By Leigha Curcio '22 Fontbonne Hall’s Mid-Winter recess is now behind us, and a lot of us had a great deal of homework to complete.
This leads to the question: “Should homework be assigned over break?” Suffice it to say, a lot of students are burnt out from the constant work they are being assigned. This goes to show that students wish to not get homework over break and feel it contradicts the reason for said break. The overall confusion is, if we are given a break, why is it fair to give work when we should be resting from the workload that is already given to us? When asked what Luciana Pelligrini believes she stated, “ No we shouldn’t have homework over break. The whole purpose of break is to have exactly that. Giving us unnecessary work that will take us hours to complete is cutting into our time to relax and unwind.” Julianna Bambina also shared her opinion on the topic by saying “It’s also not fair because it is also the students' free time away from school to have fun, but with the amount of homework we get it’s not possible.” Teachers giving an unreasonable amount of work while they should be taking time for themselves seems to be a prevalent problem in schools. Students should not be as stressed as they are during the school year and especially not when they go on breaks. Just like adults, students deserve a stress-free break without work.
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By Alexa Giambra '22 Homework can be stressful especially when you’ve just gotten home from that late night shift, or that basketball practice, or maybe even a long dance or play rehearsal. A lot of us have many after school activities that we participate in, but do not have many resources in our schedule during the day. So, what do we do when we get home from school late at night and are just so tired?
Here are some tips you need to know: 1. If a teacher is absent or gives you time in class to work on assignments…USE IT!! There might be times when you just want to relax and take a break from all the learning, and just listen to your music, but trust me, you’ll thank yourself later if you get everything done then instead of sitting at your desk late at night when you’re half asleep 2. Don’t wait until the night it’s due! If there's a day where you don’t have a lot going on, try to get as much done as you possibly can, even if it’s an assignment due a week in advance that you don’t have time to work on closer to the due date! That way you won’t have to worry about it. 3. Take thorough notes during class You may be wondering what this has to do with managing studying/assignments, but trust me, the better the notes you take, the easier it will be to retain the information. The more information you can retain, the quicker the homework and studying will take 4. Write everything in your planner!!! USE THE PLANNER YOU GOT IN SEPTEMBER or use https://www.mystudylife.com/ Which is also a good site for scheduling assignments. You’ll get into the habit of reminding yourself when it’s time to do your homework, and you can plan when you’re going to complete each assignment based on what your schedule looks like. Organization is key. Just remember, You’ve got this!! I believe in you!! We’re halfway through the school year, so finish it out strong! Efstasia Karahalios ‘24 Who stuck gum onto Mr. Somma's seat?
On Thursday, February 10, 2022, Mr. Somma walked into his 8th period class and sat on the gum. It is no surprise that the partially dry gum meticulously placed on the top of a chair was no accident. It is an appalling experience to think a girl at this school would do this on purpose. Let's dissect the path both myself and Dakota Spinelli took to get to the core of this crime. We began with the facts…..
This case was opened on Tuesday, February 17, 2022. However, it remains unsolved by the time of publication. Please contact me or Mr. Somma if you have any information on the culprit. Emma Flohr ‘24 At Fontbonne Hall, water is an underlying issue. This is unexpected, because we all have the right to clean water. There are many water fountains throughout Fontbonne, although few provide the clear water you would want to drink. There are water fountains on each floor of Ita Ford, and one in the gym. The one in the gym is the best water because it is the only one that never is brown,but this has been closed for over a month because it leaked. The ones on the third and first floor have been brown in the past.
Water is very important, and as the weather gets nice, sub-par water is going to be a problem. Many students do not want to drink the water because it is sometimes a yellow color - and sometimes even brown. Even if it looks clear it does not taste fresh. Now you have let it run to get all the brown to wash away. There are signs above all the fountains instructing people to do this Student Ava Powell 24’ said, “I got water and it was brown. The only one that is not brown is the second floor.” I agree with her - many times I went to fill up my water but the water was not clear. Student Keira Ward 24’ said, “I went to fill up my water today on the first floor and it was brown.” I feel a solution to this problem is to put in filters, because the water seems unsafe for students. Many students do not drink water because of this. But of course it is important for students to drink water. Once it gets hot, students will need to hydrate and need clear water to do so. Research shows that if it’s not from the water itself, the color may be from rusting pipes. This is also very unsafe. Gabrielle Reddan '24 Starting the week of January 14, 2022, Fontbonne has changed their way of broadcasting their morning announcements. Announcements used to be presented to the students through the loudspeaker during the time of FA, but now there has been a switch to a broadcast stream through Google Meet. All FA teachers join each morning around 8:05 am or 8:45 am depending on what day of the schedule it is.
This is a new, fun way of announcing important information to the students each morning. SAC has put a lot of hard work into these announcements and has produced them in such a quick and efficient manner. Sophia Lopez ‘22 a member of SAC said “I think it's cool that SAC can be more involved with these announcements so that sports can be more updated towards the school.” These announcements include the weather forecast of the day, sports announcements, the day's lunch menu, and some other fun activities like riddles on Monday. This boosts excitement for the students in the morning because it is a new activity to do in FA. “I feel a lot more attentive towards the announcements now because of the new way that they are presented,” said Courtney Murtagh ‘24. This is not the first time that Fontbonne has tried to make a change in morning announcements. Before Covid-19, Fontbonne tried to use a different system to produce announcements. Mr. Somma stated,“We tried twice in the past to get broadcasted announcements going, but we used a complicated system that was too much for FA teachers to have to deal with. Mr. Surdyka and I figured out how to simplify things to just work over Google Meet.” It is very hard for some FA teachers to get onto announcements if they are not familiar with technology and have little time. Many people are familiar with Google Meet because of the past two years affected by Covid, so I feel that it is the best system for the school to work with. Thanks to SAC, the board of administration, and the technology team at Fontbonne for all their time that they put into this new way of announcements. I feel that this new addition to Fontbonne will stay and be something that will continue into the future. Sophia Lopez '22 As the first month of the new year comes to an end, only a minority of students still continue to keep their new year’s resolution for 2022. Many bonnies and Fontbonne faculty passed on resolutions this year, while others made big ones they hope they can keep.
The top five resolutions for 2022 include losing weight, eating healthier, getting fitter, spending more time with family and friends, and being more aware and taking care of mental health. Senior Cassidy Morganstern said her new year’s resolution is to start living for herself and not caring what others think. Her new goals have made her happier with her life just by focusing on herself. Mr. Cleary said, “My resolution for 2022 is to fix relationships that I have broken over the years.” Covid has made it hard to reconnect and change habits. As this new year starts, hopefully there will be more positive and happy changes in everyone’s lives. Junior Victoria Bruno shares that she hasn't thought much about a new year's resolution for 2022. She said, “I just like to focus on little goals and don’t really have one single thing I wanna accomplish this year.” She’s not the only one that didn’t make a resolution this year. Out of all the Fontbonne students asked, a majority didn’t make a goal for the new year. Ms. Ganser also did not make a resolution this year, but she is excited for what 2022 has to offer. Other Fontbonne students added that their resolutions were to stay productive and keep up with their school work. So far, these students feel they have been trying to keep this promise and hope to continue it for the rest of the school year. Resolutions can be hard because breaking a routine and starting a new goal takes time to adapt to. However many students showed their willpower and determination to make 2022 a better year for both themselves and others. And for those who haven’t made a resolution this year, just know you are not alone, and there’s always 2023. Happy New Year everyone! Lauren Esposito '24 Fontbonne’s Instagram page is all about being proud of the family we are a part of. We support each other and the school’s success. Fontbonne’s famous Instagram page is run by our own alumna Veronica Prager. Although we weren’t able to get a quote from her, we know how much she cares about this community. Most of the followers on the page are alumnae of Fontbonne, current students, staff and some parents that are involved in Fontbonne. Fontbonne’s instagram page gives us updates on the school, the students' successes and sports. They post about school events such as Fontbonne Halloween, the Walkathon, the Open House and other events. A prime example of Fontbonne’s successes is their sports team. Fontbonne’s volleyball and softball teams were both highlighted in the New York Post. Fontbonne varsity volleyball made it as state finalists in 2015 and 2021, and their JV team won championships in 2015. Fontbonne’s varsity softball were diocesan finalists, and their JV team won championships in 2019 and 2021 (not including 2020, when sports were on hold for Covid-19). Paraskevi Delengos’ 24 Fontbonne's senior folks are experiencing significant difficulties locating parking in the morning.
A parking place is so difficult to come by that some students are getting up extra early to get one. They are even known to arrive late to school on occasion, and some have younger siblings who must be transported to and from school. School personnel have access to a parking lot with allotted spaces, but students do not have access to such a facility. Many seniors are dissatisfied with the fact that they must wake up so early in the morning, despite the fact that they live so near to the school, simply to find parking. Senior Sophia Lopez says, “It’s especially hard because many seniors drive this year.” Some seniors have found it particularly tough, and although they make every effort to carpool in order to reduce the number of automobiles on the street, it is still a challenge. Another senior, Leigha Curcio, says, “Sometimes it easier to leave later because the people from the apartment building leave at 7:30 for work” She also says, “[On] the days with alternate [side] parking [it] is very difficult to find spots and takes the most time.” Leigha rides in a carpool with three other girls, and they occasionally have to risk being late to school in order to secure a parking spot for all of them. Leigha Curcio '22 Fontbonne Hall has started a new after school program for its students. The program takes place in The St. Joseph's foyer from 3:30-5:00 p.m. Students can do work, meet with friends, work with groups for projects, etc.
Many students stay on the school campus after school hours, so Mr. Cleary has worked with Ms. S, Mrs. Crean, and Ms. Douglas to create an after school program. Mr. Cleary monitors the foyer and helps the students who attend. All school doors will be locked at 3:30, except those to the St. Joseph’s building. This means that if students are waiting to be picked up, working on homework, or waiting for an extracurricular activity, they will have to go to the foyer. Sofia Passinissi who has attended the after-school program exclaims, “It’s a nice place to detox and relax with teachers and classmates.” She also stated, “I was waiting to be picked up, but it’s a safe place to go get your work done because it’s quiet and teachers are there to ask for help.” When Mr. Cleary was asked why he started the after-school program he responded, “Since I happen to stay pretty late throughout the school week, I happened to notice that many girls stay after school either in the courtyard or in various buildings awaiting their practices, clubs, and other activities. I felt the need to give all girls the opportunity to come together in a common area after school so they can get work done and hang with friends while waiting for their sometimes-very-late school activities. So far it has been great seeing girls get together after school and work together on class assignments and catch up with their friends! For anyone interested, please come to the foyer at 3:30 after school Monday through Thursday!” By Sophia Lopez '22 Four of Fontbonne's athletes have recently committed to playing their desired sports in college.
After four years of playing their respective sports, these seniors have been scouted and awarded the opportunity to play in multiple divisions. Isabella Wren has committed to playing softball at Manhattanville College. Samantha Ostrander will be playing volleyball for Mercer College. Meeya Yan will be continuing her swimming passion at Iona College. And lastly, Vivian D'Orazi committed to playing golf at York College of Pennsylvania. Isabella Wren will be about two hours away from home in Purchase, New York, majoring in Criminal Justice. When not in classes, she will be practicing and playing softball for the Manhattanville Valiants. She says, "I am both excited and nervous, but I'm glad my college process is over, and I can look forward to continuing playing softball and being a part of a team." Meeya Yan has been swimming since she was three and has been on various teams inside and outside of school. She learned and mastered every stroke and challenged herself in every race to beat her own time. All the years of commitment have paid off because she will be swimming for a Division 1 school. Although Iona is in New York, she will be a few hours away from home and majoring in early childhood education. The Iona Killians are lucky to have the speedy Meeya Yan on their swimming team. She says, "I'm super excited to meet new people and expand my academic and athletic career." Vivian D'Orazi has been playing golf since she was 5. While mastering the sport, she has become dedicated to practicing almost every week and helping Fontbonne's golf team. At York College of Pennsylvania, Vivian will major in Marketing and minor in Hospitality Management. She is "excited to improve my game and make lifelong friends with my future teammates." Volleyball has always been present in Samatha Ostrander's life. She plays beach volleyball during the summer season and Fontbonne volleyball during autumn. On her volleyball travel team, she travels all over. Recently, she has been to Florida. She says, "I'm so happy to have this opportunity to play in college." Mercer College is lucky to have Samatha as a new addition (Go bears!). She will be continuing her studies in nursing while she balances being a Division 1 athlete. The Fontbonne community is so proud of you girls, and can't wait to see you play in the future. Remember "SHE CAN" and strive to never give up throughout your sports seasons and challenging practices. As you all continue your next journey in life, know Fontbonne Hall is always rooting for you! |