We Are Safe We Are Responsible We Are Respectful We Are the Sharks! Mark’s Mirror “Reflecting the greatness of MTMS” Mark Twain Middle School Student & Community Newspaper October – November 2018 What's Going On? Advanced Vocabulary Copy the underlined words and write the definitions. Turn your paper into the Mark’s Matrix of counseling office and be entered into a prize drawing. Don’t forget to put your School Culture (School-wide Positive Behavior Truck Visits MTMS first and last name and grade on your paper. Good Luck! Intervention and Support) By Miguel Martinez As you may know, IN-N-OUT BURGER What’s Coming Up? has the most delicious, stupendous and (School Calendar) October is Bullying Prevention amazing burgers. The In-n-Out truck Month School Wide Event at Mark Twain was an October By Ms. Woodman event in where student could buy an In-n- Oct. 4: School Tour in Library, 9:00 am Out burger for $5. Students who eat lunch Oct. 9: 10-Week Grades Due October is National Bullying Prevention th from the cafeteria got a ticket/pass which Oct 17: 8 grade IGPs in Library Month. First, let’s define bullying. was a five-minute exit ticket, so they could Oct. 18: Make-up Pictures Day, Avid Bullying happens when someone hurts or get their lunch early. Although some Binder Check, School Tour scares a person who is smaller, weaker, or students were upset by the long lines, Oct. 19: Student Elections Assembly less powerful than them. A bully is everyone ended up getting their burgers. Oct.29 – Nov. 2: Inclusion Week someone who bothers the same person over The most unbelievable thing about their Oct. 25: Minimum Day, 12:30 pm and over again because making someone beverages was that they served powerade. dismissal – Core Conferences 1:30 – 3:00 feel bad makes them feel powerful. Usually They also served salted or vinegar chips. pm in Cafeteria, High School and College people who bully others are also victims of On that day lunch was 90 minutes long to Readiness Program for Parents 3;30 – 4:30 bullying by someone else stronger or more accommodate the food truck and the games in auditorium, and Student Lead powerful than they are. Remember the 99% that the leadership students lead. Conferences 5:00 – 7:00 pm rule about bullying. 99% of the time the Mr.Alvarez, Ms.Usui and the AVID and Oct. 26: Minimum Day, 12:30 dismissal reason people bully is about them not about Leadership students supervised students as Oct. 29 – 31: Audiometric Testing you. A person can be almost perfect but if they played games and won prizes. There Oct. 31: Halloween Festival at Lunch a bully wants to make them feel bad they was water pong, an obstacle course and a November will find the one thing about them that is tossing contest. The In-n-Out food truck Nov. 8: School Tour 9:00 am in library less than perfect and put them down about event was an absolute great event that Nov. 12: Veteran’s Day, no school it. Maybe they have an eyebrow hair out of happened at Mark Twain Middle School. Nov. 13: 15 week grades due place. Nov. 15: Last day for Choices Magnet How does a person stand up to a bully? Mark’s Mirror can be viewed Applications and Meeting for Mako Shark Most of the time bullies pick on people on our website: Parents they think they can control easily or kids www.marktwainms.net Nov. 19 – 23: Thanksgiving Vacation, no who are different. Sometimes bullies pick school on someone for seemingly no particular See the News and Announcements section Nov 26: VEX-IW Challenge Robotics at reason. If you are being bullied, remember 3:00 pm it’s not your fault – no one deserves to be (to translate into another language: copy an Nov. 28: King Tut field trip (Novatt) bullied. Tell an adult you trust. If they don’t article, open google translate, and paste) Nov. 29: AVID Binder Check #4 in all help tell another adult. Telling in order to science classes and Mako Shark Progress get help is not snitching. Check. (continued on next page) What’s Going On Mark’s Mirror is written and published (Bullying Prevention continued) by students in Ms. Usui’s AVID Make sure to hang out in a safe place. For (continued) elective. example, with a group of friends, near a Editor: Ms. Woodman teacher, at a lunch time activity or club. Try Mark Twain Middle School Assistant Editors: Ms. Usui and Ms. not to be alone in a place where they might Girls Volleyball Scanlan find you. If you feel safe to do so you can Photography by Mr. Alvarez’s students calmly tell them to “please stop bullying in the Yearbook elective me” and walk away. Or try to use humor. By Joclyn Sumano If someone calls you fat, just say, “No, I’m Who’s the coach ? Students not in AVID or Yearbook just fluffy.” It’s better to show them they Chaka - you can submit an article to Ms. are not upsetting you (even if their He is a very kind person with a big ‘ole heart Woodman in the counseling office. comments or actions do hurt a little). ! Submissions from staff are also How can you help if you see someone He coaches many other sports such as flag welcomed and encouraged. Be sure to being bullied? You can tell an adult. When football, soccer, and sometimes basketball. include your first and last name and you’re helping someone, you are not He is the right person to go to for advice ! grade level. snitching. You can be a friend to the victim. You’ll see him around the school campus You can walk up to the person being very often. National Commemorations bullied and say, “C’mon, let’s go. You He has kids of his own. don’t need this negativity.” If you notice Some of the team members - and Holidays/This Month in they are alone, you can invite them to hang • Elaine Rivera History out with you at lunch and nutrition. If you feel safe you can tell the bully, “Stop that. • Jocelyn Sumano No one thinks you’re funny.” When a bully • Mia Luna October: National Breast Cancer realizes that what they are doing doesn’t • Giselle Vela Awareness Month, National Hispanic make them popular, they are more likely to Cindy Vela Heritage Month, National Bully Prevention • stop. What’s it like? Month What can I do if I am a bully? The answer Volleyball is actually a really fun and Oct. 31: Halloween is, ask for help. See your counselor or an entertaining sport. You learn so many things. November: National Native American adult you trust. They can help. Did you From my experience, I can say that it’s Heritage Month (Check out know that kids who are bullies often grow helped me come out of my comfort zone and everdaynative.com) Nov. 4: Daylight Savings Ends (fall back) up to have problems as adults? Bullying is helped me grow physically. Volleyball may a way to get attention from others. seem like a height based sport but in reality Nov. 6: Elections Day Nov. 12: Veteran’s Day Unfortunately, that attention is almost it’s so much more. Something I can say to always negative. Wouldn’t you rather get those who would be very interested in Nov. 22: Thanksgiving Day positive attention from adults and peers? playing this sport; always put forth effort and Pacers Nation Bullying Prevention Center commitment and the outcomes will impact Fun Facts about Staff has created a pledge to prevent bullying in you in a very good way. Sharks’ New Wave of Teachers the world. There are three simple steps: By Valeria Carvajal Speak up with kindness Students Run L.A. (S.R.L.A) • A new school year comes with new • Reach out with acceptance By Rebecca Alexman teachers! Here at Mark Twain eight new • Be a friend through inclusion. What is Students Run L.A.? S.R.L.A or teachers are now part of our Shark family. Students Run L.A is a program that With old teachers leave opportunity opens Let’s practice these positive acts students can join after school where they for new teachers to bring diverse throughout the year and always. train to run a marathon at the end of the perspectives. They all have different year. Students train every Monday, Tuesday background that can bring fresh ideas to News to Use and Current and Thursday from 3:30 to 4:45 PM in the table. They will contribute different order to be prepared for the races at the end ideas to make this year the very best, and Events of each month, and eventually a marathon help all students at Mark Twain dive into Let’s Get Recycling! (26 miles). At Mark Twain Middle School success. Here are a few words from some By David Murphy students train by running miles after school. of the new staff. Photos appear on the last It is important to recycle because if we The coach is our new p.e. teacher, Mr. page. don't recycle dangerous chemicals will be Gonzalez. See the interview below. Mr. D. Gonzalez: released from the landfills. Not recycling “I teach physical education to all grades. I is bad for our natural environment. (continued on next page) (continued on next page) (continued on next page) (SRLA, continued) (Staff, continued) (Recycling continued) “What made you want to coach S.R.L.A?” was motivated to work at Mark Twain Recycling reduces the need for raw “It was mainly for the students, the because I’d heard good things about the materials.