By: Lions Roar Staff
The Unified Sports Program is in its ninth year at Jockey Hollow Middle School. Unified Sports is an inclusive program that unites Special Olympics athletes and partners as teammates for training and competition. The program is led by Jennifer Fisher and Donald Casey JR.
Twenty-two students are currently members of the Fall Unified Sports soccer team.
Each practice begins with a team meeting. Drills and skills are demonstrated and practiced in small groups consisting of a mixture of athletes and partners.
Newly acquired skills are applied to game-like situations during a scrimmage. We conclude practice with a team cheer: "One two three, GO LIONS!"
Safety is top priority during each practice. According to head coach Donald Casey JR, "We are so proud of every athlete and partner on our team. Students are learning new skills, building friendships, working together as a team, and having FUN."
The Unified Sports soccer team will be traveling to Brookfield High School on October 21, 2025, for a middle school soccer tournament, starting at 3:30 PM.
By: Lions Roar Staff
On May 22, 2025, students participating on the Jockey Hollow Middle School Unified Sports Team celebrated a very successful spring season with an awards ceremony. Each member was awarded an 'outstanding student' certificate and medal.
Throughout the season, students learned skills involving safety, teamwork and inclusion. Weekly practices incorporated techniques in Unified volleyball, cornhole, kickball, wiffleball and track & field. Each session included a scrimmage to practice newly acquired skills. Special Olympics athletes and partners paired up in the formation of teams.
The team is coached by Donald Casey JR and Jennifer Fisher.
According to Head Coach Donald Casey Jr, "We are so very proud of every student on our Unified Sports team. Throughout the course of the spring season, students were safe, supported each other, learned new skills, worked together as a team, established friendships and most of all had fun. Each student learned a lot about inclusion and sports that unites Special Olympics athletes and partners as teammates."
By Aurora Bresky
What is the greatest of all the vegetables? Well I’ll tell you! It’s potatoes, that’s for sure. What is great about this beautiful root veggie? It is rich in micronutrients like vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin B. Potatoes make you feel full, they can be used in lots of ways, they are easy to grow, and they are not incredibly expensive.
These wonderful edible roots can highly improve your health in several ways. Vitamin C can help with diseases like the common cold and Scurvy. It can even help prevent diseases before they even enter your body. Vitamin C can boost your immune system by helping it work faster and more effectively, which is why people recommend getting lots of vitamin C when you get sick. Vitamin C can also help with other problems such as wound healing, boosting immunity, boosting collagen, improving iiron absorption, anemia, cancer, hyperpigmentation, cardiovascular disease, fighting free radicals, alzheimer's disease, bleeding gums, bruising, cataracts, diabetes, eye health, fatigue, gout and hypertension. It protects against sun damage, and it may improve overall heart health. Vitamin C is truly a great vitamin and helps all of these bodily functions, and disease prevention.
Potatoes also contain some of the highest amounts of potassium in vegetables. Potassium is important to skeletal and smooth muscle function. It also plays a key role in heart function and digestion. Finally, this super tuber contains a vitamin known as vitamin B6. B6 can do many things in your body as well, such as improve your mood and metabolism, help morning sickness, aid premenstrual syndrome, improve brain function, possibly impede cancer, and promote brain health. Vitamin B6 also helps with cardiovascular disease, Improved immune function, anemia, eye health, and diabetes like vitamin C. These are just the micronutrients in the highest content that the king of vegetables contains.
Not only are potatoes filled with lots of beneficial nutrients, but they make you feel full. Satiety, or the feeling of being full, can be found in several foods. One of the most satiating foods are potatoes. Potatoes make you feel full because they are a good source of fiber and create that feeling of fullness and cause it to last longer. These champions of vegetables will also make you feel like a champion after consuming them.
These amazing sources of nutrients are also incredibly flexible. There are so many ways you can use these tasty tots in your cooking. Many people first think of a bowl of mashed potatoes when imagining the uses for this delicious vegetable. However, there are so many other ways you can prepare potatoes. You can roast them with spices, make them into a morning hash, bake them and add your favorite toppings, turn them into crispy delicacies and so much more! They are delicious pretty much any way you spin them.
These edible bars of gold are also super easy to grow! Have you ever found a potato that has begun to sprout in your cabinet? Well no need to fret! You can turn sprouting potatoes into your own little potato farm in a few easy steps. 1. If you have a large potato, cut the spud into a few pieces ( each with a sprout in them) and then allow the pieces to dry for one or two days to prevent rot. 2. Next you will plant your tater. First prepare the soil. Loosen up your soil with a garden tool and add some compost. Then plant your tuber four to six inches deep. Make sure to give them three quarters to a foot of space and face the sprouts upwards. Then cover your soon to be potatoes with dirt and leave the sprouts sticking out of the soil. 5. Keep those ‘tatoes healthy! You want to water your newly planted preciouses to the point where the soil is moist. If you want you can also add mulch for weed prevention and to avoid over watering. Give your plant fertilizer as needed and watch them grow! About two to three months after planting, depending on the variety, you can harvest! Dig carefully, prepare your potatoes and dig in! If planting is too much for you, never fear! Your average potato is only $0.95!
How much do people love potatoes? So much! One potato fanatic took the time out of their day to talk with me.
Question: How do potatoes make you feel?
Answer: They make me feel like I can fly to Mars.
Question: Me too. I was wondering, what is the best vegetable?
Answer: Potatoes Obviously!
Question: Where do you like to get potatoes from?
Answer: I like to get them from the garden in my basement.
Question: Oh, how interesting. Um, what is your favorite way to eat a potato?
Answer: French fries or Lays.
Well there you have it folks! Potatoes are the best vegetable, and you can find them everywhere.
Happy April Fools!
By: Lions Roar Staff
The Jockey Hollow Middle School Unified Sports Team had their first practice on February 27, 2025. This practice focused on safety, respect, inclusion, building teamwork skills, and having fun. The team consists of 21 students. Jennifer Fisher is the coordinator and Donald M. Casey JR head coach of the team.
On March 6, 2025, the Unified Sports Lions traveled to Shelton Intermediate School for a basketball tournament. Competition included games against Unified Sports Teams from Dodd Middle and Shelton Intermediate Schools.
The featured game of the afternoon consisted of two Jockey Hollow basketball teams competing against each other. All students were awarded a gold medal following the conclusion of the tournament.
The Lions were in action again on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, competing at a basketball tournament in Brookfield. All team members enjoyed the chance to compete, make new friends and have fun.
By: Lions Roar Staff
This past Wednesday the Jockey Hollow PE department hosted the sixth annual J.H. LionBall Tournament and raised an amazing $2,344.75 for the JoAnn Supan Memorial Scholarship Fund.
The stands were packed with students, parents and players. Everyone really enjoyed themselves. Both Mrs. V and Mr. Legnard are beyond proud of every one of the 300 plus students who attended. They said their behavior, sportsmanship and respect for the event was absolutely fantastic. Faculty and staff also gladly volunteered their afterschool time to serve as judges, ball boys and girls and to help with crowd control.
This year’s winners were a 7th grade team called the LiAngelo Ballers. They stayed in the winners bracket the entire night to beat and upset the 8th grade Flamethrowers. Those student athletes were: James and Gabby Ely, Sarah Beckett and Roman Roche. Congratulations!
The best dressed team went to the Pet Zebras, a team of 8th graders who dressed like Patrick Mahomes, and his personal team of officials that many claim he has in his pocket! A truly creative costume idea. Those winners are: Mo and Elena Granta, Max Mienel, Olivia Fanning and Gavin Brito.
This spring, Ann Odoy and her staff will select four senior Masuk students who are deserving of the scholarship we created. The chosen students will have a clear educational and career goal, a passion for making a difference, and a desire to pursue a degree in education. They must demonstrate academic excellence with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher and show a need for financial assistance.
Thanks to all for making this year’s LionBall tournament such a grand success.
IXL or I Do Not Exel: The Debate
By: Aurora Bresky
I assume every person in this school knows the platform IXL. IXL has been around since 1998 and was founded in San Mateo, California. It originally was used solitarily as a math program. However, in 2018 IXL expanded to language arts with the help of Rosetta Stone, a language learning computer software developed in 1992. Now with the help of several other companies IXL has further expanded its curriculum to not only math and language arts. New curriculums include science, social studies, and even spanish. All curriculums range from K-12 even including some preschool courses. This program is used by 45 out of the 50 states in America and is used by over 14 million students worldwide. Such a big program used by so many people must be an excellent choice for learning, right? Well some users of the program think differently.
On the day of Monday, November Twenty Fifth a survey was taken in the Art Room during Art Club. Eleven out of Eleven students in varying grades said they did not like IXL. Then, on Wednesday, November Twenty Seventh a survey was taken in the Chorus Room. Twelve out of twelve seventh grade students said they did not like IXL. And third time's the charm, so another survey was taken with students of varying grades in the Art Room on Wednesday, December Eleventh during PAWS. Ten out of ten students said they did not like IXL. In all of these surveys all students have been asked at random, have been entirely composed of different people, most of them have had differing grades, and yet every student had disdain for the program.
If 43 randomized students do not like IXL I find it worth the while to pose the question of why? Students have been interviewed and some of the reasons for the hatred of this program include: Glitching and IT problems, taking points away from users if a question is answered wrong, not feeling like they are learning from the program or getting good practice, challenge questions that are harder than what students are doing in class and unclear explanations of how to properly set up and answer a question.
Some of the IT problems, and other sources of displeasure towards IXL that are taking place on the site include issues with the SmartScore. The SmartScore is the number of points you will receive after a question. As problems get harder and enter different “levels” on that particular practice, points awarded after each question will begin to dwindle, going from numbers as high as eighteen to only one point per question. This is a problem for students because not every question is a guaranteed number of points and therefore the time and effort it will take to get to 100, often the stopping point for homeworks, cannot be estimated at all.
Another problem is that while the points awarded go down, the points taken if a question is wrong or “incomplete” do not. So, when you are finishing up your assignment and the program is giving you one point per question, if you get one wrong due to any kind of error you can get shot back down from 97 to 85. One student says, “I don’t like that it takes points away because one or two points is one thing, but it tends to put you down ten points. It’s not fair or helpful.” The same student found issues with the program saying that they, “will do the lesson and I will make sure I am on the right account, but it will delete all my progress and say I didn't do it. And then I will get halfway through it and it will say I am finished. It’s just like, glitching out.” Between unfair point distribution, the inability to estimate how long or hard IXL’s will be and glitches in the program it seems like the SmartScore is one of the main problems with the program.
Another issue shared was that the program did not feel helpful for students. Why not? Well, students stated that because of the issues with the SmartScore they are not worried about getting the practice. One student says the focus is on just “completing it or googling every answer.” rather than doing the work.
One of our very own teachers, Mrs. Mysogland has provided insight into this topic. She states that one issue with the program is “ Challenge questions”. She says that, “ I think at times IXL will randomly introduce a problem with numbers greater than the ones we are working on in class. … a challenge question is thrown in there and that sometimes discourages students who are trying to get extra practice with their work.”.
And finally, the issue of explanations. Students say that explanations on why they answered a problem incorrectly are confusing and sometimes absurd. Sometimes things like strange wording intervene with students' success. And at times students are put down several points because they use the wrong symbols in equations. For instance, in certain equations if you use a forward slash (/) instead of a backwards slash (\) it will take you down points. Which some students find ridiculous.
However IXL Can’t be all bad and it is not. IXL is useful for extra practice and, with moderation, can be used as a helpful learning tool. So, what are IXL’s good features?
In the past couple of years IXL has added more user-friendly features and helpful tools for both students and teachers alike. Students can use videos and other examples to help them when they are struggling with an equation or unit. And while not always helpful, students also have access to explanations of why they get problems incorrect.
Explanations include a step by step example of the work done in the problem. Students can scroll through the explanation and see where they made a mistake in their work. Videos include different step by step examples of problems included in the strand of IXL. Videos will contain around five examples of equations and will explain why and how you solve an equation.
IXL has also added reports for teachers where teachers can see how students are doing on the program. For instance, if a student is struggling on the strand, teachers can see how many questions they have answered correctly and incorrectly and a whole bunch of other statistics on the students work. Then, a teacher can ask if the student needs help on the unit or if the class needs to spend more time on a lesson or needs a refresher.
Teachers can also use a feature called IXL live. Teachers can “go live” and view what students are doing on IXL in real time. That way, teachers can also see how long a student will take on a particular problem.
So in the end, is IXL good or bad? Should we and other schools continue to use this program? Well, like most things, that is a complicated question with a complicated answer. The students interviewed for this article clearly dislike the program and would rather we not continue to use IXL. Students, however, may only see the bad parts of IXL and not the good. Which is understandable, but also not helpful for finding an answer to this question.
Mrs. Mysogland has shared insight on this question. She thinks that “I think that a lot of my students don’t prefer IXL as a learning platform and have negative attitudes towards it. Which, therefore, may unintentionally prevent them from doing as well as they could be doing.” When asked if our school should continue to use IXL she said, “ That’s a tricky question. I think that it serves a purpose. So, I think that we need it for extra practice and extra help. I can’t say, without research, that there are other platforms that are better or more user friendly than IXL. If we were not to use IXL I think we need something in its place.”
Jockey Hollow Middle School has earned the prestigious designation of Special Olympics Unified Champion School! The Unified Champion Schools Program, spearheaded by Special Olympics, focuses on social inclusion by integrating three core components, Unified Sports, Inclusive Youth Leadership, and Whole School Engagement. Through Unified Sports, students of all abilities come together in the spirit of teamwork and sportsmanship.
On November 18, 2024, Jockey Hollow Unified Sports team was presented with a national banner of recognition during a ceremony at Masuk High School. This event included a pizza party, slide show presentation, Pictionary, and testimonies from athletes and partners participating in Unified Sports. "We are so proud of every athlete and partner who have been on our Unified Sports team at Jockey Hollow for the past two-and-a-half years," said head coach Donald Casey Jr. He added that, "The students are the ones responsible for us earning this national recognition by promoting inclusion, working together as a team, being safe, respecting and supporting each other, learning new skills and having fun." Hooray for Jockey Hollow Unified Sports!
By Aurora Bresky
For over 25 years the Jockey Hollow play and musical productions have showcased some of the star voices and artists at our school. We put on a play every fall, and a musical every spring. They are directed by the one and only Mrs. Bhatt. Over the past few years we have produced plays and musicals like The Adams Family and The Snow White Variety Show.
This year The Drama Club, brings us When Bad Things Happen to Good Actors, by Ian McWethy and Jason Pizzarello. The play will open this Friday, November 8th, at the Jockey Hollow Auditorium, with a second performance on Saturday, November 9th. You can buy tickets at the door. The tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. These tickets can be purchased by cash or check only.
The Drama Club works on these performances after school a couple days a week leading up to the shows. The performers that are cast practice their parts, and the backstage crew works on making the show come to life. The backstage crew has many responsibilities and roles as well, from creating the sets and props, to fabricating all the glorious costumes, not to mention working with all the mics and stage lights.
Curtains will rise this Friday at 7 p.m. The play will run about an hour including a 15 minute intermission. During the intermission snacks and water can be purchased. The play will feature students like Norah Kravecs, Kalis New, and Leah Morey. We hope you can go out to watch the amazing play and support the students who have worked so hard. See you at the stage!
Unified Sports Team 2024
Lions 'Roaring' into a Great Soccer Season.
By: Lions Roar Staff
Did you ever wonder who those students are playing soccer in the gymnasium every Thursday after school? If you guessed the Unified Sports team, you are correct!
The Unified Sports program is in its 7th year at Jockey Hollow. Unified Sports is an inclusive sports program that unites Special Olympic athletes and partners as teammates for training and competition. The team has been directed by Mrs. Fisher and Mr. Casey for the past three years. Last Spring the program was recognized with a Class of 2024 National Banner Unified Champion School Award.
What happens during a Unified Sports practice session? Practices begin with the team circling-up in the middle of the gym for announcements and sharing the itinerary for the practice. Next, athletes and partners are paired up to practice soccer skills such as passing, trapping, kicking, scoring, and goal tending. They play games to reinforce soccer skills such as 'Fill the Eagle's Nest' and 'Find a Parking Spot.' Athletes and partners scrimmage against each other. Practice concludes by meeting again in the center of the gym for the team cheer: "One, two, three! Go Lions!"
On October 22, 2024, the team traveled to Brookfield High School and competed in a middle school Unified Sports soccer tournament. Since Jockey Hollow has a large team, Mrs. Fisher and Mr. Casey made two squads, consisting of athletes and partners. We competed against other middle school Unified Sports teams and played four 12 minutes games. Our teams played great and scored lots of goals. Go Lions!
The athletes and partners were safe throughout, learned a lot, and had a ton of fun! Most importantly, our team members were RESPECTFUL and KIND to each other and our friends from other teams. The tournament concluded with each student receiving a Chick-fil-A sandwich, snacks, and medal. Way to go team. We are proud of you. Go Lions!
By - Lorenzo Lucas & J. Ryan O’Shea
The Unified Sports team celebrated their spring season on Thursday, May 30th. Coach Casey started off by explaining the activities for the day. There were 3 different challenges. The challenges were cornhole, hurdle, and long jumps. The hurdles had an option between low jumps or high jumps. Each team got 6-7 minutes at each challenge, before rotating.
The Lion’s Roar team gives a big thank you to Coach Casey and Mrs. Fisher! For our last visit, Coach Casey gave us the “Certificate of Excellence”. Once again, thank you!
The hurdle team went to long jump, the long jump team went to cornhole, and the cornhole team went to hurdles. Everybody was having fun in their new positions. At each position, athletes and partners would challenge each other. For example, at the long jump, who could jump the furthest.
Coach Casey called everybody to the middle. He thanked the parents for coming and, you guessed it, he thanked the Lions Roar one more time. He had the team do their cheer. “One… Two… Three… GO LIONS!!!” After this, parents were free to play with their children.
All stations were opened for maximum fun. Parents started participating in the games, adding to the excitement. The hurdle’s were more popular than ever! Siblings, parents, and family members had fun. Many will remember their experience.
At 3:30, Coach Casey announced half-time. Everybody had a much-needed water break. He also gave out awards, which included a smiley-ball. He gave out the balls not because the team stresses him out, but because that is the way he feels about them - smiley! He also gave out pencils.
Next was the certificate ceremony. Everybody got called one-by-one for their “Certificate of Excellence”. Everybody was excited to finally complete the final season of the year, but some others were sad. This may be some participants last season at Unified Sports with Coach Casey at Jockey Hollow, before going to high school.
But nobody can be sad yet! There was still plenty of time to have fun, and play a little more! Coach Casey invited everyone to have a snack.
Everybody that participated in the event had a great time. Coach Casey made sure that everyone would remember this day, and enjoy themselves. Thank you for inviting us to our final Unified Sports Celebration!
By: Lorenzo Lucas
On Monday, April 1, 2024, the Jockey Hollow Middle School Track & Field Team had their first practice of the season. The team consists of forty student-athletes in Grades 6, 7, and 8. The team is coached by Ms. Cascella and Mr. Casey.
The first practice began with stretching exercises, skill development, and games. In addition to learning to work as a team, students are developing values such as caring, honesty, respect, responsibility, integrity, inclusion, and most important of all safety! All team members enjoyed the activities and, no doubt, learned along the way.
The schedule for this season’s track meets is listed below.
Monday, April 30, 2024 at Bethel High School 4:00 PM
Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at Shelton High School 4:00 PM
Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at the Keller Relays TBA 4:00 PM
Friday, May 31, 2024 at Masuk High School 4:00 PM
Please come and cheer the team on. Go Lions! Thank you for your support.
By: J. Ryan O’Shea and Lorenzo Lucas
On Thursday, April 4th, 2024 the Unified Sports team meeted for their spring celebration. Coach Casey made his Grand entrance into the gym. First, everybody got pizza, including us, of course! Next, everybody was ready to play some cornhole! After the cornhole practice, there was a giant game of Snowball. The snowballs are fluffy white balls. Coach Casey explained to the kids that he and Mrs. Fisher had to go all the way to the North Pole to get them. Coach Casey dumped the “snowballs'' around the middle of the gym. Students divided up into two teams, each taking up half of the gym. If a snowball lands on your side, you have to throw the ball high in the air back across the gym. If you throw the ball low, you get disqualified. Halfway throughthe first match, the right side was winning by a hair. After painstaking scoring and thorough review the winner was… everyone! After a close endgame, Coach Casey called it a tie.
Round Two started, and the right side took the lead again! When it was all said and done The winner for the most snowballs was… the left side, but the right side also won for having the least amount of snowballs! Round three started off with the right side again gaining an advantage, but just like the second round, the left side ended up with the most snowballs, and the right side the least!
Olivia Haggen added a beautiful acapella soundtrack to most of the 45 minute practice. Her singing was very nice. After a final group meeting, Coach Casey gave out gifts and prizes! He gave everybody a bouncy ball, a pencil and a certificate of excellence for their great work during the season. To quote Abigail Cappola’s praise, “You had a terrific basketball season”. Thank you to Coach Casey and Mrs. Fisher for inviting us to the ceremony!
By: J. Ryan O’Shea
In room 304 at Jockey Hollow Main Campus, a club meets every Thursday during PAWS to argue. Not against each other or about the school. But about topics in the real world that are debatable. This…is the DEBATE CLUB.
Mrs. Perkins, a Language Arts teacher on 7th Grades’ Team Diamond, started this club last year at the request of her students. After they had finished their Argumentative Essay unit, four of her students asked for this club. Their wish was granted. These students, now current 8th Graders, are Ava Schroeder, Ava MacPhail, Emily Lin, and Alaina Sy. These four created a Google SlideShow and presented it to Mrs. Perkins, explaining why she should create a Debate Club.
Now in its second year, the club consists of 12-14 students each from any grade and every Thursday during PAWS. There are new students each week and there’s also a few students who come every week. The “Core 4”, as Mrs. Perkins calls them, generate a list of debatable topics, as does Mrs. Perkins. They all pick four to five topics from each of their lists that are voted on by that week's participants.
Once a topic is chosen, each student picks a side to be on, yay or nay. The students divide themselves up into the two groups and spend the period finding sources that support their position. After the supporting research is organized, the debating begins. Mrs. Perkins acts as the “final judge” and picks which side won. Mrs. Perkins told me in our interview that there have been many close calls, the debate club students don’t make it an easy choice.
Some topics that haven been chosen are whether or not uniforms should be worn in public schools; if technology is harmful or helpful; which is better overall: Private or Public school; and whether or not social media has a positive or negative impact on kids. Mrs. Perkins says that she doesn’t recollect a favorite debate topic, though she likes that the topics range from fun to serious. The debates can get as serious as politics and other real-world issues. We asked Mrs. Perkins about what she liked most about the debate club. “I love that students are very into using what they’ve learned in class. I love that students are very dedicated and energetic. The students are very focused.” She also loves that the “Core 4” are, in a way, training a new group of current 7th graders that can carry along the tradition. Mrs. Perkins loves doing this club each and every week.
In addition to meeting with Mrs. Perkins, we spoke with two of the four members of the “Core 4”, Ava Schroeder and Emily Lin. Ava said, “the debate club is a great place to have fun with friends and meet new people and learn some new things. We hope everybody has as much fun at the debate club as me and my friends do.” We could tell that Ava truly does have a passion for the club. The same can be said for Emily. She explained, “For me, the debate club is an incredibly unique experience …it’s the only place to argue without consequences.”
So next time you are scrolling through PAWS sessions on a Friday afternoon, make sure you take look at Thursday’s sessions and think about joining Mrs. Perkins and the “Core 4” at…THE DEBATE CLUB!!!
By: J. Ryan O’Shea & Lorenzo Lucas
How many years has this happened? Five Years
Where do the donations go? Pete Simoulidis scholarship fund.
How many teams? 40 (Record number of teams)
How many participants total? 200+
How many matches? 78 (plus the Teachers & JH Alumni games)
How much money was raised? $2071.37
Who were the faculty players? Mrs. V, Mr. Onderko, Mrs D, Mr. D and Mr. Pike
Who were the alumni players? Ava Moretti, Grace Ely, Colin Hope, Chris Welch
Cece Perpetuo, Jack Morrow, Jack Conetta
Emma Kilkullen, Jillian Kilkullen, Tristan Pike
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On February 21, 2024, Jockey Hollow hosted the 5th annual Lion Ball tournament. The game started at 3:00 and lasted until almost 6:00. With a record 40 teams and an estimated 200 players participating in the event, the tournament was amazing. 78 rounds took place. Rocco Lucas, Lions Roar author of Free Candy, participated. In his first game, the second of the day, his team, The Bros, lost. We asked him about his thoughts on the experience.“It was totally fun! I loved playing with my friends!” He told us.
This game and all the others were made possible by the commitment, support and hard work of our PE department: Mrs. VanDeventer, Mr. Legnard, and Mr. Lato. Thanks to all the other teachers that helped make this event so much fun- talk about school spirit!
All proceeds go to the Pete Simoulidis scholarship fund. The fund will be used to give two graduating seniors, who play basketball, a scholarship for college. Every game was action-packed! At the one hour mark, the games were still going strong. In addition to the winners of the tournament prizes were also awarded to best dressed. Many people came dressed for the occasion, and the costume contest would be hard to decide.
Round two kicked off at 4:04. It started with the losers bracket, with one team going home. The first game of round two started with B.O.B. against Bob the Builders. All winners of Round two moved to round four, and competed against the winners of round three, the winners bracket. The Bros were eliminated, ending their day. Round two came to a close, and round three was starting. This was the winners bracket, and like the losers bracket, one team had to go home. After round three ended, the winners from the losers bracket played against the winners of the winners bracket in round four.
The final match arrived, and it was Odd Man Out vs Jimmy Neutrons. The Odd Man Out team of Teddy Walsh, Michael Charland, GiGi Moretti, Josey Lieto and Nate O’Hara prevailed and are the champions of the 5th annual Lion Ball tournament! The team went on to play the teachers and won once more! Two teams of Jockey Hollow Alumni were welcomed back to play some tournament capping exhibition matches. They haven’t lost their stuff. These thoughtful high schoolers also helped Mrs. V. and Mr. L. throughout the afternoon.
Thanks again to everybody who made the 5th annual Lion Ball tournament possible, and start training for next year's 6th annual Lion Ball tournament. You will be able to read about it all here in the Lion's Roar.
By: J. Ryan O’Shea and Lorenzo Lucas
On Thursday, November 9th, 2023, the Jockey Hollow Unified Sports coach, Mr. Casey, invited the Lions Roar to come down and observe their, Second Annual Soccer Celebration. We have been fortunate to have covered past Unified Sports events and it was great to see them again.
To begin the afternoon everyone participated in a stand up, sit down game to stretch. In the game, they shared their likes and dislikes about fun topics. They also played would you rather. Then, the moment everyone was waiting for, Mr. Casey made his grand entrance.He talked to the team and sent them over to get pizza as a part of their team celebration. Even the newspaper got a pizza! While eating pizza, a few special guests stopped in. These guests were, Superintendent Mr. Kobza, JH Gym teacher Mr. L. and Mrs. V., and JH Health teacher Mr. Troesser.
Next, Mr. Casey gave a thank you to everyone on the team. He shared his favorite part of the season. Mrs. Fisher also shared her favorite part. She said “Every person in this room supported each other.”
Everybody then refilled their plates with pizza and came back to the circle for awards. Everybody got a goodie bag and Certificate of Excellence. All of the kids were excited to receive their awards. They all showed happiness, excitement, and gratitude towards Mr. Casey and Mrs. Fisher.
Last, the Unified Sports Team played games. They played a snowball game. The goal was to have the least amount of snowballs on your side of the court. No throwing at people was allowed. And the winner is… everyone! Game two was Crazy Cones. The goal is to turn the cones upside down or right side up, depending on the side. The winner of this game was also… Everyone! The last game is limbo. If you touch the rope, you don't get shocked, or tazed, or hurt. You just wake up in bed tomorrow with a Mr. Casey haircut! (That was a joke). The winner is… Everyone!
In conclusion, there were awards, games, and pizza for everyone! Thanks to Mr. Casey and Mrs. Fisher for inviting us to attend the celebration! We had lots of fun, and will hope to come again for the winter season. Until next time!
By Anika Kamath & Shreya Varadarajan
You probably know that October is Cancer Awareness Month, but did you know about 10 million people die from it every year? Cancer starts when cells uncontrollably multiply and spread. A cluster of these is called a tumor.
According to the World Health Organization, “The most common cancers are breast, lung, colon, rectum and prostate.” They also mention how unhealthy habits such as tobacco use, low intake on fruits and vegetables, and bad physical health account for a third of all cancer deaths.
While cancer in general accounts for 10 million deaths, breast cancer specifically has 2.26 million cases, accounting for 685,000 deaths in just 2020 according to the site.
There are many ways to bring recognition to cancer. Wearing pink, having pajama day at school, and wearing a lavender cross, which is the cancer awareness symbol. In the Monroe Elementary schools, they have a pajama day in September to celebrate the brave kids with cancer, (an estimated 400,000 a year) resulting in schools spending a comfy day in pajamas all for a good cause.
Another way to get actively involved is through the Think Pink program founded by former Jockey Hollow teacher, Bonnie Maur. Mrs. Maur wrote that she started Think Pink because having been in other cancer organizations she wanted to jumpstart something for Monroe. But more importantly, she herself was an 18 year breast cancer survivor.
Think Pink brings awareness to breast cancer. They accept donations and have a shop.
The festivities this year began on October 1st at the Think Pink Palooza. The Think Pink Palooza was at the Monroe Town Hall Green from noon to 3pm. The family-friendly event will feature activities such as kids’ games, face painting, pumpkin painting, rock painting and a cornhole tournament. The event will also have some tasty treats like kettle corn, Addeo’s Italian Ice, and cotton candy . For music and entertainment, the Masuk High School band, orchestra and chorus will be performing.
Have fun cheering Masuk, participating in games, and eating tasty treats all while supporting Think Pink! For more information, ask a teacher or involved staff member. In S.T.E.M, there is also a bulletin board by the library with details.
The Lions Roar had the special opportunity to communicate with Mrs. Maur about Think Pink and other related subjects.
Lions Roar: Thank you for taking the time to respond to our questions. We would like to know a little about the person behind the Think Pink. Do you have any hobbies?
Bonnie Maur: I do. I love to spend a great deal of time with my family and friends, but especially my grandchildren. I love to travel and have traveled around the world. I also love to go to Broadway shows and concerts. I also love to swim, take long walks and am an avid reader.
Lion Roar: How long have you been in Monroe?
Bonnie Maur: I have lived in Monroe for 42 years. All of my children grew up here.
Lions Roar: How old were you when you found out you had cancer?
Bonnie Maur: I was 47 when I was diagnosed with cancer
Lions Roar: How did being diagnosed affect your life?
Bonnie Maur: It affected my life tremendously. After having surgery, I needed to undergo chemotherapy and radiation, which was difficult to navigate and made me pretty sick. However, not only my family and friends, but people throughout this community came out to support me. So I also realized the goodness in people that exists and became so incredibly grateful for this wonderful town and the people in it. About eight years later, I had a heart issue due to my cancer treatments and again this town provided so much support for me and my family and I again realized just how much I had to be grateful for. So although I went through some tough times, there was a great deal of positivity and gratitude in my life.
Lions Roar: When did you first consider starting Think Pink?
Bonnie Maur: After I went through my cancer treatments, at first I felt like I never wanted to talk about it. Then I was asked to be an honorary chair for another organization. After some folks pushed me to do that, I did and realized that this was a very healthy way to deal with my feelings as I spoke about my experiences. I became very involved in promoting awareness through other groups and during that time realized that although there are other organizations, there is none that will completely benefit the citizens of Monroe. The more I thought about that, the more the idea grew. About five and a half years ago, I spoke with our selectman, put out a post to gauge interest in the town on social media, and from a few initial meetings and a dedicated, but small group of residents and family members, Think Pink Monroe began.
Lions Roar: How has Think Pink affected your life and how does it feel to be helping others?
Bonnie Maur: In short, it feels incredible! Honestly this group is growing to be more than I could have first imagined. It has affected my life in many ways. As an educator, I always believed that impacting peoples’ lives is what we are really all here for. I always have said to my students that I know they will forget much of the factual information we ever talked about, but that if in some way I impacted their life, then I did my job. I truly believe that we are all in this world together and that it’s the people in our lives that matter. So Think Pink Monroe has been my love letter to this town that has been so good to me and my family. If in some way I have been able to help people and give back a bit, help people out and not only support people and families, but also raise awareness and help people get diagnosed with health issues early, maybe then I’ve accomplished some of my goals
Lions Roar: Do you have anything you would like to say to the supporters and students out there?
Bonnie Maur: I would like to thank the town officials, the board of directors and volunteers of Think Pink Monroe, the town residents, and of course my family for their support. You have not only helped to make my dreams come true, but together we have helped many people and families in this town navigate a better life during one of the toughest times in their life. To students I want to say a couple of things. If you have a family member or loved one with a cancer diagnosis, first of all, show them how much you love them, not only by telling them, but by helping them out when you can. Perhaps there’s a neighbor who needs your help. Help out when and where you can. Also show your appreciation to others who help you out with things. I also would like students to think about ways in which you can help. When I was your age, I did some charity walks, helped out some neighbors and just did small things to help others. But sometimes, little things mean a lot. It’s hard as a middle schooler to find your place at times, but everything positive you try may lead to a better you, maybe an even better family life, but even more perhaps a better town and ultimately a better world. You never know!
Lions Roar: Anything else you would like to say?
Bonnie Maur: If Think Pink Monroe can assist you or your family in any way, please let us know. We offer support in raising awareness for people, financial support to survivors and support through support groups to folks going through treatment. Moreover, thanks to Jockey Hollow for your support and to this publication for this opportunity. I love JH. I love the Monroe Public Schools. I spent a great deal of my career here. I have also now lived the majority of my life in Monroe. This was a phenomenal place to choose to raise my family. It’s a wonderful community and I am thrilled to be a part of it and also to be able to help this community that I love as best I can.
Lions Roar: Again, thank you so much for your time and consideration.
We hope you will have a chance to participate this October, bringing awareness to cancer and breast cancer. You can even try buying things from their shop to spread the word about breast cancer. Remember, any day of the year you try to do something positive just may lead to better things for you and others.
By: Lorenzo Lucas & J. Ryan O’Shea
On May 18th 2023, the Lion's Roar newspaper team got an invitation to another Unified Sports game! This practice was their end of year celebration. They also celebrated fourteen of the twenty Unified Sports Players, including five of the athletes, achieving high honors!
First, they practiced javelin throwing. The javelin’s were cardboard and homemade. The winners were…everybody. There was a winner for shortest throw, the longest throw, and everybody in the middle.
After they did hurdle jumping races. The hurdles were made of 2 cones with a stick in the middle, made to be a little shorter. After a lap, they did “relaxed breathing”. They ran again. After a second lap, they “got some aqua” (as quoted by Coach Casey).
The last activity they did before the celebration was cornhole. Before starting, they had a speech on caring. If you get a bag in the hole, it is ten points, if you miss you get nine points. With an athlete and a teammate. They moved the boards closer together to make the game “more challenging”. (It may have been more challenging as everybody was overthrowing at first - including teammates.) One player, Valentina, scored 91 points with 7 bean bags in the hole. It was a great moment.
During the celebration, Coach Casey passed out Luigi’s Italian Ices, water, and spoons. We got some too!
During the dessert, Coach Casey passed out awards to Ms. Erica and Mrs. Fisher. They got those awards for being role models for the team. Even Coach Casey got a gift, on behalf of the whole team. He got it for being the best coach ever! He got a decoration that spelled “COACH”. On it, every single signature of everyone on the team. He puts in the hard work and dedication to the JH Unified Sports Team. Finally, Coach Casey passed out goodie bags to everyone…and yes, even we each got one. Everybody won a student of the month award.
This event was fun for everyone. With sports, games, snacks, goody bags, and awards, who couldn't have fun? This is the last Unified Sports meeting for the 2022 - 2023 school year. Thank you to Coach Casey, Mrs. Fisher and Ms. Erica!
By Lorenzo Lucas
In the year 1998, Jockey Hollow Middle School opened its doors to the 11 - 14 year olds for the first time. To celebrate this event, 25 years later, we will commemorate the anniversary of Jockey Hollow Middle School!
Jockey Hollow will have a parade float celebrating its silver anniversary. On May 25th, 8th graders from Main Campus and STEM Academy will assemble in front of the school in the formation of the number 25 for a drone photo. PAWS sessions that day will recognize and relate some of the history of Jockey Hollow. Also, if you or someone you know attended Jockey Hollow in the 1998 - 1999 school year, please reach out to Principal Strong. You are in the JHMS OG club!
Over the past 25 years, Jockey Hollow has had four amazing principles. The first ever was Anita Healy. Mrs. Healy had previously been the principal of Chalk Hill Middle School. Jockey Hollow welcomed Jack Ceccolini in 2006. In 2020 Michael Crowley was appointed to the position . This year, Jockey Hollow welcomed current principal Julia Strong, who stated earlier this year “I am honored to have the role of principal here at Jockey Hollow. I love it here!”
We interviewed former principal Ceccolini about some of his recollections of his 14 years at Jockey Hollow. “We used to do lots of musical events. In the past, we had big jazz bands come into the school, along with acapella, and other professional bands.” He told us. “At the end of the school year, we used to do olympic games, sort of like a field day, but with olympic type sports.” “We even got a Sikorski helicopter to come land in the Masuk field!” stated Ceccolini.
Cheers to another 25 amazing years at Jockey Hollow Middle School!
By: Lorenzo Lucas and J. Ryan O’Shea
On Thursday, March 16th, we visited a Unified Sports practice after school in the J.H. Main Campus Gym. Mr. Casey, who along with Mrs. Fisher, helps coordinate Unified Sports, was super welcoming, as usual, and we had a great time.
First they talked about what inclusion is, their goal for today. Mrs. Fisher announced that the Unified Sports tournament was going to take place on Friday, March 24th in Newtown. To quote Coach Casey, “It’s bigger than the Super Bowl. That’s how big it is!”
In the winter season they practice for basketball. For the first game, everytime players made a basket, they had to name a town in Connecticut. After that, they got their jerseys for the tournament. There are two teams. The two teams are the red team and the white team. While watching basketball, it was cool to see the encouragement by everyone to each other. It’s amazing at Unified Sports. It’s such a nice place where everyone feels welcome, even us reporters! To practice for the tournament, they switched teams and took a water break. Back into the game, everybody was having fun, getting exercise, and making new friends.
At Halftime, there was goldfish and water for everyone, including us!
Mr. Casey and Ms. Fisher are both very inspiring people. They make sure everybody is feeling good, and make everybody there happy.
Finally, they practiced dribbling and shooting the basketball. It was very fun to watch. They ended with a big cheer. We give a big thank you to Mr. Casey and Ms. Fisher!
By: Sidney Lampley
Rock week is a great way to partake in some school wide fun. Rock week is about being kind. Everyday during Rock Week try to think of a different kind thing you could do to make somebody else's day better. For example, you could hold the door for someone, sit with somebody who is alone at lunch, compliment somebody, even just waving to somebody in the hallways can make more of an impact on somebody’s day than you think.
Another good thing about rock week is there are themes, you dress like whatever the theme says for each day. For example, day one is sports attire day, you can wear any sports jersey, it doesn’t even have to be for a team that you play for. If you don’t have any sports jerseys, you can still wear something sporty. Day four is an easy one, comfy clothes day. You can wear anything from pajama pants, to just a t-shirt and sweatpants. The other two themes are wacky wednesday, and school colors.
If you don’t want to dress up each day you absolutely don’t have to, because rock week is really about Random Opportunities for Caring and Kindness.
By - Lorenzo Lucas and J. Ryan O’Shea
On November 17th, 2022, The Lions Roar visited a Unified Sports afternoon after school activity. Unified Sport provides year round athletic competitions that partner people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same teams. Jockey Hollow’s Unified Sports is run by Coach Casey and Mrs. Fisher. Mrs. Arrica was there to help as well. This is the 6th year Jockey Hollow has had a Unified Sports program.
On the day we went they played four corners first, but in this version, instead of getting out, you have to do a silly challenge, such as barking like a dog, or doing the chicken dance. Next, they played Crazy Cups. The rules are simple. There are two teams, one knocking down cups, and the other picking them back up. Whichever team has the most standing up, or knocked down wins! After that, they played Limbo…with Limbo music!
After the competitions were over we asked some of the participants what they liked the best about Unified Sports while we - reporters included - (Lucky us), had pizza . “I liked how everybody, especially at the tournament, was just so nice,” said Jake Pinto, 6th Grade. “My favorite thing was getting to meet everybody here, it was so fun.” said Julia Kinahan, 8th Grade.
The afternoon concluded with an award ceremony. The awards were for certificates of excellence. Everybody got one. This type of inclusive ceremony speaks to the care and concerns of Coach Casey and Mrs. Fisher. Thank you to Coach Casey for inviting us. We hope to be back reporting on Unified Sports in the Winter Season, February 23rd - March 30th, 2023. Thanks for reading!
By - Lorenzo Lucas
Welcome back to Jockey Hollow, and a warm welcome to our new 6th graders! This year is starting off great, with a strong first quarter, and excitement for quarter two. This year Ms. Strong, Former STEM director, is now the principal of Jockey Hollow. We interviewed Ms. Strong and here is what she said.
How do you feel about being principal of Jockey Hollow?
I am honored to have the role of principal at Jockey Hollow School. I love it here!
What are your hopes for Jockey Hollow in 2022?
I hope Jockey Hollow will keep becoming a kinder place where every student will say they feel safe at school.
How was the first quarter of school?
We are getting back to normal! It is great to see our in person activities returning, and students working hard.
What do you think about 2022?
I think we all are a little changed by the past few years.
Do you have a quote / inspiration to share to keep students motivated?
My favorite quote these days is “ We rise by lifting others.” This is a quote by the american poet - Maya Angelou.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
I would like to thank the Jockey Hollow students and staff for welcoming me so warmly, you have made this place feel like my home already.
7th and 8th graders are used to middle school, but the 6th graders are not, so if you see a lost 6th grader, please help them get to where they need to go, as this year, Ms. Strong wants to promote kindness.
Speaking of kindness, there are new raffle tickets to win prizes! Prizes include fidgets and homework passes. Raffle tickets replace the hole punch system from last year. The way raffle tickets work is you do an act of kindness, write your name on the ticket, go to the office, put your ticket in a bucket, and every Friday the winners will be announced.
Summertime memories may still make it hard to get back into school, but overtime you start to have fun. Afterall, there are tons of things to do at school, such as hanging out with your friends at lunch, or signing up for enrichments at PAWS. You could also sign up for one, or more, of the various clubs here at Jockey Hollow. A list of clubs can be found here. Clubs are a good way to hang out with your friends, and make new ones.
Another change this year is PAWS. Unlike last year, where Fridays were lessons, this year you can sign up for Fridays! Also, sign up is at the end of the day on Fridays, instead of at the start of PAWS. Remember you can only have 2 enrichments.
That is it for now, until next year's newsletter . Have a great year Jockey Hollow!
182 Days ago. Thursday, August 26th, 2021. The first day of school. Some of us entered Middle School for the first time. Some of us started their last year here at Jockey Hollow Middle School. Look how much you have grown. You’ve learned more about yourself and about Social Studies or how to write a Poem or anything. Ask yourself: How much have you changed since the beginning of the year?
The End of the year has so many feelings surrounding it! Sad, Happy, Excited. Graduating Elementary School and coming to Jockey Hollow was such a big change for me! I see that from August to June I have gotten used to middle school and made new friends. Met new teachers! Some of you are leaving for High School this year! Look back at your 3 years at Jockey Hollow! Who did you meet? What teachers did you have? How have you changed as a student? Now I don’t want you to think about your grades or how you did on the one Science Test. An inspirational quote says, “Grades are letters. Grades are numbers. Grades do not define who you are as a person” - Mr. Troesser: 6/7/2022, Period 1 HEALTH. Think about that for a second. Don’t be mad about your grades, be happy about how you changed for the better!
As I close this article, which is my last one for this year, think about you in August and you now! If you’re leaving Middle school for High School, think about your 6th Grade self. What advice would you give yourself? If you’re in 6th Grade, what are your goals for 7th or 8th grade? I hope you have a GREAT Summer and thanks for reading!
By Joaquin Dao-Crespo, Brody Philbin, Kyle Riccitelli, Micah Russell and Scarlett Westerfeld
Jockey Hollow Positive Academic Wellness Sessions commonly known as P.A.W.S. has quickly become a helpful and fun way to learn, relax, and practice different skills and interests. P.A.W.S is still in its early stages of development, and students are still adjusting to this new and very different part of their school day. So let's find out what our school community thinks of P.A.W.S!
The Lions Pride interviewed Principal Crowley to learn a little about the ideas behind the program. He explained that, “P.A.W.S. was created because we thought students needed fun and creative things to do. Teachers also needed the extra time with students because of the pandemic, and some students needed extra assistance too.” He added that “P.A.W.S grew from the school’s old K.I.D.S time,” a shorter period that occurred every other day that stood for, knowledge in different settings. P.A.W.S. also borrows from the flex period at the high school. “We brought it over to the middle school.”
Ms. Strong, the director of STEM, says, “we created PAWS to respond to all the fun things that our students lost during the pandemic. PAWS is flexible instructional time, in a way to get back a little bit of both.” she also said, “I think PAWS is here to stay!”
We then set out to get a better understanding of how the program is going with students at Main Campus and STEM. Jockey Hollow Main Campus 7th grader Matviy Feduniv says P.A.W.S is good “I like it, I get to do enrichment, board games, and anything else fun. I like how there's so many things to do. P.A.W.S is a good thing compared to last year. You can finish your homework instead of having to do it at home, or if you need extra help for a class you can go there. I don’t think there can be any improvements to P.A.W.S.”
STEM 7th grader Filip Wadolkowski says P.A.W.S is a good idea. “P.A.W.S is fun, but students should be able to do whatever they want.” Filip stated. “For example, if a student wants to go on their phone or just play a game on the computer, or even relax, they should be able to do that.” He added that, “We should also have more options for P.A.W.S, Stem has fewer teachers which means we have less P.A.W.S activities.” He later shared that, “Both Main Campus and STEM have banned phones all day in school. They also made rules that phones can be used on the bus. A few students have reported almost every kid they see is using a phone on the bus. So going on a phone in school wouldn't be a good idea unless you needed to text a relative about something important.”
William Clark, a STEM 7th grade student, said, “P.A.W.S is really cool. I enjoy doing fun activities during school time.” He emphasized that P.A.W.S is a good thing, “... because we get to do whatever we want, practically.” He added that he hopes there will eventually be even more options but that, “P.A.W.S is very cool.”
There have been some concerns among the STEM community about the smaller amount of P.A.W.S choices. William Clark, wished that P.A.W.S. had more options. Ari Ashe felt that “...For the most part I like P.A.W.S., but I don't like how teachers can just select you, and they don’t give a reason.” Ari also was concerned about how quickly sessions are closed, “I also don’t like how everybody selects P.A.W.S sessions at the exact same time because it causes all the sessions to get filled up immediately, and then you have nothing fun to do that day.”
The P.A.W.S program is well liked by the wide majority of our school. As the program grows and evolves there is hope, as some STEM students have noted, that a larger variety of options become available there. All in all P.A.W.S. is a welcome addition to our school day and we look forward to its continued development.
Beginning of Year Feelings
By: Hana Hamzaoui, Evonyi Jones, Madeline Kahn & Sam Tolila
A lot of kids have a lot of different feelings about the beginning of the year. Some have had bad experiences with in person schooling already, while others have had a great ones.
Starting, or getting back into middle school can be tough and stressful in a lot of ways. These past few years have been very difficult with the strain of the global pandemic and our social lives being totally upended.
Some of us are getting back into the swing of things easily, and are experiencing good first impressions of middle school. Others are having a hard time adjusting to the school system and developing new relationships.
We all have a lot of different feelings. Though some of us can deal with wearing masks, many others cannot stand having stuffy breath all day. Some actually may wish to be online again, maybe so they can stay with parents and be more free. Others want to stay in person, maybe to get better grades, and be surrounded by friends and not have to talk to classmates via zoom or facetime calls. We are all still working things out.
For 7th and 8th graders some are still trying to memorize the classroom numbers just after they finally had gotten the hang of things online. For some 6th graders going from online elementary school to in person middle school feels pretty frustrating, especially if you're trying to pay attention to the director of the band out of the corner of your eye, or just trying your best to hear teachers and classmates with masks. However it goes, we all know there will be ups and downs and we are all helping each other to get back into the swing of things- even if it sometimes feels like the weight of the world is on our shoulders again!
The pressure to be in person all day and go back to a regular school routine can be like an asteroid crashing on us. Academically the grading and testing is weird after having the pressure taken off our shoulders a bit during our online classes.
We interviewed some students and teachers to get their opinions on the beginning of the school year. Here are a few of their responses. Sixth grader Abigail M. from Jockey Hollow said: “It was pretty cool although the weather made it really hot.” Sixth grader Averi C. at Stem said, “ I feel happy and I feel ready for this year.” Elliott M. another sixth grader at Stem declared that “I think the beginning of the year is boring.” Seventh grader Madelynn C. responded that ”It’s a nice beginning, and welcome back to school” Overall we found there was a wide range of different experiences and opinions across the grades and campuses.
Talking to people mask to mask is making some of us want to shelter in again. Truly it seems only some of us were ready to go back in person fully in the first place. But then again we all know once we get back into the midst of it all, we will be fine. After 2020 you may not yet always feel informed and prepared, but Lions Roar, will do its best to keep you in the know.
Written By: Lily Blair, Ishani Tyagi, and Ruby Kuban
“ The things that I liked about hybrid learning are that I can wear my pajamas, and I can be comfortable and not sit in the uncomfortable chairs at school. The bad things about hybrid learning were, there were too many distractions, and my dad made me do all of the optional schoolwork,” says fourth grader Katie Gillen of Stepney Elementary School.
“ I like to see my teacher’s presented screen. I like to sleep in a little and to stay home with my dad and baby sister. I don’t like that my baby sister cries all the time,” says third grader Mathew Ferris-Kohanski of Stepney Elementary School.
“Hybrid learning is challenging. Sometimes, the teacher’s, or the student’s, mic or camera doesn’t work. This interferes with a student’s learning experience. If you press a wrong button by accident, you might leave the google meet, and miss something important, like a lesson,” says sixth grader Ishani Tyagi of Jockey Hollow Middle School.
“I like virtual school and I don't mind staying home. One problem with virtual school is all the technical difficulties. I hope that in the future that we can go back to normal school, but I would rather choose home than school,” says sixth grader Adrianna Lupo of Jockey Hollow Middle school.
“ I think the kids at home should be able to be more comfortable, for example, wear hoods and hats. I hate everything about distance learning. ” says sixth grader Maya Doge of Jockey Hollow Middle School.
" What I like about distance learning is that I can sleep in in the morning. Something that I dislike about distance learning is that I can’t be with my friends and teachers. Something I think you could do to improve distance learning is to have a time for the kids at home to talk before the meets. ” says sixth grader Maya Fisher of Jockey Hollow Middle School.
“ I don’t prefer virtual school because I like to see my friends in person. I would love to go back to normal school all five days. I don’t like that in virtual school I don’t get to interact with people at all and it's hard to learn with all the internet problems. Some advice that I would give is to have a quiet room with no distractions,” says Madison Mallico from Jockey Hollow Middle School.
“ In my opinion I don’t prefer virtual school and I hope we don’t need it much longer. The reason why is you have so many distractions like pets, or younger siblings that don’t have school like you do. One good thing about virtual school is that it’s keeping people from getting sick. If you ever feel like this is all pointless, think about your grandma or grandpa. They are able to get Covid-19 so easily, and can get very sick by it. By staying home you can prevent that from happening, so by staying home you're saving a life,” says Ruby Kuban from Jockey Hollow Middle School.
One way to relax is to take deep breaths. Whenever you are feeling stressed, take 5 (or more!) long, deep breaths.
Stretching or exercising can also help deal with stress. Do something active, like go for a walk outside, or search up stretching or exercising videos online.
Even just sitting on the couch eating a delicious snack can help!
Take a break from screens and rest your eyes.
Spend time with your family, and talk to them when needed.
Connect with your friend online! A call with a friend always helps to lighten the mood.
Art always helps some people to relax.
Listen to some of your favorite songs!
Read a book in your free time.
To get you less stressed about being on time, write a calendar with your schedule on it.
Take a walk outside!
Hug your pets!
Do whatever makes you happy!
If you miss your friends, here are some ways to keep in touch...
Set up a virtual book club.
Do a virtual movie day!
Sing along to songs with friends on the computer!
Find DIY crafts to do with some of your classmates/friends after school virtually.
Have zoom meets and google meets with your friends!
Virtual Party!
Are you bored at home? Here are some games to play virtually…
Would you rather
Mad Libs
Bingo
5 Minutes to Get Rid Of It
Hangman
Charades
How Well Do You Know Me?
By Veronica Field, Joe Douglass & Alex Malecki
The Jockey Hollow PBIS program at Main Campus and STEM Academy are receiving a makeover this fall. PBIS stands for positive behavioral interventions and supports, it is a national program created to help all students and school staffs better support positive school environments together. Kickoff assemblies promoting the school wide game plans were held at both campuses the other week. The Lions Roar was on hand to observe and report.
Prior to the assemblies, we interviewed teachers that helped organize PBIS to ask how they felt about the program and the rallies. Mrs Coppola is helping organize the efforts at Main Campus. The Lions Roar asked her how she thought PBIS will help students. She said “Well, I think it will help them to understand every positive thing they are capable of.”
The Main Campus rally did not lack for volume. Most of it was generated by the 7th grade Jockey Hollow Band. Students entered being greeted by the band playing amazing songs like Iron Man, Land of 1000 Dances, and Bad Romance by Lady Gaga. You were also greeted by a lot of loud talking. Everyone seemed to not be able to hide their excitement. The level of sound was exceedingly loud. The staff hushed the audience, and the assembly began.
First, we watched an entertaining video about school behaviors featuring school faculty, including Mr. Demchak, Mrs. Nizzardo and many more staff members from both campuses. The videos were so funny, that most kids could not stop giggling, and laughing out loud to the series of clips of our teachers disrespecting the rules. It made for a great hit.
After the video there was a Family-Feud type game in which two teams, randomly picked from a bucket, had to compete to see which group knew the most about common courtesy, respect, and safety. The game show was hosted by by Principal Ceccolini, and was also very entertaining. Even the students in the audience joined in, shouting answers to the on-stage contestants. After a few amazing rounds, the assembly ended on a nice note with Mr. Ceccolini introducing paws that were awarded to classes that exhibit the behaviors of PBIS.
At STEM Academy rally you could also feel the excitement as you entered the Masuk auditorium. The music played by the Masuk High School band reflected the mood perfectly- pure excitement. There was chatter everywhere; comments could be heard about the music and what was in store, “Why’s the projector screen down?”, and more than a few about Mr. B’s suit. The excitement grew throughout the assembly. It peaked when the STEM PBIS ambassadors were invited to the stage, and it was announced that everyone would have the chance to participate in Family Feud: PBIS Edition.
The feeling did not just stop at the end of the kickoff rallies. Students were enthusiastic about earning paws, for rewards. So far, 6th and 7th grade at STEM have both earned a ten-minute recess, along with the 6th grade at Jockey Hollow.
We asked Mr. B to share a few words about the STEM assembly, he told the Lions Roar that: “On October first the Jockey Hollow STEM Academy had our PBIS Lions Pride kickoff assembly. 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students were treated to several discussions related to earning rewards for the exceptional behavior STEM students exhibit. Further many, many students were able to enjoy participating in the assembly’s message through playing Family Feud. Those students that were on stage did say they were nervous but, each stated how amazingly fun it was. Kudos to a great kickoff.”
We look forward to reporting on more PBIS activities to come.
- Michael DiMatteo
Since it’s October, many people are watching horror movies like IT, Annabelle Returns, and Happy Death Day. But the real question is- should kids in middle school be watching horror films?
You may be thinking, “Of course middle school kids can watch horror movies! We won’t get nightmares!” Sure, but nightmares aren’t the only things that can come from frightening movies. Believe it or not some of the physical symptoms of fear can include profuse sweating, trembling, shortness of breath nausea, dizziness, a feeling of a tightened chest and an increased heart rate.
Now, of course, there still is still the chance you will actually get nightmares as well. Nightmares are not just waking up in a cold sweat. They can cause sleepwalking, which can scare others and cause injury. You may fall or trip. Also, if people are unknown to the fact that you should never wake a sleepwalking person, they can be very dangerous around you when you are sleepwalking. If you ever wake a sleepwalking person, they can get extremely scared, which can lead to other problems.
The Lions Roar asked some Jockey Hollow students and adults what their opinions were on the matter. One student said: “I think kids should be under parent supervision when watching any horror movie that they are allowed to watch. Students should watch at their own risk.” Another student said, “Kids getting heart attacks while watching horror flicks is pretty rare. If they have a disability or something wrong with their body, though, they probably should not watch.” Quinn McGuire stated, “It depends on the age. If you're below 15, you probably should not watch them. You should also be younger than 60.” A parent said, “ In a perfect world, parents should probably check the content. We live in a country that allows an absurd amount of blood and violence in a movie. Parents know their kids. They know what they can or cannot handle.” Another person said, “No, they shouldn’t be watching these type of movies. Kids can get bad nightmares. They could even become recurring bad dreams which might eventually disrupt your grades and learning.
So before you watch a horror film, think- is watching a scary movie just for entertainment really a good idea?
It’s been freezing this winter for weeks at a time, which means ice has been all over Monroe. This includes the undersides of roofs. Many people don’t know this, but icicles can be very dangerous, especially during the end of winter. Even with their sharp tips, people will feel perfectly fine while standing under an icicle, some even say they are beautiful. These “beautiful” icy spikes under the right circumstances can actually penetrate car windshields.
This happens in Northern areas such as Canada. CT is only six hours away from Canada however, and the average temperature of Monroe is 20-50 degrees Fahrenheit. If freezing temperature is 32 degrees Fahrenheit and lower, Monroe is a possible breeding ground for dangerous icicles.
Winter is ending, meaning the temperatures are going up. Icicles will fall when the weather is above the freezing mark, (32 degrees °F) so to be safe, keep tabs on the temperature. You also might want to try to carefully knock your large icicles down.
You should also be careful of black ice. We’ve all heard of it, and we’ve all probably slipped on it. The reason black ice is so dangerous is because it is nearly invisible and can totally undermine not only walking, but driving. Stay safe.