Professional Documents
Culture Documents
FALL 2013
Yick Wo Elementary School | San Francisco, December 2013
CONSTRUCTION AT YICK WO
By Mia Gale site of our old building? What is the
Back row, left to right: Stephanie Lee, Alice Talker, Lovely Sonnier, Zenobia Pellissier Lloyd, West Middleton, and Cheyanne Chow; reconstruction going to look like? Here
middle row, left to right: Ashley Chun, Mia Gale, Gigi McMillan, Ava Jones Dubois, Sinclair Wessling, Lina Deng, and Carson Beale; This fall we moved to a new school is what Principal Stephanie Young says.
front row, left to right: Fiona Tan, Nadja Goldberg, Brenner Wessling, Austin Lesseps, Chloe Hu, Ellie Aronica, and Lucas Woon. called Hancock Elementary School
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SCHOOL NEWS
SCIENCE NEWS
PLAYWORKS: IT’S NOT their own rules or tricks for a games.
UNFAIR STORY IN SCHOLASTIC parents, the kids play. And when it’s
dinnertime for the children, the parents Lots of teachers like Playworks too. Mr. Peacemakers I’ve seen conflicts happen in other
feed them. Daddy longlegs are carnivores, Chew, a third-grade teacher says, “My continued from page 1 schools that students have to solve by
By Austin Lesseps People are taking pictures of them out but when they are really hungry they suck students like Playworks. I know because themselves but at Yick Wo Elementary
of water because they get caught in the juice out of plants and fruits. I always see them smiling.” the jump-ropers and one-flag-up players its different. “Just having Peacemakers
They should be kept under water. fishermen’s nets. are squeezed into too small of a space around helps,” says Malvin Chew, a
Did you know that daddy longlegs are As part of its program, Playworks choos- on the playground. Peacemakers have teacher. Students have different opin-
People think blob fish are very ugly. The truth about blob fish is that under not even spiders? They are insects called es fourth- and fifth-graders to be junior lots of conflicts to resolve. ions about Peacemakers. Carson Beale,
People also think they are the ugliest water there’s a lot of pressure and they Opiliones. They do not catch their food coaches to teach kids games. Fiona Tan, a student at Yick Wo, says, “I think
animal. have a shape. But out of water they in webs. They don’t even spin webs. Spi- a fourth-grade junior coach, says, “Junior How do Peacemakers resolve prob- Peacemakers are helping because I hear
don’t. They’re slimy all over, they have ders have two body segments, and daddy coaches help kids with games and they lems? First, they ask both sides what the they are.” Another Yick Wo student,
Why do they think that? Maybe they big noses and they are blobby. longlegs have three, with legs with seven teach kids games in a nice way.” problem is. Next they separate the sides. Ava Dubois, says, “I do not like them
read it in Scholastic. sections that are easily broken off. One Next, they listen carefully to opinions because when I was little they always
The blob fish is a endangered animal. more difference is spiders have silk and Not all students see Playworks the same of the students. Then, Peacemakers got me in trouble and they are not that
Two months ago, I looked at a Scholastic venom glands, but daddy longlegs don’t. way. Zenobia Lloyd, a fourth-grade girl, bring the two sides together again and helpful.”
issue that had a picture of a blob fish out of I am just trying to say, don’t judge says, “I used to not like Playworks, but I listen again to both perspectives. Usually,
water. It was wrong. That is not its natural something by how it looks. Are you still afraid of daddy longlegs do now because the games are better.” after all the listening and talking, the Finally, I should tell you, that the author
habitat. When I looked at Google Images, after reading this? If you are, and if you students themselves realize the problem of this article is a Peacemaker, and
they were all out of water. Wrong twice. Humans see what they want too see. see one, think before you scream. Chloe Hu says, “I like Playworks, but I like and then apologize to each other. proud of it.
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SCHOOL NEWS COMMUNITY NEWS
CONSIDER PARKLETS
what I wanted it to be. I wanted to have
more chairs out and I would like to
INSTEAD OF PARKING
But besides that it looks like what I
wanted it to be.
I’m the only girl on the basketball I started playing basketball when I was
team. We’re called the Tigers. You’ve two years old. My brother would take me NYT: What do you have to do to get a
got to be rough and good at the same to the park and practice with me. Then By Ellie Aronica parklets on busy streets, and we don’t parklet?
time. You’ve got to be rough so you five years later I was on a basketball team. have any [on Cortland Ave.], but we Takehara: You have to have a permit
don’t get pushed around, and you’ve Parklets are popping up all over the have a nice sunny neighborhood, so I from the city. We are basically remov-
got to be good to play on the team. In the future I will play from sixth place, but what exactly is a parklet? A wanted to have the first parklet in Ber- ing the parking spaces so we need to
This is not common. grade until the Women’s National parklet is an area where you can sit, nal Heights. move the meters. And then I had an
Basketball Association (WNBA). In the rest, relax, and absorb the peacefulness architect who drew the drawings of
Photo by Nadja Goldberg
I’m the only girl in the league. “I see fourth grade, I played with my brother of the city around you. But still not NYT: How did you fund it? what we wanted to do, and then my
girls every few years,” my Coach, and his friends on the Police Activities everyone loves parklets. They also take Takehara: I used Kickstarter, which is husband built it.
Norman Robinson, says. I’m treated League (PAL), and we won the cham- up parking spaces. Out of 21 adults I a funding website that we ask all the
like everyone else on the team. I get the pionship. Then the league gave us free talked to, here are the results: neighbors, family, and friends to donate NYT: Do you like the parklet now after
same playing time as the boys. They Warriors tickets and we had front row a little bit of money to help me build it’s done?
expect me to work hard. seats. We also got backstage passes. What
do
you
think
of
parklets?
because they cost a lot of money. Takehara: Yes I love it, and I hope ev-
By Lovely Sonnier eryone’s going to enjoy it!
NYT: Who designed your parklet and
Yes,
I
want
parklets!
6
is it different from what you thought it So it’s your choice: Do you want par-
No,
I
don’t
want
parklets
12
was going to look like? klets or do you want parking? You could
Maybe,
I
want
parklets
2
1
Takehara: My husband is a contractor make a parklet in your neighborhood
I
don’t
know
what
parklets
are
School construction then Playworks will paint at some point, meeting we had some teachers come who designed it and it is pretty much too just like the owner of 903.
continued from Page 1 just like they did last year. to another meeting to hear about what
their plans were and to give some There are many different types of
inside and it’s going to be a little bit NYT: When did they start working? input. Ms. Susanna was a big help with parklets including wood parklets,
bigger and there is going to be a door. Young: They started in June 2013, right that one. The whole school is also go- metal parklets, concrete parklets,
It’s kind of like a big garage door made after we moved out. ing to have new floors and new paint. and other types too. “The beauty of
of windows. So you can roll it up so parklets is they get rid of something
you can make it bigger. The cafeteria is NYT: When are they going to be fin- ugly and put in its place something
also getting a new floor and new paint. ished with everything? friendly, creative, and natural,” said
Young: That’s a really good question. Carol Lloyd. Some people who use
NYT: What are they doing to the bath- They think in March or April of 2014, public buses like parklets since they
rooms? but they will definitely be done in don’t need to park.
Young: In the cafeteria they are putting time for us to move back for the new
the bathrooms inside. They are putting a school year. In January 2013 there were officially 38
bathroom for the kids in the special day parklets in San Francisco, including one
classes to share. NYT: How did you know what to re- was just put in on Cortland Ave. in Ber-
model? nal Heights. Parklets need to be funded
NYT: What are they doing to the library? Young: I didn’t. Ms. Susanna came somehow too.
Young: They are putting up a wall so with me to the first meeting. Ms.
Photo by Ava Jones Dubois
that the library is going to be a separate Susanna has talked to all the teachers A restaurant, 903, next to the Cortland
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COMMUNITY NEWS SCHOOL NEWS
THE SALESIAN BOYS WHO’S THAT NEW FACE NYT: What is your educational back-
ground?
AND GIRLS CLUB IN THE COMPUTER ROOM? Ms. Stephanie: I went to Mission High
School, Spring Valley, and City College
here in the city.
By Chloe Hu NYT: What about the first graders?
By Gigi McMillan ates are members of the Ms. Stephanie: A lot of the first graders, NYT: Do you have any siblings?
Club. This year’s upcoming There’s a new computer teacher at Yick like Cool Games, CoolMathGames.com. Ms. Stephanie: Three sisters and one
with three public shows a year. By Nadja Goldberg can visit the amazing places without The Yick Wo Student Council was
having to worry about catching a ferry elected in October 2013. The mem-
How do they pay for all those activities? Angel Island looks empty when you back home. Nick’s favorite spot there is bers of the council are Lucy Bika-
“We do a lot of fundraising”, says Sherri look at it from San Francisco, but on Ledyard Overlook. Ledyard was a gun hi (president), Emily Pitkin (vice
Hughston, the Club’s Assistant Director, the island there are actually small places battery during the Spanish-American president), Lydia Tomayko (treasur-
“to raise money for the Club to make sure where rangers and workers live. War. All that’s left is a cement base with er), Nadja Goldberg (secretary), and
that we have the power on, the electric bills a breathtaking view. Charlie Wetherall (sports commis-
paid, and the phone bill, and then we pay Nick Jameson, a worker for the Parks sioner).
for theatre, and we pay for sports; like this Service, works and sleeps on the island Many people over the years have lived
season it’s boys basketball and girls soccer.” four nights a week. Nick’s typical day on Angel Island. Three thousand years For their campaigns, the candidates
consists of assisting visitors, helping ago it was a hunting and fishing site for gave speeches and put up posters saying
The Club has over 1,000 active members. board the ferries, and helping raccoons the Coastal Miwok Indians. It was a U.S. what they would do if they were elected.
“It’s open to the public”, says Hughston. get out of dumpsters when they’re stuck. Army post beginning with the Civil War.
You don’t have to be part of the church or From 1910 to 1940, the island was a place The student council is elected by ballots.
Photo by Chloe Hu
go to school there to be a member. The When Nick sleeps on the island, he where immigrants, mostly from China, Ballots are pieces of paper to vote on.
Club offers programs like community sleeps in a dormitory. He thinks it’s had to stop before coming to California.
theatre, music, martial arts, cooking, very beautiful to live on Angel Island, If you ask Ms. Young about what the
tutorial programs, and arts & crafts. but inconvenient if you want to go to You can experience living on Angel Is- Student Council is doing, she will say
the store or see a movie. A great thing land by camping there overnight on one Yick Wo’s new computer teacher, Stephanie Dominguez, doesn’t just spend time at a computer. “The Student Council is working very
Many Yick Wo students and gradu- about living on Angel Island is that you of the campgrounds. She likes sports and hanging out with friends. hard to do good things for our school.”
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COMMUNITY NEWS
COMMUNITY NEWS
COIT TOWER CLOSED FOR
A MUCH-NEEDED MAKEOVER
NEW LANDMARK FOR NORTH BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD
By Alice Talker Some of the problems at Coit Tower
By Cheyanne Chow hour book returns, and express self rebuilt,” said Supervisor David Chiu in are water around the murals, flaking of
checkout machines. an email interview. Coit Tower, San Francisco’s famous paint off the ceiling and walls, insect
Next year, there will be a bigger and landmark that was built in 1931 and infestation, and really old and poorly
better library in North Beach, and best “I support the new library; the old When can we expect to grab a book from that has been attracting visitors over functioning insulation that needs to be
of all, it’s going to be a welcoming and library did not work for children, the new library? It will open in spring 80 years, currently is in need of major replaced.
It will be a well-lighted place with The Giants aren’t acting like giants. They’re
THE WILD WORLD OF
lots of big windows with many awe-
some views like Coit Tower, Lom- A drawing of the planned library, designed by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects, shown with
acting like little mice! We know how much
the Giants mean to us. The problem is, that AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
bard Street and Saints Peter and Paul adjoining North Beach Playground and Pool. they didn’t make it to the playoffs. I bet San
Church. The new North Beach library Francisco sports fans are pretty sad. By Ava Jones Dubois you things at the same time. But sadly
saves energy by using blue jeans for soccer season just ended. I can’t wait
insulation to keep the building warm.
There’s also homework helping, 24-
BART ON STRIKE ... AGAIN? Now Coach Craig, our Playworks manager,
has an opinion about how they lost. He
There is a wide world of after-school
activities, from soccer to horseback
for next year,” says Mia Gail. Mia is in
an all-girl league. Mia’s team name is
suggested that the pitchers didn’t work hard riding. In between there is the After The After Shocks. Another team in our
By Lucas R. Woon who depend on BART will be stressed enough. He inferred since they were playing School Program (ASP) at Yick Wo, school is called The Barbary Coasters.
because they have to find another way the Dodgers, that it would be a breeze. Hopkido, and many others. Many of They are a fourth-grade girls team with
Due to an error by Bay Area Rapid to get to work. People will have to theses activities are helpful, not only one third-grader.
Transit (BART) management in the con- wake up earlier to get to work on time. Craig also called on a great point that the for the children but for the parents
tract agreement, BART could possibly People would be very tired when they Giants were in the same division as the too. Sometimes parents need to work One of the many other activities is the
go on strike for the third time. get home. Dodgers. And there might have been a few long hours and need after-school sup- Chess Club. On Thursdays many Yick
injuries in between innings. port. If that is so, they can send their Wo students gather in the library after
MUNI, AC transit, and Sam Trans Governor Jerry Brown can help by children to ASP. At ASP the children school. Snacks are passed out to the
would provide extra service for com- talking to BART management and their And as we all know, it’s very windy in San play outside for 20 minutes, read for students, and then they start to play
Photo by Carson Beale
muters and workers. A strike will effect unions to get a contract settlement. If Francisco. So, maybe the wind carried 20 minutes, and then they do their chess.
the entire Bay Area. BART would pro- Governor Brown doesn’t help, the entire the ball somewhere else. Coach Craig’s homework.
vide extra shuttles for commuting from Bay Area will be shut down again. There conclusion is: Not bad, not great. Maybe you will consider putting
the East Bay. If BART goes on strike for will be long lines for the ferry boats and Then there is soccer. Soccer can be your child or children in one of these
a third time, people will be paralyzed casual carpools. BART cannot afford to So, they didn’t make the playoffs. Don’t helpful. It can teach kids to stand up activities. There is also piano lessons,
Construction is moving quickly for the new in traffic. Businesses would lose money go on strike. The results will be devas- worry. Its not the end of the world. There’s for themselves without hurting each theater, newspaper club, or any other
North Beach Library. because there are no patrons. People tating for everyone. always next year! other. “It is so much fun and it teaches sport. I’m sure they’ll like it.
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