Food Booed
Halloween Fun
5
Paul Revere Charter Middle School
September/October 2011
7
Volume 56, Issue 1
World Peace Comes to Paul Revere
By MICHAEL ABBER
Nine very lucky Revere students played
the game of a lifetime when professional
basketball player Metta World Peace (previously known as Ron Artest) visited Paul
Revere on Sept. 30th. These students earned
this extraordinary opportunity by contributing to the Paul Revere Silent Auction last
year. World Peace’s kids, Sadie and Ron III,
recently attended Paul Revere and this event
proved to be a big ticket item at the auction.
Students first got a lesson from World
Peace and then got to go full court with the
world famous L.A. Lakers basketball player.
Everyone enjoyed a fun yet intense game
in Revere’s gymnasium. Metta World Peace
gave them brief tips here and there to
improve their skills. “He helped me greatly
with my head fakes,” reported 8th grader
Micah Sallus.
“It was a great experience getting to play
my favorite sport with someone who has
played so long in the NBA,” said 7th grader
Jackson Chmara.
After the game, there was a quick autograph signing session and then kids lined up
to take a picture with the famous player.
In an exclusive interview with The Town
Crier, World Peace discussed his support for
mental health research and how he even sold
his championship ring to donate the money
to the cause. Mr. World Peace is also associated with PETA (People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals). Metta World Peace
confessed that he was once an irresponsible
pet owner and now thanks PETA for teaching him how to be a proper pet owner.
But what’s up with the basketball player’s name change? “I think what made me
come up with it is I have children, okay, I
have kids your age, and I want them to real-
Zack Lynch and
Jackson Chmara are
all smiles with the
NBA star.
Metta World
Peace meets
Jack Ginsberg.
ly understand what that means,” explained
the pro. Now that the name change is official, “World Peace” will be gracing the back
of his jersey during the next basketball season. World Peace recently had a brief dancing career when he went on ABC‘s
“Dancing with the Stars.” Unfortunately, he
was the first to be eliminated.
Obviously, the NBA lockout is on the
player’s mind. He hopes that the NBA can
work things out and does not plan on moving. He says to all Laker fans, “They just
gotta sit tight, have some patience, and
hopefully we can get back on the court.”
2
September/October 2011
THE TOWN CRIER
Editor-in-Chief:
Jacqui Vogel
Managing Editor:
Jack Ginsberg
Reporters and
Photographers:
Michael Abber
Caroline Bamberger
Margaret Boelter
Cole Bruckner
Sierra Climaco
Dane Elkins
Clara Epstein
Sam Goldman
Sam Harrison
Isabel Kelly
Sophie Krasny
Shannon Lee
Lilly McClure
Taylor McCowan
Julia Monkarsh
Cleo Schoeplein
Shruti Sharma
Claire Suisman
Justin Wolman
Graphics:
Sydney Brecher
Gabriel Galef
Russell Gallie
Harrison Gelber
Hank Korsan
Jacob Rozio
Emma Ulfvengren
Shayna Valianos
Sophia Villasenor
Faculty Advisor:
Mr. Wechsler
Are Public Schools the Best
Choice for Your Education?
Did you know that Harvard Westlake is
giving all of their students free Macbook Airs to
keep at home all year long? How about the school’s
gourmet cafeteria food? The endless possibilities at
private schools are jaw-dropping, but what will really stagger you is the price of it all. Schools like
Harvard Westlake can cost up to $30,000 per year,
not including books and supplies. Think of yourself
as a parent, would you rather pay extensive amounts
of money on your child's education, which could be
taught just as thoroughly at public school, or would
you like to use that money on something more
important, like a new car, or a better house for your
family? Don't get me wrong, if a wealthy family has
the option, why not? But if a family is tight on cash,
“In private schools, there usually
isn’t much diversity, but public
schools have all sorts of different
racial and religious backgrounds.”
—Justin Wolman, 7th Grade
“I think private school is better
than public because there are no
budget cuts at private schools. No
budget cuts means more activities
and opportunities for the students
and the teachers get paid well too.
Private schools have smaller class
sizes so the students can focus
and learn better.”
—Lilly McClure, 7th Grade
“In my opinion, public school and
private schools are equal because
they both allow students to learn
at whatever pace they want and
give them the tools they need to
succeed. Unless you really want
to pay $30,000 a year to get to use
iPads every day at school, then I
don’t think it matters whether you
go to private or public school.”
—Jacqui Vogel, 8th Grade
“I think private schools are much
better because they can pay for
better stuff. The problem is that
they can only pay for it because
you’re giving them a TON of
money.”
—Michael Zakariaie, 6th Grade
“I think that private schools offer
the best overall educational
experience because you pay them.
When you pay them, they don’t
want you to stop paying them, so
why stress it? Most educations at private, and public
schools are the same.
Another reason parents believe private
school is better, is the safety difference of the two.
But what is really the difference in safety between
them? Private school kids have the luxury of more
protection at school, while public school children
usually learn to fend for themselves better than a private school pupil would. Look at Steve Jobs for
example, one of the richest humans on Earth. Where
did this successful man attend his middle and high
school? Cupertino Junior High School. A public
school in Sunnyvale, California. Some of the Revere
patriots have debated on which school type is better.
Look below to see what they said. —Isabel Kelly
they help your child more. In public schools they don’t care if your
child goes to another school. Private
schools do, because they don’t
want you to stop paying them.”
—Nicole Figueroa, 7th Grade
“Today, public schools are the
choice for most kids. They teach
and offer free education, whereas
private schools are expensive each
year. Both schools do allow kids
to be with friends and learn in a
safe environment, but if you ask
me, private schools aren’t worth
the cost.”
—Shannon Lee, 7th Grade
“Private school definitely offers a
better education, that is if you can
afford it. If you are rich enough to
send your kids to a 35 grand
“I think that there is an upside and
school, then do it. If you aren’t,
a downside to both private and
then so be it.”
—Jack Bookey, 6th Grade public schools. In private schools,
the education and environment is
better and the system is not vul“In my opinion, private schools
aren’t worth it. They can cost tens nerable to budget cuts, but there is
an expensive tuition that you have
of thousands of dollars per year,
to pay if you want to attend.
while public schools cost close to
Public school is free, but the sysnothing. Private school teachers
tem is vulnerable to budget cuts.”
may be nicer and give less home—Cole Bruckner, 8th Grade
work, but public schools can be
just as good.”
—Sam Goldman, 7th Grade “I think private schools are better
because they’re more strict than
other schools, but either way if
“In my opinion, public is better
kids want to learn, they learn. If
because you don’t pay, you have
they don’t, they don’t.”
fun activities, you can have boys
—Cynthia Gomez, 8th Grade
and girls at the school, and you
don’t have to wear uniforms. But
teachers are good at both schools!” “I know people at private schools
— Kiana Ferguson, 8th Grade that switched to public, and they
are years behind. Therefore, public
schools teach students more sub“Kids who attend private school
don’t do any better in college than jects than private.”
—Spencer Kleyweg, 7th Grade
kids who attend public school. You
should just save the money for
more important things like a car or “With public schools, you not only
a degree instead of spending thou- get education in academics, but
sands of dollars on a middle school you get education in culture, and
how different people think.”
education.”
—Viana Kalili, 8th Grade
—Margaret Boelter, 7th Grade
Paul Revere Charter Middle School
TALKING HEADS
Photos, interviews, and layout by Taylor McCowan
Are You Too Old
to Trick-or-Treat?
“No, because I get a lot of candy, and it’s fun
because I’ve done it my whole life.”
—Aaron Greer, 8th Grade
“No! No one is ever too old to go
trick-or-treating,because you get
free candy!”
—JJ Wittbrodt, 7th Grade
“No, because it’s still fun and
everyone likes candy. I’ll trick-ortreat for about 3 more years.”
—Sophia Gabrinetti, 8th Grade
“I don’t think I’m too old. The fun
of it is going with your friends,
and you also get to dress up.”
—Casey Longstreet, 7th Grade
“No! I’ve always been trick-ortreating with my friends and
getting candy—that’s the best!”
—Hayden Toland, 6th Grade
“I don’t think I’m too old. I’ll
trick-or-treat until I’m a mom!”
—Sage Wiley, 8th Grade
“No because it’s up to your
parents if you’re old enough!”
—Lexi Steinberg, 6th Grade
“No, you are never too old to
trick-or-treat. I like all the candy!”
—Russell Gallie, 7th Grade
“I look way too old to go
trick-or-treating!”
—Jason Wittbrodt, 8th Grade
“No! Its fun dressing up and seeing all the different
costumes, and I love getting all the candy!”
—Sean Martain, 6th Grade
POLL
Lately, there’s been a lot of talk that kids in middle school are
too old for dressing up and going trick-or-treating. Some agree,
but many say Halloween is an infinite source of candy and fun.
We asked 100 Revere Patriots what their plans for Halloween
are, and we let them choose one or more options.
What are your plans
for Halloween?
I will go trick-or-treating 69%
I will go to a party 60%
I’m too old for Halloween! 8%
I’m hiring a zombie 25%
to eat my parents
Poll conducted by Sophie Krasny
September/October 2011
THE TOWN CRIER
Paul Revere Charter Middle School 3
It’s Not Easy Being
Green. Or Is It?
Have you seen Patriots around
campus in the mornings putting
out recycling bins or filming
videos? That’s because they are
from Ms. Chen’s newly-established Eco-Go-Green homeroom!
Ms. Chen has been organizing
events for the Go Green Club
for about two years, but this is
the first time that she has a Go
Green homeroom, and she
already has 25 dedicated members! What's even better is that
all of them are bubbling over
with ideas on how to make the
school more environmentally
friendly, such as go-green
grams, bake sales to raise
money for the recycling program, and collecting used Tshirts to make reusable bags,
and organizing a go-green scavenger hunt. When asked why
she started the Go Green Club,
Ms. Chen said, “I am very concerned about the environment
and want to educate people on
how we have to clean up after
ourselves, because a dirty environment has a very negative
impact on our health.” If you,
too, are very concerned about
our environment, but have
already made a commitment to
another homeroom, you can still
sign up for the Go-Green Club
during lunchtime. Remember, a
small, but dedicated group, can
make a huge difference.
—Shruti Sharma
Students Line Up
for Club Day
Layout by Lilly McClure
Revere’s test scores show steady
increases over the past seven years.
Scores Still Soaring
The recycling bin makes the perfect meeting spot for this year’s Go Green Club group photograph.
New Student Council Takes Charge
Ms. Walker, sponsor of Student Council, has revealed
plans for 2011-12 that include some new activities, including
a Guitar Hero tournament, and the return of some old
favorites, including Spirit Week. The five days of fun begin
on Nov. 14th with Sports Day, followed by Twin Day, Black
and White Day, Decade Day, and Neon Day on Friday.
Ms. Walker stated that the Patriots who are involved in
Student Council benefit in many ways, such as learning leadership skills and working and planning with others. For
example, she said they are looking at ways for making school
lunches more fun. They have already been seen around campus leading parent tours, picking up recycling, and passing
out Back-to-School Grams.—Sam Goldman
Clubs are back at Revere!
(From left): Kian Farin (V.P.), Ross Aronson
On Oct. 12th, faculty sponsors
(Secretary), Amy Bailey (President),
gave students a taste of the difJoshua Garcia (Historian) and Anthony
ferent lunch clubs they are
Militchin (Treasurer)..
forming this year. Many students have found these clubs to
be a great way to make friends
and learn new skills.
There are a wide variety of
choices for 2011–2012, including some old favorites and a
number of new groups.
Sponsors hope that they are
offering something for every
interest: Chess Club, Lunch
The 2011-12 Student Council officers pose for a group photo.
Bunch, Cheer Club (Drill and
Dance Team), Movie Club,
Circle of Friends, Go Green
Club, Ping Pong Club, and
Tennis Club. In addition, there
are more academically-focused
clubs such as Lunchtime
Council, Engineering/Sci-Fi
Club, Mini ACA-DECA, and
Hebrew Club. In addition, the
“Roads to Your Future” program
has returned to the Wednesday
lunch calendar and had its first
meeting on Wed., Oct. 19th with
a talk by Dr. Alan Weiss, a
physicist who specializes in
aerospace. So this year’s group
of clubs promises to be out of
this world. —Shannon Lee
A line forms in the Quad to sign up for the engineering club.
For the past five years, Paul
Revere teachers and students have
worked hard to increase the
school’s Academic Performance
Index (API) scores to our current
total of 875. The school is very
proud of this score, since it far
exceeds the state goal of 800.
“Students realize the importance of the CST and do their very
best on the test,” said Ms. Somoza.
“Students took their job learning
very seriously. Teachers moved
ahead in using different strategies
that ultimately reached many students and promoted learning.” One
of Ms. Somoza’s goals is that we
follow the continuous growth at
Paul Revere. Students, teachers,
administrators and staff strive to
move forward in academic achievement each year. —Dane Elkins
Revere Remembers
9/11 With Sadness
Traffic creeps down Allenford to 26th.
Traffic Backs Up All
the Way to Revere
Traffic. It’s a pretty negative word and
no one likes it, especially the students,
parents, and teachers of Revere. The
traffic is heavy heading up on west
Sunset Blvd. and heading south on
Allenford Ave. S 26th Street. Ms.
Kobashi noticed a big change this
year.“ I have noticed an increase in
the afternoon traffic along the west
drive way. In the mornings, I remind
students that their parents need to
drop them along the curbside. At
nutrition, I monitor the east driveway
and instruct students to keep the area
clear. In the afternoons, I signal cars
to stop so that students can get to their
buses and the buses can exit safely.
Lastly, I remind parents that are going
to fast (over the 8 M.P.H speed limit)
in the west driveway.” Ms. Kobashi
said that in order to stop this traffic,
“Try to make carpools with friends or
people who live near you that go to
Paul Revere. Try to do anything to
solve this traffic issue.”
—Lilly McClure
Exactly 10 years and one day
after the massive terrorist attack of
Sept. 11, 2001, silence echoed
through the halls of Revere. Barely
a sound escaped from any room.
Students and staff were sharing a
moment of silence for 9/11, one of
the biggest tragedies in the history
of our nation.
Ms. Somoza reminded us of
that terrible day in her Monday
P.A. announcement. “We watched
in amazement, anger and fear at
the events that unfolded that morning in 2001,” she said. “The
images still feel fresh in many of
our minds.”
Mr. Carnine also remembers
that day well. “I was getting ready
for school when I received a call
from my brother on the east coast.
My first thought was disbelief…
NOT the magnificent towers that I
had been in several times in the
past few decades!” In response to
the tragedy, Mr. Carnine's classes
raised $3,650 for the New York
City Widow/Widower’s Fire
Department Fund. “I was privileged
to personally deliver the check to
the N.Y.C. fire station, when I went
back East for the holidays that
year.” He compares this tragedy,
which claimed the lives of thousands of people in New York,
Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania,
to the assassination of President
Kennedy, “but nothing can compare
to the losses and sadness on that
September day.” —Claire Suisman
4 September/October 2011
THE TOWN CRIER
Paul Revere Charter Middle School
Honda in the Tundra
Rider riding
the wave!
Mr Lafolette
tries a different type of
riding off the
coast of CA.
Surf’s Up!
Mr. Lafolette has been in the water since he was 3. He
grew up in Maui, and began surfing at the age of seven,
when his dad taught him how. He now owns seventeen
boards: long boards and short boards. He used to work at
a camp, Surf Mania, which he enjoyed, but stopped doing
three years ago. Mr. Lafolette believes that surfing takes
some natural talent, but “anyone could do it. It just takes
some practice”. He enjoys surfing at Honolulu Bay,
Malibu, and El Porto. He surfs mainly by himself, during
the summer, weekends, and sometimes during the school
year. —Claire Suisman
The Slavins are
coming! The
Slavins are
coming! Mr.
Slavin and his
son Jack take a
non-midnight
ride through the
streets of Venice.
Going the Distance
Mr. Slavin loves to spend time running. He runs two or
three times a week usually on the weekend. Sometimes he
brings his kids who ride bikes instead of jogging. His normal running time is in the daytime through the alleyways
of Venice, although he sometimes runs during the night.
When Mr. Slavin travels he doesn’t forget his routine, he
films the areas he runs in with his iPhone so he doesn’t
forget his experience away from home. He especially
likes to run in places where he can see the ocean view. If
you think the mile is hard think again. Mr. Slavin has run
the L.A. Marathon three times and the San Diego Rock n’
Roll marathon once. “But that was a long, long time ago,”
he says with a smile. This guy prefers to run alone so he
can process his thoughts. “It’s sort of meditative for me,”
he says about his off-campus hobby. Mr. Slavin is a hard
working father, runner, and
teacher, even if he doesn’t
run any more marathons.
—Margaret Boelter
Mr. Honda isn’t just a science fanatic at school,he actually
is passionate about the subject at home too. He and his kids
count millipede legs under magnifying glasses. He composts
anything that is made from the earth. And he watches over
his many pets: his cat,praying mantis,four millipedes,
numerous frogs, 62 goldfish, seven turtles, and four tortoises.
Some of the only unwelcome animals on his property are
the rats that come after dark, which he catches with the
help of night vision goggles. For twelve days last summer,
he ventured alongside other teachers from across the country into the “Polar Bear capital of the World:” the Tundra in
Churchill, Manitoba near Hudson
Bay. It was his second time being
Mr. Honda
offered a fellowship by a nonkeeps warm
profit organization, Earthwatch
in Canada.
Institute. Mr. Honda collected
data showing that trees were
surviving in the Tundra.
“Some days were freezing; some at seventy
degrees. But I prefer
freezing because mosquitoes came and it
was thick like you
couldn’t even see
three feet in front of
you.” In the summer, there were icebergs, but the land
was lush, filled with
many microorganisms, especially
lichen. After twelve
days, and taking a
couple planes, Mr.
Honda is back from his
summer, which he has
taken a “lichen” to.
—Sierra Climaco
NEW
TEACHER
EDITION
2011–2012
By CAROLINE
BAMBERGER
Ms. Pan
Ms. Istrin
Ms. Faraone
Ms. Kruger
Ms. Robertson
6th Grade English/History
6th Grade Math/Science
7th Grade Math
7th Grade English
6th, 7th, 8th Agriculture
I have taught 6th grade math
and science at Vista Middle
School and 6th grade science
at Nueva Esperanza Charter
Academy.
I taught at Romer Middle
School and Reed Middle
School. I also taught
Elementary School for about
10 years in LA.
I have taught at Sylmar,
Canoga Park, Agoura,
Calabasas, Foothill
Technology, and Oak Park
High and San Fernando M.S.
Interacting with my students
and watching them learn is
my favorite part of teaching.
I love their energy!
I’ve taught at schools in San
Luis Obispo, Woodland CA,
and Canoga Park High
School’s Agriculture Magnet.
Have you taught at
any schools before
Paul Revere?
I taught 6th grade English
and history and dance at
Fulton College Preparatory
School in Van Nuys.
What is your favorite
part of teaching?
My favorite part of teaching is getting to know my
students as individuals and
helping them to be successful in their own ways.
Why do you teach the
subject(s) you teach?
What inspired you to
become a teacher?
Do you have any
interesting hobbies?
My favorite thing about
teaching is learning,getting
students excited about learning, and getting students to
ask big life questions.
I teach English and history
I love 6th grade Earth scibecause I was always a
ence because of the topics it
much better student in those involves and 6th grade math
subjects and I am very inter- because it is the foundation
ested in how the past influ- for all other levels of math.
ences us today.
I was inspired to become a I had an incredible teacher in
teacher because I want to
high school that taught me
make a positive difference
physical geography. I also
in the lives of the students I tutored football players at the
teach.
University of Arizona.
I have been dancing since I
I really love to hike, bike,
was three and I still love to
surf, play Frisbee, and run.
go swing and salsa dancing
in my free time.
As a teacher, I really enjoy
it when my students are
happy and learning.
I decided to teach math
because I noticed a lot of
students struggle in math
and thought I could help
them learn.
I teach English language
arts because I love the
music of language and the
art of communication.
I like helping students learn..
It increases their self-esteem,
and a good education gives
students more opportunities
in life.
I like to go hiking and running with my two dogs. I like
drawing and painting, too.
I was a theater major at
UCSB and UCLA and wanted to share my love of language and the arts with open
and enthusiastic people.
I have been a runner for the
past 38 years. I paint, am in
a book club, and take
improv acting classes.
Middle school is my
favorite level to work with!
I enjoy helping students
grow as people.
I think agriculture classes
allow students of all levels
and ages to learn about
something “real,” and to
be successful!
Having great teachers
inspired me to be a teacher!
Mr. Herrera was my middle
school agriculture teacher.
I love gardening at home,
traveling and camping. I also
love watching films from
India—“Bollywood” movies.
September/October 2011
THE TOWN CRIER
Paul Revere Charter Middle School 5
New Cafeteria Food Stirs Melting Pot
By SAM GOLDMAN
No more pizza. No more sweetened. No
more corn dogs, no mac and cheese, and
nothing out of a can. Instead, Caribbean
meatballs, Jamaican jerk turkey with red
beans and brown rice, and nacho chili chicken with yakisoba vegetable curry are in.
LAUSD has buckled down on the new
menus at schools all around the district, and
some Patriots at Revere are not satisfied
with it. The remade menu consists of more
locally grown produce instead of the artificial, unhealthy food. In a recent survey,
Patriots give their opinions, positive and
negative, on the new cafeteria food.
Keyairrah and Star wait their turn in line.
“It was way better last year. Their food is
very bland, with no flavor,” says Star
Johnson. “Yuck! That’s what I think about
the new cafeteria food. There’s grease and
fat in almost all of their meals and sides, like
the fries,” Symon Gatchalian tells us with
disgust. Luis Manrique recalls an experience
he had with the cafeteria food. “Yesterday
I tried the wings and my stomach hurt.
I wanted to throw up. Last year’s cafeteria
food was ten thousand times better that this
year. So many times the food is frozen,
and because there’s ice, the food loses its
flavor.”
Recently, five students from yearbook
and journalism conducted a taste test of the
new food, and they were not impressed.
Sierra Climaco remarked, “The food wasn’t
that great as far as taste or even appearance
go. The beef tacos didn’t have enough meat
and they didn’t even look like tacos.”
Dane Elkins was equally harsh. “The vegetable curry tasted like a combination of baby
food and throw up. The sweet potato fries
were like cardboard. But the pita was OK.”
However, others have good things to say
about the new food. “I think that the new
cafeteria food is very healthy and overall
better for us. If you changed the menu again
to less healthy food, kids would become
overweight,” Gavin Abraham tells us.
“I think the new cafeteria food is good. I
really like how the new system works. You
get a card and put in a number. I will enjoy
this new system,” explains Nicole Figueroa.
Some Patriots had suggestions on how
the school can make the menu better. “The
cafeteria food is fine, but hot dogs, corn
Food critics in E-5 sample the new cuisine at Cafe Revere. Dane Elkins, Christian Fong,
Caroline Bamberger, Sierra Climaco and Jack Ginsberg all gave their lunch a thumbs down.
dogs, and chicken nuggets should be served
more often. The trays should be recyclable-as well,” says Anthony Militchin. Nick
Jebsen tells us, “Most days the food is gross,
but the wings are incredible. The school
should have those everyday.” “To me, the
food needs a little more seasoning, but I like
the healthy choices like salads,” says
Kewairrah Watkins.
Despite the food menu offering healthier
food, many Patriots don’t seem to want the
school menu to change because we’ve gotten used to the mac n cheese, corn dogs,
pizza, and other unhealthy food that we had
always been served. In fact, a lot of us eat
cafeteria food for two of our three meals a
day! We had gotten so used to the old food
that changing the menu is like changing our
whole diet.
TASTE TEST
The Town Crier recently surveyed 25
regular cafeteria visitors to find out
their opinions about how much they
like the new cafeteria menu this year.
44%
56%
On most days, I like
the new meal.
On most days, I do not
like the new meal.
By
ISABEL
KELLY
By JACOB ROZIO
Patriots have some
crazy stories about
their summer injuries.
Citizenship! Academics! Character!
1) Allegra Callas twisted her wrist playing tennis. 2) Tiana Torkan fell down some stairs
at a friend’s house and sprained her wrist. 3) Don’t believe Hank Korsan’s story about
rescuing a baby from a burning building! The real story is that he fractured his leg trying
to do a front side big spin on his skateboard. 4) Darryl McDowell was pushed into a wall
and snapped his wrist. 5) Will Bucksbaum fell and sprained his wrist while playing football at a friend’s house. 6) Rose Walker sprained her wrist playing a game called “Mercy.”
6
September/October 2011
THE TOWN CRIER
Evan plays hide-and-go
seek in a cave at Zion
Canyon
Caroline flutters her
way into Butterfly
Town, California.
Emma enjoys the sunshine
on her bike ride in Sweden.
Paul Revere Charter Middle School
Jacqui and her
brother explore
the architecture
of Mexico.
Sasha
visits the
Washington
Monument.
Brynn can almost hear
the ringing of the Liberty
Bell in Philadelphia.
Cleo zips her way
through summer in the
forest of Costa Rica
Even though the
summer may seem like a
distant memory, we still have these
pictures to remind us of how fun it was.
Trinity poses with
“Fun Ship Freddy” on
her cruise.
Mitchell paddles in the
crystal clear waters of the
Dominican Republic.
John smiles along with
other tourists in front of
the Summer Palace in
China.
Amy rides along
the waters of
Catalina Island.
Isaac stands
calm and cool
in front of Big
Ben in London.
Alicia and her friends
splash around in Sweden.
Shannon
rests on a
fallen log
on her
trip to
Yosemite.
Lilly and her brother stand in
front of the Governor’s Office
in Sacramento.
September/October 2011
Paul Revere Charter Middle School 7
THE TOWN CRIER
This classroom
is bewitched!
Ms. Manes’ first
period pre-algebra
students show off
their pumpkin
origamis. These
7th graders folded
their way into some
Halloween fun.
These faces might look familiar, but chances
are you’ve never seen them
quite like this before.
8
September/October 2011
Paul Revere Charter Middle School
By CLEO SCHOEPLEIN
Apps have become part of our daily lives. iPhones, iPods, Droids, and Tablets would be
nothing without them. They are our clocks, calculators, weather channels, calendars,
clocks, entertainment, books, cameras, maps, social networks, and much more. Angry
Birds, Facebook, Hipstimatic, Fruit Ninja, Pandora, and especially Siri have changed the
way we live our lives. And just in time for Halloween there is now an app to track your
kids (or in our case parents) while you are trick-or-treating. Here are a few more new
apps that you must have. Just go to the iTunes app store on your smartphone, iPod touch,
or Tablet; press install; and there you go! Instant entertainment at your fingertips!
StyleStudio
Dizzypad
Finger Slayer
WaterMyPhoto
Juxtaposer
Free
Create, customize and share
your own designs. Make tops,
jackets, dresses, skirts, and
pants with an endless array of
materials and accessories.
Create outfits and send them to
your friends.There is also a full
version for the experienced
designers if you want more
materials and accessories.
Free
What would you get if you
combined Koi Pond with doodle jump? You would get a frog
jumping from lily pad to spinning lily pad. Unlock new frogs
with each achievement you
complete. This relaxing game
will keep you addicted for
hours.
Free
Off with your finger! Simply
place your finger on the guillotine and when you see“go”
remove your finger before it
gets chopped off! The longer
you leave your finger on the
guillotine, the higher your
scores gets. If you have good
reflexes and don’t mind a little
blood this one is for you.
Free
Finally! A way to walk on
water! Make any picture look
like it has a realistic water
reflection. Get your cat’s feet
wet, sink the statue of liberty, or
drown your best friend. And the
best part is it’s free in iTunes!
Just load up a picture and it will
do the rest for you.
$2.99
Photo editing has never been
easier. Take any element from
one picture and combine it
with another. Put your friends
head on a statue, remix your
pets into a mythical creature,
or give your mom a mustache.
It is well worth the $3 because
it’s easy and sure to make you
laugh.
If you could make any app, what would it be?
By SIERRA CLIMACO
There’s practically an app for everything nowadays. Kids
around Revere have just as much creativity as those who make
our favorite apps. Here’s some of what those kids said:
“Where you would be able to type in the amount of money
you want and it will magically pop in your hand.”
—Taylor McCowan, 8th Grade
“An app where you can get wi-fi anywhere”
—Casey Longstreet, 7th Grade
“An app to make anyone you don’t like disappear.”
—Sam Harrison, 7th Grade
“An app that puts ideas into your head.”
—Will Higgins, 8th Grade
“A magazine app where you could create you own magazine.”
—Sarah Antabli, 7th Grade
“An app that will write essays for you”
—Ella Bedecarre, 8th Grade
“A school organizer app that would be a timer and also tell
you what your homework is.” —Sarah Maninger, 7th Grade
“An app that will automatically make you sick so you don’t
have to go to school.”
—Jacob Rozio, 7th Grade
“A homework app where you will ask a homework ques“I’d make a clothes app that lets you get any outfit you
want.”
—Sari Wilson, 8th Grade tion and it will answer it for you.”
—Etienne Vance, 7th Grade
“I’d create a Mario Party game for iTouch because I’m
“A 3D app where whatever your camera takes a picture
—Isabel Kelly, 8th Grade
of will turn 3D.”
—Eva Perez, 7th Grade crazy for Mario.”
“An app to find anything you’re looking for.”
“I would make a school app that would make you go to
—Spencer Stevens, 8th Grade
school only for half an hour.”
—Zack Eastland, 6th Grade “I would make a scratch and sniff app.”
—Nima Rafie, 6th Grade
“An app where you can watch live TV.”
“A superstar app, where you get updates on where your
—Maya Jenson, 7th Grade
favorite superstars are.”
—Devyn Delgado, 7th Grade
“An app where if you take a photo of someone, it will tell
you information about them.”
“An app where you can take a picture of someone’s
—Emma Ulfvengren, 8th Grade
front, but you can get to see their back as well. It would
be called Faceback.”
—Spencer Kleyweg, 7th Grade “An app to drive go-karts.”
—Miles Toland, 6th Grade
“I would create an app that tells you how to make the
“A teleporting app where when you tell the phone where
perfect grilled cheese sandwich.”
—Nick Bell, 8th Grade you want to go and it takes you there.”
—Julia Monkarsh, 7th Grade
“An app where you can get apps for free that you would “An app to cartoon all reality.”
—Rahil Chaudhary, 8th Grade
usually have to pay for.” —Sanam Kamran, 7th Grade
September/October 2011
Paul Revere Charter Middle School 9
THE TOWN CRIER
Reviews
The Town Crier’s movie critics review four recent motion pictures.
Real Steel
Contagion
Moneyball
B
B
A
If you like robots, or boxing, or robots boxing, then you should get a ticket to Real
Steel. It takes place in the future where the
sport of boxing has gone high-tech. Twothousand-pound robots battle each other for
fame and money for their controllers. Some
might say it looks like being stuck in a horrible video game, but to this reviewer, it was
like being stuck in a good video game. Real
Steel has astonishing robot animation and
breathtakingly choreographed fight sequences.
The bad part? Cheesy supporting actors, a
script reliant on many clichés, and a predictable plot. Although it seems cool to
think about, Real Steel doesn’t pack much of
a punch in the end. —Sam Harrison
An epidemic is killing millions of people,
and no one knows how to stop it. You can
catch it from something as simple as talking
to or touching a person carrying the disease.
As medical researchers and scientists race
to find a cure, fear of the disease is spreading
faster than the disease itself. As successful as
this movie is, there isn’t much suspense.
Also, the ending is very abrupt, which doesn’t make the movie as exciting as it
could’ve been. There are some disturbing
scenes, so if you aren’t a fan of that, I would
recommend not seeing this movie.
However, if you do like films about epidemics with a supernatural element in it,
this is the movie for you. —Sam Goldman
Okay, think of everything you know about
how baseball is run. Then forget it completely. Moneyball is the story of how Billy
Beane, general manager of the Oakland
Athletics, reinvented the game. After losing
his three best players to free agency in
2001, Beane hires an expert statistician,
who quickly assembles a winning team with
unorthodox players and methods. Brad Pitt
gives a great performance as Beane, with
Jonah Hill carrying it on—and delivering a
few laughs—as assistant manager and statistician Peter Brand. The film is packed
with wry, clever jokes that both kids and
adults will understand. Moneyball definitely scores a grand slam. —Justin Wolman
I Don’t Know How
She Does It
BSarah Jessica Parker stars as Kate Reddy, a
working mom who juggles her professional
life with family life. No matter how hard
she tries, her family and colleagues constantly and unfairly made her feel inadequate. The cast is superb considering this
was a comedy about a serious subject.
However, the plot was extremely repetitive.
They just used different situations to represent the same idea—that she had too much
on her plate—causing the movie to drag on.
Overall, this movie taught a great life lesson about deciding which things are most
important to us, but it was slightly cliché.
—Shruti Sharma
Five new albums are reviewed by the Town Crier’s music critics.
Torches
The Sea of Memories
I’m With You
Lungs
Vices & Virtues
Foster The People
Bush
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Florence and the Machine
Panic! At the Disco
Santa Monica’s local group,
Foster the People have brought a
refreshing change ever since
2011’s hot summer, taking over
charts and the radio. Their single,
“Pumped Up Kicks” itself is a
medley of a catchy tune and lyrics
that have a darker, underlying
meaning despite its upbeat medley
which can describe their debut
album, “Torches” as a whole.
They have a consistency with
pleasing listeners and they most
definitely have fun doing it which
is support enough to show that
you’ll be seeing a lot more of
them. —Sierra Climaco
After a decade of nothing, Bush
finally got back together and made
the album The Sea of Memories.
When the band re-formed, guitarist Nigel Pulsford and bassist
Dave Parsons opted out, due to
their families. Taking their place
was Chris Traynor and Corey
Britz. The album starts off with an
amazingly written song “The
Mirror of the Signs.”Gavin
Rossdale, Bush’s lead vocalist,
describes the album’s opening
song: “It’s about when you look
back on your life and eulogize or
get nostalgic about where you’ve
been.” —Sam Harrison
I’m With You is the Chili Peppers’
first album since 2006’s Stadium
Arcadium, and the first since longtime guitarist John Frusciante’s
departure from the group. Taking
his place was Josh Klinghoffer.
Frusciante’s departure lost the
band its great guitar line. The Chili
Peppers change up some of their
methods to make a bit more of a
“disco-y” sound, but their songs
are still very bass-driven. The
opener, “Monarchy of Roses,” has
a strange drum line, but a very
good chorus. Overall, despite the
band’s name, this is not a very
spicy return. —Sam Harrison
Florence and the Machine’s song
“Dog Days are Over” was on UK
Singles Chart three times. It started out on #89, then dropped to
#90. The next time it appeared the
UK Singles Chart was #93. For its
third and final appearance, the
song was at #91. The band’s new
album, Lungs, was a big hit with
Paul Revere students and you can
see some wearing the album cover
on a shirt. Lungs includes the
songs “Cosmic Love,” “Dog Days
are Over,” as well as many other
hits. Their alternative style makes
them a great band.
—Margaret Boelter
American pop/alternative rock
band Panic! At the Disco, after a
change of lineup with lead guitarist Ryan Ross and bassist Jon
Walker leaving the band, then
being replaced by Dallon Weekes
and Ian Crawford, re-entered the
music industry with their third
album Vices & Virtues released
early this year which claimed
many positive critics. Each track
has a surprising sound to it which
contrasts from each other. Vices &
Virtues is a well-balanced, greatto-listen-to album that is guaranteed to be worth your while.
—Sierra Climaco
10 September/October 2011
Paul Revere Charter Middle School
Entertainment
in Our Future
By COLE BRUCKNER
This winter’s entertainment programs
promise to bring another great variety of
arts and entertainment to Revere.
“Every year, kids rise up and put on the
best show they can,” says Mr. Roig about
his young performers in his play production
class. He says he is very happy with the
group this year, “both behind the scenes and
in front.” The winter show, premiering Dec.
9th, is going to be a musical called “Revere
Goes to the Movies.” The show features On the left, Mr. Roig gives instructions to his young actors in period 1. On the right, the bands are playing as Mr. Miyoshi conducts.
classic movie songs that his actors are
already rehearsing.
Meanwhile, the winter concert is expected to be a big hit. Ms. Dokko, who teaches
choir, calls this year “another year of great
music with talented kids!” She knows that
the effort students put in determines the success of the show. Her singers never hesitate
to put in their best.
Ms. Jacques, of orchestra, calls her kids
“enthusiastic student performers” who
“work hard and make musical progress.”
The orchestral part of the concert features a
version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”
Mr. Miyoshi’s bands will be playing
more holiday-themed music and at a higher
level. He says the bands are rehearsing well
so he knows that the concert will be great. A
separate concert featuring only the bands
will show on Dec. 14th.
On the left, Ms. Dokko talks to her singers about the music they are rehearsing. On the right, Ms. Jacques teaches a complex orchestral equation.
Are You Freepy or Just Smad?
By COLE BRUCKNER
Brand new words filled Mr. Wechsler’s
English classes at the start of October. Here
are a few of the words students invented
that you won’t find in any dictionary.
codaholic (adjective) A person who is
addicted to Call of Duty [Call of Duty +
aholic] —Kian Farin
freepy (adjective) funny and frightening at
the same time [funny + creepy] —Anna
Konoplev
Try to find the new words listed in bold in the left columns in this word search.
phobology (noun) the study of fears [phob
(fear) + log (study)] —Gabriella Reihanian
plicy (adjective) full of folds, wrinkles, or bends
[plic (fold; bend) + y (full of)] —Nicolas Shak
priufile (noun) someone who loves the Toyota
Prius and will only buy that make of automobile
[Prius +file (love)] —Alana Kern
shattack (verb) the act of shouting while in an
attacking action [shout + attack]—Michael
Zabrucky
hicerp (noun) a hiccup and a burp at the
same time [hiccup + burp] —Whitney Yost
smad (adjective) the quality of being mad and
sad at the same time [sad + mad] — Nahal
Ghadooshahy
hunsty (verb) the state of being hungry
and thirsty at the dame time [hungry +
thirsty] —Denisse Espana
swagnificent (adjective) with much swag; very
cool [(swag + magnificent)] —Danny Loveless
jaughty (verb) the act of doing something
naughty that was meant to be a joke [joke +
naughty] —Sean Barnett
jealused (adjective) expressing the combined emotions of jealousy and confusion
[jealous + confused] —Michelle Safransky
interfimus (noun) the spot on the windshield of a car in between the windshield
wipers that never gets cleaned [inter (in
between) + fimus (dirt)] —Sadie Gray
monofincedlaphobia (noun) the fear of
dying alone [mono (one) + fin (final) + ced
(leave) +phobia (fear)] —Greer King
netnatic (noun) a person who is unreasonably enthusiastic about the internet [net
(short for internet) + natic (short for fanatic)] —Marshall Shackelford
nonplaining (verb) to complain for no
good reason [complaining + nonsense]
—Caroline Sherman
SWAGNIFICENT WORD SEARCH
uncontrair (noun) hair that is very hard to control [uncontrollable+ hair] —Sarah Bonder
PAUL REVERE PETS
By Margaret Boelter & Lilly McClure
Paul Revere Charter Middle School 11
September/October 2011
Their Other
Subject Is
Sports
By JACK GINSBERG
It was an intense moment in Mr.
Slavin’s life, one of those moments that you
really have to sweat out. As the die-hard
Patriot fan remembers, “I held my breath
when Adam Vinatieri lined up for that last
second game winning field goal. I’d been a
suffering Pats fan all my life and was
pumped up to finally see them win it all!”
These are those moments when we don’t
know whether we should shut our eyes and
cover our face with a pillow or whether we
should sit there with our eyes glued to the
TV, hoping and praying with all our might
that our team can pull it off just this one
time. Mr. Slavin still remembers the thrill of
seeing that football soar straight through the
uprights a decade ago.
Mr. Hernandez remembers his first
sports-related moments like this: “I watched
the Yankees live during spring training in
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in 1962 and in 1963.
That is when I knew I would be a Yankee
fan for the rest of my life.”
We all have life- defining moments when
we think to ourselves, “That’s it. I’m going
to be a Dodger fan for the rest of my life.”
Deep down, there is always some emotion-
al tie to one team or other.
Mr. Slavin’s goes like this: “When I was
seven years old I moved to Florida. My dad
used to take me to the Orange Bowl every
single year to watch the Patriots get killed
by the Dolphins! In the four years that I lived
down there, I don’t think they won once.”
Now, many years later, I am 110% positive that every year when the Dolphins play
the Patriots, Mr. Slavin wants that revenge
on the Dolphins. And that’s what pure
sports is all about for the fans. Mr.
Hernandez goes to see all his sports teams
every year. “I drive all the way down to
Anaheim to see the Yankees play the
Angels, and sometimes I’ll even fly to
Oakland, Arizona, or Seattle to see them
play. I always will see the Celtics when
they’re in town, and will see the New York
Rangers if they come to play the Kings and
the Ducks.” Oh, and by the way, I still
haven’t mentioned Mr. Agcaoili yet. He is a
man who will literally bleed gold and blue
for the Bruins. His room is littered with
everything from UCLA posters to pom
poms. He has been a Bruins fan for years and
I’m sure will continue to be a huge supporter for the rest of his life.
Sports is a universal language. Almost
everybody has a tie to some sort of team.
And so, even if you don’t know the person,
you share a common denominator. Ask Mr.
Hernandez about the best basketball games
he’s ever seen and he’ll remind us of the
5th and 7th game of the 1984 NBA Finals.
On the first day of sixth grade, I didn’t
know Mr. Hernandez. But when I walked
into his classroom on the first day of school
in sixth grade, I automatically had something to talk to him about. We quickly got
into an intricate argument about why the
Dodgers are better than the Yankees (of
course they are) and it was fun. I was able to
create a bond with him that has lasted
throughout my entire span at Revere.
However, it did come close to breaking due
to the fact that the Celtics and the Yankees
both won championships.
Sports is also about loyalty. States Mr.
Slavin, “I love the Patriots, Red Sox,
Celtics, and the Bruins because I’m from
Boston.” I am a Dodger fan because I’m
from LA. Teams also run through generations, from grandfather to father to son. I am
a third generation New York Jets fan, and I
am proud to be one. My dad grew up going
to games in -5 degree and snowy weather,
since that is what it takes to be a dedicated
A Future
Hall of Famer?
Hank Korsan, pitcher and center-fielder of the Los Angeles
Baseball Academy (LABA), is a
real star when it comes to sports!
The 7th grader began playing
baseball when he was just 7, and
he loved the sport! Now, he plays
on a club team with two practices
a week. “I have one tournament
every weekend, which is about 4
to 6 games,” Hank says.
This is not unusual for a club
team, “but it takes commitment,”
says Hank. Being on a travel team,
the farthest he has ever traveled
for a game is Cooperstown, New
York. “Visiting the Hall of Fame
museum there was amazing.” But
how much longer would he like to
play the game? “I think I’ll play
a few more years, at least.”
Meanwhile, the trophies are stacking up on his bedroom shelf and
“there’s room for a lot more,” he
says. —Clara Epstein
fan. (Fortunately, we live in Southern
California, so we don’t have to worry about
that.) Being a sports fan is also all about
rivalry. USC vs. UCLA is a major rivalry
which divides our city two or three times
annually. Here at Revere, Mr. Aochi is a
USC fan, with the USC football schedule
hanging proudly in his room. And Mr.
Agcaoili is... well, I don’t even have to talk
about that. You already know what I mean.
And we also have two members of the
teaching community at this school who are
fans in perhaps the most famed rivalry in
the HISTORY of sports. The classic Red
Sox vs. Yankees rivalry. You can see by the
passion that oozes out of the fans every single game of this rivalry. I mean, really, can’t
you just see Mr. Hernandez sitting in front
of his TV in the middle of an intense at bat,
sitting there biting his nails? I know I sure
do when a game is close. And Mr. Slavin,
sitting on the couch with his wife and two
sons, all of them desperately pulling for
their team to capitalize on the last possible
opportunity of the season. You see, sports is
a beautiful thing. It can pull people together
and drag people apart. But overall, it shows
everyone—even teachers—that in sports,
and in life, there is always another game.
country to play the sport he’s so
proud to play. He has played on
the outdoor national team for two
years and is currently ranked number one in the country in his age
group, the 14 and under division.
Dane, a 7th grader at Revere,
recently took fourth place in the
18 and under division in a tournament that included junior, amateur
and professional racquetball players from all over the world.
—Cole Bruckner
A Smashing
Success
Eight years ago, a little fouryear-old boy decided he would
take up the sport of racquetball.
Now, the game has been changed
around the country thanks to
twelve-year-old Dane Elkins,
three-time junior world outdoor
racquetball champion and the winner of four national titles.
Dane has traveled all over
Coasting
to Victory
When it comes to soccer
Russell Gallie is the star. Playing
soccer comes second nature to
him. Russell has been playing in a
soccer league since the age of 6.
He plays center defender on his
team. He has played for the Coast
Soccer League Silver West for the
past three years.
Before that he made his mark
on the A team of the AYSO all-
stars. He has been playing in
numerous leagues for the past 7
years. His team came in 3rd place
in his league out of 10 teams. He
has won several events including the
Orange County Kickoff Classic,
Irvine Winter Classic and the
PCSC tournament. —Dane Elkins
12 September/October 2011
Paul Revere Charter Middle School
By SOPHIE KRASNY
and TAYLOR McCOWAN
These elegant pieces of fabric
are as fabulous as ever, be it
hot or cold, casual or formal.
Tons of Revere girls have
embraced the trend, and you’ll
see them wearing these flowy
garments everywhere.
Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall, bright
floral tops do it all!
This season, girls are
bringing back the daring,
growing fashion trend
patterned skirts.
The ever-popular Vans are an
eternal source of comfortable,
fashionable footwear that will
never go out of style. When
going to a party or to school,
just slip on a pair of Vans!
Out with the dull, in with
the bright. Some of the
many prints on this fresh,
new style for backpacks
are tribal, stripes, bold
colors, and floral.