It was just another day at Stephen Hawking Middle School. I headed to my homeroom, feeling refreshed and ready after a good night’s rest. I hung out with my friends and talked about what happened over the weekend. Gabi says that she went on a weekend trip upstate to go skiing. Jack says he ate hotpot with his relatives from Seattle. And Aaron, unsurprisingly, just napped a lot.  Oh, by the way, let me introduce you to our friend group. Gabi has the most angelic voice I've ev

We all know our amazing ARTS teachers, Ms. Allen and Ms. Carlucci, have been in charge of producing our yearly theatre shows! This year, it's High School Musical Jr. ! For background information, the play is about a girl named Gabriella Montez, who had just moved to East High. She met Troy, the captain of the basketball team, at a New Year’s party by singing karaoke together, and the two have only gotten closer ever since! has a passion for singing, and forms a close bond wit

New Zealand: Pavlova Every country in the world has some dessert for Christmas, and New Zealand is no exception. During the winter holidays, many people from New Zealand bake the dessert known as pavlova in celebration for the festive season. This dish is very popular in the Oceania region of the world, along with another country competing for the dessert–Australia. Unlike other sweet treats, pavlova is debated on whether it originates in Australia or New Zealand; both with t

The holidays are here! That means winter break, hot chocolate, and the BEST Christmas movies and shows. Whether you’re chilling with family, having a sleepover with friends, or just relaxing in your pajamas, watching holiday movies is a must. So here’s a list of some of the most fun and festive shows and movies that’ll make your break even better! 1. Home Alone (1990) Okay, let’s start with a classic. Home Alone is about a kid named Kevin who gets left home alone when his fam

Chapter 1 Sirius: UUUUHHH!! I can't stand these kids! All they ever talk about is that popular, trendy stuff, instead of the new game I created,  Mafia, I don't get why it's not popular. Why is the stupid 6,7 popular? Watt: It's fine! Once you post the video everyone will talk about it at "school'’ Ember: (Walks in) Hey guys I just finished the voice edit. Do you want to look at it? Sirius: YES! I WILL LOOK AT IT! I NEED TO DO ,SOMETHING OTHER THAN DEFINITELY NOT SPYING ON OU

Imagine sitting in class, heart racing, stomach in knots, just thinking about the next test or assignment. This isn’t just a bad school day - it’s reality. Approximately 20% of adolescents in NYC experience depression or anxiety at some point during their school years, and the numbers just keep on climbing. Whether it’s due to test grades, bad sleep schedules, overwhelming homework, or other challenges, school-related stress can take a serious toll. The reason this is such a

Asking people questions that were debated long to come…                                   Favorite Candy Ethan: Jolly Rancher  Luke: Jolly Ranchers  Timothy: Sour Strips Favorite Game Ethan: Steal a Brainrot Luke: NHL25 Timothy: Madden 25 Favorite Fast Food Restaurant Ethan: Popeyes  Luke: Everything  Timothy: Taco Bell Favorite activity/hobbies Ethan: Playing steal a brainrot Luke: Playing hockey Timothy: Collecting football cards Favorite Sport Ethan: Basketball  Luke: Hock

What is Winterfest? Winterfest is a month-long celebration in school of the holiday, school spirit, and a friendly school-wide competition. There's commonly a new challenge each day, so paying attention to MS 158’s #morningmeeting every day is crucial to finding out directions for each daily challenge. The homeroom with the most points by grade at the end of Winterfest wins a cookies and cocoa party. The amount of points a homeroom earns is by percentage of the class particip

Canines have unique nose-prints, are super social, and pants to cool down. Whiskers that navigate surroundings, ears that can hear sounds up to 64kHz, and scratches up your couch without a care in the world, now that’s your ordinary household cat. Dogs vs. Cats. Who’s actually better? Cats Cats originate from the felix sylvestris lybica, and are owned by 29% of American households. They need around 20-30 minutes to undivided attention each day, depending on the breed. Kittens

In October of 2025, the US federal government was unavailable to the public for a record amount of times. In fact, this past has been extended to be the “largest government shutdown in history.” And who is the blame for it?   Well, we have two sides: the Republicans and the Democrats. And both have had a strong impact on this shutdown. Both sides have been involved with this historical event. So between both sides, which one has more responsibility for the government shutdo

Is it just me or do you hear some Christmas bells? Are you and your friends ready for Christmas, but don’t know what to do? Well, you're at the right place. Here's some holly jolly activities to do for Christmas! Books to Read Don’t you sometimes just want to curl up on your bed and read a book? Here's some book recommendations. Mint To Be (by  Katie Cicatelli-Kuc) The Afterlife of Holly Chase (by Cynthia Hand) Carols and Chaos (by Cindy Anstey) The Holiday Switch (by Tif Mar

It’s December! Winter arrives, meaning that temperatures drop, the cold air starts to bite, and the holiday season comes with warm greetings. But, here at MS 158, we have a special tradition showcasing our wonderful 7th and 8th Grade Band and Chorus! To get more in depth about it, we are interviewing our one and only band director, Ms. Schecter! Important details and the link where you could buy tickets also are featured here. So, here’s all the information (and then some) on

Sol 1 - 07.23.72 I woke up with a jolt of energy. It still seemed dark out. My parents were still sleeping, but their alarm would wake them up soon. My clock read “6:30 AM”. It seems that I woke up earlier than my alarm. That's new. I got up out of my bed like a bolt of electricity.  I was waiting for this day to come forever. I walked up to our hotel balcony and opened the door breathing in the salty Cape Canaveral Air. My parents, my younger sister, and I had only arrived a

Six The Musical is an historical musical in the style of a pop concert about Henry the VIII's 6 wives. It took the world by storm and has multiple locations including Broadway, the West End, and tours in Australia, the USA and UK, Japan, and internationally. The musical consists of 6 women: Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr.  Every single queen is inspired by different singers and their styles. Catherine of Ar

“Let me go! I shouted through the mask covering my mouth. The room was dark and cold. The chair I was sitting on was stiff and wobbly. Someone came up to me. They had something in their hands. Something sharp. Something that could hurt me. Don’t be deceived by the weak chair that holds you up,” came a voice that sounded close yet eerily distant. The clacking of her high heels against the co “You can try to escape but you won't. The floor echoed through the empty room where I

Fans all around the world are super excited for the most significant event of 2025; the release of Stranger Things season 5, the final season of Netflix’s best show (totally not biased). With the 5th season coming on November 26 2025, December 25 2025, and December 31st, 2025, fans are on the EDGE OF THEIR SEATS.  There will be a total of 8 episodes, each approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. The names of the eight episodes are: Episode 1: The Crawl Episode 2: The Vanishing of

Earlier this week, I had a disagreement with my classmate about whether Powerpoint or Canva is better. I decided to settle this by asking 20 people in our school to choose one. Here’s what I found: The preferences for PowerPoint versus Canva are split, with students often favoring Canva for its ease of use and modern designs. Some favored Powerpoint for its advanced features and offline reliability. This is my poll with the results. 🗳️ Poll: Canva or Powerpoint? Poll Results

As many may know, there have been many adaptations to the Great Gatsby. The famous novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald has been adapted in countless books, movies and musicals. But what is the most recent, well known musical? The Tony award winning musical The Great Gatsby: A New Musical written by Kait Kerrigan on Broadway is raising popularity. The book is set in the roaring 20’s with lavish parties, heartbreak and so much more. But what is it about? Synopsis The Great Gatsby s

This year, MS 158 welcomed a new math teacher—and soccer coach—to our school community: Ms. Andreou. This past soccer season was one of the most successful seasons in a long time. I sat down with her to learn more about her experience so far, her coaching philosophy, and the exciting growth of our soccer team.  A Warm Welcome to MS 158   When asked about her first months at the school, Ms. Andreou shared that her experience has been “really good—everyone is really nice.”  Sh

It wouldn’t be a shocking statement to say that a good podcast is relaxing and informative. From murder mysteries and exoneration podcasts to film and music reviews, the world of podcasting has so much to offer. But, a new addition to that very world has just arrived: OUR SCHOOL PODCAST! Posted on Spotify, we cover a variety of topics for the school to hear! But what is it and how does it work? What is it?  The podcast includes information about days school is off, importan