The Scott Scorpion
12/2015-01/2016 Issue #1
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Scott Happenings…
The Stars and Stripes History
By Miss McCarty
Take yarn, lights, egg cartons, paint, cups, corks, and cotton, put them together,and what do you get?
The American Flag? Eighth grade students in Mrs. Evanich’s social studies class used their creativity to
recreate different versions of the American Flag. The results were impressive. Take a look at their
imaginative products.
Grand Union Flag
Betsy Ross Flag
13 Star Flag
The grand Union flag first appeared in 1775.
Betsy Ross introduced her desgin I May 177
June 14, 1777, Continental Congress
adopted this design
Teacher of the month
By Rakeya Morris
Mr. Akers, who teaches band, was Scott’s teacher of the month for the month of November. We know
that he is great teacher, but we want to know more! What better way to get to know someone than to
interview them. Read on to get to know more about the teacher of the month!
What was difficult during your first year of teaching?
Mr. Akers: The most difficult part of my first year teaching was not the actual teaching part, but rather
the fact that nearly 90% of the instruments needed major repairs. This took about 6 weeks!
Why did you choose to teach at Scott?
Mr. Akers: I chose to teach at Scott Middle School because directly after graduating from Indiana State
University, I was given the incredible opportunity to teach band at SMS and guitar at the Hammond
Academy for the Performing Arts. I couldn't wait to share my love for music with the students of
Hammond!
How can students succeed in school?
Mr. Akers: Two critically important things to succeed in school are to pay attention in class, and to do all
of your homework. In order to successfully do this, you need to manage your time well, and have a
decent balance between the time that you work and the time that you play.
Can you share 5 interesting/random facts about yourself?
Mr. Akers: Five random facts about me:
1. I have gone on tour with a band across the United States three times, and even went on tour in China
(I walked on the Great Wall of China!)
2. My current band "Caught On Cline" just released our first album.
3. I know how to play over 20 instruments.
4. I enjoy playing and watching almost any sport.
5. I went on a foreign exchange trip to Germany and Austria in high school.
Thankful Scorpions
By Stephanie Martinez
This year, Thanksgiving fell on November 26th, and Scott Middle School had lots to give for the food
drive .The student council collected 1,309 items. All of the food donated stayed in our community and
was distributed by the Greater Hammond Services. Wow, you might say! But, that is not what I’m
thinking. Don't be surprised. We are the best, go Scorpions! We must congratulate ourselves. Pat
yourself on the back. I would like to say thank you to the student council and all those people who
brought in can goods and other goods. So how many items did you bring? I hope you earned a dress
down for donating. I’m sure we helped lots of families in need.
So what were Scott students thankful for this year?
Jeremiah Anderson is thankful for his yet to be born baby brother and his mom. Alex Macedo is thankful
for family friends and everything he has. Analisa Vazquez is thankful for living and family. Jennifer
Martinez is thankful for her pets and siblings. I am thankful for education and what I have.
Seasonal Happenings…
Holiday Gift ideas
By Heaven Hall
Sometimes gift ideas can come hard to people. So I made a list of things that could be easy to make
or cheap to buy!
 Sailor Moon Choker ♥
One of the newest trends this year was the choker. Almost everyone was wearing them. So I think
it would be cool if you gave a friend a homemade choker (it being Sailor Moon is optional, not
everyone is going to like Sailor Moon).
 DIY Flower Crown ♥
Flower crowns are a big thing as well. The link below offers a step by step set of instructions.
http://www.shoppriceless.com/blogs/diy/17822632-diy-flower-crown
Holiday Reads
By Heather Stojakovich
Looking for a book to get you into the Christmas spirit? Here is a compiled a list of classics.
The Nutcracker by E.T.A Hoffman
“Snow was falling gently on the streets, and people were hurrying home, their arms filled with gaily wrapped boxes
and paper parcels from toy stores, candy shops and bakeries". So begins the story of The Nutcracker and with it the
dreams of thousands of ballerinas.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Ebeneezer Scrooge is a man who actively despises Christmas! Luckily, a timely visit from the ghosts of past, present
and future forces Scrooge to confront his more challenging personality traits in time for the festivities.
Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
The Kranks are skipping Christmas this year, escaping on a Caribbean cruise. Or so they thought.
Frosty the Snowman by Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins
This musical book is one for the (younger) kids. It illustrates the story of Frosty while playing the well-known tune.
Not on repeat though. It’s one play per opening to help maintain parental Christmas sanity.
A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles M. Schultz
A 1960’s Peanuts holiday TV special transferred to book form makes the ideal stocking filler for fans of Charlie
Brown. Charlie decides to set the tone for Christmas by getting a
real tree rather than the artificial one requested by Lucy.
Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton
The graphic novel version of Tim Burton’s 1993 film. Jack Skellington rules the roost at Halloween, but he’s looking
to expand his empire and Christmas seems like the perfect acquisition. Wonder if this is on Johnny Depp’s
Christmas List.
Winter Recess Activities
By Heather Stojakovich
Looking for something to do over winter break? There are many local attractions that you might enjoy.
If you want to see decorated homes, visit this link for addresses around the area.
http://www.townplanner.com/cedar-lake/in/event/special-interest-christmas-holiday-nwi-northwest-indianathings-to-do-family-kids/decorated-homes-in-northwest-indiana/20151224/179963
Indoor, Outdoor Skating Rinks
Ice skating in Chicago is one of our favorite holiday traditions, and with so many rinks to choose from there's the
perfect one out there for everyone. From the slopping curves of Maggie Daley Park's ribbon to the late night
synthetic rink at Parson's, you'll want to round up your friends and family and take a spin.
Zoo Lights
Head to the Lincoln Park Zoo to see the lights (and maybe a few animals) at this annual winter tradition. The first
1000 people through the gates each night receive special glasses to view the lights with, but everyone can enjoy
nightly ice carving demonstrations, hot beverages and ice skating on the zoo's rink.
A Christmas Story Comes Home
The "A Christmas Story" Comes Home exhibit centers around 6 animatronic window displays from Macy's
Department Store in New York featuring different scenes from "A Christmas Story". The movie was set in the
fictional town of Hohman, Indiana which was a disguise for Shepherd's hometown: Hammond. Hohman is one of
Hammond's busiest downtown streets. Visit the link for times and dates.
http://www.southshorecva.com/achristmasstory/
January
By Miss McCarty
Students return from winter recess on Tuesday, January 4, 2016 and the new semester will begin. Parent Report
Card Pick-Up Night will be Thursday, January 07, 2016 4:30 PM-6:30 PM. Have a safe and enjoyable winter break
and we will look forward to seeing you in January!