V O L U M E 2 I S S U E 4 The GNA INSIDER nnn It's a beauty! The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree dazzled onlookers in New York City and around the world. nnn Article continued on page 4 Page 1... Rockefeller Christmas Tree Page 2... What s Happenin in the Halls Page 3... Hispanic Flamenco Ballet Page 4... Rockefeller Christmas Tree Page 5... Athletes Of The Month Page 6... Advice Column D E C E M B E R H O L I D A Y E D I T I O N z Rockefeller Christmas Tree z The Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center has become an iconic figure during the holiday season in New York City. Tens of thousands of people flock to midtown Manhattan to get a glimpse of the most extravagant Christmas tree in America. The tree is adorned with over 30,000 Christmas lights, but the newest addition is the crowning jewel. In 2008, pop singer Fergie debuted the 550- pound Swarovski star that sits atop of the tree. The star is made up of 25,000 crystals, 720 LED bulbs, 44 circuit boards, and 3,000 feet of wire. The glamour that surrounds the tree and its lighting today is a stark contrast from how the holiday tradition began. In 1931, during the height of The Great Depression, construction workers gathered at a muddy construction site where they put up a 20 foot Christmas tree. The decorations for the inaugural spruce tree consisted of strings of cranberries, paper garlands, and a few tin cans. Although it may not live up to today s standards, the workers were simply celebrating the fact that, unlike Table of Contents: many of their peers, they were receiving a paycheck. The first official tree-lighting ceremony was held two years later in 1933. Over the years, the tree has changed with the times. In 1942, the Rockefeller Center featured three trees (Red, White and Blue) in honor of the war effort. As the war continued, wartime blackout regulations kept the tree unlit during the Christmas of 1944. The lighting of the tree was first broadcasted on television in 1951. As the country experienced an environmental movement in 1971, the tree was recycled and made into mulch, and distributed to nature trails in Manhattan. Remaining lumber has gone to benefit the Boys and Girls Scouts and Habitat for Humanity, which used the lumber to make door frames for those in New York, Louisiana, India, and Brazil. As recently as 2007, the lights on the tree were switched to energy saving LEDs in an effort to go green. The decorations are important, but ultimately the tree must be perfect. By: Tori Rozell & Jaclyn Victor Page 7... Thanksgiving Dinner & Story of the Month Page 8... Bernie Set To Retire & Celebrity Look A-like Page 9... Getting to Know Our Teachers Page 10... Hunger Games Food Drive Page 1
Whats Happenin in the Halls What are your holiday traditions? To put up the Christmas tree with fam. What are your new year s resolutions? To be nicer to others. Jordan Bavitz What is your most memorable gift? Gift cards for food. Tyler Hanna What are your holiday traditions? Decorating the tree with my family. What are your new year s resolutions? Go to college next year, play college football. What is your most memorable gift? My deceased grandmother s necklace What are your holiday traditions? Putting the tree up and decorating it with my family. What are your new year s resolutions? To do better in school What is your most memorable gift? My computer! Brian Kotz Joe O Hara What are your holiday traditions? We set up the Christmas tree and put up either an angel or a star on top of the tree. What are your new year s resolutions? I don t really have any. What is your most memorable gift? I got a Nerf gun from my uncle Tony. Page 2
Hispanic Flamenco Ballet Every year, GNA hosts the Hispanic Flamenco Ballet for Spanish classes throughout our area. The dancers take you on a virtual tour of the history and culture from the Caribbean to South and Central America. During the show, the dancers dance the Tango and Salsa along with multiple other cultural dances. Throughout the show the singers ask and encourage the audience to sing along. At the end of the ballet, since this is an interactive show, select students are given tickets, and get the to opportunity to go up on stage, and dance with the cast. By: Noelle Race & Jaclyn Victor Emily Palacios: Meyers HIgh School What did you enjoy most about the ballet? The dancers were my favorite part of the ballet especially the flipping tango. It was awesome to experience the understanding and ideas of people s cultures. Mrs. Kelchner What did you enjoy most about the ballet? I enjoyed the fact that students were able to be exposed to different cultures. It s a great opportunity for students because there are bigger things than Nanticoke. Page 3
Rockefeller Christmas Tree How does the Rockefeller Center's garden manager select a tree that is dense enough to accommodate all the ornaments and short enough to fit under bridges as it s shipped to the city? He uses a helicopter to fly over the Northeast and conducts an aerial search. Most trees that were donated came from the East Coast. Interview with Erik Pauze Head Gardener for Rockefeller Center When does the tree hunting begin and where do you look? Throughout the year, as I travel around the Tri-State area to visit garden centers and nurseries, I ll detour along the back roads with the hopes of spotting the perfect Norway Spruce. How do you choose the state in which the tree comes from? We don t choose the state; we choose the perfect tree. How do you choose the tree? The tree needs to be tall at least 80 feet high and strong Next time you visit the Rockefeller Center and pose in front of the tree, remember how it all began. If it was not for a small group of construction workers who gathered at a muddy construction site when times were dark and uncertain, we would not have the opportunity to see the tree radiantly shimmer every year. enough to support the decorations 45,000 LED lights and the 550-pound Swarovski Star. It needs to be full and symmetrical. It s like picking your Christmas tree at home, except on a larger scale. Explain the process in getting the tree ready to be placed at Rockefeller Center? The decorating process takes about three weeks. Scaffolding is built around the tree to make it possible to easily climb it and string the lights around the branches, and the star is lifted in place by a crane. How does the tree get from its growing site to the Rockefeller Center? The tree is transported by flatbed truck. How long does the tree stay in the Rockefeller Center? The tree will remain at Rockefeller Center until January 7th. After all the festivities, what happens to the tree? Lumber from the tree will be donated to Habitat for Humanity to help build a home in Pennsylvania, the state where the tree came from. Are you the only one who makes the final decision of the tree or is there a group of individuals who decide? Several people look at the tree before it is chosen. Do you consider this your dream job? Yes, absolutely. How did you get the job for the Rockefeller Center? I applied and I got it - pretty straight forward! How long have you been working for the Rockefeller Center? Over 25 years. How does it feel to be choosing one of the most famous Christmas trees in the United States? It is great. My favorite part of the holiday season is when the Radio City Christmas Spectacular lets out and moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, walk their kids down to see the tree. Page 4
Athletes of the Month Maddy O Donohue With pride, Madeline Rose O Donohue plays field hockey, softball, and she swims, though softball will always be my favorite she says. She has been playing softball since she was 4 years old, field hockey since 6th grade, and she has been swimming since the 8th grade. Outside of school Madeline s athleticism is shown through her snowboarding abilities. She wants to attend college to study food science and play softball at an undecided alma mater. In 5 years, Maddy sees herself in a good job helping the environment. Any type of science would be my favorite subject, says O Donohue. Maddy draws most of her inspiration from her team. They encourage each other to do the best they can, and she states I would never want to let them down. Maddy has taken much advice from her coaches, peers, teachers, friends and family. She says the best advice she was ever given, and the most inspirational was never stop until your good is your better, and your better is your best. Madeline has had many accomplishments in her multiple sports, this year her field hockey team had an extremely successful season, winning more games in 1 season than in the past 2 seasons combined! Madeline will continue working as hard as she can to reach her ultimate goal of winning a district championship with her team by her side. When Madeline was asked about her favorite part of being a Nanticoke Trojan, she says doing my best to represent the name on the front of the jersey, and showing people what Nanticoke Trojans are capable of. Jordan Norton Jordan Elizabeth Norton proudly plays her favorite sport, soccer for Greater Nanticoke Area. Jordan has been playing soccer since she was 6 years old, and her dedication to the sport is shown on the field. Off the field, Jordan enjoys spending time with friends at Angelo s pizza and attending various other GNA sporting events. Academically, Norton s favorite subject is biology, and after high school she plans on attending Shippensburg University for Early Childhood Education, and may even play soccer for them. In 5 years Norton says she sees herself graduated from college, and owning my own place. Jordan draws her inspiration to succeed from her coach, who she says he knows what I m capable of, and always pushes me to do better. The best advice Norton was ever given was can t means you won t, and you can do whatever you set your mind to. As a senior, Norton lead her soccer team to playoffs, and finished the season with a winning record. She says, This is the first year the Lady Trojans have made it to playoffs since I ve been on the team. When asked of Jordan what her favorite part about being a Nanticoke Trojan was, she said The school spirit, and the cheering section at games. Page 5
Advice Column 9 Essential Skills for High School Students! By: Tonya Hill Time Management Balancing your school work, your after-school activities, and your free time is challenging. You need to be able to find a happy medium. Try a daily planner to jot down important events. Knowing important dates allows you to pace yourself. You don t want to find yourself overwhelmed at the last minute. This is the key to time management to see the value of every moment. Good Study Habits School work can be stressful. Set aside time throughout the week to look over your notes to prepare yourself for upcoming assignments and exams. Make sure you understand everything you learned. If you need assistance on certain topics, don t be afraid to ask for help. Seeing much, suffering much, and studying much are the three pillars of learning. Setting Goals As you are preparing for the world outside of high school, you have to set goals for yourself. Know what you want to achieve and what you want out of life. Start expanding your field of study and explore potential career options. If you set goals and go after them with all the determination you can muster, your gifts will take you places that will amaze you. Concentration Pay attention. Follow along with your lessons. Paying attention to detail will help you understand the topic. Again, if you still don t understand something, ask questions. No fine work can be done without concentration, self-sacrifice, toil, and doubt. Note Taking The roots of education are bitter, but the fruits are sweet. Completion of Assignments Knowing the lesson is only part of being a good student. To keep your grades up, make sure you complete all assignments given to you. Even if you are having a hard time, make an effort to finish it and then ask someone for help. Getting something wrong and being able to fix it is better than not trying at all. After all, practice makes perfect. Great ability develops and reveals itself increasingly with every new assignment. Organization Always be able to locate your work and your notes. Retain a planner to keep up to date on all of your assignments. Staying organized is easier if you have a binder, considering everything you may need will be in one place. In successful organization, no detail is too small to escape close attention. Motivation There is a fair share of obstacles that you will need to overcome during your high school career. Self-motivation will help you get through even the toughest subjects. Being motivated will help you succeed not only in school, but also in your future career. Motivation will almost always beat mere talent. Commitment Giving up should not be your way out and you may regret it in the long-run. Stick with it, even though it may be difficult. Stay committed and get the most out of your courses. The quality of a person s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor. It is impossible to write down everything the teacher will say during class. Pay attention to key elements and details. Don t forget to look over your notes. Page 6
THANKSGIVING DINNER On November 26, 2014 the GNA Life Skills students cooked a Thanksgiving Dinner together as a class. From decorating the ham with a smiley face to reading the back of a box for directions, they worked as a team. Mrs.Dennis originally planned a turkey dinner, but due to the early dismissal on Wednesday, the featured dish had to be ham. STORY OF THE MONTH Ten-year-old Riley Christensen and her mother, Lynn, were huddled in front of the family computer, checking out models and prices of bikes. Let s pick one out for Dad s birthday, Christensen suggested to her daughter. Special Delivery As Christensen scrolled down the home page of the Bike Rack, a shop in their town of St. Charles, Illinois, a video link for Project Mobility caught her eye. She clicked on it out of curiosity. The clip told how Bike Rack co-owner Hal Honeyman had created an organization to provide specially engineered bicycles to people with disabilities. It showed the happy faces of those who were now riding them accident victims, injured veterans, and children with disabilities, including Hal s own son, who had been born with cerebral palsy. Christensen was blown away by her daughter s effort, but doubts quickly emerged. The cost of just one of those special bikes could be as high as $4,000. Riley could never raise the money. Nonetheless, her letter went out to 75 relatives and friends. Within three days, checks and cash began arriving. Then word got around about Riley s campaign, and as Christmas neared, more and more donations rolled in. The teen ultimately raised more than $12,000, enough to pay for seven bikes. Last Christmas Eve, Riley pulled on a Santa hat and delivered the bicycles to three of the lucky kids: Ava, a 13-year-old girl with spina bifida; Jenny, a 15-year-old girl with cerebral palsy; and Rose, a 4-year-old girl with a rare genetic disorder. This is the best Christmas I ever had, said Riley. I m going to buy a bike for one of those kids, Riley told her mother. Two days later, she showed Christensen a letter she had written asking for donations: I think it s amazing for a guy to make bikes for kids who can t walk, the letter said. I saw how happy a boy was when he got one I m writing to ask for your help. She and Ava have since ridden together. When I ride, I like to go fast, get sweaty, and feel the breeze, Riley says. So does Ava. She pumps with her arms, not her feet, but she really flies. Riley is determined to keep her campaign going every holiday season. I want kids to feel the wind in their faces, she says. Page 7
Bernie Knorek Set to Retire What did you do before working at GNA? I worked many different jobs. How long have you worked at GNA? 16 years. When did you begin working in our cafeteria? 1996. What was it like working in a high school cafeteria every day? There were some good days and there were some bad days. What is your fondest memory from your days at Nanticoke? Seeing the children I served graduate. What will you miss most about GNA? The friends I made in the cafeteria (co-workers). What are you planning to do after you retire from GNA? I plan on enjoying my time by spending it with my granddaughters. Mr. Yenji Celebrity Look-Alike Ms. Muench Katey Downs Tyler Otero Mr. Incredible Tina Fey Rita Volk Deena Cortese Page 8
Getting to Know Our Teachers What is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you? The time I was in high school I accidentally set my backyard on fire while burning paper garbage. Do you have any pet peeves? If so, what are they? Littering. What are some of your hobbies? Cycling, hunting, fishing, and music. Mr. Mikulski As a child, what was your dream job? Since I was in high school I knew I wanted to be a teacher. What are your plans for the upcoming holidays? Relaxing with my family and hunting for Rabbits with my beagle, Miley. Do you have any New Year s resolutions? To ride my bike more often and commute to work on it more frequently Do you have any holiday traditions? If so, what are they? We get together and make pierogies. Then on Christmas Eve, we eat them and exchange presents. Mrs. Barrera What is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you? My sister and I were shopping for groceries. I picked up a cantaloupe from the shelf and they all rolled on to the floor! Do you have any pet peeves? If so, what are they? When people talk on their cellphones in restaurants and movie theaters. What are some of your hobbies? With three young girls at home I have very little time for hobbies. As a child, what was your dream job? I wanted to be a Veterinarian. What are your plans for the upcoming holidays? Celebrating my baby s first Christmas at home with family and friends. Do you have any New Year s resolutions? No, I do not. Do you have any holiday traditions with your family? If so, what are they? Going to the tree farm to cut our tree down and bringing it home to decorate. What was the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you? Unfortunately, this cannot be published! Do you have any pet peeves? If so, what are they? People not being productive. What are some of your hobbies? Exercising (gym 5ks), Art(Fine Art, Tattooing, Photography etc.),chess, movies, travel,learning about different cultures and playing Xbox 360. As a child, what was your dream job? I don t know that I had a dream job as a child; however, I used to do art a lot and play video games. What are your plans for the upcoming holidays? Relaxing and spending time with friends, family, and loved ones. Mr. Figlerski Do you have any New Year s resolutions? I really don t do New Year s resolutions per se, but as the year comes to a close most people are reflective of the past and past years. Introspection, as well as looking at the past in order to make a better or more productive New Year is the key. Do you have any holiday traditions with your family? If so, what are they? Eating together and sharing our gifts-socializing, etc. Page 9
Hunger Games Food Drive Greater Nanticoke Area seniors Jaclyn Victor and Eryn Rackham used their senior project as a chance to help out those in need. Jaclyn and Eryn s senior project was the Hunger Games Food Drive; their goal was to provide food for the homeless. They held a food drive for 2 weeks and bought breakfast for the homeroom that brought in the most cans. The winning homeroom was Mr. Manley s, and Eryn and Jaclyn bought them sanitary bakery donuts and orange juice. At the end of the two weeks, they collected a little over 400 cans total. Those cans were then donated to H and J Weinburg food bank. Jaclyn and Eryn helped feed the homeless with their senior project and in return felt good about themselves for helping out people less fortunate than them. Choosing to work hard and make a difference is more satisfying than taking the easy way and just putting forth the minimum effort needed. JACLYN VICTOR What sparked your interest in choosing this as your senior project? We wanted to choose a senior project that would present us with an opportunity to give back to the community, especially during the holiday season. Can you summarize the organizing/ planning that went into the Hunger Games Food Drive? We made and distributed flyers to promote the drive. Went around every week to each homeroom to collect and count the items. Packaged and transported the food to the pantry. Organized the breakfast for the winning homeroom. In your opinion, what is most rewarding about helping people in need? and our fellow classmates is one of the most rewarding experiences anyone could have. ERYN RACKHAM What were your expectations or goals of your senior project? Are you satisfied with the end result? My expectations were pretty high with our food drive and I thought we would receive a little over 500 cans but we received overall 400 cans. The end result was spectacular and I am so glad we received the amount we did. How would you describe the purpose/ importance of your senior project? Most people usually try to think of something easy to do so they don t have to do much work, but in our case we wanted to help people and give back especially during the holiday season. Do you feel that buying breakfast for the homeroom that brought the most cans was a good incentive to get students to become involved and help feed the homeless? Why did you choose to donate the cans to H and J Weinburg food bank? I feel that buying a breakfast for the homeroom that won was a good incentive because when you give something to a person or a group that motivates them it seems you will receive more cans. It is also a good idea because it is great to have people help the homeless especially when you get a whole school to get involved. We chose to donate the cans to H and J Weinburg food bank because they help many people especially during the holidays, they are very well known and they are a huge facility. There are many people that need assistance with providing food for their families. Although we can t help everyone, knowing that we did our part and that families will have a nice meal to come home to because of the effort put forth by ourselves Page 10
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The GNA Insider Wishes all GNA Students, Faculty, Administration, and Staff a Happy and Safe Holiday! Let s Make 2015 A Great Year!