Forts News Blast Fort Edward Elementary School Fall 2018 The Retiring of Two: Ms. Fribourg and Mr. Elliot by Gabrielle Durkee, Jessenia Williams, Kyley Varney, and Mary Tyler We asked Ms. Fribourg (who s retiring this month) How many years have you been a school psychologist? I have been a school psychologist for over thirty years. Have you always worked here? If not, what was your other job? I have worked at Fort Edward for at least twenty-four years. I also worked at Hadley-Luzerne for six years. Have you always wanted to work with kids? I did not always want to work with kids. At first, I wanted to work with adults. Then someone recommended working with kids and said that I would be good at it. So, since then, I have worked with kids! Do you recommend this job to other people? I recommend working with kids, but my current job involves more than that and I don t like that. I feel like working with kids is rewarding, but the other part of my job I do NOT recommend. What are your plans after retirement? Will you miss working at Fort Edward? After retirement, I plan on working in my business I will miss working here and I will miss all of called Running Down a Dream. In this shop, I you. make things like t-shirts, cups, and signs (mostly based off of dogs). continued on page 2 -Reading Recommendation - In need of some literary guidance? Fifth-grader Connor Tripp recommends Jeff Kinney s Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul. It kept Connor entertained when he was home sick one day. According to Connor, this book is very funny and full of adventures and mishaps.
We asked Mr. Elliot (who s retiring in June) What s your favorite part about teaching? My favorite thing about teaching is teaching kids how to read fluently. Did you always know that you wanted to be a teacher? No. I didn t know that I wanted to be a teacher until I was twenty-eight. That is when I decided I wanted to be a teacher. When I was thirteen, I had my own landscaping business. When I was a kid, I was very athletic and wanted to be a professional baseball player. What challenges did you face when you first started being a teacher? Teaching disabled kids the correct way to behave was a big challenge for me. At my first job at the Prospect Child and Family Center, I taught kids with multiple disabilities. They didn t know how to talk, eat, or go to the bathroom. I worked there for seven years. After that, I worked with emotionally-disturbed kids. How has our school changed over the years? The work has gotten more challenging since Common Core came out. There has been a lot more testing like the state tests. Also, the discipline has changed significantly. Before we got screamed at by teachers and our principals. Now it s more of just a raised voice. The thing that has changed the most is the technology. Now we have better and faster computers and Smartboards. What are your plans after retirement? I ll be doing lots of recreational things like walking, playing golf, and community work. I will also continue with my bowling league. I also hope to keep working with special-education kids. A Fun Time in Fort Edward! by Gabrielle Durkee The holiday season has begun, which means Christmas is coming to town soon! We have many fun events here in Fort Edward, but the one that many people show up to is the arrival of the Canadian Pacific (CP) Holiday Train. It s a free event that includes fancy holiday lights, entertaining songs, and an appearance by Santa Claus! Attendees are encouraged to bring donations for our local food pantry. Don t miss this fun event and don t forget to donate! CP Holiday Train location: Fort Edward Amtrak Station (70 East Street) date: time: Tuesday, November 27th 12:35pm
Slime Time by Maddy Griffin and Mary Tyler Slime is a stretchy, non-sticky paste (or at least it s supposed to be if you make it the right way). We ll include a recipe for slime at the end of this article. If you want fluffy slime, add in shaving cream. An appropriate amount is one layer over the base of your slime. It s quite fun to play with slime. If you don t believe us, check out YouTuber Karina Garcia or Lauren Riihimaki (LaurDIY). Did you know, though, that playing with slime is not just a form of entertainment? It can be therapeutic, too. When some people interact with slime, they may experience ASMR, also known as autonomous sensory meridian response. Playing with slime may help you relax and concentrate. by Alyssa Cerrroni and Connor Tripp
The New Two: Dominic and Auggie Chapleski by Madyson Burch I recently interviewed the fourth-grade twins (Dom and Auggie). Here s what they had to say: (D=Dominic, A=Auggie) Which school did you go to before coming to Fort Edward? D, A: We were homeschooled. What are some things that we should know about you? D: Right now, I m sitting down. A: I like to ride dirt bikes. What is your favorite subject? D, A: Gym What is your favorite sport? D, A: flag football How many siblings do you have? D, A: two What do you like about your brother? D: He s fast. A: A lot of things. If you could accomplish one thing, what would it be? Who is your favorite teacher? D: being super fast D: Mrs. Bruce A: do well in school A: all of my teachers How did you feel about coming to Fort Edward? If you could go anywhere, where would you go? D: nervous D: somewhere A: confused A: home
Witches are Wacky: A Halloween History by Gabrielle Durkee All Hallows Eve is a holiday that you all know as Halloween. It was shortened to just Halloween in the sixteenth century. Did you know that almost everyone was accused of being a witch? You might be thinking, How were they guilty if witches aren t real? Well, they had to take a test. If they passed, they were not witches, but if they didn t, they were guilty. Something as simple as an ant could have been called the witch s apprentice! The penalty for being a witch was either death or being put in jail for the rest of one s life. It was believed that if a farmer s crops did not grow well, a witch was responsible. Witches were also believed to communicate with spirits. People thought that the spirits would tell the future to the witch. Sometimes people would go to witches so that they could learn what their future would be. Witches on brooms came from an old gathering called a Sabbath. The witch would be blindfolded and sitting on a broom. The witches that were standing near her whispered, You are flying over land and sea. The blindfolded witch just took their word for it. Next, all of the witches started chanting, Horse and hattock, horse and go, horse and pellatis, ho, ho. Now you know the story behind the holiday that we recently celebrated! Interested in learning more about the history of witches and Halloween? Check out Edna Barth s Witches, Pumpkins, and Grinning Ghosts (the source of the information included in this article). Our school library has a copy! Trick-or-Treat by Alyssa Cerroni Don t we all love Halloween candy? Well, sometimes we receive candy that isn t the best. According to CandyWarehouse.com, some of the most-bought candies are KitKats, Reese s Peanut Butter Cups, and Snickers candy bars. On the other hand, some of the least-bought candies include Smarties, Jolly Ranchers, and bubblegum. One of these candies may be your favorite sweet treat. My person favorite is a Twix bar. What s yours?