Weibel Elementary History By Anvi and Simone

Fred E. Weibel Elementary School
December2014
Weibel Elementary History
By Anvi and Simone
Weibel Elementary School was a vineyard until the 1980s. Fred E.
Weibel was the president of Weibel Vineyards and a member of the
Fremont School Board. The Fremont School Board honored him by naming
our school after him.
Present-day Weibel is far different, and is a recommended public
school in Fremont. The Wildcat Run is one item that is special to Weibel.
In my opinion, our four-star school, has a wonderful staff which consists of
friendly office members and amazing teachers working hard to adjust to
the new Common Core standards. Seven hundred seventy-eight students
are enrolled in Weibel, and in California, we ranked better than 99.7% of
elementary schools last year. Out of 5,423 schools in the Golden State,
Weibel ranks 99th. More details in the next edition...
Sources: http://www.greatschools.org/california/fremont/107-Fred-E.-Weibel-ElementarySchool/
www.schooldigger.com/go/CA/schools/1440009139/school.aspx
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/OBITUARY-Fred-E-Weibel-Sr-2987723.php
1
Fred E. Weibel Elementary School
December2014
Meet Our Chronicles Staff
From Left to right : Simone, Enya, Anouska , Atri, Pruthvi, Tejaswika,
Kerrine, Kiran, Tanvi, Neha, Samantha, Ayushi, Joanna, Shivangi, Anuhya
Anvi and Nicole
2
Fred E. Weibel Elementary School
December2014
Meet Our Chronicles Staff
Anvi S
Who’s the most important person in the world? Me, myself, and I! (Just Kidding)!
My name is Anvi, and I am in Mr. Richwood’s class/neighborhood, Room 28. I am part
of the Chronicles of Weibel. Additionally, I love to watch Tollywood movies (most of
which you haven’t heard of). Tollywood is Hollywood for people who speak the Indian
language Telugu. My mother and father are both from South India and are software
engineers. Specifically speaking, my dad is a software architect, and my mom is a
program manager for Cisco. I have a twin brother who is older than me by two
minutes, and we were born in Lucile Packard’s Children’s Hospital in Stanford’s campus. Until I was two years old, I lived in Mountain View, but now I live in Fremont obviously.
Some of my hobbies are playing the clarinet, playing the veena, playing the
piano, playing chess competitively, swimming, and reading. I am a member of the
League of Creative Minds, a model UN program in Stanford. If you don’t know, a
veena is a classical Indian musical instrument that is similar to a guitar, but a veena is
far larger, has more intricate designs, and it is probably harder to play, in my opinion.
Since I was in 2nd grade, I have been in the Weibel Chess team and enjoy it very
much. So far, I have won one national title in chess for the under 1000 section and
been part of 4 national winning teams in the U.S. I am also a Girl Scout in troop
#33236 with a group of my friends. I read a variety of books, such as the House of
Hades, The Humming Room, and the Wings of Fire series.
I hope you enjoy my articles and have fun reading them.
Veena
3
Simone K
Hi Wildcats! My name is Simone (and NOT Simon, as some people mispronounce it. It has an E at the end.). I’m part of the bustling Room 27, led by Mrs.
Powell. I have no siblings (L), but don’t miss having one as my mom is like a
friend and sister to me. My cousins across the globe are only a text away thanks
to social media. My birthday falls on August 1st, which just happens to be Swiss
Independence Day. I was fortunate enogh to be in Switzerland, marching with a
lantern in their Independence Day parade. It was followed by a spectacular fire
show with a grand finale of vivid, colorful fireworks. A couple of my favorite hobbies are reading and dancing. Before going to bed, I always curl up with a good
book and lose myself in a world of fantasy, fiction, and imagination. For the past
seven consecutive years, I’ve been dancing classical ballet, taking part in recitals
and wearing 7 different tutusJ. This year I’m performing in the classic Nutcracker.
I’m super excited to be a part of the Weibel Chronicles team and am looking forward to entertain you all with my articles. Bye!
Anuhya P
Hi my name is Anuhya and I am ten years old. I am in room 3(Mrs. Bobka’s class).
I am in 5th grade and I recently made it into the Chronicles of Weibel. To start with,
I have a sister who is in 8th grade. I also have a dog named Icy. My birthday is on
October 18, and I was born in 2004. My favorite thing to do when I am free is to
read, do arts and crafts, and play with my dog. I mostly love reading non-fiction
books such as encyclopedias, but recently, I have been addicted to the series
called Wings of Fire. I’m pretty sure that you have seen me if you have seen a girl
with purple glasses sticking her nose in a book. I help Mrs. Natalie in the library
and I truly enjoy it. My favorite sport is tennis. My favorite color is sea blue and
light blue. When I grow up, I want to become a marine biologist. My love for the
sea and any aquatic animal is very, very strong. . I don’t have a favorite animal because I love all animals. I usually think of myself as a sweet, funny, happy, and fun
-loving person. My parents say that I am very reckless, messy, and clumsy. I constantly keep losing things such as my allowances. I hope you have learnt a lot
about me. BYE!
4
Neha P
Hi, there my name is Neha. I am 10 years old, and I am in 5th grade. My teacher is Mrs. Hillman. I have been attending Weibel since kindergarten. I have had a wonderful time in
Weibel so far. I love Weibel so much. I wouldn’t go to any other school. I wanted to do last
year’s newspaper tryouts, but I couldn’t because I forget the day. This year it has been on
my mind since the first day of school. I got in this year. It was like magic! My favorite
subjects are writing and art. My favorite book is Wonderstruck, and Hugo Cabret which
you must know. I took reading but I stopped. Now I only take math at a math class I, also
take Indian dance classes and I took swimming classes, but I finished. I’m going to take art
and tennis classes. My favorite holiday is Christmas. My favorite food is ravioli. My favorite color is blue. I have one sister and no brothers. I like going outside and playing, unlike some people. I think this is a good source of information about me!!
Trisha G
Hello, my name is Trisha. I am 10 years old, in fifth grade. I am in Room 5. This is my
first year in Weibel Chronicles. I am very excited to start my year. I live with my mom, my
dad, and my older sister. I like funny things and jokes. I like a variety of animals, but my
favorite is a dog. My favorite subject is science because I like learning about elements,
compounds, chemical reactions, and things along those lines. The new math system, Math
Expressions, is still a little new and different for me. I absolutely love books, especially
fantasies and fiction. I like books and articles about dragons, fairies, magic, myth, and
mysteries. I am not interested much in non-fiction books. My favorite T. V. show is Wild
Kratts because I learn about animals, and it is not boring either. I have gone to swimming,
gymnastics, and hockey classes. I still go to art class. I like to paint more than drawing or
coloring. My favorite color is pink. Some girls think pink is an ugly color, but I adore pink.
These are some main things about me.
5
Anushka P
Anushka, that’s my name. I am a student in Mrs. Powell’s class, Room 27 in the great
school of Weibel Elementary. As a 6th grader I am very excited to be part of The Chronicles of
Weibel. This is a very good opportunity to learn about things that are going on around me. I love
to read anything that comes in front of me. I like reading about the world surrounding me and I am
also interested in reading books on science. Throughout the vast journey of school I enjoyed making many friends, learning new things, and doing many amazing afterschool activities. I was always interested in writing and ever since I was 8 years old my passion of writing began to show.
When I was only 8 I started a journal and then after that I loved to write. When I was 9 years old I
participated in an essay competition and I wrote about school safety and surprisingly I won 2 nd
place! I enjoyed writing and always loved the way to express myself through writing. Writing easily
became my favorite subject in school and I began to show a good effort in writing. As I went to
higher grades I began to dig deeper and get more interested in writing than ever. When my mom
informed me about The Chronicles of Weibel I was so enthusiastic to try out for a newspaper! I
was waiting for the summer to end so I could find out more about this amazing opportunity and
finally I did. As I was writing my entry I was very nervous about getting in, but I finally did! And
here I am!!!
Ayushi B
Hello minions of Weibel Elementary! You probably know me—I’m the only member
of the VIP Committee. Ha, ha, ha! Just kidding—my name is Ayushi (I-U-SHE: correct pronunciation), I’m part of Weibel’s very prestigious newspaper club, and I’m in
Mr. Stange’s, sixth grade, Stange Gang. The members of my family are; an adorable, little sister; my helpful and supporting mom; my extraordinarily terrific dad. I
have a large variety of hobbies, such as swimming, playing piano and flute, Bollywood dancing, tennis, ice-skating, and art . As of now, I have been swimming for
eight years, and I started when I was three. I have also been dancing for seven
years doing one main style—Bollywood (an Indian film version for Hollywood). I am
a very passionate artist , and I have completed one 16” by 20” canvas painting of a
flamenco woman (a woman in the middle of a flamingo step). I moved from India to
Kansas when I was eight months old; then, I moved from Kansas to Warm Springs
when I was eight years old; finally, I transferred from Warm Springs to Weibel. You
can probably tell that my background is very diverse, as I have been to three different schools: Isely Traditional Elementary School, Warm Springs Elementary School,
and Weibel Elementary. Hopefully, you have learned a bit about me!
6
Nicole H
Hello! My name is Nicole. I am in 5th Grade, Mrs. Lee’s class. My favorite subject is
science, and my favorite prep is Computer Lab. Blue is my favorite color. Tea eggs are
my favorite food, and cats are my favorite animal. I am considered a bookworm and a
cat lover. I am fan of food, literature, and big cities. I love traveling. New York City and
Hong Kong have been my favorite destinations, so far. My favorite book is Double
Identity, by Margaret Peterson Haddix. I also like listening to music and the radio.
Some of my favorite artists are Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and Maroon 5. One thing
that I really like, and you probably like, are the holidays. My favorites are Halloween
and Christmas. That’s all there is to say about me.
Tejasvika M
Hi my name is Tejasvika. I am 11 years old and I am one of Mrs. Powell’s students in
Weibel Elementary. Throughout 6th grade, I am very interested for anything that has to
do with art. I was inspired by my aunt when I was the age of 5 and I have always tried
to make myself better at art. My passion for art grew as I got older and over the years
my talented aunt taught me beading, canvas painting, oil painting, glass painting, and
very little about nib painting. Drawing was a thing I loved to do but instead of going to
classes and learning from my family members, I progressed all by myself and that is
why I was chosen last year and this year as the illustrator. The past years (2012 and
below) there was no such thing as an Illustrator in the Chronicles of Weibel until I
came in 2013- 2014-2015.There are many different kinds of drawings that I know and
some of them are Manga, Chibbi, and many more for me to uncover. I am glad I was
chosen for illustrator and I hope you are satisfied with my art work!
7
Kiran M
Hi, I’m Kiran and I’m just the average boy. I study like other kids, and I play sports and
video games if I have time. I am in sixth grade, and I am the oldest child in my family
with one little sister in second grade. My hobbies are playing soccer, football, and chatting with my friends on Gmail. My favorite sports are soccer and tennis. I don’t have any
pets, however, I did have a fish, but it died last year. I haven’t decided to get a new one,
yet. My favorite food is Pizza Hut’s pizza because it’s very oily which makes the flavor
stand out. My favorite games to play are monopoly and chess, and my favorite video
games are Harry Potter Years 5-7 and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Just for fun, I also
like playing The World’s Hardest Game 3. I am currently trying out for the basketball
team, and the Student Council VP. I am also in the school band, playing the clarinet. My
favorite holiday is Christmas because I love the cool weather and the presents I get. I used
to live in Maryland and I loved the snow that fell during Christmas time. In summary, I
am an well-rounded boy who excels in social and academic life.
Tanvi D
Hello, my name is Tanvi and I am 10 years old. I’m in 5th grade in Mrs. Hillman’s
class. This is my second year at Weibel. I am taking art class, singing class, and
am part of the Weibel Chess Team. I love to read and am constantly at the library.
I read Percy Jackson, Warriors, Seekers, and books by Andrew Clements (they
are very funny). I am also a library helper and enjoy helping Ms. Natalie. One of
my best achievements is being 1st place in a competition called Math Kangaroo.
My favorite color is turquoise. Some of my favorite hobbies are playing chess,
reading, painting, and drawing. My favorite sport is golf, but some people do not
consider it a sport. Maybe then I’ll go with badminton. My favorite food is ravioli.
My favorite subjects are math and science.
Atri S
Hello! My name is Atri S. I am a 6th grader in Mrs. Powell’s class. Some of my
hobbies include basketball, football, chess, Swimming and music. I was born in
Lucile Packard’s Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto, California. I have a twin sister
named Anvi. My favorite subject is social studies. I like looking at current events
such as Ebola and ISIS to see what is happening around the world. I am also a
Boy Scout . I like making PowerPoint presentations and taking pictures with
phones and cameras. My dad works in this company called Fortinet. My mom
works at Cisco. Together, my parents own a South Indian Vegetarian restaurant in
Sunnyvale. My favorite food is Chicken Sautee, and my favorite animal is a grizzly bear. That’s all about me!
8
Shivangi G
Hello. My name is Shivangi and I’m in 6th grade in Mr. Stange’s class (Rm. 29).
Mrs. Stewart is my reading teacher. I have been here since Kindergarten and have
had good experiences at this school. My favorite color is blue (blue green, to be
specific) and my favorite number is 24. If I could have one food and one dessert
every single day of the year, I would pick pizza and chocolate ice cream, ONLY IF,
I wouldn’t get fat from it. Sadly, my mom would highly disagree with this unrealistic
choice. Halloween is my favorite holiday, along with Diwali. Some of my favorite
hobbies are: dancing, swimming, gymnastics, chess, roller skating, speech and
debate, and playing on technology screens (iPad, iPod, laptop). I have an older
brother who’s sixteen, a caring mom, and a smart dad. They all help me if I need
help at school, or at something else. I enjoy being on the newspaper club, since I
enjoy writing, and it’s my favorite subject. This opportunity will help me improve,
and I want to get a personal experience --being on my school’s newspaper team. I
like Harry Potter more than ANYTHING IN THE WORLD!!!!!! Love to J.K. Rowling!
These are a few facts about me, and I CAN’T wait to publish my first article!
Enya M
Hi, everyone! My name is Enya. I am in 6th grade in Mrs. Powell’s class. Being in Room 27 is awesome! I have a lovely family consisting of my mom, dad,
and an annoying, but loyal brother. I have been to Weibel since kindergarten, and
I had very fun experiences here. I take part in many activities like the swim team,
chess team, and Math Olympiad. One of my hobbies is collecting mechanical pencils. I have about 1,000 assorted varieties of clicksters, a-gels, and many more.
My favorite color is turquoise, and anything that color will catch my eye. I love the
number 6 since I was born on March 6th. I like the newspaper, and I think it is a
very golden opportunity to show my writing skills. I am energetic, friendly, caring,
smart, and noble person. My favorite holidays include Holi, an Indian holiday (it is
on the same day as my birthday) and Halloween (I love getting hyper from candy)!
This is all about me, and I can’t wait to publish my first article of the year.
9
Joanna W
What’s up Wildcats! It’s the great article you’ve all been waiting for…the article about the astounding Joanna!
Hi! I’m Joanna. I’m a sixth grader at Weibel Elementary School in Mr.
Stange’s class. I enjoy a wide variety of topics from basketball to trumpet playing
to magic. Quite obviously, I have a family. My mother is a PhD in engineering and
is mostly strict and no- nonsense. I also have a mostly angry father and a sister
in eighth grade at Horner high school.
What I do in my spare time depends on my predicament and location. If I
am home, I basically do anything that interests me. Most of the time, I like to read
books by Tamora Pierce or just reread the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. However, I currently am interested in learning magic tricks from my sources
and keeping my sister guessing on how I did them. Also, I like to improve my
homework because of the new standards by writing more related information and
making the work neater such as by arduously poring over my read n’ draws.
My favorite sport is basketball. I was on the Weibel basketball team last
year, and I am anxiously waiting for this year’s tryouts. My specialty is dribbling
and last year I was in position number three, small forward, and was number
four, which was also my sister’s number. Also, I play volleyball (my dad makes
me) and soccer (my dad makes me do that too). Bowling is another one of my
hobbies since I went there every day in the summer using a coupon. I still enjoy it
though.
As you all know from before, I like to read books. My favorite series are: the
Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini, The Circle Opens, the Magic Circle, the
Immortals Quartet, and the Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce, and the two
famous mangas, Naruto by Mashashi Kishmoto, and Bleach by Tite Kubo.
So, I am Joanna, the bookworm, the person with the weird family, the person with miscellaneous hobbies, and the awesome basketball player.
10
Prithvi
My name is Prithvi N. and I’m part of the newspaper team at Weibel Elementary School.
I live with my mom, dad, dog, and grandfather. My mom used to be a dentist in India but
now she is just a housewife.My dad works as a hardware engineer at PLX Technology. My
dog’s name is Shiv and he is a very playful, small dog. My favorite hobby is playing badminton and chess. I play many tournaments in both badminton and chess and I get a trophy most of the time. My rating in chess right now is 1280. I also love to travel. The most
enjoyable place I have ever been in is Hawaii. My favorite subject is math. I’m currently
in math Olympiad and other competitions.
Sammi
Hi Wildcats! I am a writer for the school’s newspaper, The Chronicles of Weibel. My
name is Sammi. Our first assignment was to write/type an all about me. So read on!
My favorite sport is basketball. If any of you saw a school basketball game last
season, then you would have seen me play as player number 14, the shooting guard. My
favorite sports mascot are the Wildcats and my favorite jersey number, is 14. I love playing soccer too. These are my two favorite sports because these are games that teach you
teamwork and to never give up. These are also sports in which women had to or still do
work hard to establish a professional women’s division or league.
My favorite school subject is math. I would say it’s recess, but whenever I say that,
adults laugh. I choose math because I dislike it when I have to write cursive, but in math,
it’s all about numbers, so I don’t have to write a single word in cursive. I love to play
wallball at recess because it’s fun and it gives me time to spend with my friends. I would
say that my favorite grades in elementary school were 1st and 3rd grade because I had
such great teachers and the environment was nice and fun for me, whereas now I ‘m worrying about grades and friendships. My hobbies include sports, reading, and video games.
I play Minecraft, Pokemon, and Clash of Clans. Currently I am a town hall level 6 and in
gold league 3 in Clash of Clans. I am also usually busy making and uploading videos on
YouTube with my brother and sister.
My family consists of five people, including me, along with a dog. My dog, Copper, was found in San Jose. My mom is a hard-working optometrist and my dad is a pretty strong dentist. So if I get hurt in my face, my siblings and I basically have that body
part covered. My brother, whose in third grade, is mainly a boy version of me. My sister,
a fifth grader, is the opposite of my brother and me because she is so quiet and doesn’t
drive my parents nuts (that much. She still drives them a bit crazy.) Let’s talk about me. I
am in sixth grade. I was born in China unlike my ABC (American Born Chinese) siblings. These are things that will help you get to know me. If you want to know more, ask
my friends, me, or my siblings. I hope you enjoy the newspaper team and me! Bye Wildcats!
11
Sports Headlines
Reported By Atri S
Basketball
There are many headlines in the National Basketball Association (NBA). During the summer,
superstar LeBron James and All-star center Kevin Love signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
After the team acquired these superstars, the bar was set high for Cleveland, and they were
predicted to win the Eastern Conference. Some players who got back from injuries were Kobe
Bryant and Derrick Rose. During the season, the teams that had the bar set high did not do
very well. Teams like the Raptors (13-2), Grizzlies (13-2), Warriors (12-2), and Blazers (12-2)
have shined in the beginning of the season. On the other hand, teams like the Cavaliers, Lakers, Clippers, Knicks, and Thunder have not been doing well either to injuries or just playing
bad basketball. A player that has really shown himself is Stephen Curry of the Warriors. So
who do you think will make the NBA finals? Will LeBron and the Cavs come back or will Curry
and the Warriors dominate the NBA? Can the Raptors keep going strong without Lowry and
can the Thunder still make the playoffs? Many questions are still to be answered in this
year’s NBA season.
12
Football
WOW! This one word shows the thought of many NFL fans this season. This year’s NFL
season started with many surprises. The biggest of all was the Arizona Cardinals who had
their best record since 1948. In addition, some rather slow starts were from the 49ers, Seahawks, and Patriots, but these teams have rebounded back. Here are some recent game recaps. On Thanksgiving, the Lions defeated the Bears keeping the Playoffs in the Lion’s grasp.
The Eagles dominated the Cowboys knocking them off the Wild Card and the Seattle Seahawks completely but surprisingly dominated the San Francisco 49ers. The Green Bay Packers defeated the New England Patriots in what was called Super Bowl 48.5 at Lambeau
Field. The Denver Broncos defeated the Kansas City Chiefs with the help of running back C.J.
Anderson who ran for 168 yards. The San Diego Chargers defeated the Baltimore Ravens in a
thriller and are now in Wild Card position. The Cincinnati Bengals are a game and a half
ahead of anyone else in their division after defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The biggest surprise was that the Atlanta Falcons beat the Arizona Cardinals. Here is the playoff picture for the season. The Patriots (9-3) are the first seed and the Broncos (9-3) are the second
seed in the American Football Conference. The Kansas City Chiefs (7-5) would play the Cincinnati Bengals (8-3-1) in the first Wild Card Round while the San Diego Chargers (8-4) would
play the Indianapolis Colts (8-4). The patriots would play the teams who won with the lower
record. Teams in the hunt for a playoff spot in the AFC are the Bills, Ravens, Steelers, and
Browns who are all (7-5). In the National Football Conference (NFC) the Arizona Cardinals
are the first see and the Packers are the second seed. The first Wild Card matchup would be
the Lions (8-4) would play the Eagles (9-3). The second would be the Seahawks (8-4) against
the Falcons (5-7). Teams in the hunt for a playoff spot are the Cowboys (8-4) and the 49ers
(7-5). There are many possibilities on what will happen in this year’s NFL Super Bowl?
13
Baseball
By Prithvi N
The 2014 World Series features seven games between the San Francisco Giants and the
Kansas City Royals. The world series were played in the Kaufman stadium and the AT&T
Park so that was an advantage to both teams but in the end; the giants beat the Royals 4
games to 3. The World Series takes place from October 21 to October 29. The MVP
throughout the game was Madison Bumgarner from the San Francisco Giants. He was the
pitcher throughout the game and striked many of the batters out. This is the Giant's third
world series victory since they moved to San Francisco from New York. The first game was
played in the Kauffman Stadium on October 21. There were 40,459 people watching the
San Francisco Giants crush the Royals 7-1. The second game was also held at the Kauffman
stadium on October 22. 40,446 people watched the royals beat the Giants 7-2 :(. The third
game was held at the AT&T Park where the Royals beat the Giants again 3-2 on October
24. 43,020 people were there watching. Game 4 was held at AT&T Park again and 43,066
people were there watching the Giants beat the Royals 11-4. On October 26, 43,087 people were watching the giants crush the Royals 5-0. This was also held at AT&T Park. The
6th game was at the Kauffman stadium where 40,372 people were watching the devastating disappointment. The Giants lost to the Royals 10-0! Everybody was hoping that the
giants would win the next one since that decided who won. The next and last game, the
giants won the game and the World Series. The final score was 3-2 and 40,535 people
were there. This was an exciting and tense series of games where the strong Giants came
out on top.
14
A Winter Holiday
By Kiran
The winter holiday I chose is… you guessed it, Christmas! As soon as you hear this, all of you
probably think of presents and a big tree decorated with ornaments. Well, that’s not what it’s
all about. You’re probably wondering, “Then what is it about?” So, I’ll tell you. Christmas was
traditionally celebrated in England. Early in the morning the children wake up and shout,
“He’s been. He’s been.” This is when Christmas officially begins. The children shout and
shout letting everybody know Father Christmas (Santa Claus) has been to their house. Then the
family starts making tea for everyone to sit together and drink. It is always a tradition in the
UK to have tea when guests come over or when there’s a celebration etc. While the family is
drinking tea, gifts are delivered. The eldest most mature child is called Santa’s Helper. The
child hands out gifts in a formal manner. For example: the child will gently and carefully pick
up and hold a present while thinking about the thought put into the gift. Then he/she will address the names by saying (for instance), “To Mummy (English way of saying Mom) from
Daddy.” Once the presents are passed out, but not opened, the family will each retrieve their
stockings. From personal experience, it’s always fun to reach in and grab my favorite sweets
and biscuits (cookies). In the next few hours, the children play with their new toys and gifts
while the father picks up wrapping paper to throw away and also tosses more wood into the
fire in the fireplace. Then everyone chips in to help set the table and prepare the food. English
“roast dinner” is similar to the American Thanksgiving dinner. The dinner consists of green
beans, peas, carrots, parsnips, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, gravy, brussels sprouts, and last
but not least, cranberry sauce. The dessert is Christmas pudding which is made far in advance.
After eating has started and is taking place, there is always one very special item that adorns
the Christmas table. The English Christmas cracker is not a cracker you eat. It is a small firecracker with a surprise inside. The cracker is a small tube wrapped in foil or some sort of
wrapping paper. There is a cracker in front of each plate and the person next to you will grab
one end and pull while you grab the other end. The cracker is split into three parts. The ends
are where you grab, and in the middle is a small toy or item such as a corkscrew, or small stapler along with a paper crown. When the players pull there will be a loud ‘SNAP’ or ‘BANG’
and whoever has the middle part connected to their end will get the prize inside. Now it’s the
evening when all the children and adults have eaten their meal and are relaxing in their TV
room. Usually the family watches sports shows or movies, and kids play with their new trinkets and toys and new items. Now the day is over, everyone goes to sleep, and all is well.
15
Kwanzaa
By Anvi S
Kwanzaa is a Pan-African holiday celebrated from December 26 to January 1.
Pan-African means that the holiday relates to African people. Additionally, Kwanzaa
celebrates the first harvests in Africa, and the name of this winter holiday comes
from the Swahili word “matunda ya kwanza” meaning “first fruits”. This winter holiday also was made to reinforce the Seven Principles, unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. Kwanzaa
is a time for families to gather and strengthen their bonds, to thank the creator for
creating you, to remember the past, to celebrate the good in life, existence, family,
community, culture, and ordinary things. Kwanzaa was created in 1966 during the
Black Freedom Movement, protests for a freedom struggle by people such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. It was made by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor of African Studies at California State University,Long Beach . Black, red, and
green are the colors of Kwanzaa, and black represents the people, red represents
their struggle, and green represents the people’s hope and the future. The symbols
of Kwanzaa are the flag, crops, the mat, the unity cup, corn, the gifts received, and
the seven principles. When gifts are given, they must include a book and a heritage symbol. Kwanzaa is a really unique and quite recently made holiday.
Source: www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/
16
Christmas Trees
by Simone
As we draw nearer to the end of the year, everybody, including adults and kids, looks
forward to the holidays. During this time, people get a well-deserved break from their
mundane lives and cheer is spread through the air.
Here are some random but interesting facts about Christmas trees:
Evergreen trees were used to celebrate winter before the birth of Christ.
The 1st Christmas tree that was decorated was in 1510, in the town of Riga, Latvia.
Christmas trees were traditionally decorated with foods like apples and nuts.
North Carolina, my birthplace, is one of the top producing Christmas tree states along
with Oregon, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Washington, New York, and Virginia.
Christmas trees are considered an agricultural product. For every tree harvested, 3
seedlings are planted in its place.
It takes, on an average, 7 whole years to grow a Christmas tree to a height of 6 feet.
1 acre of Christmas trees produces enough oxygen for 18 people, and removes dust
and pollen from the air.
Scotch pine, noble fir, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, Balsam fir, and Virginia and white pine are
the best-selling Christmas trees.
I hope that your Christmas is now more interesting now that you’ve learned something new. Happy holidays, and have a fun-filled Christmas!!!
P.S. Open some presents for me!!!
17
Berchtoldstag by Sammi and Joanna
It’s that time of year again! You can feel it in the air...because
it’s...Berchtoldstag!!! Berchtoldstag, also known as Bechtelistag, Bachtelistag, Berichtelistag, Barzelstag, Berchtold Day, and Bechtelstug, is an Alemannic holiday in
Switzerland and Liechtenstein, (a German region.) It is held on January second or
on the third Monday in January, near New Years day, during Rauhnachte, which is
the German term for the twelve days of Christmas, meaning “roughness nights.”
This holiday celebrating different things in different countries started in the fourteenth century and became more popular in the sixteenth century after the
Protestant Reformation, a sixteenth century European movement meant to reform
the beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church.
There are many theories on how it got its name and why it is celebrated.
Some scientists think that it was because Blessed Berchtold of Engelberg Abbey
died around November second in 1197, and the abbey deemed it so important that
it made a feast out of this event. Other people theorize that it celebrates an important hunting trip around 1191 by Duke Berchtold V of Zaringan, who named a
city after the first animal he killed on the hunt. Also, some people think that maybe it
came from the word “berchten,” which means to walk around and beg for food.
My Favorite Holiday
By Neha
My favorite holiday is Diwali. Do you want to know why I like Diwali? Okay I’ll
tell you! I like it because you have so much fun! By the way, it ended in October. To
celebrate Diwali, you start by cleaning the whole house, doing the pooja on thatday. The whole family wears pretty clothes, and the whole house is full of sweets,
and other types of foods. When we celebrate Diwali. we do it with friends and family. The most important thing is to have fun! It depends on how long you celebrate it
for. We celebrate it for 5 days. You do fireworks, poppers, and sparklers. The
snacks, and sweets are homemade. We arrange parties, and have lots of fun. The
clothes you wear are colorful. Diwali is an important holiday, and very special too!
18
Thanksgiving and the Pilgrims
By Ayushi B.
Thanksgiving is a holiday that was first celebrated by the pilgrims in 1621 (393
years ago) when they had a bountiful harvest. From then on, it became a holiday to
commemorate all the things or people in our lives that we are thankful for. Many people write about those people/things and gather around with their family to have a rather large feast. Usually in non-vegetarian families, the people eat a turkey, and the
reason for that is that the turkey is indigenous to the United States of America and it
is large enough to feed a vast amount of people. In some houses you might
hear Jingle Bells, but don’t be surprised because this song was originally written by
James Lord Pierpoint in the occasion of Thanksgiving—not Christmas. I made an
acrostic poem for THANKSGIVING:
Thankful for Weibel and its teachers,
Having all the fun we can have,
All varieties of food,
No school,
Kindness to all,
Supreme luxury,
Gaining good grades,
Ice-cream for desert,
Very immense feasts,
In for lots of fun with friends and family,
Nice and cuddly homes with big fires,
Grateful for everything received.
19
Snowman by Trisha G
You may be surprised to know that arts and crafts are not just about making random
things. Arts and crafts are activities in which a skillful person creates something with their
hands using their imagination. Arts and crafts are a lot of fun. Imagination, patience, creativity, and skill are the key in arts and crafts. You can use just about anything. For example,
take some colored paper, scissors, markers, glue, and two toilet paper rolls without the paper on them. This will make two snowmen. Take one of the two pieces and a colored piece
of paper. Measure how much paper you will need to cover the top portion of the snowman. Then, cut that amount of paper and glue it on to the top of the roll. This is the hat of
the snowman. Then, below the hat, draw a face. Make sure to include two beady eyes, a
carrot nose, and a smile made of dots. After making the face, take another colored piece of
paper. Cut about the same amount as the hat, but leave a small rectangular shape on it. On
the rectangle part, cut a few fringes. This is the snowman’s scarf. Glue it below the face.
Beneath the scarf draw buttons. Do the same steps to the other toilet paper roll. You have
made a snowman craft! Crafts can be easy, such as the snowman craft, but they can also be
more complicated. Anyone can enjoy arts and crafts.
Snowman craft (above)
20
Homemade Disco Ball By Anouska P
Here’s an easy way to make a disco ball out of regular household items.
These are the materials you will need: A Styrofoam ball or any spherical object, a pair of
scissors, liquid glue, unwanted CDs, a piece of string, and a toothpick.
Here are the steps:
1. Take the unwanted CDs and cut them up into tiny squares and then put them to the
side.
2. Next take the Styrofoam ball and then use the toothpick to poke a hole around the top
of the ball.
3. Then take the piece of string and slip it through the hole at the top of the ball, then tie
it at the top.
4. Now take the cut-out CDs and put glue on the backs of the CDs. Then start gluing the
CDs onto the Styrofoam ball.
5. Finally hang it up in your room or in your house, shine some light at it and……………
6. Ta da! Your very own disco ball.
21
ARTS AND CRAFTS
By Neha
You may be thinking arts and crafts is just coloring on a piece of paper, but it’s not.
Some people do it for fun, while other people make a living out of it. Arts and Crafts
is hard and takes lot of skills for it, but I still believe anyone can do it. Here I will
teach you how to make a paper butterfly. To do this you will need the followings:
1.Glue
2.Scisscors
3.Light colored tissue paper
4.Black construction paper
5.A white colored pencil
6.A pencil
First, you will draw a butterfly on the construction paper with pencil. Then fold it and
cut it so you get two wings. Next, take the light tissue paper and cut it into little pieces of paper. Then you glue it. After you’re done gluing it let it dry. Finally, you draw
the eyes with the white colored pencil. That is all you have to do. It’s pretty simple,
and the fun part about it is you can stick it on your window and the light will reflect. I
think arts and crafts can be really fun when you actually think you can do it!
Picture of butterfly (above.)
22
Survey for Weibel’s Grading System from the 5th Graders
By Tanvi and Anuhya
We recently asked several Weibel 5th and 6th graders their opinion of
the school’s new grading system (The number system). We interviewed
114 pupils to get the answers. Out of 114 people, only 7 liked the system.
However, they had a good reason. One girl stated that it was easier to pass
with the new grading system because a 3 or 4 are passing grades. 18 of the
remaining people said that there was no difference between the old grading
system and the current one. They said this because a 4 or 3 is like an A, a 2
is like a D, and a 1 is like an F. The remaining people said that they disliked
the system a lot. They stated that the system was very confusing and that it
never stated how many questions they got wrong. Here is a pie chart and a
23
Grading System Poll - Weibel Chronicles
By: Enya and Shivangi
The sixth grade team of Weibel Chronicles took a poll regarding the new grading
system this year. In 2014, fourth, fifth, and sixth graders and teachers at Weibel had
to grade assignments using 1s, 2s, 3s, and 4s. In the past, student and teachers
used the A, B, C, D, and F grading system. This year, there has been a lot of chatter
by the parents about the grading system. What would be better than asking the students who are affected by it? That’s why we decided to take a poll on the grading
system.
Many pupils have their opinions of whether or not the new system is efficient.
We inquired many kids, and they each gave their opinion and reasons for their statements. Seventy-eight percent of the students disliked the system, fourteen percent
of the students found no difference between the methods, and eight percent of the
students liked the new structure*. This process of grading papers is not very efficient, in our opinions, since it leaves too much of a gap between low, adequate, and
high percentages. It also mainly divides the 100% into 4 sections, each ranging from
25%, which is a big range, according to our opinions. The grading system could possibly change by making a larger range like a 1-10 grading range. In some teacher’s
classes, students have to get a 96% or above to get a 4. A 95% is technically a great
grade, but the grading system makes it look worse than the actual percentage.
Therefore, a 95% would receive the same grade as a 76%. Because of that, A or Bstudents sometimes feel that they are getting bad grades. The grading system
seems to lower self-esteem, along with making it harder to get a good grade. Also,
getting a 4 seems to be a little subjective for the person grading it. They start grading based on the creativity or if the student gets good grades or not. This can be
subjective, which makes it harder for teachers to grade a simple project or worksheet.
Some other students had different opinions of this grading system. A few had
this grading system in their previous schools, so they are used to it. Getting a C on a
test would result in the same grade as a 95% or lower. That would make the person
feel better about their bad grade.
As we mentioned before, the big gap in the grading system can have positives
and negatives based on the student’s performance level. What do you think?
* The sampling of the survey was of 36 Weibelians. This did not include the
primary grades. NOTE: Tshis information is only based on Weibel students,
not any others from different schools.
24
Any comments / opinions please send them to [email protected].
25
26
Have a merry n safe
Holidays!
Staff advisor: Chuck A. Ontiveros
Editor : Sri Saranu , Chuck A. Ontiveros
Parent advisors: Sri Saranu
Chronicles team thanks the Fahria Khan, PTO,
and Mrs. Shultz's for their support
27