Choices By: Mr. Blanchard. Snow in March?!? By Elizabeth Mathews, Grade 8

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1 Choices By: Mr. Blanchard There is an old Cherokee story of a grandfather and his grandson. The old man tells the boy the story of two wolves that are at odds with each other. These wolves are representative of the inner turmoil with which we all struggle. He says that one wolf is EVIL: anger, envy, sorrow, regret, fearful thinking, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego are all part of this wolf. The other wolf is GOOD: joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith are all part of this wolf. The boy turns to his grandfather and asks him which wolf wins. The response is simple, but profound: The one you feed. Snow in March?!? Page 1 By Elizabeth Mathews, Grade 8 A lot of people are becoming more and more unsettled with the inclement weather in so called 'spring months'. However, it has become a pattern now - warm Decembers and cold Aprils. Songs like 'White Christmas' will have no meaning to future generations, and the rhyme 'April Showers Bring May Flowers' may not always be the case. We may even need to change season names in the future- or just spend millions of dollars to change the definitions of spring, summer, winter, and fall in every dictionary. Remember: If it s worth doing, it s worth doing right! Photograph by Elizabeth M - Catskills, NY

2 Page 2 Notes from Ms. Nadia Alvarado s French class: French students completed their Podcasts this marking period. They got a chance to be fashion critics as part of the clothing lesson. They chose a celebrity, wrote a biography for them including: personal and family life, clothing they were wearing, where the items were bought and a detailed critique of the outfit. They used previously learned and present vocabulary and grammar structures to create their script. We then headed on to the computer lab to create the podcasts. Some students got even more creative and put together vodcasts. We have a lot of talent in the 8th grade French classes! Notre classe est toujours à la mode! Notes from Ms. Klubeck s Art class: Did you know March is Youth Art Month? YAM is a celebration of the visual arts for grades K-12! It is observed in March, with thousands of schools in America participating in school and community art exhibitions. Select students from Ms. Klubeck's art classes had their artwork displayed in the Bergen County show! Students received certificates and Union School was honored by the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders for participating. Congratulations to all! Students in pictures: 1st picture: Abigail Schmitt- Grade 7 2nd picture: Sophie Austin- Grade 7

3 Page 3 Vintage Camera By: Bridget Sullivan SNAP! My vintage camera captures my perfect picture. I release my head to the left of the camera, and look out at the cool, riverside. I adjust my fingers, feeling the leather sensation of the camera. Letting the cool, crisp air, slap my face. SNAP! Once again, I capture the perfect image. The picture slides out, collapsing onto my hand. I let my hair dance in the wind, as I take out my journal from my suede satchel. The sun kisses my cheeks. I write down the perfect memory, as I place my vintage camera back into my bag. I look back, back into the fields. With roaming horses, and Buttercup s bloomed everywhere. I walk away, as the pebbles of the dirt road crunch in every step, knowing I ll definitely be back. Ode to the Moon By: Paige Holman My Moon My truest companion Comforting me when the sun abandons me You light up the darkness Like a light bulb flickering on inside a dark room But each night that goes by Your brightness fades Shrinking smaller and smaller Until you are nothing A dark spot left in the sky where you should be An emptiness in my heart But you come back Growing and Growing Until you are full Smiling your brilliant smile I smile back Knowing that in the morning Even though I will not see you You will still be there for me Oil Hate By: Sheila Djurkovic Hate is a Monday morning Very unwanted Always occurring Negatively looked upon Though they are both negative We strive all the time To deal with them And not let it bring us down The Best One By: Stephanie Rettenberger No one compares to my favorite person for you taught me a lesson You have no choice You re stuck with me your whole life We can be free Words can t describe how much you mean to me You re a beautiful queen You re amazing in ways that can t be explained Me and you We are chained I can t love anyone this much I can feel it with just one touch No one loves you as much as I do it s just not possible When it comes to us two Best friends are hard to find because the best one is already mine

4 Page 4 Anxiety By: Juan Dominguez Home By: Gabriells Rodriguez Anxiety is a student who doesn t know what to write, panicking to find a topic. The student can t think of anything; all he knows is gone. He starts to regret coming to school, but then breathes slowly and begins to remember where he is; he now has an idea. Kindness By: Sarah Dzurillay Kindness is like the presents on Christmas morning. This season brings you happiness, But more importantly, it puts a smile on your face As well as make the people Around you feel the love that you give them Kindness is the sun Peeking out from behind the Clouds of gray. It s always there, You just have to find it. Can I go back home, back to a place called Rutherford where there's a bulldog on his jersey, where the sun is always bright and the sky is always blue where the water is pure not as salty as the sandy shore. Chaos By: Sophia Surdovel Chaos is war Constantly around us Always there, but Always changing Chaos is a brain It is constantly Twisting and turning And always coming up with new problems Chaos is like a clock Ticking, ticking, ticking Then boom Everything I thought I knew is gone Imagination By: Meghan Litchenberger Ode to Spring By: Aida Feza Imagination is time It s constant It never runs out Imagination is a colored pencil It fills in blank spaces Imagination is oxygen You need it to live You need it to get through life Imagination is a necessity It s needed for all people Young or old Oil I jump in the air Breeze brushing my face And the flowers burst with color Spring rushes in like waves crashing As I fall back down The warmth of the sun kisses my back This weather can only mean Spring Su

5 U n i on S c h o o l, Page Reflections By: Isabella Vega She sat on the towering mountain The music playing in the distance And a pile of books made it feel like a sanctuary to her She gazed into the sky Watching the clouds caress her like a large furry blanket Feeling the soft blades of grass brush against her In the distance the sun began to crawl down The girl closed her eyes as warm tears ran down her cheeks This is where she wanted to stay. Away from the hateful world Figure this! Math challenges for families Answer to the Winter issue(math Puzzle # 7 Double or Not): If you are working the entire week, the doubling method earns you more money. uper