A few of their favorite things (2008)

            What was the best part of 2008? It depends on the person.

          The staff of the Cunniff Kids News asked many people -- students, teachers, family, and friends -- one question: “What was your favorite thing that happened in 2008?”

          Here are some of their answers:

 

          “My vacation at Moosehead Lake and electing a new president.” -- Shannon K., aunt

          “My favorite part of 2008 was going to the Cape with my friends.” -- Barbara P., computer software teacher

          “My trip to Washington, D.C.” -- Tom P., writer

          “Getting ‘Speed Racer.’ ” -- Tim P., preschool student

          “Staying up late to see the Fourth of July fireworks.” -- Mairead W.,  Grade 2

          “Seeing a hail storm/snow in July ... Bumping into Mayor Menino at Chinese New Year.” -- Patrick W., Grade 4

          “Going with friends to Chinatown.” -- Tatum L., Grade 4

          “Camping on Cape Cod.” -- Eileen W., teacher

          “Seeing Santa Claus.” -- Chris B.

          “Going to Santa’s Village.” -- Andy W.

          “Going to school.” -- Danielle P., Grade 1

          “My nephew, Brody, being born.” -- Margaret P., mother

          “Getting my puppy. ... I like my puppy because it’s cute, smart, and fuzzy.” -- Alex S., Grade 3

          “Starting a new job.” -- Betsy, nurse.

          “Graduating from nursing school.” -- Stephanie, nurse.

          “Graduating from the Police Academy.” -- Mike, police officer

          “Getting my driver’s license.” -- Dairen

          “Dyanne ended preschool.” -- Damaris B.

          “Dyanne started kindergarten.” -- David B.

          “Playing soccer.” -- Dyanne B.

          “My soccer team was undefeated ... I also liked having a chance of getting to run around playing [this summer] instead of staying home and doing absolutely nothing at all, all day.” -- Christopher S., Grade 6

          “Going to Mexico to see my parents ... I liked when we went to Vera Cruz and when we went swimming in a beautiful hotel with a pool, and going across the street, all together, to the beach.” -- Paulina S., mother

          “When I went up to New Hampshire with my friends.” -- Rebecca C., Grade 6

          “Going to Greece in the summer.” -- Elizabeth A., Grade 4

          “Going to Lazer Zone for my friend Elizabeth’s party.” -- Shannon M., Grade 4

          “Barak Obama winning the election. It was good to see some change in the country.” -- Patty M., manager

          “I got engaged.” -- Danika J., teacher

 

-Jan. 8, 2009-

 

     

Holiday shopping at WMS 

By JULIA F.

Cunniff Kids News staff reporter

     On Wednesday Dec. 3 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Watertown Middle School there will be a holiday shopping night.

     There will be handmade jewelry, toys, candles, and more on sale.

     There will also be pizza, baked goods, raffles, and door prizes -- and don’t missing seeing a performance from Nicole’s Studio of Dance!

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Cunniff principal draws raffle winners 

      If you are Deb or George, you can thank Stephen Billhardt for making you a winner.

     Mr. Billhardt, principal of the Cunniff School, selected the winners of the Afterschool Raffles Sept. 30 in the school’s library.

     Deb won two tickets to the Red Sox playoff game Sunday Oct 5 at Fenway Park. George won two luxury box seats to watch a Bruins game this season.

     “I was nervous and excited,” said Mr. Billhardt about picking the winning tickets -- even though he didn’t buy any.

     “I didn’t jump into the action,” he said.

     Almost 1,000 raffle tickets were sold -- 626 for the Red Sox and 363 for the Bruins. The raffles raised $754 for the afterschool programs at the Cunniff and Watertown Middle School.

     Tickets were only sold for a week. They were supposed to be sold at the Watertown Faire on the Square Sept. 27, but the Faire was canceled because of rain. Instead, Cunniff and Middle School students helped sell tickets at the Watertown Stop & Shop on Pleasant Street.

     (Story reported and written by Cunniff Kids News staff reporters Denisse C., Taylor N., Leslie K., Owen G., Meagan K., Jie Sen L., Tia P., Beth P., Emari S., Renee S., Isabella V., Elizabeth A., Julia F., Ryan L., and Jia Yi L.)
     -30-

 

 

Sox, Bruins fans take chance on kids

     Have you ever been to a Red Sox playoff game or sat in a luxury box to watch the Bruins?
     Well this is your chance.
     Two raffles are being held to raise money for the afterschool programs at the Cunniff School and the Watertown Middle School. Tickets are $1 each and $20 buys 25 chances. 
     The grand prize for one raffle is a pair of tickets to a Red Sox playoff game at Fenway Park. The big prize in the second raffle is a pair of seats in a luxury box at TD Banknorth Garden to watch the Bruins play.   
     Tickets will be sold at the Cunniff School PTO table at Watertown's Faire on the Square Sept. 27, and are available for the next week through John Vitti, advisor for the Cunniff Kids News. 
     The two winning raffle tickets will be drawn in the newsroom of the Cunniff Kids News Sept. 30. 
     To buy tickets or for information on the raffle, send an email to vitti@rcn.com.
     (Story reported and written by Cunniff Kids News staff reporters Denisse C., Taylor N., Owen G., Meagan K., Jie Sen L., Tia P., Beth P., Emari S., Renee S., Isabella V., Elizabeth A., Julia F., Jessica M., Ryan L., Jia Yi L., and TJ P.)
     -30-

  

----------------------------------Archive 2007-08 -------------------------------------

 

Dogs and cats and ... horses? Oh my!

      Would you believe that people at the Cunniff School have more horses for pets than guinea pigs?
     Well it’s true.
     The Cunniff Kids News took a poll of 42 students, parents, teachers and staff and 30 of them said they had pets. Dogs were the most popular (15 people have a total of 19 dogs), followed by cats (10 people, 13 cats), and fish (7 people, dozens of fish). People said they also had bunnies (4), horses (2), hamsters (1), guinea pigs (1), and parakeets (1).
     The pets have some interesting names. Danny, a fifth-grader, has a bunny named Pancake; Judy Kearney, who teaches first grade, has a dog named Duncan; Megen, a second-grader, has a dog named Freckles; and one of the parents has a hamster named Bubbles, who is very fat and eats peanut butter.
     The pets came from many different places. Pancake lives with Molly, a chocolate Lab, who was adopted from a rescue shelter.
     The pets are kept in different places, depending on the animal. Pancake sleeps outside in a cage. Matthew, a first-grade, has a dog named Ella who stays in the back yard. Second-grade teacher Elizabeth Uccello has a cat named Zoe who stays inside.
     Not everybody polled had a pet, but some of them said they wanted one. For example, Mena Ciarlone, a fourth-grade teacher, and Olivia, a student, both said they wanted a dog.
     (Story reported and written by Cunniff Kids News staff reporters Emilee M., Kaitie M., Charlotte V., Robert K., Tommy S., Derek S., Dylan S., Brian A., Shannon M., Ryan O., Kaitlyn R., Fatima B., Timmy C., Matt D., David K., Jie Sen L., Tia P., Devin S., Renee S., Elizabeth A., Catherine C., Angela M., Yassmine B., Ryan L., Rose M., and Katelynn O.)
   -30-
 

Snacks offer taste of Cunniff's diversity

     Every student at the Cunniff School has snack time, but not every student eats the same thing.
     In a survey by Cunniff Kids News reporters, it was found that students ate a wide variety of snacks. Some of the students ate, for example, apples, grapes, potato chips, pretzels, Starburst, chocolate chip cookies, Girl Scout cookies, Cheez-its, Pirate’s Booty, Nilla Wafers, and Goldfish.
     Even Mrs. Mandile, the second-grade teacher, recently had Irish soda bread for snack.
     In the survey, the Cunniff Kids News found that no group of students – by gender, classroom, or grade – ate the same snacks.
     But one thing seemed the same for most everyone: the students ate what their parents packed for them.
     Students sometimes forget their snack. Leslie K., a third-grader, forgot hers recently, but a friend offered a choice of hers to share.
     “The other snack was going to be a brownie, but I didn’t want to take it from [her],’’ said Leslie, who instead chose to eat her friend’s Oreos.
     (Story reported and written by Cunniff Kids News staff reporters Aimee B., Kaitie M., Charlotte V., Jason H., Stephen S., Shannon M., Ryan O., Katherine L., Tia P., Renee S., Isabella V., Shannon H., Aidan D., Ryan L., and Katelynn O.)
-30-

 

Cunniff School newspaper gets name

     A new online newspaper at the Cunniff School was launched Dec. 5, but it needed a name. The newspaper staff asked each class to vote for a name this week. The winner was Cunniff Kids News.
     Thirteen classes voted for the names they liked best, and seven voted for Cunniff Kids News. Cunniff Chronicle, Cunniff Globe, and Cunniff Times each got two votes.
     The reporters, students from first to fifth grade, interviewed many people for names for the newspaper. They talked to students, teachers, family members, and friends.
     Some of the names that didn't make the final four were Cunniff Herald, Cunniff Flower, and Cunniff Hannah Montana.
     (Story reported and written by Cunniff Kids News staff reporters Austin F., Jillian M., Matt M., Charlotte V., Rachel Q., Michelle A., Rachel A., Daniel D., Lauren P., Frederick P., Isabella V., Julia F., and Luke M.)
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