Paul Revere Charter Middle School
February 12, 2016
Volume 60, Issue 3
Revere Leaders Help Readers
Thousands of books
are donated for the
annual book drive
hosted by Leadership
By CHRISTINA KIM
Pedram and Dimitri carry boxes
full of cans to S3. Photo: Judy Zhang
Cans for
A Cause
Council Club and other
Revere groups donate
to L.A.’s less fortunate
By AVA KERKORIAN
For students and staff members at Revere, winter is a time
of cold weather and holidays.
However, many use the winter
as a time to give to the less fortunate. Multiple events and drives
dedicated to this cause took place
around the school’s campus during November and December.
The canned food drive, organized by Mr. Slavin and his
Council Club, is a movement
at Revere designed to benefit
the area’s hungry people. “The
canned food drive is an outreach
initiative by the council homeroom to gather food on behalf of
the Los Angeles Regional Food
Bank, which distributes food
to soup kitchens and homeless
shelters,” Mr. Slavin explained.
The Council Club only accepted the canned or packaged
food from Dec. 2 to Dec. 16.
The drive set a goal of collecting at least one ton—2,000
pounds—of food this year,
but the last four years over
11,000 pounds—over five tons—
of cans have been donated.
The “Yes We Can” drive started five years ago when some of
(continued on page 4)
INSIDE:
Taken with Bacon
Every year, the leadership
class holds a book drive to help
provide a foundation for a wellrounded education. From Nov. 9
through Nov. 18, Student Council held the “Milk and Bookies” book drive, requesting that
homerooms bring in new and
gently used books. The three
homerooms with the most donated books received class prizes. In
first place was Mr. Hernandez’s
homeroom with 435 books, followed by Mr. Carnine with 427
books. In third place was Ms.
Pan’s homeroom with 308. Mr.
Hernandez’s class won a pizza
party, Mr. Carnine’s class won
cocoa and cookies and Ms. Pan’s
class got a sweet surprise. With
the goal originally set at 2,000
books, Leadership ended up receiving a total of 5,810 books.
On Nov. 20, Revere’s leaders traveled across town on
a field trip to 122nd St. Elementary School, where the
books were being donated.
After an approximately 40 minute long ride, the school bus
pulled up in front of the school,
the Home of the Bulldogs.
At the front of the school, a
large white, star-adorned poster
was tacked onto a wall, reading “Welcome Paul Revere
Middle School. Thank you for
your support,” in large, green
letters. Ms. Bell, the assistant
principal of 122nd St., and
Courtney, the coordinator of
this drive, said a few words on
A 122nd Elementary first grader follows along as Owen reads about the
exciting adventures of Ms. Frizzle and her students. Photo: Anthony Langer
the school
After
vere, the
filled out
and the book drive.
returning to Releadership students
book drive reflec-
Mad for Mathematics?
COVER STORY
Students and teachers share their outlook on how math affects them all
By ANOUK WIJERATNE
“I love math because it is challenging to do and
really makes you think. You have to use all of your
deduction and logical thinking skills to figure out
a problem. When I solve a difficult math question,
it makes me fell like I’ve accomplished something great,” said Elise Machrone. She is just one
of the many students on the Revere campus that
love to learn, practice, and teach math. They are
the braniacs in our generations that find math just
as easy as walking, talking, and breathing. However, that isn’t always the case for some students.
Some cringe at the mere thought of math class.
This is a common fear in many middle school
kids called math anxiety. The idea of numbers on a
page can give some kids the same fear they might
feel when looking at a spider or climbing a pole.
The idea of math is scary for them and creates
tension and apprehension. Math teachers struggle
year after year with the kids who have just given
up, no matter how many times the teacher break
it down or try new and creative ways of teaching.
“I do get anxious when doing math. I don’t
like it very much, and it is not my strongest subject. Therefore, I have to work harder in math and
that would give almost any kid anxiety, not just
me,” explained seventh grader Sydney Banks.
Mr. Iannucci discusses recent
events concerning school safety.
Harm Free
Is Priority
New school security
measures affect Revere
students and families
Teddy Suisman works on notes. Photo: Nima Rahmanian
“I know it is not my strongest subject so I get
worried when there’s a test coming up or stuff
like that.” Maybe before tests, maybe when an
important formula is forgotten, maybe even before math class is when the anxiety strikes. But
there are many teachers on campus who are
willing to help. Revere has Homework Help before and after school, as well as during lunch.
The different classes students can take at
Revere depend on four main factors: teacher
(continued on page 2)
10
Mr. Slavin holds up a picture of one
of his favorite things in the world.
A Walk to Remember 11
Sixth graders participate in Buddha
Walks, a play hosted by Spirit Series.
tion sheets which will be used
to help fund more book drives
across the country in the future.
(continued on page 6)
Ava Gardner looks over Morgan Hillenbrand as she draws bar graphs in math class.
Photo: Maygol Mohammadi
By CHRISTINA KIM
Multiple events involving
public safety have made schools
like Paul Revere take extra precautions in the name of security.
After the terrorist shooting
in San Bernardino on Dec. 2,
Mr. Iannucci, the school’s principal, reminded the Paul Revere
community of the students’ wellbeing while they are at school.
“While the recent events in our
local community and San Bernardino has given many of us a
moment to pause,” he wrote to
parents, “I want to assure you
that your children are safe and
secure while on our campus.”
On Tuesday, Dec. 8, the entire campus went into a lockdown during second period,
when an upset visitor entered
the campus without permission.
In a message Mr. Iannucci sent
out afterwards, he said, “At no
point did any students come in
contact with this individual. At
this point I felt it best to secure
all students as a precaution in
their classrooms to assure that
everyone was safe and sound.
This is a reminder that we need
to be vigilant and aware of our
surroundings at all times. Please
remember to report any suspicious activity or concerns. We
are so fortunate to have amazing staff at the school who are
prepared to deal with any situation.”
(continued on page 5)
2 February 12, 2016
Paul Revere Charter Middle School
COVER STORY
Math Not Adding Up for Some Students
(continued from page 1) recommendation, their
grades, the end of the year assessments, and mental
maturity. All sixth graders start out in Math 6, either
proficient or honors. Then there are three different
tracks students can take in seventh grade: Algebra,
Honors Math 7, and Math 7. In eighth grade, Patriots
can take Geometry, Algebra, or Math 8. Paul Revere
is one of the few schools in LAUSD that still has the
accelerated program with Geometry and Algebra as
courses available for students, but for the kids who
struggle, the majority of them ask why they need to
take these classes.
In a survey conducted by the Association for Psychological Science, new research showed that parents’
math anxiety could weaken their children’s achievement in math. Math anxiety can affect not only grades
and test taking, but also everyday mathematical skills
and self-esteem. Many students can relate to having math anxiety, whether over a math concept or an
upcoming test or quiz. But as the study has shown,
the more the math-anxious parents tried to work with
their children, the more their grades slipped, almost a
third lower than the grade level of their peers.
“We often don’t think about how important parents’ own attitudes are in determining their children’s
academic achievement. But our work suggests that if a
parent is walking around saying ‘oh, I don’t like math’
Jaiden Greene, a student in Ms. Del Cambre’s second period math class, concentrates on his test. Photo: Brett Anwar
Do You Have Math Anxiety?
To find out, answer the questions below. Rate your
answers from 1 to 5; with 1 being strongly disagree
and 5 being completely agree. Add them up and
check your score below.
1. I am uneasy about going to the board in a
math class. 1 2 3 4 5
2. I am afraid to ask questions in math class.
1 2 3 4 5
3. I am always worried about being called on
in math class. 1 2 3 4 5
4.I fear math tests more than any other kind.
1 2 3 4 5
5.It’s clear to me in math class, but when I
go home it’s like I was never there.
1 2 3 4 5
Check Your Score:
20-25 Sure thing, you have math anxiety.
15-19 No doubt, the thought of doing math
still makes you uneasy.
10-14 You might be a bit stressed about math.
5-9 Wow! A math major in the making!
Test adapted from www.mathpower.com/anxtest.htm
Ms. Stewart:
Math Mentor
Photo: Mateen Abai
Mr. Hernandez, a sixth grade teacher, looks over a student’s math workbook as he leads the class. Photo: Christina Kim
mon Core standards were frustrating parents whose
or ‘this stuff makes me nervous,’ kids pick up on this
kids were struggling with the concepts.
messaging and it affects their success,” University of
Speaking of the Common Core Standards, there
Chicago psychological scientist Dr. Sian Bedrock exare plenty of mixed opinions about it.
plained. This is true in many cases. When new meth “It’s better for the students who want to be chalods of learning math are introduced at school, parents’
lenged and worse for the students who are already
math anxiety worsens, including the new Common
challenged,” said Mr. Nardini, who teaches Math 8
Core standards. This can result in a troublesome effect
and Algebra 1 for eighth graders at Revere.
on their child’s academic achievements, especially in
However, a nationwide test administered every
math.
two years as the National Assessment of Educational
Research also shows that everything from math
Progress showed that in grades four and eight, scores
teachers to parents can affect a child’s understanding
dipped noticeably in math and reading. This is the
and passion for any math related. Some adults still
struggle with day-to-day activities like paying the bill
at a restaurant or doing the taxes because they carMath anxiety can affect not only
ried their math anxiety into adulthood. Some parents
grades and test taking, but also
are unable to help their children with simple homework because of the way the problem is set up. Word
everyday math skills and self-esteem.
problems that look long but have simple solutions can
automatically activate their math anxiety. An article in first time since 1990 that students’ mathematical skills
the New York Times talked about how the new Com- have dropped. The decline was unexpected, officials
say, but the lower scores could be related to the way
that the Common Core standards were ushered in so
quickly.
“It makes it worse because the sequencing is off
and they use homework problems that are supposed to
stimulate higher-order thinking skills but the language
used just confuses kids. Some problems are in areas
that are not ever covered in the examples,” stated Ms.
Manes.
“Pay more attention, ask more questions, study a
little more, and get more help from friends, teachers,
the Homework Help Club, and use Khan Academy
and IXL,” recommends Mr. Nardini for students that
struggle with Common Core.
All in all, math may be a challenge for some, an
easy task for others, but it seems to be an essential part
Mr. Anderson speaks to parents of students at Revere
of preparing for high school, college, and beyond.
in Town Hall about the math curriculum. Photo: Evan Senit
Ms. Palmer teaches a new lesson to her eighth grade Geometry class as they follow and take notes.
The Town Crier: There was an article in
The New York Times called “Is Algebra Necessary?” The author, Andrew
Hacker, suggests that Algebra is a roadblock to success for many students. He
points out that students in other countries “score better on math tests, but it’s
their perseverance, not their classroom
Algebra that fits them for demanding
jobs.” What is your response?
in our society. Why then, is this same
societal pressure not applied to the study of
mathematics? I agree with the author that
college entrance requirements should be
examined and perhaps modified to fit the
needs of our ever-changing society. Maybe
not ALL students should be made to take 3
years of high school math if they have no
interest in a math/science career. However,
my question remains, “Do all middle/high
school students know with great certainty
Ms. Stewart: I would argue that it is this
LACK of perseverance in learning Algebra what their future holds and what course
of direction they should follow?” I think
concepts that keeps students from being
successful. When learning to read, students not. It is for this reason that I feel that we
should continue to encourage the study of
will encounter difficulties, but generally
mathematics, but not hold everyone to the
manage to persevere, because not being
same mathematical standard.
able to read is considered unacceptable
Photo: Natasha Roshandel
Speaking from the point of view of an algebra teacher, do you believe that algebra
is a necessary class for students to take in
life?
Absolutely! Algebra provides the foundation
for all upper level math courses. It teaches
you to think logically through the process of
problem solving. Personally, I dreaded those
awful word problems (I know that I am not
alone here) until I found Algebra (and it
found me). Algebra guided me through the
process of learning to break problems into
parts, translating words into equations, and
finally being able to arrive at a solution that
made sense. Since life is all about problem
solving, this has become a very valuable
tool.
February 12, 2016
Opinion
Paul Revere Charter Middle School 3
TALKING HEADS
Should We Abolish
Daylight Savings?
Mr. Foxson and Brett Anwar may be Revere
Patriots, but their sweatshirts
show their connection
to a nearby school.
When Americans participate in daylight savings time, they set their
clocks one hour forward in the spring and then one hour back
in the fall. Science teachers were asked to state their opinion on
whether or not daylight savings time should be abolished.
“This year Halloween night was an hour
longer, so no, don’t abolish it. Does it
really save energy? It depends on how
many people work at night.”
— Mr. Hernandez
Peer Problems at Pali?
From the moment students learn about the
magical world of high school, most Patriots
already know that Palisades Charter High School
is the likeliest place for us to go. Chains of family
alumni have been formed, and Pali has, without a
doubt, earned its popularity around our campus.
That is why so many Patriots automatically
follow in the footsteps of older siblings that have
attended Pali. Revere students have a higher
chance of getting into Pali High because Revere
is a feeder school so, odds are, people will take
advantage of that opportunity. And since the
majority of Pali students come from Revere, it
almost guarantees that incoming freshmen will get
to stay with all their friends.
But shouldn’t high school be a time to get
out of our comfort zone? Most students would
basically be repeating their middle school
experience if they are not able to interact with
different people. Our peers might only remember
us as the person we were in middle school… the
“No way! It would be terrible if the
sun was not up until 11 a.m. (for us)!
Daylight saving time is not always
fun or convenient, but it makes sense
due to the rotation of the Earth.”
—Ms. Istrin
group we hung out with, or the area we sat at
during lunch. Yes, it might be difficult to start
fresh. I mean, “New year, new me” right? But, the
popular kids will remain popular, and the drama
we have now will follow us around or might be
brought up again in high school. I guess this is the
issue with all feeder schools. There’s not a lot of
social diversity. Do we really want to be “stuck”
with the same people over the years?
But Revere is preparing us to take risks.
Clubs offered at Revere, which promote new
friendships, set the standard for how we should
treat that magical land of high school. After all,
Palisades is a huge school compared to Revere,
and it will be a tough crowd to get around if we
aren’t willing to branch out.
Adapting to a new school can be difficult, and
it demands putting ourselves out there. With new
friends comes new experiences. But, for those of
you going to Pali, just be prepared to face those
familiar faces. —Cherrie Herrera
“I think we should get rid of DST. I
don’t think it really saves energy as
some proponents’ claim. The change
also disrupts travel, medical devices,
record keeping and not to mention
our sleep.” ­—Mr. Cos
“For me, I enjoy outdoor activities and
being outside. So I would not want to
abolish DST. Having DST allows me
more time to spend outside without
worrying about it getting dark outside.’’
—Mr. Tokeshi
The Town Crier asked Patriots about the pros and cons of attending Palisades Charter High School.
“If you had an enemy at Revere,
the chances of you and your
enemy going to Pali together is
99.9%.”
—Kai Corben, 6th Grade
“One con of going to Pali is the
drama from Revere will go to
Pali.”
—Nina Parham, 7th Grade
“Some people will only know
you for something you did in
middle school and not by what
you plan to achieve at Pali.”
­—Shira Shabtian, 8th Grade
“One of my cons for Pali is that
a lot of kids that went to Paul
Revere have a lot, and I mean a
lot, of drama.”
—Christina Littlejohn,
7th Grade
“You already know the people
there, so you won’t need to
make new friends.”
—Dominic Walker, 8th Grade
“You have the same group of
friends, but you could drift away
from them. These people are
now the people you will be with
until the end of high school.
Some bullies could go to Pali
with you, but making friends
wouldn’t be a problem assuming
you stay with the same group.”
—Sydney Goodman,
7th Grade
“I think going to Pali is a good
idea because while things will
be different, you can experience
the changes with your friends
from Revere.”
—Eleanor Casparian,
7th Grade
“I mean, you don’t meet new
people. It’s just the same people
you saw when you were in 8th
grade. It’s a great school and
your friends will most likely be
there so it won’t be as hard to
face meeting new friends.”
—Hannah Pierre, 7th Grade
Reporters:
Sarah Bentley
Brett Anwar
Cherrie Herrera
Ava Kerkorian
Judy Zhang
Contributors:
Ben Baak
Jamie Mazur
Kian Mirshokri
Miles Reed
Evan Senit
Faculty Advisor:
Mr. Wechsler
24%
I believe BIC should be completely eliminated.
Kylie Greenwald
11%
Christina Kim
Oliver Spector
Dylan Tzung
Anouk Wijeratne
Interviews by Neyla Maher
I believe BIC should continue the way it is.
65%
I believe BIC should move back to the cafeteria for eating before school and at nutrition.
Isabel Gill
David Orlinksy
“I think that our school wants us
to go to Pali after Revere. All of
our friends will end up going to
Pali, so we might as well go.”
—Natasha Roshandel,
8th Grade
“We shouldn’t abolish daylight saving time.
Personally, it is during this time of year that
I am able to complete a number of errands
and a lot of work within the day. I’m a
morning person so I’m more active, more
determined to complete work while the sun
is still out. But the bad thing is I’m a shopaholic this time of year.” — Ms. Combis
Revere began serving meals in homerooms on Sept. 15. How well is the LAUSD BIC program working?
Evan Davis
Neyla Maher
“Pro: You get to see your
friends again. Con: You’ll also
see people who don’t like you.”
—Ariadna Martinez,
7th Grade
Breakfast in the Classroom: Too Much Trouble?
Emily Bunnapradist
Madison Liberman
“We should not abolish daylight savings
time. An extra hour of daylight encourages people to spend more time outside,
after work, or school. Spending more
time outside with family and friends
makes us happier and healthier.”
—Mr. Showrai
“The pros of going to Pali is
that most of your friends would
go there so you won’t have to
find new friends in such a big
school like Pali.”
­–William Yamada,
7th Grade
TOWN CRIER POLL
VOLUME 60, ISSUE 3
Editors:
“It doesn’t matter if you go
to Pali because there are so
many opportunities at different
schools so whatever you pick is
for you, not your friends.”
—Quincy Timmerman,
8th Grade
“Daylight savings time was originally
implemented to reduce the use of incandescent lighting by extending daylight
by one hour. It does cause disruptions
in certain industries that rely on accurate
and consistent time keeping and may
also disrupt sleep patterns. DST should
definitely be abolished.”—Mr. Fiser
Member of the National Scholastic
Press Association
Published by and for the students of
Paul Revere Charter Middle School
and Magnet Center
1450 Allenford Avenue
Los Angeles, California, 90049
I eat the school breakfast every day.
9%
I often eat the school breakfast.
25%
I occasionally eat the school breakfast.
30%
I never eat the school breakfast.
36%
Based on a survey conducted in homerooms of all three grades in December 2015 by Cherrie Herrera.
4 February 12, 2016
Paul Revere Charter Middle School
Sharing Holiday
Cheer at Revere
(continued from page 1) Revere’s
“supermoms” as Mr. Slavin calls
them wanted to help feed those
in need. He says that the moms
had the idea to start the drive because “one of the moms had read
an article in the paper about how
the food banks were low on supplies.”
A handful of students who
participated in the drive explained why they felt the need
to help the hungry. Seventh
grader Steven Price declares,
“I’m donating food because we
can make a big difference for a
small amount of effort.” Another
Patriot in 7th grade, Noah Mueller, states “This can represents
one person reaching out a hand
of support, and adding to the bigger picture.” Paige Snepp, a 7th
grader, summarizes why she donated cans. She explains, “Have
you ever felt like there was a ravenous beast in your stomach that
scraped your stomach with dull
claws of suffering? You probably haven’t. I wanted to pacify
the beast and alleviate our city’s
starving children of this powerful pain. I know that with determination, compassion, and love
we CAN make a difference.”
The PRIDE auction party on
Dec. 5 encouraged Revere parents, friends, and local businesses to donate to the event. Restau-
Judy Zhang drops canned goods
into the boxes. Photo: Ava Kerkorian
rant gift certificates, kids classes,
and tickets to sports or concerts
were just a few of the prizes up
for offer. Online bidding was
available starting on Nov. 15 and
lasted until Dec. 2. “ALL proceeds from this event go directly
into the children’s classrooms
to support important school
activities,” auction committee
members Keri Kraft and Nancy
Silver explain. Keri additionally
describes, “With the money we
raise, we can hire more teachers and lower classes sizes, help
fund the garden and farm and
the music program. It provides
technology and field trips to the
students. It makes Paul Revere
the best school in the city. I think
education is the most important
thing we can have and by helping PRIDE I am helping all the
students at Revere.”
The S.P.Y Program (Safe
Place for Youth) and Mr. Valerio teamed up during the holiday
season to bring cheer to many
homeless youth. Together, the
two helped to provide adolescents with enduring solutions to
their ongoing troubles. A few of
the main goals for the organization include reducing harm inflicted on the kids and to create
a safe, supportive environment
for them. Mr. Valerio and the association asked for new or used
clothing, travel sized hygiene
products, and an assortment
of other useful items to donate
to the young adults. The drive
lasted through Dec. 16 and the
purpose was to lend a hand to
homeless youths during the winter time. Mr. Slavin reflects, “I think
that the holidays must be an especially hard time to go hungry
and feel lonely. This food drive
is designed to capitalize on the
charitable mood of the winter
holidays in the hopes that we
may brighten the day of someone in need by warming them
with food and good wishes.”
Brand-New Bus Line
By DAVID ORLINSKY
Starting Monday, Feb. 22,
Big Blue Bus will make service
changes affecting Paul Revere
and its surrounding communities. A new stop will be made in
front of Revere for student use.
Route 14 will now start at 6:36
a.m. with a northbound trip from
Playa Vista to Brentwood arriving at Paul Revere at 7:35 a.m.
Later each day, there will be a
bus picking up students at Paul
Revere at 2:17 p.m. and 3:17
p.m. and taking them back to
their original location. The stops
at northbound Bundy and Goshen have been removed while
stops at eastbound Montana and
Barrington have been created.
Mr. Iannucci recently had the
chance to catch up with some
of Revere’s neighbors at the old
Polo Fields. “It was a chance for
them to express to me some of
the challenges they face living
across the street from a middle
school of 2,100 students,” he
said. “I have made it one of my
missions as principal at Revere
to improve communication and
relations with our neighbors.”
The members expressed their
concerns about “cars that block
their driveway on a daily basis,
cars that double park on the outlying streets causing traffic congestion and the rude and some-
A new bus stop is now in front of
the main office. Photo: David Orlinsky
times intimidating behavior of
some Revere parents.”
In another effort to lessen
traffic in the area, “Parent-Sponsored Chartered Yellow School
Buses” are set to start running in
the 2016-17 school year. Some
parents have already signed up
and will receive information
once the final contract and pricing can be finished.
There is also a carpool roster
on the Revere website.
The Traffic and Safety Committee welcomes new members
to its meetings held every Friday
at 8:15 in the Parent Conference
Room. The committee contact,
Lori Vogel, can be reached at
[email protected].
Madison Sandler (left), Kimberly Arevalo and Pedram Zamanpour discuss their trial strategy.
Photo: Lisa Robins
A Mock Trial Taken Seriously
By EMILY BUNNAPRADIST
Mr. Springer and his team of
Patriots made their way to the
Los Angeles Superior Courthouse to participate in the 2015
L.A. County Mock Trial Competition. A mock trial is a simulation of a criminal case, in which
students act as the cast of courtroom characters. Student teams
study a hypothetical case, conduct legal research and receive
guidance from teachers and volunteer attorneys in courtroom
procedures and trial preparation.
Using a made-up case, the team
prepared for multiple weeks to
find ways to make their claim
strong. The team filled up fast
with students ready to compete
in Paul Revere’s first ever mock
trial competition.
“When I first walked in the
courtroom, it was smaller than I
expected,” said Jasmine Matta.
“When the trial started I didn’t
know what it was going to be
like or what facts the other team
had prepared. Quickly, I soon
learned both teams were very
prepared which made it feel like
a real murder trial that kept me
intrigued.”
Revere’s legal team started
with an opening statement where
each side presents their evidence
to prosecute or defend the case.
Revere, the defensive side, put
forward their claim about the
death of a fictional person, Lee
Valdez. Jamie Hayes, a made up
character, was a nineteen-yearold college student at Central
Coast University. She was convicted of manslaughter in murdering the campus security guard
in May of 2015. Lee Valdez, the
murder victim, was known especially for his temper, usually
towards students.
According to Jamie Hayes,
on May 15, 2014, Lee Valdez
tackled Hayes’ teammate, Casey
Barns. Valdez pressed a baton to
Barns’ neck, choking her. Hayes
said that she grabbed the nearest object around, a baseball bat,
then closed her eyes and swung
with the “only intent” of saving
the life of her teammate. The impact of the blow killed Lee Valdez.
During the trial, Kimberly
Affeld, the prosecution attorney, stated, “How could Jamie
Hayes have closed her eyes and
swung blindly knowing that she
could’ve possible injured her
teammate?” Hayes defended herself by stating that she was just
in the moment and did whatever
she could to save her friend. The
Defense argued that Hayes was
a campus advocate for non-violence and there wasn’t enough
evidence to convict their client
of murder of malice. Taking both
statements in mind, Judge Renee
Korn ruled that Hayes was to be
charged with manslaughter due
have done anything differently,
which made it an honor to be a
part of.” Mr. Springer adds, “The
team did an outstanding job! I
couldn’t believe how professional and confident they were.
We were up against some of the
best teams, and our team held
their own. It was really amazing
to watch.
“This experience will prepare you for the real world no
matter what you choose to do
in life. I can’t think of a better
way to invest in your future. So,
Rose Morris (left), Revere’s “lawyer,” examines a witness.
to her actions of striking Valdez
with a bat, which resulted in his
death. Valdez was to be sentenced two weeks after the trial.
Up against 52 middle
schools, they won their first
round, sending them to the next
stage of the competition. Revere
went head to head with the overall winning team from the 2014
Mock Trial Competition in the
second round. They ended the
next match with a score of 124,
a loss for Paul Revere. Lisa Robins, one of the parent volunteers,
praises their work anyways, saying, “The students on the team
did an incredible job. The attorney students wrote their own
opening and closing statement
as well as all their own examinations. The attorneys had to
know the entire case inside and
out. The witnesses really became
the roles they were playing in the
trial and knew their witness material inside and out. Each one of
the witnesses also knew the case
in its entirety. They put early
mornings and long weekends in
to make this happen and they did
a great job.”
Jasmine Matta remarks, “I
thought my team was a very articulate group of kids. I thought
that everyone’s knowledge of
this case was a big success in itself. I don’t think anyone would
Photo: Lisa Robins
if you have the time and are willing to work hard, the pay-offs
are well worth it. We have fun,
build friendships and accomplish
something you will take with
you for the rest of your life.” The
team celebrated their hard work
on Sunday, November 15th with
dinner at Pinocchio’s in the Pacific Palisades.
“Our prosecution team did
really well against a very strong
team,” Lisa Robins reflects with
pride. “While we did not win
Round Two, we did give them
a run for their money! Our students should be very proud of
themselves-I know I am! Congratulations to a very hard working group of students! I can’t
believe how well they did and
this was our first year! Thank
you to our fabulous coaches who
made this possible… It was an
all around win for Paul Revere.”
Ms. Mabashov is taking over for
Mr. Hubbard. Photo: Kian Mirshokri
Magnet Attracts
New Coordinator
The team poses for a group shot in front of the court.
Photo: Lisa Robins
Starting Tuesday, Ms. Mabashov will take over as the new
Magnet Coordinator. Mr. Hubbard left Revere last month when
a new job as an assistant principal opened. Up until this Monday, Ms. Mabashov taught 6th
grade math and science. Now
she will be in charge of Revere’s
great Magnet program and will
work in the Magnet Office in the
E building. — David Orlinsky
Paul Revere Charter Middle School 5
February 12, 2016
Coding the Path to Success
New Assistant
Principal Begins
Revere Career
By EMILY BUNNAPRADIST
When Mr. Iannucci became the
principal of Revere in the fall,
his former spot of assistant principal opened up. Ms. Shuntell
Anthony was hired to take his
place. The Town Crier’s Cherrie
Herrera asked her a few questions about her new position.
Town Crier: Can you tell us
about the schools you worked
at before coming to Revere?
Ms. Anthony: I worked at
Manual Arts for 13 to 14 years
as a general education biology
teacher and special day class
teacher. Then I worked as the
SLC coordinator and Bridge
coordinator for three years.
Next I worked at Carson High
School as a science teacher and
a team mom for varsity football.
Finally I worked as the program
specialist for the LAUSD charter division special education
for two years and then I was
a LRE specialist for the same
group for two years.
What was your first impression of Revere?
I saw a large campus, great
kids and friendly staff. Several
introduced themselves to me.
How has your experience been
at Paul Revere so far?
My experience has been great so
far. I have lots of support from
my admin team, counselors,
deans and clerical. Ms. Honda
has been wonderful in helping
Ms. Anthony started on Dec. 1.
me navigate the special education department.
What do you have to say about
the students and teachers?
The students are awesome! The
Leadership class presented me
with a wonderful welcoming
poster. I am amazed at the quality of instruction and dedication
of the teachers in providing an
atmosphere of academic excellence.
It’s the generation of technology. In addition to their
iPads, almost all Patriots have an
electronic device of some sort,
whether it is an old computer or
an iPhone 6S. Chances are that
most Patriots have downloaded
an app or went on an online
website before. However, have
they ever wondered what goes
into creating a game? Designing
a blog?
During the week of Dec. 7,
Revere and other schools teamed
up with The Hour of Code, “a
global movement reaching tens
of millions of students in 180+
countries.” The app, The Hour of
Code, was installed on all Revere
iPads. The app includes different
programs, including “Star Wars:
Building a Galaxy with Code,”
“Minecraft Hour of Code,”
“Code with Anna and Elsa,” and
“Write Your First Computer Program.” In order to try the app,
the iPad should be in landscape
mode. The program requires ear
buds to listen to the instructions.
When directed to the website,
one should press the orange “Try
It” button and choose the Java
What are your goals for this
year, and how do you hope
to end your first year at Paul
Revere?
I hope to continue to provide
my support to staff, students,
and parents here at Paul Revere
Middle School. I am proud to
support students and please
don’t hesitate to speak to me. I
enjoy hearing student voices.
A student uses his iPad to try out
the Hour of Code. Photo: Evan Davis
Script option. Other programs
on the code.org website include
“Infinity Play Lab,” “Make a
Flappy Game,” “Artist,” and
“Play Lab.” Additional apps installed in the school iPad include
Tynker and Litebot. The times
that students could practice coding during school included during homeroom and at lunch in
G6, N3 or L3.
According to the Hour of
Code website (code.org), “Anyone, anywhere can organize an
Hour of Code event. One-hour
tutorials are available in over 40
More Fun With iPads
When teachers aren’t having their students use their iPads
to code, many give Patriots other opportunities during class to
use these devices. Whether it’s for researching a topic for an
English essay, or practicing different math skills on IXL, an
app with different questions designed to help teach kids the
given lesson, the iPads seem to help teachers educate their students in a way the kids enjoy.
For example, Ms. Moreno has her English classes take the
majority of their tests and quizzes on Jupiter Grades. The devices are used for projects and warm ups in Mr. Hyman’s classes. Mr. Slavin’s classes have multiple uses for the iPads including the Google Classroom app, and to carry out assignments on
Jupiter Grades. Other benefits of the gadgets involve research
for important topics, projects on Keynote, and to watch videos
on Khan Academy. With the multiple educational applications
downloaded on the iPads, many students and teachers are using these programs to their advantage. —Ava Kerkorian
Mr. Iannucci speaks to parents in Town Hall regarding the new safety regulations at Revere Middle School.
Students pass by the new iron railings installed over winter break to ensure safety at school. Photos: Isabel Gill
Daniel Gordon holds up a box of goldfish crackers, emergency food supplies for classes.
that happened recently. I was
worried about the next day too
because, even though staff didn’t
find anything on campus that
day, it doesn’t mean that they
still can’t bomb the school.”
There were many other ways
that Patriots discovered that
school was canceled. Brenden
Barber-Choi was at the bus stop
where his when his bus driver
told him about the lockdown.
The 7th grader was not happy
with the news. “I was really tired
because I woke up at 5:00 to be
on time for my bus,” he said.
languages. No experience needed. Ages 4 to 104.” The tutorials
are up year round and are available for play infinitely.
Students are hard at work on their school iPads. Photo: Alondra Limeta
Unsafe Is
Unsuitable
(continued from page 1)
Exactly a week later, on
Tuesday, Dec. 15, LAUSD received a bomb threat and they
immediately shut down every
single school in the district. It
affected about 900 schools and
approximately 650,000 students.
Many families were inconvenienced by this event and some
parents even drove the students
to school before being turned
back with the information that
it was closed. Later that day, the
threat was declared as “not credible.”
One 6th grader, Camille
Dove, was on her way to school
when she heard the news on the
radio, but she didn’t believe it.
“My dad’s girlfriend called and
told us there was no school, so
we made a U-turn and we had
to turn back,” she said. “My dad
had to go to court that day, so he
called and said he would be late
for the case. He arranged for my
neighbor, who’s a teacher at my
little brother’s school, to watch
over us while he was at work.
When we got back, this person
called him and he sent us into another room so he could do an interview thing. We turned on the
TV to KTLA News. He was talking about how we were going to
school and turned back and how
he had two kids in LAUSD.” Although Camille was worried, she
was also happy that there was no
school.
Avé Butler, a 7th grader, said
that she was worried when she
found out that the school was
closed for the day. “On a scale of
1-10, I was about a 6, because of
Paris and other school shootings
Patriots participate in the Hour of
Code program. Photo: Evan Davis
Photo: Oliver Spector
On the other hand, some
students were not that inconvenienced by the change in events.
Ysabelle Sibley, a 7th grader,
stated, “I was still in bed. I
saw an Instagram post that said
that all LAUSD schools were
closed.”
After students came back
from winter break, they found
that there were white rails set
up in front of some of the classrooms. Mr. Koretz had set these
rails up to keep students off the
driveways for safety measures.
The rails were donated by a parent on the traffic committee after a student walking in the east
driveway was nearly hit by a
truck driven by a district worker.
To prevent any more close
calls, a new rule states that any
student caught on the driveways
will be issued detention. For
some students, the driveways
were used to easily get to their
next class, and with this rule being enforced. “It’s like the 405
at rush hour,” 7th grader David
Orlinsky said. Mr. Koretz also
added that these rails could be
removed once the students adjust
to the new rule.
On top of that, there were
power outages that affected the
school’s agenda. On Dec. 16,
the orchestra concert was cancelled because of a blackout.
Again on the Jan. 14, there was
another blackout that started before homeroom and lasted until
the middle of nutrition.
On Jan. 26, during period 4,
there was a special lockdown
drill where teachers were instructed to lock and barricade the
doors, close the blinds, and turn
off the lights. Students and teachers alike were to take this drill
seriously, stay calm, and act as
if there was a gunman on school
grounds.Classes were updated
by messages sent through Jupiter
Grades reporting details, including a reminder that staff would
be checking the classrooms to
make sure they were locked.
At the conclusion of this
lockdown, Mr. Iannucci came
onto the intercom and said, “The
better prepared we are, the safer
we are.”
6 February 12, 2016
Paul Revere Charter Middle School
Patriots Take Steps to College
By Oliver Spector
Every day at Revere Middle
School, Patriots are encouraged
to promote their favorite college
or university by wearing shirts or
jackets that show off the school’s
logo or name.
Many of these shirts were
on display for College Week.
Starting on Nov. 16, students
were encouraged to talk to their
friends about their favorite colleges. Five Revere teachers went
on the P.A. system during homeroom to express their pride for
the colleges they went to.
On Monday, Mr. Slavin
spoke about Georgetown University, which was founded in
Washington D.C. in 1719. Mr.
Slavin was a proud Bulldog.
On Tuesday, Ms. Robertson
spoke about Cal Poly San Luis
Obispo and her experience as a
Mustang. The school was founded in 1901.
On Wednesday, Ms. Spence
shared her pride as a Ram. the
University of North Carolina
(UNC), which was founded in
1789 and is located in Chapel
Hill’s downtown area.
Ms. Thrapp spoke Thursday
about Pierce College and told
Patriots about her experience
being a student there as a Bull.
Pierce College, a school in L. A.,
was established in 1947.
The final teacher that spoke
about their college was the Wildcat Ms. Istrin. On Friday, she
shared her experiences at the
University of Arizona, which
was established in 1885.
The purpose of College
Week was to inform kids of possible colleges that they can go
to and give them a head start on
thinking about what classes they
want to take when they get into
college.
There were also special activities that took place during
College Week, including scavenger hunts. There was a document on the Revere website that
had the guidlines for the scavenger hunts. There was a Faculty
Scavenger Hunt, a Big Future
Scavenger Hunt and there was
a third special one that had to
be picked up at the Counseling
Office. Some of the activities on
the scavenger hunt are finding a
faculty member who attended a
college in another state and finding someone who majored in
math. In order to get credit for
the findings, these students had
to get a signature from whoever
that teacher or faculty member
may be. There were three different scavenger hunts that could be
completed.
The scavenger hunt winners
for the first list are 6th grader Isaiah Brownell, 7th grader Jasmine
Matta and 8th grader Hana Ro-
manik. The second list winners
were 6th grader Vera Fang, 7th
grader Joseph Darvish and 8th
grader Maya Romanik. And,
the winners for the third list
were 6th grader Julia Vongoetz,
7th grader Dimitri Lupescu and
7th grader Sean McCoy.
College Week was put together by Ms. Kobashi and the
Counseling crew.
College Week is important
for students to participate in,
and is for all Patriots, of any
grade, to be more aware of
their college choices, and be
better prepared for their future.
David and Spencer debate which college has the best football team as
they look at the Counseling Office’s college door.
Photo: Mr. Wechsler
These two former Patriots are living up to their 2012 yearbook poll victories. Elliot Schiff will be attending
Harvard University in Boston next fall and Jacqueline Vogel is headed to Stanford in Northern California.
Ms. Thrapp
Ms. Robertson
Mr. Slavin
Ms. Spence
Ms. Istrin
Sharing Stories and Smiles
Leadership members Claudia Goore and Leah Alkin sort Marina Caro reads Scooby Doo to her new
books for the drive at Paul Revere together. Photo: Christina Kim young book friend.
Photo: Anthony Langer
Elisa Kim reads Aladdin to a first grader at
Leadership students load the 5,810 books Revere students
122nd Street Elementary. Photo: Adrian Ghodshian donated to spread joy to young learners. Photo: Adrian Ghodshian
Leadership students and their reading buddies are all booked with big smiles and hearts.
Photo: Isais Alegria
(continued from page 1) According to 122nd St. Elementary
School’s librarian, there should
be about five books in the library
for every student. With a total of
750 students, that calls for 3,750
books in the library that the students will be “enthusiastic” about
reading. The Wonder of Reading,
which built the school’s library, is
a nonprofit organization that takes
two classrooms and combines
them into a single room for use.
In addition, the leadership
students were each given a letter
from their first grade “buddy” in
Ms. Anel’s class, which contained
their name, age and what type of
books they like. After the Student
Council students read to their buddy, they gifted the student with a
book.
“This has been an enlightening
experience that taught me the value of hard work and giving back,”
Zade Mullin said of the entire
event. “I’m proud of the fact that
I’m a part of the leadership class,
because we get to make important
changes in our school as well as
other schools less fortunate than
ours. I look forward to the opportunity to be a part of more activities like this in the future.”
Vice President Julian Jacobson
said, “Each and every book puts a
smile on each child who receives
a book. These books provide the
children the vital practice they
need to help them learn how to
read.” He adds, “The book drive is
intended to teach the students that
giving is better than receiving.”
Paul Revere is one of three
middle schools that work with
Courtney’s branch of the book
drives. “Because of you, I told
my boss that I want to solicit
more middle schools but I know
they won’t be as great as you,”
she said. Courtney adds, “I love
knowing that we’re helping
schools in need, schools that are
lacking the resources they need.
I also equally feel that this group
of kids could be the next generation of leaders for nonprofit organizations.”
After returning home, Ms.
Istrin expressed her satisfaction
with the event. “Even if you
spend ten minutes with these
kids, I guarantee you they will
remember this for the rest of
their lives,” Ms. Istrin said. “I
feel proud of my leadership students and the entire Revere community.”
Atticus Parker tells a puppy story
to his reading pal. Photo: Isais Alegria
Maya Beeri-Feldman and her kindergarten friend. Photo: Isais Alegria
February 12, 2016
Lifestyle
“The easiest
way to learn is to
hold onto
something that
can support
you or have
someone help you.”
Paul Revere Charter Middle School 7
“I ride it
around the mall,
around my house,
anywhere open.”
- Liberty Gotler
Going Overboard for Hoverboards
- Noah Ghodooshim
Students share the ups and downs of owning this new self-balancing scooter, a mixture of both a skateboard and a Segway
By DYLAN TZUNG
Over the years, personal
transportation throughout the
world is changing. Bicycles,
scooters, and skateboards are
evolving into electric vehicles.
In 2002, when many Patriots
were just babies or not even
alive yet, before hoverboards
were produced, the Segway, a
two-wheeled vehicle with handlebars, was the new revolutionary product. A couple of years
ago, an exciting new product, the
combination of a Segway and a
skateboard was released. People
of all ages have been fawning
over this innovative new product.
Hoverboards are capturing
the attention of people all around
the world. From patios to parking lots, people ride their hoverboards everywhere. Although
Patriots are not allowed to ride
these devices at school, they display their stylish hoverboards at
their favorite places.
There are multiple types of
hoverboards with prices that can
range from $599 to $1,799.99.
The IO Hawk is one of the multiple companies that sells hoverboards and the first pre-ordered
IO Hawk began shipping Feb.
6th, 2015. This hoverboard can
support up to 280 pounds and
was designed for the use of
personal mobility for people of
all ages. Another brand name
that’s selling hoverboards is the
HoverBoard360 and are selling from $498.99 to $648.99.
Furthermore, the MonoRover
R2s sells these devices. On this
company’s website, it says how
MonoRover R2s are, “The Best
Way to Move...Style, Comfort,
Ease...All at Your Feet.”
Although hoverboards may
seem exciting and new, they can
also pose multiple safety concerns that can be very dangerous.
Recently, a 12-year-old boy’s
hoverboard burned down his
house. This event almost killed
him. His mother shared how the
day before the boy used the hoverboard, sparks started shooting
out of both ends of this device
while it was charging.
Some of the more common
safety issues include tripping on
a bump in the road, an unexpected curb, or other obstacles.
Due to these multiple issues,
many property owners have
banned hoverboards. California
lawmakers have attempted to
solve this safety problem by releasing a new law that became
effective on Jan. 1, 2016. The
new law allows hoverboards to
be ridden in the bike lane. The
rider must be at least fifteen
years old and is required to wear
all of the necessary protection
required when riding a bike.
In addition, Amazon removed many of the self-balancing scooters from their website,
due to the ongoing safety concerns posed by the hoverboards.
Swagway, one of the many
hoverboard producers, noted
that they received a notice
from Amazon asking them for
documentation to prove that all
of their hoverboards, batteries,
and chargers comply with Amazon’s safety standards. There
are almost a dozen airlines that
have banned hoverboards due to
safety concerns, including Delta,
American, and United.
One of the many Patriots that
have a hoverboard is eighth grader Liberty Gotler. “I saw people
using it in the streets. I also saw
some videos online about it
and it looked really cool,” she
explains. Liberty says how, “I
was really scared of getting on,
but once I learned how to use it,
and it was really easy.” Hoverboards can be tough for many
students to manage since they
require a certain amount of balance to it. She rides the hoverboard, “all the time whenever I
go to the Palisades village and in
the house.” According to her, “It
was really awkward when everyone
Jasmine
stares at you in public.” Liberty has two hoverboards. “One
for me, and one for a guest that
comes over. I got my hoverboards as a gift from my friend
and the other one I paid for myself,” she states.
Kenneth Bollanos, another
seventh grader at Paul Revere,
received his hoverboard for his
birthday. “Once I got the hoverboard, I was very eager to
try it out. It wasn’t easy and I
was afraid of falling off.” He
rides it,“to the beach and to certain stores that are near by my
house.”
Maygol Mohammadi, a seventh grade girl got the idea of
purchasing this device when she
tried it with her two friends. “It
was hard at first and I had to hold
on to my friends because I was
shaking so much when I got on
it. But, then I got the hang of it
pretty quickly,” she describes.
Like others, “I only ride my hoverboard at my house.” Maygol
and her brother paid for some of
it while her parents paid for the
rest.
Another student at Paul Revere, Austin Arias, a sixth grade
boy, can be added on to the list of
hoverboard owners. “It looked
really fun and I really wanted it,”
he remarks. According to Austin,
“It was hard at first, but you get
used to it in five minutes.”
Ever since he got the hoverboard, “I ride it to the grocery
store, the bank, and to restaurants.” Like many Patriots,
Austin received this device
for his birthday and has loved
it since.
The main reason why
Jasmine Matta, a seventh
grade girl, wanted to buy
the hoverboard was because, “It was very fun
to ride, and the best part
was that you don’t have to
be 16 years old to have it.” Jasmine thinks the downside of it is,
“It takes forever to charge. For
my hoverboard, it takes about 6
hours for it to be fully charged.”
She obtained this device because
she got good grades in school.
Jasmine says how, “When I first
got on the hoverboard, I thought
I would fall, but I didn’t. After 10
Is the Hoverboard
Trend Really
Catching Fire?
The Town Crier surveyed
Patriots regarding their plans for
the hoverboard. Here are their
responses.
I already own one:
10%
I am planning to buy one: 20%
I might buy one:
30%
I will not buy one:
40%
Total:
128 Students
minutes, I got the hang of things
and was riding it all around the
store.”
Liana Rachmani, a seventh
grade girl Patriot, thought that
the hoverboard scooter “would
be fast transportation to nearby
places, and I could ride it with
friends.” Liana describes her
first ride on her hoverboard. She
states, “I was afraid of falling off
at first, but after a few more tries
I got the hang of it.” Liana mainly rides her hoverboard around
her house along with other places that are close to where she
lives. Liana’s parents contributed to the cost of her hoverboard
as a birthday gift.
Noah Ghodooshim, an eighth
grade boy, is another Revere
student that owns this device.
He “always wanted it from the
beginning.” In addition, Noah
saw celebrities such as NBA or
football players showing off the
hoverboard, which inspired him
to buy it. He says how at first,
“It looked really hard to step on
and my legs would shake a lot.
But, at one point you slowly start
getting the hang of things and really begin to understand how it
works.”
Aaron
Maygol
Liberty
Austin
Kenneth
Abed
Liana
8 February 12, 2016
Paul Revere Charter Middle School
Warm and Cool Winter Quests
During winter break, Patriots traveled all across the world, experiencing all kinds of climates, foods, languages and people
By DYLAN TZUNG
Over winter break, Patriots
traveled throughout the world and
explored new and exciting cultures. They met different people,
tasted different foods, heard different languages, and discovered
different land features. Students
expanded their worldwide knowledge, traveling to six out of the
seven different continents in the
world.
1) During winter break, Sarah Bentley, an eighth grade girl,
traveled to Vancouver, Canada.
She said, “We spent Christmas
together, and the rest of the time
we explored the city of Vancouver
and went skiing in two nearby ski
spots, Cypress and Whistler.” Her
favorite part was snowboarding
on the famous mountain, Whistler.
She said, “My mom, uncle, and I
spent the whole day there skiing
and snowboarding until the sun
went down and it was too dark.
We also walked around in the city
and relaxed at my cousin’s house.”
Sofie Brazier, Will Rene, Mia
Emerson, Sarah Slavkin, Jaden
Lipson, Siddhartha Shendrikar,
Neyla Maher, Jonah Kharrazi,
Kian Mohaber, and Lillia Weissmuller also traveled throughout
North America.
2) Eighth grader Koa Viecco
traveled to Colombia. His dad
chose to travel there because he
was born there and both him and
his brother are Colombian. This
was Koa’s first time going to Colombia. He was staying in a part
called Calle. He was most excited to see his family and have the
chance to experience his culture.
Koa said, “While I was there I
went on these big bamboo boats
on this river in a town called Quimbaya. I also went zip lining at
a zoo called Panaca. I visited the
coffee farms at an amusement
park called Parque Del Café. The
last thing I did was go to a house
of cancer kids and donated toys to
them.”
Two girls, Kate Staddon and
Fritze Mayer, also spent their winter break in South America.
3) Rory Asawa, a seventh
grade boy, traveled to Ireland. His
family usually travels there but
for the past few years they haven’t
been able to. He said, “My favorite part about going to Ireland was
when we usually go to Water Ford
Castle but it was closed over winter break, but this time it was fun
seeing lots of relatives and family
friends.” His family also went to
an indoor amusement park with
lots of rides and claw games.
4) Makena Gichuru spent her
seventh grade winter break in
Africa. Makena has family in
Kenya and her mom wanted her
to experience the Kenyan culture. Makena said that this vacation was basically her first time
going to Kenya because she was
too young to remember it the last
time she went. Makena went snorkeling, camel riding, and drove
through the forest with her uncles.
It was her first time camel riding.
She said, “It was scary when the
camel stood up and sat down, but
the rest was a smooth ride.”
5) William Yamada traveled
to Japan during his seventh grade
winter break. William traveled
to Japan because other than his
immediate family, the rest of his
relatives live in Japan. He usually
travels to Japan every summer
and winter break. He said, “I like
to go to my aunt’s house because
she always lets me stay awake
until midnight, watch scary movies, and lets me go to the arcade in
the morning. I also love going to
my uncle’s house because he has
two daughters that are only two
years old and the other one is only
six months old.” Something that
William loves about Japan is that
there are vending machines everywhere.
Over winter break, Natasha
Tokmakova, a seventh grade girl,
also traveled to Asia.
6) Eighth grader Kylie Greenwald escaped from the chilly
winter weather and traveled to
experience the warm Australian
weather. Her family found the
time to visit Sydney, Melbourne,
and the Great Barrier Reef. Kylie
said, “We chose to visit this location because my mother had lived
there for 3 years and wanted us to
see it.” This was Kylie’s first time
traveling to Australia. She said,
“I was excited to snorkel in the
Great Barrier Reef to see amazing marine life. I was also pumped
to climb up the Sydney Bridge.”
While Kylie was in Australia, she
found time to see the New Year’s
Eve fireworks, walk along the
coast, feed kangaroos and wallabies, snorkel in the inner and outer
Great Barrier Reef, climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge, and see the
oldest rainforest.
Another Patriot, seventh grader Henry Andrews, also traveled
to the continent of Australia.
“Seeing seven types of
monkeys over a three day
trip in the jungle was very
exciting.” — Fritze Mayer in
“One of my favorite
activities was seeing
one of my new favorite musicals.” — Sarah
“My parents surprised my sister and I and
took us to a dolphin habitat where we could
swim with the dolphins.” — Neyla Maher in mexico
Slavkin in new york
“Black diamonds
weren’t as hard
as I thought!”
— Sofie Brazier in
colorado
“There
was a
huge
snow
storm
right
before we
got there.”
1
“My favorite part about traveling to Maui
is that you can just relax and think about
nothing.” — Will Rene in Hawaii
—
— SARAH
SARAH
BENTLEY
BENTLEY IN
IN
CANADA
CANADA
“We had been driving for ten
minutes when we heard from a
ranger a bus had fallen off the road.”
— Mia Emerson at yosemite
“I skied, ate dinner,
and I also skied!”
— Jaden Lipson in Utah
3
1
5
Ecuador
2
4
6
Patriots traveled all across the
globe during their winter break.
Paul Revere Charter Middle School 9
February 12, 2016
“The sunsets in Calle were so
pretty and the cloud formations
were stunning.”
— KOA VIECCO
IN COLOMBIA
“When we hiked up,
there was a waterfall
I swam in.”
— Siddhartha Shendrikar
in mexico
“Eliana’s horse threatened some
other horses multiple times, and
started a fight twice.”
— Renata and Eliana Feinstein in israel
“My favorite part was definitely
bungy jumping in Qeenstown,
New Zealand.” — Henry Andrews in
New zealand
“I was most excited to meet all
my family and to see the house
that my family built that I would
stay in.” — MAKENA GICHURU IN KENYA
2
“We skied two out
of the three days we
were there and it was
a great experience.”
— Jonah Kharrazi
and Kian Mohaber
in big bear
“At the beautiful islands, we explored the
beaches and shallow waters for shells.”
— Lillia Weissmuller in cabo san lucas
“Some of the zip lines reached about
a mile long!” — Kate Staddon in Costa Rica
4
3
“One of my favorite parts
about Japan is that there
are vending machines
everywhere!” — WILLIAM
YAMADA IN JAPAN
“My family went to an indoor
amusement park with lots of
rides.” — RORY ASAWA IN IRELAND
“I took only my Vans and jeans and shirts,
I ended up wearing my grandma’s clothes
and a ski mask.”
— Natasha Tokmakova in Russia
5
6
“As I passed the colorful fish
and uniquely shaped coral,
I stared down at the sand
searching for something to
surprise me.”
— KYLIE GREENWALD
IN AUSTRALIA
10 February 12, 2016
TREND TALK
Sizzling,
Sickening
Bacon?
Paul Revere Charter Middle School
2016 Trends
Phones
Here are 16 popular
items trending in 2016.
By NEYLA MAHER
Fashion
Food
Fun
“Rose Quartz” and “Serenity” are
Pantone’s hot new colors for 2016.
“Poke” is a Japanese dish served
with raw fish, rice, and vegtables.
“Augmented Reality Earbuds”
give personal audio experiences.
“Bionic Bird,” an electronic bird
that imitates the soaring of eagles.
“Adidas Yeezy” are new stylish
sneakers designed by Kanye West.
“Acai” is a berry smoothie in a
bowl, topped with fruits and nuts.
“Paw Call” is a device where dogs
press a button to call their owners.
“Virtual Reality Glasses” contain
lenses which show two 3D images.
Madison and Izzy sport the new
“Bold Stripes” look with t-shirts.
“Vegan Ice Cream” is a guilty
pleasure you don’t feel guilty about.
The “New Emojis” for 2016 feature
the shrugging girl and clown emojis.
“Musical.ly App” allows you to
make and share videos with friends.
“Flare Pants” have come back in
style from the 80’s in many colors.
McDonald’s “Chocolate-Drizzle
Fries” are now being sold in Japan.
“Solar Backpacks” can charge
your electronics where ever you go.
“Live Photos on iPhone 6s” are
a new way to bring memories to life.
By NEYLA MAHER
From toys
to bacon
flavored
treats, all the
way to bacon
flavored
toothpaste,
bacon is everywhere I go. If
you’re like me, you despise bacon. Some of you may not like
the flavor, and others aren’t
permitted to eat bacon.
Processed meats such as
bacon, have a lot of fat, that
can cause high blood pressure,
which leads to diabetes. Did
you know that 68% of bacon’s
calories is fat and 34% of that
fat is saturated fat? The World
Health Organization states that
bacon can pose a cancer threat.
From this research, some
people may think differently
about bacon.
When I was six, living in
Huston, Texas, they were receiving pigs at the super markets and stores from Mexico.
At that time, the pigs had diseases making it very harmful
to eat any pig food products.
From then on, my mom did not
let us eat any bacon. When we
moved back to Los Angeles
we were still not allowed to
eat bacon after all the research
proven on how bacon is really
fattening.
Other members of my family, including my dad, enjoy
eating bacon with every meal.
But that did not affect my limitation on consuming bacon.
Even though I have only eaten
bacon a couple of times, in my
opinion, bacon is flavorless,
fattening, and almost always
greasy.
But if you are like Mr.
Slavin, this research and facts
doesn’t affect your love for
bacon. Mr. Slavin said, “I think
it is the one item that makes
meals better, breakfast, lunch,
dinner, and even dessert.” Mr.
Slavin then added, “For dessert
I love to have vanilla ice cream
with caramel, salt, and bacon. I
also like bacon flavored donuts
and bacon flavored soda.”
Mr. Slavin even owns a
bunch of bacon memorabilia.
“I have bacon shirts, socks, a
wallet, ties, toothpicks, mints,
lip-balm, and bacon bracelets. Mr. Honda even gave me
bacon flavored crickets.”
Mr. Slavin even had a
bacon shrine in his classroom
“I still have the bacon shrine,
I took it down to make room
for instructional materials to
hang on the wall. My students
were spending a lot of money
on bacon items to put on the
shrine, I felt really bad.”
Mr. Slavin also commented
on the new maple bacon pop
tarts that just came out last
month and was thinking about
investing in the company.
“ This does make me want to
invest in the pop tart business,
I will be buying them by the
cases.” He then added, “I must
admit, I have cut back on the
amount of bacon I have eaten,
I am at that certain age.”
There is even a 106 year
old lady who has eaten bacon
every day of her life! So is
bacon delicious or a disaster?
Patriots Crave Current Clubs
By OLIVER SPECTOR
Many of the new clubs this
year at Paul Revere include
something for everyone. Yoga
Club, Investment Club, and the
Debate Club are all new clubs
with stellar activities. These exciting new clubs are looking for
even more participants so if you
are interested, you might want to
check one out.
One club that is new this
year is the Yoga Club. “The
Yoga Club is a place students
can go for a quiet setting to learn
about and how to practice basic
yoga,” says Ms. Esparza, Yoga
Club teacher. In the Yoga Club,
you learn about the importance
of controlled breathing and patience when you stressed or worried. You can go join them every Wednesday in the gym. Ms.
Esparza states that, “In a world
filled with noise and distractions, students tend to become
bored and act out in negative
ways when there is no productive/positive stimulus,” “We felt
that students need a space where
they could learn all the benefits
of being still.” Yoga can help
you keep your emotions steady
and may help if you experience
stress or anxiety on a day to day
basis. John Buck speaks to Investment
Club members.
Photo: Brett Anwar
Another new club is the Investment Club. Students go to
the investment on Mondays in
X4 to learn about stock and investing. An Investment Club
member Lenny Melamed realizes, “It teaches me how to
maximize my profit of my real
world stocks.” The Investment
Club also has speakers that come
in like John Buck. John Buck
owns a small investment advisory called Orion Capital. When
there aren’t any special speakers,
students in the investment club
learn about how to find the best
stocks to invest in. If you are interested in learning about stocks
and investment, then this could
be the club for you.
There is also Debate Club.
“I created the Debate Club to
help people with speech and
learning to share their own
opinion,” says Rachel Onassis,
president of the Debate Club.
The very first debate topic was
whether or not you feel that
Breakfast in the Classroom is
helping or hurting Paul Revere
Middle School. In Debate Club,
each student can state their opinion and argue it using facts. This
club will definitely help you with
your debating skills. The Debate
Club meets on Thursday so if
you’re interested, maybe it’s a
good fit for you.
In other news, the Quilting
Club has now transformed into
the new Fashion Club. It will be
meeting in the same place on the
same days.
As you can see, there is a club
for everyone. From summoning
your inner yogi to arguing over
topics in real life, to making the
right choices in investing, these
new clubs allow students to experience what it feels like to be
part of a group of people with the
same interests.
Ms. Esparza and Ms. Moreno pose during yoga club.
Students deliberate a heated topic at debate club.
Photo: Isabel Gill
Photo: Neyla Maher
February 12, 2016
Paul Revere Charter Middle School 11
Entertainment
TREND TALK
Aren’t
We Art
Worthy?
By JUDY ZHANG
On a casual
morning at
Paul Revere,
if I were to
walk past
the H or J
buildings, I
could hear the
melodic tunes
of orchestra, band, and choir
practicing. It’s no surprise that
Revere is known for our music
program; one third of the
campus’ population participates in it. However, what is
surprising is that in a recent
Los Angeles Times article, they
rated numerous schools in the
LAUSD district using the letter
grade system and gave Revere
a “B” in supporting the arts. Of
course whenever people think
of “art,” they picture easels
lined up in rows, paint splattered on clothes, and so on.
From conducting seasonal concerts to even having a ballroom
dancing elective, there is no
reason why Revere shouldn’t
have earned that “A” grade.
So the question is: why
didn’t we? Even though our
art program might not be as
renowned compared to other
schools, we do have an art
elective that gives students the
chance to learn. Just look outside the main office for proof,
there are pieces of artwork
displayed in cases. Artistry can
be found on the east driveway
where there are an assortment
of murals created by an after
school PEP program. Also,
there are many musicals that
are a total crowd pleaser. If
that isn’t enough evidence to
show how much Revere incorporates art into the curriculum,
I don’t know what would be.
The school that was ranked
number 1 and got an A in supporting the arts was Ramon C.
Cortines School of Visual and
Performing Arts. OK, I understand why this school would
win. The name of the school
has the word “performing arts”
and “visual” in it! Nonetheless,
this doesn’t mean that Paul Revere doesn’t deserve it. In our
school, art is integrated into
the basic standards of our curriculum. Multiple teachers use
it to help students visualize and
understand the concept of what
they’re teaching. Our music
program inspires students to
pursue their passions and provides plenty of instruments that
are in working shape. We have
separate coaches to specifically
instruct students how to play a
certain instrument.
Plus, there was an eighth
grade T-shirt design contest
that encouraged Patriots to
branch out and bring their creative minds into play. We have
music, art, and theater.
In the end, Paul Revere
Charter Middle School definitely should have deserved
that A. The only thing our
school doesn’t have is the
pride of being known as an
“A” worthy arts school, which
is truly a shame.
Following in Buddha’s Footsteps
Students from Mr. Hyman’s 3rd and 4th period class announce their lines whilst donning in their Brahmin character costume.
By ISABEL GILL
Joe, Jamie, and Evan (left to right) pose in a tree tableau along with
the rest of their class, while focusing on their next lines. Photo: Isabel Gill
“Oh listen good people and
see what we say, come gather
now closer to hear our fine play,”
is the compelling first line of the
Buddha Walks performance.
Buddha Walks is a Spirit
Series production that has been
a part of children’s lives for 14
years. In only three weeks, sixth
graders in the history classes of
Ms. Flenaugh, Ms. Pan, Mr. Carnine, and Mr. Hyman’s class got
the once in a lifetime opportunity
to partake in the special journey
of Prince Siddhartha becoming
the Buddha.
Prince Siddhartha grew up
in ancient India. In his early
life, he was a prince surrounded
by riches, and lived a childhood
of luxury. But, when he first
“awoke” to find suffering, he re-
Nick, Matty, and Rachel (left to right) read their intriguing scripts during their performance.
Photo: Dylan Tzung
Prince Siddhartha (above in orange) is about to wake Yashodhara from her sleep before his journey to
becoming the Buddha. Dillan (right) relaxes his body and mind in a meditation. Photos: Eva Buck and Dylan Tzung
Photo: Dylan Tzung
alized that he must leave is life
of pleasure, learning that his true
riches would come from following his heart. After much struggle and pain, he finally became
the Buddha, who has taught his
followers that enlightenment lay
in the “middle way,” not in luxurious indulgence or self embarrassment.
So what journey did this
Revere production take Patriots on? Joe Fisher answers,
“Throughout Buddha Walks, I
feel that I’ve learned good life
lessons.” He explains, “You can
live life without suffering and
pain without attaching to the
past, and enjoying the present. If
someone is being mean to you,
it is probably because they are
suffering, so try to forgive them
and even help them to stop their
suffering.”
Maya Wilder also learned
a important life lesson just like
Joe,“Without attachment we can
all be better people.” She also
realizes, “Not only has this told
me the truth about Buddha, but I
also learned how to project my
voice.” She enjoyed portraying
a servant in the Buddha Walks
play because, “Without the servants being by Siddhartha, he
would not have been able to become the Buddha, he would be
too distracted studying his wonderment.”
Patriots also shared their favorite parts of participating in
this production. Maya Wilder
excitedly states, “ It made me
like history even more. After a
meditation session, everyone in
my class became calm and relaxed. It also really brought my
class and me together.” Layla
Broomfield’s favorite part was
when she was chosen to be Narrator 1. She really enjoyed being
the first person to speak to the
audience.
Ms. Pan, a sixth grade English and history teacher complimented Spirit Series, “My
students gain confidence, focus,
and teamwork. This is a creative
process that many of my students need to push them out of
their comfort zones. I enjoy that
my students can learn content
and numerous other skills such
as play production, poetry, culture, and philosophy.”
Another production that the
Spirit Series puts on is Seeking
Socrates. The classes of Ms.
Jackson, Ms. McDermott, Ms.
Daley, and Ms. Seeger will be
participating. Rehearsals begin
on Feb. 22 and continue until
performances on Mar. 11, educating students about the journey of a sage named Socrates.
12 February 12, 2016
Paul Revere Charter Middle School
What’s Hot, What’s Not
Orchestra members perform for a fundraiser at Barnes and Noble. Photo: Mrs. Vogel
Fun Films
And Funds
By Kylie Greenwald
At Revere, there are many students
that are not afraid of the spotlight. These
performers have a goal to produce a show
that will please an audience.
In the music category, Madrigals and
Chamber Orchestra performed at the
Barnes and Noble Fundraiser. They raised
$500 for Revere’s music department.
On another entertainment aspect, the
2nd Annual Film Festival is back at Revere. Mr. Hyman thought last year’s Film
Festival “was a huge success.” At the First
Annual Film Festival, students walked
down the red carpet as paparazzi snapped
shots of them. Popcorn was also available
for students to enjoy while they watched
films being projected on the big screen.
For the event this year, students can
create stop motion films, live-action short
films, music videos, documentaries, commercials, and public service announcements. To add on to those, this year there
is a new category where a student can
make a film talking about traffic in order
to promote carpooling at Revere. The entries for the films are due on Mar. 18.
Students will be able to win prizes
ranging from a trip to Knott’s Berry Farm
to attending a fully paid Film Camp.
For some Patriots, playing an instrument or creating a film seems to be their
forte. These performers are in tune with
Revere’s coming events.
Mr. Hyman introduces the 2nd Annual Film
Festival at Paul Revere. Photo: Anouk Wijeratne
Coming Attractions
Spirit Series - Seeking
Socrates
High School Musical
2nd Annual Film Festival
Talent Show
Literary Anthology
Spring Choir Concert
Spring Orchestra Concert
Spring Band Concert
Beginning Concert
2/22 - 3/11
3/11 & 3/12
4/27/2016
TBD
TBD
5/17/16
5/18/16
5/19/16
5/23/16
The chart above shows upcoming events at
Paul Revere Middle School. Chart: Kylie Greenwald
The Beatles have always
The Justin Bieber of my
been my favorite group. Their
teenage years were songwritmusic never gets “old” or seems
ers, musicians, and singers
out of style. I think that explains
like The Beatles, Bob Dylan,
their popularity even 45 years
The Rolling Stones, Neil
after their break-up. The songs
Young, The Who, and The
all have a story; whether simple
Doors. They wrote their own
or complex, like poetry. The
songs, sounded witty, well
instruments they used were
read, and with a sense of
very progressive and their use
humor. Even though they had
of technology was very ahead of
some drug problems, they
its time. When I run during lunch, The Beatles are usudidn’t come off stupid with no substance to their music
ally my choice! My band of choice! —Mr. Roig
like Justin Bieber.
—Mr. Hernandez
There are many reasons why
I like Ariana Grande. For
one, she is very talented.
Her hit albums and singles
help show off her amazing
singing. She has a generally kind, caring personality,
whether it is towards people,
animals, or nature. Ariana
Grande has adopted rescue
dogs, helped send a girl to
college, brought warm drinks
to fans in the rain, just to
name a few. Her talent, generosity, and playful spirit are many of the reasons why I
like Ariana Grande. Her hit songs play a big role in how
she is considered in style. Every new Ariana Grande
song catches people’s attention, whether it’s because of
the relatable lyrics or the catchy tune. Another key is her
fragrance, Ari by Ariana Grande.
—Hallie McRae
Miley Cyrus presents
herself to the public eye as an
unintelligent, and psychotic
human being. The behavior
that she brings towards her
fans sets the image that she
has no respect for herself,
or her body. Not only are her
fans witnessing these bad behaviors but children who have
been looking up to her since
she was staring in a show
called Hannah Montana now
see her outcome, which has
left a big impact on the children that see her sticking
out her tongue, and inappropriately dancing. Yet on her
Instagram, she has over 31 million fans, which means
31 million people see her as a role model, and that’s
not what role models should be setting for their fans.
—Liana Rachmani
Grey’s Anatomy is hands
down my favorite show of all
time. What I love most about it
is that every episode is action
or drama packed, guaranteeing to leave the viewers on the
edge of their seats. The show
never fails to surprise me with
its turnouts. Although sometimes unrealistic, the surgical
procedures are actually really
informative, making them another part of the show to
look forward to. I feel that Grey’s Anatomy is gaining
popularity because there is something for everyone in
this show. Overall, I highly recommend this TV series for
all ages and personalities.
—Elisa Kim
Pretty Little Liars (AKA
PLL) is the #1 ranked TV show
on cable but I’m not sure I
consider it #1. When I first
started watching the show in
sixth grade I loved it. But as the
show got longer, I felt as if the
writer, Marlene King, kept repeating the same plot lines over
and over again. Some of my
friends who read the book have
informed me that the book is completely different from
the show, which is not always a bad thing but maybe
the show would be better if they kept the plot lines from
the real story. I think Pretty Little Liars is a pretty big
waste of time. —Maxine Eschger
The reason I like Xbox is because it’s a very stylish
gaming machine. I like to play sports games
to compete with my friends online. Xbox’s are also cool because the Xbox also acts as
a DVD device too. To me, Xbox’s are pretty high tech.
—Bruck Setu
I don’t like Wii U’s because they are outdated and not used
as much as other
gaming consoles. The games it offers are mainly for younger kids and aren’t as thrill-
ing as newer games with better stories and more fun game players.
—Alden Silvestre
My favorite film is Dead Poets Society because it is an
inspiring story that will never go
out of style. The story is about a
teacher who inspires his students
through poetry. He teaches them
to think for themselves and act
like individuals. He wants them to
experience every moment as their
last, to “seize the day,” which is a
concept that will never go out of
style. —Ms. Moreno
Avengers - “Age of Ultron” - I felt like the Avenger
movies are usually (A+) in my
book! However, this movie
seemed to lack plot and the story
line was all over the place. Very
disappointed - usually Marvel
comes out with some amazing
movies! I think it was the main
character “Ultron” that doomed
the movie - he wasn’t serious
enough.
—Mr. Foxson
Shark Tank is a show that
invites new businesses to enter
the “tank.” Then, the business
representative explains the business idea to the hungry investing
sharks. I like this entertaining
show because the company
ideas are different and seeing the
sharks fight is very interesting. —David Orlinsky
The Voice has a unique spin on the normal interpretation
of a singing show. In this show, for the first “blind” auditions, the coaches
do not see the performer until they turn around. I
love this show because the coaches add a touch of comedy and the singers have different and powerful voices.
—Kylie Greenwald
Undercover Boss is a reality TV show that gets wealthy
CEO of a major company to go
undercover to understand the
ups and downs of its company.
I don’t like Undercover Boss because it is always the same plot
and there is nothing new. Also,
there is too much action, not
enough talking. —Evan Davis
american Idol used to be one of my favorite
shows to watch. However,
last season, the singers
lacked voice quality and were not entertaining.
I think that American Idol
should have ended a long
time ago. It was a show
that was definitely off-key.
—Emily Bunnapradist
Paul Revere Charter Middle School 13
February 12, 2016
Show Choir taps
their feet to the
beat. Photo: Ryan
Victory
Harmonic Holidays
Despite the many complications that occurred this year, all of the music groups were able to produce memorable concerts
By Kylie Greenwald
After perfecting tunes and
constantly practicing melodies,
band, choir, and orchestra were
ready to string together this
year’s Winter Concert. However,
things didn’t go quite as planned.
On Monday, prior to the Winter Concert, all classes went to
the auditorium to see a preview
of the musical performances that
lay ahead. Due to certain issues,
Mr. Miyoshi’s band class was
the only group to perform at the
nighttime concert that week.
At the Monday music assembly, there were a variety of
songs played and sung. At one
point, Madrigals, Concert Choir,
Chamber Orchestra, Jazz Band,
and teachers gathered together to
present Rudolph the Red-Nosed
Reindeer. In this number, Mr.
Anderson, Mrs. Palmer, Ms. Mabashov, Mr. Iannucci, and more
joined in with the students.
Each musical group also had
individual performances. For example, choir sang an assortment
of Christmas jingles. One group,
Madrigals, sang Have Yourself a
Merry Little Christmas.
A group of teachers sing “Rudolph.” Photo: Alondra Limeta
Himalia (left) and Jessica perform. Photo: Milly Hopkins Patriot Band focuses on their music. Photo: Alondra Limeta
Ms. Cronin and Concert Choir bow together.
Photo: Hailey Heirigs
Mr. Iannucci dances to a tune.
Photo: Ryan Victory
As for the bands and orchestras, Advanced Orchestra played
Rosin Eating Zombies from Outer Space and Advanced Band
performed a piece from the The
Incredibles.
After playing for Patriots,
the next step was to show parents what students had learned.
Although these concerts were
meant to take place the week of
Dec. 14, the choir and orchestra
concerts had to be rescheduled to
the week of Jan. 11 because of a
bomb threat and a power outage.
These postponements caused orchestra students to unexpectedly
race to their carpool or bus.
Ms. Cronin said, “In over 35
years of conducting concerts, I
have never had to reschedule!”
Although this had never happened before, Revere was able
to cope with the issues. Ms.
Jacques stated, “I was worried
that we would get rusty and not
have time to get back in shape,
but what happened was good.”
The postponement “caused
a lot more work,” as Ms. Cronin
states, but “the rescheduled Winter Concert went off flawlessly!”
Laughter and Tears for Movies This Year
Blue Sky Studios
Walt Disney Studios
Warner Bros.
Fox 2000 Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Peanuts
Star Wars
Creed
Joy
Spectre
Daddy’s Home
With an inspiring theme
representing the importance of friendship,
Peanuts, the sequel to the
classic Charlie Brown,
was definitely worth my
trip to the theater. This
movie exploited the struggles that some children
go through in overcoming
their diffidence, while
keeping me entertained
as well. It followed the
characters of the original
story as new girl, known
to Charlie as the little-redhaired girl, moves into
town. Charlie constantly
devises methods to talk
to her, but each time
he lets his lack of selfconfidence get in the way.
My favorite part was the
portrayal of the journey
that Snoopy’s imagination
took as he chased his own
doggy crush. To add on to
that, the uplifting music
kept the tone alive in all
scenes. I know for a fact
that anyone who loves a
cute story of perseverance
and happiness will go nuts
for the movie Peanuts.
­—Sarah Bentley
A not so long time ago, in
this galaxy, the film Star
Wars: The Force Awakens
left audiences around the
world cheering. The newest addition to the monumental movie franchise
surpassed the even more
monumental expectations.
The film focused on a
rogue storm trooper and a
scavenger waiting for her
family to return. The two
characters immediately
won me over with their
wit and heroic traits. The
story escalates when a
droid containing secret
information falls into their
hands. While some parts
of the plot were predictable and followed the
pattern of other Star Wars
films, the characters still
brought the story to life.
The production did a great
job of remembering familiar, beloved faces while
shining a light on the
universe’s new generation
of heroes. All in all, Star
Wars: The Force Awakens
was the twinkling star in
the vast galaxy of films.
—Ava Kerkorian
The movie Creed is a story about the fighter Adonis
Creed, son of the famous
boxer, Appolo Creed. As a
young boy, Adonis would
get into a lot of fights, and
he dreamed of becoming a
boxer, just like his father.
As Adonis gets older he
becomes a boxer in search
of a trainer. He finally
finds his trainer, played
by Sylvester Stallone,
who coaches him harshly,
but is also motivating.
Michael B. Jordan, as
Adonis, was outstanding in the film, showing
the audience his every
emotion. The special effects added to the boxing
matches made it seem as
if I was in the ring with
the fighters. The plot did
not drag on, instead, it had
me guessing what was
going to happen next. The
sound effects added to the
intense fight scenes made
me believe the boxers
were punching each other.
In a heartbeat, I would
recommend this knockout
movie to anybody.
—Evan Davis
Joy is based loosely
around the actual Joy
Mangano, a self-made
millionaire who created
her very own business
empire. Starring Jennifer
Lawrence as Joy, she
takes us on a journey of
hope, betrayal, jealousy,
etc. There were some
obvious flaws in the story.
For example, the product
that eventually caused
Joy’s overwhelming
success was a mop. The
audience is supposed to be
emotionally invested in a
mop? Nonetheless, I really
have to applaud Jennifer
Lawrence for her superb
portrayal of Joy. I could
feel Joy’s sorrow, her
guilt, and her satisfaction
in her accomplishments. I
loved how it was a roller
coaster of emotions, and
there were so many ups
and downs. Some might
call Joy a cliché, a family
classic, a petty fairy tale,
but I say that Joy is a
film that shows how hard
work, dedication, and passion can lead to success.
—Judy Zhang
Ah, finally another 007
movie. In Spectre, James
Bond faces a global
criminal organization in
a journey to uncover its
secrets. Against the orders
of his own organization,
he puts himself in danger
to infiltrate Spectre— the
agency he is after. Filled
with action and thrill,
the movie shows Bond’s
journey through Mexico,
Austria, and Africa. In all
the excitement, Bond and
his “partner in crime” get
locked in an old building
scheduled for demolition.
After overcoming each
and every obstacle that
stood in his way, Bond
eventually finds a way
to free himself and his
partner. In my opinion
this is one of the best 007
movies yet. However, I
noticed that the scenes
dragged on, and at least
half an hour could have
been cut out of the movie.
In conclusion, I would
definitely double dare
anyone to watch this new,
riveting 007 movie.
—David Orlinsky
I had mixed feelings
about Daddy’s Home. In
the movie, Mark Wahlberg plays the strong
and “cool” real dad and
Will Ferrell portrays the
step-dad, who really cares
about his family and is
willing to go out of his
way for them. I enjoyed
that the step-dad had better qualities than the real
dad because in many other
films the characteristics
are the opposite. This
unique theme was refreshing and contributed to my
enjoyment of the movie.
I also thought that the
two main actors played
their parts well. However,
this film posed a lot of
inappropriate humor, and
some of the scenes didn’t
really fit together smoothly. The humor was not my
type and was rather dry
if you ask me. However,
when I walked out of the
movie theater, I had a
smile on my face. If you
are looking for a different
spin on a typical plot, then
this is the movie for you!
—Izzy Gill
A+
A
A
B+
B
B
14 February 12, 2016
Sports
Paul Revere Charter Middle School
Teams Take Off With a P.E.P. in Their Step
Patriots learn a new wrestling position.
By MADISON LIBERMAN
Take out the basketballs, the
wrestling mats, and the soccer
goals, because this year, Revere’s sport’s teams are striving
for victory.
The 3-4 stages of Revere’s
soccer tryouts took off on Nov.
5. For the first set of tryouts,
male and female Patriots had to
run two miles under twenty minutes. The following few days
the actual skill evaluations were
held. Each day people were cut,
until on Thursday the girls team
was chosen, and on Friday the
boys’ team was chosen. Over
100 students tried out, and 15
made each team.
After the final cut of the
evaluation, it was determined
that Tommy Meek, Colton Peffer, Ulysses Martinez, Nick
Collins, Charles Bjorlin, Brett
Anwar, Luke Amiel, Taylor Strijdveen, William Larkins, Liam
Conrad, William Valentine,
Dylan Walsh, Jake Moore, Alejandro Cisnernos, and Tristan
Lucas will be playing for Revere
this year. On Dec. 1, Revere’s
boy soccer team won 2-0 at a
home game against Brentwood
as well as another pre-season
game with a score of 7-1 against
Village Christian, kicking off the
season to come. When the real
season approached, the Riders
lost to Oaks Christian 3-1. The
boy’s soccer team did not make
it to the play-offs this year.
The girls’ soccer tryouts
brought Anna Schow, Ariella
McNulty, Ava Kerkorian, Jordyn Nadley, Kate Rautbort, Lily
Gruber, Mady Barnett, Margot
Photo: Sarah Bentley
Revere girls reach for the rebound. Photo: Sarah Bentley
Reemtsen, Mia Emerson, Zelda
Adams, Miranda Schriver, Mollie Essner, Noe Winter, Renee
Wolff, and Shea Mcnulty onto
the team. On Dec. 8, the girls
tied their first game against
Oaks Christian at 3-3, and won
a game 6-0 on Dec. 14 against
Chaminade. They continued to
gain ground when they won 7-1
against Sierra Canyon Dec. 18.
On January 26, the girl’s soccer
team tied a well-played game
2-2 against Marlborough. With
their record of only one loss, the
girls head for the first round of
playoffs against Oaks Christian,
who they beat 2-1. In the end,
they lost the championship 3-0.
Along with soccer, the wrestling season began the first week
of December. Adam Hunter and
Junior Amazon are coaching this
team, and P.E. Teacher Mr. Foxson oversees the wrestling program. The team includes Nick
Carpenter, Alvar Granga, Cameron Zoller, Pedram Zamanpour,
Michael Gift, Tate Foxson, Connor Guy, and Max Palees. “I am
exited to see what this year’s
team can accomplish,” Mr. Foxson says of his hopes for a great
wrestling season. On January 21,
the wrestling team won a close
match against Chaminade, and
on January 26, the wrestling
team won another home match.
The tryouts for JV and varsity girl’s basketball were held
on the second week of November. On Dec. 7, the varsity girls
played their first game against
Harvard Westlake, winning with
a close score of 37-31 in a double overtime finish. On Wednesday, Dec. 9, the girls won a home
game against Chaminade in the
fourth quarter, and advanced to
2-0. The girls won the end of the
season game against Oaks Christian, 46-41, and went go into
break with three wins. The girl’s
JV squad also took on Brentwood on Jan. 4, but lost in a close
game. On January 19 the varsity
squad won a game against Village Christian. On January 26,
Girl’s Varsity played, and won a
game against Marlborough. Varsity girl’s played in their semi-final game on February 3, winning
62-25 against Harvard Westlake.
On February 4, girl’s varsity fell
four points short of the championship title.
Boys JV and Varsity basketball tryouts were held through
the second week of November.
The teams are coached by Daniel
Gonzalez, who also coaches Revere’s summer sports program,
Sports’ Mania. On Dec. 18, the
JV team won their first game at
Heritage Christian. On January
21, the boy’s varsity team easily
defeated Brenwtwood.
However, students who
didn’t make the team can further
their skills with the after school
intramurals. Basketball classes
and the new Rider’s Soccer
Academy can help students to do
so. “Rider’s Soccer Academy is
coached by 2 professional soccer
players, Mele French and Kelly
Parker. The program is new this
year to help develop our players
who did not make the competitive team,” says Mr. Lafolette.
Revere’s athletic department encourages students to take advantage of the P.E.P. classes that will
benefit them later in life.
Luke Amiel protects the ball as he dribbles up the field.
Photo: Mr. Walsh
Jordyn and Ava compete for the ball at soccer practice. Photo: Judy Zhang
Joshua shoots a three pointer at JV basketball practice. Photo: Sarah Bentley
Finishing the Season on a Good Note
Paul Revere’s girls cross country team receives a congratulatory letter from the Marlborough team
By Sarah Bentley
Faculty Picks
As the Super Bowl and
World Series approached,
many teachers attempted to
predict the winners.
Only Ms. Walker predicted
the Royals to win the World
Series. However Mr. Amos, Mr.
Foxon, Mr. Hernandez, and Mr.
Schwartz were runner ups predicting the right team(s) in the
wrong position.
On the football side of
things, Mr. Hernandez was the
only person to have the Broncos winning the Super Bowl.
Mr. Kirby was the only runner
up predicting the Broncos to go
down to the Seahawks.
—David Orlinsky
Throughout sports, there are
always competitions and competitors, every individual or
team is pushing to be the best, to
win the trophy or the medal, and
experience the joy of winning.
However, with the competition
comes a certain way an athlete is
expected to act, bad behavior can
result in penalties.
After the Delphic League
cross country season, the final
meet was concluded. The final
placings brought Paul Revere’s
girls in first against the all girl’s
school Marlborough, which was
in fourth.
Despite the fact that Paul
Revere had beaten Marlborough
the captain and co-captain of
the team, Emma Holt and Sophie Grull, decided to reach out
to Paul Revere’s girl’s team and
congratulate them on their win.
“It’s very selfless and very admirable for them to go out of their
way to congratulate a team that
had beaten them. It’s a sign of
great sportsmanship,”praises Mr.
Foxson, coach of the cross country team.
In reply, members of Paul
Revere’s cross country team sent
out a letter responding to the
team and congratulating them
on their placing as well. “Sports
aren’t just for the purpose of athletics, they also allow us to make
friends. I was really happy hen I
saw Marlborough’s note because
it gave me a sense of pride and
team spirit,” says Alicia Sigworth, a member of the girls
cross country team who participated in writing the follow-up
The note sent by Malborough’s girl x-country team.
letter.
Mr. Foxson believes that
sportsmanship is key. “It says
who you are all about as an ath-
Photo: Sarah Bentley
lete. To be beaten by someone
then go up to them and say, ‘hey,
great job.’ That’s the sign of a
true champion.”
Paul Revere Charter Middle School 15
February 12, 2016
LA City Ducks Fly to the End Zone
By david orlinsky
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s
the LA City Ducks! The Ducks
flew away to the victory game
after playing multiple games last
season. Blowout after blowout,
the team marched on and some
teams even forfeited. With the
assistance of five Revere students, the team was successful in
regular season play.
The LA City Ducks are a
junior football team based in
Southern California. The Ducks
organization is made up of 6
teams. The first 5 teams are for
players ages 6 to 13. The Senior
team, which the 8th grade boys
were on, is only for 12 to 14.
The Senior Ducks finished
the season 9-2 with the help of
some Patriots. The team included
five Revere 8th graders: William
Clifford, Noah Ghodooshim,
Mike Gift, Charlie Newman, and
Max Palees. This was the last
year they were eligible to play
with the Ducks due to age limits.
The traveling team encouraged confidence, character, selfesteem, honesty, loyalty, and
some traits that are very important on and off the field.
Charlie dives to stop the opposing team from getting a first down.
As well as encouraging team hangouts.” This group of
good behavior, the Ducks held boys built a bond and friendship
practice two times a week. The by working together as a team.
players learned to play their poWilliam Clifford said, “The
sition properly and became game friendship and brotherhood we
ready.
built during the season was one
Eighth grader Charlie New- of my favorite parts about playman enjoyed his time with the ing the sport.”
City Ducks and playing football
Hard work and effort paid
overall. “I loved the adrenaline off as the Ducks went 9-2 in the
rush that came with it.”
regular season. Defensive tackle
Max Palees was a wide re- Noah Ghodooshim said, “The
ceiver and defensive tackle who best part of our seasons were the
just started playing this past sea- high margin victories. We were
son. His favorite football mem- unstoppable.”
ory was when they “went for
Out of all the Revere play-
Noah tackles the opponent.
ers, Noah Ghodooshim has been
on the LA City Ducks the longest, with a total of three years.
He claimed, “I was working the
hardest I had ever worked before. I loved the feeling of energy and hype during the games.”
All of the five team members stated that they want to
play football in the future. They
want to play high school football
and hopefully college. Although
Mike Gift agreed with the rest,
he had a different way to look at
his football future. “I got injured
early in the season and was very
Max sprints for a touchdown.
concerned with the injury risk.”
The Ducks finished the season and advanced to the league
playoffs. They beat the first team
26-0 and the second 39-0. They
advanced to the “Super Bowl,”
where they were defeated by the
SC Wildcats for the second time
in the season.
These players have been
through touchdowns, sacks,
tackles, and injuries. Despite
their many setbacks, the team
caught, fought, ran and passed
their way to the championship
game.
A Game Plan for Spider-Man
Mr. Foxson shows off the new spin on the old Superman shirt. Students can now aim for
this Spider-Man shirt by completing ten pole climbs in under five minutes. At the P.E. area,
Patriots can spy someone getting caught in the web of climbing poles.
Photos: Evan Senit
Mike (left), Charlie, Max and William pose after a football practice.
Physical Education at Sporty Stations
Up at the P.E. area, on Mondays and Wednesdays, students experience many sports as classes rotate between the seven units
Upper Field
A seventh grader races for a touchdown
while playing flag football. Photo: Sarah Bentley
In the Rider Dome
Upper Basketball Court
On a basketball court, seventh graders
play hockey. Photo: Natasha Roshandel
Eighth graders wait for the music to start before they can
begin their Star Wars dodgeball game. Photo: Tiffany Roshandel
Lower Field
Eighth grader Neil Messian uses his skills
on the soccer field. Photo: Quincy Timmerman
Lower Basketball Court
Seventh graders jump to shoot the ball into the hoop
to avoid getting out in knockout. Photo: Sarah Bentley
Volleyball Court
The volleyball soars in the air as eighth
graders wait for it. Photo: Natasha Roshandel
Track and Field
Eighth graders Dylan Wolff and Owen Bowe leap for their
personal best long jump distance. Photo: Quincy Timmerman
16 February 12, 2016
Paul Revere Charter Middle School
Farm
Friendly
Science
Cycle
Campus
News and Notes
Perfect
Paper
Last year’s Journalism staff won an award for general
excellence in a national competition. Photo: Emily Bunnapradist
Mr. Honda climbs a mound
of mulch. Photo: True Panza
Students try out the suspended bicycle at the
California Science Center. Photo: Mr. Cos
Rolling
Coasters
Chemical
Unity
By Brett Anwar and
Oliver Spector
Lovey
Dovey
Mr. Aochi’s class builds roller coasters to test gravity
with stryofoam, tape, pvc and marbles. Photo: Oliver Spector
Great
Skate
Patriots show their loving spirit by buying
rose grams for their Valentines. Photo: Brett Anwar
Brain
Battle
Lunch
Lessons
Ms. Combis’ class learns about accelMr. Olmedo tells his audience at a restricted lunch how
eration with a fun twist. Photo: Oliver Spector they are expected to act at Revere. Photo: David Orlinsky
Why Aren’t You Laughing?
Mr. Hernandez’s former science students come back to teach
“The Element Song” to his current class. Photo: Judy Zhang
Aca-Deca Club competes in the library during lunch. The competition was
hosted by the Ex-Magnet Coordinator Mr. Hubbard. Photo: Oliver Spector
By Jamie Mazur
Layout by Brett Anwar
The photo on the bottom has been Photoshopped
with 8 differences. See if you can you find them all.
Word Search
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See if you can find all ten of the Valentine’s
Day related words. (List of words below.)
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1.Eye Color is changed 2.Nail is removed 3.Numbers on ruler
are changed 4.Hood lace is removed 5.Speaker on the wall is
removed 6.Light is removed 7.Hairline is fixed 8. Inchmarks are
removed. Valentine’s Day list: Romance, Cupid, Valentine, Love,
Sweetheart, Kisses, Chocolate, February, Crush, Bouquet
Spot the Differences