2012 Moving Up! Magazine

Moving Up! Harlem Academy Fourth Grade Class 2011-2012

Editorial Team Harlem Academy Fourth Grade Class 2011-2012

CARLINA DEREK

ALVIN

ISHAH JA D E

YARELIS

JA E A R

WILLIAM

KENNEDY

SHANE K E S H AW N RAYJON K I JA N I NIA MALIK MS. SMITH

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Vincent Dotoli

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MAYA

VOLUNTEERS

Editorial: Valerie Monroe Design: Angela Riechers

We’re Moving Up!

W

elcome to the third edition of Moving Up magazine. This magazine took a lot of hard work to produce. It seemed like a century had passed before we finished writing! We tried to have some fun while writing and staying focused. Some of the subjects and activities that we are writing about are science with Ms. Murray and history with Mr. Hughes, fun trips in the fourth grade, and our thoughts on moving up. We put a lot of hard work into the magazine. Now, take your time and you will see how our writing has paid off. We hope you enjoy it!

Ms. Smith and Mr. Barton’s fourth graders striking a pose on the rocks in Central Park

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FANTASTIC Mr. Cunningham B Y S H A N E A N D JA E A R

Fantastic Mr. Cunningham has many jobs to do at Harlem Academy.

He teaches fifth grade English and seventh grade reason and rhetoric. Mr. Cunningham seems like the mayor of middle school. He works like Mayor Bloomberg because he has to keep the middle school in shape.

Mr. Cunningham teaches reason and rhetoric to seventh grade. Part of reason and rhetoric is brainology. Brainology is how you can understand and study the brain. Isn’t that cool? He teaches fifth grade English. English is where the students read books and write memoirs.

Those are the two things he teaches.

Mr. Cunningham loves Harlem Academy because it is challenging.

The school is challenging for him because the middle schoolers are growing and starting to change. Another reason he likes Harlem Academy is that he gets more space to work with. He loves middle school because there are really good teachers. For example: Mr. Robertson, Ms. Murray, Mr. Hughes, Mr. Munk, Ms. Wood, Ms. L, Ms. Barth, and Mr. Johnson are all great teachers. That’s why Mr. Cunningham likes Harlem Academy.

Mr. Cunningham

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Now we have told you why Mr. Cunningham is fantastic. We’ll just tell you one thing … Mr. Cunningham is the best director we’ve ever seen. Thank you for reading this.

Showing much love to Mr. Hughes

The Amazing Mr. Hughes

BY MAYA AND CARLINA

MEET MR . HUGHES the amazing fifth grade teacher.

Mr. Hughes wasn’t always at Harlem Academy. Mr. Hughes worked at St. Aloysius, until he learned about Harlem Academy from Ms. Petit, the director of the St. Aloysius summer school. Mr. Hughes then spoke to Mr. Dotoli, the head of Harlem Academy, and he got the job.

Mr. Hughes feels like Harlem Academy is going to be a challenge for him because so many students look up to him. Mr. Hughes first helped lower school, then moved up to middle school but he still misses lower school. He helped a lot of teachers like Ms. Smith with her work and some teachers helped him, like Ms. Larson. Mr. Hughes leads the chess club: isn’t that so cool? Mr. Hughes teaches English, history, and math to the fifth grade.

In English Mr. Hughes is now teaching ancient Rome.

Isn’t that exciting? Since Mr. Hughes came to Harlem Academy, he loves it! So if you’re going to 5th grade, you’re going to be the luckiest kid in school. Mr. Hughes is talented and fun, so when you get to 5th grade you will have a blast!

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The Incredible Mr. Johnson

BY ALVIN AND WILLIAM

M R . BI L LY J O HN S ON is the

name of the incredible fifth grade reason & rhetoric teacher. This is Mr. Johnson’s first year at Harlem Academy. If you’re wondering how Mr. Johnson got to Harlem Academy, you will have to read on to find out.

The summer school he worked at is called St. Aloysius. There Mr. Johnson worked as a fifth grade reading teacher and a sixth grade writing teacher. Ms. Pettit, the director of St. Aloysius, suggested Mr. Johnson go work for Harlem Academy. That’s what excited him and put a light bulb over his head.

He thought this would give him the chance to teach in smaller classrooms, in a smaller community, and for people to be friendlier.

Aside from teaching reason and rhetoric, he teaches fifth and sixth grade advisory and is a P.E. coach.

During reason and rhetoric class, Mr. Johnson asks his students a challenging question and then has them support their answer by having them back up and prove their opinions. During his fifth and sixth grade advisory class, his class gets together and talks about character traits. During spring, Mr. Johnson’s class and the rest of the middle school do track, yoga, and football at P.E. 6

Mr. Johnson loves Harlem Academy and his job. He shows a lot of determination by handling his students even when it gets tough. He has a lot of fun with his students and has had a great teaching experience.

Mr. Johnson and students listening to a debate.

The Best of

Ms.Wood

BY KENNEDY AND NIA

You may not know Ms. Wood but she is very talented, intelligent, and kind in her own special ways.

When Ms. Wood was a child in fourth grade she wanted to be a teacher even though she had other things in mind. Ms. Wood went to Teacher’s College and got her master’s degree and decided to stay in New York to teach. So she began looking for a job.

Mr. Munk

Math Genius on the Loose!!

BY MALIK AND RAYJON

Have you ever heard of the math genius, Mr. Munk?

He’s done magnificent things besides going to college for a long time learning math!

You will be shocked by what you will read next.

Before Mr. Munk started working for Harlem Academy, he was working for Math for America, which is a club that teaches and studies math. When Mr. Munk was looking for a job, he went to Idealist.com and saw an ad for Harlem Academy. He then set up a meeting with Mr. Dotoli. Mr. Munk was impressed by Mr. Dotoli and was glad to have a boss to look up to.

When Mr. Munk is teaching math he is on FIRE! He loves teaching his students algebra. Mr. Munk’s favorite unit in math is differential equations. Differential equations are when you use functions to find out how deep or steep something is or how much of it there is. Mr. Munk enjoys doing math even when he is not teaching students.

Mr. Munk teaches math 19 times a week in middle school. All of the hard work Professor Sally taught him in college has paid off! Mr. Munk has been teaching middle school for 2 years and loves seeing students engaged in their work!

Ms. Wood was looking online and found an ad posted

by Mr. Dotoli and Mr. Cunningham saying that Harlem Academy needed an English teacher. Ms. Wood wanted to become a teacher because she loves to read. She also believes that every kid should read so they can become successful.

Fifth grade girls’ advisory

Ms. Wood also hosts the film-making club; she helps a lot of kids make their own movies. The club has made a lot of movies like scary movies and graduation movies.

The middle schoolers even get to write, edit, direct and star in their own movie. The sixth, seventh, and eighth grade are working on Shakespeare plays—the middle schoolers put on performances for their celebration of learning and for other schools. That means when we are in middle school we will get to read Shakespeare.

Ms. Wood loves working with the middle school students. They are creative, hard workers. Ms. Wood believes that to be successful you have to be a good reader, a good writer, and you have to become a good speaker. That is exactly what Ms. Wood did to become a teacher at Harlem Academy.

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The Astonishing Mr. Robertson

Mr. Robertson teaching history

B Y K I JA N I - A L I A N D K E S H AW N

You should read about this astonishing teacher at Harlem Academy named Mr. Robertson. Sean Robertson graduated from Providence College with a B.A. in history. He also led his school’s radio station. Want to know what else? Well, you should continue to read; we don’t want to keep you waiting.

Mr. Robertson is a now a teacher at Harlem Academy and has 5 years of experience teaching.

He teaches history to grades six through eight. He likes history because it is all about who we are.

He teaches different time periods. Oh, just to let you know: he doesn’t repeat questions. He likes 8

it when the parents of his students care about school and their education.

Mr. Robertson gives grades six through eight a test every two weeks (that is a lot of tests; even we don’t have that many tests). When his students get an assignment to write a research paper they get to write about whatever they want (whatever they want, heh! we like that) and they even get to do act-outs (how cool is that!).

Mr. Robertson seems to be pretty cool, right? But we are not going to be present in his class until sixth grade. But we will still see him. Thank you for reading and see you around.

Ms. Barth, middle school science teacher and Lego robotics club leader

Brilliant Barth B Y D E R E K , JA D E , I S H A H , AND MAYA

W E AR E HER E to tell you about

the brilliant teacher Ms. Barth. She started in Feb. 2012 teaching science; she also teaches seventh and eighth grade advisory and the Lego robotics club. That is only a small portion of what she does, so keep reading to find out more.

The way Ms. Barth got to teach at Harlem Academy is by answering an ad. She then emailed Mr. Cunningham and set up a phone interview. After the interview she had to complete a demo lesson. After that she spoke to Mr. Dotoli, and he asked her to start right away.

Ms. Barth teaches a lot besides fifth grade science. She also leads the Lego robotics club, seventh and eighth grade boys advisory, and middle school athletics. In fifth grade science Ms. Barth does a plant unit. She does experiments on photosynthesis and the growth of plants. Her students study stem structure and the function of flowers. Ms. Murray and Ms. Barth plan a lesson once a week. Ms. Barth leads the Lego robotics club but loves the game club. In middle school athletics there are three groups Ms. Barth leads; in spring they do track, football, and yoga. In the fall they do soccer but in the winter they only do track. She also teaches

seventh and eighth grade boys’ advisory. On Mondays Ms. Barth and her boys’ advisory group do lower school service and on Thursdays they do character building. In character building they talk about body language and the types of body language people give off. The 7th and 8th grade boys and Ms. Barth play games that reinforce the lesson.

Ms. Barth likes to be with kids in a school setting. She likes to see students on a personal level. Ms. Barth loves when students get what she teaches to them. Doesn’t Ms. Barth seem like a brilliant person? We think so! We can’t wait to have her in middle school.

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Ms. Lefeber

Getting a little reason and rhetoric with Ms. L B Y I S H A H A N D JA D E

Ms. Lefeber … she is an outstanding human being. Ms. L started working at Harlem Academy in August 2010.

Her first name is Sarah. One class that she teaches is reason and rhetoric.

She also leads middle school girls’ advisory and the tap club. Ms. L graduated from Rollins College with a B.A. degree in elementary education.

Stay tuned for more about Sarah Lefeber.

Ms. Lefeber had to go through a lot of steps to become a teacher at Harlem Academy. First by working at St. Aloysius, where she taught the second grade. Ms. Lefeber then met students 10

from Harlem Academy and they gave her a good impression. Ms. Pettit, the director of St. Aloysius summer school, recommended her to Harlem Academy.

Ms. Lefeber went for the job and now works at Harlem Academy as a middle school teacher.

Ms. L is a very good teacher and can lead very well. In reason and rhetoric the seventh and eighth graders do writing. In fifth grade reason and rhetoric they form their own opinion about a particular subject. In middle school girls’ advisory they play games to help build bonding relationships.

They also talk about applications to high school, communication, and self-identity. Girls’ advisory

gives the seventh and eighth grade girls a chance to listen and hear different perspectives with the help of guidance and advice. Although Ms. L broke her leg when she was injured earlier this year she has shown a lot of determination because she still taught the tap dance club. Isn’t that astonishing!?!

Even though she was on crutches throughout the school year Ms. Lefeber has stayed very active. She has to move from classroom to classroom and that is very tiring! Ms. L thinks every year she learns new things. So she can help her students gain more knowledge. This is why we feel Ms. L is an outstanding person and teacher!

The Amazing Global Classroom B Y JA D E A N D C A R L I NA

WEL C O M E! We’re going

to travel to three different francophone countries! So put on your seatbelts and come along for the ride. You will be fully informed by our four different global guides.

Time to go Switzerland with Anja! Switzerland is in the high Alps of Europe.

Switzerland is very famous for its clocks, watches, their cheese, and most of all chocolate. With all that Switzerland is known for, make sure you try some of those things along the way.

Now we’re going to Morocco with Yassine! In Morocco they write in Arabic from right to left. To us their writing seems backwards but to them our writing is backwards. Their writing is called calligraphy and their alphabet looks different too! Their writing uses a lot of symbols and is a lot of fun to create, so if you ever go to Morocco ask someone to help you write in this fun language.

Clockwise from top left: Images of Haiti; Kijani painting his pose for Global Classroom; Maya’s Mighty Lion painting; Yarelis painting the dress on her ballerina pose.

Finally, the last francophone country we’re traveling to is France with Chantal and Mehdi! In France they absolutely adore cheese. They also like wine. There are more than 300 types of cheese and more than types of wine. If you ever travel to France, try some cheese, taste some wine, and have lots of fun!

You’ve just traveled with us to three different countries in a day. If you ever go back to them, you know what to do. Get more famous things from Switzerland, learn how to write calligraphy in Morocco, and get your hands on a lot of cheese and wine. Isn’t Global Classroom amazing?

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Alvin, Jaear, and Ms. Murray posing with the oobleck, yuk!

Magnificent Ms. Murray

BY DEREK AND YARELIS

TH ERE I S A N A M A Z IN G T E AC H E R named Ms.

Murray. She teaches sixth and eighth grade science and leads the journalism club. Ms. Murray was born in Jupiter, Fla. and she played soccer, ran cross-country, and ran track as a child. Ms. Murray found Harlem Academy because she was looking for a teaching job at a small school. She started in fourth grade with Ms. Franco. Now she is a middle school science teacher and has been here for 4 years.

Ms. Murray teaches students about earth science, astronomy, weather, and geology. When Ms. Murray needs 12

help planning experiments she asks her former college professors for help. Ms. Murray also leads the journalism club and helps eighth graders create their own newspaper.

Ms. Murray is an advisor for fifth grade girls. In advisory Ms. Murray talks with the girls about their feelings and their actions to improve their behavior.

Ms. Murray’s experience at H.A. has been incredible and each year she has great students. She is looking forward to taking more trips, talking to meteorologists, improving her teaching units, and learning about science in the city.

We have learned a lot about Ms. Murray. She is magnificent and loves her job at Harlem Academy. We can’t wait to

Experiments with Ms. Murray

BY KENNEDY

to have a science class with Ms. Murray. We learned about the four different types of matter: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. Solids are states of matter that have shape.

Liquids take shape when they’re in a container. Gas is a state where it changes its volume and shape. Plasma is a state of matter that does not have shape or volume.

The fourth grade made a solid called oobleck. Oobleck is made with corn starch and water. It felt smushy, chunky, wet, and flaky all at the same time. Ms. Murray had us make oobleck because she wanted us to see what it was like to have a liquid and a solid all at one time. It was interesting. If you ever get the chance, mix some corn starch and water together and see if you can tell whether it is a solid or a liquid.

TH E FO U RTH G R ADE G OT T H E C H A NC E

Here are some things you might want remember when it is your turn to have a science lesson with Ms. Murray.

LIQUID: 1. Takes the shape of its container 2. Flows instead of breaks 3. Doesn’t compress 4. Allows solids to go through SOLID: 1. Maintains its shape 2. Does not compress 3. Breaks instead of flows 4. Can become liquid when heated

Left: William and Malik making a mess, as usual. Right: Derek and Ishah playing with matter.

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Learning about art at the Metropolitan Museum

Fantastic Fourth Grade Trips!

BY YARELIS

The fourth grade has been on many fantastic trips—the Big Apple Circus, the Metropolitan Museum, and the Sony Wonder Museum.

When we went to the Big Apple Circus we had a fun time.

We saw a hairy dog, then it was put into a box, and when it came out it had short hair. The dog looked funny. We then saw a girl who was put on stage. She was hooked up to a machine and everything she imagined happened on stage.

In the end it turned out she was an acrobat. I was surprised.

The Met was another fantastic trip we’ve gone on. When we went to the Met there was a painting called “The Fortune Teller.” The painting was about a man and four women 14

telling him his fortune. His fortune was that he going to get robbed. We saw another piece of art that was a weaving.

It was called “Diana and Acteon” it was about Acteon, a hunter, who was running through the woods and saw Diana, the goddess of the hunt, bathing. Diana pointed her finger at Acteon and turned him into a deer. That scene was sewn on a tapestry and it was huge.

We also went to the Sony Wonder Museum. I saw a lot of old electronics such as old box TVs with old screens that were plastic. It was cool. We got to control our own robots.

Then we got to take turns presenting a newscast. I was the camera girl. There was a lot of technology. It was a fun time.

So now you know some of the fantastic trips the fourth grade has gone on.

Terrific Trips!

BY ALVIN

If you’re not in Harlem Academy’s fourth grade then you’re really missing out on trips we’ve been going on. I will tell you about three of our fun experiences. But for that to happen you will have to read the rest of the article.

The first trip I want to tell you about is a trip to a ballet called the Nutcracker.

The story was about a girl who got a Nutcracker for Christmas. Then she had a dream that her Nutcracker battled an evil Rat King who tried to invade the little girl’s home. The Nutcracker fought back and in the end the Nutcracker won. Then the Nutcracker and the little girl went to Candy Land and became the prince and princess of the land. They danced to the end and lived happily ever after.

Another field trip that must be told about is our wonderful trip to the African Burial Ground. There we learned about slavery and what African Americans used to do when a family member or someone they knew passed away. They were buried in the place where the rest of the slaves were buried. This place used to be called the Negroes Burial Ground. Most African American slaves were buried there.

The burial ground was abandoned for years and after some time passed, a building was being constructed on top of it. During the construction, workers discovered dead bodies in the ground.

So the construction was canceled and the burial ground was turned into a museum. There are a lot of amazing things there to learn. So go to the African Burial Ground right now! Well,

after you finish a reading this.

The final trip was our stupendous trip to the Betty Shabazz and Malcolm X Center. We were in the exhibit of the freedom sisters. There we learned about the women who took part in the civil rights movement. For instance have you ever heard of Ella Jo Baker? She was part of the civil rights movement. She organized the SCLC led by Martin Luther King Jr. Have you heard of Harriet Ross Greene Tubman?

She served as a delegate to the first convention of the National Federation of African American Women. You should really visit this place. You’ll learn a lot more than I can tell you.

So now you see what you’re missing if you’re not in fourth grade, lots of fun trips! You can visit these places yourself but going with your class is better. Have fun.

H.A. Enjoyable Moments

BY DEREK AND WILLIAM

There are so many enjoyable moments at Harlem Academy. They consist of organized sports activities, great friendships, and even class time! If you really want to know some more, just keep reading!

First, we’ll talk about really great moments when you are playing sports.

In sports, when our class wins or plays really well, we feel very proud of ourselves. In kickball, when we get a home run or when we catch the ball, we get really excited. This is why we think lots of sports are very enjoyable.

Carlina getting some facts at the Burial Grounds.

Everything in our great school should be extremely enjoyable. Why? Because if it wasn’t enjoyable you would have a really sad, sad school life.

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Welcome to Project SMILE

From left: Collages of funny smiles created by the fourth grade; from black and white and beautiful smiles; SMILE painted canvas—just look at all those happy faces!

BY NIA

Hello third graders! I know you can’t wait to go to fourth grade. One thing very fun about fourth grade is that you get to meet new people and participate in many new activities.

For example we participated in an activity called the SMILE Project. The SMILE Project taught us that smiles are universal all over the world and are a way to show people you are happy.

We started off the SMILE Project by drawing someone or something with a smile. Instead of using regular paper we got to use what painters call a canvas. A canvas is a board made of cloth that painters paint on. Everything was new to us at first but Mrs. Camus, the artist in charge of the smile project, taught us what to do.

The second part of the project wasn’t too difficult at all. It was a lot of fun. Mrs. Camus told us that we were going to be taking pictures of each other. After she said that there was a little bit of excitement because everyone could not 16

wait to start taking pictures of each other. We had fun taking turns and working the camera.

The SMILE Project continued into the next day when the class got to see their pictures in black and white. It turns out we were going to color over the black and white pictures to make creative smiles using markers. We also got to add designs as we each wanted. I bet everyone felt like a real artist that day.

During the last part of the project everyone got creative, even the teachers. We first started a picture of someone smiling; then we got to decorate it using many different materials such as feathers, beads, cotton balls, and so much more. It was beautiful once it was all done.

So third graders, you are going to have the best experience in art that you can ever have in the fourth grade. There are so many new things that you might not have known about art. When you get to the fourth grade I hope you have as many great experiences as I have had and many more.

Celebration of Learning: Three Greek Plays B Y K E S H AW N, S H A N E , M A L I K , AND KENNEDY

The fourth grade worked on three plays: Trojan Horse, Pandora’s Box, and The Greek God and Goddess Bakeoff. We put in a lot of work practicing our lines, creating our costumes and making our props. Ms. Stenger came every Tuesday and Thursday to help us practice and get prepared for our celebration of learning.

You might have heard of the play, Trojan Horse. Trojan Horse was the first of our three plays. Paris, the prince of Troy, stole Helen from King Menalaus.

This started a war that lasted for 10 years. Odysseus, a smart one, didn’t think war would solve the problem so he created a giant wooden horse. The plan was to hide in the horse and when the Trojans were in a deep sleep they would come out and attack the Greeks.

The Trojans lost the war and the Greeks took Helen back.

You are probably wondering what Pandora’s Box is about. It’s about a god named Epimetheus, who received a gift from Zeus. Zeus wanted to reward Epimetheus for not disobeying him and giving mortals fire like his brother, Prometheus. Zeus’ gift to Epimetheus was a wife named Pandora. She was beautiful but was filled with curiosity, which was something Zeus left out because of his plan to get the mortals back for taking Prometheus’ gift. Zeus gave him a box along with his wife Pandora. Zeus said to never open the box. Pandora wanted to open the box but Epimetheus warned her not to. When he left she opened the box.

When the box opened things like old age, disease, pain, and jealously

appeared. This story explains why we have old age, disease, and jealousy.

The last spirit was hope and she stayed because she would give people something to believe in.

The final performance was of the God and Goddess’s Bake-off. Zeus was tired of ambrosia and nectar. Hera didn’t believe him at first so Zeus started a bake-off, even though the gods and goddesses didn’t know how to cook.

Each god brought a cook that was their own version. At the end Zeus realized he should continue to eat ambrosia

and drink nectar because the bake-off was a disaster.

We spent a lot of time preparing for the Greek plays. First we had to remember all of our lines. We also created masks for the characters we played. The props for the god and goddess’ bake-off were made from classroom books we decorated to look like cakes. We “built” our own Trojan horse from cardboard, and decorated a box for Pandora’s Box. Preparing for the play was hard but we got the job done and had lots of fun doing it.

Little fourth grade gods and goddesses

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Brother to Brother

SUPER JAVIN B Y JA E A R

Kijani (left) and Jahi.

A Kid Named Jahi B Y K I JA N I

There is this kid I know named Jahi, and he is currently in sixth grade. He has been at Harlem Academy for 3 years, ever since he was in third grade.

I think you all know that I am moving up to middle school and Jahi is proud of me because he said I am moving on in life. Jahi has had some experience in moving up and he enjoyed it because he had a chance to tackle more challenges. He misses his fourth grade teacher Ms. Franco because she was a wonderful, kind, and caring teacher.

Jahi talked with me about something I should expect when moving up. For example, when the middle schoolers go on trips—for instance to The Museum of Natural History—their main focus is geared to what they are learning in science.

His favorite two trips are RPI and PBC. He likes RPI because the food is awesome and you complete fun chemistry lessons. He likes PBC because they get to stay in cabins. What he liked the most about both trips was that you get to be away from the city for three days.

There are three classes Jahi really loves. One is with Mr. Robertson, who teaches history. Jahi likes this class because Mr. Robertson tells funny jokes and they do a lot of fun homework assignments. Another is English because the students get to put on plays. The last class he likes is science because you get to do cool experiments.

Yep, that’s my brother ... wait, you didn’t know that, shame on you! Well anyway I can’t wait until I am on the football team with him and making comics. I am positive I am going to have a great time with him as soon as I move up!

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Javin is a great brother. He is a great brother because he is very fun and playful. Javin has done many fascinating things.

He is a very smart, funny, and hardworking kid. He has made me laugh a lot. If you ask him a question about what he has learned in fifth grade he can tell you everything. That’s how smart he is.

Javin loves middle school because of the teachers and subjects. Javin especially loves the clubs. He loves the Lego robotics club the most because he gets to be creative and he likes to watch the robots go.

Javin’s favorite subject is math because he is very good at math and loves the challenge.

Javin misses the fourth grade a lot because of all the great and exciting moments like when the class built a tower all made of Legos. It was almost as tall as Mr. Barton. That was amazing. I was shocked when he said that.

He misses the teachers and fun games. Third graders, I hope you can have just as much in fourth grade as Javin did.

I can’t wait to be in middle school with my older brother because we will be able to do things together like go on trips, recess, and P.E. Javin here I come, I’m moving on up into fifth grade!

Thoughts on Moving Up A New Start for Maya

BY CARLINA

H AVE YO U HEA RD about Maya, the new girl in Harlem Academy’s fourth

grade? Maya wasn’t always in Harlem Academy. Back in the old days Maya’s school was called T.A.G which means Talented and Gifted School for Young Scholars. The reason she moved from T.A.G. is that there were too many kids and not enough teachers. When Maya moves up to fifth grade she won’t be scared because all her friends will be there. Maya thinks algebra is hard because you have to do math to find the answer. Maya thinks the homework will be hard because when you move up things get harder. She is going to miss fourth grade because she will miss her teachers. But Maya will have fun in fifth grade as she begins a new start.

GREAT KENNEDY B Y JA E A R

Kennedy is nervous about moving up. Kennedy is nervous because there might be hard tests or exams. She is really going to miss all the activities, teachers, and the fun she had in fourth grade like choice, freeze dance, and four corners. She would love to try new amazing things in fifth grade like trips. She will still have fun in middle school even though some things might be terrifying like getting demerits and or the responsibilities she has to take on in middle school.

Respectful Ishah B Y JA D E

Have you ever wondered how respectful Ishah is? Ishah thinks it is important to be nice, respectful, and to treat people the way they wish to be treated. Ishah tries to be nice by saying please and thank you often. She tries to be respectful by saying nice words and not yelling at people. Ishah tries to treat people the way they wish to be treated and not hurt people. Ishah is a respectful person, so believe it.

Amazing Nia

BY YARELIS

There is an amazing girl named Nia; she started HA in second grade. She is nervous about moving into fifth grade because she might not fit in because she feels different; on the other hand she wants to join a tap class in middle school because she does tap in dance class.

She will miss fourth grade because she will miss squash and the other fun activities she liked. Nia is a talented person to know about.

Live with Fabulous Jade

BY ISHAH

Jade is a type of person who will miss her experiences in fourth grade. She will also miss whiffle ball with Ms. Bailey, playground games with Ms. Dillon, and kickball because they are fun. Jade feels like fourth grade teachers give you chances, but fifth grade teachers are more advanced. She feels that way because fifth grade teachers give you harder homework. Jade is looking forward to having new teachers like Ms. L or Ms. Wood because it helps her create new experiences. Another thing she is looking forward to is joining the tap club because she wants to help others learn tap, since she already knows a little about it.

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AWESOME ALVIN

BY NIA

This boy named Alvin is awesome. He’s been at Harlem Academy for 3 years but now he is moving to a different level - fifth grade!

Alvin is not nervous about moving up because he is confident that it will be a great year. He says that his favorite teacher might be Mr. Hughes in middle school because he is fun to interact with. Alvin also says that he is going to pay attention and follow instructions better. Alvin can’t wait to go to middle school so he can make his own changes!

Keshawn is Awesome

BY SHANE

Keshawn is an awesome kid with a cool goal for middle school. Keshawn’s goal for middle school is to get good grades and to pass all of his tests. Keshawn feels pretty normal about moving up. He feels normal because he feels that if he studies he’ll be fine. The activity Keshawn is going to miss from fourth grade is choice, but he is excited about the clubs. The club Keshawn wants to be a part of is Lego robotics. Keshawn also can’t wait to play football in middle school because it’s fun and he enjoys the game. Keshawn can’t wait to move up.

Meet Malik the Magnificent

BY WILLIAM

Malik the Magnificent is very excited about fifth grade! He thinks the work will make his brain explode.

There will probably be loads of homework, but he isn’t worried. He’ll get strong by playing fun sports such as football and basketball.

Even though things can get difficult, he’ll never give up!

He will try to study really hard for the bone-cracking tests! He will try to behave really well and watch out for the tough teachers.

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Step by Step

BY MAYA

Have you ever heard of Carlina, the new girl? She left P.S. 171 and came to Harlem Academy because she didn’t get enough attention to get the facts she needed for fourth grade. Here at Harlem Academy her teachers Ms. Smith and Mr. Barton spend more time helping her with math. Math was a real struggle for her, and the teachers at P.S. 171 barely got time to help her, but now at Harlem Academy she is breezing through her math skills. That’s part of Carlina’s life at Harlem Academy. Carlina is now ready to move up to the fifth grade.

Smart Jaear

BY KENNEDY

A lot of people may not know Jaear so I figured I should write about him and his thoughts of moving up. He is currently in fourth grade, about to move up to fifth grade. Jaear thinks middle school is fun because of the opportunities for meeting new people and trying clubs. Jaear is looking forward to clubs and trips; he says he’ll have a good time on trips and at celebrations of learning.

Derek the Magnificent B Y K I JA N I

This file has some severely classified information. I’m going to share it with you and you only; don’t let this get into the wrong hands.

Let me tell you about a cool kid named Derek. Derek has been going to Harlem Academy for 4 years. Not only is he moving up to fifth grade, he is a little nervous because he never actually thought about moving until now. Now he gets to be with his middle school friends. Derek is positive that his favorite teacher is going to be Mr. Hughes because he knows him well. He is going to miss some of the teachers and students in lower school. There is one thing you need to know: Derek is one of my best friends forever.

Yep that is Derek, my best friend. He is fast, cool, funny, and friendly. Remember: don’t let this get in the wrong hands!

Meet William the Brilliant

BY MALIK

This person has been going to Harlem Academy for 4 years. He’s been learning math, reading, writing, and science. But now he is moving to different level. Who might this be … William! He is going to move to fifth grade!

William has many reasons he is excited about moving to fifth grade! He is excited about moving up because he’ll have more choices in physical education. William is also excited about math class because he is studying seventh and eighth grade math with Mr. Newman so he won’t need to worry about fifth grade tests. He is very eager about moving up because he says he’ll study until he is very positive about fifth grade work. William is very excited about moving up so he can be smart.

Shy But Fun Meeting Sugar Shane Yarelis B Y K E S H AW N

Shane is ready for fifth grade.

He will miss choice, street squash, Mr. Barton, and Ms. Smith. One goal that he has set for himself is to always get to get to school on time. Shane is looking forward to club football. Shane likes football because it is fun. Shane thinks doing the right thing is important. Shane is ready for fifth grade.

BY NIA

There is a nine-year-old girl named Yarelis. She started going to Harlem Academy when she was in first grade.

Now she is fourth grade and a little nervous about moving up to middle school. She is going to miss fourth grade because she is going to miss her teachers and all the fun activities—for example, street squash.

Squash is a very fun and active

RUTHLESS RAYJON

BY ALVIN

game that Yarelis really likes. She also likes choice time. She gets to play different games like Legos and Apples to Apples. Yarelis can

RayJon is the name of an intelligent fourth grade kid. RayJon thinks fifth grade will be a breeze. He also assumes the fifth grade will be quick. RayJon knows that in middle school teachers can be a bit strict, and that is why RayJon is making a goal for himself: to work harder and to stay more focused during class. RayJon is going to kill it in fifth grade, just wait.

be a little shy when she has a little spotlight. She gets pretty nervous sometimes but it happens to everyone. Don’t be fooled by her shyness. She is still one of funniest people to play with.

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Mad Libs

BY YARELIS AND ISHAH

1) Ishah, Kennedy, and Jade are _______________ friends.

(Adj)

10) Yarelis ___________ Ms. Bailey. (verb)

2) Ms. Smith is a _______________ teacher. (Adj)

12) Ms. Smith and Mr. Barton are ____________.

(Adj)

3) Jade and Nia love to _______________. (verb) 4) Fourth graders are ______________ to go to Middle School. (Adj) 5) Middle schoolers are ________________ to __________________.

(Adj) (noun) 6) Carlina is a ______________ student and likes _____________.

(Adj) (verb)

11) Lia is Nia’s _____________. (noun)

13) Ms. Bailey is very____________.

(Adj)

1) Always listen to classroom lessons or you won’t know what’s on the test –Jade 2) Complete all your homework or you’ll complete it during recess- Kennedy 3) Take responsibility for your work or there will be consequences-William 4) Always be S.E.T. (Sitting up, Engaged, Tracking the speaker)-Jaear 5) Listen to Mr. Barton’s motto: Work Hard, Play Hard- Shane 6) Bring in your homework when it is due-Maya 7) Hold on to your pencils-Derek and Keshawn

14) Ms. Davis is a _____________ person.

(Adj)

8) Don’t talk back to your teacher- Yarelis

15) Maya and Carlina are ___________ to Harlem Academy. (Adj)

10) Be respectful- Ishah

16) Keshawn, Shane, and Jaear are _____________ people. (Adj)

7) Atiana M. and Jianna are ____________ people.

(Adj)

17) William is a ___________ drawer.

(Adj)

8) Sanaa is Nia and Ishah’s ______________ friend.

(Adj)

18) Kijani is a ______________ beat – boxer. (Adj)

9) Ms. Barth is a ________________ teacher. (Adj)

19) Derek likes to ___________ a lot. (verb)

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WORDS FROM THE WISE: HOW TO SURVIVE FOURTH GRADE

20) Fourth grade is a ___________ grade. (Adj)

9) Do the best you can-Carlina

11) Stay focused-Alvin 12) BE YOURSELF!

Derek’s Math Jumble

Crossword

her

; huge (adj) ; shrill (adj)

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Harlem Academy Fourth Grade Class 2011-2012