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| Features February 2004, Volume 7, No. 3 |
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By Elizabeth R.
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| Sixth grader, Kara F, was one of four Itasca students to participate in the Junior Olympics swimming meet this past summer. | |
Kara spends thirteen hours a week on swimming. Five hours are spent on swim meets and two hours a day are spent on practices.
Kara started swimming when she was three, but joined the Itasca Dolphins Swim Team when she was eight. She is now twelve and swims for the Itasca Dolphins and the Elk Grove Stingrays.
"It's a different sport and good for your body. It is lots of fun and you meet many new people who become your friends," Kara explained.
"I've won medals, ribbons, and trophies. My favorite swim was when I had to swim a mile in a lake. I got many different prizes for this," Kara said.
Kara does many different activities in practices.
"We exercise, practice kicking, pulling (swimming with out kicking), flip-turns, starts, and normal swimming," Kara explained.
Her favorite stroke is freestyle.
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“When people cheer me on I feel nervous and special at the same time.” |
"It's nerve-racking waiting to swim," Kara said.
"When people cheer me on I feel nervous and special at the same time."
She says that sometimes it makes her swim faster.
"I really enjoy swimming. It makes me feel good."
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Page
By Melissa S.
Page, published by Random House in 2000, is the second book in Tamora Pierce's Protector of the Small series.
It continues the story of a young noble girl named Keladry of Mindelan, also known as Kel.
Kel is the second girl in the realm ever to try for a knight's shield. After surviving a rather difficult year on probation, Kel has returned to the palace to resume her training and studies.
Despite the fact that training master Wyldon of Cavall, a stiff man who disapprove of female warriors, let her stay, Kel must prove yet again that she can keep up with the boys.
Kel must deal with bullies who try their hardest to get rid of her as well as with her own terrible fear of heights. She soon finds herself in a situation where only she can make a difference in saving her friends.
On a scale from 1-5, I'd give this book a 5 for the its realism and fantastic sense of adventure that will have you glued to it all day.
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Full Tilt is a twisted ride
By Tricia H.
Do you like amusement parks? Do you like gripping novels that keep you asking, "What's next?" If you answered yes to one or both of these questions, then you should read Full Tilt by Neal Shusterman.
Full Tilt is about a teen named Blake. Blake doesn't like riding rides at theme parks, but his brother Quinn is just the opposite. Quinn is a crazy, risk-taking boy who always gets into trouble.
One day Blake mysteriously gets an invitation to an amusement park, but his brother steals the invitation and goes to the theme park. Blake goes out to find where his brother went, and finds out that his brother is in a twisted theme park. The only way to get out of the park is to ride seven rides by 7 o'clock, but it's a lot harder than it sounds.
These seven rides are made up of your biggest fears and weaknesses. If you don't make it through a ride, then you become a worker at the park. Blake has to save his brother, but will he survive all seven rides and do it in time?
Read this awesome book to find out!
On a 1-5 scale, I would rate this book a 5. It's a scary and addicting book that has an excellent ending. I would definitely recommend Full Tilt by Neal Shusterman to anyone who is looking for an exciting book to read.
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Character Counts
February 2004
Responsibility
Dan W.
Logan M.
David M.
Adam D.
Eric A.
Megan Z.
Sara Z.
Nicole K.
Sabrina S.
Danielle F.
Caring
Jose S.
Misaki F.
Callie S.
Amanda P.
Wayne R.
Tessie F.
Julia W.
Dani D.
Respect
John P.
Citizenship
Jackie S.
Trustworthiness
Elizabeth R.
Kevin T.
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Composing career inspires band director
An interview with Mr. Loest
By Marisa G.
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| Peacock Band Director, Timothy Loest, is a very successful composer for middle school bands. | |
He started out by writing pop music for his personal enjoyment, and tried to get his music performed by various pop artists.
During a recent interview, Mr. Loest said, "To break into that scene is very difficult." Then one day, it occurred to him that he liked to compose, and that he liked band music. So he decided to start composing band pieces.
Mr. Loest has recently written some pieces such as "Chorale" and "Mystic Chant."
He has also written "Slideways," which will be premiered at Peacock on Sunday, February 22 by the Varsity band.
"Slideways" features the trombone section and our sixth grade teachers playing slide whistles.
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“Slideways” features the trombone section and our sixth grade teachers playing slide whistles. |
It usually takes Mr. Loest anywhere from three weeks to three months to compose a piece.
He first became interested in composing when he was in middle school.
Instead of practicing his assigned piano lessons, he would sit at the piano and make up melodies, which he later wrote down.
Mr. Loest's first piece was published in 1995. His inspirations for composing are his family, life experiences, the works of great composers, and his faith in God.
He also gets inspiration from the students at Peacock, and the Itasca Band Program.
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To compose his music, Mr. Loest uses the piano, a computer, and an imaginary band in his head. |
Mr. Loest thinks that the worst part about composing is that it can be very tedious, frustrating, and time consuming.
He is currently working on two commissions. One commission is for Minooka Junior High, and the other is for the Illinois Music Educators Association (IMEA) Honor Band.
Mr. Loest thinks it's important for middle school students to find positive ways to be creative. He also thinks that art is a great vehicle for shaping human feelings.
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What would you do?
By Pam R.
A couple of teachers and students were asked a few questions regarding depression. When asked what he thought when he heard that a friend or student was depressed, seventh grade language arts teacher, Mr. Poremba said that he would worry, but he would also stress that there is a difference between being sad and depressed.
In the case of a student, Mr. Poremba said he would talk to the student and see if he needed to see Dr. West or would like to see Dr. West.
He added, "If I feel that they just need to see Dr. West, then I don't ask, I just make an arrangement."
For reasons of confidentiality, Mr. Poremba declined to say how many students at Peacock he thought were depressed, but he suggested that if Peacock were like the rest of the population, there would have to be some.
Mr. Poremba added, "The middle school years are difficult years for children, and for those who are having a little trouble, things get better."
Sixth grade social studies teacher, Mrs. Kabat said that she did think one or two students were depressed.
She thought that because of their symptoms. "They don't want to do anything for themselves and there's just a lot of apathy. I think not wanting to do their work, just not having the ability to put any effort into anything is a sign of depression."
If a student was depressed, Mrs. Kabat said she would try to sit down with her and try to assist her in trying to come up with ways to help herself.
She added that she hoped students would be aware that they had a problem and that they could go and get the help they needed.
Seventh grader Grace R. commented that she would try to figure out what a friend was depressed about, and try to help them.
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How to cope with depression
By Emily W., Sports Editor
Here is some information on ways teens get depressed, how they can stop stress, and websites teens can visit.
Signs of Depression
1. You feel sad a lot.
2. You have No energy.
3. You have no interest in your usual activities.
4. There is a change in your sleeping pattern.
5. There is a change in your eating pattern.
6. You have feelings of hopelessness.
7. You have feelings of worthlessness.
8. You’ve been experiencing anxiety.
Ten Ways to Reduce Stress
1. Get enough sleep (8 hours minimum).
2. Get exercise.
3. Give yourself extra time whenever you can. (Wake up earlier, start homework earlier, etc.)
4. Organize and declutter your life. (Throw away junk you don’t need, organize stuff you do need)
5.Look for friends you can talk to easily and openly.
6. Spend more time with friends with positive attitudes.
7. Laugh a lot.
8. Everyday, save some time for quiet. (Listen to music, walk your dog, or just relax.)
9. Forgive other people.
10. Ask for help when you need it. (Family, friends, teachers, counselors, or others)
False Pick-Me-Ups
When someone is feeling stressed-out, usually they do something, eat something, drink something, etc. These things only make you feel better temporarily. They are called False Pick-Me-Ups.
These Pick-Me-Ups are a bad way to handle overstress!
False Pick-Me-Ups Teens Use Daily
-Sugar
-Caffeine; Coffee, Black Tea, Chocolate, Cola.
-Alcohol
-Inhalants; nail polish remover, paint thinner, oil-based paints, and glue.
-Drugs
-Tobacco; cigarettes
-Your own adrenalin: Workaholic, Shopping sprees, and thrill-seeking hobbies.
You can also go online and get help from some websites out there which are made to help teens.
Visit: http://thecharger.org/teens
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Ordinary problems for ordinary students
By Joanna M., Features Editor
Everyone has had a time when he or she has had problems. Once in a while, those problems can get out of hand.
Dr. West has worked as a student counselor for twenty-two years, thirteen of which she spent teaching middle school students such as those at Peacock. "Rumors, teasing, and harassing are what I get the most," Dr. West said. "The most common cause is miscommunication. Misunderstanding something and the things 'so and so said' and 'you said' get turned into third party, fourth party and stories get changed in the process."
Such problems can affect people other than the ones disagreeing. "Nine out of ten, they get in a disagreement in class, the teacher has to stop to deal with it, then other kids get involved, and others lose out on the learning time," commented Dr. West.
But students arguing aren't the only problems. Another problem is depression. "Depression, which I have seen with students, affects a lot of people. It can affect the person's friends and it certainly affects their family. If a person is really, really depressed, sometimes their mood is very negative and that impacts the people around them."
But how can someone be sure that he or someone she knows is depressed? If people are having an argument they tend to ignore each other and try not to talk to one another. So, the main question here is what are the signs of depression?
"If someone is just sad or unhappy for one or two days that's not what I would call depression. Depression is someone who is really low or down for a long period of time. I think it says it has to be several weeks. Two or three weeks at least."
Like all problems, depression can become serious. More serious than most normal problems. Some of the signs then might be more noticeable and unexpected.
"If it comes to the point of someone being suicidal, which doesn't happen very often, you want to watch because people will tend to give up on things. They start making a plan how they are going to do it and they start giving away their items. They'll give away their CDs, that kind of stuff that they would normally not do."
Other signs, particularly with students, you see a change in grades. Sometimes you can see a change in their involvement, and they tend to be more of a loner and withdraw from friends. They might withdraw from family and isolate themselves by going to their room. Those are all things parents and friends should be aware of."
Like most problems, depression can be gotten rid of by going to someone for help. It may seem hard at first, but it truly is worth it.
"I would say that they should go to someone that they can trust," explained Dr. West. "They should certainly tell their parents, but kids this age won't go. They shouldn't get angry if the person says 'We need to tell your parents and get you some help.' Your parents need to be involved. Usually students come around and realize that they need to get their parents involved."
Depression is one of those problems that most consider bad for your mental health, which is true. Depression can be gotten ridden of, but it requires prompt treatment. Students who are depressed should always remember that they have friends all around them and that their parents should be the first ones to know if something is wrong.
As a final note from Dr. West, "I would just caution kids to keeps their eyes and ears open because you all know when things are going on before the adults around you do. If you see someone that you think is really down and not snapping out of it. I would recommend the friend to talk to an adult or come and see me. We could talk about it, how to handle it and get the person some support because sometimes all you need is some extra support."
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Compiled by Emily W.
Sports Editor