The wHOOse News
Winter 2018 Edition
Holiday Boutique
The Holiday Boutique is an optional yearly event that gives students an opportunity to buy special gifts and surprise their family and friends. This year our Holiday Boutique had a variety of gifts such as toys, jewelry, and picture frames.
I like the Holiday Boutique because it gives me the opportunity to browse the available gifts that I can get for my family and friends, in a secretive way which I pay for myself without anyone seeing my purchases. This makes me feel responsible and empowered because I did it on my own.
The Holiday Boutique also has many helpful and hardworking volunteers that help children find what they are looking for, add up totals, and bag new belongings. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all the wonderful teachers and volunteers that helped make this year's Boutique a great success.
-Grace Shapiro
Kind Character- Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela was born in Transkei, South Africa on July 18, 1918. His father was Henry Mphakanyiswa of the Tembu Tribe. Mandela himself was educated at the University College of Fort Hare and the University of Witwatersrand, where he studied law. He joined the African National Congress in 1944 and was engaged in resistance against the ruling National Party's apartheid policies after 1948. He went on trial for treason in 1956-1961 and was acquitted in 1961.
After the banning of the ANC in 1960, Nelson Mandela argued for the setting up of a military wing within the ANC. In June 1961, the ANC executive considered his proposal on the use of violent tactics and agreed that those members who wished to involve themselves in Mandela's campaign would not be stopped from doing so by the ANC. The ANC is the African National Congress This led to the formation of Umkhonto we Sizwe. Mandela was arrested in 1962 and sentenced to five years' imprisonment with hard labor because he overthrew the state. In 1963, when many fellow leaders of the ANC and the Umkhonto we Sizwe were arrested, Mandela was brought to stand trial with them for plotting to overthrow the government by violence. His statement from the dock received considerable international publicity. On June 12, 1964, eight of the accused, including Mandela, were sentenced to life imprisonment. From 1964 to 1982, he was incarcerated at Robben Island Prison, off Cape Town; thereafter, he was at Pollsmoor Prison, nearby on the mainland.
During his years in prison, Nelson Mandela's reputation grew steadily. He was widely accepted as the most significant black leader in South Africa and became a potent symbol of resistance as the anti-apartheid movement gathered strength. He consistently refused to compromise his political position to obtain his freedom.
Nelson Mandela was released on February 11, 1990. After his release, he plunged himself wholeheartedly into his life's work, striving to attain the goals he and others had set out almost four decades earlier. In 1991, at the first national conference of the ANC held inside South Africa after the organization had been banned in 1960, Mandela was elected president of the ANC while his lifelong friend and colleague, Oliver Tambo, became the organization's National Chairperson.
-Aagrimaa Mehraa
Pajama and Pretzel Day
December 21st was Pajama and Pretzel Day. It was a blast! Let me tell you about this amazing day.
Pajama Day is basically a day where students and staff wear their pajamas to school. Lots of people participated on Pajama Day. Some people had matching pajamas. Everyone enjoyed wearing their pajamas.
Every student and teacher got a pretzel to enjoy the movie. If a student or teacher, did not want their pretzel, they didn’t have to take one. On the announcements, they called down each grade. After each grade got their pretzels they headed down to watch the movie.
The movie we watched was Moana. The 1st and 5th graders watched Moana in the cafeteria and the 2nd, 3rd, and the 4th graders watched it together in the gym. The total amount of money raised was over $800.
Pajama and Pretzel Day was amazing. I can’t wait for it to happen again.
-Archana Maryada
Welcome Back
Mrs. Steinhart
We all know our beloved Language Arts teacher, Mrs. Steinhart. A few months ago she left on a maternity leave. To our relief, she is finally back. Her baby, Jack is 4 months old and more adorable than ever! She states, ”Though I enjoy staying at home with Jack, I like having the teachers and students to talk to.”
With her time with Jack, they do tummy time. A baby needs to learn how to keep his chin up.Literally! Placing him on his stomach helps him try to keep his chin from hitting the ground. She also takes walks with Jack in the park. Little Jack has fun in the stroller. When Jack is sleeping Mrs. Steinhart loves to watch the Today Show.
Jack also likes playing on the bouncer. The bouncer lets him roll around or bounce. Jack also loves to eat. She claims”I have a lot of catching up to do, but I am very excited to be with the students.” She says that Mrs. Barilka is very funny and has done a great job with the students.
Her students are doing well and they have gotten very smart. She says, ”I’m just happy to be home.”
Mrs. Peltz
Please welcome...from maternity leave...and a new member of the James Monroe staff...Mrs. Peltz!
Mrs. Peltz is one of the self-contained, autistic teachers. She was out on maternity leave after having a baby and has returned for the 2017-2018 school year.
She was nervous to come back for two reasons. One, she was with her baby for 7 months at home. Two, she came to a whole different school right after maternity leave. The good part is, everyone was kind and welcoming to her, which made things a lot easier for her. She looked forward to working again, even though she loved being with her daughter, Samantha.
Because she is a new teacher, she gets a new class, and she is happy to be able to get to know each of her students. Her paraprofessionals (people that help the teacher and teach along with her side, like an assistant) kept in touch during her maternity leave to update her on things occurring in the classroom. They all work together very well and make a great team. So please, if you see Mrs. Peltz in the hallways, give a warm welcome to her.
-Gabrielle Dharmawan
Mrs. Donnelly
“Welcome back Mrs. Donnelly!” Mrs. Donnelly teaches one of the self-contained autistic classes. She really loves how she gets to interact with her students. The children feel courage, safe, and secure.
Mrs. Donnelly felt excited and nervous to return to school. She was excited to be back teaching but nervous about starting a new class. Her motivation for teaching is that she loves being in the classroom and providing her students' skills to succeed.
Mrs. Donnelly’s greatest strength is being patient. She wanted to be a teacher that teaches autistic children because Mrs. Donnelly finds it very rewarding. Last but not least, in her free time, she loves being with her two daughters. We are very happy to have you back Mrs. Donnelly!
Mrs. Pedana
Welcome back Mrs. Pedana! We all missed you very much, and that’s without a doubt. And, just in case anyone didn’t know, Mrs. Pedana has been at James Monroe for a long time before. I’m sure that you’d recognize her in the hall. So now, let me tell you about Mrs. Pedana’s time on maternity leave (a break you get when you have a baby), what it’s like being back, and more!
Let’s first talk about the reason that she was on leave: Carter Pedana! He’s almost 5 months old now, who loves giggling, playing, and rolling around! Mrs. Pedana loves Carter, and you totally would too!
But, back to Mrs. Pedana! During her leave, she did a lot, and I mean a lot of walking with other friends on maternity leave like Mrs. Zimmerman (Ms. Butvilla) and my mom! When she was with Mrs. Zimmerman, their babies had “playdates”! “I enjoyed hanging out with Carter, and having more time...to do more, like reading, cooking, walking, etc,” she told me. When I asked Mrs. Pedana if she wished that she was still on leave, she said: “Yes & No: I miss Carter very much, but I was ready to come back, and I’m now enjoying being back with everyone.”
Except now, Mrs. Pedana definitely having a different experience than last year at James Monroe, since she’s teaching a different grade! Last year it was 4th grade, and this year its Kindergarten. She told me that “Kindergarten is VERY DIFFERENT from 4th. In Kindergarten, it’s their beginning in elementary school, and I get to teach them how to read, which is lots of fun. In 4th grade, I miss the fun articles I read to my class.” She loves teaching both 4th grade and Kindergarten, and she stated that “It’s hard to say since both grades have many pros and cons, but I enjoy teaching both of them very much.” Mrs. Pedana thinks it’s nice to be back to Kindergarten after 6 or 7 years. She enjoys being back, and she loves her 2, “sweet” classes.
Make sure that if you see Mrs. Pedana in the halls, or maybe even outside of school, say hi! Mrs. Pedana is happy to be back, and we’re extremely happy that she’s back, too!
Mrs. Cameron
Welcome back, Mrs. Cameron! Mrs. Cameron has been out since the end of last school year due to back surgery. While she was gone, Mrs. Jones was her substitute. She feels great to be back at James Monroe.
You might be wondering what she did with her time! “I would get very bored, but I spent a lot of my time watching television and reading,” commented Mrs. Cameron. Just imagine how she felt when the doctors told her that it was okay to come back to school? “I was just so relieved that I could finally come back!” she exclaimed.
Arriving back at James Monroe was a whirlwind for Mrs. Cameron. It took her some time to get to know the new teachers to our school and some of the new classes added this year.
It is great to have Mrs. Cameron back to our school! If you’re ever in the office, make sure to say hi and welcome back to Mrs. Cameron!
-Aarya Patil
Clubs
Board Game Club
Did you know about the Board Game Club? It’s a club for first and second graders. The teachers of this club are Ms.Lin, Ms. Elsamna, and Ms. Said. When I went to interview the teachers they said that the board game club is for the primary students to collaborate with different games and have fun. The purpose is for kids to meet new people, make new friends, and have fun all at the same time.The kids have to come at there recess time (day depends). I learned that in each group for games there are about 10-15 people. I also learned that there are around 70-80 kids in this club. They also said that there are no prizes for the winners and its just to have lots of fun with friends and also a chance to meet new people.
I also learned a new game which I never heard of, which is called Old Maid Memory. Other games include: Pictionary, Trouble, Sorry, Connect 4, UNO, Monopoly, and much more. In this club, the children get to pick their board games all by themselves (unless they fight for the same one). The kids do not bring in board games, which is okay because the teachers provide so many games for them to choose from. The teachers also told me that there are no elimination competitions. I loved hearing about the board game club and I hope you guys did too!!!!!
-Risha Bhardwaj
Lego Club
There is a new club for all 3rd graders to participate in the lego club. I was able to interview Mrs. McCann and Mrs.Pontoreiro, the 3rd-grade teachers who are teaching the lego club. I found out that the lego club will end on Memorial Day ( May 28, 2018). Can you believe it? There are about 60 students in the lego club this year!nI also found out that Mrs. McCann and Mrs. Pontoriero give the students building challenges. Finally, the students don't use lego themes, STEM themes.
The Lego club is not very restrictive in means of building. Mrs. McCann and Mrs. Pontoriero want the student to have and be creative. Many kids think that it is challenging because there are no set parameters. One girl told me that she has built 3 structures, a tower, a house, and a bug. The students sometimes build the lego structures in groups. They mentioned that it is fun too!
-Ananya Shrivastava
Kindness for Christopher Club
If you don’t know, there is a club called “Kindness for Christopher” club. Kindness for Christopher club was made because there was a boy named Christopher. He was so kind to everyone he met. One day, he was on a boat and an accident happened. He passed away, but his parents made a campaign for Christopher. He went down in history because he was so kind. Also, Christopher was a family member of one of the teachers here. The creator of the club here was kind to make the club to remember what amazing things he has done.
The creator of this club is Mrs. Drews. She had some helpers, too. Mrs. Murphy and twelve first and second graders wanted to take part of this club. They make crafts based on kindness, and they post encouraging words and sayings all over the school to encourage teachers and students. A message from the club: They want to encourage everyone to be kind multiple times a day, and they don’t want bullies!
*Courtesy of Mrs. Drews and her students!
-Gabrielle Dharmawan
Scrabble Club
Scrabble Club, a club that aims to teach students new words such as “Logophile” and “Wipeout.” Led by Mrs. Romeo and Mrs. Schwartz, it has been running for almost 2 years. The club consists of 4th and 5th graders, but as a fifth grader, you can only join if you were in Scrabble Club in 4th grade. Members of the Scrabble Club meet
Wednesdays at 8:00 AM before school, so you’ll have to wake up early to get there.
Scrabble is a board game that is played by 2-4 people. It uses a grid of squares with a bunch of letters on small tiles. Each player, when it is their turn, has to make a word on the board using any of the seven letter tiles they have. The word must connect to another word on the board. Playing Scrabble builds vocabulary and word skills, which helps improve your language proficiency.
Scrabble is not just a game of words, it is a game of strategy and quick thinking. Join this club if you are up for a challenge, or if you just want to enjoy an early morning brain teaser.
-Ethan Agabao
Girls on the Run Club
Do you know that our school started a new after-school club called Girls on the Run? The club is held every Thursday after school until 4:45 in the gym. It is designed for girls who are in grades 3-5. During our lessons, we build confidence, exercise and prepare for a 5K run. In my opinion, I enjoy it every week and I always learn something new.
We are in the early stages of the club but we already started many activities and games. The activity that we played on the first day was fun and easy. Our teachers, Mrs. Speckin and Mrs. Lamont, were calling out commands such as “ Run to the other side if you like to exercise.” If we fall under the following category, we had to run to the other side. At the end of the meeting, we discussed things that we noticed during the activity. We all came to a conclusion that we noticed similarities and differences between each other.
For a long time, I had been wondering what inspired and motivated Mrs. Speckin and Mrs. Lamont to start this new club. They explained, “We wanted to do something positive for the girls in the school. We have both been involved in running for some time and we have seen the positive effects of pushing yourself to the limit and achieving a goal that we thought was impossible.” I think that it was really nice of them to think about the girls in the school and start a club for us.
Ms. Speckin has personally had family members that took part in the program and heard wonderful things about it. This was how the teachers began to know about Girls on the Run. I think that everyone who is in Girls on the Run is enjoying it. The teachers are enjoying the club, too. They love seeing how excited the girls are each and every week. They think every girl comes to club ready to have fun and even learn a thing or two! And, I agree with that because I enjoy Girls on the Run and learn something every week.
Mrs. Speckin and Mrs. Lamont never expected the turnout of the club reaching over 40 girls! From what they have experienced thus far, it has been nothing but a positive experience for everyone involved. They think that since we are still in the early stages and each week is a learning experience, they won't really know until the end how they can improve it for upcoming years. If I were to change something about the club, I wouldn't change anything because it is perfect the way it is.
To conclude, I really enjoy Girls on the Run and look forward to it each week. The girls in this building are lucky to have an opportunity to go to this club. In June, we are going to go for a 5K marathon in New Jersey. Girls on the Run helps us stay fit and make new friends. I am looking forward to the next magnificent meeting.
-Gauri Kshettry
Poems
Winter Poem
Like frosted cakes--
All covered up
With cold snowflakes.
The horses' hoofs
Scrunch on the street;
Their eyelashes
Are white with sleet.
And everywhere
The people go--
With faces tickled
By the snow.
Christmas Poem
Sam and Kim were asleep in their beds.
They were tucked up in bed all snug with visions of reindeer dancing in their heads. When the girls, heard footsteps downstairs.
Sam sprang out of her bed,and woke up her sister.
She told her follow me and they ran downstairs to see if anyone was taking what was theirs!
Sam and Kim quietly tiptoed down, hoping to find what they thought was Santa.
But it wasn't the normal Santa, it was a Bad Santa!
He was tall and round,and was wearing a leather jacket.
He said, “Who's making all that racket?!?!”.
They said, “Are you Santa Claus?”.
“I’m better than that. I’m Bad Santa. My older brother is the other Claus.”
He then handed them two gifts in black paper.
When they looked back, he had disappeared like a vapor.
They opened their gifts and were surprised to find,
Sam's gift was rolls and rolls of tape, it was red with a green line.
Kim received glue,
Why they got these gifts they hadn’t a clue.
The next day, Mom and dad said, “Who knows what goes through Bad Santa’s head?”
They used their gifts to make lots of crafts,
Sam made for her doll a bath time raft.
Kim wasn’t sure what to do with the glue.
She made herself a pirate hat that she painted blue.
-Faith Horan
Kwanzaa Poem
Kwanzaa is a holiday with light,
The candles are so bright,
The children play with their dreidel,
Everyone is happy on that day,
They eat flavorful and delicious food,
They also sing and cheer,
Kwanzaa is a really good holiday!
-Sumayya Shaik
Hanukkah Poem
It’s Chanukah, It’s Chanukah the festival of light, Everyone brings a candle to honor this night. Pancakes sizzle as hard as they can, Tanning in the burning pan. Dreidels can hardly wait to be spun, Chanukah Spirit presents are hidden for fun. Like an oil Lamp in ancient history, That burn on and on miraculously. To all of you that celebrate, Happy Chanukah!!
Winter Poem
Snow is really cool,
but the feeling is cozy,
and soothing as well.- Anish Modi
Book & Movie Reviews
Auggie & Me
Auggie & Me is one of the best books ever! It is Written by R.J.Palacio, the author of Wonder. This is a sequel story to Wonder. Readers get to explore the point of view of Julian, Christopher, and Charlotte. If you read Wonder you know that Julian was a bully to Auggie, Christopher was Auggie’s best friend and Charlotte was Auggie’s welcome buddy when he was new to Beecher Prep.
The first section is written from Julian’s point of view. We learn what school was like through Julian’s eyes and how he still hasn’t learned that he was in the wrong. Will he ever? While visiting his grandma in Paris, she told him a story that changed his thinking about Auggie.
The second section is written from Christopher’s point of view. Remember, Christopher was mentioned in Wonder as being Auggie’s best friend growing up. But when Christopher moved away, their relationship was strained. Does Christopher want to gain back the relationship he once had with Auggie?
The third section is written from Charlotte’s point of view. Ellie was Charlotte’s best friend from lower school. Now, Ellie hangs out with Savanna’s group and Charlotte hangs out with her original group but without Ellie. Savanna is the mean girl and so is Ximena, the new girl in Savanna’s group. Or is she really? Will Savanna befriend Ximena?
When my teacher was done with Wonder, a few days later We started Auggie & Me. I was in love with it! I just wanted to read this book all day. I love this book and I hope you like it too!
- Carol AsodaThe Hidden Oracle
Look! The god Apollo has been transformed into a mortal! Now he must obey the orders of another demigod named Meg in order become a god once again. But why did that happen? Why did his father Zeus punish him by becoming a mortal for the third time? Read the book The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan to find out!
I think this book is one of the best books written by Rick Riordan. It has a significant amount of suspense. The book is also the start of the book series, “Trials of Apollo.” When I was reading the book, I couldn’t take my eyes off of it for a single second! So, read the book The Hidden Oracle!
-Zashaan Shaik
Zootopia
Have you heard of the movie "Zootopia?" It is a very nice movie for kids to watch. It has one great hidden message in it which is to never give up on your dreams. That is exactly what Judy, the main character, does to follow her dreams and become a police officer. But there are many different challenges that Judy faces. One main challenge she faces is that Judy is always made fun of because she is shorter and the only rabbit on the police force. One day she runs into this guy named Nick and she and Nick go through many different challenges together. Can Judy prove herself in that she can do what it takes to be a police officer? Well, you will have to watch the movie to find out.
In my opinion, "Zootopia" is a great movie because it had many great action scenes. It also tells an amazing story. I love that the movie has a great hidden message in it. It really made me think. Even if you have already seen it, watch it again because something new always pops up so you don’t keep looking at the same thing over and over. In my opinion, I rate "Zootopia" 5 stars out of 5!
-Ishika Bhalla
Cars 3
Fast and furious are the first words you think of when you hear the name Lighting Mcqueen, right? Well, after a major car crash the only word you could think of is retired. To make matters worse a new guy named Jackson Storm has taken over. In search for training, Mcqueen meets Cruz Ramirez who always wanted to be a racer but was too scared. They became closer and closer. So, as Cruz helped Mcqueen, Mcqueen was helping Cruz. Will Mcqueen get back in shape in time? Or will he retire?
On a scale of 1-10 I rate “Cars 3” a 9.5 out of the 10 because it teaches a good lesson and is very kid friendly. The ending caught me, I literally ended up in tears!!! Google Movies, Redbox, and the library are some places you’ll probably find it. This is why you should watch the movie Cars 3.
-Grace White
Kid-Friendly Recipes
Baked Tortilla Chips
- Tortillas
- Oil
- Lime Juice
- Cumin
- Chili Powder
- Salt
- Guacamole and Salsa for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Cut each tortilla into 8 chip-sized wedges and arrange the wedges in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
In a mister, combine the oil and lime juice. Mix well and spray each tortilla wedge until slightly moist.
Combine the cumin, chili powder and salt in a small bowl and sprinkle on the chips.
Bake for about 7 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake for another 8 minutes or until the chips are crisp, but not too brown. Serve with salsas, garnishes or guacamole.
-Sahana Ram
**Parental assistance is required.
Turkey Empanadas with Cheese
Ingredients:
Ground turkey
Seasoning
Flour
A can of tomato sauce
Mozzarella cheese
Goya disco
Oil
Directions: Cook your ground turkey, once its done add your seasoning, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. Put some flour on a flat plate. Place the goya disco on it, add some ground turkey in the middle of the disco. Fold it in half an pinch the edges with a fork. Once you are done filling the empanadas, add some oil into a frying pan. Once the oil is hot enough start placing the empanadas into the pan and let it cook until golden brown. Flip them over and let the other side cook. Once they are done remove them from the pan and place them on a plate with some paper towels to soak the oil and enjoy! -Ian Rivas **Parental assistance is required.
Lemonade
Ingredients:
1. Squeeze the lemon juice into the pitcher
2. Add sugar as per as taste and add water
3. Mix it
4. Add ice cubes to keep it fresh
5. Enjoy!
Homemade Pizza
The ingredients are: Dough Cheese Bread Flour Tomato Sauce Yeast Salt And the toppings you want such as mushroom, pepperoni, and etc. Must be approved by a parent. Directions: Take the flour and mix it with salt and yeast in a large bowl. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Top dough with sauce, cheese, and other toppings(optional). Let it rest for 2 minutes. Cook pizza in the oven for 8 to 12 minutes or until bottom is golden. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Slice and Serve!! Enjoy!!! Caution-Parental Assistance Required!!!