Rated-T Summer 2011

The Magazine of Student Opinion

T d e at

R S U M M E R 2 0 1 1

FNN Takes a Bite Out of

The Big Apple Summer 2011 Rated-T

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This Could Be You! Have you ever wondered what it would be like to create your own news magazine, website, radio or television program? Well, here's your chance. Join Friendship News Network, better known as FNN, a media enterprise run by students with guidance from media professionals. Friendship News Network students have traveled the world from Fiji to China to New York City and have had their stories and photos posted by The Washington Post, MTV, The Washington Informer and WAMU—to name a few. It's free and open to any student in any Friendship Public Charter School program in Washington, DC and Baltimore.

As a member of Friendship News Network, you can: • join our online news and TV broadcast teams at OurFNN.com • create news, videos and photos for OurFNN.com • join our award-winning magazine team • enter contests to win prizes and money • create your personal web page where you can post your own art, photos, music, poetry and stories.

• learn about scholarships, trips, summer and college opportunities

Friendship News Network “News From the Teen Point of View”

To join or for more information go to www.ourfnn.com, email info@ourfnn.com or call 240-426-7685.

Photo by Jeremy Mouketou, Blow Pierce Graphic Design by Marcel Gallion, Blow Pierce

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Letter from the Editor

Photo by Rondal Greene, 2011 graduate of Friendship Southeast Academy.

Dear Readers and Friendship PCS Fans of Rated-T, Welcome to the Summer 2011 edition of Rated-T! This is Editor-in-Chief John Wood with the first middle school edition of Rated-T magazine. Our talented FNN family of writers, designers and photographers is made up of 4th through 8th graders. Creating this issue has been a fantastic journey for our crew. Can we say “yaay” for the staff !!!

Our energetic hard working FNN staffers have accomplished much while creating stories, interviews, mysteries, drawings and more for you. The students are from Friendship Public Charter Middle Schools: Blow Pierce Junior Academy, Tech Prep Academy, Chamberlain, Southeast Academy and Woodridge Academy.

This summer with these amazing staff members has been a rollercoaster ride of hardship and laughter each John X. Wood will be entering the 6th grade at Blowpierce Junior Academy.

day. Our magazine’s cover story is about our trip to New York—the Big Apple. We have great photos from the top of the Rockefeller building, 70 stories up that capture the full beauty of New York from the sky.

Bullies in Your School written by Aaron Grice is another interesting article that tells how to deal with bullies and why they bully. Thinking Out Loud by Skye Webster is a great article to read. It might give you a thought on who you choose to be friends with at school. Pets of History by me is a story about pets through time and how they became pets.

And there’s lots more.

We hope that you ENJOY our interesting articles and then think about what is going on in the world.

John X Wood Editor-in-Chief

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Table of Contents 3 Letter from the Editor by John X. Wood 6 Contributors by Marcel Gallion

Feature Stories 8 FNN Takes a Bite Out of the Big Apple by FNN Summer Crew 13 Mistaken Face by Christopher Hamilton 14 Black in the Days by Ramel Seagers 16 Bullies At Your School by Aaron Grice 17 Thinking Out Loud by Skye Webster

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18 The Haiti Eartquake by Destiny Wright 19 Your Guide to Survive an Earthquake by Warnique Short 20 Mishap or Intention by Jiahnna Phillips 22 Newseum by John X. Wood 23 Students Find Headless Girls by Maia McDowell 24 Pets Of History by John X. Wood 25 BedBugs In Your School by Daniel Slaughter 26 New York Snake Escapes by Rondal Greene 27 Woodridge Debates on Plastic Bags by Victoria Bell 28 The Jennifer Hudson Story by Destiny Wright 29 Move Your Body by Rondal Greene 30 Globetrotters by Ryniesha McKenzie, Jalen Graham, and Shayla Richardson

Reviews 31 Beastly by Fatima Hill 32 Movies on a Magnificent Day by Alexis Greene 33 Kung Fu Panda 2 Is A Funny Movie by Alexis Greene 34 Fever by Victoria Bell 35 A Lesson Before Dying by Rondal Greene 36 Greet The Gods With Percy Jackson by Amelia Okiyi 37 Dear Dumb Diary by Kyra Williams 38 Degrassi by Teanna Freeman 39 Pretty Little Liars by Teanna Freeman

Rated-T is the magazine of Friendship News Network (FNN), a media enterprise run by students at Friendship Public Charter School, 120 Q Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. FNN is free and open to any student ages 11-18 in the District of Columbia. For more information, or to inquire about becoming an advertiser for our next issue, email: info@friendshipnewsnetwork.com. For more information about Friendship News Network, visit our website at www.friendshipnewsnetwork.com. For more information about Friendship Public Charter School, visit our website at www.friendshipschools.org or call 202.281.1700. Rated-T, The Magazine of Student Opinion, expresses the views of individual students and does not necessarily represent the views of Friendship Public Charter School. Copyright Š Friendship News Network, August, 2011. For permission to reprint articles, please e-mail info@ourFNN.com.

Photo this page by Aaron Grice. Cover photo and graphic design by Skye Webster with technical assistance from Brian Young.

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Fatima

Jiahnna

Alexis Skye

Aaron

Rondal

Warnique

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Contributors Rated-T 2011 Summer Editorial Staff John X. Wood, Editor-In-Chief (FNN Blow Pierce Bureau) Aaron Grice, Managing Editor, Photographer, Writer (FNN Southeast Bureau) Skye Webster, Creative Director (FNN Blow Pierce Bureau) Fatima Hill, Senior Editor, Designer, Writer, Photographer (FNN Blow Pierce Bureau) Marcel Gallion, Illustrator, Graphic Designer, Writer (FNN Blow Pierce Bureau) Jiahnna Phillips, Writer, Graphic Designer (FNN Blow Pierce Bureau) Rondal Greene, Writer, Graphic Designer, Photographer (FNN Southeast Bureau) Alexis Greene, Writer, Designer, Copy Editor, Photographer (FNN Southeast Bureau) Warnique Short, Writer, Graphic Designer (FNN Blow Pierce Bureau) Vilma Castaneda, Summer Intern

Marcel

Rated-T 2011 Contributors Ramel Segears, Writer (FNN Woodridge Bureau) Kayla Williams, Writer (FNN Woodridge Bureau) Jalen Ferguson, Writer (FNN Woodridge Bureau) Shayla Richardson, Writer (FNN Woodridge Bureau) Amelia Okiyi, Writer (FNN Blow Pierce Bureau) Teanna Freeman, Writer (FNN Blow Pierce Bureau) Ryneisha McKenzie, Writer (FNN Woodridge Bureau) Victoria Bell, Writer (FNN Woodridge Bureau) Jeremy Mouketou, Photographer (FNN Blow Pierce Bureau) Daniel Slaughter, Writer (FNN Southeast Bureau) Destiny Wright, Writer (FNN Southeast Bureau) Maia McDowell, Writer (FNN Chamberlain Bureau) Christopher Hamilton, Writer (FNN Chamberlain Bureau) Kitiya Pendarvis, Writer (FNN Chamberlain Bureau)

Rated-T Advisors: Marilyn Kaufman, Director, Friendship News Network, Instructor Brian Young, Graphic Design Instructor William Bell, FNN Summer Manager

FNN Bureau Facilitators Shanelle Baynard, Friendship Southeast Academy Tonita Ross Dozier, Friendship Woodridge Academy William Bell, Jonah Addis, Marilyn Kaufman, Friendship Blow Pierce Academy Courtney Crawford, Friendship Chamberlain Elementary School

Marcel

John

Principals Cordelia Postell, Friendship Blow Pierce Academy Joseph Spieght, Friendship Southeast Academy Keith Stephenson, Friendship Chamberlain Elementary Danielle Neves, Friendship Woodridge Academy Publisher: Friendship Public Charter School Chairman: Donald L. Hense

Thank You: Desiree Girelle, Adnaan Wasey (POV), Carl Reeverts (National Geographic), Larry Bradshaw, Adele Robey, Jonah Addis, Barry Lofton, Derrick Watkins, Khalil Braswell, Samson Ayele, Queenie Dozier, Steve Johnson, Sonia Johnson. Angela Chapelle, Barbara McCormick and Kirsti Kenneth from the Newseum Education Department, Kamil Hazel, David Knesh, Andrea Brown, Dave Barnes, Kim Jones, Joe Bedney, LaVone Long, Ms. Sanders, Ms.Shakelford and the entire office and custodial staffs at all the FNN bureaus, Ms.Crowe, Marsha Uselton Sally Bass, Mr. Bush, Mr. Armwood, Smitty, Capitol Hill Community Foundation, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and Target. And a very special thank you to Patricia Brantley, Carol Seifert and Donald Hense whose continued vision and support makes all this possible.

Illustration and graphic design on this page by Marcel Gallion.

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On July 18, 2011, our FNN

news team went on an incredible adventure to the city that never sleeps, New York. We saw the beautiful view from the Top of the Rock. We crossed streets like 5th Avenue. We viewed Radio City from the Rockerfeller Center.

We ate a big slice of New York pizza. We went to Lego and M&Ms World. We saw the shining lights of Times Square.

New York is a city where intellect, creativity and a passion for beauty converge. For hundreds of years, it has beckoned the brightest minds. It’s a city where imagination is a function that makes everyone special in their own way. My impression—New York is bright lights and a party everywhere. New York is a place where people don’t just wish, but make it happen. New York is a place where dreams aren’t deferred.

I would have to say that New York seems like a place where magic Our can happen. I remember when I Our walked through Times Square and I saw the lights. I was so happy seein g just seeing the New York I always We to dreamed of. Just the smell of hot o dogs and dreams was awesome. Squar e It made me smile—kind of like Wat c ing t Christmas morning. I screamed o u r first when I saw the Coco-Cola sign. I t t h e was so excited I would have to say Ro c k I would go back again. MaybeiInjust tervi w love it because of the nightlife.

After ewed a4h - Skye Webster, will be entering t h a n the 8th grade at Blow Pierce k god ou had . We Junior Academy.

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so little me New Graphic design for “FNN Takes but a su s A Bite Out of the Big Apple”nby hine t least mobystthe . We w Skye Webster. All photos a o FNN summer news crew.

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My New York

Hi, you may know me. I am Fatima Hill. Now, I am going to tell you about our trip to New York. There were big bright lights and people. That is it. I’m just joking. There was more than that...way more than lights and people. It was very big and people were nice. It was quite nice, you see. When we went to the top of Rockefeller Center I was kind of scared and very happy at the same time. How does that happen? I don’t even know. When we went to Times Square it was fun.

When had to find people to interview for our video I was scared, but then it got fun. The end part was kind of lame because we had to walk and my feet were hurting. The day as a whole was good. The lights and people looked awesome.

- Fatima Hill, 7th grade, Friendship Blow Pierce Academy.

New York Journey

I travel and have been to New York City a lot, but never this part—Times Square and the West Side.

This part is a little dirtier and a lot busier. It’s crowded in lots of places and very popular. I did have a bad time for part of the trip.

But I still had fun. The taxies in the street are always running and when it rains puddles of water are everywhere. So it is possible for water to splash on you. That happened.

I never thought that was really a possibility for me, but as you can tell…hey, it happens… especially when you travel. OK, now that we’ve gotten past my negative opinions, I’ll now talk about the fun and positive things in this bustling part of New York.

First, is the pizza. I have seen, heard about and only

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evisioned tasting it but never ever tasted it before.

Guess what happened? I still did not taste it. I just was not hungry at the time. But what was really interesting was the TOP OF THE ROCK. It was cool and very high. Being an on-air personality for our video the first time was hard. I really was trying to give it energy, but with all the criticism, I felt unwanted, you know. By the second time it was fun. I quote, “If being yourself is crazy, then not being yourself is psycho”. So use that quote and forget what people say.

We stayed at Rockefeller Center for a while eating and playing. That was the best part. Next we walked our tails off­—all the way down from Top of the Rock to Times Square. This was the brightest coolest part.

It was cool interviewing people and visiting two chocolate stores. One had

Reese’s and other types of chocolate. Then we went to the M&M’s store and had a wonderful time. I don’t like chocolate that much, but I love that store. Of course since my name is very popular, it was on mugs and stickers. I’m awesome.

Oh yeah, I forgot about the crowded popular MacDonald’s under the lights in Times Square. That gave me a headache. After all of that, we had to take a journey back to the Megabus stop. Oh, and did I tell you that we passed Madison Square Garden! At the end of trip, we waited and waited and waited some more but finally were able to board the bus. Then, we all started writing about this trip.

- Aaron Grice, 7th grade, Friendship Tech Prep Academy.

Rockefeller Center and More

When we got off the bus there were a lot of tall buildings. The first thing we did was to get something to eat. We went to a pizza place to eat. After that, we partnered up so that it would be less likely for one of us to get lost or wander off. My partner was Alexis. We had to walk together for most of our trip. When we got to Rockefeller Center, we saw a statue at an outside restaurant. The statue was of a gold naked man with a cloth covering most of his body and with water coming out of it. We also passed a store full of Legos. The store had a giant apple, Star Wars characters and more—all made out of legos. It even had a dragon that went through the roof made out of legos. As nice as the Lego store was, the Rockefeller building was the most fascinating. We went all the way to the Top of the Rock. From there we saw a lot of buildings, Times Square, the Empire State Building and even the Statue of Liberty. When we were on top we made a video and took pictures. Then we went to Times Square where there’s big screens on large buildings. We interviewed people there and went to McDonald’s. Then we sat down on the steps. Marcel, Skye and I went to some stores. Then we went to the M&M World before going home. - Warnique Short, 5th grade, Blow Pierce Junior Academy.

New York, New York

Our trip to New York City was very great and also interesting. The streets were big and the city was crowded. First we went to a pizza store. We each ordered our food and the food was amazing. They had some big portions that made regular ones look like a fish compared to a shark. After we ate a lot of food, we went to Rockefeller Center. We took lots of pictures and went to the top floor of this gigantic building. We could see a view of the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty on a little island. Later we started rolling the camera for our New York video. It took some time but we got through the first video without that many problems. Then we took a little break, put the camera up and went on. We saw lots of crystal in one of the stores, Swarovski. There were crystals everywhere. They even had crystals in the walls. After we ate again, we went to the Lego store with lots of creations. The thing I enjoyed the most in there was the dragon made of legos. It was very big and long. Next we went to Times Square where there were lots of trailers of movies. We started on the 2nd part of our video. We asked lots of questions of the people living and visiting New York. When we finished we had free time and went to M&Ms and the Reese’s stores.

- John X. Wood, 5th grade, Blow Pierce Junior Academy.

New York Extravaganza!

So, today our FNN group went to New York City, baby! The Big Apple or the city that never sleeps. My first impressions of New York, weren’t the best. Don’t get me wrong. The city is beautiful. You just have to find the right places. As we started our adventure, we walked a bit to find a pizza/deli restaurant. In my opinion some people exaggerate about New York’s pizza.

To me it tasted like grease on cardboard. But, hey, everyone is different. Soon after we filled out stomachs, it was time to get to business. After walking and walking, we went onward towards Rockafeller Center. The building was very tall, but didn’t look like a skyscraper to me. We went up and up—all 70 floors. It didn’t seem like a thrill but we soon got over that. We did see a great view since we were on the top of the building. Aaron and Skye did a video from the top of the building. It took a few takes and some goofing around, but we got our final take. After we had a break, we settled on going to the Lego store. It was very fun to make and see all the things they had provided there. For our next adventure, we set off for our second task and drifted to Times Square. It was beautiful. It made me realize how much I wanted to pursue a career as a performer. Seeing how hard everyone works to be there and seeing the lights makes you feel like you’re actually there on stage. -Marcel Gallion, 7th grade, Blow Pierce Junior Academy.

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Bright Lights, BigCity

Times Square

When we went to Times Square, we went past many places like McDonalds, red chairs, the Hershey store, M&Ms store and gift stores. It was fun. We went into the stores, bought a smoothie from the McDonald’s and some M&Ms from the M&M’s store. After we were done shopping, we took pictures of the crowds of people, buildings, big screens, and the big Coke sign. Then we interviewed people who were standing in Times Square. We asked people questions like “Do you like the stores in New York?” “How long have you lived here?” and “Is New York always crowded?” A lot of the people we interviewed like living in New York. There were a lot of places to visit, to eat, to shop and it’s always crowded so you can meet a lot of people. New York is a good place to live for someone who likes a lot of noise, traffic, people and stores.

When we were in Times Square, it was night. So the big screens had bright lights. I think that kids my age should go to New York City because it has a lot of places to visit. It was fun for me, so it might be fun for them.

Alexis Greene, 5th grade, Friendship Southeast Academy.

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New York. Why so many people? I don’t know. Why does it seem like another part of DC? I don’t know.

Why are there so many M&Ms in one store? I DON’T KNOW. Actually I think there are so many people because they just want to live where there are a lot of people. Or because maybe they are friendly. Or if not that reason, then I don’t know why there are a lot of people living all in one place.

My impressions of New York are that there are not only a lot of people, but in fact too many. Another actual impression I have of New York is that it probably costs a lot of money to pay for all of those TV screens in Times Square, even the inappropriate ones. Why would someone even display that? There are way to many smokers in New York too. One time when I was about to sit down, this lady started smoking. My reaction of course was madness so that is what I displayed. So I complained until she left.

I like New York. I might not love it but I like it­— despite all the people in Times Square. And I do believe that you can get lost very quickly. There are very big crowds. Why are there that many people in one place at one time? It’s like they planned to meet all at once. I like the view of the buildings all in one collision such as the Empire State Building being a part of that one collision. When I looked at the Empire State Building compared to the other buildings, it looked shorter.

I was expecting New York to be like in the movies when the cars go in fast forward motion and the people walk really fast. I did not get what I wanted.

It’s okay. I guess. New York is nice overall.

- Jiahnna Phillips, 7th grade, Friendship Blow Pierce Junior Academy.

M

TV published an article written by Alvin Blanco on February 24th, 2011, about the controversy on Beyonce’s photo shoot for the magazine, L’Officiel Paris. To begin, the controversy of the shoot was that Beyonce, a fair- skinned woman changed her skin color to a dark brown color that looked like blackface.

Story by Christopher Hamilton

D

Graphic design by Skye Webster and Rondal Greene

uring that week, I found that most of the articles published about Beyonce’s photo shoot were biased against her actions.

Was Beyonce’s photo shoot really a reflection of Blackface or traditional African face painting? So how did the issue of blackface come about? What is blackface?

Blackface was a form of theatrical makeup used by white people to mock the black race. It was offensive because it lead people to think the black race was inferior to Caucasians. It propagated the stereotype of the ignorant plantation slave.

What is traditional African face painting? African face painting is many things, but it is mostly a connection to our past. Even the configuration of the painting means many things.Beyonce wanted this look because she was inspired by the Nigerian musician Fela Kuti, a man known for his music and contribution to the black community. His motivational music is inspirational because it represents the African struggles for freedom and human dignity.

I believe that Beyonce’s

photo shoot was inspired

by Fela Kuti. He helped her to recognize her history and ancestral culture. She was inspired by the beauty of the art.The seventh and eighth grade classes from Chamberlain went to the “American I AM” exhibit at the National Geographic Museum in February. Using this group of forty-one students I conducted a survey to find out what they thought. I used three pictures and one question.

The pictures showed Beyonce’s photo shoot, one of African face painting and a blackface. The students were asked: “Which photo looks closest to Beyonce’s photo shoot?” Here are the results of the survey:34 out of 41 students said Beyonce’s photo looked closer to the African face painting.

7 out of 41 students said Beyonce’s photo looked closer to blackface.So you decide what inspired the photo shoot!

Christopher Hamilton is a 7th grade student and Maia McDowell is an 8th grade student at Friendship Chamberlain Academy.

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Photo by: Web.mac.com

J

Black Days

June 14, 2011. In this article, I will talk about people who were inspirational and who stopped segregation in Alabama. I am eleven years old and when I first heard about these things, it made me feel like we were not treated equally.

I felt this way after I saw the movie, “Selma Lord Selma” and learned about segregation. People who were treating us this way were brought up to think this way.

The movie was about the Smallest Freedom Fighter-Sheyann Webb-Christburg. Sheyann was born on February 17, 1956, in Selma, Alabama to John and Betty Webb. She attended the segregated public schools of Dallas County.

In her junior high years she was one of the first blacks to integrate an all white school. Sheyann says that during her junior high years things were the most horrific. She was pushed down stairs, called bad names, suspended from school, and spat on and nothing was done by the school administration.

One day, eight year old Sheyann and her friend Rachel were playing outside when they noticed a car drive up at Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church with several nicely dressed Negro men. Negro is what African-Americans were called in the 1960’s. When they walked over to the car, not knowing who was in the car, they were introduced to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. They were told that Dr. King had come to Selma, Alabama to help the Negro people get voting rights.

Each night when mass meetings were held at the church, Sheyann would sneak out of her house to attend the

in the days

meetings. She would also lead the congregation in singing freedom songs. Her favorite freedom song was “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around”. Sheyann became so involved with the Selma movement that she began skipping school to attend the demonstrations.

Despite warnings from her parents she continued to skip school.

Sheyann learned many things from Dr. King. He taught her to answer questions, like when asked the question “Children what do you want?” the answer should be—freedom.” He also taught her that no matter what the color of your skin, you should treat everybody right and that children also had a battle to fight. There were many demonstrations held in Selma when the Negroes tried to register to vote.

They were only allowed two days out of the month to register. Most of the time it was unsuccessful because they were given a literacy test that was very difficult to pass which kept them from registering. Also, demonstrations were held in nearby counties for the same purpose. One night a young black man by the name of Jimmie Lee Jackson was killed while demonstrating for voting rights. To draw attention to the death of Jimmie Lee Jackson it was decided that a 54 mile march to the state capital of Alabama would take place. They would present a petition to Governor Wallace signed to protest that Negroes were not being treated fairly.

On Sunday, March 7, 1965, Sheyann was the youngest person to attempt to march to Montgomery. As they left

Story by Ramel Segears and Graphic Design by Aaron Grice Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church, Sheyann

walked near the back with her teacher.

Once the marchers had crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge they were ordered to turn back. When they refused they

were chased by deputies on horseback, beat with billy clubs, and tear-gassed.

As she was running back with the

other marchers to Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church, she was picked up by Rev. Hosea Williams, one of the leaders of the march.

Sheyann has never forgotten that

experience. Every year on the anni-

versary of the Bridge Crossing Jubilee she returns back to Selma to reenact

“Bloody Sunday.” In black history this is important for the Black community.

DID YOU KNOW? Americans have

recognized black history annually since

1926, first as “Negro History Week” and later as “Black History Month.” What

you might not know is that black his-

tory had barely begun to be studied or even documented when the tradition

originated. Here is a link about history back in the days http://www.history. com/topics/black-history-month/

videos#martin-luther-king-jr-leads-the-

march-on-washington that helped me to learn more about history.

Ramel Segears is a 6th grade student at Friendship Woodridge Academy.

Aaron Grice is a 7th grade student at Friendship Tech Prep Academy.

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Bullies at your

school

Story by Aaron Grice. Photo by Fatima Hill.

Are you being bullied? Are you being forced not to tell? Are you being called names? Are you feeling down because of bigger kids picking on you? This is a problem going on in most places of the world and in America. This problem is not controlled. Schools everywhere in America have bullies. Some schools even have gangs and groups that pick on kids.

Bullies actually pick on anyone, even old men. Bullies don’t care how old you are, just as long as you don’t fight back.

That is one reason bullies bully. One

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reason people feel that they cannot tell is because they feel unsafe telling or they think that they will be known as a ”Snitch”. Really, being a ”Snitch” will keep you safe. Don’t let bullies take over your life. If you must, only if you must, you can fight back in self- defense. But if not, tell an adult.

Kids who cannot take the violence, start to do things that they regret such as doing drugs, dropping out of school, becoming violent or worse, killing themselves. Don’t be that kid who lets

his/her life go because of someone else.

Remember to tell someone. Whether it’s a teacher, a parent or even the police.

Tell someone so that you are safe, relaxed and have a great future.

To find out more about this interesting topic, visit one of the links here: www. kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/emotion/ bullies.htm or www.stopbullyingnow. hrsa.gov/kids/ Aaron Grice is a 7th grade student at Tech Prep Academy. Fatima Hill is a 7th grade student at Blow Pierce Jr. Academy.

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The Day I learned about the haiti eARTHQUAKE

Story by Destiny Wright Graphic Design by Warnique Short and Marcel Gallion I attended a pep rally for Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday where our principal, the dean of students, other teachers and students talked about the earthquake in Haiti.I was so interested that I said in my head, “I am going to send $20.00 to Haiti as a donation”. The people in Haiti might still be suffering and I would love to help. I would like to

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thank the people who are helping Haiti and mostly, I would like to say thanks to Alicia Keys, Justin Bieber and all the others. I would like to do more to help Haiti but I can’t get down there. Maybe one day it will happen. I will keep praying for Haiti. My school, Friendship Southeast Academy has already helped by having a shoe fundraiser.If you would

like to help Haiti, go to www.aliciakeys. com/us/news/haiti-relief. Anything you can give will make a difference.

Donate today.

Destiny Wright is a 4th grader at Friendship Southeast Academy. Warnique Short is a 5th grader at Blow Pierce Junior Academy. Marcel Gallion is a

7th grader at Blow Pierce Junior Academy.

your guide to survive an earthquake Story and Graphic Design by Warnique Short

Earthquakes happen when the earth splits and its plates begin to shake.

This will be a disaster when the lines between the two blocks of rock suddenly move. Earthquakes kill more people than any other disaster in the world and when the earth splits the water rises, causing tsunamis and floods. Many people experience earthquakes and do not know how to protect themselves from other disasters caused by earthquakes.

There are many ways to save your self when you are in an earthquake. If your country has an earthquake some ways to stay protected is to first buy an

emergency kit that you can keep.

Always have a plan. A good plan in an earthquake emergency would be to crawl under the table and hold your head down and hold on to the legs of the table. This is important because it protects your body and face from broken glass furniture and objects. If you have a family you can make sure that they are safe and are able to get together. When the earthquake stops make sure that they are safe and not hurt. After the earthquake you can see if your family is okay and if you have a phone you can call for help. If you don’t have a phone you can go to your neigh-

bor and call for an ambulance to send the hurt people to the emergency room.

Call the construction companies if the buildings are destroyed so that they can repair them.

Warnique Short is a 5th grade writer at Blow Pierce Junior Academy. Marcel Gallion is a 7th grade student at Blow Pierce Junior Academy.

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MISHAP OR INTENTION FICTION BY JIAHNNA PHILLIPS CHAPTER I

BENJAMIN, BENJAMIN!!!! That was the shriek that changed my life forever. I will tell you my story but, it’s not pretty. Three years ago on Thursday, March 11th, we decided to go to the mall. After walking around for a couple of hours, dad started to complain about how his legs and feet were hurting, so mom told him to go ahead and find someplace to rest. My dad’s name is Benjamin Barksly, My mom’s name is Noel Barksly. And my name is Alexis Barksly. I don’t know how anyone else would consider my family, but I consider my family to be pretty weird. Anyway, after dad sat down, my mom and I walked around the mall to shop.

Then, disaster struck. As we were walking, we heard the loudest crash and we just had to investigate. After we got to the crash site, we were shocked and devastated at the same time.

We were really curious to look and looked only to find that dad had millions of tiny pieces of glass in his body. The sight of my father being like that made me feel that I was almost out of breath, but the truth is that I still had a good amount of breath left in me. Even though I was frozen, I managed to look far enough to my side to see a strange man in a hoodie trying to escape the store. That’s when I just knew something strange was going on. That night I decided to become a mini Sherlock Holmes (even the clothes).

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After many minutes of typing on my laptop, I finally made a plan to spy on the mysterious stranger. I know it’s kinda strange that I have a plan made up for a stranger, but I have connections. After I went to sleep, all I could dream about was my father, how he was doing at the hospital, and the memory of the paramedics lifting my father so carefully onto the stretcher and placing him into the ambulance after they rushed to the mall.

Friday, March 12th. Friday morning came and I was almost ready for the day. I don’t think that I can say I was completely ready because my “nightmare” caused me to wake up frequently. I went downstairs, got some breakfast, took a shower, brushed my teeth and my hair, put my clothes on and last but not least, went to school. At school, it was like any other day except that I was distracted. The teachers had to call my name numerous times because I was daydreaming or daymaring each time I came back to the classroom (not physically), I zoned out again.

The school day ended quickly, in fact quicker than usual. I went home and checked on my mother only to see her depressed and weeping very loudly with her face buried in her pillow. You would think that I would be like that too (don’t be fooled…that’s how I am inside), but instead I don’t plan to let my emotions stop me, I plan to solve the mystery. Since my mother was deeply depressed, she hardly wanted to be bothered and I just had to be the one to bother her.

I crept up quietly to her bed and said “Mom, can I go outside today, you know, to get some fresh air?”

“No, if I can’t get what I want, neither can you!” Mom practically screamed. I was shocked. I never ever ever in all eternity heard my mother yell even a tiny bit at me. This statement doesn’t mean that I am spoiled. I still get my discipline, but in other ways that I will not mention.

After my the terrible rejection from my mother, I went upstairs to my room to think how to make my way outdoors.

After several minutes of planning, I finally did it. I completed my plan to find the man in the hoodie and went outside.

quickest I’ve ever thought I would be able to.

Saturday, March 13th. That morning I got up not feeling the least bit lucky. First, when I went downstairs to make my cereal, I tripped on the stairs. Second, when I was making my cereal, the milk spilled on me. Third, when I went to the bathroom, and I tripped on a toy duck. Even though I had no idea where the toy came from, I didn’t care....I had to use the bathroom. Later on, after all that unluckiness, I experienced I went to my mother’s room (being extra careful about where I stepped, how I stepped, and when I stepped). When I got to my mother’s room, I saw a numerous amount of tissues and pay books. Obviously, she was crying for more than one reason.

At that moment I asked, “Mom what’s wrong?”

And of course she still didn’t want to be bothered. But, once again, I bothered her. The only difference this time was that she calmly said, “I don’t want to be bothered right now, okay.” I definitely had been prepared for the worst, but got the best. I was shocked with the response. Then I thought about what had just happened and decided to take advantage of the situation, so that which lead me to talk some more. “Mom, I thought that you were going to stop crying over dad by now.”

That was a big mistake.

“LEAVE MY ROOM NOW!” mom screamed again. Of course, she was just...

Wanna find out what happened? Go to www.ourfnn. com this fall.

Jiahnna Philllips is a 7th grader at Blow Pierce Junior Academy.

CHAPTER II

Even though I was very proud of myself for composing such an ingenious plan, I was also very scared. What if my mother just so happened to call me downstairs and I didn’t come? What if she came upstairs to talk to me only to discover that I wasn’t there? Anything could have happened for her to learn about my absence.

I finally went home repeating the steps I used to get to my previous location. After I got home, I was thankful for weariness. I assumed that my mother was asleep from crying all day so now I didn’t have to explain to her why I was outside. As soon as I went upstairs, I tried to take off my outside clothes, but before I could, I just dozed off to sleep the

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FNN’s Trip to the ......

Newseum Photos and story by John X. Wood Edited by Jiahnna Phillips

The FNN trip to the Newseum was great. It had lots of fun things to do. First we went to the cafe to get a snack and the food there was great . Then we went to go see a 4D movie. 4D is the next dimension in movies . It was a lot better than watching 3D. The movie felt like we were actually a part of the movie. In 3D you won’t feel that much action. But in 4D you feel a lot of action . The chairs also move to make you feel like something in the movie was there next to you. The movie made me feel like I was the person talking to people. The movie was about the history of news.

Soon the movie was over and we went to the next exhibit. The elevators were made of glass, the exhibits were fun to look at and one of the best things about the newseum is the sky deck.

The sky deck showed a view of Washington, DC and a view of the capital building of Washington, DC. Another exhibit showed the devastating tragedy Hurricane Katrina caused. The exhibit about news was very big. One of us almost got lost. Then we went to the area where we could make a video and be a broadcaster. I recommend going to the Newseum because the Newseum is a great place. The last thing I have to say about the Newseum is that it is a place of wonder and amazement. You will like it. It is a grand place with lots of exhibits that you may find very interesting.

John Wood is 6th grader at Blow Pierce Junior Academy.

Jiahnna Phillips is a 7th grader at Blow Pierce Junior Academy.

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STUDENTS FIND

By Maia McDowell, Kitiya Pendarvis and Christopher Hamilton Graphic Design by Jiahnna Phillips

On November 16, 2010, a group of students from Chamberlain Elementary went to the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden in Washington DC. Our teachers told us to split up into groups of 4 or 5 and they sent us on a scavenger hunt at the museum. Each group had to find a sculpture that it liked. We had 30 minutes to explore, make our decisions and then regroup at a café.

Being able to explore on our own made us feel that our teachers trusted us.

Our group found a sculpture by Magdalena Abakanowicz, a unique artist who was born in Poland in 1930. The name of her sculpture is Puelluae, meaning “Girls” in Polish. Magdalena got her inspiration as a child during World War II when she saw a group of children who froze to death while being transported in train cars from Poland to Germany during the Holocaust. The Holocaust was a time when a political party in Germany called the Nazis believed that the Aryan race was superior. The Nazis killed between 11 and 17 million people, approximately six million of this number were

European Jews.

On the way to the café our group made its decision. Each person gave one reason why they chose the sculpture of rows of bronze girls that had bodies with no heads. We admired this sculpture because the group of girls all looked the same. They didn’t have distinct features and there was no way to tell them apart. The museum brochure said that this represented repetition. The artist was trying to show totalitarianism and how it was inhuman. Totalitarianism is when a ruler takes over and makes people obey his rules. With the heads cut off, the girls’ identities were gone.

The artist showed a lot of feelings about sorrow and anguish.

Even with the rain, we forgot all about being gloomy because we were able to experience art instead of just looking at it in a book. We got to sit and talk with friends about the day at Ruby Tuesday’s.

Maia McDowell, Kitiya Pendarvis and Christopher Hamilton are 8th grade students at Friendship Chamberlain Academy. Graphic Design

by Jiahnna Phillips

HEADLESS GIRLS

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Pets of History

By John X. Wood There are lots of pets around the world.There are lizards, cats, dogs, birds and even fish. The first pet in ancient times was the cat from

ancient Egypt. The cats were the most famous pets in the land. If the pharaoh (king) of Egypt had a cat, it would be put it in a coffin with him.

There would be a lot of pictures of pet cats and monkeys on the wall of the pharaoh’s tomb. They are seated by the chair of the owner in these pictures. They also put food out for the pets after their death—like a big bowl of food for the cats and a variety of fruits for the monkey that it liked.

Egyptians also trained dogs and mongooses to hunt with them. The pets were killed when the owner died. Pets were so popular that people did this often in the ancient times.

The Roman Empire was another civilization with pets as well. Rome had many different types of pets. They had birds such as doves, quail, geese, and finches. The Romans had exotic fish. The women in Rome had different types of snakes. They usually put them on their shoulders.

Rome didn’t have pet cats like in Egypt. What they did have in common was owning dogs and snakes. Each civilization was unique in different ways with pets.

There are many reasons why people own pets. One reason is that some people have dogs for protection. Some people have cats and other small animals for comfort. Pets are a great responsibility. You have to feed, care and give comfort to them.

John X. Wood is 6th student at Blow Pierce Junior Academy.

Photos by Gobalanimal.org and petconnection.com.

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Photo’s by Travewires.com, Bedbugfire.com, and bugbites.com

Bedbugs in your school

Story by Daniel Slaughter and Graphic Design by Aaron Grice In December of 2010, somebody discovered a bedbug in a kindergarten classroom on the first floor at our school, Friendship Southeast Academy. There were many kids in the classroom that saw the bug but were not sure what kind of bug it was.

When the week was over the janitors sprayed the school. Now my school no longer has bedbugs. There was a rumor that it was brought to the school by a kindergarten student.

Do you know what a bedbug is?

According to MedicinNet.com, “A bedbug is a bloodsucker insect that mostly feeds on humans”. Have you ever heard the phrase “Don’t let the bedbugs bite”? Well, if they bite you they cause itchy welts on your skin in groups of three. Bedbugs don’t

care if you are clean or dirty, but they breed in clutter. Do you know where they come from? According to www. picturesofbedugs.org, bedbugs come from both cold and tropical climate areas of Africa, Asia and the tropics of the Americas and Europe. If you are able to kill one or two bedbugs, there probably are more and you might have an infestation. To get rid of bedbugs you need a professional to exterminate.

If you think you have bedbugs in your house or apartment, here are things you should look for: * Adult bed bugs are about ¼ inch long. * You will not see them very often in the daylight as they come out in dark places and retreat with the sun. * Bedbugs’ bites are the best way to

determine if you have bedbugs. * Bedbugs are flat, brown and wingless. * They feed on human blood preferring to do it in the dark when you’re sleeping. * Bed bugs are not known to carry diseases as of yet. * They can be seen with the human eye but they do a great job at hiding. * They have 6 legs and are shiny reddish-brown. After a good serving of your blood they appear dark brown and swollen.

Information from www.badbedbugs.com, www.medicinenet.com and www.picturesofbedugs.org Daniel Slaughter is in the 6th grade at Friendship Tech Prep. Aaron Grice is a 7th grader at Friendship Tech Prep.

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New York Snake ESCAPES

Design and Story by Rondal Greene Photo by Maedin Tureaud

O

n March 26, 2011 The Egyptian Gazette News reported that a snake escaped the reptile exhibit at the New York, Bronx Zoo. They had to shut the zoo down until the snake was found. This is an Egyptian poisonous cobra.

Scientists say that an Egyptian poisonous cobra can kill you in 15 minutes. It is the fastest killing snake.

The cobra is no less than 20 inches long. The zoo owner thinks it is still in the reptile house but others think that it went to where a mouse was seen.

Rondal Greene is a 8th grade student at Tech Prep Academy.

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Woodridge Debates On Plastic Bags Story by Victoria Bell, Ryneisha McKenzie and Jalen Graham Design, photography and editing by Rondal Greene

On April 25, 2011, lawmakers in Oregon wanted to make a new law to stop stores from giving customers plastic shopping bags. If the law is passed, shoppers will be required to pay five cents for each bag or use their own reusable bags.

Cities such as Washington, DC and the entire country of Italy have already put similar laws in place. Those in favor of the law say cutting back on the use of plastic bags will reduce the amount of trash in landfills. Those against the measure say they should not have to purchase a grocery bag and that people can recycle plastic bags at home.

Students at Woodridge spoke out about the issue of plastic bags. Here is what they had to say.

JALEN GRAHAM: NO. I use bags to bring my lunch to school.

They don’t hurt the earth if you take care of your stuff. I reuse them all of the time. They are also good to put trash in. I have loads of them after I go to the store. I have to use them if I want to carry a lot of things at once.

RYNEISHA McKENZIE: YES. Plastic bags should be banned because plastic bags are not good for the environment. Reusable bags can help customers more and you would not have to pay five cents each time you go grocery shopping.

Victoria Bell, Ryneisha McKenzie and Jalen Graham are 5th graders at Woodridge Academy. Rondal Greene is a incoming 9th grader at Friendship Colligiate Academy.

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The Jennifer Hudson Story

By Destiny Wright Editing and graphic design by Fatima Hill Photo by unica.com Photo: popcornreel.com

Hello my name is Destiny Wright and my story is on someone who has been singing since she was seven years old. Her name is Jennifer Kate Hudson. Jennifer has been through a lot because her mom, brother and nephew were murdered. I know that it was tough to go through. She was born in Chicago, Illinois on September 12, 1981. 
Her zodiac sign is Virgo. If you didn’t know, she is a singer and an actress. In fact, for her very first movie, she played Effie White in Dream

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Girls and won an Academy Award for best supporting actress. She is now married and has a baby boy. Plus, she lost a lot of weight because of Weight Watchers.

She is representing Weight Watchers in ads.

Destiny Wright is a 4th grader at Friendship Southeast Academy. Fatima Hill is an 8th grader at Blow Pierce Junior Academy.

Move Your

Body

Photo by Rondal Greene

photo from Feedlimmy.worldpress.com

By Rondal Greene

D

id you hear about the new Beyonce video? I think it’s called “Move Your Body”.

Yeah, I heard it’s awesome. It was made to help Michelle Obama fight childhood obesity.

On April 27, 2011 Beyonce made a video to help fight childhood obesity, but it wasn’t just her, it was also the Harlem Middle School in Loves Park, Illinois. It had lots of different dances like the Dougie, High Step, the Running Man and much more. I think that maybe the Friendship community should make their own “LETS MOVE” video and send it to Michelle Obama. For more information go to www.letsmove.gov.

Rondal Greene is in the 8th grade at Friendship Tech Prep Academy.

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We C.H.E.E.R. With the Globetrotters

By Ryneisha Mckenzie, Shayla Richardson and Jalen Graham Editing and graphic design by Fatima Hill

On March 2, 2011, three members of the Harlem Globetrotters performed their famous basketball stunts before students at the Sports and Learning Complex in District Heights, Maryland. About 25 students from the FPCS Woodridge campus had a chance to see their performance. The purpose of the presentation was to introduce kids to the “C.H.E.E.R” character program. This stands for Cooperation, Healthy mind and body, Effort, Enthusiasm and Responsibility. For example, the Globetrotters said “cooperation” means that you should try to get along with people you don’t like because you can get more done if you work as a team. ”Healthy mind and body” means you should eat fruit everyday and stay active as long as you can. ”Effort” means you have to try to do something and believe in yourself so you can accomplish your goals. “Enthusiasm” means you should be excited, happy and very energetic. “Re-

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sponsibility” means to be accountable for your own actions.

To describe the C.H.E.E.R program the players picked a person for each letter and had them stand in a circle. They showed us a new trick with the basketball and allowed students and adults to take shots at the basket. It took a while for them to make a shot, but finally someone from a different school made one. He was really lucky. We had a very good time listening to the players, learning how to work as a team and get along with people to get things done. The three Globetrotters who attended the event were #4 Flight Time Lang, his friend #30 Sarge Johnson and #24 Bones Millien.

Ryneisha McKenzie, Jalen Graham and Shayla Richardson are fifth grade students at Woodridge Academy. Fatima Hill is a eight grade student at Blow Pierce Junior Academy.

Photo: Hooplanow.com

A Great Movie Called Beastly

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Photo: 3dwallpaperz.com

Beastly is very different from Beauty and the Beast, the Disney version. The movie Beastly takes place in a high school. It was about a handsome rich young man who turns into a “beast.” The boy has a deadline before he has to stay a “beast” forever. What the beast has to do in order to be handsome is to get a girl to fall in love with him—not for his looks, but for his personality. In the cartoon version of this movie, the “Beast” said he would let Beauty’s father go if she would stay. Well, she said she would.

In this movie the girl’s father was in trouble so the boy said she could stay with him. The father said yes. In the movie and in the cartoon the girl learned to like the beast for what was inside and not the outside. So as you can guess the “beauty” and the “beast” get together at the end.

Enough of this. Let’s get to the movie. Okay. Now in this movie the girl’s father did not get in trouble with the beast.

He was already in trouble and the beast offered to take care of his daughter. Now the girl was rude because the beast was trying to help her, but no, she did not want his help anymore. After a while she learns to like living with him and he starts to like her even more. Then he takes her to a little summer house. Then, she gets a call and they tell her that her father is in the hospital and she needs to leave.

At the end of the movie the “beast” walks into the school and tells her that he loves her. They end up together. I’ll tell you what I think. I really liked the movie. Now about the actors…I would have picked someone else to play the female role. That’s the only thing I would have changed.

Fatima Hill is a 7th grade student at Blow Pierce Junior Academy.

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Movies on a Magnificent Day Story By Alexis Greene

Photo By Rondal Greene

Three movies came out on a magnificent day, my birthday!

On May 26, 2011, “Kung-fu-Panda,” “The Tree of Life” and “The Hangover, Part 2” came out. I didn’t go to the movies on my birthday because I had a sleepover and a party. I wish I could have gone to the movies but for all of you who can go, enjoy and make sure to tell me about it pretty please! I saw Kung Fu Panda after my birthday. For more movies that are coming soon, go to movies release.com Alexis Greene is a 4th grade student at Friendship Southeast Academy.­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

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Kung Fu Panda 2 Is A Funny Movie Movie Review and Graphic Design

by Alexis Greene

The movie Kung-fu-panda is funny. The panda and his friends were the main characters in the movie. It is funny because Po the panda and his friends do funny stuff like putting noodles up his nose and putting a bowl on his nose so he could look like the Kung Fu master. It’s also funny because Po the panda picked someone up with his butt. In the midde of the story wolves were were trying to fight the panda and his friends. The panda and his friends won because they knew how to use Kung Fu and the wolves didn’t. That’s when Po picked the wolf up with his butt and threw him. This movie is all about the panda and his friends. Please go see Kung-Fu Panda 2 because it’s funny and a good movie. You will like this movie.

Alexis Greene is a 4th grade student at Friendship Southeast Academy.

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Fever Illustration from book (Fever) courtesy of Simon and Schuster

Book Review by Victoria Bell and Graphic Design by Aaron Grice Fever by Laurie Halse Anderson is a touching novel about a teenage girl named Mattie. Her life is full of ups and downs, but mostly downs. The story takes place in 1793, when “yellow fever� spreads around her hometown in Pittsburgh. She ends up having to escape along with her grandfather to avoid catching this horrible disease.

Soon, they find out that the deadly disease is spreading everywhere and it destroys everything and everyone in its path. She is devastated when her mom catches the disease along with her grandfather. Feeling alone, she finds a way to triumph over her situation. This story is about her struggle and how she overcomes it. I really liked reading this book. If you like drama, this is the book for you. Read it, youll love it.

Victoria Bell is a 5th grade student at Friendship Woodridge Academy.

Aaron Grice is a 7th grade student at Friendship Tech Prep.

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I

n 1993, a book was published by Ernest J. Gaines called A Lesson Before Dying. It won the National Book Critics Circle Award and the National Humanities Medal.

The story is about a man named Jefferson who went with his friends to the liquor store to get something to drink, but his friends did more than that. They shot the cashier and the cashier shot back. As a result his friends and the cashier died. While at the store, he was confused and got some beer. On his way out the police grabbed him and took him to jail.

Jefferson had to go to court for murder and theft. “I didn’t do it” he said. The judge didn’t believe him. As a result of what he said his lawyer called him a dumb child who would not be able to pull it off. Okay I know what your thinking he called him names because he wants the jury to think he couldn’t do that. He was at the wrong place at the wrong time. But they didn’t believe him at all. So he went to prison for murder and theft and was sentenced to die in the electric chair.

Miss Emma, his aunt was there at the trial. She said “If he’s going to die he’s going to die a man—not an animal, but a man”.

She hired a man named Grant Wiggins to teach

him how to be a man. He went everyday to see Jefferson to teach him how to become a man. The reader goes through his life and his struggles with him.

Grant Wiggins was the only educated black man in his town, Bayonne, near the St. Charles River. He was the eldest of 12 children. Parts of the story were about the teacher Grant Wiggins meeting and talking to a woman about wanting to live and have children with her. They also talked about how the classes he taught used to be at his old school. Some of his stories were about how his teacher put him in the corner while his other (white)classmates could run around everywhere. Another one of his stories was about a white man who came into the class room. The teacher would make the students say “yes sir” or “no sir” when the white man spoke. One of the students spoke disrespectfully to the white man and got slapped in the mouth by the teacher. The teacher made him talk to the white man with respect from then on. This book is great.

For more information on the story, go to http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_ Lesson_Before_Dying

Rondal Greene will be entering the 9th grade at Friendship Collegiate Academy this Fall.

A Lesson Before Dying Book review by Rondal Greene Photo from jazmynfaulkner.com Summer 2011 Rated-T 35

Greet The Gods With Percy Jackson

Pictures: Apethana.com and Deecoded.com

By Amelia Okiyi Edited and Desgined By Fatima Hill Percy Jackson and The Olympians is a series of books about a 15-year-old boy named Percy Jackson who discovers he is a demi-god. He discovers his father is Poseidon, god of the sea. He discovers Camp Half-Blood, a world where he belongs, where demi-gods learn battle strategies and a place where the students find their special gifts. Demi-gods like Percy Jackson battle and have weaponry.

Percy goes on many journeys to find his mother. Percy is not alone he has his best friends Anna Beth and Grover. He learns how to protect himself

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and his friends.

In my opinion the Percy Jackson series is intriguing and excites you as you read it. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a book that will leave you needing more and more. I say this out of all the books I have read this would be #1 on my top favorite books and will always be.

Amelia Okiyi and Fatima Hill are 8th grade students at Blow Pierce Junior Academy.

Dumb Diary #5 “ isn’t that the dumbest thing” Book Review By Kayla Williams Editing and Graphic Design

By Fatima Hill

I recently read the book “Dear Dumb Diary #5: Can Adults Become Human?” from the series by Jim Benton and Jamie Kelly. Katie, the main character, talks about school, home, her mom and dad. It is a very funny book. For example, one day when Katie got home she was stunned to find her mom changing her underwear in the living room. Her mom was embarrassed and let Katie eat candy for dinner to make up for it. I also liked the time when her dad cut the legs of his jeans to show that the hair on his legs was ten inches long and dragged along the floor when he walked.

If you like “The Diary of A Whimpy Kid,” you will love this book.

Kayla Williams is a 5th grade student at Friendship Woodridge Academy.

Fatima Hill is a 8th grade student at Blow Pierce Juinor Academy.

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Degrassi

By Teanna Freeman Edited and designed by Fatima Hill

Photo; Insidepulse.com

Desgrassi is the teen throbbing heartache making show.

It might have been created for another reason but it is an awesome show. No one will ever let go of it even if it was to go off. Teens love it and parents are really strict and serious about what their kids watch on TV. Your parents will probably have to sit and make sure that the show is age approved.

The season that just came on was called “the boiling point” and all the kids had something going on. Ali, an Indian girl character on the show had boyfriend problems. She tried to get with a boy who was older. The character’s name is Drew.

Ali figured out that Drew had time of his own when he went out to do stuff without her. She couldn’t deal with him especially when he had something to do with Bianca, the tart and

Summer 2011Rated-T Rated-T 3838 Summer 2011

drug dealer of the school. She broke up with him after she found out.

Another character, Jenna, got pregnant while KC, the baby’s father tried to work his problems out with his biological mother who used to do drugs. Other characters, Eli and Clair got together but Eli has some issues to work out. At the end of the season, Eli and Clare broke up with each other. See all the drama and more. How about you turn the channel to Degrassi and I bet you will love it.

Teanna Freeman and Fatima Hill are 7th grade students at Blow Pierce Junior Academy.

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS IS PRETTY AS A PICTURE

BY TEANNA FREEMAN EDITING AND GRAPHIC DEISIGN BY JIAHNNA PHILLIPS and FATIMA HILL

Pretty Little Liars has been on television since June 8, 2010.

The main characters of the show are Hanna, Spencer, Aria and Emily. They all are friends of Alison who was murdered a while back. Now someone named A is sending them texts about their secrects. If they don’t do what A says, then she will tell their secrets.

Spencer is the smart one but she messes around with each of her sisters’ boyfriends. When one of them comes back problems start to occur that are worse than ever. Aria has a relationship with one of her teachers. Emily is gay and she was with someone named Mia who was sent away. Then her mother saw drugs in Mia’s bag and sent her away.

Then Emily started to make friends with one of her swimming partners. And Hanna took some money out of someone’s bank account when her mother started to lose money. Hanna has a crush on Caleb who worked with Jenna, a girl who was blinded because she was peeping inside Emily’s house. Tune in every Wednesday. And right afterward is a episode of The Nine Lives of Chloe King.

Teanna Freeman is an 8th grade student at Blow Pierce Junior Academy. Jiahnna Phillips and Fatima Hill are 7th grade students at Blow Pierce.

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You believe your child can do

Anything!

So do we.

Photo by Aaron Grice and graphic design by Marcel Gallion

Friendship Public Charter School For more information, call (202) 281-1700 or visit our website at www.friendshipschools.org.

Eleven campus locations in the District of Columbia and Baltimore serving students in grades PreK-12.

CHARTER SCHOOLS

Friendship Chamberlain Elementary and Middle School 1345 Potomac Avenue, S.E. Washington, DC 20003 (202) 547-5800 Friendship Southeast Elementary Academy 645 Milwaukee Place, S.E. Washington, DC 20032 (202) 562-1980

Friendship Woodridge Elementary and Middle School 2959 Carlton Avenue, N.E. Washington, DC 20018 (202) 635-6500

Friendship Blow Pierce Elementary and Middle School 725 19th Street, N.E. Washington, DC 20002 (202) 572-1070

Friendship Tech Prep Academy 620 Milwaukee Place SE Washington DC, 20032 (202) 562-1681 Friendship Collegiate Academy 4095 Minnesota Ave NE Washington, DC 20019 (202) 396-5500

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PARTNER SCHOOLS

Academies at Anacostia 1601 16th Street, SE Washington, DC 20020 (202) 698-2155

Friendship Academy of Science and Technology 801 South Highland Avenue Baltimore, MD 21224 (443) 642-3183 (

Friendship Academy of Engineering and Technology 2500 East Northern Parkway Baltimore, MD 21214 (443) 642-5616

Friendship Preparatory Academy at Calverton 1100 Whitmore Ave, Baltimore, MD 21216 (410) 396-0518

Friendship Academy at Cherry Hill (Cherry Hill Elementary/Middle) 801 Bridgeview Rd. Baltimore, MD 21225 (410) 396-1392