STUDENTS OF THE MONTH

These students were selected by their teachers for the honor of Students of the Month. The students and their invited teachers receive a complimentary lunch at the Paoli Wendy’s or the Frazer KFC/Taco Bell, or compli-mentary breakfast at the Frazer McDonald’s.

December honorees were:

Grade 8:

Kim Wenger is an excellent worker and is always enthusiastic about learning.

Emily Ellisen has a strong work ethic, is willing to help others, and is an outstanding school citizen.

Lauren Totaro is very positive, gives 110%, asks great questions, and is very kind to others. She always looks to go above and beyond what is required.

Grade 7:

Madeleine Morgenweck is a conscientious, helpful student who is highly motivated to learn. Her pleasant smile brightens the classroom every day. She is always a pleasure to have in class.

Victoria Zhang has been giving 100% effort since day one of the school year. She is very conscientious and continues to go beyond what is expected.

Carly Clayman is a hard worker, she goes above and beyond the requirements!

Grade 6:

Meghan Marsters is always willing to help other students, positive attitude and pleasant personality.

Chris Yake is a fine student with strong academic skills. He is very interested in learning. He is a focused and diligent worker motivated to excel.

GEOGRAPHY BEE

Twenty-three students competed in the twelfth annual GVMS Geography Bee in January. This event was sponsored by the National Geographic Society and The GVMS Social Studies Department. Many thanks to Mr. Cinciripino for coordinating the contest and to Mr. Beyer, Mrs. Green, Dr. Maher, and Mr. Whitelock for their help.

The students who competed were: Nihir Kothari, Mason Li, Jenna Desmarais, Karin Zhu, John Haskell, Sriram Radhakrishnan, Caroline Gimmillaro, Zev Chonoles, Dan Shackleton, Ben Wofford, Shirley Yu, Kyle Pegon, Noan Eberhart, Marc Daubert, Nandan Pandit, Caroline Sapyta, Erin Corry, Brian Robbins, Christina Bohn, Kristy Kingan, Andrew Baggaley, Ed Wu, and Joe Krasucki. The semi-final round of competition narrowed the field to Jenna Desmarais, John Haskell, and Andrew Baggaley who all made it to the Championship Round.

The semi-final round of competition narrowed the field to Jenna Desmarais, John Haskell, and Andrew Baggaley who all made it to the Championship Round.

Jenna took the Championship round to win the 2004 Geography Bee Title. She will be taking the qualifying test to try for entry into the State Bee in Harrisburg. Winners of each State Bee will compete in Washington, D.C. in the spring where scholarships will be awarded. John was runner up and Andrew took third place.

These are the questions that determined the winner in the Championship Round.

1. The first successful airplane flight by the Wright Brother occurred 100 years ago at Kitty Hawk in which U.S. State?

2. Urdu is an official language of a Muslim country that was once part of British India. Name this country.

3. The 2006 Winter Olympics will take place in Turin, located on the Po River in which European country?

(Answers: 1. North Carolina, 2. Pakistan, 3. Italy)

The Championship round’s winning question was:

The Yukon River flows across Alaska before emptying into what sea? (Answer: Bering Sea)

SIXTH GRADE NEWS

Mrs. LoGiudice's sixth grade science classes completed a unit on the Environment. They did research on an environmental issue. Some of the topics included Air, Water, and Noise Pollution, Acid Rain, Nuclear Waste Disposal, Global Warming, The Ozone Hole, Solid Waste Disposal, and Wetlands Preservation. The students presented their topics to the class. Many chose to write poems to share with their classmates. Here is a sampling of some of them.

Water Pollution

by Jimmy Shaughnessy

Waste

Amazingly Dirty

Terrible Accidents

Ecosystems Disturbed

Ridiculously Unmonitored

Potent

Oil Spills

Living Things Dying

Living Conditions Bad for Animals

Unclean

Trash Dumping in Water

Intrusive Chemical Leaks

Often On Purpose

Needs to Be Managed

My Endangered Species Poem

by Jessica Cottone

There are many different animals

Different varieties and types

Some are starting to disappear

And some are out of sight

Each one is important

Because they have a role

Their role is very special

And people can’t do a solo

Everything is changing

The animals can’t come back

The future could be better

If we can clean up our act!

Solid Waste

by Paul Long

Trash is disgusting,

Trash is gross.

But when it comes to trash,

Do you know what I do the most?

Recycle, because it helps us all.

It separates trash like a snap and a fall.

But when it comes to other waste like chemicals and sludge,

I hate to think about all that fudge.

It kills animals and makes people sick,

I wish I could clean out the world with a giant broomstick.

That’s what I have to say about stupid waste,

So lets clean the world and pick up the pace.

Endangered Species

by Amanda Tabb

Hunters, poachers aren’t our friends

If they can do it, doesn’t mean you can

They shouldn’t hunt too many animals

I wouldn’t hunt one precious mammal

Now that I have said my peace I suggest no more animals be put to sleep

Radon Gas

by Cassia Petridis

Colorless

Odorless

Naturally occurring radioactive gas made by decay of uranium

Serious health threat

Odorless

Some in soil

Serious health threat

Seeps out of ground

Some in soil

Disperses in atmosphere

Seeps out of ground

Can be trapped in buildings

Colorless

Disperses in Atmosphere

Can be trapped in buildings

Naturally occurring radioactive gas made by decay of uranium

Rain Forest Loss

by Nick Schwartz

The rain forest goes down

People rise up

So what if we earn money

It’s not worth what is being given up

We clear it for buildings

The Greenhouse effect will turn it to ash

When it is finished working

The rain forest will crash

You can find many things there

Medicines and foods but not a coconut

There are also living animals

But their habitats get cut

The monkeys will flee

And the fish will die

All because of pollution

Factories confess, “It was I”

There is a solution

To all of this

Maybe a reserve strategy

Or even some money from sis

We can form a group

And stop using as much oil

Because we wouldn’t want our very own rain-forest

To happen to spoil

Endangered Species Poem

By April Stanke

The aardvark and anteater both look funny

Sometime a rabbit is called a bunny

The jaguar is the biggest South American cat

In North East Africa there is the naked mole rat

Nocturnal means to come out at night

I hope I don’t get a ghost bat bite

Animal Rights Poem

By: Killian O’Neil

Hiding scared and don’t know what to do because of you

Lost every home they have ever made

Hunters every which way

Stop the hunting! Stop the Polluting! Stop tearing down homes

Animals have right too

Stop Violating Them

And maybe they will be kind to you

Dying Treasure

By Alex Converse

Coral reefs are long and bright,

Though they’re in tremendous plight.

Humans treat them selfishly,

Making them into jewelry.

Pollution anchors all of this,

Also Crown of Thorns Starfish.

All of these will destroy the reef,

Let’s turn over a new leaf.

Conservation must be done,

To save these treasures, one by one.

Nuclear Energy

by Sam Davidson

Not as dirty as fossil fuels

and more efficient than natural power.

Unclear is how to clean up its waste.

Cores of atoms split for power.

Later will become fusion.

Economically affordable compared to other energy.

Atomic power started in 1943 with Enrico Fermi’s lead reactor.

Radiation comes in three types, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma.

Einstein’s Theory of Relativity revealed it to be possible.

Nuclear meltdowns are when the core over heats and explodes.

Estimates show one plant produces about a car’s worth of waste.

Radioactive material leaked at Three Mile Island.

Giant Explosions aren’t possible to be made by reactors.

Years of research has proven that radiation causes cancer.

THANKS FOR THE HELPING HAND

We want to thank Mrs. Carol Davis for all of her work in setting up parent teacher conferences in November. We truly appreciate Mrs. Davis giving us so much of her time and effort.

4^Th ANNUAL GETT EVENT

Girls Exploring Tomorrow’s Technology Event (GETT) is scheduled for March 27, 2004. The event is free and fully sponsored by Verizon. It is for girls grades 6 – 12 and their parents, teachers, and counselors. It will be held at Immaculata University in Malvern from 10 AM to 2 PM with registration beginning at 9:30 AM.

“Families that Care: Guiding Good Choices”

This is a professionally facilitated program for parents of children ages 9 to 14. The program runs for five weeks, beginning on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 at GVMS, (please check the district calendar for all dates.) “Parents learn specific strategies for promoting healthy behaviors in children and reducing risks that predict adolescent health and behavior problems.” This parent-education program is funded by the great valley community partnership for healthy youth. For more information, please contact Doreen Ellis at 610-363-6164.

VAN DRIVER

Great Valley School District Food Service Dept. currently is accepting applications for a van driver to work 3 to 4 hours a day. Salary is $9.25 per hour. Salary after the first 90 days of employment is $9.50 per hour. Applicant must be able to lift 35 lbs. and possess a valid PA drivers license. Interested applicants should call 610- 889-2125, ext. 1979 for an application. EOE

Great Valley Middle School Message Board

You can access voice mail and the message board via 610.644.6442, then follow these voice prompts:

If you know your party’s extension, dial it now. You may dial 0 at any time for an operator during office hours.
For the staff directory, press 3 (Calls to teachers go to voice mail.)
For the nurse, press 4.
For the guidance office, press 5.
To report an absent student, press 6. State the date, your name, your child’s name & the reason for the absence.
For the message board announcements, press 7, then:

PRESS # ANNOUNCEMENT

1 Athletic Events For The Week Or Today’s Changes.

2 School Closings & Early Dismissals

3 Homework In Reading, World Languages & Long Term Special Area Projects

4 Guidance, Music, School Activities, Including Trip Arrival Times

5 Parent Teacher Organization

6 Grade 6 Homework

7 Grade 7 Homework

8 Grade 8 Homework

For example, to access the Homework Hotline:

q Dial 610.644.6442, then 7, then 6, 7, or 8 for sixth, seventh or eighth grade homework. To hear the homework again, wait for the message to end, then press 6, 7, or 8.

You can continue to reach the main office at 610.644.6440, but if the office lines are busy, your call will transfer to the auto attendant.

To access our Website, bookmark www.gvsd.org/gvms/

Our Website displays a plethora of timely information – the GVMS calendar of events (updated daily); homework in major subjects; athletic schedules and directions to games; teacher e-mail addresses; Student Handbook (You’ll need to download the free Adobe Acrobat to read the Handbook, if you don’t have it installed on your computer); and LetterGrade, showing your child’s progress reports.

2-HOUR DELAYED OPENING: If there is the possibility of a 2-hour delayed opening or closure due to inclement weather, the fastest way to learn of it is through the district website @ http://www.gvsd.org or through TV stations. Please do not call the school since staff are busy reorganizing schedules.

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Great Valley School District is an equal opportunity education institution and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, or handicap in its activities, programs, or employment practices as required by Title VI, Title IX, Section 504. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Chapter 15 of the Pennsylvania School Code, and Americans with Disabilities Act. For information regarding civil rights, grievance procedures, services, activities, and facilities accessible to and usable by handicapped persons, contact Dr. Robin Koslo-Stahl, Title IX and Section 504 Coordinator, Great Valley School District, 47 Church Road, Malvern PA 19355. Tel: 610.889.2125 ext. 2116. For more information on the evaluation procedure and provisions of services to protected handicapped students requiring a 504 Service Agreement/Chapter 15, contact the Director of Special Education at 610.889.2125, ext. 2113.

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If there is the possibility of a late opening due to inclement weather, the fastest way to learn of it is through the district website or TV stations. Please do not call the school since staff are busy reorganizing schedules.

December honorees were:

GEOGRAPHY BEE

“Get a jump on summer FUN”

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19th, 5:30-8:30 PM

GREAT VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL

255 N. Phoenixville Pike, Malvern