Prowler Staff - Pembroke Pines Charter Schools > Home

Prowler Staff
Layout/Design: Priscilla Cabusand Nicholas Rivera
Photography Team: Daniel Virguez, Julianna Rector, and Michelle Laverde
Features: Editor-Marianna Chinchilla Writers-Daniel Delgado, Maria Osorio, and Pablo Ortiz
Student Life: Editor-Jennifer Montes de Oca Writers-Julianna Rector, and Ashley Williams
Sports: Editor-Jacob Sackett Writers-Daniel Ordaz, Allen Altenor, Christine Alyon
Clubs: Editor-Victoria Antelo Writer: Diego Burga
Technology: Editor-Looghermine Claude Writers-Priscilla Cabus, Daniel Virguez, and Nick Rivera
Op-Ed: Editor-Michelle Laverde Writers-Natalie Laurent, Dylan Carter, and Dane Vasquez
Entertainment: Editor-Maribel Maignan Writers-Juliette Diaz and Brian Zapata
Artwork by Sophia Perez
Andrea Carmona, our
very own rising star
Campus Life
Chess team brings home a victory
Features
Jag soccer season
comes to a fantastic close
Sports
Builders Club doing
great things
Clubs
Reality stars gone wild
Opinion
FEATURES
By: Jennifer Montes de Oca
Step into Harrison’s World. Take a walk all the way down the hall and enter room 220. There you will meet one of the most
inspiring teachers this side of the Mississippi. Anyone who has had the privilege of having Mr. Harrison would have to agree that he
is not your average run-of-the-mill world history teacher. Mr. Harrison sees it as his calling to inspire the youth of today. Known for
his Motivational Mondays, he makes sure every week opens up with an inspirational video, music, speech or a combination of all.
Last year all seventh grade students had the opportunity to get a glimpse of Mr. Harrison in action when he organized a motivational assembly. He invited high profile community members to speak to the entire
grade on the importance of attitude and goal setting. This year he has decided to begin
his magic with the sixth graders. Just recently he spoke to the Power of One grade 6
group and motivated each member to set goals that will help them be successful.
Many teachers have asked Mr. Harrison what he believes to be the secret to motivating
students, which has resulted in presentations at several campuses. At these meetings,
he teaches teachers how to bring the classroom alive with music, videos and inspirational messages, which in turn motivates students to aim higher. He has also taken his
presentation on the road and has traveled throughout the state of Florida including recent conferences in St. Petersburg and Orlando where he presented to teachers from
Mr. Harrison inspiring his young warriors
all over on motivating and inspiring students. "When students are motivated and inspired they will learn more,” says Mr. Harrison. School, learning, motivating….they just seem to go together!
By: Danny Delgado
In this year’s first Jaguar Prowler issue, we asked for your help
for the hundreds of dogs that had been abandoned in the Everglades.
We asked, and the National Junior Honor Society responded. For the
past three weeks, Ms. Jodi has set up a
feather market on wheels. The club
met and brainstormed several fundraising ideas, and since the feathers
were the in thing, feathers it would
be. And lots of them! So far the fundraiser has brought in close to $500.
Ms. Jodi has dedicated so much of her
time because this cause is near and
dear to her heart. She has rescued
several dogs herself, and she says she
has a soft place in her heart for any
furry four legged creature. Now that
Ms. Jodi sports her very own
you know that these feathers have a
feather extensions.
purpose other than accessorizing all of
PPCMS’s fashionistas, go see Ms. Jodi and support a great cause.
By: Daniel Ordez and Pablo Ortiz
Great news from the chess team! This past weekend,
Ms. Lieber’s chess team participated in the 2011 National
Youth Action East K-9 chess tournament and placed 9th overall. Four of her 36 members—Vinay Chitepu, Anuj Sood,
Colin Webb, and Kyle Webb-- participated in the tournament.
Ms. Lieber said all played extremely well and Colin Webb perhaps had an especially stellar performance. “He started off a
little rusty, but then played very well against extremely skilled
players,” commented Ms. Lieber. There were 21 schools in
their division, and there were exactly 4 divisions. The next
competition they will be attending will be the regionals, and
Ms. Lieber is confident that they will bring home another trophy. “This year’s team seems to have more ability and skill
than previous groups,” she boasted. If you happen to run
into any chess team member or Ms. Lieber in the hallway,
make sure you congratulate them on a job well done!
Chess team members proudly hold
their trophy.
Campus Life
By Julianna Rector
By Natalie Laurent
By now everyone knows great accomplishment, they have
take this test until they reach
that PPCMS is a Blue Ribbon
been invited to be a part of the
school, and perhaps what helped Duke TIPS program. This is a
their junior year in high school.
Victoria Cabrera, a seventh grade
make the school receive this
recruiting program that scouts
amazing award was and is the
academic talent at a very early
caliber of students we have. On
age and invites students to begin
standardized tests such as the
taking the SAT as early as the
FCAT, our students outperform
seventh grade. Most students do
most students throughout the
not
student, says, ”I’m going to take
this test to get a glance at what
the PSAT will be like when I m
older.” Only sixteen states in the
country use this program and it’s
great because it gives students a
entire state. This past year was
head start In their college
no exception. Our
pursuit. With the intense
current seventh
competition that exists to
graders blew the
enter colleges these days,
FCAT reading test
Last year, NJHS hosted the Charter’s got Talent
show! Students got the opportunity to audition and perform for the Pembroke Pines Charter School audience.
The top 3 winners were Paullyanna Severe in first, Andrea Carmona in second, Kaylee Truiit and Anna Wheatly
in third. Just recently, one of these winners took her
show on the road. Our second place winner, Andrea
Carmona, auditioned for Americas got Talent this past
month at the Tampa Bay Convention center in Tampa,
Florida. America’s got Talent is a competition that scouts
all types of talent-- no matter how silly or eccentric it
may be. Andrea’s talent is neither silly nor eccentric; it
is simply AMAZING! “I’ve been singing my entire life,”
Andrea told the Jaguar Prowler. “I want to be famous,
and one day I just may be,” says Andrea. Andrea will
receive a call sometime in January to find out if she’s
made the cut. We will keep our fingers crossed, and Andrea you just keep singing your heart out.
it is never too early to get
out of the water,
started.
and for this
A few of the chosen students
DUKE TIPS INVITEES
Victoria Cabrera
Pablo Eyrich
David Cha-Kim
Elizabeth Garrison
Christina Hartenhoff
Julianna Rector
Dennis Hendricks
Esther Omole
Alyssa Wright
Chanoan Sumonthee
Sherlyn Wee
Karla Hurtado
Daniela Suarez
Valentina Arango
Jordan Farenhem
Kaleb Chadwrick
Annette Mago
Cameron Jones
Alexander Purcell
Justin Mckinley
Rande Hoffman
Jovan Dubuison
Edward brown
Anthony Madera
Abhishek Matange
Johanna Moise
Justrina Villarta
Wynton White
Josiah Celestine
Sofia Hurtado
Chinedu Ezenwa
Camilo Grijalva
Valentine Roa
Samantha Feinstein
Owen Cockrell
Samantha Barrea
Lyndon-John Lemmers
Eighth grader Andrea Carmona hopes to get a spot on America’s Got Talent.
By: Jennifer Montes De Oca
Are you a feather head? Lots of girls at PPCMS have feather hair extensions.
Feather extensions are a great way to add a little pizazz to our sometimes drab uniforms. It is the Pocahontas look, but just a little hipper. Hair feathers were originated
by Native Americans; they symbolized communication with spirits and divine wisdom.
Feathers also symbolized courage during a war or hunt. Let’s say that history is repeating itself, or what is old is new! Making a big come back, feathers come in all colors and shapes and sizes—neon, neutral, flat, long, short, thin—and can be attached
with a bead or a clip. There are certainly mixed opinions about this fashion fad. Many
the boys of PPCMS think feather extensions look ridiculous and say “chicks” who
wear them are “for the birds.” The girls, on the other hand, think feather extensions
are the newest must fashion accessory.
of
Proud PPCMS students parading their plumage.
Opinion
By: Dane Vasquez
Portal, a game that was released in 2007, has stood the test of time. Portal
has come a long way since then, winning several accolades such as the innovators
award and game of the year. Though short in length, it provided creative and phenomenal gameplay that puzzled the brain. Then on April 18, 2011 the sequel to that
great game came to stores- Portal 2, a stand-alone title, is now out in stores with a
full price tag.
The story in Portal 2 is easy to grasp, filled with interesting characters, and a
number of features that outstanding sagas have. The story picks up where the first
Portal left off: you appear in an ordinary room awakened by a strange robot confined
to a railing on the roof. He explains that you have been asleep for a long, long time
and then releases you and aids you in escaping. Accidentally, however, he reawakens Glad0s, an evil AI that was killed in the first game. The goal then is to escape
from the giant test facility that is Aperture Science, and its shoddy Manufacture sections.
The story line is captivating but the meat of the game is in the gameplay. The
concept is simple- you have a device that creates two portals on flat white walls. Similar to the idea of any other portal, when you walk, jump, or fall through one end, you
come out the other. You then must get from one point to another while pressing
buttons, placing cubes on pressure plates, connecting lasers, and avoiding turrets.
Oh, and don’t forget the acids and other dangerous substances you have to evade to
open a door to get to the next area. Simple, right? Not quite. Sure at the beginning it
may seem effortless, but then you must get creative to complete the puzzles and
after a while, they seem impossible. Once you figure out what you did wrong, you
smack yourself on the head, wondering how you didn’t see that.
Portal 2 is one of the greatest games I have ever played, and this says a lot,
being that I’ve played many. It is also a nice change of pace from mainstream games,
such as Call of Duty. Portal 2 is truly an innovation. It challenges your brain, pushing
it to the limit. Even more reasons why I love it so much!
Cooperative mode adds more
fun and deepens the experience of Portal 2.
Congratulations to Portal 2 for its six
big wins at the 2011 Video Games
Award!
1."Ultimate Game of the Year" - Golden Joystiq Awards
2."Best PC Game" - VGA 2011
3."Best Multiplayer" - VGA 2011
4."Best Performance by a Human Male: Stephen Merchant" - VGA 2011
5."Best Performance by a Human Female: Ellen
McLain" - VGA 2011
6."Best DLC : Peer Review" - VGA 2011
By: Dylan Carter
Upon opening the book, I was mystified by the dramatic and shocking storyline. The protagonist,
Stephen, had just buried the cold, lifeless corpse of his grandfather. This, for Stephen, is a relief. His
grandfather had constantly beat him for making mistakes. His death had caused Stephen’s, and everybody’s world around him, to turn upside down.
Stephen and his family normally followed a trail to avoid the Chinese. The Chinese thought that
American backpackers were spies, so they declared war on the US. The Chinese launched diseases in
America that turned into plagues. These plagues wiped out most of the population in the Americas. Any
part of normal life was shut down from this attack. Shipping was a crazy thought; nobody could avoid the
pirates and the criminals. The world would never be the same.
Take if from me:
DO JUDGE THIS BOOK BY
ITS COVER!
The Eleventh Plague puts a world on display that is very different from our own. Almost nothing is
the same. Anger and weakness breaks families apart. Family members had to leave loved ones behind, not
knowing what would become of them. This book was a page turner, one that I could not put down. It
transported me through a morphed time of chaos and death and misery. You may ask, “then why would
anyone want to read such tragedy.” Simply because it is riveting and it makes my everyday life seem so
calm and peaceful.
Opinion
By: Michelle Laverde
The reality stars of the Jersey Shore, the Kardashians, Teen Mom, the Real Housewives of Atlanta, New York, New Jersey, and Beverly Hills
have all become well known icons. They are paid millions of dollars to be ridiculous on air and shamed throughout America. Being truthful as possible, who watches these shows and says- “wow, I want to be like them when
I’m older”? Nobody, that’s who. If you do, you need to re-check your priorities and get your life together quickly. The sad truth is that you could study medicine at one of the top universities in the country and become a
neurologist and still not make even close to what members of the Kardashian clan make. Speaking of the Kardashians, in case you haven’t heard yet, Kim just recently got divorced. There is nothing wrong with the divorce. People get divorced; we don’t live in such biblical times where people that separate get stoned to death.
However our dear Kim, star of the hit series, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, was only married for the shockingly short time of 72 days. What makes this so odd is the all of the hoopla leading up to the wedding not to
mention the exorbitant amount of money that was spent. Imagine the charities that could have benefited from
just a fraction of this money. The short lived matrimony scandal became so popular that a trending topic on
Twitter quickly climbed the charts on the “most popularly tweeted” board under the title of
“#thingslongerthankimsmarriage”. Things like ‘the quick cycle on my washing machine’ and ‘the average line at
Chipotle’ or even ‘Amber Rose’s hair’ liven up Twitter under this hash tag. To be fair, Kim is not the only pitiful
example of what a role model could be. MTV is also plagued with shows like Teen Mom. What I hate most
about Teen Mom is that these girls are practically being rewarded for being irresponsible. MTV may show the
troubles that these teen moms face, but many of the girls who watch this show are too immature to truly how
The talentless Kim Kardashian graces
life changing these troubles are. I guess no one ever said that reality stars need to be role models. But I do
the red carpet.
have one question: Why are we fattening their pockets for their irresponsible, ridiculous, and scandalous behavior? Trust me, Kim’s wedding would not have been nearly as lavish if we would have made her get a real
job years ago!
|By: Dylan Carter
As I am scrolling through my usual searches on how to get
rich quick, I see many odd looking videos- except one. I click on the
video and the screen is still black. In the background, I hear what I
believe to be opening music, but I could not have been more wrong.
It was the tune to one of the most irritating but funny 80’s songs ever
made: “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley. What I had just
experienced is known as Rick Rolling. On video viewing websites,
such as YouTube, Reddit, and Tumblr, if something appears too good
to be true, it probably is. Most videos that seem as if they would
make a miracle happen will probably just have good ol’ Rick Astley
prancing around for a few seconds, which I find entertaining. Many,
however, view Rick Rolling to be a nuisance they simply cannot escape. Never experienced it? I have one piece of advice for youdownload the following
link and JUST ROLL
WITH IT.
Google.com/
http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=XZ5TajZYW6Y
The irritating yet hilarious Rick Rolling vide-
By: Dane Vasquez
For many years on
the week of Thanksgiving,
the tradition has been that
we only had Thanksgiving
and the Friday following off
from school. The
2011/2012 school year,
however, brought a new
The only thing better than Thanksgivreason to be thankful. I
ing turkey is five days off
guess we could thank
from school.
Squanto and Powhatan,
Native Americans from the
Patuxet tribe in Massachusetts who helped some of the first pilgrims
live in America. This act of kindness eventually became the first
Thanksgiving. Thank you Native Americans, you gave us two days off
from school. But in reality, we owe the extra three days off to someone else. We really need to be thankful to the powers that be who
decided that an extra three days off would alleviate some of the financial crisis affecting schools throughout Broward County. Students
from PPCMS took full advantage of the week off, some traveling to
cool places and others like myself just chilling. No matter how we
each spent the time off, I know that we would all agree that if the
three extra days off from school is going to help the budget, we will
“sadly” give three days once again next year. The word thanks in
Thanksgiving has a whole new meaning!
Entertainment
By Maribel Maignan
By: Juliette Diaz
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 is being called the best movie of 2011 by
critics, Twilight fans, and anyone who has seen the movie. On the night of the premiere,
fans all around the world rushed into theaters to see the movie of the year. Out of all the
books and movies of the Twilight Saga -Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse- Breaking Dawn is
rated the best one yet. The saga was written by Stephanie Meyer. Even though they are
fantastic books it seems like the writer of the movie, Melissa Rosenberg, didn't think so.
Melissa states "The movie is nothing like the book, but that's what we were hoping for. We
wanted it to be unique, but still have the same story line as the books.” Breaking Dawn is a
great movie full of drama, excitement, violence, and plenty of surprises. Bella (played by
Kristen Stewart) is all grown up now and stuck like glue to her love, Edward Cullen (played
by Robert Pattinson).
Girls, wondering what to rock this winter? Take
a quick glance down the halls of PPCMS to get an idea.
Feather extensions, moccasins, and boots are just some
of the few fashion-forward items now trending. Jennifer Montez De Oca, a proud supporter of these accessories, states “I love the feather extensions because
they look great in my dark brown hair; they bring my
boring color to life!” Other favored trends include baby-doll type hair bows, nerd-inspired glasses, and Marianna bracelets. As for shoes, us girls cannot seem to
get enough of Toms of all colors and the classic, black
Converse. Those who want to step a little out of the
box , rock a pair of combat boots. We may not know
how long these fashions may be in, so rock them while
you can!
SPOILER ALERT! In this fourth installment of the saga, Edward and Bella get married
much to the dismay of the Bella's father. This first part of Breaking Dawn ends with the
birth of Renesmee, their half-vampire, half-human baby girl. Heartbreaking to the viewers
and Edward, Renesmee's birth results in the death of Bella. In the hope of prolonging his
time with Bella, Edward bites her. We are left wondering if she will survive turning into a
vampire. Juliette, a PPCMS student, calls the movie, "Epic and surprising; It was worth the
5 hours of waiting in line!" While the director of the movie could have done a better job
relating it to the book, I can rate this excitement-packed movie at least a
9.0. Fans rated Part 1 the best Twilight
movie so far, but Part 2 due for release
in November, 2012 might just end up
beating that. Much like Harry Potter, the
final installment next year will have Twihards everywhere on the edge of their
The ever-so-stylish
Morgan Robertson
sporting a shoelace
in her hair
seat.
Our own Jennifer
Montes De Oca
wearing her feather
extension
Breaking Dawn, came out Friday, November 18, 2011 at
midnight.
By: Brian Zapata
There was no better way to get into the spirit of the holidays than listening to some festive music, and what
better place to hear such festive music than at this year’s annual Y-100 Jingle Ball. This outstanding concert only
comes around once a year, and this year it was at our very own Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida. Eighth grader
Pricilla, says “The concert this year was epic; I couldn’t wait to go and see it!” She and many other students went and
attended this fun filled event that was held on Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. There were stars that couldn’t be missed, including Pitt Bull, Kelly Clarkson, Demi Lavato and many more. Foster the People performed their hit
singles Pumped Up Kicks and Helena Beat while Pitt Bull rapped out to “Pump up the Crowd”, until there was no roof
on the Bank Atlantic Center! Without a doubt Jingle Ball put everyone who went in a holiday spirit.
Pitt Bull, Kelly Clarkson, and many
more will be performed at 2011
Jingle Ball.
PPCMS Holidays
Jaguar Prowler roving reporter Marianna Chinchilla took to the halls of PPCMS
to find out what teachers and students were planning for the holidays.
Mrs. Brill and Mrs. Gore plan on baking cookies and making ornaments
for their trees. Each year they have a gingerbread house contest. Mrs.
Gore won last year.
Mrs. Benoit plans on celebrating the holidays with family and friends.
She just purchased Michael Buble’s Christmas album and invites all
friends to come sit at her pool and listen to the lovely sounds of the holiday while sipping hot cocoa.
Mrs. Aziz will be baking wonderful dishes to welcome her family from
Peru. Mrs. Morin is heading to Lego Land with her family but has asked
Mrs. Aziz to save her a piece of flan.
Mrs. Lebron plans to decorate her entire house with an amazing array of
lights. It has always been her dream to win a holiday house decorating
contest. Besides that, she will be enjoying the warmth of South Florida.
Ryan Corona is thrilled to have his family visiting from New York.
Alyssa Pena is traveling to New York to visit family and friends. She is
hoping for a white Christmas!
Valeria Montes is traveling to Colombia for the first time in nine years.
Tell all of your family, PPCMS wishes them a Feliz Navidad!
Jonathon Harris is also going to New York for the holidays. He may just
run into Alyssa!
HOLIDAYS
By Looghermine Claude-Technology Editor
Starting on Wednesday, December 21st an important day for Jewish families all over the world arrives in their homes. Hanukkah or Chanukah, which means dedication in Hebrew, is an eight day Jewish celebration that commemorates the rededication
of the Temple in Jerusalem by the Maccabees after they defeated the Syrians under the head of Antiochus IV. As each holiday has
their own way of being commemorated, Hanukah does as well by lighting the menorah, playing games, giving presents, and preparing traditional foods. In the Talmud, it says that when the Jews
were rededicating the Second Temple, a miracle occurred. Though
there was only enough oil for the candles to burn for one day, the
light burned on for eight days giving people enough time to find
more oil for their candles. This miracle started this holiday as we
know it today. “Hanukkah is very special to me because it commemorates the eight days of light that were only supposed to be one
[day] for my people,” says 8th grader Samantha Skurnick. During Hanukkah people eat latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly
filled donuts). One popular game is playing with a spinning top
called a dreidel. Prayers, which come before and after meals, are also a part of this holiday, and there are extra prayers just for these
days. Gift giving takes place as well, just like during Christmas. “We
always go to my cousin’s house and play games like the dreidel and
then we have a big dinner” says 8th grader Joseph Levy. Hanukkah is
a
celebration filled with fun, food, festivities, and faith, and I don’t
Samantha Skurnick lighting her menorah
know about you, but eight days filled with all that sounds pretty
amazing to me.
By Priscilla Cabus-Layout Design
“We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”
It’s officially December, which means it’s time for one of the most popular holidays of the season: Christmas! Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. The word Christmas is derived from the phrase
“the mass of Christ.” During the Christmas season, little children believe in Santa Claus, who was a saint
named Saint Nicholas. With his spirit of generosity, a bright red robe, and a white fluffy beard, Saint
Nick became the symbol for Santa Claus and for many, the symbol of Christmas. Many younger children
leave out cookies and milk in anticipation for Santa to arrive. During this celebration, holiday spirit is
abundant. Christmas songs on the radio, Christmas decorations in the stores, and houses draped with
colorful lights, one can’t help but to get into the holiday mood. Here at PPCMS we have traditions as
well. Our school’s chorus celebrates with Christmas songs and the band has winter concerts every year.
Some students, such as Giselle La Hoz, have special holiday traditions. “I open my gifts on midnight
Christmas Day, and it's special because we get into the holiday spirit and it brings our family closer,”
said Giselle. Another student, Stephanie Castillo, says her family roasts a pig every year. “This is something we have been doing for as long as I can remember,” said Stephanie. Whether it’s singing Christmas songs, watching Christmas movies, opening gifts at midnight or even roasting a pig, family traditions are what really make Christmas special.
Giselle La Hoz’s Christmas
tree
HOLIDAYS
By Daniel Virguez
Kwanzaa is an African American holiday honoring family,
community, and culture celebrated by millions around the world.
Unlike some of the other holidays celebrated this time of year,
Kwanzaa is a relatively new holiday, which was created in 1966 by
Dr. Maulana Karenga. This celebration starts on December 26th
and runs through January 1st. Each day is represented by seven
candles—red, green, and black
--that embody seven principles such as unity or Umoja in
Swahili, self-determination,
and responsibility. The candles are placed on a holder
called a Kinara. Those who
celebrate Kwanzaa are quick
to share that the holiday is not
a religious holiday and was
never meant to compete or replace Christmas.
Seventh grader Nicholas Raimont’s interpretation
of the holidays in South Florida
By Nick Rivera
jumpers. This year New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday. How
Three, you can feel the excitement of the crowd. Two, it
fitting, Monday morning, January 1, 2012 will be the start of
grows stronger and you feel yourself getting just as excited.
something great, a new lease on life, a blank sheet of paper to
One, it’s the longest second of the year. Happy New Year! This
create the best design possible. Happy New Years to all!
year is soon coming to a close, which means that the year 2012
is rapidly approaching. New Year’s Day was dedicated by the
Romans to their god, Janus. Janus was the god of gates, doors,
but most importantly, beginnings. The month of January was
also named after Janus. This day is traditionally celebrated with
fireworks lit at midnight. “[New Year’s] means a new start to
me” says eighth grader, Samantha Wong. When New Year’s
comes around, many people like to forget the past and look forward to the future such as Brianna Beach, an eighth grader who
“hopes for better things to come” every year. There are many
celebrations that are held on the first day of January. For example, post-season college football and ice hockey games are
played. Usually, they are followed by parades marching through
the streets of many cities. Many artists enjoy having concerts
during the day and at night. This time of year is often spent doing things with the family like going to the park or playing
games. Some traditions that many families here in South FloriTimes Square New Year’s Eve celebration
da have include going to the beach and jumping seven waves or
wearing yellow for money, pink for love, and white for happiness. Let’s hope for some warm weather for our wave
CLUBS
By: Victoria Antelo
Having the pleasure to help those in need, while having loads of fun is
everything Builders’ Club was created for. Along with helping others, they
care for our planet and pick up recycling around the school every Friday.
Builders’ Club meetings are Thursdays from 3:30 to 4:30. Thanks to Mrs. Raimont, the club’s thirty-seven members accomplish projects and fundraisers
each month. For the months of October and November, the club set up Trick
or Treat for UNICEF boxes in almost every homeroom and collected supplies
for Thanksgiving. Builders’ Club will be doing walks throughout the school
year and work with His House to help homeless orphans. Mrs. Raimont would
like to build character and demonstrate leadership skills to all members. She
also thanks PPCMS for all their support and sends the message that we can all
make a difference.
By: Diego Burga
Ms.Tavera and Ms.Duboff held auditions to enter the Art Club
the first week after club kickoff. Students who auditioned were given a worksheet to test their knowledge on art history. Students
were also given the task of drawing anything they wished. With this,
Art Club sponsors determined what the students were capable of
and how interested they appeared to be. Fifty-two students signed
up, but only twenty students were allowed to enter the club. The
Art Club will be participating in contests such as the Celebrating Art
Contest, Scholastic Art Contest, Broward County Art Fair, Wyland’s
Mural Contest “Living Greener, Living Healthier”, and the City of
Pembroke Pines Glass
Gallery City Hall
“Children in Pines” Art
Exhibition. The Celebrating Art Contest is
for any student from
grade K-12. If you are
interested, please see
Ms. Tavera.
Builders’ Club members: (Left to Right)
Victoria Antelo, Nicole Fairfoot (vice
president), Brianna Beach, Navya Baranwal (president), Kirstie Walters, and Jennifer Moscovitch.

Chess team— Attending the 2012 South Florida Regional Chess Championship on January 28th

Relay for Life—Will be hosting a Food Truck Fundraising
Night at City Center on January 21st. Our team will
have a booth with items for sale and a portion of the
proceeds from the event will go back to our West Warriors team!! Check www.relayforlife.org/
pembrokepinesfl for more details!

Builders Club – Collecting items for Welcome Bags for
Teens at “HIS House” (undershirts 12-16), underwear
(12-16), deodorant, toothpaste, feminine products,
toothbrushes, combs, hair brushes, pajamas. Builder’s
Club will also be fundraising for the MS Walk on March
25th. More info to follow

Drama Club—Play on Feb. 11th and Feb. 12th

Student Council—Just delivered holiday gifts to 3 families from our elementary school who otherwise would
not have had any holiday gifts. In January the Pennies
for Pasta project to help raise awareness for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society will begin.

TROOP—Car Wash in January—stay tuned for details!
We will also be reading to nearby preschoolers. We
visited the Susan B. Anthony Center on Dec. 9th and
provided gifts to all 84 children at the center.

NJHS—Will launch its Give an Hour campaign in January. The campaign will challenge 8th graders to give
back one true hour of service to their community.
Sports
By: Cristine Alayon
After making their mark on the field and playing with all their heart, the 2011
soccer season for the Jags has crossed the finish line. Both boys and girls finished
an outstanding season with great leadership by Coach Cozzati. The girls went undefeated throughout the whole season and won their first play-off game against Driftwood. Sadly, their season came to an end after losing to Silver Trail, 2-0, in the quarter finals. With the lady Jags crushing almost all of the teams, and mercy ruling five
teams, you should agree that they are champs. As for the boys, they took it all the
The 2011 boys soccer team
way to the semi-finals. Unfortunately, they
couldn’t pull through and were defeated by Falcon Cove 5- 1. The game was
played at Lockhart Stadium, again with great coaching by Coach Cozzati and assistance from Mrs. Altimore. The boy’s season record was 6-2. Having lost to Driftwood and Silver Trail during the regular, they found themselves back up against
them in the playoffs. They beat both teams, which put them in the championship
game. This season was well played by girls and boys, so congratulate them on one
amazing season!
The 2011 girls soccer team
By: Allen Altenor
The once great Florida Marlins decided to make a splash for
the new season by relocating to Miami and changing their names to
the Miami Marlins. The new Marlins decided to get new colors for
their team: orange, yellow, white, blue, and red. It also seems like the
Miami Marlins want to sign some big deal free agents to bring the
team back to their winning days. The Miami Marlins have made
offers to former Mets player
Jose Reyes— a deal of 6 years/
$90,000,000—and to shortstop Albert Pujols. Though
owners deny any deals being
made, Marlin fans hope to
have these players on the
team so they can make a run
to the World Series. Good luck
Marlins!
Jose Reyes signed to
The Miami Marlins.
The West Middle Campus will be hosting
its annual FCAT Family Night on Thursday, January 12, 2012. This is a great opportunity for
parents to gain insight into ways that they can
help their children be successful on this year’s
standardized tests. In addition, all students’ entries for this year’s Broward County History Fair
will be on display for parents to preview. The
theme is “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History,” and students have the option of creating an
exhibit board, website, or documentary
film. The top projects in each category will go
on to compete against all middle schools in
Broward County in March. Last year two students from the West Campus made it to the
state level, and Social Studies department chair,
Shannon Torres, says this year’s students will
surely continue the trend.
Sports
By: Allen Altenor
At the beginning of the NFL season, the Miami Dolphins were one of those teams that could have
snuck into the playoffs, with a defense once ranked top 5 this year and an offense led by Chad Henne,
Brandon Marshall, and their new acquisition, Reggie Bush, the Dolphins were given a chance for greatness. But the Dolphins started the season 0-7 with their last two games ending in late game heroics by
Broncos QB Tim Tebow and Giants QB Eli Manning. The season looked bleak, especially when the Dolphins faced the Chiefs team that was on a winning streak of their own. Then things started to change for
the Dolphins. The Fins started swimming in the right direction pulling out 3 straight wins with the offense
piling points and the defense being oh so stingy, they were making a comeback. Then came Thanksgiving
afternoon. The Dolphins faced a Cowboy team desperately needing a win to keep their season alive. Sadly
though, the Dolphins lost another heartbreaker thanks to a GW field goal as time expired. Even with this
loss, the Dolpfans are jubilant to see their team finally winning some games. It’s safe to say that this Dolphin comeback is one for the history books!
By: Cristine Alayon
By: Jacob Sackett
Seventh grader Cristine Alayon has it all – determination, size and
experience. This is her second year playing on the Lady Jags basketball
team. She relishes the two positions that she plays – Point Guard and
Shooting Guard – as well as the intensity of the game.
When she was six years old, her older brother, who played rec
ball, introduced her to the sport at the YMCA. She has been hooked ever
since! Her favorite basketball player is LeBron James along with our Miami Heat as her favorite NBA team.
Christine goes for the shot.
A dolphin hugging his fellow teammate
Scoring and giving her
best effort to assist her teammates are her favorite aspects
of the game. “I need to improve
my aggressiveness,” she commented. “The team last year
was 3 - 5, but greatly improved
towards the end of the season.”
They are off to a 2 – 3 start so
far this season. Let’s hope that
Cristine and the Lady Jags can
make this a slam dunk! one!
Basketball is back on track this 2011- 2012 year,
and the boys and girls teams have been selected. Returning players are Josh Germain, Mike Jones, Bryce Davis, Diego Garcivas, Myles Thomas, Hunter Buckman, Chase
Haskin, and Daniel Pressman. Coach Joel for the boys
team is working them to be the best they can be. As for
the girls team, Coach Master Pollo- known as Master P- is
confident that the Lady Jags will have a winning season.
The following girls have returned for another great season:
Cristine Alayon, Auviance Lindo, Jeilyn Perez, Camila
Lopez, Briana Baptiste and Kadia Chambers. As for new
players on the girls team, we have Katelyn Puldon and
Amanda Charles. Come cheer on both Jags at their games!
The 2011 Jaguar boys basketball team.
A Jaguar Cause
Garage Sale
All Proceeds will go towards additional
technology in our classrooms
When?
January 21st 8:00am-3:00pm
Where?
PPCMS—Airnasium & Cafeteria
How can you help? Donations will be accepted beginning Jan. 4th
Volunteer hours will be given for donations. Items can be dropped
off at the front office or sent to your child’s homeroom teacher.
We will be collecting clothing, books, household items, toys and
anything else you are looking to get rid of!
Want to volunteer your time? We will need parent volunteers on
the following dates—Thurs. 1/19 beginning at 1:00pm, Fri. 1/20
beginning at 8:00am, Sat. 1/21 beginning at 7:00am.
Who should you contact with questions or to sign up for volunteer time?
Mrs. Torres—storres@pinescharter.com
Mr. Jones—fjones@pinescharter.com
On behalf of the Jaguar Prowler staff, we
wish you and your
family a very happy
holiday season and a
prosperous New Year.