Jan-Feb 2016 Round Two Spelling Champs Sixth Grade Needs to

Jan-Feb 2016
Good luck to Joshua Musano, Trevor Harvey, Thomas Porco, Adam Apostol, and
Christian Hete as they go on to represent our school at the annual Tri-State
Spelling Bee on March 13.
Photo by Mrs. Goldstein
Round Two Spelling Champs
by Matthew Hollay [grade 8]
February 17 was the second round of the DDMS spelling bee. Twenty
people competed, and only five could move on to the third round
against four other schools.
To relieve stress, the contestants participated in a practice round. In
the practice round, it didn’t matter whether or not contestants spelled
their word right. Fifteen out of twenty contestants spelled their word
right.
In round one, many contestants were nervous. Even so, most were
not eliminated. Only four contestants were out with the words: sonar,
granola, torrent, and worrywart.
In round two, even less contestants were eliminated, and the words
were only getting more and more difficult. Two contestants were defeated with the words pedigree and bewilder.
Just like round three, very few were eliminated as the words grew
stronger and stronger. The two contestants were bested by the words
hypnotic and pomposity, which obviously means to be like a possum—
right.
By the end of round five, the numbers of contestants were dwindling,
and the words were getting to the point where none of the contestants
knew what they meant. Three of the five people eliminated between
round four and round five were taken out by the words cartouches, adhesion, and olfactory. Kudos if you know what any of those words mean.
In the middle of round six, one person was already eliminated with
the word acetone. There were only six contestants left. The next person
to spell something out was wrong, and the remaining five would move
on to the third round. Then, the word mawkish came, and the contestant misspelled it.
The spelling bee was over. The winners are Joshua Musano, Trevor
Harvey, Thomas Porco, Adam Apostol, and Christian Hete. Be sure to
wish them luck. If any of them win round three, they are going to Washington D.C.
th
Sixth Grade Needs to Take
Care of Their Wing
by Andre Phillips [grade 6]
As a sixth grader, I think we should take
better care of our wing. When I stay after
school for an activity, I see how messy the wing
is. Would you really want to have a messy hallway? What if the mess was never cleaned up?
How messy would our hallway be? The answers to those questions are; 1) No; 2) That
would be terrible; and 3) Very messy. So it’s
now or never that we start taking care of our
hallway.
High School Students Inspire Future Business Leaders
by Janice Healey [grade 7]
On February twelfth, the entire seventh
grade had an amazing and inspiring assembly
with a few DV high schoolers in our school’s
auditorium. These generous high schoolers
took time out of their own school to have a
motivational talk with all of the seventh graders, and they are also members of FBLA, Future Business Leaders of America. In case you
are wondering what FBLA is, it is a professional student organization that primarily helps
students transition to the business world of
America, and it ensures students excel in business as their future occupation. In my opinion
I believe this assembly caught quite a few sev- Photo by Calista DiPrima [grade 7]
enth graders’ eyes and left a spark of inspirational light in them.
First the six FBLA members introduced themselves. There
you have to figure and work out everything right in front of
was Drake Eshleman (the President), Sophia Festa (the Hisyou by yourself, you are wrong. It’s not a bad thing to ask
torian), Celine Mojica (Treasurer), Alyssa Harvey
for help by an advisor or an adult and get some great ad(Community Service Director), Cindy Li (Secretary), and Joe
vice. It’s better to have the help and support by others in
Gurkan (Technical Director). Then they all explained to the
FBLA. Except do not think you can have an advisor with you
seventh graders how FBLA operates and what they do. They
the entire time you work on certain tasks that must be
began to tell them that they go to workshops, attend comdone, some of the work you should learn how to do by
petitive events, help associate with community service, and
yourself to create responsibility. FBLA does not control
receive national, regional, and state level awards. Also they
your life and it does not require hard work. By spending
told the seventh grade why and how FBLA is beneficial to
fifteen minutes of your day you can become a great FBLA
teens lives. The President, Drake, explained it as something
member. Now you may ask, what do you do in those
that “expands education opportunities, and it shows what
fifteen minutes? Well you could use Quizlet which is a
you’re really made of.” Another FBLA officer was, and still is,
website that gives people easy access learning tools for
being inspired to start her own business once she becomes
studying, you could Google search an FBLA event beforean adult. And not only did she have the thought to start a
hand, attend short study lessons, use multiple textbooks as
business, but also three other officers have the same exact
resources, study at a library, or you could review past origiidea. As we can all see FBLA has had such a big impact tonal materials. Not to mention, most of the tasks for middle
wards these teenagers, and still they are many more who
level are quite simple. There is a spreadsheet you do while
are truly inspired by this.
using Excel, and you take a test that is multiple choice and
Next, all of the seventh grade participated in a game that
one that involves production. The way to make the test
the FBLA officers had in store for them. Since I am a seventh
and spreadsheet very easy is to follow the directions pregrader, I got to participate too. This game almost had the
cisely. The way I have described FBLA might have made it
same exact outlines of Simon Says. Instead of someone saysound slightly boring, but remember you would not do all
ing “Simon says...” and doing the action that is said to do,
of this alone. You would have a great team working with
the person had to say “If you’re leader...” in order for everyyou and sticking behind your back along the way.
one to do the action. Plus it’s still the same that you cannot
In conclusion, FBLA is something that is rewarding and
move if the person does not say “If you’re not a leader...” Of
fun once you commit to it. You would have the opportunity
course I did not make it to the end, but quite a few others
of a lifetime to get wonderful new friends, achieve high in
did make it and in return got a cup as a courteous reward.
school, and to understand more about the big world we all
Right after the fun, short game the seventh grade did,
live in. Just imagine how many teens in the future will beDrake, Sophia, and Alyssa told us more about FBLA. They
come the greatest business people America has ever faced
said that FBLA guides you to get skills, to understand direcseen. Maybe one of those people could be you if you join
tions given and to do things on your own. Plus if you think
FBLA today or whenever.
Study so you can succeed.
—Katelyn Barcelowski
December Students of the Month
January Students of the Month
Katelyn Barcelowski [grade 6]
Habit 3: Put First Things First.
Academic habits: I study for 30
minutes every other night.
Extracurricular interests: swim, soccer, and reading
Plans for the Future: Work at a hospital.
Giulia Casagrande [grade 6]
Habit 1: Be Proactive.
Academic habits: I love reading class
because it is very easy.
Extracurricular Interests: swimming, Be a leader, not a
Field Hockey, Cheerleading, and run- follower. Be yourself.
ning
—Giulia Casagrande
Plans for the future: To graduate high
school and move onto college.
Study a little every
day.
—Ava Nienstadt
Ava Nienstadt [grade 7]
Habit 3: Put First Things First.
Academic habits: I study a little every
day and do my best.
Extracurricular interests: Soccer,
Sound and Lights Crew, crafts, and
drawing
Plans for the Future: Go into the animal behavior field.
Always make the best
out of every situation.
Tatumn Bonney [grade 8]
Habit 3: Put First Things First.
Academic habits: Well, I try to study
10 minutes every night for all my classes.
Extracurricular interests: volleyball,
horseback riding, Fashion Club
Plans for the Future: To have my own
horse, and get really good grades.
—Tatumn Bonney
Be yourself. Follow
your dreams.
—Jenna D’Angelo
Jenna D’Angelo [grade 8 Achievement]
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind.
Academic habits: I study and do my
best.
Extracurricular interests: hanging out
with friends
Plans for the Future: Go to a good
college and get a good job.
Michele Capozzi [grade 7]
Habit 3: Put First Things First.
Academic habits: I am usually in the
front of the class so I listen more. Also, once I get home I do my homework.
Extracurricular Interests: Drama and
Girl Scouts
Plans for the future: I want to finish
Girl Scouts and to get a Silver Award
this year.
Work hard. Do your
homework before
anything else.
—Michele Capozzi
Ashley Pallotta [grade 8 Achievement]
Habit 1: Be Proactive.
Academic habits: I never put off studying, because you will never get it
done.
Extracurricular interests: Youth
Group, Cheer, Track, drawing, singing, Don’t give up, and
spending time with friends and family always stay positive.
—Ashley Pallotta
Plans for the Future: To go to college, get a good job, and have a family.
Cody O’Neill [grade 8-Leadership]
Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind.
Academic habits: I study whenever I
have free-time and participate in
classes as much as I can.
Extracurricular interests: DD Press,
Programming Club, Track, playing
games, designing and building
Plans for the Future: To reach my
goal of becoming a neurosurgeon.
Be sure to make sure
your homework is
completed.
—Cody O’Neill
Habit 4:
Think Win-Win
by Alice Cauchi [grade 7]
Psychologist
During the eighth grade career day, we asked the adults
talking about their career which of the Seven Habits of
Highly Effective People they thought was most important in
their career. We got many different answers, but this month
we are focusing on habits 4 and 5. One of the careers that
really went along with habit #5, was Dr. Lamberti’s. Dr. Lamberti is a psychologist and supervisor in a jail. He says to be
a psychologist you must go to college for four years, and
graduate school for five years, but most importantly you
need to seek first to understand, then to be understood. Dr.
Lamberti has been a psychologist for 15 years, and first he
has to understand what the inmates are trying to say, and
after he has accomplished
that he will try to make
the inmates understand
him. Habit #5 relates to
everyone, no matter if
you are a psychologist or
Logo by
a middle school student
Janice Healey
here at DDMS.
[grade 7]
by Janice Healey [grade 7]
The lovely habit four has finally arrived. Think win-win is one
of the greatest habits. No wonder it is the first habit you must
accomplish in your public victory. Now I put everything figuratively in food. Let’s say you and
your friend are eating cookies
and there is only one left. Options are: you get the cookie and
your friend doesn’t, you don’t
get the cookie and your friend
does, you and your friend splits
the cookie in half, or neither
gets the cookie. I just described
the four attitudes that are in
habit four. Win-Lose. Lose-Win.
Win-Win. And Lose-Lose. The
Win-Win solution to the cookie
is to split the cookie in half with
your friend. Both gets a portion
of it and feels happy. Thinking
Win-Win will benefit you and
someone else and make both
feel like they get what they
wanted.
January Students of the Month
December Student of the Month
Be yourself. Don’t
change who you are
to impress someone
else.
—Natalia Liszka
Natalia Liszka [grade 8-Leadership]
Habit 4: Think Win-Win.
Academic habits: I study at least 10
minutes of each subject every night,
and participate in everything that I can.
Extracurricular interests: Odyssey of
the Mind, Pep Band, Jazz Band, Children’s Choir, Science Olympiad, 4-H,
knitting, the outdoors, and arts and
crafts
Plans for the Future: To travel the
world.
Dominic Puglisi [grade 8]
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand,
Then to Be Understood.
Academic habits: Ten to fifteen
minutes a day, doesn’t need to be all
night. Always raising my hand in
class.
Extracurricular interests: Odyssey of
the Mind [OM], Drama, Soccer
by Emily Thomas
[grade 7]
A way a student at
DDMS can use this
habit is to work together more than
fighting to win. Why
only have one person
win if all of you can?
I know it’s fun to win,
but imagine if you
were the one that
lost. It’s not fun. So,
think Win-Win so
you both have fun.
by Cayden Bell
[grade 7]
A DDMS student
can do this habit on a
daily basis by making
others feel good
about themselves.
by Emma Tlusty
[grade 7]
If you’re having a
disagreement,
try
compromising
so
everyone can win.
by Angelia Loria
[grade 7]
You have one pencil and someone else
needs one. You
break the pencil in
half and sharpen the
other side and give it
to him.
Zakkary Dietz [grade 7]
Warriors seek first to understand, then to be understood. A student at DDMS
could use this habit because
whenever somebody is telling
them their problems instead
of always interrupting and
saying their personal opinion
they should just listen and
give their opinion when they
are asked for it.
Olivia Norwood [grade 7]
Most of the time people
don’t want advice. They just
want someone to listen to
them. When you truly listen,
people will open up. You
should wait until they are
ready. Listen to not only their
words, but their tone and feelings. You should also observe
their body language.
Haydee Carrada [grade 7]
Listen to what someone
else is telling you. Don’t space
out. They will appreciate your
time listening and the next
time they will listen to you.
Christina Contreras [grade 7]
A student can do this habit
on a daily basis by taking the
time to listen without judging
and without giving advice. To
understand someone you
must listen to them.
Savannah Bailey [grade 7]
If you want to be understood stop texting, but if you
want to understand ask questions.
Prioritize.
—Dominic Puglisi
Krishna Kahar [grade 7]
Listen when people are
talking to you, and mirror how
they feel. Look at people
when they are talking.
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
Emily Herold [grade 7]
Everyone needs to learn to listen. There’s not
one person I know that can truly listen, even I need
to work on listening. I know listening can sometimes be hard when you have something else on
your mind, but some people don’t even try. I have
Listening Ears
this one friend (who shall not be named) that when
by Krishna
Kahar [grade 7] I try and talk to her about anything (something that
happened in my
day,
something
that interests me, etc.) she’ll cut me off and start talking about herself or even someone else that she obviously likes more than me. People should start to listen.
One way someone can do this is not to only pay attention to the words, but to also pay attention to the tone Cell Phone by Savannah Bailey
of voice and the person’s body language.
[grade 7]
Congratulations,
Mrs. Bachmann
by Matthew Hollay [grade 8]
A big congratulations to Mrs. Bachman, who
won Teacher of the Month for December. Mrs.
Bachman couldn’t have been more surprised
that she won since she is a new teacher. When
she was chosen, she was extremely excited
and surprised. And when she read what students wrote about her, she couldn’t have been
more flattered. She says that out of all of the
seven habits, she mostly follows Habit 2: Begin
with the End in Mind.
Make sure to congratulate Mrs. Donovan,
because she is Teacher of the Month for Janu-
And Miss Donovan
ary. She did have a suspicion that she would
win Teacher of the Month because many students said they were voting for her. Also, she
is both a 6th grade English teacher and a
coach for field hockey and softball, so there
are more students she meets that might vote
for her. She was enormously excited and happy when she found out she was going to be
Teacher of the Month. When she heard what
students wrote about her, she was tremendously thankful and flattered. Out of all of the
seven habits, she mostly follows habit 7:
Sharpen the Saw.
Rubik’s Cube Club: Facts About Speed Cubing!by
Compiled by Janice Healey [grade 7]
February 7,
On This Day
in History...
1795
The 11th Amendment to
the U.S. Constitution was
ratified by the powers of
the states after almost a
year since it was passed by
Congress.
“It’s a building
year. We could use
more teammates.”
Michael Asprea [grade 7]
If you don’t know what speed cubing is, it’s a thing where you try to get a really fast time on solving all the Rubik Cube you have. People who compete go to
competitions around the world just to test their skills. Here are some records
that people have made:










The number 1 speed cuber is Lucas Etter with a 4.90 seconds on the 3x3.
Feliks Zemdegs currently hold the world record for the 4x4 Rubik’s
Cube with a 21.54 seconds record.
The record for the 5x5 Rubik’s Cube is 46.97 seconds. This record is
held by Feliks Zemdegs
The record for the 2x2 Rubik’s Cube is .58 seconds. This record is held by Rami Sbahi.
The record for the Megaminx is 37.58 seconds. This record is held by Yu Da-Hyun.
The record for the Pyraminx is 1.32 seconds. This record is held by Drew Brads.
The record to solve 41 Rubik’s Cubes Blindfolded is 54 minuets and 14 seconds.
This record is held by Marcin Kowalczyk.
The biggest Rubik Cube is a 28x28x28. Its almost as big as a basketball! That is huge!
Connor LaMarca
“Connor is one to
watch next year. I
really think he can
make states.”
Mrs. DeFrancesco
Mrs. DeFrancesco, Aiden McCarthy and Connor LaMarca
You will need your own 2x2 3x3 4x4, or Pyraminx if you want to join. We need
at least 30 students to join. If you want to join, come to me (Mike Rubik’s Cube Tower
Asprea) or Jayden Latini. Mrs. Curchoe will be our adviser if you guys
photo by Michael
join! It will be a lot of fun!
Asprea [grade 7] and
LaMarca Ranks 6th in Math Counts Competition
by Matthew Hollay [grade 8]
Make sure to congratulate Connor LaMarca if you see him, because he ranked 6 out of 100
participants in the Math Counts Competition. The Math Counts Club is likely because Connor
LaMarca says he plans to do Math Counts again next year. He will likely even pursue a career
Jayden Latini [grade 6] involving math. Connor says he practices for Math Counts at home sometimes. He wasn’t
even nervous during the competition because he has done Math Counts before .
The Year You Can Vote
1839
Henry Clay
declares, “I had rather be right than
president.”
1931
Amelia
Earhart
married George P.
Putnam, an American
publisher, author
and
explorer.
Photo by Mrs. Goldstein
Trump Political Cartoon by
Erika Cutaia [grade 8]
by Ashley Kizis [grade 8]
The future is coming faster than you think. Before you know
it, you’ll be able to vote. You may not be eligible to vote in this
year's election, but for 8th graders, the next election after this
will be your time to share your opinion. For 7th and 6th graders,
you’re gonna have to wait until 2024, sorry about that.
Have you ever thought about what you’d vote for? This
year's candidates are giving a multitude of ideas and opinions to
straighten up this country. Maybe you’d like the minimum wage
to be raised for better equality, tighter gun control, or even for
us to attack ISIS. These happen to be things many candidates
are voicing their opinion on.
Don’t stress yourself out on this. You still have years until you
have to make a decision, even if it happens to be in four years.
But just remember, the future belongs in your hands and is
changing every second that goes by.
PGA Celebrates 100th
2016
by Zoe Elaro [grade 7]
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the PGA of America
(Professional Golf Association of America).The PGA was founded on April 10,
1916 in New York City by 35 charter members. Today, the PGA of America
works to encourage Americans’ love of golf and educate and equip those
who already do. The PGA has over 28,0000 members who continue to make
golf more enjoyable to all and promote the game to men and women everywhere. Since 1916, the PGA has held 98 yearly championships, two being
cancelled on account of World War 1. So if you have a love of all things golf
be sure to tune into this year’s PGA championship, which will be held at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey.
Real World Math
Photos by Mrs. Strocchia
Alex Husejnovic: I used math this summer for my grandpa’s pool. I had
to measure the depth, the width, and the height of the pool to fill it
with chlorine. I also worked at my grandpa’s carpet and tile store every
day, so I had to count and measure the flooring, and multiply and divide the whole time too. The good thing is, I got paid $10 dollars an
hour.
Scott Vollmer: When I swam laps in the community
pool, I would time myself and count my laps. I
would use the equation d/t=s (distance divided by
time equals speed). I also counted my steps when
I went hiking.
Mason VanHorn: At my new club, Quick Strike FC,
we used math to figure out our passing percentage and how often we scored. For instance, if we
passed the soccer ball 100 times total during a
match and completed 70 of them, our team
would have an average of 70% passing accuracy
in that game.
by Zoe Elaro
[grade 7]
Amber Godfrey: I had to calculate the position, angle, and ball pressure
to throw a basketball into the hoop without missing. I threw an average
of 4 out of 5. I’d missed the second shot because I changed my angle, so
I went back to what I did at first.
by Peter Wilson [grade 8]
Are you a seventh grader and looking for a language to
pick next year? Then this article is for you! If you didn’t
know the following languages to choose are French, German, and Spanish. Each one is unique in their own ways.
Spanish is usually the go-to language when people are
choosing. This is mostly because it’s the second most spoken language in the world besides Mandarin Chinese. Spanish is phonetic and easier compared to its counterparts.
Spanish is extremely useful in terms of jobs in the U.S. You
are most likely going to see many, many Spanish-speaking
people when you go to work in the future and Spanish can
come in handy when it comes to it. Spanish and French are
both romance languages. Many think it has something to do
with love, but actually it’s because they both originated by
the Romans. If you learn a Romance language like Spanish
you can learn other Romance languages more quickly like
French and Italian. As you learn more about the Romance
Languages you really start to appreciate the culture, food,
and all the traveling spots.
Next is French, like Spanish it is a Romance language.
There are mixed reviews about
French, some people say it’s hard
and others say it can be easier than
Spanish. French has a unique pronunciation and a lot of silent letters.
French is the sixth most widely spoken language in the world. If you
want the highest education or business, French speaking schools and
businesses are the highest ranked. In
terms of jobs most people speak
French in Canada, Africa, Switzerland, and Monaco. Also French is the
international language for theatre,
cooking,
fashion,
dance/
architecture, and visual arts. If you
are looking into going into the arts,
French can be a good language to
know. Many people I know say that
French can be a lot of fun and learning French sets you up for a great
school or business. If you decide to
pick Spanish, it’s great to pursue
French afterwards. Also many internet sources say that most of the best
traveling spots speak French.
Last but not least is German. German is very guttural
and is not a Romance language. German is the most spoken language in the European Union and has the best
economy. Like French it is a gateway to higher education
and business. It has a lot of the same cultural achievements like France when it comes to arts and innovation.
German can be the ultimate language in business because
It has a great economy and trade with U.S. Since most of
European Union speaks German it can be great when
traveling in Europe. Like French many have told me it can
be easy or hard. Many people say it’s fun and can really
help in terms of jobs. My own cousin lives in Germany
and he says that the Germans are true innovators. They
have made tons of contributions to the U.S. and have
made very good products such as Adidas, multiple automobiles, airbags, aspirin, book printing, bicycle, etc.
The pros of these languages are you won’t need to
learn a new alphabet or characters like Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Korean, etc. All of these languages are
good to learn and will help you in the real world.
French Valentine: Ma Petite Pomme de Terre
Photos by
Riley Callahan [grade 7]
“I thought the talent show was a
blast, especially DJ Dillan.”
—Elijah Carrada [grade 8]
“It was really interesting and fun.
There was a lot of good energy
there and good acts.”
—Courtney Mauro [grade 7]
“I thought it was supa dupa fabulous.”
—Janice Healey [grade 7]
Cartoon by Janice Healey [grade 7]
“It was amazing. Everyone did a
great job! We definitely have
great talent at DDMS and I can’t
wait for next year’s Talent
show.”
—Calista DiPrima [grade 7]
“Very interesting.”
—Riley Callahan [grade 7]
Column by Ariana DiGeso and Juliana Krabill [both
grade 7]; Graphic by Heather Starr [grade 8]
Love is In the Air!
1. What is your experience with name calling or verbal
bullying at school (during the school year)?
Bullying Quotes by Greg Aiello [grade 6]
River over stone, you shall be the stone,
insults will be thy river.
Anger can make people swell
until—like a volcano—they erupt.
Life is always
changing, so
don’t live in the
past.
Sadness and grief will weigh
you down like a ball and chain.
2.If name calling or verbal bullying has taken place, check each
item below that reflects the type of comment you heard:
Sadness coils around the
heart and cracks it to rubble.
Life is too short to live in self-pity,
sadness, and grief.
Like the
clouds, friends
come and go,
but family is
forever.
Graphic by Stephen Demmo [grade 8]
by Janice Healey [grade 7]
“Mon choux.” “Mon sucre d’orge.” What do these
mean? Well the first one means “my cabbage”, and the
other one means “my barley sugar.” Wait a second. Now
what could these phrases possibly be used for? It might
seem strange, but these phrases are actually used between French couples or people in love. Yes, the most
romantic and beautiful language uses these odd yet endearing phrases to show people’s affection towards others. Although they might sound weird by written words,
they are definitely beautifully spoken in French.
As we all know the capital of France is Paris, and that
Paris is famously known as the City of Love. Not to mention all of love in France, it is also the most beautiful
place on Earth. Let’s learn more about this great and fun
-loving country and their splendid traditions they do.
To begin with, French is a great language to discover.
It is considered one of the most romantic languages all
around the world, and that is only one reason why people want to learn it. This unique language shows their
love to their partners in very different ways we do here
in America, speaking of terms verbally. Most couples call
one another different arrays of food and barnyard animals. People may ask, “why would anyone call their special someone a barnyard animal?” Well, although there
is no exact reason for this tradition, here are people’s
thoughts on why. One person believes it is because of
how resourceful and adorable farm animals can be, and
how great foods are. Another one thinks it is because
3. In the past month, name calling or verbal bullying has taken
place in the following places:
Winter Weather Not Ideal for
Snowboarding
Q: There are four brothers in this world that were all
by Lily Williams[grade 6]
born together. The first runs and never wearies. The
second eats and is never full. The third drinks and is
always thirsty. The fourth sings a song that is never
good.
Q: What has a foot on each side and one in the middle?
Q: Four men were fishing when the boat fell over and
they fell into the water, yet not a single man got wet.
Q: I have keys, but no locks. I have space, but no room.
You can enter, but can’t leave. What am I?
the way farming has been around in France. “Farming is one
of France’s most important industries,” explains francepub.com. Since the crops and animals in farms are important, it seems like couples are calling each other important to their world, just like food is important to everybody’s world. Whatever the kind of reason behind this, it is
still a fun and interesting way to show one’s affection to a
person.
Another way people in France express their love is by using love locks. Love locks are padlocks that couples lock to a
bridge, fence, fate or other public fixture to symbolize their
forever, unbeatable love. In France, there is a famous
bridge, Pont des Arts, in Paris that has millions of love locks
with engraved names on it. It is such a beautiful sight to see
all of those locks together in such a big row representing all
of those who commit their love to a special someone. This is
such a wonderful way for anyone, not only people in France,
to show their everlasting love to the whole world. Because
of how great it is, this has spread worldwide to numerous
countries. There are love locks in Moscow, Russia, Beaulieu
Palace House, UK, and Daegu, South Korea. This is only one
other way to let the wings of love fly in the air, yet there are
still many more ways.
To summarize this up, French Valentine’s is an amazing
holiday that really allows couples to show their love. If anyone wants to show their love in a special way to someone,
they don’t have to fly over France to do it. In America, people can give their someone a box of delicious and sweet
chocolate. Isn’t it neat how love is in the air this time of
year?
Bullies are rocks, you
can’t throw them, but
you can go around
them.
Photo by RJ Wehnert [grade 8]
The conditions for this season were not great.
At first, it was very icy and frigid, which was not
good for snowboarding. Throughout the weeks, it
did get less icy, but it was still very cold. In the
beginning of the season, with the lack of snowfall, they did have to make fake snow, which
quickly became very icy. Toward the end of the
season, less snow was needed to be made. From
my experience, the conditions were not the best,
but there was at least some snow to snowboard
on! But, even with the conditions, about 50 people were in the club. The club took place every
Thursday for six whole weeks. Mr.Skibber,
Mrs.Favaro, and Mr.Curchoe all ran the club and
also went skiing and snowboarding while they
were there.
Fashion Meltdown by Jarrett
Palmadessa [grade 8]
Water, fire, earth, wind ; A yardstick; They
were all married; A keyboard ; "Are you
Dividing Light from Dark continued
Author Spotlight: Rick Riordan
by Janice Healey [grade 7]
I know a Guy Named Rick! Well not personally of course but, I know
that this Rick has very recently won the Goodreads Choice Awards Best
Middle Grade & Children's in 2015 for his awesome book The Sword of
Summer. Now I am betting you know who this. It is the one and only Rick
Riordan. He is most famous for his mythical and action-packed series
Percy Jackson. He comes up with his ideas for his books by corresponding the events and characters towards his real life. If you are thinking he
played life-and-death-capture-the-flag in real life, he did not really. To
think of that would be so cool. We only know a partial amount of Rick.
Learning more about an author will definitely affect the way you think of
their novels. Let’s find out more about this outstanding author.
To start off with, when Rick was in middle school he used to make
short stories just for fun. The reason behind it is because he read the
Lord of The Rings Trilogy and he loved Greek mythology. He used writing
to express his fun loving, creative imagination, and as you can see all of
that “practice” paid off. Except when he was in high school and college
years he lost the interest to write. He was more into music at the time.
Actually he was so into it that he made a folk rock band with some of his
close friends.
After Rick’s rock and folk time in college, he became a teacher. He
taught the wonders of English and history at public and private middle
schools. He taught in his home state, Texas, and San Francisco Bay Area.
Rick was honored for the First Master Teacher Award in Saint Mary’s
Hall, San Antonio.
While he was enjoying his fantastic
teaching career, Rick was beginning to
write some mystery novels for adults
whenever he had free time to do so. A few
months later he had his first book finished,
Big Red Tequila. After a while it was published and was out in the year 1997. Before you know it, Rick was writing and
writing every day.
Once the 21st century began, Rick had
the greatest idea of all. He thought of
writing a book series called Percy Jackson.
It was all because of his wondrous son Haley. Haley has ADHD, Attention Deficit/
Hyperactivity Disorder, and Dyslexia, so
that means he has a difficult time reading.
Every night, Rick would tell Haley bedtimes
stories about Greek mythology, and that’s
when his mind clicked. He began to write
down ideas for Percy Jackson and made
Percy Jackson, including all the other halfbloods, to be dyslexic and ADHD.
In the end, Rick is one of the best authors out there today. He is also a very inspirational person. His advice, if you yourPercy Jackson by Janice
self one day want to become and author
Healey [grade 7]
other gods, including Apollo and Athena. The
Light side does have an advantage, which is
that the Dark Side has some people who never took the quiz or read the books. All of the
members of the Light Side have read at least
one of the books. Both the Light and the
Dark Sides are trying to get more people, but
less people know who their godly parent is.
6-Degrees:
Mrs. Strocchia
Sea of Monsters cover
by Janice Healey [grade 7]
one day, it you should have a “mentor who believes in your talents.” Secondly, you must read,
and he means a lot! “You will learn the craft of
writing by immersing yourself in the voices,
styles, and structures of writers who have gone
before you.” Finally, you should write every day,
so have ideas and creativity you use in your
writing. “Writing is like a sport—you only get
better if you practice.”
All information from: www.rickriordan.com/
about/an-interview-with-rick
Dividing Light and Dark
by Lily Williams [grade 6]
The divide between the Sixth grade is based
off of a Godly Parent quiz. Most of the Sixth
graders are taking a quiz to find out who their
godly parent is. The godly parent quiz was made
mainly because of Rick Riordan’s book series,
Percy Jackson and The Olympians. Once they
find out who their parent is, they will be recruited to one of the sides. The two sides are the
Light Side and the Dark Side. The Light side is
the side of the Greek Gods. The Dark Side is the
side of the Titans. The leaders of the Dark Side
are Victoria Corcoran and Wyatt Magill. The
leaders of the Light Side are Lily Williams, Madeline Mallon, Taino Rivera, and Alana Cavanaugh.
Some of the Sixth graders chose to be neutral
though. Currently, the Dark Side has lots of children of the more powerful gods like Zeus and
Poseidon. The Light Side does have an equal
amount of people, except they have more of the
Sociologists say that everyone in the
world is connected to everyone else in
the world within 6-degrees. That
means that you know someone who knows someone,
who knows someone etc. 6 times. See how DDMS is
connected to the world— and history.
1st degree: Mrs. Strocchia taught High School Musical
actor, Lucas Grabeel, at Kickapoo High School in
Springfield, MO in her first teaching
job out of college.
1st degree: Mrs. Strocchia had a picture book manuscript critique with
literary agent Nancy Gallt,
2nd degree: who represents Rick
Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson
series.
1st degree: Mrs. Strocchia’s father, former DDMS
band director Mr. Barrie Bartle
2nd degree: took trumpet lessons with Rei Christopher
3rd degree: who played horn in John Philip Sousa’s
YES
band. Sousa composed “The Stars and Stripes Forever” and many other well-known marches,
NO
4th degree: and served as conductor of “The President’s Own,” the U.S.
Marine Band under presidents Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, and
Harrison.
Book Review: Percy Jackson
by Riley Callahan [grade 7]
Rick Riordan, the author of 39 Clues, wrote
the extraordinary story of Percy Jackson, a
young boy who discovers the truth about the
world. He learns that he is a demigod; a halfhuman and a half-god. And yes, I do mean
the gods of Greece. When he first finds out
that the gods are real, he finds himself at a
camp made for demigods; Camp Half-Blood.
At the camp Percy joins with Annabeth; a
demi-god, and Grover; a satyr. Together the
group goes on an amazing and dangerous
quest to return the lightning bolt to its
rightful owner; Zeus, Leader of Olympus.
Read more about their adventure in Percy
Jackson and the Lightning Thief, the first book
of the series.
A Chat with Cheerleader
Kaitlyn Lapalme
by Vanessa Evers [grade 7]
Vanessa: How
YES
old were you when you started cheer?
Kaitlyn: 11
NO
years old
Vanessa: Why
did you want
to try out for
cheer?
Kaitlyn: I
thought it
would be really fun to do all
the stunts.
Vanessa: Is
competition hard?
Kaitlyn: Yes, because there is a lot of things
to remember for the routine.
Vanessa: What is your most memorable accomplishment?
Kaitlyn: Probably when I got my first half.
Vanessa: What position are you in cheer?
Kaitlyn: A base
by Ashley Kizis [grade 8]
and Juliana Krabill [grade 7]
Have you heard the songs Victorious, Nine In
The Afternoon , New Perspective or I Write Sins
Not Tragedies on DDTV? Well those songs happen
to be by a band named Panic! At The Disco. The
band was formed in Las Vegas NV in 2004 by
members Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith, Brent Wilson
(who was kicked out in 2006 and replaced by Jon Walker) and Brendon Urie.
In 2005 they released their debut album A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out
with the hit leading single I Write Sins Not Tragedies (that one song about
closing the door.) The record sold a total of 10,000 their first week - and
after I Write Sins Not Tragedies marked the Billboard top charts - it then
sold over 500,000.
In 2008, the band released their 2nd album Pretty. Odd. which had a
completely new sound. The album has a 60’s/70’s vibe to it sounding like
bands such as The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Zombies. The record
reached number 2 on the billboard charts and sold a total of 139,00 the first
week with the hit single Nine In The Afternoon.
In 2009, the band turned different directions, with Ryan and Jon wanting
the new album to have more of a Pretty. Odd. sound and Brendon and Spencer wanting it to sound more like ...Fever… Because of that, Ryan and Jon
left the band and formed their own new band called The Young Veins.
In 2011, the remaining members (along with the band getting a new
bassist named Dallon Weekes for touring ) created their 3rd album Vices
and Virtues. The album peaked up to number 7 on the charts and sold within 56,000 its first week and their first single The Ballad Of Mona Lisa peaked
up to 89 on the top 200. The albums 2nd single Ready To Go (Get Me Out Of
My Mind) was used as the end credit song for the 2011 film The Smurfs. It
was also used in three Diet Coke commercials in 2011, a commercial for Sky
TV in the UK, a commercial promoting Universal Orlando, and commercials
for the 20th season of The Amazing Race. In January 2014, the song was
used to promote the launch of the Australian subscription television network TVH!TS. It was also used in Alpha and Omega: The Legend of the Saw
Tooth Cave. Let’s just say that the song was promoted A LOT.
In 2013, the band released their 4th album Too Weird To Live, Too Rare
To Die. The album was the first album to feature new bassist Dallon Weekes.
The album took a different turn in genre - people have even called it a
‘’party record” - as it was almost completely pop. The album featured the
hit singles Miss Jackson and This Is Gospel. The record debuted number 2 on
the U. S Billboard Top 200 earning the band their second career number 2.
With promotion of the album the band got to go on the Save Rock And Roll
Tour with bands such as Fall Out Boy and Twenty One Pilots.
In January 2016, the band released their 5th studio album Death Of A
Bachelor which is still currently the number 1 album on the Billboard 200
charts. The leading single Victorious reached up to number 89 on the U.S
Billboard 200 and number 7 on the Billboard Rock Charts.
Panic! At The Disco is one of those bands you never get sick of. There’s
just something about them. Maybe it’s their uniqueness or the fact that
their genres (and band members) are always changing. But one thing’s for
sure, they truly are a musical inspiration. And hey, maybe you should check
them out, because you may just find your new favorite band.
A Chat with Girls Basketball Player Sierra Gillian
by Vanessa Evers [grade 7]
Vanessa: How old were you when you
started basketball?
Sierra: 7 years old
Vanessa: Do you
plan to play in the
future?
Sierra: Yes
Vanessa: Why do
you like basketball?
Sierra: Yeah, because it’s fun and
I get to play with my friends.
Vanessa: What is your most memorable
moment?
Sierra: When I made my first basket.
Vanessa: Who inspired you to play? Why?
Sierra: My cousin, because she used to
play.
Science Olympiad
by Mary Lee [grade 7]
Have you ever known that there was a
competitive club named Science Olympiad?
It is directed by Mr. Alderfer and is a great
place to broaden our minds on science. Everything comes from science and this year the
events are pretty awesome. “There are good
building projects this year,” Mr. Alderfer
said. For example, there is an event called
Air Trajectory where you get to build a real
catapult. Science Olympiad keeps the students very busy. Not only are they supposed
to do work after school, but they also have
to do work at home. Like Mr. Alderfer said,
“There are a lot of responsibilities for the
kids and I am glad to have a good group of
kids this year.” They also go to competition
in March. Hopefully we will do well on the
events we enter, but we probably won’t do
well as a team because we didn’t do all the
events. We wish the team luck and to give
their all. As one genius has said, “Once we
accept our limits, we go beyond them.”
—Albert Einstein