"In the Middle" 2014-15 issue 2

Second Quarter

Volume 2

Students Worry Over Midterms

By Charles Sukhdeo

Studying, Extra Help, Midterms. Oh my!

Midterms are approaching and the sixth graders have no idea what they're getting into.

Seventh graders have one year prior of experience, and eighth graders have the most experience. In this article, there will be lots of tips for all students, whether they are prepared or not, and this will hopefully help you to ace your midterms.

By Belle Greenberg It is that time of year when those little bake sales at break turn into a shopping mall in the gym. The time where the whole school can just explore the shops and buy wonderful things. What time is it, you may ask? You guessed it! The annual Holiday Bazaar is here!

Miami Country Day designates a full week of tests for all of the classes you have except for your elective, physical education, technology, and seminar. Midterms, as many students know, are huge tests that are now five percent of your overall grade for the whole entire year. Do not sweat it, you will have finals at the end of the year which can hopefully boost your grade if you do okay on the midterm.

For those of you who don’t know and/or are new to our school, the Holiday Bazaar is an event that happens once every school year. During the Bazaar, stores can come in and sell different things at their very own tables all around the gym. They can sell things like jewelry, clothes, toys, food, and even raffle tickets! Basically anything that is not dangerous or against school rules.

One of the many perks about midterms is that after two hours of testing, you get let out of school at 11:30 am. Even though you get out at this early time most of the students get home and start to immediately study for the next day.

Ms. Linfield said, “You should be listening in your class especially in the close weeks prior to midterms.” She gave this tip because she had said that many of the teachers will be giving you reminders of what will be on the midterm. Also, Ms. Linfield thought that everyone should be listening in class.

Another tip Ms. Linfield gave was going to extra help and you should go at the right time.

Ms. Linfield approves of any person going to her extra help a few days before the midterm, but she disapproves of people going to her extra help right before the midterm. In her opinion going to extra help right before midterms is one of the biggest problems that happens to students on the subject of midterms.

The best part about the Holiday Bazaar is that it can be enjoyed by everyone. The Holiday Bazaar is open to Lower Schoolers, Middle Schoolers, Upper Schoolers, teachers, and even people that don’t go to our school. That way, everyone gets to explore the items and possibly buy something.

Brian Yammine and Ethan White study for a test.

“Studying in different rooms and putting each subject that you memorized into different rooms is one of the best ways of studying for midterms.” said Ms. Linfield. Ms. Linfield said that this was one of the best studying strategies because actually some of the best memorizers use this method of studying for anything in general.

what you have studied. This is her favorite method because in her opinion this the best studying strategy because it is basically like quizzing yourself before the test.

In an interview with eighth grade student Madeline Sukhdeo she said, “The best study guide is your past tests and quizzes because you will have all of your information on those.”

But out of all of the studying tips Ms. Linfield’s favorite methods of studying is asking

8th Grade Slams

By Ben Kreger

During November 8th grade students participated in a Slam Poetry Contest.

Ms. Lewis said, “A slam is when you have something you are passionate about and you put in it poetic form and you act it out in front of an audience.”

Parents and Students enjoy Holiday Bazaar

York. In 1990 the first National Poetry Slam took place in San Francisco. It since has grown and over 80 teams compete each year in the National Poetry Slam.

The first slam contest at Miami Country Day School did not have many students. This year it had thirteen.

"I had three kids take part in the contest and each kid got a prize," said Ms Lewis.

"I could have had 20 students participating this year."

Slams originated in the 1980’s in Chicago and since have spread all over the world. Marc Smith created the first Slam contest in Chicago during 1984. In 1988 the first official poetry slam was Lauryn Russell happily performs her held in New slam poem.

Going up on a stage and reciting a poem in front of one hundred people is a hard job.

Continued on page 3

“I feel that the Bazaar is great,” 6th grader Charles Sukhdeo said. “It’s sort of like your own shopping mall in the gym. I like it because, even though I don’t really buy anything, I think that it’s a good experience. I think it’s great and I look forward to it every year.”

Continued on page 14

Students React to Spirit Week Changes

By Daniel Ilyayev

Well here’s a shocker. No, really it is.

Spirit Week is being changed!

Spirit Week is being changed from October to January. The Middle School faculty has decided to change Spirit Week because of the upper school's homecoming week. Over the last few years Spirit Week and Homecoming were in the same week, but this year the faculty have decided to make both events separate.

we have red, white, and blue because there are more students and because if your team loses you can cheer for your color so if they win, you can get part of the points.”

Since there will be an event once a month, the spirit of Spirit Week will be with us for the whole year. Even though Spirit Week will be in January, after it we will still have events so we will have fun for the whole year.

"I think it was a smart idea to change spirit week because the middle school might get in the way of the upper school."

Mark Bogorad said, “I think it was a smart idea to change Spirit Week because the middle school might get in the way of the upper school or vice versa so I have nothing against it. Last year, Spirit Week was okay because we did not interfere with upper school but I don’t really care that it changed. The reason is because I heard that every month there is an event. I can’t wait until the week.”

- Mark Bogorad

Mr. Mathes said, “We wanted Spirit Week not to be only a week of events but a whole year of events.

We have changed Spirit Week because of the upper school's homecoming week. The change is also because of the weather in Florida. I think that it is ok for the sixth graders because it is their first time but the seventh and eighth grade did not confess about anything, so it looks alright. This year

Continued on page 3

IBelong Hosts Movie Night Page 2

Around MCDS

By Isabella Pedraza Lights, Camera, Action!

Before I entered the Garner Center to watch the iBelong movie, I remember thinking to myself, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

As I walk into the supposed “movie theater,” I see that the theater is already being filled with people, even though I had arrived early to help my club, Ties for Troops, get ready. As we start setting up the pizzas and drinks, people walk in and out, socialize with friends, grab the complimentary popcorn and hot chocolate, and sit down.

Everyone there seemed very excited to watch the film.

Isabella Pedraza

MECO has all of their goodies and sweets looking as temptingly delicious as ever, all set up and waiting to attract customers. Ties for Troops also has their enormous slices of pizza with hot cheese dripping over the sides of the plates. They were ready to be shown off. Sooner or later, I bought a brownie and a slice of pizza with a drink, and I must say, it was quite delicious.

We know the movie started to begin when the lights were dimmed and the projector was fully functional. As I sit on the right hand corner of the Garner Center, I start to watch the film as it is being projected.

Engrossed, I see how much hatred there is in places where a flimsy hundred meters stands between many different worlds; many different races.

Children are the ones to narrate this story and are the main actors involved. “Why children?” you may ask yourself. But when put it into perspective, it makes sense that children were the ones to be the foundation of the movie. Because only children still have the potential to say the absolute honesty about their lives and about the world around them. They say things they are told to say without understanding them. When they are confronted about what they have said, unlike most adults, they

The movie follows seven children - Palestinians and Israeli - who've never associated with each other. They finally meet and develop a friendship.

do stop to think about it, and ask “Why?”

“Why?” is the most crucial question in the film.

Why must there be segregation amongst ourselves? Why can’t I cross this checkpoint to the other side of the town? Why can’t I be friends with him? Why are we different?

Tears, so many tears are shed by children who do not need to suffer for the mistakes their forefathers have committed before them. Tears brought by fear or desolation or the pain and frustration that comes with the boundaries that seclude children from being friends.

be friendly, yet because of the world and how it revolves around hate and walls and blood that was shed, they couldn’t. They simply couldn’t.

around and find myself, expectantly, back in my own life. Yet deep within myself I still know that I am not the same person anymore.

Also, when I heard how many of them want to grow up to serve the state, kill others, I wonder how is it possible for a child to lose their innocence so quickly? When a child can call another just like him a possible terrorist and murderer, it hurts and changes how I see the world.

We have a quick discussion at the end that included the opinions of students, teachers, and parents that had accompanied their kids. I wonder that after watching the film if they were impacted too.

This movie has changed the way I view this war that, if not changed now, will go on for many generations to come, and many generations to be lost.

And as I exit the Garner Center with blankets and pillows in hand, I say to myself, “I’m glad I went.”

Students Prepare for Midterms Continued from page 1

There were many other tips eighth grader Madeline Sukhdeo had. She said you should go to extra help, but similar to Ms. Linfield, Madeline’s opinion was to go to extra help before if you really need a one on one with the teacher for a particular issue. Also, you should start preparing two weeks before the midterm week. On the other hand, she thinks that sixth, seventh, and even eighth graders stress too much about midterms in general and she thinks that you will

I cried when I heard how many of these children want to meet others different to them, they want to

As the end credits come in and the lights turn back on, I get up from my seat and stretch. I look

do well if you study and follow these tips.

as making flash cards for all of your information the midterms. Also, you should be studying weeks prior to the midterm, and you should be going to all of the extra helps. But similar to the many other tips he said that you should be going to all extra helps but for better explanation go before hand.

Zaria Thomas-Notice thinks that you should always study very hard, go to all of the extra helps before the midterm, get a good night's rest and eat a good breakfast. Yet, the best thing to do, she said, was to have a minute of relaxation right before these huge test.

Ninth grader, Griffin Sennett said, “You should be studying very, very hard and that is the most important thing that you could do."

Griffin Sennett also gave many more tips such

Seventh grader, Sean Finny said, “Studying for every one of your midterms is the most important tip I can give to anyone.”

Also, Sean Finny gave other small tips such as making a schedule of when/what you should study, making flash cards, memorizing the information on the study guides, going to all the extra helps for all of classes, and get a good nights sleep and breakfast.

Seventh grader, Ramon Villamayor said, “You should be studying in groups and you should be studying with people who really know the material for the midterm you are studying for.”

Also, Ramon thinks that you should be going to all of the extra helps for all of the classes and getting a good nights rest and a good breakfast.

Rebecca Reines studies for midterms.

Ms. Lewis said, “You should organize all of binders and take out all of you irrelevant papers inside your binders.” Ms. Lewis also gave many other tips such as looking at all of your past quizzes and tests because it is like a promise that some of these questions will be on the midterms.

Also, she said that you should go to all of the extra helps, but you should not go if you are just going because you want to go for social reasons

“You should study in groups with the people you know who will not goof around and not let you study.” and not to make the test harder than it is and always come prepared with what the teacher has asked you. Also, to study you should be in a quiet room no telephones, tv, or electronics in general unless you are studying on the computer.

A student who did not want to be credited for his answer said, “You should study in groups with the people you know who will not goof around and not let you study.”

This student also said that you should always be looking over all of your past quizzes and tests and also take a look at your study guides. Also, you should plan ahead and study weeks before.

The last tip he gave me was that you should get a good nights sleep before all of your midterms.

That was all of the tips the students who have experienced the midterms has given to you so that you can excel on your midterms! Also, the middle school wishes you good luck on these midterms.

Around MCDS

Maddie Hertz Plays Football

Page 3

By Ava Williamson

team at her high school. That because everything moves really game it gets you over excited. I made me want to try football even fast. "All of a sudden someone is would also use the word instantamore.” coming at you full speed, it really neous."

Maddie Hertz is described in get’s you excited," she said. "It's many different ways: exciting, fun, Maddie uses the word "exciting" also emotional. When you win a Between football, friends, and nice, and caring. Maddie is the school work, how does Maddie only girl on the football team and handle everything? She said, an amazing player. She started “Football was a little hard to manfootball this season and most peoage with school work at first but ple can’t believe she just started! you just have to get into the flow and you have to learn how to manMaddie wanted to start football age your time wisely.” for the experience at first, but then people said that she couldn’t, and A lot of people think that Maddie that made Maddie to try it more Hertz is an inspiration. Alexa and more. “At first my dad was Greenstein said, “Maddie is really against me playing football, but inspiring because she is the only my dad finally came around and girl on the football team.” now he is one of my biggest supporters,” said Maddie.

Alexa also thinks that Maddie is

“Sami Grisafe inspired me to do football," said Maddie. "She was a singer and I also have a love for Photo by Mr. Fallik music. I looked her up and it turns out that she played on the football 11th grader Maddie Hertz is the first female to play on the Varsity football

Spirit Week Changes team.

Continued from front page

Now, Spirit Week has the teams red, white, and blue. The reason is because even if your team loses you can cheer for your color and if they win you get some of the points that they got. The red, white, and blue teams also is for teamwork.

Brandon Slavescu said, “I don't get why Spirit Week had to be changed. I don’t really care about the week being changed but I think it was better for it to be in October. I think that it was a good idea to create the red, white, and blue teams because if your individual team loses, you can still cheer for your color. I think if your color wins you get partial points. I want the theme for Spirit Week to be NBA teams because I love basketball. I cannot wait for Spirit Week.”

Mrs. Greenfield said, “The reason for the changing of Spirit Week is because of the upper school homecoming week and because we wanted it not to be a Spirit Week but something

like a spirit year. This is because we want all of middle school do have great spirit throughout the whole school year. We changed Spirit Week to January because of the weather conditions. In November and December it would have been too cold to have the actual Spirit Week but in January there is supposed to be very good weather. The theme for this year is a secret so you will find out very soon.”

Mr Fifer said, “I don’t think that anyone is mad about the changing of Spirit Week because I did not have anyone come to me or Mrs Greenfield to complain. I believe that the sixth graders won't mind the change because it is their first time in middle school and they did not experience spirit week yet.”

Even though Spirit Week is being changed, once a month everyone’s group does an activity. In October, we had the frozen sock race.

The frozen sock race is when you get a pair of frozen socks and you have to unfreeze them and put them on your feet. The first person with the socks on gets a point for their team.

So every month there is an event.

Students Enjoy EBO

By Arushi Beohar

EBO is a fun class to join. EBO meets early in the morning from 7:30 to 8:10 and on Wednesdays from 7:45 to 8:45.

Maya Kreger, a sixth grader in Mr. Wicker’s EBO, said, “Sometimes it’s a little bit challenging to get out of bed on Wednesdays because everyone else has a late start.”

Although a chunk of time is taken out of playing to tune, set up, and read morning announcements, students perfect and play an array of pieces in which they perform throughout the year. Seventh grader Daniel Dominguez said, “Sometimes I do want to go to advisory, but I play in EBO anyways.”

Before starting EBO, students are asked to select an instrument they would like to play. These instruments include: the violin, viola, cello, and string bass. The first year you join EBO you play in Mr. Winters class. The second year you play in

Ms. Alfonso’s class. Lastly, the class you can play in the longest is Mr. Wicker’s class.

Mr. Winters has been teaching beginning EBO for 4 years. As an upright bass player, Mr. Winters enjoys the upright bass but he thinks all string instruments are amazing in their own ways.

Some of Mr. Winter’s greatest accomplishments in beginning EBO include being able to have students start from beginner level and be able to play multiple harmony pieces within a few months, having them play with excellent technique, and making students proficient at a beginner level is quite an accomplishment in itself.

SmartMusic is a new program which has been introduced to the Middle School Music program and it is used in EBO. SmartMusic is the awardwinning software used by music educators around the world to enhance their programs and provides a way to dramatically improve their students’ skills.

Students practice better because they receive immediate feedback while listening to their perform-

an inspiration because “a lot of people told her she couldn’t and, well now she did it. She’s on the football team! If people say I can’t, that’s not true because I can."

Slam Poetry Contest

By Ben Kreger

Continued from front page “I decided to recite my slam poem in front of the grade because I love public speaking wanted to share my feelings about homelessness people with my peers,” said Daniel Gallup. “The poems of my peers that did not compete were really good and I think they should've participated in the contest. ”

Gallup’s poem was the winner. Saavan Kamlani placed second and Kyle Grosman third.

For next year Ms. Lewis wants to make the contest even better. Ms Lewis said, “To make it even better even though I really enjoyed this year.”

In the end, Students and teachers enjoyed the slam poems that were performed.

The slams that were presented had many different topics from food to racism.

Matthew Musarra said, “I really loved listening to the slam poems. I enjoyed both the serious poems and the fun poems but I really liked David Burger’s poem about food. I did not compete due to my stage fright.”

Madeline Sukhdeo said, “I love all of the poems that were presented but I really liked Daniel Gallup's poem about homelessness. ” Gabriel Gonzaga said, "The slam poems were really fun to listen to. My favorite slam was Daniel Gallups poem because of how he performed it. " In the end, the judges picked Daniel ance and seeing the correct and incorrect rhythms and pitches on screen. It also allows the teacher to provide students with the individual instruction and customized feedback needed to get better faster.

Students in Beginning EBO get a chance to use this program. Mr. Winters said, “I think this program is great. It motivates the students and I see many students taking their instruments home everyday to practice.”

The goal for beginning EBO students after they have completed Mr. Winter’s class is that they are able to read music efficiently and have good technique on their instrument so they can continue being in advanced orchestras. Mr. Winters wishes

Photo by Ben Kreger

David Berger took part in the annual 8th grade slam poetry contest.

the classroom was a little larger because there are a lot of students and not enough places to store instruments and other equipment.

Mr. Winters said, “The school has been great to us and has given us some of the nicest string instruments beginners can get. It has really helped them to advance beyond where other orchestras and school have gone to because of the high quality instruments that are easy to play.” In the Middle School there are 6 cellos, 2 upright basses, 9 violins, and 9 violas.

Continued on page 4

Around MCDS

Students Enjoy EBO cont'd Page 4

Continue from page 3 Mr. Winter’s thinks half an hour of EBO is too little because students get to EBO around 7:40 and then to tune and setup takes about 10 -15 minutes. Students can play in Beginner EBO for 1 year.

Students in Mr. Winter’s EBO also travel to Orlando for the Orlando Fest Competition. Seventh grader Daniel Dominguez said, “I am looking forward to the concerts although I am nervous.” Mr. Winter’s tries to choose music based on the level of the students but in the past the music has been a little bit above the level of the students in Beginning EBO. The Beginning Orchestra this year is very dedicated and it is one of the largest orchestras Mr. Winter’s has had throughout the years.

Ms. Alfonso has been teaching intermediate EBO for about 4 years. Before teaching Intermediate EBO Ms. Alfonso taught all Lower School general music.

Ms. Alfonso enjoys all of the instruments in EBO for different reasons. Although one of her favorite instruments is the cello because of its lovely tone. Corso Luciano an eighth grader said, “I play the cello in Ms. Alfonso’s class and I enjoy playing music in the morning.” One of Ms. Alfonso’s greatest accomplishments in Intermediate EBO was when she took the students on a field trip to play at a nursing home. Ms. Alfonso said, “It made the residents very happy. The whole point of making music is to help other people feel good.

That day was extremely special to me.”

Ms. Alfonso doesn’t have a favorite piece of music because they are all so different and unique in their own ways.

Ms. Alfonso said, “I enjoy doing the pop music at the end of the year for fun. It’s great to change it up!”

Ms. Alfonso also chooses music according to the level of the class.

Corso Luciano said, “I think the music we play in the class is easy.”

Ms. Alfonso said, “I really try to find a balance when I choose music.

If the music is too hard students start to get frustrated as well as the teacher. But when it’s too easy the students aren’t going to play it

From left: Jonathan Choeff, Kaylee Parizo, Mrs. Alfonso, and Ricky Stamatis

well because if it’s too easy it tends to come out sloppy. So I try to find music that is just a little bit harder than their level so they can progress as string players.”

After completing Ms. Alfonso’s class, she wishes that the students feel confident in their musicianship, and that they are ready to move onto Advanced EBO. She also wishes that they have the joy and the fun of making music with other people. Ms. Alfonso said, “Playing by yourself is nice but when you are playing with other people it’s really cool when it all comes together.”

Ms. Alfonso wishes there were more students in EBO. She knows that is hard for students to wake up in the morning and that’s what stops many people from participating in EBO. Corso Luciano said, “Sometimes it’s hard to wake up in the morning because I play many sports.”

Students can play in intermediate EBO until they are comfortable enough to move onto Advanced EBO. For Intermediate EBO students there are many concerts throughout the year which are there no matter what. Ms. Alfonso arranges additional concerts such as the Yule Log Concert or playing at the nursing home.

Ms. Alfonso would love if students started playing string instruments in lower school so they can become more familiar with their instrument and be confident in playing during Middle School.

Ms Alfonso said, “I would love it if students practiced at home but I am also very aware that my students have a lot of extra curricular activities,

homework, and other after school responsibilities. So I like to give a heads up when we are going to have a playing tests so students can take their instrument home to practice.”

said, “The music we play is at my level because we go at a good, steady pace.” Mr. Wicker selects anywhere from 10 pieces of music all the way to 30 pieces of music a year for the students to play.

Ms. Alfonso said, “I can’t think of a better way to start my day than to make music and I enjoy the students so much and making music is a gift.”

The goal for Advanced EBO students after they have taken Mr. Wicker’s class is that they are able to play a melody which is in tune and the tone is beautiful. Students can play in Mr. Wickers class for seven years. Students can start playing in Advanced EBO in 5th grade. Maya Kreger said, “I am the only sixth grader in the class, it’s kind of weird being the youngest one but I have many eighth grade friends.”

Mr. Wicker has been teaching EBO for 30 years. Mr. Wicker doesn’t have a favorite instrument. His EBO class is composed of 6 basses, 12 cellos, 4 violas, and 12 violins.

Mr. Wicker said, “I don’t really think there is an ideal number of students but the more students the better.” The Advanced EBO orchestra has been as big as 60-65 people.

Mr. Wicker was trained as a classical musician though in his working life he has worked a lot with pop music. In Mr. Wicker’s experience he has done an equal amount of classical and pop music.

Some of Mr. Wicker’s greatest accomplishments throughout the years for EBO include: having his orchestra play at Carnegie Hall, having an end of the year concert at the Shore’s theatre, and the Rock group, which was 21 hearts 1 beat, played at two State conferences, and toured throughout the State.

The music that Mr. Wicker picks for the students every year varies. He chooses the music based on the level of the students in that class. But Mr. Wicker likes to select music that is medium difficulty so it gives motivation to advanced students to perfect it and for students who are not at that level yet something to work up to. Maya Kreger a 6th grader

Mr . Wicker wishes that there was more time to rehearse in the morning. Mr. Wicker said, “I think half an hour of EBO in the morning is too little. A lot of time is taken out of playing because of tuning and set up. I would like to have 45 minutes of rehearsal time. But to get 45 minutes of rehearsal time you would need about an hour.”

There are many concerts throughout the year for EBO which include the Fall Concert, Spring Concert, Graduation Concert, Yule Log Concert, Districts, and States. Mr. Wicker said, “I think string instruments should be highlighted more and with the new Performing Arts Center and it will be better.”

EBO is an extremely fun class to join.

Not only does it give a sense of accomplishment first thing in the morning but it brightens your day after listening to the tune of beautiful string instruments.

Red Ribbon Week Shocks, Educates

By Isabella Pedraza

Red Ribbon Week is one of those weeks in MCDS that is unforgettable. It has been going on for eight years in MCDS. It has brought much drug awareness to the Middle School and those who do not attend our school.

The concept of the “Red Ribbon” is to symbolize the prevention of drugs and alcohol abuse.

It was then later turned into “Red Ribbon Week” by the National Family Partnership in 1985. Since then, it has educated American families about drugs and brought awareness to how dangerous they can be; to yourself and society.

chasing a scrim to put it up,” she said. “No one could see in my head how I wanted to stage it, but when I brought in my projector that projects these psychedelic images and when I put up the scrim, it worked.”

She puts a lot of time into writing the scripts.

Pops plans them throughout the summer or even as early as the next week after the play. Many of the times when she writes them, she finds a lot of inspiration from her students or her own life.

Sometimes it’s a story from the news, or even those that other students may have told her. Also, when she was very little she remembers seeing a movie called Bobby.

"My sister played a mother who was pregnant and got into “It was about a boy who decided to do drugs a car accident because and he was in his house and his parents were she was drunk driv- around," said Pops.

"They were all crying and ing."

Ammirata, trying to have dinner, and

Chance who saw his sister participate in Red Ribbon Week when she was in Middle School, was inspired to do drama because of her acting and roles. “My sister played a mother who was pregnant and got into a car accident because she was drunk driving,” said Chance. “She died and her baby survived.”

he was calling out to

‘Mom! Dad!’ but - Chance Ammirata them, they weren’t listening to

He has now participated in two Red Ribbon Week shows and was recently a character who, due to extreme family problems, was abusing cocaine to help mellow his emotional conflicts and ended up dying in a bathroom because he had overdosed.

As memorable as each performance and show can be, the Red Ribbon Week show hasn’t been here forever.

Linda Jarvis-Guerra, better known as Pops, tells us about how she built the idea for the show and even the special effects. “I wanted to see how the light affects my ceiling fan, and if I could get a gobo to make an effect, for example, of someone walking into a fan; I thought of pur-

him; they couldn’t see him.”

She remembers Mrs. Avalos was a great help to her as well. She had supplied many scripts that Pops was able to use in the Red Ribbon Week show. Those scripts were what ended up inspiring Pops and had a great layout so that they could be used.

Pops is very careful when she casts her students for the show. She looks for girls and boys in her classes who inspire her everyday and even create ideas for her to write down into the play.

Those students that she chooses have things that they present in her classes, in their free time, and in the world. They have a sense of maturity that is gives them an ability to focus and be able to become the character that they are playing, not just memorize lines.

Continued on page 7

Dance students perform at the annual Red Ribbon Week assembly.

Photo by Isabella Pedraza

Spartans Walk for Cancer All around the world, there are many women with breast cancer. At Miami Country Day School, we host a Walk For Cancer to raise awareness and money for breast cancer research.

Day and I already feel like I have been here forever," said Daniel Dominguez said. "The Walk for Cancer was very fun. My favorite part was the Walk because all of my good friends were with me and I also liked just generally running around with my friends.

Even though this is my first year, I think this was the best Walk For Cancer at MCDS.”

Each year the Walk donates all funds to the Heidi Hewes Women’s Cancer Association and The Sylvester Center for Comprehensive Cancer Research. The Heidi Hewes Chapter of the Woman’s Cancer Association of the University of Miami is a group of women dedicated to the fight against cancer. Each year the organization raises funds for the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the School of Medicine, where they are used for research.

“I think that the Walk For Cancer is a very important event held at Miami Country Day,” said Mr. Mathes. “It is important because many women in the world are fighting breast cancer and nothing is helping. Lucky, MCDS hosts a Walk For Cancer to raise a lot of awareness and money to help women fight breast cancer. I know that many of our students’ relatives have breast cancer and our school is trying to help them. I hope that all women will soon get treated.”

Miami Country Day has hosted the Walk For Cancer for fourteen years. At the Walk For Cancer, there are many games and events. Some of the activities are the Walk, donating hair, dancing, and playing festival games on the field.

Ethan Mayer-Perez said, “The Walk for Cancer was awesome this year. My friends and I ran around and hanged out. When the Walk happened, I also talked to my friends.

Before the Walk, I went and saw how some girls donated their hair to help raise awareness. Everything was really cool. My favorite part of that day was doing the events.

I even tried to make Mr. Malcolm fall into the dunk tank. I can’t wait until the walk next year.”

By Daniel Ilyayev

“I really like the Walk For Cancer," said Nicole Chirinos "There are a lot of fun events and you can spend time with friends.

My favorite part of the walk was the actual walk because you help raise awareness for breast cancer. This year I think was the most amazing of all because we raised much more money than before. Overall, I love the Walk For Cancer and I will always try to attend it.”

“This is my first year at Miami Country

Remember next year, go attend the Walk For Cancer and tell everybody about it.

Photos by Sophia Gostfrand

THE HIDDEN CURRICULUM

HOLOCAUST EDUCATION DAY

8TH GRADE SPENDS TIME WITH SURVIVORS AND VISITS MEMORIAL.

By Kyle Gittler

Each year the 8th graders attend the Holocaust Memorial day. This event is planned and coordinated by Mr. Fallik and the 8th grade team. The basis of the day is to learn about the history of the Holocaust and hear survivors' personal and touching stories. 8th grader Alex Markovich said “Holocaust Education Day is a really good idea.”

The School’s Library (Franco Center) was converted into a room for discussions. It featured large group tables with a podium and microphone in the front for speakers. At each group table one Holocaust survivor was sitting along with the 8th graders.

The 8th graders were free to ask any questions about the survivor’s personal experience and opinions. Throughout the activity numerous students talked, clips were shown, and survivors talked.

After sitting in the library for several hours, the 8th graders were let out on the field to eat pizza and play

sports. Then they hopped on to a bus for the next adventure of the day. The bus drove them down to Miami Beach to see the Holocaust Memorial.

Continued on page 7

Around MCDS

Holocaust Education Day

Red Ribbon Week

By Kyle Gittler

Continued from page 5

Continued from page 6

By Isabella Pedraza

A lot of times, she is also approached by students, primarily upper schoolers. When the eighth graders leave to high school, they come back to her to see if they could perform in the next Red Ribbon Week show, which makes Pops want to be able to include high-schoolers into her show and integrate the whole school, and not have to turn down her her previous middle school students every year. “It kills me, no, it devastates me that they cannot be part of the show,” said Pops.

After the show, many people leave impacted. “I hope, I hope that they think twice, and three and four times before doing something once,” said Pops. “I also want them to know that

Renee Mandel and Sophia Cartolano take an important pledge during Red Ribbon Week. should you ever decide to take that path, it’s not only you who can get hurt, but your actions can destroy the lives of many others around you. I want them to understand the dangers of drugs and sharing prescriptions, and even recognize behaviors in their older sibling and parents.”

Some of her students, such as Donovan Anderson, look forward to seeing how the sixth graders are impacted, and hopes that they won’t do drugs.

The 7th grade fulfills one of MCDS's core values, compassion, on their annual service trip.

By Sofia Paredes

It was truly amazing that one grade built this in one day because the man that was showing us around told us that when they started, there was nothing on the area. Our gardening part of the trip was not so much about the plants, though, we went to another garden lot where we had to build areas

out of wood to grow plants.

We spent around three to four hours digging up holes to place the wood, placing the wood, and making sure all the wood was tied together tightly and they were standing upright.

I think it was a good learning experience to see how the jobs of farmers and laborers are, but it was very tiring spending all that time in the sun with no water breaks.

The 7th grade’s second part of the trip was to go to a public school named Arcola Lakes. In Arcola Lakes, my

and quietly chatted among themselves showing respect for others visiting the memorial.

The Holocaust Memorial is a beautiful site. It contains statues that vary in size. In the center of the memorial a large hand statue was built. A large reflection pool surrounds the hand statue. As you walk further into the memorial there is an atrium, marble walls with writing describing the history of the Holocaust, and an everlasting flame.

Ryan Luby said, “It’s sad that a human being could start this all.”

Students were given a scavenger hunt that encouraged them to read and observe their surroundings. Felipe Rangel said, “I think the hand represents how the international community didn't help the poor and helpless people.”

As the day ended a quote stuck with me.

Henry Fleischer (a survivor) said, “Yesterday is history, today is reality, tomorrow is a dream.” Eventually, the bus drove back to MCDS concluding a touching interactive, informative day.

Later in the day the 8th grade team gathered all of the students. As the students sat in the shade they quietly reflected on the day’s events.

Dylan Gostfrand said, “Holocaust Day was so special to me.”

The 8th graders filled their worksheets out

Pops would also like to thank everyone who allowed her to portray all her ideas into reality. This includes Steve Mathes, for giving her the creative freedom she desperately needed, Maggie Avalos for giving her the support she needed, Groovy for understanding her crazy music ideas, A.J Pitchman, Ms. Pitchman, and all of her students.

7th Graders Help Community Our first destination in our class trip was a garden that 8th graders contributed to by planting plants on their service trip the previous year. It is a beautiful garden with many plants and flowers; there was a plant with hot peppers that some of the 7th graders tried.

Page 7

It made me realize that I am very lucky to be able to go to a nice school like Miami Country Day School.

- Sofia Paredes

advisory along with some others visited a kindergarten class where we talked to the kids, read stories with them, and played with them.

It was very fun to meet all these great kids but it was a little heart-breaking to see how underprivileged they were. It made me realize that I am very lucky to be able to go to a nice school like Miami Country Day School.

Photo by Mr. Fallik

Danielle Burstein shares her experience from the day with her classmates at the Memorial.

Super Spartan Soccer!

Page 8

Sports

By Olivia Borchers

She passes, she kicks, she SCORES! GOAAAL! Lots of people think that girls are not meant to play sports or do things that require strength.

Well, let me tell you something about that statement. It is absolutely, one hundred percent WRONG! Girls can do whatever they want to do, including sports. I like girls soccer at MCDS because, believe it or not, some schools only have boys soccer and not girls soccer. I don’t think that is okay.

I’m not saying boys are bad at sports; I’m saying that anyone can do anything and not be judged by what they can and cannot do.

Olivia Borchers This year in the Middle School, there are dozens of new students and most of the girls are playing soccer (including me). Effie Silva, former goalie for MCDS who is now on Wall of Fame of MCDS said, “Soccer is amazing for getting to know new people and learning to have fun and release the pressure. Thats why it is so popular!”

MCDS Girls Soccer’s first game was November 11 against Heat Homeschooled Team and, fortunately, we won! So far, we have won every game except for two and we want to keep it that way. The teams that we play are good competitors, but with hard work and practice, we can win against those difficult to beat teams.

The coaches include Coach Fred, Coach Pineda, Coach Christina, and Coach Eleni. The head coach is Coach Fred and the others are the assistant coaches. The assistant coach’s role is really important , if Coach Fred is not available, they can take over. All of the coaches are amazing soccer players and are eager to help the team be amazing at soccer, too.

The practice is intense. The conditioning is also intense. If you're wondering what conditioning is, it is not what you use for your hair.

Conditioning is running and sprinting. It is very tiring, but it helps to get the players in shape. It

Photo by Isabella Greenberg

From left: Sydney Fuentes, Samantha Long, Ana Macedo, Marcy Chariff, Sabrina Cabarcos, Mia Larson, Tara Julien, and Mary Hanson

involves “suicide” running, races, sprints, and even tag. We do not do tag in soccer, but it is a great way to get in shape.

The two goalies on the team are Mia Scemla and Andrea Nelcha. Mia Scemla is a sixth grade goalie!

Mia Scemla said, “I wanted to be goalie to be a big part of the team and I've had a little experience being goalie.”

“I feel proud of myself when I save a ball, because it’s not every day that you block a goal in the corner or even anywhere,” Mia said. “There are many tough things in soccer, but the hardest is the pressure.”

“We have a lot of players that have played soccer before,” Assistant Soccer Coach Pineda

said. “It is easier to get players who understand what they are supposed to do.”

“Some of the players have played soccer before,” Pineda said. “This is the first time they get to play an organized sport at MCDS. They are excited to get to play with their friends. For some players it is a chance to spend time with their friends. These players are not motivated to play as much as their teammates. They talk on the bench during games, so they don't know what to do when we put them into a game.”

Coach Eleni said, “I think more girls are starting to play more soccer as it is becoming more popular in the USA.” “It is hard with so many girls playing but we do have girls that we can build a better team

next year off of,” Eleni said. “I am looking forward to Ransom and Carrollton because I believe that we can beat Carrollton and tie or beat Ransom."

Head Coach Fred said, “The difference between this year's team and last year's is that this is the first year that I’ve had all key players returning so they have played for me for three years.” He adds,“The biggest challenge as the Head Coach is to get every player the proper amount of playing time, with still developing the eighth graders so they can be ready to play Varsity soccer next year."

As Effie Silva says,“Belonging to a soccer team is great to make friends and to have fun!”

Taking the Court!

Sports

Giants Win

Page 9

World Series shines light on baseball.

By Sophia Gostfrand

8th grader David Bloch

By Ava Williamson Basketball has finally started!

Everyone is super eager to start playing, and is ready to work hard. Jordan Fishman, a sixth grader, has been practicing with the high school basketball league for over a month.

Jordan Fishman said, “I’m really excited that basketball is coming up.

I’ve been practicing really hard with the high school and I hope to improve in my basketball performance.”

Jordan Fishman decided to do basketball because at her old school they didn’t have a basketball team, so Jordan Fishman wanted to take advantage and to play on our school basketball team. Jordan has been playing basketball for four years and loves basketball.

“I like basketball because it is really fun and I get to express myself,” said Jordan.

Jordan does get very frustrated, but she is always able to bring herself back. She said, “I just have to say to myself, I will make the next basket.”

Jordan’s coaches keep her disciplined. “Even though they are hard on us and push us to our limit, I love my coaches,” said Jordan.

Coach O. has been coaching basketball for 11 years. Coach O. said, “I decided to coach basketball because it is a good way to stay competitive and I learn from the kids that I coach.”

When a player get’s scared or nervous, Coach O. always says, “Don’t let the moment get the best of you.”

The type of personality that you have to have being a coach is to be really encouraging, but at the same time you have to push them and get them to keep trying and to never give up!

“My best moment coaching is winning the first state championship in the history of Miami Country Day. I felt like we really accomplished something together as a team. We did something that has never been done before,” Coach O. said.

Coach O. is excited that basketball has started and is very eager to work with the kids and help them improve.

“I do enjoy coaching because I feel like I’m helping kids achieve their goals and help them get a scholarship maybe when they're in college,” Coach O. said.

Jordan Sheppard has been playing basketball since she was five and loves it! Jordan has played on the JCC’s basketball team. “I love the feeling of playing basketball because I feel free,” said Jordan.

Continued on page 19

The World Series is similar to World Cup in soccer, the Super Bowl in Football, and the US Open in tennis. This year the World Series was betwen the Kansas City Royals and the San Francisco Giants.

The first game was wild. Outfielder, Gregor Blanco, catches a really far hit by Billy Butler. Game one was on October 21. The San Francisco Giants won.

In game two, Lorenzo Cain from the Royals ran super fast from second base and scored when Billy Butler is up to bat when the ball goes to left field. Many other great plays happened in this game and the Kansas City Royals win 7-2.

In game three, Royals' pitcher Greg Holland did a great job at catching the balls that came to him and passing it to the first baseman. The final score was 3-2 and Kansas City won.

In game four, Pablo Sandoval from the Giants singled on a line drive to center fielder Jarrod Dyson on the Royals. Gregor Blanco and Buster Posey from the Giants scored, and Hunter Pence from the Giants went to 2nd base. The final score was 11-4 and the Giants won.

Pablo Sandoval and Gregor Blanco were part of the World Series champion San Francisco Giants.

In game five, the pitcher on the Giants, Madison Bumgarner, struck out many people. Some of the people he struck out were Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Omar Infante, Jarrod Dyson, and Alex Gordon.

In game six, on the Royals' Mike Moustakas doubled on a ground ball to right fielder Hunter Pence, Alex Gordon scores and Salvador Perez went to third. This game was kind of crazy by the score because it ended up that the Royals won 10-0.

Mr. Sennett of the middle school baseball team said, “I was routing for the Kansas City Royals. One of their players, Eric Hosmer, is from South Florida, they haven’t won a World Series since 1985, and I really like the style of baseball they play…..very aggressive on the bases, out the ball in play, solid defensively.”

"I was disappointed that the Royals didn’t win, but was happy for the Giants." - Coach Sennett

In game seven, Madison Bumgarner pitched a great game. he became MVP for the entire World Series. In the bottom of the 9th, Salvador Perez was the last hit of the World Series. He hit the ball and Adam Duvall on the Giants made the winning catch.

Jeter Retires

“I was disappointed that the Royals didn’t win, but was happy for the Giants,” said Mr. Sennett, “At the end of the day, they made more plays….and now have won three championships in 6 years.”

Mr. Sennett said, “My favorite player on the Giants is Hunter Pence….just like the way he plays the game….no style points, hard-nosed player. For the Royals, I like Eric Hosmer….local kid who gets better

each year.”

“I thought the most intense game,” said Mr. Sennett, “To have Madison Bumgardner pitch five innings on one day's rest was incredible.”

Daniel Saydkhuzhin said, “The team I wanted to win was the Giants. I was very happy the Giants won. My favorite player on the Giants is catcher Buster Posey. I was extremely happy that Adam Duvall made the winning catch for the Giants in game seven.”

Dylan Gostfrand said, “I wanted the Giants to win. My favorite player on the Giants is Madison Bumgarner. I thought the winning catch made by Adam Duvall in game seven was spectacular.”

Sean Finny said, “I wanted the Giants to win. I was happy the Giants won. My favorite player on the Giants is Angel Pagan. I honestly did not end up seeing the last play, but I am happy they won.”

By Chuck Sukhdeo The short stop we thought would never stop has finally stopped......forever.

Derek Jeter was the shortstop for the Yankees, and to the dismay of many fans he retired during the second half of the 2014 season. Derek Jeter was an astounding baseball captain for the Yankees.

Derek Jeter has won countless awards including five World Series, five golden gloves, two Hank Aaron awards, and a Roberto Clemente award. Many Yankee fans believe Derek Jeter was responsible for the success of the Yankees from 1990 to the 2000’s.

Derek Jeter is not that old for a baseball player and had a great season in 20142015. But he has had some injuries that has slowed him down in these past years.

Many fans believe that Derek Jeter is retiring because of his age of 40. In an article on mlb.com, he explained, “ I just feel like this is the right time. Parts of 20 seasons I’ve played in New York and 23 counting minor leagues. So I think I’ve

"The Yankees will never be the same... period."

- Jack Russakoff

done enough it long enough. I’m looking forward to doing other things in my life.

This is a difficult job. I put everything into it each and every year. It’s not a six month season. It’s a 12 month season. Again, I’m looking forward to other things. Not yet.

But the idea of doing other things is what I am looking forward to.”

Now that we know why Derek Jeter retiring in his own opinion we asked many students how they felt about this quote and his retiring.

One MCDS student said, “I totally agree about his retiring. He has given quite a lot to the baseball community, but I am very sad that he is retiring because I am a huge Yankee’s fan.”

Tyler Greenberg said, "I feel terrible that he left the game of baseball, and I think he can still keep on playing. His batting average was about 22.3 which is absolutely amazing for his age.”

On the contrary, Tyler Greenberg felt that the quote had changed his opinion on his retirement and still thinks that the Yankees will never be the same.

Jack Russakoff said, “The Yankees with never be the same... period.”

Derek Jeter stills thinks he had so much potential in him to keep playing the sport for another few years. Russakoff feels outraged that Jeter is never coming back because he thought he could at least come back as a coach.

Alexander McMillan said, “It is very

Derek Jeter, one of the most successful players in history, retires after 19 seasons in the majors.

sad to see him go. He was an outstanding shortstop for the Yankees, and the fact he is never coming back to the sport has made me even more sad.”

Aiden Karp said, "I have actually met Derek Jeter. I stayed in the same hotel and saw his last hit for his career, and to see him go is terrible.”

Also, Aiden Karp felt like the quote was good, but he felt that this quote did not sum up enough of why he was retiring and the fact that is never coming back to the sport has saddened him very deeply.

Tyler Elpert said, “It is very sad to see him go.”

Blaze Williams said, "It is very sad, but we all know it was destined to happen at some point or another.”

His reaction to the quote was very different because he felt that it needed more explanation. Also, the fact that he is not coming back surprised Blaze, because he was expecting him to become a coach.

Another student said, “I have a bittersweet feeling about his retirement because I am not a Yankees fan, but he was such a great player.”

Entertainment

Page 10

Have you ever wanted to have a robot as a best friend? Do you like warm marshmallows? If you said yes, then you’re going to love this movie!

Big Hero 6 is a Feel-good Film

By Belle Greenberg

The makers of Frozen and Wreck-It Ralph have come up with yet another hit blockbuster. The newest Disney movie Big Hero 6 is the heartwarming tale of a boy named Hiro who has an unlikely best friend. Baymax, the main character, is a robot that Hiro befriends thanks to his brother.

The movie begins in the most unlikely place that you would find a 14 year old boy; at a robot fight. Everyone is flabbergasted to see a boy in a place for gangsters and adults. When Hiro says that he wants to enter the fight, Hiro pays his fee to fight and goes against the champion robot fighter. Hiro loses, but decides to play again.

And he kicks the other robot’s butt! But, things go wrong.

In the nick of time, Hiro’s brother, Tadashi, races in and saves Hiro before he is beaten by big, intimidating men. Tadashi is very upset with Hiro and takes him home. But Hiro still wants to go back to the robot fights. Tadashi agrees to take him, but not to the robot fights.

When Tadashi and Hiro arrive, Hiro is upset that Tadashi took him to his nerd school, or Tadashi’s collage. Tadashi takes Hiro inside and it is an instant love. There, Hiro meets Tadashi’s friends; GoGo Tomago, Wasabi, Honey Lemon and Fred. But that’s not all that Tadashi shows him.

As a special surprise, Tadashi takes Hiro to his lab where he meets, yes, you guessed it. Baymax! But, he’s not a superhero (yet), he’s “Baymax, your personal healthcare companion.”

Tadashi teaches Hiro all about Baymax. When Baymax is put away, Hiro meets his hero; Professor Callaghan. Hiro is so amazed that he immediately says that he wants to apply to Tadashi’s school.

Several weeks and dozens of experiments later, Hiro presents his invention that he needs in order to attend the school. Micro Bots are what he calls his inventions. They are controlled through mental telepathy.

After the presentation, a man named Alistair Krei makes an offer to Hiro to buy his Micro Bots, but Hiro denies.

Not that long after the presentation, a fire starts in the school and Callaghan and Tadashi sadly die in the building.

A few weeks have past and Hiro is under a depression. That is until he accidentally activates Baymax. But, Baymax discovers something beyond incredible. Baymax discovers a Micro Bot. The Micro Bot goes nuts and Baymax follows where the little robot wants to go. It leads Hiro and Baymax to an abandoned building.

Out of curiosity, Baymax and Hiro enter the building and find Hiro’s Micro Bots being made by the hundreds at a time. As Hiro and Baymax search the building, they are attacked by an army of Micro Bots. In the course of leaving the building, Hiro spots a man in a mask and he’s controlling the Micro Bots!

Not that long after, Hiro creates a super suit/armor for Baymax and they quickly rush off to find the guy who stole the Micro Bots. But, not long before that, Baymax contacted GoGo Tomago, Wasabi, Honey Lemon and Fred to help with Hiro’s depression.

When Baymax and Hiro find the bad guy, GoGo Tomago, Wasabi, Honey Lemon and Fred show up and Baymax is knocked down by the army of Micro Bots. When the teenagers +one are driving away from the masked man, the masked man chases them in a high-speed chase all around San Fransokyo. During the chase, the car goes face down into the water.

As the six friends are walking around, wet and cold, when Fred stops at a castle-like house.

Everyone thinks he is lying that it’s his house, but they are proved wrong.

While in Fred’s house, Fred makes a conclusion that the masked man is Alistair Krei. So, Hiro makes them super suits as well.

Soon, the day has come and they are ready to find the bad guy. Hiro and Baymax locate the man on a deserted island. In no time, they make their way to the island.

Continued on page 11

The Big Haalo Hero 6

Entertainment

Page 11

A fun family film!

Isabella Pedraza

Abruptly, she runs to the nearest door and closes it behind her.

Breathing hard, Kate falls against the wall, feeling her heart race against her chest and her stomach lurch from starvation and the sight of the dead bodies of her friends. “Chains, I need chains, and those creatures…why are they here?” she whispers to herself as she starts to feel around the room with the hope of finding a padlock or something heavy to hold against the door.

Darkness surrounds her, covering her like a mist and black sweat, making the room have slime on the walls.

Everyday wasn’t like this, but ever since the start of the documentary about the Haalo, people have been disappearing, and she knew the Haalo was coming closer to finding her. Finding the Haalo was last piece of evidence to prove it existed, but they didn’t understand what they were really getting into.

“Great job David, I knew it; I knew it was wrong to come here!” Her life was a mess now and tears dripped down her face rolling one by one onto the ground. Instinct takes over and tells her crying will do nothing except to blow her cover. Jerking away from the door, she slides her body to the corner of the room and falls asleep.

Kate wakes up to the sound of scratching on the walls. Lying on the ground, she quickly recovers her senses and looks around. “Man, how long was I out?” says Kate as she stretches her neck after sleeping in such an uncomfortable state. “No wait, is the Haalo still out there?”

Opening the door carefully, she quickly steps outside to see in which part of the strange warehouse she ended up in. Parts of rotting flesh surround her, some looking uncomfortably familiar. Questioning this fact, she hears some rattling in the far west part of the warehouse. Ripping her jeans on a piece of tattered wire, Kate starts to run towards the door, seeing flashes of skeletons and fake witches on the walls.

Some rats scurry in front of her, and holding in a scream, she dodges them and keeps running. Taking quick glances behind her, she catches the walls pulsating in a way that seems like they are breathing, and jack-o-lanterns light in a flash behind her. Under her, the ground seems to shake and she loses her balance.

“Very soon…” growls something behind, almost inhuman. “What do you want!” says Kate as she turns around to see what would make such a disturbed statement.

Xeric skin is what the Haalo has; he speaks only one sentence to Kate: “My name is not Haalo, but you humans do seem to honor my proper name. Yes, and every year I hide in the shadows, in the masks, in the ruffles of old bed sheets, waiting for that group of people just like you who try to find adventure and scare, but what you don’t understand is that I’m the one you’ll see, for I am Halloween.”

Zone 1 file conclusion: No survivors.

Continued from page 10

The Professor was the man who tried to kill Hiro and the others.

When Hiro explains what happened and why it happened, Professor Callaghan says that trying to save him was Tadashi’s mistake and that he should have died. That’s when Hiro gets mad and takes out Baymax’s health chip and puts in his butt-kicking chip and tells him to get the Professor, like, get him. As in kill. The others try and stop Hiro, but it is too late.

In the middle of the chaos, the Professor escapes and Hiro and Baymax leave the scene, leaving GoGo Tomago, Wasabi, Honey Lemon, and Fred there.

When the others finally arrive back in San Fransokyo, Hiro is angry and crying. He is sad because he found out that his idol didn’t care about Tadashi and let him die. Hiro wants to make the Professor pay, but the others convince him to just capture

6th grader Belle Greenberg loved Big Hero 6! him.

Later, Krei is opening a new building when the Professor comes in and captures him. The Professor says that Krei is the reason that his daughter, Abigail, who was the subject of the experiment done on the recording, is gone. The experiment was teleportation, but the portals malfunctioned and the pod with Abigail in it was lost.

So, as revenge, the Professor turns on the portal and begins sucking pieces of the building up and carrying them up into the portal.

scene and see the Professor is about to throw Krei into the portal. But, luckily, Baymax and Hiro stop it.

When the fight is over, Baymax senses life inside of the portal. They soon discover that it is Abigail and the pod! Abigail survived, but she is in a deep sleep. So Hiro and Baymax go in the portal to save her.

I give this movie four and a half stars out of five.

Want a Good Laugh?

Hiro and the others arrive at the

While in the portal, Hiro and Baymax find Abigail in the pod, but the portal is closing.

Suddenly, a big piece of the building comes and breaks Baymax’s armor.

Now he can’t fly, and the portal is so far away. Baymax says that the only

way to save Abigail and Hiro is to use his rocket arm and blast them away.

But that means that Hiro will have to leave Baymax there.

You’ll have to find out what happens after that for yourself. I really enjoyed this movie because it makes you feel so many emotions. Sadness, joy, laughter, anger, and so much more. I give this movie four and a half stars out of five because I didn’t really understand it in the middle.

But other than that, I loved this movie. Although, I’m wondering why it is called Big Hero 6. Is there a Big Hero 5 or a Big Hero 4? Anyways, I recommend you see this movie because you will feel so good afterwards. Trust me.

By Sophia Gostfrand

Miranda Sings is a famous Youtuber who makes funny songs and videos.

She sings covers from famous artists such as Nicki Minaj, Meghan Trainor, Iggy Azalea, Lady Gaga, Jason Derulo, Jessie J, and many more!

A few of her other videos are What’s in My Mouth Challenge, 7 Second Challenge, How To Flirt, and Halloween Costume Ideas. Two of her most famous videos are “Where My Baes At” (which is an original song) and “How To Get a Boyfriend”.

Miranda Sings' real name is Colleen Ballinger.

Colleen was homeschooled her whole life and did musicals for her parents in her backyard. It was in 2008 when Colleen decided to put videos on Youtube. Now she tours all over the world to perform for people. She has performed in Australia, London, Ireland, Canada, New York City, Hollywood, and of course, Pennsylvania where she lives and makes her videos.

Miranda calls her fans “Mirfandas”.

Miranda has gotten over 7 million views on some videos.

Miranda also makes hilarious Vines. She uses different voices, and some show her at

"She always makes me happy even when I've had a bad day."

- Julieta Feldman

shows with her fans. Miranda likes to use the phrase “Look at all those chickens!”

She also likes the phrase “Stop it!” in her Miranda voice.

When Colleen entered college, she had a vocal performance major. She loved singing classically. Colleen wanted to teach choir or opera. She started to get into musical theater. Miranda got her bachelors' in vocal performance and started working in Disneyland. She wanted to make the videos for just her friends and didn’t know they would go viral.

People always ask Colleen if she ever stops being Miranda, and she says Miranda is a character that she created. When she is singing as Miranda, it is not correct singing, and she doesn’t want to ruin her vocal chords.

Julieta Feldman said, “I like that she is so funny and that she always makes me happy even when I've had a bad day. I always look forward to watching her videos.”

Julieta said, “If I had to pick one favorite, I would pick the poison seed one.

In this video she is eating pumpkin seeds and it's very funny.”

Julieta said, “What I like about all of the videos is the way she talks and how she dresses and just everything about her.”

Lauren Arriaga said, “I really like how different she is from a lot of 'comedians' in the world. I don't think there is anybody like her. I really like Miranda's 'Problem' music video.”

“I actually first heard about Miranda Sings from my big brother. He showed me one of her earlier videos which was a cover music video for Katy Perry’s song 'California Gurls',” said Lauren. “Miranda’s vocals make me laugh.”

Renee Mandel said, “Miranda is incredi-

Miranda Sings is a Youtube sensation enjoyed by many MCDS Middle Schoolers.

bly funny! My favorite video is ‘Where My Baes At’ because it is so funny and it makes me laugh.”

Annika Janzon said, “What I like about Miranda Sings is that she is funny. My favorite video is ‘How To Flirt’. It is hilarious and true.”

Camryn Davis said, “I like Miranda Sings because she is hilarious. In her videos she always tries to incorporate something new. I love the way she speaks because it cracks me up. My favorite video is her cover of ‘Anaconda’. She gets mad when she sees the lyrics of the song and her reaction is just too funny.”

Helena Perez said, “I like how she can make me laugh no matter how I'm feeling and do ridiculous things without being

embarrassed. The one that makes me laugh no matter how many times I watch is a video titled WHY CAN'T I HAVE A CASTLE?!?!”

“I had come across one of her videos on the YouTube homepage before but only began watching them consistently thanks to my friend Renata,” said Helena, ‘WHY CAN'T I HAVE A CASTLE?!?!’ is my favorite video because it's really over dramatic to the point where you can relate to Miranda screaming at a castle to a young child throwing a tantrum. I find it hilarious.”

If you have never seen Miranda Sings, you better go to YouTube right now. She is super funny and you will laugh...a lot.

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8th Graders Help Out On November 17, the entire 8th grade participated in community service projects around Miami. Below you will find journals from students at each of their locations.

--------------------Villa Maria - by Valentina Wheaton On service day, my group and I went to Villa Maria. Villa Maria is a nursing home for people on rehab or people with disabilities. When everyone was leaving first thing in the Morning, we stayed back for about an hour. We all went to Mrs. Cabrera’s room and made some letter holders for everyone at Villa Maria. We decorated them with leaves the color of fall, and inside we made inspiring letters to make everyone there happier.

When we got to Villa Maria, we split up into two groups.

One group went to hand out the cardholders and one group helped carve some pumpkins. It was so nice to see all of the people there so involved in everything.

In the carving pumpkin’s station everyone was having so much fun, I couldn’t stop smiling. Even when we passed out the letters, everyone was so sweet saying “thank you”. Our goal was to make everyone there happier, but instead they made us happier.

--------------------VA Hospital - By Ben Kreger During my trip to the veterans hospital, I got to meet many interesting people and help make decorations for an Oktoberfest party for the veterans.

The VA hospital takes care of many veterans from the age of 40 to the late 90’s and has veterans from many different wars such as World War ll, The Korean War, and the Vietnam war.

During the day, I got to hear many interesting stories from veterans.

Photos by Isabella Allen, Taylor Lynott, Isabella Pedraza, Matthew Musarra and Mr. Fallik

One of the veterans I spoke to told me his epic tale of how he fought in japan during the Second World War. The most interesting part of his story was how he was present when the Japanese bombed pearl harbor in 1941.

Another epic tale I heard was told by the veteran’s daughter as the 97-year-old veteran had a stroke a few years back making him unable to move a muscle or speak. It was very interesting to hear about his long, fascinating life and war stories.

Another veteran we spoke to personalized his wheelchair and bedroom. On his chair, he put many led lights that shined in many different colors and a speaker in which he played his favorite music. The veterans room looked more like a club than a hospital room. It had spinning lights shining everywhere and music playing loudly.

Another veteran I talked to told me about his time in the Philippines during the end of the Second World War. He was hunting Nazis that were hiding out there and came across a village of new houses. He soon ordered his men to plant dynamite behind the houses and when they heard a grenade, they set off the dynamite. Later, he kicked down the door of one of the houses and yanked the pin of the grenade out and saw a man wearing traditional jewish clothing. He quickly put the pin in the grenade back in and met the group of German Jews that have

been hiding from the Nazi’s in the Philippines.

At the end of the day, we went to Oleta State Park to talk about what happened in the day and eat some lunch. This day was supposed to be a day of service but I felt that I gained more than I gave.

--------------------Oleta River State Park - By Philip Steinberg The eighth grade service day was on 10/24/14. I went to Oleta River State Park to clean up trash. Oleta River State Park is a very beautiful place that is surrounded by wildlife and water.

We left the school at around 8:30 and arrived at the park at around 9:15. As soon as we arrived we signed a waiver and got our gloves. As soon as we did this, we got to work. Some of us held huge garbage bags, while some of us used “Grabbers” to pick up the trash.

When we started to clean up the garbage, we walked the coastline of Oleta picking up as much trash as we could find.

The coast smelled very marshy from the mangroves.

It is sad considering the amount of trash that we picked up. The ecosystem there is very important so it is needed that we clean up this trash. The trash that we picked up included bags, wrappers, cups, plates, and many more items.

There were lots of very big spider webs that had huge spiders on the web.

The spiders help to kill the mosquitos by catching them in the web. Then, the spiders would feast on them. Mr. Fallik almost walked right into one of the biggest spiders we saw that day! The web went between two trees.

When it was lunch time, we ate at the pavilion. The pavilion was right by the rocks.

All of the other eighth graders from the other service day places like VA Hospital, Villa Maria, Miami Rescue Mission, Miami Jewish Health Systems, and Marian Center met their for lunch. For lunch, we ate subway and chips.

Some people played games on the field like frisbee, football, and soccer. While some sat by the rocks and watched the boats go by.

When we were by the rocks, we even saw a really big stingray or eagle ray swim by and eat crabs off the rocks.

Some of us even took off our shoes and went in the water.

This was a great day.

Continued on page 14

Page 13

Around MCDS

Browsing the Bazaar

Page 14

By Belle Greenberg

Continued from page 1 “Well, the Bazaar is different because all of the other events are parties and commemorations,” Sabrina Cohen said. “The bazaar has so many things from in and outside the school that you could buy. There’s food, there’s jewelry, there’s clothes, there’s hats, and there are shirts that they could spray paint. It’s pretty cool. It’s interesting. It’s full of creative things.”

mess full of things that kids would like and a bunch of people,” Eva Harari, a sixth grader, said. “But now I see that it’s much different and a lot better.”

“It’s sometimes a little bit chaotic, but I think that the Bazaar is a very good thing,”

Dr. Davis said. “The Parents Association uses the Bazaar to raise money for the school. As a matter of fact, the Nathan Hurst Amphitheater around the corner, that was a gift from the Parents Association with a check that mostly came from the Bazaar.”

Isaac Bendrao from Learning Express said, “We think that they enjoy our products and we try very hard to bring things that we know they are going to love.”

“I would sell at the place where you spray paint the shirts because I really like spray painting and I think I’m pretty good at it,” Sabrina said. “It’s not that I like it the most.

I just think I’m pretty good at it.”

Everybody loves the Bazaar because of how exciting it is. To most people, the Bazaar is definitely a student favorite by far. I don’t know if it is the rush you get when you enter the room or if it is the joy you feel when you buy something for your friends or family. Either way, we all love the Bazaar no matter what grade we are in.

For all of those new kids or teachers, the Bazaar may seem, well, bizarre at first. I mean, you are just getting used to the new schedule. But, I think that everyone is adjusting to the MCDS Middle School life.

“Of course, it’s fun,” Anabell Schuyler who worked at the Bazaar said. “It’s nice, you know, to meet all of the kids and help them choose a lot of the gifts they are getting for their parents. It’s really a nice experience.”

Everyone loves the Bazaar the way it is.

Charles said, “I don’t think they should have another Bazaar because I don’t think they would all fit. I don’t think so because one Bazaar is enough. Because there is a lot of gathering, and a lot of set up, and that’s why.”

6th grader Brianna Becerra shops at the Holiday Bazaar.

Photo by Belle Greenberg

As you can see, no matter how old you are, whether you are in first grade or if you are a senior, everyone seems to love the Holiday Bazaar. Everyone can’t wait to see what the Holiday Bazaar will have in store for us next year!

Student Council Changes 30 Years Strong “I thought it would be just a crowded

By Ben Kreger

This year there is a new type of student council.

Instead of electing a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, the students elect 5 people to represent their grade in a council.

Mr. Fifer, one of the people who are in charge of the student council, said, “The change ensured that we are going to end up with good, well rounded leaders instead of having students run for specific positions. In the past, if a student lost an election for president or vice president, they were out of luck. This way, we can still take advantage of their leadership.”

Matthew Musarra said, “I think the new student government is better than the previous years because more people are in it.”

Daniel Gallup said, “The new student government is a big improvement because it lets more people share their ideas with the government.”

Students of all grades are happy with the new student council.

Madeline Sukhdeo said, “The new council allows me to contribute to the middle school more than the previous forms of student government.”

Lucas Zayden said, “It is easier to contribute be-

cause more people are in the government.”

Logan Behlman said, “The new student government has a different variety of new people and I think they will make the school better and more fun.”

“The new format shows a lot of potential, and for what we have used it for, it has worked well," said Mr. Fifer. "Ideally, we would like to have more time together so we can actually talk about ideas and how we would like to implement them.

The challenge this year has been meeting time, and we have relied on the leaders to be proactive and communicate amongst themselves.”

The council plans to do many things this year.

Mr Fifer said, “Outside of Spirit Week, we wanted to foster a true middle school wide camaraderie that lasts the entire year.”

The new council consists of many students from several grades.

Mr Fifer said, “The council is made up of the 5 8th grade students. The Executive Board members consist of Isabella Allen, Isabella Pedraza, Elizabeth Stone, David Burger, and Remy Cross. We also occasionally meet with the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade class officers.”

In the end, the new council allows for students to have more of a say on what's going on in the middle school and they are very happy about it.

8th Grade Gives Back Continued from page 13

Miami Rescue Mission - By Arushi Beohar The city of Miami is very large. There are many people and a part of the population in Miami is homeless.

Visiting the Miami Rescue Mission was a wonderful experience. When we entered the facility we were politely greeted by a man who gave us a tour around the facility. There were multiple different areas of the facility which included: the Miami Heat room, the clinic, the center for men, center for women, the thrift shop, and of course the soup kitchen where we helped out.

After touring the facility it was time for us to help out in the kitchen. Our group split into two.

One group served the people, and our group helped prepare the food for dinner.

We put frozen food chicken nuggets and pizzas on trays and then put them on a rack to go into the oven. The person guiding us told us to look over at one of the tables. He told us that the man sitting there used to be a millionaire. He got into drugs

and alcohol and soon found himself homeless.

It was weird to think how someone with that much success could just ruin it because of drugs.

The two people who were guiding us were extremely kind and welcoming. They asked us if we needed anything to drink or eat. They didn’t have a lot but they still offered to give us something.

That is a friendly reminder of the importance of compassion.

After we put everything on trays we helped clean up the eating area. The employees thanked us.

I felt really good giving back to the community.

I really enjoyed helping in the Miami Rescue Mission!

Miami Jewish Health Systems - By Isabella Pedraza As I ride the bus, I am a little bit apprehensive. I don’t know whether I will be able to relate with any of the people we were going to work with today.

At the Center, the staff and volunteers take care of senior citizens who reside there. It was founded

by Ida Cohen in the 1930s.

By Patrizia Puppin

Wow, thirty years is a very long time here at MCDS. Imagine all of the things that have changed! Ms. Lewis, also known as Ms. Lew, is an English teacher of the eighth grade, she teaches more than 100 students! She has taught English in upper school too, but not for many years. Ms. Lew was also the head and founder of the drama department for many years that she even influenced some of her students to become actors! She absolutely loves what she does and never gets tired of it.

“I feel great,” said Ms. Lew. “I am able to teach and nobody makes me retire if I dont want to and I still have a lot to give.”

MCDS has changed so much over these years. “Everything has changed,” said Ms. Lew. “When my children came to school and I started teaching here there were three major sports: girls volleyball, football, soccer for both girls and boys. The other sports were baseball, softball and there was a track team. The upper school building had just been built along with the garner center. The beautiful street

After I get off the bus, my group is ushered into a room with a grand-ball piano. We sit around until the main coordinator of our event comes. She introduces us to the values of the Miami Jewish Health Center and shows us around.

She explains that the Miami Jewish Health Systems doesn’t only have Jewish people, but actually accounts for many people of different religions such as Christians and Catholics. She also spoke about the different activities that they place for the residents here. They have Zumba classes, bingo, art and more.

The Center is multi-lingual, having residents who speak English, Spanish, French, and Creole.

The staff there usually can speak at least two of these languages, and even some of our students,

that we have on 107 was always flooded full of potholes. We didn’t have a field or a gym, we didn’t have a middle school building, girls could not wear shorts, boys wore long pants, and girls wore skirts and oxford blue shirts tucked in. They couldn’t wear sneakers.”

Continued on page 15

Photo by Patrizia Puppin

Some of Ms. Lew's former students are now teachers at MCDS.

such as myself, could speak three of them.

After a tour of the indoor courtyard with beautiful greenery, we approach the building with residents inside in their game room. We speak to them and play games with them. We play checkers and chess and even build some pottery with them.

The most memorable part of that afternoon was when we all made a conga line and danced around with the elders and had a lot of fun. Many of them were dancing around, and it really brought joy to my heart.

After we said our goodbyes, we noticed that everyone there, including us, were much happier.

We all made new friends and memories that will hopefully last forever.

Core Values Winners Ms. Lew Through

Page 15

the Years

Continued from page 14

Ms. Lew gets along with practically everyone here. “The family atmosphere - even if we have grown so much - the care that we have for each other is unreal.” She added, “What I like about the teaching is that we are allowed to teach our own curriculum and style.”

Congratulations!

September

Students that have her as a teacher this year think that she’s a great yet challenging teacher. “I think her class is very challenging because English is not my first language and I put a lot of effort to excel in her class,” said Lucas Kohen in the eighth grade. “My favorite part of her class is reading books in class and relating things to real life because I think that it helps you understand more.”

"I like her because she is a good teacher and she loves what she does..."

- Isabella Allen

Ms. Lew has taught so many people that she even taught teachers here.

Mr. Batcheller said, “It’s great I get to see another side of her, and as a student you can see her passion and as a co worker seeing her in meetings you can actually really see how much she cares. She can seem strict but as co worker you can see what she does for her students. I think she works really really hard.”

Students from every grade know Ms. Lew and they absolutely love her. “All of my students love me,” said Ms. Lew. “They come in all the time to visit. Some students even ask me if I’m still going to be here when they are in the 8 grade because they want me to teach them.”

“I like her because she is a good teacher and she loves what she does and the most important thing is that she is funny and interesting,” said Isabella Allen.

“She just has a lot of interest in her experience and everything. She has been everywhere and done everything. I find her class pretty challenging because the essays are hard, but she prepares you very well and helps you a lot. Before this year I didn’t write essays that were good but she has helped me a lot.”

In conclusion, Ms. Lew is such a great teacher and we all hope that she stays with us for new students to get to experience how great she is.

Photo by Patrizia Puppin

Ms. Lew hands back a paper to 8th grader Myles Berlowitz.

6TH GRADE Chiara Bruzzi 7TH GRADE Renee Mandel 8TH GRADE Felipe Rangel October 6TH GRADE Mack Tracy

7TH GRADE Becky Bibas

8TH GRADE Taylor Lynott November 6TH GRADE Hannah Kremer 7TH GRADE Alexandr Bondarenko 8 T GRADE Charlie Eisen

H

Around MCDS

MCDS Celebrates Grandparents' Day Page 16

By Philip Steinberg

MCDS's annual Grandparents’ Day was on November 26. On this day, middle school students have their grandparents come to the school.

Quinn Walker enjoys Grandparents’ Day a lot.

He said, “I like Grandparents’ Day because my grandparents don’t live here, and they get to come and see our school.”

Quinn says that the grandparents get to walk around with the students, and you can show them the school. You get to spend time with your Grandparents. He has experienced two Grandparents’ Days.

Kyle Grosman also likes Grandparents’ Day. He says that Grandparents’ day is a day when you get to bring your grandparents Philip Steinberg to school and show them your classes. Kyle said, “I like Grandparents’ Day because I get to see my grandparents and spend the whole day with them.”

Kyle likes to show them his classes and do fun activities with them. He gets to meet other people’s grandparents. He has experienced eight Grandparents’ Days.

Connor Sazant is a seventh grader who enjoys Grandparents’ Day a lot. He likes it because he gets to see his grandparents and show them around. Connor says that you do fun activities with them. He has experienced three Grandparents’ Days. Connor said, “I like the activities because it is spending time with my Grandparents”.

Chuck Sukhdeo is a sixth grader who also enjoys Grandparents’ Day. He said, “Grandparents’ Day is a day where your grandparents come down and spend the day with you”.

He likes Grandparents’ day because he gets to spend the whole day with his Grandparents. He has experienced six Grandparents’ Days. Although this is his first year doing Grandparents’ Day in the middle school, he is very excited.

Samantha Green is a 6th grader who also has grandparents that come on this day. She likes Grandparents’ Day because she gets to see her grandparents and tour them around. Samantha

8th grader Harrison Breslow enjoys Grandparents' Day with his grandmother, Eileen. likes the activities because she gets to interact with her grandparents. She has experienced eight of these days.

Mrs. Marilyn Greenfield has been the coordinator of Grandparents’ Day for over 20 years now. Mrs. Greenfield said that Grandparents’ Day is when Grandparents have the opportunity to share a special time with their grandchild or children. She says that she absolutely enjoys Grandparents’ Day. Mrs. Greenfield said, “It is a wonderful sight to see the children running and laughing while showing their grandparents around campus. They are so proud of their campus!”

Mrs. Greenfield says that on Grandparents’ Day, the grandparents accompany their Lower

School grandchildren to their classroom for a special activity. In Middle/Upper School they enjoy being “back in the classroom” as they visit different classes and share special memories.

Edie Shapiro is the grandparent of Ben Kreger.

She likes Grandparents’ Day a lot. Edie said, “I like Grandparents’ Day because I get to interact with all of the kids and meet their teachers.”

Edie likes the activities and classes a lot also.

Edie said, “I like the classes because first of all, you get to do a lesson. In the lower school, you don’t get to do this.”

She has experienced a 15 Grandparents’ Days!

Eileen Breslow is the grandparent of Harrison Breslow. She likes Grandparents’ Day because she gets to see her grandchild’s curriculum.

Photo by Philip Steinberg

She said that the school is beautiful, and she loves it. Eileen has experienced two Grandparents’ days.

Charles Wilson, grandparent of Chuck Sukhdeo, loves Grandparents’ Day. Charles said, “It's wonderful to see teachers with the students.

One overpowering characteristic of teachers is that they love to teach.”

Charles said that he likes the school a lot.

Dory Wilson, grandmother of Chuck Sukhdeo, also enjoys this day. She said, “I like this day because it is fabulous to see our grandchildren where they live and work every day.”

Dory likes the classes because the teachers are proactive and loving.

Editorials

Page 17

Social Media is Here to Stay: Good or Bad? Social media is a good thing!

Social media is a bad thing!

Nearly one in every four people use social media worldwide. It has and still continues to dramatically change the world. Social media enlightens and informs the population of the world.

There are a lot of bad things about social media.

Bullying, for example, happens a lot of times through social media. A bully is a person who makes fun of people and enjoys it.

Ryan Mendelson said, "Social media has progressed negatively.”

Social media in my opinion has progressed negatively and it always will be because of the world we live in.

Andrew Lips said, “Social media shows what you are up to, stay in touch, but it could be dangerous.”

Social media makes the difference between real friends and fake friends from the internet. I personally agree with Andrew because social media can be fun, but it is dangerous.

Mr. Finny said, “It is fine for adults to have social media, and younger students can get in trouble if you're not mature or responsible enough."

Mr. Finny thinks that social media makes his job harder. Online bullying is sometimes a problem in our school.

If you post something inappropriate it may affect the rest of your life. It is possible you will lose your job, not get into college, and more.

Mr. Finny said, “Social media was originally for adults not for children.”

Mr. Finny said, “Parents tend to not always be aware of what can happen.”

Social media has affected many people's lives. One big problem of social media is that you can tend to waste a lot of your time going on social networks like Instagram, Vine, Facebook, Twitter, and more. You might not study, which leads to bad grades.

Internet star and MCDS student Lele Pons said, "You have to know how to handle social media."

Lele has become a Vine star with over a million followers. "Social media can be hurtful," she explained.

"You can not let it affect you because of haters. If you let haters affect you thats what they want."

I would get annoyed. Imagine thousands of people saying mean stuff.

If you are being bullied, contact an adult, Mr. Finny, Mrs. Avalos, or your parent. Let them know that you are being bullied. If you see anyone being bullied contact an adult. This is why you should always be careful on any social networking site .

In conclusion, many things can happen in this world you call social media. Overall, social media is not appropriate for young students.

I believe this is solid proof it has a positive effect on society. In the MCDS Middle School, these websites and applications are most commonly used by students: Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Vine, and Instagram.

Social Media is an efficient way to communicate and stay in touch with family, friends, clients, peers, and acquaintances. Eighth grader Danielle Burstein said, “It is a good way to interact with people.”

In the Middle School, social media spreads the word about parties, places to go hang out, new friends to meet, fun games to play, and what homework to do. Sixth grader Ryan Mendelson said, “It is good that we have social media.”

Lele Pons said, “It is positive, everyone has a phone and can fit in.”

Kyle Gittler

Furthermore, social media benefits the middle school academically. Edmodo, our homework website helps students manage their homework schedules. In addition, students can comment and communicate with others students and teachers.

People put social media down for being dangerous. A student can meet potential dangerous people off the internet. Social media can also be unforgiving. For instance, if a student was to post something inappropriate it can never be erased. Finally, social media can be bully prone. There have been several reported incidents of bullying over the internet.

Lele Pons said, “You have to know how to handle social media.”

As our Dean of students, Mr. Finny said, “You need to be responsible and mature to use social media”. In our defense, the vast majority of our middle school is well developed and mature enough to realize once you post something it is there forever.

Mia Scemla

Makoto, a Great Place for Sushi

By Patrizia Puppin

Makoto Japanese restaurant is located at Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33154 The restaurant has a very modern interior with large glass windows letting the bright light in the restaurant. Large wooden tables for about 10 people and tables for a smaller amount of people. Most of the regular tables are against the wall with sofa chairs with nice cushions to comfort your back.

They also have outside space. One part is facing one of the entrances on the road where people park but nice plants are covering it. The other The sushi at Makoto is fresh and delicious. outside space is on the other entrance facing the shops. because it is the best!

If you love noodles I usually get the Makoto Ramen, it has ground The dinner menu has a large I also get the rock shrimp tempura. steak, a little garlic, bean sprouts variety that you can choose from, They are really small shrimp that and red chilli. In my opinion they from cold, hot, rice and noodles, look like little balls. They serve put a little too much chilli so I just meat and fish, robata, salad and them with kochujang aioli and ask them without chilli. The beef in premium Makoto steak. I usually get cilantro-wasabi aioli sauce. They are the noodles is so good it almost the Kobe Beef which is cooked a little spicy but they go good with tastes like the kobe beef but it is a table side on a hot river stone with a the shrimp. I usually ask for the little thicker. sweet sesame dipping sauce. The sauce on the side because the shrimp meat is cut so thin so it remains alone are so good. I like eating them I really recommend to go there! tender and juicy. Make sure that alone with lemon on top.

It’s a fantastic place full of things to when you cook the beef after or do! before put the sweet sesame sauce

In the Middle Staff Editor-in-Chief Isabella Pedraza

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Photo Editor - Kyle Gittler Head Copy Editors - Arushi Beohar, Sophia Gostrfrand Head Designer Ben Kreger Staff Olivia Borchers, Jake Fishman, Belle Greenberg, Daniel Ilyayev, Patrizia Puppin, Mia Scemla, Philip Steinberg, Chuck Sukhdeo, Ava Williamson

8th grader Julius Klepach and 9th grader Ryan Finvarb reeled in a beautiful dolphin.

Fall Fishing at its Best Since Gulf Oil Spill

By Philip Steinberg

In 2010 BP’s “Deepwater Horizon” oil rig exploded. Over four million barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. The oil leaked to the surface killing around 82,000 birds, 6,165 turtles, and 25,900 marine life species including dolphins and many fish including the blue-fin tuna.

8th grader Jaron Katz goes fishing once a month.

He thinks that the fishing has gotten a lot better because the oil has been cleaned up. He thinks that the kingfish, dolphin, and snapper fishing is great right now.

Another 8th grader, Julius Klepach, said, “The fish-

ing was affected heavily from the spill. I think that the fish that have been biting good and are at their best are sailfish, kingfish, mahi-mahi, mutton snapper, snook, and bonito.”

6th grader Itai Argeuetty disagrees. He said, “The fishing has not gotten better since the spill. The ocean is not at full recovery yet from the disaster. The snapper and grouper have been biting really good this season.”

Harrison Breslow goes fishing around six times a month. “The fishing was affected from the spill and has gotten much better. It has gotten better because it has been a very long time in his opinion. The fish that have been biting good are kingfish, sailfish, wahoo, mahi-mahi, snapper, and grouper.”

Filippo Sbroggio goes fishing around four to five times a month. “The spill affected fishing and ru-

ined the fishing industry all over the Gulf and Atlantic. The fishing got better and the fish biting the best are bonitos, sharks, and mahi-mahi.”

Coach Ochiel Swaby goes fishing around two times a month. He thinks that the fishing has gotten much better since the tragedy back in 2010. He made it clear that the fishing has gotten much better because the ocean self cleaned. He also says that fishing laws, regulations, and quotas are all benefactors.

One fish that he thinks has made a big comeback is the genuine red snapper because of all the commercial and recreational seasons and limits.

Coach O said, “Money is the root of all evil.” He is referring to oil as money.

7th grader Ethan Mayer-Perez goes fishing about two times a month. He said, “The spill killed a lot of fish and destroyed the habitat. The fishing was af-

fected by the spill. But, the fishing has gotten a lot better since the spill because the oil has cleaned up and the fish are coming back.”

“The fish that has made the best comeback are the snappers,” said Ethan, “This is because the oil has cleaned up and regulations have been enforced.”

Isabella Pedraza goes fishing around once a month.

She thinks that the spill happened in the Gulf and oil spilled and destroyed fishing and ruined the wildlife.

Isabella said, “The fishing was affected. However, the fishing has gotten better because after BP was sued, they had to clean up the oil and the ecosystem is trying to come back.”

As you can see, many people like to fish and were very upset about the spill. As a community, let’s try to keep our wildlife safe in their home.

the world to introduce a travel ban on West African nations struggling with Ebola.

Australia's ban means all temporary visas, including refugee visas, held by people from the affected region will be cancelled, with all future applications to be denied.

Ms. Pekoc, a seventh grade science teacher said, “We’ve had bad viruses before. I don’t think people should be able to travel they should do 21 day self quarantine.” Those on permanent visas trying to re-enter the country will also be required to enter quarantine upon arrival at Australian airports for a 21-day period.

This effectively seals Australia's borders with Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea in a move that has shocked Australia's African community.

To date, the Australian government has refused to officially send medical staff to support afflicted countries. Instead, the government has focused its attention on a "regional response" to the crisis while allowing volunteer and private organiza-

tions to take the job.

This lack of Australian action has caused friction amongst the international community, with the World Health Organization's Director-General Margaret Chan attacking the travel ban.

Tyler Knohl, a seventh grader said, “I do not think it is safe with people with Ebola to travel because they will get the other people sick traveling with them. But, if they have to travel because they have to be treated they would need to be on a separate plane.”

The Australian Medical Association has also been critical of the Australian government in recent weeks.

Because of the horrid outbreak of Ebola cases in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, and Canada has also taken caution to protect the health and safety of Canadians.

Canada has no cases of Ebola on its territory but decided to impose a travel ban after Australia did it. Mrs. Finny said, “I don’t think that other

countries will have the resources in order to prevent the disease from spreading.” Canada canceled non-permanent and temporary visas held by people from the affected countries and would not process new visa applications.

The number of people affected by the ban is not thought to be high, because Canada does not have direct flight connections with West Africa.

“Someone has to help," said Mrs. Finny. "The U.S. is one of the only countries in the world with a lot of resources and knowledge and expertise.

When they sent people to go help in Africa, they’ve chosen of their own free will to go and if the United States can’t help contain what's going on, Ebola will spread through Africa faster and I think we do have a responsibility.” Besides, the possibility to grant visas on a case-by-case basis was retained. Certainly, all Canadian health workers and volunteers can return to the country.

An Update on Ebola

By Arushi Beohar

In issue 1 of In the Middle you learned about how Ebola spreads, the people in Africa who have contracted Ebola, and some scary situations about people who contracted Ebola and brought it to the United States. Ebola is still a huge crisis for the world. Mrs. Finny, a sixth grade science teacher said, “I think it’s something that has put a lot of people in a panic because we don’t know a lot about it.”

More and more people are contracting this deadly disease and the world is taking drastic actions to put an end to the Ebola epidemic.

Samantha Green a sixth grader said, “I know a little about Ebola. I have heard a lot on the news about it. I heard it is a very contagious and a deadly disease if not treated immediately.”

Australia became the first developed country in

Continued on page 19

Apple or Double Trouble with Locks Samsung? Do you have trouble with your lock?

Page 19

Apple and Android are the biggest business rivalries in the world. One month Apple wins in downloads, and the other month Android wins. It is a constant battle between them, but no one can win. With IOS 8 and KitKat 5.0 coming out, as well as the IPhone 6 and Galaxy Note Edge, the world will decide which company is better.

The two companies also have their own watch.

The iWatch and the Android Wear. Most people will be very amazed by what they are doing to be the very best.

The iPhone 6 is the newest iPhone on the market. Apple did not just make one new phone; they made two. The second new iPhone on the market is the iPhone 6 Plus. The iPhone 6 is 4.7 inches across and the iPhone 6 Plus is 5.5 inches across.

Let’s talk about the market share. Who has more? 35% of iPad users and 28% Mac users own Android phones. How weird is that? Most would think that people with Macs and iPad use only Apple products but that’s wrong. More people actually own Androids. You would also think that apple is more popular. In 2012, Apple had better sales but in 2013 Android’s sales were higher.

Now in 2014, more people in the world still own Androids, but who do you think will own more in five years?

“I got the iPhone because it is smaller and it feels more comfortable,” said Mr. Mathes. “It is more powerful and efficient than the Android phones. I think that more students have iPhones because their parents are very wealthy and the kids will possibly beg their parents to get it because it is very popular. I used to have an Android but I did not feel comfortable with it. I would not switch either.” Mr Mathes is obviously an iPhone user but he did have an Android at first.

“For me the iPhone is better,” says Mark Bogorad. “I think more kids in our school own iPhones because to them it is more popular than Android and they want to have iPhones. The iPhone is better for me because I owned both phones and saw that the iPhone was the one for me, and I am getting the iPhone 6 and I’m very excited.”

How about some downsides. All phones have downsides. Let’s start with the iPhone 6 Plus. It bends. You are probably thinking, "How could it bend?" The way it bends is if you sit down with the iPhone 6 Plus, there would be enough pressure to bend it a little bit. The downside on the Android phones are that they can get broken, and it might be in the service center for two to three weeks.

Daniel Ilyayev

By Olivia Borchers

Left right right... or is it. left right left…. I’m so confused! Having trouble with your lock? Trust me, you're not the only one.

As you know every year dozens of new middle schoolers face having a locker and a great number of them have never used a lock before.

Kate Carlson is still afraid of her lock. She said, “I always have trouble opening my lock because it seems very complicated.” Kate is a smart 11-year-old sixth grader who confesses that even now sometimes she has trouble, but this smart girl seems to be doing very well now with her locker.

On the other hand we have the opposite example with Lou Orenstein. Lou is a MCDS 1993 graduate.

He said he never had trouble. “The truth is I didn’t use my locker much. I just carried all my books with me.”

The truth is that going to change books for different classes in the allotted five minutes is hard for some people. My second cousins Armandito and Jean-Paul figured out a way to deal with the stress of opening a locker. Armandito says he was all thumbs. And JeanPaul was great at flipping the lock. So the two would meet at Armando's locker and Jean-Paul would open the lock faster than anyone in school! They are in their late 20’s and they still remember this story.

Going to your locker is not only stressful for some, it can be dangerous. Jack Russakoff has his locker right above mine. One day he was being clumsy opening his lock and it ended up falling right on my head. It hurt, I didn't cry ,but it hurt. But

6th grader Mildred Waxman tries to get her lock open.

a lot of the kids around us found the whole thing funny.

Now when I think about it I think it is funny too.

Liam Borchers says, “I only had trouble opening my lock the first day of middle school.” He added he usually asked his homeroom teacher to help him open his locker.

Teachers are really helpful when it comes to “locker

anxiety” because they can help you open your lock and right down the combination so you will not forget.

So, do you have locker story to tell? I’m sure you do. Save it as a memory to tell later on.

America was Ebola-free for a couple of weeks until a Sierra Leone surgeon was airlifted back from Africa.

His name was Martin Salia and he believed he contracted the disease while working in a Freetown hospital.

Doctors believed his condition was extremely critical.

He had been well enough to fly from West Africa to Omaha, Nebraska but was extremely ill to exit the plane.

Salia was the third patient to be treated for Ebola in the hospital's biocontainment Unit since the virus broke out in West Africa earlier this year.

Salia unfortunately passed away on November 16 , 2014. Salia was already in critical condition upon arriving at the hospital. He had no kidney function and severe respiratory problems.

Ms. Pekoc said, “If one of my family members had Ebola I would support them as I do with all my family members. As I do with members who have other illnesses and if I had it I would make sure that I would

self quarantined.”

Now many organizations and companies have created a way for people to donate money to help fight Ebola.

Google launched a campaign to help fight Ebola by contributing $2 for every dollar people donate to a slew of nonprofits such as ‘Save the Children’ and the ‘Doctors Without Borders’.

Unicef and its partners have also organized a way where people can donate easily and effectively.

If you would like to donate to help stop ebola you can log onto www.unicefusa.org/donate/help.

Ebola is a large issue around the world and we need to put an end to it in order to conserve many human lives.

Ms. Pekoc said, “I don’t think people making a joke about having Ebola is ok. It’s very immature and causing alarm in places where we don’t need to have and this is a serious problem so we don’t need people joking about it. People need to be more educated.”

Ebola Still Ravaging West Africa Continued from page 18

Now Americans are also contemplating banning people from Ebola-stricken countries to travel to America.

Republicans are overwhelmingly against issuing travel visas to people who have been to the Ebola hot zone, with 90 percent favoring the no-room-at-the-inn approach.

Samantha Green said, “I think that people should still be able to travel, but if the disease is spreading to everyone, other than the nurses or doctors. We should stop air travel.”

The question of what happens to Americans who have been exposed to the Ebola virus is still concerning the Obama administration.

And nurse Kaci Hickok's refusal to remain isolated during the disease's incubation period became national news after she returned from Africa.

MS Basketball

Let's Celebrate!

She also really loves all her teammates because they are so much fun and they are super encouraging. “When I miss a basket they tell me that I did really good and that I will make my next one.

That’s really good that I have thoughs kind of teammates because when they encourage me and I think that I do better with encouraging teammates”, said Jordan Michael Jordan inspires Jordan because he is such an amazing player, and she wants to be as good as him one day. ”Michael Jordan never gave up and as well as Michael Jordan, I’m never going to give up.”

“My best moment in my basketball years was making the winning point. We played against a really hard team plus I was playing on the boys team so I felt even more proud of myself.” Jordan

Christmas celebrates the day that Jesus Christ was born.

This holiday is a great time to spend time with your loved ones, share gifts, and have a warm hot chocolate.

There are many ways to celebrate Christmas. Some traditions in the US are like the UK, France, Italy, Holland, Poland, and Mexico.

People decorate their homes, decorate trees, and build snowmen (not in Florida, sadly).

Mrs. Linfield said, “I love the beauty of the holiday.”

The food she likes most during Christmas is lamb, but she likes to mix things up from different cultures.

8th grader Isabella Allen said that she goes to mass every year. She calls herself religious.

During the holidays she likes spaghetti and meatballs.

Continued from page 9

Photo by Olivia Borchers

was filled with excitement and was so joyful.

Pearl Azeroual Dray just started basketball for the first time and really enjoys playing. “My coaches are tough but I need that so that I can do my best”, said Pearl.

Pearl started practicing with her brother Chad.

“I immediately fell in love with the sport and I always wanted to go outside and practice more.”

Pearl loves her team mates because they are so encouraging and she learns from them.

Basketball is complicated and tough and the work is very hard in basketball, but as Pearl says, “You have to work hard to get better.”

Everyone is super excited to keep playing basketball and the one word that everyone uses for basketball is “exciting.” They used this word because they all said that they like the feel of the rush and running up and down the court. They all are very excited and eager to get better at their basketball performance.

By Mia Scemla

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that is celebrated for 8 days. This year Hanukkah starts on December 16 and ends on December 24.

Hanukkah celebrates when the Jewish people were in the desert, and their oil burned for eight days and eight nights.

Hanukkah is a time to be thankful for what you have and to give thanks.

Ms. Greenfield said she celebrates both holidays.

A lot of people celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah.

Noah Markofsky said, “He likes the holidays, spending time with his family and presents.”

He stays home most of the time.

To most kids the highlight of the holidays are the presents. Sitting at a table laughing and eating food. Not a lot of kids are as lucky as the kids at our school, so we should be thankful for what we have.

Kwanzaa is celebrated for seven days and has seven candles, similar to Hanukkah. Kwanzaa is mostly celebrated

by African Americans. The holiday starts December 26th and ends January 1st.

Kwanzaa celebrates seven principles of African culture unity, self determination, collective work, responsibility, cooperation, purpose, creativity, and faith. Kwanzaa means, “the fruits of the harvest” in Kiswahili.

According to Houston Press a traditional meal during Kwanzaa is Cheese Grits, Black Eyed Peas, Apple, Marshmallows, Yams, Fish Patties, and Mustard Greens.

The Journalism Staff Pose for a Festive Group Photo HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS ARUSHI BEOHAR HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS JAKE FISHMAN HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS OLIVIA BORCHERS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS SOPHIA GOSTFRAND HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS BELLE GREENBERG HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY HOL-

Happy Holidays!

Try to find all of the Journalism staff's names hidden in the text!

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