Allow us to show you a glimpse of a place where the mind roams free, bringing with it the joy and exhilaration of discovery. You shall see the process of the building of our Halloween games, from the humble beginnings of crazy, hilarious, or downright impossible ideas to the point of fruitition. First was rousting the impossible to create ideas, so that we found within ourselves an inkling of a plan, and to sketch it out for all to see. From those crude-looking outlines, we made a model of straws, as a 3-D representation of our ideas. Once that likeness was fixed in our minds, we used it to make blueprints of our spectacular games. After that stage was complete, we reached next stage – balsa wood models. We created these to a scale, so a piece of 1×2 pine five feet long in real life would be seven-and-a-half or twelve-and-a-half inches long on the model. Next was one of the most interesting stages, the phase for which all the others were done. That period was building. Finally, after all that work, came the party, a boisterous event for all the kids in the City of Salem who wanted to come to this amazing Haunted Happenings event for the community. This is merely a rough outline of the process. Prepare yourself – there is much more to this than meets the eye.   — Sam Carlberg

 Step 1: Writing Sponsorship Letters

We began our Halloween games project by writing letters asking businesses to sponsor us for materials to make the amazing games we make each year for the kids of Salem and our Haunted Happenings community service project. When I was writing my sponsorship letter it was very hard to get started. I couldn’t find in my brain that one creative piece of writing that is good enough to get me started typing. Suddenly the lightbulb in my head went “ding,” and at that moment I started writing like crazy. After I got my letter checked off I started typing, then I mailed my letter. I got four sponsor letters out, but no replies. We got letters back from some of the businesses telling us that they would sponsor us. — Eric McCathern

Thank you to our 2008 sponsors:

Dominion – Salem Harbor Station
Waters and Brown
Mary Ann Lyons
Red’s Sandwich Shop
Kensington-Stobert Gallery
Napa Auto Parts
DeIulis Brothers Construction
Total Properties Boston
Harrison’s Comics and Collectibles

 Step 2: Thinking Outside the Box

Our Halloween game ideas grew to the sky. When brainstorming for our Halloween Party each idea broke out of the box wilder than the last. We had crazy ideas like a gorilla eating bananas as you drop them by launching a ball at the tree, and controlling a UFO, then using it to reel up cows. Our Halloween game ideas would put you in a state of shock of amazement as soon as you heard them and you would think about how awesome they were longer than you could comprehend. This year children went nuts to play our games when they saw that our games would always keep them involved with at least two movements incorporating simple machines. Kids learned how to play a real game that got them involved and we learned how to build one. Our games were not those repetitive high tech games you see at a fair. We may use simple but unusual machines, but we always think of ways to prove that simplicity is the best tool, and this year was no exception. Our ideas started small but didn’t stop growing.

However when the time was right we had to leave our imaginations behind, bringing our greatest idea with us. Such a decision could not be made alone; it had to be done as a team. Discussing what ideas reigned supreme had to be done from different perspectives. In the end, we learned to be efficient and support the least efficient teammate keeping the team rock solid. The time came when the idea became more than an idea. We put our minds into making a mighty machine. We put science into our imaginations to design the game. When using our imaginations, the word “limit” ceased to exist and the game always improved. We pushed our minds to fix flaws and make our game even better. When brainstorming three minds must think as one.–Matt Wysocki

Step 3: Sketching Our Game Idea

Time went by as I thought of an idea for my game. Suddenly I had a spark of inspiration so I put pencil to paper and let my ideas flow, occasionally correcting a mistake. Then my idea for my Halloween Game lay before me in two-dimensional form. I saw that in real life it would fall apart because of the lack of support. I added crosspieces onto the corners of the frame to make triangles since it is the strongest shape. When I was finally done with drawing and labeling its parts I let out a sigh of relief. Once I was finished sketching I moved onto the next step, making the straw model to match my sketch.–Jeffrey Childs

 Step 4: Straw Modeling Our Design

There are many steps in making Halloween games but making a straw model of the frame is one of the most important. The transformation from a 2-D drawing to a 3-D model is difficult because we need to consider the placement of the wood and the structure of the frame. If it doesn’t work we have to redesign the frame.

When we redesign the frame we add different pieces for stability, strength and stiffness. For stability we add braces to corners. If there were a corner that was wobbling I would add a brace. Strength depends on the shape of the very structure of the frame. The strongest shape is a triangle.  That is why we use lots of triangles. The straw model stage ensures we have a plan so we won’t run into very many problems building. It determines how the frame will look and work, so I think it’s very important and challenging.–Jonah Levin

 Step 5: Making Blueprints

 One big step every team had to make was drawing blueprints of their game.  They had to be drawn to scale. That means that the proportions on the drawings had to be the same as in the real game.  Everyone had to make very accurate lines, corners, measurements, and circles.  For those we used rulers, squares, and compasses.

However, the main purpose of the blueprints was for every team to have a better understanding of how their game would be put together.  There were at least four views, one front, one back, and two side.  Some had close ups showing how a specifically complicated part would work and be built.  All the pieces of wood would be labeled with a number or letter.  We did this so that when we made our wood model and game, we would be able to see which pieces went where. I really enjoyed this step in the game process, as it was something in which I excelled and was able to effectively complete.–Matt Tremblay

 Step 6:  Scale Drawings

Using scale on Halloween games was extremely helpful, but at the same time extremely annoying. Drawing in scale made it possible to create a set of detailed and accurate blueprints for my game. Going through the process of using a scale gave me an idea of what the proportions would be on the real game. Making scale drawings was quite confusing. It required me to take the real life measurement and transform it into a smaller scale so it would fit on the paper. To be as good as the real thing a scale model or drawing had to have excellent if not perfect measurements. One inch in the wrong place could have ruined my entire drawing. No matter how annoying to draw or build they were, scale drawings or models helped me make a fantastic set of blueprints, a fantastic balsa wood model, and a fantastic game.–Daniel Tremblay

 Step 7:  Math in Halloween Games

It took a lot of work to make a Halloween game. There were some annoying bits and pieces. One of those was adding fractions. If we couldn’t figure it out in our heads we would have to figure it out on paper. I had to add fractions when I was trying to add all of my wood together. Sometimes while I was adding up the amounts of wood I needed I came across a length of wood that wasn’t even so I had to add up all of the small measurements which meant lots of fractions.

There were also some fun, exciting and easy parts like using a compass for making circles. I had to make a compass in my blueprints representing a wheel. All we had to do was find the radius of the circle then keep our pencils the same length from the middle then just turn the pencil. After we had gone all the way around we had made a circle. Measuring wasn’t as easy as using a compass. We had to measure twice and cut once so we were positive that we were cutting at the right place. That has been a carpenter’s rule for a long time. Measuring, adding fractions and making circles with compasses was hard work but still fun.–Leo Santoro

Step 8:  Using the Pythagorean Theorem

This year, while building our Halloween games, I learned to use the Pythagorean Theorem to find the lengths of our diagonal supports of the right angle corner parts on our game. The only things that my team needed were a calculator, a ruler and a square. We needed to find the length of the hypotenuse opposite the right angle that makes a right triangle. To find the length of our diagonal supports we first had to find the lengths of the base and height. Next we had to square the length of the base, then square the length of the height. When we added the area of the squares together it came out to be the area of the hypotenuse squared. Then we had to find the square root of that number. It was lots of fun, even though it’s math. It was 100% accurate for finding the lengths of the hypotenuses on my game, and it was easy to do. I loved using it because it involved my two favorite parts of geometry, lines and triangles! – Zachary Barshevsky 

Step 8:  Using a Square

My two favorite parts of geometry are triangles and lines. So guess what my 3rd is? A square! But not just for the shape. I also love it for its uses as a tool.  My team used a square for making sure that the wood going together at the corners were perpendicular. We also used one for our measuring because then we didn’t have to switch tools so much. Best of all we used it to draw straight lines. In our games we used its convenient corner to draw our right angles lines on blueprints, even on wood for cutting. We did it by putting the base up against the edge of the wood and then tracing the line of the height. Squares were definitely the most useful tool while we were making Halloween games. –Zachary Barshevsky

 Step 9: Balsa Wood Models

When we started making our games this year we had to make blueprints and models first. After we drew our blueprints we couldn’t make a full size model because we didn’t have enough balsa wood so we made a scaled model instead. Although everyone’s scale was different, ours was 2.5 inches to a foot so we measured all the lengths onto the balsa wood, scaled down of course, and then cut the wood. Then we had to assemble the model using nail-like brads to attach the balsa wood together. After that we added braces where they were needed and then we were done.The balsa wood models really helped because they helped us understand how our actual games would be put together. The only setback was that the wood is expensive and we had a limited amount that we had to use effectively. In the end I would say that making the balsa wood models was both fun and helpful for the game building.–Rodney Bedell

Step 10:  Cutting Wood

Doing the tedious job of cutting wood filled me with different feelings, mentally and physically. Slowly at first, then quite fast at some points, I moved my saw back and forth. My arms started to ache slightly, but I did not stop because I knew the job would soon end. This job filled me with great boredom because of the same constant motion, but it also filled me with pride that we were excelling in the construction of our game. Sawing is a challenge I think for anyone, because each piece of wood is unpredictable in the sense that one piece might be harder then the other or it might be wet. No matter what piece of wood someone is cutting there are always the aches they get from sawing through the wood. Like every good workout it hurts. We stretch our muscles and build new ones, knowing there is no time for a break. This pain is not negative though, it is a sign of progress and accomplishment.  Without that pain there would be no progress. Sawing and cutting wood is both feverishly annoying and extremely satisfying.– Olivia Hanna

Step 11:  Building

The building of our Halloween games for our annual Children’s Costume Party was a grueling and exhilarating process. After the wood was cut came a much more fun stage — drilling. The builders were making frames for their games with wood and screws. Each game was different, in both size and shape. Using the drills made the process of constructing the frame very enjoyable. One team had so much fun, they used a few more screws than necessary, but it helped in the long run — they didn’t have to use 15’ 9” of wood supports, because having six screws in each corner made the frame completely stable. However, there was some danger that came with the job. If the drill slipped, it could have nicked someone’s hand, an unpleasant experience. The builders could avoid faint danger, though, if they kept their fingers away from the screw.

The feeling of a drill, the sound of a fast motor, a squeal of wood — all this was pleasing to the person with the drill. Once the frame was completely assembled, the team went onto one of the last steps of building, attaching the foamboard, which every game team needed for rigidity, backboards, targets or decorations. That meant each team had to trace their shapes, measure, and finally cut the material. It also had to be screwed on, or otherwise it would fall off, and the once-spectacular game would be ruined. After the foamboard was affixed to the frame, the teams may have added some special touches, as one did. They bored holes in their wood in order for their launcher platform to go up and down for little and big people alike to play. This process is for which all the other steps before had prepared us.—Sam Carlberg

 Step 12:  Trouble Shooting

 The most frustrating part of the game had to be on the day of the party. When I walked through the door, I heard the bad news that our tubes had fallen down because the cleaners had moved our game. I freaked out! We thought we only needed to set up our ‘Try Again’ buckets, but instead had to spend our time fixing the tubes. We had about 20 minutes to get the whole game set up. We got the tubes back up, but the rest of the game ended up not getting set up before the parade. After the parade we found out that the tubes had fallen down again and we had to temporarily close the game. Our plan for affixing the tubes to the table with nothing but duct tape wasn’t the best because it wasn’t strong, but we had no time to re-engineer. Luckily the tubes didn’t fall again during the party and everything went smoothly. The tubes fell one more time, on Exhibition Night. The railroad board funnels broke as well which was upsetting, but all right because nobody was playing our game since we were demonstrating how the game worked. It was really bothersome how the tubes always broke at the wrong time, but I am thankful that they were fine when we really needed them.– Olivia Hanna

 Step 13: Decorations

A large part of building our game was the decorations. We used them to cover things we didn’t want to be seen on our game like tape, screws and dried glue, making it look nicer. However, we mostly used the decorations for making our game look more Halloweeny. This year my theme was pumpkins, so my team cut out many little Jack-o-Lanterns to paste on the walls and we cut out bug-type “Pumpkin Eaters.” We decorated our Pumpkin Man to look like a person with a belt, pants and a nice shirt. It was fun cutting out decorations. For me it was a nice break from all the sawing and drilling. Our decorations kept how we built the game a secret and they made everything look nicer.–Zachary Barshevsky

Step 14:  The Party

The Haunted Happenings party was a hit. All the people who came, whether they were three years old or ten, had a blast. Nobody left without a smile on their face. The players weren’t the only people who had fun at the party. Those who were operating the games did, too. Seeing the original costumes people came in with was extremely fun. Nevertheless, we couldn’t just admire the players, far from it. We had to teach them how to play the games, and help them if they needed it. Even though we may not have known it, we were also refining our people and leadership skills by working with young kids. This party was the culmination of all our efforts beforehand, creative and academic. –Sam Carlberg

From the teachers:

In October the Phoenix 4th-8th grade curriculum combines engineering, science, math, writing, and creative arts in their Community Service project to benefit Salem’s Haunted Happenings.  They design and construct giant carnival type games and host a public party for children.  The blog was written and pictures taken and selected entirely by the 5th-8th graders.

“Don’t do it,” said a marketing team from Suffolk U. after evaluating the potential for opening a new school in Salem in 1981, but Barbara McFall and Betsye Sargent paid no attention and went ahead anyway. You may remember 1981 was a time much like today. Budget deficits, staff lay-offs, programs cuts were all having a serious impact on the Salem Public Schools. As employees of the Salem Public Schools, we were not willing to see the substance of the gifted and talented and magnet school programs decimated, so we left the system and founded The Phoenix Enrichment Center, now The Phoenix School. Truly rising from the ashes of an economic downturn, The Phoenix School continues to offer a vibrant, innovative educational opportunity in downtown Salem.

The Phoenix School is now located at 89 Margin St., next door to the Salem Police Station. In addition to a full-time educational program for children in Pre-K through grade 8, it offers enrichment programs on Saturdays and vacations as well as during the beginning and end of the summer. These ‘adventures’ are especially designed for bright, curious kids looking for the intellectual and creative challenges that may not always be offered in their regular schools.

27 years of challenges

Like any small business we faced a myriad of challenges over the last twenty-seven years. We were educators; what did we know about running a business? Contributing $300 each and our retirements, we went ahead anyway. Twenty families believed in us and joined us on this adventure. “It wasn’t always easy, but we always found a way. When our first space wasn’t ready for the opening of school, we simply packed our school supplies into the back of my station wagon and headed to school on Winter Island for several weeks,” Betsye remembers. “Thank goodness it didn’t rain.”

In the beginning our financial books were done by hand, carefully color-coded to show each expense. We knew where every penny went, but our first accountant almost fell off his chair laughing when he saw them. Needless to say, although our books may not be as pretty to look at, they now follow proper accounting practices.

Whenever we thought things were settled, there was always a new challenge. When the City told us our 120 Washington St. building was unsafe, we packed the entire school in three days and moved into the auditorium of St. Mary’s School, thanks to the generosity of the Immaculate Conception Church and the Archdioceses. All Father Murphy asked was that we didn’t move in on Good Friday. Or when we had all our school supplies packed up ready for our move to 118 Washington St., the space wasn’t finished in time for the beginning of school. What did we do? We boarded a yellow school bus every day with our backpacks, clipboards, and lunches and went ‘on the road’ to learn.

An education especially suited to the new and rapidly changing demands of the world

No matter what the challenge was, we didn’t miss a beat. The educational program never suffered; perhaps it was even enriched. The kind of thinking that allowed us to meet each new challenge is part of what makes a Phoenix education what it is today, an education especially suited to the new and rapidly changing demands of the world –flexibility, working together to solve problems, creative thinking, excellence. When one thing doesn’t work, regroup and try something else has been our philosophy and it is what we teach our students. “We talk with our kids about ‘climbing mountains’ or finding ways to meet personal challenges, taking risks, and learning from mistakes,” said Barbara McFall. “Although there may be T.B.P. (temporary brain pain) along the way, there is no better feeling than reaching the top of the mountain and experiencing the feeling of success. This is what builds self-esteem — finding one’s own personal strengths inside – and give ourselves our power to succeed.”

The vision, energy, and passion of the founders

“One cannot talk about Betsye Sargent and Barbara McFall without talking about The Phoenix School,” said long-time music teacher Linda Hall, “ because the School and what it represents embodies who they are as well as their contributions to the Salem community and to the education of children. Although they have won numerous awards for innovative educational programs in math, science, technology/engineering and for community service, it is really their vision, passion, and energy that has allowed them to weather the ever-changing directions in education, the economy, and shifts in demographics.”

Over the years we have often felt like we are on a ship, holding steady in the midst of the storm. Whether it was economic conditions, shrinking demographics, changes in educational philosophies, MCAS, safety, or Gen-Xers demand for measurable outcomes, there was always something to consider. We have come to realize that the core values of The Phoenix School are just as valid now as they were in 1981, perhaps even more so. Preparing students of today for success in the world in which they will live is not as simple as MCAS scores and fancy facilities. It is the love and excitement for learning, the quest for excellence, the concern for making the world a better place as well as the ability to collaborate, to think critically and creatively, to be open to new ideas and challenges, to be willing to reach beyond where we know we can go that will meet the requirements for success in the Innovation Economy in which we now live.

Two strong women are now three

What began with two strong women sharing a vision for education plus the passion, energy and, skill to bring it to life has become three. Embracing the philosophy of the founders, Leslie Levesque has added extensive skills and knowledge to the team, another empowered woman to ensure the viability of The Phoenix School into the future.

On Friday 26 students in grades PK-7th at The Phoenix School in Salem met to discuss the financial problems in the Salem Public Schools. Finding it hard to imagine losing a teacher or changing teachers in the middle of the year, they empathized with their peers. The message was clear. We need to help, too.
These students are members of the Phoenix School’s EarlyAct Club. EarlyAct is an elementary school community service club sponsored by the Salem Rotary. As a club they perform community service and raise money to give away to others. For two years they have been saving money to help a school in Costa Rica. It is this money that they decided to share with the Salem Public Schools to help save teachers’ jobs.

As Jeffrey Childs of Byfield said, “Why should we save all this money for a school so far away when our schools are in trouble here?” Others in the club agreed, and they voted to share their money.
“How much should we give?” From the youngest to the oldest, everyone had a say. They discussed 3 possibilities: $750, $1000, or $1200, finally deciding to give $1000. Leo Santoro of Salem summed it up well, “I think $1000 is a good amount, not too much, not too little. It will still leave us with some money for the school in Costa Rica.” Daniel Tremblay of Peabody agreed, but added, “I just wish there was more we could do.”
“Service to the community is an integral part of the mission and philosophy of The Phoenix School, said Head Barbara McFall. “Yet the decisions the students make as part of the EarlyAct Club are theirs alone to make. I was impressed by their concern and the thoughtfulness of their deliberations as they made their decision to help.”
As parent Kim Underhill said, “I am tremendously proud of the decision that the EarlyAct Club made today.”
Parent April Crane agreed, “This was such a wonderful action and I am glad my daughter had this experience. I’m so proud of these kids.”

Here is a copy of the letter that Daniel Tremblay of Peabody sent to Mayor Driscoll along with the EarlyAct check for $1000. You can see from what he wrote, what an important decision this was for the EarlyAct Club members and how much they cared.

Daniel’s Letter

Dear Mayor Driscoll,

We are the EarlyAct Club of The Phoenix School. We help the community and the world as best we can. We heard about the money problem that the city is having right now and our Steering Committee wanted to help. The Steering Committee discussed what our EarlyAct Club is doing to help the community. A couple of years back we decided to help a school in Costa Rica and we have been saving money for three years. We now have $2,733.66 to spend on community service. Since we wanted to help, we debated whether we should give some of this money to the Salem schools and if we do, how much should we give. We figured why should we donate to a school so far away when our schools are in trouble here and decided to make a recommendation to our Club that we use some of our EarlyAct money that we had been saving for the project in Costa Rica to make a donation to the schools of Salem.

We are afraid that if there is lost money and teachers have to be fired, that a number of bad things will happen. Classes will grow bigger and that is bad for the kids who will get less attention, thus not get as good an education, and the teachers will have more kids to handle. There will also be teachers dumped without jobs in the middle of the year who will have to get new jobs on a moment’s notice. My dad is getting a new job himself except he had some time to find a new one so it is not as bad as it will be for the teachers.

The whole school of 26 kids PK-8th grade, teachers, and our school dog got together today and had a big discussion. We went from person to person and we each had a say about what we thought. Everyone thought we should help the Salem schools. Some people thought we should donate $750 because the school in Costa Rica still deserved a lot. Some people said we should go with $1200 because the schools here are really important. Everyone including the really little ones all seemed to understand and have their own opinion. In the end we voted to give $1000 to help the schools of Salem. I just wish there was more we could do.

Sincerely,
Daniel Tremblay, grade 5
Assistant Treasurer, EarlyAct Club

• Jonah Levin
• Leo Santoro
• Zachary Barshevsky
• Matt and Daniel Tremblay
• Eric McCathern
• Olivia Hanna
• Andrew Fusco
• Jeffrey Childs
• Matt Wysocki
• Sam Carlberg

The purpose of the Talent Search is to identify, assess, and recognize the academic abilities of highly able students. To qualify for the Talent Search, students must score in the 95th percentile or higher in a reasoning or achievement section of a nationally normed test. Should they choose to do so, students are then eligible to take additional above grade level qualifying exams to better assess their mathematical and verbal reasoning abilities. The CTY Talent Search then offers a variety of services and opportunities for qualified students.

Best Buy Teach Award Program Gives $4 Million to Schools Nationwide for Integrating Interactive Technology into the Curricula

The Phoenix School announced today that Best Buy has awarded a $2,500 Teach Award to the school for integrating interactive technology into the curriculum. The funds will be used to enhance the interactive technology throughout the school.

“Engineering/technology design challenges are strong motivators for learning academic concepts and using higher level thinking skills.” – Betsye Sargent, Head of School

Best Buy started the Teach Award Program in October 2003, to reward schools that creatively integrate interactive technology into their curricula. All accredited, public and private nonprofit elementary, middle and secondary schools located within 50 miles of a Best Buy store were eligible to apply. Awards of $2,500 were given to 1,300 schools to sustain or enhance existing educational programs.

“Today, teachers across the country are using technology in new and exciting ways; we want to support and recognize their efforts to engage students and make learning fun,” said Paula Prahl, VP of Public Affairs for Best Buy. “The Teach Award program helps creative educators enhance their curricula. By committing dollars to the communities in which we work and live, we can more fully support our employees, our customers, and their families.” Visit www.BestBuy.com and click on Community Relations for more information about how Best Buy supports communities and the education and technology-based partnerships and programs it supports.

The Phoenix School offers an accelerated curriculum for students in Pre-K through 8th grade. To learn more about our innovative program for 21st century achievement visit www.phoenixschool.org or call 978-741-0870.