My name is Faith Sendldorfer. I worked on the cover for this edition! My favorite colors are blue and teal. My favorite sport is basketball, and my favorite subject is math. I also do many sports around the school- like basketball and cross country.
My name is Efua Poku, and I am in the 7th grade. This is my second year writing for the newspaper. I love dancing and ELA. I am a participant in many clubs like: NJHS, Play, Fashion, BSU, and Morning Announcements. It was really fun working on the St. Mark Style article of the Paw Print.
Hi. I am Ryan West. I am in the Seventh Grade and in: the Drama Club, Safety Program, Morning Announcements, Basketball, BSU, Improv, Fashion Club, Choir, and Student Council. I love to read and write. My favorite color is blue. I am so excited to be in the Newspaper Club and share information about St.Mark School.
Hello, my name is Laila Salley. I am so glad I got to be in the Newspaper Club. I am a seventh grader at St. Mark School. I worked on a part of Christmas Around the World with Libby, Cecilia, and France in the Newspaper Club. I do a lot around the school such as: Safeties, Green Team, Morning Announcements, Fashion Club, Digital Media, BSU (Black Student Union), and more!
Hello! My name is Amanda Abdul-Saboor, and I take part in the writing of this newsletter. I am in seventh grade, and this is my 3rd year here. I take part in many other clubs such as: Black Student Union, Drama, National Junior Honors Society, and Fashion Clubs. I am the girl who drew the Archdiocese of Baltimore logo! My favorite hobbies are drawing and crochet.
My name is Mary Champagne, and I am an 8th grader. I am 13 years old, and I have attended St. Mark since Pre-K 4. My favorite color is purple. I enjoy baking. I am on the swim team. I'm in NJHS, BSU, and Newspaper.
My name is Erin Moylan, and I am in 8th grade. I like science and math. I like classical music and the color green. Also, I have been to St. Mark since kindergarten. I play the piano too.
Hello! My name is Nadia Cy’mon Watkins. I am in 8th Grade, and I have been attending St. Mark since 4th grade. I am a writer for the Paw Print. I play soccer, and I am on the swim team. My likes are music and drawing. This is my first year in Digital Media, and I am very excited to be in the club!
Hello! My Name is Payton Pilone, and I am a writer for the Paw Print. I am in the 8th grade, and I have been at St. Mark since 6th grade. I was in the Yearbook Club last year, and I am now in the Newspaper Club. My favorite colors are pink and black. My favorite subjects are English and math. I enjoy: writing, volleyball, and reading.
Hello! My name is Jade Wilson. I am in the 7th grade. This is my 3rd year of attending St. Mark School. Besides Digital Media, I also participate in: BSU, Fashion Club, Drama Club, Safety, and a few more. I am also a cheerleader, and I am looking forward to playing basketball next year. I’m a straight A student and enjoy school and participating in extracurricular activities.
Hi! My name is Hanna Nguyen. I am a seventh grade student, and this is my third year here. I did Student Interests with Mary. I enjoy listening to music and making origami. I participate in some clubs such as: The Green Team, School Safety, and Digital Media Club. It is first year here in this club, and I am happy to be a part of it!
Hi! My name is Amelia Barney, and I’m in the 7th grade. This is my third year at Saint Mark, and my first year in Digital Media. I’m also in: BSU(Black Student Union), Fashion Club, Safety, etc. I’m a very versatile person. I play the piano and drums. I play basketball, soccer, and the list just goes on and on!
Hello! My name is Riley Smith. I love being with friends and family. I play basketball, and I am very good at it. My favorite color is purple. I have a cat named Nellie, and I have a dog named Jax. I loooove my family! I really like donuts.
Hi I’m Alyssa Caruso, a 7th grade writer for Digital Media. I have been here ever since Pre-K. This is my second year doing Digital Media Club (Yearbook portion) and my first year doing Newspaper. I do many clubs at St. Mark like: Drama, NJHS, Improv Club, and many more. I also play sports like: Basketball, Soccer, and Cross Country. My hobbies/ likes are: drawing, sports, and Boba!
Hi, I'm Julia Doran, a seventh grader who joined St. Mark’s this year. My favorite color is purple, and chocolate is my absolute favorite food. Besides being involved in Digital Media, I also participate in: choir, It's Academic, Drama, and Improv Club. I'm looking forward to continuing my writing journey this year, and I hope you enjoy reading this article.
Hi, I'm Leila Plummer, a writer for the 2023-2024 school newspaper. I'm in 7th Grade and have been going here since 6th grade. This is my first year doing a yearbook club. I do different things outside the Newspaper/ Yearbook Club like: Band, BSU, Fashion Club, Theatre, Improv Club, and Safeties after school. Besides those clubs, I do dance as after school.
Hi, I'm Leah Herring, I'm a seventh grader here at St. Mark School. I've been at St Mark for about 3 years. I play basketball and soccer, and I'm a part of a few clubs. The clubs I am in are Green Team, Digital Media, and Black Student Union (BSU)! All of the clubs I'm in are wonderful, and I hope to join more next year. I love to hang out at the mall with friends and watch movies with family. Digital Media is a great club, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a club to join!
My name is Onyinye Igbanugo. I'm in sixth grade and play basketball and volleyball. I have been at St.Mark since first grade and have made many friends and made great memories here. I’m in many different clubs such as: NJHS, Fashion Club, BSU, Battle of the Books, Rosary Club, and many more. Working on the newspaper is so much fun and pushes me out of my comfort zone.
Hi, I’m Maya Scott. I am in seventh grade and attend St Mark School. I have been at St Mark for almost 3 years. I play basketball, and I am a part of some clubs such as: NJHS, Green Team, and now Digital Media. I love all of the clubs I’m in, and will hopefully join more! I like to hang out with my friends and family. I hope everyone likes the newspaper and maybe would want to become a part of it!
Hello! My Name is Payson Simms, I’m a sixth grader here at St.Mark School. This is my first year attending St. Mark. I do cheer and run track here and there, and I am in a few clubs as well. The clubs that I am a part of are the Black Student Union (BSU), Digital Media, and Fashion Club, plus I’m a safety. All of the clubs that I am a part of are great and I enjoy every part of them. I love hanging out with my family and friends and my dog Jax, as well as going to the mall (I strongly dislike staying in the house). I am also a straight-A student! I love Digital Media and I think that it is a great way for me to move forward with my newspaper making and writing!
Hello! My name is Mrs. Engel, and I am St. Mark’s Technology Coordinator as well as the STEM teacher. I love getting to work with such talented people and students here at St. Mark! It is my our goal to provide students with lots of opportunities for leadership and creativity.
My name is Mrs. Barrett. I have been a teacher for over twenty years. I have taught middle school, high school, social studies, and ELA. It has been such a wonderful experience to work with the wonderful students in the Digital Media Club. I really enjoy working with the many talented students at St. Mark. We have the best students and school community!
Hey everyone! My name is Miss. Hancock. I am the Communications Coordinator for St. Mark School. I love and have skills for everything television, radio, and social media. I have truly enjoyed working with each of these students this year!
ON MONDAY, IT WAS TEACHER APPRECIATION DAY, AND WE MADE SOME CARDS. WE DID A LOT OF FUN ACTIVITIES! I AM SO THANKFUL THAT WE STARTED THE WEEK OFF GREAT. WE GOT A CATHOLIC SCHOOL’S WEEK BRACELET, AND WE ALL GOT SOME GLOW STICKS. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN.
TUESDAY WAS AN AWESOME DAY! WE HAD COMMUNITY DAY, AND WE DRESSED UP AS OUR SAINTS. THE TEACHERS WORE THEIR HOUSE COLORS TOO! EACH GRADE DONATED SPECIFIC ITEMS, WHICH THE TEACHERS COMPILED AND DELIVERED TO MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
ON WEDNESDAY, WE HAD STUDENT APPRECIATION DAY. ALL OF THE STUDENTS RECEIVED FREE CHICK-FIL-A, AND WE HAD A PRESENTATION FROM MICHAEL FROM REPTILE WORLD! WE ALSO DRESSED UP IN THEMES. THE TEACHERS REPRESENTED THEIR SCHOOLS.
ON THURSDAY, WE CELEBRATED OUR BEAUTIFUL NATION BY DRESSING UP IN RED, WHITE, AND BLUE.
WE ALSO SAW A BLACK HISTORY MONTH LASER SHOW. AFTER THAT, WE WENT BACK TO HOMEROOMS AND MADE BLACK HISTORY MONTH POSTERS, WHICH WERE USED TO DECORATE THE SCHOOL.
FINALLY, FRIDAY! THE PARENTS CAME, AND IT WAS A HALF DAY. THE PRAYER SERVICE WAS FUN, AND IT WAS NICE TOO.
WE WORKED IN GROUPS FOR THE BLACK HISTORY MONTH PROJECT. IT WAS ABOUT JACKIE ROBINSON. HE WAS A BASEBALL PLAYER, AND WE WROTE SOME FACTS ABOUT HIM, AND WE DREW A PICTURE, AND I DREW SOME CONFETTI.
THERE WAS A REPTILE ASSEMBLY AT SCHOOL IN THE ST. MARK GYM. THEY SHOWED US A LIZARD, AND THEN, WE SAW A TINY ALLIGATOR. WE SAW A YELLOW AND WHITE SNAKE, AND THE SNAKE WAS SO BIG. WE PETTED IT, AND IT WAS SO MUCH FUN. I ENJOYED LEARNING ABOUT THE REPTILE ASSEMBLY. IT WAS AWESOME.
A special section has been added to the Paw Print! In celebration of Black History Month, the St. Mark Newspaper has made a feature highlighting black barrier breakers. The 3
influential individuals you will read about all lived in different periods, but they all are remembered today as people who dared to be great.
-Efua Poku
KOBE BRYANT, BETTER KNOWN AS “THE BLACK MAMBA” WAS ONE OF THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS SHOOTING GUARDS EVER. AT HIS TIME, HE MADE HISTORY AS THE 2ND YOUNGEST PLAYER TO EVER JOIN THE NBA, JOINING RIGHT AFTER HIGH SCHOOL IN 1996, AND HE WON THE LA LAKERS TWO CHAMPIONSHIPS. BRYANT’S BASKETBALL CAREER INSPIRED SO MANY OTHERS, INCLUDING LEBRON JAMES AND KEVIN DURANT. KOBE BRYANT WAS A SELFLESS PERSON, WHO ALWAYS LOOKED OUT FOR OTHERS.
WHEN BRYANT WAS NOT PLAYING BASKETBALL, HE WOULD HAVE INTERVIEWS AND PODCAST FEATURES WHERE HE SHARED HIS MENTALITY, HIS MOTIVATIONS, AND HOW TO BECOME SUCCESSFUL. HE ALSO WOULD OFTEN GUEST STAR IN SHOWS LIKE MOESHA AND SISTER SISTER. IN EARLY FEBRUARY, A STATUE CELEBRATING HIS LIFE WAS UNVEILED IN THE LAKERS ARENA. BRYANT DIED FROM A TRAGIC HELICOPTER CRASH IN JANUARY 2020 ALONG WITH HIS DAUGHTER, GIANNA, A RISING STAR. HIS LAST WORDS WERE, “GIGI, HOLD ON TO ME.” KOBE BRYANT’S LEGACY AS THE G.O.A.T. FOREVER LIVES ON.
MADAM C.J. WALKER WAS BORN ON DECEMBER 23, 1867, AND DIED ON MAY 25, 1919. C.J. WALKER WAS KNOWN AS A BUSINESSWOMAN AND PHILANTHROPIST, WHO WAS ONE OF THE FIRST BLACK FEMALE MILLIONAIRES IN THE UNITED STATES.
C.J. WALKER IS THE FIRSTBORN AFTER THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION. MADAM C.J. WALKER WAS BORN SARAH BREEDLOVE. SHE WAS ORPHANED AT THE AGE OF SEVEN BECAUSE HER PARENTS WERE ENSLAVED. SHE WAS MARRIED AT 14, AND SHE WAS TRYING TO ESCAPE AN ABUSIVE “CRUEL” BROTHER-IN-LAW. AT THE AGE OF 20, SHE GAVE BIRTH AND MOVED TO ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, WHERE HER BROTHERS WERE BARBERS.
IN 1908, C.J. OPENED A BEAUTY SCHOOL AND FACTORY IN PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA. WITH ONLY $1.05 IN HER POCKET, SHE STARTED PRODUCING HER PRODUCTS. HER FIRST FEW PRODUCTS WERE: THE LIKE MAGIC HAIR GROWER, GLOSSINE, AND HER VEGETABLE SHAMPOO. A FUN FACT IS THAT HER HAIRCARE PRODUCTS WERE THE FIRST PRODUCTS EVER MADE FOR BLACK HAIR. THESE TWO PRODUCTS SHE PRODUCED BOOSTED HER BRAND AND GAINED HER A LOYAL FOLLOWING.
HOWEVER, SHE LATER MOVED HER BUSINESS HEADQUARTERS TO INDIANAPOLIS, WHERE THERE WAS A LARGER VARIETY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CUSTOMERS. HER HAIRCARE BUSINESS GAINED POPULARITY AND EVEN LED HER TO BE THE FIRST SELF-MADE MILLIONAIRE IN AMERICA. HER OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS WERE EVEN RECORDED IN THE GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS.
WRITTEN BY: LAILA SALLEY AND JADE WILSON
KATHERINE JOHNSON WAS BORN ON AUGUST 26TH, 1918. SHE WAS BORN IN WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WV. SHE SADLY PASSED ON FEBRUARY 24TH, 2020. IF YOU DO THE MATH, KATHERINE LIVED TO BE 101 YEARS OLD!
CHILDHOOD: WHEN SHE WAS YOUNGER, MATH WAS EASY FOR HER GROWING UP. SHE SKIPPED MULTIPLE GRADES, AND SHE SKIPPED SO MANY THAT SHE ENDED UP STARTING HIGH SCHOOL AT ONLY 10 YEARS OF AGE! KIDS AT AGE 10 ARE USUALLY IN 4TH OR 5TH GRADE!
EDUCATION: BY 13, KATHERINE WAS ATTENDING COLLEGE AT THE HISTORICALLY BLACK WEST VIRGINIA STATE COLLEGE.
ADULTHOOD AND CAREER: AFTER GRADUATING AT 18, KATHERINE HAD A JOB TEACHING, AND SHE MET HER FIRST HUSBAND, JIMMIE GOBLE. JIMMIE AND KATHERINE THEN GOT MARRIED IN 1939. KATHERINE AND JIMMIE SOON HAD 3 DAUGHTERS, BORN IN 1940, 1943, AND 1944.
NASA: SHE WORKED IN THE MERCURY PROGRAM FROM 1961 TO 1963. SHE MADE THE ROUTE THAT THE SPACESHIP FREEDOM 7 FOLLOWED.
FUN FACTS:
IN 1951, JIMMIE AND KATHERINE’S HOME CAUGHT FIRE.
IN 1956, JIMMIE DIED FROM A BRAIN TUMOR.
BY: MAYA S, MARY C, AND LEAH HMrs. Ostrander has been teaching at St. Mark for two years; she is currently teaching seventh and sixth grade social studies. She has spent both of her two years at St. Mark and loves it. Also, when she teaches she wants her students to actually listen and to learn what she is saying. She has a two year old son. Also, she majored in environmental studies at UMBC. Lastly, she absolutely adores Harry Potter.
Mr. Nachtegall has been teaching for six years; this is his first year teaching at St. Mark, and he teaches eighth grade social studies and religion. As he teaches, he wants students to think for themselves and be able to find information on their own. He is an Eagle Scout, and also has a two year old daughter, and another baby on the way. Some things he likes are soccer and Dungeons and Dragons. He also likes black licorice.
St Mark is a very good school and has some reputable clubs. Sports are a major component of the school’s clubs. These sports include: Basketball, Soccer, and Cross Country. The other clubs include: Drama, Student Council, Safeties, Morning Announcements, etc. All of these clubs work towards a common goal and have students experience life after school.
BSU:
The founder of this club is a student. Her name is Efua Poku. She hopes for black culture to be more recognized in our school community and wants to put it out to students who want to learn more. Her plans for this school year is for each person in BSU to do a Black History Month project on a person and HBCU project. Efua would like for people to learn different things about Black culture and heritage.
Ryan A. West
Ever wondered what our 8th graders like to do in their spare time? Well I’ m here to give you the scoop on what those things are.
Hobbies/Interests
Maddie - she likes to play basketball, make bracelets, hang with friends, and go shopping
Tre - likes sports and hanging with friends
Lucas - likes sports, hanging out with friends, and likes to play video games
Jovan - likes hanging out with friends, likes sports, and video games
Brayden L - he is interested in starting a business and he is researching how to be a millionaire
Payton - likes drawing, enjoys volleyball, likes to hang out with cousins and friends
Eli - enjoys mountain biking
Erin - enjoys playing piano
The Principal. Don’t know a lot about her? I got the opportunity to interview Mrs. Ferro, and I learned some things about her career in the education industry. But before we get to that, let's learn a little about her before becoming the amazing principal she is today!
First, she was a graduate of St. Mark for the class of 1981 and worked for her family business for 11 years. She started out teaching as a long-term substitute teacher and then was a full-time teacher for 6th Grade. She then went on from a 6th-grade teacher to an 8th-grade teacher. She was then a computer teacher and an English Language Arts teacher. She then became Assistant Principal and then became Principal this year. She has a son in San Francisco, and when she's not working, you can probably find her at the beach, id i i ' f h f i places to be.
Did I mention that I also got to interview Ms. Fenn, the Assistant Principal? Well if you didn't, you know now. Starting off, she was a teacher for 10 to 11 years, and she used to be a teacher in Chicago. This is her first year as Assistant Principal, and she loves helping her students reach their full potential. Although she misses teaching very much, she loves how now that she is assistant principal, she can get to know more of the students in the lower grades! One of her favorite things to do when she was a teacher was to do out-of-the-box lessons, and lessons for special occasions. ( ex; learning about inferences with Pikachu). She is from Pennsylvania, she likes to play board games in her free time, and she used to be a manager at a pool!
Mary Champagne Student Creation
For the winter 2024 edition of the Paw Print, the St. Mark Newspaper has added a new section called, “St. Mark Style” . In this section, you will find interviews with our middle school students about their views, opinions, and experiences with certain things currently in style. The categories included were; music, skincare, and shoes.
Introduction
written by Efua Poku Interviews by Efua PokuDAL KHAI AND JACK CAMPBELL (8TH) WERE OUR MUSIC INTERVIEWS:
DAL KHAI’S FAVORITE MUSIC GENRES ARE RAP AND HIP-HOP. HIS FAVORITE ARTIST IS DRAKE. WHEN HE LISTENS TO MUSIC, IT HELPS HIM RELAX. MUSIC ALSO HELPS HIM GET IN A CERTAIN MOOD WHEN HE NEEDS TO BE IN THAT MOOD. HE LIKES HOW DIFFERENT SONGS SOUND COOL.
JACK CAMPBELL LOVES LISTENING TO REGGAE MUSIC, SPECIFICALLY THE ARTIST BOB MARLEY. SOME OF HIS FAVORITE SONGS INCLUDE
ONE LOVE, THREE LITTLE BIRDS, AND BUFFALO SOLDIERS. MUSIC CALMS HIM WHENEVER HE IS IN A NEGATIVE MOOD. JACK LIKES HOW IN MUSIC, EVERY SONG HAS A STORY OR A MESSAGE BEHIND THE LYRICS.
GABBY TARANTO (6TH) AND ALEX NIZER (7TH) WERE OUR SKINCARE INTERVIEWS:
GABBY TARANTO ENJOYS SKIN CARE BECAUSE THROUGH IT SHE CAN EXPERIMENT WITH DIFFERENT PRODUCTS AND EXPRESS HER CREATIVITY THROUGH SKINCARE SMOOTHIES. GABBY MARVELS AT THE WIDE RANGE OF PRODUCTS FOR DIFFERENT SKIN TYPES. SHE ALSO LOVES THE UNIQUENESS OF BRANDS, AND HOW DIFFERENT BRANDS HAVE CERTAIN THINGS DISTINCT TO THEM. ONE THING GABBY FINDS ENJOYABLE ABOUT SKIN CARE IS HOW IT IMPROVES THE OVERALL APPEARANCE OF YOUR SKIN. SOME OF HER FAVORITE SKINCARE PRODUCTS AT THE MOMENT ARE THE FLORENCE BY MILLS DREAM DROPS SERUM, THE E.L.F HOLY HYDRATION MOISTURIZER, AND GLOW RECIPE’S WATERMELON GLOW FACIAL MIST. SHE THINKS SKIN CARE IS CRUCIAL BECAUSE IT CAN HELP IMPROVE THE TEXTURE OF YOUR SKIN AND ALWAYS KEEP YOUR SKIN LOOKING ITS BEST.
ALEX NIZER FANCIES SKINCARE BECAUSE IT HELPS WITH ACNE, AND SHE ALWAYS FEELS FRESH AFTER DOING IT. SHE LIKES TO GET SKINCARE FROM SMALL BUSINESSES AND DRUNK ELEPHANT. SHE SAYS IT IS IMPORTANT TO TREAT YOUR SKIN AND KEEP IT HEALTHY AND LOOKING GOOD.
LONDON FOX LOVES HER BLACK JORDANS AND THE BRAND, PUMAS. SHE OFTEN MATCHES HER SHOES TO SOME OF HER FAVORITE COLORS, LIKE BOLD AND NEUTRAL TONES. SHE ALSO LIKES TO WEAR PATTERNS UNIQUE TO HER TASTE. LONDON SAYS, “IF YOU DON'T TYPICALLY EXPRESS YOURSELF VERBALLY, SHOES ARE A GREAT WAY TO DO SO THROUGH A VARIETY OF DESIGNS” .
JADE WILSON ADORES THE BRANDS: NIKE, JORDANS, AND UGGS. THE TYPE OF SHOES THAT JADE LIKES BEST ARE HIGH-TOPS AND SNEAKERS. JADE LIKES TO SHOWCASE HER PERSONALITY THROUGH HER SHOES. HER STYLE IS Y2K AND STREETWEAR, AND SHE REFLECTS HER INDIVIDUALITY THROUGH HER SHOES. SHE OFTEN DRESSES DOWN BY WEARING COMFY ATTIRE LIKE UGGS AND CROCS. JADE BELIEVES THAT HOW AND WHAT YOU WEAR IS A REPRESENTATION OF WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON. IN THE WORDS OF JADE, “IT IS IMPORTANT TO EXPRESS YOURSELF THROUGH CLOTHING BECAUSE THAT IS THE IMPRESSION PEOPLE GET OF YOU.”
WRITTEN BY EFUA POKU
