PRINCIPAS MESSAGE - Half Hollow Hills

November 2008
WEST HOLLOW MIDDLE SCHOO!S QUARTERLY MAGAZINE
WOLVERINE TRACKS
Volume I
NOVEMBER 2008 VOLUME I
PRINCIPA!S MESSAGE
I"s amazing how fast time flies! As the first marking period
comes to a close, the second is o# and running. Over the past few
months, our students explored many topics that were highlighted by
a historic Presidential election. Our school community embraced
the election, which served as a constant reminder that with hard
work and perseverance, there is nothing one can not achieve.
On a daily basis, our faculty seeks to create interesting lessons
that focus on big ideas that we like to call “essential questions.” By
answering these questions, students are challenged to think critically
as they transfer knowledge acquired in the classroom to larger
horizons.
Wolverine Tracks, is our quarterly newsletter that shines a spotlight
on life at West Hollow Middle School. Once again, welcome, and we
hope you enjoy your journey.
Milton K. Strong, Principal
Building Administration
Mr. Steven Hau!
Mr. Robert Newto"
Mrs. A#ison Beyersdorf
[1]

Counseling Center
The Counseling Center is o# to a
great start. During the month of
September we met with 475 sixth
graders in small groups and held
parent workshops for our 6 th grade
parents. These groups were
designed to help assist our sixth
grade students and their paren"s
transition into middle school. The
7 th grade parents were also invited
to attend small group workshops to
discuss the 7 th grade academic
program, as well as team sports and
the admission requirements into
the National Junior Honor Society.
Tuesday, October 7 th 103 parents
f rom West Hollow and
Candlewood participated in an
evening workshop for parents on
Internet Safety sponsored by the
Suffolk County Sheriff ’s
Department. In early October a
school wide survey was given in
advisory and students were asked
to identify peers who they felt they
could trust and turn to when they
needed help. As a result of the
survey thirty students from grades
six, seven and eight have been
identified as Peer Listeners.
Nineteen of these students
participated in a two day training
session and will certainly be an
asset to the program. On Nov. 4 th
eighth grade students f rom
Candlewood and West Hollow
were trained as assistant facilitators
to participate in our F l a s h
Judgments program which will be
delivered in our 8 th grade health
classes. Flash Judgments
encourages mutual respect between
students. It leads to increased
cooperation, more effective
communication and a more
responsible, self reliant attitude
among teenagers. Five eighth grade
students were selected to be
mentors in West Hollow Big
Brothers Big Sister program
with our IPC students. These five
students work cooperatively with
students from the IPC class two
days a week and help with various
activities.
WEST
HOLLOW
ATRIUM
THE
LEADERS
CLUB
Ms. Marsh and the Leaders Club
kicked off the school year with
their "Keep the Children Warm
Campaign." Students collected
new and gently used pajamas and
blankets for the month of
October. All the donations went
to Education and Assistance
Corporation. The students felt
collecting warm clothing and
blankets was beneficial because
of today's rising oil prices. It's
very expensive to heat a home.
The club received a tremendous
amount of donations from
students as well as faculty and
staff. The Leaders Club is off to
a great start in helping people in
our community.
Leaders aren’t born they are
made. And they are made just
like anything else, through hard
work. And tha"s the price we’ll
have to pay to achieve that goal,
or any goal.
$ Vince Lombardi
[2]

Motivate
TEAM 6!1
Our team has completed our first
grammar unit focusing on nouns,
verbs, adjectives and subjects and
predicates. We are currently working
on writing our memoirs with a focus
on “Show, Don’t Tell” sentences. In
reading, we are studying various
genres as an introduction to our first
novel, Where the Red Fern Grows.
Our team’s social studies classes used
flashlights to explore a cave hidden
behind a storage room door here at
West Hollow. There they found
artifacts and cave paintings from
prehistoric times. Students then
interpreted the meaning behind the
objects and compared their
conclusions with those of actual
social scientists.
In science, we learned how to use a
compound microscope and looked at
animal and plant cells by preparing
our own wet$mount slides. We are
moving on in our study of genetics
and will be going to the DNA
Learning Center in Cold Spring
Harbor where we will do a lab that
involves genetic engineering.
Team 6$1’s math class will be
planning a mock Thanksgiving Day
feast, using grocery store flyers and
their knowledge of math regarding
conversions, rates and percent
proportion.
TEAM 6!2
Team 6$2 has arrived! We are o# and
running, busy learning, meeting new
friends and settling into the life of a
true middle schooler. We’ve had
several team meetings/rallies in
which we get together for some
important sharing and fun times. On
Meet the Teacher Night, we
presented our parents with a Power
Point presentation and a musical
DVD of our students in action. It
was a great night! Our team name is
TEAM PRIDE. Soon we will be
designing t$shirts for our team logo.
This will be a contest, so get your
colored pencils and drawing paper
ready! Team leaders were nominated
by their peers and we are excited to
get things going. We have two
charities that we will be supporting
this year. They are, SMA %Spinal
Muscular Atrophy& and Alec’s Run.
Students are busy solving equations,
experimenting with DNA, writing
memoirs, visiting cave drawings and
reading tons of books! They are
learning interactively with the two
Smart Boards provided for the team.
We are o# to a great start in sixth
grade!
If one advances confidently in
the direction of his dreams,
and endeavors to live the life
which he has imagined,
he will meet with a success
unexpected in common hours.
Students
being
recognized
for good
deeds
$ Henry David Thoreau
[3]

TEAM 6!3
Team 6$3 has had a fine start into the
school year!
In science, our students have just
finished cell projects. The projects
were very unique and creative! We
are also looking forward to taking
our students on our first class trip to
the DNA Learning Center in Cold
Spring Harbor in November.
In social studies, students have
become concerned citizens
examining the presidential
candidates’ views on important issues
such a s the economy, the
environment, and education. Each
student was given an opportunity to
vote on$line with Youth Leadership’s
mock election during a school wide
and district wide election.
Early man was another focus.
Students entered the “West Hollow
Cave” and examined four million
year old cave paintings. The “social
scientist students” were good
detectives seeking out clues and
developing hypothesis.
In math, the “problem of the month”
program was extended to include 6 th
grade students. Each month,
students will encounter a challenging
and nontraditional math problem to
complete. These problems
encourage students to use higher
order thinking skills.
In English, the students had the
opportunity to listen to mentor texts
and write two memoirs. One
memoir is about a person and the
other one is about a place that is
special to them.
In reading, we are proud to announce
that team 6$3 has read 349 books
since the start of the school year!
We are so proud of everyone for
doing such a great job. We can’t wait
to see how many books we will have
read by June. Our students have also
been reading memoirs and focusing
on the reading strategies. All of the
students completed an “All About Me
Project” which determined each
chil's learning style.
TEAM 6!4
In October, Team 6$4 participated
in West Hollow’s Trick$or$Treat
Unicef fundraiser. Our team did an
outstanding job collecting for the
needy!
Mr. Gerson, parent of Team 6$4
student Rachel, took time out to set
up an advanced compound
microscope with a large screen in
Mrs. Rothenberger’s Science classes.
The students were excited to observe
clear views of various plant and
animal cells and unicellular organisms
from pond water.
TEAM 7!1
Team 7$1, the Rockin’ Robins have
been immersed in exciting and
educational activities in their core
classes:
Ms. McMahon’s Social Studies
classes have been following the 2008
Presidential Election very closely!
We have made campaign posters
supporting the man we think will do
the best job running our country. We
have also participated in a mock
online election where Half Hollow
Hills students cast their ballots! Stay
tuned in for the district winner.
In science class, Mr. T used
temperature probes and a computer
program to show the relationship
between energy and temperature
during a real phase change! Students
witnessed the vaporization of water…
live!
In math class, Mr. Pantke’s students
have been studying percents and
their many uses. From sport stats to
shopping, students are estimating
and using percents to better
understand their world.
Students in Ms. Ortiz’s English
classes have been using lots of
technology in class. They’ve been
using CPS remote pads to take tests,
instead of using scantron bubble
sheets. We’ve been using
schoolweblockers to turn in
assignments electronically and
receive grades back right on our
computers. We’ve read many short
stories so far this year, and are
excited about new computers
arriving in some of our classrooms
this week. I"s going to be a great
year.
TEAM 7!2
The young school year has brought
with it some brand new seventh
grade teams to West Hollow. Team
7$2 is no exception as Mrs. Kuzma
%Math&, Ms. Nally %ELA&, Mr.
O’Brien %Social Studies&, and Mr.
Regini %Science& have all come
together with the mission of creating
a fun and exciting year of learning
and growing for our students. In
keeping with our tradition of
developing a strong sense of team
unity, 7$2 has taken their first step
towards creating that identity. The
votes are in and our students have
dubbed themselves the “Golden
Eagles” for the ‘08$’09 school year.
While Team 7$2 is the smallest of the
seventh grade teams, there is
certainly no shortage of enthusiasm
or pride for being a part of the West
Hollow community. In addition to
showing lots of early promise as
students within the classroom, our
Golden Eagles have taken full
advantage of all that seventh grade
life at West Hollow has to o#er.
[4]

If they aren’t flocking on the athletic
fields, their calls can be heard in the
orchestra or on the stage of our
school musical. We even have a few
martial artists sprinkled into the mix!
The Golden Eagles are a wonderfully
diverse group with each member
bringing something special to the
table. Unique as we all may be, at
the end of the day we stay true to the
motto “Birds of a feather…” and
come together to pick each other up
and succeed as a team.
( This school year has already
seen some exciting excursions as the
team has made their first field trip to
Fire Island National Seashore at
Sunken Forest State Park. There, the
students were able to take advantage
of all the natural beauty that our
home on Long Island has to o#er as
well as take part in some scientific
data collection. As part of their
seventh grade science experience,
students are being given the chance
to reconnect with the outdoors. Fire
Island will be followed up by a trip to
the Pine Barrens later in the spring.
Ms. Nally’s classes will get a taste of
the theater when their reading of the
Miracle Worker will be brought to
life. They will see a live production
of the novel portrayed on the West
Hollow stage. Later this month our
students will take part in a team rally
day that culminates with a seventh
grade Family Feud competition.
Here they will get a chance to match
their wits in a high energy contest
against the other seventh grade
teams with our own Mr. G providing
some musical entertainment. If the
beginning of the year is any
indication, it should be some ride as
the 7$2 Golden Eagles soar to reach
their goals this school year!
TEAM 7!3
Team 7$3, the Hawks, has had a
terrific start to the school year! On
October 7th and 8th, the team took
an exciting science field trip to Fire
Islan's Sunken Forest where we saw
4 di#erent environments; the Ocean,
Swale, Maritime Forest and the
Great South Bay. They were all very
di#erent and beautiful. Some
students saw deer as close as arm’s
length and Monarch butterflies in
migration to Mexico. The weather
was wonderful both days and a great
time was had by all. Mrs. Beck and
the rest of the team teachers thank
the ten parent chaperones who
helped on the trip.
In Mrs. Manzione’s class this
quarter, students have had the
opportunity to use their knowledge
from last year to)discover many
new)mathematical concepts.) As
the new quarter begins, we will be
starting statistics.) This unit really
promotes student involvement
because most of the data we analyze
is collected from the students.
Further, preparation for the Math
Fair has begun and students who
volunteered to take part have chosen
a topic and are currently)doing
research)so they can begin on their
papers.) Mrs. Manzione reports that
she enjoys working with the students
and listening to their di#erent ideas.)
As the presidential election
approached, students made campaign
posters for their favorite candidate in
social studies class. The project was a
great way for the students to learn
about both candidates, but more
importantly, about some of the
crucial issues facing our country.
First, students researched both
candidates’ positions on
critical)issues facing our nation,
including the war in Iraq, the
economy, health care, education,
immigration, global warming and
national security. Students then
selected a candidate and created a
campaign poster. Mr. Ricken has
displayed the posters throughout his
classroom and in the hallways.
ELA class with Mrs. Sarrosick has
focused on the elements of fiction.
Students shared recommended
favorites, read novels independently
as part of a team$wide competition,
and completed a book report. We
read several short stories together as
a class, including the appropriately$
titled “Seventh Grade,” as well as “A
Crush,” “Rikki$Tikki$Tavi,” and O.
Henry’s “A Retrieved Reformation.”
After studying these stories and
learning how to construct and format
dialogue, students wrote their own
original short stories. Next quarter’s
genre is non$fiction, and students
have already enjoyed selecting
memoirs, biographies, and
autobiographies to read.
TEAM 7!4
Team 7$4 had two outstanding field
trips to Fire Island. Students worked
cooperatively to collect data about
the unique habitats they visited. Mr.
Regulinski overcame his notorious
bad weather streak with two beautiful
October days. In order to promote
good citizenship and community
service, Team 7$4 will be holding a
canned food drive this November.
Look for more details to follow!
Have you used the Team 7$4 eBoard
calendar yet? This year, all of the core
teachers are posting major
assessments and long$term projects in
a central location. Look for the
calendar tab on the top of the Team
7$4 eBoard.
You cannot dream yourself
into a character; you must
hammer and forge
yourself one.
Henry David Thoreau
[5]

Character
Team 8!1
Team 8$1 has distinguished itself as
an amicable, personable and
committed group of learners. It was
evident from day one that the team
had a personality all its own. With a
devoted staff of teachers*Ms.
Armetta, Mrs. Darling, Mr. Doran,
and Ms. Lovell*the students have
gotten o# to an auspicious start.
In Ms. Armetta’s classes students
have shown a distinct interest in
Astronomy. This week, the children
learned about the di#erent phases of
the moon. To exemplify this process,
Ms. Armetta had the students dissect
an Oreo cookie. Each student
removed the top cookie to expose
the cream filling. With a full moon in
tact, the students proceeded to
remove a section of filling for each
moon phase. News traveled fast that
Ms. Armetta had Oreo cookies. After
second period some other teachers
on the team were asking if they too
could participate in the activity*
only to eat the Oreos! Mr. Doran’s
students just submitted an identity
box, which asked students to think
about their external and internal
identities. To demonstrate how the
world sees the student, each child
found 15 images that represent their
external self and affixed these
pictures to the outside of a shoe box.
On the inside of the box, students
pasted and arranged objects, pictures
and mementos that exemplify how
they see their identity and the
factors that have influenced them to
become the young adults they are
today. As a whole, the projects were
fabulous. In this historic election
season, Ms. Lovell has had wonderful
discussions with the team about the
evolution of political campaigning,
the significance of the presidential
debate process and the Electoral
College. The team has shown a great
deal of enthusiasm in her class and
has been very outspoken as to whom
they would support if they could cast
a ballot. Finally, Mrs. Darling had her
baby in late October, a boy named
David James. The team and teachers
are so excited for her and look
forward to her return sometime after
the New Year.
(
The team would like to welcome Ms.
Ruppert, the leave replacement for
Mrs. Darling. Just like the other
teachers on sta#, she is committed to
help students achieve their personal
goals and to be successful in the
coming months. Again, as stated on
“Meet the Teacher Night”, the
teachers see the level of interest and
enthusiasm for learning that each
child possesses uniquely. It is our job
to meet that interest and take it to
the next level. The teachers work
diligently each day to meet this goal.
Character and personal
force are the only
investments that are
worth anything.
Members of
Student
Government
Receive
Recognition
Walt Whitma"
[6]

Team 8!2
Ms. Armenti, Ms. Brown, Ms.
Messina and Mr. Thidemann have
enjoyed jump starting the 2008$2009
school year with team 8$2. Ms.
Messina’s earth science classes
visited the Planetarium at High
School East. The integrated algebra
students have all received graphing
calculators. Students have been
invited to enter the AMC Contest
which will be given on November 18,
2008 after school. On October 17,
students interested in the Math Fair
submitted their topics. The team as
a whole is participating in the Trick$
or$Treat for UNICEF this
Halloween. Ms. Brown’s ELA classes
are participating in the “Stop World
Hunger” contest. In an e#ort to
make students more politically
aware, students on 8$2 recently
completed a research project on the
upcoming election. Students
reviewed the candidates’ stances on
several issues and then had to select
the candidates for whom they would
have voted. Students are also
participating in an online mock
election. Voting results from the
team will be compared with other
schools across the state.
Team 8!3
Our team is actively participating in
UNICEF. During advisory students
are donating money to help children
who are less fortunate. Students
have been discovering and exploring
many di#erent things in their core
classes. Our science classes
have been going outside
once a week for the
month of October, to
collect data on the
position of the Sun and
its e#ect on shadows and
temperature. They will use
this data in class to explain
the relationship between the Earth
and Sun as Earth moves through its
orbit. It will also help to clarify the
effect of the Earth’s tilt on the
changes they see throughout the
year. Our integrated algebra classes
discovered the meaning of slope and
y$intercept through the uses of their
graphing calculator. They learned
how to graph a line manually and
through the uses of technology. Our
English classes studied how our
identity is shaped by conflict. The
students explored their identity
through identity boxes and Sandra
Cisneros, “The House on Mango
Street”. Our social studies classes
will be completing a group project on
the westward expansion or
industrialization. They may present
their projects as a storyboard, play or
PowerPoint presentation.
Team 8!4
Ms. Nolan once again organized the
annual Trick or Treat for UNICEF
fundraiser. Every student in 8 th grade
was given a UNICEF Trick or Treat
box, to help raise money for those
less fortunate. The West Hollow
community was informed how
making a small contribution can
Students
enjoying life
at West
Hollow
make a huge di#erence to those in
need.
Team 8!5
Team 8$5 is o# to a great start for
this year. This fall in social studies
our team has focused a great deal on
the 2008 presidential election. The
team participated in the YLI Mock
Election this October for the 2008
presidential election. This mock
election is a nationwide election that
all of the grades in HHH are
participating in. To prepare for the
mock election students made
campaign posters supporting either
Barack Obama or John McCain.
Students researched important issues
such as healthcare, environment,
homeland security/war, economy, etc.
Additionally, our team advisories also
participated in the UNICEF drive
that was organized by Mrs. Nolan
and Mrs. Reiser. We are looking
forward to some more great activities
this school year.
How UNICEF Makes a Little Go a Long Way
• $.03 - can protect and boost one child’s immune system and prevent blindness for a year with Vitamin A capsules.
• $.06 – can provide one packet of oral rehydration salts for one child to treat severe dehydration and diarrhea, a leading
cause of death among young children.
• $.30 – can provide one exercise book to serve as a tool for basic education in school for a child.
• $.50 – can immunize one child against polio for life.
SOURCE: WWW.UNICEF.ORG/VOLUNTEER
[7]

The Raven
Once upon a
midnight
dreary, while I
pondered, weak
and weary,
Over many a quaint
and curious volume of
forgotten lore,
While I nodded,
nearly napping,
suddenly there came a
tapping,
As of someone gently
rapping, rapping at
my chamber door.
" 'Tis some visitor,"
I muttered, "tapping
at my chamber door;
Only this, and
nothing more."
- Edgar Allen Poe
This year’s “Halloween Spooktacular” was a huge hit! Over
300 students were dressed in fantastic costumes on
Thursday, October 30 th , and spent the day dancing,
painting pumpkins, and competing in the famous
mummy wrap contest. The students had the chance
to play two guessing games by guessing the weight of
the pumpkin and the amount of candy in a jar. We
also held a special viewing of “The Nightmare before
Christmas” in the auditorium.
Our student costume winners were awarded to Mike in his evil
jack$in$the$box costume, Anastasia in her Marilyn Manson
costume, Emily in her hippy costume with her outrageous wig
and Matthew dressed as Barack Obama. Way to Go!!!!
THE
HALLOWEEN
SPOOKTACULAR
This year’s event was sponsored by the
Student Government Council
advisors: Ms. Bistany, Ms. Farkas,
and Mr. Petrucci.
On a special note, we held our
first annual teacher/staff
costume contest on Friday,
October 31 st . Winners included
Ms. Behr, Ms. McMahon, Mr.
Gravina, Ms. Singer, Ms. Deringer, Mr.
Hauk, Ms. Perrone, Mr. Petrucci and Ms. Messina.
Congratulations and thank you to all of our spirited
participants!
[8]

LANGUAGES OTHER
THAN ENGLISH
Students of LOTE classes began the
new school year practicing their
listening, reading, writing and
speaking skills through the use of a
variety of activities. Depending on
level, all of our students are having
conversations, reading, writing and
listening to short passages. This year
begins our introduction to Chinese
with a new 6 th grade program taught
by Ms. Zhang. We continue to have
students participating in French
Club, and this year we have begun an
Italian Club as well. These clubs are
for 6 th , 7 th and 8 th grade students.
Mrs. Beatty is the club advisor and
welcomes all new members!
We are fortunate to have 3 LOTE
teachers participating in the HHH
Laptop program, Ms. Lantier, Ms.
Mamodesen and Ms. Ferriolo. We
look for increased use of technology
to enhance our already varied lessons!
We welcome our newest WH full$
time members Ms. Genao and Ms.
Mamodesen!
FAMILY & CONSUMER
SCIENCE
Ms. Reiser’s sixth grade FACS classes
at West Hollow wrote down their
feelings about the following
questions:
*What does freedom mean to you?
*What would life be like
if you were not free?
*Who is your hero and why?
Each student selected a picture of
either the American Flag, a star, the
Statue of Liberty, people viewing the
Statue of Liberty, a firefighter and
colored it. The students added the
picture to their essay and hung them
on the twin towers of the World
Trade Center for a 9/11 project. The
twin towers were posted outside the
door of room 226 for display.
MATHEMATICS
I"s that time of year again to have
interested students participate in the
Math Research Project and Long
Island Math Fair. Interested students
should ha ve already notified
classroom teachers of their intent in
participating. Research papers must
be submitted by December 5 th .
Students that complete research
papers will receive extra credit and
do not have to participate in the
Long Island Math Fair. The Long
Island Math Fair is a wonderful
opportunity and experience for those
students that would like to pursue
their interest in research. Round One
will be held on Friday, March 20 th .
Details regarding applications will be
forwarded to students by their
classroom math teachers.
Students in West Hollow had the
opportunity this year to compete in
an AMC %American Mathematics
Competition& contest. About 75
students from West Hollow have
chosen to participate in this contest,
which will be held the middle of
November. We will share the results
in our next newsletter. Here is some
more information of the contest
from the o+cial AMC website.
The AMC 8
The AMC 8 is a 25 question, 40 minut$
multiple choice examination in junior
high school %middle school& mathematics
designed to promote the development and
enhancement of problem solving ski#s.
The examination provides an opportunity
to apply the concepts taught at the junior
high level to problems which not only
range 'om easy to di(cult but also cover
a wide range of applications. Many
problems are designed to challeng$
students and to o)er problem solving
experiences beyond those provided in mos*
junior high school mathematics classes.
Calculators are not a#owed starting i"
2008. High scoring students are invited to
participate in the AMC 10.
A special purpose of the AMC 8 is to
demonstrate the broad range of topics
available for the junior high school
mathematics curriculum. This is done by
competencies. The AMC 8 has th$
potential to increase the perceptions of
the importance of problem solving
activities in the mathematics curriculu+
by stimulating these activities both
preceding and fo#owing the examinatio"
,specifica#y by studying the solutions
manual.
Additional purposes of the AMC 8 are to
promote excitement, enthusiasm and
positive attitudes towards mathematics
and to stimulate interest in continuing
the study of mathematics beyond th$
minimum required for high school
graduation. Developmenta#y, junior high
school students are at a point wher$
attitudes toward school and learning, and
perceptions of themselves as learners of
m a t h e m a t i c s a r e s o l i d i f i e d . It i s
i m p o r t a n t t ha t t h e y b e p r o v i d e d
opportunities that foster the developmen*
of positive attitudes towards mathematics
and positive perceptions of themselves as
learners of mathematics. The AMC 8
provides one such opportunity.
We encourage a# students in grades 6, 7
and 8 to participate in the AMC 8. A#
USA, USA embassy, Canadian and
foreign school students in grade 8 or below
are eligible to participate.
[9]

MATHEMATICS
AMC 8 Intramural Awards
A Certificate of Distinction is give"
to a# students who receive a perfec*
score.
An AMC 8 Winner Pin is given to
the student%s& in each school with th$
highest score.
The top three students for each school
section wi# receive respectively a
gold, silver, or bronze Certificate for
Outstanding Achievement.
An AMC 8 Honor Ro# Certificate is
given to all high scoring students.
An AMC 8 Merit Certificate is
given to high scoring students who
are in 6th grade or below
We would also like to share some
other good news. Mrs. Darling,
grade 8 math teacher, just had a
son on Oct 19 th . Mrs. Gitz, another
grade 8 math teacher, is also
expecting. We will keep you posted
when her little bundles of joy
arrive.
Infinite Campus
Infinte Campus is the
distric"s web$based student
management system. This
powerful tool allows parents
and students to monitor
attendance, grades and
personal information. It may
be accessed through the
district website.
Please review your personal
information, such as phone
numbers and email addresses.
As we move to more paperless
communications, this will
ensure that you remain
current with the latest news
and communications.
ENGLISH
LANGUAGE ARTS
The English Department at West
Hollow has been extremely busy
this year. The students have been
fine$tuning their reading, writing,
listening, and speaking skills
while flexing their creative
muscles.
The 6 th Grade ELA students have
been focusing on how writers
capture a moment in time. The
students have analyzed and
deconstructed stories about
specific moments in time.
Students are being asked to take
on the role of writers as they
write their own memoirs about a
distinct moment in their lives.
The teachers can’t wait to read
their memoirs.
The 7 th Grade ELA students have
been focusing on how stories are
created. The students have been
using active reading strategies to
read short fiction pieces, focusing
specifically on story structure and
literar y elements. As a
culminating activity, the students
wrote their own short stories,
modeling the ones that they read
in class. The 7 th grade English
teachers were greatly impressed
with the product.
Last, but certainly not least, the
8 th Grade ELA students have
been reading and analyzing
literature that focuses on the
following question: How does
conflict shape one’s identity?
The students read The House o"
Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros,
a coming of age novella that
focuses on the main character’s
struggle to overcome adversity.
The unit and the novella teach
important life lessons that the
students won’t soon forget.
Student Recognition
Committee
The Student Recognition
Committee celebrates students
for their accomplishments that
do not always get the recognition
they rightly deserve.
The following students are being
recognized first quarter by the
Student Recognition Committee:
Team Effort
Michelle Baltrusitis $ 6
Spencer Ho#man $ 6
Luke Longo $ 6
Diamond Black $ 6
Aikta Rajput $ 7
Anthony Stella $ 8
Courtney Siegenfeld $ 8
Christina Asare $ 8
Improvement
Phillip Kronenberg $ 6
Meredith Koval $ 6
Andrew Infantino $ 6
Using Words of Respect
Jordan Eichholz $ 6
Gabriella Harvey $ 6
Christina Asare $ 8
Leadership
Dominique Iaccarino $ 6
Malik Williams$Wells $ 6
Reise Rand $ 6
Michael Schwartz $ 6
Aveonte Percey $ 6
Frank Narciso $ 7
Brandon Teitelbaum $ 8
Christina Asare $ 8
Congratulations!
[10]

MUSIC
Our Winter Concert dates
are as follows:
Wednesday, December 10
8 th Grade Band, Jazz Band,
Concert Choir
Tuesday, January 6
7 th & 8 th Grade Chorus,
7 th & 8 th Grade Orchestra
Wednesday, January 7
6 th Grade Band,
6 th Grade Orchestra
Tuesday, January 13
7 th Grade Band,
6 th Grade Chorus
A# concerts begin at 7:30 p.m.
Ms. Fleming’s orchestra will be
performing in the pit for the
November 21 and 22
West Hollow Musical,
“Anything You Can Do”.
On Friday, November 7,
West Hollow Orchestra
members attended a concert at
Candlewood Middle School
where the Uruguay Symphonic
Orchestra performed.
SCIENCE
The West Hollow Science
Department began the year with
many exciting activities designed to
capture the interest of their students.
6 th grade teacher, Mrs. Tina
Rothenberger, developed a new
approach to teaching the scientific
method with her innovative project,
“How Can You Better Your Game?”
Students were challenged to design
an experiment that could improve a
hobby or sport they embraced. The
results were fantastic! 7 th grade
teachers incorporated the use of
temperature probes into their
lessons, which allowed students to
collect data in real time. The
dramatic visual helped students grasp
the difficult concept that
temperature remains constant during
phase changes. 8 th grade teachers
fostered creativity in their
classrooms with astronomy activities
such as moon journals and scale
models of the solar system. Ms.
Armetta’s planet postcard project
was out of this world. Mrs.
Goodenough’s science rap songs were
a real hit!
TECHNOLOGY
7 th Grade , During the first quarter
students made a wind powered sail
vehicle and a bottle rocket. The
design process is introduced and
used during the creation of these
projects. Scientific concepts related
to these projects are reviewed. The
topics covered include friction,
energy, drag, Newton’s Laws, and
forces.
8 th Grade , In the eighth grade
program, first quarter is largely
devoted to technical drawings.
Technical drawings are used in many
fields, and are an important
communication tool for conveying
information. These drawings help
students to develop an understanding
of spatial relations. Technical
drawings are an import planning tool
in the design process. The final
drawing involves the creation of a
design plan for a small summer
vacation home.
Students Design
Home Floorplans
Music was my refuge.)
I could crawl into the space
between the notes and
curl my back to loneliness.
$ Maya Angelou,
Gather Together in My Nam$
[11]

PRINCIPLES OF WORK &
CAREER CONNECTIONS
Ms.. Matier’s and Ms. Berloe’s students are actively
involved in Principles of Work classes under the
guidance of Ms. Magali. The careers unit of the
course involves learning how to fill out job
applications, read work schedules, and write
resumes. The students enthusiastically participate
in vocationally oriented field trips which take them
out into the community to explore various work
opportunities. So far, they have visited Stop and
Shop Supermarket, where they took a tour and
learned about the responsibilities that di#erent
workers have there. Their next trip will be to
Applebee’s to learn about the many opportunities
found in the restaurant business and, of course, to
have lunch!
Physical Education
The West Hollow Physical Education is chasing the
Halloween spirit again. Students in West Hollow have
been focusing on cardiovascular endurance to prepare for
the ! mile Cross Country Trick or Treat Trot. During
Physical Education, students have been training by
jogging 1$2 miles a week preparing for the race. While
training, students learned about important training
principles such as resting heart rate and target heart rate
zone. Students have used this knowledge and training to
help them to prepare for the course. All students who
completed the course did a great job. Top finishers in
each grade are listed below.
Great work to all! Keep training!
In order to learn the demands and responsibilities
of having a job in the community, the students take
on jobs within West Hollow. They spend time
working on the skills of: categorizing, sorting,
folding, organizing, and distributing teacher/school
materials on a regular basis. They are spearheading
the recycling of cans e#ort at West Hollow and
delivering daily newspapers to various teachers and
classes. They spend time organizing the faculty
room. Much of their efforts have gone into
assisting students who have lost items in school by
checking the Lost and Found daily and then
delivering items to grateful owners. Many of the
students have assisted various Art teachers by
organizing material and cleaning work stations in
the Art rooms.
The students in their Principles of Work classes
have not only learned to be responsible, organized,
and to take their jobs seriously, which is necessary
for the world of work, but have also enriched the
West Hollow Learning Community with their
extraordinary e#orts.
TRICK OR TREAT TROT SIXTH GRADE SEVENTH GRADE EIGHTH GRADE BEST TIME
The Following Students
were the Top Finishers
within the School
Amanda Baden
Christina Bellero
John Natalone
Justin Hassenfeld
Katie Goncalves
Rechelle Dennis
Andrew Freedman
Charles Burcham
Calvin Manchenko
Gabi Moley
Jasmine Diaz
Deshaun Hewitt
Boys
Calvin Manchenko $ 2:39
Girls
Katie Goncalves $ 2:57
[12]

CREATE
ART
Ms. Nicosia’s 6th graders started out
by making an art journal which
would be used to answer their daily
Question of the Day. They designed
a cover and every day they would
have a question on the board to
answer in a quick drawing. It was
always something unusual to get
their creative minds open and get
them thinking outside the box. Mid$
way through the quarter students
were asked to come up with their
own question of the day. Students’
questions were used for the
remainder of the quarter. In one
project they learned color pencil
techniques, value changes and
symmetry which they used to design
patterns for the bottom of their
shoes. They added a character and
background with a chosen theme.
They learned about Pop Art and
designed their own Pop Art project
using Andy Warhol as inspiration and
using a chosen item from today’s pop
culture. This was a mixed media
project in which they used markers,
colored pencils, watercolor and
collage. Lastly they constructed an
abstract tree sculpture and their
trees were designed to grow whatever
they wanted. They used paper
mache, paint, and sculpted or
brought in their own embellishments
to make their trees unique. They
gave it a title and wrote a brief
description of what makes their tree
special. They had a couple of in
between drawings including a word
poster with a play on words visually
representing the word in a drawing.
Additionally, they drew a portrait of
themselves with a bad hair day and
with their hair growing various items.
Ms. Nicosia’s 8th graders started out
designing art folder covers. They
looked up the history and origin of
their first names in either a baby
book or on the internet and designed
a cover informing the viewer of the
origin. Then they did a project called
word representation. They picked a
noun and created 8 di#erent small
drawings of that word %no repeating,
they all had to be di#erent& using any
medium they wished. They created a
background that tied in with their
theme and attached their drawings to
the background without ever writing
out the word. Lastly they learned
about value changes, shading,
shadows and highlights. They created
a drawing using spheres of various
sizes laid out in an interesting
composition, some in patterns. They
used hb$9b pencils and learned
blending techniques. All the spheres
had different values and light
sources.
What we are today comes
from our thoughts of
yesterday, and our present
thoughts build our life of
tomorrow: Our life is the
creation of our mind.
$Buddhist Quote
WEST HOLLOW
SALUTES JESSICA
RICTER & HENRY
HENNEP FOR DANCING
WITH THE FACULTY
[13]

ART
Mrs. Brosnan’s Studio In Art
students started the year off by
learning how to see objects in a new
way by focusing on the contour line
%outline& that makes up the objects
being viewed. The technique of
blind %drawing by looking only at the
object, not the paper& and regular
contour line drawing allows a person
to draw what they see, not what they
think they see which enables them to
focus more intently. The next
exercise accessed the left side of
their brain by drawing based on
verbal description %without a picture&
then by accessing the right side of
the brain, visual observation %by
looking at the same picture&. This
allowed them to get in touch with
their creative mode of thinking %right
side&. During the latter part of this
exercise they learned how to read the
subject being viewed as a map of
lights and darks as a precursor to the
unit on shading. Students then
completed various exercises and a
still life on shading using the 5
elements of shading. Currently the
students are working on a texture/
value self portrait based on the
methods of famous artist Chuck
Close, which they will then showcase
at a local “Starbucks” in December.
Mrs. Brosnan’s 7 th grade learned how
ima ges are processed in each
hemisphere. They created a word
web %left side& based on their likes
and dislikes, then found pictures on
line or in magazines to draw from
%right side& which they used to create
a mind map for a folder design. They
learned that directly observing
pictures and remembering images
they previously have seen are all right
brain activities. They also worked on
various exercises that helped them
transfer information that was
scrambled to another piece of paper
in its right order which helped them
learn how to focus and draw what
they see, not what they think they
see. Currently, they are working on a
unit on the element of line and are
incorporating shading techniques on
linear drawings of ribbons.
The 6 th graders during their 1 st
quarter at West Hollow were busy
artists creating a variety of di#erent
projects applying different art
techniques. They had an opportunity
to work with a variety of di#erent
media %paint, collage, drawing
materials, and clay&. They examined
works of artists such as Henri
Matisse as well as examples of Native
American art.
INSPIRE
Listen to the mustn’ts,
child. Listen to the don’ts.
Listen to the shouldn’ts, the
impossibles, the won’ts.
Listen to the never haves,
the listen close to
me. . .Anything can happen,
child. Anything can be.
The Ribbon Project
$ Shel Silverstein
[14]

ART
Good Luck to students in Ms.
Nicosia’s and Mrs. Brosnan’s classes
who submitted entries to Kidsday’s
30 th annual Art Contest! The
winners will be announced in
December in Newsday.
Ms. Lee’s 7 th graders created relief
artworks depicting their shoe in a
background of their own choosing.
These works are currently on display
in the showcase by the Main O+ce.
Upon completing this project, the 7 th
graders examined jungle paintings
created by Henri Rousseau. These
paintings served as an inspiration for
their next project that involved a
wax$resist technique. The students
created a pastel drawing of a jungle
scene and then black paint was
applied and scratched o# to create a
unique e#ect.
The Art Club members are currently
working on a variety of projects.
One group created mobiles using
plastic CDs and sharpies. They
created designs and patterns on the
CDs which were then assembled
together. The other group of
members are working on stained
glass images using black construction
paper and tissue paper.
Students in Ms. Roberts’ 7th grade
art classes spent the first quarter
creating art that featured shoes.
First, students created drawings of
shoes that focused on realism. They
learned how to draw objects
accurately from life through a series
of drawing exercises. Their final
drawing was of a pair of shoes, that
they finished with watercolor pencil
and sharpie.
Their second project featured shoes
in their 3D form. Students brought
in old pairs of shoes from home and
transformed them into 3 dimensional
sculptures using their imagination
and a variety of art materials. These
projects were not only fun to create,
they are earth friendly too!
Students in Ms. Roberts’ 8th grade
art class just finished creating
“Graffiti Name Tags.” We learned
about graffiti as an art form and
experimented in di#erent ways to
design interesting letters both by
hand and by computer imaging.
Students had a great time drawing
their names and finished them with
bright colored paints and sharpies.
Studio Art students in Ms. Roberts’
class spent the first quarter learning
about value. Students learned how
to create value with pencil through a
variety of drawing projects that
focused on form. They also learned
how to create value with paint in
their “Picasso Abstracts,” which are
inspired by the work of Pablo
Picasso.
Mr. Petrucci and Ms. Roberts’ 8 th
grade combined their talents to
create recycled sculptures out of old
games, toys and puzzles. Their
sculptures mostly resembled abstract
art, whereas some students reused
old pieces to create their own new
game boards.
Mr. Petrucci’s 7 th grade students
learned about contour drawing of
their sneakers focusing on shape and
design. They are now using that
prior knowledge and creating three$
dimensional sculptures out of old
sneakers. They ha ve been in
communication with a famous artist
from London, Jethro Haynes, who is
known for his sneaker modeling.
Students are creating monster shoes,
sports shoes and motor shoes.
The Mural Club is busy
making decorations for every
school event including the
“Back to School Bash” and
“Halloween Spooktacular”.
Next, we are focusing on a
few special assignments,
such as the school store,
chorus room and the Reading
Wing! Our awesome extreme
makeover is available to view
in the 220’s wing. Thanks to
Ms. Parker for all of her help!
[15]

HEALTH EDUCATION
This year we are continuing an
exciting upgrade to our Baby Think I*
Over program. The purchase of new,
state$of$the$art, wireless babies, gives
our students a ver y realistic
parenting learning experience. This
program continues to be an essential
part of our comprehensive
curriculum, truly demonstrating the
impact babies have on a person’s
lifestyle, extended family and future,
ultimately leading students to make
informed life choices and behaviors.
Concurrentl y, this learning
experience provides hands $on
education in infant care skills,
helping to ensure proper care and
handling of newborns and reducing
the incidence of child abuse.
These babies cry to be cared for as a
real infant would. Our students must
determine what their baby needs and
respond in a timely manner. The
baby must be fed, burped, rocked
and diapered around the clock.
Unique, wireless IDs are worn by the
student and the baby will only
recognize that student as the person
responsible for its care.
BABY THINK
IT OVER
Our 8 th graders are afforded a
realistic experience in caring for an
infant in a safe environment with
meaningful evaluation and feedback.
Each baby tracks its care %rocking,
diapering, feeding, burping& and safe
handling. Detailed data can be
downloaded after the simulation,
including exact times of missed care
events, and specific mishandling,
shaken baby, head support failure,
wrong positioning and rough
handling. Through our health
classes, students are well prepared
for their day to bring home the baby.
The students arrive very excited to
take home their baby, and they
usually return the next morning very
tired, frustrated and even more
excited to give the baby back to us!
The many new features have made
the project more authentic and more
meaningful for the students. The
additional data that is available after
the simulation enables our health
teachers to enga ge in specific
discussions about the baby’s care and
the studen"s overall experience.
This program is proven to be
e#ective, according to research cited
by Realityworks, the company who
makes our babies. Parenting
programs that include
science$based tools such
as computerized infant
simulators ha ve a
significantl y greater
positive effect on
participants compared
with programs that rely
upon curricula alone.
They claim that there
have been more than 20
published studies
regarding the use of
Realityworks infant
simulators, and many
more unpublished studies,
while other research is
ongoing.
SOCIAL STUDIES
With the presidential election
coming up, the 7th grade teachers
had their students make campaign
posters for one of the 2 main
candidates. The project was done in 2
parts. The first part of the
assignment required the students to
research both McCain’s and Obama’s
positions on critical issues facing our
nation. These issues included the
war in Iraq, the economy, health care,
education, immigration, global
warming and national security.
The second part of the project was
to choose one of the candidates
%ideally based on how the students
felt about their positions to these
critical issues& and create a campaign
poster which incorporated some of
that information as well as pictures,
symbols, etc.
These posters have been displayed
throughout our classrooms and the
hallways. The project was a great
way for the students to learn about
both candidates, but more
importantly, about some of the
crucial issues facing our country.
2008 Presidential Student
Election Results
Students at West Hollow
Middle School were
extremely active in this
year’s Presidential
Election. Every student
had an opportunity to vote
in a nation wide election
during their social
studies class. The
following represents the
results of our school.
OBAMA – 67.3%
MCCAIN – 32.3%
[16]

West Hollow’s Fall Musical
Congratulations to the cast and crew of West Hollow Middle Schoo-s Fall Musical, “Anything You Can Do.”
They gave two performances, Friday, November 21st and Saturday, November 22nd, to a packed house.
Broadway never sounded so good!
Central O"ce Administration
Dr. Sheldon Karnilow, Superintendent of Schools
Mrs. Kelly Fallon, Assistant Superintendent for District$wide Administration
Mr. Michael DeStio, Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education
Mrs. Mary Rettaliata, Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education
Dr. Patrick Harrigan, Assistant Superintendent for Research, Assessment and Special Services
Mr. Victor Manuel, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Facilities
Board of Education
Mrs. Fran Greenspan, President
Mr. Jay Marcucci, Vice President
Mrs. Jeanine Bottenus
Mrs. Carole Catapano
Mrs. Jill Kaufman
Mr. James Ptucha
Mrs. Anne Marie Sorkin
[17]