The Lander Leopard News

March 2014 Volume 2, Issue 6

PTG Update By Kelsey Blanchard Pizza bingo! PIZZA BINGO IS BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!!!!!!!!!! Lander PTG is sponsoring pizza bingo and it will be held Thursday, April 3, 2014 at 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. It is a great time to spend time with your friends. It is at Lander school, so make sure to come!

Ice skating party! The ice skating party took place at Gilmore academy on February 21st. This was a huge success. There were about 170 people that showed up. It was a fun night on the ice. Everyone is looking forward to ice-skating next year!

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Lander Ice Skating Party! By McCartney Puhalla

th The Lander Ice Skating Party was so much fun! I saw a lot of my 5 grade friends and other friends from Lander! It was really fun but the best part was falling down! I know that sounds crazy, but it was really funny. They had chairs to push around for kids that need help skating and while people sat in the chairs other people were pushing them around. It was hilarious!! Some really great skaters were there showing off their moves. It was really cool. People were skating in groups and friends held hands so they wouldn’t fall over. Some kids were going so fast that they zoomed right past some people! They went so fast that you could barely see them go by! Everyone did a great job skating. If you went, I probably saw you there. For the people that went – you did a fantastic job skating!

An Interview with Mr. Legan By Kathy Du

Me: How do you feel about being the High School’s next principal? Mr. Legan: I am very excited to be the next principal. That’s where I started teaching earlier in my career. And now, I’m going to be able to see all 500 students grown up.

Me: How do you feel about leaving Lander? Mr. Legan: I’m going to be very sad. All of the students at Lander bring me joy each and every day, and I’m going to miss all of you grow up from kindergarteners to fifth graders.

Me: How are you going to react when you see us all at the High school grown up? Mr. Legan: To be honest, I’m anxiously awaiting your arrival right now to see you grown up, but I’m going to be really excited, and I’m going to be looking for each and every one of you when you become freshman.

Me: Thank you for your three awesome years at Lander! Mr. Legan: It has been my absolute pleasure.

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The GCCTM Competition By Alvin Cai

GCCTM was a thrilling competition that had many challenging and tough questions. GCCTM stands for Greater Cleveland Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and consists of 4 rounds. Each round is about 10-20 minutes long, this, in my opinion, is very short. Fifth graders from many other districts participated in this competition. In addition to this, the sixth graders from the Mayfield Middle School participated as well. The GCCTM competition was held at the Mayfield Middle School, and every team consists of 4 students. All the teachers and adults that were there were all very friendly. When the competition began, you were seated at a table with scrap paper and your team number. Some teams sat next to a team they didn’t know which could have led to some cheating. The sixth graders sat at tables in front of the cafeteria while the fifth graders sat farther back. Each round was different from one another and was unique in its own way. Competitor Raihan Malik said, “It was fun and the questions weren’t too easy but not too hard.” After the competition ended everyone had a break and enjoyed a delicious cookie snack. Finally, the moment came; the awards were being passed out! There was a third place red ribbon, a second place blue ribbon and a first place trophy to those who scored in the top 10%. Overall though, the Lander team did a great job. “The Sorcerers of Math” won the Special red ribbon award, Ryan Davidson won the Champion blue ribbon, and “Cosmic Pi/Pie won the trophy! Congratulate our Lander team for all the hard work they have done.

Lander’s GCCTM team: Alvin Cai, Seth Jones, Raihan Malik, Joey Piscitelli, Josh Davidson, Jennifer Liang, Brynn Lorkovich, Molly Xiao, and Ryan Davidson. Page 4 of 21

Science Olympiad By Madison Bean

Science Olympiad is a contest that Lander 5th graders compete in every year. This year the team consists of Maddie Bean, Alvin Cai, and Jimmy Shaw. Jimmy and Maddie won fourth place in Aerodynamics and got a medal. Alvin and Maddie won 5th place in Egg Drop and got a medal. There are many different events you can do in Science Olympiad such as Rock Hound, Starry, Starry night, Aerodynamics and Egg Drop. Lander competed in Egg Drop, Starry, Starry night and Aerodynamics. The same people who competed in Science Olympiad represented Lander for Science Olympiad in the Science Showcase.

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How Students Feel About Mr. Legan Leaving By Kaylie Cornelius

Riley in Mrs. Russo’s kindergarten class says, “Sad. I will be very happy to see him in high school.”

Damonte in Mrs. Tarka’s first grade class says, “Not happy. He is very nice to the students and staff.”

Ivy in Mrs. Archacki’s second grade class says, “Sad that he will be leaving. I will be glad to see him in high school.”

Caree, 3rd grader, in Mrs. Macauda’s class says, “I feel sad. I will be happy to see him in high school.”

Frankie and Tyler in Mrs. Francetic’s 4th grade class say, “We both feel sad about our principal, Mr. Legan, leaving, but we are looking forward to see him in high school.”

Leah in Mrs. Digeronimo’s class says, “Sad that he is leaving. Glad to see him in high school.”

Kindness Kids An update by Mrs. Schmidt

We would like to celebrate the following students who were recognized for being kind here at Lander:

Deijah Early, Shania Harrell, Aribah Hossain, Faye Hliatzos, Jimmera McCoy-Johnson, Kylee Sills, Hieu Nguyen, Brooklyn Langan, Charlotte Sherwin, Nurefson Saritoprak, Mia Salupo, Rita Morgan, Nermin Madkor, Olivia Lavelle, Vinnie Francetic, Clara Cook, Nevaeh Walton, Eddie Kopniske, Nicole Stroescu, Melissa Ly, Wynter Gant, Iulia Marginean, Sophia Timcisko, Giovanni DiTomaso, Diante Booker, Nick Tatko, Christian Haycock, Brynn Gillen, Carlo Trunzo, Steven Ribovich, Emma Ferguson, and Blake Turek.

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Poems about Leprechauns By Grace Rocco

Things You Might Not Know About Four Leaf Clovers By Alexis Ochi

Have you ever found a 1. Four Leaf Clovers are mutated from shamrocks. leprechaun? 2. They are one of the most common good luck charms in Did it give you gold? North America. Leprechauns bring poems, 3. The Largest Four Leaf Clover Collection is by George J. Of their friends and foes, Kaminski who has collected 72,927 Four Leaf Clovers since These poems are true, 1995, all by himself. They were collected from within prison grounds in Pennsylvania, USA. Just listen to these, 4. The new world record for the most four leaf clovers You’ll find a mystery, found in the fastest time is May 20th, 2010 by John In every story. Christian Stokes, 10, who found three Four Leaf Clovers within 20 minutes. St. Patrick came from Ireland 5. The record for the largest collection of Four Leaf Clovers A country trimmed with green belongs to Edward Martin Sr. from Alaska, USA, with It has the shamrocks and the 111,060 Four Leaf Clovers, as of May 2007, which he has pipes been collecting since 1999. Those leprechauns you've seen 6. They are rare. Those leprechauns will trip you 7. A 21-leaf clover was discovered on June 3, 2008! WOW! You'll fall flat on your face 8. “Children in the Middle Ages believed that they could see They'll tickle your nose and fairies if they found a Four Leaf Clover.” sour the milk 9. According to western cultures, each of the leaves Then find a hiding place! represents hope, faith, love and luck. 10. The former US President, Abraham Lincoln, was said to have

carried a Four Leaf Clover everyday with an exception to the I'm a little leprechaun night of his visit to Ford's Theater when John Wilkes Booth assassinated him. Dressed in green 11. The late French Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, escaped The tiniest man that you have assassination when he was bending down to pick up a four leaf ever seen. clover. If you ever catch me,

So it's told, I'll give to you my pot of gold.

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All about Ireland By Cassidy Feng

Do you know Ireland’s president, population, or holidays? If you don’t, that's what you’re going to learn!

Here are some fun facts:

1. Ireland became independent from the UK in 1921 2. Ireland’s current president is Michael D. Higgins 3. Ireland’s current prime minister is Enda Kenny 4. Ireland has a population of 4,722,028 people 5. Ireland’s capitol is Dublin 6. Ireland’s national holiday is St. Patrick’s Day 7. Ireland’s national plant is a shamrock (a three leaf clover).

I hope you learned something from this!

5 Facts about Leprechauns By Marco Ochoa 1. Leprechauns are only males 2. The pot of gold has 1 coin for each year in their lives and they live for a very long time 3. When you catch a leprechaun it can’t escape unless you take your eyes off it 4. Most leprechauns are 2 feet tall that’s why it’s hard to find them 5. Leprechauns are so crafty, they move their pot of gold to a new rainbow every time, that’s why you won’t always find it

Have a happy St. Patrick’s Day and hopefully you’ll catch a leprechaun!

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The History of St. Patrick's Day By Megan Linsky

St.Patrick's day was started when Saint Patrick died. Saint Patrick converted the Irish to Christianity. The first St. Patrick's day was in New York; not Ireland. On March 17th over 100 U.S cities have St. Patrick’s Day parades. New York should be called the big shamrock not the big apple because New York's parades are the biggest St. Patrick's Day parades out of all 100 parades. Did you know the color green is the color for St. Patrick's Day because of spring, Ireland and the shamrock? So now you can go tell people how St. Patrick's Day was started.

How are Teachers Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day? By Jaiden Varanese

Mrs.Stepanek: “Celebrating my husband’s birthday by listening to Irish music in Akron.” Mrs. Staley: likes to go to Chicago where they dye the Chicago River green and have a big parade! Mrs.Puin: Makes green milk and pancakes for her girls. Mrs.Dugal: “Celebrate the luck of the Irish by waiting for the leprechaun to come to my class room and then at home make green milk.” Mrs.Tarka: “Make leprechaun traps and think green!” Mrs. Russo: “Make cookies and sometimes go to the parade.” Mrs. Morgan: Makes pots of gold with their family treasures. She also makes shamrock men and leprechauns. Silly Magilly comes and hides things for her kids to find.

Well now we know what all the teachers are doing for St. Patrick’s Day.

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Interview with Kelli Stack Reporter, Lindsey Urban

Kelli Stack is a U.S. Olympic hockey player.

Q: What is it like being in the Olympics? A: Being in the Olympics was a dream come true. From the time I was a young girl I always hoped I would make an Olympic team. It’s the best feeling in the world knowing I’ve reached my goals. Q: What do you like about hockey? A: I like that hockey is a team sport. I also like that hockey is a fast sport played on ice. Q: What is it like being in Sochi? A: Being in Sochi was amazing. The weather was beautiful, sunny and fairly warm. The village was great and the volunteers were so friendly towards us. And playing hockey on the biggest stage in the world was unbelievable. Q: Did you have fun during the Olympics? A: Yes, I had a ton of fun during the Olympics. My teammates and I were able to have some free time after our last game. We were able to see the men’s hockey game, ride bikes around the athlete village, and hang out with people from all over the world. Q: What do you think is the most important thing to remember while playing hockey? A: The most important thing to remember while playing hockey is to have fun. Q: What was your biggest goal in the Olympics? A: My biggest goal in the Olympics was to win a gold medal. Q: Are you proud of what you accomplished in the Olympics this year? A: Yes, I am proud of winning a silver medal at the Olympics. But we trained all year to bring home a gold medal, so I was disappointed at first because we lost the game. Q: What was your most memorable moment at the Olympics? A: My most memorable moment at the Olympics was playing the gold medal game vs. Canada. Thank you. You’re welcome.

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Cleveland Indians Spring Training By Ryan Turek

Do you know how your Cleveland Indians are doing? Well here is your answer. The Cleveland Indians play their spring training in Goodyear, Arizona. The Indians won their “3-day turf war” with the Reds on Friday thanks to the power of Ryan Raburn and a shutout by their pitching staff. They even took some time out to “push a new team slogan”. The game VS the White Sox was rained out and won’t be rescheduled

By far the biggest issue to be settled in camp is how much, if any, third baseman Carlos Santana can play once the regular season starts. At the end of last season, he went to the general manager Chris Antonetti and manager Terry Francona, and asked if could play third base. They told him that he would have to earn it. During camp he has played third base and not catcher. He has had good days and bad days as anyone would have making a position change. It's a decision that probably won't be finalized until the last few days of training camp, and until then it will remain the biggest drama in camp.

Designated hitter Jason Giambi will miss three to four weeks due to a fractured rib, the Indians announced March 13th. Giambi was injured when he was hit by a pitch thrown by Chicago Cubs RHP Edwin Jackson on March 7th. Giambi had an MRI on March 12th, and the fracture was revealed. “The 43-year-old is a non-roster invitee to spring training. He hit .183 with nine home runs and 31 RBIs in 186 at-bats last year.”

1st Baseman Nick Swisher has been “wearing baseball spikes unique to his city of employment.” Swisher's spikes have the number 216 (Cleveland's area code) on the side, plus a silhouette of the Cleveland skyline. Nick Swisher will be first baseman this year.

Outfielder Michael Brantley was 4-for-9 in his first four spring training at-bats, a fact that didn't surprise manager Terry Francona. "His mechanics are so simple I think it helps him get ready quicker than a lot of other guys," Francona said.

There is a battle for the fifth pitching spot between Josh Tomlin and Carlos Carassco.

Source: The Cleveland Plain Dealer Page 12 of 21

Fashion Week in Cleveland By Riley Anderson

Have you ever heard of Cleveland Fashion Week? If not, keep reading. If you have, maybe this article will give you more information.

The first Cleveland Fashion Week was in 2004, so this is the big 10 year anniversary. It is a week-long event about fashion for the public. It is the first week in May.

Cleveland Fashion Week is also called "educational fashion week" because it is not just runways. It is also seminars, documentaries and classes. Guess what?! Kids can go to the "Retail Night." The "Retail Night" is a closed off area with boutiques and little stands for the public. It is also free!

So I'm going to leave you with one last thing: What do you think of when you hear the word fashion? The next article I'll tell you what I think of the word fashion.

Remember, rock your own style!

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Interview with Jenna Aveni By Wale Onamusi Me: Hello. Jenna: Hi. Me: How was Valentine's day? Jenna: Good. Me: What did you do on Valentine's day? Jenna: I went over my mom's house and spent time with her and I went over my friend’s house. Me: What do you think about Lander? Jenna: I love it and I got to make new friends.

Relaxing During Break By Molly Xiao Sean Averell Me: Hi Sean: Hey Me: So do you have any plans for spring break? Sean: Not that I know of, so probably just sit at home and play video games. Me: Okay then, I’ll talk to you later then. Sean: Okay, bye.

Katie Eippert Me: Hey Katie: Hey Me: So, do you have any plans during spring break? Katie: Going to the IX center and that’s it. Me: Okay, thanks. Bye!  Katie: Bye!! 

Marissa Dalessandro Me: Hey Marissa: Hey Me: So, any plans for spring break? Marissa: I have no idea. Probably just eat, sleep and talk. Me: Well then….. Ok. Thanks for your time. I’ll see you tomorrow. Marissa: Okay, see you tomorrow.

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My Tortoise named Eleanor

By Haley Lackner

I have a tortoise named Eleanor. Eleanor is a red footed tortoise. She came into our lives unexpectedly about a year and a half ago. She is one of the most kind and sweetest tortoises anyone could ever ask for! My family and I all enjoy Eleanor and take care of her like she is one of us. My family also has nicknames for

her like “Ellie” or even “Boo”! Eleanor eats many different kinds of foods. She eats lettuce, bananas, tortoise food and cat food! Eleanor also likes to go on adventures! Almost every day, Eleanor walks around my house and goes into little places and hides! Sometimes I might find her under my bed or behind a couch. Also, when I look away from Eleanor for 1 minute, she’s gone and hiding in a new spot. She is quite a speedy tortoise! Eleanor

is 14 years old and pretty big!

She is a lovely and behaved tortoise and will make you smile every time you see her. Eleanor is amazing and a wonderful pet.

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Check out March’s featured cartoonist,

Joey Dilella:

Can’t get enough LLN cartoons? Then check out more here on our website: More LLN Cartoons Page 16 of 21

Clover Hunt Can you find all of the clovers hidden in this month’s LLN?

LLN Puzzles & Games This month Director of Puzzles & Contests, Jimmy Shaw has collected Tic- Tac-Toe games, a maze, baseball word search, and a leprechaun dot puzzle for your enjoyment!

Coloring Contests Director of Puzzles & Contests, For the month of March, Jimmy has hand-picked a bubbly leprechaun Jimmy Shaw character for grades 3-5 to color and a smiley leprechaun character for grades K-2. Turn in your completed coloring contest entries to the LLN mailbox in room 24 no later than Thursday, April 17th. The LLN staff will review all submitted entries and will select two to be published in next month’s newspaper! Submit your best artwork and good luck. 

Congratulations to our February coloring contest winners:

K-2 Winner: Kayden Coffey in Mrs. Dugal’s class

3-5 Winner: Lindsey Urban in Mrs. Francetic’s class

They received the most votes from our LLN staff for their neatness and use of color. They each won their own copy of this month’s LLN!

Thank you to everyone who submitted a picture! We hope you will participate in this month’s coloring contest. Page 17 of 21

Our 5th grade LLN Staff:

Reporters: Madison Bean, Camryn Brown, Alvin Cai, Marissa D’alessandro, Kathy Du, Katie Eippert, Myah Goodman, Seth Jones, Haley Lackner, Paige Lamson, Delaney Lancry, Maia Langan, Brynn Lorkovich, Alexis Ochi, Marco Ochoa, Natania Pollard, McCartney Puhalla, Julietta Puletti, Grace Rocco, Shrinidhi Shah, Shane Trivisonno, Jaiden Varanese, Katie Voronkin, and Samantha Walters.

Cartoonists: Josh Davidson, Brynn Gillen, and Krystal Tatum.

Director of Surveys: Logan Ferritto

Director of Puzzles & Contests: Jimmy Shaw

Editor-in-Chief: Molly Xiao

Our 4th grade LLN Staff:

Reporters: Riley Anderson, Gia Arnold, Gianna Balog, Kelsey Blanchard, Kaylie Cornelius, Katie Demello, Cassidy Feng, Wynter Gant, Samantha Konecek, Megan Linsky, Iulia Marginean, Wale Onamusi, Laney Sipos, Ryan Turek, Lindsey Urban, Lexie Warren, and Emily Warsheskie.

Cartoonists: Allie Collette, Joey Dilella, Kimberly Faithbell, Madison Ferrell, Emily Folliett, Ayden Freeman, Steven Ribovich, Camila Sardo-Longo, Gino Tierney, Gia Varanese, and Tommy Vertanessian.

Next month in LLN: Look for our April 2014 edition of LLN next month!

Grades 3-5 LLN March Coloring Contest Due Date: April 17th Please write your name and teacher on the back Grades K-2 LLN March Coloring Contest Due Date: April 17th Please write your name and teacher on the back