Around the Block

April 2013
Volume 15, Issue 3

New York State Test Pep Rally

The New York State test is probably the biggest test of the year for us. We will
be tested in math and ELA. We will have the ELA test on April 16 th-18th. We will have
the math test on April 24th-26th. To get us prepared for the test we had a Pep Rally. The
main phrase we focused on for the assembly was We can do anything together!
First, after we were seated, Mrs. Wilson came out and we did an activity where
she would say, We can do anything, and the students would all scream, together
Then, after that was all done a video was shown to us, it was called A Pep Talk and it
was by Kid President. The video showed that if you work together, that you can accomplish anything. Then there was an obstacle course set up. There were three teams one for
each grade level. On each team were two students from that grade and two teachers. For
the obstacle course everyone had to ride the trixter bike for one minute, then they had to
do figure eights around the cones, after that they had to jump rope twenty times. Then
they had to do five pushups, a five second front plank and a five second left and right
plank. After the planks they had to do five jumping jacks and then get on the scooter go
to the red line and back and then run back to the starting position. Next, came a group of
6th grade girls dancing to the song Beauty and a Beat. The purpose for showing us this
dance provided an example of team work and how if you work together you can accomplish anything. Next, the girls from the student council came and did a skit of what to do
and what not to do the day of the state test. The skit showed a teacher and her students
on test day, explaining how you should come prepared. After that there was a video of
the staff doing the Harlem Shake. Their saying was, If we can do the Harlem Shake,
you can pass the New York State( Test). Then, Mr. Marchionda came out with a
PowerPoint that showed the goals of the state and of Northside Blodgett. Northside
Blodgetts goal for all grades is to have 70% or more students pass both ELA and Math
state tests.

Special points of interest:

Mardi Gras

Senor Fabians Spanish Class

7th Grade Honors

Math Class with Mrs.
DeMonstoy

Global Warming

March Combined
Band Concert

How to Train Yourself to Ask Complex

Questions

All County Festival

Mrs. Whittenhalls
Poem Unit

To be prepared for the Test there are lots of things you can do. The tests will be
in the morning so you have to make sure you are wide awake and ready. Here are some
tips to help you be prepared:

Teach Like A Champion

Pi Day

Tracking

Big Brother , Big Sis-

If you do not know something very well that you think might be on the test, you can
search it and practice it the week before the test so it is fresh in your memory.
You should also go to bed at a reasonable time and make sure you sleep well.
You need to make sure you have a good healthy and fulfilling breakfast.
You need to make sure you are at school on time because these tests are timed and
you wont get extra time if you are late.
To be prepared for the test you need 2 sharpened #2 pencils, a good eraser, and a
highlighter if you want one.
You also should have a good attitude towards the test and do not stress yourself out
too much about it.
DO YOUR BEST!

By: Julia and Mackensie

ter

Salt and Pepper

Shakers

Memorial Day History

Mardi Gras
By: Emryn
On February 12th, all 6th, 7th and 8th grade Spanish and French classes took part in a Mardi Gras (Fat
Tuesday) celebration. The celebration took place in the foreign language hallway which had been
transformed by our amazing teachers into something similar to the streets of New Orleans during
festivities. The ceilings were decked with green, gold, and purple streamers which symbolize faith,
power, and justice respectively. Colorful pictures and cool facts about Mardi Gras also covered the
walls. Placed near the entrance to the French classroom was a huge inflatable joker who invited us to
come into the party. Each student received a facemask and colorful bead necklaces which made them
look festive. To celebrate, the students made several different crafts, including coloring pictures,
painting their nails, and of course, the best part of all, eating Kings cake. The tradition pertaining to
Kings cake was followed in every class. The bakers bake a small plastic figure into one piece of the
cake. The person who receives the piece of cake with the figurine is considered the king or queen for
a day, and they wore a crown. The students would like to say thank you to all the foreign language
teachers for spending their time to decorate the hallway, all the masks and beads, and for giving
them cake.

Senor Fabian Spanish Class

What do you like
about Spanish? In
Spanish we are learning how to
say family and how to speak in
Spanish about what are families
like. My Spanish teacher is
Senor Fabian. He is teaching us
how to say mother and father in
Spanish. How to say sister,
brother, pets, aunts, uncles,
grandparents, nieces, nephews,
etc. To say mother would be
madre and to say father would
be padre. To say sister would
be hermana and to say brother
would be hermano. So those are
how you could say brothers,
Volume 1, Issue 1

sisters, mother, and father. We

are also learning how to say
how many people are in your
family, to say family it would
be la familia.

with a boy or a boy with a

girl, also you could do him
and her. To say just you or I
it would be yo. To say he
would be t`u.

So those are just a few

words you can say in Spanish.
There are other words you can
say in Spanish; you can say
pets in Spanish. How you say
cat is el gato and, to say fish
would be el pez. Also we are
reviewing some words we did
in December. What they are
used for is like with a friend,
just you, with a teacher, you

So those are just a few

things we are learning in
Spanish Class. You probably
are learning the same thing if
you take Spanish. So if you
are that is cool. But I have to
ask this question again
What do you like about Spanish?
By: Kayla
Page 2

7th Grade Honors Math Class with Mrs. DeMonstoy

By: Mackensie

Recently in
Mrs.
DeMonstoys honors math
class we
have been doing pi and
finding the circumference
and area of a circle. However, that is not the only
new thing we have been
trying in her class. Mrs.
DeMonstoy gives us opportunities to teach ourselves the lessons. We
have been able to log onto
the computer and go to
her website to watch the
PowerPoint based on the
lesson and take our own
notes.
Many teachers all
over have been trying this
technique. When Mrs.
DeMonstoy was explaining what we will be doing,
she explained it will be
used for taking our own
notes based on what we
believe we need and learn

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best from having. Also, in

class because we only have
40 minutes, we have to
rush through the notes to
get them all done. However, being able to take our
own notes we can really focus on all of the math and
spend extra time on the
things that we dont understand yet. Sometimes we
are handed packets to go
along with the PowerPoint
because even though we
are not in class learning the
lesson we still need to take
notes on the topic. The
packets have pages that go
with specific slides that allow you to go and learn
how to do the problems
step by step.
I think that teaching
ourselves the lessons is
helping us become better at
the lessons because you are
allowed to teach yourself
the lessons based on the
way you learn best. Also,
because you are allowed as
much time as you need.

Another way that flipping

the classroom is a good
way to learn because it allows Mrs. DeMonstoy and
the classes to get deep and
more involved into the lessons. Other students say
that they like this because
they get to be more independent with their work
and that you get to work at
your own pace and not be
rushed onto another topic
when you still dont understand and that if you ever
need help with homework
you could always go back
to the PowerPoint as a reference.
In conclusion, the
way that Mrs. DeMonstoys 7th grade honors
classes have been learning
their lessons is helping
many of us in math. This is
because we are allowed extra time, notes based on
what we need, and are allowed to be more independent.
Around the Block

Global Warming
By: Jerry

In August 8th , 1975, a man by

the name of Wallace Smith
Broeker published an article in
Science magazine. It was titled, Are We on the Brink of
a Pronounced Global Warming? . 38 years from that
date, we have recorded the
hottest years on record for fifteen years straight. More recently, Obama addressed this
growing problem in his State
of the Union address. We can
choose to believe that Super
storm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and
the worst wildfires that some
states have ever seen are just a
freak coincidence. Or we can
choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science. So if Global Warming
is such a big deal, then why
are we not hearing about it as
much say, the Iraq war? Well,
there are lots of skeptics who
dont believe that global
warming is really happening.
For example, many politicians
publicly deny that global
warming is truly happening.
And, being politicians, they
have much influence over the
general population.

great threat to our life as we

know it. Rising temperatures
melt ice caps, flooding many
suburban areas. Also, lakes
and rivers will dry up, cutting
off many methods of transportation, not to mention sources
of food and drink. But the full
impact of global warming will
be much greater. If polar ice
caps melt, many coastal cities
will be underwater. Also,
many iconic animals, such as
the polar bear, will go extinct.
And this is not only about
global warming. This is also
about pollution. Many people
litter wherever they go. Also,
many large corporations will
dump dangerous waste into
rivers, polluting the ecosystem, and killing more animals.
It is possible that even gradually, the Earth will be impossible to inhabit, and we will
have to move to another planet.
Despite its name, Global Warming is not a Global
issue. It affects every single
one of us, including small
communities. So how does
this apply to Corning NY?
The looming issue of Hydro-

Fracking
in New
York
State has
created a
heated
discussion between environmentalists, and the energy industry. If Hydro-Fracking can
benefit New York States
economy, but at the same
time will cause much pollution, and global warming.
The looming issue of
Global Warming is rising.
Many species are becoming
more endangered every day
we walk on this earth. While
we drive, ride airplanes to
go on vacation, and use
electricity, we do not realize
that the earth is dying because of our greedy, selfish
actions. Every day we live
and walk on this planet, the
earth is dying. Although you
might think this article is
just another global warming
article warning how we will
all die soon, I ask you to
please remember that the
earth is our home.

Global warming is a
Volume 1, Issue 1

Page 4

March Combined Band Concert- British Invasion

By: Irfaan

In the music program at Northside Blodgett, there are concerts that

are held throughout the school. If participating in band or chorus, there are
concerts held in the winter and spring. For band, there are a total of three
concerts. For winter and spring concerts, there is a concert held for each
grade level. The second concert takes place in early march and that particular concert is for all grade levels. Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade are playing the same music
as they perform together. Each year, there is a particular theme for the March concert. Last
year of 2011-2012, the theme was I Heard On The Radio which was exciting for many
band students. This year, the theme was British Invasion which consists of many memorable pop songs in United Kingdom by bands including the Beatles.
About British Invasion:
The British Invasion was a musical time period taking place during 1960s where pop
and rock music from the United Kingdom was popular in the United States. Many popular
bands during the British Invasion included the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and other great
bands. This time period greatly influenced the pop and rock genre today. With famous songs
such as Yesterday, I Want To Hold Your Hand, Mellow Yellow, and Ruby Tuesday, the British
Invasion was definitely an unforgettable time period.
The Concert:
The combined band concert was held at Northside Blodgett gymnasium and
started at 7:30 at Wednesday, March 6, 2013.With over one hundred fifty students performing
and the bleachers full of family and friends, the gymnasium was packed. The program consisted of four pieces in this particular order The British Are Coming!, The Beatles Forever,
The British Invasion Hits of the 60s, and Selections From The Rolling Stones. All of these
pieces were all medleys, meaning the piece was a compilation of many songs put together in
one group. With all the work and rehearsals the combined band had during the three months,
we were certainly ready to perform. As we were performing, many of the parents were able to
recognize the popular songs played in the program. At the very end of the concert, we finished strong with a grand applause at the end. Without the help of Mr. Ellison and Mrs. Harpster, the concert would not have been successful as it was!
Thank you Mr. Ellison and Mrs. Harpster!!

Page 5

Around the Block

How to Train Yourself to Ask Complex Questions

By: Divya

Have you ever heard someone ask a question that had no relevance to the issue at hand? Or have you wanted to ask a question but
have not known how to put your thoughts into words? Maybe learning
how to fix those problems is something you should do. Learning how to ask complex questions can
benefit you in several ways. Being able to respond to or ask questions rapidly than before will be a
helpful skill in life. Asking challenging questions can also help you in school when you dont understand something. The more complex the question you are asking is, the better the teacher will be able
to understand what you do not know and help you. A plus side to asking detailed questions, people
will think that you are a smart person.
There are two types of questions that you can ask. Open questions and closed questions. Knowing what type of question you want to ask can help you get a better answer. If you ask a question and
want an answer that is short and straight to the point you want to ask a closed question. Closed questions break off into smaller groups like identification questions and selection questions. Identification
question usually start with the words Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? The questions ask for
a certain piece of information. This type of question is asked when you only want a specific answer.
Selection questions ask either/or. You might use this type of question when trying to make a decision.
Open questions can be utilized when you want to start a discussion. These questions are good
for involving others. They require more than a couple words to completely answer. These questions,
like identification questions, also use the question words Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?
When these words are used in open questions, they are probing for an in-depth answer. When you
want an idea, you ask a problem solving question. Problem solving questions are for decision making
too. What should I do next? Where should I go? You can see that those questions words are very important when it comes to asking a proper question.
Now that you know what the different types of questions are, you can get started on
training yourself to ask difficult questions. First, choose what kind of question you want to ask. Do
you want a long response, or just a couple words? Ask yourself the question. Is the question phrased
properly? Will the answer help me gain the knowledge I need? Design your question in a way that
you and the receiver of the question know what you are talking about. After you have asked the question out loud, and you receive an answer, ask more questions. Even if you know a little about the subject, let the other person take control and speak without interruptions. Pretend you know nothing. That
way, you get the most out of the answer and the other person isnt holding back anything useful. Use a
combination of Open and Closed question until you think you have all the data that you need.
There are many benefits to learning how to ask a good question. You can get a lot more
out of the answer and also ask questions faster. Remember that there are two types of questions, open
and closed, and that they can be split into different groups. I hope you will be able to ask complex
questions now, and that it helps you in school too.
Volume 1, Issue 1

Page 6

2013 All County Festivals

By: Irfaan
The music program of Northside Blodgett provides an extra opportunity for music students to show
their talent in the All County festivals. These All County festivals showcase the determination and musical
talent of selected students throughout Steuben County. The All County festivals include 6th Grade Band/
Chorus ensembles, Junior High Band/Chorus ensembles, and Senior High Band/Chorus ensembles In order to
participate; you had to audition for band and/or chorus. If selected to be in All County, you would have practiced during your lunch period or before school. This year's festivals were held on March 1st-2nd and March
16th-17th.
The All County Experience
All County Festival A was held on March 1st-March 2nd, in Hornell, and consisted of 6th Grade Chorus, Junior High Band, and Senior High Chorus. All County Festival B was held on March 16th-March 17th,
in Addison and consisted of 6th Grade Band, Junior High Chorus, and Senior High Band. Students participating had missed part of school to go to the festivals. Once the students arrived, they were welcomed and
quickly started having rehearsals. Students were introduced to their conductors and rehearsed for long periods
of time. Short breaks were given to let students get a snack/drink, rest, and socialize with friends and students
from other schools. Lengthy meal breaks were given allowing the students to eat after exhausting rehearsals.
Concerts were held on the second day of each festival. More hours of rehearsing ensued. The concerts started
at 3:30 on March 2 and March 17th. With a big audience eager to hear what All County musician's sound
like, the All County ensembles performed. All of the ensembles were amazing and sounded extremely good.
The performances give a strong definition of musical talent. Though the festivals are over, there is still next
year, so if you have any interest, you could audition for the next All County festivals. Thanks to Mrs. Bryson,
Mr. Ellison, Mrs. Harpster, and anyone else who has supported these students in this experience!

Mrs. Whittenhalls Poem Unit

In Language A we are learning on how to
create poems. The students made Poem Packets
that show all of the poems we have made and
what we wanted to write about. My Language A
teachers name is Mr. Whittenhall and she is an
awesome and funny teacher. She is teaching us
how to write a poem on what we care about. The
poem types we had to choose from were Simile,
Metaphor, Personification, Alliteration, Onomatopoeia, Hyperbole, and a Rhyme. Every poem
had a rhyme to it so it was fun to decide which
one we want to do!
We had to write an I Am Poem, a Couplet
with Alliteration, a Guided Poem, and another
Couplet with Personification and finally our ReciPage 7

pe Poem. All of these were fun to make. You could

choose any subject we wanted to write about. Some
people did sports, flowers, animals, candy, weather, and
someone even wrote their poems about school! The one
subject I chose to do was Nature. I thought that would
be a good subject for me because I like to walk around
in the woods up at my house.
So those are just a few ideas of what we did in
Language A class. We did this for about a week to a
week and a half. It would be fun if we did the same next
year. If you did this activity what subject would you
choose?
By: Kayla

Around the Block

Teach Like A Champion

Chapter 3: Structuring and delivering your lessons
Structuring and delivering your lesson can only be said as I, We, You from a teachers perspective. I, We, You stands for knowing that basically the teacher, the whole class, and you are all
working together for structuring and delivering the lessons. The I means the teacher is giving good key information that we need for that lesson as forward as needed. Teachers make it
very straightforward by giving examples. We stands for teachers asking students key questions and helping them with the questions, until they can answer them on their own. The
You step is students doing work alone by the teacher giving them opportunities to practice.
Put together there are 5 steps in I, We, You process. The I, We, You process is a really good
way to teach students. It can help them understand what their task is better, and get them involved in class activity! This is not the only way to teach kids though, there are many different
techniques.
The Hook
Another technique is called The Hook. The Hook is when the teacher catches the
students attention for the topic by saying something very interesting about it that will make
the topic seem exciting and fun. Some ways teachers might hook their students is by telling
a story that is engaging and is about the topic, another way is by analogy. Analogy is giving an
interesting relationship between the topic and the students real life. That is a good way to get
their attention. Another way to intrigue the student is by using a prop. They use the prop to
give an example of the characters in the story or how they dress. For example if the story is
about a snake the teacher could bring in a stuffed snake to make the story seem more realistic.
Media is another way to lock the student attention on the topic. You can play a video or show
them a picture or something about the topic. For example if you are starting a new chapter in
Humanities you could watch a video that briefs what the chapter will be about. There are 2
more examples on how teachers can hook students. One is status and the other is challenge.
Status is when the teacher tells you what you will be learning about before you learn it. Challenge is giving the students a difficult task then telling them to try to get it done. A good hook
is normally short, yielding, energetic, and optimistic.
Name the Steps
A third technique is Name the Steps. In Name the Steps the name is basically what it
says, you name the steps that you are about to do. There are 4 steps to successfully name the
steps. Step one is to identify the steps because having the teacher teaches you how to do it
while giving the student a better understanding of it. Step 2 is Make them Sticky, that is
Volume 1, Issue 1

Page 8

Teach Like A Champion Continued.

the teacher or you come up with a fun and memorable thing based on the lesson
to it stick in your brain. Step 3 is Build the Steps. That is when the teacher designs lessons and makes them fun so that it is easier for the students to comprehend the steps
easier. Last but not least the 4th step is use 2 stairways. That is basically when the students
know how to do the steps so the student tells the teacher how to do the lesson rather than the
teachers telling the students.
Board=Paper
There are a lot of good teaching techniques in the book. Another one is Board = Paper. Board = Paper is when the teacher puts a short paragraph or sentence on the board
with some blanks and the students have to copy down the information and put the answers in
the blanks. Another way to do that technique is telling the student to write down 5 examples
of something. This is a good technique to get good notes. Excellent note taking would have
full sentences, important words would be underlined, and the notes are very specific. Bad
notes would be have one word sentences, they would have doodles and scribbles all over the
paper, the notes would be vague, the notes wouldnt be complete, and it would be hard to understand the notes if the student was studying.
Circulate
A 5th technique is called Circulate. That is when the teacher goes around the room
just to see what the student are doing and eliminate the bad behavior around the room. The
circulate technique goes along with the I technique from the I, We, You Technique.
There are 5 steps to do the Circulate easily and thoroughly. The first step is called break the
plane. The plane is considered the area between the board at the front of the room and the
first row of desks. Many teachers stay behind this imaginary line when they are teaching but,
it is good to walk around the room and break the plane. The next step is called Full Access
Required that goes along with breaking the plane. It just means after you break the plane
you can go anywhere in the room to watch the students, to make sure that they have good behavior. Next comes, Engage When You Circulate. This is when teachers walk around and
read over the kids notes to make sure they have it all down. They may make comments about
the notes, such as check your spelling or good job. This will help the students to take good
notes. Move Systematically is the next step. This is when the teacher knows who doesnt
pay attention and really tries to help them. They do this by sometimes when the teacher says,
Eyes on me. She will look at that student to let them know they want their attention. Also,
the teacher will walk around and stand by the student to get them to work if they are not.
Last but not least, Position for Power comes next. The teacher will walk around and stand
over the students shoulder and let them know that you can see them and what theyre doing.
The teacher may also stand in the back of the room to observe if the students are all on task.
Page 9

Around the Block

Teach Like A Champion Continued.

Break It Down

Break it down is important in teaching, but it is hard to master. It is when a

student gets a question wrong and the teacher gives an example kind of like the question and then
asks the student to try it again. To successfully complete Break it Down there are 6 steps. The
first is called provide the example. That is pretty self-explanatory, that is when the teacher gives
the student an example to help them get the problem they dont understand correct. The next step
is called provide context. That is when a student has a vocab question the teacher would take the
word and put it in a funny way for the student to remember is easier. The third step is called provide a rule. This step sort of goes along with vocab words also. This is when the student isnt sure
whether a word is an adjective, noun, verb, etc. so the teacher asks the student does this word describe an action? This will help the student decide what kind of word it is. The 4 th step is called
provide the missing step. This step goes along with math class. It is when the student isnt sure
what they did or how they got the problem wrong, so they ask the teacher and the teacher tells
them the step they are missing. The 5th step is called the rollback. It is when the student gives the
teacher an answer to a problem and the teacher will repeat the answer then explain to the other
students why that is the answer. Last but not least the 6 th step is called Eliminate False Choices.
That is basically when the teacher goes through the options given and explains them thoroughly to
help the students understand which one to eliminate.
Ratio
This is an important technique, it causes the students to use as much writing, thinking, analyzing,
and talking as possible. There are 10 steps in the Ratio process. The first step is called
Unbundled. It is when the teacher breaks down the question so more students are able to answer
the problem. Number 2 is called Half Statement. This is when the teacher will start saying a
sentence and expect a student or the class to finish it. 3 is called Whats Next. When a teacher
asks different people to list the steps to answer a problem, then ask different students how to do
the steps with whatever type of problem you are doing. The next step is called Feign Ignorance.
Its when the teacher asks a student a question that the student would normally ask the teacher.
Then, there is Repeated Examples. This is when the teacher asks for one or more examples of
something. Rephrase Or Add On is next. This is when a student says an answer vaguely or incorrectly and the teacher will ask another student or telling the same student to add on to their answer. Next comes, Whys And Hows. This is important cause it pushes the students to do more.
Then there is Supporting Evidence. This is when someone says something and the teacher asks
another student to add on or correct what the other student is saying. Next is Batch Process, this
is when a student says something the teacher lets other students comment on it rather than the
teacher commenting on it. The last step in Ratio is called Discussion Objectives. This step is
in many classrooms, it is when the teacher will write an objective on the board. The purpose of
the objective is to have the students at the end of class be able to recap the lesson with a thorough
understanding.
Volume 1, Issue 1

Page 10

Teach Like A Champion Continued.

At Bats
A key idea for at Bats is the teacher teaches the students something one day and then
slowly makes sure it is understood by all students. For example the teachers will teach the
students something one day then work on it through the week. They might explain it to them
on Monday ask for questions about it one Tuesday give them a partner assignment on
Wednesday then let them work independently on Thursday and Friday. Some key points the
students should learn at the end is how to do it on their own, use it in multiple variations and
formats, also the students should show a lot of growth on the topic.
Exit Ticket
After the students have learn the lesson for the day and have completed the objective
teacher should present them with an exit ticket. An exit ticket will contain 1 to 3 problems
and the questions will be based on the lesson to wrap it up at the end of class. They are very
helpful for the students and the teachers. It helps the students by letting them know if they
understand it or not. It also helps the teacher know if they need to keep working on the topic
or if they can move on.
Take a Stand
This is the last technique in this chapter; they are all very good and helpful techniques.
This is when the teacher tries to engage all students in the lessons by making them answer
questions or making comments that relate to them. It is good because it gives all students a
chance to be actively engaged in the lesson. Some things the teachers might do to engage all
the kids is say something like stand up if you agree, or how could you check your work to
see if they are right then separately ask the students a step to checking.
All these are very different techniques, they are all good to help teachers teach better
and engage their students in the topic more. They are all very helpful to the students and
teachers!

By: Mackensie and Julia

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Around the Block

Pi Day
By: Julia
3/14 (March 14th), also known as pi day. This is
known as pi day because the date relates to the numbers 3/14, 3.14. In Mrs.
Demonstoys math class we are celebrating pi day. We are doing this by first having a small competition in class to see who memorized the most digits in pi. There
will be three prizes for the top 3 with the most digits memorized. The grand prize
will be a t-shirt and 3 homework passes, second prize is either m&ms or sour patch
kids and three homework passes, then third prize is just 3 homework passes. Kids
were allowed to bring in foods like chips, cookies, cupcakes, pizza, and of course
pie. The following people got 1st 2nd and 3rd place for their classes. Period 1, 1st
place was Giovanni Delgrosso 2nd place was Jack Kahabka and 3rd place was Cameron Chambers. 2nd period 1st place was Shiloh Boris, 2nd was Shawna Dean, and
third was Zach Jamison. 4th period first place went to Anthony Smaldone, 2nd went
to Mackensie Galusha and 3rd place went to Julia Ballance. 6th period 1st place was
Julia Meteer 2nd place was Rebecca Squire, and 3rd place went to Cian Collins. The
last period was 8th period in that class 1st place went to Nick Decerbo, second went
to Istvan DeAngelis, and in 3rd place was Dylan Folden. There was a lot of food
and sweets in all the classes and it was very fun. It was a cool way to celebrate Pi
Day!

Pi Day
Winners!
Volume 1, Issue 1

Taras Goral -167 digits of pi

and
Divya Krishnakumar-85
digits of pi

Page 12

Tracking By: Connie

During this third marking period, many teachers have introduced us to a system of body
language, STAR. STAR is an acronym for, Sit Up and Listen, Track the Speaker, Ask
and Answer Questions Like a Scholar and Respectful Behavior. These are all important, especially tracking
the speaker. There are many definitions for track, a footprint whether recent or fossil, detectable evidence, the
course along which something moves or progresses, a sequence of events, the width of a wheeled vehicle from
wheel to wheel and usually from the outside of the rims, and track-and-field sports (Merriam Webster Dictionary), but none of these are the definition for tracking in tracking the speaker. Tracking a speaker simply
means watching a speaker as they talk and showing them that you are actively listening and being involved in
the conversation. Eye contact is very important in tracking because it represents that you are not being distracted by another sight. It lets the speaker know if you understand and recognize information or not. Being
involved could be asking questions about things you do not understand, or answering questions the speaker
asks you. Participating in a conversation does not mean that you have to speak, though. A simple nod of your
head shows you know what they mean and that they can keep explaining.
During a class, the teacher is most likely going to speak the most out of everyone in the room. Tracking a teacher is common, but they are not the only ones to track. Anyone who is speaking with permission
should be tracked whether they are reading something, giving advice, answering or asking a question, or stating a comment. Other students, staff, and anyone deserves the respect of being tracked. Tracking is not only
respectful, but will help you in the future and gain you some respect back.

Big Brothers Big Sisters

By: Divya

Do you ever wish that you had an older brother or sister? Someone who could guide you and help you
learn? Big Brothers Big Sisters is a program that can help you do just that
Big Brothers Big Sisters was founded in 1902, and has continued on since then. Ernest Coulter, a law
clerk, watched as several children were taken to court. Most of these children were kids who had grown up in
troubled families. He believed that these children were harmless, and would be better people if they just had
somebody to care for them. Coulter began looking around for volunteers, and started the Big Brothers movement. Concurrently, an association called the Ladies of Charity began to assist girls who went through the
court of New York. This was known as Catholic Big Sisters. Eventually, the two groups combined and are
now known as the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
The program has many benefits for the many people that they serve. According to the children that
went through the program, they felt that they were more confident in accomplishing goals, getting better
grades, and more compassionate towards their families. In fact, a survey taken stated that those children who
completed the program were 46% less likely to use illegal drugs, 27% less likely to begin using alcohol, 52%
less likely to skip school, 37% less likely to skip a class, and 33% less likely to hit someone.
As you can see, The Big Brothers Big Sisters movement has helped many children across the world. They
are currently operating in all 50 states, and in 12 countries around the world. If you feel that you are someone
who could enjoy having an older sibling, contact your guidance counselor to participate in this program today.

Salt and Pepper Shakers in 8th Grade Art

By: Pearl
The 8th graders worked on a functional clay project in art. The salt and pepper shakers were in the form of any
two objects that went together. For example: a sneaker and a basketball, or a textbook and a calculator. The students individually brainstormed as many ideas as they could, and then sketched the ones they thought were best.
After Thanksgiving break, they started working with the clay. They started with a pinch pot or a slab of clay,
depending on the object. To create a pinch pot, the student would stick their thumb in a ball of clay, and then
rotate it until they shaped it into a pot. A slab of clay was created by rolling out a chunk of clay. Two examples
of what students made are Kelsey Drakes playing block and bouncy ball, and Emma Gilberts tree and owl.
To attach pieces of clay to each other, the slip and score method was used. This involves scratching up the surface with a stylus (score), and wetting it with water (slip). The combination of a rough surface and wet clay
keeps the clay attached. Wet clay is sticky, but when it dries, it is no longer sticky. The rough surface keeps the
clay stuck. Velcro has a similar idea with the rough surfaces.
When the salt and pepper shakers were finished, the sprinkler holes on the top and the plug hole on the bottom
were carved out. Then, the pieces were set out to dry during the holiday vacation. After drying, they were fired
in the kiln. Next, the students glazed their salt and pepper shakers with solid colors and speckled/ mottled colors.
While waiting for the pieces to be fired, they learned about salt. The art classes read The Story of Salt, a childrens book written by Mark Kurlansky, illustrated by S. D. Schindler. Afterwards, the students individually
answered text-based questions about what they learned.
Table salt (NaCl), or sodium chloride, is composed of two dangerous elements, sodium, and chlorine. However,
when combined, they become a harmless rock. In fact, salt is helpful, and necessary for body functions. Before
canning, freezing, and other packaged food, salt was used to preserve food. With preserved food, people were
able to journey far from their own land.
Salt played an important role in helping India gain its freedom. When the British ruled India, it was illegal to
make salt locally. Indians had to pay expensive prices to get salt from Britain. Gandhi decided to use salt to protest for freedom. He walked thousands of miles to the sea where there were crusts of salt along the beach. On the
way, thousands of people joined to follow him. He defied the law by picking up a piece of salt. The Salt March
was the start of many other demonstrations that eventually led to Indias freedom.
At the end of this unit, the students had the opportunity to taste six kinds of salt. They tried table salt (no iodide), iodized table salt, Himalayan pink salt, Fleur de Sel, Tamise de Gurande, and Kala Namak. They spread
unsalted butter on either bread or unsalted saltine crackers, and then sprinkled a few grains of salt. It was important to have unsalted butter and unsalted saltines because salted butter and regular saltines would interfere
with the salt tasting. Fleur de Sel and Tamise de Gurande were both from Gurande, France. Fleur de Sel was
white and from the top of salt ponds. Tamise de Gurande was gray from the minerals at the bottom of the pond.
Most people did not like Kala Namak due its sulfurous rotten eggs taste. Our Himalayan pink salt was light pink
and in the shape of square pyramids.
In the salt and pepper shakers unit, the students took the challenge of designing and creating two functional art
pieces. Not only did they work with clay, but also learn science and history, and experience the tasting of six
salts. This was a nice unit; the reading and salt tasting were great ways to shake things up.

Memorial Day History

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many
stories about how it began, with over two dozen cities and towns laying
claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared
the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966! It is more likely
that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous
gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to
honor our dead. What is important about Memorial Day? Memorial Day is important to us because we are to honoring the fallen heroes of the US Civil War. Since then the US has unfortunately participated in many wars to protect our country and let us be free. Dont forget to honor
those who died for us.
By: Adrianna

Around the Block Newspaper Staff

First Line Editor:

Divya

Advisor: Mrs. Howe

Articles Submissions:
Mackensie, Julia, Irfaan, Emryn, Kayla, Jerry, Divya, Julia, Connie,
Pearl, Adrianna