A Publication of HAMBURG AREA HIGH SCHOOL HAHS Gets
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May 4, 2017 Volume XXVII Issue 24 A PUBLICATiON OF HAMBURG AREA HIGH SCHOOL Piano donation brings even more Frau receives a music to the high school grant to study in Jennifer Guldin - 12 In early January of this year Mr. Germany Metz, who is a substitute teacher, Gabby Krick donated his family’s piano to Ham- burg Area High School, adding it Hamburg Area High School German teacher, to a small collection of practice pi- Brynell Stevens, has received a grant from the anos that reside in the music hall- German government that will send her to Ger- way. However there is much more many for three weeks this coming summer. It to the piano that meets the eye, not includes flights, room and board for participa- only does it bring joy and beauti- tion in a STEM program for German teachers. ful music to the present, but it also While Stevens is in German she will attend a tells a delightful story of the past. seminar for K-12 educators in Leipzig with When asked for a brief history other German teachers that also won the of the piano Mr. Metz begins by in- grant. The seminar will explore the in- troducing his mother, Jannetta Belle tegration of STEM subjects in the Ger- Christman-Metz. Her large family, man classroom. Stevens plans to ob- ten siblings in total, lived just out- serve classroom instruction, take part in side of Kutztown and she spent many workshops and design instructional materials as well as visit historical landmarks. much of her youth playing piano af- The invitation to enter for this grant was sent out to 4,000 members of the American ter she discovered a love for it as Association of Teachers of German. How many applied is unknown, but Stevens along with a very young child. Throughout her 19 others won. In 1998 Stevens won a similar grant preparing her quite nicely for this one. teenage years and into adulthood, Included in Stevens application was a resume, an essay, a letter of support for the she even played the organ for the idea from the school district and a test proving she is advanced in German. Ste- Maxatawny Union Church. “She vens says, “It took me a few weeks” to prepare the application, but she recommends loved to laugh and was famous for not to work on the application alone. Having someone else proof read it is so im- her “salty” jokes,” Metz comment- portant as well as acknowledging whoever helped. Stevens mentioned a term used ed as he reflected on where his sense of humor originates. He continues by explaining at the STEM camp she attended last summer, “Lead Learner,” and says “I like that.” that she was always the life of the party and would very literally brighten up the room by Stevens has been trying to incorporate science, engineering and math ideas in to Ger- always beginning a selection of songs on the piano with “You Are My Sunshine”. As her man class for years now. Technology had always been included in her classes, but the family continued to grow, Jannetta Belle became lovingly known as Sparky Grandma by other subjects were never her forte, so she is reaching out for help. She feels by gain- her two young grandchildren who differentiated their grandmothers by the names of their ing knowledge on science, engineering and math she will not only be benefiting herself, respective dogs. Ultimately the name stuck and has since been known as Sparky Grandma. but her classroom and students as well. Students who are interested in those three sub- A few years ago she moved into Mr. Metz’s home to live with him, and a piano that was jects can only benefit from learning more about them in German class. This grant will gifted to her by family moved in along with her. After Jannetta Belle’s death in March of 2016, provide Stevens with new information on STEM to teach in her own German classroom. the piano was left in his care and after a few months he decided it was best to donate it to a Recently Hamburg Area High School has been working on setting up an exchange with school where it could be put to good use. “I am so glad that the music students at Hamburg Liborius-Gymnasium, a school in Dessau just north of Leipzig. Stevens is most excited about High will play the piano once played by the one, the only Sparky Grandma!” he enthuses. visiting that school because of the potential exchange coming up. She is also delighted to The addition of the piano is much more than just another instrument to practice on, but is visit places and meet people from the former GDR because those are areas she has yet to a new opportunity for students to create and grow not only as musicians but also as people. visit. Overall she is looking forward to her trip this summer and is hoping to come back with It is put to use nearly every day as students refine their craft and it’s music fills the practice much new knowledge on German STEM. room, and sometimes the hallway, with reminders of its past which includes the exciting and magnificent life of Jannetta Belle Christman-Metz especially when, after learning the history Students get ready for summer but of the piano, one Hamburg Area High School student often begins their practicing with a rendition of “You Are My Sunshine”. stay charged Paiton Albrecht - 9 The last two months of school can be the two hardest months. It feels like summer outside, but everyone still has tests, homework and final exams to study for. It can be a drag Congratulations to the and really exciting all at the same time. There are a few things one can do at the end of the year to stay charged to finish out the school year strong. One thing that is fun to do is plan ahead. Planning ahead will give one something to newly inducted members look forward to. Plus it is really fun to plan out trips and recreational activities to do. It will definitely be motivating and something exciting for summer. Another thing to focus on is the fact that each student will most likely have to complete of the Hamburg Chapter some type of test like the Keystones or take a final exam. It is very important to do well on these, because these tests can determine where one goes in the future, so it is important to of the prepare for them. Taking extra remedial study halls or brushing up on past topics is a great idea to keep one’s mind sharp and ready to go. The last piece of advice to a student is these are the last little months of school. All have National Honor Society seen the light at the end of the tunnel. Now it is just time to kick it into high gear and bang out the rest of the school year with a strong finish. HAHS gets to know Kassidy Bonenfont Kiara Mariano – 11 Kassidy Bonenfont is a 17 year old junior at Hamburg Area High School. Kass is involved in Spanish club and Wilderness club. She participates in any volunteer work they offer. Kass likes how actove the clubs are. Her favorite subject is history. She really likes to learn about the Holocaust. Kass also plays basketball for the school. She has been playing seven years as a wing. The toughest thing is fixing her habits, the easiest thing is learning new things. She is excited to start her senior year with her friends and giving one last hoorah. Kassidy’s favorite part about school is her friends. Her least favorite is the dress code. In Kassidy’s free time she works at the Westy or hangs out with her friends. When kass hangs out with her friends they drive see the names on page 4 around or go to Dunkin Donuts. Kassidy is thinking about majoring in Psychology or behavioral sciences, either at Kutztown or Penn State. HAWK HAPPENINGS May 4, 2017 PAGE 2 Mystery Class prepares students for Science financial future Theater Steve Sherwood - 12 Personal Finance is a class that is often overlooked in the public education system, although it is one of the most important classes that a student can take and can provide 3000 creates great information that can help him in the future. Personal finance is extremely important for students. It teaches them how to do their taxes, the intricate workings of the stock market, laughs mortgages, leasing, and the bank system. Providing students with the knowledge they need now can allow them to have a greater amount of knowledge. Bryce Wagner – 12 Most schools have a personal finance class but the class only lasts one semester (two marking quarters). The common argument that school districts give for not making a personal The hit movie Sharknado has finance class is normally that the parents should teach their kids. The issue with this argument become a phenomena in recent normally tends to be that the parents have difficulty with the same things the kids do so years and has spawned three they can only teach them a handful of what they should know, some kids do not even have more movies in its likeness. In parents. The main purpose is that students understand the way the economy works so that spite of their improvements they can take full advantage of it.