WINGSPAN

January 2023

OVERLOOK WELCOMES 2023

Combination Snow and Ice Storm Strikes Area

School Cancelled For One Week

By Wingspan Staff

A powerful set of storms came through the area over the course of a week, dumping several inches of snow and dangerous amounts of ice. This resulted in school being cancelled for four days in a row (Wednesday, Jan 25th was a scheduled Professional Development Day for staff). Power was lost to many homes during this time and the cleanup continues from the many trees that came down or were badly damaged by the ice and heavy wet snow. For those that lived through the 2008 Ice Storm, it was a reminder of the sights and sounds experienced over a decade ago. School is now into the last week of June and many students and staff are hoping for a quiet winter from here.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day

By- Lucas LeGrand (Wingspan Alumni)

Have you ever wondered why we take a day off from school in the middle of January? Did you ever wonder what the name Martin Luther King Jr means today? Well, I am about to explain everything to whoever is reading this.

Martin Luther King Jr was born in Atlanta Georgia on January 15, 1929. His father was a priest and his mother was a teacher. He was raised in a strong black community known as “Sweet Auburn”, in Atlanta. When he was growing up back then, it was all segregated, which means everything was separated based on whether you were White or African American. This made Martin Luther King Jr frustrated. Though he was mad, his grandfather and father were pastors at a local church where he grew up, so he did not react to the violence. When he was an adult, he went to colleges and schools in Philadelphia, and Boston. He noticed that black and white people up north were more free to do what they wanted then the south. When he was an adult, he moved to Montgomery, Alabama with his wife. Soon after they moved there, Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat for a white man. So King, with help, started a boycott to not use buses, but walk to where they needed to go. As a result, King's house got bombed, and it would not be the last time. Because of that, King started to lead churches, telling the people there not to be violent, but to be like Gandhi, who taught King not to be violent during protests. Soon after that, King held peaceful protests all around America, his most famous one was the march on Washington, where he gave his “I Have a Dream” speech, in 1963. His great aptitude for giving speeches was great for this special occasion. Soon later, in 1965, African American people were allowed to vote, and before that, in 1964, Martin Luther King Jr was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and contributed to the addition of greater civil rights for People of Color. So far, King had been on a roll. But then, in 1968, Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated by James Earl Ray. King was assassinated at the age of thirty nine years old. We remember him today because of his legacy in promoting equality for all people and to improve the lives of African Americans in the United States. Thank you Doctor King!

Overlook Food Drive a HUGE Success

Excerpt From Ms. Bogosh February Newsletter

A highlight last month was our food drive for local food pantries in Ashburnham and Westminster. Students and staff brought in over 1300 items for the drive. Students were rewarded for their efforts with a school-wide pajama day. The student council efforts did not go unnoticed. We are so proud of all the hard work of the council and Mrs. Duncan and Mrs. Shattuck for spearheading this community benefit.

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Alice in Wonderland Performance Doesn't Disappoint

By Wingspan Staff and Tatum Bahosh

Despite the winter weather the "show must go on", and it did in a big way over the weekend. Ticket sales were the highest in recent memory and the performance was one to remember.

This year's drama play was Alice and Wonderland. What an amazing play! People had a great time on the 21st and 22nd of January. There will be another play coming up in the spring. The play will be Legally Blonde Jr. Legally Blonde Jr follows the story of Elle Woods, who gets into Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend and prove that she can be a serious student. Nobody believes in her though, and when she tries to prove them wrong, she realizes that she should not try to be someone she is not. Elle discovers that she is not only good at law, but enjoys it, and finds better friends and confidence in herself along the way. Auditions for Legally Blonde Jr will take place Monday, February 6, Tuesday, February 7, and Thursday, February 9. Drama Club will perform this show in May 2023.

Dodgeball Tournament a BIG Hit

By Wingspan Staff

The Overlook Dodgeball Tournament was a fun filled week of elimination rounds, culminating with the championships held on Friday January 27th. Grade 6 fell to the 7th graders, followed by a hard fought victory over the hard throwing 8th graders by the 7th grade. The championship round pitted the staff team against the 7th grade. After a valiant effort by the staff, they fell to the mighty 7th graders who impressed with their athleticism and teamwork. As a consolation game the 8th grade played the staff and made quick work of the older generation.

The entire tournament was organized by an ambitious group of 8th graders along with Mrs. Cormier and Mr. T. It was a great event to bring the entire school together for some good natured competition.

Winter Season In Full Force

By Wingspan Staff

The winter seems to have finally arrived after what had been a relatively quiet and mild period. Early February is looking bitterly cold with forecast temperatures reaching as low as -25 by Saturday morning. In the meantime, this is a great season to get out and enjoy the unique scenery of glistening snow and the stillness of a winter's morning or dusk. Many fun activities are available, even for the non-skier or snowboarder. We all will be waiting for the groundhog and the prediction of how many more weeks of winter we should expect.

Book Review

By Tatum Bahosh

This is another really great book. The Hobbit. This story is about a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins. Who goes on an unexpected adventure to the mountains where the dragon Smaug lives. Will Bilbo be brave and make it to the mountains? Find out in this amazing book. If you like this book then read the rest of the series of Lord Of The Rings.