Greta Luf, MVM Student Council President, gave us an update on the Student Council food drive at MVM. On Dec. 18th a little over 1300 canned and other food items were delivered to CHP in Great Barrington. The people at CHP were very grateful because the supplies at the food pantry were getting low. They said it was a substantial amount. They wanted us to know that hunger is a bigger issue in Great Barrington than many people might realize, and that sometimes 30 people a day come in who need food, some of them for families.
Mrs. Rueger's homeroom collected the most food for the drive with 166 items, and Mrs. Malone-Smith's came in second with 142. Thanks to all the students and teachers who contributed. Paige and Bailey recently asked this question to students and teachers. Here are some of the answers they got.
Elana D. No, because education is a privilege. Mr. Naventi: No, who will for for it? Elsa L: If you get paid for good grades, you will be focused on good grades. Damari: Yes, because teachers get paid to teach so we should get paid to learn. It is much more work to learn than to teach. Antonia: Yes, because students work hard and it can help us in life. Rafer: Yes because we can get things with the money. Mrs. Cormier: No, because education is a gift, it's something to better your life. Where would we get the money? Dakota: No because school is where you go to learn. Niki: Yes, it will influence them and help them with college. Connor: No, school is a privilege not a job. Emi S: Students should not, because it would be like a bribery. Mrs. Arnold: No, it is not a job, we give kids the benefit of an education. Do kids only want to do something for a prize? Jacob: No, learn just to get the knowledge. Ravjeet: No, a waste of money! No money for smarts! Juliana L: No, because it is our education, not a job. Marti C: No, it's our duty. Stella B: No, because you should go to school. Julian B: That's a stupid idea... Mrs. Ramsay: No, because they are already paid by having teachers, materials, and a great building. Destiny: We are here to learn. Mrs. Eline: No Anna S: Yes, because they work hard for nothing. They should get something. Emily M: Yes, it takes up our free time. Bella: No, it's a natural thing. MacKenzie: Yes, because it would help with students buying supplies. Evie: No, because the government could use the money from paying kids to go to school for better schools, and it is already a privilege to go to school, because in some countries some kids can't go to school. Zoe: It might be a deduction from teachers' salaries.
Some fifth grade students are participating in the Stock Market Game. In this activity, you control an investment portfolio individually, or with a partner. Recently, all students were encouraged by Mrs. Astion to enter in the “Investwrite” competition. The main task was to write an essay about a stock, bond, or mutual fund that would benefit the community, and improve your portfolio. Students had to think about companies that impacted their daily lives. During this process, students strived for success and perfection until they accomplished their goal. Their effort paid off when the majority of their essays got accepted in the competition. These are just 3 of the many amazing essays that students persevered to write. TESLA (TSLA) by Julian Beadell Is Tesla a good investment for our community? I think so. I am an investor who invests in companies which will benefit other people. I chose Tesla Motor Company because I wanted to invest in a company that does not just benefit my community but the world. Tesla is developing an all electric, environmentally friendly, zero CO2 producing car that does not rely on finite natural resources. Tesla was founded in 2003 by Elon Musk, with the mission to accelerate the advance of sustainable transportation, and to bring sustainable engine development to the masses. His first goal was to build a car that was not reliant on a non-sustainable natural resource such as fossil fuel. To do so he needed to invent a battery that would store enough energy to run a car for 240 miles. He also had to invent a way to make the car lighter. The reason why he did this was because the battery was so heavy he needed to offset the battery weight with the weight of the car body. He did this by building the car out of aluminium, a very light metal. He also used his engineering knowledge from the Space X program to incorporate other weight saving materials. The first car he built was the Tesla Roadster in 2009, which was the most expensive model with a base price of $109,000.00. Since 2008 Tesla has sold more than 2,400 Roadsters in 31 countries, up to September 2012 when they stopped production, because the cost of making the car was too high and the profit was too low. The second car he produced was the model S, a fully electric luxury sedan, which came into production in 2012 and has a base price of $69,900.00 and has a driving range of up to 270 miles. Total global sales passed 90,000 units by October 2015. Generating approximately $2 billion per year in gross revenue.The third car in production is the model X, a sport utility vehicle that comes standard with all-wheel drive and a 90 kWh battery providing 250 mile range. The base price is $80,000.00. The model X is the safest SUV on the market, with a five-star rating in all categories (6.5% chance of injury). The estimated delivery is in latter half of 2016. One of his long term goals is to produce an electric distribution grid for recharging his cars. One of the benefits of owning a Tesla is free electricity from one of the many charging stations in the US. To support this, Elon Musk started Solar City (SCTY) with the mission to redesign how electricity is created. He did this by manufacturing low cost solar panels and selling or leasing them to the public. Now one can have solar panels on their home for very little up front costs and additional power can either be sold to back to the grid or stored in one of Elon Musk wall battery packs. As far as my Stock Market Game profile my investment partners and I were trying to invest in stocks that would maximize short term return. Our game span is only seven months (September - April). When we started, Tesla stock was at $262.25 and by 11/27/2015 it is at $231.61. Looking at Tesla's financial statement I was able to find out that their costs were increasing and gross revenues are decreasing. In addition their research and development costs are increasing, with a total $667,222 between 2014-Q4 and 2015-Q3. Leading to a total net income loss of $675,895.00 for the last 52 weeks . At this point in in time it is not a good short term investment as the share price appears to include all the long term goals of the company and not where the company is today. Tesla is a good long term investment for our community. Today most transportation is reliant on fossil fuel. We know that is not a sustainable resource. So eventually when the supply of gasoline diminishes and demand increases, the price will become so high that electric cars will become everyday transportation. In order for Tesla to become more successful as a company, it needs to develop a less expensive car. Currently, the average price of a new car is $33,543. The Tesla Model S is $69,900. In 2017 Tesla is planning on introducing a car which will have a base price of $35,000 with range of 200 miles. More people will be able to choose Tesla instead of a traditional gasoline car. It is my opinion, that Tesla is more than just a financial investment, it is an investment in our future. Google by Lili Sprague The stock I have selected to write about is Alphabet Inc. (Ticker: GOOG), also known as the company “Google”. Google’s trading value as of November 23, 2015 was $755.98. This is the value (amount of money) for one share of the company. The trading value determines how much money you are spending when you buy shares of a company to improve your portfolio, or to expand it. At the beginning of 2015, Google’s trading value was $524.81 per share. This shows that Google has gained over $200 since the start of the year. Google has benefited our lives in many ways. This company produces technology. Google’s technology products and innovations provide information, entertainment, education, self-driving cars and more. Their technology facilitates access to education and communication. Google’s technology also allows people to communicate from 5 people to 5 million people. The educational component of this kind of communication is accessed by using the “Google Classroom” app. Google’s technology products have been developed over many years. They have invented not just everyday things like computers, but innovations such as delivery robots that will carry packages to your own front door. Google has shown success with their current products, but are also developing new and interesting products to that should keep them successful in the future. Google also does a lot for the community. From 2010 to the present time, Google has invested $40 million to expand school coding programs. They have also donated technology products and resources to make access to education easier. Another example of Google contributing money towards a good cause is when they offered technology to children and adults living in Africa through the “One Laptop Per Child” program. Through this program, Google is helping to give children in Africa hope and a better future with communication and education. I have included Google in my portfolio because this company produces technology that is used worldwide. Their technology is used for business, health, and education. Google’s technology has inspired others to invent and innovate in many new ways. Google is a unique and widely known company. Google has become so well-known, people even use the phrase “Googling” or “Google that” when searching something on the internet. Overall, Google is a worldwide company always looking to the future for possibilities held in the depth of technology. Considering all stocks can sometimes be volatile, it might even be risky buying shares of Google, but I still think it’s worth it. If your portfolio isn’t diversified, or if you haven’t invested in the technology market, Google is a great stock in which to invest your money. This company is good for a long-term investment. As of December 7, 2015 Google has gained an estimated amount of $2,000 for my portfolio over the months I have owned it. Although Google is close to one of its highest trading values, which is currently $755.98 per share, it’s unlikely for the price to immediately plummet. The company’s value has steadily gone up over time. I think investing your money in the technology sector, or better yet, purchasing Google, is a great decision and will be good for investments and good for the global and local community. The Stock Market Game by Tyler Sprague One stock that I would advise investing in is Apple (AAPL). As of 4pm on 11/30/15, it’s Nasdaq real time price and trading value was 118.30. It’s 52wk range was 92.00-134.54. It’s volume is 30,586,579. Apple is currently in my Stock Market portfolio and it has been a somewhat volatile stock. It has been kind of risky since we have about 1/3 of our portfolio invested in Apple, but we are in it for the long run and we have been willing to take risks. So far it has helped us increase the value of our portfolio, and I hope it will continue to do the same. Apple was one of the first stocks our team selected. I know it is a great company that is very capable of making money. I also selected it because it is a trustworthy company and it designs really cool, fascinating and desirable electronics. Also, it is a successful forward thinking company that as of January 2015, has sold over one billion iOS devices around the world. Apple benefits our community in many ways. Recently Apple donated $50 million to California for Stanford’s hospitals. With that money they are building a new main building and a new children’s hospital. Apple has been a very involved industry in our community and our growth in the world. This is something that ethical, community minded investors are interested in. The fact that it also makes money is a win-win and gets me one step closer to winning in the financial market. If Apple did not exist we would be much poorer in terms of technology and communication. Sure, we would still have devices like Blackberrys and Androids, but Apple takes it to a different level. Apple has given us the ability to call faster, text easier, play a huge variety of games, and it helps you with everyday things too like the Calculator, Stopwatch, Notes & Reminders. If we did not have modern technology, we would have a lot less access to things like productivity tools, apps and global information like the weather that we have today. Apple has changed and improved so many everyday things in the world that have really strongly improved the world as a unit. For my investing team and I , trust and believe that Apple will be a great stock and will continue making us money. Apple was incorporated on January 3, 1977. Their founder, Steve Jobs and his partners have been working very hard with improving technology from 1977 to present time today. In 2001 Apple made the iPod music player which turned out to be very successful. In 2003 they came out with the iTunes music store which gave people the ability to listen downloaded music on their phone for free. Apple’s market cap,(a market cap is the total market value of the shares outstanding of a publicly traded company; it is equal to the share price times the number of shares outstanding) is larger than Google’s and Microsoft’s market cap combined. Every time an investor decides to invest in Apple, it brings my partners and me a little closer to winning the Stock Market Game. It has been a lot of fun doing the Stock Market game and it has taught me many things that I hope never to forget. When I am older, I will put some real money into the Stock Market. When I do, I am confident that Apple will still be highly competitive and as successful as a company that they are today because I will definitely be looking for a great stock like this one. On Saturday Dec. 19th two groups of students spent time at the Winter Farmer's Market at MVM to raise money for good causes.
Fifth graders Zoe, Lili, Dahlia, Aria, and Evie designed and printed greeting cards, origami boxes, and bookmarks to raise money for the World Wildlife Fund and the Berkshire Humane Society. "It took a lot of hard work and dedication." says the group. "We couldn't have done it without the generous donations from family and friends.That day they raised over $400 for animals in need."We want to give back to our earth that provides so much for us, it's the least we can do." It was a great experience for them and they hope to have more opportunities like this.They prove that anyone of any age can make a difference. by Evie, Aria, Dahlia, Zoe and Lili Grade 8 students were in the cafeteria selling hot chocolate and face-painting for their Spain trip in June. In the sixth grade ELA, Ms.Cormier is teaching us about adversity and how to overcome it. So far we’ve learned about Tourette's Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Synesthesia, OCD, Anxiety, PTSD, Down Syndrome, Congenital Amputation, and we will soon begin Autism. These are all known as disabilities. Our teacher Ms.Cormier taught us that thinking of these conditions as challenges is a much more correct way to think about them.
Ms.Cormier has taught us about these conditions in a way that has us understanding almost how it feels to have one of these challenges in a way that has kids sharing about their own challenges or having kids come in and talk about their Tourettes or Cerebral Palsy. She has created a safe and accepting environment that we, all of her students, can learn and grow in. Thank you Ms.Cormier for creating such a unique and happy environment! -Maya, Paige, and Bailey On December 23rd, the day before vacation, the 7th grade staff will be holding an 80's day. Everybody can dress up and run for the best 80's costume. There will be prizes for the best costume. Some ideas for the students include big crimped hair, high ponytails, and leg warmers, (for girls.) For the guys, skinny ties, combs in the back pocket, and pop collars.
Madame Elliott spoke to us about 80's day and how she feels about it. Back in the OLD DAYS, she starts with, they would always have a party before Christmas, celebrating the Christmas spirit with junk food. Now in the 21st century, times have changed, and more people are celebrating other religious holidays. Madame wanted a celebration that didn't involve only one religion. It's not just for the religious reasons, its so the students and teachers can celebrate something we can all participate in. As the teachers get older, we'll hire younger teacher that haven't lived in the 80's. So, its now now or never to celebrate these moments in history of differences and diversity. And as Bob Dylan said, "The times they are a changin." A tree has roots
And a building Has a foundation People may say that life is like a building With levels And a strong foundation But that's wrong Because break a building's foundation The whole building is done for Life is like a tree No matter how many times A tree gets hit it still has it's roots No matter how many times You get knocked down You still have something To grow off of. Ms.Oakley’s sixth grade extremely advanced, lovely, silly, happy, bright, and colorful D-period class has been working on Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots program. The goal is to improve our community. There are several groups in our class such as Bumberfly, which is a team that is working to plant gardens to attract bumblebees and butterflies. Our group is Gnaws For a Cause, we are trying to raise money for the Berkshire Humane Society and raise awareness about how kill shelters are wrong. Check back for updates for more information about Gnaws for a Cause.
Monument Valley students will be participating in the 2015 Hour of Code. The Hour of Code is a one hour activity where students from kindergarten up can chose from a variety of different tutorials that show students how to create their own programming system. Coding helps students with problem solving and to understand the technology that is constantly changing in our world today. Here are a few facts on the Hour of Code and how it is impacting us today, one in every three children have tried the Hour of code, more girls have tried computer science than in the last 70 years, over 100 million students have participated at 77,000 Hour of Code events world wide. All grades will be going to the computer lab during their science period, the fifth grade will be going Thursday the 17th, for sixth grade Monday the 21st, the seventh grade will be coding on Friday the 18th, eighth grade is coding on Tuesday the 22nd.
On December 3rd and 4th, the 8th grade French class held a mini market. At their market, the students made things to sell, and advertised them in French. Other teachers, along with their students attended the sale. It sounds very enjoyable to me, but see for yourself in the photos below.
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