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.

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

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.

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

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.

Thanksgiving Visits, Getaways

By Isabella and Spencer

I'm staying home, and my grandmother is coming.-Kaan, 7th grade

I'm going to Florida with family and seeing "The Blind Side" and "New Moon."-Kelsey, 6th grade

Going to Grandma's house with relatives and having Thanksgiving dinner.-Georgia, 8th grade

I'm going to Mexico on a cruise with my mom and dad.-Jason, 6th grade

Staying home and looking forward to eating a lot of food.-Tim, 8th grade

Looking forward to seeing relatives, and staying home this year-Jack, 6th grade

Looking forward to going to aunt's house. I've been going to my aunt's house for almost 20 years now. Looking forward to having very little responsibilities, eating lots of foods, watching many movies, and hoping to get some time to act like a kid again.-Mr. Berger, Middle School English teacher

8th Graders' Ready For Philly!

By Lana

Always wanted to go and I'm very exicited!-Georgia

Looking foward to going and learning about the history that took place there.-Megan


Unfortunately, I won't be going to Philadelphia, but I will be going on a Caribbean Cruise, which I am very excited about!-Emma

Update on School Absences

By Staff

We've noticed that some of our classmates who got the flu have been out for just a day or two over the last week while others have been out for several days at a time. It seems to be affecting people differently.

School Superintendent Gloira Colucci sent an email to parents today updating them on the number of illnesses that have been reported this week. Here is her latest report:

While we had a relatively low number of clustered illnesses last week, we did experience an increased number of absences on Monday. Today's absentee list is still a long one, but the numbers are down from Monday. Our school nurse, Judy Dunstan reports that there are still a variety of reasons for the absences and parents are being cautious. The elementary grades have more presumed H1N1 cases while several middle school school parents are also reporting cases of strep throats as well as bad colds and coughs. We advise parents to check in with your practioners to rule out other viruses or bacterial infections and get the appropriate medication. We continue to monitor the number and types of illnesses and clean and disinfect surfaces throughout the day and in the evening. We are also in daily contact with the Putnam County Health Department.

For more health information, visit:

GUFS Flu Update Resource Page
http://www.gufs.org/site_res_view_folder.aspx?id=ddde0890-c2de-476a-a5a0-cf20fd77305f

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/

Putnam County Health Department
http://www.putnamcountyny.com/health/

Philly Trip Postponed

By Staff

School Principal Mrs. Impellittiere announced today that, in light of the number of eighth-grade students who are absent, Mrs. Foppiano was able to reschedule the trip to Philadelphia to NOVEMBER 23. The eighth graders WILL NOT be going to Philadelphia tomorrow, November 5, but will be going on November 23. All times for departure and returning are the same. Eighth graders were disappointed because they were looking forward to the trip but also like the new date because it runs right into the Thanksgiving break.

Look Out! Headless Horseman Hayride 2009

By Isabella

Calling all Middle Schoolers!!! The haunted hayride is coming up, and it's going to be very scary. Click on the link below to see just how scary. For all the students who are not in Middle School, this is for you too. I've heard that it gets more scary every day. The sixth, seventh and eighth graders are going on the night of Friday Oct. 23. We'll be traveling to Ulster County, NY. Hopefully we won't have to leave early like last year!

http://www.headlesshorseman.com/index.php

Welcome Back to School--and a New Cougar Times!

Dear every child in the Garrison School,

We are the new staff of the Cougar Times for the 2009-2010 school year. We'd like to introduce ourselves:

Lana, 8th grade, Art & Design Director

"I am new to the Garrison School district and am now a part of the school blog. I love to write. I hope to make the blog really interesting for everyone in the whole school to read."

Isabella, 7th grade, News & Features Editor

"Hey. I have never blogged before so this is my first time. I am writing for our school online newspaper. I am interested in blogging because I can say what's on my mind and share with everyone. My goal is to have more people look at the site."

Emily, 7th grade, Polls & Gadgets Editor

"Hello! I just started to blog. This is my first blog. I have always loved writing, and I especially love writing about current events. This interests me because I love to write. I would like to inform people about the school and other current events such as sports, youth center events and field trips."

Spencer, 7th grade, Sports & Entertainment Editor

"Hi. I'm a new member of the Garrison School journalism community. I really have no idea why I signed up for this elective other than the fact that it looked very interesting. I hope that by the end of this year more people will read the blog. I will bring more fun ideas to the blog like music reviews and other cool stuff."

High School Picks

By Nicklas

So, where will all the 8th graders be next year?

Drum roll, please.....

James I. O'Neill High School

Chris
Maddie
Ali
Skye
Julie
Olivia
Montsy
Richard
Chloe
Skyler
Manny

Haldane High School

Frank
Matthew
Nicklas
Simon
Connor
Drew
Jake
Eryn
Lindy
Kady
Hannah
Sarah
Robby
Nicholas
Libby
Ander

The Masters School

Avery
Jack
Graydon
Lianna
Phillip
Casey
Elizabeth
Justin

In Conclusion: 2009 Science Fair Winners

By Chloe & Nicklas

The 2009 Science Fair was full of interesting projects. All the projects were very well presented. The projects were all different. Some were about onions, and some were about crystal. Congratulations to the following students whose projects will advance to the all-county competition:

Grades 2-4

Physics

Ethan, Mrs. Timmons' 4th grade: "Can magnetism flow through liquid in 3D?"

Biology

Eddie-Joe, Mrs. Moscati's 3rd grade: "How Does Television Affect Homework?"

Chemistry

Amanda, Mrs. Kuchera's 4th grade: "Does price affect which nail polish lasts longer?"

Grades 5-8 Winners

Earth Science

Tim, Mr. Berger's 7th grade: "What is the driving force behind ocean currents, water temperature or salinity?"

Physics

Kady, Ms. Akhondzadeh's 8th grade: "Which type of lightbulb, incandescent, compact fluorescent or LED, gives off the brightest light, most heat and has the most energy efficacy?"

Chemistry

Philip Disarro and Jack Revkin, Ms. Water's and Ms. Klubnick's 5th grade: "What liquid coating makes a bar of soap slide the fastest and farthest?"

Biology

Micah, Mr. Keegan's 6th grade: "How effective is Rooibos tea as an antimicrobial?"

Environment

Samantha, Mrs. MacEnroe's 7th grade: "What fertilizer pollutes our water system the most?"

Congratulations to the elementary and middle school science fair winners. You did a great job on your work!

Special Report: All Wired Up

By The Cougar Times Staff

Nearly all of the 36 students in the Garrison School's eighth-grade class have their own cell phones, according to a survey by the Cougar Times. Many students in lower grades also carry cell phones.

Here are some of the types of cell phones and plans that students are using:

A Motorola Razr with unlimited texting and 500 minutes shared with siblings.

A Verizon LG Dare with unlimited texting and 500 calling minutes.

A yellow Verizon Chocolate with no texting and 500 minutes.

A Verizon EnV2 with unlimited texting and E-Z tip calculator.

A Verizon Venus with unlimited texting and camera.

A Samsung Verizon phone with unlimited texting to all Verizon phones and advanced Bluetooth.

A Verizon Venus phone with unlimited texting and calling and calculator feature.

An LG Dare Verizon phone with texting and web.

A Verizon enV2 with unlimited texting that can send more than 500 texts an hour.

A Chocolate Verizon with texting and web.

A Sony Ericsson w350i, AT&T phone with unlimited talk and unlimited texting.

The survey also found confusion over the rules governing cell phone usage at school. To help clear this up, we provide below the section on "Electronic Devices" found in the "Garrison Union Free School District Middle School Student/Parent Handbook:"

"Students are strongly discouraged from bringing cell phones, radios, beepers, CD players, laptops, cassette players, MP3 players (iPods), headphones, electronic games, laser pens/pointers, and other electronic devices as they are a distraction. Once students have arrived at school, all these devices must be put in students' lockers. Students, however, may use Walkman-type devices (with headphones) on the school bus on the way to and from school and during their own recess times. If students are using any of the other devices during the school day, they will be taken away and returned at the end of the school day. Students are responsible for any or all electronic devices. The school is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged items."

It's High School Decision Time!

By The Cougar Times Staff

Eighth-graders have a big decision to make in the coming weeks about which high school they want to attend.

Hear from eighth-graders about their choices:

For more information on the public high school choices, please click on the links below:

Haldane High School, Cold Spring

http://hs.haldaneschool.org/home.aspx

James I. O'Neill High School, Highland Falls

http://www.hffmcsd.org/oneill/hshome.htm

Ecokids Grow Garden

By Nicklas

Have you seen the construction in the courtyard? Do you know what it’s for? Well the Ecokids are making a Wildlife Learning Garden in the courtyard. It’s going to have flowers and walkways. The Ecokids are very excited and are working extra extra hard.

The Ecokids designed this project just for this school. They Ecokids also say if you want to join the fun just get your hands in the dirt. This project will not be finished by the end of the school year. If you want to help this is how. You can help by going to a family work day. The next family work day is June 14, 1-4 pm. And here are some things you can do there: (1) plant prepared area, mulch and water; (2) set water/care schedule for the summer. So to finish the garden they will continue the project through the summer. Also they will work through the fall. You can contact GUFS parent Anne Symmes for more information about the garden.

Did you know that the Ecokids have their own Ecokids spot? It’s in the hallway by the office. Some things that I found out about the Ecokids spot is that it has environmental programs and helps the environment by recycling batteries, cell phones and ink jets.

They also have some advice on how to help or improve the environment. There is a big globe of a lot of the animals in the world. With 14 plastic bags you can drive a car for a mile, WOW! Did you also know that the average American uses tons of bags annually? Did you know that there is a box in the Ecokids' corner for unwanted glasses?

The Ecokids also had a recycling competition. The 5th-graders came in 1st. The 3rd-graders came in 2nd. And the 2nd-graders came in 3rd.

Local Author Leads Class

The Cougar Times welcomed local author and Wall Street Journal columnist Wendy Bounds to its last staff meeting of the school year June 6. In her book "Little Chapel on the River," Ms. Bounds captured the unique community spirit of Guinan's Pub and Country Store on Garrison Landing. She shared with the class her experience as a community blogger for the Little Chapel on the River website she later created to keep that same spirit going. Students wrote a story about the launch of their Spring edition and posted it on Ms. Bounds' blog during the class. Visit the Little Chapel on the River blog to see the launch story and read more about other community happenings in Garrison. Thank you, Wendy, for an inspiring day!