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MR. LAMBERT TALKS TO GRADE 8 STUDENTS TAKING COMPUTER CLASS |
By Cynthia D. Davis School-Based Coordinator
On February 1, 2007, a special visitor was warmly welcomed by Mrs. Pinheiro’s Computer Literacy/ Keyboarding class. Scott Lambert, Associate Professor of Information Technology at New England Institute of Technology spoke to 6th, 7th, and 8 grade students about game development.
First, Mr. Lambert described various jobs and tasks in game development: programmers (sound, Internet, graphics); Foley mixers (sound technicians); artistic designers (backgrounds, characters, weapons, ships, animations). Very quickly, he caught the attention of the class when he said that a game developer can be “lazy” and get paid very well. Mr. Lambert explained that if you are “lazy”, you will work very hard to learn how the computer thinks so that you can find ways to teach the computer to do the work for you. You are trained to work “smart” and to be the computer’s boss. Many students smiled when he said that often the “laziest” workers are the most efficient.
He went on to say that New England Tech offers a 2 year Associates Degree in Game Development and Simulation Programming which prepares students to be Beta Testers. Mainly, Beta Testers test programs and report problems to be resolved. NEIT also offers a 4 year Bachelor Degree which prepares students to become programmers who create good programs/games. Salaries increase dramatically with a Bachelor Degree. Before applying to schools which offer game development, Mr. Lambert recommended students take high school math (algebra and geometry) and art. More advanced game development may require more advanced math.
Students were very surprised to hear that Mr. Lambert knows 21 languages…computer languages… including “ Binary”, “BASIC”, and JAVA. Also of interest were the specialized controllers which he passed around. These included steering wheels and flight controls.
If you like challenges, solving problems, and playing games, you might find game development enjoyable and fun. However, often, there are deadlines requiring game developers to work long hours.
Also, since programming languages change often, game developers need to enjoy technology enough to keep up with the changes, increasing their knowledge through reading and/or taking courses.
Many students were on the edge of their seats when Mr. Lambert showed a moving plane and a target on a screen and then, challenged students to recommend changes if this were part of a game. When they observed that the plane was too slow, he demonstrated the principle of speeding up an object in a program by physically sliding from floor tile to floor tile. He also asked students to count by 2’s to demonstrate how to increase his speed and the speed of the plane.
Students enjoyed Mr. Lambert’s honesty about being “lazy”, about loving to play games, and about the hard but rewarding work involved in game development.
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THE BOSTON MUSEUM OF SCIENCE FIELD TRIP |
By Betty A.
If you had gone on this field trip, I bet you would think it would be fun. I know I did, and I was right. I even took pictures, but I haven’t run out of film yet. So I am going to tell you what I did on the field trip. My chaperon was Mrs. Salisbury, my English teacher. She took us to see the heart and lungs of a sheep. It was very cool. My buddy Ana and I actually touched it. It was very sticky because they put alcohol all over it so it doesn’t deteriorate. I thought that was very cool. Then we all went to the electricity show. It was cool. We then all watched a movie about the human body which was awesome. Well that’s all I am going to say about the field trip the 8th graders took to the Boston Museum of Science.
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RW SCHOOL STORE B6A |
SCHOOL STORE HOURS
Monday – Friday 7:30 A.M. – 8:00 A.M.
Students must return to the cafeteria after visiting the school store in the morning. Failure to adhere to this rule may result in the closing of the school store.
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Mr. Ruggieri’s Return Visit |
By Ms. Davis
On November 14, 2006, Ralph Ruggieri, vice-president of Ruggieri Bros. visited Mrs. Gray’s 6th grade bilingual math class to describe the job of a floor covering installer. He returned on November 28 to present students with an actual problem which they might face on this job.
First, he showed them a blueprint of the new high school being built on Adelaide Avenue. Students were fascinated to learn what lines and curves indicated doors and stairways and that “tlt” stood for toilet. They were excited to be able to identify the cafeteria and the gym.
After reviewing such shapes as rectangles, pentagons, hexagons, octagons, and trapezoids, he told students that when contracting to provide floor covering for a home, he charged more money if the shape of a room was other than a square or a rectangle. Students laughed when he asked them if anyone lived in a circular house.
Next, he asked students to draw any shape or the shape of a room in their house. Then, he asked students to measure the length and width of the shape and to determine the area needing covering. They were particularly challenged in measuring the shape to scale, using 1/8 of an inch as being equal to 1 foot. They were grateful for Mrs. Gray’s translation which helped them understand this problem.
At the end of the class, Ms. Davis asked which students, based on Mr. Ruggieri’s visits, might like to become an installer, architect, or engineer. 9 students out of 24 expressed their interest.
Students said that they had enjoyed Mr. Ruggieri’s visit because of the new information he brought including some tools of the trade (samples of carpeting and tiles, tape measures, blueprint), and the fact that he was kind, friendly, and patient. They also appreciated the donuts!
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MEETING WITH A GHOST |
Student Story
By Lydia Ramirez
Do you like haunted houses? What would you do if you lived in one?
I lived in a haunted house before. One night when I was about eight years old I had a bad meeting with a ghost. It was really late. I had been asleep for about two hours. I was sleeping then I was awakened. I heard something saying “Lydia…Lydia…Lydia.” in a deep and scratchy voice. I opened my eyes and sat up. I saw a red floating face like as devil. It had pointy ears. There was no body. I was screaming in my head but my lips wouldn’t move as if I was stuck in ice. I froze there for a minute or two. It stopped calling my name. All it did was make moaning sounds. The head floated in the doorway between the living room and my bedroom. After I unfroze, I stuck my head under the covers and stayed there. I was shaking because I was so nervous. I didn’t move or speak. I was scared and after a while that felt for ever. I lifted the covers just a little and looked at the clock to see if my mom was up yet. It said 6:00 o’clock. My mom was on her way in to check on me. I told her what had happened. She looked at me as if I was a crazy woman. She said that I probably just had a scary dream. She thinks I didn’t see it, but I knew that I had just had my first scary meeting with a ghost. I will never forget my experience with a ghost. I never want to see a ghost again--at least not when I’m alive.
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Student Story |
By Betty A.
Once upon a time there was a princess named Rose. Some say she was the fairest rose of her kind. When she was just a child a witch appeared and put a spell on the young princess. While she was growing up the curse grew stronger. Every night on a full moon she would become the most glorious white wolf, but on other nights she became the most hideous creature on the earth. Her parent’s had died because of the curse. She was always young and beautiful but yet so lonely because of the curse. Every one she loved had died because of the curse. Then finally she went to see the Indian witch doctor to find out what was wrong with her. The witch doctor had to only look at her to answer all she was going to ask him. He told her that he can only do one thing to help her. He had told her that he had to kill the demon half of her which had tremendous strength. Then he gave her the real bad news which was that he was to old and was still needed there. So then she asked him, “Is there no help for me sir?” he said that he had a son who was a great worrier who could help her. He gave her the directions to meet his son. She had followed his directions. It was a long journey but every night was a full moon so she had gotten there quicker. But there was a problem. She knew that when she got there she might kill him. Finally the night came. When she got there, a big fight started, and then the next thing she remembered was waking up. He told her that everything was going to be okay. He told her he had won the battle and her new name was white wolf. You can hear her lovely howl in the rain forest where she lives peacefully until the trouble started, but that’s a different story. |
6TH GRADE STUDENTS STUDY THE GENRE OF MEMOIR |
During the first quarter of the year, Ms. Healey’s English classes studied the genre of memoir. In addition to reading numerious memoirs, the students also analyzed the elements of the genre. Then the students produced a memoir of their own during writer’s workshop. Here are a few of the memories that matter and the moments that moved us! Enjoy.
High and Scary
By: Sunshine Thao
Have you ever slid down a high and scary water slide? I have! I will never forget that slide because it was fun and scary.
One hot, sticky afternoon in New Hampshire, my family and I went to a water park called “The Whales Tales.” My dad and I went on the highest and scariest water slide.
I remember that we had to climb forty two steps to reach the top. I was tired climbing all those steps. When I got to the top my legs were shaking because I was so scared, nervous and shaking on the way down. Half way down my heart beat fast. I felt like I was flying. I had butterflies in my stomach. In that moment, the speed made the wind kick my face, and I could not breathe. I screamed “AHH! AHH! IT’S TOO HIGH I’M SCARED!” Then everything stopped. I tried to stand up, but my legs were so weak, as a new born baby.
I sat down on the bench next to the water slide, to wait for my dad. As he came down I felt dizzy. Although that slide is high, and scary I would ride it again. Plus the trip was also a gift from my dad. If I have good luck, I’ll wish to go back to “The Whales Tales.”
Hill of Doom!
By: Thalya E. Matos
One day I decided to go rollerblading with my mom. She was walking but I was rollerblading. We left the house. I started to skate to Roger Williams Park. I was so busy talking to my mom that when I looked down I saw a huge hill!
I felt my heart beating against my chest as if my heart was rolling down the hill on its own. I was sweating because I was terrified. I also felt like my eyes got wider. I panic so much that I didn’t notice my feet rolling so fast that I felt as if I were flying. I started screaming and hollering. I calmed down a little and I closed my eyes. I was saying, “please don’t let me fall.”
When I open my eyes I had goose bumps all over my body. Because I have saw a stick. It was to late to move I tripped over the stick! I went face first to the ground. I had bruises and cuts all over my body. I felt hot and red and my cuts sting a lot. I didn’t say a word at all. Because I was probably shocked. My bruises eventually got better. But after that I can’t believe I went skating again.
Mystery in the Woods
By. Asia Perry
One day I and my two friends went snake hunting for a scary show. When we went in the woods we ended up hearing a noise. We thought it was us but it wasn’t. Then we saw something move. We assumed it was a snake. Wrong again!
The sound got closer so I grabbed a stick. My friend did the same. Then we went more in and closer to each other, hoping it wasn’t anything bad. Then we heard a whistle and it wasn’t a good one either, so we kept saying “who’s there”. Of course there was no answer so we just kept walking.
Then we heard laughing, a familiar one too. But when we looked nothing was there. We kept walking. We were scared and didn’t know what was happening. Then somebody or something was calling our names in a whisper, “Asia, Christine, Monica”. “Where are you?” We screamed so loud, “ahahahaha!” we didn’t have a clue to what was going on so when I closed my eyes for about thirty seconds, I opened them and my friends were gone. That got me really, really scared because I was by myself.
Then I kept calling their names, “Monica, Christine where are you?” Then I heard something calling my name. That gave me the creeps I just kept on walking further and further into the foggy woods. I couldn’t see anything; I kept swinging the stick I had. Then something poked my arm.
I screamed so loud I heard somebody say “shut up” and it sounded like one of Christine’s annoying brothers “David”, I said “yeah?” he said. What are you doing here?” Pulling a prank” He said. “That whole thing was a prank?” I asked. Christine and Monica were in on it too they knew what was going on. It was my friends do everything. How rude!
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