Valleyview Voice

International Night: A Roaring Successby Matthew Forand

This year, ExPO held its fourth annual International Night. The students in the ExPO program teamed up and showcased 25 countries. They worked together to create one spectacular night of fun on levels never before seen at an International Night. What made this one special was that, for the first time ever, the 6th grade ExPO students were allowed to have their own country. Prior to this, 6th graders had one country, and before that, they didn’t have one at all.

One of the countries exhibited was Mexico, complete with pinata, moustaches, and some real yummy taquitos! They were devoured by everybody, all saying how delicioso they were.

Not to be outdone, Italy brought the canals of Venice to the Valleyview Cafeteria with a boat race, complete with small row houses, just like the ones in real life Venice. Their cannolis were equally as popular as Mexico’s taquitos!

“Welcome to the International ExPO!” read the banner people saw when they walked through the entrance on their way to the gym and cafeteria. The happy mood was infectious. Over 70 ExPO students had teamed up to create the cuisine, art, and culture of 25 countries.

(Continue reading on Page 3)

The Voice of the Vikings April Edition

INTERNATIONAL NIGHT It was a HUGE success. By HUGE, we mean HUGE!

Valleyview’s Science Olympiadby Brynn Laudati

Science Olympiad is a science competition where students create a given item. The item, for example, could be a tower that needs to support sand that’s in a bucket. There are other events where students have to study a topic and be ready to answer questions. For example, some topics are Disease Detectives and Ecology. Science Olympiad took place on January 11, 2018. Students came in after school to practice their events to make sure they would nail it when the big day came. When the day came, Valleyview went up against 14 other teams. Two people placed third, and one person placed in sixth. In the event, Disease Detectives, where Valleyview placed third, the two competitors were 6th graders, Elizabeth Vaddi and Calliana Kim. In Ecology, Valleyview placed third with the competitors Ocean Kwock, 7th grade, and Paul Baccaglini, 8th grade. In the Towers event, 7th graders Martin Jelonek and Reed Barnard came in 6th after their tower was selected by the Valleyview students in a vote.

France’s representatives at International Night

The Valleyview wrestlers had a great season this year with their coaches, Mr. Wade and Mr. Dawes. Their team was led by the 15 eighth graders who participated this year. Some of their best wrestlers were Lenny Cocca, Chris Dandrea, Quentin Arcibal, Joey Dellemonache, Kevin Blood, and Mikey Secallus.

This year, Mr. Wade and Mr. Dawes led the team to third in the county, and some wrestlers even got fourth in the county in their individual events.

Their team went 9-1, and, for the first time ever, they beat East Hanover. Their only loss was to Morristown. We congratulate the team for their hard work and effort that clearly paid off, and wish them future success in future seasons.

SPORTS & ACTIVITIESValleyview’s Wrestling Season Comes to a Close By Ava Robbins & Sophia Rosso

BASKETBALL

GIRLS

This year the Valleyview girls team had one of their best seasons to date, led by the eighth graders. The eighth graders on the team were Brianna Mennella, Kira Mennella, Gianna Foreman, Molly Secallus, Maddy Knaack, Averie Morren, Sophie Bersak, Emilia Pacconi, and Elena Heckel. All of the girls worked very hard this year along with the seventh graders and the few sixth graders. Out of the 18 games that they played, they won 16 games! Wow! A big win for the team was their game against Mendham. It was an extremely close game, with Valleyview’s girls prevailing after double overtime. Although they had a great win against Mendham, they unfortunately lost their championship. The girls had a great season still, all thanks to their amazing coach, Mr. Plumb, and all the girls’ hard work and teamwork. The team will definitely miss all their eighth grade role models next year and will come back even stronger!

There are many thrilling sports right here at Valleyview, and one of them in basketball. During the winter months, students every year put tons of heart and passion into the team, games, and practices. Mr. Plumb and Mr. King both devote so much time and effort into leading the girls and boys to victory.

BOYS

The boys had a “dominating” season as Mr. King said, which proved to be true. The team was led by their empowering and energetic coach, Mr. King, along with many eighth graders, including Chase Ingram, Sean Bienkowski, Bryan Allen, Juan Ortiz, Nick Tavarone, Jack DeFranco, Connor Doyle, Damon DiTizii, and Jackson Porteous-Nye.The team was managed by Taha Bouftila, Owen Cramer, and Charlie Rogers. Luke Dickerson was the only 6th grader this year on the Valleyview team. Throughout the year, all the 6th, 7th, and 8th graders honed their skills tremendously and improved on almost everything. The boys crushed Bernardsville, getting their first round victory, and made it to the quarterfinals. We applaud the boys for their hard work and congratulate Mr King because, “...I made through the season without breaking my clipboard!”

-By Ava Robbins and Sophia Rosso-

Talking Wrestling with Chase NapeloniBy Logan Krulik and Kaiden KotAs the wrestling season closed out, the Valleyview Voice talked to one of its more promising wrestlers.

Asked before the season ended.

Q: How do you think the year will progress?A: I mean, it literally ends this weekend so, I’d say pretty good.

Q: How has your experience been on their wrestling team?A: Pretty good, there are a lot new wrestlers this year, so pretty good.

Q: Do you think your team will stay undefeated?A: I mean, I think we have a pretty good chance. We’ve been undefeated this whole year.

The following questions were asked after the season ended.

Q: On a scale of one to ten, how confident are you in the team next year?A: I feel like it’s going to be good, if the team and the kids put time and effort into it it will be good. On a scale of one to ten? I’d say eight.

Q: How do you feel now knowing you are going to be a returning member next year.A: I feel that, with being a returning member, the team is going to be strong because we’ll have returning members and kids from the sixth grade.

Q: How do you improve? A: How do I improve...I went to every practice (besides when I had a lot of homework) and I just put a lot of time and effort into it. I wasn’t like, “I’ll just stay for thirty minutes and leave.” I don’t do that, I stay for every practice. And, I only wrestle with kids who I know will make me better. I want a challenge.

SPOTLIGHT ON INTERNATIONAL NIGHT

Continued from Cover Page’s International Night Article

Another popular country was China, all due to the AMAZING food that was provided. People came back for seconds, and sometimes even thirds for the delicious fried rice, dumplings, and spring rolls.. Kids also dropped by to spin the trivia wheel, and children answered the trivia questions successfully by using the resources around them to win a Chinese sucking candy.

The competitive spirit to be the best in order to attract as many people to a country’s table as possible had started long before the night itself. Seemingly overnight, flyers announcing International Night and inviting students to visit a certain country popped up everywhere. Walking through the halls, you couldn’t go anywhere without seeing at least 10 of the flyers trying to attract attention to a certain country at International Night.

There were some never before showcased countries present as well. Uganda made an appearance at this year’s International Night, showcasing the authentic African country’s cuisine, culture, and spirit. Haiti was also present, showcasing the Haitian cuisine and culture. Both countries also collected money to go to a great cause in their respective countries!

However, there was one country that did not exist in the world. Tigergriff, a creation of 6th grade ExPO student Serena Lombardi, was showcased at International Night to see if people would believe that Tigergriff was a little known real country that had just opened up situated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Some did believe that it was real, but after a couple of minutes of describing the fictional country, Serena spilled the secret and told the audience that it was a fake country. Serena was chosen to present Tigergriff at International Night because of her stellar performance during her presentation to the ExPO class.

This night couldn’t been possible without the amazing support from the Foundation of Denville. The Foundation of Denville gave Ms. Jaffe a grant, which allowed her to create one splendid night. Many thanks to the Foundation of Denville for allowing this amazing night to happen. The Foundation of Denville may be a large reason that the night was pulled off the way it was.

Many, many countries from around the world had made an appearance at this year’s International Night. Over 70 ExPO kids worked together to showcase the cuisine, culture, and spirit from countries all around the globe. Together with Ms. Jaffe, they pulled off one extraordinary night!

From top to bottom: the teams of Uganda, Fiji, and South Korea

Good Morning Valleyview!

Waste Free LunchBy Calvin Chen

The Valleyview Green team hosted a waste free lunch, where students were encouraged to bring lunches that contained nothing that couldn’t be reused or recycled. Eighth graders brought the most waste free lunches, earning them a homework free Thursday. However, if a student forgot a lunch, the kind Valleyview staff members pitched in and made 100% delicious and waste free lunches for those without one. The Green Team is planning more Waste Free Lunches, and with these Waste Free Lunches, the Green Team hopes to inspire our generation to save the planet and recycle more.

The Flu Comes to ValleyviewBy Sophia Rogers

The flu quickly became the reason for absence among Valleyview Students. Because of this, many teachers brought it up in their classes, explaining the importance of washing your hands regularly and staying home if you don’t feel well.

Mrs. Seidel, the school nurse, and Ms. Worts, the Health teacher, had a lot to say about this year’s flu cycle. “...because it hit so early, and it’s going so late, it’s unusual.” Ms. Worts also said that she knows the vaccine is not very effective this year. She stated that Tamiflu is very helpful and works very well at fighting the flu. “We actually haven’t had a lot of flu here [VMS] compared to other schools,” says Mrs. Seidel. She doesn't think the reason for the spread of the flu was the really cold weather, but the strain of the virus.

Math CountsBy Matthew Forand

Math Counts is a math competition that is hosted by Ms. Skiff. This is the first year that Valleyview School is competing. There were 8 people in Math Counts this year. There were a variety of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders in the club this year. Valleyview did very well this year. Arjun Rastogi was their top scorer. The students showed great enthusiasm, and were willing to compete. They represented the school of Valleyview, and our wonderful town of Denville. As Mr. King says, “Whoot Whoot!”

Valleyview’s Geography BeeBy Advay Rajesh

The annual Valleyview Middle School National Geography Bee was held this year on January 30th. Seventeen competitors qualified to compete in the school final. There were three sixth graders.

The Geography Bee school final consisted of questions ranging from simple ones about US states to questions about the world. Each contestant had two strikes, and there was a 15 second time limit. The winner of the school competition then moves on to take an online test, where, the top 100 kids move on to the state competition. These top 100 kids compete against each other until there is only one winner. That winner heads down to Washington, D.C to compete against the other statewide champions.

Ms. Jaffe questioned the kids on geography with open ended questions with a various degrees of difficulty.

After all but two contestants were eliminated, the Geography Bee moved into the final round. Tim Plesnik and Zach Perdernera were asked three open ended questions, and wrote their answers down on a whiteboard. Tim had the most correct answers, crowning him the winner, and allowing him to take the online test to qualify for the state competition.

Geography is a great thing to learn. Geography teaches you about the world you live in, and helps you become more open-minded about other cultures. With some study and hard work, you could find yourself climbing the Geography Bee ladder, and possibly winning the Geography Bee!

There are many ways to prevent the flu from getting you sick. For example, when you open a door that many, many people touch, such as a public bathroom door, you should open it with your sleeve coving your hand. When flushing a public toilet, use your foot or wrist (depending on the toilet).

Many other teachers have had thoughts about this, leading many to keep hand sanitizer readily available in their rooms. With the students taking effort not to spread germs, the flu shouldn’t hit as hard next year.

Tim Plesnik, the winner of the school Geography Bee competition

Mr. Dawes - Social StudiesBy Calvin ChenAt one point or another, Valleyview students must have heard a “Hi Mr. Dawes!” while walking through the lower B-Wing. However, some new developments have emerged. The man himself, has told the Valleyview Voice that he does not know why he is so popular. However, that is a good thing. When people don’t know why they are popular, it means that they aren’t trying to be popular, it means that people like them, and that they have a likeable personality. What follows is a lightly edited conversation between me, Calvin Chen, and Mr. Dawes.

Calvin: Why did you decide you wanted to teach?Mr. Dawes: I like the thought of having an impact on students.

Calvin: Was teaching your original plan?Mr. Dawes: No. Actually, I went to school for criminal justice, (to become a cop), but when I worked as a sub here, I realized that I actually wanted to become a teacher. So, I put myself through teacher school.

Calvin: Do you like Valleyview?Mr. Dawes: Love it here. Genuinely love coming to work. Makes me very happy to be able to come here to work every day.

Calvin: What’s your favorite part of teaching?Mr. Dawes: That’s actually a hard question to answer. I would say the best part about teaching is when students are struggling and then I see them grasp the content. I see it “click.”

Calvin: Why do they [the kids in the hallway] call you the “King” and shout “Hi, Mr. Dawes!” at you?Mr. Dawes: Honestly, no idea. I guess I remind them I was a kid once. I relate to them. I also try to be a nice and fair teacher.

Her decision to be an ELA teacher was driven by the fact that she wanted to provide support for students to always try their best and work to the best of their ability.

Mrs. Oliveira wanted to work at Valleyview since she was a Denville Resident, and loved being a big part of the community.

When asked about Valleyview, she told the Valleyview Voice, “the students and staff at Valleyview have been very welcoming and are a great team. It is a great school with excellent school spirit.”

As one of her students, I know that Mrs. Oliveira will make sure the lesson is understood by the student, and will always help out a student. She is a great inspiration and is very good at her job.

SPOTLIGHT ON: MRS. OLIVEIRA & Mr. Dawes

Calvin: Is it true that you went to Valleyview? Mr. Dawes: I did go to Valleyview.

Calvin: Do you have a weakness?Mr. Dawes: I think the students learn the most about a subject during discussion, and my weakness probably would be forgetting things that should happen, because I get so involved in the discussions.

Mrs. Oliveira - ELABy Lainey Underwood

Mrs. Oliveira has always wanted to be a teacher, even when she was a young girl. In her childhood, she had a pretend classroom set up in her house’s playroom, where she taught her sister and cat. They were her very first students. She would grow up with her dream of becoming a teacher firmly in her grasp, and earned both her Bachelor of English and Masters of Special Education from Centenary University.

One of her main inspirations to be a teacher was her third grade teacher. She has always loved reading and enjoyed making learning fun for students, two qualities we see all the time in great ELA teachers.

From top to bottom: Mrs. Olivera and Mr. Dawes.

NEWSModel UNBy Shannon O’Leary

Model U.N., run by Ms. Jaffe, is when students learn about diplomacy, international relations, and the United Nations, hence the name Model U.N., with U.N. being the abbreviation for United Nations. These students have to research, write, debate, public speak, critically think, and use leadership and teamwork to win the prize. But not to fear - our 7th and 8th grade ExPO students have all of the right knowledge.

Wait what?!?

This year we sent fifty of our seventh and eighth grade ExPO students to Model U.N., which was held at Drew University on February 2nd. With the hopes that they would come back champs, the students worked tirelessly on their position and resolution papers. Months earlier, they were assigned countries and topics, and, on the day of Model U.N., they broke up into committees and battled it out for top spot. First they researched their country trying to find information that would help them win.

They are given a topic and then formulate positions that they debate with other delegates from other schools all over Morris and Essex counties. The topics were Potable Water, Primary Education, and Nuclear Proliferation. This year, we got Peru, Brazil, Russia, China, Italy, Spain and the United States to take a hard look and report on what their position was. This year we took home many awards and are hoping to take home even more next year.

PARCC Testing TipsBy Aarna Shah

First off, don't worry about it too much. If you are a good student you have nothing to worry about. Just keep exercising your mind and keep practicing your skills. Another important thing is to be confident in yourself. Believe that YOU can DO IT! Before the test, relax and take a few deep breaths. Tell yourself, “I got this!” When you stress about things, you forget some pieces of information, and that won’t help you at all in PARCC. Another good strategy is to wear looser clothes so that you are comfortable. Most importantly, don’t stress. Feel confident in yourself. As Apollo says in Rick Riordan's book, The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle, “You are gorgeous and people love you!”

Remember, there will always be someone there to support you and to cheer you on!

ExPO students at the Model U.N. at Drew University in Madison

DEAR LUCYDear Lucy, I have friends and all, but they keep acting like I’m not there (or at least forgetting). It’s like I’m invisible. What should I do? -Invisible

Dear Invisible,You should talk to your friends

and ask them why they are ignoring you. If they continue to ignore you, then you should tell a parent or teacher to help solve the problem.

-Lucy

Dear Lucy, I’m really struggling in Math class. If I tell my friends, I’m afraid they’ll taunt me, and not help me. If I tell my parents, I will probably end up in Summer School or doing extra work over the summer, when I should be playing. I don’t know what to do. Any suggestions?-Lost

Dear Lost, I think that you are being too cautious and you are just scared of opening up, so you should see if you can trust your friends and tell your parents and teachers so that they can find you some help. If you do go to summer school, it’s for your own good and it will help you and help prepare you for the next school year. Also, summer school doesn’t take up the whole summer, so you can still play with your friends outside.

-Lucy

Dear Lucy,It feels like my teacher doesn’t like

me at all. This really makes me disturbed and I feel like my grades are going down because of it… What do I do?

-Disliked

Dear Disliked,You may be just overthinking it.

Every teacher likes all their students the same way. If you feel uncomfortable, then you should talk to him/her and tell him/her your feelings. Try to have a conversation with the teacher about the issue.

-Lucy

Dear Lucy, Even though I’ve gotten through most of the year, I’m having trouble with my homework. I feel like with every lesson I get, I just get more confused about what I’m supposed to do, which means I can’t do my homework as well. Then, my grades go down. What can I do?-Confused

Dear Confused,Sometimes, people need to take a

break. Take a breath of air, and ask for some help. Don’t be afraid to ask. Asking for help will only benefit you! Get some help from family, and ask your teacher about any problems that you may have. Remember, asking people for some extra help will only benefit you.

-Lucy

By Aarna and Julie

JOKES

Club Advisor: Marla JaffeFormatting: Calvin Chen

Bonus Joke (the first 5 people to see Ms. Jaffe with the answer will win a prize):

Ava RobbinsSophia RogersLogan KrulikKaiden KotAarna ShawCalvin Chen

Matthew ForandBrynn LaudatiJulianna RagusaShannon O’LearyMikayla O’LearyAdvay Rajesh

STAFF WRITERS

How can the number four be half of five?