WEST UNIVERSITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL VOL. XVI ISSUE IV
JANUARY 2016
Monthly Mustang
Abyy Manuel, Izzie Wheelock and Jack Faulk participating in last year’s
Souper Bowl of Caring.
SOUPER BOWL OF CARING BY SAMANTHA WEXLER
One week each year West U Elementary School participates in the Souper Bowl of Caring. The Souper Bowl of Caring is a national event for youth to =ight hunger in their own community around the time of the actual Super Bowl football game. This year it takes place from February 1 – February 5. Students and families are asked to bring canned goods and other food items to school during that week to help the Houston Food Bank. Each morning, kids and parents bring the canned goods and other food items to the MPR to be weighed and sorted. All of the donations are then loaded onto trucks for the Houston Food Bank at the end of the week. Every year when I participate in this event I get the best feeling, and you will too. Helping the less fortunate is a great thing to do. In the past, West U Elementary School ha s b een one of t he top dona t ion organizations for this event. In fact, last year our school was the #2 donating school in the entire country! Our school takes part in this activity because all of us working together can help stomp out hunger. Houston Independent School District
Syrian refugees arriving in Greece.
SYRIAN WAR REFUGEES COMING
TO HOUSTON BY AMY HE
America takes in 70,000 refugees each year and has opened 1,500 resettlements for these refugees. A refugee is someone who =lees for safety or security. Resettlements are where people settle in a new country or place. There has been a four year civil war that Syrian refugees are trying to =lee from. President Obama has ordered that by the end of the next =iscal year, there will be 10,000 refugees from Syria in the United States. How much money will we need for the refugees? The United Sates has used 574 million dollars to help the Syrian refugees so far. There are not refugees in all 50 states, 31 states are not welcoming refugees. Thirty of these states have Republican governors. Why are refugees not allowed in some states? It has been said that one man that was part of the Paris attack had falsely identi=ied himself as Syrian. The Paris attack was on the night of November 13 when there was a series of terrorists attacking Paris. When a refugee arrives, they need to do many things. When they =irst arrive, a person who understands their language will come and pick them up. By the next week, those who need to learn English will get enrolled into classes. Next, with the help from case workers, they apply for food stamps and Social Security cards. The case workers also enroll their children in school and =ind them jobs. What types of jobs would the refugee get? On average, they would work in a hotel, restaurant, or as a light manufacturer. Twelve refugees, including six children were scheduled to join there Continued on page 5
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WEST UNIVERSITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL VOL. XVI ISSUE IV
THE THREE KINGS Have you ever heard of the three BY NORA MAYRAL BOYLE
kings (the 3 wise men)? It is the way Spaniards celebrate Christmas. On the night of January 5th, the 3 kings arrive to every family’s house to bring gifts. Just like you put out milk & cookies for Santa, you put out wine and cookies for the kings and water and carrots for their camels. Instead of a Christmas tree, people set up an elaborate nativity. It is a representation of Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the shepherd, and of course, the three kings in the stables where Jesus was born. On January 6th (Epiphany in English), children awake to =ind presents. Epiphany is a celebration of the day that 3 kings from the east found Jesus and gave him the gifts of HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
myrrh, frankincense and gold. The journey was long and they were guided by a magical star. Camels helped them to carry the gifts. The three kings’ names are: Baltasar, Gaspar, and Melchor. One king, Baltasar has dark skin and dark hair. Melchor has white hair and a white beard. Gaspar is a redhead with a red beard. In every Spanish city, the arrival of the the three kings is celebrated with a cabalgata (parade). On television they broadcast the event for those who cannot attend the parade. In the weeks before 3 King’s Day, if you go into large department stores, or malls, you can visit with a Paje Real (Royal Page). He or she is somebody that collects your wish lists and delivers them to the king of your choice. This year my family and I are visiting Spain to celebrate Three Kings Day with our family that live there. I’m very excited to celebrate the holidays the Spanish way this year. WHAT DOES YOUR FAVORITE COLOR
SAY ABOUT YOU? BY MATTHEW JEONG
BY ANGELA PASCALI
Human rights day is a magnificent day celebrated all around the world on December 10. This day represents our rights, and one very important right celebrated is freedom. We did not always have freedom though, we fought for freedom and we won that's how Human rights day was invented. Today we celebrate human rights day by playing activities and remembering famous quotes such as: "When ever I hear someone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally” -­‐-­‐ Abraham Lincoln "America did not invent human rights. In a very real sense... human rights invented America.” -­‐-­‐ Jimmy Carter I have cherished the ideal a democratic and free society... it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.-­‐ -­‐ Nelson Mandela, President of South Africa, imprisoned from 1964-­‐-­‐1990
Houston Independent School District
JANUARY 2016
Have you ever wondered if colors h a v e a n y t h i n g t o d o w i t h Color & Mo(ves personalities? If so, you've found the right article. Color psychologists Red: Power agree that colors have distinct Blue:In(macy personalities of their own. A man White: Peace n a m e d D r. Ta y l o r H a r t m a n dedicated his research to the Yellow: Fun personalities that people exhibit. He made the Hartman Color Code Personality Test. The colors represent what traits a person has and how they correspond with a persons's overall personality. So, let's find out about your personality. Is your favorite color blue? This usually means you're trustworthy, loyal, intelligent and masculine. If you like red, you're probably energetic, but tend to get angry, too. Do you like brown? Then, there's a good chance that you are friendly and like the outdoors. Though yellow is bright, happy, it can be irresponsible and unstable. People who like orange are confident and kind. Gold is wealthy, valuable and greedy. Purple is noble, but moody and mysterious. Pink is healthy and playful. The bad thing is, you might be weak and immature. People who like green tend to get rich, but get jealous. Remember, you may or may not have one of these traits. I hope you figured out what color your are! if you w o u l d l i ke t o t a ke t h e p e r s o n a l i t y t e s t g o t o www.colorcode.com
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WEST UNIVERSITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL VOL. XVI ISSUE IV
GET TO KNOW MRS. RAMERO
BY MARISA BOUE AND JAINA JHUNJHUNWALA
GET TO KNOW MRS. VISTEIN The New Year’s
Resolutions of the
MM Staff
BY BROOKE BLUM
Q. How many years have you been teaching? A. I have taught for one year in Texas. I have also done some teaching in Louisiana. Q. Was this your dream job when you were a kid? A. I thought that I would never be a teacher. I wanted to deliver babies in a hospital. Q. Why did you want to come to this school? A. I was a substitute and loved the school spirit. Q. Where did you used to teach? A. I used to teach in Louisiana. Q. Have you always taught 2nd grade? A. I taught some 2nd grade in college. Q. Did you get inspired to teach by any of your family? A. I do have some teachers in my family, but I chose teaching for the passion of helping children learn. Q. Why did you want to teach 2nd grade? A. I love teaching younger students. Q. What is your biggest pet peeve? A. When students don’t follow classroom procedures such as coming up to the teacher without permission. Q. What was your favorite subject when you were a kid? A. My favorite subject was math. Q. Did you do anything before you started teaching? A. I substituted around Houston and Louisiana. Q. Where did you grow up? A. Houston. Q. How long have you been a teacher? A. 17 years. Q. What is your favorite subject? A. Math & Reading. Q. What’s your favorite strategy for that subject? A. Underline a number in math. Underline your proof when taking a reading test. Q. Give me one word that describes you? A. Helpful. Q. If you were something, other than a teacher, what would it be? A. A Personal Trainer. Q. What is your favorite sport? A. Football. Q. Where is your favorite place to visit? A. Cozumel, Mexico. Q. What would you do if you had a day off teaching to do anything you want? A. Go to the beach! Q. What is your favorite book? A. Gone with the Wind. GET TO KNOW MRS. MCALEAVY BY JAY LOVE
• Get better at
multiplication and
division. - Marisa Boue
• Memorize my
multiplication and
division facts -
Kai Gomez
• Put more effort into
things -Gabriel Sabely
• Skate and do more art! - Rugveda Patil
• Get along better with
my brother. - Amy He
• Be more organized. - Emma
• Study longer. -Anonymous
• Make a 25on my math
club tests. -Diane Sun
• Catch an 85 lb. catfish.
-?
Pet Survey
Q: How many years have you A: My students, my taught? team, a nd A: 9 years at West U, 20 years everything else. overall. Q: What subjects Q: What college did you attend? do you teach? A: The University Of Wisconsin at A: Social studies, Madison. language arts, reading, and Q: What grades have you taught? math. A: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th. Q: Do you enjoy teaching and if Q: What made you want to be a so why? teacher? A: Yes, because I try to have an A: My bossy sister would never let impact on the future. me be teacher when we played Q: What is your favorite subject school. to teach? Q: What is your favorite grade to A: Recess. teach? Q: What is your favorite year to A: 5th. teach? Q: What is your favorite thing A: 2015’s fifth graders. about West U? Houston Independent School District
JANUARY 2016
By Neela Ravi & Sofia Skaria
40
30
20
10
0
Cat
Dog
Fish
Bird Reptile Other None
We surveyed 111 4th graders during recess.Most people said they
had a dog, and the least amount of people said they had a
reptile.The answers we had for the “others” were pretty wild!
Some of the replies we got included: tigers, toucans, monkey,
and horses. Here we have a column chart to show the number
of 4th graders that have pets or don’t.Having a pet can be a big
responsibility but they are entertaining and can be your best
friend.
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WEST UNIVERSITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL VOL. XVI ISSUE IV
BENNER'S BLUEBONNET BOOK REVIEWS
The Night Gardener: out of 5 stars. This ghost story is about two Irish siblings, Molly (age 14) and Kip (age 11) who survive a sinking ship. They are orphaned when their parents give them the only remaining seats on the lifeboat. These siblings are forced to take jobs at a spooky and deserted house. While they are there, they encounter an evil spirit, the Night Gardener, and try to destroy him. I give it five stars because it is very creepy and has great character descriptions. I also learned a lot about the Irish Famine. If you like eerie and bizarre stories, this one is for you! BY WESTON BENNER
Zane and the Hurricane: out of 5 stars. This chapter book takes place in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. The novel follows a boy named Zane Dupree who lives in New Hampshire but is visiting New Orleans to see his great grandmother. The hurricane hits and he follows his dog closer to the hurricane’s chaos, where they get trapped. Strangers rescue Zane and his dog … but more adventure awaits the odd crew. They must search for shelter as they try and avoid a drug dealer-­‐thug. I really enjoyed this story, the pace of the plot, and the descriptive language. There were six similes in one paragraph, alone! anything, but my favorite part was the nice ending! MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAYBY KATE JEONG
A federal holiday marks the day of Martin L. King's birthday. It was officially a holiday for the whole 50 states beginning in 2000. So who is Martin Luther King Jr.? What did he do? He was born January 15 (though this year's holiday is Jan. 18), 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was a minister and civil-­‐-­‐rights activist. The world recognized him and awarded him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. When he was a child, and he was playing soccer with a white boy, the white boy's mother came out, yelling at King to get away from her son. King went home discouraged, but his mother told him it wasn't his fault, King, became curious about segregation and racial prejudice. Heavily influenced by peacemaker Mahatma Gandhi, King started to protest with a Peace March. He and other protestors held signs while marching from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. King began to travel across the country and give lectures on Houston Independent School District
JANUARY 2016
nonviolent protest and civil rights. He later had meetings with religious figures, activists, and political leaders and got an opportunity to meet Gandhi. (Gandhi is an Indian peace activist. He also won the Nobel Peace Prize.) On the evening of April 4, 1968, King was shot while standing on the balcony of a motel in Memphis. The shooter, James Earl Ray, was a known convict, and racist. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 99 years in prison where he died in 1998, at the age of 70 years old. Some lesser known facts about Martin Luther King : His actual name was Michael. A gifted student, he was allowed to skip grade 9 and h entered college at the age of 15. King was jailed 29 tImes for his acts. Martin Luther King Jr. narrowly escaped an assassinated attempt a decade before his death. King was signing copies of his new book, when a woman named Izola Ware Curry asked him if he was Martin Luther King Jr. After his reply, she answered, " I've been looking for you for 5years." and plunged a 7-­‐inch letter opener in his chest. King luckily survived. Surgeons later told him a single sneeze could have killed him. Today, over 700 streets are named after him in his honor. As the Martin L. King Jr. Day, days are off for schools and work. We don't have school on January 18th! http://westues.org
MERCURY BY RUGVEDA PATIL
Mercury is the first planet in the solar system. It is the closest planet to the sun. Mercury has no moons. Mercury’s History I n R o m a n m y t h o l o g y m e rc u r y i s t h e g o d o f commerce, thievery, and travel. Mercury probably got his name because it rotates so quickly. Mercury has been visited by two space crafts, MARINER 10 and MESSENGER. Marriner 10 flew by three times in 1974 and 1975. MESSENGER was launched by NASA in 2004 and has been in orbit Mercury since 2011. Mercury’s Size Mercury is a little bigger than Earth's moon. It is made of heavier materials, like iron. But if you could weigh Mercury and the moon, Mercury would weigh a lot more. Mercury is heavy, but it is small. It would take more than 18 Mercuries to be as big as Earth. How Mercury Looks The surface of Mercury looks like Earth's moon. It is covered with holes. The holes are called impact craters. The craters were made by rocks falling from space. The rocks are going very fast, when they hit Mercury. A hole is made where the rock hits. Earth has a blanket of air around it. Mercury does not have blanket of air around it. The blanket is what helps keep Earth from getting too hot or cold. Because it is so close to the sun, Mercury can be very hot. At night, Mercury gets very cold. We could not live on Mercury! page 4
WEST UNIVERSITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL VOL. XVI ISSUE IV
PRES. FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT
ALL ABOUT MOZART
BY SARAH JANE WISE
BY RILEY TACKETT
Franklin D. Roosevelt was born on January 30, 1882. He went to Harvard College in 1900 and Columbia University Law School in 1904. On March 17, 1905 he married Anna Eleanor Roosevelt. Together they had six children. In 1910, he was elected to the New York State Senate. In 1913, he was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of the Navy under President Woodrow Wilson. On Nov 2, 1920, he ran for vice president. along with presidential candidate James Cox but lost. In 1921 he was stricken with polio and lost the use of his legs. His political career seemed over. Not be be defeated, he started a polio treatment center in Warm Springs, Georgia. Roosevelt published his first book in 1926, called Whither Bound. In 1928 he was elected governor of New York and reelected in 1930. He defeated Herbert Hoover to become president in 1932. He pledged “a new deal for the American people” struggling with the Great Depression. Giuseppe Zangara attempted to assassinate him in Miami, Florida on February 15, 1933. He missed Roosevelt but killed the mayor of Miami. In 1934, he created the WPA (Works Progress Administration) that gave two million men jobs and built many public buildings standing today including two wings of our school. In 1936, Roosevelt was reelected president and served four terms leading America through World War II. On April 12, 1945, Franklin D. Roosevelt died at Warm Springs, Georgia and was buried in the Rose Garden of his home at Hyde Park, New York. Happy Birthday, Mozart! The famous classical composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was born on January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria. His parents and big sister called him “Wolfie”. Mozart’s father was a composer and taught his children to play instruments. He started studying music when he was four. At five years old, Mozart wrote his first musical composition. He went on a concert tour with his sister when he was six. By the time he was eight, he had written a whole symphony! Mozart became famous for being such an amazing child prodigy. When he was young, he traveled and played in many cities including Paris, London, and Vienna. Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Patrick Henry, and Thomas Jefferson were all alive during the time of Mozart. He was able to compose very quickly allowing him to write huge amounts of music. Mozart wrote over 600 works during his lifetime. Many people argue that he is the greatest musical genius of all-­‐time. Amazingly, Mozart learned to speak 15 different languages. He also loved to play billiards. Sadly, even though Mozart was a famous musician, he did not always make enough money selling his music. He died from an illness on December 5, 1791 at age 35 in Vienna, Austria. Musicians continue to play, record, and perform his music today. Scientists have even said that Mozart’s music helps children grow strong, well-­‐balanced brains. VIDEO GAME CORNER: HYRULE WARRIORS LEGENDS
Warning: If you do not like Legends of Zelda, this article is not for you. This is a Legends of Zelda fan’s dream game, like me. So if you don’t like it, I repeat: this is not for you. If you have ever played Hyrule Warriors (rated Teen) for the Wii U, then we have a surprise; this game is for the 3DS!! Yay! I have both Refugees Continued from page 1 relatives in Houston and Dallas. On December 7, these refugees arrived in Houston and Dallas. Every 15 Houston Independent School District
JANUARY 2016
BY DAVIS BARNETT
consoles. In this sequel to Hyrule Warriors, we have a twist: this is a spinoff including all the characters from ALL the Legends of Zelda games!!! (When I say ALL, I mean ALL.) Play as Darmani, Toon Link, Tetra, or play as King of Red Lions. This is so amazing. The special moves for these characters are cool, too. SKYWARD STRIKE those bokoblins, Link!! So sorry to tell you now, but this game comes out in early 2016…. This game is so worth the wait. If you only have the Wii U, don’t fret. Nintendo might come up with a Wii U version. That’s all the space I have left, so go save Hyrule, hero! seconds, a Syrian becomes a refugee. Since October, 12 refugees have come to Houston, the city that has welcomed the most refugees. http://www.westues.org
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WEST UNIVERSITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL VOL. XVI ISSUE III
DECEMBER 2015
The New Year’s Fairy by Ellie Elmore
by Josie Pulaski
nge
Cha ear
y
this
I’m
waiting
What
is she
doing?
I’m r the
fo
ng
i
’s
t
wai w Year
Ne rty.
Pa
What are you
doing?
Answer:
Barbie-ques
Holiday Cheer By Hania Kusinski and Amelia Kusinski
Here are some funny jokes to keep you laughing through the holidays ! Q: Why are pigs so bad at Q: Why did the lady throw football? buLer out of the window A: They're always hogging the A: Because she wanted to see ball! a buLerfly. A. Knock, Knock. Who's there? Q: When do you ask a Stan. hamburger a lot of Stan Who? quesOons? A: When you grill it! Stan back ! I'm going to sneeze! Q: What do clouds wear Q: Why do you never give Elsa under their shorts? A: a balloon? Thunder-­‐wear! Q: What do you get a cross an A: Because she'll always elephant with Darth Vader? "Let it Go!” A: An ele-­‐Vader! Houston Independent School District
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