Willow Lane News Update
13th Edition: March 2016
Dear Advice Squad
March’s Character Trait is citizenship. A good citizen is someone who helps people, the school, the community, and the environment. Last week Miss Pilsits showed us a video that said a good citizen does the following things:
Treats others with respect.
Follows the rules.
Cares about school property.
Shows respect for others’ property.
Shows good character by being responsible and honest.
Gives back to the community.
We encourage students at Willow Lane to be good citizens! Here are just a few ideas about how Willow Lane students can help others, the school, the community, and the environment:
Come to school on time, and ready to learn new things.
Be kind, careful, your best self, and always show respect.
Use kind words with others.
Help others better understand things in class.
Include everyone in games or activities during recess.
Befriend others who are alone or who may need a friend.
If you see trash on the floor or outside, pick it up and throw it away in the garbage.
Volunteer at a nursing home or a soup kitchen.
Help a friend learn a new skill, like riding a bike.
Help a your parents or a neighbor carry in groceries.
We hope that this advice inspires you to be a good citizen. If you think of other ways that we didn’t mention, send us a message to let us know!
Women's History Month
Collin Holden & Jonathan Nelson
Did you know what Women's History Month 2016 stands for? It stands for the women that did great things over the years.Women's History Month was made to honor those women who did amazing things. There are so many women who have done amazing things.
Rosa Parks did not give up her seat on a bus when a police officer helped a man find a seat, and the police officer gave her a warning. Still Rosa refused to give up her seat. After what Rosa did, she went to jail. After that she became famous for that amazing thing that Rosa Parks had done.
Betsy Ross is an American woman who knitted the first American flag with the stars and stripes standing proud today.
Did you know that Clara Barton created the Red Cross.The cross was made to help with floods, fires, and other disasters. Barton served as its first president from 1881, to 1904.
Friedl Dicker-Brandeis was extraordinary. She was a Jewish teacher who was brought to a concentration camp for no reason. Guess what she brought with her to the camp. (Oh, I forgot to tell you that she could only pack 110 pounds of not just luggage, but all/any belongings she wished to keep; everything else would be confiscated.) She brought art supplies for the children, so she and the children could fight back through art. She inspired children to have hope when they felt trapped!
Links down below if you want to learn more about Women’s History Month. (Friedl and a bunch of other people were in a place named Terizen.)
Women's History Month 2016 National Women's History Project | Our History is Our Strength
The Philadelphia Auto Show
According to Philly’s auto show, Wikipedia, and myself being there, The Philadelphia Auto [car or motorcycle] Show is a show that presents new cars for the year. I attended the auto show on February 6, 2016. I saw really cool cars for 2016 for brands like Audi, Aston Martin, Chevy, Ford, Nissan, Honda, Fiat, Mazda, Buick, Mini Cooper, Toyota, Hyundai, Porsche, BMW, Lamborghini, McLaren, Acura, Jaguar, Volvo, and Infiniti. It was very exciting to learn that the Lamborghini takes 9.9 seconds to get to the speed of 124 mph, while the Mclaren takes 9.5 seconds to get there. I got a picture with the Lamborghini which was really AWESOME!
Mercedes-Benz and Lexus had their own room to present their new cars. My favorite is the Mercedes G-Class because it looks like a Jeep with a front chrome bumper saver. It is very big with a spare tire holder. The only negative thing about the MB is that the legroom in the back is pretty small for a big car like that.
At the show there was something called Camp Jeep where you go offroad and you can choose if you want a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, Cherokee Trailhawk, Renegade Trailhawk, and the Grand Cherokee.
I had a really fun day getting in and out of all different cars and looking at the specs. It was really cool to see how cars have changed over time with their design and technology. l was really hoping to see an autonomous car there since I have been reading up on it, but did not see any. Overall it was a fun exciting day to see so many cars all in one day.
St.Patricks Day
Jackson Holden and Gabriela Saez and Vanessa Owusu-Anim
St. Patrick's day is a tradition celebrated around the world. It is an Irish holiday celebrated on, March 17. It is actually more celebrated in America than in Ireland. In Chicago they dye the river green. A tradition is if you do not wear green kids pinch you.
Origin Paragraph (St. Patrick)
St. Patrick was a man who was kidnapped at the age of sixteen, and became a slave for seven years. He escaped and then became a saint. His real name was Maewyn Succat. He was born in Bannavem Taberniae, England. He died in Saul, United Kingdom. St. Patrick was a patron of Ireland. He died on March 17th. He escaped at age 22. After studying religion 15 years, he came back to Ireland in his 30’s. Legend says finding a four leaf clover will bring you luck.
Irish Immigrants Bring the Holiday to America
Do you know how irish immigrants brought St. Patrick's Day to America? One of the
reasons is because disease and they had to move away from ireland. In the 19th century, millions of Irish migrated to the U.S. They wanted to remember the country they'd left behind. It was really in the early 19th century that it started spreading. Celebrations started St. Patrick's Day in places like Boston or New York, and they spread to other places where there's a large Irish population. St. Patrick's Day gained popularity with non-Irish Americans. it took several decades for the holiday to spread its appeal. That is how St.Patrick’s Day was brought to America and other places around the world.
5th Grade Volleyball with Teachers
Here are Some Facts About The 5th Grade VolleyBall Game.
Four students from each fifth grade class played in the fifth grade All Star game. There were three volleyball games. It lasted about an hour or two. Five teachers played in these volleyball games.
Each side is trying to serve the ball to the other team. That team is going to try and pass or set the ball to the other side to score a point. If the other side gets it out of bounds or misses the ball and it touches the ground a point is scored. Mrs. Krajcir, with the help from the Wescosville gym teacher, taught each fifth grade class how to do this. If you could serve, pass, and set then you could possibly be on the team, or you could be a sub.
Editor's Note:
I approached Mr. John about providing another work for the school newspaper. It was right when the February paper with its friendship theme was about to hit the Web. I mentioned this to him, and Mr. John smiled his giant friendly grin. I could tell he had something special up his sleeve. I was not mistaken.
Below is a poem that Mr. John wrote about someone very special to him. I have read this several times, and every time I get something new and wonderful out of it. It truly is deep. Thank you, Mr. John, for sharing something so personal and meaningful with this student body.
*See if you can figure out the pattern.
Click the following link to get an even better look at this amazing poem.
Calling Would-Be Poets
Community service club
By Aleena Khokhar
Did you know that the Community Service Club has the help of the incredible 5th graders in Willow Lane. Once a month, on Tuesdays, incredible 5th graders go to different places like pet stores and more to help different communities. The 5th graders also put up posters around Willow Lane. 5th graders put up posters for the book and pet drive and many other things. You can help Community Service Club by donating things and putting things in the blue basket in the lobby. You can donate things for animals or people all around the world. If you donate things not only will Community Service Club be happy, Dr.Moyer and all of the Willow Lane staff will be, too. Willow Lane has a lot of different posters in the halls to support the Community Service Club. You might have seen some of the different posters in the halls. In my opinion the Community Service Club is very helpful to Willow Lane and the different communities that they help. Willow Lane is very proud of the Community Service Club.Annual Willow Lane Third Grade Easter Egg Hunt
Should a 2nd Grade Student be able to Join After School Clubs or Activities
Ishaan Patel
Yes, 2nd grade students should be able to join after school clubs and activities. They are able to talk well and read chapter books and write small reports.
- Some 2nd graders are good at writing and they can join newspaper clubs. They learn how to speak to the audience. They learn how to interview others.
- Some 2nd graders are good at talking and expressing themselves and so they can join the drama/play group. They learn about different characters and how to tell a story.
- Some 2nd graders are good at art stuff and they can join art clubs. They learn how to create art work with different stuff.
The clubs are fun because you learn new things. You meet new people and make new friends.
K - 2 Can’t Club
Did you ever think it is unfair that Kindergarteners, First graders, and Second graders never get to be in any clubs? Many K-2 students are upset that they can’t go to clubs. They may feel like there should be a club just for K-2 kids.
If you are a K-2 student, and want to be in a club, here is a writing task for you. You should write a short persuasive paragraph, and give it to the club manager ( Adult in charge of club) . If you are persuasive enough, the club manager might let you join the club. In addition, K-2 classes could convince K-2 teachers to begin some clubs appropriate to their grade level/interests.
We went to interview Dr.Moyer. We asked him, “ Do you know why K-2 kids can’t go to clubs ?”
Dr.Moyer responded, “ Well, it is most likely because the K-2 kids might not understand what to do, and how to do it right, and some kids might not be able to stay the extra hour after school. And, the club may be boring to them, so not many will want to sign up for it.” He further explained that in the same way older kids get more homework, they are most likely more willing and able to handle a longer school day. Also, while it is ultimately the choice of the club managers who is or isn't in the clubs, probably age restriction is an easy way to limit who is available for the choosing.
We think that all kids should be able to go to a club that they will enjoy and want to go to every week, but the problem is that some of these clubs can be a little too old for younger kids, like band and orchestra. The fact that K-2 students can’t go to clubs seems unfair, but reasonable.
Nisma thinks that the following song fits this situation very well, because Willow Lane is like one big family. She thinks everyone should have an opportunity to join clubs. So check out the song! We Are Family Carina didn’t want to link this song, because she doesn’t think the song is a perfect fit to the unfair situation.
The All New Willow Lane Art Club
I was wondering why did Mr. Kirk hold the art club, and what is it?
I asked Mr. Kirk, "What do you do every art club?"
He responded, "We do clay and lots of other paintings.’’
I also asked him, "How many kids are in the art club?"
He once again responded, “Only three kids.’’
Finally, I asked him, "Do you like holding the art club?"
He Happily responded, “YES I love it.’’
Do you now want to join the art club? If you're not convinced yet, here are some more facts: Mr. Kirk did have the choice not to do this this year, so we are so lucky. The kids in the art club love it so much. When I am in fourth grade, I will definitely join the art club! Also, if you see some of the artwork, you would admittedly fall in love. Some schools have 3rd-5th grade art clubs.
Math 24 Competition
Scott Gatter & Samay Suratwala
The Math 24 Game is an arithmetical card game in which the objective is to find a way to manipulate four integer so that the end result is 24. For example, for the card with the numbers 4, 7, 8, 8, a possible solution is .
There were 84 students Participated from other school districts and out of those students Adam Plotka, Zachary Ritter, Louis Lichter, Michael Whitland, and Arvind Kannan were from the Willow Lane Elementary. These participants are the fastest and strongest in playing Math 24 and they used their brain power and speed to solve the game cards that included Single Digit, Double Digit and Variables challenges. These students are 4th and 5th graders part of Mrs. Dweck’s Gifted Program.
The Math 24 Competition was held at Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21 on February 21st, 2016. Adam Plotka from Willow Lane Elementary was among the top 3 finalist who is qualified to go on the the Pennsylvania State 24 Challenge tournament taking place in Harrisburg on June 15, 2016
2nd Grade Egg Drop: Math, Science, ELA... You name it.
Will They Make Another "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" Movie?
Do you ever wonder if there will be any more Diary of a Wimpy Kid Movies?
Yeah, I wonder that a lot, too. I know the author is in the making of a bunch of New books like Old School, and The Long Haul. But, for some reason they never made Movies for them? I know the three original Movies Dog Days ,Rodrick Rules, and the First one. And, I know why they haven’t made movies in a long time. The actors are too old for the parts, so they are looking for new people to play their parts.
They Look Very Different
The cast of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Film Series looks very different now. The person who changed the most was the star actor, Zachary Gordon (Greg Heffley). When the cast was reuniting for the 3rd movie, he changed a lot. He grew a small beard and he was a foot taller than he was in the First Two Movies.Other Cast members changed a lot too. when Robert Carpon (Rowley Jefferson) came back for the 3rd Diary of a Wimpy Movie, he came fresh from the set of the The Three Stoogies, and he was almost completely bald. For the Third Movie they just made a replica of his old hair. From now and then there is another person that changes his name to Devon Bostick (Rodrick Heffley) He almost has a whole entire beard and he cut his hair.
Diary Of a Wimpy Kid The Movie (2010)
This is the first Diary Of A wimpy Kid Movie it took a lot of time for this Movie to make it to theaters. They did a lot of advertising. It was a really big deal. They needed to look for the cast, make costumes, and care for the cast's education. Zachary Gordon and Robert Carpon went on a big press tour. They had to go on interviews, schools, libraries, meetings, and even an interview with Jeff Kinney. At the end of the press tour they could finally finish each other's sentences. On the premiere they were so happy the movie was finished after hard days of work. Also, They had pictures taken so they had to whisper to each other.
Diary Of a Wimpy Kid Rodrick Rules (2011)
After the first Diary Of a Wimpy Kid Movie, it was so popular they knew they had to make a sequel. The Second Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Movie talks about Greg’s problems with his brother. The Cast came back together none of them changed that much. But there was a couple of new characters. There was Holly Hills, who is played by Peyton List, and you might notice her from a TV Show called "Jessie." You might notice Chirag Gupta who is played by Karan Brar. You might notice him From "Jessie," too. There is also another new character. His name is Bill, Rodrick’s guitar player in his band. Rodrick won’t stop annoying his brother. Greg’s little brother, Manny, will not stop getting him in trouble. Rodrick also has a huge party when his parents were not home.
Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Dog Days (2012)
When Rodrick Rules hit theaters it was the number 1# movie in America, so the crew members decided to come back for another movie the next year. When the cast members came back for the third movie, a lot of them looked different. Zach was a foot taller and grew a little beard. Robert changed too. He was almost completely bald. He would have to put on a cap for the third movie. Peyton changed too. She was two feet taller. Dog Days tells about Greg’s Summer. He pretends to have a job at the country club so he won’t have to go to his Dad’s job for the summer. Also, he does this to hang out with Holly and Rowley. He wants to hang out with Holly because she only wrote half her number on his yearbook. He also spends a week at the boardwalk with Rowley and rides this scary ride called the Cranium Shaker.
Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Books
These are super funny books by an amazing author. His name is Jeff Kinney. His books have some memories from his childhood, but not all of them. You can buy them at your local bookstore. Or you can get them from your Library or School Library.
Letter to the Author
Editor's Note: This letter was composed to be sent to Mr. Kinney by Lency and Aarya. They really wanted to find the answers to their research questions. Before sending it, though, they looked on a few more websites that I helped them find, and they located the information that they were seeking, which is presented in this phenomenal article. I left their letter in the article (They had typed it at the bottom of their Google Doc.) for readers to witness in order to inspire: What would you write to your favorite author? What kinds of questions would you ask him/her? If you try composing a letter to your favorite author and submit it to the school newspaper, I will see to it that the letter gets sent. Perhaps we could get some author replies posted in a future newspaper!
Dear,Jeff Kinney,
Our names are Lency and Aarya, and we love your Books and Movies. But, are you going to make more Movies? Because the last Movie, "Dog Days" (2012) was 4 years ago. It’s been so long! The actors must be too old for the part. We are really big fans of your books. At our houses we have every single one of your books and movies. So, is there going to be a Diary Of a Wimpy Kid 4 Movie? We looked at your website. Why will the filmmakers not film with the original cast? We would love to hear back from you.
Sincerely,
Lency and Aarya
Pi Day
Kiley Menichini
Pi is a math number. Pi can also be known as 3.14159265. Or half a circle.Did you know that there is a Pi day. Not the Pie you eat...the math Pi. that is Pi.
March Madness
Damar Gilzeane and Louis Lichter
March Madness is a Basketball event in which college basketball teams compete to be the champion of the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) season. There are 7 different stages in the a series of contests between a number of competitors, who compete for an overall prize. The different stages are Round One, Round Two, Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, Final Four, Final Two, and then the winner. March Madness is held across the U.S., mostly in state capitals and state landmarks. 68 teams are accepted in the competition. 1,020 players are allowed in the competition. March Madness spreads from March 17th to April 4th. There are games on all weekends in between those dates. The NCAA holds this event to decide who is the NCAA Basketball champion. They also hold this event to decide the winners of the 7 different games of Basketball. The First Round, The Second Round, Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, Final Four, and Final Two.
As of 4/4/16, Villanova and UNC are the final competitors in the championship. Strategically talking, UNC is going to win but there is still hope in Villanova. Damar Gilzean wants Villanova to win. Louis Lichter wants UNC to win.
Rubix Cube Challenge
Katherine Harries
Ah, rubix cubes, those things you see and think you can solve. But then, when you get one, you find out it’s way too hard! Some rubix cubes can be gigantic! I have seen a 5 by 5 rubix cube. 5 by 5 rubix cubes are only a bit bigger than 3 by 3. The 5 by 5 has smaller tiles, than the 3 by 3.
How To Catch a leprechaun
Aryel Amores & Everly Siriani
Check out these websites:
http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/leprechauns/a/030501a.htm
http://www.wikihow.com/Catch-a-Leprechaun
http://www.yourirish.com/folklore/how-to-catch-a-leprechaun
Minecraft!
Matthew Grossi
Hey game lovers. Have you been looking for a cool game, but just can’t find one? Well, Minecraft is an awesome game to play. And the best part is, that if you already have one type of minecraft, you can get another type. Markus Persson and Jens Bergensten created the game. Minecraft allows you to build things like buildings or statues. There are also different modes, like survival and creative. In creative mode, you can build things without getting hurt. And, you don’t have to collect materials. But in survival mode, you have to do the complete opposite. Like you have to collect materials , and you can die from zombies, skeletons, and more. But the zombies and skeletons and everyone else aren’t scary. I really like minecraft, because a like creating things, and because it’s just so much fun. And, I hope you like it too!
March Idiom, “In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb”
Aryel Amores & Everly Siriani
Who? Marion Dane Bauer Emily Arnold McCully made the book “In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb”
What? What does this mean? March comes in like a roar. In comes the lamb on the crest of a huge sneeze. Escorted by grass, flowers, sunsh.
When? March comes in with a roar.
He rattles your windows
and scratches at your door.
In this exuberant, rhythmic story, March, personified as a lion, enters a boy's cozy home and leaves a trail of snow flurries and muddy footprints. The boy calmly observes the pouncing, howling, growling lion until in comes the lamb on the crest of a huge sneeze.
Escorted by grass, flowers, sunsh
Where? In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb came from Marion Dane Bauer .
A Queen Bee from Penn State visits Willow Lane's Queen Bee, Mzz Bee's Class
Queen Bee Sarah visited our school Willow Lane Elementary on Wed. March 9th 2016. She was wearing a pretty red dress with tiara and sash like Miss America. She came to talk about Bees and what they give us. Queen Bee Sarah goes to Penn State University. She is an Entomology student and studies Agricultural science food, farming and insects. She talked about the 3 types of honey bee which are the Queen bee, Helper bee - female, and Drone bee - male bees. She said the beekeepers are the people who keep the honey bees and told us how they keep bees in the farm.
Did you know bees communicate with each other? It’s called the Waggle dance (click on the link to watch the video). By performing this dance, a bee can share with their hive mates information about the direction and distance to patches of good flowers yielding nectar and pollen, to water sources, or to new housing locations.
The bees are very smart and intelligent. They give us so much more than wax and honey, they collect pollen and help to pollinate the crops and gardens so that we can eat delicious fruits, vegetables and enjoy the flowers.
We made a really cool movie about Queen Bee Sarah visiting our school and all the cool facts we learned about bees. Click the link below to watch the movie. Enjoy the movie. THE END!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AvFJf5W4AA&feature=youtu.be
Willow Lane Talent Show
Caroline Shutts
Were you in the talent show? There’s one at Willow Lane. It was Feb. 26. A lot of kids were in the talent show. One student was Ava Peloso. Ava was singing “Better When I am Dancing” with Everly Sirianni.
The talent show had a lot of acts. For example, dancing, singing, acting, and so much more. There was even a teacher skit! The mascot was in the teacher’s skit. People went to the talent show even though they didn’t do it. They went to sport the people who were in it! How nice!
The acts were funny and cool. The talent show took a lot of courage and they did well. It must of been a lot of fun.
Mrs.Dweck Catapult Assignment
Cassie Doemling
The 5th grade students were testing their catapults in the cafeteria. I interviewed some of the 5th graders with my partner when they were testing. Some of the 5th graders catapults had patterns, so the first question I asked was, “What made you think of that design?” One team commented, “Since our catapults had to do with “Airman” we thought of “Airman” and did patterns that had to do with the “Airman” book.” Another two teams said they just thought of things they liked. Finally, one other team just thought of random things. The second question I asked was, “What are you molding the clay you are launching into?” One team said, “A cube which we saw launch, and it worked.” They thought it would work because a cube would stay flat on the floor when it lands. Some other teams thought it would be good to put it in a sphere. Unfortunately, the clay would usually roll. I thought cubes worked better. Finally the last question I asked was, “How far did their catapults launched?” I don’t think anyone hit the middle when we went there, but my partner and I saw some hit other rings in the target. The target was a few rings on big, purple paper. The cube clay got to about the third ring. In my opinion, it was amazing, and I really enjoyed the experience. I now want to make my own catapult when I get to 5th grade someday!
For More information click here if you want you can try some of the ideas on the website!
Making a Movie With Mzz Bee
I had the wonderful opportunity to work with Mzz Bee and her incredible class to create the following movie. Her and I teamed to help students plan and write about their experiences participating in the winter Sumdog contest that they won. We used images and took video to create a montage of memories that we recorded students voices over. It was fun and inspiring. If you haven't, be sure to watch Mzz Bee's "Honey Queen Bee" movie, also. That tremendous work of art was produced without more than three words of consultation from myself! Mzz Bee is quickly beecoming the queen of video. I would enjoy collaborating with other teachers on making movies to showcase their students' work. Just let me know.
Willow Lane's First "Ink-Readable Writing Club"
Here is a movie explaining the formation of the first picture book publishing club of Willow Lane, "The Ink-Readable Writing Club". The movie tells of its conception, work, and production of "Ibi's Fireflies". Additionally, you can witness the authors reading their work and see their illustrations of the book throughout. I can't thank Ibiyinka Alao and Mrs. Dweck enough for their work and help in this endeavor.
Willow Lane Newspaper Club
Email: mweimann@easptennsd.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
Twitter: @MrWeimann