Vikings
CHRONICLES
GMS Raises Money For Lifeguards
by Cynthia Fuffa
There was a fundraising event for the school from September 29 to October 21, 2022. Eighty-seven GMS students participated in the event sponsored by World’s Finest Chocolate.
The swimming unit quarter has begun and it couldn’t happen without lifeguards. Part of the proceeds of the fundraiser paid for them.
The six winners for selling the most chocolate bars received a 1-pound chocolate bar. Throughout the fundraiser there were also mini prizes given out.
Thank you to everyone who participated.
Hello everyone, and welcome to the first issue of the GMS Vikings Chronicle. We have been working hard to make this year the best one yet for
the newspaper. We will be conducting surveys, writing about current events, and so much more. But for now, enjoy our first issue!
Logo Design Winners
Congratulations to Kourtney Gravesande and Brandon Lopez for their winning newspaper logo designs. Many thanks to the artists who submitted their designs.
Vol. 6 No. 1 December 2022
A Note from the Editor-in-Chief
Gaithersburg Middle School
December is Family Support Month for GMStrong
Congratulations to GMS Team Wakanda
Winners of the GMS World Cup 2022
GMS Team Wakanda won the GMS World Cup on November 22. Eleven teams from GMS, Neelsville MS, and Forest Oak MS competed in the annual GMS event.
Twenty-three GMS students traveled to Washington, D.C. to George Washington University for the GWCIA Model United Nations conference on November 12. More than 400 students from schools in the DMV solved world problems.
Students portrayed delegates representing different countries or characters. GMS 7th Grade Delegate Nirav Nadarajah, said “Working with all the delegates from all across the DMV area was a fun experience.”
Committees included the Locarno Conference, Suez Canal Crisis, Formation of the UAR, 6th Legal, World Food Program, SPECPOL, and La Familia Somoza.
Our amazing principal, Mrs. Dolan, was the only principal who came to the conference, and it was really encouraging to have her there. “I was so proud of our Model UN delegates this year,” said Principal Dolan.
GWCIA was the first conference of the school year, and the first conference for many delegates. “Everyone was prepared and did a great job representing our school,” said Ms. Sanders, GMS Model UN teacher. “We won a Best Delegate award for the first time.”
GWCIA was a great experience and all the students enjoyed it. The next stop is Frederick, Maryland in January followed by Madrid, Spain in March 2023.
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GMS Vikings Chronicles
Vol. 6 No. 1
23 GMS Model UN Delegates Attend GWCIA Conference
by Imogen Kingsley and Sasha Jacobs
GMS 8th Grader Imogen Kingsley won Best Delegate in her GWCIA committee. The GMS delegates worked with delegates from other schools to solve world problems.
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COMIC SECTION
Halloweengiving
by Brandon Lopez
GMS Vikings Chronicles
Vol. 6 No. 1
Do you have an article idea? Email your idea to GMS Vikings Chronicles Adviser Ms. Sanders at Julie.A.Sanders@mcpsmd.net. She will assign a reporter for the story or invite you to write it.
On November 2, 2022, 23 members of the GMS Drama Club performed 10 scenes in one performance. Before the live performance, we interviewed them.
If you’re in drama, are you dramatic?
This Issue’s Trend:
Air Jordans
by Fiker Fuffa
Every issue we will cover a trend. In this issue we have Air Jordans. Did you know that Air Jordans hold the world record for the most expensive pair of shoes ever sold for $560,000? They sold for so much because they were the shoes Michael Jordan wore in 1985, when he got fined for breaking the dress code. The shoes were signed by him. Michael Jordan was fined $5,000 for wearing the Air Jordans for the first time, but Nike was happy to cover the fees. The controversy over his shoes brought in more sales. Nike has since sold more than 2.3 million Air Jordans, according to Fadeaway. Finally, the first Air Jordans were released over 36 years ago!
Drama Club Performs 10 Scenes at GMS
by Dagny Richardson
GMS Vikings Chronicles
Vol. 6 No. 1
A long walk to the bus stop
By Photographer Angela Kalinyak
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Members replied, “Yes, of course we’re dramatic. That’s our life.”
What got you into drama? They said, “Drama is our life. We knew we were going to do great things in drama.”
GMS Vikings Chronicles
Vol. 6 No. 1
School Spirit Week
by Katelynn Mathias
What is spirit week? For a full week throughout the year, students are encouraged to dress to match a certain theme to show school unity and spirit each day. There have been two spirit weeks so far this year with the most recent to celebrate Mental Health Awareness.
“Spirit week gives students a fun way to enjoy school and helps build a sense of community,” said 6th Grade Counselor Mrs. Oben. Spirit week is also a creative, silly, and fun way to dress up and build a community. 7th Grade Counselor Ms. Ikpemgbe said, “School spirit week helps to build community between staff and students.”
It’s a good way to build school spirit. “I think it’s a fun week where we come together and we are unified and we’re having a good time together,” said paraeducator Mrs. Ogden.
“I believe that it is a nice opportunity for people to
dress up and not get judged,” added Newspaper Editor-in- Chief Mateo Gonzalez.
Spirit week is a way the school encourages kids to watch and participate in fun and cool school activities and to bring out creativity in students. “School spirit week gives staff and students a chance to express themselves and gives them something to look forward to,” said 8th Grade Counselor Ms. Moskowitz.
But not everyone participates in spirit week. Principal Dolan
had thoughts about why some people don’t participate.
“Some kids might not have the clothing or items they need to wear to support school spirit week, so they might feel left out,” she said. This leads to students abstaining from this school-spirited tradition. “I wish more students would participate, and I am thinking of ways to get more people to participate,” she added.
The next time spirit week happens, have some spirit and get involved.
1st Quarter Statistics
About Our 879 GMS Students
Mr. Meier’s and Ms. Sanders’ Viking S.E.A.S. class cleaned up a section of the school grounds during Spirit Week on Pajama Day.
GMS Viking Chronicles
Vol. 6 No. 1
Art Club Meets on Tuesdays
by Nirav Nadarajah & Santiago Bautista Cohello
We interviewed GMS Art Teacher, Ms. Gross, about the Art Club she runs after school. Ms. Gross has been teaching here for two years, and this is her first year ever running the Art Club. The Art Club meets every Tuesday after school from 3:00 - 4:20 p.m.
All projects in the Art Club are chosen by the 30+ members. The Art Club is “student-run” with Ms. Gross as a supervisor. Some of the projects they’ve done so far are an Art Club poster to advertise the club as well as a mural inspired by an artist named Jenn Stark, located in the 700 hallway. The mural is a collaborative piece, with pieces being made by students together, and independently.
Another project they plan to do is to make ceramic mugs, and when they’re finished they will have a holiday party where they will drink out of their mugs. They plan to work with Mr. Edwards and his greenhouse classes to make pinch-pots (clay cups and mugs) to help sell their plants in the spring.
Topics that are covered in Art Club relate to what is happening in the Art class, but you aren’t required to be in the Art class to join Art Club. Art Club is a great opportunity to work on art if you aren’t able to take the art elective. Art Club is open to anyone with any amount of experience. In the near future, the Art Club might collaborate with the Mural Club.
Editorial Staff
Editor-in-Chief: Mateo Gonzalez
Managing Editor: Harry Young
Photographer: Angela Kalinyak
Reporters: Santiago Baupista, Maurvi Chada, Cynthia Fuffa, Fiker Fuffa, Sasha Jacobs, Imogen Kingsley, Katelynn Mathias, Nirav Nadarajah, Dagny Richardson
Cartoonist: Brandon Lopez
Newspaper Logo: Kourtney Gravesande
Adviser: Ms. Sanders
School Principal: Mrs. Dolan
Published by GMS Vikings Chronicles Staff
Gaithersburg Middle School
2 Teachers Way, Gaithersburg MD 20877
Upcoming Days Off from School
Dec. 23-Jan. 2 | Winter Break |
Jan. 16 | Martin L. King Jr.’s Birthday |
Jan. 27 | Professional Day |
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Did You Know?
by Mateo Gonzalez
Did you know the popular children's book, Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr. Suess sold over 8 million copies worldwide. But crazily enough, it was made for a bet. Dr. Seuss' editor bet him $50 that he couldn't make a book using 50 words or less. Suess took the bet, creating the book we know and love. The 50 words used were:
a, am, and, anywhere, are, be, boat, box, car, could, dark, do, eat, eggs, fox, goat, good, green, ham, here, house, I, if, in, let, like, may, me, mouse, not, on, or, rain, Sam, say, see, so, thank, that, the, them, there, they, train, tree, try, will, with, would, you.