FEBRUARY VOLUME 2 ISSUE 5

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BLACK HISTORY SHOWCASE/POETRY

SELMA FIELD TRIP

STRIDE ACADEMY PHONE SURVEY

PRETTY BROWN GIRL PICTURE DAY

Celebrating

Black History Month

February 2015

Designs Created by Journalism Students

CCA COMMUNICATORVisit our website at www.creativecommunicationsacademy.org

FEBRUARY VOLUME 2 ISSUE 5

Showcase Your Talent By Tyler Barnes and DAndre Wallace

For the black history program, Ms. Grimes held auditions for the mime/step team. In order to audition, students had to come prepared with their own dance to the Academy Award-nominated song, Glory by Common and John Legend. The three people that showed up were: Tyler Barnes, DAndre Wallace, and Diamond Baker. The three of us had our own style of dance. Once we came together, we were able to choreograph the dance under the supervision of Ms. Grimes.

As we continue to work hard and practice together, we are becoming stronger as a team and as friends. We are still looking for other students to join the team after the showcase and black history program in order to build a bigger, better team. The showcase will be held February 19th and the black history program is scheduled for Feb. 25, 2015. (Pictured on the right: Ms. Grimes, CCA Social Studies Teacher and below from left to right: DAndre Wallace, Diamond Baker, and Tyler Barnes)

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FEBRUARY VOLUME 2 ISSUE 5

Life as a Slave By Corelle Walton

Taken from our home We were all alone

Ripped from our blood kin Placed with people of lighter skin

We worked day in and day out There was so much pain we wanted to shout

We were forced out into the baking sun Wondering when our time would be done

Our fingers were always swollen We hated what our masters had stolen

Picking cotton in the fields We sang our sings as shields

Our fingers bled with cuts The once soft fingers became ever so rough

We felt the slash of the whip That felt like our backs were ripped

Blood rushed down our backs While we laid on nothing but filthy sacks

Our young ones got beat For simply trying to eat

We were broken down in despair Over our children being damaged beyond repair

We woke to the sound of painful screams Wishing it was just a dream

We slaves go back to sleep With basically nothing to eat

Though we had been treated wrong We stood proud and strong

We had not been defeated Even though thousands of us had been deleted

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FEBRUARY VOLUME 2 ISSUE 5

SELMA Field Trip By Octavia Douglas

On Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015, the Dolton 149 Middle Schools went to the Marcus Cinema in Chicago Heights to see Selma. The movie is based on the 1960s Selma to Montgomery march led by Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Some students thought the movie was disturbing, while others thought it was very informative.

When I got home, I did some background research myself and found that some people disagreed with the way they portrayed certain characters in the film. A lot of controversy was raised from the movie.

A post-activity question that was circulated around some classes asked, When the marchers arrived to the Edmund Pettus Bridge, would you have kept going or turned back to go home? It was a 50/50 debate, but we agreed to disagree. The main consensus was that the students really enjoyed the movie. We now have a better idea of what some of our ancestors and leaders went through to get us where we are now, including a student and teacher below.

(Pictured Above: Lakya Nesbit and Mrs. Williams from CCA)

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FEBRUARY VOLUME 2 ISSUE 5

Stride Academy Fabulous February

With the PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) test coming in March, students are being encouraged to use Stride Academy at home now more than ever before. To motivate this participation, there is a building-wide contest being held during the month of February.

The respective homerooms in each school are competing to see which groups have the most star points from week to week. They will be rewarded with Munchkins from Dunkin' Donuts. There is also a list of the top ten students overall who will be awarded as well. With only a couple of weeks left, you still have time to compete and prepare for the upcoming assessment. So, the winner is . . . TO BE DETERMINED!

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FEBRUARY VOLUME 2 ISSUE 5

IPhone vs. Android By Shayna Norwood and Francois Edwards

On Feb. 11, 2015 teachers asked their students, which one is better IPhone or Android? As a result of this poll, 62.42% of the students picked IPhones and 31.8% picked Androids.

The majority of C.C.A seventh and eighth grade students have chosen IPhones. Some people said that they like IPhones because you can contact others by using Facetime, you can do emojis, and Ios. Some people think its better to see peoples faces while talking, instead of just listening to them speak. Also people like to use emojis because they like to express themselves with faces. Overall, people like the design of IPhones.

Some C.C.A students like Androids better than IPhones because the apps are cheaper. Another reason is because of less restrictions. Finally, you dont have to pay to download music. They really like the fact you dont have to pay for the music you love. You can do a lot more on an Android than an IPhone. Also, Androids dont crack as quickly and as easily as an IPhone.

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FEBRUARY VOLUME 2 ISSUE 5

Pretty Brown Girl By Oluwanifemi Taiwo

Following the success of the Male Youth Summit in District 149, parents felt that the girls needed a program as well. Superintendent Dr. Shelly Davis-Jones listened and filled the void with Pretty Brown Girl, which was implemented in our schools last month. Since that time, the girls who were selected for the program have been inspired to build confidence by learning to have self-esteem and practice self-control.

The program goals are to be polite, to be mature, to have self-esteem, and learn how to deal with the world. So far, they are trying to accomplish feeling good about themselves even when someone is attempting to bring them down. To generate conversations, the girls have been asked to talk about their day, and tell personal things about themselves. They have done several activities to achieve their goals and will continue working toward them until May 2015.

(Pictured above from left to right CCA 8th graders: Amy Guindo, Vontrice Catchings, and Nia Scott)

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FEBRUARY VOLUME 2 ISSUE 5

Shine Bright Eighth Grade Picture Day (2/9/15)

(Pictured Above: Students from 8A - CCA)

(Pictured Above: Students from 8D - CCA)

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FEBRUARY VOLUME 2 ISSUE 5

Picture Day (continued)

(Pictured Above: Girls from 8B - CCA)

(Pictured Above: Students from 8B - CCA)

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FEBRUARY VOLUME 2 ISSUE 5

Picture Day (continued)

(Pictured Above: Girls from 8C - CCA)

(Pictured Above: Boys from 8C - CCA)

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FEBRUARY VOLUME 2 ISSUE 5

CCA Communicator Mission Statement The CCA Communicator believes that public enlightenment and educaAon

aligned with Common Core goals are the foundaAon of our democracy. Our duty as journalists is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of issues and events.

Masthead Editor: Kenya Trice Sports Editor: Octavia Douglas Associate Editor: Daysia Williamson Layout Editor: Daysia Williamson Assistant Editor: Jason Smith Reporter: Tajah Pittman Copy Editor: Stan West Multimedia: Paige Jeanpierre News Editor: Raekwon Rogers Feature Editor: Cornelia Grant

Faculty Advisors: Tiffany Blackman, Angela Blair, Angela Grimes, Cherita Smith, Saundra Smith, Secrett Stone, Kenya Trice, Lajoya Washington, Rodeana Williams

Contributing Advisors: Jeff Spitz, Stan West, Kenya Thames, Aaron Stevens

Principal Gerald Scott Creative Communications Academy (CCA)

1650 Pulaski Road Calumet City, Illinois 60409

Office: (708) 868-7585 Fax: (708) 868-1247

www.creativecommunicationsacademy.org

We BelieveExcellence, Humanization, & Pride Special thanks for your CCA Vision:

School Board President, Darlene Gray Everett

District 149 School Board Members

Superintendent, Dr. Shelly Davis-Jones

District 149 Administrators

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