MARCH_2012
ISSUE NO. 10
THE GORDONIAN
PRODUCED BY GORDON SCHOOL STUDENTS
Gordon “Mathletes” On March 3, 2012, ten students from Gordon School went to the Rhode Island state MathCounts competition. On the Wednesday before winter break, everyone at Gordon who was interested took the MathCounts school test. The top ten scoring people on that test got to go to the state competition. Mr. Kravitz held MathCounts practices on Fridays at 3:45, after tennis. For months, they practiced hard, wanting to win the state competition. So on March 3, the team went to the Community College of Rhode Island, which was where the competition took place. It was a long day, 9:00 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. At 9:30 was the Sprint Round, which has 30 problems and 40 Pictured above is this year’s Gordon MathCounts team wearing their customized m i n u t e s t o d o t h e m w i t h o u t “Property of Gordon MathCounts” t-shirts at the Rhode Island state MathCounts calculators. Next was the Target competition. Round, for which calculator use is individual score rankings ranged from 10th place to allowed. There are eight problems in total, coming two students in 76th place, out of more than 130 in sets of two with six minutes for each set. After a students! Gordon also placed 4th in the team lunch break there was the team round. The top four round after Barrington Middle School in 1st place, scoring people in the school did the team round in Wheeler School in 2nd place, and Lincoln Middle the state competition. The other six people got to School in 3rd place. Overall, it was a great morning take that test too, but their scores did not count for and everyone had fun! Gordon. Everybody did very well. Gordon’s
The eighth grade is back from the South, having had an amazing time in Alabama and Georgia!
This proves that we did have a winter, as brief as it may have felt. Read about what’s up and coming for the seventh grade this spring on page 5.
Great job and congratulations to everybody who participated in another successful winter sports season at Gordon! 1
Fifth Grade Basketball The Gordon School fifth grade basketball team started the season playing well, but ended the season playing great. Coached by Mr. Barrett and Mr. Carson, the team was able to improve. “We had an incredibly successful season. Every single player on the team made a lot of progress with their individual skills,” stated Coach Carson.
player described the season as “Really fun. The coaches were fun and we always had fun practice and games, even if we lost.” At the Middle School Sports Assembly, the Coach’s Award went to a player known for her aggressive play and love of the game. This affection for “aggressive matches” earned her the nickname “Elbows” Don’t believe me? Ask Mr. Barrett to see his bruises. The two other award winners received the Most Improved Award. Mr. Barrett said the “enthusiasm brought by these two players… And their willingness to practice basketball outside of scheduled practices” were the reasons they received this reward.
One player summed it up when he said, “I thought it was a really good season. I learned a lot and I got better at basketball.” In fifth grade basketball a huge amount of time is spent working on skills. Despite all the time in practice, several team members also described the season as enjoyable. In practice the team played Knockout to advance in shooting. One
According to other players, and coaches, the highlight of the season was “Our last game playing Wolf.” During this game, all would agree it was the best defense we ever had. In fact, Mr. Barrett said, “I hope you look back on that game and understand that it was basketball at its best.” Mr. Carson’s goal as a coach is to have the team play more basketball in the future. After a great season like this, I think everyone would agree. 2
March Horoscopes Pisces: February 19 - March 20 Horoscope: You should go to Honolululululululu sometime this month. If you’re lucky, you might meet an evil platypus ninja Aries: March 21 - April 19 Horoscope: Wearing pants that are a different shade of yellow every day this March would be extremely lucky. Try to avoid running fish every Wednesday.
Leo: July 23 - August 22 Horoscope: Don’t give up on training a rock how to do a back-flip. You never know if it will work if you don’t keep trying. Also, you should try to stay away from grasshoppers that are wearing sombreros.
Scor pio: October 23 November 21 Horoscope: It is normal to drive by a store and think of marshmallows this month, but please don’t try to eat the store. You should try to find an eraser with malachite and red hyperboloids.
hedgehog, you should tell it a story about a piece of corn that could swim in Jell-O. Try not to have any dreams about blue chairs that eat crayons.
go to a farm for geese.
Taurus: April 20 - May 20 Sagittarius: November 22 Horoscope: Drinking water December 21 through a purple straw is Horoscope: If you go to a lucky only on Mondays this month. Every other day, you V i r g o : Au g u s t 2 3 - college for real iguanas, it might should try to find a purple look like a jail. You should try to September 22 ostrich painted on a wall stay away from it. On March Horoscope: If you see a 42nd, you should skip school and somewhere.
Gemini: May 21 - June 20 Horoscope: Going to a store and looking for a giraffe pencil is lucky, as long as it does not have one green eye and one orange eye. You should wear socks that don’t match at least once this March...if you can. Cancer: June 21 - July 22 Horoscope: Don’t worry if you start to feel like a starfish blowing in the wind, you are probably just tired. Try to find a turtle flying in the sky this month.
Capricorn: December 22 January 20 Horoscope: Someone might tell you that there is kiwano jelly behind your ear, but they are L i b r a : S e p t e m b e r 2 3 - probably not telling truth. You shouldn’t not try to wear clean October 22 Horoscope: If a mango socks on your ears at 6:59 PM on the 12th of March. appears at your door, don’t eat it, but make a wish and then close the door. It should Aquarius: January 21 g o a w a y . O n t h e t h i r d February 18 Saturday of March you should Horoscope: If life hands you do a weird dance to your lemons, ask for the receipt so favorite song while singing you can trade them for different lemons. Try not to wear a shirt the wrong words. with a picture of a snail on it because it could turn into a pumpkin and eat a grapefruit. 3
High School Musical Q&A Your Questions: Answered. Interview with Mrs. Hodgin: Q- Why did you choose this musical? A- High School Musical is great entertainment for all ages. We thought that our actors would enjoy portraying teenagers, since earlier this year the plays were about grownups. And this show is appropriate for us to share with Lower School and Early Childhood. The music in this show is from a different genre than we’ve had in previous shows. It’s more contemporary, and has a rock ‘n roll feeling. The songs are really fun to sing, but still challenging and surprisingly complex in their duet melodies and syncopated rhythms. We have such a large group of talented students that we wanted a show that would offer numerous significant roles. There are lots of great characters in HSM, and the ensemble part of the cast will be super-busy singing, dancing, acting, and being onstage much of the time. Q- Now that people have auditioned for the play, do you think you have enough actors?
surprised and amazed at how much I enjoyed it. I especially enjoyed the message that people shouldn’t be locked into cliques and stereotypes, but s h o u l d p u r s u e t h e i r ow n interests and appreciate each other’s individuality. Q- What do you want the audience to experience? A- I hope for an engrossing story line with compelling characters who use songs, choreography, dancing, sets, lighting and costumes to open up and highlight the feelings and actions they are trying to express. I hope the audience joins the cast and crew in fe e l i n g t h e c o l l a b o r a t i v e nature of musical theatre. Q- What you think the most difficult thing will be about putting on this production? A- The hardest thing with any production is working within the given time frame. There is so much to do!!!! But with the support of everyone - the cast, the crew, the adult helpers, the musicians, the classroom teachers, the families involved - we will put on a great show, learn some things along the way, and create memories that will last a lifetime.
A- Absolutely! We’re thrilled with our talented and enthusiastic cast.
Interview with Mrs. Romanzi:
Q- Have you seen the musical and if so, what did you enjoy most when you saw it?
Q- How long have you been doing the play here at Gordon?
A- Honestly, I’ve never seen the movie. (It’s on my list of things-to-do over spring break.) Several years ago I saw a combined Cranston High S ch o o l E a s t a n d We s t production that really blew me away. I went to it thinking, “ugh.....another vapid Disney show.....,” and was completely
Q- Why did you choose High School Musical? A - We chose High School Musical because it’s about being yourself. Q - What are you excited about with this play? A - I am so excited to see us do a big production with musical numbers with lots of singing and dancing. Q - What kind of special effects do you like to do in the plays? A - Every play’s special effects are different. Q - Are we doing anything differently this year? A - Ye s . We ’ r e g o i n g t o incorporate athleticism. Our music will feel different. The costumes will be like things that you might see kids wearing. Q- How many plays have you done in the lower and middle schools combined? A- 21 plays. Q- How many kids are involved in plays are involved in plays at Gordon? A- Between lower school and middle school we have over 100 kids, which is almost ¼ of the school.
A- Nine years.
Q- Out of the 21 plays, how many are musicals?
Q- What was your first production?
A- 12.
A- Into The Woods.
Q- What’s something disastrous that’s happened at a play?
Q- What’s your favorite part of doing the play?
A- During one rehearsal, we set the microwave on fire.
A- Working with you guys. 4
Rick Benjamin: A Mentor In Poetry Fast approaching is the visit of a great writer to work with our seventh grade for the second consecutive year. Through the ongoing friendship of one of our faculty, we are fortunate to have the widely known published
Six Decisions Six decisions per day. All I’ve ever known. Skip the obvious. I already know- get dressed, brush my teeth, eat. Don’t think so much. The government says thinking is bad. Which route to take to school? One- already wasted. Don’t think so much. Only five left now. What should I use them on? There goes another one.
poetry. The Einal and most important lesson Mr. Benjamin attempts to instill in his students is to never be your own critic. He proclaims that everyone else will judge your work, so don’t inform the audience of what they should dislike. It is these principals that lead us to welcome Mr. Benjamin to the Gordon School for the remainder of the year. Mr. Benjamin’s p ro g ra m g ive s s t u d e n t s a fe e l i n g o f empowerment and growth over their writing. He takes the theoretical abstractions we learn and turns them into practicable, applicable concepts, resulting in everyone thoroughly involved in the subject matter. Mr. Rick Benjamin’s poetry workshops are a remarkable and truly memorable experience, equipping young authors and poets with teachings that will guide their writing forever.
Never Forget to Remember Written last year during time spent with Mr. Benjamin based on the guidelines that no poem should surpass 59 words and all poems should be written about a society in which something was obscure.
poet Rick Benjamin as a guest and mentor. He will teach and instruct the students in a series of workshops over six weeks. Mr. Benjamin’s easy going charm and manner create an idyllic atmosphere for both learning and growth as a poet. Mr. Benjamin helps to establish crucial lessons to develop superior writing skills and foster the unique style of each individual. He a i d s yo u n g p o e t s i n t h e p r o c e s s o f distinguishing extremely important principals when writing. A major exempliEication of this would be his teaching of the difference between quality and quantity. He also shows students the ways in which one should read
May your mind Forever remember Those moments Those memories In which we shared Laughter May your mind Wander To the :me When there was Nothing le= to Say May your mind Treasure the Treasures And never Forget to Remember Inspired and modeled a.er Lucille Cli.on’s Blessing the Boats, wri5en last year during 9me with Mr. Benjamin. 5
CYPHERS AND CODES
Answers are at the bottom of the page.
Caesar Shi= FYJJEPS WSPHMIV
Graph Cypher JEOASNMBD
Hint: Try wri:ng these leEers in the graph a few different ways.
Hint: Move down the alphabet... Bob Marley Song
D. I. Y. Cartoon Caption Cartoon
Last Edition’s Winner: Anonymous You want a piece of me?!
(some credit to Puzzlemaker.com)
V N T E S D N I W H C R A M S
B A W N D E L U G E N B S L W
A T R E E S N R A O O I R E E
X P Q M H R O W I M I R E A E
B P R O R U R L M R T D W V P
T L W I N E A O U O A S O E E
N E O D L E H O T T N N L S G
R O H S K S P S N S I E F B R
N O S I S N H I A H L S W E U
G I L N W O B O E W L T J A P
G N A O O O M R W M O O L B B
I G D R R W B S K E P D M T U
C L E A N I N G C W R M N R D
T S O R F N U S E E B S Y I S
H O U T L I K E A L A M B Q W
APRILSHOWERS BEES BIRDSNEST BLOOM BLOSSOMS BUDS CLEANING DELUGE DOWNPOUR FLOWERS GROUNDHOG HERB INLIKEALION LEAVES MARCHWINDS NOSNOW OUTLIKEALAMB
POLLINATION PURGE RAIN ROBIN SHOWER STORM SWEEP TORRENT TREES UNFROST WINDOWASHER
Answers: Caesar Shift: Buffalo Soldier, Graph Cypher: James Bond.
Spring Word Search
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