The Halloween that Almost Wasn't

By Surya Bromley

Every year, for around eighteen years, at Project Learn School (PLS) there are a bunch of Halloween festivities run by the Jr. High students on Halloween. This year Hurricane Sandy delayed the celebrations until the Friday after Halloween. Even though it was two days later, the kids still made sure it was as much fun as ever.
    The 6th and 7th graders do a carnival with games and prizes which Liz Ben-Yaacov, the Jr. High math and grammar teacher supervises.  At each booths they give out some kind of prize like pencils, candy, and snacks like pretzels and chips. This year there were about seven booths; some of them were: K and N Course of Terror... If You Dare, run by Nasya Howard and Kennedy Alstin-Lucky where you raced someone else in a series of obstacles---like running through tires and throwing a ball through  a hula-hoop. Barbies Beauty Boo-tique, run by Zoe Gold and Surya Bromley was a booth where you could get your face painted or get your hair colored with colored hairspray. Ball of Fire,  run by Jimmy Murphy and Jhakur Hall was a game where you threw a ball at stacked cups and tried to knock them down.
    The 8th grade at PLS is always in charge of making a haunted house for the rest of the school to go through with help from Liam Gallagher, it happens in one of the classrooms that the teachers generously let the eighth grade use for the week of the haunted house. This year the theme was a haunted circus.  Emma Dudnick, one of the students involved in the Haunted House said, “I enjoyed working on the Haunted House and coming up with the ideas. I think it turned out well and everyone liked it and everyone was scared.”  One of the challenges the 8th graders have each year is making the Haunted House experience scary enough for the older kids but not too scary for the younger kids. This year’s Haunted House was just right. Nasya howard a seventh grader at PLS said that “The haunted house was really scary this year. My favorite part was when Matthew Wilson, one of the eighth graders, dressed as a evil clown jumped out of a tunnel that they made from the back staircase and started screaming at us.” Another thing that is hard is to decide on a good idea for the Haunted House. “We all brainstormed ideas and some people wanted to be certain parts like the villain or the clown,” said Emma, “ a lot of it revolved around our idea for the tunnel.”   
    “The Halloween Festivities were fun. I liked the Haunted House and thought it was well done!” Zack Waxler, a seventh grader at PLS, said when asked how he thought the day went.

New Project Learn School Brochure is a Big Hit!

By: Elie Lubin

  Project Learn, has a beautiful, colorful, wonderful, brochure. The brochure was made, because it is an easy way for people to learn about the school without coming in. The brochure quotes what kids and grown-ups say about the school. It helps make publicity for the school. Sometimes people pick up the brochure at coffee shops, bookstores, and other kinds of shops. They read it, call Aisha Anderson-Oberman, the Admissions Director, and schedule a time to tour the school.
      The main headline of the brochure is “A Cooperative School Community” It tells about the different activities, classes, and other fun stuff that is happening at P.L. It tells: How we are cooperative school community, academics, facts about the school, and the mission statements. It also tells about why the parents and teachers think that the school is good. Here is a quote: “At Project Learn, the kids get to choose some of what they learn, and some of the activities that they get to do.”
     There is a committee that puts the brochure together, and they are called the Marketing Committee. The names of the people that are on the Marketing Committee: Donna Waxler, the chair, leader of the Committee, and, Janet Gala, Jordan Shapiro, Shawnee Brown, and Aisha Anderson-Oberman. They talk about what to put in the brochure, like the answers to the questions that people ask a lot. They also talk about other things that are happening, and worthwhile to hear about. The committee puts the brochure out in the different places you see them. After they are ready online, they print it, in color. When that’s done, the committee takes it to a professional printing company, and have it printed there.
      The brochure is a helpful thing used for many reasons. All of the reasons are important, so the brochure does a lot of good for the school. When the brochure is made for the year, people see it, and love it, and that is what the school tries to do, bring smiles to peoples faces, (And help them learn.) so we feel happy at the school, knowing we have done our job.

Project Learn Contributes Artwork to Kid’s Care

By Zoe Gold

Kids Care is a city wide art project started by MANA, an organization for kids and adults with HIV, and WXPN. Roberts Drake, the producer of Kid’s Corner on WXPN, came up with the original idea and he coordinated it with Woodmere Art Museum and MANA. For the first three years it was just those organizations that the kids made art for.  Around five years ago MANA didn’t have room for the gifts anymore, so the artwork has been going to the children at St. Christopher’s Hospital.   The artwork that the students make are based on a certain theme that Woodmere chooses.  

     Joan Fox, the Project Learn School (PLS) art and elective teacher, designs the artwork for the gifts. Joan said, “My favorite thing about Kids Care is  walking into the art Gallery and seeing the artwork hanging together.  It makes my heart sing!”  Joan said that she always goes to PLS artwork first, but she spends more time looking at other school’s artwork because she doesn’t know what it will look like.  She said, “I also love being at a school where the teachers will stop teaching things like Math, English, or Social Studies, and just make art!”

    Joan said her least favorite thing about Kid’s Care is the time pressure.  She also said that she is occasionally not inspired by the theme.  This year's theme was Fairytales, and Joan said she doesn’t like fairy tales in general.  She said that she does love the artwork that the kids came out with and that she misses doing it with a former PLS art teacher, Debby Pollak.

    Joan said that she got the idea to do Fairytales because PLS hadn’t used paint in a while for Kid’s Care, and it was fun to paint on the sheet of paper and then put it on a cube.  Also, Fairytales are usually around six scenes, so it’s easier to put them on a cube.

    Joan said that her favorite theme ever was Warmth, when PLS students made papier mache people and scarves.  She said that she loved that one and the first one that was ever done, the friendship plates.  “I also loved the boxes we made last year for Outer Space,” she said.  “My favorites are usually the ones where we build things.”

Zoe Basset, a Jr. High student, said, “I like Kid’s care because we get to do community projects, and I wish we did more of those.”

 Joan and the students have loved all of the artwork over the years,  and are looking forward to the next Kid’s Care. This year’s closing ceremonies at Woodmere Art Museum will be on December 15th from 2-4pm to honor the children and their artwork.

Science Meets Art

By Nasya Howard

Science and Art -- oh my!  Who would imagine these two subjects rolled into one? This year at Project Learn School (PLS) the Jr. High students are involved in a new class just like this one, each Monday, called Ecology.  This class is taught by the Art teacher, Joan Fox, and Science, English teacher, Liam Gallagher.  

     Liam and Joan got the idea of teaching this class because they found that Art and Science have lots of similarities and they love working together, “I think some of the most genuine learning is when you stop thinking about things as Art period and Science period and put them together, as in Ecology,” said Joan. The Ecology class takes place in Liam’s room on the third floor of PLS.The kids also sometimes go to Aubrey Arboretum  and the Wissahickon, to continue their Ecology studies.
    Some of the things  the Jr. High students have done in this class are nature mandalas, a hunt for human made things in a natural environment and a game about how wolves have evolved into dogs. A mandala is usually a circular or square pattern made using sand to form an amazing design. The Jr.High mandalas were made out of nature-found objects.  The wolf/dog game is a game to help the students learn how wolves adapted over time to their new environments.
    “I like Ecology and I think the project we’re working on now is really fun,” said Zoe Bassett, a Jr. High student. This new project is a creation of an imaginary animal from each student.  They have to write a description, create a sketch and a model about their animal explaining what it looks like and how it survives. Liam said, “Ecology is a great place for science and art to come together.” It seem like both the students and the teachers are enjoying this Ecology class and they each can’t wait for the following Monday each week.

I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have To Kill You: A Book Review

By Nasya Howard

‘I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have To Kill You’, is a book written  by Ally Carter.

This is the first in a series of five books. This book introduces you to the main character, Cameron Morgan who goes by Cammie. She attends the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. The Gallagher Academy is located in a small town, where everyone knows each other; which causes people, who do not go to the school, to think it’s a school only for rich spoiled brats. This is actually an all girls school that teaches their students how to become spies! Cammie is in the 10th grade along with her best friends, Rebecca Baxter and Elizabeth Stotten, who she met in the 7th grade. In this book being a spy has its ups and downs; like going on really fun trips for a covert operation class. The down side for Cammie is not telling anyone, who isn’t already a spy, the truth about her and her school.

    Cammie Morgan is the main character of the book and also the daughter of Rachel Morgan, one of the worlds best spies and also the headmistress of the Gallagher Academy. Being the daughter of the Headmistress, I would think Cammie would be one of the most popular girls or she would get everything she wants but, most people know her as the Chameleon. In this book while Cammie is trying to be the chameleon she is stopped by, a special guy.

     Rebecca Baxter, also known as Bex, is a spy also at Gallagher Academy. When not at school she lives with her parents, who are also spies, in England. In the book Bex is described as a girl who is always up for an adventure and always has a great time. For these reasons Bex is my favorite character in this book.

   Elizabeth Stotten, Liz for short, is one of the smartest students at the Gallagher Academy. She can crack any code, break into any account, she even made an edible tracking device.  Whenever Cammie and Bex go on some crazy mission she’s always the one who deals with the computers. Liz is described as a super skinny girl who has a country accent and is deeply afraid of spiders.

    This book was recommended to me by my cousin, and I would recommend it to preteen and teen girls. What I like about this book is how it is kind of a romance/action/comedy book. I really enjoyed reading this book and would give it a 5 star rating. I would recommend it to anyone who likes adventure, action books. I know you will enjoy it too.

Trolley Car Diner: A Restaurant Review

By Julian Whelan

Looking for a great, local place to eat? The Trolley Car Diner is the place to go!! It is located at 7619 Germantown Avenue, in the Mt Airy/Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia. The front of the diner looks like a trolley car and there is an ice cream parlor in an old trolley car sitting in the parking lot of the restaurant.  Their service is great, their servers are very friendly, plus they have great diner food.
    Diner food is a wide variety of foods, such as cheesesteaks and salads or milkshakes and burgers or a grilled cheese . On my visit to the restaurant, my companions and I loved the food. The youngest, Niko, had a short  stack of french toast and lemonade. Sergey had a kid’s macaroni and cheese and chocolate milk. The older members of our group, Jane and my dad, had an eggplant grinder, small salad, a portobello burger, black and white bean chili, water and coffee. I had chicken fingers and french fries with honey mustard and fruit punch. Everyone was pleased with their chooses. The cost of the meal was reasonable and the service was very good. The servers were very friendly and checked often to see if we were happy.
   Ken Weinstein is the owner of the dinner. He also owns the Trolley Car Cafe and the Trolley Car Table Tennis Club both in East Falls. There is a mural on the side of the diner and Ken is one of the people who is painted in that mural.I helped paint that mural.
   I recommend the Trolley Car Diner for anyone who is in the Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy area and anyone who likes diner food.

Liam Gallagher: How Well Do you Know Him?

By Surya Bromley

Do you know who is the science, literature, and homeroom teacher for the Jr. High at Project Learn School (PLS)?  Do you know who teaches the Forces in Motion and the 8th grade elective? He is a local who lives in Mt. Airy and plays the guitar for fun, too. It’s Liam Gallagher!
    Liam Gallagher was born on May 7, 1982 to Steve and Nancy Gallagher who live in Narberth, PA. His father, Steve, teaches leadership and marketing classes at St. Joesph’s University. His mother, Nancy, is the manager at Manrissa Nursing Home for Priests. Liam grew up as the 2nd youngest of five brothers. His brother’s are Kevin, who is 28 and the youngest; Seamus, who is 33; Pat, who is 34; and the oldest brother, Brendan, who is 36.
    When asked about growing up with so many brothers, Liam said, “It was great! I always had someone to play with and they taught me a lot of things.  There was always a lot of excitement in the house and it was nice knowing that my brothers were always there to watch out for me!”
    About growing up, Liam said, “I was always a big reader and usually read fantasy or science fiction books.  I played outside a lot and always had a love for nature.  I also played basketball, baseball and was on the high school swim team.” Liam went to  St. Margaret's Elementary School in Narbreth until 3rd grade, Slingerlands Elementary 3-5th, Bethlehem Central Middle School and High School. He also attended The University of Buffalo for his undergraduate degree and the University of Washington, in Seattle, for his masters degree.
    Liam started teaching at PLS four years ago and taught science to Aubrey’s, Lisa’s, and the Jr. High groups up until this year when he took on some new responsibilities teaching Jr. High English. He is also the homeroom teacher for the Jr. High. Liam said, “It's definitely a change of pace for me, (teaching English) but I am enjoying the challenge.  It's fun having different types of discussions with the students and exploring the literary sides of their brains. In English they have been examining short stories and writing their own. We are now working on reading full length books, which are;  Endurance and The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind ” This year’s science curriculum is Life Science.  “We are currently studying genetics,” he said, “and about to start a five paragraph essay on Genetic Engineering.”
    In his spare time Liam likes to write music, and play the guitar. He plays regularly at Earth Bread and Brewery, every other Thursday night. His band is called, The Big Folking Experiment, BFE. “I’ve been playing music for 15 years and it keeps me balanced,” declared Liam.