March 2014 Vol. 19 Issue 2

Stone Mill Gazette March 2014 Page 1

Have you ever wondered

why there are names of stu-

dents on the gymnasium

wall? There are 162 (and

counting) names of Stone

Mill students who have

passed the challenges to

make it into Magic Club! Ms.

Winckler started Magic Club

during her first year of

teaching at Stone Mill in

1991. She was inspired by a

man named Larry Gordon

who was a PE teacher in

Baltimore County in 1985.

Magic Club is named after

Erwin "Magic" Johnson, a

retired NBA player. Magic

Johnson played point guard

for the LA Lakers and was

inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2002.

Magic Club has been at Stone Mill for 23 years. Magic Club is a PE and

after school activity where students need to complete 28 throwing and

catching challenges. There are seven different levels. Each level has four

challenges and there are three balls total. Magic Club starts in third grade.

The after school program is for fifth graders who make it to the Overhead

Master challenge. There are currently 14 fifth graders in the club this year.

The first two original members of Magic Club are Matthew Shofnos and

Luke Heselden who completed all 28 challenges in 1997. There are 13 fami-

lies that have two siblings on the wall. The Lams are the only family to

have all three kids make it to the Magic club wall (Matthew, Brendan, and

Sydney)! The first girl was Thea Goldstein in 1999. There are nine girls to-

tal!

According to Ms. Winckler, “double trouble,” the last level, is the hardest

level to complete. It involves throwing two balls at once and catching them

without a miss for ten throws. She thinks this is an amazing accomplish-

ment.

Ms. Winckler's favorite part of Magic Club is seeing students improve on

their throwing and catching skills on an individual level. She also enjoys

each student’s excitement as they make it to the wall. Ms. Winckler paints

each name on the wall herself. The students enjoy the challenges and the

thrill of completing all 28 levels. The names stay on the wall after students

graduate and the students can see their name when they come back to visit

the school.

Now that you know about the magic behind Magic Club you can aim to

make it to the “Wall of Fame!”

The Magic Behind Magic Club

By George M., Jordan R. and Daniel T.

Pictured (l to r): Ms. Winckler, George M. Daniel T.

and Jordan R. stand in front of the Magic Club

wall.

Stone Mill Elementary School

14323 Stonebridge View Drive North Potomac, MD 20878

Buzzing about the

Spelling Bee

By Shrutha V., Vanshika G. & Jeanne K.

We all know that the

Spelling Bee is dedicated

to humble bumblebees.

They are all remarkable

spellers. But then there

is that one bee that

stands out because he

doesn't know how to

spell...Old McDonald!

When asked to spell

“bee,” Old McDonald

would say, "B-I-E-I-O!” Wrong!

Even though Old McDonald Bee is terrible at

spelling, we happen to know some great spellers at

Stone Mill and they are not even bees.

The Stone Mill Spelling Bee was held on Febru-

ary 20, 2014 – lucky it was not rescheduled due to a

snow event. The rules required contestants to be ei-

ther 3rd, 4th or 5th graders.

When the contestants signed up to participate in

the middle of January, Mrs. Abrahams gave each of

them a list of words to study. On Wednesdays after

school, Mrs. Abrahams held coaching classes to help

them prepare for the competition. The prize for mak-

ing it to the top 4 in the competition was a trophy.

However, there were also opportunities for other

contestants to win a pencil, certificate, or a medal

for participating.

About 50 contestants showed up in the all-

purpose room (cafeteria) for the spelling bee. There

were 5 moderators: - Ms. Williams, Mrs. Budman,

Mrs. Dulli, Mrs. Omerso, and Mrs. Abrahams. In

the first few rounds, the words were relatively easy.

However, the words got harder in the higher rounds.

By the sixth round, the words got so tricky that

there was a brief break for food and small talk.

It was a tough and interesting competition. At

the very end, the winners were announced. First

place went to -- Christopher A. and second place to

--Thomas A. Wow! We can tell what was going on in

their home.... Thomas and Christopher are twin

brothers! They must be eating a lot of alphabet soup

and alphabet cereal! The 3rd place winner was

Claire C., 4th place winner was Vivian Li and last

but not the least, the 5th place winner was Jeanne

K.!

Congratulations to the winners and high five to

all the students who participated!

Masthead By Joy K. and Amy H.

Stone Mill

Gazette!

Photo courtesy of Shilpa Rose.

Stone Mill Gazette March 2014 Page 2

All About Mrs. Paschall By Cynthia C., Maggie C. and Emily Z.

Mrs. Paschall is a 3rd grade teacher at Stone Mill. She went to Truman Univer-

sity in Missouri (she says “Go Bulldogs!”) All her life she wanted to be a veteri-

narian but once she started college she realized how much she loved working with

kids, so she switched to education. She really likes figuring out how people learn.

Her favorite subject to teach is math. In fact, she loves it so much that she wishes

she could teach it all day! Mrs. Paschall has also taught at two other schools:

Mark Twain Elementary in Kansas City, Kansas and Fairview Elementary in St.

Louis, Missouri.

Mrs. Paschall's hero is her dad because she says he is honest and generous and

always puts others first. Her favorite sport is softball but she also enjoys watch-

ing football (she says “Go Chiefs!”) In her free time, she likes to tickle her two

kids, Averie and Logan, or go out to eat with her friends. She loves potstickers,

dumplings, Samosas, and Thai food.

Some of her hobbies are reading, going to the movies, and playing with Averie and Logan. They like building with Legos

and playing board games like Minion Rush. Some of her favorite movies are: The Princess Bride and Love Actually. Her favor-

ite Disney movie right now is Tangled. She likes a lot of books like The Giver by Lois Lowry and The Hunger Games by Su-

zanne Collins. Her favorite TV shows are American Horror Story and Game of Thrones. She also loves Modern Family and The

New Girl.

As you can see, Mrs. Paschall is interesting, nice and funny. Be sure to say “hi!” to her the next time you see her.

Super Mr. Saborio By Ethan F. and Hoda H.

Mr. Saborio is a kind first grade teacher who likes to inspire and educate his students. He was

born in Providence, Rhode Island, on October 6th. His fourth grade teacher inspired him to become

a teacher.

Let us tell you Mr. Saborio’s favorite TV show, kid’s movie, and book. His favorite TV show is

Homeland. His favorite kid’s movie is Jaws. And can you guess his favorite book? It’s also a movie

called…Matilda by Roald Dahl. His favorite sport is football, and his favorite team is the New

England Patriots. His hobby is reading.

What is his favorite subject in school? Most people would probably say recess…but not

Mr. Saborio! He would say science. Have you ever spent your vacation in Atlantis? (Atlantis is a

hotel in Paradise Island, which is in the Bahamas.) Well Mr. Saborio has! In fact, this was his

best trip. A place he wants to visit is the Pyramids in Egypt. And that concludes all the wonderful

things about our first grade teacher, Mr. Saborio.

Get to Know Mrs. Anderson By Hoda H., Alexis A. and Alexandra D.

Do you want to learn about Mrs. Anderson? Yes? Then keep reading.

Mrs. Anderson grew up in Texas. Ever since she was little she knew she want-

ed to become a teacher. She likes to read, walk, jog and play with her grandson,

Daniel, who is 6 months old. She likes to read a lot. Her favorite book when she

was little was The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Her favorite types

of movies are mysteries.

She likes eating at the Cheesecake Factory and her favorite food is enchila-

das…yum! Her favorite flowers are Marie Golds, also known as marigolds. Her

favorite colors are blue and red and her favorite holiday is Christmas!!! If Mrs.

Anderson was stranded on an island and could have only 3 things, she would

want to have aspirin, a knife and a pan. She is a very practical person!

Mrs. Anderson’s husband is a member of the U.S. Air Force so she has visited and

lived in lots of different places. Here are a few: Illinois, Texas, Massachusetts, Alaska, Ohio, Florida, Maryland and now,

Virginia. She has been teaching at Stone Mill for 17 years, but is planning on retiring at the end of the school year. Boohoo

.

Photo courtesy of Joanne Misovec.

Photo courtesy of Joanne Misovec.

Photo courtesy of Joanne Misovec.

Stone Mill Gazette March 2014 Page 3

Learn More About Mrs. Wynant By Alice C. and Jessica S.

Do you know Mrs. Wynant? You do…but not a lot? Well, let us tell you a bit more

about her.

Mrs. Wynant was born on June 15th in New Jersey. One of her favorite places is Ava-

lon, New Jersey because she gets to spend time with her family there. She also really likes

Paris and would love to visit Australia because she thinks it looks like a beautiful coun-

try. When her kids were little she stayed home to take care of them for a few years and

then started substitute teaching. Today, you will find her in the school’s front office be-

cause she is Stone Mill’s Administrative Secretary!

Mrs. Wynant has a husband, 3 daughters and a dog named Murphy. Her daughters’

names are Allison, Amy, and Lauren.

Her favorite hobby is reading books. Speaking of books, her favorite book is One Fish,

Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, the famous children’s book by Dr. Seuss. She has loved this

book since she was a little girl. She does not have a favorite movie. Her pet peeve is when

people are late. Now you know a lot more about Mrs. Wynant. Next time you see her, give a

wave and say hi!

Meet Newspaper Club Advisor Mrs. Misovec By Maria S., Rachel O.-P. and Arthur L.

Have you ever wondered who leads the Newspaper Club at Stone Mill? Well, it is Mrs. Misovec!

She has three kids. Andrew is 11 and in 6th grade, George is 10 in 5th grade and Elizabeth is 8 and in

2nd grade. You may know George and Elizabeth because they both attend Stone Mill (Andrew is at

Cabin John)! Her mom and dad are Elsa and George Kaouris. They are her heroes and were a huge

influence in her life because they taught her to work hard and never give up. Her parents emigrated

from Greece and had to learn a new language, get used to a different culture and country, and leave

their siblings and parents behind.

Mrs. Misovec was born in Salisbury, Maryland on November 18. She admires Thomas Jefferson

for his ideas and being a founding father and would have loved to meet him. Her favorite book is

Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. Her favorite movie is Sound Of

Music. Blue is her favorite color. She would love to visit Switzerland (They make good cheese and

chocolate)! She likes the news a lot which is why she heads the newspaper club at Stone Mill. She is

a big fan of NBC4 and the Washington Post. She studied journalism in college and health sciences in

graduate school. One of her biggest pet peeves is when people say they are going to do something and

they don’t. She was the happiest when her kids were born.

Wow!! That’s a lot of information to know! But don’t worry, we still aren’t finished yet! Mrs. Misovec decided to help with the

Stone Mill Gazette because she wanted to use her background and experience in journalism to teach Stone Mill students about

newspaper reporting and writing. She really enjoys helping with Newspaper Club and has a great team of parents helping her. They

are Mrs. Bernard, Mrs. Rose, Mrs. Hepfer, and Mr. and Mrs. Reid. She loves teaching so much that besides Newspaper Club, she

also teaches preschool at Rockville Presbyterian Cooperative Nursery School.

Photo courtesy of Joanne Misovec.

Photo courtesy of Arthur Liao.

Our Fabulous School Nurse Mrs. Bayer By Arzoe S.

We all know Mrs. Bayer from the health room… But do we really know who she is?

We don’t, so lets get to know her.

Mrs. Bayer was born and raised in Nebraska. Her birthday is May 28th. She went to

Beauty College. She has been working in the field of health for 20 years and has been in

Stone Mill for 16 years. She has four children. Three of them are boys and one is a girl.

The girl and one of the boys are twins! Cool right? All of her children are now in their

30’s and 40’s. She loves all her kids- they are like best friends to her. Mrs. Bayer also

has a grand-dog named Jack and 15 (yes 15!) pet fish.

Now, I will tell you about her favorite things. Her favorite types of books are myster-

ies. Her favorite color is pink! Her favorite movie is the Sound of Music. Her favorite

movie star is Harrison Ford (he was the guy who played in Indiana Jones.) Her favorite

TV show is Dancing with the Stars. Her favorite sport to watch is baseball. She is a Na-

tionals fan all the way! Her favorite season is summer and she loves to go to Disney be-

cause “It’s the happiest place on Earth!” One place she wants to visit is Italy. She loves to

shop, read, garden, have family time, and visit her sons and her daughter. Three words

to describe her are kind, sweet, and patient. She loves her job a lot.

She got inspired to be a nurse because she likes to help people. She loves Stone Mill because Mrs. Bayer loves working

with us kids and thinks the staff is “fantabulous.”

She is a wonderful school nurse. Whenever you go to the Health Room, remember to say hello to Mrs. Bayer!

Photo courtesy of Joanne Misovec.

Mrs. Bayer is shown here with the author of

the article Arzoe S.

Wonderful Mrs. Wolfe By Shrutha V., Vanshika G.,

Jeanne K. and Eknoor K.

Breaking News! Breaking News!

Reporters from around the

world have been trying to get

through to Mrs. Barbara Stross

Wolfe, but have not been able to!

Why? That is because “we” re-

porters were able to get to her

first! She is very tall — 6.2 feet

tall, really sweet and is a mem-

ber of a very nice Wolfe family.

Right now, we need you to get

ready for some hot, fresh news!

Are you ready? Prepare yourself

for the inside scoop with guaranteed, interesting facts about the

life of Mrs. Wolfe.

Mrs. Wolfe was born on February 4 in Potomac, Maryland.

She has two older sisters — Beverly Sivaslian and Gretchen Bal-

four. Both sisters are teachers in Montgomery County…..just like

Mrs. Wolfe! Ms. Sivaslian teaches at The Landon School in Be-

thesda and Ms. Balfour teaches at Quince Orchard High School

in Gaithersburg. Mrs. Wolfe is married to a wonderful man

named Neil. They have two sons: Nathan, 6 and Brendan, 4. She

credits her mom for being her greatest influence since she is in-

credible at multi-tasking.

Her favorite food is pizza and she

loves to eat at Japanese restaurants like

Ziki's. She also loves strawberry ice

cream from Cold Stone Creamery for

dessert. The Harry Potter series is her

favorite series of books and J. K. Rowl-

ing is her favorite author. Pretty “periwinkle” (a bluish-purple) is

her favorite color. She loves to play volleyball and is very good at

it because of her height. Her other hobbies are reading and work-

ing out in the gym. Whenever she sleeps or organizes her house,

she calls that her “free time.” She would like to visit the Greek

Islands because she loves the incredible houses and views there

that she has seen in photographs. Seeing these views make her

feel happy and peaceful. Speaking of happiness, the happiest mo-

ments of her life were when Nathan and Brendan were born.

Mrs. Wolfe’s previous job, before she became a teacher, was to

make companies look good. She represented companies such as

Panda Express Restaurants for a public relations company called

Lee & Associates where she worked as an account executive.

Mrs. Wolfe’s goal in life is to be able to balance her time between

being as great as a teacher as she can be as well as being an

amazing mother, while also getting enough sleep at night! . She

describes herself as motivated, caring, and organized. Her pet

peeve is when people don't keep their promises.

Wow! Mrs. Wolfe has a very interesting life. She says that the

easiest part of her job as a teacher is the relationship she forms

with her students. Grading papers is the part that takes the

most time and is her least favorite part. Her favorite subject to

teach is math. Mrs. Wolfe does not like it when people don't keep

their promises, so that is her pet peeve. She has been teaching

for how many years? 1? 3? 5? No, no, not correct! Don't you mean

14? And, of course, who could possibly forget her favorite font…..

the Kristen font [according to her it’s the best font in the

world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

We've heard from Mrs. Wolfe, and read quotes from 10-year-

old reporters, but no one younger. So, let's hear a little bit from

her sons Nathan and Brendan. They would say great things

about their wonderful mom. They would tell you that you can

learn even more about her at their website, nathanbrendan.com.

Like we said earlier, you'll see that she likes strawberry ice

cream, and that when she plays volleyball, she likes to play as a

team.

Hope you enjoyed this article and learned more about Mrs.

Wolfe!

P.S. Don't go to nathanbrendan.com. It is fictitious (make believe) - we

were just kidding….

All about Ms. Young By Arthur L. and Rachel O.-P.

Ms. Young is a reading initiative teacher at Stone Mill. Her

classroom is on the second floor. She is an enthusiastic, crea-

tive, and inspiring teacher. Ms. Young was raised in Bethesda,

Maryland by parents who had a very strong influence on her

life. Her hero is any mother who is raising a child with disabili-

ties. As a parent of a child with disabilities, Ms. Young under-

stands many of the challenges and says it is a life-long, but re-

warding experience. Other people who she finds inspiring are

Mother Theresa, Rafe Esquith and Rick Warren but especially

Dr. Ben Carson. Dr. Carson is a neurosurgeon who is famous for

his work in separating conjoined twins. She says his book and

movie—Gifted Hands—have been truly inspirational.

Now, let’s move on to her “favorites.” Her favorite movies are

Driving Miss Daisy, The Lion King, The Sound of Music, Find-

ing Nemo and Narnia (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.)

Her favorite books are Educating Esme’, Catwings, The Kite

Runner, and much more.

She loves geography and

hobbies such as tennis,

swimming, walking, hiking,

gardening, and photog-

raphy. She would love to be

a photographer when she

retires. Her pet peeve is

when kids interrupt others.

Since I told you who she

is and all about her favorite

things, now let’s talk about

the happiest and saddest

things that have happened

in her life. First, the sad

news. The saddest thing

that happened in her life

was when her oldest son,

who was 7 months old, was diagnosed with a rare and serious

type of epilepsy. Now for the happy news! He was fortunate to

have survived as an infant. The happiest period of her life is the

time she spent with her boys when they were very young

(toddlers, babies, and preschoolers). Her

favorite vacation was spent in San Diego,

California where she enjoyed ten carefree

days with her three sons. She would also

love to visit any tropical island as well as

any city hosting the Olympics Games.

Last but not least, I will tell you why

she became a teacher and what challenges

she has faced as one. Her inspiration for becoming a teacher be-

gan in upper elementary school when she volunteered in the

church nursery. Ms. Young also babysat for years and loved be-

ing with young children and teaching them. The biggest chal-

lenge she faces now as a teacher is time! There is ALWAYS

more to do even when her “to do” list is seemingly completed.

The last challenge is the multiple and varied learning styles

and languages in her classroom. It takes a lot of motivation, cre-

ativity, and collaboration with her teams to meet each student’s

style and ensure their success.

Another challenge she faces is juggling teaching with raising

her three sons. When she leaves school, she has to start her

next job which is parenting.

Now you know more about Ms. Young, so whenever you see

her, don’t forget to say “Hello!”

Fun Fact

During Ms. Young’s first year of teaching, Mrs. Sanders was one of her students!

Photo courtesy of Joanne Misovec.

Photo courtesy of Arthur L..

Stone Mill Gazette March 2014 Page 4

Stone Mill Gazette March 2014 Page 5

Bully Advice By Sarah R., Lauren G., Jillian D. and Jordan R.

MONSTER MINI GOLF COURSE OPENS NEARBY By George M.

If you like to golf and you are not afraid of monsters, you will love the new indoor mini golf course off of Gaither Road in Gaithersburg. Monster Mini Golf opened on November 10, 2013. It is a franchise and it’s a glow in the dark golf course. It only took one week to build, but a year to design it all. There are 30 locations around the USA and a few in Canada. The Monster Mini Golf in Gaithersburg is owned and operated by Frank Thanicatt and is a family business. Mr. Thanicatt decided to build the indoor golf course in Gaithersburg because it was a good location in the county, near a highway with plenty of parking. The building space was a perfect size too with high ceilings for one of the big monsters. Mr. Thanicatt’s favorite hole is #4 because you have the best chance to get a hole in one. He thinks the hardest hole is # 2. On the last hole you have to get your ball into the clown’s mouth and the name of the clown in Glozo. There are at least 18 monsters scattered around the course. Monster Mini Golf also has an arcade and party room. You can even plan to have a birthday party, bar and bat mitzvah and school fundraiser there. Now you know about Monster Mini Golf so go try it out for yourself. .

Q: Dear Bully Advice, I see this kid bully people many times. I don’t want to say anything to him because I am scared he will start to bully me! What should I do? Help, Afraid to Speak Up Dear Afraid to Speak Up,

I know how it feels to be afraid to speak up. But don't be afraid because it feels good once you do it. Something you should know is that bullies want power and if you let them know that they are hurting you than they gain more power. So the tricky part is that you have to be the bigger person and tell the bully to stop without being mean. If that doesn't work, then tell an adult without being a tattle-tale. It's not being a tattle-tale if it’s serious because someone could get hurt. So don't be afraid to speak up if it's a serious situation. Hope this helps! Sincerely, Jordan Q: Dear Bully Advice, Some people at school sent out an e-mail that said mean things about my best friend. Somehow the e-mail got sent to me. Do I reply and say the things are not nice or just leave the e-mail alone ? From, Stuck in the Middle Dear Stuck in the Middle, First of all, if you are really a loyal friend then you WON’T respond to that e-mail. You probably feel that if you don’t respond to that e-mail you won’t be “cool.” Well guess what… cyber bullying is not cool! In-stead, let a teacher know because things are getting very serious. You should not feel embarrassed when you tell a trusted teacher or parent about it because you know you are doing the right thing. Talk about how concerned you are about your friend and together you and your teacher, counselor, or parent can fix this sticky situation! Hopefully my advice helps you out, and remember cyber bullying is not cool! If you wouldn’t want it to happen to you then don’t do it to some-one else! Sincerely, Sarah

Q: Dear Bully Advice, My friends have been excluding me and every time I walk up to them, they walk away. What do I do? Signed, Being Ignored Dear Being Ignored, I believe that you should go the counselor’s office and explain that you are feeling ignored by your friends. After meeting with the counselor talking about why you feel you’re being ignored, together the two of you can come up with a plan, which would include talking with your friends. During the conversation with your friends, you can then hopefully figure out why your friends were ignoring you; and hopefully become friends again. However, if this plan should not work, you and your friends should meet with the counselor one more time, to try to figure out a solution to your problem. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that you and your friends will be able to work things out and become friends again. Sincerely, Jillian Q: Dear Bully Advice, I have this friend I’ve known since we were very young and we don't have the same interests any more. Also, I feel that every day we are growing farther apart. Do I just leave her alone or what? Sincerely, Friends No More Dear Friends No More, I think you should tell her how you feel and ask her if you are still friends. If she replies "I don't know" then ask her if she still wants to be friends. But, if she just ignores you then talk to an adult (preferably your counselor) and ask her if you can have a meeting with her, you, and your friend and try to work things out. I hope my advice helps. Sincerely, Lauren

Stone Mill Gazette March 2014 Page 6

Flappy Bird Game gets Deleted from App Stores By Christian B.

In my opinion, Flappy bird is a fun and addictive game. On the other hand, many people find it to be frustrating because they think it’s way too difficult and it drives them crazy. Many people I know can’t even get past the first three pipes! The goal of the game is to fly your bird as far as you possibly can, through as many pipes as you can. The catch is that it is not easy to fly very far without dying. You have to fly your bird, which bobs up and down, through a slim opening between two pipes without touching them. If your bird hits any part of the pipe, your bird will fall to the ground and you have to start all over again! The pipes are green with one extending from the top of the screen and the other extending up from the bottom. The opening between the bottom and top pipe can range in size from being large, medium or small. Flappy Bird was so popular it got 50 million downloads! This app also used to earn about $50,000 dollars, on average, per day! Sadly, on February 8, 2014, the game’s developer, Dong Nguyen, yanked the game off the App Store so that it was unavailable to anyone who had not downloaded it previous-ly. Dong said, “he cannot take this anymore.” Of course I didn’t know what this meant but maybe you can try to figure out what he means. So unfortunately, if you were just about to download this app, it’s too late because it is no longer available on the App Store. The good news though, is that, (1), if you downloaded the game before February 8th, you can still play it anytime you want, as much as you want and, (2) just because you

didn’t download it before February 8th doesn’t mean you will never get a chance to play it because you can still play it for free at this web-site: http://flappybird.io/?game (you just can’t download it.)

I say give it a try…it’s fun!

Newspaper Vocabulary Word Search Created By Arthur L.

a j r w p d a t e l i n e l g

c a p t i o n e n i l d a e h

e o y o v h g r a p h i c s m

r q p u c o l u m n t k z s b

u x n y i d e p a r t m e n t

t i n t e r v i e w t n i r p

a l a y o u t m a s t h e a d

e x c l u s i v e d a i d e m

f o n t e c l a i r o t i d e

c o r r e s p o n d e n t f j

angle feature caption font column graphics copy headline correspondent interview dateline layout department masthead edit media editorial print exclusive

Thank you to the Stone Mill PTA for

supporting the Newspaper Club!

Spider Maze By Kevin C.

Solution on page 8

Solution on page 8

Stone Mill Gazette March 2014 Page 7

None

Patriots

Steelers

Others

The Danger of Frozen Lakes By Roan P.

This article is about how a frozen lake is formed and the danger of frozen lakes. Ice forms on top of a lake when the

temperature dips below 39 degrees. It's strange. Why does ice form on top of the lake and not at the bottom? Water is

heavier than ice, so when ice forms, it is lighter and less dense. When an object is lighter, it floats. This is what happens

in a lake. The ice forms at the bottom of the lake, then it floats to the top, forming a thin layer that may appear to be thick

enough to hold a person’s weight but actually is not.

So when a person thinks it is okay to go ice-skating on a frozen lake, it is NOT. It

is very dangerous! I told you how the water only forms a thin layer of ice even

though it may look thick. You are, more than likely, too heavy to apply all your

weight in one particular place without it breaking. If you dare try, the ice may end

up taking on too much weight and collapse with the person! When the person falls

into the lake, they could either freeze to death or get serious frostbite from the cold.

And the scary thing is that this all can happen very quickly.

There was an incident reported recently where three boys from Gaithersburg—all

between 10 and12 years old—plunged through a thin sheet of ice. Two of the boys

were lucky enough to be rescued by the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue De-

partment. Sadly, one of the boys could not be rescued and did not survive.

Obviously, the boys did not know the dangers of frozen lakes. Had they known about the above mentioned facts, maybe

this heartbreaking incident could have been avoided. Hopefully, you will remember this article the next time you or your

friends consider playing on a frozen lake!

Which breed of dog is right for you? By Sarah R. and Jillian D.

Has your family wanted to get a dog for awhile, but just can’t decide what breed to get? Well,

today we are going to tell you about four different breeds of dogs which may help you to decide

which one is right for you and your family!

The first breed we are going to talk about is the Chihuahua. The Chihuahua, being the small-

est dog, barks a lot. It has a high-pitched “yappy” bark. If your house has young children, a Chi-

huahua might not be the best dog for you because they might get scared of the children and nip

or bite them. On a brighter note, Chihuahuas only need a small amount of exercise! If you can’t

walk them every day, it’s okay. A Chihuahua weighs 2-6 pounds depending upon which gender

they are, and they are about 6-9 inches tall. They usually live 12-20 years but it depends on how

healthy they are. Here are 3 fun facts about Chihuahuas: #1 Chihuahuas have been in the USA

since the 1800s; #2 many famous people carry them around in their purses! and #3 Taco Bell

made a commercial that helped make Chihuahuas a more popular breed.

Now, we will tell you about Beagles. They are bigger than a Chihuahua. Beagles are good with children because they are hyper

and energetic. When children play with them, they won’t have to worry about being bitten. Beagles can weigh 20-25 pounds and

can be 13-16 inches tall. They need short daily walks, but be careful because they are very good at tracking down animal scents

and could run away. A Beagle’s life span is usually 12-15 years. Here are 3 fun facts about beagles: #1 a beagle’s bark is like a

short howl; #2 Beagles were first brought to America in the 1500s and #3 their litter size ranges from 2-14 puppies.

Next, we are going to tell you about the Labrador Retriever. They are more commonly called “Labs”. Labs are a larger breed

than the Beagle. They are intelligent and kind with kids. Labs have a great sense of smell causing them to be trained easily.

Since they are active, they should be walked daily. If you have a busy job and are not home often, a lab might not be the best

breed for you. Another good thing about labs are that they make good service dogs. They weigh 55-80 pounds depending on their

gender. Labs are 21-24 inches tall, and they usually live 10-12 years depending on their health. Here are 3 fun facts about labs:

#1, they are the most popular breed in the USA; #2, they are from southeastern Newfoundland; and #3, a law was passed that

prevented labs from being bought but that law doesn’t exist any more.

Lastly, we will inform you about a dog called the Bernese Mountain Dog. Bernese Mountain Dogs love children

and are very strong. Bernese Mountain Dogs need long daily walks, and also need a large fenced-in yard to run

around and play. They are intelligent and easy to train. They weigh 80-110 pounds and are 24-28 inches tall.

Bernese Mountain Dogs usually live 8-10 years depending on their health. Here are 3 fun facts about Bernese

Mountain Dogs: #1 they are natural watchdogs and very alert; #2 they shed a lot so brush their coats often; and

#3 their litter size varies from 1-14 pups.

All of these breeds are different and special in various ways. Make sure to think carefully about which one

would be best for you and your family. Keep in mind, however, that these are not the only breeds of dogs.

Here is a website you can visit to find more information about the four breeds we discussed, plus others:

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com. We hope you found this article helpful and that you can now decide which breed to get!

Super Bowl XLVIII was held was on February 2, 2014. The Denver Broncos played the Seattle Seahawks at MetLife Stadium in East

Rutherford, New Jersey. It happened because the Broncos won their division and the Seahawks won their division. Also they were both

the best in their league. While many expected the Broncos to win, Seattle crushed them with a score of 43-8. Seattle scored every quar-

ter of the game.

Since you may already know the 2014 stats, I’m going to tell you some things about the Super Bowl you

probably haven’t heard:

Super Bowl I was played on January 15, 1967, following the 1966 regular season.

Eight million pounds of guacamole and 14,500 chips are eaten on Super Bowl Sunday.

The Walt Disney Company sends the Super Bowl MVP to Disneyworld or Disneyland each year.

The Green Bay Packers won the first Super Bowl.

Lamar Hunt, owner of the AFL's Kansas City Chiefs, first used the term "Super Bowl.”

The Pittsburg Steelers have the most Super Bowl titles. They have 6.

Now you know that the Super Bowl is not just about the game, but about the history and facts too!

SUPER BOWL XLVIII: Seattle Surges Past Broncos

By Logan J.

a j r w p d a t e l i n e l g

c a p t i o n e n i l d a e h

e o y o v h g r a p h i c s m

r q p u c o l u m n t k z s b

u x n y i d e p a r t m e n t

t i n t e r v i e w t n i r p

a l a y o u t m a s t h e a d

e x c l u s i v e d a i d e m

f o n t e c l a i r o t i d e

c o r r e s p o n d e n t f j

Cheerleading vs. Ice Hockey Which is Harder?

By Arzoe S., Nesya W.

and Laurenne Y. M.

One day, the three of us were talking- we were

trying to figure out which sport is harder cheer-

leading or hockey? We decided to see what other

students at Stone Mill thought so during recess

and lunch we surveyed 100 students from 3rd

grade and 5th grade. And guess what? Cheer-

leading won!!! Cheerleading got 59 votes while

hockey got 41 votes.

Do you agree?

STONE MILL GAZETTE CLUB

Fourth Graders:

Alexis A. • Alexandra D. • Ethan F. • Vanshika G. • Iris G. • Hoda

H. • Logan J. • Eknoor K. • Jeanne K. • Shayna K. • Kathleen L. •

Logan M. • Jordan N. • Shrutha V. • Amanda W.

Fifth Graders:

Christopher A. • Thomas A. • Christian B. • Liya B. • Alice C. •

Kevin C. • Cynthia C. • Laura C. • Maggie C. • Colin C. • Jillian D.

• Lauren G. • Ari G. • Amy H. • Jason H. • Rose H. • Josephine K.

• Arthur L. • George M. • Rhoda N. • Rachel O.-P. • Sarah O. •

Roan P. • Noah P. •Sarah R. • Jordan R. • Jordan R. • Jayden R.-

P. • Arzoe S. • Augustas S. • Jessica S. • Trudy S. •

Mariya S. • Daniel T. • Nicholas T. • Nesya W. • Laurenne Y.-M. •

Emily Z.

Advisors:

Nicole Bernard • Elly Hepfer • Joanne Misovec • Carolyn Reid •

Zach Reid • Shilpa Rose

ANSWER KEY

Spring Bunny By Joy K.

Stone Mill Gazette March 2014 Page 8