team
N S D X L R J E
E R I O I O Z C
G E O S Y S H N
M H U C T A K E
C E E Q P E B I
G S F P H O R C
Z U Y D E R P S
S O R U L E R W
E H G F E C A R
T E O P I N K F
O U L P I G N U
R G M Y G W L N
Above: Seventh Grade Girls’
Volleyball Team
Word List
ORANGE
PENCIL
PIG
PINK POPCORN QUEEN
RACE
RED
RULER
SAD
SCHOOL SCIENCE
SISTER
SIX
THREE
TWO FIVE
FOUR
FUN
GAMES
GOOD
GYM
HAPPY HOUSE
JOY
LOG
MATH
MUSIC ONE
Page 11
Spring Sports Updates*
Mr. Spotteck and the 8th grade boys’ baseball team finished with an 8-4 final record.
Weber Gymnastics did an amazing job this
season with 8 wins and 2 losses!
*available updates as of this printing
Spartan Sports
Congratulations to all Winter I and Winter II Sport Teams! All team players and coaches represented Weber with
sportsmanship, pride, and an excellent attitude. As of this edition’s printing, Winter sports have commenced and
Spring Sport Teams have begun. Good luck to all! If you did not have a physical at Weber on June 4 or June 5, you
must make an appointment to have a physical with your pediatrician if you are entering grade 7 or planning on playing
on a school sport team next year.
Coach Park and the 8th grade Girls’ Volleyball team
Above: 7th grade Girls’ Volleyball team with Coach Regan
Above: Boys’ 7th Grade Volleyball Team
PORT WASHINGTON
UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT
BOARD OF EDUCATION 2008-2009
Lawrence Greenstein, President
Karen Sloan, Vice President
Sandra Ehlich, Dr. Roy Nelson, Jean-Marie Posner,
Robert Seiden, Susan Page Sturman
Geoffrey N. Gordon, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools,
Nicholas A. Stirling, Ph. D., Asst. Supt. for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
Kathleen A. Mooney, Asst. Supt. for Human Resources and General Administration
Mary M. Callahan, Asst. Supt. for Business
Administrative Offices
100 Campus Drive, Port Washington, N.Y. 11050
www.portnet.k12.ny.us
Above: Mr. Shackel’s 8th Grade Boys’ Basketball Team
Above: Mr. Cain’s 7th Grade Boys’ Basketball Team
Above: Boys’ 8th Grade Volleyball Team with Coach Park
Physical Education Students of
the Month
Each month the Physical Education Department gives deserving students a “Physical Education Student of the Month” Award. Each
student’s name is announced during homebase announcements, a certificate
and t-shirt are awarded, and each student’s name is prominently displayed
near the gym. Congratulations to the following Weber students who received a Physical Education Student Of The Month award:
Blanca Leiva
Caroline McDermott
Kim Suzzan
Alyssa Lugo
Thomas Greenstein
Ezra Hyman