KidsView - Glencoe District 35

KidsView
Winter, 2007
By: Sydney B. and Indigo S.
Book Drive
WEST SCHOOL!The West School Book Drive was held the week of
October "#!"$% The students collected books for the West Park Academy
in Chicago which is our brother school% Each day a few kids from Mrs%
Berkoff&s class were in charge of going to the library and counting all the
books donated that day% On Monday' we collected $() books' Tuesday'
*#+ books' Wednesday' #,, books and on Thursday' we collected ,)-%
Friday' the last day' we collected #$, books for a total of ,')-# books%
That is the most books that West School has ever collected in any book drive% Mr% Rongey' Mrs%
Berkoff' Mrs% Mooney' and Mrs% Sacher took the books to West Park Academy and met the
principal% Then Mr% Rongey and Mrs% Ross visited West Park Academy and saw many students
reading the books that West School had donated' and collected thank you cards for the West
School students% GOOD WORK WEST SCHOOL!!!!
World Comes To West
The Recycling Club
By: Adam J. and Josh K.
WEST SCHOOL-The Recycling Club
is a very fun and important new club
WEST SCHOOL!On Friday
at West. It meets every Wednesday
Nov% ") the World Tour
came to West School% This
before school at 8 - 8:35 a.m. in Mrs.
is an annual event put on
Berkley’s room. At Recycling Club
by the PTO who then uses
you talk about recycling issues in the
the money to help the
school. The club is trying to find ways to make these
many clubs at West such as KidsView! A lot of
problems smaller and solve them. The Club is
families and students came to the World Tour%
making posters for the lunchroom recycling bins so
#+) passports were passed out to kids of any
age% Guests played various games to get the
students know what you can and can’t recycle. Some
main prize' a troll% Some of the games were: The of the projects are related to the 4th grade study of
Tarzan swing' Scooter races' Basketball shoot'
ecosystems and the 3rd grade prairie unit. The club
Cakewalk' Hockey shot' and Knockdown the Can helped start a program called Waste Free
game% If you got hungry when playing' the
Wednesday to encourage students to bring a lunch
cafeteria sold soda or pizza' hot dogs' or
that does not have any garbage to be thrown away
burgers% But the game most people wanted to
do was the cakewalk! Why wouldn&t you want
or even recycled. The club is planning field trips to
to take home a delicious cake? A lot of kids also places like the recycling compost center and many
ran to the right side of the gym%%%%%% for Icon
more. It is open to both 3rd and 4th graders. Our
Entertainment! It was full of people dancing to next project is to start emptying milk cartons so that
the D%J%&s music% At .:#) p%m% everyone headed
more of them can be recycled. The recycling club is
out of the school after a great night of fun%
sponsored by the PTO. Recycle today and make the
world a better place.
By: Olivia S.
!"#$% &'% ()*% +#,
By: Indigo S.
At West School during the week of November 6-10, students were guessing a mystery
flag. In the lunchroom we heard 3 clues, saw a flag, and then discussed the guesses together
as a class. Then, one person in each class wrote down the class’s guess and gave it to Mrs.
Boggs. After every class gave her their guess, she announced them and told us the correct country. In 3rd
grade, on the last day they held up a flag with 2 blue and 1 white stripe and everyone said it was Argentina.
One 3rd grader, Eliana Fleischer, knew that the Argentinean flag also has a sun in the middle of the flag and
it was missing. She was right! But the Flag of the Day week was over. We learned a lot about flags!
Talk of the Town
PORSCHES
by: David S. and Augie M.
A Porsche is a kind of
sport car. There is a
Porsche Carrara, 911
Turbo , Porsche Cayman,
Porsche Cayenne and a
Porsche Boxter. The
Carrara GT is my favorite. My dad is trying to
make me like minivans more than Porsches but
it’s not working. Ferdinand Porsche was the
founder of Porsche. Some are race cars like the
Porsche Tycon. You can see a Porsche at a
dealer, or on a road. There are other sport
cars that are not PorsChes like a Bugotie,
Ferrari, Corvette, Lamborghini and Mercedes.
Some Porsches can get up to 200 miles per
hour! They are cool, spectacular cars. I rate
Porsche’s a ten.
Three Incredible Structures
By: Adam J. and Josh K.
1. The first structure is The CN Tower (space needle) in
Toronto. The CN Tower is 1,815 feet and 5 inches counting its
tall antenna. It has 181 floors and six elevators. There is a
restaurant and a lookout level at 1,136 feet, and another
restaurant at 1,150 feet. The CN Tower opened in 1972.
2. The second incredible structure is New York’s own Statue
of Liberty. It was established in October, 1924. It was a gift
from France, and Frederic Auguste Bartholdi designed this
wonderful structure in 1876. With its flame it is 154 feet high.
3. The third extraordinary
structure is the St. Louis Arch. This
major arched structure in St. Louis
was made on December 21, 1935
and designed by Eero Saarinen. It
cost 30 million dollars. The arch is
closed only on New Years Day,
Christmas, and Thanksgiving.
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
BY AMANDA M.
The University of Michigan was founded in "."$%
My Generation
It is the state&s oldest university% Two of
By: Ariel S.
Michigan&s best sports teams are football and
My Generation is a great
hockey% The sports teams are the Wolverines and
their colors are gold and blue% Their fight song is
store that is mostly for
/The Victors%&& It was written by a student' Louis
girls. One of their biggest
Label' in ".-.% The University moved to Ann
selections of stuff is Paul
Arbor in ".#$% The first year in Ann Arbor' there
were only , professors and $ students% The Ann
Frank items. They have a lot of clothing and
Arbor campus is divided into three main areas:
stuffed animals. My favorite kind of stuffed North' Central and South% The school is more than
animal is a Webkinz. Webkinz is a special
,- million square feet% The University has a
stuffed animal with a secret code. Then you go famous building called The Wolverine Tower in
southern Ann Arbor% Did you know that all three
on Webkinz.com for your first adoption. On
of the Apollo "+ space crew were alumni of the
the website there is a talking duck and you
University of Michigan? The crew flew to the
moon from July ,( ! August $' "-$" with
listen to what the ducks say and there is
astronauts: David Scott' Alfred Worden and
some information you need to fill out. Now
James Irwin% They took with them three U of M
back to My Generation. The lava lamps
items: a miniature flag' the Department of
are so cool there! The workers are very nice Aerospace Engineering seal and a charter of the U
of M Alumni Club' which was left on
and helpful. I can’t wait until the next time
the moon% I&m writing about the
mom and I go there to shop. They hope YOU
University of Michigan because my
parents went there% Have you ever
stop by too. I think you will really love My
been to a U of M football game?
Generation. It is so fun!
They are fun!
Did you Know?
Sleepwalking
By: Cameron S.
Sleepwalking is when a person
appears to be awake and
moving around but is actually
asleep. Sleepwalking can
range from sitting up in bed to
walking. The person who is
sleepwalking has no memory
of their actions. Sleepwalking
can be dangerous because the
person might stumble against
furniture, lose their balance, go
through windows or fall
downstairs. They are also very
hard to wake up. Their eyes
might be open. A person who
is sleepwalking may do
repetitive things like switching
on and off the lights and
opening and closing doors.
Sleepwalking occurs most at
age 6-12 years old. Homicide
or suicide during sleepwalking
has rarely been reported when
a person has tried to awake a
sleepwalker. To help reduce
sleepwalking a person should
get plenty of rest. You can
also make sure you are not
angry before you go to bed.
Another protection is removing
anything from the room that
can be dangerous. Also a
person who is known to
sleepwalk should sleep
on the first
floor.
Another
method to stop
sleepwalking is
hypnosis.
Blacksmithing
By: Marek B.
You might think
blacksmithing is
turning stuff black
but that is
WRONG!
A blacksmith is a
person who
makes objects
out of steel or
iron by forging
the metal using
hand tools. The
blacksmith hammers, bends, cuts
and otherwise shapes it while the
medal is not in a liquid form.
Usually the medal is heated until it
glows red or orange first.
Blacksmiths work with ‘black’’
metals, especially iron. The black
color comes from a layer of oxides
that form on the surface of the
metal during heating called the fire
scale. Blacksmiths heat the metal
using a forge fueled by propane,
natural gas, coal, charcoal, or coke.
Blacksmiths create things like
wrought iron, gates, grills, railings,
light fixtures, furniture, tools,
sculptures, decorative and religious
items, cooking utensils, and
weapons.
A blacksmith who works
with horses to fit them for shoes is
called a farrier. The term ‘smith’
comes from the word ‘smite’, which
means to hit. So a blacksmith is a
person who hits the black metals.
I’ve been inspired to write about
this topic because #1, my great
great grandfather was a blacksmith,
and #2, I’m going to a camp that
has blacksmithing. Kids would
probably like to make S hooks,
which is a hook that looks like an S
and a J hook which looks like a J.
So, what do you think? If you end
up being a blacksmith, your
favorite line would be; okay, hand
me my sledge hammer.
By: Jason S. and
Josh R.
Saddam Hussein was an evil Iraqi
dictator from 1979 to 2003
before he was captured by the
Americans on December 13,
2003 at 8:30 p.m. Iraqi time.
They found him in a 7 foot deep
small underground pit on a farm,
near the town of Tikrit. Hussein
was born April 28, 1937 in AlAuja about 100 miles north of
Baghdad, Iraq. Hussein grew up
in a mud-brick hut. When he
was in charge of Iraq, Hussein
tried to trick the people into
thinking he was a great leader by
telling them slogans that were
not true. Hussein had two sons.
Uday, the older son and favorite
of Saddam, and Qusay the
younger son were killed by U.S.
forces in Mosul, in July of 2003.
Saddam was charged and found
guilty of crimes against humanity.
He was convicted of killing 148
people in the Iraqi town of
Dujail. He killed and hurt many
more people during his reign but
that was all that they proved at
the trial. Hussein was sentenced
to death by hanging.
Around the World
The 7 New Wonders of the World
By: Sacha A. and Samantha B.
On ABC’s Good Morning America Show there was a program about the Seven
Ancient Wonders of the World. A group in Switzerland organized a vote to
find the seven new wonders of the world. Here are the results:
1. The Portola Palace- in Tibet. The palace is 2 1/2 miles above sea level. It was built in the
1600’s by over 8,000 people and it took over 10 years to complete.
2. Jerusalem Old City - is important to three of the world’s religions, Judaism, Christianity
and Islam. People have been fighting for this area in Israel for a long time and have still not
stopped. There are three important holy sites in the city, Dome of the Rock, The Western Wall
and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
3. Polar Ice Caps - the Polar ice caps are at the South Pole. These natural wonders are starting
to melt because of global warming.
4. Marine Sanctuary - is the largest protected area on earth. It’s bigger then all the national
parks together. It's 14,000 square miles of ocean. It is near Hawaii.
5. The Internet -is a great invention. It is gathering all the world’s knowledge in one place.
6. Maya Pyramids - the Mayan’s built their pyramids 500 years before the Spanish arrived.
7. Serengeti - it’s a national park in Tanzania in Africa. It is home to lions, leopards, rhinos,
cape buffalo and elephants. The park protects the animals.
Yugoslavia
By: Leah B. and Sabrina C.
Yugoslavia was a country
in Europe. Yugoslavia
means “Land Of The
South Slavs.” In Yugoslavia
there have been many wars and changes. There was a
war called the Balkan War of 1912-13. The war ended
and the Turkish ruled in the Balkan Peninsula. Then
In 1992, the country split into a bunch of little
countries, but the main countries were and are now,
Serbia and Montenegro. If you want to visit you should
know that n Belgrade in January through July it is 40 °
F. Through winter it’s cold and dry, and in the
summers it is warm and humid. The national food is
Cevapcici which consists of small rolled patties of mixed
ground meats that are heavily seasoned and grilled.
Another popular dish is Sarma (stuffed cabbage). In
conclusion, you probably didn’t know a lot about
Yugoslavia and it is a cool place. To learn more about
Yugoslavia you can Google it.
Darfur - Reach for Change
By: Asher B.
In Highland Park, a grade school is trying to
support peace in Darfur, Sudan. They want to
reach a goal of 400,000 decorated paper
dolls, like the ones below, to represent the
lost lives (so far). They hope to spread
knowledge of the terrible conditions in
Darfur and also hope the dolls will help
because it will put pressure on the
government to bring aid to the people in
Darfur. People are being hurt by Sudanese
Arabs. They also are dropping explosives and
destroying houses. Send the dolls to Elm
Place Middle School 2031N. Sheridan Road,
Highland Park, IL 60035. If you are interested
see me.
Diversions
Osrui Overnight Camp
By: Emma A. and Emily B.
Osrui summer camp in Oconomowoc'
Wisconsin is a Jewish camp for boys and
girls% It is located on the shores of Lake
Lac La Belle% Osrui also has a camp in
Israel% At Osrui there are many different
places for kids to hang out at such as the
alpine tower' a + story climbing tower'
the dining hall' the Lorge Pavilion' where
services and concerts are held' the
Merkazivrit Center' where kids learn
Hebrew' the Sang center for Jewish Arts'
where photography' media and dance is
held' and the Sang Sports Center% There
are also stables' where kids can ride , to #
times a week' a theater' and the
waterfront% The schedule at Osrui is that
you get up at $ a%m% and have morning
services and breakfast% After breakfast
there is Jewish learning and then
swimming' boating and free swim% Then
you have lunch and quiet time in your
cabin% Next you have electives like drama'
music and art% Then you go to the
waterfront and sports' canteen 0every
other day1 and rest% Dinner is at ( pm and
then is evening services' social time and
snack% At -:#) p%m% there are stories'
singing' or discussion before bed%
Parents probably want to know
what the counselors are like% They are
from the US' Canada' Israel' and Europe'
and at least "- years of age or college
sophomores% Osrui is great camp for
kids in ,nd!.th grade% The counselors are
so nice and
there&s so
much to do%
We think OSRUI
IS THE BEST
CAMP IN THE
WORLD!
Dearbhla Fay,
Riverdance
star!
By: Enya M.
I interviewed Dearbhla Fay. She is my Irish
Dancing teacher. She is a world famous
Irish dancer. She danced in Riverdance
from 1997-2004. She is 28 years old and
lives in Chicago, Illinois. She speaks 3
languages, Irish (Gaelic), French and
English. She has won 13 World
Championships and All- Ireland
Championships and holds the World
Record for most World Irish dancing
Championships won. While she was touring
with Riverdance she went to: Ireland,
England, Paris, China, Japan, Estonia,
Germany, Finland, Sweden, Netherlands,
Australia, Austria, Spain, Mexico, Iceland,
Thailand and Malaysia and she
occasionally performs in the United States.
She has performed for the President of
Ireland, the King and Queen of Malaysia
and also she has performed at the Grammy
Awards, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Craig
Kilborne, Ellen Degeneres and many more
throughout the world. Australia is her
favorite country to go to. She teaches at
the Sheila Tully Academy of Irish Dance.
Her parents are Gannie (Granya ) and
Martin Fay. Her mother owns a dance
school in Dublin, Ireland and that is where
she learned to dance. Her father was a
member of the Chieftains, a famous music
group in Ireland. She has one brother,
Fergal Fay. He is an Irish dance
choreographer, teacher and judge . I had
fun interviewing Dearbhla!
Curious Creatures
The Only One Left or Not?
By: Ian M.
The Tasmanian Tiger (also called the Tasmanian Wolf or Thylicane) is a very rare tiger.
Scientists think it is extinct, but it could still be alive as sightings of the Tasmanian
Tiger have occurred all over east Asia. The Tasmanian Tiger is 5 feet long and its jaws
open larger than any other mammal of its size. The Tasmanian Tiger became extinct by
hunters killing them for their fur. Also people used them as guard dogs, but they weren’t very good guard dogs so they
hurt them and killed them off. My favorite animal is the Tasmanian Tiger so I am very sad that they might be extinct, but
I think there could be a few left. The Tasmanian Tiger looks kind of like a dog but with big teeth and black stripes from
the bottom part of his back to the top part of the legs and is a brownish orange color. One of the real Tasmanian Tigers
died about 3 months ago, the last one. They are still trying to figure out if the Tasmanian Tiger could be the 3rd fiercest
tiger after the Siberian Tiger and the Asian Tiger. There is one thing scientists can never disagree with and that is that
Tasmanian Tigers are AWESOME!
Bichon Frises
By: Amanda F.
Bichon Frises can be a good pet for people
who have allergies because they don’t shed.
The reason I know, is because my dad has
allergies and we have two Bichons. Bichons
can be sweet and loving pets . My dog Cody,
(who we had first for two years) doesn't like
to share any attention with our new dog R.J. (the 3 month old
puppy that we just got). Be careful not to give one dog more
attention then the other because the one who is getting less
attention will start licking his paw. Cody kept licking his paw.
He eventually had to get one of those circle things around his
head, so he couldn’t lick his paw. Here are some things you
need to know to take care of a Bichon Frise: When you give
them a bath brush them up afterwards because they are
suppose to be fluffy. If they weigh more that 15 pounds they
should go on a diet. Last, have a good time with your pet!
Care for a Leopard Gecko
By: Maddie K.
The Leopard Gecko is an easy pet for beginners. It doesn’t take up
much space. They can sometimes get very excitable. But remember never
to pick them up by their tail or it will fall off. Leopard Geckos do best
eating 12 crickets a week. Do not feed them meal worms as it will cause
digestive problems. A glass cage is the best for your pet gecko. Use
newspaper or paper towels or your little pet might eat his bedding and get
sick. Clean the corner that he soils and clean the whole cage once or twice
every six to eight weeks. Remember, you are so much bigger then your
little gecko friend so ALWAYS be careful when you play with your pet.
Rats
By: Amanda F.
Rats can be loving and
caring pets. And why should
I know? Because I had a rat
named Ruben. These are
some of the things that you
need to have for a pet rat:
a cage, hay, water and some
sort of rat food. You can find
all these thing at Petsmart,
Petco and Pet Supplies Plus.
Rats can make you kind of
mad because the first night
we got our rat he went
behind the television and it
took 3 hours to get him out!
A rat’s life span is usually
from 4-6 years. But our rat
lived 7 years. Then we had to
put him to sleep because he
was in pain and had cancer.
When you are sad I bet that
one little rodent (a rat) can
make you feel better!
We Suggest...
Unwrappeeeet
By: Frieda G.
I&ve always wanted to know how the candy and delicious treats I eat are made% Then
I found out about channel ("' the Food Network% It&s a click away% Hosted by Marc
Sommers' it is a show that tells you what you&re really eating from the tiny
marshmallows in your breakfast cereal to peanut butter% From chocolate syrup
to french fries' to bubble gum' to all those candy favorites% Unwrapped is on once a
week% Unwrapped shows Halloween related candies when Halloween is coming'
Thanksgiving foods at Thanksgiving and so on% Some of the treats they showed at Halloween are
sour bats' peeps cats' and chocolate covered haunted houses% I could go on' Halloween is all about
candy% Some recent episodes on Unwrapped were Spices' Delectable Delights' Rainy Day' Bite!
Size' Chicken' Playing With Food' Food With Holes' Comfort Foods' ,!in!"' Cheesy' Super Sweet'
Turkey Day' Stuffed% Marc Sommers does an AMAZING job hosting the show% It shows any /sweet
treat2 you could imagine% It&s my personal favorite show% I think anyone that3s reading this should
give it a try% It first aired in June ,))"' and I KNOW that they will continue to have more sweet
and yummy shows%
The Tale
of
Despereaux
Reviewed by:
Eric F.
The Tale of Despereaux, is a
book by Kate Di Camillo. In
the story a mouse named
Despereaux falls in love with
a human princess named Pea.
Falling in love with a human
princess is hard for a mouse
because getting close to a
human on purpose is a BIG
mistake. If you do it on
purpose your fellow mice will
send you into the dungeon
with rats in it (rats eat mice).
In the dungeon the most
feared rat is Roscoro. Roscoro
has eaten many mice. I
suggest that you read The
Tale of Despereaux because it
is a long book, but very good. I
rate the book five stars. Kate
Di Camillo has also written
Because of Winn Dixie and
other books.
Wacky Packs
By: Alana B.
Wacky Packs
are fun
trading cards.
They are peel
off stickers in
a package with gum. Wacky
Packs imitate real products and their
advertising. For example, instead of
Trix-it is Fix. There are many series
plus a new series coming out, series
5. Some new unpublished cards
are Sea Honkies, Granny HairsBuck
Tales, Bimbo, Gooya, Glowworm,
Harassame Street, Splat the Bunny,
Tushie Roll, Gristlers and many
more. An interesting fact is Wacky
Packs used to be only 5 cents.
Some favorites are Weakies,
Liptorn, Ajerx, Cap’n Crud, Skimpy,
Kook aid, Shot Wheels, Awful Bits,
Jolly Mean Giant, and Gadzooka.
There are 30 cards per series.
Wacky Packs really started in the
70’s and now they are back! From
1973-1976, 16 series were released.
Some old cards have become
expensive collector’s items. Ask
your parents if they collected
Wacky Packs.
MAD FOR MAD
MAGAZINE
By: Grayson S.
Mad Magazine is a funny and
interesting magazine. William
Gains, of Ec Comics published
the 1st issue of Mad in
October 1952. A man named
Harvey Kurtzman edited and
wrote too. In July 1955, the
comic book was turned into a
monthly black and white
magazine. Mr. Gaines changed
the price to a quarter
instead of a dime, which is
fifteen cents higher! On
September 1956, Harvey
decided to make a mascot and
let Alfred E. Neuman come to
life. Alfred became so famous
that to this day you can still
see his face as the cover boy.
In 2002, Mad celebrated its
50th anniversary.
So next time
you go to the
store check out a
Mad Magazine.
Creative Writing
A Dog’s Life 2-The return of the Reporter (continued from the Fall issue)
By: Andrew F.
This story takes place at 682 Grove St. In the beginning, the reporter comes back and demands his $150,000.
Carol, Lisa and Tom had refused to hand over the money. The reporter got so mad that he did 500 cartwheels! It
took one hour to stop laughing! Midnight was so happy she did not notice the big commotion in the house. Tom does
not notice that the reporter got loose and turned on the TV. Then by mistake Tom puts on Barney! It takes another
hour for everyone to stop laughing at Barney dancing around on the television screen. The reporter starts to sing
along with Barney and everyone laughs even harder. Midnight and Rocky both start singing and dancing too.
Next, CBS reporters come, and there are 127 of them! People are so crowded that they are standing on the roof,
attic and chimney. Then, a reporter falls through the attic and smashes through the ceiling of the dining room
right in the middle of the breakfast buffet that Lisa had been preparing. What a mess! Cream cheese flies
everywhere— splattering onto the windows. Grape jelly gets stuck on the wall. Hamburgers and hotdogs fly
through the air like missiles. Then a miracle happens and all the reporters leave. TO BE CONTINUED…
A Dog&s Life #! The Crazy Party
By: Bianca S%
This is the sequel to A Dog&s Life ,' by Andrew F% Let me introduce myself! I am Bianca' owner of
Rocky% Remember at the end of A Dog&s Life ,' when all the reporters leave? Well Carol' Lisa' and
Tom are so happy that they decide to throw a party% But Andrew wasn&t in that bunch% The
troublemaker was over at my house' playing a crazy game of fetch with Rocky% I could hear the
pitter patter of Rocky&s feet as he raced to get the ball% You see' Rocky had never been taught
how to play fetch% When a ball was thrown' he would just scamper to get it% Rocky would either
grab the ball and run around with it in his mouth' or' simply' just not pick up the ball% Anyway'
Rocky raced to the ball but threw it in the air with his mouth% Andrew ran and caught the ball% A
crazy game of fetch% Well it is about time we started planning my dog&s birthday party% Then I
saw the Finkes walking by with Midnight% Rocky caught sight of her' wiggled through the gate'
and they pounced on each other% /Hi' Mom' Hi' Dad%2 Andrew called to his parents% He waved at
Carol' too% /Do you kids want to go to the store with us? We can look for decorations for
Rocky&s birthday%2 Mr% Finke offered% /Sure'2 I said' and then all five 0and two non! humans1
walked into town% First we went to MITE to get invitations% Carol found paper that had dog
bones on it' so we bought it% Next we went to Party City and picked out balloons that had
famous dogs on them' like Scooby! Doo' Lassie and Toto% We drove to DJ&s and got treats for
the dogs% Then to $ Eleven and got Slurpies for us% We had the paper goods' food' invitations'
and decorations% I felt like something was missing% The party was the next day% Saturday was
the perfect day' though Rocky&s real birthday was Sunday' the *th% We invited the Stachowiaks
with their dog Cali' the Brandfonbrenners with their dog Winnie' the Lewins with Sadie' another
family with a dog named Oliver who we thought was related to Rocky' and of course' the Finkes%
Something was missing%%% and then it hit me% PRESENTS! I raced into the house to see if
anything was lying around% I picked up some new toys% Dad was having a meeting with a vet' so
I tried to be quiet% I still got the feeling that something was missing% I ignored it% I went over to
Rocky and gave him the toy% He looked at it' growled' and slowly backed away% The other dogs
started to bark% And%%%then%%% the black fuzzy toy opened its eyes and sprang at Rocky% It was
scary watching the black thing pounce on the dogs% Then I saw Dad looking through the window%
He opened the door and shouted' /that&s the baby panther from the Lincoln Park Zoo!2 Dad
raced to the dogs as the owners stared in awe% He finally managed to wrestle the panther away
from the dogs% Then I realized what was missing% I hadn&t told mom or dad about the party!
The panther jumped into the vet&s arms and started to sneeze% A panther sneezing? This day
was weird and getting weirder% Dad told everybody to leave' then grounded me for a month
with no TV or computer% But when I was grounded I explored our house %%% and I found
something%%% something that hadn&t been found for thousands of years%%% TO BE CONTINUED…
Featured West School Staff
Mr. Rongey
By: Katie W. & Maytee P.
Our principal&s full name is David Keller Rongey% This is his first year as
principal at West School% Last year he was the Assistant Principal at
Central% Before that he taught fourth grade at West School% Before he
began teaching' he was in the U%S% Navy% Mr% Rongey was in the military
for $ years 0+ years active' , years reserves%1 Then he helped send
humanitarian aid to poor countries% When he was a kid his favorite
subjects in school were spelling and writing% His favorite type of music is
rock and roll and he likes the Beatles' Chieftains' Bob Dylan' Joan Baez'
and Bob Seger% Mr% Rongey likes to watch Saturday ' Sunday' and Monday Night football% The last
movie Mr% Rongey saw was /Bobby2% He enjoys documentaries and political movies like /Reds '
/Wag the Dog2' and /Red October%2 Mr% Rongey likes to read mysteries' historical fiction' and
biographies% Mr% Rongey has lived in Missouri' California' Connecticut' and the United Kingdom%
But the best place he has lived was Hawaii% He liked living there because he enjoyed the beautiful
rain forest and swimming' surfing' and diving% If he could live in another state he would live in
Alaska' because it&s a wild' exciting' huge environment% When Mr% Rongey is not in school he likes
to kayak' run' play board games' play with his dogs' do things with his kids' and help his neighbors%
What Mr% Rongey likes most about being a principal is helping teachers and students to do the
best they can%
MR. SARUBBI
Interviewed by: Jessica N.
Sean Patrick Sarubbi was born
on November 21, 1975. His
favorite food is pizza and
cereal. His favorite color is
blue. His favorite sport is
basketball because he’s liked it
since he was a little kid. He is
a major Cubs fan and his
favorite player is Kerry Wood. Mr. Sarubbi has been
a gym teacher for 9 years. He wanted to be a gym
teacher because both of his parents were teachers
when he was a kid. His favorite book is the “Da
Vinci Code.” His favorite place to travel is Hawaii.
He liked the movie “Meet the Parents.” His
favorite actor is Samuel Jackson and his favorite
actress is Charlize Theron. The song “Speed of
Sound” is one of his favorites. He enjoys the singer
David Grouhl. Mr. Sarubbi went to college at
DePaul University. Mr. Sarubbi has a daughter
named Peyton and she is 2 years old. Mr. Sarubbi
likes playing in a little toy tunnel with her. His
favorite part of being a gym teacher is working with
the kids. He really likes to play “Capture the Flag in
gym class. Mr. Sarubbi likes being the gym teacher at
West School and we like him as the gym teacher at
West!
Meet Miss Danielle
Interviewed
by Emily R.
Danielle Molinari, (Miss Danielle) is a teacher
associate at West School who helps in different
rooms. She was born in Highland Park and grew
up in Highwood. She has 5 brothers and sisters,
Rachel, Meagan, Laura, Nikki, and Rich. She
went to Oak Terrance Elementary School and then
Highland Park High school. She went to college at
CLC and Southern Illinois University. Before she
became a teacher she was a swimming instructor, a
camp counselor, and a lifeguard. If she wasn’t a
teacher she would be an astronaut or professional
frisbee golfer. Other interesting information about
her is that over winter and summer break she takes
care of Mrs. Shapiro's turtles. Her favorite sports
teams are the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team and
the Chicago Bears. In her free time she
likes to draw and spend time with her
nephew. As you can see Miss Danielle
is a very interesting person.
SPORTS
Biography of
Chad Johnson
(Ocho Cinco)
Brian Urlacher
By: Jesse R.
Tom Izzo
By: Josh H. and
Aidan D.
The head
coach for
CINCINNATI-Chad Johnson
Michigan
was born on January 9 ,1978
State
in Miami, Florida. He is an All
basketball
American football wide
CHICAGO-Brian Keith Urlacher is Tom Izzo.
was born on May 25, 1978 in
receiver for the Cincinnati
Pasco, Washington. Brian is a middle His home
Bengals. The Bengals
town is Iron Mountain,
linebacker for the Chicago Bears.
drafted him from Oregon
Michigan. In his 12th year
When Brian was a kid his parents
State University in the
divorced, and his mom moved Brian coaching he lead the Spartans
second round. He played
and his siblings to New Mexico.
to beat Duke and go to the
with Carolina Panther’s
For college, Urlacher went to the
Final Four. Izzo’s 255th wins
Steve Smith before he
University of New Mexico. In the
in 11 seasons are the ninth
transferred to Oregon
2000 NFL Draft Brian Urlacher
most in the history of college
State. He didn’t know it but was selected by the Chicago Bears
one of his Bengals
in the first round. However, when basketball. In the NCAA
teammates transferred with they started playing, Brian was
Tournament, Izzo is at his
him from Santa Monica
not playing so well. Then a Bear’s
best, winning at a clip of .742
Junior College to Oregon
player, Barry Minter, had a bad
to rank third among all active
State. He held a record with injury and that started Brian as a
coaches with at least 10
middle linebacker. He was a big
a 97 yard touchdown pass
tournament games coached. His
hit when they played the New
at Oregon State. One year
.694 winning percentage in Big
at Oregon he went 11-1 and York Giants. With the help of the
Ten games ranks second allnew coach Dick Jauron the Bears
Johnson lead that team to
time among league coaches who
surprised everyone during the
the Fiesta Bowl and they
have coached at least 10 years,
won! He would prefer to be 2001 NFL season. After a few
great games they lost the
right behind former Indiana
called “Ocho Cinco” (85) in
divisional playoffs to the
coach Bob Knight. Izzo’s
Spanish. He got fined $5000 Philadelphia Eagles. In 2004
success is his ability to take
for replacing “Johnson” on they fired Dick Jauron and hired
young talented players and
the back of his jersey with
Lovie Smith. With Brian Urlacher
“Ocho
and Lovie Smith the Bears are now develop their skills, helping his
Cinco.”
players to move up to the NBA.
a great hit!!
Izzo had a full summer in 2005.
In July he had the opportunity
to play golf with Tiger Woods
at the Buick Open-Pro-Am. Tom
Izzo is very interesting.
By: Noah L.
The Bears
By: Jack C. & Grant M.
The Chicago bears are a team in the NFL% Some of their good players are
Thomas Jones 0,)1' Brain Urlacher 0+*1' Muhsin Muhammad 0.$1' Devin
Hester 0,#1' Nathan Vasher 0#"1 and Fred Miller 0(-1% This season the strengths
of the Chicago Bears are the defense which has always been tough% For example'
in the Arizona game' in the third quarter' Brain Urlacher stripped the ball out
of Edrian James hands as Charles Tillman went for a touchdown% Another example was when Mark
Andreson hit Matt Leinart for a fumble for a touchdown% Or when Mike Brown intercepted the
ball for a touchdown% We have a good background defense like Nathan Vasher in ,))+% He ran ").
yards for a touchdown after a missed field goal by Joe Nedney% Last year Thomas Jones broke
Walter Payton3s record above "#)) yards% One of the Bear&s best tackles is Fred Miller% He won the
Superbowl with the Rams in the "--- ! ,))) season beating the Titans' ,#!"(% He has been one of
the best blockers because was on Marshall Faulk' Eddie George and Thomas Jones& teams% The year
he was traded to the Bears he was one of the best on the offensive line% One of the reasons why is
he had to guard one of the best defense of line' Julius Peppers and he allowed no sacks% One of the
best punt returners is Devin Hester% He has set a NFL record for punt return for touchdowns this
season% In the Green Bay game he returned a punt for .* yards' against Arizona he ran a .( yard
touchdown' in the New York Giants game he ran "). yards for a touchdown and against the Rams
he ran -* and -( yard touchdowns% These are not all of the touchdowns% Another good player is
/Moose2 Muhammad% He was on the Carolina Panthers and he went to the Super Bowl but they
lost to the Patriots% We want to wish all the Chicago Bears good luck and hope we see them in the
,))(!,))$ Super Bowl in January%
Olympic skiing 2
By: Alex M. and Jack L.
Erik Schlopy is a famous Olympic skier. Erik was
born August 21, 1972 in Buffalo,
New York. He skis right now in
Park City, Utah. He is 5’10’’ and
weighs 185. This is his tenth
year on the ski team. His school was
Burke Academy. Nordica Six is
his sponsor. His corporate partner is
Snowflake Spa. In St. Moritz, Erik
won the bronze medal in the Giant Slalom. In 2001
Erik Schlopy put up the best World Cup overall
performance by any American since Phill Mahre in
1983 by finishing 3rd in the overall Giant Slalom
standings just behind skiing legends Hermann
Maier and Michael Von Grunigen. Erik began
skiing when he was 18 months old. Originally he
raced for lollipops. He was Eastern Jr. champ at
14 and J-1 slalom\ GS at 16, and on the ski team
by 18. He entered the Burke Mountain ski team in
Vermont during high school. He was a 1994
Olympian but retired after the 1995 season. He
paid his own way for training in 1999 and raced his
way back to the ski team. In 1995, Erik joined the
pro tour. Erik was still in love with ski racing but
disappointed by his lack of improvement while on
the ski team. Erik Scholpy was an incredible skier.
He won many gold medals and has skied all over
the world. I hope I can be as good a skier as
Schlopy when I grow up.
Babe Ruth
By: Corey S.
Babe Ruth’s real name
is George Herman
Ruth Jr. He was born
on February 6, 1895
in Baltimore, Maryland. Babe’s parents were
Kate Schamberger and George Herman Ruth
Sr. When Babe was 7, his father took him
to St. Mary’s Orphanage. Babe got the
nickname “The Babe” because Jack Dun,
owner manager of the Baltimore Orioles,
saw how good at baseball Babe was and
called him his baby (Boston Red Sox were
still a minor league team). Ruth started to
play for the Baltimore Orioles when he was
19. Babe Ruth is also the cause of the
“Curse of the Bambino.” The curse began
when the Red Sox sold Babe to the Yankees.
Babe got traded to the Yankees because
Harry Frays (the owner) needed the money
to produce his girlfriend’s play. All the Red
Sox fans were very upset. After the trade,
the Yankees won 39 pennants and 26 World
Series, but the Red Sox won none until
2004.
More Sports...
The Fighting Illini
By: Nikki R.
The Fighting
Illini are the
college
basketball
of the University of Illinois.
Bruce Weber is the coach and
he has been coaching the
Illini for three years. The
players for this year are Rich
McBride, Brian Randle,
Shaun Pruitt, Chester
Frazier, Trent Meacham,
Jamar Smith, Warren Carter,
Chris Hicks, Calvin Brocks,
Marcus Arnold, Richard
Semrau, Charles Jackson and
Brian Carlwell. Brian Randle
had groin surgery at the
beginning of the season, but
returned on December 17. It
looks like there is a lot of
injuries this year. Jamar
Smith was also hurt and
Rich McBride was suspended
but he just came back. Last
year Dee Brown (the captain
last year) and James
Augustine (one of the best
players last year) graduated
and went to the NBA. This
year Illinois’ best players are
Rich McBride, Jamar Smith,
Brian Randle and Shaun
Pruitt. Trent Meachum is a
surprise walk on. The Illini
are doing well but not as
good as last year because Dee
Brown And James Augustine
are gone. Many people still
expect them to make the
NCAA tournament.
Brian Griese
By: Andrew S.
Brian Griese is a back up
quarterback for the Chicago
Bears. His weight is 214
lbs. and his height is 6’3’’.
He was born on March 18,
1975 in Miami, FLorida. He
has been playing for 9 years
and went to college at
University of Michigan. He
is 31 years old. He has a
total of 16,389 yards. His
number is 14 and his QB
rate is 90.1 and 1 touchdown.
He lives in Glencoe. His
Dad, Bob Griese, played for
the Miami Dolphins. He went
to college at Purdue. With
the Miami Dolphins, he had
25,092 yards in all. Bob has
also been actively involved
in fundraising efforts for
the Susan G. Komen Breast
Cancer Foundation, and was
the honorary chairman
for the 2001 Race for the
Cure in Denver.
Olympic Skiing
By: Jack L. and
Alex M.
Olympic skier
Jonny
Moseley was
born August
27, 1975 in
San Juan,
Puerto Rico.
He now lives in Tibruon, Florida
now. He is 5 foot 11 and 172
pounds. His event in skiing is
Men’s Moguls. When he lived in
Puerto Rico he started skiing at 9
years old! He didn’t like to ski
but his brother dared him to and
now he is famous! He also enjoys
golf and wake boarding. He won
the gold medal in the men's
Moguls event in the 1998 Winter
Olympic games in Nagano,
Japan. It was the first medal for
the USA of the 18th Winter
Olympics. He made the US Ski
Team in 1993 but narrowly
missed out on a spot in the 1994
Winter Olympic games in
Lillehammer, Norway. In 1998 it
was his 4th year on the US Ski
Team. The US Ski Team was
very successful at the Nagano
games. In addition to Moseley’s
gold were gold medals byNikki
Stone in Women’s Ariel, and Eric
Bergoust, in Men's Aerials. Since
Moseley won there were a lot of
fans waiting to greet him when he
got back from the Olympics to
California. He also stars in a
McDonald’s commercial for the
Olympics, and has made a guest
appearance on David Letterman.