The Wildcat Roar
Volume 2
Number 3
Winter/Mid-Spring 2008
A Quarterly Publication of Rocky Hill Middle
Teachers to Forgo 5% Raise
By Becky Grissom
Chief Editor
A recent article in the Washington Post on Thursday December
4, 2008 indicated that Montgomery
County teachers and other school
employees have agreed to forgo their
5% annual raise. According to the
article, “School Employees Forgo
5% Raises in Montgomery,” leaders
of the unions representing the teachers and other school employees have
agreed to forgo the raise that they
normally receive every fiscal year
due to budget cuts.” Considering the
work that teacher do, it seems like a
big sacrifice. According to Daniel De
Vise and Ann Marimow, Washington
Post Staff writers, the agreement by
teachers and other MCPS workers is
“a concession that saves the school
contracts.” Bonnie Cullison, president of the Montgomery County Education Association was quoted in the
article. “Employees have done their
part,” said Ms. Cullison. She hopes
that the leaders would do their part.
Dr. Weast, our school superintendent
who was also quoted in the same article said, “We are trying to do all of
this without any loss of quality.”
Our school system strives for excellence, and we see it in some of the
new technology programs that we
have. Teachers are using different
strategies to help us learn better.
Some students who need extra help
are getting the help they need. At
Rocky Hill Middle School we have
after school programs such as Peer
Tutoring, Homework Club, and
teachers offering after school hours
where kids can get improve grades
and strive to excel in their classes.
Certainly we can‟t do without these
helpful advantages even if they cost
money.
Teachers‟ union and county
leaders must have thought long and
hard about the decision to forgo the
5% raise that teachers and school
employees get every year. We have
seen signs of budget cuts at Rocky
Hill. We recently found that we‟ve
already lost funding for basketball
shoot out. I wonder if there are other
means of raising funds without asking teachers to make such a huge sacrifice during these hard times. Most
of the voters in Maryland voted in
favor of Question 2 on the ballot dur-
system $89 million and allows Superintendent Jerry D. Weast to balance
the budget.” This is clearly a tough
decision as the article in the Washington Post indicates. School Board
President, Nancy Navarro was quoted
in the article when she said credited
the unions with “tremendous sacrifice
during this tough times.” As a beneficiary of the hard work that teachers
put in every day, I would have to
agree.
The economy is tight, and
we have heard a lot about budget cuts
therefore we understand what it
means to give up certain things. Now
teachers and school employees are
feeling the pinch like everyone else.
The article in The Washington Post
indicated that “Employee groups reluctantly agreed to renegotiate their
First Puppy
By Clara Wong
Staff Writer
Do you want a dog? Malia and Sasha, the president‟s daughters do.
Obama promised them a new puppy
when they get to the White House. I‟m
sure the girls are waiting for their new
pooch. On November 4, 2009, when
then Senator Obama won the presidential election, he told his daughters, "I
love you both more than you can imagine. You have earned the puppy that is
coming with us to the White House."
Everything is perfect, except for one
thing: Malia, age 10, is allergic to dogs.
That obviously isn‟t going to stop them
try have been presenting their dogs.
Even the county of Peru got involved
and offered their all-exclusive breed
usually favored and owned by the Incan
kings. The president himself had some
ideas about the dog that he would like
in the White House. A few weeks ago,
in an interview with George
Stephanopoulos, Chief Washington
Correspondent for ABC News, the
president made it clear that he wouldn‟t
like them to get a “girly” or “yappy”
dog. “We're going to have a big rambunctious dog, of some sort,” he said.
Malia, knows for sure what she wants.
She expressed her desire for a goldendoodle—a golden retriever-poodle hybrid that actually isn‟t an official breed
yet. In a recent interview, they revealed
that the final decision was getting
close—they had finally decided be-
from getting their perfect pooch
though. They decided pretty quickly
that they would rescue a dog from an
animal shelter. The new first dog also
had to be hypoallergenic due to Malia‟s allergy. There were many doggie
candidates waiting for the Obama
family to adopt them, but in a survey,
the results were clear on what America thought the puppy should be.
Over 42,000 people opted for
a poodle to enter the White House and
offers have been pouring in from all
over. President Obama admits, “As a
matter of fact, we‟re getting more
advice about this than my economic
policy.” Several shelters in the coun-
1
ing the last election on November 4th.
According to the Maryland State Board
of Election, passing Question 2 would
allow a constitutional amendment that
“authorizes the state to issue up to give
video lottery licenses for the primary
purpose of raising revenue foe education of children in public s schools,
prekindergarten through grade 12, public school construction and improvement, and construction of capital projects at community colleges and higher
education institutions.” The people
who voted for it may have heard the
commercials that urged Marylanders to
vote for it since it would help to fund
our schools. That proposition did pass,
and now we expect them to keep the
promise of using the profits to fund
education. Now that the elections have
come and gone, it is time to keep all
the promises made during the campaigns, from the federal to the local
levels. With an incoming new administration and promises to fix the economy and help the middle class, we
hope that they will be relief for teachers during this touch times.
We are lucky that our school
has books, computers, and Promethean
Boards. Rocky Hill is one of the nicest
schools in Montgomery County, and
we are lucky to have some of the things
that we have. That doesn‟t mean that
we have everything. It would be nice to
have most of what we need in order to
be successful. We may all need to
make sacrifices at one point or another.
tween two dogs. It is a choice between
a Labradoodle or a Portuguese Water
Hound. President Obama said, “We‟re
closing in on it.,” he added with his
signature smile. “This has been harder
than finding a commerce secretary.” If I
were in their shoes, I‟d pick a Labradoodle, because of their out-going personality. Jessica Amick, one of the
Wildcat Roar Staff Writer agrees.
“Definitely a Labradoodle. They‟re
cuter and fluffier.” Melanie Antanesian,
another Wildcat Staff Writer agreed
with the choice, but Kiki, who also
writes for the Wildcat did not seem to
care. “I don‟t care about those dogs.” .
However, dogs aren‟t all fun and
games. The Obama‟s also know that
they have to think about the responsibilities that come with getting a pet.
Like any other soon-to-be dog owner,
the president was concerned about typical things, like who will walk the dog,
feed it, and play with it. There is also
the other detail that involves scooping
the poop. Well we‟ll all watch and wait
patiently with Malia and Sasha. The
first dog or puppy is not going to be
just another dog. It will be The First
Dog or First Puppy.
Editorial and Opinions
The Hardest Job in the World
By Becky Grissom,
Chief Editor
January 20th, 2009 is a date
that will go down in history as the day
that we inaugurated our first African
American president, President Barak
Obama. What an eventful day! It had
many perks with Aretha Franklin, her
hat, and Yo-yo Ma‟s performance.
After all the glamour, the pagentary,
the ballroom dances and the memories, it was down to business for our
44th president. It is time for our leaders to join the new administration in
Washington DC and start moving towards the real goal of fixing our country.
Trust me on this, President
Obama is going to have to get down
and dirty to undo some of the mistakes of previous administrations. One
of the key points is the economy,
which Obama has focused his attention for the past few weeks. Now we
must watch and wait to see if his plans
will turn out our economy around.
We can start to see a
“change” coming just as Obama had
promised during his campaign. The
whole idea of getting rid of Guantanamo Bay may have scared some
people at first, but isn‟t that what we
are looking for, the opposite of what
Bush created?
The president has already
made advances to address the problem
of the economy with his stimulus
plan. It has already gone through congress and what not. This, we hope,
will help a lot with the problems that
we face. At least from all that I heard
The Wildcat Roar Staff
Supervising Editor/Facilitator
Ms. Katie Odey
Chief Editors
Becky Grissom
Rocky Hill Page
Arnelle Etienne
Clara Wong
Sports
Tiara Tymczyszyn
Technology and Comics Editor
Kiki Obiyor
Staff Writers/ Special Features
Jessica Amick
Clara Wong
Melanie Antanesian
Kara Metcalf
Sarah Tew
The Wildcat Roar would
like to her from you. Please
send us your letters and
articles.
The Reality of the Job of a President
among adults, people were very concerned about the economy and it is one
of the main reason why they voted for
him. People believed in him. It‟s time
for him to step up and commit to the
promises that he made . So far he is
doing many things already and not
wasting time since that‟s exactly what
we can‟t afford to see him do.
Not only does he have the job
of being a president to our country, but
also he must maintain his duty as a
father to his two daughters. His two
daughters are at an age when they still
need a lot of guidance and can‟t be
deprived of their own father. In a way
they are sharing their dad with us.
When he ran I‟m sure he knew this
might be a problem, but just like everything else, I‟m sure he has a plan
that will work out in everyone‟s interest. Hopefully he can still read to them
and play ball with them on the White
House lawn once in a while. Besides,
Mrs. Obama and the White House
Staff will team up and make it work..
Now our president see our
president looking young and vibrant,
but we know that the stress of being a
president can really affect one‟s appearance. If you look at a snapshot of
President Bush when he was newly
elected and compare them to how he
looked on during the later part of his
presidency there is a clear difference.
Certainly this didn‟t naturally happen
on its own. I think the culprit is the life
he lived as president. Can you President Obama with wrinkles and bangs
under his eyes? For a person who is
the leader of the free world, and has to
attend to national and international
matters, the stress can take its toll. But
looks aren‟t everything. We know that
presidents are judged by their accomplishments during their presidency, not
necessarily by the way they look..
With the situation in the county now
and all the responsibilities that our
president is taking on, we all hope and
pray that he does well. The wrinkles
that he gets when he leaves office will
not matter.
We are all looking up to
President Obama to keep his promise
of change. Clearly most Americans
had change on their minds when voted
for him last November. Unfortunately,
not everything is perfect and we have
to be open to any mistakes that could
be made. Even presidents do have a
thing or two to learn. We like the
openness of this administration. I
hope there is a place in this administration for kids, after all he is our
president too. Stress can get to everyone, and President Obama is only
human.
We can say, metaphorically,
that President Obama has a lot on his
plate, but I believe that he is the man
for the job at this time, and I wish him
well.
First bite: The Economy.
There is a lot to be done to
fix our crumbling economy.
Next bite: Employment.
We need to put Americans
back to work. Yes, we can.
Next bite: Healthcare.
We can have a high quality
and affordable healthcare.
Another bite: Education.
Americans need to aspire
for higher education in order to lead again.
With determination and
good judgment we can certainly accomplish our goals
to make our country
stronger. Yes, we can.
Letters to the Editor
Dear Rocky Hill,
I‟m concerned about something that happens in the cafeteria. It makes me
very upset.
I have been watching many kids buy their lunch, which is mostly a pizza or a cheeseburger with fries, ice-cream, cookies, and milk. At first I thought the kids eat all of
the lunch they buy but after watching my friends eat, I have noticed that they do not
actually eat their pizza or cheeseburger. They take two or three bites out of it and
throw it out along with their milk. All they eat are cookies and ice-cream. I do not
think that this is something that is right, since if they have not noticed that in many
countries people are starving. I feel as if they should understand how lucky they are
to be in a country were they have enough food. I think that this is a big problem because in our assignment book it actually says that we should not throw away food.
I wish that this issue gets solved because I feel as if we are taking things for granted
and we should care about others that do not have enough to eat.
-Wafa Jawad
Dear Wafa Jawad,
Trust me I have see the same things you see, and I never have truly thought
about the effects of this wastefulness. Now that I think about it I know that these kids
should also start looking at this the way you do. They buy a ton which is not only
racking up a bill for their parents but also taking lunch away from those who would
have wanted to eat those foods. The worse part is that the cafeteria runs out by Dlunch. Even to a large degree their lack of consideration is taking things form others
who deserve it. I hope people read this so they develop a better understanding. The
only thing going on in most people‟s brain as they are getting their lunch is, “Gee!
I‟m really hungry. I think I‟ll eat all this” Once they get to their tables they realize
that what they got is actually what they‟re not in the mood for. Then the wastefulness
continues as the valuable food heads to the trashcan, never to be eaten. THINK BEFORE YOU BUY! And others should advocate this also when they see their friend
with all their food piled high. We all have to make an effort in this hard time for all
nations.
Sincerely,
Chief Editor
Becky Grissom
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To the Editor:
Thank you for the informative article
about bullying in the Fall 2008 edition
of The Wildcat Roar. It gave us some
food ideas about how to stop bullies.
The article also gave us important tips
about how to avoid cyber-bullying. The
part about why bullies lick on others
was also interesting. We appreciate the
information in the article.
Sincerely,
Mrs.Sessa‟s 4th period class
Eddie Williams
Dakota Masten
Jabari Robinson
Bailey Patrick
Alyssa Doyle
We would like to thank Mrs. Sessa‟s
4th Period Class for taking time to read
the article about Bully. The Wildcat is
striving hard to address concerns of
students and staff at Rocky Hill. Clara
Wong, one of the Wildcat Staff writers
wanted to reiterate the need to recognize different forms of bullying and
make better choices. Our school administrators and staff worked very hard
to organize a workshop that taught
about the consequences of bullying.
We also acknowledge our wonderful
Mrs. Reed and our wonderful counselors who worked hard to put the program together.
Rocky Hill Page
Ah-Mazing Teachers
interactions with your students?
Kastenhuber: I feel like I have a great
relationship with them. It‟s very comfortable with my students since I love
to see them learning and developing a
love for the Spanish language.
Editorials and Opinions
Extended
The Dilemma of Difference
By Calvin Toner
TWR: What makes you special?
Kastenhuber: I love to do what I do
and I am excited when I know my students are learning so much from what I
do.
Mr. Stevenson,
Social Studies Teacher
Mr. Stevenson
TWR: How long have you been at
Rocky Hill?
A: 3 months
TWR: How do you feel about being
nominated as teacher of the month?
A: I think it‟s wonderful, thank you for
the nomination!
TWR: How would you describe your
interactions with your students?
A: I really enjoy opportunities to learn
about student‟s interests/hobbies outside
of school. I am looking forward to
watching the girls basketball team because so many of the girls are former
students. I have seen many of the girls on
the team play basketball years ago. The
girls were great back then so I can‟t
imagine how good they will be now.
TWR: What makes you special?
A: Whenever I plan a lesson I try to see
the activity through the eyes of the students. Although I‟m not sure all students
would agree, I try to make the lesson fun.
I still remember what it was like to be in
a classroom as a student. I could always
tell the difference between teachers who
were enthusiastic about their job and
those who were not.
TWR: What would you like your students to know about you?
A: My wife, Karen, is a first grade
teacher at Cedar Grove E.S. I have two
fantastic children: Haley, who is six, and
Nicholas, who is three. In my free time, I
enjoy spending time with my family,
coaching, camping, hunting, running,
playing softball and volleyball.
It is a known fact that in our area,
no, in our country, life has comforted us into a boring routine. We
are thinking that life, on a whole, is
as good as it‟s going to get. But
still, we continue to have complaints. Recently, most of the people I talk to still remind me of how I
have run for the position of 7th
grade Vice President and more
amazingly, won! Yet as I take my
role as a SGA officer, I find that the
reason I ran was to change the
school lunches and improve the
bathrooms. It couldn‟t get done because life in this area is unchangeable and filled with policies and
bureaucracy.
TWR: What would you like your students to know about you?
Kastenhuber: I am 100% dedicated and
I‟m here for them emotionally and
physically.
When I was campaigning
the most common response to my
Mrs. Hallie
Spanish Teacher
Is that why you’re crying?
TWR: How long have you been here at
Rocky Hill?
Hellie: I have been working here for 14
years.
When Stories We read Make Us Cry
TWR: How do you feel about being
nominated as teacher of the month?
Hellie: Surprised and honored to be recognized for something I love doing this.
We read the books that we‟re
required to read, but don‟t like the
fact that they ending bring tears to
our eyes. The books were written for
kids and some have won awards, but
the topics are disturbing.
In sixth-grade, we read
Where the Red Fern Grows. While
we were finishing the book, it wasn‟t
uncommon to see kids crying during
free reading time. If you tried asking
someone what‟s wrong, they would
try to tell you while trying to control
themselves. In The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, which is a
required book for sixth graders, people die. “They [books we read] are
completely and utterly sad.” exclaims Melanie Antanesian, sixth
grader. As a GT student, I have a
high reading level. Unfortunately,
the only topics that are on our level
are depressing, or difficult to understand.
The Newberry honor award
is an award for children and we understand that, however, it would
help to consider the subject-matter.
Kids like us who end up reading
these books end up having to deal
with serious and sometimes disturbing issues expressed in the stories.
Reading is important and
like most of my friends I would like
to read what we enjoy. Making us
read books that are not so sad
would go a long way making us read
and actually enjoy learning from it.
TWR: How would you describe your
interactions with your students?
Hellie: I think about and speak of my
students as my own kids. When I am
with my family, I call my students my
“children” and they have no clue to who
I am referring to. I think that‟s because I
am interested in how they do and the
kind of people they‟re becoming. It‟s by
obligation that they have a great experience with learning
TWR: What makes you special?
Hellie: I truly look forward to seeing my
students and I believe I translate that with
my love.
TWR: What would you like your students to know about you?
Hellie: That I care personally about each
and every one of them and how they are
doing.
Ms. Kastenhuber, Spanish Teacher
TWR: How long have you been here at
Rocky Hill?
Kastenhuber: This is my 3rd year.
TWR: How do you feel about being
nominated as teacher of the month?
Kastenhuber: I am so excited and proud
to be nominated by my students. It‟s a
great honor.
ideas was “that can‟t happen”. I am
not afraid to admit my ideas are
new and different, but bolder things
have been done before. People like
Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, Mahatma Gandhi, Desmond
Tutu and the list goes on and on of
people who have been doubted, and
later succeeded. The worst part of
this problem is that people are used
to the school‟s mediocrity and
don‟t try to change this. Almost all
the time in other places change is
always happening; sometimes entire governments fall in a day.
What we must remember is that
things would always be better and
we can fight for it, or wait for
change to change us.
Hey Wildcats,
Would you like to rave
about an awesome teacher?
Let us know and your “AhMazing teacher will be featured on this prestigious
page.
TWR: How would you describe your
3
We wish there was a way that the
school system would get some
input from kids about the books
that they select for us.
On the other hand, the subjects of the books are of what actually happen in life. People die
and we move on. “It kind of is a
part of life. I mean people die…
It‟s not all happy.” admits Clare
Puntieri a sixth grader at Rocky
Hill. “If you think about it, the
books are not that bad until you
get to certain parts. “It‟s just another touching story,” says Clara
Wong a sixth grade student.
I must admit, some of the
books are well written, it‟s just the
topics are a little gruesome and
sad. The reality is that some kids
have to deal with these types topics every day and it would help if
they don‟t have to be reminded
about it through the books. If we
can avoid it why must we read it?
The point of this article
isn‟t to make you upset. It‟s to
make you informed of what‟s happening with our books and why
children are so sad when it come to
English books. So next time when
you see someone crying while
reading you‟ll know the whole
story.
Writers’ Corner
Dedicated to Mrs. Margie Holmberg
The Rebirth of Dream
The Last of the Saga
By Katie Odey
Reviewed By Melanie Antanesian
On a cold dreary autumn day
A sudden wave of change swept by
Triumphantly intertwined in our yearning
For a remake of another spectacular day in our lives
A day that would reaffirm our faith in our beloved country
Like a symphony of heartbeats
We beheld the vision of a great dreamer
Collide with the dawn of a new day
When relics of our past were eroded
By a tidal wave of change
For on this day we all found our places
At the table of brotherhood
In Breaking Dawn, Bella is
soon to turn19 and is marrying Edward
Cullen, whom she idolized since she
first set eyes on him. Back then, she
was the new kid in Forks, very insecure
and crushing madly on the most gorgeous boy in school, who just happens
to be a vampire! After many countless
misunderstandings, fighting off evil
vampires and consulting with the
"cuddly werewolves" Bella finally gets
her dream come true: Edward. "He had
the most beautiful soul, more beautiful
than his incomparable face or his glorious body," Bella says. The newlyweds
have made a deal. Edward will transform Bella into a vampire, something
she has begged for-but only after they
relax on a "real" honeymoon.
Their honeymoon takes place
on Island Esme, a tropical paradise. In
the next two weeks, Bella suffers from
inexplicable nausea, extreme hunger
and morning sickness; all before she
figures out she is pregnant. If Bella
doesn't abort the vampire baby growing
inside of her, she will soon die because
the baby won't let her digest regular
food. Later on, Rosalie (Edwards‟s
sister) wonders if the baby wants
blood, and apparently, she is correct!
Bella seems to enjoy the drink of
blood. She quickly devours it and
pleads for more.
As Bella grows stronger, so
does the baby and if it doesn't come out
soon, Bella won't be able to survive.
Edward has no choice, but to bite her.
When Bella opens her eyes for the first
time as a vampire, she sees her beautiful, precious baby in Jacob's big arms.
The world watched in awe
As America gave birth to a child, whose destiny
Clashed with the urgency of our time
Carrying with it the legacy of a man who dared to dream
That faith and hope can be restored in our time
He is, after all, the son of his father and mother
And the son of fathers and mothers
Whose pain and anguish of yester years
Were replaced today by tears of joy,
For we were of one soul today,
Eager and waiting patiently in long lines
For a new dawn that refined our fortitude
Standing tall like a gentle giant
He resounded the creed, Yes we can,
The dream is alive again
For faith has indeed triumphed over fear
And dignity preserved amidst adversity
Hope resides in the promise of a future
Where we can all rise above our impediments
(Written in honor of President-elect, Barak Obama, just before midnight on November 4, 2008)
Twilight Review
After settling for her daughter's new name, Renesmee, she reaches
for the baby and Jacob GROWLS! He
imprinted on Renesmee, and was worried Bella might bite her. Bella, suddenly realizing what has occurred
while she was asleep, almost bites off
her kind friend, Seth's head in anger!
She hates herself for not having that
self control. When the Cullens are fixing Seth up, Alice sees a vision about
the Volturi coming to kill all of them.
Soon, she and Jasper flee. The Cullens
miss Alice and Jasper, and feel unprepared without them, but they must go
on. After a long month of training, they
call friends to help them fight off the
Volturi.
The Volturi finally arrive on a
snowy day, just as Alice had predicted.
The Volturi come with one of the Cullens' friends, Irena with them. Irena had
told the Volturi that Renesmee was a
vampire, and when the Volturi realized
her mistake, they put an end to her
life. Not wanting to go down without a
fight, they go to council to decide what
should be done about the Cullen's,
when Alice arrives with a child about
Renesmee's age.(Renesmee was fast
growing, so she was at a 5 year olds
height and she was very intelligent)
and the child is also half immortal, half
mortal. She proves to the Volturi that
others have survived without revealing
their identity. This settles the Volturi's
decision. The Cullens may keep the
child as long as she doesn't put all their
identities in danger. In the end, Bella,
Edward and Renesmee promise to love
each other forever!
The Definition of Perfect
By Kiki Obihor
By Becky Grissom
Twilight the movie opened November 21, 2008 and not only sold
record highs its first weekend but also brought on a whole new phenomenon.
This movie, based on the over popular Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer,
was defiantly loved by most teen girls and some guys. It‟s all about a vampire and an ordinary girl romance that can only lead to trouble. At the first
time the meet it was pure hatred but Edward*pause for screaming girls* realizes he can‟t live without Bella. She was the meal but soon became the love
of this vampire but all is not sunny when a nomad vampire group invades the
Cullen‟s space and sees Bella. And thus the chase begins while Edward does
all he can to make her safe. Does all end well? See the movie!
I saw it on the Friday it came and not only was the theatre pack but
seats were impossible to find. I am sorry to say that the acting wasn‟t all that
fantastic and most of the lines that were supposed to be all cute and “aww”
moments turned into LOL moment. Such as when Edward says, “I like
watching you sleep.” But not only did the actors present the lines very oddly
but they didn‟t follow the book to my satisfaction. They only mentioned Alice‟s wicked talent once when it was very important in the next couple of
books. I suggest you read the book before the movie or you will be unfortunately very confused.
But not all was bad since I do admit I loved the book and I will be biased
on if I liked it or not. Many guys will disagree when I say I LOVED IT! But
the movie was of good quality and the story is always perfect no matter how
much they may butcher it. But was the hype really what it was? In my eyes it
was worth sitting in that theatre for a long time and completely ignoring the
advertisements as we shook with anticipation. And I can‟t wait for them to
continue to make more which from what I‟ve heard they have started on
New Moon.
You must‟ve thought you were perfect
When you passed on the lies
When you made fun of them
Because of something they lack
Pass it on, then
You must‟ve thought you were perfect
When you looked at them and
laughed
When you looked at the passage
And chose the darkened path
You must‟ve thought you were perfect
When you read the whole thing down
And still kept yourself as the clown
But simply you were wrong there,
So clearly you are not perfect
Don‟t try and make it perfect
You may not erase the past
„Cause if the world was perfect
Even if it‟s one of you
If the world was perfect
You would wear a smile everywhere
Even to the strangers
Who did not exist because then,
No one would be strangers
4
„Cause we would all be friends
And „cause we were all great friends,
We would love each other and,
If the world was perfect
We would not need our emotion
To show if we really care,
Or cry,
Or really would die for,
Or love,
We would be but doves.
And,
If the world was perfect,
We would not need all the organs,
That work together,
„cause all we need to survive,
Sports and More
Mr. Ortman Races To Make a
Difference
Raising the bar for academic Success
at RHMS
By Becky Grissom
Chief Editor, Wildcat Roar
It‟s been half of a year already,
and the first thing on most people‟s
minds is, “How will I get through these
classes and still pass with good
grades!” Now you can be at ease since
I am here to help you through a rough
time. You see, since you are in school
by law with no exception, you might as
well make the best of it. School is actually a really good place. We get all
hyped up on having to do work which
makes us automatically not want to do
it. It‟s all a psychological thing when
we don‟t want to do work. But what if
you could turn it around so that work is
simple or easy? Here are a few helpful
hints:
The most simple and effective way
to raise your grades is to turn away
from your BFF Jill and start to listen.
You may be surprised at how much
you can do by just paying attention.
For one thing, you will understand
tests, homework, class work, and before you know it you will be a whiz at
school. You may be surprised to hear
this. Teachers understand the importance of keeping our friends close.
Each year when 6th graders prepare to
go to Outdoor Ed, Mrs. Quinn makes
sure that we choose the people we want
to share our cabins with.
This is what I have used to get
through some difficult math. Trust me.
I‟m talking about tutors. Ewww!!! I
know the feeling. That word just sends
shivers down everyone‟s spine doesn‟t
it? No, don‟t jump to conclusions, a
tutor can be your best friend, a sibling,
Rocky Hill community to support him
in his effort to raise funds for LLS‟
mission. Mr. Ortman posted this on his
website on February 12, 2009:
a teacher, anyone you basically
know. Ms. Odey started the Peer Turing at Rocky Hill three years ago. She
can no longer organize it and to the
newspaper as well due to her health,
but it so important that Mr. Hyde and
Ms. Joseph are continuing to run the
program. I know many students may
think that it is sort of embarrassing to
have someone tutor you, but it is better than just going crazy over one
thing you are trying understand. It
pays off in the long run when you see
that A on your paper. We all need
help in life so don‟t be bashful about
getting advice. Reach out for a helping hand once in a while.
“As hopefully you all know, I'm training to participate in an endurance event
as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. The event I'm planning on participating in with YOUR HELP is a full
marathon (26.2) miles in Anchorage,
Alaska. How can you beat that! I am
extremely excited to be part of all of
Team In Training as we look to raise
funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. I am
completing this event in honor of all
By Ms. Katie Odey,
those who are currently battling blood
Wildcat Roar Supervising Editor
cancers. These amazing individuals are
the real heroes, and will serve as an
We applaud our very own Mr.
inspiration as I race towards the finish
Ortman for taking on another physical
challenge to make a difference in in peo- line. However, I need your support to
ple‟s lives. Nothing matters more to me cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!”
than making someone else‟s life a little
bit better. As a person who is involved in To track Mr. Ortman‟s progress
through his blog, visit this website. He
the lives of people living with and batwould like to hear from you too.
tling deadly diseases, I‟m delighted to
work with people who live for a greater www.runforcure.blogspot.com <http://
purpose than themselves. Mr. Ortman has www.runforcure.blogspot.com>
used his life and talents to make a difference, and once again his is training for
another life changing mission.
Mr. Ortman along with other
members of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, LLS, are training for
marathon that will take place in Anchorage, Alaska. I would like to urge our
My final tip to everyone is just
quite basically put. “Do your best.”
As everyone in Mr. Sanchez 5th
grade classes would remember this. I
have adapted this phrase to my daily
life since you know as long as you
know this was your effort and you
tried you hardest; there is no reason
for everyone to praise you on your
achievement. What are grades when
you feel good about just getting
through that test you had no clue
about? And like everything success is
just a word, not a specific thing. Your
success can be totally different from
another‟s success. So make yours the
best you can.
Thinking about Skipping Gym Class?
By: Jessica Amick, and the Newspaper Club
Most of us don‟t like running the mile in Gym class, and we all try to
make to make excuses. Here are some you won‟t want to use.
 I sprained my big toe.
 My 1000Ib cow stepped on my foot..
 I broke my thumbnail.
 I got the flu last time I ran so I can‟t run anymore.
 I spontaneously combusted.
 My hair‟s on fire.
 I‟m allergic to running.
 A bookshelf fell on me.
 I died.
 I got kidnapped by wildebeests
Our gym teachers are getting smarter these days, so I strongly suggest that
you either run the mile, plead for mercy, or say that you did it last week.
Don‟t try to fake anything. They have a way of finding out the truth.
Mr. Vinar poses with his awesome Baseball team of 2008 after a memorable season with great highlights
The Boys Baseball team has a great
season, thanks to the wonderful coach,
Mr. Vinar. They played their final
game on October 22nd, beating Roberto
Clemante with 4-2, ending the season
with a 5-1.
With a season ending on such
high notes, the boys clearly feel good
about this season. KJ Graham recounts
that this year was better than last year.
He proudly reported that he pitched at
every game of the season. Enzo
Vicino and Patrick Jimenez had ten
homeruns combined. KJ credits their
successful season to their amazing
coach, Mr. Vinar. “Mr. Vinar was a
very good coach this year,” recounted
KJ. We are proud to have such amazing players. Way to go!
5
Special Features
Convince Taylor Swift to Play at Our School
The Leo’s Can Food Drive
Rocky Hill Makes a Difference
Congratulations, Eight Grade for winning
the converted Golden Can.
Tiara Tymczyszyn
The cans have been counted, totals
are in, and the winners are…THE
8th GRADERS. Over two thousand
cans were collected and 1,027 from
the 8th grade top dogs. On the other
hand, there was a different feeling
in the air with this can food drive.
Almost everyone had brought in
what they could for this cause.
Much more people got involved
and it was just to win this year. I
sat down with Mrs. Poole, the
Leo‟s club‟s sponsor, and she had
this to say, “I am very proud of the
response we received from the staff
and students of RHMS towards this
immediate need in our community.”
As the cans were stacking higher
and higher in our teacher‟s classes,
we could feel that this was something important.
Especially this year, we
have faced such economic crunch,
and so many more people are going
hungry. Do you know that there is
traffic circle right off of 355 that
has people living in their cars? We
just pass by , and we don‟t even
stop to think that this could happen
to everyone. But back to the food
drive, the response was overwhelming and even the place we were collecting for told our school that this
was the “most organized food drive
they have seen from any middle/
high school in a long time.”The
school has really made a difference,
and we have shown that no matter
how young you are, you can touch a
life.
The Thanksgiving Holiday
was brightened for some needy
families who no longer had to
worry about what to eat. Let this be
a lesson to you. Now you do not
have an excuse to not do good for
others because you say you are too
young.
By Clara Wong and
Melanie Antanesian
Staff Writers
Are you a major fan of the
teen idol, Taylor Swift? Then whip
out your phone and help Rocky Hill
convince Taylor Swift we are eligible to win, even though this concert
is supposed to take place at a lucky
high school, it could be OUR lucky
middle school! Taylor Swift has
placed an ad online saying “How
cool would it be to have Taylor
Swift play at your school? And what
a hero you‟ll be when you win! Taylor Swift is giving away a concert to
one lucky high school, whose students text her initials--TS--to 3401
from their VERIZON wireless
phones. You can enter at
www.TaylorSwiftConcerts.com. The
school with the most entries by
March 23rd will win the free show.”
Imagine if this was our
school! You could see Taylor Swift
give your school a LIVE performance singing some of your favorite
songs. How cool would it be to tell
all your friends that Taylor Swift is
coming to sing at our school for a
live concert? I‟ll answer that: VERY!
Well, since this offer is for students
in high school, and we are in middle
school it may not be a bad idea to
convince Taylor Swift to consider
performing at Rocky Hill because
some of us are her fans as well.
Another idea is to encourage
students at Clarksburg High school
to call her and invite Rocky Hill students to the concert at their school. If
you know a student who attends
Clarksburg High School, ask them to
use their VERIZON wireless phones
and text TS to 3401 or just go online
to www.TaylorSwiftConcerts.com.
But if we had our way, we‟d
want her to just play at Rocky Hill.
Other students also agree. Lily Kamali, a sixth grader states, “I really
like Taylor Swift. Her songs are like,
awesome. If enough kids like her, we
can pull it off.” Another sixth grader,
Erica Heffner agrees, “I think we can
definitely do it if we get enough texts
to her.”
HELP WANTED:
The Wildcat Roar has a few position to fill now and next year.
1.
2.
Sports Editor: If you like to write and love sports, we’d like to hear from
you.
Comic Editor: You need to know how to draw and write comic strips.
Please contact Ms. Odey as soon as possible if you’re interested in the positions.
Spotlight on RHMS Guidance Office
them to be heard and make sure
that we can come up with a solution. It‟s the same when working
with the bully. We just want their
voices to be heard.”When asked
about the common goals the counselors have for students- and staffat RHMS?, she responded, “It may
sound a little cheesy, but success,”
We laughed it off. According to
Patterson, “success is a common
goal for everyone. Everyone is
able to get along and achieve great
things if we try.”
I had to ask her about the
types of issues she addresses with
students, her response was “well,
it‟s pretty generic, really. We help
with misunderstandings and problems with friends; usually issues at
Rocky hill, at home, with your
parents, teachers.” She also says
she helps with improving grades
and making new friends. “Stress
issues? No problem! You can also
come to me if you‟re stressed
about something” I had to confess,
“I always thought that you just
went to your office if something is
Ms. Mannion, Mrs. Reed, Mrs. Patterson, Mrs. Yi, and Mr. Maruskin, working together to help students excel at Rocky Hill.
Sarah Tew
Staff Writer
Have you ever been to the guidance office? If you have, then you
know how busy it could be. Most of
our counselors have been at RHMS for
a while and they understand the issues
that we students tackle every day.
Since these people play such an important part of our lives, we all thought it
would be cool to do a spotlight on them
this year. Being a sixth grader myself, I
thought it would be appropriate to in-
terview Ms. Patterson, a sixth grade
counselor. Here is an inside look at
the guidance office.
I asked her to tell about the
function of the guidance office. “My
job is to help our students with any
problem they might have- Through
listening, talking and planning,” Mrs.
Patterson told me. Since we recently
had that big bullying workshop in
September, I asked her about how she
plans to fix bullying. “I just want
people to come and talk to me. When
dealing with the target, we just want
6
bugging you. Guess I don‟t know everything!”
I couldn‟t leave without asking
her, for the record, how she wants students to use the counseling services.
“Again, this is a pretty generic answer…” Mrs. Patterson stops and
thinks for a moment. “For little problems, for big problems or just to share.
To work with me, and make improvements.”
Q:”This is the last one. How
long have you been at Rocky Hill and
what do you have planned for the future?” “Well,” she says, “This is my
very first year at RHMS, like you, so
I‟ve been here for about….Five
months.” She also says that she wants
to work with her new sixth graders and
celebrate their accomplishments.”I‟ve
been here for only a short amount of
time and I love all the people here especially you kids. I really enjoy spending time with you and the other counselors.”
Awwwwww! Well now you
know all about the Guidance Office.
Today’s Technology
Head Over Heels
for the Jonas
Today’s Cell Phones
By Kiki Obiyor
Edited by Ms. Odey
Melanie Antanesian
Staff Writer
Today‟s cell phones have a
variety of functions. You probably own a
cell phone like a good number of
Americans. With our evolving technology, it‟s hard to think of cell
phones as the phones that we use to
actually engage in conversations.
These days people use phone to text,
check the internet, play games, do
calculation and much more. So what
should we call these new age phone?
It is even hard to keep up with the
new makes and models. Blackberries, flip phone, touch tone phones,
voyager, and the list goes on.
The cell phone as we know
it, evolved from those huge ugly
hand-held device that people held. It
distinguished the difference between
the rich and the not-so rich. We saw
them in movies, and people referred
to them as Mobile Phones. Gradually, people got sophisticated and the
giant phone companies produced
smaller and cuter versions. The cell
phone has become so versatile that
cell phone ceases to be the appropriate name for this must-have device.
Some of them don‟t even look like
phones, you know, the ones with the
numbers and those tiny letters that
come.
For most teenagers and preteens, using the cell phone to make
calls is becoming obsolete. Texting
is the way to go, and that‟s in between making contacts with friends
on social networks like Myspace or
Facebook. Homework fits in some-
where within that spectrum. In an
article on MSNBC published on
August 20, by Bob Sullivan, Technical Correspondent, the author examines the behavior of kids and the
internet. The author writes, “Teens
aren‟t just using their phones to
talk. From rapid fire “texting” to
full-fledged Web browsing to videos and video games, cell phones
have become portable computers.”
With evolution of cell
phone, it begs the question, what
will they think of next? Cell phone
manufactures and the CEOs of the
big phone companies have spent
countless hours trying to come up
new devices. We see advertisement
for new devices on TV by different
phone companies. These days kids
and adults want phones that have
more functions. Just when you
thought you‟ve seen it all, guess
what? Now you can even play music on cell phones! After a few
clicks on Google, Really, I saw a
cell phone used for orchestra. You
can find this by going to Google,
typing “cell phone orchestra” and
you‟ll find a whole bunch of people
in Japan playing flutes and electric
guitars on their tiny little cell
phones.
It seems now we‟ve lost our
main purpose for using cell phones.
They were first made as handheld
phones. The oldest ones were huge
phones that went around smaller
than the non-handheld ones. I remember the one that my parents
had. It was gray, and had theses
little buttons that glowed a green
color when you pushed them. After
it broke, I was allowed to use it as a
toy, because it didn‟t matter. That
phone was not pretty, but as a child,
you still feel cool using a mobile
phone. Thank goodness for those
cool flipping phones we have now.
Parents and teachers are getting into
the act. And you thought we could
not teach adults a thing or two.
Most adults own and use cell
phones, but I doubt that they have
as much fun as kids do.
7
What is it that girls can‟t resist? Is it their looks, charms, or their
songs? Many girls love the Jonas
Brothers just because there is much to
admire about them! The Jonas Brothers
are good role models and they never
disappoint their head over heels fans.
They are also extremely talented. Nick
Jonas plays the keyboards, drums, piano, guitar, lead vocals, can do aerials
(a no handed cartwheel) and back flips!
All being balanced out with having
Type 1 Diabetes. Joe loves to sing. He
also is looking toward an acting career.
Kevin is very talented at the guitar.
This is the reason many girls enjoy the
Jonas Brothers‟ music. Kevin‟s guitar
role rocks all the songs! Joe has a powerful voice, and Nick can play many
instruments. So why else do girls love
them? They are pure, which is something to admire about them; they are
humble and genuine as well as sweet.
And to top that all off, they have their
unique, amazing good-looks!
The JoBros have been known
to support a lot of charities around the
country. Aw, how sweet! They are well
-known for starting the Change for the
Children Foundation, which supports
charities like "Nothing But Nets",
"American Diabetes Foundation", "St.
Jude Children's Research Hospital",
"Children's Hospital in Los Angeles",
and "Summer Stars: Camp for the Performing Arts". So they‟re sweet as
well! What don‟t the Jonas Brothers
have?! Their music is mostly a fast
tempo, and it‟s a nice tune their fans
can dance to. What is great about their
music is that not only do they write it
themselves, but they also sing songs
that both girls and guys can move to!
Girls adore the Jonas Brothers because
they have sweet personalities. Even
though not all of their fans have had an
official chance to meet, just reading
about them in the magazines and
watching their sweet speeches at their
concerts lures them in! The entire
group is very dedicated to his work and
they commit to their fans and their
music! Joe, Nick, and Kevin weren‟t
always working to the top for singing,
though. At a very young age, Nick
started to sing at Broadway shows. He
had all of us from there.
But where did this musically
talented boy band get discovered?
They were first discovered in a barber
shop when Denise Jonas, their mom,
was out getting a hair cut and she took
Nick with her.. He started singing the
hairdresser heard him, then referred
him to a record company and told his
mom he had a very beautiful voice.
Too beautiful for just Broadway.(Like
we didn‟t know!) Nick recorded a solo
CD, but when the manager of the studio found out he had very talented
brothers, he told them to sing „Please
be mine' together. When he heard them
together, he demolished the solo singing Nick idea and gave a record deal to
all three of them, Joe, Kevin and Nick.
From that point on, they were called
The Jonas Brothers. So, what is it that
attracts girls to the Jonas Brothers?
Well, I believe everything about them
does! Their looks, their singing talent,
and their awesome personalities. We
all want to thank that miraculous producer who discovered these guys, because they‟ve “Got Me Going Crazy!”
Have We Overcome?
Black history month started
out as “Negro History Week”. However, it eventually evolved to black
history month for the month of February. Unlike what people may say,
black history month is not in February because that is the shortest
month. It is in February because that
is the month that President Lincoln
was born and the month that Fredrick
Douglas claimed as his birthday
(most slaves didn‟t know when their
birthday was). The month of February is significant, and therefore,
qualified to be the month for black
history.
Established in 1926 by Dr.
Carter Godwin Woodson, black history month was created to explore the
history of blacks that had not been
previously explored in most textbooks. Many blacks have made great
strides towards many causes. In science and health, there is the obvious
Ben Carson, a famous surgeon from
Baltimore; however Charles Richard
created the blood plasma bag to preserve blood. This way, a person can
donate blood, for those who need it.
How about something as simple as a
street light? Garrett Morgan, a black
man, created it. Finally, the most important invention to ever come to
teenagers, the cell phone, was created
by a black man named Henry T.
Sampson. Many inventions that define American living were created by
During the Month of February, Most Americans observe Black History
Month, as time set aside to reflect on the African American Heritage.
By Arnelle Etienne
Every year during February,
the nation celebrates a month dedicated to recognize the achievements
of African-Americans who have
overcome racism and malicious behavior towards their kind. The question is though; do we know what we
are celebrating? We spend the month
learning about the same people every
year: Martin Luther King, Rosa
Parks, Malcolm X. How come we
don‟t learn about the other people
who have helped liberate the people
of the black race? There has to be
more than a couple people. Also, do
we know the true meaning behind
black history month, or is a time for
people to half-heartedly sing uplifting songs, watch documentaries,
and read newspaper articles that
happened to be featured this month?
the very people ostracized, abused,
jailed, lynched, raped, and just plain
killed.
Even with black history
month, people are still not making
enough effort to learn about it.
“Despite Black History Month, in
most American schools, students still
learn more about white achievers
than they do about black ones.” ,says
Mary Mitchell from the Chicago Sun
Times. Some of the topics of black
history month, I didn‟t even know,
and I am black. People still have a lot
to learn about the contributions made
by the African-American population.
Being that this is the year of change,
Americans will take some initiative
to study and learn about these issues
for 2009 as well as years to come.
KEEN KARATE
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8