New Teacher Feature

by Sabrina F. and Madeline W.5th Graders

Have you ever wondered about a new teacher? Well, we (Sabrina and Maddie) found out many interesting facts when we interviewed new Eighth Grade teacher Mrs. Powell. Mrs. Powell is an 8th grade mathematics teacher from Georgia. Her room is 233, which is on the second floor. She taught 6th grade in Georgia and enjoyed it, so she decided to try 8th grade. She started teaching in 2007 and has, most recently, taught math and social studies for 2 years. “All my teacher friends recommended the Natick Public Schools, so I tried it and I liked it!” We learned several interesting facts about Mrs. Powell. She has a dog, a 7 pound malti-poo fluff ball named Jack. This teacher also loves to dress up for Halloween. When Mrs. Powell

was in college she dressed up as a McDonaldʼs milk shake, and her friends dressed up as other McDonaldʼs food. For a hobby, she likes to run in marathons because she thinks it relieves stress, itʼs time she gets to herself, and itʼs a fun way to challenge herself. When the topic moved onto favorite foods,

Mrs. Powell stated, “I donʼt have a favorite food, I like them all. Before I go on a trip, I research the restaurants to make sure the food is good.” " We ended the interview by asking Mrs. Powell what she thought about her new job. Her happy reply was, “I love Kennedy, especially the kids!”

Mrs. Powell helps one of her students with her tricky math problems.

KENNEDY’S SOLAR POWER- PAGE 5

CHECK OUT THE CROSS COUNTRY TEAM ON PAGE 2!!

STUDENT ELECTIONS- PAGE 3

ALWAYS FREE ISSUE NUMBER 1

KENNEDY MIDDLE SCHOOL OCTOBER/ NOVEMBER

Kennedy Edge

Kennedy’s Cross Country Team Really Flies!

COACH

HACKETTby Anna K.

5th Grader

I DECIDED TO REPORT ON THIS YEAR’S CROSS COUNTRY TEAM, SO I ASKED KENNEDY MIDDLE SCHOOL’S CROSS COUNTRY COACH (MRS. HACKET) A FEW QUESTIONS:

Q: How long have you been coaching cross country? A: “I have been coaching cross country since the team started here at Kennedy...which I think was about six years ago.”

Q: Were you on the cross country team when you were in school? What is your favorite thing about cross country?A: “I was on the cross country team in middle school, but then in high school I switched to soccer because my friends convinced me to play soccer with them.! But I was horrible at soccer, so I should have stuck with cross country!! However all through middle and high school I ran long distance for the track and field team.! I still run a lot now and have run a bunch marathons.! Running makes me feel good, both emotionally and physically.! I think more and more kids and adults are realizing this about themselves, too, which is why it has become such a popular sport.

My favorite thing about coaching the cross country team at Kennedy is that we have a lot of really great student-athletes.! They are enthusiastic, supportive of each other, enjoyable to be around, and are dedicated to improving their running, which makes my job a lot easier.! It is also nice to be in a different environment, other than the classroom, with students.! I feel like you get to know the kids on a different level, which I enjoy.”!

(Continued on Page 6)

NUMBERSTotal number of meets

this year

10Total number students

on team

35Approximate total

number of miles run by each team member

40

2011-2012 Student Council Elections

by Allison L.8th Grader

• • •

Fall can be associated with many seasonal changes; the leaves changing color, a new school year starting, and the middle school elections taking place. Around this time, around a dozen eighth grade students can be seen giving speeches, passing out free gifts in the interest of persuading voters, and winners cheering as their names are called on the announcements, announcing their victory. On September 26, a select group of brave students attended the informational meeting that would change their lives; for the next week or so of course. I myself decided to run this year, seeing it as my last year here at Kennedy. As the candidates raced to finish their posters and scurried to spread the word, many kinds of free stuff were given out. Among the unique gifts were fake money, ribbon pins, colorful buttons, halloween related props, silly bands, and leas. The classics such as pencils and erasers were also given out by some of the candidates.

The following week on October 4, speeches were given to the students and faculty. In the hopes of being elected treasurer, Will Parven gave an energetic speech that involved the audience, while I took a more serious approach in speaking about realistic expectations. Secretary candidate Kylie Schechtman showed off her different personalities through some stylish, nerdy, and goofy sunglasses; Rachel Strout mentioned her impressive experience in being a leader; and Mackenzie Parmenter got the “z's” to unite and vote for her. A staggering four people ran for V.P., allowing for some close competition. Tony Ross spoke about bullying, a serious issue that he intends to end at Kennedy; Grace Loughlin finally ended the conspiracy about whether she was in eighth or sixth grade; Roger Wirkala began with an Eminem influence rap, and Brian Maher woke up the crowd with the

human wave. As for the most anticipated event, the presidents candidate speeches, Tim Chung pitched the idea of paintball fights and makeup parties, Kate Garry showed off a letter sighed by President Obama himself, and Abbie Sookdeo was honest about her intentions to improve Kennedy. Voting took place on October 5, and the results were tallied by the end of the day. Congratulations goes to Tim Chung, Brian Maher, Will Parven, and Mackenzie Parmenter on winning the election and also to all the candidates that ran. For the rest of the year, we will appreciate all the pencils we received, and be grateful in math class as we use your erasers. Most of all, the jokes in your speeches will continue to make us laugh throughout the year, as we look back on the election, that took place in the course of the first week in October.

The Vote Is In!!President: Tim ChungVice President: Brian MaherTreasurer: Will ParvenSecretary: Mackenzie Parmenter

Here Is a Sampling of Some of the Fantastic Things That Go On After School!

by Catherine C.,Caitlin C.,and Irene P.5th Graders

• • •

Specialty ChorusDo you love to sing? If the answer is “yes,” then join

Specialty Chorus on Tuesdays and Thursdays. All grades are welcome in this club. In Specialty Chorus,

having fun is one of the main priorities. This club is about improving your singing and getting in tune. It does not

matter if your voice has a low pitch or high pitch- every voice

counts!

Art ClubIf you love art and enjoy being with your friends, then come to

the Art Club. Artists of all levels will love this club

because everyone can be creative and spontaneous.

There will be many activities, like creating murals, paintings, and portraits, to name a few.

Intramural SportsIf you have a passion for sports, then try Intramural

Sports . This is a club where students can play many sports

and games. All grades are welcome, but sometimes

sports are for specific grades. It is super fun and meets on

many Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

MUSICAL THEATRE: WHO’S IN CHARGE?

Mr. Lane Mr. Griffin

Past MusicalsInto the Woods 2010

Annie 2009

Wizard of Oz 2008!

Oliver 2007

CHESS CLUB

Join this club if you like to play chess and other

board games that involve strategy, or love just having a

grand old time! Snacks will be served,

and everyone will have a blast playing all kinds of games. See if you can beat

your best buds!

Eighth Graders and Their Laptops

“They are for school work. They are allowed to put music on them, and the school gets a list of what websites they've been to.”

Do they have to give the laptops back at the end of the year?“Yes the laptops will be wiped clean.”We went to drama and asked Mr. Lane if the Eighth Graders use the laptops in Drama.“Yes, they use it for research and to share clips of performances.”We asked some actual Eighth Graders: Courtney Dye, Victoria Bettuelli, and Rachel Potdburg a couple of questions about the laptops:What do you usually do on your laptops?“We do schoolwork, homework, study and do research. And sometimes we do tests.” Do you use your laptops at home?“Yes we check our emails.”Can your laptops be taken away?"Yes, they can if you go on inappropriate websites. The school gets a list of what websites we go on."So now, if you see an eighth grader wandering the halls with their laptops hanging off their shoulder, you'll know why, and how, the eighth graders have their laptops.

by Jordan K. & Brianna D.5th Graders

Have you been wondering why and how the Eighth Graders have their laptops? We've been going around the school, and asking questions about the laptops. We asked Mr. Kaplan a few questions about the laptops:

How did all the Eighth Graders get their laptops?“Well.....it was decided, that in preparation for the new high school, it would be a good idea to pilot the use of laptops with the eighth graders.”

Did they they buy them with their own money or did the school provide them?“The school provided them, and students were required to pay a small fee for insurance.”

Did the Eighth Graders have to earn the laptops?“No, everybody was given one, but there are certain expectations on how they would be used.”

Are they allowed to bring them home?

“Yes.”......Students have been challenged with the new laptops, and so have the teachers.”

We also interviewed the librarian, Mrs. Rotkiewicz, and she said that the Eighth Graders can use the laptops in the library. They can take a test with them or do group work.”

We went to Mrs. Hatt's office and asked her a few questions:

How did you think of the idea of getting laptops?

“The superintendent was the main reason, because technology is huge, and Natick is on the cutting edge of technology. The Eighth Grade teachers went to other schools in New York, Maine, and New Hampshire, and those Eighth Graders had laptops.”

Why did they have to get Apple laptops, why not another brand?“Um.........we've been using Macs for quite a long time, we have been working with them for a while, and we have made a very good friendship (with Apple).

Do you allow the Eighth Graders to use them for other reasons or just school work?

• • •

SNOW FOR HALLOWEEN? IS THAT A TRICK OR A TREAT? ONE SIXTH GRADER RECOUNTS HER HALLOWEEN EXPERIENCE

• • •

by Julia J.6th Grader

I stepped outside at 11:30 at night after a bat mitzvah and I could not believe my eyes. There was white, fluffy stuff everywhere, and about three inches of it! Snow… in October? I thought I was dreaming! But I was wrong; there actually was snow, on the ground, in October! We got into our car and started driving home. Instead of a ten-minute drive, it took us twenty-minutes because there were down trees and branches everywhere! Finally, we got home.

One day passed and the phone rang. My Mom picked it up. “This is Mrs. Vickery from Kennedy Middle School. There is no power, so we will not have school tomorrow, thank you!”

“Girls, that was Mrs. Vickery,” she yelled from the kitchen. “You have no school tomorrow!” She followed.

“Yay!” My sister and I cheered. “Snow day!”

That night coming home from trick-or- treating, we got another phone call.

“This is Mrs. Vickery from Kennedy Middle School, tomorrow the sixth graders will go to school at Wilson due to power outages. Thank you!”

“Wow!” I thought. First, no school and now we are going to Wilson? What a crazy week! I was excited to go to Wilson because I had never been before.

In the morning, we got on the bus and headed toward Wilson. When we got there, we had our four classes, but did not have specials. Then we went to the auditorium to watch movies about the Earth. Next was lunchtime, followed by a twenty-five minute “Laps for Lunch”. It was really nice to walk and talk with friends and feel the fresh air after being inside the school all day. I had a fun day at Wilson.

Six hours later we got another phone call.

“It’s Natick Public Schools!” I said to my Mom, hoping we would go back to Kennedy tomorrow. My wish was granted when we went back to Kennedy the next day. It was good to be back!

The Great Halloween ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Blackout of 2011

by Tim M.7th Grader

• • •

Behind the yellow and white line of flags surrounding the roof of KMS, energy saving solar panels are being installed. These power-producing machines will save both money and the environment for the town of Natick. The installation is being funded with part of the $173,526 rewarded by the state of Massachusetts for Natick being a Green Community. Natick is only one of (currently) seventy four other Green Communities. These solar panels are going to be installed, maintained and own by the company Ameresco, who also installs wind power systems. The solar panels cost $74,000 to rent for a 20 year period. Ameresco will charge the school for for a fixed rate of three to six cents per kilowatt hour. This, at it's most expensive, costs one third of the school's old eighteen cent rate per kilowatt hour. This means that the school will save about $15,000 per year. If this goes on, the panels would have paid for themselves in only 5 years. The solar panels will also effect the environment. Since the school is no longer purchasing electricity from utility plants that create emissions, KMS is causing much less carbon dioxide and green house gases to enter the

atmosphere. The decrease in harmful gases will be about 60 tons of carbon dioxide. To understand this astounding cut, think of how one metric ton of carbon dioxide is equal to a metric ton of frozen CO2 (dry ice). Now multiply that by 60, and you have, in your mind's eye, how much CO2 KMS is saving annually, through the switch to solar. The new solar energy has met well with the school and town officials.“It's a great opportunity for us to save our energy bills,” says Superintendent Dr. Sanchioni of the solar panels, “and it shows what collaboration between the School Department and the town can do.”“You can't beat the price,” Mr. Bois, the Natick conservation agent, said.”I think this is a great opportunity. It's a wonderful first step in moving the town toward using renewable fuel sources.” Also, the director of finance for the Natick School System, Mr. Hurley, spoke highly of the new technology. “We're going to save some money for taxpayers and we're going to do a good thing for the environment.” Mr. Hurley also spoke of the educational benefits the solar panels would open up, such as learning how solar power works as being part of the KMS curriculum. The money to pay for this

new form of electricity gain was taken from the Green Communities Fund reward given to the town of Natick by the state of Massachusetts. The money will be used to fund this project and carbon sensors that will be added to the Town Hall. The Green Communities Fund was created by the state government to help communities in Massachusetts to become more 'green by helping the environment and using different energy sources. Nearby towns, such as Sherborn, Hopkington and Wayland, have also received money from the Fund to fuel environmental changes. Ameresco, the solar company, will complete the solar panels this fall. Once KMS begins to use power from the panels instead of the utility companies, the school will save 15,000 dollars and stop 60 metric tons of carbon dioxide from being emitted. Once the construction is complete, Kennedy Middle School will have become a greener place.

The Green Initiative- How the new solar panels are going to change the school

Q: Do you think it will be an exciting year for the Kennedy cross country team?A: “Definitely!! This year's team is our biggest yet!! for the first couple of years that we had cross country at kennedy, we had a team of 15-20 kids.! This year we have 35 athletes!! It is wonderful to have so many kids excited about running and being a part of the team.”

I later asked Mrs. Hacket if there were any cross country team members that wouldn’t mind being interviewed, and she said that 8th grader Hadley Browning would be happy to. Mrs. Hacket also helped me track down Hadley’s email address, then the interview began:!

Q: Why did you decide to try out for the cross country team?!!A: It took a little while before I noticed how much I liked to run. I first noticed when I came in first for girls, at the KMS Mini Marathon two years ago, when I was in 6th grade. I didn't really think about being on the team until the summer of going into 7th grade, when I ran in a triathlon, and my team did pretty

well. After I ran in the triathlon a few people came up to me and asked me if I was on a cross country team, when I said no, they told me I should try it, and I did.

Q: What is your favorite thing about cross country? A: There are so many things about cross country that I love. First of all, running in general is one of my favorite activities. It also keeps me in good shape and lets me get rid of stress, for things like tests or worrying about my best friend, who moved away. I also like how you can interact with people in other grades and teams. It is a great way to meet new people and friends.

Q: Do you play any other sports?A: Along with cross country, I also play soccer. I am on the second team for my age group. (Team A2 or B, whatever you want to call it) Last year I also tried track and field as well, but I still like cross country a little bit better. Another sport I play is tennis. I played all summer long, and I am looking forward to playing again in the winter. At my summer place, I was the girls 14 and under tennis champion. Lastly, I like to ski. Every February, my family and I go to Colorado to ski down the big mountains. Some sports like Hockey and basketball, I just stopped this year because of my busy schedule.

Q: Were you on the cross country team in previous years?A: Last year (7th grade) was my first year on the cross country team. It was a fantastic experience, and I would recommend it to anyone who has the slightest bit of love for running.

COMING IN THE NEXT Kennedy Edge:

Triball!

The Fall Play

Teacher Feature

Winter Sports Preview

Stay Tuned...

Cross Country- Continued From Page 2