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Volume 5 - May 2006
Chief Editor - Theresa Socash
By: Diana Ferriani
This 2005-2006 school year is
unfortunately coming to a close. There have been
many exciting events and memories that will be
unforgettable. From dances to field trips this
school year has been filled with enjoyment. Let’s
go back in time and review the year.
First we had our school elections.
Many ran but only one person could win the top
spot. Julian Hunter came out on top winning this
school year’s Presidency. Carolyn Defino won VP.
They have been doing a great job making this
school year the best that it can be. We had Allan
Grant as Treasurer and Chantelle Bell as Secretary.
And what would we do with out our
representatives? Sixth grade had three
representatives Jane Somuah, Taylor Davis, and
Justin Hunter. Eighth grade had two students
representing them Kamisha Gordon and Patrick
Dougall. But sadly to say, the seventh grade had
absolutely no one to represent them. The sixth and
eighth grade representatives did an awesome job
representing their grades!
Then, we had our brains stuffed with
FCAT material. P.P.C.M.S students worked very
hard and studied for the FCAT with a lot of dignity.
We truly went for the gold. It definitely shows on
the results. Eighth grade took full charge on the
writing session with 2nd in the county! We did the
best this school has ever done. The mean level
this year is a 4.2, and the state considers a 3.5 and
above to pass. Ninety-four 8th graders received a
3.5 or higher and 82 received a 4 and higher.
Eighth grade did a wonderful job, and J.O.P.
wanted to congratulate all the eighth graders for
their success. One person who is extremely proud
of all the students on the FCAT writing success is
our principal, Mr. Bass. He said, “Mrs. Altimore
and Mrs. Martin did a great job preparing the
students. I am more than proud that this school
year was the best of all the other school years. My
The Walkathon was a major event at our school.
hat is off to the students though. They are the ones
that sit and take the test, so I want to congratulate
them for a job well done.” Due to the hurricane
taking away so many days of school, we where
unable to celebrate completing the FCAT with an
FCAT Fun Fest, but we understand and are just
glad that testing is finished and we did well.
From the Lights Out Dance to the
Heart Attack Dance, and then to the Sugar Rush
Dance, the dances this year have been awesome.
The teamwork that Student Government put into
these dances made them all memorable. Although
without the leader of student government, Mrs.
Altimore, none of these dances would have
happened.
The first dance this year was dark,
glowing, and exciting. The Lights Out Dance was
an original and everyone that went seemed to enjoy
themselves. At the dance we had a chocolate
fountain, and glow in the dark accessories which
made it extra special. The time of the dances this
year may have been earlier, but that didn’t stop
P.P.C.M.S. students from having fun!
Then we had the Heart Attack Dance
to celebrate Valentines Day. Inside we had food
and music, but there was also a party outside, or
shall I say a mini-carnival. There were many games
to choose from, and they all had prizes. The game
Pick the Heart, was a real go getter. If you chose
the correct heart that had an F on the back you
won a coupon to the chocolate fountain.
Recently we had the Sugar Rush
Dance, our final school dance. If you missed it,
then you missed out on a whole lot of fun. There
was candy when you came in, candy on the walls
and candy when you left. During the dance, beach
balls where being passed around which got the
students going. And for desert DJ Lazz from Power
96 showed up. It was a real exciting moment when
he came in. The students seem to enjoy him being
there, and even the parents were dancing. All the
dances this year were fun, fun, and more fun. If
you didn’t make it to any of them then you missed
out on some entertaining school dances.
Also this year P.P.C.M.S. purchased
the Hoot book for every student. The school
worked very hard on creating some events for this
book. They even tried to have the author of the
book, Carl Hiaasen, come to the school and talk
to us. On May 9th we went to see the movie in
theaters. Hoot is a big hit here at P.P.C.M.S.
We finally ended this year
with our field trips. Sixth graders went to Animal
Kingdom, seventh graders went to Epcot and the
eighth grade is going to Busch Gardens the day
before school ends. J.O.P is sure the eighth graders
have been waiting for this since the beginning of
the year, and it is finally here; we’re sure that you
sixth and seventh graders had a blast. To the eighth
graders, make this field trip one not to be forgotten
and have a good time.
Soon fifth graders will take the sixth
grade spot, sixth graders will be seventh graders,
the seventh graders will be ruling the school, and
the rulers now will be ninth graders.
J.O.P. would just like to say good luck
next year, and we hope you had a great time this
year.
The Year Outside School
By: Carolyn Defino
A year. 365 days of exciting, fun,
catastrophic, and horrible events.
In just one year, a person’s entire
life can change. Every year, students go to
school and that basically occupies their life
for the time being. Sometimes, the students
are so concerned with schoolwork and what
is going on inside school that they miss what
is happening in the everyday world.
This year we faced 3 of the worst
hurricanes in history. It started with Katrina,
a hurricane that will go down in history for
being the costliest and deadliest, major
hurricane. It started off as a normal category
1, but made its second landfall in southeast
Louisiana. There, it became a category 3 and
then a category 4. Katrina struck Louisiana,
Mississippi, and Alabama, but New Orleans
got the worst of it all. Katrina caused this
city to over flood like none other. Shortly
after Katrina, Rita came into the picture. The
fourth most intense Atlantic hurricane, and
most intense tropical cyclone observed in
the Gulf of Mexico. Rita entered the Gulf of
Mexico as a category 5 and hit Texas and
Louisiana as a category 3, causing even more
damage to the Gulf Coast.
Unfortunately, Florida still had
one more hurricane to deal with, Wilma. The
most intense hurricane ever recorded in the
Atlantic basin. Wilma affected our lives
more than the other two hurricanes because
its target was us. The hurricane took full
aim at Broward County, keeping students
out of school for two weeks, and sadly
causing at least 62 deaths.
In the sports world this year, the
Steelers beat the Seahawks 21-10 in the
Super Bowl XL. Jerome Bettis a.k.a. “The
Bus,” a Pittsburg Steelers player, finished
his NFL career holding the Lombardi
Trophy. “I played this game to win the
championship,” he said to an anchor,
breaking into the trademark Bettis grin. “I’m
a champion, and I think ‘The Bus’ last stop
is here in Detroit.” Also in the 2005-2006
sports year, the White Sox won the World
Series and the Gators won the NCAA
Basketball title.
Unfortunately, we lost a few
wonderful people this year. Rosa Parks
changed history forever when she refused
to give up her seat to white man after a long
day at work, on the bus. However, there will
be no bus seats for her anymore, she died at
age 92 on October 25, 2005. Coretta Scott
King, mostly known as Martin Luther King
Jr.’s wife, passed away on January 31, 2006
at age 78. “She worked to keep her husband’s
dream alive with a chin-held-high grace and
serenity that made her a powerful symbol of
the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s creed of
brotherhood and nonviolence,” msnbc.com
said. Also, Dana Reeve, the wife of Chris
Reeve a.k.a. “Superman,” died at age 44 on
March 8, 2006. Just 10 months after her
husbands’ death, she learned she had lung
cancer and sadly passed away. “She was
admired for her love and care for her husband
and succeeded as the chairwoman of her
husband’s foundation,” says CNN.com.
These three wonderful women, and everyone
else who had passed away this year, will be
loved and missed forever. May they all rest
in peace.
For all those crazy celebrity fans,
we’ve had some major break up and hook
ups this year. Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston,
one of major celebrity couples have divorced.
Jennifer is still looking for her next man, but
Brad has moved on and started one of the
biggest new celebrity hook ups. He and
Angelina Jolie are now married and are
expecting a child, and have two adopted
children. Also, our favorite newlyweds
Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, have
divorced. They are both now single and
ready to mingle. Tom Cruise and Katie
Holmes, one of the most unexpected
couples, are having a new baby girl. Who
would have known a 42 and 26 year old
could like each other this much?
Time passes by very quickly.
Throughout the year, everyone has had their
good, bad, exciting, and unfortunately,
terrible moments in their lives. You can learn
and gain a lot from everything, or lose and
forget all that you’ve known. As played by
Patrick Stewart, from the film Star Trek:
Generations, “Time is a companion that goes
with us on a journey. It reminds us to cherish
each moment, because it will never come
again. What we leave behind is not as
important as how we have lived.” Hopefully,
we have all lived good lives and had a
wonderful 2005-2006 year.
Wilma Flinstone and Hurricane Wilma
2
Rewards for Sweat?
By: Catalina Uribe
The Jaguars have once again dominated
the scoreboards this year. The athletes
have played their hardest in order to
make our school proud. Dirt, sweat, and
hard play were mixed with perseverance
in order to achieve all of the victorious
outcomes. To honor this year ’s
outstanding crop of student athletes, the
athletic department have once again
sponsored the an annual sports picnic.
The 2005-2006 school year’s picnic
took place on May 12th.
Do they have anything better to
do, or do they just want to have a reason
for not having school one day? Why do
they do this every year? J.O.P. decided
to investigate a little more. “I plan the
picnic because I have nothing better to
do,” jokes Mr. Holland. “No, I’m Just
kidding I do this as a reward for the hard
work of all the athletes.”
“I’m excited to go because I get
to miss school for a day and it’s nice to
receive a reward for what I do every once
in a while,” says 7th grader, Elizabeth
Kokenzie. J.O.P. also asked Elizabeth if
she thinks it’s unfair to the students who
did not play a sport this year. She
answered, “No, because we earned it by
playing hard and representing our school,
so only we deserve it.”
How do students that do not
play sports feel about this? Christian
Barnes of the 7th grade says, “I don’t think
it’s fair because it’s a school event and
some of us really wanted to be on the
team and play hard but they did not put
us on the team.”
Maybe if you want to be part of the picnic
or athletic banquet next year, you should
tryout. Who knows? Maybe you’ll make
the team, and then if you go to the banquet
you might win an award for your team,
as well as your individual achievements.
“This year’s picnic was a blast!”
“It was so much fun!” “I definitely want
to go again next year!” These are the
remarks of some of the students present
at the picnic.
“What was the best part about
the picnic?” Rafael Batista in 8th grade
says, the best part of the picnic was just
being out of school and hanging out
with all of the people there. Eighth
grader Lacey Sheffield answered, “It
was really fun hanging out with
friends.”
Mr.
Holland
assures
P.P.C.M.S. that the picnic is an event
that should be marked on every student
athlete’s calendars. “It is extremely fun
for the students because they get out of
school and they run, play, and eat until
they can’t do it anymore. If students had
more confidence in themselves to try
out, it is possible for them to become
part of the team even if they are
alternates. Since the alternates also
work hard and support our teams by
cheering and being at the games, they
too are invited to the picnic and the
sports banquet,” said Mr. Holland.
Just tell yourself “I think I can.
I think I can!” then, if you tryout and
try work hard you might go home,
smile, and amaze your parents by
telling them you made the team. After
the season, you’re at the picnic and you
finally get to say to yourself, “I knew I
could. I knew I could!”
3
Nobody Gives
a HOOT
By: James Valencia
“It was the lamest movie ever,”
said 8th grader Linda Tovar. It didn’t take
the never-ending commercials, the cliché
plot, and corny collection of characters
to give this J.O.P. journalist a bad
opinion of this movie. What most of the
student body expected was not the
awesome, award-winning masterpiece
that it most definitely was not. Instead,
the students of P.P.C.M.S. saw the
fieldtrip to Muvico Paradise 24 as just
another reason to miss class. And who
could blame them? There was one
option: watching a film with your friends
accompanied by a supply of popcorn,
Oreos, and soda; or stay in school
imagining yourself watching a movie
with your friends accompanied by a
supply of popcorn, Oreos, and soda.
What took the students by
surprise was the actual film. Though it
did save its low budget with good, hard-
to-catch humor as well as a handful of
actors who seemed as if they did spend
their money wisely with acting classes,
the audience noted the difference
between the actual book and the movie.
For one thing, Lonna Leep was not seen
throughout the film, nor particularly
emphasized, except for Beatrice’s
reference to “family problems.” Mullet
Fingers’ actual story was only partially
told, and the fact that his true name is
Napoleon Bridger somehow slipped the
screenwriters’ grasp. Roy’s school did
not unite against the people of the
pancake company in a group singing,
“This Land Is Your Land.” Mullet
Fingers didn’t bury himself within the
owl burrow in order to make his blatant
statement, “save the owls.” Despite the
missing scenes, the students participated
thoroughly in pop up moments and
jokes. They laughed, they cried, and they
2006 Summer
By: Alexandra Libera
It’s the last day of school and your heart
is racing with excitement! Sure you
won’t see your friends five days a week
anymore, but you remind yourself that
you won’t have to deal with school again
for another three months! The bell finally
rings, and you’re out the door to
freedom!
Summer is a time for students
to take a break from school and just
relax. It’s like a really long nap that you
wish could last longer. Three months off
of school and anything can be done. You
can swim, play, dance, do whatever you
want, without the haunting thought of
homework that needs to get done.
J.O.P. wanted to know what
kids are planning on doing this summer
and interviewed Casey Hall (7th) and
Brandon Villa (6th) about what their
plans were and where they wanted to go.
“This summer I want to go to the beach,
a lot and I’m also signing up for summer
hockey,” Hall replied. Villa answered,
“I’m going to play basketball, go over
to a lot of my friends’ houses, and go to
other places. But I’m also going on a
cruise.”
This year several new movies
are coming out, on May 26th, X-Men:
The Last Stand, Cavite, Confetti, An
Inconvenient Truth, and Shem. There’s
a lot to see, so there’s a pretty good
chance that you won’t complain about
the movies.
Besides movies this summer,
the weather is expected to be extremely
hot! Unfortunately, we’re going to have
a summer heat wave and the temperature
is expected to be above normal. So don’t
forget your sunblock this summer, we
don’t want you coming back to school
barbecued!
With all the vacation time we
have, it doesn’t mean that we don’t have
to do any work. This summer every
grade has a summer reading list. The list
was composed by Mrs. Altimore and
Mrs. Ivanik for students to read this
summer. This way, students won’t get
rusty on their reading skills. Along with
the book list, sixth and seventh graders
received a worksheet for them to fill out
after reading two books of their choice.
This year has been awesome!
From the Block Party to the end-of-theyear field trips, everyone has had an
unforgettable time this school year.
Good luck in high school, eighth
graders! And for all the sixth and seventh
graders, J.O.P. can’t wait to have you
back next year! Stay safe this summer
and have fun!
From Left to Right:
Brandon Villa, 6th Grade,
Casey Hall, 7th Grade
enthusiastically shushed the
audience when Roy, Beatrice, and
Mullet Fingers were trying to get
one of the owls to step out of their
homes.
Hoot’s cast also caught the
eyes of P.P.C.M.S. with a certain
flair for love. 8th grader Theresa
Socash said, “Thank God for the
movie because the guys were
freaking hot! Chyeah!”
“The book was better than
the movie; the movie was boring.
But Mullet Fingers was hot!” Zara
Taqi, 8th grade, said.
Cody Linley as Mullet
Fingers wasn’t the only one who got
attention. 8 th grader Richard
Williams quoted, “The movie was
okay even though all I did was stare
at Beatrice.”
Making Hoot into a film
wasn’t the only mistake that was
mentioned. Apparently, bringing
middle school students to watch the
film was the second. Meaning, they
did not fully appreciate the message
the movie was trying to bring. As
the best of us know, the message this
novel and film brought to life had
something to do with facing
obstacles in order to make a difference that
might not be obvious to the naked eye. It
had to do with being an individual, making
a stand, and noticing the ripple effect that
happens to overthrow the negativity we all
face. Unfortunately, P.P.C.M.S.’s main
concern enraged not only this J.O.P. writer,
but certain members of the staff.
There was one scene where Roy
and Mullet Fingers skim through the waters
of the Florida coast having a rather “fun”
time. The sound was minimized to a corny
song being played as the two watched nature
at its best. While the scene was filled with
peaceful happiness, the students, however,
were not. Some oohed, some awed, and
others…laughed. Immature teenagers
chuckled and pointed with a humor that was
understandable at first. Yet this “humor”
elevated to the point of offending many. This
scene was later imprinted on everyone’s
mind and would be the only one
remembered. That later distracted them from
the theme of the movie. It went from “Save
the owls!” to “Having fun, Roy and Mullet
Fingers?”
Still, beside every single negative
aspect this field trip presented, seventh
grader Zack Paloor had this modest quote
to add, “It was a good movie.”
4
Teachers’ Thoughts
Throughout the Year
By: Shanice Barnett
The 2005-2006 school year
has been a very interesting one for
all students and staff here at
Pembroke Pines Charter Middle
School. Just about every student had
an opinion about how the school year
went or should have gone. This year
not only had a great impact on
students but also on teachers. J.O.P.
interviewed some of the teachers
here at P.P.C.M.S on how they felt
about the passing school year.
Mrs. Pfau said, “The year
went well for me. I liked my two
hour block, and I enjoyed having all
different types of readers and a
diverse bunch of students.”
“It has been a wonderful
year, because I saw so much growth
in all of my students,” said Ms. Raff.
“It has been a great year, and
it went by fast, which was a good
thing,” said Ms. Young.
Mr. Osborne said, “It has
gone by very quickly. The
hurricanes really disrupted the
school year, but despite that, I’ve
been very pleased with all my
classes and there has been a lot of
progress in all of my students this
year.”
“I felt that this year was a
busy one that went by mighty
fast,” said Ms. Campbell.
Mr. Schnieder said, “I am
a reading teacher, and that is what
my degree is in, and I was thankful
I get to go back to that. I like
teaching middle school, and I’m
also very thankful that I got to see
the young 6th graders progress into
eighth graders, and we all got to
go down the road together.”
“I felt organized and very
prepared because this is my third
year teaching 7th grade and it’s
been easy and fun. I have had great
parent support, and I also enjoy having
my own normal sized classroom for the
first time. This year went by very
quickly,” said Ms. Levine.
Ms. Cikra said, “I think it went
by quickly, and the 7th grade students
were fun to teach.”
“It was a good year. I enjoyed
it. We could have done better without
the hurricanes. Besides that, students
focused and did what they were suppose
to do,” said Mr. Verdile.
“The year has gone by fair. The
hurricane interruptions weren’t great,
and the cancelling of teacher planning
days was a let down,” said Mr. Rose.
Ms. Carey said, “This was an
exciting year, and I had wonderful
students and I look forward to another
wonderful year. I am especially going
to miss my first and second hour
classes.”
The year all together was
very fun. Many teachers agreed that
it was a good year despite all the
distracting hurricanes. Students lost
at least two weeks of school but
many teachers agreed they got it
together, and were very prepared for
whatever loomed ahead.
Teachers are a very
important part of P.P.C.M.S. and
make a great difference on all of our
lives. Here’s to an even better 20052006!
Mr. Verdile, Math Teacher
5
Eat and Play!
By: Natasha de Sousa
“Hurry up and eat your lunch!”
Now eighth graders just stuff their mouths
with their lunch so that they can go outside
and play. This has made the 8th graders
lunch more exciting and enjoyable. Now,
they can either play basketball, football,
soccer, and lots of other sports. For the
ones who don’t want to play sports, they
can just sit around and chill with their
friends. Sadly, the 6th and 7th graders don’t
get this awesome privilege that the 8th
graders have earned. Many 6th and 7 th
graders are upset because they don’t think
it’s fair.
J.O.P. asked Mrs. Pizzo why the
6th or 7th graders don’t go out for recess
during their lunch. Mrs. Pizzo replied,
“The time frame for the 6th and 7th graders
lunch line, is not enough to get them to
eat and go out and play. 8th grade lunch
is scheduled when elementary is done with
their lunches, so we can use both lunch
rooms to get the lines moving faster, which
gives 8th graders enough time to eat and
go out to play.”
J.O.P. asked some 6th and 7th graders
how they felt about the 8th grade recess.
6th grader Melissa Jadotte said, “I
am upset that the 8th graders go out and play
because we are all the same people, so we
should all get the same privileges.”
“We should be able to go out too!”
said Kristen Williams.
“I’m angry! It’s not fair that the 8th
graders go out and we don’t,” replied 7th
grader Fabian Hamilton.
7 th grader Saraida Holguin said,
“There is no sense in letting 8th graders out if
they behave worse then we 7th graders.”
Yes, it may be unfair that other
classes don’t get this opportunity like the 8th
graders do, but like Mrs. Pizzo said, the time
frame doesn’t work. Administration didn’t
decide to do this on purpose. Eventually the
6th and 7th graders that are complaining will
have the opportunity to have recess after
lunch when they are in 8th grade, so just be
patient.
J.O.P. asked 8th graders if they like
having the chance to go out during lunch.
Jessica Lawrence said, “Yes,
because we get the chance to hang out
with our friends and just talk.”
“Yes, it gives us a chance to
just sit back and relax with everyone
we hang out with,” said Chase Flavin.
This was the best idea
administration could of come up with.
Instead of always threatening students
with silent lunch, 8th graders now look
forward to going outside to entertain
themselves with their friends. They
don’t want to mess up the chance to
go out and play, so it makes them act
happy and well behaved. Of course
administration is now happier, because
they don’t have to deal with the same
misbehavior as before. “I think it gives
them an outlet for their energy, and
they don’t want to lose their recess,”
answered Mrs. Pizzo, when J.O.P.
asked if she thought 8th graders had
improved.
This is one of the most
fantastic ideas that could have ever
been made. It is a time to get away from
the old fashioned rules, even if it is only
for a few minutes. It’s a mini-freedom we
8th graders deserve. As long as there is no
violence, everyone does what ever they
want.
So, 6th and 7th graders that have
to wait until they reach 8th grade, try not
to get this recess taken away because you
will love every second of it!
8th Grader, Jessica Lawrence
6
Bye, Bye 8th
Graders...Hello
7th Graders!
By: Michelle Morales
This year 8th graders got a chance
to rule the school. From having better
parties to being older than everyone
else, we had it all! But as the end of
this year comes faster and faster we all
realize it’s time to leave. But who’s
going to be in charge next year? 7th
graders are moving up, and they are all
going to be running everything next
year. The real question to all this is, are
they capable of ruling the school?
J.O.P. asked 8th graders Jennifer
Troncoso, Yashire Cordero, Ingrid
Baerga, and Ryan Vassell “How do you
think 7th graders will react when they
take the lead next year?”
Jennifer said, “I think they will act all
cool, and a lot like they run everything,
because we are out.”
“I think they will act very immature,”
responded Yashire.
Ingrid said, “I think they would act the
same way we did.”
“They hopefully will become more
responsible,” responded Ryan.
Every year is the same, no one
knows what will happen to the school
once the 8th graders leave. Will 7th
graders make drastic or dumb changes?
Will they satisfy Mrs. Pizzo? No one
really knows unless you we see the 7th
graders in action.
J.O.P. asked the same 8th graders,
“When you see 7th graders in the halls,
do you think they make good leader
material?”
“I don’t think so because they go their
own way all the time,” said Jennifer.
Yashire responded, “No, because they
just don’t look like leaders.”
“No, because they have too much
drama,” said Ingrid.
Ryan responded, “I don’t think so
because they act stupid.”
A prime example of the 7th grade
mentality was when none of them chose
to run for student council this year.
But everyone deserves a chance,
and when it comes to 7 th graders.
Hopefully many of them will change
over the summer. Some of the students
that usually get all the attention might
change into role models for the rest of
the middle schoolers. They will act
more mature and hopefully there will
be at least one person who decides to
represent them well.
J.O.P. interviewed 7 th graders
Graham Morrison, Rachael Lux, Chris
Garcia, and Allison Oharriz and asked,
“Who do you think will be able to take
lead next year as the person who steps
up?”
Graham responded, “Brandon
Lombard.”
“Me and Chris Taylor,” said Rachael.
Chris said, “Shondu Grinkley.”
“Barry Knowles,” responded Allison.
Mrs. Pizzo is a very big part of
the 8th graders. She’s the one in our
lunches and the one to beg so you won’t
get in trouble! Mrs. Pizzo said last year,
she loved her 8th graders and she still
says the same thing. Many 7th graders
wonder if Mrs. Pizzo will say the same
thing about them next year. If she will
be satisfied to have all of them
represent the school and be role models
for the 6th graders.
J.O.P. asked the same 7th graders,
“Do you think Mrs. Pizzo will be
satisfied with how 7th graders will act
next year?”
Allison said, “Yes, because we have
lots of school spirit.”
“No, because Mrs. Pizzo is always
yelling at the 7th graders,” responded
Chris.
Rachael said, “No because they’re
already acting up.”
“No, because she is already upset about
how we act this year,” responded
Graham.
There are many questions still
with no answers. The only time we will
actually know if 7th graders can live up
to such a big challenge and
responsibility to represent our middle
school will be next year. If they change
over summer it will hopefully be for
the good.
Trust me, next year this same
question will be asked for the 7 th
graders all over again. 7th graders I wish
you good luck, and don’t behave
immature like everyone says. Prove
them wrong, and show your teachers
you will be ready for high school
sooner than they think!
7th Grader Rachael Lux is
pushing Ryan Vassell, 8th Grader
Incoming 6th
Graders
By: Elizabeth Kokenzie
Many 5th grade students
will say that they are worried and
scared about the 6th grade. There is
nothing to be worried or/ and
scared about. The middle school is
just like the elementary, with a few
important differences – six
teachers, six classes and much
more work. One big difference is
that there is no recess, but the 8th
graders get to go outside after
lunch. There are also a lot to look
forward to, like the dances, field
trips, and the fact that you have
more of a chance to have a friend
in one of your classes. So in a way,
there are some good things about
middle school and that means less
for you to worry about.
There are still the students
that are concerned. “What are you
mostly worried about in middle
school?” J.O.P. asked Cristina
Gonzalez in Miss. Achenbach’s 5th
grade class. “I am scared about the
hallways because I am very short
and I might get trampled by the
older and bigger kids.” The best
ways that you can avoid getting
around in the hallways are to walk
in big groups with your friends and
to not stop and talk in the hallways.
You should just go to class, and
there will be no mess, and you will
not have to worry about the fuss
and commotion.
“What aren’t you worried
about in middle school?” Christina
replied, “I am not worried about
getting good grades because I
always do!” Grades, that’s another
big thing in middle school. The
work gets harder and the test get
more difficult too, and that means
more grades. So if you are one of
those people in the school that does
not get the best grades, then you
might want to think about studying
harder. Let J.O.P. tell you what to
do: make a game out of it, make
flash cards with a question on one
side and the answer on the other.
Then you lay the cards out on the
table with the question, facing up.
Now you get a bowl with you
favorite snack in it, and every time
you answer a question right, you get
treat. You do this until you get all
of the answers right. That is one
great way that you can study and
eat at the same time.
There is a lot to look
forward to in middle school; like the
dances, sports, walk-a-thon, and
much, much more. J.O.P. asked.
What are you looking forward to in
middle school? “I am looking
forward to switching classes
because I have a better chance of
having one of my friends in my
classes.” Said Christina
So, 5 th graders, there is
plenty to look forward to and not
that much to be worried about.
Study hard, get to your classes, be
nice to the teachers, and you will
get through middle school in one
piece. But then after you get through
middle school, get ready for high
school!
Cristina Gonzalez, 5th Grade
8th Grade Class of 2006
Cheif Editor - Theresa Socash
Getting High School?
By: Rafael Batista
Hey 8 th graders, are you
ready for high school? Are you
ready to wake up earlier, and do
more work? Are you ready for a
better lunch?
Previously, I’ve spent the
day at the West Campus, to see what
it’s like. I’ve been Assistant
Principle for a day, to get a feel of
how it is to be Mrs. Pizzo. This time,
since my classmates and I are going
to be freshman next year, I’ve
decided to shadow a student at the
Charter High.
The Charter High School
has dozens of different classes and
electives to offer, such as: Pottery,
French, Keyboarding, Chorus, etc.
It also has plenty of clubs for you to
join. The Key Club is one example
of a club at the high school, where
students get to help out their
community.
On April 21 st , 2006, I
shadowed, freshman, Michael
Flavin the entire day. School starts
at 7:15 am, so I had to get up an
hour earlier than I usually do, just
to get to school on time. In the
morning, the students just hang
around outside before the bell rings.
First hour, I had Mr. Bruns,
Algebra I teacher, and head coach
of the varsity football team. The
students in his class were learning
from the exact same books that our
middle schools use. The only
difference in the classes is that, in
middle school, the teacher does a lot
of explaining; while in the high
school, Mr. Bruns just told the
students to read the book and do the
homework. Occasionally, he
explained something, but most of
the time the students were on their
own.
Second hour was Health
with Ms. Newman. She was a nice
teacher, again she gave an
assignment and the students were on
their own. In health, the students
were working on a one day diet
project, where they wrote down
what they ate for an entire day, and
then they found out how much
calories, fat, and calcium, etc. each
food had. After the students found
the nutrition facts of each food, they
Rafael’s tour guide, Freshman, Michael Flavin
were to tell whether they ate healthy
that day or not. It seems easy, but if
you saw the paper they had, trust
me, it would’ve made you think.
I had Mrs. Bosso for third
hour, she teaches intensive reading.
Mrs. Bosso looked like a really cool
teacher, but unfortunately I didn’t
really get to see her teaching much.
Some students in the class were
being “disruptive” and Mrs. Bosso
made the entire class put their heads
down. Now remember, this is a high
school class… I guess some things
never change. Third hour is the
longest period of the day, due to
announcements and lunch
schedules. It’s an hour and thirty
minutes long. After putting our
heads down for half an hour, the
class read for 30 minutes.
One thing that surprised me
was
how
the
morning
announcements are in the middle of
the day. The announcements take
place at 10:27 am, everyday; unlike
middle school, where the morning
announcements are the first thing
that happens in the morning. I didn’t
really get to watch the
announcements, because due to
disruptive behavior and talking,
Mrs. Bosso turned off the television.
Lunch came next. Lunch at
the high school is separated into two
lunches, an A lunch and B lunch.
Michael had A lunch, so I went with
him. The food at the high school,
compared to the middle school
food, is amazing. It’s not just a
certain food; you can choose what
you want to eat. If you want pizza
Lots of fun things await us in high school
and fries, or if you want Philly
cheese steak and a soda, no more
nasty middle school food. And the
cafeteria is so big!
After lunch, we went to
fourth hour, Biology with Mrs.
Miller. To me it felt like Mrs. Miller
was the only teacher that really
noticed me the entire day, because
she actually made me do some
work. The students were working
on a lab which involved finding the
plant pigment of a spinach leaf, so
Mrs. Miller told me to pair up with
a student and do the lab.
Once biology ended, we
headed for Ms. Wills’ class, she’s
the pottery teacher. I know that
pottery doesn’t seem like the coolest
elective to take, but once you get to
the class, it’s nothing like you
expect it to be. In Pottery, the
students were working in different
groups; one group worked on
making animals out of clay, the
other group worked on making their
faces using clay and a mirror, and
another group got to use the
spinning wheel to create pots. The
class is very messy.
Finally sixth hour, Ms.
Yanez, English I. In English, the
students were just starting to learn
about Shakespeare, we didn’t do
much in her class, she put in a
movie, and the students took notes.
High school ends at 2 pm.
After school, I asked
Michael two questions: I asked him
what was the major difference that
he saw between the middle school
and the high school. He responded,
“You’re free in high school. You can
do just about whatever you want.
They don’t baby-sit you anymore.”
And I asked Michael how
students should prepare for high
school; he responded with three
words, “Be more mature.” And I
agree, after spending the day at the
high school, I hardly saw anyone
acting like a jackass or being a class
clown.
Thank you Charter High for
letting me spend a day at your
school. I can’t wait to start there in
August.
2
Tears and Fears
By: Tatiana Lozama
All year, everybody has been
looking forward to the last few days of
school. Saying hello to the new sixth
graders and goodbye to fellow eight
graders. As we have seen this year, the
8th graders have been good leaders, and
set good examples for their followers.
The seventh graders have been good
followers, watching the eight graders
closely and getting tips for the year to
come. And last but not least the new
sixth graders.
Well, they’re not so new
anymore. J.O.P. is not the only who has
noticed, but sixth graders have skipped
ahead from watching seventh graders,
and have mimicked the eighth graders
perfectly, like following directions and
listening closely to fellow classmates.
This years eighth graders have
been good leaders, but now its time to
say goodbye. The middle school class
of 2006 is splitting up and going their
separate ways. Whether it’s back to
middle school, or moving on to high
school. Leaving middle school also
causes cliques to break up, and tears to
drop, but that’s what comes with
graduating. The last month of school
is the hardest. The main event of this
last month is crying, no matter where
you are. While signing yearbooks,
attending last minute field trips, and
what everybody looks forward
to…THE FORMAL!!!
Saying goodbye to the eighth
graders also means saying hello to new
seventh graders, who will be taking
over the school and bringing P.P.C.M.S.
Central Campus to a whole new level.
This responsibility comes with setting
good examples for the sixth graders,
and for the incoming fifth graders.
Being an eighth grader has its perks,
like going outside after lunch, and most
of us who have been in the Charter
Middle School since sixth grade have
a better understanding of some of the
teachers. Because of the chance to
move up as eighth graders, the seventh
graders get those perks, and every year
the bar is raised higher and higher.
Saying goodbye the charter
middle school will be hard. J.O.P
interviewed student favorite Joel
Newman, and asked him what he
wanted to say to the departing eighth
graders. Newman said, “You all were a
great group of kids who I will miss, I
will always remember you, don’t forget
me.”
Student favorite, Joel Newman
Middle School Years
By: Theresa Socash
These past few years, I have
gone through many experiences: some
good, some bad. As the year is coming
closer to the end, I wish I could stop and
go back in time to fix my mistakes, take
more pictures, and make those special
moments with my friends last longer.
One thing is for sure, I will never forget
the people I met here, the events I
participated in, and my first and last day
of middle school.
Like most people, I couldn’t
wait to be an eighth grader. One more
year of being stuck in an overprotective
school, where we couldn’t do anything
without getting in trouble, and then I’d
be off to high school. I remember leaving
fifth grade and counting the amount of
years it would be until I became a
freshman. But now, that time is fast
approaching, and I want the year to slow
down so I can take in everything that’s
happening.
I’ll be honest; there were times
when I wished I could move out of the
country or to another state because I
couldn’t stand the unfairness of some
things or the roughness of the courses I
took. Then there are other times where I
would want to stay in one period forever,
and be with my friends or favorite
teacher. As I look back now, I realize
that those few times where I would go
home crying after a detention, or crying
because the day went too fast, is all part
of middle school.
I couldn’t write about my
middle school years without mentioning
the people I met. Usually in elementary,
we were stuck in the same class all year
and made friends with those same
people. It would get boring time and
time again, seeing the same faces for
seven hours a day, five days a week. It
was worse when your best friend was in
a different class.
In middle school, I was dealing
with a whole different animal, as
everyone does. New people from
everywhere entered our school and
others left. Those few people that I
became great friends with made waking
up early to go to school a good thing. I
knew another day of school was just a
way to chatter about all the gossip to my
friends. Those people made me blind to
the fact that I was having a bad day, or
that the next class in my schedule was
going to make my brain actually work. I
have to say, without those people, I
would be lifeless, unhappy, and
completely...not me.
Teachers influence your life in
a certain way, whether it’s good or bad.
All my teachers have been great; I’ve
learned a lot from each and every one
of them. Mrs. Scarola has always been
there for me since elementary school,
helping me with math and reading; while
Mrs. Alfaro has helped me loose my
“gringo” accent while I was learning
Spanish. They have been there to help
me in certain things and guide me
through middle school, but the teacher
that has influenced me the most since
sixth grade has to be Mrs. Altimore. She
is the kind of teacher that you will
remember when you are old and wrinkly.
Mrs. Altimore is like my mom. There
are times when she is strict with me, and
then there are others when I forget that
she’s even my teacher. But Mrs.
Altimore stands out like a sore thumb.
She has been there for basically the most
important years of my life. She has seen
me grow from the shy, quiet girl that
never said what she was thinking, to the
girl that never shuts her mouth and is
now known by most of her teachers as a
“blonde.” Whenever I have a problem
or I have something to say, she’s always
there to hear me out. Even her sarcastic
sayings have helped me...think. Those
sayings have also gotten me so confused
that by the time I got to fifth hour I had
no clue where I was. I will never forget
her, and next year, since my brother is
going into sixth grade, I’ll come and visit
just to annoy her for old time’s sake.
The school clubs are awesome
and I wish that I had enough time to join
them all. The sports are unforgettable;
especially the boys softball record. I’ll
never forget that! But sadly all good
things come to an end sadly, and in three
weeks I will be leaving middle school
for good. Hopefully, the upcoming Jags
will keep up the good work, and will
have as much fun as I had in middle
school.
3
A Night To
Remember
By: Soraya Hamilton
May 6, 2006, truly was a
night to remember. The 05-06 8th
grade class attended their Spring
Formal at the Senior Focal Center.
There was a ton of fun available
like a photo stand, food, drinks,
decorated tables, music, and a
huge chocolate fountain that
served strawberries, pineapple,
marshmallows that you can dip in
the dripping chocolate.
The theme for the Spring
Formal was “A Night to
Remember”, and the main colors
were black and silver. J.O.P. asked
8 th graders Danielle Rodney,
Jordan Torres, and Kamisha
Gordon what their expectations
were at the Formal. “My
expectations turned out the same,”
they all replied, there was great
music, and good food”. Many of
us came to the formal dressed to
impress. Girls wore their nice
dresses looking like superstars,
while the guys wore their nice
slacks and buttoned down shirts
or tuxedos looking “so fresh and
so clean.” J.O.P. asked the same
two 8th graders how they prepared
for their Spring formal. As any girl
would say, they both said they
pampered themselves by getting
their hair, nails, toes, and makeup done that whole day. But who
can blame them? Everybody
would want to look good for the
pictures that were taken of us. We
definitely had something to
remember that night.
For
entertainment,
Student Government presented
us with a slide show with pictures
of all the 8 th graders and the
memories we had. Afterward,
they displayed a slide show of
how far we’ve come showing us
everyone’s baby pictures. J.O.P.
asked 8th graders D’Lorah Louis,
Danielle Rodney, and Anjone
Johnson how they felt about the
slide show. “It touched me a lot
because it reminded me of all the
memories we had together,” said
Danielle Rodney and Anjone
Johnson, D’Lorah Louis stated,
“I liked it; they were very creative
with the baby picture slide show.”
Many of us there had an
emotional moment during the
slide show because some of us
won’t be attending Charter High
School next year.
Everyone enjoyed the rest
of the night by dancing until it
was time to go. The DJ played
different kinds of music to dance
to like rap, salsa, reggae,
reggeaton, and songs like the
Mississippi Slide, the ChaCha
slide, and the Electric Slide. That
night for 8th graders was a special
event and was definitely a night
to remember as promised.
4
FINALLY! No more middle school! Sure I’m going to
miss all of my friends and teachers that I’ve grown close to, but I’m
looking forward to moving on in my life and experiencing new things.
The last three years have been full of many fun, hilarious, and some
horrible moments. Drama, fights, parties, movies and movie nights
held out my house with all my friends, memories that will be cherished
forever. But through it all, I’ve managed to come out with a big smile
on my face. Believe it or not, I think I might actually miss Mrs. Pizzo
and Mrs. Mabel screaming at me every minute of everyday to tuck in
my shirt and wear my i.d., school just wouldn’t be school with out
them. Well, good luck to everyone who is still stuck here, I can only
give you one piece of advise, follow the rules! Later jags.
I’m going to miss middle school. But I also can’t
wait till high school. I’m leaving some friends, but I’m going
to make some new friends. Middle school’s great, but
hopefully high school is going to be better. I had fun, getting
in trouble, all the parties, and the drama… I love drama. I’m
going to miss the administration and all my teachers. I got in
trouble a lot, especially in 7th grade, but in the end… I don’t
regret it. In middle school, I made some friends that I can
trust and that I know will be by my side for a long time. I
loved the girls that I met, and I can’t wait until high school to
meet some more girls. In the end, I can’t wait to leave, even
though I will miss middle school very much.
I couldn’t wait to go to high school, and all I
could think about was my future. But now that the school
year is coming to an end, I wish I could go back in time,
and relive all the good times I had. These good times would
not have been possible if it wasn’t for all my great friends,
teachers, and my family. All of my friends are great people
who supported me through the good and the bad times. My
teachers can be annoying at times, and can get me in trouble,
but they are the reason that I’m going to high school. My
teachers are great leaders who help me pursue and
accomplish my goals. And then there is my wonderful
family, who help me get where I am today.
There’s so much I can say about this year. I
could say that this year was the worst, most annoying 180
days of my life. Almost like a dark nimbus hovering over
my head constantly reminding me, “Hey, you’re away from
your true school, away from your true friends, away from
a life you want.” I could say that this year had a collection
of teachers that wouldn’t know the difference between a
comma and an apostrophe. I could say that within the walls
of this dreadful classroom is a class of the most ignorant,
self-absorbed students these eyes had the misfortune of
meeting. I could say that there was a possibility of me
losing it completely (not that it hasn’t happened yet) and
simply breaking down. I could say all that…but I won’t.
Because I don’t like to lie…much.
I will miss my three years here at PPCMS.
I’ve learned so much here at this school, made new
friends, and participate in many fun events, also knowing
that I’ll have to leave it all behind makes me not want
to leave. But, I know there will be more for me in high
school where I’ll meet different people and face
challenges that I’m not used to. Leaving here will be a
tough thing for me to do but I’ll never forget the good
memories. I would like to thank all my friends who
helped me these past three years, and the teachers who
always believed in me and knew that I could succeed.
What can I say...It’s been great getting to know everyone here at PPCMS.
Even though I came in such hard times when everyone had drama I thank everyone because
I learned from it. I learned not to judge a book by its cover and to see how people really
are on the inside. All the memories, laughs and, cries that we shared will be remembered
for ever. Coming in here the first day of school, I was used to no uniforms and such a big
school but I guess I had to get used to all the changes. Making friends I admit was very
hard, but I guess all that didn’t really matter once I started 8th grade. 8th grade I got closer
to people I thought I would never talk to. We had many advantages as 8th graders but
that’s what made it fun. Laughing and goofing off all the time was just a natural thing.
The one person that I thank so much for helping me get trough many things is Soraya. I
thank her for always being there through thick and thin and for always cheering me up
when I felt very blue. There are many other people that I should thank but if I had to write
names down it wouldn’t ever fit on this little paragraph. I always had a person to run to
and a shoulder to cry on and it helped me trough a lot of things. I will truly miss the
people who are leaving to other high schools but won’t get mad at them because maybe
it’s better for them to go and accomplish a new goal. PPCMS is one of the schools that
will never leave my mind and will always be a part of my memories.
At the beginning of my sixth grade year I couldn‘t wait to leave
middle school and start high school. Back then, I wasn‘t thinking about nor
did I realize the friends, memories, and feelings that I would be leaving behind
simply can‘t be replaced. Now, the end of my eighth grade year is coming all to
quickly for me to grasp and it‘s beginning to sink in that I might not see everyone next year and that everything will change drastically. I‘m never going to
forget the unique, special, and irreplaceable people that I met at Pembroke
Pines Charter Middle School Central Campus. I‘m always going to remember
my eighth grade year as one of the best and the people I have come to care for
will always have a place in my heart. No matter how much, at times, I don‘t
like this school the positive feelings will always overcome the negative ones
by a ton. They say that nothing is impossible. Well whoever said that lied
because the impossible will be for me to leave this place, when the last day
comes, without tears in my eyes because this school has had such an impact on
my life. My only regret is not getting to know everyone as well as I would‘ve
liked too. I‘m going to miss each and every one of you
WOW! It has been 3 years of my life that I
have been at this middle school and in a few months I
will be in the high school. Sadness and excitement are
the emotions running through my body as the day May
25th is getting closer. Running through the halls, copying
homework, getting ready in the bathroom, sitting in
detention, sneaking food in class, mini parties, and
arguments are some of the unforgettable moments in
P.P.C.M.S. Not only the students will make middle school
hard to leave but I will miss the teachers and of course
administration. Well even though it hurts to say bye to
middle school I need to say hello to high school. So bye
everyone at P.P.C.M.S. and bye to the building it self!
Three years of my life has gone and
passed by in this school. I don’t know what to
say about it all. There are mixed emotions of
excitement, hope, wonder, and sadness of things
that have happened. All year I have been saying:
“I can’t wait for this year to end and go to the
high school.” But, the reality is the more closer
it gets, the more I want to pause the moment, or
say slow down and give me some time to soak it
all in will you? I guess I can’t stop time now, but
I am really cherishing the last moments I have in
P.P.C.M.S.
My middle school days are finally ending. I have been
waiting for this time to come, but since it is actually here I realize how
much I’ll miss middle school, or at least eighth grade. When I first came
to this school I was nervous, but when I met a lot of cool and fun people
my middle school days got exciting. Not only where the students great
but also some of the teachers. Middle school was really a blast, but the
time is here for me to go to high school and I am ready for it. People say
that high school is so much better than middle school, and if that is true
than my high school days will be awesome. I really want to thank one of
my teachers, Mr. Markowitz for being such a fantastic teacher. Letting us
go where ever we would like during class, pizza parties, trip to the Herald
and to the mall, and deciding whether to go to the beach or to Rapids, no
other teacher did that for me. You also taught me so many new techniques
in writing. So thank you Mr. Markowitz for letting me have fun in middle
school and especially in 5th period. One of the things I learned from being
in middle school is, you have to go to school so make the best out of it.☺
This eighth grade year has had its ups and downs. From
drama to friendships to gossip. However, I have been waiting for
high school to come. Now the school year is coming to an end, and it
has dawned to on me that most of my best friends will not be sharing
the upcoming adventures. One thing that I would have changed during
this school year is that I would have prevented most of the fights that
I had with my friends. However I realized that fighting made us closer.
And maybe when they venture off into their new world, we will still
be good friends. I have realized that my friends and I were voted
unbreakable friends. And now all of a sudden, we are forced to break
apart. Thinking about entering high school with out some of my best
friends brings tears to my eyes. Because I no that when they get to
their new school, they are going to make new friends and we will talk
rarely. I wish Laurence Pierre – Louis and Tatiana Lozama good luck
at their new high school. I will miss them so much.
I have spent all of my middle school years
at charter and each one of them has been a great
learning experience for me. From making friends
and meeting new enemies, this school year has
brought tears, smiles, and mixed emotions to my
heart. The same high school as me, although myself
and 5 other friends got voted unbreakable friends
we will soon have to be breaking apart. I may be
leaving this school, but Pembroke Pines Charter
Middle School along with it memories will always
be apart of my heart.
I have been waiting for the school year to be over and for the
summer to come. But now the reality of leaving has finally sunk in. Sadly
I am switching schools and the choice of staying with long loved friends is
now just a dream I cannot make come true. I found many friends that will
stay in my life for the long run, like weddings, parties, breakup and other
important things in a girl’s life. Middle school is just looked upon as a step
to high school, but for me these years have been one of the most memorable
times I will ever have in my life. Writing this paragraph has brought tears to
my eyes and regrets in my mind. The main regret I have, is just not making
the best of the year, and watching fights, and drama cause friendships to
end, and the year to dwindle away. As one of my best friends Jasmine
Smith said to me… If I wanted to go to the high school and be with friends
so bad, why didn’t I go through drastic measures to make a difference? Just
saying that made me look at the end of the year in a different light. The
best thing I can do is just to make the end of the year as special as possible,
create more memories, and look back and laugh at old ones. I will miss you
all class of 06’ and there is a special place in my heart for all of you.
These three years of middle school has
had its up’s and down’s. There have been parts of
these years that have been very hard to deal with, but
the ones who helped me through these times were
my friends. You guys were the ones who backed me
up and picked me up when I was down. To my friends
who aren’t going to be with me next year- I LOVE
YOU GUYS! I’ll never forget you guys and I send
you my love. This year of eighth grade has been great,
and I’m happy I got to spend it with all of you. God
bless you.
7
Double Trouble
By: Jasmine Smith
Most students that attend
P.P.C.M.S are different on the inside and
out. Whether it is attitude or hair colors,
we all seem to be different. But have
you noticed something unique about our
student body? Our school consists of a
numerous amount of twins, and even a
set of triplets. They wonder around the
school separate, and you don’t realize
that they’re alike until they are together.
Many think that twins are
exactly alike in everyway. However what
you may not know is that no twins are
exactly alike. Identical twins look
similar, but there are differences.They
may have slightly different shaped faces,
heights, weights, fingerprints,
handwriting, teeth marks, ect. Fraternal
twins can also look similar, but they can
be different sexes and may look similar
as other siblings born on different days.
Being a twin can have its pros
and cons. J.O.P interviewed the look a
like’s in our school. And asked them
what they like and or dislike about being
a twin.
Laquan and Lahquan Plamer 6th
grade, which are three minuets apart, said,
“We dislike being twins because we have
to wear the same clothes on birthdays. We
like being twins because there’s always
someone to talk to, and we build spy
equipment together.”
Jillian and Rachel Johnstone 6th
grade, that are one minuet apart, stated, “
We enjoy being twins because we help
each other with homework. There’s
nothing to dislike about being a twin
because we always have fun.”
Jordan and Jonathan Boyce 7th
grade, which are 30 seconds apart, replied,
“We like being a twin because there’s
someone to chill with. We dislike being
identical twins because people get us
mixed up, which can get annoying.”
Madison and Marilyn Schelblich
7th grade, that is seven minuets apart, said,
“ we don’t like anything about being a
twin, and we dislike getting the same
clothes.”
Kyle, Kevin, and Kaylie
Clemenza 6th grade, which are one
minuet apart stated, “ It can be a little
annoying to be a twin, buts it’s a lot of
fun.”
Being a fraternal or identical
twin has many benefits. You can pull
tricks on your friends or even family
members. J.O.P interviewed the
students to see if they used their looks
to play practical jokes.
The palmer twins said, “ One
day in Kindergarten we switched
classes.”
“ We go into each rooms and
switch beds at night, and our parents
say good night to the wrong twin.” said
the Johnstone twins
The Boyce twins replied, “
We usually switch I.D.s”
“ Sometimes we play
humorous pranks on our parents to
annoy them.” Stated the Schelblich twins
The Clemenza Triplets said, “
We aren’t really pranksters.”
Here are some interesting facts
about twins. When one twin is hurt, the
other twin can feel the pain. Twins can
often detect what the other is thinking
about. Cryptophasia is when twins are
known to have their own “twin
language,” that only they understand. 1
in every 250 births is an identical twin.
Kyle, Kaylie and Kevin Clemenza
6th Grade
8
The Homeless Get Help
By: Ivana Gudat
On May 3, 2006, I went for the
second time to the beach to feed the
homeless. This was one of the best
experiences of my life. It has opened my
eyes and made me realize I am very
fortunate and I should never take
anything for granted. This event takes
place on the beach and it‘s a very simple
set up. The man in charge, Arnold
Abbott, a professional chef, and his
helpers (volunteers and his cooking
students) put a couple tables together
and just layout the containers of food.
The homeless form a line and wait
patiently for their turn.
When I first arrived, I was still
a little bit nervous even though I had
already done it once before. Once I got
out of the car and started handing out
the drinks (my job), I started getting a
lot more comfortable. I found that the
homeless are really nice and caring
people. Even though some of them have
disabilities and mental disorders, they
are super sweet people to talk to. They
are some of the nicest people I have ever
met.
The people we fed this day
ranged from about age 18 to their late
70‘s and were of all ethnicities. Some
of them don‘t even look homeless
because I know that if I would‘ve seen
them just walking down the street, the
thought of them being homeless
wouldn‘t even cross my mind. Most of
them were very polite and before they
started eating, everyone held hands and
prayed. Smiles were exchanged as well
as kind words and conversations. I
remembered most of these people from
my previous visit, but I also saw some
new faces.
One thing in common that all
these faces had was a special glow. I
have come to find out that each of them
were truly wonderful and very grateful
people. They take nothing for granted,
know a lot, and can teach you many
things. For example, this one man started
talking to me as I handed him a drink.
He questioned, “Who is number 81?” I,
being confused, replied that I didn‘t
know what he was talking about. He
shook his head and walked away
smiling. Then, I looked down and
realized that I was wearing my #81 UM
Jersey. As I walked around and handed
everyone second drinks, I found him and
said that I had realized what he was
talking about , and proudly told him that
my jersey was Kellen Winslow Jr.‘s
number. He smiled and told me that he
knew I would find out. Then we started
talking all about the Miami Hurricanes
(he‘s a very big fan), some NFL Football
teams, and who got drafted to what
teams. He surprised me because I never
thought he would know all that he did. I
learned a lot from him and he was one
of the nicest people I have ever met.
The homeless people often get
looked down upon and treated with less
respect. These people have the best
personalities and should be treated like
everyone else. This experience was fun,
educational, and made me feel like a
better person. If you would like to help
out, donate food and volunteer your time
to feed the homeless, it takes place every
Wednesday at 5:15 pm at the beach and
every Sunday at 11 am in Broward.
If you would like to get
directions to the locations mentioned
above, call the Help Thy Neighbor
Ministry (954-682-2303) and ask for
Arnold Abbott. Food, donations, shoes,
clothes, anything you feel would be
useful to the less fortunate, but still in
good condition, would be appreciated.
This experience will change your life
and definitely for the better.
What the homeless can face...
You can help!
The Miami Herald!
By: Diego Gonzalez
The Miami Herald is a well known
newspaper across South Florida. It was an
honor when the 2005 – 2006 Jaguars on the
Prowl newspaper staff got to visit one of the
Herald’s main headquarters in Downtown
Miami on April 20, 2006.
Around 9:00 a.m., a bus
transported us to The Miami Herald’s
headquarter in Downtown Miami. The
traffic was horrible; it took us an extra 30
minutes to arrive. There, we were brought
to the headquarters’ lobby. There were two
escalators with a security man sitting in a
nearby desk. Next to the desk, was a Credit
Union office that seemed very quiet and sort
of lifeless.
A few minutes later a very
gracious tour guide came down to greet us.
She explained some more about the lobby,
and had us follow her up to the second floor.
The second floor was where all the
advertisement was managed. It was a huge
room with a lot of desks divided into
different categories according to the type of
advertisement that they worked with. The
advertising room was very busy with a lot
of phone calls coming in and people working
on the computer. The tour guide explained
that a major part of the newspaper is paid
by the profit made in advertising.
We were all eager to go the
restroom, so the tour guide led us to the third
floor, where we saw a bulletin board with a
lot of information about various topics. The
tour guide explained that these bulletin
boards could be located all over the building.
There wasn’t much else to the third floor
except the press room, the cafeteria, the
nurse’s office, and the human resource
office. After we viewed all of these different
areas, the tour guide led us to the elevator
where we went up to the fourth floor.
On the fourth floor, was the
prepress office were editors edit the paper,
and make some minor corrections before the
paper is printed. Next to the prepress office,
was a little museum of old machines used to
print newspapers which was pretty cool and
interesting. As we walked to the nearby
elevator, the tour guide showed us the
publication office where many people work
hard to get the newspaper delivered to your
home. She also showed us the offices where
security, legal, and technological problems
were handled.
Next, we headed up to the fifth
floor also known as the “News Room” where
there were many busy reporters, running
around trying to bring information to others.
The “News Room” was also divided into
different categories of news. The News
Room also had a little section designed just
for the comics that looked very colorful with
a lot of cartoons.
Since there are so many Latin
people here in Miami, The Miami Herald
decided to publish a Spanish newspaper
named El Nuevo Herald (The New Herald).
El Nuevo Herald owns its own office on the
sixth floor. Their advertisement is also
managed on the second floor by The Miami
Herald.
The printing machines have a lot
of floors. The machines were loud so all of
us had to wear special protection for our
ears. The machines moved very fast and
seemed very dangerous. There was a lot of
ink all over the place. It was amazing to see
how newspapers are printed. Below the
printing machines were huge robots that
were used to transport humungous rolls of
paper, to another machine hooked up to the
printing machine.
There were more individual
offices all around the place. For example,
the mail room, where all the mail that was
sent to The Herald was sorted and delivered.
There were areas where trucks pick up the
newspapers to deliver them to you. There
was another printing machine that was
similar to the first one but smaller. This
machine printed coupons, offers, and other
handouts.
After our adventure and amazing
experiences at The Miami Herald’s
headquarter ended; we were scheduled to
head down to Bayside next to the American
Airlines Arena, but since we had been
delayed in traffic earlier, we decided it would
be best if we went to Pembroke Lakes Mall.
That way, we would have more time to walk
around after we enjoyed a good lunch at the
food court. There, we had a great time
shopping and we enjoyed each others
company.
J.O.P. interviewed Juliana
Martinez and asked her what she enjoyed
about the fieldtrip, “I think that the fieldtrip
to The Herald was a lot of fun and I learned
a lot of new things about the newspaper.”
Tatiana Lozama agreed, “I thought that the
museum of old type writers was very
interesting.”
The Miami Herald fieldtrip was a
great experience for J.O.P. I would like to
thank the entire staff of The Miami Herald
for giving us a great day of learning and fun.
I learned many things about The Miami
Herald. For example I learned how
newspapers are printed, and all the different
carriers that can be done at their
headquarters. As you may already know the
Herald has offices all around South Florida,
including one here in Pembroke Pines. The
Herald’s Broward headquarters in Pines is
located in a new office park called Pembroke
Falls Business Center off Sheridan Street at
I75. For more information on The Miami
Herald or El Nuevo Herald pick up one of
newspapers
or
visit
their
www.miamiherald.comand
www.elnuevoherald.com.
Catalina Uribe and Michelle
Morales
The Miami Herald News Room
9
Are You Unique?
By: Lacey Sheffield
Have you ever
thought you have a really
cool talent you can do, or
were you born with some
type of weird deformity?
When I was born, I was born
with two different thumbs.
Many people think that I just
sucked my thumb when I was
little but, I never did. It’s just
that one of my thumbs is
fatter and wider than the
other… much wider!
But, J.O.P. wondered
if any other kids had any
weird deformities like I do or
if there was any interesting
thing they could do with their
body, like hyper extending an
arm. J.O.P. went into some
classes, and asked if there
were any students that had
special talents or could had
any weird body traits.
When asked if they
had any thing weird Paul
Ponmattam of 7 th grade
replied “I used to have a
ridge of bone on the base of
my thumb, but I don’t have
it anymore.” Jade March of
8 th grade said “I have a
double jointed elbow.” Staff
Member Mrs. Jahn told us
“My nostrils are not
symmetrical.”
Then J.O.P. asked if
they were ashamed of their
deformity. Paul replied, “No
I don’t really care.” Jade
March said the same thing.
Mrs. Jahn said” No, I don’t.”
When asked if any
students had freakish talents
6th grader Amy Jimenez said
“I can reach my arms over
my head and down my back
without letting go.” Paul
Ponmattam said that he can
reach his right arm around
his head to touch his right
ear. (Take a look at the
picture; he takes his right arm
around his head and grabs his
right ear.) Then when I then
asked the students if they
were ashamed of it they all
replied “I don’t really care.”
J.O.P. was very
amazed by these kids’ weird
talents. For your own safety,
don’t try this at home! If you
have any weird deformities,
like my weird thumb, or
Paul’s ridge of bone, just
remember don’t be ashamed
of it. It makes you unique,
and special.
Paul Ponmattam, 7th Grade,
and his arm.
Lacey’s freaky thumbs.
The Monsters Inside Your Closet
By: Juliana Martinez
Slimy, slithering worms, deadly
snakes, man-eating sharks, and eight-eyed
tarantulas are some of the things that people are
terrified by. When they are faced with their fears,
some people react by screaming, fainting, crying
and even hyper-ventilating. These phobias, which
are strong, abnormal fears (definition found on
dictionary.com) can change lifestyle and how they
think. Some people are so terrified of their fear
that they start trembling and screaming at the very
mention of their fear. Every fear has a source, it
could be when you were little you might have seen
a scary movie and it frightened you so much that
it became your phobia. J.O.P. was curious and
wanted to know, “What are you afraid of?”
J.O.P. questioned Alyssa Ciavarra,
Briana Arice, Kiia French, and Annelise Heron
(eighth graders), “Do you have a phobia? If you
do, where did it come from?”
“Yeah, Spiders, snakes, lizards,
cockroaches, all types of bugs, it started when I
was in Colorado and an earwig went into my
mouth when I was sleeping” said Alyssa.
“Yes, my phobia is death” replied
Briana. “It came from when I saw people dying
horrible deaths and it made me afraid of that.”
Annelise said, “I’m scared of lizards,
because my cousins once chased me with lizards.
“I’m afraid of snakes, it came from
knowing out their deadly, so I became afraid of
them because I didn’t want to get killed,” replied
Kiia.
J.O.P. checked www. Bupa.com and
the website said that “Phobias are irrational fears
of something that most people are not afraid of,
such as spiders, crowds, small spaces, or flying.”
Phobias effect 4% of men and 13% of all women.
Common phobias are fear of animals, heights,
crowded spaces, social events, and the sight of
blood. Many people with phobias acknowledge
they have one, but they say they can’t control or
explain it. If they don’t try to overcome their
phobia it can cause “considerable disruption of
daily life.” Obvious symptoms of people with
phobias can’t usually be seen. They usually occur
when the person comes face to face with their fear.
It can be so uncomfortable for a person, that they
avoid coming into contact with their phobia. Some
symptoms are: hyper-ventilating (fast breathing),
irregular heartbeats, a choking sensation, flushes,
sweating, feeling light-headed. This can even
occur to the person by just thinking about their
phobia!
No has figured out the causes of
phobias. Physiologists have studied it and say it
may have developed from a bad childhood
experience with their fear. They say that the
situation is in their mind, and it brings out that
sense of fear again when that memory is triggered.
Some examples are: Claustrophobia (which is fear
of closed spaces), Agoraphobia (fear of open
spaces), and social phobia (fear of intimate social
situations, like parties, and crowds of people).
J.O.P. interviewed Ms.Shulman to
find out what she thought about phobias.
J.O.P. asked, “Why do you think so
many students have phobias?”
Ms.Shulman replied, “It’s a big
assumption, I think everybody has a thing that gets
on their nerves, and it’s the same thing with fears.
They can’t control it, and it’s inside of them.”
J.O.P. asked, “What’s the best way to
deal with a phobia?”
“It matters what your phobia is. If your
phobia is the dark, you would obviously treat it
differently then someone who is scared of heights.
If you’re afraid of the dark you would slowly try
to accustom yourself with the dark slowly, so you
can deal with it. If it is heights, you would deal
with different heights and try to get used to it,”
replied Ms.Shulman.
Phobias are hard things to control, but
you can do it. Ways to overcome your phobia is
by, believing in yourself, slowly trying to get used
to your fear, and be gentle with yourself. Don’t
bring yourself down because of your phobia.
Phobias can become a part of your
life…you can decide you’re not going to be afraid
of it anymore. It’s in your control. Don’t let the
phobia control your life, but make sure your life
controls the phobia.
Annelise Heron, 8th Grade
Alyssa Ciavarra, 8th Grade
10
The Sports Picnic and
the Awards Ceremony
Ariel Mercado is smiling before the Picnic
Above: Mrs. Shendell-Frankel is conducting our Superior ranking band.
Right: Principal Bass, Mrs. Pizzo and Ms. Shulman await the honorees to give them
their award.
Kevin Cemenza couldn’t wait until the Sports Picnic!
11
Mr. Verdile and the Dance Club perform to honor Black History Month
12