WINTER EDITION 2013 ISSUE 2 PIRATE’S PEN

PIRATE’S PEN

Happy New Year! in every language!!

Chinese (Cantonese) - Sun nien fai lokChinese (Mandarin) - Xin nian yu kuaiCroation - Sretna Nova GodinaDanish - Godt NytårDutch - Gelukkig nieuwjaarFarsi - Aide shoma mobarakFrench - Bonne annéeGaelic - Aith-bhliain Fe Nhaise DhuitGerman - Gutes Neues JahrHawaiian - Hauoli Makahiki HouHebrew - Shanah tovahHindi (Indian) - Nav Varsh Ki Badhaai/ Naya Saal Mubarak HoHmong - Nyob zoo xyoo tshiabHungarian - Boldog Uj EvetiIndonesian - Elamat Tahun BaruItalian - Buon Capo d'AnnoJapanese - Akemashite Omedetou GozaimasuNorwegian - Godt NyttårPilipino (Tagalog) - Maligayang Bagong TaonPolish - Szczesliwego Nowego rokuPortuguese - Feliz ano novoRomanian - La Multi AniRussian - S Novym GodomSpanish - Feliz Año NuevoSudanese - Wilujeng Tahun BaruSwedish - Gott Nytt ÅrTurkish - Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu OlsunWelsh - Blwyddyn Newydd Dda

EDITORIAL:

Welcome back to school and Happy New Year! During the second quarter lots of things happened. We had two snow days, a New York Times bestselling author come in to talk to us, we had the Week of Giving, 7th & 8th grade winter sports started, eighth graders had the Hyland SoGware trip and seventh graders went to the Great Lakes Science Center. Ninety days . . . 90 days of school is all that we have leG this year! For some of us, this is all we have leG as middle schoolers before we all split up and go to different high schools. We need to learn from our mistakes and take advantage of our future opportuniNes. We need to have fun, but follow through on our responsibiliNes and promises. We need to work hard Monday through Friday and kick back on the weekend. We need to finish up the second semester and get out there and enjoy our summer! So lets do it RRMS! Let’s finish this last semester strong! Lets finish the year out strong!

Editors-In-Chief,

Jacquelyn & Imanni

WINTER EDITION 2013 ISSUE 2

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OUR PET GALLERY . . ."He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.” Author Unknown

This is Miss Tressel and her 10-‐year-‐old ShelNe, DUSTY

This is Tristan’s cat, CADENZA

This is Leo’s new puppy, EMMY

Mallory and Frankie’s puppy, HADLEY

Mrs. Pavic’s 5-‐year-‐old goldendoodle,

WHILEY, enjoying a romp in the snow!


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This is Jacquelyn’s dog, BAILEY

Natalie and Nathan’s golden-‐doodle, ZOE

This is Mrs. Green and her growing puppy, LUCY, wondering if it’s time to eat yet.

Jenna & Allison’s cockaNel,RICO

Mrs. Owens’dachshunds,LILIAFRASIERLEIDA &LOLA


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This is Dante’s 5-‐year-‐old chi-‐weenie, COOPER.He is half chihuahua and half miniature dachshund AND

his horse, CASH AND

his other horse, HARLOW who always sNcks his tongue out when his picture is taken.

This is Mr. O’Grady’s 7-‐year-‐old cocker-‐poodle, BUDDY

This is Ms. Harkin-‐Newsome’s dog, BRIE

This is Alara’s 3-‐year-‐old shih tzu and havanese mix, PUFFY. He follows her everywhere. His three favorite hobbies are sleeping, eaNng, and chewing on socks, or anything that looks like one. :)


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This is Yousef & Waheeb’s bird, LEMON

This is Gilliana’s dog, GIBSON.

This is Grace & Maxwell’s dachshund, HENRY. He's the love of all of us!

This is Will's leopard gecko, FREDDY.

This is Marissa and her golden retrievers, SCOOTER and SPOT. Scooter is in the front and Spot is behind him.

This is Jillian’s dogs, SAM, SCOUT, & STANLEY.


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We dedicate this issue to

Bingo, Mrs. Kelly’s 19-year-old cat. Rest in peace, Bingo.

Grieve not,nor speak of me with tears,

but laugh andtalk of me

as if I were beside you. I loved you so . . .

- Isla Paschal Richardson

Police dogBy Tristan

My cat is quite the liale thief. Turn your back on her for one moment, and the next thing you know she's jumping up on the counter, taking a large piece of meat in her kiay jaws,

and sprinNng to her safe haven, the basement. My family has always had trouble with her, but recently, I decided she would escape no longer. I decided to train my dog Hunter to chase her away from the basement whenever I say her name loudly. I must say, he’s really good at it, and loves being able to reprimand her. He got his first shot two days ago. We were preparing to have steak, and my mom made the decision to walk out of the kitchen for a minute. So, lo and behold, the queen of thieves jumped onto the counter, grabbed a piece of steak, and headed for the hills. However, I was ready! In an instant, I yelled “Cadenza!!!” And my dog came sprinNng in, hurdling his body at her. My cat freaked out and dropped the meat and tried jumping on the nearest table. However, sadly for her, the table had folding legs and collapsed with her on it. I was so proud -‐-‐ my plan had worked. However, of course, as always, my victory was short lived. I had forgoaen to teach my dog a word to tell him to stop, so the next six minutes they were running around my house in circles, Hunter in close pursuit. Sadly, it turns out my cat is more endurance-‐trained than Hunter, especially when her kiay life depends on it; so she managed to get my dog so Nred that he just collapsed and fell asleep on the floor. Then, sNll panNng, she picked up the piece of meat and pranced downstairs. Darn that cat! BeaglesHunter is a beagle. He is two years old, and my family got him from a rescue shelter, just like our cat Cadenza.

(Images in likeness to Hunter & Cadenza)


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MR. KEFFER NAMED OCTOBER STAFF MEMBER OF THE MONTH By Claire

Every day Mr. Keffer greets everyone with a smile. He asks how you are doing and always has a posiNve ajtude. You can’t help but smile back at him. He makes the school feel happy and posiNve. He is the nicest person you will ever meet.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *MR. HUDEC NAMED NOVEMBER STAFF MEMBER OF THE MONTH By Austin #`

Mr. Hudec has made a large impact on RRMS students in helping them learn how to play music and how to also read music. All the teachers at RRMS are nice, but one of them stands out to me more than anyone else because when I came to RRMS I was really bad at playing the auxiliary percussion and he really helped me to learn to play the instrument. Also, when I am down and not

feeling well, he is there to pick me up! He is a GREAT AND INSPIRING TEACHER!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

MR. SISLOWSKI NAMED DECEMBER STAFF MEMBER OF THE MONTH By Lauren

Mr. Sisko has shown me that teachers can be cool, fun and yet smart. He is friendly to every single person in this amazingly great school. He has gum in his room that he lets me have which is really thoughkul of him. Overall, he is just a great teacher!


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Did It Break?

What is Mr. Chulik doing on top of the roof? Well ... one might call it an introducNon to engineering. Once a year, this year on November 8th, Mr. Chulik’s 8th grade science classes conducted an egg drop experiment and learned about force, velocity, speed, momentum, unbalanced forces, Newton’s laws, and aspects of gravity by making an apparatus to protect an egg that drops from 25 feet off the roof. This parNcular experiment can get preay messy, but it sure is a lot of fun!


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The all Nme record for the smallest device with the egg NOT breaking is 8.0 cenNmeters.

This year 2 groups had 9.0 cenNmeters -‐-‐ which is sNll very impressive!!


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Beloved Author Jason F. Wright Comes To RRMS! by Nolan

It all began with a door.

Jason Wright’s father was always opening doors for women behind him—even women far enough behind him that the wait-‐Nme was excruciaNngly embarrassing for his teenage son. But aGer Wright’s father passed away and that teenage son had grown up to be Jason Wright, author, a funny thing happened. Jason Wright remembers that at a book-‐signing event, a woman who had known his dad years earlier said she remembered fondly that he always opened doors. Not just for her, but for other people around him, even ones far enough behind him that the wait-‐Nme might be deemed too awkward for some to see it through.

Jason Wright, now a New York Times Best-‐selling author, explained to eighth-‐grade students at Rocky River Middle School that this revelaNon was an a-‐ha moment for him. His father, Wright explained, had also saved the lives of two drowning men, come to the aid of a woman who had been stabbed,

and diffused a potenNally deadly lovers’ quarrel. That’s a lot of dramaNc events and a lot of lives saved, but it was ulNmately the doors for which Jason’s father was remembered. It’s the difference, he explained to the students, between monumental moments and liale moments. Just as a big, strong wall is made up of comparaNvely small bricks, so is a life well-‐lived made up of a series of liale moments. “Be the person to open doors,” he told the kids,

“and I promise you’ll be happier and more successful, in school and in life.” In addiNon to compelling words, Wright used a series of funny and insighkul demonstraNons to share his message. He enlisted the help of students to act out the scene of his father placing himself between a quarreling couple in the front seat of a car one night. (The man, a total stranger to Wright’s father, told him he had a gun —he didn’t—and sNll the situaNon was diffused.) Other students portrayed roles that included a woman a looooong way away from Wright’s father as he held open the door, and a group of people ready to help a student who felt alone. It was this final scenario that drove home Wright’s message, which has been a foundaNonal piece of many of his books, which include Christmas Jars (2005) and The Seventeen Second Miracle (2010). The scenario had to do

with reaching out to someone who is in need.A student, standing in front of the audience, put on noise-‐canceling headphones and an eye mask. As the young woman (and exceedingly good


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sport) stood in self-‐imposed isolaNon, Wright told the audience that there were people in their school who felt this alone and vulnerable every day. (Everyone, he added, feels this way someNmes.)

Wright then invited seven more students to quietly come forward and surround the isolated student. When she removed her ear and eye covers, she was unexpectedly surrounded by peers. “They were so close!” Wright exclaimed. “She never knew!” He urged each student in the room to “be the person” who noNces another’s isolaNon, and “be the person” who leads others to help out. “Just imagine,” he said, “if everyone here grew up and entered the wider world with that mentality.” The eighth-‐grade assembly was the

first of three Wright led on Tuesday, the second being for the seventh grade and another for the sixth. On Wednesday, he met with students in small groups, including groups of athletes, groups of girls,

groups of boys, etcetera. The plan for those small groups was to do wriNng exercises and consider the ways words can be used as tools, for beaer or for worse. An object lesson included Wright giving a student a pair of scissors and telling the student to cut off the neckNe Wright was wearing. (“It takes a lot of convincing,” he conceded with a smile.) The students then re-‐aaach it with Duct Tape. The point is that no maaer how well the students match up the seams, the Ne will never be the same. “It’s the same with words,” Wright says. “Words, like scissors, have a proper use. Use them improperly and you may do something that can never be undone.” That’s a powerful message from Jason Wright, the son of a man who was remembered for liale moments and who himself grew up to use words to aaempt to bring about monumental change.


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A tribute to our local veterans was sponsored by the 6th graders at RRMS on

November 11, 2013 . . .

by Nolan

6th graders couldn’t say it enough . . . thank you, thank you, thank you for serving our country. On Veteran’s Day, they had the privilege of hearing from our very own Mr. Frank O’Grady, a reNred Air Force Officer who served during the Cold War, trained as a jet pilot , and then as an Intelligence Officer; and from Tim Matanick, also a reNred Marine Corporal who served in the Iraqi War.

Mr. O’Grady wore his flight uniform to school. He said that jet pilot training consisted of working 12 hours a day, six days a week. He went on to explain what it felt like to be in the cockpit during complicated maneuvers. For example, in a 4-‐G turn, a pilot feels pressure of four Nmes their body weight causing temporary blindness when the

blood rushes from their eyes. He had a close brush with death one Nme when a very heavy pilot was in the cockpit and the jet went into a spin. He also lost a friend during jet pilot training.

Mr. Matanick shared his uniforms, two camouflage jackets and a dress jacket and pants. The pants had a “blood stripe” down both legs, designaNng that he was a Corporal. He stated that many men in that posiNon lost their lives. He lost 23 friends in Iraq. He earned 2 medals, one for helping a friend to safety who was severely wounded and a Purple Heart. He was also wounded in combat. He explained how he started out in Boot Camp which prepared him for the extremely stressful journey ahead of him in Iraq. He described his role like “hide and seek” where they spent months going from house to house “looking for bad guys”.

Both speakers had truly amazing stories to tell . . . and again, we can’t thank all the men and women enough for their service to our country.


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National History Day ClubNaNonal History Day (NHD) is a naNonal compeNNon of middle school and high school students. Each year, more than half a million students in the USA parNcipate in the presNgious NaNonal History Day compeNNon. This year, over 40 students at Rocky River Middle School are going to “Make History” by joining our first-‐ever NaNonal History Day Club!

This 8th grade aGer-‐school club challenges student teams or individuals to build and present an exhibit on a History topic of their choice. Each project created by our students will be like a small museum exhibit about a History topic. Our NHD Club Advisors at RRMS are Mr. Frank X. O’Grady, M.Ed. and Ms. Kathleen Harkin-‐Newsome.

Students can compete in NHD as a group or as an individual. Currently, our RRMS students are researching and creaNng projects; about fiGeen (15) History topics including: The A-‐Bomb; Child Labor; Freedom Riders (1961); The Holocaust; The Hough Riots (Cleveland, 1966); Kent State ShooNngs (May 4, 1970); Slaves on the Underground Railroad; The Struggle for Women’s

Suffrage (the right to vote); Trail of Tears – The Indian Removal Act of 1830; The United States of Mexico (Mexican CessaNon, 1848 and 1960’s protests); Coming Home from Vietnam War; Watergate; Nelson Mandela Versus Apartheid ; and The Japanese-‐American Internment Act (1942). We also have one student, Ariel, creaNng an Individual 10-‐minute performance about the Holocaust for NaNonal History Day.

This year's NaNonal History Day theme is “Rights and ResponsibiliNes.” Judging for the District compeNNon will take place on NaNonal History Day, which is Saturday, March 15, 2014 at the Western Reserve Historical Society. (Winners will earn awards and medals, and will then advance to a state-‐wide compeNNon at The Ohio State University in April 2014.) We will also have a school compeNNon (and

prizes for the top 3 teams) here at RRMS on Wednesday, March 12, 2014, and our RRMS judges will include: Principal Rose; Assistant Principal Sislowski; Superintendent Dr. Shoaf; our RRMS History teachers; as well as some other RRCS judges. For more informaNon, go to www.nhd.org and www.wrhs.org, or see Mr. O’Grady.


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http://www.nhd.org

http://www.nhd.org

http://www.wrhs.org

http://www.wrhs.org

STUDENTS VISIT . . .

On Tuesday, November 19th, students from RRMS visited Hyland SoGware in Westlake. Hyland SoGware is a company that creates custom tailored database soGware for companies ranging from Starbucks Coffee to the Cleveland Clinic. This is the third year that Hyland SoGware has agreed to host a shadowing experience for middle school students. Mr. England, the middle school technology teacher, and Mrs. Forbes, Rocky River’s coordinator for giGed services, arranged the trip for interested eighth grade students in Mr. England’s technology classes. The day started off with a meeNng in

the conference room which provided students with background informaNon on the company. This was followed by a tour of the facility. Students then shadowed a technician through the daily rouNne of quality control or soGware development.

Some of our student’s perspecNve of the field trip:

“Hyland Software was

an amazing trip that opened my eyes to how work should be.”“Hyland Software was a great experience, and I learned how different it is everyday and how unique the company is.”

“Hyland was so much fun because we learned so much about technology careers.”“It was an informative fun trip that gave me an understanding of work at Hyland.”“Hyland Software’s unique way of work and caring employees make this trip and company amazing.”“It was an interesting experience learning what all goes into developing software.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *7th Graders Perform Science

Project In Hallway . . .

On November 19th, Mrs. Juhasz’s class was looking for evidence of chemical reacNons. SomeNmes light or heat is given off, there could be a color change, or (in this case) a gas was formed. The chemical reacNon between Alka Seltzer and water formed a gas, which built up inside of the film canister and caused the canister to shoot up into the air!!!!


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7th Graders Go to GREAT LAKES SCIENCE CENTER 11/25 & 26By Imani

On November 25 and 26, the 7th graders got to go on an invesNgaNve adventure to the Titanic at the Great Lakes Science Center. The Titanic exhibit was a new addiNon. Thanks to Mrs. Juhauz, who wrote a grant

which, according to the RRMS online newsleaer, "…was funded by the Rocky River Middle School PTA and the Rocky River EducaNon FoundaNon". We (the 7th graders) had a front row seat to what actually happened on the Titanic. Before entering the exhibit, the students were given boarding passes with a name of a passenger on the Titanic. The pass listed

the passenger’s class (first, second, etc.), country of origin, pedigree and reason for travel. Having the passes gave the exhibit a higher sense of authenNcity. As we entered, we could see the dishes that were leG behind, parts of the Titanic, and even pictures of the passengers. The most interesNng moment for me was seeing what the food opNons were for people of different social classes. However, the coolest moment, literally and figuraNvely, was touching the iceberg. Seriously, we actually TOUCHED an iceberg, and if you kept your hand on there long enough, it leG a handprint. At the end of the exhibit, just before we exited, we got to see if our person survived. This was a somber moment for many of the third class passengers, because the lower the social class the less likely the survival rate.

It was so powerful!


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WELCOMENEW STUDENTS . . .

Adrianna - Gr. 6

Montana - Gr. 8

Shaina -‐ Gr. 8

Naji - Gr. 6

Joseph - Gr. 8

Jamaica 2013 By Olivia

On December 5th through 9th, I went to Jamaica for a mission trip with my brother, Connor and my Aunt Cindy.

On Friday, we went to West Haven Children's Home for the Disabled. While we were there, many people in the group went to a school nearby to build a playground andmost of the kids stayed at the orphanage and helped feed, play, and clean the kids who were from ages 1 -‐ 20 and most were the size of babies. When I was there, I met many people my age who were also in the group. Their names were Grace and Romy. The group we came with was Velmark Company, where people all over the United States gets together to help a company in need. The second day we went back to the orphanage and did the same thing as we did on Friday. AGer working for hours, we went to the school where the playground was gejng built and had a ceremony for the kids to see it and to play on it. Many parents were blessed that we came, and even the Principal of the school thanked everyone individually. When we got back to our resort, we got to go swimming and go to the beach. On Sunday, Connor, Aunt Cindy and I all went ziplining in the forest! It was a blast! We went on five individual zip lines that were very high and long. Monday came and everyone started leaving. I kinda wished we stayed longer! Jamaica was a blast this year , and I hope I get to go again next year!


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BabyNews:

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs.

Purdy who had a baby girl,

Avery Joyon December 16,

2013

and

Mr. Carrucini &

Ms. Shuttera who had a baby boy,

Jayden James

on January 9, 2014

and

Mr. & Mrs. Lakatos who had

a baby girl,

Taylor Evelyn

on January 11,

2014


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THEN and NOW . . .By Teagan

Today we have a completely different school than a lot of people remember. We are very fortunate to have this brand new and improved school. There are many people who would have liked the old

school beaer, even some of our teachers. As a maaer of fact, the purpose of my story is to tell you about the handful of our very own teachers who used to go to school here! They are Mr. Hudec, Mr. Zerbey, Mrs. Rose, Mr. Opdycke, Mr. McDonald, Mrs. Griffin and Mrs. Gerlack.

Mr. Zerbey and Mrs. Rose had this to say about RRMS then, and now. Here are a few of my quesNons and their answers:How has the school changed since you were a student? Mr. Zerbey: “The school has changed 100%. When I went here, it was called Rocky River Junior High. When I started teaching in 2001, which was the second year that this building was open, there were a couple teachers leG from when I was a student at RRJH, but that was it.”What memories do you have from when you were a student? Mr. Zerbey: “One memory was when our 8th grade basketball team won the conference championship, and I was the starNng point guard in that championship game because our starNng point guard had to go to a funeral. We smoked Fairview to win the trophy.” “One other memory is that back then, on the last day of school in 8th grade, the enNre class would go to Cedar Point. I was preay much a “roller coaster wuss” unNl that day, when I finally went on the Gemini and Corkscrew for the first Nme ever. Good Nmes, good Nmes!”

Mrs. Rose commented: “I have memories of spending Nme with my friends, some of which I am sNll close with today. I remember the last day of 8th grade we went to Cedar Point as our end-‐of-‐the-‐year field trip.”

What other comments do you have?

Mr. Zerbey: “Not to get in trouble, because I’ll tell you that it was quite a few years ago, but Mrs. Owens was our school secretary back when I was in 2nd grade at Wooster Elementary School and Mrs. Crites was a first-‐year teacher at the Junior High during my 8th grade year. For beaer or for worse, they’ve preay much known me forever.”

How has the school changed since you were a student? Mr. MacDonald: “The biggest difference since I went to school here is the building. While the old building was really old (I think it was built in 1919 or 1925) it was a really cool building. It had street lights in the hallways and the walls were painted different colors (red, yellow, blue, etc.). It was also three stories tall, and the main hallways looked down into the library, kind of like the way Tower City is built.”

What memories do you have from when you were a student? Mr. MacDonald: “Most of my memories are of the teachers that I had. I had Mr. Laposky for 7th and 8th grade math. I also had Mrs. Crites, Mrs. Brabant, Ms. Salvagni, Mr. Chulik and Mrs. Clark. Mr. Waltjen, Mrs. Owens and Mrs. Becker were also here at that Nme.One thing that hasn't changed is Mrs. Becker's great cooking!”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

lego club . . .We are conNnuing to work towards our Lego InvitaNonal LCCC in the Spring. We encourage any student who is interested in joining our Lego Club to check out our website and join us at our next meeNng!


18

RILEY DEBUTS IN ONE OF HER FAVORITE

MUSICALS, ANNIE

The producNon of “Annie” was here! The professional

musical “Annie” played at The Beck Center for the Arts December 6 through January 5. You could have goaen Nckets at: hap://sa1.seatadvisor.com/sabo/servlets/EventSearch?presenter=BECKCENTER or you could just visit the Beck Center Box Office in person.

Annie, the musical was wriaen in 1977, the composer was Charles Strouse, lyrics by MarNn Charnin, and the book “Annie” was first wriaen by Thomas Meehan. The story is about orphans who have a “Hard Knock Life” at an orphanage. Miss Hannigan (the mean den mom) dislikes the her life and treats the kids horribly. The kids have learned to get used to scrubbing the floors and washing windows but they sNll don't like it.

The oldest orphans July and Duffy are 13. Duffy is the biggest and the bravest but July is one of the quietest and nicest of the younger orphans. Moving on to the second oldest orphan, Pepper is 12 years old. She is a bully and does not like to be annoyed and oGen starts fights with the other orphans. Then we come to the main character, Annie. She is 11 and is the toughest orphan there. All the other orphans look up to Annie especially the youngest orphan, Moly. The third youngest orphan, Tessie is 10 and she is a cry baby (her memorable line in the play is, “Oh my goodness”). Moving on to the second youngest orphan, Kate, is 7 and also looks up to Annie. Finally wehave the youngest orphan of them all, Moly (I play the role Moly.) She is 6 and LOVES Annie.

When the laundry man comes in (Mr. Bundles), Annie slips into the cart and runs away. AGer that she finds a dog and names it Sandy. Annie and her new dog walk the streets looking for Annie’s parents when they find homeless people in “Hooverville”. Annie asks them if they ever leG an 11 year old redhead at an orphanage and no one said yes. She ate some food with them and just before bedNme she was caught and returned to the orphanage unNl . . . Grace Farwell, private secretary to Oliver Warbucks (the richest man) wants Annie to stay with Warbucks and her for Christmas.

AGer one week, Grace comes back to theorphanage saying that Oliver wants to adopt Annie. When Annie says she would rather be with her real Mom and Dad, Mr. Warbucks offers a $50,000.00 check to any-‐one who can prove they are Annie’s parents. In only a couple days Rooster (Miss Hannigan’s brother) and his girlfriend Lily pretend they are Annie’s parents and get away with it for a liale while unNl Mr. Warbucks finds out Annie’s parents died only a few years ago.

When the orphans arrive at Annie’s new house (Mr. Warbucks’ mansion) Rooster, Lily and Miss Hannigan are all arrested and all the orphans receive families. We hope you got to see us in it!

Riley Ma!e and all of my orphan f!ends!


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http://sa1.seatadvisor.com/sabo/servlets/EventSearch?presenter=BECKCENTER




RECIPES . . .by Amelia

PIZZA BURGERSIngredients:1/2 pound of sausage1/2 pound of ground beef1/2 cup ketchup1 tablespoon sugar1 teaspoon oregano1/4 cup bread crumbs1/2 cup water8 slices american cheese1/4 teaspoon salt8 hamburger bunsProcedure:Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brown the ground beef and sausagethoroughly, drain off fat. Add ketchup, water, bread crumbs, sugar,oregano, and salt. Stir well. Simmer for 10 minutes. Put mixture on the 8hamburger buns and top with the cheese. Bake for 12 minutes. ENJOY!!!

CHEESE SWIRLSIngredients: 1 can pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls1 package cream cheese1 teaspoon onion powder1 teaspoon milk5 slices of bacon cooked and then crushed1 tablespoon parmesan cheese

DirecMons:1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Separate dough into 4 rectangles; firmly press perforaNons to seal. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, onion powder, and milk unNl well blended.2. Spread about 2 T cream cheese mixture evenly over each rectangle. Sprinkle each with bacon. Roll up, starNng with longest side; pinch edges to seal. Cut each roll into 8 slices. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with cheese.3. Bake at 375 F. for 12-‐15 minutes or unNl golden brown. Serve warm. If not serving immediately store in refrigerator. ENJOY!!!.


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HOW DO YOU SPELL . . . quadrillion: q-u-a-d-r-i-l-l-i-o-n

or bonsai: b-o-n-s-a-i or livery: l-i-v-e-r-y

6th Grade Finalist

Spelling Bee on 12/4/13

CongratulaNons, 6th grade winner,

Saraand runner-‐up

Keegan

-‐and-‐

7th & 8th Grade Finalist Spelling Bee on 12/4/13

CongratulaNons to 7th grade winner, Joshua; and runner-‐up ValenNn

Way to go!!

Rocky River Middle School held its 2nd annual Spelling Bee for all grade levels on December 4, 2013. Students were given spelling tests in their classes. A semi-‐final oral spelling test was the next step for the top spellers in each grade level. Finalists were then invited to the building Spelling Bee held on December 4. Winning for the sixth grade in the building Bee was Sarah, with the winning word “quadrillion.” The sixth grade runner-‐up was Keegan.

Seventh and Eighth grade students competed against each other for the posiNon of district representaNve in the Northeast Ohio Media Group Cuyahoga County Spelling Bee on March 1 at the Metropolitan Campus Auditorium of Cuyahoga Community College. The district

winner is seventh grader Joshua and the runner-‐up is seventh grader ValenNn.

Eighth grade winner was James and the runner–up was Addison. The compeNNon was fierce as the spellers completed the enNre list of school spelling bee words as published by the Scripps NaNonal Spelling Bee. Spellers then progressed to the addiNonal words provided in the Spelling Bee materials. Joshua’s winning word was “livery.”

CongratulaNons to all winners and parNcipants!

. . . and GOOD LUCK, Joshua!


21

BE THE CHANGE . . .

By Nolan

The Be The Change group had and will have a lot of acNviNes to do! At the beginning of the year, Be The Change threw a party for the new kids to the

school district! Then, they had a naNonal Mix-‐It-‐Up-‐Day at lunch where kids sat at a different table and had conversaNons with new friends at their lunch tables! Thirdly, the group had a meeNng with well-‐known author Jason F. Wright!!!!! Be The Change group also helped with the Week Of Giving in December! Finally, the group hosted the 7th Grade Challenge Day Party with games, dancing, and food for all!

I am in the Be The Change group and doing all of these wonderful acNviNes and it’s very fun!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Holiday Band ConcertBy Payton

For the holidays, the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade bands had winter concerts. On December 3rd, the 6th grade band played songs called Surge, Barrage, and Songs of Christmas Cheer. On December 10th, the 7th grade band played A Liale Night Music, Bell Carol Rock, and Let the Christmas Season Begin. On December 12th, the 8th grade band played GiG of Christmas, Nutcracker Spectacular, and The Grinch Stole Christmas. The jazz band accompanied each concert and played Have Yourself a Merry Liale Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Rock the Halls, and Auld Lang Syne. Thanks to the wonderful Mr. Hudec, we have the absolute best RRMS bands ever!


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Chamber Choir performs at Lakewood Hospital 12/5

The RRMS Jazz Band Performs for Students during Lunch on December 20th


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Brass Bath Day . . .By Payton & MelanieOn December 17th, kiddie pools were set up on the stage in the Commons while musicians took apart their instruments piece by piece and scrubbed them clean! For this event, all of the brass instruments including the trombones, trumpets, baritones, tubas, and french horns got a bath. This takes place every year at this Nme before winter break. For the students, it is a very exciNng day, and they look forward to it. Thank you, Mr. Hudec, for all you do for our bands!


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ZOO COMES TO MRS. HILL’S SCIENCE CLASS 12/5In December the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo brought in some furry and slimy friends to share with Mrs. Hill's 8th grade Science Seminar class. Included in the list of visitors was a Fennec Fox, a Virginia Opossum, an American Alligator, an African Bullfrog and an Eastern Fox Snake. Thankfully, the visitors were all very well behaved! During the presentaNon, students were able to observe the amazing geneNc adaptaNons of which allows these animals to survive in their natural environments. For example, the Fennec Fox uses its enlarged ears as a device to transfer heat in or out of its body by simply sNcking its ears out of its den to warm up or cool down as necessary. Very cool! By the way . . .

if you are wondering "What does the fox say", it was more like a growl than anything else. A special thanks goes to the Rocky River EducaNon FoundaNon for funding this experience!


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RIGHT TO READ WEEK . . .

Drawings were held 12/6/13 . . .

The Grand Prize winner of the Google Nexus 7 was Hanna

$25.00 Target GiG CerNficates: Jaret and Blake

Winner of the Guess that ConstellaNon: Musa

and

Who’s Your Reader winner: Maria

Congratulations!


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OUR ART GALLERY . . .

Congratulations to 7th grader, Dante DiBenedetto, who just won the Cleveland Institute of Arts Inter-Scholastic Art competitions Silver Key Award. The title of his piece is “Chateau DiBenedetto”. The piece will be on display at the Institute with other winners in January.


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SPORTS

by Tommy

Cleveland Browns Trouble ‒ Season Wrap-up

A Depressing Finish

The second part of the season started with the game against the Green Bay Packers, where the Browns fell in a 31-‐13 loss. In the first quarter, it was all Green Bay leading the Browns 14-‐0. In the second quarter, the Browns got on the board with a field goal, but the Packers answered with a field goal to extend the lead, 17-‐3. In the third quarter, the Browns kicked another field goal to make the score 17-‐6. In the fourth quarter, Green Bay scored 2 touchdowns with Jordy Nelson and Boykin recepNon from their amazing quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Between the two touchdowns, the Brown’s all pro Nght end Jordan Cameron scored a touchdown on a toss from quarterback Brandon Weeden.

As the Browns struggled, they faced the undefeated Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs which they sadly lost 23-‐17. Kansas City’s Ryan Succop kicked 3 field goals and their quarterback Alex Smith passed for two touchdowns. However, the Browns, lead by break-‐out receiver Josh Gordon and Nght end Fozzy Whitaker, scored a touchdown and the accurate Billy Cundiff added a field goal.

Next, the 3-‐5 Browns upset the 2013 Super Bowl champs, the BalNmore Ravens, by 24-‐18. The Browns receiver Devone Bess scored two touchdowns, Backup Gary Barnidge also scored a touchdown and the Billy Cundiff kicked a field goal. Rookie wide receiver Marlon Brown for the Ravens scored two touchdowns. JusNn Tucker added a field goal.

The 4-‐5 Browns lost in the final score 7 miserable games against the Bengals, Steelers, Jaguars, Patriots, Bears, Jets, and Steelers. One game that really stands out is the Patriots game when the Browns blew a fourth quarter lead. With less than two minutes on the clock the stunning Patriots scored two touchdowns and won 27-‐26. Disappointedly, the Browns ended up in last place with 4 wins and 12 loses.

Firing Rob Chudzinski

Later on that Sunday night aGer the Steelers game the Browns surprisingly fired their head coach Rob Chudzinski. Chud, a very decent man, only had one season to prove himself. Many of the

players said that they thought Chud was a posiNve coach and they didn’t want him to leave. The next day Joe Banner and Jimmy Haslam said that the reason Coach was fired was because of lack of wins or improvement. Despite the bad news, Chud took the high road and said that he was thankful that he was able to fulfill his dream of being the coach of the team he cheered on as a boy, the Cleveland Browns. At the Nme of this arNcle, the Browns had not yet filled the vacancy. To say the least, Browns fans are once again being told to wait unNl next year . . .

Top Performers in 2nd Half of SeasonWR Josh Gordon: 9 Touchdowns, 1,646 Yards, 87 RecepNons TE Jordon Cameron: 7 Touchdowns, 917 Yards, 80 RecepNonsCB Joe Haden: 54 Tackles, 4 IntercepNons Disappointing 2nd Half PerformersQB Branden WeedenQB Jason CampbellPlayers named to the Pro BowlWR Josh Gordon TE Jordon Cameron CB Joe Haden Tackle Joe ThomasCenter Alex MackFree Safety TJ Ward (alternate)

2nd Half of the Cleveland Browns SeasonBrowns 13, Packers 31Browns 17, Chiefs 23Browns 24, Ravens 18ByeBrowns 20, Bengals 41Browns 11, Steelers 27Browns 28, Jaguars 32Browns 26, Patriots 27Browns 31, Bears 38Browns 13, Jets 24Browns 7, Steelers 20


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Do you want to feel more relaxed? Do you feel stressed? Do you want to improve your self-‐esteem? Improve your memory and be more focused? If so, then you need to join us on Tuesday and Thursdays in the West Gym for the

Mindfulness Clinic.

RRMS Mindfulness Clinic 7:35am – 8:05am

Tuesdays and ThursdaysWest Gym.

PracMcing mindfulness exercises can have many great benefits, including: Reduced stress, anxiety and depression

Less negaMve thinking and distracMon increasing focus & a`enMonImproved mood

Builds self-‐esteem, self-‐acceptanceImproves social skills

Increased working memory, planning, organizaMonResearch supports the idea that mindfulness, paying aaenNon to what's happening in the present moment, is

essenNal to becoming an effecNve learner teaching and pracNcing focus, clarity and calm.

Join us on Tuesday and Thursdays in the West Gym for movement, breath work and mindfulness acNviNes.


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Team Unify Goes Bowling9/21/13

Bowling Tournament in Wickliffe, Ohio Consisting of Two Special Olympic Athletes

and Two Partners

Team Unify goes to Fairview Lanes to pracNce our skills for the tournaments. We have tournaments about every 2-‐3 months and we play people of all ages. It’s really inspiring to see how much hijng a pin makes them smile. Team Unify

has made me realized we have so much to be thankful for. Being on the team and brightening someone’s day is just amazing!!

Team Unify Boys Basketball

Tournament at Tri C

By Amelia

A special thanks to Ms. Harkin Newsome for providing Spirit bags for the kids on 12/12/13.

Special Olympics isn’t just a school club... it’s a life-changing experience. It’s so inspiring and rewarding. We have gone to two tournaments this year. Team Unify went bowling and to a skills basketball competition. At the basketball competition every athlete received a ribbon and

was made to feel like a true winner! Each player goes on a podium by group and then their name gets announced over the PA system. It's so delightful to see the players smile after they shoot a basket or hit a pin in bowling. Team Unify works as a team not as individual people. Every player on the team encourages one another to do the best they can. It's a eye opener to see how privileged we are. The feeling of helping someone is just amazing. It’s just a total rush of joy when you make someone smile. I would encourage everyone to give it a try!


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If you would like to support your school,

help out in the community andmeet new friends…

Builders Club is for YOU!

Find out more about joining Builders Club.

We meet every Wednesday in theMedia Center – 7:45 – 8:05

Builders Club Doing Great Things For Our School and Community

The Builders Club, which is a service organizaNon, was very busy during the holidays. They worked on the Week of Caring, pujng up the Christmas tree to display the hats and gloves, wrote leaers to the soldiers and service people of our community. They also helped with collecNng food for the Cleveland Food Bank. We also went to St. Pat’s in Ohio City to feed the poor.

On November 10th, students helped out at the Kiwanis Pancake breakfast! Students helped serve coffee, tea and milk to a record number crowd. They had fun cleaning and sejng up tables and the pancakes were delicious as well! They also donated money to purchase a coat for kids. We also have a group of kids that help out with Special Olympics and have some great games and events coming up in the second quarter.

In February we look forward to our ValenNne’s Day Annual CarnaNon Sale. Students will be able to purchase a carnaNon for $1.00 and then give it to that special friend on ValenNne’s Day. We will also be collecNng pennies for paNence, and a variety of other service projects.

Builders Club, along with RRMS LRC group, conNnues to recycle. So far the Recycle program at RRMS has been a HUGE success and they thank everyone for their support. The more paper collected the more money for RRMS!

We have a lot more acNviNes planned for the rest of the school year and are always looking for new ideas. If you are interested in helping out, come to our meeNngs! We meet every Wednesday morning at 7:45 to 8:05 in the media center.

Builders Club Pancake Breakfast in November

Builders Club At St. Pat’s in December Feeding the Poor


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week of giving . . . December 16 - 20

RRMS had a “Week of Giving” the week before winter break. Each day during this week, students and staff collected items or money for 5 different charities. To make this week even more festive there were DRESS UP DAYS, as well!

MONDAY: Funky Winter Sock Day Activity—Canned Food Drive Charity—Cleveland Food Bank

Amazing! On Monday, our students and staff brought in 310 units to the Cleveland Food Bank, plus a dozen or so hats, gloves and socks.

TUESDAY: Ugly Holiday Sweater Activity—Sock Collection Charity—West Side Catholic Center for the Homeless

Amazing! 113 socks, miaens and hats were taken to West Side Catholic Center for the Homeless.


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WEDNESDAY: Winter Pajama Day Activity– Coin Collection Charity—Ronald McDonald House of

Northeast Ohio

Amazing!$622.00 was collected for Ronald McDonald House.

THURSDAY: Holiday Headgear Day Activity– Letters of Thanks Charity—Louis Stokes Veterans Hospital Medical Center

Amazing! 353 leaers will be delivered to our Servicemen and women.

FRIDAY: Red and Green Day Activity— Raffle for “Pie in the Face” of Mr. Sislowski, Mrs. Rose and othersCharity– Cleveland Animal Protective League


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Amazing! $201 was collected for the APL.

A! activities were sponsored by: Student Council, Builders Club, Peer Mentors, Be The Change and the Walking Miracles Club.


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by Imani

The first FIVE students to submit a completed sheet to Mrs. Owens will receive a free Jr. Frosty!!! HURRY—the compeMMon is STIFF!!!!!


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!

WINTER WONDERLAND

!

beautiful babies . . .

by Jacquelyn


36

bebes bonitos . . .WINTER EDITION 2013 ISSUE 2

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Sra. Clark’s Spanish students will be creating Spanish sentences during their

3rd Quarter projects. They will describe themselves, write and talk about their favorite childhood memories and

events. Just wanted to share some of the incredibly adorable pictures.

Enjoy! or in Spanish . . .

Diviertete!


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by Imani


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!

! !"#$%&!'()!&•!RRHS girls soccer team recognized at board meeting. •!Deep freeze, rain and thaw creates ice jam in the

Rocky River. •!Television personality, Rachel Ray, rescheduled for

January 19. •!High school biology teacher, attends national medical

workshop. •!RRPL named one of America’s Top Libraries. •!Cops on patrol in Schools (COPS) program, begins in

Rocky River. •!Italian fast casual eatery, Piada opened November,

2013.

! !"#$#"%&'(• 20,000 ring in the New Year on Public

Square!!! •!Luncheon for Shoes & Clothes for Kids raises

$100,000 •!High school rock band contest begins at the

House of Blues. •!Browns fire Coach Chud. •!Cleveland Public Library installs high tech

software. •!Cavs make big trade, look to finish season

strong. • Tickets on sale, for Billy Joel concert on Jan.

17th.

! !"#!$•!Cat saved from storm

drain now up for adoption.

•!200 county & city owned bridges to be repaired in the next three years.

•!Boonshoft Museum of Discovery now open in Springfield.

•!Butterfly Exhibit at Toledo Zoo through March 2nd..

! !"#$%&'$(!&")*#(•!Friends & Neighbors lost

some food benefits. Donations to food pantries are still needed.

•!Toboggan Chalet opened Nov. 29th.

•!County Executive, Ed Fitzgerald, is running for Governor of Ohio against incumbent Gov. Kasich, Nov, 2014. Debates TBA.

!!!!

! !"#$"#%"#•!Healthcare.gov website is now up and

running •!Daniella Monet met with kids, tweens

& teens in California to learn the importance of eliminating bullying.

•!Kids with concussions need extra time off from school, report says.

•!Kayla Samuel of Achievement First Amistad High School in Connecticut stopped running to help an injured cross country opponent cross the finish line.

! !"#$%&'()$•!London - 9 year old cousins Flame Brewer

& Rose Powell were strapped to Boeing Stearman planes that flew as high as 500 feet.

•!Guatemala - Justin Bieber gave the shoes he was wearing to a barefoot child.

•!India - 13 year old Sushma Verna’s father sold his land so she could begin studying for her Master’s Degree in Microbiology.

•!Vatican - 6 year old Carlos, an orphan, wandered on stage & hugged Pope Francis.


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NEWSPAPER TEAM:

CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF: Jacquelyn and Imani

WRITERS:Paul, Dante, Molly, Nolan, Mia, Tommy, Payton, Mary, Amelia, Michael, Sarah, Jenna, TristanOlivia, Teagan, Riley, & Melanie

ARTISTS: Joey, Rachel & Dante

PHOTOGRAPHER:" Jacquelyn

ADVISOR: Mrs. Owens


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ADVERTISEMENTWINTER EDITION 2013 ISSUE 2

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Documents

WINTER EDITION 2013 ISSUE 2 PIRATE’S PEN