The Student Newspaper of Freedom Area Middle School The Student Newspaper of Freedom Area Middle School Volume 10, Issue 5 Freedom, Pennsylvania 2021 Freedom Area School District begins a new hybrid instructional style Charles Brenckle Grade 7 Sports Editor Freedom Area School District allowed the middle school and high school students to return in the new hybrid style on Monday, Feb. 22. From Oct. 26 through Nov. 20, of 2020, students of Freedom Middle School returned to school full in-person following two months of virtual instruction. Then the state forced the school to temporarily close and return students to Mr. Gregg’s art class is hard at work on the first day back, Monday, Feb. 22, after fully virtual instruction, but now several months of virtual learning. Freedom is getting ready to return Photo by Charles Brenckle but they have a different style. The new hybrid will be what is ready for that as well. I do believe safety reasons, but says she can’t see called an AA/BB. What will happen that we will not be in the hybrid for her friends. She also says that she is will be kids with last names that long and we will return back full really looking forward to the full in- start A-L will come in on Monday in-person,” Mr. Ryan Smith, middle person opportunity coming up. and Tuesday. Then M-Z will come school principal, said. on Thursday and Friday, which will Smith also stated that kids provide Wednesday as a cleaning have a choice whether they want to day, while students are fully virtual come in-person, so if a family is not that day. incredibly comfortable with it, then “I believe that we will still need they have the choice to stay virtual. to consider the county numbers for Josie Brenckle, ninth grader, the virus, and if they get low enough says that she likes that the hybrid to a point where we can make a model keeps us separated from decision when to return then we are other people. Which is good for

@bulldogbarker www.bulldogbarker.com 2 Bulldog Barker Capehart fills big shoes, takes on new position as elementary principal Christopher Denkovich Grade 8 Editor-in-Chief Freedom Area Elementary School recently filled the principal position with the former Dean of students, Mr. John Capehart. Capehart started his first official day as the elementary principal on Monday, February first. Although a change in leadership can be hard for anybody, especially young students, the elementary faculty are making this change as smooth as possible. The change is a lot easier on students since most of the students know Capehart and already have a student teacher relationship opposed to it being an outside Mr. Capehart works hard at his desk on Tues., Feb. 23 after taking a position as person. Capehart believes that the Freedom Area Elementary principal. change in leadership will also be Photo by Christopher Denkovich smooth due to the fact that he and fourth4th grade. For two years the students excel. The biggest the former principal, Mrs. Emily he shuffled between third3rd and setback for most students is Mathers, haves “aA similar mindset fourth grade4th. When Mrs. Mather their attention span. The average and way of thinking.” Capehart was hired as Elementary Principal, attention span of students during a is excited to introduce the hybrid hHe was interviewed and was hired lecture is 10 - 15 minutes according model to students so that they can as Dean of Students. A Dean of to the American Physiological continue building a student teacher Students is essentially the voice Society,journals.physiology.org but relationship and get back to some of the student when it comes to it can be even be less for elementary sort of normality. managing academic and personal students with lots of distractions at Capehart started as a issues. When Mrs. Mather left for home. A 10 minute attention span substitute teacher in various school another position, heI interviewed with lots of distractions and a 38 districts. Then he shuffled to a and was hired as Elementary minute class can make it hard for position as a lLearning sSupport Principal. lots of students to focus and can be pParaprofessional at Conway Elementary students are still even harder on elementary students. Elementary. From that position, he on pace for the year in terms of became a math coach at Conway, t. learning all the material but the Then he was hired as a third 3rd- faculty believes that once students grade teacher at Conway. When are back in the building they will tThe schools moved into the new continue to see growth and to see merged elementary he taught @bulldogbarker Freedom Area Middle School 3 Time management: How students spend their time after school in the winter Cooper Brien Grade 5 Writer Wyatt Miller Grade 5 Writer Now that we have been in virtual for a while, middle school students have had more time after school and they have been doing a lot of new activities.People have been changing their activities they’ve been doing since the COVID-19 pandemic. One way activities have changed is that more people have been going on screens much more. Some ways are by playing on video games and social Easton (left) and Emma (right) Ward, build a snowman during the the district snow day media. Others have been outside and on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020. running around and being active. We Submitted Photo want to know what you do. The importance of being outside For the outdoor winter activity they are doing homework and The older middle school questions , the greatest response playing video games at 3.9% of the students get, the more they are on was for the sledding with 72% of question. A few others that were devices like phones or i-pads. It the people voting. Some of the least chosen were drawing, going on is important that you get outside chosen ones in the other section phones, and playing on their Xboxes. once in a while so you can take a were football, igloo building, and jiu For what you are most likely to break from the screens and just be jitsu. do it the evening question, the most emerged in nature. Winter sports popular were drawing and playing video games both at 3.9%. Some How they spend time after The least chosen was hockey and of the other ones that were chosen school indoors and outdoors the two most chosen were basketball and indoor soccer with basketball at were taking a nap, playing with their For the indoor activities, the sister, and going to soccer practice. greatest response was the video 28.6% and indoor soccer at 25.7%. games at 30 responses. It was 58.8% Some of the other least chosen Each activity people do for 20 of the responses! There were a sports were, volleyball, ice skating, minutes to 5 hours depending on lot of other choices and a few of wrestling, and swimming. what the activity is. The answers really vary depending on who you them were writing books, doing What you do in the evening/ are and what you are doing. These gymnastics, working out, watching after school television, and YouTube videos. were all really cool answers about For the after school question, what people do and how long they Those were some pretty cool things we got a tie for most popular and that students do. do them for. www.bulldogbarker.com 4 Bulldog Barker Features Why is February such a short month? Bryson Deal more months to the year, hence Grade 7 January and February. The reason Features Editor behind why there are less days in Social Media Editor February is because the Romans When it comes to months of thought that even numbers were the year it seems that February has unlucky. They decided that they drawn the short stick. It only has 28 needed to have as many 31 day days compared to the 30 and 31 days months as possible. In order to do months. There is actually a reason this they had to start taking days behind this. When the ancient from other months to make some Romans were trying to create the of them longer and have 31 days. calendar they first started out with a They decided to take most from ten month system. This worked for February and that’s why it’s so short. awhile but then they realized that The reason why it was taken from there was a lunar calendar with 12 February, nobody is quite sure but phases, or in our case, months. The it’s most likely because at the time Romans were confused and didn’t February was the last month of the Portrait of King Nova Pompilius who was year. know whether to follow the ten king during the creation of the original month or 12 month system. calendar. King Pompilius, the creator of Photo is public domain from the the calendar, decided to add on two Austrian National Library

@bulldogbarker Freedom Area Middle School 5 How did Valentine’s Day go from “whipping” people to giving chocolate? Audrey Mooney “Good morning to you, valentine. Grade 6 Curl your locks as I do mine- Writer Two before and three behind. Valentine’s Day is all about Good morning to you, valentine.” flowers, cupid and chocolate, right? But, do you know why you’re giving Then the English came to these things on Feb. 14 to your loved America and brought this joyful ones? holiday with them. Valentine’s Day has both Now, people like to receive Christian and Roman tradition in it. flowers and chocolate for Valentine’s The Romans had some interesting Day, but did you know that flowers things to do on Valentine’s Day. have a meaning? They celebrated the feast of The Victorian English thought Lupercalia on Feb. 15. They would that flowers had meanings. Peony kill a dog and goat, then take the means ‘I am bashful’, the gardenia hide and “whip” the women of the means ‘Let’s keep a secret’. village. The strips of hide were Honeysuckle means ‘We are bound called ‘Februa’. Apparently the by love’, red rose means ‘I love you’ women lined up for that so they Valentine’s Day has changed a lot since and pink rose means ‘We are happy could have good luck with having the time of St. Valentine. People love to friends’, but not all flowers mean children. receive flowers as a present. happy things. For instance, marigold Lupercalia means “Feast of Photo by Audrey Mooney means ‘You have been cruel’, and Lupercus.” Lupercus was a Roman carnation means ‘I do not agree.’ god, and the Romans believed Valentine’s Day. St. Valentine’s Day These are just some of the flower that he would protect them from celebrations soon spread to France meanings, there are many more, but the wolves. Wolves would kill the and England. Their celebrations Valentine’s Day is not about flowers farmers’ sheep and goats, so on the were similar to what we have now. or candy, it’s about how much you day of Lupercalia, they had a feast to Dancing, feasts and games took appreciate your loved ones. honor him. place on this day. A boy drew a Happy St. Valentine’s Day! Then, Christianity came to girl’s name out of a hat to become Rome. Hundreds of years later, his ‘sweetheart’. In England it was the Romans didn’t believe in a god believed that birds choose their called Lupercus anymore, but they mates on Feb. 14. Letters people didn’t want to give up their feasting. wrote to each other were called Instead of honoring Lupercus, they valentines. Children dressed up as honored a man of the church, St. adults and would sing songs like this, Valentine, who lived and died in Rome very long ago. Feb. 14 became known as St.

www.bulldogbarker.com 6 Bulldog Barker Strati’s first/third period ELA class participates in poem contest

Olivia VanDeCar Another contestant was sixth participated in the Peculiar Pets Grade 6 grader Julianne Hein. She entered contest. She submitted a poem Writer the Appely contest and the Peculiar called “ Sleepover Fun”. Wagner Pets contest. She enjoyed writing also enjoyed writing poems and she Mrs. Strati´s first and third poems and definitely would do it had a good overall experience. period class has been participating again based on this experience! “Yes, I did enjoy writing in poem contests. They so far “They were very fun! I would a poem,.” Wagner said. “My have entered three contests. That totally like to write more poems! It experience overall was good.” is Trapped, Peculiar Pets, and the is especially fun making up weird Appely Publishing Contest for characters and putting them into the Young Writers. poem! My overall experience was They have not received all enjoyable,” Hein said. results yet, but Mrs. Strati, a sixth Ashlynn Wagner, sixth grader, grade ELA teacher, has a positive attitude and she thinks that some people will get theirs published! “A bunch of poems used Earth's Wonders imagery, good details, and had amazing pieces of writing. So I do By: Ryleigh Rentz think some people will get their poems published,” Strati said. Sixth grader Ryliegh Rentz´s Birds flying swiftly through the blue sky. poem was accepted and will be Squirrels running nimbly up the tall tree. published in a book. Rentz entered Lions lazily sleeping in the warm sun. the Appely Publishing Contest and Fish rapidly darting in the blue pond. submitted a poem named “Earth’s Rabbits hopping silently in the dark woods. Wonders” ( Pictured ). Rentz Foxes hunting cleverly for fat mice. surprised herself when she wrote Turtles slowly walking in the damp sand. such a wonderful poem. She is not Tigers quietly hiding in the high tall grass. the biggest fan of poetry and it was Elephants marching loudly in the early morning. hard for her. Penguins diving carefully in the cold ocean. “ I myself am not a fan of Every day they come and go, poetry, I have never really liked it,” Leaving us with hope. Rentz said. For additional news, pictures, and more,, visit our website!! www.bulldogbarker.com

@bulldogbarker Freedom Area Middle School 7 has revived significance in 2021

Calla Reynolds Grade 7 Website Editor February is Black History Month, a federally and nationally acknowledged time of year. This month allows people to recall the remarkable contributions Black Americans made in history and the challenges they faced along the way. The creation of Black History Month is heavily credited towards Carter G. Woodson. Woodson originally made Negro History Week on Feb. 7 in the year 1926, assigning it for the second week of February. The second week A group of people gather to support the Black Lives Matter movement in Berlin. was chosen because it marks the Photo by Montecuz Foto used under Creative Commons License birthdays of two men-Fredrick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln- who immensely impacted theme, this year it being “The Black redemption, and hope.” This Black Americans in history. Negro Family: Representation, Identity, statement from President Joe Biden History Week eventually turned to and Diversity.” The 2021 theme highlights the importance of this Black History Month in 1976. contemplates African Diaspora, month, especially during this time. This year, more people are which is a term known to describe beginning to recognize systemic the major dispersion of citizens racism and how it is still affecting from Africa during the Transatlantic Black Americans in 2021. Starting Slave Trades, which took place last year, people of all races, between the 1500s and 1800s. The ethnicities, and nationalities Diaspora affected millions of people assembled for the Black Lives from Western and Central Africa to Matter movement. The movement various regions in the Caribbean and was originally to protest the killings Americas. of Breonna Taylor and George “This February, during Black Floyd, but now it acknowledges all History Month, I call on the inequitable treatment towards Black American people to honor the Americans. history and achievements of Black Every year, the month of Americans and to reflect on the February has a Black History Month centuries of struggle that have brought us to this time of reckoning,

www.bulldogbarker.com 8 Bulldog Barker Sports Girls volleyball season starts with new and old players Sara Meyer Grade 8 Copy Editor The girls volleyball season started once again on Feb. 8, and due to COVID-19 a few things have changed. When asked his hopes for the season in regards to COVID-19, head coach George Bellinger said, “I’m hoping by the second half of the season more parents will be able to come and cheer for the girls.” Because, due to COVID-19, spectators are not permitted to be at the match. His goals for this season areor the players to learn how to play competitive volleyball, so they can advance to the next level and be contributors to the high school program. The season started with a scrimmage game against Neshannock Middle School. Both the seventh and eighth grade teams lost the first two sets. When asked what they are excited about this year Riley Tokar, eighth grader, said, “I’m excited to be playing because last year our season The girls volleyball team practices in the middle school gym on Saturday, Feb. 27 for got cut short. Also I can be active, upcoming games this week. less bored, and be with friends.” Photos by Sara Meyer Mackenzie Mohrbacher, seventh grader said, “I’m excited to be active again and be with friends.” @bulldogbarker Freedom Area Middle School 9 Go grab the chips, it’s time! Nicholas Metzger Unless you are not a NFL fan, you probably know about the Super Grade 6 Bowl this month. This year, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Writer Buccaneers are playing each other. The game was played in Tampa Bay. This is the first year that a NFL team has hosted a Super Bowl! The Super Bowl halftime show featured The Weekend.

14,500 tons of chips 8 million pounds are consumed on Super of guacamole is eaten on Bowl Sunday! Super Bowl Sunday! Nine Super Bowls made the top 10 most watched American television programs of all time!

Over 700,000 footballs The lead jet in the are produced for Super pregame flyover was Bowl Sunday. 72 of flown by a female them are used for the bomber pilot. Super Bowl!

The Super Bowl is Six females were in measured in Roman on-field positions, the numerals because a football season runs over two most ever. calendar years.

The age gap between the two quarterbacks is the In 2020 a 30-second ad largest ever: Tom Brady is for the Super Bowl cost 18 years, 45 days older than between $5 million and $5.6 million! Patrick Mahomes.

www.bulldogbarker.com 10 Bulldog Barker Freedom Voices What does Valentine’s Day mean to you?

Olivia Mason Grade 5 Writer Hearts? Chocolates? Cupid? However you celebrate Valentine’s Day it sure is special! St. Valentine’s Day is an annual festival to celebrate romantic love, friendship, and admiration. Every year on Feb. 14 people celebrate this day by sending messages of love and affection to partners, family, and friends. In school, kids give treat bags and goodies to friends. People give chocolates to the ones they love. When you think of Valentine’s Day, you probably think of love Drawing by Olivia Mason and candy. When I think about Valentine’s Day I think of love and affection. “What I like about Valentine’s Day is I get to spend time with makes Valentine’s day the year’s Day is I get to hang out with my people that I do not get to see most second largest card-sending holiday, family and I get to see my step-sister. of the time. On Valentine’s Day, my right behind Every year my parents exchange family likes to exchange gifts. I think “On Valentine’s Day, I like cards with me and my sister. I think that Valentine’s day is to spend time hanging out with my family and Valentine’s Day means spending with the people you love,” Charlie the people that I love.A tradition time with the people I love and Rywolt, fifth grader, said. we like to do is hand out candy to having that communication,” Tori Did you know that on everyone. I think that Valentine’s Loschinskey, fifth grader, said. Valentine’s Day, when guys send Day is for spending time with the People celebrate Valentine’s Day girls cards they usually put the name people you love,” Easton Ward, fifth all over the world! Did you know Juliet as in Romeo and Juliet? Also, grader, said. So, when you celebrate that 36 million boxes of chocolate 145 million cards are swapped every Valentine’s Day, make sure you get are sold on Valentine’s Day? It’s true! Valentine’s day!! Wow that is a lot of someone a special gift! Also, studies say that teachers are the cards!! According to the Greeting ones who get the most valentines of Card Association and Hallmark, all! Students are so kind! roughly 145 million Valentine’s day cards are exchanged each year. This “What I like about Valentine’s @bulldogbarker Freedom Area Middle School 11 Funny excuses students gave while virtual Hannah Shaffer A student took off his mask to Freedom Area Middle School Grade 7 sneeze out into the air. “I don’t 1702 School Street, Freedom, PA 15042 724-775-7641 Website Editor want the boogers in my mask!” [email protected] * * * * * www.bulldogbarker.com Student: “I can’t hear you. IS “Sorry, I was late to math class, ANYONE TALKING?” my goat had kids and we didn’t Bulldog Barker Staff Teacher: “Can you hear me now? hristopher alla eynolds even know she was pregnant!” C C R Student: “No. I still can’t hear Denkovich Hannah Shaffer * * * * * you!” Editor-in-Chief Website Editors Today, I gave students time to * * * * * do an activity and then they had Helena Buli Bryson Deal Student: “Teacher, I can’t hear to submit it after 15 minutes for Managing Editor Social Media Editor anything you are saying so I can’t a grade. At that point, I moved do work!” Bryson Deal Caroline Bender to the next activity. While they Teacher: (Makes a loud squealing Features Editor Cooper Brien worked on the second activity, I noise from her computer) Chloe Lundy checked in on the ones who had Charles Brenckle Olivia Mason Student: “Ouch that hurts my not submitted the first assignment Sports Editor Nicholas Metzger ears...oops!” yet. I asked a student..... Wyatt Miller * * * * * Alyson Portman Audrey Mooney “Have you done your labeling I love wearing a mask. My Photography Editor Elizabeth Mooney activity yet?” mother doesn’t know that I Cameron Stumpf He said, “No.” Sara Meyer Olivia VanDeCar haven’t brushed my teeth in four I said, “Why not?” Copy Editor Writers days. He said, “I was making an * * * * * ara iller yan mith omelette but I’m doing the S M R S My 100th-day crown fell in the Faculty Adviser Principal second activity now.” toilet, can I have a new one? It kind of made me laugh. I said, Bulldog Barker is the student newspaper of * * * * * “An omelette sounds real good. Freedom Area Middle School. The opinions The principal told me I didn’t What did you put in it.?” He expressed in this publication are the sole have to do the assignment… said “bacon bits, cheese, and sour opinions of the student writers and do not reflect * * * * * the views of the faculty, staff or administration cream”. A student typed in the chat, “I of the Freedom Area School District. All I guess if you are not going to do can’t hear you! I can’t hear you! I Freedom Area Middle School students are your work it might as well be for invited to submit content to the Bulldog Barker can’t hear you!” good food! for publication at the discretion of the editorial The teacher verbally says, staff and adviser. Issues are published monthly “Student, can you hear me?” at the end of each month. The student shakes his head no. To submit questions or comments, :D please email [email protected]. The teacher laughs and asks, “Then how did you know I asked you a question?!”’ * * * * *

www.bulldogbarker.com FMS Bulldog Barker 12 Call me, maybe? Elizabeth Mooney Grade 6 “Most of the time I watch Writer Did you know? videos and look through social media. I could live without it Most kids get because I have other things I could their phones at age use such as a console or an ipad.” 10, and 25% of Logan Burton, 5th grader kids have phones Did you know? at age six. Half of “I have an ipod, and I spend them spend up to The first Android 1-3 hours on it. The thing I do on 21 hours a week on phone showed up in my ipod is mainly texting my friends them. 2008 as a T-Mobile and taking photos. I like that I can G1. call other people.” The idea of Cheyenne Sharp, 6th grader texting started in the year of 1992. “I don’t have a phone, but when “I spend around 1 to I used to I spent like 3-4 hours on it. 3 hours on my phone, Since I don’t have one now, I could (which is an Android) live without it.” taking pictures of mainly Edelyn Gonzalez-Reyes, 6th grader the sunrise and sunset. I think it’s cool that you can “I spend 4 to 5 hours on my communicate with others phone, but I could do without it w i t h o u t s e e i n g t h e m . ” because I’m mostly outside playing -Mia Roncevich The phone age instead of being on my phone. 6th grader Takoda Epperson, 7th grader

The first mobile phone was made in “I could live without my 1973 by engineer phone because I like to play outside phone’s the word! Martin Cooper. It and I usually have to do baseball first showed up in practice. I like to play games on my 67% of people phone.” New York. check their phones Zach Kuntz, 7th grader regularly, even when it’s not ringing.

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