Volume 3, Issue 3
Trafton Tribune
STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF TRAFTON ACADEMY
November 2013
Sea Center Texas welcomes Trafton 4th graders
By Phoebe Cosgrove and
Grace Parsley
On Wednesday, October 30th, all 4th graders
went to Sea Center Texas
in Lake Jackson to learn
more about Gulf Coast sea
life. Sea Center is a hatchery for flounder, red drum,
and speckled trout.
The students split into
two groups, and some
went to the hatchery while
others first saw the touch
tank. In the touch tank,
you could touch all sorts of
sea creatures such as different types of crabs, sea
anemones, sargasos fish,
and robin fish. In the
hatchery we could see
breeding fish, eggs, and
fish larvae.
There were seven
aquariums full with native
Texas fish. At 10:00, they
fed all the fish and we
watched them go crazy
over their food that they
all had to share. Some of
the food they ate was
shrimp, squid, and craw-
fish. It was
really interesting
how some
of the food
pieces
were too
big for the
fish
to
each.
Following
the
exhibits,
we walked
around the
wetlands
area and
the marshes.
Then
we went to
have a picnic lunch
at a nearby Cooper Carrier and Kyle Landman explore
park. After the touch tank to experience an up-close
lunch, we look at sea life.
went on a
hike with Coach Mewhin- wetland exhibit and scavney. The only thing that enger hunt open to the
scared us was a sign that public so that more people
said, “Beware of snakes and can learn about these important areas and creaalligators.”
An interesting fact is tures. Anyone can learn a
that Sea Center Texas has a lot at Sea Center Texas.
Tiger Basketball takes first tournament victories
Trafton
basketball
brought home the first
trophies of the season on
November 9-10 with the
8th grade boys earning 2nd
place at the St. Marks
Episcopal Tournament,
while the girls claimed 3rd
place at the St. Marks Lutheran Tournament.
The 8th grade Tiger
boys beat the Honor Roll
(continued on pg. 2)
Tiger agenda items...
The 8th grade boys celebrate with their 2nd place win.



Thanksgiving Break Nov. 25-29
Winter Musical Dec. 5
7th/8th grade midterm exams Dec. 17-19
Basketball teams fight hard for victories in first tournament
(continued from pg. 1)
School in the semi-finals to advance to
the championship game. Coach Tatum
said the team considered that game an
important win because Trafton had
lost to Honor Roll in the season opener. Trafton earned the 2nd place trophy
after falling to Emery Weiner in the
final game. The boys competed well,
with Jacob Towber and Jack Mason
being honored as all-tournament players.
At St. Marks Lutheran, the Tiger
girls overtook River Oaks Baptist, and
then lost a close game to St.
Francis. The team came back
together and “crushed” its
opponent for the 3rd place
victory, beating CHSA soundly for the win. Scoring the
most points, Sydney Hutchins
was an important leader for
the team.
Under the direction of Coach
Rocket, the girls team captured the 3rd place trophy at
St. Marks Lutheran.
American colonists’ experiences come to life for 5th graders
By Brendan Massaro
On Tuesday, November 12th,
Mrs. Nicholls’ 5th grade class presented their research projects. In
mid-October, the students picked
out of a hat a name of an early
American colonist or important
person from the time such as
William Bradford, Squanto, John
Smith, Eliza Lucas, or Pocahontas. The students worked on projects ranging from tri-boards to
powerpoints. The students had
three weeks to complete them.
My own project was about
William Bradford who was governor of Plymouth for 35 years.
He was the one who kept relaLeft: Duncan Barnes explains his
creative diorama in his presentation about Ouladah Equiano.
tionships between colonists and the
Native Americans friendly. I really
liked doing this work, and the other
students did, too.
Classmate Nikolas Statiras agreed
and added, “I learned that Peter Stuyvesant was a misunderstood guy and if
it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t have
New York today.”
“I liked making my project and presenting it,” said Avni Desai. “Before
this, I didn’t know that Pocahontas had
three names: Rebecca Rolfe, Matoaka,
and Amonute. That was interesting to
learn.”
On presentation day, Mrs. Nicholls
and the students were shown posters,
a diorama, a creative parchment scroll,
a speech, and even a video of a hamster named Oreo singing a presentation about Eliza Lucas. Every project
was creative in its own way and lively,
too.
One 4th grader’s view of really happens after the field trip
By Alexa Fusco
Mrs. Knight’s class went on a field trip to
Sea Center Texas. After that we went to
lunch and then to a place very close to Sea
Center. Coach Mewhinney took us for a hike
around a forest. Ethan Goldberg and Kyle
Landman said they had found a snake during the hike.
After the hike, it started to rain. There
was rain on the hike, but not rain
at the park, so we played at the
park. I got stuck in a baby swing.
All of the kids there like Phoebe,
Josh, Georgia and Casey, were
cracking up like if I was tickled too
many times. I got free and I shouted, “I’m free!” and I was so happy
to be free.
Coach Mewhinney drove us all
the way back from our field trip, and a
lot of kids fell asleep. Abby started to
sleep talk and I drooled a little bit. It
felt really good to be sleeping on a
bumpy bus. That was the end of the
field trip.
If you don’t believe me, ask a 4th
grader.
2
Costume/free dress contest wins for fun and funds across campus
By Anonymous
On October 31, 2013, Trafton Academy students were given the opportunity
to dress up in costumes or simply take
advantage of a free-dress (no uniform)
day. Every student was required to pay
$3 in order to participate in this Student
Council fundraiser to earn money towards the annual spring dance. The
event turned out to be a big hit, raising
$447. Each grade level competed to try
to earn best-dressed titles, and 4th and
5th grade classes were combined for the
lower grades.
The winner for 4th/5th grade and
also the over-all school winner was Phillip Cunningham dressed as a pizza. The
6th grade winner was Nick Held impersonating an evil doll, and the 7th grade
winner was Allie Cole dressed as Matt
Smith, the 10th doctor, from the T.V.
series Doctor Who. Dylan Smith portrayed Two Chainz and claimed the title
for the 8th grade.
All the students seemed to enjoy the
opportunity, and the fund-raiser was a
such a huge that success that Mrs. Bryan
is considering having another one similar event soon!
Now we know why Trafton has uniforms! Above left: Coach Hyland with 4th6th grade winners Nick Held, Grace Carlson, Phillip Cunningham, and Duncan
Barnes; lower left: Dylan Smith and Allie Coale show off their creative outfits.
“Allons-y!” Right: Mrs. Bryan stops for a visit in the math lab with her canine
cohorts.
7th grader ‘skipping school’ hopes it teaches lesson about helping others
By Claire Warren
When 7th grader Austin Howard
asked for permission to skip a day of
school, Trafton supported his request
and even awarded him a special
“community service day.” This student
had a great reason. Austin wanted the
day off to participate in Swing Fore Kids’
Sake, a golf fundraiser at Kingwood
Country Club on November 4 to raise
money for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of
Houston. The Howard family is active in
Big Brothers/Big Sisters, a one-to-one
mentoring program for disadvantaged
children.
Austin worked with his father to organize a “closest to the pin” contest on
the 3rd hole to try to earn an extra
$5,000 for the organization. This type of
contest had never been done for this
tournament before, and Austin’s event
more than doubled its goal by earning
$10,300 for Big Brothers/Big Sisters!
Overall, the golf fundraiser gained
$430,000, surpassing its original goal
of $310,000.
This day was more than a way to
help earn money for a worthy cause.
It was important to Austin because he
serves as a Big Brother to 8-year-old
Kevin, a boy described as curious, energetic and always wanting to learn.
Kevin lives with an aunt because his
own parents can’t care for him. Austin
said he and his family are Kevin’s Big
Family and plan outings with Kevin
once or twice a week to do fun activities and spend time together.
Austin explained, “I really like being Kevin’s Big Brother, and I know
it’s important. We go to Rockets
games or other things Kevin likes, and
we try to show him what a good life
can be like. It’s important to help
mentor and try to be a positive role
model for someone who doesn’t have
the advantages that I have.”
Austin Howard is joined by his “Little
Brother” Kevin at the Big Brothers/Big
Sisters golf tournament.
3
Tiger flutist first to repeat earning all-region’s highest award
After the final rehearsal, Claire prepares
to lead the flutes to the stage for the Allregion concert.
Trafton 8th grade band member
Claire Warren claimed 1st chair flute in
the ATSSB All-Region Band for Southeast Texas on November 2 in Sealy,
Texas. After also earning the highest
flute scores last year, Claire was reported to be the first middle school
student to repeat winning 1st chair
honors in All-Region competition.
This contest was open to public
and private school students. Hundreds
of hopeful musicians performed
etudes (selections of difficult compositions) and several ranges of scales for
a panel of judges that were hidden
behind a screen. The judges could not
see the performers and scored each
student on the sound of his or her
skill, tone, musical expression, and
overall talent. Ten flutists were finally
selected after hours of auditions, and
Claire’s performance earned the highest evaluations.
Claire said she was happy about
the honor, but that she learned awards
can have a downside. The All-Region
practices and concert were scheduled
the same day as Trafton’s Fall Carni-
val. Instead of participating in Silly
String Wars or the Cake Walk, Claire
joined the All-Region flute players at
clinics and rehearsals on November 9.
The 2013 ATSSB All-Region Band then
performed a formal public concert at
The Kinkaid School on the same night.
“I really wish I could have gone to
the carnival, but this was an important
opportunity for me to see how well I
could do at regionals this year,” Claire
said. “It was worth it, and I hope this
will help me in high school.”
Band director Mrs. Fusco agreed,
“Claire deserves this, and I am so
proud of her. Claire’s accomplishments
keep growing!”
Mrs. Fusco was also proud to learn
that Claire had Tiger company at AllRegion. Trafton graduates Trace Miller
(2012) of Episcopal High School
earned High School All-Region in percussion while Jacob Ehrenstrom
(2011) of Houston Christian received
the 1st chair award for trombone.
“This says great things about our
school’s talented musicians,” Mrs.
Fusco concluded.
Happy 50th birthday, Doctor Who!
By Allison Coale
On November 23, 1963, a legacy lasting 50 years began. This started in a
junkyard on 76 Totter’s Lane when two
school teachers named Ion and Barbara
followed one of their students home to
talk to her parents, but instead were
kidnapped by the Doctor, their student’s
grandfather and were taken on an adventure.
Since then, Doctor Who has raised an
army of fans in the half century it has
been on air. This show is about a timetravelling alien named the Doctor who
wanders travels in a box called the TARDIS is bigger on the inside and can go
anywhere throughout time and space.
To mark the 50th anniversary, a 75minute, 3-D episode, The Day of the Doctor, will be produced. This episode will
bring back the tenth Doctor, played by
David Tennant, and Rose Tyler, played
by Billie Piper and mark the debut of
John Hurt as the war Doctor who fought
in the Time War, a war that the Doctor
fought in to save the universe, but ended up having to destroy his own race
and planet.
With 50 years under its belt, Doctor
Who is the longest running science
fiction series in the world. Because of
its longevity, Doctor Who has been an
influence on pop culture around the
world. The episode will be broadcast
simultaneously across the globe to
both theaters and televisions. Weeks
of celebrations have also been planned
around the 50th, including a program
explaining the science behind Doctor
Who and the making of the show since
1963. Many prequels to 50th have also
been released, including the Night of
the Doctor, featuring the eighth Doctor,
Paul McGann, and the Doctor Who
Children in Need special.
Doctor Who has been a show
ahead of its time since it first began,
marking the first show to have a completely electronically produced theme
song. It was first produced as an edu-
cational show, using time travel to
teach kids about history and science,
but it has managed to attract viewers
of all ages. The show has reached its
50th birthday, and the world is celebrating this marvel of popular culture.
4
Tigers step up to help fight hunger at the Houston Food Bank
By Claire Warren
Do you ever wonder what happens
behind the scenes at a food bank? How
does all the food get sorted and packaged? Trafton volunteers discovered
the answer to this question from 1-4
pm on Saturday, November 16. The
Tigers pitched in by loading various
food items into boxes and bags so they
could be distributed to the hungry.
Ms. Allen, Mrs. Holmes, and Mrs.
Warren led Trafton’s team of National
Junior Honor Society and Student Council members, and were joined by parent
volunteers. The Trafton crew worked
with a large team made from other organizations and volunteers to provide
those in need with food.
First, the students and adults
worked in a boxing room to put various
food products into boxes using an assembly line system. However, after an
hour and a half, the room ran out of
supplies! Everyone in the boxing room
was then moved
to the “backpack
buddy” room. In
this room, lunches
were packed into
plastic bags so
they could be given to at-risk students so they
would have food
for the weekend.
By the end of
the day, more
than 24,600 meals
had been packed. Some members of Trafton’s National Junior Honor Society
That’s a lot of and Student Council gather around one of the Food Bank’s
food! The meals tables to prepare boxes of meal supplies.
that were packed
about a next meal. Nonetheless, Trafthat day will be distributed to families
ton’s hard-working students were
who need them. Houston Food Bank
thrilled to be part of this amazing
serves 600 agencies all through Southprogram. Tigers will hopefully voleast Texas.
unteer at the Houston Food Bank in
Hopefully, none of Trafton’s stuthe future and further help our comdents have ever had to experience what
munity.
it is like to be truly hungry, or wonder
Tiger talks – the Tribune chats with Trafton VB/softball coach
By Zoe Friedman & Sophie Allan
Coach MacDonald, one of Trafton’s
fantastic P.E. coaches and the school’s
softball and 6th grade volleyball coach,
has been working at Trafton for five
years. She took some time out of her
day to share some facts about herself
with the Tribune.
Q: Where were you born?
A: I was born in Houston, TX
Q: Where did you go to college?
A: I went to college at the University of Houston
Q: How did you become interested
in coaching?
A: I enjoy working with children.
Q: If you weren’t a coach, what
would you be doing?
A: I’d be a marine biologist.
Q: What is your favorite sport to
coach and why?
A: Softball is my favorite sport to
coach because there are so many aspects of the game to teach and I enjoy
playing it.
Q: What is the most shocking thing
that has ever happened
in your class?
A: I almost had to
perform the Heimlich
on!
raft
maneuver, but the kid
T
ve
coughed up the food
I lo
and survived.
Q: What class did
you enjoy most when
you were in school and
why?
A: I enjoyed math
and science most because I enjoy finding
solutions to problems.
Q: What do you like Coach MacDonald loves working with the students she
to do in your free time? coaches at Trafton.
What are your hobbies?
A: I enjoy watching sports in my free
A: I was an aquarium diver at Sea
time. My hobbies include playing with
World. I worked with the sharks and
my niece and nephews and scuba divstingrays.
ing.
Q: What impressions or influences
Q: What is your favorite food?
would you most like your students to
A: My favorite food is anything at
leave P.E. or the sports you coach
Ciro’s Restaurant, which is Italian food.
with?
Q: What is something your students
A: I want students to leave feeling
might be interested or even surprised
more confident and having a desire to
to learn about you?
continue playing sports.
5
Tiger Tastes restaurant reviews: Tango and Malbec is the place to go
Fresh grilled specialties are top choices
at this fine Argentinean restaurant.
By Harold Weiser
If you want to have a fine dining
experience, Tango and Malbec is the
place to go! It is located at 2800 Sage
Road in Houston, and they are open for
lunch and dinner, Monday through
Saturday from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm.
On Sunday, they are open 11:00 am to
10:00 pm. The food at Tango and Malbec
is Argentinean, and they have a wide
range of elegant wines from various
countries. Their foods are inspired by
Argentinean dishes. The restaurant is
dimly lit and a bit romantic and rustic,
yet with a modern atmosphere. It is quiet
enough for conversation, but there is
light tango music in the background. It is
a popular place with many people. It is a
fairly dressy place; jeans and a buttondown shirt would be acceptable.
They have many great dishes at Tango and Malbec. My favorites are the filet
mignon with mashed potatoes, the trout
with jasmine rice, and the pan seared
lamb chops. The filet mignon is the finest
cut of meat cooked so perfectly that it
makes you say, “Am I in heaven?” The
meat is slightly rare on the inside, and
the outside is lightly crusted because it is
cooked with lots of butter and garlic. The
trout is shipped in from the east coast. It
is served over a bed of rice. It has a tangy
lemon flavor. The rice evens out the subtle sour-lemon flavor in the fish. The
lamb chops are grilled over an open fire,
which gives the dish a very distinct taste.
When they cook the lamb, it tastes like
nothing I’ve ever had before. It has just a
bit of a sweet flavor.
Tango and Malbec is warm, cozy, and
inviting with wooden floors, brick,
and red walls. It is rated as a four-star
restaurant, but I think it should be
five. They have great tasting food and
a fantastic staff.
They have many desserts at Tango and Malbec. My favorite is the
chocolate lava cake. When they serve
you this piece of heaven, it comes
with chocolate ice cream and three
strawberries. When you cut into the
piece of cake, chocolate lave races out
and smothers your fork! The cake is
lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar, and it gives it just the right
amount of sweetness. I really recommend getting it.
The waiters at this restaurant are
well versed about all the foods, especially the meats. They can talk for
over ten minutes just about meat!
This restaurant does take reservations. At Tango and Malbec there is
someone playing live tango, and there
is a man and a lady doing the tango!
The food arrives in about 15 minutes.
I would recommend this restaurant
to people no younger than teens. It
offers delicious foods, entertainment,
and fine wines. If you want a fine dining experience, this is the place to go.
Volunteer option? Urban Harvest needs you and your green thumb
By Maya Teller
Have you ever wanted to deal with
plants and farmer’s markets? Well
here’s your chance! Urban Harvest is a
non-profit organization with three
hardworking programs at its core:
Community Gardens, Adult and Youth
Education, and Farmer’s Market. This
past year, Urban Harvest reached more
than 3,000 students through education
programs, supported more than 100
local farmers through farmer’s markets, offered more than 100 classes on
gardening and sustainability, and
transformed abandoned outdoor spaces into community gardens to promote
healthy living. With your help, Urban
Harvest can continue its amazing work.
Volunteers are needed for Urban
Harvest to fulfill its mission. Whether
it’s at the market, or volunteering at a
garden, they need your help! One way to
volunteer is through group volunteering.
You can gather up a group of adults or
students and volunteer at a community
garden. Community gardens provide an
opportunity for neighbors to grow
healthy foods as a community and create
a bond between them. Besides community gardens, there are also school gardens. School gardens provide an excellent hands-on learning environment for
students. Another type of garden is the
donation garden. A donation garden
provides fresh fruits and vegetables to
feed the hungry. To learn more about
the different kinds of gardens, visit urbanharvest.org/typesofgardens.
There are many other ways to volunteer at Urban Harvest besides planting a
garden. You can help out at the Farmer’s
Market, which brings the fruits and veg-
etables, farm products, dairy products, prepared food, cut flowers, and
plants of the garden to Houston several times a week. The colorful markets support many family farms and
boost the income of growers in the
area. Mark Atkinson, a market vendor said, “I can’t thank Urban Harvest’s Farmers Market enough for
creating a venue where I can afford
to keep my land. I am a fourthgeneration farmer on these 100
acres and now will be able to pass
this land on to my son.” Urban Harvest promotes healthy communities,
sound nutrition, and respect for the
environment by educating people
and facilitating harvest and habitat
gardens. For more information, visit
urbanharvest.org.
6
65 achieve All “A” distinction, 58 make Honor Roll 1st quarter
By Claire Warren
ALL “A” HONOR ROLL
Remembering to review notes and
check homework was rewarded when
the first term’s report cards were distributed for 2013. Trafton Academy congratulates the outstanding students who
earned Honor Roll or All “A” Honor Roll
for the third quarter.
All “A” Honor Roll requires earning
an “A” in every subject and no conduct
grade lower than “G.” Honor Roll requires earning at least a 3.6 grade point
average with no more than three “B’s,”
no grade below a “B,” and no conduct
grade below a “G.”
While working toward
excellent
grades is always an important goal, 8th
graders should remember another incentive available to them in the spring semester. For each class in which an 8th
grader earns an “A” both nine weeks, that
lucky student is excused from the final
exam in May!
The following students are recognized for their excellence and dedication:
ALL “A” HONOR ROLL
Grade 4:
Phoebe Cosgrove
Kyle Landman
Bailey Silverman
Austin Howard
Nathan Bryant
Sam Lee
Allie Coale
Mark Nylund
Parker Davidson
Olivia Ochoa
Allison Goodfriend
Marley Price
Lauren Harpold
Jamie Tatum
Jhenna Hillier
Elena Vogiatzis
Victoria Chiang
HONOR ROLL
Grade 5:
Jack Sinor
Bella Vogiatzis
Josie Zisman
Grade 6:
Grade 8:
Sophie Allan
Niki Mehra
Caitlan Cooner
Lilli Metts
Satya Das
Tanak Patel
Alden Dichoso
Simone Perque
Sam Donoho
Lily Poursoltan
Mia Dowdell
Ciro Savarese
Caitlyn Duong
Paul Schwartz
Zoe Friedman
Daniel Wang
Grace Johnson
Claire Warren
Kelly Logan
Kristyn Weiner
Jack Mason
Calvin Zipper
HONOR ROLL
Grade 5:
Duncan Barnes
Grade 7:
May Agah
Nicole Berquist
Owen Bogler
Zala Courtin
Dmitry Didyk
Xavier Dixion
Nick Held
Caitlyn Hume
Ashley Kennedy
Cara Kennedy
Alex Rivero
Jessica Rosenthal
Ethan Towber
Luce Tysor
Natalie Wayne
Julia Weiss
Grade 7:
Carola Aisenberg
Ryan Landman
Jack Avedesian
Graham McFarland
Kelsey Barker
Anjali Patel
Chiara Casiraghi
Maya Teller
Grade 4:
Grace Manalac
Juliet Gillis
Sydney Wallace
Grace Parsley
Shelbi Rack
Ian Holcombe
Harold Weiser
Ariel Wang
Alexis Westlake
Sydney Hutchins
Julian Wieck
Grade 6:
Kate Logan
Justin Broadfoot
Elaina Manalac
Shaffer Chandler
Ben Mazzoni
Grade 8:
Rebecca Cordingley
Aneel Mehra
Kendall Barnes
Michael Richards
Jake Cosgrove
Arun Mehra
Jenna Blumrosen
Clara Roberts
Kevin Dittoe
Paige McNamara
Mark Harrison
Gregory Robinson
Madison Dodson
Amirah Olajuwon
Harrison Hayes
Isabel Siahatgar
Megan Frankel
Paige Pavlu
Samantha Knott
Dylan Smith
Miriam Handel
Marisa Reichsten
Anna Mayzenberg
Rud Swan
Bobby Hillier
Wade Swan
Riley Moos
Brice Vooletich
Rachel James
Jacob Trachtenberg
Edward Jin
Ella Wisdom
Landon Poindexter
Sam Weiser
Morgan Laviage
Conner Young
Gracie Reese
Matthew Wong
Nathan Rice
Geoffrey Zimmerman
7
Houston has a pro team with promise: a look at the Rockets
By Niki Mehra, Gregory Robinson,
and Satya Das
The Rockets launched their 20132014 season against the Bobcats, beating them with a score of 96-83. Daryl
Morey, the Rockets general manager,
made some interesting acquisitions
during the offseason that gave the team
some needed support. This team is now
the one to watch.
The Rockets added three-time Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard along with Israeli Omri Casspi.
James Harden, an NBA all-star
and Houston sensation, is the
best player on the team. Because he has the best beard in
the NBA, he has the famous
slogan: “FEAR THE BEARD”.
With Patrick Beverley/Jeremy
Lin, James Harden, Chandler
Parsons, Dwight Howard, and
Terrence Jones, the starting
lineup is going to be strong.
They are also going to need to
get help from bench players
like 3-point specialist Francisco Garcia and Omri Casspi.
The Rockets are not the only
elite team in the Western
Conference. The San Antonio
Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers,
Golden State Warriors,, Oklahoma City Thunder are all threats to
the Rockets season in the Western
Conference. On the other hand, the
Eastern Conference, arguably the
stronger conference, has teams such
as the Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat,
Philadelphia 76ers, and Atlanta Hawks
leading the way. All these teams are
major concerns for the Rockets, but
we have the potential to beat all these
teams.
One interesting fact about the
Rockets’ players is that they are one of
the youngest teams in the NBA, re-
garding their ages. Some teachers
and students shared their thoughts
on how the Rockets are overall, their
favorite players, and how far they
will get into the playoffs.
Mr. Lillard’s favorite player is
Dwight Howard, but he would also
favor James Harden under different
conditions. “He needs to shave his
nasty beard,” Mr. Lillard explained.
According to Mr. Lillard, the Rockets
are going all the way to the finals. He
also thinks the price of hotdogs and
popcorn are ridiculous at Rockets
games, but he still pays for it.
Matthew Wong’s favorite player
is Jeremy Lin. He said, “The Rockets
were once a bad team, but they are
getting better with better players.”
Matthew says he believes that the
Rockets have a 20% chance of going
to the finals.
Paul Schwartz’s favorite player is
James Harden, and he believes the
team will make it to the second
round of the playoffs and then lose.
He seems to think that the New York
Knicks are better (Remember that
Paul is from New York) even though
the Rockets beat them on November
14 in New York.
All in all, this young and energetic
squad is going to be a fun and exciting team to watch!
What we’re reading: The One and Only Ivan
By Phoebe Cosgrove, 4th grade
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate is about a gorilla who
lived in a shopping mall for 27 years.
Some parts of this story are true. Ivan
the gorilla really did live in a shopping mall for 27 years. In other parts
of the story, the author makes things
up, like Ivan marking on his wall how
many days it has been.
Next door to Ivan lives an elephant
named Stella. There is also Bob, a
homeless dog who lives with Ivan.
This is a very touching story. Mack is
the mall owner and he is a really
grumpy man who doesn’t like to talk
much or be nice. The mall is not very
popular and Ivan, Bob, and Stella are
the ones who really get all the attention.
The mall is running out of money,
so Mack decides to put some paint
and paper in Ivan’s cage so that he
will paint. Ivan does paint, and Mack
sells the painting for $25. Since the
store is running out of money, Mack
gets a new money-maker: Ruby, a
baby elephant.
A tragedy happens and the mall
loses all the money, and then Ivan
and Ruby leave the pack. I hope you
will read this book and enjoy it. It is
such a good, touching, and inspiring
book.
8
Did you know… ? Tidbits of trivia to share with friends and teachers
By Claire Warren
Are you looking for some random
facts to impress your family and friends
with your knowledge of useless but interesting trivia? If so, this is the place to
look.
 Above according to a Princeton University study, more money does
make people happier, but only up
to the amount of $75,000 per year.


Any amount above that supposedly
does not make a difference.
Sharks will not come near dolphins.
If a dolphin swims in an area where
sharks are feeding, the sharks will
leave.
There is currently a disease that is
seriously affecting bat populations
in the United States, but scientists


Q: What happens if you
watch an Apple store get
robbed?
Q: What kind of music will
you listen to on Neptune?
A: Nep-tunes.
A: You’re an iWitness.
Q: What do you call the
borders of Finland?
Q: What kind of show can
you do about a dictionary?
A: Finnish lines.
are not yet sure how or why.
NASA has been breeding jellyfish
in space for the past 20 years.
J.R.R. Tolkien, author of Lord of
the Rings, constructed more
than 20 languages, each with its
own unique grammar and vocabulary.
Grizzly bears can run as fast as a
horse.

Q: How did Romans cut
their hair?
A: They used Caesars.
Q: How did Vikings send
secret messages?
A: By Norse code.
A: A play on words.
Tiger teaser word search: fall themed words and activities
By Trafton Tribune Staff Writers
T
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LIGHT IN THE FOREST
FALL CARNIVAL
VOLUNTEER
REPORT CARD
THANKSGIVING
VARIABLES
RESTAURANT REVIEW
COLONISTS
SEA CENTER TEXAS
FOOD BANK
BASKETBALL
FUNCTIONS
PERIODIC TABLE
LINEAR EQUATION
COSTUMES
IONIC BOND
VOCABULARY
ENDERS GAME
HONOR ROLL
9
Trafton Tribune
Fall Carnival brings lots of fun, food & prizes
Email:
[email protected]
Student editor: Claire Warren
Trafton Academy
Principal: Inez Hutchins
Director: Sylvia Bryan
Main Campus
4711 McDermed Houston, Texas 77035
713-723-3732
Annex Campus
10500 Cliffwood, Houston, Texas 77035
713-723-3228
By Lily Poursoltan
Trafton’s annual fall carnival returned again this year on November 9th
with students, teachers, families, and
friends taking over the school’s campus
for an afternoon of fun. This event
housed a large variety of games and
activities, silly string wars, face painting, and lots of food. People participating could pay for tickets which could be
used for the various activities. Parents
donated cake, candy, and their time. As
a bonus, many students worked the
booths for extra credit in a class.
There were many activities at the
carnival where competitors could earn
tokens from their tickets. The tokens
earned through various games could be
used later in the prize booth. Some of
the games at the carnival include a
three dimensional tic-tac-toe game, a
dart game, and a card game. As the
Above: Will Doyle-Madrid fights to
stay on the mechanical bull; upper
right: Caleb Fusco keeps his “king
of the mountain” status alive
against a challenger; right: Jack
Sinor’s parents prove to Jack’s
brother Matthew that kids aren’t
the only ones who have lots of fun
at the fall carnival.
competitors collected more tokens, the
larger the prizes they could earn at the
prize booth. If a player was unsuccessful
in a game, he or she could choose a piece
candy at that booth.
The carnival not only had games but
there were inflatable slides, an obstacle
course, and a mechanical bull. People
could participate in these activities with
a wrist band he or she purchased or
through tickets. The inflatable section
added to the amusement of the carnival.
The fall carnival served not only
as enjoyment for students, friends
and families, but also as a fundraiser.
This year’s event raised more than
$8,000 for the school. These funds
were used to purchase another
much-needed photocopier for the
main building, which made all the
teachers very happy, and tables for
the math lab.
Calling cold weather - hot cocoa great... if weather will cooperate
By Julia Staley
As winter approaches, the weather
is getting colder, and holidays are coming up. This delicious hot cocoa recipe
is great for those and also for after
school, in the morning, or even as a
little gift.
This make-your-own hot cocoa is
simple and yummy. It’s just 3 simple
ingredients that you can find in any
grocery store easily. It keeps all winter
long if you keep it in an airtight container or a nice jar. It’s affordable too,
and it is cheaper than what you find in
the store, and you get more. Just 1-2
tablespoons is plenty for any cup of
warm milk. This recipe will fix your
chocolate cravings anytime. Just warm
up some milk in the microwave, add
some chocolate mix, and there you go -simple, cheap, and tasty.
Directions: In a bowl combine sugar,
salt, and cocoa; whisk to combine.
This mix can be stored in an air-tight
container in the pantry. When ready
to use, warm up a cup of milk in the
microwave, and add 1-2 tablespoons
of the mix. ENJOY!!!!
Simple Hot Cocoa3 ½ cups sugar
2 ¼ cups cocoa
1 tablespoon salt
10