Cardunal Chronicle

Welcome To The Cardunal Chronicle By: Nathan Mills

Dundee Middle School has always been special. I mean, think of all the opportunities we have at this school, not present at any of the four other middle schools. From the Musical to Midnight Mile to Schoolapalooza, and all the other clubs present here at DMS.

Our school is special, because of all its moving parts. Unfortunately though, it is very difficult to keep track of all the events happening at DMS. That’s where we come in: the Cardunal Chronicle (also known as Newspaper Club).

We cover what has happened, is happening, and will happen here at DMS, so that you can be better informed about what is going on at this wonderful school of ours. While we didn’t get off the ground running back in August, we still are very ambitious and plan to publish six editions by the last day of school. So no longer worry about having to keep track of everything at DMS, because the Cardunal Chronicle will do that for you. All you have to do is read it.

Come to the 2024 DMS Glow Party By: Nathan Mills

The 2024 DMS Glow Party will take place on February 9th here at Dundee Middle School. It was a big hit among students last year, and is expected to be a big hit again this year. Bring $5 for entry, and to be able to receive a glow item at the door. However, you’ll want to bring more money than that since snacks and other things will be available for purchase. The party will last from 6-8 pm, and is expected to be a blast, so don’t miss out.

Goodbye, Mrs. Stanley By: Alanna McCrate and Grace Birkett

On Friday, December 22nd, Mrs. Stanley, our beloved librarian, worked her last day at DMS. That week, we at the Cardunal Chronicle interviewed students, teachers, and Mrs. Stanley herself to get opinions on her depature.

Many students and teachers were shocked and saddened by this news. In interviews, every single student we interviewed said they didn't know about it, and almost all the interviewees said they were sad about Mrs. Stanley leaving. In one memorable interview, Ms. Valvidia stated that she “cried [when she learned about Mrs. Stanley].” Mrs. Stanley’s kindness made an impact on almost everyone in the school, and all interviewees who even knew her a little stated that Mrs. Stanley’s kindheartedness made a positive impact on their lives. Mrs. Stanley made many great book recommendations and changed many lives during her time at DMS.

We interviewed Mrs. Stanley herself to get her thoughts on leaving DMS, as well as a reflection on her time at DMS. Here’s how it went:

Q: “Are you excited for your new job?”

A: “I am excited, very excited that I get to use my degree.”

Q: “What was your favorite memory from your time here at DMS?”

A: “One of my favorite memories is winning the Battle of the Books three years undefeated, that's always special.”

Q:”What do you think you are going to miss most from DMS?”

A: “I am going to miss the staff as well as the students.”

Q: “What are you most excited for at your new job?”

A: “I’m most excited for change and the unknown, because I’ve been here for 10 years so it’s really exciting but also terrifying.”

Q: “What is your favorite book in the library?”

A: “Framed by James Ponti, it’s a mystery and I love mysteries.”

During Mrs. Stanley’s ten years as our librarian, she touched many lives with her kindness and gave many excellent recommendations. Everyone can agree that she made a positive impact on their lives, whether that was a great book recommendation or an emergency Chromebook repair. She helped everyone at this school one way or another, and she will be greatly missed.

Spelling Bees Start By: Sanvi Chatterjee and Alanna McCrate

We hit the ground running in third quarter, with the spelling bees starting almost immediately. We held a competition in each ELA class and selected the top three people from each class to continue on to the grade wide spelling bee.

Five contestants and one alternate from each grade were selected in the grade wide spelling bees on January 18th. At the time of the writing of this article, the school wide spelling bee has not yet taken place, but we do know who will be participating. In sixth grade, Avery Gougis, Aleksa Miljkovic, Lucas Lechowicz, Quentin Edwards, and Max Prystawsky will participate, with Vlad Krychovskyy substituting for any player that cannot participate. In seventh grade, Veronica Kuczborski, Aleena Sayed, Jessa Arcales, Azriel Mindac and Bakai Mamasaliev won, and Madison Kuhns will be serving as alternate. Finally, the eight grade winners are Matthew Aquino, Tyler Kawa, Enzo Pannarale, Sofia Osegueda and Travis Wilgosiewicz. Narmeen Kattoum will be the alternate.

The school-wide spelling bee will take place on January 23rd, and everyone participating in that will also attend the district finals at CMS on February 8th. The winner of the school wide spelling bee will continue to the Kane county semifinals. It’s impossible to tell how this series of spelling bees will go, but it’s certain to be interesting.

Seussical Gets Started

This year our school musical will be Suessical!!! This wonderful musical tells the story of Horton, Mayzie, Gertrude, and JoJo. This foursome goes through many challenges throughout the musical and with the help of our narrator, The Cat in the Hat, they end up solving all of their problems. To support these main characters, there are a variety of trouble causing antagonists who serve as obstacles on their quest to save Whoville. In support of all of these characters there are two ensembles; the Who ensemble, the Whos live on a tiny speck called Whoville. Horton and his friends are on a mission to save Whoville. Meanwhile outside of the speck there is the Jungle chorus; the Jungle Chorus helps villains like Sour Kangaroo antagonize Horton, Mayzie, Gertrude, and JoJo. Now that you know about the story let’s dive into what the musical is like behind the scenes. The leads in this musical are JoJo, The Cat in the Hat, Mayzie, Gertrude, Sour Kangaroo, Young Kangaroo, Wickershams, Mr. Mayor, Mrs. Mayor, The Grinch, The things, Elephant Bird, The Bird Girls, Yertle the Turtle, and Vlad Vladicoff. In support of these leads there is the Jungle Chorus.

The Jungle Ensemble are full of energetic jungle animals who live in the Jungle of Nool. The Jungle animals can be considered reckless and very rowdy, as well as very chaotic and a little violent. The Jungle also has the most leads and is the smallest ensemble this year. The songs are more upbeat and very “wild” per say. While the jungle is the more chaotic of the group, its counterpart is the Who ensemble.

In addition to the Jungle ensemble, there is the Who Ensemble. The Who Ensemble is a collection of the tiny citizens of Whoville. They serve as the goofier complement for the Jungle Chorus, despite the fact that they live constantly in fear of their dust speck landing somewhere that would kill them, such as a puddle or a sandbox on a windy day. They have many fun songs and dance numbers. The main Who lead is JoJo, an imaginative boy whose “Thinks" often get him into trouble. In summary, the musical is a very eventful and fun experience filled with a ton of silly thinks.

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