Under The Microscope Night At MG

By Chris Parker and Dan De La Vega

“Under the Microscope Night” was held by Mrs Fagan in the science lab for the fourth graders and their parents. The program was held three weeks ago. Mrs Fagan decided to do an activity night on microscopes for the fourth graders because they use microscopes a lot and it’s good to reinforce the skills that they already have. It is also a good chance for them to show off their skills for their parents to see. They looked at plankton, algae, and other microscopic items.

The students used Brock microscopes and electronic microscopes. A Brock microscope is a microscope that can go up and down to focus. An electronic microscope has a focus knob where you turn it and it focuses in on the object. They can also be hooked up to TVs. Mrs Fagan said that one microscope was hooked up to the big screen TV. “The students enjoyed looking at big images,” Mrs Fagan said.

The students had a lot of fun on “under the Microscope Night.”

DARE At Middle Gate

By Samantha Villa, Kelly Lindell, Zach Richter

Once again this year, Newtown Police Officer Dana Schubert is teaching DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) to fifth graders at Middle Gate School. He teaches students about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, along with making good decisions. He even offers some good advice on using the Internet safely.

Officer Schubert started teaching DARE because it was a position he had an interest in. He teaches at the other elementary schools in Newtown including Sandy Hook, Head O’ Meadow, and Hawley School.

Officer Schubert said that he believes each student will have a better future because of the lessons he teaches. Melissa, a fifth grade student, agrees that DARE will help her make good decisions in the future. Stefan, also a fifth grader, said he thinks it’s good to learn about how drugs and alcohol can hurt you.

Restaurant Compositions

By Stefan Toi

All around the fifth grade, students chose their favorite restaurant and wrote descriptively about them. Students started off by “brainstorming” on the front cover of our “skeleton.” The “skeleton” is a packet of lined paper that contains space for an opening paragraph, a closing paragraph, and three body paragraphs. The body paragraphs have an opening sentence, a closing sentence, and three details, which are followed by examples such as real life experiences. After the “skeletons” were completed, students conferred with a peer or teacher to check over their work. Then it was time to publish the pieces. Chris Parker, a fifth grader, said, “They were fun to write, especially when you have your favorite restaurant. That’s why I wrote about the Red Robin in Colorado.” Once finished all students were proud of their hard work. This composition was designed to help students practice their writing skills for expository writing prompts.

Books, Books, And More Books

By Mary Alice Upshur & Marissa Bobkowski

Do you like to read? If you do you should have gone to the Middle Gate Book fair. In the middle week of November, books were selling by the hundreds because of the 30 percent off deal.

There were books for all ages. There were also specific tables for your grade and for the reading level. There were “how to” books, and picture books, easy chapter books, chapter books, fiction and non-fiction books. There were also craft books and PC-ROM games.

There were a lot of books that students were excited about. In particular, Harry Potter books and Clifford books all were getting pulled frantically off the tables. Writing journals sold fast, too.

Don’t worry if you missed this book fair because another one will be coming in March filled with new and even more exciting books.

Who Dirtied The Water?

By Joanna Barry and Lauren Busser

At Middle Gate School, there is a program called “Who Dirtied the Water?”

Mrs Fagan, the science specialist, runs the program. She has been doing this program for five years. She thought of this lesson because she participated in a similar one about 10 years ago and she thought it was a powerful way to teach students.

Mrs Fagan uses many materials that are basically everyday, common objects such as dishwashing detergent, fishing line, and soil to demonstrate how water becomes polluted. She tried to teach students how easily water can be polluted and how important water is to our survival.

Mrs Fagan enjoys the lesson very much and she hopes to leave an impression on students so they will not pollute the water.

Don’t pollute the water!

Stay Healthy In Winter

By Missy A. Dowd

Are you feeling sick? Throughout school, students have been catching the usual “bugs” and colds. Nurse Nancy Benzing gave some tips on how to keep warm and stay healthy during the winter months.

Here are a few tips from Nurse Nancy: Dress in layers for school. To prevent frostbite, wear warm gloves and be aware of cold and numb hands. Make sure to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. These tips really do help so try and stay warm and healthy and enjoy your winter!

Meet Ms Diana

By Lauren Busser

There’s a new teacher at Middle Gate School this year. Her name is Ms Diana, a third grade teacher. She taught a second grade class in Orange, CT, at Turkey Hill School before coming to Newtown. She decided to teach at Middle Gate because when she came to visit, she knew that everyone was committed to quality education.

Students say that Ms Diana is nice, respectful, and extremely cooperative. She assists students who are having difficulty with papers and projects. The students just finished a science unit about the water cycle. Some students made a model, while others made diagrams or even created dances to demonstrate the water cycle. All of the students worked really hard.

Ms Diana had many wonderful teachers when she was in school who inspired her to become a teacher. She said she is thankful for all of the good memories.

The year is going smoothly for Ms Diana. The students have been eager to learn.

Music Mania

By Nicole Benzinger, Kathleen Brown, Natasha Kokoszka

Dive into the music of the Middle Gate Orchestra! You might think orchestra is just a bunch of strings on a board but it is so much more.

Children think the orchestra is a lot of fun. Some students love it so much they have been playing for two years! Orchestra can encourage students to learn to play an instrument. They play violins, viola, cello, and the bass. When the orchestra students were asked why they joined orchestra, they said that they enjoyed music and wanted to try something new. Some children said that they wanted to share the joy with others. A student in the orchestra said, “It was a challenge to play my instrument at first, but it paid off, and it turned out to be a blast!”

Their first concert was held on January 17 of the new year. It featured a lot of exciting tunes like “Happy Blues” and “Old McDonald.” If you join the orchestra you will get to know how much fun it is!