Ockley Green Newsletter
Pump it up!
Important Dates to Remember
Every Wednesday Morning 7-9am: Ms. Kate’s Morning Study Group (There will be donuts!)
February 14th: Valentine's Day / no one eats alone / and the Dance!
February 17th: No School
February 18th: No staff meeting
February 19th: Site council meeting 5:00pm
February 25th: Progress reports due staff meeting 4:00pm VAPA PLC 4:30pm
February 28th: Black History assembly and Coffee with Principal in library 9;30pm
April 19-24: Outdoor School for all 6th Graders
Slamboo!
Slamboo is back! Do you like rapping or writing poetry? If so, JOIN SLAMBOO! We will meet in Ms. Kate or Mr. Riser’s room at lunch next Wednesday!
No commitment, just show up at an event if you’re into it! There is always dinner!
Dates: March 5th at Catlin Gabel
April 16 at OG
May 27 - TBD
The Official Tardy Policy
Here is the official tardy sweep policy and the district wide policy on tardies...so we can all be on the same page!
Plan:
For class periods 2 to 7, the student support team and administration will “sweep” any students who are in the hallway after the tardy bell has rung. Because buses are often late, first period is not included in the tardy sweeps policy. Any students late to school, should go to the front office, sign in and head to class with a pass. They are not included in the tardy sweep. There is a one minute warning bell that reminds students they have one minute to get to class and a tardy bell. If students were held back for any reason, they receive a pass from the teacher or staff member they were with and are excused from the tardy sweeps. If a student has a bathroom emergency, they can arrange with their teacher permission to use the restroom and receive a pass. Any student with a pass is not included in the tardy sweeps. Students receive one of the consequences below based on how many times they have been late to class during the sweeps.
Consequences:
Sweep 1: Call parents
Sweep 2: Meeting with staff and make a plan & call parents
Sweep 3: Recommitment and call parents again
Sweep 4: Community Service and call parents again
Sweep 5: ISS for the period late and call parents again OR parents come to school and walk students to class
Sweep 6: Administrator determined consequence up to and including suspension
Why:
We have many students who are consistently tardy to class each day. After looking at the tardy data, we realized that many students are losing several hours of class time because of how often they are late to class. Our priority as a school is to ensure that students are set up to be successful in high school and life. Being in class from start to finish is one way that we can support students’ current and future success. For this reason, we are implementing a stricter tardy policy with clear expectations and consequences.
An Inside Look On Raul Solorio Garcia
By: Makemae Mansaray & Dametreon Johnson Streeter
Raul is a 6th grader here at Ockley green. He is 13 years old, and, like other teenagers, his favorite shoe brand is Nike. When he is older he wants to be a professional Soccer player, but he thinks it might be hard to be a dad and a Soccer player at the age of 23, which is when he wants to have his first kid. He also dances and his favorite teacher is Mr. Damon, the dance teacher. I asked him if he could go to any other school where he would go. He said he would stay at Ockley, but he sometimes struggles with other students. That's what makes his 2020 year here only okay. If he could spend a day with a celebrity he would hang out with Steph Curry. I know a lot of kids in the school love the show The Office just like him. He is also a family man, when I asked him if today was his last day on earth what would he do he said spend time with his family. He is really a bright kid and someone who would be an amazing friend.
Sekora -Get to Know Her
Sekora is a 7th grader that loves to play basketball who's is very nice and has an amazing smile. She has some amazing goals, like for example, a goal she has for school is to get a 4.0 GPA this semester. When we interviewed her she was really nice and funny. She is Mexican and white. If she could live anywhere, she would pick Mexico or Hawaii. Both the places she picked have a lot of sun and are very friendly places. She also wants to play in the WNBA, and one person she really looked up to was Gianna “GiGi” Bryant (RIP) who also wanted to play in the WNBA. One adult in Ockley she knows she can go to with any problem and trust is Mx. Amelia. She has one brother, and fun fact about he and her, they have the same birthday, but are 3 years apart. She really wants a car, except she's obviously too young, but if she could have a car she would pick a Tesla, because it helps the environment and is very fast. She loves to watch movies, one of her favorite movies is Jumanji: Welcome to The Jungle. Just likes a lot of basketball players, and she has her own practice playlist which is mostly in the genre of Trap and Hip Hop.
The story of A Scottish Legend Daniel
Daniel is a 7th grader here at Ockley He is 12 years old. His favorite food is Chinese food, and his favorite drink is Dr. Pepper. His favorite sport is Baseball. One place he really wants to visit is Scotland. His favorite game is Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, also known as BO3. His favorite genre of music is Hiphop/Rap, and his favorite artist/rapper is Juice WRLD. Other artists he listens to are Lil Skies, Ski Mask the Slump God, and YBN Cordae. His favorite class/subject is Mock trial.
The Greatest of all Time... Ms Elizabeth Held.
2. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study after high school, so I waited a couple years and worked before I went back to school. I went to Portland Community College and Portland State University. I studied American history.
2. How many years have you been at Ockley Green Middle School?
This is my third year!
3. Have you seen any changes in Ockley Green since you first came?
I think the last couple years the school has gotten stronger and students are learning more. I’m really proud of how far we’ve come and I’m excited to see how the school continues to come together and help one another.
4. What class do you teach?
I don’t teach any classes, but you’ll see me floating through a lot of the seventh grade, and I’m happy to help any students in the room who need help. I also co-host GSA with Ms Trotter at lunch on Tuesdays!
5. What are your favorite hobbies?
I go to a science fiction book club once a month that I really enjoy! This month we read The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling.
6. Where and when were you born?
I was born here in Portland Oregon, in 1992.
7. What is your favorite food?
I really like chocolate covered pretzels (or anything salty and sweet).
8. What is your favorite subject?
When I was in middle school, my favorite subject was social studies!
9. What is your favorite season?
My favorite season is fall. I like it when it’s cold and dry outside.
10. What is your favorite animal?
My favorite animal is my dog, Lewis. He is two and a half years old, he’s very friendly but he loves to bite.
Systematic Opinions
Student Opinion: Naomi Burns
1. You’ve only been at this school for a little bit. Do you think the school has changed (for better or worse) since you’ve last been here?
“I think it's changed for both.. There's more structure, but some rules are out of proportion.”
2. What is your opinion on the recommitment system? Do you think it helps with the behavior of students?“Some students yes, some students no. Some, it just makes them worse, others it helps them change their behavior.”
3. Do you think that OnPoints is a good way of rewarding kids?
“No because since they took away getting more than 1,2, or 3; it's less rewarding.”
4. What is your opinion on the new hall sweeping system? Is it fair?“I think it’s dumb, because maybe some students dont get there on time because they’re slow and/or locker location.”
5. If you could change or improve something, what would it be?“For Ms. Sackrider to do more, for some teachers to listen to the opinion of us as students who want to learn not just children.”
Student Opinion: Ariana Ridgway
6. You’ve been at this school for some time now. Do you think the school has changed (for better or worse) since you’ve been here?
"Yes, it’s definitely changed for the better."
7. What is your opinion on the recommitment system? Do you think it helps with the behavior of students?I think that those who constantly get recommitments have stopped caring about getting recommitments. Therefore, it’s not working very well
8. Do you think that OnPoints is a good way of rewarding kids?For the most part, I’d say. Some teachers give out much more Onpoints than other teachers which leads to a broken system. So those who don’t have specific teachers, like myself, get way less Onpoints than those who do.
9. What is your opinion on the new hall sweeping system? Is it fair?
For the most part, yes. The only flaw is that it feels like there is no time to use the bathroom. We have to use bathroom passes during class, not to mention the 10/10 rule, but since my teachers don’t give out many Onpoints those bathroom passes are basically my only source of Onpoints. So I feel like the hall sweeps and the extreme punishments that follow make me think that I can’t use the bathroom during passing period. So overall, I feel like the system is a little too strict.
10. If you could change or improve something, what would it be?That you’d only get one warning if your late to your first period class.
Staff Member Opinion: Mr. Riser
Yes. It’s changed, in some ways for the better, and in some ways for the worse.
12. What is your opinion on the recommitment system? Do you think it helps with the behavior of students/staff?I think it works for some people, but for the majority of the kids that go to recommitment, it doesn’t help.
13. Do you think that OnPoints is a good way of rewarding kids?There are at least four different value systems: member-object, member-member, member-group, and member creator. The only value our OnPoints system meets is the first one. For people that value objects, OnPoints is a great system. Can we name a system for everyone else? A system for people who like people more than things?
14. What is your opinion on the new hall sweeping system? Is it fair?I think that’s a question more for students to answer. But what I’ve heard from students is that it is unfair since they don’t have enough time to get from one end of the building to the other and a few other reasons.
15. If you could change or improve something, what would it be?Every grade level would have integrated project, meaning the teachers plan to introduce a project that has reading, writing, math, science, and the arts. Every grade level would leave campus at least once a quarter to experience more about the real world.
Reflecting No Name Calling Week
Why would I have to do community service for being late
By Anthony, Curtis´e and Alejandra
I think students shouldn’t have to do community service for being late to school, especially because it could be about something important like a doctors appointment. You also shouldn't have to get In School Suspension for being late more than five days or even get suspended from school for more than two days.
I also don't think that you should get recommitment for not having a pass because some teachers either don't have one or they forget to give you one. So that's why I think there shouldn’t be tardy sweeps or in school suspension for being late to class or school.
How the use of Derogatory Language affects our School
By Karter Green
We all know Ockley Green is a pretty diverse place, racially, socioeconomically, and there are many lgbtq students. At the same time, there’s also a lot of students who regularly use homophobic language. They say things like “that’s so gay” or “no homo” and even refer to each other as the f-slang. It’s not uncommon to hear and see this language everyday in the halls and on social media. I talked to some students who identify as lgbtq to see how they feel about the normalization of these words in our school.
“Just saying, I haven’t gone a day in this school without hearing ‘that’s so gay’ ” said one student. They continued “I feel like when people say “that’s gay” and such, they don’t realize that it’s a homophobic statement...and they say that they don’t mean it in a homophobic way.” Said another student “ I used to try and stand up to stuff I heard, but eventually I just kind of accepted it. I got sick of being called sensitive or whatever. I got bullied into some pretty intense internalized homophobia that’s pretty hard to shake. So even when people use it not intentionally to be hurtful, it can have really serious repercussions that really do affect LGBT people.”
Although it’s easier to justify “no homo” and “that’s so gay” as not intentionally homophobic, the use of the ”f” word can be extremely damaging. “The word f*gg*t is a French word that means kindling, five centuries ago, gay people were considered heretics so they would be burned. F*gg*t is straight up homophobic no matter what context you’re using it in.” Continued another student “I think that many people at our school who use these terms don’t understand the deeper meaning of it, and it seems that with some people they refuse to understand it….my point is that they don’t understand how deep it goes.”
So how can we do better? The easiest step is to personally stop using these phrases. If you say “that’s so gay” or “no homo” recognize they have a hurtful effect on the lgbtq students around you, and stop now. A harder step is to call out any homophobia you hear from fellow students. It shouldn’t just be up to lgbtq students to stand up for themselves, straight people should be allies and call it out as well, especially because we’re in an easier position, and it’s not as personal or painful to be met with potential defensiveness or pushback.
We can all work together and be aware of what we’re saying, think about how it will affect others, and choose to be kind with our words to improve the culture of our school for everyone.
How the Term 'Jew' is Offensive to Jewish People
By Anouk Cohen
TARDY PASSES
By Shelby Williams
Here at Ockley Green, we have tardy sweeps and tardy passes. For some people it’s unfair. People have classes far away from each other and find it hard to use the bathroom or get water during the passing period without being late. Some people lose their planner and can’t use their bathroom passes. This is why we need to somehow change the tardy system to make it more fitting for some.
Longer Passing Period Necessary for Student Success
By Oliver Currin-Logue
I think that we should have more time in between classes and at lunch and recess. I think we should have up to 7mins in between classes. It's hard to get to class on time when you only have 3 mins and everyone is trying to get to class because they don't want to get suspended. Also, it's hard to carry around 5 binders all day, so if we had time to go to our lockers, that would be great. Also, we should have time to go to the bathroom. Also, we shouldn't have to be on time to class right when the bell rings. We should have at least 3 minutes to not be late and get to class.
Tardy Sweeps
By Destany Bella-Martinez, Alona Badon, and Clare Diskin
Tardy sweeps are a new rule that has caused a lot of controversy. Some people think they are helpful others say they are utterly stupid, we believe they are not helpful in the slightest bit, remember these are just our opinions.
We think that tardy sweeps are dumb and useless, there are some students who for example have art then they’re next class is Ms. Hughes, they have to hurry and stress about getting “swept” into a room and have to make a phone call home because they’re class is all the way on the other side of the school, or if they dropped their school-work and had to pick it up and the bell rings or they have to use the bathroom, there is no such thing as rushing that!
When you get a tardy it starts as a teacher pulling you aside, you tell them why you are not in class then you call your parents now this rule just started not that long ago and I have yet to see any of that happen. The next time you are late it’s a different story you get a recommitment and have to call your parents, the next time your tardy you have to go to an in school suspension, and you have to talk to the staff about “how you can be better next time”, then your next tardy you have to have a parent walk you to all of your classes then the next time you are tardy you get suspended, it is so dumb.
The 10/10 Rule:
By: Charli Lewis and Imogen Cavill
The 10/10 rule is inconvenient for both students and teachers. Students have to wait at least, 23 minutes before they can use the restroom (last ten of class, three minute passing period, first ten of class), not counting other inconveniences that may be preventing them from using the restroom. Our school's passing period doesn’t seem like enough time for many students. To go all the way across the school takes at least two minutes, which only leaves one minute to go to the restroom. Even if your next class is right down the hall, you’re still in danger of being caught in tardy sweeps. Changing this policy to 5/5 instead will still keep the hallways clear for the first five minutes, as well as give the teachers time to tell the class what will be going on in class that day.
Continuing to enforce the 10/10 rule will cause students to become annoyed. Female students may be on their menstrual cycle and need to use a restroom more often, and making them have to sit and wait uncomfortably will cause them to become irritable and upset. In addition to only having three restroom passes per class, you can’t even use the bathroom for almost half of the class period. Teachers have to deal with the students annoyance and discomfort firsthand, which may cause a distraction to them and the students peers.
Going to the restroom should be easily accessible for all students. Replacing the 10/10 rule with the 5/5 rule will benefit students and teachers. No one wants to wait to exercise their privileges.
Unfair Bathroom Pass Policy
Ockley Green Middle Schools Management has enforced a bathroom pass policy that is completely unfair and here's why. Every single kid has only three bathroom passes per class period, and each quarter. Three bathroom passes could be used in only a few days, which then leaves the children to wait 45 minutes to use the bathroom and/or get water. Many teachers and staff tell us kids to use the bathroom during passing periods which is virtually impossible. For example, what if you have a class all the way across the building and only have three minutes to maneuver through crowds of kids. You would never have time to get to class on time and not get swept, which then would get your parents called.
At the end of the quarter all kids count up the total of bathroom passes used, approximately 21 passes in total. Each bathroom pass is now worth 10 OnPoints. OnPoints are used at the student store which happens at the end of Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. OnPoints can also be used at the auction that happens 4 times in a school year, most of the time at the end of each quarter. Teachers buy prizes as well as school sponsored prizes that the kids can bid on for a specific amount of OnPoints. They reward us for not using the bathroom, they might as well reward us for not for not eating. They are stopping us from doing something that we can't live without doing, it's completely unfair and foolish.
For the people who are on their periods, this is a very inefficient policy. If you’re on your period you may have cramps which leave you on the verge of wanting to throw up. Personally, I use the bathroom often because I drink lots of water throughout the day. I feel as if it's illegal to go to the restroom. So I've stopped using the bathroom, in spite of the fact that I would use all the passes in 3 days. So for the people who also feel the same, I know how you feel, I'm with you. And the fact that if you don't use the passes, you get on-points?! That's appalling to me, if you need to go to the bathroom, it is a right, not a privilege, so when the teachers say fill out a pass, its like signing a contract to go relieve yourself.Students should be able to listen to music in class
By:Shelby Williams
I believe students should listen to music in class.Most students can focus more in class while listening to music.I personally feel better when i'm listening to music while focusing on my work.Yet some students might abuse the power and play games or be on social media.That’s why teachers should have sight of the device and what the student’s are doing.I recommend music like jazz,lo-fi pop,meditation,piano,and hip hop.Music can really make an impact on what student’s do,what they focus on,and how they feel.
8th Grader Talks About Photography, How he Got Started, And How to Get Started
By Sam Roy
Recently I learned about a local eighth-grade photographer, his name is Kai Greensted. Kai is a thirteen-year-old boy who hobbies photography and has been at Ockley Green Middle School for five years.
Even though Kai got his first camera when he was nine, (an Instax Mini Polaroid),
he says his first photographic experience was at his grandma’s seventieth birthday, his aunt had a Sony camera. She asked him to take memorable photos, and he realized he loved taking photos. Kai claims he takes photos because he was never good at drawing and it was a good way to express himself, show perspective and because it was overall just fun.
Kai says that everyone can take photos, but it does take skill to get good photos. Lots of excellent photos are about the circumstance. Kai agrees that, while often pictures are better with a nicer camera, “If it’s a nice shot the camera doesn’t matter.”
According to Kai the best way to get into photography is, ”Get a camera and start shooting, just try.” It seems pretty obvious but skills come through experience and having a good teacher. If you like most people and don’t have access to a professional or at least someone with experience, there are lots of great YouTube intros to photography beginner guides.
Kai has been taking photos for four years now, and here are his personal favourites.
A Drawing by Madi Robbins
Top 15 episodes of the Office:
By Lillian U.
15. Murder (Season 6, Episode 10)
14. The Fire (Season 2, Episode 4)
13. Basketball (Season 1, Episode 5)
12. Grief Counseling (Season 3, Episode 7)
11. Beach Games (Season 3, Episode 23)
10. The Return (Season 3, Episode 14)
9. Back from Vacation (Season 3, Episode 12)
8. Threat Level Midnight (Season 7, Episode 17)
7. Nepotism (Season 7, Episode 1)
6. The Dundies (Season 2, Episode 1)
5. Niagara Part 1 and 2 (Season 6, Episode 4 and 5)
4. Branch Wars (Season 4, Episode 10)
3. Finale (Season 9, Episode 24 and 25)
2. The Injury (Season 2, Episode 12)
1. The Convict (Season 3, Episode 9)
Honorable Mentions:
Dinner Party (Season 4, Episode 13)
The Lover (Season 6, Episode 7)
Scott’s Tots (Season 6, Episode 12)
Money (Season 4, Episode 8)
Dream Team and Michael Scott Paper Company (Season 5, Episode 22 and 23)
Most of Season 1-4
5 good movies made/filmed in Oregon:
By Lillian U.
The Ring
The Ring is a movie that was made in 2002 about a journalist who investigates a curse videotape that seems to kill the viewer 7 days after watching it.
The Goonies
The Goonies embark on a great adventure through an underground maze filled with traps and skeletons, where they are pursued by Momma Fratelli and her sons Jake and Francis, who are all after One-Eyed Willy's treasure.
The Shining
A novelist, Jack Torrance, takes a job interview as winter caretaker of the isolated, old, huge and beautiful Overlook Hotel.
Coraline ( Stop motion )
A curious 11-year-old girl finds another world that is a strangely better version of her frustrating home, but it has evil secrets.
Paranorman ( Stop motion )
Paranorman is a movie about a boy who can speak to ghosts, and the undead, but is given the task of ending a 300 year old curse that was cast by a witch on his town.
MY HERO ACADEMIA
Donald burch MY HERO ACADEMIA
My hero academia is an anime about heroes who are trying to protect their country from villains. The name of the heroes are Izuku midoriya,shoto Todoroki,Katsuki bakugou,Momo yaoyorozu,Eijirou kirishima,Denki kaminari,Tenya iida,Ochako uraraka,Mina ashido,Tsuyu asui.these are the heroes who save their country from villains.The villains are Boku,Shigaraki,Dabi,Twice,Toga.these are the villains who want to kill deku.there a por hero named All might.
Kobe Bryant's Legacy
By Jenelle Dike
Kobe Bryant made 18 all-star appearances, won gold in the 2008 and 2012 in the Olympics, # 4 on all-time scoring, and is a 5-time NBA champion also, a two-time finals MVP. Kobe broke many records and impacted millions around the world and one of the best players to play basketball. Kobe Bryant was drafted when he graduated high school. He was drafted 13th in the NBA draft, in 1996. He was drafted to the Charlotte Hornets and later traded to the L.A. Lakers because Jerry West, a former Laker general manager, and former Lakers player, saw potential in him. Kobe became the second-youngest player in history to be drafted. His rookie year was the 1996 - 97 season.
In the same season, the Lakers traded for Shaquille O'Neal. Kobe soon teamed up with Shaquille O'Neal and three-peat in 2000, 2001, and 2002. In 2004, the Lakers traded Shaquille to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant, and a future first-round pick. Shaquille will later win an NBA championship in 2006, in the same year, Kobe will make history by scoring 81 points in a single game and is still today the second-highest points scored after Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points. Kobe will have his best season in 2008 when he won the M.V.P. award. Also, the Lakers made it in the final but lost to the Celtics in 6 games. In 2009 the Lakers made it to the finals and won in five games against the Orlando Magic. The next year in 2010, the Lakers made it to the finals and in 7 games against the big 3 Celtics.
Before, Kobe made 6 game-winning shots in the playoffs. Kobe wanted to chase a sixth championship to match Michael Jordan’s total because Michael Jordan him to be the player that he is today but, that did not happen because they came up short. After 20 years of being in the league, Kobe retired at the age of 38 and for his last game, he scored 60 points and won the game against the Jazz. After retirement, Kobe had two of his jerseys retired which was number 8 where he won 3 rings and number 24 where he had won 2 rings.
Kobe coached his daughter's basketball team, mentored many NBA players that are in the NBA today and won an Oscar for his short, Dear basketball. His 13-year-old daughter Gianna, watched a bunch of basketball games together watching the Lakers dominate other teams. LeBron James passed Kobe in all-time scoring making him 3rd. The next day, Kobe and Gianna and 7 others died on January 26, 2020 in a helicopter crash, at around 9:30 am Kobe was 41. Kobe will be remembered for being a fearless competitor, having a mamba mentality, being a husband, a father, and a legend. He once said that “Heros come and go but legends live forever.” Many NBA players honored Kobe by wearing his jersey and taking a 24 seconds shot clock violation and there were even tributes in the 2020 Grammys. Kobe's death impacted millions, but Kobe will be remembered for generations to come. Kobe leaves behind 3 daughters and a wife.