Tiger Talk
Volume LIV Issue 6 June 2019
Mr. Mott Says Good-bye
In June, a beloved teacher, Mr. Chuck Mott, will be retiring after 39 years of teaching. Previously, students from Elizabeth, Garwood, and Berkeley Heights had the pleasure of having him as their teacher. Mr. Mott has been working at Central Middle School for 32 years. His love and knowledge of science has motivated students to go outside their comfort zones and experience different types and methods of science. Outside of school, Mr. Mott enjoys gardening, riding motorcycles, leatherwork, and playing the drums with his band, Bloody Callan. In his retirement, Mr. Mott is planning on working at the Liberty Science Center or the Morris County Museum. His daughter, Melissa Mott, recently came to school to speak about the Holocaust to Mr. Gillespie's class. Mr. Mott would like to pass along the following message, “Have fun, but take school seriously.” We wish Mr. Mott good luck, and we hope that he will never forget us.
Mr. Barnum Retires
It's the end of a golden age of gym class. After 10 years at Central, a Physical Education and Health teacher, Mr. Barnum, is retiring. Mr. Barnum says that his favorite thing about this school is that every day is new, fun, and exciting. For new teachers and students coming into Central Middle School, Mr. Barnum has some words of wisdom: “be positive and willing to try new things.” He has always inspired students to do just that. Mr. Barnum has a certain way of adjusting to each individual person's abilities in a fun way. He challenges people who like to be challenged, and he helps people who need it. Mr. Barnum also does not make anyone feel badly when they can't do something. One student says “He understands that I am not athletic at all and laughed with me about how I can only do two push-ups when I am trying.”
What are Mr. Barnum's plans for his retirement now that he won't be teaching children in gym class? Mr. Barnum explained that he wants to do some traveling. National parks are among his favorite places to go. Maybe he will also go relax on the beach. Gym class at Central will never be the same without Mr. Barnum.
Central Seventh Grade Students Hear Holocaust Survivors Speak
On Thursday, May 9th, the seventh grade went on a field trip to the Morris Museum accompanied by three other schools. There, they met Gertrude Gombers, a survivor of the Holocaust. There, they followed her life from Austria, to England, to a Scotland Yard Internment Camp, and finally to America. There they followed the footsteps and lived the Holocaust through the eyes of Gertrude. If there was one thing that Gertrude wanted to take away from this exploration into her memories is that “find the truth yourself, and then make your decision.” After the program, students went back to Central Middle and watched a film about how a school in Tennessee set on a mission to understand how many Jews were lost during the Holocaust. This movie was called the Paperclip Project. To understand what 6 million looked like, they used paperclips to represent people. The school counted out each paperclip, and over the course of three years, had obtained more than 29 million paper clips. The school created a memorial out of a Holocaust railroad car, and put in 12 million paper clips to represent not only the Jews, but other people that died during this event. Overall, the day was filled with sad but heart-filled stories about the Holocaust days.
Central Competes in Consortium Math Relay
On Thursday, May 2nd, 2019, six students attended the Math Relay at Newark Academy. The students who attended were CJ Barrita, Aadya Bharadwaj, and Elizaveta Noraev in seventh grade, and Clara Ma, Kylie Miller, and Madison Moran in eighth grade. Students sat in rows depending on their math level and solve different problems. These problems were all related to each other, and the goal was to answer the entire question as quickly, correctly, and proficiently as possible. Central competed against four other schools, and Mr. Gillespie accompanied the students. Our Central School math geniuses put their heads together, and came out of the school with a second place title. Nice job!
Central's Math Relay Team photo below
PARCC Replaced by NJSLA
The NJSLA (New Jersey State Learning Assessment) was taken by Central Middle School on May 16th, 17th, 20th and 21st. The state test, formerly known as PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers), was taken statewide in April or May. Although both assessments were created by the Pearson Company, he major difference between PARCC and the NJSLA is that the NJSLA is more formal and has fewer questions, so therefore, it took less time. English Language Arts and math were the two main subjects of the NJSLA test. However, the following week, the 8th grade students took the NJSLA Science Exam as well.
Long Hill Residents Were "Our Guest” For A Night At Central
By Samantha Shatz
For years, Central Middle School has put on spectacular productions for the township. However, this year, among preparations, the cast decided to take their annual school play a step further. Principal Viturello and the play directors, Ms. Eckert, Ms. Berrios, and Ms. Varner worked with parents and students to put together a pasta dinner fundraiser for the play.
Long Hill “Villagers” were invited to “Be Their Guest” for a meal consisting of pasta, meatballs, salad, and cake. So many people came that tickets for the dinner sold out. During the event, everyone enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by Natale’s and other local businesses, and were entertained by the cast itself. The students involved in the play performed the song, “Be Our Guest,” from the show. The performance was incredible and encouraged people to buy tickets for the real play.
Aside from the cast members, the stage crew also contributed to the occasion. They helped advertise the face-painting, photo booth, and more. Tickets for the play were sold throughout the fundraiser, and guests were able to receive autographs from the characters in the play. Mrs. Clark and Mrs. Keegan did fun face painting on nearly all of the kids there. Additionally, there was a photo booth where people could stand in front of a Beauty and the Beast themed backdrop and hold up props like crowns and roses for fun pictures. The cast posed for pictures with the guests and greeted them in their character. The night ended with a beautiful cake, based on the theme of the play, that was served to everyone.
Overall, everyone had an awesome time socializing with the cast and enjoying a tasty meal. Another thanks to the school, directors, parents, and cast for helping to host this event. After getting a chance to “put their service to the test,” the cast is ready to put on a “tale as old as time!”
Central Performs Beauty and the Beast
On April 5th and 6th, the students of CMS performed the play Beauty and the Beast. The performance was on Friday at 7:00 and Saturday at 2:00 and 7:00. The cast included Abby Kohan as Belle, Isabella Simoes as the Beast, Lillian Palmer as Lumiere, Samantha Clark as Babette, Daniella Russotti as Cogsworth, Cailene Barone as Mrs. Potts, Luke Dorsi as Chip, and Bella Sluyter as Madame De La Grande Bouche. Gaston was played by Grace Coslet, Le Fou was played be Kyra Langell, and Maurice was played by Tommy Osmond. The narrators were Sophia Fish, Morgan Carn, Taylor Carn, and Reagan Salvo. The silly girls were Julia Moakley, Julianna DeFazio, and Whitney Donohoe. Whitney also played the Prince. The ensemble consisted of Norah Cabal, who also played the enchantress, Alex Moakley, Daniela Velez, Ella Georgiou, Rachel Sarti, Sophia Ehlert, Matt Weddle, David Youssef, Durga Shylesh, Breslyn Keegan, Hannah Laufer, Sarah Dowd, and Julia Zurawski. The stage crew consisted of Jess Gillespie, Hope Anastario, Cheyenne Carbone, Greta DiGiorgio, Nikki Coleman, Lethycia Duarte, Alex Galati, Anne O’Mullan, Jula Alves, Elizabeth Vreeland, Lizzie Yautz, Alexandra Walec, Michaele Galati, Emily Carpenter, and Matthew Quinn. All of the students worked very hard memorizing lines and songs, and I know they worked to the best of their ability. With the help of our amazing directors, Miss Berrios, Miss Eckert, and Miss Varner, the play was a great success. Good job to everyone who participated!
Washington, D.C.
Each year, the eighth grade class visits Washington, D.C. as a treat for a successful time at Central Middle School. In the early morning on June 6th, the eighth graders and teacher chaperones departed from school and prepared for the exciting trip ahead of them. After the four hour drive, they began touring Washington D.C., starting with the United States Capitol. There, they learned about the building’s intricate architecture, meaningful artwork, and deep history; and some even encountered the current Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi! After briefly touring the outside of the Treasury Building and the White House, they headed for the Odyssey DC Dinner Cruise on the Potomac River. The students danced, played games, and relaxed on top of the boat, where they saw a wide view of Washington D.C. Following the two-hour cruise, they toured three war memorials commemorating those who served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, as well as visiting the Lincoln Memorial. The next day, they toured the Arlington National Cemetary in Virginia near the capitol. There, they visited the gravesite of President John F. Kennedy, watched the routine of the guard protecting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and paid their respects to the many who contributed to the U.S. military. Their last stop of the trip was the National Museum of National History, where the students were free to explore the hands-on exhibits, simulations, and, of course, the gift shops. After their fun in the museum, they left Washington, D.C., eventually arriving at Central Middle School many hours later. Not only was this trip an incredible educational experience, but it was also a trip filled with closer bonds formed between students and teachers and unforgettable memories.
Medieval Day
Hear ye, hear ye! On Thursday June 6th, Medieval Day took place. During this event, 6th graders learned about Medieval times and participated in related activities. These activities included shooting the crossbow, using a trebuchet, learning to write in calligraphy, dancing around the maypole, building a castle, and making Medieval crafts. The day began with a fencing presentation from the high school fencing team. Students watched matches and learned about how the game worked. The students also had a Medieval feast with chicken legs, corn, potatoes, bread and fruit while sitting in the Medieval-decorated All Purpose Room. The students additionally dressed up in character as if they were in the Middle Ages. Some of the costumes included princesses, popes, monks, jesters, and more. One of the most exciting elements was the fact that kings and queens were chosen. The 6th grade was divided up into kingdoms, including the Britains, Celts, Vandals, Vikings and Normans. For each kingdom a king and queen were randomly chosen, and they got to lead their group around. Some even had special king and queen costumes with crowns! The day ended with Sir Richard, a man who discussed the Middle Ages, and ice pops on the field. Thank you to the parent volunteers, teachers, and other guests who helped to make this possible! Everyone had a great time!
Central Girls' Softball Team
With the arrival of Spring and the return of warmer weather, the Central Middle School softball team has once again displayed their amazing skill set. The team, consisting of eighth graders Nicole Cicchetti, Amanda Medina, Kylie Miller, Madison Moran, Samantha Raymond, and Bailey Unchester, seventh graders Taylor Carn, Maddie Cerami, Emily Eggers, Kyra Langell, Ava Long, and Paige Moholkar, and sixth graders Madison DiSarno, Katelyn Johnstone, and Sophia Perillo, have finished their 2019 season undefeated. The team, led by Mr. Hockmeyer, has never fallen short of being a strong group, and their spectacular season was not all that surprising, for every girl on the team put in outstanding effort towards success. Coach Hockmeyer stated earlier in the season, “Due to the girl’s hard work and dedication to improvement, we have been able to have, and will continue to have, a successful season.” His predictions did not fall short of the team’s actual final record. Having played softball herself in college, Central's French teacher, Miss Fesinstine, also instructed the girls as a volunteer coach. Congratulations to the Central Middle School softball team on yet another impressive season!
Central Student Wins Essay Contest
Congratulations to Madison Moran for her award winning essay on Blizzards. Every year students from Mrs. Pogash's eighth grade language arts class submit essays to the Scholastic.SCOPE magazine contest, and every year there is a winner. This year's winner is Madison Moran whose essay focused on the sudden appearance of the blizzard of 1888 and the lack of technology at that time to deal with it. It was the lack of tools to deal with the storm''s suddeness and immense power that made it so dangerous. The prize for this contest is an illustrated book by Jim Murphy titled Blizzard. Murphy is also the author of The Great Fire.
The Central Boys' Baseball Team
The Central Boys' Baseball Team finished their season with a record of 7-5. The boys worked hard and played well. The team consisted of Anthony Autenrieth, Mead Briggs, Michael DiSarno, Ethan Gallic, Martin Howell, Riley McCann, Dermot McGuire, Brandon Munoz, Matthew Novello, Joe Oleske, Blaze Perez, Nicholas Perillo, Diego Petricioli, Dylan Reyes, and Trenton Stanard.
The coach was the Gillette gym teacher, Mr.Manto. He was proud of the boys. One of the highlights of the season was when Central beat the number-one seeded Brigdewater team, which was their best game.
Field Day at Central
Millington is not the only school now in Long Hill with a field day. Central students asked for it, and they got it. The 6th Grade had their Field Day on May 28, 2019. Unfortunately, due to the rain, their Field Day took place inside the school. Tug of War, one of the favorite games of Field Day, was replaced with a game called Sewer Rats. (Don’t worry, there are no actual rats or sewers in the game.) The other games included knockout, baseball, and volleyball. The 7th grade had their field day outside on Wednesday, May 29th, and they got to play tug of war. Finally, the 8th grade's Field Day was on Thursday, May 30th. It was a fun day for all the blue and gold teams, and the students enjoyed ice pops afterward. We thank the teachers and staff who made this possible, especially Mr. Barnum, Mrs. Felix, and Mr. Viturello.
Tiger Talk Staff
Zach Anderson, CJ Barritta, Aadya Bharadwaj, Kevin Feinstein, Breslyn Keegan, Hannah Laufer, Armaan Lerner, Clara Ma, Madison Moran, Briana O'Connor, Tommy Osmond, Juliette Scott, Samantha Shatz, Bella Sluyter, Sofia, Squizziato, Bailey Unchester, David Youssef, and Julia Zurawski
Advisor/Editor - Mr. Gillespie