BUFFALO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Inside this issue:

Volume 2 Issue 1

Editorial: the Teachers Contract

2

BPS Virtual Desktop

3

Low Fat or Low Carbs?

4

6

Student Council 6

Do you fear Ebola?

6

Say Yes

7

The Boutech

8

Creative Voices

10

December 2014

Fall Pep Rally from a Freshman Point of View By Kendra Baldwin and Shakira Seide

Staffing Changes 5

Halloween Costume Contest

Tech Tribune The first Pep Rally of the 2014-2015 school year at Hutch Tech was unbelievable in the eyes of a Freshman. None of the Freshman were expecting that level of crazy excitement. The performances, the presentations, the sports teams and all! The Drill Team was outstanding, along with our cheerleaders who started out our pep rally with a bang. Senior, Danielle Baldwin, says her first pep rally as a freshman was a really fun experience. She

said, “My first pep rally was my first really fun experience with my teachers, drill team, cheerleaders. It was really great to experience all of that!” Homeroom teacher, Mrs. Brunn, says her first experience at a Hutch Tech pep rally was amazing. She said, “It was like an old school pep rally. I was shocked at how loud it was and how everybody got excited for everyone. It makes me happy to be a part of the Hutch Tech Family!” And we truly were all one family at this pep rally. Go Tech!

*********************** This year, there were so many tickets sold for the Hutch Tech Homecoming Dance that the school had TWO Homecoming Dances! The juniors and seniors had their own dance, and a week later, the freshmen and sophomores had their own dance. Both occasions were hugely successful, and all students carried themselves like fine young ladies and gentleman. Pictured below, Anthony Bonner, Dylan Pham and Nathaniel Torrey.

Page 2

Teacher’s Struggle for Themselves and for Their Students: A Student Editorial by Angel Rosado

“Our teachers have been working this entire time without raises, and we all know that the cost of living is constantly increasing”

As I am sure many of you have seen, our teachers have been outside of school protesting and fighting for more attention to be paid to their concerns and complaints. The two reasons they are so upset are their contract as teachers and a union, with the other being charter schools. The teachers’ previous contract expired in 2004. That was 10 years ago and counting. Our teachers have been working this entire time without raises, and we all know that the cost of living is constantly increasing. BPS salaries are on average $10-20 thousand behind other areas. The pay though is just one aspect of the contract. Many other problems also arise without the union having a contract in place. If any student looks around they can see that their class is typically very large, sometimes up to 35 kids in one class period. This means that the teacher has more work to do in general with grading and lesson planning for a larger class, but it is harder to control a larger crowd, and these high numbers keep instructors from giving kids the individual attention that is needed to learn. We are all different and there

isn’t any “one size fits all” kind of way to teach so we can all learn. Problems like these are only inflated by the fact kids do not want to be in school, they find it boring. A factor in this is the cutting of music and art in our public schools. These go with development of creativity, outside-thebox thinking, and give breaks from the monotonous lectures and notes of other classes such as mathematics and English. The lack of development starts even earlier though. They are cutting P.E. to little kids. Exercise and that social period of team building and selfexpression is key to growth and development in children. It promotes bone and muscle health, and a healthy outlook on teamwork. In some cases can even enhance selfesteem when a kid finds a sport they like and/or are good at. They are taking away from our public institutions and promoting privatization of education, i.e. more charter schools. Charter schools though are not better for our society if you ask some people. In some instances there are public schools that perform better than charter schools, and in a lot of cases they are on par with each other. This is with the charter schools

taking money away from our public schools. Most times they only take the “good” students, sending those labeled as a “problem child” back to the public school because to the charter school these kids are undesirable. Instead of trying to help these kids turn it around it sounds more like judging them and giving up, allowing them to fall victim to the flaws of the system. They give up on these kids, and in comparison to public schools the Special Ed Departments of charter schools are not as large. They seem to take steps to avoid students that they might feel would lower scores. With an unethical practice like this, our public schools as previously mentioned manage to be on par with them, and sometimes outperform them. I have no issue with those who are teachers and such in charter schools. We all have to make a living and have to have a job to support ourselves. The problem is with the ideals and practices. Privatizing education is wrong. Education should be for everyone, not those deemed more important. The board majority decided to turn four schools into charters, as well as apply to turn all schools into these. These two decisions were the reasons teachers were protesting.

Page 3

No Computer at Home? Buffalo News Explains the New BPS Virtual Desktop

The following story is by Buffalo News reporter Sandy Tan. The digital divide between the haves and have-nots among Buffalo Public Schools students is stark at homework time. The district estimates that 25 percent to 40 percent of students have no home access to Internet service. That makes it difficult for teachers to offer supplemental online resources to children, or offer Webbased assignments, even though the district spends money every year subscribing to Web-based programs and software applications specifically for student use. Even though every student in the district is assigned an online account that gives them access to these programs, many parents aren’t aware of them, and many parents who are aware of them have had no way to access them outside of school. Until now. Thanks to a new partnership between the district and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, all students will now be able to gain access to the exact same online resources they have at school at any county library. Students would also have the same access to that information at home through their computer, tablet or phone, if they have Internet service. Students will now have out-ofschool access through BPS Desktop to Web-based programs that can connect them with digital versions of their textbooks, ageappropriate Internet search engines, exam prep programs and Common Core lessons. Moreover, all students will have free access to software-based programs that would otherwise cost hundreds of dollars to buy off the shelf. That includes the 2013 ver-

sion of Microsoft Office and Adobe software like Photoshop and Dreamweaver, a website creator program. Interim Superintendent Donald Ogilvie called the program launch a “great day” for the district at a news conference Monday in the Frank E. Merriweather Jr. Library on Jefferson Avenue. “Phones are ubiquitous,” he said, “but it’s the online connection that really delivers the goods.” Based on surveys of 2,000 fifth- and sixth-graders across the district, at least one out of every four students does not have home Internet service, said Sarah Edwards, the district’s supervisor for instructional technology.

Chief Technology Officer Sanjay Gilani added that among students who claim to have Internet connectivity at home, spot data from Internet providers strongly suggests that students may have limited Internet access through their mobile phones but no dedicated Internet connection from a home computer. BPS Desktop is available on mobile devices but is optimally meant for computers. Regardless of whether a student accesses the BPS Desktop from the library or home, students simply need to log-in information for their student accounts. Every city student has such an account, said Edwards. Students who access BPS Desktop from the library would also need to apply for a free library card, if they don’t have one already. All librarians should also receive information to help students log on to library computers and help them access the in-

formation they need, said district and library administrators. “We are now their school when their school is closed,” said Mary Jean Jakubowski, director of the Erie County library system.

Library computers are available to students regardless of whether they have fines on their library account, she added. District and library officials began discussing a partnership to give students access to their online school accounts back in the spring, Edwards said. In October, they launched a pilot program to make BPS Desktop available at Merriweather Library. Now, it will be available in all libraries throughout Erie County. All students should be taking home information by the end of this week detailing how to remotely access BPS Desktop. Included in the information is a library card application for students who don’t yet have a card. The district also offers several YouTube how-to videos. Karl English, a sophomore at Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts, demonstrated the desktop program Monday and said he’s been regularly using BPS Desktop for a couple of months.

“I use it a lot when I’m working on projects,” he said. He called up an attractive – and expensive – French restaurant menu he created as a project for his media communications class. He started the design work for the menu at school but continued to work on it at home by accessing his personal folders on his BPS Desktop account. He’ll be training teachers at his school on how to use BPS Desktop in January. For more instructions and information regarding BPS Desktop, visit the School Zone blog at www.buffalonews.com/ schoolzone email: [email protected]

Low Carb Diet vs. Low Fat Diet By Anxhela Nezha

In recent years, there has been much debate about which type of diet has a) more effective outcome in the long run and b) it can actually decrease one’s body fat. Two type of diets, low carb and low fat, have been extensively researched by many scientists and research groups with all studies leading to one underlying conclusion: a diet based low in carbohydrate intake is able to produce the desired results more than a diet based low in saturated fats. To better grasp how a diet low in carbs can be beneficial to one’s health requires determining the role carbohydrates have one’s metabolism and how consuming less carbs can give anyone better results than a if one were to eliminate saturated fats from their diets. In order to understand the reason why a low carb diet is more effective than a low fat diet, one must first be able to understand how carbohydrates are processed in the body. For example, when one eats a carbohydrate rich meal with foods such as a bagel with tater tots and mashed potatoes, the body rapidly begins to digest the foods, thus con-

verting them to what is referred to as blood glucose. This increases the blood sugar levels in one’s bloodstream from the normal blood sugar level which is “one teaspoon of sugar”(FatHead [Motion picture on DVD]. (2009)) to 10 or more teaspoons of dissolved sugar in the blood. In the meantime, the pancreas starts to fulfill its role by producing insulin, a hormone protein, to get rid of the excess glucose in the bloodstream by converting it to glycogen which is stored in the liver and muscles. However, the amount of excess glucose increases so much after eating all of those foods that the excess glycogen is stored as body fat since the body can only store so much glycogen. Another unsettling information as to why excess glucose is very harmful to a person’s body is the fact that “glucose is quite toxic to the glomerular cells in the kidney” (FatHead [Motion picture on DVD]. (2009) ) which can prevent the kidneys from carrying out their functions.Therefore, the starchy, sugary food people consume are the reason individuals are overweight because they have been told to follow “the USDA pyramid, [which]

isn’t about health. It’s about selling agricultural products”(FatHead [Motion picture on DVD]. (2009)). The fact that people are being told to ingest the very foods that are supposed to help them stay healthy but which actually lead them to being unhealthy, can make them feel as if they have failed. However, their failure is not something they should blame on themselves but on the diet they have implemented. Nowadays, people seem to seek a diet that can help them lose their weight the fastest, so the one everyone tries is a low fat diet. But this diet seems to have the opposite effect people think it will, since it encourages a reduction of saturated fats that can change the low density lipoprotein (LDL) levels in one’s cholesterol “from the benign large LDL towards the harmful, artery-clogging small, dense LDL”(Gunnars, K. (n.d.)) that increases one’s chances of cardiovascular disease. This diet not only advocates a decrease in saturated fat, but an “increased intake of vegetable oils and whole grains that can contribute to inflammation” (Gunnars, K. (n.d.)) and clogging of one’s arteries, thus in-

creasing the chances of heart disease even more. fats the vitamins have no way of being absorbed by the body at all. This can lead to other underlying problems simply due to a diet low in fat aside from an increased risk of heart disease. Showing all the more, the reasons why a diet low in fat cannot be the least bit beneficial to anyone who partakes in it. Being surrounded by plentiful information about one’s health from all types of sources can lead to an information overload, especially on an important topic such as one’s diet. However, if everyone took the time to review the facts and experiment on their own, then they can determine whether or not a low carb diet or any diet for that matter is suitable to them and their goals. This can eventually lead to people making their own decisions about what is right for them and what isn’t, instead of having to rely too much on what certain organizations and certain scientists tell everyone what is right for them.

(continued on page 5)

(continued from page 4) chances of heart disease even more. Nevertheless, many people believe that this type of diet will allow them to lose the extra pounds they have, even though the diet almost never shows any results worth noticing except a decrease in one’s high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels which helps prevent heart disease. Another reason as to why this diet is not the least bit effective, is that many people fail to see that foods containing saturated fats and cholesterol are not the least bit harmful, unlike carbohydrates. The reason being, is because saturated fats are an essential component in carrying the “fatsoluble vitamins A, D, E, and K”(The Importance Of Fat | Paleo Leap. (2014, August 1)) that require “the presence of fat to be absorbed and are primordial for the absorption and proper utilization of other vitamins and minerals”(The Importance Of Fat | Paleo Leap. (2014, August 1)). Without saturated fats in one’s diet it would next to impossible to obtain these vitamins even if one were to take vitamin supplements, but without saturated fats the vitamins have no way of being absorbed by the body at all. This can lead to other underlying problems simply due to a diet

low in fat aside from an increased risk of heart disease. Showing all the more, the reasons why a diet low in fat cannot be the least bit beneficial to anyone who partakes in it. Being surrounded by plentiful information about one’s health from all types of sources can lead to an information overload, especially on an important topic such as one’s diet. However, if everyone took the time to review the facts and experiment on their own, then they can determine whether or not a low carb diet or any diet for that matter is suitable to them and their goals. This can eventually lead to people making their own decisions about what is right for them and what isn’t, instead of having to rely too much on what certain organizations and certain scientists tell everyone what is right for them. References

Fat Head [Motion picture on DVD]. (2009). United States: Morningstar Entertainment. Gunnars, K. (n.d.). Do Low-Fat Diets Actually Work? A Critical Look. Retrieved October 14, 2014, from http:// authoritynutrition.com/dolow-fat-diets-work/ Gunnars, K. (n.d.). 6 Graphs That Show Why

The. Retrieved October graphs-the-war-on-fat-was 16, 2014, from http:// -a-mistake/ authoritynutrition.com/6graphs-the-war-on-fat-was -a-mistake/ The Importance Of Fat | Paleo Leap. (2014, August 1). Retrieved October 16, 2014, from Gunnars, K. (n.d.). 6 Graphs That Show Why Retrieved October 16, 2014, from http:// authoritynutrition.com/6

Mr. Potter and Mr. Singletary Say Farewell to Hutch Tech Our beloved Assistant Principal, Mr. James Singletary, has retired. An upcoming issue of the Tech Tribune will highlight Mr. Singletary’s wonderful contribution to the Buffalo Public Schools and to Hutch Tech, specifically. We all miss his presence in the building, and we can still hear his booming voice rounding up students for homeroom in the morning. We also miss his thoughtful, caring manner with both teachers and students. Congratulations, Mr. Singletary! Congratulations are also in order for Mr. David Potter who has recently left his position as the Instructional Coach for Hutch Tech to become the Assistant Principal for Early Middle College High School. Mr. Potter taught English at Tech prior to becoming our coach, and his deep involvement in all aspects of the school community will be very much missed. Mr. Stefanone is currently the acting Assistant Principal in place of Mr. Singletary, and Mrs. Brandjes will be moving into the position of Instructional Coach. Congratulations to all.

Volume 2 Issue 1

Page 6

Halloween Costume Contest And the winner is….Mr Duttweiler! The student council again sponsored the annual costume contest for teachers and students at Hutch Tech. Students came tastefully dressed in a wide range of costumes from emoticons to

vampires. Teachers also participated (Ms. Laranjo and Ms. Riley shown to the right), with costumes such as Flo, the Progressive lady (Russin), a Duck Dynasty guy (Gomez), and many more. The best student costume winner received a $10 I-tunes gift card,

best group costume winners each received zoo passes, and the best teacher costume won 2 passes to the Albright Knox Art Gallery. Start planning now for next year!

Unlike the other councils we A NOTE FROM YOUR more. with or allimgrade levels to make This story can fit 100-150 upon newwork procedures sure everyone is in some way repreSTUDENT COUNCIL provements to the business. words. Sales figures or earnings will encourage everyone sented, and we The subject matter that apPRESIDENT show howwho your is business is interested or who has an idea

which we sold Reindeer antlers, jingle bells and pencils.

February 13, 2015, will be Hush Day for the girls. The beads pears in newsletters is virtually growing. to come to the meetings; everyone is endless. You can include stofor the girls will be available anytime Hello, my name is Mack Hill ries that focus on current techSome newsletters include a the week before. The carnation sale welcome. andnologies I’m your student council or innovations in your presicolumn that is updated every Some of our most recent for Valentine’s Day will take place on dent. issue, for instance, an advice field.This year in student council, include a activities book review, a letterthe Halloween cos- Feb 6-10, with the flowers being deour mission is to create a sensecolumn, of You may also want to note from the president, or an editume contest in October, the bagel livered to homerooms on the 13th. community our fellow stubusiness or amongst economic trends, torial. You can also profile new held every Tuesday for teachers Hush Day for the boys will be on St. or make predictions for your dents. We plan to do this withemployees more sales or top customers customers or clients. These include community projects. in November and December, and the Patrick’s Day, plus there’s going to or vendors. things as: talent shows, poetry holiday bling sale in December for If thesuch newsletter is distributed be so much more you’re going to internally, youdances might comment jams, school and so much have to wait and see!

Ebola : Should we be Afraid? by Dylan Pham Let’s talk about a widely controversial topic. It goes by the names, EVD or EHF. It’s more commonly known as Ebola. There have been a total of three major outbreaks, all of which have happened in Africa. The first outbreak was June,1976, in Nzara, South Sudan. It infected a total of 284 people. This outbreak killed 151 people. The second outbreak happened August,1976 in

northern Zaire. It infected 318 people, killing 280 people. Now these numbers might seem like they are high, but these next numbers I tell you are exponentially higher. The third outbreak was in West Africa. It infected a total of 17,991 people. It killed 6,756 people. This is the outbreak that happened in 2013. In this outbreak, there have also been 17 cases outside

of Africa, all of which have been treated. This just goes to show how some people have overreacted because all of these "outbreaks" happened in Africa, which is approximately 8,766 miles away from America! However, there are precautions people can take who travel to infected areas. Stopping the spread of the disease is important while doctors work on creating a vaccine.

Volume 2 Issue 1

SAY YES to College Workshops, 2015 These excellent, helpful workshops will be held at 712 Main St. in the Say Yes Community Room on the third Tuesday of every month. The specific topics to be covered are found below. 

January 20th—Financial Aid Overview, for high school students and their parents/guardians



March 17th—Self Advocacy Skills: decision making communication, networking, etc., for students in grades 812 and their parents/guardians



April 21st—Making the High School to College to Career Connection, for grade 8-12 students and their parents/guardians.



May 19th—Making the Transition from High School to College; a student panel presents about their own experiences. For Grade 12 students and their parents/ guardians.

Students or parents who have questions about the Say Yes Scholarships can call 716-247-5310 or email [email protected]

Parents can also contact Ms. Joelle Stubbe, the Family Support Specialist here at Hutch Tech in room 229.

Page 7

Important Announcements from Ms. Stubbe

The Say Yes scholarship application will be available on the Say Yes Buffalo website soon. Seniors will be completing their applications together with Ms. Stubbe and Ms. Collier in the Library Computer Lab at a later date to be determined. Please listen to morning announcements for further details. Wanna win a pizza and chicken wing party??? Take your

Say Yes SMS survey at smsbuffalo.com. The grade level with the highest completion rate will win the party! Please take the time to complete the survey ASAP. Good luck!

Volume 2 Issue 1

Page 8

Shop the Boutech...for Free! This year at Hutch

October:

Tech, we have started our own

> 19 bottles of lotion > 13 personal care kits

clothing and supplies store. This

>48 Shirts

> 10 make-up products

store is different, though,

> 24 pants

> 15 shower items

because everything is free!

> 38 hoodies/jackets

Under the direction of

> 6 dresses

The students who have

Mrs. Lester and Ms. Stubbe, a

> 7 ties

been working at the

team of students has created a

> 2 socks

Boutech have truly

place where anyone can acquire

> 13 pieces of jewelry

learned the lesson of

necessary clothing or supplies.

> 12 folders

helping others and you

> 27 notebooks

can't put a price on that!

For example, if you need

a formal dress for a dance or an

> 4 packs of paper

outfit for a job interview, come

> 6 post it notes

to the Boutech; if you need a

> 4 calculators

comfortable visiting room

new binder or class materials,

> 5 binders

419 and “shopping.” This

come to the Boutech. Even if

> 14 pens

resource is just another

All students should feel

you just don’t want to share

8 miscellaneous school

way that the Hutch Tech

your toothpaste with anyone

supplies

community takes care of

else in your family, you can get

> 4 pairs of sneakers

personal hygiene products at the

> 8 bracelets

Boutech!

> 2 blankets

Mrs. Lester and Ms.

> 7 scarves

Stubbe would like to thank all of

> 10 winter hats

those who have generously

> 7 bags/purses

donated to the Boutech.

> 1 belt

Because of such great donor

> 1 pair of sunglasses

support, the following items

> 4 Christmas gifts

have been shared with our

> 12 deodorants

student body since opening in

> 2 tubes of toothpaste

one another.

Volume 2 Issue 1

Page 9

My High School

by Madeline Little

My high school… is a toolbox Hutch Tech, full of bright and intelligent tools, culture and diversity. The combination to unlock our toolbox is our alma-mater, the song we sing with pride and joy every morning. We have the screw-drivers, these are our computer majors, our future computer technicians and programmers. We have the hammers and wires, our future engineers and electrical engineers that’ll be building our homes and creating new buildings and making our cars, the best and new editions. The test-tubes inside our toolbox are our future doctors, sergeants, dentist, and physician’s. Tech has a scent of success roaming all around. Our toolbox, HutchTech is full of tools we are the soon to be graduates of HutchTech. We own the knowledge and intelligence in order to fix and repair our world for the future of man-

There for You by Rachel Lang

Rumors are spread by hate All it is a dreadful fate How can people be so cruel It’s like they WANT to duel they say don’t add fire to the flame, you’ll only get burned but sometimes you get scorned just leave them alone, it will die out there’s no need to shout let the haters be and you will see you can be the best that you can be if they keep talking, just get to walking ignore them and be who you want to be make new friends and chat with me I’ll be there for you if you’re there for me