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Mrs. Dudek Answers
By Scott Rupert
November Prayer by
Colleen Floyd
Dear Lord,
Help me to spread your fragrance
wherever I go. Flood my soul with your
spirit and life. Penetrate and possess my
whole being so utterly that all my life may
be only a radiance of yours.
Shine through me, and be in me that every
soul I come in contact with may feel your
presence in my soul.
Amen.
Club Members
1. Beth Robey
2. Madelyn Varkey
3. Colleen Floyd
4. Scott Rupert
I have been teaching for 17 years at St. Joseph’s. The best
thing about St. Joseph’s is that I like the students which is
why I am very happy with my job. When there aren’t any
kids in the library, I work with the two year olds.
My favorite school events are the Christmas program and
making gingerbread decorations with the young students.
And I like to see the children I taught as little ones
progressing all the way to eighth grade.
I live in Wilmette so I know St. Joseph’s is a fine school.
I also like to read, make quilts and spend time with my
grandchildren as outside hobbies. It’s very satisfying.
Tongue Twisters
By Elizabeth Simpson
Try saying these fast three times
1. Sally says Sarah sold seashells by the
seashore.
2. Alphabetized alphabets ate apples.
3. Governers governed great gullies.
5. Zuzu Argento
4. Singing sands sing sad songs.
6. Julia Harron
5. Camels carry countries to continents.
7. Elizabeth Simpson
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6. Bugs bring berry branches.
7. Lemon lollies lick lemons.
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Questions and Answers
with Mr. Payne
By Julia Harron &
ZuzuArgento
Social Studies and
Religion Teacher
Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I grew up in Wheaton, Illinois.
Q: Where did you go to college?
A. I studied at Western Illinois University.
Q: Why did you become a teacher?
A: I really enjoy history!
Q: What are your hobbies outside of school?
A: Visiting historical sites, gardening,
watching sports and reading.
Q: How long have you been a teacher?
A: Twenty-five years.
Q: At what other schools have you taught?
A: I taught at Our Lady of Charity in Cicero.
Q: What are your favorite topics to teach?
A: I enjoy teaching about World War Two,
the Middle Ages, and India.
Q: What is a special St. Joseph’s memory?
A: I enjoy field trips.
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Why We Need
More Pizza Days
By Beth Robey
“What the heck?” a student
proclaimed. One of her
classmates had just informed
Audrey that there were only two
pizza days in the entire school year. Audrey was
outraged!
“Why only two? We need more. We want more.
We yearn for more pizza days.” She wondered then
how to get them. She sat there thinking when she
got an idea.
She began making posters and preparing speeches.
It’s unbelievable that students
are allowed only two of these
days. When these students were young,
pizza days were celebrations. When
I think of fun, I think of pizza.
WE NEED PIZZA
My Life
By Madelyn Varkey
My life is fun. I like soccer and playing football
with my brothers. One Saturday in October
was my last soccer game, and I wanted to win.
Another Saturday I played football, my brother
and me against our Mom.
I love cooking and take cooking classes. Once
we made puffed banana pancakes with
caramel on top. Another time we created an
Indian dish, which had baked potatoes and
green onion with curry powder.
I like reading and writing too. My favorite
books are Justine Case and Zombie Zone by
Ron Roy.
That’s my life.
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Advice Column
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Dear Mrs. Dursharoe,
Interview with
Mr. Glynn Walker
I am really struggling right now. I give it my all on
assignments but never get a good grade.
By Madelyn Varkey
By Colleen Floyd
Sincerely, Hard Assignments
I grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, and attended
Dear Hard Assignments,
Johnson Sr. High School. Our mascot was Snoopy. I
E-mail your teacher, go in early, take charge. You want
to be able to let your teachers know you care.
went to Lakewood Community College, thern
Mrs. D.
After college I was a federal police officer and
Dear Mrs. Dursharoe,
My Mom always travels, and I miss her. How can
I talk with her without getting her annoyed?
Sincerely, MomMisser
Dear MomMisser,
Bring her into a private room to talk. She’ll
understand and hopefully help or make
other arrangements.
Good Luck, Mrs. D.
Concordia University in St. Paul.
worked part time for the YMCA. I decided to go back
to school and finish my teaching and coaching
degree. While in school I got married and began a
full time career with the YMCA. After many years I
decided I wanted to teach and coach in a more
formal setting and began teaching in Palatine and
then Cary. I lost my job in Cary due to budget cuts
and decided to apply with the archdiocese. A few
weeks later Mrs. Clark called me, and I accepted the
position at St. Joe’s.I played several sports in high
school and college including football. wrestling,
track, and skiing.
Social Studies
Elizabeth Simpson
In fourth grade Social Studies we are
learning about the five US regions. We are
the Midwest. This year we will study the
West, Midwest, Southwest, Northeast and
Southeast.
I have three sisters and one brother. I’m the middle
kid. I also remember great times with friends, bon
fires, skiing, going to hockey games, which are very
big in Minnesota, and just hanging out. There were
also band trips and I played the trombone.
I really like anything to do with eating chicken, and
my favorite fruit is strawberries.
Popcorn is my
special snack.Growing up, I had fantastic teachers so
My favorite region is the West region
because I have traveled to one state there
and have read about all of them.
I knew since junior high that I was going to be a
teacher. I loved sports and realized I would make a
better coach than an athlete though I still enjoy
There are beautiful mountains and fertile
valleys, especially in Oregon. Some other
great landmarks are rivers and the ocean.
What is your favorite area?
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playing racquetball and power walking. (My knees
just can’t handle all that running anymore so that’s
why I’m Mr. Walker.)
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Student Council By Beth Robey
Fiona Wardrop
President
Participates in basketball and volleyball and is in
Loyola math.
Vice President
Allison White.
Participates in basketball and is very cheerful.
Secretary
Jacqueline Cox
Participates in volleyball and is always smiling.
By Julia Harron
Treasurer
Maggie Mosher
High spirited
Class Representatives
4th Grade
Tommy Mosher
5th Grade
Frankie Argento; Kelly Cox
6th Grade
Scott Rupert; Ben Yoder
7th Grade
Colleen Floyd; Julia Harron
8th Grade
Fiona Wardrop
Guess Who
By Beth
Robey
1. It’s her second year at St. Joe’s.
She teaches another language.
2. He’s from Ohio, teaches junior high, and
won the Heart of the School award.
3. He’s written several songs, and he’s been
teaching here since St. Joseph’s opened.
4. He’s a great artist, has a son and
a daughter.
5. He works hard every day and
always says hi to
the students.
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New Parties - FictionStory
By Scott Rupert
‘Let’s sneak into school tonight. We can find out our
grades.” So we rode our bikes into the school lot. I
had “borrowed” the keys from the janitor at lunchtime. My friend, Ryan, unlocked the door and got in.
Then we took our gear and started to head to the
office.
“It’ll take a while to get the records, but let’s go onto
the computer.” After a lot of checking almost every
file, we realized our grades weren’t there. One file
suggested that grades were stored in a vault near a
painting of our school in its early days. We wandered into the hall, found the painting on the side. I
had never seen this area before. Ryan and I took the
painting off its base, revealing a small opening. We
went inside and saw a lot of stairs.
“Come on. Let’s see what’s downstairs.” Then we
saw a long, dark hallway. Feeling our way along
the wall, we came to the end, and there was
another computer. So we started it, but
Answers:
the fire alarm went off.
1. Mrs. Cechorz
2. Mr. Payne
3. Mr. Pancratz
4. Mr. Pacini
5. Dan
“Quick, Ryan, run this way.” We
dashed through a room, but then a
man bumped into us. Yikes, it was our
principal. He grabbed us both by our
shirts, thundering, “Looks like you have
some explaining to do.”
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Tips on Studying By Julia
Harron
1. Find a Quiet Spot.
Find a comfortable place away from distractions.
2. Don’t Study Late the Night before the Test or Assignment Due.
Try to space out the studying over the course of a couple of nights.
3. Try Not to Cram.
Take breaks to reward yourself for good studying.
4. Use Notecards.
Make notecards to quiz yourself when no one else can.
5. Create Mnemonic Devices.
Make up phrases or words to help you remember difficult parts of the material.
E.g: Solar System
My very excellent mother just served us noodles.
Mars Venus Earth
Mercury Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune
Just Kidding
By ZuzuArgento
If you’re feeling down, just consult this section. The
jokes are on us.
Q. What does a nosey pepper do?
A: Gets “jalapeno” (all up in your) business.
Q: What do you call an alligator in a vest?
A: An investigator.
Q: What happens if you eat yeast and shoe polish?
A: Every morning you’ll rise and shine.
Q: What do lawyers wear to court?
A: Lawsuits!
Q. What gets wetter the more it dries?
A. A towel.
Q. What did the pencil say to the other pencil?
A. You’re looking sharp.
Q. How do you get a tissue to dance?
A. Put a little boogie in it!
Interview with Mrs. Reschke
By Beth Robey
Fifth/Sixth Grade Teacher
Why did you want to be a teacher?
I had a great teacher, and she really made me want to
teach.
What is your favorite subject to teach?
Math and maybe reading.
If you had to describe yourself in a noun, a verb, and
an adjective, what would they be?
Uhh . . . that’s a hard one. I would say “teacher, working hard, creative.”
What college did you go to?
Wisconsin in Madison.
What’s your favorite sport to watch and to play?
Probably college football to watch and basketball or
softball to play.
Do you have any funny stories from your childhood?
One day my brothers were babysitting me, and I
wanted to play. They didn’t want me to so they
shoved socks in my mouth and stuffed my in the
closet.
What’s your favorite season?
I think fall because it is chilly and football starts.
So what’s your favorite holiday?
Christmas because there are lots of family traditions,
and the whole season is special.
Do you have any pets? If you don’t, what pets do you
want?
I have a great dog named Nellie who’s eight years old.
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Horoscopes By Scott Rupert
Today’s Birthday: Begin a new phase of creativity. This will be a good year.
Aries (March 21-April 19):
Leo (July 23-Aug 22):
Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec 21):
You will find enjoyment in
something.
A struggle will happen and
alliances will be broken.
Be a good neighbor and help
somebody.
Taurus (April 20-May 20):
You’ll have a big misfortune.
Be smart and make it right.
Gemini (May 21-June 20):
test will come back and you’ll
do fine.
Cancer (June 21-July 22):
You will be inspired.
Virgo (Aug 23-Sept 22):
A trip to the principal’s office
for an innocent act. There will
be a fair trial.
Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 19):
Libra (Sept 23-Oct 22):
Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18):
Keep peace with old friends.
Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21):
Fights will be solved.
You will finish a project.
You’ll have an exciting day.
Pisces (Feb 19-March 20):
There will be a strange
coincidence.
Just Kidding
By ZuzuArgento
If you’re feeling down, just consult this section.
The jokes are on us.
It's Christmas
By Madelyn Varkey
Every Christmas my brother wakes me up,
and he shouts, "It's Christmas!"
I jumped out of my bed and ran down the stairs.
Then I looked in my stocking and whirled around,
"Presents." I saw a really big surprise, and I
wondered what it was. I tore off the wrapping and . .
.
IT'S A PLAY MOBILE DOG!
After we unwrapped all our presents, we ate
breakfast. We always have something special for
Christmas, cinnamon buns. Yummy.
My uncle who travels a lot stayed with us
for that special day. That was the
best Christmas ever.
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Q. What does a nosey pepper do?
A: Gets “jalapeno” (all up in your) business.
Q: What do you call an alligator in a vest?
A: An investigator.
Q: What happens if you eat yeast and shoe polish?
A: Every morning you’ll rise and shine.
Q: What do lawyers wear to court?
A: Lawsuits!
Q. What gets wetter the more it dries?
A. A towel.
Q. What did the pencil say to the other pencil?
A. You’re looking sharp.
Q. How do you get a tissue to dance?
A. Put a little boogie in it!
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Star Gazer
By Colleen Floyd
Ocean Animal School
By Elizabeth Simpson
A piercing scream shook the coral home. “I don’t
want to go to school,” screeched the small seahorse.
Her mom replied, “Just for today. Please, Ocean.”
“Okay, Mommy.”
I was watching the clock go tick-tock-tick-tock until
the final bell. What seemed like an eternity was only
five minutes. When the bell rang, I was the first one
to gather my books and sprint to my locker.
Being the science lover that I am, today is my Christmas. Tonight will be the meteor shower so Dad will
be home to watch it with me. He announced, “I
wouldn’t miss it for the world, Stein,” my nickname
short for the great scientist, Albert Einstein, obviously
my idol.
‘Come on, get in the car.”
“Mommy?”
“Yes?”
“Can I have a coral candy in my lunch?”
“Well, okay.”
“Yippee.”
Hand in hand, Ocean and her mommy got into the car
and drove to school. There her mom left her with Mrs.
Sigoyompebdesoelrbarrn.
Later her mom got a call. “Ocean is crying and wants
you.”
“Why? What’s wrong?”
“Because some sharks were bullying her earlier and
a few minutes ago.”
“What? Sharks are bullying her? Where is she now?”
“Room 271925591518.”
So Mom went to get Ocean and stopped the teasing
by telling Ocean to make jokes and give them a big
smile. Then Ocean was happy.
I hopped off the bus, catching Mom hollering on the
phone. This was never a good sign. Last time this
happened, our family had to cancel our ski trip.
Cautiously I opened the dark screen door to our
kitchen. “Your father can’t come tonight,” Mom
announced with great disdain. I could feel the hot
tears dripping down my face. I dropped my backpack and ran to my lab room.
About an hour after dark, I was startled by a great
knock at my door. It was Paps, my grandfather.
“Let’s go. We have an hour at the most to get into the
hills,” he urged.
I was too excited. Grandpa’s love for me gave me
hope, and things will be okay.
Seventh Grade Here I Come
By ZuzuArgento
Ever since about third or fourth grade, I've been a very big motivated
Loyola Academy fan. This year, seventh grade, is the time I need to
excel to get in. This year I'm trying to expand my vocabulary and work
hard. I know that Loyola doesn't look only at grades but activities and
sports. So I'm trying new clubs and participating in every sport I can,
which is not a problem because I love sports.
Loyola is definitely a sporty school so I'm thinking about taking part in a
volleyball tournament or maybe crew because I love rowing.
Plainly this year I'm working on getting into Loyola and having a good
spirit about my school work.
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My Teacher
By Madelyn Varkey
My teacher appeared on TV, The Price is Right, a show with
an audience and activity on stage. The host calls a person
from the audience. “Christina Hockel, come on down.”
That’s my teacher whom I call Mrs. Zavattero. When she got
on stage, there was a game with a chip called Plinko. So she
went up the stairs, explaining you can’t see the prizes or the
money on the board.
She dropped her first chip, which went down to zero dollars;
the next went to $500. The next chip down, and the next to
$10,000. Finally the last chip was zero. The good thing is she
didn’t walk away empty handed
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Mystery Game
By Beth Robey
Amanda always keeps a keychain in her desk at
school. When she came back, she found it wasn’t
there. Three other students who sat at her desk
gave these alibis:
Jake: It wasn’t there when I sat down.
John: Our social studies class was doing an
experiment in the hall so I didn’t sit at the desk.
Lily: I didn’t check.
Who’s guilty? Answer: It was John because
students don’t do experiments in social studies.
BTW/Technological News
By Beth Robey
The school has updated the website, using the
school uniform plaid to fill the former white space.
Power School is an online grade website, allowing
students to check on their grades.
Our Trip to Lake Geneva
By Madelyn Varkey
All students in junior high now have school
purchased iPads, and students in the lower grades
can share school purchased iPads
Our family went to Lake Geneva for my Mom’s birthday,
staying at a great hotel. There was an arcade and two
swimming pools, but since it was cold outside, we went
to the indoor pool.
The ride was horrible, I tell you, way up in Wisconsin. The
next day was Sunday, and we drove home, getting back
around 2:30.
The next day was Monday, which meant school. But I’m
glad we didn’t forget my Mom’s birthday, November 3
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