Black History Month

By Brett VerVoort

Over the years there have been many famous African Americans. Some are well known while others are not. I will tell of both. Garrett A. Morgan who created the stoplight. A lot of you might be thinking so what. Even though it sounds extremely dull it isn’t. To some he is known as the father of traffic safety. When you were little and beginning to walk to school alone, your parents probably told you to watch the traffic signals and signs. If those things weren’t there, hundreds of accidents would occur daily and a lot of people would be injured. Madame C.J. Walker became America’s first self-made woman millionaire. She created a line of beauty products made especially for African American woman. In her spare time she was an activist for human rights. She traveled the world to promote her products and she spoke out on the rights of women and African Americans. She was known for not just becoming a millionaire but for being a big help with getting rights for women. These two people helped the world in more than one way. You can to. So when you get home I want you to think to yourself and wonder how you want to be remembered.

March 2005 Volume VI Issue IV

Math Night By Brett Vervoot

_____________________

The 5th graders had a sensational Math Night! Students from many classes came. Each child left the school with a look of accomplishment on their face. Each room was filled with many problems. Even this reporter couldn’t answer a few. Each problem brought back memories of past lessons. When you finally solved the problem you felt one step closer to win-ning the prize. Although most people were disappointed when there class did-n’t win the candy jar, many were proud because they had done what they came for: to win the free homework pass.

Monthly Mustang

Important Dates

• March 18 Early Dismissal

• March 21-28 Spring Break

• March 30 Report Cards

Inside this issue:

Teachers 2

In the News 3

Comics and Puzzles 4

Sports 4

Movie Reviews 3

West University Elementary School 3756 University Blvd. Houston, TX 77005 Phone: 713-295-5215 mconnol1@houstonisd.org

WEST UNIVERSITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Presidents Day By Quinn Farah

Presidents Day is an annual holi-day observed in the United States to honor the nation's presidents, especially George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. It is celebrated

on the third Monday in February. The birth-days of Washington and Lincoln fall near or on the holiday. According to the calendar we now use, Lincoln, who served as president during the American Civil War (1861-1865), was born on Feb. 12, 1809. President Wash-ington was born on February 22, 1732, how-ever in the old style calendar he was born on Feb. 11. We celebrate presidents day to cele-brate our presidents who lead a our country during difficult times in our history.

A 1945 photo of Garret A. Morgan, who in 1914 got a patent for a gas mask he developed. He also invented the traffic light.

(AP photo)

Educator Phillip Cox holds Sir Walter Wally in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, Feb. 2, 2003, during the sixth annual Groundhog Day ceremony sponsored by North Carolina Museum of Natural Sci-ence. Sir Walter Wally, the Mu-seum's Groundhog, came out to make his annual weather predic-tion. He saw his shadow and North Carolinian are in for six more weeks of winter. (AP Photo/Thomas Babb) See story on page 3

PAGE 2 MONTHLY MUSTANG MARCH 2005

Teachers and Students

Meet Mr. Nassoiy By Chris Wesley

Mr. Nassoiy is one of the newest teachers here at West University Ele-mentary School. He teaches at a 4th grade level. His hero is his mom be-cause she went back to school and got her degree when he was a kid and taught him that education is good. He would like to meet Domi-nique Sachse from channel two. His favorite subject is science. His hobby is playing the piano. His favorite pet is his mice in his class. He is happi-est is on the beach. His birthday is September 11; He loves it here in Texas. He thinks teaching is fun.

Chinese New Year By Brett Ver-Voort I interviewed Sarah Wong, a brilliant young student about the Chinese New Year and the traditions that her family performs each year. Q: What does your family do at the

beginning of Chinese New Year? A: Sometimes we put money in a red

envelope as a gift. Q: What does the red envelope

mean? A: In China red means good luck. Q: Do adults or grandparents get

Mrs. Hutchinson by Emily Diaz

Q. What is your favorite T.V. show? A. Boston Legal Q. Where did you go for your honey-

moon? A. Play del Carmen in Mex-ico

Q. If you could teach any other grade, what would it be? A. 2nd grade

Q. Who would you most like to meet in the world, dead or alive?

A. Princess Diane Q. Who inspired you most to become a

teacher? A. My mother (cont’d) Q. When you were a little girl, what

did you want to be when you grew up? A teacher

Q. What is your favorite hobby? A. Running and reading Q. What is your husbands name? T.J. Q. What is your favorite book? A. To Kill a Mockingbird Q. What is your favorite sport to

watch? Football

money? A: Only young couples or kids do. Q: Is it true that the eldest child

gets more money than the younger siblings?

A: Not always. Q: What foods do you eat? A: Usually Asian or Chinese. Q: Are there any traditions? A: Sometimes we go to places

where there are dragon dances and feast.

Q: How are the dragons operated? A: There are people inside with

pants that look like dragon legs and they pull strings that make the mouth open and eyes blink.

Miss Provencher By Emily Diaz

Q. Who would you like to meet most

in the world? A. Jimmy Carter Q. When you were a kid what did you

want to be? A. Teacher Q. What is your favorite sport? A. Running

Q. What is your favorite book? A. Tuesdays with Morrie Q. What is your favorite news net-

work? A. CNN Q. What is your favorite hobby? A. Yoga and reading Q. Who is you sports hero? A. Lance Armstrong Q. If you could teach any grade, what

would you teach? A: Teaching all grades have some-

thing unique. Q. Who inspired you to become a

teacher? A. My sixth grade teacher,

Mr.Szulborski. Q. When is your birthday? A. July 16th

MONTHLY MUSTANG PAGE 3 MARCH 2005

Jack’s Unfortunate Review By: Jack Berquist

1 hr. 53 min. I am doing a review on “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Un-fortunate Events.” I have seen this movie Three Times! I personally think Jim Carrey did a fantastic job as “Count Olaf, Stephono, and Cap-tion Sham”. This movie is about three children. Violet (Browning), Klaus (Akien), and Sunny Baude-laire. The children lose their parents in a fire and their mansion, too. Count Olaf was their first guardian and he tries to snatch away their for-tune. ****4 out of 5 stars The Critics think it is a B-. I think it should be a solid A.

Can Dogs Smell Cancer? By Elyse Lopez

Amazingly, yes, they CAN! They testes to see if a sample has bladder cancer by taking six urine samples and hide them under dif-ferent boxes. The dogs were trained to lay down next to the box that has the cancer sample un-der it. Did you know researchers say dogs can be more accurate than current tests and represent a break through in cancer detection? One time dog trainers just could-n’t train the dogs to pass a test be-cause the dogs kept on lying down next to one of the cancer free sam-ples. They conferred with a spe-cialist. It turns out the sample had bladder cancer and kidney can-cer!!!

Valentine’s Day By Sarah Wong

Valentine’s Day is over. The question is did you give that special someone a Valentine? Valentine’s Day is a big event in Feb-ruary. It’s not

so big that you would celebrate in the streets. It’s a holiday with a tradition sending a card or valentines to a spe-cial someone. A day where there is love n the air. Valentine’s day is on February the 14th. On TV shows it’s always cupid that shoots someone with a love arrow causing that person to feel that the first person he/she sees is your true love. On Valentine’s day you might send your class some candy. But next year why don’t you secretly send that special someone something special. If you don’t have a special someone this year wait and see what happens.

Tangle, a cocker spaniel, attempts to sniff out bladder cancer from a patients' urine, Six dogs were trained to pick out urine samples of patients with bladder cancer from those of people with other diseases and healthy individuals, in a new study published in the British Medi-cal Journal. (AP Photo/pa-ho) London 2004

Ground Hog Day has Past!! By Elyse Lopez

The day has now past on Feb. 2, 2005! But how was Groundhog Day invented? Where and how did it start? Well, the answers are right here! People used to believe that hibernating animals could predict when spring was coming. German immigrants brought ground hog day to America in the 18th century. The groundhog was not the only animal used to predict when spring will come. The Europeans also used other hibernating animals like the bear or hedgehog. Here are a few versions of a rhyme. According to an old English song:

If Candlemas be fair and bright, Come, Winter, have another flight;

If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, Go Winter, and come not again.

According to an old Scotch couplet: If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, There'll be twa (2) winters in the year.

Another variation of the Scottish rhyme:

If Candlemas day be dry and fair, The half o' winter to come and mair, If Candlemas day be wet and foul, The half of winter's gone at Yule.

4th Grade students, Dillon and Charles test a program they downloaded to their robot in the Robotics Club. The Robotics Club was started this year through a grant from the West U Foun-dation.

Cutting the Hedge Day is unlucky too!

MARCH 2005 PAGE 4 MONTHLY MUSTANG

Presidents Day Match-Up By Carolyn Brooks

Thomas Jefferson __was shot in theater Franklin Roosevelt __is our current president George Washington __founded the Peace Corps Abraham Lincoln __built Monticello George Bush __father of our country John Kennedy __had polio

Sports Corner By Andy & Charles

Super Bowl Eagles 21 Patriots 24 It was an exciting but tough game for McNabb & Brady but only one of those great QB’s walked away with the win. The Patriots walked away with the win for there 3rd Super Bowl in a row. WU Little League As you know the Little League is starting up. There are quite a few good teams this year. There are a lot of teams in all . Hopefully the new dugout will be completed in time for opening ceremonies. For the latest info checkout the WULL website http://www.westull.org/leagueinfo.htm

It’s because it’s Friday the 13th. That’s an

unlucky day.

First I lose my keys at the store, then I fall down the stairs. It’s really unlucky today.

Comics and Puzzles

by Katie Lin

Our Favorite Sports