The Hive
Woodstock Union Middle School's Student News
WUMS Math Team Takes On Cookies and Problems in NH
BY ALYSSA
On Thursday May 23rd, there was a math meet at the Enfield Community Center that 5 of the students from the 7th and 8th grades attended.
Before the meet, Ms. Whitehead and team were interviewed about how they felt about it. Ms. Whitehead told us that the meet would be hosted by the Indian River School. There would be 5 categories that all students participate in, each lasting 10 minutes each with a short break in between them. There would also be lunch and an awards ceremony at the end, making it last around 2 hours.
Each category had 3 questions, the first was an easier one for 2 points, the next was moderate difficulty for 3 points, and the last was fairly difficult, scoring 5 points for a correct answer.
As the team competed, Ms Whitehead was in another area proctoring another group of math team students from different rooms. Basically meaning that she would make sure it was fair and no one cheated. It was also her job to hand out and collect papers at the beginning and end.
The team includes Astrid McFarland, Ferris Al Fahim, Nat Holland, Alyssa Charbonneau, and David Randall. The team had varying ideas about success, but did well. When asked what they were excited about, the one thing said was the free food and cookies… and skipping school. At least some of them were sad about missing certain classes.
These five did well in the meet, and according to some, it was fairly difficult. Good job to all.
Are Middle School Basketball Games Getting Too Heated on the Parents' Part?
BY B
Last weekend there was an AAU teams' tournament in Keene, NH, and Saturday was pretty hectic.
Our first game ended up being against 9th graders who could consistently shoot 3's. As you can imagine, the 7th grade Lebanon AAU team got crushed.
Our second game we also got crushed, however for different reasons. The coach who we played was screaming at his girls to hit us, and one of them actually did. During a jump ball one of their biggest girls was up against one of our shorter players. She got elbowed in the face so hard she hit the ground and couldn't breathe. Their coach actually went up to his player and high-fived her, and said “Yes! Keep being aggressive like that!” He also didn't get a technical for yelling and swearing.
The worst day, though, was the next. It was Sunday, and if we lost this game then we would be out of the tournament, and so would the other team if we beat them. It was tight the whole game and especially with 5 minutes left.
We were playing a team from the south side of Massachusetts, and there was a boys team from the same place. The boys team was standing on the endline that we were scoring at. Let's just say that they weren't the most respectful audience with all the yelling and swearing
Here is what my AAU teammate Willow Carey said she saw: “So basically what happened was our coach asked a player ... [a boy], to wait a couple seconds so we could get our stuff off the bench, and then out of nowhere the boys' Mass coach came over and got right up in our coach's ear and started yelling. He was asking our coach who he thought he was and there was swearing and the louder they got the more parents came over and all started swearing.”
Willow recalls, "I was stuck in the middle of it all with one of my teammates, I could hear the parents yelling at me and our coach and my teammate. We were sort of stuck in the middle of this swarm of parents and coaches. Finally we managed to get out of there. I was still surrounded by people trying to either get out of the situation or trying to make it worse.”
This is her first person view of the incident. Willow says, “I think that parents aren't being more aggressive, it's just that we're in a more competitive league so we're seeing a lot more of it.
I think that parents should be allowed to yell during games because they're supporting their kids and a lot of parents can yell respectively and cheer on their kids."
The Year Is Almost Coming to An End
BY KASIA
As the weather’s getting warmer, and people are getting older, the 2023-24 school year is coming to an end.
Two more weeks! Some of the students are sad, but some are feeling happy. One student, Lucy Fox, mentions, “I’m sad for the year to end. This has been one of my best years because I really like my teachers and I have become closer with different friends. It was also just really fun.”
For many staff and students, this year has been a really fun year. “My favorite memory from this school year is taking care of you guys. It’s like being a mom figure when you guys are away from home,” one staff member notes.
So many m memories were made this year from events including the Winter Carnivals, all school assemblies, and camping trips! Chloe Costello really enjoyed the beginning of school camping trip “because it was fun to get out of school to meet everyone. The bus rides and swimming were my favorite.” 8th grader Alyssa Charbonneau says she is excited for the end of the year “because I’m excited to go back home to visit family.”
Although many kids enjoy having a fun time during the summer, they still love to come back to school and interact with different people.
Doomed to Dance ... Or Sing
BY WILLOW
A crowd gathers, music starts, some familiar faces know what's happening, but others don’t. You're faced with the decision: do you sing or dance?
In my opinion the only way to go is to dance. Imagine you’re singing and your voice cracks and becomes high pitched and squeaky, HOW EMBARRASSING! But if you dance it's harder to embarrass yourself because so many people now do TikTok dances in public. Maybe if you're lucky people won’t think much of it and just walk by, but it's pretty hard to ignore singing, especially when the person is not a professional.
Bellamy Ferris says, “I would dance because it's more embarrassing to sing in public especially when you’re bad at it.”
Lucy Fox says, “I think I would rather dance because singing they judge you harder for your voice.”
Counterpoint: Why Land Rovers Are Better Than Toyotas
BY HUGH
“The Truth always prevails,” most would say. But in this case Nolan Alberty’s story about the best off-road trucks is in no way close to that quote.
In Nolan’s words, “Land Rovers are worse than Toyotas.” This is just a shocking story and opinion due to all the inaccuracies. He says a Toyota goes for around 30k, but in Reality it's 40-70K for an up-to-date base Toyota.
Yes, Range Rovers are around 60k, but that's with all your attachments. Plus a Land Rover 110 from 1990 is only 10k for an amazingly reliable vehicle that you can easily get parts for.
Nolan says Land Rovers’ gas mileages are near 10.5, which is nowhere near true. A LR4 can get 20-23 miles per gallon, while others can also be in the high teens to twenties. Nolan also said Toyotas are much more supreme in mileage, when they are about the same.
Yes some Early Land Rovers are slow, yet so are Toyotas, and Land and Range Rovers have gone far above a Toyota’s maximum speed. Anyone who has driven would know how they are the same yet very different and are more in favor of Land Rovers.
Wellness Is A Great Class
BY ISLA
Until 7th grade, Wellness, Gym, P.E., (whatever you want to call it) was never my favorite class. The sports I enjoy weren’t reflected in our gym class well and the skill of a sport was sort of skipped over sometimes or just not explained well. Sometimes I liked it, but never a lot. However, since getting into 7th grade, I’ve been really enjoying Wellness. It’s great for a few reasons. Firstly, Mr. McCormick is such an awesome teacher. He gets to know the students, and he often talks to us to see what we want to do and what we’re curious about. He’s really good at incorporating our advice into his class. When I’m not doing anything in Self-Direction, he’ll ask my opionion on things such as “How much should we talk about the mental health aspects of social media?” Nextly, he tries to vary what we do, so that even if you don’t like everything, most people like something that we do. He blends his own extremely creative and interesting games (such as Caddis Flies and Trout: so creative) with the actual game that we work towards, and we often get to participate in a tournament. Another thing that’s great about Wellness is that we get to be doing gym things half the time and classroom work the other half. The classroom half is full of interesting philosophical debates and crazy information you never would have thought of, such as what is the most important deciding factor for what food you should buy? I hope next years Wellness is half as good as this year's.
Quarter 4 Issue 4 May 17, 2024
You Better B-lieve it!
BY WILLOW
Bellamy (B) Ferris started basketball in sixth grade. The Woodstock team was pretty small and full of a lot of beginners or people who were still learning the basics of basketball, but B got the hang of it pretty quickly and in seventh grade decided to join an AAU team.
B said she joined because of the competitiveness and to get better. “I like that I’m learning so much more than in rec and making more friends,” B added.
Since she does both, rec and AAU, she talked about her experience on rec saying, “At the beginning of rec season I was super nervous because it was my first year and I was super scared that I was going to embarrass myself. But after a couple practices I was starting to get the hang of it. I had already made my way up to back up point guard or starting shooting guard.”
But aside from her being nervous compared to AAU B says, “I like that it's a lot calmer and not as much stress and there were more beginners on the team, which meant more playing time.”
B talked about how in AAU she likes that they got to play more challenging teams which seemed to push her but because of this more competitive environment. B says, “I feel like I've been playing worse because I have been feeling the pressure of not messing up and in rec I get more playing time which boosts my confidence”
But B loves playing for AAU. She got to make more friends and learned a ton of new things, but there were a couple things that she would recommend for someone starting AAU: “I would recommend to play AAU if you are someone who has played [basketball] for a while but I wouldn't recommend it to a beginner because you might not get played a lot but you will learn a lot, you might also be out matched in games and practices.”
When asked which she likes better, rec season or AAU season, B says,
“That's a toughy, I like them both for their different qualities.”
When Should Kids Get Phones?
BY LUCY
People all over the world have debated when their kids should get a phone.
I think that kids should get a phone at 14 because you're going into 8th grade or are in 8th grade, and you are starting to communicate more, as well as go places with friends that are planned over text.Sometimes plans can change and you can not see them.
Some people say kids should get phones when they're older, some say younger.Kasia says, “Probably when I'm 15 or 14.`The stuff in wellness that we are learning, like how phones can affect your mental health, is not good, and I don't want to get addicted to it,and I can always borrow someone's phone if I need to.
When you're in 7th grade it gets a little harder to communicate with parents after school or if you're going on a trip, which makes some people say kids need phones earlier. “I was 11,” says Charlie B. “I think it was good because I was switching between parents' houses and I needed to communicate.”
A lot of kids say they needed to get a phone to communicate, but Mr.McCormick says otherwise When asked at what age kids should get a phone, he replied, “Never.” He went on, “What do my kids need a phone for? I see a lot of people looking at their phones all the time. I don’t know if it’s true that people are addicted or not, but I know it’s not healthy and I don't know how to teach them responsibility with phones.”
Kids need phones for different reasons and it depends, but I think 14 is the perfect age because you can regulate it yourself and communicate.
Mrs. Lessard Profile
BY ISLA
Mrs. Lessard is the seventh grade Humanities teacher at WUMS, and she’s been teaching for nearly 30 years (you’re not that old, Mrs. Lessard). She started teaching at Hartland around 30 years ago when her friend and former swimming coach who lived in Vermont called her, saying that there had been an unexpected job opening a few weeks into the school year. She packed up her car and drove to Vermont, and 30 years later, she’s still here.
She was inspired to be a teacher by her college history professor, who took time out of their busy semester to teach art history. She admired his passion and learned a lot from his class. She also wanted to teach differently than she had been taught, explaining, “I also chose to be a teacher to change the school experience.” She’s mainly taught middle school, and she “just finds that {middle schoolers} are enthusiastic about learning, funny, and understand her sense of humor.” Mrs. Lessard also enjoys how important this period is in kids’ lives. Current 7th grader Kasia Sluka loves Mrs. Lessard because she’s “fun, funny, and helpful.”
Outside of school, Mrs. Lessard loves to travel, even within our borders, saying she “doesn’t need to travel far to enjoy new culture.” She also loves music, Broadway, and needs to do something active every day.
Mrs. Lessard is a dedicated teacher but also finds joy and importance in our envrionment and a variety of experiences. She always has something interesting to say, and a conversation with her is often interesting.
Tornadoes Hit Midwest
BY HUGH
On April 26th a long track wedge tornado hit the towns of Elkhorn, and many smaller towns in Nebraska. It was rated EF3 (Enhanced Fujita Scale) with winds of 165 mph. The Long track EF3 would spark a tornado emergency, the highest rated tornado warning. Another Tornado rated EF3, with160 mph winds in Iowa, also sparked two more tornado emergencies and injured six. No deaths happened on April 26th. Multiple weaker tornadoes would happen around the Oklahoma-Nebraska-Kansas area with damage to homes from these weaker tornadoes.
On April 27th, 2024, multiple long track violent tornadoes would devastate the communities of Sulphur Springs OK, Marietta, OK, Holdenville, OK, and Norman, OK. Marietta was hit by an Intense EF4 with winds of 175mph, causing damage to most of the west side of town homes. Several homes were destroyed with 1 dead. Holdenville, OK, would be scrapped by a strong EF3 With winds of 160 mph but likely much stronger. An infant child and one other were killed when their homes got hit by the mile wide tornado. The EF3 tornado would track north of town then fizzle out about 12 miles north of town, claiming two lives before dissipating north of town.
Sulphur Springs would be hit by an EF3 with winds around 165 mph killing 1 in their home when it collapsed and damaging a large bit of town. Two more EF1 tornadoes would hinder rescue as they just missed town only hitting a few homes on the outskirts of town. In Norman, OK, a tornado aka a spin up tornado would cause EF2 damage to homes in Norman injuring 2 with no deaths.
On April 28th 2 EF1 tornadoes touched down in Arkansas doing little damage the main threat was winds and hail that hit the state hard and flash flooding. Some water rescues had to be shut as waters rose from the non-stop storms. This was a relatively normal outbreak for this time of year in the midwest.
Students' Favorite Books
BY ALYSSA
Many students have a favorite book to read or listen to, and some students occasionally read, so here’s what some people think about books.
This story would like to introduce you to a variety of books, some things a book should be like or have, and a few good ways to successfully choose books to read.
Our list of books most loved by students include, Thanks A Lot Universe by Chad Lucas, The Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan, The School of Good and Evil, Inheritance games, The House in the Cerulean Sea, Song of Achillies, Suicide Notes, Harry Potter, and more that were not said.
The genres of these books range from Fiction (fantasy and realistic) to Nonfiction and Romance.
“When you read a book you want it to make you feel something, you want it to make you emphasize with the character, and you should be able to, that’s the mark of a good book.”
Students say that they want a book to be about or have kids our age, heartfelt books, happy endings, interesting vocabulary, strong writing, treat readers intelligently, a complex plot, a deep meaning, certain types of characters and relationships, and relatability.
Some people read to learn about interests, learn about some history, or find characters like them. Many people fall into one of two categories, those who want books to make them cry, or books that make them happy.
Toyota Trucks vs. Land Rovers
BY NOLAN
The best truck is Toyota. They are the most reliable truck in my opinion. But Toyotas are expensive to buy. A brand new TRD Toyota truck can set you back at least $44,000. For those of you who don’t know what TRD means, it’s “Toyota Racing Development.” That means it’s a super truck with more power, engine upgrades and the truck to use for off roading. There’s so much more to consider when deciding if a Toyota is for you.
They save gas compared to other trucks. They are also so much money, but don't let the money stop you from buying one. When you look at Toyotas, look at the gas mileage and the color of the seats. If you like how comfortable the inside is and the back seats are, buy the truck or car.
Toyotas are also super fast. To get to places they are also good vehicles to drive. Some of Toyota’s trucks are meant for racing and off-roading. Toyotas are one of the best vehicles according to my dad.
Hugh Chace disagreed, and claimed that Land Rovers are better. “They are fast and somewhat reliable,” he said. “Somewhat reliable”? Not really. Hugh says that Land Rovers can do the best off road with a “proper set up and good driver,” but with a Toyota, you don’t need to set it up. All you need to do is put it in four wheel drive and you’re good to go. Or two wheel drive. In conclusion, Toyotas are better.
Quarter 4 Issue 3 May 11, 2024
Teachers Going Insane
PHOTOS BY WILLOW and ISLA
Meg's Leaving
BY JORDYN
If you walked into Meg’s advisory this year, you would see a bunch of laughing, which is really helpful for kids. You would see all of us just talking and laughing. Our advisory is really close and fun.
Sadly, Meg is leaving at the end of the year. It sucks. It’s going to be hard for a new person to come in, because we are very close with Meg.
She’s always there for you when you need advice. She’s a very understanding person, and advisory is very fun with her.
Some students think Meg should not leave. Lexi J said, “I think Meg should stay because she's an awesome teacher and she's so kind. There is no other teacher in this world like Meg. She helps people with their work and she actually knows how to help with kids and she understands them.”
Meg is leaving because she wants to be closer to her son. He lives in San Diego, California. She says she will miss “The kids and my colleagues” and “all the fun in 206 and the smiles.”
Lexi J said, “Meg has helped me with so much this school year. She's helped me with my personal issues and she understands things and she’s a very awesome person in general.” We all will miss Meg.
The Wonderful World of Ms. Smith
BY KASIA
Mrs. Smith is the Social Emotional Learning teacher (SEL) at the WUHSMS. She has been teaching here for three years and can still keep up the great spirits!
For some teachers and even students, it is sometimes hard to talk about the tough topics of managing stress, having empathy, and even working on our values and strengths. For her, these are her favorites. “I really enjoy working with students on self-awareness. I also really enjoy discussing hard but meaningful topics.”
She is not only a great teacher, but a great friend. From the start she is always so kind to everyone. Checking in on everybody to make sure they are okay, sharing stories, and even jokes. Even if her job is sometimes tough, she still loves to come back everyday. She mentioned, “it feels like a privilege to be with students as they try to reflect, repair, and learn to do the right thing.” She is a very important part of our school community.
The things that she teaches and talks about are not normally talked about outside of school. She is not afraid to step up to groups and make a hard topic feel more comfortable. Recently, we had a check in about the changes made to a lock down drill. 7th grade student Charlie B said, “I feel like she did a very good job explaining a hard topic in a careful way.”
First impressions are really important and most people think that she is so kind and aware and loves to make sure everyone is okay and following rules to keep others safe.
Take some time to get to know her and get ready to hop into the wonderful world of Mrs. Smith.
Bye Bye People, Hello Music
Why Students Should Be Allowed to Wear Headphones
BY JORDYN
Have you ever been in class, and there are two people who just talk so loud that you can’t focus? Music blurs out everything. You put your headphones in, and everything just goes away, And bam. You can focus.
I think students should be able to listen to music during classes with a headphone in. One headphone is reasonable. Sometimes music helps people focus, and when they’re stressed out music helps them calm down.
Nolan A says, “for me, I work better with music on. It just helps me concentrate. In some classes, people are yelling and it gets so noisy, but when I get music on I can just concentrate and I get work done really fast.”
Laiquen agreed, saying, music “helps people concentrate on work, especially with headphones so it doesn’t blast out of your phone.”
Music is more helpful in some classes than others. For example, you probably wouldn’t have headphones on in the gym so they don’t get damaged. But students said headphones would help with reading, writing, math, and science. “It’s like typing with music,” Nolan said. “When I listen to my favorite song, words just pop in my head.”
B said headphones make it “easier for me to focus, especially when people are talking around me. If I’m not listening to music I won’t focus and I’ll just listen to what they’re talking about.”
Nurse Rachel wasn’t sure, but I convinced her. She said headphones would probably be OK, “just when the teacher is done doing the instructions, and I only think one is appropriate.”
Profile of Ms. Hanrahan
BY ALYSSA
This week, I interviewed W.U.M.S.H.S. teacher Ms. Hanrahan to tell us about her and who she is.
Ms Hanrahan is an 8th grade English Language Arts and Journalism teacher who says her job here is “herding cats”. She deals with a variety of crazy students, - I can say this from my experience in her classes - me included.
I asked her what her favorite class to teach is, and she said, “Journalism. One time when I was teaching in Alaska I got to teach a joint US History and Literature.” They called that class American Studies, but it was different from the eighth grade class here.
Ms. Hanrahan said that the best part of being a teacher at this time was that with all this technology in the world it helps students to be connected to the world, know more, and have more opportunities to share their voice, and that the technology of this new era is so different from when she was in school, because they used a whole lot more paper. She had one computer in third grade that was shared by the whole class, the students could play a single game on it called Oregon Trail, a choose your own adventure game, supposedly textbooks were also more popular at then.
It is difficult being a teacher at times as most know, Ms. Hanrahan says the mornings can be crazy, to start the day at school there is normally advisory, class, class, class, a teacher meeting, and class planning. She says it gets easier each time you teach a certain subject again, like the reading of the book Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson.
Did you know that Ms. Hanrahan lived and taught in Alaska for 5 years? It’s true, she lived in Fairbanks Alaska, and taught at Monroe Catholic School. One time on a camping trip in Denali, her group spotted a grizzly that then charged at them! No one moved a muscle, but the bear took an abrupt left away from them. They packed up and moved to a new spot soon after. That was not the only of her bear encounters though, she has met many over the years. “A big fat bear, with ripples of fat that ran towards me and I closed my eyes.” she said.
“There's not many teachers that I can say have truly changed my life, however Mrs. Hanrahan certainly is. She's such a fun, energetic teacher who has made learning so enjoyable. After giving up on poetry, she gave me the motivation to start it up again. I couldn't have asked for a better teacher, she's one that I will never forget.” says Lexi Gabardi.
School Under The Trees
BY ISLA
Especially since Covid, there’s been a lot of emphasis on different methods of learning, outside of a brick and mortar classroom. One of these is learning outside, which can be done in different forms. I was curious what people thought about learning outside and if it would be better or worse.
Students had mixed feelings about learning outside and the general battle seemed to be between enjoyment and being comfortable versus distractions, which was a feeling teachers seemed to share.
Nolan A. explains, “{Being} inside is better because it’s quiet”, but Lucy F. says she thinks “that if we changed our learning style it would help {her}.”
Kasia S. proposes a compromise, saying “I feel like if we had some classes outside and some classes inside…it would be helpful because sometimes we would go outside because the nice weather boosts my energy.”
Teachers are similarly conflicted. “I believe in the power of nature and being outside, but I think that students would have to learn to overcome the distractions so they can enjoy the benefits of being outside.” teacher Monica D. tells me. Ms. Hanrahan talks about learning outside during Covid, but says that sometimes it’s cold or students are uncomfortable outside. She proposes another compromise, similar to Kasia’s: going outside sometimes but not all of the time.
In general, it seems that the agreement is we need more outside time but school should be inside sometimes, too.
4-Wheeler Season Revs Up
BY HUGH
It’s the time of year when the old class 4s of Vermont wake up. As May 15th is only days away, people get their trucks/rigs ready to off-road the Vermont trails again.
Every May 15th Vermont opens up its roads all the way to November 15th. There are several events such as The Pilgrimage Vermont, Rover Revival and the North east excursion.
Many of these are selling out fast. Old riders of the trails are using more action after the floods of July and December.
Lucy Fox says, “I don't like it because our roads are already ruined and people won't drive safely, mostly the ATV crowd.”
Isla Segal says, “during the winter some jeeps or ATVS ruined the landscape.”
Meanwhile, Wyatt Young says he "can't wait to be back on the trails and be back in nature.”
There are many mixed opinions, some happy about this time of year or some not so happy about it but most people are excited for it. But in all regards this year should be a great season for the Class 4s.
Proctorsville Jr. Firefighters Train for Speed
BY NOLAN
The Proctorsville fire department has a junior firefighter program. On Tuesday, May 7, we did a one minute drill outside in front of the garage. A one minute drill is when you are timed to get in your fire gear.
When I first got there, the door was locked. Seth Perry came and unlocked the door and we went inside and chilled out until our training began.
During a 1 minute drill you are timed to get in your gear. You put on your boots and pants first. Then your nomex hood, then your jacket, then your helmet, then your gloves and clap your hands really loud so the fireman knows you are done.
Then you take your gear off in the same order. You do it three times. Finally we did a midnight drill where we started lying down and did two sit ups and then put our gear on.
That one was hard. But it is important to practice doing a warm up drill so then you’re ready for a real call.
8th Grade Fundraiser Bake Sale
BY LUCY
The 8th grade is going to Bethany Birches for a sleep away trip, and they need to raise money for the trip. They will be holding a bake sale Wednesday May 22 from 11-1 in the lobby.
This is the third year the 8th grade is going, it started as making up for lost trips during Covid.
The majority of the kids are excited but some are not. Alyssa says, ”I'm not that excited because I have never been camping and I'm not good in big groups of people camping”.
On the other hand the teachers seem excited. Ms. Hanrahan says, “ I am excited! I love this trip, it's so fun! I'm especially excited about the water trampoline." The trip sounds pretty sweet.
Quarter 4 Issue 2 May 3, 2024
Student Art Shines at Art Show
STORY BY ALYSSA | PHOTOS BY ISLA
From Thursday May 2nd to this Sunday May 5th, there is an art show being held in the ping pong or VR room, organized by the WUHSMS art teachers. It includes about a semester's amount of art made by students and 2 or 3 interactive events.
I was able to talk to one of the three art teachers, Ms Piana, and she said that it took half a day to set up the panels and cover the tables, three teachers, and five brave students.
The art comes from Ms Piana, Ms Jimerson, and Ms Gravel’s classes, and a few of the art pieces were submitted by students who are not currently in art. Ms Piana and Ms Jimerson teach most of hands- on art, each accounting for about 40% of the art, while Ms Gravel, who teaches more photography and computer art classes, accounts for about 20% of the art.
“I’m happy,” says Ms Piana, “When we get to put all this student work together it is a celebration. I love it when the teachers come in and see their students' artwork, who they might not have known were artists, and they learn about their students.”
The Art Show is an excellent opportunity for the school to show off their students talents, and a way to better connect with the community. Great job to all who had art in there!
The Silverware Saga
BY ISLA
In the cafeteria at WUHSMS, we currently use mainly plastic utensils, with a few items of silverware available. I was interested in how people felt about the available eating implements, and what the best eating tool to use would be.
I began by interviewing students and teachers about what they would choose between silverware, plastic utensils, and biodegradable utensils, and why. All of the students said they would prefer biodegradable utensils to plastic or silverware, and only one teacher said that he would prefer silverware. Seventh graders Hannah and Andrew agree on silverware, explaining that they “don’t like knowing someone’s used it before.” Tigger adds, also on silverware, that “sometimes it’s nasty.” Everyone agreed that plastic should be avoided because of its wastefulness, and decided biodegradable utensils were the best.
I then interviewed Kat Robbins, who works at WUHSMS as the place-based learning coordinator, and who also advises the Earth Beat club, an environmental club in the high school. She explained to me the long and winding history of using silverware in the cafeteria. “The cafeteria staff would use metal,” she explains, “Earth Beat has done several silverware drives where families can donate silverware, and we then put that silverware in the cafeteria.” What happens then, she tells me, is that the silverware gets thrown away or lost when students bring it to other rooms to eat their lunch. They know how much trash has been thrown away because of doing trash audits. After the metal is lost, the cafeteria staff then has to replace the silverware with plastic. Kat also explains that biodegradable utensils are tough to actually compost or deal with correctly, because the temperature and other environmental aspects have to be very specific. Kat says that she would like for the kitchen/cafeteria to use metal silverware, but that it’s going to be tough to make it work.
In the end, it comes down to how many students are willing to work on it. There are still things we could try, but not all students have been the most cooperative. “We could do another silverware drive, and there are metal bands you can put in trash cans to attract thrown away silverware.” Kat tells me, “We can keep trying things, and keep doing things,” Kat adds, but she tells me that we need more student cooperation, and it won’t happen if everyone can’t cooperate. In the meantime, she says she encourages students to use metal silverware.
Should 7th Grade Change Traveling Groups
BY LUCY
7th grade recently changed traveling groups. Some students wish they didn't.
“I wish I had more of my friends in it but I like the size,” says Isla.
The 7th grade has changed traveling groups three times over the year. The reason they do this is to meet new people and to have different perspectives on the things they are learning. “I don't like them because I don't like to switch if I have my friend group. I could be stuck without my friends in my new group,” Willow says.
Some students like the change, but don't like the structure of it. Kasia says“I feel like having a traveling group is good for 7th grade, but is a little confusing to get used to.But I wish to have more class freedom in the future.”
In the end it is hard when you get stuck without your friends in your traveling group but it can be nice to have new ideas from other students and see some friends you don't have classes with.
World's Best Snacks For Every Season
BY KASIA
Snacks are good for every season, but sometimes, some snacks are better than others.
Since each season has its own mood, different snacks fit different times of the year. In the summer, people look for sweet, cold treats. In the fall, something with more apple and pumpkin flavors is great. In the winter, cookies and chocolatey things are very popular. Lastly, spring. Once the sap starts flowing in the spring, local maple candies are loved in Vermont.
Many people love the cold sweet treats in the summer. WUMS student Willow Carey loves ice cream for a midday snack. “For summer my favorite snack is ice cream on a cone,” Willow says. “It’s cold and refreshing. Although any ice cream is good, mint chocolate chip is the most refreshing for a hot summer day.”
Cold winter days can take up a lot of energy. Usually enough for a snack! For me especially, coming inside from the cold weather calls for some hot chocolate with many marshmallows. If you don’t enjoy hot chocolate, cookies are a great choice. Soft chocolate chip cookies are very calming. This is an amazing choice for everybody. Even if you have an allergy, there are many different varieties of recipes to choose from to avoid an allergic reaction.
Pies! Every type of pie is very popular for a fall desert or even snack! Apple picking season is just around the corner as summer turns to fall so picking your favorite kind of apple and baking it into a pie can be a fun activity and an amazing snack. WUMS student Hugh Chase loves apple pie. “I just like it since it is easy to make and it tastes really good.” Isla mentioned how she loves apple pie, also.
Spring time! Right after a long winter, the VT trees start producing sap. Candies made from maple syrup are a sweet and accessible snack for the spring. Many locals love to get a yummy treat for the sugar shack and tourists love them too!
Even though people love different seasons and different snacks, some snacks are better than others.
80th Anniversary of D-Day
BY HUGH
This June Sixth, it will be 80 years since Canadian, British, American and Commonwealth forces stormed the beaches of Normandy. Millions of people from around the world will gather at the Omaha cemetery and other cemeteries to remember the fallen.
June 6th marks the allied landings and the start of the liberation of France. 130,000 men from the Nations above stormed the beaches. It was also a nail in the coffin to the Germans.
President of France Emmanuel Macron said, “It will be one of the largest gatherings in Normandy in decades. Since it is one of only a few years to go to meet these heroes.”
Some of the celebrations will start as early as next week May 6th 2024.
Multiple places will be holding reenactments you can be in or watch.
As June comes closer the celebrations will only keep going up before June 6th.
Girls Lax Wins
BY WILLOW
March 30, 2024 was the middle school girls’ first lacrosse game.
The game was at home against Hartford.
In the first quarter of the game, our middle school girls were up by 5. In the second half of the game Hartford stepped up and tied the game 6-6. Thanks to Betta, Woodstock came ahead 7-6, then 8-6.
Hartford did not want to lose and managed to tie the game up again, 8-8.
Woodstock was starting to panic with the team standing on the sideline shivering because of the cold. When all hope seemed lost Betta pulled through and brought Woodstock up, 9-8. The Wasps managed to keep the game like this until the final whistle blew.
The game ended 9-8. The Woodstock girls were overcome by joy. They shook sticks and cheered, and their first game came to an end.
Weather
BY HUGH
To start, our weather will be amazing this Friday and Saturday with temperatures in the 70s.
Saturday day clouds on the rise with rain entering the area Saturday night. Heavy rain is likely Sunday with winds and only high temperature around 48 degrees Fahrenheit. Monday and Tuesday will be warm with highs at or above 70 degrees.
Not much for the rest of the country for now.
Advice
BY LUCY
Kasia asks: Should I take the bus that takes an hour or get picked up half an hour late?
Advice: By the time Kasia's dad comes and gets her the bus would be halfway home. But when her dad picks her up and drives home it would be half an hour so they would get there at the same time. Kasia either can wait for a bus which she does not like or wait for her dad. I think she should wait for her dad because the bus ride is twice the time and she can get a snack from her dad, too.
Will the Bruins Make the Playoffs?
BY NOLAN
The Boston Bruins are in the playoffs. To make it to the Stanley Cup they have to win four out of seven games – whoever wins goes to the Stanley Cup.
This week the Boston Bruins are playing against the Toronto Maple Leafs. If the Boston Bruins beat them four times they play a different hockey team. If the Bruins beat that other hockey team they make it to the Stanley Cup. But if they lose the Bruins are out till next year.
So far the Bruinshave been having a great season. The Boston Bruins lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs in game five of their series. The Maple Leafs had two and the Boston Bruins had one point on the board. In game four it was one to five. In the first playoff game, the Boston Bruins won five to one. In game two the Maple Leafs won three to two. In game three the Bruins won four to two, and in game four the Bruins won three to one.
The Boston Bruins are in a good spot in the playoffs but if they lose tonight's game they’re out till next year.The Boston Bruins have been around since December 1, 1924. The Boston Bruins have won the stanley cup six times: one in 1929, 1939, 1941, 1970, 1975, and 2011.
Horoscopes
BY B
Aries Horoscope
After processing, you’re enthusiastic to expand your horizons. What new adventure awaits? Envision your journey during the Sagittarius moon. Invite yourself to think big. Get a little outlandish with what you see. It’s good to push the boundaries of what’s possible in the mind. Break your glass ceiling.
Taurus Horoscope
Uncovering hidden truths? The Sagittarius moon encourages you to look inward today and examine the philosophies that guide you. These beliefs create the psychological aspects of your experience. Pull out for a wider perspective. What you see can lead to a profound personal discovery.
Gemini Horoscope
Exploring relationship options? The Sagittarius moon highlights a dualistic need for closeness and freedom. Entertain the best of both worlds. Be open-minded about what’s possible. Try not to assume how others will feel without discussing it first. Sharing your thoughts will be the next step.
Cancer Horoscope
Have pep in your step? The day looks brighter than usual during the Sagittarius moon. Soak up the good vibes. A feeling of empowerment puts you in a productive mood. Get to work on something you’re passionate about. Your enthusiastic headspace makes for easy sailing.
Leo Horoscope
Fun is calling! Burn off emotional residue by embracing your inner child. The Sagittarius moon invites you to play. Inspired to take a spontaneous outing? Go out and explore. See where your heart wants to take you. Whatever stimulates your sense of adventure will do.
Virgo Horoscope
Recoup from intense busyness. Feel like staying in? A day at home revitalizes your emotional energy under the Sagittarius moon.
Save having an agenda for another day. Give yourself the space to do whatever you want. There’s nothing more satisfying than having free rein in your sanctuary.
Libra Horoscope
Go on a journey of the mind. Have a new book you’re excited to read? Dive into another world. The Sagittarius moon delights in a good story. Sometimes, it’s nice to get out of your reality and into
Scorpio Horoscope
On a quest for abundance? The Sagittarius moon will give you energy to grow your material resources. Collect your ideas. Explore multiple avenues to increase your earning potential. Some may require you to take a risk. Take a chance so you don’t miss out on a good thing!
Quarter 4 Issue I April 26, 2024
High School Band Heads to Six Flags Festival
BY LUCY
The Woodstock Union High School band is going on a trip to Six Flags, where they will participate in a competition. This is their second year going. They won last year and are excited to play.
The trip starts with a festival/ competition with different high school bands, who perform in front of judges who are professional musicians. They then get critiques and then are placed against the other bands.
The band is playing one piece called “ The Call Of The Wild.” Band teacher Mr.Trudeau says,'' A lot of people shine in this piece.” It's an exciting song with a fast pace. Another song they will play is “Elements.” Graham, a band member, says “Elements is a harder song because it is longer and more complex.”
The rest of the day they go to Six Flags to celebrate and have fun.
Weather: Sunny days with 70s on the way
BY HUGH
To start off. our weather is going to be amazing. with the temperatures only going up. We'll see upper 50s on Friday than 64 on Saturday with a huge surge in temperatures with mid 70s Sunday and into Wednesday.
Tuesday could see a system with rain and wind. While no flooding is expected, it's something to watch.
Now in the Midwest, we are looking at the next 4-6 days of severe weather with tornadoes,wind, and hail. The main risk Friday and into Sunday appears to be tornadoes and hail. Otherwise our severe weather risk is low.
Celebrating Earth Day
BY ISLA
On Monday, April 22, the Woodstock Union Middle School (WUMS) students participated in various activities around the campus and surrounding area to celebrate Earth Day.
After shortened classes all morning, the students’ activities began at 1:00. The seventh graders took a hike up King Farm meadow, and the eighth graders participated in activities led and created by the high school Earth Beat club.
About having shortened classes, 7th grader Charlie B. comments, “I liked our shortened classes because it made time go by faster and I definitely think the hike was worth it.”
Teacher Ms. Hanrahan says that usually shortened classes are worth it, but it was a bit more difficult than usual to have this disruption directly following a week of testing.
The students interviewed enjoined the hike, but, 7th grader Chloe adds, “I think at the top of the hike we should have done something more constructive. I felt like we kind of just sat there and I wanted to play a game. I also felt like we were very separated into our different groups.”
Students didn’t take much away from the Climate Change aspect of Earth day, but they did enjoy the activities we did.
After a crazy winter, students enjoy the spring weather.
Photos BY KASIA
Cognia Testing
BY KASIA and WILLOW
Woodstock Union Middle School students have finally finished a week of Cognia testing. From April 15th to 19th, the students were working hard to finish up the state testing.
The 7th grade students had the English Language Arts test on Wednesday followed by the math test on Friday. Every three years, the students take a science test so the 8th graders had to take an extra test on science.
“I saw the students working hard and digging in. Students seemed to take it seriously,” says 7th grade math teacher, Mr. Kent. Having mixed opinions, humanities teacher Mrs. Lessard was thinking about the organization of the testing week. “I think the organization for the people who administered the test was good, we got all of the materials we needed and the snacks were good.” One thing that some people can agree on is “the whole week was too much - too tiring,” she mentions.
Lots of the students were worried about the testing. Maybe it would be too stressful, scary, or long. Once we finally made it to the first test day, the students realized it wasn’t that bad. “I think it was a stressful environment but I don’t think people thought it was horrible. I’m not sure I feel like there's not much that can be changed but you just have to test,” 7th grade student Isla mentions.
Overall, the students and the teachers had mixed opinions about the testing week but at least it's over. Next year will be round two.
Cartoon BY ALYSSA
Infographic BY NOLAN
Forest Fire Advice from Tom Emery
BY NOLAN
Forest fires can start at this time of year. There is dry grass, and it’s windy. We all can learn about how to avoid forest fires. For starters, keep the fire in the fireplace so that it doesn't spread to make a forest fire. To learn more,I talked to Tom Emery, who is a Woodstock firefighter.
Nolan: How many forest fires have Woodstock firefighters been called to?
Tom Emery: We’ve been called to many forest fires over the years. Usually, they’re small, like less than an acre, but some have been much larger, like over 10 acres.
Nolan: How do forest fires start?
Tom Emery: Forest fires usually start by carelessness. Sometimes it is a homeowner who is burning something during a time when they shouldn’t. For example, the current conditions where there is a lot of fuel available, such as dried grass and leaves from last growing season, combined with low humidity, and strong winds can lead to a fire growing out of control. Towns will ban burning when these conditions exist. Here is a link to the present conditions in Vermont. As you can see by the map, conditions are high right now.
Nolan: How long do forest fires take to put out?
Tom Emery: Forest fires can take anywhere from an hour to put out to many days. For example, your average fire around a homeowner’s house may just take an hour to put out. Sometimes in these situations firefighters will walk around grass that is burning and apply some water from a backpack tank. However, other times a fire may burn for a couple days to weeks because of its location. A couple years ago there was a fire up in Killington. The location was more than a mile from the road with no easy access because of the very steep mountainside, so it was really difficult to get resources to the fire such as personnel, water, and other equipment
Live Your Life Week
BY ALYSSA
From April 1st through 5th the Woodstock middle school QSA hosted a Live your Life week full of activities for all middle schoolers.
They had questions, a card game, a presentation, and a step over the line game planned for this week.
They wanted to show that everyone is another person outside of this community, and that you should not judge one based on what they present to the world, but that most have some sort of darkness lurking behind them, a wall of (private) negative past experiences.
Over two months, they had worked to get the script and permission needed to host this week.
In an informal interview with Lexi and Libby, the President and Vice-President of QSA, they said that making this work was difficult, and that there was this sense of impending doom or “What if this doesn’t work?!?” In that vein, they also said that group motivation and cooperation were difficult to maintain.
7th grade student Isla said that she enjoyed the presentation and flower poem, and that she was able to get a pin or flower if she wanted. “The step over the line thing was revealing.”
“It was powerful, you had to be patient, and it made you reflect.” Isla said, answering the question of ‘Overall Opinion?’
“Everyone is equal, and all deserve the same. Treat people with kindness.”
Upcoming Musical: Newsies!
BY B
This Saturday from 6-7 p.m., our YOH theater program is performing the musical Newsies at the WUHSMS auditorium.
According to Ms. Bender, who teaches theater, the play is about "When powerful newspaper publishers raise prices at the newsboys' expense, the charismatic Jack Kelly rallies newsies from across the city to strike against the unfair conditions. Together, the newsies learn that they are stronger united and create a movement to fight for what's right."
Some members of the cast were asked about the play and what their experience has been like. Hannah McComb said, “It was kind of hectic, But really enjoyable.” Grace Foley said it was "Fun and stressful.” Charlie Davis also said, “It’s definitely been a roller coaster.”
They all said it was fun and they are glad they get the leading roles this time. Usually those are left to the Woodstock Union High schoolers. They said the audience can expect good times,comedy, “a lot of running and music.”
Iran Attacks Israel
BY HUGH
On Saturday April 13th Iran and its allies launched 170 drones, 31 cruise missiles and 120 ballistic missiles in a direct attack on Israel. This was after Israel killed a top general of Iran, so they launched their attack in a tit for tat. In a move to do as much damage as possible to AFB, “air force bases” and military installations and some civilians as a retaliatory strike.
Mr. McCormick says “It makes me very worried that the conflict is gonna escalate. And I'm worried that it will result in more civilians being killed for reasons I don't understand. It's pretty horrific what's going on. I don't get what Iran hopes to get out of this besides more chaos in this area.”
Israel has vowed to retaliate. And as of this time we do not know what their plans for a retaliatory strike are. But a possibility is they go for nuclear sights or where the missiles and drones were launched from.
Germany, the United States, and the UK told Netanyahu to back down and to show restraint.
Netanyahu said, “Thank you but we can make our own decisions” The war is only growing as more nations weigh in.
Charlie Davis says “I think that in a war attacks are sometimes necessary. But I believe that this war is unnecessary.” And Faris Al Fahim says, “It's kind of interesting that another country may have joined the war and it will be interesting to see what happens in the next weeks. And it shows the war is escalating. And what if more countries get involved and make this a bigger conflict.”
This is only the start of this possible conflict with Israel wanting a counterstrike. With more attacks possible it raises the question is this the start of a much larger conflict. That has just reached its boiling point
Changing of the Guard -- Principals
BY ISLA
Woodstock Middle and High School is about to have a changing of the guards, or in this case principals. At the end of the year, Mr. Smail and Mr. T are both leaving us and we are going to be joined by Dr. C, currently the principal at Prosper Valley School (TPVS), and another principal who has yet to be decided.
Students are excited for the change but sad to lose our current principals. Chloe C., a seventh grader, says “I like Mr. C. I’m happy that he’s coming but I also really liked Mr. T and Mr. Smail, so I’m kind of sad about that.”
Dr. C says leaving TPVS is bittersweet, but he’s excited to build relationships with the community here at WUHSMS. When asked what he’s looking forward to teaching here, Dr. C explains “I am particularly enthusiastic about exploring how we can best prepare our modern-day teenagers to be independent, active members of the community and conscientious citizens.”. We know our community will miss its current principals but hope to welcome the new ones warmly.
Bord Finds A Friend
Cartoon BY NAT
The Concert
BY NOLAN
This weekend on Saturday March 23, I went to my first concert with my dad. We saw Sullivan King and Poppy and Avenged Sevenfold in Manchester, NH.
The bands were good for my first time but the drive to the concert was full of lots of bad weather. There were cars off the road. We got home at one in the morning Sunday. On the way there were cars off the road, and on the way back there was another car off the road. That is one thing about driving, is how much ice and snow was on the road.
Sometimes when you go to one concert, you really go to more than one. That’s because more than one band is often there playing their music. This weekend, Sullivan King played first. Then it was a 30-40 minute wait for Poppy. She played for about an hour, and then there was another 20 minute wait for Avenged Sevenfold.
The best band at the concert was Avenged Sevenfold for sure. They played many different songs that people might not know, but some songs you will know just by how the beat of it goes or the rhythm goes. One of Avenged Sevenfold's songs is “Nobody.” My favorite was probably “Shepherd of Fire.”
The whole show was in an arena at Southern New Hampshire University. There were lots of colorful lights and stacks of speakers on both sides of the stage. The stage was only about 20-25 feet from where me and my dad were sitting. It was super loud, especially for Sullivan King because he’s a DJ.
When I got home at one in the morning I couldn’t sleep because my head was still ringing from the noise. But the concert was fun.
Here are some photos taken by Noah Coyle in the first week of spring showcasing our school.
My Free Time
BY NOLAN
My name is Nolan. I am a 7th grader and I have a lot of stuff to do in my free time. I am a Proctorsville junior firefighter and a two time cancer survivor. Here are some things I like to do: I like hockey, racing, music, and dogs. I also like fishing and boating. I like to bike and explore other places. I like having parties out of school. I also follow the Boston Bruins, the Celtics, and the Ravens and Patriots; and I like spending time in my dad’s truck.
My dad has a Toyota truck, and he named it Lizzo. It has black and red and some white on the seats. My dad just drives it for fun. We took it on this trail that was all muddy. You hit a bump on Lizzo, and you don’t feel anything. The tires are so good you don’t feel any bumps. My dad has had many trucks. He had one we called Apple Crusher. It was also a tiny Toyota.When I get my license, I'm gonna start off getting my dad really mad, and then I’m going to get him really calm. I’m going to buy a Ford first, or a Chevy. And then my next truck, it’s going to be a Toyota. It’s going to be better than Lizzo.
Another way I spend my free time is seeing more trucks at the firehouse. That’s because I am also a junior firefighter in Proctorsville. Here are some things about being a Proctorsville junior firefighter: For one thing, when they tell you to get in your fire gear, they mean get in it fast. Also when you do an ice water training, you need to stay warm or you will freeze. When you’re inside doing an obstacle course, they want you in full gear, then you do it blindfolded. You also need to know where stuff goes, like the jacks or J hooks, and how to roll the fire hoses up the right way.
I spend every Tuesday night at the firehouse, but here are some things I do to relax. My ideal saturday: Wake up, play video games, eat some breakfast, take the dogs out, and go back to video games. I might watch my brother play hockey, and go home and play more video games. I like to play Call of Duty and Fortnite. I also like to play fighting games like Mortal Kombat, and racing and biking games. After some video games I would watch the puppies. In conclusion, I like making messes in my free time.
Quarter 3 Issue 4 March 15, 2024
A Comprehensive Color Review
BY NAT
Red: Red is an original but overrated color. Look at that smug little red face. People always see it as the default just because it's red. Sure it's a primary color, but we’ve got two more of those guys! Red is the leader of the hot colors, which I respect, but it is still far, far, behind the most popular colors, with ~8% of people choosing it as their favorite. My main gripe is that it is seen as the rival against blue, the complete opposite of blue, a powerful battle of the titans… except it's not, Because the “titans” are blue, green and purple, and red is trailing behind by 6%. It's not even the opposite of blue; that goes to orange, which is behind even black. Despite this, red id O.K. I would say it's the best out of the warm colors. I give it 3 stars. Might use again.
Orange: Okay, orange sucks. It is CLEARLY the worst color. In fact, it's so bad that I am going to turn the font for this review to orange just so you have to stop reading anything else about this terrible color. You're welcome. Okay, well I still have to explain why orange is so bad, so if you refuse to avert your eyes you can have a nice long paragraph on why I hate orange. If you are one of the 5% of people who actually likes this mundane excuse of a color, I regret to inform you that either your eyes are severely damaged, or your taste is damaged more so. Mean jokes aside, orange can barely be classified as a real color. Really! In the rainbow itself, orange is literally just a mix of red and yellow. Before you argue that green is as well, just actually GOOGLE THE COLOR and tell me that it looks anything like blue or yellow. It doesn’t does it? Orange is a forgotten niche color that doesn’t appear in any part of your life. Even the orange that you see on this screen RIGHT NOW isn’t even orange. It's just a mix of red, green, and blue. A few other colors manage to fail at being a real rainbow color or screen color, but NO color fails at both. You could say orange is really making history. I rate this color 1 star. Would not use it again.
Yellow: If you decided to be a nerd and search up which other colors are fake screen colors, you would probably come across this sad little forgettable guy. At first glance yellow seems like a prominent little guy. He's a primary color, and scientifically, one of the most vibrant. Except in our world, it's just super forgotten. With all of the white in our daily lives, is it really all that visible? Like, can you see what I'm writing right now without having to squint your eyes? It's really annoying hunh, that you can’t see what I'm writing isn’t it? Doesn’t it kind of make you hate this forgetful color? Much better right? It's just very hard to see on such bright backgrounds, which we as humans happen to have a lot of. It's even forgotten as a primary color! Like think of primary colors. I bet you just thought of blue or red and if you didn’t, it was just because you want to seem smart and debunk my claim and you already know what this article is about. (I was right wasn’t I? Don’t think I don’t know your tricks.) It even got replaced by green when using electronics, making the catchy but yellowles rgb. WHAT ABOUT POOR YELLOW? (green will get points taken off for this, just you wait.) I feel bad that yellow is so sidelined, but it's still a good color. I just feel like more people should like it. Like the same amount of people like it as BROWN! BROWN! I give yellow 2.5 stars. May use again.
Green: Man, green is awesome. If you thought I was going to take away points for replacing yellow, then this is the first of many occasions that you will see I don’t keep my promises. Green is just so varied. It’s legit science that people can see more shades of green than any other color. Like, look at this shade! Now look at this one! Now look at this one! Now look at this on- oooooooooh actually this one looks really pretty I think I'm gonna write in this for the rest of the green section. (This one also looks super pretty and I don’t care if you can’t even read what this says.) Blabbing about this pretty color aside, green is just so Varied! Like, look at this calming gradient I made in 1 minute. AAAA Now look at this annoying little orange gradient that I also made in 1 minute. AAAA Neither are bad, but the second one seems like a gradient for both orange and yellow, and it feels really weird and frustrating that I just called it an “orange” gradient, doesn’t it. (yeah don’t pretend you don’t think it's annoying. No! Don’t say in your mind “What is this guy talking about?” as you act all flabbergasted that i'm saying this. I KNOW YOUR TRICKS.)The green one manages to change by the same amount and still look 100% green. It's sooooo cool, and I don’t even care that it took yellow’s place. HE DESERVED IT! Actually I don’t think he did, but green is so cool it doesn’t even get scolded for it. It's also one of the overall favorite colors in the world, and my personal favorite color. (I can be biased! It’s my article! Make your own and say whatever the heck you want! I’ll always know mine is better.) 5/5 Turn every color into green.
Blue: Blue is amazing. Like, what are the chances we get two totally cool colors right next to each other. Blue is by far the most loved color, and it kinda deserves to be. I love green and all, but blue does just about everything green does and better. It's super varied, it works for anything, and it just has such a nice feel. Like when have you looked at blue and gotten angry or full of energy? Never. (and don’t say something stupid like “but the blue gatorade makes me full of energy!” You little contradicting trickster. I know you just Love debunking arguments with dumb logic, but it wont work on me YOU [redacted]) Look at my font right now. It's sort of exciting, isn’t it? It sort of reminds you of blood Now look at this. What a boring color. So pointless. So dull. Now look at this. Kinda makes you anxious right? Wait, was there something I was supposed to do? Now look at this soothing color. It looks so nice, it makes you think ahead, makes you calm. Keeps you nice and relaxed. Contrast that with red, which just makes you angry, it's clear who's the better color. I wouldn’t say blue is better than green, green is a tiny bit better. Like this tiny a bit better. Yeah this small. If you are actually reading this, I gotta congratulate you. Otherwise, this is my chance to be mean to you because you can’t read this. Okay I'm sooo nice I won't, but just know that I could. Couldn’t read what that said? Ha ha. Feels bad right? I’ll carry the secret to my grave. But anyway. Blue and green are both great, but one slightly better than the other. I will write which one is better right here in very readable font. Seriously, I wrote which one is better like 10 SECONDS ago in the article. JUST READ THE DANG TEXT IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE OKAY? As an extra treat, I will also write the star rating in even more readable font. Haha, You can’t read this and even if you could, I'm not putting the star rating in here anyway. Yeah I'm mean. Maybe if you didn’t try to CONTRADICT ME ALL THOSE TIMES I would tell you.
Purple: Purple is nice. (yeah finally a review that doesn’t attack you in every way possible. Feels nice hunh? Like you're reading a real review rather than one you found one a website for free because YOUR SO CHEAP YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE A SUBSCRIPTION TO ANY REAL ARTICLES. Look what you’ve reduced yourself to. Well, I’ll be nice for once and let you decide. You can just stop here and know my fake opinion on purple, or you can purposefully dive into a land of sarcasm and insults just because. Oh you want the first option? WELL TOO BAD YOU'RE READING THIS ANYWAY! You couldn’t stop yourself could you? You want to know. You have to know. Here I'll prove it. Stop reading right now. Put this down and actually don’t read it again. I'll wait. Still here? See? At most you stopped for a few hours. If you're reading this then I know you couldn’t control yourself. You want to know my opinion on purple? WELL TOO BAD YOU DON’T GET TO. After all of this time and hard work, you don’t even get to know. I don’t have to tell you. What, you think that just because this is an opinion piece I have to tell you everything? WRONG. Maybe I was lying about the other colors too? What if I hated on your favorite color just because, and hurt your feelings because it's fun? YOU'LL NEVER KNOW! HOW DOES THAT FEEL YOU- Oh hey it's 11:55. Class is over. Nice. 4/5
Want a Protective Dog? Get a Rottweiler
BY NOLAN
When I was little I always wanted a bulldog, but then I got two rottweilers. As I’ve gotten to know rottweilers, I’ve learned their bite is a lot harder than a bulldog’s.
My opinion is that rottweiler dogs are the most protective dog breed. One reason why is because their bite is 328 pounds per square inch (psi). They are also loyal and huge. Male rottweilers can weigh about 110 to 130 pounds.
Another reason rottweilers are protective is they love to play with kids when they’re puppies. My puppies are nine weeks old. They love to play and they love going after your socks and biting your toes. They also love playing in the snow and running after sticks. Also, rottweilers like to bite on rope.
Did you know that rottweilers are a part of the bullmastiff family? Both dogs are protective and loyal. One main reason that rottweilers are protective is because of who they are loved by. When someone is at the door they will bark and you have to step in front of them because you know that person but they don’t. Rottweilers can get mad but you have to know their playful growl and their “I am mad at you” growl.
Rottweilers are the most protective breed of dog, but that’s not the only thing that makes them great. Another reason why a rottweiler is a great pet is because they love going outside. Also they have lots of energy in the morning. They have to go outside when they wake up from sleeping and eating their food. They like to have fun in the snow, they like to roll around in the snow, and they also like to play with you and jump on you in the morning to say “hi.” Another advantage of rottweilers is that they don't spread fur around you house
In conclusion rottweilers are the most protective dogs, and a great choice for a pet.
Why Our School Should Have a Creative Art Elective
BY BOWIE
In your average art class, you mainly go over topics related to colors and the way they relate to each other. Many activities within the class revolve around drawing and painting. While every now and then you brush over pottery or some other mini unit, most classes only involve art including a pencil or a paintbrush. I think we should change this.
Woodstock Union Middle School should have a Creative Art Elective. One that doesn’t just cover a single topic, but many.
In our Creative Art Elective, we should be able to experience many different kinds of art, not just drawing or painting, but anything from photography to food art. I believe that if we had a class where students could pick a type of art that interests them, they would thrive. They could dive into a world of creativity.
I know from experience that when you are intrigued by something, you will be more willing to explore that thing than something that doesn’t interest you.
In addition to that, when students make art of their choosing, they get to have a break from their outside lives. When doing art, students don’t have to do homework and the like, they can just do art. There is no right or wrong when it comes to making masterpieces, and that makes a creative art classroom an ideal place for relieving stress.
Some might say that classic painting and drawing is what they wanted in an art class, and that they might not be able to do this in a Creative Art elective. However, since you are allowed to do any art you would like, you could always draw pictures or paint as your method of creativity. In addition, you could always take the original art class as well.
With a class where students can express themselves, explore their creative sides, and discover their passions, our school would benefit greatly. When students create their passions, a whole building could change.
The Robot King: Mr. Smith
BY NOLAN
When I walked into Mr. Smith's room on Tuesday afternoon, it felt like a party. High school students were playing a quiz game and there were lights. Looking around, you could also tell there were lots of things in his room that a typical classroom might not have: There were lots of 3-D printers
Andy Smith is a robotics teacher down in the high school by other classrooms. He is short and funny. On top of robots he also teaches 3 other classes, including classes on coding and building robots.
Other teachers like Meg Siddiqui say that Mr. Smith is “patient.”
Here are some questions I asked Mr. Smith, and his answers. I asked him how he got interested in robotics, and he told me that his kids were on a Robot team. He also told me that robotics has changed a lot since he first started working with robots. Back then, robots were too much money. Now they are more affordable, and they can do things besides fighting, like racing, picking up soccer balls, throwing, and more. Mr. Smith said he cannot predict the future, but he said it will be a long time before self-driving cars become real.
In his free time, Mr. Smith likes to read, play with his dog, and watch sci-fi movies and shows.
In conclusion, Mr Smith is the robot king and the king of his classroom.
Steve Lanoza Q&A
BY NOAH
Meet Steve Lanoza. He’s the friendly, cap-wearing, smiling man who works in the lunchroom at the end of the salad bar. I interviewed him about his work, asking some questions and here they are.
Question: What is it like to serve lunch to over 350 kids every day?
Answer: Challenging. There’s a lot of different food options but a lot of kids know what they're getting.
Question: Do you have a favorite lunch?
Answer: Yes, my favorite lunch is orange chicken and we enjoy making it.
Question: What do you like about your job and what do you not like about your job?
Answer: One thing I like about my job is that I get to interact with a lot of kids. I don’t like the early morning hours.
Question: What do you do before and after work?
Answer: Wake up. My routine is to make sure the family is ready to go. Afterwards I spend time with my kids and wife and spend time outside.
Question: Is there anything hard about your job?
Answer: To me, no. To someone who’s never done it before, yes. Working well with other people.
Question: Is there anything easy about your job?
Answer: Most of it, because I get into a routine. It's easy because it has order.
Mr. McCormick Profile
BY BOWIE
Most days, when you enter the middle school gym, you will hear laughter and shouting. You will see kids running around and chasing after each other. And on most occasions, you will also spot Mr. McCormick, the 7th grade gym teacher, in on the action. Mr. McCormick has made the switch to teaching Wellness just this year, for the first time ever.
“Some good days, some less good days,” Mr.McCormick stated, when asked about how his first year is going. “I mean honestly, it's not that different from before, but the gym has added some new challenges. But also some new fun.”
Later, when asked about whether he preferred class Wellness or gym Wellness, he replied, “I dunno if I have a preference. It's just different things I'm comfortable with.” He then explained that his favorite gym game was dodgeball. “It encourages a lot of participation.”
Mr. McCormick used to live in Alaska, where he went to university. He has spent ten years (and counting) teaching here in Woodstock. He was born in New Hampshire, and his favorite fast food restaurant is Wendys, even though he doesn’t normally eat fast food.
He also has a thing for giving wisdom-filled quotes with his students. “When your soul is looking for you, light a candle in its path,” He said, thoughtfully, interrupting Mr. Kent’s H block self-direction to share the quote.
You never know what to expect from Mr. McCormick.
Horoscopes
BY NAT
Aries : March 21 - April 19
Watch Jeopardy. But only The prime number episodes. Don’t watch any other shows. For the best results watch it on Prime Video on a Prime date drinking prime in a prime month with a prime number of letters in its name. Feel free to add on any other primes as you see fit. Also please note that this response has a prime number of characters in it. (353)
Taurus : April 20 - May 20
Don’t trust any geckos that look like they’re from North carolina. It doesn’t matter if it is, just follow your instincts. If you do see one, don’t let it give you advice. North Carolina anagrams to Antichlor roan, meaning an anti-allergic drug that is mainly brown with small spots of other colors. If you see a gecko you think is from North Carolina, attack it with some Antichlor roan!
Gemini : May 21 - June 20
Piper smith often sense Devil image is the 6 last wordle answers before and on the leap year. Your friend piper smith will often sense devil image, so keep him safe. If he does sense an image of the devil, he should change his name.
Cancer : June 21 - July 22
Cancer made into a number is 31143518. Due to the paradox that every number is interesting, I have listed here some ways it is interesting.
3/11/43518 is a Monday.
The prime factorization of 31143518 is 2 × 15571759
When plugged into the triangular number equation, n = 1/2(−1± √3878402662503694097)
The divisors of this number are 1, 2, 7, 14, 23, 41, 46, 49, 82, 98, 161, 287, 322, 337, 574, 674, 943, 1127, 1886, 2009, 2254, 2359, 4018, 4718, 6601, 7751, 13202, 13817, 15502, 16513, 27634, 33026, 46207, 54257, 92414, 96719, 108514, 193438, 317791, 379799, 635582, 677033, 759598, 1354066, 2224537, 4449074, 15571759
31143518 is a deficient number
Leo : July 23 - August 22
uf uuu uru wundurung whu ull uf thu vuwuls uru thu luttur u, ruud un. Thu furst uct uf thu tumpust cuntuuns ~8945 vuwuls. Turn thum ull untu thu luttur u. Lut unu a survuvu und lut ut bu lunulu, su ut quustuuns ut’s uxustuncu.
Virgo : August 23 - September 22
10011 00011 00110 10000 11011 11100 11100 11100 11111 01001 00110 01001 00100 10101 11000 00111 00100 00011 01110 10000 00111 00011 10010 10010 10101 00100 10000 00011 01111 00001 00100 10000 10100 00001 00100 10000 00110 11100 00001 00100 10000 11000 00100 01001 00001 01110 11000 01001 00001 00100 10000 10100 00110 00101 00100 10011 10100 11000 10010 00001 00100 10000 10100 00110 01100 11010 11011 11001 11111 00100 00110 11100 00100 01111 00110 01100 01001 00011 00100 00110 11100 10110 01010 00001 00101 00101 00001 01001 11011 11100 11111 00100 00011 01100 10101 10011 00011 10101 11011 01100 11111 00100 00101 11000 01010 01010 10101 00100 11001 00111 10000 00100 10101 11000 00111 00100 01111 00110 01100 01001 00011 00100 01001 00110 01001 00100 10000 10100 00110 00101 00100 01101 11000 01010 00100 01100 11000 10000 10100 00110 01100 11010 00100 11001 00001 01110 00011 00111 00101 00001 00100 00110 11011 00101 11111 11110 00001 00100 11010 11000 10000 00100 01100 11000 10000 10100 00110 01100 11010 00100 01110 11000 11000 10010 00100 11000 01010 00100 00101 00001 01110 01010 00011 10000 00001 00100 00110 01100 00100 10100 00001 01010 00001 11011 11100 Decode this to find the meaning of life! Become a billionaire by decoding this simple binary text! This code holds the secret to everything you want!!!
Libra : September 23 - October 22
Eat ore an’ GEs, but not oranges. Any type of ore will do, but GEs is the plural of germanium, the 32 element. Eating Germanium can lead to kidney failure, multi-organ dysfunction, lung toxicity, and nerve damage, which is where the ore comes in. Eat it before to better prepare your immune system. (Nathaniel Holland is not a doctor. Nat’s horoscope ideas is made for entertainment purposes only, and any situations of injury/ death are not the fault of advice given by Nat’s horoscope ideas. Please do not try to consume Germanium or ore without consulting a doctor.)
Pisces : February 19 - March 20
If your first name is Mr. and your last name is Mccormick, you must never yell again. This is a sign sent by the gods and ignoring it will initiate a great storm that lasts for 8 years or something.
Quarter 3, Issue 2 February 16, 2024
Question of the Week: Who Is Your Favorite Character in Animal Farm?
BY NAT
The question has certainly raised a little attention, but has never been done officially. Because of the sad cancellation of the poetry out loud essays, (see story below for details) I decided to interview 43 people to get an answer.
Unvoted: Starting off with the most unliked, forgotten characters, we have Minimus, Moses, Jessie, Pincher, The black Cockerel, and all the rest of the humans. Though a few students expressed love for Moses, unfortunately, none wanted to give him their vote.
One votes: These characters, just managing to get 1 vote each, all together only total 6% of the votes. These include Bluebell, Mollie, and Pinkeye, a long forgotten character that just scraped up a vote by David Solitaire, Simply stating “he's cool.”
8th & 7th: Tying for eighth, we have Clover and Benjamin, both with 3 and a half votes. (one student insisted on splitting their vote between the two.) Some reasons included Benjaman being “pragmatic” by Ms. Hanrahan and Clover being “motherly” by Kasia.
6th & 5th: In another tie for 6th, we’ve got the scheming Squealer and free-spirited The cat. I, like many others, was quite confused to see this feline so high on the list, gaining 4 solid followers, just as many as Squealer. Mrs. Lessard herself confessed a secret love for this round piglet. “I don’t like what he's doing, but I like how hard he's trying to do it.” she says.
4th: Coming in for fourth, we have the trusted, loved old boar, Old Major, with 5 votes. Despite no one giving a reason as to why they loved this old pig, it is clear that his overall wisdom and charisma secured him high on the board.
3rd and 2nd: And tied neck and neck, we have the two biggest rivals. Snowball and Napoleon, tying in with 7 votes each, and 28% of the entire voting pool. Though neither ended out on top, both have proved themselves as some of the most loved characters in all of Animal Farm.
1st: And coming in first, with an overwhelming 13 votes, or over ¼ of the votes, is Boxer, the hard working horse who led the labor on Animal Farm. “He carried.” “He's hard working.” “He’s loyal.” Everyone had something to say about this steadfast and lovable stallion.
Boston Bruins
BY NOLAN
The place is TD Garden. Outside, you’ve got the statue of Bobby Orr flying. And then you walk inside and they can probably sit 19,600 people. It is pretty loud. The Jumbotron is yelling and playing music.
It’s the Bruins versus Tampa Bay Lightning, on Tuesday, February 13th. It was my first time at a Bruins game
Many people may not know about the Boston Bruins. Here are some names of some Bruins players: The Captain is now Brad Marchand and in right wing we have David Pastrnak. Also the Boston Bruins have won six Stanley Cups.
The Boston Bruins have had many great seasons and they lose some and win some. Also they are still around from when my uncle played for them, and Brad Marchand had his one thousandth game in the NHL. He has been in many fist fights and somehow wins them all.
I was looking forward to eating Boston Bruins popcorn and chicken nuggets on Tuesday. Sadly to all the Boston Bruins fans out there, Boston lost to Tampa Bay Lighting in a shoot out.
Students relax after Valentine's Day
PHOTOS BY BOWIE 😀
Poetry Postponed
BY NOAH
This week Journalism students were supposed to cover the annual Poetry Out Loud event at the middle school and high school library. Students were denied this chance because school was canceled due to an inconvenience.
The contest was rescheduled to Friday, and Agnes Kardashian took first place with the poem, "Poor Angels." Here I have Ms. Hanrahan, the Journalism teacher quotes; “It was beautiful. I laughed, I cried, I ate cookies." And congratulations to Agnes and all the contestants who participated.
Quarter 3, Issue 1 February 9, 2024
Junior Firefighting
BY NOLAN
Many people may not know about the Proctorsville Fire Department’s junior firefighter program. There are about ten juniors and 24 or 25 firefighters involved. For a small town that is pretty big.
The junior firefighter program is for kids who want to be a firefighter. It meets from 6:00 to 7:30 every Tuesday at the Proctorsville fire department. You have to be 12 years old to participate. At first you don't get to do training, you get to sit and watch and learn what is happening or what is going on.
After the first training, you can do the trainings and some trainings you get to smash cars and get gear on for an obstacle course, and sometimes you get to do a fire hose training with the the trucks.
Bob Glidden is the Deputy Chief in Proctorsville. Also Bob Glidden was also a junior when he started. “While they don’t always go into the fire service, it prepares them for life, too,” Glidden said in an interview with WCAX.
Proctorsville fire department is not the only fire department doing a junior program. Did you know that many fire departments work with other fire departments, too? There is a program called Mutual Aid where departments like the Woodstock fire department work together.
According to Tom Emery, “Woodstock Fire Department works with many different departments through what is called mutual aid. If we have an incident, such as a large structure fire, we will ask for other departments to come and help us out, and we will do the same for them. Some of the towns close by who we often help and ask for their help are Bridgewater, Pomfret, Reading, and Hartford.”
Tom Emery is an officer for the Woodstock Fire Department. He says that trainings for the whole department happen on the first Monday of every month. “We also have other training periodically through the year, like ice rescue. Training is a very important component of fire service,” he says.
Marshall Hendricks, who comes from a family of firefighters in southern New Jersey, spoke with me about the importance of junior programs. His father is the chief of their local volunteer company in Stockton, New Jersey where they have attempted to attract young people to their company. Despite these efforts, their junior program never really took off. Due to this lack of youth involvement, the company will stop existing in its current form in the near future as they are having to merge with another local company. This is a clear example of the importance of junior firefighter programs.
Food Unit Draws Drama
BY BOWIE
For the last couple months, seventh graders have been researching food in Wellness. Students have been reading the book The Omnivore's Dilemma, watching videos about how industrial food is made, and researching certain foods to learn more about the foods that people eat daily. However, on many occasions, it has led to disruptions in diets and even mindsets.
“I started seeing illusions of the chickens that I had eaten,” Nat, a seventh grader, explains when asked about how he has been impacted by the unit. “Eating Cheetos in a carefree manner. Illusions.” Nat is now questioning everything he once thought was true. Later he explains his sadness of the loss of gigabits, once mass produced by Google. “Two plus two may or may not equal four,” He stated, sadly.
When asked if certain views of food have changed since the unit began, seventh grader Noah said that it hasn’t changed much about the way he looked at food. However, he did say, “When I think of farming, I [used to] think of a red barn, but after seeing this, they are just sitting for hours in a day in their own c***.”
In an interview, Mr. McCormick, the 7th grade Wellness teacher, stated, “7th graders are at the age where they are starting to make decisions for themselves. We have more control over the world than we think,” and, “I really enjoy serving students crickets, I feel great.”
New Quarter Gets Students Questioning the Grading System
BY NAT
Now that the 3rd quarter has started, and students have seen their report cards for the previous semester, many students are discontented with their grades. Though grades are quite complicated, and there can be no one reason as to why students may not feel their grades are an accurate reflection of their work, many of them have begun to blame the grading system.
“I feel like some people only grade three to four even when your grade is more like a 3.4. They just round down, instead of like if it was a letter grade you would get like an B+ or an A-,” exclaims Hannah, when asked about the problems with our grading system. “The Alma grades are already letters, so you could just average out those grades rather than having to make them letters and stuff.“ Many students just don’t seem to see why our school needs its numerical assessments.
Believe it or not, the standard based grading system used to be for rooting out problems that students had and fixing them, and was NOT to just be averaged out into some overall grade. Imagine that some kid was really good at math, but had missed a unit and could not just divide fractions. If dividing fractions only accounts for 20% of his grade, even if he did get a D- in Dividing fractions, if he did well in all other parts of math, he could still get away with an A-.
With the standard grading system, even though the idea was to give 1,2,3,or 4 depending on how they are doing in one class, it ended up being averaged out as one big grade in the end.
“It all came from the year 2013, where Vermont passed act 77,” says Jennifer Stainton, who has seen many grading systems and maintains that this grading system is one of the best. Act 77 made it the law that schools should have ‘flexible paths towards graduation,’” or in broader terms, to give students feedback on how they are doing in different classes.
“In the past, we had one hundred so there were basically 100 different grades for any small assignment. Some kids would find ways to get extra points by saying ‘Hey, I noticed I got a 98 on this assignment, and I really wanted a 100. Is there extra work I can do at home?’”
“Point accumulation, rather than meeting a skill, and so there were no other ways to make points than planned revisions.”
In our interview, Stainton mentioned that there should be a follow up on why some teachers do not use decimals in their grades, which was one of the biggest concerns of students. This system is not perfect, and there are many advantages and disadvantages to this way of grading, it still stands a proficient way to give us feedback on our work. Not too broad, not too narrow, not exactly perfect, but simplistic, short, and powerful.
Brain Breaks: Good Or Bad?
BY NOAH
In the Woodstock Union High School And Middle School on Monday afternoon students in the 7th grade science class were reading, writing, and listening to their teacher. It was 1:42 pm. They had been doing work for 5 and half hours.
“I think we should have brain breaks,” said Bowie, a seventh grade student. “It'd be nice to have like a couple breaks just in moderation.”
A brain break is a five to ten minute break doing something you enjoy to get away from a task that you either don’t want to do or a task that is hard. The idea is you come back to the task after doing something you enjoy, being more focused on the task before you.
According to understood.org, “for many students, movement is an ideal brain break. That’s because exercise increases blood flow to the brain, which helps with focus and attention. In fact, research has shown that students learn more quickly after they’ve exercised”.
After a recent brain break, Nolan said, “I'm very tired. I feel like I'm going to scream down the hall right now, yelling random names.”
Nat quotes, “I think that brain breaks are basically like 16th note measure rest but for real life. If your entire world is a fermanta, then that 1/16 measure rest, those small breaks, can mean a lot. I felt good. It felt like I was drifting through space on a plank of wood in a good way. It kept going and like finally it set on fire and then it was satisfying and then it was gone. I don't usually like the color orange. Orange is regularly I see it just as useless and boring but when I was in the middle of that brain Break orange was, it was something else. It wasn't just the color. It was more like Transcendence, you know, a way to exit this universe.”
All students use brain breaks differently but science shows that brain breaks are useful in every way.
In rare twist, middle school produces no news for three months.
Absolutely nothing happened between the end of October and the start of February, sources say. But with the advent of Quarter 3, we are back in business :).
Issue 6 October 27, 2023
Are Woodstock's Ghosts Real?
BY LUCY
Is Woodstock being haunted? Every year there is a ghost walk in town showing all the places that are supposedly haunted.
So are the stories true? Some people believe that they are true but some say that is silly and they are not.
One of the ghosts is said to be haunting Gillinghams, and it is reported that things will fall off the shelf, but when people turn around no one is there.
Chloe says, “Yes, Gillinghams is haunted, along with the Brick building across from the Woodstock inn, the Courthouse and Bentleys.” She said that she has seen people take pictures in front of the brick building, excited to see the famous haunted building.
Other people are more skeptical. Kasia says, “I've heard a bunch of stories but in some ways they don't seem believable.”
Along with Mr.Mcormick, who says, “NO because I have no reason to believe in ghosts so I don’t believe in them. ... there's no ghosts."
In the end people believe in ghosts and they don't believe in ghosts.
Whether ghosts are haunting buildings or not it's still fun to believe them before Halloween.
Woodstock On Top Vs. Windsor for #1 Seed
BY DECLAN and OLIVER
On Saturday night, the Woodstock football team (6-1) took on the undefeated Windsor Yellowjackets (5-0) for the one seed in the playoffs.
With a big game ahead, in preparation Woodstock went 110% in every practice, our team had seen them a day before their game. Woodstock was determined, Windsor has been undefeated for the last two years. Windsor and Woodstock are also rivals which made the game a lot more to look forward to.
Seniors couldn’t wait for the game, the big game was senior night for Woodstock football, with pregame spotlight on the seniors who played their last few games this season. [Josh hough, Jonas Wysocki, and one other.]
On Saturday night the first half ended in a tie 15-15 with a tying touchdown from Woodstock’s, Caden Perreault. Woodstock came out on fire in the second half going on a 21-0 score run. Two more of the touchdowns came from Caden Perreault, again. But the big play that had fans jumping was Carter Warren's big touchdown run that went for 50+ yards for the score.
The final score was 36-15, Woodstock. They will now take the crown as the one seed and will face Oxbow at home on October 27th to advance to the semifinals.
Middle School Journalism Wraps Up Its Quarter 1 Class
BY KASIA
The first quarter of the school year is almost over and the Middle School Journalism class has had a very successful quarter.
For most of the students in the class, it was their first time writing a piece for a newspaper/website. The whole class was made up of eleven people - two eighth graders and nine seventh graders. The class is one quarter long. Every kid in the class has enjoyed working together to make amazing articles for The Hive. Each day the students show up with great attitudes, ready to write.
In his second year doing journalism, Oliver says his favorite story he has done in a podcast about the NFL with Declan. Lucy says her favorite was an opinion story about after school snacks. Yanni and Bri say their favorite was a profile. Declan also mentions his favorite was a multimedia podcast.
Even though the quarter is over, it won’t really be over until a few students are awarded the Pulitzer Prize at the middle school assembly. The highest honor in journalism and art.
PODCAST BY BRI and B
Opinion: We Need More Middle SchoolArt!
BY HUNTER
In the first quarter I wanted to switch my Gardens and Greenhouses class to Art Studio, but I couldn’t do that for some reason my counselor didn’t tell me. They also told me I couldn’t swap the class with a student who has studio art because it would be “complicated,” but I didn’t mind that it might be “complicated” if it could get me into Studio Art, because I like making things with my imagination you can’t have or do in real life, and I bet that i'm not the only one thinking that.
This is why we should have more different types of art classes like Painting, Drawing, Visual Art, Pop Art, Cubism, Abstract Art, Even Sculpting. These wouldn’t be required classes, but electives that would make you able to have fun learning and get the looming pressure of all that homework you have stacked up on your back to disappear.
Ms. Jimerson says that “art helps your mental health and gives you a break. It also gives you a break to express your creativity and imagination.”
Ms. Jimerson also says, “I would love to see more electives like Wood Working, Stained Glass, and even Jewelry. We even used to have sculpting and 3-d modeling.” Now I want to know what happened to all that.
I talked to a high schooler on what they thought. Willow Roberts says, “I had no idea they got rid of all of those art choices. In fact when I was in middle school I was surprised with all the art choices they had.”
In conclusion I think we should bring back all the art classes we used to have.
Quarter 1 Ends
BY FARIS
This week is the last week of quarter one and the teachers are giving projects and tests that will be the first graded assignment.
Students are also excited about changes and new classes. “I'm really excited for the photography class,” Kasia said.
Willow said, “I’m looking forward to basketball, new classes and new people in my classes."
The only problem is that some projects are worth 25% of your grade and it’s stressing people out.
The Amazing Things Real People Say
By YANNI
I went to Mr.McCormick's class (again) and I saw “The Board Of Awesome Things Real People Said." It had so many different questions and sayings, like: ‘We have fingertips but we don’t have toe tips, yet we can tiptoe.’
I thought the board was super funny. I thought it would be interesting to ask some of the students in the classroom a few questions.
But when I showed Mr. McCormick some of the questions, he told me, ‘Wait, ask me the questions.” I asked him, even though they were meant for the students: "If you could say anything amazing, what would you say?”And he responded and said, “Everything I say is amazing.” Then I asked him the rest of the questions but he told me that he only wanted to say that and that's why he asked. But that's Mr.McCormick so it goes into the story anyway.
After that, I went to ask his student, Chloe, to answer any of the questions on the board. Chloe chose to answer, “What is Math plus Math?” and her answer was, “Math plus math equals more math.”
After that I went over to Liam and asked him what he thought was the funniest saying on the board. “ I embody all of capitalism," he said, "because my buddy Tigger said it.”
After asking Liam about that, I was interested in hearing another AMAZING saying Tigger might have to say, and after a moment or two, he said, “You can buy happiness,” and nodded his head happily.
After asking the two boys and hearing their interesting responses, I wanted to ask some other questions to some others, so I went to Brayden and asked him what were his first thoughts about the board and he said, “ I created the board because after I ate an apple my mouth got itchy, so I asked, ‘Why are my teeth so itchy?’ and that's how the board started.”
I also asked Chloe what her first thoughts on the board, and also what she thought was the weirdest/ funniest and she said, “ Who painted my car pink? - because that's kinda weird and my first thoughts when I read the board was ‘ I want to be on that board ’ but I can’t think of anything interesting yet.”
I asked Charlie to say something worth going on the board, and she said “I really can’t think right now.” She didn’t even realize that what she just said was awesome and amazing, so I had to remind her that she just said an awesome thing, and she said, “Oh yeah.”
In the end, it was a very interesting interview with Mr.McCormick's humor, and all the interesting answers to the questions.
WUMS Girls Soccer Season Comes To An Abrupt End
BY WILLOW and B
Due to the rain the WUMS girls' last game was canceled. Nothing is being done to reschedule the game meaning the season for the girls is over with an exception of the one practice put on thursday.
We talked to Lay, one of the team’s captains, and asked how she felt about the abrupt end to the season. What does she think could be done? What would make the ending of the season easier for the team?
Lay said, “I think generally the season went pretty well, and I think we grew as a team a lot.” She also mentioned that at the end of the season things were ok. She said, “I think it would be nice if something could have been done to reschedule the game, but I'm glad we got to do an end of the year scrimmage.
We also asked about what she thinks the team did well and what they could have improved on, To which she says “I think there are definitely some things our team could have done better at the end of the season. For example in our last few games I felt like we weren't as aggressive as we could have been, and I think we definitely could have used what we learned in practice.”
She also adds, “Other than that I think we did everything we needed to do, and I felt like we worked very well together as a team.”
Lay will be in ninth grade next year playing with a new team, this season was her last middle school soccer season so she wanted to say that “I'm so glad that my last middle school season was with this awesome group of girls.”
High-Flying Fun at ACE Camp
BY HUGH
The sound of a plane roaring to life, the sound of chatting. The squeak of tires hitting the ground from the air with the whisper of voices in the background. The whoosh of a hot air balloon as the trees sway in the breeze. It’s August and the turning of motors start up as kids rush to get a spot for the plane ride. The smell of gas hits the nose -- a whoosh of smell.
ACE camp is an aviation themed camp for kids and teens 12-16 of age, with everything a kid who loves aviation can want. You build model rockets, go for plane rides with guests from General Electric, and even take Glider lessons.
During the 5 days you can expect a range of activities and a week of fun. Henry Harrington said the camp was some of the best fun he had and it was great for his learning for aviation.
The camp is run by the New England Soaring Association. It was founded to make it so kids could have a career in aviation. The camp is once a year and a blast to attend, plus there's a chance for 8 people to go up in a P-51 Mustang and do aerobatics for 25 minutes.
This is just a camp, but it's also an experience. This camp will give you what you need for a life job in a field doing what you dreamed of.
Issue 5 October 20, 2023
Podcast BY OLIVER and DECLAN
Infographic BY LUCY
Picture BY WILLOW and KASIA
Video BY YANNI
"I made this multi-media piece for journalism class, taught by Ms. Hanrahan, and based it on what I was learning about values from reading The Outsiders with Mr. McCormick. I felt like this piece would be an opportunity to learn more about what I value, and what others value too."
--Yanni Amos, 7th Grade
Class Profiles_Values (1).mp4
Cartoon BY HUNTER
Than Quits Sticky Note Biz
BY FARIS
Last week I made a story about Than’s sticky note business. He was selling balls made of sticky notes cheaper than Nat and James.
Since then he quit his business since nobody was ordering from him. Than reported that he got no orders after one week, so he quit. ‘’I was never good at making balls out of sticky notes and Nat is better than it than I am,’ Than said when asked why he quit.
Girls in Baseball
BY LUCY
Yanni Amos has been one of the only girls on the baseball team for almost seven years.
Yanni usually plays pitcher, first base or third base. She has played those positions since first grade.She wanted to join when her dad wanted to coach. Being with all boys she found that they were actually quite welcoming and supportive . Even though she still hopes that other girls will join.
If girls want to play baseball as kids they usually play softball instead. But softball being meant for girls, not many girls play baseball because they aren't usually given the option to play baseball because of the stereotypes around baseball and softball. Liam says, “ It's not common for girls to play baseball.” Yanni says,“ There are no women that are playing baseball, they are playing softball instead.”
Isssue 4 October 13, 2023
Woodstock 2 Bus Woes
BY B AND BRIANNA
There have been problems on the Woodstock 2 bus; one incident even had the police involved. But right now the most current issue is that the bus driver of Woodstock 2 is not driving the bus anymore, so several students from WUSHMS and other schools now don’t have a ride to school.
Teachers said that they are hoping to have a new bus driver by next Monday. The old bus driver was referred to as “Pops.”
A month ago an incident happened with the police and it all started when the bus was turning towards the South Woodstock Country Store and unnamed high schoolers were “Tossing paper balls out the window”, according to eye witnesses.
When local police officers called the radio that was on the bus, the Woodstock 2 bus driver, “Pops,” had to pull over at the beginning of Church Hill Road to write up the students' names.
Mr. TanCreti was interviewed and he said that “We’ve taken steps to help with situations on the bus.” And “There will always be incidents on the bus but there has been different levels of severity.”
The Pilgrimage : Annual Off-Roading Event Delivers
BY HUGH
The sound of revving motors in cars and the sound of winching a car out of mud. The feel of driving into a mud pool, or the warmth of a campfire. The rushing of water. Foliage during the first week of fall, with cold weather and sunny skies.
It's the first week of October and the overlanding and off-roading is coming to an end. But it's not going out without a great event!
The Pilgrimage is an off-roading event on October 6th through 8th in South Royalton with a 250 vehicle max.
It is inclusive for all kids, adults and pets. There are activities all around, including pumpkin carving and mini games for kids, with a river to cool off in. There is pizza, tacos, ice cream and many more foods, plus Worthy Burger just down the road.
During the day you can go out and drive up a river or you can cruise the dirt roads in the 80+ towns included in the event's course.
There are also guide services to go fishing, cruising fast class four roads, or adventuring in rivers and all the land in-between.
The event is run by Derek Chace and this is its 3rd year. Even after the flooding of July 11th, the event sold out in 2023, with 250 vehicles participating.
“The east slopes of the mountains have more damage with only a few exceptions," Chace said. "There are points where there are 7-foot deep trenches in the road but room to drive on the side."
This event is once a year and has many smaller tours and camping trips all around Vermont. One of the tours is all about plane crashes in Vermont.
To end off, the Pilgrimage is not just an event, it's your event. You can make it into anything you want it to be. It might just be cruising class fours, or it might be going up rivers -- it’s your choice.
Hyped for Halloween
BY HUNTER
With Halloween just around the corner, everyone’s going crazy for candy! And jack - o -lanterns, costumes, and overall fun.
But what's happening across the school? What are people’s opinions on Halloween? Are they excited for the holiday?
Mrs. Whitehead says that maybe each class will have a costume competition to see who has the best costume.
Here are some comments from Kasia Sluka: “I'm excited for Halloween this year because of the trick or treating and I'm going to be a hippie.”
Willow Carey says, “I think I’m going to be a hippie with Kasia and I’m most excited for Halloween in general because I missed out last year because of Covid so I'm excited for this year.”
Hugh Chase says, “I’m going to be a tank commander from Desert Storm for Halloween and I’m the most excited for just hanging out with my friends.”
Get ready for the spooky month it’s almost here!
Who Is Tydus Percy?
BY OLIVER and DECLAN
We had first seen Tydus in the hallway of school, not knowing if he was a student or a teacher.
After a few questions, we figured out that he had just graduated from high school, and that he is now our school’s IT Specialist.
We wanted to interview him about his unique job, and his young age. Our interview started in the library, with a first question,
“How did you become the I.T specialist?” we started.
His response was, “I just applied for it, and it also helped a good amount that I was qualified for it.”
We also asked him, “What do you like about being in the tech department?”
“I like it because it's pretty relaxing and I like taking apart computers, so it’s pretty cool.”
Our next question was, “Why did you want to be in the tech department?”
“I am a local guy, I've lived in Vermont and I'm into the tech field.”
We also asked him, “Do you plan on going to college?”
“Yeah I do,I'm attending CCV online, and hoping to go to Castleton,” he responded.
Our last question of the interview was, “What was the hardest job you’ve faced?”
“Probably taking apart some printers, simply because there is so much inside of it and is pretty complex.”
Spirit Week
BY KASIA AND WILLOW
During the week of October 2, 2023, WUHS had spirit week!
Usually, spirit week is the week of the homecoming dance but this year it was two weeks early. Some kids were confuse on why this was but it turns out the sports schedule and other activities caused the student council to have it early.
We interviewed Maya Sluka who mentions: “My favorite day was probably western day. It was really fun to plan out and wear. If I would add a day to Spirit Week, it would be costume day because it is getting into the spooky season.” The hardest outfit for her was Jersey day because, “It’s hard to go above and beyond in making your whole outfit dedicated to jerseys or teams.”
Sadly this year there were no winners but each day the Woodstock Instagram posted pictures of some of the favorite outfits. This year had a fantastic spirit week and students are excited for next year!
Here are the different themes for each day of the week:
Monday: Sports Jersey Day
Tuesday: Barbie vs. Oppenheimer
Wednesday: Western Wednesday
Thursday: Color Wars
Seniors: PINK/RED
Juniors: GREEN
Sophomores: BLUE
Freshman: PURPLE
Friday: PJ day
Issue 3 October 6, 2023
Our Weather And Foliage Report
BY HUGH
To start off, our weather looks clear with no rainfall till the weekend with highs in the 80s until Friday. A High Pressure from the South moves up and keeps a heat dome with temperatures well over the average. But a Low Pressure comes down from Canada bringing rain showers for the end of Friday and Showers on Saturday.
Now a foliage report: Northern Vermont already at peak or past with the Champlain Valley not far from peak. While Southern Vermont lagging behind and just the mid stages of foliage.
Now turning our attention to the tropics we will start with Rina. Rina is currently a Tropical Depression with winds of 35 mph while moving at 15 mph to the Northwest. After unexpected wind shear came in and destroyed the storm structure and weakened it severely it is expected to die out by Friday.
Finally Philippe: Philippe is now a intensifying storm and is 200 miles South of the Virgin Islands. With winds of 50 mph and moving along at 7 mph to the Northwest, Philippe is expected to intensify to a category 2 hurricane by the weekend. After Wednesday no land impacts are expected and it will move Northeast fast.
Opinion: Baseball vs. Swim Team
BY YANNI, WILLOW, and B
Yanni, Willow and B want to know which sport is better: Baseball or Swim Team? Yanni honestly doesn’t know which is better and as a person who does and likes both, she wanted to find out.
Our little trio went and interviewed the students from Mr.McCormick’s class and had a big battle scene. Brayden has played baseball and is now on the swim team. When we asked what made him want to quit baseball he stated, “Baseball was kind of slow and boring and you just end up standing around and waiting and the swim team is honestly better.”
We wanted to find an argument against what Brayden said and so we asked Liam, who plays baseball. Liam takes baseball very seriously and he firmly states, “Baseball is so good because it’s fun and challenging and you have so many opportunities to learn new skills and you can learn a lot from playing baseball and you can get so much stronger in so many ways.”
Charlie B. strongly disagrees with Liam because as one of the best swimmers in the state, she also takes swim team very seriously. We asked her if she would ever play baseball and she VERY strongly states, “NEVER! It’s boring and it is technically just hitting a ball with a stick and running. Also I love swimming so much that I would never quit.”
Chloe also thinks that swimming is better than baseball. We wanted to know what is so great about swim team and she says, "The people and the warm up. I really like the people I am with and i love the warms up that we do because they let me calm down and collect my thoughts.”
We needed to have more proof of why baseball is greater and asked what Tigger likes about baseball and he says, “I met new people and made a TON of friends. I also love traveling to different fields and the scenery around each place.”
So for right now Yanni, B, and Willow haven't been able to decide which sport is better and so right now it is a tie until we decide and we need more proof to decide whether or not baseball is better than the swim team. It is a tie until next time!
Weather Roundup
BY HUGH
To start off, our region's weather is expected to be in the 80s next week in October, with no rain likely until two weeks into October. Highs this weekend in the mid to low 70s with some clouds to the south on Friday with showers possible.
Now Hurricane Philippe, the NHC said, "we do not know." Some models have predicted it will be a category 3 in days, others say it dies out as Rina moves west. It’s expected to weaken soon. Past 48 hours we have no clue what it will do. It might get to category 3 or die out in the Atlantic.
We turn to Rina. To start off, it’s a Tropical storm with winds at 40mph with movement speeds of 12mph as it heads west. It's likely to be a hurricane and then do something with Phillippe if that would be strengthening or weakening then dying off.
Opinion: After School Snacks for Athletes
BY KASIA and LUCY
After school most students at WUHSMS have sports practice and they need a snack. The middle school students eat lunch around 12:30 p.m. and then go to practice three hours later. By then they have had the rest of their classes and need a power up for one-plus hours of practice.
Students say the school should hand out snacks at a table or in person for sports. The snacks can be an apple or a piece of fruit and a granola bar. Even though the Farmer's Market is a few minutes away, most kids who go there buy junk food or candy instead of an apple or a healthy bar. Also, there isn’t always enough time to walk there and back while also waiting in line to pay.
"I think it would be better because you need food to energize you for games and practice based on past experiences,” says Hunter Roberts. Around lunchtime, Oliver added, “I will be very hungry in three hours.”
Having food or a snack before practices will help people get ready or energize them for games, similar to what Hunter mentioned. Playing sports on an empty stomach isn’t only bad for you, but will leave you feeling grumpy and you won’t enjoy practice as much as playing with a full stomach.
Our school nurse, Ms. Eggum, said that a good snack for sports would be almonds or peanuts, or “something high in carbs that can give you energy.” She also mentioned that some kids have nut allergies, so an alternative could be something like a yogurt smoothie or an energy drink.
Students and adults agree that having a snack for sports can benefit and can fuel them to be happier and work harder. A snack stand would help the athletes and the coaches to make practice better.
Jersey Mike's Makes a Move on Subway
BY HUNTER
A new sandwich shop going by the name of Jersey Mike's Subs has opened in Lebanon, NH, and Springfield, VT. Their menu includes Cold subs, Hot subs, Sides, Drinks, Dessert, and Kids meals. Subs prices Range from $8.75 to $6.35. Jersey Mike’s also has 26 different types of subs, searing hot and crispy cold. The only desserts they have are brownies and cookies but are they better than Subway?
Let's hear some comments from some students that have been to both Subway and Jersey Mike’s Subs. Brianna Townsend says “Subway is better because it depends on the worker. I feel like Subway gets it done faster and I get more options with Subway but both are good sandwich shops.”
Hugh Chase says “Jersey Mikes sucks and Subway is way better and I'm not a big sandwich guy,” B Ferris says “Jersey mikes are better without question they have fresher greasier and it just tastes better no question.” What will your opinion be of Jersey Mike’s or Subway?
Opinion: Shorten the School Day
BY BRIANNA
The average school day in the US is 6.44 hours. That's just way too much time for kids to sit in a classroom and "Learn."
One reason why the school day should be shorter is because kids can get a break. They'll get more rest and will be able to concentrate a lot more and do better in school. Kids also love to explore and do other things, so spending less time in the classroom, the students will be able to explore more and be a kid. If kids had a shorter day, they can spend more time with family, too.
“School should be 5 hours long,” according to Hugh Chase
I think school should be shorter because students have to do homework so that makes school even longer and students have sports so that takes up there whole day and they don't have time for fun also it would save the school a lot of money on the electric bill and on buying food and spending money on field trips.
Sticky Note Business Blooms at Lunch
BY FARIS
Nat and James have recently started a business selling origami stuff made of the sticky notes you give them.
For 24 sticky notes you can get a ball and for 18 you can get a star. They make them out of the sticky notes you pay them, and getting one is as easy as finding one of them at lunch.
Oliver and I put our answers together and found reasons why we think Basketball is better than Soccer. We find that the game speed of basketball is a lot faster, which is more enjoyable to watch and play. More people get to be involved in the game because when you run up and down the court so much at a fast pace you get tired and have to sub out, and it takes crucial decisions to make the right play. Another reason is the score is higher and makes the game better. There are also no ties in basketball which makes it better than a 0-0 tie. Finally our last reason is basketball is easier to get better at and improve faster, as you can play by yourself with only a ball, or a ball and a hoop. Of course these opinions are just ours and lots of people will have different ones. We have both played soccer and still think highly of the game.
Which sport does WUMS prefer: Basketball Vs. Soccer
BY OLIVER AND DECLAN
We asked kids and adults which sport they prefer and we found answers.
Willow Carey: “Basketball, because the game speed is faster.”
Hugh Chase: Soccer because “It's more fun to play.”
Declan Lehouiller:”I like Basketball more because I enjoy it more and I have played it for a long time.”
Nolan Leonard: “Basketball because, it’s very fun to play.”
Ms. Hanrahan: “Soccer because I always choose the outside sport.”
Oliver Bennett: Basketball. “It’s just a better sport without question.”
Kasia Sluka: Soccer because “I don’t like the squeaky shoes and with soccer you get fresh air.”
Mr. Mccormick: “Soccer because it's simple and more people play it.”
Georgia Pimentel: “Soccer, because it’s better because it’s easier and I play it.”
Nathaniel Blanchard: “Basketball because Soccer, in his opinion, isn't a good sport.”
Mr. T: “Basketball, because I played it growing up and I loved it, I also coached the game. I overall just love the game in general.”
Emmett Rand: "Basketball, even though I don't play ethier I enjoy watching basketball, rather than soccer.”
Tydus Percy said: “Sup cuh” with no reference to our question but he’s Tydus so it goes in the writing.
Our results from the interviews : Soccer(5) Basketball (7)
Issue 2 September 22, 2023
This Week's Weather
BY HUGH
First off, Hurricane Nigel is expected to weaken over the next week before hitting the UK as a rainstorm. It has winds at 80 mph while heading north at 18 mph with waves of 30 ft. No impacts are likely till it hits the UK as a rainstorm.
Closer to home, a tropical wave is expected to form off Florida and impact most of the east coast plus New England this weekend. Heavy rainfall is possible up the coast if it forms. This will bring dangers Like rip currents and flash flooding and storm surge to our area. This will be only 1 week after Hurricane Lee impacted our area. This will be a danger for the east coast and New England
The tropical wave off Africa is expected to form by this weekend and move west towards Puerto Rico As a hurricane. It will likely rapidly intensify with the warm waters as it moves west. Storm surge and flooding will likely be the main threats with this wave.
Now our local weather: Friday will be 71F. This weekend the storm will be just off the coast. Heavy rain and flooding as it heads north with highs near 60F all weekend. And next week will have high temperatures in the 70s.
Tunbridge Fair Returns
BY DECLAN AND OLIVER
After one whole year, Tunbridge fair has made its annual return. Kids were filling up with excitement and joy this weekend as they headed to the fair. Lots of people from WUMS went to the fair. Anticipating the fair last week, Hugh Chase said, “I am very excited for the tunbridge fair.” Kasia Sluka said, “Some of the rides are scary, but I enjoy every one.”
One factor that puts Tunbridge ahead of other fairs is the fried dough. It's the most popular treat there and the line for it is always the longest. Another reason to go to Tunbridge is for the rides, for $25 you can buy a wristband. Although the tickets are cheaper, with the wristband you can ride everything in the fair.
During this year’s fair there was a Grandpa on the swing ride, and when he came around to the line he kept flipping people off. He did it in very creative ways, making people die laughing. Tunbridge will always be worth the price, make sure to check it out next year!
Middle School Band Doubles in Size
BY LUCY
This year at the Woodstock Union High School and Middle School the middle school band has doubled in size, going from last year having roughly fifteen kids and now having thirty. The new seventh grade has made the band size go up from two flutes to six and one clarinet to four, with Mr.Trudeau leading the band into the new year.
With the eighteen kids from seventh grade they all seem pretty excited for being a part of the band. So far the band has started with the sheet music Arrowhead and Beauty and the Beast.“I think it's going to be so fun and I think I'm going to learn a lot” says Chloe Costello, who plays the flute.
“Yeah, it’s very exciting with a funny,new teacher and also I am with all of my friends,'' Yanni Amos claims.
The band has their first concert in the winter and the school is excited to hear them play!
Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Arrives
BY HUNTER
Recently Starbucks made a new latte for fall! The components to this delightful drink consist of Milk, Milk foam, Pumpkin Sauce Pumps, Pumpkin Spice Topping, and Water. According to Starbucks “it has a subtle taste of cinnamon that isn’t very overpowering.”
Now let's hear some quotes from some students from our school. Willow Roberts says that “I don’t like coffee so I don’t really care.” That's sad. Andrew Murphy says, “I think I will like it because I like pumpkin spice and on a scale of 1 to 10 pumpkin spice is a 7,” Lastly, Hugh Chase says “I'm not going to try it because I don’t want to spend my valued money.” He also says since it’s Starbucks, “I don’t think I will try it,” but he does say that “on a scale of 1-10 it’s an 8,”referring to the flavor of pumpkin spice. It seems that there isn’t as much hype for Starbucks Pumpkin spice latte.
Flood in Libya Leads to 11,000 Deaths
BY FARIS
Libya, a country next to egypt, had a flood recently and over 11,000 People died. Libya is having trouble rebuilding because of the damage.
Cars turned into boats and boats sank.
A high school girl in the library said ‘’That’s sad.” “Yes, that is sad,” said another student. Nolan Leonard said, “ didn’t know about that.” It is sad that nobody in our school knows about the flood.
Mr. McCormick
BY YANNI and KASIA
This year Mr. McCormick took a change in jobs. He switched from Social Studies to Wellness after Mr. Gladding switched his job as well.
We interviewed Mr. McCormick about his new job and our first question was if teaching wellness was hard. He didn't know how to answer but he did say that it was a different type of difficult and he gave examples such as the way you help the kids isn’t the same and there is new type of equipment to manage.
During the interview Mr. McCormick mentioned that one of the main reasons he changed subjects was because he had been teaching social studies for 12 years, “I wanted to try something new and I love games so it seemed a perfect opportunity.”
The 7th graders wanted to know what topics he would be covering this year in Wellness and Mr. McCormick explains, “Volleyball we might do the next unit and I am a big racket fan so maybe pickleball. We also have an ice skating rink across from us so it would be nice to teach you guys how to skate and play hockey.” Then he asked the students their opinions about dodgeball and they all responded very enthusiastically.
Multiple students are excited about volleyball and we asked Liam Crowl if he preferred the gym or the classroom. He responded by saying, “I would say classroom because we can’t appreciate Mr.McCormick’s ME time. He is not so talkative and funny in the gym and that is what I like most about him.”
Ms. Hanrahan brought up his fashion changes from a tie everyday to a T-shirt and shorts most days. So we wanted to know Mr.McCormick's point of view toward his new outfit changes so we asked him about it. “Trying to Mr.Rogers it. It’s nice to have a change and I am so used to this armor. But it’s more important to look good than to feel good. Sometimes you just gotta do it,” he firmly states.
Now everybody has had a wellness class the 7th graders are very excited to continue playing games and learning in the classroom with Mr. McCormick!
Mr. T
BY BRI and B
Most of us know him from W.E.S, as the funny and always happy gym teacher. Students now know him as an assistant principal, but others know him as both. Mr. T has been a great role model and we know he will continue to be. We interviewed him about why he stopped being a gym teacher and here is what he said: “I am very grateful for it, But I felt like I would make more of an impact on people in a different role.” He enjoys his new job, He loves his colleagues, and loves the challenge of changing up his day. He also mentioned: I come in with a plan and before lunch time I’m finding myself ripping it up and throwing it away. A colleague in the office said Mr. T has made a positive impact on our school, saying, “There's greater communication. students have stronger relationships and feel like their assistant principal is an ally." Mr.T added that there's a sense of belonging. “The fact that I've taught most of you has given me a head start in being an assistant principal and caring about the students and feeling like they can trust me." He also talked about his experience at W.E.S compared to being at WUHSMS. “Being a younger administrator I have had to work harder to earn trust and now being an assistant principal I have to think about how my actions affect everyone." Joel Carey, a colleague of Mr. T's, talked about the energy and impact he brings to every place and or situation. “Cody is an extremely mature person beyond his years ... I think his vision for community involvement is inspiring ... His energy is contagious with the students and teachers, and that helps change the culture in the school in a positive manner.”
He added, “Cody takes a real genuine interest in students' lives and who they are as people and tries to be somebody they can rely on, look up to and be able to go to for whatever they need."
Mr. T brings positive and happy energy wherever he goes bringing smiles and laughs to every room he walks through. The WUHSMS is so lucky to have him as our assistant principal.
ISSUE I September 15, 2023
PHOTOS BY YANNI and BRI CARTOON BY HUNTER
Vaping Issues Improving at WUHSMS
BY LUCY
In the new year comes new hopes to have less vaping problems. Last year at the Woodstock union high school and middle school had a problem. Kids were vaping in the bathrooms. The problem became serious, so the school decided to install detectors that go off to alert the school's vice principal Mr. TanCreti.
The alarms would go off eight to ten times a week, and two to three times a day last year, Mr. TanCreti said. This year they have gone down significantly to one to two times a week.
Nicoteen is the primary ingredient in vapes and is therefore extremely addictive. The result of nicotine being so addictive is it can affect your health. Nicotine can cause lung damage, organ damage and more. When kids need help to quit or want a lollipop they can go to Ms. Annie Luke.
Ms. Luke is the school's SAP (Student Assistance Profesional). She helps kids develop healthy coping skills and helps kids avoid addictive substances. She also is an advisor of VKAT (Vermont Kids Against Tobacco). Students have gone to Ms.Luke and asked for help around quitting vaping.
One result of kids vaping more often is that the administration has made middle school only bathrooms. This year is the first year to have the middle school wing and the middle school only bathrooms. This was done so the middle schoolers can be comfortable in the bathrooms, even though it's not just high schoolers that are vaping.
This year has hopes to be better, with help from vape detectors and Ms.Luke. But vaping is a nationwide epidemic. As Mr. TanCreti says, “Kids are genuinely addicted to these things.''
7th Graders Take to the Woods
BY B
On Thursday September 7th, the 7th grade class went on a camp out at Emerald Lake State Park. It was the second field trip of the school year and only the second week!
There were some kinks to work out, such as the rain. One more bump in the road was the food. Some 7th grade students said the burgers were good, but one anonymous student said,“I think our whole tent got food poisoning.” Others said the burgers were undercooked.
The day of the camping trip some folks said that they were nervous about their tent mates, but there was a lot of excitement about fishing. Lots of people shared excitement to hang out with friends.
Overall, Everyone had fun. Most people said the bus ride was very fun. Another one of the highs of the trip was swimming in the lake. Some kids formed teams of boys against girls in a swim relay race (the girls won!). Some lows that 7th graders mentioned were the rain and the lack of sleep at night.
Wendy’s Releases New Flavor of Frosty for Fall
BY HUNTER
Wendy’s is releasing a new Pumpkin Spice Flavor of frosty for the first time. The new drink is officially releasing to their menus for the first time starting September 12, 2023. Wendy’s said “the new flavor will have a creamy flavor and hints of pumpkin, nutmeg, and cinnamon.”
Wendy’s also says “We had thought of releasing this new flavor because ever since starbucks released their Pumpkin Spice Latte that it would be smart that they should do the same.”
But now let's see some quotes from different people. One person says “AUHHH I bet the new flavor will be so GOOD!” Ms. Hanrahan says that the “Chocolate Frosty is the best dessert on the menu and should never be messed with!” Being backed up by multiple other students. Other students say “The strawberry flavor is the best” but ever since Starbucks released their Tasty Fall Pumpkin Spice Latte, it has been selling almost every time a customer comes through the door. So maybe their opinions will change.
Vermont Class Fours Close in Woodstock and Bridgewater
BY HUGH
The Vermont towns of Woodstock and Bridgewater have closed their class four roads. Members from the off-roading community have talked to town officials. They have said that they will try to get Woodstock open by October for the end of the season. But Bridgewater’s town website has said their class may not open til next year on May 15, 2023.
Derek Chace from The Pilgrimage VT has said in a video please stay off the class four roads until one month after the flood, and his maps are not to code from the flooding of July 13th 2023.
Flooding has impacted the community and seventh graders near rivers with flash flooding and roads being wiped out.
Seventh grader Brianna Townsend says that she was not affected much but Chateauguay Road is impassable 4 miles up as crews still work to fix it. Now it has dirt on it for vehicles to pass with the class 4 road still closed and impassable.
Middle School Football Welcomes New Coach
BY OLIVER and DECLAN
In mid July, the Woodstock Union Middle School football team was without a coach. There was going to be no football coach but then they found one; Clayton Bailey was hired for the job. Then, his brother named Brayton (T-bone)was hired as his assistant coach.
Everybody on the football team thinks highly of Coach Bailey. “Me personally, I think he is a great coach so far,” Says Oliver in 8th grade. Others also think he has a lot of potential. Lots of others think Coach Bailey is good including Nolan Leonard, Zach Zayas, and Broder White. Coach Bailey has played football throughout his life. He played for Hartford in high school and Castleton for college. The middle school football team has their next game against Rutland on Thursday, 9/21/23.
7th Graders Outraged at Lack of Recess
BY FARIS
The 7th grade kids of Woodstock Union Middle School are all depressed or angry that middle school does not have recess. After 6 years of elementary school they can't live without recess. Everybody is outraged. Lucy Fox said, "They should give high schoolers recess.” Hunter Roberts said, ”I miss recess and want more time to play school.” Hugh Chase said, ”I think we should have at least 20 minutes of recess even if it's only twice a week." Recess helps get the brain moving.
As Flooded Fields Recover, Middle Soccer Moves Back Home
BY KASIA and WILLOW
The soccer season has officially started in the Woodstock Union Middle School and High School.
At the beginning of the season, the middle school boys and girls were sharing a field at Vail because the normal fields were unavailable since the flooding hit Woodstock.
Recently, the teams have switched back to practicing at the school and we asked some of the girls on the team how they felt about the switches.
An 8th grader on the team, Lila McCormick, said that she likes practicing at the middle school because changing is easier in the bathrooms here, sometimes there would be a whole line of girls just waiting for the bathroom making it hard to get down on the field in time. “It is easier getting water here,” she mentioned, because there is no water bottle filler at Vail.
We also asked how she thought the switch from Vail to the middle school fields would affect the team she answered by saying, “We will have more room to do the drills that we need to do and it will be more organized.”
Lila also mentioned the bus situation, unless the players' parents pick them up, both teams packed into buses to get a ride to Vail.
Willow Carey in 7th grade also added, “I feel like it was necessary for the team so we had more space.” After only a week of practicing at Vail, Willow mentioned, “I would rather practice here for the rest of the year so we could get in the work and reps that we need to do.”
Now the middle school teams have a field here and on Tuesday night the girls had their first game! Sadly they lost, but they get another chance to win next Friday.
Manhunt Leaves Schools Closed in PA
BY YANNI and BRI
A manhunt for Danelo Cavalcante in Pennsylvania may have many people in danger after stabbing his ex-girlfriend and killing her.
Danelo was spotted, according to police on Tuesday, September 5th. The police have been searching for two weeks trying to find Danelo. Cavalcante escaped from Chester County Prison in PA on Thursday morning and authorities began by searching a big area of woods in Pocopson Township and Chester County within two miles of the prison – a rural area around 30 miles west of Philadelphia.
While Danelos’ appearance is the same he has obtained some items, including a duffel pack, and a hooded sweatshirt. Danelo Cavalcante is described as a 5-foot, 120-pound man with light skin, shaggy black hair and brown eyes. The manhunt with a killer at loose also has schools at risk.
We interviewed Mrs. Smith about what she would do for the schools in Pennsylvania if she were in charge and she said, “I would make sure that everything at school is secure and have meetings with all the teachers to ensure the safety of the school. I would talk to the police to have added protection and find out if the man killer does not have a connection to the school so we can keep our students and teachers safe.”
Then we asked her if she thinks that children are in danger and she claims,“Possibly. I don’t know a lot about the story so I would need more information and details. I just hope more people don’t get hurt.”
Weather Report
Hurricanes Lee & Margot, Invest 97L, and Local Forecast
BY HUGH
To begin, Hurricane Lee is now a 125 mph Category 3 hurricane 300 miles north of Charleston, Puerto Rico, with its track still uncertain. New England is in the path and people in Halifax are on the edge of their seats.
Hurricane Lee is expected to reach Category 3 at 125 mph soon with winds at 145 mph, then weakening as the storm comes off the coast. Past Bermuda its track is mixed. Some models have it out at sea -- a fish storm -- or Nova Scotia taking a hit, but New England is also a possible hit. It's 50/50 if we get hit by Hurricane Lee.
Now Hurricane Margot. Margot will play a role in when Lee is here. Margot has a possibility to do something called the Fujiwhara Effect and push Lee more inland. The GFS, a hurricane model, shows Cape Cod taking a hit and Lee turning into Maine. This forecast is a week out, so take it with a grain of sand.
Now invest 97L, a tropical depression prediced to develop into a storm, is located off the African coast and will head west. It is likely to strengthen a Tropical Storm in 72 hours from 9/11 and will likely rapidly intensify to a Category 1. It's now expected to be a Category 3 by early next week. This could ride the coast if winds shear allows it by.
Now our weather for the next two weeks: with a line of low pressures will hit us bringing 1-3 inches of rain and clouds for the week. A high pressure will move north and bring us clear skies for next week and highs in the mid 70s next week. A small chance of hail and winds up to 60 mph is possible Thursday after a low pressure comes in to push Lee a bit more east.