What’s up Wildcat! Welcome to John W. Gunn’s very first Student Newsletter Written by students, for students! Table of Contents One to One: Ashley Get to know your new VP Languages Hailey Mental Wellness Kyna Friendly, Beautiful Manitoba Ashton Music Review Haylee A Day of a Grade 6 Student Ry-Anne Homework Tips Haylee Bullying Taylor Picture Day Tips Hailey One to One: Ry-Anne Sit down with Mr. Tratch 2030 Climate Change Elliott Christmas Movie Review Haylee Stanley Cup Prediction Student Newsletter Club : One to One ​ ! Get to know your new VP​ By: Ashley Please introduce yourself. My name is Tami Pennell and I am the Vice Principal of John W. Gunn Middle School. It is your first year working here at John W. Gunn. How is it going so far? “I absolutely love everyone- staff and students have been so awesome!” Who is your best pal here so far? Mr. Honke because he brings me coffee! What makes John W. Gunn different from other places you have worked at? How kind, hardworking and friendly everyone is. Now that the serious questions are done.. let’s have some fun! Where is your favourite place to shop? Soho, London, England. Do you have any special talents? Colouring, spinning a basketball on one finger. Who is your celebrity crush? Hmm.. Daniel Day Lewis! What was your favourite song when you were in middle school? Ah, so long ago! I think.. Beat it by Michael Jackson. What is your favourite food to pack for lunch? A sandwich. Quick and easy! Tell me a random fact about yourself! I grew up in Newfoundland! Do you speak any other languages? Yes, I speak Newfie! Interesting. Can you say hi in Newfie? Of course. “Whatruat?” What is a cultural/religious tradition you follow? Catholicism. What is your favourite quote? “A student has to know that the teacher cares before the student cares what the teacher knows.” What keeps you inspired and motivated? My friends, my family and my job. Did you know many of our fellow wildcats speak many different languages? Here are some! By: Hailey Tataysar She speaks Krio! So we asked her to say how to say hello in this language! “Kushe!” Grace She speaks Japanese! So we asked her to say hello in this language! “Konichiwa!” Jesse He speaks Tagalog! So we asked our fellow wildcat how to say hello in this language! “Kamusta” Alisa She speaks Russian! So we asked her to tell us how to say hello in this language! Mental Wellness By Kyna Did you know that half of Canadians have had mental health issues? I bet you didn’t. That’s because it is typically invisible to the eye and people are not comfortable talking about it. Because it is not really visible, it is hard to tell when someone is struggling. So here are some tips on how to know your friend is going through something: * If they are not eating properly * If they are not doing things they enjoy * If they are behaving differently from usual. For example, they are often bubbly but lately they have been easily angered. It is hard to determine when someone is struggling so the best thing to do is to be kind and compassionate to everyone. But, if a friend has openly talked about their struggles, here are some specific ways to help: * Give hugs! They go a long way and help a lot. * Be sensitive of others’ feeling. * Let others know you are their friend and that you are here for them. * Listen to understand. * Sometimes, saying nothing does a lot. Most importantly, don’t be so quick to judge that someone could be struggling. Help, be compassionate, and always remember to BE KIND. I am no expert but hey, if you are struggling with something, there are ways to cope with these emotions. First, don’t be afraid to cry. Let it out. Talk to someone you trust and ask for help. Find something to distract yourself and always, I mean always be kind to yourself. ​ ​ Friendly, beautiful Manitoba By Ashton Manitoba was placed as the Top 10 Places to Travel according to The ​ ​ Lonely Planet for 2019. Although Manitoba isn’t the first place that comes to ​ mind when you think of a vacation, there is an abundance of fun activities and breathtaking sights that make Manitoba a worthwhile stay. One of the most prestige travel guidebook brands has highlighted a few areas in Manitoba that are worth checking out. One of these places included Churchill. An amazing place to check out in Churchill is the Wapusk National Park. There you will be able to see much of the local wildlife and the beautiful, fantasy-esque Landscaping. Another great area on the list to check out in Manitoba is the Riding Mountain National Park. If you are big into hiking you will enjoy trekking through the forest and admiring the wildlife. If you love kayaking you will absolutely adore the many lakes this park has to offer. This is also a great place to hunt elk, bison, and bears. Whether you are a kayaking expert or a wildlife enthusiast, the Riding Mountain National Park will have something for you. It is so easy to overlook Manitoba, us locals are guilty of that. While we tend to look outside for beautiful places, the outside world looks toward us instead. Manitoba has great things to offer. Let us start recognizing and celebrating our own home! EVERYONE Top Songs ​ ​ Should Be Listening To Right Now Just kidding. But here is a compilation of songs our fellow classmates and staff are listening to right now! By: Haylee 1. thank u, next by Ariana Grande ​ ​ ​ ​ Of course our girl Ari makes it to the top of our list. Music video was released just a few days before December and it is everything. It pays tribute to Mean Girls, Bring It On, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Legally Blonde, and 13 Going on 30 so feel free to show this ​ ​ ​ to your Mom. If you ever get into a situation where you feel is not worth of your time, simply say “thank u, next” and move on. Except to teachers. Because next will be the office. 2. Meant To Be by Florida Georgia Line ​ ​ ​ ​ Can’t forget about our country gals and pals. First off, this is a country song so I am a little iffy. But, it is pretty good. Plus I can’t really say a lot of mean things because Hailey will be mad at me. 6.5/10. 3. Gucci Gang by Lil Pump ​ ​ ​ ​ Ah this one. This one we cannot recommend because of the inappropriate language. Maybe, if the person who is doing the rapping is muted and all we can hear is the beat and sound effects, we can say we approve. We’ll put this one up anyway for you Koen. 4. Baby you can drive my car by The Beatles ​ ​ ​ ​ Ok, this one, not going to lie, was pretty good. Plus this one is Mr. Finlay’s favourite song. He is the Principal. So we had to ​ put it on. It’s... alright. (I mean, Mr. Finlay, if you are reading this, it is AN AWESOME SONG!). 5. 2002 by Anne Marie ​ ​ ​ ​ This song is not bad at all. Not the best but quite good. In my opinion, she kind of got a smidge more famous because of Marshmellow so I was surprised that this one became a hit. Overall, she has a good voice and it showed in this song. A DAY of a grade 6 student By Ry-Anne I woke up at 6 today, I felt tired. I went to bed at 9 pm that’s why. I wobbled to the kitchen and poured myself a bowl of cereal. “Good morning,” Mom says. I nodded. I went back to my bedroom, got dressed, it is now 7. Just in time. As I brushed my teeth, I remembered it was Monday and wondered how boring today was going to be. When I arrived at school, I seen Kyna and Carmen. My best friends. Running late, I ran as fast as I could to my locker before O Canada starts again. I closed my locker, ran to the room when halfway through, I realized I forgot my pencil case. Ugh. I’m going to be late. I arrive late and of course someone has my stool. I quietly get a seat. Ms. Smolinski has already started teaching. Awkward. Finally, the bell rang for my second class. I have math. Great. And then it rang again. Lunch time! I’m starving. I had no idea what Kyna and Carmen just said- I just devoured my food. The bell goes, and it goes again. And again. I am so tired. What a day. Tomorrow, we do this all over again. How to do homework ​fast and still get ​good grades By Haylee Tip #1 If you have homework do it as soon as possible. Tip #2 Use the time you have and use it properly. Tip #3 The earlier you do it, the less you need to stress. Tip #4 Ask for help at home but don’t rely on them completely. You have to make sure ​you​ are the one that is learning. Tip #5 Do your best! Tip #6 And lastly, reward yourself!!! Bullying By Taylor Everyone always goes against the bully, but have you ever thought about why they bully others? Or if they are being bullied as well? Well, here you will learn all about why bullies may bully.