June 2013 Issue
News Page
News Page
5th Grade 2013 Issue
Late Starts
5th Grade 2013 Issue
Good to Know
Every Wednesday, MBMS has Late Start days that give students a chance to sleep in until 9 AM, when the late bell rings. The purpose of these days is for teachers to get extra iPad training, coordinate with others in their department or grade level, and hold other meetings.
Late Starts are a great opportunity for students to get an extra hour of sleep, finish up homework from the previous night, or go out to breakfast with friends and family. If students want to come in earlier, the school offers Study Hut tutoring, Teen Center activities, and quiet rooms to chat or study.
These days benefit both students and teachers.
Good to Know
Every Wednesday, MBMS has Late Start days that give students a chance to sleep in until 9 AM, when the late bell rings. The purpose of these days is for teachers to get extra iPad training, coordinate with others in their department or grade level, and hold other meetings.
Late Starts are a great opportunity for students to get an extra hour of sleep, finish up homework from the previous night, or go out to breakfast with friends and family. If students want to come in earlier, the school offers Study Hut tutoring, Teen Center activities, and quiet rooms to chat or study.
These days benefit both students and teachers.
May 2013 Issue
CST (California State Testing)
May 2013 Issue
News Page
From Thursday, May 16 to Tuesday, May 21, MBMS had the California State Tests (CSTs). On these four days of testing, all students had minimum days and were let out at 12:40.
All grades are tested on Math and English. Eighth graders also had additional science and history tests. The science test covered material from just the eighth grade curriculum, while the history test contained questions from all three years of middle school.
During the first two days, electronic devices were prohibited on campus. Phones were allowed but had to be turned off and given to their instructor before the test started. On Monday and Tuesday, though, sixth and seventh graders were instructed to bring iPads in order to help with their separate district writing test.
Students were given two blocks of testing time, each containing 110 minutes with a 30 minute brunch in between them. When students finished their section of the test, they had the choice of doing a quiet activity such as reading or drawing.
MBMS’s test scores are highly ranked and have increased every year. Last year, an average of 71% of all students ranked advanced in all subjects. Teachers and students hope to increase their scores even more this year.
News Page
From Thursday, May 16 to Tuesday, May 21, MBMS had the California State Tests (CSTs). On these four days of testing, all students had minimum days and were let out at 12:40.
All grades are tested on Math and English. Eighth graders also had additional science and history tests. The science test covered material from just the eighth grade curriculum, while the history test contained questions from all three years of middle school.
During the first two days, electronic devices were prohibited on campus. Phones were allowed but had to be turned off and given to their instructor before the test started. On Monday and Tuesday, though, sixth and seventh graders were instructed to bring iPads in order to help with their separate district writing test.
Students were given two blocks of testing time, each containing 110 minutes with a 30 minute brunch in between them. When students finished their section of the test, they had the choice of doing a quiet activity such as reading or drawing.
MBMS’s test scores are highly ranked and have increased every year. Last year, an average of 71% of all students ranked advanced in all subjects. Teachers and students hope to increase their scores even more this year.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
May 2013 Issue
Center On October 12, 2012, Stephen Chbosky’s best-selling novel, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”, was brought to life in movie theaters across the nation. Starring Logan Lerman as Charlie, Emma Watson as Sam, Ezra Miller as Patrick, this touching, coming-of-age movie “captures the dizzying highs and crushing lows of growing up,” as said by rottentomatoes.com. The book is a heartfelt epistolary, a novel formatted in a series of letters, written from the perspective of Charlie, an extremely intelligent and thoughtful but unusual freshman. Taking place in Pittsburgh in the early 1990s, Charlie is about to begin high school when his only friend commits suicide, leaving him alone in a world he doesn’t understand. On his first day, Charlie befriends Bill, his advanced English teacher, who aids him throughout the year by giving him advice. Later, he also meets seniors Sam and her stepbrother Patrick. Together, they conquer the hardships of high school and create many lasting memories. Over the course of the book, Charlie recalls of how his Aunt Helen abused him before she died in a traumatic car crash on Charlie’s seventh birthday. With his new friends, Charlie starts to overcome his depression, and he begins to connect more with other people. Patrick tells him that he’s “a wallflower. You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand.” The movie is mostly similar to the book. The few changes, big and small, are understandable, because they help the viewer understand the characters better. In an interview regarding the meaning of the book, Stephen Chbosky said, “…what I wanted to give through the book, through the movie, and through certain lines like: ‘We accept the love we think we deserve,’ I wanted to give people a little blueprint about how you can face these things that trouble you. And how you can make friends and have a great life.” |
April Fool's 2013 Issue
Separate Directions
April Fools' 2013 Issue
News Page
The international superstar British-Irish boy band One Direction are going in their separate directions. After almost three years, members Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, and Zayn Malik decided to call it quits after their world tour finishes up in order to pursue other career options.
On March 22, 2013, after their concert in Birmingham, England, the band held a press conference with their publicist in which they announced the big news. “We wished this day would never come,” said Liam, “but we just can’t continue doing this. This business is bringing us a lot of problems, emotionally and physically. It’s really straining and we’d just like to try to have a normal life.”
“We plan on remaining close friends,” added Niall.
“And we thank all our fans for supporting us in this difficult decision,” said Zayn.
Louis plans to follow up on his passion for teaching drama and the arts. Harry is applying for the advanced arts program at Bristol University, while Zayn is applying to Oxford as an English major. Niall will play guitar for his long time inspiration, Michael Buble. Finally, Liam aspires to continue his career in the music industry as a solo artist.
Fans everywhere wish them luck on their separate journeys. “We couldn’t have gotten here without you,” Louis tweeted. “Thanks for an amazing couple of years.”
News Page
The international superstar British-Irish boy band One Direction are going in their separate directions. After almost three years, members Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, and Zayn Malik decided to call it quits after their world tour finishes up in order to pursue other career options.
On March 22, 2013, after their concert in Birmingham, England, the band held a press conference with their publicist in which they announced the big news. “We wished this day would never come,” said Liam, “but we just can’t continue doing this. This business is bringing us a lot of problems, emotionally and physically. It’s really straining and we’d just like to try to have a normal life.”
“We plan on remaining close friends,” added Niall.
“And we thank all our fans for supporting us in this difficult decision,” said Zayn.
Louis plans to follow up on his passion for teaching drama and the arts. Harry is applying for the advanced arts program at Bristol University, while Zayn is applying to Oxford as an English major. Niall will play guitar for his long time inspiration, Michael Buble. Finally, Liam aspires to continue his career in the music industry as a solo artist.
Fans everywhere wish them luck on their separate journeys. “We couldn’t have gotten here without you,” Louis tweeted. “Thanks for an amazing couple of years.”
March 2013 Issue
February 2013 Issue
Awkward TruthFebruary 2013 Issue
Opinions Page What You Did This Valentine’s Day: 1. Actually spent it with that special someone. 2. Hung out with friends because true love is too mainstream. 3. Sent yourself a caregram. Signed it “Your Secret Admirer.” 4. Sat down with a tub of Ben and Jerry’s and watched “The Notebook”. Again. And again. And again. 5. Got some eye candy. (Channing Tatum, Logan Lerman, Kate Upton, Megan Fox. You know the drill.) 6. Tagged along with your friend and her significant other and was a third wheel. 7. Channeled your inner Regina George and made a burn book. (If you don’t know what we mean, look it up.) 8. Spent some quality time with those adorable cats on YouTube. 9. Took it to Instagram. #foreveralone 10. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. |
Citizen of the Year - Laura SheckterFebruary 2013 Issue
Features Page Eighth grader Laura Sheckter, was announced Citizen of the Year at the Manhattan Beach City Council meeting on Tuesday, February 5th. She was given an award on behalf of the Mayor of Manhattan Beach, Mr. Wayne Powell, and congratulated with a speech from the MBMS principal, Mr. Jackson. Laura earned this prestigious award by being involved with school and city activities. She currently holds a leadership role in ASB, participates in many community service events, volunteers at the National Charity League, and goes out of her way to demonstrate acts of kindness around campus. Teachers nominate outstanding students for this award every year. From this narrowed selection of students, teachers then vote at a meeting for a winner who they feel is the most qualified for this award. “I’m really honored that I was voted for Citizen of the Year of MBMS,” Laura says. She has displayed the qualities of a role model for younger citizens and hopes to spread kindness throughout the community. |
January 2013 Issue
Who Took Home The Gold?
January 2013 Issue
News Page
On January 13th, world renowned actors and actresses gathered at the Beverly Hilton Hotel for the 70th annual Golden Globes, hosted by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. This award ceremony recognizes achievements in 25 categories of motion pictures and television production.
In 1944, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association held its first luncheon to award Hollywood's finest productions. This small event successfully evolved each year, constantly changing venues and growing in popularity among the public. The Golden Globes is currently ranked as the third most viewed awards ceremony and is broadcasted to a total of 167 countries worldwide.
This year's Golden Globes held many memorable events including comical introductory antics of several celebrities, Jodie Foster's heartfelt acceptance speech, President Clinton making a special appearance to introduce “Lincoln”, “Les Misérables” winning three nominations, “Argo” taking home two globes, and the television series “Homeland” receiving two awards. Actors and actresses like Jennifer Lawrence, Christoph Waltz, Jessica Chastain, Adele, Hugh Jackman, Ben Affleck, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Anne Hathaway were awarded for their phenomenal roles in movie and television production. “Argo” won Best Drama and “Les Misérables” won Best Motion Picture for a comedy or musical, the top two most prestigious awards of the Golden Globes.
News Page
On January 13th, world renowned actors and actresses gathered at the Beverly Hilton Hotel for the 70th annual Golden Globes, hosted by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. This award ceremony recognizes achievements in 25 categories of motion pictures and television production.
In 1944, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association held its first luncheon to award Hollywood's finest productions. This small event successfully evolved each year, constantly changing venues and growing in popularity among the public. The Golden Globes is currently ranked as the third most viewed awards ceremony and is broadcasted to a total of 167 countries worldwide.
This year's Golden Globes held many memorable events including comical introductory antics of several celebrities, Jodie Foster's heartfelt acceptance speech, President Clinton making a special appearance to introduce “Lincoln”, “Les Misérables” winning three nominations, “Argo” taking home two globes, and the television series “Homeland” receiving two awards. Actors and actresses like Jennifer Lawrence, Christoph Waltz, Jessica Chastain, Adele, Hugh Jackman, Ben Affleck, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Anne Hathaway were awarded for their phenomenal roles in movie and television production. “Argo” won Best Drama and “Les Misérables” won Best Motion Picture for a comedy or musical, the top two most prestigious awards of the Golden Globes.
December 2012 Issue
Lace Up Your Cleats - School TryoutsDecember 2012 Issue
Sports Page Manhattan Beach Middle School held tryouts for soccer and basketball teams on November 20th-22nd and November 27th-29th. A group of devoted teachers spent numerous hours choosing select individuals to join the school’s athletic teams for the winter season. There are two teams for boys’ basketball, the A Team and the B Team. Girls’ basketball is also divided into these two teams. Unlike basketball, both boys and girls soccer does not have two teams. “The tryouts are really competitive, but fun,” said eighth grader Emily Seth, who tried out for soccer. Handfuls of students from various grades attended the tryouts and strived to do their best to amaze the coaches. “It’s too bad we couldn’t take everyone that tried out, because everyone seemed to be very talented! It made choosing the teams very challenging.” Ms. Luke, coach of the girls’ B basketball team, stated. Mr. Naves, coach of the boys’ B basketball team, commented, “It was extremely difficult to finalize the roster.” He also thanked and congratulated students on the results which were posted on Edmodo. “The upcoming season will be great… We’re hoping to have a winning season and to act as role models for our school!” predicted Ms. Luke. Students and teachers among the school are looking forward to have a great winter season! |
Who Made The Team:December 2012 Issue
Sports Page cont. |
November 2012 Issue
Rockin' With Frosty
November 2012 Issue
News Page
On November 28th and 29th, band and orchestra students came to MBMS to spread holiday cheer through music. The middle school’s gym was illuminated with festive winter decorations while students played their instruments in harmonious unison.
Parents, family members, and friends gathered on the bleachers to watch their loved ones. “I think it is fun to perform something you’ve worked so hard on.” Symphonic Band member, Matt Dumont says. He describes the list of songs as festive and happy.
The band and orchestra Winter Concert is a great opportunity to perform music that students have strived to play to perfection.
News Page
On November 28th and 29th, band and orchestra students came to MBMS to spread holiday cheer through music. The middle school’s gym was illuminated with festive winter decorations while students played their instruments in harmonious unison.
Parents, family members, and friends gathered on the bleachers to watch their loved ones. “I think it is fun to perform something you’ve worked so hard on.” Symphonic Band member, Matt Dumont says. He describes the list of songs as festive and happy.
The band and orchestra Winter Concert is a great opportunity to perform music that students have strived to play to perfection.
October 2012 Issue
Think Pink and Save A Life
Every October since 1985, a countless number of national public service organizations, professional medical associations, devoted activists, and government agencies are brought together to promote breast cancer awareness, share information, and provide greater access to services.
Companies sell products dedicated to breast cancer awareness and foundations hold various walks and races throughout the year. The profits are donated to breast cancer research organizations. Celebrity singers like Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Fergie, and Pink also help the cause by donating money and performing at charity concerts.
Breast cancer is caused by the buildup of cancer cells in the tissues of the breast. These form into tumors that eventually grow and spread to other organs rapidly including bones, lungs, the liver, or the brain, leading to death. Breast cancer is proven to be the most common cancer, besides skin cancer, and is the leading cause of death of middle age women. Studies show that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and every 14 minutes a life is lost to breast cancer.
Companies sell products dedicated to breast cancer awareness and foundations hold various walks and races throughout the year. The profits are donated to breast cancer research organizations. Celebrity singers like Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Fergie, and Pink also help the cause by donating money and performing at charity concerts.
Breast cancer is caused by the buildup of cancer cells in the tissues of the breast. These form into tumors that eventually grow and spread to other organs rapidly including bones, lungs, the liver, or the brain, leading to death. Breast cancer is proven to be the most common cancer, besides skin cancer, and is the leading cause of death of middle age women. Studies show that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and every 14 minutes a life is lost to breast cancer.