PORTFOLIO
Cover Letter
Haiden Hill
May 19, 2015 Weiss Yearbook Advisor G-Star School of the Arts 2030 S Congress Ave West Palm Beach, FL 33406 Dear Mr. Weiss, The professional look of G- Stars Yearbook caught my eye from the first time I saw it, I am extremely interested in playing a role in the production of the 2015-2016 G Star Yearbook staff. I have many qualities that can positively contribute to next years staff. As the photo editor of my middle school yearbook staff, Bak MSOA Masterpiece Yearbook, I am familiar with programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Indesign, and Microsoft Word. I’ve had many experiences with interviewing, photography, writing copy and captions, preparing photos, and designing layouts. My past experiences in journalism, along with all my other skills with assuredly be advantages to the staff. I’m aware that it is best to have as many people in the publication as possible that are well rounded and skilled while choosing diverse students. I understand that the production of a yearbook can be very stressful and pressuring at times but I am sure to meet deadlines and get things done in a timely matter. I am willing to work extra time, whether it be stay late or work at home. I do what it takes to get the job done. Teamwork in addition to my positive outlook will brighten any room. I am sure to bring something special to the table. I greatly appreciate you taking the time to review my information for a spot on the yearbook staff of 2015-2016 school year. My resume is attached for review. I look forward to hearing back from you. With All Due Respect, Haiden Hill
Resume
Haiden Hill
Objective To bring and gain optimism and journalism skills to G-Star 2015-2016 yearbook staff. Education Completed 3 years at Bak Middle School of the Arts Graduation June 4, 2015 G.P.A - 4.0 Experience Creative Writing January 2013-June 2013 Masterpiece Yearbook staff (Who in Their Right Mind?) August 2013- June 2014. Photo Editor, Interviewer, Copy Writer, Caption Writer, Photographer, Layout Designer Masterpiece Yearbook staff (This is For) August 2014- June 2015. Photo editor, Interviewer,Copy Writer , Caption Writer, Photographer, Layout Designer Organized Chaos Literary Arts Magazine -Arts editor. January 2014-June 2014 Organized Chaos Literary Arts Magazine -Editor in Chief. January 2015-June 2015 Activities/Awards - JEA contest References Jessica Samons: Yearbook Advisor Rose Byrnes: family friend Debra Fiore: history teacher
Haiden Hill
Self Analysis
Haiden Hill
I began journalism at Bak Middle School of the Arts in 7 grade. On the yearbook staff, we learned tactics of interviewing and reporting. I have enhanced my skill in programs such as Adobe InDesign and Adobe Photoshop. This year I was more excited to go out and interview, during these interviews I asked many follow up questions in order to get better quotes and write better copy. I have noticed that writing copy has come easier to me than it has in the past. My photography skills enhanced to the point I started taking an ample amount of photos. th
Not only did I learn professional journalism skills, I also learned life skills. In my 7th grade year, my time management was horrible, by the time I finally figure out who I was interviewing and where to take photos the deadline was in just a few days. This caused much stress and panic (even an “I’m so overwhelmed sign�). This year on the other hand in the beginning of every class, I would make a checklist of things I had to get done within a certain amount of time. This allowed me to get things done quickly, with time to spare, and no stress. I developed better teamwork skills such as dividing the work equally and talking one for the team when needed. I will take both journalism skills and time/stress management skills to any activity or job I will ever come across.
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Refl R flection ti #1
Haiden Hill I chose the Band spread, “Banded Together”, as my most significant piece of work. Throughout the process there were difficulties on whose doing what,teachers letting us go into classrooms, and consistency of the spread. This spread shows both strengths and weaknesses of the masterpiece yearbook staff. When we started working on this spread it was very unorganized and chaotic. Nobody knew their specific assignments, which lead to arguing for certain jobs. After we figured out who was doing what, it was time to take pictures. There was a small amount of trouble involving who had time to take pictures, what classes to got to, etc. While trying to get the pictures approved they were sent back a few times, which was an advantage in the long run because we ended up taking more and finding even better images. No one in our group took aurasma, we ran out last minute for some footage.
After all the kinks were worked out, the spread tuned out beautiful, aside from stroke on sidebar pictures, incorrect opacity on the caption screen, and other minor details. The pictures were high quality, with special elements and the copy explains a story and not just boring writing. Having all these things combined shows our learning process developed throughout the year especially when it comes to teamwork and group skills.
BANDED TOGETHER
WHATDOYOUTHINK?
Students work hard to get to where they are now, in a perfect harmony
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Another student and I were assigned to write the “Banded Together” copy. Every time I sat down to write it, the other student had something else to do or didn’t want to at that time. It got to the point where I took matters into my own hands and started to write on my own. Later through the process, my “fellow copy writer” gave me a few sentences to write down. Once the copy was finished I wasn’t sure if I should put his name or not, which lead to small disagreement.
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he sound of instruments p l a y e d throughout the hallway in perfect harmony. The conductor who stood front and center of the classroom waved her hands with great pride. The flutists looked at each other in a ready position, waiting for the conductors cue. Everyone looked with great concentration at their music sheets, all banded together. “[I prefer playing in a] group, because I can play with my peers and my friends. We can make musical pieces that sound beautiful together,” Emma Ouellette (8) said. Many students were proud of the music they made, and some were even prouder of what they created together. All of the different instruments in the orchestra performed together to form a perfect harmony. “[The oboe] is the toner for the group. There should only be one or two of them in an
orchestra, and it’s very rare,” Amy Zengage, (6) said. This perfect harmony did not come easy. Students practiced long and hard for such a gratifying position. “When I was two, my dad bought me a pair of bongos. From then on I’ve kept playing percussion and expanded more,” Sara Bernstein (7) said. “When I was four, my parents thought I was obnoxious playing on pots and pans, so my mom put me on a drum set and it just clicked,” Grant Conley (8) said. Teachers did not only teach students what they needed to know, they inspired their students. “My teacher says hard work teaches talent when talent doesn’t work hard,” Zengage said. Students came to their final notes and slowly ended their piece. The flutists lowered their flutes, as the symbols vibration faded away, all banded together. by Haiden Hill
has music allowed you to Q: How express yourself and your feelings? Music allows me to express myself through my instrument. If I’m sad, once I play my instrument, everything seems to wash away. - Kevin Ray (7)
I play the clarinet; it’s a happy sounding instrument. When I play it makes me feel good and when I play it to my family, everyone is happy. - Zadia Hughes (6)
SOUNDS OF THE FRENCH Alongside her colleague, Sophie Allen (8) works her magic on the French horn. “You have to think of the note before you play it because if you don’t it might come out wrong,” Allen said. Allen was playing a piece called “American Flourish”. Photo by Haiden Hill
THE TRUMPETS THEY GO As he plays the trumpet, Lance Breidenbaugh (8) shows his skills to his teacher with a solo. “I love playing trumpet because I play an important instrument,” Breidenbaugh said. He has played the trumpet since he was in elementary school. Photo by Haiden Hill
TOGETHER THROUGH MUSIC Coming together with her group, Ashley Smith (7) plays the song “Celtic Memories”. “We were practicing for our first chamber ensemble concert,” Smith said. She hoped she could teach music at a primary school when she grew up. Photo by Justin Edwardo
JAZZING IT UP Playing a jazzy beat on the saxophone, Mark Silver (8), plays under the instruction of a guest. “He helps me with my articulation and rhythm,” Silver said. Silver enjoyed the saxophone because it was hard to catch mistakes. Photo by Justin Edwardo
TOOT OF THE FLUTE While focusing on the pages, Heather James (7) practices her scales for the Allstate competition. “Etudes are lyrical and technical exercises,” James said. She planned to become a flute teacher as a side job when she got older. Photo by Adeeb Rashid
PERFECT PERCUSSION As he plays he xylophone, Griffin Miller (8), and his partner play their music. “I love how there are so many different sounds in percussion, like the xylophone,” Miller said. The piece Miller and his partner played was called “Queen of Sheba”. Photo by Justin Edwardo
MARIMBA MELODIES Carefully playing the marimba, Julian Leahy (7) and his classmate practice for their band concert. “It’s a possibility that I might pursue [percussion] but I’m still deciding,” Leahy said. The marimba consists of a set of wooden bars struck with mallets to produce musical tones. Photo by Justin Edwardo
I’M A POET AND I KNOW IT Editing her classmate’s poems, Taylor Dipietro (7) gives constructive criticism. “I love writing. When I am older I want to be an author,” Dipietro said. Realistic fiction and fantasy were Dipietro’s favorite genres to write. Photo by Zoey Robinson
This is for the Dreamers - Arts and Academics - Communications
EVALUATION Grading his peers, Thomas McCabe (7) marks up his paper. “In video production, I get to have freedom; I know I can be trusted with the camera when I’m out filming,” McCabe. Editing was what McCabe considered to be his strength. Photo by Haiden Hill
“Videography because Ms. Owens video production is my favorite class. I feel more controlled over what I want to do. You can do anything you want with a camera.” - Elizabeth Dupont (7)
HELPING HAND Double checking his final production, Jacob Berkun (8) edits his video for the final time with help from an additional student. ”The video shows me wakeboarding. It took us four months to edit the video, but the video was five minutes long,” Berkun said. Wakeboarding was a sport, where a board was pulled behind a boat, while a person stood and was strapped on. Photo by Sterling Shipp
“Video Production, it is fun because we get to go around campus and get video and shots. We don’t just sit at our desks all class, so it’s not boring. ” -Preston Figueroa (7)
is your favorite part of Q: What communications and why?
SHOWCASE POEMS Reciting his poem at the sixth grade showcase, Joshua Kenny (6) made sure he hits the emotional parts of the poem. “My poem is where there’s this boy and his brother died. He was really young and sad and so he wrote his brother a letter and he thought it would be delivered to heaven,” Kenny said. Before taking creative writing, Kenny wrote stories for fun. Photo by Michael Bole
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION Setting up a two shot, Lindsay Spruce (8) practices her zoom. “Cameras set up shots for the whole show, and we see on the monitor what goes live. It’s a very important job because it’s what goes on screen,” Spruce said. Spruce preferred being on camera rather than behind. Photo by Haiden Hill
Newspaper, and yearbook. Each one taught students that in communication, cooperation was key. “So far in radio, I’ve learned that to make a successful product. You need teamwork and time management so that you’re not late on your project.” Kyle Ahern (7) said. While some of communications students enjoyed the live aspect, some enjoyed the digital and creative writing techniques as well. “Writing poetry makes me have to think logically,” Braden Romano (6) said. “I use rhyming and other figurative languages.” With so many options, from graphic design class and speech to debate class, in the end students were immersed in the diverse field of mass communications. by Michael Bole
IT’S ALL ABOUT ME Presenting her PowerPoint, Lily Gumbinner (7) talks about her love for horses. “I learned how to do stuff in Microsoft Word and Excel that I didn’t know before,” Gumbinner said. The presentations were Gumbinner’s favorite project. Photo by Sterling Shipp
he studio was silent. In the control room, the students had their hands on the equipment making slight changes to make sure the morning announcements would air with little to no flaws. The anchors made a few slight changes to what they were wearing to make sure they looked good on camera. The floor director requested silence in the room and counted down from five. The announcements were about to go live. “I love the rush you get when you go live. It’s easy to make mistakes in the show so we have to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Valerie Betts (8) said. The announcements were not the only aspect to communications. There were different skills for students to explore, such as journalism, broadcasting,
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Communications majors explore diverse skills
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Although this spread has issues and could use adjustments it was a good experience to learn that sometime sometimes if someone drops the ball, you have to take charge and get things in order. STALKER Reviewing his shot, Nikolas Zimmerman (7) thinks of critiques. “Video production it’s entertaining, and after all of your hard work you get to see what you’ve created,” Zimmerman said. Stalker was a film about a girl being stalked Photo by Haiden Hill
Not only does this spread have design issues, the group assigned to this spread was not very cooperative. Two people out of the group were going out constantly getting as many photos as possible to enhance the spreads value, especially it being out very own art area. Every time we asked the two other students to get to a certain class, they said “it’s not the right speech class” or “I’ll go tomorrow”. This happened for a majority of the time. Because of the lack of effort, we told them to write the copy which lead to a few argument amongst them. The copy was re-written at least 3 time before either of them could agree.
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The names on the sidebar are evened out with the rest of the quote, while they need to be justified to the right. One of the yearbooks main goals is to get the most diversity on each spread possible. Both of the people that were interviewed for the sidebar were 7th grade and Caucasian. The spread design in general has no consistency, there are two horizontal pictures next to each other, however they do not line up. A spread design rule is to have an eye line going across the whole page either one third down the page or one third on the top of the page. On this spread there is not a slight showing of an eye line. Directly under the dominant photo there is another horizontal photo. Similar to the previous pictures I mentioned, they do not line up either. On the far right of the page under the copy, there is a vertical picture sporadically placed, not relating to anything around it.
MORE THAN JUST TALK
There are errors throughout the whole yearbook but a spread that I worked on that really stood out with problems was the communications spread, “More Than Just Talk”. The fact that this spread is problematic it is an embarrassment to the communications department. The issues on this spread are mainly design rule breaking and layouts. There are pictures that should be lined up and an equal amount of pica space in between and at least 3 captions are trapped.
WHATDOYOUTHINK?
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Reflection #2 Reflection
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Reflection #3
Reflection #3
Haiden Hill In this photo there is a center of interest which catches the eye, behind the center of interest the same image is repeated creating repetition. The repetition behind the center of interest is blurred out, creating a depth of field look. The trumpet provides leading lines directly to the center of interest. The things that attract me to this photo are everything mentioned before. The name of this photo is saved as: IMG_0075 in the band originals photo (Haiden_01). This picture has a center of interest which draws attention. The background has a few people in the background that are blurred out, the blur gives the photo a tiny bit of depth of field. The best thing about this photo is the inter action, as you look at the picture you feel as if you are right next to her, with a pencil in your name doing the project. The way the girl is looking at her paper shows deep concentration in what she is doing which also makes you feel like you are there. This picture is saved as IMG_0957.jpg
Haiden Hill This picture is very interactive; it shows two students are watching their footage while filming a music video. Its also has leading lines and depth of field. The cameras view leads right up to the girls face. The background is blurred out and has element behind it giving it a depth of field look. Rule of thirds is used, the two people are both on the side thirds of the page and the camera is the bottom third, nothing is exactly in the middle. The main thing that caught my eye in this picture is the emotion and interaction shown between the two people. This photo s saved as communications04_Haiden. jpg
Reflection #4
Haiden Hill
This year I was a photo editor on the Masterpiece Yearbook staff. Although this job seems very simple, it can cause a spread to miss a deadline, mess up a picture in the yearbook, and get very overwhelming. I am always willing to do extra work for the staff, if I’m working on something and someone needs me to quickly download or prepare a photo I’m on it. I was constantly checking the “to be downloaded box” and “prepared” box. After downloading or preparing photos, the photo editor is required to sign off on what they just did to change the photo. There would be times when the photo log has my signature all the way down the page. Not only did I bring my photo editing skills to the staff but I also wrote copy, captions, took photos, designed layouts, and interviewed. If someone needed extra help covering a class for pictures I was often available. Skill is often very important in journalism, but optimism and positivity make the work environment more enjoyable. Being on the Masterpiece staff made me happy, so of course whenever I’m in class I bring happiness into the room. Having positivity and overall just being in a good mood can makes things easier, by this I mean working as a team isn’t as hard when everyone is happy then when no one really cares and gives no effort. Overall this year I brought a good mood, skills in journalism, time management, and willing to do work.
Reflection #5
Haiden Hill
This volume of the yearbook was not as hard for me as it has been in the past. Although I did not have much trouble, a thing that comes to mind is science appointments. Even before deadline 3, the deadline science was in, we sent out appointment letters, to make sure we did not miss any exciting labs. However, the teachers did not give us exact dates for when to come in; we frequently go the response “any time works”. All though this is very nice for most spreads, science needs to be doing labs in order to get publishable photos. Because of the yearbook staff consisting of 7th and 8th graders we had an idea of when to go in for 7th and 8th grade classes but that left out 6th grade classes. We wanted to get good photos but we did not want to keep annoying the science teachers with multiple letters. After receiving such broad opportunities to go into classes, I started making my appointment letters more specific. I continued to make sure that I specified things I need to do when visiting a class room, this lead to better time management and less stress. Overall I believe I handled the situation pretty good. I got stressed at times. But I took control and handled it well. Overall this year I brought a good mood, skills in journalism, time management, and willing to do work.
Design
Haiden Hill
Don’t Blink...
;)
sports
;)
Clubs & orgs.
;) ;)
Student Life Look at Our Life
4
;)
;)
Arts & Academics
22
;)
54
;)
Look at Us Learn
;)
People Section
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Look at the Champions
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Look at how we LEARN
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Students had many different classes
Opening
Look at the Start
Design
Look at the Explorers
Advertising
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Index
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Look at How We’ve Grown
Look For Yourself
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ightly tapping her fingers on the desk, the student anxiously waited for the dismissal to eighth period. Today was the day she was practicing her piece in front of the whole class.
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Every day, students participated in at least one of the five majors; communications, music, theater, visual arts, and dance. Along with these outstanding art classes, students have four academics; mathematics, English language arts, science, and social studies. Spanish and French were also offered as foreign languages. The school stayed at an A rate, and scores on standardized testing were often some of the highest in Palm Beach County. Students participated in arts outside of their own, and teachers gave a chance to students who wanted to extend their possibilities into different arts. Take time to see the outstanding curriculum, and look at how we learn. by Haiden Hill
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Eyes Wide Open
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Look at Us
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End Sheets Theme Project
LOok at how we learn Folio Copy
Folio Copy
Arts & Academics Divider
Theme Project
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How has music allowed you to Q: express yourself and your feelings?
WHATDOYOUTHINK?
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Music allows me to express myself through my instrument. If I’m sad, once I play my instrument, everything seems to wash away. - Kevin Ray (7) I play the clarinet; it’s a happy sounding instrument. When I play it makes me feel good and when I play it to my family, everyone is happy. - Zadia Hughes (6)
TOGETHER THROUGH MUSIC Coming together with her group, Ashley Smith (7) plays the song “Celtic Memories”. “We were practicing for our first chamber ensemble concert,” Smith said. She hoped she could teach music at a primary school when she grew up. Photo by Justin Edwardo
THE TRUMPETS THEY GO As he plays the trumpet, Lance Breidenbaugh (8) shows his skills to his teacher with a solo. “I love playing trumpet because I play an important instrument,” Breidenbaugh said. He has played the trumpet since he was in elementary school. Photo by Haiden Hill
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Banded Together/ 24-25/ Arts and Academicss Color - Size 8 - 5-48980: Bak Middle School of the Arts
BANDED TOGETHER Students work hard to get to where they are now, in a perfect harmony
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SOUNDS OF THE FRENCH Alongside her colleague, Sophie Allen (8) works her magic on the French horn. “You have to think of the note before you play it because if you don’t it might come out wrong,” Allen said. Allen was playing a piece called “American Flourish”. Photo by Haiden Hill
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SNEAK PEAK While waiting for the bell to ring, Adam Goldstick (6), checks his phone before class starts. “I wish we were able to call on the bus or use them in the morning before class,” Goldstick said. Goldstick uses social media to talk to his friends more often. Photo by Cora Gilbert GAMING GLAMOUR Playing one of her favorite games, Danielle Hoogterp (7), sits outside and enjoys the day. “We should totally be allowed to use cellphones during lunch,” Hoogterp said. Hoogterp mainly went on Instagram. Photo by Brandon Lee
TECH TOGETHER With eyes focused on her smart phone, Ashley Lavalle (6), plays her favorite game with her friends. “I think it’s really cool that we have smartphones in this generation,” Lavalle said. Lavalle got her first phone when she was 10 years old. Photo by Brandon Lee
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MEDIA MANIA Sneaking a peek at her cell phone, Delaney Schaer (8) looks through her music selection. “I think that you should be able to bring out your phone and use it and listen to music,” Schaer said. In addition to playing songs on her phone, Schaer also enjoyed using social media, such as Instagram. Photo by Haiden Hill SELFIE STRONG Talking a selfie, Carlos Molina (8) shows his determined face. “[It is annoying] when you take a selfie and it flips the image,” Molina said. He said that ages 10 to 12 are the appropriate ages to own a phone. Photo by Brandon Lee
Info by: cnet.com Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S5
Apple iPhone 6
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TOP FIVE
PHONES
on their mind. According to a study done by Pew Internet and American Life Project, users checked their phones about 60 times a day. “[Social media] helps me connect to people more and if I don’t know much about them I can look at their social media and learn more about them,” Thomas Testa, strings major (8), said. While many students used social media, others preferred playing games and expanding their creativity. “My favorite game would be Minecraft because you can log on to creative mode and it can just be calm. Horror games have a certain style of adventure. People play them to get a sense of adventure they don’t have in their everyday lives. When I play them I get pretty scared,” Ronald Quintanar, band major (8), said. As the phone’s beep faded out, and the student’s nervous squirms stopped as they turned to each other with slight smiles, they all realized their phone obsession. Skyler Johnson, communications major (7), said, laughing, “They make everything easier, and they can get you answers to homework.” by Cora Gilbert and Haiden Hill
Games, social media, and smartphones are a big deal
he classroom was silent as students filled out their quizzes. Some broke down in frustration, while others quickly selected their answers. Even though all the students were focused on recalling the information that they had crammed in their heads the night before, they were all interrupted by the beeping of somebody’s smart phone. Despite the fact that they could get in trouble, students still risked punishment so they could look at their smart phones. “I always want to check [my phone] to see if there’s anything on it,” Delaney Schaer, vocal major (8), said. Smart phones were popular, and students hoped that they could have used them more often, but the school district had a strict policy against cell phones. Some thought that the rules were pretty good, while others wished for more freedom. “I understand what they’re saying but we should be able to use our phones at lunch,” Ashley Lavalle, dance major (6), said. Social media also was a main part of student’s lives. Keeping up to date and sharing with friends was always
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orchestra, and it’s very rare,” Amy Zengage, (6) said. This perfect harmony did not come easy. Students practiced long and hard for such a gratifying position. “When I was two, my dad bought me a pair of bongos. From then on I’ve kept playing percussion and expanded more,” Sara Bernstein (7) said. “When I was four, my parents thought I was obnoxious playing on pots and pans, so my mom put me on a drum set and it just clicked,” Grant Conley (8) said. Teachers did not only teach students what they needed to know, they inspired their students. “My teacher says hard work teaches talent when talent doesn’t work hard,” Zengage said. Students came to their final notes and slowly ended their piece. The flutists lowered their flutes, as the symbols vibration faded away, all banded together. by Haiden Hill
TOOT OF THE FLUTE While focusing on the pages, Heather James (7) practices her scales for the Allstate competition. “Etudes are lyrical and technical exercises,” James said. She planned to become a flute teacher as a side job when she got older. Photo by Adeeb Rashid
he sound of instruments p l a y e d throughout the hallway in perfect harmony. The conductor who stood front and center of the classroom waved her hands with great pride. The flutists looked at each other in a ready position, waiting for the conductors cue. Everyone looked with great concentration at their music sheets, all banded together. “[I prefer playing in a] group, because I can play with my peers and my friends. We can make musical pieces that sound beautiful together,” Emma Ouellette (8) said. Many students were proud of the music they made, and some were even prouder of what they created together. All of the different instruments in the orchestra performed together to form a perfect harmony. “[The oboe] is the toner for the group. There should only be one or two of them in an
JAZZING IT UP Playing a jazzy beat on the saxophone, Mark Silver (8), plays under the instruction of a guest. “He helps me with my articulation and rhythm,” Silver said. Silver enjoyed the saxophone because it was hard to catch mistakes. Photo by Justin Edwardo
MARIMBA MELODIES Carefully playing the marimba, Julian Leahy (7) and his classmate practice for their band concert. “It’s a possibility that I might pursue [percussion] but I’m still deciding,” Leahy said. The marimba k consists of a set of wooden bars struck with mallets to produce musical tones. Photo by Justin Edwardo
Color Page g PERFECT PERCUSSION As he plays th the xylophone, Griffin Miller (8), and his partner play their music. “I love how there are so many different sounds in percussion, like the xylophone,” Miller said. The piece Miller and his partner played was called “Queen of Sheba”. Photo by Justin Edwardo
This is for Us - Student Life - Phone Obsession
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HELPING HAND Double checking his final production, Jacob Berkun (8) edits his video for the final time with help from an additional student. ”The video shows me wakeboarding. It took us four months to edit the video, but the video was five minutes long,” Berkun said. Wakeboarding was a sport, where a board was pulled behind a boat, while a person stood and was strapped on. Photo by Sterling Shipp
“Video Production, it is fun because we get to go around campus and get video and shots. We don’t just sit at our desks all class, so it’s not boring. ” -Preston Figueroa (7)
This is for the Does - Clubs & Orgs
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Nip it in the butt
lack lungs, bad breath, rotten teeth, lung cancer. All of these were effects of smoking, effects the Students Working Against Tobacco Club (SWAT) had a goal to stamp out. “It will help me not get influenced when I’m older because I know the consequences,” Armin Khoshbin (8) vocal major said. More than 2,800 kids tried smoking for the first time each day, according to tobaccofreekids. org. “I don’t want kids my age to start smoking and die, when they didn’t get a chance to stop it,” Raven Killingbeck (8) theater major said. Not only did SWAT persuade kids to not smoke, but it also helped many family members at home to quit. Killingbeck said, “My father, I told him what I was learning in SWAT, and we worked together to stop [him smoking].” by Haiden Hill
“I liked [dancing with the Very Special Arts Foundation] because I got to dance with little kids who were autistic.” -Elaina Sanchez (8)
s they danced, the children’s faces lit up. It was the performance of a lifetime with the middle school dancers of the Dance Honor Society organization. “I liked [dancing with the Very Special Arts Foundation] because I got to dance with little kids who were autistic,” Elaina Sanchez dance major (8) said. “They were so friendly and welcoming.” The dancers were not done with helping out. Their next project was to help the less fortunate. “We are giving shoes to less fortunate kids through Berkshire,” Tryanni Chiaravalloti dance major (8) said. Dance Honor Society wasn’t about just tutu’s and tights. It was about making a difference in the world. by Isabella Kjaerulff and Haiden Hill
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MOVIN’ AND GROOVIN’ Dancing to the beat, Alec Mittenthal (8) perfects his routine for Dance Honor Society. “[Dance to me] is an art form and a lifestyle to me,” Mittenthal said. Contemporary was Mittenthal’s favorite style of dance. Photo by Isabella Kjaerulff
eautiful voices filled the choir room as the members of Chorale sang. As all boys and girls sang in harmony, the voices echoed. “I love the songs we sing, especially all the holiday songs,” Abigail Jordan vocal major (8) said. Chorale was a learning experience for some students. Between all the voice evaluations and group concerts, Chorale was about learning life lessons. “I hope it will give me more experience. [When I am older] I want to be in a choir,” Mark Komaromi vocal major (8) said. Chorale was more than just singing. Sometimes they had time to play. “One day we had a day off. We were playing museum. It was awesome!” Jordan said. Between singing and having fun, Chorale created memories that lasted forever. by Zoey Robinson
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Chorale inspires young singers to excel
CHORALE
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Looking straight into the camera, Shaina Franks theater major (7) gives her speech for Student Government. “[I like] being able to communicate between the students and the administration so that I can get ideas across that we all want for the school,” Franks said. Franks wanted to put ideas into action. Photo by Zoey Robinson
SING IT LOUD Rehearsing for the fall concert, Bryce Hill (8) practices singing the song ‘Ton Thé’. “I like to sing because of our directors. They push you to try your hardest,” Hill said. Hill’s voice part was bass. Photo by Zoey Robinson
I like how we can make a difference, and learn to make things better. -Angela Scates (8)
he student’s face glowed with exhileration. He had countless ideas to offer for the school, and was ready to put them into action. “I am running for seventh grade senator because I want to represent the people of my grade,” Kevin Ray band major (7) said. Although Student Government was beneficial to the school in many ways, some candidates had favorite events and concepts that Student Government brought up. “I like how we can make a difference and learn to make things better,” Angela Scates band major (8) said. Whether a student was running for treasurer or vice president, Student Government was all about the changes or ideas of students that representatives all wanted to bring about at school. Ray said, “Lots of people have ideas, they are just scared to show them.” by Isabella Kjaerulff
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SGA was a chance to be a kid president
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION Setting up a two shot, Lindsay Spruce (8) practices her zoom. “Cameras set up shots for the whole show, and we see on the monitor what goes live. It’s a very important job because it’s what goes on screen,” Spruce said. Spruce preferred being on camera rather than behind. Photo by Haiden Hill
Newspaper, and yearbook. Each one taught students that in communication, cooperation was key. “So far in radio, I’ve learned that to make a successful product. You need teamwork and time management so that you’re not late on your project.” Kyle Ahern (7) said. While some of communications students enjoyed the live aspect, some enjoyed the digital and creative writing techniques as well. “Writing poetry makes me have to think logically,” Braden Romano (6) said. “I use rhyming and other figurative languages.” With so many options, from graphic design class and speech to debate class, in the end students were immersed in the diverse field of mass communications. by Michael Bole
IT’S ALL ABOUT ME Presenting her PowerPoint, Lily Gumbinner (7) talks about her love for horses. “I learned how to do stuff in Microsoft Word and Excel that I didn’t know before,” Gumbinner said. The presentations were Gumbinner’s favorite project. Photo by Sterling Shipp
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SHOWCASE POEMS Reciting his poem at the sixth grade showcase, Joshua Kenny (6) made sure he hits the emotional parts of the poem. “My poem is where there’s this boy and his brother died. He was really young and sad and so he wrote his brother a letter and he thought it would be delivered to heaven,” Kenny said. Before taking creative writing, Kenny wrote stories for fun. Photo by Michael Bole
he studio was silent. In the control room, the students had their hands on the equipment making slight changes to make sure the morning announcements would air with little to no flaws. The anchors made a few slight changes to what they were wearing to make sure they looked good on camera. The floor director requested silence in the room and counted down from five. The announcements were about to go live. “I love the rush you get when you go live. It’s easy to make mistakes in the show so we have to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Valerie Betts (8) said. The announcements were not the only aspect to communications. There were different skills for students to explore, such as journalism, broadcasting,
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Communications majors explore diverse skills
MORE THAN JUST TALK
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DHS was more than tutu’s and tights
DANCE HONOR SOCIETY
DROPPING DEAD Throwing down his skeleton, Armin Khoshbin (8) yells in excitement. “We did this to show what can happen to you when you smoke, and show how many people die a year,” Khosbin said. To represent the statistic, SWAT threw 88 skeletons off the bridge. Photo by Adeeb Rashid
STALKER Reviewing his shot, Nikolas Zimmerman (7) thinks of critiques. “Video production it’s entertaining, and after all of your hard work you get to see what you’ve created,” Zimmerman said. Stalker was a film about a girl being stalked Photo by Haiden Hill
S.W.A.T. CLUB
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EVALUATION Grading his peers, Thomas McCabe (7) marks up his paper. “In video production, I get to have freedom; I know I can be trusted with the camera when I’m out filming,” McCabe. Editing was what McCabe considered to be his strength. Photo by Haiden Hill
“Videography because Ms. Owens video production is my favorite class. I feel more controlled over what I want to do. You can do anything you want with a camera.” - Elizabeth Dupont (7)
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What is your favorite part of communications and why?
WHATDOYOUTHINK?
I’M A POET AND I KNOW IT Editing her classmate’s poems, Taylor Dipietro (7) gives constructive criticism. “I love writing. When I am older I want to be an author,” Dipietro said. Realistic fiction and fantasy were Dipietro’s favorite genres to write. Photo by Zoey Robinson
This is for the Dreamers - Arts and Academics - Communications
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This is for the Dreamers - Arts & Academics - World Languages TROPICAL PARADISE Gluing objects to her box, Chelsea Odigie (8) does her Ecuador box project. “We had to pick a country on either the Central or South Americas and research about food, clothing, and art. ,” Odigie said. One of the reasons Odigie took the class was to engage with people who spoke Spanish. Photo by Haiden Hill
LOUD AND CLEAR Running over her skit, Celina Carrillo (8) gets ready to present. “We do a skit after every chapter. We try to make it funny, but it’s hard with limited vocabulary,” Carrillo said. One of Carrillo’s skits was about activities to do in the summertime. Photo by Haiden Hill
CRAFTY Diligently working, Olivia Yang (7) works on her box project. “Projects are more fun than just regular homework because it’s really fun seeing it all come together,” Yang said. One reason Yang took Spanish was to get a high school credit. Photo by Haiden Hill
Q: “My mom knows five languages so I wanted to learn some.” -John Gabriel Fehribach (6)
“My Dad, because he is French and he used to live in France. I wanted to communicate with my outside family.” -Giorgi Fracassi (8)
Why did you decide to take a world language class?
WHATDOYOUTHINK?
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BONJOUR Learning French grammar, Jacques Coury (7) fills in his work book. “[The workbook] teaches us grammar and verbs that are helpful when speaking French,” Coury said. Coury had been taking French for two years. Photo by Heather Rollins
BOXED IN Creating a masterpiece, James Sun (8) makes his box for a Spanish project. “The project [requires the presenter to have] pictures of Spanish countries, food, money, cities etc.,” Sun said. Interesting, original, and fun was how Sun described the box project. Photo by Haiden Hill
PERFECT PRACTICE Planning out her project, Valentina Ramirez (8) draws weather. “We had to make two news stories in Spanish. We covered sports and weather,” Ramirez said. Spanish was Ramirez’s first language. Photo by Haiden Hill
he masks of “Dia de el Muertos” were scattered across the desks, markers of every color piled up on the tables. Some students sat quietly while others chatted away with their friends. By the end of class that day, each student had a feathered and jeweled “sugar skull” mask to show off. Not only did the students learn the art of the masks, they also were able to find the art of Spanish tradition. “I knew Spanish would be a good thing to know, because when I grow up and get a job, there will be a wider range of possibilities” Sophia Salvador theater major (7) said. Some students wanted to learn a language their friends or family spoke. “I chose to take French because my family is from Haiti,” Jennifer Pierre vocal major (7) said. “I
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HELPING HAND Explaining the lesson, Anne-Marie Bouchard helps a student in need. “[French] is my passion. I love seeing the students’ reaction when they understand it,” Bouchard said. Even though Bouchard was a new teacher, she has been teaching French for eight years. Photo by Heather Rollins
-Sophia Salvador (7)
I grow and get a job, there will be a wider range of possibilities.
hen W up
communicate with my family who don’t speak English.” Every student had their struggles in learning a language. “It’s hard to switch to speaking and thinking in a different language,” Thomas Testa strings major (8) said. To ensure that the language would stick in the students’ brains forever, the teachers made up games to help the kids memorize and understand the words. “Ms. Donnelly is an awesome teacher,” Testa said. “She’s enjoyable to be around and her lessons are very interesting.” by Heather Rollins
Students learn to speak the world
ONE LANGUAGE AT A TIME
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