TMS Klutzes on Crutches by Christine Allison, Emily Scarcella, and Melisa Tupkusic

Everyone has their moment, a time that they would like to go back and have a chance to do over. For most of the students pictured above, all on crutches, in casts, or both, the moments they would like to do over involve some careless accidents that they feel pretty silly talking about now. In a recent interview, we learned that Gina Valenti, an eighth grader, earned her injury by showing her team spirit at cheerleading practice. She ended up breaking her arm. To begin his wonderful year at Tyrrell, 6th grader Nick Welton broke his foot when he fell off the bleachers in the school gym. Eighth grader, Jenna Roberts fractured her ankle three times in the 6th grade, and now had to get her ankle re-broken to heal it properly. She hasn’t been too lucky in the past! Eighth grade student council representative, Domenic Setaro, after trying hard to come up with an exotic explanation for his injury, revealed that he hurt himself in a scooter accident. And finally, Tyrrell athletic standout, Carly Venditti, a girl well known for her smooth moves on the softball field, tripped over her own two feet while walking down a slightly sloped ramp. This act earned her a pair of nice, new crutches, and a few weeks rest. At this point, all of these students laugh about their injuries, and are shining light on their experiences with crutches by decorating them with vibrant colored duct tape.
So, what does the person who has to deal with these students day in and day out have to say about the matter? The school nurse, Mrs. Monroe, says, “The injured students all came in like a whirlwind! I have never seen this many injured children in such a short time!” Now she only wonders how they will all fit into the school elevator! It’s a sure fact that the students here at Tyrrell haven’t been too careful. It leads a person to wonder...do all middle school students own two left feet? Let’s hope not. And let’s hope that all of our good-natured klutzes on crutches have a speedy recovery! Thanks to all of them for agreeing to this article!

Spotlight on...Mr. Rocca by Angie Santos

How would you like to peek inside Mr.Rocca’s bright and imaginative mind? We all know that he makes science fun; but do we know the real Mr. Rocca? What’s his favorite sports team,? What does he like to do in his spare time? Continue on to sneak into this science teacher’s life outside of school.
As I sat down with Mr. Rocca I started off with an easy question, “What do you like to do outside of school?” I figured this fantastic teacher would respond with something related to fishing, and I was correct. “ I like to go fishing and spend time with my kids outdoors,” he responded. Then, since we always see Mr. Rocca eating, I was wondering what his favorite food might be. He answered, “Too many to name!” I glanced around the room and remembered that even though he’s a science teacher, Mr. Rocca is also a human man! Since all guys like sports, and I knew that Mr.Rocca coached baseball for a while, I cared to ask him what his favorite baseball team was. He replied, “Boston Red Sox!” Finally to conclude the interview I wanted to ask a random question. “If you had a narwhal what would you name it?” It didn’t take him long to respond with a well-fitting name, “Hope”. There you have it, a few simple, but possibly unanswered questions answered by Mr. Rocca.

Splash into Science by Kaitlyn Lofgren & Emily Scarcella

Every year, 7th grade science teacher, Ms.Trovato, runs a fantastic extra-curricular trip to Florida called Splash into Science. It’s a five day educational vacation where students learn about how organisms interact and rely on each other throughout the environment.
One activity the students participate in is visiting a turtle hospital. The students learn about how the turtles were injured, how workers rescued the turtles from danger, and how they nursed them back to health. Students actually get to feed the turtles and examine their x-rays!
After sitting down to talk with Ms. Trovato, we found that the highlight of the trip for the students is swimming with the dolphins. This activity takes place at Island Dolphin Care Center where they study anatomy, physiology, and mammal behavior. Ms.Trovato also added that the trip was fun, educational, and beneficial to all. The overall life lesson learned on the trip is to respect all of life and the planet we call home.

Stop Bullying at TMS by Matt Mastropietro

All throughout the school year at Tyrrell Middle School, there has been some bullying going on. Kids are getting treated unfairly. Bullies are using bad language and beating up kids that are not their size. The guidance counselors say that if you are getting bullied you should tell your teacher, principal, guidance counselors, or a family member right away. If you don’t tell them right away then the bullying will keep on happening and it will get worse. Some kids in other schools that are getting bullied have suicidal thoughts it gets so bad. Tyrrell Middle School is trying hard to get rid of all bullies. Every year, guidance counselors Ms. Hoveland and Ms. Buzzelli come to all classes and tell students about bullying and what to do if they are being bullied. Remember their advice...if someone is bullying you, you should just ignore them or give them the cold shoulder and walk away. Then be sure to report this problem to someone who could help you. If you don’t let anyone know about the problem, how can they help? Stand up for yourself and others who are being bothered by bullies and report the problem immediately. Bullying is a very serious thing, and you should take it seriously.

Author Visits TMS by Gabby Leary

Earlier this year, Jackie Davis, the author of Where the Ground Meets the Sky, came to visit Tyrrell Middle School. The videos and pictures she prepared for us were very interesting! The presentation included some very powerful video of the atomic bomb dropping. Ms. Davis also included pictures of Gabby, the girl that inspired her to write the book. Davis described Gabby as a smart, independent young women. When writing the book, Davis took those qualities into consideration when she developed the character of Hazel.
The students were surprised to hear that Ms. Davis described herself as the “world’s biggest liar.” What she really meant was that she was a great storyteller. She said that the lying had started when she was little. When she was about six and her brother was about four years old, she convinced him that their cat could talk, but only when her brother wasn’t in the room. She said that she was such a good liar that sometimes she made herself believe that the cat could really talk! The students enjoyed learning how bending the truth can sometimes lead to great stories.

The Halloween Dance That Wasn't by Steve Urbanski

This year’s DARE Halloween Dance has officially been canceled. There was a lot of stress debating whether there would be a dance or not. The dance was originally scheduled for Sunday, October 30th. Students excitedly decorated for the dance Friday after school. Who could possibly have known that the day before the dance we would be hit with a major snowstorm named Alfred? Can you believe a snowstorm in October?
The storm not only caused the dance to be cancelled, but also school was cancelled for three days! Some students and teachers were left without power for over a week.
After all the decorations were put up and ready, they got taken down for no one to witness. The dance was re-scheduled and then re-cancelled because of a scheduling problem. Yes, the dance was gone for good. Many people were disappointed with the decision, but it was final... and it was the end of the Halloween Dance that never came to be.

TMS Looks for a Little R-E-S-P-E-C-T by Saranda Alka

In the beginning of the marking period, Ms. Hovland introduced the T.M.S. Respect Program to students! This program rewards students for random acts of kindness. If a student is caught doing something good such picking up someone’s books or helping a teacher, he or she would be given a yellow sticky note which then gets turned in for a rewards bracelet. These bracelets come in a variety of colors such as blue and black or brown, black, and green! Do you know how many bracelets have been given out so far? Approximately 130! About two times a marking period, students with bracelets get rewarded. These rewards include going first for lunch, getting on the bus first, and doing some sort of fun activity after lunch. So help a friend, or even a stranger, and you just might just earn a RESPECT bracelet!

Edmodo by Brian Barker & Joe Daddona

This year, Tyrrell has stretched the importance of Edmodo, a site where students and teachers can talk about anything school related such as homework and class work. On this site teachers can reward badges to students for exceptional grades, for replying to a classmate, for helping a classmate, or for just signing up for Edmodo. Also, on the upper right side of the page there is a feature called notifications. These notifications are handy because they can include new grades, upcoming events, news alerts, and assignment comments from teachers. This helps students to get organized and be up-to-date on school activities and homework. Many teachers at TMS are using Edmodo this year as a way to stay connected to their students.

STUDENT COUNCIL REPORT by Evyn Callahan

Once again, the Student Council began the year by voting for homeroom representatives. These representatives meet every other week with advisors-Mrs. Azzara and Mrs. DiDominzio, and President Domenic Setaro. The first event Student Council members were involved in was the TMS Open House. Three dedicated representatives from each team volunteered to go back to school for two hours for both of the Open House days. They were there asking anybody and everybody to buy a raffle tickets to raise money for school activities. The winner of the raffle would win a gift card.
After that, the Student Council helped with the sale of pencil grams which were a huge hit! Throughout all the grades, they sold all of their 1,000 pencils. The Halloween themed pencils were sold at all lunch waves by Student Council representatives for 25 cents each. Any student who bought one could send a pencil and a note to anyone else in the school. Even some of the teachers were found writing with their Halloween themed pencils!
Student Council is also involved in the canned food drive which is going extremely well this year. The Student Council is hoping to get at least 4,000 cans this year. The most the school has donated in previous years is 3,500 cans which is a hard number to beat. But with good motivation like a pizza party for the winning homeroom, the TMS students might just meet their goal! Student Council members thank everyone for supporting their activities so far, and are hoping for other activities this year to do as well as these events.

Performing "Miss Awful" by Zoe Beckley & TuAnh Nguyen

Earlier this year, the Granite and Marble reading classes performed a reader’s theater based on Miss Awful by Arthur Cavanaugh. In the story, Roger, a carefree third grader, is shocked when his friendly and joyous teacher, Miss Wilson, goes to Omaha for a family emergency. She is then replaced by a strict teacher, Miss Orville, who disciplines the children, and is just awful. In the end, Roger finally realizes life isn’t meant to be all fun and games, and he improves his spelling skills.
The students acted out the lively characters such as Roger, Miss Orville, or, if they chose not to have a speaking part, made up the mothers and the students or brought in props. It was a fun way for the students to have the experience of theater and to enjoy a break from the regular classroom routine.

Grade 7 Visits Egypt by Serena Charbonneau

Students in Ms. Wry’s social studies classes just finished the most exciting project of the year! Last month, Ms. Wry, the peppy, fun-loving teacher everybody adores was so excited when she informed her students that they would be doing a project called “Journey Through Time”. Basically, students had to create a travel journal with entries describing their time in Egypt.
This month-long project turned out to be very time consuming, and counted as a test grade. In addition to the journal, students had to create a visual. Luckily, they had many options to consider, such as, illustrating each journal entry, creating a visual of the mummification process, creating a model of a mummy/sarcophagus, death mask, or pyramid. The Egypt project will require students to work solo, and much of it will be done at home. The purpose of this extraordinary, unique project was to help students understand daily life in Ancient Egypt. The 7th grade students loved doing the Egypt project!

TMS Chess Club by Ryan Fishbein

In late September, TMS kicked off its Chess Club. This after-school activity meets every Tuesday and is supervised by Mr. Toller. After the buses are called, club members go to Mr. Toller’s room and play chess until 3:30. Chess is a game that involves both strategy and thinking ahead. Most people discount the game because it takes a long time to learn. However, once you get the hang of it, it becomes a great way to pass time. Chess isn’t the only thing that happens in Room 200. The students in the club have introduced a new game called Bug House. This game really gets the students pumped up because it’s fast moving and entertaining. The game still involves chess, but it’s more like team chess. Each time a player takes a piece, they can pass it to a person on their team to use on their board. All Chess Club members would agree that this game is a lot of fun!

Writing Memoirs by Kayla Mayo

Have you ever tried to turn a mere, vague memory into an entire story? Recently, in Ms. Mumley’s writing classes, students have been wracking their brains to remember the perfect childhood memory. They started out by thinking of some of their favorite memories and adding the key elements of an actual story. Once their memories had a theme, climax, and turning point they began to put in details everywhere. They wrote in “the zone” for forty five minutes non-stop and turned a memory of a few sentences into a three-paged story. Ms. Mumley assigned this project for the students to learn how to elaborate and experiment with a different writing style. Soon enough, these students will have a beautiful memoir about a part of their lives that they might have otherwise forgotten.

TMS Celebrates Hispanic Month by Nick Comeau & Zach Lepore

Earlier this Fall, Spanish classes had an exciting visit from Frank Riviera and his daughter Liliana. We thank our Spanish teachers Senorita Martineau, Senora Didominzio, Senora Daniels, and Senora Romero for planning this great event.
The Rivieras came to the Tyrrell auditorium to share their Latin American culture with us through music. They brought in many instruments native to Latin America. They sang and played many songs corresponding with the types of things we are learning in our Spanish classes such as numbers, months, and days of the week. It was an awesome experience being able to sing in a different language, but hard at times because we had to pay attention to the exotic tones in their voices. This activity was very interactive. Students were able to get up, play instruments, and sing along with the Rivieras. Students can’t wait until next year when hopefully the Rivieras can make a return visit.

Running the Mile by Anthony DeLuco

The world’s fastest recorded time for the mile run by man, is 3:43.13, held by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco on July 7, 1999. The fastest time for a woman, held by Sevetlana Masterkova of Russia is 4:12.56 on August 14, 1996. While the kids of Tyrrell Middle School ran it nowhere near that time, they sure did their best on a recent fitness test.
Each year in October this testing event takes place across the nation. While the 6th and 8th graders took part in the mile run at Wolcott High School, the 7th graders ran it around the soccer field in the back of the school.
The goals set for the boys are anywhere from 10 to 11 minutes depending on their age; and for the girls the goals set are anywhere from 11.5 to 12 minutes also depending on the age of the student. Most Tyrrell students are able to meet these goals.
The mile run is a test of fitness, that may not be much fun, but it is required by the state, and it does provide a challenge for sure. To improve their times, many students have started running just for fun!

Tyrrell Girls Soccer by Emily Cofrancesco & Megan Doubleday

The Tyrrell girls always gives it their all when they step out onto the soccer field. Soccer gives the girls something to look forward to after a long day at school. At practice they work hard, doing drills to improve their skills. The girls are like a family. They help each other on the field and off and are always motivating each other to do better. Mrs. Kotwicki coaches the girls as if they were her own daughters. She is a great coach and is always pushing the girls to do their best in games and in practice. Mia Hamm, a professional soccer player always says, “You can master soccer as long as you’re committed to the sport.” Now, after reading this article, and seeing what Tyrrell Soccer is all about, we encourage you to come down and tryout next year. We are always looking for some new talent.

TMS Boy Soccer by Brennan Zynda

With Mr. Terry as the coach, Matt DelBuono, Nick Roth, and Simon Kubrynski as the captains, the Tyrrell Boy’s Soccer Team is feared throughout the league. With Nick Roth in the goal, Matt Delbuono, Simon Kubrynski, Matt Finke, Tyler Lagasse, Nick Mango, Alex Hale, Collin Jenkins, Dan Kubrynski, along with Jake Audibert playing midfield and forward, and Brennan Zynda, Anthony Menillo, Connor Hillman, Donovan Bianchi, and Ryan Audibert on defense, they are hard to beat. The TMS team ended their season with an outstanding record of 4-5-0. Our coach will have to plan ahead knowing that we will be losing some fantastic eighth graders next year!

Cross Country by Joe Filippone & Preston Lavoie

“Huuu-uhhh-huuu-uhhh-huuu-uhhh,” is the sound you hear as the kids are draining the last of their energy trying to finish the 2.1 mile course. Why are they doing this? They are part of the Tyrrell Cross Country Team. The team either stays at Tyrrell or travels to other schools for an away meet. No matter where the Tornadoes run, the students always give it their all. To improve their running, students stay after school, and Mr. Goldstone makes it worth their while. The students that work hard at practices get what they put into it at meets. Everyone seems to improve their times meet after meet. Some members of the team run to keep in shape for other sports such as soccer, football, and basketball. Also, they hope to become faster, have better stamina, and keep good health. If this sounds like the right choice for you, then you should sign up next year.

TMS Volleyball by Justine Bracco

The TMS Volleyball Team has just ended an amazing season, losing only three games. Eighth grade co-captains Carly Venditti and Rachel Schippani definitely knew how to lead the team. The junior varsity team had a great season as well. Both teams worked together perfectly. Through September and October the girls worked tirelessly defeating teams from the region. But, being on the Tyrrell Volleyball Team is not all about work.. The team still had time for fun. On November 3rd they had a Family vs. Team Game followed by a party to celebrate the end of the season. Then on November 10th, they held a Teachers vs. Team Game which was a lot of fun for everyone. Thanks to all of the parents, teachers, and spectators for supporting volleyball at Tyrrell!

Reading is Rewarding by Maia Regan & Taylor Riviezzo

The 6th grade Diamond and Platinum teams participate in a program called Team Read. The Team Read program gives students the opportunity to read and get rewarded for it. The program will continue throughout all marking periods during the school year. The first marking period reward is Game Day in which students can bring in their favorite games and enjoy them with some of their friends. The second marking period reward is Popcorn and a Movie (students’ choice). The third marking period reward is the Hot Dog Roast which will be enjoyed in the TMS picnic area. Finally, students meeting all reading goals will get to miss classes and go to the Woodtick Recreation Center for the day! With all these amazing, superb prizes, who wouldn’t push themselves to reach the 1,200-page goal?

Island Projects by Billy Platt, Michael Polzella & Tyler Sgrott

Mrs. Wright and Mrs. Garbus organized an activity called the Island Project. Mrs. Wright had groups, while Mrs. Garbus had students work alone. The Island Project was an assignment where students had to make up their own islands. The students were allowed to make an island however they wanted it to be, but had to include five landforms and five bodies of water that were named by something similar to the type of island they created. The students also had to write or type an oral presentation on the physical and human features of the island. They then had to present it in front of their class, and name all of their land-forms and bodies of water. If working in groups, they all had a turn to read. The students had an enjoyable time creating their own personal islands.

Camp Mataucha by Jillian Noack & Erin MacDonald

Did you know that the Diamond and Platinum team students in 6th Grade took a field- trip to Camp Mataucha in Watertown? Back in September, the students had fun swinging on ropes, walking on shaky logs, and competing against other groups to see who could build the highest structure with just paper and tape! Other fun games involved cup stacking, flipping tarps with your feet, and sliding on the huge slide! The reason we went on this trip was to build teamwork and team spirit. For example, the kids (about 20 at a time) had to all try to fit on a small, moving log! As you can tell, the 6th graders sure had a great time at Camp Mataucha!

"Just Once" Powerpoints & Storyboards by Lauren Robert & Julia Williams

Recently, the sixth grade reading classes created storyboards or Powerpoints to retell the short story, Just Once. The students had to include the characters, setting, conflict, three main ideas, climax, and resolution. The storyboards had to include lots of colorful drawings and the Powerpoints had to have many interesting effects. After students created their projects they had to present them in front of the class.
It was amazing how creative the projects were, and so different from one another. The unlimited choices in format, color schemes, and photos allowed the students to individualize their presentations. No two were exactly alike. Most students did very well with this challenge, and enjoyed the project tremendously!

Growing Plants in Water? by Taylor Dalton, Amanda Morelli & Wenting Zheng

Tyrrell’s 6th grade Project Explore students have researched, designed, and built systems to grow different kinds of plants without any soil. All the students had to research different hydroponic designs. It was a tough decision for them to choose between high and low priced designs, complicated and simple systems, and then decide how to add their own unique design. Some of the common materials in all of the designs are air pumps, air stones, seeds, water, small/medium sized containers, growing medium, duct tape, Styrofoam, and TLC. These systems are now all up and running in the Project Explore greenhouse. In each class period, the students have been checking and recording their plants’ growth. Some students have had to make changes to their systems in order to get their plants to grow better. Each week, most students have seen growth in their plants, and hopefully soon enough there will be a fully grown plant. All of the students have had to be very creative during this process, and have been enjoying this project. You should check out the hydroponic systems in the RM 113 greenhouse for yourself! They are pretty cool!

Capitalization Dark Marker by Gillian Farina, Caitlin Frosolone, & Kiana LaRock

Mrs. Nicol, Mrs. Rosa, Mrs. MJ, and Mrs. Uccello all found an interesting way to teach their students the rules of capitalization. They showed their students a video called “Dark Marker”. First, the video started off at a newspaper printing press where Dark Marker had taken over the publisher’s newspaper articles and made capitalization problems. The Dark Marker had stolen all the capital letters! The heroic team of office supplies helped defeat the Dark Marker. by traveling across the world using clues and fixing errors the Dark Marker had left behind. Luckily, the Dark Marker was defeated at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The team traveled back to the printing office and saved the day by fixing all of the errors on the publisher’s computer. This helped review all of the rules of capitalization (which can be very boring) in a fun way for students.

Five Themes of Geography Brochure by Spencer miers & Hailey Popovich

A little while back, you may have taken a stroll past one of the computer labs and seen many student typing furiously. You may have wondered what Mrs. Wright and Mrs. Garbus’s students were working on so diligently. Well, they were creating interesting, five-themes-of-geography brochures for social studies. The goal here was to learn about location, place, region, relationship (HEI), and movement. These students eagerly worked for three days and enjoyed this activity very much. Most students agreed that creating a mini-project for the geography themes made the topic more interesting and fun. Thanks Mrs. Wright and Mrs. Garbus for coming up with the idea!

Science Students Measure Up! by Evan Guerrera, Alex Hale & Dan Kubrynski

In Mrs. Bove-Virr’s and Mr. Jones`s science classes, students were given the challenge of designing a new classroom. This assignment was done to practice measuring, because students had to have the measurements the same as the actual room. All 6th graders were given a partially finished diagram of the science rooms which they had to complete by taking accurate measurements of the classrooms. After students finished the measuring, they got the opportunity to make their own designs for what they wanted their classrooms to look like. The only criteria was that they had to have the room seat 25 kids and they had to label what they drew in the key they created. Students worked exceptionally hard because they were told that it would be taken as a test grade; but they enjoyed the assignment and did a splendid job!

Sunshine State of Mind...a music review by Angelina Vaccarelli

“Sunshine State of Mind” by We the Kings is an album full of the type of music that makes you want to get up and dance. It’s pop music and has a lot of great beats. This is the perfect album to be listening to while at the beach. I would recommend this album for people in middle school, so around 11 to 15 years of age. I especially like the song “Friday is Forever”. I like this song because it makes me feel happy every time I listen to it. However, I do not like the song called “The View From Here” because it has a slow pace to it. I like songs that are happy and full of vibe. All together the album “Sunshine State of Mind” by We the Kings is a great mixture of music. Next time you are shopping for a new CD, why not give it a listen or check out We the Kings on You Tube?

Footloose...a movie review by Alyse DeLuca

This remake of the 1984 original Footloose will be sure to lift your spirits up. In the small southern town of Bolmont, dancing had been prohibited for five years when Ren MacCormack, played by Kenny Wormald moved into town from Boston. Kenny Wormald played an outstanding role as the troublemaker, Ren McCormack who tried to get the unfair law changed. While he tried to get the whole town to take a stand against this law, he fell in love with the pastor’s daughter, Ariel played by Julianne Hough. Miles Teller, as Willard, amused the audience as he struggled to learn to dance.
Although this movie was a little corny at times this movie was filled with incredible dancing, young love, and a little action. It’s a perfect movie for teens through adults. I would highly recommend this movie for a weekend night out or a girl’s night in. Although you might be considering saving this for Red Box, the sounds of the beats and stomping feet are more real when you’re actually in the theater. If you’re interested in musicals, then this movie will be right up your alley.

Dying to Meet You...a book review by Chloe Chance

I would have given the book Dying to Meet You by Kate Klise four and a half out of a possible five stars. I like this book especially around Halloween because it has a little bit of a creepy twist to it, and although the book is not very suspenseful, it does contain enough unanswered questions, mysteries, and letters to keep you reading on and on. I couldn’t put it down. It is a short and fun book, and it only took me about a week to read it. So you may wonder why I only gave this book a four and a half out of five? It was a nice book, but kind of short for me. I think the author could have made it more suspenseful. All in all, I loved this book. If you want to read it, I found it at the Wolcott Public Library.

Hawaii Five-O...TV review by Mike Christopher

If you're ever bored at 10 pm on Monday night, turn to CBS, and the Hawaiian police drama series Hawaii Five-O. This show is a remake from days gone by, but manages to still keep viewers interested in fighting crime in Honolulu. Alex O’Loughlin stars as Steve McGarret, a former US naval officer assigned to form an elite crime fighting team. Co-star, Scott Caan plays McGarret’s main sidekick Danno Williams. The show is based in Honolulu and includes beautiful scenery and lots of action. I really like and recommend this action-packed, funny, and entertaining show. Check it out for yourself!

TMS Flower Sale... It's About Friendship by Briana Japs

Who wouldn’t want to receive a pink rose along with a valentine note from a friend? Exactly. That’s why our Secret Valentine Flower Sale is such a big hit every year.! This year, Tyrrell Project Explore students sold silk roses and blank valentines during all lunchwaves for a whole week before Valentine’s Day. Students rushed to buy them for their friends and teachers before they sold out.
From the very first day, sales were fantastic. Students really enjoyed the chance to surprise friends in other homerooms with the valentine messages. “Valentine’s Day is a time to show how much you care for others; and the silk rose sale helps you do just this,” says Tyler Browne.
It’s also a good way to raise funds for fun school activities. This year, over $500 was raised, and the best part is that all the money raised goes to the Tyrrell Middle School Activity Fund, so everyone at Tyrrell benefits from the sale. Even some teachers contributed to the sale’s success by sending messages and flowers to friends and students. Sources report that even Mr. Kelsey was a shopper this year!
On Valentine’s Day, the flowers with messages attached were delivered to each homeroom. TMS students were very excited to collect the flowers and messages from their friends. Since this sale is such a big attraction, we plan to keep selling these roses for years and years to come.
So if you’d like to receive lots of Secret Valentines next year, remember that to have friends you must first be a friend to others. Be kind, considerate, and generous and next year you just might find yourself walking to your bus at the end of the day with a whole Valentine bouquet!

Spotlight on Mrs. Garbus by Carly Venditti

The smile, the blond hair, the liveliness and love she brings into the classroom all describe teacher and mentor, Mrs. Garbus! This teacher is behind the scenes of many activities you may not know about such as Tyrrell Middle School’s play, Into the Woods, and the Annual Geography Bee. Mrs. Garbus volunteers many hours of her free time for Tyrrell students. After such a long day at school Mrs. Garbus goes home to spend time with her family. She also likes to read books to relax. In speaking with Mrs. Garbus, I wondered what she would do if she ever won the lottery jackpot. Would she travel the world with her husband and son, Joey? Well, she isn’t a social studies teacher for nothing. Traveling the world is a passion of hers that is hopefully close on her horizon. If you want to learn more about Mrs. Garbus, you can find her in room 106, Diamond Team 6th Grade. Just look for the teacher with the happy smile!

Cyberbullying Assemby by Zack Ahearn

On December 17th, all 6th, 7th, and 8th graders went to the auditorium to see an assembly about the dangers of cyberbullying and telling personal info to strangers online. A police officer was informing and lecturing us about what happens if you say your a/s/l on a chat room, and how bad it could end up. We saw multiple videos that told stories about kids who had fallen for tricks, and were hurt horribly because of it. Soon after, the police officer told us to set up our privacy settings if we were on Facebook so strangers couldn’t see us. He had found several 7th and 8th graders who didn’t set up their privacy settings properly, and it scared pretty much everybody in the auditorium. The assembly taught me a lot, and I now know how to stay safe on the Internet. The message about cyberbullying was that you shouldn’t say anything online to someone that you wouldn’t say face to face. Bullying is bullying whether at school or on line. It is always hurtful, and can be really dangerous.

TMS Geography Bee by John Belval

As you might know, the Geography Bee was held in January to find out who would represent Tyrrell Middle School in the regional competition. All students took the qualification test to get things started. There was then a second test for the highest scorers. Students met in the LGIR after school to continue the competition. The final round was held first period in the auditorium.
After the first round of two questions all but John Belval, Heatherann Esden, Domenic Setaro, and Noor Naseri were eliminated. The following rounds eliminated Noor and Domenic. John Belval and Heatherann Esden were the only two left. The last round consisted of 3 questions. John Belval emerged the winner and will go on to try the state level.
The final standing of the Geography Bee had Noor Naseri and Domenic Setaro tied for 3rd place, Heatherann Esden in 2nd place, John Belval taking the 1st place win.

Wall Street Wonders

Project Explore eighth graders have been learning about how the Stock Market works by playing The Stock Market Game. Students studied the profiles of various companies before making their initial stock purchases. They continued building their portfolios, and bought and sold securities according to various changes in the market.
At the end of the first game, the top winner, Miranda Capozzi, had made $14,700. In second place was Scott Saucier with a profit of $11,140, followed by Leah Ciccone with $9,826.
Only time will tell whether it was luck or skill which led to their success, although all three are currently doing very well in round two!

TMS Talent by Connor Callahan

For the past seven years, Tyrrell students have been displaying their wonderful skills at the annual TMS Talent Show. This year’s show included a variety of acts. Bryan Bisaillon sang She Will Be Loved. Mr. Jones (6th grade science teacher) hosted a game show called The Need for Speed. Three players competed, and one of them was our very own Mrs. Fitzpatrick. Without the others looking, the first player would lift up buckets, trying to find matching sports balls to throw in a laundry basket. When all items were in the basket, the time stopped and the next player went. There was a catch, though, Mr. Goldstone stuck his head into a hole and when players lifted the bucket up, they got a spook. Another great act was Matt Beland’s amazing magic act. As a true magician, he will never reveal his secrets. However, once again this year, the most popular act of all was the rap, performed by Mr. Toller, Mr. Kelsey, Mr. Goldstone, and Mr. Terry. As always, this was a big hit with the audience. These are just some of the spectacular acts in the 2010 talent show. It’s no wonder this event was a complete sellout!

7th & 8th Grade Winter Band Concert by Domenic C. Setaro

The 7th and 8th Grade Winter Band Concert on December 15th was a great success! The students performed a multitude of pieces including Wonderful Christmastime, a classic Christmas carol by the Beatles, and Swingle Bells, Jingle Bells with a jazzy twist. The band spent countless hours practicing these pieces in band class and after school. Victoria Sanzone, a 7th grade flute player, believes that the concert was, “A great success, and it was very fun to perform.” An appreciated piece in the concert was Pat-a-Pan, a woodwind ensemble arranged by David Marlatt. The song was performed by 8th graders, Amanda Comeau, Isabella Inglese, Steven Li, Alicia McWeeney, Guilio Gagliardi, Anthony Lourenco, Julia Duguay, and Austin Kulig. Mrs. Skrebutenas did an exceptional job conducting this performance, as well as teaching her students the music. Congratulations to the entire 7th and 8th grade band members for their amazing concert and their very hard work.

John Tartaglio Visits Tyrrell by Kaylee Hale

On December 9th, John Tartaglio came to share his inspirational story with Tyrrell students. At age 17 during his junior year of high school John lost both of his legs and one of his biceps to a very rare type of infection which was rapidly taking his life. Doctors told him he was lucky to be alive. People told him he would never be able to walk again, so he set out to prove them wrong. Instead of complaining over it, he is living his life to the fullest. He went to a prosthetics maker and got a pair of legs. A few months later he showed the world that he would not be stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He didn’t stop there either. John wanted to run again. He went back to the prosthetic maker and got a prosthetic leg so he could run. Using his leg and crutches, he was the first person ever to finish a marathon with no legs. He finished in 15 hours and 59 minutes. He also completed a half iron man and multiple 5k and 10 k competitions. His life lesson for us to leave the assembly with was - don’t cry over your tragedies, make the best of them. He is an amazing person!

French & Spanish Holiday Specials by Kyle Fishbein

This year, the French and Spanish classes really got into the holiday spirit with some new fun activities. The French classes did an activity called a Yule log. This huge log is burned in a hearth as part of a traditional celebration in several European countries, including France. Some families also make giant chocolate cakes in the shape of Yule logs. The students didn’t actually burn a log, though. Some of the students brought in some decorations to brighten up the classroom. Their teacher, Madame Thibodeau, brought in a log cake for the celebrations.
In some of the Spanish classes, the students celebrated and learned about Three Kings Day, which is similar to Christmas. Children throughout most Spanish speaking countries put their shoes on their doorsteps, or by their beds in the days just past Christmas. The Three Kings are said to bring gifts and put them in the shoes. Candy is just one of the many gifts children receive. Some kids also put hay next to their beds because the Three Kings are said to come on camels. Most believe the camels get hungry, and they would like to be generous with some hay.
The students I’ve talked to say that Spanish is a blast. As for French, well, I can tell you myself that French is a fun way to learn more about this culture.

Cans for Canes...Door Decorating for Charity

This year, Mr. Jones’ homeroom students decided to kick the Annual Door Decorating Contest up a notch. When they worked on their design, they decided to tie it into helping those in need. For each non-perishable food item brought in, students were given a candycane. Students and teachers were very generous with their canned goods, and Mr. Jones’ homeroom students collected 185 pounds of food which they donated to the Connecticut Food Bank.They were very grateful to receive the TMS donation.
As for the Door Decorating Contest...this homeroom didn’t win, but the students sure felt as though they did! It truly is better to give than to receive.

In My View... an editorial by Matthew Stojanov

In the beginning of the year, students were told that school rules are in effect in school, on the bus, and en route to the bus. Now, we are all imperfect human beings, but it has occurred to at least a couple of people that we are better behaved on school grounds than on the bus. Of course, this is to be expected since there are fewer teachers to watch us and less fear of detention and other punishments. This however, is no excuse for the behavior that is found on the bus. As young adults, we should act maturely even when we are not on school grounds. Some things I’ve seen firsthand could land a person straight in a detention hall. I release no names, but if you do some of these things on the bus, please remember that this behavior is against the school handbook and should stop.
Are you displeased by the behavior on the bus? Do you want a positive change? Well, start with yourself, and be sure to tell your friends.

Christmas at Tyrrell by Tori Sanzone & Carly Venditti

The holidays are very vibrant at TMS. There are many activities and community service projects leading up to the last day of school before the winter break. It is one of the best school days of the year. Everyone is usually in a great mood just thinking of all that is to come, the family, the love, the ten days without school!
First off is the T-Bone Stankus concert. The sixth graders were in for a treat since this was their very first T-Bone performance. He really gets the whole student body going clapping, swaying, and singing along. This year’s assembly also included a Festive Holiday Sweater Contest for our teachers and aides. Everyone was in the holiday spirit!
Throughout the day, students enjoyed the movie entitled, Elf. For a snack, the PTO provided nachos, Switch drinks, and ice cream sandwiches for the students. There was minimal to no work to be done - an early gift from Tyrrell’s teachers! There really is no place like Tyrrell at Christmastime.

Life-Sized Character Projects by Billy Nicol

In 7th grade reading classes, students are beginning to read the story Bargain by A.B. Guthrie, a story about an old Western town and a thieving freighter named Slade. An immigrant store owner, named Mr.Baumer, is continuously robbed by the thief. In the end, Mr.Baumer hires Slade to transport some of his goods. But they later find out that Slade died by drinking wood alcohol, thinking it was whisky. The project that was given was to create a life-sized sketch of one of the characters, identify some character traits, and include quotes to support each trait. Also, students had to define the difference between justice and revenge (tying it in to the end of the story). Did Mr.Baumer put the wood alcohol in on purpose? You will have to view the projects in the 7th grade hallway to decide.

What Makes a Good Friend? by Kaylee Hale

According to dictionary.com a friend is: A person attached to another by feelings, or a person who is on good terms with another.
With the recent Secret Valentine Flower Sale here at Tyrrell, and the friend frenzy surrounding it, I thought I’d take a closer look at what friendship means to Tyrrell students. So I randomly asked a few, “What makes a good friend?”
Sophia Santovasi says a good friend is, “A person who you are close to and that is kind to you”. Ashley Jacobson also had some input on this. She thinks that a good friend should be helpful, someone you can count on. And finally, Liz Bartolini shared her opinion on this topic. “A good friend has to be loyal and trustworthy no matter what.”
These three students all had valid opinions of what a good friend is to them. Considering these opinions, do you think you are the kind of person they would want as friends?

Jeopardy!

Do you ever wonder if you have what it takes to appear on Teen Jeopardy? Well, the TMS Project Explore eighth graders will soon have the chance to find out. On March 1st, TV Jeopardy will be beginning its Teen Jeopardy Contestant Search, and our students will be participating in the on-line search right here at Tyrrell. At a Jeopardy Qualification Night students will enjoy a pizza social and Jeopardy Genius Challenge in our cafeteria, and then move on to the actual on-line testing. Hopefully, their journey will not stop there. Any student making it through to the next round will have to move on to the interview stage of the contestant search. Then, further testing will take place, until the actual TV contestants are finally chosen. The search takes place nationwide, and can take as long as eighteen months. Only a small number of students make it to the actual TV show, but our TMS students plan to have fun all along the way! Best of luck!

Yarn Drive Supports Hats for Soldiers by Susan Naseri & Janessa Teta

Can you imagine how it would feel to have knit almost 2,000 hats for soldiers overseas? How much would your hands and fingers ache? Would you have the patience to make all 2,000 hats from scratch? Well, for several years now, a group of women at the Rietdyke Senior Center have been knitting hats to be worn under the helmets soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Unfortunately, 100% wool yarn can get expensive, and so can the cost of shipping all of these hats overseas. When our TMS Project Explore students learned that their yarn supply was running low, they sprung into action. For two weeks in the month of December, Project Explore students participated in a yarn drive called Hats for Soldiers. Over 70 skeins of yarn were brought in by our generous students. The morning of December 17th, Mrs. Penta, Leah Ciccone, Miranda Capozzi, and Ryan Sanderson brought donations to the Rietdyke Center. When the group of knitters spotted the huge box in Christmas wrapping, they were surprised beyond words. Some of the women were so very thankful, they burst into tears. They could not find the words to thank all the Project Explore students who participated in this fundraiser. Of course, our TMS students are even more thankful to them for the terrific job they do on those hats!

TMS Celebrates Three Kings' Day

Last month, the World Language classes celebrated El Día de los Reyes in the auditorium with a story entitled Hurray for Three Kings’ Day, which talked about the different traditions associated with this holiday that is a very important part of the Christmas season. In the meantime, the Reyes visited TMS and left treats in the shoes students had made in Spanish classes. After the story, students sampled Rosca de Reyes which is a cake that is eaten on January 6th to observe Three Kings’ Day.

Seventh Graders Publish Children's Books by Ally Hickey

The seventh grade just completed their children’s books that they had been working on for quite a while. They worked for a week in the computer lab to write their own creative stories, and then to draw pictures for each page. The fun part about the project was that the students could write about whatever they wanted to. To create the books, the students went to www.studentpublishing.com and created many unique books. The students received an actual copy of their books early in January, and most students were very pleased with them. The students want to thank their teachers for letting them publish their own books. It was a lot of fun!

All About Gak by Maggie Gaffney

Have you ever heard of something that is both a solid and a liquid? Well, Gak is both a solid and a liquid. But what exactly is Gak? In early December, sixth grade science classes made this goop out of conrnstarch and water. Students did this to better understand their unit on matter. The most amazing thing about Gak was that it could be thrown up in the air as a solid ball, but when it landed in someone’s hands it melted back to a liquid goop! Mr. Jones demonstrated this experiment again and again to make sure the students understood the concept, and also because it was just plain fun. This will surely be a lab that no one will ever forget!

Carribean Cruise by Gabby Leary & Maggie Gaffney

Early December found Mrs. Garbus’ students thinking of vacationing in a warm climate. They were learning about the Carribean Islands by creating travel brochures for their favorite destinations. We caught a picture of Alyssa Capristo deciding where to stop on her cruise. Later, James Shultz was spotted researching fun activities to include in his travel brochure. Students quickly became travel guides in this amazing project!

Rainforest Project by Matt Mastropietro

Can you imagine how enjoyable it is to make an animal that is found in the rainforest? Recently, in Mrs. Garbus’s and Mrs. Wright’s 6th grade social studies classes, students picked their favorite rainforest animal to make a project on. The students had to write an essay on their animals and make their animals as creative as they liked. Some students made them out of paper towel rolls, and some made them with bird feathers. Others also drew theirs.
When the projects were due, the students had to present them to the class and read their essays. After that, students decorated the hallway to make it look like a rainforest. They put up trees, vines, and all the animals which they had made. All Tyrrell visitors should check out the sixth grade hallways!

Hydroponic Salad Party by Justine Bracco

Isn’t it amazing how twenty-one sixth graders could grow enough hydroponic lettuce to enjoy a salad party? The TMS Project Explore 6th graders did just that. At the beginning of the year, the students created hydroponic systems in which to grow lettuce. After a few months of nurturing the plants in the classroom greenhouse, the students harvested their lettuce before the cold weather brought the temperature of the greenhouse down too low. The sixth graders decided to have a salad party with the lettuce they grew so it would not go to waste. Mrs. Penta brought in cucumbers, onions, carrots, olives, and salad dressing to add to the lettuce, and the students enjoyed a hydroponic lettuce salad. The students not only thought the lettuce was delicious, but also know a lot about growing it!

Team Read Reward by Joe Filippone

Imagine reading only 1,200 pages and getting rewarded with games, hot chocolate, and a tasty snack. This happened at the end of the first marking period in the Tyrrell Middle School cafeteria, and was called the Team Read Reward. All the students who read at least 1,200 pages got to participate in board games, mind-bending puzzles, and paper football tournaments. Snacks included hot chocolate, Rice Crispy Treats, cookies, and pretzels. Hopefully, more students will get to participate in the next Team Read Reward.

Swoosh...it's fun! by Megan Doubleday

Can you imagine running down the court with sweat dripping down your face? You are down by two points and need a three-pointer to win. You get a nice pass, set up your feet, jump into the air, and let the ball fly. You hear a SWOOSH as the ball falls into the net, and your team piles on you for winning the game. This is what Tyrrell basketball is all about.
The girls have fun, but are always working hard in practice and trying to get better. The two coaches, Mrs. Nicol and Mrs. Stevenson are always pushing the girls to work hard and do their best in both games and practices. This team is like a family; they stick together and have each other’s backs. They lose as a team and they win as a team and every single person contributes to a wonderful experience.
If this sounds like fun to you then you should try out next year!

Afterschool Snack - Tiny Tortilla Pizzas

by Briana Japs

What you need:
Small corn tortilla chips
Salsa or tomato sauce
Shredded cheddar cheese
(optional green peppers, onions, or pepperoni bits )

What you do:
Mound some salsa or sauce on top of the tortilla chips. Next, sprinkle a pinch of shredded cheddar cheese and put the tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until cheese is melted. Add whatever else you might like. Then, you have your own tiny tortilla pizzas! Enjoy!!

Try This Trivia

What is the left side of a ship or boat called?
Why is the catbird so named?
Who was both the wife of a U.S. president as well as the mother of a U.S. president?
What is the smallest instrument in the orchestra?
What does a philatelist collect?
Who is the chief officer of the law in the United States?
What food is Boston famous for?
The Rock of Gibraltar is the entrance to what sea?
Who wrote Where the Sidewalk Ends?
How are horses measured?
Answers:
1. The port side. 2. His call sounds like a cat mewing. 3.Barbara Bush 4. The piccolo. 5.Stamps 6.The Attorney General 7.Baked beans 8. The Mediterranean 9. Shel Silverstein 10. In hands.

The Tyrrell Girls Basketball Team by Ally Hickey & Briana Japs

The Tyrrell Girls Basketball Team started off their season with a tough loss against Torrington Middle School back in December. However, this did not dampen their spirits whatsoever. For the first game, the players that started were Megan Doubleday, Cassidy Cody, Isabella Inglese, Amanda Japs, and, Briana Japs. The team played many other tough, intense games and won lots more. Other players on the team include Clara Atallah, Caitlyn Donahue, Michelina Gagliardi, Allyson Hickey, Kaitlyn Lofgren, Alicia McWeeney, Jessie Nelson, and Nevya Vermette. As of this writing, their record is 6 wins, 3 losses. If you would like to come and cheer on our Tyrrell Tornados, home games will be directly after school in the gymnasium. Good luck girls for the rest of your season!!

The Tyrrell Boys Basketball Team by Brandan Brown

How is the TMS Boys Basketball team this year? They are outstanding. The 2010-2011 Boys Basketball Team is off to a great start lead by the captains, Vincent Gambino and John Harkin. The coaches, Mr. Terry and Mr. Blacker, are very into the game, and lead the team with a record of 8-1 as of this writing. The team has seventeen very talented players who participate in every game. Besides the captains, the team members include Jahvon Soto, A.J. Phillippi, Albin Cirikovic, Sean Brooks, Robert Onofreo, Mike Audibert, Tyler Gargano, Matt Delbuono, Jack Rocco, Matt Warren, Chris Maisto, Zach Ligi, Nate Fillipone, Tyrn Flowers, and Matt Finke. The thing that is probably most exciting about watching this team play is that the players are great at stealing the ball and bringing it back for a score!

TMS Dance Team Wins Big by Julia Audibert

“And the winner is…Tyrrell Middle School!” says the judge. That was a familiar phrase this year as the TMS Dance Team won three major dance competitions. They did an outstanding job in each one! In the first competition, the girls took home a first place trophy, and it wasn’t much of a surprise with their talent! At the second competition, the team left with a first place and was also named the GRAND CHAMPION! This means that the TMS Dance Team beat all the other schools including high schools and a college! At the last competition another first place trophy was brought back leaving the girls undefeated in this fabulous season! This unique and fantastic team is all inclusive with some girls who compete nationally outside of the team, and some girls who have never stepped foot in a dance studio before. The team has four supportive and fun captains named: Jenny Leonard, Victoria Maringola, Taylor Way, and Alexis Cruz. The team advisor is Mrs. Carroll. YOU GO GIRLS!!

Students of the Month

The following students have been named Students of the Month for the months of December and January. They were selected by their teachers because of their outstanding effort and overall behavior.


December
Angelo Briglia, Sarah Olsen, Emma Gargano, Gianna Polzella, Evan Kulig, Christina SantaLucia,
Jessica Lami, Gabrielle Santoro, Monika Neal, Jackson Yost

January
Leo Cavallo, Tyler Gargano, Jacob Chicano, Simon Kubrynski, Tyler DesSantos, Hailey Kukowski, Justin Fernandes, Melissa Mennilo, Bridget Forte, Serena Nadeau, Vincent Gambino, Matthew Stojanov