To Be Determined issuenumberthree

OnMarch5th,everyonewhoparticipatesinGordon’sMathCountsprogramwenttotheRhodeIslandstatecompetition.

Gordon’s official team won sixth place out ofaboutthirtyschools.Belowisapictureofthetrophiestheywon.Sevenpeoplefrom Gordon were in the top fifty for indi-vidualscores,andeveryonewasinthetopone hundred. There were approximately threehundredpeopleatthecompetition.Gordonschoolstudentstooktenthplace,seventeenthplaceandtwenty-thirdplace,amongothers.Alltheparticipantshadagreattimeandlearnedalot.Itwasafunexperience that will help make the team next year even better. They would like tothankeveryonewhomadeitpossibleincluding:Mr.Kravitz,Mr.Barrett,andanyonewhoprovidedtransportation.

MathCountsmeetstwiceaweek.Theygettogetheranddomathproblems.Theyalsodothingsinpreparationforthecompeti-tion,likelearningthebestwaytoassignproblemsduringtheteamround.Herearetwo examples of typical problems:

Whatisthelargestintegerlessthan2010thathasaremainderof5whendividedby7,aremainderof10whendividedby11,andaremainderof10whendividedby13?

Here’saharderone:

Themeasuresoftheinterioranglesofa convex hexagon form an increasing arithmeticsequence.Howmanysuchse-quences are possible if the hexagon is not equiangularandalloftheangledegreemeasuresarepositiveintegerslessthan150degrees?

The answers will be published in the next editionofthepaper.

Therearealldifferenttypesofproblemslikegeometry,arithmetic,algebra,andprobability.Whensomebodythinkstheygottheanswer,theyshowtherestofthepeoplehowtheydiditandthenMr.KravitzorMr.Barrettchecktoseeifitiscorrect.AlotoffunishadduringMath-Countspractices.Remember,anyonecangotopracticessohopefullytheywillhavelots of people for next year!

MathCounts

Thespringseasonofafterschoolathleticsbeganlastweek

TheGordongroupofeighthgraderscalledtheAllyGatorsisagroupofstudentsandteacherswhocometogetherandtalkaboutissuesaroundprejudice,homophobiaandbasicrightsthattheyfeelarenotgiventoeverydayhumans.Thegroupmeetsfre-quentlyatlunchtimeforhalfanhour.

Wehavecreatedamissionstatement:“TheGordonSchoolAllyGatorsmakesitourmissiontocreateasafeenvironmentforallagestoeducateourselvesandothersinordertopreventdiscrimination,homopho-bia,andpromoteawarenessofpeoplewhoidentify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgen-der,queerorquestioning.”

Ally GatorsAsagroup,wediscussissuesaroundhatredtowardsLGBTQQpeople,andwehavecomeupwiththeideathatweasstudentsoftheeighthgradeandteachersofourMiddleSchoolcaneducatepeopleaboutequality.AlthoughafewstudentsstartedAllyGatorsthisyear,wehopetokeepthisgroupformanyyearstocome.

Also,wewantedtobringawarenesstotheDayofSilence.StudentsandteachersaroundtheworldrecognizethisdaybystayingsilenttoraiseawarenessofwhatmanyLGBTQQpeoplegothroughevery-day.ManystudentsfromAllyGatorswillparticipateintheDayofSilenceonApril15,2011.Wehopethatotherstudents,eveniftheyarenotinAllyGators,willtakepartinthisseriousday.

Gordon Spring Sports

Q Y B S W M X S J T B S R L R

F T B W Q U B I M T X A X V X

E X L A I B Z G B U C L C Z W

W E E L S V K H Z K D D J E A

Y G Z O N E Z H E G C L A N Z

R U S C S A B T K B D K E T Y

M S K G O A L A K C A R T I A

L A C R O S S E L V Y T H O F

L P I Z U C Z G D L B L A T M

E V T W A L J G F D T C B E U

O Q S Q U Z O T A N E E Y N J

F T P L P K Y E W T N S K N T

U C L A C Q C M J E A I B I L

H A P E L L B P K H L V J S K

B K K U W Z X T D E Q A H A M

Withthehilarious,creativepranksdonehereatGordonlastFriday,AprilFoolsDaywasahugesuccess.SomeofthebetterpranksincludedtheclassicTP-ingofrooms,emptyingcertainclassroomsofchairs, filling certain classrooms up with those chairs, hiding expensive instruments, thirteenkidssimultaneouslylosingteeth,andofcourse,thealwaysappreciatedcar-stuffed-with-balloonsprank.

Mrs.Whinery’sadvisoryhadbeenplan-ningaspecialsurpriseforMr.Walesforweeks before they finally got to execute it.Theyhadmanyideasforthisprank,startingwithcoveringhiscarwithsticky-notes,allwithindividualmessageswrittenonthem.However,duetopoorweatherpredictedforApril1st,thisideaevolvedinto the final prank, which was stuffing his carwithballoons.

Mr.Waleslatercommentedthatthisprankwas“agreatadditiontomyotherwisedullfirst day of April. I’ll be sure to be thinking ofallofyouduringtherestofyourtimeatGordonandwillbecertaintocomeupwithasimilarlynicesurpriseforyoube-fore you graduate!” Good luck, Mr. Wales!

AnotherprankwasinMr.Hamer’sclass-roomataround10am.Theprankbeganassoonasonestudentreachedintoherbagandtookoutatooth-likepieceofwhitechocolatewithenoughraspberryjuiceonherhandtolooklikearealisticamountofblood.SheinformedMr.Hamerthatshehadlostatooth,andthenwalkedoutoftheroomtogotothenurse.“Ireallythoughthertoothwasfallingout,”saidMr.Hamer.“Iwaswonderingwhysheaskedtogotothenurse.Iwasthinking,ifyouloseatooth,justgetupandgo.”

AfterMr.Hamerinformedtheclassofthis,theytookitasasigntofollowIsabel’snicelymadeleadandloseatooth,too.When Mr. Hamer caught on, he definitely enjoyedtheprank.SaysMr.Hamer:“Ithoughtitwasfunnyandoriginal.”Theprankwasbroughttoanentertainingendwhenanotherstudentcamebacktoclassand notified everybody that he got a tooth box!

OneofthemorestartlingAprilFoolsDayprankstookplaceintheMiddleSchoolmusicroom,homeofthehandbells.Thurs-daymorning,threestudentsinthehand-bellensemblequestionedMrs.Hodginaboutwhethershewasgoingtobepresentthatnightforthefamilysocial.Whensheansweredthatno,shewasbusythatnight,the three girls tried to hide their excite-ment,knowingthattheirprankcouldactuallywork.Sothatnight,thosethreegirlsenlistedthehelpofthreeotherfriendspresentatthefamilysocial,andheadedovertothemusicroomtogettowork.

Workingquicklyandcarefully,makingsure to not break any bells, the six seventh gradegirlsputeverysinglebell,mallet,andfolderthatwasonthetableaway.Theythenstoodbacktoadmiretheirwork,butdecideditwasn’tgoodenough.Sonext, they covered the bell tables with the handdrums,puttingthelowersoundingoneswherethelowestbellshadbeen,andvice versa with the higher ones. Satisfied, theylefttheroom,leavingonlyanoteonthewhiteboardandoneonthemusicstand behind, excited to see Mrs. Hodgin’s reaction the next morning.

Itturnedouttobeagoodone.Shelatercommented“Iwasconfused,thenIsawthe big ‘April Fools!’ sign written on theboard.MyjawdroppedwhenIsawAfricanpercussioninstrumentsontheotherwiseemptyhandbelltable.Ithought

itwassofunny.”Whenprompted,sheadmitted,“ThebestprankIeverplayedwasthatIcreatednewfoodlabelsformy children’s food [ex: Cheerios became Grumpios].[Thehandbellsprank]wasway better!” Another exciting success.

Anumberofotherclassroomsaffectedbythiscrazyholiday.MostpopularwasMr.Rempis’room,effectivelyTP-edwithtoiletpaperleftoverfromtheMinute To Win Itgame. Another great example of recycling wasMrs.Kravitz’sroom,fullofballoonsleftoverfromthefamilysocial.

ThentherewasthepartnershipofbothMrs.Ginn’sroomandMr.Burnstein’sroom.Whilebothroomshadthetablesupside-down,Mrs.Ginn’sroomheldallofthechairs(un-stackedandscattered)frombothoftherooms.Thismadeforaninter-estingsurpriseforunsuspectingsubstituteforMrs.Ginn,Mr.Ray.

However, Mr. Burnstein’s room experi-encedmoreprankingthanwasoriginallyplanned.Perhapsmissingthenoteleftforsolelythisreason,somebodyhadturnedtheceilingfanon.Withoutmissingabeat,thefanscatteredsmallpieceswithmes-sageswrittenonthemallaroundtheroom.Thisprank,setupbythreeseventhgrad-ers,withthegeneroushelpofMr.Howard,hadbeenintendedforMrs.Whinery’sclass,theclassafterMr.Burnstein’s.

Thiscertainlywasnottheonlyprankthatdaythatendedupabitdifferentlythanoriginallyplanned.Somebroughtoutthebestinpeople,some,theworst.Somegeneratedlaughs,othersjustdrovethevictimsoftheprankscrazy.Someweresimpleanddonequickly,whileotherstookweeksofplanning,andwhiletheyresultedinhilarity,alsorequiredalotofnot-so-funcleaningup.

April Fools at School by Amy Vogel

That’s right, it’s finally happened. The GordonSchoolnowhasadebateteam.Insteadofhavingyoureadalong,boringarticle,I’mjustgoingtobreakitdown.

Who’s idea was this?

Two sixth graders have been meeting with Mr.KarpfeveryFridayforagoodwhilenowgettingthisteamtogether.

What exactly does this debate club involve?

Thedebateclubisjustafunactivityforkidswholiketodebate,whohavedebat-ingskillsandwanttoshowthemoff,orwhowanttoimproveorgaindebatingskills.

When is it?

ItisThursdayatlunchandrecessinMs.Zakin’sclassroom.

If I show up, am I automatically in the debate club? Am I committed for life now?

Obviouslynot.Therewillbemoretrialmeetings,April14thandApril21st.Thosearethedaysforyoutocomeandjustseehow we operate and what you can expect.

Youareinnowaycommittedtocometoallthreeeventhoughwerecommendit.Want to come to the first one and then decidenottocomeback?Fine.Missthefirst one, or maybe even the second, but wanttocheckitoutatthelastminute?Goahead.

What would be debated?

All kind of exciting things ranging from sports,politics,music,andjustaboutanything.

Who would be teaching this?

Mrs.Zakin.

Can anyone join?

The debate team is for fifth, sixth and seventhgrade.

If I show up or add my name to a list or some-thing am I automatically in?

Probablynot.Italldependsonhowmanykidswehave.Weareplanningontakingbetween five to seven kids per grade, but wemaynotgetthatmanykids.Ifwedohavemorekidsthatwecantake,wewill

simplydrawnamesoutofahat.

Thepeoplewhodogettheirnamesdrawnfrom the hat will be in it the first semester, thenprioritywillbegiventopeoplewhohaveneverdoneitbefore.

Are we going to have real debates? Do we get to debate other schools?

Becauseotherschoolsdon’thavedebateteamsfortheirmiddleschoolers,wewon’tbedebatinganyotherschools.Butwetrytohaveafeworganizeddebatesafterschooleverytwoorthreeweeks,withrefreshmentslikeassortedvegetablesorcookies.Butwewillnotbedoingthatinthenearfutureasthisisasmallthing.We’llhavetowaitforittogrow.

Do we have a team name?

Yes.WearecalledThe Gator Debaters.

Okay, I get it. When is this article going to be over?

Rightnow.

Gordon Has A Debate Team?

The first meeting of the Gator Debaters