Message from the

Principal…

The year 2012 is almost here. As we

reflect on this past year, it was one filled

with pride and joy as well as tears. We

had many things to be grateful for, and

there were several challenges and

obstacles to overcome.

There were math awards, music awards,

reading awards, art, dance,

soccer………..the list goes on and on.

We were and continue to be a school of

winners and achievers!

Teacher RIFs and cutbacks in clerical,

custodial, and cafeteria staff were all a

source of stress and tears throughout the

year. Each day, week, and month

brought a new challenge. In spite of the

challenges of 2011, Reed continued to

excel and improve due to the dedication

and hard work of students, staff, and

parents. Thank you one and all for giving

your best during a most stressful year.

Bring on the New Year! The Reed

Community is ready and up for the

challenge. Wishing you all a happy and

safe holiday season!

— Donna Tobin, Principal

Rummage & Recycle Event

November is a month for thanks and giving to those in need. That is why Reed Middle School had a Rummage & Recycle Collection

Event November 18th

through November 20th

. Students received 2 plastic bags to take home and fill with things they didn’t need or

use. The PTSA earned thousands of dollars for our school just by collecting unneeded items. Continued on Page 5

Career Day

November 16, 2011, was the 8th

grade Career Day at Walter Reed

Middle School. There were a

bunch of different varieties of jobs

from LAPD to Nurses, to artists,

and even actresses. This was very

fun and a learning experience for

all the eighth graders. The person

that everyone should thank for

making this day possible is our

eighth grade counselor, Ms.

Clement.

Continued Page 2

Thelonious Monk Institute

Jazz Band

If you attended Walter Reed’s “Meet the High Schools”

night November 2, you heard the debut performance of the

Thelonious Monk Institute Jazz Band, a select ensemble of

Reed’s top jazz musicians. The band consists of: Anthony

Barrios (drums), Ethan Hans (piano), Daniel Menegaz

(bass), Sam Millner (alto sax), Franklin Newby (guitar),

Gaia Saetermoe-Howard (alto sax), Miles Van Tongeren

(piano), and Sophia Yurdin (alto sax).

The Thelonius Monk Institute is a prestigious national arts

organization – led by Institute Chairman Herbie Hancock,

one of the greatest jazz musicians ever -- that preserves jazz

heritage through music education in public schools. Reed is

very lucky: we are one of only a few middle schools in the

whole country to be included in TMI’s “Jazz in the

Classroom” program. Continued Page 7

Page 2

Walter Reed Middle School ♦ 4525 Irvine Avenue ♦ North Hollywood CA 91602 ♦ 818-487-7600 ♦ www.reedms.com

Review D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1

INSIDE

Above: Ms. Hacker’s students investigate the inside and outside of Captain Vosberg’s Fire Department truck. Below: school motorcycle patrol officers Manny Muneton and Shane Stewart.

(Continued from Page 1)

Career Day

Wow. Most people don’t even know how stressful setting Career

Day up is. Ms. Clements says that with the help of the other

counselors Ms. Giagni, Ms. De La O, and the wonderful PTSA, she

made this day as successful as possible.

As we were walking around getting more ideas about our future,

most students (including the Reed Review reporters) thought that

the more interesting and most captivating career was being a

veterinarian. Dr.Pitts from the Studio City Animal Hospital brought

a couple of very unusual animals including a parrot, gecko, baby

squirrel, turtle, and even a lizard.

We went around to the classrooms where presenters were talking to

students about their careers. For example, some graphic designers

showed movie clips of their work…very exciting. Adults who work

for FedEx showed a video about their company. Dr. Sylvester, a

baby doctor, gave out a packet on how babies grow in the womb.

One presenter showed how he composed music for TV shows and

movies. Even actors came in to talk about becoming actors and

shared the techniques they use. There were many more interesting

careers that came, and that we hope will come again for the years

that follow. To thank all the presenters for coming, they received a

mug with some chocolate inside to always remember Walter Reed.

If you would like to know more information on Career Day, go on the

Studio City Patch website (www.studiocity.patch.com) to find photos and

more.

— Natassja Alluin’12

Page Layout by: Natassja Alluin’12

Reed Review

Getting To Know

Ms. Szymanski

What was your career before you began teaching? I was a ballerina for 15 years. What inspired you to become a dancer? Ever since I was young I’ve always wanted to be a dancer. Throughout the course of your dancing career, did you work for one main company? No, I worked for 3 different companies. Who supported you throughout your dancing career? Mostly my mother and brother. What was your most memorable event that you participated in? I performed in Dublin, Ireland. What’s the key to being a ballerina? You have to work hard and be prepared to face whatever life throws at you. Before you became a Ballerina, were you involved in any other sports? I was on the Varsity Basketball and Track team. Did you enjoy school, if so what were your favorite subjects? I didn’t have much time to enjoy school as I was performing and rehearsing a lot. How old were you when you graduated from high school? I graduated early from high school at age sixteen. What was the reason that you “retired” from your dancing career? I was ready to start a family and you could only be a ballerina for so many years. How many years have you been teaching a Reed? I have been working here at Reed for nine years. Have you always been teaching for the Humanities Academy? No. When I first came to Reed we had tracks, and I was placed on “B” Track. Why did you choose to be a math teacher? Honestly the only reason I became a math teacher was because LAUSD needed more math teachers. What do you like about being a math teacher? I like being a math teacher because it feels like you are performing while making math easy to understand and fun.

— Natassja Alluin’12 & Ilya Zaidze’12

Page 2

From Ms. Mansfield’s 6th Grade Classroom

Culinary Arts Science

Projects

What we’ve learned from Ms. Moore about

Following a recipe…

Following a recipe keeps me organized. — Nikki Wanjala'14 Following a recipe gives me discipline and helps me to be more precise. — Sophie Perry'14 Following a recipe helps me keep things in order. — Hailey Hernandez'14 Following a recipe helps me follow directions. In math, English, history, and science, I have to follow the directions of what my teachers tell me to do. — Yanshree Hotchandani'14 This helps me in science by teaching me how to put things together. — Lynn Tran'14 I have learned how to measure quantities like ½, ¼, and many more. — Jacqueline Melgar'14 This helps me with math because I'm getting better with fractions! — Desiree Merida'14 Following a recipe helps me learn about division and fractions, because sometimes we have to double the recipe or cut it in half. — Juliette Downes'14 In the Culinary Arts Academy we learn about different methods of cooking. — Damaris Carranza'14 I have learned that listening and reading helps us create a perfect food dish.— Kaylee Elijah'14 If you don't write down a recipe then you won't know how to do the dish. This helps me because it reminds me to write down my homework so I won't forget what to do for school. — Kianna Rose Hamilton-Fisher'14 I learned to read recipes thoroughly or else the recipe won't turn out well. This helps because now I have learned to read instructions more carefully. — Andy Rios'14 I've learned that if you don't listen, or if you do your own thing, the outcome can be terribly wrong. — Bisu Bantu'14 I have learned that cooking doesn't have to have exact measurements, but baking does.

— Grace Mekrut'14 I've learned that some recipes you can improvise on, others you really need to follow the recipe or it can go really bad." — Phoebe Zerouni'14 "You learn from your mistakes. When you cook a recipe incorrectly, you learn to follow directions."

— Angelita Quintanilla'14

Page 3

Reed Review Visits Culinary Arts

On the first day, I saw kids sitting on stools around stainless steel counters. They

were writing the recipes that they were going to use on Thursday, since Friday is a

holiday (Veterans Day). Friday is the normal cooking day for this class. The kids that

finished writing the recipes first did the laundry. The laundry consisted of dirty dish

cloths. The classroom smelled like laundry detergent. I could hear the kids laughing

and talking, using indoor voices. The kids who finished first also got little bags of

pretzels. The teacher focused on curriculam standards. This was a 6th grade class.

Next, the students read aloud their recipes. Then the teacher demonstrated the recipe

herself with the help of students that she picked at random. She demonstrated using a

pan on a stove, and mixed garlic with butter to start. The room smelled good, like

garlic. I came back on Thursday and saw the students making their recipes. They

worked in groups with adult helpers. They were loud when they were making the

recipes, but they sounded happy. Some students finished before the others.

If you would like to contribute, the Culinary Arts Academy has a wish list: flour,

sugar, eggs, butter, vegetable oil, olive oil, cooking spray, powdered sugar, baking

soda, baking powder, dish soap, stainless steel cleaner, bread crumbs, sesame seed,

chick peas, zip locks bags (large), laundry detergent, pasta, and parmesan cheese.

—Daisy Armiento’12

Reed Review

I made a science project for my classroom. I made it on the layers of

the earth. It was a bean dip. My project was easy and it was fun. The crust of the earth was refried beans,

the core was guacamole, the lithosphere was the melted cheese, the asthenosphere was sour cream.

—Josie Nivar’14

Following a recipe has taught me…

Math: measurement of the ingredients

Science: how things mix with each other and

how it tastes

History: the history and culture of the recipe

English: reading and writing recipes helps

improve my use of the English language. — Adriana Moreno'14

Page layout by Daisy Armiento’12

Page 4

Ms. Honey

As many of you know Ms. Honey is a PE teacher here at Walter Reed Middle School. What many of you may not know is that she has been teaching here for 20 years, since 1990. She attended Verdugo Hills High School, where she played softball.

Once she graduated from High School, she went to LA Valley Junior College, and shortly after that, she got into Cal State Long Beach and played volleyball. All the while she played club softball with the Diamonds, who were amongst the top three in club softball in the nation, 11 years in a row. They went on to win the national championship in 1984.

Once Ms. Honey graduated from Cal State Long Beach, she went on to get a Masters Degree at Azusa Pacific. In 1985 she went with the Diamonds to represent the United States in the tri-nations tournament in China. After she retired from softball, she also started coaching her own senior league softball team as well as teaching here at Reed. Her team has twenty tournaments and they have won 11 tournaments in a row! — Will Evans’12

Mr. Paisano

Mr. Paisano is a teacher here at Reed. He has 200 students, has a typical

classroom, and teaches English. I personally don’t have Mr. Paisano as

a teacher, but I had the pleasure of visiting his classroom to observe

how he teaches. He’s pretty laid back and his style of teaching reflects

that. Although some of his students give him a hard time, he cares about

all of them. Since he loves to teach, he is very engaging and teaches with an excitement that is really cool. He is not only engaging, but he is

a pretty funny guy. You can really tell he loves to teach and I think his

students can feel the vibe.

Some of his students may know this, but many people at this school do

not know that Mr. Paisano played baseball at a very high level. I know

baseball isn’t really too popular here at this school, but what Mr.

Paisano had going for him was pretty exciting. He started out in Ridgecrest Bakersfield, California, and he attended Burrows High

School in Bakersfield. After he graduated from high school he decided

to enter into the Baseball Draft. He was selected by the Giants, but he

decided to go to college instead of entering the Minor Leagues. The

college he initially got into was Bakersfield Junior College. After he

went to Bakersfield Junior College for a short while, he got a

scholarship to play baseball at Fresno State. Fresno State is a very

prestigious baseball college and has won many college baseball titles.

He was on the starting pitching rotation. Unfortunately, his arm got

severely hurt. He tore several ligaments in his shoulder and he was

done. He had unbelievable potential, and had a chance at the big

leagues. He topped out at throwing 91 mph, threw a split-finger, and a dirty curveball.

After Mr. Paisano got injured, he was really depressed and didn’t know

what to pursue in his life, because his dreams of becoming a

professional baseball player had just been shattered. His friends and

family had suggested he become a teacher, and he did just that.

Mr. Paisano went to CSUN in Northridge and got a teaching credential

and became a teacher here at Reed, and this is where he’s been ever

since. He said that, even though he didn’t accomplish his lifelong dream

,he is still happy about where he is in his life. It just shows you how you

have to make the best of what you have, and live your life to the fullest.

He said that baseball taught him how to be mentally tough and deal

with the challenges of life, and how to embrace adverse situations and

prevail. Just like when you make an error in baseball, you have to pick

yourself up and stay positive. Put all of your energy and abilities on

what you can control, and what you have.

— Will Evans’12

Reed Review

Ms. Honey with a Korean competitor at the 1985 Tri-Nations Competition

in Korea.

Mr. Paisano, starting line-up pitcher for Fresno State

What’s your pledge?

I’m sure many of you have seen Environmental Science Academy students handing out pledges around the school. We wanted to encourage people to see what they can do to make the world a better place. Some people said “I pledge to encourage recycling in my community”, others said “I will plant more”. If you pledged, you would have gotten a sticker, a pencil, or a pin. That’s how much we want you to pledge! So, come on, let’s hear what you have to say about helping to make the world a better place. — Miles de Rouin’14

Youth Summit Environmental Science Academy students Miles De Rouin, Sarah

Fuchs, Dani Coze, and Kendall James attended Jane Goodall’s

Roots & Shoots 2011 California Regional Youth Summit this

November. Workshop topics included sustainability, carbon

footprint, using social media to increase your impact, heal the bay,

and ethical sourcing and business practices. Miles reports below:

The Youth Summit was a place to learn about how to help your

environment. I learned about ways to help the world, and make it

more green and beautiful . There were many activities to choose

from. I learned much more than I could ever imagine. I learned

about what other people are doing to help the environment. Some

people came up with some really cool ideas.

The Youth Summit was so you could see that a lot of people are

trying to make the world a better place. Just think to yourself, how

can you make the world a better place, not just for you, but for

everyone else? — Miles de Rouin’14

After School Rules

There are many different things to do at Reed after school. For example: you can go to the cafeteria to finish your homework, or you can join a sports team. Basketball, football, and drill-dance team are fun and good ways to exercise. Let’s not forget about the Run Team with Ms. Washington. If you would like more information about sports teams, just ask a coach.

If you are not in the cafeteria 30 minutes after the bell rings, you will get detention. I recommend you stay in the cafeteria. Just don’t forget the rules and you are set to have a fun time after school. Whether on a sports team or just hanging out with your friends, I am sure you will find a way to enjoy yourself.

— Sophia Escobar’12

(Continued from Page 1)

Reed Rummage & Recycle Event

Rummage & Recycle was a great event! It helped our school raise

money through donations. Rummage & Recycle was in the month

of November, on November 18th,19th ,20th. The people were

allowed to bring items they didn’t use, for example clothes, toys,

jewelry, and tools. Many people took action, and we got a lot of

stuff. Parents and students were kind for volunteering . Here is the

way the Rummage & Recycle event works: people donate things

they don’t use any more, or don’t want anymore. We collect all the

donations, and turn them in to recycle. Then we get money for the

donations, and that money helps our school by buying supplies and

other things the school needs. My experience volunteering for

Rummage & Recycle was amazing. I was glad to help out our

school. There was a lot of electronic stuff donated.

— Irene Abrego’14, Gabriela Aispuro’12, Xavier Gacula’13

The Green Festival

The Green Festival was at the Convention Center in Downtown LA.

This was the first time that it has occurred in LA. There were a lot of

people on the weekend of the event. I could hardly move from booth

to booth! The booths ranged from everything to food to water

softeners. There were a lot of kid friendly booths as well including a

kid zone. Kids could make crafts and could get samples of certain

products. The only not kid friendly kid booths was the beer garden

and the ceramic knife booth. There were a lot of booths. It was very

packed in the area were the Green Festival took place, (we didn’t

know what to call the huge room that it was). We had a lot of fun at

the Green Festival. It was a good experience.

As you would expect the Green Festival was environmentally

friendly. All of the products had something to do with saving the

environment. Some of the papers were even made of elephant dung.

Jewelry was made to look like ivory but was really a nut that was

then polished. This saves the elephants. One booth made products

out of anything such as newspaper, old tires, and orange peels. Most

of the food there was either vegan or organic, or both, but all was

organic. Either way, everything tasted good. Some people just

struck me as hardcore activists. We had a great time.

— Declan Rohr’14, Sarah Fuchs’13

Page 5

Reed Review

Environmental Science Academy students painting sign for Reed’s Rummage & Recycling Event.

Marley Williams’14, Sophie Perry’14, and Dolores John’14 demonstrate how to reuse a poster by painting a new announcement on the reverse side. Reuse, Reduce, and Recycle!

recycle a poster by using the reverse side. team

Miles De Rouin’14 with his father at the Roots & Shoots Youth Summit service learning garden November 6th.

How many years have you been teaching

here at Walter Reed?

Since 2001, so this is my 10th year at Reed.

What made you become a teacher?

I majored in history, went to law school and

became a lawyer. But then my wife

encouraged me to follow my heart, and

teaching was what I wanted to do.

What do you like about teaching?

The interaction with the students, and the glow

when they learn something new.

What is your favorite kind of student? The word favorite is limiting — I enjoy getting

to know people, and everyone is different. I

learn from my students every day.

What is the best part of teaching history?

The best time period?

The best part of teaching history is that I get to

share something that fascinates me with other

minds. I really love it when I see kids getting

interested in things I enjoy so much.

Revolutionary time periods and Napoleonic

France are my favorite historic times. Other

time periods catch my interest too. Right now I

am completely taken with World War I.

What would you do for the school system in

America if you were the Secretary of

Education?

Schools have come a long way in the 12 years

that I have been teaching. People are doing

remarkable things with little to no resources. I

see dedicated people who sincerely try their

best, but are battling huge budget cuts and

swollen class sizes. You cannot have a world

class system with third world level financing.

So, I think the first thing I would have to do is

demand Congress adequately fund and support

its ambitions for education.

What was your occupation before you

became a teacher?

Actually, I’m still an attorney.

How many years have you been a lawyer?

I have been licensed as an attorney ever since

1991. So, 20 years.

What law firm did you work for?

I worked for several small law firms.

What type of law do you practice?

I am a Civil Litigator.

Why did you choose to be a civil litigator

as opposed to another type of lawyer?

People join the air force to fly fighter jets,

not cargo planes. Litigation was more

exciting. Research and writing make up a

good portion of any lawyer’s life. Litigation

breaks that up, gets you out of the office a

bit more.

Why did you become a lawyer in the first

place? How does teaching connect to

being an attorney?

I was drawn to the study and academics of

the law. I am a third generation attorney,

and grew up reading a lot in my father’s law

library. My favorite area was Constitutional

Law. It all dovetailed nicely with history,

which was my primary interest. Also trial

practice is ultimately about educating a jury

(or judge) on what the law requires on

behalf of your client. Many of the skills are

the same.

What was your favorite case you’ve

covered in your career?

Although I am mainly a civil litigator, I did

handle one or two criminal matters. On one

— a really small case — I had a client who

was being pushed around because of an

expressed opinion. We asserted a first

amendment defense — free speech — and

got the charges dismissed. The guy even

failed to pay our fee, but I enjoyed using the

Constitutional defense.

How do you balance your jobs as teacher

and lawyer?

I only practice law now by doing piecework

and appearances during summer and other

breaks, and I am doing much less of that.

Teaching is my profession now.

How did growing up in Mississippi affect

you?

Wow — in sooo many ways. I grew up in a

small town called Columbus, Mississippi. I

Page 6

Thank you to the following 8th grade IHP students for contributing great questions for this article: Noah Panec, Brennan Pope, Dane Marshall, Juliet Kachinsky, Janice Lee, Olivia Ohanian, Ellen Cooper, Dane Marchall, Sam Millner, Gabriel Musen, James Lee, Greta Gordon, Nayra Halajian, Mack Kenny, Sophia Yurdin, Gaia Saetermoe-Howard, Devyn Malouf, Gabriel Musen, Chris Lung, Isabella Fortier, Mack Kenny, Michael Young, and James Hansen

Reed Review

was in elementary school in the late 60s, and high

school in the late 70s. For the first 4 years I went to

a segregated school — by law. They finally

desegregated the public schools there in 1970,

when I was in the 5th grade. That was one of the

things that got me interested in history.

What is the UN project that so many people in

the IHP are talking about? What inspired you

to create the UN project?

The UN — Unit Notebook — is a comprehensive

project designed as a culmination to IHP History.

A student researches a topic dealing with US

History or Culture and completes several different

assignments related to it including an Outline,

Book Report, Periodical Report , and many other

things. They are academically based, but allow for

student artistic expression. It is mandatory for IHP

8th Grade History students.

As to its origin, I stand on the shoulders of a giant.

My predecessor teaching IHP History was Bruce

Saunders, and I inherited the project with the IHP.

I tweaked it a little and added my own touches but

the core of it is still his work. Bruce was a

marvelous teacher who really inspired the kids. He

passed away a few years ago of lung cancer. If I

am half the teacher he was, I will consider myself

wildly successful.

What do you think the UN teaches students,

because some people argue that it is pointless?

In addition to putting newly learned skills into

action (assembling a works cited, various writing

tasks including poetry and exposition) it requires

them to think both analytically and creatively. It

gives them a product which is an example of the

level of work they can do — that is invaluable for

high school interviews. It forces them to develop

time management skills. It teaches kids how to do

a massive multifaceted project comfortably and

without having it eat their lives. They do this by

following a schedule. Those who procrastinate

find it becomes a huge hairy hassle and there is a

huge hairy lesson there too.

Have you ever given an extension on the UN

project?

Never. Hence the name DEADline.

Is there any possibility you could cancel the

United Notebook?

In some alternate universe maybe…but not this

one.

How many altoids do you think you eat total

during the school year?

How much sand is on the beach?

— Ilya Zaidze’12

Q&A with Mr. Graham

Mr. Graham with his 4th period Social Studies Class.

Page 7

Reed Percussion Ensemble rehearsing after school. For further information, please contact Ms. Johnson, Reed Music Department.

Reed Review

Do you like to write?

Ms. Federico’s

After School Writing

Club Did you know every Thursday Ms.Federico, an

English teacher here at Reed, hosts an after school

Writing Club for Humanites Academy 8th graders??

I must say, even though I haven’t been to a complete

session, it seems to be a very fascinating and great

experience. Ms. Federico plays classical music and

gives out tea to the writing club members. So, if you

like to write, and would like to stay after school in a

pleasant and inviting ambience, then you might want

to really check this out. You won’t regret it! Here are

some quotes from some of the members of the after

school Writing Club:

After a hard day of work, I love coming to the Writing

Club and unwinding with my good friends, a pencil,

and a piece of paper. — Ellie Frager’ 12

The Writing Club is a very nice thing. It is very

inspiring, helps me develop skill, and also relaxes me

after a stressful school day. — Emma Stone’12

It’s a great experience. The music is inspiring and the tea

is delicious. Altogether, the quiet and peaceful environment

is perfect for writing an amazing story.

—Miranda Lamere’12

Nothing goes better with writing than hot tea, haunting

music, and friends sitting in a peaceful silence.

—Lauren Scheide ‘12

I find myself looking forward to the writing club every

week. Ms.Federico does a great job creating the perfect

writing experience. I absolutely love going into her class

on Thursday afternoons and writing stories, while enjoying

a cup of tea. It’s a great way to become a better writer and

express yourself! — Elianna Scheide ‘12

And a quote from Ms. Federico herself:

Our writing club is an opportunity: a place, to let your

imagination run onto the page. There’s no pressure,

and lots of encouragement.

— Ms.Federico, Humanities Academy English Teacher

Page Layout By: Ilya Zaidze’12

(Continued from page 1)

Thelonious Monk Institute Jazz Band

We are coached by professional jazz saxophonist Jason Goldman, a

TMI instructor who teaches us improvisation techniques and a classic

jazz repertoire including Thelonious Monk’s “Blue Monk.”

To be selected for this group, Reed musicians have to be in Jazz Band

“A” conducted by Mr. Stephen McDonough, and must pass TMI

auditions. The group currently has three alto saxophonists, two

pianists, one drummer, one bassist, and one guitarist who rehearse

every 6th

period and Fridays during lunch. To all you budding jazz

artists, I encourage you to audition next fall and to come hear our big

public performance Sunday, June 3 at the Catalina Jazz Club in

Hollywood. For more information: www.MonkInstitute.org . A fun

group video performance can be found on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/flutehero101?feature=mhee#p/a/u/0/7pQ

f1VcSsP4 — Sophia Yurdin‘12

Preparations Underway for Spring

Musical “Fiddler on the Roof”

This year the Walter Reed Middle School spring musical theater

production will be the Broadway smash hit “Fiddler on the Roof,” an

emotional and entertaining story about Jewish villagers being forced to

leave their homes in Russia. The production is being directed by

Reed’s music teachers Mr. Stephen McDonough, Ms. Janice Kueppers,

and Ms. Jessica Johnson.

A large cast of actors, singers, and dancers will be accompanied by a

full Pit Orchestra consisting entirely of hard-working Reed students

who will rehearse more than 100 hours to prepare. Actor rehearsals

started November 14, and the orchestra started December 1. Want to

join the fun? Stage crews are still needed to create sets, props, and

costumes, and to help backstage during the shows. I encourage

everyone to come to the performances starting March 16!

In the words of Reed student theater critic Caroline Smith’12: “This

musical will be a great experience for the cast members, backstage

crew, and the lucky audience. The viewers of this play will leave with

a heightened sense of the community within their lives. I, for one,

greatly await this performance. I’m sure the thespian acts will prove

worthy of all this hype. I wish luck to all the actors!”

— Sophia Yurdin’12

Page 8

Layout designed by Livia Turner Sage

Reed Review

HIGH SCHOOL TOURS

Around once a week a couple people from my class disappear for a

couple hours to go on a high school tour. When they return they are

quite happy for missing the few hours of school, and are also opened up

to many new possibilities of their future. Not every school is alike, just

like not every student is alike. Each school offers new learning

opportunities for each individual person. Notre Dame is very sport

oriented while CHAMPS and LACHSA are more involved in the arts. It

depends what kind of person you are. The bulk of Reed students go to

North Hollywood High School or East Valley High School, which both

have strong educational programs. Recently I have been touring a lot of

these schools to see which one is best for me, and so have a lot of other

8th graders.

“Cleveland High School looks both fun and the atmosphere seems

great, they have the perfect balance of academics and extracurricular

activities. They offer almost every sport and have amazing college prep.

They push you to do your best as much as possible. Overall it looks like

an amazing school.” — Kate Applegate 12’

“Notre Dame is a great school for artists and athletes, they have an

opportunity for almost everyone! When I went on their tour I loved the

atmosphere between the students towards one another and the

relationships I saw between the students and teachers. No matter what

field I choose to pursue when I’m older I feel I will be very prepared at

Notre Dame.” — Izzy Antonelli 12’

Careful selection can lead you on the right path into the future! This

step in your life is incredibly important so its necessary to choose the

right school, and no matter what you choose if you study hard, you will

surely get into a good college and definitely have a great life.

— Livia Turner Sage’12

Model United Nations Coming to Reed

Walter Reed it getting its very own Model United Nations! What is the Model United Nations? Well, it’s an after school program

that deals with debates, treaties, and researches the current status between countries. It meets after school on the Reed campus,

and even has two weekend trips, including the main event, the “Summit” May 3-6 in Irvine California. You can experience what it

is like to be in the REAL United Nations. Some scholarships are available. Please see Mr. Kleinman, Smaller Learning

Communities Office, for more information. - Livia Turner Sage’12

Walter Reed Robotics

The Walter Reed Middle School Robotics Program is new to our campus this year. This afterschool class is taught by Mrs. Nancy

Aldrich, an experienced robotics and math teacher who has led many other local school teams to championships before. In this

class we learn how to build Lego robots to accommodate different challenges. We also learn to program these robots with an icon-

based programing systems to do our every will and command. In this class we learn a lot about working with a team, and we learn

to be respectful and open minded.

“I look forward to being with the students every Tuesday and Wednesday,” says Mrs. Aldrich. “The class is always filled with

smiles and laughter.” The class is very fun and we learn a lot of new things every week. We get to work with friends, be creative,

and be challenged. I encourage anyone who is willing to put a little extra work into learning basic engineering, to sign up for the

program when new openings become available for the spring semester. No prior experience is required, and all grade levels are

welcome. See Mr. Kleinman for details. — Sophia Yurdin‘12

Page 9

Reed Review

Layout by: Valerie Rosas

Reed Media Favorites Reed Review staff Valerie Rosas and Natassja Alluin surveyed many classes to find out

what their favorite tv shows, songs, artists, and movies are.

Below are the results

Tv Shows

1. Pretty Little Liars

2. Glee 3. That 70’s Show 4. New Girl 5. Modern Family

Artists

1. Adele 2. Bruno Mars 3. Coldplay 4. Lady Gaga 5. LMFAO

Movies

1. Harry Potter 2. Avatar 3. Despicable Me 4. Batman Begins 5. Twilight

Songs

1. Moves Like Jagger- Maroon 5

2. I’m Sexy and I know it- LMFAO

3. Pumped Up Kicks- Foster The People

4. Stereo Hearts- Gym Class Heroes ft Adam Levine

5. Tighten Up- Black Keys

Western Dress-Up Day

The week of October 31st to November 4

th was spirit week:

a week dedicated to finding students and faculty members

who have

Monday was

orange and black t-shirt day in celebration

of Halloween. Tuesday was western dress up day, followed

by Crazy Hat Day. Some students wore a hat on top of

another hat. This year we had students with more than 12

hats on their heads. Thursday was Proud of our Heritage

(t –shirt) Day, and Friday was Crazy Sock Day.

Mix-matched, neon colored, and many other socks were

displayed on student feet.

In the words of Reed student Bushra Haque:

“I’m glad we have an opportunity to do

something as fun as this. I enjoyed

spirit week. People got to show

off their inner creativity. Spirit

Week is a week to simply just

have fun.” This was a

school wide event that was

planned by none other than Ms.

Washington. She really put the

spirit in spirit week. Thanks to Ms.

Washington, this year Spirit Week,

once again, was a blast.

— Alexandra Marsalli’12

Crazy Socks Day

Crazy Hat Day

spirit.

Page 10

Layout by Alexandra Marsalli’12

Spirit Week

Reed Review

Page 10

Reed Review

I chose to do a travel brochure to Ancient Egypt.

I used books from the Reed library and the

internet for research. I spaced the work out and

got it done in a timely manner. I felt good when

I finished it. I might do the architecture next

time. — Nick Martin’14

I enjoyed doing this Egyptian project. I chose

good luck charms. I learned lots of things about

the charms Egyptians used. When the project

was done I felt neat and couldn’t wait to present

it to the class. —Cyan Gee‘14

I created a sarcophagus that belonged to a well-

known Egyptian ruler named Khufu. I

researched Khufu, and how Egyptians used to

wrap-up dead bodies, better known as the

mummification process.

— Jackson Coulouris’14

I chose to make a sarcophagus. The biggest

problem was shaping the box, but I gave myself

a lot of time. In all, everything was fun.

— Zackary Johnston’14

I learned a lot from the project about the

embalming process and how to wrap the body. I

was relieved when this project was over, but I

had fun. — Stephen Richardson’14

My project was making a tomb for King Tut. I

knew a lot about King Tut, but not everything. It

was fun wrapping my action figure with gauze

to look like King Tut. My feelings after this

project were utter happiness, relief, and pain to

knuckles from writing. — Alex Santana’14

I chose to do a timeline on Cleopatra because I

think Cleopatra is amazing. I wanted to find

out more about the struggles she faced.

— Taylor Jones’14

I did a timeline on Cleopatra. I learned a lot of

new things. Like, Cleopatra had a total of 4

children, and she died by committing suicide.

When I was done with the timeline I was filled

with emotions. I felt proud, happy, and

relieved. — Adelaida Rivas’14

This project was a fun experiment. I did a

model of temple Hatshepsut. I chose this

temple because it looked like a fun build. The

most fun part of the project was cutting and

painting. When I finished I was proud.

— David Prell’14

My project was a replica of a nobleman’s

house. I chose it because I am really into

architecture and housing design. The things I

looked at in books I mostly used for

information about how the Egyptians lived. I

had a lot of fun doing this project and am

really proud of its outcome. The only thing I

might do differently next time is start earlier!

— Eva Ortiz’14

The best part about doing architecture was

drawing it out. I had a great time doing this

project. I hope I can do it again.

— Cooper Ladomade’14

I would recommend to plan ahead of time.

You may think you have a lot of time, but you

don’t. You should not underestimate how long

something is going to take you. It’s better to

over-estimate. —Clarissa Dominguez’14

This ancient Egyptian project was very fun

because it was a group project and I couldn’t

ask for a better group. This experience will be

remembered for a very, very long time.

— Jake Whittemore’14

I learned a lot about Ancient Egypt, and I think

that my teammates did too.

— Isabella Selph’14

As a teacher it is difficult to come up with creative avenues for students to explore to access new knowledge in a “hands on” way. The Ancient Egypt Project gave Humanities Academy students a list of options for learning more about this civilization. The day of truth came on November 30th: the project due date. I was absolutely blown away by what these young people produced. Not only were they visually appealing, but they were beautifully constructed, and showed planning for the time needed for execution.

— Ms. Gold, Humanities Academy English and Social Studies Teacher

From Ms. Gold’s 6th grade classes

Humanities Academy Ancient Egypt Project

Page 11

Page 12 Reed Review

It was a brisk November day. The skies were gray and cloudy, but the

crisp air was refreshing rather than cold. Girls laughed and babbled

excitedly as they made their way to a country club in order to sing at a

lady’s luncheon.

Such was the scene when Walter Reed Middle School’s girls’ quartets

got to leave school to go perform their songs and share their voices

with the ladies of the beautiful Riviera Country Club. The excitement

was practically tangible as we were led through the absolutely gorgeous

grounds—we were greeted by a well-manicured lawn and a flowing

fountain, then shown the fancy ballrooms and decorations. Already in

awe, we became even more entranced when they graciously served us

lunch—not in the ballroom or kitchen, but on a terrace overlooking the

golf course. We were on a balcony overlooking breathtaking greenery

and were treated like queens; the day seemed like it couldn’t possibly

get any better. After enjoying our meals, we were taken into the large

hall to perform for a crowd full of ladies. We sang for a full 25 minutes,

entertaining the group with singing, dancing, and barbershop harmony.

As we made our way back to school, we couldn’t have been more

pleased with the day’s events—but our performances were not over

yet. The performance at Riviera Country Club had just been a practice

run for the next day, where we would be competing in an overnight

competition in Bakersfield.

The 2-hour drive from Studio City to Bakersfield might normally feel

long, but in the company of my fellow quartet members, it certainly

didn’t feel that way. We laughed, gorged on junk food, and sang the

entire way there, arriving with full stomachs and high spirits. We were

soon met by Mrs. Kueppers, our choir director, and the other quartet,

and went up to our hotel rooms to settle in. Let’s just say that we did a

very good job of making ourselves feel at home—within 15 minutes,

you could no longer see the floor. We painted our nails, put on our

carefully chosen matching quartet dresses, and applied our makeup as

we prepared for that night’s competition, then traveled to Mrs.

Kueppers’ room to practice our songs. Nerves were high as we ran

through our numbers once, twice, and three times, noting points that

needed fixing—this note was flat, that choreography was late, base and

lead need to lock on that octave. Terror is the only word to describe

how we felt while walking onstage, but as soon as we started singing, it

dissipated into joy. There’s no feeling in the world like performing, and

No feeling in the world like performing...

Quartets Sing Their Hearts Out

we all truly enjoyed ourselves as we sang our hearts out. Once we

were done, we took our seats next to our fellow Reed girl’s quartet

and listened to our competition, who were all in their early twenties

and sounded amazing. In the end, we took second and third place, but

we hadn’t come to win. All we’d wanted was the simple fun of

hanging out with our friends and getting to perform, and that was

definitely what we got.

After the competition was perhaps the most fun part of all. After

eating dinner at 9 o’clock at night in our pajamas and laughing

hysterically as we made up bad jokes, we all changed into our

bathing suits and marched outside (where it was, I might add, pouring

rain) to the Jacuzzi. At first, we all enjoyed ourselves in the hot tub,

but we soon grew bored with the comfortably warm water and

decided to dare each other to jump into the freezing cold regular pool.

With our voices hoarse from screaming and makeup running down

our cheeks, we had an impromptu performance of our song “We Go

Together” before heading back up to the hotel rooms and drying off.

But the night was still not over—after changing into our PJs, we

accompanied Mrs. Kueppers to the rooms of the women at the

competition (the bulk of the competition had been in a barbershop

category for women much older than us). Once there, we performed

for them, singing our songs in our pajamas while everyone’s voices

slowly but surely seeped away. The women couldn’t get enough of

us, and we were out “caroling” until midnight, experiencing one of

the most fun nights we could have possibly dreamed of. Exhausted,

we finally went to bed (after, of course, eating some more sugary

foods and watching TV). We left the next morning after eating

breakfast and sharing a few more laughs before we had to go.

Performing at the country club and Bakersfield were two of the most

fun experiences I’ve ever had. I got to spend time with friends while

doing something I love, creating memories that I’m sure will last a

lifetime. We couldn’t help but grin as we shared our voices with the

world, singing our hearts out to the members of Riviera Country Club

and participants in the Bakersfield Barbershop Competition and,

despite the fact that we didn’t win, first place was ours when it came

to fun.

— Blake Feldmar ‘12

Reed Review

December 2011 Volume 1 Issue 2

Walter Reed Middle School

The Reed Review is written by and published by Walter Reed Middle School students. The Review is distributed to all current and prospective

Reed students and staff online at www.reedms.com. Thank you to everyone who helped with this issue. Reed Review welcomes all

contributions. Please send your contribution to djv4258@lausd.net.

Deadline for January/February Issue is January 21st, 2012.

Reed Review Editorial Board December Issue: Natassja Alluin, Alexandra Marsalli, Ilya Zaidze, Valerie Rosas, Livia

Turner Sage, Daisy Armienta, and Will Evans.

Reed Staff Suppport: Steve Salva, Assistant Principal SCS

Debbie Vodhanel, Smaller Learning Communities Office

Page 8

Layout designed by Livia Turner Sage

Page 13

Send a Cheer to Military Families

When our nation calls, who is there to help us up? The military

families are there to support our country. Even though military

families are often facing separation, relocation, or single parenting

duties, they are still giving 100% effort, each and every one of

them. There are more than 1.4 million people doing active military

duty: people that support more than 3.6 million family members,

and friends. 70% of military families have children.

So, during this fall, Cheerios and the USO are getting together to

send “cheer” to all military families. You can help them send a

thanks, and encourage our active military members for their hard

effort. The more we send out, the more money is donated. Each

postcard will donate $1 to the USO. Cheerios has already donated

$150,000, and will donate up to an additional $100,000 based upon

the number of postcards received by November 30, 2012. So, start

sending those cards in.

How does this program work? The postcard is located on a special

Cheerios cereal box. After you purchase this box, there are 3 easy

steps:

1) Cut out the postcard found on the front of the box. You will see

cut-out lines around the “Cheer” in the Cheerios logo.

2) On the back side of the post card, write a message of

encouragement or a simple “thank you”.

3) Add postage and drop the pre-addressed post card in the mail.

So now you see how important it can be to send just 1 post card.

With your help, you make the military families much happier. This

means a lot to them, and to Walter Reed. One post card is one hope

for making lives better.

— Jacky Escobar’13

Wolfstore

Come to the Wolfstore every other Wednesday in the Rose Garden

during sixth grade lunch, or seventh and eighth grade lunch. The

Wolfstore is a place where you can buy cute and awesome stuff.

You can buy items for a friend or yourself. Just earn your wolf

tickets by being respectful, doing a good deed, or recycling. Sixth

graders can get wolf tickets by playing a game on game day. When

you do come to the Wolfstore, you will be able to find everything

you need or want.

There are toys like Frisbees, mini-skateboards, jump ropes, stuffed

animals, cars, mini-balls, rockets, and many more. There are

accessories such as scrunchies, key chains, and sports bags. There

are also school supplies like pencils, erasers, pens, sharpeners, and

notepads. If you are a girl who likes fragrances, then come by to

smell our body washes, perfume, or lotions. And for the “Laker”

fans, we have “Laker” flags available. If you want to get something

cool, save your tickets.

The Wolfstore is like your own mini-kid’s store at school.

Everything we have is what you use in your daily life.

Have fun and see you at the Wolfstore. Respect is your ticket to the

Wolfstore.

— Nelly Lopez’13, Julissa Amaya’12

Reed Review

Technology Academy students collaborate with CSUN Professor Foley

Professor Foley Brings MIT’s

“Scratch” Program to Reed

On Thursday, November 10th

, Technology Academy science

teacher Mr. Slavinsky gave us a special treat: the chance to meet

a college professor, and even do a special “tech kids only”

project.

Professor Foley of California State University at Northridge

(CSUN) generously donated his time to teach the class about a

program called “Scratch”, a professional program which you

can use to easily develop a game, animation, or many other

choices. The system uses a puzzle-like visual system to let those

“rookies” in the business learn the program easily by knowing

what fits and what doesn’t, but “Scratch” is no puzzle to use.

The system is efficient and simple, and with a little learning,

anybody can do it.

The class’s lesson was on how to make a racing game. We made

a racetrack background, a finish line, our own race cars, and

everything a good racing game needs. Then we programmed the

game to do exactly what we want it to do: in a word, race! We

were all able to get the project done, a full racing game, in one

class period.

Even though I had never used the program before, I learned to

use “Scratch” in one hour, and so can you!

I’d like to thank Professor Foley for donating his time to teach

the class. His teaching style was unique and enjoyable, and I

loved his lesson too.

I’d also like to thank the students for their work, because the

kid’s ideas were original and interesting: every one of them!

Because the students showed off their technological prowess

that day, Professor Foley returned the following Thursday to

teach us another “Scratch” lesson.

In particular, I would like to thank Mr. Slavinsky. Because of

what he did for our classes, we learned a fun program, and a few

neat ways to use it. By the end of that day, all of the students

came home satisfied that they learned what they needed to learn.

But then again, that’s just a day in the life of the Technology

Academy!

Author’s Note: The Technology Academy needs more materials!

We are short on funding, materials, and laptops. If you have any

classroom materials (i.e. pencils, markers, etc.), or any spare

change, and would like to donate it to the Technology Academy,

please do so!

— Daniel Rosenberg’13

Coming Next Issue:

Reed Review investigates student motivation.

What makes us want to learn? Has there ever been a time when you refused to learn something from a

teacher? We want your story! Please send it to djv4258@lausd.net or bring it by Room 103.

Next issue we will publish the results of our student motivation survey.

Help support your local school by advertising your

business in the

WALTER REED MIDDLE SCHOOL

2011-2012

YEARBOOK

Yes! My business wants to advertise:

business card $25.00 ___

quarter page $45.00 ___

half page $70.00 ___

full page $125.00___

*Please attach your business card / or ad copy along with your

payment and return to:

Walter Reed Middle School, Yearbook 2011-2012

4525 Irvine Ave., North Hollywood, CA 91602

(818) 487-7600, extension room 210

Business Name and Contact Info:

Name of Yearbook Representative: