February 2020

Writer: Aditi Harbola

Interviewer: Gurleen Kaur

Photographer: Kamran Tariq

Teacher of the Month Guess who’s Teacher of the Month? It’s Mrs. Mosca😄!!! Congratulations on being Teacher of the Month! We have asked some questions that she answered. When we asked how she felt to be Teacher of the Month, she said that it was surprising. She said that the reason she became a teacher is that so she can do something in her life! Well, that’s called following your true dreams!💯In her first year of teaching, she felt very nervous. Teachers and kids must have the same bond for their first day of school😮. She has been teaching for 12 years! Wow! That’s even older than me! Her backup job was working at Mutual Funds for 18 years. I wonder what they do there...🤔🤔🤔. Now, if you ever ask if she’s thinking of retiring. Well, the answer is NO! I guess she really cares about her students so much!👍👍👍Well done on being Teacher of the Month Mrs. Mosca!

Writer: Kamran Tariq

Interviewer: Anushka Patel

Photographer: Virinda Popli

Have you ever wondered how long Mrs. Kohn has been working here at Oak Tree Road? She has been working here for 2 years. Her favorite type of music to listen to and talk about is Classical. Do you know what she loves about music the most? She loves the way it makes people feel. Do you know that when she has free time she would want to go see Broadway shows. Do you know how many places she has visited outside of the country? She has visited 6 different countries! Her favorite animal is an otter. Her favorite composer is Beethoven. The other schools that she visits besides Oak Tree Road is Robert Mascenik School.

Writer: Niyati Solanki

Interviewer: Jagruthi Sripathi

Photographer: Niyati Solanki

Do you know who the Students of the Month are? They are all of the 3rd grade students! See some particular 3rd graders and much more about them below:

Naveen Allam

(Miss Ginfrida)

The student of the month is Naveen from Miss Ginfrida’s Class! He was excited when he was picked for student of the month! Let’s ask him a few questions, now!!

1. Q: What’s your favorite color? A: Black

2. Q: Do you like Miss Ginfrida? A: yes

3. Q: What is your favorite game/video game? A: Roblox

4. Q: What is your favorite sport? A: cricket

5. Q: what is your favorite thing to do in class? A: going on the Chromebook

6. Q: Do you like this school? A: yes, a lot

Yeah! Awesome! Congratulations, Naveen!

Taylor

(Miss Adases’s Class)

Another student of the month is Taylor from Miss Adase’s Class. She was so happy when she found that she was student of the month! Let’s ask a few questions, shall we?

1. Q: What’s your favorite color? A: blue

2. Q: Do you like your teacher, Miss Adase? A: yes

3. Q: What is your favorite food? A: French Fries

4. Q: What is your favorite sport? A: soccer

5. Q: What is your favorite subject? A: health

6. Q: What is your favorite hobby? A: arts and crafts

7. Q: Do you like this school? A: yes, very much

Wow! That was cool! Congratulations Taylor!

Pranav R.

(Mrs. Sepa’s class)

Another student of the month is Pranav R. from Mrs. Sepa’s Class. He was so happy when he found out that he was student of the month! Let’s ask him a few questions, come on!

1. Q: What’s your favorite color? A: Red

2. Q: What’s your favorite sport? A: baseball

3. Q: What’s your favorite food? A: pizza

4. Q: Do you like Mrs. Sepa? A: yes

5. Q: What is your favorite subject? A: math

6. Q: What is your favorite thing to do? A: playing Minecraft, Fortnite, and tag

7. Q: Do you like this school? A: yes

Wow! Nice! Congratulations, Pranav!

Dheeksha

(Miss Gonzalez’s class)

One more student, coming right up! Let’s give a round of applause for Dheeksha!

Let’s get started with the questions then!

1. Q: What are your favorite colors? A: pink, green, blue, purple

2. Q: What is your favorite food? A: Pasta

3. Q: What is your favorite sport? A: swimming

4. Q: What is your favorite subject? A: science

5. Q: What is your favorite hobby? A: drawing, and reading

6. Q: Do you like Miss Gonzalez? A: yes

7. Q: Do you like this school? A: yes, a whole lot

Rad! Congratulations, Dheeksha!

Writer: Sahana Iyer

Photographer: Tvisha Choudhury

Do you think being committed is important? I do! When you are committed to things you strive for them. When you are committed you do it wholeheartedly and with care. You also do it with dedication and loyalty. It is important to never give up and always be persistent. Being committed can be something small like getting an A on your test, or it can be something like becoming a lawyer when you grow up.

There are 3 steps to being committed. First, create successful habits, second, be accountable to someone, and last, focus on small victories. Examples of successful habits are always trying again when you fail and always remembering mistakes so that you can learn from them and become wiser. Examples of being accountable to someone are not breaking a promise or returning things that don’t belong to you. Examples of focusing on small victories are finishing a project 2 days ahead of time, or getting an honor roll. The 3 steps to being committed are very important.

Successful habits are when you learn from your mistakes and become smarter. It is also when you don’t become scared of what mistakes you might make. As long as you learn from it, and do not repeat it again. An example of a successful habit is doing your homework for school. Your teacher and parents might be mad at you if you do not do the homework. Now you have learned from your mistake and can try to not do it again. When people know where they have gone wrong they can ask help on how to correct themselves. You should not repeat mistakes a lot, because then it will seem you are not sorry for making them, and it would not be a successful habit. Instead it will be a bad habit.

Being accountable to someone is when you do not break a promise and return the things you borrowed.Not lying is also part of being accountable to someone. When you are not lying people will start giving their trust to you. It is important to have people trust because when something wrong happens they might not believe you. One example is when you told your friend you will return her favorite pen and you didn’t. When you come to school the next day she asks you where it is. You say that you have returned a day early and left it on her desk even though it is in your bag. She said she was sorry for asking you in a mean way but she really loved that pen. You tell her the truth that you wanted the pen for an extra day. You give the pen and say your sorry. She lets you keep it for an extra day but she asks you not to lie to her again. You say okay and stay friends. In some cases they might stop being friends.

Focusing on small victories is when you complete something minor but still value it. It is important to focus on small victories because if you set your goal to high and you do not reach it your self esteem would be lowered. A smaller goal would be easier to strive for and you will be satisfied you accomplished something. One example of focusing on smaller steps is when you relish an A on a Home Link. It may be small compared to a test or your grade for the marking period but it is still something to be proud of. Also that A on that homework assignment contributes to your grade for the marking period which is a larger goal to have, meaning that it fulfills the requirements for a smaller goal. o

In conclusion to be committed we need to have successful habits, be accountable and focus on small victories. Successful habits are habits that make you wiser and smarter. Being accountable makes you trustworthy and satisfied. When you focus on small victories you take small victories toward the bigger goals you want to achieve. When you do all of this you become committed making you a better person than you were before.

Writer: Zakeriah Sadiq

Photographer: Haneen Elsiad

Egypt is a country located in the southeastern hemisphere. It is found in the north corner of one of the largest continents in the world , Africa. The population in Egypt is 97.55 million and the land is mostly desert where a lot of sand is found. Cairo is the capital of Egypt and has very old artifacts. Egypt has two seasons, a light winter from November to April and a blazing summer from May to October. Egypt is known for being one of the oldest civilizations in history. It had its own written language, technology, and was a center of learning. You might know about the ancient pyramids, huge triangular prisms in Egypt. Did you know what the pyramids were used for? They were a place to bury kings also known as pharaohs after they passed away. When they die, they become mummified and their bodies are put in a casket in the tombs of the Pyramids. Why don’t you visit this historical country if you are interested to learn more about its history.

Writer: Arhan Sanap

Photographer: Mariyah Rivera

Sport of The Month!!!

This month’s sport of the month is (drum roll please) SOCCER! Soccer is an amazing sport and it is one of my favorites. Soccer is played with your legs so knowing that, if you touch it with your hands it is known as a handball. There are two goals, and one goalie blocking each of them. You have to get the ball to the other side and kick the ball into the net. That is called a goal. When you foul someone you kick their leg or you trip them and make them fall. The two best soccer players are Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The team Ronaldo is on is called Juventus. Messi is on F.C Barcelona. So basically the goal of soccer is to get as many goals as you can. And it is about good sportsmanship and having fun. Overall soccer is an amazing sport and once you learn how to play it, it is so much fun. Maybe even more fun than any other sport. I love soccer and I hope you do too. Oh and in a game of soccer there are 90 minutes and halftime at forty five minutes.

Photo: Hibba Imtiaz

Writer: Talin Sharma

For chilly February one of the zodiacs of the month is Aquarius! You are an Aquarius if you are born between January 20 - February 18. The symbol of an Aquarius is a water bearer. If you are an Aquarius then you are very intelligent, innovative, and kind. You are friendly and you enjoy making friends with all types of people. Aquariuses are ruled by Uranus, the planet that rules innovation, technology, and surprising events. Aquarius can be a bit stubborn. This is often considered an Achilles’ heel. (In medical astrology, Aquarius rules the ankles!) Aquariuses enjoy teamwork and they like participating in communities of like-minded people. Freedom is really important for an Aquarian. Aquarians are fans of tart foods, especially lemon. They are the ones who usually have a hi-tech kitchen and the trendiest dining furniture.

For February the other zodiac of the month is Pisces! You would be a Pisces if you are born February 19 – March 20. The symbol of a

Pisces is a fish. If you are a Pisces then you are generous, amiable, and positive natured with a deep sense of kindness and compassion. You are highly tuned in to everything around you including the feelings of others. If you are a Pisces you are ruled by Neptune, the planet of evasiveness, fantasy, and spiritualism. Pisces are mutable. That means you are flexible and changeable. If you are a Pisces, you notice if someone around you is upset before other people do. You don't get angry very often. The problem is that when you do get angry, you can be really scary. The only person you angry at is yourself.

Writer and Photographer: Yashraj Shah

The dino of the month for this month is the dilophosaurus. Have you ever seen the movie Jurassic Park? If you have, you would probably remember seeing the dinosaur that spits acid and had those large frills on the side of its head. Well, sorry to break it to you, but that’s not true. The dilophosaurus was also a lot bigger than what they showed in the movie. The dilophosaurus had two large crests on its head. It was a dangerous predator. It had razor sharp teeth and was a fast runner. It was a carnivore and ate prosauropods. Prosauropods were dinosaurs that were very closely related to sauropods. Sauropods were massive dinosaurs that had very long necks. Some include the diplodocus, supersaurus, argentinosaurus, memenchisaurus, saltopus, shunosaurus, and the apatosaurus. Prosauropods were smaller and with shorter necks. The dilophosaurus lived about 201 million years to 182 million years ago. The dilophosaurus was a theropod so it looked similar to the well known t-rex. The dilophosaurus was smaller though, and had two large crests on its head. The dilophosaurus was one of the early dinosaurus and was at the start of the dinosaur age. The dilophosaurus was about 20 feet long and about 6 feet tall. It was truly a fantastic creature.

Writer and Illustrator: Maher Verma

Why did the picture go to jail?

Because it was framed!

Writer: Shailey Patel

Photographer: Sahana Iyer

Valentine's Day is when you can give chocolates, flowers, and cards to someone that you care about. Valentine's Day is celebrated every February 14. In each and every class, students give Valentine’s Day cards and other treats to their classmates. And most of the time, you can get a lot of Valentine’s. Not only cards but you can also make your own Valentine’s Day surprise. The best part about Valentine’s Day is you can share the treats that you brought and have fun. On Valentine’s Day teachers may let you watch a movie and even eat some Valentine treats. Valentine's Day is fun.

Writer: Virinda Popli

Photographer: Tvisha Choudary

President’s Day

Guess what holiday is on February 17? President’s Day! That is the day where everyone is off work and school to celebrate all presidents! Do you want to know something cool? Even my birthday is on February 17! That holiday is to celebrate ALL presidents! Stores, Theatres, or any other places might be closed on that day because they celebrate it too! Presidents Day was once even called Washington Day! That day was celebrated on February 22 to honor the first president George Washington. There is even a day people celebrate another president, Abraham Lincoln since his birthday is on February 12. Some people don’t celebrate President’s Day but they should! Some people might make a picture, have a mini party, or celebrate by anything festive! I hope you have a good day on that holiday!

Writer: Kruthvik Maruboina

Illustrator: Harshil Shah

Writer:Kruthvik Maruboina

2020 Presidential Election

The current president of the United States is Donald Trump. But on November 3,2020 former president Joe Biden, senator Elizabeth Warren, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, and Pete Buttigieg and many others are running for president this year. This will be the 59th quadrennial presidential election. So far Donald Trump is winning the election with 86 delegates so far. Following Donald Trump is Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, and finally Joe Biden. This year there are more Democratic candidates than Republic candidates and the Republics are winning other than Donald Trump.

Bernie Sanders has 45 delegates. Pete Buttigieg has 25 delegates. Joe Biden has 15 votes. The surprising thing is that all these three politicians delegates combined is still 11 delegates away from Donald Trump’s count. As you may have guessed many think that Donald Trump will get a second term. Micheal Pence is Donald Trump’s vice president since 2017 and still serves him now.

Many people think that Donald Trump is going to win this year because of his tremendous lead. A surprising thing is that many of the Democrats running for president this year are senators for example Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren are both senators. Another surprising thing is that this year there are only 4 Republican candidates this year. Let’s see who will be the new president this year.

Writer: Niyati Solanki

Illustrator: Diya Parthiban

Do you guys know who Abraham Lincoln was? Well, let’s get further into this topic.

Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth president of the United States. Lincoln was president from 1861 to 1865. He helped win the Civil War and free the slaves. The Civil War was a war between the northern and southern states. Slaves are people who are forced to work in other families' houses. Lincoln was killed soon after the war ended.

Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky in 1809. He only spent one year in school, but he read a lot. He liked to learn about everything he could. In 1830, the Lincoln family moved to Illinois. A year later, young Lincoln went off on his own.

As a young man, Lincoln worked at a store and on a farm. He also fought in the Army. He became a lawyer, too. He soon became interested in government. He became a representative in the U.S. government. A representative helps make laws for the country.

In 1858, Lincoln tried to become a U.S. senator. A senator also makes laws. He did not become a senator, but he spoke very clearly about his ideas.

Lincoln did not like slavery. During slavery, people owned African Americans and made them work without paying them. Slavery was against the law in the northern states. However, in the South, people could own slaves. Many people in the South wanted to keep slavery. They also wanted people in new western states to be able to have slaves.

In 1860, Lincoln tried to become president of the United States. He said that he would let people in the South have slaves. However, many people in the South did not believe him.

When Lincoln became president, some states in the South said they did not want to be part of the United States anymore. They wanted to form their own country, called the Confederacy.

Lincoln wanted the South to stay in the United States. He tried to force states in the South to stay. In 1861, the Civil War, the war between the North and the South, began.

The Civil War lasted four years. After many battles, the North won the war in 1865. All of the slaves became free.

Soon after the war, Lincoln was shot and killed, or assassinated, while he watched a play. This was the first time a president was assassinated. Lincoln is remembered as one of the greatest U.S. presidents.

Today, all U.S citizens honor Abraham Lincoln for his dedication to the country.

Writer: Mohammad Ayaan

Photographer: Diya Parthiban

Animal of the Month:The Cheetah

Welcome back to animal of the month! For this month, the animal is the speedy cheetah! Now, did you know that the cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world? Yeah, you probably knew that. But did you know the exact speed they can run? They can run 70 mph! And in under 3 seconds to! Some can go even faster.These fascinating animals hunt during the day so they can avoid other strong animals, such as lions, leopards, and tigers, in competition for food they hunt. Surprisingly, most cheetahs are social animals.They are with siblings, mother and kids,or a random group of cheetahs. Female cheetahs, however, hunt and live alone and only go looking around for other cheetahs for another mate.The cheetahs’ prey includes rabbits, warthogs, springboks, gazelles, and birds. But, if we want these animals to stay around, we must protect them and not hunt them.There are only 7,100 cheetahs left! They are endangered. We must save the cheetahs! And we don’t have any time left.See ya next month!

Writer: Talin Sharma

Illustrator: Suhani Jariwala

Groundhog Day

On February second, every year about 40,000 people come to see a very special groundhog named, “Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators and Weather-Prophet Extraordinary”. What a mouthful!😵 These 40,000 people all come to a small town named Punxsutawney which is in Pennslyvania. February second is called, “Groundhog’s Day”. There is a club for groundhog’s day called, “The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club” They even have their own website! (Here is the link! https://www.groundhog.org/) The members of the club are responsible for planning the events every year, and they're also responsible for feeding and taking care of Phil!

Now that you know some background, what’s groundhog day actually? Groundhog’s day was first observed on February 2, 1887. Local newspaper editor Clymer Freas sold a group of businessmen and groundhog hunters the idea of groundhog’s day. According to folklore if the groundhog comes out of its burrow and sees its shadow then there will be 6 more weeks of winter. If the groundhog doesn’t see his shadow then it will be early spring. I wonder why the groundhog was chosen for Groundhog’s Day. Well, the story goes that in Germany, Candlemas Day was the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Over there they had badgers so they used them. If the badger saw its shadow, it meant a "second winter" was coming. When the tradition came to the US in 1887, the groundhog was chosen, because badgers weren’t native to eastern North America. I think that it makes sense, but a surprising thing is that badgers actually eat groundhogs. The badgers dig them right out of the groundhogs burrow.

We are talking so much about groundhog day and that brings me to a question, what exactly is a groundhog? What all do we know about groundhog as an animal? A groundhog is a herbivorous mammal. Their favorite hobby is to sleep and they are considered true hibernators. That means, during winter once they go to sleep they don’t wake up until spring. They are also considered great architects because they build impressive burrows that can be anywhere between 8 to 66 feet long. They are native to North America. Did you know that groundhogs are actually really bad weather predicters? Actually the groundhog “Phil” has predicted weather correctly only 39% times. A website says that “a gambling man would be better off flipping a coin.” because there is at least a 50% chance of predicting it right by flipping a coin. People have even made a movie about groundhog’s day called “Groundhog Day” in 1993. One question I would ask the groundhog would be that, do you know what happens around your burrow on February second?

Writer: Diya Sarvanan

Illustrator: Mahak Bahl

World Cancer Day

World Cancer day is the day to raise awareness of cancer and to start treating,prevention, and detection. This day is a national holiday and is celebrated on February 4. We celebrate this day because we all try to reduce the amount of risks of even getting cancer in the first place. Did you know that the universal color of cancer is orange? The World Cancer Day originally started in 2000...wow! Only that long?

Writer: Maher Verma

Photographer: Mariyah Rivera

It was a tough match in Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. You probably already know about the Super Bowl. The 49ers and Chiefs were the most talented groups in football in all of history. It started off in the first quarter when 49ers made the first move and got three points in the first seven minutes. Then later right before the second quarter the Chiefs got a TOUCHDOWN and for the first quarter Chiefs had 7 points and the 49ers with 3. Moving on with the play, the Chiefs earned 3 points they were pretty proud when then the 49ers made a move and got a TOUCHDOWN the whole crowd went wild. Now it was tied 10 to 10. At the last moment before the third quarter 49ers managed to fit 3 points in the second quarter. So now it was 13 points for 49ers and 10 points for Chiefs. That's when 3 quarters came in the 49ers got a TOUCHDOWN and were up 10 points. They had a total of 20 points. We thought the Chiefs were losing but that's when they made a TOUCHDOWN. Now they have 17 points! We were all happy and that's when the Chiefs made another TOUCHDOWN in was amazing 2 TOUCHDOWNS in one quarter! Then the Chiefs got another point! Now the Chiefs had 24 points and the 49ers with 20. l It was now all down to the last quarter with a lot of pressure. Then the Chiefs got another TOUCHDOWN! That was the last point of the match! 49ers with 20 and Chiefs with 31! CONGRATS FOR CHIEFS!

Writer: Vamig Shahpalangou

George Washington's Birthday

George Washington was born on february 22, 1732. He was the oldest child of Augustine and Mary Ball Washington and had three brothers and two sisters. Based on the Julian calendar, George Washington was born on February 11, 1731 but based on the Gregorian calendar he was born on February 22, 1732. George Washington's birthday was also known as the President's day until President Richard Nixon ruled to honor all presidents of the United States of America on this day.

More facts about George Whashington

Did you know that George Washington was namelessly elected as the first president of the United States of America. George Washington's father died when he was 11 years old. The government of the United States of America helped raise George Washington when he was a kid. Also did you know that George Washington's last name is also now a state name Washington.

I hope you enjoyed the text !

Writer: Fateha Masroor

Photographer: Tvisha Choudary

You guys know Ms. Tanis. The 5th grade teacher. Her birthday is on February 8th. She is one of the most creative teachers I’ve ever seen. She always decorates her things by herself. I’m just going to tell you one thing, NEVER call her Mrs. Tanis because she hates being called that. Always call her Ms. Tanis. She loves pink and glitter. Ms. Tanis is a mermaid as she loves mermaids. Her hobbies are traveling and creativity. She has been teaching for almost 10 years now!

Writer: Anagha Vineeth

Photographer: Hibba Imtiaz

When you first walk into the office, one of the first faces you see is smiling Mrs.Raite. Since February 23 is Mrs.Raite’s birthday, here are some fun facts about her! Mrs.Raite became a secretary because she loves working with kids. She’s been working as a secretary for 19 years! That’s a long time! Mrs.Raite went to secretarial school to become a secretary. Last but not least, Mrs. Raite has been a secretary for 2 schools. I don’t know about you, but those facts were pretty interesting to me! We are all very thankful to have Mrs.Raite as our secretary who is always there to help us. Happy birthday Mrs.Ratie!

Writer: Virinda Popli

• Photographer: Ranee Desai

• Do you know who’s birthday is going to come soon? Well it’s going to be Mrs. Barbato’s birthday! And guess what?! Her birthday is on Valentine’s Day! That is so special! Mrs. Barbato celebrates her birthday in school with her students and her family! Do you want to know what her daughter does for her birthday? Well, her daughter makes cards, gives gifts, and sings! That’s so cute! She wants to sleep past 6am! Do you want to know when her best birthday was? Her best birthday was when she was 17 years old because that’s when she started driving in a car! How cool! Her favorite type of cake is an ice-cream cake! Yummy! Mrs. Barbato’s favorite part of birthdays is extra hugs and kisses from her daughter! That is adorable! Her favorite part of birthday decorations are balloons! Wow! Her birthday wish is to have a happy and healthy year with her family! Guess what? Her favorite food is macaroni! That makes me so hungry!

Writer: Virinda Popli

Photographer: Kamren Tariq

Do you sometimes wonder who our guidance counselor is? Well, it is Ms. DiSilvestro! Some people even call her Ms. D and that is totally fine with it and her name can be hard to pronounce for some people. She is someone who you can talk to her anytime! In my opinion, she is caring, generous, and just really kind! If you tell her something, she will NEVER tell anyone else! Pretend you talked about family things. When you tell her that, she will support, listen, and not tell anyone about what you talked about! I have been to her about 3-4 times and she didn’t tell anyone and we just kept it to ourselves! When you go to her, her room is filled with toys and just everything you will love! She is actually fun and plays games with you if you are sad and having a bad day! Something that I love about her is that she supports you a lot! She listens to what you say and understands what you mean. She is my most favorite guidance counselor ever! If you see her, you should tell her that is really caring because she helps people a lot! Guess what?! Her birthday is coming! Ms. D’s birthday is on February 24! It’s coming this month! Let us all wish her a happy birthday that day!

Formatter 1: Shaivi Akula

Formatter 2: Anusha Gupta

Editor 1: Guha Rajaraman

• Editor 2: Shruti Shanmugam