http://vassallane.cpsd.us/school_news/school_newspaper/
May 1, 2015
VLUS WEEKLY
Stories by and About the Vassal Lane Upper School’s Scholars
Vassal Lane
Upper School,
197 Vassal Lane,
Cambridge, MA
02138
Image from http://vassallane.cpsd.us/
Hood
Connect to the VLUS
Weekly:
Review by Ning-Er Lei and Katerina Ohanyan
http://vassallane.cpsd.us/
school_news/
school_newspaper/
Upper School had the opportunity to see the first ever
On Thursday, April 30th, students at the Vassal Lane
performance of the original play, Hood. It was an
extraordinary show that had characters that you have
met before in fairy tales. In Hood, these dramatic
In this issue of the
VLUS Weekly:
characters were played by our friends. The backstage
Articles!
students. Everyone involved in Hood put in a
Reviews!
crew, script writers, and light operators were also VLUS
tremendous amount of effort in order to make the play
a success.
This play had many unexpected parts. For example, in
Review continues on page 2
http://vassallane.cpsd.us/school_news/school_newspaper/
1
May 1, 2015
http://vassallane.cpsd.us/school_news/school_newspaper/
Hood, Little Red Riding Hood becomes evil. Another example is when the narrator got
kidnapped, which was funny and unexpected. If you missed the wonderful play, there is
still time for you to see it. The final performance of the play takes place tonight, May 1st, at
7:00 pm so…
Black Lives Matter
Article by Jesse Lowe
Image from http://catersthoughtsandperspective.tumblr.com/page/2
You have almost certainly heard about the numerous protests of police brutality in
America recently. If there isn’t another story on the news of someone injured or killed by
officers without justification for their actions, there was a protest. We live in a world where
Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Walter Scott, and so many more victims are
household names. No matter what you believe about police brutality, racial profiling, or
the Black Lives Matter movement, we can all agree that we don’t want to be constantly
scared of what will happen next.
http://vassallane.cpsd.us/school_news/school_newspaper/
Article continues on page 3
2
http://vassallane.cpsd.us/school_news/school_newspaper/
May 1, 2015
When we see on the news that there was a shooting or protest, it doesn’t usually hit so
close to home. However, two students at CRLS, Mary Gashaw and Sydney Fisher, have
taken matters into their own hands and made us realize how world events impact our own
lives. They did this by organizing their very own protest on December 1st of last year. In
the spirit of a high school walkout held shortly after Trayvon Martin’s death in 2012, an
estimated 50 to 70 students walked out of class and gathered in Marsh Plaza from around
1:30 to 2:00.
Eleni, Mary’s sister, was able to tell us about the thinking behind the protest. “Mary
couldn’t possibly stand by with so many white police officers killing black men with no
consequences. She felt really strongly that she herself was being hurt and that she was not
safe.” Mary and Sydney did what many people are afraid to do: she took a stand against
injustice. Her protest is a reminder that what happens out in the world really does affect
us, and that we can affect what happens in the world in return. We can all make a
difference like they did, no matter how old we are. What will you do to change the world?
Reader’s Write
Are You A Writer?
If so, we would like to recruit you to participate in the new “Reader’s Write” section of the VLUS
Weekly.
If you have an original story, poem, or book review that you want to share, this is the place for you!
Submit your work by sharing it with Jesse Lowe or Nora Clooney on Google Docs, or, give your
work to one of us in person. Please also feel free to talk to us if you have any questions about the
possibility of us publishing your work.
Reader’s Write book reviews continue on page 4
http://vassallane.cpsd.us/school_news/school_newspaper/
3
May 1, 2015
http://vassallane.cpsd.us/school_news/school_newspaper/
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Book review by Gabriel Traietti and Finn Saunders-Zurn
The series Percy Jackson and the Olympians is about Percy Jackson, a kid who has been
expelled from every school he has ever gone to. Percy thinks it odd when his best friend,
Grover, asks Percy to ride with him to New York City on the bus. On the way, the bus stops,
and they have to all get out. The next day, Percy and his mom go out to Long Island for
vacation. That night, he has an odd dream, and he wakes up to see his best friend, Grover
banging on the window. When he looks more closely, he sees that grover has goat legs.
Grover is a satyr. One a hectic ride in a car with Grover, Percy learns barely anything
except that he and Grover are being chased. With Grover’s help, Percy, ends up at a camp
called Camp Half Blood, which is a camp for demigods, the sons and daughters of the
Olympian gods! The series is full of action and adventure intertwined with the Greek
myths.
Gabriel
Finn
Rating: ★★★★★
Rating:★★
Level: 4th grade-YA
Level: 1st grade-5th grade
Genre:Fantasy
Genre: Fantasy
Reader’s Write book reviews continue on page 5
http://vassallane.cpsd.us/school_news/school_newspaper/
4
http://vassallane.cpsd.us/school_news/school_newspaper/
May 1, 2015
The Menagerie Series, Book 1
Book review by Katerina Ohanyan
One of the latest books I have read and really liked was the the first book in the
Menagerie series. The Menagerie is a great book series that I personally recommend and I
that other people would like these books. The first book in the series is about a boy
named Logan who has moved to a new place and is having a hard time trying to find
friends. It isn’t long before Logan wakes up to find a griffin under his bed. The griffin leads
Logan to the backyard of a mysterious house. And there Logan finds where the griffin
came from.
All the magical creatures that Logan can find are in this yard behind the house. This house
belongs to Zoe and Blue, who go to Logan’s school and become his friends. Soon, Logan
finds out that Blue isn’t really a human, and that he is a merman. Logan also finds out that
Zoe has lost six griffins. Through a series of adventures, Logan, Zoe, and Blue find the
griffins, and when they get back home, they find that much more is waiting for them….
Image from http://www.goodreads.com/
http://vassallane.cpsd.us/school_news/school_newspaper/
5
http://vassallane.cpsd.us/school_news/school_newspaper/
May 1, 2015
The VLUS Weekly is Back!
Have you heard the news? The VLUS Weekly is back, and we are currently seeking
contributions from Vassal Lane students and teachers. Check us out at http://
vassallane.cpsd.us/school_news/ school_newspaper/, and be sure to share your stories by
and about Vassal Lane students with Kathleen Moore and Nora Clooney via Google Docs.
Please also feel free to send your story ideas to Kathleen and Nora at [email protected]
and [email protected].
http://vassallane.cpsd.us/school_news/school_newspaper/
6