Around the School
New Chromebooks in science classes
By Lananh Tran
This year our science teachers are using Chromebooks and Discovery Education online for instruction. Recently I had a chance to interview Mrs. Vollono, a sixth grade science teacher in cluster 8 about using the new Chromebooks in her class.
Q. What do you think about the new Chromebooks? Are they useful? What do you use them for?
A. “I love them. They’re very useful. I do a lot of notetaking. We do interactive simulations, videos, daily do-nows, quizzes, and we’re always finding new uses. They have textbooks online.”
Q. How often do you use them?
A. “Daily”
Q. Do you think the students prefer using Chromebooks over traditional learning?
A. “I think that they enjoy it for now because it’s a novelty. In the past, when we just got Smartboards, it was a big deal. Now it’s not.”
Q. What do you prefer to teach, with Chromebooks or without?
A. “I enjoy having Chromebooks a lot.”
Q. How does technology affect the way you conduct your classes?
A. “I have to be considerate of who has access to internet at home. We’re able to do a lot more with multimedia. There are interactive labs online.”
Q. Have there been any problems concerning the Chromebooks?
A. “When we don’t have power and internet, it is difficult. Keeping students on task is a different challenge.”
Q. What is do you dislike about the Chromebooks?
A. “There’s still more I’d like to do, not all programs are there. Our technology integration specialists assist us and tell us about new programs. Props to them!”
This year our science teachers are using Chromebooks and Discovery Education online for instruction. Recently I had a chance to interview Mrs. Vollono, a sixth grade science teacher in cluster 8 about using the new Chromebooks in her class.
Q. What do you think about the new Chromebooks? Are they useful? What do you use them for?
A. “I love them. They’re very useful. I do a lot of notetaking. We do interactive simulations, videos, daily do-nows, quizzes, and we’re always finding new uses. They have textbooks online.”
Q. How often do you use them?
A. “Daily”
Q. Do you think the students prefer using Chromebooks over traditional learning?
A. “I think that they enjoy it for now because it’s a novelty. In the past, when we just got Smartboards, it was a big deal. Now it’s not.”
Q. What do you prefer to teach, with Chromebooks or without?
A. “I enjoy having Chromebooks a lot.”
Q. How does technology affect the way you conduct your classes?
A. “I have to be considerate of who has access to internet at home. We’re able to do a lot more with multimedia. There are interactive labs online.”
Q. Have there been any problems concerning the Chromebooks?
A. “When we don’t have power and internet, it is difficult. Keeping students on task is a different challenge.”
Q. What is do you dislike about the Chromebooks?
A. “There’s still more I’d like to do, not all programs are there. Our technology integration specialists assist us and tell us about new programs. Props to them!”
Fun on the field
By Avery Smith and Isabelle Smith
This year’s WMS Fun on the Field events have been so much fun! They were held on October 1st and November 18th. The rewards were open to students who were well behaved and did not get an office referral. The rewards were open to students in all three grades, however, each grade got its own separate time on the field. We all could agree that fun on the field was a great opportunity to spend time old friends and, but also a time to make new ones.
Some of the games that students could play or do were soccer, volleyball, or even football. Students could also dance all afternoon long to the radio playing over the sound system, they could just sit on the bleachers and hang out, or you could have use the time to get some fresh air and be really, really, crazy!
Some students just stayed with their homerooms or teachers, but many wanted to hang out with friends. So remember to stay referral free and you too can make a future Fun on the Field event.
This year’s WMS Fun on the Field events have been so much fun! They were held on October 1st and November 18th. The rewards were open to students who were well behaved and did not get an office referral. The rewards were open to students in all three grades, however, each grade got its own separate time on the field. We all could agree that fun on the field was a great opportunity to spend time old friends and, but also a time to make new ones.
Some of the games that students could play or do were soccer, volleyball, or even football. Students could also dance all afternoon long to the radio playing over the sound system, they could just sit on the bleachers and hang out, or you could have use the time to get some fresh air and be really, really, crazy!
Some students just stayed with their homerooms or teachers, but many wanted to hang out with friends. So remember to stay referral free and you too can make a future Fun on the Field event.
Sing a song with Mrs. Zak
By Carriana Sperry
For those of you who do not know Mrs. Zak, our chorus teacher at WMS, I have interviewed her so you can learn more. Even if you already know her, you may still learn something new about our amazing chorus teacher. Here are some things about the spectacular Mrs. Zak you may not have known.
Q: What made you want to become a music teacher?
A: I have wanted to become a music teacher since 3rd grade. My third grade elementary music teacher Ms. Kurtis- at time she is now Mrs. Highlamen- encouraged me to become a better musician. She encouraged me to take the flute and she encouraged me to sing solos in class. She really brought up my self esteem in the music world. And since then I have been loving music. I had a lot of teachers in middle school that were big influences in my life. They also pushed me to make me become a better musician. I think I have known since elementary school that this is what I was destined to do.
Q: When did you develop a love for music?
A: I think we all develop a love for music when we are babies. My mom and dad would sing for me all the time. My father has a really deep, dark bass voice. He would sing to me in Russian to put me asleep when I was young. So since then I’ve always been sung to or you know, sung with. Something funny is that my grandparents lived out of state when I was growing up. We would make them a family music tape for Christmas every year. So it would be me playing the piano, my brother playing the clarinet, and my sister played something, but I don’t remember. We were all singers, all of us. So music has been in my life since day one.
Q: What process did you go through to become a music teacher?
A: I took private lessons all the way from middle school to high school on piano and additionally I took voice also. Growing up in New York I sang in state competitions and performed in numerous regional competitions for piano. Then I went to a community college for music. My first two years I got a full scholarship and I took a lot of classes. It takes a lot to get your music degree. I continued my piano and my voice lessons. Then I finished off with my masters degree. So it was six years of schooling from undergraduate to graduate. I still go to school for music activities today to get new ideas.
For those of you who do not know Mrs. Zak, our chorus teacher at WMS, I have interviewed her so you can learn more. Even if you already know her, you may still learn something new about our amazing chorus teacher. Here are some things about the spectacular Mrs. Zak you may not have known.
Q: What made you want to become a music teacher?
A: I have wanted to become a music teacher since 3rd grade. My third grade elementary music teacher Ms. Kurtis- at time she is now Mrs. Highlamen- encouraged me to become a better musician. She encouraged me to take the flute and she encouraged me to sing solos in class. She really brought up my self esteem in the music world. And since then I have been loving music. I had a lot of teachers in middle school that were big influences in my life. They also pushed me to make me become a better musician. I think I have known since elementary school that this is what I was destined to do.
Q: When did you develop a love for music?
A: I think we all develop a love for music when we are babies. My mom and dad would sing for me all the time. My father has a really deep, dark bass voice. He would sing to me in Russian to put me asleep when I was young. So since then I’ve always been sung to or you know, sung with. Something funny is that my grandparents lived out of state when I was growing up. We would make them a family music tape for Christmas every year. So it would be me playing the piano, my brother playing the clarinet, and my sister played something, but I don’t remember. We were all singers, all of us. So music has been in my life since day one.
Q: What process did you go through to become a music teacher?
A: I took private lessons all the way from middle school to high school on piano and additionally I took voice also. Growing up in New York I sang in state competitions and performed in numerous regional competitions for piano. Then I went to a community college for music. My first two years I got a full scholarship and I took a lot of classes. It takes a lot to get your music degree. I continued my piano and my voice lessons. Then I finished off with my masters degree. So it was six years of schooling from undergraduate to graduate. I still go to school for music activities today to get new ideas.
Making music with Mrs. Mendes
Mrs. Mendes is our orchestra/guitar teacher and Drama Club director. For those of you who don’t know her, or even those who may already know her, this interview may help you learn about this wonderful teacher.
Q. What made you want to become a music teacher?
A. When I was in high school I had a music teacher that I absolutely loved. His name was Mr. Congo. He inspired me to want to become a music teacher because he yelled a lot, he was a great teacher, he taught me a lot of things and was just a really amazing man.
Q. When did you develop a love for music?
A. I started playing saxophone when I was in fourth grade and so I started there but I didn’t really, really get into music until high school. I joined a drama club when I was a freshmen and I started taking voice lessons. I got to go see Beauty and The Beast on Broadway. That is when I knew right away that is what I wanted to do. I started taking singing and taking voice lessons and auditioning for shows. So that is when I really got into music.
Q. What process did you go through to become a music teacher?
A. First I had to go to college. I went to Western Connecticut state University. I enrolled as a voice major. When you go to college for music you have to take method classes which means you take a bit of lessons on every instrument. When you become a music teacher, you are certified to teach k-12 grade and you have to be able to teach any kind of music. So even though I was a voice major, I am now teaching guitar and orchestra. You have to be prepared for anything. So you take a lot of classes on different instruments and join a lot of ensembles. I was in Opera, in chorus, and some theater. Basically you get as much experience as you can and do it all.
Q. What made you want to become a music teacher?
A. When I was in high school I had a music teacher that I absolutely loved. His name was Mr. Congo. He inspired me to want to become a music teacher because he yelled a lot, he was a great teacher, he taught me a lot of things and was just a really amazing man.
Q. When did you develop a love for music?
A. I started playing saxophone when I was in fourth grade and so I started there but I didn’t really, really get into music until high school. I joined a drama club when I was a freshmen and I started taking voice lessons. I got to go see Beauty and The Beast on Broadway. That is when I knew right away that is what I wanted to do. I started taking singing and taking voice lessons and auditioning for shows. So that is when I really got into music.
Q. What process did you go through to become a music teacher?
A. First I had to go to college. I went to Western Connecticut state University. I enrolled as a voice major. When you go to college for music you have to take method classes which means you take a bit of lessons on every instrument. When you become a music teacher, you are certified to teach k-12 grade and you have to be able to teach any kind of music. So even though I was a voice major, I am now teaching guitar and orchestra. You have to be prepared for anything. So you take a lot of classes on different instruments and join a lot of ensembles. I was in Opera, in chorus, and some theater. Basically you get as much experience as you can and do it all.