WHITING MIDDLE SCHOOL
BACK TO SCHOOL ISSUE 2013
themillennium
Our New Principal
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Open House
2
Back to School
Dance
2
Project Lead the
Way
3
Sports
4
Student Spotlight 5
Classroom Corner 6-8
Fast Fact!
There are 29 different
shades of RED Crayola
crayons!
Mr. Spitler is out new principal at Whiting
Middle School. We may not know him yet, but you
will get to know him soon enough! He is not new at
being a principal. Before being at Whiting Middle
School, he was a principal at Princeton Community
Middle School. He went to college for 4 years at Ball
State University and earned a Bachelor’s Degree. He
then went to Indiana Wesleyan University for 2 years
and earned a Masters in Educational Specialist
Degree.
Mr. Spitler is hoping to add an after school activity called the Jr.
Booster Club to help out WMS students support one another by attending
extra-curricular activities. His three important goals to reach at WMS are “to
work with teachers to provide a high quality education for students, to
provide students with a safe and inviting learning environment, and to
create a school that works closely with the community members, parents,
and businesses to provide student success.”
Mr. Spitler said, “He loves being in Whiting and has been very
impressed with the teachers and students he has worked with. The
community and parents have been very inviting.” He also commented that
he “enjoys working with middle school students because they are interesting
and fun to be around. I chose Whiting because the community has a small
town feel, but is very close to a large city which my family and me like. I also
chose Whiting because it’s obvious that the teachers, students, and
community are serious about education and make it a high priority.”
His expectations for WMS is for all school staff and students to work daily to
achieve our vision.
Q: Why is a math book always unhappy?
A: Because it always has lots of problems.
:(
Joke Time!
By: Giselle Hernandez
BACK TO SCHOOL ISSUE 2013
Open House
2
recentevents
As I walked with my mother to sign in, I saw many helpful students from
student council serving as guides. Their job was to help parents find their way
around the school when parents started their child’s schedule. Their first job,
however, was to greet and direct parents to the auditorium.
In the auditorium, Mr. Spitler talked to approximately 130 parents about
school safety rules and his expectations for the academic year. Mr. Spitler then
briefly told the parents to enter their child to win a 15.00 gift card to The Junkyard.
Parents were dismissed to go through their child’s schedules. In each classroom,
teachers spoke to parents for about 7 minutes about how the school year would
run, classroom expectations, and upcoming activities and projects. When parents
were dismissed, guides helped parents find the next classroom. At the end of the
open house, parents were provided with cookies, punch, and popcorn.
The following day at school, Mr. Spitler announced the winners of the
contest. In 6th grade, Diego Malagon won. In 7th grade, Destiny Gomez, and in 8th
grade, Jade Garcia. Congratulations to all the lucky winners!
By: Shelby Kolavo
Back to School Dance
Missed the school dance? Well, if you did, here’s a
description of what happened at the dance. The school dance was
on Friday, August 23 at 3:15 until 5:00. It was a dance sponsored
by the Academic Team and cost 3.00 to get in. There were
popular foods such as the hot dogs and nachos, with enough pop
to keep everyone hydrated after all that dancing!
The students at the dance seemed to have fun. The
students were typically found dancing, talking, or eating. When
the music began to play, students were found dancing to line
dances such as “The Cupid Shuffle” and “The Casper Slide”.
Popular songs played were “The Harlem Shake” and “Roar” by
Katy Perry. The dance floor was packed during these songs.
I didn’t have the chance to go, but my friends who went say
they had a good time!
By: Michelle Pimentel
BACK TO SCHOOL ISSUE 2013
3
recentevents
Project Lead the Way
Whiting Middle School has just started a new program, Project Lead the Way (PLTW), run by Mrs. Sotello. I was
able to ask her questions about the new learning experiences.
(What is PLTW?)
“Project Lead the Way is a Middle School program that provides students with real-world learning and hands-on experience. PLTW
prepares students to be innovated and productive leaders in math, science, technology and engineering.”
(What are the different parts of PLTW?)
“We have two nine-week courses that are offered: Design & Modeling and Automation and Robotics.”
(What do these courses offer?)
[Design & Modeling]
“Students begin to recognize the value of an engineering notebook to document and capture their ideas. They are introduced to and
use the design process to solve problems and understand the influence that creative and innovative design has on our lives. Students
use industry standard 3D modeling software to create a virtual image of their designs and produce a portfolio to showcase their
creative solutions.”
[Automation Robotics]
“Students trace the history, development, and influence of automation and robotics. They learn about mechanical systems, energy
transfer, machine automation and computer control systems. Students use a robust robotics platform to design, build and program a
solution to solve an existing problem.”
(What is the purpose of PLTW?)
“[PLTW] …Engage students in activities, projects, and problem-based (APPB) learning, [and] …Provides hands-on classroom
experiences. Students create, design, build, discover, collaborate and solve problems Apply what they learn in math and science.”
(Do other schools have PLTW?)
“Yes, other schools do offer PLTW. We are one of the few schools that are very fortunate to be able to offer it in the area. “
(What do you think of PLTW, and why should we be excited?)
“I am very excited about PLTW. I enjoy the hands on learning and the amount of confidence a student gets from it. We have some cool
projects we will work on.”
It looks like the 8th graders have a lot to look forward to with Project Lead the Way later this year!
By: TJ Lowe
BACK TO SCHOOL ISSUE 2013
4
sports
Football
Whiting Middle School is preparing for another amazing
football season this school year! They have been practicing and
preparing all summer. With Mr. Young as their coach, the football
players have been working hard at practice. Their first game was
September 5 against Hanover Central and Wheeler. They beat
Wheeler, but lost against Hanover Central.
This season, I think we should expect a strong and amazing
hardworking team. From how the WMS football team is starting
out, I think they have a promising season ahead. All the players
seem excited and determined to accomplish their personal best.
Best of luck to every one of the players this year, and come out
and support the Whiting Middle School team!
By: Valerie Kristek
Cross Country
Ready. Set. Go! Cross Country season is here and
Whiting Middle School students are practicing harder than
ever to win the GSSC Conference. Led by a new coach with
military experience, Coach Burriss has been pushing all her
runners to their fullest potential. She makes practice very
challenging, but at the same time, fun. Each practice is a
workout of every part of the runner’s body, and she has
definitely been keeping the team in shape! Cross Country is
not just a physical sport. It is a mental sport too. This year’s
Cross Country team consists of 8 dedicated runners, and we
wish each of them the best of luck this year!
By: Ivan Lopez
BACK TO SCHOOL ISSUE 2013
5
studentspotlight
6th Grade
Abbey Pako is a sixth grade
student at Whiting Middle
School. She has three
brothers, Brodie, Carson, and
Quinn (Carson and Quinn are
twins.) and a Siamese cast.
Her favorite color is blue
because it is bright and can
go with anything, and she
loves to watch Duck Dynasty
because they are “soooo
funny”. Abbey’s favorite
book is Mick Haurte was
Here and loves to learn
about science because it is so
exciting to her! She also
loves Milky Ways and
Caramel Apple suckers. If you
see Abbey in class or the hall,
don’t be afraid to have a
conversation with her!
By: Matthew Moore
8th Grade
7th Grade
Who is the spotlight student
for seventh grade this
newspaper?
Di’Ante
Marshall, who is new this
year at Whiting Middle
School. He is 13 years old.
Di’Ante’s former school was
Carter G. Woodson which is
in Chicago. His favorite color
is purple. He enjoys playing
sports. His favorite two
sports are football and
basketball. If he had to pick
one favorite sport though, it
would be basketball. He one
day dreams to go to the
NBA (National Basketball
Association). Di’Ante says
he enjoys going to Whiting
Middle School, and he likes
it here. If you see Di’Ante in
the hallway, don’t be afraid
to say hello!
By: Ariana Adam
A new school year brings new friends,
new ideas, and, of course, new
students! A new student to Whiting
Middle School is Shelby Kolavo, who is
in the 8th grade.
Shelby is a music lover like most people
and her favorite music group is Imagine
Dragons. Her favorite singer is Demi
Lovato. If she had to describe herself in
three words, it would be crazy, freespirited, and caring. Her favorite
television show is the popular “Pretty
Little Liars”. In her free time, she can be
found playing softball, listening to
music, playing guitar, or reading. Shelby
also writes songs, stories, poetry, and
letters in her spare time.
In the future, Shelby wants to be a
detective or a teacher. She plans on
studying both and seeing which suits her
best. Along with new information and
classes, I believe the best part of a new
school year is the new students. It’s a
new opportunity to make new friends
that you will have throughout high
school. So if you see Shelby or any other
new students, introduce yourself and
you may make a new friend that you will
have for years.
By: Erica Gomez
BACK TO SCHOOL ISSUE 2013
6
classroomcorner
Sixth Grade
Mrs.Thomas
Science and Language Arts
In Mrs. Thomas’s science class, the students are learning a little bit of everything
like the solar system, some physics, the scientific method, and how to use lab
equipment. She says she is doing much of the same “stuff” as last year, but also some
new things and wants to do more labs this year. The six graders are going to be doing
the Jelly Marble Lab as soon as they are finished learning about scientific method. She
also says she has found new and inspiring songs to add to her collection of science
videos for the kids to watch and learn this new school year.
By: Dolores Diaz
Ms. Wilder is doing so much so soon in the year. In math, she’s
teaching the sixth graders how to use decimals. In her language arts
classes, she is teaching idioms, similes, and metaphors and many more
other figurative language terms. She is also reading Wonder which ties
into the bullying unit that the sixth graders will get to soon learn about.
Ms.Wilder
Math and Language Arts
The sixth graders just finished watching Ruby Bridges and will be discussing the Civil Rights
movement. Sixth graders should also expect to read The Watsons go to Birmingham very soon.
When students finish reading the story, they will be doing a time capsule or timeline of the Civil
Rights. Looks like the sixth grade is in for a treat in Ms. Wilder’s class!
By: Tatiana Gamino
Ms.Laurincik
Social Studies and Language Arts
Mrs. Laurincik just finished reviewing map skills such as absolute location, relative location, kinds
of maps, special lines of latitude and longitude, and using a scale bar to measure the distance between
two cities. The 6th grade will be learning about the countries in North America in the first quarter of this
school year. For upcoming projects, she mentioned that many students have enjoyed demonstrating
their creativity by choosing a project to present to the class after studying a topic. She will be using a few
projects I’ve used in the past. However, there are several new projects I have planned this year for my 6 th
grade students.
Mrs. Laurincik’s goal for her students? She says she wants “her students to be successful.”
By: Allia Hasan
BACK TO SCHOOL ISSUE 2013
7
classroomcorner
Seventh and Eighth Grade
Mrs.Wolfley
Science
Mrs. Wolfley has been teaching for 3 years. She is now a science teacher at Whiting
Middle School, subbing for Mrs. McGee. Mrs. Wolfley chose to be a science teacher because
she enjoys explaining how things worked more than doing research. “It’s fun!” she said.
Right now her 7th grade classes are learning “Nature of Science”. The unit has been filled with many exciting
activities and labs. Seventh graders just finished a lab where they were to run for 5 minutes and test heart rates along
the way. Hopefully it didn’t wear them out! They will be soon starting “Earth’s Structures”.
The 8th grade is finishing “Nature of Science”. They have also been doing fun activities and learning lab safety
rules. Much of what the 8th graders do encourages them to apply what they know. For instance, they watched a clip
on Myth Busters and had to determine at what points the scientific method was used. They will be starting “Weather
and Climate” next.
By: Nahelly Pacheco
Are you ready for a fun and exciting classroom activates and lots more in the
Mr.Evon
classroom this year? Then you have to come to Mr. Evon’s class and see what he is doing!
Right now, Mr. Evon is teaching his seventh grade classes about the history and geography Social Studies
of the Middle East and North Africa and teaching his 8 th graders about European Trade
Routes of the 1500s.
He is also looking forward to Christmas around the World, which he does annually with his
7th graders around the Christmas season. The project allows students to learn how other countries
celebrate Christmas that do not live in United States. Mr. Evon picks a country for you and as well
as a partner for you. After you research your country with your partner, you present your project
the Wednesday night before Christmas Break in the gym. It should be a really fun activity! So get
ready for what’s brewing in Mr. Evon’s classes!
By: Ethan Harbin
Ms.Fentress
Math
Ms. Fentress, the 7th and 8th grade Math teacher, has been teaching for 21 years. She started
at St. Joseph’s in Dyer and taught for 2 years until she began teaching at Whiting Middle School. This
is her 19th year at Whiting. She sponsors the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) and takes them to
the Hammond-Whiting Care Center once a month. She also sponsors Academic Team.
It may be her 21st year of teaching, but Ms. Fentress has started working hard in all of her math
classes. Her 7th grade class is currently working on exponents while her Algebra class is solving
multistep equation. Eighth grade is reviewing to prepare to solve equations. Ms. Fentress will do some
big projects for Valentine’s Day and Pi day so be ready 7th and 8th graders!
By: Nahelly Pacheco
BACK TO SCHOOL ISSUE 2013
8
classroomcorner
Ms.Likens
7th Grade Literature
8th Grade Language Arts
Seventh grade is currently working on a short story unit that includes
stories like “Rikki-tikki-tavi” and “The Smallest Dragonboy.” All stories include
fun activities that encourage student engagement. Seventh grade will be going
into Hatchet after the short story unit.
Eighth grade is learning about the subjective and predicate and multiple writing assignments to
get them to practice their writing and grammar skills. Her goal is to encourage better writing skills for
her students. Eighth grade will begin And Then There Were None to kick off the oncoming Halloween.
She looks forward to the Greek Mythology unit because learning about the different gods and
goddesses is always fun and the informational text unit because students can apply what they learn to
their actual lives. It looks like the 7th and 8th graders will be starting off with a fun year!
By: Sam Dringer
I recently spoke to Mrs. Smith, the 7th and 8th grade Language Arts and
Literature teacher, about her future plans with her classes. Before she began
to tell me about her plans, she did mention that she was excited about this
year because of the great behavior the 7th and 8th graders have this year. She
encourages the 8th graders to work really hard because it is their last year in
the middle school and to prepare themselves for high school.
Mrs.Smith
8th Grade Literature
7th Grade Language Arts
The 7th grade is doing a writing project about their three favorite teachers from the past. While they
do this project, seventh grade remember great memories about their past teachers. It is also a way for
students to use what they reviewed about nouns, pronouns, and adjectives.
The 8th grade is working on “Flowers for Algernon” and doing exciting and fun activities with the
story. Eighth graders are about to start the Career Unit which helps students become more familiar with
the different types of careers there are in the world. She looks forward to Junior Achievement presenting
for the eighth graders later this fall.
By: Graciela Salazar
Computer teacher, Mrs. Sotello, loves seeing the creativity of all her
students when they are using the computers in class for projects. An
interesting fact about her is that Mrs. Sotello did not always teach
computers. She went to college for computers and then later became a
teacher.
th
The 7 grade students are preparing to learn about the Internet and everything it entails. This
ranges from how to properly use the Internet to the correct etiquette of it. Seventh graders should
look forward to a fun time learning about how to appropriate use the Internet!
Mrs.Sotello
Computers and PLTW
Currently, Mrs. Sotello is preparing to teach Project Lead the Way to the 8 th grade students.
This course will include robotics and designing and modeling courses. She is excited to start this new
course with the students and watch the eighth graders excel in their critical thinking skills!
By: Caritina Torres
BACK TO SCHOOL ISSUE 2013
9
Back to School Issue
NEWSPAPER STAFF
Erica Gomez
Ariana Adam
TJ Lowe
Michelle Pimentel
Ethan Harbin
Sara Mantich
Ivan Lopez
Matthew Moore
Tatiana Gamino
Valerie Kristek
Graciela Salazar
Dolores Diaz
Nahelly Pacheco
Sam Diringer
Giselle Hernandez
Caritina Torres
Shelby Kolavo
Allia Hasan
How many legs does this
elephant have?
Riddles
ATTENTION
STUDENTS!
Please join WMS’s “Pack the
Gym” volleyball event on
September 30! There will
be free refreshments and
food and loaded with fun!
It is also free admission
to the game for students.
1: I’m tall when I’m young and I’m
short when I’m old. What am I?
2: What is at the end of a rainbow?
3: You walk into a room with a match,
a karosene lamp, a candle, and a
fireplace. Which do you light first?
Answers- 1: a candle, 2: the letter W, 3: the match
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Optical Illusion