Lafayette Elementary School
Bear Facts
Vol.10, No.6
June 14, 2013
Final Edition
5th Graders Go to Gettysburg and Hershey Park
by Catherine Hammes, 5G, and Yonatan Dawit, 5JJ
Fifth graders had a fun-filled, successful trip to Gettysburg and Hershey Park on May 29-30.
On the first day, fifth graders got to school around 7:30 a.m. and departed at about 8 a.m.. When
they arrived in Gettysburg, they took a bus tour about the Battle of Gettysburg. They got a close-up
look at the battlegrounds and of the different kinds of cannons that were used in the battle. After the
tour, students on the two buses met up for lunch. After lunch they explored the visitor center. Some
groups went to an exhibit about the Civil War. It featured a uniform, weapons, and other interesting
artifacts. After looking around for a while, group members saw a video
about the Battle of Gettysburg. Some facts they picked up were that it
lasted three days and was one of the bloodiest battles.
After the video they filed
into a circular room to look
Mr. Thurston Is Retiring
at a cyclorama oil painting.
Fifth graders were amazed
at the intricate detail. While
they stared in awe they
listened to an audio about
the battle and about the oil
painting.
Wild about their field day
shirts! See Story. p. 2
Cont’d on p. 14
Inside Our Last Edition:
Field Day & T-Shirts...........2
DC Theater Cafe.................3
Suitcase Fair.......................3
New Technology.................4
Science Fair........................5
Yearbook to Images...........5
Willa Meets Author..........,..6
Duke Ellington Trip............6
Mr. Thurston.....................6,7
More Goodbyes..................8
5th Grade Promotion.........9
Pre-K Graduation...............9
Life BEFORE Lafayette......9
Memory Lane...............10-11
‘Broken’ 5th Graders.......12
Embassy Visit..................13
Gettysburg, cont’d.......14
Meet David Byrne.........15
Stop Being Weird.........15
Avalon Theater Trip......16
Life After Lafayette......17
5th Graders’ Schools...18
After 32 fun years at Lafayette
International Club.........18 !
our school’s beloved math
Alvin & Paws................19
specialist and track coach, Mr.
Leaving Lafayette........19
The Graduates..............20 Robert Thurston, will retire at the
end of this school year. --See pages
6-7 for more coverage.
Good-Bye Mr. T!
Field Day T-­Shirts Have Neat Nick-­Names and Cool Designs
by Hannah Darnell, 4F
After field day many people brought home their class shirts. I polled classes in grades 3-5 about
their field day names. Some related to this year’s ‘iFit’ theme, while others were alliteration of a teacher’s
name. Some were just names the students wanted. Mr. Gregal, Ms. Betz and many other teachers know
the technique of silk-screening, and field day T-Shirts are definitely moving away from the simple magic
marker of earlier years to cool silk-screened shirts that will be a favorite in your T-Shirt drawer for a while!
Here are the names and some of the designs:
Third Grade:
Ms. Jensen’s class: Ms. Jensen’s Jolly Ranchers
Ms. Yedwab’s class: Ms. Yedwab’s Pink Panthers
Ms. Powell’s class: The Power of Powell
Mr. Rogall’s class: Rogall’s Rockin’ Raccoons
Fourth Grade:
Ms. Fratto’s class: Fratto’s Fittos
Ms. Culver’s class: Culver’s Cappuccino Crew
Ms. Hallstrom’s class: Hallstrom’s Hydro Hurdlers
Ms. Shapiro’s class: Shapiro’s Super Strong Squirrels
Fifth Grade:
Ms. Jean’s class: The Fresh Jeanius of Lafayette
Ms. Jackson’s class: The Jackson 25
Mr. Jewett’s class: Jewett’s Jayhawks
Mr. Gregal’s class: Dinocorns
This yearʼs
first indoor
field day ever
was very
successful.
As you can
see, colorful Tshirts were the
rain-or-shine
clothing of the
day.
*************
Thank you
Ms. McClure
and
Mr. Jackson!
2
DC Theater Cafe Is a Hit: War of 1812 is the Theme
by Gigi Cestari, 4F
The D.C. Theater Café was held on Wednesday and Thursday, May 22-23 in the cafeteria. This
year’s theme, the war of 1812, may not sound that entertaining, but it was. Who knew that the StarSpangled Banner had so many verses, or that Yankee Doodle Dandy was a recruiting song to get
men to enlist in the war? The audience learned this as they were entertained with a Reader’s
Theater and these two songs written during that
time. It is the 200 anniversary of the War of
"Old Ironsides" Still Afloat after 200 Yrs
1812.
The cafeteria was beautifully-decorated with a
patriotic theme, and there was even a
representation of Old Ironsides, the battle ship
on the stage. During the two days of DC Theatre
Café every 3rd grader has a job; they are either
hosts, cashiers, wait staff, or entertainers. Hosts
welcome the guests and give them menus. The
waiters/waitresses take the order of the guests
and bring them their food. The cashiers add up
the bill and collect the money. There is even take "Old Ironsides" was the nickname given to the
out and delivery for the teachers and parents!
18th century frigate, USS Constitution during
The D.C Theater Café is an annual treat first the War of 1812. The American poet, Oliver
introduced by Ms. Jensen and run by the third
Wendell Holmes, wrote a poem to honor her
grade teachers. It showcases the learning of the and thanks in part to the poem, she was saved
third graders in a variety of different ways and it
from being decommissioned and is now the
USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned
takes a lot of parent volunteers to help with it. It
ship in the world still afloat.
has been a Lafayette Tradition for a long time
and we hope to continue it for years to come.
4th Grade Suitcase Fair Helps Kids Know Their States
by Maddie Eggen, Jordan Engel and Ally Han, 4F
Thunk, thunk, the sound of clattering suitcases bounces off the walls of the
gym. You may have heard that sound on Friday, May 10, the day of the annual
4th grade State Fair.
The State Fair is a fourth grade yearly project. Each child is assigned a
state and has to research it. The final project includes a typed report for your
teacher to grade, a poster to display above your suitcase, a food from your state for
the fourth grade buffet, and items that you display inside your suitcase that are
related to your state.
Mrs. Fratto and Ms. Hallstrom would both give this project an A+ or 5 stars, though
they both had some things they’d like to change or add. Mrs. Fratto wanted more computers in the
classroom so the report could be more of a power point presentation. Ms. Hallstrom thought that
the fourth graders should only bring their suitcase and poster on the day of the State Fair
and have the state buffet lunch on a different day because they had too much to carry.
We also interviewed some 4th graders to make sure that our facts were
correct. One gave the suitcase fair a 9/10 because she thought they had too much
to carry but like all the visitors. Another gave it a 6/10 because he didn’t like all the
waiting.
Overall, the State Fair is a project that is a huge hit. Most third graders can’t
wait for it to come next year.
3
New Technology Brings Interactive Learning to Lafayette
by Maddie Breeden, 5JB
Have you seen all of the new Promethean Boards
in many of the classrooms? Most classes are going to get
at least one piece of new technology by next school year.
Some classes got MacBook Airs in their classrooms; some
have Elmo Document Cameras, and others have
Promethean Boards. Among the new technology in use at
our school are Promethean interactive white boards and
ActiveExpression student response systems. The
Lafayette HSA is purchasing six ChromeBooks for each
classroom and they will be in use next year.
Ms. Plummerʼs students use
Every Friday morning Mr. Wieand, who knows
how to work all the new electronic devices, gives
their new Promethean Board.
teachers training on how to use a specific piece of new
equipment. The new technology comes from a grant given by the Lafayette HSA to upgrade our
current technology. Most students like the new technology but a few don’t. The Bear Facts
surveyed 14 students and asked: “Do you like the new technology in your classrooms? Why?”
Those students think the technology is easier than using blackboards. They also feel that
using the new technology made it more fun to learn. One student explained,“I really like the
Promethean Board because
instead of reading text books,
there is a lot more visuals, and it’s
more fun.”
Other reasons students
said they like the new technology
is because it is easier to see,
because it makes research faster,
and it’s easy to use. One third
grade student said, “It works like
magic!” Some students feel that
the new technology is neither
good nor bad, and others weren’t
sure. One student who didn’t like
the new technology complained
that the Promethean Board
squeaks and takes up too much
space in the classroom.
The hope is that the new
technology will help kids prepare
for the future and make learning
more interactive.
****************
Lafayette’s computer lab as it
appeared in 1988-89 yearbook. Get
a load of the size of those
computers! (And could that be Ms.
Bright supervising the Lab?)
4
The Science Fair Was Here!
by Hanna Gage Scribner and Torin O’Brien, 5JJ
Above: Mr. Wieand showed his
pushup powers to help Elijah
Hayes-Miller with his science fair
project. Below: A mysterious
bottle appeared in the refrigerator
where teachers keep their
lunches.
What’s this? Undrinkable coke in the teacher lounge
refrigerator? Mr. Wieand doing pushups during Sports-XTreme time? This can only mean one thing: the 5th grade
Science Fair is here. Finally, after weeks of collecting data
and preparing their boards, the fifth graders get to show off
their knowledge. At last, the boards are complete and set up.
Students from the lower grades can roam the halls as the
fifth graders spread their knowledge and enlighten the minds
of Lafayette students.
The science fair passed, it sure was a blast. On May
21, it seemed obvious that this year, memory tests, smell
tests, and boy vs. girl challenges were the most popular
experiments. For example, Iona Volynets’ project was, “Does
Milk Improve Your Memory?” and Rosalia Inglima’s project
was “Who Has a
Better Memory:
Fifth Grade and
Pre-K Girls or
Boys?” The
Science Fair was
awesome!
Displays filled the Great Hall
and the corridors of Lafayette
during the recent fifth grade
science fair.
From Yearbooks to Images
by Rosalia Inglima, 5JL
Did you know that a long time ago, Lafayette didn’t have Images, but
yearbooks! In fact, Ms. Echave still has lots of them from her many years teaching
at Lafayette, and she let me borrow one from 1988.
When I was looking through it, I noticed that Lafayette used to have clubs
and activities that we don’t have now. We had cheerleaders, a debate team, a
Valentine Dance, safety patrol, and every year the sixth graders put on a play.
(We used to have a 6th grade as many of you know).
The first IMAGES
There were also pictures of some of the teachers and other staff members
from 1991.
who are still here, including Mr. Thurston, Ms. Echave, Ms. Dixon, Ms Snowden,
Mr. Jewett, Ms. Bright, Mr. Young, Ms. McLaughlin and Ms. Phillips. When I
asked Ms. Echave why we switched, she said that in the yearbooks, the adults did most of the work and
the kids didn’t contribute to it. In Images, there are still the pictures of all classes, but every kid has to
write a story and illustrate it with artwork. I think that having a yearbook would be fun, but I am happy
that we switched to Images.
5
We say Goodbye to Mr. Thurston
Photos and Story by Catherine Hammes, 5G
Just like everyone else who wants to
wish good luck and goodbye to Mr.
Thurston, the track team and parents did,
too. They held a final get-together in his
honor at Comet Pizza on June 5th from
6-8pm. All track members were invited to
attend. There were ping pong battles and
fuse ball tournaments. We enjoyed cheese
and pepperoni pizza with salads.
Towards the end, parents gathered students to our reserved room.
There, teammates and parents said nice words about Mr. Thurston and
gave him all their wishes and hopes for his future. Then Mr. Thurston
Mr. Thurston says some
made a nice little speech. We also learned a couple of interesting things
nice words to the track
about him from teammates who talked to him. One thing we learned was
team.
that he plots the course for the Marine Corps Marathon! We also learned
that he when he was younger, he almost-qualified for the Olympics. The category? Marathon
running! In fact, he has run in many marathons. A source told us that in one Boston Marathon, he
came in 16th, running the 26-mile course in around 2:23!
It’s safe to say that Mr. Thurston had a great time with the track team members and is always
going to remember this send off, just as we are always going to remember him.
4th Grade’s Duke Ellington Trip
Photo and story by Noah Weitzner, 4H
Willa Meets Patricia Polacco
That’s Willa Beckerman, 4F, with
Patricia Polacco. She met the
famous author-illustrator recently
at Politics and Prose at a book
signing.
Fourth graders read some of her
books in their units of study each
year, and second and third graders
often do an author study of her.
What’s amazing about Ms.
Palacco is that she didn’t learn to
read until she was 14, and she
didn’t write her first book until she
was 41!! There’s hope for everyone!
The fourth
grade classes
went on a field trip
on Friday, May 17.
to Duke Ellington
School of the Arts.
It was an
extravagant
dance experience.
The first dance
was an African
dance followed by The front of Duke Ellington School of
many more ethnic the Arts, Washington, D.C.ʼs performing
and modern
arts high school.
dances. We had
lots of fun and saw some familiar faces among Duke
Ellington students. [Noah’s sister, Lila, is a Lafayette alum].
Some people said that the dancers looked like
professionals, and they did.
6
Life After Lafayette-Mr.Thurston Edition
by Abby Brickman and Rosalia Inglima, 5JL
This is the last edition of Bear Facts for this year, and therefore, the last edition of Life After
Lafayette. This is a very special edition.
We bring you very sad news. One of the most-loved teachers at Lafayette, math specialist,
track coach, cross country coach, and math team coach, Mr. Robert Thurston is retiring after 32 years
at Lafayette. We are so sad to say this; we all love Mr. Thurston very much, but we all wish him the
best. This week for Life after Lafayette we interviewed “Mr. T”, as most people around here call him.
Bear Facts: When did you start teaching at Lafayette?
Mr. Thurston: In December of 1981. I took over for a second grade
teacher who left in the middle of a year.
BF: Was there any teacher who was here when you came here and who is
still here now?
Mr. T: Ms. McLaughlin (aka Laurie at the time).
BF: What do you like the most about teaching at Lafayette?
Mr. T: I’ve been able to do a lot of things that are just plain fun, and I get
paid for it!
ʻMr. Tʼ is retiring after
32 years at Lafayette.
BF: What grade did you teach when you were a classroom teacher?
Mr. T: Well, half a year in second grade, and lots of years in sixth grade,
one year in fifth grade, and one year in fourth grade.
BF: What is something you will always remember about Lafayette?
Mr. T: Well, definitely, all the plays we did, and track and cross-country teams, and lots of funny things
that happened too.
BF: If you could teach any subject--other than math--what would it be?
Mr. T: To tell the truth, I pretty much like all the subjects, and that’s why I liked teaching sixth grade so
much. Maybe music. I don’t know.
BF: What is your favorite part of Pi day?
Mr. T: Well, I think my favorite part is still making all of the puzzles and seeing the kids so into
memorizing Pi.
BF: Who was the principal when you first came to Lafayette?
Mr. T: Sandra Bond.
BF: What do you plan to do after you retire? Will you become a substitute?
Mr. T: LOL! [Ms. Betz snorts from her desks]. I’ll probably get roped into it. I don’t know. I’ll be
tempted, but…
BF: How do you feel about leaving?
Mr. T: Well, I’m sad and excited at the same time. I’m looking forward to getting enough sleep at night
and to doing other projects. I will miss Lafayette.
7
Goodbye and Good Luck, Ms. Porter
Photo and Story by Anna Gustafson and Mia Pino, 4F
Ms. Liz Porter, our awesome music teacher, is leaving Lafayette! We got all the details about where she’s going and why she’s going and for how long. Here’s the inside scoop!
Bear Facts: Where are you going?
Ms. Porter: I’m going to Potchefstroom, South Africa and then to Liberia.
BF: Why are you going to Africa?
Ms.P: To tell people about Jesus Christ and to make sure the people have good drinking water. I will be involved with tracking where water wells are and making sure that they are working and that there are enough of them.
BF: When are you leaving for Africa?
Ms.P: I’m leaving in November.
Ms. Porter will go to Africa to help people
have better drinking water and to be a
Christian missionary.
BF: How long will you be gone?
Ms.P: I will be in South Africa for eight months and in Liberia for more than a year.
BF: Are you coming back to Lafayette?
Ms.P: “I will really miss Lafayette. But, I’m not sure I if I’m coming back to Lafayette.”
BF: We will really miss you too! Thank you for your time and we wish you good luck on your trip.
Mr. McCoy and Ms. Jackson Are Leaving, Too!
There is more and more sad news for Lafayette as we learn that we are losing two other staff
members. Mr. Michael McCoy, our assistant principal, is leaving due to
“budgetary” reasons. We found out means that because our enrollment is down
(which is a good thing), our school gets less money (which is a bad thing), and
that means not enough money to pay an assistant principal to help Ms. Main run
the school. (Another bad thing). What this all means is that Mr. McCoy will be
leaving us (which is a very bad thing). While he was still unsure of his plans
when we went to press, he will most likely be reassigned to
another DC school. Also, he could decide to work in another
school district.
Mr. McCoy
Ms. Janine Jackson, fifth grade reading and social studies teacher, is
leaving us after just one year at Lafayette to go to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the
United Arab Emirates and the richest city in the world. “I'm headed to Abu Dhabi
to teach sixth grade girls English and Reading. I didn't seek out this opportunity;
it sort of found me. I have been interested in teaching overseas for a while, so
when I was offered the position, I accepted it. I have enjoyed Lafayette and I
thank everyone for being so wonderful to me.”
8
Ms. Jackson
5th Grade Promotion Is Set for June 19th
by Catherine Hammes, 5G
As time is running out and bringing us nearer and nearer to the last day of school,
everybody is finishing up, cleaning up and saying goodbye. We remember that fifth graders are
saying their final goodbye. The Promotion ceremony is just around the corner. The morning of
Wednesday, June 19th at 9:30 a.m. to be exact.
At the ceremony there will be many musical performances and speeches. At the
graduation, fifth graders will be performing their pieces that were postponed from Arts Night due to
a conflict with their trip to Gettysburg. Ms. Jean’s class will be performing Take Time in Life; Ms.
Jackson’s class will be performing Fezu Azali Awa; Mr. Jewett’s class will be performing Hakuna
Mungu Kana Wewe, and Mr. Gregal’s class will be performing Banuwa. Teachers will be
performing as well. Ms. Porter and Mr. Gregal will both be playing flute. Ms. McLaughlin will
perform on the cello, and Mr. Thurston will perform on the bass. During the procession, all will be
performing together. The staff choir might be performing, also.
During the ceremony adults and teachers will be sharing some words of wisdom. After the
ceremony fifth graders then get to enjoy a day of fun and activities.
It’s Pre-K Graduation Time Again!
by Abby Brickman, 5JL
Eighty Pre-K students “graduated” on Friday, June 14, and are now headed
for Kindergarten. They walked into the auditorium to the song Pomp and
Circumstance. They wore white caps and gowns and took it all very seriously. The
Pre-K teachers--Mr. Johnson, Ms. Ghamarian, Ms. Hallock and Ms. Martinez-agree that their children are ready for their next steps.
The Pre-K students performed “A You’re Adorable”, “Do Re, Mi”, “I’m
Curious”, and “It’s Time for Kindergarten!” After the singing and after some words from their teachers and
Ms. Main, the 80 Pre-Kers went back to their classrooms, got their diplomas, and had a party.
Teachers: Life Before Lafayette
by Claire Gearan, 5JJ
Did you know that Ms. Jackson was once a dance teacher? Or that Mr. Wieand was a snowboard
instructor and even made sushi for a living? Cool, right? I interviewed three Lafayette staff members-Nurse Cockrell, Ms. Porter, the music teacher, and Ms. McClure, the PE teacher, to find out what they did
before Lafayette.
Bear Facts: Nurse Cockrell, what did you do before you worked at Lafayette?
Nurse Cockrell: Well, I raised four girls and worked at another school called City Collegiate.
BF: What did you do before you worked at Lafayette, Ms. Porter?
Ms. Porter: I worked at seven schools at once!
BF: WOW! That must have been hard! Thank you both for your time.
BF: Ms. McClure, what did you do before you came to Lafayette?
Ms. McClure: Wow! A lot! of things! I worked at an ice cream cart; I drove a UPS truck, and I coached
girls ice hockey.
BF: Any more?
MM: Yes! I was a parking lot attendant; I delivered the Washington Post starting in the 4th grade. I
worked at a camp; I worked at Roy Rogers; I worked at a Chinese restaurant; I did phone surveys, and I
was a waitress.
BF: That’s awesome! Thank you for your time!
9
Walk Down Memory Lane
by Rosalia Inglima 5JL, and Abby Brickman 5JL
For our last edition of Bear Facts, we wanted to do something SPECIAL for the graduating
Class of 2013. Many of us don’t remember much about when we were in Pre-K and other years at
Lafayette. So we decided that it would be fun to walk down memory lane and remember when we
were younger. This is a picture timeline of when we were at Lafayette.
Pre-K
Bear Facts
editor
Catherine
Hammes gets
her ”diploma”
from her Pre-K
teacher, Mr.
Johnson.
Future 5th graders at Pre-K graduation.
Kindergarten
In Kindergarten, future 5th
graders sit in a circle and
wait to play a game.
Bear Facts editor Rosalia
Inglima drinking chocolate
milk.
Ms. Shapiroʼs class posing in
front of a sculpture on a field trip.
First Grade
L to R: Caleb Teems, Charlie
Bennett and Oliver Lewis.
Ashley Byrnes and Elise Reeder.
Maddie Breeden
on Field Day.
10
Walk Down Memory Lane cont...
Second Grade
Second graders
at the Heroes Wax Museum.
Future 5th graders
on Arts Night in second grade.
Third Grade
Ms. Cobbʼs 3rd grade glass showing
off their books.
Third grade end-of-the-year party.
Fourth Grade
Iris Moseley and lollipop
at the Spring Fair 2012.
(L to R): Emma Younger, Caroline Durr,
Iris Moseley, and Eliza Dahlkemper.
Fifth Grade
Front to Back:
Kaylin
Brandon
and
Sahara Trask
doing a step
routine.
Rosalia Inglima and Abby
Brickman at the 2013
Spring Fair.
11
(L to R): Luke Kennelly. William
O’Brien, Charlie Bennett, Jeremy
Jensen, Kevin Oakley, and Alex Wise.
Broken Fifth Graders:
Are People Around Lafayette Accident-­prone or What?
by Hannah Darnell, Anna Gustafson, and Mia Pino, 4F
Are people around Lafayette accident-prone or what? You might think so
because lots of people have injuries—especially those in the fifth grade. We
interviewed Luke Schauer, Sammy Toggas, and Alex Wise about their injuries,
however, other people kept getting injured so we could never seem to finish our
interviews! Some of the other fifth graders are Tara Cousins who sprained her ankle
and Charlie Bennett who broke two fingers—one on each hand! He’s not to be
confused with Charlie Ganote who also broke a finger. Xavey Bzdek broke his nose,
[no comment] and Gabriel Solomon fractured his foot. Lastly, our own Bear Facts editor Rosalia
Inglima broke her left wrist and sprained her right one.
Two teachers also have had recent injuries. Mr. Wieand tore a ligament—and it had nothing to do
with all those push-ups he did for someone’s science project. Even peaceful Ms. Ryden injured her arm.
So, like we said, people around Lafayette, especially fifth graders, need to be really careful! Now for the
interviews…
Luke was
doing the
long jump
when he
got
injured.
Bear Facts: How did you break
your leg?
Luke Schauer: Doing long
jump in track.
BF: How do you feel about
your cast and crutches?
LS: Very annoyed!
BF: When did get your cast
and was this the first time you
broke your leg?
LS: Two weeks ago, and yes it
was the first time that I broke it.
Bear Facts: How did you get
your crutches, Sammy?
Sammy Toggas: I ran
backwards playing football and
tore a ligament.
BF: How do you feel about
your crutches?
ST: Very annoyed!
BF: How long ago did you get
your crutches?
ST: Last week.
BF: Was this the first time on
crutches?
ST: It was the first time I’ve
needed them.
BF: Thank you for your time
and get better!
BF: Thank you for your time
and feel better!
Charlie
Bennett
with a
broken
finger on
each
hand.
Editorʼs Note: Sammy seems
to have made a full recovery!
Check out his Capoeira
moves with William OʼBrien
at the Brazilian Embassy
party. Also at party: Ro
Inglimaʼs cast matches her
dress nicely!.... See p. 13
12
Alex Wise
on
crutches-for the
second
time!
BF: How did you get your
crutches, Alex?
Alex Wise: I was playing
basketball and got injured.
BF: How do you feel about
your crutches?
AW: They’re annoying.
BF: How long ago did you get
your crutches? Was this your
first time?
AW: About six weeks ago. No,
it was my second time this
year.
BF: Really? How did you hurt
yourself the first time?
AW: I fell down on an escalator
earlier this year.
BF: Thank you for your time and we hope you get better!
Ms. Jeans’ 5th Graders Visit Embassy by Sasha Garcia, 5JL
On Monday, May 13, Ms. Jean’s class visited the residence of the ambassador of Brazil. You
must be wondering, “Why did they go to the embassy? Was it a field trip? Yes, it was, in a way...
The reason they went was to give a fantastic presentation to some of the people who work at the
embassy. Their performance was the grand finale of the the embassy adoption program in which they
have participated this year.
Earlier, embassy personnel visited
Ms. Jean’s classroom and shared
information about Brazil. And, of course, the
Ambassador himself was also there. In fact
he also took part in the presentation by
dancing!
After they finished their presentation, the
class presented the embassy with a fantastic
gift that they had made in art class. It was a
The official portrait of the Brazilian Embassy Adoption
partners---aka---Ms. Jean and her fifth grade class with
the Deputy Chief of Mission.
Enjoying themselves at the party.
framed piece of art
that consisted of
artistic letters
inspired by the art of
a Brazilian artist,
ʻLafayette Thanks Brazil!ʼ was in the
artwork that Ms. Jeanʼs students
Tarsia do Amaral. It
made for the embassy.
spelled, “Lafayette
Thanks Brazil!” All the students signed their names on the
gift as well. Afterwards, the students were treated to
Brazilian cheese bread and soda. Then, they went to the
garden and ate lunch. Everyone had a lot of fun!
Capoeira Demo
As part of the entertainment,
William OʼBrien and Sammy
Toggas demonstrate their
Capoeira moves. Capoeira
began in Brazil in the 16th
century as a means of hope and
survival for African slaves. It
combines dance, acrobatics,
music and martial arts.
13
Gettysburg and Hershey Park... Cont’d from p. 1
Next, fifth graders went to the Shriver House where
they learned the history of this home that was restored to
look as it did during the Battle of Gettysburg. The house
belonged to the Shriver family and they learned their sad
story. The Shrivers were about to open a saloon in the
basement, but before it could open, the father went to war.
When he died in battle, his family’s dreams were shattered.
His widow sold the beautiful home and moved. Then she
died, and shortly after, all of her kids except one, died.
Students then went to the Civil War Wax Museum
and saw wax figures of important people who were involved
Above: Students learn about the
in the Civil War. While walking through they went into a
battles, and below, they hear ghost
room and saw a short play with wax figures. Some students
stories about Gettysburg.
thought the wax figures were actual people (since it was
dark it was hard to tell). They also saw a video of an actor
dressed as Abraham Lincoln giving the Gettysburg
Address.
Quickly, they ate dinner and went on a ghost tour.
The ghost tour was based on the only civilian who was
killed during the Battle of Gettysburg. Her name was
Ginnie Wade. She was shot while making bread in her
kitchen. A bullet came through her door, striking her in the
back and killing her instantly. We saw the exact floor
board on which she was killed. There is a legend that if a
girl sticks her left ring finger through the bullet hole in the
door through which Ginnie was shot, the girl will be
married within a year.
Later that night, 5th graders checked into the hotel and went to sleep. The next day they
woke up, had breakfast, and headed off to Hershey Park. When they got there, they were split into
groups again and went onto the rides and roller coasters. Unfortunately, they weren’t allowed in the
water park, but they still had a lot of fun. The fastest, scariest roller coasters were the Fahrenheit,
Sky Rush, the Comet, and
the Great Bear! The
Fahrenheit takes you on a
really tall drop and flips
you. On the Great Bear,
you hang from your feet
and get flipped around too!
For lunch, they used
vouchers which allowed
them to eat when and
where they wanted. At 3:15
p.m., everyone met at the entrance of Hershey Park and set off
The roller coasters were a big hit
to D.C.! Home sweet home! It was a great experience, and if
at Hershey Park.
you’re a future fifth grader, it will be for you, too!
14
Meet David Byrne
by Abby Gorman, 5JJ
Have you ever heard of the Talking Heads? Well if you haven’t, your parents probably have.
They were a great band of the 70’s to the early 90’s. The lead singer? David Byrne. He was
also the songwriter and the guitar player. Even
though the Talking Heads broke up a long time
ago, David Byrne is still out there making music
and doing many other things. For example, he
has also been a film director, an author, a
photographer, and a solo artist.
Though an esteemed man, he also has a
playful sense of humor. Once when he was on
tour he wore a huge suit that made his head look
tiny while he was performing. I got the
opportunity to meet and interview him when he
was in town to do a fund-raiser for Lafayette.
[The fundraiser raised about $5,000.]
David Byrne agreed to do the fund-raiser
Reporter Abby Gorman interviewed the
for Lafayette because he wants to help raise
great musical artist David Byrne when
money for the arts in education, and his sister,
he was in town in May.
Celia Byrne, has a daughter and a son who
attend Lafayette. [Henry and Linnea Byrne-Kvalsvik are rising fifth graders.] Also, as it was
around Mother’s Day, it gave him a chance to see his mom who lives near by.
It turns out that David Byrne never planned to be a musician. He started out playing with
his friends for fun in a band, and since the audience enjoyed seeing them play, they kept
performing. His music career just took off from there. Mr. Byrne says if you really love
performing and making music, you won’t do it for the money. “If you do it for money you might
be disappointed,” he explained. Cont’d on next page
Stop Being Weird
by Aidan Kohn-Murphy, 3Y
Do you want to hear about a really, really,
really weird guy in a really big suit? David Byrne of
the Talking Heads. David Byrne tried to be very
weird, and he was. He even made a movie in a suit
the size of a sumo wrestler. In the movie, he
repeatedly hit himself in the head. Ironically, the
movie was called Stop Making Sense. He says he
Davis Byrne wearing his famous suit named the movie Stop Making Sense because “It’s
good advice.” When asked why he wore that big suit, he said “I wanted my head to appear
smaller and the easiest way to do that is to make my body bigger.”
He once famously said: “One must never underestimate the power of a good hairdo. I’d
like to write a song about hairdos – not the people under them. Then the dos have a power all by
themselves.” When asked if he writes love songs, he replied: “I have written a love song though.
in this film, I sing it to a lamp.” Cont’d on next page
15
First Grade Trip to the Avalon Theater
by Virginia, Tess, Harrison, Arianna, 1B
First graders went to the Avalon Theater. Only first graders could go. We
saw the Emperorʼs New Grove. It was about a king who got turned into an animal and they had to
turn him back. We watched it because parents won it at the auction for us. We walked there too.
!
Editors Note: Congrats to our cub reporters. We took the sentences from their work; and put it into a
paragraph and they have their first news story!
Stop Being Weird, Contʼd
Also, one of his most famous songs was about a murderer. It was called Psycho Killer and
there was no ”psyche!” at the end of it. Look into the Eyeball was one of his albums as well! We
have an interview with David Byrne in this issue. (See interview on page 15)
The Talking Heads were formed in New York City in 1975 and remained a band until 1991.
The people in the band were David Byrne, Chris Franz, Jerry Harrison, and Tina Weymouth. David
Byrne and others in the band--except for Jerry Harrison--went to the Rhode Island School of Design
together. When David and Chris formed a band, they first called it The Artistics. Tina was Chris’s
girlfriend and drove the band around when they needed to get to a gig. But sadly, The Artistics didn’t
last, breaking up in one year, and soon, the three moved to New York. Then they decided to hire Tina
as the bass player and they called themselves the Talking Heads.
They performed a wide range of music including pop, punk rock, art rock, funk, and world
music. The Talking Heads’ first album was called Love Building on Fire.
In March 1977, they welcomed Jerry Harrison to keyboards and guitar. They performed many
concerts and made a lot of albums from 1978 to 1982. Their most popular songs included “Psycho
Killer,” “Genius of Love,” “Burning Down the House,” and “Once in a Lifetime” (maybe one of the best
songs of all time.) David Byrne said about his songs: “I try to write about small things: paper,
animals, a house. But a boat is kind of big.” Their most famous album was Stop Making Sense,
which was also turned into a documentary movie.
The band was voted for inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (which is Cleveland, Ohio)
and four albums were on the Rolling Stone Magazine‘s 2003 List of Best Albums of All Time. When
the Talking Heads learned they were being put in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, they performed
“Life During Wartime,” “Psycho Killer,” and “Burning Down the House” at the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame.
Very sadly, in December 1991, the Talking Heads announced that they were breaking up.
Their last song was Sax and Violins. Tina, Chris, and Jerry came together for another album after the
breakup under the band name, The Heads. The album, which was called No Talking, Just Heads,
included cameos (musicians coming on stage for five seconds) by lots of famous musicians.
Meet David Byrne, Cont’d
It’s always interesting to know what albums a musician likes the least and the most. David
Byrne’s least favorite album is True Stories. The album is a re-creation taken off of the movie’s sound
track. David Byrne said it didn’t really sound like the movie’s soundtrack and that it was kind of
pointless. He said his favorite album is always the one he is currently working on. He says it’s always
exciting to hear a new album.
Even musicians listen to other people’s music. David Byrne likes to listen to contemporary
music, the artist Laura Mvula, and the artist James Blake. He likes going on walks and riding his bike.
David Byrne has done many great things and he’s not done yet. Over the summer he is going on a
music tour with his friend. He is a multi-talented, creative man.
16
Life After Lafayette:
Chevy Chase’s No. 1 Elvis Presley Fan Went to Lafayette
by Sahara Trask, 5JB
Charles Stanchik is a Lafayette graduate of the Class of
1977 who is a big fan of Elvis Presley. He still lives in the
neighborhood, and I interviewed him to see what his Lafayette
Life was like.
Bear Facts: When did you attend Lafayette ?
Charles Stanchik: I started Lafayette in Kindergarten [and
attended] through 6th grade (1969-1977).
BF: What schools did you attend after Lafayette?
CS: I attended Alice Deal and was graduated from Woodrow
Wilson High School in June 1983.
BF: What principals were there when you attended Lafayette?
CS: The principals were Ms. Barns, Ms. Lymon, Mr. Web, and
Mr. Hirsh.
Elvis Presley in the 1970s when
Charles was at Lafayette.
BF: What teachers did you have?
CS: Ms. Goins (6th grade), Ms. Savage (5th grade), Ms. Winston, (4th grade), Ms. Atwood (3rd grade), Ms.
Pippon (1st and 2nd grades), and Ms. Adrian (Kindergarten). I always got along with the teachers and
helped them out by dumping the trash and cleaning the chalkboard.
BF: What was your favorite subject and grade while at Lafayette?
CS: My favorite subject was Music. Sixth grade was my best because it was my last year and I had better
friends. Ms. Goins made the year special because she was a nice teacher.
BF: Are there any teachers you know who still work at Lafayette?
CS: No, but I know Mr. Young because he was the custodian at Wilson when I was there. We became
friends. When he moved to Lafayette, I’d visit him. Through him, I met Mr. Johnson and Ms. Phillips.
BF: What memories do you have from Lafayette?
CS: I remember that I started liking Elvis Presley while there and that I attended my first Elvis concert.
Spring Fairs were fun– horses were on the baseball field. The school structure was different then. When
you walked into the building from the front, you were in the auditorium. There were regular classrooms with
walls when I was there. The change to open space came in 1979-1980, after I graduated.
BF: What jobs did you have after school?
CS: I worked at Broad Branch Market from 1988-1993. I worked 55 hours per week (including overtime)
from 8 am – 6:30 pm. The Market was open ½ days on Wednesdays and closed on Sundays. Broad
Branch Market was just a basic grocery store and they delivered food – not like what it is now. At the time,
the Shins, who sold it the Blooms, owned the market. It was fun working there.
BF: What are your hobbies?
CS: I love Elvis and collect his memorabilia and watch wrestling on TV. For the last 9 years, I’ve given out
Halloween candy in front of the Connecticut Ave. CVS in my Elvis’ outfit. It is fun greeting the kids and their
parents. The kids seem to enjoy it. Also, I work as a Neighborhood Watch on Connecticut Ave. N.W. and
assist the police to ensure our streets are safe.
BF: Thank you for your time. This is a lot of good information for Lafayette kids to learn.
17
Where Are Fifth Graders Going to School Next Year?
by Yonatan Dawit, 5JJ
If you were wondering where fifth graders
are going for school next year, then this is your
article. The information was gathered by the
parents doing the display of 5th grade Stars in the
Great Hall.
Basically, everyone in the fifth grade is going
to Deal except eight students, and three of them
are moving away. Daniela Gram is moving back to
Denmark; Sam Czwartacki is moving to Minnesota,
and Zachary Walker-Liang is moving to Chevy
Chase, Maryland. Five students will attend private
school in DC. Luke Schauer and William O’Brien
will go to St. Albans; Elena Michael will go to Sidwell Friends; Ethan Gadson will attend Washington
Latin, and Oliver Lewis will go to St. Anselm’s Abbey School. We will miss the Class of 2013 and wish
them luck in their years in Middle School.
International Club Explores Other Worlds
by Katherine Bouker, 5G
International Club is held in Ms. Pereira’s room every month. Ms.
Pereira and Ms. Irene host it. Each session we talk about a different country.
We get to explore and eat food from that country. We usually have a special
guest who comes in to talk about that country. That person has either lived
in or been to that country. Countries covered this year include Mexico with
Ms. Pereira; Thailand with Ms. P’s exchange student; Argentina with Ms.
Irene’s husband; Saudi Arabia with Ms. Quinn, and Brazil with Ms. Jean’s
entire class! [Their class was paired with the Embassy of Brazil in the
Embassy Adoption program]. See that story on p. 13
We haven’t had monthly International Club meetings this year because we had to take a four
month break while Ms. Pereira was gone on maternity leave. I interviewed Ms. Pereira so we could get
the scoop on International Club. Here’s what she had to say:
Bear Facts: What gave you the idea to start
BF: How do you think that International Club
International Club?
affects our learning?
Ms. Pereira: I’ve been doing it since 2007. The
Ms. P: The students can make connections to the
teacher before me did International Club. I
things they learn.
continued it because I am interested in traveling,
learning about other cultures, and sharing the
BF:Has International Club changed over time?
information I learned.
Ms. P: Last year we had club officers who would
be in charge of lots of the things that students
BF: Why is International Club only for third, fourth,
learn. A couple of years before that I got culture
and fifth graders?
boxes filled with artifacts and other objects from
Ms. P: It is only for the upper grades because they
that country.
are old enough to be interested in and understand
about other cultures.
BF: How many of the countries that we’ve studied
have you been to?
BF: What gave you the idea to do all of these cool
Ms. P: A LOT!
countries?
Ms. P: Ms. Irene and I talk about which countries
BF: Will you continue International Club next year?
we want to do. Students, parent volunteers, and
Ms. P: YES!
teachers also give us ideas.
18
Alvin,Paws and Friends
by Lauren Chineme
The Bear Facts
Vol.10, No.6
June 14, 2013
published by the students of:
Lafayette Elementary School
5701 Broad Branch Rd. NW
Washington, DC 20015
202-282-0116
Editors
Abby Brickman, Yonatan Dawit,
Catherine Hammes, Rosalia
Inglima, Torin O’Brien
Contributors
Katherine Bouker, Maddie
Breeden, Virginia Burke, Gigi
Cestari, Lauren Chineme, Hannah
Darnell, Maddie Eggen, Harrison
Engel, Jordan Engel, Sasha
Garcia. Claire Gearan, Abby
Gorman, Anna Gustafson, Ally
Han, Aidan Kohn-Murphy, Alia
Lee, Mia Pino, Arianna Ridgeway,
Hanna Gage Scribner, Sahara
Trask, Tess Usher, Noah
Weitzner
Kathy Echave, Advisor
Nathan Weiand, Assisting
Lynn Main, Principal
Leaving Lafayette...
by Alaia Lee, 5JL
For the last edition of Bear Facts, I interviewed two 5th grade girls, Mizan Irby and Der’Yonna Carr, to see
what they will miss about Lafayette and what they’re excited about for Middle School.
Bear Facts: What will you miss about Lafayette?
Mizan Irby: Field day, but mostly, tug of war.
BF: What club are you going to join next year?
DC: Drama and Glee clubs.
BF: What language do you plan to take?
MI: French
BF: What subjects are you looking forward to?
DC: All of them!
BF: What are you looking forward to doing at
Deal next year?
MI: I don’t know!
19
I hope all of the fifth graders have a happy
graduation and a great start at Middle School!
Congratulations to the Graduating Class of 2013!
Michael
Abbruzzetti
Elilta Abera
Anaily Acosta
Robert Agnvall
Gabrielle Aladjem
Samuel Angevine
Charles Bennett
Alice Billings
Daniel Bloom
Dylan Blumenthal
Katherine Bouker
Kaylin Brandon
Madeline Breeden
Abigail Brickman
Airelle Brown
Shane Butler
Ashley Byrnes
Nicholas Bzdek
George Caldwell
Maya Canady
DerY’onna Carr
Lauren Chineme
Nicholas ClishamParsons
Tara Cousins
Samuel Czwartacki
Eliza Dahlkemper
Miranda Dailard
Yonatan Dawit
Zoe Dolge
Talya Drazen
Max Dunne
Avery Dunn
Maren Dunn
Caroline Durr
Ilina Edwards
Paige Evans
Daniel Freymann
Ethan Gadson
Charles Ganote
Alexandra Garcia
Claire Gearan
Madeline Gold
Noah Gold
Saige Gootman
Abigail Gorman
Daniela Gram
Sheyla Gyles
Catherine Hammes
Elijah Hayes-Miller
Joseph Himmelfarb
Talyx Hochstein
Rosali a Inglima
Mizan Irby
Jeremy Jensen
Zachary Kaplan
Luke Kennelly
Brendan Klein
Alaia Lee
Oliver Lewis
Conor McIlreavy
Emma McReady
Elena Michael
Iris Moseley
Isiah Nance
Charles Nichols
Cecilia Nogueira
Kevin Oakley
Torin O’Brien
William O’Brien
Ella PearlmanChang
Ian ProvanceYoung
Rhajzon Rankins
Elise Reeder
James Rogan
Joseph Ruppert
Callie Saltz
Luke Schauer
Thomas Scheller
Hanna Gage
Scribner
Caterina Sella
Michael Senko
Gabriel Solomon
Cordelia Stanton
Caleb Teems
Trevor ThiesfeldJones
Samuel Toggas
Sahara Trask
Iona Volynets
Zachary WalkerLiang
Rachel Wallach
Alexandra
Waterman
Elizabeth Willsey
Alexander Wise
Emma Younger
Zoe Zitner