Spartan Times

Vol. 13, Issue 2 June 2017Simply The Best!

Carrie Palmer Weber Middle School, Port Washington, New Yorkwww.portnet.k12.ny.us/weber/clubs/spartantimes

1st Place Winner of the Newsday In Education Journalism Award 2012

In This Issue......

Pages 1-6 Weber News

Page 7 Random Things & Quirky Dings

Page 8 Spirit Week

Page 9 Movie & Book Reviews

Page 10 Comics & Puzzles

Page 11-12 Spartan Sports

Page 1

Who’s got Spirit?page 8

WEBER MIDDLE SCHOOL PRESENTS:Pippin!

by Mrs. Friedman,

“Join us… leave your fields to flowerJoin us… leave your cheese to sour

Join us… come and waste an hour or two…”

A traveling play troupe tells the story of Prince Pippin (8th grader Ian Miller), son of Charlemagne (8th grader Christopher

Nielsen), who is trying to find the secret to true happiness and fulfill-ment; his own “corner of the sky.” As encouraged by the Leading Player (8th grader Ryan Joslyn), Pip-pin gets himself involved in a series of events and experiences, includ-ing: war, political power, and lust, only to discover that happiness lies in the rather ordinary moments of everyday life. Pippin features many memorable and popular songs, com-posed by Stephen Schwartz (Wick-

ed, Godspell) such as: “Magic to Do,” “Corner of the Sky,” and “No Time At All.” (continued on page 2 by Caroline W.)

The Story of the Vietnam War Memorial by Camryn N.

Allow me to introduce a story that will resonate with anyone who has received a grade that he or she did not find satisfactory. While I do not know all of the details of the story because it is a story that has become a bit of an urban legend, I do know enough facts about the origins of the Vietnam War Memorial to prove that beauty and de-sign really are in the eye of the beholder....(continued on page 5)

Women’s History montH Writing Contest

“Women got tHe Vote. so WHat?”By Yazmeen D.

As an eighth grade student, I have had the pleasure of researching the thought-provoking topic of women’s suffrage in America. Over the course of the seventy-two year period from 1848-1920, there were count-less organizations and leaders that were devoted to the suffrage move-ment. The influential figures of the movement, such as Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and Lucy Stone, will never be for-gotten since they paved the way for many female activists who followed. Although many believe that progress has been made since the suffrage movement, the “glass ceiling” is still not complete-ly broken, although admittedly fractured. (continued on page 2)

POETRY CONTEST WINNERS!

page 6

WEBER NEWSVol. 13, Issue 2 June 2017

Page 2

(continued from page 1) On March 24th, 25th and 26th, Weber Drama Club put on their production of Pippin. Pippin is a play in a play. It is about a man, Pippin who needs to find his m e a n i n g in life. He entails on a journey where he kills his fa-ther in order to become king and also works on a farm. He then encounters on Cath-erine whom he falls in love with. The play was great, filled with mag-ic, merriment and holy war. The leads, Ian Miller, Collin Reardon, Christopher Nielsen, Stella Shapiro, Abby Smith, Hannah Brooks and Gavin Shaub were also fantastic! Overall, the Weber Drama Club put on an extraordinary show and I can’t wait for more in the future.

We Will Miss You!

“To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.” Weber Middle School thanks you for ALL you have done throughout the years. We would like to wish Mrs. Kopple and Mrs. Kornfeld, and Mr. Swinson well wishes on their future endeavors.

WEBer middle school presents:Pippin!

Spartan Times Staff 2016-2017

Staff: Lily L., Noah L., Frankie A.,Iann F., Gideon G., Solomon G. Darrin M., Liana M., Natalie H., Camryn N., Caroline W., Chris W. Gavin S., Freelance Writers & Photographers: Mrs. DiToro, Mrs. Lindstadt, Mrs. Gober, Mrs. Friedman, Ms. Andrew, Mrs. Kopple, Mrs. Mclean, Nadia X., Lola B., Abigail M., Yaz-meen D., Chloe L., Amanda C., Sam N. Advisor: Ms. Ariel Printer:Richner

by Caroline W.

Women’s History montH Writing Contest

“Women got tHe Vote. so WHat?”By Yazmeen D.

(continued from page 1) There are still many trials that women face currently, for the Nineteenth Amend-ment did not solve all of their prob-lems in one sweep. The fragmented “glass ceiling” is most definitely prog-ress, but the unjustified way women are treated in the workplace is appall-ing. One heinous example of this big-otry is when an extremely capable and qualified woman applies for a job, but is denied because some of the com-pany’s clients are more comfortable working with men. Another unfathomable prejudice that occurs regularly in office settings is when a women is let go from her job because of “cut-backs”, when in reality it is because of her gender. However, the major setback that has the spotlight shining upon it is the fact that women get paid less than men, not because of their qualifications, but because of their gender, hence the phrase: “equal pay for equal work.” As a young girl, I watched my mother, Sima, fight for equality in the business world, such as attending women entrepreneur conferences to speak. She continues to build her own business, and serve on different boards that provide opportunities for women. My mother has repeatedly stated that her decisions might have been different if corporate America had a different “face,” one where women were on the same level as men. Now, as I look to the crystal ball of the future, I am determined to pick up the work that she, the suffragettes, and many others have dedicated their lives to.

A Special Dedication...

“Goodbyes are not forever. Goodbyes are not the end. They simply mean I’ll miss you, until we meet again.”

With gratitude and pride, The Spartan Times, would like to dedicate this edition to Dr. Escamilla. She is loved and dearly missed.

The Fairytale Projectby Mrs. Kopple

Built by 6th grade artists to accom-pany their fairytales. Made of hand-gath-ered natural elements. Eco-friendly struc-tures have unique names such as Moonlit

C o t t a g e , Fairy Cot-tage and M y s t i c C a b i n . You are invited to view them in Room 115. Please stop by for some enchantment!

The Addiction of Smart Devicesby Liana M.

Did you know that phones are extremely addictive to most peo-ple in society? Well, they are. It is very difficult for most adults, teens, and pre-teens to put their smart devices down. Many people like to look on Snapchat, Instagram, musical.ly, and live.ly continuously through-out the day and even sometimes night. These social media sites can be a huge waste of time and the effects of being addicted to your smart device can even be bad for your physical and mental health. For others, it can be hard or even impossible for others to get off their phones. So, what do you do? You ask a parent or guardian to hold on to your phone while you do something else, set boundaries when it comes to scheduling times to use your phone, and try having a conversation face to face with your friends and family-trust me-they’ll appreciate it.

WEBER NEWSVol. 13, Issue 2 June 2017

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NAMI WALK by Caroline W.

On May 7th Weber Middle School and Schreiber students and staff participated in a walk on Jones Beach for mental ill-ness that raised approximate-ly $8,000. Everyone came

together to help bring awareness to mental health because believe it or not, 1 out of 5 kids struggles with some sort of mental health issue. It was a wonderful event filled with food, a DJ and a very supportive com-munity. Everyone should do this walk at least once in their life because it truly was a great experience and I was very happy to be a part of it.

Relay For Life by Chris. W

June 17, 2017 is going to be the annual Relay For Life. Whether you signed up in a group, lost someone who was special to you, or just want to go for fun, WE ARE ALL GOING TO FIGHT CANCER TOGETH-ER!!! It is an important cause that includes great music, good food, games, and walking with your friends to show support to end cancer for good. At first I was nervous about it because you do have to walk all night, but after going to the meeting it sounded like an amazing experience. The goal for this year is 230,000 and with the many teams participating we can definitely reach the goal. I personally have a team called The Relay Racers that I am the team captain of, which is a big responsibility because I got a whole page of the meetings I have to go to from February to May. The way you sign up is you have to go the Relay for Life website and make a team. Also ,for all you dog lovers and dog owners out there, the Dog Walk for Relay for Life is in March! Ways to raise money is to do car washes and bake sales, etc. However before the walk you have to raise $100 to get a t-shirt for Relay for Life. So, next year gather all your friends and start raising money! Please come June 17, 2017 to Schreiber’s track, walk around, have some fun, and we will fight cancer one by one until we find the cure Photo courtesy Ms. Costa.

Weber Day of SilenceFrankie A.

On Friday, April 21st, 2017, many Weber students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade participated in the Day of Silence. This is a student-led national event organized in thousands of schools around the coun-try, bringing awareness to the silencing effects of an-ti-LGBTQ name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. Starting 1st pe-riod, students from middle school to college take a vow of silence and do not

talk (or at least try to not talk) for the whole school day. After 9th period, the students are participating in a “SCREAM” in the library, where all of them scream to let out all of the “talk” inside of them that they had to keep all day. The Weber Day of Silence makes LGBTQ people feel like everyone else on the inside. Participating in this day shows a lot of courage and is a great time to express your feelings. Thank you to every student who took part in this event! #loveislove Photo courtesy of Mrs. Gober

March MadnessBy Noah L.

“Wrong. Busted. And… there goes my bracket.” Over the course of the month of March, I’m sure everyone has heard someone rage, and scream those words. March Madness is the most prestigious college bas-ketball tournament, which is named after its exciting games, crazy upsets, and pure insanity. Every year, college basketball fans, sports analysts, and anyone searching for a good time attempt to make a perfect bracket, and predict all 63 games correctly. The odds of this are practically impossible, and are said to be about 1 in 9.2 quintillion. “The second the 3:10 bell rings, everyone sprints to their locker, and tries to be the first one to check the scores, and look for the biggest upset. This year, not one bracket out of the 20 million online ones got to over 40 games, which was a record! Even celebrities such as Warren Buffet have offered millions of dollars to people who can achieve perfection. But, the surprising up-sets of the Arizona Wildcats, top seeded Villanova Bulldogs, SMU Mustangs, Louisville Cardinals, and sadly, my Duke Blue Devils, ru-ined all hopes of perfection. When your team loses, everyone knows it too. Once Duke lost, I never heard the end of it, especially from my rival UNC fans, who despise Duke with so much passion. “I’ve never seen the students have this much energy, and I love it,” said one teach-er, Mr. Holzer. “If only they got into my projects like this.” he chuck-led. Some teachers have been using the energy, and making projects out of it. Ms. Silverman is using her free time to have a “Factoring Fa-ceoff,” based off March Madness, which everyone loved. In the end, North Carolina won it all, and Duke fans, such as myself, were crushed.

OLWEUS by Lily L.

Every three- four weeks, students of Weber have been directed from their home base teachers to take part in a program called Olweus. There has been some concern directed towards Olweus due to its tendency to take time away from regularly scheduled classes, and student discom-fort in accordance to such involvement. While these are valid concerns, the main objective of Olweus is to field a response to putting an end to bullying and bullying awareness. All of this is based on a survey taken during Weber gym classes from June of last year, by this year’s seventh and eighth graders. Activities during the scheduled meetings range from getting to know one another, to watching eye-opening videos regarding the topic. Meetings are always facilitated by the teacher in charge of the group, and in some cases nametags are evident. In any case, Olweus groups take no more than thirty minutes and cover topics such as name calling, social labels, bullying, social media, and more. Teachers are supportive in such affairs, saying that it’s a progressive step towards unifying the school. It’s also an eye-opening initiative to make Weber a more inclusive place for education. So whatever your doubts may be with Olweus, you can’t deny that it’s a step in the right direction.

WEBER NEWSVol. 13, Issue 2 June 2017

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Caroline W’s Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

Filling1/4 Cup sugar1 1/2 Packages Strawberries, hulled and quartered2 Cups heavy cream1 Tsp. vanilla extract

Shortcakes10 Tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces plus more for pans3 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour1/2 Cup sugar1 Tbsp. baking powder1 Tsp. baking soda1/4 Tsp. salt1 3/4 Cups heavy cream

ShortcakesPreheat oven to 375°F. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in bowl of a food processor or large bowl. Add butter and continue to mix until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add heavy cream until the mixture is just moistened.Gather dough into a large ball and gently knead on a lightly floured sur-face, just until smooth.Divide dough into 3 equal portions and with hands, press each piece of dough into a prepared cake pan, spreading to edges and making as smooth as possible.Bake about 25 minutes or until top is golden. FillingCombine heavy cream and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar while beating just until stiff peaks form. Keep refrigerated until ready to useAssemblyTo serve, place first cake layer on serving plate and top with strawberries in a single layer. Top with whipped cream and spread until even. Repeat this process until you don’t have anything left.

Carrie Palmer Weber Middle School Finishes in 5th Place Overall at the 2017 New York State Science Olympiad Finals

Carrie Palmer Weber Middle School’s Science Olympiad team proudly finished in 5th place overall at the New York State Science Olym-piad Tournament held on April 7th and 8th at the East Syracuse-Minoa Central High School in Syracuse New York. The team was the overall 5th highest ranking team in New York State out of 39 very competitive schools. C. P. Weber also finished as the top team from Western Long Is-land with 15 team mem-bers winning 12 medals. At the recent Western Long Island Regional, C.P. Weber came in first place out of all teams from Nas-sau County. This qualified the team for a competition spot at the NY State Science Olympiad Finals. At Regionals, the Weber team received 21 medals and placed in the top three in 11 out of the 25 events held throughout the day. Throughout the 2016-17 school year approximately 30 Weber stu-dents in grades 6, 7, and 8 studied after school and on Saturdays, prepar-ing for tournaments and invitational competitions including the Rustin Invitational held in West Chester, Pennsylvania and the Blue Dragon In-vitation held in Levittown, New York. Congratulations to the entire C. P. Weber Science Olympiad team for a highly successful season. Congratulations as well to their coaches, Mrs. Lindstadt-Iurka and Mr. VanKurin, for their dedication and guid-ance.

Math Olympiad Champs!by Mrs. Mclean

The Weber 7-8 Math Olympiad team won the Nassau County Math Olym-piads Tournament! Congratulations to:

Rajen P.Jeffrey S.Nate S.Daniel G. Zach H.

Acting in Social Studiesby Iann F.

What is the perfect way to teach students about the Constitutional Convention? Act it out! Combining the art of acting with the subject of Social Studies Mrs. Staib teaches kids to want to learn about this conven-tion. Mrs Staib, the Red 7 Social Studies teacher works with Mr. Novinski, the Red 7 English teacher to put together a reenactment of the Consti-tutional convention. This show has been produced every year for about 15 years. Red house Social Studies teacher, Mrs. Staib, was researching projects about the Constitutional Convention when she came across the idea of acting it out. “I think that it gets the kids moti-vated to learn hopefully in a more fun way and they can take part in doing in-stead of just sitting and listening” said Mrs. Staib. Teachers keep track of what students are doing and learning. “At the end we do have to give an assessment, test to make sure that everyone learns all of the issues.” After asking a student if he liked the Constitutional Con-vention he responded, “It’s better than writing an essay, or doing a test.” Mr. Novinski, Red 7 English, and Mrs. Staib put a great amount of time and effort into making this a fun learning experience. This project turns out very great every year. Coming from a red

house student, I believe Red house is a great place where you can learn a lot and get a great education, but in a fun way.

WEBER NEWSVol. 13, Issue 2 June 2017

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What an Honorby Chloe L.

Blue 8 classes had a chance to meet Veterans from the Vietnam and Iraq War. The Veterans told stories about the war along with their thoughts and feelings about the growing debates around Agent Or-ange and whether or not America won the Vietnam War. As groups, we rotated from ta-ble to table talking to the Vets, and we had the opportunity to meet Ms. Courtney Gourdo-Tennant, a woman who served in Guantanamo Bay. We met Of-ficer Clifford Cotton, an Iraq War Veteran (who very much fancied Syrian pizza), and Vietnam War Veterans Richard Ertel and Peter Ripullone. Overall, as an 8th grade student, I found that it was an amazing

and powerful expe-rience for everyone. Not only was it edu-cational and helped us further understand the Vietnam War, Iraq War, Guantana-mo Bay, and World War II, but I think that these Veterans gave all of the Blue 8th Graders words of

wisdom that we will never forget. Photos courtesy of Mrs. Gober

The Story of the Vietnam War Memorial by Camryn N.

(continued from page 1) Maya Lin was a budding architecture stu-dent studying at Yale University in the late seventies during the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Her professor at Yale had assigned a design project to the then 21 year-old Lin. For this project, Lin submitted the design that would ultimately be selected by a panel in Washington DC to become the famous Vietnam War Memorial. Before achieving such recognition, however, her professor gave her a very poor grade because he did not like her design. Lin decided to enter the contest anyway, knowing that the win-ning design would only be identified by an entry number, so that the panel of judges would not know her age or background. Maya Lin entered, with the design her Yale professor had deemed unsatisfac-tory. Ironically, her professor also entered his own design for the con-test. It was Maya Lin’s bold stark design that was ultimately selected from amongst the 1,441 submissions. To this day, Lin believes that had the competition not been anonymous, her design would never have been selected because of her Chinese ethnicity and her young age. Maya Lin designed a black granite wall that would cut into the Earth, the way she believed the Vietnam War cut into our country. On it, the names of the 57,661 fallen soldiers from the Vietnam War would be inscribed. W h e n

visiting the Viet-nam War Memori-al, what is most m e m o -rable are the peo-ple who s t a n d

there tracing over their loved ones names, and the many gifts that are placed at the foot of each panel of the stone structure. What Lin de-signed for a class project far from any battlefield has become a sym-bol of loss and memory and pain and reflection for many Americans. Not only did Maya Lin create a beautiful Memorial, she cre-ated lessons that should remain in the heart of every student; believe in your work, never give up, and do not get overly upset over an un-satisfactory grade if you know you did your best.

Weber Jazz Bandby Ms. Andrew

Congratulations to the Weber Jazz Band and their dedicated direc-tor, Ms. Elizabeth Andrew, for earning a GOLD Rat-ing at the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) Major Organi-zation Festival today! The jazz band played wonderfully and rep-resented Weber as fine mu-sicians, along with demon-strating excellent behavior and concert etiquette. Well done, Ms. An-drew and all of the jazz band students!

Musical Mathby Noah. L

Music + Math? This could possibly be the first time you’ve heard those two words together. But not for Ms. Silverman and her Algebra 1 stu-dents! When Ms. Silverman gave the assignment of having to make a song about the quadratic formula, every brain in room 219 went in different direc-tions, and everyone was contemplating how they would go about this project.

As an end result, the class spent two days presenting all of their incredible songs, which ranged from a song to the entire tune of “American Pie,” to freestyle rap pieces, but most of all, were all incred-ible. Not only did the students think that “It was the greatest project of all time,” even Ms. Silverman loved it. “I got to see a different side of the stu-

dents that was so incredible to see. An assignment with no rules,” she said with a smile. “It truly brought tears of joy to my eyes.” Not only did the students benefit from the extra credit points, but they also got the pleasure of having “Negative B plus or minus the square root of B squared minus 4ac, all over 2a,” stuck in their head for the rest of the year. When teachers are able to put music, and other relatable a

signments that kids love in their lesson, you can get a beautiful musical, math, experience.

WEBER NEWSVol. 13, Issue 2 June 2017

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Leaving Weberby Frankie A.

As this year’s Class of 2017 sadly departs from middle school, we 8th graders want to cherish all of the last memories and last days of school we have. Coming to Weber, most of us were ex-tremely nervous. In our 5th grade classes, we practiced opening locks and switching classes, but we didn’t think Weber would be this differ-ent. I got lost a couple of times and was late to class, but throughout Weber teachers and stu-dents taught me to have confidence and to be happy with any grade I get. I’ve enjoyed hang-ing out with my friends during recess and learn-ing fun topics during class, but I’ll never forget the relationships I made with my teachers and friends throughout 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. Going to Schreiber and transitioning will be hard, but I know I have my teachers from Weber that I can talk to whenever I need. With only a few full days left of school, I hope they are full of memories and fun (…besides taking our finals and Regents!). To all of the teachers at this middle school, thank you for making these past three years enjoyable and memo-rable. I hope future students realize how important Weber friendships are and what you can make of these short three years in your life.

POETRY WINNERS!The Spartan Times would like to congratulate

Gideon G., Lola B., and Nadia X on winning our Poetry Contest.

A huge thank you to all who submitted poems. Great job Weber!

Like the Dream You Once Hadby Gideon G.

With your nose in a book Completely zoned outYour eyes on the page Your head in the cloudsYou’re stuck in a void You can never get out The words on the page can’t escape

A book is like that dream you had last nightIt ends after a while Telling a story a long, long storyMaybe it’s wonderful Or maybe it’s sadYou don’t know the ending it’s making you mad

When you get to the ending you might be sad You want it to last forever Like that dream you once hadIt’s telling a wonderful story It’s playing in your head

With your nose in that book Your head in the cloudsYou finish that story it finally endsLike a dream it doesn’t last forever You eventually return to reality

Be Yourself, Don’t Be Perfect by Nadia X.

Perfect perfect What even is perfection?

The perfect life, the perfect house, the perfect family.Perfection shouldn’t matter to anyone

Be you, do your best Don’t be perfect, perfect is nothing in this world

Be yourself, do what you do best.Do what you like, don’t let people tell you who you have to be to fit in.

The word perfect means nothingBe yourself, don’t be perfect

Listenby Lola B.

Listen,They’re calling,

Listen to my heart pitter patter in my chest,Listen to the wind blow,

Listen to the water,Streaming splashing like birds flying to their nest,

Listen for my calling,Listen to Mother Nature,

Listen,There is more to here.

#TINSTA?By Noah L

After looking at this title, everyone is probably wondering what a tinsta is, and why a number ofteachers are now starting to make one. Well, as social media grows, it becomes more important in the lives of millennials, so teachers are taking advantage of the opportunity to connect with their students. 8th grade teachers, such as Mrs. Gill- Klesaris, Ms. Silver-man, Ms. Ariel, Ms. Sanicola, Mr. Holzer, and Ms. Sussino have made Instagram pages to expand their lessons to the web. These In-stagram accounts are monitored thoroughly by the teachers that run them, and can be very beneficial to the students. The teachers can relate to the students, and can easily communicate with them. Additionally, teachers can also give homework help, impor-tant reminders, and everyone’s favorite memes. Yes, even teachers can manage to post hilarious memes, and can still relate to the sub-ject and help their students understand whatever concept they are trying to teach. Students are also encouraged to help each other! The one important element is that our teach-

ers ENFORCE positivity only on their ac-counts. Will the days of pen and paper end, allowing selfies and phones to become the new medium of education? Possibly. But, either way, tinstas are definitely a great way for teachers to connect with their stu-dents, and teach outside of the classroom.

Random Things & Quirky DingsJune 2017Vol. 13, Issue 2

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Opinions stated here are those of the author, not of the P.W.U.F.S.D or Spartan Times Staff

Top Five Ways to Express Yourself

by Iann F.

WEBER HOROSCOPES By Luna Allele and Solar Eclipse

There are many talents behind the wild and mysterious art that is seeing the future, and one of which is the writing of horoscopes. Based on the time of your birth, Weber’s own fortune-tellers in training can give you the keys to life….. Or maybe they’ll just give you tips on what’s for lunch next Tuesday.

Aries(March. 21-April. 19): We expect great things from you- such as a willingness to eat cafeteria-grade mashed potatoes with your eyes closed, using yourrecessive hand!Taurus(April. 20-May. 20): You might soon find yourself a bull in a china shop. Watch out for breakable things in the computer lab or cafeteria.Gemini(May. 21-June. 21): Beware the Gemini! Wait- you ARE the Gemini. So never mind. (Oh,and steer clear of reflections for eight days just to make sure).Cancer(June 22-July 23): There is strength within your inner layers. The Great Crab stands by.Leo(July. 23-Aug. 22): The gods of fate have cast their ballots… you shall hereby be sent to a boring assembly during recess time.Virgo(Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Anticipate greatness. For on July 12th you will win big. Libra(Sept. 23-Oct. 23): Freedom is yours to claim! Friday’s on Main St. are neigh!Scorpio(Oct. 24- Nov. 21): Scorpios are full of animal magnetism. Try to avoid being followed by a lamb to school.Sagittarius(Nov. 22- Dec. 21): I sense a test in your near future. Study for it.Capricorn(Dec.22- Jan.19): The Force is strong in you. Build a light saber. Or play outside.Aquarius(Jan. 20- Feb 18): To prevent immediate failure, dance in the hallways between classes.Pisces(Feb. 19- March. 20): Miraculous events are in progress! All signs show that the cafeteria shall not run out of potato nuggets or pretzels!

Fad or Rad?by Iann F.

People are flocking to get and use new toys and products in our school. These hot commodities are Slime, Fidget Spinners, and The Fidget Cube™. Kids have discovered how to create slime themselves. The ‘complex’ recipe to make this product is: Glue, Laundry Detergent, and Food color-ing. You can also add other ingredients to make your slime softer, rougher, or less sticky. There are many companies that sell this slime; however, they’re going out of business quickly because students are creating and personalizing their own slime. Fidget spinners are toys that were made with the intention to help kids diagnosed with ADHD or Autism. Now, it seems as though everyone has hopped on this spinning bandwagon. For some, they are helpful. For others, they are distracting.“As students are spinning them on their fin-gers, tables, or noses, it becomes a distraction as everyone wants to look at them,” says, English teacher, Mrs. Ariel. “They also cause a small noise

when they are spinning. Which causes more of a distraction as I’m trying to teach my lesson and keep student fo-cused. While I understand the intention of why they were made is good, they can unfortunately disturb others.”

Fidget Cubes were made for the same purpose as the fidget spinner: to focus. I say that these are more effective than fidget spinners for a single reason: you can use them in your pocket. Fidget

cubes are harder to find and more expensive than spinners though. These objects are slowly being banned in classrooms and will most likely be banned school wide soon. Slime is sticky and messy, fidget spin-ners are distracting and fidget cubes don't really have any flaws. I think it's up to you to decide if they are helpful or distractring.

April Fool`s Day by Natalie H.

Ahhhh! There`s a snake in your room! You jump back and scream for help. Then, you hear your annoying brother laughing and feel your face turning redder and redder, and the humiliation spreads through your body. Ugh, it's April 1! APRIL FOOLS! You should have known. Every year your brother pulls the same prank, and every year you fall for it. When April Fool’s Day comes around all you can think about is how you are going to pull the best prank ever. While you're trying to plot a master plan, do you know the history behind the clever day?Although the origin of April Fool’s Day is uncertain, many believe it dates back to 1582, when France switched the calendar from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, which we use today. Not all people knew about the switch to the Gregorian calendar and were slow to figure it out. They continued celebrating New Year’s during the last week of March through April 1 instead of January first. The people who didn't know became the jokes of France. They would have a paper fish placed on their backs to represent an easily caught fish and a gullible person. Having fun with people and pulling pranks

has become part of April Fool`s Day traditions ever since.

1. Start a Youtube channelWhether it be beauty or life hacks to vlogs or lifestyle, you can make videos that people will be able to learn from, and enjoy! And, if you get enough viewers you can make a little money doing it.

2. Create a WebsiteUsing Weebly.com I have made many fun websites. The best thing about these is that you can upload anything you want. From pictures to audio to games you can out all of your creations in one place.

3. Write a PlayYou can express your feeling by writing a play and putting it on. Easily you can write up something on Google docs, assign parts to your friends, and maybe even get extra credit. You can also turn your play into a movie.

4. ArtWeber has so much to offer, Art club, advanced art, and studio art. Take advantage of these creative classes and have fun drawing and sculpting.

5. MusicWrite a song, join a Chorus and sing your heart out! All of the music teachers at Weber are very nice and there are many extra-curricular music clubs that you can join.

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This last spirit week was awesome. During the week of May 23rd, Weber Middle School took part in showing their school spirit. The week consisted of Pajama Day, House Color Day, Mis-Match Day, and Red, White, & Blue Day.

Many students and staff participated and showed what Weber Spirit is all about! Thank you Peer Leadership!! Photos courtesy Gideon G.

SPIRIT WEEK

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MOVIE & BOOK REVIEWS

The Boss Baby by Camryn N.

How many of you have seen your baby sibling and thought “he can’t really be my brother?” or “no way is that loud girl my sister.” Un-fortunately, that toddler clumsily dancing in the china department is in fact your sibling. However, the mysterious baby who drops in on Timothy Templeton’s life in a little taxi cab in the movie “Boss Baby” is in fact not his little brother. This mystery baby is the Boss Baby, an executive from BabyCorp, a company that employs all of the babies who aren’t going to join a family. The Boss Baby was sent to the Templeton family because he has

a mission. The Boss Baby needs information on PuppyCorp, BabyCorp’s enemy corporation that sells puppies, which are the natural adorable competition of the baby. Timothy’s parents just happen to be employees at Pup-pyCorp., and their inside knowl-edge should help the Boss Baby get the information he needs. However, Tim does not take kindly to the adorable baby intru-sion. He sees a baby who comes in and ruins everything and takes all of the attention away from him. After hearing the Boss Baby talk, really talk; not ‘goo goo, ga ga’, Tim learns that the only way to get rid of the baby is to help him on his mission. In helping the Boss Baby, Tim begins to really love his

“brother.” The Boss Baby begins to love Tim too. Sadly, after aiding the Boss Baby in completing his mission, Tim is torn apart from his “brother.” The Boss Baby goes back to BabyCorp, now a hero and CEO after defeat-ing the evil PuppyCorp. Finally, the Boss Baby has his life’s dream. At least, that is what he thinks. After somehow getting a letter and gift from Tim in the mail (older kids, don’t read too far into it; the logic is pretty fuzzy), the Boss Baby knows what he truly wants: to be part of the Templeton family. This is a movie for the aggravated sibling in all of us. It is a re-minder to love our siblings and that, somewhere in their annoying little minds and hearts, they love us too. If you saw your sibling and thought they were bossy and couldn’t be really related to you, think again. Your family’s boss baby is your sibling and he or she loves you. I give this movie a five star review. It is both a funny and brutally honest way of looking at life with a sibling and millions of siblings, myself included, wish they had Tim’s outlook on siblings: if you can’t get rid of them, or they keep coming back when you do, you may as well love them.

13 Reasons Whyby Frankie A.

“Hello, boys and girls. Hannah Baker here. Alive and in stereo. No return engagements. No encore. And this time, absolutely no re-quests.”

Many people have been read-ing the book 13 Reasons Why, since its release in October 2007. But recently, Selena Go-mez produced a new TV series that came out on Netflix and ever since, it has become viral. 13 Reasons Why is about a girl named Hannah Baker. Sadly, she takes her own life and makes 13 tapes listing the reasons why she did it. Fel-low students and peers have said it’s overrated, some have said the benefit of the series has gotten adults and teens discuss-ing suicide, and some have said it’s just made them depressed. Although the series and the novel are somewhat different, they both teach a valuable lesson: Every single word you say and every single action you take effects someone else. Words and actions are powerful. We need to think before we speak and support one another. Nobody should ever feel like taking their own life is their only way out, like Hannah Baker did. Every person should have true friends who will have their back. If you know someone who is ever feeling this way, let them know they aren’t alone and that there is help out there. For more information on suicide prevention please go to https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/.

MOSQUITOLAND BOOK REVIEWLily L.

From the depths of suburbians mediocrity emerges a hero for the ages…. Enter Mim Malone, impulsive as she is witty and heroic as she is villainous, who knows where she is going. Armed with only her Jansport backpack, the war paint that has defined her, a book of letters and a mission statement that rings plain and true, never has there been a girl with more deter-mination than Mary Iris Malone. (But only her mother gets to call her Mary.) En route to Cleveland via Grey-

hound bus transport, she begins to count her oddities, and indulg-ing in a journal of letters where her virtuous Reasons ring true.

On the ever-winding path she trav-els, Mim encounters both friend and foe, and learns to never doubt the power that true friendship can bring to a person. Anomalies abound, join Mim for Labor Day weekend.

Laugh with pain, love with tears, and learn what it means to Live Your Life in the words of the audaciously daring Mary Iris Malone. I can assure you this book stands on its own shelf and you

will forever be quoting these lines by novelist David Arnold.

The Way of the Asu: A Short Storyby Solomon G.

As I was cutting through the Acimeranian Forest, I came across a peculiar tribe. They idolized a very dangerous animal, called the Rac. They gave up so much for the Rac, their homes, their food, and their lives. The Racs have to run down long roads constantly because if they don’t, they will die. They were called, the Asu. They can’t own a rac until they turn 16 years old. The richer, a tribe member, is the more racs they can own. I saw thousands of casualties because of the Rac. Wait, they’re not the Asu tribe, they are…to be continued.

Vol. 13, Issue 2

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Comics & PuzzlesOpinions stated here are those of the author, not of the P.W.U.F.S.D. or Spartan Times Staff.

June 2017

Spring by Amanda.C

P A P B E R B X F K K C C O L O R F U L U A T H E R E P S V O D E R H E K B I S E W V R Y W G E A H A S E A B F A Q I R P R A R P G C R B J R F

G S S E N T M E S X B U W J V I Z D S H F A Y L

K G R D Q E K F M U E R L P L I K P E V Y M L A

S U N N Y W S R M T W I S E L D D U P P B I R N

BREEZE BRIGHT CHEERFUL COLORFUL

CRISP FLOWERS GRASS

PEACEFUL PUDDLES RAIN SPRINGBREAK

SUNNY WARM

Pencils for Everyone!by Gavin S.

H G S M S Z T S R S S S S U T I R T O K N M W H I M R L E A O R U A E T

F M U K K K T O C R E U H Y B Y C T S Y S T T R S B R W I I I H V I A E

I E A A N K E V U E R B D A T Y S Y R R P S T A E R S S K F O M B F S B W S K I T T L E S H D C S O S E T A L O C O H C C S N E R D S E C E E R

Candy Wordsearchby Amanda C.

Photo courtesy Google Images

BABERUTHSCHOCOLATE

GUMMYBEARSHERSHEYKISS

KITKATZMILKYWAYS

NERDSYORKS

REECESSKITTLESSMARTIESSNICKERS

STARBURTSSWEDISHFISHSWEETARTS

TOOTSIEROLLS

Vol. 13, Issue 2 June 2017

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Spartan Sports

Congratulations to our athletes pictured on these two pages. Thanks to all students, par-ents, staff, and coaches who supported the athletes. To view these and other team photos from theWeber Athletic Department, visit the homepage at http://www.portnet.k12.ny.us//Domain/307

8th Grade Girls Volleyball with Coach Giamanco

7th Grade Girls Volleyball with Coach Robilotto

8th Grade Boys Basketball with Coach Holzer

7th Grade Boys Basketball with Coach Spotteck

WEBER WINTER I ATHLETICS

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Spartan Sports

Vol. 13, Issue 2 June 2017

Port Washington Union Free School DistrictBOARD OF EDUCATON 2016-2017

Karen Sloan, President Nora H. Johnson, Vice President

Alan E. Baer, Lawrence Greenstein,Christine Nadolne, Elizabeth Weisburd, Emily Beys

Kathleen A. Mooney, Ed.D., Superintendent of SchoolsMary M. Callahan, Asst. Supt. for Business

Dr. Wafa Westervelt,Asst. Supt. for Curric., Instruc. and AssessmenElaine Fenick, Human Resources Administrator

7th Grade Boys Volleyball with Coach Robilotto

7th & 8th Grade Boys Wrestling with Coaches O’Connor and Braddish

7th Grade Girls Basketball with Coach Miglietta

Have a Fun & Safe Summer!

8th Grade Girl’s Basketball with Coach Hutchinson

8th Grade Boys Volleyball with Coach Giamanco

WEBER WINTER II ATHLETICS

The Connection between Math and Trackby Abigail M.

Why do you run? For joy? For exercise? Competition? There are many reasons why we run; however, did you know that running could connect to mathematics? In track, there is a simple formula the runner, the track, a timer, and a whistle/gun to start the race with. For math there is a problem, a calculator, and a time limited. Do you see the similarity? In track, either you’re good at it ,or you train day after day; same goes for math. When runners begin their race, they know there is a problem to win they need to run or spring as hard as they possibly can. So do you see math and running go hand- in- hand.