Panther Print
"What kind of person do you want to be today?"
1st Edition of the 2021-2022 BAMS Panther Print, Volume 15, Issue 1
Is Self-care Part of Your Daily Routine?
By: Addison Kuester
Self-care is one of the most important forms of health care. In fact, a stable self-care routine has been clinically proven to help reduce and eliminate anxiety and depression. As well as reducing stress, improving concentration, minimizing frustration and anger, increasing happiness, and improving energy. As a girl in middle school, practicing self-care has become one of the most vital parts of my wellness. But it can be for anyone! Self-care isn’t just about drinking lemon water or getting a goodnight’s rest. While those are all important, there are other things you can do for your mental and physical wellbeing.
Self-care doesn’t even have to benefit you directly, practicing self-care can be doing something as simple as doing a good deed for someone. Such as donating to a charity or even just smiling at someone. Start saying “thank you.” when someone holds the door open or when the cashier at the store hands you your bags of groceries. In my experience, being kind helps boost my mood and help improve my self-image.
As we move through winter, self-care is more important than ever, due to seasonal depression. Seasonal depression is caused by the shortening of the days because as a result, your body gets less Vitamin D. So, a solution to help reduce your depressive feelings this season is to make sure you get at least twenty minutes of sunlight a day, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, drink plenty of water and get a goodnight’s rest. These may sound like normal efforts to keep yourself healthy, but they become more important during this time.
Some things you can do as self-care that don’t seem like part of your daily routine could be playing board games with friends or family members, taking a nice long walk, practicing affirmations in a mirror, practicing mindful coloring, making a vision board, baking, etc. Anything that takes or draws your attention away from social media or your devices in general is considered self-care, unless you’re watching your favorite movie.
Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Guess the Teacher Contest
By: Olive Evans
This article holds the questions you can use to guess the teacher. Submit your answer here: https://forms.office.com/r/vhf8QBwgS3. If you are the first to guess correctly you will win either a no-homework pass, a candy bar or a pride ticket. The due date to submit your answer for the Guess the Teacher Contest is Friday, April 29, 2022. Good luck!
Q: How many years have you been teaching, and how many of those years were at BAMS?
A: "I’ve been teaching 12 years, and this is my 5th year at BAMS!"
Q: What's one thing you tell your students all the time?
A: "Guten Morgen! Bonjour! Hola amigos!"
Q: What was your favorite subject in school?
A: "I really liked math, although I wasn’t very good at it! And English, because I LOVED to write."
Q: Have you ever been to another country?
A: "Yes, I have been outside the US several times! I love to travel."
Q: Do you have any pets?
A: "Yes, I have a dog."
Q: What's your favorite color?
A: "Turquoise"
Q: Do you speak any other languages?
A: "Yes, 😊 I love languages!"
Q: What is the hardest grade to teach?
A: "Seventh grade" 😊
The Unusual Origins of Monopoly
By: Ellie Starbuck
If I asked you to think of the most American boardgame, most people would think of Monopoly. The colorful game board, the money being traded around, and the infinite amounts of arguing that will inevitably erupt. Everything makes you feel like a little businessperson in this game, and that is the American dream. Well, what if that was never the original intention of the boardgame? What if it was never made to make you look at the American economic field with joy or excitement, but to question its very existence?
The inventor of Monopoly is a woman named Elizabeth “Lizzie” J. Magie. She was born in 1866 to a very pro-abolition and anti-monopolist family and was instilled with those beliefs at an early age. Her beliefs were also heavily influenced by economist (Footnote 1) Henry George, specifically his book Progress and Poverty, which highlighted the inequalities in the market. Magie was described as a “bold, progressive woman.” She did not marry until the age of 44, but before then, she was very discouraged that she was almost unable to support herself financially even though she worked hard. This reinforced her views. She rallied against oil, steel, and railroad monopolists (Footnote 2) of her time. In her own words in 1906, “In a short time, I hope a very short time, men and women will discover that they are poor because Carnegie and Rockefeller, maybe, have more than they know what to do with.”
Something George believed in that heavily influenced Magie was the elimination of proprietors (Footnote 3) and rented real estate. This pushed Magie to create The Landlord’s Game in 1903, which, despite the different name, is an indisputable early version of Monopoly. It had most of the same design and rules as the Monopoly we play today. You have a little token; you travel around the board based on a dice roll. There were properties, utilities, and railroads to purchase and profit from. There was money, a “Go” space (although it had a different name), and the ability to go to jail. There was one crucial detail, the one that Magie hoped would educate the 99% (Footnote 4): the two sets of rules. There were two sets of rules the players could choose: an anti-monopolist set, which rewards all players when someone lands on another player’s property to pay “rent,” and the monopolist set, which only rewards the landowner when someone needs to pay “rent.” Magie intended to use this to prove that that former was morally better than the latter, as the anti-monopolist set would make the players happier and the game last longer. So, why did this not catch on? The early 1900s was the height of a new labor movement.
Well, first, if you have ever played a board game with your family, then you know that rules are not often followed. Such was the case with the Landlord’s Game. Most households liked the monopolist rules better, so that was what they played with. To reinforce the extinction of the teaching property of the Landlord’s Game, Magie sold the patent to the Parker Brothers for $500 in 1935. The Parker Brothers bought Monopoly from Charles Darrow, who claimed to have invented the whole game. It was later revealed that Monopoly is almost solely derived from The Landlord’s Game, and that Darrow did not invent it. The anti-monopoly rules had stopped being published in the game altogether by then. Without archives, we might not have even known that this game started like this.
So, what can we learn from this? We could learn that that you do not know where every idea came from. We could make this a conversation about how women have always had great ideas throughout history and men took credit for creating them. We could even talk about how despite Monopoly’s upbringing, it became co-opted (Footnote 5) and commodified (Footnote 6) by the upper class. We could talk about how that is not an uncommon phenomenon (Footnote 7). But the main idea I want people to take out of this is that some things teach a lesson you would not expect. Do not go into things thinking about what you know you will learn; just know you will learn and keep your mind open. Question everything you have a chance to.
Footnote:
Economist: A person who studies the production and movement of goods, services, and resources as well as the reasoning behind it by analyzing data.
- Monopolist: A person or corporation who has total or near total control over a certain section of the economy, for example railroad or pharmaceuticals.
- Proprietors: People who own properties and rent them out to tenants, thus creating a passive income stream, which is getting money for doing nothing.
- The 99%: A term meaning the bottom 99% earnings-wise. Often used during the Occupy Wall Street movement to unite the working class against the owning class.
- Co-opted: Diverted from its original intentions and meaning.
- Commodified: To be treated as a marketable good for profit.
- Phenomenon: A situation or fact that is observed to happen.
Sources:
“Monopoly's Lost Female Inventor.” National Women's History Museum, 1 Sept. 2018, www.womenshistory.org/articles/monopolys-lost-female-inventor.
Pilon, Mary. “Monopoly Was Designed to Teach the 99% about Income Inequality.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 1 Jan. 2015, www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/monopoly-was-designed-teach-99-about-income-inequality-180953630/.
Adams, Cecil. “Monopoly's Anti-Capitalist Origins.” Washington City Paper, 18 Mar. 2011, washingtoncitypaper.com/article/219942/straight-dope-monopolys-anti-capitalist-origins/.
Pilon, Mary. “Monopoly's Inventor: The Progressive Who Didn't Pass 'Go'.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 13 Feb. 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/business/behind-monopoly-an-inventor-who-didnt-pass-go.html.
34 Years of Teaching, Wow!
By: Victoria Klipner
Mrs. Ingram is one of several BAMS teachers who has worked in Harford County Public Schools for the longest out of all the teachers currently here! She has worked 14 years here at BAMS. In this interview, we’ll find out when she started teaching and how it has gone all these years!
Q: What year did you begin teaching?
A: “1988. 34 years ago!”
Q: What do you teach now?
A: “Currently, I teach Technology Education for 6th grade and 7th grade. 6th grade is Introduction to Scratch and 7th is Scratch Encore, and 8th grade is PTLW App Creator.”
Q: Have you always wanted to be a teacher?
A: “Yes, I always have. I remember in 6th grade, I had to do a project on what I wanted to be in the future, and I chose to be a teacher. I even have some parts of that project somewhere at home!”
Q: What other schools have you worked at other than Bel Air Middle?
A: “I first started from 1988-1992 at William S. James Elementary, and there I taught 3rd grade. Then, I had the honor of opening Abingdon Elementary in 1992, where I taught 2nd grade for 7 years. I then was a Technology Coordinator from 1999-2007. What I would do is travel to schools in the county and teach integrated technology K-12 lessons and facilitate technology professional development for teachers in the county. In May 2008, I came to BAMS.”
Q: What do you think is the best part about teaching?
A: “When teaching, I love to see the student’s little light bulb go off when they understand something and knowing they are connecting to the topic I’m teaching and how it relates to real life. That connection leaves me with a bright smile.”
Q: What do you think is the hardest part about teaching?
A: “Technology is always changing, so right now it’s especially hard because it’s like we are always creating new curriculums. On the positive side, I love teaching technology because we always have new technology skills and content which makes it exciting!”
Q: Have you ever left a significant impact on a student’s life? If so, how?
A: “Yes, I have had a few, but here’s a good one. When I taught elementary, I had a reading corner with a claw foot bathtub where students could sit and read in it. A couple years after I taught this student, that same student came back to see me before he moved, as he remembered about the reading spot and asked to sit in the clawfoot bathtub reading corner one last time, which made me so happy because reading was an important part of our learning. I’ve also had students come up to me and tell me that they’re studying computer science in college because of my technology class in middle school.”
Q: How has your teaching style changed over the years?
A: “Well, it really changes by grade and my content. For example, I’m a very hands-on learner, so I always provide that. But I know every student is different, so I always try to include other learning styles. But I always try new things, and that’s something I will always do.”
Q: Why do you teach?
A: “I teach because I love the kids, and I love giving the students life skills that they will use in college, and future careers. It’s amazing to see how the students grow throughout the year.”
Q: Do you plan to retire soon?
A: “Possibly in a little while, but this is year 34, and I’d say I’m still going strong! I love this job, and I’ll take it one year at a time.”
Congratulations on 34 years, Mrs. Ingram! Hopefully, you will have many more amazing ones in the future!
Book Review - "Keeper of the Lost Cities" - Part of series
By: Alishaba Mian
Written by Shannon Messenger, Keeper of the Lost Cities is quite the story. With its magical, adventurous theme, it is the perfect book for middle schoolers. It’s a unique concept of a girl that was taken to a whole new dimension, realizing that there are various beings that co-exist with humans, and later perceiving that she is one of them too.
After reading the first book in this series, it is easily one of my favorite tales of all time. The wonderful adventure that the main character, Sophie, has gone on to be something that I will never forget. Every scene in this book paints a picture in my head. Both the main storyline of defeating the ruthless group, the Neverseen, and the romantic subplot align perfectly with what you would need in a book.
However, even a book as exemplary as Keeper of the Lost Cities has its flaws. Especially with the characters. Sophie Foster isn’t exactly the most like-able character ever—especially with the way she is portrayed in the storyline. She is shown to be a perfect girl, that several people are in love with, which is quite unrealistic.
Sophie has several unique abilities that other characters do not have in the story, and is what you would call a “Mary Sue”. Yet, she complains about the most simple things such as her eye color, or having to wear dresses.
Not only is Sophie badly depicted, but there is also another issue that I fathomed within the book—it is the lack of diversity. Aside from the occasional person of color, everyone in the book is white. Only one Asian family and around two black families are shown in the entire book—even they don’t have much impact in the storyline. This could make diverse readers of various ethnicities feel excluded from the rest of the readers.
Not to mention the character, Fitz. He is shown as a good-looking guy with a movie star smile. However, this is the sole reason why Sophie is in love with him. He is only portrayed well in his looks, but his personality is not the best. Even so, Sophie likes him just for his attractiveness and not the way he reacts to situations.
Yes, Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger is a remarkably interesting book. The storyline is very well thought-out and unique—the perfect story for individuals that love fantasies with countless twists and turns. Nevertheless, like every book, Keeper of the Lost Cities has its own flaws. If you are a person that is okay with badly depicted characters, lack of diversity, and unreasonably long hospital scenes, this book might not be for you.
Marvels The Eternals: Good, Mediocre or Just a Mess
By: Ivo Louvado
“Marvel Studios The Eternals” is the newest movie in the MCU. It was released on 11/5/21 and had mixed results to say the least. In the film, the ten Eternals all have their own personal powers and abilities. Ajak, Ikaris, Sersi, Kingo, Sprite, Gilgamesh, Thena, Druig, Makkari and Phastos are sent by the celestial Arishem on their ship the Domo to fight off the deviants' creatures with one goal, kill. The eternals are ordered to stay on earth until all the deviants are all wiped out. 7000 years later, the eternals have split up and Sersi, Sprite and Dane Witman are attacked by deviants Sersi and Sprite fight back using their powers. (Matter manipulation and illusion casting) Ikaris then comes to save them using his laser eyes. They notice one of the deviants has Ajaks power of healing. Concerned about her, they go to see Ajak only to find that she was slaughtered by deviants. They decide to find the other eternals so they can finally wipe out the deviants for good. After they meet with Kingo Gilgamesh and Thena, they find Druig then the deviants attack and Gilgamesh is killed. After they meet with the others, they realize that the deviants might not be the true enemy. Without spoiling the twists of the movie, all I will say is that the Eternals beat their enemy and go back to their lives, until they are summoned by Arishem. He alarms them that their actions displease him and that he will decide if Earth is worth sparing. Enough summary now let us discuss the movie. The Eternals had a run time of 2 hours and 37 minutes. It scored 49% on the tomatometer on rotten tomatoes; but it scored 86% with audiences. From what I have learned, critics may not have enjoyed this film because of its pacing and how many characters they had to introduce. From a critical standpoint, the introduction of some of the eternals was in a way a little forced, specifically Makkari. Makkari’s power is superspeed, and she is deaf. She cannot talk or hear. She can only communicate using sign language. While it is great that there is a character representing and promoting sign language, it is extremely hard to develop that character. So, the film makes decided to have her stay inside the domo (The eternals ship) for 7000 years!!! We do get to see Makkari in action in the final fight so that makes up for that. At least it does for the audience. Another thing that might have made the critics dislike this movie is 3 of the eternals dying. I will not spoil who the 3rd one is to die but the other two are Ajak and Gilgamesh. Critics do not always think it is a promising idea to kill one of the main characters in the first movie they are in, and this movie killed three. On the other hand, audiences liked the death of these characters. Well, they did not like that these characters died, but they accepted them and regarded them as honorable deaths for these characters. Ajak is revealed to be murdered, and Gilgamesh dies in the person he loves arms (Thena). Audiences from what I have learned thought these scenes propelled the plot and made the movie better. Overall, "The Eternals" was a good movie for audiences. While it might go down in history as the first Marvel movie to score rotten with critics, it will always be a fun film about friendship, purpose, and family; so, it is worth your time, and I certainly recommend it.
Post credit scene: Spoiler Warning
The first post credit scene is Makkari Thena and Druig all aboard the Domo searching for more Eternals. Then a portal opens walks out Pip the troll. (The last character I thought would be in the MCU) walks in and introduces Eros aka Starfox played by none other than Harry Styles. I do not know how this happened, but yes, Starfox is in the MCU. I am happy because more characters from the comics are entering the MCU yet confused because in the comics his character is a little more intense compared to other Marvel heroes, so they may have to rework that to fit the standards.
The other credit scene is Dane Witman inside an office, and he hears a voice. The voice is Mahershala Ali, the actor who plays Blade.
BREAKING NEWS| A New Science Teacher Has Arrived at BAMS!
By: Alexis Tabafunda
On Wednesday, January 19, 2022, I met up with the new 6th grade teacher Mrs. Angel in the library and asked her some questions. Mrs. Angel teaches 6th grade science on team West and was very pleasant to talk to. The interview questions are below, and I hope you enjoy it!
Q: What made you become a teacher?
A: “My father was an educator in Baltimore schools, and that’s how I got inspired by becoming a teacher.”
Q: What is one thing that you are excited about teaching students this year?
A: “It’s my first year here, and I’m excited to teach Science to students. And I am really loving Science.”
Q: If you didn’t become a teacher, then what would your job be?
A: “I would own my own bakery or a candy shop.”
Q: What is the best thing that you like about BAMS so far?
A: “Where do I start?! I think the best thing about BAMS so far is the kids and staff.”
Q: What college or high school did you attend?
A: “I went to C. Milton Wright High School and went to Harford Community College, Towson University, and Loyola University.”
Q: Before working in BAMS, where did you work?
A: “I taught at Edgewood Elementary School for 20 years. And taught 1, 2, 3, and 5th grade.”
Q: Who is in your immediate family? Do you have any children or any pets, etc.?
A: “I have a husband named Jon, a daughter named Kylie, and a son named Jonathan. I also have a black lab, and he is the best dog!”
Q: What are some things that you enjoy doing in your free time?
A: “I really like to bake, craft, and watch movies.”
Q: If you had one piece of advice for your students when they go to 7th grade, what would it be?
A: “Be true to yourself, work hard, ask questions, and be yourself!”
What are the Favorite Types of Video Games of 6th 7th, and 8th Graders at BAMS?
By: Paige Cherry
Video games are a big part of some kid's life. It is something they do in their free time. Popular games such as Minecraft, Fortnite, and Roblox are something that children enjoy doing. Here are the most popular answers from the students!
Q #1: What is your favorite type of video game?
A: In 1st place with 102 votes is “Action/Adventure Games.”
A: In 2nd place with 48 votes is “Role-playing Games.”
A: In 3rd place with 25 votes is “Sports Games.”
Q #2: What is your favorite brand of video game console?
A: In 1st place with 82 votes is “Nintendo.”
A: In 2nd place with 71 votes is “Xbox.”
A: In 3rd place with 63 votes is “PlayStation.”
Q #3: What type of music do you prefer in video games?
A: In 1st place with 83 votes is “Upbeat/Peppy.”
A: In 2nd place with 46 votes is “No Music.”
A: In 3rd place with 34 votes is “Suspenseful.”
Q #4: Do you like voice actors or subtitles for characters?
A: In 1st place with 95 votes is “Voice Actors”.
A: In 2nd place with 86 votes is “Subtitles”.
A: In 3rd place with 40 votes is “No Characters.”
Q #5: Do you like video games with sequels?
A: In 1st place with 119 votes is “They are okay...”
A: In 2nd place with 76 votes is “Yup” to sequels.
A: In 3rd place with 25 votes is “No.”
Q #6: What personalities do you prefer for characters
A: In 1st place with 58 votes is “Sassy” for.
A: In 2nd place with 57 votes is “Kind.”
A: In 3rd place with 46 votes is “Know It All.”
Q #7: What is your favorite video game?
A: In 1st place with 13% of the votes is “Minecraft!”
A: In 2nd place with 10% of the votes is “Fortnite Battle Royal!”
A: In 3rd place with 6% of the votes is “Animal Crossing: New Horizons”.
A: In 4th place with 4% of the votes is “Genshin Impact!”
A: In 5th place with 3% of the votes is “Super Smash Bros!”
Every game is different with different qualities, and we all have different opinions on them. The students who participated at Bel Air Middle School all had diverse answers which were all appreciated, and all votes were incorporated. Overall, games are a wonderful way to both exercise their brains and connect them to other people, as well as new interests.
Do you Recognize this New Artist?
By: Amelia Mason, Pragnya Jagarlapudi, and Aminah Hussain
Mrs. Byrne is one of our new art teachers, and we wanted to give her a warm welcome to our BAMS community and give the student body the opportunity to get to know her better!
Q: What do you think of BAMS so far?
A: “I love teaching here, in particular I like the students here”
Q: What do you consider art?
A: “Art is an expression of oneself”
Q: What kind of art do you do outside of school?
A: “Painting and ceramics"
Q: What's your favorite and least favorite art form or style? Why?
A: “My least favorite art is art that is so old it doesn’t speak to us as modern people. My favorite art form or style is modern figurative paintings, particularly paintings that tell a story.”
Q: Who is your favorite and least favorite artist? Why?
A: “I do not have a favorite and least favorite artist; I find value in multiple art forms and movements.”
Q: Do you remember the artist that first inspired you to pursue art as a career?
A: “My dad, he was always letting me make things in the garage”
Q: What advice do you have for students that want to pursue a career in art?
A: “Get a sketch book and draw all the time”
Q: What’s the most challenging thing about teaching students?
A: “Finding enough time to prepare all the materials necessary”
Q: What’s the most rewarding part of teaching students?
A: “Definitely when a student is inspired enough and comfortable enough to create a revealing work of art.”
Q: What other artistic or academic goals do you have for the future?
A: “I would like to set up a stop motion animation studio and a sewing center.”
Q: Do you remember any students in particular you taught whose art impressed you? Why did it impress you?
A: “Seriously, I could list over a hundred students, but one particular student who challenges herself is Natalia Battle.”
Q: What age group of students have you taught, and which do you most enjoy teaching?
A: “I have taught K-12th grade, I most enjoy teaching middle school.”
Q: What’s your biggest goal when teaching students?
A: “My biggest goal is bringing out their artistic voice.”
Q: What’s one thing that happened while you were teaching that you’ll never forget?
A: “My first-year teaching, I had a student ask, “What is art?”, and it was a sincere question, but it was also a philosophical question, and it stopped me in my tracks. I didn’t want to give a cliché answer, so we researched it as a class.”
Q: Anything else you want to add?
A: “Just that I strive to give students a choice in the art room.”
We hope Mrs. Byrne continues to feel welcome at our school, and that you enjoy her class if you are fortunate enough to have it.
Christmas Carols
By: Andrew Blackburn
The holidays have passed, but that doesn’t mean that we should just move on from our favorite holiday traditions quite yet. One of my favorite traditions is listening to Christmas carols on the radio. My favorite would be “Christmastime is Here” by Vince Guaraldi. However, there are plenty of different Christmas carols that are adored by many. I have scoured the Internet looking at lists, and the combined top 5 are: All I Want for Christmas Is You¨, ¨Feliz Navidad¨, ¨White Christmas¨, ¨Rocking Around the Christmas Tree¨ and ¨Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer." I have sent out a poll to 6 different teachers, two from each grade, to see the most popular Christmas Carol at BAMS. Which one was the most popular? Read to find out!
After the entirety of the holiday break, 41 students responded to my poll. The top song, with 15 votes, was Mariah Carey’s holiday classic, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Coming in 2nd place was “Rocking’ Around the Christmas Tree” with 9 votes. “Feliz Navidad” was close behind, with 8 votes. “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” had only 6 votes, and coming in last place, with only 3 votes, “White Christmas.”
With the results in, I began to ponder why these were the results, and came to some quick conclusions: “All I Want for Christmas Is You” gets played more then pretty much any other song, so it makes sense that it would be the most popular. The reason I think that “White Christmas” received the least amount of votes is because it was released in 1942, more than 75 years ago! This song is older than most people’s grandparents, so people do not listen to it as often they do as the other songs.
Best Holiday Cookie Recipe!
By: Addison Clapper
As this holiday season is coming up, it's always good to have some tasty treats to bake and eat. Now I know some people just don’t usually like to bake in general. They find it unamusing and that’s ok! Some may also love baking. I don’t know, everyone is different, but I am going to give you an easy holiday treat recipes that you could bake and eat.
M&M Cookie Recipe
How to make them:
Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter
Add baking soda, salt, powder, vanilla, and flour. Mix well.
Fold in sprinkles. Use cookie scoop to put on greased cookie tray. Top with 4-5 M&Ms.
Bake at 350 for 7 to 8 minutes.
Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups of flour
1/2 cup sprinkles (or mini chocolate chips)
1 cup M&Ms
Link for recipe:
Nutrition Facts for the M&M Cookie
Harford Tech Specialized Fields
By: Kimberly Mallon
I sent out a survey to multiple people at Harford Technical High School. The reason I sent out the survey is so more people can get to know what really happens inside of Harford Tech's specialized fields. There were 9 questions in the survey. The forms are anonymous so they can’t be tracked down. Below are both the questions and answers from the students that got the survey.
Q #1: About how many people are in your specialized field with you?
A:
- Academy of Health Professions Junior said: “22”
- Automotive Refinishing & Collision Repair Junior said: “10”
- Teachers Academy of Maryland Junior said: “16”
- Another Academy of Health Professions Junior said: “18”
- Teachers Academy of Maryland Freshman said: “24”
- IT Network Academy Junior said: “16”
- Food Preparation and Management Junior said: “10”
- Another IT Network Academy Junior said: “18”
- Carpentry Junior said: “10”
- Certified Welding Senior said: “11”
- Sports Medicine and Exercise Science Senior said: “21”
- Electricity Junior said: “12”
- Printing and Graphics Communication Junior said: “20”
- Computer Aided Machining and Manufacturing Junior said: “14”
- Another Computer Aided Machining and Manufacturing Junior said: “11”
- Another Sports Medicine and Exercise Science Senior said: “22”
- Another Teachers Academy of Maryland Junior said: “16”
- Computer Aided Design and Drafting Senior said: “17”
- Licensed Cosmetology Sophomore said: “17”
- Carpentry Sophomore said: “9”
- Horticulture Freshman said: “14”
- Automotive Diagnostics & Systems Repair Sophomore said: “11”
Q #2: What is one thing that you remember about your specialized field from your Freshman year? If you are a Freshman, what is one thing that you have done this year?
A:
- Academy of Health Professions Junior said: “Learning medical terms and basics of medicine.”
- Automotive Refinishing & Collision Repair Junior said: “Learning the basics and getting to know everybody.”
- Teachers Academy of Maryland Junior said: “Doing lots of projects to help better understand the content needed to be an effective teacher.”
- Another Academy of Health Professions Junior said: “Overall, I remember going in extremely excited. We went around and got to visit other tech areas, which is known as FOT. As far as my tech area goes specifically, unfortunately I wasn’t able to do much my freshman year or up until now because of Covid. To be honest, the months I did have in person in nursing was all book work. It was lots of memorization.”
- Teachers Academy of Maryland Freshman said: “One thing that I have done this year in TAM (Teacher's Academy of Maryland) was learning about Special Education because I could relate and make connections to it. Knowing about Special Education is great information to know if you want to be a teacher.”
- IT Network Academy Junior said: “The most memorable thing about my freshman year within my program was how tightly knit we became. And with such tightly knit class we are ablet to build lasting friendships and understand each other's strengthens and weaknesses and helped each other to better understand the content presented.”
- Food Preparation and Management Junior said: “One thing I remember from freshman year in culinary is the gingerbread house competition. We got to use our skills in teams and create a gingerbread display. We then got to build and decorate our entire creation. It was a lot of fun and a great way to meet the other kids in your class.”
- Another IT Network Academy Junior said: “My freshman year was mostly about data science with coding/programming also involved. We completed many different types of labs on the computer involving different computer and internet protocols. We received an introduction to how the internet works and how data "packets" are sent through the internet.”
- Carpentry Junior said: “Lots of book work.”
- Certified Welding Senior said: “The first time I learned how to use the oxy-acetylene torch, got a face full of sparks. It really scared me for a second, but then - I realized that it didn't hurt. They stung a little, and I liked the way they danced off my boots and onto the floor. Even now I use the torch whenever I can because I love how capable the heat makes me feel, and how smoothly it melts away metal. It's such a cool experience.”
- Sports Medicine and Exercise Science Senior said: “We learned a ton of medical terminology and other vocabulary; as well as other medical basics. At the time it seemed really annoying, but now I work at a physical therapy place where I use that background all the time.”
- Electricity Junior said: “In Electricity class, we worked on different types of circuits on our work boards. Working with each other on simple circuits in the trade.”
- Printing and Graphics Communication Junior said: “I remember first learning how to use the Adobe programs and software's to create art/designs. It was a little bit of a struggle but eventually I learned and grew tremendously.”
- Computer Aided Machining and Manufacturing Junior said: “My freshman year we got to learn the basic to most of the machines that we have available. Then used machines to create many projects. I have made dice, bolt gages, Christmas ornaments in my freshman year. Another cool thing freshman year you get taught how to clean all the machines.”
- Another Computer Aided Machining and Manufacturing Junior said: “We learned about the use of hand tools, basic use of machines, such as using drill presses, and minor lathe work. We practiced turning and shouldering operations on the lathe during freshman year. We also cleaned up machines a lot.”
- Another Sports Medicine and Exercise Science Senior said: “Freshman year I remember walking out to the portable and learning all of our med terms and we would sign along with the video.”
- Another Teachers Academy of Maryland Junior said: “From freshman year, the teaching class was a lot of reflecting on yourself. We would write a lot and come to terms with accepting who we are, even if it means we won't be perfect. The freshman class focus has changed a bit from when I first went to Tech. Now as a freshman, you'll dive into special education more, but the most important lesson is that teachers make mistakes and humans are not perfect, so accepting who we are is big focus!”
- Computer Aided Design and Drafting Senior said: “As a freshman, we focused on hand drawings and learned the different ways of drafting which is not normally taught anymore because everything is computerized. I also got to know my classmates and many of them have become some of my closest friends.”
- Licensed Cosmetology Sophomore said: “One thing I remember was sitting next to a girl in my Spanish class the first day we came in person after quarantine, and now she is one of my close friends.”
- Carpentry Sophomore said: “My freshman year was mostly virtual, but we learned a lot of safety that we need to know to prevent injuries. We also learned how to use a lot of tools and the proper way to use them.”
- Horticulture Freshman said: “Making holiday arrangements and I’ve been doing a lot of plant profiles which is studying and getting information about plants and hopefully be able to identify plants by pictures.”
- Automotive Diagnostics & Systems Repair Sophomore said: “In freshman year, we did a lot of safety work, and at the end we did oil changes”
Q #3: What is your favorite thing that you have done in your specialized field overall?
A:
- Academy of Health Professions Junior said: “Learning about growth and development”
- Automotive Refinishing & Collision Repair Junior said: “Getting experience on all kinds of vehicles.”
- Teachers Academy of Maryland Junior said: “We have created Bulletin boards all over the school before winter break to spread holiday cheer.”
- Another Academy of Health Professions Junior said: “As I mentioned before because of Covid we cannot do any of the activities and skills that we were supposed to do. So mostly it is just reading chapters about the skills we are supposed to be able to do. Because of that there really isn’t a favorite things I have done. I will say that if circumstances were normal I think my favorite part would be taking vital signs. I also think the classroom looks really neat with the beds and mannequins.”
- Teachers Academy of Maryland Freshman said: “My favorite thing that I have done in TAM is doing projects with other students in my class.”
- IT Network Academy Junior said: “We have done a lot of things that I really enjoy Creating a network, creating a game/ app, working on the computers, decorating the classroom and display case. along with other various activities.”
- Food Preparation and Management Junior said: “My favorite thing is probably the labs we get to do. You work in groups and are given a certain item to base a dish around. You get full freedom and present a dish to the chefs and class mates.”
- Another IT Network Academy Junior said: “Learning about and computer maintenance is my favorite aspect of computer science. I learned about these things last year in 10th grade. Sadly, due to Covid, my class and I were not able to participate in any physical hands-on computer maintenance activities which would have been present in the normal 10th grade curriculum. However, learning online about computer parts and an introduction to the idea of networking was very good to learn and know about.”
- Carpentry Junior said: “Helped build a shed.”
- Certified Welding Senior said: “Right now, I'm training for a welding competition, called SkillsUSA, where I'll go against people across the county and state for the title "Best Metal Fabricator". I'm excited to see how I match up against other kids like me.”
- Sports Medicine and Exercise Science Senior said: “We learned how to handle an emergency situation in which we found someone passed out. We learned both how to do basic life support skills (CPR / AED). We also learned how to safely move someone with a suspected spinal injury. We also learn the weight room at our school like the back of our hands, which is really helpful for planning all sorts of workouts.”
- Electricity Junior said: “My favorite thing that I have done in my trade was bending conduit to help create and complete a circuit of receptacles.”
- Printing and Graphics Communication Junior said: “My favorite thing I’ve ever done was get the opportunity to watch/talk to our guest speaker Eric King a few weeks ago. He is a Tech alumni and now currently does work for Warner Bros. and has also worked with professional basketball players in the past to design advertisements and sports packages. It was really cool getting to know more about our field and the opportunities that will come out of it with hard work.”
- Computer Aided Machining and Manufacturing Junior said: “So far my favorite thing about CAMM is the people because no matter where you are from you will make new friends due to this school is filled with kids all over the county”
- Another Computer Aided Machining and Manufacturing Junior said: “Mostly like working on the machines themselves, fixing them, cleaning, maintaining, etc.”
- Another Sports Medicine and Exercise Science Senior said: “There are many things that I really like about sports med, but my favorite probably has to be that we have the opportunity to go out and do an internship at a location of your choice. We also get to do an inside internship with a weight training class and do 1 on 1 with a student to be their personal trainer.”
- Another Teachers Academy of Maryland Junior said: “My favorite thing that we do in teaching is create bulletin boards. This allows us to be creative and decorate how we would like to do in our own classroom.”
- Computer Aided Design and Drafting Senior said: “In our junior year, we did architectural drawings which was my favorite because we got to design our own room layouts and create a whole house.”
- Licensed Cosmetology Sophomore said: “Shampoo and conditioning and styling my friends hair.”
- Carpentry Sophomore said: “Some of my favorite things that I have done in my Tech area are Helping with the Habitat house. This is one of are biggest project and there are so many steps that go into it. Its great helping build it and watch see what the other classes have done too.”
- Horticulture Freshman said: “Making holiday arrangements.”
- Automotive Diagnostics & Systems Repair Sophomore said: “Fully disassembling a transmission”
Q #4: On a scale of 1-10 how much do you like the specialized field that you selected?
A:
- Academy of Health Professions Junior said: “9”
- Automotive Refinishing & Collision Repair Junior said: “10”
- Teachers Academy of Maryland Junior said: “8”
- Another Academy of Health Professions Junior said: “0”
- Teachers Academy of Maryland Freshman said: “10”
- IT Network Academy Junior said: “10”
- Food Preparation and Management Junior said: “9”
- Another IT Network Academy Junior said: “6”
- Carpentry Junior said: “6”
- Certified Welding Senior said: “10”
- Sports Medicine and Exercise Science Senior said: “8”
- Electricity Junior said: “8”
- Printing and Graphics Communication Junior said: “9”
- Computer Aided Machining and Manufacturing Junior said: “10”
- Another Computer Aided Machining and Manufacturing Junior said: “7”
- Another Sports Medicine and Exercise Science Senior said: “7”
- Another Teachers Academy of Maryland Junior said: “8”
- Computer Aided Design and Drafting Senior said: “10”
- Licensed Cosmetology Sophomore said: “8”
- Carpentry Sophomore said: “9”
- Horticulture Freshman said: “8”
- Automotive Diagnostics & Systems Repair Sophomore said: “7”
Q #5: Will you pursue this specialized field as a career after High School? Why or why not?
A:
- Academy of Health Professions Junior said: “Yes. I want to work with kids and be able to care for them in the hospital. It’s a dream job of mine!”
- Automotive Refinishing & Collision Repair Junior said: “I would love to!! Working on cars is my passion, and I would love to work in the force when I am out of school.”
- Teachers Academy of Maryland Junior said: “Yes, because I like being in the helping profession with younger kids.”
- Another Academy of Health Professions Junior said: “I was never really interested in nursing before going into the problem. I wanted to be a doctor. After the experience I have had with this program and Covid, it has made me second guess if I want to go into medicine at all. This isn’t just because of the program. I think I would blame most of it on Covid and being in a medical specialized field at Harford Tech made it almost impossible to do medical skills and to visit hospitals. And because of that we spent a lot of time making up for it by discussions and bookwork, which is not something any student in our class had fully anticipated going into the program.”
- Teachers Academy of Maryland Freshman said: “Yes, I will pursue my career of becoming a high school teacher after High School. Growing up with a mother, who is a teacher, I have seen how my mother interacts with her students and how her students' faces light up when she walks into the classroom. I want to follow in her footsteps so I can see my future students faces, smiles, and to see if I have made a difference in their lives.”
- IT Network Academy Junior said: “Yes, I have begun looking for internships for my senior year and hope to attend a college that will further my information in networking and computer science in general.”
- Food Preparation and Management Junior said: “Personally I will probably not. I want to go to college for marketing and then to law school. But cooking is a great skill to have and a great back up plan.”
- Another IT Network Academy Junior said: “Most likely. I have a keen interest in IT and computer maintenance (10th grade curriculum) and learned a lot of computer part lingo and computer safety techniques. I most likely will not go into programming or networking as I am not a big fan of it. This program at Harford Tech teaches students about the many different aspects of Computer Science and gives an introduction and thorough understanding of many different subjects in the field (e.g. programming, cybersecurity, IT, data analytics etc.)”
- Carpentry Junior said: “No, because I’m going to college.”
- Certified Welding Senior said: “Maybe. During my time at Harford Tech, I met all kinds of people and tried a bunch of clubs too. It's because I tried so many things that I was able to figure out what I want to do with my life. I realized how much I love science, specifically astrophysics, and I've decided I want to go to university for astrophysics. If I can, I hope to weld on the side to make money while I'm getting my degree.”
- Sports Medicine and Exercise Science Senior said: “I will. I am majoring in biology in college. When I graduate, I will go to graduate school for three years to graduate with a doctorate of physical therapy (to eventually be a practicing physical therapist)”
- Electricity Junior said: “I believe I will stick with the trade after high school. I would like to attend college to further my education, but I enjoy hands on work.”
- Printing and Graphics Communication Junior said: “Yes. I’m looking forward to pursuing a career in Animation/Motion Graphics, and also starting my own business based on providing people with graphic designs that I create. I’m pursuing it because I feel Graphics itself is an art form and way of expression. It can be fun to do.”
- Computer Aided Machining and Manufacturing Junior said: “Yes, I plan on enlisting into the military and be a machinist for the Unites States Army”
- Another Computer Aided Machining and Manufacturing Junior said: “Probably. I have gained some experience in this field and I think that I should take advantage of it in order to get a decent job.”
- Another Sports Medicine and Exercise Science Senior said: “I do not believe I am going to pursue my specialized field as a full-time job after high school because I think I rather do something else, but I still want to use the skills and knowledge that I have learned in my future. Whether that be I do personal training on the side or become a part time athletic trainer. I really love this class and highly recommend it and think it is such a great opportunity whether you want to pursue a career in this field or not but for me personally I just think I want to try out something else as a career path.”
- Another Teachers Academy of Maryland Junior said: “I am planning to go to Towson University to become a teacher because this program made me understand that I love being a leader and I'd love to be a leader for the rest of my life while also impacting students to have them love learning.”
- Computer Aided Design and Drafting Senior said: “Partially, I am pursuing a civil engineering major in college, which does not directly apply CADD, but it will still be useful. It has always been a dream of mine to work in a more hands on environment and pursuing a CADD specific career would not give me that experience because it involves more of the "behind the scenes" aspect. However, most engineering fields will require a basic ability to read and interpret CADD drawings and I feel that this program has provided that for me.”
- Licensed Cosmetology Sophomore said: “I will pursue cosmetology as a career after High School because I enjoy it so much and love doing it. I wouldn’t want to live with a job I hate and knowing that I will be good at what I do will make things easier. Harford Tech is already leading me in the direction I want to go and I wanted to be in this field for as long as I can remember.”
- Carpentry Sophomore said: “After high school I will probably do something part time, but if I don't my tech area will have helped me learn everything I will need to know to do my own home improvements.”
- Horticulture Freshman said: “I’m undecided currently because I may try to change my specialized field, but I would be interested making it my career after high school.”
- Automotive Diagnostics & Systems Repair Sophomore said: “Possibly, but not as a full time mechanic. I would most likely use my certifications to help get a degree in automotive engineering.”
Q #6: What is one unit/project that you wish you could add to your class? (example: Teachers Academy of Maryland can have a group of kids that they bring in and try to teach them.)
A:
- Academy of Health Professions Junior said: “Being able to go to the hospital. This was a part of the program but COVID has cancelled it for now. 😕”
- Automotive Refinishing & Collision Repair Junior said: “Going out and intern in the field like other tech areas would be nice.”
- Teachers Academy of Maryland Junior said: “Tutoring kids one on one and seeing growth after a few weeks”
- Another Academy of Health Professions Junior said: “I wish they would focus more on other medical specialties. It is called the academy of health professions, but we spend all our time learning about nursing. I would like to learn about other specialties because medicine has so many pathways.”
- Teachers Academy of Maryland Freshman said: “One project that I would like to do in TAM is make a lesson and teach so my class, and I can know how it feels to teach in front of students."
- IT Network Academy Junior said: “Visiting networking centers and other trips that would allow us to build a better understanding of equipment. Within our lab we get a small glimpse of the networking field. With a trip like this we would be able to get a feel for different jobs within networking that would better fit us and see current systems and networks and how they work.”
- Food Preparation and Management Junior said: “I would love if we got to do a bake off like the tv shows. I just love to bake and with owning my own baking business I would love to show some of my skill.”
- Another IT Network Academy Junior said: “I would very much like to see an (optional) program that allows students to shadow an IT technician at tech firm. This would give students valuable insight into how a job as a helpdesk technician would work and give them a chance to participate in tech service if they so choose.”
- Carpentry Junior said: “More hands-on learning and getting to build stuff for ourselves.”
- Certified Welding Senior said: “I think my welding instructor said something about learning how to blacksmith, but if not, blacksmithing. One thing I like about the welding workshop is that you can work on pretty much anything as long as it's safe, you have time, and you have permission. You can learn and use any of the machines, and if you have friends in the machining area, maybe you can learn some machining too. There are so many opportunities, you just need to take advantage of them.”
- Sports Medicine and Exercise Science Senior said: “Tell Mr. Mohr to give us more brain breaks 😂. But honestly, I didn’t really get a whole lot out of the college class we took in the fall. I wish we could’ve just spent more time reviewing for the personal trainer exam and maybe working on stuff regarding college next year.”
- Electricity Junior said: “It would cool if we could go to an actual house and help with the wiring inside.”
- Printing and Graphics Communication Junior said: “I wish we got to have a unit on animation and animating 2D/3D objects. A lot of the students in my class have to learn how to do that stuff outside of school and on their own time.”
- Computer Aided Machining and Manufacturing Junior said: “Teaching us how to drive a forklift because the forklift is important due to machines are heavy and very difficult to move them around.”
- Another Computer Aided Machining and Manufacturing Junior said: “I wish that we focused more on the maintenance of the machines.”
- Another Sports Medicine and Exercise Science Senior said: “I wished we did a little more hands-on activities, maybe have the chance to go out to a sporting game and shadow the athletic trainer during the game.”
- Another Teachers Academy of Maryland Junior said: “I would love to add more presentation projects. We did a project freshman year where we taught the class about a teaching style we researched and got to make our own note sheets etc. It was super fun, and I'd love to do it again.”
- Computer Aided Design and Drafting Senior said: “I wish we could have made a 3D model of the house we designed to see how it really looked.”
- Licensed Cosmetology Sophomore said: “I wish I could bring people from other tech areas in and do their hair. We only get to do the people in our cos class.”
- Carpentry Sophomore said: “I wish we had a unit of going to job sites and helping with what they are doing.”
- Horticulture Freshman said: “I wish we could do more hands on stuff.”
- Automotive Diagnostics & Systems Repair Sophomore said: “In senior year, we should learn how to drive cars with manual transmissions, so we can better understand how they work.”
Q #7: Do you think that the specialized field that you chose was a good choice for you?
A:
- Academy of Health Professions Junior said: “Yes”
- Automotive Refinishing & Collision Repair Junior said: “Yes”
- Teachers Academy of Maryland Junior said: “Yes”
- Another Academy of Health Professions Junior said: “No”
- Teachers Academy of Maryland Freshman said: “Yes”
- IT Network Academy Junior said: “Yes”
- Food Preparation and Management Junior said: “Yes”
- Another IT Network Academy Junior said: “Yes”
- Carpentry Junior said: “Maybe”
- Certified Welding Senior said: “Yes”
- Sports Medicine and Exercise Science Senior said: “Yes”
- Electricity Junior said: “Yes”
- Printing and Graphics Communication Junior said: “Yes”
- Computer Aided Machining and Manufacturing Junior said: “Yes”
- Another Computer Aided Machining and Manufacturing Junior said: “Yes”
- Another Sports Medicine and Exercise Science Senior said: “Yes”
- Another Teachers Academy of Maryland Junior said: “Yes”
- Computer Aided Design and Drafting Senior said: “Yes”
- Licensed Cosmetology Sophomore said: “Yes”
- Carpentry Sophomore said: “Yes”
- Horticulture Freshman said: “Maybe”
- Automotive Diagnostics & Systems Repair Sophomore said: “Yes”
Q #8: Do you have anything about your specialized field that you would want to tell 8th graders that are looking at high schools to go to?
A:
- Academy of Health Professions Junior said: “It can be hard and may seem repetitive at times which can make it seem boring at certain points.”
- Automotive Refinishing & Collision Repair Junior said: “Just do your best and put your heart to it and it will make your life so much easier. Work smarter not harder.”
- Teachers Academy of Maryland Junior said: “It’s more than just learning about education. It’s honestly seeing a bigger picture of how times have changed, how we grew as a population, and the real purpose of why we receive the education we have the right to get.”
- Another Academy of Health Professions Junior said: “For incoming eighth graders I think it’s really important that they are aware of the work that gets put into the program. I was told that it would be a lot of schoolwork and a lot of bookwork but I was extremely passionate about medicine and so that was something that was worth it to me. If you were like that and you know that you wanna go into medicine or you want to find a passion of yours and you think that medicine could be that passion then I would say go for it!” (Edited due to length)
- Teachers Academy of Maryland Freshman said: “In TAM you can be creative, be yourself, you'll have a lot of time to do your work. If you pick TAM you'll like Mrs. Hoover, the TAM teacher.”
- IT Network Academy Junior said: “Choose tech, Tech will bring you new things you never thought you could do in high school. You will get training in a field of your choosing, certifications that will set you for your college and career after high school. along with the tightly knit tech community. Techs family that is built is like nothing I've ever experienced in an educational format. Tech brings everyone.”
- Food Preparation and Management Junior said: “Just have fun. It will be hard at first learning all the tips and tricks. But just remember it’s high school and enjoy it as much as you can. Also make food you will eat because you will have to try it.”
- Another IT Network Academy Junior said: “Cyber is a great program to get into and can absolutely set you up for success in the workforce and college. However, Cyber does require a large amount of effort and focus to get the most out of it. One very important thing to keep in mind when applying when to Harford Tech is that you are never locked into the field you go for. If once you graduate you decide that this field might not be for you, that is completely okay and fairly common as well.”
- Carpentry Junior said: “It’s a lot of book work but less then other tech areas and if you wanna be in the construction field it’s a great option”
- Certified Welding Senior said: “I chose Harford Tech because of the stability it provides. Almost every tech area offers some sort of credential or certification in your junior and senior years, which means if you work hard enough here - you'll never have to worry about your future. You graduate as a well-rounded and very employable young adult. And even if you don't know if you want to go into your tech area's industry when you graduate, you might as well learn something cool while you go through high school, right?”
- Sports Medicine and Exercise Science Senior said: “Sports med is a difficult field. You have to love both medicine and be driven enough to push through when it gets difficult. Mr. Mohr is an amazing teacher and will always work with you to succeed, but you have to want to be there. The hard work does eventually pay off!”
- Electricity Junior said: “The field is a lot more simple then it sounds. There might be a lot of things to remember, but it is a very easy, doable trade to learn.”
- Printing and Graphics Communication Junior said: “I would say Printing and Graphics is a learning experience. It’s both fun and challenging, and you get to spend time creating art and designs with your friends, as well as learn about the machinery used in the field, like the printing and bindery machines. It gives you experience and time to build a portfolio if you want to pursue a job or college education in it.”
- Computer Aided Machining and Manufacturing Junior said: “If you plan on going to any magnet program, you should apply to 2 different programs that you are interested in so you can still pursue the program you want, but even if you don't get in, you would still have the opportunity to another field that has a good career.”
- Another Computer Aided Machining and Manufacturing Junior said: “It is a lot of work, and can be kind of gross, but making cool projects is rewarding.”
- Another Sports Medicine and Exercise Science Senior said: “Even if you are unsure if this is something that you want to pursue as a career past high school this is a great opportunity to really get a feel for the field and make that decision if you can see yourself doing this as a job. There are many different pathways you can take from this field so if this is something you really want to do, I am sure you will find the right fit for you.”
- Another Teachers Academy of Maryland Junior said: “If you are passionate about helping others and would love to develop into a wonderful person, Teacher Academy of Maryland is for you!”
- Computer Aided Design and Drafting Senior said: “No matter which tech area you choose, it is just as important to decide what you definitely don't want to do for the rest of your life as it is to decide what you do want to do. Exposing yourself to those options in high school will make it easier when you are going into the real world. More specifically related to CADD, the topics for each year are as follows: freshman year is hand drafting, sophomore year is translating similar drawings into AutoCAD software, junior year is architectural drawing (both hand and computer drawings), and senior year is animations.”
- Licensed Cosmetology Sophomore said: “It is so much fun! I might be biased but I think cosmetology is the best program to go into. Ms. Avila and Ms. Schaffer are so nice and fun. The class almost always does hands on things like cutting, styling, and coloring hair and much more. There is minimal work load and the class is not to hard. I look forward to the class everyday.”
- Carpentry Sophomore said: “This tech area is great if you are looking for a tech area that is very hands on. This is also a good tech area that you can learn a lot from, and you can use throughout your life.”
- Horticulture Freshman said: “If you really enjoy be creative and able to do hands on stuff then horticulture is the best option. You are able to make arrangements, and if you love plants and want to identify them, then horticulture is best fit for you.”
- Automotive Diagnostics & Systems Repair Sophomore said: “If you don't want to work in a shop, you don't have to. Automotive will give you a basic understanding of how cars operate, and this will help you diagnose issues you may have instead of paying to go to a shop.”
Q #9: Extra question only for Teachers Academy of Maryland to answer. If you chose Teachers Academy of Maryland, what grade would you most like to teach?
A:
- Teachers Academy of Maryland Junior said: “Kindergarten”
- Teachers Academy of Maryland Freshman said: “High School”
- Another Teachers Academy of Maryland Junior said: “Middle School”
Welcoming a New Artist!
By: Pragnya Jagarlapudi, Aminah Hussain, and Amelia Mason
Have you noticed any new faces around BAMS recently? Ms. O’Neal is one of our new art teachers, and we wanted students to be able to get to know her!
Q: What do you think of BAMS so far?
A: “I didn’t know what to expect, but I am pleasantly surprised, and I love it. Now I never want to leave!”
Q: What do you consider art?
A: “Anything that expresses a person's inner being.”
Q: What kind of art do you do outside of school?
A: “I paint, and I make pottery.”
Q: What's your favorite art form or style? Why?
A: “Ceramics for a lot of reasons, but to summarize clay comes from the earth and it’s cool to connect to our planet. Additionally, clay has its own set of rules that can be valuable for people to learn from. Also, if you follow those rules, you can connect with your art piece daily.”
Q: Who is your favorite artist? Why?
A: “My favorite artist is Vincent Van Goh because when he was alive, he went through a lot and despite his lack of renown and his suffering he continued to persevere and I respect that about him.”
Q: Do you remember the artist that first inspired you to pursue art as a career?
A: “My professor in college Michael Doig. He empowered me to believe in myself. It can be so easy to doubt yourself.”
Q: What advice do you have for students that want to pursue a career in art?
A: “Be open, open minded, and willing to endure the journey. Continue to put yourself in experiences that will help spark your passion. You can always learn knew thing things and despite doubt. Embody Van Goh’s spirit and keep going.”
Q: What’s the most challenging thing about teaching students?
A: “Navigating when to challenge them and when you need to give them space.”
Q: What’s the most rewarding part of teaching students?
A: “Watching them grow as both artists and people and getting to be a teacher in the school they view as a safe space.”
Q: What other artistic or academic goals do you have for the future?
A: “I would love to have my own studio and be able to teach my own pottery classes.”
Q: Do you remember any students in particular you taught whose art impressed you? Why did it impress you?
A: “One student from Indiana sticks out to me, they lacked confidence in all speeds of life, and I got to watch her heal and gain confidence each day as she made art. She went through a lot of trauma and the art helped her.”
Q: What age group of students have you taught, and which do you most enjoy teaching?
A: “I’ve taught all ages (kindergarteners all the way up to adults) and surprisingly I’d say Middle Schoolers.”
Q: What’s your biggest goal when teaching students?
A: “I want art to be something they can easily relate to, and I want them to understand that art is like oxygen, everyone needs and deserves it.”
Q: What’s one thing that happened while you were teaching that you’ll never forget?
A: “Students who used art to find themselves.”
Q: Anything else you want to add?
A: “I’m thankful to be here, and I hope I get to spark positive change at BAMS.”
We hope Mrs. O’Neal enjoys her time here at B.A.M.S and continues to feel welcome!
Top Holiday Gifts that BAMS Students Want!
By: Olivia Manns
Many of us receive gifts we love over our holiday break. But have you ever wondered what other students get as presents? We conducted a survey to see what each grade level received over the winter break. Students had the option to choose from Technology, Clothes, Cosmetics, Books, Candy, Toys, Shoes or “other.” The results are in, so here they are: The top gift overall was Technology by far. Coming in with about 40% of votes. This includes new phones, iPads, Air Pods, a Ps5, Nintendo Switch, etc. Second place was a tie with clothes and “other.” Each having about 18% of votes. Cosmetics took third place with about 8% of votes. Here are the rest of the results:
The Innocence Project: Advocate for the Innocent
By: Pragnya Jagarlapud
It's commonly known that science leaves no room for hasty assumptions or racial prejudice. Just the facts, and the evidence. This makes the nature of DNA testing, a reliable method of identification first used 30 years ago, seem like the perfect tool to use in court. Unfortunately, in the early days of DNA testing, it was not always the most reliable source. While science and technology have improved, these mistakes may have put innocent people in jail in the past. The Innocence Project is a nonprofit organization that helps those who were wrongfully incarcerated. Not only do they free the innocent, but they also address the root cause of wrongful convictions, and try to reform the legal system, working closely with the Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University.
The need for The Innocence Project stems from the imprisonment of the innocent not only being caused by occasional mistakes by a jury or judge, but deep-rooted issues in the legal system. They use updated DNA testing to help free these people. Since 2012 The Innocence Project has been educating courts on the root causes of injustice. They operate very closely with their Policy Department to change these courts for the better. They supply training for judges, lawyers, and others in the criminal justice system to help prevent the incarceration of the innocent.
As many people know, prison can have a certain psychological impact on prisoners, most commonly known as institutionalization. Simply put, when put into the penal system, people are forced to adapt to the harsh, and most times overly punitive, nature of prison. They can develop PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) from being in prison, as well as other odd behaviors. This can make going back to normal life extremely difficult for prisoners. To help with the transition, The Innocence Project interviews the soon-to-be-free prisoners to decide what kind of help they need, medical or psychiatric. This creates a tailor-made path to recovery and return to normal life.
The Innocence Project is dedicated to helping the wrongfully accused get justice, and to help reform the issues in our legal system. To learn more about their cause, visit their website at https://innocenceproject.org/
Sports Buzz with Chance Block
By: Chance Block
Hello everyone, my name is Chance Block from the NLC (Newsletter Club) and today we will be talking about sports. I know a little bit of you guys are a little upset of what happened 1-3-22 with the Ravens and Rams. We will talk about that today. We will talk about the Orioles and Nat's on a review about what happened this year with them, and we will also talk about the Capitals and Wizards. I hope you enjoy it.
Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore/Camden Yards
AL East Division
2021: 5th place W 52-110 L
2022: Opening day March 31st, 3:05PM vs Tronto Blue Jays
Hey O’s fans, I'm excited right now because, were about to have baseball back! Pitchers and catchers check in on February 17th, 2022. Until then, here is a 2021 review and stats about some up-coming news for 2022. The 2021 season ended with the O’s finishing 5th place with 52 W - 110 L. For 2022, Orioles went all out on rule 5 draft including RHP Nolan Hoffman (Mariners), and RHP Cole Uvila (Rangers) now both players. It will be interesting to see if they will be a good addition to the team. Do not give up, we are almost out of a rebuild. This year is the 30th anniversary of Camden Yards.
Nationals
Washington finished 5th with 65-97. Not the best but also, there in one of the toughest leagues in baseball, not only because most of the east coast national teams are on rebuild, but they did not get too many wins. However, they drop a couple of incredibly good players including: 1B #14 Mike Ford, RP #63 Wander Suero, C #6 Alex Alvia, 3B/1B #11 Ryan Zimmerman, #43 RP Luis Alvilan, #27 SS Jordy Mercer, #88 LF Gerado Parra. but the nationals sign 2B #12 César Hernandez for 1-year contract ($4m) and they sign 3B Makiel Franco for a minor league deal and 2B/ OF Dee-Strange Gordon. Not bad free agents they picked up, but there is still a long way. For Nat’s draft rule 5 pick, it was not that bad, it was impressive that they scraped up some young athletes like 2B Andrew Young, RP Curtis Taylor, RP Matt Brill, and RP Dakody Clemmer. Do not stop believing, they won 2019 WS.
Washington Capitals
Ice Hockey Team
Washington DC/Capital One Arena
2nd 20-6-8 (W/L/OTL)
Hey hockey fans, here’s your local ice hockey team update. The Capitals in the beginning of the year, struggled, setting the stage with 1-4 by 5 games. Now, they have started to come back with a 20-6 record, awesome! The next few games look easy for the Caps. Latest big news with the Caps, Alex Ovechkin signs five-year, $47.5 million extension with Capitals. Big contract, for such a good player. The Capitals have been overall great this season, and hopefully they don’t let that 20-6 let them down in the next couple of games.
https://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/teams/washington/
Want more information, access, merch, and news, see links below:
Podcast: "Between two Blue Lines” hosted by Nic Dowd and Garnet Hathaway on all thing's https://www.nhl.com/capitals/multimedia/podcast. Find on: apple podcasts, Spotify and SoundCloud.
Watch Games on: NBC Sports Washington, ESPN, Hulu
https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/capitals
Official Website: www.nhl.com/captials
Radio: 106.7 The Fan -DC sport radio
Washington Wizards
Basketball
Washington DC/Capital One Arena
2nd place 19/20 (W/L)
Hey basketball fans, here’s the latest buzz on our local basketball team The Wizards. The Wizards are currently in 3rd place right now with a 19-20 record. Some fun facts you might not know about the Wizards. The Wizards and the Washington Capitals share the same stadium, The Capital One Arena. The Wizards last time winning the trophy was in 1978, last time being in a postseason was 2017. In 1963, they became the Baltimore Bullets before making it to Washinton D.C. Some trade rumors are occurring about Russel Westbrook, Cam Reddish and Bradley Beal going to the Wizards. That’s exciting news as they are great players. So, now that you know a little more about our local basketball team check out below for how to access more information.
https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/washington/
Podcast: Get inside the wizards, talk of team info, and even ask them questions:
Team Website: https://www.nba.com/wizards/
Radio: https://www.nba.com/wizards/wizards-radio-24/7
Where to watch the Washington Wizards: NBA League Pass, NBC Sports Washington.
Baltimore Ravens
Football
Baltimore/ M&T Bank Stadium
AFC North Division: 4th place
8 W - 9 L
Hey purple Friday fans, if you haven’t heard I'm here to update you on the Baltimore Ravens as they finished the season with an 8-9 record on January 9, 2022. The Ravens started the season with a 4-1 record by week 6. Looking for a win against the Rams to get the division title, it all changed by 1 point, as the Rams won against the Ravens, 20-19. However, don’t lose hope Raven fans, you still get to watch our top 2 players Lamar Jackson and Justin Tucker as they get to play in the Pro-Bowl 2022 on February 6, 2022, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. You can catch the Pro-Bowl on NFL YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Although, this concludes the season for the Baltimore Ravens is not over yet, the postseason is just beginning with the conclusion at Super Bowl 56 on February 13, 2022, at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angelos, California. Check out below for more post season information as well as links to your Baltimore Ravens.
Postseason contenders:
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Cincinati Bengals
- New England Patriots
- Buffalo Bills
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- San Fransico 49ers
- Dallas Cowboys
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Arizona Cardinals
- Los Angeles Rams
https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/baltimore/
Podcast: Listen to locked on Ravens by Kevin Oestreicher inside and out about the Ravens, talks and asks questions about the off-season and what’s going through John Harbaugh head about the Ravens.
Team Website: https://www.baltimoreravens.com/
Radio: 97.9 FM
Where to watch the postseason and Superbowl: ESPN (+), Fox, CBS, Fubo TV (+) and Peacock.
Washington Football Team
Washinton D.C./FedEx Field
Football
NFC EAST division: 3rd place
7W-10L
For those southern Marylanders out there, you’ve had to of heard of the Washington football team previously known as the Washington Redskins. If you haven’t, here’s a fun fact for you, Maryland has two NFL teams, one of them being the Washington Football team. This team recently changed their name back in 2020. They finished their season 7-10 on January 9, 2022, with the NFC East Division. The best game for Washington Football was when they beat Tampa Bay Buccaneers 29-19 on November 11, 2021. Washington football has these players going to pro-bowl Brandon Scherff and Jonathan Allen. Check out below for more post season information as well as links to your Washinton Football Team.
Postseason contenders:
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Cincinati Bengals
- New England Patriots
- Buffalo Bills
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- San Fransico 49ers
- Dallas Cowboys
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Arizona Cardinals
- Los Angeles Rams
https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/washington/
Podcast: Listen to locked on Football Team by Chris Russell and co-host David Harrison talks inside and out about the football team, talks and asks questions about the off-season and what’s going through Ron Rivera head about the football team.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-washington-football-team/id1144183096
Team Website: https://www.washingtonfootball.com/
Radio: 106.7Fm The Fan Washington D.C. sports radio station.
Where to watch the postseason and Superbowl: ESPN (+), Fox, CBS, Fubo TV (+) and Peacock.
Welcome to BAMS Mrs. Ferrara!
By: Kimberly Mallon
Mrs. Ferrara is a new teacher at Bel Air Middle School this year. She teaches math to all the 7-South students. In the Newsletter Club we like to interview new teachers. Below is the interview with Mrs. Ferrara.
Q: What is your name?
A: “Regan Ferrara”
Q: What subject do you teach?
A: “Math”
Q: How long have you been a teacher?
A: “This is my 5th year teaching!”
Q: Have you taught at a different school? If so, where did you teach, and what did you teach?
A: “Yes, I previously taught at Aberdeen Middle School. I taught 7th grade math there, too!”
Q: What is your favorite unit in math to teach your student? Why?
A: “This is tough! Can I have a favorite for each class? If so, my favorite unit for Algebra is Systems. My favorite unit for Integrated is Slopes, and my favorite for Math 7 is probability!”
Q: What was your favorite subject to learn in school?
A: “My favorite subject was math!! History was a close second.”
Q: What is your favorite part of BAMS so far?
A: “I love all my students!”
Q: What is your favorite thing to do when you aren’t teaching or at school?
A: “I love to run and play volleyball. I also enjoy watching movies.”
Q: Do you have any pets or kids? If so, how many and what kinds?
A: “I have a dog named Everest! She is a Fiest (a type of Terrier).”
Q: If you weren't a teacher, what job would you like to have?
A: “If I wasn’t a teacher, I would love to be a neurosurgeon. I’ve always loved learning about the brain.”
Q: If you could go one place on earth where would it be? Why?
A: “If I could go anywhere, I would probably go to Corolla, North Carolina. I love the beach and Corolla is always so quiet and peaceful when we visit.”
Fox’s X-men Complete Timeline (Spoilers Ahead)
By: Zion Bridgeman
Movies in order:
- X-men First Class (2011)
- X-men Origins Wolverine (2009)
- X-men (2000)
- X-men 2 (2003)
- X-men Last Stand (2006)
- X-men Origins Wolverine (2013)
- X-men days of the future past (2014)
- X-men Apocalypse (2016)
- X-men Dark phoenix (2019)
- And maybe The Gifted? (2017-2019)
Hi my name is Zion Bridgeman, and I am going to tell you about the timeline of the Marvel Legacy movies.
For those of you that have never heard of these movies, these were the best Superhero movies before the MCU came around. Like honestly when I was younger, I loved these movies, and this is what I watched around the time that like only four of the MCU movies were around (Iron Man (2008), Incredible Hulk (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), and Thor (2011). And you can tell this fact is true because X-men (2000) got an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. Which I am pretty sure that this is certified fresh and most of the movies after that got the same ratings except of course Dark Phoenix, Apocalypse, and X-men Origins Wolverine. They all got bad scores and reviews ranging from 47%-21% which is certified rotten by Rotten Tomatoes. I am about to end this and get to doing the complete timeline. I did include the Gifted series in this because I think that it might fit in with the timeline because multiple people have argued over this since the show came out. I personally believe that it fits in around the time after Dark Phoenix because it would fit in with everything that did happen at the end of the movie, so I am going to explain at the end of this. So let us get started with the summaries.
X-men First Class (2011)
Before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were archenemies, they were closest of friends, working together, with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. In the process, a rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-MEN.
—Twentieth Century Fox
X-men Origins Wolverine (2009)
Two mutant brothers, Logan and Victor, born two hundred years ago, suffer childhood trauma and have only each other to depend on. Basically, they're fighters and killers, living from war to war throughout U.S. history. In modern times, a U.S. Colonel, Stryker, recruits them and other mutants as commandos. Logan quits and becomes a logger, falling in love with a local teacher. When Logan refuses to rejoin Stryker's crew, the Colonel sends the murderous Victor. Logan now wants revenge.
—<jhailey@hotmail.com>
X-men (2000)
Born with extraordinary abilities in a world filled with fear, prejudice, and intolerance, the next link in the chain of human evolution, the powerful meta-humans, will soon have to choose sides. As the telepathic mutant, Professor Charles Xavier, struggles to achieve a peaceful coexistence between the two species, hoping that the gifted students of his institute will use their powers for good, his old friend and super-human antagonist, Magneto, prepares for war. Now, Professor X's newest students--the teenage mutant with the deadly touch, Rogue, and the body-regenerating, adamantium-infused Logan, aka Wolverine--find themselves caught in the middle of a violent confrontation; one that would either stop or usher in a new era in the history of homo superior. Can Xavier's X-Men put an end to Magneto's megalomaniac vision?
X-men: United (2003)
When anti-mutant Colonel William Stryker kidnaps Professor X and attacks his school, the X-Men must ally with their archenemy Magneto to stop him.
X-men Last Stand (2006)
When a "cure" is created, which apparently can turn any mutant into a "normal" human being, there is outrage amongst the mutant community. While some mutants do like the idea of a "cure", including Rogue, many mutants find that there shouldn't be a "cure". Magneto, who still believes a war is coming, recruits a large team of mutants to take down Warren Worthington II and his "cure". It might seem easy for the X-Men to stop, but Magneto has a big advantage, which Wolverine doesn't have. Jean Grey has returned, and joined with Magneto. The Dark Phoenix has woken within her, which has the ability to destroy anything in her way, even if that "anything" is an X-Man.
-rsanchez
The Wolverine (2013)
In modern day Japan, Wolverine is out of his depth in an unknown world as he faces his ultimate nemesis in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own near-immortality, emerging more powerful than we have ever seen him before.—Twentieth Century Fox
X-men Days Future Past (2014)
In the future, the mutants and the humans who help them are slaughtered by powerful robots named Sentinels. Professor Xavier, Wolverine, Magneto, Storm, Kitty Pryde, and her friends meet at a monastery in China and Xavier explains that the invincible Sentinels were created using the DNA of Mystique that was captured in 1973 when she tried to assassinate their creator Dr. Bolivar Trask. Xavier tells that their only chance is return to 1973 using Pryde's ability to join Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr to convince Mystique to give up her intention. However, only Wolverine can withstand the damages of the time travel. Will he succeed in stopping Mystique and the Sentinel Program, and save the mutants and their human friends from annihilation?—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
All right so I am going to pause right here because I need to explain what happened in Days of The Future Past because it is important, and I do encourage you guys to watch these movies and The Gifted show as well. They send Wolverine back in time to the time before the killer robots who can mimic the powers of any mutant they have seen or killed, and the reason they are doing this to mutants is the fact that Mystique (Raven Darhklhome or Xaiver) killed Bolivar Trask a few years or a decade after X-men First Class after Magneto and his team are forcefully disbanded and a few of them are killed. Only Mystique and Magneto survive because the rest are killed or don’t survive the experiments from T.R.A.S.K, but since then Magneto got captured and put in the Pentagon (because that is the only place that can hold him because it is stone) which leaves only Mystique the only one to get her revenge. So, she basically waltz in the meeting that some of the officials are having (without being noticed because she is a shapeshifter) and gets into this cool fight with all of them so it is cool. But in the end, she kills and gets what she thinks is revenge, but she messes up basically the whole timeline because one of his guards captures her,experments on her at the support of the Senate and the Government because she killed Bolivar Trask and because they don’t like mutants (Homo Superior Superior), but they do that to her and within about like 50 years they have made the lethal sentinels that have basically eliminated all of mutant kind except a few hundred. So then some of the mutant survivors send Wolverine (Logan) back in time to stop that event. So he does and resets the timeline so that Jean Grey does live after Last Stand and so does Cyclops so yeah just wanted to let you guys know that before you read the rest of the summaries but yeah back to your reading.
X-men Apocalypse (2016)
Since the dawn of civilization, he was worshiped as a god. Apocalypse, the first and most powerful mutant from Marvel's X-Men universe, amassed the powers of many other mutants, becoming immortal and invincible. Upon awakening after thousands of years, he is disillusioned with the world as he finds it and recruits a team of powerful mutants, including a disheartened Magneto, to cleanse mankind and create a new world order, over which he will reign. As the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, Raven with the help of Professor X must lead a team of young X-Men to stop their greatest nemesis and save mankind from complete destruction.
X-men Dark Phoenix (2019)
The X-Men. Protectors of peace. Jean Grey is one of the most beloved X-Men. But when a mission goes wrong, Jean is exposed to a dark and ancient power. This power has destroyed everything it comes in contact with, until her. Now that this power is becoming unstable, she releases it with destruction and anger. Now that this foreign power is consuming her, and the world is threatened, the X-Men have to face an important truth: they must save either the world, or their friend who threatens it.
-20th Century Fox
The Gifted (2017-2019)
Two ordinary parents take their family on the run from the government when they discover that their children have mutant abilities, and join an underground community of mutants who have to fight to survive. At the end of the first season several members of the underground leave to join the Inner Circle, and the second season sees conflict between these groups as well as others with their own extreme ideologies.
The Full timeline explained...(in my opinion anyway)
So I can’t actually type it out because of the fact that I am running out of room so I am just going to have to do this.
X-men First Class-X-men Origins Wolverine- X-men- X-men United-X-men Last Stand- The Wolverine- X-men Days pf the Future Past
Now that is the first timeline before everything got warped so... this is what I think is the new timeline.
Days of the Future Past-X-men Apocalypse-X-men Dark Phoenix- The Gifted
Now honestly, I don’t know which theory I should agree with on where The Gifted Series would go because it could either take place right around the time of The Wolverine movie from 2013 because this is when they are about to finish making the lethal sentinels. But then again in the series they have a whole government program dedicated to sentinels so I don’t think that is where it would go because It could also be the finale of the X-men series because of the fact that in the series they did have the X-men disappear so... whatever you guys want to think about.
I recommend that you go watch these movies and The Gifted because they are amazing. And you can find most of these on Disney+ or Hulu but yeah I am signing off. Hope you have a blessed day!
Sources:
Wikipedia
Rotten Tomatoes
IMDb
Winter Puzzles
By: Taylor Brookman
5. Laying in the snow making __________
7. _________ fall from the sky
8. staying warm by the _________
9. ________ is the first month of the year
DOWN
1. ________ include Christmas or ________ break in school
2. Drinking ____________ when chilly
3. Go __________ and do figure 8s
4. The coldest season is ______
6. Frosty The _______
Extra, Extra Read All About It! Meet This Year's Newsletter Club Members!
By: Eirabella Tapia
What is the Panther Print? Any guesses? It’s Bel Air Middle School’s newsletter!
Have you ever wondered who wrote the newsletters in the first place? Well, you’re in the perfect article for all of that! I’ll be introducing you to the Newsletter Club and give you some long-overdue scoops on what we do, how we write the articles, and more!
The Bel Air Middle School Newsletter Club began in 2007. The original facilitators were Mrs. Castellano and Mrs. Kropowski. Mrs. Ingram took over for Mrs. Kropowski in 2008. The purpose of the Newsletter Club is to design, create, and publish articles in the BAMS newsletter, The Panther Print. Twice a year we will publish online the Panther Print newsletter for the BAMS community. Your responsibility as a member of the Newsletter Club would be to attend meetings regularly, select a topic in which to create an article for each quarterly newsletter, research/attend events/take pictures to create your article, send your article for review (editing and revising), meet article deadlines, and have fun being part of a newsletter that will be enjoyed by all your peers.
Q: Who are our members?
A:
Name and Grade
- Taylor B. - 6
- Paige C. - 6
- Olive E. - 6
- Eirabella T. - 6
- Alexis T.- 6
- Zion B. - 7
- Chance B. - 7
- Addie K. - 7
- Kimberly M. - 7
- Andrew B. - 8
- Addison C. - 8
- Aminah H. - 8
- Pragnya J. - 8
- Victoria K. - 8
- Ivo L. - 8
- Amelia M. - 8
- Olivia M. - 8
- Eleanor S. - 8
Q: Why did you choose to join the Newsletter Club?
A:
- “Because I have always wanted to do this since I was in elementary school, and it is really fun.” -Zion B.
- “I chose to join the Newsletter Club because I love to write about things.” -Kimberly M.
- “I love to write, so I thought joining the Newsletter Club was a fun way to do that a bit more.” -Victoria K.
- “I wanted to be involved with the school.” -Taylor B.
- “I enjoy writing.” -Pragnya J.
Q: What are some of our favorite things about the club?
A:
- “The meetings and the atmosphere.” -Andrew B.
- “I love the atmosphere and the friendships I've created.” -Amelia M.
- “Getting to work on writing with other people, it allows you to expand on ideas as well as improve your own writing.” -Aminah H.
- “All the people and the story writing.” -Addison C.
- “The fun teachers and creative freedom.” -Olivia M.
Q: What are some interesting facts about you that you would like BAMS to know?
A:
- “I am obsessed with Zootopia.” -Paige C.
- “I was born in Sicily.” -Chance B.
- “Some interesting facts about me are that I do lacrosse and swim. And I also really love to draw!” -Alexis T.
- “I love praying mantises, and I have had a few pet praying mantises before.” -Eirabella T.
Q: What inspires you to select your story topics?
A:
- “The things I love learning about and things I know a lot about are mostly what I'm inspired by. But I also publish things others need to hear as middle school students.” -Addie K.
- “I write lots of stuff about movies because I like movies.” -Ivo L.
- “Whatever I've read about most recently.” -Eleanor S.
- “Things that sound fun to read and write.” -Olive E.
And those are just some of the many questions I thought you might ask. I tried my best to use the ones I thought might be most asked. I hope you learned something new today about the people behind the scenes... The Newsletter Club!