Embedded Files
Snowball Fun!
By Henry Bayer
If you don’t know what Snowball fun is, it’s put on by the Student Council, starting on Tuesday, December 5th. The Student Council from each grade started it by “snowballing” 1-3 first period classes from each grade by hanging candy on their door.
Then that class has to “snowball” another class by hanging candy on their door during 1st period. I don’t know every class that was snowballed on December 5th, but Mr. Savelson’s 1st period MSE, Ms. Hopper’s first period class, and Ms. Bryant’s class were some of the “snowballed” classes.
Snowball fun is a great way to celebrate the holidays at New Paltz Middle School!
Author's Day
by Milo Casimiro
At the 6th grade Author's Day, the author Gale Galligan came to do some drawing, a presentation, and signed some things for us to keep! First of all, Galligan is the cartoonist in The Babysitters Club books 5 through 9, and wrote their own book, Freestyle. For each presentation a person was drawn, including Becket Brassard and Cameron MacDonald. People would be called on to choose a path for the character. They also showed us a sneak peek of their next book: Ollie Tries Again.
Another benefit of authors day is that all the 6th graders will get a free copy of their book, Freestyle.
Little Women, Big News
By Rose Blackstone Gitlin
As many students may know, New Paltz Middle School’s seventh graders went to see the play Little Women at the Rhinebeck Center for Performing Arts this year. What you may not have known is that one of the school’s sixth graders was in that play! Aya Rock-Stryker had the opportunity to perform in front of the school’s seventh graders. Aya says that she was definitely nervous, but that it was really fun to perform in front of the 7th graders. She also reported that they were definitely the most reactive and crazy audience that week, which is a good thing.
As a grade, we were lucky enough to be able to ask the actors some questions at the end of the play, but Aya had more than just that. She was able to hang out with and get advice from the actors in the play. The advice to “think of auditions like practice with a live audience” was given to her by the person who played Mrs. Kirk. The Broadway actor Molly Gillman (who portrayed Marmee) advises to audition for as many things as you can even if you don’t think you're going to get in.
Aya also has some advice of her own for people who have stage fright: “If you have stage fright imagine the audience are all acorns. If that doesn’t work pretend you're your character, and that the audience is not there and you are just in the moment.”
According to Aya, the best part of doing the play was getting to know so many people and learning how everything works backstage, from the lights to the ticket booth and everything in between! But balancing school and acting can be hard, and Aya says that she tried to do as much homework on the bus or in the one hour before the play as she could.
Aya believes that Jo is the best character in Little Women because “she is just so cool with things and does whatever she wants.” What’s your opinion?
Email me your favorite Little Women character at <rgitlin@newpaltz.k12.ny.us> and if I get enough responses, it may be featured in the next edition!
Have you ever wanted to have an experience in acting outside of the school’s drama club? Aya suggests looking at audition materials and finding a character you want that is in your age range and audition! Here is a link to the center for performing arts theater: The Center 4 Performing Arts.
Aya performing in Little Women
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