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IN THIS ISSUE…

2 200 Years of Horror 2 L.M.S. Jazz Band 3 Winter is Here! 4 Gamer Guide 5 Leonardo da Vinci 6 Poetry 6 Miss Manners Corner

UPCOMING EVENTS

December 9 Chorus Concert @ 7PM

16 Art Show @ 6 PM 24 Holiday Recess Begins

January 18 No School - MLK Day 29 Early Dismissal

Liverpool Middle School

720 Seventh Street Liverpool, NY 13088

VOLUME 2 , I SSUE 3 DECEMBER 2009

The only place where your dream becomes impossible is

in your own thinking. Robert Schuller

L.M.S. Salvation Army Food Drive: Another Success

by Molly Sweeney As it gets closer to the Holidays, we start to think more and more about our Christmas lists. Maybe this year, you are wishing for a new laptop or an i-phone. But what about the families who cannot afford these new things? What about the people whose only wish is for good health and food for their families? This year at LMS, the student council organized a food drive asking everyone to bring in as much non-perishable food as they could for the people in our community who could use a little help and kindness. Thanks to all of our students here!

Happy Holidays from LMS!

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200 Years of Horror by Marc Alessi

Edgar Allan Poe, the amazing short story horror writer, is having his 200th anniversary this year in the heart of Baltimore, Maryland. The fascinating celebration is a year long festival to commemorate the astonishing work he wrote. From wine tastings, to tours, to festivals, and to theatrical performances, you can’t go wrong this year in Baltimore. Just this past October the city had a memorable candlelight vigil in Westminister Hall, where Poe was buried. He was born on January 19, 1908 and died mysteriously in October of 1849 after giving a lecture in Virginia. He was only 40 years old. Poe was an American poet, critic, and author of such horrifying short stories. Recently the 8L team has read the short story “The Tell-Tale Heart” and is on a unit learning the works of Edgar Allan Poe. We will always remember his deathly stories that so many people like and yearn to read. As the year is coming to a close, Baltimore has slowed down and is starting to get back to normal after a year of celebration.

L.M.S. Jazz Band by Justin Bertolero

Liverpool Middle School, along with Chestnut Middle and Soule Middle, have gathered band students and have formed a jazz band. The band plays an array of different jazz songs. The songs being presented this year include "Hot Chocolate" (from the Polar Express), "Past My Bedtime", and the Doobie Brothers classic "China Grove". The first concert is on Thursday December 3rd. So come on down and check out the Liverpool Middle School jazz band!

Listen to the announcements and look at the

district calendar for future performances!

Edgar Allan Poe

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Winter is Here! by Marissa Rodriguez

Even though the snow has not hit us hard yet, it is still winter. Maybe we won’t have a lot of snow this year but there was a year when New York City made a New York record. Ever heard of the Blizzard of ‘06? It was a huge storm that dropped three to five inches of snow each hour between dawn and 7 A.M. In Clinton Square a total of 26.9 increase of snow covered the Square. Imagine all that snow; you could do so much with it!

Eventually, we will get snow. We live in Central New York so it is almost impossible to have green Christmas. So that you are ready, here are some things you can do on one of those snowy days. Get together with your friends and enjoy the snow. Build snow forts, an igloo, or snowmen. You could even have a snowball fight. Try these ideas, take a shovel and dig a maze through the snow or try playing tag. Find a great hill and sled down. Walk or drive through your neighborhood for a Christmas light tour. If you want, you can rate the lights and decorations. Not only are there great ways to spend a snowy day in your neighborhood but there are also great ways to spend the day in our own city of Syracuse.

There are so many great things going on in our city. Down at Onondaga Lake Park there is a light show known as Lights on the Lake. They are open every night from 5PM to 10PM from now until January 10th. You can go for a two-mile ride through a winter wonderland. Their themed lights include A Holiday Display, Larger-Than-Life-Land of Oz, Twinkling Fantasy Forest, colorful section arches, The Delightful Victorian Village, Fairy Magical Grand Finale, and memorable animated scenes. The cost is only $8.00. The Christmas tree at Clinton Square is amazing. If you want, you could go ice-skating too. Syracuse Stage’s Annual Holiday Show has begun. This year, the show is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I recommend this show to anyone. I recently went to the show and it was great.

Winter sports are a great way to stay active in the snowy season. Some things you could do are ski or snowboard. If you haven’t done either yet and want to try, there is always a first. Beaver Lake Nature Center has a snowshoe race and you can borrow skis and snowshoes to use on their trails. You could also try ice hockey. Do you know anyone with a snowmobile? If you do, go for a ride!

Don’t forget to help decorate! Put in some Christmas music and decorate your Christmas tree or help hang the lights. Now, when that snow hits you will be ready. One more thing, don’t forget to sit back for a while and enjoy some hot chocolate!

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Gamer Guide by Luke Isabelle

PUT THIS ON YOUR LIST! Hey all you guitar hero fans! They’re coming out with a new guitar hero - Van Halen! This game includes all of Van Halen’s best work and twenty of his favorite songs by choice bands. This game comes out on December 22nd, just in time for Christmas, for the Wii, PS3, PS2, and the Xbox 360!

RATINGS from Game Informer Out of 10 Points

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - 9.75

DJ Hero - 9 Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter - 5.25

Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron - 6.75 Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time - 9.25

COMPARISONS

CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2 LEFT 4 DEAD 2

G.I. Rating 9.75 G.I. Rating 9.50 Phenomenal Graphics Great Graphics Sounds as if you are there Great sound with hilarious comments 24 player max online 8 player max online ESRB: M ESRB: M PS3, 360, maybe PC PC, 360 Controls are easy to master controls seem to come naturally Replay value: high Replay value: high

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Leonardo da Vinci by Ricky Sisto

Leonardo was born April 15, 1452, in Vinci, Italy, just outside Florence. He died on May 2, 1519 in Cloux, France. Legend has it that King Francis I was at his side when he died, cradling his head in his arms.

Leonardo was taken custody by his loving father shortly after birth. His mother left them right after that and remarried someone else and moved to a neighboring town. His parents kept on having children, although not with each other and Leonardo wound up with a total of 17 half sisters and brothers. Growing up in his father’s home, Leonardo had access to scholarly texts owned by family and friends. More importantly he was exposed to Vinci’s longstanding painting tradition.

From 1485 to 1490, Leonardo produced a study on loads of subjects including nature, flying machines, geometry, mechanics, municipal construction, canal, and architecture (designing everything from churches to fortresses). His studies from this era contained designs for advanced weapons, including a tank and other war vehicles.

Leonardo’s interests were so broad and he always liked new subjects that he would up usually failing to finish what he started. In addition to being almost the smartest person ever, he also loved animals so much that he would buy a caged pet at the mark just to set it free! He was also an extremely handsome man with great strength and a fine singing voice.

One of his greatest contributions was that of the painting “Mona Lisa” as well as the “Last Supper”. He also designed a bridge to span the “Golden Horn” in Constantinople. He made great discoveries in the field of medicine in the way blood circulates, in meteorology as well as creating one of the first underwater diving suits.

Da Vinci suffered a very bad case of paralysis in the right hand. But, with hard work he was still able to continue to paint, build and teach. He never did get married or had any children. He kept his personal life a secret and lived alone until his death in 1519.

Leonardo was greatly loved by the Duke of Milan and especially King Francis I. The King gave him the title of Premier Painter and Engineer and Architect. He also gave him a great job with great pay as well as a manor house to live in.

da Vinci, helicopter design, Mona Lisa

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Untitled by Kristen Glor

September slinks in,

Clandestinely, stealthily, Suddenly, it steals your summer away

And throws you, bewildered, into school

Untitled by Kristen Glor

Monday crawls out of bed,

Barely awake. Staggering to

The breakfast table, Reaching for juice.

Paying the Price by Justin Bertolero

Life is like a credit card.

At first you feel empowered, spending to your heart’s desire.

But of course,

nothing can last…

So after that rush of excitement and glee, You suddenly remember,

Nothing is free.

The Sounds of Winter by Justin Bertolero

Snow whispers To the people

It’s falling upon In the bleak sunlight

Its brilliant

sparkling voice quietly echoes as each flake,

softly falls to the ground.

Miss Manners Corner by Jessica Turner

Do you have trouble with saying the right thing or knowing how to break-up with someone without being weird or rude? Peggy Post’s book, “Excuse Me, But I was Next…” says it all. Believe it or not, printing your Christmas Cards with your name already on it is really more appropriate for business. It is best to sign the cards yourself and address them person whom you are writing to, for example, “Dear Tom and Sandy”. Also, personalize the card with something like, “How is the new dog? We would love to hear about her!” Don’t forget to leave out excessive bragging about yourself or family. Another subject: Relationships. If you feel that it is time to break-up with someone, here’s how. Look for a quiet place where the person won’t be embarrassed or observed by onlookers. Kindly tell them, and make sure they are calm before you leave. Consider where the angry friend could go next, such as a acar or other vechicle - you don’t want them to drive while highly emotional or do something to harm themself. This book has lots of great ideas. Check it out at the library.

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HOLIDAYTRIVIAQUESTION

Since2007,howmanylightshavebeenplacedontheRockefellerChristmasTreeinNewYorkCity?

Submityouranswerat:http://www.liverpool.k12.ny.us/webpages/mcrosby/forms.cfm