WHO Spartan Times CLUB IS CORNER; HE? TALENT page 3 Weber Middle School, Port Washington, New York SHOW! http://schools.portnet.k12.ny.us/~spartan_times/ page 4 Weber Speller Advances To Science Olympiad Team Scripps Long Island Region Places 6th in the State Written Bee Championships! by Mrs. Portmore-Davies Congratulations are in order for Weber’s Science Olympiad Team, In December of 2008, English teachers Mrs. Portmore-Davies and Mrs. who finished in 6th place out of 38 New York State schools in the State Denise Fish initiated Weber Middle School’s 1st school –wide spelling bee. The Championship on Saturday, April 18 at SUNY New Paltz. The team won preliminary competition was a written bee that yielded 38 top spellers. After a 7 medals, including 1st place medals in Meteorology and Experimental De- month of preparation and practice, many of these spellers participated on Janu- sign. The team qualified for the State Championships in early March after ary 13, 2009 in Weber’s official Scripps Bee. Since Sydney Heiden was the placing 2nd in the Science Olympiad Regional events and winning 20 med- winner of our Bee, she went on to compete in the Scripps Long Island Region als. Team Two placed 6th and won 10 medals at this same event. Con- Written Bee on February 10th and, again, was one of the top scorers! This stu- gratulations to both teams! The team has been working very hard all year, dent competed on March 19th, at Plainview-Old Bethpage Middle School in the with multiple practices afterschool and on Saturdays. They are a very com- Scripps Long Island Spelling Bee Finals! Although she was not a winner in the mitted and diligent team. Weber is very proud of all the team members, Spelling Bee Finals, Weber is proud of Sydney and we congratulate her on her alternates and Coaches Mr. Grande and Mr. Buchman. excellence in spelling. For her accomplishments, Sydney was presented with the Certificate of The winner of the Excellence by School Board President Larry Greenstein at the March 17 Board of Education meeting. “Name That Snack Table” contest is.....see page 3! Th e Enright Interview : Th e Secret Life of the American Teacher Creative Arts by Cameron Appel and Julia Zeh Festival Do you ever wonder what goes on in (Blue 7 Science Teacher) Mr. Brings Out Enright’s head? There isn’t much in there, but we still wanted to find out. We visited him during our lunchtime and asked him the questions everyone wants to The Best hear answers about. Here are the questions we asked him and his well thought- in out answers. Cameron/Julia: Why did you move from your previous school to Weber? PEP students! Mr. Enright: I wanted to be closer to my home, and the class sizes were (see page 2) smaller. I wanted to really teach. I had about 36 – 37 kids in a class in my former school. I also wanted to Weber’s Drama coach. Weber’s Drama C/J: How does Weber compare to Club brings any other school you taught at? The Music Man Mr. E.: Weber is just so much The Music Man better. I didn’t have a classroom in and my old school. I was “Science on a Prof. Harold cart.” It wasn’t fun. Also, there were Prof. Harold no after school sports. (continued Hill on page 2) to Weber! See page 4 Lincolns On The Loose! (see page 3) Table of Contents Pages 2 and 3: Weber News Page 4: Club Corner Page 5: 6th and 7th Grade Happenings Page 6: 8th Grade Halls of Fame Page 7: Interviews; Opinions Pages 8: Book Reviews Page 9: Creative Artists and Writers Page 10: “An Out of This World Experience” Page 11 and Back Page: Games; Spartan Sports Reminder: Reading lists with required summer reading guidelines can be found by visiting the District Weber News website: www.portnet.k12.ny.us. Click on the “schools and programs” link, then choose “Weber Middle School.” All students may also obtain copies of grade level lists from English teachers and the Port Washington Public Library. We wish Ms. Mesa, former Social Worker at Weber, good Th e Enright Interview : luck as she returned to her position at the North Shore Family and Child Guidance Center in early March. The “Helping Each Other” Th e Secret Life of the Club, of which Ms. Mesa was the advisor, met for the final time on American Teacher March 4. Thanks to Ms. Mesa and her club members for their continued from front page community service and dedication to the “Helping Each Other” Club. C/J: How do Blue House kids compare to Green House kids? P.E.P. News Mr. E: All kids are similar. They are all funny, and they like to learn. It’s all Students have been learning about the judicial system of the United good. States. Students played the role of a jury in deciding a variety of cases and C/J: How do Blue House teachers compare to Green House teachers? began to understand how difficult it is to get all members of the jury to agree Mr. E.: See, now, that’s a touchy subject. We had the best house last year. with one another to reach a verdict. Important U.S. Supreme Court cases Mr. Joseph, Mr. Dowling, Mrs. Sanicola and I worked together for four were also reviewed, including a case which gave students their Miranda Rights years. Although, I’ve got a great group this year, too. (“You have the right to remain silent...”). C/J: Do you truly think Mr. Bass is funny? After watching the classic film, “Twelve Angry Men,” 7th and 8th grade Mr. E.: He definitely is! I’m pretty good friends with him. He’s VERY students began to prepare their own cases for a mock trial about the Lindbergh funny. He’s also witty, too. I’m sarcastic, but he’s got the jokes. Kidnapping case, known in its time as the “crime of the century.” 6th graders C/J: Where do you come up with all the things you say when you pick did their own experiments to see how differently people can perceive the same up the phone? event and how that impacts on eyewitness testimony in a trial. Mr. E.: Things just come to me. I have issues. Hey, at least I admit it! Everything I do is a joke. I was even joking on my wedding day. I didn’t (photos, below) What? P.E.P. Creative Arts know I had a microphone attached to me. So when I heard the recording, I Mrs. Meadows, was commenting on everything and everyone. When I REALLY need to be PEP Instructor and Festival serious, I pretend. Mistress of Ceremo- When? February 10, 2009 C/J: How do you rate the people in Blue 7? nies and students Mr. E.: Oh, kids are great. I like this age, even when I was in Queens. Kids enjoying the perfor- Where? A.P. Room are different, and have different cultures, but they’re kids, and you deal with mances Why? Creative, artistic them and that’s that. C/J: Why do you like to teach? expression! Mr. E.: Oh, I love what I do. I look at it this way. If you’re driving to work and you’re miserable and on the way you say, ‘Ugh, I have to go to work again,’ you’re in the wrong job. I whistle to work. I’m here early and I’m here late. Every year my lessons change, so it’s always interesting. C/J: Is it your main goal in life to torture your students? Or is that Mr. Bass’s goal? Or both? Mr. E.: I think it’s both of our goals. I guess it’s working. We couldn’t resist making our interview a little more challenging. We decided to play a “question and answer game.” Mr. Enright could only choose one answer, not both..... C/J.: Corned beef or cabbage? Mr. E.: Corned beef. Anything meat. C/J.: Notre Dame or your children? Mr. E.: (Without Hesitation!) My chil- dren. My children easily. You’ve got nerve! C/J.: Connor or Keira? Mr. E.: Ooooh, that’s not fair! It’s even. But, Keira being Daddy’s little girl, she’s got me wrapped! Of course, Connor’s my little buddy. C/J.: Shackel or Joseph? Mr. E.: Hehehe! Those two are even. They’re awesome, the best; great teachers. Even after 30 years of teaching, I don’t want them to retire. I probably lean more towards Shackel, because he’s sar- castic, just like me. But the way Joseph is with kids, he’s unbelievable. Joseph is Mr. Clean. C/J.: Shamrocks or leprechauns? Mr. E.: Oh, McMillen. That’s the leprechaun’s name. C/J.: Girls’ soccer or boys’ wrestling? Mr. E.: Hmmm. Wrestling. Yeah, I like wrestling. It’s probably more my type of sport. I jumped over to girls’ soccer. But lacrosse is my favorite! C/J.: Us or them? Mr. E.: Us. It’s always us. Hehehe! C/J.: Mets or Yankees? Mr. E.: METS! But, NOTRE DAME over all of them! Spartan Times Staff: Editors: Luke O’Connell, Robert G., Benny Scheckner Reporters: Jesse Epstein, Jack Simon, Cameron Appel, Julia Zeh, Sandra Kumwong, Shoshanna R., Sarah S., Naomi Boico, Jamie Sall. Photo Scanner: Julia Zeh. Fun Page: Tal Oren, Faith Ausfresser. Artist: Nicole Boyd. Opinion Page: Jack Simon. Freelance Writers and Photographers: Mrs.Hall, Ethan B., Mrs.