Maxfield Times 2018

The Maxfield Times Maxfield Elementary School St. Paul, MN

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Kids to Leaders Stars on and off the court

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Welcome to Maxfield.

Meet the teams:

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Mrs. Gruber’s Class

Bethel University journalists needed a project they could design and edit. So, what happened? These 35 pages. Plus a partnership that could make a difference for students from both schools. – Editors

Ms. Pottle’s Class

“They don’t need saviors,” he said. “They need opportunities.”

Mrs. Earnest’s Class

ourth/fifth-grade teachers at Maxfield Elementary wanted students to work on speaking, writing and creativity.

Maxfield Principal Ryan Vernosh wanted something more for his students, too.

Want to get involved?

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Mrs. Xiong’s Class

If you want to support Maxfield Elementary School, contact Principal Ryan Vernosh by email at ryan.vernosh@spps.org, by phone at 651-293-8680 or by mail to 380 Victoria St N., Saint Paul, MN 55104.

To support future issues of Maxfield Times, contact Maxfield teacher Elizabeth Earnest by email at elizabeth.robinette@ spps.org or contact Bethel professor Yu-Li Chang Zacher by email at y-changzacher@bethel.edu.

Gay Na Ree and Samaya work with Molly to write a final copy of the Peter Ratzloff profile story.

Bethel student Sam Johnson helps Valaria and Sydney work on their profile story about Ms. Meyer in the library.

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Bethel University student Claire talks with Raymond about the survey in Mrs. Pottle’s classroom on November 8th.

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Bethel student Joe Hiti gathers students from Maxfield Elementary into their small groups for an activity Thursday afternoon.

Bethel student Sam Johnson helps Valaria and Sydney work on their profile story about Ms. Meyer in the library.

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From park ranger to assistant teacher Resident teacher Peter Ratzloff returns to Minnesota from New York to explore his passion for teaching

By Gay Na Ree and Samya | Reporters

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eter Ratzloff is the assistant to fifth grade teacher Elizabeth Earnest at Maxfield Elementary School. He was born in Waconia, Minnesota, with his parents and sister, Gracia.

Growing up, his favorite food was his mom’s cheese and potato soup, and he always enjoyed watching “The Simpsons.”

Although he had a great time in New York, Ratzloff loves living in St. Paul as well. He moved back to Minnesota four years ago after realizing his passion for teaching.

When he was younger, Ratzloff wanted to be a mathematician, a major league baseball player and a variety of other things.

Ratzloff likes to travel to lots of places, including Iceland, Britain, Canada and Mexico.

He has also lived in New York City, Los Angeles and Oregon. Even his favorite food, Caribbean food, is exotic. But, of all the places he traveled, New York left a special mark.

“I think that it’s really important when you’re young to keep an open mind and try a bunch of stuff,” Ratzloff said.

“New York is the best,” Ratzloff said. “I hope that everyone in this classroom gets the chance to go there.”

Ratzloff lived in New York for eight years.

During his time there, he worked as a ranger in Prospect Park and even encountered famous people. He loved to walk down the city streets with his friends and stop at pizza joints. To this day, he still stays in contact with the friends he made there.

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“I like to bounce around so that’s what I like about New York,” Ratzloff said. “There’s so much stuff. You could go there and do like a million things.”

Ratzloff worked at Levi Strauss & Company for seven years and wound up doing a lot of teaching through managerial positions. This led him to discover his love for teaching.

Now, Ratzloff takes the morning train to Maxfield Elementary, a place he looks forward to going. He would rather be with the students of Earnest’s class than with his fellow students studying at St. Thomas University, he said. He is taking classes at St. Thomas to become a teacher.

“I didn’t know what to expect at the beginning of this year, but I love this classroom,” Ratzloff said. [end.] Additional reporting and editing by Molly Korzenowski

Ratzloff answered questions from Earnest’s class during the interview.

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Kids to Leaders Maxfield Elementary Student Council starts planning school events for the year

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Donnara reports on why Ms. Earnest decided to start student council.

By Donnara and Hser | Reporters

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Committee officers Donnara and Jamaal write down the different expectations the council came up with.

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tudent council prepares the future leaders of Maxfield Elementary School to find their voice. With the help of teachers, students are able to make the best decisions for their school.

Elizabeth Earnest, a fifth-grade teacher, and Sara Moulton, a second-grade teacher rebooted the student council three years ago in hopes of getting students involved in leadership, and it has become an important part of Maxfield.

“We wanted you all to start planning events and making decisions around the school that help Maxfield,” Earnest said.

Maxfield student council is represented by 16 students from the second- through fifth-grade classes. There are four different committees: community, fundraising, events and change.

Each committee has four members, including a fifth-grade student as its lead officer. The students meet in Earnest’s classroom after school from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. every other Thursday.

To serve on the student council, students must have a clear voice and a passion to make changes at Maxfield. This means these students must set a good example for others and be able to identify and solve problems the school faces.

Earnest encourages Maxfield students to listen for announcements from their class representatives to learn more about what student council wants to accomplish throughout the year, especially for Spirit Week! [end.] Edited by Ally O’Neil

“You have to have good behavior and get your work done because student council is a privilege,” fundraising committee officer Donnara said. “It’s not just something that you get.”

The first meeting took place on Nov. 9.

Students came up with the expectations for the council, and each officer gave a description of his/her committee so that other members could decide what committee they want to join.

“My favorite part about student council is working with all of the students, hearing their ideas and just overall working with the kids in a smaller group through some really cool projects,” Earnest said.

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Student Questions Name: Mickaela

Name: Deziree What is your favorite food?

Pizza

If you could eat a meal with anyone past or present, who would it be?

My grandpa

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Veterinarian

What’s your favorite type of pet?

Dog

If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

The world will be a better place

Name: Tie’vell What do you want to be when you grow up?

A basketball player What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not in school?

Play video games and play basketball If you could eat a meal with anyone past or present, who would it be?

My whole generation

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Name: Ja’lynn What’s your favorite type of movie?

Comedy If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

Everyone would have everything they needed What do you want to be when you grow up?

Lawyer

What is dessert?

Candy

4.5% Europe

Where would you most like to go?

your

favorite

4.5% No Comment

27% South America

36% Africa 27% Asia

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What is your favorite sport?

9% tennis 22.7% soccer 18% football 50% basketball

Name: Gay Na Ree

Name: Chloe What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not in school?

Babysit What is dessert?

Ice cream

your

favorite

What is your favorite sport?

Tennis What’s your favorite subject?

Art If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

People to be more kind

54% dog

18% cat

13.6% rabbit

13.6% other

If you could eat a meal with anyone past or present, who would it be?

My friend Mickaela

What is your favorite animal?

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We Love Video Games Students and teacher reflect on pros and cons of playing today’s video games.

By Charity and Jamaal | Reporters

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Ms. Gruber shares her perspectives on what she thinks about video game.

here are video games in the world that are competitive, and then there are some that are helpful and some that are hurtful.

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Jenny Gruber, a fourth-grade teacher at Maxfield, likes video games that are helpful.

Her favorite games have been “Mario Kart” and “Mario Party.” She also likes games that help the mind grow - games with strategy.

We asked her about her thoughts on the positive and negative parts about video games.

Q: What kind of video games do you like? The ones that help you solve mysteries? Or the ones you just play?

A: I like games that are fun strategies, like the racing games or the mystery game. I used to play where you have to go around and figure out different clues and investigate in the room, ones that you have to use strategy and thinking.

Q: Why do you like video games?

A: I like video games because I think it’s a fun way to interact with your friends or be competitive in a friendly, fun way without having to be so serious about it.

Q: What is your position on video games?

A: My position on video games is that I think they can be helpful, but they can also be hurtful depending on how students or kids are

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playing them, how long they are playing them and which games they’re playing. So games like “Grand Theft Auto” or games with a lot of violence are really bad. I also think if kids are staying up all night playing them or choosing to play them before doing homework or going outside and enjoying fresh air, that can be bad. But also there are games that can teach critical thinking skills or strategies or they can be a fun way to interact with people and have fun in a fun competitive way.

Q: Are video games helpful for the brain, or are they not helpful for the brain?

A: I think there would be studies done that show if people play video games for too long, it’s probably not helpful for the brain. But again, I think it depends on the video games, and how long you’re sitting in front of a screen, staring at a monitor or TV or just zoning out getting lost in it.

Q: Should students play video games when they come home from school, or should school come first?

A: I think homework should be a priority because time passes so much when you’re playing video games. You play it for so long, and then all of a sudden, look at the clock and go ‘oh my gosh, I need to take a shower, go to bed.’ You don’t realize how long, so I think once you get your “must do” things out of the way, then you can have time to do your “may do,” your fun things.

Q: How can we use video games in the classroom?

A: A couple ways to use video games in the classroom would be ways that Ms. Greenwald, the science teacher, teaches coding with them or designs your own video game that has a learning objective behind it or something you’re trying to learn throughout the process.

I think when we do “Kahoot!,” it’s kind of like a game show or that helps you review different topics or practice different skills, things that are connected to a specific learning target or are skill or strategy.

Q: What would you want your students to know about video games?

A: I would want my students to know that there’s a time and a place for video games and that they should make wise choices about when they’re playing them and what

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games they’re playing. Now that there’s a lot of games that have internet access, you can talk to people that you don’t know and you need to make really smart and safe choices when playing video games.

Students also talked amongst themselves about their perspectives on video games.

Q: How can video games be used in your classroom?

A: We can use it to learn by actually using some educational video games. There is something on the PlayStation that you can read books on.

A: Well we have iPads and we were doing Five Star today, so then a website we could use would be cool math games and have trivia on it, as well as other fun games.

A: We could play math games to help us learn math.

A: We could use videos games as a reward.

A: I think how we could use video games in the class is through using VR [virtual reality]; we could use VR sticks.

Q: How do you think video games could be harmful to you guys?

A: If video games are inappropriate, there could be cuss words.

A: Video games could have fighting in them.

A: Someone could lure you in a game.

A: I use to play “Minecraft” on my cousin’s phone, and it would glitch a lot. I tried to shoot an arrow at the “enderman” and it glitched.

While the phone glitched, a bubble came out of its mouth and it said “you’re trash,” and that made me cry because I was only six years old.

A: There are guns, blood, and violence in them.

A: What is also bad is when people bully you.

I was four and I just got a [Nintendo] 3DS. I was playing “Kirby” online because apparently that was a thing then. So then, this kid kept grabbing me and throwing me off the edge, and I told him to stop, but he just kept doing it. So then, I just went to the next world, and he found me there and kept doing it. So then, I just got off for the night and the next morning I got back on, and I friended him and then I unfriended him because he kept throwing me off the edge. And then somehow he got my number and texted me saying that “you’re trash and nobody likes you.” I didn’t cry but I was just sad.

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Students ask each other questions about video games.

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A: “Fortnite” is not a good game because it has guns in it.

A: The reason some games might be dangerous is because there might be older people on them.

A: Video games are dangerous because of hackers.

because he is a single-celled amoeba.

A: My grandma told me to play “Tetris” one time, so it would calm me down.

A: They help you improve on your strategy which makes you smarter, and also video games can teach you new stuff like how the real world is, like if you do VR.

Q: How do you think video games are helpful?

What are the positive effects of video games?

A: My dad told me once that they could improve your ability and your skills.

A: “Lego Dimensions” lets you build strategy; it’s a strategy game.

A: It can improve your accuracy.

A: It can improve you when you’re angry.

A: I think video games could be helpful because like “Kirby” teaches you science

Gruber reminds her students to do homework before video games and not stay up late playing video games. [end.] Additional reporting

by Laura Osterlund and Claire Young. Edited by Laura Osterlund

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Finding a New Home In her first year at Maxfield Elementary, Mara Meyer has found a new place to call home.

By Sydney and Valeria | Reporters

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ara Meyer had a dream of being a police officer. She even went to college to become one. But, in 2018, she found herself working at Maxfield Elementary School instead.

Even with a previous major in criminal justice and psychology from UW-Eau Claire, she first taught at Linwood Monroe Arts Plus in St. Paul five years ago, working with kids in elementary school, middle school and in special education.

Her love of kids comes from spending time with her two sons, especially outdoors in the fall around bonfires.

“I like working with kids because I really feel like I can make a difference in their lives,” she said. “I would really like to be that person that you can look back on and say ‘Ms. Meyer really helped me with this or I trusted her and she cared for me and wanted the best for me.’”

Meyer said she was convinced to come work at Maxfield not just by the great things she has heard about the staff and students, but also by one current teacher in particular—Jenny Gruber, a fourth-grade teacher at Maxfield.

“I actually have known Ms. Gruber for a while before I started here,” she said. “So, she helped me decide to come here.”

Putting her dream of being a police officer behind, Meyer is embracing her new job at Maxfield, feeling right at home. [end.] Additional Reporting and editing by Sam Johnson

Armani looks at his notes with satisfaction and shows them to Javion.

A native of Prescott, Wisconsin, and a die-hard Green Bay Packers fan, Meyer chose to switch careers after finding a love for students and got a master’s degree in teaching K-6.

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Student Questions Name: Javion

Name: Valeria

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Librarian

What is your favorite food?

Sushi What’s your favorite type of movie?

Documentary

If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

Everyone being nice to each other so everyone can be nice

If you could eat a meal with anyone past or present, who would it be?

Charity

Who is your favorite famous person?

Musician black violin

Name: Sydney What superpower you choose?

Flying

Name: Rakeal would

Who is your favorite famous person?

Martin Luther King Jr. What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not in school?

Going up to Wisconsin

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6.3%

12.5%

Europe

Antarctica

What is your favorite sport?

Football Who is your favorite famous person?

Michael Jackson If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

People needed help with academics

43.8%

12.5%

Africa

South America

12.5% Asia

Where would you most like to go?

12.5%

Australia

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5%

Thor

5%

Batman

5%

Wolverine

5%

Superman

5%

Wonder Woman

5%

Aquaman

10%

Godspeed

15%

Spiderman

40%

Black Panther

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Who is your favorite superhero?

10% Name: Terri

Name: Samir

If you could eat a meal with anyone past or present, who would it be?

My mom

What is your favorite school subject?

Math

What’s your favorite type of movie?

Comedy

What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not in school?

Sleep

What superpower you choose?

Talking to animals

What do you want to be when you grow up?

A Rocket Scientist

would

Jello

15% Cake

Candy

45%

Ice cream

5%

25%

Brownies

What is your favorite dessert?

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Girls on the Run, Leaders in the Making Third- through fifth-grade girls running the path to success on and off the track

By Farries and Kabron | Reporters

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irls on the Run, a nonprofit program that promotes health and empowerment, has given the girls at Maxfield a way to bond as one team and be active. Amy Robinson works alongside Brandi Pottle, Christina Archila and other volunteers to give the girls what they need to do their best. Robinson enjoys the positive impact it has had on the students at Maxfield.

Q: Will you explain once more what the program is?

A: Yes. So, the Girls on the Run is a program that started awhile ago. It was not started in Minnesota, but it is now in almost every state, and it is a nationwide program run by a nonprofit called Girls on the Run. Their motivation is to motivate girls to be successful and be friends and kind people and positive leaders.

Q: How many girls participate?

A: Somewhere between 16 to 20.

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Q: Can you explain their exercises and their pep talks to get them confident and ready to start?

A: The Girls on the Run has designed a lot of cheers…. Sometimes the girls make up a cheer and at the end of every day… the girls vote on who worked the hardest and they

get a little cheer. The exercises are stretches that we do before we run to get our bodies warmed up and ready to go.

Q: Can you explain how the race works?

A: It is one race, and it is a 5K, which is 3.2 miles. It is just one race and because there are so many girls now at the real race day they start us out in waves…. When we first started doing this five or six years ago, we just said go and everyone took off. But now there are so many girls, we have to go in waves, which is a good thing -- more and more schools are doing it.

Q: Can boys come to see the race?

A: Absolutely. We have a lot of boys every year. Can’t run it but you could be a running partner if you are over 18…. Some girls have their big brothers or cousins or their dads be their partner. Every girl gets a running partner for the race day, and they are supposed to stay by them and encourage them. Last year, one of the girls picked a big brother, and more than once we’ve had a girl pick a dad or an uncle.

Q: Is there a trophy or prize?

A: The girls do get a pair of running pants, a T-shirt and a pair of running shoes, and they do get to keep those. They do get a medal at

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Robinson sits in her office and explains the Girls on the Run to students, Farries and Kabron

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Robinson listens as Maxfield student Kabron asks a question about the Girls on the Run on November 6th

the end…. It doesn’t say you got first place or second place; it just means you finished, and it is okay to walk. Not all the girls run the whole race. A lot of them run some of it and walk some of it. Some run the whole thing, and that is hard to do. It is not about winning -- it is about doing it. Starting and doing your best.

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Q: What is the reason you want to do this?

A: I believe that exercise and fresh air are really important ingredients for kids to be healthy and happy and also because I like the curriculum. We talk about how to be a good friend and be true to yourself and be a positive leader.

Q: Why do you think girls like to do this program and do you think they actually enjoy it or is it just something to do?

A: Good question. I think they do like it most days. I think like most things they don’t always love it…. They enjoy being a part of a team, and we have a lot of fun. I think that at the end, when they all really do stick with it and finish the race, they feel a big sense of accomplishment because a 5K is a pretty good distance to run for girls that age, so I think that they are really proud of themselves because most girls their age have never run a 5K. Q: What is your favorite part of the program?

A: Gosh I love so many things. Race day is really, really fun; it was so much fun last year. There were 5,000 people, and almost all of our girls showed up, and most of them had family members with them. We all took a big bus ride because...it was at the Mall of America outside, so that was fun to have all of our families come cheer us on. I think that is always a favorite.

The Girls on the Run program starts after the fall and takes place on Mondays and Wednesdays after school. It has been a success, meeting the maximum number of girls for registration. Robinson looks forward to the coming season and getting to coach and cheer on the girls as they race. [end.]

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Additional reporting and editing by Abby Pautz

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19 years at Maxfield Elementary

By Raymond and La’Rene | Reporters

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eslie Silas has been teaching at Maxfield Elementary for 19 years. She went to school for technology, but she felt that she loved teaching.

“I started substitute teaching and thought, ‘Oh, wow, this is something I’m really interested in!’” Silas said.

“What I like about Maxfield is the students,” Silas said.

Silas also went to Maxfield when she was a kid.

She grew up in St. Paul with her four siblings and her parents. Her favorite movie is “Black Panther,” and her favorite food is seafood.

Silas is going to be working on the Total Learning Classroom Program as a scholar coach. It is Maxfield’s first year working with the TLC Program, which helps students prepare for math and reading classes and beyond. She works specifically as a math intervention teacher and as the chairperson for the Student-Teacher Assistant team, giving advice to teachers, social workers and counselors on curriculum and behavior.

“I like to be able to meet them at whatever level they’re at and just to see scholars reach for the sky so that they can soar,” Silas said. [end.] Edited by Claire Swenson

Ms. Silas answers questions from Ms. Pottle’s class about her role as an AmeriCorps tutor.

She taught third grade last year but has now shifted to be a teacher on special assignment for Maxfield. Silas is an internal coach for Math and Reading Corps, which helps kids learn by working with them one-on-one. With AmeriCorps, tutors work with students from kindergarten through third grade.

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Student Questions

9%

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich

37%

Ice Cream

64% Pizza

What do you like to eat when you travel?

Where is your favorite place to go?

Pittsburgh Steelers football game in the front row If you discovered a new country, what would you name it?

Fire eagle

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Where is your favorite place to go?

Paris What country would you most like to visit?

England What do you like to eat when you travel?

Pizza

Name: Raymond

What is a crazy food combination you want to try?

Asparagus taco with pizza

Name: Shaleeyah

Name: Brandon

Name: Jasmine

Where is your favorite place to go?

The zoo

How do you like to travel?

Plane

What country would you most like to visit?

Mexico

If you discovered a new country, what would you name it?

Jazztopia

If you discovered a new country, what would you name it?

People Island

What is a crazy food combination you want to try?

Peanut butter pickle sandwich

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Where would you most like to go?

27%

18%

England

Australia

18%

Name: Tay’Sean

Mexico

Where is your favorite place to go?

Skyzone

36%

South Africa

What country would you most like to visit?

Mexico If you discovered a new country, what would you name it?

Tay’Sean’s fun land

How do you like to travel?

Name: K’yon

Car

45%

Plane

What is a crazy food combination you want to try?

Ice cream sandwich sundae

45%

What do you like to eat when you travel?

Ice cream

10%

How do you like to travel?

Plane

Helicopter

What country would you most like to visit?

South Africa

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Taming the Art of Teaching Mai Yang Xiong is a young teacher who is taking her passion for mentoring to the students at Maxfield Elementary.

By Matthew and Chris | Reporters

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ai Yang Xiong is 25 years old. She has no kids of her own, but she adopts twenty kids every time she sets foot into her classroom at Maxfield Elementary School.

Although this is her first year teaching, she knows that this is what she was called to do.

Xiong said as a child she wanted a teacher to understand where she was coming from in terms of her culture and language. Growing up, she had white teachers whom she felt didn’t understand her. This is why she now emphasizes the importance of the connection between a teacher and a student.

“I am trying really hard to be culturally relevant,” Xiong added. “I want to be able to teach a topic and be universal about it.”

Teaching wasn’t the career Xiong always envisioned for herself.

She went to graduate school for respiratory care, but she started talking to friends who were teacher mentors. They encouraged her

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Maxfield Elementary students interview their teacher Ms. Xiong during their classroom press conference.

“I became a teacher because I have always loved working with kids,” Xiong said. Her ultimate goal was to become a good teacher, something that was missing from her own childhood.

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During the press conference held in class 5th grader, Nia collects important notes for her story from the notepad.

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to live her dream, and she started to look at different programs.

She eventually enrolled in St. Thomas Urban Teaching Residency - a one-year program to get her ready for teaching. Last year, she worked with her advisor Brandi Pottle at Maxfield to see what the students were like.

She also spent that time tutoring, mentoring and assisting other teachers.

She has experienced some of her greatest joys in her teaching so far. “[My favorite moments are] seeing progress and seeing a thought going off in someone’s head, even if it’s something simple,” Xiong said. “We were rounding numbers using decimals this morning, and Matthew was like, ‘Oh I get it now!’”

The hardest challenge for her would be differentiation: trying to meet the needs for some students while making sure her more advanced students don’t get bored.

Xiong has also some favorite memories and parts about being a teacher.

“My favorite part about being a teacher is hearing funny stories from my students and being able to take those home and tell my family then because they love to hear those funny stories,” she said.

All the great memories that she has acquired bring her back to why she wanted to become a teacher in the first place.

“I went and taught abroad in Thailand at an orphanage where there were 50 students in a classroom,” she said. “Those kids don’t have any desks, pencils or papers. It was just me up there giving a lecture.”

Xiong sees teaching at Maxfield as an opportunity that she will not take for granted. [end.] Edited by Jessica Trowell

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Stars On and Off the Court Basketball coach Brother Qadash teaches his athletes the basics of basketball, along with life values.

By Kiovannah and Mikayla | Reporters

Fifth-graders Makela and Keairra interview the Basketball Coach, Brother Qadash, about the program during their afternoon.

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eamwork is the word that the Maxfield Elementary basketball team lives by.

Brother Qadash, along with parent volunteers, is the Maxfield Elementary basketball coach for the third season. He pushes his athletes to give their best efforts, learn how to play as a team and love the sport of basketball, just as he did growing up.

Q: Why did you get into coaching basketball for the school?

A: The students needed something to do.

They asked for it, and it is a great way to get parent engagement.

Q: How long have you been teaching basketball?

A: This is our third season right now at Maxfield. It’s pretty cool. I have coached other teams before.

Q: Who did you learn from to play basketball?

A: I played basketball in high school, so I learned from a lot of coaches. Growing up I played with friends and peers on the playground, but formal learning through high school. I played on varsity as a freshman team, and I learned a lot from the coaches. Also, by watching professional sports... you learn a lot from watching professional sports.

Q: Why do you love this program?

A: First of all, basketball is my favorite sport.

That’s first and foremost. I love that so many

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A Maxfield student practices shooting hoops in the gym.

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aspects of life are involved in the game.

Teamwork, you know working together sharing and brotherhood and sisterhood, you know, because we do have the boys and the girls play together. That thing that individual part of it too, that if one person lose we all lose and if one wins we all win - teamwork… I love that aspect of the whole game. And that exercising piece is good and helps you be in better shape and gives you confidence. It’s a fun thing to do to help you get your energy out to just enjoy and laugh and have fun. Healthy competition is always fun. But we are not competing in a way that can hurt someone, but in a healthy friendly way and be able to settle your issues on the court.

Q: What days did you guys start tryouts?

A: We started tryouts on October 9th and we will go all the way until March.

Q: When do you guys play?

A: We have our practices Tuesday from 5-6:30 p.m. and we play on Thursdays. But we have a tournament coming up where we are playing

four other schools right now: Benjamin, Jackson, St. Paul City and Maxfield. We also have cheerleaders. It’s usually for 4th and 5th grades because it’s for their age range, but I do allow younger kids to come and practice with us to learn how to be responsible... come to practice and work hard, so that they will be ready when it is their time to play, and they will have the basics down. When we first started, we did not have cheerleaders, and some kids said they wanted them, so we made the team and that has been a great addition to the program. The amount of inspiration has been great and the team has loved it.

Q: How many kids are on the team?

A: We have 17 basketball players. Five of those are girls, and then we have a cheerleading team as well.

Q: What is your key to teaching elementary athletes how to play basketball?

A: The go-to is the fundamentals. Then once you got the fundamentals down, it comes naturally. I do encourage them to watch

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Brother Qadash gives a pep-talk to his team as they line up against the gym wall.

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professional basketball, but in practice we work on fundamentals of dribbling and defense and once you get those down it’s good. One of the big things is academics because they are student-athletes. So if their grades aren’t what they are supposed to be, they don’t get to be on the basketball team or the cheerleading team. They have to do the things you have to do, so you can do the things you want to do.

Q: What are some qualities you see your players have besides being a good athlete?

A: Hard work and being accountable…. They have to make sure they have their uniforms coming to practice and being on time, or else they have to run laps. It shows them accountability and hard work. Like I said it shows them academics because they really want to play basketball, so someone who slacks in academics can’t play, so it pushes them so they get their homework done and study for their test. If they don’t maintain a C average or 75 percent average, then they don’t get to play. Most importantly, being there for one another, it’s called brotherhood, sisterhood being able to lift one another up.

If someone messes up, don’t tear them down, tell them they will do better next time, and that they will get it next time. Also, showing team spirit and sportsmanship and how to be a good person and how to share, you know?

Somebody doesn’t want to play with someone who is a ball hog. It teaches you fundamentals of life.

Q: Do you coach the cheer?

A: I don’t. We have a parent volunteer, and she is an amazing cheer coach, but I orchestrate it all. A lot of the times, the cheerleaders come up with their own input and implement their cheers as well. I coach the basketball team.

A couple parent volunteers help me out, and I prefer that, but a lot of the time they don’t have time.

Not only does Brother Qadash push his players to be amazing players on the court, but off the court and in school getting good grades. He believes it is important to give it your all in everything like basketball and school in order to succeed. [end.] This interview has been edited and condensed. Additional reporting and editing by Taylor Fondie

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Student Questions Name: Matthew What is your favorite time of year?

Winter What is your favorite food?

Tacos What’s your favorite thing to do when not in school?

Play Fortnite

Name: Makela

Name: Divar

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Actress

What do you want to be when you grow up?

NBA player

Who is your favorite famous person?

Sabrina Carpenter

If you could change one thing in the world what would it be?

Everybody had a superpower

If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

Everyone would be happy

6.7% Asia

Who is your favorite famous person?

Kyrie Irving

26.7%

South American

20% Africa

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Where would you most like to go?

46.7%

Australia

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5.9%

Brownies

11.8% Candy

17.6% Cake

17.6% Cookies

47.1%

Ice Cream Name: Lakoyia If you could eat a meal with anyone past or present, who would it be?

Cardi B

What is your favorite dessert?

What is your favorite TV show?

Backstage What do you want to be when you grow up?

A person that delivers the babies

What super power would you want to have?

23.5%

Talking to Animals

29.4%

Invisibility

11.8%

Name: Tinnicia

Name: Chris B

What is your favorite TV show?

I don’t watch TV

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Do not know yet

What’s your favorite school subject?

Writing

What is your favorite school subject?

Reading

If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

No guns only police

What is your favorite TV show?

DBZ/ dragon ball Z

Flying

35.3%

Super Speed

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31 Students and family member shoot some hoops on the basketball court.

Tyrone, a kindergartener, takes an adventurous climb on Maxfield’s playground equipment.

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Maxfield staff serving hamburgers and hot dogs to students and families

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Maxfield BBQ

Students smile as they whip in circles as they swing

Students spend time together on Maxfield’s playground equipment

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33 A student makes a vision board out of magazine clippings

A student shows the ducks that he found to the carnival helper

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A student plays PLINKO

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Maxfield Carnival

Two students make lava lamps out of glitter

A student gets her face painted with a rainbow

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The Maxfield Times editing staff Thirteen Bethel students partnered with Maxfield to create this newspaper.

The collaboration took place in Maxfield classrooms to create a newspaper that represented the community as accurately as possible.

MAXFIELD ELEMENTARY

Editors would like to thank the following people for their assistance or financial support in making The Maxfield Times happen: Maxfield Elementary students and staff Maxfield Elementary teachers Elizabeth Earnest, Jenny Gruber, Mai Yang Xiong, Brandi Pottle Maxfield Principal Ryan Vernosh St. Paul Public Schools Bethel Graphic Design Professor Jessica Henderson and designer Maddie Lokensgard Bethel Associate Director of Community Engagement Tanden Brekke Bethel Community Liaison for Office of Diversity Karen McKinney

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380 Victoria St N., Saint Paul, MN 55104 Principal Ryan Vernosh ryan.vernosh@spps.org

Rick Berkner and the staff at North Star Media, who printed The Maxfield Times The Johnson Center, founded by Kathy and Gene Johnson, which helped fund student reporter’s notebooks and printing of newspapers Johnson Center Director Dave Kansas of Minnesota Public Radio Bethel Dean of Arts and Humanities Barrett Fisher Bethel Associate Dean of Off Campus Programs Vincent Peters, Provost Deb Harless and President Jay Barnes

BETHEL UNIVERSITY English and Journalism Department 3900 Bethel Dr. Saint Paul, MN 55104 Professor Scott Winter s-winter@bethel.edu FSU Assistant Director Tanden Brekke t-brekke@bethel.edu