The Wildcat Roar
Volume 7
Number 4
Summer 2010
A Quarterly Publication of Rocky Hill Middle School
The Trout are Out!
By Annie Tran and Melanie Antanesian
Staff Write and Editor in Chief
After many hard-working
months of raising the baby trout our
school acquired, we have finally
done our job of raising the little
fishies! Ms. Duarte and her class
were constantly looking after the
trout and were making sure that they
were healthy, so that in May, we
would be able to release them. On
May 7th, a few selected students from
Ms. Duarte‟s class were invited to
attend a field trip to Little Seneca
Creek. There, they engaged in several activities that had to do with the
stream and the trout.
Luckily, I was able to attend
the field trip along with the other
students. Many students enjoyed the
experience of picking up the little
trout in a cup, and releasing the trout,
by hand, into the stream. Other students enjoyed looking for bugs in the
stream‟s waters, to study what insects our very own trout would eat.
However, many other students enjoyed learning about fly fishing and
the skills of catching fish. “It was an
awesome experience and I would
love to do it again sometime.” says
an anonymous sixth grader. This experience was very interesting because the students got to learn about
what they were raising and what life
was like beneath the water. Our very
Some of Ms. Duarte‟s students release the baby trout into Little Seneca
ronment and also helped open the
minds of our students. It showed that
there are little fun things that anyone
can do to show that they care about
the environment, but that‟s not all
that our school did this May.
Leo‟s Club is solely based on
helping out the environment, and
that‟s exactly what Mrs. Poole and
Ms. Kroll direct the club at Rocky
Hill every year. This year, Leo‟s focused on helping out Rocky Hill‟s
neighbors, the butterflies, and a great
environmental helper, the rain barrels, which are auctioned off every
year at the Willpower Game. The
butterfly garden is something a lot of
kids asked about doing, and this year,
Mrs. Poole decided to surprise us.
Environmental club and Leo‟s Club
own stream in the back of our school
is connected to the Little Seneca
Stream in Boyds! Our school was
recently accepted as a green school,
and this event was but one small part
of helping the environment. “My favorite part was releasing the fish. It
was a lot of fun.” says 6th grader,
Catherine Donoghue. Looks like the
releasing the trout event was fun for
everyone and a great experience to
live out.
This experience was definitely a fun and educational one. It
showed students that even there was
important life under the depths of the
water that they usually overlooked.
Even the trout had lifestyles and daily
patterns that we didn‟t think they had.
Releasing the trout helped our envi-
collaborated with a very special visitor to plan out where they wanted to
plant flowers that would directly attract butterflies. The garden looked
great, and it clearly shows how hard
the students have worked. "Finding a
place that kids wouldn't trash it
[butterfly garden] is hard because
there isn't a place that everyone can
enjoy the butterflies, but like students won't crush them either. Although it is challenging, it is indeed a
fun experience for sure,” says one of
the Leos‟ Club members. Rocky
Hill's very own butterfly garden,
cool!
Another thing Leo's Club
did this year is the rain barrels.
"Spray painting is the official barrel.” Spraying the barrel with blue
paint for a whole week sounds like a
lot of fun, but it is a lot more fun
designing the spraying the barrel.
Rain barrels help preserve water
from the rain and then it can be used
for various different reasons.
Our school does a lot
throughout the year to help the environment, and especially this semester, Leo's Club and Rocky Hill's students overall really cranked it up!
Thanks to everyone who helped save
the environment one small step at a
time this year, because every small
step, leads into a bigger one.
Tech Students Experience Solar Energy First Hand
By Ms. Katie Odey
TWR Supervising Editor
The Solar Race started 21
years ago. Created and sponsored by
the Environmental Protection Agency
and Northeast Energy Association, the
Solar Race had gained popularity in the
light of global effort to conserve and
preserve energy. Rocky Hill Middle
School volunteered and was chosen to
host the Solar Race event which took
place on Friday May 21st this year. The
sunny and cloudless weather was perfect for the races, but the bugs were
unwelcomed guests at the event. Mr.
Callaway and his tech students researched and designed cars that ran on
solar energy.
Participants from Rocky Hill
in the solar race were: Steven Pancrazio, Patrick Fendrick, Jonathan
Lunenfeld, Elamin Elamin, Xavier
Herrera, Joshua Sullivan, Greg Dennie,
Tony Zapata, Yessy Aloras, Luke
Jones, Mark Yang, Calvin Toner,
Sameek Shaw, Amelek Trought, Mark
Chen, Zach Mooneyhan, Drevante
Butts, Carlos Diaz-Larez, Nathan
Tweedy, Thomas Stearns, Ari Dimaria,
Jake Eatmon, Sean Munar, Kevin Lemus, Robbie Rahimly, Liam Greaves,
Keita Takeda, Zack Link, Samantha
Jonathan Lunderfeld Patrick Fendrick and Stephen Pancrazio testing their
solar panel to see how well it‟s working.
Hungerford, and Chris Camacho.
Some schools in Montgomery County,
Virginia and Washington DC participated in the Solar Race event. Our
school hosted Takoma Park Middle
School, Sandy Spring Friends School,
and Howard University Middle school
for the event. Overall there were over
200 participants. Mr. Callaway explained that the ultimate goal “is to get
students involved in sustainable en-
ergy, especially solar energy.” Designing cars that run on solar energy was
clearly a great learning experience for
the students. “My students also
learned a lot about vehicle design-the
mechanics of vehicles,” says Mr. Callaway, who proudly showed of the
trophy that his students had won at the
race.
There were two big awards,
and Rocky Hill won the second place
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award for design. Rocky Hill‟s Kevin
Lemus, Robbie Rahimly and Sean Munar were the prize winners. Howard University Middle School won the speed
award. “Our students did well,” says Mr.
Callaway, who expressed his desire that
the event would create a global awareness of solar energy. Mr. Callaway said,
“I would like kids to be active in promoting and developing solar energy.”
It is with great pride that we
acknowledge and congratulate Mr. Callaway and his students. “The races were
good,” says Mrs. Smith, whose students
were some of the spectators at the event.
It is fair to say that Rocky Hill Middle
School is supporting the national as well
as the global effort to help the environment.
Keita Takeda, Zack Link, Chris
Camacho and Samantha Hungerford
waiting for their race to start.
Editorial Page
Tuning In To Current Events
By Annie Tran
Staff Writer
Children are in school and are
always learning; however, do they always learn about the news out in the
world? That is not guaranteed, but that
doesn‟t mean that kids can‟t get engaged in the world affairs. However,
some children only tune in to Saturday
morning cartoons and Disney Channel
shows. Some children watch the news,
and are able to be informed on what is
happening not only in the U.S., but in
the world.
Many schools have children
that are constantly interested in the
news and what is currently happening.
Topics such as the Haiti Earthquake
and the increasing loss of jobs have
caught kid‟s attention. It makes them
think about the increasing problems
and whether they can solve them. During the Haiti Earthquake, many people
got sick and lost the necessary food
and water that they needed to survive.
However, even kids can help by making a donation to certain fundraisers.
Just $20 can provide 100 days of clean
water to surviving families in Haiti.
Making donations can help solve world
problems gradually; millions of people
can help and you can be one of them.
Also, the losses of jobs have
been devastating to many families
due to the poor economy. Some children can‟t enjoy the presence of new
clothing or shoes that many others
can. During Christmas, most children
get new presents that they treasure.
However, others can‟t get those new
and shiny toys because their parents
just can‟t fit it into their budget. Children who don‟t experience these
hardships can‟t sympathize because
this experience is very life-changing.
The word “economy” may be a
grown-up word to most kids, but it
impacts children more than they
know.
Everyone knows about the
recent oil spill in Louisiana. This oil
spill devastated many of the environmentalists out there and the various
animals out there. The oil spill has
caught the attention of many kids
around the country. The environment
is important and although Disney
Channel might be more interesting,
do you think that planting your butt
on the couch watching it will help the
country? I think not. The shortage of
oil means that you can‟t go anywhere
in car. Yes, I think it is obvious that
our cars run on gas. That means more
walking and bike riding that most
kids won‟t like. So although it might
not mean very much to you, it impacts you and the country.
Children are a very big part
of today‟s society. Instead of spending all of their time watching shows,
kids can and should get involved in
today‟s most exciting topics in the
news. Although there is a lot of bad
news that some kids may not be able
Bullying Gone Too Far?
By: Melanie Antanesian
Chief Editor
Has bullying gone too far
when someone loses their life? Definitely. Bullying has existed from the
beginning of time, or so it seems.
There‟s cyber bullying, school bullying, and now even bullying through
texting. So when nine teenagers picked
a new-in-town Irish girl, Phoebe Price,
as their next victim, it got very ugly,
very fast. Phoebe had just moved from
Ireland and started her new American
school in September 2009. She befriended two popular boys and by October, they were “more than friends.”
The official mean crowd of the school
didn‟t like the fact that she wasn‟t having a bad time at school and started, as
they claim, “having some fun” with
her. A ninth grader says, “People say
things without thinking and people
don‟t think that‟s bullying, but it is and
it needs to stop.” A classmate of
Phoebe‟s says, “They harassed her on
Formspring, Facebook, Craigslist, and
in school. They stalked her on her way
home and called her rude and vulgar
names.”
On January 14th, Phoebe
Price took her own life. There have
been many other cases like Phoebe‟s.
Bullying used to be somewhat tolerable. Kids would use phrases like,
“Sticks and stones may break my
bones, but words will never hurt me”,
and they really didn‟t. Now words are
so powerful that they claim innocent
people‟s lives. This isn‟t the first case
in which someone has been pushed so
far that life meant nothing to them and
accepted for who and what they are.”
When you didn‟t do that, your teacher
reminded you about it. Now, when I
think about it, if bullies had followed
that rule, Phoebe Price wouldn‟t be
dead. Neither would many other innocent children who were just mere toys
at the hands of their worst nightmares.
The next time you‟re having a bad day
and want to harass the school nerd,
think about how you would feel if you
were that person. If you are a witness
(or more technically known as the bypasser), to a kid getting bullied, the
best thing you could probably do is
save the person getting picked on. A
simple “STOP!” would direct the
bully‟s attention, and hey, if he comes
after you, that‟s why you have two
legs. They can‟t do much harm to you
if they‟re in the principal‟s office getting a lecture about how bullying is
wrong. Wouldn‟t it be so much easier
if you just didn‟t bully? It‟s up to you
to make that choice. Think twice about
bullying, help save a life.
they chose to take away their own
privilege to be in this world. Do you
think that‟s fair?
Bullying has officially gone
way too far. Many cases just like
Phoebe‟s have caused America to
rethink bullying completely. It is now
being debated whether or not to make
bullying a crime, (to a certain limit).
If a bullied victim was harassed to the
point of committing suicide and
onlookers did nothing, the bullies will
face charges. The death of Phoebe
Price has caused a huge controversy
on whether or not bullying should be
considered as homicide or just a joke
gone way too far. Either way, you
might want to think about that the
next time you insult or bully someone.
When we were younger,
most of us were taught the magical
“Golden Rule”: Treat others the way
you want to be treated. “I don‟t think
there should be any bullying going
around anymore, everyone‟s sick and
tired of it, and people just want to be
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to handle, some news can inspire
kids to make a difference. Can you
imagine writing encouraging words
on simple cards and sending to our
troops in Iraq and Afghanistan? Most
kids think that their cards will never
reach those soldiers, but many of
them do. You‟d be surprised at how
much joy the soldiers find from reading each and every one of those encouraging letters sent from little kids
around the world. There are kids
making news just by doing things to
reach out to other people. They may
be small, but that doesn‟t mean that
they can‟t get involved in today‟s
current events.
The Wildcat Roar Staff
Ms. Katie Odey
Supervising Editor
Chief Editors:
Melanie Antanesian
Veda Ravishankar
Jessica Amick
Staff Writers:
Sarah Tew
Amy Tang
Antara Joshi
Aparna Pooleri
Clara Wong
Aki Stephens
Fasika Delessa
Corrina Wyatt
Luna Homsi
Hayden Shupe
Annie Tran
Jessica Gomes
Fiori Gebrekidan
Comic Editors
Shadi Khalil
Corrina Wyatt
Rocky Hill Page
Ah-Mazing Teachers
Aliens
Mrs. Kinderdine
6th Grade Special Ed Teacher
Q: How long have you been at Rocky Hill?
A: Total of 12 years.
Q: How do you feel about being nominated as
teacher of the month?
A: I am honored and surprised that students
have nominated me.
Q: How would you describe your interactions
with your students?
A: My interactions with students are on several
levels. I assist students in Math classes and
orchestra. We frequently have working lunches
to complete homework, understand terminology
and complete assignments.
Q: What makes you special?
A: Another aspect students don‟t know about
me is I work with many adults behind the
scenes; making phone calls reports to help students succeed. You may also see me occasionally in your classes that I don‟t normally assist.
I love to help students whenever possible.
Q: What would you like your students to know
about you?
A: I have 3 children and four grandchildren.
One of my grandchildren is a 7th grader in New
Hampshire. My favorite hobbies are reading,
gardening, and spending time with my family.
Q: What is one lesson that you have learned
throughout your career?
A: I have learned over the years that if you hard
with perseverance and determination and you
continue to improve yourself educationally you
will succeed in life.
Mr. Hyde
8th Grade Social Studies Teacher
Q: How long have you been at Rocky
Hill?
A: Four years
Q: How do you feel about being nominated
as teacher of the month?
A: Grateful and thankful for being nominated
Q: How would you describe your interactions with your students?
A: I enjoy having fun while teaching and
with students. A little levity is ok at times.
Q: What makes you special?
A: I truly enjoy teaching and I am dedicated
to improving myself so that my students
benefit. I like to challenge my students.
Q: What would you like your students to
know about you?
A: I shared this with the staff before which
resulted in some funny comments. So I
share this expecting certain students, no
doubt, will have something to say. I have a
black belt in karate but I do not actively
participate today.
Q: What is one lesson that you have learned
throughout your career?
A: It is okay to fail. We will all fail at some
point in life. What is important is that we do
not let that failure define us. We learn from
our failures and become better as a result.
By Jessica Amick
Editor/ Staff Writer
The world is coming to an end.
The sky just turned a weird shade of red.
Out of a big flying-like spaceship, two
legged lizards come crawling out. Although those scenes seem unrealistic and
something you will expect to see in a scifi book, Stephen Hawking predicts this
will happen if the inhabitants of Earth
mess with Aliens.
The idea that aliens are out there
is not a new idea. Just look at all the
movies that have to do with aliens conquering Earth. Surprisingly enough, the
world‟s smartest man‟s logic was simple.
He predicts, there are 100 billion galaxies, each of which having a star. Earth
probably isn‟t the only planet that life has
evolved from such a big place. “To my
mathematical brain the numbers alone
don‟t make thinking about aliens perfectly rational. The real challenge is to
work out what aliens might actually be
like,” says Stephen Hawking, world renowned scientist. His new documentary
has to do with all the basic sciencefiction elements: space, wormholes, and
time travel.
These aliens may be microscopic individuals that beings on Earth
Pride Corner
Ms. Tippet
PE Teacher
Ms. Diffenderfer
7th Grade Math Teacher
Q: How long have you been at Rocky Hill?
A: I have been at Rocky Hill for over 11 years.
Q: How do you feel about being nominated as
teacher of the month?
A: It‟s always a good feeling when your hard
work is recognized. I feel honored that I was
nominated as the teacher of the month.
Q: How would you describe your interactions
with your students?
A: On a daily basis there is always the typical
teacher/student conversation about class work
but in addition I like to greet my students each
day and try to find out what they are doing outside of school. I feel that I have good relationships with all my students.
Q: What is one lesson that you have learned
throughout your career?
A: Kids make mistakes and so do adults. Nobody‟s perfect.
have been dominating all these years.
Or they could be nomads, as Hawking
predicts, that could have used up all
the resources in their planet, going
from planet to planet looking to dominate. If that is the case, we shouldn‟t
make contact. “If aliens ever visit us, I
think the outcome would be much as
when Christopher Columbus first
landed in America, which didn‟t turn
out well for the Native Americans.”
As he said before, though the real
problem is what they would be like.
He shows scenes of aliens picking up
other animals from planets, aliens underwater, and ooze coming out of one
of Jupiter‟s moons. These scenes are
jaw-dropping, but they show the real
threat. Aliens could very possibly be
out there.
Now‟s not the time to freak
out though. The aliens could be microscopic beings that earth‟s beings have
been overcoming for forever. The
thought remains that if animals can
live in freezing water, in the Sahara
Desert, and the Arctic Circle maybe
there is no limit.
There is also the chance that
they are out there in ways we can‟t
imagine.
Q: How long have you been at Rocky Hill?
A: 10 years.
Q: How do you feel about being nominated
as teacher of the month?
A: I am very honored to be nominated!
Q: How would you describe your interactions with your students?
A: I had to ask the students about this one!
They told me I am enthusiastic in my interactions with them.
Q: What makes you special?
A: I can lick my elbow! Actually I can‟t but I
haven‟t given up trying!
Q: What would you like your students to
know about you?
A: I never give up on anything I do until I
get it right. That‟s why I‟ve been teaching so
long!
Q: Why are you so dedicated in raising
money for the Susan G. Colman Foundation?
A: One of my dearest friends mother, passed
away from breast cancer. Also, a couple of
my close friends who are very young have it
and it‟s the least I can do for them.
Q: How many years have you been doing
Willpower Basket Ball Game?
A: This was our ninth year. It‟s unbelievable!
Mahalia Ansah
7th Grade Pride Corner Honoree
By Antara Joshi
Staff Writer
There are lots of students at
Rocky Hill who exhibit PRIDE
throughout the year, but the Wildcat
Roar likes to acknowledge students
who go above and beyond their expectations every day. Mahalia Ansah,
a seventh grader at Rocky Hill, does
just that. Mahalia has been nominated
3
by the staff of the Wildcat Roar for
showing PRIDE at all times. “I feel
honored and very proud to be nominated” she states. Mahalia always
comes prepared to class and she says
that she tries to respect her teachers
and stay involved with different activities. She is a member of the National Junior Honor‟s Society and the
Pride program, here at Rocky Hill.
Not only does Mahalia participate in activities in school, she
has a busy schedule at home too. “I
do a lot of work at my church, like
raking other people‟s yards. I also do
a lot of Student Service Learning
hours and activities such as help out
at the Gaithersburg parade. I always
try to show PRIDEFUL behavior
outside of school as well!” she exclaims. She advises others “to exhibit
PRIDE, and to be on your best behavior every day!!!”
Editorial and Opinions
Continued from Page 3
Writer’s Corner
GT Schools: So Important?
Student Makes English
Teacher Write Essay
Dedicated To Mrs. Holmberg
A Personal Narrative by Denise Stup
By: Annie Tran, Corrina Wyatt, and Melanie Antanesian
TWR Staff Writers
Everyone knows about how
students strive to enter those “gifted and
talented” (GT) schools. The most popular
one around our area is Poolesville High
School. Do kids really need to enter these
special programs to be successful?
Many of the 8th graders at our school
know that schools like Poolesville have
very good students. They have good programs and good learning opportunities
for different students and their talents.
Many rumors say that the teachers and
the programs are not as successful as
they are heard to be. Are the teachers
slipping through the cracks because of all
the pressure? Poolesville‟s mission statement says, “Poolesville High School, the
only whole school magnet in Montgomery County, uniting close-knit, rural community values and diverse global perspectives, challenges its students to become confident, versatile, problemsolving citizens through rigorous crosscurricular pathways and meaningful,
motivating learning experiences.”
Is Poolesville challenging these
students too much? Are the students becoming too confident in their work? Can
these students live up to these expectations with the amount of pressure put on
their shoulder, and can the teachers as
well? All these questions are unanswered
because students, parents, and teachers
are losing faith in what they used to think
was a fool-proof program. What about all
the other kids that didn‟t make it in?
Chances are they felt unappreciated and
dumb.
Kids that don‟t get in feel left
out and feel that all their work is put to
waste. Soon after, they feel that schoolwork isn‟t so important because it didn‟t
get them through to the GT schools. Because of this, some students feel that high
school isn‟t that important anymore. The
result of this is high-school dropouts.
Poolesville‟s mission statement says that
it “challenges its students to become confident.”
Are students so confident anymore after they are separated from
friends, and feel that they have done a
disfavor? “I didn‟t really mind because
my heart wasn‟t really into it, it was
more of my parent‟s idea. I did get into
Clarksburg APPS though, and I am quite
proud of that.” says student body president, Mariam Jalloh Jamborium. “It‟s too
far away from my house,” Gustave
Njpaon says as he wonders why students need to go GT instead of regular
high school. “I‟m excited and nervous
at the same time. I‟m nervous about the
workload and the difficulty of the
work, but I‟m excited to meet new people and make more friends,” says Veda
Ravishankar, afraid and hopeful of her
future in high school.
These are just regular students. They were hopeful, but not all
can succeed. Why should we go somewhere far away such as Poolesville?
Why can‟t all high schools have GT
programs? Some students (and even
teachers) are under too much pressure
to achieve high academic goals, which
are not necessarily bad. If the main
incentive is to get kids to magnet
schools or GT schools, then it defeats
the whole purpose of acquiring knowledge. Besides, living this far away does
not help the homework issue. Not only
does homework play a big role in
stressing students, but so do tests and
other assignments that are also very
important to the student‟s grades. But
what do the current students in Poolesville think? “The Poolesville workload
is actually quite bearable. It builds
throughout the year, but you get used to
it.” says Mina Tran, current 9th grader
at Poolesville High School. So maybe it
isn‟t that bad when you get used to
everything. Besides, maybe it get students better prepare for college, but do
the teacher‟s actually help you through
all the tough schoolwork?
Obviously, the question will
never be answered unless from a certain point of view. Although Poolesville is an influential school, it can be
prove to be an unstable place of learning. Some teachers could do better to
teach the students, but sometimes the
schoolwork can get to both the teachers
and students. Otherwise, it can be an
adventurous place where you can find
your ambitions for the future. Poolesville is the right place for some, but not
for all.
Mrs. Stup address the audience at Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth
The envelope looked very official. My mind raced back and forth trying to decide whether it was just another
piece of junk mail or something really
important. It was from Johns Hopkins
University after all. I decided it was
definitely worth opening. Well let‟s just
say I certainly got more than I bargained for! In fact, the letter informed
me that I had been nominated by a former student, Veda Ravishankar, for a
fellowship with Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth, and I
needed to send a 500 word essay describing the personal and professional
satisfaction I get from teaching. Whoa.
Back up. Did I read that correctly? Five
hundred words? I assign essays not
write them! It seems the tables had
turned on old Mrs. Stup!
It had been a long time since I
had written a 500 word essay, and I will
admit that having someone at a prestigious university reading my work made
me nervous, but it also dawned on me
that maybe this is how my students feel
when I assign them an essay. I just felt
so honored that Veda would even think
to recognize me as a teacher who made
a difference. That doesn‟t happen to a
teacher every day- it‟s the ultimate compliment!
Since Veda had taken the time
to recognize me, and since I ask my
students to put themselves under my
scrutiny all the time, it seemed only fair
to buckle down and write my essay.
(Just between us, I did procrastinate and
ended up writing it the night before it
was due, but don‟t tell my students).
I received a reply from Johns
Hopkins about two weeks later. I had to
read the congratulatory letter 3 times! I
had been chosen from teachers all of the
country to be inducted as a Johns Hopkins fellow! Furthermore, I was invited
to an induction ceremony in California
and given $500 to use for my school or
4
classroom. California? Five-hundred
dollars? I checked the address- yep,
that was my name.
A million things ran through
my head. I questioned whether I
would fit in with all these exceptional
teachers. I questioned whether I could
handle the work they were going to
ask of me, but most of all I questioned whether I would survive the
flight there! Little known fact, but at
the ripe old age of thirty-something, I
had never been on a plane before!
I decided it was time to get
over this lifelong fear of flying and
spread my wings to explore new opportunities. Yes, of course I was
nervous, but I‟m so glad I did it. I
had a wonderful time, learned so
much, and met some really amazing
people. With the reward money I was
able to buy technology for two teachers in the learning cottages to enhance
the learning of our students. It was a
defining moment for me and I felt a
sense of accomplishment.
To all of her teachers and
friends, Veda is seen as an exceptionally bright and capable young lady.
She took the time to pay it forward,
and give back to someone she felt had
helped her. I‟m so glad that person
was me. Had Veda Ravishankar not
written that essay and nominated me,
I would not have had this exceptional
experience. I would not have made
such wonderful connections to those
who were inducted with me, and
heaven knows I never would have set
foot on a plane!
Thank you Veda.
Sports
Rocky Hill Willpower Basket Ball
Game 2010
cancer, Rocky Hill started the Willpower game in his honor. Over the
years, Ms. Tippet, who basically pours
her heart and soul to this program,
comes up with interesting ideas to raise
funds for this great cause. In the past
she and Mr. Whiting have shaved their
hair. Students have donated their hair
for Locks of Love.
This year was quite interesting. If we raised $500.00, Mr. Whiting
would eat a cow eyeballs. We raised
more than $7,000 this year, and Mr.
Whiting had to eat cow eyes. He didn't
break a sweat even with all the spices
that Ms. Tippet added. Speaking of Ms.
Tippet, she actually gobbled a pair of
cow eyes herself. "I can't believe she
upchucked that eyeball!" Aki Stephens,
a 7th grader, told me. The main event
of the night was a complete success.
Students rushed towards Mr. Whiting
to make sure they captured this Kodak
moment and many people did.
Mr. Whiting dives into a pair of gourmet prepared cow eyes after Rocky Hill
raised $7000.00 at the charity basketball game.
By Melanie Antenesian
Chief Editor
The Willpower Game has
been raising money for the Susan G.
Komen for the Cure Foundation. Parents face off with teachers on the
basketball court for a friendly game
of basketball. This has become an
Mr. Ohm gets the rebound while Mr.
Vinar watches to make sure the ball is
safe.
annual event at Rocky Hill. The usual
spectators are past and present students
from Rocky Hill, parents and members
of our community. Besides the game
itself, there are other attractions like
the moon bounce, silent auction, dinner, and dunking tank. There was dinner shortly before the game, and silent
auction to raise money for the Susan G.
Komen for the Cure Foundation. Parents showed up in great numbers. Mr.
Heinemann and Mr. Wells were great
targets for the dunking tank. Students
cheered as their favorite PE and music
teacher fell in.
This event is special and on
most RH students‟ calendars from the
minute they hear about it, but do you
know why it‟s called the Willpower
game? Sure, it lets us know that you
need a heck of a lot of will power to
conquer this never ending battle with
cancer. In fact, The Willpower Game
got its name from one of our Rocky
Hill student‟s parent who suffered from
cancer. After losing his battle against
Frustrated by the losing ways of
the local teams in the DC metro area,
most sports fans had one team to cheer
for. The Washington Capitals held our
hopes this past season making records
plays on the ice. The game against
Montreal kept fans at the edge of their
seats. Ovechkin moves into the shot, he
shoots and he scores! If you were tuning
into the sports channel from April 15 to
Every year at the Willpower game students are recognized
for their strong will to overcome major obstacles in their lives. This year
Sam Moore, and Joey Opiekun, both
7th graders received the Willpower
Award. Sam survived a hockey shot
straight to his head and is currently
undergoing chemo therapy, while
Joey survived a traumatic car crash.
Currently, both students are still on
top of things and doing great. Every
year, the Willpower game gives us a
reality check on life. It shows us how
others cope with great difficulties,
but thrive nonetheless, just like Joey
and Sam. We all learn to really
should appreciate what we have,
while making a difference in the
lives of others.
Mr. Whiting spices up some delicious cow eyes for Ms. Tippet, who relished the
gourmet delicacy.
Capitals vs. Montreal
Annie Tran
TWR Staff Writer
The teachers won the game
that day.
goalie, Theodore. However, the Capitals
were quick to the chase to strike back.
Backstrom also made a goal, and made
his way past the Canadiens goalie Halak.
And then it was tied from 2.
This caused the game to go into overtime. All Capital and Canadien fans
were on the edge of their seats, eagerly
waiting who would make the next goal
to become the champion of the first
game. Throughout all the faithful cheering for the Capitals, the Canadiens made
a goal and we lost our first game, 3-2.
After the first game, the Capitals and
Canadiens knew that this game was very
important to their country. During our
second game, we triumphed over the
Canadiens, scoring 6-5 during overtime.
Our third game consisted of us wining,
scoring 5-1. This was the fourth game,
the most important game that would
decide who would actually have a
chance of winning. In the end, the Capitals won once more at 6-3. During our
April 28, you saw that our very own
Washington D.C. Capitals went head to
head with the Montreal Canadiens. We
played a remarkable game with the Canadiens, whose national sport is hockey!
Even though we lost, we showed the
Canadiens that they were not the only
ones who could play hockey!
Our first game took place on
April 15, 2010. The Canadiens were the
visitors and the Capitals had the home
court advantage. In the first quarter, we
were tied 1 and 1. Cammalleri from the
Canadiens made their first shot, scoring
a goal. Then, our very own Corvo tied
us at 1 to make another goal. In the second quarter, neither team was able to
make a goal. Clearly, both teams knew
that this was an important game and that
it was going to make an impression on
what the rest of their games would be
like. Quickly entering the third quarter,
Gomez from the Canadiens was witty
enough to pull a fast one over our
5
5th game against the Canadiens, our enemies won, scoring 2-1. Slowly after, the
Capitals began to slip. Our sixth game
was lost, at 1-4. Things got worse from
there, as the Capitals lost their last game
2-1.
Even though the Capitals lost,
they proved that they did know how to
play hockey and they did have the spirit
that is essential in every team. Sure they
didn‟t win, but they had a blast at playing what they loved and they definitely
knew that the game was not purely competitive, but fun at heart.
Special Feature
and how long my small intestines are.
A human‟s small intestine measures at
about the size of a classroom. Rocky
Hill provided a fun, lively atmosphere
that my peers and I will miss greatly.
-Mariam Jalloh Jamboria
th
By Veda and Amy
Editor and Staff Writer
Rocky Hill has been awesome
for both of us. We became friends in
seventh grade, and before we knew it,
we were best friends sharing secrets,
gossiping, and hanging out. The best
part of middle school was definitely
making new friends and hanging out
with all my friends. We had the best of
times together from sharing secrets to
doing projects together. And not to forget, writing this paragraph right now!
We had to overcome many obstacles to
achieve triumphs. One of those obstacle
was taking our first high school county
exam. Others had to do with dealing
being in different classes and adjusting
to new schedules. The worst part is
leaving behind this wonderful school
and parting with some of our closest
friends, who will go to different high
schools. But the memories we experienced will stay close to our hearts forever :). No matter whether your experiences were good or bad, you will never
forget Rocky Hill.
-Veda and Amy
As the end of the school year
approaches, excitement builds up in the
8th grade. Teachers become impatient
with the restless students who are just
waiting to burst out those classroom
doors and have fun outside in the warm
weather. Even with all of the fun happening, 8th graders can‟t help but feel a
sense of sadness in leaving behind some
of their friends, favorite teachers, and
unforgettable memories. Some students
have chosen to share some of their triumphs and memories that made imprints in their middle school lives at
Rocky Hill.
I am Olivia Robertson and I go
to Rocky Hill Middle School and the
best memories I had were the Whiting‟s
World shows and the school dances. At
first I thought the school was ok, but
now the school is wonderful. I loved
school spirit days because they were fun
and we communicated through our
smiles, jokes, and faces. There is finally
NO MORE DRAMA. I love this school
and I can‟t wait until Mr. Whiting eats
the cow eyeballs!
-Olivia Robertson
Hi, I‟m Cynthia, and 8 grader
here. This year has been pretty eventful! Some triumphs that I have had are
being inducted into the National Junior
Honor Society, getting accepted to the
Advance Placement Power Scholars
(APPS) program at Clarksburg High
School, and basically messing up the
school with my friends (Not Really).
I‟ve enjoyed sixth grade and seventh
grade a lot. Well, I will miss Rocky
Hill.
fun too. The food was good and Mrs.
Milli was nice to put us in groups with
our friends. I also remember lunch bunch
in 6th grade and 7th grade. Mrs. Quinn let
some of us come to her class for lunch
because the lunch room was so loud. I
will never forget my 3 wonderful years at
RHMS!
Sydney Norris
-Cynthia Zhang
The most nerve-racking part
of middle school is definitely tests. Just
when you think that you can‟t go
wrong, you‟re real fired up to begin
middle school in 6th grade, you get- a
test. Unlike those in elementary school,
these tests are big, frightening, and
unlike anything you‟ve ever faced before! Even worse are the semester exams, which you take when you are in
high school level classes. You think its,
hard, but then you come out of testing,
and its over. You realize that if you
study, you‟ll do fine. These and other
experiences have made me who I am.
Thanks Rocky Hill!
8th grade at Rocky Hill has had
many ups and downs. There have been
triumphs and disappointments. One of
the biggest triumphs was making the
basketball team. Last year I had tried
very hard to make it, however on the last
tryout I was sick and did not play well.
That resulted in me getting out. After
getting out I worked very hard during the
summer. I yearned to play on the team.
When I made the team I was overjoyed
because all the hard work paid off. I was
proud of myself and felt great. Basketball
is a passion of mine and when I did not
make the team in 7th grade I was very
disappointed. When I made the next year
it felt like I had avenged my blunder. It
felt like a triumph.
Jessica Tantum
My highlights are endless at
Rocky Hill. The dances, basketball
games, and fun times with my friends
made Rocky Hill a great place to be.
But my favorite part was winning the
MVP for basketball 2 years in a row.
Rocky Hill is a great school and I will
never forget it.
Rocky Hill is like a second
home to me. We all share memories,
laughs, and love. Back when I came
here on the first day of 6th grade, I had
a rush of emotions. I was scared, excited, and nervous all in one day. I met
a lot of awesome people here at Rocky
Hill. One was a little more crazy; Ms.
Nezzo. She was our Spanish teacher in
sixth graders. Spanish was a little crazy
with her, but I actually miss that class.
Seventh grade was the best year of my
life. Having the courage to cut open
that frog was almost impossible.
Somehow, I not only cut it open, but
did most of the work. Also that year I
went to Hershey Park with the music
department. To be able to go, I had to
sell candy. I ended up selling what I
needed thanks to Sra. Hellie (Mrs.
Hellie). She secretly bought the rest of
my candy for the class. Shh! Hershey
was amazing! There I went on my first
upside-down rollercoaster. It was like
sixth grade all over again. I ended up
loving it and going on again. Eighth
grade has had its ups and downs. I‟m
excited to go to Hershey again and Six
Flags. I‟ll miss Rocky Hill when I
leave, but the memories will always be
in my heart.
-Ayush Goyal
Though Middle School isn‟t
something most grown-ups remember,
they remember high school and
(surprisingly) preschool. It seems adults
refuse to recall their middle school years,
but I will recall my middle school years
as a huge milestone that has been passed.
I had so much fun. I made new friends,
got used to the teachers, who actually
weren‟t that bad. I even learned a few
things. Over the years I learned how to
embed text quotes, multiply polynomials
- Dennis Singleton
A triumph; an overcoming of
an obstacle or challenge. It all began as
a powerful fifth grader, at one point a
big fish in a little pond, knowing everyone in your graduating class, being the
ruler of the playground. Then taking a
leap, from local elementary school with
only seventy five students in our grade,
to a new town, with new kids, and no
classes with old friends. Then came the
awkward five minutes of trying to plan
what to say to make a new friend, starting with a “Hi, my name is…” Getting
excited to make a new friend was a
challenge at first because it takes courage to actually talk to someone. Soon I
realized that it came naturally. Now in
my last year of middle school, realizing
how simple this challenge was, I cannot
wait to go to high school and perform
this triumph all over again.
6th Grade
By Corrina Wyatt
As I walk in the room
There’s nobody I know
Thinking, “This place really blows!”
And I prepare to meet my doom
I look at the teacher
As she tells us what to do
I look over my shoulder and meet someone new
And we just sit there talking on the bleacher
All of the sudden I here a *ding*
I stare at her in fright
As she tells me wrong from right
And I am suddenly scared of everything
Later, as I head towards the bus
I get a hard shove from a girl
I look up and feel a slight hurl
Once I get out, I turn and say “Why us?”
Charlie Ann Thompson
My years at Rocky Hill have
been great! I will miss everything about
this school. Some memories I had were
Outdoor Ed and Ms. Odey‟s “rain
stick”. Outdoor Ed was something I
would enjoy doing again. And Ms.
Odey‟s rain stick was funny, if we got
too loud she would pick up her stick
and we had until it stopped “raining” to
get quiet. Another thing I remember
was playing bingo at x-block with Mrs.
Milli. That helped me review my words
and it was fun. Medieval Times was
6
The Hill at a Glance
Good-Bye, Mrs. Poole!
iPad – the New Face of Technology!
Mrs. Poole and Mrs. Kroll during a recent Leo‟s celebration. Mrs. Poole
passes the Leo‟s touch to Mrs. Kroll, who will continue the tradition of
making a difference in our community
By: Melanie Antanesian
Chief Editor
There are many great, influential
people, who may enter our lives and leave
at one time or another. Mrs. Poole, a special education leader, is one of those people. After many hardworking years of
teaching, Mrs. Poole, is not going to be at
Rocky Hill next year. For anyone who hasn't worked with Mrs. Poole in her Leo's
Club, or been under her skillful hands, you
could use some background information.
Mrs. Poole is probably one of the kinder
teachers at Rocky Hill. We all have our
mean and grouchy teachers, who are tired
from their long days of work, would not
want to spend another minute after school
with us.
At the Leo's Club, you will never
see a frown on Mrs. Poole‟s face. If anyone
ever walks into the Leo‟s Club after school
with a frown, that frown has changes before 4:15 PM. Mrs. Poole is not one of
those teachers who plasters a phony smile
on her face. She has this warm, gentle feeling about her that just makes you want to
smile. More importantly she makes you
feel very comfortable. Well, that's why
everyone just loves Mrs. Poole. If you get
yelled at, you know that it's because you
were wrong, and you have pushed Mrs.
Poole to the tippy top of the jar.
As you now know, a lot of people
hold Mrs. Poole dear in their hearts, so they
Clara Wong and Aparna Pooleri
TWR Staff Writers
got to let her know what they thought
about her and just how much she'll be
missed. "Dear Mrs. Poole: Why are you
leaving? Leo's Club won't be the same
without you! You‟re a really great teacher
and I loved working with you when I did.
Thanks for helping out the environment!"
Aki Stephens. Two members of the Leo‟s
Club said, "Hey Ms. Poole, you are an
amazing teacher, and we will really miss
you next year, we wish you the best!"
Students continue to echo their praises for
a beloved teacher "You're a really nice
teacher and I'm glad I got to work with
you for two years" says Jessica Gomes.
Mrs. Poole, made the Leo's Club an amazing experience for so many kids at Rocky
Hill. The Food Drive organized by the
Leo‟s Club made a huge difference for
some needy families in our area. In spite
of all the projects and things we had to
accomplish at the Leo‟s Club, kids were
not in any kind of pressure. It was a lot of
fun because Mrs. Poole made if a fun and
learning experience for all of us.
Mrs. Poole, I hope you know that Rocky
Hill is really going to miss a great teacher.
Thank you for guiding us into a better way
to help out the environment, and being a
lovely teacher. It's been a complete and
utter pleasure working with you. Hopefully, you reach greater heights soon!
Apple has done it again. They
changed our view of technology for
what, the umpteenth time? The iPad has
tons of impressive features, from an
ambient light sensor to WiFi chatting.
Some critics replied with negativity to
all the positive comments, saying that it
doesn‟t have a camera for picture taking
or video chatting, but most people
pointed out that no one would want to
lift up a giant iTouch to take a picture
anyway. Released in April of 2010, the
iPad became the new “it” of the modern
world. By combining the idea of a tablet
computer with features from the iPhone/
iPod touch, Apple, and their CEO, Steve
Jobs, came up with, voila! The iPad.
„What can it actually do
though?‟ Is something you and many
others are probably wondering about?
Well, let‟s see. Like I said before, the
iPad and iPhone/iPod touch are similar,
as they share many apps. Both of these
have the following:
Safari as the main browser (seeing
Is there life on one of
Jupiter’s moons?
Call of duty Modern Warfare 2
By Shadi Khalil
TWR Staff Writer
Call of Duty (COD) introduced
the Modern Warfare saga on November
5, 2007 under the name Call of Duty 4.
In 2009, the MW sequel came out, given
by most sources a four and a half star
rating and later became the International
Gaming Network (ign.com)‟s 2009
Number One shooter game of the year.
Although it‟s still part of the Call of
Duty series, it wasn‟t called COD 5, just
Modern Warfare 2.
Unfortunately, the game is rated M, but
since when do any of you care, right?
Well, we play when our parents give us
the okay. It has become a popular game.
You still played it and judging by your
comments and strange conversations, I
assume you liked it. Kushal Patel, 13,
grade 7 says, “It‟s fun.” And, “I LIVE
for Call of Duty!” I asked him what
goes on in the online wonder of MW2.
as Apple owns Safari)
Email
Photos
Notes
Calendar
iPod (as in the music) The iPad also
has impressive features, from an ambient light sensor to Wi-Fi. However,
a lot of critics pointed out that there
was no camera for video chatting or
taking pictures. Others replied that
you probably wouldn‟t want to lift up
a computer just to take a giant picture
anyhow. The media reaction was
mixed, but turned out to be mostly
positive. Tim Gidgeon of PC Magazine said in his review, “You have
yourself a winner,” that “will undoubtedly be a driving force in shaping the emerging tablet landscape.”
The tablet computer was actually an
idea that had been created before, but
never as advanced as the iPad. Apple‟s original was called the Newton
MessagePad100. Touch screen technology wasn‟t as advanced in the
1990‟s, obviously, so it used a stylus.
The design was mostly black, dark
gray, and . . . not very attractive.
(People are probably going to be saying that about the iPad 10 years from
now) Soon after the release of the
iPad on January 27, Fujitsu, a Japanese company, accused Apple of
“stealing” their product of the same
name, the Fujitsu iPad. The dispute
was settled with Apple paying $4 million for the trademark rights.
So those are the features it shares
now. But what about some features
unique to iPad? Let‟s talk about the
iBook feature. This allows you to,
well, read- on a bright LCD.
He also said that many of his friends
play COD and enjoy it. Other students
aren‟t so good. Daniel, 12, a sixth
grader says, “It‟s cool.” But both he
and Kushal agree that he‟s not so
good. So although it‟s a great game,
some don‟t really grasp the game play.
It is probably one of those games that
you understand when you get older.
This explains why it was rated M.
Younger kids enjoy the thrill of the
game.
“In Call of Duty: Modern
Warfare 2, developer Infinity Ward
aims to ratchet up the intense firstperson gunplay, graphical verisimilitude, and deep multiplayer experience
that won the original title wide acclaim
from critics and consumers alike,
while at the same time adding to the
overall package with the new, fastpaced „SpecOps‟ mode,” says an
internet vendor. Clearly this game is
set to be one of the biggest selling
games of all time. Is it one of the
greatest? We probably need to play
when we get older to find out. We
could also find out from some older
patrons who may have enjoyed playing the game, perhaps more than we
did.
By Antara Joshi
Staff Writer
Scientist continue seek answers
to the age old question about life on other
planets. Space exploration has become a
vital part of our life here on earth. We
continue to push the limits in space technology. Now we want to know if there is
life on one of Jupiter‟s moon. I had to do
my own little research. This question has
certainly got scientists thinking, especially after Simon Kattenhorn‟s amazing
discovery. Europa, Jupiter‟s third largest
moon has an average temperature of minus 260 degrees and is covered with over
twenty miles of ice, but this doesn‟t stop
scientists like Kattenhorn from suspecting Europa to contain life. Simon Kattenhorn—a geology professor at the Univer-
7
sity of Idaho—discovered a complex web
of cracks, faults and ridges on the surface
of Jupiter‟s fourth largest moon. This
lead him and other scientists into believing that there may be life on Europa.
Europa is thought to have a thick ocean
of water beneath the layer of the thick
ice. “In order to really get at the issue, we
have to know the best place to look,” said
Kattenhorn, “And in the case of Europa,
the best place to look is where cracks on
its icy surface are active today.”
Kattenhorn suspects that there
may be areas where water from Europa's
underground ocean up welled and froze
on the surface. “Because of the wellsupported presence of water ice on Europa and the probability that there are
briny oceans, Europa has to be a major
target for the search for life in the solar
system," says Jere H. Lipps, a professor
of biology at the University of California,
Berkeley.
Life is known to thrive in ice
and water. Even in Antarctica, algae,
protozoan, and bacteria grow in the ice.
This makes Europa a perfect target for
scientists to study. There have been two
$358,000 grants for Kattenhorn and a
couple other scientists to study Europa ,
and Kattenhorn is almost positive that it
will be a success!
Rocky Hill and Clarksburg High
School Connection
SMOBS Aren’t Snobs
By Annie Tran
Staff Writer
In April, our school voted for the Student Member of the Board, or SMOB.
Most kids didn‟t think it was worth it,
why did we have to care about some
kid going to talk to those big officials
at MCPS? Even though it doesn‟t seem
important, it is your way to communicate with the executives at those big
buildings in Boyds.
This year, Alan Xie, a sophomore from Richard Montgomery High
School, was elected as SMOB. Many
students voted for him and have their
own reasons of doing so. “I liked how
Alan suggested we be able to use cell
phones during school.” says Shadi
Khalil, a 6th grade at Rocky Hill. Apparently, Alan Xie appealed to many of
the students in Montgomery County
and won their vote. Voting was an un-
forgettable experience for all students.
It showed that they had a say in their
education, and that they were in control
of their educational future.
However, some students voted
for Nick Maggio, a student from Damascus High School. “I voted for Nick
because he seemed more confident
when he talked.” says an anonymous
7th grader. Obviously, the speaking of
the two candidates affected the votes. It
showed that they knew what they were
talking about, and it showed that they
really believed in what they meant.
Nick did not win, but he did make a
fair point about what he believed. Nick
Maggio visited our school during different lunches to ask if the students in
our school had any questions. This also
affected some of the votes because it
showed that these candidates cared
about and would listen to every one of
the students out there in Montgomery
County.
Although kids didn‟t think
that voting was necessary, they found
out that voting for the SMOB is important for you. This is the way that you
tell Dr. Weast what you want, and it is
the way that you tell those big officials
at those big buildings what you want to
happen. So remember, the next time
you start voting for someone and feel
bored, think twice about who you are
voting for, and what will happen when
you vote for them.
By Becky Grissom,
Former Chief editor and a 9th Grader at
Clarksburg High School
Rocky Hill and Clarksburg are
connected in so many ways that it almost
feels like a “Big Brother Big Sister” relationship. Having graduated from Rocky
Hill graduate of 2009, you wonder why I
am here on Tuesday afternoons. It easy I
am a volunteer for the Wildcat Roar while
I am a freshman at Clarksburg High
School.
Many of our readers may be
wondering why students at Clarksburg
High School would ever want to come
back. Many of us think that three years
are simply not enough in these wonderful
halls. Some of us at Clarksburg High
would like to visit our old teachers, but we
understand how that could be disruptive.
Some us come back to volunteer regularly,
and we try to help out wherever there is a
need. Some have worked in choral room,
in Mr. Grimes‟s history classroom, or Mrs.
Mille‟s science class. “I think it is nice to
see former students come back to help out
at Rocky Hill. It shows me that they are
willing to get involved in a positive way in
their community, which is an admirable
trait,” Mr. Grimes. It is important for both
schools to see the advantages of keeping
the schools connected after all, Rocky Hill
was housed in the building that now belongs to Clarksburg High school. “The
high school students are very responsible,
especially Victoria Ngo who comes to
help me during high school testing, and
Corrina Chen, who has been a great asset
with peer tutoring,” says Mr. Hyde.
In keeping with the Big Brother
to Big Sister connection between the two
schools, students at the Clarksburg High
should set good example for students at
Rocky Hill. Programs like Ms. Odey‟s
Peer Tutoring gives Clarksburg High
school students opportunities to tutor and
mentor younger students. It is a great way
to make a difference. The Leos‟ Club,
drama productions, band performances are
great opportunities for Clarksburg High
school students to make a difference. Mrs.
Mondays Are No Longer
Hated!
By: Melanie Antanesian
Chief Editor
Summer's literally right around the corner
and school will be out! Just imagine! You
won't have to hate Mondays anymore, and
it' would feel like the weekend dragged out
for three months! Need some ideas for fun?
It doesn't take much time or money to
make a day memorable for you and your
friends. Check out some ways you can
make use of your time.
Here are some simple ideas to make the
most of your summer:
10. Plant flowers. You don't have to plant
an entire flower garden. A few seeds sprinkled into a flower pot will add color to any
window sill. An old boot makes a good
planter, too. Be sure to water your plant
every day and watch out for new budding
sprouts!
9. Go to the park with your little sister or
with your friends. Take your camera and
be sure to record any Kodak moments.
8. Design a photo album. Photo Albums
will always last and they're really fun to
make. Get your friends together and make
one called "Summer of 2010"
7. Feed the local neighboring birds. Cover
a pine cone with peanut butter and roll in
bird seed. Tie a string around the pine cone
and hang it from a tree. The birds will love
it! Woohoo! Gourmet night out!
6. Catch fireflies at night. Have your parents put a few small holes in the top of a
plastic jar. Catch fireflies and place them
in the jar. It's a homemade lantern! (Be
sure to let the fireflies go before you go to
bed. )
5. Make snow cones.
Most refrigerators now have icemakers that shave the ice. Fill a glass with
shaved ice and add juice or Kool-Aid for a
homemade snow cone! You can use a
regular cup from your cupboard as the official holder of your snow
4. Make rock pets! They're the cutest
things ever! You can be like Patrick from
Spongebob! Spend memorable days of
your summer with your very own rock
buddy. Get pet size rocks to shape turtles, frogs, or other animals The coolest
thing about these things is you don't
have to feed them. They NEVER die.
It's a rock, it's a pet, and it‟s a fun rock
pet!
3. Go to a theme Park. This is probably
one of the most expensive options. If
you really hit a dead end, ask your family if they'd be up for a day trip to Six
Flags or Busch Gardens. On their websites, they always have great discounts.
2. Make a summer hideout. Hang
sheets from a clothesline to make a
tent. Add chairs, boxes, or anything
you want to make furniture. Better yet,
park a tent right outside your back
porch. Have a camp out with a bunch
of your friends.
1. Go to the pool. Honestly, there isn't
anything better than getting cold, refreshing water splashed all over you
while it is a thousand degrees outside.
Swimming also can get you in really
good shape, so even though you probably can't tell, all that fun in the water
with your friends, is a workout!
Nacht had this to say about students from
Clarksburg High school. “Over the years, I
have had many students from Clarksburg
High School come over to RHMS to help
me at Rocky Hill when we do plays and
musicals. It has been extremely helpful
and I hope that we can continue to do the
same thing in the future,” she has noted.
Much more collaboration between the
schools would be appreciated because we
are a bunch of older siblings hoping to
help our younger siblings in every way
possible. It is a great way to make a difference. One teacher that would understand
the need for collaboration between the
schools is Mrs. Quinn. Every year, juniors
and seniors from Clarksburg and Damascus high school come out to help with the
Outdoor Ed program. For students of
Rocky Hill enjoy the opportunity to come
back and help as camp counselors. Commenting on the idea of high school students volunteering at Rocky Hill, Mrs.
Quinn says, “Having a high school student
working at the middle school they attended is great for everyone involved. It‟s
a big help for the teacher. It‟s a wonderful
opportunity for the 6th graders to work
with a high school student; it‟s so COOL!
It‟s also nice because the high school student gets the chance to see what they were
like in middle school and see things
through the teacher‟s eyes. It‟s a win-win
situation for everyone.” Although I personally now have two younger siblings
here at Rocky Hill, I have other reasons to
come back. I love working with the newspaper program because I was here when it
was being formed.
As the chief editor, I provided
the leadership that it needed. Ms. Odey
knew that she could rely on me to work
with our writers to get the job done. I not
only learned some great leadership skills, I
had a great experience in news writing and
reporting. It feels good to come back as a
couch to help Ms. Odey. I want to act like
an older sister to all the current students
who go here now, and I feel that way
when I walk through the halls, even
though some students are about my height.
Silly Bandz: Awesome or Pathetic?
By: Corrina Wyatt
Staff Writer
Most of all, stay close to your
friends. Just because it's summer, it
doesn't mean you can't have a friendly
and constant relationship with people.
Invite your friends over every once in a
while and you guys can do something
listed above. Come September, if you
kept in touch, you can pick right back
up from where school ended, instead of
going back to day one No matter what,
enjoy your summer! It's time to celebrate! Your exams are over, you‟re
entering a bigger and better grade next
year, why not have a little fun?
With a sudden outburst kids all
over the world are falling in love with
Silly Bandz. Silly Bandz are the newest
trend for kids everywhere. People can‟t
get enough of the bracelets, hair ties, and
rubber bands, or really anything else you
want them to be. These crazy bands came
out last year. When you take the Silly
Bandz off they form shapes, animals,
people, objects, and more! But do the
kids really think they‟re awesome or just
plain pathetic? Awesome!
Many kids like them but don‟t
think they‟ll last. “I think they‟re cool,
but they‟re just a fad,” said Antara Joshi
talking about her very own Silly Bandz.
People love trading their Silly Bandz for
8
other ones they don‟t have. Some people
are just wearing them to show their cool
style and favorite animals. Most people
just love them because they‟re cool!
Pathetic!
“They are annoying because kids keep
calling animals while I‟m teaching,” says
Ms.Odey, who is clearly concerned that
nobody would learn in her reading class
with Silly Bandz around. Some Schools
have band the Silly Bandz because of
things like this. Teachers are starting to
get more and more annoyed and soon
RHMS will band Silly Bandz like most
other schools in America.