Mrs. Brown’s Top Ten Favorite Things

The

Ridgeway Reporter By students, for everyone!

The Playground Problem

Do you like climbing on rock walls? Do you like going on

the monkey bars? How about swinging on swings? These are all

fun things to do but they are missing from our playground.

I asked some of my friends what they thought about our

playground. Stephen Quattrochi said, “It’s ok but we need more

swings. A rock wall would be great too.” Jaiden Molina agreed.

“We should have more swings and we should have more things

like twisty slides and even a seesaw.” I think it would be great to

have climbing things that would help us get exercise and a

garden area where each grade level could plant flowers and

decorate for the holidays. I also think we should have tables

and benches so that we could play games and finish lunch

outside if we need to.

The good news is that there is a group of Ridgeway

parents who are working to raise money so that we can build a

new playground. Kids can help too! There is a jar in the office

where we can donate pennies for the playground. We should all

try to donate if we can. Even little amounts are good. When

you add them all together they will make a lot. Together we can

fix our playground problem!

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1. Color: Black

2. Animal: Cheetah

3. Food: Curry

Chicken

4. Sport: Basketball

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I S S U E 1 , D E C . 2 0 1 1

My Sit-Down with Mrs. Brown

It’s 1 p.m. Lunchtime. I step

into Mrs. Brown’s office,

which is quiet and neat. She

looks like a supermodel, not a

school principal. As I get ready

for this interview, Mrs. Brown

smiles and I know that I’m

going to find out some great

facts about her. Here is what I

learned.

If Mrs. Brown could

have dinner with one famous

person, that would be Jay Z.

And what would she cook Mr.

Z? Curry chicken with white

rice (her favorite dish).

If she had the option to

go anywhere in the world, she

would go to New Zealand.

Why? So she could check out

the schools there.

Finally, if Mrs. Brown

could be anyone in the world,

who would she be? Her mom.

By EMER FRIEND, 4th grade

By JAKE DORCHAK, 3rd grade

9. Song: Who Runs the

World (Girls)

10. Clothes: Her

black jacket because of the

way it fits.

6. Movie: Grease

7. Hobby: Reading books

and watching CSI

8. Vacation: Jamaica to see my family

1. Color: Black

2. Animal: Cheetah

3. Food: Curry

Chicken

4. Sport: Basketball

5. Book: Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss

Book Review

Harry Potter and the

Sorcerer’s Stone

The

Ridgeway Garden Club is organized by teachers and students of

Ridgeway. I am one of the students in the club and together with the other gardeners; we

make Ridgway School a prettier and better place. Through the weeks we harvested a big red radish and lots of pear tomatoes. The

amazing snowstorm we just had in October almost destroyed our garden. We had to clear

the snow and picked the plants back up. Look out for the next new newsletter, which I

will be writing about Dr. Clouet visiting our school to watch us put a green house up!

Together they have an adventurous first year at

their new school. They discover that Lord Voldemort is on the rise to power and they unlock the mystery behind Harry’s scar.

If you want to learn what Quidditch is, how to cast a levitation spell, and a foolproof way

to tame a giant three-headed dog named Fluffy, then I highly recommend this book to you. It can

be scary at times for younger readers, so I recommend the book for ages 8 and up.

Interesting fact: J.K. Rowling is the first person to become a billionaire by writing books.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s stone

By: J.K. Rowling Published 1998 by Scholastic press

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_____________

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My Favorite Seasons

Fall is pretty because the leaves fall down!

Red, orange, yellow, and brown.

Crunch! Crunch! The leaves say,

The leaves spin around and play.

When it gets colder and I see flurries,

I get the sign that winter’s on the way!

Squish! Squish! The wet snow goes under

my feet!

I can see the bare trees,

It’s a winter wonderland to me!!!!!

In J.K. Rowling’s debut novel we meet Harry Potter, an orphan with a lightning shaped scar

on his forehead who lives with his mean relatives, the Dursleys, in a tiny cupboard under the stairs. On Harry’s eleventh birthday he gets a

visit from a giant named Hagrid who informs Harry that he is a wizard and that he has been

accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hagrid also tells Harry that he is

famous in the Wizarding World for surviving a horrible curse cast long ago by the evil Lord Voldemort. Suddenly, Harry’s unhappy life

turns upside down. After a trip with Hagrid to Diagon Alley,

Harry buys school supplies; not your typical books and pencils, but a magic wand and a

snowy owl named Hedwig as a loyal companion. Next it’s on to Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross station, where he boards the

Hogwarts Express, a scarlet steam engine that transports young witches and wizards to their

school. On board, he meets Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, who become his best friends.

Review and illustration

by HANNAH FUCHS, 5th grade

by NISHTA NANDAKUMAR, 2nd grade

Ms.

Shaw, band

teacher

(continued from page 1) The good news is

that there is a group of parents who Music

is my favorite part of the

day

on E and F days. My music teachers are Mrs. Hommez and Mr. Ferrigno, they are very kind. I’m in general music but, if you’re in chorus on C days you’ll

Music is my favorite part of the day on E and F days. My music teachers are Mrs. Hommez and Mr. Ferrigno. They are very kind. I’m in

general music but if you’re in chorus on C days you’ll also see Mr. Ferrigno and Mrs.

Hommez. The orchestra teacher is Mrs. Heganauer and the band teacher is Mrs.

Shaw. They are also very nice.

Music can help you express yourself in many ways. Music can make you feel like dancing, twirling or jumping. Most kids in

the school like pop, rock and roll, and rapping. If we didn’t have music what would

we dance to? What would happen to singing? And what would happen to expressing

yourself in music? Good questions.

Have you ever wondered what it would

feel like if you were Mrs. Rosenfeld? Or

what other students think about art? I did.

So I got together with Mrs. Rosenfeld and

asked her a couple of questions to find out

more.

Why did you decide to become an art

teacher?

Mrs. R: I wanted to become an art teacher ever

since I was in kindergarten.

What do you enjoy most about teaching art?

Mrs. R: My favorite things about teaching art

are working with creative and enthusiastic

students and getting to make art all day.

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Art Class by LAUREN ELMER, 4th grade

Music Class by SARAH ROSE, 5th grade

Art Class By LAUREN ELMER

Chess club is where you can have fun and make

lots of new friends. Chess Club is about learning new skills and strategies. It helps you become a better listener because you have to listen a lot in

Chess Club to understand the information that is shared.

Chess club can also help you be a better friend to

different students you meet. I believe the Chess Club teachers think that if all students listen and practice then they can be very good chess players.

When you are playing chess, at one point you

will be able to go to a chess tournament. At the tournament you will be playing against students

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Mr. Ferrigno, music teacher

Specials!

Vincent Crupi, 5th grade, blows the roof off at the Winter Concert. A fun time had by all!

Toy Reviews

Paper Jamz by JASON MAURO, 2nd grade

Want to feel like a Rock Star? The Paper

Jamz guitar feels like you’re playing, but the guitar is really playing itself! It feels like you are playing a real guitar on stage

in front of fans. I like it because you feel like you’re playing a guitar solo. I highly

recommend this toy because it is a lot of fun to play and you can put a band

together with your friends.

Monster High Dolls By ALYSSA MCKINLEY

Monster High Dolls by ALYSSA MCKINLEY, 4th grade

Monster High started with a woman named Lisi Harrison. She wrote Monster High books and diaries. There are three books so far. Next came the

website and then finally the dolls. Monster High is an item made by Mattel. You may see the dolls in

stores like Toys R Us or

even Justice. The names of the dolls are Spectra v, Draculaura, Frankie Stein,

Abbey, Cleo de Nile, Deuce, Torali, Clawdeen

Wolf, and Ghoulia. And that’s just half of them!

Now there is also a monster

maker. A lot of girls even dressed as the dolls for Halloween.

So freaky just got fabulous and if you didn’t know about these dolls, now you do! Visit monster high.com to create an account and play games and

watch videos, learn about new apps, and more.

Skylanders by JAIDEN MOLINA, 3rd grade

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Skylanders is a new video game made for systems like X-Box360, Wii, and Ds. The game is very fun for kids and parents. You

can solve puzzles, play minigames or battle in arenas. More than one player can play at

a time. What I like the most about Skylanders is how you are able to actually

collect each figure and use them in the game. You can bring each figure to life by placing them on the Portal of Power. Each

character has its own unique power and upgrades. It is also great that you can play

online with the web codes given with each

Want to feel like a

Rock Star? The Paper Jamz guitar feels like

you’re playing, but

the guitar is really playing itself! It feels

like you are playing a

real guitar on stage in front of fans. I like it

because you feel like

you’re playing a guitar solo. I highly

recommend this toy

because it is a lot of fun to play, and you

can put a band

together with your friends.

I think that all the people at Ridgeway

Elementary should see The Muppet Movie. The movie was about how Kermit wanted to do a

show of the Muppets but they couldn’t because the mean character, Tex Richman, was greedy. It was funny. The movie had singing chickens,

Miss Piggy using karate, and Miss Piggy jumping on Kermit and giving him a big kiss. All ages

will like it. It had cute characters. My favorites are Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and Walter. It

is a great movie to see during the holidays.

The Muppet Movie by MATTHEW CELENTANO, 2nd grade

Movie Reviews

figure. I give this toy…FIVE stars!

Black Ninjas A short story by OLIVIA DUVANICH,

4th grade

Black Ninjas A short story by OLIVIA DUVANICH,

4th grade

Sara Bargin was as famous as Lady

GaGa. She went on the Grammy Awards

every year. Tomorrow it would be her 15th time. She got under the covers and

went to bed.

The next day at 8:00 pm, she went to her dressing room to do her hair. She

realized it was perfect but she thought she

saw something else. She went back to the mirror and saw she had grown a curly

black mustache!

She rushed to put on makeup to cover it and ran on stage. What she didn’t

know was that her makeup had come off

while she was singing! Everyone gasped!!!

As she began to panic, men jumped

up on the stage. They were the Black Ninjas! Sara stopped singing. The music

stopped playing. The Ninjas crowded

around Sara. They each took out shaving cream and a razor from their pockets.

They worked together to shave off her

facial hair and then they disappeared as fast as they had come. The music started

playing again. Sara started singing and

everything was back to normal. The Black Ninjas had saved the day!

This year we are all going on exciting trips that are based on what we are learning in school. The

Kindergarten went apple picking in the fall and is scheduling a trip in the future. In the spring, the

First grade will go to Stone Barns Farm, where they will have a guided tour and will receive their

class chicks. The Second graders went to the New

York Botanical Gardens in October. They had a guided tour of the family garden and learned about

fruits and vegetables. A visit to Stop and Shop is

planned for the spring. The Third grade is going to the Hall of Science in February. They will engage

in hands on activities that deal with math, science,

and technology. In June, the Fourth grade is going

to Ellis Island, where they will learn about

immigration while touring the island. The Fifth

grade is still working on plans for a field trip.

After you have gone on these field trips please send me

reviews of your experience at donahoe@optonline.net.

Fun Field Trips

for Everyone by ALEXA C. DONAHOE, 3rd grade

contributing writer ZOEY R. KOVACH, 3rd grade

Bats are nocturnal and they use sonar, or sound waves, to help them find their food. This is

called echolocation. There are many different kinds of bats in the world, like vampire bats, bumblebee bats, tent-maker bats, hammerhead

Interesting Bat Facts by BRIAN MULVEY, 1st grade

bats, ghost bats, brown bats, flying foxes and fruit bats. Most bats eat insects, bugs and fruit.

Vampire bats lap up the blood of animals, and rarely drink blood of humans; they all live in

Latin America. Bats help pollinate plants and their poop (also called guano) is a great fertilizer

for plants. Bats live in caves or in bat houses that people can make. If you are would like more information on bats, you can go to

www.batcon.org.

Ms. Fraioli’s

Furry Friends by KATIE SERRA, 5th grade

For Thanksgiving, Ms. Fraioli’s 5th grade class was very giving. They gave treats and toys to the cats

and dogs at a local pound. I bet those animals were very thankful. Now, how nice is Ms. Fraioli’s class? They really know the meaning of

Thanksgiving. You know, you don’t have to wait for Thanksgiving to give back? You can help the

animals at the pound, too. Just have your parents contact them at the Adopt-A-Dog located at 23

Cox Avenue, Armonk, NY 10504, 914-273-1674 (www.adoptadog.org).

Giving Back by KATIE SERRA, 5th grade

Meet Coach

McCormick by KATEYLN BRENNAN, 3rd grade

Mr. McCormick has been a teacher for 19 years

and a gym teacher at Ridgeway for the past 4 years. He's also a track coach at the high school.

If anyone knows about physical fitness, it's Mr. McCormick.

So listen up! When I asked Coach McCormick if he had any words of wisdom for Ridgeway students he said that they should

"always exercise and take care of their bodies." Great advice, Coach!

Who’s Who at Ridgeway

Mr. Tsuji’s Bountiful Baskets by NICKY HAMMEL, 3rd grade

Are you thankful? My classmates and I are but

this year we made sure another family felt

thankful too. Instead of having a feast in our room, our teacher, Mr. Tsuji, thought it would be

a great idea to make a Thanksgiving basket for a less fortunate family. A Thanksgiving basket is a

box in which we put food to donate to a family. Everyone in the class brought something in.

Anyone can make a Thanksgiving basket and donate food, too. It doesn’t even have to be for Thanksgiving. I’m thankful for that lesson.

Ridgeway Kids Give Back

Fruit Pizza from the kitchen of

KAITLYN CELENTANO

Ingredients: 1 Pillsbury pizza crust dough classic

3 tablespoons of butter 1 container of soft cream cheese

1 tablespoon of sugar ½ teaspoon of cinnamon

Strawberries Blackberries Blueberries

Directions:

~Melt the butter in the microwave with a grown

up.

~Spread some of the butter onto a cookie sheet. ~Open the pizza dough and roll it on the cookie

sheet. ~Spread the butter on the pizza.

~Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon on the pizza. ~Have a grown up cook the pizza in the oven for

10 minutes. ~Wait for the pizza to cool. ~Put on the cream cheese.

~Cut up the fruit with a grown up. ~Put the fruit on the pizza.

~Cut the pizza with a grown up and eat it.

Recipe Roundup

Candy Pizza from the kitchen of

ISABELLE LEVINE, 4th grade

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups white chocolate chips 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 3 cups crispy rice cereal

2 cups mini marshmallows

1 cup red and green candies (M&M's) or any

other candy you like 1/4 cup shredded coconut (if you don't like

coconut, you don't have to use it....maybe you could use some extra melted white chocolate drizzled on top instead)

Directions:

~Cover a large baking sheet with foil; set it aside. For the pizza crust:

~ Measure 1/4 cup of white chocolate chips into a plastic bag and set it aside. In a large, microwave-safe bowl, combine the semi-sweet chocolate chips

with the remaining 1½ cups of white chocolate chips. Microwave the chocolate chips together a

few seconds at a time until they’re melted. Make sure you stir often to keep them from burning.

~ Once the chips are melted and smooth, add the rice crispy cereal and stir until they start to get covered. Then add the miniature marshmallows,

stirring until everything is coated. ~Spread the melted chocolate pizza crust mixture

made above onto the prepared baking sheet and make it into a thin circle using a spatula or the

back of a spoon.

For the “vegetables”: ~Add M&M's or any other candy you choose.

Sprinkle the candies you have chosen for you vegetables onto the chocolate crust, press

them down to make sure they are going to stay in the chocolate.

For the "cheese": ~Sprinkle the shredded coconut all over the top of the pizza. Press down gently on the coconut and

candies so they stick to the chocolate.

Drizzle melted white chocolate:

~Take the 1/4 cup of white chocolate chips that you set aside and microwave until melted,

about 30-45 seconds. Squeeze the chocolate in the bag with your hands to get all of the chips melted and smooth. Cut off a small corner of

the bag, and drizzle the melted chocolate all over the top of the pizza in random patterns to

finish off your masterpiece. ~Refrigerate the pizza until the chocolate is

completely set, about 45 minutes. To serve, cut or break it into small pieces.

Fruit Pizza from the kitchen of

KAITLYN CELENTANO, Kindergarten

Ingredients:

1 Pillsbury pizza crust dough classic 3 tablespoons of butter

1 container of soft cream cheese 1 tablespoon of sugar

½ teaspoon of cinnamon Strawberries Blackberries

Blueberries

Directions: ~Melt the butter in the microwave with a grown

up. ~Spread some of the butter onto a cookie sheet.

~Open the pizza dough and roll it on the cookie

sheet. ~Spread the butter on the pizza.

~Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon on the pizza. ~Have a grown up cook the pizza in the oven for

10 minutes. ~Wait for the pizza to cool.

~Put on the cream cheese. ~Cut up the fruit with a grown up. ~Put the fruit on the pizza.

~Cut the pizza with a grown up and eat it.

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT! reporting by CASSIDIE GILLEN, 2nd grade

Introducing Gavin Luke Rosario! Gavin was born at 4:09 on September 25, 2011.

He weighed 7 pounds 4 ounces and was 21 inches long. Ridgeway congratulates the Rosario family. We look forward to

Mrs.Rosario's return.

Chess Club is Fun! by CAROLINE SCHICK, 2nd grade

Tigers Youth Football by CHRISTOPHER AGUIRRE, 4th grade

Hi, Christopher Aguirre here! I wanted to let you know that there are many fun things you

can do after school. Girls and boys have many choices, including dance, soccer, tennis, football, baseball, soccer, basketball, and many

more activities. This fall, I chose to play football. I

played football in the White Plains Tigers Youth Football team. This program offers flag

football for grades K-2 and tackle football for grades 3-6. It was fun and really challenging.

Extracurriculars

In the beginning, I had to practice 6 days a week,

2 hours a day. After I got used to playing that much, it became easier.

Some of my friends played football, too. However, football wasn’t all about spending time with friends. It was about hard work and

teamwork. My games were on Saturdays. They were an hour-and-a-half long and very

challenging. We had to play some good teams. The head coach of the Tigers league always says,

“Anything is possible, anyone can play this sport.” And that’s true. Nobody is perfect. Nothing is impossible. Everybody can always

improve.

Chess club is where you can have fun and make lots of new friends. Chess Club is about learning new

skills and strategies. It helps you become a better listener because you have to listen a lot in Chess Club to understand the information that is shared.

Chess club can also help you be a better friend to different students you meet. I believe the Chess Club teachers think that if all students listen and practice then they can be very good chess players.

When you are in the Chess Club at some point you will be able to go to a chess tournament. At the tournament you will be playing against students from many different schools. If you do well, you may even win a medal or a trophy! Think about joining the Chess Club and participating in the next Ridgeway

tournament. I think you will enjoy it!

Dig the Garden Club by JULIE CALHOUN, 3rd grade

The Ridgeway Garden Club is organized by the teachers and students at Ridgeway. I am one of the students in the

club and together with the other gardeners, we make Ridgway School a prettier and better place. Through the

weeks we harvested a big red radish and lots of pear tomatoes. The amazing snowstorm we just had in

October almost destroyed our garden. We had to clear the snow and picked the plants back up.

Look out for my next Garden Club report. I will be writing about Dr. Clouet visiting our school to watch us

put a green house up!

THE RIDGEWAY REPORTER WINTER 2012

Tigers

Youth Football

Tim Can A short story as told by JUNE LEE,

2nd grade Once upon a time, there was a can named Tim and he lived in a grocery store. He only wished to get bought. And one day a nice lady did buy him. As soon as he was used up

he was thrown into the recycling bin. As he looked at the beautiful, shiny cans he wondered, "Is that all there is?"

One day, a recycling man took the cans from the lady’s home and put them in a bag with Tim Can in it. As the man ran with the bag, Tim could see the grocery shop

because they were getting closer. And when they were there, Tim was refilled and was reused again and again. And from that time on, Tim Can believed that this was not going

to be his only journey. Quiz question: Where were the shiny cans? Answer: In a recycling bin.

Mrs. Rosario Welcomes

Gavin Luke! by reporter CASSIDIE GILLEN, 2nd grade

Gavin was born at 4:09 on September 25,

2011. He weighed 7 pounds 4 ounces and

was 21 inches long. Ridgeway congratulates the Rosario family. We look

forward to Mrs. Rosario's return.

If you have questions about the Ridgeway Reporter, contact Kitty O’Callaghan at kittyoc@me.com