Honeycomb
October 2018
BBHMS Named National Blue Ribbon School
Brecksville-Broadview Heights Middle School was selected as a 2018 National Blue Ribbon School by the United States Department of Education! BBHMS is one of only 349 schools in the entire country and the ONLY middle school in the State of Ohio to have earned this national honor. In order to receive this honor, a school must demonstrate achievement, incorporate high learning standards and make notable improvements in closing the achievement gap. The National Blue Ribbon School award acknowledges and validates the hard work of students, educators, families, and communities in striving for and attaining exemplary achievement. Congressman David Joyce recently presented Mr. Rings with a proclamation as well as proclaimed the Middle School’s accomplishment on the floor of the United States House of Representatives and read a statement into the official Congressional Record. Two representatives from the Middle School will travel to Washington, D.C. on November 7th and 8th, to receive a plaque and a flag as symbols of this National Blue Ribbon achievement. We should BEE PROUD to be a part of this historic achievement!
Staff Spotlight: Mr. MacRaild
I had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. MacRaild, our school’s computer teacher. He teaches his students everything from programming to navigating the internet. He has classes with seventh grade as well as eighth grade red and gold. I hope you enjoy getting to know him a little bit more as much as I did.
Q: What do you hope your students will get out of your class?
A: Hopefully students can get some skills that they otherwise didn't have when using technology to make things easier in their lives. Specifically more advanced skills like coding, web design and ways to use tech more than socially and for games.
Q: Why did you become a teacher?
A: Since 8th grade I knew I wanted to be a teacher. Both of my parents were educators as is my older sister. I was teaching swim lessons at the age of 13 and from then on I was hooked!
Q: Is there anything you want your students to know?
A: Your digital footprint never goes away! Once you post it, it is there forever. Yes, even Snapchat!
Q: What is your favorite thing about our middle school?
A: I love the energy in a middle school. The power of a group of middle schoolers to make great changes is limitless. Seeing students come together for something positive, like Kick It or a new club or a team, is awesome!
Q: What did you want to be before you became a teacher?
A: I didn't really think about being anything but a teacher. I was fortunate to really have made up my mind at an early age.
Q: What first got you into computers?
A: I was teaching science at another school and always used a bunch of technology in my lessons, so the principal offered me a computer teaching job and the rest is history!
Q: Do you think the school is great? Why or why not?
A: I think school is great! You get to hang out with friends, learn about the world that you will eventually make an impact on, and gain skills to contribute to the world!
Q: Why do you want to work at this school?
A: BBHMS has always had a reputation as a great school. I have been fortunate enough to work in some great schools and really wanted to find a school that I could apply new tech and teaching in. The opportunity to change the tech program at BBHMS was part of my interview and I got excited about the prospect of teaching something other than documents.
Q: What strategies do you suggest to kids wanting to improve?
A: I think wanting to improve is one of the most important traits a student can have. There is always room to grow and get better at everything. You can always be a better athlete, friend, brother or sister, student and person. It's just a matter of putting in the effort, working hard at improving and being willing to fail and try again and again.By Anna Painter
Fall Fun
Do you have spare time this fall, but don’t want to go too far? Here are some fun things to do in October and November that will fill your weekends but not your mileage.
October:
Broadview Heights Haunted House
When: All of October
Where: 1010 Towpath Trail, Broadview Heights
Go apple picking at Heavenly Hill Farm
When: All of October
Where: 18375 State Road, North Royalton
For more information, go to this link
Kiwanis “Trick or Trot”
When: October 27
Where: Oak Grove in the Metroparks
Go to a Craft Fair
When: October 27, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Where: Church of the Assumption, 1983 Broadview Road
For more information, go to this link
November:
Go See Elf Jr. the Musical
When: November 2-4, 9-11, and 16-18
Where: Old Town Hall, 49 Public Square, Brecksville
For ticket sales, specific times, and more information, go to this link
Go to the Holiday Craft Fair
When: November 17, 9:00 AM-3:00 PM
Where: North Royalton High School
For more information, go to this link
Go to the Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting
When: November 25, 4 PM
🍁 The Leaves of Fall 🍁
Year after year, we are surrounded by the colors of autumn. Though the fair weather and pumpkin-flavored foods are sure not to disappoint, the most iconic part of the season is the bounty of colorful (but sometimes withered) leaves that find their way into your home, even in the dead of winter. Many people take fall leaves for granted, not even pausing to think of why they are so. This brings us to the science of it all- why leaves turn colors in the fall, why some don’t, and some other things you may not have known about fall.
It all begins in the spring, when green leaves start to grow back on trees. The green color comes from chlorophyll. Trees need these leaves that contain chlorophyll, because it produces food and sugar for it. As the year goes on, amounts of daylight and temperature change, causing the process of photosynthesis to come to a halt. The green turns to yellows, oranges, and reds. Yellow pigments are called cartenese, orange are xanthophyll, and red are anthocyanin. The leaves then develop a layer of cells from where the stem is attached to the tree, which breaks the connection and sends them tumbling to the ground.
Then why don’t pine trees turn green, too? It turns out that they do, but because they produce so much chlorophyll, the green overrides the potential red, yellow, and orange colors. Their leaves don’t fall out all at once, so it appears they are always frozen at the stage of summer.
Fall is the time for many changes and excitement for the season. Whether you stop next time to think about why the leaves change color, or not, be sure to enjoy them. It won’t last long!
Fun Facts:
The Northern Lights are twice as likely to appear during fall and winter months.
During the Fall Equinox, there are equal amounts of daylight and nighttime. An easy way to remember this is that the stem “equi” means equal, and “nox” means night.
No film with the word “Autumn” has ever won an Oscar. Coincidence?
Those born in September-November have a higher chance of living to 100 than others.
This season used to be called “harvest” before the 16th century.
By Hana Mazak
Book Corner
Welcome to Book Corner! During this year, this section will have a book review every month, with a book I’ve enjoyed and think someone else will. For this month, I’ll be recommending the book Coraline by Neil Gaiman. Seventh and eighth graders may remember reading this during literature circles during Reading and some sixth graders may be reading it this year. There’s also a graphic novel adaptation for people who prefer those to books. This title may even sound familiar from the film, which is loosely based off the book. I’ve decided to review both for you guys!!
Let’s start with the novel. It was a fairly interesting book. I liked the characters and I could definitely tell that the movie took some quotes directly from it, which I always like. A few characters from the movie were missing, but I didn’t mind that book much. The book was also paced waaay faster than the movie was and less happens, probably because of how short the book was (162 pages). Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it for fans of the movie or people that have never seen it.
Now to the graphic novel…
The graphic novel was also great, and I may have even liked it more than the book. It was slightly slower paced, making it easier to follow and the pictures really added to the story. It was well-illustrated and structured, only cutting maybe a few sentences for length purposes. I enjoyed reading it and it is a fairly easy to read graphic novel. I finished it in a day! Both the novel and the graphic novel are quick, single-sitting reads perfect for Halloween!!
By Ashlyn Audino
Mrs. Mieskoski's Book Recommendations
Club Spotlight: Honeycomb
Are you thinking about joining a club but don’t know what you might like? Well as one of the students in Honeycomb, I highly recommend it.
What is Honeycomb?--- Honeycomb is a club is where you can write articles or create activities for the school newspaper (which is what you are currently reading).
What can you write about?--- You can honestly write about anything school related. Also, just like in a normal newspaper, you can have a comic section or an art section. Speaking of which, I’m also going to be making an art section next article. Please send in art here---HERE---and email it to bankse09@bbhcsd.org with editing access. I will include your name and grade along with the art.
Perks of being in the club: --- You can have the chance to meet lots of new people, make new friends, and get better with your technology/writing skills. Also, if you aren't very good at writing articles or you can’t think of what to write, then just help with organizing the final piece.
Extras--- If you are interested in joining, please contact Mrs. Leavitt in room 207 for more information.
By Erika Banks
Musical Madness
Hello everyone! Welcome to Musical Madness! This is where we talk about the best form of entertainment...musicals! Every issue we will have a new Musical Madness. Every article will explain 3 pairs of musical. You can vote for your favorite in each pair. The winning musicals will move on to the next round. So basically it’s like a tournament with musicals. The winner will move on to the next Musical Madness. Got it? Let's get started! (Also SPOILER ALERT for all of these musicals continue with caution!)
Hamilton vs Wicked
Hamilton: Ok any musical theater fan would know this would be on here but it truly is AMAZING! It was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and WOW did he do a good job! It takes you through Alexander Hamilton's life through fun catchy songs. It becomes even more amazing when you see it on stage. TRUST ME! With a mix a happy and sad songs this musical will get you singing and dancing in no time! Also crying… A LOT! So if you want Hamilton to move on don’t forget to vote!
Wicked: I can hear everyone thinking right now… HOW CAN YOU CHOOSE BETWEEN WICKED AND HAMILTON!!! I know. It’s hard. Personally I can’t decide so all of you need to decide now. I’m sorry. On the other hand Wicked is just as amazing! Here is a quick run down. Ready...Ok! Let's start. It all began when a “little” book called Wicked came out which talked about what happened before The Wizard of Oz. It follows the story of Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West. It shows she’s actually good and her and Glinda were friends. She got framed and the reason she wanted the shoes was because they belonged to her sister and she sacrifices herself at the end. Is your mind blown?! It then became a musical filled with magic and classic songs and is still on Broadway today! With fun songs and the last one making you cry.
Both of these musicals are awesome but you need to choose. So Wicked or Hamilton?
Annie vs. The Sound of Music
Annie: Up next the Broadway classic Annie. A heartwarming story of an orphan named of course Annie. I’m sure you all know the songs "Tomorrow" and "Hard Knock Life". "NYC" and "Easy Street" are just as amazing! It’s so perfect. I mean it may be a bit overdone but it doesn’t make Annie bad. I mean I adore this musical and there really is a role for everyone in this. (FYI there is also a dog.) So vote for Annie if you want it to move on!
The Sound of Music: Another classic! Classic vs. Classic. Let's do this! Ok so this started out as a Broadway musical so this definitely counts. Most people know the songs such as “The Hills Are Alive: and “16 going on 17” (I adore this one too). It’s so much fun with iconic scenes and it’s based on history!!! Yay history! This musical combines both happy and sad things making it the perfect combination. Few! 2 more to go!
Aladdin vs. The Lion King (On Broadway)
Aladdin: Movie to Broadway.... if you love magic go see this musical because it is full of magic and a bunch of shiny stuff. They changed it up a bit to make it more sophisticated and way better than before. This includes new characters, songs, and dances. It is truly spectacular!
Lion King: This musical took Broadway by storm! It truly embraced African culture and was a good take on the original movie. Just like Aladdin it made the movie way more sophisticated. If you want a more serious musical go with Lion King. Another thing is the whole entire production is super creative. It really is a sight to see! So make sure to vote! (Cue winking face)
Remember to Vote! Here is the link: https://goo.gl/forms/7UBbMlToJ5mPURJv1
By Elise Miller
Creativity Central
Autumn Poem
The air turns brisk and cold,
It’s time to let those long sleeves and jackets unfold,
Grab some hot cocoa or maybe some tea….warm apple cider, or some steaming coffee?
The leaves turn red and orange and the green fades away,
now not even for a second should you not enjoy fall, it only lasts a little while,
Trust me, winter comes fast!
By Erika Banks
Tell Us What you think
Scavenger Hunt
Where in the school was this picture taken?