Students Hunger for the Hunger Games by Megan Doubleday

It was 12 o’clock midnight and over 500,000 people around the country were lined up to see what? The Hunger Games! This is the hottest new movie of the year, and it’s making people crazy! The students here at Tyrrell also went crazy when they found out they were getting to go to The Hunger Games movie if they had read the book. After the permission slips were passed around, The Hunger Games field trip was the buzz everyone was talking about. While the Tyrrell students did not get to go to the midnight opening, over 200 TMS students did get to go to Rave Motion Pictures in Southington the next day.
On Friday, March 23rd, the students came to school wearing their Hunger Games T-shirts and carrying non-perishable canned goods. Students were making a connection between the starving characters in the book to the many families in Wolcott who don’t have enough to eat. The students of Tyrrell decided to make a donation to help fill the town green’s gazebo with food. Everyone attending The Hunger Games movie brought in a canned food item totaling enough food to fill six large boxes! The Hunger Games is what really inspired kids to join in on this activity. The students were happy to help the people of our town.
Once in the theater, everyone was filled with excitement anticipating the start of the movie, and they were not disappointed. The movie was fantastic—almost as good as the book! When it was over the students were sad it ended, but were looking forward to participate in the amazing activities the teachers had planned for them.

Back on the bus, everyone couldn't stop talking about their favorite parts of the movie. They were a bit disappointed when the teachers announced the activities for the afternoon had to be postponed, but not for long because they were satisfied with the breathtaking movie, and they weren't going to let one setback ruin their happy mood. Of course there was lots of talk about book two and the next movie on the horizon!

Spotlight on… Ms. Trovato By Kayla Mayo

You know Ms. Trovato as a fun, seventh grade science teacher, but who is she outside of school? In her free time, she loves reading, playing sports, and spending time with her niece and nephew. In fact, family is very important to Ms. Trovato, and her role model is her mother because she is a sweet, strong, caring individual who would do anything for her family and friends. Ms. Trovato strives to be the type of person her mother is. Her favorite childhood memory is going to her family’s cabin in New Hampshire every winter where they would go sledding, skating, and snowmobiling. Did you know that Ms. Trovato always knew she wanted to have a profession in the science field? It wasn’t until college, though, that she decided that she wanted to be a teacher. She came to this realization through a program that taught science to elementary students. When Ms. Trovato saw all of the smiling faces during a lab, she knew she wanted to teach. While Ms. Trovato believes rules are important in a classroom, she also feels that laughter is the best way to get any point across. So, next time you see Ms. Trovato, you will know her better as a person instead of “just another teacher.” Go ahead and say hello - she’s awesome!

Students Rally for Excellence by Nick Comeau & Zach Lepore

Since so many students were fretting about the CMTs, a few amazing teachers in our school put together the famous CMT Rally. The students loved hearing Mr. Simpson telling them how excellent their scores were compared to all the other schools in our state. Students who scored all 5’s on the CMTs were given a certificate and a pin to put on their graduation gowns in 8th grade. Also, the students who improved by two levels were recognized with certificates and pins.
After this, Ms. Tafuto made a surprise deal between the students, Mr. Simpson, and Mrs. Tansley. The deal was if our school’s CMT average was in the ninetieth percentile of the state scores, then Mrs. Tansley would dye her hair blue and Mr. Simpson would shave his head bald! Next, the favorite act at TMS, King Lee and the Magnificent Three, Mr. Kelsey, Mr. Goldstone, Mr. Toller, and Mr. Terry, performed the CMT Rap. Last of all came the t-shirt toss. The students shouted in fun as Mrs. Tansley, Mr. Simpson, and several teachers tossed t-shirts into the crowd. There were a lot of shirts thrown this year, which made many students happy! Overall, the CMT rally got everyone pumped and ready to tackle the CMTs.

Writing Book Trailers by Chloe Chance

The seventh grade writing classes are making book trailers for their favorite books. They are trying to persuade others to read books they think are really good, the same way a movie preview tries to draw audiences.
Students can use one of two programs to make their trailers. Some people are using Movie Maker, while others are using Powerpoint. Movie Maker is good because there are lots of features to use. Students could use special effects, and make the background a fun color. But Movie Maker is not always reliable for saving work, and sometimes it gets lost. Powerpoint, while not having as many special effects, is a nice choice because it is more reliable.
Students will only have a few days to work on their trailers and make them very interesting. Then, they will present them to their classes and put their persuasion skills to the test. Some books, like The Hunger Games, will be easier to make look interesting. Other books don’t have as much suspense, and will be harder to sell. However, all books can look exciting if students work hard enough and choose carefully what they put in their trailers, and what they leave out.
One bonus of doing this project is that the presentations will be convenient for any students looking for a good book to read. I bet some will even be keeping a list of what books they want to read.This project is very fun and entertaining, and I am sure the seventh graders will get a lot out of it!

Mr. Rocca's School of Fish by Christie Allison & Joe Daddona

As some students may already know, each year 7th grade science teacher, Mr. Rocca, welcomes in a new school of fish. In November, Mr. Rocca got 400 trout eggs delivered to his classroom. His students participate in caring for the little fishes, watching them grow, feeding them, and giving them the living requirements they need to stay healthy. The students do things like clean the trout’s water, keep the chiller set to around 46 degrees F, and train the fish at the top of the tank to swim. Students are assigned a particular month when they come in to check on the trout on a daily basis; and they receive extra credit for their effort. Unfortunately, despite their vigilant care, there are currently only about 200 fish left in the tank. This year all participants are determined to keep these fish alive and well so that when they grow big enough at the end of the year, they could be released into their natural habitat– a stream. Mr. Rocca tells The Tyrrell Times sources that the fish seem to be doing well. Some trout have already grown fins. Surely, all of the students have done their best to make sure these trout have felt welcome in Mr. Rocca’s School of Fish!

Scaled Drawing Cartoon Project by Justine Bracco

To finish off the third quarter, and to have some fun during the CMTs, Mrs.Baker’s and Mrs. Sanzo’s honors classes are doing scaled drawings of cartoon characters! This project teaches students how to transfer drawings to scale using math skills. On March 13th, all of these classes were introduced to the cartoon project. Many students have started this project with unusual excitement. There are cartoons ranging from the old and timeless Felix the Cat to the new and well-known Phineas and Ferb. Tiny pictures of these characters are turned into beautiful, larger drawings that could stand out anywhere.
Throughout the years, students have enjoyed this project because it not only gives them the chance to draw their favorite carton characters, but it also takes their minds off of the CMTs. Best of all is the fact that no matter how hard drawing might be for a student, everyone who does this project comes out with perfect pictures!

TMS Celebrates World Language Month by Zoe Beckley and Gina Vaccarelli

March is World Language Month. The Spanish and French teachers in the school organized many activities to celebrate this time. All students who take a foreign language were welcome to participate. One activity was a poster or collage contest. The students could have entered their posters or collages that represented the theme which was “World Language: Gateway to the Global Marketplace”. Another activity held was the International Food Fair. This was held on March 29th after school, and the people who came had to bring a food representing a culture from around the world. Students’ families were also able to join them. For the Trivia Contest, held three Mondays and Fridays in March, the students could win prizes by answering questions about world languages or cultures that were read during the morning announcements. The final activity was a cultural assembly, it took place on April 2nd. The Peruvian musical group, Inkawasi performed traditional music of the Andes and demonstrated various musical instruments. The month was very exciting for the world language students.

STUDENT COUNCIL REPORT by Evyn Callahan

Once again, the Tyrrell Middle School Student Council has organized a successful fundraiser for the March of Dimes. From February 27th to the 3rd of March, Student Council members went around to homerooms selling estimation sheets so that the students could guess how many dimes were in the jar. The winner received a pizza party for themselves and five friends in Mrs. Kotwicki’s FCS room during their lunch period. The money from this fundraiser was submitted to the March of Dimes to help with research and medical costs for children born prematurely. In the end, the students of Tyrrell were gladly able to say they raised $72 for a very worthwhile charity.

Going Outside in February? by Angie Santos

On February 13, 2012, Tyrrell students who earned their Star Wars Reward got to go outside for a brief fifteen minute break. Although many states suffered the chilling temperatures a normal winter would bring, an average of twenty-eight degrees, Connecticut wouldn’t stand for that kind of weather. We were lucky enough to stay at a warm and cozy fifty-two degrees! While students in these other states were suffering, Tyrrell’s students spotted the long-forgotten grass with laughter and happiness since they haven’t gone outside during school in the longest while.
Kaitlyn Lofgren, a seventh grader in Mrs. Sanzo’s homeroom said, “ It was nice to go outside since we were trapped inside all winter. Most students agreed with Kaitlyn and thought it was great to be outside and to get fresh air. Whether it was to play ball or just roam the field with friends, it was sure nice to take a look at the outside world and have the chance to spend time with school friends.
So far we’ve handled snow in October, a delayed Halloween, and spring-like temperatures in February. What’s next, snow in July?

Mime Presentation by Matt Mastropietro

In January, Robert Rivest came to Tyrrell Middle School to perform a mime presentation aimed at teaching students about reading. It helped them learn how certain expressions help tell a reader how the character in the story feels. The mime did many amazing things. First, he showed students some of his basic talents. He pretended he was stuck in a box, pretended he was playing tug-of-war, and even asked students to play a “pretend” game of baseball with him!. All the performances he did looked very real! He picked lots of students to come up on stage and follow exactly what he was doing. It was almost like Simon Says except he didn't say anything. Finally, he played out scenes of books. He played many characters throughout the scenes. His performances looked so real. Truly, all of the students enjoyed the show.

Mardi Gras Comes to TMS

Students in all French classes had fun celebrating Mardi Gras at the end of February. They learned about the history and traditions of this holiday, as well as the various ways it is celebrated in different areas of the French-speaking world. Students cooked and sampled foods associated with the holiday, and created their own masks and jesters.
Each class then voted for the most beautiful, most original, and best Mardi Gras themed masks, as well as for the best jester.

Greek Day by Anthony DeLuco & Brennan Zynda

As of this writing, this year’s Greek Day is planned for April 5th, 2012. This is an exhilarating day for all seventh graders, one they look forward to all year long. The seventh grade homerooms are competing to win the title of Ultimate Gods/Goddesses. Although the homeroom teachers usually get along very well, they will have on their game faces come April 5th! The homeroom teacher gods and goddesses on the Granite team include: Mrs. Simon as Zeus wearing the color yellow, Ms. Bourdeau as Aphrodite with the color pink, Mrs. Baker as Poseidon with the color blue, Ms. Wry as Hermes with the color black, and finally Mr. Rocca as Ares with the color red. For the Marble team Mr. Toller is Hades sporting grey as his color, Mrs. Werenko as Artemis with the color white, Mrs. Mumley as Dionysus with the color purple, Mrs. Sanzo as Apollo with the color of orange, and last but not least, Mrs. Trovato as Athena will be dressed in the color of green.
In preparation of the event several challenges were held. One challenge gave the students a chance to create a T-shirt design for the 2012 Greek Day event. The winners, Cynthia Diaz and Melisa Tupkusic, received extra points for their homeroom. Another exciting event before Greek Day was the Penny Wars. The rules were that the homeroom with the most pennies in their jar would win a pizza party for their homeroom. Mrs. Trovato was the past winner for two years in a row, but the other homerooms are looking to defeat this champion!
On the actual Greek Day there will be a variety of activities. In the morning, storyteller, Jeff Benoit, will be performing “Chariot of the Sun,” a mythological show. Also, the seventh grade homerooms will be taking part in various games against each other to get points for their homerooms. Then, in the afternoon, students will be competing in the Homeroom vs. Homeroom Olympics. The winner will receive the trophy currently held by Mrs. Werenko, a Marble Team English teacher. There are other solo competition prizes for students to win. So get ready for competition, get on your war face, let’s hear your battle cry...and let the games begin!

World Education Games by Emily Cofrancesco

In early March, Tyrrell Project Explore students competed in a world-wide competition to raise money for U.N.I.C.E.F, a global humanitarian relief organization, which provides children with education, health care, clean water, food, and plenty more. The 6th grade students competed in a spelling competition, the 7th graders were in a math competition, and the 8th graders competed in science. The 8th grade came in 12th in the world competing as a team, and Matt Stojanov placed an amazing 33rd out of 1.57 million students around the world! Matthew will receive the Ruby Award, while Tyrrell will receive the prestigious Gold Award.
All of the students were glad to help the United Nations in their humanitarian efforts, and had lots of fun doing it! Megan Doubleday, a competitor in the math competition said, “It felt great to know I was using my knowledge to help less fortunate children.”
Together, Tyrrell raised enough money to send one "School-in-a-Box" which sends basic school supplies like chalkboards, globes, rulers, clocks, pencils, notebooks, and more to help kids learn just like us. The 8th grade Project Explore students saw a sample of a School-In-A-Box last year when they visited the United Nations on a field trip to New York City.

Animals In the Building? By Autumn Briglia & Selena Capozzi & Raven Cody

Do you think you know all of Peru’s incredible animals in all the different regions? From sloths to llamas to dolphins, the sixth grade Spanish classes and Señorita Martineau learned about the different animals living in different regions. Not only did they learn, but also made creative masks to go with it. All the students in room 404, during the month of January, were able to pick what animal they wanted, from an assigned region like las moñtanas, la costa, and el desierto. In class they spent several weeks learning about Peru from many powerpoints, and decided this would be an interesting way to wrap up the lesson. The students created the masks out of construction paper, tracers, and other crafty materials. This experience helped the students expand their knowledge about Peru’s environment.

Owl Pellet Dissection By William Platt & Michael Polzella

The students in Mr. Jones’ and Mrs. Bove-Virr’s science classes dissected owl pellets in March. The students had been learning about the food web and the owl pellets were a good way for the students to see exactly what the owls had digested. In preparation for the activity, the students performed virtual owl pellet dissections online. When it came time for the real dissection, each student paired up with a partner and got their own owl pellet to dissect. An owl pellet is formed after an owl eats its meal and it regurgitates the parts that cannot be eaten such as bones, fur, and feathers. These are most of the things that the students found in the pellets. When the pairs finished their dissections, they had the opportunity to take home anything they found in their pellets. This was a great and fun experience for all the students.

Math Shape Project By Jessica Bylyku, Jayda Cavanaugh, & Regan Richard

“I’m going to name mine Colorful Mr. Buggy!” says a 6th grade Diamond Team student in Mrs. Cox’s math class. In the last few weeks, students have been testing their symmetrical skills by creating monsters out of the many shapes they recently learned. The students had the opportunity to use tracers, because these projects had to be just perfect! In fact, Mrs. Cox was going to be testing symmetrical skills, so students had to be absolutely positive that everything in their design was smooth and symmetrical. The purpose of this fun activity was to teach students about the new polygons and their symmetry. It was also a way to review for the upcoming CMTs. What perfect timing! Students in Mr. Goldstone’s classes also did the activity. There were restrictions on the designs, a certain number of each shape the students had to use, and they had to be creative! “You can name your creation whatever you would like, as long as you don’t name it Mrs. Cox!,” joked the hilarious Mrs. Cox. I must say there were some very unique and interesting creations! All 6th graders were entertained and delighted by this magnificent project!

Who's Your Inner Super Hero? by Donaven Bianchi, Marek Czyzycki, and Kyle Graveline

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no it’s a super hero, here to save the day! In Mrs. Nicol’s and Mrs. Mascetti-Johnson’s classes, all of the sixth grade students are creating super heroes who save the world from all of the everyday injustices. The purpose of this activity is to learn about theme by creating a Seuss-like character such as the characters found in The Lorax and The Sneetches. These super heroes have three special powers and character traits that help them fight for their cause. For example, Crime Buster, Grandma Betty Whiteman, and Dr. Dollar fight their own villains like Swiper the Box, The Grumpy Old Mole, and Peggy Cat Burglar. Students are really enjoying creating posters and puppets to go along with their favorite super heroes. Do you know who your inner super hero is? Do you know a cause worth fighting for?

Lights, Camera, Action! by Ethan Pernal & Domenic Setaro

Have you seen eighth grade Project Explore students working with tripods in the hallways? Well, that is because they have been learning about videography by creating and editing their very own videos! Students have learned how to properly utilize a videocamera as well as iMovie, a program similar to MovieMaker, except on the Mac. Although the project was a handful at times, everyone finally got their creative juices flowing and made their projects a great success. The creativity and personalities of the students shine through in the diversity of the projects. For instance, one group acted out a mock presidential debate, due to their keen
interest in politics. Another group used their sense of humor to create a skit abouta genie and a lamp. Others produced spoofs on books,movies, TV commercials, and TV news. One group even filmed a video of“Tyrrell After Dark”. NickRoth, “enjoyed the challenge of the project.” Most groups are just finishing up voice-overs, sound effects, and music. Then they will get to see each other’s work—something everyone is looking forward to! The projects allowed everyone to work together, help each other out, share talents, and have a great time.

Class Dojo? by Maia Regan & Taylor Riviezzo

What is Class Dojo you ask? Just one of the best reward systems for the sixth grade Diamond and Platinum Teams! With this website, teachers can collect data and keep track of their students’ behavior in class. For example, if students are misbehaving, they will get negative points, which decreases their individual and class scores. Throughout the year, teachers will set goals, and if students meet those goals, they will receive rewards based on the number of points they earn. Being that teachers don’t have to stop teaching to talk to students about not talking and staying on task, Class Dojo is a good way to remind students about behavior without actually reminding them about behavior!

The Hunger Games...a movie review by Lauren Romeo

The highly anticipated movie of the popular trilogy, The Hunger Games, hit theaters this March. The action packed, yet romantic blockbuster stars Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, Josh Hutcherson, as Peeta, Katniss’ fellow tribute (who also happens to be madly in love with her), and Liam Hemsworth as Gale, Katniss’ longtime friend and hunting partner. The movie, very similar to the book, deals with touchy subjects such as war, politics, love, and morals. The movie is rated PG-13 for some disturbing content, but in a way it is that edgy content that draws the viewer in, and leads them to experience the rollercoaster of emotions conveyed by the many members of the Hunger Games. Even though it is rare for a movie to be as good as its book, this film definitely measures up. Additionally, its action and romance targets both boys and girls, therefore offering something for everyone.

GLEE... a TV review by Lauren Romeo

Glee is a musical drama-comedy about a group of outcasts joined together by their glee club, New Directions. This club is led by the school’s Spanish teacher, Will Schuester. The show mainly follows Rachael Berry and her fiancé Finn Hudson, but also other glee club members and New Direction’s archenemy Sue Sylvester, coach of the Cheerio Cheerleaders.This is a fantastic show for teens and adults to watch for a number of reasons. One reason is because it offers a wide variety of music that anyone can enjoy. and there are always new songs in every episode. Additionally, the intense and true-to-life plotlines add that perfect touch that gets you hooked. You can’t help connecting to at least one of the characters, because they all have something about them that makes them seem very real.For these reasons and beyond, I highly recommend watching this fantastic show, which returns in early April for season 4. You’ve got nothing to lose!

Music Review: The Hunger Games by Brennan Zynda

“Welcome to the seventy-fourth annual Hunger Games! And remember, may the odds be ever in your favor.” While Katniss and Peeta are struggling to survive, there is an appropriate song to go along with their each and every move. You may like this movie’s soundtrack if you like Indie Rock. I would give this soundtrack two out of five stars. It was too slow for me, and was very much like an opera in the first song. After that, the songs were a bit faster but were also somewhat like country music, which I don’t like. Some of the artists include Maroon 5, Taylor Swift, and Miranda Lambert. There was also a song by Kid Cudi, a rapper. “The Ruler and the Killer,” by Kid Cudi and “Come Away to the Water,” by Maroon 5 were quicker paced. This is why I would give this track 2 stars, but you should check it out for yourself!

The Death Cure by Serena Charbonneau

This heart-stopping tale consists of mystery and suspense that will have you hooked until the very last page. The final book in the Maze Runner Trilogy, called The Death Cure, brings back a character we have known in previous chapters, Thomas, the child with an incredible, genius mind who has escaped from the “Maze” and is now a prisoner in a dull, jail-like cell to which he is confined. Little does he know that his life is at stake. The descriptive writing in this book is unbelievable, and it reads exactly like a movie... while you’re reading it, it will become your reality. This story deals with the flare, an incurable, human disease that is extremely dangerous and deadly. Who will survive? Who is immune to this horrific sickness? Of course, you will have to read the book to find out. I highly recommend this to readers who enjoy fiction, and most of all, the chance to imagine themselves in a completely different world. This is such an unbelievably original book, and that, in my opinion, makes it the best book in the series.

TMS Dance Team Goes Undefeated!!! by Morgan Veronesi

Recently, the season for the TMS Dance Team came to an end. The girls were very successful, and because of all of their hard work they came out undefeated! They went to three different competitions, and scored the highest in their division for each of them.
There were forty members on the team, a great mixture of sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. The team also had four team captains that put pep in their step before each competition. They were great examples to the younger girls in showing them what it’s like to be a leader and a dancer. Keeping track of all of the members, were four coaches - Mrs. Albini, Mrs. Carroll, Mrs. Boutote and Mrs. Weber.
In preparation of the competitions in January and February, the team needed some great choreography. The choreographer who worked with the girls was Leona Janetty. When the team’s run was over they had the annual end of the year banquet where everyone got a trophy for being on the team. The eighth graders were also given a flower as a sendoff. But they will never be forgotten. The team will always remember all of the wonderful times they shared
together as a team!

TMS Teacher Trivia...by Christie Allison & Joe Daddona

· ONJES– has a small yarn owl _ _ _ _ _
· ORCAC– LOVES food _ _ _ _ _
· YWR– has awesome band-aids _ _ _
· OLGSONDET– coaches Cross-Country and Track _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
· ENPAT– loves music! _ _ _ _ _
· CELOUCL– is on Team Edward for Twilight! _ _ _ _ _ _ _
· ERTRY– plays guitar _ _ _ _ _
· ELKYES– can juggle! _ _ _ _ _ _
· ARGUBS– LOVES Perry the Platypus _ _ _ _ _ _
· ISFH– Katherine’s dad _ _ _ _
· UMYLEM– Jane Austen fan _ _ _ _ _ _
· OURBEADU- Loves John Mayer _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
· ASTNERSI– J’adore la chien _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

My Awful March Birthday by Steven Urbanski

Every year, starting in third grade, I have had an awful gift for my birthday. You may wonder what it is. It is three little letters that makes everyone cringe. This is what we call the CMTs. Then for days I am stuck taking tests for hours on end. There is no way to escape them. Some like to consider it as Childrens’ Mind Torture not Connecticut Mastery Test. I just consider it the worst birthday gift ever...every year, same time, same place, same bubbles!

Students of the Month

February
Emma Adduci, Bianca Bartoli
Serena Charbonneau, Mason Cipriano
Hannah Critelli, Mark Emons
Caitlin Frosolone, Alyssa Gorman
Gabby Leary, Christopher Maisto
Joshua Rapisarda, Rachael Schippani



March
Alen Bosnic, Anthony DeLuco
Emma Gargano, Michael Harkin
Jessica Irizarry, Emily Janiero
Jonathan Maldonado, Ryan Pawlak
Michael Perrault, Emma Reagan
Nicholas Roth, Michael Roy