School Newsletter by Siuslaw News

THE SIUSLAW NEWS SCHOOL NEWSLETTER ❚ October 2018

SCHOOL ZONE A Monthly Newsletter for the Siuslaw and Mapleton School Districts and Community Groups

APPLY NOW FOR RHODY COURT A

pplications for the 112th Rhododendron Court, which reign during Rhody Days from May 17 to 19, 2019, are now available through Siuslaw and Mapleton schools, the Florence Area Visitor’s Center, 290 Highway 101, and the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce website, www. florencechamber.com. The Rhody Junior Court is open to first, second, fourth and fifth graders from the Siuslaw region and open to third graders from Mapleton region. The Senior Court is open to high school senior girls and boys who exhibit exceptional character and are Siuslaw and Mapleton region residents. Queen Rhododendra and her Junior and Senior Court as well as the King of the Coast and his Senior Court will reign over the 2019 Rhododendron Festival, act as the goodwill ambassadors for this event and make many promotional appearances. The Rhododendron Court will benefit from experiences with public speaking and media relations. The Senior Court, and especially Queen Rhododendra and the King of the Coast, will be awarded scholarships on the night of the coronation. Applications for the Rhododendron Court will be accepted until Dec. 10 at 5 p.m. For more information about the court, participant obligations or for an application, call 541997-3128.

2018 Halloween Events Oct. 31 – Halloween Day

Mapleton Food Share, 10718 Highway 126

Regency Halloween Party

Cross Road Church “Trunk or Treat”

2 to 5 p.m. Crafts, caramel apple bar, cider, goodie bags Regency Florence, 1951 21st St.

Trick or Treat in Old Town

Mapleton Fire Department Trick or Treat

3 to 5 p.m. Open to families Historic Old Town Florence

5 to 8 p.m. Firefighters and volunteers will give out treats Mapleton Fire Department, 10940 Highway 36

Country Corners Trick or Treating With Rhody Cruisers, State Farm Insurance, Brian’s Barber Shop, Rodger & Carol Bennett Consulting Services and Florence In Bloom 3 to 5 p.m. Open to families Rhododendron Drive and Kingwood Street

Harvest Festival 5:30 to 7 p.m. Hot dogs, hot beverages, candy Florence Church of the Nazarene, 1536 12th St.

Halloween Happening at Spruce point 3 to 6 p.m. Candy for trick or treaters Spruce Point Assisted Living, 375 Ninth St.

5 to 6:30 p.m. Families can trick or treat with the Florence Police Auxiliary Florence Justice Center, 900 Greenwood St.

5 to 7 p.m. Open to children and families

Howl-le-luia Party Carnival-style games, hotdogs, cake walk 6 to 8 p.m. Open to families Florence Christian Church, 990 Second St.

CROW “Quarantine” Haunted Maze

Halloween at the Florence Justice Center

Mapleton Food Share Trick or Treat

A safe place for children and families 5 to 7 p.m. Cross Road Assembly of God, 1380 10th St

6 to 9 p.m. Admission required CROW Center for the Performing Arts, 3120 Highway 101; crowkids.com Jerry’s Place Halloween Party 7 to 10 p.m. For adults 21+ Jerry’s Place Bar and Grill, 88274 Rhododendron Dr.

Plus, free rides on the Rhody Express from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., sponsored by Greentrees Village

Halloween Safety F all is in the air and Halloween is here! Many people view Halloween as a time for fun and treats. However in the United States, roughly two times as many children aged 5-14 are injured while walking on Halloween evening compared with other evenings of the year. Parents can help prevent children from becoming injured on Halloween by following these safety tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Safety Council. Children should: • Go only to well-lit houses and remain on porches rather than entering houses. • Travel in small groups and be accompanied by an adult. • Know their phone numbers and carry a cell phone for an emergency phone call. • Carry a note in their pocket with their name and address. • Bring treats home before eating them so parents can inspect them. • When using costume knives and swords, ensure they are flexible, not rigid or sharp. When walking in neighborhoods, they should: • Use flashlights, stay on sidewalks if available, and avoid crossing yards. • Cross streets at the corner, use crosswalks if available, and don’t cross between parked cars. • Stop at all corners and stay together in a group before crossing. • Wear clothing that is bright, reflective, and flame retardant. • Consider using face paint instead of masks. • Avoid wearing hats that could slide over their eyes. • Avoid wearing long, baggy, or loose costumes or oversized shoes to prevent tripping. • Always look left, right, and left again before crossing the street. Parents and adults should: • Supervise the outing for children under age 12. • Establish a curfew for older children. • Prepare homes for trick-or-treaters by clearing porches, lawns, and sidewalks and by placing decorations away from doorways and landings. • Avoid giving choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies, or small toys as treats to young children. • Inspect all candy before children eat it. To ensure the safety of pedestrian trick-or-treaters, parents and adults should: • Make sure children under age 10 are supervised as they cross the street. • Drive slowly. • Watch for children in the street and on medians. • Exit driveways and alleyways carefully. • Have children get out of cars on the curbside, not the traffic side. Following these tips should help ensure this Halloween is a safe and fun holiday for everyone. — Metro

To bond or not to bond? A conversation with Siuslaw students & staff BY RAMIRO RAMIREZ Siuslaw High School Junior

Measure 20-291: Bonds to Construct and Upgrade School Facilities, Improve Safety Shall Siuslaw School District issue $108,700,000 in general obligation bonds to construct, expand and remodel facilities, improve safety, and enhance curriculum? If the bonds are approved, they will be payable from taxes on property or property ownership that are not subject to the limits of sections 11 and 11 b, Article XI of the Oregon Constitution. The vote for the Siuslaw School Bond is fast approaching, and for the undecided voter that has trouble deciding which side to choose, I have this article to highlight what both sides have to say equally, as this article is neither in favor nor against the bond. This October, I decided to interview a couple of people within the school to see what their thoughts were about November’s school bond. I asked them questions that refer mostly to the high school. First, a couple of facts about the bond. Its total value is over $108 million, with the main focus a new high school. If the bond passes, there will be a $4,472 decrease in annual maintenance costs once the

new high school is completed. To start off the interview with everyone I had, I asked: “Do you think it is ok for the central focus of the bond to be the high school?” All but one of the interviewees agreed that it is a necessity for the high school to be the central focus of the bond. One staff member said that it shouldn’t be a necessity for the central focus of the bond to be the high school because he believes that he sees a “larger infrastructure spending for Siuslaw School District, where the high school gets the lion share of the money.” Another staff member who agreed with the question claimed, “That the high school needs to be completely renovated.” This does make sense, since one of the students said, “The roofs are rotting, there’s water damage and people walk on gum every day. And it’s just so cold because we don’t have the proper heating systems that are necessary for our school.” Another student said that the water boilers “have been broken for 20+ years.” The next question I asked was, “What are some additional things that you would like to see implemented or removed from the bond?” All those interviewed were satisfied with what the bond offered if passed, although one requested

that a separate choir/band room be built. The next question I asked was, “What are your thoughts of the high school not meeting current ORS standards?” In a nutshell, these are requirements that every high school in Oregon should have. All interviewees claimed along the lines that it is embarrassing, unacceptable and behind on time. One staff member who came here as a student in the 1980s remembers the high school being “adequate for size and function.” However, the teacher added, “After teaching in this building for 26 years, I feel we have not kept up with the technology demands we are asking of our students.” They also pointed out that “Most people can’t use the Wi-Fi for the electronic devices without getting dumped off continuously.” Another staff member said that if you build “without code, without earthquake measure … if we don’t adjust to these things, then we are doomed to suffer when these natural disasters happen.” A student said that “If the school isn’t meeting ORS standards then it shouldn’t be a school or should be fixed ... for the safety and wellbeing of the students.” The next question I asked was, “Do you think a new high school would provide a brighter future for

upcoming students entering high school?” All of the interviewers responded that it would certainly provide a better future because it would show to the students that we care for them. This also involves more than just the community, as one staff member said: “Our village should be supporting all of our youth, not only by voting on a bond, but by volunteering in the schools and building relationships to get to know our youth. We should all see them as important members in our society and invest in them.” Another staff member said that a new high school would offer “more stuff for the students to take” and it “could allow us to align better with the colleges.” A third staff member agreed, saying that it “helps the entire community.” He pointed out economic spending and summarized by saying, “A lot of the money from this is going to come out of the community into firms that come in, but people who come in and work will be spending and living in our communities for over two years, and that’s going to bring our property values up. A good state-of-the-art school is going to keep our property values up.” He also said that he wouldn’t mind paying more in taxes because his house will be worth more money.

To sum up the interviews, I asked all my responders the question: “Overall, do you support the bond?” All staff members supported the bond, but surprisingly all interviews students opposed the bond. This is where things got interesting, as I was surprised to see the students thinking as both student and community members. To start off, while one of the staff members wouldn’t mind paying more taxes, one student said that not all are going to be able to pay the increased tax. The student continued, saying that homeowners may have to end up “needing a renter that will have to pay higher prices set by the homeowner, which will drive people out of Florence.” This in turn could provide a big loss to our economy and community. The argument given by the adults was one staff member who said that he had a son and that he wants him to go to the “best school as possible.” He even said that if he didn’t have a kid he would still support the school bond. Most staff said that the community should give back to education by voting on the bond. After the interview I gave the interviewees a chance to dish out other facts that could be useful in voting for or against the bond. See BOND MEASURE page 3

2 ❚ THE SIUSLAW NEWS SCHOOL NEWSLETTER ❚ October 2018

COASTAL COMMUNITY Let’s face it – kids are scary

ROW (Children’s Repertory of Oregon Workshops) is always up to no good in October, as organizers plan their annual Scare-CROW Haunted Maze. This year’s maze is called “Quarantine,” and features ... you guessed it — ZOMBIES! The story is that no one knows exactly how the virus began, but slowly people from all walks of life became infected. Local authorities managed to Quarantine those affected by the virus in the CROW Center for the Performing Arts, 3120 Highway 101 in Florence. But they accidentally left the vials of antidote inside. Now, it’s up to maze-goers to see if they can make it out alive. Many local student actors are involved in the maze each year, and many CROW moms and dads are rather frightened by their own child’s abilities to scare others. CROW Artistic Director Melanie Heard likes to chalk it up to the fact that “kids are scary,” but one mom was so freaked out by her daughter (dressed as a creepy clown last year), that she would not go through the maze on the nights when her daughter was working. “She 100 percent freaked me out,” the woman said. “She just sort of looked at me sideways, and I screamed and ran out of the room.” As with everything CROW produces, the “Quarantine” Haunted Maze will feature topnotch special effects, prosthetic make-up (designed by Genevieve Meltzer, Kim Clement and Allison Aquino), fantastic costumes and unexpected surprises. One new addition this year was an all-ages “Family Night” held on Monday, Oct. 29.

Scare-CROW Haunted Maze features spooky fun, actors

courtesy photos

CROW knows that kids can be scary — especially inside a maze designed to frighten the community in October. “We had several people ask us for a way for younger kids and ‘big chickens’ to be able to experience the maze. So, we created Family Night this year to make the maze ‘less scary’ for those who want a little less fright in their night,” said Heard. Family night featured more light, fewer/more friendly monsters and no jump-scares. The maze will still contain many scary visuals, and entry was at parents’ discretion only. For more information, including FAQ’s and a scary promotional video, visit www.

crowkids.com. The last night of the Quarantine Haunted Maze will be Oct. 31 from 6 to 9 p.m. Entry is $6 per person, cash only. On-site food is provided by Smokin’ Pops, and there will be “Thrilling” line entertainment by the Flight Dance Team.

LRP shows off students’ talents in cast

This weekend, from Thursday, Nov. 1, through Sunday, Nov. 4, the Last Resort Players will present “Grey Gardens, The Musical,” based on the documentary from the 1970s. The cast features local student actors alongside popular community theater actors. “Grey Gardens” follows the precipitous decline of the wealthy and well connected Bouviers. From their heyday in their Long Island 28-room mansion in the 1940s to the squalor of a ruin overturn with 50 cats, “Grey Gardens” deals with a The cast of Last Resort Players’ “Grey Gardens” taken darkly comic mother and daugh- early in the rehearsal process. The show opens Thursday. ter duo who develop a psychological dependency and Mary Morganti, rehearsal/performance piawhich allows them no escape. nist. “Grey Gardens” will play on the Florence Events “Grey Gardens” opens Thursday and runs Center’s flat floor, with the orchestra seated on the through Sunday. Evening performances begin at 7 platform behind the actors. p.m. and the Sunday matinee is at 2 p.m. It will be directed by Jason Wood, with Tickets for “Grey Gardens” are $20 and may Rhianna Haines and Sheena Moore as co- be purchased at the Florence Events Center music directors on a creative team that in- box office, 715 Quince St., or online at www. cludes Chris Lewis, orchestra conductor, eventcenter.org.

Voice of Democracy, Patriot’s Pen contest ends Voice of Democracy, the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ (VFW) premier scholarship program, provides high school students, from ninth to 12th grade, the opportunity to write and record a broadcast script on a patriotic theme selected by the VFW each year. State winners receive an allexpense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. The top national

scholarship prize is $30,000. The 2018-19 theme is “Why My Vote Matters.” Students are invited to send their entries to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3232 in Florence at PO Box 825. In addition, Patriot’s Pen is open to sixth, seventh and eighth grade students. This VFW-sponsored youth essay competition gives students an

opportunity to write essays expressing their views on democracy. First place award at National level is currently $5,000, plus an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the winner and a parent or guardian. The 2018-19 theme is “Why I Honor the American Flag.” All submissions are due by Oct. 31.

MAPLETON Volunteer

apleton School District welcomes and encourages parent and community volunteers in its schools. The schools have several opportunities for volunteers to help students and teachers. People can volunteer to help with the Elementary Rolling Readers Program, chaperone fieldtrips or volunteer in a classroom. All volunteers must pass the district’s

criminal background check. This check is free and is good for two years. Interested people can download the background check form from www. mapleton.k12.or.us or pick one up from school offices. Thank you for your interest in helping the Mapleton School District. For more information, call the District Office at 541-268-4312.

Last year, more than 1,000 maze-goers meandered through the freaky halls, coming from as far away as Astoria, Coos Bay, Eugene/Springfield, and even Portland. “Let’s see if you can escape the Quarantine!” Heard exclaimed. “Will you make it out alive?”

Support students at Color-a-Thon

The Color-a-Thon 5K Run/ Walk supporting Siuslaw Schools is close to blasting off, with the event scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 3. Starting from Siuslaw Middle School, the 5K route takes participants down Kingwood Street, through Miller Park and back; however a shorter route is also available for participants who wish to cut off some distance. “The whole community is invited to come out a get colorful with us,” said Crystal Osburn, who works at Siuslaw Elementary and is heading up this year’s Color-a-Thon planning. “Rain or shine, we’re going to have a color blast!” As participants of the event wind their way through the course, they will be doused in non-toxic color powder, and finish the course looking as if they’ve just run through a rainbow. Funds raised from the Colora-Thon will help provide resources not funded through the school budget. “These ‘extras’ that this fund-

raising can help provide are intended to enhance academic and physical education for students in an effort to keep kids excited and engaged through all grades,” said Osburn. Siuslaw elementary students have been collecting donations toward their fundraising goals over the past couple of weeks. Anyone who would like to support the event can still come out and register the day of the event. The cost to participate is $30 and includes a color packet/ t-shirt based on first-come-firstserve availability. Day-of registration will kick off at 8 a.m. on Saturday at Siuslaw Middle School, with the event starting promptly at 9am. Participants are encouraged to wear clothes they don’t mind getting dirty and may want to bring a towel to cover their car seats for the ride home. For more information on supporting the Color-a-Thon, contact Siuslaw Elementary School at 5410 997-5450 or cosburn@ siuslaw.k12.or.us

We are your community partner in financial education!

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member

THE SIUSLAW NEWS SCHOOL NEWSLETTER ❚ October ❚ 3

SIUSLAW BOND MEASURE from page 1 One staff member heavily pointed out that if the bond isn’t passed, then our town will remain a tourist town that is dead during the winter time. They added because our school isn’t a destination school — a school that some families look at because of the upsides of going to a certain school — we won’t be able to sustain the large amount of young families in the community for long. This means that the town won’t have any new young leaders to guide the town. Another useful argument against one student’s statement, one staff member said that even though it may seem as if we are using a large amount of money, we are going to get a majority of that money back because think of the workers, architects and construction workers that are going to come over and not just work, but stay here in the community for the next several years. And what does that mean? High demands for items we sell here in town, and what will that bring us? Money! So overall, there are some upsides — a better financial state during and after the project is complete, and a message to students that we care for them — and the downsides — a struggle for homeowners to pay the increased taxes. It will be interesting to see how the bond voting plays out. Let’s see if the public is in favor of its pros or against its cons.

ARTIST OF THE MONTH — Symphonic Band

Nic Wilkinson BY AUDREY LOWDER

Siuslaw High School Student

Nic Wilkinson is October’s Artist of the Month, chosen by band director Mr. Rowbotham. Nic is currently a senior at Siuslaw High School and lives with proud parents Tanya and Ken Wilkinson. He “just recently joined a choir, that’s pretty cool. I sing the tenor part and sometimes am going to be playing some instruments here and there.” This year he plans to “see what the rest of the year has for me. I’m kinda just going with the flow until I’m out of high school.” Nic likes “how Mr. Rowbotham is basically a perfectionist, but he doesn’t show it in a mean way. He’s like really sarcastic about it which is fun, but he won’t like tell somebody to get out of his band room because they’re playing a note wrong.” According to Nice, in band, “Everyone likes to get the job

done in the end, but have fun while it’s going. We make jokes all the time … and kinda tease each other. But, also, in the end we make sure that everyone is on their part and we still stay tough on each other. We’re basically one big family where we know when to joke around or when to get serious.” This year, Nic is principal trumpet. “It means I’m first chair, and I get to boss around the other trumpets. I [enjoy that] probably more than I should,” he laughed. He also enjoys jazz because a lot of music symphonic band plays has set rules. “In jazz everything is taken as an interpretation and you can do whatever you want. Some people might not agree with it, but that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong,” he said. Nic believes that the band will make it to state again, especially because of the strong players who stayed in band as well as the new students from the middle

The Siuslaw Middle School Library has started an afterschool club called the Game Knights. For more information, contact Andreus Dunn, Library/Media Aide at Siuslaw Middle School, at adunn@siuslaw. k12.or.us.

Senior Nic Wilkinson plays in symphonic band and helps with other students. Photos by Audrey Lowder

school. In the future, Nic plans to go to college at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg and possibly transferring to the University of Oregon after two years. “I’m majoring in musical education because a performance degree is kind of useless. I’m gonna probably try to teach or maybe own a music shop. I’m still kind of debating on it,” he said. Mr. Rowbotham is helping Nic with this by letting him work

with the middle school during two periods to help with band. “We’re trying to get them to understand what different notes are, or with some of the more advanced bands, some of the rhymes by playing next to them, and trying to teach them more advanced methods,” Nic said. “(I’m) actually going to be teaching them a piece pretty soon. It’s going to be when beginning band brass and woodwinds becomes just beginning band. I’m going to be directing a piece also

for intermediate band, probably [at] the Pops concert.” Nic is excited for his last year in band and hopes that it will be his best year yet.

Making a mural

Gina Castro Brandt’s Siuslaw High School biology students are working on a 4-year recycling project to make a mural from cleaned, sorted plastic lids on three sheets of plywood. “We are hoping to complete it within the next few weeks and get it up on the outside wall of the high school,” Castro Brandt said. The students also thanked the community for collecting lids, Mr. Tatum and Mr. Graham for the use of drills and Copeland Lumber for the endless supply of screws. They also thanked the past students who helped with the project.

SUPPORTING

NEWSPAPERS IN EDUCATION

Thank you to the following supporters of this special monthly section

ADA Grange #570 Scott Anderson Tom & Sharon Armstrong Elizabeth Atkinson Dollie Austin Louise Baas Bob & Sophie Baker Daniel Baldridge Madelyne Barnett Virgle & Patricia Bechtold Jacquie Beveridge Vicki Caldwell Janet Catling Tony & Barb Cavarno Don Chapin Don & Virginia Chehak James & Evelyn Cloyd Bill & Kay Craig Mrs. JoAnne Crippen Jerry & Beth Hammond Marjorie Dalby Tom and Phyllis Dickson Ivan & Diane Ellingson Charlotte Evans Day & Linda Farrald Mae Fleischer Rhea Forum Paul & Linda Gargis Chris Giovinco Becky Goehring Alan & Deborah Golob Glenna Goodwin Bruce Hadley The Harklerode’s Lon & Constance Harvey Wade & Nancy Hawley Hoberg’s Muffler Center & Auto Repair Mary Kay Hoffman Paul Holman/Tracy Smith Carol Jolley

Ginny Kelly Koning Family Keith Kraft Andrew LaTomme, Jr. David Lauria Clarence & Nancy Lysdale Raymond & Deborah Manthe Ken & Pat Melnychuck Peggy McCullum Sharon McLeod R.G. Meyser Kirk & Donna Mlinek Jack and Colleen Moore Sharon Morey Gerald & Merilee Mulvey Bill & Gail Munzer Lanny & Roxy Nivens Don & Joan Olson Rachel & Paul Pearson Karen Peck Ty & Karen Perry Roger & Claudette Poirier David & Diane Rankin Martha Ransom Patricia Reno The Rhodes Family Julie Shepard Ronald & Mary Sherriffs Harriet & Dick Smith Franklin Spencer Sylvia Stanton John Stead Alan Stevenson0 Sharon Waite Bill Watkins Susan Weathers Paul Webster Matthew & Heather Wiggins Edward & Dolores Wilson Greg & Norma Wood Tom Jackson & Veronica Zecchini

Save Box Tops for PTA and Siuslaw Florence Community PTA is continuing to collect Box Tops for Education again this year. Funds from the Box Tops program will go directly back into supporting projects and supplies in Siuslaw schools. Clipping Box Tops is an easy way for everyone

to support our schools. Our goal this school year is to collect at least 22,000 Box Tops. At a worth of 10 cents each, that is $2,200 for our schools! To help our schools, just look for pink Box Tops on participating products, clip them, and send them in to school. There are two collection challenges planned for the year: the Civil War challenge at Siuslaw Middle School during the month of November and the annual collection at Siuslaw Elementary School in February.

Submit to School Zone October to May Each school year

Be a part of this monthly newsletter for students in the Siuslaw and Mapleton school districts. Email Siuslaw News Features Editor Chantelle Meyer at cmeyer@ thesiuslawnews.com

During November, drop your Box Tops off at the middle school and designate them for your favorite team, University of Oregon Ducks or Oregon State Beavers. Watch for more information to come about the February collection. Box Tops can also be dropped off at any Siuslaw school at any time throughout the year. For more information on the Box Tops for Education program, including a list of participating products and our school’s progress, visit www. BTFE.com. If you have any questions about the Box Tops program, where the funds go in our schools or how you can volunteer, call Diane McCalmont at 541-999-9692.

Look for KID

SCOOP

Kid Scoop runs every Wednesday during the school year in the Siuslaw News and features educational stories and fun activities for families. The activity page is part of the Siuslaw News’ Newspapers In Education program, in which teachers from Siuslaw and Mapleton school districts may request copies of the local paper to use as curriculum in their classroom. Call 541-997-3441 for more info.

4 ❚ THE SIUSLAW NEWS SCHOOL NEWSLETTER ❚ October 2018

FACTS

Jeff Schinkel, Graphics

Vol. 34, No. 47

OPINIONS

describe how someone feels about a thing or event. They can vary from person to person.

are pieces of information based upon things that can be measured, proven or seen by anyone.

Example: The he golfer hit the ball 217 yards is a fact. fact ct. t The golfer g is a fantastic player is an opinion.

Read each statement and decide which information is a fact and which is an opinion. If you think it is a fact, explain how it can be proven. Mike Babcock was named Basketball is more The Giants The Chicago Bears head coach of the Toronto exciting than beat the Rockies uniform is navy blue Maple Leafs in 2015. baseball. 4 - 0. and burnt orange.

How can this be proven?

Questions for FactChecking Detectives Facts can be checked with research, and these days a lot of people use the internet for their research. Unfortunately, not all information on the internet is true and accurate. Here are some tips to help you do research on the internet more carefully. The News Literacy Project provides a list of 10 questions to help people do research on the internet. Below are three of those topics. To see all 10, go to the source link below.

How can this be proven?

Gauge your emotional reaction: Babe Ruth was 19 years old when he began playing for the Boston Red Sox.

How can this be proven?

Soccer is more fun to watch than golf.

The Dallas Stars won the Stanley Cup in 1999.

How can this be proven?

The Cavaliers scored 28 points in the second quarter.

How can this be proven?

Is it strong? Are you angry? Are you intensely hoping that the information turns out to be true? False?

Consider the headline or main message: a. Does it use excessive punctuation (!!!) or ALL CAPS for emphasis?

Read what the fans in the bleachers are saying about the football game. Color each speech bubble that contains a FACT in green. Color each bubble that is an OPINION red. Yes! Now the Only two With two minutes left, we’re score is 20-17! What an minutes left The field goal Our team going to win this game for sure! awesome in the 4th kick will be a has the play! quarter! piece of cake! Our football coolest team is the uniforms! best!

b. Does it make a claim about containing a secret or telling you something that “the media” doesn’t want you to know?

Consider the source of the information: a. Is it a well-known source? b. Is there a byline (an author’s name) attached to this piece?

That was a 48-yard pass!

This team rocks!

There will never be a throw better than that!

Wow! Longest pass of the season so far!

c. Go to the website’s “About” section: Does the site describe itself as a “fantasy news” or “satirical news” site? Best game ever!

Fact and Opinion Photo Game Look at a photo in today’s newspaper. Write three facts about the photo. Then write three opinions about the photo. Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Follow simple written directions.

Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Follow simple written directions.

d. Does the person or organization that produced the information have any editorial standards? e. Does the “contact us” section include an email address that matches the domain (not a Gmail or Yahoo email address)? f. Does a quick search for the name of the website raise any suspicions?

Source: newslit.org Take a good look at this baseball player. Then write one FACT and one OPINION about this picture.

FACT

Standards Standa d rds Link: Link: Follow Follow simple simpl si mple e written written writ ten di directions.

Graph It!

Study one page of today’s newspaper. Underline facts in red and opinions in blue. Count the number of facts and the number of opinions. Make a graph showing your data. Standards Link: Research: Use the newspaper to locate information.

OPINION

DIFFERENCE REPORTER OPINIONS BASEBALL CHICAGO PROVEN SPORTS DECIDE FACTS THINK EVENT BEARS VARY TEAM BEAT

Find the words by looking up, down, backwards, forwards, sideways and diagonally.

F O L L A B E S A B A P S T R O P S K R D I

F F E R E N C E

E N T A O C

T H P

C I A V C H S T

I O E A T T N A C R D N B R N E S D A T E S O Y V P A I

This week’s word:

PROVEN The verb prove with the past tense proven means to demonstrate the truth or evidence. It is a proven fact that horses have four legs.

G E

N I B E A R S M O R Standards Link: Letter sequencing. Recongized identical words. Skim and scan reading. Recall spelling patterns.

Try to use the word proven in a sentence today when talking with your friends and family members.

My Turn at Bat It was my turn at bat and the fans were going crazy … Finish this story.