Post3final2015

29POST
issue No. 7 vol. 3
Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
THE only summer
reading list you’ll
ever need See page 5
|
summer 2015
© P.S.29 / The John M. Harrigan School
nine savvy summer
travel tips See page 12
Kicking
Butts For
Health
By Neko Barocci (4-521), Ila Holstein (4-521) and Nina Rivas (4-507)
K
ick Butts Day, now in its 11th year at P.S.
29, is one of the school’s most popular
annual events. It is a nationwide event
– more than 1,000 schools across the United
States had Kick Butts days this year.
This year’s event at Red Hook Fields included nine races: 60m hurdles, 100m dash,
50m dash, 1/4 mile, Class Relay, 400m relay,
and the Teachers’ 50m. There were also Shot
Put and Standing Long Jump contests. Both
fourth and fifth grade boys and girls competed in the same races but didn’t run against
each other, except for the Standing Long
Jump and Shotput.
In addition to all these amazing events,
Maya Rivas (5-506)
on being the Big Kid
Q: Was Kick Butts Day this year any different from
last year? Was it what you were expecting?
A: I was in the 400m relay last year, and this
year so there wasn’t much of a difference. Last
year there was a guest speaker, but this year he
“couldn’t make it.”
Q: How was it being the older kid? (Been there,
done that…)
A: It was cool especially because last year we
were the younger kids, and this year we got to be
the older kids and got to kind of teach the fourth
graders what we learned last year.
Q: Overall experience?
A: Overall, it was REALLY fun doing Kick Butts
Day two years in a row but it’s sad that we’ll be
graduating...
each class also had a boys and girls relay team.
On the relay team were the four fastest girls
and the four fastest boys in each class. Your
relay team competed against all the relay
teams (of your gender) in your grade. The
relay was exciting, same with all the other
events at Kick Butts Day.
The real meaning of Kick Butts Day was
not only to have fun, though. Kick Butts Day
was started to protest and educate against
smoking cigarettes. Each student decorated a
t-shirt that had fun, if lethal, facts about how
bad smoking is for you. Kick Butts Day sent
out a message in a fun way for teachers, students and parents!
Logan Lane (4-524)
ON COMPETING
Q: Did Kick Butts Day turn out like how you
thought it would be?
A: No. I thought it would be more organized.
Q: How did Kick Butts Day make you feel?
A: Excited and nerve-wracked because I
wanted to do good.
Q: What did you think about the teachers race?
A: It was cool watching my teachers race
against each other. It was the first time I saw
my teacher run!
Izzy Young (4-524) shows off her shot putting skills.
Photo by Sarma Ozols
More Kick Butts photographs on pages 8 and 9
Fifth Graders Share P.S. 29 Memories
By Jordan Albizu (5-504)
and Sydney Schmidt-Nowara (5-506)
Most of the fifth graders have been making memories here at P.S. 29 since 2008. But in June the fifth
graders will be leaving P.S. 29 to start a whole new
adventure…in sixth grade. We interviewed some
fifth graders about their favorite memories from
P.S. 29 and how they feel about leaving the school.
My favorite memory
“In third grade watching Ms. Nancy dance on
Break-it-Down Friday. I feel sad about leaving
because I’ve been going to school here for so
long.” – Maggie Bugler (5-506)
“The last day of second grade. We were all
saying goodbye and sharing our third grade
classes. We were excited to be in the uppergrade classes. I feel like I am going to miss P.S.
29, but I’m excited to start something new.” –
Olivia Bouw (5-506)
“The first day of fifth grade. I was really
happy because I only had 10 months left of elementary school. I have mixed feelings about
leaving P.S. 29. I feel like I’m ready to move
on and start a new journey. I will still miss my
friends at P.S. 29.” – Timmy Crean (5-504)
“Doing the play with my friends. I feel sad
about leaving my friends and all these special
programs. I don’t want to leave, but I want to
explore new things.” – Eva Sheehy-Moss (5-504)
“The play was my favorite part. I wasn’t
in it but it was fun to watch. I feel sad about
leaving and moving to Michigan because I
have friends here, and I am probably not going
to see them for a long time.” – Jack Osterman
(5-504)
“The first day of fifth grade. I got to meet
my new teacher. I feel sad and I am going to
miss my friends in my new middle school, but
I know that I will make new friends.” – Jarod
Albizu (5-504)
“Doing the school play with all my friends.
I’m feeling very sad and happy because I’m
leaving a lot of my friends, but I am also going
to middle school with some of my friends.” –
Mia Diaz (5-506)
“In kindergarten, when my teacher
brought in a gingerbread man and told us that
we had to watch him or else he would run
away. He did, and we had to chase him around
the school. I’m going to miss P.S. 29 because
they do so much for us, and I hope the teachers are like that in middle school.” – Maya
Rivas (5-506)
“The Matilda share that we had in class
5-504. I feel sad, of course, about leaving, but
also I’m excited to go on and meet new friends
and go to a different school.” – Marley Marshall
(5-504)
“Robin Hood because it was fun. I feel
sad because I’m leaving my friends.” – Sophia
Chatzilias (5-506)
“Kick Butts Day because I won two of
the races, and it was really fun. I feel sad and
excited about leaving P.S. 29 because I’ll miss
this school, but I’m excited to go to middle
school.” – Julian Lane (5-506)
“The Philadelphia trip because it was
the farthest trip we had ever been on, and I
thought it was an interesting place. I feel sad
about leaving because this is an awesome
school, but I think we will always remember
P.S. 29, and although we are going separate
ways, we will adjust to our new schools.” –
Henry Baltz (5-500)
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Evaluating My Teacher
Are Phones in School
Really “Smart”?
By Adrien Otcasek (5-506)
and Mia Diaz (5-506)
By Maybelle Keyser-Butson (5-505)
“She helped me
understand what I was
doing with math, and
she helped bring up my
confidence in math, and
my self-esteem.”
This letter of recommendation for 5th grade
teacher Elisabeth Stephens was written by
5th grader Maybelle Keyser-Butson. She
wrote it as a project she undertook while
many of her classmates sat for test prep prior
to the statewide ELA and math tests. One of
approximately sixty P.S. 29 students who
opted-out of the statewide tests this year, this
project was Maybelle’s idea. Other students
who opted-out took up the test prep time with
different reading and writing projects, many
of them devised of their own making. Maybelle’s goal was to demonstrate the value her
teacher has added to her life this year beyond
what a test score can show.
To Whom It May Concern:
I am a good student. I get well aboveaverage report card grades, I pay attention
in class, and I love contributing to class
discussions. I like school. After much
thought, I decided to opt out of the New
York State Common Core Tests. It would
have been easy for me to decide, but I
didn’t want this to affect my amazing
teacher’s evaluation negatively. My teacher Ms. Elisabeth teaches me and my classmates things that cannot be measured
on the New York State Common Core
Tests but really matter in “real life.” She
teaches us that being right isn’t the thing
to aim for -- it’s learning and creativity. She
teaches us not to have a fixed mindset, but
a growth mindset -- she wanted us to learn
that even though we might get the answer
wrong, it’s still good to try. Finally, she
teaches us to be independent and creative
– that not everything comes to us naturally
– that we have to work to get things.
My teacher Ms. Elisabeth teaches us
that being right isn’t the thing to aim for
– it’s learning and creativity, which isn’t
measured on the New York State Common
Core Tests. For example, in class, she took
time out of her teaching to show us a video
– its main lesson teaching us that “sometimes you win, and sometimes you learn.”
This means that while she could have
been teaching us math, or TEST PREP, she
instead decided to teach us something that
really helped me and my fellow classmates
use the full potential of our skills that we
already have so we can build on them.
Another example is, she told us in class not
to feel disappointed if we got a grade that
we didn’t feel happy with -- that we should
instead try harder next time, knowing
that we CAN do better, and our grades can
only improve. She didn’t even have to say
5th grade teacher and 29 Post faculty adviser Elisabeth Stephens oversees a Newspaper Club
session. Photo by Lauren Young
this, she could have gone on with her day
knowing that some kids were unhappy,
and they could get over it, but instead she
comforted the children who didn’t feel
happy. The tests teach you that being right
is the thing to aim for, and if you aren’t
right, everything is messed up for you,
but actually, Ms. Elisabeth teaches us that
being creative and not getting the right
answer is okay. In our classroom, we learn
rigorously how to get the right answer, but
Ms. Elisabeth’s teaching shows us how
learning and creativity will also help you
get the right answer. It was a tough decision to opt out because I wanted to show
how many valuable things Ms. Elisabeth
teaches. She teaches us to take risks, and
to aim for creativity, which isn’t measured
on the tests.
My teacher Ms. Elisabeth teaches us
not to have a fixed mindset, she teaches
us to have a growth mindset, which isn’t
measured on the New York State Common Core Tests. She wanted us to learn
that even though we might get the answer
wrong, it’s still good to try. For example,
in my science experiment, I had to try
multiple things to get my worms to live,
and because I didn’t have a fixed mindset,
I kept exploring and was able to more fully
understand the scientific method and I
didn’t stop. Because Ms. Elisabeth teaches
us to not have a fixed mindset, my science
project was a success. Another example
is, since second grade, even though I was
able to score well on the math New York
State Common Core tests and classroom
assessments, I had been struggling in
math – I had no confidence, and I gave up
easily when learning new math skills – I
had a fixed mindset because I was afraid of
getting the answer wrong. But then with
Ms. Elisabeth, I realized that I had a fixed
mindset in math. She helped me understand what I was doing with math, and she
helped bring up my confidence in math,
and my self-esteem. So now, my scores are
even better than before, but more impor-
tantly I have the confidence in myself to
believe that I am good at math and I can
handle new challenges and new material.
This is not something that even the good
scores that I would get on the New York
State Common Core Tests would show.
My teacher teaches us to be independent and creative – that not everything
comes to us naturally – that sometimes
we have to work to get things, which isn’t
measured on the New York State Common
Core Tests. For example, we had to lead
our first parent-teacher conferences and
make slideshows about ourselves and our
learning. Ms. Elisabeth could have just told
our parents about us, and been done with
it, but instead she decided to make us work
hard, proving to a lot of kids that nothing
comes easy in the “real world.” Another
example is, we made self portraits in class
out of magazines – they were sort of a
collage – and we could have just cut out a
face and a body, but Ms. Elisabeth wanted
us to instead make it look EXACTLY like
ourselves and so we had to work hard and
be creative. She could have just told us to
make a collage of ourselves, but instead,
she encouraged us to make it creative, she
challenged us to go beyond what was easy
and make the portrait as realistic as possible. She teaches us to be independent and
creative, and that not everything comes to
us naturally, which isn’t measured on the
New York State Common Core Tests.
“As I look back on the important lessons
that my teacher has taught me and my
classmates this year – that being right isn’t
the thing to always aim for, that having a
fixed mindset won’t get me anywhere, but
having a growth mindset will – I realize
that, as crucial as these lessons are, they
aren’t measured on the New York State
Common Core Tests.
“So Ms. Elisabeth doesn’t get evaluated
on the most important and significant
ways that she helps make me into the best
person I can be. Hopefully this will change
in the future.”
Helping Nepal, One Step at a Time
By Archana Vaithilingam (4-508), Giulia
Fontaine (4-508) & Maya Evans (4-508)
Mr. Peter Cipparone’s fourth graders and
Ms. Maureen Crowley’s first graders recently teamed up to help people in Nepal
after the devastating earthquakes.
Nepal has suffered two harsh earthquakes. The first had a magnitude of 7.8.
(Magnitude is a scale that goes from 1 to
10 that measures the strength of an earthquake.) It was Nepal’s most powerful
earthquake in 80 years. The earthquake
killed at least 8,800 people and injured
23,000 more. Less than three weeks later,
another earthquake struck, this time with a
magnitude of 7.3.
You may have heard that moment of
silence for Nepal after the Pledge of Allegiance at P.S. 29. This moment inspired
many at P.S. 29 to do something. It inspired
Mr. Peter as well. “My heart broke when I
heard about people in Nepal who were living in the streets,” he said.
Ms. Crowley also said that her students
were upset. “They were very sad. We talked
about the fact that people lost their homes
and that they had no clean water,” she said.
Mr. Peter’s class and their “Learning
Buddies” wanted to help. And then, Ms.
Crowley thought she had a perfect idea: a
walk-a-thon. “We wanted to do something
to help Nepal,” Ms. Crowley said. “I had
done a walk-a-thon when I was a kid, so I
thought this would be fun and a great way
to raise money.”
The way a walk-a-thon works is that you
have sponsors. Those sponsors promise
to pay you a certain amount of money for
each time you walk around the school. Ms.
Crowley had hoped to raise at least $1,000.
In fact, there was a kid who donated about
$140! In total, we walked six times (or two
miles) around the school this spring.
Mr. Peter doesn’t know how much has
been raised yet in total, but he says that
“every dollar can help a person in need.”
During the walk-a-thon, some of the first
graders got tired, but the fourth graders
encouraged their buddies to keep going.
They all knew that every lap could help
someone in Nepal.
We were able to raise a lot of money for
Nepal, and we’re really proud. If you have
your own an idea, go for it! Every penny
helps Nepal.
Page 3
E
“When I didn’t have
a phone, it was kind
of weird to see the rest
of of my friends with
them”
lectronics have been taking over
kids’ lives. One of those things is the
iPhone.
Kids have been busy with their iPhones,
and that makes kids not do what they
used to do without an iPhone. One of the
reasons that kids get an iPhone is to keep in
touch with their parents. But instead, kids
use it to play games, go on Instagram, and
of course, to text.
One day, fifth grader Mia Diaz got a total
of 300 text messages in a single day! There
was one group-text that one half of the entire fifth grade girls were part of. Another
fifth graderm Sydney Schmidt-Nowaram
got 563 messages over the course of last
summer.
The following are our own comments, as
well as others’ thoughts on the use/abuse of
phones in school:
Adrien: I think that iPhones should only
be used to get in touch with your parents.
One reason is because kids don’t do what
they would usually do without a phone. For
example, kids used to go outside, and play
sports, games etc. But now they play games
and sports on their iPhones. That is why
I think that iPhones should only be used
to get in touch with your parents. Once,
I went to my friend’s house to play, and
when I got there, the first thing the friend
did was go on Instagram. After the first few
minutes, I felt like leaving. It was so boring
watching her on her phone the whole time.
So, I left feeling really bored and frustrated.
By the time I got my own phone, I only used
it once in a while. It was a privilege. If I did
something bad, my parents would take it
away. As a result, I barely got to use it.
Mia: When I didn’t have a phone, it was
kind of weird to see the rest of of my
friends with them. But the worst part was
that going on their phone was all they did.
One time, I went to my friend’s house
for a Christmas party. The whole time I
was there i just sat around watching my
friends playing games on their phones. I
was really upset when I got home, because
I felt left out. One year later, I got a phone
for Christmas. I was so happy about it and
for the few days I was checking out all the
cool apps I had on there, and calling my
grandparents and friends. But then I went
back to drawing and reading, what I usu-
ally do. Once again, there was a Christmas
party. Knowing that my friend would be
on their phones, I brought my own as well.
But It wasn’t so fun. Even with the phone.
And I didn’t even use it. Luckily, one of my
friends went back to normal, and only once
and awhile I have to remind her. But my
other friend has not stopped. And to make
matters worse, she got a computer! Now
for her, it is phone, computer, phone, computer 24/7. I want my old friend back.
Hannah Epstein: I’ve had my phone
for eight months. It’s fun to have one, but I
don’t think that it should be used in school
or irresponsibly. I only use it to connect
with my parents if i’m doing something and
need their permission.
Kamila Otcasek: (PS 29 parent): I
think kids should be allowed to use their
phones--if they use it responsibly. When I
was a kid, smart phones weren’t invented
yet. We had to go and tell our parents
where we were going. Kids should be allowed to use their phones only if they use it
to get in touch with their parents. Otherwise, they are not using it responsibly.
What is Your Favorite Day
of the Week?
By Henry Baltz (5-500)
W
hy are some days of the week
more liked than others? Has
Monday always been the leastfavorite day of the week? Was Friday always everybody’s favorite day of the week?
What is it about Friday? Is it because it’s
the end of the week or something else?
WHY I THINK SOME DAYS ARE MORE
POPULAR THAN OTHERS
SUNDAY
People like Sundays because it’s part of the
weekend. But not everybody likes Sunday
night. They are sometimes really annoyed
that the weekend is over. They are thinking about it being Monday tomorrow, and
some people get stressed. Sunday is usually the day when people rest and get ready
for the week.
MONDAY
Almost everyone hates Mondays because
they are used to it being Saturday and Sunday where they may be able to sleep as late
as they want. (Also, the weekend is when
most people don’t have to go to school and
work.)
TUESDAY
Tuesday is usually a nice calm day. People
are happy that is not Monday anymore.
WEDNESDAY
Wednesday is the day when some people
feel like the week will be over soon. They
are happy to be halfway through the week.
THURSDAY
Thursday is a day when people wish it was
Friday – they feel like they are practically
done with the week.
FRIDAY
Friday is a day when people are really
excited that it is the last day of the school/
work week. If they are doing something
fun tomorrow (on Saturday), they feel
excited. They sometimes can get up and
be like: “Hooray, it’s Friday. We can take a
rest from school/work and have fun!” even
though they have a whole day ahead of
them. A lot of people consider the weekend to start when everything they have to
do on Friday is done.
For some people, Friday night is Pizza
Night. For some, Friday night is Movie
Night!
Some people have more sweets on
Fridays than they do during Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Some
people consider the school/work week as
four days and then put Friday in the weekend group.
SATURDAY
When people wake up on Saturday, they
are calm and happy, which is the exact
opposite of Mondays. On Saturday, many
people are happy to have the day off and
the next day off. Most people like Saturday.
Saturday is often a day of fun or a day of
rest. When it is nice out on Saturday, people like to spend time outdoors. Saturday
is a good day for a picnic. And on Saturday
night, people are happy from their fun day
and excited for tomorrow (Sunday).
3
SUNDAY
0
monday
0
tuesday
2
wednesday
3
thursday
28
FRIDAY
20
SATURDAY
I interviewed 56 people
about their favorite
days of the week.
Here is what they said.
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Page 4
P.S. 29’s Top Books
We asked teachers which books they think are the most-read in their classes. Here’s what they say.
By Neko Barocci (4-521), Ila Holstein-Rosen (4-521) and Nina Rivas (4-507)
FIRST GRADE
second GRADE
third GRADE
fourth GRADE
fifth GRADE
Best Cookies
and Doughnuts
in the
Neighborhood
Page 5
Original glazed doughnut
Olga
By Maggie Bugler and Sydney Schmidt-Nowara (5-506)
H
The Miraculous Journey
of Edward Tulane
Junie B. Jones
DOUGH 448 Lafayette Avenue
Wonder
Magic Tree House Series
ungry for a special treat!? Try these delicious baked goods
to fill your craving! We went to some of the highest-rated
cookie and doughnut places in Brooklyn. Here are the
cookies and doughnuts we thought were especially delicious.
The Mysterious
Benedict Society
“We Fry in Bed Stuy” is their catch-phrase, and here are some of their
best doughnuts. (We should know! We ate them!)
Chocolate Salted Caramel
Sea-salt and caramel-infused chocolate The classic glazed doughnut
covered doughnuts with the just right amount is probably the highestliked of sweetness mixed with savory.
Original (Glazed)
Whoopee
The classic glazed doughnut is probably the highest-liked doughnut in
the shop.
One Girl Cookies 68 Dean Street (between Smith Street & Boerum Place)
One Girl Cookies is known for their delicious and original cookies.
Here are some of them.
Olga
Greetings from Somewhere Series
Mercy Watson
Warrior Series
Chocolate mint ganache sandwiched between two sugar cookies.
Home of the Brave
Chocolate chip cookie
Chocolate chip cookies
These chocolate chip cookies are the perfect mouthful! They are soft
and chewy and delicious.
Junie B. Jones
Whoopie Pies
After tasting these delicious treats, you'll no longer wonder why they
are named Whoopie Pies. Actually, they are not a pie at all, but more of
a cross between a cake and a cookie. Ours are Brooklyn's original, and
kids and grownups alike just can't get enough of them.
Chocolate salted caramel
The Only Summer Reading List You’ll Ever Need
Heidi Heckelbeck
Big Nate Series
Freak the Mighty
Charlotte’s Web
The Bailey School Kids
By Sabine Demopoulos (4-507) and
Anya Chu (4-508) Mia Perry (4-507)
not only using Greek mythology but also
Roman mythology.
Do you ever get stuck looking for a book
in the summertime? Well, here’s a list
that is right for you. We interviewed P.S.
29 teachers, parents and some kids about
their favorite summertime reads.
Stargirl or Love Stargirl by
Jerry Spinnelli
From the day she arrives, quiet
Mica High sees Stargirl who adds
a little music to the school. She
sparks a school-spirit revolution
with one cheer. The students of
Mica High are loving her. Until they
are not.
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
(Other books in the series include, The
Wright Three, The Calder Game)
A surprising art mystery series.
Bad Kitty Series
Bridge to Terabithia
Iris and Walter
Home of the Brave
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
series by Rick Riordan
(The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters,
The Titan’s Curse, The Battle of the
Labyrinth, The Last Olympian)
A clever fantasy series using gods and
goddesses of Mount Olympus.
Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin
A girl with autism, whose mom goes away,
is forced to live with her crazy dad and her
dog named Rain.
Cam Jansen
The 14th Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm
A girl’s grandfather finds a jellyfish who
can turn you into someone you were
before, like a baby, and he turns into a
teenager.
Bridge To Terabithia
Tiger Rising
The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan
(The Lost Hero, The Son of Neptune, The
Mark of Athena, The House of Hades, The
Blood of Olympus)
A follow-up to the Percy Jackson series,
Harriet the Spy by Louise
Fitzhugh
“It is about a girl who is a spy. The
kid is in fifth grade and lives in New
York,” said Lauren Young, a P.S. 29
parent. Harriet keeps a notebook,
eats tomato sandwiches and loses all of her
friends.
Home of the Brave by Katherine
Applegate
“It is written beautifully, and it has a strong
message for kids,” said Ms. Elizabeth
Stephens, a P.S. 29 fifth-grade teacher.
Wonder by R.J.Palacio
“It’s a great book for kids, and it teaches
people not to make fun of kids because
of the way they look,” said Abby Love, a
fourth grader at P.S. 29.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
“I like it because it is funny,” said Maya
Evans, a fourth grader at P.S. 29.
Page 6
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Page 7
Fourth and Fifth Graders Kicking Butts in Red Hook
(clockwise): Top: Griffin Feather (4-524) in
action during the baton race. Middle right:
Kathy Nobles, P.S. 29’s physical education
teacher, orchestrates another Kick Butts
extravaganza in Red Hook. Bottom right: Fifth
graders Adrien Otcasek, Maya Rivas, Sydney
Schmidt-Nowara and Amaris Miranda show off
their specially designed tee shirts.
Bottom left: Bottom left: Autumn Lopez sprints
past the fifth-grade cheering section. Middle
left: Bella Kortes, Mika Chang, Alicia CappelliGouverneur and Honor Hanau all kicking butt
Above: Fifth graders and fourth graders congratulate each
other on the completion of another successful Kick Butts
Day. Left: Fifth-grade boys sprint to the finish line.
Right: Run, Asa, Run! As in…Asa Khalid (5-504).
Photos by Sarma Ozols
Page 8
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Page 9
Congratulations to the Graduating Class of 2015! We’ll Miss You!
Visiting the City of Brotherly Love
by Maya Evans (4-508 ) and Garratt Rothberg (4-524)
graveyard, you will find the graves of many
of the men who signed the Declaration of
Independence.
On a slightly chilly day this past May, the
entire fourth grade met in the P.S. 29 schoolyard at 7:15 a.m. to take school buses to
Philadelphia for the day. In Philadelphia,
students did different things with their
chaperones. Some favorite sites:
The Mint
At the Mint (right), you learn about its history. That is interesting, but the best thing
is seeing how they make coins. To do that,
you climb the stairs and walk down a long
hallway that brings you to windows where
you can see the coins being made. Signs
explain the different stages the metal goes
through before becoming a coin. There are
binoculars for you to watch how fast coins
are made – more than one per second! The
Mint is basically a huge factory with coins
Independence Hall
Go to Independence Hall for a presentation
about the American Revolution and learn
how Philadelphia was important in it. In Independence Hall, keep an eye out for a fake
voting booth and many other interesting
things. You will see where the Continental
Congress signed the Declaration of Independence!
on a conveyor belt processing the coins and
sending the blank pieces of metal to different engraving machines where the coins are
pressed. Then the coins are put into bags
and delivered to banks around the USA.
The Liberty Bell
You might be kind of surprised that the
Liberty Bell (right, above) isn’t as big as you
think it would be. It can be really crowded,
too.
Benjamin Franklin’s Grave
People pay their respects by putting a penny
on Benjamin Franklin’s grave. His grave is
filled with pennies. It is weird knowing his
bones are under the ground. At that same
African-American Museum
You will learn a lot about African-American
societies in Philadelphia during and after
the war. People at the museum are dressed
like they live in colonial times. They will answer lots of questions.
Hungry? Eat your lunch at a park and dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe.
The Middle
School “Process”
Is (Finally)
Finished
By James Gillespie (5-505) and Jack
Osterman (5-504)
F
or most members of our school
community, the infamous “middleschool stress” has finally lifted. By
now, most of P.S. 29’s 104 fifth graders know
which middle school she or he will be attending in the fall.
During the 2015 admissions season, more
kids got into the first- and second-choice
schools than previous years, according to
Cara Turnbull, P.S. 29’s guidance counselor.
When Turnbull started working at P.S 29,
many kids went to private schools after
graduation. But now the majority of P.S.
29 graduates are attending public middle
schools in New York city.
Many fifth graders are going to M.S.
447 and M.S. 51. Other kids are attending
schools such as New Voices, Brooklyn
Prospect Charter, International Studies,
Park Slope Collegiate, Mark Twain and ICE.
Some kids are going to private schools such
as Poly Prep, Brooklyn Friends and Basis.
“The best thing that could happen would
be zoned middle schools,” Turnbull adds.
Yet some of the frustration about the ap-
plication process has not yet disappeared.
For many, it has been a very stressful – and
one that current fourth graders should not
look forward to. That includes getting spots
on tours, then touring schools and picking
first and second choices.
Several kids at P.S. 29, whose parents may
not be from New York City, are even moving away once fifth grade ends.
“They should make the (admissions)
process much more fair to the students, and
less like trying to get a job at average business company,” says Leo Gordon, a fifth
grade student at P.S. 29.
Some teachers did not hide their displeasure with the middle-school selection
process. “I think it’s disappointing,” said
Elisabeth Stephens (5-505).
Julie Maclean, whose son Curtis is in
5-504, said she is happy with her son’s acceptance. “But it wasn't our first choice,”
Maclean notes.
Her advice to other parents? “Don't
choose too many schools, be selective. Talk
to other parents, but at a certain point,
choose what schools are best for you,”
Maclean says.
Essential Club
Getaway Advice
Club Getaway, in Kent, CT, is the site of the annual P.S. 29 5th grade overnight field trip. Here's some advice to 4th graders from a seasoned veteran.
By Henry Baltz (5-500)
Here's some advice to 4th graders from a
seasoned Club Getaway veteran.
• Get to your cabin first so you can claim
the bed that you want;
• Bring extra clothing (you will probably
get dirty or wet);
• Don’t be scared of the zipline (I was
scared to go on but when I got on I wasn’t
scared at all);
• Try everything (They only let you do it
once at the time everybody is doing it);
• Bring something to do on the bus ride
(It can be 2.5 hours - 3.5 hours);
• Be ready to go in the morning (we leave
1 hour after breakfast);
• Don’t go into other people’s cabins
(some people did that);
• The night before you go to Club Getaway, get a good night sleep;
• Keep track of your stuff (You don’t have
that much time to look for anything);
• Pack appropriate clothes for the
weather;
• Don’t pack too many things because
you will only be there for 1 night and
there are activities all day;
• Lastly, have fun!!!
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The Robin Hood
Experience
By Maya Rivas (5-506) and Esme Neubert (5-500)
R
obin Hood was a truly amazing experience for
the fifth graders at P.S. 29.
It all started with the auditions in December.
We had to choose a poem, memorize it and recite it
for Ms. Mollie Lief, Ms. Alyson Ryan, and Ms. Emma
Apsel. We also had to prepare a pantomime. We had to
pretend that we were opening a gift.
Everyone was waiting outside the drama room,
biting their nails nervously and reciting their poems,
waiting for their audition number to be called. After
the auditions, we waited all weekend to see what part
we got on Monday.
On Monday, everyone ran to the drama room,
looking at the board to see our parts. The first thing
our eyes went to was to see who got the part of Robin
Hood.
Player Crosby? Player?!? That was the biggest role.
We remembered how Player had said he wanted a
small part with few lines. He had never expected this.
Then came the first Friday rehearsal. Everyone was
excited. We all sat in a big circle on the stage, and Ms.
Lief told us what we were going to do and what we
would have to put into this play to make it really good.
The weeks went by, and suddenly we were getting
our costumes. We all “Oohed” and “Ahhed” at the sight
of Maid Marian's light blue dress covered in jewels as
well as Prince John's red robes and leopard print coat.
We practiced and practiced, getting better along the
way, through the good times and the bad times. Before
we knew it, it was time for our opening night.
Everyone was running around backstage, changing
costumes, getting their props and reciting their lines
nervously. It was like auditions, but ten times worse.
The first scene went by, the stage lights blinding our
eyes as we recited our lines.
Before we knew it the show was over. We got a
standing ovation. People whistled, yelled, and clapped.
This was at both performances. We did two nights
and also performed the play for students as a kind of
rehearsal.
We were so proud of ourselves and of Ms. Lief. We
had done it; we had finished the Robin Hood play!
After the play, there was a crew and cast party, we ate
goodies and drank sparkling lemonade and our parents
told us how much they liked the play. We talked about
how hard all 66 kids involved with the play worked
along with the parent volunteers. But really none of
this would have happened if it wasn't for our amazing
drama teacher, Ms. Mollie Lief! Did we mention that
she even wrote the version of the play we performed
with her father!
We can't wait to see what play the fifth-grade does
next year.
(4)
(5)
(1) Four soldiers goofing off. (2) Backstage with the costumes.
(3) At play behind the scenes. (4) Practicing the Baby Nigel
scene. (5) The crew taking a well-deserved bow. (6) Jordan
Albizu (5-504) tying green into her hair. (7) Suiting up for the
play. (8) Getting into character.
Photos by MadeleyRodriguez
(8)
(2)
(1)
(3)
(6)
(7)
Page 12
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The National Museum of American
History in Washington, D.C.
Cape May Lighthouse
All Photos by Madeley Rodriguez
Nine Savvy Summer
Travel Tips
By Sydney Deriggs (4-524), Kyle Dittersdorf (4-507), Ella Kaplan (4-524),
Gus Krumpus (4-507), Logan Lane (4-524), Luke Malmstrom (4-521), Bianca
Martinez (4-524), Julian McCaul (4-521) and Garratt Rothberg (4-524)
M
any kids around the school are
excited about summer coming
up. Some kids have lots of plans
and don’t have much free time. But if you
have some free days or want to get your
parents to take you on a trip, here is a
round-up of nine great summer travel tips
for New York City and beyond.
New York City
Take a walk to Pier 1 at Brooklyn Bridge
Park and visit a room of water. This
summer there are fountains that make
rooms for kids (and adults) to go into as
part of a public art installation. And you can
do it without getting wet! Swim in Brooklyn
Bridge Park’s Pop-Up Pool, which has a
Page 13
sandy beach and a restaurant.
A favorite activity for everyone in New
York City during the summer is to take the
F train to Coney Island and visit the rides.
There is fun for everyone: If you’re 6 years
old or younger, you’ll love the little rides
near the Wonder Wheel. If you’re a bit
older, visit Luna Park. And, of course, the
Wonder Wheel is great for everyone. Also, if
you really like fast rides, go on the Cyclone
or the Thunderbolt.
If you want some outside time, go to
Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. It’s close by, and
you can have a lot of fun. You can take a
quiet walk in the woods, or play soccer or
baseball in the fields.
Another great place in Manhattan: the
American Museum of Natural History.
Take the C train to the Natural History
Museum stop on the Upper West Side
next to Central Park. There are always new
exhibits. Right now, there is an exhibit
about natural disasters that will be on
display until August 9.
Cape May, New Jersey
Cape May is a great place to have fun at the
beach and just walk around and explore. It
has Victorian houses, a lighthouse museum
and a nature walk. This is a family-friendly
town on the Jersey Shore with activities for
everyone.
You can go to the Cape May Lighthouse
for a day trip. After you have climbed to
the top of the lighthouse, there is also a
nature walk that takes you through the
Cape May Wetlands State Natural Area.
There are many beaches in Cape May, but
we recommend the Cape May beach. There
is also Poverty Beach, Cove Beach, North
Wildwood and Stone Harbor. Most of these
beaches have free parking, restrooms and
concessions.
The Catskills, New York
The Catskills Mountains are a great place
to go hiking and camping; however, you
could stay in a hotel and drive to day hikes.
Hike Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest,
which has some nice, easy trails, or go to
Hunter-West Kill Wilderness Area, which
has some harder trails mixed with easy
trails. These are just some of the amazing
hikes in the Catskills! There are many
places to camp near these hiking areas,
including Woodland Valley Campground
and Mongaup Pond Campground.
Philadelphia
In Philadelphia, if you like sports, you can
go to Citizens Bank Park to relax and see
a Phillies game. Or, if you like science, go
to the Franklin Institute. Visit the Giant
Heart, which kids can walk through. There
is also an old-fashioned train.
In Old City, there are endless historical
things to do. You could visit the Liberty
Bell, Independence Hall, The Mint, The
African-American Museum, Ben Franklin’s
House and more important sites as many
fourth graders did this year on their field
trip to Philadelphia.
To get to Philadelphia, drive down I-95,
take a bus or an Amtrak train. Getting
around is easy. You can walk, drive or take a
Septa subway.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. is a great place to explore
America’s history and look at art. If you
are interested in these things, there will
be plenty for you to see and do in D.C. The
Smithsonian museums were founded by
James Smithson in 1836 with the vision
to “shape the future by preserving our
heritage, discovering our new knowledge,
and share our resources with the world,”
says the Smithsonian website. There are 19
of these free museums along with a zoo in
D.C.
The Hirshhorn Museum and
The National Gallery of Art are two
Smithsonian art museums. There are some
very nice sculpture gardens along with
those museums. The Hirshhorn Museum
has more contemporary art, while The
National Gallery of Art offer a wider range
of art.
You can also go to memorials and
museums like the Thomas Jefferson
Memorial, right by a beautiful lake with
paths connecting all of the memorials.
Be sure to visit the Smithsonian Museum
of American History with lots of good
information to learn more about America’s
history.
A fun place to go, even though it is
touristy, is the Library of Congress. It
has a copy of the first book ever printed,
the Gutenberg Bible. It also has some of
Thomas Jefferson’s books. To get there,
just take the Metro to Capitol South
Station.
Another interesting place to go is Mount
Vernon, George Washington’s home. You
can take a tour inside his house, and you
can walk around his farm. The best way to
get there is by taxi.
If you like baseball, go see the
Washington Nationals play. You could also
visit Alexandria, Virginia, nearby Mount
Vernon, where there are historic buildings.
It is close to the King Street Metro Station.
Last, but not least, you can’t miss the
National Mall.
To get to Washington, D.C., drive down
the New Jersey Turnpike and I-95, take a
bus, an Amtrak Train or fly. To get around,
you could take taxis or the convenient
Metro Rail or Metro Bus.
miles long. It is a trail that winds through
the city and goes by basically every historic
site. Walk by Paul Revere’s house, Bunker
Hill, Old North Church and more.
Don’t miss the former home of John
Adams and his son, John Quincy Adams.
Join a tour from the Visitor Center to see
the birthplace of John Adams and John
Quincy Adams and then visit the home
where these former American presidents
lived as an adults.
Travel via the MBTA subway to the
Boston Tea Party Museum. Go on a tour
to see replicas of the ships that tea was
dumped from with people dressed up as
colonial figures. Watch a movie about the
American Revolution and more.
Finally, go to Fenway Park to see a Boston
Red Sox game. Don’t forget to read the
Boston Globe.
To get to Boston, drive north on I-95
to I-93, take a bus, an Amtrak train or fly.
Getting around you can take taxis or the
MBTA subway.
Boston
Los Angeles
One of the best things to do in Boston is
walk the Freedom Trail. You don’t have to
walk the whole thing; it’s more than three
take a short ferry to get there.
Bald Head Island is so small that no cars
are allowed. You have to ride in a golf cart,
and kids can sit in the front seat. The island
is so small that there is only one place to
buy food. And there are no schools. The five
or so kids that live on Bald Head Island have
to wake up super-early so that they can take
a ferry to the mainland each morning for
school. And they get all their clothes from
either tourist sites, or off the island.
If you ever want to go there for vacation,
houses are ready for you. So few people
live on Bald Head Island that there are a
lot of houses available for summer rentals.
Sometimes, the houses have kid-friendly
things like bunk beds or colorful blankets
and games.
Jefferson Memorial, Washington D.C.
How you ever wondered about the stars – as
in movie stars? In Los Angeles, there is no
better place to visit then THE WALK OF
FAME! Get into the Hollywood mood with
daydreams filled with money and fame. If
you're traveling with your family, Universal
Studios is the place to go for kids of all ages.
It has so many rides and also movie sets.
The lines are long, but it’s well worth it.
Bald Head Island
Have ever been to North Carolina? Bald
Head Island is a nice little island right next
to the state's mainland. You just have to
St. Lucia
St. Lucia is an island in the Eastern
Caribbean. It’s a beautiful tropical island,
and there are so many places to go. Here
are some things to do: Yoga on the beach,
water skiing, tubing, banana boating, scuba
diving, snorkeling, ping pong, tennis,
basketball and many other things. The
only problem: at night, there are millions
of tiny bugs, but it’s still an amazing place.
Page 14
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Homework: The
Afterschool Time-Killer?
By Marin Tyree (4-­521)
Homework. It’s the dreaded subject that
everyone wants to avoid, and the reason we
all liked Kindergarten and Pre­K so much.
Most kids think that we have it tough
here at P.S. 29, but we have only half the
homework that is assigned to some fourth
graders at other schools in New York City.
However, one school, P.S. 116 on East
33rd Street in Manhattan, does not require
homework at all! According to recent reports in The New York Times, and The
Huffington Post, homework has been ended entirely at P.S. 116, and not just during
the state testing period.
Not everyone approves, however. Sharon Blake, a grandmother of a P.S. 116 student, said, “You have to do homework in
order to gain; you have to do homework
because they may not be able to comprehend everything in school.”
Mrs. Katie Ghoshhajra, one of our new-
est teachers at P.S. 29 who teaches 4­ 521,
put the homework issue in perspective.
“Homework can be stressful,” Ghoshhajra told the 29 Post, “ More stress leads to
less good time with their families, and that
is not good. Also, if I give too much, students will not get their daily sleep that they
need, and that will lead them to do worse in
school, which will lead to a not­so­good report card. I want kids to do their very best.
When they don’t, it concerns me.”
Mr. Peter Cipparone, who teaches fourth
grade at P.S. 29 and has been at our school
for five years, said homework is a stressful
subject. “I always give 40 minutes of reading, and I usually give math. I give a little
writing each week, but not every day. Students write a page about their reading, it’s
called a Reading Response.”
Kim van Duzer, who teaches fourth grade
at P.S. 29, is against homework – in part.
She wrote an example essay for her class on
why there should be no homework.
So why do we even have homework?
Well, we have homework to enrich what
we learn in class and review what we were
taught so that in class the next day we can
do really good in school. We have home-
work to review and restore our knowledge
of school. We are taught what to do at
school, and then go off and review it on our
own at home.
Mrs. Ghoshhajra said that homework ca
help students with time management. You
should always be aware of the time that
you take for your homework, she added. A
moderate amount of homework is kind of
good and can even be “fun” sometimes, according to fifth grader Kate Townsend.
Above all, students and teachers both
said that it’s important to talk about your
homework schedule and habits. If a student is spending too long on her/his homework, it may create others problems. If so,
talk to your teacher.
Also, remember how lucky we are at
P.S.29. We may even have less homework
than some students at our New York
schools.
Finally, if you really think about it, homework isn’t all that bad!
Behind The Scenes Dressing up for
Halloween can be
of Robin Hood
a Tricky Subject
By Maggie Bugler (5-506), Olivia Bouw (5-505) and Sydney Schmidt-Nowara (5-506)
P.S. 29 became Sherwood Forest this spring
when the fifth-grade play, “Robin Hood
and the Imaginary Arrow,” was performed.
At least 66 fifth graders took part in the
production.
Over the course of five months, all of
the cast (and sometimes the crew) went to
P.S. 29’s auditorium every Friday for about
three hours from 2:50 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Have you ever wondered what was
behind the brilliant playwork and awesome
casting? Here is a behind-the-scenes look
at the cast and crew.
Kate Townsend took part in the Green
Chorus as the 6th Green Chorister. She had
a role where you have to be funny, and you
have to intentionally mess up.
“It’s the last year, and the fifth graders
are all together, so it’s great for most of
us,” Townsend said. She enjoyed her role
with the Green Chorus “because it's fun to
go to the drama room to choreograph our
songs.”
One piece of advice for the rising fifth
graders interested in the play: “At first, it’s
really stressful. But it's going to be really
fun,” Townsend said.
Player Crosby, who had the part of Robin
Hood, had many lines to remember. “It’s
easy and fun if you practice your lines, but
you really have to focus,” he said.
Crosby didn’t mind taking on the leading
role in the play. “It’s a big responsibility
because everyone looks up to you,” he said.
Although, Crosby admitted that if he had to
be anyone else in the play, he would want to
be Robin Hood’s best friend Will, who was
played by his real-life best friend Marcel
Leray. (It’s great casting on Ms. Lief’s
part!)
Crosby’s advice for rising fifth graders
interested in the play? “To try your best and
don't mess up!”
All of the actors hard work paid off. If you
see a familiar face from the play, don’t be
afraid to say hello, or congratulate them,
even though Robin Hood is over.
The play wasn’t perfect, as nothing is,
but it was still tons of fun, a lot of laughs
and many cheers. And did you know at the
end of the play, the actors got a standing
ovation?
By Abby Love (4-507)
Each June, lots of grades, especially the
younger kids, have days when they wear
funny hats, sports uniforms or pajamas
at P.S. 29. This reminds many kids of Halloween and makes them want to know how
come they can’t wear costumes to school
around October 31? Plenty of other schools
let kids wear costumes. For example, kids
at P.S. 8 and P.S. 10 have been wearing costumes to school for a very long time.
Fourth-grade teacher Mr. Peter
Cipparone says wearing a Halloween costume to school is too distracting for students.” And the kids get too excited about
it,” he says. Cipparone says he has the power to let kids wear costumes on Halloween
in his class, but he doesn’t doesn’t let them
because it is distracting to learning.
P.S. 29’s principal Dr. Rebecca Fagin has
mixed feelings about Halloween costumes
at school. “The other school where I used
to work provided a safe space so children
could come to school and wear their costumes,” Fagin says. “However, it has been
a long-time tradition here that you would
not wear your costumes until school was
over.”
Fagin says she is “thinking” about changing the long-standing rule. “I probably
might still be thinking about changing the
rule for a long time,” Fagin says. “I have
some ideas about dressing up as characters
in books, instead of dressing up as a scary
monster or something else that’s scary, so
we don’t scare the little kids.”
So Dr. Fagin might change the no-costumes-on-Halloween rule. Many kids at
P.S. 29 are hoping she will!
riddles
Nine awesome riddles to trick your friends all summer
by Willem Simmons (5-506)
1. I come once in a minute,
twice in a moment,
but never in a thousand years.
What am I?
2. I always run, but never walk.
I have a bed, but never sleep.
I have a mouth, but never eat.
What am I?
3. If the sun’s east, it points west.
If the sun’s west, it points east.
If the sun’s north, it points south
If the sun’s south, it points north
What am I?
4. Poor people have it.
Rich people need it.
If you eat it you die.
What is it?
5. What is so delicate that saying its name
breaks it?
6. A man was driving his truck.
His lights were not on.
The moon was not out.
Up ahead, a woman was crossing the
street.
How did he see her?
7. What starts with ‘t’, has ‘t’ in it, and
ends with ‘t’?
8. One night, a king and a queen jumped
off a cliff and died.
Who jumped with them?
9. What starts with “P” and ends with
“E” and has more than 1000 letters?
Answers: 1: The letter M. 2: A river. 3: A
shadow. 4: Nothing. 5: Silence 6: A: It was
a bright and sunny day! 7: A teapo t. 8: The
knight. 9: A post office
Page 15
The Secret Behind the Mr. Softee Truck
By Ruby Cohen (5-504), Kate Townsend (5-505),
Eva Sheehy-Moss (5-504), and Maybelle KeyserButson (5-505)
Photo by Eva Sheehy-Moss (5-504)
Some days children look forward to a treat after a
hot day of school and one favorite is ice cream. But
is the ice cream truck harming the environment?
When the popular Mr. Softee truck comes most
days after school by the playground, some teachers
and parents think that the truck is keeping his engine on. Car engines emit pollution such as nitrogen
oxide, particulate matter and carbon monoxide, all
of which are health-harming pollutants. To offset
the pollution that idling cars and trucks contribute
in New York City, we would have to plant an area of
trees the size of Manhattan, according to the Environmental Defense Fund.
New York City Law states that you can have your
car engine on for three minutes outside a building
and for one minute outside of a school. After that,
if you don’t turn off your engine and get caught, the
police can fine you up to $5000.
We observed Mr. Softee selling ice cream after
school with smoke coming out of the back of the
truck. However, when we interviewed the driver
(who refused to give us his name), he insisted he
was not keeping his engine on. “It’s a generator, not
the engine,” he said. We asked him if he knew there
was a law about idling. He said, “Yes, I know but I
never idle.” We observed him selling ice cream for
at least 15 minutes after school with long ice cream
lines on numerous days. And he says he is often
around the neighborhood in school yards, parks and
playgrounds.
Are You Ready To Keeping P.S.29 Safe
Walk Home Alone?
By Leo Gordon (5-504)
by Maggie Bugler (5-506)
and Olivia Bouw (5-505)
Do you walk home from school alone? Ms.
Kristen Adamczyk aka “Ms. A”, who is the
art teacher at P.S. 29, says she thinks about
25 percent of fifth-grade students walk
home from school alone, And in fourth
grade, she estimates, only about one or two
kids per class do it.
No one in third grade walks home alone,
as far as Ms. A knows, and she recommends
that they don’t.
“It's good for fifth grade to practice walking alone because in middle school you walk
to and from school alone,” Ms. A said.
Adrien Otcasek, a fifth grader, has been
walking alone “since last year.”
When Otcasek first started to walk to
school by herself, she said that her parents
had trouble with it once or twice because
they “didn’t trust me.” Most of her friends
poem: BYE
already walk by themselves, she told us, and
when she first walked by herself she said she
“felt FREEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!”
Another big factor of whether or not kids
walk to school alone is if they have a cell
phone for safety reasons. According to one
study that we looked at, about one-quarter
of fourth-graders and 40 percent of fifth
graders nationwide have their own cell
phones.
Walking in the neighborhood alone and
having a phone are very connected. Walking alone with your phone out, however, can
be a big problem. Recently, a middle school
student was walking alone on Warren Street
with her phone in her purse. Three girls
came behind her, attacked her, and took her
phone.
The big lesson? Make sure that when you
have a phone, be careful with it when you are
walking by yourself.
By Sabine Demopoulos (4-507)
everyone is going away
I am saying good bye
every one is leaving
going far
far far away
I will see you soon I say
but we both know
it might not be true
Since the Sandy Hook Elementary School
shooting in December 2012, people have
been wondering what is a secure school,
and how can we be safe?
More than 80 percent of P.S. 29’s teachers say they feel safe at work, according to
the 2013-14 DOE NYC School Survey. By
contrast, more than 98 percent of P.S. 29
parents say their child is safe during the
school day.
PTA co-president Kristin MacQuarrie
and Jessica Henson reviewed and signed
P.S. 29’s “School Safety Plan” which is
about 60 pages, at the start of the 2014-25
school year.
“It's not a secret document, but it isn't
shared widely because it includes details
on lots of different safety protocols. Reading it made me understand how hard the
entire staff works to keep our kids safe,”
MacQuarrie says.
MacQuarrie and Henson say P.S. 29
is safe because of School Safety Officer
Carolyn Grant’s hard work. “Officer Grant
makes everyone who isn't a student sign
in when they enter the building. Even me,
and I am there many, many days,” MacQuarrie says.
In addition, the teaching assistants are
very strict about not allowing parents
back in through the school doors at school
pick-up, Henson notes. All parents/children must exit the schoolyards and enter
through the school doors if they need to
re-enter the school for any reason.
“By and large, P.S. 29 parents follow Dr.
Rebecca Fagin's safety instructions to only
exit the school through the front doors and
not through the side doors (which may not
properly lock behind someone who exits
unless they are careful about checking the
door),” Henson says.
Officer Grant, P.S. 29’s security guard
Officer Grant at her desk.
Photo by Leo Gordon
for the past four years, says her job is to
keep the the school staff and students safe.
Schools throughout the city are required
to have 10 fire drills and two lockdown exercises throughout the school year.
One big security challenge, Grant says, is
P.S. 29 parents. “Often, when parents exit
the building the wrong way, we lose track
of them, and we think are still in the building,” Grant says.
P.S. 29 is in the process of installing approximately 35 security cameras around
the building – both inside and outside.
“We need the monitors for it to run fully,”
Grant says.
“All of the cameras are installed, and we
just need the software and monitors,” says
Dawn Pender, P.S. 29’s assistant principal,
who says the rollout is a three-year process.
Once the system is up and running, “Officer Grant will do the main work, but me,
Rebecca and Halee (Hochman) will have
extra software on the computer,” Pender
says.
Tuning into P.S. 29 Kids on YouTube
By Tim Crean (5-504 or Jay567u on
YouTube) and Marley Marshall (5-504)
Some P.S. 29 students have their own YouTube channels. These video creators are
hoping to become famous by starting early,
inspired by popular YouTubers such as SkyDoesMinecraft, who has more than 11 million subscribers, ASF_Jerome (3 million)
and Deadlox (2 million.) “There are thousands upon thousands of YouTube chan-
nels with tens of thousands of subscribers
waiting for their turn to be the new trend,”
says “WarSong The Kid,” a.k.a Leo Gordon
(5-504).
Other channels created and run by kids
from P.S. 29 include “NoahMaxie” by Noah
Silber (4-507) and “KrispyG33Gaming” by
James Gillespie (5-505) and “twilightstalker2004” by Sally Rogers (5-504). Newer YouTubers are “Chuckles The Clown” by Ruby
Cohen (5-504) and “Minecraft Obsessed,”
by Sydney Schmidt-Nowara (5-506).
These kids say running a YouTube channel is hard work. Thinking about what their
next video will be and then trying to make
them can get in the way of a lot of things,
unless you have loads of time after school.
“I usually record when I’m free,” says Silber.
He creates Minecraft content, video logs
and music.
P.S. 29 used to block access to sites such as
YouTube because of inappropriate content.
But now kids can go on with permission
from a teacher, who will decide if the material is appropriate. However, the school still
blocks access to Amazon, Tumblr, Twitter,
Facebook and other websites.
Many new YouTubers are frustrated by
the lack of subscribers. It is very hard to rack
up the amount of subscribers like SkyDoesMinecraft or ASF_Jerome have. So these
channels from P.S. 29 kids are shouting out
for you to subscribe to them.
29POST
Page 16
Can The Frozen Franchise Survive?
by Giulia Fontaine (4-508)
and brings her
home. But as they
Last year, everyone was fussgo home, Kristoff,
ing (and fussing some more)
Sven, and Olaf
over the movie, Frozen. On
surprise them. Elsa
Halloween, I saw nearly two
is about to blow the
dozen little girls wearing
birthday horn, but
Elsa and Anna costumes.
she sneezes instead.
But now the question is no
That snow-sneeze
longer, “Do you want to
travels all the way to
build a snowman?” It’s: “Do
Hans’s dungeon and
you want to plan a party?”
hits him in the head.
A little girls’ party is never
Anna then takes
by Kai Stackpole (4-508)
By Marshall Moorehead (4-521)
a party without Elsa, Anna,
Elsa to her room
up with a cold, which makes her
and your favorite snowman,
and takes care of
sneeze tiny snow monsters whom
Olaf! This spring, an eight-minute
her and calls it the best birthday
Olaf calls his “brothers.” While
sequel, Frozen Fever, came to the
present ever. In the very end of
Elsa shows Anna the town, the
movie theaters: a mini Frozen 2,
the film, Olaf takes all the snow
little snow monsters start playing
before the movie Cinderella.
monsters to Marshmallow, who is
and destroying the party. Kristoff
now ruler of the ice palace.
and Sven and Olaf have to protect
What is Frozen Fever
Last year, everyone, it seemed,
the festivities.
About?
went crazy for Frozen – it won the
At the same time, Elsa starts
In Frozen Fever, Idina Menzel
Oscar for Best Song and for Best
coughing a lot and Anna keeps
once again does the voice of
Animated Feature Film. When
telling her she has a cold, but Elsa
Queen Elsa, but the short film
people think about it, Frozen
keeps denying it. At one point, Elsa wasn’t as good as so many people
tells the story of what happens
and Anna go on the top of a church thought. You might have fun
on Anna’s birthday. Elsa, Kristoff,
Sven and Olaf want her to have the and Elsa starts to fall, without
watching it one to five times, but
knowing it, so Anna catches her
BEST birthday ever, but Elsa ends
certainly not 1,000 times.
Dear Anonymous Aesops,
My friends are going to a different
school than I am. What's a good way
to keep in touch?
- Missing My Friends
Dear Missing My Friends,
If it’s possible, try to get their phone
number, and text them when you miss
them. If they don’t have a phone, get
their parent’s phone number and arrange when they can text and hang out
with you. You can always make new
friends and keep the old so remember,
it’s not the end of the world.
I get in fights with my friend, and
sometimes she acts all sassy. What
can I do to make her stop?
- Cut The Sassy
Dear Cut The Sassy,
Sometimes acting sassy is their defense
mechanism. They are probably just
feeling blamed and threatened. If this
happens again, calmly tell them that you
don’t feel that whatever is happening
is their fault. If you feel like it REALLY
IS their fault, consider taking it to Peer
Mediation.
Behind The Scenes of Newspaper Club
poem
Puzzles
by noah silber (4-507)
by Anya Chu (4-508)
I click the piece together.
The last piece
of the mystical,
magical
puzzle.
The mystery
has been solved.
Now a new one
is to be started.
Ever want to write a story? Do you
want your story published schoolwide? We’ll give you a behind-thescenes look of how the 29 Post works!
Here is a step-by-step journey of how
we find ideas and write them down.
1. The first thing that we do is one of
the most important steps. We call
a meeting of the reporters, and we
brainstorm stories for the next issue.
2. We pick ideas and think of how
it will affect the issue and when it
comes out.
3. The next day or week, we start
Summer Word Search
By noah silber (4-507)
ADD
AFTER
AIR
BUY
DAD
EARTH
EDUCATION
FALL
FIND
FIRE
FOX
FREE
FUN
GIVE
GLASS
GUIDE
HAPPY
HEAD
HELLO
ICE
anonymous aesops
IMAGE
KICK BUTTS DAY
KINDLE
LIFE
LIGHT
LIGHTNING
LIVE
MEMORY
MOM
MOUSE
NEW
PAPER
PHILADELPHIA
PHONE
PICK
PUMPKIN
REAL
ROCKET
RUN
SCHOOL
SHORT
SIT
SPRING
STAND
STORE
STORY
SUMMER
TALL
TODAY
TRASH
TRIP
WATER
WEB
WELCOME
WINTER
WIRE
WORK
YEAR
YOU
LaylaJones
214 Court Street
718.624.2361
Congratulations to everyone at
29Post
for a job well done!!!
writing these stories. We have a
month deadline or more so we can
make the stories good.
4. Newspaper Club starts at 7:45
a.m., two mornings a week, in P.S.
29’s Library Media Center. We have
a few meetings as we are working on
an issue. Everybody is expected to
work on a different story. (People
also work together).
5. We work really hard for the two
days a week that we have Newspaper
Club. We interview people, go to
places and write, write, write!
6. When it gets close to the publishing deadline, we start collecting
stories from the reporters. The goal
is for everybody to have a least one
story in the issue.
7. After a week or two, the paper is
laid out (by an adult, who is a professional graphic designer), and the
paper is finally printed.
8. Then we have a publishing party
and pass out the issues for a first look
at the newspaper!
Thank you for coming on the journey
of behind-the-scenes of Newspaper
Club! The club is open to fourth and
fifth grade students. It’s really fun,
and I hope you want to join next
year!
29 Post
Staff
4-507
Sabine Demopoulos
Kyle Dittersdorf
Gus Krumpus
Abby Love
Mia Perry
Nina Rivas
Noah Silber
4-508
Anya Chu
Maya Evans
Giulia Fontaine
Kai Stackpole
Archana Vaithilingam
Zoe Fang
4-521
Neko Barocci
Ila Holstein-Rosen
Luke Malmstrom
Marshall Moorehead
Julian McCaul
Tyler Ripel
Marin Tyree
4-524
Ella Kaplan
Logan Lane
Bianca Martinez
Garratt Rothberg
Sydney Deriggs
5-500
Henry Baltz
Alicia Cappelli
Seamus Hubbard
Esme Neubert
5-504
Jordan Albizu
Ruby Cohen
Timothy Crean
Leo Gordon
Marley Marshall
Jack Osterman
Eva Sheehy-Moss
5-505
Jarod Albizu
Olivia Bouw
James Gillespie
Maybelle Keyser-Butson
Kate Townsend
5-506
Maggie Bugler
Sophia Chatzilias
Mia Diaz
Angel Dominguez
Adrien Otcasek
Maya Rivas
Sydney Schmidt-Nowara
Willem Simmons
Monika Wahlquist
Advisors
Warren Cohen
Simmi Malhotra
Degnemark
David Gray
Kim Koelewijn
Andrew Meier
Peter Rothberg
Madeley Rodriguez
Elisabeth Stephens
Lauren Young