E-edition

    The Falcon Times E-Edition

Volume 1, Issue 2

Spring 2016

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Kindness Week, featuring 

"DJ Ooch"

Special guest hit the mark with Quashnet students   

By: Gregory Marsters

“Awww yeah!”    

With those words, DJ Ooch took the Quashnet School by storm to bring Kindness Week to an exciting conclusion. Bringing a bit of fun along with a serious message about bullying, DJ Ooch (also known as Brett Outchcunis), told us how it’s rude to point at someone, unless you do the “bow and arrow point” that he taught us that day (see picture). 

Also DJ Ooch told us a story that he found on the internet involving a stolen box of cookies, a wise counselor and a second chance. The whole base of the story is that to always to be kind to others. Even if you are mad at them you should always be nice, even if they seem rude. 

DJ Ooch also told the Quashnet School to be kind to yourself, others, nature and animals, and other people's property. Then, DJ Ooch gave out one Kendama, and two yo-yo’s. At the end of the assembly DJ Ooch was hugged by a swarm of children (mostly 6th graders.) Thanks to DJ Ooch, Quashnet students will always remember that “kindness is to be given freely.”

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   Kindness Week

  by Emmalyn Gorman

Kindness Week is an annual event in January, when the entire Quashnet School community  celebrates being kind. However, many students don’t realize that every week should be Kindness Week .

The K-Kids encouraged students to educate the importance of kindness with three projects.The first project involved filling three donation boxes in the lobby near the office. One was for books, where students could donate used books. Another box was for canned goods and nonperishable food items.The last box was for new, unworn, hats or mittens.

The second project was a kindness bingo board. It operated like regular bingo, only instead of numbers, the students got bingo by doing at least five acts of kindness. A drawing was held the week of 2/1/16. Five students won prizes.

The third project involved both teachers and students. Each teacher got a piece of paper with a football drawn on it. Students wrote kind messages about each other and their teacher(s) on the paper. The finished papers were hung up in the cafeteria, for all to see.

Four Quashnet staff members explained what Kindness Week meant to them. Third grade teacher Mrs.Stickley said: “I think Kindness Week is when you do something nice just because you want to.” 

Enrichment teacher Mr.O’Connor said: “Kindness Week is the opportunity for all of us to recognize the best parts of ourselves by being kind and empathic.” Fifth grade teacher Mrs.Pimental said “We should be kind all year round, but Kindness Week is a time to celebrate being kind to each other.” 

Falcon Times Advisor and World of Words teacher Mr. Rumberger said “Kindness Week is about being kind every week.” 

Kindness should not just be practiced that week, it should be practiced everyday.

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The Wonders of Water

By Mateo Vazquez

The 5th graders of the Quashnet School eagerly awaited Friday, the 19th of February.On that day, those lucky students got to witness the wonders of water.

When the first group of 5th graders entered the gym, they were first greeted by a woman dressed up as a toilet.

The toilet led the students to their seats.Many stations surrounded the gym,around the blue line. These included something that resembled Wheel of Fortune, a model of human teeth,a map of Cape Cod. Nun. Hubs and limbo. There was a very strange centerpiece: a large system of interconnecting tubes with a toilet on the front that read “Flush the kids.” This was designed to inform students about the septic system.

Soon some of the interesting characters around the students,including the toilet, performed a skit about conserving the water on the Earth. They also told the fifth graders about the aquifer, the underground source of drinking water. “Our goal is to teach future generations about protecting the Earth.”the talking toilet stated.Water is, indeed, wonderful.

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Quashnet students love to play and learn... at the same time!

Falcon Times gets the lowdown on students’ favorite learning games

by Nathaniel Gamboa and Hayley Wenzel.

What’s your favorite computer-based learning game? With Chromebooks now in use in all of our classrooms, there are many fun computer-based activities to choose from. The Falcon Times set out to find out which ones our students like best, and here’s what we learned:
Out of all the learning games we play in school a variety of the students agreed: Prodigy is the best.
Fifth grader Mateo Vazquez favors Prodigy. “I enjoy Prodigy because it makes learning fun,” said Mateo. Other students said they prefer Kahoot, an interactive quiz game in which students compete against each other to see who can get the highest score.   
Other games mentioned included Coolmath and Moby Max. Coolmath is an app with tons of games inside of it, which all help you learn things like learning how to count money. Mobymax allows you to read and take tests  and work on different subjects.

So what do teachers say about their favorite learning games? We asked fourth grade teachers, and they gave a vareity of responses. Mrs.Pulsford saying she loves to have her students play Kahoot because they really enjoy playing it, and she can make the questions herself. 

Miss Manning said she likes the Tenmarks math game because she can give everyone different questions. Miss Keohane also likes Prodigy, and also a game called Math Lingo, a tic-tac-toe style game in which players match math terms and operations.

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Where’s that fish?

By Vanessa Ferla

Before Finding Dory sent waves through the Big Screen, there was   

Finding Nemo.

Finding Nemo is a scary adventure through the ocean, where a very small fish named Marlin tries to escape a hungry shark, swims away from bombs and tricks a hungry bird. While trying to find his son (Nemo), Marlin finds a fish named Dory who teaches us to “Just Keep Swimming!”

My favorite part of the movie is when Dory remembers the words on the diving glasses. Dory, who usually doesn’t remember anything, recalls that the address of Nemo’s location was on the glasses! Finding Nemo is a perfect movie to just make popcorn, sit down on the couch with the family and enjoy! Make sure to watch Finding Dory after you watch Finding Nemo. Finding Dory is scheduled to splash into theaters on June 17!

                                    

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Photo courtesy of Quashnet School Facebook page

National Elementary Honor Society

The N.E.H.S is back again with even more events planned!

   Ever wonder who sets up some of the fantastic events at the Quashnet School? The question can be easily answered; it is the National Elementary Honor Society (N.E.H.S)! We recently interviewed N.E.H.S’ leader, and 6th grade teacher Mrs.  Babich to answer all our questions. Here are the results:

Falcon Times (F.T): What does the N.E.H.S do?

Mrs. Babich: We do many fundraising events.

F.T: How many students are in N.E.H.S?

Mrs. Babich: 22 6th graders and 26 5th graders. The 6th graders come up with and start events and the  5th graders help with the events.

F.T: Where and when do meetings take place?

Mrs. Babich: They take place about 2 times a month and they happen in the library or room 132.

F.T: Why was it started?

Mrs. Babich: It was an old national society.

F.T: What is planned so far?

Mrs. Babich: There are two events planned: Jump-rope for heart, and a seeing-eye dog event.

F.T: What are some rules?

Mrs. Babich: If your grades drop or if you start misbehaving a lot then they will kick you out or if you stop attending meetings.

F.T: How are students chosen?

Mrs. Babich: Students are chosen by their outstanding effort, excellent grades, and fantastic leadership.

F.T: Who are the leaders?

Mrs. Babich: The presidents are Callia Eaton and Sam Kersey. The vice president is Skyla Rimple. The treasurer is Brady Johnson and the secretary is Maya Schauber.      

These students have shown amazing effort, grades, and leadership. With these personality traits, which are outstanding.  you could apply to the National Elementary Honor Society!

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     Six new teachers joined the Quashnet School staff at the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year, and several more throughout the year. The Falcon Times sat down with each one, starting with 3rd grade and working up to 6th, to learn more about them. This is what we found out:

Grade 3

Fantastic Mrs. Fullam

By Addison Olivia Wood  

Andrea Jean Fullam is one of the new 3rd grade teachers at the Quashnet School. Mrs.Fullam attended Salve Regina University in Newport, RI. Mrs. Fullam enjoyed studying elementary and special education in college. Before Mrs.Fullam came to teach at our school, she taught in Scituate at the Hatherly Elementary School, in the fourth grade. Her favorite thing about Quashnet School is the community of families and staff.

Mrs. Fullam’s children are Connor, Benjamin, and Cameron. Connor is 7 years old, Benjamin is 5 and Cameron is 1.

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Welcome to Mrs. Phillips!

Mrs. Phillips

To new 3rd Grade teacher Mrs. Gretchen Phillips, the best thing about working at the Quashnet School is the nice co-workers and students.

Mrs. Phillips worked as a school librarian prior to coming to the Quashnet School. She received her degrees at Simmons College and Lesley University.

The most memorable experience this year for her was the field trip to the New Bedford Whaling Museum. We are happy to have Mrs. Phillips here at Quashnet this year!

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Double Take

By Emmy Gorman & Hayley Wenzel

Two Miss Keohanes!

Think you’re seeing double? Think you took two pictures and blended them? Don’t. You’re really seeing twins: two Ms. Keohanes!

The Falcon Times staff member Hayley Wenzel and Emmy Gorman interviewed 3rd Grade Teacher Bretton Keohane. Here are highlights of those interviews:

In addition to being a classroom teacher, Bretton Keohane is also a skating coach AND a professional figure skater! She loves to teach writing and she likes using Chromebooks. Miss Keohane has had a great year so far, she has great students, and is having lots of fun. 

Falcon Times: Did you want to be a teacher?

Bretton Keohane: I did really want to be a teacher, ever since I was little.

FT: Did you really have your heart set on working here?

BK: When my sister applied, Mrs. DeBoer found out about me, and called me in for an interview.

FT: Was teaching your original career choice?

BK: I wanted to be a pediatrician, but I feel queasy around blood.

Like her sister, 4th Grade Teacher Alexandra Keohane is a figure skater and coach. She also received her undergraduate degree from Stonehill College, and Master's Degree from Boston University. Not surprisingly, so did Bretton! They did their student teaching in Lakeville and Brockton, and this is their first year as full-time teachers. They are originally from Carver, MA, and recently bought their first home together. Asked what it's like to teach in the same school as her sister, Alexandra replied: "Teaching in the same school is great! We get to visit each other during the day and get to know the students in each other's classes. We do a lot of activities together, such as reading to the other's classes."

It's great to have two Keohanes together here at Quashnet! 

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Super Mrs. Stroshine

By: Taylor Willman

Mrs. Colleen Stroshine is one of our new 4th grade teachers. She loves being at Quashnet, and is happy that this school is so focused on the students. Mrs. Stroshine received her undergraduate education at Tennessee Tech University and completed her graduate degree at Fitchburg State University. She has been teaching fourth grade for eight years, at Johnny Appleseed in Leominster Mass, and Evansville Day School in Indiana.   

Her favorite part about teaching is about seeing the “yes I get it” moments in her students. Her favorite subject is writing, because she loves to see students grow as writers.

Why did Mrs. Stroshine decide to become an educator?  Because in her childhood when she was in second grade, Mrs. Stroshine did not have a great teacher to encourage her, so she decided that when she grew up, she would be a better teacher than that. Mrs. Stroshine is definitely an awesome teacher.

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An interview with 5th grade teacher

Mrs. Gorman

By: Karen Mayen

Mrs. Gorman is a new teacher in the 5th staff. The Falcon Times recently interviewed her to get to know her background better.

Falcon Times: What inspired you to become a teacher?

Mrs. Gorman: I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. My mom worked in a school. I always loved being around kids and loved teaching them. I always enjoyed watching kids learn and wanted to help them learn.

Falcon Times: How many years did it take you to become a teacher?

Mrs. Gorman: I went to college for four years and got a job right after I graduated college. I taught for 10 years and then took of time when my daughter was born. I went back to school a little over a year ago and graduated this December with my Master’s degree.  

Falcon Times: What degrees did you have to get to become a teacher?

Mrs. Gorman: I have a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and Psychology. I have a Master’s degree in Elementary Education Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Reading.

Falcon Times: Have you taught anywhere else besides Mashpee?

Mrs. Gorman: I have taught in Rhode Island, Washington State, California, Japan, Hawaii, and Virginia

Falcon Times: You lived in Japan?

Mrs. Gorman: Yes, I have lived in Japan. I lived there for about a year. I taught for a little bit before my daughter was born. I taught English to Japanese women and preschoolers. I was in Japan because my husband was the Navy and he was stationed there.

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Meet Mr. Loyko

By Vanessa Ferla

Long-term 5th grade Substitute Teacher Mr. Loyko is no stranger to the Quashnet School.

Originally from Falmouth, Mr. Loyko’s family moved to Mashpee when he was in kindergarten, and went to the K.C. Coombs School. Then he came to Quashnet.  He says that when he came to this school he was in the classroom where Mrs. Weston now teaches. He went to Mashpee High School then the University of Massachusetts.

Mr. Loyko started teaching in 2006 and said he really liked it. Here’s something you probably didn’t know about Mr. Loyko: he loves football so much he wrote a draft book! He also talks about football on the radio. Finally, Mr. Loyko has been able to meet professional football players many times.We are extremely lucky to have him as one of our teachers!

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The Fabulous Ms. Forsberg

Ms. Forsberg

By Erich Menke

Ms. Brenna Forsberg is a new teacher to the Quashnet School  in the 2015-16 school year.  She is a super duper interesting teacher, so I think everybody should know a little bit about her.  First of all, she was born in Bourne, Massachusetts. Imagine that - born in Bourne.

Some of her favorite things to do when she was  a youngster, were playing outside with her siblings and reading.  She says, “My favorite book as a kid would be Judy Blume, but I have a lot as an adult.” Like many kids, she played a sport during her youth, and that sport was volleyball.

She started her teaching career as a substitute at Bourne Middle School while studying Elementary Education at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina.  She also student taught at Kingswood Elementary School in Cary (Raleigh), North Carolina.   

So, with all of the career options out there, why teaching? “Most of my family inspired me to teach, because most of them are teachers,” she says.    However, she says her role model is her mom, because she is a teacher and she admires that her mom cares so much about her and her siblings.    

Ms. Forsberg has already made a strong positive impression on her students here at Quashnet. For example, she puts a new inspirational quote on her board every week. One of her favorites is “Hakuna Matata,”  which, as many of us know, means “No worries for the rest of your days.”  Her advice to the world is simple but powerful:  “Stay true to yourself.”  

Now you know a little more about the fabulous Ms. Brenna Forsberg!

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Ms. Sweeney - Gr. 6

Ms. Sweeney

Ms. Sweeney, Grade 6

By Tehva Baumflek and Molly George

   The Quashnet school welcomed a new 6th grade teacher, Ms. Sweeney, who came in to teach 6th grade after Mrs. Lanoue retired. 

Ms. Sweeney received her degree from Boston College and did her student teaching in the Brockton Public Schools. She chose a career in education because “I grew up being curious and I loved to learn, so I wanted to become a teacher.”  

Her overall impression of the Quashnet School has been very favorable. “I like the friendly environment that the school gives off. Everyone is so welcoming and nice.”  

She said she would like to remain a 6th grade teacher, and would like to stay at Quashnet “forever.”  

Her words of encouragement for students? “Don’t be afraid to fail, challenge yourself, and never stop asking questions.”

We are happy Ms. Sweeney has joined us, and we hope she is having a a successful time teaching here at the Quashnet School!
  

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Ms. Porter

Positively Perfect Ms.Porter

     By Mateo Vazquez and Melissa Ferla

Ms. Porter

The Falcon Times interviewed Quashnet’s new STEM teacher, Ms. Ericka Porter, who is filling in for Mrs. Guggio for the rest of the year.

Ms. Porter attended Eckerd College and finished her studies at Lesley University. Her family is from Cape Cod, but she was born in Florida and moved to Connecticut before coming to the Cape.

Her favorite thing about the Quashnet School is working with the students.

 

Here's an interesting fact about Ms. Porter that you might not know: she knows Spanish, and acted as a translator for her group during a trip she took to Panama.  
Her words of wisdom for students are: "Never stop working towards your dreams, because they can become a reality with hard work."

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Recess Debate

    By: Taylor Willman

                        At the Quashnet School we have the privilege of recess, but some people are against it. The Falcon Times asked three teachers and seven kids their opinion on recess. Only three students said we don’t need recess. The rest of the teachers and students said yes. Most people agree, however, that recess is important.

Yes

• Miss Bretton Keohane a 3rd grade teacher said: “It is very important, because to be successful students need energy and free time”.
• Mrs. McKay one of the 4th grade teachers said: “Recess energizes kids and gives them a brain break”.
• Erin Smith, a 5th grade student, said: “During recess kids can let their energy out and see all of their friends who aren’t in the same class”.
• Fourth Grade student Bilal Shakeel said: “As students we need a break from our work”.
• Another 4th grader, Kylie Farhadi, said: “We need time free from our work and we also need exercise”.
• Mrs.Gorman, a 5th grade teacher, said: “Students need their energy. It helps them focus better than if they didn’t have recess”

                                                                      No

• Hunter Tobey a student in 6th grade said:” School is built for education, the money spent on the playground could have been used for more educational purposes”
• Addison Wood a 3rd grade student said: “ Students can get hurt and a lot of problems start in the playground”
• Mia Demirdal a 6th grade student said: “Students in our grade don’t play. They just hang out and talk, plus sometimes you just want lunch instead of recess”   

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School Basketball

by Aadi Chitkara

Photo courtesy of Mrs. Pulsford's teacher webpage

First there was soccer. Then there was basketball -- another fantastic sport sponsored by the Quashnet School. Quashnet has had both a boys’ and girls’ team. Mr. Morris, the fabulous Physical Education teacher, coached the boy’s after-school basketball team. Mrs. Pulsford, one of our awesome 4th grade teachers, coached the girls’ squad.

On the 6th Grade boys team were Patrick Morin, Andrew Govoni, Brady Johnston, Robbie Dias, Owen Balfour, Aadi Chitkara, Nicholas Bolio, Matthew Skarbek, Brady Tuffs, Daniel Mitchell, Atticus Mone and Colin Spencer. Fifth graders on the team included Jack Spencer, Zach Childs, Neil Howard, and Sean Fancher.  

The girls’ team roster included 6th graders Ava Gonsalves, Jasmine Viera, Tierra Peters, Amiyah Peters, Jayden Bryant, Nitana Perry, Grace Sherman, Skyla Rimple, Kailyn Westgate, Annika Lakatos, Stella Stecei and Isabella Egan. 

  The girls and boys practiced in Quashnet school’s gymnasium. Each practice lasted about 1 hour and 15 minutes, from 2:45-4:00 pm.

  Boys’ team member Patrick Morin gave an exclusive interview to the Falcon Times. Asked Patrick what he thought of the experience, he said: “Well, basketball is fun. I get to hang out with all of my friends and play one of my favorite sports.” He also says that he thinks Mr. Morris is a great coach. He also thinks the team is going to be undefeated this season.

Girls’ team member Ava Gonsavles says “I love basketball because it shows a lot of effort and it's really fun to spend time with my friends and while playing the sport I like.”

Girls team member Skyla Rimple says “I love basketball because the team gets to run practice and it's really fun”  

It was another fantastic sport at the Quashnet Elementary School!  
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    Quashnet’s Got Talent!  

By Mia Demirdal and Sarah Landry

The annual Quashnet School Talent Show took place back on April 7. In all, 39 talented students presented a total of 25 acts for a huge audience of friends, classmates, families and staff. The Falcon Times caught up with several of the performers for their take on the exciting event.  

First, the Falcon Times asked Jenna Thompson what she and the other performers did during auditions. Jenna said: “You wait, while watching other acts. It’s really fun to see other peers do their acts.”

Next we spoke with Samantha Maxwell. She said “Just have fun.” She was danced to the song “Boss” along with Jenna. This was her first year in the talent show. She says that she was “really excited for this.”

Sophia Bergonzi and Anna DelleCave sang "House of Gold" by 21 Pilots. She said it was fun, and "we rocked it!" Anna agreed, saying it was "difficult but fun."

Lastly we interviewed Amiaya Johnson, who performed “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift. Amiaya did this act along with other students __WHO and ___Who. WHAT DID SHE SAY?

  These students all enjoy showing and sharing their talents.  Maybe next year you will too!  

School Humor

Q. What school supply is king?

1. The ruler.

Q. Why did the teacher wear sunglasses?

A. Because her students were so bright!

Q. What school requires you to bring a ladder?

A. High school.

Q. Where do cows go after high school?

A. Cowlege.

Mrs. Johnson makes the pages of 

the Boston Globe!

If you thought being featured in the Falcon Times was a big deal, sixth-Grade teacher Heather Johnson can top that. Mrs. Johnson was featured in a June 4 Globe article about teachers who use technology in their classrooms. The real news, of course, is how she uses technology to teach her students in new and different ways and to make learning fun.

Here's what the article said:

Heather Johnson, who teaches sixth grade in Mashpee, said today’s teachers need to be digitally literate to boost academic achievement. She also stopped handing out textbooks, has created her own online curriculum by pulling together open-source learning applications, and watched as students have become more excited about learning.

“This is their language,” Johnson said. “Most of the time it’s 100 percent student engagement.”

The Falcon Times wondered what it was like to be interviewed by a big-time reporter. 

"It's exciting to see your name in the bright lights," joked Mrs. Johnson.

Mrs. Johnson's students confirmed what the article said about their teacher and the way she uses tech tools to make learning interesting. 

David Kelley said he and his classmates use a variety of tech tools to do research, writing and learning games. "We use Boomwriter, Google docs and "

Tavita Kapp said technology is a "good thing," adding that students use it to keep organized and use it for a variety of purposes. Tavita did offer one word of caution, however, saying that schools can run the risk of having too much of a good thing when it comes to tech. "Sometimes there's too much screen time, especially for kids who go home and get right on their electronics," he said.

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Annual Student vs. Staff Floor Hockey Game a Treat for Players, Fans

By Hunter Tobey

On Monday April 4th, many members of the quashnet school staff took on 36 sixth graders in the annual Grade 6 vs. Staff floor hockey game, in front of a huge crowd in the Quashnet School gymnasium. Although the staff took the win, the student team was clearly the fan favorite, with many in the crowd cheering for a sixth grade victory.

In the end, no matter what the scoreboard said, it was a positive experience for all. “I had an awesome time,” said 6th grader Colin Spencer. His advice to future sixth graders: “If you have the chance to do it, do it.”

Physical Education Teacher Mr.Morris said the annual tradition started small, and has grown to be wildly popular since it began seven years ago. “When I first started there were only 12 students, and now there are 40.”

In addition to being a friendly rivalry, Mr. Morris said there’s another purpose behind the game: “The reason why I do it is I don’t think that students get enough gym class, so I want to get them more active. And I love the sport.”

One of the staff’s most famous players, Mr. Withington, offered his perspective on the game: “I enjoyed myself the same as the sixth graders every year. I think next year there should be a draft, with staff and students on each team, and we should have lines that are matched up. The 6th grade always strikes fear into my heart, but this year we were lucky to come out on top.”

With less than a year until this annual happens again, it’s time for next year’s 6th graders and staff to start practicing! Good luck!

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Falcon Runners Come Through with Flying Colors

On Sunday, June 12, dozens of student runners, family and friends came out to support the Mashpee Boosters at the second annual Color Run held at Mashpee Middle High School. Here are some scenes from this great event (photos courtesy of Superintendent Patty DeBoer)

Career Day a Hit

The annual Quashnet School Career Day was held on Friday, June 10. More than 30 presenters, came to talk about their work and what it takes to be successful. Students had fun dressing up to show their future career aspirations. Many thanks to the parents and others who took the time to spend the day with us. Here are some scenes from the day, including parent presenters together with their children. (photos courtsey of Elinor Pagano, Quashnet School Main Office) 

The Falcon Times wishes everyone a happy, safe and restful summer!