A REPTILE FRIEND Appearance
Is a bearded dragon the pet for you. Read the following to find out if this cute reptile is right for you. The bearded dragon's head is triangular shaped and contains two rows of spiked scales underneath. These rows of spiked scales which when puffed out resembles a beard. The bearded dragon’s scales can change color. The scales turn darker when breeding. A bearded dragon is supported by four stout legs. They have well muscled flat bodies with spikes that run down each side of its abdomen. Bearded dragons grow to about fifteen inches long with their tail being half the length of their body. Unlike other lizards their tail will not regrow if the tail falls off. Bearded dragons puff out their beards when they feel threatened. In 2005 the bearded dragon community was surprised to learn that researchers in Africa discovered that bearded dragons produce venom. Their venom is harmless to humans.
Where To Find
Them
Bearded Dragons are native to Australia's desert regions. In the United States, pet stores sell bearded dragons. The cost of a bearded dragon is around $60 and can cost up to $100.
History
The scientific name of the bearded dragon is pogana vitticeps. Bearded dragons were not introduced to the
United States until the 1990s The popularity of bearded dragons as pets in the US has increased in recent years. Bearded dragons come in many different colors. These different colors of the bearded dragon can help you find out which environment they came from.
.1
Tendencies Bearded dragons are gentle in nature and are rarely aggressive. Bearded dragons usually do not attack when threatened, especially humans. Instead bearded dragons will freeze and puff out their beards if they feel threatened. Like other reptiles bearded dragons do not make their own body heat. Bearded dragons enjoy sitting in the warm sun or under a hot light. If the bearded dragon gets too hot, it will move to shade or a cool spot.
Foods They Eat . Bearded dragons are omnivores. They eat insects and vegetables, like lettuce.. Crickets and mealworms are favorite foods of bearded dragons, both young and old. Young bearded dragons enjoy butterworms as everyday food. Two foods bearded dragon shouldn't eat on are avocado and spinach. You should never feed bearded dragons food from the wild. Bearded Dragons As Pets 1
>
Bearded dragons are easy to maintain as pets. If cared for properly a bearded dragon can live into its teens. They do not require walks, and follow a basic daily routine. Bearded dragons require a warm and dry climate. This environment can be made by using a heat lamp to warm their home. The bottom of their house is usually filled with sand like the desert. Bearded dragons enjoy being stroked and handled by humans. They may squirm the first few times you hold them but then begin to recognize the feeling of being picked up. ill You Get One? W Bearded dragons are very cute, well behaved, and easy to maintain. So will you get one? Dezfolia fourth grader at center school says “They are very docile creatures. they make great pets for anyone who wants or has them or are just starting researching them . You can pick up your bearded dragon at any breeder, or A.W. Browns in East Longmeadow,MA. If you want to learn more about bearded dragons go to these wonderful linked websites The Bearded Dragon » Everything About Bearded Dragons Rainbow Bearded Dragons: Home Pet Bearded Dragon Care, Facts & Information dragon dragon basking bright then sleeping soundly through the night who art this curious creature who comes to light up our world. Debra Maddex Brendan Mrs. McColgan’s class l
DANGER IN SPORTS
In many ways sports are fun but some are dangerous. Would you believe that you can get a concussion in sports? You can get a concussion from hitting your head. It will bruise your brain. If you get a concussion, you can’t play sports,and you would have to rest. One of the sports that you could get a concussion from is football. The CheckLight cap from Reebok helps football players know if they have a concussion. The player wears the cap under the his helmet during the entire game. If he gets hit, the cap changes color to let the player know hard he got hit. The stats this year are 108 concussions. Besides football, there are also many concussions in soccer, wrestling, and hockey. One stat of football concussions are 39 concussions. The most dangerous sport is wrestling. In hockey you can get hit against the wall and get a concussion. During fights you could get a concussion.
Symptoms of a concussion
By Mayo Clinic Staff The signs and symptoms of a concussion can be subtle and may not be immediately apparent. Symptoms can last for days, weeks or even longer. Common symptoms after a concussive traumatic brain injury are headache, loss of memory (amnesia) and confusion. The amnesia, which may or may not follow a loss of consciousness, usually involves the loss of memory of the event that caused the concussion. Signs and symptoms of a concussion may include: Headache or a feeling of pressure in the head Temporary loss of consciousness Confusion or feeling as if in a fog Amnesia surrounding the traumatic event Dizziness or "seeing stars" Ringing in the ears Nausea Vomiting Slurred speech Delayed response to questions Appearing dazed Fatigue
Helping Makes Happy There Is Still Time To Change The Future By: Cecelia
Tornado Teardown In 2011, a horrible tornado hit and tore down Elias Brookings Elementary School and the city of Springfield, Massachusetts. The old Brookings school building had been there for 80 years. “Never would we have thought that a tornado would hit in Springfield, but it did. In turn, we coordinated quickly with our first responders to save lives and assess the situation of what happened, what we were going to do about it and reassure our citizens that we would get through this together as one,” Mayor Sarno of Springfield said to the question how did you feel after the tornado. More than 40 people were a dmitted to hospitals and authorities said that one person died in Springfield. This is what a girl wrote about what happened to her and her family (Grandmother, mother, father, and kids Tania, Shawn, and Shania) when the tornado hit their house and how they were helped, “We were students at
Brookings when the tornado hit. We lived behind Brookings in the big tall housing project. The tornado came and broke our school and broke our house. We had to walk a long way to the shelter where the Falcons play. My mom said The Red Cross made a shelter to help people like us. My dad could not stay with us because there was not enough room for him. He had to go to another shelter. I did not like being away from my dad and not having any of my stuff. I was sad that my house and school were broken, but my mom said that everything would be okay. Ms. Powe, my principal, and some other people from my church brought us food, blankets, clothes, toothbrushes, and some toys to keep. I was happy when they brought this stuff. Some people from school got us backpacks and suitcases to hold our stuff in. She [Mom] cried a little but kept saying we would be alright because we were together. We lived in a shelter for a long time, but then got a new apartment. Brookings was broken for a long time and we went to school in small buildings, but now we have a big brand new school. It is awesome and I love it. The tornado was sad and scary, but we are better now thanks to all the nice people who helped us.� The school had to move into trailer schools while they waited a long time for a new school to be built. The teachers sold many things, including
bracelets, to earn money for school supplies. When the new school was built, it was beautiful, for example: there are stain glass windows in some areas, a huge sparkly gym, a gigantic cafeteria, and a lot of windows. “I was very sad to see all the homes and school damaged,” said Nurse Pam Ross Maynard from Brookings School. “As I drove through the area there were power lines and trees down everywhere. I was there about 20 minutes after the tornado hit the area, and saw many people just walking around not knowing what to do or where to go. I asked if anyone around needed medical help because I am a nurse. One student said there mom had a cut on her leg but was ok. I knew the neighborhood would never be the same. I think one of the biggest challenges for the people was to find comfort and normalcy, but if
you don’t have your own things around you one can feel lost. Many people rallied to help out with food, clothes, and other necessities but not having a sense of your things (home, toys, school, friends….) can make people feel helpless. The tornado reminded many of us how strong we are when we need to be and that the road isn’t always straight but the destination will be the same.”
How People Helped Many people helped out by bringing food and supplies to Gianna Allentuck, a counselor at Brookings, so she could distribute the supplies to Brookings’ and Springfield families, whose houses were damaged by the tornado. Mayor Sarno of Springfield helped the citizens of Springfield as well: “I assembled and continuously met with any and all public, private, and social agencies from local/state and federal levels to marshal all resources available to hit our streets and neighborhoods affected 24/7 to assist our citizens and city’s needs. Also, I created a rebuilding plan after triage and stabilization efforts were done.”
How People Are Helping Now People, such as a girl named Ellie from Center School, are helping for different causes. She started a coat drive and donated a lot of the coats to
Elias Brookings Elementary School, because not a lot of kids there have coats. Some people still do not have the things they need in order to survive. For example, some children are homeless, so you can help them by donating food, clothing or supplies such as books, school supplies and toiletries. Other ways people can help is by donating money to worthwhile charities, donating clothes to charity, and having a food drive. ( See How will you help )
Why You Should Help If you sometimes think you have a horrible life, think again. Some people don’t have houses, or a lot of food, or money, or supplies they need for life. Some people can’t even get a good education or an education at all. You should help because you will be saving people from a bad future or no future at all, and nobody deserves that. Some people don’t have shelter, so during storms where do you think they go? And if people don’t have money, they cannot buy food, which you need for a healthy living. Lastly, if people do not have food, they can get very ill and may not grow up to be healthy and strong. If you help, it will feel good after you help someone, and you will know that you made someone happy and they will probably be thankful for that. In my opinion I think that everybody should help people in need, so they can have a happy life. We should all work together to make a difference. How will you help?
How Will You Help?
This survey is to see what a few kids in my community would like to do to help people in need. Most people wanted to do a food drive rather than community service or having a clothing drive, so窶ｦ H 窶帰VING A FOOD DRIVE WON!
Here is a link to the Brookings website: Elias Brookings School You can find the emails and phone numbers of the staff at Brookings and find a way to help someone.
Glossary
Dolphin Disaster
By Audrey
Dolphin in Captivity
Angel, a pure white albino calf or baby, lives in the Taiji Whale Museum where she is a prized exhibit. Captured in a dolphin drive hunt, Angel’s mother and pod were killed during the hunt for their meat. Angel is believed to be less than a year old and experts say that she won’t have a longterm life in her future. "Calves that have stranded for various reasons have sometimes been nursed back to health by humans, but others have died," Kuczaj said. He is the director of the Marine Mammal Behavior and Cognition Laboratory at the University of Southern
Mississippi. "So the calf could survive, but that is certainly not guaranteed." Angel lives in a small, overcrowded tank at the Taiji Whale Museum along with five other dolphins four of them are striped dolphins and one is a Pantropical spotted dolphin. All five of these dolphins were captured in Japanese drive hunts. The tank has a large plexiglass or acrylic tube running through it. This is used as a walkway for the people who come to see the dolphins. The tube takes up lots of space in the tank making the area smaller for the dolphins. Angel is fed fish on the surface of the water by hand. This is good because then she won’t have to compete with the other dolphins. But now Angel has stopped eatingthis is sometimes the first sign of sickness or disease. Angel also has a few bruises near the middle section of her dorsal fin. These may be from during the drive hunt.The smell of chlorine is very strong in the aquarium. This may be why Angel keeps her eyes closed most of the time. People in the Taiji Whale Musuem report that
there are chances that Angel is blind and deaf, but she may not be blind according to her movements around the tank. “Albino’s stand out and tend to be targeted by predators ” said Taiji Whale Museum Assistant Director Tetsuya Kirihata “She must have been protected by her mother and her mates. We will take good care of her.” Angel’s story represents the many dolphins that have been captured or killed during drive hunts.
Dolphin Drive Hunting
Dolphin drive hunting, or dolphin drive fishing, is a method people use to hunt dolphins. This method works by using boats and nets to herd dolphins into a small cove
or small body of water and closing off the route to the open ocean with boats and nets. Then, the fishermen leave the dolphins in the cove over night to calm down. The following day, the fishermen will come back in smaller boats and capture the dolphins one at a time and kill them. A drawn curtain hides the process from the public. Dolphins are usually killed for their meat but others end up in dolphinariums or marine theme parks while some die of shock from extreme pain or stress. Every year, about twenty thousand dolphins are killed this way. This method of hunting dolphins is used in several places around the world including places like the Solomon Islands, the Faroe Islands, Peru, and Japan.
Legal or Illegal in Taiji, Japan?
Hunting dolphins this way is legal and it happens many times in Taiji, Japan. In Taiji, a town in Japan, driving hunting seasons starts from September 1, to April sometimes even longer. Most
people in Taiji don’t even know this is happening since a curtain blocks the view of the killing process from public. During the 201415 season more than 800 hundred dolphins were killed. 80 were chosen alive to keep in captivity . For the 201516 season, quotas in Taiji allow the hunters to hunt and kill 1,873 dolphinsmore than 900 bottlenose and striped dolphins can be killed and hundreds of other dolphins such as pacific whitesided dolphins, risso’s, and many others.
How Can You Help?
Many people work to stop this gruesome way of hunting dolphins. Here are several ways you can help stop these hunts from happening: 1. Spread the Word: ❏ tell your friends and family and ask them to help stop the drive hunts ❏ Write a story to a local newspaper asking them to write an article about it 2. Sign Petitions: ❏ Just by signing your name on a petition , you can help save the dolphins ❏ Go online to find out more about signing petitions 3. Educate your Friends and Other People: ❏ Write a blog or website about dolphin drive hunts ❏ Share projects about dolphin drive hunts with your friends and family 4. Help Support: ❏ Donate money ❏ Come up with your own ideas to stop the dolphin drive hunts Help save the dolphins and stop the dolphin drive hunts!
Links
Here are some websites that you can explore to find out more about dolphin drive hunts: More Information https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin_drive_hunting http://savedolphins.eii.org/campaigns/sjd/takeaction/stoptheslaughter Ways You Can Help http://www.care2.com/causes/5waysyoucanhelpstopslaughterofdolphinsintaijija pan.html http://www.ryot.org/5waystakeactiontaijidolphinslaughter/546237
Glossary
an aquarium in which dolphins are kept and trained for public entertainment
Dolphinariums
Petition
a formal written request, typically one signed by many people, appealing to authority with respect to a particular cause
Quotas
a limited or fixed number or amount of people or things, in particular
Captivity
t he condition of being imprisoned or confined
Predators
an animal that naturally preys on others
Chlorine
the chemical element of atomic number 17, a toxic, irritant, pale green gas
Cognition
the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses
Two Schools
There were 500 kids at Blueberry Hill School, and about 100 of them had to move to Center School. In 2003 kids from Center went to Blueberry. But in 2015 kids from Blueberry are going to Center. There were many different plans for example plan A. A superintendent recommended to move 70 kids from Blueberry to Center. Ava a student from Blueberry who had to go to Center said, “ Why is our neighborhood moving when the others are not?” This is Blueberry Hill School
Switching Solution
Finally the time had come. They were moving. Mrs. Hutton, the principal of Center School, made a field trip for the kids who had to move. The school's planned a tour of the school. It was made for the middle of the day so they could eat lunch. The
tour made the kids more comforted to be at the school. The kids in 3rd grade got a 3rd grade teacher at Center. The other grades got a teacher the same as their grade for the tour. They also got a *pen pal* so they would have a friend to know once they got there, and also a bag that had some things in it. For example, a Center hat,and a phone book.
School Steps The kids had to go the next year to Center School.On the first few days and weeks of Center felt different. Like how 4th and 2nd go together for lunch and recess and at Blueberry 2nd and 1st went together. Also they do some different things at Center like *Center School Sitings*( CSS). The school is a lot bigger than Blueberry, so they had to get used to how big it is and if you were going the right way. The new students at Center from each class at an * assembly* got to stand up. Now the kids are used to the school and have a lot of fun! Have you ever changed schools? Mallory
Links Here are some links for more information. http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/04/longmeadow_parents_community_m.html https://www.thereminder.com/localnews/longmeadow/blueberryredistrictingplan/
Glossary
Pen Pal
a person with whom one becomes friendly by exchanging letters, especially someone in a foreign country whom one has never met
Assembly
a group of people gathered together in one place for a common purpose
CSS
A short, fun news video you do in 5th grade at Center School that tells students what’s happening around the school
Commotion in the Ocean The ocean is home to lots of sea creatures. But just like us humans, they have to work hard to survive. Most of these animals are dying, or being severely injured because of *pollution*.
Plastic Pollution Seabirds, whales, turtles and other marine animals have been dying or suffocating from intestinal blockage, or starvation. Most people have heard about a very large garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean, known as the “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” It is twice the size of Texas! Would you want to see our beautiful green world turned into a global garbage can? J acquesYves Cousteau, a French naval officer, explorer, conservationist, filmmaker, *innovator* , scientist, photographer, author and researcher who studied the sea and all forms of life in water says, “ Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become a global garbage can.”
Pollution Problems Although plastic is one of the most common kinds of trash found in the ocean, other land or manmade materials have a very large effect on marine life. Besides plastic, oil spills, chemicals, paper bags, and other sources are threats to *marine* life. Because of all this pollution, thousands of seabirds are killed, and a total of 300 thousand dolphins and porpoises have died each year.
Oil Spills An oil spill happens when crude oil or refined oil products are released into the water or on land. Huge tankers or trucks can be a major cause of oil spill when transporting large volumes of oil from one place to another. The damage caused by oil spills can be large and can take a long time to clean up. Oil spill can happen either on land or on sea. Both can cause great damage to the environment in the form of air, land or water pollution. Oil spills are the fastest source of *deterioration* to the ocean. When oil is spilled over the water, it creates a shiny substance on the surface, that prevents marine animals from surviving.
How Can You Help? Whether you enjoy going to the beach to enjoy surfing, swimming, making sand castles, or just relaxing, always remember to cleanup and NEVER litter. Take a trash bag and go around the shore. Look and pick up any loose pieces of trash or glass. Also, encourage others to cleanup this *catastrophe* . If you enjoy scuba diving or going for a swim, always leave marine life as it is. Will you help *prevent* ocean pollution?
Sophia
Links (Here are some suggested links if you want to learn more!!) 20 Facts About Ocean Pollution - Conserve Energy Future Marine Pollution -- Pristine Seas -- National Geographic NOAA's National Ocean Service Energy Conservation Tips - Conserve Energy Future
Glossary
Pollution
the presence in or introduction into the environment of a substance or thing that has harmful or poisonous effects.
Deterioration the process of becoming progressively worse. Innovator a person who introduces new methods, ideas, or products. Prevent
keep (something) from happening or arising.
Marine of, found in, or produced by the sea. Catastrophe an event causing great and often sudden damage or suffering; a disaster.
“I think technology adds to the curriculum and students are able to access information that would not be found otherwise. It helps learning and depth to subjects. I like technology because the learning games are fun and the presentation tools add excitement to students projects,” says Mrs.Rafferty a helping teacher at Center School. Being Used Technology is being used all over the world from iPods to televisions. A lot of kids love technology. They think technology is there life. Most grown ups think that only 2 hours of technology each day is more than enough time on television or whatever device they're on.
Schools Use It Too? Believe it or not schools do use technology too. Center School in Longmeadow, Mass. uses a lot of technology. One program that they use is IXL . IXL teaches kids how to do, or learn math.
How Can It Be Dangerous? Technology can be dangerous because if you use too much of it and stare at a screen to long it may damage your eye site. According to EyeFit Vision Centers you can get something called CVS. CVS stands for C omputer Vi sion S yndrome. This can cause the following: ● ● ● ● ● ●
dry, itchy, red or burning eyes blurred vision at near distance (or far distance after long periods of near work) double vision eye strain headaches neck, shoulder or back pain
How To Prevent CVS The good news? According to EyeFit Vision Center there are ways to prevent longterm vision damage CVS. Give your eyes a rest by: ● Reducing the glare. Adjust lighting, close shades or use a glare filter over the computer screen. ● Arranging your workspace to avoid eye and neck pain.
Go to the links section at the bottom of the page and press on EyeFit Vision Centers to see more on how you can prevent CVS from happening.
How It Can Be Good Technology can also be very fun and good. Many children have lots of fun on technology and they how how to play it safe and to not go overboard with technology.“There is no research that shows constant technology use causes any permanent vision damage,” says 3 Ways Technology Affects Your Eyes . Even though it may be harmful to your eyes it is still good to use it once in awhile as long as you don’t stay staring at a screen for too long.
What Do You Think? Do you think technology is good or bad?
Glossary CVS
Computer Vision Syndrome
Reducing
to bring down to a smaller extent, size, amount, number, etc.
Glare Filter
a sheet of transparent material placed on or in front of a computer monitor to reduce glare
The Recycle Fight Should we make a difference? By:Caitlin
Garbage How much trash do you think is thrown away in America? Well, here is your answer. We throw away enough garbage to fill up 63,000 garbage trucks in just 24 hours. And get this. The average American throws away 4.5 pounds of garbage every single day. But every year? We fill enough garbage trucks to form a line that would stretch from earth halfway to the moon. Should we change this? If so... how?
Recycling
One way is recycling. When you recycle it means you use something, like a box, to make something new. Recycling can be as simple as throwing unwanted paper scraps into a recycling bin, instead of a trash can. But you can make really cool things, using just some items that are easy to find, like a water bottle. This can be one way to decrease the amount of trash thrown away every day. Plus, recycling can be very helpful to the environment. Or can it? `
Reusing
If someone had a paper folder in their desk at their school, and the next year they used it again instead of throwing it away, they just reused it. One other way people reuse things is refilling plastic water bottles when they are empty, rather than throwing them away. But some people recommend using things that can be reused, like glass plates instead of paper plates. You can reuse many things and make something with it, which would also be recycling. But should we reuse? Or can that extra trash fit in the truck? Littering
Caitlin and Grace, two fourth graders at Center Elementary School, were walking home from school one day. They were walking by a house and saw a couple papers on the sidewalk. “I wondered how it got there,” Grace says. But Grace’s question was quickly answered. A few seconds later, they found themselves staring at a whole yard covered with papers. “I was like, who did this?” Caitlin says. Then they noticed a recycling bin that had been tipped over. Caitlin stood it up and she and Grace put a couple papers back into the bin. They think it was either the wind, or someone knocked the bin over and the papers flew away. This might have not been the case, but someone could have littered. To litter , it means to drop trash on the ground and don’t pick it up. Some people say to pick up the trash and to throw it away, but there would be a lot of garbage in the trash
can. This is why it is hard to change the amount of trash in the garbage cans. Some people are even fined for littering, but not everyone cares. And not everyone listens to the signs that say “NO LITTERING.” But bad things could happen if we keep it up. The ground would be covered with trash and if there was an object on the ground, an animal could think it was food and eat it.
Another way to help There is another way to help! You can Change the Cans. To Change the Cans, it means to use more recycling bins and less trash cans, to change the amount of trash that is thrown away. If you have a trash can for paper, put all the paper in a recycling bin. But is it necessary to do that?
The Recycle Fight
Now, the final question is, should we recycle? Sure, it can be good for the environment,but some people have reasons for why they don’t do it. Some people say that they don’t want to have a lot of trash in their houses. And believe it or not, recycling can actually hurt the environment. Also, not all types of plastic can even be recycled. Also, some people think recycling can be hard to do. But some people still think it can be a good thing. Some people say that if we don’t recycle, the air will get polluted. They also point out that recycling saves energy. But not only are experts fighting about recycling, some fourth grade students at Center School also have an opinion. “I think we should recycle. If we don’t recycle there will be litter everywhere, and the air will get polluted, and the animals will get sick and die, and yes, we will die,” Cecelia says. “We should recycle. It is healthy for the environment. Also, if we don’t recycle, the world will be dusty and grey,” Amalia says. We asked Grace and Caitlin what they think. “No,” Grace says. “Yeah,” Caitlin says. Many people think we should and shouldn’t recycle, but the war is still going. Some countries are even fining people for not recycling. And, some people have reasons for why we shouldn’t reuse things. Some people reuse plastic containers and put food in it more than once. This can spread germs if you use them a lot, and if you don’t wash them. It can be unhealthy, too. Also, if you reuse a folder, it could get ripped and old, so it would be hard to recycle for some people. What do you think? Should we change the cans? Or is there still room in them? Caitlin
Glossary!
RecycleTo convert into reusable material. ReuseUse again or more than once.
OpinionA view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge. LitterTrash, such as paper, cans, and bottles, that is left lying in an open public place. Here are some links to learn more about recycling! A Recycling Revolution 10 Ways Recycling Hurts the Environment Listverse Why Is Recycling So Important? | Earths Friends
Great Wolf Lodge By Abbie
Grab your friends, climb on a raft and get ready to HOWL as you drop into a 6story funnel. Hold on tight as you swish and swirl up to 30feet up the sides of the gigantic funnel. You’ll be cheering, or should we I howlin’ for more when you make a splashlanding at the end.
Great Wolf Lodge is a water park in Fitchburg Massachusetts . Great Wolf Lodge was built in 2005. Great Wolf Lodge is a place that every kid and adult would love, love, love. Also, all ages can go on slides and any part of the park. When you get there you get your number to your room, that has a bunk bed and really soft blankets. You will really like it ! At This place you can stay a night and they have really fun activities planned for kids every day.
howlin TORNADO SLIDE! Grab your family and friends and go to the waterpark and you will see this SCARY TORNADO SLIDE, that is 30 feet tall. Also, the sides are so gigantic, and you go swishing side to side. That is so fun! Most people have a fear of the tornado slide, and most people like it. The tornado slide is a slide that starts off slow, then goes really fast and then just drops down! My opinion about the slide is people get over their fear and go on the slide. I interviewed Briann Lee, a fourth grader at student at Center School, who says, “The slide is really fun.” She also thinks that “People should really ride the slide.” Briann Lee also thinks that, “The slide can really surprise people because they do not know how the slide is going to go.” Also Briann Lee thinks that, “After people go on the slide they will really like it” , and will want to go on it even more! “ this slide is really fun and awesome and you will like it!
RIVER RUN CANYON! Take your family and friends and explore the River Run Canyon, First you get to go on a huge raft and anxiously wait your turn. When you start moving, you will realize that this slide has very GIGANTIC SIDES. WOW! Also when you're moving, you will go through turns, curves, twists and all sorts of stuff and is super fast , you go side to side all the time !, Also it is a lot of fun and I guarantee you will love, love, love it, and you will want to go on the River Run Canyon even more!
The River Run canyon is super fast, and a lot of people enjoy it very much!
Wolf tail This drop down tube is a slide that a lot of people really like! Most people like it because you have to cross your hands and it counts down to three and the floor opens up. Then you just drop down and goes really fast. It is also a SEVEN SECOND RIDE! The scariest part is how you go straight down, and is a 20foot free fall. Then there is a 360 degree high speed loop! You have to be 48 inches tall to ride. Briann Lee a fourth grader, at Center School thinks that the drop down tube is scary. She also is scared because there is no ground under her just the water slide! The Wolf Tail is the most fun part. it is a 7 second ride, and you will love it and it is the fastest thing , that you can imagine.
1
WATER PARK!
The waterpark is the most fun part of the park! Every kid loves loves it, There is a waterpark for little kids. The most fun part is the older kids water park, it has so many fun things. There is a light slide, and a dark slide, and a little slide that is super fast! There are also other activities at the water park like the Tornado Slide, and the River Run Canyon, and the Wolf Tail. Also there is a Crooked Creek where you go on a tube, and race through a water trail. In the older kids water park, there is a red and blue slide. Also there is a bucket that drop on your head, and there is a HUGE WATER BUCKET THAT DROPS ON EVERYBODY’S HEAD. THAT IS THE BEST PART! That is so fun! I interviewed Maiya, a second grader at Center School. She thinks the water park is really fun. Her favorite part of the water park is the light and dark slides. Maiya also does not like slides that are too scary like the Tornado Slide! Maiya also thinks that every kid would really love the water park and think it would be awesome . The water park is the best part of the park everybody loves it!!!!!!!!!!! 1
A last thought would be that you should at least try out a slide, because after you try it you will really like and you will want to go on it a lot more than you used to. For more information go to https://www.greatwolf.com/
When Weather Strikes By Diego Is Texas Having Snow In The Middle Of Spring And May?
Accidents In The Whole Neighborhood. The hailstorm broke almost everything in the whole neighborhood and world.The hail was almost 1 foot tall. The hail broke a roof and put it into a house and the neighbors across from the blue house were screaming and yelling and the women said ‘’ Get that roof off of our house .’’The Hail Keeps Going.
The hail was
going to keep going for 5 hours and it was 12:00,so it would end until 5:00 p.m. The hail was still going and it was 1:00 ,so the hail was going for 4 more hours.The hail tore off car roofs and windows,streets lights,and cut or split a tree in half.
The Hail Finally Ends
After 5 hours,the hail had finally stopped and everything looked horrible and the neighbors were shocked by what the hail had done,so they decided that they would fix the road.Would you like to be in Texas at the 2013 hailstorm?Well do not go near it.
museums
A building or place where works of art,scientific specimens,or other objects of permanent value are kept and displayed.
accidents
Something bad that happens that is not expected or intended and that often damages.
This is what happens when hail damaged a sign.
Wolf Hunting
Is it ok or not? In most places wolves are being shot or trapped because of hunting for game or because they did something to farmer’s livestock. Most of those people think they’re helping the environment by killing wolves, but they’re really not at all.
Reasons Not To Wolf hunting in general is terrible, but if you do it for the
livestock killing by wolves, it’s also ridiculous because wild cats, vultures, and even dogs kill more livestock than wolves. Farmers actually let their animals graze in wild, public land. The wolves’ only home. Wolf hunting is also a bad idea because wolves help the environment by eating elk, deer, buffalo, bison, and other herbivores. If the wolves are gone, the herbivores will eat all the plants so the things that rely on plants will die off. Wolves are good for the environment not bad. The wolves usually kill and eat the weak and sick animals they hunt. This is good because then the healthy animals have less competition for food and won’t be slowed down as
much; it makes the herds stronger. In fact, wolf kills are actually good for the soil and help grow plants. Deer and elk congregate in small groups when wolves are around so this helps reduce transmission of diseases like chronic waste syndrome.
Even More Reasons
Here’s another reason to stop killing wolves they are NOT dangerous to humans. There has only been 2030 wolf attacks in the whole 20th century. Only 3 were fatal. Since wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995, there have been 0 attacks and within the next 6 years park rangers noticed good environmental changes. In the same year there were 71 fatal brown bear attacks. Also about 17 people die a year from dog attacks. Wolves do not often carry rabies.They get rabies from other animals. More than 550 grey wolves were shot or trapped in the hunting season of 2013 in Idaho and Wyoming.There was even a hunt they had right outside Yellowstone which is technically legal because it’s illegal in Yellowstone to hunt wolves, but right out of Yellowstone you can. In that hunt 42 wolves were killed.
Bear Savers
Believe it or not wolves actually save bears.They do this by eating the elk that eat the berries, then bears get the berries. Also the elk eat the whole shrub so bugs are in decline too. So wolves are actually helping more than you think.
Helping Out What do you think? Do you want to help stop the killing?To help stop wolf hunting you can donate money to a website called Howling for Wolves. If you donate at least $50.00 you’ll get a free wolf plush toy delivered to you. You can also help by volunteering to protect Minnesota’s wolves. For more info go to www.howlingforwolves.org “If the wolf is to survive, the wolf haters must be outnumbered. They must be out shouted, out financed, and out voted. Their narrow based attitude must be outweighed by an attitude based on an understanding
of natural processes,” says wolf expert L. David Mech. Because of wolves magpies, wolverines, grizzly bears, eagles, weasels, foxes, and rabbits came back to Yellowstone. Now this makes you think, then why are people still killing wolves? Maybe you should go and do something about it. -Forrest
We Build Peace Do You? Article written By Briann Lee Morin
We are peace builders! Watch us build and increase the peace!Center School in Longmeadow is having a program called The Peacebuilders. The program is about children helping each other and being kind to each other.Donna Hutton, the principal of the elementary school came up with the idea to have the program at the big school.
The maker The person that came up with the idea to make the program is Michelle Molina she is the Chief Executive officer and owner of the program since its inception in 2003.Michelle
has been a peace builder since 1994 and a peace builder trainer and curriculum developer in 1998.For more info on Michelle molina go to www.peacebuilders.com/whoWeAre/ourFounder.php
how it works
The program helps kids help create a safer world and community . The program has a
poster in each classroom that says, “I am a peacebuilder. I pledge. To praise people.To give up put downs. To seek wise people. To notice and speak up about hurts I have caused. To right wrongs. To help others. I will build peace at home at school and in my community each day.” The poster reminds the kids of what they are supposed to do to be a
peacebuilder. Another thing is Praise Cards. Praise Cards are used when someone does
something good for other people or they help someone. If some person sees someone do a good deed then they get a praise , card and if it is a really good deed they might get a
reward. This is going to help children be nice by getting noticed so they will keep on being nice .
peacebuilders pledge
WHAT PEOPLE THINK Alex and Ben,students at the elementary school say, “Kids should just be nice on their own.But some kids are not so nice so this program helps them a lot. It has increased the
peace at our school.” Abbie another student at the school says,“This helps children a lot with manners so when they are older they can use them correctly to make more friends.
Get in on the program Since the peacebuilders program is working out well for Center School, why not for
the other schools in Longmeadow and in the state? It will help everyone in their schools
cooperate. It might also get the schools more children and money because parents look at schools for their children and if they have a good community more people could move there by looking at the reviews.
GLOSSARY Inception
IN-CEP-TION The establish or starting point of an institution or activity.Also known as
BEGINNING
Program
PRO-GRAM Arranged according of planned or scheduled.Also known as ACTIVITY
Praise PRAISE
To express warm approval of someone or thing.Also known as THANKS
Community COMM-uN-ITY
Groups of people living in the same town.Also known as TOWN
Increase IN-CREASE To become or make greater in size,amount,intensity or degree.Also known as EXPAND
What’s Life Without Goals?
Soccer is a fun sport and very good exercise. Do you play soccer? A lot of people and kids play soccer. You might ask why play soccer? This next paragraph tells you why you should play soccer.
Why You Should Play Soccer You should play soccer because it is healthy for your body and good exercise. A reason that soccer is good exercise is that you run up and down the field. Soccer is mainly good exercise for your legs because you kick and run using your legs. Lionel Messi works hard and exercises well. Maybe that’s why he's so good? The world may never know. Speaking of Messi, here is a quote that he said, “I have fun like a child in the street. When the day comes, when I’m not enjoying it, I will leave football”.
↓ Below is a link that shows that soccer is good exercise. ↓ Soccer Fitness Training Workouts
Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo
Soccer is awesome! I think everyone should play soccer because it's good exercise,it is fun,it is healthy for your body and that's why you should play soccer. ~ Ben
Switching Schools By: Ava Redistricting Begins A bunch of kids were at Blueberry Hill school so in plan A, 75 kids from Blueberry Hill would move to Center School and they would be taken out from Forest Glen Rd. to Farmington Rd. and transfer them to Center School.
The Total Amount There were exactly 500 kids at Blueberry Hill School where I used to go and only 391 at Center School and 353 at Wolf Swamp School. The superintendent for all the schools wanted the preschool from Center School to change to Wolf Swamp. Exactly 100 kids from Blueberry Hill would move to Center. Too Many Students!! Many teachers at Blueberry Hill had to have classes in closets and storage areas because of too many students. It is a very small school compared to Center so the classes were in small spaces. The principal of Blueberry Hill said, “there are too many students in this school so we need
to do something”. This is Superintendent Marie Doyle’s speech. “ We realized that any further increases in enrollment would mean that we couldn’t fit the students into the Blueberry building appropriately,” she explained. “We already have special education teachers sharing classrooms, ELL [English language learners] teachers sharing spaces, so it’s a really good for us to examine redistricting. Resource rooms turned into real classrooms Isn’t
that crazy?
Other Students Switching A girl from Blueberry School named Mallory who now goes to Center School now was redistricted too. Everyone on her street was redistricted also. Mallory was going into 4th grade. She said, “ Why is our neighborhood moving and why not other kids?”
All the Schools Redistricted Wolf Swamp, Blueberry Hill, and Center School were redistricted. Center school’s preschool changed to Wolf Swamp and some of Blueberry Hills students moved to Center. Center School is huge, Blueberry Hill is small, and Wolf Swamp is the same size as Blueberry Hill. Center School has been in Longmeadow for years, Blueberry Hill came after Center, then Wolf Swamp was built. Here are some pictures to show you the schools.
Crazy switch Some students who go to Blueberry Hill got to stay even though their street was on one of the streets moving because they had to go to resource rooms that Center did not have. Other people got to stay because their older brother or sister was in a resource room so the little kids got to stay. “I think that's so crazy.” Ava said.
A Problem The problem is Blueberry Hill took out students and moved them to Center School but… more students ended up at Blueberry. So basically the kids are allowed to stay because they live near Blueberry Hill. Also some kids from Center moved to Blueberry Hill because of their house. So Blueberry Hill was supposed to take students out, to clear but more kids moved in. I think it’s kind of unfair because they moved us out but their letting the kids that moved into Blueberry stay.
Center School Sitings When I had my very first Technology class,I thought it would be the same like just doing activities in tech at Blueberry. But….. Mrs. Giggio asked the new kids, “have you ever heard of Center School Sittings before?” We all looked at her like WHAT are you talking about. At Blueberry all we did was activities. Center school is a little different, it does filming a lot and Mrs. Giggio has the 5th graders do it. This is a very interesting part CSS is also short for Center School Sittings Have you ever had something like this in your school ?
Links To More Information Blueberry redistricting Redistricting
Fun Facts 1. Some parents were mad because kids were switching schools. 2. Another fact is I lost some of my friends when I was switching schools and I was very sad. 3. The school committee was fighting because they were deciding if we were switching or not.
Is Football Safe?
by Alex Weiswasser
Guess how much football injuries happened in 2013 to 2014? 1,300 injuries! And guess what all of the football teams in the NFL have? They have hurt players!
The Effects of Football Injuries
Some football players after they get an injury can't play football again and some can't walk, but most don't get a severe injury. Some football players who got hurt are Dennis Byrd and Rob Gronkowski. Dennis Byrd got a neck injury and could not play football again and Rob Gronkowski sprained his knee and he could not play football for two weeks. . If you want more information here is a link
⬇
NFL Injuries - National Football League - ESPN - ESPN.com
How to Prevent Football Injuries
One way to prevent football injuries is to wear the right gear. Helmets prevent skull fractures and brain contusions. Another way is not tackling other people with your head but your shoulder. Some other gear that you can use are mouthguards and pads. Pads help you don't get hurt as much when the players collide. Mouth guards help protect your teeth and gum.
Should Kids Play Football? Yes, I think kids can play football but I think kids should play two hand touch football, which is football where instead of tackling you touch the person you're playing against with two hands. Two hand touch is a good way to play because you don't tackle, which means you don't get injuries. Do you think this too?
Glossary skull fractures
A skull fracture is a crack in the skull.
brain contusions
A brain contusion is a bruise of the brain.
NFL
The NFL is the National Football League
sprain
a sprain is sudden or violent twist or wrench of a joint with stretching or tearing of ligaments
ligament
A ligament is the part in your body that connects two bones to form a joint.
Twin Twisters The Doing Of A Disaster This article is mainly about 2 devastating Twin Tornadoes that occurred in a place called Pilger, NE. The tornadoes occurred June 16–18 2014. Ways to describe these twin tornadoes were violent, significant and intense. The tornadoes were in the great plains and the Midwest. The severe weather event really affected the state of Nebraska,there were two twin EF4 tornadoes killed two and critically injured twenty others in and around the town of Pilger on the evening of June 16. The two Pilger tornadoes were part of violent tornado families that produced four consecutive EF4 tornadoes and was broadcast live on television. The outbreak went on to produce multiple other strong tornadoes across the northern Great Plains states throughout the next two days.
This a picture of the tornadoes close up.
Helping Communities The people from all over Nebraska started a donation to the people of Pilger after this devastating tornado. Everybody who donated in Nebraska did whatever they could for the people of Pilger. Here’s a quote from Linda Hewitt,”I thought this would never happen to Pilger. (In case you were wondering who Linda Hewitt she is a citizen of Pilger.) A year later people are still taking donations from the recovery of these devastating twin tornadoes. But the people from Nebraska eventually raised enough money for the people of Pilger. Telling of The Twin Twisters These twins were hard to survive since the tornado outbreak lasted over 2 days. Plus the tornado was going 166200 mph. It did extreme damage. Like it destroyed wellconstructed whole frame houses. Cars and other large objects were thrown. Large objects can just be lifted up by wind easily such as trucks, trailers, and other heavy objects. Its because the wind makes the objects, wobble and even if a small amount of wind gets under the heavy
objects it can be easily lifted up into the tornado itself. Anyways here’s a quote from storm chaser Matt Crowther,"In all other cases I have seen, one tornado may last for a little while fairly close to another, but nothing like what happened (Monday)," said The Weather Channel senior meteorologist "This is unique in my experience.” Here is a way you can tell which tornado is which. FUJITA SCALE
F Num ber
Faste st 1/4m ile (mph)
0
DERIVED EF SCALE
3 EF Seco Num nd ber Gust (mph)
OPERATION AL EF SCALE
3 EF Seco Num nd ber Gust (mph)
3 Seco nd Gust (mph )
4072 4578 0
6585 0
6585
1
7311 7911 1 2 7
8610 1 9
8611 0
2
1131 1181 2 57 61
1101 2 37
1111 35
3
1582 1622 3 07 09
1381 3 67
1361 65
4
2082 2102 4 60 61
1681 4 99
1662 00
5
2613 2623 5 18 17
2002 5 34
Over 200
The Message (If you figured this out you don’t have to read this.) Hello readers! The main idea of the article was to learn to always help others nomatter how small you can help. So it is your choice will you help or just stand there. So will you help or not?
~Hadley
VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES By Henry Lukezic
Are video games good or bad? A new task force report by Giovanni Albanese, in Healthline news says children
who play violent video games are more prone to aggression, but not necessarily criminal activity. Mark Appelbaulm, chairman of the APA task force on violent media says, “ If a kid plays violent video games or watches violent television usually the child will become violent over time. Given over 90% of people play video games, and 80% of that are violent.” Samuel, a kid at Center School says, “Sometimes if there’s nothing to do, my friend Nate and I play Xbox 360 for 2 to 3 hours. One video game
is Assassins Creed,” according to Sam, which is a violent video game. Even if these are not addictive, they are usually bad, according to the Healthline news center. What Happens What the research says is that if you play video games, especially violent ones, you may become very violent, and think less about you being a good person. “Scientists have investigated the use of violent video games for more than two decades but to date, there is very limited research addressing whether violent video games cause people to commit acts of criminal violence,” said task force chair Mark Appelbaum. “However, the link between violence in video games and increased aggression in players is one of the most studied and best established in the field.” Dr. Vic Strasburger, an author of an APA study on video games says, “Many people would like to link firstperson shooter video games and mass murders or even single murders, but that's virtually impossible to do from a scientific research point of view.” “Murder is rare. Video games are extraordinarily common.” The study, Jama Pediatrics surveyed habits of 3,034 children 8 to 17 years old in Singapore over 3 years. So are video games good or bad? I think they are good and bad, first they are good because they can teach how to build, but badly can lead to violence.
LINKS JAMA Network | JAMA Pediatrics | Mediators and Violent Video GLOSSARY
Aggression
Hostile or violent behavior or attitudes toward another; readiness to attack or confront.
APA (American Psychological Association)
Trade Association of Psychologists.
JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association)
Doctor’s magazine of record.
Flip That Page! Have you ever wondered what to do other than looking on the iPad? Well… good question! With reading books, your mind will be automatically filled with imagination and creativity! People usually watch videos or play games like Minecraft on their electronics, but reading is also a great way to spend spare time. Kids and adults will learn more when they read and some books. People even know that staring in electronics is not good for their eyes. Reading biographies i nfluence children and they learn good and bad experiences that the character has had. In early life, you will be prepared for things by reading about cooking. Just think of how much books can improve your everyday skills.
School or Games? Even though people use computers for homework and school purposes, teachers should give more papers than screens. “It’s like the teachers are giving you an iPad for homework,”says Amalia, a fourth grader from Center School. Teachers should give more papers than time on computers. Kids need to read more because they will learn more and can even recommend a book to a friend. Some students use the computers because the teacher orders a homework website. The parents think they are doing homework, but usually the kids will be watching videos on low volume or playing games such as Minecraft, and Roblox. At school they lose points off homework because the students didn’t study. What can you do to help create more reading?
Scholastic Book clubs are important…, especially for kids! Spreading the joy of reading is very important! That is why Scholastic has book fairs every year at schools in Longmeadow, MA. Scholastic was founded in 1920 as a single classroom magazine. Today, Scholastic books and educational materials are in tens of thousands of schools and tens of millions of homes worldwide, helping to open a new world for
children across the globe. Every October, children have a chance to bring money from home and buy books they are interested to read. Also, if you didn’t bring money, you can come after school with your family and choose as many books as you want to buy. “Book fairs are awesome!”says Caitlin, another fourth grader from Center School.
Electronics… Bad?! Everybody loves a good game of Minecraft, but too much gaming could get you distracted with the world around you. You won’t remember anything that someone told you. Most Americans spend over 9 hours of technology per day. Scientists say that more than 4 hours is too much. Think of how much your eyes could get damaged by technology. Books are all around you, start reading and stop technology! - Bella
Links for more information on reading and dangerous technology: How technology is hurting your eyes 10 reasons why reading books is important Scholastic