Hornet Highlights - Little Falls Schools - Little Falls, NJ Links/Hornet Highlights... · The Hornet Highlights Page 3 SCHOOL NO. 1 News Briefs By Ariana Flores-Ortiz Peer Group Connection

New Shops and Residences Promise Bright Future for Downtown Little Falls

By Tommy Barone

“Alone we can do so l i t t le , together we can do so much.”

L i tt le Fa l ls School No. 1 www. l fschools .org/l fs/School1 I ssue 2

Hornet Highlights

Hello, Hornets! By Malak Elshamma

If you're reading this right

now, then you entered the

School No. 1 newspaper!

This paper will swipe a

smile across your face.

There is something in it

for everyone--all different

interests for all different

people. See below for a

sneak peek of what's in-

side.

Little Falls is a town steeped in the events of the past. Founded in

1711, our town’s 305-year history can still be seen in many places

if only one looks closely enough. From the historic brownstone

buildings scattered throughout the center of town to the former

Beattie carpet mill now host to upscale condominiums, Little Falls

today is the culmination of many years of rich history.

Now, a new chapter in Little Falls’ story is being written. Local

land developer and KV Realty partner, Larry Kramer, is transform-

ing a block formerly composed of mostly dilapidated shops and

houses into a luxury mixed-use building boasting 34 residential

units as well as six spaces intended for commercial use. Upon

completion, this development will be the largest addition to down-

town Little Falls since the conversion of the Beattie carpet mills in

the 1990s. (continued)

A Peek at What’s

Inside…

Peer Group Scoop

Film Festival Fun

Our Town

Superhero

Art Club Unlocks

Spirituality Within

School Spirit

Cupcakes

A New Chapter

By Elizabeth Dubov

The year is coming to an end. People are moving, going away, and starting a new chapter in their life: high school. The place where everything becomes bigger, and you start to really figure out what you are going to do with you life. After all you’re only four years away from college. People who grew up on the same street as you are now moving to a different state, or going to a differ-ent school. People who had been your best friend since kindergarten are leaving to go achieve their dreams somewhere else. Even people who you’ve watched from afar still give you a sense of loneliness when you realize the only way you might see them is on Snapchat or Instagram. Your best friend might be moving to Kentucky, or Georgia or Florida, or even just to another town. These last four years with your class may have been some of the best and worst time of your life, but you went through all the highs and lows with the same familiar faces next to you. You can’t begin to fath-om what you’ll do without them. This feeling doesn’t sink in until the final graduation. The moment we will toss our caps in the air and look around the hot stuffy gym at all the people who have been with you for a large part of your life. Your mind will start to go blank as you try to accept the fact that middle school is really over. You’ll look and see everyone hugging, or crying and realizing that this four year journey has come to an end. “I’m kind of sad, even though I’ve only been here for one year, I’ve made a lot of good memories and friends. I’m excited to go on a new journey, but I will always remember my eighth grade year,” says Jaylene Delgado. Everyone has grown as a person and individual. These people who might have eaten a whole stick of butter in fourth grade, or tied their shoes together, have now matured and become amazing people. Your best friend is going to a different high school, such as PV, PCTI… the list goes on. So what’s next? We’ll make new memories and new friends, and decide what our future is going to be. What teams and clubs will we join? What are we going to be one day? (continued)

Page 2

SC H O O L NO . 1

H O R N E T H I G H L I G H T S S TA F F

Litt le Fal l s School No. 1

Advisor

Ms. Canova

Community

Tommy Barone

Alyssa Russo & Hannah Schultz

Sports

Abigail Kosch

Christianna Pagano

P.J. Casale

Vincent Muoio

Entertainment

Noure Allan

Jay Gianduso

Brett Diese

Hailey Rivera & Melike Koch

School 1

Elizabeth Dubov

Francesca Rento

Lia Trewhella

Arianna Flores-Ortiz

Noor Agha

Nesa Shamdasani

Malak Elshamma

Jacob Blunt & Ayoub Lechguar

Alina Ajdini

Jenna Ulrich & Madison Reardon

Emily Rivera & Mia Barone

Amy Makhoul & Brett Diese

Victoria Begley

Feature

Veronica Hofmann

Ayesha Adnan

Victoria Mazzo & Jaylene Delgado

Amy Makhoul & Thomas Kobylarz

Ashley Ruffilli

MacKenzie Crozier

Mia Barone

Nadia Naples and Giulia Mannino

Lena Uzelac

Bianca Ionescu

Kayla Johnson

Mia Polverari & Sema Koc

Jonathon Murray

Nuova Classe Italiana per I Nostri Studenti

By Elizabeth Dubov

Buongiorno, studenti di a Scuola Numero Uno! Come stai?

The Italian language is a beautiful set of words that brings people togeth-

er. With the accelerated Italian program, twenty-four eighth grade students

from Little Falls, Totowa and Woodland Park were given an opportunity to

learn Italian at Passaic Valley HS (PV) starting at 7:15 a.m, every day. It is

a wonderful way to get immersed in the language early on and it also pre-

pares you for high school rules, such as a very strict tardiness policy and

wearing an ID.

Tommy Barone, a student in this class says, “It’s really interesting to learn

in the high school, and our teacher is really funny and nice. It has also

helped me to connect with my Italian roots and talk to my grandparents.”

To get into this prestigious program, you have to excel in Language Arts

during your 7th grade year, and get recommendations from teachers who

think you’re up for the task.

The Italian teacher, Signora Napolitano, grew up speaking the Italian lan-

guage and loving it. Like any other class, she does gives homework (but

never on giovedi!), quizzes, tests, and quarterly benchmarks. She also has

a euro system, to encourage participation, and no spoilers, but she will

make you hungry for some paper euros.

Waking up so early every day will be tough at first, but at the end you do

get five high school credits, as well as a very vast knowledge of a new lan-

guage. There is also a possibility of being the student of the month at PV, a

school you don’t officially go to! In addition, if you continue taking Italian

throughout high school, you could be taking Italian 5 in your senior year.

“I feel that the number one benefit is that the kids are very enthusiastic

about learning because it’s the first time they learn the language in depth.

Instead of colors and numbers, they learn how the language functions and

the culture behind it,” says Signora Napolitano.

Currently, only about otto students from each town are allowed, so make

sure you fai attenzione in you ELA class from the start. Grazie per lettura,

ciao!

A New Chapter Cont. “I’m going to a different high school, and I will miss the teachers at the school who have really helped me become the person I am today and the memories I have made with them will always have a place in my heart,” Tommy Barone comments. Teachers have been with us throughout the journey and will continue to guide us. Before you leave for the summer, make sure thank them for all the hard work and effort they put though, that shaped you into a great person. And remember those letters we wrote in fifth grade in Mrs. Strippoli’s class? Well, the eighth graders will be receiving those in just four years. Don’t worry, this journey for our eighth-graders isn’t the end. It’s just the beginning. On graduation day, in our green and gold caps and gowns, as we’re all handed a diploma marking our achievements, we’ll be closing the end of the middle school chapter. Yet, at the same time, we’ll be writing a new one for the years to come.

The Hornet Highl ights Page 3

S C H O O L N O . 1 News Briefs By Ariana Flores-Ortiz

Peer Group Connection

This year there was a peer

group connection interview.

People that are chosen to

be peer leaders help out the

fifth graders so that they

can be comfortable in

School #1. Good luck to all

of next year’s new peer

leaders!

8th grade field trip:

Baltimore

All the 8th graders will be

going to Baltimore this year.

Isn’t that amazing?

They'll be going on this fun

adventure where they can

explore different things

and visit new places, such

as an aquarium, a baseball

game, and Fort Henry.

Interactive Games

Included in the paper

are some fun activities!

Be the first person to

complete the word

search and get a shout

out on the loudspeaker!

#MakeFoodGreatAgain By Jacob Blunt and Ayoub Lechguar

Imagine buying lunch at school everyday.

Now imagine paying $3 for food that you are

basically forced to eat unless you want to be

hungry. You probably don’t need to imagine

too hard. We could all relate to that.

The lunch offered at our school last year

wasn’t all that great. The pizza would be the

best choice because at least it had some fla-

vor...but that was only on Fridays. What about

the rest of the week? Flavorless chicken sand-

wiches that tasted like plastic, greasy hot dogs

and soggy-bunned hamburgers. Yum. Doesn’t

that sound great?

Well that is what people had to deal with last

year. Many complained and many didn’t want

to buy school lunch anymore. There was one

thing that brought them all back. The new

school kitchen.

Last year’s food was bought in from an out-

side kitchen and sold to students. This year,

food is freshly prepared from our new school

kitchen.

“This exciting new food is definitely taking

school lunch to the next level,” Says 5th grad-

er Karim Elsadany a daily lunch buyer.

The food service, Pomptonian has intro-

duced new food like mashed potatoes, veggie

burgers and chicken and cheese quesadillas.

They offer healthier alternatives for kids to

choose. Although foods like pizza, hotdogs

and hamburgers are still offered, they taste

much better. Because the food is made in the

school’s kitchen, students can now know

where their food is coming from. Pizza is a

favorite lunch food for many. Instead of having

to wait to order pizza on Fridays, this fan favorite

is now served daily.

To go along with the new food, we also have a

new sweet treat: ice cream. This frozen treat has

really got students screaming for lunch time to

come along. After a meal, students can now

enjoy ice cream sandwiches, scooter bars, choc-

olate and vanilla swirl cones, in addition to many

more kinds from the Hershey’s freezer.

To compete with the ice cream, our school now

offers cookies. And what a nice selection to

choose from! Sugar, double chocolate, and

chocolate chip has got people craving for a

sweet treat with their milk.

Jonathan Murray, a school lunch buyer loves

this new school lunch. He says, ”The new daily

pizza is amazing!”

MacKenzie Crozier, another student who buys

lunch says, “I like how the hot lunch line goes

quicker thanks to the new kitchen. Now I have

more time to eat. I also like how we have various

choices of lunch, while last year we only had

two.”

School lunch has really upped their game this

year.

The Little Mermaid: Behind The Underwater Adventure

By Amy Makhoul and Brett Diese Have you seen the school production, Disney’s Little Mermaid? Were you a part of the breath-taking experience? Well, here is your time to read the secrets of this wild, crazy ride so you can be “part of our world”. Our director, Miss Brown, our stage director, Mrs. Henneberry, our music director Miss. Weber, and our dance choreographer, Mrs. Focella worked really hard to make this show the best one yet! This year, our show was a little different. We did the Broadway version instead of the kids and junior version. This meant that there were many more lines and scenes to remember. While practicing act one and act two, the cast and crew members got home at six o’clock at night after a long day of hard practice. However when the full-dress rehearsals started a few days before the show, the cast and crew had to stay in school until seven or eight o’clock at night be-cause it took a while to get everyone into costumes and get everything set up on the stage. We interviewed Lauren Torres, an eighth grader who played Ariel, and got her opinion on the experience. BD: What was your initial reaction when you first found out that you got the lead? LT: “I was very excited but also very nervous because it was my first play.” BD: Which was more difficult, performing or rehearsing? LT: “Performing because I was performing in front of a lot of people instead of just my friends.”

Page 4

C O M M U N I T Y

Litt le Fal l s School No. 1

New Shops and Residences Cont. For many, this undertaking will provide upscale housing in the

center of town, something Little Falls has sorely lacked in recent

times.

Project attorney and partner, John Veteri, described the im-

portance of the development: “I think that it is very important to

have housing downtown because currently we don’t have many

residents living in the downtown, and these residents help support

the businesses. Having luxury residential... is one element of creat-

ing a vibrant downtown.”

The architect of the project, Dan D’Agostino, is targeting empty-

nesters and millennials with well-appointed spaces ranging from

800 to 1,200 square feet in size. Each of these units will include a

full bathroom, bedroom, living space, and kitchen. Larger units will

even provide a second bedroom and en suite bathroom. All resi-

dences will feature ample storage, natural light from large win-

dows, hardwood floors, and an up-to-date, modern look.

“It will bring it many new residents to our town who will be within

walking distance of the Falls Creamery and many other shops and

restaurants in downtown Little Falls,” says Janine Barone, owner of

the Falls Creamery ice cream parlor on nearby Paterson Ave, “I

think that this is a wonderful addition to the downtown, and that

this is the beginning of a revitalization of Main Street and our com-

munity.”

Although the project promises to give new life to Main Street and

much of the downtown, some have raised concerns about a lack of

parking for tenants. The development does include a parking lot

with 70 spaces, but there are concerns that this will be insuffi-

cient.

In an interview with NorthJersey.com, Little Falls Planning Board

Chairman, Walter Kilpatrick, questioned the design the develop-

ment’s parking will follow: “There's a concept called shared park-

ing, but where are you going to go share?”

Kilpatrick refers to the idea of shared parking, the us-

age of a single spot by multiple groups in order to maxim-

ize its utilization. In the interview, he appears to hold

misgivings about the presence of enough spots for the

plan to be successful.

Regardless of worries about potential parking woes,

there are exciting new features of the development which

promise to attract renters. Among these are a public

space located in the lower level of the building which will

include a community room with big-screen televisions, a

kitchen, game tables, and fireplaces. There will also be a

full gym, a library area, and individual storage units for

each renter. In acknowledgement of the town’s rich histo-

ry, much of the building will be decorated with historic

photographs and postcards depicting Little Falls’ past.

This development is aimed at revolutionizing the down-

town from urban sprawl to smart growth, logical expan-

sion intended to curb rapid, low-quality growth.

The second phase of the project, which will occupy the

rest of the land the first phase was built on, aims to com-

plete the development’s adherence to the smart growth

plan as well as to add more residential (three stories of

units) and commercial (10,000 sq. ft. worth) space.

The effect of these development efforts is best

summed up by Veteri himself: “It is the beginning of the

transformation of the downtown area and a return to a

vibrant Main Street.”

*At the time of writing, the Hornet Highlights was the first

paper to receive full information on phase two of the

project*

The Little Mermaid: Behind The Underwater Adventure Cont. We also interviewed Allison Makhoul, another eighth grader that took part in the ensemble. AM: Did you enjoy being in the ensemble or did you hope to get a bigger part? AM: “I enjoyed being in the ensemble because it wasn't too much pressure and I had a lot of fun singing and dancing. I did not want a bigger part because it would’ve been too much stress.” Finally our stage director, Mrs. Henneberry, has her opinion about this experience. BD: “What was it like being a stage director? Was it more diffi-cult than you had expected? KH: “Very hectic but very fulfilling.” “No because we had some very mature and talented young ladies and gentlemen who stepped it up and did a great job.” The play was a great opportunity for students to build their confidence and to get creative. Congratulations to the cast and crew and to all who made this possible!

The Hornet Highl ights

Females Enter the Coding World By Nesa Shamdasani

Coding - the process of assigning a code to something for the

purposes of classification or identification.

Did you know that according to researchers, 92 percent of

software developers are male? No? Well here’s another thing

that will shock you. Tech jobs are among the fastest growing in

the country, yet girls are being left behind, especially in com-

puter programing.

Everyone expects that males are the only people who code

yet girls are starting to up their game. Every year they hold

“Hackathon” in New York. This where kid “hackers” come to-

gether for a 24 hour challenge of building something with code.

Many kids from all over the world come to do this amazing

project. Unfortunately, most of the attendees are boys.

Girls who code is a non-profit organization dedicated to clos-

ing the gender gap in technology. They go to many different

schools and teach girls how to code. They also have summer

programs and afterschool clubs. Kids need to be in sixth grade

or older. Guess what? There are about five different local loca-

tions around Little Falls! Even our very own Passaic Valley High

School offers a coding club. Girls who code has encouraged

over 40,000 girls to start coding.

Meanwhile in School No. 1, seventh grader, Lia Trewhella

helped code Mel, the school robot to read Dr. Seuss books to

fifth graders for Read Across America week.

“To code that one story, it took about two class periods be-

cause we needed to learn a whole new coding language. If you

wanted to do more with Mel, it would be more complicated.”

Clearly, Lia has gone against the stereotype.

“I feel that girls should look past the barrier and take on these

technological projects like coding.”

As for a female coder, Lia has big plans.

“I would like to actually make a robot and then program it myself,

instead of just already having the robot.”

Here's a shout out to all the female coders to keep on going be-

cause you are making difference. The world can’t wait to see the

huge impact you make!

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S C H O O L N O . 1

Meet Mel

By Lia Trewhella

When thinking of robots, many think of sci-fi movies and the future but they’re here and they’re better than you would

have ever imagined.

Meet Mel, our school’s robot. He was purchased to assist special needs students and teach kids how to program. This

year’s seventh grade G&T class is doing just that.

“Watching Mel interact with the younger students is an amazing thing,” said Francesca Rento, a student programmer.

Over the week of Read Across America Day, Mel was brought to fifth grade classrooms to tell them a story. The G&T

class had to program him to read the various Dr. Seuss stories. The classes were delighted and interested in how to

program Mel. He can be programmed using a type of block commands and he has multiple cameras and touch sen-

sors. He can speak, walk, dance, and much more!

For instance, if you wanted to program him to wave, blink, and say, “hello.” The students would have to put in the

wave feature. It would have to be connected to the beginning and then a blink box would be inserted and connected to

the wave. Then you would drag a say box, type “hello,” set the language, and then connect it to the end. It’s that sim-

ple!

“Inserting large numbers of text and having things happen simultaneously gets more complicated,” Francesca noted.

The way he communicates adds greatly to his ability to interact with special needs students. For example, if he or she

has trouble making eye contact, Mel can assist since he doesn’t have the same eyes as humans. They can possibly

feel more comfortable around him which explains another project the G&T class will be doing. They will program Mel

with a story and game and bring him to School No. 2 to present to the kids.

“We’ve brought Mel into the classrooms of ranging ages of students from pre-k to eighth grade. He makes learning

exciting and takes down the barrier of being nervous,” says Mrs. Strippoli, School No. G&T teacher.

All in all, programming Mel benefits all of the students in our school.

Page 6

SC H O O L N O . 1

Litt le Fal l s School No. 1

What’s The Deal with Slime?

By Jenna Ulrich and Madison Reardon

“CHA CHING” the cash register goes, as people buy glue, borax

and shaving cream. These common ingredients to make slime

could be a recipe for disaster. This has been a craze that has be-

come a popular project for kids at home. These past few months

slime has been the new craze all over School No. 1, all across

New Jersey, and even throughout the country.

How did this slime craze even start? It all began when slime mak-

ing videos went viral on YouTube and Instagram. Kids these days

are attracted to slime due to the satisfying sound and the texture

of it.

“The fluffy slime is so amusing to play with,” says sixth grader,

Gabby Rufino.

“It’s like a stress-reliever,” says sixth grader, Charity Faith Mar-

tinez.

A lot of people love to make slime because there are so many

types to make such as butter slime, fluffy slime, fishbowl slime,

and clear slime.

Here at School No. 1, kids were making and selling slime to other

students. At one point it was even hard to find glue at craft stores,

dollar stores, convenience stores, and supermarkets.

“I went to Target and there was no glue on the shelves at all.

Then I went to Dollar Tree and there was no glue there either,”

says Gabby.

Peer Group Scoop

By Francesca Rento

Caring, kind, happy and helpful. These are all qualities that you would find in a Peer Group Connection (PGC) leader.

Peer Group Connection is a program that our school adopted this year. This program is all about helping the fifth grade transition

into middle school. The leaders in Peer Group who help the new students are some of the current eighth graders. Twenty-two of

the eighth graders were chosen to advise the fifth grade and give them tips on how to make middle school as easy as it can be.

The Peer Group leaders take initiative and run the whole program with help from their three advisors Mrs. Carrol, Mrs. Budd, and

Mr. Schoeneich. These teachers are open to tell everyone about the great group of eighth grade kids that they have selected. They

emphasize on the fact that they feel as if they could not have chosen a better group or kids.

This program had been super beneficial to all of the fifth grade students. Many fifth graders express that they have learned a lot

through this program. They have happily been receiving advice from their Peer Leaders and using their new knowledge to easily

slide into middle school.

Fifth grader, Katie Gronda said, “I love Peer Group so much! It was so fun and I learned a lot about people that I didn’t know.”

Along with the fifth grade, the eighth grade Peer Group Connection leaders have greatly enjoyed their experience as a leader in

this program. They believe that their peers chosen for this program were the perfect people to stand alongside them.

PGC is an amazing program that benefits the fifth grade, eighth grade, teachers, and our whole community due to the kindness

of shared by everyone.

This slime fad is not just in School No. 1 or even just in NJ. It’s

popularity has resulted in a shortage of Elmer’s glue across the

country!

Slime proved to be a successful business for students, however

it was banned from School No. 1 because it was a distraction to

the students.

“Slime was causing many problems. The dye was getting on

furniture and hands. It’s against school policy to sell things on

school property if it is not apart of a fundraiser," stated Mr. Ligus.

In addition, slime could cause health problems including aller-

gic reactions to borax and shaving cream.

Looks like things will start to get slimy at home! On to the next

trend for School No. 1.

The Hornet Highl ights Page 7

Our Town Superhero By Hannah Schultz and Alyssa Russo

When you think of the library, you think of a boring, quiet place where old people go to hang out. Well, after you go talk to Ms. Linda at the Little Falls Public Library, you’ll think differently! Ms. Linda, the head Children’s Librarian makes sure that the library is always a fun place to be. Sometimes, walking into the library you’ll be greeted with brightly colored duct tape, the calming music of yoga, or the sounds of a newly released movie playing on one of the TV’s in the children’s section. One thing’s for sure-Ms. Linda definitely has a passion for the work she does. “I love my job. I like working with kids and I have always loved the library. I find it very peaceful just being surrounded by the books.” Everyday, as soon as the bell rings at school, Ms. Linda lets students come into the library, greeting them with a very happy smile. “I love seeing the kids after school. They only get loud sometimes because they have been in school all day.” As a librarian, she gets there 9:15 am and doesn’t normally get to leave till 9:00 pm. That is a lot of time to spend in one place! Clearly, Ms. Linda is dedicated to her job. With over 50,000 items--books, magazines, audio books, and movies-- to take care of in the library, she still always makes time for her community. Ms. Linda is not the only one that loves the library. Students from School No. can usually be found there. “I go for tutoring sometimes and I also go just to read. It’s really quiet and easy to focus,” says 5th grader, Nadia Naples. Tables and comfortable chairs are great places to get homework done. However, some kids come here to hang out with friends. “I usually go everyday after school. If the weather is nice out, we go outside and sit on the benches,” says 6th grader Malak Elshamma. Whether you go to get homework done or if you go to hangout, the Little Falls Public Library is the place to be.

CO M M U N I T Y

Fun Summer Activities that Enrich Learning By MacKenzie Crozier

If you thought that education is not fun in the summer, you thought wrong because there are many activities that are fun, yet educa-tional. There are many camps that you can go to that have you doing educational things. The Little Falls Library hosts “The Young Writer’s Workshop,” from Montclair State University. This class is five weeks long and in that five weeks you get to write about interesting topics. “ We met once a week, and we started by doing a friendly activity. There was a list of writing ideas that were numbered. Each student picked two numbers out of a hat and had to write about it,” says Alina Ajdini, a 5th grade student that attended the workshop. During this camp writers will receive support writing drafts and in depth feedback on their writing. In the last week you go to Montclair State University and get to share your work with some of the students and teachers. Summer activities can be fun and enriching!

Want to keep your brain active

this summer? There are a variety

of fun, yet educational activities

for you to do.

Get ready to learn!

On Arbor Day LF Celebrates More than Just the Environment By Tommy Barone

On April 28th the Little Falls Shade Tree Commission planted a commemorative tree in celebration of Arbor Day. In the shadow of the tank which has become a well-known symbol of the Memorial Park on Wilmore Road, a crowd of onlookers including Mayor Dami-ano, town council representatives, former Mayor Conti, local service members, and the Eagle Rescue squad applauded the annual planting which has become a tradition for our town on Arbor Day. The Shade Tree Commission holds this Arbor Day Celebration each year both to honor the memory of those who have given exemplary service to our town as well as to look towards the future by sup-porting the environment and the natural beauty of our area. This year, 103 year old former firefighter, Vincent Dransfield, was hon-ored for his incredible record of more than 75 years of active duty service to our town. Daisies, Cub Scouts, and Brownies assisted in the tree’s planting and later read the poem, “Trees,” by Joyce Kilmer. This Arbor Day, the words Kilmer wrote more than 100 years ago still ring true as ever: “I think that I shall never see/a poem lovely as a tree.”

Page 8

SC H O O L N O . 1

Litt le Fal l s School No. 1

Better Speech and Hearing Month

By Victoria Begley How often do you consider your hearing? Most likely, this isn’t something you think of on a daily basis, if you’re even thinking about it at all. May is Better Speech and Hearing month, a time to reflect on your hearing and if your ears are safe from damage or not. Lots of stu-dents aren’t educated about ways to keep their ears safe. Ms. Canavan is an expert on noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL.) Meet with her and she’ll explain how the ear works and how sound is measured with decibels. Microscopic hair cells found in the ear are responsible for taking mechanical sound vibrations and sending electri-cal signals to the auditory nerve. She also will tell you how to use a sound meter, a device used to measure how loud noises are. After going over the basics, Ms. Canavan will delve deeper into ways to protect your hearing. In a loud situation, you need to “walk away, turn it down, and wear protection.” Each of these words represents a way to help keep your ears safe from sound. You can walk away from the loud noises, or just turn down the volume. If neither of these are a possible solution, you can just wear ear protection, such as ear plugs. But what is noise-induced hearing loss, exactly? As the name suggests, NIHL is when long exposure to loud noises causes someone to impair their hearing. This happens when the hair-like cells get broken or damaged and are no longer able to send the proper signals to the nerves. Victims of noise-induced hearing loss have trouble hearing and distinguishing high-frequency sounds. NIHL is more common than you may think. In fact, about 10 million Americans suffer from it. 5.2 million of these are children aged 6-19. It’s not difficult to see how important it is to protect your ears and hearing.

8th Grade Graduation Games By Vincent Muoio and Tommy Barone

As this school year comes to an end, the 8th graders took on their teachers in a series of classic gym games at the annual 8th Grade Graduation Games. This is the first year of this event, and the 8th graders as well as their advi-sors, Mr. Plateroti and Mr. Delfino, hope to establish this as a School #1 tradition. The event was held at the Little Falls Rec Center on May 19th. The games played include Pantyhose Bowling, a Basketball Speed Challenge, Giant Cup Stacking, Scooter Racing, a Balloon Pop Relay, a Cannon Ball Run and Dodgeball. Three different teams competed, the Gold team, the Green team, and the Teachers’ team. The first event of the fun-filled night was Cup Stacking. Each team needed 11 sprinters to grab one of the cups at the end of the gym, one cup stacker, and a jumper to jump over the stacked cups. This event turned out to be a comfortable win for the Gold Team. Mr. Schmidt jumped over the cup stacker for the Teachers, Mrs. Defeo, to many cheers.. The second event was Scooter Racing with players pushing each other across the gym and racing back. Mr. Delfino’s son, James, pushed his father on the scooter for the most heartwarming moment of the night. The Green Team won this race with ease. Next was the Balloon Pop Relay which entailed racing down the court, hopping with a balloon between the legs and then sitting on it to pop it on the way back. The event proved to be tightly contested with Gold Team only pulling ahead at the end to win. The Cannonball Race was the fourth event which began with an amazing catch of a slightly high ball by Gold Team Player Billy Tomes. Riding a string of impressive catches, the Gold team won with a sizeable lead. In the Basketball Speed Challenge, pairs competed to rack up the most points based on the difficulty of their shot. This competition was won by the Green Team which had Sebastian Stile make the difference with many rapid layups. Green Team’s win here gave them some needed momentum. Pantyhose Bowling, the sixth event, involved wearing pantyhose attached to the player’s head with a ball stuffed inside. Players on each team took turns swinging their heads to knock the bowling pins down. Once again, the Gold Team won. The main event of the night was Dodgeball with the Green and Gold Teams competing for a chance to play the Teachers. After three preliminary rounds, the Green Team took on the Teachers in a best of three series. The Teachers took the first game after fighting back to win in overtime and completed their sweep in the second game. The final competition of the night was the team relay where all players had to sprint to the farthest wall and run back, tagging the next person. This event spurred the loudest cheers of the night with each team screaming encouragement at the runners. Needless to say, there were more than a few hoarse voices by the time the event was over. Gold team won this last event and the night with sev-eral commanding wins. However, by the end of the night, nobody was really concerned about who the eventual victor was, each per-son who competed was more than satisfied with the incredible night they had spent screaming, cheering, and competing with their classmates for one last time.

The Hornet Highl ights Page 9

CO M M U N I T Y

Art Club Unlocks Spirituality Within By Lia Trewhella

Do you believe in the magic of mandalas? School No. 1’s Art Club certainly does. Over the past few weeks, the Art Club had been painting mandala rocks to spread positivity around the school. Mrs. Henneberry told the Hornet Highlights, “I believe it’s nice to bring art into the community and to use art to bring positivity to the people of Little Falls.” To spread this message, she had her afterschool Art Club paint smooth rocks with acrylic paint and infinity designs. The students chose their own colors and design to express themselves in their artwork. Mandalas are used to represent wholeness and create unity. Mrs. Henneberry said she wanted them “to be put in a place where peo-ple want to find calm and peace, and to connect us to the earth.”

Other than being colorful decorations, the mandalas were put in place to honor Little Falls residents who have died. The rocks were placed by the memorial trees in the front of the school in memory of Mrs. O‘Shea and Mr, O’Neill. A 7th grade Art Club student, Sofia Corage, commented, “I was really touched when Mrs. Henneberry told us our pieces were going to be in a memorial.”

These mandalas are beautiful additions to our school and community. And more than that, the message they carry is something we all need to remember.

PVHS Autism Walk By Emily Rivera and Mia Barone

On Sunday, April 23, 2017 the Passaic Valley High School hosted

its second annual Autism Walk. At the walk they were able to raise

over $6,000 in donations. The money went to the Autism program at

the high school.

People from all over the town including, the Little Falls Fire Depart-

ment, the mayor, and PVHS teachers, were there to show support.

There was even a DJ that provided some awesome tunes. The best

part was that there were so many families here to support their child

or children and other children with autism.

Among many other things, the students in the autism program

learn home skills like making your bed, doing dishes, and doing

laundry. Great right?

“This program helps me feel relieved that someone cares about my

child as much as I do,” says Iris Rivera.

This program doesn’t just teach the kids but gives them a fun expe-

rience and makes them feel great about themselves.

Ms. Anzevino, a teacher at School No. 1, attended the walk this

year supporting autism awareness.

“Autism Speaks, is one of the largest organizations in the country

for spreading awareness, funding research, and funding local pro-

grams that benefit individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Au-

tism is the fastest growing disorder, yet the most underfunded” says

Ms. Anzevino.

The first step is to raise awareness about autism. Finding a cure

for autism would be a discovery that changes millions of people's

lives.

April Showers Won’t Ruin This Party

By: Alina Ajdini

Cookies, hot dogs, chips, music, dancing and a night of fun. What could this possibly be? Well, these are some of the fun things that happened at the Little Falls School No. 1 5th and 6th grade spring dance. The dance was a real hit! From your friend’s

company to the amazing music, everyone loved it. “It was lit!” says 5th grader, Nadia Naples.

“The dance was a blast!” agrees Sheayla McNamara. Most kids were sure not to miss it, considering that it was our first year to have school dances. Have you heard of the song, ‘Cotton Eye Joe’? Well, at the dance they played it. EVERYONE hit the dance floor for that one!

“I spent a good amount of time with my friends making memories that I will never ever forget,” says Nadia.

One thing is for sure---students can’t wait to see how the dance turns out next year!

Page 10

S P O R T S

Litt le Fal l s School No. 1

Super Bowl 51

Vincent Muoio

One of America's most viewed events, The Super Bowl, aired on Feb-

ruary 5th 2017. Super Bowl 51 took place in Houston, Texas with the

AFC Champions (The Patriots) and NFC Champions (The Falcons). This

year’s Super Bowl snagged over 110 million viewers, the second most

in Super Bowl history.

Watching the first quarter of Super Bowl 51 was like watching paint

dry, with the score being 0-0 when the quarter was over. Even though

the quarter was tedious, the Falcons showed they were going to domi-

nate. The Falcons played fast on offense and aggressive on defense.

The second quarter started to heat up, and it really showed that the

Falcons came to play. Everything was going well for New England until

a LeGarrette Blount fumble caused the momentum to switch to the

Falcons. The Falcons took control of the game and drove down the

field for the first touchdown of Super Bowl 51. Then once again, the

Falcons defense were able to stop the tremendous Tom Brady and

force a 3 and out giving them the ball back to only score again. If it

couldn't get any worse for the Patriots, they were intercepted in field

goal range and allowed an 82 yard pick 6 from the Falcons Corner-

back Robert Alford. By halftime, New England had managed to get 3

points on the board from a Stephen Gostkowski field goal.

In the 3rd quarter, the Patriots couldn't find rhythm on offense as

the Falcons defense put pressure on Quarterback Tom Brady. The

Falcons slit the Patriots throat after scoring another touchdown put-

ting the Falcons at a 25 point lead (28-3), enough to seal the game…

or so we thought. In 12 plays the Patriots offense gained 70 yards

and to finish the drive, they got a 5 yard receiving touchdown from

running back James White. Patriots fans felt as if they still had a

chance in the game, but they missed an extra point and drained six

minutes from the clock.

In the start of the 4th quarter, things started to get interesting. The

Patriots were able to get a field goal to narrow the Falcons lead to a

16 point lead. Just when things were going well for the Falcons, their

running back, Tevin Coleman, suffered an injury and Quarterback

Matt Ryan was stripped sacked from Patriots linebacker, Dont’a High-

tower.

The Patriots used that momentum to score a touchdown and two

point conversion. The game was now 28-20. Viewers across the globe

were at the edge of their seats. The next series for the Falcons wasn't

much besides from the fact that WR Julio Jones had a superb sideline

catch. However, Matt Ryan was sacked which sent the Falcons back

out of field goal range. The Patriots got the ball back and scored a

rushing touchdown on a 91 yard drive. With a successful two point

conversion, the Patriots tied up the game, 28-28. The game was now

entering Overtime for the first time in Super Bowl history.

The Patriots won the coin toss and were determined to score. The

Patriots marched 75 yards to score and complete the greatest come-

back in NFL history. The Patriots were crowned Super Bowl Champs.

Why is this still important now that’s it’s been over for a few months?

Well, Super Bowl 51 showed a message to all viewers and football

players around the world, never give up. Tom Brady and the Patriots

did what hasn't been done before. Even when they were down by 25

with only a quarter left, the Patriots never gave up and were deter-

mined to win. They sent the game to overtime, for the first time in

Super Bowl history and came out victorious. This will go down as one

of the greatest super bowls in NFL history.

The History of Softball

By Abigail Kosch

In Chicago, Illinois, 1887 just one small toss of a boxing

glove sparked a sport for girls around the world---- softball.

You may think, A boxing glove? Starting softball? This one

boxing glove, in particular, did start a game that became

revolutionary for girls around the world. Soon enough wom-

en would enter the world of sports.

It all started on Thanksgiving day 1887, at a club with peo-

ple watching a football game, Harvard vs. Yale. The scores

were announced and bets were called. Then a former Yale

student threw a boxing glove at a Harvard student, the Har-

vard student grabbed a stick and swung at the gravity defy-

ing glove. George Hancock called out, “PLAY BALL!” This

“game” became a sport. The boxing glove was tightened

and a broom handle was used as a bat. The first game end-

ed with a score of 41-40. There were no gloves at the time

because the ball was so soft. This was known as baseball.

Women learned how to play softball by playing baseball. It

officially started indoors at the Farragut Boat Club in Chica-

go. After a year of a lot of popularity, the game was moved

outdoors. After a while, the pitchers tossed the ball under-

hand. The ball wasn’t just thrown underhand because the

players were girls, but because it is easier for the pitcher to

pitch without straining their arm. This game has gone

through the names “Kitten-ball,” “Ladies Baseball,” and

many more. Eventually, in 1926 “Softball” became the offi-

cial name of the game. The first softball tournament was

held at the Chicago World Fair in 1933. George Hancock is

now looked on as the creator of softball because he called

out “play ball!”

There are three types of softball and they are Slowpitch,

Fastpitch, and Modified. Girls use composite bats, mitts,

batting gloves, helmets and larger balls. Softballs have a

size range that depends on what type of softball level they

are playing at. Softball players use larger balls than base-

balls because there is a smaller infield and it makes it easi-

er for the softball to slow down.

The ASA (Amateur Softball Association) registers over

245,000 softball teams, having more than 3.5 million play-

ers. There are more than 83,000 youth girls’ fast-pitch

teams in the U.S., with over 1.2 million girls playing.

Hannah Schultz, a softball player for the Little Falls Athletic

Club and Passaic Valley Sting, enjoys playing softball.

“It gives me the chance to express myself. I am a pitcher

and I love pitching.” Schultz says, “All the drama is left out-

side the field. Nothing else matters when you are on the

field, and that’s why I love it.”

“I never thought that I’d play softball, but after a season of

hard work and dedication I knew this was the sport for me,”

says center fielder, Noure Allan.

Mia Barone and MacKenzie Crozier both play for Passaic

Valley Sting, a tri-town travel team. “Softball is a big part of

our lives. Softball doesn’t just teach us about the game. It

teaches about teamwork, sportsmanship, and friendship,”

agree Mia and MacKenzie.

If baseball wasn’t created by George Hancock, then softball

wouldn’t have been created. It’s clear that many girls would

be missing out on an amazing opportunity.

The Hornet Highl ights Page 11

S P O RT S

Making the weight

Preparing for a National Wrestling Tournament By PJ Casale

Wrestling is one of the most grueling sports - especially during the week leading up to a big tournament. The week starts off tough. Bundled up in long sleeve shirt, sweatpants and a sweatshirt, the heat kicks on in the practice room. There’s 5 days until I’m wrestling in front of hundreds of people. After practice, dripping with sweat, my partner and I drill a little more to get those extra pounds off. Straight from the extra drilling we wipe down and immediately check our weight. The weight determines our meal and portions. Junk food has already been removed from the equation. But the night isn’t over. I go home to shower, eat, finish homework and study hard for tests the next day. Every day is the same. The sun rises and the alarm clock goes off. I wake up and hit the scale to check my weight before I shower and get ready for school. Downstairs, my mom is preparing my meals for the day. I eat a portion controlled breakfast, lunch and dinner plus three snacks and plenty of water throughout the day. After school is over, I hit the gym for a workout, come home and start my homework. Later in the evening, I go to wrestling tough practice for about 2 hours. On the road again. Thursday night, after getting home from practice, we have to pack for the weekend and get a good night’s sleep. The day of weigh-ins starts by checking my weight for the last time, eating a light breakfast and saying my goodbye’s to my mom and sisters. Then my dad and I are off to the airport.

Step on the scale. It seems like the longest days of the year. Weigh ins are usually held in the evening so I’ve already been up for sev-eral hours. I grab a water, a protein shake and my secret weapon - a Skoar candy bar. I know it’s not the healthiest thing, but after weeks of preparation, I like to treat myself and it makes the hard work all worth it. I’m already dreaming about the candy bar well before. The weigh master (the guy taking reading the scale) says, “step on the scale.” I’m usually not worried because I’ve prepared properly, but you never know if your body is going to retain water that day or if the scale is going to be heavy. I take a deep breath, exhale and slowly step on the scale. Five seconds seems like an eternity as I wait to hear those magic words, “good to go.”

The hard part is done. Sure, wrestling is a tough sport, but for me the wrestling is the easiest part. Making weight and preparing for the tournaments is the hard part. I’ve seen a lot of wrestlers who are mentally and physically broken before they even take the mat. That’s because they only prepare for the matches. But wrestling is so much more than just the matches. You have to have the right mindset. It also doesn’t hurt to have great practice partners, coaches, and of course a lot of support from your family.

Tri Valley Field Hockey

By Christianna Pagano

The 5th through 8th grade Tri Valley field hockey team sponsored by Passaic Valley High School has been a team for the

past three years. They compete in a league with neighboring towns in Essex and Passaic county for most of the fall. The team

had weekly practices and games where the girls had the opportunity to learn about the sport and make new friendships.

Being with new people in a new sport can be nerve racking. But Tri- Valley has practices during the month of August to make

sure the players get to know each other and their strengths and weaknesses.

“At first when I didn't know anyone, it was overwhelming, but as the season went on and I became friends with my team-

mates, I became more comfortable,” says a team player.

The parents of the players also think it's a great opportunity.

“It’s a unique opportunity because most towns surrounding Tri-Valley don't have a team for 5th-8th graders,” says Elizabeth

Pagano, parent to a player.

While talking with Mrs. Porter on why she started the team she said, “ I was the JV coach and I wanted to start girls early so

they have experience.”

In two years of starting the program Passaic Valley was the county back-to-back champions. Mrs. Porter credits this to start-

ing the girls young in the program.

This program has opened opportunities for young girls and lets them explore the sport some love.

Page 12

F E A T U R E S

Litt le Fal l s School No. 1

Are Athletes Overpaid?

By Thomas Kobylarz and Amy Makhoul Do you remember that amazing shot Stephen Curry made lying flat on his back? Well, I bet you didn’t know that he makes 12.11 million dollars every year by entertaining people this way. Most athletes make around the same amount or even more. There have been many disputes over whether or not athletes are overpaid, though. The way each athlete is paid can differ based on the sport they play, and the difference in the salaries from one player to another can be in tens of millions of dollars or possibly even more. Many people that are struggling to make payments find it frustrating to hear about a person that plays a game and makes a lot money for it. The majority of the people believe that athletes don’t deserve this much. For example, doctors and police officers, who save people’s lives, don’t make nearly as much money as athletes. Since an athlete isn’t doing anything to benefit the health and welfare of people, it isn’t fair that they are getting paid more. “Yes, I think athletes are overpaid because they are only paid to just run around when other people deserve more,” says a seventh grader that wishes to remain anonymous. “People work equally as hard in business and whatever they may do and they deserve at least half of what athletes make.” Also, another example is an engineer, who works hard to build our shelters in a safe way. An engineer requires a person who is smart enough to be able to produce the exact calculations for the buildings and who can build everything correctly. We would not have houses to live in and schools to learn in without our engineers. Why are engineers not paid enough, though? Like a coin, this argument has two sides. Some people think that the fans are spending all their hard-earned money on hoodies, t-shirts, other merch, and the tickets to the games. Those are the people that think it’s the fault of others when they choose to use their money on basketball games. Many people say that when people make the decision that it is worth it to spend hard-earned wages on a three hour basketball game, we are telling the athletes that they are worth every penny they earn. So, next time you are unsure about this debate, think about this: are you choosing to spend your money on athletes or are they just getting more money than they deserve?

You say tomato, I say tomatoe By Jaylene Delgado and Victoria Mazzo

Have you ever heard two people say the same word differently? This is called regional dialect, which is a distinct form of a language spoken in a particular geographical area. Many people around the state of New Jersey may say certain words differently. Even though people may live within the same state, there is a chance they might say words differently than the “original” New Jersey accent. The way you say and pronounce words depends on where you grew up. For example, if you grew up in a state, like Tennessee, you most likely picked up the way people in that state pronounce certain words. Research suggests that New York English is a special variety of general New England speech. This was devel-oped after the British took possession of the Dutch colony, which led to to the conversation of Dutch to English. This in particular, set Brooklyn speech apart from northern dialects.

Some words whose pronunciations are most commonly debated in New Jersey include, “aunt,” “orange,” and “pajamas.” See the list for more examples.

“People pronounce words differently because of the change in vowel. For example, a fraction of the people living in New Jersey may have moved from the Boston area. Therefore different accents can be brought over from different places which enhances the big controversy between the pronunciation of certain words,” says School No. 1’s speech teacher, Ms. Canavan. Whether you say tomato or tomatoe, there is no correct pronunciation or way to say certain words. It all depends on where you grew up. There are many different words in NJ that people have different opinions on regarding the pronunciation. Can you think of any?

The list below names a few of the most-commonly debated pronunciation of words in the state of New Jersey.

Coffee (Caw-fee or Cah-fee) Aunt (Ont or Ant) Chocolate (Chawk-lit or Chalk-lit) Pecan (Pee-con or Pee-can) Caramel (Car-mul or Car-a-mel) Vase (Vah-z or Vay-z) Potato (Pa -tot-o or Patato) Orange (Are-ange or Or-ange) Tomato (Toe-ma-toe or Ta-ma-toe) Pajamas (Pa-jam-as or Pa-j-a-mas) Route (can rhyme with out or hoot) Syrup ( sear-up or sir-up )

The Hornet Highl ights

Lights, Camera, ACTION!

School No. 1 reports from the 2017

Passaic County film Festival

Page 13

CO M M U N I T Y

Film Festival Fun

By Sema Koc

If you haven’t heard of the Passaic County Film Festival that took place on April 22nd at the Fabian 8 Cinema in Paterson, NJ, you

must be living under a rock. The film festival was centralized around young filmmakers creating short films to display their filmmaking

skills. It showcased an abundance of short films, documentaries, and music videos.

“The Film Festival is all about films that are created by students and independent filmmakers,” said Deborah Hoffman, Director,

Division of Economic Development, Passaic County.

The Film Commission for the County of Passaic is all about helping student filmmakers accomplish their goal. They have a program

that helps students enhance their filming skills.

“We have a free film workshop that can help you improve your writing, filming and directing skills. It is a terrific opportunity to learn

more about the filmmaking process,” Hoffman continued.

Now let's travel inside the theater to see what these incredible filmmakers did.

There were an overflowing amount of entries and only the best were picked to show. Sitting in the seats of the Fabian 8 Cinema, you

could see films with entries from universities, high schools, and independent filmmakers.

A student from Passaic Valley High School, Mary Boudaher, documented behind the scenes of the PVHS Girls Show. “Girls Show

Documentary” gave viewers a sneak peek of what the video production classes do to get the show on TV.

The Film Festival was a great community event that gave young and independent filmmakers an opportunity to show their films to

the locals. It was very fun and exciting to see the raw talent of these students right in our community. Be sure to come on out for the

2018 Passaic County Film Festival. You won't regret it!

Reporting From the Film Front By Bianca Ionescu As the lights dim down, you can hear people stuffing themselves with popcorn, sipping their sodas, and getting in their seats as the show is about to begin. It might not be a box office movie the audience is viewing, but you never know. These filmmakers can surprise you in just about any way. On Saturday, April 22nd, 2017, filmmakers all over Passaic County gathered together to share the films they’ve created in five brief categories: University and Independent Short Films, High School Documentary Films, High School Public Service Announcement Films, High School Music Videos, and High School Short Films. One category that was particularly impressive was the High School Documentary Films. The documentaries took a little longer, since they weren’t really supposed to be short. The documentaries varied with topics about things like NASA programs and behind the scenes on the PVHS Girl Show. The winning film for this category, was “Garret Mountain Reservation”, by Ethan Medina from PCTI high school. This film is about Garret Mountain Reservation, a place people go to for the natural feelings, wonderful sights, and memories. The film featured many wonders of the reservation, from sightseeing the Lambert Castle to interviewing the Garret Mountain Reservation police officers, who go around riding on horses! The film that won the overall thousand dollar prize is a music video called “Deception” by Courtney White. The video was to the song “Deception” and was about a girl who was confused and didn’t know who to trust. The filmmaker communicated this theme by sur-rounding the confused girl with other people holding signs that say things like, “Trust Me” and “Bully” on them. Then the person with the “Trust Me” sign held out a hand. When the confused girl reached out for it, the person teared the sign. All of the drama created through the lively dancing is among one of the reasons why this music video won the thousand dollar prize. All in all, the film festival truly was a sight to be seen. Have you ever dreamed of being a filmmaker? Because you never know, you might just be the world’s next Steven Spielberg.

Illustration by Hailey Rivera

Page 14

S C H O O L N O . 1

Litt le Fal l s School No. 1

Tiring Summer Camps Even Have Some Positives

By PJ Casale

Draining days. For most parents who work in the summer, kids are either stranded at home or overcrowded with activities throughout the day at camps. For example, kids play sports, go to music classes, and go to day camps for the whole day. For most kids that are at camps all day and come home to a lazy night. These days kids are way to over scheduled Most kids want to relax during summer or do relaxing events since they were at school for nine months. But when parents don't have anyone to help supervise around the house they need to send them to day camps or even restless sleep away camps. These tiring day camps have you doing different activities all day. When a kid never gets a break there bodies become very tired and especially if they're not used to everyday activities for the whole day. Kids get exhausted much faster than adults. When a child gets sent to a sports camp they often for the rest of the whole week. Some are even sleep away camps that have a draining schedule. Over scheduled days turn into too much energy and makes the child want to quit since they are so burnt out. Then kids come home and only have a couple hours to rest before going out again, especially kids playing summer sports. They come home from an all day camp, and then have to go to practice later that night. This is a very tiring schedule for most kids. Kids wouldn´t have any energy to finish their day. But there are some positives to sending your kids to these exhausting camps. Keeping Children Active. On the other hand, these camps are great for kids. Kids need to be active during the summer and these camps are a great way to keep them active. Camps like day camps and sports camps keep kids active the whole day. Instead of kids just staying at home glued to the television all day or playing video games. Making New Friends Kids, when they're stuck in the house, don’t get to interact with anyone except their siblings. But going to these camps are a great way to interact with other kids. Especially to make new friends these camps have a lot of different kids and different social groups for new kids to join. These kids are definitely staying active during the summer going to these camps, but do you believe they’re too over scheduled?

Preparation for Baltimore By Jaylene Delgado

The last nine months have been spent in preparation for the biggest and most

exciting event for the eighth grade class… the Baltimore Trip. The one night,

two day trip on June 1-2 will be spent in the historical city of Baltimore explor-

ing different sites and going to a baseball game. Our 8th grade advisors, Mr.

Delfino and Mr. Plateroti helped set up different fundraisers to raise money to

go towards the trip.

“I can’t wait to go on the Baltimore trip! I’m excited to make memories and

enjoy myself with my grade for the final time. All year we have been working

hard on fundraisers and now we finally get to enjoy the result of that,” says

Tommy Barone.

Some fundraisers that we had an option to participate in, include: can shakes, selling Gertrude Hawk chocolate, Applebee’s break-

fast, the annual pasta dinner, purchasing ice cream at the Falls Creamery, and most importantly, the fashion show. The fashion

show was the most successful fundraiser the eighth graders participated in, according to our advisors. From the tricky tray baskets

to buying tickets to see the show, every small thing helped raise money for our trip, formal, and yearbook.

The fashion show took place on March 16th at The Grove in Cedar Grove. The 8th graders who participated in walking the runway

did a phenomenal job, as well as the narrators and runners. The Grove was an amazing place to hold the event, as all students,

staff, and parents would agree. Every student had a blast that night, and wish it could happen all over again. The magical night of

fashion 2017 will always be a night to remember.

“The process and the final night was amazing. As I was narrating, it was cool to see my classmates dressed nicely and having fun

on the stage in front of the crowd, who were cheering and clapping the entire time,” says Elizabeth Dubov.

“The can shakes were the most successful fundraiser to take money off some of the student’s checks. If you participated in any

can shakes, you don’t have to pay as much as other students may have to. We raised about $3,000 just from can shakes. One of

our other events, the graduation games, was definitely, the most successful in terms of the kids and adults having fun,” says Mr,

Plateroti.

Speaking on behalf of the whole eighth grade class, we are very excited to go to Baltimore. We’re very thankful to have two great

advisors that put in a lot of thought and effort into making sure we have a great time on the trip. The two days we will be staying will

be a memory the class of 2017 will cherish forever.

The Hornet Highl ights Page 15

F E A T U R E S

Weird Things People Never Talk About

Episode 2: Disappearing Socks

Lena Uzelac

Before we actually begin, I just want to say that socks. are. ANNOYING. Like, where do

they go? Do they turn to dust? Do they hide in other socks? SPILL IT, SOCKS! I want you to

do me a favor. Get ALL your socks that don’t have a pair and ask them, “WHERE IS YOUR

PARTNER!?” If they don’t cooperate, tie them to a chair.

Okay, I’ve calmed down. So, why are they so annoying, you might ask? Well, first of all,

it’s ALWAYS your favorite socks you were planning to wear the next day. And talk about

finding them. You know how matter can’t be created or destroyed? Socks defy the rules

of this law.

Or do they?

According to statistician Geoff Ellis there is actually a formula to disappearing socks! It can be used to predict the risk of losing

socks. The formula is; (L(p x f) + C( t x s)) - (P x A). In English, L stands for the laundry size, P for the people in the household, which

is multiplied by F, which stands for the frequency washes.

Did I lose you? Obviously, the scientists working on this were very bored. If you are interested to learn more about this formula, visit

www.marketwatch.com to find out more.

Next time you’re ready to do your laundry, you absolutely MUST hang out with your socks as if you won’t see them again, because

there will always be the one that got lost in the storm of water and bubbles.

Breaking Boundaries By Sema Koc and Mia Polverari

Maybe you heard it before, supposedly boys are better at math and science and girls are better at language arts and home eco-nomics. You might think writing an article about this stereotype is a little extreme. But it doesn't stop here. All around the country students are faced with academic stereotypes that don’t even make sense and lower their self-esteems. Researchers call this type of stereotype “predicament stereo-types.” These stereotypes can affect the minds of young students. This dilemma has gone back to ancient times and still continues to this day. Let’s break down this stereotype. It impacts the confidence and self esteem of a student, two main things that are important to have a successful year at school. In addition it can do some dam-ages to the way someone thinks about themselves. For example, telling a girl that she isn’t good at math can make her actually believe that she isn’t good at math. Research has shown, “Decreased performance is the most rec-ognized consequence of stereotype threat.” If you didn’t under-stand that, it means performance (in this case, grades) may de-crease because a student taking a test believes these stereotypes. Therefore it decreases their confidence while taking the test. Consider this scenario many girls face at school. A peer makes rude comments about your gender and your abilities because you are a girl. You want to participate in class, or maybe you need to make a presentation. According to research, there is a strong chance you might not do the best you can because you know that this peer that made the comment is judging your abilities based on your gender. Now, you are showing that you are nervous and less confident, which contributes to the problem. Being less confi-dent can make people think it’s because the stereotype is true. However as research suggests, the lack of self confidence is due

to the fear that you will prove the stereotype to be true. Things like this can ruin the best moments of your day. What's more, people may blame themselves for failure after seeing these stereotypes. You may not see it now, but things like this can lead to more serious situations that include mental health and happiness. Gender stereotypes affect a lot of students every single day. Let's be the generation that will end them for good.

Do Fidget Spinners Really Relieve Stress? By Noor Agha Is there really any benefit to fidget spinners or do kids just mind-lessly play with them? Fidget spinners aren’t just a fad. According occupational therapist, Katherine Ross Keller, featured on usnews.com, they’ve been used as a sensory tool for children on the autism spectrum or with anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, or ADHD for a while now. Many mental health experts have been using similar toys for years. In fact, the Slinky is one of the earliest fidget toys. Even though fidget spinners — and similar toys — aren’t necessarily new, they have become wildly popular in recent months. It’s funny how old toys are now the new entertainment. Did you know that spinners aren’t just for kids? Many adults use them too. Instead of biting fingernails down, click-click-clicking away on a pen, or bouncing a leg up and down, many use a fidget spinner. However, it seems as if kids are using them as a disruptive toy in school. “Some students know how to use them in a beneficial way, but others do not. Some kids are able to keep the fidget spinner in the desks and pay attention in class, while others are clearly very dis-tracted by these spinners,” says Mr. Campbell. Seventh grader, Christianna Pagano also says, “The fidget spinners are nonsense. They can keep you 100% distracted.” How do you feel about the fidget spinners?

Page 16

SC H O O L NO . 1

Litt le Fal l s School No. 1

NJHS Induction Ceremony By Lia Trewhella

Nothing could beat the look of pride on the faces of the families of those who were inducted into the National Junior Honor Society on Tuesday, May 9. 19 students were inducted into the Honor Society, 18 from 7th grade and one from 8th. This event was the second an-nual induction since the Little Falls chapter was established last year. The new inductees reviewed the five qualities required by a NJHS member - character, scholarship, citizenship, leadership, and service. In order to enter the NJHS, students who had been on the Honor Roll or Distinguished Honor Roll for the first two marking periods of the 2016-17 school year had to fill out an application and write an essay. They had to show their proficiency in each of the five qualities. Each inductee received a certificate and a yellow rose, the flower of the NJHS, during the ceremony. The new members also signed their names in the book that will record all future inductees and lit a candle for each NJHS quality. “It felt great to get inducted and see my name alongside my classmates,” said Francesca Rento. Mrs. Strippoli, the advisor of NJHS, our superintendent Mrs. Marinelli, and the student president, vice president, treasurer, and secre-tary of NJHS spoke at the ceremony. School No. 3 principal Mrs. Dilkes also attended and talked about her success after graduating from the Little Falls school district. After the ceremony, the new members and their families enjoyed light refreshments to celebrate their achievement. The inductees have already began eagerly taking on their roles in NJHS by helping with the Moana Movie Matinee and individual service hours. Francesca continued, “I am excited to already be helping with some NJHS events and can’t wait until next year when I get to do more.”

Teen who saves 2,000 children

Ayesha Adnan

Many people don’t realize that this is a big world with

many hero everywhere, they just see what's surrounding

them in their lives. Let’s not forget that we are all citizens

of the world.

Aitzaz Hasan was a young boy living in Ibrahimzai vil-

lage of Hangu in Pakistan. He was only 15 years old when

he sacrificed his life while preventing a suicide bomber

from entering the school of 2,000 children.

On January 7, 2014, Aitzaz was outside the school

gate of his high school, with two other classmates. Aitzaz

was attending morning assembly due to his tardiness that

day. Supposedly, at this time a 20 year old man ap-

proached the gate saying he was there to "take admission"

at the school. One of the students noticed a detonator

(bomb) on the man's vest. Aitzaz's classmates ran inside

while Aitzaz confronted the suicide bomber. The fearless

and courageous Aitzaz ran up to him and gripped him so

tight that the terrorist couldn’t get out of his grip. They

were fighting for hours until the terrorist then detonated

his vest, letting the bomb explode.

Aitzaz Hasan died on January 7, 2014. For his act the of-

fice of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has advised

President Mamnoon Husain to confer Aitzaz Hasan with

the high civil award of Sitara-e-Shujaat (Star of Bravery).

He was named as the Herald’s Person of the Year for

2014. On January 12 the International Human Rights

Commission (IHRC) bestowed a global bravery award on

Hasan. Also a movie named Salute was released to trib-

ute him.

Many people might not even heard of him, which is ex-

plaining the point on why people should see that there are

heroes all over the world, and that they should appreciate

their heroic actions.

Junior Municipal Alliance: Academic Auction

By Lena Uzelac

On April 18, 2017 students took over the school. Well, some of them at least. Teaming up with teachers, students who won the Junior Municipal Alliance’s Academic Auction, had the oppor-tunity to educate their peers. The best part of all--these student-teachers Didn’t. Have. To. Go. To. Class. “We bought food with the money we got and gave them to families in need,” says Mrs. Strippoli. She and Ms. Porter hosted this event. “Student Council is all about trying to help the community,” she reports. “As well as the Academic Auction, Student Council also raised money and bought Shoprite gift cards to people who need it,” Ms. Strippoli adds. “It was a lot of fun watching the students teach the class.” Students that won the event include: Sophia Colacino, Ali Stefaneli, Travis Kane, Nick Iacovo, Nadia Naples, Deanna Stancato, Lily Zamora, Grace Szczawnski, Bianca Ionescu, Kristina Phan, Emma Seber, Aiden Corage, Sofia Corage, Joe Oldroyd, Mia Barone, Sean Wall, Tommy Bar-one, and Ashley Llerena. As superintendent, Sophia Colacino excused an extra day from school for Memorial Day to enjoy a nice, 4-day weekend. Even though going through stacks… and stacks… and stacks… of papers, she had lots of fun being a superintendent. But what about our teachers? With Ashley Llerena as our gym teacher, the class was much more intent on playing the game she and Ms. Porter had in stock. Ashley seemed to have the most fun blowing the whistle, especially when the students immediately turned and listened. Nick Iacovo seemed like he was born to teach fifth and sixth grade social studies. Being Mr. Simmons, Nick says, “I most enjoyed running the class on my own and just meeting all the fifth graders.” Even the teachers had tons of fun keeping track of the number of people that wanted to teach their class.“I was really excited to see how many students wanted to be me for the day,” says Ms. Porter. All the student teachers had a blast being teachers, getting to lead clas-ses and having people pay attention to them. The donuts, cupcakes, and other treats were definitely enjoyed by all!

The Hornet Highl ights Page 17

F E A T U R E S

Endangered Species By Jonathan Murray

There are many endangered animals that have a bright future but because of humans their lives are being destroyed. If we don't stop this now then they might all die out from their health or from us killing them and putting them down only for their skin, beauty, or tusks.

Some endangered animals are the tiger, elephant, sea leopard and parrot. These animals need our help with surviving their own lives. There are some animals that you might not even know they exist because there dying out because of our harsh ways of killing them. Another reason is because if we destroy the predator's life then the animals that they eat can increase in population, which can destroy the animal life cycle.

If you want help the animals in danger then you can donate money to a charity for endangered animals. We all have the responsibility to keep our world's wildlife together and stay healthy. To secure homes for the animals we should stop throw-ing garbage in the sea and forest. You can also provide habitat for wildlife by planting native vegetation in your yard. Native plants provide food and shelter for native wildlife. Attracting native insects like bees and butterflies can help pollinate your plants. With tons of hard work and dedication together we can help to save these endangered animals from going extinct and maybe even save and repopulate all endangered species.

How does your childhood affect your independence?

By Ashley Ruffilli

Have you ever taken the time, and have thought about how your child-hood would affect your adulthood? Or even how your childhood experi-ences may affect your everyday life as an adult? Childhood is a very important factor that can and most definitely will affect your life. Even just a small aspect of your life as a child can have a huge impact on many things, including your future success. For exam-ple, something as minor as parents choosing their children’s clothing can impact their child’s future independence. As a middle-schooler, most likely, no one’s parents pick out their clothes anymore, but what about other things? If your parents still pack your lunch, choose your sports and choose what types of friends you have, that means you may be more likely to have everyone else make your decisions and less likely to be able to make your own. “I believe that for my age, I am very independent. Although I have to depend on my mother for food, a roof over my head and clothes, I still believe that I am in an okay spot for my age. For example, I do my own laundry and help cook dinner most nights,” says 8th grader, Ayesha Adnan. Your childhood is like a “pre-life” of your adult life. Ayesha continues, “Once your turn a specific age in your life, you are most likely to know what to do without your parents telling you to do it.” As we all that our early experience likely to affect all of our certain extent. As developmental and child psychologist, Jean Piaget once said, “When you teach a child something you take away forever his chance of discovering it for himself.” Let this article be a mentor of that you can do in your life, to become more independent as an adult.

Summer Fun! By Veronica Hofmann Summer is coming up fast, so get your bathing suit and sun-glasses ready. Take a dip in the pool and cool off for the two and a half months you are free. Free from homework, tests, and waking up early. Here are some recommendations for places to go that are not too far.

Jersey Shore ($)

Liberty Science Center ($)

Six Flags Great Adventure ($)

Hershey Park/Kalahari ($)

Verona Park/ Cedar Grove Park

Turtle Back Zoo ($)

Statue of Liberty ($)

Sugar Factory NYC ($)

Central Park NYC Key: $ = it costs money

Summer is a great time to relax and watch a movie. Here are some recommendations.

Live Action Beauty and the Beast

Trolls

Moana

The Outsiders

The Giver

Bridge To Terabithia

Boss Baby

A Dog’s Purpose

Have a great summer everyone!

Page 18 Litt le Fal l s School No. 1

Animal Antics

Lions, Tigers, and...Ligers? Oh, my!

By Kayla Johnson

Have you ever heard of a liger? A liger

is a cross between a male lion and a

female tiger. A liger, if you don’t already

know, is a hybrid. A hybrid is a mix of

two animals in one.

The population of ligers is very low. Ligers are mainly found in

zoos. The fact that ligers are so rare, means whenever they are

born in zoos, the zookeepers take extra care of them before the

liger can meet its parents.

If you want to see ligers in real life, you could go to D&D Farm

Animal Sanctuary in Missouri and Jungle Island in Florida, to name

a few places. Although these places might seem far, and you

might not want to travel, it definitely would be worth the visit!

More facts about a liger:

Ligers grow to be the biggest cats in the world. One, named

Hercules, actually made the Guinness World Records Book

for weighing 922 pounds!

The mouth of a full grown liger is as big as a man’s shoulder.

Similar to the liger, there is another hybrid cat, called the

tigon. The tigon is a cross between a male tiger and a female

lion.

F U N S T U F F

Review of the game, For Honor

By Jay Gianduso

If you’re, looking for a fast-paced, attack based, faction war game, “For Honor” is perfect for you. Ubisoft’s newest game was set for release on February fourteenth, 2017 and has already received much praise from the gaming community. Any person that has played games that include domination type game modes or even just team-based skir-mishes would enjoy the online portion of this game. You could learn to work together with your friends and your teammates to beat your enemies in hand on hand combat. The online multiplayer of the game features three main factions that you can choose from. Knights, Vikings, and Samurais. After choosing your faction you can fight other players online. When playing multiplayer in each game you get to choose what character you want to play as. For all three factions, there are four clas-ses. “I like how when you choose a character it doesn't matter your faction, you can choose anyone. You can be a Knight Viking or Samurai without even being part of the faction!” says School one student Aidan Timms. Each of these players has their own playstyle and work differently. Overall it is like many other attack based games in multiplayer. Want to learn about all of the characters? Or maybe you just love games for the campaign? You’ll wan t to check out the story mode. In story mode, you play three main missions (with multiple submissions inside) where you get to learn the story of the game and get to try out all the characters. From doing the story mode you can unlock special character customization objects for your characters in the online mul-tiplayer. Once you play, you won’t want to put the controller down.

By Giulia Mannino and Nadia Naples

Chances are if you have a smartphone, computer, television, or tablet, you probably have watched YouTube or Netflix. Watching YouTube and Netflix is a popular pastime for all ages. “I like to watch Netflix because it has good shows and when I'm done with one episode I can just go straight to the next,” says 6th grader, Malak Elshamma. With a Netflix account, you can stream movies and TV shows. Netflix has channels for children, teens and adults. Once you choose a show or movie, Netflix will suggest another movie/show you might also like to watch relating to the show or movie you just finished watching. With YouTube, you could watch famous people make funny videos, DIYS, listen to music and more! One new popular thing to do on YouTube is to watch vlogs. A vlog is the shorthand way of saying “video blog.” In a vlog, a YouTuber records events from their everyday lives or special occasions like Coachella, Fashion Week, holidays, birthdays etc. Some favorite YouTubers are: Jake Paul, Lauren Gray, Baby Ariel, Bethany Mota , and Arii. “I like vlogs because I can stay updated on famous YouTubers’ lives,” Malak continues. Netflix used to be the top app on the app store, but now YouTube is making its way up to be the #1 best app. Which one do you prefer?

The Hornet Highl ights Page 19

F U N S T U F F

School Spirit Cupcakes

By Mia Barone

Have you been craving a delicious spring cupcake? Well these bee cupcakes will be perfect for you. There’s a plain delicious choco-

late cake and then a yellow icing. Then, to go along with our school spirit there are the letters “LF” on top of the cake. This cupcake

is perfect for spring, and will blow your friends away!

Ingredients for the cake

1/2 cup butter, softened

1-1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup water

Ingredients for the icing

cup unsalted butter, softened

3 1⁄2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1⁄8 teaspoon salt

Clues

This teacher plays the oboe.

This teacher shares his last name with a popular

soup brand.

This teacher danced at the Spring 7th and 8th

grade dance.

This teacher tries to get his students interested in

stocks.

He is the principal of our school.

This teacher usually participates in the

Thanksgiving turkey run.

This teacher helps publish the school newspaper.

Her last name rhymes with mud.

She dressed up as a hornet on the first day of this

school year.

This teacher has a dog that he calls “Monkey.”

Directions for cake

The first step to make this amazing cupcake is to preheat your oven to 375

degrees. Then get a big bowl and add the cream, butter and sugar into it

and mix them together until light and fluffy. One at a time, add the eggs to

the mixture and while adding them, beat in the vanilla. Then in a separate

bowl combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. After that get a small-

er bowl and add the buttermilk and the water. Finally, add the dry ingredi-

ents to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk and water, beat-

ing well after each addition. Fill your muffin cups about 2/3s full and bake

your cupcakes for 15 to 20 mins. To make sure your cupcakes are cooked

you can put a toothpick through them and see if any cake comes off. If not

then they are ready.

Directions for the icing

Combine butter, sugar and salt, then beat them together. After, that add the milk

and vanilla and beat them all together until it is fluffy.

Directions to make the “LF”

Put the candy on the cupcake and shape it into the “L” and then the “F.” I recom-

mend using a green or yellow candies because those are our school colors.

Word Search

By Thomas Kobylarz and Christianna Pagano

Visiting The Wild! By Noure Allan

Can you try to guess what animal I am?

My life span is 20 years.

You can mostly find me in Eastern Australia.

I live on a tree branches.

I eat eucalyptus leaves.

I am mostly grey but I can be brown.

You might think I am one type of

animal, but I am not. I am a marsupial.

Lots of people cut down my home.

I am mostly nocturnal.

This animal is a ________ !

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F U N S T U F F

Spot the difference Illustrated by Melike Koch and Hailey Rivera

Can you spot the differences between these two photos?

Advertise your local

business in the Hornet

Highlights! Please

contact the advisor.