1

SALK VACCINE WINTER 2018 T h e O f f i c i a l N e w s p a p e r o f J o n a s S a l k M i d d l e S c h o o l

In this issue: National Junior Honor Society – Page 1

JSMS Chorus – Page 2 French Honor Society – Page 3

Spirit Week – Page 3 JSMS Chess Club – Page 4

Jonas Salk Boys’/Girls’ Basketball Teams – Page 5 Net Neutrality – Page 6

Salk Trivia – Page 6 Types of Students at Salk– Page 7

Sound Off/Salk HQ – Page 8 Celebrities Who Give Back – Page 9 What Is Peer All About – Pages 9-10 JSMS Wins Turkey Bowl – Page 10

Student Art Work – Pages 11-12

National Junior Honor Society By Amy Chan and Alexandra Mironescu

Do you have excellent grades? Do you want to be part of an elite national program? This year was the

first year the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) was offered to students at Jonas Salk Middle School,

made possible by the main advisors Mrs. Lynch and Mr. Sullivan. Membership is

open to seventh grade students for the following year in eighth grade. These students

must meet the academic standards as well as requirements for Citizenship, Character,

and Service. You have to be academically eligible for membership in the NJHS based

on your High Honor Roll status for the past four marking periods including sixth

grade. High Honor Roll, as deemed by the Jonas Salk Middle School, is obtained by

achieving 90% in each academic area. Letters will be sent to all qualified students near

the end of seventh grade notifying you of your achievement.

Besides being eligible for NJHS and it being a major accomplishment, this program stresses the

importance of helping around your community. Alexandra Mironescu, the President of NJHS, says, "I am

proud to be a part of such an exceptional program that expresses its considerable efforts in which they

educate students about the importance of being an active participant in your school. It is overall an excellent

program to be part of where you can have fun, make new friends, and support a myriad of causes." By

joining, you will take part in many different service projects such as fundraising, charity drives, and

2

(NJHS continued from Page 1) volunteering. So far this year, NJHS has held a bake sale and a charity drive

for the pets at the Old Bridge Animal Shelter. This is only one of the many beneficial service projects to

come. If you are interested in what this program has to offer, this is definitely something you should look

forward to joining in the future.

JSMS Chorus By Adriana Ayvaz

Chorus. It’s the beautiful combination of voices throughout a medley. With vocal ranges from low to high, a chorus has the ability to create beautiful music with the people involved. The Jonas Salk Middle School chorus is a perfect example of this. Our school chorus always puts on a great show thanks to the conductor and teacher, Ms. Bono. The chorus program provides students of all vocal ranges with an amazing opportunity for students of all vocal ranges to

express themselves through lyric. Ms. Bono allows them to put on great shows as well as allowing them to sing within their vocal ranges. Altos, Baritones, and Sopranos can always come together to make beautiful melodies.

To begin, students join chorus with ease. The beginning of the year comes with practices and hard work to make the annual winter chorus concert a success. Before this, however, students are able to audition for the honors chorus program, which is also run by Ms. Bono. Honors chorus members are vocally advanced. Students who are chosen for this program put on the beloved Veterans' Day concert along with our school band. As it was Mr. Batsch’s final Veterans' Day performance at Salk, both the chorus and band brought their best efforts. Honors chorus sang two beautiful songs entitled “God Bless the USA” and “America the Beautiful.” Honors chorus can always be relied on to put on a beautiful show. To expand, chorus worked very hard throughout the beginning of the year to put on the winter chorus concert. Students had to learn, and remember between 10-13 songs for the show. This year, chorus sang songs such as “Let It Snow,” “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” and “Feliz Navidad.” Because it was the eight graders last holiday show at Salk, Ms. Bono presented a heart-warming speech talking about how she watched the eight graders grow up. Congratulations to our chorus for putting on an amazing production and good luck to Ms. Bono in shows to come. The honors chorus and regular chorus will always be a way to make you smile.

Ms. Bono also runs the school play each year. This year, she has chosen to put on a fan favorite called Annie. We look forward to watching this play starring Emily Stein as Annie, Mackenna Heslin as Miss Hannigan, Christopher Palmiero as Oliver Warbucks, and Ilana Pazzani as Grace Farrell. The entire cast and crew is working hard to make this year’s spring musical the best ever! Make sure to get your tickets because it’s sure to sell out!

3

French Honor Society By Adam Belkacemi and Erin Hellhake

On January 12, 2018, the 8th grade French Honor Society

students took part in the induction ceremony at Carl Sandburg Middle School. The event represents a great juncture for 8th graders studying the French language and culture. Over 45 students from Jonas Salk Middle School and Carl Sandburg Middle School were bestowed certificates of overall accomplishment. They were greeted by the French teachers from OBHS, who they will have as teachers once they enter the high school.

The achievement was celebrated with recognition and authentic cultural food was served as refreshments. It was truly an amazing experience for the students who attended and everyone agreed it was a very enjoyable time. The following students represent the Jonas Salk Middle School French Honor Society: Daiy Abdalla Assem Abdouelkhir Daria Akselrod Adam Belkacemi Oumama Bouzione Emma Cecko Amy Chan Athena Cheng Blessing Dike Jenna Haines Erin Hellhake Arman Khadem Jessie Kim Emily Liranian Lilian Luc Angelina Malinosky Kristina McAnally Emily Medina-Ocampo Kareem Meniam Tej Mistry Sriya Outharkar Diya Patel Valerie Perez-Ramirez Lauren Rosenburg Kali Simatos Ashley-Marie Tecarro Jonathan Tomaro Alisha Wasim

Salk Vaccine Staff Mrs. Flynn - Editor in Chief

Hisham Aboelnour Daria Akselrod Adriana Ayvaz

Samantha Balaban Adam Belkacemi

Amy Chan Reagan Dunn Erin Hellhake Sierra Larson

Alexandra Mironescu Ilana Pazzani

Suhas Ponnala Benjamin Streu Alisha Wasim

Jonas Salk Spirit Week By Adam Belkacemi

Spirit Week was a week filled with unique themes on different days to celebrate school spirit. The themes were selected by the student council to represent a variety of interests students share. It was definitely an interesting week thanks to all the enthusiastic people who participated including both students and faculty. It kicked off on Monday, December 18 with Pajama Day. Tuesday was Dress Your Best Day. Wednesday was Neon Day, followed by Thursday’s Decade Day. This was a challenging day because many students weren’t sure what decade to choose. Last, but not least, Friday was Ugly/Holiday Sweater Day. Certainly the easiest day to participate in was Pajama Day, as students loved the opportunity to get right out of bed and head to school! Mrs. Swider’s 6th grade homeroom was the winner of spirit week tallying the most homeroom participation and received a pizza party from the student council. Listen for the next spirit week coming up in the spring.

4

Jonas Salk Students of the Month

December – Joelle Jonas 8-3-A

January – Alisha Wasim 8-1-B

February – Sriya Uttharkar 8-3-D

Chess Club Tournament By: Suhas Ponnala

Has there ever been a chess tournament in the history of Jonas Salk? Jonas Salk has been a middle

school for decades since the early 1970s. There have been many clubs and events throughout the years and there may even have been a chess tournament back in the 70s because it's such a famous game! Even so, the past is the unchangeable, and we should move into modern day where our very own chess club held a tournament for all ages and ranks to stir up some excitement. This exciting tournament was held on January 2, 2018 and continued on January 9, 2018. Now it’s time to answer some of your questions about this tournament.

To begin, I have to tell you as a participant in the tournament, it's been quite a while since chess club had a tournament. This one was basically a trial run for more in the future. There were seven students, all very remarkable players of the chess club, who attended that day. We faced off in old fashioned, pick from the hat style match-ups by Mrs. Estrada, the supervisor of the club. We had an odd number of players, so our highest-ranked, Jash Prajapati, received a pass to automatically move on to the next round. All our participants played hard, as our prize was 5 stickers on our ranking chart for the winner. The chart shows how many wins we have had so far.

Before we knew it, our tournament was off and running. After a while the air was filled with intensity and silence, and the only words you could hear were "Check" and "Checkmate." If you observed any of these matches, you would see the amazing strategies in play and how every single move counted in the outcome of the game. Soon the preliminary round was over, and even though half of the contestants were eliminated, everyone displayed very good sportsmanship with their opponents. Many thrilling games took place during these two days, but it finally came down to only two participants. One was Jash, our highest-ranked player, against Sebastian Ayhar, who happily made it this far. Even though the game was short, it was well played, and Jash won bringing the tournament to a close. To conclude, this tournament was a success, and even if you missed it, all are welcome to join the chess club, as well participate in our upcoming tournaments.

Kudos Corner

Owen Haughney and Tyler Sagi made it to the Tri-County Championship. Haughney

grappled a hard fought match and lost 1-0. Sagi went on to win 6-2 becoming the 110 lb.

champion of Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean Counties.

5

Jonas Salk Boys Basketball Team

By Samantha Balaban

Basketball, created in 1891, is one of the most

popular sports in America. The 2017-2018 Jonas Salk

Boys Basketball Team is a very energetic and spirited group. They trained

hard every day after school running, shooting lay-ups and foul shots, and

working to improve their plays. This group of boys has a love for competing

and the sport of basketball. Teamwork and cooperation are a necessity in this sport, and they seem to really

be friends, in addition to being teammates.

The team consists of 15 boys. They are: Maurice Hernandes, Jake McAleavey, Jabez Pagulayan,

Nick Magalaski, Evan Sobieski, Males Miladinov, Garret Hsiung, Justin Cantone, Jason Norero, Mike

Villani, Anthony Rahner, Milanko Milandinov, Ryan Ingrassia, Adam Sciré, and Brandon Nerero.

And of course, Mr. James is the coach! Along with great players, the team has great managers in Nikki and

Stephanie Kotropoulos, Heather Bianchino, and Samantha Balaban.

These boys kept their cool under pressure and always find joy in the sport. Although they finished

the season with a game record of 2-10, this does not properly represent how hard they worked as a team.

They worked hard throughout the season and never gave up. This heart and determination makes them a

winning squad and one we should all be proud to call our own.

Jonas Salk Girls Basketball Team

By Serena John

Jonas Salk Middle School's 2017-2018 Girls' Basketball Team had a

remarkable season this year. Captains of the team were #10 Peyton Alcorn who

played shooting guard and #14 Leyla Castro who played point guard. Their

winning record for the season was 10 wins and 2 losses. This season, the players

displayed spectacular performances. Teamwork was evident in every game. The

girls practiced almost every day sharpening their skills and learning new plays. I

had the advantage of witnessing the girls in action as their team manager. One of

the games worth mentioning was the game against Salk's biggest rival, Carl Sandburg Cougars. Throughout

the game, the girls were constantly running back and forth on the court and playing outstanding defense.

They beat them in nail-biting ending with a score of 51-49. The girls work very hard, yet they still managed

to have fun. In conclusion, the girls are each other's family and play basketball very passionately.

6

Jonas Salk Trivia by Suhas Ponnala

1. WhattypeofscientistswasJonasSalk?

a. paleontologistb.chemistc.virologistd.archaeologist2. WhenwasJonasSalkborn?

a.June15,1916b.October28,1914c.November1,2000d.October9,1913

3.WhatyeardidJSMSbecomeaNewJerseyschoolofcharacter?a.2018b.2017c.1999 d.20154.WhatwasthefirstschoolyearofJSMS?a.1960b.1984c.2002 d.1971(Answers on page 8)

Calling All Writers:

Do you like to write? Do you like to draw?

Are you creative?

Join us at our next meeting of the Salk Vaccine. We would love to welcome new

members!!

The Battle for the Internet By Benjamin Streu

NET NEUTRALITY: "the idea, principle, or requirement that Internet service providers should or

must treat all Internet data as the same regardless of its kind, source, or destination.

You may be asking, "Ben! I don't know what this jibber jabber means, nor do I care!” Well I'll tell you, you should care! You hear about all of these monstrous disasters, but let me ask you a question: Do these events affect you personally? A few of you will say yes (family members and such), but most of you will say no. Net Neutrality affects you on a daily basis in a positive way, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) wants to take Net Neutrality away from the public.

Now, what is Net Neutrality? You see Net Neutrality is the principle that no matter the website, an Internet service provider (ISP,

like Verizon or Comcast) can't restrict access to it or slow the website down. Once you buy Internet and select a certain bandwidth, that’s what you get on every website. Now, ISPs hate this and they've been desperately trying to get rid of Net Neutrality, so they can charge people extra for what they already have.

In Mark Fischbach's video “We Need to STOP This" he states, "Now imagine... if these things were to come to pass, you go to YouTube one day, and you find, instead of your videos: this page that says, 'We're sorry, you haven't paid for the Entertainment package of your Internet plan. Please pay

five more dollars.” Are you scared yet? Browsing on the Internet would be forever different, and this isn't hurting just you. This is also an attack against Microsoft, Netflix, Hulu, CrunchyRoll, Apple, Google, and any other big corporation that makes money from people visiting their websites or buying their products that require Internet use. Many who use the Internet will be hit with disappointment.

Currently, the FCC voted 3:2 to take away Net Neutrality. That means it only has to get through one more place until this act takes full effect, Congress, our saving grace. What YOU can do is go to www.battleforthenet.com and contact your local Congressmen and tell them to keep Net Neutrality as is. There are two Congressmen in New Jersey who strictly oppose Net Neutrality, so with a parent's permission Tweet, email, or actually call them. They are our two main targets. Let us scream our battle cries and fight in The Battle for the Internet! First Known Use of NET NEUTRALITY: 2003 - “Net Neutrality.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/net%20neutrality. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHyMORrsaYk.

Types of Students in JSMS By Ilana Pazzani

· The super smart students- These students get high honor roll every marking period and are in all honors

classes. These students are always trying to achieve more.

· The band geeks- These students are child prodigies and are always practicing and learning new songs and

new instruments.

· The theatre kids- These kids are the most outgoing kids that anyone will ever meet. All of them are different

in their own way and they never stop singing and performing.

· The class clowns- These students are always making everybody laugh and are rarely ever serious. They will

always brighten your day.

· The jocks- These students are the most athletic in the school and are very serious about sports.

· The popular students- These students are always looked up to by their peers and are usually the talk of the

school.

· The multi-taskers - These students are involved in everything. They are involved in all of the clubs in the

school and love to try new things.

The Variety Show By Hisham Aboelnour

The Variety Show is an amazing event that brings a great deal of JSMS's talent onto one stage to be

enjoyed. On January 30th, the show's auditions took place. There were numerous talented singers, dancers,

and musicians performing, in addition to more unusual acts such as a magic routine, a few comedy skits, and

an animation presentation. Watching the auditions was exciting as one act after another displayed their

abilities. The auditions started out with a group of three who sang a medley of songs while playing along on

a ukulele. This was followed by students performing many popular songs of the day, dancing to

contemporary music, and sharing their musical genius on piano, saxophone, guitar, and drums. In all, there

are 29 performance acts representing JSMS. Everyone did an exceptional job and they are looking forward to

a great show.

The actual show will be held on Thursday, March 8th. The show starts at six o'clock and ends at nine,

so don't be late. The ticket prices for the show are $2 for students and $4 for adults. This year's show is going

to be one of a kind and I am sure the performers will do a great job presenting this great event. Refreshments

will be served before the show and during intermission. The Builders Club is sponsoring the event and

hopes the annual event will bring out many new faces.

8

What do you like

to do on a snow day?

"Read, binge watch TV." -

Mrs. Mattina

"Play in the snow." - Angelina Daza

"Play video games." - Donald Hellhake

"I like to build a snowman and stay inside drinking hot

cocoa."

-Willow Wilson

With Sierra Larson Answers to JSMS Trivia on p.6

1. C – Virologist 2. B – Oct. 28, 1914 3. B – 2017 4. D - 1971

Salk’s HQ

Have you heard of HQ Trivia? It’s a free app that is sweeping the country. Once you download the application onto your phone you can compete in daily trivia contests for real cash prizes. The craze started in August and as of print time, some 1.9 million people have logged in at 3:00 PM and 9:00 PM daily for prizes up to $25,000. The host asks a series of 12 questions that increase in difficulty as contestants are narrowed down. You have 10 seconds to respond correctly or you are eliminated. It’s not as simple as it sounds because the questions get pretty tough, but it is a lot of fun to play especially with a group.

We thought we’d offer a mini-version for Salk Qties (as opposed to HQties!). You could win a $25 Amazon gift card by getting all the questions correct. Submit your entry (found on last page) by Wednesday, 2/28, in the box in the main office. We will select one winner from all correct entries. Good luck!

1. What is the name of the new band teacher? 2. Who was the first principal at JSMS? 3. What is the official date Salk first opened its doors to students? (complete date) 4. Which spirit day had the most participation? 5. Who won the 7th grade Battle of the Classes? 6. Who is playing the lead role of Annie in the spring musical? 7. Who runs the G.L.O.B.E. club? 8. Who won this year’s Geography Bee? 9. Which wrestler won this year’s Tri-County Championship? 10. When is this year’s Career Day being held? 11. How many acts are in this year’s Variety Show? 12. Name a current teacher who attended JSMS as a student.

9

.03

CelebritiesWhoGiveBackBy:ErinHellhake

Some celebrities can seem pretentious, as if there sole reason for entertaining is to create their platforms to make money. However, many others are driven to work for the good of humanity. I think many would agree that the best kind of famous people are the ones who give back to the world, and not just by going on tour and selling branded merchandise. Many celebrities happily use their money and fame to do good things. The following represents just a small portion of celebrities who are trying to make the world a better place.

A singer, a songwriter, a mom, an actress, the 5th most followed person on Instagram. What can’t Beyoncé do? Not only is she one of the most famous people in America, she also is a charitable figure. Beyoncé, the 36-year-old widely known public figure from Houston, Texas, has an online page titled BeyGood (https://www.beyonce.com/beygood/). On this website, you can find many charities or causes Beyoncé supports, learn about them, and even donate to. Some of these causes include Hurricane Harvey relief supports, The Shawn Carter Toy Giveaway, and Beyoncé’s BEYGOOD4BURUNDI cause, which helps women and children in the heart of Africa.

Jennifer Aniston, one of the stars from the hit television sitcom Friends, is one of the most well known actresses in the industry. She also does charity work with St. Jude’s Research Hospital. Since 2008, Aniston has been working on holiday campaigns with St. Jude to help spread awareness of childhood cancer. To help this cause, you can donate to St. Jude at www.shop.stjude.org.

Then there’s Tyler Oakley. When people hear his name, they either wonder who he is or comment, “Oh, that youtuber guy with colored hair?” However, Tyler Oakley, an author and youtuber from Michigan with over 7.8 million subscribers, has devoted much of his time and work to raise funds for the Trevor Project. It is an organization that helps and defends LGBT youth. For his birthday in 2013, he raised $29,000 for the cause, and then over $532,000 in 2015. He has co-hosted Trevor LIVE (the charity’s annual red carpet event) since 2011. You can help Tyler with his donations by visiting the organization’s page at www.thetrevorproject.org/donate.

It’s an amazing thing when people use their platforms or fan-base to make an effort to help people in need. I’d say that these people have done a great job of doing so.

What Is Peer All About? By Daria Akselrod and Alisha Wasim

Leadership: a quality that influences other people in a positive way. It is something that can only be obtained if you are truly determined to make a difference in your community. The question becomes how do you learn to be a leader? Well, Jonas Salk Middle School offers a program called Peer to Peer in which members enhance their abilities to guide themselves and others to make smart decisions. Led by 6th grade social studies teachers Mrs. Riley and Mrs. Whitman, Peer to Peer helps spread positive messages. As part of the program, the group hosted family night, conducted Peer Day, organized donations to the animal shelter (with the help of NJHS), and helped with the 6th grade orientation and open house. In Peer, they take initiative to make JSMS a better and healthier environment. Throughout the year, members attend many workshops to learn about leadership. In the fall, they took a trip to Geick Park where they bonded as one big Peer family and got to know each other more intimately. Additionally, they recently visited Old Bridge High School to discuss plans for Peer Day, which was successfully held on February 6, 11, and 12. They learned how to react to different situations. It was a great experience because members met and talked to the seniors and saw their perspectives on imperative issues currently facing students. You’ve heard about Peer Day right? (Especially 7th graders!) It is an emotional day in which students participate in activities that allow them to open up more. Eighth grade Peer leaders and seniors from the

10

(Peer continue from Page 9) high school collaborate to make this event worthwhile and memorable. It is a daylong event held in the gym and each 7th grade block has the opportunity to participate with their classmates and teachers. They share personal stories, answer difficult questions, dance, play games, laugh, cry, and hug a lot. One thing that emerges from the experience is how others share similar emotions and experiences and no one is alone. The majority of the 7th graders who participated appreciated the opportunity to get to know their teachers and peers on a deeper level and are looking forward to a follow-up event being planned in the spring.

To be an 8th grade Peer leader, 7th grade students are asked to fill out an application and answer questions at the end of 7th grade. This is followed by an interview with Mrs. Riley and Mrs. Whitman as they try to get a sense of who is right for the program. Teacher recommendations are also considered. In the end, they select the students they think will best represent Peer in the upcoming school year. If you are interested in applying, you should consider the following:

• You should be cooperative in groups. • You should be comfortable speaking to other students. • You must maintain a B- or higher average in all your classes in 7th and 8th grade. • You should be open to new encounters and know how to deal with challenges. • You must be responsible for any work missed and attendance at all Peer meetings. • You should be passionate and enthusiastic about helping others. • You should be accountable for your actions because as a Peer leader, younger students look up to

you.

Now you know the basic insights on being a member of Peer to Peer. Take advantage of this information to be future Peer leader. If you didn’t know, Old Bridge High School has a Peer club for 9th graders and Peer class for 12th graders, so the skills you learn throughout middle and high school will assist you in making crucial decisions that will heavily impact your life. It is an amazing experience and it will be worth the hard work if you get selected for Peer.

JSMS Wins the Turkey Bowl Congratulations to Jonas Salk Middle School for winning the First Annual Turkey Bowl Trophy,

along with Schirra Elementary School and the GNC Class of 2021. Thanks to our school’s caring and attentiveness, we collected 623 items, the most goods of any school in the Red Cross Club’s “Island Rescue” campaign for the people of Puerto Rico. There is no end to the kindness and generosity of our Salk family and the Old Bridge community!

11

Student Art Work

By Samantha Balaban

12

1

2

By Reagan Dunn

1. What has hands but cannot clap?

2. A house has 4 walls. All of these walls are facing south, and a bear is circling the house. What color is the bear?

3. What is at the end of a rainbow? 4. A boy is sitting in a house at

night that has no lights on at all. There is no lamp, no candle, nothing, yet he is reading. How?

5. You walk into a dark room with a match, a kerosene lamp, a candle, and a fireplace. Which do you light first?

6. Two mothers and two daughters went out to eat. Everyone ate one burger, yet only three burgers were eaten in all. How is this possible?

BRAINTEASERS Answers to BRAINTEASERS

1.A clock 2.The house is on the North Pole, so

the bear is white. 3.The letter w 4.The boy is blind and he is reading

Braille. 5.The match 6.They were a grandmother, mother,

and daughter.

13

Salk HQ Name ___________________________________ Homeroom ____________ Answers: 1.__________________________

2.__________________________

3.__________________________

4.__________________________

5.__________________________

6.__________________________

7.__________________________

8.__________________________

9.__________________________

10._________________________

11._________________________

12._________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Detach along dotted line and place completed entry in box in the main office by Wednesday, 2/28/18.