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Foreword:
Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Rocky Mount Middle Schools’
brand new literary magazine The Raven. As a first edition we are
honoring the spirit of the holidays with a Christmas version of the
Raven which includes interviews with the students, a very candid
interview with our principal and some very tasty holiday recipes
submitted by families and friends. It is our expectation that the
magazine will be published four times per year Fall, Winter, Spring
and end of the year, thus our next issue will be the Spring edition in
March 2017. Thank you, hope you enjoy our holiday issue.
Mr. Howard- Magazine Advisor
The Principal Speaks
What would you like to do at Rocky Mount Middle School next year
that you didn’t get a chance to do this year?
- The first thing I would like to do is to make sure that we increase our test
scores and to make sure we have a better performance academically.
Also, I would like to hear more ideas from the students.
Do you feel like you might be named Principal Of The Year again this
year?
- That’s a very good question, I’m not sure but it’s not up to me, but i’m
going to do my very best at everything I do, to make sure my students
and staff do their very best everyday. If I get recognized for it, that’s a
plus,if not I will stay and do my very best for this school regardless.
Do you enjoy being principal of Rocky Mount Middle as opposed to
principal of the elementary?
- I enjoy being the principal at Rocky Mount Middle, I enjoy working with
students regardless of what age. It doesn’t make a difference to me if it’s
high school, middle school, or elementary school. I have worked as an
educator in all three levels but i’ve been principal at middle school and
elementary. I enjoy students of all ages so it really doesn’t make a
difference to me which level i’m working, it’s just about helping students
be the best.
How long do you think you will stay at Rocky Mount Middle?
- I plan on being here for a while, I’m not sure because truly being the
principal is up to the superintendent. The superintendent makes the
decision of how long a principal stays at a particular school. But if it’s up to
me, I will be here for a good while.
How do you make the transition from being a pastor to that of being a
principal?
- That transition is really easy, I believe both are a calling. You have to have
a calling to be a pastor and you have to have a calling to be an educator.
So the cause, I believe that God allows me to be both. It’s real easy
because in both I am a servant and in both position I help people become
better. To me, it’s like I’m still doing the same thing but in a different
format.
What major change did you have to make after moving to Rocky
Mount Middle?
- One major change was getting used to middle school students again. It
had been 4 years since I had worked with middle school students, so I was
trying to get used to it again. The format and that culture had to be a
renewed mindset. I think it helped me transform Rocky Mount Middle
School to be have a culture for learning and not just coming to school.
Whenever we come to Rocky Mount Middle School we walk in with a
mindset to be ready to learn and to be our best.
Reflections Of The Past Year at RMMS:
My years at Rocky Mount Middle have been really great, so far. The one
year that I really enjoyed was 7th grade because it was the first time I got to
play a team sport. I also had 2 wonderful teachers in 7th grade, I really enjoyed
being in their class. Now I am not saying 8th grade won’t be a good year, i’m just
saying so FAR my best year at Rocky Mount Middle has been during 7th grade.
- Aisha Qatabi
This past year at RMMS have been awesome. The teachers are cool and
fun. The teachers always prepares us for the upcoming year and even teaches us
stuff we’ll need to know in highschool and college. The school makes sure we
get the information we need while having fun.
- Cierra McKnight-Sykes
Last year was interesting for me because I had to make new friends. My
friend and i from 6th grade were no longer friends and she didn’t go to this
school last year. I met a new friend and started talking to a couple of girls who I
was briefly friends with the year before. We became best friends and still are
today.
- Makayla Moore
What Christmas means to me: Ma’Kayla Jones
Christmas is a season that family after and spend quality time with each
other. Also Christmas time is the celebration of baby Jesus birth. It’s not about
the presents you receive it’s the extreme moments with your family.
What Christmas Means To Me: Isis McKee
Christmas means a lot to me it’s the time of the year where you should
give and not always expect to receive something back. No one should be
unhappy during Christmas time because it’s the Most Wonderful Time of the
year.
What Christmas Means To Me: Kenijah Baker
To me christmas means getting all of my family to come together and
celebrating the birth of baby Jesus.also giving away gifts to one another. I think
we should all do that because he sacrificed his life for us. So why can't we come
together for him?
SPORTS:
Two students Keeshan Silver and Aisha Qatabi from Rocky Mount Middle School
were interviewed about the Sport that they now play at ROCKY MOUNT MIDDLE
SCHOOl. we asked them 5 specific questions and then recorded their
responses...
Keeshan: Basketball
Interviewer:​ What do you think you are going to bring for the team this year?
Athlete:​ Rebounds and wins
Interviewer: What do you think the outcome of your team for the season will
be?
Athlete: Championship and undefeated season
Interviewer: ​Do you think you are going to improve this year from last year?
Athlete​:​ Yes, this year I can dunk
Interviewer​: Why did you choose basketball this year?
Athlete:​ I chose basketball because it is easy for me, and because I am very tall.
Interviewer​: Do you think your coach will lead you to success this year?
Athlete:​ I think we are going to lead ourselves to victory.
Aisha Qatabi: Basketball
Interviewer​: What do you think you are going to bring to the team this year?
Athlete:​ I think I am going to be a leader because I am going to be trying to help
the 6th and 7th graders improve their skills in the game.
Interviewer​: What do you think the outcome of your team for the season will
be?
Athlete:​ I truly believe we are going to go undefeated with a championship this
year.
Interviewer​: Do you think our team is going to improve this year over last year?
Athlete:​ “Yes, because you can always learn new things and we are not trying to
do the same things this year that we did last year. we are trying to go for a
championship, so of course I am going to improve this year.
Interviewer​: Why did you choose this sport this year?
Athlete:​ I love playing basketball and I like the energy in the team we have this
year.
Interviewer​: Do you think your coach will lead you to success this year?
Athlete​: Yes, I do think she is going to lead us to success because she is a very
good coach and she knows what it takes to get to a championship.
Raven Holiday Recipes
Cranberry-Mandarin Salad
2 (3oz) packages lemon gelatin
1(16 oz) can whole cranberry sauce
1 cup chopped nuts
1 (11 oz) can mandarin oranges drained
1 (81/4 oz) can crushed pineapple
2 cups ginger ale
Combine gelatin and cranberry sauce in saucepan over medium heat.
Heat and stir until almost boiling and gelatin is dissolved; remove
from heat. Stir in walnuts, mandarin oranges, undrained pineapple
and ginger ale. When fizzing stops, pour mixture into an oiled 5-cup
mold. Chill until set. Yields 8 servings.
Submitted by Mrs. A. Howard
Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2 ¼ cup of flower
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup ( 2 sticks) butter
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups chocolate chips
Mixed flour, baking soda + salt.
Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large
mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after
each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
Stir in morsels.
Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes
Remove to wire rakes.
Submitted by Mrs. C. Koontz
Strawberry Pig Picking Cake
11 oz. mandarin oranges, undrained
1 box Strawberry Duncan Hines
Cake mix
4 eggs
½ c. oil
Frosting:
11 g. container cool whip
1 pkg. vanilla instant pudding mix
2 c. diced fresh strawberries
Add eggs and oil to cake mix.
Beat for 2 minutes, add mandarin oranges, beat for 1 minute. Pour
into two greased and floured cake pans. Bake in 325 degrees oven for
20 minutes, cool.
Frosting: Mix all ingredients in bowl and whip together until fluffy
enough to frost cake easily.
Submitted by Mrs. B. Hinton
Cornbread Cake
1c. Brown sugar
1c. Oil
2 tsp. Vanilla
1c. Pecans
1c. White sugar
4 eggs
1 ½ c. self rising flour
Mix sugar, oil and eggs. Gradually add flour and vanilla. Bake at 350
degrees for 35-40
minutes. Use Pam to spray pan instead of a greased pan. Greased
9x13” pan.
Submitted by Mrs. B. Hinton
Twas the Night Before Christmas
Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house not a
creature was stirring not even a mouse: the stockings were hung by
the chimney with care in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of
sugarplums danced in their heads; and mamma in her kerchief and I
in my cap had just settled down for a long winter nap; when out on
the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to see what
was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, tore open the
shutters and threw up the sash. The moon on the breast of the new
fallen snow gave a luster of midday to objects below. When what to
my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh and eight
tiny reindeer, with a little old driver so lively and quick, I knew in a
moment it must be St. Nick. More rapid than eagles his coursers they
came and he whistled and shouted and called them by name: “Now
Dasher, now Dancer, now Prancer and Vixen, on Comet, on Cupid, on
Donner and Blitzen! To the top of the porch to the top of the wall, now
dash away dash away dash away all! As dry leaves that before the
wild hurricane fly when they meet with an obstacle mount to the sky,
so up to the housetop the coursers they flew with the sleigh full of
toys and St. Nicholas too. And then in a twinkling I heard on the roof
the prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As I drew in my head and
was turning around, down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a
bound. He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot and his
clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot; a bundle of toys he
had flung on his back and he looked like a peddler just opening his
pack. His eyes how they twinkled, his dimples how merry, his cheeks
were like roses, his nose like a cherry. His droll little mouth was
drawn up like a bow and the beard on his chin was as white as the
snow. The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth and the smoke it
encircled his head like a wreath. He had a broad face and a little
round belly that shook when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly. He was
chubby and plump a right jolly old elf and I laughed when I saw him in
spite of myself. A wink of his eye and a twist of his head soon gave
me to know I had nothing to dread. He spoke not a word but went
straight to his work and filled every stocking, then turned with a jerk
and laying his finger aside of his nose and giving a nod, up the
chimney he rose. He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle
and away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him
exclaim as he drove out of sight. “Merry Christmas to all and to all a
good night!”
Holiday Movie Reviews
Greetings Ravens,
My name is Justin Howard, and I am the youngest son of
Mr. Howard, one of your teachers. This holiday season, for all of you,
it is a time to cherish family and friends, but also
a time to enjoy some entertainment as you take your well-deserved
break from school. As a filmmaker, I generally tend to view about four
films every week, some of them new discoveries and others being old
favorites. Today, I am going to review some films already in theaters
that I’ve seen, and some films coming before the end of the year that
you may want to check out.
“Doctor Strange” (Marvel Studios) – I know that many of you have
seen and followed plenty of comic book films released in the last 7 or
8 years, especially the popular set of films by Marvel Studios. Doctor
Strange is another great addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Visually spectacular, funny, and filled with incredible action
sequences, this is one to see with your friends. See it in a 3D theater
if possible, you won’t be disappointed.
“Fantastic Beasts ​and Where to Find Them” (Warner Bros.) – Set in
the Harry Potter universe created by author J.K. Rowling, this prequel
film set in the 1920’s doesn’t feature any of the main characters from
the series, but carves out an identity all its own. This is the first of a
brand new series of films, and well worth checking out.
Films coming soon
“Rogue One” (A Star Wars Story) which comes out December 16th,
tells the untold story of how the Rebel Alliance stole the plans to the
Death Star in this thrilling prequel set before the events of Star Wars:
Episode IV A New Hope.
“Assassin’s Creed” – This adaptation of the popular video game
series by Ubisoft aspires to be a video game movie actually worth
seeing for once. It looks visually similar to the games it’s based on as
well as capturing its excitement.
“Passengers” – This original science-fiction film starring Chris Pratt
and Jennifer Lawrence looks like a film full of stunning visuals, smart
sci-fi ideas, and heartfelt romance. It looks like one not to miss. These
are just a few of the films in theaters to check out during the holidays,
and many more yet to come next year. Enjoy your holiday break!