In the Middle Issue 4 2018-2019

INSIDE Buoyancy Cup

ISSUE 4, 2018-2019

Page 4

Experiencing art in Tampa B Y A LEXIS K APLAN Mrs. Mahoney remarked, ?The trip ranged from thirty-six students maximum to twenty-one students, so it?s a doable trip with fewer, but I always like to share it with more.

Plus, now, a lot more students have already gone, so sometimes people don?t wanna go again even though it won?t be the same experience each year.?

COEP

It?s disappointing that another fantastic event, Orlandofest, was simultaneous with the Tampa trip because so many students love the Tampa trip.

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Music in the Parks

PHOTO BY MR. FALLIK 7th graders Cecilia Storm, Julia Green, Tiana Tolles, and Isabella Possin wear Salvador Dali mustaches.

This year was the fourth year MCDS went on a trip to Tampa for the art and drama students.

Mrs. Mahoney, the middle school art teacher, started the trip. She wanted to take her students to Page 18 The Salvador Dali Museum because it shows his best collections of work. Mr. Mathes approved, and they made the trip for drama as well because they watch a different musical production each

year.

It is not mandatory for the art and drama students to attend this trip. However, it has always been very popular with many students taking the opportunity to go.

This year, that was not the case; the trip was not full, so Mrs. Mahoney made the trip available to any middle school student regardless of elective.

The reason for the decreased interest of the trip this year was because it was on the same date as Orlandofest, a competition in Orlando for the music students. Many kids who would?ve gone on the Tampa had to travel to Orlando already.

Danielle Respler, an eighth-grader who's gone on the trip for three years, said, ?This was my third time going. What made me want to go on the trip this year was because I remember how much fun I had on the trip from the past years with my fellow classmates.? She also wanted to go again because she wanted to watch the particular stage musical, and revisit the Dali Museum!

The students watched the musical ?Dear Evan Hansen? this year. Mr. Gracy, the middle school drama teacher, was asked to be a chaperone by Mrs. Mahoney, so he was there to provide a perspective as an experienced drama teacher who had seen and been a part of many shows.

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8th grade explores culture B Y ELLA SMITH This year, 2019, was the first year that the eighth grade has done an eighth-grade team day about culture.

For the eighth grade team day, all the students went to different classes and did an activity with a teacher during the time of a block period ? these activities each related to a different culture.

day and learning about other cultures are so different from each other.

The eighth grade was split up. While half of the grade was doing the rotations, the other half went on a field trip to a courthouse. But, the whole grade got to experience team day because they just switched the days they went to the Courthouse and stayed on campus.

The eighth grade team day is the final piece of the eighth-grade theme of immigration and culture. Mr. Fallik, the eighth-grade team leader, said, ?The goal is for the kids to understand that America is made up of so many different cultures, and for them to understand how they have influenced our rich and diverse society.?

Many of the students said that they liked team

He also said the eighth grade had done stuff

PHOTOS BY MRS. A BREU-GRONDIN all year on Isabella Gallotta and culture and Carolina Rossetto share immigration; their Brazilian cultures with they go on their classmates. field trips like their class trip to New Orleans and Memphis and do activities in their advisory on the theme.

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Around MCDS Students share their cultures on Team Day

Contessa Sharp, an eighth-grader, says that her favorite rotation was friendship bracelets with Ms. Leon, an eighth-grade team member. She said that she liked the friendship bracelets the best because she learned how friendship bracelets bring different cultures together. They also got to learn how to make friendship bracelets, and the colorful accessories decorated students wrists all day.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 There were four rotations, but only three of them related to the study of cultures. One of them was an opportune talk with Academic Dean, Mr. Bronish, to prepare for high school.

Chaya Hazan, another eighth-grader, said her favorite part was the cooking with Ms. Abreu.

They got to try dishes from two different countries that their fellow classmates made.

Then, they got to cook their own dishes with Ms. Abreu and Mr. Abily, eighth-grade team members. She liked the cooking the best because she got to try different food that she got to learn how to make.

Jaydy Hammond, another eighth-grader, said she also liked cooking the best because she liked trying the food she learned to make.

The cooking helped teach the students about different traditions and different seasonings that are part of the country?s culture.

The team day and the courthouse field trip did not last an entire school day, but there were also special activities after.

On Tuesday, the students watched a film about African Americans and their struggle to pursue their dream as a baseball player in the major leagues. It taught them how the black was mistreated and helped them understand how hard it was to get in the major leagues. It also showed how, as the years went on, more and more African Americans showed up on the roster. It was a very valuable film.

The next day, a lawyer came to speak with the eighth-grade about her experiences in court.

Mr. Fallik said that the lawyer gave advice on not getting in trouble and to stay safe whether you are in or out of trouble.

The eighth-grade team day was

an educational but very fun learning experience. It also facilitated the amount of kids they brought to the Courthouse.

Hopefully, the new classes in eighth-grade will get to experience it as well.

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"Dear Evan Hanson": A highlight in St. Pete CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 He led a discussion after the show where they ?broke down what the show was about when it was done. We talked about the themes that were in it, why certain things happened, what people thought of different characters, overall just the perspective of the students seeing a produced show.? ?A lot of students seemed to enjoy the play ?Dear Evan Hansen?because when we all talked about it after, a lot of students said they liked the play and had something positive to share about it,? commented eighth-grader, Amina Bilalova.

Cecilia Storm, a seventh-grader, said, ?My favorite part about the trip was watching the

play ?Dear Evan Hansen?because it was very emotional and moving.? ?I really enjoyed going to the theater because we got to see a really funny play but it really was emotional, and I really like that we got to see the cast at the end,? said Isabella Possin, a seventh-grader.

Danielle said, ?I love ?Dear Evan Hansen.?The music was amazing, and the actors were so talented and so phenomenal.? She said that it is now her and her friend?s all-time favorite musical.

The students also got to go to the initial destination, the Salvador Dali museum, and also to watch a glass blowing demonstration.

Isabella said, ?My favorite part was the Dali Museum because we got to see lots of art and it was really cool to go around and experience new things. I also enjoyed eating there; we sat next to the art, and you can just look around and see it.?

Mrs. Mahoney remarked, ?I always enjoy the trip because I love sharing what my passion is, obviously art. It?s not that I

would buy a Salvador Dali painting and put it in my house, but I find it fascinating what he did and how he depicted things in a very surrealistic way, so it?s awesome to watch my students kind of get that and let it unfold in front of them.?

Amina said her favorite part was definitely visiting the Dali Museum, and that it was able to relate to her elective, art.

Danielle loved seeing the new exhibits at the Dali Museum. It was different than the last two years she?d went on the trip.

Next year, Mrs. Mahoney will be retiring, and Mr. Gracy will not be returning to work at Miami Country Day, so it?s unknown if the trip will be carried on. ?I?m hoping that my replacement will want to go again, and there are all the materials available for the trip to continue. It?s not that hard, but it does take some energy to put it together, but hopefully,? said Mrs. Mahoney.

The art and drama trip is an amazing and different experience each year, and hopefully, it will be for many more years by Mrs. Mahoney?s replacement.

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Buoyancy Cup Low participation; high excitement!

B Y CECILIA STORM

idea to incorporate the Buoyancy Cup as an activity on Spirit Week.

The teams would build boats on campus and then race to win points for their team.

This is an excellent idea because Buoyancy Cup is a special activity that has been going on for years now. It would be a shame to stop it.

Miami Country Day School hosts the Buoyancy Cup, a Middle and Lower School event, that happens once a year.

The Buoyancy Cup is where a team of students construct a boat and paddles out of duct tape and cardboard (on their own time).

Then, they race the boats across the pool against other students.

This year, the Buoyancy Cup occurred on March 22, 2019, with the lowest amount of participants in its history.

Mr. Finny, the Dean of Middle School, and Mr. Mathes, the Director of Middle School, are the ones who run the buoyancy cup. While Mr. Finny is the announcer, Mr. Mathes is the one who sets up the boats on the pool deck and creates the schedule.

Mr. Mathes said, "Up until now, buoyancy cup has only been getting bigger every year. This year, the amount of people participating has dropped by half. We're going to have to analyze if the interest is still there." Mr. Mathes believes that part of the reason why people have stopped participating is that students who started in lower school did it so often that they became bored.

Mr. Mathes and Mr. Finny have come up with the

The Buoyancy Cup first started in upper school PHOTOS BY A L EXI S K APL AN when it was proposed by Clockwise from top left: Rachel Maloy and Lola Rhodes, Ariana an upper school physics Clarke and Ana Marie Nunez, Nate Giovannucci and Logan teacher, Mr. Hori, as a Traband, Isabella Smilowitz and Hannah Webb, and Ben Rosas and Bruce Cohen physics project. It was intended as a physics project to determine whether something floats or if something sinks. "It went on for five or six years until Ms. Aranson who said that we should do it the middle school," said Mr. Mathes, "Finally, the lower school adopted the idea, and the whole school was doing it. Now the upper school has banned it since so little people were competing because many of them were doing it in lower and middle school."

Mr. Finny said, "We started giving extra credit in science a few years ago to encourage people to participate. People who participated in the buoyancy cup get some form of bonus in science because it is a science-based activity." Students who participate in buoyancy cup earn extra credit points in homework assignments or other things in their science classes.

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Saying goodbye to Mrs. Mahoney Mrs. Mahoney is the middle school art teacher at Miami Country Day School. After 30 years of hard work, she has decided to retire.

B Y ELLA GREEN

Mrs. Mahoney said, "When I looked and saw that I will be here 30 years and I have been teaching for 40 years, I decided those two zeros made a lot of sense and as soon as I figured out that we were financially able to retire, I decided to retire."

She said that the reason why she got into teaching art was that she "was always really good at art, and my parents always encouraged that a lot." She added, "In fact when I first went to college, I wanted to be an underwater archaeologist, so anthropology was my first major, and then I changed to art education because I realized that it was what I really wanted to do."

Mr. Fallik, the eighth-grade team leader, has known Mrs. Mahoney for nine years and said she had made Miami Country Day a better place because "she has introduced so many

new projects. I think she sets a bar for professionalism and showing people how we all can work together."

Mr. Fallik said that Mrs. Mahoney's best characteristics are her creativity, her dependability, and her professionalism.

Mr. Mathes, the director of the middle school, said, "She will do anything that comes up, any issue like somebody needing coverage, she will be the first one in line to help out the school."

Mr. Mathes said that he thinks that Mrs. Mahoney's best characteristics are that "she genuinely likes working with kids and wants to help them and the school." He said she is devoted to the school but also can balance it with her devotion to her own family.

different ways to be creative, and how different creative expressions are shown."

Seventh-grader Julia Green, said, "Mrs. Mahoney teaches kids that never knew how to do art before." She said now these students can do art exceptionally well. "Mrs. Mahoney impacted me when she taught me how to draw a human portrait because I did not know how to draw one before."

Sixth-grader, Natalia Marquez said that if she could describe Mrs. Mahoney in one word: "I would say she is creative because she teaches us a lot of cool things." She also said Mrs. Mahoney had impacted her because she made her a better artist overall.

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Mrs. Mahoney is a dedicated Middle School art teacher and has learned from her very own students. She said that from her students, she has learned "Patience, tolerance, forgiveness,

Mrs. Mahoney leaves many legacies at MCDS, including the 8th grade Miami cultural trip (left) and the Art trip to St. Petersburg (right)

PHOTOS BY GABRIELLE B ASSETTE AND MR. FALLIK

Buoyancy Cup CONTINUED

FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Sofia Davy, a seventh-grader, said, "I didn't participate in the buoyancy cup because it's a lot of work, and I didn't have enough free time to complete the boat."

Seventh-grader, Dana Asam, also a first-year student, said, "I had no idea what the buoyancy cup even was - I didn't know anything about it. Nobody ever told me about the buoyancy cup, like the rules, where to sign up, or how it worked." She added, "I feel like if I was told what it was, I might have participated with some of my friends."

Seventh-grader, Isabella Alejo, said, "I didn't do buoyancy cup because it is a lot of work.

You have to build a boat and stuff. So, I decided that this year, I would just watch from the sidelines and cheer people on then actually participating in the contest because I was really lazy."

The Buoyancy Cup is a very unique event that

some students still love doing for years.

Hopefully, the Spirit Week idea will revive it a bit.

Clockwise from right: Jennifer Smiley and Ella Smith; Giulianna Schamy and Jaimie Walsh; Anthony Calfa and Avi Murphy

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COEP- Nature is the classroom B Y CECILIA STORM COEP is an elective in the MCDS middle school curriculum. In COEP students learn a variety of things ranging from learning how to make a fire out of tinfoil and a battery to learning knife, ax, and ecological and environmental.

a similar outdoor program in the school in Saint Louis, Missouri that he used to teach in. "The old headmaster Dr. Davies knew about the program, and he said why don't you do something like that here, and that's how it started out," said Ms. Bruno, the current COEP teacher. ?COEP is Leyla Fernandez, a seventh grader and a important to me because I put a lot of student who does COEP, effort and work into said, ?I love COEP making the program because we get to learn as best as it could be life skills, survival skills, for all the students and about the ecosystem that come in from fifth which we will be able to to eighth grade. I use in the real world when hope my students we go camping or if we get master all the skills lost in the woods. We also that I teach them and get to go on treks, which I hope they can take are trips that sometimes them and use them in go overnight and other Top: the future. Our times are just day trips. weekend trips are a My favorite trip was Gold Above: 6th grader Diego Rodriguez lot of fun Head Branch State Park because is proud of his catch. because we got to go zip we lining over the mountains incorporate ziplining into because it was really fun and cool because we it, team-building were so high up. Another one of the trips I'm activities, canoeing looking forward to is the overnight trip to activities, and camping Orlando because we are going to go on all the that the students love. rides and have so much fun with our friends and the parks.

Leyka Rojo, another student that does the COEP started in 2001 because of Mr. Bates, COEP elective, didn't like or Bear, the former COEP teacher, used to run the COEP class as much as she thought she would. She thought the class was boring and didn't like the things that she learned in the class. Leyka said that she didn't think what they learned was going to be useful in their daily life. Leyka also didn't like the way the teacher taught their class and she hopes to do another elective next year.

Celso Gomes, a student in Miami Country Day who has done COEP for two years in a row, said, ?I like COEP a lot because we get to do so many fun thing every day and we get

Mrs. Mahoney retiring Former student, ninth-grader, Hailey Webb said, "As a student in middle school, Mrs. Mahoney inspired me through grades 6-8."

She added, "She made me step out of my comfort zone to make my art pieces stand out with details."

Mr. Mathes believes that the students that she has taught were definitely impacted greatly. He said, "The students routinely come back and tell her how important she was not only in art but as an advisor and a trusted person."

Mrs. Mahoney said that her favorite part about

teaching is being with people and interacting with them. She also said, "I like the challenge of trying to teach a concept and having to explain it in different ways for different learning styles."

Mr. Fallik thinks she has a way of getting kids excited about art that otherwise wouldn't have been. He said, "It's the way that she teaches.

She's not there to guide the best artists; she's not there to nurture the kids that are already talented artists; she is committed to working with the kids who may not be natural artists, but who enjoy creating, and she will find ways to use their talents to create art. It's amazing

Mallory McDonald caught a fish. Below: The group takes a rest on the lake.

to go on trips all across the United States. Last year I received the Nathan Hurst award for COEP.? The Nathan Hurst award is given to people who embody the spirit of Nathan Hurts around the campfire and throughout the treks. ?I love how we learn new things like how to set up camp, how to start a fire, the ecosystem and how we can help preserve it, and other basic skills that we need when in the wild. My favorite COEP trips are the ones that we get to go overnight because we sit around the campfire, play games, tell stories, and eat good food. One of favorite COEP trips this year was the Rainbow Springs State Park because we got to go on a lazy river and go tubing in the river.?

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to watch."

Mrs. Mahoney has made such a significant impact on Miami Country Day School. She has made kids passionate about art and started so many things, like the Tampa trip. She will be very missed.

Court's in session B Y TALIA K URLANDSKI

This year, 2019, is the eighth year the eighth-graders have been going on a field trip to a courthouse. They go to the Richard Gerstein courthouse, and the students learn about many things like how judges make deals, how prisoners live, and murder trials.

What they learn relates a lot to what they learn.

Mr. Fallik, the eighth-grade team leader, explained how they had done this field trip for many many years because it started with when we had a student in our class whose mom is a judge, and they decided to set this up for us. Mr. Fallik and the eighth-grade team have stayed close with this family, and the eighth-grade team has kept doing this trip every year.

Kenneth Barrett, an eighth-grader, explained that at the courthouse he got to meet the judge with the Country Day student personally.

After meeting the judge, he went and examined multiple cases.

"I found everything about this trip interesting, but the most interesting thing I learned was that cases could remain cold for 40 years and

still be solved after that long. I was very interested in watching the procedures of the old case," Kenneth remarked.

"My favorite part was seeing a calendar set, and bond setting, and a cold case murder trial," he added.

Nathaniel Giovannucci, an eighth-grader, said, "I enjoyed many things on this trip, but my favorite part was walking through the jail and learning how the judge makes deals with the accused on good faith that they will clean themselves up."

Jaimie Walsh, an eighth-grader, said she got to see prisoners in and even out of their cells.

She also explained how she now understands how hard it is for the different families and people going through these tough times and how the judges handle different situations.

"I enjoyed so many things on this trip, but my favorite part was watching the murder trial and seeing how the

judges decide bonds for different cases," she said. "Overall this, was a great experience to see how prisoners live and I would definitely like to learn more about how murder hearings are decided."

Logan Traband, an eighth-grader, said, "Personally, I enjoyed the bond-hearings because we were able to see around 20 different criminal cases, including an attempted murder." The trip was very interesting for Logan. "I was very interested in learning about the structure of the bonds and the restraining orders that come with it."

Continued on page 14

Students build robots and compete B Y DAVID B EJAR The Robotics Trip is a competition where the Robotics class creates a robot and uses it to compete. The competition is based on a robotics company that is hiring, and the students come up with a team. They get all the possible challenges so our school's teams are fake companies and they present their robot to them, and they try to get the job that is open.

About thirty students attended the trip this year.

The way you get involved in the competition is first, you have to take the class, where you do practice teams, and those teams usually stick.

After the class, you can join the upper school robotics club where the teams build the robot and compete.

He also said, "It's not only creating a robot and competing; it's the whole management of the team. As an advisor, I can advise, but I can't do anything for them because they would be disqualified; basically, they have to organize their team and keep them together and make sure they are a good pair, and they have to do all the work on their own."

When asked about the process of preparing for the robotics trip, Mr. Robert answered, "Students spend the whole year building the robot, and they are Isaac Brown given reasonably early in the year and Broghan the Specs for the competition."

Muhlig compete on He added, "So, students know the really early what the specs are and underwater robotics what all the challenges are for the team. competition. They already built

their robot a year before so they have to modify their robots to fit the competition or if they are a new team starting they have to build a robot from scratch."

Continued on page 15

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MCDSdoes service B Y ISABELLA GALOFRE ?Miami Country Day has always been a school that values service and giving back to the community,? remarked Mrs. De La Cadena, service day leader.

Service Day is a significant event that happens twice every year. This semester service day was on April 12, 2019. Every student has to choose a location he or she would like to do Service.

The leadership students also help in the process of organizing Service Day.

Program.?

Continued on next page

?For this Service Day, leadership students created the activities for the Miami Learning Experience School and WJ Bryan Elementary. They also narrowed down the service locations based on the experiences that they and their friends had during previous service days.? Mrs. Greenfield explained.

Service Day started many many years ago.

Mrs. De La Cadena, the service " I noticed the day leader, explains that she, Arianna Castellon, a difference of our seventh-grade among other teachers decided to change the way service day school and their leadership student, happens. ?The school wanted to school, and I am explains that the way take the emphasis off of hours she helps in the very grateful that I organization of service and focus more about what the students are passionate about.? am able to help the day is by calling the So, instead of having a certain kids in WJ Bryan.? places the kids are going amount of hours, students pick to do Service at and Ana Koltun particular events or assignments making they want to contribute to. sure that day is right and how many kids each She also explains that her favorite location for place can get. Her Service is Best Buddies, a program to make favorite part about friendships with kids with disabilities. ?As the Service Day is club sponsor, I really enjoy going to the Miami helping organize.

Learning Experience and working with the middle school students because I have gotten to know those students.?

Ana Clara Vasques, a seventh grader in leadership, Mrs. De la Cadena also likes to see how the commented that her students feel comfortable with other kids who favorite part about have intellectual disabilities. service day is being with the little kids at Mrs. Greenfield, one of the main organizers of WJ Bryan. She also Service Day and the leadership teacher, has said, ?In leadership, been the organizer for the last three years. other than Her primary role in Service Day is ?helping Ms. organizing service De La Cadena and the Leadership class day, I like narrow down choices for locations and helping out in activities.?

Top: Scarlett Richards entertains kids with bubbles. Below: A group of the Angel Tree middle schoolers pack food at Feeding South Florida. ?I enjoy watching our students give back to our community. It is amazing to see a student who is reserved in class, spending their morning speaking and acting silly to make a small child smile and laugh.

Or a student that is not serious in the classroom, focusing to meet a goal and package food for food insecure families,?

Mrs. Greenfield said.

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Service cont'd Julia Marquevich is a seventh-grader who did Service at WJ Bryan Elementary School for her third time! ?I love going to that school because I like being with the kids. This time I was assigned in the classroom of kids with special needs. It was very cute being able to help the kids and have fun with them,? she said.

Ava Koltun is a seventh-grader who also went to WJ Bryan. Ava said that she liked going to WJ Bryan because she was able to

Spring Break

help in the class of kids with special needs.

She enjoyed being and helping with the three-year-olds.

B Y ISABELLA POSSIN This year spring break has been an amazing time to relax and reset our brains for the rest of the school year to come.

Ava said, ?I noticed the difference of our school and their school, and I am very grateful that I am able to help the kids in WJ Bryan.?

Students went to extravagant places with friends and family.

Harry Florin, a seventh-grader who went to Feeding South Florida, said that his favorite part about going was helping give people food who are not as fortunate.

Maria Davidovski, a seventh-grader, went to WJ Bryan for her second year. She said that she usually does not do well with little kids but going to that school helped her a lot.

The way the system works now is that the advisors don?t have to take their time to track the students hours so instead Mrs. De la Cadena wanted to take alleviate that from the advisors and convert service day in a day where the students can focus on helping in something that they enjoy.

The new service system teaches students what they are passionate about and makes them more involved.

Eighth-grader, Caitlin Cherenfant, said, "I went to church camp with my family and my sister."

Seventh-grader Celso Gomez said he stayed at home with his family and was basically looking forward to being stress-free from work.

"I'm going to different places in California with my immediate family, and I have cousins there, and I think I will see them there," said seventh-grader Andi Gale before her trip. She'd been there before for a football game and remembered seeing fascinating places.

Ginger Jacob, a seventh-grader, said, "I went to Las Vegas with my family because my parents thought it would be a fun trip."

Francesca Piffaretti, a seventh-grader, went to Barcelona with members of her family. She'd never been there before, so it's a new experience.

Everyone was so excited not just for a little break from school but for whatever they had planned.

Andi was excited to shop and potentially meet famous people. Francesca was excited to go to the beach.

Francesca explained before her trip, "I'm going to Barcelona because my uncle and his girlfriend are going to college there, and we will visit them there."

And Andi explained, "My family and I are going to different places in California because It's my last vacation before my brother goes to college."

Student spring breaks had many cool experiences.

So many kids saw and did amazing things on their trips.

"Each site that we went to showed a different culture like one site looked like a pantheon in Greece," said Ginger. "My favorite part of my trip was that each site that we went to showed a different culture like one site looked like a pantheon in, and I went there with my family."

Continued on page 14 7th grader Andi Gale visited California during Spring Break.

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ESLstudents share ?There is always a sadness about packing. I guess you wonder if where you are going is as good as where you?ve been" -Richard Proenneke. Moving to a community can be extremely difficult. Having to leave everyone and everything behind is painful and takes a A NNA COHEN great deal of bravery, even after having major success.

However, when you move out of your country, it is also an exciting experience. Learning new activities about the culture can help adapt to a new place.

When moving to a new community, there are many experiences that are scary and might overwhelm you. When I moved to the United States, I did not know the language and I was terrified. The area was unfamiliar and communicating with everyone was confusing. It was complicated learning the language. I am from Israel and I speak Hebrew. For this reason, the letters and the alphabet are different. It is more complex. In some languages they have the same letters as they do in English.

Therefore, there is a connection between words. The victory of learning a foreign language depends on many factors. In my case, I was so fortunate to always be surrounded by mature and friendly people. They were also very accepting and they supported me through this journey.

They were kind and they attempted in any way they possibly could.

The flight was lengthy. It took thirteen hours. While on the flight, I kept thinking and reminiscing about my past. I am ready for this new endeavor? Would this be something that I would regret? Is this new experience going to be a bumpy ride? I felt mentally horrible. As I gathered my luggage, I just wanted to run out of the airport as fast as I possibly could.

As I started unpacking various items that I needed, my thoughts were consumed by memories from my friends and my old school. However, my help was needed to arrange and to decorate the house with my mother. Later on, even though everything seemed to falling into place in my new house, I felt unsettled and disconnected. The memories kept visiting my mind over and over. The adversities that I have endured with the people I knew. Also, the good times spent with my best friends.

Arriving to my new school was the main step that changed the way I felt. Although my old memories were not thrown away, I gradually started embracing my new environment and I began to experience a feeling of belonging again. Even though this process seems smooth and painless for some people, I am sure that many just do it is for their parents.

Moving to another country could end up in a harrowing Leaving everything and everyone was bitter. The only family that I grew experience. I initially thought that this would be my case. up with and the ones who would take me to school. When we had to In some occasions, people have marvelous experiences leave Israel, I had to say goodbye to my sibling and my friends. It was when immigrating to a new country. However, for others, an unexpected experience. Since I moved in the summer, this those experiences could end up not being so pleasant. transition initially felt like I was coming for a vacation. On the other B ENTO J UNQUEIRA On the other hand, the process of immigration could hand, when I had to stay in Summer camp and I realized that I had to also have a positive influence on your culture and communicate with people, who did not understand me, the biggest could be crucial for your development as a person. challenge took place. Nonetheless, I persevered and kept my focus on what I love the most, Gymnastics. Gymnastics helped me adapt allowed My name is Bento. I am a new MCDS student, and I am a 6th grader. me to maintain my spirit up. Subsequently, did not feel concerned about When I moved to this new country, I had a second thought about the not knowing what to say all the time. In fact, there were no worries in my decision to come here. I had a presentiment that this would be a mind. harrowing experience. Initially, I thought that the only advantage about moving here would be to enjoy more security. In Brazil, you won?t Everything I have being learning, including my coping strategies, since I experience as much peace as you do here. I also thought that it would first arrived here have guided me to make my experience here more be beneficial to learn the English language. The decision of moving to interesting and smooth. It is no wonder that for anyone who is new in a the U.S.A. was made by my parents. They only took a month to move place that interactions may be somehow puzzling at first. Thus, if you here after they had decided to go ahead with the plan. try to understand and embrace the new culture, you will make this process much easier. You will end up accepting the place, the people, and the customs. It takes some time to catch up with the foreign language and the slangs, but it is exciting.

By all counts, moving to a foreign country could be an overwhelming journey, but at the same time a gratifying and life-changing experience.

Having to leave everyone can be heartbreaking, but at the same time that decision could impact your life in a considerable positive way at the end.

To change country, to leave all that it is yours behind, to leave your people behind, could everybody do that? Not all people can do that. Some can only take this chance because they are doing it for their parents?job or for academic reasons. Leaving everything behind and AVI GIL packing memories in boxes that would never be reopened are consequences of moving to a foreign country. Do you think is easy to pack your feelings in a box and move on to the next destination on the map?

It all started by packing my feelings and memories into a box the size of my phone. All of this was for an academic purpose. My father unexpectedly told me that we are moving to a new country. The choices were Shanghai or Miami. I recalled not having a say on that decision.

However, I appreciated that my dad informed me with enough time for me to think about my new destination. On the other hand, my mother was not too convinced until my father mentioned that the academic level and the education challenge for me would be higher. With those few, but powerful words, my mother changed her thinking. She started embracing the idea of moving to a new nation.

I first went to school in the month of July for summer camp. The size of school impressed me. The areas for the students to practice sports are remarkable. The swimming pool, the soccer field, and the cafeteria are very well equipped. Even thought I knew I was in an amazing place, I still was not fully prepared to embark my journey. During the first day of class, I did not know a single person and it was difficult for me to speak the language. In addition, the culture of the school was challenging me.

The only kid I knew was Pablo, and thankfully he was in almost all my tracks. He was also the student who was responsible to take me to my classes. By the way he became one of my best friends.

All my teachers were also really kind, cheerful, and respected me.

Even when I felt uncomfortable, I always felt that they were there to support me. I could barely communicate to other people, but I needed to keep trying on giving a second chance to this opportunity. Now I have many friends, and I am adapting well.

It is clear that the decision of moving away from your country is a hard to make. It is a process that involves a lot of thinking and preparation.

Not only you are leaving families and friends behind, but you are also putting an end to a phase in your life. I wish that everyone could have the same opportunity that I am having. Moving to another country was the best decision that my parents have ever made.

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Some people have asked me, ?why did you come to the United States if Paris is the city of love?? Then I tell them that there is not much love in Paris. When my parents told me that we were moving to the United States, I was surprised, but at the time, also pleased. They J OAO K ASCHNY anticipated that it would be a long, but rewarding experience. Hello, my name is Joao. I am in 7th grade.

Today I am going to tell you a little bit about my experience when I moved here.

Paris is one of the most visited places in the world. However, when asking some people about their experience in Paris, they often say that it is not the way it is shown in the movies. Unfortunately, my own personal experience in Paris is not that great. In other words, it was time for me and my family to leave France.

After a day of school, my father came to pick me up. Very soon, I noticed that he was quiet that day. As soon as I arrived home, my mom looked at me and ordered me to take a shower. She was preparing dinner for the family. At the table, my father and my mom stared at each other while my dad informed me that we were going to live in Miami. I thought that it was a joke and I laughed. I could not imagine seeing my family in that situation, but they were very serious! I was quite worried about what could happen in the future. I was also afraid of losing my friends and everything I have accomplished. It was a good choice to finish school in France. This allowed me to have more time to prepare for my journey and to say goodbye to the people I care the most.

The day for my departure arrived, and I was nervous. I was thinking about the unexpected and the unknown. How would I adapt to my new school? Am I going to be welcome in my new school? Those were questions that lingered in my mind. One day, my father woke me up and said let?s go to check your new school in Miami. While in the car, my father inquired if I was excited. I was too exhausted to answer, so consequently, I just nodded at him?

Once I arrived at MCDS, I was impressed by the size of the school. My school in France was only the size of the field at MCDS. Admissions provided me with an interesting tour. It was at that time that, by coincidence, I met my friend Lucas. Later on, I was accepted and I was cheerful about my future. I was ready to make more new friends, to have new responsibilities, and to meet my new teachers. Undoubtedly, I began to feel more hopeful and optimistic. I could not wait to get more settled in a new place that I could call home again.

Now they are far away, and I am not used to that. In short, I truly appreciate the way that the school helps the international students.

Everyone has been very hospitable and kind. I try to take advantage of the resources MCD offers to make my transition here easier. I embrace the new culture and the new opportunities.

The United States is totally different from Brazil in many ways. Brazil is very dangerous, and many people are being robbed and killed. This was another reason that made us come here. We are hopeful for our new life. I am convinced that this change has brought countless favorable circumstances and has also opened many doors that will guide me to the right path for the rest of my life.

I am honored to live in this country. My parents have offered me the opportunity to move here, and I am thankful for that. Clearly, so far this is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.

It is a complicated process to leave all your family, friends, and loved one behind when moving to a new country. You also disconnect yourself from achievements MARINA LESSA that you have worked firmly to accomplish. With this also comes to be expose to a new culture and language.

Have you ever stopped to think about what this process involves? It could be a very challenging risk that includes to adapt to a new school, house, friends, language, food, and everything around you. You can constantly think of what task is coming next and what if you fall behind.

Although, not all is a disadvantage when you move to a new place because it could also change your life forever for the best.

My name is Marina Lessa, and I was born in SĂŁo Paulo, Brazil. The political situation of my country was not favorable for my family.

Everyday day, we felt uncertain and anxious since robberies and assassinations were happening around us. Due to these negative experiences, we decided to move to Miami. We hoped that here we could have a better life with more quality and peace. Even though the last six months have been incredibly difficult for me, fortunately, each day is getting better

THANK YOU.

MCDS is unquestionably an excellent school. Teachers and students are welcoming and hospitable. I love that part of my new school! They always want to see happy and comfortable. Clearly, it has been an exciting adventure that has also brought up new responsibilities. I am now responsible for getting to each class on time on my own. In Brazil, my teachers were the ones who had to move from class to class. As far as responsibilities at home, in Brazil, I did not have many. My family was very lucky to have some people helping around the house. I can say that I am getting used to most aspects of my new life. I actually like that there is less traffic here, the government system is better, the public schools are great, and even the public transportation is fine. What am I really missing from Brazil? Well, I actually missing some food. Although we tried to cook some traditional dishes sometimes, it not always possible since we don?t have all the ingredients. Unfortunately, there are some specific dishes, such a ?Feijoada? that we are unable to prepare. You have to include various ingredient to make this dish taste really authentic.

Do you have any idea how difficult is to move to another country? It is a real challenge, but at the same time, it could benefit your life tremendously. I left everything I had in Brazil to move to Miami. Leaving my friends and my family was the worst part of the moving process. My name is Eduardo Lessa. What you are about to read is what has happened in the last year of my life.

This has been the biggest adjustment I have ever made.

I truly recognize and appreciate all the sacrifices my family does in order to provide us with better opportunities. They always wanted to move here. I am lucky that we came without rushing. As a family, we discussed our plan and our goals for this journey. I am also grateful for my friends for making my experience so memorable and unique. I know this challenge is going to make a big difference for my future. ?All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.? ? unknown.

By all counts, I am now confident that we have made the right choice.

So far, it has been a fulfilling and wonderful experience to move to this country. Not only I am feeling more comfortable in school, but I am truly enjoying the opportunity to meet new people who are very welcoming, kind, and caring. I don?t know what I would have done without my friends and my teachers. They are both there to help me and to guide me to succeed. I genuinely thank my parents who brought me here.

Without their constant support and love, my life wouldn?t be as perfect.

EDUARDO L ESSA My parents wanted to move to Miami a long time ago. This desire was caused by the political situation in Brazil. Unfortunately, instead of the government helping the country, they were stealing from the people. One of my worries about moving here was the possibility that my friends in Brazil would not be my friends anymore. I thought that I would be unhappy in the school and I thought of all the obstacles that I would encounter on the way.

Luckily, I have always known that accomplishments don?t happen without pain. One must face adversity for a bigger cause. In the meantime, I try to stay in contact with my friends from Brazil. I know that a real friend would never forget me.

In my new school, I have friends. Even though, it wasn?t so easy to make new friends while I was also learning a new language, I succeeded on it. This has helped me to get used to my new school and my new city, since most of family lives in Sao Paulo.

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ESLstudents cont'd B ENEDIKT B UMM

Why is the lifestyle in Germany so different from America? It all started with what I thought it was a joke.

My family had a discussion to move to Miami, but initially, I did not take it seriously. At that time, it was scary to consider that idea. It has been a complex process, but rewarding at the same time. Moving from my country to the United States has marked a giant difference in the path that my life is evolving.

It was not until that previous conversation that my parents had that I started to think about moving to Florida. Once I moved, I noticed that people here are more friendly and nicer than in Germany. Also, the weather in Miami is better than at home. However, people here work most of the time. They hardly have time to enjoy the beautiful weather. It is also surprising to me that I never hear a song in a different language than English, even though, there are many cultures present in this city.

In addition, you find more fast food places than in Germany and the prize for the food is cheaper.

It has been a journey full of ups and down, but I am really enjoying it the most now. Packing can be an emotional point of your life, particularly when you have to pack and say goodbye for a long time to your friends, to your dog, and to your family. There is so much more that what your luggage can hold. In fact, preparing to move is an emotional process that it is filled with sad and happy moments.

To think about moving to a new country is, indeed, a big deal. Even though, you can stay in contact with your loves ones, it is never the same. Although, I have made new friends, the feeling of being thousands of miles apart from your friends is still overwhelming. On other hand, I am grateful for having the chance to be here. I know this new life is bringing amazing opportunities for my future. I look forward to continue learning and enjoying my time here.

It was a morning of a normal day. The sun was bright and I had just returned from a birthday party when my parents shared the unexpected news. At first, the news that we were moving to the U.S.A terrified me. However, my parents were constantly helping me not to resist the idea and to think positively about our new adventure, PABLO ESTEVEZ while I struggled for a while with the thoughts in my CRUZ head. I also allowed time to help me to get more used to this new plan. Unquestionably, now I can say that the experiences that I am living in the U.S.A. are helping me to be a better person and a better student. Have I ever had the chance to feel this way if I hadn?t had this terrific opportunity?

My name is Pablo Estevez Cruz. I am from Ciudad de MĂŠxico. Before coming to Miami, I felt uncomfortable when I talked to my family about moving to the U.S.A. Every time we spoke about it, I just try to not pay attention or hear all topics related to this. I became anxious and had a lot of worries about moving here. For these reasons, the relationship between my parents and I felt strained. Consequently, I simply concentrated on taking advantage of the time I had with my friends.

Whenever they came to visit me, I had fun. So I enjoyed that summer.

Sadly, the time arrived when I had to get ready to move. I started accepting the changes little by little. However, the feeling of something lacking in my life was unstoppable. I felt that there was a void in me. I had spent so much time with my friends from Mexico. They were an important part of my life and there were always there for me. That was just about to change forever.

Once in Miami, at the beginning of the school year, this experience was a horrendous experience. As the days passed, I became more homesick and I had some trouble communicating and finding where my classes were located. Fortunately, one day, somebody talked to me. I met a person who became the person that eats lunch with me, the person that I trust, and the person who I call my friend. Even though, it took some time for us to become friends, as time passed, he became

closer and closer. His relationship has also offered me the confidence to go to school trips and to feel much better in school.

That morning when I got the news about my family and I moving to the U.S.A changed my life, but for the right reasons. I am grateful for this journey. Some of you often ask, how is it to move to a foreign country?

Is it a great experience or a difficult one? Well, it can be both, but it all depends on how you look at it and how you embrace it. If you accept the challenges and try to see the positive from every single new experience, you will have more fun and you will be able to make more friends as well. I am grateful for being here. I truly appreciate every moment and every experience lived.

Is immigrating a gratifying experience or a painful one?

It is definitely a challenging process that is completely worth it. This process will definitely improve and change your lifestyle either drastically or partially. As you may resist to the idea of moving to a foreign nation, you will SOFIA SHARAM have to adapt to a new way of living and also letting go everything you have. However, in many cases, you may end up realizing that you have taken the best decision of your life.

Moving to a foreign country is one of the toughest decisions one could make in life. Leaving behind what you have and learning a completely different language than your own can be overwhelming. Thus, this process is completely worth the stress that comes with it, as well as its overall sadness. Even though it is melancholic to leave one's country, countless benefits come with it. The main reason why people decide to move to another country is for opportunities. Opportunities that are most likely improve your lifestyle, even if it is just a slight bit. In specific cases, moving to a foreign country may even save your life.

It is natural for people to resist to the idea of moving to a foreign country. Especially when one is young, the idea of leaving your friends, family, and school that one loves and enjoys having is an extremely gloomy thought. When I was presented with the idea of moving to the U.S. A. even the thought of it made me extremely unhappy, but I knew that this possibility was very likely to happen. I am a firm believer that change is part of a human?s life. We go through countless changes since we are born. You might be moving houses, cities, countries, or even continents, but there will always be sadness that comes with packing, as Richard Proenneke said. It is melancholic to leave a place because one is simply used to it. You are used to the lifestyle you are currently living and the thought of change seems scary, and it becomes blue when it actually happens, but this thought will eventually be accepted.

On the other hand, the benefits that come with moving eventually make that unhappiness go away. In Miami, people have been truly welcoming and friendly, which I appreciate because I recall being concerned and filled with worries and nervousness that I would feel uncomfortable at the school, and it was unpredictable for me to know what could happen. Nevertheless, I had to face this challenge, follow my path and discover what would happen. For my surprise, I discovered that I felt comfortable in the school, and this has helped me be a much more outgoing person. My lifestyle has certainly improved ever since I moved here from Venezuela. Although I miss my family and friends, to be honest, I am glad that I immigrated to the United States since I am confident that living here will equip me with much more opportunities.

Do you think moving is worth it?

ESLcont'd Moving to another country can be a grueling experience that can change your life. I am Lucas Macedo, a thirteen years old boy born in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro. After having my house robbed in Rio, my grandfather gave us the best opportunity that my family and I have L UCAS MILLER experienced. He offered us the possibility to come to live in the United States. Brazil is a beautiful place to live. However, Brazil is becoming a scary and dangerous place. There are many people trying to escape Brazil to settle in a safer place.

It was on May 12th, 2018, during a dreary afternoon, on mother?s day when we went out to celebrate that my house was robbed. When we reached home, we noticed that several objects were missing and others were moved. After my mother calmed down, we answered my grandfather?s phone calls. As soon as he found what had happened, his solution for us was to move here. Later on, my mom communicated to me an unexpected message. ?We are going to move to Miami and live with your grandfather.? After three months of long preparation, everything was ready and we came here. We really don?t know what would have happened without my grandfather?s support and his idea to leave Brazil.

The most grievous part of going to another country is to leave your friends and family, and to give up everything you have known to that point. Moving to another country is certainly a tough task. On the other hand, after a long journey, I was able to adapt to the new culture and I started appreciating my new life more. At first, I did not know how to speak or write in English. Luckily, every time I had difficulties, there were always so many people trying to help and to guide me. ?Power doesn?t corrupt people, people corrupt power.?, William Gaddis stated. Brazil is indeed an extraordinary and beautiful country. There are countless natural resources to appreciate and to make Brazil a strong and independent country. However, the government is corrupted and incompetent. Brazil is no longer a safe place. Even the simplest acts such as going in a store, or taking a ride in an Uber can end up in something catastrophic. By 2018, people started to realize that the government was diverting the money. As a result, people began protests against the government. After several months, the president was an impeached. Unfortunately, nothing has actually changed. We still hoping for new and progressive situations that would eventually benefit the country and its people.

As mentioned before, changing cultures could result in an inspiring experience, but at the same time with many ups and downs.

Undoubtedly, this whole process could turn into something highly pleasant. In my case, I have really enjoyed my time in this country. I look forward to make a new life. I would love to continue learning the culture, while at the same time, getting to know different people and places

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GATEway heading to Puerto Rico B Y TALIA K URLANDSKI Gateway Jr annually goes on a trip to a different country, and next year, 2020, they are going to San Juan, Puerto Rico. This trip will be all about a rich fusion of cultures, a unique history, and interaction between animals and people.

Mr. Turf, the Gateway organizer, explained how Puerto Rico was supposed to be where Gateway was where they were supposed to travel to in 2018, the first year, but then a hurricane came, so they had to change plans and travel to Canada. Then, for this year?s trip, he had talked about going to Puerto Rico, but it was still not ready which is why they went to Panamรก.

Luckily, it all worked out because Mr. Turf is excited to go to Puerto Rico next particular year. He said, ?Next year is a great year to go to Puerto Rico because It is ready to receive visitors even despite there being hurricane Maria. There are still some rural areas that are in need of help, and that is why they are still seeking aid from the US government, but the areas that we are going to are ready. I also spoke to people who have been in Puerto Rico this year, I talked to the hotel industry, and tourism industry they said they were up and running and ready to receive us.? ?I always thought Puerto Rico would be a good place to go with the Middle School because even though it is apart of the United States, it has a very international flavor, it has a lot of different cultural influences, it is easy to travel to for somebody of the middle school age because it only takes three hours to get there, and I think it provides a lot of opportunities,? Mr. Turf remarked.

Mr. Turf also mentioned how at first when he put the Gateway Jr program together originally the title was Cultural Fusion and that came out of Puerto Rico because it's looking at this whole mix this Spanish descendent, this US influence, the indigenous people that live there.

Mr. Turf?s goal is to get everyone to see the great diversity that Puerto Rico has. Mr. Turf is also going down to Puerto Rico in July and doing a mini version of what we are doing to make sure everything is ready. He thinks this will be one of the best Gateway Jrs out of all three, and some students agree second that.

Continued on page 23

In 2018, GATEway took middle schoolers to Canada. In 2019, they went to Panama (below.) Next year, in 2020, they head to Puerto Rico.

Page 14

8th Grade competes in speech B Y GABRIELLE B ASSETTE The 8th grade oratorical contest took place throughout the month of April. This year Jamie Walsh, Logan Traband, Sofia Guarini, Contessa Sharp and Ava Cohen took part in the finals of the Oratorical Contest. The contestants had the topic of free speech. The topic was really brought to life when the students talked about them. It was well put together and even though the perspectives were different they got their points across. You can really tell how much hard work and research they put in their speeches.

Ms. Seidel the organizer of the Oratorical Contest said, ?I enjoy seeing students who are typically shy stand up in front of their classmates and speak confidently for three to five minutes. They are always so proud of themselves once they are done and I absolutely plan to have next year?s 8th-grade students participate in the Oratorical Contest.??

She also stated, ?The topic this year was a bit harder than usual because free-speech is such a given for us in the United States. A topic that is more controversial, such as immigration from last year, is a bit easier for students to write about.??

Jamie Walsh, the winner from the Oratorical Contest said in her speech, ?Does the meaning of free speech really mean that or is it silencing us all. That little black girl that wants to speak her mind gets silenced because people think she does not have great ideas. We are supposed to speak our mind,

but are we really??

Emily Diaz a student from the sixth-grade that watched the Oratorical Contest said, ?The Oratorical Contest was very interesting. It was really an example of when I have to write on a topic in eighth-grade. All of the speeches were well written and even though I did not get to hear all of the eighth-grade student?s speeches I bet they all did a great job.?

She also remarked, ?I enjoyed how all five contestants had the same topic but portrayed them differently. They were not saying the same things or similar to each other. You clearly hear the topic of free speech in all of their speeches.??

or does it mean you can just say what you want, but no one will listen to you? Do you really have the freedom to talk or people will listen to you then silence you when you get the chance to make your voice heard? The speeches were very educational and informed me well concerning to topic of free speech.

The Oratorical Contest is a bundle of learning experiences. Next year new eighth graders will come and do the same thing.

Jaimie Walsh was the eventual winner of the oratorical contest.

David Bejar said when asked how did you enjoy the Oratorical Contest he said, ?I thought the Oratorical Contest was very interesting watching all the students on their topic of the freedom of speech.?

He also remarked, ?I learned various things like why our country needs to keep the first amendment. Also, I learned there could be problems speaking your mind. You could get hurt, get put into jail, or possibly die.?

Mallory Mcdonald, another sixth-grader who watched the Oratorical Contest, said, ?Watching the Oratorical Contest gave me a lot of things to think about. Is freedom of speech really what it means

Visiting the courthouse Nicolas De La Cadena, an eighth-grader, said, "As a class, we mainly learned how a courthouse functions and works. My favorite part by far was the murder trial. It was interesting to see a real trial in the works!"

seen before. This year I learned a little bit of different things of how the prisoners are treated in the jail. They went in a little bit more detail on this year which was really good. So, that was very new to me."

"Overall, this was a great trip, and I would love to learn more about the murder trial. Knowing all the facts or even seeing the entire trial would have been extremely interesting for me," Nicolas said.

He has also gotten feedback from all the students that are as positive as what the students spoken within this article have to say.

"It's not like anything they have ever experienced before. So it's shocking to many of the students," Mr. Fallik says.

Mr. Fallik remarked, "There are always things happening in the courthouse that I haven't

for the teachers and eighth-grade students and that it's one of the most memorable things they do in the eighth grade because everybody should get to see our government at work. Everybody in the country might one day find themselves in a courtroom for whatever reason, so it is good that we recognize how our justice system works.

All the eighth-grade students and teachers took this experience to heart and learned so much. Hopefully, the trip will continue for years and years.

Mr. Fallik thinks this is an excellent experience

Students' Spring Breaks Ginger added that there was a conservatory garden that was beautiful.

Celso had planned to play games, watch television, and go to the beach.

Caitlin said, "We had a concert where we got to perform songs, and one of my favorite parts was that there was a zip line."

Indira Schargel, a seventh-grader said, "I went

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

to a place to learn how to Scuba Dive and multiple dive sites. My favorite part was when we by Lakeside because there were sunken airplanes, and I did it with my two friends from outside of school."

Indira said she got to learn a lot about scuba diving besides how to actually do it. Like, where the idea started and who created it.

Caitlin explained, "I went to a young camp like

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

church for religious reasons, and I went with my cousins form a different church but came with us."

Students had a lot of fun on their spring breaks, whether they stayed home or traveled to an extraordinary place. Some students, like Indira, said they'd never done anything like it!

Everyone went to different places for many different reasons.

Page 15

MCDSstands for its Core Values Core Values has become an important part of our middle school. Six years ago some teachers got together to recognize students who do special things, good students?service to the school, and students who demonstrate the four core values of Honor, Respect, Wisdom, and Compassion. Then they decided to give a monthly award to three students. The award is a certificate, a medal, and a 10 dollar bake sale coupon.

There are eighteen Core Value Awards winners each school year. There are six Core Value Winners from every grade.

Mr. Mathes, the director and head of the middle school said, ?Six years ago some teachers felt like that we were recognizing students all the time for athletics and we thought what we could do to recognize students in the academic program. We came up with an idea of an award every month and I was the one who named it the Core Value Award.?

Although Mr. Mathes created the Core Value Award the Board of Directors came up with the Four Core Values of Compassion, Respect, Wisdom, and Honor.

B Y ISABELLA GALOFRE award hopefully encourages them to keep being their best.? Explains Mr. Fallik.

Mrs. Pekoc, the seventh-grade team leader, and seventh-grade science teacher explained that the seventh-grade team decides on the seventh-grade core values winner by also Bellow is a list of all the students who won the getting together with all the seventh-grade Core Values Award this school year teachers. The teachers submit names of (2018-2019): students that they think are worthy of the Core Values Award and then they vote on whom 6th Graders 7th Graders 8th Graders they think should be the winner.

Riley Sabrina Marley Ella Gilderman won the last Core Value Award Richards Valdivia Borrow for the year. Ella explains that it was very Miguel Tanner Carmen awkward when her name was called, and she Escobar Sennett Serrano-Bigles had mixed feeling, but in the end, she felt Marina Lessa Oliver Max happy to have won the award. ?Although it Kozlovski Ruskowski was awkward, I felt happy that my parents Bruce Cohen were there watching me.?

Scout Amina Jack Mandel Hudson Bilalova ?The Core Values Award is important to the Jada school because it allows the entire student Dylan Meyer Andrea body to see what we expect from them. Sets Johnson Bromberg Ella the tone for the whole community,? Explains Gilderman Anna Cohen Mr. Fallik.

Mr. Fallik, the eighth-grade team leader, and an eighth-grade social studies teacher said, ?The Core Values Award is important to the Miami Country Day school because it allows the entire student body to see what we expect from them. Sets the tone for the whole community.?

Mr. Fallik along with other teachers agree that the students do cooperate better after they are given the award. ?Yes. I hope because these are students who are acting a certain way not because they are expecting an award but because they are that way. Giving them an

Robots compete CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 Mr. Robert explained that bulding can take 40 to 60 hours worth of just developing their robots. Also, have to develop the paperwork that goes with the robot they have to make their strategies their plans that all happens between September and the middle of April.

Mr. Robert remarked that "I actually am aware of the organization that puts the competition together, and I had been looking at them for a long time. It was just good timing with the school, and we decided to implement the program, and it ended up being very successful."

Jackson Kassewitz, a sixth-grader, said, "This year on the underwater robotics trip my robot's power sources were not working, so it was a big difficulty driving the robot it was really slow, but I still had a great time."

Jackson also said, "I really enjoyed working with a team, and I had a lot of fun with my partner even though we had our

Core Values is really important for the school or more specific the middle school. The middle school teachers hope that this award keeps motivating more and more students to keep acting their best.

disagreements it was still fun I would definitely want to be on the robotics team next year."

Julian Erez, a sixth-grader, said, "It was very interesting going on the underwater robotics because I was not expecting all the complicated tasks we were given."

Although the Robotics trip had its difficulties for the competitors, it was great fun. Mr. Robert taught the class and prepared for the competition, Mr. Malcolm advised the building process, and Mr. Niemeyer is a regular sponsor who helps the team troubleshoot at meetings.

Although they couldn't help much, they were a big part of the competition and will keep it going for years.

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Entertainment MOVIEREVIEW: Detective Pikachu This movie was bittersweet for me. It had lots of awesome action scenes which were so cool. I really enjoyed that. But it also B Y ISABELLA had a lot of boring, unnecessary POSSIN parts. It was really good at times and bad at times. For example, I thought it was adorable because of the cute little pokemon but in some scenes but some pokemon were huge pokemon that hurt others, and it was unamusing to me.

It was a mystery movie, which was one of the things I definitely enjoyed. I thought it was so cool because the dad, in the beginning, was "dead" but it turned out that he was in fact not dead. It was a mystery throughout the whole movie. The entire time there were small clues to help find the dad, and they all lead up to one big one where they found their answer and then found his dad.

Not only was there a lot of mystery but it was so interesting because at the beginning of the movie it shows this tube with an "R" on it and it makes the animals go super crazy. It was so

cool and fun to see what it did to them. Not only was the tube cool, but it also gave clues to Pikachu and his partner to his dad and where he was, so it connected to the mystery elements.

Overall, it wasn't a bad movie; it just could have been better!

The movie also taught a lesson that you never know who you can trust because they can end up stabbing you in the back. In the film, the old man who was helping the characters was actually the main evil guy.

A bad part of this movie to me was the ending.

I didn't like how they finished it. It could have ended in so many different ways, but instead, it ended with them getting coffee and him staying with his dad. It was cute, but I thought it should have ended with more action because it was an action movie. Another thing I didn't enjoy about this movie was that it never showed what happened with the girl that the main character liked. I thought it was going to end with a cute part of them together. They did ask each other out on a date, but it didn't even show the date.

MOVIEREVIEW: Little B Y ELLA GREEN

Jordan is being rude to and casts a spell with her wand saying, "I wish you were little!" Jordan feels very strange after this and decides to go to sleep. Little did Jordan know that when she would wake up, she would, in fact, be her 13-year-old self again.

Jordan only realized that she had been little when she went to put on her clothes and they were huge on her! Now there are a lot of problems for Jordan. How is she going to run her business? How is she going to tell people what happened to her? How will she get back to normal?

The movie, Little, is a great movie that I recommend for all. It teaches many valuable lessons and shows many different perspectives. It starts with a flashback from when Jordan, who is now a mean boss, is at her middle school talent show. She gets humiliated from her peers while she is trying to show a science project to her school and her only wish was that she could grow up and not have to deal with bullying.

After the flashback, Jordan continues on with her daily life when she runs into a little girl who

I think that everyone who watched this movie learned at least one thing from it. I personally learned what impact treating other people with disrespect has on them. Even though Jordan treated her personal assistant April with disrespect, April still did whatever she wanted her to do.

This movie reminds me of the movie Big. They both have to do with changing from either small to big or big to small. Big is about a kid

who makes a wish to become big, while Little, teaches more of a lesson. While this movie teaches a lesson, it is also very funny and entertaining.

My favorite part was Jordan's reaction to when she turned little. The expression on her face made it all! This movie especially demonstrates teamwork. April especially because when Jordan turned little, she didn't have to help her with the authorities and stand up for her, but she decided that she would and that it was the right thing to do.

I recommend that everyone watches this movie and I hope that they make a sequel to it.

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RESTAURANTREVIEW: Makoto B Y TALIA K URLANDSKI

When I went to Makoto for the first time, I immediately realized it was a Japanese restaurant because of the sleek, modern, Japanese furniture and the overall aura.

At Makoto, you can sit inside or out. The tables outside are nice and made of marble.

Many plants surround them. Inside, there are cozy booths and also a sushi bar.

I sat down at the table with my family. After a long ten minutes of debating if I should get sushi or steak, I decided just to get both for the experience. Altogether, my family ordered many things to try and share; Vegetable fried rice, steak, sushi rolls, sea salt edamame, fish, dumplings, and a salad.

bowl was empty.

mouthwatering steak.

The waiter came up to us informing us that the food will be ready soon. About three minutes later the salad, steak, and vegetable rice were on the table. I mixed the steak with the vegetable rice, and they worked so smoothly together. Then, I ate the salad which was the most flavorful salad I?ve ever had.

After our entrees, I was already so full but wanted to try the dessert. We ordered a lava cake, Mochi, and a creme cake. They all arrived simultaneously. I took one Mochi, which is a traditional Japanese ice cream cut into pieces. It was so sweet and cold. I also had a slice of lava cake, and I absolutely loved it. The dessert, although obviously different, was as good as the main course.

We soon tried sushi, fish, and dumplings. The dumplings came with this sauce that I coated it in. It tasted like spicy mayo or mustard. Inside the dumplings were chicken and vegetable which is my favorite kind of dumpling. There were two types of sushi we ordered; California Roll and Shrimp Tempura Roll. I took a bit of each since I liked both.

My favorite dish was probably Makoto?s

We finished, and my parents paid.

I learned so much from this experience like that lava cake is my favorite desserts. I got to try so many new things. I definitely want to go to Makoto again, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a Japanese restaurant. It is very high-quality.

While waiting for the food, I explored the big restaurant. Inside the restaurant, there was the sushi bar and behind it were chefs making sushi in person. I noticed that almost everything inside the restaurant was made of wood. I saw my friend sitting at another table, and she told me that the steak was delicious, so I got even more excited.

Our waiter came holding a big portion of sea salt edamame, the appetizer. I ate one and immediately loved the simple taste. I ate another one and another one until the whole

MCDSSpring Music Concert B Y GABRIELLE B ASSETTE This year's Spring Music Concert was an exciting event that showcased the middle school music department, including the Spartan Singers, Beginning Orchestra, Intermediate Orchestra, Jazz Band, and Concert Band. This year, they only had the Middle School play, and it was different from all the years the Spring Music Concert has been going on.

Mr. Mofsky, the teacher of Jazz Band and Beginning Orchestra said ?There are always things that could be better, either the way I introduce a group, how we begin, or end. With teaching beginners, the students might not be confident or overly confident thinking they know their music by heart, but when they get on the stage and start playing they forget everything. Also, if one of the students are missing their music that?s not even apart of playing an instrument, but organization.?

Mr. Mofsky also said ?I am aiming for perfection in a concert. I think a perfect concert is when all of the students are having fun and when see the audience enjoying the performance." He added, "I think a perfect performance to anyone is different. There could be technical issues like the amp of the

guitar is not plugged or your instrument is not in tune, but if you work through that it can be a great performance.??

Mrs.Pelletier, teacher of the Spartan Singers said, ?I hope they're looking at me I hope they are listening to the beat/music because when they don't listen to the music they get all confused and are offbeat." She added, "Looking at me is important because they need to know when to stop, hold the note, and begin.??

Mrs.Pelletier also said, ?Making sure the students are prepared for the concert and feel confident if they are not confident then that might affect the performance on the stage so it is important to get them ready and prepared for the concert. I also love seeing the kids with a smile on their faces and seeing all of the kids accomplishments over the years because you get to see how proud they are in the end.?

6th grader, Margaret Houser, a student in Early Bird Orchestra said, ?Nothing was really going through my mind while I was playing because I was focused on playing and reading my music. Learning the song is the most complicated thing to do even if you are

focusing on playing reading the music because you can not play if you can not read the music. You also have to have perfect bowing, and sit a certain way."

Margaret also said, ? Finishing the concert because it felt really good seeing the faces of the audience after I have played. You can see all of their surprised and smiling faces. When they clap for your group it is the best feeling in the world.?

6th grader, Martina Travieso, a student in Concert Band said ?Singing for my first time with a band and showing the school what I love because it made me feel really happy when I finished singing. My voice was the hardest thing to get ready because the song that I sang was not really the type of songs that I sing, I practiced really hard and went to my singing coach every day.?

The teachers, students, and the audience had a great time watching all of the performances showed and played form them. Next year new students and new talents are going to be shown at the Spring Music Concert 2020.

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Arts MSParticipates in "Music in the Parks" B Y ELLA SMITH

Unlike many other years, this year instead of the the Miami Country Day music groups going to Orlando Fest they went to Music in the Parks.

They performed on April 13 and got 2 days in orlando instead of one like Orlando Fest. It is their first year competing in this music competition and all the music groups did very well. This year Jazz got 1st place, String 2nd place, Concert band 1st place, Women?s choir 1st place, and Intermediate 1st place. None of the music groups got lower than second place.

This year they went to Music in the Parks because Orlando fest changed their rules.

Orlando fest changed their rules to that all of the groups that compete must have 20 or more students to participate. Some of the music groups for example, chorus, don?t have 20 students so they decided to compete in

Music in the Parks.

Mrs. Pelletier, the chorus and beginning orchestra teacher, has been going to Orlando Fest for three years and said that she likes Orlando Fest better than Music in the Parks because they didn?t have a workshop on stage with the judge like Orlando Fest. She said that next year they will be going back to competing in Orlando Fest.

There was a new award given out that Orlando Fest didn?t give out and the music teachers did like a lot. They gave out best soloist award to the best soloist that competed. The best soloist award is given to a person who has a solo part that impressed the judges. It could be guitar, cello, violin, vocal soloist, or any other instrument. Caterina Serrano-Bigles won best soloist in chorus. She said that when she got she was so excited.

Mr. Mophsky, another music teacher, said, ?They prepare months in advance. In the first month new students learn what the competitions are, want to know what they are.

The beginner classes learn proper poster and playing with the

sense of pride. Assemblies are all ways to prepare.?

Mrs. Pelletier said that they prepare by rehearsing every day during class, breaks, lunches, sometimes after school, and in assemblies. Shaelyn Davis said that she prepares by practicing every day alone and with her class. Jadin Weis, a six grader, says she prepared by practicing with her group and at home on her piano for beginning instruments.

Next year, they will be going back to Orlando Fest. The students and the teachers both like Orlando Fest better than Music in the Parks and find that the workshop with the judge helps with their performance on stage. Jadin Weiss said, ?It was a lot of fun, but I want to see what Orlando Fest is like to determine which one I likes better. I can?t wait to go to Orlando Fest.?

Maggie Houser, a sixth grade, said that she didn?t like Music in the Parks because she thought that it was the pretty much the same as an assembly, and rather stay at school. A lot of them say that practicing and practicing is what helps them prepare which seems to work because they all got 3rd or higher. They did very well and will hopefully do well next year at Orlando Fest again.

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Student celebrate dance B Y ELLA GREEN

This year the annual Evening of Dance was held on April 16th. More than 80 kids participated.

Middle School Dance Teacher, Mr. Johnson said that the Evening of Dance is important because, "Creating live productions are a very important part of a performing arts class." He also explained how all of the dance students have the opportunity to showcase the skills learned in class, performances serve as the quiz or test you'd take in an English or Math class.

Ms. Alfonso, the Director of Arts Education and Programs said that the Evening of Dance has been going on for about 18 years. She also remarks, "It originally started because it is a performing art and we wanted the kids to have that opportunity to show all the work that they have been doing and all the things that they had been learning ."

Mia Finvarb, a 7th grader, said that she believes that the Evening of Dance is very important. She said, "I think it is important because it inspires the crowd and other students to try dance as an elective."

slavery."

Mr. Johnson remarks, "We start planning and learning new choreography after the People of Color Presentation."

Ms. Alfonso said that the evening of dance is important because, "it's a celebration of what our kids are learning here and its an opportunity for parents to see what they're doing in class every day."

She added, "Most of the time when kids go home and their parents say what did you do in school they say nothing, so It's kind of hard to describe what you doing in dance."

Mr. Johnson explained how each dance has its own meaning. He says, "Dances are chosen based on a theme set early in the year. This year our theme was UP! All about improvement and progression."

Lila Alonso remarks, "My dance was dedicated to Mrs. Mahoney because she is retiring this year."

Tyler Sastre, a 7th grader, said, "My dance was a contemporary one and it symbolized

7th grader, Julia Marquevich said, ?One of my dances was our tap dance and it was rock and roll themed and we had leather jackets on.

Our jazz dance was a social dance and 60s themed. We learned where they originated from.?

Tyler Sastre also explained how some of the similarities and differences from last years evening of dance. He said, "It was both really fun this year and last and the award show at the end was similar." He added, "It was different because different people were chosen this year."

Andi Gale said that there were some differences. She said, "One of the differences was that there were "New people," they really helped out.

Not only does Mr. Johnson help with the evening of dance but many of the teachers at the CFA contribute as well.

Ms. Alfonso said, "We have a technical director, Mr. Pantesco and we have a stage manager Ms. Baum, known to the kids as MJ and groovy. She added, "They help backstage, they help with sound, music cues and things like that.".

In conclusion, the Evening of Dance was great this year. The students think it is important and fun and so do the teachers.

Andi Gales, another 7th grader, said, "I believe it's important because it shows how much people have progressed over the year."

Lila Alonso, a 6th grader, said, "The Evening of Dance represents many emotions in the form of dance."

Vizart showcases student work B Y ISABELLA POSSIN On April 25, 2019, the MCDS Arts Department hosted the Viz-art event.

This year Viz-art was a way to showcase our talented art students classwork. Family and friends were allowed to attend, and it was a great evening with beautiful art.

"I'm very excited because I want my parents to see my art," said Sophia Mendez, a seventh-grader. "I'm very proud of what I have made, and my parents are coming to see it."

Jose Viera and Beck Trafton, seventh-graders, said their friends were going to come and see their art and spend time with them.

Beck added that his parents are coming to see his artwork and hopes to make them proud.

Viz-art also reflects on how much students have learned in their art classes.

Pablo Est, a seventh-grader, said, "I like art because I have my friends in art, and I have lots of fun in it." Jose and Sophia like to draw

and use their creative skills.

Although art is fun, most students find it not natural and very challenging. It requires a lot of work.

There were so many different pieces of art displayed at Viz-art. Sophia said she showed a portrait and a kuna. Jose said he constructed a human face, and Beck said he has down a lot of drawing and pointillism.

Page 20

Sports Girls Lacrosse makes a statement B Y A LEXIS K APLAN This year was the first year MCDS had a girls lacrosse team.

Jason Pelletier is the Head Coach of the team.

He has had 16 years of coaching lacrosse and 7 of those years were coaching lacrosse for girls.

He explained how they were finally able to bring a girls lacrosse team on board at MCDS. "We had to show there was enough interest in girls lacrosse. There were a lot of girls that signed petitions to have a girls lacrosse team.

Once the school saw there was a strong interest and that the sport was not going to take away from other sports, we decided to go forward with the program."

Eighth-grader Nina Le Troadec said, "I decided to join the lacrosse team to try a new sport and experience. I love being combined with the upper schooler and the middle schoolers because I got to meet new people and make new amazing friends."

Eighth-grader Addyson Green said, "I decided to join the lacrosse team because I wanted to try to be athletic for once."

The team had 25 players. They had to combine middle schoolers and upper schoolers due to the number of players in total. Ideally, a team would consist of 20 players.

The team practiced Monday through Friday from 4:00 pm. to 6:00 pm. In a typical practice, "We start off by warming up with dynamic stretches, running, basic fundamentals. We will then go into lacrosse-specific drills and then transition into a game simulation," said Coach Jason.

"You have to commit a lot to lacrosse because we have very short time in the season to learn things. We practice new things every day, so you really have to be committed to going to practice every day," said Nina.

Many players and coaches remarked that majority of the girls had never played lacrosse, held a stick, or even played a team sport before this season.

One game was won during the season. It was a home game versus Killian High School.

Coach Jason proudly said, "Some of the teams we played against have girls that have played since they were 6-7 years old. We were able to keep up with those teams. I set goals for the girls each game, they have met, and most of the time went above and beyond what I was asking for."

"The season went okay, even though we lost 99% of our games, but we played well for a first-year program," remarked Addyson. "The team has improved a lot since the beginning of the season because before this season no one knew how to play lacrosse, but now we are really good."

Regarding individual improvement, eighth-grader Anna Cohen said, "I think that I have improved dramatically since in the beginning, I had never heard of this sport and now I'm a starter for defense on the field."

did not think only one player should be awarded because we had four or five kids that improved a lot from the beginning of the season all the way to the end of the season.?

Spring Sports Awards B Y DAVID B EJAR Middle school baseball coach Joseph Hernandez remarked ?For myself when I am choosing the awards I am looking for the people who stand at the most in helping the team be successful, that are going to good leadership ability, and overall I do not choose MVP because the success if a team does not come from one person it comes from the entire team.?

Coach Hernandez mentioned that he did not choose most improved this year because he

Gabby Bassette, a 6th grade tennis player, remarked ?The hardest part of being on the team was how much school I have been missing trying to catch up and having to make sacrifices for the team like waking up early and going to practices.?

Gabby said ?It has been great, it?s not hard it?s not easy and it?s great you have to learn with a team it is a great experience.?

Anna also said her goal for the end of the season was to be more aggressive when playing defense so no opponent could get through her. Also, she "wanted our team to win at least one game, and we did, and I'm so proud of how far we have come."

Although the school season is over, Coach Jason is hosting a lacrosse program called Lightning Lacrosse for all ages; this is for any girl who wants to try the experience, or for any Miami Country Day girls who wish to prepare for school season next year! Like Nina, who said she wanted to prepare and make sure she doesn't lose her skill.

Coach Jason is confident he will continue the school girls lacrosse team next year and would like to invite anyone who is interested in learning and trying out to sport to join the current club program.

You can contact him at PelletierJ@miamicountryday.org.

"So many girls were unsure of wanting to play, and now they fell in love with the game and can't get enough of it," explains Coach Jason.

Gabby commented ?It has been a interesting experience the and food was great. The hotel was awesome, the hotel was awesome because it was basically an apartment it was very and it very spacious and there was multiple TV?s so I had room from my roommate and I really liked my hotel and the experience. The bus ride was really quiet at times but it would get really loud and fun because there was only 6 people and I had fun with my teammates?

Gabby said the games were harder because the competition was older and they had more experience.

Continued on next page

Page 21

Sports Awards

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE Gabby also mentioned that Louis Siegler won the state championship.

Spring Sports Awards and Major Sports Awards ? 2019 Middle School Baseball

Silver Slugger Award ? Hanley Ramirez Rookie of the Year Award ? Joshua Ader

When asked what it was like seeing everyone get awarded Gabby said ?I was very happy for my teammates especially the seniors because they were on the year for quite some time and they led our team through hard times and helped us in accomplishments.?

Preston Boucher Sixth Grade Baseball Player Preston Boucher, a 6th grade baseball player, said his season has been really fun and interesting because he learned a bunch of new things about baseball, got better, and met a lot of new people.

Cy Young Award ? Timothy Houser Gold Glove Award ? Jacob Wyka

Girls Varsity Tennis Rookie of the Year Award ? Gabrielle Bassette Middle School Water Polo Sportsmanship Award ? Harry Florin Coaches Award ? Leonard Niemeyer Spartan Award ? Felipe Blaya Most Improved Player of the Year Award ?

Julian Mellado

Boys Middle School Lacrosse Most Valuable Player Award ? Beck Trafton

Girls Varsity Lacrosse

Coaches Award ? Rainen O?Kurley

Most Improved Player Award ? Anna Cohen

Most Improved Player Award ? Merritt Lubetsky

Defensive Player of the Year Award ? Nina Le Troadec

Defensive Player of the Year Award ? Tristan Bradley Offensive Player of the Year Award ? Evan Hurwitz

Major Middle School Awards (Plaque and name plate) Athletes of the Year

Preston commented that it was really cool seeing my teammates develop over the year and how they got better and overall it was a great experience being at the awards.

Carson Goodman, another 6th grade baseball player, said, ?I had a very fun year it was a really great year and there is no doubt in my mind that I will be joining the middle school baseball team again next year.?

Boys Middle School Tennis

(1) Lauren McGaffic

Most Valuable Player Award ? Max Castanon

(2) Dylan Smiley

Rookie of the Year Award ? Juan de Zabala Most Improved Player Award ? Cliff Halliwell

(1) Isabella Urbina Girls Middle School Tennis

(2) Joseph Bassett

Most Valuable Player Award ? Lucia Burton, Brooke Kovacs

Harrison Greenberg Award

Most Improved Player Award ? Ginger Jacob

(1) Timothy Houser

Carson remarked ?It was a very nice experience seeing all of my teammates get rewarded and it was very rewarding for me getting an award because I worked very hard this season.?

Vizart

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

Sophia said, "We are doing this type of art because Ms. Mahoney wants us to draw more accurate people."

Bruno Garcia, a seventh-grader, said, "This year in art we have been drawing stick figures and paintings."

This evening actually used to be called "Evening of Arts," but it was changed to "Viz-art" for special reasons.

Mrs. Mahoney, the art teacher, explained, "Every year for a long time we've been doing something called Evening of Art which is kind of a little bit of dance, a little drama, some music, some art exhibitions and it's been a big event."

Mrs. Mahoney added, "But Performing Arts have been performing quite a bit more performances this year, and they have more performances coming, so we decided to just focus on visual Arts because it's an opportunity to show their beautiful work in one big event."

Viz-art is a significant night to lots of people, including Mrs. Mahoney.

Mrs. Mahoney remarked, "This night is important to me because Visual Arts students are in a studio working away it's very individual it's quiet and almost hidden like secret until

Sportsmanship Award

(2) Logan Sennett

their work is put into some type of exhibit. That's why it's so important to me because I'm always proud of the work my students do and I think they do incredible work, but the community doesn't get to see it until I put it up and they get to see it."

It also shows the talent of the students and Mrs. Mahoney's ability to teach.

Mrs. Mahoney said, "I started to teach because ever since I was a little kid, I loved art a lot, and I got a lot of encouragement from people who thought I was very creative and because of that I wanted to share that with other people."

Viz-Art is an amazing night to showcase the visual arts because it's an elective with work that's not easy to simply show off.

Although Mrs. Mahoney is retiring, hopefully, Viz-art will happen for many more years for the visual art community.

Page 22

6th Grade Writes The Joy of Fishing by Bruce Cohen Dear Students of Miami Country Day School, I have been part of an amazing sport for years. It has taught me teamwork, persistence, and even strength. This sport is a way of getting food that is as old as time. It provides not only a valuable source of nutrition, but a fun way of getting it. The sport is fishing, and I want you to discover and share in the abundant ways that it can enhance your life.

The first reason you and your family should fish is because it is one of the best ways to spend time with your family. In the new day and age of computers, iphones, and ipads, we all have felt a bit out of sink with direct in-person connections. Fishing is a way to bring these friendships and relationships with our family back. Time spent with fishing will help you get to know your father or mother.

These people have dedicated their lives to us, and we do not know them as well as we should. Another person we can get back in touch with is our grandmother or grandfather.

These people shaped the lives of our caretakers, and it is nice to hear stories about our parents when they were younger; be ready for some fun revelations. We also can share our fishing time with siblings and will strengthen our bond. One last great person to share a fishing experience is a friend. You can really judge people's characters by seeing how they fish. They may be aggressive and yank the fish in, or get nervous and slowly reel the fish in and wait for him to tucker out. On a boat or on shore, fishing side by side gives you time for shared camaraderie and to talk. This is why to have enhanced family and friend time is a primary reason why you should fish.

Another reason you should fish is to experience the great outdoors. You get to be on or near the water. Water covers roughly 73% of the earth?s surface, and we as humans need to experience and appreciate it more.

Most people are attracted and fascinated by water. The sight of it soothes us and plunging in can be refreshing as well as an adventure.

You can be with the fish in the water and see them in their natural habitats. This means you will observe them eating, swimming, and sometimes avoiding predators. This means you can experience other species of life that exist on earth. It is much better to experience these animals in real life rather than seeing a picture. That is why experiencing the outdoors is an important benefit of fishing.

My third reason you should fish is exercise.

There are many ways you can exercise while fishing. Reeling in a fish takes a lot of strength.

I personally spend my summer fishing for marlin, and I notice a significant difference in my arm muscles. One way this can be exercise is when you reel in a big fish it takes arm muscle to do so, and it develops those muscles. Another form of exercise is you sometimes have to walk to fishing spots.

Walking is a very good source of fitness.

According to the Better Health Channel, ?Just 30 minutes every day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, and boost muscle power and endurance.? One other exercise form associated with fishing is paddling a kayak or canoe. This is an extremely good upper body workout, and it is very good for your core. One last source of exercise is swimming. Swimming is one of the best forms of all body cardio. That is why exercise is one of the benefits of fishing.

My final reason for recommending that you fish is you can help the oceans. Giving back to our environment is a big obligation we have as humans. There are many fun ways when you are fishing that you can become a good steward of the environment. One is by tagging fish. You can do this by getting in contact with an organization that will supply you with the correct materials to help them research fish by tagging them with electric tracker tags.

Another way you can help the oceans is you can go on an expedition to a reef and research the population of your local fish species by catching them. This is a great way to access the population of fish on local reefs. One last way you can help is by diving after a fishing trip and assessing the health of the reef. This way, scientists can see how the growth of coral planting and natural coral is progressing.

Sport fisherman are usually activists and teach others to fish responsibly.

As you can see enjoying time with family and enjoying the outdoors are often aspects of fishing and are good reasons to do it. Exercise and helping the oceans are also good reasons to get into the sport. Fishing has changed my entire outlook on life, and I hope it can do the same for you.

Zero Waste by Martina Travieso Dear MCDS Students, We use plastic everyday whether we are purchasing a packaged item, or we are simply taking plastic cutlery and a straw at our favorite fast food places. Plastic is a convenient material that makes everyone?s life easier, but trust me, this is one big problem that is going to take a lot of time and money to solve if we do not start now. Every year, the United States creates approximately 230 million tons of trash, which is about 4.6 pounds per person per day! There are about 14 billion pounds of garbage in the ocean.

Much of this material, some of which is toxic, ends up in marine animals?digestive systems.

And we eat most of those animals! That is only one of the results of producing and using so much plastic. Do you want to destroy the only place we can live?

You might be thinking, ?People can deal with this problem later. Right now we have more

important things we need to do.? Well, by the time of that ?mysterious later,? it may be too late. Our environment will be so decayed and it will be harder and more expensive to make it better. Some experts suggest that by 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by weight! It is true that plastic is cheap to make and durable, but we humans are consuming it, using it once, throwing it away without knowing where it is going, and making us and our planet miserable.

Picking up trash and putting it in the garbage is not enough. In fact, it only puts the trash out of your sight. The trash usually just goes into landfills or the ocean, since most plastic is not being recycled, or it is being recycled incorrectly. Landfills are huge piles of trash that have been covered with grass to look like mountains. Obviously this is not a good solution to this huge problem because this plastic takes so long to break down and it leaches toxins into the land and the water.

Going to a beach clean-up, or picking up trash from the ground can be a helpful way to make your city look cleaner, but it does not help much given the scale of the problem. Since people keep consuming plastic, more plastic is produced every day to meet their high demands. The only way to stop the production of this harmful trash is to simply stop consuming it in such vast quantities. This way of living is called ?zero waste?.

Even though the planet is already damaged from the excess of plastic, there are things we can do to prevent it from getting worse. The most effective thing for us to do is to move closer to achieving zero waste. Zero waste is to reduce one?s use of plastic, or in other words, waste. Hopefully more advanced packaging will be made biodegradable to help the planet and still be easy to use and convenient. Biodegradable materials would definitely be more expensive than non-biodegradable plastics, but it will cost less money than dealing with the problem later.

People might think that this can be more expensive than the traditional way of living, but it actually saves money for most people. There have even been people who have saved up to 4,000 dollars in one year! This is a process that does not happen overnight. There are a lot of steps to achieve zero waste. One of the most basic things we need to do, is buy more items in bulk and persuade businesses to use alternative packaging. We can shop at farmers markets were we can prevent buying packaged products. To go further we can make a compost bin for all of our food scraps we do not consume. To achieve my goal to make the planet healthy, we would have to start off by doing these things ourselves, and we can educate people in our communities to adopt or move closer to zero waste practices.

There are other little things, we can do like using cloth napkins and taking silverware with us to fast food restaurants. (We can carry a camping set, that would fit in a case or purse to avoid using single use plastic cutlery.)

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6th Grade writing cont'd Straws are not necessary, and the current effort to get restaurants to stop automatically distributing them is excellent.

Achieving zero waste may seem like a lot of work and a utopian ideal, but we can achieve it. People lived for thousands of years producing only biodegradable waste; we can do better and feel good about ourselves and our impact on the earth.

People don't realize how selfish they are, only caring about the material things they have in life. I really hope that you have taken my ideas into consideration and do more to reduce our use of plastic. The more people like us who take action, the more pressure will be put on companies to find alternatives to plastic and solutions to the problem that they have created for the environment.

Cleaning Your Room Can Make Your Life Happier by Ellie Merrill My Fellow Students, According to studyfinds.com, cleaning your room will make you HAPPIER. Researchers polled 2,000 people and found that every hour of cleaning you do each week is associated with a 53% boost in overall happiness!

What else can cleaning your room do?

Cleaning your room is a good way to make your parents happy with you. If they are happy, then you can go do fun things with your friends, because they will feel more generous about letting you do things now that your room is clean. They will also view you as responsible.

When your room is clean, you can find things with a snap of your fingers! Having everything be a mess around you can be stressful. When everything is organized, you can avoid that!

I have been bored, and I have gone to my mom, and she says something along the lines of,? I?m not your cruise director, go find something to do.? I have found when I go clean my room and listen to my music, it is

actually very enjoyable!

On top of all that, a clean room helps you sleep better. And getting enough rest is important to your happiness. So while cleaning your room may feel like a huge task, the happiness you gain is really important. Make it happen!

Sincerely yours,

Let?s Stop the Bullying by Sofia Rotundo Dear MCDS Students, Bullying is a very serious problem in all schools around the world.

Miami Country Day School does not have a big bullying problem, but there are still kids who are being bullied. I have some ideas to improve the situation and to prevent bullying. I asked the counselors in our school to tell me what advice they have for someone who is being bullied. I want to persuade you, my fellow students, that if we all follow these steps, we can help our community be a safe, happier place for all of us.

My seminar teacher stated, ?If a student is in a bullying situation that persists, it is extremely important for a student to talk to an adult. Parents and caregivers can help children by creating an action plan?. An action plan will make sure that students know who they can turn to when they have a problem. They need to identify the teachers they can trust if bullying occurs.

She also said that in our school, the counselors meet with the students and teach them how to tell the bully to stop.

After she answered some of the more general questions, I asked her some specific questions about bullying and how to stop it. The first question I asked her was what she would do if a kid is being cyberbullied? She said, ?I would let the parents know about the bullying and talk to them about ways to keep their children safe on the internet. I would have the parents help put special software on the child?s computer to keep the student safe and to

GATEway Puerto Rico Abigail Mandel, a sixth-grader, explains how she hasn?t been on any Gateway trips yet but is considering the Puerto Rico trip. ?I think going to Puerto Rico is a really good idea for the next Gateway because I know that Puerto Rico has a great diversity from the mainland United States, so I think it is a great trip to get to learn about Puerto Rico and what makes it different and special.?

Sophia Frank, a sixth grader, explained how she also hasn?t gone on any Gateway trips and doesn?t intend to go to Puerto Rico. ?Puerto Rico has the same weather as Miami.

I think it would be more fun to go to a place

check on their online activity.? Then I asked her what she would do when a close friend talks badly about another person. ?I would get all the girls that were involved together and let the girl whose feelings were hurt share how it made her feel and try to make the other girls understand how hurtful it is and talk about trust and empathy,? she said. The last thing I asked her was what a student who was being bullied could do to relieve stress, to stay calm, and to focus on schoolwork rather than the bully. She stated that ?They could practice mindfulness, and take a break from school work to listen to music and do something they like, such as going outside and enjoying nature to get their energy up.?

The things that my seminar teacher said were great ways that are helping our campus be a friendlier community. I also have some ideas that could help students feel more comfortable talking to the counselors and help them resolve bullying issues. I think that the students could find some close friends to talk to if they are more comfortable talking to another student than a teacher. I also think that the teacher can have the student role play to figure out new ways to ignore the bully and to stand up to them in a kind, respectful way. They could tell the bully what they feel and what they don?t like that the bully is doing and let them know that it's not okay to let out your anger on other people.

Cyberbullying is a big problem; if the student is being cyberbullied, they should definitely not respond, but immediately tell a responsible adult or guardian. It is important that students know how dangerous the internet can be. The counselors should also meet with the cyberbullies and talk to them about bullying and how nothing can really be erased from the internet; therefore, cruel posts made now may continue to damage their reputations throughout their lives.

These are some ways that I think we can really help our school to become a safer, kinder place for everyone.

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where there's snow because that is something we don?t experience in Miami which makes it more fun.?

Kara Richard, a sixth-grader, said, ?I went on the Panamรก Gateway, and I plan on going on all the Gateways. The Panamรก trip was amazing. I am very happy that I went and that I am a Gatemate. I am sure that I am going on the Puerto Rico Gateway and I hope more people come because it is so fun and amazing.?

She also remarked how this year it was a

great group of Gatemates. ?I?m a sixth grader, so this is my first year on the Gateway Jr Panamรก trip but I think it was a great group of students and I know that everyone had a great time and most of them will probably go on the Puerto Rico one because these Gateway trips are a once in a lifetime experience and they are so unbelievably fun,? Kara says.

Puerto Rico seems like a great opportunity.

Previous gatemates and teachers think it will be another experience of a lifetime, and hopefully, more people will take advantage of going to the beautiful country of Puerto Rico.

Visiting the migrant families in Immokalee

6th grade goes fishing

I n t he M iddle St a ff Editor-in-Chief Alexis Kaplan

Photo Editor Isabella Galofre

Repor ter s Gabrielle Bassette David Bejar Ella Green Talia Kurlandski Isabella Possin Ella Smith Cecilia Storm