The Raven’s Wing

News and Happenings at YOUR School Written by YOUR Schoolmates!

Friday, December 23, 2016

An Opportunity Offered by our Band Director,Mr.Cooper

By Alexis T. and Jeremy M. The UMass Lowell New England Junior Youth Wind Ensemble is for students enrolled in grades six through nine who have played their instrument for at least one year. The UMass Lowell Department of Music offers this ensemble to meet the growing demand for a program for young instrumentalists. Similar to the very successful New England Youth Wind Ensemble, this new program (NEYWE Jr.) is under the baton of a conductor from the University's Department of Music, with additional instruction from college students majoring in music.

RMS is lucky enough to have 5 of our students participate in this exciting program. Thanks to the efforts of Band Director, Mr Cooper, students in grades 6-12 can participate. We were fortunate enough to interview Mr.Cooper,and discovered some interesting things about him.

When Mr.Cooper was in high school he organized and managed his own rock band that had 8 musicians in it. He loved rehearsing and creating music.That is what inspired him to become a music director. He has always been drawn to music. Mr.Cooper has been a band director for 7 years now. As far as he’s concerned you can never stop getting better,and you can improve in music everyday of your life. He is still getting better! A fun fact that we learned about him is that the first musical instrument he played was an alto saxophone.

Mr.Cooper inspired us to be in band since the 5th grade.The wonderful music that the High Schoolers played during their performance looked really exciting. It was then that I decided to play the flute,and Jeremy played the trumpet.It was hard,but with the help of Mr.Cooper and his talent,we became better and better.Now that we are in 6th grade there has been many new options.We could play a different instrument if we wanted to,but I stayed with the flute.I felt I had gotten really good at it, and wanted to continue. Jeremy stayed with his trumpet because he wanted to learn more about it. Thanks to Mr.Cooper we will have an amazing time playing our instruments.We are proud to have him as our enthusiastic band director. He has enabled us to continue our musical career.

Mr. Cooper conducts another great band performance!

Harry Potter Club Interview By Arianna Kula-Shultz, Alyson Archambault, Rosalie Casavant

“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light.” - Albus Dumbledore Ms. Luongo, lover of Harry Potter, and the teacher of the Harry Potter Club, let us interview her. She told us that during club time they nerd out about Harry Potter, make wands, and so much more. Her favorite character is Neville Longbottom, because he is an underdog. Her favorite house is Hufflepuff, as it is right next to the kitchen. Isn’t that funny? She also has read all of the books except for, “Quidditch Over the Ages”. Her favorite spell is “Accio”. She likes that spell because it makes objects come through the air. An example is when someone texts your phone and it is across the room, you don’t have to get up. You could say, “ACCIO PHONE”, and your phone would just come flying at you. Did you know that this is her first year doing the Harry Potter Club at this school, but she did the Harry Potter Club for 5 years at a different school. Ms. Luongo made this club for people that love Harry Potter, and to gossip with other people who love Harry Potter. So with all of this information, we have learned a lot about Harry Potter, Ms. Luongo, and her club. Next time you think magic...THINK HARRY POTTER!!!!

Mrs. Mallory

By Bella G.

It was a pleasure to interview Mrs. Mallory, one of our dedicated and talented instrumental teachers at RMS. Mrs. Mallory started playing her first instrument in third grade in elementary school. I asked her what her first instrument was and she responded “ the recorder”. At the end of her third grade school year her music teacher recommended she play an instrument in the fourth grade orchestra, so she did. The next year she played the violin in the fourth grade orchestra .

At the beginning of this school year, I started playing in the middle school orchestra. I wondered how she found a song to suit not only the difficulty, but the interest for all of sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. I asked Mrs. Mallory during the interview how she did it, she responded “ I look and look some more!”.

I had asked her when she began to want to become a music teacher. Mrs. Mallory said “ I had always wanted to be a teacher, but it wasn’t until high school that I knew I wanted to be a music teacher.”Mrs. Mallory has been teaching kids music for 27 years. You can imagine after all these years she has developed love for all different types of instruments, and she has, but when I asked her what her favorite instrument was she said” Violin, but I love them all!”. The violin was the second instrument she ever played, and it’s her favorite to this day.

There is a concert coming up this month, so I asked Mrs. Mallory what we should expect for this show. She told me” The 6th grade is playing a song called Ho Ho Hoedown, and the 7th and 8th grade are playing two songs called Midnight Tango and Sweet Petite Winter Suit! Mrs. Mallory is a hard working person that devotes her life into teaching kids the art of music. She loves her job and loves the kids she teaches it to.

Thank you Mrs. Mallory!

The Mystical Mystery Teacher

By : Alyson A. and Rosalie C.

CLUES 1. She is a female teacher 2. She teaches 7th grade

Q and A with the Mystery teacher

Q) What is your favorite color? A) Teal Blue Q.) What subject do you teach? A.) Math Q.) How long have you been teaching? A.) 11 Years Q.) What is your favorite season? A.) Summer Q.) What is your favorite holiday? A.) 4th of July Q.) What is your favorite sport to play? A.) Volleyball Q.) What is your favorite sport to watch? A.) Hockey Q.) What day is your late help? A.) Thursday Q.) What is your favorite movie? A.) Sleeping Beauty Q.) What is your favorite thing to teach? A.) Proportions Q.) What is your favorite animal? A.) Turtles Q.) What is your pet peeve? A.) When people use pen Q.) What is your favorite book? A.) Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Q.) What do you want for Christmas? A.) A 1-hour massage Q.) What would you teach if you couldn’t teach Math? A.) Art Q.) What is your favorite number? A.) 2 Fun Facts

● She doesn’t like coffee ● She loves New England sports teams ● She doesn’t like people writing on my whiteboard

******** Answer on back page ******** ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ms. Mallory and the orchestra always put on a great show!

DRACUT POLICE STATION

INTERVIEW By Richard Silvio & TJ Pimentel

On Thursday, October 13th, TJ Pimentel

and I went to the Dracut Police Station to conduct an interview. We were gathering information to understand how our local police station deals with situations. Upon entering, there was a front desk with glass around it, where the dispatcher sat. She invited us to have a seat while we waited for an interview with Officer Malandrino. We found him to be really interesting and easy to talk to.

The first question we asked was, “ How does it feel to be a police officer.” He responded by saying,” It feels good to serve the community I protect.” Next we asked, “How do you feel about the recent protests about police that have been going on in the U.S.” He said, “ It is a very delicate situation that should be handled carefully.” After that we asked, “ How do you feel about the fact that Dracut has 39 police officers?” He answered, “We have budget cuts, but it would be nice to have more officers.’’ After that, we asked, “ What would the DPD do in the event of a suspicious character at the Dracut Public Schools?” The answer was, “ We would send officers to check it out.” Our final question was, “Why does the Dracut Public Schools have only one officer?” He answered, “ It has a lot to do with the budget cuts”.

At this point, we requested, and were granted a tour of the station. First, Officer Malandrino took us down a long, cement hallway. It was very dim and cold. We went through about 3 iron doors, and then saw the holding cell area. It was all cement, no windows,with stone beds that came out of the wall. There was also one chrome toilet in each cell. They were very cold, as well as very depressing. This making us realize it's not a place we would want to stay at. We also saw a fence with impounded vehicles in it. There was a Sedan, an SUV, an ATV, as well as a whole collection of police cars.

Overall, the trip we had was a whole bunch of fun, while still being educational. TJ and I 100% recommend that whenever you have a chance, visit the Dracut Police Station!

Did You Know….Facts About Cats By Dominick Gomez-Aguayo

The relationship between humans and cats has been around for 10,000-12,000 years. You would expect us to know everything about cats, right? Well, that isn’t exactly true. House cats have been around for about 8,000 years.35% of America's houses have cats and people. The house cats we know came from Europe. Cats were worshiped by Egyptians, as gods and goddesses, as long as 5000 years ago. In Egypt if anyone killed a cat they would be sentenced to death. This is also the same timeframe that man domesticated the cat. The first cat made tame was the African Wildcat. The cat wasn't domesticated to make a pet or companion,however, it was domesticated by accident.

People in Egypt at that time consumed large amounts of grain, and they stored this grain in large storage rooms. Many rats would be drawn to these rooms to eat the grain and breed. The rats attracted cats, who would eat the rats, helping to eliminate Egypt's rodent problem. People recognized this fact and left food out for the cats to encourage them to "hang around". It worked. Many cats bred and lived happy lives in Egypt destroying the many rats.Today it is very common for families to have a cat.

Cats can hear sounds too faint or too high in frequency for human ears, such as those made by mice and other small animals. They can see in near darkness. Like most other mammals, cats have poor color vision and a better sense of smell than humans,Cats are often valued by humans for companionship and for their ability to hunt vermin. Now that you know the facts, you can decide if a cat might just be the perfect pet for you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sweet sounds of the RMS chorus are always a treat!

“The Goats and the Shepherd”

A tale written by Monica Coutu

Three goat brothers trampled through the forest. The oldest, Yami, stopped. His two younger brothers, Jack and Marki, skidded to a stop behind him. Yami chuckled and looked behind him, “ So, where shall we build our huts?” Marki and Jack exchanged glances. Jack then lifted his gaze up to Yami, “ How about the clifftop over there?” flicking his head towards a cliff. Marki’s little tail wagged with ecstasy, “ Can we Yami, please?” Yami nodded off towards the cliff, indicating it was okay. Marki pranced to the cliff, kicking his hind legs in the air every few goat leaps. Jack snickered, “ Don’t launch yourself off the cliff, Marki!” He then trotted over, head held high. Yami shook his head, “Let’s get some material for our huts.” Jack and Marki nodded in perfect sync and ran off.

Yami looked around, his ears erect. Something was stirring, but he couldn’t figure out what was off. Suddenly, Yami was falling. His hoof had caught on something, and he fell facedown in a puddle of mud. Jack cackled, “ How does it taste, Yami? Looks delish!” Jack then scooped up some mud with his horns. It trickled down his neck onto his back. Jack dashed off, murmuring under his breath towards the cliff. Yami picked himself up and looked where his hoof was caught. Long, thin birch branches lay scattered about. He unhooked his hoof, then picked up the branches with his horns. He glared at Marki’s position, “ Marki, hurry up! Get some materials before it’s too late to forage or build.” Marki nodded and looked away. He heard his brother clip-clop away, each step different than the last. He glanced around frantically, and then spotted some long grass. He chewed near the roots, and then with a bounce in his step, carried away a mouthful of grass.

As he watched from the bushes, the shepherd's mutt bit at his arm. He swung his arm back, smacking the dog in the muzzle. One of the goats looked his way and he ducked down even deeper. He then looked towards the mutt, whisper-yelling, “Go off and look around for a while. But, don’t wander too far or you shall be in the jaws of a bear.” The mutt yipped and darted off. The shepherd chuckled to himself. I am truly the smartest being in this forest, he thought to himself. The shepherd shifted ever so slightly as the goats built their huts.

Yami picked up the branches and laid them into a base. He snuck some mud from Jack and laid more sticks atop. Jack sculpted his hut with such ease. His hooves were caked in mud, his frame boiling hot. He stopped, nearly gagging on the air. “ Marki, how’s your hut going?” Marki glanced at Jack. He had started weaving, but it became more and more difficult. He had started intertwining the grass between rocks, praying it would hold, “ It’s going… well…” Marki then placed another stone atop of some grass. It looked good, but probably not sturdy.

Suddenly, the mutt charged at one of the goats. The shepherd cursed under his breath, and leaped out. The goats made a weird noise and scattered. The shepherd caught one, his eyes glowing brightly. Marki shrieked and bit the shepherd’s hand. Yami ran towards the shepherd, head down, horns aimed. He head-butted the shepherd in the leg, making him shriek. Jack bit his pant leg and shook his head like a dog. The mutt ran off , tail tucked between his legs. Jack ripped the leg off the shepherd’s pants. The shepherd dropped Marki, howling curses into the afternoon sun. He broke into a sprint through the forest. Yami charged once more. He rammed right into the shepherd’s back end, sending the shepherd sprawling on the forest floor. Yami snorted and turned back to his brothers. The shepherd collected himself and ran. “Baa, baa,” Jack and Marki bleated in glee. “ And never mess with my little brothers again!”

Yami had turned where the shepherd ran off. A trail of dust was where he was. The three brothers lived in peace from then on, rarely seeing the shepherd wandering the forest, because of course, he had gotten himself lost in the scuffle.

A Pie in the Face for a Good Cause!

The third annual Richardson Middle School Pie-in-the-Face fundraiser event took place on November 23. It was run by National Junior Honor Society members Aidan McCarthy and Jason Tyler. The event was donating all profits to the Jimmy Fund, a Boston based organization fighting against cancer. The event raised over $500! On December 28. Aidan and Jason planned to deliver the check to the Jimmy Fund. Thanks to all that participated and helped out!

Enthusiastic event planners Aidan McCarthy and Jason Tyler prepare the

ingredients!

A student cheers after nailing a teacher with a well-thrown pie!

A direct hit!

The pie is prepared and Mr. Ouellet looks uneasy…

Ms. Shepherd dares a sixth grader to try it…

Students Show Their Creative Side in Ms. Godin’s Art Class!!

Click here for some cell project animation courtesy of Ms. Godin and Mr. Mullin’s students!!

This month’s mystery teacher is: Ms. Verville