A Publication of the Polk Elementary School Media Club

The Polk Post A Publication of the Polk Elementary School Media Club Vol. 2 Edition 1 December 2011 Turn to page 3, Mrs. Judd What's Your Heritage? By William Daddario It could either be German, Italian or even Dutch. Everyone has a heritage. During Heritage Week at Polk School, the students worked on their projects so they could share their heritage with parents and students. Goodbye Mrs. Third and fourth graders were very excited to work on heritage shields. A heritage shield Judd! could contain a flag of a foreign country of heritage, or a description of an ethnic food or A special interview with family holiday tradition. a very special principal The fifth graders were even more excited to share their family stories because of the many Mrs. Judd, Polk School’s principal since creative choices for completing their heritage 2005, will be leaving Dec. 23 to become principal projects. The students were required to share their at Washington Primary School, a school for heritages in two ways: by writing or visual kindergarten through fifth grade in Washington presentations. Students could write letters or Depot, Conn. Her many talents and ready smile essays to complete their assignments. Also, they will be greatly missed by everyone in the Polk selected between Power Point presentations, community, particularly the students. posters or mobiles. To commemorate her time with us, the Polk On Nov. 17, many parents flocked to Polk School Media Club conducted a group interview School to view the fifth graders' projects. For the with Mrs. Judd earlier this month with each Grand Finale on Nov. 18, the third and fourth student contributing a question. The following are graders had a chance to come to the cafe, library excerpts from that interview: and computer lab to see the projects like the Why are you leaving Polk? I am leaving parents had the previous day. Polk because I am going to a new school and, no, I hope everyone liked Heritage Week as it’s not in Washington state. It’s in Washington much as I did! Depot. It’s a town about 15 miles away from here. I get to go to a school that has kindergarteners and first graders and second graders, along with third, fourth and fifth graders. I’m so excited to work Inside This Edition with the little kids again. Also, it’s a really small school. It doesn’t even serve lunch. Everyone has Secrets of the Palace Theater...... p. 2 to bring their own lunch to school. They can buy milk or a snack, but that’s all. I hope I don’t forget How Full is Your Bucket?...... p. 2 to bring my lunch one day P.O.S. – The New Way of Lunch...... p. 5 theater.

Sports...... p. 7 Turn to page 4, Palace Theater Secrets of HOW FULL IS The Palace Theater YOUR BUCKET? By Sarah Tata When the fifth grade classes took a field By Adriana Rinaldi trip to the Palace Theater in Waterbury, student What does it mean to fill a bucket? You Sarah Tata participated in the Palatial News have to be caring, friendly and loyal. Our school Student Program and was asked to write about is working on bucket-filling so that our school her experience. stays pleasant. The Palace Theater in Waterbury is an Mrs. Judd is working to make sure that we amazing place! I was given the honor of touring show Polk Pride. Each class read “How Full is the Palace on Nov. 15. I felt just like Charlie Your Bucket? For Kids,” a children's book. touring the Chocolate Factory! After the tour, I Classes are sending home the book for watched an awesome play called “Let Freedom parents and students to read. With the book there Ring,” performed by actors called the Pushcart is a notebook that allows you and your family to Players. Now let the show begin! write down what you have learned from the book When I first arrived on my tour I saw a or what you liked about the book. Our school has circular dome. I didn't know what it was until our improved on bucket filling and we need that to tour guide, Karen Streeter, told us it used to be the have our school filled with Polk Pride. old box office. Later on, we learned that there was water flowing underneath the theater. Sometimes the water got inside! Because of this, the floor was slanted so that the water would go right out the doors and into the street. So the next time you come to the Palace, take a walk to the lobby and feel the slanted floor beneath your feet! Later on, we went to the sound booth and Ms. Streeter told us more about the theater. Above the stage is a portrait of a mysterious woman. Do you know who she is? In ancient times, people believed there was a god named Zeus and that he had daughters who were in charge of a specific thing. The lady in the portrait is the daughter in charge of the arts. Make sure you look up the next How Bucket-Filling Works time you're there so you don't miss this interesting By Hailey Reeser feature. To fill people's buckets, you say something

Next we moved towards the stage and nice and don't fake it. If you are wondering what a studied the wires that pull the curtain up and bucket is, it is an imaginary bucket that when you down. Can you believe they are over seventy feet say something nice, it gets filled with rain drops tall? After learning about this, and other and you want to fill it to the top. interesting facts, we went to find our seats. We If you see somebody down, go to them and got to sit in the box seats. It was fun to sit really say something nice. One example is that if high up! somebody falls at recess, you can help them up.

Once we were seated, Ms. Streeter told us At Polk School, each class gets a bucket about some eerie things that had happened in the and slips of paper. You use the slips of paper to write something nice about someone and put it in here in Watertown and we used to love to go to the bucket. Then at the end of the week, you can Smith’s Pond in the summer, which is where see them. Camp Mataucha is today. How did you become a principal? I had Mrs. Judd Interview to go to school and take extra courses. And also, I continued from page 1 worked with some people who helped guide me, How old were you when you started like a coach on a team. teaching? I was 21 years old. I was a teacher and Who inspired you to be a teacher? I’m I worked with students who had some special sure it was a teacher at school who inspired me. I needs for a while. Then I was a fourth-grade went to school in Watertown. My first-grade teacher, then I was a reading teacher and an teacher, Mrs. McColgan, still lives here in town assistant principal and finally principal. and she will still go right up to my mother and she When you were little, did you want to will say to my mom, “I am so proud of Emily.” be a principal? No, I wanted to be a teacher. I Do you think your job at your new had a blackboard and I had my chalk and my school will be a challenge? If so, what do you eraser and I had my stuffed animals. I taught them think the challenge will be? I think it will be everything! And I even had my own library. I similar to what I do here, but I think the challenge knew probably when I was 7 years old that I was will be getting to know a whole new group of going to be a teacher. students, teachers and parents well. How long were you a principal? I was Did you play any sports when you were principal here at Polk for six and a half years, and growing up? I played softball, and in high school before that I was an assistant principal for six I played field hockey. years. Did you play any instruments when you What was your first job? I worked in a were younger? Yes, I played the flute. convalescent home in the kitchen and I prepared Did you have a pet when you were little? food for people who lived in the convalescent Yes, we had cats when I was little, and then, when home, which is where people who are elderly go I was a teenager, we had dogs. I’d say I’m more and live when their families can’t take care of of a dog person. I’ve only had four dogs. Cats are them at home any longer. nice, but I think they are very independent. Dogs What is your favorite holiday and why? like to play with you more. I think my favorite holiday is Christmas because I What is one of the best experiences have Christmas at my house and I have a very big you’ve had so far at this school? I love our family. Sometimes I have between 25 and 30 Town Meetings. I love to see all of you get up on people at my house and I do all the cooking. I stage and share important things about our school love having everyone together. and share important things about what you’re What was your favorite Christmas learning. I think that is one of the best parts of present? It was my Easy Bake Oven. Today, your being at this school. Easy Bake Ovens look like a microwave, but What is the funniest thing that has ever mine was not a microwave. It was my best gift happened to you as principal at Polk? One ever. Santa brought it for me. I made all kinds of morning in late spring, our school had a fire drill. cakes with it. I had a great time with it. The sun was shining brightly and the Do you have brothers and sisters? temperatures were just right. I come from a family of five children - and I am When the alarm went off, all the students the youngest. went outside. While we were taking our count, I Who was your best friend when you noticed that the alarm inside was not going off. were a kid? I had a lot of best friends, but when I Something was wrong. The custodian was was your age, it was a girl who lived right up the working on turning the alarm off when out of road. We loved to play outside a lot and we loved nowhere huge rain clouds moved over us and let to play school. Her name was Laurie. I grew up out buckets of rain. All the students and staff just waited and looked at me for direction. said he had to beat out about 400 other actors to Continued on page 4, Our Special Principal win his part! While they packed up to leave for their next Palace Theater Tour performance, we saw many of the back rooms: continued from page 2 The dressing rooms, a wardrobe room, a wig I thought the strangest story was the one about a room, and the Green Room where the actors can trap door built into the stage by the famous relax and have yummy snacks! My favorite was magician, Harry Houdini. It was built so he could the big dressing room for the stars with the big perform one of his tricks. No one ever patched it mirrors and bright lights around them. My special back up because they knew that it could hold the time at the Palace Theater had come to an end, but weigh of several humans but what if an elephant there was still one more exciting part left. When act was to be performed on that very same spot? we were leaving, we got to walk down a hallway Sadly, this is what happened, and an elephant fell filled with painted signs of shows that had been through the door and died. Palace legend has it there (for example, “Chicago,” “Cats,” “Grease,” that sometimes you can hear the elephant's spirit etc.) with the stars' actual autographs on them. “talking” in the theater! Creepy, right? There sure is a lot to remember when you Then the lights dimmed. The show was step into the Palace Theater! I think that this is about to start. Now, I would like to summarize the one of the most interesting places in Connecticut. play for you. There were four characters: two I hope you liked what I chose to report about and young girls, a tomboy and a girly-girl who were that we'll be back at the Palace again very soon! always fighting; and a man and wife. They traveled through time and showed important events in American history. In the beginning, the Queen of England put a high tax on the Colonists' tea, so the Colonists decided to protest by throwing the tea into the Our Special Principal harbor. This was at the beginning of the American continued from page 3 Revolution. Later, they acted out the beginning of I waved for all of them to get under the overhangs the American Revolution. Later, they acted out of the building. The students were joyously the beginning of the another war, the Civil War. “soaking” up the rain with great big smiles. Who In the Civil War, we were fighting against would have predicted that over 300 students each other in our own country. In this part of the would be so well behaved while enjoying a bit of play, the tomboy and the man were on opposite nature’s unpredictability! I will not forget the sides and they sang a sad song called “Two smiles on all those faces. Brothers.” (When I talked to the cast after the If you could go back in time to your play, most of them said this was one of their childhood, what would you change? I think that favorite songs.) At the end of the show, there was I was very shy as a little girl, so I think that another good song about a “drinking gourd.” maybe I would have more confidence to try new They weren't really singing about a drinking things. I think I’d change that. gourd, but about finding paths to a new land after Do you love your job? I do love my job they failed to find gold. The play ended hopefully and you are the best part of my job and I’m going and happily, with everyone clapping and singing to miss you all so much. along. After the show, I got to go backstage and speak to the cast, the Pushcart Players, and even to their stage manager! The Pushcart Players were from New York City. They have performed many different plays all over the world, even as far away as Moscow, Russia. One actor I interviewed FOURTH-GRADERS PUT TO THE TEST Students Take Physical Fitness Test By Cailin McGuire The Fourth Grade Physical Fitness Test was held for four weeks in October. The test was P.O.S. given by Mr. Sorriero, Miss Igan and Miss Soda. There were four parts to the test: Stretching, curl- The New Way of Lunch ups, push-ups and the mile run. Each class took the first three tests during By William Daddario their gym class time. The mile run was supposed Many Watertown students have been to take place on Oct. 27, but because of the buying lunch lately with their new pin numbers. weather, it was postponed to Nov. 17. Some say it's great, but some disagree and say it's For the stretching, curl-ups and push-ups terrible. It was a bumpy start with long lines and part of the test was held in the gym. Classes some people did not even get to eat until after worked on one part of the test each week. Mr. lunch was over. Sorriero said he asked for parents to volunteer to P.O.S., which stands for point of sale, is help out with the test. the latest for those buying lunch. From now on, For the mile run, fourth graders took a bus anyone wanting to purchase lunch has to enter a to Watertown High School. We ran around the pin number. The student's name is pulled up on track four times. Parents helped for the mile run. the computer at the time of purchase. Many They gave us a popsicle stick for each lap. If you students are confused because there are no more didn't make it in under 12 minutes, you would not tickets. Now they have to go deposit money in pass. their account every Monday morning. The Physical Fitness Test was hard for a lot So from now on, if you forget your lunch, of students, but the work really paid off and made you had better not forget your pin number. us all healthier. ======GOOD BEHAVIOR = REWARDS!

By Hannah Falotico At Polk School, we have a reward system. You have to be good to get rewards. One reward that the whole school can earn is a bracelet. If you get a bracelet, you are a spectacular role model and you follow the Polk School oath. Fourth-Grade Field Trip! Another one for the whole school is the By Priscilla Nascimento Polk School Cinema. The Polk School Cinema is On Oct. 26, the fourth graders went on a where you get to watch a movie. You can earn it field trip to the Palace Theater to watch “CSI: by good behavior at the end of the marking Science.” CSI stands for crime scene period. investigation. The crime happened when a magician's assistant got hurt in one of his magic tricks. So the CSI came and tried to figure out how the assistant got hurt. It was very fun and they taught us so many things. TAFT SCHOOL DAY STUDENT COUNCIL UPDATE

By Hannah Mehlin Tap! Tap! Goes the hard wooden gavel to inform us a wonderful Student Council meeting has begun. It is an exhilarating experience to be a part of such a resourceful organization. Student Council is a big part here at Polk School. Polk Goes to Taft This club only makes positive By Sophia Anna Daddona improvements to this school and community. We On Oct. 24, there was a special are a group of responsible kids chosen to be role announcement that Polk's third grade students in models and leaders for our school and for you. Miss Armstrong's, Mrs. Ahlgren's and Mrs. What is our mission this year? Well, we Tasker's classes were chosen to go to Taft School will be doing so much, but our main priority is to as part of an enrichment program. make this school and this town a bully-free zone When the third graders arrived at Taft, the and to make sure everyone has a full bucket. This teachers paired one to four students in a group activity is not an easy task and that is why we with one or two Taft students. There were a need your help. We all need to be goal-oriented couple of type of classes for each group and those children so we can achieve our goal by 100 classes were dancing, soccer, field hockey and art. percent. As you already know, this project will After the groups did all of their Taft classes, take place in every inch of our school. the groups returned to Polk on the bus. The reason we decided to highlight this theme even more this year is because we and our Taft Goes to Polk teachers want to make sure you have a safe and By Jordan J. Elliott enjoyable learning environment. We can all agree On Oct. 24, third grade Polk students, Taft there are better and more fun places to be rather students and teachers gathered at Polk School for than school. So we, your teacher and our peers are Taft Day: Taft Comes to You. The Taft students trying to make school the grandest place to be. hosted five fun-filled activities. There are many ways to achieve our goal, First, I went to science in Miss Wernery's but there is one that really stands out from the room to learn how a bird's beak works. Then in crowd. We all know it by heart: It is to be a math, I rolled dice and tallied my results on a bucket filler. graph. Next up, it was storytime with three story- For example, make sure you are open based activities. minded. What I mean by that is maybe you go to My favorite was “Magic Bag,” where you an assembly and you don't like the topic. Don't grab random items out of a bag and make a story limit the possibilities and try something new. Or out of your items. In writing, you chose a story even if your teacher wants to try something new, starter and filled in the story. make sure you are supportive. That is one of the Finally, in acting, the Taft students act out many ways student council and you could make funny skits like Boris the Invisible Tickler. When this school a bully-free zone. There are many I first heard about Taft Day, I didn't think I'd like other ways, so be open-minded and try some. it, but it was awesome. Hopefully at the end of the year, everyone in the whole school will be a bucket filler, not a dipper. spring or at our winter clinic in Farmington. FALL SOCCER SEASON WATER-OAK CHEERLEADERS USE TEAMWORK! By Lizzie Schweyer Have you ever been so excited that you don't want to stop screaming? Well, 23 other girls Boys U10 Team Update and I have. On Oct. 21, the Water-Oak Indians Jr. By Evan Arnold Pee Wee medium novice division had their first The boys' Watertown U10 Soccer travel competition of 2011. We even had the advantage team ended the season with one win, two ties and of having it at our very own Watertown High three losses. The team name was the Demons. School. We went against four other teams. If we Polk students on the team are Evan Arnold, Zack placed first or second we would compete in Fenn, Dillon Vejseli and Ardit Detrim. There were Springfield, Mass., in the Regional Qualifier 11 kids on the team. competition.

The team has played in a lot of towns. We performed everything we did perfectly, Some games were home games. The team even and waited on the mats with the other teams and played in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.! That was where coaches for the awards. After all of the time and they had their tournament. practice we gave for this sport we came in first This was the first year they played place! altogether. The teammates made friends with each The next weekend we had the States Cheer other. The team worked very hard and improved a competition. This competition means nothing lot. They tried so hard and improved so much against the Springfield one; this is just a they had two pizza parties at the coach's house. competition when all of the teams from The coaches' names were Dave Mieczkowski, Connecticut come to compete for the title of the Michael White and Greg Hawes. best team in the state. We went against 12 other In winter, the team will play indoor soccer. teams and came in third place. That was a big deal Let's wish them all good luck for the next season. for us. Some of the girls that were on the team last year were very scared for that next competition because the same exact thing happened last year, Girls U11 Season Update as this year, but in the next competition we did By Alyssa Santangeli not place. Just to make it worse, it snowed so we The U11 Watertown Wildfire girls travel missed one practice before we went. We went soccer team had a great fall season this year. The against the best teams in that competition. That girls ended up with seven wins, four losses and Saturday the whole team met bright and early. zero ties. The girls played New Fairfield, New After we went on, all of the teams met to hear the Hartford, Sherman, Wolcott, South Windsor and awards. All I heard was the sound of “W” when Middlebury. The team came in second place. they announced first place and then the room was Polk students on the team included Rachel Pieger filled with screams. We were so proud. and Alyssa Santangeli. All players on the team After two more weeks of practice the team contributed and showed their love and passion for met at a giant arena in Worcester, Mass., for the the sport they love: Soccer! Regional Cheer, We came in fourth place of seven The team's practices and some games took place teams. Even though we didn't win, my team was at Judson's soccer field in front. So if you're a so proud. You might think that cheerleading is just lover of soccer, come see the team at games in the throwing people up in the air and doing flips. But it isn't; it is pure teamwork.

Knitting Club By Priscilla Nascimento Polk School will be starting the Knitting Club soon. The Knitting Club teachers are Mrs. Schweyer and Mrs. Lindstrom. They will be teaching you how to knit. Polk Has A Heavenly Hat Day If you have experience you can get started making projects. Beginners will learn basic By Emanuel Backa knitting, then get going on projects. They will be In October, students from Polk School doing all sorts of projects, like scarves, blankets came together for Heavenly Hat Day. and many more. I hope you join and if you do, Kids donated $1 to wear a hat for a day. you will love it. The donations helped kids with cancer. Students did this because they wanted to help kids who are sick. Stop Bullying at Polk

By Allison Mazzarella Author Visits School Bullying should end. Please report if someone bullies so we can have 100 percent “no bullying” in our school. When you should report By Ryan Arnold it is when people fight, use bad words, or call The famous author Tony Abbott visited people names over and over again. I don't want Polk School in October. Mr. Abbott presented a anyone to get hurt! slide show and talked about how he became an author. He talked to each grade at PARENTS, different times. He showed books that GET INVOLVED! he wrote, like the book “The Postcard.” He told the students that everywhere he went, he The next meeting of the Polk School PTO would get ideas and write will be at Wednesday, Jan. 11th at 7 p.m. in them down on a piece of the school library. paper. Mr. Abbott showed the students pictures of the ideas, and how he wrote them on a piece of paper while he worked outside. Childcare is provided and refreshments The students enjoyed when Mr. Abbott will be served. came to Polk School. Gymnastics

By Benjamin Goth When I go to gymnastics, we do exercises. The kinds of exercises we do are gymnastics bridge, candlestick, straddles, etc. Next we get into our groups. I am in a group with six kids who are me, Ryan, Cole, Joey, Sam and Lance. Once we are done, we do stuff that is really fun like handstands, rings, front hand springs, front flips and back flips. Where I go is in Watertown. It is near Volvo car company. It's READ A GOOD BOOK: called USA Gymnastics. It is every Friday. I like Fridays because it is at the end o the week. It goes “ from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Diary of a Wimpy Kid” The reason why I go to gymnastics is By Isabella Elyd because you can have fun, get strong and get In “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” there is a kid more flexible. How do you do all this? You listen named Greg who is the main character of the to your instructor so you can get really good. story. He has an older brother, a younger brother and his mom and dad. The name of his best friend is Rowley. And the main idea of the story is how Rowley and Greg survive middle school. The purpose of the story is that the author is Skiing in Maine trying to tell us is that it is OK to be unique and to always be yourself. All the things that happen to By Allyson Saunders Greg are really funny and they teach you a lesson. I went skiing in Maine. I like doing it, and I recommend this book if you want to laugh a many people from all over the world just like little, and let me also tell you that they're like five going to Maine to go skiing and snowboarding different books that are in the series. too. It is hard at first, but you will learn it. I might go back this winter. You should ask your parent to go skiing. It like it. It's fun. I go every year. My aunt and uncle go too. You should too! Having Fun in Fall By Taylor Rakowski Do you have a boring fall every year? Not anymore! There are many fall activities you can do every year. Collecting Snow Globes

Visit the park, jump in a pile of leaves or By Dillon Vejseli play with pets. Go trick-or-treating, watch I am a collector. I started collecting snow television, or go shopping. Play with your friends globes when I was seven years old. One of my or neighbors. Play a board game with a family three favorite snow globes is when I went to member. Carve pumpkins and pick pumpkins. Disney Land, Cape Cod and Florida. I think this Pick apples or make apple cider. is fun because they are fun designs. I collect these

Keep active every fall! from all over the world. our club! From the editors' desk....

Movie Review “Pirates of the Caribbean:

On Stranger Tides” By Austin Dickson “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” is a great movie for kids and adults. In the Dear readers, movie, Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is wanted because they think he has been gathering men. We hope you enjoyed the first edition of The Polk But it is just an imposter named Angelica Post for the 2011-2012 school year! (Penelope Cruz) who has been recruiting a crew to search for the Fountain of Youth. Angelica is This year, our former “Newspaper Club” has Blackbeard's daughter. expanded to a new-and-improved “Media Club.” Sparrow is forced to join the crew and Instead of focusing on solely the printed word, they board a pirate ship from the 1700s. They go our members are learning to write and deliver on an adventure to find the fountain. On the way morning news during the daily morning they would get in a battle and use swords, announcements to the student body. cannons and pistols. Near the end they find the fountain but have a huge battle and Captain We also have some new volunteer parent leaders Barbossa stabs Blackbeard. shaping the future of the Polk School Media Club. That's why I liked the movie and I think Alison Goth is a freelance writer and public it's a good movie to see with your family. relations consultant who is the former business editor at The Republican-American daily newspaper in Waterbury. Traci Elliott has The Media Club experience in broadcast journalism and worked at WKSS-FM in Hartford. And returning volunteer would like to wish Kellie McGuire is also a freelance journalist for Mrs. Judd local newspapers. best wishes and good luck The Media Club meets after school on alternating at her job! Mondays. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail [email protected] or stop in to one We will miss you very much! of our meetings. Thank you for supporting Thanks for reading! Traci Elliott, Alison Goth & Kellie McGuire