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WIZARDS WEEKLY
Volume # 8
February 6, 2015
WIZARDNATION
THE STORY WITH EARLY RELEASE
SCHOLAR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
BY IMANI MACK
!The option of having early release has been a privilege at
BY SAMANTHA MAURO
!Washingtonville’s very
own senior, defensive back Tim Henry, was
!About 150 seniors have early release but very few have late arrival.
!
recently selected as the New York State Class AA Football Scholar
Athlete of the Year by the New York State Football Coaches
Association.
Washingtonville High School for over 25 years. It is mainly an
option for seniors because seniors have worked hard throughout the
years, are done with Regents and have enough credits to graduate.
In order to obtain early release, students must go to guidance and
receive a form. Students must have a study hall in order to exchange
for early release. Permission is needed from parents and
Mr.Connolly. Early release can be taken away from a student if he or
she becomes academically ineligible.
!Mr. Connolly believes that students should have early release in
order to go to work, help with childcare or study in the privacy of
their home. Mr. Connolly also believes that seniors should only have
this option because underclassmen need to stay at school for
Regents preparation and to fulfill their credit requirements (and of
course to learn!).
!Late arrival is also given as an option if students work late at night
or need to put their younger siblings on the elementary bus.
!NHS passes are also available at Washingtonville High School for
those in the National Honors Society who maintain a 92 average
and above. The NHS pass allows students to leave school during
their lunch hour. Mr. Connolly says, “The idea of any student
leaving the building is not one that I love.”
!Overall, whether it be with an NHS pass or early release, Mr.
Connolly believes students should be in school.
!See our new “Electives Feature” on page 5 for potential class options
Senior Derek Deoul with Mr. Vyskocil, Mr. Connolly, Mr. Courter,
Superintendent Ms. Greene, and Ms. Exarchakis as he signs his
commitment to University of Maine. Photo by Brianna Flynn.
DEOUL SIGNS TO UNIVERSITY OF MAINE
BY CHRISTIANE WHITE
!
!
!
On the morning of Wednesday, February 4, 2015, senior Derek Deoul officially
committed to the University of Maine. Deoul was joined by his family and
members of the administration in the WHS library to complete the signing.
!Several big-time schools, from Ohio to Syracuse, offered kicker Deoul a chance to
be a walk-on player. Signing to these schools can sound intriguing to many, but
what Deoul really wanted was a full scholarship, to which the University of Maine
agreed. The Black Bears’ coach, Jack Cosgrove, saw promise in the state recordholder with 27 career field goals, visiting him just recently to offer him a full ride
to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) University.
Mr. Vyskocil and Tim Henry. Photo taken by Mrs. Cooney.
This award is given annually to an athlete that has demonstrated
continuing excellence on the field and in the classroom, as well
as demonstrating positive involvement in school, and
community affairs. Tim Henry embodies all of those attributes
to the fullest extent.
Continued on page 2
for next year.
Sports
- Defeated By Sam Mauro
- Girls Varsity Cheerleading By
Evan Oquendo
- OCIAA Swim Championship By
Evan Oquendo
- Lady Wizards Division
Champs, Boys Place Third By
Christiane White
Profiles
- Scholar
Athlete of the
Year By Sam
Mauro
- Deoul Signs
To University
Of Maine By
Christiane
White
Editorials
- Sleep…Too Much or
Not Enough? By
Andrea N. SantanaMendez
- Think Before You
Drink & Drive By
Nick LaRocca
FEATURE: ELECTIVES
- Shakespeare, The Lost Course By Rey
Gonzalez
- Media and Journalism Is Not Just BGTV
By Jakob Woods
- Speech and Drama Canceled? By Rey
Gonzalez
- Senior Electives By Stephen Lynch
- What’s the Need for Early Release? By
Imani Mack
NEWS STORIES
-Teachers
Demonstrate By
John Honan
-NYS Regents Exams
By Sam Mauro
Upcoming Sports
Events
Varsity Boys Basketball
-02/06 @ Washingtonville
7pm
-02/09 @ Valley Central
7pm
!
Upcoming School
Events
- ACT Saturday 2/7
- Report cards go out 2/11
- No School 2/13, 2/16
NYS REGENTS EXAMS
Henry has worked hard, putting a lot of time into his
schoolwork while still making sure he had time to focus
on athletics and extracurriculars. He has also been
overcoming a back injury but he keeps on fighting
through it and excelling.
BY SAMANTHA MAURO
!The New York State
January Regents were scheduled for
the week of the 26th-30th. Unfortunately, there was a
snow storm that lasted from the 26th to the 27th. The
storm was not nearly as bad as forecasted but it was still
enough that the roads were unsafe to travel on. Due to the
inclement weather, the English Regent needed to be
rescheduled, along with all other PM Monday Regents and
all Tuesday Regents Exams.
!Due to the snow day that WHS called for on Monday,
February 2nd, there are now only 3 snow days left for this
school year.
TEACHERS DEMONSTRATE
BY JOHN HONAN
Students have recently noticed different displays by the
WHS teachers over their outdated contract. The issue is
that currently the WTA (Washingtonville Teacher’s
Association) is working on an out-dated contract.
!According to the WTA president, Aquatics teacher Mr.
Ryan,“The contract expired about two years ago.”
!The WTA has been working to get it updated. It consists
of three different groups, teachers, teaching assistants,
and nurses, each coming together to advise and advocate
for this issue.
!The contracts weren’t updated because the school board
and district administration did not see eye-to-eye with the
WTA on specific proposals being negotiated. This has lead
the WTA to take actions as a means of creating change,
and settling a fair contract.
!The teachers have found ways to show what they're
fighting for without it interfering with their jobs. Many
teachers show their solidarity by wearing buttons, or by
displaying “No contract, No respect” signs in their car
windows and on their lawns, and wearing maroon WTA
shirts on Fridays. Also, and most notably, each day the
teachers of all the buildings in the district stand outside
and walk in together at their contracted time as a means of
showing solidarity.
OCIAA SWIM CHAMPIONSHIP
BY EVAN OQUENDO
!When asked how he balances it all, Henry stated, “It is !
On February 3rd, 2015, Washingtonville High School
just a matter of dedication to what is important to me.
Academically, I want to be the best that I can be. With
that said, I also have dedication to my teammates and
passion for the sport. This is what motivated me to
work hard in practices and to come home late and do
homework for college classes.”
!There was no school scheduled on Monday the 26th for
any Washingtonville High School student, with the
exception of those taking the English Regents exam. Yet
due to the weather, the New York State Department of
Education allowed the exam schedule to be shifted at the
discretion of the district. Because of this, there were no
regular classes on Friday January 30; and since there was
a snow day on Tuesday, most students only had a 2-day
school week, which left many students happy for the snow.
SPORTS
!Some of Henry’s accomplishments include having a
Photo of a WTA sign in a high school teacher’s car.
Ultimately, all teachers seem to agree that their
students are their number one priority. Their
demonstrations are not meant to interfere with the
school day or functioning in any way, but instead as a
means of gathering support from the students,
community, and administration.
!Mr. Ryan also stated, “Washingtonville Schools are
excellent. People move to this community because of
our schools wonderful reputation. Our Teachers are
outstanding, caring, and dedicated professionals. Our
graduation rate is one of the top in our county. All
that we are asking for is that we be treated fairly.” !The district and the WTA will continue to talk and
work for what they believe is fair for both parties.
Both sides look to advocate for their students and
their professions.
!The next step for the teacher’s unions is to bring in a
mediator. This person will act as a neutral party to
both sides and look at everything presented and help
both the union and district solve the problems they
have. If that doesn’t work, then they will bring in a
fact finder to help reach mutual grounds in this
situation.
!Coach Ryan hopes they can reach a fair agreement for
both parties soon.!
SCHOLAR ATHLETE… (continued)
!When asked what was going through his head when
he found out he won the award, Henry said, “Well he
[Coach Clark] came up to me (while at track practice),
shook my hand, and said congratulations so I was
very confused at first. Once he explained why, I was
pretty shocked.”
101.542 GPA, making him ranked third in the
Washingtonville High School (WHS) senior class. He is
also a member of the National Honor Society, Foreign
Language Honor Society, Science Honor Society and
Mathematics Honor Society. Henry was also a National
Achievement Merit Scholarship semi-finalist. He
volunteers at the local food pantry and to help maintain
the local September 11th Memorial Park. He is also a
member of the school band, as well as the jazz band,
and the WHS track team. Upon graduation, Henry
plans to attend college (although he is unsure of which
one yet), where he will pursue a degree in Engineering.
!Henry is scheduled to be honored at the annual New
hosted the OCIAA swimming and diving
championships. In the meet, Washingtonville’s own
swimmer, sophomore Jack Dwyer, came in first place
in the 200 yard freestyle race.
!Dwyer finished with a time of 1:48.55, beating second
place finisher, Charles Broe, by almost two whole
seconds.
!Also during the meet, junior Leo Leporte broke a
near decade-old record in the 100 fly with a time of
54.08.
!Both swimmers have had great seasons and are
hopeful to continue
!#WizardNation please don’t forget to please support
the swimming and diving teams for their section
meet February 12th and 13th at Valley Central High
School. Cha-Ching!
York State High School Football Coaches Association
Awards Dinner on Friday, February 6th in Syracuse.
DEOUL TO SIGN… (continued)
!Giving a short speech, Deoul thanked many people,
from his teachers (all the way from Taft to the High
School), to all of his coaches from not only the High
School level, but also from specialized camps and
kicking mentors. Derek also thanked his family,
including his little sister, Danielle, wishing her all of
the luck in her own athletic endeavors.
!“...My parents, they are the most important people in
my life, they have pushed me to be the best of my
ability, and they have always had my best interests in
mind. The sacrifices have been many… They have
always been there for me, and I hope that this
commitment to Maine is a small reward for all that
they have done for me.”
!!
Deoul hit 7-of-8 field goals this season, including a
Section IX-record 54-yarder, breaking his own 52yard record he set his junior season.
!Deoul was named first-team Class AA All-State kicker
in 2013 and a second-teamer as a senior. Good luck in
Maine, Derek!
Jack Dwyer and Leo Leporte prepare for their section
meet during practice on Thursday. Photo by Ms.
Carnright.
2
LADY WIZARDS DIVISION
CHAMPS, BOYS PLACE THIRD
BY CHRISTIANE WHITE!
!On Saturday, January
31st, the Washingtonville Wizards
competed in the Division 2 Championships. Inclement
weather forced a change in date from Friday night, to
Saturday following the Division 1, 3, and 5 meet.
!The girls team had an impressive night, with every girl who
competed contributing a point or more to their total score.
By the end of the night they were crowned the Division 2
Champions. Julia Sutter ran a ten second improvement in
the 3000 meters with a time of 13:03 to place 5th,
contributing the first 2 points of the Wizards 170 total
points. In the 1000m, Maeve Kelly started her night with an
impressive win in a time of 3:19, Shannon Thompson came
in right after her at 3:26, to place 4th. Kelly also ran the
1500m and placed 3rd with a time of 5:17 following close
behind her teammate Katie Smolar who won the race in a
time of 5:12.
!In the 55 meter dash, Aniyah Fisher placed first in a time of
7.6 to score 10 points, Bridget Curtin tied for 5th place in a
time of 8.22. Michelle Gildea placed second in the 55m High
Hurdles with a time of 10.1, followed closely behind by her
teammate Christy White, who won the second heat,
squeezing into 3rd place overall, in 10.5.
!Debbie Boerke won all three of her events, to bring 30
points to the total. Her first event, the 600m run, had a fast
start with teammate Brianna Lawless, immediately going to
the front alongside Boerke. For the next two laps, they
stayed right behind their Warwick competitor, until the last
50m, when Boerke kicked it into high gear to win by 0.58
seconds, in a time of 1:42.23, and Lawless placed third at
1:45.12. In the 300m and Long Jump, Boerke led the
Wizards to victories, with her teammates Bridget Curtin and
Michelle Gildea placing third respectively. In the 300m,
Boerke ran 42.55, Curtain ran 45.12, and the Long Jump
Boerke soared 15’ 9”, Gildea jumped 14’ 4.5”. Curtin also
ran a leg in the winning 4x200m relay alongside her
teammates Aniyah Fisher, Christy White, and Kristen
Boerke. Spectators held their breath as Boerke came down
the final stretch with the Valley Central anchor leg trying to
chase her down with Boerke holding her off to bring the
baton across the finish line in a time of 1:53.26. Boerke also
placed 2nd in the high jump, with a remarkable leap of 4’3”.
!Her teammate Tina Jerolomann placed fifth in the High
Jump in 4’, and sixth in the shot put with a throw of 21’ 5”.
MaryKate Paulus also threw shot put, placing seventh, with
a throw of 21’ 2”. The weight throw added 12 points,
freshman Erin Wilson placed 2nd with a throw of 27’ .5”,
Hannah Cunningham came in right behind her with a throw
of 24’ 6.5”, to place 4th.
!Cunningham and Paulus both competed in the race
walk, placing fifth with a time of 10:57.5, and seventh
with a time of 12:30.5, respectively. Christy White
won the last field event of the night, triple jump with a
jump of 31’, her 8th grade Emily Gerdin counterpart
placed 3rd, leaping 27’ 10”.
!The last two races of the night, the 4x400m and
4x800m relays solidified their win. The 4x400 placed
second with a time of 4:27.83, Tina Jerolomann,
Brianna Lawless, Michelle Gildea, and Shannon
Thompson each ran a great leg of the relay, with
Lawless running the honor split of 64.2.
!In the final race of the night, the 4x800, the Wizards
placed third in a time of 11:03. Katie Smolar and
Maeve Kelly shared the honor splits of 2:40, Shannon
Thompson ran 2:49, and Julia Sutter rounded out the
night in 2:54. The teams final score was 170, which
was a 53 points ahead of second place.
!The boys’ night kicked off with the 3200m; Sean
Warren placed 4th in a time of 10:45, and Ryan
Pagano ran 11:07 to place 7th. In the 1000m, Mark
Pietrzak placed second, in a time of 2:48, followed
closely by teammate Jon Messler with a time of 2:52
for fifth. Jacinto Gomez and WenXin Lu both ran the
55m High Hurdles, Gomez ran a final time of 8.2. In
the first heat, Gomez fell over the second to last
hurdle, placing last, only to be called back to the start
for a re-race, due to the fact that the hurdles were
unevenly placed. On the rerun, Gomez placed second
in a time of 8.36, Lu ran 9.79 to place fifth. Justin
Estrada placed 8th in the 55m dash, in a time of 7.78.
Gomez also ran the 300m dash, placing third, in a
time of 38.45, his teammate Dan Molzahn placed 7th
in a time of 40.55.
!In the 600m run, Paul Catalano ran a great race of
1:34.10, Tom Lawless just missed placing in the top 6,
running 1:37.17 to place seventh. Lawless and
Catalano also ran in the 4x400m relay alongside Nick
Negersmith and Justin Estrada, which placed 4th
overall, in a time of 4:03.9. The 4x200m relay placed
second in a time of 1:42.57, composed of Jacinto
Gomez, Justin Estrada, WenXin Lu, and Dan
Molzahn. Mikey Carroll ran in the 4x800 relay, which
placed third in a time of 9:03.4. Mark Pietrzak ran the
honor split of 2:12, Carroll split 2:14, Zach Creeden
ran 2:17, and Jon Messler, 2:18.
!Andy Ruebenstahl had an extraordinary night, placing
second in the pole vault (11’) right behind his
teammate Nick Negersmith who also jumped 11’.
Ruebenstahl placed fourth in the long jump, jumping
17’ 10”, and in the the high jump, 5’ 6”. Negersmith
also placed fourth in the triple jump, with a leap of 34’
10”, Justin Estrada placed sixth in 31’ 2”.
In the throwing events, Colin Muller placed
fourth in both the shot put (35’ 8.25”) and weight
throw (33’ 10.75”). Jon Flores also threw, with a
distance of 24’ .25” in the weight throw to place
fifth, and 29’ 5.25” in the shot put to place tenth.
The boys team ultimately placed third overall in
the division with a total score of 93 points.
!The team will be traveling to the New Balance
After 2 more shots and 5 points were put up by the
Rockets, Evan Oquendo ran the ball down the court
for 2, making it 32-23 Rockets. Justus Harris scored
the last basket of the game, ending it 41-28 Rockets.
Great efforts were made by both teams in an exciting
game but the Warriors ended up losing their first
game after going 5-0.
Armory on Thursday, February 5th, to compete in
the Armory Classic.
CYO WARRIORS DEFEATED
BY SAMANTHA MAURO
!This past Sunday night, January 25th, the
Warriors were defeated by the Rockets.
!This game was a Catholic Youth Organization
(CYO) Recreational Basketball game. The CYO
league has been up and running in
Washingtonville by Mr. John Spear for many
years now, now with the amount of people
participating becoming noticeably lower. Each
game is only [technically] 28 minutes long, with 7
minute quarters.
!There are 5 teams that are named after NBA
teams in this age groups league (11th & 12th
grade); the Warriors, Rockets, Mavericks,
Wizards, and Kings. The Warriors were the only
undefeated team until Sunday night when they
suffered a loss of 41-28 to the Rockets.
!The game started off with #0, Evan Oquendo,
from the Warriors and #1, Justus Harris, from
the Rockets tipping-off the ball. Peter McWeeney
got the first shot for the Warriors making it 2-0,
right before the Rockets answered to tie it up 2-2.
The Rockets held the lead for most of the first
half, with the Warriors still fighting back, flipflopping the lead. Taylor Cook (Warriors) tied it
up with 2:30 left in the half, which helped the
Warriors go into the second half with the lead
with a score of 19-14. Joey Tecklenburg scored
the last shot of the half for the Warriors.
CYO basketball game. Photo by Samantha Mauro.
Notable stat: Players from both teams were fouled
several times throughout the game, especially on the
Rockets but not many people made their free-throws.
About 15 players stepped up to the free-throw line, and
30 points could have been scored if they all made their
shots but instead only 6 points came out of those shots.
!These 5 recreational teams have games on Sunday and
Monday nights.
!Evan Oquendo passed it in to Steven Bauer to
start the second half. Justus Harris scored the
first basket, putting the Rockets in the lead 20-19.
Right after that, Peter McWeeney put up two
points, putting the Warriors back in the lead. The
Rockets seemed to dominate the second half with
Patrick Fico, Joe Manzo, and Justus Harris
scoring in the third, ending it 27-21 Rockets. The
Warriors still had a chance to make a comeback.
3
EDITORIALS
GIRLS VARSITY
CHEERLEADING
BY EVAN OQUENDO
!Over the weekend,
on January 25th, the varsity
competition cheerleading team had a competition at
Pine Bush High School. After placing 5th out of 5
teams in their first competition this season, the varsity
team looked to bounce back in this duel of “small”
varsity teams. With weeks of practice, varsity
cheerleader, Samantha Mauro felt pretty confident
going into the competition stating that “We will do a
whole lot better than the first competition.”
!The Wizards looked great in their routines and ended
up scoring 77.11 and placing 4th in the competition out
of the 7 teams competing. There was a lot controversy
and animosity regarding NFA scoring 77.14, beating
our own Wizards by 0.03 points. It seemed unreal due
to the fact that NFA only used one stunt group gaining
an advantage.
!Through all the controversy, the girls seemed to do
fairly well, much better than their first meet. Overall
the Wizards placed 4th, while Minisink came in first
followed by cornwall and NFA. Trailing the pack was
Goshen, Fallsburg and S.S. Seward. Be sure to check
out the team at their next competition on March 7th at
Monroe -Woodbury High School.
!Washingtonville
Goshen
Minisink
S.S. Seward
Fallsburg Comets
NFA
Cornwall
Result: 4th
Result: 7th
Result: 1st
Result: 5th
Result: 6th
Result: 3rd
Result: 2nd
SLEEP...TOO MUCH OR NOT
ENOUGH?
ANDREA N. SANTANA-MENDEZ
!Today'sBYteenagers
have packed schedules filled with
nothing. Ironic, right? Most teenagers have been told
to get at least 8 hours of sleep; that it does wonders to
your body and mind. Yes, 8 hours of sleep is nice, but
it’s rare to accomplish due to addiction of technology,
friends, after school events, future college planning,
work, parties, or other everyday distractions.
!Sleep can be hard to come. Teens go to bed late and
wake up early. The healthy sleep cycle usually breaks
after elementary school. These young children were
used to the full 8 hours of sleep or more, not a lot of
homework, play time, and no worries. However, once
they begin middle school, they are introduced to lack of
sleep, too much work, and worries coming from every
corner.
!It’s surprising that some teenagers have “night owl”
syndrome , insomnia, sleep apnea, Gastroesophageal
reflux disease(GERD), a type of heart burn that occurs
at night, along with sleepwalking, and narcolepsy.
There is no definite cure but there are ways to help or
deal with this worldwide issue.
!Meditation is a great way to relax and relieve stress.
Stress is one of the reasons teens stare at the ceiling,
unable to sleep throughout the night. Exercise is
another way to release tension in your body.
!Also, organizing helps you relax because you know you
are doing everything you need to do at the proper time.
If these 3 tips don’t work well then go see a doctor.
Taking medicine should be a last resort.
!
THINK BEFORE YOU DRINK
AND DRIVE
SPEECH AND DRAMA
CANCELED?
BY NICK LAROCCA
BY: REY GONZALEZ
driving always seems to be a topic of discussion. The
topic seems to always pop up around prom and when
the warm weather is on the rise. However, drinking
and driving is dangerous and a huge issue no matter
what time of the year it is. When you drink and drive
you don’t just put yourself in danger but you put
everyone else on the road in danger as well.
teacher. This class focusing on formal debate, history of
theatre, elements of theater, acting, improv, playwriting,
and theatrical techniques. Ms. Mattheus says, " It
appealed to students interested in finessing oral
presentation." it was class that offered for you to myself
expression and had a great cross section of students that
desired to participate in the class. Ms. Mattheus said, "it
was a real melting pot of personalities...People finally
found their niché."
!As a current high schooler the subject of drinking and !Ms. Mattheus is the former speech and drama class
!Washingtonville High School (WHS) is a huge
advocate for providing yearly guest speakers on
drinking and driving along with several lessons in the
school’s health classes to help prevent these events.
The school district also provides a mock accident,
showing what could happen if you take the wheel
while intoxicated. The mock accident takes place
around prom for the junior class, in order to provide
great insight during a very popular time of drinking
and driving.
!Luckily, in my four years of attending
Washingtonville High School, I have never had an
incident of losing a classmate to drinking and driving.
Also, recently for the seniors, WHS has implemented
a new way to obtain your Senior Parking Pass. You
must attend a mandatory assembly focusing on a man
who survived an accident including a drunk driver,
who had hit him. It is a life changing experience and
eye opener showing us that we are not invincible
because we are young.
!These events that the school and community put
together to cut down on the amount of drunk driving
in our district are extremely helpful to raising
awareness of, and preventing drunk driving incidents
in our youth. The young adults here at
Washingtonville High School have been great
examples and it has been proven in the amount of
improvement in our school district.
!The ending of speech and drama is relatively new, the
last time this class operated was two years ago and has
not run since. Simply put, Ms. Mattheus feels that
"everyone can benefit" from this class. A class that is
meant for students to understand that the key to
finessing your presentation is to understand the power of
words.
!Ms. Mattheus says, "Effective oral presentation is the key
to success."
!Ms. Matthews feels that the lack of clarity of what was
being offered to seniors is mostly the reason why this
class failed to run. Students who approached her saying
that they voluntarily wanted to be a part of speech and
drama were turned down because Ms. Mattheus believed
it was canceled. However, she was later approached and
told that the class was not going to be offered because of
lack of student interest.
!Ms. Mattheus says, "If they [WHS] want electives they
must provide many different choices that satisfy all
student interests...there's no place for the kids to go so
they are placed in 12R...they need to broaden to fit all
student interests." Which isn't fair to the students that
genuinely want to be a part of these “lost” electives.
!Speech and Drama was a course that offered lessons in
public debate, where students can freely debate and learn
the principles of good public speaking. The only other
offering close to that is Youth in Government; however,
that is not a class, that is an after school club.
!Ms. Mattheus states, “I want all people to be confident
enough to fight for what they believe in and express their
ideas...That's what makes good citizens."
4
SPECIAL FEATURE: ELECTIVES at WHS
SHAKESPEARE,
THE LOST COURSE
BY REY GONZALEZ
!Mrs. Todaro is a 9th
grade English teacher who also
Scheduling for next year’s courses is in full swing. We here at Wizards Weekly wanted to
inform the student body of WHS about some of the electives our school offers. This week we
are focusing particularly on the English department, but look out for more write-ups in
next week’s edition.
used to teach the Shakespeare class, an English 12
elective. Shakespeare is a course that ran for 4 years
straight, until students began to lose interest because it
wasn’t promoted enough.
Zoe Faith is a Sophomore that is currently enrolled in the
class. “I took this class because I hope to do something
with art in the future . . . I love focusing on something that
gives me time to express my creativity,” Faith says with
great emotion.
!"It's a great class that's being left behind" says Mrs.
!Women in Literature is a English 12 elective taught by
Todaro. Shakespeare is an easy-going class filled with
multimedia projects that prior students still want to
view during their college lives.
!Mrs. Todaro says, "I have students contacting me now
saying they're so glad they took this class because its
helping them with their freshman English courses in
college... It's real world, it's really helping them in
college."
WHY DID STUDENTS PICK
THEIR ELECTIVES?
BY STEPHEN LYNCH
!
!Students don't have to be in theater, be actors, or be an !
Students at Washingtonville High School have been
English major to have fun in this class. The class is open
to anybody who is willing to try. "I think when people
see the title Shakespeare they get intimidated, and
there's no reason to be intimidated. The course is basic
level and its interactive and fun" says Mrs. Todaro.
making their schedule for next year. What courses
would you like to take? Can I drop AP classes? Can I
take AP classes? These are some question that go
through many students heads this time of year.
juniors can take it for an elective. "Anyone can take it,
you don't have to be in the enriched classes." The course
is geared for different types of learners. Creating
student-centered projects and attending performances
whenever possible is a huge part of the course.
based classes such as math, science, social studies, and
english. There are so many here at Washingtonville
High School for students to chose from such as studio
art to creative writing.
!Seniors can take this course for an English credit and
!Electives are classes that are not your common subject
Writing is an English elective for seniors
!Shakespeare is a great class that over the years has been !Creative
taught by Ms. Lynch. The class is one that many
lost and Mrs. Todaro is really trying to bring it back; she
wants people to know that they can feel free to come see
her in room 134 and try to put a face to the class. She
says, "I can show you old projects and answer any
questions that you may have." Her point is to promote
the Shakespeare class so that she may once again open
it up to students.
!Remember students, "If we don't get enough people to
take the class, it won't run and that really hurts the
students that want to take it" points out Mrs. Todaro.
students tend to enjoy. Amy Rodriguez, a Senior at
Washingtonville High school said, “ I enjoy the class
because Ms. Lynch is a great teacher. She helps me
become a better writer. We play a lot of games and
have many fun projects.” It seems like a great class to
be a part of, but it is a serious class. In order for
students to do well the work needs to be completed.
Taylor Casey, a senior, says, “ I wanted an English
class that was not an AP course. That also would help
me get a good grade.”
!This class seems like a perfect match for Nicole
Mrs. Bac. The class gets stellar reviews. The class is not
just for girls or in this case women however, many male
students take this class. Morgan Kivler is a Senior at
Washingtonville High School who says, “ I would tell a
friend to take this class because it is so interesting. I love
how we watch movies, read books, have discussions, and
do a ton of other exciting projects… And the notebook can
be annoying at times because everything has to be stapled
into it. But this class is definitely one that any student
should take.” Kivler also stated that she was told by her
cousin to take the class because she enjoyed it so much.
BY JAKOB WOODS
!Washingtonville High
School’s Media and Journalism class
has been the recent talk of the school. “Did you see the new
TV show?” “Oh my God, you’re on BGTV!” “I saw you on
TV.” Are just some of the things that the students taking the
course hear daily as they roam the halls.
!Many people watch the TVs in the cafeteria but they do not
know what else goes on within the class. BGTV is only one
fourth of the entire class. If you are interested in viewing
our BGTV episodes, they can be found on YouTube, search
for the “WHS Film Class” Channel.
!In my opinion, the other parts of the class do much more,
such as the Newsletter group. They must produce a
newsletter every week, which means writing their own
pieces, editing their classmates, and attempting to
understand it all. Each Newsletter entry can be found on the
Washingtonville Central School District home page
@www.ws.k12.ny.us/
!Child Development is a class taught by Ms. Hall. Students !In addition, field crew is another challenging role to play
learn about what it takes to care for a child, the finances
needed and what disabilities can come about if the child is
not reaching their expected milestones. This is one of the
classes that is normally requested among students.
Sophomore
!Jill Donlon says, “ I want to work with kids when I am
older. So this is why I wanted to take this class.” The egg
baby is one of the projects that is part of the class.
Students care for an egg during the week and are graded
on how well they treat the
egg baby.
!Washingtonville High
School has many electives
students can take. The
classes teach students skills
they will need to be
successful in their lives.
!
In studio art the students make fantastic artwork that is
displayed around the school and at the art show along with
the other art classes. In the class, students draw, paint, and
even make sculptures.
because they must go out to events and report what is going
on at that event. They are seen on BGTV as the field
reporters.
!Lastly, the podcasting crew creates individual podcasts that
are uploaded to iTunes and writes editorials for the
newsletter. If you are interested in hearing or even
subscribing to our podcasts, search #WIZARDNATION on
iTunes.
!These are all a vital part of Wizard Nation as a whole.
Without one, the others would not be able to function as
well, and would be much harder to produce. However, each
group can improve itself, as this is the first time this class
has happened and the students are just learning about how
to produce and complete their roles. In the future, the
mistakes will be limited and eventually, hopefully
eradicated. All in all, this class is a success for bringing in
school spirit, informing people of events, and covering
events that are happening.
!
This year’s Wizard Nation is not yet over, but to the juniors
who are potentially signing up for classes next year, I
suggest that you take Media & Journalism and become a
part of #WizardNation. Make the legacy live on forever.
Gambino who is a Junior, “I heard it was a fun class. I
could really express my passion for writing,” says Gambino
who is hoping to be in the class next fall.
!Studio Art is an art elective that is taught by Ms. Stringer.
MEDIA AND JOURNALISM
IS NOT JUST BGTV
Morgan Kivler working hard in Women in
Literature. Photo taken By Stephen Lynch
5
WizardS Weekly
MEET THE STAFF
Imani Mack is Editor-in-Chief for the Newsletter Crew. She is currently a senior at Washingtonville High School. She
hopes to pursue her dreams by attending a four-year college to become a psychiatrist and then continue learning in
medical school. Imani spends her free time cheering for the Varsity Football team and following the latest fashion
trends.You can say she is one stylish fashionista. #WIZARDNATION
!
Rey Gonzalez is a senior at Washingtonville High School who aims to get a career in
cinematography. He wants to travel the world with his career. He is a caring person, but is
not afraid to tell you how it is. He hopes to get far in life and work on the big budget films.
He wants to enjoy life and take it for how it is. He is still in the process of growing up and has
his own things to work on, but all will come in time. #WIZARDNATION
!Stephen Lynch is currently a senior at Washingtonville High School. He is part of the cross
country and track teams, yearbook club, student council, and is the Prom King. Next year,
Lynch is planning on going to a two year school for communications to save money and then hoping to transfer to a
four year school. In the future Stephen Lynch hopes to become a famous Emmy winning Talk show host.
#WIZARDNATION
!
Samantha Mauro is a senior at Washingtonville High School. She is a cheerleader, the
Senior Class President and is also involved in many other clubs. Samantha is planning on
attending a 4-year university after high school where she will study Actuarial Science and Accounting. She is
an avid dog lover, piano player, and One Tree Hill watcher.#WIZARDNATION
!Evan Oquendo is the former anchor for BGTV. He is also a Senior at Washingtonville High
School. He likes playing all types of sports. These sports include football, basketball,
billiards, etc. When he is not participating in sports, he likes to watch the greatest show of
all time, “Friends,” because it reminds him of his friends and himself. Although he is more of a spokesperson than
writer, he thought he’d give it a shot!#WIZARDNATION
John Honan is a senior at Washingtonville High School who enjoys writing, gaming and
hanging out with friends. He is a caring, and all around fun individual. He is an active
participant in JROTC and the E-Sports club. After he graduates, he plans to go to college
and major in Game Design. He hopes to graduate with his degree after 4 years of college
and get a job at any gaming company. #WIZZARDNATION