The Caton Conversation ~Feb/Mar 2023 Edition

The Conversation

Caton

February/March 2023

The PS249 Student Newspaper

History Morning Show

By Newspaper Staff

Why Have a History Morning Show?

Depending on the day 5th graders Aniya, Diara, Arielle, Raven, Safiatou come on over the announcements at 8:30 in the morning. They are the group that presented a morning radio show about Black history in February and Women's History in March. The purpose of the show is to teach the school about famous people or under recognized people and historical events.

They also do trivia and famous the person of the day. Another feature is Black history facts or Women's history facts of the day.

Mr. Crosby leads the group and works with students to write the script. Diara Dollar says "we do the show in the main office, but we actually meet up at 8:00am to practice in Mr. Crosby's office before we go on air at 8:30am."

Raven Derring-Kilkelly says "we want to teach people about an important part of American History that they might not know about. A lot of American history was written by white people and men and they left out a lot of the contributions of Black folks and women." The history morning show has previously been featured on News 12 Brooklyn. Mr. Crosby is searching for students to take over for next year. Are you interested?

On March 7th in the auditorium some third, fourth and fifth graders took the stage to sing, dance, and entertain us.

Annie the Musical
at P.S. 249

By: Sophia Hans, 4-302

After months of rehearsing, Nia Johnson played the part of Annie and Eden-Rose Bishun played the role of the cruel Miss Hannigan. In the story, Annie is an orphan and lives in an orphanage run by Miss Hannigan who forces the kids to do a lot of hard work while not showing care for them. Mr. Warbucks (Preston Rufus), who is extremely rich, invites Annie to spend Christmas with him and ends up adopting her.

This was an extra special event because it was the first production run since the COVID19 pandemic.

The art club did a wonderful job designing the set. Ms. Swift and Ms. Yaffa supported the cast and crew backstage and helped with dress rehearsals. Ava Cummings and Mr. Crosby helped with the audio. A special thanks to Ms. Ross and Mr. Kroener who created the choreography and directed the cast.

Do you know Abraham Lincoln became the United States' 16th President in 1861? He signed the Emancipation Proclamation, and order that declared forever free those slaves in the South in 1863.

President Abraham Lincoln

By Amelia Bowen, 5-110

Did you know a war was fought over slavery? Some Southern states wanted to keep it, and they broke off from the United States and made their own country. This was called secession, and Lincoln thought was illegal. He was willing to use force to defend the law and the Union... so that's how the Civil War began.

When the Confederate Army (Southern states) fired on Fort Sumter and forced the Union Army (Northern states) to surrender, Lincoln called on the states for 75,000 volunteers. Four more slave states joined the Confederacy but four remained within the Union. The civil war began in 1861.

Who was Abraham Lincoln?

What was Abraham Lincoln most known for?

Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States. He was first elected in 1860 and was in office from 1861 to 1865. He was sadly assassinated (killed) before he could finish his second term in office.

What was one of the biggest moments in his presidency?

Lincoln was trying to end the war, so he made an order called the Emancipation Proclamation. This order said that every state had to free the enslaved people. There was a catch though, if the Southern states stopped fighting they could keep the enslaved people.

Lincoln was President during one of the hardest times in America's history. When he was President there was a war called the Civil War. It was a war between the Southern States and the Northern States. Many Americans died during the war. The states were fighting over slavery. The Northern states wanted to get rid of slavery, the Southern states wanted to keep it because most of the money to run the states came from agriculture (growing food and materials to make things). They thought they needed enslaved people to do all the hard work on the farms and in other places.

Famous stories and sayings of Lincoln:

** "The best way to predict your future is to create it!"
** "I would rather be a little nobody, then to be an evil somebody"
** "Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be"

Meet
Lonnie
Johnson

By Novera Azvin, 4-320

______________

Lonnie Johnson, the man who inspired many people! Even though Lonnie Johnson loved inventing, a few things got his way, mainly, he was doubted for his inventions because he was black, which i know what you're thinking, terrible! But nothing stopped Lonnie, he became more and more determined. One day a coincidence happened which led to the creation of the "Super Soaker." Mainly now known as the Nerf gun, almost every child's favorite toy! Thanks to Lonnie Johnson. What can we learn from this? Don't let others' doubts get to you.
A man who loved inventing, got doubted so many times for being black because people thought black people were incapable of anything. Until one day this man made a one-of-a-kind invention that turned peoples minds around. In 1982 in Mobile, Alabama, a man named Lonnie Johnson Grew up struggling with a few problems, he had a dream!

A dream of becoming an inventor and an engineer but people around the time of 1982 thought black people were incapable of doing such stuff like even writing! Crazy I know right? Lonnie had even more challenges like living in such a small house, with Many, MANY people. Lonnie loved making inventions. Even if he got doubted Online or in person he was determined to succeed his dream!

*Clank Clank *Click *BANG!

Lonnie worked hard and harder, invention after invention, but yet his courage to work so hard failed, He was still doubted JUST for being black. Which is not fair at all! Until one specific day, A MAJOR coincidence happened for Lonnie. Lonnie was Working on something until...

WHOOOOSH!

Water sprayed everywhere from a hose inside his bathroom, and brilliant Lonnie's brain sparked. An amazing idea! Lonnie took some parts of this and some parts of that and...

The amazing invention titled ''Super Soaker" was finally born! Lonnie was confident enough to show it to multiple companies.
All the companies said, until a day in 1989 was Lonnie's lucky day.

BOOM!!

A company by the name of ''Larami Corporation'' accepted Lonnie Johnson For invention of the "Super Soaker''

*Cheering*

Lonnie Johnson's invention had A LOT of fans. His famous invention was loved all around the world! Lonnie is now famous worldwide for working up hard and hard for this moment to happen. Lonnie never failed to give up. Why? Because he knew determination is the key to success. Throughout this text, Lonnie never felt doubted or gave up. Not once! And at the end, Lonnie got what he wanted. He stayed determined.

What can we learn?

What does Lonnie teach you, how will his actions affect yours, what can we learn here? Lonnie Johnson teaches us to...

"Never let others doubts get to you."