The Jigsaw

October, 2008 Student Newsletter

Split Lunch
By Michael Mahoney, Grace Baldwin & Chelsea Nguyen

Everyone knows that this is the first year that the split lunch policy has been in effect at Hamilton.  It is only in effect for the 6th and 7th graders though, and many people are wondering why.

We interviewed both 6th and 7th graders about this subject, and got a mostly negative response. A random class of 6th graders all said they didn't like it. One said, "We don't get that much time to eat. We only have a set time and then we have to go out right away. And if you get hot lunch, the time you get to eat is even less." 7th graders didn't like it either. When asked on the bus, some said they didn't want to be stuck with only guys.

There are students who do like it. Some girls say that they "don't want to deal with the boys and their fighting."

This is the point that the administrators are trying make.

"We've noticed that when we separate the genders, there's less fighting and drama. The girls and boys actually eat when they are separated, and they don't have the fear of being judged by the opposite sex," says Mrs. Ioka. "We think that this is for the best."

Mrs. Gutierrez agrees. "There is less fighting on the playground, and we like that. With the girls especially, we've seen that they will eat more. The lunch lines go faster, and its just easier. People need to understand that I don't just create these policies because it's the latest fad. I come up with these policies based on years of research.
If this is so successful, why don't the 8th graders have separated lunches?

Mrs. Gutierrez smiled when she answered this question.  "We want the 6th and 7th graders to have something to look forward to for when they're in 8th grade. We also believe that since it's your last year here, you should have more freedoms. We believe that you guys can handle it at age 13 and 14 and we want to reward you."


 

Most people have no idea why the mortgage industry is going down the drain. It is really because people are buying houses they cannot afford. First, when you want to buy a house, you apply for a loan. A loan is money the bank gives you to buy the house and eventually over time, you pay the bank back, most times in 30 years. This means that you have 30 years to pay off the house and each month you pay the same amount. Once you apply, the bank accepts and you sign a contract. Most of the time, people can't afford to pay the monthly payments.

If you don't pay a certain amount of consecutive payments, the bank can foreclose on your house. This means you cannot live in your house any more and the bank now owns the house. The problem is the bank owns billions of homes they are not getting paid back.  When the banks can't afford the debt they are in, they have two options:  1) file for bankruptcy or 2) latch on with another bank. When they file for bankruptcy, the government allows them to get rid of the debt, but the bank must close. All the employees lose their jobs. To latch onto another bank prevents the loss of jobs, but does not get rid of the debt. Most banks are trying to join other banks but there are too many banks in need and not enough to support more debt.

So if you were to buy a house, you really have to make sure you can actually afford the house so you don't lose it.

Do you know what a Mile High Parent is? A Mile High Parent is a parent who spends time with his or her kids. DPS is developing a new program where your parents can log the time they spend with you, the student. They can win prizes, like gas cards, college money and tickets to cultural events. Experts say that spending at least thirty minutes doing intentional activities with a parent, can help with student¡¯s self-esteem and greater learning progress. Parents can sign up for the Mile High Parents Program at milehighparents.org


Welcome to Hamilton Mrs. Kalinchuk!

By Jason Pickens, John M. Wolter and Alyria Peterson

We'd like to introduce you to a teacher that is new to Hamilton this year.  Her name is Amy Kalinchuk.  We sat down to ask her some questions and this is what we learned:

Jigsaw:  What was your favorite subject in school? 
Kalinchuch: Writing, Science, and Computers
Jigsaw: How fast  can you read?
Kalinchuck: One page per minute in a chapter book. I started reading chapter books in 2nd grade! I now read books by Steven King and James Patterson.
J: How long have you been teaching?
K: I have been teaching for 16 to 17 years. I¡¯m going to retire before I am 50 years old. [Right now she is 39 years old.}
J: What other schools have you taught at?
K: Project Recovery in Houston, Sheridan Middle School, Colorado¡¯s finest alternative high school, drug rehab synergy UCHSC.
J: Any advice for children who have trouble reading?
K: Practice reading for ZPD or read together with family members.

Thanks Mrs. Kalinchuk. We hope you have a great year!

This season the, Hamilton cross country team did very well. We have won every meet for both boys and girls. There were no cuts this year so our home team is extremely strong.  Justin Culman set the school record with a blistering time of 9:59 for a two mile run.  On Tuesday the 7th of October, Hamilton brought home the East Division Championship trophy! This is the ninth year that  the Huskies have earned this honor.
Cross Country
by Josh Norlander, Liam Seagle, and Joe Barber