Lions Corner
February 2023 Issue
Important Dates
Groundhog Day - February 2nd
Valentine's/Palentine's Day - February 14th
Student Council Bake Sale - February 15th
Presidents Day - February 20th
Midwinter Recess Break - February 20th to February 24th (No School!)
Black History Month
By: Jose Casimiro
What is Black History Month? Well, Black History Month was created by an African professor named Albert Broussard in 1986. During this year, congress passed a public law which made February the Black History Month. Black History Month is celebrated in different ways. We take time to celebrate the food, art, and culture of Black individuals. Many famous people are highlighted throughout Black History Month such as Barack Obama, Rosa Parks, & Harriet Tubman who are well known for making a difference and bringing a change.
Valentine's Day
By: Nina Andrada
February 14th this year marks another year of Valentine’s Day. You may be wondering how Valentine's Day started, although there are many rumors regarding it, one of the major origin stories comes from Rome, Italy. A major figure in the history of Valentine's day is Saint Valentine, who was a priest from Rome. Around the time he was alive, Emperor Claudius II banned marriage as he thought married men were bad soldiers. As a result, Saint Valentine chose to break the rules, and arrange marriages in secret.
When Emperor Claudius found out, he sentenced Saint Valentine to death. During his time in jail, he fell in love with the jailer's daughter. Unfortunately, on February 14th he was taken to be killed, but in his final moments, he sent the jailer's daughter a love letter signed “from your Valentine”, which came to be our current Valentine's Day.
Facts!
Valentine's Day has its roots in an ancient Pagan festival
in the 1300s, it officially became a holiday associated with love.
Not until the 1840s did we get the first mass-produced valentines.
Get to Know 363 Staff!
Ms. Ambroseo & Ms. Davis
Interview & Blurb by: Mario Gaona & Joel Mino Taveras
Ms. Ambroseo is from Yonkers, New York and has lived there her whole life. Ms. Davis is from Brooklyn, and her parents are from the Caribbean.They have only been working together for one year, but they have been working as math teachers for many years. Ms. Davis initially wanted to be a Social Studies teacher, but she became a math teacher. She made this switch because when she was student teaching, she started really loving math. Ms. Ambroseo decided to be a teacher thanks to her Mom! Ms. Ambroseo’s mom was a school nurse, so when Ms. Ambroseo was done with school, she would wait for her mom to finish work and this allowed her to get to know her own teachers better. Aside from loving math, Ms. Ambroseo & Ms. Davis love to do things outside of school! Ms. Ambroseo really enjoys watching game shows, especially board game shows. Ms. Davis really enjoys the show The Nanny, and will sometimes even watch reruns of it.
Mr. Lopez
Interview & Blurb: Nina Andrada & Gianna Rodriguez
Mr. Lopez is one of our assistant principals here at MS 363. He has been working in this building for many years. Mr. Lopez started off as a teacher and worked his way up to being an assistant principal, which he has done for the last 9 years. Before he was our assistant principal, Mr. Lopez held many fun and interesting jobs! He has worked in a bodega, a movie theater, at a museum, at the Better Business Bureau, & even a check cashing place! Mr. Lopez studied Communications in college, which allowed him to work with many famous singers like Alicia Keys & Puff Daddy.
After college, Mr. Lopez was accepted into the NYC Teaching Fellows program, which allowed him to begin his teaching career. In his free time, Mr. Lopez enjoys playing basketball, coaching his daughter’s basketball team, taking care of his family, and playing video games. He also likes pineapple on pizza, but only if it’s a Hawaiian pizza.
MS 363 Baseball Team
Interview & Blurb by: Jose Casimiro & Joel Mino Tavares
The Newsletter Team spoke with Mr. Cuevas about the MS 363 baseball team now that their season is in full swing! Mr. Cuevas coaches the baseball team with Mr. Enmanuel. Mr. Cuevas is looking forward to growth from the team this year. The biggest thing for Mr. Cuevas and Mr. Enmanuel is that every player grows as an individual. Mr. Cuevas says that the team focuses on 4 things: Family, Fun, Craft Mastery & Leadership.
Mr. Cuevas and Mr. Enmanuel are creating 3 internship positions for non baseball players that are interested in helping the team and learning more about the sports world. They are looking for students that want to join something special.
The internship positions include:
Equipment Manager: This person will take inventory of the equipment and ensure that the team has everything they need to have a successful game.
Social Media Manager: Help build and manage the social media platform for the team. Encourage more students to try out and support the baseball team.
Coach in Training (CIT): Learn the fundamental steps to becoming a good coach. This person will shadow both coaches and support wherever needed.
You can follow the MS 363 Baseball team on Instragram @Ms363baseball
What's #Trending!
By: Gianna Rodriguez-Cerda, Mario Gaona & Joel Mino Taveras
Jesus Revolution
February 22, 2023
It’s the 1960’s and Greg Lariue and a mass of youth descend into Sunny California to help clothes find truth by all means of liberation. Then Lariue meets a charming preacher and pastor who opens his doors to all. This is how one of the biggest spiritual awakenings in America all started.
Knock at the Cabin
February 3, 2023
A young girl and her fathers are kidnapped while on vacation at a remote cabin in the woods by four armed strangers who demand they make an unthinkable choice to avert the apocalypse. Confused, terrified, and with little access to the outside world, the family must decide what they believe before everything is lost.
Shehzada
February 10, 2023
As young as he could remember his father has always hated Bantu, that’s until he finds out he belongs to another family and will do anything to protect them to get in their good graces.
Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey
February 15, 2023
A boy named Christopher that used live wood with his friend Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo and Owl, used to look for food so they can feed Winnie the Pooh and his friends until the boy had to leave for college. So Winnie the Pooh had become angered. It has been many months since Christopher had come to see his old friends, until one day Christopher and his friends from college had come for a visit to the forest… and that is when the night of blood started.
The Case Study of the Preppy Aesthetic
By: Arianny Landestoy
How It Began: Back in the late 80s & 90s, the preppy look was big in the eighties, as we tried to emulate the look of college-bound school kids. This fashion trend had several main accessories, including blazers, button-down shirts, polo shirts, and a sweater casually draped around the shoulders. Others include preppy wallpaper, preppy stickers, a preppy phone case, preppy bracelets, room decor, and preppy hats. Preppy is trending all around the world and on TikTok, where people have preppy skin care, bags, backpacks, sunglasses, shoes, gowns, and pink everywhere.
Book & Manga Recs
Our Dreams At Dusk
By: Yuhki Kamatani
The Hate U Give
By: Angie Thomas
The Girl From The Sea
By: Molly Knox Ostertag
Bluey: The Obscure Goat… Er Dog
By: Alan Dong
Have you ever heard about Bluey? That Australian show made by ludo studio, if so (somehow) congratulations you are the only small minority who heard about it (it’s only popular in Australia) and/or watched it, I don’t blame you if you don't but can you just watch this show on disney+ (if you’re rich enough) and as well as Disney Now, Disney Jr, and the Disney Channel if you want to full experience (because disney makes random goofy ahh censorship 💀💀💀) then watch it on ABC Kids. I will explain what this show is (⚠️ Spoiler Warning Ahead ⚠️) So the show is about a family of dogs in Brisbane (called the Heelers) and they have adventures alone with each other or alone and sometimes, they are in their home playing games with each other. The creator (Joe Burmm) based the show on Peppa Pig, a British show and the 2016 pilot (that’s real) has been lost to time, never to be found since then. (⚠️ End Of Spoiler ⚠️) I would highly recommend you watch this show (especially with your parents) it’s a masterpiece. I watched a couple of episodes and it was amazing! I will never forget the show and I loved it and maybe you will too, so please at least give it a try. Not even words can describe how much I loved it (Spoiler: Bluey is a girl, you thought she was a boy before 💀. Also this show is enjoyed by adults and older).
6th Grade ROAR Student
Angel Rucco 963
7th Grade ROAR Student
Camori Jackson 709
8th Grade ROAR Student
Genesis Hart 809
M.S. 363 RESPECT FOR ALL MONTH 2023
Middle School 363 and the NYC Department of Education are committed to maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment that is free from harassment, intimidation and/or bullying and from discrimination based on actual or perceived race, color, citizen-ship/immigration status, religion, creed, national origin, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, or weight. Middle School 363 “Respect for All Month”, is an initiative that helps students respect their peers of different races, ethnicities, religions, gender identities, gender expressions, and sexual orientations. Let’s all stay connected and remind each other we aren’t alone!! Please participate and join the fun!!! If you are NOT participating you MUST wear your uniform!
Thank our team!
Heatlin Tavarez (809) Nina Raycel Andrada (707)
Gianna Rodriguez-Cerda (805) Mario Gaona (707)
Jose Casimiro (709)
Joel Mino Taveras (710)
Arianny Landestoy (964)
Alan Dong (704)