The Kennedy Chronicle- Issue 4- April 2024

ISSUE 4

APRIL 2024

z KennedyChronicle THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE JOHN F. KENNEDY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS

An Interview with the New Boss

BY DANILO LEKIC After a long and formal search, the Somerville School Built in Committee chose Dr. Ruben Carmona as Somerville’s 1975, The next superintendent of schools. At this point, some of Winter Hill you may be wondering what a superintendent is.

School is the second WHAT IS A SUPERINTENDENT? oldest in the A superintendent like Dr. Carmona is responsible district and has for making sure that 1) all the schools in the district been closed since have similar plans and ideas on teaching and 2) everylast year after a colone is heard and excited about school. As he says in the lapse in the building. interview, “My job is to make sure that all the schools To fix the schools, the district needs money. that we have in the district have similar plans and ideas The current plan is to have the community and mayor on how to teach and how to make sure that every studecide if the schools will be merged or if only one will dent in our district is being seen, is being heard, and is be renovated or rebuilt. However, the Massachusetts learning every single day.”

School Building Authority only approved construction Dr. Carmona works with the Executive Team, which funding for one school. A committee will be formed runs every department of the district including the with community members to decide the future of the language, special education, and finance departments.

Winter Hill and Brown schools.

He meets with the members of the team weekly. He also meets with principals every other week to identify FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS: what good teaching looks like. In addition, he someIn the district, the facilities are under the control times meets with families and students. of the city, so Dr. Carmona said he would first like to have control of the facilities under the district not THE WINTER HILL AND BROWN SCHOOLS: under the city. Then, he would like an understanding According to the City’s website, “Built in 1900, of what needs to be fixed or paid attention to so they the Brown School is the oldest elementary school in don’t become big issues. To submit concerns, he would Somerville and does not have any interior recreation, like the district to use an improved version of the 311 physical education, cafeteria, or assembly spaces.” system so he can see what needs to take priority. c

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Answer 5 questions about this issue to enter our raffle to win one of 3 $10 gift cards to our awesome sponsor: 1.

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What was Leo’s hobby in the article “Abnormal Arts”?

Which attention grabbers did Kaisteroni Pepperoni make up in his article?

Who did the Somerville School Committee choose as the next superintendent of schools?

What is the name of Step 4 in “Cogs in the Machine”?

What game came in third place in the game polls?

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The Kennedy Chronicle is printed with a generous grant from the Somerville Arts Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

INSIDE ISSUE 4

PAGE 2 & 3 KIDS IN THE HALL:

Read up on all things school lunch. Plus, we’ve got a step-bystep guide on how to tackle the Unplugged Arcade.

PAGE 4 & 5 TECH NEWS:

Our resident video game experts have reported on Fortnite, Roblox, and more. And we’re over the moon about all the Eclipse photos we have for you...

PAGE 6 & 7 INSIDE KENNEDY:

Visit this section to read about some awesome members of our Kennedy community, as well as how to stay healthy when it seems like everyone’s getting sick!

PAGE 8 & 9 FACT AND OPINION:

On these pages, our staff covers important topics like LGBTQ+ awareness, teasing, and homework. And open your mind with thought-provoking philosophy.

PAGE 10 & 11 TRY THIS!:

Kaisteroni Pepperoni is at it again, this time taking on Attention Grabbers! And while we have your attention…we’ve got some reviews and recipes for your reading pleasure.

PAGE 12 PUZZLES:

Who can solve our latest set of mind-bending puzzles?

QUESTIONS, COMMENTS & COMPLIMENTS Email us at

thekennedychronicle@gmail.com

The Kennedy Chronicle is an after school club for 6-8th graders facilitated

by Caroline Hanly, 4th grade ELA teacher, and Kristen Cox, parent volunteer.

Lacking Lunches

BY ALDEN PETRI The lunch system at the Kennedy is, as many kids will tell you, pretty good. It gives kids tasty, nutritious lunches once a day. However, there are some flaws in this system. Let’s take a look at some issues with the Kennedy lunch system and how they could be improved.

Firstly, the school’s lunches are tasty, but most of them contain meat.

This is bad because it means that anyone who is vegetarian, or even just doesn’t want the lunch with meat, will often be unable to get the school lunch. Additionally, the “alternative option”, which is typically the cold lunch or sandwich, tends to have meat as well, further limiting options.

However, there is a simple fix to this. The school posts an online menu with the week’s lunches at . If you check this, it will be clear if any given lunch will have meat. Also, several lunches have a vegetarian option, which is also viewable on the menu. Although it would be nice to have more lunches without meat or maybe replace the alternative with a no-meat option, at least there is a way to tell whether you can eat the lunch, even if there isn’t much you can do about it apart from packing a home lunch.

A second issue the school lunches have is time. For example, 6th grade technically has 15 minutes for the lunch block, but after lining up to go to lunch, walking through the school, waiting in line, and finding a seat, you often have half that or even less. The problem is the same with the other grades. There is a fairly short lunch block, and after everything you have to do before eating, you simply do not have enough time. Lunch is meant to be a break, a time when you can relax, eat, and chat with your friends.

However, with the short block, you barely have enough time to gulp down your lunch before you are swept off to your next block. In fact, according to a school poll, 58.7% of students feel that they don’t have enough lunch time, and a further 14.1% feel that they only sometimes have enough. A lot of official websites will tell you that a longer lunchtime is better for your physical and mental health, as well as your ability to learn. This includes a research study from Washington State, which states “Longer school lunch periods, especially longer seated lunch times, result in less food waste as well as improved student performance, cognitive function, physical health, and social/emotional health.” If the school would increase the time for lunch, it would make students happy, as well as more productive. With all this considered, it would be well worth the few extra minutes to improve students’ lunch times.

A third problem with school lunches is the lunch portions. The lunch portions in school lunches are often too small to satisfy a student for the whole school day, and it can impact learning and happiness to be hungry in school. However, there are several simple solutions you can use to ensure you have a proper amount of food throughout the day. First, eat a healthy breakfast to ensure you come to school ready for the day, and remember to pack a snack to help with getting enough food. Second, the hot lunch you get on a tray is only part of a healthy meal, so take some fruits and vegetables to supplement. As Lauren Mancini, Director of Food and Nutrition services for Somerville, says, “The portion sizes also take into account the student is taking and eating a full meal, which is all 5 components, fruit, vegetable, milk, protein and grain…Keep in mind, super-sized portions at restaurants have distorted what Americans consider a normal portion size.” If you are taking a hot lunch and adding some fruits and vegetables, along with a breakfast and snack, then that is probably enough food for a healthy school day.

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Lunch Poll

BY MILES PROVOST Thank you for participating in the Newspaper Club’s 2024 Polls.

We asked about students’ opinions on whether they feel they have adequate time to eat lunch, as well as their favorite school lunches.

We received over 200 responses, with some students mentioning more than one favorite lunch option. Based on the feedback received, we have compiled a tier list of the most popular school lunches, and a pie chart showing the percentage of students who feel they have enough time to enjoy their lunch.

DO STUDENTS FEELS LIKE THEY HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO EAT LUNCH?

14.1% 27.2%

58.7%

Yes

No

Sometimes

In conclusion, there are some things both the school and us as students can do to ensure that we have a great lunchtime. This includes more consistency when it comes to the vegetarian options, extending the lunch time, and making sure that we support the lunch system by having breakfast and adding vegetables and fruits to the hot lunch. c

Scan the QR code to check the upcoming lunch menu.

Cogs in the Machine: 5 MOVING PARTS TO MAKE THE ULTIMATE UNPLUGGED ARCADE PROJECT

BY DAPHNE MATSAKIS We all know the Unplugged Arcade: screams of joy, laughter, and anticipation. But there will come a time you must tear off the masking tape, and what once seemed lighthearted and careless, will reveal screams of scheduling horrors and ever-growing stress.

But fret no more! For in your very hands, you have a 5-step guide to make children smile, change screams to laughter, dazzle your classmates, and create the Ultimate Unplugged Arcade Project ever seen at the Kennedy School!

THERE’S NO “I” IN TEAM: TEAMWORK MADE EASY

The Unplugged Arcade is a massive endeavor, and the best way to get it done well is with a team.

The ideal team works well together, efficiently gets things done, and treats each other well. But no team is perfect, and this can be harder to do than most realize. The first big building block is how to work well together. During the Unplugged Arcade, everyone has their own idea of how to make the game and what game they want. Compromise is key! Try to make a game that incorporates everyone’s ideas, but can also be achieved in your limited time. This brings us to working efficiently. Time goes quicker than you might think, but by using your team members’ individual strengths and interests, you can divide and conquer to finish on time. Make sure to include everyone and treat each other well. Everyone can be helpful in a team, and everyone can produce and nurture fun, creative ideas. A team works best when people respect one another and their opinions.

TIME FLIES WHEN YOU’RE WORKING HARD: HOW TO MANAGE TIME

The Unplugged Arcade is different from other projects because it has to be done by a certain day, with no make up option. However, there are some tips you can use! The most important thing is utilizing

your focus. What does that mean?

The idea is to push forward and not hang back on little details. Mr. Sharp, the 7th and 8th grade science teacher—as well as head of the project, mentioned how the two biggest mistakes he saw were how groups get stuck on ideas and pay too much attention to the aesthetic. It’s helpful to think of ideas like origami. Sometimes it’s beautiful the first try, and sometimes you have to scrap it and start over. There’s no shame in doing the second option. For aesthetics, Mr. Sharp describes how groups “get… focused on the look of it, and…don’t make their game as interactive or as fun as it could be.” The goal of an Unplugged Arcade project is not to win a pageant, but entertain! The game’s content is more important than the decoration so plan ahead!

Setting goals ahead of time allows you to see how on track you are, or if compromises must be made.

‘CAUSE WE ARE LIVING IN A MATERIAL WORLD: UTILIZING AND ACQUIRING MATERIALS

Materials, though overlooked and underappreciated, are essential to the project, because you can’t make a project without them. The first thing to think about is what kind of materials you want. This is especially important for aesthetic purposes because part of getting people to your game is making your game stand out. Part two of the material equation consists of imagination’s nightmare: logistics.

When it comes to wood, Mr. Sharp typically has a supply from past years that you can look through.

That being said, you are probably going to need (or want) more than he will provide. Mr. Sharp typically suggests driving around and picking up spare things people leave out.

While this can work, it can be unreliable, so it’s good to think of other strategies as well. First, check if you have the materials at home. But if not, check out Home Depot, Ace

Hardware, and Michael’s! There’s no shame in buying what you need.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: HOW TO PICK YOUR SPOT

One of the most vital parts of a project is your location!

Now the sad but true fact is that if your game isn’t right in the front, it’s a lot harder to get kids. When a kindergartener runs in, ready for action-packed fun, they’re not going to look at every game in the cafeteria and gym and then carefully select one. They’re going to walk cautiously toward the first game they see or the game with the most people. If you’re in the back of the cafeteria, you have to work seven times as hard to get noticed. So priority number one: get as close to the door as you can! Another tip is that if your game involves throwing, it’s good to be in front of a wall or the bleachers because once the ball starts rolling, it won’t stop. But if disaster strikes and there’s no spots left near the door—or the whole gym—this is when we turn to entertaining and marketing.

LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION!: HOW TO ADVERTISE AND ENTERTAIN

This last section is almost the sole reason why people like the Unplugged Arcade in the first place.

No matter how amazing the game is, it is your performance that will hook the children in. When a part of the Unplugged Arcade, you must think like the kindergartener whose mind is overtaken by the possibilities of such an event. The next best way to sway them into going to your game is with entertainment! The first step: ditch all self-respect. The truth is that no one has fun with people who have standards. You only have one goal in life for these two hours: get kids to play your game! Have fun with it! The second step: the customer can do no wrong.

That isn’t fully true, of course, but

it’s not completely wrong either.

If a kid does something that irritates you, it isn’t helpful to yell. If needed, you can remind them of the rules, but their enjoyment is the priority. Some of my happiest memories at the Kennedy are from the Unplugged Arcade, and your job is to give someone that experience.

I’m sure you’re aware by now that the Unplugged Arcade is one of the most incredible things we do here at the Kennedy. When it’s your turn, make something beautiful! And who knows? Maybe with this guide, you’ll make the Ultimate Unplugged Arcade Project. c 3

Most Popular Video Games

BY ARISTOTELIS TRIKALINOS Get ready to dive into video games, where players of all ages immerse themselves in a fictional world! It’s a world of endless possibilities, from classic games like Tetris and Fifa to the latest releases such as Diablo 4 and The Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. But the real question is—well, for me at least—which game reigns supreme at John F. Kennedy school? We’ve got the answers! We conducted a survey using a Google Form and the results are in. Can you guess which games emerged victorious?

Managing to hold onto 3rd place by its fingernails is MINECRAFT! Minecraft is a survival-based game that offers a unique and openended gaming experience. Unlike many other games that provide a set of quests or requirements of what to do, Minecraft leaves it entirely up to the player to decide what they want to do. You can choose to build massive structures, explore the game’s vast world, or even beat the game by killing the final (and only) boss, the Ender dragon.

What makes Minecraft so special is that it provides a sandboxlike environment where your imagination is the only limit.

Besides the single-player mode, Minecraft allows players to set up servers or play on a server with their friends. This feature has made Minecraft one of the most popular multiplayer games. If you’re feeling competitive, you can even join custom minigames inside of Minecraft. The most popular ones are Bedwars, Skywars, and Skyblock.

Winning 2nd place… give it up for FORTNITE! With a massive community of 500 million people and with thousands of games created by this community, you won’t run out of options anytime soon. The most

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iconic game mode, Fortnite Battle Royale, starts with 100 players in a lobby. Once the game starts, you’re on the flying battle bus. As soon as you eject from the bus, the choice is yours: land anywhere on the massive map and start your adventure.

As soon as you land, the rush begins. You will have to collect loot and weapons from chests scattered around the map. And be prepared to fight for your survival—you’ll need to eliminate other players by shooting them or using your trusty pickaxe. There are seven tiers of weapons in Fortnite, ranging from common to legendary. But if you want to get your hands on the best of the best, you’ll need to hunt down the mythic and exotic tier weapons, some of which can only be obtained by defeating bosses found around the map. In short, Fortnite is a non-stop thrill ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

Coming in at first place ROBLOX has emerged as the most popular!

Roblox is a special game. Instead of the Roblox developers making the game all the games in Roblox, every single game is created by the player base or a solo project made by a dev (short for developer) or a small team of devs. While there is no “main game modes” in Roblox there are just popular mini-games made by the player base (and the devs).

Anything you can think of the player base has most likely made. In the game you can also buy Robux with real life money. By buying Robux you can purchase cosmettics, animations, unique abilities in games, and special objects. Overall Roblox is an amazing game with endless possibilities, whether you’re adventuring through multiple dfferent games, or creating your own dream world for others to experience as well. c

ECLIPSE VIEWING AT THE KENNEDY!

Let’s Game

BY AARON BERNHARDT, HENRY GROTH, AND CHAITAN RAMAN “Fortnite is my favorite game in get up high, and more. There is the world,” says William Gee in Ms. a no-build mode if you don’t like Ward’s sixth-grade class. “I play it people cranking 90’s super fast. every day after school with all my Fortnite has a battle pass, much friends.” William isn’t alone in his like many other popular games. The love of this game. Fortnite, a popular battle pass gives you skins, emotes, battle royale game, was released in and accessories! There is a free side 2017 by Epic Games and still grabs that gives you some rewards but the attention of millions each day. the paid side gives you those and a Battle royale means a fight between lot more. To earn the rewards you two or more people and the last have to move up tiers by earning XP surviving wins. Fortnite is a shooter while playing your favorite game. game, but when you play, it is zoomed In Fortnite, the digital currency is out on your character and you aren’t called V-Bucks. To get V-Bucks you seeing through their eyes. That mean have to either buy them in-game or it’s not “first person”. It also has go to a store, Target for example, no blood. You can play Fortnite on and buy a V-Bucks card.

PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, Fortnite isn’t a pay-to-win game, PC, and Android and its age rating because V-Bucks can’t buy you recommendation is 13+. boosts in the game but they can In Fortnite, anyone can make a buy you skins, emotes, accessogame that people love. Of course, ries, and even a battle pass! Skins Epic Games itself makes the most are the most important cosmetic. popular ones. Fortnite Battle Royale, Some skins are super rare and the most popular and iconic Fortnite aren’t coming back into the shop game of them all, starts with 100 like Travis Scott or most popularly, players in a lobby and when they Renegade Raider. Just like a lot of get onto the flying battle bus, they other games, there is lore behind it. can choose to land anywhere on the There are chapters and seasons in massive map. From when you drop Fortnite and as of April 1, 2024, it is to when you are either eliminated Chapter 5 Season 2 and this season or you win, this game provides a is Ancient Greek themed with a non-stop thrill. When you drop thunderbolt weapon and wings of at one of many spots on the map, Icarus which let you fly around the that change with the Fortnite sea- map. In Chapter 1 there were 10 seasons, you have to collect loot and sons, Chapter 2 had 8, and Chapters weapons from either the floor or 3 and 4 had 4 seasons. Every season by opening chests that are found all there are new weapons, items, and around the map. You try to elimi- skins. Every season has collaboranate people by getting the best loot tions with popular shows, movies, possible. There are 7 rarities: worst and video games, like Dragon Ball, to best they are common, uncom- Star Wars, and Halo. mon, rare, epic, legendary, mythics, Overall, Fortnite is an amazing and exotics, but exotics and myth- game and you should download it. ics are similar rankings. The higher Minecraft is a popular sandbox the rarity, the harder to find. Some survival game that was released in mythics are only attainable by 2011 by Notch but was later bought defeating the bosses found around by Mojang. The basis of Minecraft is the map. There are solos, duos, that you can either be an adventurer trios, and squads. There is also who is trying to finish the game, by no-fill where you can choose solos, beating the final enemy, the Ender duos, etc. and make it so you have Dragon in survival mode, or you less players than the other teams. can build whatever you would like For example, if you were playing in creative mode where you can’t alone and played duos no-fill you die and you have infinite materiwould be playing against two player als. “There’s a lot to Minecraft and teams. In Fortnite battle royale you it’s not very easy to beat. You can can build to protect yourself, fight, build whatever comes to mind. You

GLOSSARY:

can also play with your friends so you don’t get lonely,” said Ian Cox who is in third grade. There are many biomes and mobs. The most common mobs are spiders, zombies, and creepers. Unlike many other games, there are no quests or requirements of what to do, it is entirely up to you to decide what to do so it is an open-world game.

Like Fortnite, Minecraft has many different games you can play outside of the normal survival mode.

Minecraft has a unique take on conventional video games where there is not one specific goal and the only goal is what you want for yourself. Many people have also made custom minigames inside of Minecraft the most popular being Bedwars, Skywars, and Skyblock.

“Minecraft is fun because it has a lot of interesting things to do,” says Alden Petri who is in sixth grade.

“It gets new updates and new content a lot.”

Fun fact: Minecraft is the bestselling video game of all time, with an estimated 166 million players and received an IGN (International Gaming Network) rating of 9/10. c

EPIC GAMES: An American Video game and Software Developer.

LOBBY: The place where you go when you login to Fortnite before you start a game.

BATTLE BUS: the flying blue bus that takes you over the island in battle royale.

DROP: when you leave the battle bus to land on the ground.

SEASONS: when the map changes and something new happens, either on the map or to items.

CHESTS: boxes that contain a weapon, and another item LOOT: the items that you get from chests.

BOSSES: Npcs that you can eliminate to get better loot LIVE EVENT: an event in Fortnite that is exclusive to people on at the right time and it is tubular SKINS: a character that you can wear ingame and in the lobby EMOTES: dances in Fortnite that let you express yourself ACCESSORIES: your pickaxe, glider, and back-bling that you can also purchase and wear ingame and in the lobby.

CRANKING 90’S: Building up while protecting yourself and turning 90 degrees every time.

FILLS: when you get a team/ teammates so you match the amount of players in each team.

NO FILLS: when you dont get any teammates (if you want a challenge)

THE POLL: We polled people on what video game they preferred between Minecraft and Fortnite. Though we weren’t able to record responses from everybody, we still were able to get responses from most people and the variety of answers was surprising. In 3rd grade, Minecraft won by a long shot to Fortnite, with the votes being 20:9, but in 6th grade, Fortnite won with more than twice the votes and the votes were 9:22. There was also a surprising amount of people that didn’t play video games with a total of 34 out of 159 votes. In all, the score of all three was 60:65:34, meaning that Minecraft won to Fortnite by 5 votes. 6th grade was the only grade where Fortnite won over Minecraft. Overall, Fortnite and Minecraft both were popular and there was a very big change through the grades, but Minecraft won. The polls are all below.

70 60 50

60 13 9 5

65 13 6 9

40

22 30 20

17

0

20 9 Fortnite

6 6 8

15

10

34

6

8th grade (n=28) 7th grade (n=17) 6th grade (n=39) 4th grade (n=38) 3rd grade (n=37)

8 Minecraft

I don’t play video games

5

The Kennedy Community

BY REBEKA FAETH As children you may never truly think about what life would be like if you were diagnosed with intellectual disability or really any disability that would affect your everyday life.

In this article we’ll be diving deeper into the lives of the kids we share the halls with.

The SKIP (Specialized Kennedy Intensive Program) program is a program for kids with disabilities who need more help in everyday activities.

IAN is a 10-year-old boy with a disability and is a student of Ms. A. (Ms. Attard), but despite his differences he still enjoys normal everyday things. I sat down and discovered new things about him.

For instance, Ian loves to watch “Mickey Mouse” and play with toys.

His favorite class is science, but his favorite part about school is recess and he’s very fond of one

of his teachers, Ms. Samantha.

Another fun thing about him is he likes to eat muffins, hot dogs, and cookies. When he gets home from school he loves to unwind by playing with his toys and watching TV. Fun fact about Ian is he loves to collect straws!

MANSOOR is a 9-year-old boy with a disability in the “Life Skills” class. He has a voice and wants to be heard. When in school, he likes math class and playing with the toys he’s provided. He, like Ian, has a soft spot in his heart for Ms. Samantha. Some other activities he enjoys are playing and watching TV on his Ipad! One more thing I learned about him is, when he grows up he wants to be a musician.

JOSEPH or “JoJo” is a 10-yearold boy in Ms. A’s class, he likes to stay with Mrs. Kennedy, and loves to drink seltzer water. However, his favorite thing about school are his

teachers. An interesting fact about JoJo is, his family is from Peru. He has a favorite stuffed animal that he brings to school everyday, its name is “Baby Lion,” he likes Baby Lion because he’s very soft and cozy.

MICHAEL is a 10-year-old boy in Life skills class. He enjoys science class and playing with Mr. Matt’s keys. When he grows up he wants to be a bus driver. Michael’s favorite teacher is Mr. Matt. Also, his favorite foods to eat are pizza and chips. One fun fact about Michael is he knows some Spanish!

This is because his mom is fluent and communicates with him in Spanish. Another thing I love about Michael is that he loves hugs and giving them to others.

After talking with Ms. A, who is their ELA and social studies teacher, I have a new understanding of her job and her journey with the students she teaches. One of

the things we talked about was the needs that the students have, and the reason they’re in a separate class from other students of the same grade. In response to this she stated, “They need a classroom with a small number of students, and a close ratio of students to teachers, based on where they are in their academic process, and need directions that are broken down into words they will understand and are appropriate for them.”

When I asked her about how her perspective has changed after working with these students for a while she said, “Working with new students each year is always a reminder that every student has their own learning needs, and part of the job of being a teacher is getting to know the student so I can meet those needs.” c

Sick From School, Again?

BY ANNABELLE KANG AND STELLA SACCARDI Have you ever been home sick from school with a runny nose, a sneeze, and a cough you can’t control? How about a stomach bug or a painful headache? Sure, staying home from school can sound appealing, but is it still fun when you feel miserable? Everyone who has been sick knows that being sick is not a good time, so we talked to our very own health care professional, Nurse Conneely, to get her take on what’s been going around lately and how to stop it.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST COMMON SICKNESSES GOING AROUND RIGHT NOW?

According to Nurse Conneely, right now, gastrointestinal disease is the most common sickness. The symptom of this disease is mostly vomiting. We can all agree that no one wants this sickness. Fortunately, there are multiple ways for you to prevent yourself from getting this sickness and others.

HOW MANY PEOPLE GET SICK AT SCHOOL?

A common and important question is how many people get sick in our school per day? Stated by our school nurse Ms. Conneely, about twenty students come into her office with illnesses every day. That is 5% of our whole school which means about one person per class goes to the nurse sick every day! “Overall, nearly 22 million school days are lost each year due to colds alone, and 38 million school days are lost due as a result of the flu.” This is according to “Infection Prevention and You”!

Now for the most common argument with mom and dad, when is it okay to stay home from school? Here is the correct answer from Ms. Conneely’s perspective, “If they have a fever over 100 degrees, if they have a cough that they can’t control, if they have a runny nose that they can’t wipe on their own, if they’re not feeling well enough to eat breakfast, and if 6 they’re really not acting like themselves and they’re tired and they’re

lethargic.” If you are not going to be able to pay attention, and actually learn, then what is the point in going to school?

HOW DO YOU PREVENT SICKNESS?

Though there are some bad illnesses going around, there is always a solution. According to Nurse Conneely, the best way to stay safe is, “Wash your hands, don’t put your hands in your mouth, and cover your coughs and sneezes.” This is very simple. Make sure to use the inner crevices of your elbow and not your hands when you cough or sneeze. If you use your hand make sure to wash your hand immediately after. Every time you touch your face (which is a lot more than you would think) you are taking all the germs that you have touched since you last washed your hands and you are getting them into your system. Here’s an example, you walk into your classroom and a friend offers you a high five. When you sit down at your desk you begin to rub your eyes. All of your friends’ germs are now in your system so be careful greeting each other with contact! Though these couple of things seem small they can really help you stay healthy.

Don’t think this is just for kids! There are still multiple things teachers and administrators can do to keep their co-workers, and students safe.

Here are a few examples, “Ask sick students and staff to stay home (and to seek medical attention when necessary). Keep a supply of alcohol-based hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes. Teach good hand washing practices, and lastly make sure to remind your students to get flu shots.”

WHAT ABOUT TOUCHING YOUR FACE?

According to the poll we sent to the school, most people think they touch their face fifty to one hundred times every day. Imagine germs being transferred into your body one hundred times a day! That is the recipe for sickness. But hopefully by reading our article you will be a little more informed on how to stay healthy! c

Abnormal Arts

HOBBIES THAT AREN’T THE MOST “NORMAL” ACCORDING TO THOSE WHO PRACTICE THEM IN THE KENNEDY.

BY JULIANA BROEKMAN AND FRASER POSTLEWAITE Everyone has little activities that spark joy and creativity in all!

Sometimes, these are normal, but this article covers some of the weirder, more interesting ones! The five most unique (according to and including the writers) from around the school are right below!

SI, 1ST GRADE (SHE/HER) HOBBY: MAGIC

Si was first introduced to magic along with her sister because her cousin is good at magic. Her parents got her a magic kit for Christmas, and took a couple of months to master all of the tricks in the kit. She started performing small magic shows, mostly for her grandparents or for fun but sometimes will do shows with her cousin.

Her favorite trick is to teleport pom-poms with cups.

LEO, 4TH GRADE (HE/HIM) HOBBY: WHITTLING

Leo started learning how to whittle because his brother knows how, and he wanted to learn. Leo’s father teaches him how, and is currently making a lot of wands. These wands are for both him and his friends. The tools he uses are a pocket knife and wood that fell in his yard from a tree.

He has some favorite wood types, including walnut, yellow heart, ebony, and African blackwood.

GRETEL, 5TH GRADE (SHE/HER) HOBBY: COLLAGING

Gretel was not introduced to collaging by a specific person, but her mother had a lot of old magazines and scrap paper in the house. With these papers, some scissors, and glue, she created themed collages (we were unfortunately unable to get a photo of one of these).

According to her, she “just thought of it” while messing around with some of the magazine and paper scraps. Normally, she makes her collages at her desk at home.

JULIANA, 7TH GRADE (THEY/THEM) HOBBY: CROCHETING

Juliana first learned what crocheting was when they were about six years old. This was when they were making a birthday present for their cousin. To them, it was hard at first, and they didn’t continue learning. For their 12th birthday, their uncle bought them a crocheting kit from The Woobles where they learned to make amigurumi (ami-guru-me), or crocheted stuffed toys. This sparked their interest as they often found themself without anything to do, and decided to retry learning. Their first project, in their words, is “a deformed penguin.” To make amigurumi, they need a stitch marker, a crochet hook, yarn, and a tapestry needle, and stuffing.

FRASER, 7TH GRADE (HE/ HIM) HOBBY: WEAVING SCALE MAILLE

Fraser got into weaving scale maille after getting bored and Googling random things. Then for Christmas, he got the materials to make it. The process to learn how to make scale maille consisted of re-watching a YouTube video, many, many times, and plenty of realizations that he made mistakes, then having to undo a lot of work. However, it doesn’t take that long to learn, possibly a day at most. After a while of practice it doesn’t take that long to make a whole piece, maybe 10 or so hours to make a small one, but longer for larger ones. The materials he uses are scales, rings, and a pair of pliers. c

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LGBTQ+ Awareness Have you heard the term LGBTQ+ around? Maybe you know someone who’s a part of the community? Maybe you’re wondering what it even means. Well, in this article I’ll explain the basis of the LGBTQ+ community, some basic terms, and more!

Firstly, what does LGBTQ+ even mean? Truly, it’s just a short and catchy way of saying: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and anything in between! However, most people don’t even know what those words mean. Lesbian is a term used for a person who likes a no-masculine gender, a lot of people that identify this way may say that they’re gay or a gay woman.

Gay is a term that is used similarly except it can be used by all genders and may even be said by anyone in the community who at least likes their same gender, but is more recognized by people using it for masculine identify people. Bisexual means someone who likes more than one gender, for example, you could be a male who likes males and females.

being an Ally means you support people who are LGBTQ+ and look for ways to stand up for them. This is always nice, especially for people who aren’t sure yet about their identity. The other important term is the phrase “coming out of the closet.” This is a term used when someone in the LGBTQ+ community chooses to tell someone else about their identity. Most people just say it’s “coming out” and ditch the closet part. It’s important for everyone to be able to come out on their own terms, so if someone comes out to you - that doesn’t mean you should tell anyone else.

Now that you know some basic terms about the community, it’s important to understand how you can help LGBTQ+ people feel comfortable in their identity. Some ways you can do that are by being kind to others if they tell you that they’re a part of the community, referring to others by their preferred pronouns, not using unkind terms towards people, and being patient to people who haven’t fully figured themselves out yet.

Transgender is a term that could be used in many different ways but usually means someone who has realized that they’re a different gender than what they were told at birth. Then there’s Queer.

Queer is a term that can be said to anyone in the community and can also be used if you are questioning your gender or sexuality. The term “Queer” is great because you don’t have to have a set label and you’ve got your whole life ahead of you to figure yourself out! The plus symbol is for everybody and anybody else who is a part of the community. This is there to make sure all members of the community feel included, and also symbolizes the fact that over time updated or new terms may be used!

It’s important to not bully others and to make people feel accepted and comfortable enough to come out when they are ready. Everyone deserves to feel comfortable being themselves!

Another important term to recognize is the term Ally. While it’s not a technical part of the community,

Also, when you join sixth grade our school has a GSA, which stands for Gender & Sexuality Alliance

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Now that you’ve learned this information and you’re not sure if you’re a part of the community or even just want to learn more about it there are plenty of resources out there for you to explore! There are also lesser-known identity terms to explore online. Some reliable websites that I recommend are, “youth. gov” which has many sources on terms and concepts, as well as, “The Center” which is a community center for anyone whether they be an ally or part of the LGBTQ+ community.

When Teasing Goes Too Far

BY ALINA IOANNISYAN AND JUNE OEMLER In school, the word “bullied” is Sometimes the person who is thrown around a lot. But did you teasing you doesn’t mean to be know that there is a big difference hurtful, so they might listen if you between bullying and teasing? tell them to stop. However, if that Most of the time when people say doesn’t work, then it’s time to try that they’re being bullied, they’re another way of making them stop. actually only being teased. Since There are many ways to handle bullying can be a serious issue, teasing and bullying. If someone is it’s good to be able to tell the teasing you, one of the best ways difference between bullying and to make them go away is to act as if teasing. what they say or do doesn’t affect Teasing is when the person who you. When someone is teasing or is bothering you is provoking or bullying you, they are often looksaying mean things to you in more ing for a reaction, so if you don’t of a playful way. Though teasing is give them one, they will eventuless serious, it can still be hurtful ally realize that there’s no point in and annoying. Bullying on the bothering you and stop. Another other hand is when you can actu- thing to do is to tell an adult so ally get physically or emotionally that they can help you solve the hurt. The Scholastic article “When problem. Usually, people who Teasing Becomes Bullying” bother you will be more likely to writes, “Teasing becomes bully- stop if an adult tells them to do ing when it’s repetitive or when so. It’s especially important to go there’s a conscious intent to hurt to an adult if you think you are another child. It can be verbal being bullied. bullying (making threats, namecalling), psychological bullying (excluding children, spreading rumors), or physical bullying (hitting, pushing, taking a child’s possessions).” If a person is a victim of bullying, it may have an impact on their behavior. They may cry frequently, and experience stomachaches or headaches for no apparent reason. They may feel defeated and hurt, or even avoid going to school. They may feel like the bully is right, which is very serious. Nobody deserves to go through something like that.

and you can join even if you’re just an ally! It’s run by Ms. Ward, the sixth grade ELA and Social Studies teacher who is also part of the community. If you didn’t know about it and wish to join it meets on half-day Wednesdays and is in room 202.

Some ways to help someone if they are going through bullying is to give them space to talk and try to be empathetic. If the victim of bullying has a safe place to talk about their feelings, it will be easier to deal with them.

Overall, there is a big difference between bullying and teasing. Both are a common problem though, and need to stop. Although we can never stop teasing and bullying completely, we can at least help decrease the amount of teasing and bullying that happens. c

welcoming to anyone who is a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Finally, don’t hesitate to do more research if you don’t fully understand, and don’t feel stressed to put a label on yourself if you’re questioning. We should all be proud to be who we I hope you’ve learned something are and build a school community from this, and that you are kind and where that is possible! c

Ugh, Homework!

BY MADELYN CAMPBELL AND EMILY MCCARTHY What do you think about when management skills.” Ms. Merrill someone says the word “home- believes that homework can help work”? For some people, it could prepare students with both acabe sitting in a quiet zone, working demic and life skills. So if you are on a math problem, feeling a sense ever frustrated with homework, of accomplishment once you finally remember that it could help you get it all done. For others, you might become more organized and give think of rushing in class to com- you a way to practice what you are plete the required homework, so learning in class. that you have just an ounce of free Other people view homework in time at home. However you feel a negative way. Some have gone so about homework, there are clearly far as to say: “If school isn’t a place pros and cons when it comes to the to sleep, then home isn’t a place to topic. work.” “Start a petition on why we Sometimes, we all hold a grudge shouldn’t have homework.” “You with homework. But have you ever should be concerned about the fact thought about how good it can be that homework is a terrible abomifor you? It turns out, third grade nation of life.” All of these quotes teacher Ms. Merrill has. She has even were said by students, and all written a term paper on homework show that in many students’ eyes, before. In it, she wrote, “I believe homework isn’t so amazing. As that one of the main purposes stated by 6th grader Miles Provost, of homework is to help students “Homework is a complete waste of practice and develop function- time and effort. In school, teachers ing skills. Completing homework already give us students too much not only gives students additional work, and unless there is time in practice with academic skills they school to do the homework, teachlearn in school, it also strengthens ers are just putting more strain students’ organizational and time and pressure on us students. Also,

some students have extracurricular activities most days of the week, not leaving time for homework. Additionally, some studies show that homework is unnecessary.”

Students feel that homework may interfere with their personal lives, and that studies could even help prove their point. For example, in the US News article “Should Kids Get Homework?”, author Sarah Wood writes “assignments that are just busy work, that force students to learn new concepts at home, or that are overly time-consuming can be counterproductive”. Many people can’t do homework on certain days because of sports and extracurriculars, so as a result, homework can cause stress.

We believe that homework

should be part-time, based on the child’s schedule. When the child has a sport, we should try to make time during the day for homework. If the teacher does this, more students might do their homework and more students will be happy with homework. It is likely that teachers will not ban homework, but possibly could look at how it interferes with extracurriculars and possibly change homework days. Students could also talk to the teacher about their classroom homework routine. Like it says in “Should Kids Get Homework?”, “if homework is becoming stressful or workload is excessive, experts suggest parents first approach the teacher, followed by a school administrator.”

At the end of the day, we might still have different thoughts and opinions on homework, but hopefully we can acknowledge that there are different perspectives when it comes to the topic. c

We believe that homework should be part-time, based on the child’s schedule.

Fabulous Fallacies

BY BENJAMIN VAN NORSTRAND A fallacy is a mistaken belief, often based on false arguments. There are many fallacies in philosophy, like Russell’s paradox, synthetic a posteriori and analytic a priori statements, but in this section, we will only be focusing on post hoc ergo propter hoc and Zen koans, also known as satori.

Post hoc ergo propter hoc is a Latin phrase meaning after this, therefore because of this. In other words, it basically means that one event caused another without any actual proof. You can see this in the world a LOT without knowing.

Zen koans (pronounced co-hen) are questions in Zen Buddhism that make it really hard to find a solution, or questions that are extremely funny.

EXAMPLES:

EXAMPLES

• Whenever the rooster crows, the sun comes up. That rooster must be very powerful.

• Yesterday, when I got home from school, I ate a bunch of pretzels. The next day, I had to stay home from school with a sore throat. I must be allergic to pretzels.

• My grandma was sick. When I came to take care of her cat, there was a bad smell in her house. She must have died.

A JOKE ABOUT FALLACIES:

Every day, a girl goes to her front porch. She always yells, “Let this house be safe from tigers!”

And the neighbor, tired of hearing this over and over and over again, finally yells, “There isn’t a tiger within 300 miles of here!”

The girl says, “See? It works!”

• If a man tries to fail and succeeds, which did he do?

• Which came first: the chicken or the egg?

• True or false? “This sentence is false.”

• Why do we park on a driveway and drive on a parkway?

• What is the sound of 1 hand clapping?

A JOKE ABOUT ZEN KOANS:

If you have ice cream, I will give it to you. If you have no ice cream, I will take it away from you. That’s an ice cream koan.

Want more fallacies, like Russell’s paradox, or other philosophy, like synthetic a posteriori and analytic a priori statements, and more? Read Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar by Thomas Cathcart & Daniel Klein! Ask your parents for a copy if you don’t have one already. c 9

Attention Grabbers Book Across the Grades! Review

BY KAI YU (AKA KAISTERONI PEPPERONI) Welcome back to this unending basin of amazing information, where today we will be discussing attention grabbers. I am certain that the majority of you are aware of these, so I will refrain from letting my blabbering reach critical levels while explaining it. Most teachers have their own unique way of letting the class know that they have to refocus their attention, so I thought: why not find the best catchphrases? Well, after an eternity of foraging through forum responses, these are the ones that stood out.

MOST FUNNY:

Not even my capable writing can capture the raw emotion sent in this answer, so I’ll just show it to you. “I go ‘CAN I GET A’ and the students go ‘WHOOP WHOOP’, and it’s immediately followed by ‘ITTY BITTY’ and the students go ‘BOOM BOOM’. We repeat this 2-3 times, and it’s fun to say and hear because it sounds like a song, and it gets their attention because they want me to say ‘CAN I GET A’ again lol.”

MOST EFFECTIVE:

You all know this one, it’s a classic. The world-famous clap-clap-clapclapclap. And while it may be a bit dull, there is no denying the sheer effectiveness this attention grabber holds. Heck, I was just modeling the attention getter for the teacher in the middle of Newspaper Club ( join now!), and someone just automatically repeated the pattern. If this doesn’t convince that this display of noise has been fully ingrained into every child’s mind, I don’t know what will.

But, to be frank, all of these are slightly basic. None of them even come close to the

amount of brilliance coursing through my cerebellum—wait, that’s it! I’ll come up with my own attention grabbers! In fact, I’ll write them right now! These, I believe, are humanity’s finest works, perhaps only slightly outranked by edible shoes.

EFFECTIVE EPIPHANY 1: SLIP-AND-SLIDE

This attention grabber would start the teacher yelling “Bleach, Dawn, and Tide Pods too!” to which the students reply “Laundry Detergent just for you!” Then the educator would dive on the ground as the pupils grab some laundry cleaning liquid (personally, I think it’s a mandatory school material) and dump on the floor to create a slip-and-slide for their dear teacher. As the teacher flies across the floor, the students add a mark that signifies the end of the teacher’s trajectory.

A beanbag, some packing peanuts, an open window, a cushion, you name it! This one is sure to capture everyone’s attention, and possibly a hospital’s too.

ATTENTON-SHIFTING APPROXIMATION 2: CAVEPEOPLE

This attention getter begins with the teacher nabbing any student’s water bottle, and then shouting “OOGA BOOGA UNGA BUNGA”. The students quickly follow up with this when they scream, “BOOGA OOGA BUNGA UNGA”. After that, everybody grabs the closest metal object near them and starts smashing any piece of school property they can get their hands on while screeching primitive chants. This attention snatcher will be sure to get the class’s, the principal’s, and maybe even the superintendent’s attention! c

PUZZLE ANSWERS REBUS: school is ending and summer is almost here SEMAPHORE: you solved the code

BY FIONA COX The Inheritance Games is a mysterious fiction series of novels written by Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

The Inheritance Games is about a 17-year-old prodigy named Avery Kylie Grams. After the death of her mother, Avery is living out of her car while attending highschool but all that changes when Avery is taken out of school and flown to Texas for the reading of a will left by a Texas billionaire, Tobias Hawthorne. She arrives at a huge mansion filled with puzzles and secrets where she meets the relatives of Tobias. Everyone wonders why Avery was chosen to inherit billions of dollars, from someone who she didn’t seem to know. The Inheritance Games is a suspenseful story with many twists and turns.

It is the perfect book to grab your attention from the very beginning, and keep you guessing with all the riddles and tricks that it holds. After I finished the first book I couldn’t wait to keep reading in the next three books in the series. c

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Crazy for Cooking!

BY ELIORA INDRAWIDJAJA AND ELLA MACHOWINSKI There are countless reasons why it is important to learn how to cook!

One big reason is that cooking is a survival skill. You can’t live on Instant food forever! That’s unhealthy! You can become sick, and it can hurt yourself physically AND mentally! Don’t make your life harder than it should when there are easy and healthy recipes you can make by yourself.

FROYO FRUIT CUPS:

This is a pretty simple ice-cream like treat for the hot days for all grades to try. This recipe makes 12 cups, so please share with your friends (or family)!

INGREDIENTS: one pint blueberries, raspberries, or your other favorite fruits 2 pints yogurt INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Arrange 12 cupcake liners in a muffin tin 2. Using a spoon, dollop two tablespoons of yogurt into the bottom of each liner.

3. Top with blueberries and raspberries.

4. Freeze for at least two hours.

5. Take them out of the freezer.

6. Enjoy!

STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE

This is recommended for the middle school students to try to do and if the elementary school students want to try it, we recommend doing it with an adult.

INGREDIENTS: 2 cups unsweetened frozen strawberries 1/2 cup cranberry-raspberry juice 1/4 cup orange juice 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt 2 large fresh strawberries, for garnish INSTRUCTIONS: 1. The first step is to place strawberries in the bottom of a blender or food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add cranberry-raspberry juice and orange juice, and top with vanilla yogurt.

2. After that step, you then cover and immediately blend until smooth, scraping down sides if needed.

3. Then lastly, you pour into glasses, and garnish each with strawberries and enjoy!!

In conclusion, cooking is very important to learn, because it is a survival skill, and without healthy foods to cook and eat, you can get very sick and tired because of unhealthy meals. This is why you should learn good eating/cooking habits, even at a young age. Trust me, it may sound stupid but you will be very happy and healthy in life! c

Restaurant Review: Forge Bakery

BY SEBASTIAN LOPES-FILHO, ANDERSON WHITE, AND KAI YU Forge is a bakery, cafe, and ice cream bar located on Somerville Avenue in the plaza about halfway between Porter Square and Union Square. In this article, we will discuss our experience with Forge and rate it on a scale of one to ten.

First impressions: when we first walked in, we were greeted by a large menu and the counter where you order on the right. Along with this, there were some picnic-style tables nearby to the left. Different pastries and treats were organized next to the counter, which all looked appetizing.

There was a large amount of seating, and looked very popular and some plants neatly hanging from the wall; the place looked modern, yet cozy and comfortable. The counter ran all along the side when walking in. Later, the counter becomes a window to watch the workers make food. Sadly, the ice cream bar was closed when we went, and the hours are from 4-7 pm Thursday to Sunday. This might be difficult for some people to get to. We grabbed a table and decided to order the following: 2 Kent sandwiches (turkey, bacon, roasted tomato, spicy mayo, and greens), an Otis sandwich, (avocado, bacon, roasted tomato, garlic mayo, and greens), a chocolate chip cookie, a vanilla iced latte, and a lemonade.

We found the sandwiches to be good. However, some things could’ve been better. On the one hand, the bacon, the bread, and the garlic mayo were delicious, but, the turkey was a bit flavorless and felt “quite mushy

in the mouth.” The spicy mayo was not spicy (which disappointed one of us but may be a relief to others). Andy said the chocolate chip cookie was good, being a little moist and not super crunchy, but still relatively balanced and fresh.

The iced latte was good, with the coffee being not too strong but still delicious, and the lemonade was relatively balanced and unique compared to other lemonades. It wasn’t too sweet and had a little bit of bitterness.

Something to note would be the pricing, as for the 6 items we spent $65 including tax. Some of the prices felt a little bit much, such as one Kent sandwich being $15 and an iced latte with a flavor shot being $6.20.

However, the sandwiches were large, so we recommend splitting a sandwich with two people.

Forge was a relatively fun experience. However, some of the prices could have been better and some of the food could have been slightly better. It is a nice place to stop in for a coffee or quick bite, and it’s location is convenient for many people. Factoring in price, atmosphere, and taste, here is the final score each of us gave: Sebastian: 7/10, Andy: 7.5 /10, Kai: 8/10 c 11

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