2012 Digital Dragon

DEL DIOS MIDDLE SCHOOL

DIGITAL DRAGON

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LITERARY ARTS

VISUAL ARTS

Short stories, poems, and critical thinking responses demonstrate creativity and focused thinking.

Doodles to drawings, and sketches to mindscapes: these artists are worth showing off!

A Passion for Readiness Suzanne Adkins, Principal Del Dios Middle School

At Del Dios Middle School, students are preparing for college and career readiness every day. Engaging in literary analysis and scientific inquiry, students are becoming academically competitive and are using 21st century skills of creativity, critical thinking , collaboration and communication. Del Dios Dragons are preparing for college and career today, to become the leaders of tomorrow.

DIGITAL DRAGON editors Zach Fox Jorge Vazquez

contributing teachers Veronica Anderson-Cain Pam Candelore Karin Helenscmidt Josie Horton David Johnsin Janice Lee Amy Murphy Donna Wontorsky

contributing artist Shannon Isley

“Spring Dragons” page 6 Adobe Photoshop, 2011

contributing photographers Michael De Neve

“Del Dios Under the Trees” pages 2-3 Shot with a Canon Rebel XT, 2011

Amy Murphy

“Authors & Artists with Attitude” cover photo Shot with a Canon Rebel XT, 2012

editor - in - chief Amy Murphy

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digital publications | del dios middle school | eusd | ca usa 760 432 2439 | deldios.eusd.org

Dragon Tracks Award Winning Yearbook

A Passion for Capturing Memories Amy Murphy, Advisor Del Dios Middle School

Dragon Music Academy Award Winning Performance Band & Concert Choir

A Passion for Music David Gibney, Music Director Del Dios Middle School

The editors are very proud to announce the A-List of Authors & Artists for the 2012 Digital Dragon. Teachers and staff are encouraged to submit the “best of the best” from their students, and from those submissions only the truly deserving of being “in print” are awarded the prestigious honor of publication.

Congratulations to this year’s published authors and artists!

Itzel Arellano James Barilla Jeanelle Beof Danny Brutout Alissaundra Castro Lorena Chavez Catherina Cojulun Kayla Cordoza Shayna Cruz Stephanie Gomez Kaylyn Hartley Wesley Jalipa Dawson Labayog Graciela Lopez Jonathan Martinez Monica Navarrere Reana Pugal Cynthia Ramirez Alondra Refugio José Rincón Lea Rodarte Ricardo Rodriguez Anail Santiago Jesse Segoviano Elisa Solis Christina Somanotham

AUTHORS & ARTISTS

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Visual Arts

Painting, Drawing, Sketching & Design

A Passion for Artistry Veronica Anderson-Cain, Instructor Del Dios Middle School

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ARTISTS “Mashup”, on page 37, is a compilation of artwork of various styles. You’ll see graffiti, black and white sketches, and word art. There were so many great contributions that it was difficult to choose the “best of the best”. The artists listed below created outstanding pieces of artwork and have earned the coveted honor of being published.

David Allen, “Dream” and “Dream” James Barilla, “Tree” and “Power” Jeanelle Beof, “Passion” Brian Garcia, “Peace” Stephanie Gomez, “Promise” Alex Ignacio, “Tree” Xayna Melendez, “Tree” Alondra Refugio, “Tree” Lea Rodarte, “Chestnut Tree” Ricardo Rodriguez, “Innovation” Anail Santiago, “Believe”

Innovation by Ricardo Rodriguez Editors’ Pick

We were impressed with the use of natural elements to show technological, ecological and social advancements.

Congratulations, Ricardo! We dig it!

MASHUP...

Congratulations!

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zach fox

a note from the editor Working on the magazine over the course of the year has been an amazing experience.

It has also taught me a few things, one of which being: everyone, except me, is always right. But for real though, I did learn a lot about text and page formatting, layout styling, and how to edit an article.

Throughout the magazine there are spreads and layouts that my co-editor and I designed. Out of all of them, I think my favorite is the “Lost in the Land of Sand”.

I dig the story a lot, but there’s something visually striking about the layout that I just can’t get over.

Jorge, my co-editor, was... great to work with. We had a LOT of fun making the magazine, as well as just messing around on days when work was near impossible.

Jorge was awesome to work with and really knew how to collaborate. It’s great to work with

someone you can bounce ideas around with and come up with something great together.

Some days weren’t always perfect, and yes, there were times where we didn’t agree on the design or the layout or which article to include, but in the end we created a great product - through teamwork.

During the course of putting this together, Jorge Lost in the Land of Sand and I ran into a few problems. by Alissaundra Castro, p. 18 When we first embarked on this insane yet immensely fun journey of editing a literary magazine, we had forgotten to include author names with their writing or art pieces as we were scanning. So that had to be dealt with right away. We also had a very stressful occasion where the school account that we were using got deleted. Talk about panic! We had worked so long on this thing and then it was just gone.

Our editor-in-chief had to get someone to find the old account and see if the file was there. We were definitely holding our breath until we saw the file show up on our desktop! After that, when I was moving the file containing the magazine onto a different computer the copy somehow deleted pages in both the original and the new copy. Thankfully, we had multiple copies on backup drives that were up-to-date.

Creating the Digital Dragon wouldn’t be possible without certain people. Thank you, Jorge and Mrs. Murphy, for not putting me in the loony bin on my most crazy days and just thanks in general. Thanks to my family for being supportive during the whole experience and for getting me interested in the class to begin with.

Also, thank you to all the teachers and students who contributed to the magazine. If not for you, this would never have become a reality. GO DRAGONS!

jorge vazquez

a note from the editor

Being a co-editor for the Digital Dragon magazine has been a new and interesting experience for me.

Zach had been talking about the idea of creating a school magazine.

He started working on it and then I N.U.T.S. Night Under the Stars came along to help him. We both started off the year by editing the

by Catherina Cojulun school newspaper, Spirit of the Dragon, and after the first issue decided we’d rather try something a little bit bigger. We started brainstorming ideas for the magazine.

Zach and I began by looking at the designs of other magazines, then writing down what we wanted our new magazine to look like. I never realized how many different things there were to consider: fonts, font sizes, line spacing, character spacing, wrapping around images or not wrapping, and it goes on! And that’s all the stuff that people don’t even really notice! I discovered that there were certain designs and layouts that I was drawn to (good use of all the stuff I mentioned before) and others that I didn’t like. Once Zach and I had that down, we got to work on the content part of it. Teachers gave us “stellar” work from students and we then put the pieces together in the program “Pages” by Apple.

While working on the magazine we found ourselves in some sticky situations. At one point, we had a decaying rat in the trailer and we had to move into another classroom to avoid the smell, which meant we didn’t have our own computer or the scanners. The login account we were using was deleted by the district and even though we got the document back, it was really stressful to think for a couple days that it was gone.

Editing a magazine was defiantly a lot of work because you have to look at every little detail (which can be very difficult). Everything has to be in its place. We wanted to make sure the magazine looked as

professional as possible. I learned a lot of real-world skills from the process though, so I’m glad I went through it!

There are a couple of spreads that I really like: “N.U.T.S.” by Catherina Cojulun, and “Lost in the Land of Sand” by Alissaundra Castro. I like them both because of their visual appeal. I really like the story Lost in the Land of Sand, because it’s about a kid just trying to survive in a desert.

A huge “thank you” to all the teachers who took the time to select the “stellar” pieces of student work. I especially want to thank Mrs. Anderson-Cain for spending several days with us going through artwork and making careful selections.

She really helped us understand the process of choosing the “best of the best” when it came to artwork.

I had a great time putting this magazine together. I hope you enjoy reading through it just as much!

DIGITAL DRAGON 11

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Award Winning Newspaper & Magazine

A Passion for Journalism Amy Murphy, Editor-in-Chief Del Dios Middle School

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11 Notes from the Editors

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Real-life CSI by Wesley Jalipa 15 The Day the Sky Became More Visible by Kaylyn Hartley 16 My Dog Will Be There For Me by Rachel Martinez

17 The Performance by Christina Somanotham

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Lost in the Land of Sand by Alissaundra Castro 20 Nothing Gold Can Stay by Reana Pugal

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Bats are Beneficial by Kayla Cordoza 23 iPads versus Textbooks by Danny Brutout

24 Doodle a Little Doodle by Jasmin Gonzalez et al.

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Ode to a Dragon by Anonymous Ode to a Soldier by Anonymous 28 Summer by Shayna Cruz

29 Tribute to John Lennon by Graciela Lopez 31 Literary Response Essay by Elisa Solis

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Vibrance in Motion by Jonathan Martinez

32 The Hole in America’s Heart by Reana Pugal

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N.U.T.S. by Catherina Cojulun 37 Mashup Art Artist information on page 10

38 Pommel Horse by Zach Fox Reform Movement: Harriet Tubman by Dawson Labayog Reform Movement: Samuel G. Howe by José´Rincón 41 Nothing Gold Can Stay by Itzel Arelllano

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42 Vending Machine Persuasion by Lorena Chavez & Wesley Jalipa

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American Revolution Timeline by Cinthia Ramirez 50 A Christmas Carol by Monica Navarrere

CONTENTS...

WHAT’S INSIDE...

Page

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By Wesley Jalipa 6th Grade Mrs. Candelore

Real-Life CSI !

The expository article “Real-Life CSI” by Emily Costello discusses an 18-year-old deputy coroner named Amanda Barnett and her occupation. The article contains information concerning Amanda’s job and how she got in so young, as well as some of the things she does. !

Working as a detective, Amanda focuses mostly on forensics and death. Amanda photographs the scene and looks carefully to find possible clues as to how long the person died. She then takes the temperature of the bodies, then takes the temperature of the room and compares them to determine the time of death. She takes the body to the morgue to get an autopsy after that. !

When attempting to discern why the person died, Amanda must do many things. She checks the body for injury and the house for robbery or break-in, to see if it could have been murder. She asks the neighbors and family about possible health problems. If she still needs more information, she draws the blood, so it can be tested by a forensic pathologist who then performs an autopsy. !

Amanda’s own personal job is different from other coroners in other places. For one thing, Jay Country is a rather small community, so they get few calls about death, about four a month. She works from home, and she goes to college to study forensics full time.

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The Day the Sky Became More Visible My country, Oh my country What started as a bright and sunny day Ended as the biggest tragedy in the nation The light in everyone’s heart had vanquished into darkness Whether or not that darkness was forever Was just part of the evil.

My country Oh my country The crash was terrible And smoke had lifted Plane and building parts were dropping And so were the jaws of the witnesses You could hear the sirens oh ambulances And firetrucks getting louder and louder and slowly fading.

My country Oh my country The second plane hit and shocked faces turned into panic ones As more burned down More lives fell from the sky No words can describe the evil that went inside those towers As they caused the screaming that was getting louder.

My country Oh my country Slowly the towers fell

Down, down, down Until no towers were left The mess was everywhere Mentally and physically It took years to clean it up but it will never Be cleansed from our minds.

My country Oh my country 10 years later a memorial is set Names of the fallen as well as our heroes are etched in stone 2 giant fountains mark the spots of the towers The fountain represents the never ending memories Of the lives that were taken but never forgotten.

My country Oh my country What started as a bright and sunny day Ended as the biggest tragedy in the nation The light in everyone’s heart had vanished into darkness.

Whether or not that darkness was forever Was just part of the evil To this day we are still healing And we’ll never forget The day the sky became more visible.

By Kaylyn Hartley 8th Grade Mrs. Anderson-Cain

My country Oh my country Time had all stopped Hearts skipped beats And some hearts stopped forever People walked on and cars drove by Until they heard the rhythm of a plane overhead And everyone stopped, looked And waited.

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By Rachel Martinez 6th Grade Mrs. Candelore

“Our next performers are the ‘Justin Beibers’ dancing to ‘Baby’. The six girls skipped onto the large stage and got into position. The reasonably huge crowd whistled and cheered as the curtains rolled out. The music roared throughout the whole auditorium. I took my seat in the front row divided from the audience with a sign saying, “Performers Only!” I could feel my fingernails digging through the plastic chair. One of the special effects directors whispered my name and said, “Christina, you’re up next.” That’s when my heart stopped beating. I stood up and shuffled my feet to the green room. On my way, my friend Diana, also a performer, rubbed my shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine!

Besides, it’s only the first show!”

The words “first show” and “you’ll be fine” echoed loudly through my head. I’ll be fine? Yeah right. I’m just going to bomb it on stage and become an embarrassment to this school. I nodded to Diana and walked away. Past performers were playing games and telling stories in the green room. I held my butterfly-filled stomach and walked to the corner of the green room to get to the stairs that led to the stage. I talked to Mrs. Studenka, one of the volunteers, and clutched the microphone in my hands.

Looking through a sliver in the curtains, my jaw dropped down to the Earth’s core. Hundreds of fifth graders were singing along to the music. I stepped back and drank a little cup of water and watched as the girls ended their dance. The curtains closed and the girls skipped off the stage like professionals. I waddled to center stage and took a deep breath.

“Thank you girls for the performance! Up next, we have a well-known fifth grader singing ‘A Thousand Miles’ by Vanessa Carlton! Put your hands together for Christina!”

The crowd applauded and roared. Listening closely, I could hear my close friends, Elisa and Linda, scream my name. The curtains drew away and I was now standing in front of a huge audience and blinding lights. I scanned my audience during the somewhat never ending prelude. I inhaled all the air

I could and started singing. I stupidly danced on the stage as the crowd sang along. Mr. Harding, the sound board technician, lowered the music and raised his hand, which meant I had to sing louder. I tried to louden my voice but all that came out was a grown similar to that of a cow.

A minute passed by and the colorful lights dimmed. I struck a pose and my performance was over. My heart, which died about 30 seconds into the song, started to beat again as the curtains came close to a close. I awkwardly danced off the stage and back into my seat as I handed the microphone to the next performer. The past performers in the green room told me the crowd roared and sang. I denied this with embarrassment and said it was just applause. Linda whispered my name to catch my attention. “You were great,” she grinned. I sheepishly smiled and mouthed, “Thank you.” I slumped in my chair and wonderingly tapped my fingers on my thighs. One down four more shows to go, I thought. Then I realized performing wasn't that hard, stressful, or embarrassing at all.

By Christina Somanotham 7th Grade Mrs. Lee

The Performance

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Lost in the Land of Sand It’s hot. My mouth is dry and my feet ache.

I had been traveling with my parents on the caravan when I stopped to fix the packs on my camel’s back. By the time I was done and glanced up, my family and the caravan were gone. My breath feels caught in my throat. I am lost in the land of sand. !

I went through my supplies, counting ten pieces of gold, some salt, dried pieces of meat, and a water-skin filled with warm, musty, mineral-tasting water. “I can use the gold to buy provisions, and I can trade the salt for new clothes,” I thought, looking down at my filthy clothes. “But I need to get water from an oasis.” I ran a hand through my hair, and then pulled my burqa up and over my head to shield my face from the burning sun. Then, I set off. !

Hours later, I was literally dragging myself across the sand. My water-skin was empty, and what’s worse, I was in the middle of a severe sandstorm. I needed to get to shelter, fast, but when you’re in the middle of a storm and you can’t see anything, that’s kind of challenging. I stood behind my camel, Ikiki, using his body as a shield against the roaring wing and the blasts of sand. I finally found a pile of boulders with a big with a space big enough for me to crawl inside and for Ikiki to stick his head in. The two of us waited out the storm, and then inched out, blinking at the light. Suddenly, we heard the sound of hooves. !

I dove back inside, and Ikiki hid behind the boulders. I put my eye to a hole in a rock and gazed around. There were men in black cloaks, sitting on top of Arabian horses. “I thought I saw a camel,” one said, “and a girl.” The leader, who was riding on a large black stallion, glanced towards the pile of boulders where I was hiding. “Check there,” he said.

I was finished. Two men dismounted their horses and came over. They poked their heads inside, saw me, and grabbed my arm, yanking me outside. “Look at

what we have here, a lost mouse in the desert.” I looked down; the leader led his horse over and looked down at me with cold, dark eyes. I knew that these men were bandits. “What are you doing out here, little mouse?”

“I...I was separated from, the caravan”, I whispered.

The bandits looked to each other with a gleam in their eyes. “We just past it. We can take you back, but first... Pay us!” I swallowed hard and slowly pulled out my coin pouch. The leader snatched it out of my hands, and then pointed towards the horizon saying, “They went that way.” Then, the bandits wheeled their horses around and galloped off.

Ikiki slowly lumbered out from behind the boulders and stood obediently by my side. I stroked his nose, took his lead rope, and headed in the direction of the horizon. NIght soon fell. I was exhausted and my whole body throbbed. I was sitting beneath a tree, eating dried fruit, when I heard the jangle of bells and grunting of camels. I wanted to hurry over and see who it was, but I was too weak.

The bells stopped. Then I felt a hand tip my chin up and cool water ran down my throat. I greedily gulped it down, but the person pulled the water-skin away from my cracked lips. “Don't drink too fast,” a kind voice said. Then the water-skin was empty, the person helped me to my feet.

In the moonlight, I saw who it was. It was a boy around my age with long brown hair and big, kind, brown eyes. "What are you doing out here?" he asked, leading me to his clan. "I was... traveling with the caravan when I... stopped to fix the packs on my camel's back. When... everyone l-l-left," I stuttered. He studied me, "You don't look so good," he said. I smiled, grimly. "I ran out of water.” He stopped suddenly. “Hey Leviathan!” he shouted. A tall man came over, “What is it, Xavier?” he asked. “I found a girl underneath a tree. Can she stay with us until she finds her family?” Xavier questioned. “Alright, but you have to ask the elders first. It's fine by me, but still..." stated the tall man. Xavier nodded, "Thanks."

He turned to me and said," Come with me."

He took my hand and began to walk towards two men and a woman. "Selethen, Dorgan, Madam Octa," called Xavier. The small group turned towards us, and I unconsciously moved closer to Xavier. "What is it, Xavier?" Madam Octa asked. "And, who is this?"

She peered down at me and I met her gaze. "My name is Ali," I said. The man, I assumed was Selethen, asked, "What are you doing here?" "I got lost. My family and caravan left me," I stated nervously. The 18

who lay on a cot, a damp cloth pressed against his head. I ran over and my mother where she wrapped her arms around me. "What happened to you?" she questioned. I told her my amazing tale as she sat there, listening intently. When I finished she sighed, "At least you're safe." I nodded in agreement. She sensed something was troubling me and asked, "What's wrong?" I told her about Xavier, and she let me stay until he was healed while my father was recovering from heatstroke. Later, as a family, we rejoined the caravan with Xavier, my best friend.

By Alissaundra Castro 7th Grade Mr. Johnson

three elders exchanged looks. "They are two days ahead of us, heading in the direction of the Empire Mali and the great city of Timbuktu," said one of the elders. "Do you think she can stay?" asked Xavier, his brown eyes pleading. The elders turned their back to us and conversed fiercely with each other. I could only hear, "Can we trust her?" and "Xavier likes her," and "We can't afford to lose the extra provisions."

Finally, they turned back to us. "The girl may stay until we find her family," one of the elders stated.

Xavier and I grinned and smiled. "Thank you," I gushed. Then, Xavier took my hand again and danced me around, "Come, we shall celebrate!" He led me to a group of people dressed in colorful clothes who were singing about past kings and their clan's ancestors. "Griots," Xavier told me, and then we were singing and dancing along with the singing griots. We collapsed on the ground, breathing hard and laughing from the fun we had, until I sensed Xavier falling asleep. I gazed up at the stars, seeing how beautiful each of them was and wondered if my ancestors were watching over me, and finally, I fell asleep.

The next morning, the Berber nomads set off north, heading after the caravan. The sand was hot and the sun burned my skin, turning it tender and pink. An hour later, Xavier hissed,�Ali! Don’t move!�

I froze hearing the rattle of a rattlesnake. I glanced down and saw it coiled up a foot away. Its yellow eyes stared up at me, daring me to move. "On the count of three, RUN. One...," Xavier began, his eyes strained on the snake. "Two..." I tensed and the snake hissed, ready to strike. "THREE. NOW!!" Xavier shoved me away, just as the snake struck... and sunk its fangs deep into Xavier's ankle. Xavier screamed in pain and sank back. I didn't know what do to. The snake still had its fangs locked into Xavier's ankle. I did what I could do; I took a stick and jammed it into the snake's head. It instantly went still. I jammed my fingers into its mouth and pulled the fangs out of Xavier's ankle. "SOMEONE HELP!" I screamed.

Xavier's face was pale and sweat covered his dark skin.

Selethen and Leviathan came running, saw Xavier, and lifted him up. "Come, we need to get to Timbuktu, fast!" said Leviathan hastily. Then, they left and I had no choice but to follow. I lingered by Xavier's side, holding his head as our small group rode the camels and horses headed towards Timbuktu. We finally arrived at the magnificent city and headed towards the healer's hut. As we walked in, I saw my mother sitting in a chair beside my father

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By Reana Pugal 8th Grade Mrs. Anderson-Cain

Bats are Beneficial blood and prevent it from getting too

sucking bat is going to come right through your window to suck

thick. Thanks to vampire bat spit, doctors can help prevent heart

your blood? Mrs. Spears came

attacks and strokes.

into our class to teach us the truth about bats. Bats are beneficial because they eat insects, pollinate plants, and vampire bat saliva can be used as

In summary, Chiroptera are helpful because they devour insects,

a blood thinner.

Many bats are insectivores.

They eat mosquitoes and all those little insects. It’s a great thing that bats are eating insects because all those insects could eat our crops and have a huge impact on agriculture. The best part that bats are eating mosquitoes which can carry a deadly disease called malaria.

Bats are nocturnal pollinators.

When they drink nectar, bats get pollen on their fur. When they swoop down to another flower, they accidentally drop off all the pollen from the previous plant. As a result, bats help plants bear fruit.

Vampire bat saliva can be used as a blood thinner. Scientists observed that vampire saliva can prevent blood clots.

They can prevent blood from clotting because their saliva helps thin up the

pollinate plants, and vampire bat spit can be used as an anticoagulant. I suggest that the next time you find bats in your attic, don’t call pest control, just build a humane exclusion.

By Kayla Cordoza 6th Grade Mrs. Candelore

Chiroptera are helpful because ...

Have you ever wondered if a blood-

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Associated Student Body student government, school spirit & social engagement

A Passion for Leadership Albert Ngo, Advisor Del Dios Middle School

iPads VS Textbooks Are you exhausted from carrying heavy text books in your backpack all day long? Well there is a new way to make your backpack lighter, iPads.

I went to work after my teacher gave me the idea to go and ask kids around the school “Which is better, iPads or Textbooks?

Out of 45 students, they all said iPads would be more useful than textbooks.

The problems with the iPads though, is that they are very fragile. For example, if you were to drop them, they would crack or break; also some kids might fool around with them by getting apps that aren't needed. The solution would be to put protection locks on the iPads so students can’t access inappropriate material. That way the iPads are just for working purposes.

Since kids are so use to having technology around them, it might get kids to learn more then they are right now. So get your iPad today!

By Danny Brutout 8th Grade Mrs. Murphy

I also asked two teachers, Ms. Robson and Ms. Thornton, and they both said iPads would be great for students since these days we’re really good with technology. It would probably help the students learn even more. With iPads you would never have to take out a notebook or a textbook again because you can take notes, do math problems, read a book, and your textbooks would never be outdated again.

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By Michelle Nolasco 8th Grade Mrs. Murphy

Doodle a Little Doodle!

Doodling is an art form where the artist draws from emotion.

By Jasmin Gonzalez 8th Grade Mrs. Murphy

It’s a quick, non-predetermined sketch that includes patterns and color.

If you were to do one, you would apply pencil to paper and let whatever you’re feeling become a work of genius.

DIGITAL DRAGON 25

By Anail Santiago 7th Grade Mrs. Anderson-Cain

By Ana Campos 7th Grade Mrs. Anderson-Cain

Doodles at top and bottom by Johnny Arguelles 7th Grade Mrs. Anderson-Cain

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By Natalie Osorio 7th Grade Mrs. Anderson-Cain

Ode to a Dragon Flying through the air Thinking of things to do Life's stress pulling on me Breathing fire ready to fight The sunlight is incredibly bright The ocean so blue calms all my moves Like a flash I am gone Flapping my wings of freedom Soaring through the air Looking for my next meal The food was delicious in the water I see three fishes

Ode to a Soldier Hello old friend How have you been?

It seems like yesterday We were young foolish boys Strong and free.

Now it is 70 years later I can still remember the day War with Germany, Italy and France Turned all the boys into men.

Being young we signed up right away They took you of course, But i had to stay.

Every day I read the paper To see if you were okay.

When we got the news, we all nearly died.

“Lt. Charlie Tomson, killed in action”

My stomach is really full I cant fit anything more But these peoples souls Are not in a good mood anymore

- Anonymous

We cried and cried And thought we would never forget.

Now l am an 87 year old man.

I lived my life the way you wanted me to.

Sometimes i sit and think about all the good times And I wish you were here.

- Anonymous

Summer

Goodbye Summer days Goodbye sunshine rays Goodbye flowers Goodbye fun filled hours

By Shayna Cruz 8th Grade Mrs. Helenschmidt

Every dark and cold day I’d think of how I’d laugh and play As I would sing a song And your warm wind hummed along

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Now the world is rock hard grey Chasing all the colors away Winter winds carry away the birds While rain pushes us in like herds Away with the sunlight As lightning storms roll in with might Rains, rains go away Winter don’t stay another day

If you had a face I’d name you grace With your eyes so blue And lips a rose red hue

Goodbye grass so green Goodbye streams so clean chased

Goodbye summer out by the wind Goodbye, so long, a Vida se

my

DIGITAL DRAGON 29

By Graciela Lopez 8th Grade Mrs. Candelore

Del Dios Television

Broadcast Journalism, News Show, Award Winning Film Making

A Passion for Digital Video & Film Making Albert Ngo, Executive Producer Del Dios Middle School

Literary Analysis Essay

Responding to short story theme In Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’ short story, “Harrison Bergeron”, the main character, an intelligent 14 year old named Harrison, is in a world where everyone is equal. In this world if someone is too smart they have to wear helmets that sends the wearer brainwashing tones; like Harrison’s father. The theme that Vonnegut develops is that making people have equal qualities destroys the beauty of human individuality.

exaggerated handicaps that hid his good looks.

Vonnegut states that Harrison chose a masked ballerina as an empress and revealed her true beauty. As they dance, the “Handicapper General” intrudes and kills them. This shows that it’s unfair and wrong to be controlled by governments. Due to the lack of intelligence, Hazel forgets what happened to her son, while George’s handicaps completely destroy his brief thoughts of him.

!

The story begins when George and Hazel, Harrison’s mother and father, are watching TV when a news bulletin tells them that their son has escaped to which Harrison himself bursts into the room. Then, he transformed from a “junkyard” into a distinctive being by removing the

!

“Harrison Bergeron” demonstrates the dangers of a world where standing for your rights and unleashing your inner individuality can lead to death. Overall, the story conveys how being (mentally or physically) equal can ruin the change of being unique.

By Elisa Solis 7th Grade Mrs. Wontorsky

!

It’s ironic how she just saw her son die and has no real affection. The author sets up the setting in 2081 to provide the effect that the story would be completely different if it was in present day. For example, they wouldn’t have handicaps or even be equal. The setting is ideal for the theme of the story.

Vibrance

motion!*

By Jonathan Martinez 7th Grade Mrs. Anderson-Cain

in

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By Reana Pugal 8th Grade Mrs. Anderson-Cain

N.U.T.S. I laughed as I watched everyone straining to see over the bundle of blankets, sleeping bags, pillows, and stuffed animals in their arms. We all followed the beam of the flashlight and the tall figure of skateboard park leader, Ryan Lisp ahead of us. His name wasn't actually "Lisp," but he had a slight one, so it was Carli's, Xena's, and my nickname for him.

The three of us were from the same school and had come to the Younglife camp in Ramona. Tonight was our turn to do N.U.T.S, Night Under the Stars, with the girls in our cabin. I had been looking forward to this night since we had arrived at camp and my stomach fluttered with excitement as we hiked towards our campground. I didn't really expect anything too exciting to happen, though. Boy, was I wrong.

We made a few more turns down the dusty, windy road and finally arrived at the little campsite. It was a small clearing with a blue plastic tarp laid down in the center that was being held down by outlining rocks. An orange Gatorade cooler was placed next to the blue sheet and there were a few paper cups scattered around it. Everywhere around us were bushes, rocks, and a few trees. made a mental note not to drink much water. Off to the distance were lights reminding the group that we were still in civilization.

I grinned, hopeful that this night would be one to remember.

“Well, here's your room for tonight, ladies!" said Ryan, motioning for us to pick a spot to settle on. We said our "thank you" s and found out that the batteries in the lantern had run out. "I can run up and get some," suggested Ryan, somehow managing to hide his lisp.

Pearla, our cabin leader, surveyed Carli, Xena, Natalie, Eleana, Tasha, and I all standing in our pajamas. "Nah, I don't think we'll need one. We'll be fine. Thanks!" she decided.

I was glad that she didn't think we were wimps. Ryan said goodnight and it was finally just our group with nature.

Xena, Carli, and I stood in a circle deciding where we should sleep. "So...,"Xena was grinning from ear to ear and she was bouncing on her heels excitedly. "Where'd you guys wanna sleep?"

I shrugged, "I don't care, as long as it's not on a rock." I shot Carli a knowing look and we both started cracking up, recalling last year when I had spent the night on a pointy rock. !

She dropped her things where she stood and began spreading out her sleeping bag, “Ha... I don't know `bout you guys, but I'm sleeping here.” !

I looked at Xena and shrugged. We both settled down on each side of her. I was the gallant one that took the side on the edge of the tarp.

!

“Geez, you guys bring so much stuff!” I said.

“Well, duh!” Xena said, climbing into her sleeping bag.”How else are we supposed to sleep?” !

“I don’t know!”I snickered. I had only brought my dad’s heavy-duty sleeping bag and my stuffed animal named Bryon. “You guys are such girls.”

“Oh and your not?” Carli asked as she raised an eyebrow and smirked. !

“No.” I joked. I started to say something else , but Pearla interrupted me. !

“Hey, Ladies! Tasha and Natalie are trying to sleep.

You guys can talk, but be respectful of those who choose to sleep,” she whispered harshly. I liked Pearla, but sometimes I felt that she forgot that this was camp and that we were supposed to have fun. !

"Kay," we whispered back while making annoyed faces. !

Finally comfortable, the three of us gazed at the sky and pointed out constellations. Carli and Xena counted shooting stars, but I never saw any. Come to think of it, I never saw any last year either. !

After about an hour my stomach started to hurt. I began to feel dizzy and stopped talking. I closed my eyes, but I must have dozed off because when I woke up, Xena was talking to me.

"Catherina, are you awake?" she asked quietly. I could hear the sounds of the night and the air was cool. I took a deep breath that cleared my lungs and felt much better. !

"Yeah. It's cuz my stomach was hurting for some reason and I accidentally fell asleep. I doesn't hurt anymore.

Did I miss anything?" I asked eagerly. !

Xena and Carli laughed and I became angry at myself for falling asleep. "Yeah! It was so funny!" They both said. !

For a moment I wondered what could be so hilarious, but I decided to not let it bother me.

It was quiet for a moment, but suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a small, round circle of white light on the ground to my right. I snapped my head that way but saw nothing. I slowly turned back to face Carli and she looked at me, confused. I shook my head wondering what I had just seen. "Nothing...I thought I saw something..." !

Then I saw another flash of light on the ground behind Carli's blond head. I bolted straight up in my sleeping bag and forgot all about respecting the other campers. "Dude, Xena! Did you see that?"

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!

It was the last straw when we heard a branch break in a nearby tree.

Pearla woke up Eleana while everyone grabbed the record of how fast 7 campers could pack up. !

We were about to start walking up the dirt trail when Pearla remembered that she had brought a flashlight.

Everyone huddled together in a small herd and followed her dim beam at the front of the pack. !

The walk up seemed remarkably long, much longer than the hike down. I was petrified; I jumped at every little sound next to me. I tried to joke around to calm my fear, but everyone just smiled blankly before the apprehension returned to their faces.

Only when I thought things couldn't get any worse, our one and only flashlight died and we were only halfway back to our cabin. The only way we could see now was by the brightness of the full moon.

We were almost there when I heard whimpering behind me. I realized that it was Tasha, so I took over the rear end of the group. !

There were sighs of relief as we eagerly rushed into our cabin. Everyone looked like they were stepping out of a dream.. .or in this case, a nightmare. Carli and I wearily walked into the bathroom. !

"Woah...we look so pale." I said. It was true, we looked like scared rabbits. "I know..." !

Still looking in the mirror I raised my hand to my heart. It was beating a thousand times faster than usual. !

"Hey girls... let's come lay down," Pearla said, sticking her tired head into the bathroom. "It's almost three and we have to get up early."

We slowly followed her out the door. I threw my sleeping bag on the ground next to Carli and Xena. I grabbed Byron and Carli reached for Howard. I stared up at the ceiling with Byron resting under my chin. !

"Goodnight Xena. Goodnight Catherina..." Carli said, and after a pause she added, "I love you guys." I didn't see her smile, but I knew she was. !

I laughed and relaxed for the first time since I had seen the weird light in the campsite. I knew that everything would be okay. "Me too."

"Me three!" added Xena.

There were a few shuffling sounds as we shifted into comfy positions.

We fell asleep, thankful of each others company and friendship. and I wondered what I would have done without them.

By Catherina Cojulun 8th Grade Mrs. Helenschmidt

!

"Yeah! The light?" Her voice was getting noticeably louder, but it was still a whisper. By now the three of us were sitting up and straining our ears to hear anything. All I heard was the heavy breathing of the three of us ! “It was probably nothing....’’ I said, mostly trying to convince myself. I began to lie back down, but sprung back up when I heard a highpitched yelp to the left of our campsite.

"What the heck what that?" I whispered loudly. !

"It sounded like crying!!" Carli peered out into the darkness. I scooted away from the edge of the tap, half expecting something to grab me. We all sat huddled in a circle looking around nervously. There were a few more yelping sounds all around us. My heart raced in my chest and a shiver ran down my spine as I imagined a monster circling us. !

"I'm gonna wake up Pearla! No way I'm going to sleep like this." Xena decided. !

I looked at the three of us sitting there in our sleeping bags, like huge worms, and our eyes wide with fear. I realized how ridiculous everything was; it was probably only a baby mountain lion or something, but fear got the better of me. "You should. I kinda wanna go back to the cabin." !

"Me too...C'mon wake her up!" Carli complained. By the tone of her voice could tell she was getting pretty scared.

Carli and I had been good friends for about 2 years now, and we knew each other well. She was very petite and athletic, we both loved playing soccer. She had blond, straight hair and cute freckles. She was extremely kind to everyone, it was awesome. !

Xena woke up our leader and explained what was going on. She ended by telling Pearla how we wanted to go back to the cabin. With all the commotion going on, Tasha and Natalie woke up, groggy and confused. There were 7 of us in all; Eleana was the heavy sleeper of the group. We had woken her up in the middle of the night a few days ago and had told her that it was time to wake up. We had fooled her both times. !

After a few more yelps and other unexplainable sounds, we became somewhat panicky. "It's probably a baby!"

Pearla suggested, desperately trying to calm us down. !

I let this suggestion sink in, and then thought of something nightmarish."A human baby!?" I pictured a bloody little baby walking around in diapers and shaking its rattle. !

"No! I meant an animal!!" !

"What if it's an ape??" !

"Or a pack or mountain lions!" !

"It's a human baby!"Carli and Xena turned towards me and yelled at me to shut up. They said was scaring them. I laughed nervously, but thought that they were a little too harsh. Oh well, I didn't blame them.

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Industrial Technologies Architecture, Rocketry, Propulsion & Drafting

A Passion for Engineering Pat Carlson, Instructor Del Dios Middle School

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MASHUP

GRAFFITI & SKETCHES

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By Zach Fox 8th Grade Mrs. Anderson-Cain

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“Reform Movement“

By Jose Rincon, 8th Grade Mrs. Horton

“Reform Movement”

By Dawson Labayog, 8th Grade Mrs. Horton

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By Itzel Arellano 8th Grade Mrs. Anderson-Cain

Persuasive Writing

By Lorena Chavez 8th Grade Mrs. Horton

To whom it may concern: Have you ever seen a larger kid walking down your school and you wonder why he or she is so big? Del Dios Middle School should not have vending machines because they are filled with unhealthy food and can give kids childhood obesity.

There are many vending machines filled with unhealthy choices. There are many kids getting fat and sick because of all the junk food in the vending machines. Many parents might be getting mad because their child is coming home with three extra pounds every week.

Do you know anyone that has been diagnosed with childhood obesity? There are lots of plump kids that have been diagnosed with childhood obesity because of unhealthy choices. They probably regret making unhealthy choices because they didn’t think of their future.

Now some people say that vending machines at middle schools can make money for the school. However vending machines are unhealthy and can make children fat.

In summary, middle schools should not have vending machines because they are unhealthy and bad for your health. Next time you think about allowing vending machines at a middle school, remember about your student’s and children's health.

Sincerely, Lorena Chavez

By Wesley Jalipa 8th Grade Mrs. Horton

Dear Board Members: Hunger often grasps the minds of young students, distracting them from their studies. To prevent this, Del Dios should have vending machines, as they provide income to allow luxuries like field trips, and the school government can control the snacks available.

Vending machines provide income for schools. Income is something Del Dios could use, as students hardly get field trips. The income could come from the machine itself, or it could come from renting the space for a machine out to a company. Either way, vending machines would provide precious currency, something we greatly lack, to Del Dios. San Francisco received 4.5 million dollars [in annual soda sales].

The school government can control the content of the vending machine. They could insert items that draw more income, and retrieve those which do not make as much. If a certain item, such as gum, were causing trouble in class, then said item could be removed from the vending machine.

Some people say that vending machines would encourage unhealthy eating, or even obesity. However, as previously stated, the school government could remove the most unhealthy foods. The school government could control the prices of the unhealthy options, raising them above the more healthy foods’ prices.

In summary, getting Del Dios a vending machine would be an intelligent choice, as they receive precious income for the school, and, if unhealthy choices become a problem, different food can be supplied and different prices applied. Please vote for vending machine installation as soon as possible.

Sincerely, Wesley Jalipa

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By Cinthia Ramirez 8th Grade Mrs. Horton

American Revolution Timeline

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American Revolution Timeline

By Cinthia Ramirez

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American Revolution Timeline

By Cinthia Ramirez

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American Revolution Timeline

By Cinthia Ramirez

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American Revolution Timeline

By Cinthia Ramirez

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American Revolution Timeline

By Cinthia Ramirez

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By Cinthia Ramirez 8th Grade Mrs. Horton

American Revolution Timeline

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By Monica Navarrere 7th Grade Mrs. Wontorsky

California

Junior Scholarship Federation Scholarship & Community Service

A Passion for Service Tracy Middleton, Advisor Del Dios Middle School

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E D U T I T AT

matters

your attitude is always on display. is yours worth pointing out?

A public service announcement by Attitude Matters Del Dios Middle School | Escondido, California | USA deldios.eusd.org

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