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