October 2019 Daytime

Art by Eva Skelding

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. Postage PAID Boston, MA Permit No. 52028

Volume 40, Edition 1

F.A. Day Middle School 21 Minot Place Newtonville, MA 02465

October, 2019

By Jack Eagan and Shira Lobron

and I really like the and it was one of Lunin: “My favorite class at Day teacher. I also really those typos like it was was P.E. with Mr. Resutti and Dr. liked the kids doing it spelled correctly but Maty. I actually had Ms. Baack and it was like a difa different word. I for sixth grade social studies as Picture a vision from an earlier ferent P.E. class.” wrote it forty times in well as science. The social studies time: woolly mammoths wanWhy did you choose the paper and it was class I remember was an awedering the halls, Julius Caesar to work with middle a completely differsome class, too.” munching on his Caesar salad. schoolers? ent word. It changed How has Day changed since Surrounded by pyramids, mumHeffernan: “In my the whole meaning, you were a student? mies, and pharaohs, three teentime baby sitting and the teacher wrote in Lunin: “So, the big changes are agers trek the ancient stairwells working as a counselor and was like, ‘I’m not there’s a lot of new classrooms. So of F.A. Day Middle School. at a summer camp, I sure that’s what you you used to be able to eat outside These three teenagers are Magworked with all ages meant…’” where the picnic tables were so gie Heffernan, Andy Comings, of kids. When I was What was your there was a lot of space. and Adam Lunin. in college I worked in best memory from Another change is that there are Heffernan is now a math a day care center. I Day? a lot more kids, teacher on the 8th grade Emerald worked Comings: “The there were only Team. Comings now with eighth grade about 750 when Photo courtesy of teaches sixth grade everyone musical I did.

I was here. But social studies on the Andy Comings from We did Joseph also, the comput6th grade Sky team. babies to high and the TechnicolorDreamers and techLunin teaches P.E. schoolers and for coat, so I remember that. nology, like you and health, and also some reason I really We had school dances guys now have coaches girls soccer. enjoyed my time which I really liked, so computers, like, What was your with middle school some of that. And I think all the time. When favorite memory as age kids. They’re playing Empire in eighth we were students, a middle schooler? just so fun and grade in U.S. History.” we did not have quirky, I just really What was your fanearly the access Heffernan: “I think liked their personalivorite class as a middle to technology that one of my favorite ties, it’s just a really schooler? you all do.” things about middle Photo courtesy of Photo courtesy of fun age.”

Comings: “I always did Even though school is that I got to Maggie Heffernan Adam Lunin What was your love history, especially Day has greatly take some really cool most embarrassing eighth grade history. I changed since the elective classes which were ofmemory from Day? think math was my best subject late 20th century the nostalgia fered. I took dance as an elective, Comings: “I had a typo in a so I liked math. But, I think my will last forever. and not a lot of schools offered favorite was probably chorus that. And I really liked doing it

By Editors Nika Grusby and Arushi Shatkin Creepy stories with ghouls and ghosts have been told around campmember, tales that send chills down one’s spine and make people jump in their seats. Daytime reporters went around F.A.Day Middle School in In this edition......

Teachers Rally for New Contract page 2

search of someof the best real-life ghost stories. Here is what they gathered.

Nandini Sengupta (8th Grade): Me and my friend were at my house.

We were home alone and not with my mom, because she was at work.

So we were sitting, just being on our phones, we hear a sudden thud in the other room and everything’s really dark and it’s 7 o’clock at night.

How middle schoolers can end their war against sleep page 6

We didn’t know what that was, so apparently I got nominated to go check it out, I don’t know how that happened, and we went in there and the pots and pans were on the pened. And then there was a spider.

Xinlei Hu (8th Grade): It was 9 p.m. and I was sitting on my bed when one of my brother’s toys just started singing for some reason.

Dear 6th Graders... (words of advice from the 8th grade) page 8

There’s a button on there but no one touched it at all and it just started singing randomly.

Luciano Leone (8th Grade): I was pretty young, I was at my Grandpa’s old house in Maine, it was at night, and I was going to my parents room because I had a bad dream. I was walking by the staircase and I saw I went downstairs. I was like, “Oh, what was that?”

To be continued on page 8 Fall into fresh fall fashion page 13 And so much more......

News

2 the daytime

Newton Teachers Rally for New Contract

By Editor Elan Cohen and William Fine

On August 28, 2019, at 8:00 in the morning, around 1,000 Newton teachers wearing bright red shirts and holding up colorful signs were rallying in front of City Hall, protesting the lack of a new NTA (Newton Teachers Association) contract for 2019. Linda.

Kincaid, Social Studies teacher, said, “So, what I’m doing is I’m representing the [teachers] union and our building, I’m wearing my red shirt, and we handed out brochures to parents on Parent Night.”

Many Newton teachers have expressed their concern about the lack of a new contract. They

October, 2019

is on edge and everyone is stressed about it, and I know we should have a contract. We want to do the best for the students all the time but it’s hard when we don’t have a contract.” Sherry. Edwards, Art teacher, echoed the statement.

“It [the lack of a new contract] has actually made me a little nervous. Working without a contract is no fun. I hope we get one really soon, a fair one.”

Newton teachers are working under an extension of the expired 2015-2018 NTA contract without a raise from the new contract, since negotiations are still ongoing. Ms. Kincaid said, “Our contract expired August 31st. And so now we’re working without a

Teachers and staff of Newton Public Schools met in front of the Newton Town Hall, wearing red t-shirts in a display of unity.

Photos courtesy of an NTA member who requested anonymity

seek a suitable raise in the new contract that reflects the ever-increasing costs of living in Newton.

Alexandra. Besse, Math teacher, said, “It’s tough as a new teacher not having a contract because I can tell that everyone

HAUNTING MEMORIES c

continued from page 1

Art by Nika Grusby

“...and it was really cold out and it was super cold in the kitchen and the window was open. I know that it wasn’t open earlier because I watched my grandpa close it and so that really freaked me out, so I started screaming [and] crying.

My parents came downstairs

contract, which means the raises we’re asking for and some changes to our benefits haven’t been decided.” According to newton. wickedlocal.com, “Although there have been some agreements (for

and then water started dripping from the ceiling because one of the pipes had burst.”

Katherine Lobo, ELL teacher: “I have a little house in the Adirondacks, and where this house is, there are nine houses. In my neighbor’s house, they’ve heard a woman singing and also one night they were sort of resting and had the fireplace going, they have a big German Shepherd and they heard this stomping up the steps to the house and the dog didn’t seem to hear it. And when they went to the door there was no one there, but they definitely heard someone’s heavy footsteps.

So, they think, [this family] that maybe the houses and all were there when a family

example, the start of full-day kindergarten), of the 57 items on the table in the contract, the two groups have only agreed on 10 to 12.”

According to www.newtonma. gov., 55% of the Newton City Council’s projected 2020 budget goes toward education, but many Newton teachers feel that not enough of that money is going toward teacher salaries and other benefits. Mayor Fuller and the School Committee are trying to figure out what area of the Newton City budget they need to focus less money towards in order to provide Newton teachers with the raise they’ve been rallying for.

Ruth Goldman, Chair of the School Committee, said, “Typically they [the contract negotiations] take quite a while in Newton. The biggest reason why is because there are a lot of items on the named the Bartlett’s were there and they think that maybe Virgil Bartlett[‘s] ghost was the one coming up the front steps and maybe Caroline, his wife, may have been the one singing because she was known to be a good singer.”

Mackenzie Johnson-Greer, 8th Grade: “A family friend used to work at this mansion for a bar, and he never believed in ghosts until he worked there, because he was on night duty, and when he would be cleaning up, there were stories of a ghost being there, but he never really believed them.

But then when he started to clean up on his first weeks, there the faucets would turn on and off without him touching anything and the lights

table. The NTA has asked us to en tertain 60 different items. We’ve had 15 meetings during the past couple months. There are a lot of things to work through… I think a lot of people in the community think we’re talking just about salaries, but there are so many more elements to it than that, like health insurance, sick days, how many days the teachers work in a year. ” As the NTA and the School Committee continue to negotiate the terms for the 2020 contract, Newton teachers will continue to wear red shirts and spread the word to Newton families about the contract negotiations. According to the Newton Tab, Mayor Fuller said, “You [the teachers] need and deserve a fair contract now. I will do all I can to help settle this contract expeditiously and make sure NPS has the resources it needs.” would flicker on and off,even if they were all the way off.

Joshua Paolozzi, 8th Grade: So, one time when I was hanging out with my friends we went into the basement because we heard something, and if you go down the stairs and then look left there’s a wall and there’s a square hole in it. All three of us saw something.” move in it we ran back upstairs, slammed and locked the door.

Katie Stevens, 6th Grade: “We used to live in this house in Connecticut, and when we were moving to Boston my brother asked my mom if the ‘people in the attic’ were moving with us, but it was only us in the house.”

News

3 the daytime

By Tenley Hanson and Maille O’Neil The mysterious Area 51 is surrounded by rumors and conspiracies, intriguing the public. The location was originally chosen in April, 1955 during the Cold War. According to National Geographic, “ The OXCART plane [a plane developed in Area 51] was expected to be undetectable in the air as it flew surveillance and information-gathering missions over the Soviet Union.” The plane would need to fly at a higher altitude than any before.

In order to be as secret as possible decoys planes were sent out befor the OXCART flew.

The plane needed to be tested and flown in complete secrecy, which is why the sparsely populated area of Arizona was so appealing. The secretive government base has been the source of rumors of alien inhabitants for years, drawing the attention of conspiracy theorists. Sightings of the aircraft’s test flights were mistaken for UFO sightings, igniting the rumors of alien inhabitants.

On September 19th, the day before the raid, the U.S. Navy confirmed footage of apparent UFO sightings to be legitimate, further fueling the alien enthusiasts excitement to discover extraterrestrials. Noa Amir, 8th grader said, “I like that there may be something we are unaware of or something the government is hiding.”

The official name of the site is the Nevada Test and Training Range, which is a sector of the Nellis Airforce Base. In 1958, the 38,400 acre area was withdrawn from public use, and the government didn’t officially acknowledge that Area 51 existed until August 2013. This was viewed as highly suspicious by conspiracy theorists.

ArtNew

by Laurel Wang According to the York Times, “Two million people said they would rush the base on foot at an event organized on Facebook called Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All

October, 2019 of Us.’ ” Dubbed “Alienstock” by the organizers of the event, the invasion was said to be a “celebration of aliens.”

According to Buzzfeed.com, “The original Facebook event was started as a joke, saying, ‘If we Naruto run, they can’t stop all of us.’ ” Naruto is derived from a Japanese anime of the same name, where the characters run with their arms behind their bodies.

The Air Force advised against invading Area 51. This seemingly made the invasion an even more daunting task for thosplanning on raiding.

Maeve Morris, 6th grader, said, “You are stupid if you want to raid because the government said they would shoot the raiders.¨ On September 20th, it was finally time to raid. In Las Vegas, and two towns near Area 51, Hiko and Rachel, there were EDM concert-like events for alien enthusiasts.

However, what really drew attention from across the globe was at the gate to Area 51 itself, where people did gather. According to forbes.com, “150 people showed up Friday (and two were detained) outside the secret government facility’s gates.”

Even though no alien conspiracies were confirmed, thankfully no one was injured. Millions of people did not show up, but extraterrestrial enthusiasts still enjoyed coming together for a celebration of aliens.

Why bashing VSCO girls is really a form of modern day SEXISM

By Senior Editors Zoe Finamore and Isabel Salgado

Image Source: Unsplash

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NEWS BRIEFS

“VSCO girls” and memes surrounding them have become very popular among Gen Z over the summer. However, behind the memes and making fun lies a sexist undertone that targets teenaged girls. To clarify, a VSCO girl is a girl, typically pictured as upper middle class, tall, “Safety Day” is planned white, and thin, who stereotypically for October 25th for students to practice safe likes very specific things. The term originates from the app “VSCO” responses in the event which is a photo editing app created of a school emergency. in 2011.

According to slate.com, “The October 30th is a half-day VSCO girl, named after VSCO, an for students; a great Instagram-like app for photo editing time to throw a and sharing, wears oversize namebrand shirts, wrist scrunchies, and Halloween party puka shell necklaces, shows her one day ahead. concern for the environment by carrying around a metal straw and [a] Day’s production of Hydro Flask water bottle, and likes Hamlet, directed by to say “sksksksk” (aka the letters Jessica McGettrick, Day that indicate a keyboard smash) out drama teacher will be loud, among other highly specific performed on October characteristics.”

24th and 25th at 7:00 The memes often picture “VSCO girls” as superficial and materialistic, with a compulsive need to fit in.

The Newton Food Pantry 6th grader Nina Hurley said, “It feels will be collecting food donations in the upcom- like I’m being judged for what I’m wearing.” ing weeks.

This is not the first time a similar group of people has been made fun of in the same way. For example,

during most of the 2010s the stereo-typical teenaged girl wore UGGs offensive. I don’t think that things and drank Starbucks. They were that you like should have a label on them.” One example of something no often made fun of and labeled as longer being socially acceptable after “basic” and shallow, when in reality being used by “VSCO girls” is the they liked mainstream and popular phrase, “and I oop.” It was originally things. According to mnn.com, " created from a viral interFor many net video of a drag queen people, the and then was widely used fact that teenby certain members of the age girls like LGBTQ+ community, all something...is a the while being acceptable reason to write to say. However now that it off complete“...and I oop” is stereotyply." The same ically said by “VSCO girls” expectations are the phrase has dropped typically not as drastically in popularity, constricting for with many people using it teenaged boys. ironically. 6th grader Lexi While some Silvertein said, “It’s annoypeople are ing when people say it over complimentary and over.” of the “VSCO Of course, poking a bit girl” aesthetic, of fun at a certain group of the majority use people is very normalized, it as an insult, especially for middle-schooland at a time in ers. However when it gets a girl’s developas main-stream as making mental process fun of VSCO girls is now, when they are it becomes harmful and trying to find mean-spirited, even if those who they are, are not the intentions. Acthis can be very cording to mhs.muhsd.org, hurtful.

“It may seem unimportant Emmy McGarto worry about teen self-esvey, 8th grader, Isabel Salgado strikes teem, but in reality, it said, “I think playful VSCO pose. can set the stage for one's getting called a Photo by Jack Eagan entire life.”

VSCO girl is

4 the daytime

School News

October, 2019

ART SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

June’s art show took place after the last Daytime edition, but the contributions

demonstrated the talents of our community, and will hopefully inspire a year of new creativity.

Day Welcomes New 8th Grade English Teacher, AMANDA DAMES

By Editor Eva Skelding As a brand new year at F.A. Day begins, new students as well as new teachers arrive. Amanda Dames, an English teacher on the 8th grade Evergreen team, is beginning her first year teaching at Day. This Daytime journalist had a chance to interview her to learn about her experience at our school so far.

Why did you decide to come to F.A. Day? I was looking to change jobs. I wanted to stay in teaching but my old job was only part-time, and I wanted to be a full-time teacher.

I was excited to come to middle school, because I think middle school students are a little more exciting and a little more fun than high schoolers.

What do you like about Day so far?

So far everyone has been super welcoming, the Evergreen teachers and the ELA teachers have been really helpful, helping me find my footing, and the students have

been really great. language than I’ve been very excitreading and ed by all that they writing, other can do and all that than that just you guys are doing English. Well, I here at Day. taught a yoga Where have you elective once. taught before?

But other than Which grades? that, no.

Before this, I taught What are at Needham High your goals as a School; I had tenth teacher for this graders. I taught year, for yoursixth graders in a self and your summer program, students? and before that I That’s a big taught English as question. My a second language goals this year in Spain. I have are to get a not taught eighth better undergrade before; this is standing of the Photo by: Eva Skelding uncharted territory. eighth grade curBut so far, so good. riculum, and to Have you taught subjects bebe organized with my papers and sides English? Which subjects? student work and keeping track Not really, I’ve mostly done of things, just like my students.

English. Teaching English as a And for my students, I hope that foreign language was a little bit I create a positive community in different, because we were workmy classroom and that they leave ing on vocabulary and speaking my classroom feeling like more fluency and English more as a confident readers and writers

and better people overall. Kinder people.

What or who inspired you to become a teacher?

I had a wonderful middle school English teacher … she was my favorite teacher because she used to read aloud to us in class, which I really liked, and her summer reading lists had so many choices on them that I always found something I liked reading. The other influence was my mom. She has taught everything from third grade up to seventh grade, and she just retired last year. She taught for over thirty years, so she was a big influence too.

What is your favorite part of teaching?

My favorite part of teaching is … the relationships you get to build with students, and seeing students grow so much between the beginning and end of the year to accomplish things that seemed too challenging at the beginning of the year; see[ing] them able to do those things at the end of the year.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

It’s been a really good start to the school year.

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School News

School Lunch: what students are saying about the switch

October, 2019

Photo by Julia Josephson

By Poe Bruce and Jack Barmettler F.A. Day has switched their lunch provider, however, people are on the fence as to whether or not the food is actually an improvement.

Some people agree that the change appears to be an improvement, including Leah Gelfand, 7th grade. “I used to [get lunch]. It’s weird because it actually looks good this year.”

She said. Many agree with her, such as Canina Wang, a 7th grader.“The pizza is definitely different--you get to pick it yourself. I like the new french fries. There’s hot and cold sandwiches.” The general consensus seems to be that this year is an improvement.

The company that catered for Day last year was Sodexo, a food company based in Paris. According to the Sodexo Group Website and Wikipedia, they serve worldwide and have over a billion customers, so they have quite

the resumé. Even if people didn’t love the food, they were consistent in quality and quantity.

The company that replaced last year’s food is Whitson’s Nutrition, or Whitson’s for short.

They are more local than Sodexo, as they only serve across America, and people seem to enjoy the food more.

However, not everyone agrees.

Take Mia McBride, a 7th grader.

“I don’t like this company because they took away a bunch of things people liked,” she said, “I liked the last company because they had tater tots.”

Sodexo and Whitson’s offer many of the same things, such as a salad bar, burgers, and pizza. They provide more options to students with dietary restrictions, such as the burrito-like sandwiches in the freezer, which are often vegetarian. Cynthia Pulsone, 7th grade, said, “I think it’s pretty much perfect for me, but I know for some people, it’s not enough.”

Some students have reported that there was an insufficient

Meet BOB CONRON

7th grade Math Teacher

may recognize him from a brief period when he worked at Day as a substitute teacher.

What do you like to do in your free time?

In my free time, I like to be with my family and I love sailing.”

What did you do before you became an F.A. Day math teachPhoto by Norah Boyle er?

Teaching is

By Peter Edwards a second career for me. Before and Norah Boyle teaching, I worked for an investment company, a bank, and an Daytime journalists reached insurance company. I always out to the new Phoenix math wanted to teach. I decided a teacher, Bob Conron, and intercouple of years ago that when I viewed him about his new job retire, I want to look back and be and to learn a bit more about happy that I helped kids. him. Some observant students

food supply for 8th grade. The supply and demand were not initially in sync, as the 6th and 7th graders had eaten all the food, leaving little for 8th grade.

Michael Harding, the assistant principal, said, “I know there was one bad week, but I know it’s been taken care of. The company was very responsible.”

In conclusion, it seems that Whitson’s is a great addition to our cafeteria, despite varying opinions and a few mishaps along the way. Whitson’s seems to show an overall increase in quality and customer satisfaction.

Students are enjoying the pizza and fries especially.

Photos by Poe Bruce Can you tell us a little bit more about yourself?

When I was very young I learned addition and subtraction, before I learned to talk. I had five brothers and sisters who would do the talking for me. Throughout my life I’ve enjoyed playing sports, and playing cards.

What is your favorite thing so far about working at Day? Other than Fridays, my favorite part is simply being with kids.

Whether teaching, or joking in the hallway. I also get to play music between classes.

What is your dream job?

As obvious as it may seem, teaching is my dream job. If I were to choose another dream job, it would be as a head coach in the NFL. What is interesting about being a math teacher specifically?

I love math, I love being creative with different math problems and seeing how you can solve the same problem in many various ways. As one of my former students, who is in 8th grade agreed: There’s more than one way to prepare a potato’.”

Day needs to commit to cafeteria recycling An Editorial

By Celine Pechyon and Julia Josephson At thiis time, there are no recycling bins in the Day cafeteria, but perhaps there should be. Students and teachers are not throwing away trash, but pounds of potentially recyclable plastic are thrown into trash bins each day.

There are many plastic products Day students use every day, such as single-use plastic snack and sandwich bags, plastic utensils, cups from various lunch items, plastic straws, plastic water bottles, and many more. When these items are thrown in the trash, they can end up in the ocean.

However, if Day’s cafeteria had recycling bins, more of these items would be recycled and reused. Less plastic would be put into landfills, and less would go into the oceans and kill animals.

Daytime reporters asked the principal of Day Middle School, Jacqueline Mann, a few questions about the issue. Mann had this to say: “I think it [recycling] is something Newton Public Schools prioritizes. It's up to every building on how they carry it out.”

However, currently there is a hitch to putting a plan in motion.

Mann explained the problem: “In order to do recycling at lunch, we would need a teacher and students responsible for overseeing it during every lunch. Our custodians only have a few minutes to clean the cafeteria in between lunches, and so there needs to be a schedule where there is a teacher and several students responsible for educating students about what to recycle and to help take out recycling after every lunch. Currently teachers already have lunch duty to supervise in the cafeteria so this is very challenging.

We could consider using parent volunteers to help.”

However, this issue doesn't mean students should not recycle. One could keep plastic bottles and bags in their lunch box, and throw it in recycling in the nearest classroom. This simple action would reduce plastic being thrown away by a large amount. There are recycling bins in our classrooms that teachers ask students to take out during the school day.

Clearly, this problem needs more creative solutions from our school community, such as a dedicated club, which could create a work-around so more recycling of cafeteria plastics can occur.

page 6 the daytime

October, 2019

Health and Wellness

How Middle Schoolers Can End Their War Against Sleep

By Nina Bakal, Aanya Vishwanath, and Alara Bhatia

Young adults are all susceptible to becoming sleep deprived in one way or another. For some middle schoolers, it is due to what seem like harmless routines, such as responding to texts, or reading one more chapter. However, what most teens do not realize is that their sleeping habits might be affecting them and those around them in negative ways.

The average middle school starts at around 8:00 am. Often, middle schoolers have to get up at about 6:30 to get ready and make the commute. Even a couple of missed hours of sleep can make someone feel dazed or sluggish.

The Daytime interviewed 22 F. A. Day middle schoolers to see how much sleep they were getting. The results were worrying, but not surprising; almost two thirds of those interviewed got seven or fewer hours of sleep per night. According to nationalchildrens.org, “the average amount of sleep that teenagers get is between 7 and 7 ¼ hours. However, they need between 9 and 9 ½ hours.” When asked what kept

them up, some common answers tossing and turning at night! were caffeine, homework, and The key to getting enough devices. sleep is to pick a good time to go Some of the negative effects of to bed, and avoid taking technolsleep deprivation can range from ogy to the bedroom. Just having small issues like moodiness to setechnology nearby urges one to rious health problems. Not getting pick up the phone to check texts enough sleep can cause one to be or to open mail. forgetful and irritable, which can lead to more serious complications, for example medicalnewstoday. com stated “Not getting enough sleep prevents the body from strengthening the immune system… This can mean a person can take longer to recover Andy Zhou sleeps peacefully. from illness.”

Photo by Eva Skelding Moreover, teens are being trapped in a self-destructive cycle that is comPeople may think that spending plicated by stress and anxiety.

5-10 more minutes on devices One of the teens that we interis harmless. Little do they know viewed who requested anonymity that the longer you stay on your described “...lying in bed askdevice, the longer it takes to fall ing myself existential questions asleep. According to clevelandabout life because my anxieties clinic.org, “The blue light that have anxieties.” Inadequate sleep your smart phone emits is not makes one prone to tension and only bad for your vision, but it’s stress, and the stress keeps one bad for your brain too. . . re-

search has found a correlation between suppressed levels of melatonin and exposure to blue light. Melatonin is a hormone responsible for controlling your sleep-wake cycle.”

According to Mr. Landau, an F. A. Day health teacher, certain strategies can help: “I would say setting a consistent bedtime and not changing it on weekends.”

He also emphasized how important it is to be thoughtful about planning activities after school: “If you add up the amount of time we spend doing things that aren’t really useful it actually ends up being a lot of time ... I think being really thoughtful about managing time especially after school and try to avoid super distracting things right before bed, so instead of being on your phone before bed or watching TV before bed, maybe just doing something that’s a little more relaxing.”

Whatever the reason may be for staying up late, it is not worth risking one’s health to do so. As Arianna Huffington, renowned journalist. puts it, “The way to a more productive, more inspired, more joyful life is getting enough sleep.”

TAKE TIME TO FIT IN FITNESS: some quick tips

By Abbie Seeley and Jonah Kelly

These days with the amount of homework and activities middles schoolers have trouble fitting in fitness. According to the American Heart Association, Tthere are many 6th grade, said, benefits of fitness: one is that it “Exercising is is a great mood lifter. Another a great way to that it can make people feel betbuild [self] dister if they feel sick, It also lowers cipline.” These stress levels.”Jamie Gidden, exercises are sixth grade, said, “Fitness is very good because important for kids our age. Jackthey only take son Jaspers, 6th grade, said, up at most a “I think fitness is important, few minutes because people should do some and are good for sort of activity for 30 minutes a both the mind day.” and the body.

Middle schoolers may not Strengthen your have access to a gym to visit, body and your mood but there are many great will be boosted, exercises to do right at home. studies show.

Some good times to do these Isabella Dugan, are in the morning and Sophie Matthewson, before bed. They can also be and Samantha done during any scheduled Kaplan hit the breaks, if available gym for one-armed Exercising is really implanks and wall portant in order to stay in chair squats. shape.. Anushka Dattar,

Seated Wall Chair Squat: This a very good exercise for the calves and It is also not very time consuming, and it takes no equipment other than a wall. To do a wall sit, pretend to sit in an invisible chair against the wall and hold it for 90 seconds.

One-armed Plank: The one armed plank is getting ready to do a pushup but then rotate so all of the weight is on one arm and hold it. This is a bit more challenging, and it is more focused on 55% upper body strength. Again no equipment is involved. It is recommended to try and hold the one armed plank for 30 seconds.

Card Flip Workout: It is definitely the most intense workout so far and all that’s needed for it is a deck of cards.

When a card is flipped over, do the amount of the number shown.

For example if one flips over a ten of spades do ten burpees, and if it is a six of hearts do six sit ups, and so on.

Here’s how it works: Spades = burpee Clubs = jumping jacks Hearts = sit ups Diamonds = mountain climb Face cards=six of that suits’ exercise Joker =25 Jumping Jacks Photos by Eva Skelding

7 the daytime

Planning for life on MARS

By Tony Feng The human population is growing every year, and eventually the Earth won’t have enough space for its inhabitants.

According to un.org, “With roughly 83 million people being added to the world’s population every year, the upward trend in population size is expected to continue.”

One proposed solution is to live underwater, but another solution could possibly be colonizing outer space, specifically Mars, because it’s the most similar to Earth and the closest planet to us.

One might think that colonizing Mars would be hard because it would require lots of resources and fuel, however according to advancedsciencenews.com, “Although the atmosphere of Mars consists of less than 1% oxygen, the presence of mineral resources and the potential existence of liquid water render this harsh environment feasible for human colonization in the near future”.

To colonize Mars humans would have to have a self-sustaining colony, which means that it can’t depend on resources coming from Earth. First scientists would have to find where on

Mars would be ideal for setting up a base camp. According to astronomy.com, “For Mars, the researchers set their sights on the planet’s poles, This computer generated which contain visualization shows what early ice deposits habitation of Mars might look like. that have built Image source: wikimedia commons up over many thousands of the fact that the bacteyears”. These ria we carried with us ice deposits could be could possibly wipe out useful for extracting all life on Mars. Another water, and at the poles, problem would be that there are plenty of natsearching for life on ural resources which Mars would be harder, could be used to the because microbes that scientists’ advantage. humans brought with The next step would be them may blend in with to send robots to start alien life. building the base. Once One argument for the robots have created a this venture is that safe place for humans, a humankind would crew of six would stay for have a better chance 9 months, which would of surviving, because if be the first ever trip to a disaster occurred on Mars.

Earth, humans living However, there is on Mars would still be some controversy about alive, therefore preservcolonizing Mars. One ing the human race. concern is that scienAndrey Sarkantists could contaminate ich, 6th grade, said “I Mars with microbes think it is a good idea from Earth. According because it could help to theguardian.com, "If humanity branch out humans do eventually more in the event of an land on Mars, they would apocalypse.” There are not arrive alone. They many pros and cons to would carry with them colonizing Mars, howevtheir earthly microbes”. er, scientists continue This could be a problem, to advance their plans. because if there ever was any life on Mars, we might never know due to

October, 2019

Science & Technology

New photos of the dark side of the moon reveal “mystery goo”

By Eric Su On July 25, 2019 China's lunar rover, Yutu-2, was launched to figure out what was on the far side of the moon.

Three days later on July 28, 2019 the team was preparing to power down the rover for a “midday nap” until team member Yu Tianyi noticed a crater while checking a photo that the rover sent in. When the scientists observed it more, they noticed something abnormal, described as a gel-like substance.

What could this gel on the moon be?

Some scientists theorize that this gel like substance is glass that formed in the heat of the impact that left the crater. But others have different opinions. According to MIT Technology Reviews September 4ths article it said, “Right now, the best explanation we have is that the material is not actually a gel, but probably a glass made of rock or regolith that melted in a high-energy meteorite impact on the surface of the moon long ago—possibly the same kind of trininite pieces formed after meteorite impacts on Earth.” This

means that the glass rock material is formed when the substance burns in the high-energy mete orite that they proclaimed hit the moon a long time ago. This is not the first time scientists found something mysterious on the moon.

On December 19, 1972 Apollo 17 mission had found some mysterious orange soil on the moon.

Scientists finally figured out that it was probably made from a volcanic eruption.

This gel -like discovery might mean that there are a lot of things on the moon, or in fact any planet like Mars, that we don’t know about. According to space.com,”...all the stars, planets and galaxies that can be seen today make up just 4 percent of the universe.”

This just shows how much of the moon or space in general we have yet to study.

Specially designed “floating islands” drift into future of humankind

By Kylee Hill, Kate Urdaneta, and Lorelai Steiner According to United Nations official, Victor Kisob, “Coastal cities are running out of land.

They’re becoming increasingly endangered as sea levels are estimated to rise as much as seven inches by 2030. Ninety percent of the largest global cities are at risk because of climate change.”

A non-profit organization called Oceanix recently presented t-one potential solution to the United Nations. Due to global warming, water levels are rapidly increasing; threatening the coastal areas. These floating

Islands, (also into the known as the water.

Oceanix cities, According could help. to Oceanix.

They would com, “All be 4.5 acre built hexagonal strutures in platforms the neighwhich would borhood be connected are kept to many othbelow seven ers to create stories to bigger facilicreate a low ties. center of The Oceanix This image foreshadows the design of floating islands islands. Image Source: Flickr,public domain gravity Cities would and resist be ready within months.” be safe from category five wind.

These models will be able hurricanes, floods, and Every building fans out to hold 300 people while tsunamis. to self - shade internal Oceanix is developing They would be spaces and public realm, ones with a capacity of able to survive on their providing comfort and 10,000 people. own using greenhouses lower cooling costs while The cities are planned and solar panels. maximizing roof area for to be made of bamboo Marc Collins Chen, solar capture. Communal and mass timber, built on Oceanix founder said, “A farming is the heart of land and then dragged small initial version could every platform, allowing

residents to embrace sharing culture and zero waste systems.” These islands would have spaces that could be used for living space, gatherings, and communal farming.

Even though Oceanix presented this to the United Nations, they still haven’t decided to join the projects. They are intending to launch the model in the New York East River, later heading to the tropical and subtropical areas, which will most likely flood first.

However, one must remember this is a backup plan. According to the National Academy of Science, “The need for urgent action to address climate change is now indisputable.”

Page 8 the daytime

6th grade students share concerns

By Madison Dewees and Cat Torosyan Some of the 6th graders at F.A. Day are worried or concerned about starting middle school or what is yet to come.

From too much homework, to not getting to class on time, 6th graders have a lot to share about their struggles.

Justin Yee, 6th grade, said “Finding my way around the school can be tough sometimes.”

The school is a big place to navigate for some of these 6th graders, and it can get tricky. Because it takes time getting to know new places, students tend to get lost, which may mean they get to class late.

Another issue some new students have been struggling with is locks.

Djaden Terwal, 6th grade, said, “It’s hard to get locks open. It’s annoying we can’t have key locks.” Lock combinations are hard to remember.

Students often have to ask for help, and they may wind up being late for class. Isabella Famadas-Case, 6th grade said, “The only problem I have are the girls’ locker rooms. They’re dirty and disgusting.” Most kids don’t want to and don’t enjoy changing in what they call a “not so pleasant area.”

Getting to class on time for new 6th

graders can be difficult.

Mayud Boursiquot, 6th grade, said, “There’s a lot of walking and we only have two minutes to get to class.”

Other students agree, Declan Levin, 6th grade, said “When you have cross team then you have to go up and

Our Community

October, 2019

Dear 6th Graders, (Some words of advice from the 8th grade)

At times things will seem too hard to deal with and might even discourage you, but here are some tips from the eighth graders to make the transition easier.

Day’s unbelievably busy hallways and it noisy cafeteria can make middle school a big change from elementary school.

With two minutes to spare, finding your way around the halls can be complicated and sometimes troublesome.

Oliver Perlo, an Isabella Dugan, grade 8, and Graham Sanger, grade 6 eighth represent the spirit of: “We are all in this together.” grader, had Photo by Sophie Matthewson this to say, “My advice to nervous sixth down stairs a lot.”

Hearing from some of graders on how to get to the students at F.A Day your classes fast is to stay to the right, don’t stop to that there are things talk to your friends, and try that kids don’t like; it to stay calm. I love you sixth becomes clear there is graders; you will do great.” a lot to take in . When As the year goes on restarting at a new school, maining organized and staystudents don’t always ing neat could seem imposfocus on the positives; sible. Eventually you might they think about the not even be able to see negatives. Anushka Datter, Sixth grade “I go the bottom of your locker.

Though this is totally norcry and eat ice-cream when I have problems.” mal, a very important part of middle school is learning Each student at F.A. how to stay neat and how Day deals with every situation differently, but to manage your time. One thing you can try so you it important to be able to vent, so that one feels aren’t carrying around an overstuffed binder is every supported.

term ask your teachers what you no longer need and so you can dispose of old worksheets. Another simple step to being organized is to always write down your homework in your planner.

Alexa Robinson, an eighth grader, said, “In sixth grade I refused to write down my homework and when I would get home I al ways forgot to do something.

It caused me a lot of stress and brought my grade down in multiple classes.” A simple way to manage your time is to make a checklist on a calendar, whiteboard, or your assignment notebook saying all the things you accomplished that day.

After you have completed everything you needed done for school you can practice those awesome Tik Tok dances you have been dying to master.

One of the best ways to make new friends and become more involved in our school community is by joining one of Day’s many clubs, theater production, or trying out for a sport.

Unfnately, sixth graders can only participate in two sports: Cross Country, which has already begun, and Track and Field. Both activities are a great way to stay active and meet new people that have similar interests as you.

Maria Filippelli, an eighth grader, said, “I did cross country because I thought it would be fun to try a new sport. I’m glad I did it because I made a lot of new friends and many of them

are still friends I have now.”

Perhaps acting, singing, or just being on stage is something you are interested in.

Cabaret and the Sixth Grade Musical are the two productions that sixth graders can be a part of. Jamie Demarest has been directing both shows for over twenty years and makes everyone feel welcome and included no matter the role you have.

If you love using clay, or want to make a difference in our school joining a club is a great idea. Anyone can be part of a club or even create their own, some options include student council, stage crew, German club and diversity club. Jenny Spertner, 8th grade, said, “Last year I did brush lettering club and loved it! I got to spend time with my friends and learn something new. I recommend that if you have the time doing a club is a great opportunity and everyone should try one.”

There are multiple things you need to survive F. A. Day but most importantly, just be yourself. Jamie Wylie, 8th grade, said, “If you have to change the way you act around people they aren’t your friends.

Middle school is where you learn who you are and everyone is special in their own way. So be yourself and everything else will go okay.”

The whole Daytime crewwishes you good luck and hopes you enjoy your Middle school career.

-DayTime Senior Editors

Have fun with local fall festivities

Photo by Jeffrey Lam

By Julia Dun Rappaport and Savannah Bond Fall is a busy season, brimming with things to do. Beth Whiddum, teaching assistant, said, “The weather is cooler, and it is beautiful with all of the colors outside.”

Here are a few things that one might want to squeeze into their itinerary.

Visiting an apple orchard is a classic fall activity. According to

thrillist.com, “Even though it’s considered one of the oldest farms in the country, Belkin Family Lookout Farm. is still kickin’ with a plentiful selection of the crispiest and sweetest apples around.” Natick, thirty minutes out of Boston, is home to Belkin has many fun activities, including live music, train rides around the orchard, and yummy food to snack on. From apples, to plums, to strawberries, to pears, this farm offers a wide range of fruit to pick.

Qiaoyun Mao, Chinese teacher, said, “We like to watch the foliage in the fall; it is my favorite activity.” One of the best places to go to see the leaves is the Boston Esplanade. According to bostondiscoveryguide.com, “The leafy Boston Esplanade, the long skinny park stretching along the Charles River from Beacon Hill to beyond Back Bay, turns into a ribbon of gold and orange in October when Boston's fall foliage begins to reach its peak.”

George Hill Orchards, in Lancaster, is the perfect spot for this festive picking pumpkins. According to www.countryliving.com, “Pick pumpkins to your hearts’ content, then enjoy far-reaching views of the New England hills while snacking on fresh-from-theoven pie.” They also have many

farm animals to see and play with Pumpkinfest; a big celebration of Halloween with pumpkin carving, storytelling and delicious treats, is taking place on Saturday, October 26.

In nearby Needham, Volante Farms is hosting this pumpkin-filled experience that helps Boston Children’s hospital. Dine on warm apple cider, doughnuts and other homemade delights while staring out at the hills teeming with flowers and other vegetation. Families can carve pumpkins and hear wonderful stories.

All of these activities illustrate that autumn in Massachusetts is a wonderful time of year. Natalie Richards, seventh grade, said, “I like fall because there are fun activities, holidays, and good food.”

Halloween

page 9

October,2019

“Ghosting” ADDS thrills and chills to late October

By Editor Sophia Mitchell and Nell Ranalli “Ding-dong!”

One hears the doorbell ring, jumps off the couch, and races to the front door. Swinging it open, a glimpse of a hooded figure sprinting down the sidewalk disappears into the bushes, and a Ziplock bag full of Hershey’s, M&M’s, Starbursts, and a ripped up piece of paper reading the words “You have been ghosted!” lays on the front porch. One has been ghosted, but this is the playful kind that kids enjoy doing during the month of October.

Ghosting stretches Halloween so kids can feel the spooky spirit for more than only one evening, and provides anticipation

for the rush of Halloween night.

Ling Silverstein, 6th grade, said, “I like ghosting because it’s fun to know that you’re doing something nice, but leaving a mystery to it.

It’s also nice to feel like you might get something in return.” Even though ghosting is a spooky Halloween activity that can sometimes become competitive, it is a kind thing to gift someone with candy or other treats.

Candy isn’t the only thing kids like to deliver; they get creative. Fun little gifts like toys and chips are also presents you can look forward to receiving around Halloween. Sometimes the game gets taken to the next level, like seventh grader Marina Guzzi, an avid ghoster, who said, “One time my brother and

I ghosted our friends with toilet paper. In return, we got rotten tomatoes.”

Along with ghosting comes many fun stories that people love to share.

Caitlin Riordan, 7th grade, said, “One time I ghosted the wrong house, and someone opened the door, and I had no idea who it was. Turns out it was my friend’s neighbor who I didn’t know at all.” Michaela George.7th grade, had her own funny ghosting experience. “I was at my friends house when we heard the doorbell ring. We opened the door and saw a bunch of kids doing tree poses on the lawn.”

Some kids have certain strategies to help them succeed in not being caught while ghosting.

Some examples of this are wearing dark clothes that

blend into the night such as black, dark green, or navy blue.

Others may plan out hiding spots prior to the ghost, or come prepared with friends so they can split up the jobs, such as ringing the doorbell and throwing the bag of candy onto the porch. These strategies may prevent the ghoster’s from being caught or being visible from their hiding Dramatic Re-enactment spot. Some kids just Photo by Nell Ranalli drop the candy, ring the doorbell, and take like dominos, continuing off. Strategies can differ to spread across different based on the ghoster’s neighborhoods. This carpersonal opinion. ries on until the HallowGhosting creates an een spirit has been laid to ongoing cycle. When rest for another year. one ghost a friend, they, Ghosting expands the fun in turn, ghost another of Halloween and allows friend, who goes on to neighbors to bond in a also ghost a friend! It’s spooky way.

SCARIEST

By Emma Keohane and John O’Donovan Halloween may seem like one of the most fun holidays of the year, but some don’t know the dangers of this day.

According to nsc.org, “Children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year.”

Although car accidents are the main problem on Halloween, there are other hazards.According to timemagazine.com, “... common Halloween injuries include eye wounds from sharp objects and burns from flammable costumes.”

There are many ways to avoid these hazards, though. Leah Gelfand, seventh grade, said, “Make sure you stay in the area you know. I make sure candy is wrapped.” Never accept

candy that looks like icould have been modified. There are many easy ways to ensure one’s safety this Halloween. Michaela George, 7th grade, said, “Stay with your group, don’t split up. Stay together the whole time.” According to safekids.org, “Choose face paint and makeup whenever possible instead of masks, which can obstruct a child’s vision.”

Melanie Hoermann, substitute teacher, had this to say: “Always have something reflective or glowing, always stay together, don’t leave anyone behind.” Michael Harding, Assistant Principal, said, “Always trick or treat with someone else, with a friend or a crowd.”

If these tips are used, it should be a fun (and safe) night for everyone.

Photo by Ryan Chao

By Andrew Luu and Ryan Chao Halloween is a time for overflowing bags of candy, hiding in blankets as the suspense of horror thrillers fill the TV screen, and for these most notable Halloween symbols to start popping out from the shadows after a long year in the dark.

Jack-O-Lanterns The history of the Jacko-Lantern originally came from Ireland.

In fact, they did not use pumpkins but instead they carved faces into the turnips. The reason for this came from the story of “Stinging Jack”. According to history.com, the Irish tale describes Jack’s encounter with the devil, where he invited devil for drinks. Jack, being cheap, convinces the devil to turn himself into a gold coin to pay for the drink. Instead of paying for drinks, he pockets the coin. He told the devil that he would only free him if he promised to not take his soul after death. The devil agreed, and when Jack died, God denied him access to heaven, while the devil didn’t let him into hell, but gave him a burning coal to help him see. Jack put the coal in a hollowed out turnip

and used it to light his way, bound to wander the earth forever as a doomed soul. This continued into Halloween when the Irish came to America and the pumpkins here were easier to carve than hard turnips.

Witches Witches are wart-nosed beings, portrayed as performing dark magic to turn innocent human beings into frogs. The earliest record of witches according to history.com, was written down around as early as 931-721 B.C.E. During the 1400s, witches began to be labeled, and witch hysteria ensued. Many people accused these ‘witches’, of torture and dark magic, which led to many being put to death, although many were simply women living alone and working as herbalists and healers, which threatened the profits of local doctors, who sought to stop the competition. The dark history of witches continue to fascinate people.

Vampires The first account of a vampire-like being was Vlad III Dracula or Vlad the impaler. He was

famous for impaling his enemies with large wooden poles, sometimes, even alive. According to legend He would then set up a dinner table and have a casual meal around the dead bodies. He was known to have washed his hands in blood before eating, and may have actually drunk blood.

Bram Stoker named his infamous character “Dracula” after Vlad III., connecting the two in people’s minds. The idea of vampires was further enforced when people in the 18th century found scratches or even attempts of escape from coffins that had been dug up. According to halloween express. com, the people of that time did not have appropriate medical technology, so that they would often diagnose people to be dead when in reality they were not. This often leads to people being buried alive and trying to escape.

Some diseases of the time included the symptoms of becoming sensitive to sunlight, thin skin, and a repulsion to garlic. This scared people even more than Count Dracula, for people suspected that those in their community with such symptoms might not be human, but actually vampire.

10 the daytime

sea turtles?

Environmental Science

October, 2019

Polar Bears are in trouble

Say NO to plastic straws

By Editor Marina Guzzi and Maddison Minella The Sea Turtle Conservancy estimates that about 200 million marine animals die each year from plastic, and out of all of the sea turtles in the world, half have plastic in their system. Many marine animals mistake the straw for eels or other food, and digest it. When the plastic in their bodies, digestive tracts get blocked, causing them to starve, or become bloated, making them float and easier for predators to get them.

Whether one is looking to save the turtles or not, many are abandoning the use of plastic straws to live a more waste-free lifestyle.

Rachel Reynolds, 7th grade, said this about plastic straws. “It’s just extra plastic that's going to waste for no reason.”

One of the most popular alternatives are metal straws.

According to Medical Daily, “With the rise of the zero-waste lifestyle, more and more people are condemning the use of plastic straws and are using reusable ones instead to help save the environment.”

Plastic is not biodegradable, meaning that since it was invented in 1938, every piece of it is still here in some form. Plus, according to sailorsforthesea.org, almost every year “...straws are consistently on the top 10 lists for marine debris collected every year during the International Coastal Cleanup. It is estimated that Americans use a whopping 500 million straws per day, a number that, end to end,

could circle the planet 2.5 times.”

Jim Thompson, guidance counselor said, “I use a metal straw.

I take one when I go out to eat.”

Bringing one to a restaurant is an easy way to cut down on more plastic and save more animals. According to starbucks.com, the brand, “... anticipates the move will eliminate more than one billion plastic straws per year from Starbucks stores.” In any drink, it would be a cardboard or compostable straw. For some drinks, they may offer a strawless lid, which they have started using for iced coffees. At fast food shops plastic straws also seem to appear. For example, McDonalds and Burger King have plastic straws given out when asked for a beverage. Some choose to refuse and just ask for no straw at all.

Leah Gelfand, 7th grader, expressed her feelings on metal straws, “I use a reusable plastic straw or no straw at all.

I don't like the way metal straws feel.” If one prefers not to use a metal straw but still wants to protect the environment, there are many alternatives. One popular substitute is a silicone straw, which are softer feeling. Glass straws are another option. They are easy to clean since they’re dishwasher-safe, but prone to breaking. Bamboo straws work too, but can be hard to clean, and some people complain about the aftertaste.

Lastly, one could opt for no straw at all. It’s free and doesn’t harm the environment at all.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

By Malia Thompson-Leong Willa Gaebler Emily Nie Polar bears are being affected by global warming every single minute of the day. According to nationalgeographic.com, “...there are fewer than 22,000 polar bears left in the wild, making them vulnerable. Polar bears need time on land, because if they are in water for too long, they will drown.”

Dena Cator, of the IUCN’s Species Survival Sommission, said, “There is a high risk of extinction and the threat is serious. They are iconic and beautiful species that is extremely important to indigenous communities. But changes to their sea ice habitat are already being seen as a result of climate change.”

Another effect of the sea ice melting is that the bears must go longer without food, relying only on fat reserves to keep them alive.

Since sea ice is melting because of global warming, they must travel farther in the water to find seals. With less food, there will be

fewer cubs; with less cubs, polar bears will be extinct sooner or later. It’s important to have sea ice because seals make up 95% of their diet. .

If polar bears go extinct, the seal population would grow, because seals are polar bears main food source. And, if the seal population grew, the fish population would decrease almost immediately. With fish dying out, it would affect many more species, including humans and sharks. The polar bears are so hungry that they are moving closer to human civilization. When humans and bears make contact, it will hurt either the humans or the bears. In conclusion, the effect of polar bears going extinct would severely affect us humans in many crucial ways of living. According to a recent article in the Washington Post, “The bears on land are also more likely to interact with humans. After all, to a starving bear, a human is just meat.”

Even though it may not look that way, by saving polar bears, we are saving ourselves.

Biodegradable Plastic does NOT d i s i n t e g ra t e as promised

By Editor Jeffrey Lam and Alexander Newman-Stier

A major problem that our generation is currently facing is plastic and waste management, and even though people may think that they are helping out, it may not be doing anything at all to help. According to conservingnow. com, “Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That comes out to over one million per minute. Billions end up as litter each year.” There is a material that would seemingly significantly help in reducing this problem. It would have the same usage as plastic, while also having extra environmentally friendly benefits. This material is biodegradable plastic,

but some things are just too good to be true.

According to pepctplastics. com, “Biodegradable plastics are made from all-natural plant materials. These can include corn oil, orange peels, starch, and plants. Traditional plastic is made with chemical fillers.” This seems beneficial to the environment as it breaks down chemically instead of just physically breaking down into smaller pieces which can still harm fish and other animals, but if chemically broken down it can be digested by cells and reused by plants and other animals.

However, there is a critical flaw with biodegradable plastic.

According to eradicateplastic. com, “Biodegradable plastic is designed to decay at temperatures

above 50°C, which means it is not going to biodegrade if it enters the ocean. In fact, it’s not going to biodegrade anywhere other than in specialist facilities.”

In comparison, Death Valley, the hottest place on Earth has the average temperature is 41° Celsius (105.8° Fahrenheit). This

means that biodegradable plastic can only decompose down in special facilities and will essentially remain as plastic anywhere else.

Biodegradable plastic is a step in the right direction, but is far from being perfect. As long as it is littered, it will pose the same hazards as regular plastic.

Image Source: Unsplash.com

11 the daytime

Technology

October, 2018

Learn about “skeuomorphism” in tech design; it has a literally shady past

By Editor Andy Zhou

The latest iOS 13 retains a certain function that has remained since the first iOS’s release in 2007. When using the default camera app on an iPhone with the ringer turned on, taking a photo will play the sound of a mechanical shutter. This is unnecessary, as phone cameras possess none of the technology that makes an authentic shutter sound.

This feature is called a “skeuomorph”, in computing defined by the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary as, “symbols or other objects on a computer screen that look or sound like a physical object in order to suggest their purpose.”

Skeuomorphs are omnipresent in digital interfaces. They include images of floppy discs to represent saving, or icons of shopping carts to suggest the function of proceeding to checkout. Skeuomorphs are

important details, helping users comprehend what they can do by using easy to understand symbols that resemble familiar things. Besides symbols of real life objects, according to whatis.techtarget.com, “In UI and Web design, skeuomorphism attempts to create three dimensional effects on a 2-D surface…typically with shadowing, highlights and some degree of detail.” Even making text appear three dimensional or adding shadows can also be considered skeuomorphism, because of the similarities to realistic objects.

Skeuomorphism has been on the decline, though. Many older versions of logos from the 2000s such as the logos of Google, Instagram, Doritos, and most other companies used skeuomorphic shadows and gradients. However, on September 18, 2013, Apple released iOS 7, and on October 17 of the same year, Microsoft released Windows 8.

Both of these interfaces switched out the previously skeuomorphic designs for simple two dimensional graphics, usually referred to as flat design.

At first this change was seen with much backlash from users. That year, Mashable released an article complaining about the iOS update. According to mashable.com in the article “The 11 Worst Things About iOS 7”, “The user interface has gone completely flat, so apps look a lot less like actual buttons. We miss the subtle depth provided by previous iOS versions that made it seem like we weren't just tapping the screen.” Other complaints in the article similarly attacked the new interface for being unintuitive and hard to navigate.

Despite the initial

backlash to the change, most people have gotten used to flat design. Flat design has many advantages over the more traditional skeuomorphism.

Flat design has a cleaner, less cluttered look. It allows designers to create more abstract and creative designs without being restrained to realism. Flat design’s lack of shadows and reflections makes it take less time to create, and also makes it easily resizable. Although flat design is the newer, more dominant style, skeuomorphism should be remembered for its intuitiveness that guided the earlier group of tech users.

New Live Action Disney Movies put exciting twists on childhood favorites, but not everyone is a fan

By Editors Sophie Mathewson and Samantha Kaplan Disney has started to produce live action versions of some of their more popular animated movies, including Dumbo, Aladdin, and The Lion King. While some of the new films have many characteristics, including plots, which are similar to the originals, others have had changes. Due to these changes and some other factors, the public has had mixed opinions regarding whether or not the original or new movies have better quality.

One Disney animated movie remake was Dumbo, the story of a circus elephant separated from his mother, whose enormous wings enable him to fly.

Although this movie was originally a very warm, child friendly film, some viewers found the more dark side of the film refreshing and unique. However, many critics have claimed it to be a “chilly” movie, lacking emotional sensitivity. Rachel Kaplan said, “Although I love elephants, the new Dumbo just didn’t live up to high enough standards. ” Overall, the original Dumbo got more pristine reviews and was more appealing to audienc-

es.

Another Disney movie revival was Aladdin, following the tale of a young thief in Arabia who meets a magical genie in a bottle, offering to grant him three wishes. Eighth grader ZZ Sayeed said, “In the new Aladdin, the costumes and setting were really good but I personally thought the plot changes and the music weren’t as good as the original movie.”

Other attempts to improve the political correctness in this movie from the original are evident, including the key plot change emphasizing the sexism in government and having the female protagonist be more focusing on leading rather than romance.

The latest Disney movie remake is The Lion King, the adventure of a young lion named Simba who struggles with the responsibility that comes with inheriting the kingdom. Although this movie may not be considered a real “live action film” (the characters are all entirely computer animated), this revival certainly has a much more realistic vibe than the original cartoon movie. Eighth grader Noa Amir said “A very emotional movie; it was super touching and it’s one of my alltime favorites. It was even

Many found the more “realistic” version of the classic Dumbo less heartfelt Image source: slashfilm.com better than the original.”

The Lion King is loosely based off of Hamlet, with an evil, murderous uncle attempting to steal the throne, and the newer version has been noted to be have Shakespeare-esque themes than its predecessor.

According to the Washington Post, “There’s something about this “Lion King,” which, like the original, has its narrative roots in “Hamlet,” that feels so much more Shakespearean and… so much more tragic. Here, the death of a beloved character, one whose fur looks so real you could pet it, is that much harder to take.”

The feedback on the new live

action Disney movies has been varied, although the general consensus has been that the more realistic feeling of the remakes have made the themes feel more mature and emotionally difficult to handle, causing some viewers to find them less appealing than their cartoon versions.

Eighth grader Jennifer Lutchen said, “As much as I liked the new version, I think the original one is timeless, has great animation, and is just all around better. It will always be the one people think of when you say ‘The Lion King’ the original just has that kid friendly vibe and in the end I think it’s the better one.”

Arts and Entertainment

12 The daytime

Shakespearean tragedy comes to the Day stage

Imagesource:publicdomainvectors.com

By Gaia Hazan and Ava Weyhrauch This year F. A. Day students are putting on Hamlet by the famous William Shakespeare. The students are working hard and having fun rehearsing for the play.

Jessica McGettrick, Day’s drama teacher, explained why she chose this play. “Hamlet is a classic people who haven't even read will quote it. So, why not go for it?”

Julian Jenson, an 8th grader who will be playing the role of Laertes, described his biggest challenge as, “...trying to memorize my lines quickly, and memorizing the blocking [how one stands to be seen by the audience] at home.”

Raven Bellson, an 8th grader, playing the role of Horatio, said,“I guess the hardest part is trying to understand what Shakespeare's intentions were for each line.”

There are challenges to bringing

Shakespeare to younger audiences. McGettrick said; “Shakespeare’s language is a heightened way of speaking that certainly doesn’t sound to modern ears like the way we speak to each other today. However, the feelings and reactions and needs that we try to communicate are all the same as they were 400 years ago. We look at the context clues and figure out the subtext of what the character needs to say. We try putting it in our voices and vocabularies, and find the physicality of that moment - and then put the Shakespearean text as a final layer!”

Lucia Campbell, an 8th grader, playing the role of Voltimand, said, “...It kinda forced me to practice and I’ve made a lot of friendships!”

McGettrick said that, “I can’t wait for audiences to see the show!

It’s been a favorite of mine with students and the cast is top notch.

They are one of the biggest casts we’ve had in non-musical in a long time, and they all work so well together! The crew is fantasticright on top of everything, making it happen like magic!”

Hamlet will be performed on October 24th and 25th at 7:00pm.

October, 2019

Photo by Emma Keohane

A “local” spot for comfort foods, cozy atmosphere

By Ava Adams and Eleanor Kaplan Upon entering The Local, one mostly notices the lighting and music, which was was a bit too loud and distracting, hip-hop and rock music blaring through the restaurant. The lighting was dim, with low-lit overhead lights and candles on the tables. Despite the music, It was relaxing, if a tad too dark. The restaurant does have a cozy feel to it.

Retro photos lining the walls

give the whole place a modern and edgy vibe, being very stylish and fashion-forward. I really liked how it looked.

The appetizer we ordered, warm fries with parmesan cheese (truffle fries), was really delicious, with a lot of savory flavor. They were warm and crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. The combination of the warm fries and cheese was amazing, but the one thing that we had to add was a pinch of salt.

We ordered the Margherita pizza. The cheese was melty and everything was sprinkled with little bits of greens. As I dug in, the crust tasted so moist and fresh with the smooth cheese on top, while the crust on the edges was crunchy and salty on the outside, although soft and rich on the inside. The whole pizza was just fantastic.

For the other main course we ordered the Italian sausage and chips. The chips were so fresh and warm. They had the perfect amount of savory flavor. The sausages were also good,served with a

generous amount of onions and peppers on top.

The dessert that we shared was a warm skillet cookie drenched in ganache and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It was a perfect chocolate chip cookie, warm and melty on the inside and

perfectly crispy on the outside.

The ice cream was so refreshing, being a great contrast to the warm cookie.

When we ordered our food it came in about 15-20 minutes. Our waitress was super nice and helpful. “ If you need any more time,Ii'll wait,” she said. I think that the people who work there are nice in general.

They would re- fill our water without us even asking. She would also check in on us. The bill wasn't too much; we thought it was reasonable.

We had one of the best dinners ever, and I would totally go back there again.

There was a parking lot right across the street from the local and you could also park in front.

The Local is a great place to go for comfort foods and we really recommend it.

Photos by Ava Adams and Eleanor Kaplan

Trending Now

13 The daytime

Fall in to

fresh f all fas

hion!

October, 2019

Hip, Hip, Hooray for Hydroflasks! steel and a powder coat

By Editor Leela Garg and Ella Pachus

Daytime journalists take a moment to enjoy the crisp fall air and bright foliage in comfy sweaters in autumnal tones. Photo by Skye Bentis

By Skye Bentis and Kathryn Fine Along with the delicious fall flavors and cozy vibes comes new fall fashion and styles. Popular fashions often change by the season and new fall styles are a good time to pull out a cozy sweater, some fuzzy boots, and go jump in the colorful, crunchy leaves.

The fall 2019 color palette is a mix of reds, yellows, and browns, according to the website Glowsy, “...a mixture of deep, creamy yellows like Butterscotch and Dark Cheddar, along with soft, nutty browns like Sugar Almond and Hazel.” These colors would go perfectly together in almost any outfit, but if one is going for a more vibrant look, some of the popular shades of red are Chilli Pepper and Summer Fig. This fall, many stylists are suggesting a simple but pretty nail look; which consists of clear nail polish with a design on top.

A popular design to get on your nails is vibrant flames or abstract patterns, which are simple but

colorful and give a boring outfit some flare. Anyone’s nails could make or break their outfit look so choose something that goes with your style.

Most students just want to be comfortable, especially at school.

Big faux fur, fuzzy jackets are becoming a fashionable and comfortable “go to” for many, 7th grader Sydney Winton said, “I love faux fur coats because they are really warm and comfortable.”

Many people wear them to add flare to the outfit while still being warm and cozy at the same time.

Many students would pair a fuzzy coat with a simple t-shirt and leggings and some warm boots or sneakers.

As students walk down the hallways one may have noticed many students wearing jeans with big sweaters. This cute combo can be perfect to keep warm on a breezy fall day or in cold classrooms. The jackets can style any sweater with a pair of blue or black jeans and some cozy boots.

Camo green jackets are yet

Hydro Flasks are having a moment. These popular water bottles seem to be almost everywhere.

Sophia Dukakis, 7th grader, said, “I think Hydro Flasks are popular because a couple people got them, and then a lot more people did because they thought the water bottles were trendy. I personally like my Hydro Flask only because it keeps my water super cold.”

Many students around F.A. Day can be seen holding a Hydro Flask. There are many perks to Hydro Flasks that help make them so popular. There are many different types of Hydro Flasks with different colored bottles and lids which can all be customized to one’s taste.

Rachel Reynolds, 7th grader, said, “Hydro Flasks are really great water bottles for school, sports, trips or anything. They hold ice really well and keep things hot when you need it. Having a custom one is great because the boot on the bottom is rubber, so it helps to not dent it. Also, you can pick up to 4 colors, not 1.Thay have more options for colors as well.”

Hydro Flasks use stainless another comfy option that is becoming stylish this fall. This dark shade of green is perfect for any fall look, blending in with the browns and greens of nature.

It's a clean look to one’s outfit that makes it look like they tried harder than they actually did on their look. The jackets look perfect with a black and white striped t-shirt and some deep blue jeans.

Shoes are a good way to put together an outfit and make it feel like you. Right now, many simple white and black shoes are trending. Madison Minella, 7th grade, said,”The Nike Air Force Ones look good with any outfit

ed finish to help make their water bottles look good, but they also focus on keeping drinks at the temperature people want. According to hydroflask.com, “Used in every product we make, TempShield is our double wall vacuum insulated technology that guards the temperature of someone’s drink.

Also there will be no condensation or heat transfer outside of the water bottle.” Hydro Flasks can keep drinks cold for 24 hours and beverages hot for 6. Also, the bottle has 18/8 prograde steel that prevents flavor transfer which means one’s drink will not taste like the flavor of the drink previously held by the bottle.

Although many people like Hydro Flasks, many may wonder if they are worth their price. Taylor Frohn, 7th grader, said, “I think Hydro Flasks are overpriced because they are a lot more money than some other water bottles. I do not think they are worth the money even though the quality is significantly higher.” A Hydro Flask is around 30-60 dollars, while a Swell bottle is 25-45 dollars. Camelbak water bottles are 12-40 dollars.

Regardless of their price, Hydro Flasks seem to be one of the many current trends. and their super comfortable.”

Those sneakers along with simple white Adidas with the three black stripes. When looking for a more comfy shoe for running, Adidas Ultra Boost are trendy and very convenient. If one wants to be simple, another option is just plain black and white Nikes which are a cozy and affordable shoe.

Fall is the perfect time of year to wear comfortable clothing without being loaded with layers. This year’s fashion trends will get one in the mood of fall and ready for warm hot chocolate and colorful fall leaves.

Op/Ed

14 the daytime

Should letter grades be a thing of the past?

An Editorial by Charlee Beaino and Emma Xiao

Every term, students dread the day that their report cards get sent out. Pehaps it is because they are worried about their parents’ reaction, or maybe it is the stress of the demeaning way their math grade looks to them. They could feel it might determine how “smart” they are. Given these reactions, should letter grades be replaced with a less complicated system, like percentages, or even removed completely?

One reason why grades should be removed is that it takes a bit of stress off of schoolwork and may help a majority of students enjoy school more.

According to NeaToday, education expert Alfie Kohn, author of Punished by Rewards and Schooling Beyond Measure said, “Research shows [that] kids who are graded – and have been encouraged to try to improve their grades – tend to lose interest in the learning itself, avoid challenging tasks whenever possible (in order to maximize the chance of getting an A), and think less

deeply than every letter. kids who Percentages aren’t gradare more ed.” Oscar accurate, Bohnenkamp, so instead a 7th gradof having a er at F. A. letter grade Day Middle like a B School, said, which can “[Grades] put vary from pressure on an 80-89, people to do percent‘outstandages give ing’ work at students what they an exact do at school. number Numbered which overgrades are all is more simpler.” Othsuitable. er students Rebecalso agree ca Healy, Grades may cause stress and decrease that number a seventh motivation, according to some studies. grades are grade Dramatic re-enactment photo by Emma Xiao easier to unEnglish derstand. teacher at Day said, “I’ve always Sydney Winton, 7th grade, struggled with letter grades said, “I feel like letter grades because letter grade systems can be confusing. Some people assume that all students should might not know what an A is, or meet the same standards and are what a B is.” Letter grades are at the same level. Every kid in percentages in the form of letters my class comes in with different which are not as convenient as sets of skills, which is challengother alternatives because there ing because what we use is like a is a large range of numbers for ‘one size fits all’ system. I would

Newtonville, MA 02460 Distribution:1,100 Affiliation: Columbia University Scholastic Press Association

2019 Crown Critique Gold Medalist

Our mission statement:

The purpose of the Daytime is to represent and embrace the diversity of our school’s community, create an outlet for student opinions, and to inform our readers of current news, trends, and social issues. The Daytime staff believes in expressing our students’ unique personalities through their hard work and dedication, supporting academic and extracurricular excellence.

We at the Daytime are interested in our readers thoughts, suggestions, and questions.

Contact: catherine_hartzel@newton.k12.ma.us

prefer to have a progress monitor or narrative feedback so that the grade given is against the student.”

Other students have different preferences; they believe letter grades are the way to go. Students might appreciate looking at their grades as they feel accomplished with the work they have done, and are more straightforward. According to Seattlepi.com, “Public schools have been using report cards and letter grades to record student achievement for many years. New scoring systems, like standards-based grading, have not yet proven their long-term effectiveness.”

However, some teachers feel more comfortable sticking with what has worked before.

It would be helpful if for every grade there were a few sentences describing how the student is doing. Yes, it is more work for the already extremely busy teachers, but it is beneficial for the growth of students.

Even though letter grades have been used for a long time and have worked for the most part, trying something new that is similar won’t be a big problem; it

Jack Eagan 6th Grade William Fine Reporters Tenley Hanson Senior Editors Joann Lin Ava Adams Isabel Salgado Shira Lobron Henry Amenhauser Isabella Dugan Andrew Luu Nina Bakal Sophie Matthewson Alex Newman-Stier Brooke Bennett Senior Layout Maille O’Neil Alara Bhatia Editor: Max Reimann Norah Boyle Lillie Salgado Sonya Valkova Mariana ChangoLayout Linda Xue Gusset Editors 7th Grade Nicole D’Alfonso Isabella Acosta Reporters Madison Dewees Elana Kosmas News/Feature Jackson Barmettler Peter Edwards Charlee Beaino Julia Feng Editors Nadia Belfort LIza Friedman Elan Cohen Skye Bentis Willa Gaebler Julia Dun Rappaport Emily Bruce Gaia Hazan Zoe Finamore Julia Dun Rappaport Eleanor Kaplan Nika Grusby Sol Feiguin Jonah Kelly Marina Guzzi Antonio Feng Alex Kuai Sophie Mitchell Kathryn Fine Eric Lam Samantha Kaplan Kylee Hill Emily Nie Jeffrey Lam Julia Josephson Abigail Seeley Eva Skelding Emma Keohane Gabriel Sequist Andy Zhou Gabriel Kolodner Margaret Sinnet Business Isabella Lubbe-Lynch Malia ThompsonManagement Madison Minella Leong Fanny Mathieu John O’Donovan Catherine Torosyn 8th Grade Ella Pachus Aanya Vishwanath Reporters Celine Pechyoni Ava Weyhrauh Tamar Arons-Brann Eleanor Ranalli Eda Ay Lorelai Steiner Ryan Chao Eric Su Sam Chase Kate Urdaneta Filip Dukovski Emma Xiao

Adviser:

Catherine Hartzel

Frank Ashley Day Middle School 21 Minot Place

October, 2019

15

the daytime

Sports

October, 2019

Tackle Football is banned in Newton middle schools..but why?

By Henry Amenhauser and Gabe Sequist This year, F.A. Day Middle School and the other Newton Public Middle Schools have banned tackle football.

Jamie Wylie, former wide receiver for the F.A Day Middle School tackle football team shared his thoughts in a recent interview. “It makes sense for it being banned; I remember a couple of teammates being injured. I respect the decision of banning tackle football, but it was quite fun.”

According to an article by Chris Nowinski, “Estimations show that children as young as nine are getting hit in the head more than 500 times in one season of youth tackle football. Even healthy NFL players in their prime are retiring to lower the risk of concussions from repetitive head impacts.”

C.T.E., which stands for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, is a disease in your brain caused by a lot of repetitive head injuries. People with CTE can have memory

more and more schools stopped letting kids play the game.”

The good news for students who like football is that there are several alternatives in the Newton area. For example, students that want to play tackle football can play for the Newton Mustangs.

In addition, Day Middle School started a flag football team that plays after school in the fall. It is open to both boys and girls in sixth through eighth grade.

In conclusion, the Studies show concussions can cause lasting physical and mental loss of the football team health issues, and may be worse for those who play high-collision will affect many memsports at a young age.

Photo source: Public Domain Images bers of the Day Middle loss, confusion, and impulsive started playing later in life.

School and will be unfortunate and aggressive behavior. Dr. Daytime journalists interfor those who still would like Ann McKey, a neuropatholoviewed Tyler Wachtelhausen, to play. gist, studied the brains of 211 the head coach of the old F.A. However, science shows football players and learned Day Middle School tackle that it can be traumatic for that people who started playing football team for his opinion on students to be hit in the head football at a young age “...had this subject. “It’s very unformany times in a game. As a an earlier onset of cognitive, tunate that the team had to result, the banning of tackle behavior and mood sympgo. Last year I couldn’t find football could be for the good of toms,” compared to people who enough teams to play, because our community.

Day’s Clubs

16 the daytime

October, 2019

Learn About Day’s Clubs: join in on the fun

By Joann Lin, Tamar Arons-Brann, and Linda Xue

Joining a club is a great way for students to make friends, learn new things, and have a good time. The clubs at F. A. Day Middle School are all very fun and unique. With a diverse spectrum of clubs, there is one for every student.

Girls Who Code

Advisors: Laura Carlin & Joyce Kerner Room 104, Monday 2:40-4:10 This club is a place for girls of all grades to learn about computer coding and life skills. They work on empowering women, and gaining more equality in the workplace.

According to Laura Carlin, “[The Girls Who Code club is where] girls work together to create a project that solves a problem in their community using coding. [It is] for girls to come together and have fun.”

This is a good club for students who want to play a new and exciting sport that can be played indoors. According to Waka Miyashita, a student who attends Badminton Club, “[I like that] you don’t really need to rely on your teammates so you can actually hit something.” As reported by Dylan Landfear, the advisor. “I would like to get students playing a sport they might have never played before on a high level.”

Improv Club Adviser: Zachary Barr Room 314, Thursdays 2:40-4:10 Each week, the Improv club will practice improv comedy and build up knowledge while having fun.

Practice on a regular basis is mandatory, so Improv Club is great for people who want to commit to an activity. There will be two showcases, in January and June. According to Zachary Barr, “We learn techniques of improv comedy and we practice and perform improv comedy. My goal is to help students connect with one another and find the humor in all situations.

Magic the Gathering Club

Anime Club

Adviser: Melanie Hoerman Room 102, Thursdays 2:40-4:10 Here is a great opportunity for people who can’t commit to going to a club every week. Students get together to draw anime characters and watch anime movies. According to Melanie Hoerman, who will be running the club, “In the anime club, we largely will sit down and watch a movie or series that is anime. Part of the goal [for this club] is to learn about another culture which is Japanese Media.”

Ultimate Frisbee

Adviser: Dylan Landfear Meets: at tennis courtsMonday & Wednesdays 2:40-4:10 Have fun with Frisbees! This club will meet from now until the weather gets too cold, and players of all levels are welcome. According to Dylan Landfear, “[Ultimate Frisbee] is about having fun and getting outside. The goal is to maintain a competitive spirit while having fun.”

According to Mia Diana, a student who has attended Ultimate Frisbee club in the past, “I like frisbee because it is active and a fun way to spend time.”

Badminton

Advisor: Dylan Landfear Meets in the Gym Thursdays & Fridays 2:40-4:10

Photo by Tamar Arons-Brann

Photo by Tamar Arons-Brann Adviser: Michael Lynch Room 214, Wednesdays 2:40-4:10 An increasingly popular game among teenagers, Magic the Gathering is an entertaining card game for students. Mr. Lynch, one of the advisors for Magic the Gathering club said, “[This club] gives a safe space for kids after school to play. There are a variety of different ways to play Magic the Gathering, which is interesting. It is good to see face to face and interact not on a screen, people are meeting people.” Players of all abilities are welcome, and the more experienced members are willing to train students who are new to the game.

ESL (English as a Second Langage)

Homework Club Advisors: Kathy Lobo and Rita Panero Room 225, Mondays & Wednesdays 2:40-4:10 This club is a great club for students who are acquiring English. According to Katherine Lobo, one of the advisors of the ESL Homework Club, “[The students at the club] are from all over the world. [ESL Club is a great resource] to make students' lives easier, and to help them know not only the language, but also the culture. For English learners, we want them to participate in school as much as possible. [The reason I run this club is] because sometimes the people in the club don’t have anyone at home to help them.”

GSA Club

Advisor: Howie. Landau Room 106, Wednesdays before school GSA Club (Gender and Sexuality Alliance), is a club for students who want to help create a more welcoming community for members of the LGBTQ+ party. This club provides a safe space to discuss serious problems related to sexual orientation and gender identity. According to Howard Landau, “It[GSA] is open to everyone and our goal is to make the whole school a more inclusive place for everyone.

We do the Day of Silence, we have presented to faculty, and we have made a lot of posters about safe spaces around the school.”

Snowsports Club

Advisor: Mark Murphy Wachusetts Mountain Ski Area Wednesdays 3:00-8:00 Starting in 01/20 Every winter, 95 students from any grade go on a six trip sequence to Wachusett Mountain Ski Area. The club is open to all levels of skiers and snowboarders, and there are lessons provided for beginners. There are additional fees for this club that are required to cover transportation, lift tickets, and rentals/lessons (when applicable). According to Mark Murphy, “Ski and Snowsports club is a great way to stay active in the winter months. [It is] very popular with first time novices all the way up to very experienced skiiers.”

Sign ups begin in late October / November. There are 6 Wednesday trips taking place on (1/2, 1/9, 1/16,1/23, 1/30, 2/13)

Lettering Club

Advisor Sara Marx Room 229, Mondays, 2:40-4:10 Students can learn the basics of lettering and work on many projects at Lettering Club. According to Sara Marx, “Kids come to lettering club to learn about different ways to do creative lettering.

All of the kids work on bullet notebooks and share [their work with peers]. No experience is needed.”

Stage Crew Club

Adviser: Jessica McGettrick Room 110, Mornings, Day 6 This club is for students who are interested in participating in stage crew for the 4 theatrical productions. According to Jessica McGettrick, “In Stage Crew Club, everyone gets trained on the equipment, and learn about designs, and also routines that would support productions, here, or elsewhere. [Our goal is for the students] to know what they’re doing. And be able to support not just the shows, but the school community as well.”