Issue #1

Caton Newspaper

Issue #1 Friday March 26th, 2021

The P.S.249 Newspaper

A newspaper written and edited by kids for the P.S.249 Community!

P.S.249 Launches Newspaper

Newspaper Name & Logo Contest

Read about P.S.249's mural, "Blossoming" on page 3!

By Ms. Brown,
Principal of P.S. 249
Dear P.S. 249 Community, congratulations on our first school newspaper! Our students are still learning every day despite the obstacles we have faced during this unprecedented school year. The pandemic has provided us all with an opportunity to learn, grow, and figure out how to do things differently and creatively. One such example is this digital school newspaper.

My thanks to the children and especially their parents for contributing to this effort. I hope this is the first edition of many to come. I want you to write your hearts out while improving your ability to express your thoughts, be creative, and have a voice in our school community. Writing is a life-long skill that will help you now, in your middle school, high school, college years, and beyond. Keep writing and telling your story!

Special thanks to the staff who helped formulate this newspaper under the leadership of Ms. Vanessa, our Social Worker, Ms. Williams, Ms. Lara, and Ms. Shames, and the 5th grade student editors.

By Newspaper Editors
When you realize that you can make your own logo but there are no memes allowed. That’s right! You can design our logo and/or create a name for the new school newspaper. But we can only choose one! So if you think that you are epically interested, then you should try it out! We will look at everything and choose a perfect one.

What: Newspaper Name + Logo contest!
When: Submissions are due by April 8th, 2021
How: Be creative! Come up with a witty yet practical name for our paper and/or a logo design (click the HEART to see examples)

Submit name or logo designs to your teacher by April 8th, 2021

Table of Contents

Page 3: "Blossoming" P.S.249's New Mural

Page 4-5: Debate It! Should kids come back to in person school this year?
By Johann Abundis

Page 6: How to... Make Flamin' Hot Cheetos Mozzarella Sticks
By Jhon Correa Marrero

Page 7: News You Can Use - Covid-19 Vaccinations
By Fatoumata Bah

Page 8: This Day in History - The USS Indianapolis and Captain Charles McVay
By Sahil Mohammed and Jason Grijalva

Page 9: Art Library Picks: Women Artists to Know
By 3rd - 5th Grade Students

10-11: How to Make Unicorn Fluffy Slime
By Nusrat Sidra

Page 12-13: Should video games be a school sport?
By Natalie Cabrera

Page 14: Interviews: Distinguished Women of P.S.249
By Ashley Bonilla, Justin Plunkett & Jaelyn Tiros Rodriguez

Page 15: Modern Women's History: Taylor Swift
By Nafisa Alam

Page 16 Review: Naruto Series
By Kailyn Hernandez

Pages 17: The Interview with Mystery Guest: Ms. Rodriguez!
By Katerin Rodas

Page 18-19: ROBLOX PIGGY: A How To Play
By Ashley Abundis Cruz

Page 20: Caution! When Stepping Out During Times Of Covid
By Mouctar Bah

Page 21: Lunar New Year
By Brian Lin

Page 22: Featured Artist: Ernest Bylander
By Caton Arts Team

Pages 23-26: Meet the Student Editors
By The P.S.249 Newspaper Editors

Page 27: Classifieds

"Blossoming" Mural
P.S. 249 partnered with Thrive Collective to create this vibrant and uplifting outdoor mural. Fourth and Fifth grade artists worked for several weeks in the Winter and Spring of 2020 on sketches that displayed their heritage, hobbies, dreams, and other elements of personal and cultural identity. With guidance from of our Thrive partner, Peach Tao, these sketches were converted into large-scale drawings and brought to life in our mural entitled "Blossoming." The mural integrates these drawings as well as the national flowers from the many countries our school represents. "Blossoming" is a vivid expression of the constantly growing, blooming, beautifully diverse lives within our culturally rich school community. A highlight of 2020!

Sponsored by NYC Council Member Matthieu Eugene, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Cultural Immigrants Fund and Connect Life Church

Blossoming

in Brooklyn

"It makes people in this pandemic feel better" - Henry, Grade 5

"It's very colorful and pretty. Looking at it makes me very happy. I really appreciate it. It's beautiful." - Christopher, Grade 3

"The colors brighten my day and make me excited to learn." - Peyton, Grade 2

Debate It!

Should kids come back to in person school at P.S.249 this year?

By: Johann Abundis
Grade 4

In the world that a pandemic is happening, we have classes in school and on Zoom, but I think kids should go to in-person school because parents are worried for us kids. I think kids should go to in-person school because you can't snooze. You should go to school in person because it’s fun!

Kids should go to in-person school because it will help you have less distractions. My mom says “sometimes kids don't pay attention at home, but in class, if you don't pay attention the teacher will wake you up or call your name.” This shows your kid they can't snooze when they are in school. To add on to this point, my mom says ''when you stay home, sometimes kids are distracted by something else like their siblings." This is important because when you come to school you are not around your brothers and sisters and this will make you less distracted.

Have Fun!

Be Focused!

Get Your Work Done!

Responsible adults should take their kids to school because it is fun! You can go outside and enjoy the weather, sometimes, and get up from your chair and move around. This shows you won't be glued to a chair the whole time like when you are at home! When you come to school it gets you out of the house. Some might say that being at home is more fun, but I think it is not because it is boring to see the same thing over and over again.

Most importantly, kids should come to school because it helps them keep up with their work. For example, there was one time I was working from home and I didn’t know where an assignment was, but when I came to school my teacher helped me to find the assignment and gave me time to complete it. I felt relieved because I could stop worrying about the assignment and I could get it turned in.

Overall, this is your and your parents' choice, but it's my opinion that you should go to school because you won't be distracted and its fun! Most importantly, it helps you stay focused on your work!

HOW TO MAKE...

Click the picture to watch a how to make it video!

By: Jhon Correa Marrero
Grade 4

YOU WILL NEED:
- 3 plates
- A 3 small bags or 1/2 a large bag of Hot Cheetos
- Mozzarella cheese cut into 5 sticks or 5 String Cheeses
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 cup of white flour
- Oil & pan to fry with

Do you know how to make hot or regular Cheetos mozzarella sticks? Well this is how to make Mozzarella Hot Cheetos Sticks!

Step 1: First step to this is get your Hot Cheetos and crush them up in a blender so it looks like flour.

Step 2: You put the white flour in one plate and you put the eggs on another plate, and the crushed Cheetos on the 3rd plate. Mix the eggs up like when you're making scrambled eggs.

Step 3: Then, you dip the mozzarella pieces in the eggs and then in the flour two times. After this, you roll the mozzarella egg flour into the hot Cheetos

Step 4: Lastly, put the sticks in the fridge for 20 minutes (so the cheese doesn't leak out) and then take your Hot Cheeto Mozzarella Sticks and put it in hot oil to fry* for 3-4 mins! There you have it! Hot Cheeto Mozzarella Sticks.

In conclusion, that's how you make Hot Cheeto Mozzarella Sticks. I hope you enjoyed my recipe and don't forget it!

*MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AN ADULT HELP YOU WITH THE FRYING!!!

News You Can Use

Hmm... I wonder if I should take a Covid Vaccine?

Covid-19 Vaccinations
By Fatoumata Bah, Grade 5

There are three Covid-19 vaccines approved and used in the United States of America: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. Pfizer-BioNTech was the first vaccine to be approved in December, 2020. The Pfizer vaccine is used for people ages sixteen and older, and it requires two shots. The Pfizer vaccine efficacy rate is 95% at preventing symptomatic Covid-19 infections after two doses. After taking the Pfizer vaccine, one may experience side effects in the arm and body. The side effects in your arm may be pain, redness, and swelling. The side effects in your body may be tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea.

Moderna was the second vaccine to be approved in January, 2021. The Moderna vaccine is used for people age eighteen and older. The Moderna vaccine is 94.1% effective at preventing symptomatic Covid-19 after the second dose. The side effects of taking the Moderna vaccine may be tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, and joint pain.

Johnson & Johnson was the third vaccine to be approved in January, 2021. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was created in a similar way to Pfizer and Moderna, but with slightly different technology. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is effective after one dose, while Moderna and Pfizer require two doses.The side of effects of taking the Johnson & Johnson vaccine may be headaches, fatigue, muscle pain, nausea, and fever.

Is it worth it to get the vaccine? Most doctors believe it is, even though there are some side effects. Right now, only adults can get it, but hopefully they will have ones for kids soon!

Charles Butler McVay III (August 31, 1898 – November 6, 1968) was an American naval officer and the commanding officer of the cruiser USS Indianapolis when she was lost in action in 1945, resulting in a significant loss of life. Of all captains in the history of the United States Navy, he is the only one to have been given a court-martial and prison time for losing a ship sunk by an act of war

We can learn that not all things are how they seem...

USS Indianapolis Cruiser

This Day in History
By: Sahil Mohammed and Jason Grijalva
Grade 4

July 30th, 1945, because of that day on the USS Indianapolis, Captain Charles McVay was put on trial because he was moving the ship. He was found guilty and spent 30 years in prison. Nearly 60 years later, a boy Hunter was researching this topic and interviewed a survivor. The man told him that in 1945, at the end of World War II, only the Japanese were left and the Nazis had surrendered and Hitler died. Things were looking bright. The Indianapolis was a warship at this time hundreds of miles away from shore. Captain Charles McVay was leading them to victory. But then they heard a weird sound underwater. These were the Japanese submarines. Bombs were being shot from the submarines and they hit the ship. Eventually the USS Indianapolis soldiers needed to swim. Two hundred people died on the ship. Hunter learned that Captain McVay was actually helping by using a tactic to make the submarines destroy each other. To this day, the USS Indianapolis is missing and is now a lost ship. Hunter was inspired to join the military and is now a Marine.