Spirit Week By: Wendi Stennis

October 27, 2011

Volume 1, Issue 1

Scholar 411Scholar 411Scholar 411

I think spirit week was a great way to be a little free. Not so free where you lack self-control. But it was

really fun. We were able to dress up, be a football player, a cheerleader, or even a fan. The cheerlead-

ers for both Harvard & Princeton were great. Actually I was a Harvard cheerleader. I also would like to

congratulate Princeton for winning the flag football game. They were great. In my opinion “Rep Your

Advisory” day was the best. It was best because you got to wear your advisor’s college t-shirt. You also

got to put on face paint of your advisor’s college colors. It was a blast! Let’s hear what other scholars

thought about spirit week.

D’Myja Ames: “Sprit week was the MOST EXCITING WEEK so far!!!”

Jarret Buchanan: “It was a week for kids to be casual & themselves!”

Emauni Rhyne: “It was fun & you were able to express yourself.”

Amil Styles: “It was really cool. My favorite was pajama day!”

Dear Parents, Teachers,

and Scholars,

I hope you enjoy reading

this inaugural edition of

Scholar 411, the first

scholar newsletter

written and produced by

a talented group of

reporters from the

Comer Middle School

founding class! I am very

proud of their hard work

and dedication.

Happy Reading!

Ms. White

ML: How do you feel about being a teacher? MJ: I enjoy being a teacher.

It’s a rewarding experience. ML: How do you feel when you kick a scholar

out of your class? MJ: I don’t enjoy doing it but it’s necessary. ML: Do you

like to teach and help scholars? MJ: Yes, I love teaching scholars everyday

ML: How do you think us scholars feel about you? MJ: That I’m the most

fabulous teacher on the earth. ML: What would you like to do to help us

scholars reach our goals? MJ: Provide quality instruction to set them up for

success. ML: If you were a scholar how do you think you would feel? MJ: It

would be a challenge but I think I would do well because of all of the sup-

port given. ML: Have you ever taught more than one grade and how does it

feel? MJ: Yes, high school and elementary school. I enjoy teaching both

ML: Do you think we should all try harder on our IA and the NWEA and

why? MJ: Yes, scholars can do much better and study harder. ML: Would you like to give us any advice

for setting our goals? MJ: Always give 100% of effort! ML: Would you like to be a principal? MJ: Yes, I’m

going to school to be a principal. I will graduate June 2012.

Page 2 Scholar 411

Do you want to make your uniform stylish? Now

you can work your uniform all day during school!

Jewelry

-Bracelets

-Charm Necklace (it’s visible even when it’s

tucked in)

-Watch

-Earrings

Shoes (bow or flower on top)

Headbands (designs & cute colors)

Nail Polish (cute colors)

------------------------------------------

Places to get these things are Claire’s, Forever

21, and H&M!

Tips:

Don’t get nail polish from Claire’s

Don’t get EVERYTHING from

these stores

How to Work Your GCCP

Uniform (For Girls)

Getting to Know: Mrs. James By: Mykah Lewis

By: Kendall Servant

Movie Reviews By: Kolour Barr

This is about a baby who

gets “babynapped.” Now he

has escaped and went on a

baby boo adventure.[ Baby

Boo is the name of a book

he loves]. He brings tons of

chaos to the three kidnap-

pers.

It’s about 2 kids whose mom died. Then they

get a step mom who is a spy. Then a lot of things

happen when the time keeper steals time. Will

this spy family save time or will they run out of

time?

Scholar 411 Contributing Reporters:

D’Myja Ames, reporter - interviews Kolour Barr, reporter - reviews and events

Jarret Buchanan, author and news reporter Mykah Lewis, reporter—interviews

Trinity Pepper, advice columnist Emauni Rhyne, advice columnist

Kendall Servant, fashion columnist Valdon Sewel, reporter—reviews and news

Wendi Stennis, reporter—news and crossword Amil Styles, cartoonist

Renita Washington, reporter—interviews Jalen Wilson—sports

.

1 . One way to not get demerits is to do what

you are supposed to and do what you are

told to do.

2. Scholars get the most demerits for talking.

So only talk when it’s allowed. You don’t want

to get demerits because that will add up to a

detention quickly!

3. Another way to avoid getting demerits is to

avoid getting an attitude because having a

bad attitude just leads to more demerits.

4. Never talk back to a teacher because you

are going to get more demerits

5. Never give the teacher attitude after being

given a demerit.

6. Don’t get demerits for little things like no

ID, unbuttoned shirt, tardy to school etc.

Those are demerits that are easy to fix!

Volume 1, Issue 1

Page 3

Writer’s Corner

Advice You Can Use:

How to Avoid Demerits

By: Trinity Pepper

Halloween

By: Jarret Buchanan

Halloween can be the best holiday of the year, It is a holiday you might fear

Kids like to get lots and lots of candy

But unless the weather is sandy, About Halloween what do kids like the most,

Candy, costumes, toys or toast,

Halloween can be a great day, Its not like a holiday when you have to pay,

What’s your favorite costume?

Vampires, ghost, or mummies in a tomb, This is a message to just be aware,

If not then you must beware!

By: D’Myja Ames DA: How does it feel to be a parent? DJ: It feels excit-ing and adventurous DA: How high is your level of patience? DJ: It is higher than most parents. DA: How many children do you have? DJ: I have 5 chil-dren. DA: What did you want to be in life? DJ: I wanted to work at Walgreens ,and be a nurse. DA: If your child was a trouble maker what would you do about this little problem? DJ: First, I would see what was causing the problem. Then, I would talk to them. DA: Do you have any concern with embarrassing your child? DJ: Yes, I would be concerned about embarrassing my child. DA: What made you want to have a child? DJ: By seeing how much I love children & my love for a family. DA: What goals do you have set for your child? DJ: To go to college, to succeed in life and to make something of themselves. DA: What do you think the future will look like? DJ: I think it would look great if all kids make their best choice. DA: What college do you have picked out for your child? DJ: I want my child to attend HARVARD!!!!!!!!!! DA: What is the most important thing you would like a teacher to know? DJ: About any child’s medical condi-tions. DA: If you could ask a teacher 1 question, what would it be? DJ: Why do you like working with children? DA: What are your top 2 favorite colors? DJ: My top 2 fa-vorite colors are GREEN & PINK.

A Parent’s Point of View:

An Interview with

Daniell Johnson

The Game that

Started the Next

NBA Dimension ! By: Valdon Sewel

2K12-The game that sold over a million copies!

The new game 2K12 is the best game yet,

based on my opinion. There are new teams

included in the game, for example the 1986

Boston Celtics, the 1996 Bulls and a lot more!

Page 4 Scholar 411

Congratulations Harvard for Earning 6 CLS

Ribbons and For Earning Your Reward!

By Jarret Buchanan

Good job Harvard! They are doing a great job because after about 2

months in school Harvard won 6 Ribbons for the Citizenship, Love of

Learning and Self Control (CLS) checks. This doesn’t mean they are

always going to win. Princeton can still catch up and make it a tie, you

never know! Harvard, I hope your special lunch with the teachers was

a big success. Yum.

By: Valdon Sewell

Steve Jobs, the 42nd richest person in the US, has died. And his 4 children are deciding what to do now.

Jobs was born on November 24,1955. He was adopted by Paul Jobs and Clara Jobs. He moved to Mountain

View, California when he was only five years old (wow, I didn’t know that!) Later, Paul Jobs had adopted Patti

Jobs. She was attending Homestead High School in Cupertino, California. Steve Jobs was one of the most im-

portant people in the country. Jobs was a successful man. He owned Apple and Pixar which made him one of

the richest men in the US. He also attended Reed College in Oregon. Unfortunately, Jobs dropped out in only

one semester. Later on through his life, Jobs and Ronald Wayne discovered Apple. That’s how Jobs became so

successful.

The Person Who

Changed the World

of Technology

I talked with Ms. Estes about our Halloween party/haunted house.

She says they encourage wearing costumes. The party is free, however,

the haunted house costs 25 cents for kids and $1 for adults. The carnival

is in the gym while the haunted house is in the locker rooms. No scholar

can go in the locker room this week. The haunted house will be on

Saturday from 1 pm to 4 pm . Kids should come because it`s scary and

the theme is Alice in Wonderland . It`s open for anyone so invite friends

and family if you like. And there is more to come! In December we have a

Holiday Arts Bizarre. So come because of the free prizes and yes, even

food!

GCYC Halloween Activities By: Kolour Barr

The Goals we Achieve at

Noble Street Charter School

By: Renita Washington

I interviewed Mr. and Mrs. Milkie and Ms. Kelly to better understand the goals they have for scholars,

teachers and the entire Noble Street Charter School Network!

An Interview with Mr. and Mrs. Milkie

Which goals have you achieved for Noble Street Charter School?

When we started Noble we wanted to create a school where dedicated teachers would successfully prepare

our students for college; we wanted to prove it could be done with any students who walked through the

door. We’re achieving this goal every day in each Noble school.

Which goals are you still working towards?

We never stop working toward the goals. Across the Network principals and support staff are working to

provide the best environment for teachers so they can do their best work in the classroom. Our students are

working hard to show what they’ve learned and to work on skills they need to improve.

Which achievements are you most proud of for your teachers and your scholars?

When a student makes a choice to turn his/her life around, it is an amazing transformation to watch that light

bulb turn on in a scholar’s mind; or when alumni come back to Noble and talk to current students to try and

make a difference in their life path. These are moments that make us proud ‘parents’ of our Noble scholars.

What future goals do you have for your teachers and scholars?

I think for Noble our goals will mostly remain the same. We will continue to be schools where teachers are

supported and scholars are challenged to work to their highest ability and our support staff works diligently to

protect the classroom environment.

What do you think is the best way to support people who are working towards a goal? (Advice for

parents and scholars.)

The best thing that support people can do for Noble scholars is to provide support and interest for learning

within their homes, and to talk regularly with their scholars about what they are learning or what they are

struggling with. If, as a team, parents and scholars choose to make school a priority, and make it part of their

daily talks, then they will be aware of what is happening within the school and what their scholar needs in the

way of support will be taken care of. So, ask your child questions like these, “What did you read about

today? What did you talk about in class with your teacher? Did you do an assignment that was hard for you

today, how did that go? Who did you help today? Who did you get help from? What’s for homework tonight?”

An Interview with Ms. Kelly

What are your goals for scholars?

That each and every scholar attends and graduates from a college of their

choice. Also that scholars become happy and productive adults who exhibit

all core values of Citizenship, Love of Learning, and Self-control.

What are your goals for our teachers?

Our teachers are rock stars. My goal is that they become the best teachers

they can be and make our scholars the best they can be.

What are your goals for our school?

My goal for our school is to be the number one middle school in Illinois and

eventually the country.

How do you feel about supporting people towards their goals?

Behind every successful person there are people who support them and

push them to be the best they can be.

Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 5

By: Jalen Wilson

In order to get good grades

1. You have to be committed.

2. You can’t just expect all A’s to be handed to you on a

silver platter. Here are some tips,

First, you should go to office hours if you need help

on something you didn’t understand in class. You might think

office hours are not very important because you have other

things to do, but it really improves your grades. You should

also study each night and in between classes. When teach-

ers say study it’s not because they want to give you more

work. It’s to help you improve your grades! Now like Mr.

Epley would say, “No dropping F bombs and dirty D’s!”

In order to be prepared for class you

have to be organized. If your book bag is junky

you won’t be able to find anything.

Here are some tips, first you should make sure

your homework is in a place where you can get

to it easily. Make sure you always have a

writing utensil, that’s very important. And be

ready to learn!

Alexander Oveckin was born September 17,1985 and in Moscow, Russia. Whenever

he saw a hockey game on television, he dropped all his toys and ran to the television,

protesting if his parents tried to change the channel. Alex enrolled in hockey school

at 8. He had to postpone his hockey career because his

parents couldn’t take him to the hockey rink. But one of

Oveckin`s coaches saw his talent and told his parents he

should continue playing hockey. Now Oveckin plays for

the Washington Capitals and he is the captain of his

team. He also plays for the national hockey league for

Russia. Alex Oveckin perseveres because he doesn’t give up. Scholars should always

look up to him because he has talent. He is also hard working. When things got in his way Alex Oveckin didn’t quit,

instead he kept working towards his dream.

A Closer Look at: Alexander Oveckin

How to be Prepared

for Class

By: Emauni Rhyne

Getting to Know:

Mr. Epley

By: Emauni Rhyne

By: D’Myja Ames

DA: Why did you decide to become a teacher? ME: I decided to become a

teacher because I love forming relationships with kids and helping them

succeed in their goals. DA: When you decided to become a teacher did

you know what you would have to put up with? ME: No, but I have had

many positive surprises. DA: What do you think scholars think about you?

ME: They think I’m crazy, but a good teacher. DA: Was being a teacher

your dream throughout childhood? ME: No, my degree is in business and

management. DA: If not, why did you decide you wanted to be a teacher?

ME: I decided that I wanted to be a teacher because I love working with

kids. DA: As you were growing up did your career ideas keep changing?

ME: Yes, constantly. DA: Do you have a graduate degree? ME: I have a

masters in education. DA: Were you a smart kid growing up? ME: Yes, I was a genius. DA: What is your

favorite movie? ME: Remember the Titans. DA: What goals do you have set for us as scholars? ME: The

goals I have are for scholars to become well-rounded, successful, college graduates and to become straight

up ballers in life. DA: What are your favorite colors? ME: Baby blue and black. DA: What kind of car do you

drive? ME: Honda Explorer. DA: What are your favorite games? ME: Football, basketball and baseball. DA:

What is your favorite sports team? ME: The Bulls!!!!!!!!

Advice You Can Use:

How to Get Good Grades

Page 6 Scholar 411

Volume 1, Issue 1

Page 7

Comer Middle School Word Search By: Wendi Stennis