Davies Dragon Pride Newsletter
December
Student Council Bios and Results
On November 3rd, 4th, and 5th, elections were held for the positions of President and Vice President of Student Council. Get to know your candidates better with their interview biographies. Enjoy!!
President Bios
1.) Jackie Copperman- Jackie is an 8th grader who enjoys playing field hockey and the drums. Jackie likes to hang out with her friends, and her favorite food is strawberries. Her favorite color is light pink and she loves Student Council. Jackie is running for president because she loves Student Council and being able to lead it with the other officers sounds like so much fun, and she feels like she can do so much.
2.) Natalia Solano- Natalia is a very athletic girl. She does wrestling, and plays soccer and basketball. Her favorite color is blue and her favorite food is tacos. Natalia describes herself as straight-forward, so she will tell you what she thinks. She wanted to be President so that she can tell the administrators what the kids like and don't like, and make Davies a better place.
3.) Kristen Siebert- Kristen is into street hockey and snowboarding. She is in the Adventure Crew (which is like Boy Scouts). She plays piano, and is in Drama club. Kristen's favorite color is teal/turquoise. When asked what word she would use to describe herself, she said “spontaneous.” She is ran for president of Student Council because she would like to make a change for our school and help out. (not pictured)
Vice-President Bios
1.) Samantha McConaghy- Samantha is an 8th grader with a talent for many things. She likes to do Irish dance, and is an assistant dance teacher. She plays piano and does scholarship pageants. A scholarship pageant is where, if you win the pageant, you get a scholarship. She likes almost any kind of seafood and loves the color blue. She is also in NJHS, STEM club, and the Academic team. Sam ran for Student Council vice-president so that she could make the school a better place and fix the complaints of students and staff.
2.) Andrea Riggins- Andrea is an 8th grader. She was a competitive gymnast for 10 years, but had to stop because of an injury. Andrea’s favorite color is green and she loves breakfast food. She also likes vanilla and mocha coffee. Andrea is in NJHS and wanted to be vice-president of Student Council so that she can improve the school with her ideas.
3.) Alexis Cabrera- Alexis, a 7th grader, enjoys listening to the singer P!nk’s music and hanging out with her family. Her favorite foods are cheeseburgers and barbecue everything. In her spare time, Alexis does ballet. Other clubs she is in include Newsletter and Spanish. Her favorite subject is Language Arts and she loves to write fantasy stories. Alexis wanted to be vice-president so that she could help out with Student Council with the other officers and have her voice heard.
4.) Gia Marini- Gia is in choir and does gymnastics and cheerleading for Mays Landing Lakers. Her favorite color is turquoise, and she likes to get her nails done. Gia describes herself as very organized and her favorite subject is math, which is also what she is best at. Her favorite food is chicken cordon bleu and she ran for vice-president because she thinks that she could come up with ideas about dances and ideas to help the school.
Your new President of Student Council is: Natalia Solano!
Your new Vice-President of Student Council is: Samantha McConaghy!
We also have a new Secretary and Treasurer!! Congratulations to Gabrielle Santosuosso and Gianna DiGregorio!!
Congratulations to all! It’s going to be a great year with our new officers!
~Alexis Cabrera
Hour of Code
To celebrate Computer Science Week, STEM, LMT, and Math classes participated in an Hour of Code. As an introduction to coding, students move through various activities at their own
pace, learning the fundamentals of computer programming. The Hour of Code is a global movement in which tens of millions of students ages 4 to 104 participate, most with little to no experience. Students can go to www.code.org to learn and program from home, as well. Many jobs of the future will demand skills that can be learned through these activities; why not get a head start now?
Movie Reviews (Spoiler Alerts)
Jurassic World
On June 12th, 2015, director Colin Trevorrow and Universal Studios added onto the original 1993 film Jurassic Park, by making Jurassic World. Rotten Tomatoes rated it a solid 70% and IMDb rated is a 7.2/10. It is based 22 years after the events of the original Jurassic Park. The main character, Owen, played by Chris Pratt, is asked to inspect the new dinosaur’s padlock. But this isn’t just any regular dinosaur, it is a genetically modified beast. It is set free and rages havoc in the park. Owen uses his trained raptors to try and track down the Indominus rex. However, the raptors side with the Indominus rex and their only hope is their old enemy, the T-rex. If you haven’t already watched it, I suggest you do. Trust me, it isn’t nearly as bad as The Lost World or Jurassic Park Ⅲ, which had a horrible plot, bad characters and used very bad CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery). ~Jake Burnett
Pixels
Pixels is a movie directed by Chris Columbus. It is a movie about President Will Cooper (Kevin James) who gets news that some alien race has intercepted a video of the 1982 video game world championship and has taken it as a threat. He recruits his childhood friends, Sam Brenner (Adam Sandler) and Ludlow Lamonsoff (Josh Gad) to fend off the waves of video-game inspired enemies. From “Donkey Kong”, to “Centipede,” to “Pac-Man,” and even some slightly unknown characters, like “Qbert” and “Lady Lisa.” While it uses mature language, it is a movie the whole family will enjoy. Everyone except the Smurf that got shot near the end of the movie.
There is a lot of humor and video game characters that everyone will recognize. ~Jake Burnett
Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2
On November 20th, the conclusion of The Hunger Games series: Mockingjay Part 2 came out. If you have read the books and seen the other movies, you cannot miss this one! It starts off exactly where part 1 ends, and continues with the same, high-action story line. Katniss brings a whole new meaning to the term ‘Mockingjay’, and is the symbol of something bigger than what she ever imagined. This movie keeps you on the edge of your seat, scene through scene, as Katniss faces The Capitol, President Snow, and herself. ~Alexis Cabrera
Top 2015 Music (as of mid-November)
“Perfect” - One Direction Fun fact: Before they came up with the name One Direction, Niall suggested the band should be called “Niall and the Potatoes."
"Hotline Bling"-Drake Fun fact: Drake played Jimmy Brooks in the Television series “Degrassi.”
"What Do You Mean"-Justin Bieber Fun fact: He is claustrophobic (fear of being in narrow or enclosed spaces such as closets and elevators).
"Stitches"-Shawn Mendes Fun fact: Shawn Mendes, was found by posting covers of songs on a social media called vine.
"Style"-Taylor Swift Fun fact: She is more comfortable in dresses than blue jeans and a t-shirt.
"679"-Fetty Wap Fun fact: Fetty Wap is from Paterson, New Jersey!!!
"Can't Feel My Face"-The Weeknd Fun fact: The lead singer is only 22 years old.
"Locked Away-R.City ft Adam Levine" Fun fact: Adam Levine actually started Maroon 5 in junior high.
"Watch Me"-Silento Fun Fact: He still attends regular high school with his friends and teachers.
"Marvin Gaye"-Charlie Puth ft. Meghan Trainor Fun fact: Charlie Puth is 23 years old. Meghan Trainor never danced in front of people until the video shoot for “All About that Bass.” ~Morgan Lake
An Open Letter
Dear Bullies,
I bet you never realized the impact you might leave on a person, did you? I'm sure if you did, you wouldn't do it. Bullying takes many forms, such as talking negatively about another person, intimidating them, or even being physical. It's not cool, nor is it fair. How would you feel if someone treated someone you love the way you treated others? You probably think you bully people because you think it is funny, but it’s more likely that you do it because you are insecure about yourself. Instead of being a bully, try being a friend. Ever try that? And if you are being bullied don't be afraid to speak up. There’s always somebody to help you, you are not alone. Be strong, communication is key to getting help. Know that you don't deserve this, know that you have support systems such as friends and even our school guidance counselors. A tip I learned is always remember to SMILE.
Stand up for what you believe in and share your opinion.
Make the best of the situation, remember that others are here for you.
Inspire others and try to be a role model.
Listen to others, be respectful, and don't judge.
Everyone works together to accomplish their goal.
Sincerely,
Everyone who was ever bullied
Bored? Tired of doing nothing and being unproductive? Here are some fun activities to try out!
Food is always the answer, so why not give baking a try. Look up easy recipes or just find anything and everything in your kitchen to create your own desert, with parent permission and supervision..
Listen to music. There are always new songs coming out, and it's hard to keep up. So, take some time to sit back and listen to some new songs by your favorite artists.
Go for a run or even just a walk, it helps release stress and is great exercise.
Get involved. Davies gives every student tons of opportunities to join clubs and teams.
Organize your life, it’s a great way to use your time. Keeping everything nice and neat will really help you to stay on top of things.
Read. There’s nothing like cuddling up with a good book, and taking some time to relax. Some suggestions for good books are: a The Maze Runner, The Giver, The Divergent series, The Hunger Games series, and really any John Green books. These activities will help you get off of your butt and have fun!
-Haley Duffy
NJHS Food Drive
The National Junior Honor Society got involved in the community and worked to improve it. To get into the spirit of Thanksgiving, NJHS collected non-perishable food items from November 2nd to 20th. All items collected in this annual food drive are donated to the United Methodist Church's Food Pantry, helping those in need right here in Hamilton Township. Thank you for helping them in the effort to reach their goal of 6,000 cans by donating food items. This year the total cans collected over 8000 food items such as ramen noodles, cans, mac and cheese boxes, peanut butter and pasta sauce can was collected! NJHS representatives came to everyone's homeroom to collect the food items and help to get you involved in the school and enriching the community. The homeroom that brought in the most won a pizza party, and the entire 7th grade won ice cream! “The food drive has been going on for a long time, even before I started teaching here,” said Mr. Weber, an NJHS advisor. This food drive provides for and strengthens the community. Also, the food drive provides our school with an opportunity to inform, encourage, and involve all the participants in understanding and addressing hunger issues in the community.
~Tabitha Taylor
Following a very successful October Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the William Davies Middle School Student Council, decided to continue fundraising for awareness with Movember. Movember is a non-profit organization promoting prostate cancer awareness. This year, teachers and staff were encouraged to participate by growing out their facial hair during the month of November, starting November 11. To raise money, there were penny votes for the teacher with the best facial hair. In addition, promotional merchandise such as pins, chocolate mustaches, etc. were sold at all lunch periods. WDMS is helping the effort to change the "face of men’s health." But the award for Best Facial Hair went to Mr. Michael Allen. Way to grow a beard, Mr. Allen!
~Tabitha Taylor
Mr. Allen
Mr. Beck
Mr. Morrison
It's Chrismukkah season!
Chrismukkah is an informal, pop-culture combination of both Christmas and Hanukkah. Christmas, a Christian holiday, celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, and is held on December 25th. The night beforehand, Santa Claus also known as Saint Nick, delivers presents to those who were good all year. In the morning, families can find presents under the Christmas tree and stuff in their stockings above the fireplace, if you have one. Throughout the day, families usually enjoy large meals, playing in snow, huddling around with hot chocolate, and quality time together.
Hanukkah, on the other hand is a Jewish holiday in which families light a menorah and say a prayer each night. After each candle lighting and dinner, families give presents to each other, eat treats, play games, and sing songs. A menorah is a Jewish candle holder made specifically for Hanukkah. It has four candle holders on one side, four on the other and one in between the eight. Every night the middle candle gets lit and is used to light the rest of the candles. Starting on the first night only one of the eight candles is lit. Then progressing through the eight nights, one more candle is added to those that are lit, until all the candles on the menorah are lit. Families celebrate Hanukkah (or Chanukah) to celebrate a victorious battle and re-dedication of their temple. The Syrians, led by a Greek king, wanted the Jewish people to worship Greek gods, but they refused. The Jewish Maccabees fought back and eventually drove the Syrians out of Jerusalem. Hanukkah is a re-dedication of their temple. They only had enough oil to last them one night of celebration, but it lasted eight nights.
Chrismukkah is a big combination of these two holidays. Because Hanukkah doesn't land on one specific date, some years you might be lighting the candle on Christmas Eve or lighting the last one a week beforehand. It’s the best of both holidays!
~Jason Bator
Improving Your Studying Habits Has Never Been So Easy!
Studying can be one of the most frustrating things you have to do as a pre-teen or teenager. Many people seem to not have the right amount of time, or are using tricks that actually don’t work. Some students are just plain lazy. In order to get the most out of your study time, continue reading the following tips!
Have a specific goal. This can help you know exactly what you need to accomplish before you start studying.
Prep. The main key is prepping before you sit down and study. I know prepping for studying sounds crazy, but it actually works. First you must get in the right mindset. Without being in the right mindset you can get distracted easily
Get offline. Turn off any electronics such as your cell phone, tv, or computer. I know most people can’t live without a cell phone, but it is necessary to succeed.
Change into comfortable clothing. Get cozy and comfortable while you study.
Break up your work. Something else you need to keep in mind is to not attempt to cram all of your work into one session otherwise you are just going to frustrate yourself, using distributed practice can help tremendously. Distributed practice is when you study in increments or in short sessions over a long period of time to help you stay focused.
Stay organized. When everything around you is a mess, so are all of your thoughts.
Note-taking. Key things to take good notes is to color code your binder, notebooks, and folders for each class, and have a separate notebook to refer back to while studying. Another tip to taking good notes is to draw pictures on your notes. Many people are visual learners so this can work exceptionally well.
Pay attention. Pay close attention to the content you are being taught. This means to listen when things are being spelled or pronounced out loud. Furthermore, pay attention to any examples that are provided to you and copy them into your notes. This will help you understand the concept later, when you're reviewing your notes.
Hopefully, all of these tips help you to improve your study habits, and also make something that seems like a waste of time fit into your schedule.
~Savannah Masker
Choir and Band
- The Show Choir and Concert Band performed at the Veterans Day Ceremony held at the Davies School in November, with featured soloists Sarah Brosman & Cara Grunwald performing Taps on trumpet.
- Davies Choir and Band members performed holiday favorites and Christmas Carols at the Tree Lighting in Memorial Park on November 28th.
- Our Show Choir and Treble Choir performed in Ocean City for the SJN TV Holiday Chorale; they will be appearing throughout December on television and the Internet.
- The Show Choir appeared live last week on the Eddie Davies show on WFPG Radio 96.9, followed by a benefit performance for the MAPS Foundation in Atlantic City.
- 8th Grade Choir members Katie Compton and Jenna Miller competed at the 2015 South Jersey Chorus Auditions in November. Competing against several hundred other outstanding vocalists, they earned membership in the 2016 All South Jersey Junior High Honors Chorus. They will be performing two concerts in January at the Eastern Regional Performing Arts Center in Voorhees.
STEM Club
Strategy, Sportsmanship, and Socialization Game Club
Next club dates: December 8th and 15th, January 5th, 19th, and 26th.
Please see Mr. Gildiner for a permission slip to join.
MinecraftEDU club
The 2015-16 Yearbook is on sale NOW!
Order your copy today by visiting the Balfour/Smart-Pay link on the Davies site. It's a great gift idea and something to look forward to. The support for last year's book was tremendous and we sold out! Thanks to all of those who supported the Yearbook and to those who have already purchased this year's copy. #WeAreDavies
Ladies Dragon Field Hockey
Cross Country
The boys' cross-country team went 10-0 and won their 4th consecutive championship. Several runners competed in the Brigantine Invitational tournament and came home with medals.
The girls' cross-country team started slowly, but avenged a few early losses to finish 5-5. Several runners competed in the Brigantine Invitational tournament and came home with medals.
Mr. Allen and Mr. Robinson are very proud of their team and look forward to success again next year.