January 2014 - White Plains Public Schools

The Courier
Volume 90, Number 1
White Plains, New York 10605
JANUARY 2014
Highlands Welcomes
New Principal and Friend,
Mr. Spatafore
By Sarah Salino
What is your history like in education?
I began teaching in 1979 as I science
teacher. I taught Chemistry at White
Plains High School in 1986-87. I then
taught Science 8 and Earth Science at
Highlands from 2003-2010. I was an
Assistant Principal at Highlands, Eastview and White Plains High School
from 2010-2013, and now I am returning to White Plains Middle School as
Principal.
What was your college education like?
I received my Bachelor of Science
Degree in Earth and Space Science at
SUNY Stony Brook. I later received my
Master of Science degree in Educational
Administration at Fordham University.
Why did you decide to become a principal at White Plains Middle School?
I enjoy teaching and I very much enjoy
the school environment. I also think it is
very important to provide opportunity
for students.
What do you like to do when you are
not working?
Principal Ernest Spatafore
Spending time with my family is very
important to me when I have the opportunity to do so. In addition, I enjoy
cycling and participating in triathlons.
What qualities do you look for in a
good student?
I think that it’s great when students
are curious and open to new ideas. It is
important that a student is hard working and organized. Organization plays
a large part in your success as a middle
schooler.
The World Loses
Another Great Hero
By Lucas Konarski
On Thursday, December 6 Nelson
Mandela passed away at his house in
the company of his family. Mandela was
born into the Madiba clan in Mvezo,
Transkei, on July 18, 1918. He grew up
in a small town in South Africa. Nelson
Mandela was, and still is, considered a
hero in the whole world for his kindness
and help in the fight to end apartheid
and racism in South Africa. When he
was young, Mandela made a campaign
of civil disobedience. Civil disobedience
happens when people disobey the law
in a peaceful way. He spent 27 years
in prison after being convicted of treason by the South African government.
Many would think that this experience
left Nelson Mandela bitter and angry.
However, the opposite was true. After
his release, Mandela worked hard to reunite South Africa. He knew that it was
important for blacks and whites to work
together for South Africa. He is quoted
as saying: “If you want to make peace
with your enemy, you have to work
with your enemy. Then he becomes
your partner.”
In 1994, some years after Mandela’s
release from prison, he won the first
fully democratic election for president
in the country’s
history. He was
the first black
president in
the history of
South Africa.
In 1993, Nelson
Mandela and
President FW
de Klerk, who
was the President of South
Arica before
Mandela, won
Nelson Mandela
the Nobel peace
prize. Mandela
served only one term as a South African
president until 1999. During his presidency, he used the nation’s enthusiasm
for sports as a way to try and unite black
and white South Africans. He encouraged black South Africans to root for
the national rugby team. This shared
interest helped to encourage some
unity in South Africa. After he left the
presidency he never stopped working
for the good of South Africa. His accomplishments for South Africa and the
lessons he taught us about forgiveness
and unity will never be forgotten.
White Plains Ranks Among
Top 25 U.S. Cities
By Richard Daronco
White Plains has it all! For a second
year in a row it has been voted one of the
best places in the country to live. The
city was ranked #23 by Livability.com
for its cultural centers, outdoor beauty,
ideal location, education and social and
civic activities.
Mayor Tom Roach believes one of
the reasons White Plains is a great place
to live is because it is a kid-friendly
city. “We have numerous recreation
programs, an ice rink, the best youth
bureau in the state, and an amazing
library,” Mayor Roach said. He went
on to say “The Edge,” a space intended
for teens will be opening soon. Mayor
Roach also credits a great school system
where he has a fifth grader at George
Washington Elementary School and a 9th
grader at the high school. White Plains
School Superintendent Tim Connors
agrees.
“When schools can show that they
educate all of their students by closing
the achievement gap, it has a big impact
on why people choose to move to a
city,” Connors said.
One area where White Plains scored
high was in social and civic capital. “It
is great to be in a city where there is
always something happening, such as
parades, festivals, carnivals and street
fairs,” Mayor Roach said.
Another factor was the location
and the easy access to New York City.
Commuters can enjoy a 35-minute
Metro North train ride to the city .White
Plains was one of only three small cities
in New York to make the top 100.
Tigers Leap With Joy
By Melanie Varela
On December
20 th 2013 teams 8C
and 8D went on a trip
to Bounce. Bounce is
a place in Rockland
County where kids
of any age may go
there and have fun
for hours. At Bounce
there was a foam
pool where you could
jump into. Students were performing flips, back flips or just jumped into the
foam pit. There was also a trampoline basketball court where people could
just jump on the trampolines and relax. Most people stayed here because they
could just talk to their friends while still participating in the trip’s activities.
Last, but not least there were two dodge ball courts. Students and teachers
went head to head in many of these games throughout the whole day. While
in Bounce there was a period of time where it went dark and various neon and
white colors would glow because of the UV lights. This made everyone have
even more fun! Overall students and teachers had fun while on the Bounce
trip and it was a complete success!
Page 2
The Courier
Tigers Spread Holiday Cheer
Tigers Show Their Stripes
By: Melanie Varela
The week of November 12 th
through the 15th was spirit week here
at Highlands. Students in 7th and
8th grade participated in the events
being held. Each day throughout the
week was given a theme. Tuesday
the 12th was pajama day. Students
wore their comfortable pajamas to
school yet did not fall asleep in class.
Wednesday the 13th was fashion disaster day which meant the students
wore some of the most outrageous
outfits that didn’t make sense at all!
Thursday the 14th was twin day,
Photos courtesy of
Mrs. Davila
On Friday, December 13th,The 7th & 8th Grade Select Choir went on a “Caroling” tour in the city of White Plains along with a small 8th grade band ensemble.
Under the direction of Mrs. Davila & Mr. Veeder, the students performed a 30
minute concert at Education House, NY Presbyterian Hospital, and the Galleria
Mall. Along with popular carols, the choir sang Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for
Christmas” and danced some great choreography to it. Thanks to a grant from the
Foundations of Education, the choir was able to bring in Caren Valente as an Artist
in Residence choreographer. It was a wonderful day filled with Holiday cheer!
Tigers Support Our Former Troops
By Alyssa Cuomo
On November 11th, members of the
th
8 grade band headed to the eerie setting
of the Old Rural Cemetery at 9:45am to
play for many brave veterans. These
veterans were awarded for their bravery
and strength in the process of fighting
for the United States of America. The
pieces of music that the band played
included “The Star-Spangled Banner”
and “The March of the Armed Forces”.
Members of the Marines, Army, Coast-
guard, and Navy stood up as they heard
their song in the piece “The March of the
Armed Forces”. Additionally, citizens
of the White Plains community joined
the Veteran’s Day Ceremony, such as
students from the Hebrew high school
and Mayor Tom Roach. There was a
rifle salute to the departed veterans as
well. Most importantly, it was a peaceful and chilly morning of remembrance
and honor.
Bugsy Malone Jr.: Coming
Soon to a Stage Near You!
By Emily Brooks
This year, the school play is going to
be Bugsy Malone Jr. This play is about
a boy named Bugsy Malone. He is a
teenager living in New York City. One
day, a new girl named Blousey comes to
town. Bugsy is head over heels for her,
but she will have nothing to do with
him. Meanwhile, there is a whipped
cream fight going on between two rival
gangs, Fat Sam`s and the Dandy Dan`s.
After the fight, there is an audition for a
big New York performance that is missing their star actress. Right as Blousey
is about to audition, Lena Marelli, the
missing actress, strolls in and gets her
part back. Bugsy feels bad for Blousey,
so he offers her an audition with Fat
Sam for the Grand Slam Girls. While
they are working out an audition, Fat
Sam`s and Dandy Dan`s gangs run into
each other at Hung Fu Shin Laundry
THE COURIER
White Plains Middle School
EDITORIAL BOARD AND STAFF
Editors-in-Chief
Alyssa Cuomo
John Petrozzi
Managing Editors
Sarah Salino
Amy Rosenblatt
Associate Editor
Lucas Konarski
Webmaster
Ms. Goudreau
Copyeditor
Danny DeGenaro
Photography Editor
Melanie Varela
Layout Editor
OPEN
Office Manager
Stachys Aho
Sports Editor
OPEN
Circulation Editors
Lena Salino
Kelly Marx
Staff and Contributors
Rebecca Sparer, Nikolas O’Hanlon, Josh Thomas, Jeff Matthew, Richard Daronco,
Emily Brooks, Rachel Rose, Melissa Angel
Advisor
Rachel Miller
Editorial Policy
Editorials reflect the opinion of the editorial board and, unless otherwise noted, are written by members of
the staff. The editorial board solicits responsible commentaries and letters-to-the-editor, but reserves the right to
edit for style, grammar, or space limitations. Letters and commentaries containing obscenity or libelous comments
will not be published. All letters must be signed or they will not be published, however your name can be
withheld upon request.
Layout Help
Phyllis DeGenaro
students could dress just like their
best friend or a group even. It’s
okay if you thought you were seeing double; even the teachers were
part of this. A lot of teachers came in
jeans and a white shirt so they could
all be twinning on twin day! Finally
Friday the 15th was black and orange
day, students showed their stripes
by wearing our school colors. Why
can’t spirit week be every week?
Spirit week was a complete success
for the students and teachers, all of
the tigers in the school showed their
stripes.
and have a huge battle. For the rest of
the show, the two gangs get ready for
a final, giant whipped cream and pie
fight and Bugsy tries to raise enough
money to take Blousey to Hollywood so
she can pursue her acting career, which
ultimately gets Blousey to fall for Bugsy.
Auditions took place for 7th and
8 th graders during the first week in
December. Congratulations to the cast
members! We look forward to this exciting new production!
Bangles . . . . . . . . . . . . Kira Lichtblau
Louella. . . . . . . . . . . . Samantha Fazio
Benny Lee. . . . . . . . . Aidan Benjamin
Opera Singer . . . . . . . . Anna Tender
Bronx Charlie. . Christopher Iannace
Oscar de Velt. . . . Frank Annunziato
Blousey Brown. . . . Kelly Ainsworth
Paper Boy . . . . . . . . . Johan Devernay
Bugsy Malone . . . . . . . Alex Sanchez
Radio Announcer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Camilo Villavicencio
Butler. . . . . . . . . . . . . George Kalyvas
Roxy Robinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Samuel Salazar-Puhm
Dandy Dan. . . . . . . . . Aaron Weiner
Tallulah. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shirin Clark
Fat Sam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AJ Scapoli
Ventriloquist. . . . . . Amy Rosenblatt
Fizzy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jacob Fleuricot
Waitress. . . . . . . . . . . Morgan Hricay
Knuckles. . . . . . . . . . . . . Devin Burns
Yonkers. . . . . . . Camilo Villavicencio
Lena Marelli. . . . . . . . Sophie Hamlin
Grand Slam Girls . . . . Nicole Abato,
Dylan Bange, Sydney Barest,
Allison Cunney, Megan Fay,
Kira Lichtblau, Sasha Marshall,
Jenna Reilly, Denali Sagner,
Catherine Serra, Ria Seth,
Carly Seymour, Ashley Smith,
Anna Tender, Prasida Unni
The Courier
Page 3
EDITORIALS
Obama Lies Once More
By now, most have heard of the healthcare law called Obamacare. The plan
has taken effect, with around 106,000 enrollments thus far. With 314,000,000
documented people in America, and some 11,000,000 undocumented immigrants, these numbers seem quite miniscule. In fact, this implies that only 3% of
people in America actually participated. A total flop of a program? Definitely.
Democrats say that this is only because over - visiting of healthcare.gov
and its marketplace caused it to crash. However, most of Obamacare is purchased through state markets, not federal markets. Another issue is affordability. Obamacare payment is not flat, opening the possibility for errors and
price increase for policy holders. The fact that Obamacare is geared towards
lower income families means that a sudden spike could financially hurt these
people. All money that they can’t come up with comes out of YOUR pocket
via taxes.
Now to the juicy stuff! Obama said on numerous occasions that no one
would have to lose their healthcare and switch to Obamacare. HE LIED!
Many people cannot go to the same doctor anymore, including cancer and
other terminally-ill patients. Some ill people will temporarily lose access to
medicine and treatment during the transition period, and will become very
unhealthy as a result, some to the point of death. From this brief summary,
we can clearly see that Obamacare hurts America, her citizens, and her ill.
Combining the Tigers: Roaring success, or an
Administrator’s Dream?
White Plains Middle School and the 6th grade academy recently replaced
the tradition of Highlands and Eastview rivalries dating back to the establishment of the schools’ placement into the junior high system. The new redesign
places all 6th graders on the Eastview campus, and the remaining students on
the Highlands campus. Along with the new study procedure called AVID,
which forces students to have one binder for all of their classes, administrators in the district claim grades will rise and student be happier with the new
changes. This would seem like a reasonable idea, if the exact opposite wasn’t
happening.
If the redesign is meant to raise grades, why are we failing? I personally
can say I know a multitude of longtime advanced students who are failing or
have failed courses. If our advanced students are failing, who’s to say we all
can’t fail? The answer for many is common core. Common core means nationally raised standards for our core classes. With course difficulty increasing
suddenly, students and teachers alike are scrambling for material, and fighting
for each precious point. Without material from years past, asking your teacher
for a practice sheet is a nearly invalid tactic. To add insult to injury, students
and parents involved in the merger do not love the transition.
The fact is, many students were perfectly content at the schools they were
in. Many friendships are compromised by the merger because the sheer numbers each grade has. If there are 5 teams in 8th grade, each with a little over
100 students. That means we have more than 500 8th graders. Imagine trying
to find your best friend in a sea of over 1000 people (There are two grades
of similar size in the building), across 4 floors and 9 periods. The chances of
seeing that friend are very low, making kids unhappy. In addition, we interviewed the mother of a student (who chose to remain anonymous), who
says that children will have, “A difficult time switching schools twice in two
years because they find it hard to get settled”. As the child of this mother, and
many others, has a tough time “getting settled”, the merger will hurt them
emotionally, and thus impact the grades they receive.
With respect to our hard working administrators, the merger has potential.
The possibilities for improving education are truly limitless. However, the
current merger has way too many bugs and kinks. Issues like lunch period
separation, morning assembly seating, and rejection of constructive student
suggestions to end these practices are holding the merger back. As students,
we can only study more, and hope for a snowy winter.
The King’s
Speech Improves!
By Danny DeGenaro
In “The King’s Speech,” a man who
is destined to become king of the British
Empire must overcome a problem with
stuttering. He is helped by a man who
claims to be a doctor, but turns out to
have no qualifications at all.
“The King’s Speech,” a relatively
new British historical drama, takes
place between the 1920’s and 40’s. It
came out in 2010, and was directed by
Tom Hooper. Colin Firth plays King
George VI (the 6th), who was referred to
as Bertie throughout the movie, because
his real name was Albert. It was recommended to him that he change his name
to George when he became King. (It was
the beginning of WW II and the British
royal family thought Albert sounded
too German). The writer of the screenplay, David Seidler, had read about the
king’s problem with stuttering, and not
being able to enunciate words properly.
Thor: A Shocking
Experience
By Nikolas O’Hanlon
Who speaks softly and carries a big
stick? THOR, that’s who! The name of
the movie is “Thor: The Dark World.”
It’s based on the Marvel comic book
series called Thor. Thor is a Superhero
who lives on a planet called Asgard and
takes care of earth against many evil
forces. One of Thor’s biggest enemies
Book Review:
“Thirteen Little
Blue Envelopes”
By Rebecca Sparer
Gyu-Kaku Gets a
Standing Ovation
By Lena Salino
Gyu-Kaku, a new Japanese Barbeque Restaurant, gets 5 stars! At GyuKaku, you have an interactive experience by cooking your own meal right
at your table! They offer soup, salad,
meat, and more! For dessert, they have
a very famous and delicious Green Tea
100 Layer Crepe cake. You can also
roast s’mores. When I went, I had an
amazing time. I liked it because it was
a very calm environment and all of the
grills make the restaurant very warm.
The staff is very nice and the service is
very quick. It is a medium-fancy place.
It is also medium-expensive. Gyu-Kaku
Reviews Reviews Reviews!
has many locations, but the closest one
is located at 169 Main Street in White
Plains, New York 10601. Gyu-Kaku also
has a groupon available online. You can
see more information on their website,
http://www.gyu-kaku.com.
This teen novel is great for young
readers interested in suspenseful and
exciting books. “13 Little Blue Envelopes”, by Maureen Johnson, follows
a seventeen year old girl from the U.S
named Ginny, who has the fantastic opportunity of exploring Europe and having the adventure of a lifetime. While on
this adventure, Ginny tries to figure out
a very important family mystery that left
her dumbfounded over two years ago.
To guide her, envelopes are left with
instructions and four rules. Rule #1,
Seidler himself had had a stuttering
problem as a boy. It served as an inspiration to his work. As well as Mr. Firth,
Geoffrey Rush had quite an interesting
role, playing an actor posing as a speech
therapist. He did a wonderful job, seeming funny and clever at the same time.
The radio was a new invention, and
almost everyone had one, so members
of the royal family often had to make
speeches over the radio. The crisis occurred when the new King had to make
a radio speech announcing that England
is about to go to war with Germany.
“The King’s Speech” was was
awarded an Oscar® for best picture, and
earned $414,211,549 in box office sales.
It is better suited for adults and older
children, because of a little profanity,
but it is certainly a fun and interesting
movie to watch. This was an astounding
movie, inspiring, in a way, because it
reveals the importance of finding your
voice. It is one of the best movies I’ve
seen, and everyone should see it at some
point in their lives.
is his brother Loki, who also wants to
rule Asgard. The movie was released on
November 8, 2013 and it was number
one at the box office. It was directed by
Alan Taylor and the actors were Chris
Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom
Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgard, and Idris
Elba. The genres are Action/Adventure
and Sci-Fi/Fantasy.
The story line is that Thor is protecting the Nine Realms (9 worlds
that include earth) from the vengeful
Malekith. Malekith is an evil dark elf.
He has an army, space ships and uses a
power called ether to try and conquer
the Nine Realms. Only Thor, an earthling scientist named Jane Foster, Thor’s
evil brother, and a crazy scientist, stand
in his way. Who do you think will win?
The ending was awesome! It was
really scary at times, like when I thought
Jane Foster (the scientist) was going to
die when she absorbed the Aether and
blew up anyone who tried to attack her.
It was also funny, like when Loki turned
into Captain America while he was talking to Thor. So all in all it was exciting,
suspenseful and funny. I recommend
this movie to anyone.
you may only
bring what fits
in your backpack. Rule #2,
there are no
maps allowed.
Rule #3, do not
bring money
or credit cards.
Rule #4, no
electronics
or communication with
anyone from
home on the trip. Maureen Johnson is
one of my favorite authors, and this is
possibly the best book she has ever written. It is definitely a book I recommend
to a middle school student.
DO YOU HAVE AN OPINION?
Would you like to share it? Write a review for
The Courier!
Contact Ms. Miller, Room 141
Page 4
The Courier
An Undefeated Season
Student Literature Spotlight
Moving to NYC
by Melissa Angel
By Richard Daronco
The Highlands boys’ modified soccer team under the leadership of Coach
Michael Lambert had an undefeated season for the first time in recent memory.
The team dominated every game. In some games, the opposing teams were unable to take any shots on goal.
“This season proved to be one where the team truly came together as one,“
said Coach Lambert. He went on to say, “our undefeated record was attributed
to the overall depth of the boys and their ability to remain positive in the face of
adversity.”
The majority of players this year are members of the White Plains Milan premier team coached by the White Plains High School JV coach Jack Gigli. “I am
very proud of them and will continue to work with them, “said Gigli.
The entire team played well together and each player made remarkable contributions to the success of the team. There were also at least two Olympic Development Team players, Carl Fisher and myself who are currently on the rosters
for state teams in Region 1. Fisher and I have been identified as state tournament
players and have been invited to try out for the ODP Region One Team in July.
2013 Pep Rally
by Rachel Rose
On Friday November 15,
Highlands students and faculty gathered on the bleachers
for our 2013 pep rally. After
last year’s pep rally was cancelled due to hurricane Sandy,
the idea made a terrific comeback. Alex Sanchez started off
this train of events by singing
our national anthem. Following this was a performance
from the band and 7th grade chorus.The band played a medley of military songs,
and any veterans among the faculty were invited onto the field. Students with
family in the military were also invited to stand when their
branch’s song was played. After this amazing musical
display our mascot came down to the field. He danced to
the “Harlem Shake”. Then, students played an interactive
grade vs. grade game with beach balls. Next, we brought
down our fall sports teams including girls’ soccer, football,
girls’ volleyball, cross country and many others. Finally,
to finish off the afternoon, a series of games were played
by our fall sports teams and a randomly selected group of
students. Thank you, staff and students for making this such
a memorable event.
Mr. Cradle and Mrs. Tuck, our Highlands veterans.
Highlands Welcomes New
Student
Prevention Counselor
By Rebecca Sparer
Ms. Walline is the Student Prevention Coordinator
at White Plains Middle School. She meets with 7th and 8th
graders and talks to them about making healthy choices
and how to deal with peer related stress and family issues. If students ever need to talk, she’s always there to
listen. “It’s good for the students to know that there’s
always someone they can talk to if they’re ever stressed or
overwhelmed with anything”, says Ms. Walline. “It’s my
first year at Highlands, but I love it here. It’s great helping
kids enjoy going to school,” according to Ms. Walline.
She formed “Girl Talk”, a great new program for girls
to increase their confidence and talk about peer related
issues. The group of high school and middle school girls meets every other week
on Wednesdays after school. See Ms. Walline for details, questions, or concerns
in room 157a (in the PPS suite).
Have you ever worked so hard on
something and just felt like you had
to start all over again? Well moving to
NYC felt just like that.
I sat down looking outside of the
bus window crying like never before, it
was like a different world I was living
in and I knew I didn’t want to be here
and I didn’t belong. I was the quietest
because if I said anything no one would
understand me. No one offered me
anything. Where was the “Hello, what’s
your name?” or the “Hey, you need help
on something?” But I couldn’t blame
them. If they said that or anything else
I wouldn’t understand, so I preferred
being the quiet one rather than making
a fool out of myself. I didn’t really mind
sitting by myself, but it would help to
have someone to talk to or just sit there
next to me and just try to talk to me. Like
at home, in Colombia, I had the funniest
friends and it got me more than upset to
see them sad, to have to say “goodbye”
to me. I really wanted them here to cheer
me up because I knew they would but I
knew that wouldn’t happen.
I ate my sandwich in my new
school’s cafeteria - nothing like in Colombia where we ate in our classrooms
- and it felt like I hadn’t eaten something in ages! At that moment a girl
with slippery dancing blonde hair sat
right in front of me, she was very quiet
and kept looking at my lunch with an
interested face and said “Do you mind
if I sit here?” I looked at her - I had an
idea of what she was trying to say, but
not quite. “Uh… si,” I responded back.
Her eyes opened up wide and said: “Oh,
are you the new student in Mrs. Berger’s
class?”, “Uh… si,” I said, guessing she
seemed pretty happy when she knew
that we were going to be in the same
class! “Wow! Mrs. Berger has been talking to the whole class about you and
how we were going to have a new student from a different country! Well, my
name is Alison.” I stayed quiet and was
still confused. That’s when she noticed
that I spoke a different language and
had no idea what she was trying to say
and she didn’t know what I was trying
to say to her. After that I enjoyed talking
and laughing with her even though I
had no idea what she was saying and I
knew she didn’t know what I was trying
to say. But we always found our ways.
Day after day, Mrs. Berger taught
me and I practiced as much as I could
to learn the new language. “One, two,
three,” she always said to help me
say and understand some numbers.
It wasn’t easy it was actually harder
than I thought. I cried and cried for it
felt like years without stopping, and
I missed my house back in Colombia
and I didn’t want to stay any longer. It
was just too different and I just wasn’t
ready to face the challenge to learn a
new language, make new friends, and
get used to waking up early every day!
I knew my mom wasn’t going to let me
give up; she took me to the bus in tears
and saw me start my day in despair.
In the end I knew I got better with the
new language and my mom was really
surprised to see me at least trying to get
used to living in New York. “Fifteen,
sixteen, seventeen,” my mom practiced
with me “eighteen, nineteen, twenty,”
I responded back. It wasn’t easy but I
knew it would take more than five days
to learn a new language. And at school
I had a new friend and all the effort
and practice I put into learning a new
language. I knew was worth it.
“Melissa, tiempo de ir a la escuela”
my mom said. “Bueno, mama” I spoke
back. I knew that was my cue to go back
to school and start my day with my new
friend Alison and my amazing teacher
Ms. Berger. Not only did I want to be
there I also knew I belonged. My mom
watched me start my day with a smile
full of happiness.
Making
Bracelets for a
Good Cause
Colonial life
visits the
Highlands
campus
By Kelly Marx
By Lucas Konarski
The Community Service Club is
excited to begin! Our first project we
worked hard on was raising money by
making Rainbow Loom bracelets for
Pets Alive in Elmsford. We made many
bracelets in the styles of single, triple,
and fishtail. We sold them on November
13th, 14th and 15th. The prices for the
bracelets varied from $1.00 to $1.50. We
proudly raised $127.50. Pets Alive was
happy to accept our donations. Currently we are creating locker magnets
that will be sold at lunch. All proceeds
will be donated to the Ecumenical Food
Pantry of White Plains. We also are
planning a “Caps for Cancer” drive; for
every 1000 water bottle caps collected,
a solider will be able to undergo 1 hour
of chemotherapy, free of charge.
Please listen to the announcements
and look for signs about the ways you
can help the Community Service Club.
Mrs. Friedman invited a “colonial
time woman” to teach her students
about colonial jobs, clothing, music and
instruments during her Social Studies
classes on November 23rd. She started
by explaining how music was important to entertain, to make someone feel
happy, to tell a story, to spread information, to help people while they hunt for
whales, and even to command an army.
After that, the guest speaker played
some songs as examples for us to hear.
Then, she started explaining the type
of clothing children and adults used
to wear during colonial times (people
only changed once a week!). Later, she
showed us some examples of professional and homemade instruments like
a guitar, mountain dulcimer, and hammered dulcimer: the instrument that
led to the creation of the piano. It was
so much fun to re-live history!