Spring Extravaganza
Kayla Isenberg, Madelyn
Kang, and Levon Sahakyan
Thursday, April 7th,
after school was the Spring Extravaganza, school fair. This fair takes place
every year before open house. Millikan students look forward to this event, and
the variety of booths, things to do, and food.
Classes and special programs open
and run their own booths. The booths we had this year were a great success.
Mrs. Tanguay held the “famous” marriage booth again. Mrs. Stealey and the yearbook
class had a booth with a Plinko board and a can throw where students could win
prizes. The LGBTQ Straight Alliance had a booth about awareness and information
about LGBTQ. Ms. Woolford had a booth were students could hold animals like
chickens, turtles, and snakes. She even had a couple of goats. CAAM was showing
films during the fair. Mrs. Wright had a face paint booth, henna painting, and
teddy bears for sale.
There was a lot of delicious food and treats being sold,
too. The Kona ice cream truck came with rich flavors of ice cream. Pizza and
drinks were being sold and even Mr. Plevak was grilling at the BBQ. The
afternoon was a was lots of fun and a great success.
St. Patrick’s Day
Kayla Isenberg, and
Madelyn Kang, and Levon Sahakyan
March 20, 2016
On March 17, 2016, Millikan Middle
School celebrated St. Patrick’s Day. The school held many activities to
celebrate this fun holiday. For example, leadership organized the St. Patrick’s
Day dance and Environmental Studies held a Floral Fundraiser. Also, to
celebrate this holiday, students wore anything green.
The
Floral Fundraiser held by Environmental Studies took place on March 16, 2016.
They sold green carnations for the fundraiser. The green on the carnations
represented the green of St. Patrick’s Day. The fundraiser was held at the
covered lunch area at nutrition and lunch.
The
St. Patrick’s Day dance was held on the day of St. Patrick’s Day. The dance
took place at the Burrill Hall at lunchtime. The dance was filled with students
that were dressed in many green clothes. Students had a great time on St.
Patrick’s Day!
Payton Cichowski, Sydney Goren, and Maya Naor
March 15, 2016
Spring
Break is finally here! That means a fun, school free week filled with many
things to do, places to go, and people to see. The students around campus had
many things to day about their Spring Break. Many students are going to places
around the world while others are just staying home. Students will be visiting
their friends and family, doing their extracurricular activities, and going on
planes, cruises, or cars to get to their destination. Students have sport
tournaments, and others are staying local and hitting the beach and spending
times with friends.
Spring
Break is a time for a break from studying and school and, instead, sleeping in
and relaxing. It has been 10 weeks so far this semester and many students could
really use this week’s break to their advantage!
Science Fair
Payton Cichowski. Sydney Goren,
and Maya Naor
February 22, 2016
On Thursday February 18 Millikan hosts their first ever “
Science Fair Family Fun Night,” 5 to 7 p.m. in the Burrill Hall. During
this night the students displayed their science fair projects and showcased
some classroom activities. There were some special guests such as Mr. Liam
Kennedy who is an inventor of the “ISS Above” display. Mr. Kennedy told us
about the invention process and a chance for student’s experiments to go to the
International Space Station.
Students presented
the best parts from projects in their classroom. Our school is excited to
participate in the first ever national research study on the educational
effectiveness of “Science Fairs call Science Fairs Under the Scope” organized
by Educational Development Center. The science fair was full of intriguing
ideas and will catch you eye in awe.
Valentine's Day Festivities
Alexis Alvarez, Alyssa Delgado, Valerie Herrera,
Lauren Vaknin
February 16, 2016
In the month
of February, leading up to February 14, Millikan was doing a series of
activities. Our Leadership class, sponsored by Ms. Harris, was preparing for a
Valentines Dance and selling Valentine’s Day grams. The 8th grade
class was also participating in the activities by selling cute stuffed animals,
Valentine’s pens, a bear with balloons, a bear with flower package, and
Valentine's Day cards to raise money for 8th grade activities.
On February
11, there was a dance in the gym during lunch, hosted by leadership. There was
music and students seem to enjoy it. Leadership also sold singing grams along
with the choir students that would be performing the delivery. On Friday the 12th,
song grams were delivered to classes adding to the fun of Valentine’s Day here
at Millikan.
Many
students here at Millikan enjoyed Valentine's Day, we hope you did too.
Ethan Binns, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Angelo Lavina
January 28, 2016
January 28, 2016
This
months "Coffee With the Principal" was quite interesting. The LAUSD
Budget that Millikan expected according to Mr. Plevack was expected p be
$400,000.00 this semester, but instead Millikan received a MUCH smaller amount
of only 120,000.00.The school does not have enough money to buy toilet paper or
even regular paper, as Mr. Plevack stated, “I can't even pay for paper right
now!" Normal school events will still be held, like the 8th Grade Dance,
but we have run out of money to pay for school-funded field trips. LAUSD has
sincerely disappointed the Millikan community.
Important Update: Millikan has freed up money so now buying paper and toilet paper is not a problem. Mr. Plevack is also in negotiations about getting additional money.
Important Update: Millikan has freed up money so now buying paper and toilet paper is not a problem. Mr. Plevack is also in negotiations about getting additional money.
Spirit Week 2016
Ethan Binns, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Angelo Lavina
February 10, 2016
During the school
week of January 25-January 29, 2016, Millikan's annual Spirit Week took place.
Monday was Superhero Day, Tuesday was Twin Day, Wednesday was Jersey Day,
Thursday was Throwback 70's and 80's day, and Friday was School Color Day where
students were encouraged to wear any shade of blue.
Events and activities
also took place on the 8th Grade Lawn. Monday was Musical Chairs, Tuesday was
3-legged Races, Wednesday was Chair Basketball, on Thursday, Soda Sipping Contests
took place on the stage and Friday was our weekly music on the lawn. Millikan
students had a blast participating in Spirit Week. Leadership hopes to hold another
Spirit Week sometime in Spring.
LGBTQ(ties)
Jordan Ullman, Erik Yoo,
and Phoebe Perkins
“This
room is like Vegas. Whatever happens here, stays here,” is the positive
affirmation said at the beginning of every meeting by Ms. Cohen, one of the
leaders of Millikan Middle School’s new LGBTQ+ Pride Club. Formed by Ms. Cohen,
Ms. Smith, and Mr. Porter while being led by two of Millikan’s own students,
the LGBTQ+ Pride Club provides a safe and welcoming environment for all members
of the LGBTQ+ community and also for those who support it. Millikan Messenger
sent three of their journalists to sit through one of the club’s meeting and we
all have reported back that their eyes were opened to the struggles of the
LGBTQ+ community as well as the positivity that surrounds it as well. In just
one meeting, we learned, we laughed, and met some new people and gained some
new perspectives, and we can only assume that their other meetings would have done
just the same if not more. The clubs’ discussions focus on topics ranging from
questioning yourself all the way to be as sure in yourself as you’ve ever been.
Jessica Gaisford, Opal Polad, and Raven Adair
February 8, 2015
The month of February is Black History Month. We
celebrate this month to admire the great African Americans who changed our
lives. One way of showing our respect to them is through dance, song, and dramatic
poetry readings. At Millikan Middle school we had our Black History Month
Celebration on February 3rd hosted by Mrs. Tyler.
The series of assemblies consisted of information about
African American athletes, stars, and known personalities. These people were
presented in slideshows, dances, poetry, and music. The slideshows told about
many of the African Americans accomplishments. As a tribute, they did a type of
dance called Rythamation showing people fighting for their rights. With in the
assembly students also presented poetry by Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes.
The show consisted of many beautiful and meaningful tributes.
In conclusion Black History Month is very
important to recognizing elements that Blacks contribute to the rich culture
and diversity of our nation. The performance was well done and very
entertaining, creating a very high student spirit on that day. It was a really
great way to admire important African Americans who have changed our ways of
life, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. We would like to thank all the teachers and
students who worked so hard to contribute and participate in the performance.
It was a very educational and memorable show.
Kayla Isenberg, Madelyn
Kang, Levon Sahakyan
February 7, 2016
On
Friday, January 29, 2016 at 8:25, the twelve spelling bee finalists went to
Burrill Hall for the final round of the school wide spelling bee. Each English
class had the opportunity to perform a spelling bee. The winners from each
class moved onto the spelling bee of their English period. From this round,
there were twelve finalists. The sixth grade finalists were Jacob Zheng,
Melissa Mouchamel, Mia Catalano, Ethan Atias, Sarah Kave, Andrew Knish, and
K’La Santos-Villacorta. The seventh grade finalists were Christopher Zazueta,
Margot Dayon, Katherine Manno, and Nicole Mkrtytchian. The eight grade finalist
was Brennan Azizi. These twelve finalists moved onto the final school round in
Burrill Hall to see who would take first place here at Millikan and be our
school representative in the California Regional Spelling Bee. Mia Catalano came
in first, followed by Melissa Mouchamel, and then Katherine Manno. Congratulations
to Mia Catalano as she moves forward into the regionals.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Phoebe Perkins, Jordan Ullman, Erik Yoo
On January
18, America celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Dr. King was born on
January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. He became a well-known pastor of a
Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. However, he soon resigned in the mid
1950’s to commit his life to the Civil Rights movement full time, which later
awarded him with a Nobel Peace prize in 1964. With his “I Have a Dream” speech,
he inspired many and is rightly thought of today as the greatest civil rights
activist.
Martin Luther King’s first organized protest was the bus
boycott in Montgomery. The protest was inspired by the actions of Rosa Parks.
He led the Washington March of 200,000 people. He gave his famous “I Have a
Dream” speech during the Washington March protest. His actions and protests led
to the Civil Rights and voting acts in 1965. These acts let anyone with color
vote and have equal rights.
Martin Luther King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in
1964 for his work for racial equality. On April 4, 2968 Martin Luther King was
staying at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. He was assassinated there on a
balcony. Martin Luther King was a great person and leader. His actions helped
change a segregated country. He helped everyone get equal rights and is one of
the greatest civil rights activists ever.
Big Students, Bigger Information
Pete
Crow-Armstrong and Angelo Lavina
High School Informational night on October 23 2015 was a night for students and
parents to get information on the next four years from staff and Valerie Costa.
Hopefully you received quality information prior to next High School Night.
All seventh and eighth graders were
welcome. High school is coming up in a flash and you eighth graders need as
much information as you can get. It doesn’t hurt to go twice. High School Night
was a success.
The A-G high school requirements were covered by Mrs. Covert. They are the
course requirements for you at high school. Keep up the good work on your way
to high school. Mrs. Covert provided the audience with encouraging words and
Tacar Adere briefed on her role as head of PTSA. The speakers were much
appreciated and were a big help.
When exploring schools, you will find three different types. There are Charter
schools, Private schools and Public schools. Private schools are tuition based,
but Public and Charter schools are tuition free. Private schools will provide
you with financial aid, if you’re in need of any and choose to apply for it.
Charter schools are funded by the level of enrollment they receive.
Attention students you must perform at a D or higher this year. Don’t slack off
though, because we would all love to see our school flourish with outstanding
grades. Let’s strive for the best we know we are! Good luck fellow peers, on
the next four years!
Jazz
Band Concert
Maya
Naor and Payton Cichowski
December
10, 2015
The
Jazz performance on the 13th of November was conducted by Mr. McGaffey. It was
filled with a variety of instruments, such as the trumpet, sax, piano, drums,
xylophone, flute and many more. For people who don't know what a jazz band is,
it is a music group that plays Jazz music with many different instruments. It
is commonly made up of a horn section and a rhythm section. The jazz band
performed many different, familiar songs. In which they performed very well.
A Visit from Author Kenneth Oppel
Raven Adair and Valerie Herrera
On Wednesday, October 28, 2015, Millikan
Middle school had guest author Kenneth Oppel come to the school. There was a
pre-sale of his book before he came. During his reading he shared the main
parts of his book and left us with a cliff-hanger. The title of his book is The
Nest.
The
gist of the book is very surprising. It is about a bay who has a sick little
brother. In a dream, wasps come to him t offer a deal where they would be able
to “fix” his baby brother. All he has to do is say yes. Little does he know,
saying yes will not be what he thinks it will. While Oppel was reading, you
could tell he thought about every word he put into his book. The audience
seemed to be interested.
As
stated above, students had the opportunity to buy Kenneth Oppel’s book in
advance. He was asked, “What inspired you to wrote this book? How did the ideas
some into mind?” Some ideas were inspired by his life. His daughter created one
of the character’s name. Overall, Kenneth Oppel’s visit was successful.
New Teachers at Millikan Middle School
Payton Cichowski and Maya Naor
November 13, 2015
Have you heard?!
There are some new, amazing teachers at Millikan Middle School! These eleven
new teachers are Mr. Figlio, Ms. Fausner, Ms. Blasi, Ms. Lacour, Ms.
Wiesenfield, Mr. Ing, Ms. Sugar, Mr. Friedrich, Mr. Dean, Ms. Garcia, and Mr.
McGaffey. To get to know them better they were asked four questions. This is
how the teachers responded:
Ms. Fausner’s first week at Millikan has been exciting and crazy. She hasn’t taught middle school in a while so it was a little nerve racking for her. Her favorite thing about teaching at Millikan is that she really likes the people she is working with and meeting all of her new students. She has been teaching at an elementary school for the past seven years so teaching at a middle school is a big change for her. Some things she wanted her students to know about her was that she is married to her husband, Mark and has an 8th grade daughter and a son in 10th grade. She stated that she has the best dog in the world named Bailey and enjoys cooking, being with family and friends, and watching her kids play their sports.
Ms. Fausner’s first week at Millikan has been exciting and crazy. She hasn’t taught middle school in a while so it was a little nerve racking for her. Her favorite thing about teaching at Millikan is that she really likes the people she is working with and meeting all of her new students. She has been teaching at an elementary school for the past seven years so teaching at a middle school is a big change for her. Some things she wanted her students to know about her was that she is married to her husband, Mark and has an 8th grade daughter and a son in 10th grade. She stated that she has the best dog in the world named Bailey and enjoys cooking, being with family and friends, and watching her kids play their sports.
Mr. Figlio’s first
week at Millikan has been magical and has met so many kind and welcoming
people! His favorite thing about teaching at Millikan is that his students love
to learn while having fun, which makes him have fun. In the past he was a
substitute teacher all around the valley in middle and high school, but he says
Millikan is special because the students, parents, and staff are all involved
in the educational process. Some things he would like his students to know
about him is that he is funny and likes pizza, playing the guitar, and watching
movies. He stated, “My name is hard to pronounce. Just call me Mr. F.!”
Ms. Lacour has had a
great first week at Millikan and stated that “Everyone has been so friendly and
welcoming. My students are funny and amazing to work with!” She also
said that she misses her former school but is easily starting to think of
Millikan as home. Her favorite things about teaching at Millikan are her
amazing students! Before Millikan she taught at Hale Charter Academy for nine
years and Madison Middle School for nine years, but the difference between
these schools and Millikan is how nice the people are here. She would like her
students to know that she loves to travel and has taken her students on class
trips all over the world, this summer she will be traveling to Italy and
France!
Ms. Blasi’s first
week at Millikan was wonderful! Her favorite thing about teaching at Millikan
is that she loves how the students are so kind, articulate, intelligent, and
creative! The best thing about Millikan, she said is that most teachers seem to
be so kind, supportive, and generous. She taught at a different middle school
last year. She said “The biggest change is that now I come to school happy!
Last year, I was miserable! So glad to be out of there!” Some things she would
like her students to know about her are that she loves music, enjoys helping
people, loves nature, animals, and would like to do anything that could help
our planet.
Mr. McGaffey's first
week at Millikan has been great! He stated that “Millikan’s students are smart
and capable young adults who are a pleasure to work with.” His favorite thing
about teaching at Millikan is that he enjoys meeting and working
with the facility at Millikan. He has taught at many schools but none of them
had a turtle as a mascot! Some things he would like his students to know about
him is that he likes to mountain bike, ski, study science, work with technology
and read.
Ms. Wiesenfeld’s
first week at Millikan has been great, her students were welcoming,
understanding, and patient. She stated that her favorite thing about teaching
at Millikan were all of the “The amazing students who fill my day with their
bright energy- “Hi, Ms. W!” they say wherever I go.” At her other school, the
greatest challenge was motivating her students to learn and to enjoy it, while
here at Millikan everyone wants to do so well! Some hobbies she would like to
share with her students here is that she loves poetry, acting, and art. She is
looking forward to performing in a play in the next few months, but is totally
committed to being a teacher here at Millikan!
Mr. Ing’s first week
at Millikan has been crazy, getting used to a new place and new people. His
favorite thing about teaching at Millikan is the diversity in the student body.
He taught one year at Reed middle School and seven years at Einstein middle
School. The biggest change is how big Millikan is. Some things he would like
his students to know about him is that he enjoys watching sports, playing video
games, reading comic books, and hanging out with his family and friends.
Ms. Sugar’s first
week at Millikan has been exciting and fun, while getting to know her new
classroom. Her favorite thing about teaching at Millikan is how Millikan
embraces individuality and a variety of talents. In the past Ms. Sugar taught
at a Special Education school, but the biggest change is how small her prior
school was and how big Millikan is! Some things she would like her students to
know about her is that she used to live in Chicago and misses seeing the leaves
change and the holiday times in a bustling city. She also enjoys that theater
and all of the arts.
Mr. Knauss’ first
week at Millikan has been great! He enjoys working with all of students,
teachers, and the administration. His favorite thing about teaching at Millikan
is how friendly all the students are. He has taught at another school but the
difference between them is that at Millikan the parents are much more involved.
Some things he would like his students to know about him is that before he was
a teacher he was a software engineer, but he still loves math and science!
Mr. Dean’s first week
at Millikan has been busy! His favorite thing about teaching at Millikan is the
students and the supportive atmosphere. The biggest change between his past
school and Millikan is that for the past five years he has taught at college
level and is now teaching middle school, so that has been a major change.
Something he would likes his students to know about him is that he likes
baseball, plays, and going to comedy shows. He also performs and trains in
comedy and improv. His favorite thing to do, though, is spending time with his
friends and family.
Ms. Garcia’s first
week at Millikan has been great, although all the new faces and names were a
bit of a challenge. Her favorite thing about teaching at Millikan so far is the
friendliness of the administration, students, and staff. In the past she had
taught at three different schools but the biggest change so far is the academic
skill and creativity from the students. Some things she would like her students
to know about her is that she likes to sing with her kids and trying to create
Saturday Night Live skits from the humorous situations with her kids. She would
like to also say that both of her kids went to Millikan as well!
As you can see all of
these teachers have something to share. These teachers are new to the school so
make sure they feel welcome. Now that you know a little about them all of them
, don’t be shy to say hi!
8th Grade Movie Night
October 23, 2015
Caitlin Lim and Angelique Lorenzo
Friday, October 23, 2015 was 8th Grade Movie
Night. This event took place at the 8th Grade Lawn from 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM. Ms.
Wasserman and the Millikan PTSA ran it.
This
event was to “reward students for grades, for students to see each other after
school, and it was a fundraiser.” Ms. Wasserman, 8th grade counselor, says in
an interview. Students would need their school ID and their 10 week report card
with passing grades, no D’s or F’s and no more than 2 U’s in Work Habits and
Cooperation to be eligible to get in. Snacks and food were sold as well as 8th
grade spirit wear.
Overall,
this event was fun for eligible 8th graders. They got to enjoy the movie Willy
Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with their friends. This year was different
because “every counselor has a different idea” Said Ms. Wasserman. Lastly, this
event was fun for her and the student.
Halloween 2015
Madelyn Kang and Jessica Gaisford
November 12, 2015
October 30, 2015, it was a day
before Halloween but that didn’t stop Millikan students from dressing up. There
were many creative costumes that the students wore this day. Students were
dressed up as vampires, nerds, devils, angels, and etc. Even some of the teachers dressed up on this
day. Millikan teachers were dressed up as Chubaka, Ash from Pokémon, and much
more.
Many interesting events took place
on this day. One special event that took place on this day is when the 6th
grade dancers performed “Thriller” on the 8th grade lawn at
nutrition. Parents and students had permission to come and watch the dancers.
The 6th grade dancers performed this dance four times from four
different directions so the audience can clearly see their dance. Thanks to the
dance teachers that taught the 6th grade dancers the “Thriller”
dance routine, we were able to enjoy watching this dance.
Another interesting event that took
place on this day was the Halloween Dance. Leadership was in charge of
organizing the Halloween Dance. Burill Hall (the place where the Halloween
Dance was taking place) was filled with loud music. The students that bought
the tickets to the dance were able to dance and have fun with their friends.
Students were able to go all out and create some
very unique costumes. Even some of the teachers were able to have fun on this
day. One teacher, Mr. Chaidez dressed up as Chubaka and went from one class to
another scaring students and teachers. In conclusion, October 30, 2015 was a
very special day for Millikan.
Sherman Oaks Annual Street Fair 2015
Sydney Goren and Ethan
Vernik
November 5, 2015
On
Sunday, October 18,2015, Sherman Oaks had there annual Street Fair on Ventura between
Van Nuys and Kester. Numerous booths were set up ranging from food booths such
as lemonade stands, hotdogs, to advertisements for Ben Carson to clothes for
sell. There were many adults of all ages but even more little children running
around. Lots of teenagers came to hang out with their friends and family
members. Many of the children were spending their Sunday going on the variety
of rides and jumpers, which were some activities available.
During the fair there were a lot of
fun rides such as Super Slides and scrambler, also more little kid rides. There
were a lot of performers from young kids to high school teens that performed
songs and dances. There were many sponsors that advertised their companies, some
included, Ralphs, Walgreens, Westfield Shopping Mall, Wells Fargo, Ford, and
much more! An antique car show was at one end and the Original Bat Mobile was
by the main stage. There was a huge performance stage were numerous schools
ranging from elementary to high school performed. Some schools such as Harvard
Westlake, Dixie Canyon, Walter-Reed, Millikan Middle School, CHAMPS, and more
did little shows for the Sherman Oaks community.
Overall, the fair was a
blast, for all ages. There were many performers, sponsors, and lots people to
watch. Many people can’t wait for the street fair next year, hope everyone
comes to the many Street Fairs after this one.
Performing Arts Magnet
Alyssa Delgado and Alexis Alvarez
November 2, 2015
The
Performing Arts Magnet and Mrs. Covert, the Performing Arts Coordinator, has
great plans for this school year.
The Performing Arts Magnet and Academy
are special programs offered here at Millikan Middle School. The magnet program
has about 437 students that are enrolled. This Performing Arts Magnet has been
at Millikan Middle School since 1994, 25 years and is rated the top performing
arts middle school in Los Angeles Unified School District! The electives offered
are drama, choir, musical theater, are and much more. Also, most all of the
students that are enrolled in the performing arts magnet have dance as their
physical education course. Another thing is that we have great shows throughout
the year, plays, musicals, dance recitals, orchestra and chorale performances.
If you would like to apply for the Performing
Arts Magnet, you can visit E–choices on LAUSD.net. There are about 500 students
on the waiting list every year. You will get the benefit of free transportation
to and from school if you live at least five miles away from campus. Another
good thing about it is that we have lots of artist educators that come to
classrooms. Lots of students are already professional with agents, coaches, and
even jobs! In conclusion, any student that has as interest in the arts can
apply to the Performing Arts Magnet!
Performing Arts Academy
Opal Polad and Lauren
Vaknin
November 2, 2015
The Performing Arts Academy has
Musical Theatre, Dance, Choir, Drama Production, and fun. Mr. Frome says, “Musical
Theatre has an exciting year planned for you.” He also stated that he could
tell you that you will want to dance, sing, and act with our actors and
actresses when you see our productions. Musical Theatre produces two
productions during the school year. Last years productions, “Little Shop of Horrors”
and, “ In The Heights” were incredibly successful and we got to keep raising
the bar higher and higher. The first Musical Theatre production will be
performed during the first week of March 2016. The second production will be
performed sometime in May 2016. The level of passion and commitment to a
program from the students is spectacular. The students will only continue to
grow as actors/actresses, students, and most importantly individuals.
In the Dance Program of Performing
Arts Academy we perform and prepare for Winterfest, Springfest, and Halloween (for
the 6th graders). Since it’s
the 8th grades last year, they get to pair up and work on their 8th
grade choreography. We have a lot planned for the 6th, 7th,
and 8th graders. The dance teachers this year (2015-2016) are Mrs.
Nguyen, Mrs. Weiss, Ms. Tyler, and Mr. Burke. This year you will, “ Reflect,
Revise, and Perform,” as the common core states. Throughout the year you will
improve and learn different types of dances. We hope that everyone will have an
amazing year with us.
We thank you all and
support you throughout the year. The Preforming Arts Academy will be a blast
with all of you involved. We love and appreciate your support and encourage you
to come see all of our performances and shows. Performing Arts will have an
amazing time with you!
Millikan Middle School 8th Grade Assembly
Levon Sahakyan and Sarkis Veranyan
The 8th
grade assembly was on September 28, 2015. It took place at the Millikan Burrill
Hall. All students went during their homeroom period. The assembly was about
many things. Millikan staff talked about what will be happening in the future,
and all of the things you have to do to culminate.
Ms. Wasserman went over the
requirements to culminate 8th grade, class of 2016. The requirements
used to be that you wouldn’t be able to graduate if you had “D’s.” Now they
have changed it back to the normal requirements, which is you can fail a class.
At the assembly, they also passed out
the students G.P.A. scores. This was only addressed to the kids that had a
G.P.A. from 3 to 3.5, or 3.5 to 4. The G.P.A. paper also said if you are an
honors student or not.
Lastly, this assembly was very
important. It gave students important information they should know about 8th
grade. If this assembly didn’t take place, many students wouldn’t be aware of
the new rules and changes that have happened, resulting in students not
graduating on stage.
Phoebe Perkins
and Rosabella Webb
Hello teachers, students, and parents! There was a PTSA
meeting on September 16, and the first social was soon to follow, in the last
week of September. Both the meeting and the social were very productive. But if
you didn’t get the chance to go to either, here are some important highlights
of the meeting.
·
A fundraiser is going on where you can send in bags of
clothes, and a portion of the proceeds goes to PTSA, if you need a bag to
donate clothing items come to the next PTSA meeting
·
November 2nd is high school night
·
8th grade dance questions go to the chairperson
·
The Move Fund is now called the MAC Fund (Millikan Annual
Contribution) to make the name’s acronym more understandable and
straightforward
·
There are many fundraisers and activities
available for parents to volunteer for, attend, or participate in; such as the Scoolaclothing
drive; MAC Fund Annual contribution; canned food drive in November;
Thanksgiving baskets; Piece of Cake
·
The Reflections Art program is sponsored by PTSA
·
Mr. Plevack reported that Millikan has the second best
test scores on the SBAC tests in LAUSD
·
Smarter Balance test scores are available if you see your
counselor
·
The dance department is doing The Thriller dance on the
Friday before Halloween
·
Guest speaker, Shayla Taylor helps with college preparation
came to share with parents
·
Deadline for submissions for Reflections is Monday, October
26; There
·
are six categories, and make sure to have consent from
anyone in your films, or
·
you will be disqualified. This year’s theme is Let Your
Imagination Fly, and themes
·
for next year's competition come out in May. *Any
original artwork will be
·
returned to the kids after the competition is over *
First prize is an all expense
·
paid trip to Disney resort for the winner and an adult!
·
There is an 8th grade Civics Academy trip in May, 2016 to
Boston. Fundraising to help students fund the trip is going on. Civics Academy is closing after the
2016-17 school year
·
The only way to enter the Science Academy Stem Magnet is
through E-Choices
Sixth
Graders Learn the Ropes of Middle School
Ethan
Binns and Erik Yoo
September
18, 2015
At the end of their fifth week of middle school, the new sixth graders of
Millikan Middle School attended an assembly with their counselor, Ms. Torrijos.
Described what the new grading system, of A, B, C, D, and F, would be like. Ms.
Nunez spoke about bullying and the effects it has on its victims. She
highlighted the harsh types of bullying: Nonverbal, verbal, physical,
emotional, and cyber bullying. She also spoke about sexual harassment and the
punishment if someone is found guilty of it.
In interviews with three sixth graders at Millikan, they shared their thoughts
on the assembly. Elijah Gipson noted what he learned from the assembly, “Grades
matter, especially when I’m in a good school.” Grace Bourassa explained how she
felt about the middle school grading system, “ It’s a little confusing, but it
helps to know your percentage in a class.” Serene Melikyan shared her thoughts
about sexual harassment, “It’s bad and you might get kicked out of school (for
it).”
Classic Cinema Night
On September 25,2015 Classic Cinema Night was held at
Millikan Middle School from 6pm to 10pm. Many were encouraged to attend. At
this event, one classic film, Star Wars,
was shown. Classic Cinema Night was a fundraiser for Cinematic Arts Academy.
During the event snacks, pizza, and drinks were sold
as part of the fundraiser. This event was a fundraiser to help out the
Cinematic Arts Academy (CAAM) so that they are able to afford new equipment.
Classic Cinema Night was a success. They will have
another event this month. The next event will be the Cinematic Arts Academy
Phantom Film Festival on October 29, 2015 in Burrill Hall from 6pm to 10pm. CAAM
hopes all who are able will attend.
TRAVEL THE WORLD WITH GOOGLE
Vanessa Hernandez and
Campbell Snow
October 12, 2015
Have
you ever wanted to go to the Great Coral Reef, Eiffel Tower, or the Great Wall
of China? Well now you can, because Google Expeditions is coming to Millikan!
Google Expeditions is a virtual reality field trip. The goggles are made out of
either cardboard or a light plastic in which you insert your phone to go to
your destination. The Google app has 50+ different places to visit. There are also versions of the app where
instead of visiting places there are games to play.
Google
Expeditions gives the students opportunities to go on field trips to somewhere
they cannot get to and/or afford. For instance, if the students are learning
about the Roman Coliseum, they can visit and explore the structure. The Google
card box offers a 360-degree view of each location with varied settings to
select from.
Teachers
signed up an advance for the expedition related to what the students are
learning in class. Google Expeditions visited and was stationed in different
classrooms, labs, and the library.
Ms.
Carroll, the school librarian, said that she is planning an event for students
to make their own goggles. She said it will take about three hours to make, but
it will be worth it!
Magnet School Tours
Kayla Isenberg and Cady Loeb
October 6, 2015
Friday,
September 25, 2015, Millikan Middle School held the first of this years magnet
tours. The tours will continue through Thursday, November 12, 2015. All
visitors met in Burrill Hall, where coordinators discussed eighth grade
culmination requirements and school rules. Ms. Connie Covert, who ran the
tours, answered questions. The principal, Mr. Plevack, stopped by for a
quick word, then everyone was split up into two groups. Those interested in
performing arts and those interested in science.
The
Performing Arts Magnet tour saw Mrs. Cohen, the seventh grade English teacher.
They also stopped to visit Mr. McGaffey, the band teacher. Ms. Weiss and her
students showed off their dance moves. Lastly, Mr. Krubsack had the choir sing
a song for the group.
The
Science Academy (GATE/Highly Gifted/High Ability) Magnet tour started off with
Mrs. Huff leading us to the Robotics room where me up with Mr. Lauchu. Parents
asked questions and Lauchu went over the sixth grade curriculum. Some points we
went over were, how to prepare for the admissions test, what the incoming sixth
graders will need to know in terms of math and science and so on. The group was
then able to speak with some eighth grade students and learn more about the
program.
Both Magnet
programs look forward to eager sixth graders applying for their programs!
Madelyn Kang and Jessica Gaisford
September 28,2015
There was a 7th Grade
Assembly in Burill Hall on September 24th and 25th. The 7th
grade counselor, Mrs. Zahler, led the assembly. During the assembly, Mrs.
Zahler went over the rules and requirements for 8th grade
culmination. She also encouraged the 7th graders to be successful in
middle school.
Last year, the culminating
requirements changed so the 7th grade grades count for culmination.
The first and second semester grades are worth 5 points in 7th
grade. In order to earn all points, students must have a C or higher in each of
your classes. These points count toward the total of 30 points possible at the
end of 8th grade. In order to culminate, you need to receive 21 out
of 30 points.
While keeping up student’s good
grades they have to maintain the rules of being safe, responsible, and
respectful throughout middle school. Dress code is one of the most important
rules to follow. In eighth grade, you can’t get more than three dress codes violations
to meet the requirements to culminate on stage. Other than that students should
keep positive and remain well behaved to be successful.
We learned more about the assembly
after interviewing Kayla Isenberg, one of the 7th grader students
that attended. She thought Mrs. Zahler explained the requirements for 8th
grade culminations so that they were easy to understand. “Even though we were
aware of these rules and requirements since 6th grade, it was nice
to refresh our memories. I am very confident in meeting the standards of 8th
grade.”
The 7th grade assembly
specifically explained all the rules and requirements to culminate the 8th
grade. It is important for a 7th grader to follow these rules and
requirements because if a 7th grader does not follow them, it will
prevent them from culminating on stage. Remember to be safe, responsible, and
respectful!
Millikan Book Fair
Levon Sahakyan and Sarkis Veranyan
September 15, 2015
Students,
parents, and teachers all had an opportunity to visit the Millikan Book Fair.
At the book fair they sold many genres of books and pens, posters, and other
school supplies. The book fair this year was in room 30. Ms. Carroll, our
librarian, ran the fair like always with the help from our Millikan PTSA.
Twenty
percent of the money that the book fair makes is then used for buying new books
for our school library. The book fair helps kids buy books that they have
wanted and not been able to get yet. Our book fair had cool and fun books and
educational books, too. The prices for most of the books, pens, and other
supplies are very affordable what is best is the books are right here for us.
If you’re having trouble finding a
book, our helpful PTSA members provided much help. Ms. Carroll helps with all
your books needs, now she is available in the library if you need any
assistance. Millikan’s book fair has been going on for many years, and every
year it gets better. If you missed the
fair this year be sure to visit the library to check out books for reading and
research!
Lauchu Tuesday
Sydney Goren and Ethan Vernik
September 20, 2015
The
purpose of Lauchu Tuesday is so that Mr. Lauchu can explain to the 8th grade
science curriculum to the 8th graders.
Since
it is the 8th graders last year, Mr. Lauchu expects his best from them. This year, they will be studying Physical
Science, there will be much rigorous learning, lots of CST prep, and frequent
study sessions. Mr. Lauchu expects the
students to try their best, do all classwork and homework and get an above
average grade, in order to succeed in High School.
CST’s
are the week of May 11th and Mr. Lauchu’s goal for the 8th graders this year is
that each of them will score over 600 on the exam. This exam can make or break your future
according on how you do. The score on
this exam goes is used to help determine your high school class schedule, like
if you will be enrolled in AP science classes.
Mr. Lauchu knows that students may struggle to understand science,
that’s why he holds tutoring during nutrition, lunch, and after school.
Some
of Mr. Lauchu’s students are willing to stay in at lunch, sit with a struggling
student, and help them improve their grades.
Students, please keep in mind that science CST’s are very
important. Take advantage of all of your
opportunities to get a good score on the science CST by studying, completing
all assignments, and taking your schoolwork seriously.
Traffic Safety Assembly
Visits Millikan
By: Jake Kirshen and
Jordan Ullman
September 25, 2015
On
September 2, 2015 during their History periods, all Millikan students went to
see a Traffic Safety Assembly to help educate them in what can be the consequences
if you are not careful in the streets. To emphasis their reason for visiting,
the visitor talked to us about Conor Lynch. Conor Lynch’s story is a tragic
one, and left us all in awe and sorrow. But this was only one of the crucial parts of this this assembly.
A
highlight from this assembly is when he called up a few volunteers. These
volunteers helped demonstrate some different situations involving traffic
safety and how to approach it in a variety of different ways. For example, one
situation involved a person riding a bike and then switching lanes so they
would avoid a driver opening their car door. This taught students that when
riding a bike, skateboarding, or scooter they should always be cautious about
their surrounding environment.
After
encouraging us to want to be more careful, the visitor then taught us some
important facts that hopefully will last forever. More importantly he taught
us, the future drivers, ways to be more careful. We all learned many things
from this visit, that will help make a change, whether it’s big or small, in
this world. We are the future, and we need to make sure we and all others get to be here to shape it.
By Vanessa Hernandez and Campbell
Snow
September 23, 2015
Knock,
knock. Who’s there? Connecting. Connecting, who? Connecting Cultures Mobile
Museum that visisted Millikan! From September 8th – 22nd
the Connecting Cultures Mobile Museum was held in the Millikan library. There
were over 900 objects in the collection. This years focus was on good luck
charms and clothing. There were also games, toys, and sports.
Valerie Lezin, the founder and director of the museum
said, ”This exhibit demonstrates how different but similar we all are.” Clothing
changes from place to place and from occasion to occasion showing culture and
tradition. This goes along with the main point that we are all doing the same
things, but in our own way. No one is doing all thing all right and no one is
doing it wrong. If we can learn to respect and understand these differences we
will be much kinder to each other.
Sophia
Gamez, seventh grade, said,” I liked the South African display because the
jewelry was pretty and the dolls were cool.” Reese Hammons, seventh grader, really
like India.
So, the life lesson taken from the exhibits is that if we
can learn to respect and understand each other’s beliefs and ways of life, then
we will be a more tolerant, accepting, caring world.
Leadership
2015-16
Angelo
Lavina and Pete Crow-Armstrong
September
9, 2015
As we say farewell to our long time
teacher and friend, Mr. Cahn, we are delighted to say hello to our newest
member, our leader, Ms. Harris. She encourages any new or returning students to
be confident and to be a leader. Mrs. Harris chose to take over Leadership
because she wanted to bring new ideas and events to the Millikan community and
also to be a new leader, gladly taking over Mr. Cahn’s legacy. Leadership
will be beginning in the near future in room 40A.
After interviewing Ms. Harris, we found
out that someone like her, who has been here for so long, can have some
butterflies. She hopes for her incoming students to feel the same way, excited
with a little bit of butterflies. She hopes that they will break out of her
sham. “Just because you will be new in Leadership, shouldn’t mean you
have to be shy and do everything how it used to be.” Ms. Harris wants her
students to be innovative and come up with of their own ideas.
Ms. Harris has decided to keep old
traditions from the past years of Leadership. She has also announced that she
will bring her own, new ideas for Millikan. She wants to give leadership a new
feel with exciting events that she believes Millikan will love. Ms. Harris felt
that this information should get out to you, the students of Millikan. She
hopes her new ideas will be fun and will improve Leaderships activities.
We thank Mrs. Harris for taking over
Leadership and continuing the legacy Mr. Cahn has left behind.
A Blast in the Past of Ronald Reagan
Ethan Binns and Erik Yoo
September 12, 2015
The Civics Academy, of Millikan Middle School, went on its
first field trip of the school year on September 10, 2015. The Civics Academy
went to the Ronald Reagan Library, in Simi Valley, to educate the students
about the history of one of our nation’s greatest presidents, Ronald Reagan.
As the academy arrived at their destination, the very
docents that would guide them through the museum welcomed and introduced
themselves. Docents then escorted groups of students and chaperons into the
museum, as they began their journey through the life of Ronald Reagan. Some of
the memorable artifacts
the academy was lucky enough to see were: a piece of the Berlin Wall, Reagan’s
memorial site, Air Force One, and many other artifacts and relics of Mr. Reagan's
Life.
Many students were also unaware of one of Ronald’s past professions, an announcer for the Chicago Cubs. People were also able to witness the preparation for the G.O.P. debate taking place September 16, 2015. At the end of the visit, they went through the football museum, where students were able to see the jerseys of many past and present N.F.L. stars, such as Tom Brady and John Elway.
Many students were also unaware of one of Ronald’s past professions, an announcer for the Chicago Cubs. People were also able to witness the preparation for the G.O.P. debate taking place September 16, 2015. At the end of the visit, they went through the football museum, where students were able to see the jerseys of many past and present N.F.L. stars, such as Tom Brady and John Elway.
In an interview with Sydney Goren, a
Civics Academy eighth grader who went on the trip, she explained, “The field
trip was very educational, and it was a fun experience going through the
history of Ronald Reagan. The parts I enjoyed most of the library, were going
through the Football Museum, Ronald Reagan’s Memorial, and the beautiful view
from the grounds of the library. The most interesting part of the museum was
going through Air Force One, and learning about how the president traveled in
the plane.”
Millikan's Back To School Night
Caitlin Lim ~Angelique
Lorenzo
September 8, 2015
On Thursday, September 3rd Millikan's Back to School Night
took place on campus. This event happens for parents so they have an
opportunity to get involved in their child's education. "Parents will
spend about 10 minutes in each class then a bell will ring for them to go to
their child's next class." Stated by Mr. Meritt, the Assistant Principal.
During this event parents get to know more about their child's
education so they can better help them succeed. We asked Mr. Meritt what his
hopes were for the night. He responded, "My goal for the night is for
parents to come and build a relationship with the teacher, so both the teacher
and the parent can work together to help the students succeed." And that's
exactly what happened. Parents got to ask many questions and share concerns
they had. This event is mainly about parents getting involved in building connections;
it was set up not changing schedules.
Overall Back to School Night is about parents getting involved in
their child's education. Parents got to know their child's teachers, know what
the child is going to learn, and know their child’s schedule. By building a
bridge between home and school, teachers and families will better be able to
work together so all students can be successful.
Remembering 9/11
Jessica Gaisford and Madelyn Kang
September 12, 2015
Fourteen years ago, on September
11th, a tragic event took place in the United States. The terrorist group,
Al-Qaeda, hijacked four planes, and destroyed multiple very important sites, some
of the places were the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. Thousands of people were injured
and died on this day. Every year, on September 11th we take a moment of silence
to remember those that we have lost. Here at Millikan we started the day with a
moment of silence and members of our chore sang the Star Spangled Banner of the
PA system for all students to hear and participate.
On this date in our countries
history, ninteen Al-Qaeda terrorists took control of four airplane flights:
American Airlines Flight 11, United Airlines Flight 175, American Airlines
Flight 77, and United Airlines Flight 93. American Airlines Flight 11, and
United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the Twin Towers. Then, the American
Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the western side of the Pentagon. The last
plane, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed into a field in Pennsylvania instead
of destroying the White House. The attacks took 2,996 lives and caused over
6,000 injuries.
After the attack, the United States
invaded Afghanistan and started a war called War on Terror. During these
attacks, Al-Qaeda’s leader and founder, Osama Bin- Laden admitted that he was
responsible for the attacks on 9/11. For a decade, he was able to run and
escape from being captured. Then, in May 2011, the U.S military found and
killed Osama Bin- Laden.
We learned more about the personal
side of 9/11 by interviewing Mrs. Tanguay. When the attack started, Mrs.
Tanguay was at school and she was shocked, scared, and sad. Mrs. Tanguay’s
father had been close to the attacks and fortunately survived without an
injury. Sadly, his assistant had been in building one of the Twin Towers and
didn’t make it out. Mrs. Tanguay believes that the USA did not deserve this
attack, but America had wronged them before as well.
After the attacks, there were many
closing, cancellations, and evacuations of other sites because of fear for
further attacks. The destruction of the
World Trade Center took a long time to clean-up, it was completed in May,
2002.The Pentagon was repaired in a year. There were many memorials built to
remember those who passed away on 9/11. One example is the National September
11 Memorial and Museum in New York City. September 11th was a tragic day that
we will never forget and is nationally recognized as Patriot Day.
Battle of the Books
Cady Loeb and Kayla Isenburg
September 1,
2015
“Battle of
the Books is an exciting reading competition for all students” Mrs. Carroll,
our school librarian. Teams of four to six students work together to read all
twenty books on the 2015-2016 reading list. If you want to form one of these
teams, ask Mrs. Carroll in the library. After doing so, you can meet with your
team as often as you like during lunch. Once every month there will be a
meeting for all teams in the library.
During
the competition, teams will be asked questions about their reading, such as,
“In what book did one of the characters suddenly see the color red?” Teams
would then answer with the title and author: “The Giver by Lois Lowry.”
You will read a variety of books, from Eleanor and Park to The Red
Pyramid to The Phantom Tollbooth.To get the full list, go to the
library or visit the library link on the Millikan web site.
This year the official meet will be held at
Millikan in early March. Help from teachers and parents is needed, with gifts,
food, set-up, and clean up. Adults who are interested in volunteering, contact
the library at (818) 528-1635. Everyone is looking forward to this year’s
competitions. When asked what she was looking forward to, Sophia Ortner, a
previous Battle of the Books contestant coming back again this year, said
she was, “excited to read all the new books and make some new friends.”
Let’s
get everyone this excited about reading!
Millikan’s Dean Shares Important Rules of Middle School
Daniel
Kang and Forrest Mesina
September
1, 20 15
On
August 26th and 28th, a discipline assembly took place in
Burrill Hall. The main reason for this event was to review and remind the
students about the importance of following school rules. So in a way, a “How to
Survive Middle School Guide.”
In
speaking with Ms. Nunez after the assembly, we learned what she believes the three
most important rules are for new students…
So as you can see,
being a good friend and making/having good friends, focusing on your studies,
and not getting caught up in gossip and rumors is the way to go. Follow these
rules and you can get through middle school in a breeze.
ID Photos and Picture Day
Jake Kirshen & Armen Nalbandyan
August 28, 2015
Students
took id and yearbook photos on Thursday, August 27th during PE or
Dance classes in Burrill Hall. The LifeTouch photographers helped student pose
for an amazing picture. Yearbook students assisted with the lines and
organization as best they could on this very busy day.
Students are
currently receiving their ID cards and photos should come in soon to be sent
home to parents for viewing and purchase. If your child could not make it to
this photo day, Life Touch will arrange with Millikan another date for a
make-up pictures. Make sure you have your picture taken so that it will be in
this year’s yearbook!
The First Millikan PTSA
Meeting of 2015-16
Raven Adair and Valerie
Herrera
September 1, 2015
The Millikan PTSA (Parent, Teacher,
Student, Association) is an organization that allows the school community to
become more involved with things here at Millikan. Meetings take place on the
third Wednesday of every month in the school library. The first PTSA meeting of
the year was on August 26th from 6-7:30 pm. This month dinner was
provided to all who attended. Last year the PTSA had 646 members and this year
we began the school year with 647 members. If you have not joined yet, please
do!
We welcome the new board to the
2015-2016 PTSA council: President -Takar Adair, Co-Vice Presidents - Justin
Rogan and Julia Emeltchenko, Secretary - Jane Macfie, and Treasurer - Michael
Bustos.
Some of the things PTSA does for
Millikan include: monthly student socials at lunch for student members,
materials and financial support for special student programs, holiday meals for
needy families in our community, and fun fundraising events, such as Comedy
Night.
There are also great opportunities for
families to volunteer here at Millikan. Please sign-up and join a committee. Be
an active member of our PTSA. The next PTSA meeting will be Wednesday, September 16th, please come and be an active part of the Millikan community.
Welcome to Millikan!
Phoebe Perkins and Rosabella Webb
August 20, 2015
Welcome
back to Millikan everyone! To our new sixth graders, here’s a little bit about
the proud Millikan turtles. We have lots of school spirit, and different unique
programs that let students learn using their interests and skills. Millikan has
a diverse population, and every student is encouraged to try their best. Now
that you know a little bit about us, here are some quotes from some of
Millikan’s newest sixth graders.
We asked
a few sixth graders what they were excited for in their upcoming middle school
years. “Well the thing I’m most excited about for middle school is probably
meeting new teachers. I’ve already met them I also want to meet new people.
But overall,
middle school so far just seems fun.” Anthony Madera
“I’m
really excited for middle school because I get to meet a bunch of different
kids, and a bunch of different teachers, and I’m mostly excited to meeting new
friends. I’m also really excited to learn new things that I wouldn’t be able to
learn in a different school.” Laila Giliox
“I’m
excited for middle school because it’s a whole new thing, with lockers, and
different classes, and also I love science, because I’m in the Science Academy!”
Ziva Glazer
We hope
everyone has a good 2015-16 school year here at Millikan Middle
School. GO
TURTLES!
2014-2015 School Year
Volunteer Brunch
Joseph Park and Duncan Lazarow
Millikan has amazing volunteers that
help our school and teachers in so many ways. They’ve done campus
beautification, work with our PTSA, help with performances, and so much more. The
teachers moral group wanted to give back to the volunteers for all the help they’ve
done.
They decided a good way to give back
would be a brunch to all the volunteers. Mrs. Wright shared that the brunch
thanks our volunteers with orange juice and pastries, and an orchestra serenade.
We think that the volunteers really
enjoyed the morning and had a nice brunch. They were also all presented with an
award for their service. We also would like to thank the volunteers for all the
help!
Music In The Park
A Black History Celebration
Liam Howell and Andrew Dermovsesian
Music in
the park was an instructional music festival. Bands all across America traveled
to play at this wonderful event. While performing, judges give instructional
criticism and give the band an overall rating. Two of Millikan’s amazing bands
earned the privilege of having the ability to perform at the event.
Third and fourth period band
classes both played songs for the judges. Fourth period played “Into the
Clouds!” and third period played The Billboard March.” There were great
performances from both of the periods. Both the third and fourth period classes
earned excellent reviews. Overall, the total of 85 students performed
spectacularly.
I strongly advise if you are a band
student to attend the Music in The Park events in the future. Ms. Hirako stated,
“Music in The Park is the number one way
to challenge bands and help them strive to get better.” The judges guide and
critique bands as part of a learning experience.
Overall, music teachers and band
students all around our community loved the event. We believe performers will gain
prestige and recognition from this event. Thank you to Ms. Hirako for setting
up the chance to perform.
Walking to Cure MS
Madelyn Kang and
Jessica Gaisford
Sunday,
April 19, the Civics Academy joined Pasadena in the walk for MS. Mrs. Tanguay’s
mother, Fay suffers from multiple sclerosis everyday. The walk this year was to
cure MS in children. Today, kids are being diagnosed between the ages of 11 and
25. As of today, the Civics Academy has raised $3087.
Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic disease that
progresses over time. The disease causes damages to the nerve cells in the
brain and spinal cord. Symptoms may include numbness, impairment of muscles,
blurred vision, and fatigue. 200,000 to 3 million people in the United States
get diagnosed with MS each year. Physical therapy and medications that suppress
the immune system can help with symptoms and slow disease progression.
Many
students participated in this event. We interviewed one of the walkers, Valerie
Herrera. She participated in the walk on April 19. She walked 3.2 miles with
her family and friend. The students that walked in the walk all wore the blue
shirt that said “Friends of Fay” and “Caring for KC”. There were many sponsors
that dedicated their time and effort. Valerie Herrera ended the interview by
saying,” The MS walk is very fun to participate in”
Although MS is still affecting the world today,
every walk makes it closer to find a cure. Every step we take makes it closer
to curing MS. Special thanks to Mrs. Huff and Mrs. Tanguay and to everyone who
participated. Finding a cure for MS, one student at a time!
A Black History Celebration
Ethan Binns &
Sydney Goren
April 12, 2015
“African
Americans have played a part in every field in human achievement. Black
artists, craftsmen, poets, philosophers, educators, entrepreneurs, athletes and
politicians, mark every era of American history all of which demonstrate great
courage and originality. These people are the history of America and we all
celebrate their combined achievements.”
This event
is taking place because the history of all cultures deserves to be celebrated and
acknowledged. It will educate and celebrate a very important part of our
American culture, and America’s past. This is an event that applies to all, no
matter race, color, gender, or culture, because we can all benefit from
learning the history of African American history. In the show, there will be
some student created work, but teachers will be contributing voice, music,
drama, dance, visual art, literature and poetry, cultural, and academic
performance pieces. It took up to around 2 months to put this presentation
together with the help and assistance from dance teachers Ms. Weiss, Ms.
Daniels, and Mr. Burke. This show stretched 3,4,and 5 periods, because of all
the visual arts numbers that were being presented.
In an
interview with Ms. Tyler, she explained her reasoning for running the event, “I
want people to be aware of all different races and colors, and for people not
to discriminate against others.” During the event students were wearing
elaborate costumes to better understand the background. Literature and art,
poetry will be read from other eras of American history.
Armenian Genocide
The Armenian
Genocide took place 100 years ago from April 24, 2105-the genocides remembrance
day. The day April 24th is significant because it was the day that Armenian
intellectuals, artists, poets, religious leaders, and writers were gathered
together and slaughtered. The Armenian Genocide is the killing of about 1.5
million Armenians from 1915 to 1918 by the Turkish. The Turkish also forcibly
took over almost all of the Armenian territory, shrinking it immensely. The
genocide took place during World War | under Ottoman Empire rule. The Turkish
refuse to take responsibility for the genocide or even acknowledge it, and it
is illegal for them to talk about it in Turkey. Turkey is currently a very
important ally of the United States, so President Obama didn’t talk about the genocide to
avoid jeopardizing our relationship with them, even though he said he would
when he was running for president.
Holocaust
The
holocaust is a genocide that took place during World War ||. Its remembrance
day was on April 16, 2015. Over six million Jews were slaughtered in the
Holocaust by German Nazis led by Adolph Hitler. Hitler planned to wipe out all
Jewish people by brutally torturing, enslaving, and murdering them. It started
with the Germans taking away a lot of the Jews rights, and then they were sent
to concentration camps where they were forced to do hard labor or be killed.
Some of the camps were death camps (such as Auschwitz) and their purpose was to
kill as many Jews as possible. Some Jews were killed by gas showers, other
starved or were worked to death, and others were shot randomly just for the
Nazis to make a statement. All of the bodies were burned. Towards the end of
the war, the Allies went to all the concentration camps and liberated the Jews
and camps. Hitler committed suicide before he was caught. The Holocaust lasted
form 1941 to 1945.
The vocal concert was hosted by Mr. Krubsack and was the culminating project of the four choir classes here at Millikan. Two sixth grade choirs and two seventh/eighth grade choirs. The cast from "The Heights" and "Little Shop of Horrors" also participated. The show was loved by both the performers and crowd.
During
the concert Mr. Krubsack picked a few soloists. Some of these people
include Sawyer Peace, Janah Goss, and Virginia Trent who sang the
beautiful song “Route 66”. Her song created, “ooh’s and aah’s” from the
audience but honestly so did every song preformed.
The
attendance of the concert was around 350 on the first night and nearly
200 on the second night. The attendance turned out to be better than
what Mr. Krubsack expected. The vocal concert brought in
great performance and wonderful profit for Millikan's Music and Dance
Department.
The vocal
concert was a great way to put on a lovely show, but also a for the
students to practice the pressure of an audience. The vocal concert benefited Millikan as a school and the music department immensely.
On
April 23rd Mr. Frome's and Ms. Weiss' classes went on a field trip to
Birmingham High School. The students met in Mr. Frome's room after 1st
period and took two separate buses to get there. There the students
watched the play "Mulan", performed by the high school students. "Mulan" was
about a young girl who later learned how to become a warrior. The
students here at Millikan seemed to enjoy the play, and was overall a
great field trip.
Student Voices is student
created work. Students audition for their exhibit and then the showing was on
April 16 in Burrill Hall. Many students take part in this show to express dances
and show art projects, and much more.
We interviewed Mrs. Weiss about the
show production. She expressed to us that the whole production is mainly
student run. The participants rehearse for their part in the play hoping they
will get chosen. Student Voices expresses the accomplishments of students at
Millikan Middle School. A couple of things students also show are science
projects and skits.
Mrs. Weiss encourages many to
audition and join to witness the hard work projects people have practiced for.
She says the finished product of the show makes her proud of the students. The
students that participated as well as the students that put together the whole
show.
Welcome to Our Town
Madelyn Kang and Jessica Gaisford
The “Our Town” performance was on stage at Millikan on March
13, 14, 20, and 21st. We were able to attend the event on March 21
to see the Gibb’s cast. The play was for the Performing Arts 8th
grade of 2015. The last play was their way to show appreciation for their town.
There
were two families, the Gibbs family and the Webb family. In the Gibbs family,
there was a son named George. George had a liking of baseball but his parents
opposed of his hobby. In the Webb family, there was a daughter named Emily.
Emily had a crush on George and George liked Emily, too. They were to spend
their future together but something terrible happened. . .
We look the time to ask one of our
peers, Jordan Ullman, a few questions about what he thought of the play. Jordan
liked the play and was not influenced by other opinions. He found the set
design accurate to the original play. He says the play was well thought out
although some events in history are hard to interpret. Jordan liked Act 3 the
most, for he found it intriguing. While he thought some things needed to be
changed, the play was accurate and classic.
In conclusion, the viewers were
impressed with the show. The “Our Town” Gibb’s cast performance was a
seat-filling show. The hardworking director and stage crew made it possible to
make the play successful. Special thanks to Ms. Conte for creating a
wonderful performance. Now next time, our town is in your town, go visit it.
Fairytale Trials
Daniel O’Neil & Solana Segal
On March 20th, the 8th grade Civics Academy went to the Van Nuys courthouse for the annual “Fairytale Trials”. This year’s fairytale was Hansel and Gretel
and the objective was to try the father for attempted murder. Mr. Slade
helped with it. He chose three students to be on the prosecuting team
and three on the defense team. There were 12 members of the jury, 2
alternate jurors and 5 witnesses.
The
trial lasted a little bit over 2 hours and the jury talked about the
trial. The defense and prosecution started off with their opening
statements. After opening statements, they called in the witnesses and
evidence. Finally they gave their closing statements so that the jury
can decide innocence.
The
jury had to be unanimous so all 12 of the jurors had to come to the
same decision. The final decision was that the father was guilty of
attempted murder. One member actually thought that the dad was innocent,
but the other members convinced him that he was not. It didn’t take
much to convince him that the father was guilty.
Deep In The Blue
Andrew Dermovsesian and Omer Barnea
March 18, 2015
On Wednesday February 18, 2015, Mrs. Pohjonen's and Mr. Louis' class went on a whale watching field trip in Long Beach. Mrs. Pohjonen has a specialty homeroom has a specialty homeroom that goes on a lot of field trips. The drive to Long Beach took about two and a half hours. The students said the drive was very uncomfortable.
When the students unboarded the bus, they started walking to the boat. Surprisingly enough, it took the students only five minuted before boarding the boat. The students were out on the boat for about two hours. During the boat ride, the students saw only one whale. Mrs. Pohjonen's class was very disappointed, but said they still had a fun time. It was very unfortunate that they only saw one whale. Luckily for them, nobody got seasick. The students said they wished the whale was closer so the could have taken pictures.
Students said they were very welcomed to have the privilege and time to go on the whale watching trip. Even though it was a long trip, and saw only one whale, they said the experience was worth it. They thought getting out of class was a good break for the day. Overall, the students said they had a blast and would do it again.
When the students unboarded the bus, they started walking to the boat. Surprisingly enough, it took the students only five minuted before boarding the boat. The students were out on the boat for about two hours. During the boat ride, the students saw only one whale. Mrs. Pohjonen's class was very disappointed, but said they still had a fun time. It was very unfortunate that they only saw one whale. Luckily for them, nobody got seasick. The students said they wished the whale was closer so the could have taken pictures.
Students said they were very welcomed to have the privilege and time to go on the whale watching trip. Even though it was a long trip, and saw only one whale, they said the experience was worth it. They thought getting out of class was a good break for the day. Overall, the students said they had a blast and would do it again.
8th
Grade Formal
Makayla Fornaldes & Jordan Ullman
“The Great
Gatsby”
has made its way back to Millikan Middle School for the
2015 8th Grade Formal! This fancy dance took place on February 20, 2015 from 6
PM to 9 PM in Burrill Hall. At the dance there was a great deal of different
foods, music from the DJ, and of course the spectacular students. Food was
catered from many different places for example: Pinks Hot Dogs, Panda Express,
Torpedo Potato, and even a nacho station! In a recent interview with Ms.
Torrijos, our 8th grade counselor, we were told there was a lot of planning and
preparation going on to make the night as great as it was.
“The
purpose of all these activities are to encourage students to do their best,” Ms.
Torrijos tells Millikan Messenger. “I
just want them to be motivated and put all their best effort in what they do.” In
the end, the dance ended up being a success for everyone. 8th Grade Formal was
a fun night for everyone, and remember the “Famous
Fifteen’s” will
only keep getting better!
Costume Design Goes to LACMA
Olivia Goldberg and Arpi Ourkhan
March 11, 2015
On Friday,
February 28, 2015, Costume Design took a trip to LACMA. Costume Design is a
class taught by Mrs. Wright where the students discuss, research, and design
costumes. Almost all of Costume Design went on the field trip with Mrs. Wright.
The class was accompanied by parent chaperones who came to supervise, and the
class was divided into groups of five
and six. The trip was a great opportunity for the students to see a variety of
different costumes and to learn about the way they were designed.
In an interview
with Mrs. Wright, we asked her about what she thought about the trip. She said,
“It was a fantastic
opportunity to visit the Academy Theatre, especially since it was the Friday
before the Academy Awards.” She
also told us, “There was a
wonderful docent to meet with us before and gave us an overview of the
exhibition.” We also asked
some of the students in Costume Design about what they liked most about the
trip, and they said that they enjoyed some of the old costumes from My Fair
Lady and the way that they were made. They liked the slippers from The
Wizard of Oz, the Austin Powers suit, and the costumes from a lot of
Meryl Streep plays and movies. They also enjoyed the superhero section,
costumes form Dream Girls, and how behind some of the costumes there was
a hologram of the actor wearing the costume and the costume designer talking
about the costume.
In conclusion,
this trip was an excellent chance for the Costume Design students to learn a
lot about making costumes and also have fun. Mrs. Wright said it was, “A rare opportunity to see
iconic costumes from a variety of movies and to appreciate the costume
designers who created them.” The
students are extremely lucky to have been able to take such an incredible trip
to LACMA.
SBAC - Wifi Stress Test
Nery Chicas and Daniella Navarro
March 10, 2015
The stress test was to test the devices and how they might respond to the network, and really how much the network can do at once. Mr. Alvarado shared more information as he is our technology wizard.
There were pver 200 devices on line and the main difficulty was that the wireless network was not strong enough to allow all the activity resulting in all online devices dropping connections.
Mr.
Alvarado included that he worked with Ms. Estrada to make sure that the
appliances were ready a day before the test
"This
wasn't a regular test in which you passed or failed," included Mr.
Alvarado. This test was a success letting us know what areas the district needs
to improve on, since this was mandatory for all schools taking the smarter
balanced tests. Overall, they now know what areas to improve so when the actual
tests come, we'll be prepared.
Sneak Peak @ SAT
Joseph Park and
Andrew Dermovsesian
March 9, 2015
Students
take the PSAT to prepare them for taking the SAT during their. The PSAT is just
to show the 8th graders what they will be learning about in high school.
We
have interviewed Mrs. Estrada (Who is in charge of the PSAT) some of the
questions everybody is wondering about. The PSAT is a practice SAT test. The
test is $15 to take. Only 100 students are allowed to take the test but most
times under 100 kids take the test. This test prepares you for high school. You should study math and English to prepare
for the test.
We
also interviewed a student who took the PSAT to tell you what they thought
about it. This test had a lot of difficult material that was hard to
understand. They feel that they are taking the test to soon. It is a good
exposure to what you are going to learn in high school. The test shows you what
you need to study for and succeed in high school.
Robotics Team Takes the Win
Article courtesy of the
Science Academy
March 10, 2015
We would like to congratulate tow of Millikan Science Academy's Robotics teams, Quantum Flux and Parallax, for their performance at the VEX California State Championships, in Pasadena on February 14. Quantum Flux, with team members Aeden Gasser-Brennan (8th), Ben Adelstein (8th), and Echo Seireeni (6th), and Parallax, with Jeffrey Shen (8th), Rosie Dierking (6th), and Cat Vess-Ovsiannkov (6th), both made the playoffs and met in the final match where Quantum Flux emerged as the State Champions, which qualified them to represent California at the VEX World Championships in April in Louisville, Kentuky.
On Feb 21, Parallax entered a Programming Skills competition in Chula Vista, where they placed first, and additionally posted a score high enough to qualify them for the World Championship!
We wish both teams all the best
at Worlds!
School Science Fair
Solana Segal and Jared Adelman
March 9, 2015
On February 26th the School
Science Fair took place. Later on March 7th, the Science Academy
Science Fair took place. The Science Fair is for all grades of the school. Each
class as a whole participates in the fair. The project is based off testing a
hypothesis.
The first place winners are Cooper Zell
from 6th grade, Jonah Henry from 7th grade, and Nora
Jones from 8th grade. We caught up with Cooper Zell, whose
experiment “Got Clogs” focused on which toilet paper flushed the fastest. The
hardest part of the experiment was keeping all the variables stable through all
the test runs. His favorite part was going through the project while helping
others with the information.
We also interviewed the 7th
grade winner Jonah Henry, who has participated two years in a row. His project
“Clean Energy to Clean Water” focused on desalinating water using solar power.
The hardest part for him was finding the correct parameters with the materials
he had. His favorite part was physically running the experiment.
We interviewed Mrs. McLemore, whose
classes participated in the Science Fair. Her favorite part was seeing all the
diversity among the projects from dance to sublimation. With these projects,
she could see the passion put into them. She had taken a three year break and
came back because she feels that the project is cross-disciplinary and could be
very beneficial. She will do it next year.
Finally we interviewed the coordinator
of the fair, Mrs. Burnett. The first year we did a science fair was around
2009. The hardest part about the fair is organizing all the boards and keeping
track off all the papers. Her motivation is because the science fair is
cross-curricular and that all students should have a chance at doing a project
like this.
“Behind the Doors of Little Shop”
By: Jessica Gaisford, Valerie
Herrera, Madelyn Kang, Caitlin Lim
February 20, 2015
After many days of
rehearsal, on February 12, 2015 “The Little Shop of Horrors” play began. The
show was successful with an outstanding 1600 tickets sold. Seats were filled
with smiling faces, impressed with the actors/ actresses. Unfortunately the show
ended February 14. Fortunately the majority of the Millikan Middle School
students were able to watch the show.
Skid
Row is a street that people live on when they are disadvantaged. Seymour works
at a flower shop for Mrs. Mushnik, his caretaker as a child. One day he sees a
total eclipse that creates a mysterious plant. The plant attracts attention to
the flower shop. When the plant started to die, Seymour tries to feed it but
realizes it only drinks blood. Later he realizes that it is a talking plant.
When the plant starts complaining about who he should eat next, the dentist,
Audrey’s abusive boyfriend, gets eaten. Audrey and Seymour finally see that
they like each other. But in the end, the plant dying in Seymour’s arms eats
Audrey.
The
stage crewmembers and Mr. Frome built the sets of the show. It took about three
weeks to build the sets. Not only did making the sets take long but perfecting
the acting took long as well. The props for the show as well, took quite a bit
of time. For example the different sizes for the man-eating plant. Stage crew
helped moving all the props and costumes back the Mr. Frome’s classroom.
We
interviewed one of the stage crewmembers, Frankie Nelson. She was satisfied with
the performance and the set up of the show. “It was fun to set up and watch the
different casts and what kind of performance each actor/ actress can express.”
Frankie filled us in by showing us the back stage. She informed us about the
character transactions. When someone forgets their line, a stage crewmember
whispers it to them.
In
the end, you can tell the show took a lot of work. The actors/actresses took notes,
which led to a well thought out performance. The time consuming work paid off,
leaving achieved crewmembers and actors/actresses happy.
Little Shop of Horrors
(Downtown)
Musical Theatre
Production
By: Lyndsey Kim and Shihyun Kim
February 16, 2015
GULP! SWALLOW!
ACTION! Curious about what that means? We’re talking about the Musical Theatre
Production, Little Shop of Horrors. This show took place at February 13th
in Burrill Hall and everybody could tell that a lot of effort was put into this
show. We interviewed Mr. Frome, our very own director for this production. As
we predicted, he gave us very positive feedback on the kids.
Before the
production happened we asked him a few questions regarding the students and the
performance quality. He told us that the audience should prepare to see and
incredible group of kids performing who has created a family-like bond. He also
said that here was going to be amazing lights, sounds, props, and costumes, and
oh boy was he right. The cast of this production had great teamwork and a great
bond. On stage, they seemed to be really close and united as a cast. Let’s not
forget the beautiful lights and props. There really was a lot of effort and
time put into this production.
All that
preparing sure paid off. Mr. Frome was thrilled with the performance and we’re
sure the other teachers were just as proud. Mr. Frome said that he knows that
the students will just continue to get better and better. Also, he feels that
the importance of these productions is how the students and faculty build a
special bond and how it provides everyone the opportunity to pursue their
dreams and share the arts with hundreds and thousands of people. At the end of
the show, Mr. Frome announced how he was so proud of the cast and crew for this
production. We’re really excited to see how future shows will turn out and hope
to see all of them. Great job Little Shop of Horrors cast and crew!
by Duncan Lazarow
& Benji Levine
February 24, 2015
“No
matter how good your story is, it can always get better.” Neal Shusterman
started out his writing career in the summer of 8th grade. It
started when he read the book and saw the movie, “Jaws”. This book and movie inspired him to write a
story that same year about man-eating Lobsters and vicious creatures taking
over the town. Today, many years later, he is an accomplished writer with over
45 books published. Shusterman’s most recent book is called Unwind. The thrilling book is about how the government of the United Kingdom is making plans to capture homeless people and harvest their body parts for what they consider more valuable citizens. For example, if a veteran lost a leg fighting for the UK, they would use a homeless person’s leg for the veteran.
Neil Shusterman writes his books in a
specific method. He starts with a notebook and does four drafts per chapter.
Then, in his fifth draft, he brings them all together and creates a sixth
draft. Once he thinks his sixth draft is perfect, he calls it the “real one”
and sends it to his publisher. Incredibly, he never writes just one book at a
time. He usually has three books published simultaneously.Millikan Middle School was lucky to have Neil Shusterman as a speaker. It turned out that Birmingham High wanted him to speak at their school but they couldn’t afford his fee, so they asked Millikan Middle School and Water Reed Middle School if they would like share the cost Millikan gladly agreed. Our librarian, Ms. Carroll, loves when authors visit because they encourage the students to check out books from the library. Ms. Carroll especially enjoyed Shusterman’s discussion about how many drafts he does for each of his books.
An inside secret that Ms. Carroll shared with us is that he also has written a couple of movies such as “Pixel Perfect”. He sends his screenplays through Google Docs, allowing it to be accessed by producers and directors.
Environmental Studies Monthly Update
By: Lyndsey Kim & Shihyun Kim
February was a very busy month for
the Environmental Studies students. Many things have happened and many things
will happen. They are planning so much for the future and their teacher Ms.
Woolford has them working around the clock. When we interviewed Ms. Woolford
herself, she told us many things that she has planned out for her kids.
First, she told us very exciting
news! The famous Jane Goodall institute visited our very own Environmental
Studies group. They informed them that Jane Goodall herself talks about our
Environmental Studies students all around the world! She acknowledges that we
have the longest Roots and Shoots program and she is inviting them in March to
the LA arboretum to participate in their annual environmental fair, to show off
their farm.
Next,
in the month of love, Ms. Woolford and her kids have grown many beautiful
flowers for their first floral fundraiser! If you have that special someone you
would like to give flowers to, take out your wallets and visit Rm. 50 and buy a
gorgeous bouquet of hand picked flowers. While on the subject of flowers, the
students are very excited to be growing flowers for our Famous Fifteen’s
graduation ceremony. So, eighth graders, get ready for an awesome stage to walk
across.
Third, the winter/fall crops are now
fully grown and Ms. Woolford and her kids are very excited on what to do with
them. They will be most likely donating them to the San Fernando rescue mission
to help homeless families eat organic vegetables. Now that the winter/fall
crops have gone, because the weather is getting hot, they plan on putting in
the spring/summer crops early.
As you can see, Ms. Woolford keeps her students very busy. She has
a lot in mind for this month and obviously has even more for the future. She
loves this program because she gets to have a chance to see her young farmers
learn about this planet firsthand. Think this is a lot? Get ready to see, or in
this case read, about what she has planned for March!
Millikan Middle School Science Academy Updates
By: Ethan Binns and Jared Adelman
February 23, 2015
For
the months of February and March, the Millikan Middle School Science Academy
would like to inform you that the Science Academy Science Fair is from March 2nd
to March 7th. The parent viewing night is on March 5th
from 6-7pm. Also, March 13th is the acceptance deadline for incoming
students.
The
Huntington Library Visiting the Past
By: Ethan
Kong & Daniel Kang
February 19,
2015
There are many unique libraries in the
world, but none like the Huntington Library. Mr. Joseph and his 6th
and 7th grade classes were fortunate to take a trip to this unique
site. The Huntington Library is a unique library because it consists of
museums, gardens, and libraries. Many people have different reasons to visit to
the library such as viewing the rare artifacts, enjoying the beautiful gardens,
and spectating the unique museums.
We interviewed two student from Mr.
Joseph’s class that went on the field trip. One of the students replied “The
Huntington was special because I was able to to see the past and the present
through rare artifacts. I mostly enjoyed the Japanese gardens because brought
out Japanese cultures. And yes, I plan on visiting the Huntington again.” The
second student replied “ What made the the Huntington special was being able to
see all the gardens and beautiful artifacts from the past. I also enjoyed the
Japanese garden because it was very peaceful and all the sites were beautiful.
I would like to come and visit the Huntington Library once again in the future.
The Huntington Library, is a mix of a
library, museum, and gardens. There are many people in the world that are
interested in lost artifacts and enjoying the peaceful beautiful gardens. If
any of this sounds interesting to you then the Huntington Library is the
perfect place for you to visit.
Valentines
Day @ Millikan
By: Nery Chicas and
Daniella Navarro
February 15, 2015
The Valentine’s Day dance was Friday, February 13th!
Some of the 6th and 7th grade students shared their
thoughts about the dance. While the dance was mostly 6th graders
with some 7th graders joining them they enjoyed dancing! There was
lots of dancing going on and it looked like people were having a good time.
Everyone said that they were having a great time and they were enjoying
themselves. The only thing that was different was this dance wasn't in Burrill
Hall, as usual, instead it was in gym. But just like every other dance there
was a DJ and fun lighting.
Sing your Heart Away!
By: Chanel Ohana & Jordan Ullman
Recently on February 13, 2015 Valentines Day grams were
presented to those who purchased them for their loved ones. The grams were
presented by various groups of singers brought in by Mr. Krubsack’s choir
classes. The groups individually rehearsed an appropriate love song for their
performances.
The students/faculty that purchased a
gram had a heart shaped lollipop along with a song dedicated to them. It was a
very special event and brought together many people.
The fundraiser was very beneficial to Millikan because
Millikan loves raising money that could improve school life in any way! These
Valentines Day grams come around every year for this special time of the month
of February and are a great way to bring together friends and also help fund
money for all sorts of causes.
Winter Festival
By Andrew Dermovsesian, Omer Barnea, and Joseph Park
February 12, 2015
Winter Fest a big festival put on by many of the performing
arts programs here at Millikan Middle School putting together the best pieces
from the first semester. Millikan Middle School presenting Winter Fest
since we established our performing arts program. Once again this year we
had many great performances. Winter Fest included two dances from Mrs.
Weiss, one dance from Mrs. Daniels, one dance from Mrs. Tyler, and beautiful
songs performed by Mr. Krubsack’s students.
Mrs. Weiss’ students have been practicing for four months
and she said her students were well prepared. Her students performed dances
to “Once Upon A December” and “Feeling Good.” Mrs. Weiss’ students said
they felt great performing and felt the dances went as planned. The students
one concern was they would like to have better costumes.
Ms. Tyler’s students have been preparing for Winter Fest
for a few weeks. Her students were also well prepared. Ms. Tyler
says that Winter Fest went as planned for her students. Forty-five
students performed a piece from Don Quixote.
Ms. Daniels’ students were rehearsing for about two
months. Her students danced to “All About That Bass.” She says her
students were well prepared for their dance. If she could do anything
different she would make the choreography more challenging.
Shakhina Devran is a choir student in Mr. Krubsack’s
class. She was a soloist in the Hebrew song “Od Lo Ahavti Dai.” She
said she really enjoyed the opportunity to perform at winter fest. If she
could do anything differently she would have more solos and sing songs that she
loves.
Winter Fest went well for all the dance and choir
students. They enjoyed the opportunity to perform and be apart of Winter
Fest. They hope to do it again Next year!
PTSA Comedy Night
By
Jared Adelman and Liam Howell
February 13, 2015
On January 27 th, 2015, The PTSA
hosted a Comedy Night Fundraiser at the Sportsman’s Lodge. Comedians
Carlos Mencia, Ralfie May, Bobby Lee, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Skyler Stone, and Theo
Von performed. Around 300 adults, parents, Millikan Staff, friends and family
attended this event sharing in an evening of fun and laughter.
Dad of a sixth grade performing arts student, Skyler
Stone, who is a professional comedian, helped to organize this event. He had
the connections to invite other acclaimed comedians to perform along with him.
People really laughed during this funny night.
In an interview with Carrie Adelman she stated, “The event was funny and
was enjoyable night. It seemed like everyone was having a lot of fun.” Mrs.
Adelman admired the performances by the comedians and believes Millikan should
definitely have a fundraiser like that again.
Intramural Football!
By: Daniel O’Neil and
Ethan Binns
February 10, 2015
This years’ 2015 intramural
football was absolutely amazing. All games in 6th, 7th,
and 8th grade have all been exciting, resulting in high scoring
games. We interviewed 8th grade winning team captain, Daniel O’Neil, from D1
Bound:
Daniel shared that the season
has been awesome! From all three years of football teams he’s been on over the
years, this was the best! This years eight grade team was just great! The
chemistry we had with each other helped us play better than ever before.
Because of this we were able to run four different plays. This year’s eighth
grade team was able to comeback from the losers bracket and beat the odds.
The 6th grade winner’s
team was Alabama, and the 7th grade winners were the Chicago Bears!
We congratulate them on their successful win as well!
Speaking of football…the biggest talk in school was
our annual “Super-Duper Bowl!” Our annual “Super-Duper Bowl” took place on
Friday February 6th, 2015. The 8th Grade All-Stars vs.
The Millikan (old and rundown) Faculty/Staff! Unfortunately, the 8th
graders were destroyed by the Millikan faculty/staff Team, maybe they aren’t as
old and rundown as we originally thought. The final score of the game was 7 to
35 faculty and staff. Quarterback, Daniel “Oh, my – Oh, my” O’Neil and Aryan
“Salt Water” Salian, combined for four interceptions. The MVP of the game was
Mr. “Tom Brady” Grady for his amazing touchdown passes. Maybe our 2016
“Super-Duper Bowl” will have a different outcome!
Can-Can Run
By:
Andrew Dermovsesian, Daniel Elizalde
February
13, 2015
The Can-Can run is where
P.E. teacher Mr. Cahn runs for the canned food drive. For every 1000 cans, Mr.
Cahn runs one mile. The number of laps he runs is based off of the number of
cans collected. Students sometimes even run with him for extra credit. We asked
a student why he thought this was important and his statement was “…because it
will help you run faster.”. We asked another student how they felt about this
event. They responded by saying “good, also cool.”
Mr. Cahn shared how he felt
about the Can – Can Run. He said that after he was finished running he felt
tired and old. We also asked what was going through his head while he was
running. He responded with how he was proud of how many cans the students
donated and when he finally finished running 5 miles = 20 laps. Later, we asked
if it was hard for him to run the 5 miles even though he runs in the morning.
He responded by saying it wasn't hard it was just hotter than the usual morning
weather.
The
Can-Can run is an interesting way to encourage kids to donate cans because who
doesn’t want to see a P.E teacher run all those laps?! We hope people donate
more and more cans every year!!
Civics/Science Dance
By:
Solana Segal and Jordan Ullman
February
10, 2015
The Civics Academy and Science (STEM)
Academy recently paired up to throw a dance. The dance took place on January
30, 2015. The night was filled with groovy beats from the DJ, dancing with
friends, food, and lots of sweet treats! There were also parent volunteers.
This was a night special for friends and gave both academies an opportunity to
bond with one another.
The dance is a very successful
fundraiser; each academy raised about $750, so, the dance was a big success.
Everyone had a great time and we are looking forward to the one that is taking
place next year. This dance was a great way to bond with your friends in
Science Academy or Civics Academy or even make new friends with people you didn’t
even know.
It was also a big social event, for
parents and other families in the academies and we are hopeful that that Civics
Academy and Science Academy will pair up to make another fun event!
Burrill
Hall – Make-Over
Nery
Chicas and Daniella Navarro
February
12, 2015
Burrill Hall has
been has been under construction for the past few months, it is finally done
and ready to be used. Millikan got the opportunity to use bond money for the
repairs and upgrades. Bond money is usually used for building new schools, but
Millikan got the chance to use some of the money for Burrill Hall. We got this
information during an interview with Mr. Gardin. He gave us much more
information about this project.
The new updates for Burrill
Hall have been great for performing arts students and their audiences. Some of
the new updates are LED lighting and handicapped bathrooms. It took several
crews many months coming in and out of Burrill Hall making slow by steady
improvements, but Burrill Hall finally came together.
Burill Hall is usually
used for performing arts electives, such as, drama, musical theater, dance,
band, orchestra, and choir. "Musical theater has been left homeless,"
said Mr.Gardin. Overall, the new improvements are great!
First Meal
of the Day
February 8,
2015
By: Amber
Figueroa and Ashley Montoya
The breakfast in the class is
happening all around LAUSD. Breakfast is provided in our classrooms and first
prepared in the cafeteria. LAUSD is doing this because they believe students
who eat breakfast focus more in class. Some teachers do not like breakfast in
class because it takes up time from their teaching and/or the food makes a
mess. As well, some of the food is more healthy than other options.
Every LAUSD school has a
cafeteria manager, Millikan’s is Alfred Nichols. We asked why Millikan is
providing Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC). Mr. Nichols responded, “The state
decided on BIC. This started because they said it improves test scores. Also, the
school gets 6 cents for every child that eats breakfast.” While many schools
started the BIC program over the past two years Millikan’s start date was to
begin on January 29, 2015.
Sharnice
Jackson an 8th grader here at Millikan shared that she likes BIC
“because the food is free and although I don’t like the food sometimes it cures
my hunger because in the morning I do not have time to eat." In Sharnice’s
homeroom students are allowed to use their cell phones during that first 10
minutes, which she says she likes, "because the people who are not eating
have something to do during those 10 minutes."
Hailey Freedman a 8th
grader shared her feelings about BIC as well. Hailey stated she does not like
BIC, "First of all takes away homeroom time, and learning time. I have also
read many reports about people's stomach hurting after it. And the students who
take the bus can easily eat on the bus." She stated, "I would serve
healthy cereal, fruits, and coffee cake."
Angel
Mosqueda shared that he was concerned, “because I have math first period and it
takes time away from my math education."
“I feel like it disturbs
learning time, I feel like its messy, and ants come out, but, LAUSD has good
intentions,” shared Isaac Harris. “LAUSD has good intentions, but I don’t think
that they are going about this the right way and there are loopholes and
problems that the good is drowned by the bad.” Finally, “I think there
shouldn’t be food with peanuts because of people with allergies and they should
have a vegetarian option because it is not fair.”
Teachers also shared
opinions about BIC. Mr.Cahn said, “I wish they would have breakfast at home,
but if they can’t then it’s a good idea.” Because P.E. teachers classroom are
outside and they have very large classes, where can they serve BIC? “All the
students (P.E. and dance) go to the covered lunch area to eat breakfast.” In
response to the food selections, Mr. Cahn told us, “I have not sampled all the
food, but I think the coffee cake is good, I don’t drink milk, and the apples
look good.”
Ms. Tanguay shared, “Well,
I don’t have a period one right now, but I’ve seen progress because I walk
around and look at all the different classes having fun with their breakfast
and the students talking while eating. It’s also hard because some of the
teachers don’t know if they should take all the food or just take one.”
In conclusion we have had
mixed emotions about this decision. This is very helpful to all the students
who don’t get a chance to eat at home and they can learn more without thinking
about being hungry. It seems the teachers didn’t agree with the idea at first,
but now they are coming while students eat BIC. The students also like it
because they get to talk with their friends while they eat. It is still a
concern that some kids feel judged about eating because the kids around them
may not be. Overall, everyone seems to enjoy BIC now better then they thought
they might, and it’s turning out to be a great success.
High School Night
By: Jordan Ullman and
Makayla Fornaldes
February 9, 2015
Millikan Middle School annual ‘High
School Night’ event took place on November 6, 2014. This event specializes in
helping 8th graders, who soon enough go off to high school, in choosing
a high school that has the right fit for them. This gives students and parents
an opportunity to look for schools that are a perfect fit for their unique
passions and academic aspirations. There were roughly 30 high schools that
participated in our annual ‘High School Night’. There were also many home
schools (schools close to Millikan) that participated, some including: Campbell
Hall, CHAMPS, Grant HS, North Hollywood HS, Oakwood School, The Buckley School,
etc.
Some of the participating high schools
brought some significant items along with them. North Hollywood Zoo Magnet
brought a chicken to represent their zoo-tastic school! Other high schools gave
out informational pamphlets and presented PowerPoint’s to show what the high
school can offer to its students and how they benefit from the provided
resources.
This night opens up many doors for
our students and parents to see high schools of their choice and gain more
knowledge on schools that weren’t already on their minds. We want to thank ALL
high schools made the event happen:
ARTES/ Cesar Chavez
Learning Academies
Birmingham Community
Charter HS
Campbell Hall HS
Canoga Park HS
CHAMPS HS
Francis Poly Technic
High School
Grant HS
Communication
Grant HS Freshman
Academy
Hamilton HS (Magnet)
Harvard Westlake
Immaculate Heart HS
J.F. Kennedy HS Arch.
& Digital Arts Magnet
New Community Jewish
High School
North Hollywood
Humanities/SAS
North Hollywood Zoo
Magnet
Oakwood School
Providence Catholic
HS
Ramon Cortines HS
Visual & PA
Reseda Science Magnet
School
Sun Valley Magnet
School
Taft HS
The Buckley School
VIP
Van Nuys HS
VAPA Legacy High
School Complex
Verdugo Hills HS
Rainbow Council’s Stuffed Animal Drive
By Leon Schmidt
January 27, 2015
Rainbow Council spreads
joy to homeless and abused children during the holiday season!
Mrs. Michelle-Henderson’s Rainbow Council held a
stuffed animal drive through homerooms here at Millikan Middle School. Thanks
to the generosity of the students, families and teachers there were plenty of
stuffed animals to share with several children’s locations. On December 18,
2014, Rainbow Council took a field trip to two shelters for children.
Kids of all ages greeted Rainbow Council with
excitement and anticipation in their eyes as we got off the bus at each
location. The kids’ faces were ecstatic; it looked like it was the happiest
moment of their life. After we played and shared activities with the kids, they
each received a new stuffed animal. We left with mixed emotions of being heart
warmed because we were able to share something with kids that are so
appreciative and sad because they were so very sad to see us leave.
While Rainbow Council was able to visit
two locations on their fieldtrip day, the rest of the stuffed animals were
delivered to seven other shelters by Mrs. Michelle-Henderson and her husband as
they not only shared a new stuffed animal but spread holiday cheer.
Skateland
By Jared Adelman and
Benjamin Levine
January 21, 2015
The
Millikan Civics and Science Academies held a fundraiser at Skateland in
Northridge on November 21, 2014 from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. With the help from our
parent volunteers, we were able to have a delicious bake sale with items like
chips, cupcakes, soda, and cookies. Overall, this was a great way to raise
money for the Civics and Science Academies.
While some
kids skated and played games, others were cashing in tickets for cool prizes.
As some skaters were skating like pros, others were skating for the very first
time. One thing was for sure everybody was, enjoying whatever he or she was
doing. We asked 7th grade Civics student, Leon Schmidt, what his
favorite things were about Skateland. He responded, “I loved the atmosphere.
There was always something to do. If you didn’t want to skate, there was an
arcade.”
There were
lots of games, food, and much more. Thanks to all our attendees and volunteers,
we were able to raise lots of money for the Civics and Science Academies.
Everyone had a blast and we all can’t wait for next year!
Staff vs. 8th grade All-Star Softball Game
Daniel O’Neil & Tomer Alfandari
Friday
October 24, there was an 8th grade All Star vs. Faculty softball
game. This event took place on the P.E. field during lunch. 16 8th
graders and 16 teachers participated.
The captain of the 8th grade game was Levi
Thomas. I got an interview with him after the game. Here it is. I asked him,
“How did it feel to be captain?” He said “I was good, I felt like I had control
of the team.” Next I asked him, “When Mr. Duffy nearly killed you, what was
going through your head, how did it feel?” He replied and screamed “I had full
momentum to the ball and I got trampled! I felt embarrassed because the whole
school was watching.” I told him “I was upset about loosing, what about you” He
told me “Yes I was upset about loosing and I was very frustrated that the
teachers embarrassed us!” I asked him, “who do you believe was the best
teacher?” He said in confidence, “Mr. Lewis and Mr. D were great. Mr. Lewis played
amazing for his first time.” The last question I asked was “What could have you
done better?’” He answered, “I could of motivated my team more and I could of
hit it better.”
The 8th graders lost and
got their butts whooped. They only got a few runs and not even the whole team
got to hit! The staff almost ran every play! Mr. Lewis was the first faculty
member in Millikan Middle School history to hit two home runs in one game.
During the game, Mrs. Macklemore hit and ran to first. While she was running,
Mr. Duffy was running from 2nd to 3rd and Captain Levi
Thomas was going after the ball and got trampled. A few of his team members ran
to him to help him up. He looked dead for a few seconds! This was absolutely a
great game to watch.
NO NEED TO COMPLAIN
By Grata Toode (a.k.a. L. Axelson)
I could complain and
find reasons to cry,
get angry
grow bitter
sit back, pout
and sigh
grab gloom clouds
make sad sounds,
and just want to die
let depression
destroy me
let life
pass me by.
BUT,
I think of the homeless
the sick
and the poor,
the victims of hurricanes
the victims of war,
the innocent babies
left out in the cold,
the lost missing children
first kidnapped
than sold.
My life with its troubles
its everyday snags
its days of dark feelings
when each minute drags,
are nothing but challenges
building my power
feeding my soul
adding fuel to my fire
making me stronger
more ready to soar
reminding me daily
what I’m thankful for.
My life is not over
my thoughts can run free.
I’m filled with such gratitude
just to be ME!!!
When Millikan Middle School Classrooms were surveyed we found that we all have reasons to be grateful!
Millikan is thankful for:
·
Our friends, family, teachers and a great
education.
·
Our close peers and academy programs.
·
Encouragement from teacher so that we can do
better.
·
Our opportunity for a great education.
·
Starbucks.
·
Diversity.
·
Parents who provide for us.
·
Getting into Millikan.
·
Roof as our shelter.
·
Life.
·
Students with passion.
·
Electronics.
· Students who make us laugh everyday and the
kindness they show to one another.
·
Having a great and vivid imagination.
·
My Civics brothers and sisters.
·
Wi-fi.
·
We have the best students ever.
·
Food on the table.
·
Our health.
·
All the special activities that Millikan offers
us.
·
Our specialty homerooms.
·
The atmosphere here at Millikan, we can get
along with everyone.
·
Drama Production and the electives we have.
·
We have freedom of speech to be able to express
ourselves.
·
We are at a safe, gang-free school.
·
Nutrition and lunch breaks.
·
Dance classes.
·
Lockers
·
Sports.
·
We know people that are alive and cancer free
after a long battle.
·
The world and all the people I know.
·
Food, family, clothes, and the school’s
coffeecake
·
Thanksgiving, winter, and spring breaks.
·
Fun.
·
Basketball courts.
·
Our siblings.
·
Teachers who teach and provide education for
their students.
·
School pictures that have been taken of me.
·
Fun Friday movies.
·
Turkey.
·
Friends that I have made this year.
·
Performances.
·
That we are aloud to be creative and show our
creativity.
·
My phone, contact and connection with other
people.
·
Ice Cream.
·
Netflix.
·
Having the ability to take a break from
school/work.
·
Social Media websites like Instagram.
·
Music.
·
Freedom of religion.
·
Video games that are fun and entertaining.
·
Art supplies.
·
Performing Arts.
·
8th grade lawn.
·
Musical Theater.
·
No uniforms.
·
A clean environment.
·
Nice teachers.
·
Film.
·
Pizza.
·
Chipotle.
·
In ‘n Out.
·
U.S. Military helping us to feel safe.
·
Medical supplies.
·
Being alive.
* Love.
* Love.
Caring For Cancer
By: Jordan Ullman & Benjamin Levine
Cancer is a battle that takes an army of hope
to win. "Whether you have the disease, or know someone who has it, it can
affect you either way." Ms. Estrada, breast cancer survivor, gives us the
411 on this special event.
Millikan Cares is an annual event that helps
fund money to fight the battle against cancer. This year’s event which took
place on Friday, November 7, we were able to raise $2,000 for the fight against
cancer in just one 40 minute lunch period.
With the hard work of not only the students,
but also the staff and volunteers, we can make a difference. We can make a
difference for the children going through the struggles of cancer, and that is
priceless.
So next year, when you
see teachers getting hit with water balloons, join in! It's fun and it’s for a
good cause...
Millikan Cares
The Civics Academy organized amazing activities on November 7th to raise money through an event called Millikan Cares. The money raised is for the oncology program at Children's Hospital in Los Angeles. Civics Academy students raised $2000 that was awarded to a representative from the hospital on November 21st.
Students for Nutrition
and eXercise
William Boyd and Daniel Elizalde
Students for
nutrition and exercise or “SNaX” is a program coming soon to Millikan. This
program will be run by Ms. Wasserman, and the mission for SNaX will be to
increase nutrition and exercise in students so we can be healthy and ready to
go when we need to.
A brand new
addition to our school cafeteria will be a “hydration station.” A hydration
station is a fountain that dispenses fresh filtered water into cups for us.
This will be coming soon maybe even next semester.
When was the
last time you ate food from our cafeteria? Did you know that our cafeteria
manager used to be a chef? Well come on down to eat delicious healthy meals
that are fresh and have additions personally prepared by the cafeteria manager.
Ms. Wasserman
head of the SNaX program here at our school encourages all students to drink
more water, eat more nutritionally, and to increase your physical education.
Battle of the Books!
We Shall Read!
Lyndsey Kim and Shihyun Kim
Are
you ready for the Battle of the Books? This fun and educational competition
allows you to read books that you love, with your friends! The way this works
is, there are 5 teams of 4 to 6 people and you are assigned to read 20 books.
At the end, there is a quiz round where you are tested on the books you’ve
read. This year, four schools are meeting up and competing in March. A bonus is,
any student of any grade level can participate!
We
interviewed our school librarian about this event and we got a lot of
information. “The BOTBs is a reading completion with five teams competing in a quiz after they
have read 20 books. This year, four schools, so far are
going to participate.” The focus is on mainly fiction
books. And when asked what the purpose is, our librarian responded, “It is a
fun way to give children the opportunity to read lots of books with their
friends. And yes, I believe every book you read helps with your being a better reader.” Our librarian stated that she likes working with our students,
"however, in this competition, students work individually and there aren’t a lot
of interactions with them.” We wanted to know who can participate. "All students can participate. They also have mixed level
teams.” While our librarian, Ms. Carroll stated, “I didn’t particularly start this event, but schools joined as a large group
and that's how it all got started.” As you can see, we learned a lot of information from
this interview.
So,
how fun is Battle of the books?! It’s an awesome experience for reading more
often, getting you pumped up for an exciting event, and interacting with your
peers! If you’re interested, sign up ASAP and tell your friends, too! If you
feel as if you don’t read enough, Battle of the Books got you covered. GO
MILLIKAN TURTLES!
Millikan Middle School’s Tours
Olivia Goldberg, Chanel
Ohana, and Arpi Ourkhan
Throughout the year, Millikan Middle School provides
multiple opportunities for fifth grade students and their parents to come and
explore our magnificent school. There are both magnet tours and academy tours.
On the academy tour, you visit classes from all different academies including
the science, film, and performing arts academies. On the magnet tours, you only
visit performing arts and magnet classes.
During
an interview with our magnet coordinator Mrs. Covert, she described these tours
as “information” sessions for visiting guests.” The tours last for approximately two hours, but
usually more because parents stay later for clarification on their questions.
This
year Ms. Covert changed things up a bit. She is having students lead the tours.
Ms. Covert asks different teachers which students are knowledgeable and
articulate. They take groups of people into different classrooms and answer as
many questions as possible. This year, there have been 9 tours so far,
gathering about 120 people each day. This adds up to about 1,080 people this
year, with more to come. There have been so many reservations this year that
Ms. Covert has added four extra tours. These tours are extremely informative
and great for people interested in our school.
The Attendance Challenge
Liam Howell and Jared Adelman
November 14, 2014
The Attendance Challenge is a
competition for students to get the highest attendance rate possible. The
goal of the Attendance Challenge is to increase the attendance of students so
they can get the best education possible. Hopefully, the prize of the
competition will make students want to come to school. If the students
come to school, they will receive the best learning experience, and that is
what really matters.
The mission for the administration
is to keep student in school to have a flourished learning experience.
"Low attendance and truancy often have a direct link to crime." Mrs.
Green informed. The main idea of this competition is to decrease the
ratio of truancy.
The people with the best attendance
from each grade will be put int a raffle. If their name is drawn from the
raffle, they will be able to select from a various selection of prizes. These
may include an iPod touch, electronic device accessories, and other prizes.
Mrs. Green will determine the
winners from a chart on MISIS, as shown in the picture. The people's names on
this chart with the best attendance rate will be put into the raffle. If their
name is drawn, they will be able to select their prize.
In the end, the goal is simple; get
children to school so they will have a good learning experience. The
prize is the built in hook, but the good attendance is the challenge. The
race for the best attendance is on.
Turtle
of the Month
Isabella
Carrillo, Duncan Lazarow, and Leon Schmidt
The Millikan Middle School Leadership class has a great way
of honoring students that are doing well in academics and citizenship. Once a
month students who are nominated by their teachers are honored in a Turtle of
the Month assembly.
Turtle of the Month students honored in November are:
Michael Adelman Hana Almony Sebastian Angel
Jaklin Astvatsatryan Dylan
Backman Sam Blake
Shamari Blanchard Haley Brooks Sophia Cetinyan
Nick Coronado Roman
Cuestas Rebecca Deluca
Ashley Espinoza Johnny
Factora Chandler Fields
Claudia Felix Jhias
Flamerua Aryan Gonoodi
Aastha Gurung Lauren
Harris Aviv Hazan
Hans Kampani Evan
Klein Iliana Kleiner
Erin Ko Preni
Kodabakshian Emilia Lundmark
Maria Malinina Natalie
Mastrangelo Scout McLaglen
Jasmine Melgar-Hernandez Natalie
Metcalf Natalie Nodar
Dylan Parker Avo
Perchimyan Sarah Preimesberge
Enrique Rodriguez Aryan Salian Sydney Shiotani
Shayna Slade Zachary
Smith Anthony Soakyan
Ani Tsctinyan Anna
Tutundzhyan Isabella Vodos
Nicole Waldman Aaliyah Walker Aubrianna Wilson
Coral Yehezkel Charlotte
Zerouni
Halloween at Millikan
Amber Figueroa and Ashley Montoya
November 2, 2015
Halloween is very exciting at Millikan. But we all need rules
when it comes to the dressing up part. Most kids think "It’s Halloween so
we can dress however we want." But that is not true. The dean Ms.Nunez
wants us to have a fun day but she has to make some rules. On Halloween kids
think she is to strict but the truth is she is being fair and not as strict as
other days.
This
Halloween a lot of our teachers and students dressed up. The best part of
Halloween was when the sixth graders did thriller during nutrition on the 8th
grade lawn and the 8th grade stage. Everyone had a blast watching the new
students make their big entrance. During the day at Millikan we had amazing
different costumes shown on the stage and around the campus.
Millikan had costumes from babies to
Pokémon characters. Some costumes were a bit extravagant, but its Halloween so
people can dress up as whoever they want. All students and all teachers had an
amazing day and hopefully this can continue for many more years. Hopefully
every eighth grader had an amazing day for their last Halloween at Millikan.
Every
year at Millikan a group of students from leadership make a haunted house for
Halloween. This year it was scary for some students but for others it was not
scary at all. Two students were in the entrance opening the door to enter and
one student was in the very end to open the door so the people can exit. About
three kids had flashlights leading the kids through the haunted house. Many
students were in the house wearing masks or costumes to scare the kids walking
through them.
The Haunted house was shaped as a
maze this year. You had to make left and right turns in each corner. Since it
was dark you couldn’t see when people were coming up to you and scare you.
There were spider webs everywhere and this gray sheet that was your single to
tell you to go to the left or right. Towards the end of the maze there was this
table filled of Halloween stuff and on the wall was fake blood shaped as hand-prints.
Daniel
O'Neil from leadership who helped make the Haunted House. Daniel shared that, "Most
of leadership came to Millikan on a Sunday to help set It up the Haunted House. It is the same as last year, but a bit scarier. Having a haunted house is totally worth it."
The Phantom Film Festival
Are
you ready to be terrified out of your coffin!?!
By: Ethan Kong & Andrew Dermovsesian
Every year the Cinematic Arts Academy of Millikan Middle School make a terrifying
film to be shown during the Phantom film Festival. The Phantom Film Festival is
where students can showcase the results of their efforts from their Halloween
challenges. This activity allows students to use what they learned in class to
make a film that can be shown during the festival. Students of 6th, 7th, and
8th grade in Ms.Bennett's class make terrifying films that get nominated into
the festival by the most votes by the students of Millikan Middle School.
During the
festival student’s films that got nominated into the festival will be judged
for their Cinematography, Best Sound, and Best Story by a panel of industry
professionals and independent filmmakers. This years judges will be: Alison
Farr, Jeffrey Daniels, Jim and Dawn O’Keeffe, Jim, Karen, Cameron, Christopher
Covell, and Scott Thomas. Students will receive an “Official Selection” medallion for participating in the Film
Festival and Audience Choice Awards
will be given to the winner with the most votes for each grade level.
These are the students that won last years
Phantom Film Festival. In 6th grade we have Casey Hawkes in 1st place with Monster Mares that got 50%
vote, we also have Makenna Cannon in
2nd place with Don't Look under the
Bed that got 40% vote, and finally in the 6th grade we have Maximilian
Muench that got 3rd place with the film Urban
Reptile that got 37% votes. In the 7th grade we have Jeremy Basset in
1st place with Bad JuJu with
60% votes, we also have Cameron Mouton in 2nd place with The Present that got 35% votes, and finally for the 7th
grade contestants we have Riley
Siegler in 3rd place with Time Goes
By that got 30% votes. Also, the WINNER-Best Festival 2013 goes to Bad JuJu-Jeremy Basset.
Millikan’s Basketball Hotshots
Tomer Alfandari and Daniel O’Neil
We have the
winners for the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade
intramural basketball lunch league! The 6th grade winning team
was the Duke Blue Devils with the captain Leenoy Forkosh. The 7th
grade winning team was the Cavaliers with captain Ethan Binns. The 8th grade
winning team was $QUAD with captain Daniel O’Neil. There was a regular season
with ranking and defining of the teams through the brackets to get to the
playoffs. All leagues were definitely fun to watch, but the division that stood
out most was 8th grade.
$quad was the team that people thought would win from the beginning but, there
was doubt, after losing a few games during the season. These are the words from
captain Daniel O’Neil, “It has been very exciting and emotional to play, we had
a little bit of doubt, but, we pulled it off during the Playoffs” Tomer, “How
does it feel to knock down 5 consecutive three pointers and pull off the
victory against Adam Taragano and the Special – K Ballers?” O’Neil, “It felt
really good, I love when there are ooohhs and ahhs in the crowd.”
7th grade was exciting to watch as well. They started with five
teams, but there was only one winner and the captain of that team was Ethan
Binns. Tomer interviewed Ethan after his game wanting to know if it was hard to
win. Ethan, “We just tried our best and
won.” The final score was 26 to 18.” When asked who the top players on the team
were, Ethan replied, “I don’t consider anybody a top player, we are all a
team.”
6th grade was a tough league according to many players, but the
playoffs were even harder. The winning team was Duke Blue Devils. We all know
the captain of the winning team, Leenoy Forkosh, had tough playoffs. His team
had to beat the other team, North Carolina Tarheels, two times in the finals
because it was double elimination. Leenoy stated that, “the regular season was
okay, but the semi finals and finals were really hard, because the teams took
it more seriously in the playoffs.” In the semifinals the score was 25 to 24
and the second and final game was 24 to 2. Leenoy, “ To win the final game we had
to double team their best player named Aviv.”
This was a great competition and we
look forward to the All-Star game at the end of the year!
Connecting
Cultures
Nery
Chicas and Daniela Navarro
October
25, 2014
Everything connects with cultural
beliefs around the world. Connecting Cultures taught us much about the history
of cultures around the world. Our guest speaker gave details about different
religions and their historical and cultural background. She talked about
religion, gods, instruments, and much more explaining how they all connect to
each other. Some of the religions that still exist today are Christianity,
Judaism, Hinduism, and Islam, all of these religions have one thing in common,
they all have gods. No matter what God, Jesus, Ganesha, Allah, they are all
worshiped. They all connect with one another in a way.
The study of religion wasn't all about
gods and rules, there are some fun things too. In some religions, when kids
come of age, they do specific rituals where they might wear masks or do
something special. Some people play instruments to learn and embrace a part of
their culture. Sometimes people just play an instrument from other cultures to
learn, that’s how it connects.
Overall, cultures can connect with the
religion you believe or follow.
Different people believe in different things and no one should pass judgment
on another. Learning about our past was
a great experience Millikan students.
Costume Design
Amber Figueroa and Ashley Montoya
October 26, 2014
An elective at Millikan is costume design. This elective
shows how kids can make costumes for plays and models. Costume design helps
kids learn more about the different types of clothing and fabrics. The making
of costume design has been at Millikan for many years. It doesn’t just teach
the kids new stuff it also teaches adults new stuff about costumes they might
have not known about.
The teacher who runs costume design
is Mrs. Wright. She's not just an elective teacher she is also an eighth grade
English teacher. On October 21, Ashley
Montoya interviewed her about costume design. In total she asked her four
questions. The first question we asked her was how does she run costume design?
Her answer was " Right now we have divided up into groups to create costumes
for specific characters from the play Peter Pan for the DTASC fall
festival. Some students are responsible for sewing, designing, and
illustrations. Other students are responsible are fit models. All students
participate in doing research to develop the costume concept." DTASC
stands for " Drama Teachers Association Southern California" The
second question we asked her was “What
materials do you use for the costumes?” She answered by saying " We are
working with fabrics generously donated by Mood fabric on La Brea. We have a
variety of fabrics such as Chantilly lace, Chiffon suede sequined (sheik
fabric), duchess satin, and a variety of other novelty fabric."
The third question we asked was “Is
this what you love doing?” Mrs. Wright responded happily, "Yes I adore
costume design. I became interested in costuming when I worked for a reparatory
theater company. I have always enjoyed all kinds of design even as a little
girl. My mom used to make clothes for me. I designed the clothes when I was growing
up." The last question we asked her was Do you enjoy doing this? Her
answer was "Yes I adore watching the designs come to life to see the
creativity of all my students and a I love seeing the collaboration that
happens in a class setting such as costume design."
That is everything about costume
design and a little information about the teacher herself. Again Costume Design
is an elective for only seventh and eighth graders. If your interested you can
sign up for your last two years at Millikan. This elective will be great
experiences to anyone and it will be fun.
A Phenomenal Trip to CIMI
By Olivia Goldberg, Chanel Ohana, and Arpi Ourkhan
On
October 10, 2014,our Math Academy took a trip to CIMI. CIMI stands for “Catalina Island Marine Institute”. It was a three-hour trip to a magnificent place. CIMI
They took a thirty-minute to one-hour drive to a dock, and then a two-hour boat
ride to two harbors, and then a one-mile hike to Cherry Cove. During an
interview with student Lindsey Kim, she stated that throughout the course of
the trip, all of the students went snorkeling, kayaking, and participated
science labs. The days at CIMI were definitely worth it because everybody had
an amazing time.
The
Math Academy stayed in CIMI for three days and two nights. All of the students
were separated into groups, doing a different activity each day. On the first
day, groups 1-4 went snorkeling. In the meantime, groups 5-8 went kayaking,
while groups 9-12 did science labs. The groups alternated their activities each
day. In an interview with teacher Mr. Joseph, he said that the groups were very
large. He also said that he learned a lot about the different activities they
did, and also learned a lot about the students. 
Some
things Mr. Joseph said he didn't enjoy were the bathrooms, “disgusting!,” how
far away the camp was from the dining area, and how there was no restroom by
the water. His favorite things were night snorkeling because he saw many new
things, the tide pool, and all of the science labs. People slept in pairs of
two in tent-like shelters. On the last
day, the students ate lunch on the boat home, thinking about how amazing
they're trip was and what an incredible experience it had been.
Trip into Tolerance
Jared Adelman
September 22, 2014
As the Millikan Middle School Civics
Academy rolled up to the Museum of Tolerance on September 18th, emotion was
everywhere. While the 7th and
8th graders knew what was ahead from their previous visits, 6th
graders had wonder written all over them. We all lined up, about to experience
some intense things, to say the least.
We separated into groups, each led
by a museum guide who would oversee our tour. My guide’s name was Elaine. She
first led us downstairs, into the Holocaust Wing of the museum. Here all the
students were given an “identity or life” of an actual child who lived during
the Holocaust. This affected all of the
Civics students differently, as many of our assigned children died and others
had their families torn apart.
In this exhibit, amidst the strobe
lights and recordings of actual events, we learned an important lesson - treat others
the way you want to be treated. That’s a main theme of what the museum aims to
demonstrate. Treat everyone equally. Be tolerant.
After the Holocaust
section, we visited the Point of View “POV” Diner. Here, we viewed real life
scenarios, such as car accidents and bullying, and we were asked “what would we
do in this situation?” My group experienced a cyber-bullying situation, and we
had to decide who out of 4 characters handled it best.
Our situation gave a real good
lesson to tweens and teens. Bullying will only stop if you speak up. Again, be
tolerant of everyone.
As we drove away from the Museum Of
Tolerance, it seemed as though all the Civics students had learned something. Tolerance,
hatred, prejudice and segregation have all been part of our past and are even
part of the present. However, and most of all, we learned to be tolerant of
others despite our differences.
