The Holiday Break

Everyone here at the Garrison School is anticipating that well-deserved holiday break in which we can all enjoy the holiday season with our friends, family, and neighbors. The break starts with an early dismissal at 11:15 next Thursday. The Winter recess goes from the 24th of December to the 31st. Students come back to class on January 3rd.

It is also very exciting to see that snow has already fallen and stuck to the ground. A couple of years ago the snow came very late, but it seems that this year is.....different.

On another festive note, today is a birthday of one of the bloggers for the Cougar Times who just turned a "staggering' 14 years old today. John Swartzwelder of the eighth grade reported that he feels awfully old and in just a couple of years he will be able to drive. John is one of the older students in his class because he was born on 1996. Most of the other kids were born in 1997. John also says that it is different having a birthday in winter, especially so close to Christmas.

"I guess it's nice to see my family twice during the Christmas season and who can complain with the presents!" he said.

Well, happy birthday to John and to all the students and faculty....enjoy the Winter Break! We'll be back to see you again.

Thank you.--John

Blue Ribbon School: Ohh Yes We Are

What an accomplishment it is to be called a Blue Ribbon School! The students here at Garrison are very excited about this. We can all agree that to be a Blue Ribbon School, it requires a strong student body and administration.

The students are taught the qualities of getting involved with our community. For example, the students held a "Cupcakes for a Cause" bake sale and helped provide earthquake relief in Chile. We even held coat drives for people who need them most. The teachers do a great job trying to re-enforce this. Garrison Union Free School also depends on our School Board and school District. Because of the participation from everyone, our school was awarded a Blue Ribbon.

I'm very pleased to know that the faculty, administration, and students before us who attended Garrison would be proud of us and this moment. They look at us, the students, and know that we are an extraordinary group of well-educated people.--John

MIX IT UP WEEK!

Mix It Up Week is now over. We had a week of fun. The week started out with wearing our pajamas to school. Then we mixed up our friends. On Wednesday we got a color and then we had to sit at the table that our card color was. Not everybody liked the table they were sitting at, but they got along and made new friends. Now on Friday our teachers switched up. We had a lot of fun this week. We are hoping we might have a Spirit Week. Our principal was looking into it.

Yours truly,
Olivia

Opinion: The water fountain drama!

Hello Garrison,

I'm here for another posting on the best blog in the WORLD! I have a problem: I don't like the water fountain. I believe that at least one water dispenser should be put in the middle school hallway. I don't like the water fountain because the water tastes weird. Does anybody agree with me? I wanted one because the adults have one in the lounge, and I think students should have one to. That's all for today! Bye!

-Olivia

Welcome New Staff Members!

Hi my name is Olivia. I will be interviewing John, an eighth-grade senior. Here is what John told me when I asked him some questions about journalism:

John, why did you decide to do journalism?
"I decided to join because I wanted to do something new."

What other activities are you involved with?
"I love to participate in school sports with my teammates. I also am involved with community service and other school electives."

One more question; John, do you have time?
"Yes, I have time."

What are some topics you would like to write about?
"I would like to write about important things going on in the school and in the community."

Thank you for taking the time to read my interview with John, and thank you, John, for speaking with me.

Hi, my name is John, and I'm a student at the Garrison School in the eighth grade. I'm here to interview a new student, Olivia. Here is the feedback Olivia gave me when I asked her some questions regarding the elective journalism:

Why did you want to do journalism?
"I decided to join journalism because I love to write and my favorite class is Reading with Mr. Berger. It's something I've always wanted to try."

What other activities are you involved with at the Garrison School and in the community?
"I love gymnastics and participate in my school's various arrangement of electives."

What are some topics you want to write about in journalism?
"I would like to inform Garrison about the students' birthdays and talk about important things going on in the school, outside of the community and around the world."

Thank you so much, Olivia, for your time, and I hope you enjoy the elective journalism as much as we do!

Finally, The End

By Spencer and Micah

THE END OF THE YEAR IS ALMOST HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The students are excited. The finals have arrived, which makes everyone nervous, but finals also mark the end of the year.

This being the last post of the year, we are ending with a note about students' and staff members' summer plans. The Heitmann brothers say they are going to Cape Cod, Florida and New Hampshire. Tim in eighth grade says he plans to go to Vermont over the summer. Other places that might be visited are Montana, North Carolina, Montauk, Virginia and West Virginia.

We personally are going to go to Maine and Cape Cod (Spencer) and Japan (Micah). Micah's mom spent a year living in Japan and the whole family is now returning to experience the culture. Both of our vacations are (hopefully) going to be very exciting.

The end is finally here; school is over in about two weeks and there won't be any more posts, so this is goodbye from Micah and Spencer till next fall....

The Big Blue Night

By Micah and Spencer

This year's Spring Band and Chorus Concert was in many peoples' opinion, the best or one of the best Garrison school concerts. The Middle School Jazz Band was joined by professional musicians Raul Wessely, Al Hemberger and Tommy McDonnell, of the Blues Brothers Band. It was a great night and a great performance.

Today, June 2, is the reward for the middle school performers, the reason many people signed up in the first place for band or chorus: THE TRIP! Last year's trip was to the musical "Mama Mia." This year, all of the students in middle school who participated in band or chorus are going to see the Blue Man Group. The two of us get to go on the trip because we played trumpet in both band and jazz band.

Everyone that is going is PUMPED! We will see the show at the Astor Place Theatre in New York City. People are even more excited because we are sitting in poncho seats, where you get all different colors of paint thrown all over you. Many expect it to be a fun performance (and a fun bus ride). Also, there is no homework for the middle school because we leave at 4:00 p.m. and get back around midnight. Everyone is looking forward to it. It's going to be a great night!

A New Member!!!

By Spencer

Hello, all you Cougar Times fans! Say hello to our new member, Micah! He will be helping me with the blog from now on. So be prepared for double the action twice a week with back-to-back posts. If you recall, we featured him in two stories here at the blog: the story about In Motion because he's a singer in that band and on top of that he was the mastermind behind the homework petition. So, just like Mrs. Rowe asked me, I'm going to do a little Q&A with Micah right now:

S: So what do you hope to do with the blog?

M: I hope to carry it out and make it better!

S: So Micah, if you had to pick one favorite moment from 2010 so far what would it be?

M: In Motion's Performance at the Middle School Dance. I had a blast.

S: What is your favorite food?

M: Tasty food!

S: So good luck, Micah! I look forward to working with you.

M: Thanks, Spencer, same to you!

Editorial: NO MORE TESTS!

By Micah

Finally, the onslaught is over. After over a month of preparation, all of the state tests finished today, May 12, 2010. The state tests this year, like any other year, were brutal because of too much homework on top of test preparation. Over a month, there is a time of overflowing homework and conflicting schedules. The problem with this was that both tests were just one week apart from each other, three weeks in a row.

First came the ELA or English Language Arts tests, then came the math tests, and a week later were the field tests, a combination of both. All of the state tests, in my opinion, have a larger bark than bite. Their reputations are terrible, but the actual tests are not that bad. I think most students would be fine with just two weeks of preparation. Let me clarify one thing for all of the readers: THE TESTS ARE NOT THAT HARD.

Even so, the time of year during the tests is always a time of increased teacher observations. Even though the tests are not that hard, it's great just to have them out of the way, just because it brings all of us students that much closer to the end of the year.

In Motion

By Spencer
On Friday April 23, the band In Motion played the Garrison Middle School dance. The band played four songs: ''Twist and Shout'' by the Beatles, "Can't Stand Losing You" by the Police, "Thank You (For Letting Me Be Mice Elf)" by Sly and the Family Stone and "If I Had Eyes" by Jack Johnson. In Motion is made up of four eighth graders and one seventh grader. Tim S. plays bass, Tim H. plays drums, Richard plays guitar, Jackson plays saxophone and piano, Colin is on lead vocals and Micah, the seventh grader, also sings. Overall, I thought the band's performance was fantastic. The way the band played I felt like I was at a real concert. They sounded really good and were very in tune with each other, which is crucial for a good performance. The band members are also very musically talented individually and play many instruments. Colin especially sounded like a real singer for a band because he had an all around good voice. I would definitely see the band again and, for all you music listeners, I would look out for the band in the near future.

Spring Break

By Spencer


As you all know, Spring Break is right around the corner. Here are a few places where people are going:

Drew from 6th grade is going to Lake Placid.

Wil from 6th grade is going to Florida.

Cooper from 7th grade is not going anywhere.

Emily from 7th grade is going to Florida.

Isabella from 7th grade is going to California.

Garret from 7th grade is going whitewater rafting.

Jackson from 8th grade is not going anywhere.

Ramsey from 7th grade is going to Florida.

Peter from 7th grade is not going anywhere.

And I'm going to South Carolina!

iPad Out Next Month

By Spencer
















Over the last few weeks there has been a lot of buzz floating around about the new Apple iPad multimedia tablet. The iPad is basically a bigger version of the iPod Touch but with more advanced features. You can choose from more than 150,000 apps in the App Store that will run on the iPad, including entertainment apps, productivity apps, social networking apps, games and more. The iPad also has a lot of new features on it, including new apps designed specifically for the device. The newest feature is the new Apple Book Store, which is where you can buy and download books.

The iPad starts at $499 but goes up in price depending on the speed and memory. Here are the prices:
16GB: $499
32GB: $599
64GB: $799
16GB with 3G: $629
32GB with 3G: $729
64GB with 3G: $829

It looks like the iPad was designed for college kids because you can download books, music and apps all in one place. The iPad is good to buy if you are someone on the go who wants something more portable than a laptop. I would buy it because it has so many new apps and the bigger screen will be more fun. The iPad is expected to be available in early April.

Doug Banker: A Local Hero

By Spencer



On Wednesday, January 27, 2010, I had the privilege of meeting with a man named Doug Banker at his Garrison home overlooking the Hudson River. At around 10 a.m., I pulled up at his driveway and he greeted me with a warm smile. I introduced myself and then we got down to talking about the night of November 23, 2009.

That night, Mr. Banker, his daughter Jeannie and her husband John were getting off at the Garrison train station from the city at around 9:33 p.m. As they were crossing the overpass that leads to the river side of the train tracks, they heard a faint "help" in the distance. Walking toward the sound, they eventually found a drowning man off the Garrison Yacht Club pier. The man was wearing a heavy leather jacket and was flailing his arms. Doug and his son-in-law tried to help the man by giving him a tree branch to grab on to, but he was too delirious to understand what to do. While this was going on, Jeannie called 911.

During the 20 to 25 minutes before the Garrison Volunteer Fire Company arrived, Mr. Banker was lying face down on the dock holding the man's hand. He and John delivered words of reassurance to the man. When the fire department got there, they used a ladder to fish the man out. In the end, after being treated by the Garrison Volunteer Ambulance Corps, the man was eventually sent to Hudson Vally Hospital Center. After the whole ordeal was over, Doug found a cross and a pair of gloves on the dock.

Mr. Banker ended up with a couple of badly bruised ribs from holding the heavy man for so long. I was struck by how humble Mr. Banker was when he recalled the evening. He said it all seemed to happen so quickly. It's pretty amazing that he not only heard the sound of the man's cry but also actually took the extra step to check it out.

On Thursday, February 4, 2010, the Garrison Volunteer Fire Company presented Mr. Banker with a Lifesaver award for his actions that night.

February Fury

A birdfeeder made out of recycled materials during an environmental studies workshop hangs on the porch of second-grader Anna during the winter storm of February '10.

Cat Rock, Garrison, New York, on the eve of the February storm.

Photos by Mrs. Rowe

Girls Basketball

By Lana

The girls basketball team has had a pretty good season this year. It was an improvement from last year, when, sadly, they didn't win any games. So far we've won two games against Dover and Pawling. We still have three games left; two are away and one is at home at 4:15 p.m. on Feb. 9. Come out and support the team!

Click here for full schedule:

http://sportspakdb.lhric.org/gameschedule.asp?school=GARR&sport=GBB&level=M&startMonth=11&startDay=3&startYear=2009&endMonth=3&endDay=3&endYear=2010&printthis=1&ShowScores=false&AllVisitors=false&Run=1

Board President's Homework Notes

Garrison School Board President Anita Prentice has added to the discussion of Middle School homework with the following blog post:

http://www.gufs.org/blogs/aprentice/post/2010/01/A-Homework-Conversation

Play Then Eat?

By Lana

A recent New York Times article titled "Play Then Eat: Shift May Bring Gains at School" has brought an interesting topic to my attention. I have never really thought about having recess and then lunch. But as I read the article, I began to think about it. It seems like a great idea for students in elementary school but I don't think it matters to older kids in middle school. I wouldn't like the idea myself. After classes in the morning, I'm starving and I just want to eat. If we had recess first, I wouldn't even be able to enjoy it because I'm so hungry. I think that it makes a difference to younger students, though, because they look forward to recess more. That's what they look forward to all day. For older kids, we don't care that much about having recess. We just like to socialize and get a break, which is what we can do at lunch. But it sounds like a great idea for little kids because it gets out their hyper energy and urge to play so that when lunch comes they'll actually sit down and eat and not rush through their lunch.

See the full text of the New York Times article through the link below:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/health/26well.html?scp=1&sq=recess%20lunch%20study&st=cse

Helping Haiti

By Emily and Isabella

Middle School teachers Mr. Berger and Ms. Akhondzadeh are collecting money for an organization called Doctors Without Borders. This organization goes around and helps and cares for people that are hurt and wounded. This group was in Haiti before the disastrous earthquake hit, and now they are helping the people of Haiti. If you would like to make a donation, please put the money in a sealed envelope and give it to Mr. Berger or Ms. Akhondzadeh. This money is due by February 28, 2010.

Midterm Study Tips

By Lana

As you know, midterms are right around the corner. This is a very stressful time for students. But here are some good study tips:

Make flashcards of all the key terms and people.
Have people, such as friends or family members, quiz you.
Spend at least 45 minutes a night studying (about 10 minutes per subject.)
Study in a quiet place with no distractions.
And most importantly, don't wait until the last minute to start studying!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you follow these tips, you'll be sure to ace the midterms.

Good Luck to everyone!!

Friday: English
Monday: Social Studies
Tuesday: Spanish
Wednesday: nothing
Thursday: Science
Friday: Math

Update: Homework Petition

By Spencer

Several of my fellow students and I talked to principal Mrs. Impellittiere about the petition. We explained our reasons for making the petition in the first place, including the concern that it takes too long to complete on days where there are other after-school activities. After half a period of talking, we came to the agreement that there needs to be more communication between the teachers about assigning homework. Especially on days when there are sports events. We are scheduled to meet again some time next week to work out more details.

See earlier post for details:
http://cougartimes.blogspot.com/2010/01/garrison-middle-school-students-ask-for.html

Resolved

By Emily

Many students and teachers have New Year's resolutions. Some include getting better grades, others to be a better person. One person would like to get on a high honor roll throughout the whole year. Two people would like to do better in school. One girl would like to donate money to a charity that is close to her. At the same time, one girl would like to earn more money. Some people would like to improve their character. One teacher would like to remember more often what it was like to be a teenager.

Good luck! I hope you fulfill your New Year's resolutions.

Garrison Middle School Students Ask for Less Homework

By Spencer

Garrison Middle School students are asking for less homework. Today a petition was circulated by middle school students calling for less homework. It has been signed by 42 students and counting. My classmates and I expect that the petition will be signed by most students in the middle school. Sometime this week the petition will be presented to Mrs. I by two 7th-grade students. I personally signed the document, because after talking to my fellow students, we all agree that the homework is way too much. This is especially the case for students who play a sport or have other after-school commitments. The student handbook says 45 minutes to one hour for a 6th grader and one hour to one and a half hours for 7th graders and at most 2 hours for 8th graders. The students who signed the petition have found that they are spending more than this estimate of time.