Pierce Middle School 199 E. 70th Avenue, Merrillville, IN 46410 219-650-5308

Pierce Press May 2013 Volume 88

Read Pierce Press to learn about:

• Goodbye Mrs. Foster

• What will you do this summer?

• 8th Grade WILLS?

• Tennis and Track

• Ask Alice

After 16 years of teaching and 21 years as a principal, Mr. Paul McKinney is saying “Farewell to school.” He plans to spend more time golfing and fish-ing. He said “I also like to go to the movies with my wife. I might also come back here in the winter to sub.” Mr. McKinney has taught all grade levels in-cluding college. He liked the high school level the best. They are motivated students due to the importance of credits. He said, “High school students are almost adults and you can converse with them on an adult level.” One of the most difficult things about working with children has been the

Students and staff are eager for the end of the school year. This is the time that everyone says farewell and gets prepared for a new group of students in their classes. It is also a nice time of year to take a vacation, go to the beach, or simply relax at home. Students look forward to going to the Waterpark or Indi-ana Dunes to soak in the sun.

Israell Gordon stated, “My parents will take me out to dinner and then we will go out of town.” Tyler Jasso and Armon Chavez, both agreed that sum-mer is great because they al-ways go on vacation. Nearly every students has some events planned for the summer. Stu-dents said they have a family reunion where everyone meets to share a meal and some laughs

CELEBRATE THE END OF SCHOOL

disrespect and lack of moti-vation. When Mr. McKinney was a student he was re-spectful. He never got a de-tention or suspension from school. He believed in the teachers and took what they said to be gospel! For these reasons, it hurts him so much when students disre-spect teachers. “I think God in-tended for me to be a teacher. I love the kids.” Mr. McKinney stated. He is a kid friendly person. He enjoys making a difference in the kids lives. When he comes to work, he tries to make sure that he makes at least 100 kids smile and feel good about themselves. Mr. McKinney stated that he will miss giving his morning per-spectives

Farewell Mr. Paul McKinney!

Mr. Paul McKinney retires this school year and he plans to enjoy

his grandchildren for a while!

together as they recall past events. A few students said they had to go to summer school and did not find the sum-mer especially fun. After a few weeks of watching TV and play-ing video games, most students start to get antsy for the new year to begin. So enjoy the summer and come back re-freshed and ready to go!

which he spent time reflect-ing on before going to the speaker. JoyceLynn West said, “I enjoyed hearing those perspectives in the morning. They motivated me for the day!” Mr. McKinney plans to travel to the Pacific Northwest as soon as he retires. He said he is tired. His energy level just isn’t what it used to be. He has been busy all his life. It started when he met his wife in college, then they began their careers in dif-ferent parts of the country. They decided to get mar-ried young and start their family. He has two daugh-ters and one grandson, Preston, whom he will cer-tainly see more of now!

French. She also learned to appreciate art and museums since they spent vacations traveling to all of the major cities in Europe. When her parents returned to the US she at-tended high school in Arling-ton, Virginia before moving to Indiana. After finishing up at West Lafayette High School, Mrs. Foster went on to major in Art and French education at Purdue University. Then she married and taught in an inner city school while living in Newport News, Virginia. After five years in Virginia, Mrs. Foster came back to the Midwest with her growing family. She did not return to teaching until the youngest of her six children was in preschool. She bal-anced the care of her home, family, and classroom for the next 15 years. Then with the children all married or off to college, Foster went back to get her Master’s Degree in Art History. During these 27 years in Merrillville, Foster has taken students on trips to France, Spain, England, the Netherlands, Belgium,

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Mrs. M. Foster is retiring this year and looks forward to taking off to distant lands and foreign seas. Her Irish roots have called her to the heather fields and

rocky coasts (pictured above) and perhaps they will beckon yet again.

After 33 years of teaching, Mrs. Maryann Foster has decided to retire and de-vote her time to her grandchil-dren, her art, and her travels. It is a hard thing to give up because the joy of teaching is

in her blood. Both her mother and grand-mother were teachers in Indiana, too. When she was just a child, Mrs. Foster knew she wanted to become a teacher like them. Born in New York, Foster traveled with her parents all over the US and abroad. Her father was an Army officer and his assignments even included a 5 year tour of duty in Fontaine-bleau, France. It was during that time that the teenaged Maryann, first learned to speak

Riding off into a New Adventure: Mrs. Foster Retiring

Students in art classes had the chance to visit the cam-pus at Purdue North Central this month. It was a great trip where they saw amazing sculp-tures covering the grounds of the campus. An art historian, from the art department, ex-plained the meaning of the sculptures and then gave the students a brochure about the university programs. Then the

students enjoyed a delicious pizza lunch before returning to school. The greatest part of this trip was the cost….FREE! It was also good for students ready to move on to the high school to begin to focus on their future plans in col-lege. Exposure like this presents them with goals to aspire to reach! No matter where they go to college it certainly is nice to know that this PNC gem is so close by!

Italy, Texas, Missouri, Wiscon-sin, and all over the Chicago area. “Field Trip Foster” be-came one of her many nick-names. Former students re-member with fondness the tricks Foster taught them to help in remembering famous artists. “Seurat, Sir Dot” and “More than Hay, Monet” are two examples of her teaching tricks. Exposing her students to many cultures and traditions from across the world is some-thing that Mrs. Foster cher-ished. She has traveled exten-sively throughout the world, including visits to Turkey and Japan, many times through grants she received from Ful-bright. Bringing those experi-ences into her classroom and sharing them with her students has been very important to her. After a few months of relaxation, Mrs. Foster plans to visit Israel with her husband. So after 33 years, Mrs. Fos-ter bids all of the staff and stu-dents at her cherished, Clifford Pierce Middle School, “adieu”. Thank you, Mrs. Foster, for the love of learning that you’ve passed on to so many stu-dents!

Pirate Power is a time to review the rules, check ID’s go over PBIS cool tools and prepare for the lexicon tests.

However, students also make new friends when the Fri-day social time rolls around!

Purdue North Central Experience

As the 8th graders move on to the high school there are a few things they might want to leave behind to help the seventh graders suc-ceed in their last year at Pierce. These little gestures are just for fun, but they might also make you laugh a bit too! Bailey Benkert: I leave my art supplies to my brother, Max. Dennis Patterson: I leave my baseball bat and beat up cleats to Raymond Garcia. Brandon James: I leave my flirty pimp game to Keylian Brown. The Twins, Brandon and Charles, leave their phone numbers to all the 7th grade girls! London Holley leaves his comical attitude and some pizza to Mark Formella. Anthony Fassoth: I leave my mustache and goatee to Alex DeLeon. Charles Barbour leaves his improved scores to the one who never accepted failure, Mrs. Igras. Anthony Fassoth leaves his

appreciation to Mr. Berta, his favorite Social Studies teacher. Alan Martinez leaves his nick-name “Pedro” George Gaona. Marcus Norton leaves his glasses and craziness to Jacob Toodle. Anthony Banks leaves his basketball skills to Kwante Ray. Vantron Kelley leaves all his scantron material to Mr. Au-gustyn. Anthony Mathis leaves his curly hair to Avien Balbosa. Alyssia Whiteside leave her skills with principals to O’Sean Kelly-Williams. Brooke Yoder leaves her art talents to Julia Wilson. Nathan Potter leaves his wres-tling skills to Matt Vargo. Jorge Luna leaves his artist’s brushes to Luis Estrada. Tasha Hardin leaves her sweet nature and gentleness to Briana Dean. Mitchell Ward leaves a new pair of Jordans to Armari Shar-rod, Chris Ruffin leaves a stack of detention forms to Mr. Dade. Tyler Woods leaves a tardy

pass to Tyler Nelson. Unique Blakeley leaves her math skills to Kaylin Gill. Ceasar Ramirez leaves a set of col-ored pencils to Robert Adams. DaJavon Parker leaves his polite manners to Nick Walker. Students in Mr Brown’s art class suggested that 7th graders com-ing into the 8th grade learn to be on time, avoid Friday school detentions, and make the most of the opportuni-ties that are be-fore them in this school before they have to face the serious-ness of high school and beyond.

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8th Grade wills

Students love to show their fashion sense with some fabulous and colorful shoes. “As soon as a new pair comes out, students want them. They begin to beg their parents to buy these new shoes. The first student to get a new pair of Jordans, sets the style for others to follow. To fit in, everyone pretty much does all they can to get a new pair too.” said Maria Car-bajal. It seems the shoes are expected to match the top the students are wearing. For this reason some students own as many as 20 differ-ent pairs of shoes. Some of these shoes cost about $200 a pair. Mitchell Ward said, “ My

mom will buy me a new pair of Jordans when I get good grades in school. Right now I have about 15 pairs of Jordans. The wildest color I have are my yellow Jor-dans. They are really bright.” Chris Ruffin said, “I prefer Nike shoes. I have about a dozen pair and my favorite ones are my blue Nikes. “ Tasha Hardin also likes Ni-kes and flats. Girls wear more colorful flat shoes to match their outfits. “ No matter how you look at it shoes are vitally important to teenagers today. You could say, shoes do make their look complete!

What’s all the fuss about shoes ?

Students in 8th grade went to tour the Unity Temple in Oak Park. This is one truly amazing

experience for them following their in depth study of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Shoes are so important to students

in Pierce. It seems their status

depends on the shoes they wear!

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AT PIERCE MACHINES ARE STILL USED

This is the last issue of Pierce Press sponsored and advised by Mrs. Foster. Since 1999, this style of newspa-per was developed by students who worked with Foster. The staff have won awards at Ball State for the intense cov-erage of news at school. In those four-teen years of doing the Pierce Press, Foster’s students have produced over 88 issues of the paper. The topics have included articles on hurricanes, war, terrorism, acts of kindness and mo-ments of sorrow. The paper was there thru changes in staff, students, and ad-ministration; always reporting the news.

are also on computers and this can cause some problems. Recently the students were trying to complete the, all important, ISTEP tests when the systems failed. This issue was statewide and it basically locked the students out of the test. Eventually they got the glitches fixed and the tests went on, but the stress levels of all the teachers and students grew as well! So these machines may make our lives more simple, but they can create real chaos when they stop working!

Computers

Students have con-tinued to enjoy the opportu-nity to work with their hands in the Intro Tech Classes. These courses are taught by Mr. Jenkins and Mr. Hutchi-son. They are 9 weeks long and during that time stu-dents learn about tools and machines. They can build something out of wood or metal and gain a basic un-derstand about machinery. For some, this prac-

tical course serves as an in-spiration for a future career in the building trades. For oth-ers in these courses, the in-troduction will help them re-pair things in their own homes one day. Teachers have been studying the basic ideas of education in a book written by Marzano. These principles will become a regular part of the teaching strategies of teachers in the Fall. One as-pect of the Marzano

philosophy is to teach more hands-on and less lecture type of curriculum. The teachers have learned that mastery requires enthusi-asm, preparation, written and verbal testing and re-testing. Students need to work in groups, or pairs and not just alone to achieve success. Already, the Intro Tech classes are using all different approaches to learning, so they are ahead of the game!

Starting in the 2013-2014 school year, Mrs. Keel will begin working with the students on the newspaper staff. She plans to keep up the tradition of reporting the events and stories of the school. Mrs. Keel is a crea-tive teacher who meets deadlines well. These qualities are essential in journalism. It is hard for Mrs. Foster to leave journalism. She also did the yearbook for 20 years at Pierce and has had the joy of seeing some of her staff go on to become journalism teachers or reporters. Each teacher discovers, at the end of their careers, that perhaps they did inspire and help form some of the thou-sands of students who have passed thru their classroom doors. Seeing Unity Temple designed by

Frank Lloyd Wright was inspira-tional for the 8th graders.

Matthew Malone likes using the

saw in Mr. Jenkins’ class.

Newspaper Changes Hands

Life with computers is here to stay. Everywhere we go we see the computer is simply a basic part of our life. Gas stations are run by computer. We do banking online. Doctors records are on computer and most machines we use run with computer systems supporting them. The schools are also con-trolled by computer usage. The tests

TENNIS IS HAVING A BALL THIS SEASON

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Defeating every opponent, Jasmine Martinez is a player who takes her

matches seriously!

Photos by Tom Digrispino

The tennis team is truly having a ball this season as many individuals are standouts and many are winning their matches on a regular basis. On April 22 the Pierce tennis team fought hard in a 1-8 loss to a tough Wilbur Wright team in their first match-up of the season. Varsity winner Christian Luckett was victorious in defeating her opponent 8-2. Junior varsity set winners included singles players Ayron Williams and Carly Gubitz, as well as doubles partners Anniya Delainey and Jasmine Martinez, and Gerald Akujobi and Rahmaan Ruth. Notable efforts include Mar-cus Miller, Keith Rochefort, Kinnedi Davis, Mercedes Martin,and Deion Charleston, as well as the rest of the Pierce Pirates tennis team. Then again on April 25th the Pierce tennis team defeated Hanover Central 6-3 in an overall team effort. At their next match on April 29th the Pierce tennis team was very competitive against a tough Knox Middle School team as they lost 2-7. Key varsity victories include singles players

Ayron Williams and Emily De-Causemaker. There were sev-eral close matches throughout the day by the Pierce Pirates. The match on April 30th found the Pierce tennis team bouncing back and de-feating Lowell Middle School by a score of 7-2 due to an all-around team effort. Notable varsity winners include singles players Steffan Santiago, Ayron Williams, and Emily DeCause-maker, and doubles partners include Marcus Miller and Keith Rochefort, On May 4th, the Pierce tennis team came in third place at the Knox Middle School Tennis Invitational. Ayron Wil-liams came in first place in the number 2 boy’s singles division. Second place finishers in their respective divisions include number 1 boy’s doubles part-ners Marcus Miller and Keith Rochefort, number 2 boys dou-bles partners Gerald Akujobi and Justin Hinton, and mixed doubles partners Deion Charleston and Jasmine Mar

Royal Eldridge and the entire track team run and jump with fierce determination during the

track meets.

tinez. 3rd place finishers include number 2 girl’s sin-gles player Christian Luckett and number two girls doubles partners Illaha Abdul and Cassie Smith. On May 6th the Pierce tennis team de-feated Lowell Middle School by a score of 9-0 at their last home match of the season. All varsity singles players and doubles partners were victori-ous in their respective matches. Tennis is a sport that can be enjoyed by al-most everyone. All you need is a racket and some tennis balls. It is great exercise and keeps even older folks enter-tained. The season is nearly over for the Pierce tennis team, but maybe next year more students will consider trying this fun sport out. Who knows you could actually be good at it!

Run ….like the wind Whether it is run-ning over hurdles or jump-ing over the bar, Pierce Track has watched some real athletes develop into super stars. The season is short, but the talent is long! Erica Walton said, “The team is working hard, but so far we have only won 3 meets. I run the 200 and 400 relay. I did get a

first place in the 200 and that made me very happy!” Con-gratulations are certainly due to the Pierce girls and boys track team for a big win April 22 over Griffith. The girls were powerful, racking up a score of 81 to 24. The competition was greater for the boys but they still came out ahead 67 to 37. If you have not yet attended a meet try to go to the last home meet.

Pierce Middle School

Saturday, April 27th. My fingers feel as if they have been through a marathon with typing pa-pers. On a serious note, I don’t play any sports, but I exercise 3 times a week. 10) What do you find most annoying about school? What I find most annoying is that the school year goes by so quickly. 11) What do you like about your job? I love watching the light bulb go off in my students’ brains when they figure out how to complete an assignment. I also like when my students remember to do things without having to be re-minded. I also really like the English department…they rock!!! 12) What do you do in your free time? During my free time, I like to travel, read, go to concerts, movies, and/or hang out with my friends. 13) What would you do if you did not teach? I don’t know, I really enjoy being an educator.

1) What is your favorite movie? You’ve Got Mail 2) What is your favorite television show? Heart of Dixie 3) What is your favorite drink? H20 = Water 4) Do you have kids? Zero 5) Are you married? Not at the moment, but looking forward to becoming engaged to be married. 6) What is your favorite song? Bye Bye Blackbird 7) What is your favorite color? Purple 8) Why do you enjoy TEACHING? I enjoy teaching because it allows me to see my students grow academically. A lot of my stu-dents think I’m too hard on them, but I’m only trying to make them be better than what they are. I enjoy teaching because I have bright students who have the ability to be world leaders, educators, scientist, etc. 9) What sports do you play? I type on my computer a lot does this count?:) I just graduated with my Masters on

TALKING TO Afriyie Daniels

ASK ALICE

Embarrassing Moments

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Dear Alice, I have a boyfriend that I like so much, but my parents do not like him. I have been trying to hide my relationship with him from them, but last week they found out about him. I still like him and want to tell my parents the truth, but I am simply scared they will ground me or take away my phone. What should I do, tell the truth and risk everything, or simply keep on with my secret love? Signed Nervous Lover Dear Nervous Lover, Honesty is always the best policy. When you tell lies or try to hide something from your parents or teachers, eventually the truth comes out and then the fireworks start. When you con-front issues, like this romance, head on, you will feel better. You can actually bring your boyfriend to family gatherings and make him feel as comfortable with your family as he is with you. So by all means find a good time to tell your mom every-thing! -Alice If you have a question for Alice, put it in Mrs. Foster’s mail box.

Mrs. Foster: I was teaching in front of a class-room all day long. Writing on the board and turning my back to the class. During the entire day, my dress was unzipped in the back and no one said anything to me at all! When the last hour student finally told me about my cloth-ing situation I was so embarrassed! I just kept hoping perhaps the students just didn’t notice! Delshaun Garner: I was playing football and ran the ball in for a TD. I was so happy I started doing a big, juicy, dance. Someone ran up to me and pulled down my pants, boxers and all! I was shocked and so were all the fans! The worst part was, there were ladies present! Brandon Polk: I was trying to flirt with my girl-friend in class and my teacher walked up and took a picture of us together. I was so embar-rassed I wanted to crawl under the table and hide! Bailey Lynch: On my birthday I was coming out of the house and trying to look all important because I knew it was my special day. Instead, I tripped over my feet and tumbled down the stairs. To make matters worse, the school bus had just pulled up in front of the house. Jaden Harrison: When I was little I was just walking along when I tripped and fell, out popped my two front teeth, and they never grew back. All throughout my preschool days I had a toothless smile like an old granny!