RKA GAZETTE

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RKA GAZETTE

Issue 6

May 2013

RIVERDALE KINGSBRIDGE ACADEMY MS/HS 141 GO TIGERS! #TIGERPRIDE

Honor Society Trip

By Tammy Molina

This year’s Honor Society trip took place on May 1. The trip consisted of a visit to "Planet Hollywood" and the Schubert Theater to see the play "Matilda" by Roald Dahl.

We first went to Planet Hollywood where we had our choices of foods such as chicken sandwiches, chicken Caesar salads, and pulled pork sandwiches. After finishing our lunch, they treated us to ice cream and brownies for dessert. Everyone happily enjoyed their sweet treat.

When everyone finished their meal, we walked over to the theater to see Matilda. It was a good play that kept the audience entertained. It had an interesting story line with many laughable and breath-taking moments. It was a nice reward for the student members of the Honor Society.

All the students enjoyed the trip and went home satisfied, with smiles on their faces. Thank you to everyone who helped organize the trip.

RKA GAZETTE | Issue 6 2

11th Grade College Trip By Ryan McPartland

For two days in April, forty 11th graders got to go on an overnight college trip. This trip was a great experience for the RKA students to see what college life is really like. The four colleges we visited were SUNY Albany, SUNY Binghamton, Vassar, and Marist College.

The first college we visited was Albany. The college is located upstate. It had many nice things as well as a great under-graduate curriculum. The college is not only diverse, but it is a great place to receive a well-rounded education.

In Marist, many things caught my eye. The one thing that struck me was how it was by the river. The views were spectacular. I believe that it was a great college and I would definitely consider attending.

The most important thing I learned from all the colleges was that college is not a joke, and it’s a big change of pace from high school. It is expensive and all the responsibility is on you. Dorm life varied from school to school, but the accommodations were similar, no VIP suites.

The best part of the trip was the hotel. The hotel was a very nice experience as it allowed all the juniors to hang out together and relax after a long day.

RKA GAZETTE | Issue 6 3

WHO DAT?

Great Adventure Trip

By Nadia Mustefa, Jay Pinilla & Paige Han

This year Six Flags Great Adventures opened their parks for the annual science and math student’s days. RKA juniors and seniors in physics and AP calculus attended the fun day of math and science extravaganza. Normal admission to the park is about $70 plus more for transportation; however students only paid $25 to experience the thrills the park had to offer. Mr. Mohan, Mr. Tsai and Mrs. Prince chaperoned, and even participated in some of the activities. Although the AP Calculus teacher Mr. Psachie was unable to make it, his students had him in mind when winning his daughter a stuffed prize. One would think that the lines would have been super long, especially since students from other schools also joined in on the fun this day, but they weren’t that long. Students were able to ride popular roller coasters like Bizarro repeatedly with some riding them for multiple times.

Despite all of these fun attractions, students still had to do a packet of labs that were filled with math and physics. Many came prepared with their instruments to measure the velocity of the rides as well as the distance that they travelled. Many took their rulers, even on the extreme rides like El Torro and Kingda Ka, which showed the passion the students had during the trip.

This trip was a great way to relieve our stress from all of the hard work we have done this year. Thank you to Mr. Tsai for bringing us this educational and fun trip.

http://daily-giveaways.blogspot.com/2011/07/four-free-tickets-to-any-six-flags.html

RKA GAZETTE | Issue 6 4

Take a Stand Against Bullying By Samantha Urena

When many people process the word bullying it usually only pertains to two people, a victim and the bully. While bullying does greatly impact both parties it can also affect those who witness it. The victim and the bystanders can both encounter a change in their physical and mental health. The victim may experience depression, an increase in anxiety, and difficulties in school after the ordeal. Bystanders can also fall victims to depression and turn to drugs as a temporary solution to the problem.

Although you may not fit in with your peers if you speak up about someone being bullied, it is the right thing to do and if your friends are telling you it’s the wrong thing to do you might start re-thinking who your “friends” are. There will always be someone available in RKA who you can speak to that will help you. Not only can you seek help, but you can try telling others how bad bullying is.

Regardless of a person’s age, bullying still occurs and it doesn’t make it okay whether you’re 12 or 17. Alexis Yaport, a junior who attends RKA explains her encounter of being bullied as a tragic occurrence, “I’ve found myself being bullied at RKA numerous times. People are racist, sexist, and downright mean. We need to start working together rather than against each other.” She expresses how it’s sometimes frightening because no one knows how someone might react towards themselves or others surrounding them. Bullying won’t make you seem “cooler” to older kids and shouldn’t make you feel better about one another.

Everyone in this world has a purpose and you should help them pursue it. Don’t let anyone every tell you that you are not good enough or push you to a point of self harm. Let’s take a step against bullying and bring us all together. Let’s make school and learning fun again.

8th Grade Exit Project

By Justin Thomas

It’s almost the end of another year here at RKA and all students in grades 6-12 are busy working. The middle school students just finished the state exams and the high school students are in the middle of AP exams and preparing for their future endeavors, especially the seniors.

But it does not end there for the 8th graders. In order to be promoted to the high school, 8th grade students must complete an exit project in both Science and Social Studies. New York City requires all 8th graders to complete this project as well as fulfill other promotion criteria.

The 8th graders at RKA have been working extremely hard to fulfill the requirements of their project. These exit projects allow students to gain a deeper understanding of the content they are working on. It also allows them to develop better research skills. The 8th grade exit project in BOTH Science and Social Studies must be completed before graduation.

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RKA Scholar Athlete By Lindsay Maselli

RKA has a graduating class of 130 students, but Carlene Fontanez-Lutsky stands out. As a junior and a senior, she captained the girls’ soccer team for two seasons while staying focused on her studies. "You have to just always keep the girls motivated with the saying, 'It's not about winning. It's knowing that you went onto the field doing your best and that you played your heart out,'" says Carlene

When the soccer season is over, Carlene still has conditioning workouts to keep her and the team in shape for the upcoming season. Even though Carlene is leaving this year, she wants to make sure the girls team next season is still as good as the rest of them.

"Despite being smaller than many of the girls she played against, she wouldn't get knocked around or thrown off the ball very easily because she made sure she was strong enough to stand up to it," says girls soccer coach Julienne Krause.

Fontanez-Lutsky started playing soccer at the age of seven with the Riverdale Soccer League and is now giving back to the community as an assistant coach. "My sister and I both helped out and we would teach different drills and then play scrimmages with them. We really built relationships with the girls," says Carlene. She interned at RNH with their after school program and tutored the elementary students. Carlene is willing to help anyone who needs her, and improve his or her soccer or studying skills.

Carlene’s favorite subject is biology and she hopes to become a veterinarian or a physical trainer. She will be studying at St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY. She hopes to play club soccer while she is up there. Everyone who knows Carlene knows she will set her mind to whatever she wants and go for it.

"Carlene is a leader and I think she leads by example in a lot of ways with really a lot of the energy she brings to everything she does," says US history teacher Will Cushing.

So, for giving back to her, Carlene Fontanez-Lutsky was awarded the latest NY1/Time Warner Cable Business Class Scholar Athlete of the Week. Congrats Carlene!

RKA GAZETTE | Issue 6 6

Horoscopes

By Jazmine Kerr

AQUARIUS (Jan.21-Feb.19) This month will be a very busy month. Try not to be overwhelmed and don’t be afraid to take a break.

PISCES (Feb.20-March 20) Try to be outgoing this month, step-out of your comfort zone and you will be rewarded for it!

ARIES (March 21-April 20) This month is a good time for you to relax. Let someone take care of you for a change! Don’t be so stubborn.

TAURUS (April 20-May 21) Your budget looks tight this month. Try not to splurge and to be responsible. If not, beware.

GEMINI (May 22-June 21) This month is full of fun! Don’t get carried away, but keep your spirits up!

CANCER (June 22-July 23) You are constantly being distracted. Keep your focus and stay on task!

LEO (July 24-Aug.23) This month you will meet very important contacts make sure to keep in touch.

VIRGO (Aug.24-Sept.23) This month is a great time for your more artistic abilities to shine through. Take advantage of the inspirations you have.

LIBRA (Sept.24-Oct.23) Take time out of this month to spend with family and friends. You should try to stick to a schedule.

SCORPIO (Oct.24-Nov.22) This month your stars are perfectly aligned with Pisces. Spend time with a Pisces friend and get to know them better.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov.23-Dec.21) This month a great amount of wealth will come your way. Be on the lookout and don’t be wary of hand-outs

CAPRICORN (Dec.22-Jan.20) This month is a time for you to clear your conscious. If there is something you need to get off your chest go do it!

Who’s in the Paper Editor in Chief Editors Horoscopes Sports Shivon Ramlal Mr. Seuss Jazmine Kerr Lindsay Maselli

Ms. Shulman RKA News Who Dat? Layout Tammy Molina Chelsea Garcia Shivon Ramlal Lindsay Maselli Abby Rugova Ryan McParthland Justin Thomas Nadia Mustafa Jay Pinilla Paige Han

RKA GAZETTE | Issue 6 7

WHO DAT? By Chelsea Garcia

Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy has welcomed a new English teacher, Ms. Garcia, who took over Mr. Lang’s middle school literature class. She has been teaching for the past 16 years and has the experience of working with almost all ages from elementary to college students. She is ready to unpack her bags here at RKA, and be the best teacher she can be for her students.

Ms. Garcia attended Hobart and William Smith Colleges (HWS), a private school in upstate Geneva. She followed her eldest sister, Julie there and loved it! At HWS, she had the opportunity to study abroad her junior year at Oxford University in England. While studying at Oxford University, she found out the meaning of her first name, Dayanara: In Sanskrit, DAYA means mercy, NAR means human being, the A makes it feminine (merciful woman). And her senior year she had the opportunity to get reacquainted with her roots in the Dominican Republic. It was in DR that she discovered that she wanted to be a teacher after teaching ESL in a center called “El Dominico”.

Before deciding on an English major, Ms. Garcia had her mind set towards being a radiologist. She went to school at Dewitt Clinton and was a part of their Medical Honors program. She thought biology was her best fit, but life took her on a different path with not only an English major but also a drama minor. She was able to spend her time in college directing and performing in many plays.

When she began teaching she was filling in for two fifth grade teachers who had quit. She wasn’t very prepared for the elementary school curriculum but she had students writing essays that included direct quotes from the source. Ms. Garcia went on to be an 8

th grade teacher in Washington Heights where she became the great teacher she is today. She then took a huge leap to being a

professor for a graduate class at Mercy College. Following that she went on to teaching seniors at In-tech Academy 368, and ended up here at RKA.

Coming from the Dominican Republic when she was 1 years old, Ms. Garcia has been able to study English as her second language. As a Latina, she loves to listen to Salsa, Merengue, and Bachata music. She also listens to a variety of other artists on her Ipod. Not only is she into music, but she also has a passion for poetry. She is a writer of over 60 different poems. She has other hobbies such as studying martial arts and tae kwon do for the past seven years.

Ms. Garcia keeps her youth alive with help of her three children. She has a 14-year-old stepson and two daughters: ages 10 and 4. She says she cannot live without them along with her laptop. Her computer is what allows her to be creative, write her poems and prepare her lessons. Ms. Garcia, is a fan of having fun in the classroom and this year she has succeeded. With inspiration from the new movie, Hunger Games, Ms. Garcia set up a genre studies training center and topped it off with her Katniss training shirt.

Ms. Garcia has had a blast so far at RKA; she is happy in her new home and ready to prepare many more fun activities. She says that she felt very comfortable in her classroom and accepted by her students even though her vitiligo has changed her appearance a bit. Vitiligo is a condition in which the pigment is lost from areas of the skin, causing whitish patches, often with no clear cause. She has had it for ten years now and it has moved onto her face. Although there is no cure for it, Ms. Garcia has accepted it. She knows her good self-esteem won’t bring her down, and she’s happy that her kids are comfortable with it.

RKA GAZETTE | Issue 6 8

THIS FRIDAY!!!!