Willow Lane News Update
9th Edition: November 2015
Dear Advice Squad,
I am in fifth grade and I have a problem. I cannot seem to remember my homework. I just keep forgetting it in my desk. What can I do to remember my homework?
Sincerely,
Homework Forgetter
Dear Fretting Forgetter,
Thanks for writing! I bet a lot of kids at Willow Lane have the same problem with remembering homework. Hopefully one of our ideas will help you!
Whenever you are given a homework paper, put it right into your homework folder, or another folder that you take home every day. At the end of the day, use your assignment book to check to make sure you have everything you need to do your homework (including that folder!). Some other things to try might be: using a post-it note on your desk to remind you to take home homework, or using a watch alarm as a reminder about your homework. You can also make sure your desk is organized so that it is easy to find what you need to take home.
Once you get home, if you realize you don’t have your homework, you can look online at your teacher’s website, or call a friend to see if you can make a copy of the paper or take a picture of it and print it out.
We hope with these tips you will soon be a Homework Rememberer!
The Willow Lane Advice Squad
Dear Willow Lane Advice Squad,
Hi, I’m in 4th grade and I am a girl. I have a problem with my dog. She is so cute but she ate some of my Halloween candy! I walked a mile for that candy. She is too cute to yell at. I don’t know what to do. I am so confused.
Sincerely,
Dog Disaster Doomed
Dear Doggy Downer,
We’re sorry to hear that your pup ate your Halloween loot!! It’s probably good that you didn’t yell at your dog though, because sometime it is hard for dogs to understand what they might have done wrong.
In the future, you might try keeping your candy on a high shelf or in a cabinet where the dog can’t reach it. Also, before you eat your candy, maybe you can give your dog a treat, and then go eat your candy in another room where your dog can’t get to you.
We hope the rest of your sweets stay far away from puppy paws!!
The Willow Lane Advice Squad
Dear Willow Lane Advice Squad,
I’m in fifth grade and I hate my table at lunch. They always yell even when me and my friends are quiet. They always get us out last. What should I do?
Sincerely,
Lunchtime Loser
Dear Last Out Luncher,
It sounds like your lunch break hasn’t been very much fun lately. Have you tried giving the other kids at your table the quiet sign, or asking them to be quieter? That might be the first thing you could try. If that doesn’t work, maybe you could ask to be switched to a different lunch table. You could also talk to the adults in the cafeteria about what has been going on, to see if they have another solution that would work, or talk to your teacher about it, if the loud lunchers are in your class.
We hope you will be surrounded by peaceful picnickers very soon!
The Willow Lane Advice Squad
Editor's Note:
How to be Grateful
by Kya Vandersluis
Think about the fact that you are alive; you are in this amazing world living today.
You have amazing parents.
You are supported no matter what.
You have parents that love you no matter what.
People love you.
You are beautiful/handsome, no matter what.
You have school to focus on (even if you don’t like school) :)
You live.
You are smart.
- YOU CAN EAT TURKEY!!!!!
Daylight Savings
By Jayden Green
Did you know that on November first we change the clock back one hour? Sometimes it can be confusing, because if you are used to waking up in the morning at 7:30, on November 2nd you would actually be waking up at 6:30 even though the clock says 7:30AM!
Did you know that George Hudson brought up the DST ( Daylight Savings) in 1895? Even though some people say he started it all, this has been brought up before. And, did you Know that Benjamin Franklin actually mentioned this idea long, long, ago? This means that Mr. Hudson was not the first one to mention this, but he was one of the last people to do this . The first time this was used was in Europe on April 30, 1916.
Back then, they would just adjust their daily schedule due to the sun. William Willett also suggested changing the clocks ahead 20 min on each of the 4 sundays in April, and doing the same in September, but changing the clocks “back”.
The Dangerous Activities Debate
Carina McCallum
The October “Time for Kids” magazine made me think about this question: “Should kids be allowed to take on dangerous challenges?” I think kids should be allowed to do dangerous things because they already do dangerous things like riding a bike. You can fall off and break your arm. Or climbing a rock wall. You can get badly hurt without a harness. Which is why I also think kids shouldn’t be allowed to do dangerous things. They could get hurt or killed when doing really dangerous activities like skydiving. The magazine showed two kids debating. One girl from California said she thinks kids shouldn’t be allowed to do dangerous things because she thinks many things could go wrong. One boy from New York said kids should be allowed to do dangerous things, but they need to be prepared to train hard. Do you think kids should be allowed to do dangerous things?
Editor's Note
Artwork in the Library
By Jonathan Nelson, Hailie Heller, and Damar Gilzane
Have you seen the library walls lately? They’re no longer just plain white. Mrs. Newton commented that Mr. Kirk did most of the work. He has given a lot of time and energy for this project. You should visit the library to see what we’re writing about. We think the library looks more interesting and cozy. Jungle animals are everywhere! The paint color choices are bright and beautiful. In fact, they’re doing stuff that people do. My teacher taught us that’s called anthropomorphism, a very popular form of figurative language in children’s literature. Our favorite part shows the animals reading books. We think the monster artwork pieces for the book fair are pretty cool too. Mr.Kirk wanted to make the library more beautiful and more colorful. Mr.Kirk said it will take to the end of the of the year.
Barnes & Noble Night
Barnes and Noble night is so much fun; you should really come. There is a lot of food, so if you get hungry you can get something to eat. There will also be a play that teachers are in. There will be much more. We hope you come.
Trout in the Classroom
Bingo Night
Cassie Doemling
Students, parents, teachers, family and friends attended Willow Lane Bingo Night on November 6, 2015. You could smell the fresh popcorn as you walked through the doors. There were tons of sweet treats and snacks! Raffle baskets lined the stage and you could feel the excitement in the air!
When I asked a few teachers and several students what they liked best about Willow Lane Bingo Night, most people replied, “seeing family and friends.” Others said, “they enjoyed eating amazing food and winning prizes.” It was interesting to learn that Dr.Moyer hoped to win the City Fun raffle basket.
I have been attending Willow Lane Bingo Night since I was in kindergarten. When I was in second grade, I won a raffle basket! Sadly, this year I wasn’t so lucky. I am already looking forward to next year’s event!
Interviewing at Bingo Night
By: Jayden Green
On Friday, November,6,2015 I interviewed some teachers and kids at the Willow Lane Bingo night.
I asked:What is your favorite basket; most kids replied with the school supply basket. The teachers replied with the baking basket the most.
I also asked the question what is your favorite part about bingo night?
Mikayla F.- Winning baskets
Tyler G.- Raffle baskets
Abby E.- Winning Raffles
Mrs.Brill- Seeing everyone happy
Mr.Foster- Calling Bingo
Mrs.Martin- likes when people are excited
Abby R.- seeing all of her friends
Megan- Winning prizes
It seemed like everyone liked the raffle baskets.
I also had the chance to talk to a raffle basket winner, Peyton K. she said it felt great to be a basket winner, and she liked the basket.
I had a lot of fun interviewing teachers and students during bingo night.
Editor's Note
Willow Lane Bingo Night
By: Matthew Grossi
Earlier this year Willow Lane had its annual Bingo Night. The crowd was humungous and the food was delicious. Everyone was there to win the raffle baskets, which were awesome, to win a game of Bingo and the fun prizes with each game and to eat the scrumptious food.
This reporter had a chance to interview several people who attended Bingo Night. First up, Joe Tittermary was interviewed. Mr. Tittermary, father of Willow Lane students Connor and Gavin, has been to Bingo Night before. This time, he was aiming to win the City Fun raffle basket. Also interviewed was Amber Holliday, sister of Willow Lane third grade student Savanna Holliday. Amber has also been to Bingo Night before and has eaten the delicious food. She was hoping to win the Superhero raffle basket.
Then I interviewed my amazing soccer coach, Chris Harvey (father of Callum Harvey in Mrs. Merrill’s third grade class) and Coach Harvey’s daughter Fiona, who is in first grade with Mrs. Hulmes. Both Fiona and Coach Harvey have been to Bingo Night before, have eaten the food, but have never won a basket or a game of Bingo.
I also got to interview Carson Castillo, a winner of the Winter Fun raffle basket. I asked him what it felt like to win and he said it felt great. One of the staff members I interviewed was Ms. Gecik. She has participated in Bingo Night before but she has never won a basket. In this reporter’s opinion she was a very good Bingo caller.
Last but not least, I interviewed the big winners of the night, Ryan and Sydney Bennett. They have been to Bingo Night before, they have definitely eaten the food before and they totally won the night. In fact, they won three baskets at Bingo Night this year! Ryan and Sydney both said they were amazed that they won so much.
Well, Willow Lane, Bingo Night 2015 was amazing. If you did not make it to Bingo this year, I hope next year you can come. It is hard to win, but if you are lucky it happens. And no matter what, it is always a good time with friends.
Student Conferences and Report Cards!
by Colin Holden
Everyone's anxious for their student conference and report cards! The kids are waiting for their report cards. The parents are waiting for student conferences to see how their children are doing in school. When you have a student conference, you should check out the book fair. You get a report card each marking period, so don’t forget about your
report card and student conference at Willow Lane!Willow Lane Honors Veterans
Katherine Harries
Do you want to bring a veteran somewhere? Well I know where you can do that, at our Willow Lane Veterans’ Day assembly. My great grandfather was there. He was in the Navy during World War II. The assembly had food for the veterans. Some students wrote letters to the veterans and some performed patriotic songs for them. They are extremely deserving of the honor because they were in the military. Take it from me, that’s a tough job. Whether or not you had a veteran at our assembly, say “thank you for your service” to the veterans you see. Happy Veterans’ Day!
Cassie Doemling
Every year on November 11th we honor our veterans. We celebrate their service in the armed forces. At Willow Lane we recognized our veterans by holding an assembly. During the assembly students sang songs, read letters written to veterans, and fourth graders performed a dance. At the end of the assembly, I interviewed four veterans.Three of the men were in the army and one was in the navy. I was surprised to learn that one of the men was in the military for twenty-six years! Another veteran served for eighteen years. The other two men served for two and three years. I am thankful for all of the men and women who serve our country!
by JONATHAN NELSON
NORMAN NISCHAN was in the Army. He never went to combat. He was 18 when he joined, and is 75 years old now. BRYAN NELSON's branch was the Army. He was only 17 when he joined, and stayed until he was 32. He never went to combat either. HOWARD SHUTTS was a door gunner, a crew chief, and a helicopter guy who did not experience combat. He started in 1968, and was in the Army. He started when he was 20.
A visiting veteran was in the Navy, and he never was in combat. His age when he started was 17 and when he ended he was 32. A coast guard, he never was in combat he worked for an electrician. He started when he was 19 and ended when he was 34. A person from the Air Force started when he was 20 and went to combat. I hope you had a great Veterans Day and to the Air Force and Navy, and Coast Guards, and the Army, and every one of you veterans, have a great Veterans Day…...
Collin and Jackson Holden
“I was a gunner’s mate in the Navy on the USS John R. Pierce,” answered David Holden. When asked, “When did you join the Navy,” Mr. Holden told me… In the 60s during the Vietnam War. I asked, “When did you get out of the Navy?” He said he got out of the navy in 1969. I asked, "What were your days in the Navy like?" He said he spent his days running drills and painting. We asked, "Did you actually go to war?" He replied "No." Last but not least, we asked what his boat was made out of. He said steel.That was our interview with David Holden!!!
By Aleena Khokhar
I interviewed someone named Mr. Seveir. He was a Marine. He was 22 years old when he joined the Marines. Before Mr. Seveir joined the Marines, he lived in New jersey. His parents names are Rose and Jeremy Seveir. Some of Mr. Seveir’s hobbies were playing basketball and soccer.
Jackson Holden
I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard Mr. Brian Nelson tell me that he was only 8 years older than I am now when he entered the Army. He was only 17 years old! I wondered if the Military still took care of him. Mr. Nelson told me that it does. Mr. Treester said that the government isn’t taking care of him anymore. I thought the government isn’t taking care of veterans...that’s not good. He was a medic, I thought that was really interesting; I think that means he helped people when they were injured. Mr. Ron Smith entered the Navy in 1965, that’s a long time ago. An older gentleman wearing a hat was a company commander. He was in the Army. I’ve never heard of a company commander; that sounds important though. Thank you to all those who have served in the branches for keeping America safe and free.
Douglas C. Miller, United States Army, Specialist First Class (corporal)
By Logan Kuder
My grandfather, Douglas Miller, was drafted into the United States Army at the age of 22 years old. The above picture was taken soon after he entered the Army. Once he completed his basic and infantry training, he boarded a large ship on the East Coast to begin his journey to Vietnam.
His trip took several weeks. During this time, his ship traveled through the Panama Canal, then to San Francisco, and from there across the Pacific Ocean to Vietnam, which is located in Southeastern Asia. When my grandfather finally arrived, he found that the weather was very hot and rainy.
He set up in base camp for about a week before leaving on his missions. This was the last time that he would be sleeping somewhat comfortably for a long time. Base camp had small tents with cots, but once outside of camp, the only “bed” he had was the ground of Vietnam soil in the Central Highlands Region.
My grandfather’s job was an RTO, otherwise known as a Radio Transmitter Operator. In addition to his weapons and all of his personal gear, he also carried a special pack known as a PRC-10. This radio pack served as a very important link from his unit to headquarters. My grandfather had to be very careful during his time out in the field. The RTO was usually a target for the enemy, who knew that at most times the RTO was the only communications link for their squad.
Getting to his areas was not easy. He flew in by helicopter to places called Pleiku and An Khe on “search and destroy” missions. When arriving in each area, he would repel down a rope to the ground if there wasn’t a place for his helicopter to land safely. Even if the helicopters could land, the men would have to get out very quickly because it was dangerous for the helicopters to stay there for very long.
Other special missions included finding and sealing off sections of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The enemy troops were using this as a supply route to get weapons, food and equipment they needed to fight. The jungles of the trail were hot, humid and rainy. This kind of weather was hard on our troops and a breeding ground for mosquitos.
It was during this time in the jungles of Vietnam that my grandfather was bitten by mosquitoes that carried a disease called Malaria. This made him very sick. When a field hospital could no longer care for him, he was flown to Japan where he spent months in the hospital until he was finally discharged back to the states in 1966.
I love my grandfather very much, and I’m so happy that he made it back home safely. I wouldn’t be here if he didn’t return.
Movies
by Aleena Khokhar
Did you know that there are a lot of new movies coming out like "The Good Dinosaur," "Goosebumps," and "Star-Wars"? They all sound so interesting. My favorite movie would probably be "The Good Dinosaur." Did you know that there is a boy named Spot and a dinosaur named Arlo in "The Good Dinosaur?" Let’s talk about "Goosebumps" now. I think it will be really scary because all of the characters are going to come to real life! It will probably be very scary. Now let’s talk about "Star-Wars." I bet "Star-Wars" will be really cool. Darth Vader is on the dark side. Jedis can defeat Darth Vader with their deadly weapons. I bet all of the movies will be really cool. I can’t wait for all of them to come out in the theaters.
Willow Lane Cozy Theater
by Lency Tankwa
This year Willow Lane Elementary School has its first Cozy Theater. It will be really fun. There will be a movie, games, and even food like hot dogs, popcorn, and chips. Also, there will be a movie called, "Inside Out." It sounds like a good movie. It is this Friday in the Willow Lane gym, and the tickets are free. You should signup It sounds like the coolest event right now on earth. Hope you can make it!
Editor's Note
Sports
2015 Rugby World Cup
By: Matthew R. Grossi
What sport is like American football, but you pass the ball backward, and if you get tackled you have to pass the ball to your teammate? “Rugby!” The 2015 Rugby World Cup was an intense tournament that took place the last two weeks of September in England.
Rugby is probably one of the closest sports to American football. They don’t wear helmets though. There are rugby clubs in Bristol and Bethlehem.
New Zealand battled it out with Australia for first place. Before the game, New Zealand did a dance called the Haka. Only the Maori people do it. They squat down, stick their tongue out and make a voice. They put their left hand on their right shoulder and their right hand on their left shoulder. The Haka is a war cry. Finally, the whistle blew. ”Pass, pass, tackle, tackle.” New Zealand (the all blacks) had a great kicker named Dan Carter. The all blacks got points because he could curve the ball in the goal post. Both New Zealand and Australia scored many points. At the end of the game the score was 34 New Zealand 17 Australia. Rugby is a fun sport. I don’t expect you to go to Bristol, but Bethlehem is not too far.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haka_(sports)
Football
By: Jackson Holden
The fans are back, and it’s time to get really serious! Football is a game with an oval ball called a football. It is used for throwing, catching, and then running with it. American football started in 1920. In the game, the quarterback throws for the receiver to catch it, or he hands it to a running back to run with it. There’s a field they run on with two rectangular boxes that are called end-zones. When a player gets to the back of the field without getting tackled or a flag pulled, they get a touchdown; that’s worth 6 points. Next, they try to earn 2 more points by running the football into the end-zone once again, or 1 more point by kicking a field-goal. There are two forms of football; flag and tackle. (Editor's note: I grew up with "2-hand-touch:) There are 32 teams in the NFL, which is the National Football League. Each NFL team is allowed to have 53 players. A salary cap is a rule or agreement that the team can only spend a limited amount of money to pay athletes. According to "Time for Kids: The History of Football," it is America's favorite sport. The father of football is considered Walter Camp. (Check out the Time for Kids article for reasons why.) Hope you keep on rooting!
World Series Champions
Chris Ammirati
BEES BEWARE
Lency Tankwa
Bees have been struggling for more than 10 years. What can be done to help them? Save the Bees. Don’t kill them. If you do, you won't have honey!! In May, the USDA said it would set aside $4 million to help people who wanted to grow, pollinator-friendly plants.The program will help Bees and Beekeepers.
Beekeepers face many challenges. Bees can sting, but that does not mean to hurt them for no reason. Soybean fields, like this one, don’t offer bees food they need.There are 3 Types of bees; the Queen, Drones, and Workers. They each have jobs that, in the flyer I read, are interesting to see. I hope you enjoyed reading, thank you.
Black Friday
By Gabriela Saez
On Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving Thursday) there are sales on everything in the store. There are many many people at Black Friday. That's why there are many sales at Black Friday. You have to stay outside sometimes.
When I was at Black Friday with my family at Houston, my family got a lot of stuff. My brother got a green computer, and I got a fun game called Head Benzz. You have to guess the character from Disney.
Ava Peloso said, "The lines are ridiculous. At Target last year they even made people come back in two hours. That’s how big the lines were!"
Black Friday gets lots of money. I know, you might think that the things are on sale, but people buy a lot of stuff, so they get about 7,056 dollars from Black Friday because it’s so famous. Black Friday is why there is a lot of the wild traffic around downtown stores starting in 1961.
Editor's Note
Below is a link to a British Broadcasting Channel (BBC) article about England's experience with the encroaching American trend of pushing early holiday spending. Did you know that England does not celebrate Thanksgiving? It makes sense when you think about it, but hard to believe that Black Friday is just a Friday in November to the British.
While reading...
What does the word dissident mean, and why is BBC suggesting one company is "UK's most high profile Black Friday dissident"? They (the dissident) might have a point. See if you agree.
What kind of person is an opportunist? How is one American company combating Black Friday?
What does an analyst do? Why might Black Friday NOT be a good idea?
What is an antidote, and do we need one for Black Friday, why or why not?
Editor's Note
This is something new we are trying: we hoped to video tape every second grader (who was willing) so that an entire grade was represented in a newspaper movie. It was challenging. The movie was mostly student-generated. Hopefully you will see yourself, but if you aren't in the video, don't feel bad. Better luck next time.
And of course, Happy Thanksgiving!
Willow Lane Newspaper Club
Email: mweimann@eastpennsd.org
Website: http://classic.eastpennsd.org/teacherpages/mweimann/Willow%20Lane%20Newspaper%20Club.html
Location: 6135 Sauerkraut Lane, Macungie, PA, United States
Phone: (484) 519-3300