March 2020 Edition
Ralph R. McKee Career and Technical Education High School Newspaper
Mrs. Del Re, Ms. Morganti, Mr. Sarno & Ms. Baftjari
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Rest in Peace Kobe
by Alanna Rivera Kobe Bryant, in full Kobe Bean Bryant, born August 23, 1978 died January 26, 2020 in California along with his daughter Gianna, 13, and seven others. Kobe is survived by his wife and three other daughters. He was an American professional basketball player who helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA. Kobe played his entire NBA career with the Lakers. He is considered one of the best NBA players of all time and has won multiple awards and trophies throughout his career. He was once the highest-paid and most electric player. Kobe was known for his impressive work ethic and lifelong love of basketball, but he also found time to enjoy life and pursue ventures off the court during retirement. Kobe grew up in Italy watching his father play basketball overseas and when he moved to Philadelphia, he focused on his basketball career in high school. Bryant and his second daughter Gianna, both had a true passion for the game of basketball. They Teacher of the Month Profile By: Tareq Farag Having the opportunity to interview Ms. Wright was wonderful. She has many strengths as a teacher and individual. She is loyal to her family, friends and students; she is understanding, respectful and loves spending time with her family and friends. What makes her a strong and amazing teacher is that she acknowledges her strengths and weaknesses and continues to work on growing her teaching practices. She explained that she knows there is always room for growth and can sometimes struggle with it. Her strength, being a cooperative, collaborative and supportive co-teacher to many here at McKee. Some of the challenging students she’s faced as a teacher were those students who do not even show up to class. She explained that she goes above and beyond to help and support her students but those who do not show up are the hardest to help. During the interview, Ms. Wright explained that one of the reasons she became a teacher was because she was influenced by a previous superintendent who was raising a family, while working to help other children learn and grow. She also stated that her Aunt always told her she was a leader and a helper, and those are some of the most important characteristics of a teacher. Before teaching English and History, Ms. Wright was teaching Italian here at McKee. When asked to describe herself, Q & A with Coach Donohue By: Lizett Perez & Jason Avila On the night of January 31, 2020, McKee played against their long time rival Curtis High School. Suffering a sad loss, we did not win. However, I was curious to know what the coach of the basketball team thought about this day. During the interview, Coach D spoke about the game, yet even though a loss, he did so in a positive way. Coach Donohue shared what his future goals are for the team. Coach Donohue “hopes to grow positively” as they move forward. His mindset about the game is intense and he says it was a “big game.” He describes this year’s kids on the team as “a great group whom he’s so proud of.” Coach Donohue starts preparing for future games by working hard during the season. He describes the seniors as “strong athletes” and he believes that this year’s seniors have “a bright future ahead of them.” I asked Coach Donohue what message he has for the returning players and newcomers and he responded by saying “keep believing in the process.” Advice he gives to the future basketball players is to “continue the lesson that they were taught because good teammates become good employees.” Some more advice he |
could often be found chatting courtside at a game or out on the court honing in on their skills. Gianna was on a path to follow her father’s footsteps to be the greatest player. On January 26, 2020 Gianna, Kobe and the others were on their way to a basketball game when a tragedy hit the news. Bryant’s private helicopter lost control and suddenly crashed in Calabasas, California. This day was extremely sad and an eye opener which sent the world into mourning. Many sent messages to the families of the fallen. Rest in peace to everyone who lost their lives. These lives were cut short but they will forever be remembered in the hearts of their loved ones. Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s wife, posted to Instagram a few days after the tragic loss of her husband and daughter, “I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved.”
There is no #24 without #2.
she’d stated she is reliable, hardworking, patient and understanding; everything all teachers need to be. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, going to the beach, reading books, enjoying family time and shopping. She is not only a teacher, but she is a business owner and mother. Ms. Wright owns Bella Mama Rose, a restaurant that prepares some of the best Italian meals known and raised a wonderful daughter who also works with her here at McKee. Lastly, Ms. Wright stated that one of her biggest strengths as a teacher and individual is “finding the time to create a safe, caring, respectful and cooperative environment everywhere she goes, from here at McKee, to her business and at home.”
gives students that translates from the court to real life is to “understand the moment and the atmosphere.” The most important part for Coach D on Senior vs Curtis Night was when his players were “taking pictures of that night with their families.” A special moment for Coach Donohue was saying goodbye to his senior players. Coach Donohue believes “the next level is more like business.” He is proud of seeing his players “becoming responsible people, some even fathers. Some fun facts about Coach Donohue is he has been a coach for fifteen years; Thirteen years of coaching varsity and two years of coaching junior varsity. He also coaches the girls’ softball team. Lastly, Coach Donohue stated a message he has for senior basketball players as they leave, “believe in the process and trust your teammates.” The Senior basketball players of 2020 did an awesome job representing McKee throughout their years as players on the team. They may have lost the game, but they are winners in our hearts! Q & A with Ms.Bilotti about the Coronavirus By Justin Rivera & JisellaTrinadad CONFIRMED CASES OF CORONAVIRUS The Coronavirus is actually made up of a large family of viruses, like SARS. These viruses have been the main reason for several outbreaks |
The Seagulls’ Upcoming Events:
St. Patrick’s Day/ Candy Grams!
_______________________ Monthly Announcements:
PTA Bake Sale _______________________ A Quote from Humanities Department Assistant Principal, Mrs. Mullen: “Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.” -Marian Wright Edelman
such as the SARS pandemic of 2002-2003 and the MERS outbreak of South Korea in 2015. The Coronavirus affects people and animals. Symptoms are that of a common cold, fever, cough and shortness of breath. To prevent the coronavirus there are some things you should do: get your flu shot, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue and wash your hands often, stay home if you feel sick. Chances of contracting the coronavirus are really low–there have only been twelve cases reported in the United States so far, but you should practice clean hygiene and be careful regardless. This virus originated from a wet market in Wuhan, China. It is believed that the trade of exotic animals is the cause for this outbreak and that bats may have been the main carriers of the virus. On February 9, 2020, Hong Kong reported its first death and 36 people were confirmed to have had the virus as well. |
|||||
CTE Career Discovery Week
On February 12, 2020, a large group of students from McKee’s Carpentry, Electrical, and Automotive programs visited Con Edison. During their trip to ConEd, the students met with various different employers who spoke about the different jobs that are available for our students upon graduation from McKee. “College. Career. Life.” is our motto, and on this day we truly lived up to these standards! |
|
The Amazing Comeback of the Super Bowl
By Tyvant Melton On February 2, 2020, a fifty year wait that was well worth it came true, as the Kansas City Chiefs became the LIV Super Bowl champions! After Patrick Mahomes sparked the comeback that turned the tide of the game, the Chiefs took the win home. Mahomes called his play on a desperate third down–with fifteen yards to connect with Tyreek Hill for a first down. After which, the teamwork previously mentioned between the two star teammates made the Chiefs an unstoppable force. This desperate play assured the Chiefs an inevitable victory. With a 31-20 game, that simple spark of hope ignited a flame that pushed the Chiefs to the end and helped them to win SUPER BOWL LIV!
|