the grais rising star · 2018. 9. 7. · fantastic beast 10 hidden figures 6 (continued from...
TRANSCRIPT
The GRAIS Rising Star “Created by students, for students.”
Volume 1: Issue: 2 - Monday, May 1st, 2017 http://graisrisingstar.weebly.com/ $.50 cents
Homework Issues:
To Do Or Not To Do...That is The
Question! By: Kaiya Rego
Artwork By: Lindsey Olivier
H omework is a key element in a student’s overall
success in school. Homework helps teachers measure students’ progress, but it also helps students too. Students can study for tests, learn important concepts and responsibility, and practice what they’ve learned. “In my opinion, the main point of math homework is to practice what you have learned in class so that students can solidify their understanding of the topic,” says Ms. Ortloff, a fifth grade math and science teacher at GRAIS. “I think the point of homework is to practice a skill that was taught during the school day. Having said this, I think math homework is essential.” In ELA, “I think reading is just about the best kind of homework to advance comprehension and vocabulary skills,” says Mrs. Flanders, an ELA and social studies teacher at GRAIS. Despite this, students still struggle to turn in assignments on time, or with sufficient effort. But why is that? What are the reasons for students not turning in homework? Is it the classic excuse of “my dog ate my homework,” or is there more to it? 11 students were polled, and these were some of the reasons given:
● Did not have enough time because of after school activities or sports
● Forgot to write the homework assignment down in agenda
● Lost it ● Forgot to pick up the homework sheet ● Did the sheet of homework, but forgot it
at home (continued on the right/up) →
(continued from Homework Issues) 4 out of the 11 students that were
interviewed were either in a different school or a different district. So, this shows the homework problem isn’t just happening at GRAIS, but in other schools and in different grades in the area. Some teachers have even reduced the amount of homework given because they recognize that sometimes paper homework for certain subjects may not be completed by students independently. Instead, teachers like Mr. Lestage, a fourth grade ELA and social studies teacher at GRAIS, encourages students to read and write at home each night. “I know who is doing homework and who is not by what I see in the classroom. Kids who are reading and writing in their free time perform a lot better in school - and those that don’t, well it reflects greatly in what I see in school daily.” Homework may be tricky, but teachers are always here to help you!
Newspaper Troubles?
By: Phoebe Quinn & Madison Gilbert
Photo Credit: Madison Gilbert
Look like this every time you read a
newspaper? Think “how am I supposed to read this?” Well, keep reading and you’ll see reading a newspaper is as easy as 1,2,3! First, you have a newspaper and now you need to know how a newspaper is set up. A newspaper is set up in columns. So, when reading a newspaper you have to go in each column from top to bottom, then left to right. There are headings to mark where each story begins. Sometimes, there might be “continue to the next page or column,” so
(continued on the right) →
Top 3 Movies of the Year Survey
By: Delaney Bazydlo
Photo Credit: Orianna Hernandez
Grab your popcorn, a movie ticket, and a front
row seat, because here are the top three movies of the year! I surveyed forty-five, 4th grade students on their favorite movie of the year, and thirty-two of those students picked one of the top three movies! The top three movie results are Beauty and the Beast, Fantastic Beasts, and Hidden Figures. The top three movie choices are “fantastic” said one student, but other students did not agree. Other students chose Boss Baby and other good movies. When I asked why someone liked a movie the girl said “I liked Hidden Figures because it is about math and NASA and I think that is cool and it is based on a true story.” If you are thinking of going to go see one of these phenomenal movies, take my advice - stop thinking and go to the movies!
Movies # of students
Beauty and the Beast 16
Fantastic Beast 10
Hidden Figures 6
(continued from Newspaper Troubles) → look at the bottom of the page when reading. There also might be a picture and usually a caption to show what the picture is. So now can’t you see that reading a newspaper is as easy as 1,2,3!
page 1
GUm! by: Morgan Hayward
Photo Credit: Sofie Olivieri
Peppermint, bubblegum, raspberry! Icebreaker, Orbit, Bazooka! All different kinds, all
different flavors. What is it you ask? Gum! Gum isn’t allowed at GRAIS, and most students don’t like this rule. Teachers say it’s distracting, but research says otherwise. Do you think gum should be allowed in schools? Nobody can ignore the fact that gum is messy. Along with that, its noises can disturb other people around them. Those are just some of the cons of chewing gum in school. Gum chewing has many benefits for humans that most students, teachers and people in general don’t know about. According to Craig Johnston, lead researcher and instructor in the nutrition Department of Pediatrics, gum is helpful in many ways. “Teachers found that students who chewed gum required fewer breaks, paid attention longer, and stayed quiet longer than those who didn’t.” Another study shows that chewing gum satisfies cravings, which means students can focus more on class work or tests rather than thinking about how much longer until lunch time. Dr. Michael Benniger, Chairman of the Head and Neck Institute, says “Overall, gum is more beneficial than it is harmful.” Have you ever noticed any of these effects while chewing gum? I asked 4th and 5th grade students here at GRAIS their opinion on whether or not they would like to chew gum in school, and if it should be allowed. Orianna Hernandez said, “I think gum should be allowed as long as people don’t stick it to walls or under desks.” She felt gum should be allowed in our school, along with multiple other students. 5th grade student Milan Mendes would also like to have the privilege of chewing gum in school. She says, “if your breath smells bad and it is presentation day, the gum would freshen your breath!” Most students would like to chew gum in school, but what about the kids with braces? Sofie Olivieri has braces and doesn’t have a problem if she can’t chew gum. “I don’t care if other students around me are chewing gum.” Along with Sofie, I have braces, but I think as long as students with braces can replace gum with something else such as Lifesavers, it would be even better! Some students have split different reasons why we should or shouldn’t chew gum in school. Student Ayvia DaSilva thought this way. “I think we should be able to because gum can help you focus more, but I think we shouldn’t chew gum because gum can get really messy. Overall though, I think gum should be allowed at GRAIS.” Lots of students think gum should be allowed in school. But what do the teachers think? Some teachers think yes, but others say no. “I am in favor of gum in school, as long as students are responsible, don’t to stick it to anything, or blow bubbles or crack it in class.” I also asked Mrs. Allen what she thought and this was her response: “Well, I think no. I wish I could say yes, however, I feel it would cause too many problems and distractions.” Alongside Mrs. Allen I addressed Mrs. Loranger with this question. She says “gum chewing at GRAIS wouldn’t be problem, but students stick it under desks and chairs and it just isn’t acceptable.” In conclusion, gum doesn’t just help on airplanes and put flavor in your mouth, it improves concentration. For this reason most students would like to chew gum in school. But in the end it is the teacher's classroom. Do you think gum should be allowed to be chewed at GRAIS?
ELectronics in school By: Milan Mendes
Photo Credit: Rachel Roelofsen
Have you heard game noises coming from other students? Well, it may be an electronic. I personally think that we should be able to use our personal electronic devices in school. We already use electronics almost every day in school from the classroom computers, to the chromebooks. I asked Mr. Lestage a couple of questions about electronics. “How do you feel about using personal electronics in school?” He said, “I love using electronics, I use them every day.” “Would you let your students use their personal electronics?” “As of right now, no - I would have to think about it in the future.” “It can be hard to monitor/control personal devices especially with 4th graders - I would encourage it more in 5th grade and into the middle school.” Then I asked a couple different students about using electronics. First I asked Sophia Bandera a couple of questions. “Are you for using electronics in school or against it? She said she was “for it, but there should be appropriate times we should use our own personal devices, not to play with in class, just in case you have an emergency and have to contact home.” Next, I asked Gianna Sarkisian a question about using electronics. “Are you for or against using personal electronics in school? She also said she was “for it because at recess it’s an activity that keeps kids quietly active. If there was ever an emergency, our guardians can contact us as well.” The last student I interviewed was Morgan Hayward. “Are you for it or against using personal electronics in school? Once again, another student was for it. Morgan said, “When you use your device at recess, you are using it on your own time.” I think using personal electronics in school is okay only if you don’t use your device in class and you follow the rules. If you do this, you should be allowed to have your device out. Based on a majority of students opinions, I think we should be allowed to use our personal electronic devices in school.
pagE 2
The Lady Lakers Showdown!
By: Whitney L’Heureux
Lady Lakers get first basket of the game which turns out to be an advantage for the Lakers!
Photo Credit: Reagan Flynn
Sad because football season is over? Don’t want to watch baseball? Hockey is not your style? Well if you're into basketball, this will be your article! Do you know who the “Lady Lakers” are? They are our very own 5th grade basketball athletes! In their championship they beat Northbridge with a score of 23-20! We asked one of the stars of the team, Sophia Bandera, a few questions about it. GRS: What position did you play? Sophia: Forward most of the time and sometimes Shooting Guard. GRS: Did you like the referees? Sophia: NO! GRS: Why not? Sophia: They only called fouls on our team and nothing on the other team. Half our fouls they called were awful fouls. GRS: Did you think the team was going to make it this far? Sophia: Honestly in the beginning no, but as the season went on I truly believed we could do it, and we did! GRS: Did your lucky headbands help you? Sophia : Of course they did! In 2015, the Lady Lakers that were on the team won their championship and two years later the 2017 5th grade Lakers won their championship against Northbridge! The girls did great this year and we all loved their win, but we all have one question: Can they do it again next year?
After School Hobbies By: Rachel Roelofsen
Artwork By: Lindsey Olivier
From the moment you wake up you are bursting with excitement. You race downstairs,
devour your breakfast, and run off to the bus. You reach school and you are bursting with energy. Tick, tick, tick, you wait as those annoying ticks of the classroom clock go by. Meanwhile, you are more focused on the adventures awaiting you instead of the same old school work. The switch finally happens - it's time for your second class of the day! You are even more stoked to reach the end of the day. You’ve waited almost six hours for this moment. Then, in what has seemed an eternity, a bursting ring alarms everyone in your class. Finally school is over! You get on the bus to head home and go somewhere fun. Do you have an after-school activity? Everything after-school is fun, right? Well little did you know, just like in school, when you do an activity like horse-back riding or football you are learning! Even though the things you do after school seem way more fun, you are getting important information just like you do in school. (continued on the right) →
Lady Lakers received lucky headbands from coaches! The lucky
headbands brought the Lady Lakers good luck into playoffs and
states! Photo Credit: Reagan Flynn
(continued from After School Hobbies) → I gathered some opinions on different activities some of your classmates participate in. My best friend Addysen Zussy stated, “You get to compete in fun games,” and she plays tennis. Another one of our classmates Makayla Macomber said, “I love hockey everything is super fun!” I thought these were amazing opinions! Nevaeh Benting said “Being a catcher is fun, as well as calling out scores,” and she plays softball. “You get good exercise from it! You also have fun” says Mia Mendes. She loves to roller skate. Bella Gagnaire and Ava Dixon, two well known soccer players around our school stated, “Scoring goals, seeing friends and playing offense and defense is so fun, we love it!” Personally I love to go horse-back riding. It makes me feel very soothed, I love the gentle beings as they are so amazing and majestic! When you play a sport you may feel exhausted after. This is because you have been working out your body and brain. When you play a sport like football you think it's all about muscle and strength, but really the part of your body that is the strongest weapon in any game is your brain! You use your brain to process strategies and use it to signal to your body to do what you want it to do. For example, if you want your arm to throw a football your brain sends a shockwave to your arm causing it to do that action. It doesn't matter whether it's a sport or something you do after school thats involves exercise, it is considered a hobby. There are tons of sports and hobbies you can have, or do!
● Tennis Football ● Soccer Baseball ● Softball Horseback riding
No matter how big, small or athletic you are, after school hobbies are fun for everyone and are a great way to relax, exercise and have something to do after school!
page 3
Teacher profile: mrs. flanders
By: Logan Froio
Above: GRAIS Rising Star Logan Froio interviews 5th grade teacher Mrs. Flanders Photo Credit: Boston Piquette
M rs. Flanders started teaching 8 years ago. She started teaching because of her daughter's teacher. “She was an amazing teacher ” she said. This 5th grade teacher at GRAIS currently works to help readers and writers to successfully improve their work. She has worked with 4th and 5th grade students at GRAIS. She loves being a teacher and thinks a school is like a family. She thinks of a school as a family because of the way she feels walking through the doors every morning. She feels happy, happy to see her “family.” Family as in the students and teachers, she feels that we all help each other like a family. You may think that all teachers yell at misbehaving students, but not Mrs.Flanders. She first asks why they are upset and evaluates the problem. Then, Mrs. Flanders asks if someone made them feel mad or why they were misbehaving. If the student was misbehaving or acting up for no reason at all then she will feel frustrated, but still will resist to yell at any student. She does not feel that yelling at a student to stop is the correct answer to help a problem. Even though Mrs. Flanders is a caring and fair teacher, she still has expectations from all her students. She knows when a student has not studied for a test or quiz. Most all teachers can, but for her, it is the guilty look on their face when she asks the class if they studied and the one student slowly nods and seems frightened to lie to a teacher. When MCAS rolls around she thinks that even students that have not worked as hard as they could have during the previous months can still perform well. Overall Mrs. Flanders sounds like a pretty good teacher. So, for those fourth graders coming into fifth grade, you can hope you might be lucky enough to get Mrs.Flanders - a nice, caring and fair teacher in the fifth grade. In my opinion, Mrs.Flanders is a big help to the school and I hope she will be as nice of a teacher later than what she is now!
LESS HOMEWORK By: Lily Rogers and Jaymi Bowlby
How do you feel about less homework? We believe that time outside of school shouldn't be spent doing extra work. There are students and teachers who agree and disagree about less homework. This is really up to the staff members to decide, but many people ask why do we have to do extra work outside of school every day? Many students have afterschool activities such as sports. Kaiya Rego said she likes homework because “it is an extra challenge,”, but Kyle Cousineau on the other hand would rather have less homework because he thinks “it takes up his free time.” Out of all the students we interviewed, nine students prefer the amount of homework we have now, while thirty-three students wanted less homework.
Homework survey results
9 Students prefer the amount of homework we have now
33 students want less homework
Fourth grade students Addison Taylor, Sophia El-Ghadi, Brenna Palaiologos, Kenny Picciandara and Morgan Saraceno like the idea of less homework so they can relax after school which is the same opinion as many fifth graders. Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for! What do teachers feel about no homework? Mrs.Flanders a fifth grade ELA and social studies teacher says, “I think homework can be very effective if it is used to practice a skill that was recently taught. I am not a big fan of giving large amounts of homework. However, I do believe students should be reading every night.” Fifth grade math and science teacher Ms.Ortloff says, “I feel homework is a critical part of the learning process, especially in math. Students need a chance to practice what they have learned during the school day to really understand it.” Fourth grade math and science teacher Ms.Rogers says, “less homework or no homework is a nice way for students to have time to spend with family and after school activities, but I think there should be a balance.” Fourth grade ELA and social studies teacher Mr.Lestage says “I feel that homework is an important part of school to a certain point. Students should have homework to reinforce things they have been taught in school. (continued on the right) →
Date Event
Tuesday, May 2nd 5th Grade - Soccer (AS)
Wednesday, May 3rd Newspaper Club
Thursday, May 4th 4th Grade - Soccer (AS)
Tuesday, May 9th 4th Grade - MATH MCAS
Tuesday, May 9th 5th Grade - Soccer (AS)
Wednesday, May 10th 4th grade - MATH MCAS
Thursday, May 11th 5th Grade - MATH MCAS
Friday, May 12th 5th Grade - MATH MCAS
Tuesday, May 16th 5th Grade - SCIENCE MCAS
Tuesday, May 16th 5th Grade - Soccer (AS)
Wednesday, May 17th 5th Grade SCIENCE MCAS
Thursday, May 18th 4th Grade - Soccer (AS)
Tuesday, May 23rd 5th Grade - Soccer (AS)
Wednesday, May 24th Newspaper Club
Thursday, May 25th 4th Grade - Soccer (AS)
Monday, May 29th NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day
Tuesday, May 30th 5th Grade - Soccer (AS)
Wednesday, May 31st Newspaper Club
*AS (After School)
(continued from Less Homework) I think students that read and write in their free time perform and interact much better in school.” How would you feel about getting a packet on a Monday and it be due by friday? We think it would be a good idea so that you can manage your time better. If you think your time needs to be managed better ask your teacher for maybe a new plan for homework in your class!
Artwork By: Lily Svirtunas
page 4
Grais school lunch
By: Oriana Hernandez & Ayvia DaSilva
(Above) A photo of a typical school lunch (Above/Right) GRAIS Rising Star Ayvia DaSilva interviews the cafeteria workers. Photo Credit: Orianna Hernandez
H ave you ever wondered what is in the school lunch? How it is made? Or what it’s made of? This article will answer those questions and present some different opinions. We interviewed the lunch ladies to get the facts, and we also asked some students for their opinions. We interviewed multiple lunch ladies so we had many different opinions to go from. We asked the question that a lot of kids wonder, is the meat that they use real? They replied, ‘’Yes, the meat that we use is real, but we mostly use chicken.” We also asked if they think the food that they serve to the GRAIS students is healthy or processed. One of the lunch ladies slowly said, ‘’Both, some of the meals that we serve are healthy, but some meals are not as healthy as others.” Now for some of questions we asked the students. The main questions were, “Do you like the cafeteria food?” One of the students that we asked said, ‘’Yes, I like the school’s food because I think some of the foods that they serve taste good.” Olivia Lopes says she likes the food because it “saved time in the morning.” Another question we asked was “Do you think the food could be more nutritious?” Caleigh Venuti said, “Yes, I think so because I think the sausages are sometimes raw.” Meadow Braveheart also said she did not like the food because it “made her stomach hurt.” Here are the rest of the questions we asked the lunch ladies. We inquired if they really make the food or just buy it. They surprisingly answered that they bought the food. We questioned one of the lunch ladies specifically if she would sometimes pay for other students’ lunch if she had a connection with them. She replied that “sometimes she would buy food if a student wanted to get something but did not have enough money.” The last question we asked the lunch ladies is “How did you get started with your job?” She answered, “I got started with my job when my son was little I needed a job that let me stay home more.” Those are all the questions we asked the lunch ladies.
The rest of the questions were answered by the students. One of the questions we asked the students was, “Would you rather buy the school food or bring your own?” Emma Seaberg says she likes to bring her own food. Ava Demelo also said she likes to bring lunch from home because she can choose what she has for lunch. The next question we asked was “What food do you think they should add?” Amelia Turner exclaimed, “They should add ice cream!” Ella Choi said, “They should add cheese and crackers.” Another question we asked was “Do you think they should add a salad/pick your own food bar?” Owen Vieria, said “Yes, because I like food.” The last question we asked was “Do you think the lunches taste good?” Niamh Gallagher said, “No, I am not sure the meat is real.” Delaney Mackay said “Yes, I like the school lunch because I like the breakfast for lunch.”
I hope this article has enlightened your perception of school lunch. Hopefully this helps you made the decision whether to bring lunch or buy lunch.
Barn owls and white
Rhinos By: Autumn Arnone
This month, since we have been learning all about animals in 4th grade, we asked 20 students which animal they prefer, a Barn Owl or a White Rhino. The winner was the Barn Owl! The Barn Owl won with 14 votes, while the White Rhino only received 6 votes. We hope your favorite animal won! Since, I wasn’t able to ask everyone’s opinion, here are some facts about each animal so that you can decide for yourself. The Barn Owl lives on every continent except Antarctica where as the White Rhino only lives in Southern Africa. Barn Owls eat small mammals such as rats, mice, voles and shrews. On the other hand, the White Rhino eats leaves and fruit. Did you know, Barn Owls can locate their prey by sound alone! Did you know that sadly, White Rhinos are endangered, there are only three White Rhinos left in Africa! :( If you want to learn more about these beautiful creatures go to www.kids encyclopedia.com! ;)
SURVEY RESULTS
Barn Owls 14 votes
White Rhinos 6 votes
Barn Owl - Artwork By: Aurora Corbett
White Rhino - Artwork By: Aurora Corbett
page 5
GRAIS RISING STAR volume 1 issue 1 - APRIL 2017
BY THE NUMBERS By: Mr. Lestage
Day of the Week Copies Sold 4th Grade Copies Sold 5th Grade Copies Sold Teachers/Parents
Total Copies Sold Website Pageviews Website Unique Visitors
Monday* 17 35 27 79 12 4
Tuesday 47 37 5 89 26 1
Wednesday 27 17 1 45 15 3
Thursday 20 18 0 38 74 21
Friday 25 22 6 53 106 37
TOTALS 136 129 39 304 233* 66*
*Monday was a ½ day *(1 month 456 pageviews - 1 month 123 unique visitors)
In this month’s edition, I felt it was important to explain the process in which the newspaper goes through to be made. Many students, teachers and parents asked how we did it, and why the newspaper costs money to buy instead of being a free newspaper. Our team talked together and thought this was a great question, and one we could provide answers to for our readers. THE BRAINSTORM PROCESS To begin, we meet twice a month. Our first Wednesday meeting of each month begins after school from 2:30-4:30pm where we begin to brainstorm. We get into “think-tanks” where we meet in small groups and start coming up with interesting topics, as well as read through the tips we received for that month. The groups then rotate 4-5 times so they can meet up with others to get more ideas, eliminate bad ones, and settle on popular topics. We then comeback together and begin to pair up. In my classroom, I use Class Dojo which is an online classroom platform that assigns students characters. In this program, I randomly select members of the GRAIS Rising Star who then have first pick for their topic that month. Each employee then picks their topic and then partners up with a photographer/cartoonist/artist. We then write it up on the big assignment board and the team fills out their assignment sheets. We do this until everyone has a role and then we are off to work. Students have the remainder of the time to plan, draft, and begin writing. They are given a deadline each month which is always our second Wednesday meeting at the end of the month that they have to submit their final drafts by. We then come together to edit, import photos, scan artwork, and format the paper for publishing. THE PRINTING PROCESS From here, we begin the printing process! The paper is formatted to fit 11x17 paper, sent double-sided to the copier and is checked for quality inspection making sure the ink is fresh, the paper is clean and wrinkle-free and is in the correct order. From here, the paper is stapled in three spots to insure it opens easily and no text is covered. After final staples, the papers are counted in groups of 25 and placed in boxes of 100 until they are ready for sale. DISTRIBUTION TO CUSTOMERS This is when it all pays off. Students then work in shifts during lunches (teacher delivery on Monday’s) selling the papers to both 4th and 5th graders (and any teachers/parents that are in the building.) They log and keep track of how many are sold and to which group. At the end of their shift they count up the money and make sure it matches how many copies sold. They also have a “bank” of $20 that they always have to maintain in the event we need to give change to our customers. After this, they return the money to me so I can double-check their work. The money gets stored in the school safe until it is time to buy supplies. WHERE THE MONEY GOES $
Costs Materials Used Profit Net Profit
WB Mason Flagship™ Copy Paper, 11" x 17", 20 2500/CT - $61.99 per 2500 sheets (5 reams) Black Toner - Ricoh® Toner, Black - $59.99 Swingline® Staples, 5000/Box - $4.29 a box = $126.27 *DOES NOT INCLUDE COLOR INK YET!
Our first issue was 3 pages (double-sided) We sold 304 copies = 912 pages + 25 color copies (75 pages) = 987 total pages We stapled 329 copies with 3 staples each = 987 total staples
304 copies at $0.50 = $152 25 employee color copies + Principal, Superintendent , Director of Curriculum Profit = $152
Net Profit (Profit - Costs) $152-$126.27 = $25.73
As you can see, we did very well in our first month, but will need to continue to supply ourselves with the materials needed to produce the paper each month to stay in business. We are extremely grateful to all that purchased our first issue and hope you enjoyed reading. We will continue to stand by our goal of being a newspaper “created by students, for students.”
Page 6
Original artwork/comics/cartoons (enlarged)
Artwork By: Lindsey Olivier Artwork By: Lindsey Olivier
Artwork By: Lily Svirtunas
CHECK US OUT ONLINE! http://graisrisingstar.weebly.com/ - SEND TIPS/IDEAS TO: [email protected]
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CHECK US OUT ONLINE! - http://graisrisingstar.weebly.com/ -
SEND TIPS/IDEAS TO: [email protected]
The GRAIS Rising Star “Created by students, for students.”
CHECK US OUT ONLINE! - http://graisrisingstar.weebly.com/ -
SEND TIPS/IDEAS TO: [email protected]