Post on 07-Mar-2016
description
EXCLUSIVE
MS. PENZCAR
On teaching,
funny moments,
and how Lincoln-
Eliot changed her
as person
Investigating
the roots of
Lincoln-Eliot
at the
Jackson
Homestead
Creative Writing
LET’S DO IT
Artist Spotlight
ADVISORY
COLUMN Dear 5th graders
Lincoln-Eliot Magazine
BEST Initiative
February 2012 Issue #1
Good Jokes vs Bad Jokes
Art by Grade 3 Gabriel Gonzalez
Table of Contents The History of Lincoln-Eliot By Jesus Rodriguez, Tammy Yang , Ms. McLoughlin, and Ms. Fugazzotto
Artist Spotlight
Creative Writing
Humor and Stuff
Meet Ms. Penczar Up Close
By Edward Aybar, Maria Cunha, and Ms. Sutherland
By Angie Bellevue, Shaniay Chatelain, Tatiana Salazar, Eleasah Whittaker, and Ms. Lew
By Victor DoValle, Jonathan Iacuzzi, and Mr. Hurray
Artists of the Month
Look at these photos and find out how creative L-E students are
43a
By Arrianna Proia, Emma McLean, and Ms. Mok
Students Pick Toys, Music, Books, and More…
Ask a 5th Grader By Jarianna Pereyra, Jacob Moustafa and
Ms. Baumann
Design and Layout
Ms. Mok
Meet Ms. Penczar Up Close
My name is Tammy and my friend Jesus and I decided to investigate
the roots of the Lincoln-Eliot School. The Lincoln-Eliot School is on the
corner of Pearl Street and Jackson Road in Newton, Massachusetts. The
address is 191 Pearl Street.
We began our investigation by visiting the Historic Newton at the
Jackson Homestead Museum. At the museum we met Ms. Sarah Goldberg,
one of the historians. Ms. Goldberg showed us old pictures of the Lincoln
School and the Eliot School.
Just as we suspected, the Lincoln School was named after Abraham
Lincoln, and the Eliot School was named after John Eliot. He was an early
colonist who befriended the Algonquin Indians along the Charles River and
converted them to Christianity.
THE HISTORY OF
THE LINCOLN-ELIOT SCHOOL
BY JESUS RODRIGUES AND TAMMY YANG
The Lincoln School The Eliot School
Below you will find two pictures, one of the Lincoln School and one
of the Eliot School. Both schools were made of wood. The new Lincoln-
Eliot School was built in 1939, combining the two schools. It was built of
brick. The new school was built in a Georgian style, with a slate roof
and a large bay window that is now in Mrs. Bradley’s Kindergarten room.
When they combined the schools, the Lincoln School was 85 years old
and the Eliot School was 55 years old. Our present school is 73 years
old.
The Lincoln-Eliot School as it stands now has two additions; one was
built in 1966 and one was built in 1976. When the 1966 addition was
built, the president of the PTO was Mrs. Hole’s mom, Mrs. Madeline
Lewandowski. She helped get the construction off the ground. The 1976
addition included a gym. Before the addition, the gym was in what is now
the cafeteria. The first principal of the Lincoln-Eliot School was Ms.
Annie Pottle. During our research we discovered that the principal of
the Lincoln-Eliot School was paid $2,603.11 per year. Many very
Here we are at the Homestead.
Notice the historian is wearing gloves to protect the pictures
because they are very old. We used a magnifying glass to look
at a group of students standing outside the school.
We also looked at old maps of the area around the Lincoln-
Eliot School.
important people attended the Lincoln-Eliot School, such as Mrs. Sharon
Fugazzotto and her mother Mrs. Devine, along with Mrs. Hole.
GETTING TO KNOW
MS. PENCZAR
We interviewed one of the kindest teachers at
Lincoln-Eliot, Ms. Penczar. We had a chance to know what
life is like as a fifth grade teacher. Ms. Penczar is an
amazing and passionate teacher. We learned all about her
teaching career. You may already know her as a teacher,
but now, you get to know her as a friend.
By Arrianna Proia and Emma McLean
Exclusive Interview- Ms. Penczar
Question: Why did you want to be a teacher?
Answer: It’s very interesting. Ever since I was little, I wanted to
be a teacher. I don’t really know why. I always liked teaching
my stuffed animals and working with young children. There
are other things I wanted to be too, like a veterinarian. But in
the end, I realized I really like being with people, especially
younger people. When I got into college, I had a chance to
teach one day a week at a school. And I knew I made a right
decision. It was fabulous. I liked school and I wanted other
people to like school, too.
Question: When did you start teaching?
Answer: I started teaching in 1990. That’s 22 years ago. Isn’t
that amazing? I can’t believe that. Every year when a new year
goes on and I say, “Oh, my God. I have been teaching X
amount of years!” I have always been completely shocked that
it has been that long.
Question: Did you start at Lincoln-Eliot or somewhere else?
Answer: I did. I started teaching at Lincoln-Eliot in 1990. I was
hired because there were two first grades that were really big
and they needed to make a third first class. So I was hired to
teach first grade and I was thrilled. I originally really wanted to
teach first grade, or maybe second grade or maybe third
grade. It never really entered my mind to teach fifth grade at
first. So I started here in first grade and I taught first grade for
about 6 years before I switched to 5th grade.
You know what is very neat? For a few years, I had some kids
that I taught in first grade, I also got to teach in 5th grade. That
is very neat especially when you first teach someone, they are
6 and you see them again when they are 10 or 11.
“Ever since I
was little, I
wanted to be a
teacher. I always
liked teaching
my stuffed
animals and
working with
young children.”
“I love it. I absolutely
love it. I love it.”
Question: Which grade was your
favorite teaching?
Answer: It’s hard to say because I really like both
of those grades for very different reasons. I like
first grade because kids are still really new to the
school and they are really excited about coming
to school. There is a lot of energy about being
new in school. It’s really neat to see them learn
things for the first time.
But in fifth grade, I was surprised how much I
love it. We can carry on great conversations. Kids
know what kind of things they might be
interested in and they ask questions about those
things. We can go a little bit deeper into some
topics and I like that. I also really like that there is
so much I learned about teaching in first grade
that is useful in fifth grade. You are still teaching
kids to read but in a totally different way.
Question: What part of teaching do you like
most?
Answer: Well, I like interacting with the kids. But
I really like when there is a part of something
that somebody doesn’t understand and I have to
figure out how to help them understand that and
come up with a list of different things to try. I like
to do that not just with math and reading but
with friendships, too. For example, try to figure
out when kids aren’t connecting with each other.
If you find the right things, it will definitely work
out at the end. There is always a puzzle-what is
going to work for certain kids? I really like that
part of teaching.
Question: Do you enjoy teaching?
Answer: I love it. I absolutely love it. I love it. I
love the kids. I also really love the people that
I work with here at Lincoln-Eliot. That has
been very special, as you can imagine, since
this is my 22nd year. I’ve known a lot of people
here for a long time. It is like having another
family here. I love working with my
colleagues. And I like that every day is
different. Every day we are either learning
something new or a kid asks something I
never thought of or brings up an idea that I
had never thought about, or maybe we have a
new problem that we have to solve in the
classroom or at Lincoln-Eliot. Every day, there
is something different. That’s why I love it, I
love it.
Question: What subject do you enjoy the
most? Why?
Answer: That’s a tough one. I love social
studies. I like to read a lot about history. I love
that subject personally. I like to read about it
and I like to teach kids about it. But here’s my
second answer. Even in social studies, it feels
like it is teaching reading because we do a lot
of non-fiction reading. Therefore reading is
my favorite subject to teach and social studies
is my own personal favorite subject.
Question: How has Lincoln-Eliot changed you, not
only as a teacher but as a person?
Answer: Well, you grow up as a kid but you also
kind of grow up as an adult, too. When I finished
college, this was my very first job. I knew about
teaching from college but I had never really done it
myself. And I came here with lots of great ideas and
felt really excited. I had a lot of people here who
were experienced teachers who helped me learn
and grow to be a better teacher. I learned so much
about how to be a teacher. All along the way, even
now, I have always liked sharing ideas with other
teachers, so my teaching can change every year,
sometimes every day, certainly every week. It is
always changing because of communicating with
other teachers. That’s a very special part of Lincoln-
Eliot.
But as a person, hmm…..Lincoln-Eliot is a very
special community. There are kids from
all around the world. There are all kinds
of kids with all kinds of interests, with all
kinds of beliefs, races, religions, and
different cultural backgrounds. I really
feel like I have a view of the world right
here in this neighborhood, especially over 20
years. It has been a very special place to learn
about culture and race and other religions. So I feel
lucky.
“It has been a very
special place to learn
about culture and race
and other religions. So I
feel lucky.”
What do humans
eat?
Food!
What doesn’t have
legs but still
runs?
A car!
What is the best
way to talk to a
hot dog?
Be frank!
How do you know if
an elephant is
under your bed?
If you can
touch the ceiling!
If a railroad is
40 years old, and
the train is 30
years old, how old
is the engineer?
37! How do
I know? He told
me!
Why did the
reindeer cross
the road?
He was
strapped to a
chicken!
What has a bed
but never
sleeps?
A river!
What did the
cowboy say when
he wanted to
get the sheep’s
attention?
Hey, ewe!
(you)
What do you get
if a bunch of
thieves dive
into
a swimming pool?
A crime
wave!
Created by Jonathan Iacuzzi and Victor DoValle
Peter piper picked a peck of
pickled peppers.
Once I heard a mother utter,
”Daughter, go and shut the
shutter.” ”Shutters shut,”
the daughter
uttered, “for I can’t shut
it any shutter.”
Danny dreamed of a dandy
dragon dungeon.
If a doctor doctors another
doctor, does the doctor that
doctors the other doctor,
doctor the way a doctor
doctors a doctor? Or does
the doctor doctor the doctor
the way a doctor can’t
doctor a doctor?
Creative Writing
Meep!
I’m going to be
president!
wee
eee
eee
eee
eee
ee
I got your back!
OMG!!! Where
did my back go?
Creative Writing
The Creative Writing Group
By Ms. Lew, Literacy Specialist
Lincoln Eliot’s first Creative Writing Newsletter Group consists of four talented,
amazing and hardworking writers from Ms. Penczar’s fifth grade class.
Angie Bellevue, who has the most poetic name in the world – Angelina
Bellevue, makes us wince, as we read “Pain on My Head,” about the suffering she
endures for the sake of beauty.
Shainay Chatelain won Ms. Penczar’s class “Scare-Off,” in October with her
blood-curdling horror story, “The Clown Statue.” ***Warning – this story might
not be suitable for younger readers! Her list-poem, “Purple,” takes readers on a
journey through everything purple.
Tatiana Salazar writes another chilling tale, “The Grudge,” about a mysterious
and menacing visitor. It leaves readers with many questions.
Eleasah Whittaker wrote her poems, “Walking,” and the mouth-watering,
“The Café,” on our writer’s field trip. Your stomach will rumble as you read.
Two other students, Liliana Vachon and Sam Maher, submitted poems for
review. The group acted as an editorial board, reading and reviewing the poems,
and making thoughtful suggestions for revision. Lili’s poem, “Moon Jellyfish,”
evokes a tranquil, underwater mood. Everyone can relate to Sam’s untitled poem,
bursting with the love and longing for his mother.
Thanks for reading and enjoying these pieces. Feel free to send questions and
comments to Ms. Lew.
PAIN ON MY HEAD
by Angie
Ow, ow,
ripping through my hair
with a brush,
it feels like I’m getting trampled
by a horse,
I smell shampoo,
really fresh like flowers
Ow, ow,
almost done brushing my hair,
but so far away.
Quickly done
but now I have to blow dry my hair
hot, hot, hot
all over my head,
burning my hair,
all the way down to my scalp,
but now I need to find an elastic,
black and skinny,
for my hair to go
up
up
up
now my head feels like it was…
sucked up by a…
VACUUM!
Purple
By Shainay
Purple cars purple box purple shoes
The color of your shirt
The pants that you wear
The laces on your shoes
Purple
The water with purple paint
The ice cream that you eat
The cupcake in the fridge
The straw that you drink from
Purple
The shoes that you always wear
The button on your jacket
The bracelet on your wrist
The sweater that you see in your mom’s closet
Purple
Your favorite color pencil
The folder in your bin
The pen that you write with
The backpack that you bring to school
Purple
The book in your living room
The chair that you sit on
Last but not least
The sun setting
Purple
The Grudge
By Tatiana Salazar
I live alone in a big house,
I hear voices at night. Sometimes I see a
little girl standing there with her red eyes. I
really can’t tell she’s looking at me because
her midnight black hair covers her face.
Sometimes I hear her giggle. It sounds like
this, “Hee hee hee.”
One night, I felt a cold hand touch me. It
was her. She said to me, “Hee hee, better
watch out.”
A week later I woke up in the middle of the
night. I looked up at my bureau and on the
mirror it said, “I’m next to you.” When I
turned to the side, she was right there.
“BOO!”
That was it.
The Café
By: Eleasah Whittaker
The smell of food,
The taste of drinks,
My wandering eyes look at…
Hot chocolate,
Boston Cream Pie,
The delicious coffee and tea,
The foods on the menu
make my mouth water
The…
Soda,
Chocolate brownies,
Biscotti,
Donuts,
Bagels,
I want to eat them all.
Too bad
my mom won’t let me have any.
Students’ Submissions
Moon Jellyfish
By Lili Vachon
Moon Jellyfish,
Clear and little.
Slimy and squishy,
in my hand.
As little as a quarter.
When in the water clear.
I can hear the sound of the water.
Swish swoosh.
The bottom of the ocean has rocks.
It feels rough on my feet.
By Sam Maher, Kindergarten
Oh Mom,
I missed you
when I was reading
I love you more than
TEN DOZEN COOKIES
So I wanted to give you this
LOVE, Sam
The Clown Statue by Shainay Chatelain
A few years ago, two parents, Angie and Joseph, went out for dinner,
which they never have time for because they’re always taking care of
the kids. An hour later, the babysitter called to ask if she could replace
the clown statue in the kids’ room.
“What clown statue?” Angie said.
“Oh, the one in the kids’ room…”
Angie and Joseph thought for a moment. “Wait, this isn’t right. I
know we left the kids’ room empty,” they thought.
And the dad said, “Get the kids out of the house! Call the
police!”
The babysitter got the kids out of the house and onto the lawn.
Later on, the police came. “Where’s the clown statue?”
“What clown statue?” Emily and Chris said.
The officer said, “Another prank call… We’ll be going now.”
Angie said, “Wait. Before you leave, check the kids’ room.”
The police checked the kids’ room. “Nothing here. We’ll be
leaving now.”
Angie thought maybe the babysitter was lying. “No – it couldn’t
be – but maybe—wait! What am I saying?”
The kids went upstairs with the babysitter. Angie and Joseph
went to their room downstairs. Before Angie said a word, Emily and
Chris screamed.
“What happened? I don’t know,” they said. They quickly went
upstairs and looked in the kids’ room. The room was painted red. They
saw the kids dead on the floor. They looked around there. They saw
the clown statue. They shrieked with terror.
“Get up and let’s run!” Joseph said. They ran outside into the
woods. The clown statue followed them. One thing the parents didn’t
know – the babysitter was the clown statue.
But it was too late for them.
***********************
More from our creative writing newsletter group
Walking
My feet race down the sidewalk,
Tap, tap, tap
I hear a car go by,
Pat, pat, pat
I can see…
A car repair shop,
A dress shop,
BERTUCCIS too,
The bare tree branches swaying in the wind.
I can see squirrels climbing up the trees,
While I walk.
By: Eleasah W.
ASK A FIFTH GRADER
By Jariana Pereyra and Jacob Moustafa
Dear 5th Graders,
I play a lot of sports
and have lots of after
school activities. How
can I fit studying into
my busy schedule?
Signed,
Stressed Out
Dear Stressed Out,
Do the important stuff
first-homework! If you
do it before sports or
fun stuff, you won’t have
to worry about it later!
Don’t PROCRASTINATE. Do
your work!
*(Procrastinate: delay,
put off)
Dear 5th Graders,
My friend thinks she’s being funny
when she makes comments about how
I look but it really makes me
angry and embarrassed. How should
I respond?
Signed,
Embarrassed
Dear Embarrassed,
I think I know how you
feel. Tell her you don’t
like what she’s saying
and tell her she is
hurting your feelings.
Some tips to remember
when you have this
conversation: stay calm,
think before you talk,
and use a respectful
tone of voice.
Remember, positive
communication in a
friendship is valuable!
Dear Confused,
Don’t FIGHT BACK! That is the wrong
thing. First, you could get into
trouble and second, the fight could
get bigger. The best thing to do
would be to talk to a teacher or your
principal. Remember REPORTING IS NOT
TATTLING. Adults are there to help
you.
Dear 5th Graders,
My friend is giving me the cold
shoulder. I’ve tried to talk to her
but she keeps ignoring me. What are
some tips to help make her talk to
me?
Signed,
Hurt
* (Giving Cold Shoulder: Ignoring someone)
Dear Hurt,
Sorry that this is happening to you.
Try writing her a note saying that
you noticed she has been giving you
the cold shoulder.
Tell her that you value the
friendship and want to work things
out.
Dear 5th Graders,
I keep getting picked on
at school during recess.
The other kid is getting
physical, and people who
give me advice tell me I
should hit back. That
doesn’t feel right to me.
What should I do?
Signed,
Confused
Dear 5th Graders,
On the weekends my friend
likes to play video games but I
want to play outside. How do I
disagree with her and still
stay friends?
Signed, Conflicted
Dear Conflicted,
The easiest way to tell her
what you want to do without
hurting her feelings is to be
calm, polite and “assertive.”
Be ready to compromise because
real friends learn how to share
the time they spend together.
A good compromise would be to
spend 30 minutes playing video
games and then 30 minutes
outside!
*(Assertive: expressing your
thoughts in a clear, honest,
strong, and respectful manner.)
Kindergarten Brian Carter Pterodactyl: Eric Carle inspired Animal Collage
ARTISTS OF
THE MONTH
Grade 2
Dina Furman
Rocketship
Grade 3 Zachary Sardi-Santos Suminigashi: Marbled paper
Grade 1
Timothy Tsarinnik
Robot Collograph
Grade 4
Michelle Lee
Woven bag
Artist Sp tlight BY BY EDWARD AYBAR AND MARIA CUNHA
Fifth Grader, Taya Frishman,
talks to us about her puppet,
“The Specter of Embarrassment”.
This fifth grade unit was inspired
by hand puppets, which were
made by the artist Paul Klee in
the 1920’s for his son, Felix.
Edward: What was this project about?
Taya: Well, a specter is a ghost or a haunting thought in your head. So I thought, what’s more
haunting than embarrassment? What I had to do was create the vision of embarrassment, so to
do this, I looked on the internet and some pictures that showed up were of a guy with a bag over
his head and another with a person going to school in his underwear, so I chose both of those.
Edward: What inspired you to make the Specter of Embarrassment?
Taya: I just wanted to do something funny that a lot of kids could connect to, maybe everybody in
the fifth grade could connect to, so I decided on embarrassment.
Maria: What was easy about this project?
Taya: What was easy was putting my own twist on it. I really liked designing the underwear and
making it sparkly and pink.
Maria: What was the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you?
Taya: Well, I was really little and my family went on a cruise, I was in a program for kindergartner
and we were in this concert and when I came on stage I just spun around randomly because I
forgot everything I was working on.
Maria: What advice do you have for other students if they are interested in making a puppet?
Taya: Well, don’t come up with a too complex idea because it will make your range of creativity
very narrow. Think of a basic idea, like embarrassment or happiness, so you can have a lot of
things to represent it.
Matilda is about a little girl discovering a power that
she never had before, which gets her in some trouble with
the headmistress at her new school and with her family at
home. She is very smart; she can do long math and read big
books and she is only 6! The cast of this movie is Mara
Wilson as Matilda Wormwood, Rhea Perlman as Ms.
Wormwood, Embeth Davidtz as Ms. Honey, also Danny
DeVito as Mr. Wormwood and, last but not least, Pam Ferris
as the mean, old Agatha Trunchboll. This movie came out
on August 2, 1996 and there is a book about it you can
check out in our library. I think your whole family will love
the movie and the book.
By: Kyla Barbosa
Students Pick
NICKI MINAJ is a person who’s a rapper and a
singer. You might know her unique style. NICKI MINAJ
is talking to some magazine artists, so she can be on
the cover of VOGUE. NICKI MINAJ wears a lot of wigs
that are creative, like cheetah print hair and rainbow
hair. Also one of the wigs would be short and then the
other half would be long.
When NICKI MINAJ dresses, she wears some
things that other people wouldn’t wear in public. She
wears different dresses everyday, like outer space
dresses and also wears black clothes. She has two
albums out and people say her best album is PINK
FRIDAY. I think some of the fifth graders would
recommend listening to her music.
BY SONU HART
What is Kinect for Xbox 360? It is a device that when you stand in front of it
your body will be on screen even though you’re not in the screen. Sometimes
something is too dangerous to do in real life but in a video game and using the
Kinect for Xbox 360 you’re safe. You can play a game that keeps you moving until it’s done or
you can play a sports game that also
involves a lot of movement. The price is
$149.99. The Xbox 360 Kinect makes you
move a lot in the beginning, middle, or
end of the game. A person should buy
this if they like to move a lot.
By: Daphnee-Anne Grignon
The 3DS is a new DS that combines
3D technology and the modern DS into one.
There are many differences in the old DS and the new DS; for one it has a special feature that lets you watch videos and read some comedy. They also upgraded how it looks. Before you had arrow keys and you had to press on them to move. Now though there is a joy stick that you can move with your fingers which makes you move on whatever you’re playing.
There are also two screens now
(800x240 resolution for the top screen and
320x 240 for the other). The price of the
3DS was originally $249.99 and now they
changed the price to $169.99. The 3DS also
has a new gyro sensor and motion sensor.
They also created it to have a 3D camera
lastly it has a 3D depth slider, which is a
switch that switches the screen from 3D to
off. And I think everyone would like it except
the elderly.
By Derek Chen
March
>>>>>>>2012
FROM THE LINCOLN-ELIOT MAGAZINE COMMITTEE
Dear Creative Writing Group, Our group had so many shining moments. I loved the way you thoughtfully decided to accept a poem, with friendly revision feedback. Together, you crafted a letter with positive comments, questions and suggestions, resulting in a revised and improved piece. The trip to Starbucks was a blast, and the fact that all of you worked on pieces at home, showed that you valued this experience. It was great, Ms. Lew, Literacy Specialist
It was very exciting for me to see how this magazine helped Arrianna and Emma to recognize that they are very capable, competent, and have a lot of potential! It was great! Ms Mok, School Psychologist
I loved working with Victor and Jonathan the
Humor Department. We shared a lot of laughs.
However, I was very disappointed that they
rejected some of my favorite jokes. Here’s one
they didn’t like:What did the thief get for stealing
the calendar?
….. 12 months
Mr. Hurray, Principal
Jariana & Jacob, I loved working with you on this project! You both showed such dedication and enthusiam throughout the whole process. Your article was extremely thoughtful and your answers were helpful and kind. I hope you are proud of yourselves; I know I am extremely proud of your hard work! Ms. Baumann, School Social Worker
I loved the opportunity to work closely with Derek, Sonu, Kyla, and Daphnee on the review section. I was impressed with their original ideas, research skills, and creativity throughout their pieces. I look forward to working with them again. Heather Smith Library Teacher
The Roots of Lincoln-Eliot were so much fun to unearth. Jesus and Tammy were enthusiastic researchers who really enjoyed discovering the history of their school. We cannot wait for our next assignment!
Ms. McLouglin, School Secretary
Ms. Fugazzotto, Building Aide
I enjoyed working with my art editors, Edward and Maria. They were eager to use their knowledge of the school's culture to make aesthetic decisions for the benefit of the school community. Ms. Sutherland, Art teacher