INSIDE Alaska Trek
ISSUE 1, 2019-2020
Middle School gets a Clue B Y CHLOE SHAPIRO
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Backpacks
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Volleyball
Every year Middle School has a drama production. This year the Middle School is doing a play. Although, Middle School has done something a little bit different for this year's play. Instead of doing the play towards the end of the year, the Middle School play kicked off at the start of the new school year.
and, Col. Mustard were all aliases. Then, when they found Mr. Boddy all of them were suspects and they worked together to find the killer. Although the board game is a bit different. In the year 1949, Anthony E. Pratt introduced the game Clue. Originally, it was published in Leeds, England, in 1949 under the name ?Cluedo?. Many years after perfecting the mechanics of the game, Mr. Pratt visited Waddington?s Games in Leeds, England to discuss publishing and manufacturing the game. The game is now published by the United States game and toy company, Hasbro. Clue is now sold in over 70 countries including, Japan, Norway, Brazil, New Zealand, and Abu Dhabi.
and comedy, now let?s talk about the play that is going on in our school. Ms. Laura Rizzo, the new Middle school drama teacher stated, ?This summer I read a bunch of plays. I wanted the Middle school play to be about mystery and Halloween. Then, when I read Clue I knew it would be a perfect play because it has many girl and boy parts and mystery scenes.? After seeing the middle school production, eighth grader Cecilia Storm said, "I thought the play was interesting and creative, and it made me laugh a lot." Continued on page 5
After talking about all the history about the game
The play that is being worked on is Clue. Clue is a board game and a comedy movie based on a murder mystery. The comedy starts off at a dinner party hosted by Mr. Boddy, where he then admits to blackmailing his visitors. The guests, Mrs. Peacock, Miss Scarlet, Mr. Green, Professor Plum, Mrs. White PHOTO BY MR. FALLIK
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MCDSwelcomes new Head-of-School B Y DANIELLA A RANGO
Mariandl Hufford is the first female and seventh overall Head of school at Miami Country Day. Mrs. Hufford grew up in Suriname and Belgium before she moved to the U.S. to attend college. Before coming to our school she worked at Agnes Irwin School in Rosemont, PA, where she served as the Assistant Head of School and Director of the Center for the Advancement of Girls. Becoming the new Head of school at Miami Country Day isn't an easy task for sure, but Mrs. Hufford seems to be getting more comfortable every day in her role. I recently had the opportunity to interview Mrs Hufford to talk about her transition to the school, her role and goals, and the things that she has learned during her short time at MCDS so far. When asked about her main role as the New Head of school Mrs. Hufford said, "my main role is to make sure that teachers and students have everything they need to be successful at what they want to do. Whatever a teacher needs to be the greatest teacher for the students, it's my job to
make sure that is provided for." Support from the community is definitely important, and Mrs. Hufford thinks that she has been getting the support she needs. "All the grown ups that I have met, the teachers, students, parents, people have really wanted to support me and help me have a smooth transition." The students in the school are also feeling a new sense of support from Mrs. Hufford. "She (Mrs. Hufford) cares about every student and always introduces herself and makes sure everybody is doing well, and when she passes by the students she will talk to them and make sure they had a nice day," said Alyssa White, a sixth grade student. Continued on page 2
PHOTOS BY MAYA TAFUR MARTINEZ New Head-of-school Mariandl Hufford addresses the middle school.
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The Best Buddies Club is sponsored by Ms. Karen Davis and meets in the broadcast studio.
Around MCDS Ms. Hufford wants to get to know you! CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Regarding her main goal for the year, Mrs. Hufford said that her main goal this year is to get to know the community of Miami Country Day. "I have been meeting with a lot of people, students but also all the teachers. I've asked every single
Service Clubs: 1. Multicultural Club ? Julio De Aracama / Marisol Ferro (M-4) 2. Operation Smile ? Livia Minetti (WLC-112) 3. Best Buddies ? Karen Davis (F204) 4. A.R.S (Animal Rescue Society) ? Brooke Ehinger (Seminar room) Interest Clubs: The following clubs meet during clubs meeting times. 1. Art Club ? Olan Quattro MS art room) 2. Photography Club ? Kelly Brill (M10)
Getting to know the people in the school is very important because by observing, listening and learning, Mrs. Hufford will get a better idea of new ways of making the school better. "I find it special that she (Mrs. Hufford) cares about what others think and takes suggestions and acknowledges every student," said Riley Mandel, another sixth grade student.
3. Book Club ? Laura Rodriguez (M-219) 4. Model UN ? Michelle Holcman (M-217) 5. Stagecraft Club ? Laura Rizzo (MS drama room)
MSClubs attract new interest B Y L UCAS B ACARDI SHRIFTMAN
Mrs. Hufford continued, "So, you know, what is important for a third grader and the teacher of the third grader is going to be different than what's important for a tenth grader for example. There's so many different demands on the job on the Head of school, so making sure that I'm balancing all those demands is probably a big challenge, but it's fun too."
6th graders adjust to MSlife B Y MAYA TAFUR MARTINEZ
The 2019 6th grade are students who have joined the middle school this year from elementary. The transition from elementary to middle school is one of the biggest transitions a student will go through in their learning experience.
Mrs. Finny said, ?One of the biggest pieces of advice I give is that we understand,? meaning that it's fine to struggle a bit, but to always try your best and always keep in contact with your teachers your struggling in their class.
Mrs. Linfield said that when a student transfers to elementary to middle school the change is much different, such as having more freedom and having to take on more responsibility or, ?Being in a much more serious environment,? where work and classes are taken more seriously.
Finally, Mrs. Muhlig said to stay ahead, always check MyCountryDay daily, and to always keep in communication with your teachers.
On top of that, Mrs. Finny adds on to that by saying, ?Middle school is more of a challenge that students have not been used to from the past,? to be entering such a more serious and challenging place compared to being in an easier stage.
When the 6th grade first enters middle school, the teachers plan an orientation to help the students in advance before they can continue school including all of the middle school since the orientation was just a day for themselves. What the teachers do to help them to give them advice about how to use their time wisely and they helped them navigate where their classes where
Some teachers always suggest pieces of advice to help their students. Mrs. Linfield said that one of the biggest pieces of advice she can give is being organized and to take advantage from your teachers when they offer such great help especially in our school.
MS Clubs list 2019-2020
teacher and member of the staff to make an appointment with me, to talk to me for half an hour. I want to know as many parents as possible. I want to know from everybody what makes this place special for them," said Mrs. Hufford.
When I asked about the biggest challenge Mrs. Hufford faces right now, she had a very interesting answer as she turned a negative into a positive. "I don't know if it's a challenge so much as an opportunity. It is kind of right now, wrapping my head around all of the pieces of this community," said Mrs. Hufford.
Lastly, Mrs. Muhlig said that it can be hard to get the hang of having seven different classes and catching up with all of those classes for work and assignments.
PHOTO BY L UCAS B ACARDI SHRIFTMAN
at, at the orientation. Mrs. Linfield, along with the rest of the 6th grade teachers, help their students transition from lower school. PHOTOS BY MAYA TAFUR MARTINEZ
6. Yearbook Club ? Juliette Fulton (F204) 7. Music Club ? Russell Mofsky (MS music room) The following clubs meet after school or at special times and require a conversation with the club sponsor to find out details. 1. Chess - Ron Henley (M-28) 2. Robotics ? Phil Cahill
One of the things about middle school is that it offers clubs. There are 14 different clubs including Best Buddies, Operation Smile, Animal Rescue, Stagecraft, Yearbook, Multicultural Club, Art Club, Photography Club, Book Club, Model UN, Music Club, Chess, Robotics, and Spartan Dance Elite. Clubs are very important to Miami Country Day Middle School. Clubs are very important for students to find other interests other than things they that they do every day, like classes and athletics. Our school embodies the whole child. "Miami Country Day School is a college preparatory learning community committed to educating the whole child. Through the core values of honor, respect, wisdom and compassion, we prepare students to be lifelong learners. We inspire our children to develop their intellectual, physical, aesthetic, social, emotional and spiritual potentials by valuing every student every day." That's why we have clubs, to fulfill Miami Country Day's mission statement.
This year middle school at Miami Country Day has offered some new clubs. "The Animal Rescue Club is new because some sixth grade or some seventh grade students wanted to do this club so that's why we have that," said the Dean of Students Mr. Finny. Angelina Belin said that in the Animal Rescue Club right now all they?re doing is talking, but she is looking forward to working with the animals. Service is a big part of Country Day. Some of the clubs are service clubs. Most of the students interests are clubs that do things for other people. Operation Smile is one of our longest running clubs and they constantly raise money that helps raise funds for doctors to actually operate on kids that don't have the money to get on their cleft lip and palate fixed. We have other service clubs to, and so it's a chance for students to give back to the community or give back to the planet.
3. Spartan Dance Elite ? Sha?Quan Johnson (Dance room) Ms. Karen Davis, sponsor of the Best Buddies club, said, "Best Buddies is an organization about friendship, fundraising and having fun by helping kids form meaningful connections with peers they might not normally come into contact with-- kids who have Down syndrome or cerebral palsy, brain injuries or other undiagnosed disabilities." She continued, "The club exists so that Middle School students can develop one-to-one friendships with people their own age who have intellectual and developmental disabilities so they can share experiences, build bonds and do some really fun activities, like bowling together or having ice cream socials or going to a Marlins or Panthers game together. Students should know that they can also get service hours for this! "
Sixth-grader Alexander Ben Shmuel said he likes Operation Smile because he likes helping people in need and it makes him feel good.
6th Graders cont'd A lot of the students prefer middle school more than elementary, but there are some cons to it, too. Briana Sabogal said, ?One of the pros is getting to learn and experience way more things than last year with just about 2 classes, but the cons would have to be having to walkmore to get to your classes.? Angelina Belin said that the cons would be getting more work, but the pros would be having more freedom. Lastly Brooks Sprudle said that they are more strict on you, but we have more chances to meet more people. A lot can change during the stage of being in middle school such as more work, having more tests and quizzes, taking on full responsibility, but mainly especially during this stage having more of
a social life. Socializing with people is something a lot of people focus on during this time. Angelina Berlin agrees that friendships and relationships are way stronger than before. Now that they have experienced being in seven classes than just two before, they've met more people and may have gotten closer to some others due to the amount of classes they share.
Some sixth graders attended the iBelong Coffeehouse to help with their transition.
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COEPtakes trek in Alaska B Y DAVID B EJAR
Middle School Play Clue! CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 During auditions Ms. Rizzo stated, ?When auditioning I am looking for students that are prepared, following directions, have talent, and finally, enthusiastic about what they are doing.?
Last summer the COEP program went on a trip to Alaska for two weeks. The people who went are Charlotte Assali, Katarina Bjekic, Sophia Borda, Caera Charles, Remi Day, William Dean, Harry Florin, Fedor Kravtsov, Natalia Pantin, Noah Perazzo, Jack Pizzo, Julian Pizzo, and Diego Rodriguez. Ms. Francesca Bruno, director of COEP, discussed a bit about the history of the Alaska summer trek. She said, ?The first year I went on the trip was 2008 and the trip happened for the first time in 2005.? Ms. Bruno also talked about how she managed transportation, ?I flew up the day before everyone else did and picked up the vehicles that we would be using during the trip so when the rest of the group came in I was ready to pick everybody up,? she explained. ?The kids flew up with the other adults that went on the trip. We rented an RV and a 15 passenger van so we were able to get around Alaska comfortably...we had some people sleeping in tents and some people sleeping in the RV, we switched it up to keep it fair.? Ms. Bruno had the task of choosing which chaperones would join the trek. ?We decided on which adults would go by how many trips each adults had been on that year,? she explained. ?I always recommend that each adult go for two trips so they can really get a feel for the program and make sure it?s a comfortable trip for them.? On the trip, Ms. Bruno, Mr. Johnson, and a teacher from another school went on the trip. According to Ms. Bruno, the weather in Alaska was really cold in the summer. It was in the 30s and 40s. Then, somedays it could be in the 80s Sixteen people went on the trip. Some kids got sick because they didn?t layer their clothes
properly, so they were very cold. Diego Rodriguez, 7th Grader, had a great time on the trek. He said, ?My favorite part of the Alaska trip was the white water rafting. The reason that the white water rafting was my favorite part was because it was really cold and fun.? Diego continued, ?We went ziplining. We went camping. And we went to the animal preserve.? When asked about the camping part of the trip, he responded, ?When we got to the camping space we immediately made groups and who would be in each tent. After we would just start putting up tents in the camping spaces we found and we just stayed there.? Continued on page 6
In the play, the students rehearse five days a week and have over 100 hours of rehearsal time. There are many different actors that have joined this wonderful production, Riley Mandell, a sixth grad student, is one of them. Riley said, ?I wanted to join the play because I love acting and I think that it is a fun activity, and maybe someday, I will get to be in many plays. My favorite part about acting is that, I get to express my feelings in front of an audience.? In the play, Riley is the cook and said, ?In the play I die so it will be fun to watch." Marielle Netkin is also one of the actors in the play. She is a sixth grade student, and she said, ?I really enjoy acting and I think I am good at acting. In fifth grade, I was Violet in Willy Wonka and at camp I have been the leads a couple times. Including that, I really enjoy rehearsing because you get a snack and can watch everybody else rehearse. I am three roles in the play, I am a maid, agent, and killer.? Another sixth grade student, Brooks Spurdle is also in the play. He is a police officer and burglar. He said, ?I wanted to join the play because it has been my passion since I was four. I like acting because I can change my personality for an hour or two.? Lastly, he said, ?I have so much fun when I rehearse. I really enjoy seeing the process it takes for the play to come together.? An eighth grade student, Olivia Brennan plays Yvette, the head maid. She said, ?I am super interested in the arts and theater, and when I saw this play coming up, I decided I would try out! With that, I really love acting and rehearsing is super fun too.? Olivia has been at MCDS for 10 years! Brianna Sabogal, a sixth grade student plays a singing telegram in the play. Brianna said, ?I have been acting since I was young and I thought the play would be extremely awesome. I also like rehearsing too. Although, I don?t really enjoy waiting, but it?s cool to watch everyone practice as
well. This is also my third year here at MCDS. Eighth grader Esther Ohev-Zion said, "The show was amazing, and all the actors were great!" English teacher Ms. Seidel loved the show. She said, "It was fantastic to see so many students on stage in such a complex show."
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COEPcont'd Jack Pizzo, 7th Grader, said his favorite part of the trek was camping because ?it was really fun camping with my friends.? Jack really enjoyed the white water rafting part of the trip. He said, ?It was really fun. There were different levels, which made it really fun. You get to go on rip tides, and you sit on opposite sides of the boat and you turn that way. Everybody gets a chance to go and everybody gets wet and it's just really fun.? Steve Mathes, Director of the Middle School, explained a bit about COEP?s history at MCDS. He said that COEP stands for Comprehensive Outdoor Education Program. It was was developed many years ago by former COEP director Mr. Charlie Bates. Initially COEP wasn?t even a class; it was just a club. Then it was a class; then it was a class with an actual curriculum. It is a class in which kids learn about the outdoors. They learn about safety. They learn about first aid. They learn how to pitch tents. They learn how to make a fire. They go on the field on the weekends and they are required to go on one trip out of the eight during the year, but a lot of
them do all eight. The summer trek is open to anyone, not just those who take COEP.. The entire COEP program is a part of tuition, but the summer trek has a fee. Torreya, which is Ms. Bruno?s trek name, had worked with Mr. Bates as an assistant, and then eventually she took Jack and Julian Pizzo enjoyed their time on the over the program COEP trek to Alaska. when he left. Mr. Mathes said COEP has changed a lot over the years. According to Mr. Mathes, COEP has gone through different stages of popularity. COEP being introduced to the lower school. After being introduced, it gained lots of popularity. This year, all COEP classes are completely full.
Spain meets Miami B Y A LEX POOL
PHOTO BY MS. B RUNO He called it ?a signature program.? According to Mr. Mathes, a signature program means it?s one of those programs that are unique to Miami Country Day School. It has its own cove, its own building, a room, and an outside area. It appears in a lot of our publications because of all the great things they are doing. You can go to two dozen schools in South Florida, but not many have a program like COEP.
Mr. Mathes is thrilled with COEP?s success.
Every year, students come from Spain to spend 2-3 weeks at Miami Country Day. Each visiting student has a shadow who leads them around the school for most of the day.
One student in the 8th grade, Mia Finvarb, was shadowed by Mario. She said she liked hosting him very much. But, every year the visiting students always come at the beginning of the year because that is the only time they can come before school starts. That can be a challenge sometimes. Michael Finny, dean of middle school, said that the one thing that is challenging is having it in the beginning of the school year because that is when school is starting and it can be difficult to add more students for a couple of weeks. ?I know sometimes it can be difficult for us, definitely for the 8th grade teachers, because it's the beginning of the school year and we are adding more kids to the classroom. So I think if we could have it we would move it (to later on in the year). But they
Middle School welcomes new teachers This year, many new teachers have joined our school to start their new teaching careers. All these new teachers have traveled from different states, B Y CHLOE cities, and schools to start their SHAPIRO new journey here at Miami Country Day. We truly admire our new teachers and how well they have already taught us this past month.
interview and demo lesson. She stated, ?I really enjoyed my time here and the people I worked with and I think they liked me.? Lastly, Ms. Xue exclaimed, ?I enjoy teaching because when I teach young students, it impacts our generation.?
Ms. Quattro used to teach at a K-8 school where she used to live, in Washington D.C. The school that she taught at was called Sheridan. Ms.Quattro decided to start teaching These teachers have come from all sorts of in high school. When she was in highschool different places. No matter how far, they never she taught at an art preschool as an assistant. gave up on joining our MCDS She stated, ?I always knew that I community. " I love MCDS so far enjoyed working as a teacher.? She said that it wasn?t until graduate Ms. Hongyi Xue, Middle School because of the school when I combined Studio Art digital literacy teacher, came culture, with a teaching degree. all the way from Austin, Texas. environment, nice When Ms.Quattro was looking for people, and food." a job, she noticed that MCDS had Ms. Olan Quattro, the new a job offer for Middle School art. middle school art teacher - Ms. Ehinger She?s been at the school before, so moved from Washington D.C. she knew what she was expecting. Ms. Laura Rizzo, the new middle school So, she came to MCDS is in April for an drama teacher, moved here from New Jersey. interview, and then that was when they offered her the job. All these teachers have also claimed that they have been enjoying MCDS so far with the time they have spent here. Mrs. Kelly Brill and Mrs. Karin Davis didn?t travel far, because they used to teach in our lower school. Ms. Xue first decided to become a teacher at the end of 2013. When she used to live in Austin, she taught Chinese at a public school. In June, Ms. Xue was looking for good schoolwork. Online, she found out that Miami Country Day was looking for a tech teacher. She came to the school and did an outside
MCDS also welcomed a new guidance counselor. Ms. Maxwell decided to become a guidance counselor when she was in high school. She has always enjoyed helping people out with some of their personal problems. Before coming to MCDS, Ms. Max, as she likes to be called, worked as a counselor and director of diversity and inclusion at All Saints Academy in Winter Haven, Florida.
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can?t move it because they need to come before their school year starts.? Mia says that it wasn't hard for her to have it in the beginning of the year and she liked every part of it. The one thing she found difficult for her being a shadow was where to meet in the morning to find Mario. Arianna Castellon, who is also an eighth grade student and a host, said that one thing she recommends for hosts next year is that it is important to get to know the Spanish student. Also, Ginger Jacob in the eighth grade said that it is critical to stay with them and give them specific directions on where to go. One great thing about this trip is that it is similar each year. Same amount of days and at the same time of the year. This year, Hurricane Dorian caused us to miss a couple of days of school. Mari Lizama, the Spanish students?English teacher who came with them to Miami Country Day, said ?They have been home for two days (her students) that they would've loved to have been coming to the school. But, we did the best we could.? Ms. Lizama used to work at MCDS, and that's how the program started. Ms. Lizama said as to what could be better for next year is, ?No hurricane. That way they can have their whole 12 days here.
Ms. Max decided to come to MCDS towards the end of the 2018-2019 school year to experience a new school and Miami. Ms. Max stated, ?I love helping students learn the skills of resilience so that they can resolve any problems that affect how they function as a student.?
Above: Ms. Hongyi Xue PHOTOS BY CHLOE Below: Mrs. Kelly Brill SHAPIRO
The middle school is fortunate to have TWO guidance counselors now. When Ms. Brooke Ehinger was younger her little sister had a lot of trouble in school and she enjoyed helping her. Before coming to MCDS, she was a guidance counselor for a kindergarten to fifth-grade school, in Aventura. ?I love MCDS
Basically, everything else here they love so I wouldn't change anything. The students are very friendly and they make them feel right at home? the teachers are also great.? The hurricane affected the amount of days the students got here causing the trip to be slightly different. But Ms. Lizama was able to get an extra day by going to school the day they were flying back on. One thing people might wonder is why the Spanish students come to Miami, but Miami Country Day's students don't go to Spain. One reason is because the students who come here are Ms. Lizama's private students. That's why only eight came this year. But if we were to send students to Spain, how would we choose who to send? That is the problem with the idea. Mr. Finny says, ?Because the GATEway program sends kids to Europe and to Spain and Canada, we never have and probably won't send kids to Spain on an exchange program. The GATEway program works because it sends kids to a variety of places and the school isn't choosing because the students have to sign up.
New Teachers cont'd so far because of the culture, environment, nice people, and food,? said Ms. Ehinger. ?I enjoy being a guidance counselor because I enjoy developing relationships with families and watching them grow.? Some teachers aren?t so new to MCDS. Ms. Brill, 6th grade STEM teacher, and digital literacy teacher, actually transferred from our lower school here at MCDS. She claimed that she wanted to move up to Middle School for a while but there was no opening. When she saw that there was an open spot for STEM, she immediately pursued the chance. Ms. Brill said, ?STEM is one of my favorite subjects. Since I became a teacher, I have always been passionate about STEM.? Lastly, Ms. Rizzo is also new to
Left: Ms. Brooke Ehinger Right: Ms. Laura Rizzo
our MCDS community. Ms. Rizzo was enlisted to come and do a lesson with students in drama. She said, ?I have always loved Miami, and when I came here and met the students and experienced the school, I knew it was the right place for me.? Before Ms. Rizzo came to Miami, she was a high school theater teacher in New Jersey. She stated, ?New Jersey is different because we have lots of snow and everything runs a lot faster.?
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Inclusion Matters iBelong seeks dialogue, understanding
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?iBelong is an initiative at Miami Country Day education, he gave bananas School to create a community that is more to an old woman, and he welcoming for all students,? explains Mr. helped someone with their Michael Fallik, 8th grade Civics teacher and food stand. The question iBelong founder and coordinator. ?We want was, why would he do that? It students of all backgrounds, religions, and all is because of what came out of it. At the end, all the things kinds of diversity that we have at country day. he did helped all We want everyone to feel like " If you ever need these people. miami country day school is something that you their home.?
are too afraid or Mr. Fallik helps run iBelong The activities at along with Nadine Olayinka worried to tell the assembly Maxwell and Brooke Ehinger, anyone, you can tell were talking the new middle school guidance about us.? counselors. iBelong started experiences, seven years ago when it was - Peer Helper, and a stand up brought to some teachers? Rainen O'Kurley sit down activity. attention that the middle school First, the middle needed a program to bring students together school was asked to share to talk about different issues. an experience they had when iBelong covers many topics. Current ninth someone acted kind toward grader and former middle school peer them. A couple of students counselor, Nicolas De La Cadena, talks about shared their experience iBelong and what it was last year. ?Last year Then, there was an activity. we would talk about modern issues relating to Mr. Fallik asked everyone middle school students. We did this through questions and the students open conversations, videos, and people either stood up if it applied to sharing past experiences. I encourage them or sat down if it didn't. everyone to attend coffee houses. Try it out at Some questions were have least once! You meet kind people and have a Ms. Linda Chambers is the new Diversity Coordinator.. you ever felt included or have great time. You never know if you like you ever felt judged. who feel the same,? said Rainen. ?If you ever something unless you try it.? need something that you are too afraid or Peer counselor Rainen O?Kurley talked about To kick off the year, there was an iBelong worried to tell anyone, you can tell us. We his experience being new during the middle assembly with the whole middle school. We promise to keep you anonymous and if you school iBelong meeting. According to Rainen, did different activities including watching two need help.? it?s normal to be insecure and care about videos, doing an interactive activity, and having friends. That might not be the case for listening to Mr. Fallik and peer counselors. everyone, but definitely some. Continued on next page One of the videos at the assembly was about ?The peer counselors don?t have to be your a person who gave up so much of what he best friend, but you had to help others. Everyone thought he was can think of a crazy for doing so. He gave money to a girl for gateway to other kids
iBelong cont'd Peer counselors are an important part of iBelong. They bring iBelong outside of the monthly meetings. They are there to help if needed. Also, they are at all the meetings to help. Once a month iBelong meets in what they call ?coffeehouses.? October 3rd was the first iBelong coffeehouse of the year. At it, there was an activity for iBelong. The activity was the students had to write about a time when they felt excluded. Then, they crumbled it up and threw their paper across the classroom. Everyone then had a different paper. The students read aloud and then moved on to the next part. Next, the students wrote about a time when they felt included. The students crumbled it up. Then, they had to throw that across the classroom as well. Some were read aloud. In this activity, it was shown through students different times people have felt included and excluded. Also, a time to reflect. A current sixth grade students Jacob Gilinski said, ?iBelong makes people feel included and make people happier.? Then, he talked about the iBelong activity they did. According to Jacob, the activity was a way for him to
express his feelings without having to talk about it. This year, there is a new diversity coordinator at school. Her name is Linda Chambers. She is new to iBelong and what it is. According to Ms. Chambers, she thinks iBelong is a great program and that it's great that Miami Country Day provides a safe place to talk about all different topics including inclusivity, identity, and challenges related to identity. A question Ms. Chambers left us to think about is, ?That is the real question of iBelong and what we are trying to achieve is are we really
aware of who we have in our campus, how different and how similar we are to each other. And if we are different, how do we deal with differences??
Hurricane Dorian misses Miami, devastates Bahamas In the first few weeks of school on Labor Day weekend, Miami had a huge scare. Hurricane Dorian was expected to come and hit Miami as a category 4 B Y A NGELINA or 5 storm. Everyone was trying to prepare as much as B ELIN they could. The school and everybody else living in Miami and South Florida had to prepare for this hurricane. The people were trying to do as much as they can to protect their houses and their families. People were stocking up on water and food and other necessary supplies. Businesses and residents put up barricades in front of their windows to protect from flying objects that could break a window and damage the house or building. In South Beach, people were gathering sandbags to stop flooding inside the building. Miami Country Day School had done all of these preparation steps to protect our learning environment. The expected way of the storm to head was to go directly towards Miami. But we were
fortunate enough that the storm didn?t hit us directly. Miami didn't get any harsh winds of bad weather. On the coast of South Carolina and Jacksonville, they got hit hard. Hurricane Dorian wrecked the Bahamas by being there for twenty-four hours. Mr. Finny said, ?If Hurricane Dorian would have stayed on top of us as it did to the Bahamas it would have been devastating.? People Who lived in the Bahamas were first trying to recover from Hurricane Irma which was a category four. Mr Fallik said he was relieved that the hurricane didn?t hit Miami, but he added, ?My relief was someone's suffering. It?s just devastating what happened in the Bahamas. I?m glad Miami Country Day School is working to help our neighbors.? One student said, ?I liked the break, but I was a little bit feeling sad for the Bahamas because they got hit so viciously.? As some of the students have been wondering
if the days of school are going to be added to your summer vacation. Well, we have a certain amount of days to make a school year a full school year, so what we have done is we have extra days of school that can be taken away for hurricane or anything if needed. Most students liked the break that we have. Sixth grader Michelle Pontchek said, ?The break was a time to relax and hope for the best for everyone. We couldn?t have done anything to help the Bahamas except for the fundraising that we are doing at The school, which I support very much.? Miami Country Day collected supplies from students and parents every morning at carpool. They collected shampoo, clothes, blankets, water, and canned food. They shipped it to the Bahamas to help the people that had to go through that horrible storm. Hurricane Dorian was tragic and no one one the earth would want to have gone through that stage of Hurricane Dorian.
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GATEway is going to Puerto Rico!
Sports
B Y B ROGHAN MUHLIG
Gateway Jr is going to Puerto Rico! Gateway Jr is one of the programs that MCDS is able to offer its students. It is run by Mr. Glen Turf, who also runs Gateway in the upper school. He says he brought it to the middle school because he felt that everybody should be exposed to the world, and that doesn?t just start at age 14.
When talking about the process of planning the itinerary, Mr. Turf said, ?It is us, the people that have been, that know the students, and us thinking what could complement what students do at school, what our student body would enjoy doing, what would they learn from the experience. So it's thinking of things that are off the beaten path and things that the regular tourist would not see.?
Gateway Jr is an experience where each year, students in the middle school go to different Though the things the students do on GATEway Jr countries and do activities to embrace the culture. are different for each destination, there are some The first year, Gateway Jr went to Quebec but they things they do that are similar. Andrea were originally supposed to go to Puerto Rico. The Bravo-Contreras is an 8th grader and 2-year reason why they didn't go was that the terrible Gatemate. She said, ?Every year we see animals, category 5 hurricane, Hurricane and the animals we see are usually " I would recommend Maria, hit Puerto Rico that cute.? For Canada, Gateway Jr saw it to ever yone... September. The reason why he sled dogs, and for Panama, they saw wanted to do Puerto Rico the first liter ally ever yone." monkeys. Each year, they also cook a year was because he felt it would dish that is a part of that country. August Bicknell be a good introduction to traveling, Andrea said that her favorite thing is even if it is technically part of the being with friends and learning about US. the culture. Mr.Turf said, ?I thought that the combination of Mateah Scher is an 8th grader and a 1-year their Latin and Spanish ancestry along with the Gatemate. Similar to Andrea, Mateah says her ?ease of traveling?within the US without needing a favorite thing is going to foreign countries without passport or change of money would be a good her parents but with her friends. entree into the world of travel for that age group.? August said that talking to people he doesn't really Even though there was a last-minute change in talk to at school is one of his favorite things about destination, members of the GATEway family GATEway Jr. (Gatemates) seemed to enjoy Canada. August Like August said, GATEway Jr is a great way to Bicknell is an 8th grader and 2-year Gatemate. He become friends with middle schoolers you don't seemed particularly enthusiastic about the itinerary know or ones you are on good terms with. Mateah in Canada calling it such an amazing experience. shared a story where someone who wasn't usually Mr. Turf says that the GATEway program does not so friendly to her bought her a cookie. There are so use a third party provider when planning the many memories and stories to be made in itinerary and that they plan the trip themselves. GATEway Jr, and here are some examples from
Gatemates. Mateah said her favorite memory was when she played games on the Panama Canal with her friends. August says his favorite memory would have to be the dog sledding in Canada. Mrs. Pekoc is a 7th-grade teacher and one of the chaperones for GATEway Jr. Her favorite memory was going to the islands in Panama, seeing the Hotel Château Frontenac in Quebec, and the snowball fights in Montreal, Canada. Andrea shared a horrible experience while riding on kayaks in Panama: ?So first of all, our boat was cramped and none of us knew how to row properly. We got stuck in seaweed several times and we had to get pulled out by a motorboat, but then we went headfirst into a giant mangrove and then giant spiders fell on top of us. Not like I have arachnophobia or anything.? Even though she was traumatized by this experience, she says she will never forget it as one of her favorite memories in Gateway Jr. If you are now considering doing Gateway Jr. Puerto Rico, then listen to what the Gatemates have to say. August said, ?I would recommend it to everyone, literally everyone... I would recommend it because it?s something new, something that's out of this world that you will just love to do, even if you only do it once. ? Andrea said, ?I would recommend it as long as you?re comfortable going somewhere for a week and you like the activities that are going to take place.?
MStries new backpack policy B Y B ROGHAN MUHLIG
This year, the middle school has enacted a new packpack policy, allowing for clear backpacks during the school day. Mr. Finny, the middle school dean of students, said, ?We haven't decided to keep it forever. We want to see how this year goes and then makes adjustments to see how next year goes like that.? Now how can the students use the backpacks? Well, according to Mr. Finny, cell phones can?t be in the backpacks. They have to stay in the lockers. In class the backpacks have to be put under the chair or under the desk so they are not in the way, and at break and at lunch the backpacks can?t be left laying around. ?As I made clear at the beginning of the year because this is something that we are allowing, if those rules are violated the students may lose their privileges of having the backpacks,? explained Mr. Finny. ?Because we are trying to keep their things safe, we are trying to make the campus look nicer, and it doesn't look nice when there are backpacks all over the place.? Mr. Finny also talked about how people can trip over backpacks, which also is something that 8th grader, Maddy Bram, said was her biggest concern with the backpacks. She said, ?I?ve seen people trip, I?ve tripped, but I think it's better to trip over a backpack with a backpack then tripping with a computer in your hands and cracking your screen.? Eighth grade student Gabriel Daiberl said that the problem he is seeing with the backpacks is that some students are carrying their phones around in
their backpacks. Also, when asking about what he would change anything about the new rule, he said, ?I feel that we should have personalized backpacks because I have a big computer that I bring to school and it just barely fits in the clear backpacks so it's difficult to bring to school every day.? While Maddy Bram also shared an interest in changing the backpacks that are allowed, she talked about letting students having food in their backpacks. ?I would say if we could have food in our bags as long as our teacher is ok we with us eating, we should be able to carry our food around.? When talking to both the student and the dean of students, they both seem to favor the same factor of the backpack rule which is the ability to not have to go to their lockers as often. Gabriel said, ?My favorite thing about the backpacks is that I don't have to constantly go back to the lockers because I don't walk really fast so I would end up late to class a lot.? When talking about why he decided to make this change, Mr. Finny said, ?One of the reasons we decided to bring some form of backpacks back to the middle school was to help the kids who have to go from PE to Spanish not have to go back to their lockers so they can go straight from A to B.? Mr. Finny also said that he decided to make this change because the student officers have been asking him to bring back the backpacks for many years now. So, when talking about bringing back backpacks in a meeting, the concern was
supposedly the cellphones and also the ability to bring things that shouldn't be brought to class. ?We decided on the option, which Coach Watson and Mrs. Greenfield first suggested,? explained Mr. Finny. ?That?s why we tried clear backpacks. That way the teachers have a sense of what's inside the kid's backpacks in class.?
Varsity golf includes middle schooler
B Y L UCAS B ACARDI SHRIFTMAN
Alexandra Pool is the only middle schooler on the Miami Country Day Girls Varsity Golf Team. She is in eighth grade, and this is her first year on the golf team and at Miami Country Day. The Miami Country Day Girls Varsity Golf Team has only two members, Alex and Sabrina Cabarcos, a senior.
Coach P gives Alex advice that makes her more confident and helps her do better in matches. Alex said that Coach. P is a great coach because he has been really nice to her. Coach. P said that Alex's overall game is amazing, but she just needs practice playing in Florida.
One would think being the only middle schooler on the golf team is challenging because she is the youngest, but Alex said that her teammate is really nice to her. Alex prefers working in a team better than playing by herself, even though golf is an individual sport the team makes it more fun.
Before golf, Alex was a gymnast. Her parents wanted her to stop because there were too many injuries. Alex likes golf better than gymnastics.
The season started on August fifth and ends on October 25. This season the golf team did really well. Brian Parizo, the coach of the girls varsity team, said that in Alex's first match she did very well and shot an 80 in an 18 hole match, which is outstanding for her first high school match. It was an Archbishop Mccarthy tournament.
can't wait for you to be on the team next year! Good luck Alexandra Pool!
Golf is Alex's favorite sport. She is a really passionate player and playes seven days a week. She has been playing for only three years but, she loves the sport so much. Golf is her favorite sport and it's the only sport she plays. In addition school at La Gorce Country Club and Miami Shores Golf Club. Coach P says that Alex is a wonderful addition to the team, Alex has a lot of potential. Sadly, Alex hurt her wrist and is out for the rest of the season, but she is continuing to train for her comeback next season. Miami Country Day
Volleyball attracts new players B Y DANIELLA A RANGO The game has started and the score is twenty-four to nineteen in the first set of the game. The players on the court are concentrated, doing their best, and playing with passion, while the rest of the team on the bench are cheering for them. When your on the court you feel excited, with butterflies in your stomach, but it feels great to be a part of the volleyball team. Resiliency, commitment, and love for the sport are very important things to play in a volleyball team at Miami Country Day School. Before the summer is over, players have to cut their vacation time short and prepare for the team tryouts at school. That is one of the first signs that players who want to play on the team show of being commited. What do coaches look for? What do the players think? Time and dedication are important. "The characteristic of a good volleyball player is someone who pays attention to the proper techniques and tries to do things the right way, so that when you master one skill you can go to the next and master it too," said Ochiel Swaby, coach of the volleyball team and middle school P.E. teacher. In addition to athlete?s school responsibilities, they also have to make sure they are contributing as much as they can. Making it to practice every day and working their hardest is essential. They need to be able to learn to manage they time, as they need to balance
between school work, homework, practices, games, and tournaments during weekends. Be aware as sleep becomes limited during the season. Volleyball is fun and brings great benefits. "Volleyball has impacted my life because I like being part of a team, I get to do exercise and I get to be with my friends," said eight grader Isabella Possin, a key player in the Middle School Varsity Volleyball team. However, stress is going to appear and players have to learn how to control it by thinking positively. "Volleyball has made me healthier in many ways, and also I've gotten stronger as a player and emotionally as it teaches me how to accept consequences," said sixth grader Stella Cardillo Ramos, a starting player on the Middle School Junior Varsity team. When they are on the court they want to play really well, to get engaged in the game, to feel excitement, and to contribute to the team. But the reality is that they are not perfect and they make mistakes sometimes. However it's not ok to get mad at themselves when something goes wrong when they are trying their best. "The hardest part of being in a volleyball team is when you make a mistake, and then you get so mad at yourself that you can't play well," said sixth grader Paloma Deen, who is a valuable player of the Middle School Varsity team.
Athletes dedicate time practicing during the summer, once school starts, and possibly even after the season is finished in club sports . They practice any time they can to make themselves better. Players need to be consistent, practicing whenever they can, always without sacrificing school responsibilities. "I would tell anyone who wants to get better at anything that they do, practice, put in extra time; in the off season once the season is over, join a club, get a coach, practice. It's the only thing you can do to get better," said Coach Ochiel Swaby. For players who didn't make the team, Coach Ochiel Swaby said, "Do not get discouraged! Unfortunately we have to cut. We don't enjoy cutting people, and like I said, in the off season, every single year that someone's been cut that actually worked and came back the next year, (they) always made the team 100 percent of the time." Volleyball is a competitive sport that involves working as a team, communicating with teammates, and giving your best abilities to help the team win. Making it on a team at the school is a big accomplishment. It is such a great feeling because the school community is cheering for the team, and the athletes know they have worked hard, They feel passionate about what they are a part of.
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Cross Country makes tracks This year the new middle school cross country is off to a great start. This year?s cross country team consists of student-athletes and coaches that work very hard each today and train with the best of their abilities every school day for about an hour and a half. Coach Batcheller said that all their athletes all know what to do at the beginning of practice and they all have the habit on how to start training with the warm-ups/stretches. Coach Schreffler said that each day, the team does a different workout and do different techniques to work out each strength. A common question that people ask is how do athletes balance sports with academics, especially with cross country? Well, Coach Schreffler said that the academics always comes first and that the coaches are always on top of their runners' work and make sure that their grades are in a good place.
B Y MAYA TAFUR MARTINEZ country who have earned the title of Athlete of the Week Lauren McGaffic, Carter McGaffic, Rachel Hodes, Benjamin Kaplan, Isabella Smilowitz, and Brady Lubetsky. Many of the athletes work really hard to get to the position/level that they are in now, but how did it all start and when? Well, Mallory McDonald stated that when she was younger she was told that she ran really fast and should play in cross country. Another star runner, Carter Mcgaffic said that when saw that his sister was on the team, he asked his dad if they can go for a run since then Carter realized that he had a talent for
running and ended up playing for the cross country team. One of the hardest parts about cross country during the fall season is having to work in the hot, and having to run through a long track for such a long time in the heat. One of the easiest parts is having your team motivate each step of the way, literally. Coach Hayes stated, ?Being part of a team/family who go into battle every week and our there for each other,? is what makes this sport so easy and how they all work really hard as a team.
Eighth graders Isabella Galofre (third from left) and Cristina Hernandez (sixth from left) are part of the Varsity cross country team.
The cross country team has many great running athletes who have been playing on the team for a while. Coach Schreffler said, ?That it?s exciting to see the new runners,? from the 6th grade and how they love seeing more people become part of the team. But there are some runners who mainly stand out from the crowd. The star runners who play in the middle school team for boys are Carter McGaffic, Brady Lubetsky, Benjamin Kaplan, and Jaxson Cooper. The girl star runners on the team would be Isabella Smilowitz, Isabella Galofre, Mallory Mcdonald, and Cristina Hernandez. Coach Hayes stated, ?Both teams are improved with the girls being ranked in the States. The following people are the athletes in cross
Swim to first When the B Y A NGELINA B ELIN summer ended, new inspired and pumped-up 6th graders and new middle school students went to the middle school swim team for a great and exciting experience. ?Every year it is exciting to see the new middle school students who want to be on the swim team,? stated Coach Eric Scheingoltz, the head coach of the middle school swim team. Coach Eric explained about his experience with the new 6th graders on the team. He said, "The new 6th graders on the team have come with a lot of experience." Sixth graders are excited to join the swim team. Some of the middle school swimmers said that the swim team is a lot of fun, and they do a lot of great activities. The Middle School swim team meets up after school, six times a week for practice which is on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The middle school swim team take their swimming very seriously, as the swim team also practices every morning on Saturdays to improve and get stronger, and as quoted by Coach Eric "Swimming is a sport where you do a lot of work, and to get better you have to train and practice." The Warm-ups before practices consist of freestyle,
butterfly, Backstrokes, breaststroke, sidestroke, and front crawl. The practice consists of relays, races, training, and other fun active competitions.
?Yeah, I love it,? said Coach Eric about the team. ?The new sixth graders are a lot of fun, and they are really good.? The coaches think that this year will be a good season and that the team has very good competitions. Some of the more experienced swimmers whether they are 8th, 7th, or 6th graders are very versatile so they can swim a lot of meets. ?It is very fun and competitive," said Natalia Fernadez, a swimming participant in the sixth grade. ?The coaches also actually teach the team how to get better, physically and mentally. They also, help you with the different types of strokes." Many of the other swimmers said they like it because it is hard and fun at the same time. One swimmer said he chose swimming because it is a fun and competitive sport. ?You can also, unlike some other sports, keep swimming until the day you die,? one swimmer explained. ?My grandmother who is 80 years old still swims laps. You can also keep the same swimming techniques forever. And I chose swimming because swimming is a great way to keep fit, stay healthy, and make friends." The middle school swim team makes an environment to have fun, socialize and learn how to get better at swimming. They enjoy to go to
Right: Victoria Labzina enjoys swimming. swimming competition and they perform really good. The Middle school kids who participate love the teamspirit and have a lot of fun swimming and with each other. The swim coaches love the swim team and the kids that are in the team. Coach Zoe the assistant coach stated " I love the kids they are fun to be with for most of the week." At the time of publication, the boys' middle school swim team has a record of two wins to three losses. The girls swim team has a record of one win and four losses. The following swimmers have been athlete of the week: Hannah Webb, Sidney Lydecker, Evan Hurwitz, and Miguel Escobar.