Patience Cunningham October 1 Shanquilla Mouzon October 1 Lloykiesa Jones October 3 Gardemia Ventura October 14 Karla Diaz October 20 Khadejah Miller October 22 Tylaesia Jordan October 23 Olivia Overholt Ocobter 26 Karoline Santana October 26 Alexis Alvarado October 29 LAMPress October 10, 2013 Vol. 15, Issue 3 Dear Students, Teachers, and Staff, I’d like to send a big ‘THANK YOU’ to the Lehigh Acres group of the Love The Children Organization for donating 45 bags of toiletries to our young ladies at LAMP and selected ALC students. We are so blessed to have wonderful organizations like this one who reach out to us with their thoughtfulness and generosity! Dr. Ruthie Lohmeyer Welcome to the World! Congratulations Mommies! Shante Williams gave birth to her son on September 18, 2013 Indira Guerra gave birth to her son on September 21, 2013 Jasmine Aguilar gave birth to her son on September 28, 2013. If you have any questions or concerns, Ms. Cassidy is available for academic support and counseling for the whole student body. Her office is in the administration suite at LAMP. Phone: 239.332.2526 Email: [email protected] Upcoming Events  First Day of Quarter 2: October 14  Spirit Week: October 14-18  Halloween Pictures: October 24  Veterans Day, No School: November 11  Thanksgiving Break, No School: November 27 to December 1 In this Issue: Origins of Halloween: Page 2 Halloween Safety: Page 3 Fall Activity: Page 4 Spirit Week: Page 5 Mr. Ficarro Interview: Page 6 TV and Violence: page 7 Births and Birthdays: Page 8 PARENT PARTICIPATION: TV AND VIOLENCE Origins Of Halloween Every year, many of us look forward to the fun tradition of Halloween. There are fun Halloween-themed parties where we can dress ourselves up in cute, scary, or interesting costumes. We dress our little ones up, take enough pictures of them to fill a photo album, then go trick-or-treating with them and get their bags filled with candy. Where did all of these traditions come from? We are familiar with the origins of some Halloween traditions, but some are not as well-known and are actually surprising. The origin of Halloween came from the ancient Celtics. It was first called All Hollows Eve (later shortened to what we know now as Halloween). They believed that at the end of the year, the barrier between the living and the dead became very thin, and they would come back and cause destruction, destroying crops and messing with the living. When the Roman Catholics came, they started mixing this pagan tradition with Christian traditions, and eventually included dancing around fires and dressing up in costumes. So, what about the Halloween traditions we do every year?  Costumes: Ancient Celts would ‘disguise’ themselves in order to fool the spirits. They would dress up as demons and monsters so the ghosts and spirits wouldn't notice them.  Jack O Lanterns: There is an Irish folktale that says that if a man is so deceitful and always drunk, he will not be wanted by either God or the Devil. He would then be forced to wander earth until “judgment day,” with his only comfort being the glittering light of a candle in a rotten turnip. When the tradition came to America, pumpkins were used instead, since turnips were not as abundant.  Pumpkins: The European custom was to carve out scary faces into the pumpkin and place embers in them to light them. This was believed to ward away any spirits on the day of All Hollows Eve.  Candy: Ancient Celts used sweet treats to ’appease’ wicked spirits.  Witches, vampires, werewolves: These creatures have always been associated with demons and other evil beings. Like many holidays, Halloween has more to it than meets the eye. It’s more than just costumes, candy, and sugar. How Much Is Too Much? The average American child will see 8,000 murders and more than 100,000 acts of violence on TV before the end of elementary school. Add to this violence in movies and in video games. Even some of the popular music suggests violence. It is possible that children may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others; they may act more aggressively; and they may have more fears about the world. It is important that parents monitor their children’s exposure to violence. Parents also can make a difference in the types of programs and movies available to their children by expressing their views to the decision makers. TV Time– Together Watch your children’s favorite TV shows with them. If you decide that there is too much violence, then do not allow your children to watch the show. When your children see violence on TV, discuss what they have seen. Children and adults laugh at cartoon violence and funny video segments that often show actual people falling, or in other situations, where they could have been seriously hurt. Talk to your children about why these situations are supposed to be humorous and why they really are not so funny. Be Aware Pay attention to ratings for movies, video games, and music CDs. Ratings are a guide for parents and can help determine what is appropriate for children at particular ages. Some PG-13 movies may be okay for a 12-year-old while others may not be okay for a 15-year-old. The best decision is not to expose your child to unnecessary violence. You know how much our actions speak louder than words to our children. Parents should model watching movies and TV shows that are appropriate for the whole family. Make A Difference Parents can make a difference in the types of programs and movies offered. Contact the local TV stations, cable companies, and movie theaters to express your views about what is shown. Write positive letters when quality programs are offered. Tell them what you want to see. Stay involved in your children’s choices of TV programs, movies, video games, and CDs so that you can limit the amount of violence they are seeing and hearing. At the beginning of the year, LAMP welcomed a friendly face to our building– Mr. Ficarro. Although he teaches LAMP students for only one period, he has settled right in and is part of the LAMP family. LAMPress sat down and interviewed Mr. Ficarro. How was your first quarter working with LAMP students? It was awesome!! The students were ready to learn and energetic. How long have you been teaching? [This is] my third year teaching. Where did you work before coming to LAMP? I worked in The Social Communication (Autism) classroom at Cypress Lake High School. Do you like teaching LAMP girls so far? Yes, I have some remarkable students that are hard workers and have strong integrity. What do you like to do outside of school? I like to fish, work outside, and coaching baseball. What is your favorite sport? Baseball is my favorite sport. What is your favorite team? Favorite baseball team is Miami Marlins. Favorite football team is the Miami Dolphins. Trick Or Treating Halloween Safety Tips  An adult should always examine Halloween treats before children eat them. Never eat open or unwrapped Halloween foods.  Costumes should be flame-retardant and should allow children to walk freely without tripping.  Children’s ability to see, hear, and move should not be impaired by unwieldy masks.  Make certain that any face paint or make-up used on skin or costumes is non-toxic.  Extra care should be taken on streets and at crossings, especially at dusk and after dark.  Children should carry a flashlight and wear reflective or bright colored clothing at night.  Emergency identification information should be placed discreetly inside clothing of small children, in case of accidental separation.  Avoid having children wear their names outwardly on clothing or jewelry which may allow a stranger to call them by name and appear to know them.  Children should be cautioned to avoid strangers, as well as poorly-lit areas and homes of people they do not know.  Halloween treats should only be consumed if they are packaged appropriately. “All teachers at LAMP are highly qualified to each in the state of Florida.” Mr. Ficarro dazzles LAMPress with his smile Spirit Week Article by Nateiya Perkins Children can make a fall hand print wreath out of red, yellow, orange, green and brown construction paper, which will imitate the beautiful colors of the autumn season. To make a hand print wreath, trace eight to 10 hand prints onto construction paper, then cut them out using scissors. Place one hand print on top of a second hand print, overlapping them so that the fingers of one hand print touches the palm of the other. Tilt the hand prints so that they are slightly curved. Glue the hand prints in place using craft glue. Repeat this process until the last hand print overlaps the first hand print, and glue them together, allowing the glue to dry completely. It’s that time of year again! LAMP ladies will be coming together to show their spirit and have an altogether good time. Each day next week, there will be a different theme. At lunch, we’ll vote on who showed the most spirit with the best costume and we’ll declare a winner! First place will receive ten butterfly bucks and a candy bar, Second place will receive five butterfly bucks and a candy bar, third place will receive three butterfly bucks. Each participant will get one butterfly buck and chocolate. So search through your closets and get ready to show your spirit!  Monday: Silly hat day (wear or decorate a silly hat)  Tuesday: Animal day (dress like an animal or in animal print)  Wednesday: Hawaiian day  Thursday: Disney character (dress as your favorite character)  Friday: Spirit Day (Dress in blue, silver and butterflies) October 14– October 18