June 2012

Volume 11, Issue 4

by Madison Baran

Madison: Were you expecting teacher of the year?

Mrs. Natalie: “No, there are a lot of teachers here who work hard and make learning fun.”

Madison: Why do you think you got teacher of the year?

Mrs. Natalie: “I think that the students have a good time in class and because

I teach them how science is used in their everyday lives.”

Madison: How does it feel to be teacher of the year?

Mrs. Natalie: “It is a great honor!”

Madison: Have you ever been teacher of the year before?

Mrs. Natalie: “No, I have only been teaching for 10 years and to get teacher of the year twice would have been crazy!”

Madison: Is there anyone you would like to thank for helping you achieve this award?

Mrs. Natalie: “All of the teachers, the school, and those who provide the support and encouragement. Also, all of the students who make me love doing what I do.”

Madison: Is there any advice you would like to give to any teachers who would like to achieve this goal?

Mrs. Natalie:” Keep doing what you’re doing; push students to achieve inside and outside of school, and to challenge themselves each and everyday.”

Madison What is one of your favorite memories of teaching?

Mrs. Natalie: “I love when students just ask me questions because it keeps me on my toes. When I don’t know the answer, I like to research it and stay aware of what’s going on in the world.”

TEACHER OF THE YEAR

2

Around the School In honor of taking the NJ ASK test, the Pine Hill Middle School Pep Squad organized a number of motivating activities. Teachers and students were asked to decorate their doors with an inspirational message. Every student received a “Rock the Test” pencil. Snacks were provided with positive messages attached. Stars were decorated for students’ lockers encour-aging them to do their best. A Pep Rally was organized and students had a blast playing games and getting pumped up for the test. A huge thank you to the entire staff for providing a nutri-tious breakfast during testing days. A special thanks goes to Mrs. Natalie and Mrs. Dooling for putting together the Pep Squad. We can’t wait until next year!

3

Grade 8

Ms. Langi chose Taylor McGettigan. “She consistently works hard and always does her best in Science class. Her humor can make me smile all of the time.”

Mrs. Cochran chose her 8th Grade study hall and hopes they have a wonderful experi-ence in high school.

Mrs. Gilson chose Valarie Dube for being an amazing person and a phenomenal safety.

Grade 7

.

Mrs. Gilmore chose Rachel Beadling as her star student. Rachel is friendly, helpful, hard-working, and always has some-thing nice to say to her peers and teachers.

Mrs. Rabaca chose Chuck Jones as her star student. Chuck has really improved this marking period and has been working very hard. Chuck is involved in baseball, which is awesome and I admire his ef-fort and willingness to not give up!

Mrs. Gilson chose Kayla Leidy as her star student. Kayla is hardworking, funny, polite, and extremely caring.

Miss Duffield chose Dennis Booth as her star student. Dennis comes to class pre-pared and ready to work every day. He has a wonder-ful personality and he makes social studies class a better place to be.

Grade 6

Mrs. Mullin chose Brandon Mickel as her star student. "Brandon is sincere, hardworking, and has a wonderful sense of humor. I look forward to seeing his smile each day."

Mrs. Gilson chose Nazir Fisher. He is an outstanding young man with a positive attitude.

Mrs. Herron chose Ashley Wyatt.

At a time when it’s easy to lose focus, she remains consistent with her excellent work ethic. She comes to school everyday with a smile on her face and sets a great example for others.

4

Pine Hill Middle School Summer Reading List 2012 The Pine Hill Middle School summer reading program requires all students to read one book from their grade level

reading list. During the first few weeks of school, students will be tested on their summer reading through the Accel-

erated Reading Program. To take into account each student’s ability level, the AR book levels are listed before each title.

Note: Book level does NOT equal grade level; they are book levels assigned by the AR program that are based on

a number of different criteria.

Fifth Grade going into Sixth Grade Sixth Grade going into Seventh Grade

BL: 4.8 Flipped - Wendelin Van Draanen BL: 5.2 Small Steps-Peg Kehret

BL: 4.7 The Lightning Thief- Rick Riordan BL: 4.6 The Flip Flop Girl - K. Paterson

BL: 5.2 Hoot- Carl Hiaasen BL: 4.8 Strider - Beverly Cleary

BL: 3.9 Summer Reading is Killing Me- Jon Scieszka BL: 5.3-7.3 A Series of Unfortunate Events-

BL: 5.2 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules-J. Kinney Lemony Snicket

BL: 4.3 Jackie and Me - Dan Gutman BL: 3.6 Nothing But the Truth- Avi

BL: 4.9 Walk Two Moons - Sharon Creech BL: 5.1 Stormbreaker - Anthony Horwitz

BL: 5.1 Coraline- Neil Gaiman BL: 5.0 The Watsons Go to Birmingham

1963 - Christopher Paul Curtis

BL: 5.5 Surviving the Applewhites -S.Tolan

BL: 4.3 Tangerine - Edward Bloor

Seventh Grade going into Eighth Grade

BL: 4.4-5.2 The Maximum Ride Series- James Patterson

BL: 4.4 Fever 1793- Laurie Halse Anderson

BL: 4.8 Matched- Ally Condie

BL: 6.2 Code Orange-Caroline Cooney

BL: 8.0 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer- Mark Twain

5

“Dear Katie” Advice for Middle School Students

from

Dear Katie

by Kristen Farrell

Dear Katie,

There is SO much drama in 6th grade. How can I stay out of it?

Sincerely,

Desperate for Peace

Dear Desperate for Peace,

What I recommend you to do is just to stay out of it! Don’t pick sides if it’s between your best

friends. Also, don’t get into fights. How you can prevent getting into the drama is not get into it if

people are arguing; don’t choose sides, stay away from people that start the drama, and just don’t talk

about one another! If you follow these tips I just gave you, you’ll stay drama free!

Sincerely,

Katie

Dear Katie,

This summer I have the choice of staying with my mom or dad. How do I make that choice without hurt-ing anyone’s feelings?

Sincerely,

Eager to Please

Dear Eager to Please,

What I recommend you should do is to stay with one of the parents Monday-Friday and on a Friday night or

after school, stay at the other parents every week. That way, you won’t hurt anyone’s feelings!

Sincerely,

Katie

6

This teacher loves history and has been teaching for 14 years! He/She lives in Pine Hill and is married with a daughter. Rowan Univer-sity is where this teacher received a degree. His/her favorite television show is The Big Bang Theory, favorite book is Little Women, and best movie is You’ve Got Mail. He/She loves the quote by Charles M. Schulz, “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” His/her favorite aspect about teaching is making the information fun while singing and dancing.

Who is this mystery teacher??? (see page 11)

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Spring Concert ……………..2 Star Students………………….3 Around the School……….. Dear Katie……………………..5 8th Grade Trp……………….7 Mystery Teacher …………...9 8th Grade Memories……..11 Spring Concert……………..13

Happy 4th of July people! Sit back and watch the fireworks. It’s time to relax and have some fun. Did you know that the nation’s estimated population on this July Fourth will be 311.7 million? Did you know that eating hot dogs and sausage on this day origi-nated in Iowa? Check out more fun facts about Independence Day at http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/

archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb11-

4th of July

By Angela Massa

Who Is The Mystery Teacher?

7

Horoscopes by Lacie Porch

The Spring Concert was an amazing event!!! The auditorium was packed and nobody was able to get in once the concert had started! The chorus went first, and they were a success. We had many

soloists (including me), and it was just extraordinary! After the chorus portion, the band performed. The band was amazing too!! For me, their best piece was Superheroes; for the Jazz Band my favorite was The Incredibles. There were also a lot of soloists for the band portion. What a successful season. Thank you so much to Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Burr who always make this a memorable event.

Spring Concert

By Gabriel Montanez

January – When meeting people let your eyes and smile express your true feelings.

February – Simplicity is your key to having the most successful and satisfying day.

March – You’re more likely to have an adventure than any others.

April – More people will differ from your beliefs.

May – Your individuality will really shine.

June – On one hand you’ll want to take part in social activities, but you will also need alone time.

July – Spend more time socializing with others.

August – Spending too long to make a decision won’t benefit you; it could cause some unnecessary grief.

September – Your leadership skills are stronger than usual. You’ll find you’re especially effective when you get out in front and lead others by example.

October – You’ll want to spend more time with someone you find special.

November – Great time to focus on bettering your health.

December – You’ll always want to spend more time with your family.

8

Summer Recipes

By Nasia Jones

-:)

-:(

Mrs. Mullin’s Class is reading Silverwing

Passion Fruit Sorbet

2 cups of water

¾ cups of sugar

1 and 1/2 cups of passion fruit

3 tablespoons

Directions:

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan; bring to boil, and cook for 5 minutes .Pour into an 8 – inch square baking pan Freeze 20 minutes. Stir in the nectar and lemon juice, and freeze 1 ½ hours or until solid .

Island Fruit Tart

1 (12 ounces) peeled and cored fresh pineapples

1(a-pinch)of refrigerated piecrust

2 bananas (about ½ pound) sliced

2 teaspoons of cinnamon –sugar divided

1 ½ teaspoons water

1(12ounces)jar guava jelly

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425

Cut pineapples crosswise into ¼ -inch-thick slices in a half sheet.

Roll the piecrust to a 13-inch circle surface. Place the pie-crust on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Ar-range the bananas slices over crust ,leaving a 2-inch

border.

Bake at 425 for 30 minutes until crust is golden .

9

On Thursday, May 17th, the 8th graders headed down to Washington, DC for their 8th grade trip. The weather was perfect as the students arrived in Washington for a fun-filled and educational day of sight-seeing and visiting museums. Their first stop was Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia where they were able to visit the gravesite of President John F. Kennedy and the Eternal Flame. While at the cemetery, the students also witnessed the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The buses then made their way into Washington, where the 8th graders placed a wreath at the Vietnam Wall in honor of Henry Boye, Jr (PFC). Boye, who grew up in Pine Hill, was an Overbrook High School graduate that was killed in action in Vietnam. The students were then free to tour the city; popular stops included the White House, Washington Monument and the Smithsonian Museums.

10

Interviewing Our Principal

by Galen Ekimov On Wednesday May 9th, I interviewed our dedicated principal, Mrs. K.

Klemick. I asked some questions which Mrs. Klemick answered with authority. Here they are:

Galen: How do you think our students did on the NJ ASK Test?

Mrs. Klemick: Very well because I know that the teachers worked hard in preparing our stu-dents and motivating them. Also, I know the students tried their absolute best.

Galen: With the end of school coming up do you have any additional expectations from the

students?

Mrs. Klemick: I would like the students to continue to work hard, keeping in mind that there are exams at the end of the year.

Galen: Overall, do you think the AR program is helping students pick new books and read them?

Mrs. Klemick: Yes because I think the point system helps build a level of competition among the students, which motivates them to read.

Galen: Spanish was the “new class” this year. Do you think it was successful? Do you think it was of more use to the students than careers class?

Mrs. Klemick: I believe we got the best of both classes. Computers class was able to absorb a lot of Careers class. In Spanish class, I know Mrs. DiPietrantonio did a fabulous job of really teaching the students a new language.

Galen: Lastly, in your honest opinion, do you like the bullying programs and lessons that take place in Social Studies?

Mrs. Klemick: I like them because unless we teach students how “not to bully” they can not possibly know.

As you can see, we need to continue making our principal proud by work-ing hard and not getting sidetracked just because it’s near the end of the school year!

11

FAVORITE 7th GRADE MEMORIES

by Beverly Gundle

PHMS 7th grade students were asked what their favorite 7th grade

memory was and here are their answers:

Kayla Leidy: Getting Principal’s List

Rubi Lopez: Meeting Mrs. Bowe, Mrs. Gilmore, Mrs. Duffield, and Mrs. Rabaca

Stephanie Frank: Meeting Mrs. Bowe

Roshani Patel: Meeting new people, such as the teachers

Kristen Farrell: The Choir concert - I had a solo; it was so fun

My favorite memory was meeting the teachers, making new friends, and attending the Renaissance rallies.

\

Book Recommendation

By: Rubi Lopez & Kayla Leidy

This month’s mystery teacher is…..Mrs. Gilson!!!

Do you love to read? Looking for an exciting book, but cannot find one? How about a book se-

ries? The Hunger Game Series is definitely the book series to read then! Many people have seen

the movie and read the book, but some people haven’t. If you are one of the people who have-

n’t checked this book out, here are some reasons why you should read it:

Action Packed

Revolutionary Spirit

Unique Protagonist

Ancient and Contemporary References

Psychological Warfare

If any of those reasons interest you, then you should read this book. What is the book about? It is

mainly about a “Tribute.” There are two tributes in the Hunger Games, a girl and a boy. Katniss vol-

unteered as a tribute because her little sister was selected for the Hunger Games. Peeta is also

selected to be in the Hunger Games. This book is truly amazing, and it you haven’t read it, you

should! The three books in the series are:

Hunger Games

Catching Fire

Mockingjay

Make sure you check them out!

12

I asked teachers and students the

following question: “If you could go

to dinner with a famous person who

would it be?

Who? – J.K Rowling.

Why? - I would go with her because I would like to

hear about her publishing experience.

Where? – I would probably make her take me to her

favorite restaurant in London.

~Mrs. Bowe

Who? – Josh Hutcherson.

Why? – I would go with him because I like his act-ing.

Where? – We would go to Friendly’s.

~ Julia Marinacci

Who? – Bruno Mars.

Why? – I would go with him because I like his music.

Where? – We would go to Applebee’s.

~Caitlin McHorney.

Who? – Madison Alamia

Why? – I would go with him because he is amazing!!

Where? – I would take him to the Cheesecake Factory.

~ Evaughn Aponte

Who? – Katy Perry

Why? – I love her music and I would love to meet her

one day.

Where? – We would probably go to The Rainforest Café because she is out going I think she would love it

there.

~ Heather Link

If you could go to dinner with a famous person who would it be?

by Heather Link

Who? – Taylor Swift.

Why? – I would take her because I love Taylor Swift.

Where? – I don’t know where I would go.

~Jenna Mccouch

Who? – Selena Gomez

Why? – She seems fun, awesome, she’s

my role model, and she’s a great singer

and song writer.

Where? – We would go to S and P.

~ Kirstin Quigley

Who? – Ellen DeGeneres

Why? – I think she is extremely funny, and she

is a good person.

Where? – We would go to Franklinville Inn.

~Mrs. Herron

Who? – Oprah Winfrey.

Why? – I would like to pick her brain

about how to make the world a better

place.

Where? – We would also go to the

Franklinville Inn.

~ Mrs. Mullin

Who? – Barack Obama

Why? – I choose him because he is our

president and I look up to him.

Where? – We would go to the White

House.

~ Eugene Asare

13

Writer’s Spotlight at PHMS

Boring Summer

by Eugene Asare My teacher tells me to write a poem on summer break,

I don’t know what to write because it was pretty boring.

However the confusion and thinking makes me get a head-ache,

Knowing what I did makes you the opposite of adoring.

And What Had Happened Was:

I went to Uri, 5th Planet in Oiron,

Fighting a tiger, oddly enough.

Made him squealin and a cryin,

Until his mom came looking all tough.

And What Had Happened Was:

Ran to my jet so I wont’ get beat up,

I sped out there to go to Hawaii.

Everything was great and all until…,

I met a royal pain, McFee the anarchy.

And What Had Happened Was:

We had a challenge on the beach,

For world supremacy.

He failed so badly he got impeached,

Leaving me with the ultimate waiter zombie

He lives in my house. And What Had Happened Was:

And What Had Happened Was:

He was hungry one day and decided to cook stew,

He made everyone line up not letting them knowing their fate.

He added some vegetables and human or two,

Making me explained why he couldn’t causing a huge de-bate!

And What Had Happened Was:

My mom found out what went on in the kitchen,

Making me bury the zombie on that quite good day.

He moaned and cried,

But I am pretty sure he said “Hip Hip Horary!”

And That Is What Had Happened.

Was it that boring? Cause I see you sleeping

14

The Avengers by Jeffrey Goodwin

After 4 years of anticipation, the Avengers movie finally blasts onto the big screen. Hopes for this film have been pretty high as many fans were eager to see an entire group of superhe-roes share one movie. I am happy to say that this film most definitely lives up to those hopes and more. The movie tells the story of when the villain Loki travels to earth to retrieve a mys-terious but powerful cube to bring down his alien army and take over the earth as most villains often do. In order to stop this from happening, the government puts together a team of the world’s most powerful heroes to stop this threat. The long list of heroes includes Captain America, Iron man, Hulk, Thor, and Black Widow. A worry I had going in was that the many characters wouldn’t get enough screen time or would just feel like several movies were clus-tered together. However, each of the heroes has just enough time to make them all relevant thus making it a solid cohesive movie. “The Avengers” is also really funny through out and parts of it had me (and the entire theater) literally laugh out loud. The movie is also cleverly paced with the first two acts basically preparing for the final battle. And when it finally happens, it is in every sense of the word “EPIC” The last half hour is a war raging in the streets of Man-hattan but yet it still doesn’t lose its charm and humor. There’s one scene that occurs at the end that made the entire theater give applause. So in short, the movie is funny, interesting and has enough action to keep people’s attention. The Avengers easily gets 5 out of 5 stars. What a great start of the summer.

15

The time has come when another group of 8th graders move onto

high school to further their schooling. It’s also a time to recall our fa-

vorite school memories from earlier years. These are only some of

the joyful memories from Pine Hill Middle School.

by Valarie Dube

DESTINY THORNTON: MY 7TH GRADE TRIP TO THE MUTTER MUSEUM AND 8TH

GRADE GYM CLASS ARE MEMORABLE.

Alyssa Briggs: Knowing that school will be over soon is all that’s on my mind.

Nicolette Leadley: A favorite time was getting ready to go to Washington D.C

Anthony Johnson: When we did our colors project in Spanish class, it gave me time to bond with my classmates.

Thomas Wyatt: During basketball season, I broke the school record for most points in one game. (20 points) I got 21

and only played 3 quarters. That was a great time.

Katelyn Barnhill: My favorite memory from 6th, 7th, or 8th grade was 8th grade Spanish. Making videos was a lot of fun. My friends and I had a blast and shared a lot of laughs.

Raquel Harris-Scott: - A great memory was when we went outside for gym class.

Brielle Volpe: My favorite memory from my time in Pine Hill Middle School was playing sports and joining clubs. I love hanging out with my friends doing fun activities.

Jeff Goodwin: My favorite memory is having Pi Day in Math class.

8th Grade Memories

16

Summer Plans

by Erika Garro

Everyone is planning to do something this summer, whether it's going to Florida or just relaxing! What are you planning to do this

summer? Here are some of the responses we got:

Hannah Voynow- I plan to hang out with friends, go to horse shows, go on a cruise, and go to about 10 different states.

Andrea Cass- I plan to hang out with friends, go to Ocean City for a

week, and have a blast at Six Flags!

Alaina Evans- I plan on going to Wildwood to enjoy my boat.

Giovanni Pasquarelli- This summer I plan on going to FDR with my brother.

Venus Amadi- Over the summer I plan on going to Maryland.

Corina Toomer- I plan on fighting opposing ninjas and falling from things.

Eric Hines- I am going on a road trip to every state in the country.

Noah Berrios- This summer I am going to Puerto Rico to visit my family and see the beautiful beaches.

Aidan Althouse- I'm planning on relaxing, playing video games, and swimming.

Angela Massa-I am going to swim and relax. I am

not going anywhere, but I will be visiting my friends.

Ashley Wyatt-This summer I plan to spend time with my family,

go to the beach, sleep, and hang out with my friends.