The Paw Print

Keeping up with the pack

December 2015 Issue #2

Breaking the Cycle “Forgiveness is not an occasional act. It is a permanent attitude.” – Dr. Martin Luther King

Breaking the Cycle, an interactive and insightful program focusing on topics of forgiveness and acceptance, was initiated in the aftermath of the Columbine High School Massacre of 1999. Its founders believe that proactive prevention is the best technique to deter school violence and promote appropriate conflict resolution methods. Breaking the Cycle utilizes several motivational speakers from all walks of life and stresses the importance of forgiveness. Their goals are as follows:

Counteract youth violence

Address bullying, peer pressure, and racism

Promote self-respect and respect for others

Build links between educators, parents, students, and law enforcement

Immaculate Conception was lucky enough to experience Breaking

the Cycle first hand on November 3rd. Two motivational speakers,

Hashim Garrett and Ann Marie D’Aliso, shared their experiences with the

school.

In This Issue

Breaking the Cycle

Sports: Winter

Season

Club of the Month

Christmas Survey

Results

November Events

December Calendar

Christmas DIYs

Entertainment

Breaking the Cycle Cont…

Hashim Garrett was just fifteen years old when he fell victim to a gang-related shooting.

Left paralyzed from the waist down, he spent the months following the shooting filled with anger

and a desire for revenge against his attacker. He eventually came to the revelation that his rage

was the only holding him back, and that forgiving his perpetrator would free him spiritually and

allow him to move on in a positive manner. He often refers to the day of shooting as “the best

day of my life” because it caused him to change his life for the better. Garrett graduated from

Rutgers University with a degree in Investment Banking and later found his own company

entitled “Wisdom & Understanding”. Garrett resides in New Jersey with his wife, Mia, and two

children, Harmony and Zen. In his own words: “Forgiveness opens the door to your long

awaited future, once closed by revenge and regret.”

Ann Marie D’Aliso and her husband lost their sixteen year old son, Pat, to suicide in

2004. In hindsight, D’Aliso recalls several moments her son showed signs of mental illness, and

stresses the crucial importance of reaching out to a loved one that may be unwell. Through the

support of her husband, D’Aliso came to terms with the devastation and trauma that had shook

her world to its core. She credits Breaking the Cycle as a turning-point of her life because it

allows her to save lives and ensure that her son’s memory shall never be forgotten. D’Aliso now

serves on the board of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, is an active participant

of a Survivor Support Group, and raises awareness on suicide prevention and recovery through

prevention. By sharing her story Ann Marie hopes others might be saved.

Breaking the Cycle was kind enough to donate two books, Why Forgive? and She Said

“Yes” to each member of the student body and faculty. Senior Jayde Destefano felt that the

assembly was “very powerful because they came through their hardships and now can present

that to other people and are strong enough to say that ‘if I can make it, you can too’. It was

really inspiring.”

For further information and resources log on to www.breakingthecycle.com

Sports: Winter Season

With December approaching, our winter sports are beginning to prepare for their upcoming season. Our winter sports consist of Cheerleading, Basketball, Swimming, and the newly founded Indoor Track. Here are the previous season

recaps:

Cheerleading: Cheerleading is looking to come back stronger than last year, and for this group of girls that is

going to be difficult to top. The team carried themselves to being ranked third in the state and even competed nationally to be ranked third in the nation. They were just shy of first by two points. Summer workouts started in late June and the girls have been working hard ever since. With minor set backs this group of girls is nothing but dedicated and persistent. They have a group of five freshmen, three of which will be taking the floor with them. Senior Brianna Incorvaia has stated, “ The freshmen came in and blew our minds. They were all so good in their owns ways and we knew they would each individually be an asset to the team. If there was a way to put all five on the floor we probably would.” They compete for the first time on December 6th at Fair Lawn High School. The five seniors are hopeful for another amazing season as they take on their last season as Blue Wolf Cheerleaders.

Basketball: IC basketball is attempting to return more grounded than a year ago. With the team falling short

in the county final to IHA and then falling short in the state championship to St. Rose, the girls are determined to finish what they started. The four seniors have high hopes to go out with a county and state title. Jasmine Gee, Nkiruka Melie, Autumn Webster, and Francesca Marcano look to lead the group of twelve this season. With Breyenne Bellerand, Khay’la Latimer, and the new addition Indya Akbar-Savastano as their three juniors the Blue Wolves appear to have a strong defense. Sophomores Jordan McLemore and Julia Mordecai will be an asset to the team as well as the three freshmen. The girls will play their first game on December 18th at the Academy of Holy Angels. We wish the girls luck on their upcoming season and cannot wait to see how far they bring themselves.

Swimming: The swimming team is one of the larger teams, they hold a group of twenty-five girls and are

lead by their five seniors: Amanda Roldan, Rachel Betancur, Amanda Garcia, Megan Jones, and Gina Gryskiewicz. The girls made IC history last year when Head Coach Chad Sajnoski carried the team to three victories. The girls train with hopes to improve their record from last season and to win the Swim Championships at the end of their season where all previous opponents will face each other one last time during a four-hour meet. The girls will compete in their first meet on December 9th at Bayonne High School.

Indoor Track:

Mr. Ward will be coaching the first Indoor Track team here at IC. The girls began practice on

November 30th. Seniors Erin Doherty, Kellie Brownlee, Caitlyn Maloney, and Alexis Field will be leading

the team this year. We want to wish the girls luck and hope they have a successful first season.

Club of the Month

What Is Your Favorite Christmas Movie?

Survey Results:

Video Game Club

The name of the club gives it all! Video Game Club

is a club where you can play video games of any kind. The

club was found by senior Marianna Messana 2 years ago

and ran by history teacher Mr. Ward. “I believe they (video

games) bring people together anywhere from around the

world or even the person next to you can just play and have

fun.”-Marianna’s input on Video Game club. Nintendo

games are played. Mario Kart is a favorite game of the

members where members would enjoy competing against

each other. Being a part of video game club can be relaxing

and it can also be a way for people to connect and

participate Meetings vary from time to time and the club

hopes to have competitions in the near future. All are

welcome to join video game club!

November Events

Motivational Speaker: Anti-Bullying

As students entered the auditorium to take seats for the presentation of an unknown motivational speaker, their eagerness to be missing class was evident through laughter and quiet conversation. However, a booming voice from near the stage caught their attention and immediately silenced every young lady in the room. The man introduced himself as Sgt. Craig Lynch, a police officer having been involved in law enforcement for 35 years. His military stature and self-described straightforwardness emphasized a no nonsense approach to getting students to understand the significance of anti-bullying awareness. He wished for students to partake in this discussion, expressing it was not a lecture. Lynch also made it clear from the beginning that he was not there to promote an organization nor to try to make the students cry with stories of tragedy. In fact, he stressed his conviction that there shouldn't have to be a tragedy for young people to realize the application of upfront or cyber bullying isn't “cool”. In order to get this message across, Lynch wanted the girls to remember two simple affects of the use of social media. Responsibility and accountability. In a short video he presented, the cyber bully was uniquely referred to as a virus. Lynch didn't feel it necessary to go through the psychological reasoning behind how someone is compelled to become virus, but instead highlighted how the responsibility and accountability of your actions will always come back to you. After thanking the students for their time and attention, Lynch shared that he hoped to return to ICHS for a followup some time in the near future.

Thanksgiving Food Drive

The Thanksgiving food drive kicked off on October 26th with every homeroom

bringing in non-perishable items such as canned vegetables and boxed mixes. With

fourteen homerooms, IC set a goal to feed fourteen families this Thanksgiving. With the

generous donations from ShopRite, turkeys were also able to be distributed. On

November 23rd, several girls went to distribute the meals to the families, and were

fortunate enough to talk to each family and hear about their lives. Thanks to everybody's

contribution at IC, these parents were able to host a proper Thanksgiving dinner for their

children. Arianna Azzolino said, “It was a really great experience. One that I will never

forget.”

Immaculate Conception’s Fall Drama this year was the well-known play, Twelve Angry

Jurors, originally known as Twelve Angry Men. In IC’s adaptation, the all-female cast positively

shines, bringing a fresh and modern twist to this classic performance. The play follows the

suspenseful happenings behind the closed doors of a jury room, where twelve jurors hold in their

hands the fate of a teenage boy convicted of murdering his father. What should have been an

obvious vote, swiftly morphs into a dramatic controversy, when one of the dozen votes not guilty.

Now the jurors must scrutinize every aspect of the crime and testimony meticulously to come to an

agreement on what really transpired. Packed with dramatic altercations and plot twists, this

climactic courtroom drama will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final verdict is revealed.

Fall Drama: Twelve Angry Jurors

Junior Class Retreat

On November 23, the junior class went on a retreat to the Loyola Jesuit Center

in Morristown. It is surrounded by 30 acres of land and beautiful woodlands all around.

As we entered we did so quietly, in reflection to prepare our selves for day. We played

a game called Love Your Neighbor. Each student had to stand and say the following, “I

love people who…” Next we sat around and discussed two saints in particular. The first

was St. Katharine Drexel, and the second was Rose of Lima. Both saints cut their hair

to show that beauty is not outside but inside. They pursued a life for God, and

portrayed what beauty within looks like. Being beautiful is not being covered with

makeup, fancy hair, or jewelry, beauty is achieved with being confident with yourself.

God created us in His eyes, not societies.

A quote that was shared with us was the following “It is not fancy hair, gold

jewelry, or fine clothes that should make you beautiful. No, your beauty should come

from inside you - the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. That beauty will never

disappear. And it is worth very much to God.”- 1 Peter 3:3-4

Before mass, we were instructed to send an email with our selfie on it. We each

were assigned a group of peers and then instructed to write positive things about one

another. The point of this was to love people for who they are not how they look. The

famous saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” truly is essential to live life to the

fullest and with great potential.

In conclusion of our stay at Loyola we attended mass. The homily that Father

gave was both strong and powerful. Father stated that the world does change, but our

souls do not. We can change physically in appearance, but our inner self stays the

same. This is an important aspect of each of our lives. If we are content on how God

created us, then it will allow us to have an open mind about each other.

December Events

November 30th – Christmas Toy Drive begins

December 2nd – Senior Christmas Tree Decorating – 2:30 pm Senior Gift Drive Dress Down $2.00

December 3rd – Activity Day 1:00 pm Dismissal – Afternoon Activity December 4th – Dress Down Day for Zofia $2.00

December 5th – Parent Association Elvis Night Fundraiser December 6th – Christmas Tree Blessing/Lighting and Concert – 6:00 pm December 8th – Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Junior Ring Day – Afternoon Activity Schedule December 11th – Winter Pep Rally – Afternoon Activity Schedule

December 12th – CSI Competition for Grammar Schools – 9:00 am December 15th – Activity Day 1:00 pm Dismissal – Afternoon Activity December 16th – Progress, Incident and Attendance Reports mailed

December 17th – Parent Association Christmas Raffle Drawing FSEC Christmas Concert – 9:00 am

December 18th – 1:00 pm Dismissal – Afternoon Activity Schedule

December 19th – Financial Aid Applications Available Online

December 23rd – College Age Alumnae Breakfast – 9:00 am Prayer Service

12:30 Dismissal December 24th-31st – School Closed

Christmas DIYs Personalized Oven Mitt

Homemade Coffee Scrub

Christmas Candles

1. Find an oven mitt you prefer from stores such as Target, Walmart, or a store of your choice 2. You also want to buy a variety of cooking utensils such as a spatula, whisk, wooden spoon, etc. from any of

the stores listed above. 3. Place the utensils in the oven mitt to look like a bouquet of flowers and tie a thick bow around the mitt.

1. Ingredients: 1 cup Ground Coffee, ½ cup Brown Sugar, ¼ - ½ Almond Oil, ¼ tsp. Vitamin E Oil, 10 drops Orange Essential Oil (optional).

2. Combine ingredients in small bowl and mix. 3. When mixed together put the scrub into a mason jar and close the lid 4. Tie twine bow around the top of the lid

1. Buy Christmas scented undecorated candles from the Better Homes and Gardens at Walmart. 2. For the Santa Candle: Get a red candle and place a thick black ribbon around the center of the

candle. Then cut out a square of gold glitter paper and cut another square in the center. Glue that in the center of the black ribbon.

3. For the Snowman candle: Get a white candle and glue three black bottoms down the middle on the front. Then tie a red ribbon around the top of the jar to look like a scarf.

Homemade Peppermint Bath Bombs

Sugar Cookies in a Jar or Sack

Hot Cocoa Kit

1. Ingredients: 1 cup Baking Soda, ½ cup Citric Acid, ½ cup Cornstarch, 3 tbsp. Epsom Salt, 2 tsp. Sweet Almond Oil, ¾ tsp. Water, 15-20 drops Peppermint Oil, Food coloring (optional)

2. Tip! You can use ornament balls that snap in two from Michaels as the bath bomb mold. You can also use any baking or cooking molds of your choice to get fun shapes such as a snowflake.

3. In a large bowl combine baking soda, citric acid, cornstarch, and Epsom salts. 4. In a small bowl combine almond oil, water, essential oil, and food coloring. 5. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and whisk until fully combined. Use your hands to press bath bomb

mixture into the mold of your choice

1. Ingredients: 1 cup Sugar, 2 ½ cups Flour, ½ tsp. Salt, ½ tsp. Baking Soda. 2. You will also need a Jar or Sack, twine ribbon, cinnamon sticks, fake decorative holly, and a mini

wooden spoon. 3. Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. 4. Put the mix into your jar or sack. Tie a piece of the twine around the top and pull tight. Criss-cross

two cinnamon sticks and a spoon and tie the twine again. Add the holly and tie the twine twice to secure and then tie it in a bow.

5. Add a note that says: Add ½ cup Butter, 1 Egg, ½ tsp. Vanilla. Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

1. You will need a Mason jar, hot cocoa mix of your choice, mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, crushed candy canes, ribbon, and a red and white spiral straw from Target.

2. Pour the cocoa mix to the bottom of the jar, then pour a layer of marshmallows on top, next pour a layer of the chocolate chips, and finally pour of layer of the crushed candy canes and close the jar.

3. Tie a bow around the top of the jar and tie the straw into the ribbon

Entertainment

The Real Santa Clause

Saint Nicholas was born on December 6, 343, c. 280. He was raised in Turkey, and devoted his whole life to Christ by becoming a Bishop and serving the poor. One of the legends of St. Nick is that there were three sisters who lived in poverty. At night he would sneak in their house and leave them a bag of money. St. Nick also saved three imprisoned men when they were sentenced to death. He is known as a sailor, and the protector of children. During this Christmas season let us think about St. Nick and the impact he had on all the people he helped. Let us not think about what we can get or want, rather what we can and want to give. It does not have to be monetary or physical item donations, it can be a prayer, or a thank you to those who have the most impact on your life.

Timehop: Teacher Edition Guess the Teacher!

Answers: 1. Mr. Mann, 2. Mrs. Beatrice. 3. Mrs. Sklarski, 4. Mr. Ward, 5. Mr. Azzolino, 6. Mrs. Cutrona,

7.Mr. Mann, 8. Mrs. Medrano

Christmas Carol Riddles

1. Jolly guy in a red-suit is visiting your city

2. Quiet darkness

3. Decorate

4. The small percussionist 5. Spanish holiday greeting

6. I caught a glimpse of a group of vessels

7. I'm hoping I get a pachyderm on December 25th

8. Great happiness for the planet 9. Blithe, over the hill Kris Kringle

10. Allow it to precipitate

11. Approach, all who are loyal 12. Joyful hymn of the dingers

13. A very practical Christmas wish that would make eating easier 14.A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

15. A jaunt through a cold, snowy area of amazement 16. A trio of tiny leaders

17. A holiday bush of circular letters

18. Elsewhere in a cradle

19. Argent percussion instruments

20. Are your ears interpreting the same sounds that mine are?

21. 96 divided by 8, 24-hour periods of celebration in honor of Christ's birth

22. Conjuring up a scenario where the ground is covered in snow on December 25th

23. The daughter of Granddad's mother-in-law fell victim to an unfortunate accident involving Santa's pet. 24. Where the chimney is

25. Dancing in circles next to the decorated bush

(See answers on next page)

Christmas Riddle Answers

Newspaper Staff

Co Editor in Chief's - Jayme Mika, Christmas Movie Poll, Thanksgiving Food Drive - Marianna Messana, Timehop, Designer

Reporters - Brooke McPherson, Breaking the Cycle

- Brianna Incorvaia, Sports

- Hannyca Hernando, Club of the Month - Katherine Kopec, Junior Class Retreat, The Real Santa Clause

- Lauren Clemente, December Events, Christmas DIYs

- Hannah Sancilio, Motivational Speaker: Anti-Bullying

- Melissa DeFrancesso, Fall Drama: Twelve English Jurors - Mrs. Pucci, Christmas Carol Riddles

Artist - Renee King, Comics

1. Santa Claus is Coming to Town 2. Silent Night 3. Deck the Halls 4. The Little Drummer Boy 5. Feliz Navidad 6. I Saw Three Ships 7. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas 8. Joy to the World 9. Jolly Old St. Nicholas 10. Let it Snow 11. Come All Ye Faithful 12. Carol of the Bells

13. All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth 14. Noel 15. Walking in a Winter Wonderland 16. We Three Kings 17. O Christmas Tree 18. Away in a Manger 19. Silver Bells 20. Do You Hear What I Hear? 21. The Twelve Days of Christmas 22. (I'm Dreaming of a) White Christmas 23. Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer 24. Up on the Housetop 25. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree