Mount Vernon Central School District, N. Y.

Angela Addesso, Sylvia Allen, Andrene Bonner, Jeff Corsello, Colleen Seivright-Crawford, Desiree Grand, Ted Jenkins,

Jason Pritchett, Robin Prywes, Editor

Knightly NewsCommunications & Media Arts CommitteeMVTV + Knightly News + MVNet

Issue #2- April 2010

The Knightly News will be published monthly. Please submit articles, artwork, poems, newsworthy information, recipes, reviews, stories…..anything that you would like us all to read. We will include it in our next issue. rprywes@mtvernoncsd.org or PRYWES-mailbox

After the Fall of the Wall

Students were asked: How did you feel when you walked back into the building for the first time today?

What was your reaction when you heard about the wall collapsing?

I was really frightened because my brother was at school. I was about to take a nap, and the news slapped the sleep out of me! I started calling him. Luckily, no one got hurt. (Shamara Pusey)

I was in the building when the wall fell. All I smelled was gas. Then I heard a noise. I was told to leave. This is my last year, so I was scared of messing up my testing. (Ashley Ashe)

I felt scared at first, but then after the tour around the second floor where it had fallen, I felt safe. (Capriece Vanclief)

My thought was that we were not going to have school until this summer starts for summer school. (Stewart Osei-Mensah)

When I first heard the building was “collapsing,” I was kind of happy. Then I was mad because I need to get a lot of school work done because I am a senior. (Lawrence Hughes)

Mt. Vernon is a community that needs a lot of work to be done, but let’s just have hope. When I walked back into school on 4/20/10, I felt worried and really curious. Was the condition of the building good? (Kycib Stewart)

I missed the school, not the school so much, but my friends and teachers. The worst part was when Dr. Saw-yer said that we, the students, might get separated. (Kiana Matos)

I thought the school was going to be closed for the rest of the year and that I wasn’t able to take the Regents. (Anonymous) ~ Continued on next page ~

“Spring Awakenings” (continued from previous page)

Who scared me away.I cried inside, but no one heard me.I shivered; I needed my ball.

As time passed, I thought of ways to retrieve my ball.I knew it would be hard, but I had to do it.I slowly grew and became a Doberman.With my sharp teethI learned to fight and destroy; I learned to growl.And I got my soccer ball.I am proud of it, but I am a little sadBecause I lost my innocence.

A Ferocious Sheep BrazilBy Lidiane Mesquita

I am LidianeA sheep that turned into a bearI could hear the desperation of my heart pumpingBecause life made me change with force

Brazil was paradiseBut later on I saw myself in a desert.The day was dark and coldI could smell the big changeI could feel my heart freezeInside of me there was emptinessI had left everything that was part of me.

I was a faithful sheep walking straightBut wolves abused me andI could not be a sheep anymoreI was pushed to changeI had met some aggressive predatorsI suffered

But I was persistent.The desert slowly turned into a paradiseI learned how to love this placeAmerica! America!God has helped me in everythingNow I have the strength of a bear.

I couldn’t believe it! My friend called me saying “the school was collapsed..” Then he told me MVHS was on the news. Thank god no one got hurt. (Anonymous)

When I walked back into the building today, I felt like I just came back from my vacation. I missed being in school. (Nolan Henry)

I was on the baseball field when the school collapsed. I heard a big noise. It sounded like a bomb. Then I heard the bricks falling. We could really see it all. When the smoke came on the field the other team was batting and the “kid” hit the ball. It came towards me in the out-field but I was trying to figure out what the sound was. Because of that, two runs scored. (Terel Smith)

I felt very mad because I thought we would have to go to different schools. (Ivy Ashe)

When I heard about the building collapsing, I was so shocked, but I was so glad that no one got hurt. (Simone Stith)

I was a little afraid, but happy to be back in school be-cause I was very bored at home. (Anonymous)

When I heard the wall collapsed, my reaction was I couldn’t believe it. When I saw some pictures of it, I thought “Our poor school.” ( Dy’mond Harper)

I hoped no one was hurt and was glad that it happened after classes were let out. (Leonard Thomas)

I am happy that all is well.(Romario Benjamin)

I saw it on the news (and I was so happy) that we are coming back to school on Tuesday. We won’t have to go to different schools. (Monique Turner)

(Special thanks to Ms. Pellicci for help with this inter-active piece.) Editor

After the Fall of the Wall

(Continued from previous page)

“Spring Awakenings” courtesy of Mr. Ceballos class

The Origin of a Volcano - Antonio Calixto

Many, many years ago in a small town in Puebla, Mexico there was a couple who loved each other so much that they could not live apart. At that time, every man in the town had to become a warrior to defend the town. The man’s name was Popocatepel; he too had to become a warrior. His fiancé’s name was Iztalsigua. Popocatepel was sent to fight in the war. He was badly injured during the battle and when they sent the message to his loved one, they mistakenly told her that he was dead. She could not live without her love, so she killed herself in a big river on the mountains. Iztalsigua’s body was never found. The people of the town said that maybe her body was dragged by the river. When Popocatepel recovered, he went back to his town to marry his love. He soon found out that his lover was dead. He got furious and went to look for her body in the caves of the mountains and after he looked and looked he never found her. He became more furious and his blood started to boil, turning into lava and soon that mountain turned into a volcano known as Popocatepel.

People now say that every time the volcano erupts, it means that Popocatepel remembers his lover whom he never found.

The Tilcuate Snake - Jimmy Alonso

The Tilcuate snake is typical of Mexico. It is poisonous, but its strangest characteristic is that it whistles in the same way a man does when he flirts with a woman. Some people do not understand the behavior of the snake, but the fol-lowing story explains it.

Many years ago in a little small town called San Isidro in Puebla, Mexico, there was a man who was a rapist but one day the authorities caught him and he was sent to jail. The people gave him the death penalty and burned him alive and threw his ashes in the outskirts of the farms.

People say that the man was very evil, and that his spirit enters the body of a snake named Tilcuate. People say that his spirit comes back for revenge against those who burned him. Every time that he sees a girl and likes

her, he whistles at her and when the girl looks back, she doesn’t see anything. The snake keeps luring the girls until the snake kills them. People say that these snakes keep killing girls in farms. They are possessed by the evil spirit of the rapist.

“I Hope Satan Comes to Get You” - Marlen Blanco

In a little town in the Dominican Republic, named Los Alcarrizos there is an ancient story. Many people say that Satan exists. Satan is a big, horrible monster who always appears out of nowhere. He comes for the people who are disrespectful to their parents. He does that because the parents often say, “If you are bad, Satan will come and take you with him” and then he appears. It is said that in the village of Alcarrizos when parents say that, Satan indeed appears. A beautiful and young girl named Claudia was always disrespectful to her sick mother. One day she wanted to go out but her mother said “no” because she wasn’t feeling well, but her daughter started cursing at her. Her mother became so upset that out of anger she yelled, “I hope Satan comes to get you.” At midnight when Claudia was sleeping in her room, she heard a voice calling her name, when suddenly a shadow appeared out of nowhere; it was Satan who came for Claudia. She was so scared that she stated running and calling her mother, but it wasn’t enough; Satan carried her on his shoulders and, just when he was leaving with her underground, the mother appeared with a pair of scis-sors opened in the form of a cross. It is a special technique that is used against Satan. With this he lost power. With the screaming of the girl, her godparents came out and saw what was happening. They started praying to God saying “please God don’t let Satan take her with him.” With the mother holding the scissors and the godparents praying, Satan lost power. Then he left and never come back. After that Claudia went to church every day to pray and she became a Christian, never disrespecting her mother again. Some people say that Satan still appears in other towns, to take with him disrespectful children.

Day and night it still dreamsOf gladiolas,Of volcanoesOf Mexican streetsFilled with Mariachi songs…

In Search of the Stolen DreamBy Pardilien Estervil

I am Pardilien. I was a small puppyI kicked my first soccer ball

When I was three months old.

When I was five

I threw the ball in the air,And hit it with my headI kicked it with my pawsI pushed it with my tail.I liked playing with my ball.My life as a puppy began on a sunny day in Haiti.One day I kicked the ball north,So far away that I had to travel milesSearching for it.Upon reaching my destinationI saw the ball at a distanceBut I could not get it.Next to it were several gigantic dogs

I Used to Be a Butterfly MexicoBy Deanna Alonso

I used to be a butterflyThat could fly across the skyAcross gardens from flower to flowerOf many colors.

I used to fly across the fieldsAnd narrow streetsListening to songs of fresh airListening to Mariachi songsI used to fly from gladiola to gladiolaAnd smell the powerful scentOf the flames of the volcanoes.

One day I smelled something newAnd curiousI followed itAnd it brought me to a new kind of flowers.These new flowers smelled of foreign coldness.And were dark like starless nights.In such unfamiliarityI was wrapped in a cocoon.

A new caterpillar, not a butterfly,Emerged from the new cocoon.Climbing freely along new leavesBut trapped without its wings.

“Spring Awakenings” (continued)

I couldn’t believe it! My friend called me saying “the school was collapsed..” Then he told me MVHS was on the news. Thank god no one got hurt. (Anonymous)

When I walked back into the building today, I felt like I just came back from my vacation. I missed being in school. (Nolan Henry)

I was on the baseball field when the school collapsed. I heard a big noise. It sounded like a bomb. Then I heard the bricks falling. We could really see it all. When the smoke came on the field the other team was batting and the “kid” hit the ball. It came towards me in the out-field but I was trying to figure out what the sound was. Because of that, two runs scored. (Terel Smith)

I felt very mad because I thought we would have to go to different schools. (Ivy Ashe)

When I heard about the building collapsing, I was so shocked, but I was so glad that no one got hurt. (Simone Stith)

I was a little afraid, but happy to be back in school be-cause I was very bored at home. (Anonymous)

When I heard the wall collapsed, my reaction was I couldn’t believe it. When I saw some pictures of it, I thought “Our poor school.” ( Dy’mond Harper)

I hoped no one was hurt and was glad that it happened after classes were let out. (Leonard Thomas)

I am happy that all is well.(Romario Benjamin)

I saw it on the news (and I was so happy) that we are coming back to school on Tuesday. We won’t have to go to different schools. (Monique Turner)

(Special thanks to Ms. Pellicci for help with this inter-active piece.) Editor

After the Fall of the Wall

(Continued from previous page)

“Spring Awakenings” courtesy of Mr. Ceballos class

The Origin of a Volcano - Antonio Calixto

Many, many years ago in a small town in Puebla, Mexico there was a couple who loved each other so much that they could not live apart. At that time, every man in the town had to become a warrior to defend the town. The man’s name was Popocatepel; he too had to become a warrior. His fiancé’s name was Iztalsigua. Popocatepel was sent to fight in the war. He was badly injured during the battle and when they sent the message to his loved one, they mistakenly told her that he was dead. She could not live without her love, so she killed herself in a big river on the mountains. Iztalsigua’s body was never found. The people of the town said that maybe her body was dragged by the river. When Popocatepel recovered, he went back to his town to marry his love. He soon found out that his lover was dead. He got furious and went to look for her body in the caves of the mountains and after he looked and looked he never found her. He became more furious and his blood started to boil, turning into lava and soon that mountain turned into a volcano known as Popocatepel.

People now say that every time the volcano erupts, it means that Popocatepel remembers his lover whom he never found.

The Tilcuate Snake - Jimmy Alonso

The Tilcuate snake is typical of Mexico. It is poisonous, but its strangest characteristic is that it whistles in the same way a man does when he flirts with a woman. Some people do not understand the behavior of the snake, but the fol-lowing story explains it.

Many years ago in a little small town called San Isidro in Puebla, Mexico, there was a man who was a rapist but one day the authorities caught him and he was sent to jail. The people gave him the death penalty and burned him alive and threw his ashes in the outskirts of the farms.

People say that the man was very evil, and that his spirit enters the body of a snake named Tilcuate. People say that his spirit comes back for revenge against those who burned him. Every time that he sees a girl and likes

her, he whistles at her and when the girl looks back, she doesn’t see anything. The snake keeps luring the girls until the snake kills them. People say that these snakes keep killing girls in farms. They are possessed by the evil spirit of the rapist.

“I Hope Satan Comes to Get You” - Marlen Blanco

In a little town in the Dominican Republic, named Los Alcarrizos there is an ancient story. Many people say that Satan exists. Satan is a big, horrible monster who always appears out of nowhere. He comes for the people who are disrespectful to their parents. He does that because the parents often say, “If you are bad, Satan will come and take you with him” and then he appears. It is said that in the village of Alcarrizos when parents say that, Satan indeed appears. A beautiful and young girl named Claudia was always disrespectful to her sick mother. One day she wanted to go out but her mother said “no” because she wasn’t feeling well, but her daughter started cursing at her. Her mother became so upset that out of anger she yelled, “I hope Satan comes to get you.” At midnight when Claudia was sleeping in her room, she heard a voice calling her name, when suddenly a shadow appeared out of nowhere; it was Satan who came for Claudia. She was so scared that she stated running and calling her mother, but it wasn’t enough; Satan carried her on his shoulders and, just when he was leaving with her underground, the mother appeared with a pair of scis-sors opened in the form of a cross. It is a special technique that is used against Satan. With this he lost power. With the screaming of the girl, her godparents came out and saw what was happening. They started praying to God saying “please God don’t let Satan take her with him.” With the mother holding the scissors and the godparents praying, Satan lost power. Then he left and never come back. After that Claudia went to church every day to pray and she became a Christian, never disrespecting her mother again. Some people say that Satan still appears in other towns, to take with him disrespectful children.

Day and night it still dreamsOf gladiolas,Of volcanoesOf Mexican streetsFilled with Mariachi songs…

In Search of the Stolen DreamBy Pardilien Estervil

I am Pardilien. I was a small puppyI kicked my first soccer ball

When I was three months old.

When I was five

I threw the ball in the air,And hit it with my headI kicked it with my pawsI pushed it with my tail.I liked playing with my ball.My life as a puppy began on a sunny day in Haiti.One day I kicked the ball north,So far away that I had to travel milesSearching for it.Upon reaching my destinationI saw the ball at a distanceBut I could not get it.Next to it were several gigantic dogs

I Used to Be a Butterfly MexicoBy Deanna Alonso

I used to be a butterflyThat could fly across the skyAcross gardens from flower to flowerOf many colors.

I used to fly across the fieldsAnd narrow streetsListening to songs of fresh airListening to Mariachi songsI used to fly from gladiola to gladiolaAnd smell the powerful scentOf the flames of the volcanoes.

One day I smelled something newAnd curiousI followed itAnd it brought me to a new kind of flowers.These new flowers smelled of foreign coldness.And were dark like starless nights.In such unfamiliarityI was wrapped in a cocoon.

A new caterpillar, not a butterfly,Emerged from the new cocoon.Climbing freely along new leavesBut trapped without its wings.

“Spring Awakenings” (continued)

Mount Vernon Central School District, N. Y.

Angela Addesso, Sylvia Allen, Andrene Bonner, Jeff Corsello, Colleen Seivright-Crawford, Desiree Grand, Ted Jenkins,

Jason Pritchett, Robin Prywes, Editor

Knightly NewsCommunications & Media Arts CommitteeMVTV + Knightly News + MVNet

Issue #2- April 2010

The Knightly News will be published monthly. Please submit articles, artwork, poems, newsworthy information, recipes, reviews, stories…..anything that you would like us all to read. We will include it in our next issue. rprywes@mtvernoncsd.org or PRYWES-mailbox

After the Fall of the Wall

Students were asked: How did you feel when you walked back into the building for the first time today?

What was your reaction when you heard about the wall collapsing?

I was really frightened because my brother was at school. I was about to take a nap, and the news slapped the sleep out of me! I started calling him. Luckily, no one got hurt. (Shamara Pusey)

I was in the building when the wall fell. All I smelled was gas. Then I heard a noise. I was told to leave. This is my last year, so I was scared of messing up my testing. (Ashley Ashe)

I felt scared at first, but then after the tour around the second floor where it had fallen, I felt safe. (Capriece Vanclief)

My thought was that we were not going to have school until this summer starts for summer school. (Stewart Osei-Mensah)

When I first heard the building was “collapsing,” I was kind of happy. Then I was mad because I need to get a lot of school work done because I am a senior. (Lawrence Hughes)

Mt. Vernon is a community that needs a lot of work to be done, but let’s just have hope. When I walked back into school on 4/20/10, I felt worried and really curious. Was the condition of the building good? (Kycib Stewart)

I missed the school, not the school so much, but my friends and teachers. The worst part was when Dr. Saw-yer said that we, the students, might get separated. (Kiana Matos)

I thought the school was going to be closed for the rest of the year and that I wasn’t able to take the Regents. (Anonymous) ~ Continued on next page ~

“Spring Awakenings” (continued from previous page)

Who scared me away.I cried inside, but no one heard me.I shivered; I needed my ball.

As time passed, I thought of ways to retrieve my ball.I knew it would be hard, but I had to do it.I slowly grew and became a Doberman.With my sharp teethI learned to fight and destroy; I learned to growl.And I got my soccer ball.I am proud of it, but I am a little sadBecause I lost my innocence.

A Ferocious Sheep BrazilBy Lidiane Mesquita

I am LidianeA sheep that turned into a bearI could hear the desperation of my heart pumpingBecause life made me change with force

Brazil was paradiseBut later on I saw myself in a desert.The day was dark and coldI could smell the big changeI could feel my heart freezeInside of me there was emptinessI had left everything that was part of me.

I was a faithful sheep walking straightBut wolves abused me andI could not be a sheep anymoreI was pushed to changeI had met some aggressive predatorsI suffered

But I was persistent.The desert slowly turned into a paradiseI learned how to love this placeAmerica! America!God has helped me in everythingNow I have the strength of a bear.