Teacher Feature: Ms. Early

By: Iliana Brouillette

Mrs. Early is the new Special Education teacher. You can find her room is on the 6 West wing. The three months she has been at Wood Hill has given her a chance to get a nice glimpse of the school She loves the community of the students and faculty. Outside of the school, she enjoys shopping, dancing, and coaching field hockey.  Forever whimsical, she believes in unicorns, and prefers ice cream over cake. By the way, the panda is her spirit animal.

Teacher Feature: Mrs. Bobzin

By: Shannon Chu and Emily Flanagan

Ms. Bobzin is a new chorus teacher this year at Wood Hill. She grew up in South Jersey in the cornfields. She is an Alto that sings Frauenliebe und Leben, a song cycle by Schumann. She wants the chorus to make powerful music. As a kid she played softball, did Girl Scouts and liked to run around and enjoyed playing with bugs.

She sang in chorus as a kid and loved it so much she wanted to continue her passion her entire life. After school she likes to folk dance. If she was not a chorus teacher, she would want to sing in choirs and dance all over the country. Her favorite part of her job is when a group gets a hard song and everyone gets super excited. When she was in school her favorite subjects were choir (because she loves to sing) and Latin. Her favorite animals are cats and chickadees, likewise she has one cat for a pet. Her favorite part of teaching middle school chorus is being able to explore the meaning of the world and sense of self through the power of song.

Teacher Feature: Mrs. Craven

By: Iliana Brouillette

Mrs. Craven is a new special education teacher down on the
6 West wing. Before Wood Hill she went to Burlington High, worked as a property manager and a daycare provider. Her favorite subject was ELA. She became a special education teacher because she has a special needs brother and saw how her brother's teacher helped others. She is a social thinking and math teacher, her favorite part of this job is working with other social thinking teachers, as well as children in small groups. After school she can't do very much because she has children, which is why she would be a stay at home mom if she wasn't a teacher. Her favorite movie is Les Miserables. Her favorite book is the Bible and she went on a mission trip to Trinidad a few years ago.

Teacher Feature: Mrs. Pratt

By: Shannon Chu and Emily Flanagan

Mrs. Pratt is a new chorus teacher this year at Wood Hill. She grew up in Ludlow, Mass. When she was a kid, she played softball, soccer, accordion, saxophone, and band. She didn’t take chorus until she was in high school, she is an Alto. She sings songs depending on her mood. 

She loves teaching the Middle School Chorus’ because she gets to help students have a deeper understanding of music when they are given the correct material. She has a chinchilla who is one of her great friends and her most beloved pet. She loves listening to the Fall Out Boy so anything by them is a huge hit in her world. She thinks that there is nothing better than a chorus coming together to sing the beautiful song Hallelujah by Handel. She thought that the chorus who sang that song is the way music should be sang, with power, strength and harmony. 

She wants the Wood Hill chorus to learn that singing does not make a song wonderful it's the emotion you put into it. She believes that it takes power, voice, and strength to make a song come to life.

Get Ready, To Get Crafty

By: Emily Flanagan

The Holiday Craft Fair is annually held in the Wood Hill Gymnasium. It is a chance for people to learn about money managing, advertising, and much more business ways. Adults who have their own business get to get a little exposure and grade school kids get to see if they are meant for the world of business.

The holiday craft fair this year was a smashing success. Everything from soap to brownies were sold. There were lots of participants. Everyone who participated did an amazing job! They sold their best products that they have worked incredibly hard on. Everyone at the craft fair were supportive and positive to all of the younger children who gave their hand at being business girls and boys.

Wood Hill students featured at the fair included Jules Cauvet making French crepes, Catie Francis and Mimi Cung with crafts and treats, Emily and Sarah Haley with photography, needle felting and bracelets, Alex Hazelwood and Julia Savio with chocolate covered Rice Krispie treats and snacks, Shreya Manikandan with jewelry and bookmarks, Miranda Fernandez with cookies in a jar, as well as a few more student crafters.

Where are they now?

Where are they now?

Mrs. Desjardins:

This teacher was on 6th grade team

Now she’s living a 7th grade dream

Mrs. Vella:

She was a sub for a musical mistress

Now in 6 west she has an interest

Mrs. Conti:

This is a teacher that was on 7 west

Now she’s a reading teacher on a bookish quest

Mrs. Hamilton:

Learn of a teacher who taught special education

Now on teaching in 7 west, she needs a vacation

Mrs. Rodgers:

This is a teacher who pushed you in PE

Now she’s on 8th grade, full of glee

Doherty races to the front

By: Emily Flanagan

Notice: If you like to run then you should definitely sign up next year.

This year the Andover Middle School cross country race was on Oct. 18. Doherty Middle, the expected winner (who normally does win), did the usual and won.

Wood Hill showed up with about 25 runners. The most we have ever shown up with is 28 people so 25 is pretty good. Doherty however typically shows up with a solid 100-125 racers every year. This puts Wood Hill at a huge disadvantage because we are already down 75-100 people.

These races are won by the amount of points you gain. A win is a certain amount of points second, third and so forth. Doherty fields runners in every race so they have a better chance at winning because they have more people. With a smaller group of participants Wood Hill or West Middle often comes in second and third place.

The Gazette would like to give a big shout out to all of the Wood Hill students who ran. Nice job runners you did an amazing job!

Star Wars 8 Movie Review

By: Vincent Candela

Star Wars, the famous science fiction series is coming out with yet another movie. Unfortunately, it won’t be coming out until this next May, 2017. Some questions that have yet to be answered are: where is Rey’s family and why was she on Jakku all by herself? And why did she have such a strong connection to the force?

Supreme leader Snoke is also said to be Luke Skywalker’s grandfather therefore, Anakin was not solely a creation of the force as previously believed. Also Snoke has also supposedly used Rey as bait to lure Luke into coming to search for him. It is also likely that the Skywalker family is cursed as many of them have struggled with the temptations of the force. Many things about this new movie have yet to be discovered, but for now, all we can do is wait.

Harry Potter And the Cursed Child: A Review

By Emme Pitts

Warning: Contains spoilers to the other Harry Potter books

Recently, as many of you may have heard, J.K. Rowling came out with another book to her original series, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. It was written out as a script (as it was originally a play) which made it a pretty quick read. The story follows the next generation of wizards, such as many of our favorite characters children, through their adventures. The main character, however, is Albus Potter, Harry’s son, who feels lost in his father’s shadow. Albus befriends the son of Draco Malfoy, Scorpius Malfoy, and together they get themselves into a lot trouble.


In the beginning, Rose Weasley and Albus Potter meet Scorpius Malfoy on the Hogwarts Train. Given that vicious rumors have been flying around about Scorpius being the son of Voldemort, Rose warns Albus to stay away from him. However, Albus and Scorpius become very good friends. One day, Albus hears his father talking to a man who he learns to be Cedric Diggory’s father. Mr. Diggory beggs Harry to use the time turner to save his son, who if you didn’t know, died in the fourth book. Harry refuses, but after talking to Mr. Diggory’s caretaker, Delphi, Albus decides to save Cedric along with Scorpius.

Throughout the story, the boys learn the consequences of traveling through time and how even the little things affect the future majorly. They have to fix their mistakes to return their world from chaos. While reading this book, you have many questions. Will Albus and Scorpius be able to fix their mistakes? Will they get trapped in time? And is Scorpius truly the child of Voldemort? Read Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to find out.

Teacher Feature: Mrs. Vella

By Iliana Brouillette

Who knew Mrs. Vella had hidden talents? She can touch her thumb to her wrist! She is the new Six West ELA and Social Studies teacher. Last year while Mrs. Rey was on maternity leave, Mrs. Vella filled in and taught Social Studies on Seven East. She has worked at Wood Hill for a total of 6 months previously she worked at a daycare with infants and toddlers.

For three years, Mrs. Vella lived in Germany and she has traveled to fifteen different countries. Her favorite movies and books are the Harry Potter series, her favorite book in the series in The Order Of The Phoenix. She was in band and played the flute for twelve years. If you have Mrs. Vella you’re lucky, she’s a great teacher to have.

Mrs. Vella is a graduate of Medway High school and Bridgewater State University. Her favorite animal is a polar bear because she was obsessed with them when she was younger. She doesn’t have any pets but she wants one.

She became a teacher because she had really good ones in high school that inspired her to become one, she said that enthusiastic kids helped. She was tired of people saying history was boring so she wanted to make it fun. She’s the only person in her family who’s a teacher and her only hobby is reading. Her favorite 6th grade topic is Egypt but her passion is American history. Her favorite subjects in school Social Studies and ELA. If she wasn’t a teacher she’d want to be a travel journalist or travel guide.

Sea Bunnies!!!!

Creature Feature: Sea Bunnies!


(Look for the Sea Bunny Interview coming up!)


These adorable creatures have taken over the Wood Hill Gazette! Though they look like cute, cute cuddly bunnies, they’re actually a kind of slug! And don’t pet them! They are incredibly toxic and can steal the stinger straight off a jelly fish. Sea bunnies will also eat sea sponges and steal the toxins from them. Their adorable ‘ears’ are sensory organs that help them move and hunt. At their longest, sea bunnies are 2 cm in length and come in a variety of colors from white to orange to blue and yellow as well as many more! They inhabit waters from South Africa to the central pacific.

Rumor has it that them may be making sea bunny Pokémon! So if you see one of these cute creatures in the Pokémon video game or TCG, you heard it here! They also make sea bunny plush, t-shirts, stickers, and much more! If you are interested in purchasing one of these amazing products, just Google it. Google has everything.

2 in 1 Movie Review!

By Tessa Barcelo

Haven’t been able to get to the theater lately? No problem! This 2 in 1 movie review will catch you up in no time!

Pete’s Dragon





Okay, I cried. But I couldn’t help it! It got really emotional at the end. So basically, this little kid, Pete, is in a car crash and his parents are killed. So he wanders into the woods, where he meets a dragon, who takes care of him. Then loggers come to his part of the woods. Pete hasn’t seen people in 6 years! Natalie, the daughter of a logger and a park ranger who is trying to save the woods, spots Pete and follows him. She tells her parents about him and they try to bring him back to society. Meanwhile, Natalie’s uncle is trying to kill Pete’s dragon, after he is “attacked” by him. Pete and Natalie’s family try to prove that Pete’s dragon isn’t harmful and they all become closer in the process.





The Secret Life of Pets



Max has a loving owner. They have a great relationship, rock steady! Until new dog Duke moves in and threatens everything Max ever thought he had. Predictably, the two dogs do NOT get along. After dog walking one day, they end up in an alleyway surrounded by vicious cats. They escape- but not for long. They get caught by the pound people. A mischievous bunny named Snowball rescues them on one condition- they join his group of rebel pets. Duke and Max have adventures all over the city and finally realize the importance of family.

WEB: Where Everybody Belongs

By: Emme Pitts

This year, Mrs. Conti and Ms. Consiglio were excited to integrate a new program called WEB to Wood Hill. If you are an 8th grader than you’ve at least heard of it, and if you are a 6th grader, than you are part of it. WEB stands for Where Everyone Belongs, a phrase that has become the new school motto. You have probably heard Mr. Bucco say it every day at the end of the announcements. It’s become part of the the school culture already!

The WEB program is a program designed to get 6th graders used to Wood Hill. It is lead by a select group of 8th graders who do fun activities with the sixth graders during CREW. Each group has 8-11 sixth graders and 2 or 3 WEB leaders. The WEB leaders also trained during the summer to learn fun activities that will help sixth graders feel more comfortable in their new school.

WEB is a great program that will affect our school positively, and this is just the beginning. Mrs. Conti and Ms. Consiglio are already planning ahead for WEB in years to come. Katie Budinger, an eighth grader on 8 East says: “It’s a great program for sixth graders to help them to know what to expect in middle school.” In conclusion, WEB is a great program that will, hopefully, help the sixth graders by introducing them to the amazing culture here at Wood Hill.

Polls (Week of 9/20)

Polls!!! (Week of 9/20)

Year in Review Video

The Wood Hill News' final video of the year is a Year in Review highlighting the top stories during the 2015-2016 school year. Please watch!

Family Fun Night

by Arianna Hinds, Alana MacKay-Kao, and Emme Pitts

Family Fun Night was on Friday, May 6th. It was a fundraiser for the Destination Imagination team―Mega V―to raise money to go to the Globals competition in Tennessee.

There were many fun games including a cakewalk, (a game in which you are sitting a chair, and assigned with a number. If your number is called you win a cake!) cookie face, (a game in which you balance a cookie on your forehead and try to direct it into your mouth) and dodgeball, which is self explanatory. Every game had a variety of amazing prizes that you could win. Some of the prizes were homework passes, cakes, candy and more! In addition to the games, there was hoverboard rides, hovercraft rides, karaoke, and live entertainment by local bands and singers (local meaning from our school) to entertain everyone.

Mega V and the three other Destination Imagination teams from Andover need all the help they can get to get them to Destination Imagination Global Finals. Globals is an amazing experience, and we know all of the teams going will do very well. We wish them luck and hope they have fun!

Julius Caesar Play - 7West

By Alex Hazelwood and Iliana Brouillette

This year 7West is doing the Life of Julius Caesar for their annual play. Everyone on 7West is participating in this event. The play will be held on Thursday June 9th. The whole school is invited to attend, parents of performing students are invited too. Last year the 7West production was Ulysses.  Each year they chose an important figure in history. This year's play is expected to be better than plays in the past.

Wood Hill Chorus Spring Concert

by Alana MacKay-Kao

The Wood Hill Chorus is a fun place to sing with your peers, and perform all different kinds of songs. Speaking of songs, they will be singing four at their Spring Concert. Can You Hear by Jim Papoulis, In This Ancient House by Ruth Morris Gray, Riversong by Roger Emerson, and the Kids’ Choice song, which is yet to be decided. The theme for this year’s Spring Concert is “music of the world”, and the songs they will be performing are either from or based all over the world. Can You Hear is based in Africa, In This Ancient House in Japan, Riversong in Ireland, and once again the Kids’ Choice song is yet to be decided. They will be performing for the Wood Hill students at 1pm on Tuesday, June 7th, and again at 7pm. Come watch them perform!

DI Team Raises Money with Raffles

By Alex Hazelwood and Iliana Brouillette

The Wood Hill DI Team is holding raffles to help raise money for Globals in Tennessee. Tickets are $1 each and they are selling tickets during lunch. If you win you could win being principal for a day or have a pizza party with Ms. O'Dea. 

Weekly Polls!!!!!!!!!

Take our weekly polls!

What is WEB?

By Iliana Brouillette and Alex Hazelwood

What is WEB? WEB is an acronym for Where Everybody Belongs. Mrs. Conti and Ms. Consiglio are running this middle school orientation and transition program. This is the first year that Wood Hill is participating. West Middle has been using this program for many years and it has been a success.

WEB helps introduce 6th graders to Wood Hill. Built on the belief that students can help students succeed, the program trains mentors to be WEB Leaders. Students in 7th grade this year can apply to be leaders next year. To pick up your application, please see Ms. Consiglio or Mrs. Conti. Applications are due by Friday, May 13 by 11 a.m. Before you apply make sure you can attend the meetings on Thursday, Aug. 25 and Friday, Aug. 26. Also, August 31st (the first day of school) and September 9th (the 6th grade dance).

All bands night!

 All Bands Night

By Arianna Hinds and edited by Abby Chou

On a Tuesday night in March, all the band members from Andover came together to play at the Collins Center for All Bands Night. It was a blast! Many skilled musicians came this event, and people could come to see many different types of bands. All the middle school bands played, as well as the different levels of jazz band. The high school band also participated, and the marching band with the color guard.

Wood Hill was well represented at this night. Our school’s 7th and 8th grade band played two songs, Invicta and Jurassic Park. They were conducted by Mr. Wright. The high school band also did a very creative piece, where the percussion section got to choose their own S.T.O.M.P instruments such as bowls, cups, etc. Percussion also got to set a beat to the wind and brass instruments. Every band was wonderful! There was such a variety of music and instruments. Everybody had lots of fun!

Cafeteria Redesign

By Iliana Brouillette

This Spring ideas for redesigning our cafeteria started to come up like spring flowers. When Mr. Bucco was asked, why now?, he told us that when he looks around he doesn't see a place where everyone felt included. For some kids lunch time is one of the best parts of their day, but for others it's the most dreaded part. This project will most likely be spanned out over the next couple of years. The funds are being provided by the PAC. When the survey results came back, there was a lot of the same answers: not enough seating, new foods, etc. Right now they have $3,000 dollars, but there is no definite plans on how it will be spent. The goal is for it to be all inclusive and a place you want to dine. When the idea for redesigning the cafeteria first came up all the teachers were interested in being a part of it. The idea of the whole school deciding on one thing sounded hard to do, so they decided to choose one grade to do it -- the eighth grade. They toured other schools in the area to look at how they have their cafeterias set up and borrow a few of their ideas.

7 East Plant Sale

By Iliana Brouillette

7-East’s annual plant sale is back! Our organic tomato, basil, and cucumber plants have been grown locally at our Wood Hill green house. Each 3-inch potted plant is $3. Orders will be taken until May 13. Profits will be donated to help Ecuador.The students running it are: Inhye Kang, Iliana Brouillette, Puloma Bishnu, Ashley Monaghan, Polina Malinovskaya and Alex Hazelwood. There is a limited number of plants so buy yours ASAP. They will be selling them after school at the greenhouse till 2:30 from May 4th until May 12th. If you have any questions email Ms. Kouletsis at dkouletsis@k12.andoverma.us

Wood Hill Launches Tech Help Desk Run By Students

By Iliana Brouillette

The Emojis, Wood Hill's new tech help desk, have created a new website. They provide tutorials on how to fix common problems on electronic devices. It is a student based group run by Mrs. Downs. They meet Wednesday at 1:10 in The Hub if you need assistance, come on by.

Help Ecuador

Ecuador was recently hit hard by an earthquake and they need our help. The epic quake hit on April 16. More than 272 people were killed and many are still trapped. The quake was a 7.8 magnitude and the epicenter was on the North West coast. It hit 100 miles West of Quito, the capital. Towns were torn apart. So many people were left in need of food and supplies. There are a bunch of things they need, so if you want to help out, these are some of the supplies they seriously need.

• Baby Supplies
• Baby Food
• Formula
• Bottles
• Diapers
• Baby Wipes
• Desitin (Expiration Date in at Least One Year)

• Things For People Who Lost Their Homes
• Bed Sheets
• Towels
• Toothpaste
• Brushes
• Disposable Items
• Miscellaneous Items
• Sunscreen
• Bug Repellent
• Feminine Pads
• Coloring Books or Stickers (For the Little Kids)
• Gatorade and Pedialyte (In Powder, No Bottles)

Please donate!!! The people of Ecuador are in desperate need of support. You’ll put a smile on many faces and you’ll help out more than you realize. Lend a helping hand and contribute to many lives that need YOU! There are boxes around the school where you can drop off supplies.

Polls

Take our new POLLS!

Polls!

Take our new polls!

Jokes of The Week!

Jokes of The Week!

1. My dog used to chase people on a bike. One day, it got so bad, I had to take his bike away

2.
















3.


4. I wanted to grow my own food, but I couldn't find bacon seeds anywhere

7West celebrates with Pi

Students from 7West gear up in Pi-themed hats to celebrate March 14, aka Pi Day.

The all new advice column!!!!!

All New Advice Column!!!!!!!

Ask The Unicorn

   The WoodHill Gazette is introducing a new column! An advice column! Just write any questions and/or concerns about life! There will be a box in the Hub, with paper and a pen to address your situations. DON’T BE AFRAID! It will be anonymous. The advice that we give will be posted on the WHMS Gazette newspaper.

Trailers!!

Students from 6 West have created book trailers on more than 40 books in The Hub. Check out their book recommendations (in video format) and discover some great reading selections. Students wrote summaries, found pictures, and put the trailers together using Animoto, an useful tool for creating these videos. They were then published on The Hub's Website as well as our Youtube Channel!



 

POLLS!!!!

TAKE OUR SUPER ANNOYING WEEKLY POLLS

Wood Hill shines at Destination Imagination Competition

By: Abby Chou and Emme Pitts

The regional competition for Destination Imagination was held last weekend. Wood Hill’s two teams did very well. Team Mega V took first place and are heading on to the statewide competition. Team Defying Gravity’s--a team combined with seventh and eighth grade students--place is currently unknown. Congratulations guys, and good luck to the teams heading to the statewide competition!

Destination Imagination is an international program to allow kids to be creative and think critically. A team of two to seven people chose a special challenge that is based off of your team’s interests and skills. The categories include the technical, scientific, improvisational, fine arts, service learning, structural, and for kids in grades two and under, a rising stars challenge. These challenges are specifically designed to challenge kids’ creativity and ability to think quickly on the spot.

The team’s final performance is judged by a team of duct tape and creativity-loving judges wearing some of the craziest looking hats you’ll ever see to help you laugh and loosen up when you are feeling nervous about your performance. Whoever succeeds in impressing the judges and making a rock solid yet creative performance gets first place in the regional competition moves on to the state competition. If you come out on top in the state competition, you move onto globals, the biggest competition between the best Destination Imagination teams in the world. It’s an amazing experience with some of the most creative new products being shown.

“It’s an awesome program that gives kids a chance to show their creativity,” says Katie Budinger, a former Destination Imagination participant on 7 West. Her team participated for two years together, during one year they went to Globals. A new season is coming around in September, and if you have any interest in joining next year, make sure to ask Mrs. Murray about her Wood Hill teams!

SUPER ANNOYING WEEKLY POLLS RESULTS!!!! 3/17/16

SUPER ANNOYING WEEKLY POLL RESULTS FROM 3/17/16!!!!!!!!!!!

Milky Way or Snickers

Milky Way: 8 

Snickers: 2

Both: 0

Neither: 3

Books or Movies

Books: 7

Movies: 5

Both: 1

Neither: 0

Morning Bird or Night Owl

Morning Bird: 4

Night Owl: 7

Both: 3

Neither: 0

MILKY WAY WINS!!!!!!!!

BOOKS WINS!!!!!!!!!!

NIGHT OWL WINS!!!!!!!!!

Crew T-shirts!!

The New Crew T-Shirt

By Katie Budinger

Crew is getting T-shirts! I’m sure that you’ve seen the potential designs hanging in the stairwells. Each crew was given a chance to vote on their favorite designs and those votes were tallied! The winning T-shirt front and back will be revealed at the community meeting on Wednesday, March 23rd.

Most crew groups submitted designs for both the front and the back of the T-shirt. The front of one crew could be picked, but the back could be from another crew. We will be posting the results on the blog when they are released.

UPDATE: The winning crews are Ms. Kouletsis and Mr. Tisbert

12th Annual MHL Teen Poetry Contest

By Nadia Shah

Do you love to write? If you do, you should enter the 12th annual Teen Poetry Contest! It is open to students in grades 6-12. They may submit up to three poems, starting on March 14 and going through March 28. Prizes will be given to the top 3 poems in the Middle School and High School categories, as well as Honorable Mentions. The Teen Poetry Contest reading and reception will be Tuesday, April 26, at 7 pm. To submit a poem, go to poetry.mhl.org.

Take our new polls!!

Austen-Speak

Dearest Readers,
The gazette appreciates your scrupulous efforts in keeping this website just absolutely amazing. You have gratified us with your reading of our scrumptious articles and photographs. You might just have to admit that this website is endearing to you and all the other ladies and gentlemen that inhale the words of this "electronically powered source". We hope your enthusiasm for this website keeps on swelling until your inflating injury can't take it anymore.

                                                                                                                     Sincerely,
                                                                                                            The Wood Hill Gazette

Senior Squad interviews residents with Alzheimer's disease

By Iliana Brouillette

The "Senior Squad" as the kids call it, is a group of 10 students. It's run by Mrs. Spataro and consists of 7 East students. The group meets every flex period to discuss what they are going to do at the Senior Center downtown. Hence the name “Senior Squad.” Weekly, these students interview a group of elders diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Students interview these Andover residents about their family, old friends, pets, their childhood, hobbies, their life, and other memories. The seniors have also discussed lessons they've learned and regrets they have from their life. Also, they share pictures of their travels and experiences. The students are hoping to create a living history for the senior's they interview.  At the end of this project, they will give the movies to their families. This is the first year 7 East is participating  in  this project. There is still no defiant answer on whether or not this will be annual project or just a one time thing.

**

Special thanks go to Mrs. Medwar and Mrs. Rikkers  who generously donate their time and driving to help students get to the Senior Center each week.

Come join Buddy Up!

By Katie Budinger and Abby Chou

Buddy Up is a peer mentor program that takes place after school. Wood Hill students go to High Plain and offer homework help and play games with kids in grades 1-5.

“I first started a peer mentor program when I first started teaching. That was in Houston, Texas, in 1992. I also did one in Salem, Massachusetts. This is my third peer mentor program. The nice thing about it here is that we have kids of different ages,” says Mrs. Billings. “We started with 10 kids, then we had 25, last year we had 55 kids in the program.”

“I like interacting with younger kids, I don’t have any siblings.”  Says Katie Budinger, a 7th grader on West. She is in the program for the second year now. Boys are welcome too! Last year they had seven or eight boys from middle school who loved the program. At the end of each session, they have a big party and last year there were 80 people. There are no kindergarteners in the program.

Camp Kieve!

By Emme Pitts

As many of you know, most of seventh grade goes to Camp Kieve every year, and it’s coming up in May. The seventh graders and their parents heard more about the week-long trip at recent assemblies and meetings. Curiosity is building and students are getting more and more excited to go!

The Leadership School at Kieve is in Nobleboro, Maine, and helps kids develop leadership skills. According to their website, “Since 1981, The Leadership School at Kieve has been developing leaders and strengthening communities by challenging students, teachers, and parents to take positive risks, set meaningful goals, make healthy decisions, all while being supportive team members and strong leaders. Adolescents still face a world of challenging choices and conflicting messages: our approach to supporting them as they face the challenges of growing up remains the same.” The experience also helps you trust people from your own school that you don’t know that well. To do that, you participate in small trust exercises, like trust “leans,” and larger trust exercises, such as going on a ropes course 40 feet in the air. Although the camp is licensed as a school, it does not have normal classes. The staff try to keep you interested and on your feet as much as possible. Students are excited for this amazing experience.

Many students will be attending the Leadership School. It has many aspects of CREW and will help people with teamwork and team building skills alike. In addition, many teachers think it is an amazing experience. “Kieve is a place where kids can challenge themselves to be the best they can be,” Mrs. Kouletsis tells us, the science teacher on 7East.

What is a typical day at The Leadership School like? Be prepared to wake up early and go to bed exhausted. You will be moving all day, having a lot of fun and experiencing many new things. So, while bed time may seem early to you now, we can guarantee you will be exhausted at lights out. 7:30 - Wake Up 8:00 - Breakfast 9:00-Noon: Classes. Don’t worry, there's a snack in the middle of the morning! 12:00-12:30 - LUNCH 12:30-3:00 - Class 3:00 - Snack #2 3:20 - Choice time. (See below for sample choice time activities) 5:15 - DINNER 6:30 - Evening program 8:00 - Snack #3 9:00 - Lights out(6th graders) 9:15(7th graders) 9:30 (older students) What is “Choice Time?” After you finish your class day, you will have a snack before selecting a “Choice Time.” There are always a variety of activities to choose from including sports, arts & crafts, ropes course, nature walks, and really anything else that is appropriate that you can suggest to your educators. What is “Evening Program?” During evening program, Leadership School Educators will introduce a number of activities that you will not have seen in the classroom. Activities like “Circuits” and “Air Guitar” will keep you involved and entertained!

City of Bones Book review!

By Katie Budinger

Clary is a fifteen year old girl living in New York City with her best friend Simon. When she and Simon go a club called Pandemonium, she sees three tattoo covered teens murder a kid with strange weapons. And how it seems like only she can see them? The three teens explain themselves as Shadowhunters, people who are specially trained to fight demons. But before Clary has a chance to tell anyone, her mother disappears and Clary is attacked by a demon in her apartment! The Shadowhunters want to know why demons would be interested in an ordinary Mundanes like Clary and her mother.This fantastical book is filled with action and plot twists that you are sure to love!

New Polls (Week of March 3. 2016)

Take our new polls!!
(Week of 3/03/16)

Go to this link to see our latest news video!

https://youtu.be/2jPaR-sU5kc

#Selfies

#Photobomb!