Power Forward To Phys. Ed Class

Former Fairfield

University pow-

er forward and

Providence

University Col-

lege graduate

assistant coach

under Ed Coo-

ley, Mr. E, talks

to The Goddard

Gazette about

sharing the court

with ballers like

Dwight How-

ard, Josh Smith,

J.R. Smith,

LaMarcus Al-

dridge, Roy

Hibbert, Jeff

Green, Tyreke

Evans, Jeff

Teague and Kemba Walker. Article on page 5

Ms. Tully’s Tradition

December 2016

Interview by Dajia.

In Ms. Tully’s classroom

the goal of creating 100 or

more holiday cards for

Veterans by Christmas day

is a 13 year long tradition.

Being a teacher gives her an opportunity to encourage elementary age students to give back to the community. One year, her students

made over 600 cards! Imag-

ine? She developed a pas-

sion for the cause after

spending time with her

father and others who were

hospitalized disabled Veter-

ans during the Charismas

season. This year, like all of

those before, Ms. Tully will

hand deliver over 100 holi-

day cards on Christmas

morning to the Veteran’s

Hospital in Brockton.

-The Gazette.

Edition 1

2016

Academics 2

Ms. Kate’s

Chronicle 5

Opinion 6

Entertainment 7

Sports 9

Health & Well-

being 11

Lander’s Letter 13

February Issue 14

Inside this Edition:

The Goddard Gazette News to U s

In November Goddard

staff and students

were given an oppor-

tunity to nominate a

name for the school

newspaper. The name

“The Goddard Ga-

zette” originated from

Vice Principal Dob-

son.

Victory

for VP

From left to right: Ms. Brittany, Ms. Gomes, Jeremy, Aysia, and Ms. Tully. Photo by Alexa December 2016

2

ACADEMICS

December 2016 Term I

Interview by Dajia

Principal Lander recognizes God-

dard’s Honor Roll students and Cit-

izens of the Month by hanging their

certificate of achievement in the

school’s entrance way. He told the

Gazette that it’s an effective form

of positive reinforcement to

acknowledge those who set high

academic goals and succeed. His

feeling is, “There will always be

those who don’t believe it’s ‘cool’

to be put on display for an academ-

ic achievement, and at times some

may feel as though they lack the

ability to be elected for Citizen of

the Month, or have a chance at

getting the grades necessary to

make the Honor Roll, but I know

that every student here is capable of

going above and beyond what they

believe they can achieve,” and he

ends by saying, “It’s very important

that I acknowledge those who work

to their full potential.” Displaying

the school mascot (The Great

Horned Owl) off to one side is

Goddard’s way of greeting and dis-

missing its students and staff mem-

bers while also serving as a daily

reminder that Principal Lander is

conscious of the hard work and

effort that each individual contrib-

utes to maintaining a positive learn-

ing environment. - Edited in collabora-

tion by Ms. Plouffe and Principal Lander.

The Citizen of the Month is elected by

Goddard School staff members. The

months of September—November

were combined to create

“Best Start of the Year”.

HIGH

HONORS

Jessica N.

Alexa B.

Queven D.

Steven N.

Thomas V.

Anne P.

Ajia C.

Kanija K.

Devon H.

Dylan W.

Dajia M.

Kerby D.

James M.

No TERM I

“BEST START” Elementary School Stewart L.

Middle School

Jahmaury M.

High School Kerby D.

HONORS

Stessie B.

David N.

Jennifer D.

James D.

Christopher B.

Jonathan M.

Stewart L.

Tariq T.

Whooo’s on a Roll?

3

December 2016

This marks the second year that the Goddard School turns to team

building to facilitate positive relationships between students and

staff members. At the start of the year, its coordinators, Ms. Nikole

and Vice Principal Dobson, announced that The Owls would divide

into four teams that each contain contestants ranging from the 4th

grade through the 12th, and a number of staff members with dissimi-

lar job assignments.

First, they asked that 8 staff members volunteer to be a team cap-

tain. Next, the coordinators paired them in twos. Then they began

to develop four individual teams by evenly distributing the remain-

der of contestants: faculty and study body. After the four teams

were formed, the captains rounded up their players and then began

brainstorming ideas for a team name and color(s), and a symbol,

lucky charm or mascot. As soon as each group compromised on

their decisions they were instructed to decorate a shoe box that best

represents their team pride.

Each month the four teams compete against each other in an

academic challenge: Emperors, Gang Green, G2, and Panda

Man Squad. During each class of the day (period) each student

has the opportunity to earn an “academic point” that at times

will be given in the form of a card. The student who is awarded

the point notifies their captains that they’ve won, and then he or

she puts the card in their team box. The team with the most

academic points at the end of the month wins a pizza party!

October started off with a “punctuality” challenge. Each student

was given a star when arriving to class on time. Congratulations

go out to the Panda Man Squad for accumulating 158 points!

Ms. Nikole shared her thoughts on why “punctuality” is so im-

portant, “Being punctual gets students ready for class. It sets

them up for a great start, and allows them to prepare themselves

for the teacher’s lesson. It’s also an important life skill, as they

say, “The early bird gets the worm”!”

In November the competition got a little harder when the rules only

allowed one student from each class to earn a card for putting in the

most “effort” during that given period. Once again, congratulations

to the Panda Man Squad for earning 46 points! Ms. Nikole be-

lieves, “In order to be the most successful, everyone must aspire to

be one of the hardest workers in their class. Without putting forth

your best effort, you hardly ever stand a chance at coming out on

top. Whether its class work, completing chores home, or simply by

being kind to others during a difficult situation, the amount of ef-

fort that goes into whatever it is you’re doing, at that any given

time, is what really counts the most in life.”

Currently for the month of December, the Emperors are leading the aca-

demic challenge for earning the most points in the category of “most re-

spectful student in class”. We’ll let you know in February’s addition if they

stood their ground against The Owl’s two time pizza party winner “The

Panda Man Squad”!

Head to page 8 to learn about term one’s activity challenge.

ACADEMIC CHALLENGE

Back in September Mr. Vanderbrink “V” came up with the

idea of creating a vision board that would display the five

themes of geography: human-environment interaction, loca-

tion, region, movement, and place. To begin, I, along with

Ms. Marcia, and a group of middle school students created a

map of the world by first tracing one on to a large sheet of

paper, and then we colored it in by using different techniques.

Once that job was finished, a few of us searched through mag-

azines for pictures that would best serve as examples for each

theme. The project ended by defining each theme on an indi-

vidual poster board. Finally, piece by piece it went up. Mr. V

told The Gazette that it’s important for students to have con-

stant visual reminders in the classroom because it helps them

keep the topic fresh in their minds. Also, it’s a good way for

the kids to be able to organize their thoughts. Before the holi-

day break Mr. V’s eighth grade class utilized the board to

learn about the United States and Canada. After they return

from vacation they’ll begin learning about Latin America. The

five themes will continue to be used throughout the academic

year as an educational approach to teaching Mr. V’s students

geography . -Ms. Plouffe

Mr. V’s Vision

4

Educators Make a Grand Entrance

December 2016

Ms. Gomes teamed up with Ms. Tully!

She told The Gazette that one of the main reasons

she chose to assist Ms. Tully as an elementary

level educator is because she’ll get to sing when-

ever she feels like it, “I love to sing. For some

reason, the younger grades like being sung to

more than the older ones do. I’ve been singing my

whole life and I’m pretty good at it, if I don’t say

so myself,” she said. At the start of the year, Ms.

Gomes volunteered to be one of the Emperor's

team captains, “I like it a lot! The kids in our

classroom really get into the academic challenges.

And I’m competitive! What I find kind of funny,

is how the other players on my team who are from

the middle school and high school grades tell me,

“I won a point for our team,” right when they see

me, or they just say “hey, hi” if I bump into them around school.”

Ms. Gomes thinks it’s kind of nice that that the older students know who she is even though they don’t spend their day with her.

Mr. Bowes

The most recent member of our

support staff began the week be-

fore the holiday break.

The Goddard is very happy to have

someone around who is able to

reach just about anything without

having to stand on a ladder.

He likes studying about history!

Ms. Mary

A few weeks ago Ms.

Mary joined the God-

dard community and

says, “Everyone is super

nice and I’m learning

something new every-

day!” Thankfully she

enjoys cooking because

she’s in charge of mak-

ing the stuffing for our

holiday feast!

5

December 2016 Continued from page 1.

Easily moved to compassion, a faithful, gen-

erous heart, she does not forget any favor

received or hold resentment for any wrong

done to her. She presents to the Goddard

School a cool, calm, and collected character:

Ms. Kate.

Buckinghamshire, Eng-

land is her birth place.

Ms. Kate’s parents

moved their family to

Massachusetts the sum-

mer before she entered

the second grade. When

the Goddard Gazette

asked if she found her-

self struggling to fit in,

or had any difficulty

understanding her school

work, this is what she

had this to say, “Ah,

well, yes, kind of. I had a

really hard time in math class.”

Her response was followed by laughter but

she continued, “I didn’t know anything about

American money. We had this in-depth work-

book that I didn’t understand. It had all of

these pages, lots of pages full of pictures of

money, and so, well, I avoided that section of

work. I only knew about pounds and pence. I

didn’t get the whole dollar and cents thing.”

At first, Ms. Kate didn’t find much difference

between the two cultures, but after second

grade ended she switched to a new school,

and that’s when things began to change, “For

a long time. Every day, I remember, I would

sit in my seat and cry until my teacher, Mrs.

Plunkett, would let me go to the nurse.”

From there, Ms. Kate shared a personal expe-

rience that involved her and the school princi-

pal, “One day I was sitting in the nurse’s of-

fice when the principal walked by and asked

why I was always crying. When I told her “I

miss my mom”, she said, “I miss my mother

too. But I can’t see her because she’s in heav-

en.”

Cool. Calm. Collected. Ms. Kate’s Chronicle

“Because of that ‘weird’ experience, I stayed

in class”, she told us. Coincidently, Mrs.

Plunkett was also new to the school that year.

She helped Ms. Kate cope with her separation

anxiety. With her support, Ms. Kate began to

open up to her classmates, and third grade

turned out to be her favorite year of school.

At age fourteen, Ms.

Kate’s parents went

through a divorce. It

was a difficult time

for her, but she

walked away with

something positive

from the situation,

“Going through

tough times makes

you stronger, and

helps shape the per-

son you become.”

Soccer and running

track occupied a lot

of her time during

high school. Ms. Kate said, “Don’t tell Mr.

Lander, but I got, oh geez, I’m probably go-

ing to regret this, but I got average grades in

high school. I used SparkNotes, a lot, but,

but, wait, let me say, because I didn’t have to

spend so much time reading long books, I

gave more time to science and math home-

work, and look how that turned out, see!?”

While most only have one country of citizen-

ship, she has two. Last year Ms. Kate passed

the required exam to become a citizen of the

United States. We asked what she’d say to a

student who disliked civics class and she told

us, “True story, my civics’ teacher’s name

was “Mrs. Moring”, but we use to call her,

“Mrs. Boring” behind her back. Today, I

realize how important the subject is. I know,

not everyone has to take the civics exam, but

that day I realized the reason I knew a lot of

the answers to the questions is because of

what I learned in my high school civics class.

Also, 2016 was the first election I was able

to vote. Understanding how our system

works, is what helped me decide who to elect

for the next president of the United States.”

She met her husband while studying psycholo-

gy at Stonehill College. They were a couple

for six years before they walked down the

aisle. When we asked her to sum him up in one

word she immediately replied with,

“thoughtful”.

Today, war genre is Ms. Kate’s category

choice when reading, and don’t worry Mr.

Lander, she’s also a member of a book club.

During the summer months she plays on a

soccer league. You’ll find her listening to

“Bright” by Echo Smith and “Sing for the

Moment” by Eminem for inspiration, but it’s

always been these lyrics, “I push myself to the

limit so my talent'll surface”, from Nelly’s

“Heart of a Champion” that continue to moti-

vate Ms. Kate, “I’ve been playing that song

before and after every run since high school.”

- Interviewed and written in collaboration by

Alexa, Nazzy, and Ms. Plouffe.

Ms. Kate at the age she came to America .

Ms. Kate on her wedding day .

6

Almost 20 years ago I was fortunate to have had my 9th grade English

teacher, Ms. Doyle, plop on my desk a book that looked as if it had

belonged to my grandparents. At that time, I was unaware that a nov-

el about a young girl growing up in the south would have such a pro-

found impact on my life.

I have read countless books, both in school and out, but to this day I

truly believe that To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee was and still

is the most important book I have ever read. Each year I change

some of the books I choose to read with my English students, but the

one staple that I refuse to alter is the introduction of this novel with

my incoming 9th graders.

Harper Lee or Truman Capote (we may never know who the author

is) created a world to get lost in. The novel allows you to leave

Scituate, Springfield, Braintree, Brockton, or wherever you are, and

be a part of the small town of Maycomb, Alabama for a short while.

It was early summer, and you become friends with three curious

young children and gain respect for their courageous father. In late

summer, you weep for an honest African American and feel hate for a

white father and his poor family. Then its fall, and you finally see

people for who they truly are.

To say To Kill a Mockingbird is an important book is an understate-

ment. It won’t leave you wanting more, it will leave you satisfied and

ready to start it all over again and again and again.

Mr. Connelly

OPINION

Nazzy, Grade 11

To Kill a Mockingbird,

this story, to me, was

somewhat interesting. It

goes back to when rac-

ism was big in the

south, which really

grabbed me, I guess

because it opened my

eyes on how people

were back in that day. I

read it with Ms. Plouffe

and Mr. Connelly in 9th

grade but when I was in

10th I remember work-

ing on a bulletin board

for the new 9th graders when they were reading it. Some other 10th

graders helped Ms. Plouffe too but I drew the cover of the book and

helped her hang quotes and pictures on it. I felt good about myself.

After it was up I was happy that I helped the school understand the

importance of the book. Also, I felt that I was helping teach the

younger kids because they saw it everyday. Book

cover drawn by Nazzy .

“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but

make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat

up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corn-

cribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their

hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to

kill a mocking bird.”

Ajia , Grade 9

The mockingbird symbolizes Atticus. The reason I picked him is

because when he took the case to defend Tom everybody was call-

ing him a “nigger lover” and being rude to his family. He just want-

ed to help Tom, not to make other people feel bad but to show peo-

ple he isn’t a racist like all of the other townspeople. By the quote,

“They don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us,” Atticus

didn’t care what anybody said, he wanted what was best for Tom.

Atticus is the mockingbird.

Tashina, Grade 10

“To Kill a Mockingbird” is important to read when becoming a

freshman student because in the story they talk about things that are

still going on day. In this book, Scout was afraid of Boo. She based

her feelings on rumors. Some kids are afraid of going into high

school because it sounds so scary, or the rumors said about high

school are, like what goes on there You never realize how great or

bad something can be until you experience it for yourself. For ex-

ample, her point of view changed after Boo saved Jem’s life be-

cause things that were said about him turned out not to be true.

"Hush your mouth! Don't matter who they are, any-

body sets foot in this house's yo' comp'ny, and don't

you let me catch you remarkin' on their ways like you

was so high and mighty!

Calpurnia is my favorite character! She has a motherly like presence

throughout the story; She uses a strict form of discipline on the Finch

kids when teaching them that the racism and double standards shown

by the townspeople is unethical. Cal believes in the same code of

conduct as their father, but her approach isn’t as subtle; It’s a form of

“tough love”. She’s portrayed as their protector. You can’t help but to

admire Cal for the way she looked after Jem and Scout after their

mother died. -Mrs. Plouffe

7

Entertainment

THE CRUCIBLE

Mr. King’s film class started off their academic year by watching and analyzing “The Crucible”. The theme was social injustice: hysteria, reputation, empowerment, accusations, confessions, and legal proceedings. The story is based on the Salem witch trials and is set in a theocratic society, in which the church and the state are

one. In the movie we learn that in the late 1600’s, no deviation from social norms was allowed. Any individual whose private life did not conform to the established moral laws represented a threat: not only to the public good but also to the rule of the religion at that time. While discussing social injustice, along with Mr. King and Ms. Plouffe, the students worked on an activity and they collaborated on a brief summary detailing the film. Their efforts were displayed outside of the classroom.

TEAM RUDY VS.

TEAM CORRY In November two movies were watched and then

discussed: “Rudy” and “1000 to 1”. The theme

was perseverance: optimism, confidence and de-

termination. We analyzed each film by making a

list of words that described each main character.

Later the class broke up in to two teams. (Team

Cory: Mr. King, Connor, and Alexa. Team Rudy:

Ms. Plouffe, Nazzy and Lecahree.) Each team

collaborated on a brief summary detailing the

personality traits of their character. Next, they

created a poster board to help represent their

character in a debate. And then it began! Mr. V

sat in as the judge. He picked a word off a poster

board, and then gave each team the opportunity

to defend their character by explaining why he

best represented the chosen word. Once every

word was debated, after much consideration, Mr.

V gave the win to Team Rudy! He told the partici-

pants that although each one did an amazing job

defending their character, he was very impressed

with the way that Lecahree presented himself.

Designed and crafted by Alexa, Nazzy, Ms. Plouffe.

Team Rudy Team Cory

MAKING MUSIC WITH MR. MUNROE

The National Association for Musical Education claims,

“Emotional development: Students of music can be more emo-

tionally developed, with empathy towards other cultures.

They also tend to have higher self-esteem and

are better at coping with anxiety.”

Interview continued on page 7. Hamilton: An American Musical

8

Drum Roll Please!

Goddard Introduces

A Music Teacher Q: What do you consider to be

one of the most important ben-

efits of music in our schools?

Mr. Munroe: Music can help

the emotional well-being of a

person. It is as important as the

core academics. Music is

something that reaches right

into my soul and the souls of

others. It’s a universal lan-

guage.

Q: How long have you been

teaching music?

Mr. Munroe: This is my twen-

ty-first-year teaching, I started

teaching music in 1995.

Q: When did you being play-

ing music?

Mr. Munroe: Music has always

been a big part of my house-

hold. My mother and father

loved music. I began playing

the drums in fourth grade.

From there I joined band in

high school and played in

bands all throughout college.

Q: What did you go to college

to study?

Mr. Munroe: I went to college

to study music and while I was

there I decided I wanted to

teach. I received my bachelor’s

degree in music education and

my masters in music.

When asked about performing:

Mr. Munroe: It is normal to be

nervous, but I channel my

nervousness into my perfor-

mance.

Q: What is your favorite instru-

ment?

Mr. Munroe: Percussion!

Interview conducted by Nazzy

and Ms. Kate

“Art makes people happy!”

Ms. West

All about Art

Q: Some question whether or not art is an

essential part of a school’s curriculum.

Why do you feel it’s important in the de-

velopment of a student?

Ms. West: Art helps enhance problem

solving skills. It is proven that children

who draw earlier and who practice letter

writing and symbols at a young age have

better English comprehension. Also, the

world is a visual place, you see everything

in it and want it to be visually appealing. It

is powerful to be able to capture

someone’s attention and communicate

meaning through art. It is a skill that I

think everyone should have.

Q: When did you know you wanted to

teach art?

Ms. West: I had no interest in teaching

when I started school. My first year of

college, I was in a Foundations of Drawing

class and did an internship where I had to

teach. I loved it. That was when I knew I

wanted to teach art. I attended Savannah

College of Art and Design in Georgia and

have my master’s degree in art. My first

year of teaching was 1995 and now I am in

my twenty-first-year teaching and am still

loving it.

Q: When did you first fall in love with art?

Ms. West: In kindergarten. I loved my box

of big, fat crayons. My dad was an artist

too so I have always loved art.

Q: What’s your favorite type of art to do?

Ms. West: I love oil painting.

Q: Why did you choose to work here?

Ms. West: I love working in an alternative

school. You get to know the students better

and build better relationships in a smaller

school.

Interview conducted by Nazzy

and Ms. Kate

Top photo shows Ms. West overseeing a middle school

student as he paints his picture. Beneath that is a pho-

to of several projects that have been created by stu-

dents of all ages and below grades 9 & 10 are working

in a group with Ms. West.

9

SPORTS

Mr. E Rises to Great Heights Interview & Photo Search by Damien

Investigated and Written in Collaboration - The Gazette

Continued from page 1

Make no mistake about it, no matter how mellow, respectful or unruffled he might appear to you,

don’t join the team that’s going up against Mr. “E” Evanovich. Squeezing this success story out of

his low-key character wasn’t easy for The Gazette because someone like Mr. E doesn’t persistently

promote himself, but luckily we’re living during a time where we can rely on Google when spoken

and written words fail to satisfy our curiosity, and that’s exactly how The Gazette was able to tell

you some of what he’s too humble to say.

In 2004 we found out that The New York Times published an article called “There's Basketball in

Those Hills” and that’s where David Parker wrote, “There is one Connecticut player, also a fifth-

year player, Mike Evanovich, a 6-foot-8 forward from E.O. Smith High School in Storrs,” Parker

was referring to comments made by big-time college coaches and scouts that checked out players

who were shooting hoops at the gymnasium in Connecticut’s South Kent School: players are held

accountable for their grades, have to abide by the school’s work program, are obligated to attend

chapel, and are required to follow every rule.

After South Kent Mr. E “had a wide range of suitors” for a basketball scholarship but made the deci-

sion to sign a letter of intent to the Iowa State Cyclones. That choice turned out to be a pretty good

experience for Mr. E, but by the end of his freshman year his mind had changed, “I left Iowa State

because I wasn’t playing as much as I hoped, and also because I felt that I could do better academi-

cally at a smaller school,” he told The Gazette.

From there he went on to be the power forward who wore

jersey #41 for Ed Cooley at Fairfield University. Mr. E

enlightened us when sharing a story about his second to

last college game: He led the Stags by finishing with a

career-high 32 points, and a school record 9 three-pointers

including one with 0.9 seconds in regulation to send into

overtime; Fairfield was losing that game to George Mason by 27 points, with 16 minutes to go, before

coming back to win in overtime, setting the NCAA record for biggest comeback in post-season history!

Awards and honors were something Mr. E spoke very little about during our conversation but some-

thing he did find worth mentioning was an MAAC contest held at the Arena at Harbor Yard in January

of 2009. In a few words he discussed a game where Marist lost to Fairfield after holding a 16-point lead

in the first half. After more research we learned that out of the 16 points scored by Mr. E, 10 were shot

in the second half, and this put the Stags back in the game.

On YouTube we came across a press conference where a reporter commented, “You started off shoot-

ing slow tonight, for a shooter, but you just keep shooting anyway.” When he asked Mr. E if he’d re-

spond, this is what he had to say, “Every time I came back to the bench everybody’s like ‘keep shooting

-keep shooting: They never got down on me after I missed a shot, and then I don’t’ think I passed up

too many of them.” Afterward the reporter remarked, “To be down 24-7 at one point, and to pull that

out, has got to be very satisfying.” He replied with, “It means everything right now; We’re down

some people, that’s what you’ve got to do for your team mates, is just step up for each other.”

Much like Mr. E, Coach Cooley didn’t take credit for the win either. He gave it to his players, “Truly the proudest win I’ve ever had. Really,

really, proud of our players, everybody, everybody played today and contributed to the team, great leadership out of…..and Michael, great not

good, great leadership out of those two guys and it was a satisfying team. Please emphasize team.” Mr. E who holds the Fairfield University

record for the best 3 point field goal percentage in a season (2010), a career (2006-2010), and most 3-pointers in a game (9).

Before he found himself teaching Goddard students physical education Mr. E was a graduate assistant coach under Cooley at Providence Col-

lege where Mr. E was cited saying, “Good leadership is important in a coach because you have to get people to believe in what you say so that

everyone is fighting towards the same goals,” and also these noteworthy words, “I hope to find here a couple of new ideas and ways to look at

things.” In 2011 The Hartford Courant reported that Mr. E signed a pro contract with the Hartford Lightning. When we asked him if at any

point in his career did he feel as if he had the chance to play for the NBA, he shook his head ‘no’ before he humbly said, “Ha, ha, that’s really

kind, thanks, but I was playing against a lot of guys who were so much faster than me, like, Dwight Howard, Josh Smith, J.R. Smith, LaMarcus

Aldridge, Roy Hibbert, Jeff Green, Tyreke Evans, Jeff Teague and Kemba Walker.” From what he says, his main objective as a gym teacher at

the Goddard is to get his students to try a new sport because hopefully they’ll find a new game they enjoy and play it to stay active. Mr. E not

only wants to be a positive influence but hopes to help students choose an active-healthy lifestyle.

#41 Fairfield U. Phot by Wesport news.

Mr. E. lets go of the ball for a three point-

er, during a game at the Arena at Harbor

Yard in Bridgeport, Conn.

10

Something Worth Fighting For December 2016

One of Goddard’s eighth grade students is trying out a new free of cost

academic and athletic program that’s being offered to Brockton Middle

School youth (6-8) by The Champion City Boxing Club (CCBC). Mike

Cappiello, owner of Cappiello’s Boxing and Fitness, agreed to allow the

CCBC into the Main Street gym (before regular hours of operation) three

days a week from 3:30 in the afternoon to 5:30 at night. His focuses is to

improve their physical strength, mental alertness and confidence.

Cappiello told The Gazette that Director of Social Services, Koren Cap-

piello (no relation), based the program off of an idea he came up with a

few years ago that begins with 45 minutes of homework help (provided

by college students) followed by an hour of boxing training and instruc-

tion by former contenders like Antion Wilks.

Wilks, who works full-time for the city’s Safe Corners Program, has been

training with Cappiello for over 15 years. He told The Gazette, “Boxing

was something I got into because I needed a hobby. Honestly. But then I

got a desire to be as good as everyone else in the gym. That challenge

turned into a passion. And eventually earned me three Golden Glove

titles. Besides that, now I know if I put my mind to something, I can do

it. I think it’s good what we’re doing here because we need to inspire

these kids.”

Also an eighth grade Special Education teacher, Cappiello, told The Ga-

zette that Goddard’s student is taking full advantage of the academic

center just as much as the boxing training and instruction. After hearing

that Mr. V’s eighth grade English class has begun reading “The Contend-

er” by author and sports journalist Robert Lipsyte, Cappiello commented,

“I know it’s fiction, but the story is totally realistic. I can relate to five

characters in that book: fighter, teacher, gym owner, trainer, and promot-

er. All of the boys I’ve met from the Goddard, are good kids.” He said

he’d love to have a look at The Contender with our student.

Ms. Marlene, a member of Goddard’s therapeutic support staff, assisted

with the application process that is required by students who wish to get

involved, and she told us, “The Champion City Boxing Club program is a

great opportunity for our middle school students to strengthen their minds

and bodies through boxing training and homework help. I wish more

students from all grades could participate.”

When The Gazette asked one of its own for an opinion on the program he

said, “The math sheets they have up there are great. I actually like doing

them,” and also, “I have to say that doing stuff like ‘hook-hook-jab’

when you’re face to face with Antoine is not really that simple because

he’s wearing mitts, and plus, I have to memorize all of these punches,

and so when he calls one out, I have to know what to do. He’s so nice

about everything through.” He also said that he’ll do his best to continue.

Cappiello told The Gazette that the toughest part for a lot of the kids in

this program is getting through the door. Some may have transportation

problems or outside influences that prevent them from training: friends,

relatives, problems related to drugs, alcohol, and other forms of abuse “a

lot like Alfred in The Contender”, says Cappiello.

When The Gazette asked if he’d comment as to whether or not being

Rocky Marciano’s first cousin influenced his decision to contend, he told

us that Rocky was a great guy, from what he could remember, but Cap-

piello didn’t want to talk about how successful Rocky’s career was or

about his own accomplishments, he wanted talk about the ‘comradeship’

that’s found in his boxing gym, and how the sport teaches kids respect

and dedication, and to be disciplined in every area of their life. “That’s

what I want these kids to take away from this experience,” he left off

with saying. –The Gazette

ACTIVITY CHALLENGE Continued from page 4

Term 1 / October

Our first big school wide challenge was the Hallow-

een Team challenge. Team members all signed up for

a variety of 8 activities, all of which required differ-

ent skill sets. Some of the activities included, an egg

toss/relay race, ice melting challenge, balloon pop,

and an eating contest. The students had a lot of fun

cheering each other on and earning points for their

teams. This activity promoted team work and encour-

aged students and staff to build and maintain rela-

tionships. The best part about this activity, was being

able to see everyone laugh and have fun with each

other. Often times in school, we don’t always have

the opportunity to all interact with each other and this

was a fun way to bring everyone together for some

healthy competition. –Vice Principal Dobson

From left to right: Panda Man Squad Captains: Ms. Kate and Mr. V

(on each end), Gang Green Captains: Mrs. K (front) and Mr. Barnes

(back row second in), G2 Captains: Mr. Connelly (back row third in)

and to his right is Mr. Mo, and Emperor Captains Ms. Plouffe and to

her right Ms. Gomes. (Photo by Alexa)

The picture below shows the final moment which ended term one’s

activity challenge. Coordinators took everyone by surprise when

each team was told that both of their captains would unite as one

competitor. In a race against the clock, the four teams went up

against each other to see which could put on the most layers of

clothing before the time allotted ran out. The Gazette was told by

several students that this challenge was their favorite part of the day

because it was hysterical to watch staff members compete for the

win. Congratulations go out to “The Emperors”, not only for win-

ning this challenge but for taking first place by being the team that

won the most events! The Emperors will hold on to the school tro-

phy, figure of an owl, until another team claims it. -The Gazette

11

HEALTH & WELLBEING

“Students love to eat!” Ms. Slaeker

Goddard adds a Healthy Elective

“If healthy choices are consistently put in front of students, then

they will partake. Sometimes it takes multiple exposures to a food

that might seem boring, strange, or even gross before it becomes a

part of a diet. The food experience doesn’t just have to happen at

the school lunch table, but it can be marinated into the classrooms.

It is here students can influence food choices, experiment with

preparation methods, and develop a skill of trying new things. Here

in Health and Wellness, students not only talk about healthy food,

but they get to try it out in the kitchen. It is here they choose the

fruits and vegetables that will enhance their meals, develop skills

preparing it, and build comradery while they eat,” Ms. Slaeker. –

Tashina

Happy & Healthy

With Ms. Hughes

After a child's home, school represents the second most influ-

ential environment in a student’s life. According to the Nation-

al Association of School Nurses, the school nurse is often the

only health professional who looks after the physical, mental,

emotional, and social health needs of the youth community.

The school nurse also plays a vital role in the learning process

because improved attendance means the healthy student is in

the classroom and ready to learn.

Q: What would you say if The Gazette told you that The Na-

tional Association of School Nurses says, that the most im-

portant duty of the school nurse is found in her immense con-

tribution to the reduction of drop-out rates?

Nurse Hughes: I’m kind of surprised. I think that a lot of kids

come by my office looking for a little extra TLC (tender loving

care). Some of them just don’t feel as if they get enough atten-

tion at home or in the classroom, especially when they’re tired,

or feeling a little down, or maybe just not at 100%.

Goddard’s nurse also explained to The Gazette that the kids

who need to take medication to address conditions that affect

their education often receive them by her. Having a school

nurse to administer their medication and monitor its intake is

extremely important to a child’s wellbeing and academic suc-

cess.

Nurse Hughes says that a lot of kids wouldn’t be getting the

proper amount of healthcare needed if a school nurse wasn’t

available to them. Along with providing medical attention to

students, she’s always in the same spot if students feel the need

to stop by and say ‘hi’. It’s important to children that someone

other than their loved ones care about their wellbeing.

Interview Conducted by Tashina

Written by Alexa

Edited by The Gazette

Making Soup with Ms. Magdala

“Soup Joumou must be made in a pot! On the

stove! If it’s not, your Haitian relatives will be

rolling in their graves!”

“This Haitian tradition takes all day to prepare!

And that’s the truth!” -Ms. Magdala

First you must brown your meat with the olive oil and cook until it

is extremely tender. While your meat is brown, in a different pot,

you must peel and chop up your squash, then let it boil. When your

meat is cooked you then add the other ingredients (vegetable as

well as your salt and pepper) continuously until it is to your liking.

The soup requires A LOT of water. When all the ingredients are

soft, you then add your boiled squash. Your constancy of the soup

must be between thick and watery. Don’t forget to add in your

freshly squeezed lime juice!

This traditional meal is made on the first day of every year as a way to commemorate

Haitian Independence.

“Best way to eat Soup Joumou is with a piece of hard dough bread out of the bowl.”

Happy New Year!

Nazzy and Magdala

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic

2 scallions, sliced, plus more for garnish 1⁄4 cup roughly chopped parsley 1⁄2 tsp. dried thyme

1 medium shallot, sliced

1 scotch bonnet chile, stemmed and seeded

Juice of 1 lime, plus wedges for serving

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 lb. beef chuck, cut into 1⁄2" pieces

2 tbsp. olive oil

8 cups beef stock

2 carrots, cut into 1 1⁄2" pieces

2 stalks celery, cut into 1 1⁄2" pieces

12

Ms. K’s Christmas Cookies Italian Tarrelles

Ingredients

1/2 c butter softened

frosting

1 cup of sugar

2 cups of confectioners’ sugar

6 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp vanilla

1 Tbls milk or just enough to make thick 6 cups of flour

Cream butter and sugar in mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Beat

in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Add flour and baking powder;

mix well. Knead until no longer sticky, adding additional flour as

needed. Dough will be stiff. Shape into 1/2 x 3" ropes; tie in

knots. Bake 12-15 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown.

Remove to wire rack. Dip cooled cookies in glaze, sprinkle with

candies.

Ms. Nikole’s Nana’s

Potatoe Latke

Great and shred potatoes. After every 2 or 3 potatoes, wrap shreds

in cheesecloth, twist bundle until water flows out and squeeze all

potatoes until dry. Keep water in a bowl for later use. Put potatoes

to a large mixing bowl along with diced onion.

Let drained potato water sit, don’t touch, until a pool of brown

water forms on top of a slurry of pale potato starch. Carefully drain

off water, then mix starch into potato and onion mixture with your

hands. Mix in eggs, one at a time, alternating with 1/4-cup addi-

tions of matzo meal, until latke mix can be formed into patties that

just stick together in your hands. Add salt as you go.

Heat 1/2 inch oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until

a shred of potato immediately bubbles when added to pan. Form a

small amount of latke mix into a disk and fry on both sides until

golden brown to test for seasoning. Taste and add more salt as

needed.

Form latke mix into patties about 4 inches wide and 1 inch thick in

the center. Slide into pan, cooking no more than 4 at a time. Fry

until a golden-brown crust forms on bottom, then flip. Flip as need-

ed to get a firm, darker-than-golden crust on both sides.

Transfer to a sheet pan lined with paper towels to cool for 2

minutes, then serve with applesauce.

A share by Ms. Carolyn A share by Mr. Barnes

13

Principal Lander’s Letter

Keep up the good work!

I would like to congratulate all Goddard students and staff

on a very successful first quarter. Students have continual-

ly shown success and progress, both behaviorally and aca-

demically. In fact, fourteen high school students, three

middle school and one elementary student were able to at-

tain and keep “peer leader” status for the months of Sep-

tember through December. Peer leader status brings with

it a host of privileges not afforded to other levels. Take

advantage! Academically, 13 students earned High Honors

status with all A’s and B’s while eight students earned

Honors status, with all A’s, B’s and one C. What an ac-

complishment!

To all you wonderful students and staff

at the Goddard School,

thank you for such a great first quarter of school.

We look forward to the next three being as successful.

Follow us on Twitter @Goddard_Owlz

Above is a photo of Mr. Lander during the activity bal-

loon challenge. This challenge was the second most liked

by students! Below, we’re really not sure what’s going on

there. #awkwardmoment

14

Look Whooo’s Talking Next!

A very special thanks goes out to

Ms. Kate for talking with The Gazette!

One last question: If Mr. Thoughtful gave you a free

pass that allowed you to go-out on a dinner date with

any famous person of your choice, who would you ask

and why?

Ms. Kate: David Beckham! He plays soccer. He’s

British. His wife was a Spice Girl. We’d have so much

to talk about.

TOP TEN THINGS THAT

TURN MS. KATE RED

Anything To Do With David Beckham

Being in the Spot Light

Inappropriate Gestures & Sayings

Being Called On To Speak

Mentioning the Color of Her Eyes

A Bear Hug Coming Toward Her

Complements On Her Hair Color

Touching Her Hair

Asking Questions About her Hair

Noticing That She’s Red

Before We Say Goodbye Stringing Everyone Along

This holiday season Goddard Owls colored in a pattern of a

star and then wrote their favorite quote,

saying or inspirational word on its back side. After each

star was cut out, a hole was punched through a tip and then

pulled through a string.

Be sure to check out our display of stars stringing along!

In the picture above Goddard students are creating their star

during a group activity held by Shayne Barnes.

Mr. Barnes

Around Age 2

February’s issue will include an interview with Mr. Barnes.