THE BEACON: News and poetry for Mount Greylock middle school

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 31 May 2005 22:04:26 EDT
From: DebbyDane@aol.com
Subject: next to final beacon for approval...be wowed by these poems!! 6/2/05

7th Graders to Visit
Hancock Shaker Village

Submitted by Amy Moore-Powers

The entire 7th grade will be going on a field to Hancock Shaker Village on
Friday, June 10th.

We need 10-12 parent chaperones to join us for the day. The bus leaves Mt.
Greylock at 8:30 am and will return to school at 2:20 pm. Parent chaperones
may ride the bus or drive and meet us there. The tour/visit actually begins at
9:30 and ends at 1:30. The trip is part of an academic unit surrounding
Utopian societies.

Please email or call if you are able to join us as a chaperone:
AMoorePoers@mgrhs.org

PTO Meeting:
Help Steer Us into the Future

Our last meeting of the school year is Monday, June 13th at 7:00pm in the
school library. We will submit a year-end report summarizing what the PTO has
done this year and will discuss priorities for next year, with particular
emphasis on start-of-school events. Hopefully we will have a good turnout!
Especially for people who haven't come to PTO meetings this year, if they are
interested in getting involved next year this is a good way to get started.

GOINGS On

Sun, June 5: 1:30-3:00 Graduation Band plays at Mt. Greylock Graduation
Thu, June 9: (note date change from 6/8)
Moving Up Day
Fri, June 10: DEADLINE for submissions to
The Echo, send to echo@newshare.com
Fri & Sat, June 10 & 11: Treasure Island, Middle School Musical in
auditorium
Mon, June 13, 7:00pm: PTO meets in Library
Fri, June 17: 8th Grade Crossing-Over Ceremony
Fri, June 17: Middle School Trip to Windsor Lake
Wed, June 22: LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!

Check-out The Beacon and other school
related news on www.greylocknews.com

14 more days of school !!!

SPORTS

U-14 Girls Soccer:
Sat, June 4, 2:30: vs Lee, away
Sun, June 5, 4:00 vs North Adams, away
U-14 Boys Soccer:
Sat, June 4, 4:00 vs Berkshire Hills-HOME
Sun, June 5, 4:00 vs Pirahas, away

Poetic Perspectives

Submitted by Liza Barrett

All students in 8th grade English recently finished a unit on human
relationships and character development. As part of the unit, students
were given two reflective assignments which revealed their various
attitudes about being a teen today. Students wrote "gender" poems, in
which they expressed what it is like to grow up as a "boy" or "girl", as
well as newspaper articles which answered the question "What is it like to
be a teenager today? What follows is a sampling of their thoughtful and
honest "gender poems." Next week's final Beacon will publish more student
writings from this unit.

Complexity

Sometimes
I feel like an old steam engine
rusty
shuddering
fragile
ready to explode
or collapse
into a heap of complexity
never knowing what is around the corner
if there even is one
but maybe
if I'm lucky
I'll be remade
simplified
and finally
I'll be able to relax
for a moment

And then there's love
an icy-hot hand
pressing down on my forehead
making me feel sick
and feverish
always persisting
redundant

So I wonder sometimes
if there is even any point being here
but then I realize
how lucky I am
to be me.
-Harris MacDonald

Not Human

My alien friends tell me to act human
I can't hit people with bats,
Punch people
Wear pajama pants to school
Or get tattoos
I must be polite and not talk back
Some of my friends tell me to act like a normal person,
I can't because I was born on Mars.
I sit with my dog in the closet
I laugh at the stupidest things
Because on my planet these things are funny
I must shower and look clean,
Or else my skin will start to turn green

This is what I feel like,
An outcast in the world.
Just trying to be me.
-Megan Thompson

Would You?

Would you like to be different?
Do you adore the normal?
Could you accept the change?
Enjoy the challenge?

Would you change,
For the better?
Not be you
Not be who you want, not be who you are

If you could,
Would you make the change?
If you can,
Should you enjoy the diversity?

Your are only one --
With many others.
-Colton Phelps

It's Not Me

It's not me.
The designer clothes.
The fancy jewelry
The girly stuff.
It's not me.
The girly talk.
The girly attitude.
The girly appearance
It's not me
So, who am I now?
-Bryanna Salvadore

Good Life

I'm lucky to be a 13 year old boy in this day and age
My family doesn't care how I act (except for rudeness)
I'm allowed to do whatever I want (legally)
They don't care about what I wear
They never tell me to be a certain way
Or be someone I'm not
I'm lucky to have a life like mine,
Where no one tells you to be perfect
Or listen to a certain style of music,
I'm allowed to do whatever sport I want
And if I don't’ want to
I don't have to play sports at all,
I've grown up in a good world.
-Jordan Barber

And Dance

I watch her hunt for herself.
I watch her slip and slide.
But until she finds what she's looking for
She'll put on make-up
And a skirt
And dance
-Danica Mladenovic