5TH GRADE VOICE WINTER 2014
WASHINGTON SCHOOLMRS. ROSSI’S CLASS NEWSPAPER
We, the students of Mrs. Rossi’s fifth grade class hereby resolve to bring Language Arts to new heights. We are dedicated to developing reading, writing, listening, speaking, and thinking skills. Our mission is to inform, persuade, and entertain readers.
We reserve the right to make mistakes because they are a part of our learning process. We welcome your feedback. Please feel free to write to us through .
Answers From Mr. Jones
BY AXEL REYES RIVERA & CHRISTOPHER CARNOVALE
Do you know the real Mr. Jones? If you don’t your reading the right article, because we had a chance to interview him.
Mr. Jones has been the principal of our school for 12 years. Did do you know that Mr. Jones was inspired by his dad, teachers, and educators?
He also taught 5th and 6th grade. Mr. Jones says” Being in charge of Washington School takes a lot of responsibility.” His goal forour school is to make a comfortable and safe environment.
When asked if technology can improve learning abilities he responded, “Yes, it can, because it expands the classroom beyond the walls of the classroom.” If school budget were not a problem he would make sure every student has a laptop to bring home everyday.
His favorite food is crispy and spicy Buffalo wings. Mr. Jones enjoys reading historical books. His favorite book is Misty of Chincoteague. If Mr. Jones could go anywhere in the world he would go to Machu Picchu.
When we interviewed Mr. Jones we were so nervous. But it wasn’t as bad as we thought it would be. Finally we enjoyed the experience of.
Appreciating Our School Nurse
By Justin Fox & Ricky Flores
Mrs. Reilly the school nurse has worked here for 4 years straight. Before she worked here she worked at Radcliffe school, recovery nurse,
and ICU, CCU. When asked she states “I love this job because it is so welcoming, and I get so much appreciation’’. Mrs. Reilly also said it can be hard because there is just not enough time in the day.
What she loves most about is her patients and how they make her laugh and that just makes her day. She really wanted to become a school nurse because in a regular hospital you have basically people breathing down her back but in a school you are more on her own.
Some people wonder who takes care of the nurse when she is sick but she stays healthy by going to the gym and using the elliptical.
Last outside of school she loves to cook and travel also occasionally likes to garden. Want to know one finale thing, Mrs. Reilly can wiggle her eyes back and forth really fast!
Mako Sharks
By Camron Acompanado
MAKO sharks are the fastest living sea animals in the world! They can go to 22 miles per hour but when chasing prey they go to 43 miles per hour. Is that amazing! Mako’ssharp teeth are not for slicing it is for stabbing its prey. The fish that they eat are mackerels, tuna, and swordfish.
These animals are fascinating to me because they fast and that they look cool. One day I want to see one Mako shark because it is my favorite animal in the world.
There are three kinds of Mako sharks. The Short Fin Makoshark lives in the warm part of ocean and the Long Fin Mako shark lives in the cold part of the ocean.
The Mako only catches fast fish because it wants to test its speed with other animals. Mako sharks skin helps them to move fast so they can catch their prey. When Makos are not hunting their speed goes to 35 miles per hour and when hunting it goes to 60 miles per hour.
The color of the Mako shark on its top is blue brownish gray or deep gray. The botom of the shark is white to a light grey or white with blue undertones.
These sharks are being hunted for sport and being sold for their jaws and for food. That is horror to my eyes. These animals are special to me and I hope that the Mako will be safe.
If you want to learn more about these facinating creatures, look them up online!
Is it OK to Re-gift a Gift?
By: Isabella Iodice
Would you like it if someone re-gifted your gift and gave it to someone else? Many people are okay re-gifting gifts for other people but not me! When anyone gives me a gift I think they are thoughtful. It shows that the person is thinking about me. Wouldn’t you appreciate that? I can’t imagine giving my gift to someone else.
Family members are saying I love you with the gifts they give you. They don’t expect you to give it to someone else even if you already have it. I would be happy though because if you break the same gift that you got, then you can replace it.
I also think that the people who got you the gift want you to appreciate the gifts you got because they put a lot of thought and care in the gift and it may be very nice. They probably spend a lot of time searching for a gift you really want and what do other people do, they just rewrap the gift and give it to their friend. That is just really mean because family members do everything for you to make you happy.
Another reason not to regift is that you will be lying to your friends. If your friend finds out that you regifted you many feel guilty and embarrassed!
Last, but not least my final opinion is to appreciate the gifts your family members give you because they don’t know every gift that you got in your life. Talk to your friends at school about this because you could stop them before they give the person the gift. Explain to them that your family member got it for you and it’s not right to give the gift to other people if you did not buy it. Don’t rewrap gifts!
Kids On Facebook?
By Scott Christman
Do you think fifth graders should be on Facebook? I think they should not. Kids should not be on Facebook because of safety reasons.
First of all ,it is dangerous for kids to talk to people they do not know. They could give away personal information like their address. If they do that people they do not know might go to their house.
Fifth graders should only have Facebook if close friends or family live far away. You could keep in touch. Otherwise you should stay off Facebook.
Remember that if you have Facebook as a kid don’t give away any personal information. You should consider staying off Facebook.
Irish Sports
BY: Lily Conaty
Ireland is a beautifulisland off the coast of the United Kingdom, (Scotland, England, and Whales) this island is not given credit for its beautiful farms, fields, greenery, and scenary.
Gaelic football (ga-lik, ‘A’ as in apple) and hurling are 2 of Irelands national sports. Gaelic football, is much like soccer but played with hands and feet.
Hurling is a dangerous sport, so it is strictly amature. Hurling is a lot like a mix between lacross and soccer, you can catch the ball with your hand but can only pass by slapping it with your hand or a flat wooden stick that you would carry around the field with you.
If you ever decide you want to play a new sport, try one of these! You might just have the time of your life!
Abe Lincoln
By AlexanderFrench
Do you know a lot about our 16th president? If you don’t, I’m going to tell you about a great man named Abe Lincoln.
Abe Lincoln was born on Febuary 12, 1809 in a single room, log cabin in Hodgenville, Kentucky. He lived with his dad, Thomas, and his mom, Nancy. His siblings were his sister Sarah, and brother, Thomas jr. As a young boy, Abe liked yard work and especially, reading.
Abe Lincoln was elected president on March 4, 1861. He married Mary Todd and had four kids, William Wallace, Edward Baker, Robert Todd, and Tad Lincoln. He was a great leader in the Civil War and ended slavery. He was great friends with Ulysses S. Grant, then came his tragic death.
On April 14, 1865, was shot by John Walks Booth in Ford Theater. He died the next day because of brain damage. We will never forget that point in history.
His face is on the 5 dollar bill and on the penny. You can learn more information about him at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. We will always remember what a great president he was.
Electronics In School?
By Zana Rasheed
It’s a cold winter day, its ten degrees outside, and apparently it’s too cold to go outside. Now all the students are going to be restless, noisy, and bored. Maybe if we were allowed to bring our electronics, maybe we wouldn’t be so bored. Should schools allow electronics to be used by students during school? There are advantages and disadvantages.
A lot of kids like to play with their electronics when it’s an in day during lunch. Some kids even have nooks or kindles that they read. In days could be very boring with no electronics. However electronics can have their down sides.
Electronics can be fun but sometimes students use inappropriate apps. You can break school rules when using electronics like going on the Internet, or texting someone. Some students do not use electronics maturely.
Please tell me what you think. Leave us a note in Mrs. Rossi’s mailbox in the main office. Thank you
Learning Cursive: Is It Really Necessary?
By Hailey Fernandez
Do you remember learning how to write incursive? Many school children may never learn cursive writing. Teachers need to focus on teaching more important lessons, rather than take up valuable time just to teach cursive.
Print is the first way we learn to read and write. It is much easier to understand. Students have a harder time learning to write in cursive. Cursive also takes a lot of time to learn, plus a lot of time spent practicing to get it just right. Since we already know print, we could use the time that would be spent learning cursive to learn something else.
With all the technology today, maybe that time would be better spent learning typing/ keyboarding skills. A lot of our writing work can be done on computers. We also use computers for research on the Internet. If we spent some of the extra time learning these skills, it could help us complete assignments and research much quicker.
I believe cursive writing is not necessary to learn in schools anymore. Without the time spent learning cursive, students could have that time to learn so many other things. It is important to learn as much as we can in school. Extra time to learn can only be a good thing for us.
Test Stress
By Ava Tucker and
Jaslie Cabral
Help, I’m taking a test! Do you ever feel stressed or even frustrated while you’re taking a test? Well I do, and I’m sure that you do too. We surveyed our class and discovered some of the top reasons for test stress. W e also offer readers some tips on how to handle anxiety connected with test taking.
After interviewing several fifth grade students, we have found the top three reasons for test stress.
~ Students imagine themselves failing and start to lose confidence in them selves.
~ Students look at tests and see so many questions. They then begin to feel stressed and nervous.
~When students receive their test, they feel like they won’t have enough time to finish it.
If there was only a way to reduce test stress. Here are some tips that might help you out:
~Before you take a test you should listen to relaxing music.
~ When the teacher tells you that you are going to have a test next week or tomorrow you should develop good studying habits and strategies.
~In our classroom we do a one-minute meditation that helps some kids feel less nervous.
When you feel nervous relax and take deep breaths.
I hope these tips helped you out. Please tell us how you handle test stress. You can leave us a note in Mrs. Rossi’s mailbox. Remember on your next test to not feel stressed or frustrated.
A HERO FOR CIVIL RIGHTS
BY: Ashley Tantillo
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a great man who worked for racial equality and civil rights in the United States of America. He was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. Martin had a brother, Alfred, and a sister, Christine. Both his father and grandfather were ministers. His mother was a schoolteacher who taught him how to read before he even went to school.
Young Martin was an excellent student in school; he skipped grades in both Elementary and High school. He enjoyed reading books, singing, riding a bicycle, and playing football and baseball. Martin entered Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, when he was only 15 years old.
Martin experienced racism early in life. He decided to do something to make the world a better place.
After graduating from college and getting married, Dr. King became a minister and moved to Alabama.
During the 1950’s, Dr. King became active in the movement for civil rights and racial equality. He participated in the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott and many other peaceful demonstrations that protested the unfair treatment of African-Americans. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
Honoring the life of a tremendously important leader, we celebrate Martin Luther King Day each year in January, the month in which he was born. August 28, the anniversary of Dr. King’s 1963 I Have a Dreamspeech, is called “Dream Day”
Should Students Go On Vacation During The School Year?
By: Amanda Gibney
Do you think it is right to miss school to go on vacation? Well, lots of students miss school to go on vacation. Do you think this is a good choice? There are many issues to consider.
Personally, I think it is not right to miss school to go on vacation. You might miss some lesson that you will need to know for life. I went to see my aunt in Florida and I missed a day and I was super sad! I was at an amusement park and my classmates were here at school! But if it is family I guess it is a different story.
I decided to ask my 2 classmates Nandini and Justin and my teacher Mrs. Rossi what their opinion on missing school was. Nandini said, “I attended my uncles wedding in India, so I think it was worth it.”
Justin said “Yes, it was worth missing school because I never saw my great uncle in my life”.
I asked Mrs. Rossi,” I think if the student is out for a long time it may hurt their school performance, but I understand that you gain a lot from
traveling to see family. (I think like Mrs. Rossi.) Thanks!!
I hope you will think carefully about going on vacation during the school year. I wish that you would think when you book your next vacation in the summer or on a winter, summer, or spring break. I hope you enjoyed and please think about this topic.
Debate: SHOULD WE BAN RAINBOW LOOM BRACELETS?
By Janie Juat
Rainbow Loom is really popular today, but should we ban it?
Some schools ban kids today from wearing Rainbow Loom bracelets. Rainbow Loom bracelets are bracelets made with rubber bands on a plastic.
They say that it’s a distraction during class and that it may hurt other kids who don’t have the Rainbow Loom.
From The NY Post, it states that one school in New York started to ban the Rainbow Loom bracelets. The principal of the school says in a letter, “The children are playing with the bracelets during class without permission from the teachers. They are playing with them at recess, and it is causing conflict between the children.” This shows that Rainbow Loom is a distraction to some schools around the country.
But some people think that they shouldn’t ban these bracelets. Some kids say that the schools should teach them sensible ways to use their kits at school. They could make them for fund-raisers or activities at school, like book fairs. Some parents think that it’s ridiculous. Here’s what one of them said to the NY Post, “This is ridiculous. There is nothing illicit about Rainbow Looms,”
As you can see, parents and kids both enjoy the Rainbow Loom.
Some classmates were asked what they thought about banning the Rainbow Loom. Here’s what they said.
Amanda Gibney: “We should keep the Rainbow Loom because it keeps kids minds healthy and active.”
Sam Allotey: “No they shouldn’t be banned. I think that since electronics aren’t allowed in school, we can use