The Falcon Chronicle March 18, 2016
Volume 1, Issue 6
Remembering Ms. Wiley-LaBerth Ms. Wiley was an AMAZING person! Everyone felt that way. Anyone could talk to her about anything and she would always understand. Everyone loved her because she was always so welcoming. She made you feel like you’ve known her forever. During our last community time, the school dedicated a whole community time to her. It contained a group of 8th grade girls singing, a 5th grader singing with Mr. Newman playing the piano, two 8th grade girls dancing, and a slide show of Ms. Wiley, with Mr. Carr singing. His singing was beautiful and the slide show had pictures of Ms. Wiley - it was hard to watch. No one can believe she is really gone. The main idea of that ceremony was to say that we all love Ms. Wiley and that she will always be missed.
As we all know, the month of February is Black History Month. Black History Month is a time where all African Americans celebrate the lives of their ancestors who fought long and hard for equality and freedom. At Philip’s Academy, we make sure to thoroughly celebrate this great month! One way we acknowledge Black History month is at Day 5’s Community Time. Different videos informing kids about Black History are shown. Such as Kid President and a song by Run DMC. A fourth grader, Kai Bryant memorized a children’s book, and performed it (full of excitement and drama!) to the whole school. Also, two of our many talented staff, Mr.Carr, and Ms.Maggie sang a duet to ¨Ain’t no mountain High Enough¨ by Marvin Gaye. They did such a great job. Who knew we had so much talent in this school? On The 26 of February will be the final Kaylah Coleman performances with the annual finale of Black History month. During this time there will be singing, poems read, dances, skits and more. It will occur during 7th and 8th period. All students of all ages (not just upper school) will be performing - and they have been working very hard since January to make this event one of the best. Invite your parents to come see it! The more the merrier! It will be an event that will not be forgotten! Naa Afoley
The Falcon Chronicle
www.pacsnewark.org Page 02 WHAT’S NEW @ PACS Is Valentines Day a Pointless Holiday? Joshua Bradley in the Teaching Kitchen with Collard Greens
February is the time to appreciate loved ones and eat a lot of chocolate. Valentine’s Day happens to be my favorite holiday because it’s just SO amazing. Everybody is happy and there is so much candy and love. People give and receive thoughtful gifts, flowers, and teddy bears. Some people think Valentine’s Day is a pointless holiday. In Latin America, Valentine’s Day is just a time to appreciate friendship. Advertisers promote Valentine’s Day as a holiday that celebrates couples and close friends, leaving people without a partner, VERY sad and lonely. A lot of people are wrapped around the fact that they are single and do not have anyone to spend Valentine’s Day with, but it is okay for your friend to be your valentine or even to be your own valentine. Let’s be like the Latin Americans and celebrate friendship! In conclusion, Valentine’s Day should not be considered a pointless holiday because it is whatever you make out of it. Hope you enjoyed the day here at PACS! Kaya Moody
MORE IN THE TEACHING KITCHEN AT PACS What a fun month it has been in the teaching kitchen at PACS! We started off with our Recipe of the Month, which was a Collard Green and Cornbread Cook-Off that will be judged by Miss Vanessa. Many classes came to the teaching kitchen to learn about Black History Month, the roots of collard greens, and the Black Renaissance while enjoying a plate full of sautéed greens and warm cornbread muffin straight out of the oven. Yum! Then, the 7th graders had a blast making Applesauce Cookies while learning about the Civil War with Mr. Farrell. Delicious! The Recipe of the Month for March is Moroccan Lentil Stew and students will be learning about Morocco, a beautiful North African country with many cultural, historical, and literary ties to our curriculum. Hayley Klein
The recipe of the month at PACS was collard greens with beans, and Joshua Bradley, a 7th grader here at PACS was inspired to “try out something new.” He had an idea to see if he could make a dish with raw collard greens. He thought about various ingredients to use such as vinegar, salt, sugar, and oil. He washed and cut the collard greens, and used his ingredients to make a salad dressing. Ultimately, when all was said and done, Joshua was successful in making his very own Joshua Bradley vinaigrette with collard greens. He tasted it, he said, that very day, and in his own words, “it was delicious!” He also shared it with the whole class and it was devoured in seconds! Kaylah Coleman
The Falcon Chronicle www.pacsnewark.org Page 03 ENTERTAINMENT & FASHION & POLITICS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION #OSCARS SO WHITE The Presidential Race is well underway and it's still anybody's race! The current candidates are Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, John Kasich, Ben Carson, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders. As you may know the current fan favorite is Donald Trump. He currently won Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Connecticut, Arizona, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Montana, Arkansas, Louisiana, Indiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and West Virginia. Although on the other side, the Democratic side is Hillary Clinton winning by a landslide. It is speculated that the presidential election may come down to Clinton vs. Trump. In my opinion, I would much rather see Hillary Clinton win. But, of course I can’t vote yet. It’s not like I have something against Donald Trump… well maybe I do. Donald Trump just has no regard for people religion or beliefs. I just can’t see him winning the Presidential Elections. Who knows what would happen to the U.S if Donald Trump became president!? In conclusion, the Presidential Elections are going to be a drawn out one with many possibilities on who may win!
As everyone may know the Oscars is a big event for most actors, but this year a group of actors were not happy about the Oscars lack of diversity. Many famous people in the movie industry boycotted the Oscars, like Spike Lee, Will Smith and Jaden Pinkett-Smith. They boycotted, because of the 20 actors nominated this year for a Best Actor or Supporting Actor Award, all of them were white, and for the second year in a row, not a single actor nominated for an Oscar was black. To be honest, I am very outraged by this because I am an African American. Not to mention, this is Black History Month! But, I am happy to say that that the Oscars had an 8-year low and part of this was because of the Civil Rights activist, Al Sharpton, calling for a tune out. Chris Rock, the host of the show, tried to talk about this and make it a less serious matter. But to be honest, the Oscars shows the world that African Americans and other people of color do not get opportunities. For example, this year Michael B. Jordan starred in a movie called Creed, and many people were outraged that Michael B. Jordan was not nominated for best actor. Chris Rock the host even talked about this in the Oscars. In conclusion, this matter is starting to get even worse because it really seems like people of color never get nominated or never get opportunities that white people get. This is a hard subject to talk about, but to summarize #BLACKLIVESMATTER.
Justin McDonald George Okongwu
LUXURY HOMES I’ve had a little interest in luxury homes for a while now. They look very nice and futuristic, and they are also often really private, in a place hidden from the general public. They also include really cool features, too. With a touch of a button on your smartphone, you can unlock your doors, turn your alarm system on and off, alter your thermometer, and control lights! Technology isn’t the only thing that makes these houses pop. There are other things also. Many of these luxury homes have over 11,000 square feet, consisting of very long, crazy designed pools, lots of yard space (front and back), spa bathrooms, game and theatre rooms, wine cellars, outdoor kitchens and the list just goes on and on and on! Jordan McMillan
The Falcon Chronicle
www.pacsnewark.org SPORTS PAGE
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ALL STAR WEEKEND February 12th, 2016 started All Star Weekend which took place in Ontario, Canada. First, was the Celebrity Game, and there were a lot of big names in the music and acting business - both in the arena and playing on the court. The game was also funny because Kevin Hart, an actor, was there. In the first half, he was coaching, and then, in the second half, he was playing in the game. And man, let me tell you, that was hilarious! Drake was also coaching the Canadian team which is also his hometown. Luckily, Drake’s team came out with the win. The next day, was the Rookie showcase, which means Rookies and 2nd year players play in one game. It was an exciting game because Kristpas Porzingis, a Knicks forward, dropped 30 points. The next day, was the Skills challenge with Karl Anthony Towns, a power forward for the Timberwolves, and he had a shocking win! He actually won against Isaiah Thomas! Then, there was the 3 point competition during the Finals. It was Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, and, surprisingly, Klay Thompson won.
Super Bowl 50 It was the DENVER Broncos versus the CAROLINA Panthers in the 50th Super Bowl. There was big hype for the game and many creative commercials. A lot of people thought the Panthers were going to win, but in the end, the Broncos came out victorious. The score was 10 to 24! The Broncos came into this game as the underdogs and came out victorious. The Broncos defense was just unstoppable, and the Panthers were not ready. Cam Newton left the press conference after overhearing a Broncos cornerback talking, and he got mad. Some people said he was a really sore loser, but it is really hard to take a loss like that. Ultimately, this was a great Super Bowl to watch because the Broncos won in a very surprising way! Brandon David
The best part, in my opinion, was the dunk contest and it was Zach Lavine versus Aaron Gordon. It was a good dunk contest, but Zach Lavine won. However, I think Aaron should have won - he got robbed! His dunks were better than Lavine’s, but he still didn’t win. Lastly, was the All Star game. It was Kobe Bryant’s last All Star game, and he was honored at the game. Paul George dropped 41 points, and he was 1 point short of breaking the All Star Game record. East came out with the win, but the win doesn’t even matter because it really is just a fun game to watch! Overall, the All Star Game was worth watching! Travis Derival
The Falcon Chronicle
www.pacsnewark.org
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2015-2016 PACS INTRAMURAL STANDINGS 5TH GRADE 6TH GRADE TEAM Syracuse Hawaii TCU Arizona State Syracuse
W 3
L 0
T 0
PF 0
1 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 SCORES & SCHEDULES 15 TCU
PA 0 0 0 0 9
11/10 Florida 11/18 Georgia Tech 12/1 Georgia Tech 12/9 Alabama 1/11 Georgia Tech 1/20 Alabama
Arizona State
11
Hawaii
10
Arizona State
7
Syracuse
11
TCU Arizona State
17 7
Hawaii TCU
18 9
Syracuse
17 TH
Hawaii
7
TEAM Ohio State Pittsburgh Notre Dame Michigan Notre Dame Michigan
7
W
GRADE
L
T
TEAM Georgia Tech Alabama Baylor Florida
Georgia Tech
PF
PA
2 0 0 35 1 1 0 19 1 1 0 22 0 2 0 22 SCORES & SCHEDULES 12 Pittsburgh 16 Ohio State
26 18 29 25
W 2
PF 26
PA 16
1 1 0 26 1 1 0 26 0 2 0 12 SCORES & SCHEDULES 7 Alabama 12
22 26 26
11 17
11/20 12/3 Illinois
T 0
12
Baylor
11
14
Florida
5
11/1 1 11/1 9 12/2
14 23
Baylor Florida
15 21
12/10 1/12
13 13
1/21 1/29
15 Baylor 14 Alabama TH
8 TEAM Illinois Oregon LSU Rutgers
L 0
GRADE
W L T 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 SCORES & SCHEDULES 20 LSU
PF 27 27 26 12
PA 8 30 33 21
8
11/1 3 12/4 12/1 4 1/6
Ohio State Michigan
18 6
Notre Dame Pittsburgh
10 8
12/11 Oregon 1/5 Illinois
14 7
Rutgers Rutgers
12 0
Michigan
14
Ohio-State
13
1/13 Oregon
13
LSU
18
Pittsburgh
23
Notre Dame
21
1/22 Illinois
18
Oregon
Michigan
13
Pittsburgh
10
2/1 Rutgers Illinois
0 TBA
LSU LSU
6
1/14
7 TBA
1/25 TBA
The Falcon Chronicle
www.pacsnewark.org FICTION CORNER
Bad Day at School
Page 06 Our Legacy, Our Life!
Glitter loves school. Recess is the best but there is one problem, she is bad at school! One teacher called her up at recess! “I need to tell you,’ the teacher stared. “You are being very bad at school. Talking while I am talking is not acceptable. I am very disappointed in you,” said the teacher sadly. “I feel I can’t keep up with you. Here is a note that I want you to take to your parents. Let them sign.” Glitter gasped. “But!” she said. “But I don’t like notes! I hate them!” ‘Do not say the word hate,” said the teacher. Glitter groaned. ‘What’s her problem,’ she thought. “What am I going to do!” she said with anger. Glitter went home still thinking, ‘What am I going to do with this note.’ “I’m a failure,” she said, banging her fist on the table. “Urgh,” she said. “What if,” she started, “no, that couldn’t work. Maybe I could throw it in the garbage?” She asked herself. But she made one mistake… “I’ve got it,” she said. “I will not show my parents. They won’t even notice what’s wrong.” Glitter thought she would never get caught. Then she remembered about signing the note! “What can I do,” she said. ‘I’ll just learn how to sign,’ she thought with ease. Her parents came home. “Hi mom, hi dad,” she said. “This time I did not get a note,” Glitter lied. Glitter moved quietly across the room, hoping she wouldn’t get caught … Then, Glitter remembers about telling the truth. “Oh no,” says Glitter. “I lied,” she whispered. “What?” said her mother. Glitter ran to her room. She locked the door. She thought, ‘I can’t go to school.’ “My friends won’t see me, though,” she said sadly. “I have to tell the truth.” “Honey!” said Glitter’s mom. “It’s time,” Glitter whispered to herself. Glitter went down the stairs. ‘I’m ready,’ she thought. “Mom, I lied when I said that I did not have a note,” she began. “I’m very sorry about that.” “I am glad you told me,” her mother said. Glitter had no more pressure in her, since she let it all out. She felt fine going to school. She learned this lesson, “Never tell lies.”
Amanda Walker 2nd Grade
Living in this world of poverty Trying to make a better way Hoping that our children will Grow up and see more brighter days. Finding their ribbon in the sky, Knowing there is a reason for Every who, what, where, and why? Searching for answers to our Problems, wishing dreams did Come true Asking every question to all the Things we must do. Our legacy, our life The struggling and strife Our own minds’ eye, cutting Deep within us, like a sharp knife. We as a people, have a come a Long way. And we still have a Very long way to go We must show our pride as a People, understanding the gift Of our souls, this we all should Know. That is our legacy and this is Our life. Keep your head to the sky Don’t let our future pass us by! John K. Bynum
The Falcon Chronicle
www.pacsnewark.org
EDITOR’S NOTE Spring is in the air…it seems we have made it through the winter. Today was a whopping 75 degrees and students spent recess out on the turf! Before we know it, the end of the year will be upon us. Time is flying by! We spent this last month celebrating Black History Month and ended it with an unbelievably inspiring closing ceremony. Students and staff alike participated – and we were taken back in time on a musical journey…ending with all age groups represented in the closing dance number. To say that Ms. Alonzo did a spectacular job would certainly not be an understatement! It was a special event. The last month was also definitely an intense one here at PACS; we lost a PACS family member, our school social worker, Pamela LaBerth. It has been so difficult for all of us to wrap our heads and heart around this loss, but we are starting to. We will keep her and her family in our minds, always. In the teaching kitchen a new recipe was made for Vinegrette, and students cooked up Collard greens and warm cornbread muffins. YUM! Students also participated in a Collard Green and Cornbread Muffin Cook-Off. It will be judged by our very own Miss Vanessa, and we all look forward to the results! Coming up soon, in late March, we are all looking forward to a Pi contest run by Ms. Ito and Mr. Neuman. 7th and 8th grade students will be making delicious apple pies, and also competing in a PI DIGIT MEMORY competition. Last year, one 8th grade student, Jeffrey Love, was able to recite from memory (!!) over 400 digits of PI. Hopefully we can top that this year! Finally, just last week, our 6th-8th grade celebrated with a Spring dance…it was TONS of fun, with refreshments and AWESOME MUSIC! So….Happy Spring to all and bring on the SUNSHINE! Sarah Wolpert Editor-in-Chief
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IT’S SPRING, ENJOY SOMETHING IDEA 1: ENJOY THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS
IDEA 2: GET INTO SPRING SHAPE AND ENJOY A HIKE.
IDEA 3: ENJOY A SWIM.
IDEA 4: ENJOY THE BEACH
A HAPPY WELCOME TO SPRING! Dominick McKoy Design Editor