By Alexa Elias
This year we welcomed a new French teacher, Ms. Phara Dorleans to Mauro Sheridan. She teaches 5-8 grade and Pre k-3 about twice a week. Bonjour! She teaches about five classes a day at MASH. Before starting at MASH, she first was a teacher in New York and then she taught at King-Robinson before she came to MASH. “I like all my classes and all my students but I really love my 5th graders. They are very patient and love to learn,” said Ms. Dorleans. In her free time she likes to travel, garden, and to cook. She decided to teach in New Haven because she felt that she was in New York for a long time and wanted to experience something new, but not move too far from her family in New York. Her favorite part of teaching is sharing a new culture with her students. Welcome Ms. Dorleans! By Rehab Rajoui
Mayoral candidate Justin Elicker said he is running for mayor because he wants to make New Haven better. In an interview with the MASH news, Elicker answered questions about recent cuts to the school budgets. “It’s very hard to restore money. We had grants, but we used up all the money,” he said. “The teachers that work with students very often shouldn’t get laid off.” Justin Elicker is not lowering taxes because he wants to maintain city services! He wants everyone in New Haven to have a great trust in the New Haven police. Elicker wants students to support their teachers. “We have incredible schools and great restaurants but we can make New Haven better by investing in our schools and creating jobs,” Elicker said. “If I become mayor, I will give everyone my phone number.” (During his visit to MASH, he DID give us his cell phone number). In his recent visit to MASH, Elicker talked with students about his vision for the future. Specifically, he focused on how to improve the students’ education and better management of money in the school system. He said he believes that kids should have more recess and less standardized testing. He believes that kids should have more than 20 minutes of recess because he thinks it will calm the kids down because all their energy is spent. Elicker said he doesn’t think schools should eliminate teachers, librarians or guidance counselors, but instead eliminate central office positions. He takes a strong stand on bullying and mentioned that he was bullied as a high school student. He said that students should never be afraid to go to school. Elicker lives on Orange Street near East Rock Park. He and his wife have one car and one bike. He said “I think that this city is awesome because it has people of diverse religions, languages and cultures. I want everyone to say they love New Haven”. He doesn’t want to lower taxes because of the negative impact that would have on our schools and services. He wants the community to have more trust in the police department. Elicker had a great sense of humor. He said he was very happy to be tall so that nobody can see the bald spot on top of his head. One of his favorite things to do is balancing a chair on his chin! How many mayoral candidates do that? MASH news wishes Mr. Elicker best of luck in his campaign. By The Staff of the MASH News
“Cell phones are the biggest addiction in our culture,” says Kate Mitcheom, a mindfulness meditation teacher. “Mindfulness is being in the present moment. If you are on your phone, you are not present, like at the dinner table with your family. Instead of playing on your phone for hours, use it for five minutes then put it away. That’s better than being addicted and looking at it all the time.” Meditation can help you pay attention! And it will help you avoid cell phone addiction! The staff of the MASH news interviewed Ms. Mitcheom and we even meditated! We learned what meditation is, and the benefits of it. We sat quietly and focused on our breath for a few minutes. We liked the sound of the chimes at the end. Here’s what we learned. Ms. Mitcheom started meditating as a way to be a better mom and thought it would be helpful if she knew how to calm down a little bit.. “I was a nurse midwife delivering babies, I had three children myself and I realized I needed some more skills. I was sort of overwhelmed by work and raising a family. I decided to learn to practice meditation,” she said. It has good benefits for our health, including less depression, less anxiety, less pain, less high blood pressure and diabetes, she said. It takes lots of training. She went on silent retreats for up to 10 days. Students are meditating a lot these days they find that it helps students to concentrate more, to listen better, to be able to speak in a way so people understand what they want. It helps everyone calm themselves down. “When you’re not talking, the mind gets really quiet and you make space for anything that’s on your mind to come up. If you have a worry it comes up and you can see it and then it’s not so worrisome anymore; it doesn’t have the same power,” she said. Mindfulness is better than seeing friends when you want to get something off your mind. “Going out with friends is really important, but sometimes we use our friends to distract ourselves if something bad happens, whereas if you just felt bad for a few moments, it would be over with. We push things away that we don’t like. All emotions come and go pretty quickly,” Ms. Mitcheom said. It’s a hard thing to pay attention, but meditation can help! Spending even five minutes quietly focusing on your breath is helpful. By Stephon Green and Chaymae Makhmarat
Red shirt, blue shirt, khaki bottom. Check! And it’s time to get on the school bus! Here at Mauro- Sheridan we are a uniform school. Mauro-Sheridan has been a uniform school for a long time. Some students and teachers continue to support this rule, while others are opposed. The school wants 100% of people to wear uniforms but only 95-98% wear them, we estimate. Ms.Gallagher, an art and STEAM teacher, said” I think uniforms are good because it is stressful picking out clothes.” She said “I feel disappointed in the students who don’t wear their uniform.” Chasity Coleman, a fourth grader from Mrs.Bitterman’s room, said “I don't think kids should wear uniforms. We can’t express ourselves!” Jackson Murphy, a fourth grade student from Mrs.Bitterman’s classroom, said,“ I think it feels great because people won’t get bullied for what they wear. If some people wear fancy clothes and other people wear normal clothes, people may feel bad. This way, everyone wears the same thing and the students all feel equal.” Ms. Lank, a fourth grade teacher said uniforms can help students focus on academics and she said: “I feel proud of my students when they wear their uniforms because they don't focus on the latest fashions. But also, uniforms do not let students to be creative with their clothes.” Hayden Seixas-Escobar, “I don’t like them. Every year you grow up and you have to buy new sizes and it’s a waste of money.” Ms. West a teacher from 3rd grade said she likes the uniforms. “I like them because everybody is equal and everybody is comfortable.” Mrs. Pires is a science teacher said that uniforms are wonderful because it doesn't take a long time in the morning to get kids ready for what they need to wear. She said is frustrating when you don't know what to wear in the morning. What is your opinion on school uniforms? Let the MS News know what you think! By: Quincy Dormevil and Haley Violante - Fletcher
Ms. Amarone is a new fifth grade teacher at Mauro-Sheridan. She enjoys teaching and looks forward to teaching many more students here at MASH. “I absolutely love my students. They’re awesome and I look forward to seeing them in the halls next year as sixth graders. I also love my coworkers. My favorite subject to teach is science. I like it because it’s very practical for the students. I really like having them up out of their seats and doing hands-on things. I love teaching and hope I can do it for another 30-35 years,” says Ms. Amarone. This year, she bought a new house with her fiance in Wallingford. Her house is yellow which is also her favorite color! In her spare time, she likes to buy things for her new house. Everyday she goes on a run for exercise. Once, she ran a half marathon! By Alexa Elias-Reyes, Firdaous Moutamatai and Marina Ali
Breaking news! Mauro Sheridan 8th graders are moving on to high school! For 8th graders it’s kinda a big deal for them to be going to high school. High school is the next step to growing into an adult. Next year, the 8th graders will be in a bigger environment and will move on with their expanding lives. Luckily, our guidance counselor, Mrs. Renee Bacon, will help them solve this problem. But what if they can’t get to Mrs. Bacon due to back to back meetings? Mrs. Bacon is only at Mauro-Sheridan for two and a half days a week. Last year, she was here every day. Some 8th graders are going to technical schools, magnet schools like the Sound School that focuses on aquaculture, or private schools. Here is a Q&A with Mrs. Bacon describing the process of figuring out which high school is right for you. Q. How do you help students with the process? A. It starts in August and goes all the way to graduation from informing students about the schools to holding a special parent meeting, to district high school events, to processing applications, reminding students about deadlines, taking them on high school transition trips, helping them to choose electives, to name a few steps in the process. I could really go on, LOL! Q. How do kids decide which schools to go to for high school? A. Students shadow the high school, go to open houses, and I also have schools come to visit Mauro-Sheridan and talk to the students about what the school offers. Q. Where are the majority of MASH students going? A. It really is spread out this year. Kids are going to technical schools, the Sound School, magnet schools, neighborhood high schools like Hillhouse and Wilbur Cross or their town school if they live outside of New Haven. Q. Which school is the most popular among MASH students? A. It varies each year depending on interest. Career and Co-op have been popular and are also the largest of the magnet schools. Eli Whitney technical school is also very popular. Q. Is it hard to get into high schools? A. It can be hard to get into a private school - even a technical school and Sound School which are public - these schools require records and recommendations. Getting into a magnet school can be difficult as well as students hope that their name is picked for a school that they have applied to. Unfortunately, many students get wait listed. Q. Are some students going to be home schooled? A. It's not typical, but some students do choose homeschooling. Q. What high schools are available for students to apply to? A. There are SO many choices for high school. Firstly, there’s free public school. Everyone is guaranteed a place at their neighborhood high school, like Cross, Hillhouse or your town school if you live out of district. Technical schools, magnet schools and open choice are also free. Q. What private schools do MASH students apply to? A. Private schools, that are not free, include Hopkins, Notre Dame (West Haven), Sacred Heart, Hamden Hall, and Cheshire Academy. We have had a few students over the past couple of years who have gone to Hopkins. Q. What do these high schools teach? A. Every school must teach courses that meet the state requirements for high school. Certain schools will have a focus on a particular subject. For example, Sound School focuses on aquaculture or agriculture, a technical school can help you to learn a trade. The magnet schools have different themes - Career’s focus is on health and business, Co-op has an arts focus. Educational Center for the Arts (ECA) offers theater, dance, writing and more. The comprehensive or neighborhood high schools have a large selection of classes to choose from. Q. How do students pick the school they want to go to? A. I recommend the following as a starting point:
Q. What are some of the after-school programs these schools have? A. Each school is different. There are a variety of clubs. Some schools have sports at the school, but if they do not, you can play for your neighborhood high school. Q. What are the schools’ expectations for their students? A. In order to graduate you need to earn credits. The state requirement is 25 credits. Each credit is equal to one year-long class. In order to earn credit, you must pass the class for the year. The credits are in specific subject areas. For instance you must have four years of English. Many high schools in New Haven require more credits - for example Co-op requires 29 credits to graduate - four more credits than the state requires. Schools also expect you to be good citizens and to contribute to the good of the community. Q. Why should students apply to a specialty high school? A. Students should apply to whatever school meets their interest. You can graduate from high school and continue your education to work toward almost any career. It’s important to be happy and interested in what the school you attend offers. If you have a specific interest - a technical school can get you specialized training that will get you on your way faster to your career. You can earn a license or hours toward requirements for that trade. Some students learn a trade and use that trade to work while they attend college after they graduate. Q. How hard is it to get into these schools? A. Private schools can be very challenging to get into. Usually they require an entrance exam, an extensive application, grades, test scores, and recommendations. Magnet schools rely on the school choice process - getting in depends on the number of applicants and space available at the school. Technical schools have their own application and will look at your grades, test scores, disciplinary history, attendance, and completed application for admission. The Sound School looks at grades, interest, application, and recommendations. By: Quincy Dormevil
Makhi Weston, a fifth grader in Ms. Amarone’s class, is the shortest and best point guard in his grade. Makhi likes basketball because it’s a fun and engaging activity. Makhi’s inspiration is his dad. The most important thing Makhi wants to work on is his left hand layup and jumpshot. He believes that since he is the shortest person on the court he has an advantage of getting the taller players in foul trouble. He overcomes being short by playing like he’s the biggest person on the court. A lot of people underestimate him because he’s short and it depends on how his game starts. His favorite basketball team is the Lakers because they have the top players in the NBA and some of them are clutch. His favorite basketball player is LeBron James because he got drafted when he graduated high school. Josiah Parker, Makhi’s teammate, is also a fifth grader in Ms. Schultz’s class. He says Makhi is a team player and he thinks more about the team than himself. Josiah said, “The best part of Makhi’s game is his dribbling. Makhi soaks up all the information, and he listens to everything the coach says.” Josh Miller, a seventh grader, plays for the boys and girls club of New Haven. He said he likes basketball because he likes to play against other people. Terron, a sixth grader who plays for the Boys and Girls Club of New Haven, says, “I like to play basketball because it’s a good competitive sport and I’m good at it.” Giovanni, a sixth grader, plays for the Boys and Girls Club of New Haven and says “I like basketball because it’s fun and I like to win.” Last year, Tremont Waters came to the Boys and Girls Club of New Haven. He is a 5’11 point guard for the LSU Tigers, and he went to Notre Dame high school in West Haven, Connecticut. He went to the Jordan brand classic. He broke the freshman record with 198 assists set by Ben Simmons. In his sophomore season he averaged 15.3PPG 5.8 APG 2.8 SPG 2.8 RPG. In his senior season of high school at Notre Dame he was named All-State Boys Basketball Team Player of the year of 2016-2017. On January 1,2018 he hit one of the biggest game winners in his career against Texas A&M. He had 21 points. Why I Play When I was little I had a basketball hoop in my backyard and I had a little ball that I would shoot in the basket. Then my dad put me in a basketball league at John Martinez School, and I was in that league for five years. I won one championship. Last year I tried out for my after school program the Boys and Girls Club of New Haven as a fourth grader, made the sixth grade team and also also won multiple championships with them. I play with them today on the fifth and sixth grade team. I average 23 PPG, 7 RPG and 3 APG for fifth grade and 12 PPG, 8 RPG, 5 APG. -- Quincy Dormevil By Rafat Ali
Mrs. Devon Kurker-Stewart has joined Mauro-Sheridan as the new special education teacher for grades 3, 7 and 8. One of Mrs. Kurker-Stewart’s favorite things to do is to garden and specifically grow vegetables. “You can start with this tiny little seed and make something great,” she said. Of all the plants, tomato and lavender are her favorites. Mrs. Kurker-Stewart will be helping to create a garden here at MASH in the future. She has a wonderful garden in Hamden where she lives with her husband and four cats named Batman, Buddy, Schooner, and Skipjack. Mrs. Kurker-Stewart received her degree in special education from Southern Connecticut State University. Her favorite subject in school was social studies because you can learn about people. She enjoys reading in her spare time. She loves working with her students and watching how they learn with their hands and talk things out. Her favorite part of her job is helping kids feel good about themselves. “You get to watch kids change and grow over a year,” she said. She likes to help kids do things on their own. If Mrs. Kurker-Stewart had a different job, she would really want to teach pre-K. “I would want to have a preschool gardening class,” she said. By MASH News Staff
The Daedream Theater Arts Company will present its musical production, “To Be Free,” June 7 and 8 at Wilbur Cross High School at 6 p.m. Tickets are available online at http://daedreamnh.weebly.com/tickets.html or from any cast member and cost $5. Tickets will be available at the door for $7. The company includes 90 young people from greater New Haven, from ages 5 to 23, who direct, act, sing or dance in the show. Congratulations to Daedream for celebrating 31 years of great theater! |