Your source for all things LVMS Between school, sports, musical activities Homework… Harmful or and religious classes, most students have busy schedules which get even busier due to homework Helpful? and contributes to the fact that homework may be By: Colin McLoughlin - House 6-1 harmful. The author of “Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down” states that homework “can cut into sleep time.” If It is a beautiful day outside but then you kids don’t get enough sleep, their schoolwork will have to come inside, sit down, and grab your suffer causing them to receive poorer grades. In my backpack. Gazing out the window, wishing you experience, homework has affected my schedule with could run outside and be free, one silly thing respect to sports and after school activities. If I have holds you back...homework! There has been too much homework, I am forced to miss out on much debate about whether homework is harmful those activities because homework comes or helpful. Homework may be more harmful than first. Some people would argue that if students have helpful to students because it reduces family time, a busy schedule, homework could help them increase affects your schedule, and increases the chance of their time management skills. Many reasons support cheating. the fact that homework is harmful one being the fact Homework is harmful for many reasons, that it gives a busy schedule even busier. one of most important being that it reduces family Cheating in school may stem from a student and leisure time. In the info graphic titled, not completing his homework, which is another “Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down,” the author states reason that homework can be harmful. In “Thumbs that homework “can decrease family and Up, Thumbs Down,” the author states that homework community activities.” It is critical for students to creates “increased opportunities for cheating.” This spend more time with their family and happens because when a student does not do his community, so they can be more involved with homework, he will often copy off of another student their families and have a better social life. In that makes him a cheater. In “5 Reasons Kids Need addition, homework also takes away free time Homework and 5 Reasons They Don’t” the author with friends which increases a student’s stress explains that, “children end up copying off of another level. The author in “5 Reasons Kids Need one in an attempt to finish their assignments.” Some Homework and 5 Reasons They Don’t” the author people say that homework can increase the states that kids need, “time to relax and take their understanding of the lesson, which is true. However, minds off of work.” With growing bodies and when a student is cheating that does nothing to pressures from school, friends, and sports, kids increase the understanding. An increased opportunity need to give their body and mind a chance to rest for cheating is another of the many reasons and relax. As a result, a decrease in family and homework is harmful. leisure time is one of the major factors that makes Homework may not be as helpful as homework harmful. everybody thinks. In fact, it may actually be more harmful. A decrease in family and leisure time, a busier schedule, and an increased opportunity for cheating all contribute to the fact that homework can be harmful. Maybe if homework were either eliminated completely or at least greatly reduced, kids could go outside and be free rather than being trapped inside, frustrated and antsy because they want to adventure outside.

LONG VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL April / May 2016

Homework Argument Essay By Liya Barski – House 6-1

“Time spent on homework is time spent well.” Homework is truly beneficial. Homework cannot only help students in school, but can help them for the rest of their lives. Homework develops life skills, gives responsibilities, and gives students time to practice and get a better understanding about what is being taught. Homework is good to have for many reasons, and one reason is it develops life skills. Over time, homework can give students self-discipline skills, good study habits, better critical thinking skills, and time management skills. In the info graphic, “Thumbs up Thumbs Down”, it says thumbs up to, “ Stronger critical thinking skills.” It also says thumbs up to, “Better study habits and time management.” Being able to stop yourself from doing something, and focus on something else in a time frame is definitely a useful life skill. Homework may seem pointless, but it gives you skills that will help people in life. Responsibility is another benefit from homework. Having homework is a responsibility. In the article, “5 Reasons Kids Need Homework, 5 Reasons They Don’t” it states, “Doing homework is also a great way to develop responsibility. By being assigned work one day, and knowing it has to be done by the next day, students will develop a sense of punctuality of turning in work on time.” As students get used to turning their work in on time, responsibility will become a habit. Homework allows students to practice being responsible, which is certainly a skill used in life. Another reason why homework is beneficial is because it gives students a chance to practice what is being taught on their own. If a student is having a hard time understanding something, homework allows them to practice it and get better at it. In the article “5 Reasons Kids Need Homework, 5 Reasons They Don’t” it says, “ It also provides students with the opportunity to practice at what it takes to be successful in school.” By having teachers give homework, students will practice on their own, and therefore become a better student. However, too much homework can lead to stress and frustration, but if there is just enough, it can also lead to success. Homework is a way for students to review what is being taught and confirms that they understand what is being taught. Without a doubt, homework is beneficial to students. It gives them life skills without them knowing it, responsibility, and a chance to understand a subject better. In conclusion, homework is not a waste of time, and is helpful, beneficial, and useful to students in many ways.

Ancient China is Fun! With Mrs. Melda By: Nick Antonelle (House 6-2)

In Social Studies class with Mrs. Melda, we’ve learned about the fascinating civilization of Ancient China. It has been really fun to start the unit knowing very little, and then end the unit having lots of knowledge. We’ve learned about The 3 Chinese Philosophies. Daoism, Legalism, and Confucianism. We also learned about the Mandate of Heaven. This is an idea or philosophy believed to be granted by a god. China even has a different calendar than us- the Chinese Zodiac! Did you know that this year is The Year Of The Monkey? We’ve successfully wrapped up our Ancient China unit in House 6-2 and we are moving down the timeline to Ancient Greece!

LONG VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL April / May 2016 Many, Many Minerals By: Olivia Montuore, Ellen Gomez and Beth Zito 6-3 Science identified and what our score was. This lab was enjoyable because we had a chance to be a geologist. In conclusion, Masterminds taught us about how the physical properties can determine the type of mineral.

While there definitely are Many Minerals (4,000 Aquamarine; the mineral you see above to be exact), there are also plenty of different types of rocks. Easily confused with each other, Did you know that Diamond is the hardest there is a great difference between rocks and mineral on earth, earning a 10 on the Mohs scale minerals when thinking scientifically. But how of hardness, while Talc is the softest meriting a 1 do you tell rocks and minerals apart? At the top in terms of hardness? If you ask any of Mrs. of the list, is the fact that minerals are inorganic, Seiler's 6-3 students they could answer that while rocks can be organic or inorganic. question in a heartbeat. A mineral is a naturally Minerals being inorganic means that they are not occurring, inorganic, solid, with a definite formed from any biologic sources, or anything chemical composition or can be identified by its that is or once was living, while rocks can be. physical and chemical properties as well as its Minerals also must be formed from geologic crystal structure. The physical properties of sources. The Greek prefix “geo” translates to minerals are luster, streak, density, crystal Earth. So, a geologic source is a natural source, structure, hardness, color, cleavage/fracture, and or in other words, not man-made. Rocks can conductivity. As a homework assignment Mrs. also be made up of a combination of minerals Seiler had us come up with making a mnemonic and other rocks, while a mineral is pure. Telling for the physical properties, one student’s the difference between rocks and minerals is a mnemonic was “Larry Did Call His Cousin's very necessary skill within scientific endeavors. Sister Crazy Cali,” which stands for the physical Initially, we were going to have a quiz on properties listed above. minerals, so Mrs. Seiler wanted us to find a way In class we did a lab (computer) in to study. She came up with the idea to make a JASON called Masterminds. Using a flipbook with on each layer was a different dichotomous key, which is a series of tests, we subject on minerals: first “mineral and Rocks”, had to identify the mineral based on physical then “Characteristics” (requirements),” and onto properties. For example, the hardness test was “physical properties”, “formation” and “my where you had to scratch a mineral with your mineral.” Specifically in the “My mineral” fingernail, a copper penny, a glass plate, steel section, we all chose a mineral that we admired knife or steel file to determine the hardness. One and record its physical properties, where it was mineral we found in the mine was Topaz, it has a found and whether or not it was abundant. To hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale. Another demonstrate, one of the minerals we picked was interesting fact about topaz is that it comes from Aquamarine (shown above), and some of its Sanskrit and means fire. While we were physical properties were a vitreous luster, a spelunking through the cave we found a hardness of 7.5-8, and a hexagonal crystal mineral called Graphite. The mineral graphite structure. Aquamarine is found mainly in Brazil has the same chemical composition as a and is abundant. In the case of our mineral diamond. In the end of the lab we got to print Aquamarine, the substance displays a blue to out a certificate which showed what minerals we green-blue variety of precious beryl. Through looking at our and our classmate’s knowledge of minerals, you can see that we have learned a lot about minerals in the last marking period and are now continuing to prosper in 6-3 science.

Destination Imagination Statewide Competition Road to Revolution By: Vincent Jiang Project By: Michael Scanlon

On March 12, 2016, In the weeks prior to the School’s two Destination Spring Break, the 7th Grade Imagination teams took part in Social Studies classes lead by the statewide competition, Mr. Keith DeLorme, Dr. vying for a chance to go to Reesa Jenkins, and Mrs. Global Finals in Knoxville, Stephanie Pickard, had created Tennessee. Both teams were the foundation to the “Road to sponsored by Ms. Reid, the Revolution” poster project. esteemed G+T teacher, who The project came after took on the responsibility of students had completed their After the incarnation of their coaching two teams after Mrs. Road to Revolution unit in captions, they must find ten Schweitzer ascended to the which they learned the leaps visuals relating to their position of vice principal. One and bounds the colonists took captions, supporting their team chose the which enduringly lead to the thesis statement. After Improvisational Challenge, Revolutionary War. In the gathering all the requirements, with the moniker of “Close project, students were given students had to arrange their Encounters”. Their task was to topics such as the Stamp Act, thesis, pictures, and captions create a skit on the spot with the Battles of Lexington and in a neat and comprehensible only a few plot elements. Concord, the First Continental manner on a poster or tri-fold. While they did not succeed in Congress, the Sons of Liberty, When students their challenge, the judges et cetera. They then had to returned from Spring Break highly commended their create a thesis statement, with renewed energy, they performance, even questioning which everything on their were to present their work in whether they had gone to poster must fall into in order to front of their class and explain acting school before. The get an “A”. The students’ how each picture and caption other team, meanwhile, chose research must have consisted related to their thesis the Technical Challenge, of at least two primary sources statement. In their which was entitled, “Pace of which are letters, paintings, presentation, students were Change.” They were tasked documents, or the like which scored on how well they with creating a vehicle capable were first-hand accounts of presented without returning to of using two different their topic, and at least two their notes. movement methods and secondary sources such as This project was a writing a story about change to databases, websites, or articles great way to research a topic go along with it. The written about their topic. After of interest and show off just Technical managed to snag a the information was gathered, how much you know about it second place in their category, students had to rearrange it in a way that makes students and will be headed for into ten captions that they comprehend what they read Knoxville, Tennessee in May would use to cover the ideas and present it creatively in with Ms. Reid and Mr. stated in their thesis statement. front of their attentive peers. Ippolito for Global Finals!

LONG VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL April / May 2016

iPhone Sonnet Flunked

By: Sonia Daneshwar and Lauren Mistkowski By: Cora Gartelmann and Julie Garry

Shall I compare thee to a math exam?

Shall I compare thee to a new iphone? Thou art more boring and more painful too.

It has lots of features like Instagram. Questions make my head ache when in a jam,

Used so much it can hurt your finger bone So hard and I only know two plus two.

But don’t fall for the ads; they are a scam. The period last an eternity,

We listen to good music on our iphone And often I think how I will not finish;

But don’t forget to get the new update. Nor thou doth never give prosperity,

And there are plenty of good cool ringtones. All of this pressure makes me too skittish.

An iphone can find you a place to skate. But they challenge me to do my very best,

And another good app is called Snapchat. Helps me to push through a difficult task,

You can buy lots of apps from the app store. Who knows maybe I passed the stupid test,

You can post pictures of where you were at. But I hide my pain with a happy mask.

And the games you download can be hardcore. My grades are dropping I think I have flunked,

An iphone makes it easy to chit chat No longer lives my A my grades have plunked.

Cuz you have an iphone, don’t be a brat!

LONG VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL April / May 2016

LVMS Annual Battle of the Books Competition

There's more to life than PARCC TESTING....and each year with PARCC testing comes our annual

Battle of the Books for each grade. The 7th and 8th grade battles took place during their respective weeks of testing. It's a fun reading competition among the houses that let our literature lovers shine. Amazingly our teacher teams won out this year but I personally those teachers are great at

guessing the book titles. The student teams were in a close second and all teams did an outstanding job bringing a lot of cheers from their peers in the audience. The 6th grade Battle will be April 26th

during their week of PARCC testing. Go teams!

Battle of the Books … 7th Grade Competition

By Isabella DiLizia

The Battle of the Books competition for 7th grade was held on Monday, April 18th with four teams competing from

7-1, 7-2, 7-3, and a team comprised only of teachers. All teams were hit with all kinds of questions from a variety of

difficulties. Tension was high as the last round came to a close, but in the end, all the student teams took yet another defeat

to the teachers, this time for 7th grade. Mrs. Diatta, Mrs. Werneke, Mr. Katzoff, Mr. Vaglio and Ms. Pickard on the teacher

team were revealed to be the victors. Student teams argued that the competition was rigged, but there’s no argument that the teacher team came out on top after the intense competition. .

Battle of The Books Recap: Teachers’ Slay, But 7-3 Comes in a Close Second By Ryan Pirrello

The battle of the books was a delight to see. The 7-3 team was on fire the whole way through. Even though they lost to the teachers by 11 points they still did very well. The well-known, crowd pleasing “We’re Fine” sign created and held by Christian Weippert was once again back. The supportive audience helped a lot because every time 7-3 answered a question correctly they went wild which reassured the players. The score was close all the way through. Anything could have happened. The students on the 7-3 team were Josh Schlesinger, Danielle Even, Gianna McCarthy, James Calderwood, Gabriella Nowak, Sarah Garcia, and Jamie Doris. Now for the teachers’ team which was made up of Ms. Pickard, Mrs Meyler, Mrs. Diatta, Mrs. Werneke, Mr. Vaglio, and Mr. Katzoff. This team was unstoppable. The teachers were tied for second place halfway through but had an amazing comeback in the second half! They seemed to have really read the books they were assigned and had a great command of the details. The teachers seemed to be the “The dream team” of the 2016 Battle of the Books and they showed no mercy towards the students. The final score of all teams were: Team 7-1 - 42 Team 7-2 - 40 Team 7-3 - 53 Team teachers – 64

LONG VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL April / May 2016

Students’ Spotlight on our Staff: Guidance at its Finest By: Kiley Murphy House 7-3

During the wonderful time I got to spend with our guidance counselor, Mrs. Werneke, I learned some interesting things she likes to do in her free time, why she chose her profession, and so much more you may not even know about!

Our great guidance counselor grew up in Pennsylvania near King of Prussia. She was the oldest out of her brother and sister. Whiile in middle school, she loved that there were many opportunities available. Her favorite subjects were Social Studies and Language Arts. She has always loved being involved in many sports and staying active, still to this day.

Mrs. Werneke always knew she wanted to help students. While choosing what job she wanted to do as an adult, she shadowed a school psychologist and knew that job was not for her. She soon realized how much Photo taken by: Mrs. Spino she would enjoy being a guidance counselor. On the other hand, she had thoughts of becoming a nurse or a physical therapist. However, she knew she always wanted to work in a school system. Mrs. Werneke is dedicated and passionate about her position of being a counselor at LVMS. Something she loves about her job is working with many students and being able to “loop” with one class from 6th through 8th grade. Mrs. Werneke likes that this allows her to get to know a lot of class’ students and their families. .

Growing up, Mrs. W attended college at Hofstra University, in Long Island, New York. Her major was psychology. She then attended Fairfield University in Connecticut and that is where she received her Masters in school counseling. Mrs. Werneke also coached softball at Fairfield University for 5 years and at Columbia University for 3 years. Which is a total of 8 years coaching college softball! Today, she coaches softball for her daughter's team (kindergarten through 2nd grade).

When Mrs. Werneke has the time to relax, she enjoys watching comedies and listening to music. One of her favorite actors is Vince Vaughn. She thinks he is very funny! Mrs. Werneke’s music taste consists of a variety of country music. She likes to hear the Zac Brown Band perform live. Her favorite TV shows are sporting events. Whatever sport is on she will watch it. She loves competition and all of the dedication and passion shown by the athletes. In her free time outside of school, she likes to spend time with her family and her friends and likes to go for runs to stay healthy. Mrs. Werneke also stated in our interview that her parents are her greatest heroes because of their amazing support.

In conclusion to our interview I learned that Mrs. Werneke is not only an amazing guidance counselor, but is a true asset to Long Valley Middle School. If you ever get the opportunity to talk to Mrs. Werneke you’ll be glad you did!

Below is a quote directly from Mrs. Werneke that I thought could inspire us all:

Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. Sometimes things come easy and that's wonderful. Other times things are extremely challenging. These are the times you have to dig deep because YOU CAN get through it. In my experience, these challenging times have truly made me a stronger and more resilient person.

LONG VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL April / May 2016

Seventh Grader’s Thoughtful Question Reaches Mass Audience on Fox News By Kimaya Bajpai

My teacher, Ms.Pickard, informed me that Josh Schlesinger from 7-3 had a question aired on Fox News. She also gave me an option if I would like to interview him and share the details through the LVMS Newsletter. I promptly accepted the offer and realized Josh’s success is directly connected to his schooling. Josh’s question aired on Fox News and my teachers request are similar things: motivating kids to reach out to the community. I immediately contacted Josh who teamed up well and we, together went into the journey of his experience.

Kimaya - I heard you had a question answered on the O’Reilly Factor on Fox news? What was the question? Josh – Yes, on Wednesday April 13th, my question was aired; “Do you think schools should teach politics and cover elections?” Kimaya - Did you know your question would be aired? Josh- No, There was an option that if “Bill O’Reilly liked for it to be aired?” and I choose “Yes” Kimaya – What was the outcome? Josh – Mr.Riley agreed on the show. Kimaya – Excellent and intelligent question. We are very young to discuss politics, so what was your motivation to ask this question? Josh – I have been watching Fox news for a long time, since Kindergarten. During the 2008 election, I developed an interest in politics. Recently I got a Bill O’Reilly membership that that allows me to email him, guaranteeing he would read it. I had been trying to get through to him for the last 4-5 years, so after I got the membership I tried passionately Kimaya – I try to keep myself update with current events because of our school culture. Our project topics in school mostly are on current events. Did you research a little before you sent the question? Josh– No. Actually I always felt most kids didn’t know the true facts on politics, hence I decided to ask Bill O’Reilly for his opinion. Kimaya - I liked your approach how you made sure the first step guarantees that Bill O’Reilly will read and you waited for the right moment. Josh – Thanks! Kimaya - Do you wish to do this again sometime? Josh- I have no plans as of now but if any logical question comes in my mind, I certainly will try. It does not matter how young you are, you can always make a difference in your own little way. Josh brought out a great topic of discussion in our community and our school made further difference by putting it out for students to explore.

I end with a quote- “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” – Nelson Mandela

LONG VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL April / May 2016

La Evolución del Fútbol en Los competitivos, por el lado femenino, Carli Lloyd, la ganadora del Ballon D’or, Alex Morgan, Tobin Heath, y Estados Unidos la veterana Abby Wambach son fuertes y disciplinadas. By: Nancy Marroquin El equipo femenino es el número una el la FIFA WORLD RANKING, mientras que el masculino se

mantiene en el vigésimo noveno lugar (29). Es visto, admirado, jugado y conocido por millones de

personas alrededor del mundo. Y ahora se ha ganado el Luego de estos resultados que cada año van creciendo respeto de las personas en los EE.UU. Su nombre más, ninos y jóvenes norteamericanos, como también simplemente es “fútbol” o para otros “soccer” los hinchas del fútbol están cada día más convencidos

de que el fútbol puede llegar a ser más grande. Los Hasta hace algunas décadas, los jugadores se han convertido en modelos a seguir para Norteamericanos no le daban mucha importancia al muchos chicos en Los Estados Unidos. 33% de cada fútbol convirtiéndolo en el único país alrededor del hogar en América tiene al menos un miembro que juega mundo que no practicaba el fútbol. A los este deporte. Lo cual lo hace cada vez más grande. Los estadounidenses les interesaba más el fútbol americano, cracks del futbol Europeo como Leo Messi, Neymar Jr, el béisbol, y el baloncesto. No bastó que los antiguos Cristiano Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic, Arjen Robben y Hazard astros del fútbol como, Pelé, Cruyff o David Beckham, han tenido mucha influencia en Los Estados Unidos, cambiaran el punto de vista de los estadounidenses hacia ellos se han convertido en los ídolos de muchos niños. el fútbol. Pero entonces qué cambió en América para

que el fútbol prosperara? No fue a hasta el mundial de A pesar de que el Mundial se llevó a cabo en Brasil, 1994 que lo cambió todo. Esta fue la primera vez en la 4,776 millas de distancia, eso no impidió que los historia de Los Estados Unidos en donde este país fue aficionados del “Team USA” mostrara su apoyo hacia sede mundial para el campeonato más importante del su equipo. En las calles de Brasil, afuera de los estadios, mundo. Los EE.UU fue elegido para ser la sede por los y adentro, la gente se contagiaba con su energia, ellos estadios de alta calidad, lo cual muchos otros países no gritaban “USA,USA,USA” Vestidos de rojo, azul y poseen. Un año antes de este gran evento que lo blanco, apoyando incondicionalmente a su equipo. cambiaría todo en América, se creó la primera liga de Ahora cada vez que el equipo Americano juega, los fútbol en Los Estados Unidos, llamada Major League estadios usualmente están abarrotados, con banderas Soccer “MLS” por sus siglas en inglés. La MLS tiene alzadas hacia el cielo, y con carteles en lo más alto. Los ahora 20 equipos, y espera tener más para el 2020. EE.UU ha derrotado algunas veces a los países más El mundial de 1994 no fue de lo mejor para Los Estados competitivos del mundo, como a México y España en Unidos, quedando fuera en la etapa de grupos. Brasil se partidos muy importantes. coronó campeón ganandole a Italia en los penales.

Luego de este gran evento, el fútbol en Los Estados Además de ser llamado “el deporte mas lindo Unidos fue creciendo poco a poco. Para algunos, del mundo,” y ser divertido, el fútbol enseña muchos actualmente todavía sigue creciendo. Desde 1994 al valores. Como por ejemplo, respeto, disciplina, trabajo 2015, el fútbol ha crecido tremendamente que ahora el en equipo, a esforzarse, asumir responsabilidades, fútbol es el número 4 en la lista de deportes más aprender a ganar o perder, sentirse orgulloso de sus practicados y más populares en Los Estados Unidos, raíces, a reconocer los errores que han cometido para arrebatándole el lugar al Ice Hockey. Tras esta gran luego aprender de ellos y jugar con pasión no con mejora, el equipo de los EE.UU ha conseguido muchos obligacion. Muchos amantes del fútbol esperan que el logros a nivel nacional e internacional. fútbol siga creciendo como en otros países del mundo.

Depende de muchos de nosotros para que esto cambie, Tras haber ganado la Copa de Oro Concacaf en el 2011, ninguno de nosotros sabemos si Los Estados Unidos va Los Estados Unidos ha estado creciendo cada vez más y a llegar al éxito, como tampoco sabemos si América va más. En la Copa Mundial Brasil 2014, America no tuvo a cambiar el fútbol o el fútbol va a cambiar a América. su mejor participación. Luego de pasar a etapa de Lo cierto es que todo depende de esta generación para grupos, perdió contra Bélgica. En la edición décima que el fútbol llegue a lo más alto. Si cambiará o no, eso tercera (13) de la Copa Oro Concacaf, Los Estados depende de ti! Muchas personas creen que el Mundial de Unidos perdió contra Jamaica lo cual le impidió llegar 1994 cambió el futbol en America, otros creen que fue hasta la final. Por el otro lado, recientemente, el equipo el crecimiento de la selección nacional y otros creen que nacional femenino de Los Estados Unidos ganó el los jugadores de ambos géneros, como mundial femenino derrotando a Japón 5 a 2. El equipo y Mia Hamm, quien dejaron su alma en la cancha por su femenino es uno de los mejores equipos en el mundo país y el por el amor al deporte. Lo cierto es que todo tras haber ganado 3 mundiales. Ambos equipos contribuyó, y le debemos las gracias a todo esto, para contienen jugadores de alto nivel, por el lado masculino, que la evolución de futbol en America llegará a lo más , , y Tim alto y floreciera. Howard son unos de los jugadores más completos y

LONG VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL April / May 2016

The Boy Who Dared…

In House 8-3, the culminating activity for the young adult novel, The Boy Who Dared, written by our upcoming visiting author Susan Campbell Bartoletti was Painting Music. The setting of this story is Germany during the time of the Holocaust. The music the German people would listen to on their radios had to be approved by Adolph Hitler; all other music was verboten (prohibited). Four composers whose music was heard on German radio were Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, and Wagner. One whose music was never played over the German airwaves was Mendelssohn. Because he was Jewish, his music was verboten.

Each language arts class listened to a particular symphony by these five composers throughout the week before spring break. They were asked to paint what they felt and saw while listening to the music of these great composers. Here is a sample of some of this amazing artwork. Enjoy these masterpieces!

Tolerance By: Jackie Flammer

I gave my painting the name of tolerance because within my artwork I have little stories and on its own they all revolve after tolerance. My first part of the painting is a girl in a red dress with her flowers blowing out of her hand and into the wind. Even though it’s not good for her at first becomes a beautiful picture and it means the girl has tolerance not to get mad at the fact they blew away. The second one is the German flag trapped in a brick wall outside. It indicates Germany and its struggle with Hitler but with tolerance and bravery they were able to get rid of him. The next one is a box with words of harm and scary things but even when words are thrown at the strong people, once they have tolerance they can put them in the past. The queen dancing shows things from a different perspective, it shows that the leader must have tolerance to put up with the people and try her very best so they are content. An eye shows that you must be alert, and tough because you never know what might happen. The last picture is a hand willing to do anything showing you have guts. Tolerance is the perfect words to describe my artwork and all the small aspects of it.

LONG VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL April / May 2016

Only rainbow after rain By: Klaudia Podgorna

When I heard the music the first thing I thought was, DANCE. I listen to classical music every day of my life when I dance in class. Then I thought the outdoors, the music spoke to me as the beginning of spring when the sun is bright and big lighting up the sky with every little inch it shows. What better day can you have a rainbow than a day in spring. So I put two of the things I love and what I hear in the music together. Dancers dressed in the color of a rainbow in front of the giant sun peeking behind the mountains, shining its rays for the dancers. And that's what I see when I hear the music.

Eighth grade students took the PARCC: Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers Test from Monday, April 11 - Friday, April 15, 2016.

Students had this to say about their first three days of testing:

“It wasn’t so bad.” “I like that we have no homework or tests this week.” “There was a lot of reading.” “Exhausting...but pays off in the end” (T. J. Schroeder).

“Typing is good...no hand cramping that you would usually get with pencils.” “Easier than I thought!” “Would like more writing to explain our answers instead of multiple choice” “We used our headsets for some parts.” “No stress with writing.”

“Better/Easier than NJASK!” “I used vocabulary words!”

“With typing, it makes it easier to see our answers...especially when checking them.” “I saw literary elements that we learned in class.”

“Plenty of room for writing.”“...easy….peasy...lemon squeezy…” (Katherine F.).

“Would like more stories” (Nicole B.). “It was pretty ‘chill’ relaxing”

LONG VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL April / May 2016

Civil War Characters By: Olivia M.

This month, students collaborated in order to create a Civil War character and write a primary source from their character’s point of view accompanied with a QR Code providing access to a narrative. Below is a student’s account:

“This month we learned the ending of the Civil War. We learned about how the Union turned the war around and was able to defeat the South. To help us with the learning, we made a person that represented someone in the Civil War time that played an important role. It could be a soldier, a nurse, or, like mine was, a slave. We created a narrative and a QR code to add to our characters and hung them up around the classroom. This helped us almost live in the time, which made the entire learning process more interesting. It was an interesting thing to learn about, but I think I speak for everyone when I say I am excited to learn what comes next.”

th 8 Grade Spanish Happenings… By: Nicole Balken

This month we learned new and essential things in Sra. Mendoza’s Spanish class. We read chapter eight of Esperanza which was very suspenseful and exciting. While reading this chapter, we found some new vocabulary words like gasolinera which means gas station. Reading this story teaches you how to, not only, read in Spanish but also to realize the struggle of crossing the border to America. We also just learned verbs with a yo irregular form. Each verb we learned had a very unique yo form, and all the other forms were not irregular. For example, caber means to fit, and its yo form is quepo. Another example is oír which means to hear and the yo form of it is oigo. Before spring break we did a fun Easter egg scavenger hunt with the irregular verbs. We had three minutes to write down what each verb was, the definition of the verb, and write sentences using the verb. It was a great way to learn all verbs! We also analyzed o-ue stem changing verbs, they were very easy to understand once you got the hang of it. These kind of stem changing verbs turn the o in the word into ue. You do this for each subject pronoun except nosotros and vosotros. For example, volar, which means to fly turns into vuelo. You only change the o nothing more. As you can see, we learned a lot already this month and we have much more to learn and discover for these next few months of eighth grade.

LONG VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL April / May 2016

Biology has begun - spring is when we study the body structure of the huge variety of living things in our world. Students are learning how to get an up-close look at microscopic creatures. It is fun Beginning of an author getting to know them better. There are lots of organisms around us that we didn’t realize are study: Karen Hess there, because they are too small to be seen with the naked eye!

Meal Planning in Consumer Science By: Joshua Ernest and Emily Rotola

In 8th grade consumer science class, as a group we had to come up with a 5-day meal plan to feed four people. The meal plan had to consist of three cups of dairy, five ounces protein, two cups fruit, 2 ½ cups of vegetables, and 6oz grain in the week for each person. We had to make four meals a day: dinner, snack, lunch, and breakfast. Then we had to buy the things we needed on grocery websites. The food we bought had to fit our budget that we received on the first day of the project. We used the four budgets that are developed by the USDA, thrifty, low cost, moderate, and liberal. Our group got the moderate one to spend on groceries. This meant we could spend $175.50 on groceries. Making the meals for the week was difficult because we had to change most of our original plan to get the necessary needs of the food types, while staying within our budget. We didn’t have any dietary or eating restrictions in our “family” so it was a bit easier to plan our menu. After buying what we needed, we still had about $50.00 remaining. We used the money to buy more and upgrade the food we had. What I have taken away from this project is how much effort it takes to plan nutritious meals within our budget. Students will be reading two novels by I didn’t realize how hard it is to make sure that everybody is Karen Hesse: getting nutritional value while still staying within a normal budget. In the past, I haven’t really thought about that and I have taken it for granted. I also learned a lot about nutritional Phoenix Rising and Out of the Dust this requirements and have realized that I have to make an month and into May. adjustment in my diet to fit certain requirements. Overall, the MyPlate Meal Plan project was a

unique experience, from creating a menu, shopping for food using sales and coupons, making the presentation it was unlike any other project that I have done before. This experience can help me in the future to plan healthy meals and within budget with little to no problem. In conclusion, the project experience was difficult with all of the restrictions on food and money, but the project successfully was put together by my group and I.

LONG VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL April / May 2016

Worth the Read… An excerpt from:

It Was On Fire When I Lay Down on It by Robert Fulghum

As we enter spring and the final marking period of the school year, this little excerpt is a valuable reminder of the “good stuff” in the lives of children. It is a joy to read and a reminder of what it means to be a kid (at any age). Here’s hoping that it brings a smile to your face as well.

THE CARDBOARD BOX IS MARKED “THE GOOD STUFF.” As I write, I can see the box where it is stored on a high shelf in my studio. I like being able to see it when I look up. The box contains those odds and ends of personal treasures that have survived many bouts of clean-it-out-and-throw-it-away that seize me from time to time. The box ahs passed through the screening done a I’ve moved from house to house and hauled stuff from attic to attic. A thief looking into the box would not take anything—he couldn’t get a dime for any of it. But if the house ever catches on fire, the box goes with me when I run. One of the keepsakes in the box is a small paper bag. Lunch size. Though the top is sealed with duct tape, staples, and several paper clips, there is a ragged rip in one side through which the contents may be seen. This particular lunch sack has been in my care for maybe fourteen years. But it really belongs to my daughter, Molly. Soon after she came of school age, she became an enthusiastic participant in packing the morning lunches for herself, her brothers, and me. Each bag got a share of sandwiches, apples, milk, money, and sometimes a note or a treat. One morning Molly handed me two bags as I was about to leave. One regular lunch sack. And the one with the duct tape and staples and paper clips. “Why two bags?” “The other one is something else.” “What’s in it?” “Just some stuff—take it with you.” Not wanting to hold court over the matter, I stuffed both sacks into my briefcase, kissed the child, and rushed off. At midday, while hurriedly scarfing down my real lunch, I tore open Molly’s bag and shook out the contents. Two hair ribbons, three small stones, a plastic dinosaur, a pencil stub, a tiny seashell, two animal crackers, a marble, a used lipstick, a small doll, two chocolate kisses, and thirteen pennies. I smiled. How charming. Rising to hustle off to all the important business of the afternoon, I swept the desk clean—into the wastebasket— leftover lunch, Molly’s junk, and all. There wasn’t anything in there I needed. That evening Molly came to stand beside me while I was reading the paper. “Where’s my bag?” “What bag?” “You know, the one I gave you this morning.” “I left it at the office, why?” “I forgot to put this note in it.” She hands over the note. “Besides, I want it back.” “Why?” “Those are my things in the sack, Daddy, the ones I really like—I thought you might like to play with them, but now I want them back. You didn’t lose the bag, did you, Daddy?” Tears puddled in her eyes. “Oh no, I just forgot to bring it home,” I lied. “Bring it tomorrow, okay?” “Sure thing—don’t worry.” As she hugged my neck with relief, I unfolded the note that had not got into the sack: “I love you, Daddy.” Oh. And also—uh oh. I looked long at the face of my child. She was right—what was in that sack was “something else.”

LONG VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL April / May 2016

Molly had given me her treasures. All that a seven-year-old held dear. Love in a paper sack. And I had missed it. Not only missed it, but had thrown it in the wastebasket because “there wasn’t anything in there I needed.” Dear God. It wasn’t the first or the last time I felt my Daddy Permit was about to run out. It was a long trip back to the office. But there was nothing else to be done. So I went. The pilgrimage of a penitent. Just ahead of the janitor, I picked up the wastebasket and poured the contents on my desk. I was sorting it all out when the janitor came in to do his chores. “Lose something?” “Yeah, my mind.” “It’s probably in there, all right. What’s it look like and I’ll help you find it?” I started not to tell him. But I couldn’t feel any more of a fool than I was already in fact, so I told him. He didn’t laugh. He smiled. “I got kids, too.” So the brotherhood of fools searched the trash and found the jewels and he smiled at me and I smiled at him. You are never alone in these things. Never. After washing the mustard off the dinosaurs and spraying the whole thing with breath-freshener to kill the smell of onions, I carefully smoothed out the wadded ball of brown paper into a semi-functional bag and put the treasures inside and carried the whole thing home gingerly, like an injured kitten. The next evening I returned it to Molly, no questions asked, no explanations offered. The bag didn’t look so good, but the stuff was all there and that’s what counted. After dinner, I asked her to tell me about the stuff in the sack, and so she took it all out a piece at a time and placed the objects in a row on the dining room table. It took a long time to tell. Everything had a story, a memory, or was attached to dreams and imaginary friends. Fairies had brought some of the things. And I had given her the chocolate kisses, and she had kept them for when she needed them. I managed to say, “I see” very wisely several times in the telling. And as a matter of fact, I did see. To my surprise, Molly gave the bag to me once again several days later. Same ratty bag. Same stuff inside. I felt forgiven. And trusted. And loved. And a little more comfortable wearing the title of Father. Over several months the bag went with me from time to time. It was never clear to me why I did or did not get it on a given day. I began to think of it as the Daddy Prize and tried to be good the night before so I might be given it the next morning. In time Molly turned her attention to other things…found other treasures…lost interest in the game…grew up. Something. Me? I was left holding the bag. She gave it to me one morning and never asked for its return. And so I have it still. Sometimes I think of all the times in this sweet life when I must have missed the affection I was being given. A friend calls this “standing knee-deep in the river and dying of thirst.” So the worn paper sack is there in the box. Left over from a time when a child said, “Here—this is the best I’ve got. Take it—it’s yours. Such as I have, give I to thee.” I missed it the first time. But it’s my bag now.

Happy Spring! From House 7-1