By Avery Blanco

Adults should listen to kids more. Sure, we still have lots to learn, but we also have some really good ideas! This month, I asked kids around town to share what they think about turf fields. This is what some of them said.

• Vivian D (5th Grade): “I would love turf fields because I play field hockey and lacrosse, and it's hard to play because of how uneven the fields are.”

• Maggie P (6th Grade): “Turf fields would be nicer and would be way easier to care for. They would be better to play on than the grass fields. 

• Charlotte K (5th Grade): “Turf fields would be really nice. It would be good to train on them at a young age, and if you fall it won't hurt as much. Turf would be better for us in general!” 

• Victoria M (5th Grade): “I want turf fields because like I play field hockey and it would be way easier to pass and shoot because the ball wouldn't get stuck in like the dirt ditches and holes in the ground.”

• Ellie G (5th Grade): "Barrington should get turf fields because they are much better for development. I play soccer and lacrosse and in soccer when you play on turf you can do better moves without worrying about tripping on small holes in the ground. And, also one time I was playing lacrosse and I tripped and fell and my foot got stuck in a hole in the ground and I hurt my foot! So yeah! Get turf fields.

• Drew C (6th Grade): "Turf field would be better because when it rains you can still practice and play games instead of always having to cancel. I also like playing on turf better than grass because the grass has a lot of dirt and holes that can make you fall.

• Brice A (6th Grade): "The grass fields are not very good. They get torn up in the rain or get full of geese poop. They get ripped up to dirt. I would prefer an indoor facility with two or three turf fields, four or five basketball courts and some other space because if it was just one field, that one field would probably get destroyed quickly and not be open a lot."

Meet two Hampden Meadows School teachers

By Grace Mancini and Sabrina Faiza

Interview with Mrs. Clegg, a fourth grade math teacher at Hampden Meadows School.

Q: How long have you been teaching? 

Mrs. Clegg: “17 years” 

Q: What made you want to be a teacher

Mrs. Clegg: “I really like kids, I really like how every day is different. Each day has new challenges, new triumphs.”

Q: How many different grades have you taught before?

Mrs. Clegg: “I taught 4th and 5th grade. I started teaching 5th grade.”

Q: What was your favorite subject to learn when you were 

growing up in school?

Mrs. Clegg: “Science and Social studies”

Q: When did you start teaching? 

Mrs. Clegg: “2006”

Q: What are your favorite school supplies?

Mrs. Clegg: “Paper Mate Flares, and pens.”

Interview with Mrs. Pointer, a fourth grade ELA teacher at Hampden Meadows School.

Q : How long have you been teaching? 

Mrs. Pointer: “18 years”

Q: What made you want to be a teacher

Mrs. Pointer: “I love kids and I love being able to teach them things they didn't know and knowing that they'll know it for the rest of their life”

Q: How many different grades have you taught before?       

 Mrs. Pointer: “1 year I taught  3rd grade and I taught 17 years of 4th grade.”

Q: What was your favorite subject to learn when you were 

growing up in school?

Mrs. Pointer: “Geography and learning about the world.”

Q: When did you start teaching? 

Mrs. Pointer: “Since 2005”

Q; What are your favorite school supplies?

Mrs. Pointer: “Fun pens, seasonal stickers (ghosts, Santa, Easter bunnies,etc) and black sharpies.”

New teaching tool is making a difference

By Rosie Buonaccorsi

Recently at Hampden Meadows School, there has been an innovation.

Mr. Whittaker, a fifth-grade teacher, has been using In Stride With Reading as a teaching tool for 10 years now, but this year very special things have been happening. 

Right from the beginning, everyone in my class was excited about In Stride With Reading (The proper title of Bling). It is a tool to help with reading fluency and it works. The growth that my class has shown is enormous, and it has helped so many kids. 

How it works is you read a passage, and there are a lot of levels, starting at A and going all the way to T. Each level includes eight reading passages, and every passage is unique. And then the fun part, everyone has a shoe, and when you finish a passage and add all of your information to your sheet you get to add “Bling” (shiny little jewels) onto your shoe. We have all the shoes hung up on the wall. 

People can now read to you and you can give them bling! Overall my class has benefited from In Stride With Reading. Some people have earned 150 bling! And while my class has done well with it, In Stride With Reading is growing. 

We now have buddy bling! This is where fifth-graders mentor the fourth-graders in reading. 

On Thursdays, my class hosts all the 4th graders and they come to our classroom and read to us. The first week was really interesting because we got to teach them all about it and how to set up your chart. It is cool, and they are doing well with it. 

My sister Winnie and I interviewed a couple of fourth graders to get their opinion. We interviewed JP, Drew, Addy, and Ben. They all said that so far In Stride With Reading has helped them with vocabulary, reading fluency, more confidence when reading, and being louder. 

But in some people, you can already see the growth. Addy grew from 127 words per minute to 151! They are all very excited to see what they can achieve using In Stride With Reading. They’re hoping to improve their WPM, grow to a higher level, speed, and fluidity, and fill two shoes with bling. And while they were all nervous at first to come to our class, now they feel interested and enjoy being taught by kids.

Trouble in Breakfast Land

By Mikayla Niewiecki and Victoria Donato  

Once upon a time in a land far away called Breakfast there was trouble brewing between the foods in the neighborhood. One day the good friends Egg and Bacon were walking to school.

“Look at Croissant over there by himself!” said Bacon. 

“I feel bad. I'm going to ask if he wants to walk with us,” said Egg. Egg and Bacon walked to Croissant and asked if he wanted to walk with them.

 “No, I don't want to walk with you. I'd rather walk alone!” said Croissant. “Well, we didn't want to walk with you either.” Bacon shot back. 

“Yeah you're too flaky!” Egg said. 

“No I am not you are!” Croissant yelled.

After that they didn't talk to Croissant the rest of the day, until recess came around and they tried to talk to Croissant again. “I'm sorry Croissant.” Egg whispered 

“ Yeah we shouldn’t have called you flaky.” Bacon mumbled

“ I don't care you guys are mean!” Croissant said and shoved Egg out of the way.

“OW that hurt!” Egg screamed and looked down at his yolk.

“Oh no you are bleeding” Bacon said “I’ll bring you to the nurse.”

After that Bacon brought Egg to the nurse

“What happened here?'' Nurse Biscuit asked.

“Croissant pushed Egg out of the way. ” Bacon said

“Well, I'll get you fixed up and then you can see Mr. Waffle with  Bacon and Croissant at the principal's office.” said Nurse Biscuit. Nurse Biscuit cleaned the cut and put a bandage over it. They headed to the principal's office. Inside Croissant was waiting for them sitting next to Mr. Waffle. 

“Sooo what happened here” Mr. Waffle asked

“Croissant pushed Egg out of the way and made Egg’s yolk bleed!” Bacon replied angrily pointing at Croissant.

“And why did you do that Croissant?” Mr. Waffle asked. 

“Because he called me flaky and..” Croissant started

Bacon interrupted “Well maybe you are flaky and maybe you are the mean one all along and…”

“Ok that is quite enough.” Mr. Waffle said, spreading his arms out to break up the fight.

“ We were trying to be nice by asking if you wanted to walk with us, but then you started being mean to me and Bacon!” Egg chimed in.

Then Croissant stormed out and screamed “Well no matter what you shouldn't call foods flaky!”                                                          ~ 

After the bell rang at the end of the day, Croissant came up to Egg and Bacon. 

“ I'm sorry I shouldn't have pushed you, and I should have been nicer when you asked if I wanted to walk with you two.” Croissant muffled 

“ That's ok.” Egg said 

“ No it wasn't ok, I was having a bad day because I lost my favorite toy earlier this morning but I shouldn't have taken it out on you two.”

And after that Bacon Egg and Croissant walked together everyday to and from school. They even hung out on the weekends! And after that everything in Breakfast town was back to normal again.                                                THE END!