Cleveland trip creates middle school memories

Quit the complaining.

Gym class is fair!!

By Caty Clark I hear people complain all the time, “Gym isn't

fair! Not everyone has the same physical abilities.” This is ridiculous! Everyone can be successful in physical education.

Let's draw a quick comparison to math class: Imagine you’re getting tests back, and you earn a “C” while the two kids sitting next to you both receive “A” grades.

One of those kids (let’s call her Smarty-pants Sarah) has naturally understood the concepts since Day 1.

“No surprise,” you think to yourself. The other kid (let’s call him Steve the Studier) understood the concept way less than you. So why did you earn a “C” and Steve an “A”?

It is pretty simple: Steve studied and practiced the concepts at home. He deserved to get an “A” because even though it was not his strength, Steve practiced and worked his hardest.

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The Official Student Newspaper of Shaler Area Middle School

Sams Salmon Spring 2017

Students from 7-Red pose at Cleveland’s Botanical Gardens. A recap of the trip can be found on Page 3.

Intolerance is back… Will you stand against it?

By Teyah Wilson

Intolerance has been a problem in our country for a long time. It started with the removal of Native Americans and with the acceptance of slavery, but even when slavery was abolished, people were still segregated.

Now we’ve moved on to being intolerant towards people from other countries, ethnicities and religions.

During his campaign, President Trump promised to build a wall between the United States and Mexico that would keep out illegal immigrants. He talked about removing people from the country and blocking refugees because they were from different parts of the world.

As terrible as that sounds, his message worked well and it won him the election. President Trump’s negative focus on Mexicans and Muslims is the latest example of American intolerance.

It seems that many of us have forgotten that just because a person practices a different religion or is from a different place, it does not mean that person is bad.

To understand the history of intolerance, one can look back to the Civil War.

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Stop the complaining.

Gym class is fair!!

Continued from Page 1

Compare this to gym, when you are taking the pushup test. There are some Sarahs, occasionally some Steves, and some kids that act just like many of you…also known as… the ones that complain.

The Sarahs are strong. They get “A” grades every time AND make it look easy. The Steves know that they are not good at push-ups so they work hard at home and get an “A” because they practice. Then there are the kids that know they will not do well and do nothing about it.

These are usually the people who complain that “it's not fair” that they are graded on the ability “they were born with.”

There is truth to the fact we are born with different abilities. We all have different skills and that is perfectly fine and normal. But just like in math (or English, reading, history or science) you can improve physical ability with practice and effort.

So, spare your P.E. teachers and fellow Steves the complaints. Rather than moaning about fairness, practice and improve. You may never earn the “A” or become a Smarty-pants. But you will get better and accomplishment is something to truly be proud of!

Sams Salmon 2

Teachers launch cell phone crackdown

As the school year winds down,

teachers at SAMS have been cracking down on student cell phones in the classrooms and hallways.

It’s no secret that many students carry their cell phones throughout the day despite a district policy that says they should be in their lockers.

But now it seems like teachers are taking extra steps to enforce the policy and more and more students have reported having their phones taken to the office.

The message has been clear: If you are seen with your device, it will be confiscated and you will have to pick it up after school with a parent or guardian that takes care of you at home.

Team 7-White’s Hunter Grau said it is sometimes worth the risk.

“I do it so when a teacher isn’t paying attention, I can go on Snapchat,” he said. “I also like to have it in case I need to tell my parents about track or something."

Timmy Agbale was recently caught making a phone call by Mr. Cat, who took his phone for the remainder of the day.

“They did give it back to me during ninth period and said not to do it again,” he said.

Timmy said he no longer carries his phone during the school day and will use the office phone in the future.

--By Julia Ehrenberger

…Attention eighth grade students… The Salmon is in need of your favorite SAMS memories. Issue four of the Salmon will feature a special section for departing eighth graders. Submissions should be no longer than 100 words and must include your full name. They should be submitted by email to DuermeyerB@shaler.us.

We are born with different abilities. Some are more athletic than others. The Salmon asked 25 students if

they thought gym teachers graded students fairly.

Fifteen students said no.

Sams Salmon 3

By Jocelyn Schwartz and Giovanna Hoerner

On Tuesday, May 9, more than 300 seventh

graders traveled to Cleveland for an educational trip as part of the Ancient Empires curriculum.

As part of the trip, students visited a series of museums: the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Natural History Museum and the Botanical Gardens. After, they went to Zip City USA, where they ate pizza and used trampolines, zip lines, and rock walls.

The group rode luxury busses to Cleveland. “The busses were awesome!” Giovanna Hoerner said. “We got to watch The Sandlot, talk to friends, play on our phones and eat snacks.”

The busses were so nice, they had bathrooms, plugs for phones and comfortable seats. Lots of memories were created on the bus.

The Art Museum was very interesting. Students got to see a lot of artwork from the things we learned through the course of the school year.

“The Art Museum had many interesting artifacts and artwork that was exciting to see.” Cate Gordon said.

Students got to see statues of the Roman Emperors, Egyptian tombs and the artwork on them. Many liked the weaponry from the Roman Empire and Medieval Times.

Next was the Natural History Museum. “It had plenty of interactive exhibits that kept you entertained for the hour that you got to explore,” Holly Rapp said.

Students were also treated to a planetarium show. “I thought the planetarium was cool and interesting to see, it was a good experience and looked like we were in space,” Cate said.

The Botanical Gardens were lovely! All students loved it! “It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. It had a wide range of flourishing plants of colors of all sorts and it had a refreshing minty scent throughout the gardens.” Holly said. Everything was beautiful and amazing!

Last but not least, students went to Zip City USA. Students rode the zip line and jumped on the trampolines. “It had many trampolines to jump on, a dodge ball area, a foam pit, a basketball dunking area, and a zip line that ran across the whole facility.” Holly said.

Students returned at 8:00. Things got a bit tricky for the bus drivers when the parking lot was filled with waiting parents but everyone got out safely thanks to the Shaler police. Overall the trip was amazing! All the students had an awesome time.

The Salmon would like thank those who organized the trip, including Mrs. Welka and Mrs. Hiserodt and Mr. Bacco, whose hard work made the trip possible.

Cleveland trip creates middle school memories

Sams Salmon 4

Growing up Dutch

Salmon reporter Madeline Turner discussed school, music and life in Europe with Larissa, a 13-year old who is fluent in Dutch and English and is also learning French, German and Japanese. Q: How is your school system organized? A: In our school system, you take a test in 6th grade which determines the level of your secondary school. There are four levels. It determines if you can go straight to university once you finish. Q: What does a normal school day look like? A: After second period, we have a 20-minute break followed by two periods and a slightly longer break of 25 minutes for lunch. After, we have two more periods and go home at 2:05. Sometimes I have two extra periods and another break and then I get off at 4. Q: What do you like to do after school? A: I like to write. I’m writing my own book, I also like to draw, digitally and traditionally, beside that I read and sometimes I play games. I usually read English literature instead of Dutch because I like English better. Q: What do you and your friends do for fun? A: Very few times we’ve gone shopping together. We usually go to a cafe or just any small place we can eat and talk a bit. Sometimes we study together after school. Q: What are some of your favorite books? A: I basically like every book I read. I think some of my favorites are definitely ‘The Complete Sherlock Holmes’,’ A Game of Thrones’, ‘the Da Vinci Code’ and the Maze Runner series. Q: What's your favorite kind of music? A: I don’t have a favorite genre but in general I listen to pop, alternative/indie and a bit of classical from time to time. Some of my favorite artists/bands are Ed Sheeran, Imagine Dragons, Sleeping at Last, Coldplay, of Monsters and Men, and the Hamilton Original Broadway cast. Q: What is strange about America? A: Your political system is a mess. Here it’s quite complicated too because we have 2o parties they can place people in the parliament which we call ‘de tweede kamer’ which his like congress. I just don’t get your electoral college no matter how much I read about it or how many times it’s explained to me.

Intolerance is back… Will you stand against it?

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Slavery had been growing in the southern states. Our country was nearly split in two because half of it was intolerant towards the people who looked different. A country that was built by immigrants was perfectly fine with abusing and oppressing blacks for its own gain.

It isn’t acknowledged often, but much of the country’s economic growth was due to contributions by slaves, who even built much of the White House!

The same thing happens today. People may claim that it isn’t fair to Americans for illegal immigrants to be allowed to live here or for refugees to come, but these people contribute to our everyday lives. They work, pay taxes and help our industries.

Throughout history, America has had its share of heroes to fight intolerance. Abraham Lincoln stood up to slavery even when it meant fighting a deadly war. Ruby Bridges, a young black girl attending an all white school, changed history. Lyndon B. Johnson turned John F. Kennedy’s legacy in a Voting Rights Act that helped make us equal.

Intolerance is back. Will you join the crowd or stand against it?

A great season for middle

school’s hockey team

By Noah Fox

Shaler’s middle school ice hockey team had a very successful season with 10 wins, 3 losses and a tie.

The team played at Alpha Ice Complex in Harmarville and was made up of students in grades 6-8.

Coached by Chris Sarnowski, this year’s team was led by captain #20 Reid Krepps and alternate captains #10 Jack Schlotter and #34 Dylan Sarnowski.

The team’s record was good enough for second place and a playoff showdown with Penn-Trafford at the Ice Connection of Pittsburgh.

The Titans came out strong when 7th grader Carter Bossong opened the scoring to push Shaler to a 1-0 first period lead.

The lead did not last long and Penn Trafford scored soon after but Dalton Frankert gave the Titans a 2-1 edge midway through.

Penn-Trafford then exploded for three straight goals and led 4-2 after one.

The Titans had to rebound in a hurry, but the team surrendered three more goals before Reid scored back-to-back before the second period ended with a 7-4 score.

During the third, Shaler’s Cole Kushik scored to cut the deficit to 7-5.

The Titans were close but Penn Trafford’s offense could not be denied. PT scored two more goals to eliminate the Titans by a score of 9-5.

While the season did not end the way the Titans wanted it to they played great and are looking forward to next season.

Sams Salmon 5

Gate students set to tour site of new Rogers School

Gate students will get a crash course in construction during a visit to the site of the new Rogers School on Friday, May 12.

Mr. Schrom announced plans for the trip after accepting an invitation from site manager, Dan Kierfer, who has a connection to the Franklin Regional GATE program.

Students from the two schools will meet at the site and take a tour of the progress, Mr. Schrom said.

“We have had a great year exploring all different sorts of areas and interests,” Mr. Schrom said. “This is another one to throw under the umbrella of ‘engineering and building.’”

Students will take a walk up Little Pine Creek Valley as part of the trip. During the hike, they will have some short lessons on stream ecology and hydrodynamics.

This is not the GATE program’s first lesson in building. Students also built a castle as part of the Medieval Day activities in the GATE classroom.

The castle was designed seventh grader Ian Weber.

“We cut PVC pipes and made the portcullis, which is the gate that goes in front of the castle,” Teyah Wilson said “We attached it to a pulley system using strings so it could move up and down.”

“We got to spray paint the tarps and it was cool to connect everything and see it finalized,” Abby Guiste said.

The castle was dismantled following the event.

--By Salmon Staff

Sams Salmon 6

By Aidan Brophy

The Salmon recently visited the Shaler Area Swim Club (aka the Shaler Seadogs) to conduct a few interviews with the swimmers and coaches. We wanted to look behind the proverbial curtain and figure out what made the swim team tick.

There are multiple members of the club on the Salmon staff, but I had the pleasure of writing this article.

I started by conducting a few interviews with members of the team.

First up was Jocelyn Schwartz, a member of the Seadogs and the Salmon. When asked what motivated her to stay on the swim team, Jocelyn replied, “Definitely that hard work pays off. The harder I work, the better I’m gonna get, the prouder the coaches are gonna be of me. That means a lot to me.”

Peter Lesnett, a 14-year old swimmer and a member of the Juniors Group in SASC, was also interviewed.

When asked what his favorite aspect of practice was, Peter responded, “I do like some of the coaches and just getting to see everyone improve, uh, my fellow swim people, I guess, I just like seeing that with me improving, everyone else is improving.”

When a member of Age Group, the level below Juniors, Alexandra Sasha was asked, she said “I love seeing what we’re doing, because some sets are really hard, some are really fun, none of them are easy, because of active recovery and warm down...On the occasion I’ll have something going on, but I just love coming here, and it's just exciting to see what we do, see everybody and see how their day was, to talk to my fam and my peeps.”

As a swimmer myself, I can see where Sasha is coming from. The people in your swim club, at least in SASC, are like your family away from your family.

They are like your brothers and sisters in arms, helping each other through hard sets, cheering each other on in races and relays, and picking each other up.

Next, I talked to two of the head coaches, Ted Griffin and Matt Zeglin, to finish my line of questioning.

They were both quick witted and funny, with Ted joking, “We just started the ‘Masters’ program, which has my two favorite swimmers. They are the hardest working swimmers I’ve ever seen. They are the best looking swimmers I’ve ever seen. They are the strongest and their names are Matt Zeglin and Ted Griffin.”

But they were very kind and sincere as well, noting how it brought them joy to see swimmer’s times improve and to witness swimmers cheering each other on and giving pointers and tips to the younger and less experienced. They both said they also enjoyed watching the swimmers encourage each other to keep going during a long and hard swim set. And since I am currently on the swim team, I know where they are coming from.

The swim team is a very tight-knit community, and it's great when it comes together like one. That's the very reason I am part of the swim team, and I'm glad I was able to share a view into the SASC community with the rest of the school.

Shaler Area Seadogs: A family in the water

Aidan Brophy, Emma Burkard, Caty Clark, Krista Croft, Isabel Dean, Julia Ehrenberger, Dylan Henne, Kaden Kelly, Jorja Kobert, Cassidy Laffey, Gianna Law, Braiden Madine, Taylor, Martino, Callum Montgomery, Madison Ordean, Billy Raida, Maeve Snyder, Sierrah Skryp , Jocelyn Schwartz, Ashley Tegtmeier, Madeline Turner, Teyah Wilson

Staff Advisor: Brian J. Duermeyer

2016-2017 Sams Salmon Staff

The SAMS Salmon is written and edited by middle school journalists. The viewpoints and opinions reflected in this publication may not reflect those of the Mt. Royal Middle School or Shaler Area School District.