HSC Middle School's
@THEHELM FEBRUARY 2024 | VOL 5 | ISSUE 3
Hillfield Strathallan College - Middle School Student Newspaper
CONTENTS @theHelm—Issue 3: February 2024 Cover image: Camp Wanakita (HSC galleries)
07 Wood Wind Turbines The Swedish blades taking the air by storm
12 Autism Day Learn more about this version of neurodiversity
29 The Importance of Sunscreen! Heading somewhere warm for the break? Read on...
SPECIAL FEATURES 03 New Year’s 2024 04 NEOM: the megacity in Saudi Arabia 05 Biodiversity Fair Overview 08 Asian Students’ Association 09 Black Excellence Month kicks off 10 Timeline of History-Making Black Music 13 Bullying: how to be an upstander! 14 Music Survey Results 18 Opinion: why sadness is prevalent in society 19 Does Reading Make You Happier? 26 Debate: black sky vs blue sky 30-31 How “To Do” Lists 31-32 School Subjects Survey Results 38 MS Holiday Door-Decorating and Games 43 Favourite Foods Survey Results
REGULAR FEATURES 04 The Climate Corner 11 Inclusivity+ focus: Aro Spectrum Awareness 15-16 Sports: Allen vs. Mahomes & Messi vs. Ronaldo 20-21 Book Reviews 23-24 Video Game Reviews 25 Coffee & Questions 33-36 Recipes 43 English Corner: crazy contraction words
MONTHLY CHALLENGES 09 The French Corner: Manie Musicale 26-28 Math facts, puzzles, and riddles 43 Minecraft Build Challenge 44-46 Word Searches
ART AND CREATIVE WRITING 17 The Landing Without Fuel (the true story) 22 Three Short Stories 39 How to Create Successful Digital Art 39 Colour Palette Ideas 40-42 Photo Galleries (+ your cute pets!) 43 Dramatic School: video skit 44 Cartoon
Hi Middle School! If you are interested in sharing your work in a future issue of @theHelm, you can do so using this Google Form @theHelm Creative Team Leaders: Ms Gutauskas & Ms Kee @theHelm - page 2
JANUARY 1ST
NEW YEAR’S Leo C. 602 & Shawn Z. 603
The New Year is a tradition celebrated by many. It signifies the end of a year and a start of a new one.
On New Year’s Eve, many people eat meals with their families or friends. Sometimes they even host parties! People love to set off fireworks around midnight. People also set New Year’s resolutions, which are basically goals to achieve by the end of the year.
@theHelm - page 3
WORLD NEWS
NEOM IS HERE February 2024
KEY POINTS $6.1 Billion invested into NEOM by Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia 1/4 of construction completed in NEOM, expected done 2035 Oxagon and Sindalah expected to be open first by late 2024.
THE LINE - A NEW CITY Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman's project is a new kind of city for 9 million residents. Everything is within 5 minutes of walking distance. No cars. Development in three dimensions. 100% renewable energy. World-class architecture, services, and experiences. A city for entrepreneurs. A city for families. A city for a fresh life. A city for technology. The line.
What is NEOM? NEOM is a multi-billion dollar megacity project in northwest Saudi Arabia. Consisting of five main regions, it is planned to be the city of the future, a place where 15% of world trade flows, powered by entirely clean energy--where 95% of land will be left to nature and rewilded with animals and plants. Progress is already underway, with NEOM’s airport open for Saudia flights and Oxagon Port is planned to reach operation in 2025.
Neom is currently part of the Saudi Vision 2030 Project, a Crown-funded plan to diversify the gulf nations economy in response to the dwindling of the nation’s massive oil reserves. By building a city of the future, Muhammed bin Salman aims to attract wealthy investors and world-class talent to the peninsula to strengthen the internal production of Saudi wealth without the use of oil.
The Region of NEOM
174 kms long, the line boasts itself as a roadmap for cities of the future. By taking the footprint of a modern city and moving it into a straight line, services will be easy to access. New houses would just mean more lines. The crown claims this new kind of city will be revolutionary, eliminating emissions, providing economic opportunity, powering new innovative technologies, and providing an unparalleled quality of life for its potential 9 million residents. Under construction and backed by the richest monarch on Earth, the future is ripe for NEOM and its nation.
Sindalah is an island resort in the Red Sea that has already had deals with some of the largest lifestyle brands around the world. Oxagon is a massive octagonal port where 15% of world trade will soon flow. Trojena will be a mountainous resort city where it will be dug into the rocks of NEOM’s mountains. NEOM is part of the Tabuk province next to the Red Sea and is at the geographic center of Afro-Eurasia, where an estimated 20% of all world trade flows, putting the city on the map of the modern silk road.
by Yahya Naas - 803 @theHelm--page page54 @theHelm
SOURCE
BIODIVERSITY FAIR OVERVIEW BY CHARLIE CHOU, ETHAN GILL, AND MICHAEL TAO, 604
Working on our projects for The Biodiversity Fair was a great experience. We went through all through the steps of the project, and presented our projects at the fair. The Grade 6 community was eager to present their projects and came up with many great ideas. The Grade 6 community worked on their projects for over two weeks and completed incredible work.
Charlie’s perspective: The biodiversity Expo was very fun and was an enjoyable project with my friends. When I and my friends started working on our biodiversity project, we had the vision that we could bring certain birds of prey to HSC. Our goal is also to discuss how to put our plan into action. As part of our project, we have also taught younger students about birds of prey. Ethan’s perspective: I believe that working on my biodiversity project has been a great experience overall. This is mainly because I have enjoyed working on various steps within my projects. I worked in a group of three, and as a group I believe that we were quite productive. we completed a decent amount of work and presented our biodiversity project at the science fair. Michael’s perspective: The biodiversity fair helped HSC to be the most biodiverse school in Ontario. Students helped design ecosystems and had a chance to teach younger children about their designs. I especially enjoyed designing the ecosystems and learning about the animals.
@theHelm - page 5
The Climate Corner by Ainsley Douglas (605) from the Green Team
All About Plants Hello, and welcome back to the Climate Corner. In this issue, I am going to talk about plants. Did you know that being out in nature helps reduce stress? My family puts plants around our house to make it green. Do you want to put plants around your house to make it green? If so, check out my next article for a Special Edition! There are so many different types of plants. That is why the Special Edition - A Guide to Plants will help you understand the easy-to-care-for plants, moderate-to-care-for plants, and hard-tocare-for plants.
@theHelm - page 6
What is made from the same wood as a Christmas tree, held together by glue, and manufactured in a Swedish factory?
...it’s a wooden wind turbine! Why wood?
Generally, turbines are made of steel. Steel is strong and good most of the time, but it has some limitations. Getting giant pieces of steel to various sites is no easy task, and when there’s more demand for taller turbines, it becomes extremely hard. Wood, on the other hand, is lighter and has the ability to make taller turbines with less material.
The Environment While wind energy is a sustainable way to get energy, the manufacturing of steel involves lots of fossil fuels. Using wood instead of steel eliminates the carbon footprint entirely. By Catey Chan 702 - Source @theHelm - page 7
Origami made during open-door meeting
Final ASA Party of the year of 2022-2023
ASIAN STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION OPEN DOOR MEETING
by Molly Ma, 803
Last year, in Grade 7, Ahana and I created the affinity group, the Asian Students Association, which is the only student-based affinity group in the Middle School. This club spreads cultural awareness in the community and helps Asian students learn more about other Asian cultures/identities around the school. I wanted to create a space for fun and interesting topics, such as books, movies, food, music, etc. On November 22, 2023, the Asian Students Association in Middle School had an open-door meeting. We had stations for the mythology of the Icicle Woman, the History of Boba, and origami-making. Origami is a craft-making paper in Japan, and ASA used it to share Japanese culture in the Middle School. During Indian holidays, such as Diwali, the ASA shares our thoughts about holidays. The group also lets student volunteers make announcements on Fridays about Diwali. Ahana’s and my goals for this club were to create a safe place for Asian students to socialize, learn about other cultures, and have fun. I learned how vital education of various cultures is in creating a more inclusive and supportive community.
Most recent ASA open door meeting
@theHelm - page 8
s i nça a fr n i co e -l
Êtes-vous prêt pour la Manie Musicale ? Écoutez les chansons. Votez. Attendez de voir qui va gagner ! Cliquez ici pour en savoir plus!
Leo Nupolu Johnson visits HSC To kick off Black Excellence Month at HSC, the Middle School invited Leo Johnson from Empowerment Squared to talk to students about his work and his personal story. He spoke about the ancient African concept of “ubuntu”, which means: “It’s not about you. It’s not about me. It’s about us - together as one.” Mr. Johnson also spoke about his journey from Libera to Canada and his ongoing work with the Liberian community in Hamilton. He told students about the first library that is being established in Liberia, Africa. HSC’s donations to Empowerment Squared help Mr. Johnson and his team continue to do important work in and for the Liberian community. Middle School students agree that Mr. Johnson played the djembe drum and sang exceptionally well at the end of the assembly!
@theHelm - page 9
@theHelm - page 10
Aro Spectrum Awareness Week February 18-24th What does “aro” mean? “Aro” stands for “aromantic”, meaning someone who experiences little to no romantic feelings for another person. This doesn’t mean they can’t love friends, parents, pets, etc., but they don’t experience a specific lovey-dovey connection with another person.
For example... If you aren’t aromantic, that means at some point, you will probably experience some loving feelings toward a person that you find attractive and interesting. You might like the part of a film in which a cute couple falls in love and gets together. Aromantic folks tend not to experience these feelings as much or at all. In other words, a fairytale prince and princess type of match-up might be really boring or confusing to them!
Why is it a spectrum? Not everyone feels just one way or the other: attraction or no attraction. Some people may feel romantic attraction only in certain circumstances or rarely rather than not at all. Others may feel differently or might still be figuring it out. Labelling it as a spectrum allows everyone to feel represented.
Catey Chan 702 Source(s) @theHelm - page 11
ISABELLA ZENG 602
AUTISM DAY World Autism Awareness Day happens on April 2. Even though it is not the second of April, we can still learn about Autism. Autism is also called ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). Blue is typically the colour for autism, although many soft colours are comforting for autistic people.
What is it? Autism is a condition that leads to behavioural, communicating, and social challenges. People with autism can be sensitive to light, sounds, smells, taste or touch.
More Symbols
Autism Colors and Symbols
This one is similar to the heart
The puzzle piece is a symbol
puzzle, however, it is newer and
of thoughts of positivity, and
liked more because of its iconic
the blue is a representative
meaning. The butterfly is
as people with autism may
supposed to represent changing
find the environment calm
abilities with society and the
when it is not.
diversity.
Autism Comforters
“Levels” of ASD Because this is a spectrum,
Sensory toys, a
people with ASD can have
weighted blanket, a
different levels of it. Level 1
calming video or book,
requires support, level 2 requires
or even a pet can be
substantial support and level 3
great help to someone
requires very substantial
that has ASD.
support.
SOURCE 1
SOURCE 2
@theHelm - page 12
Quotes of the Month
Shared by Ahana Kulkarni, 803
@theHelm - page 13
MUSIC SURVEY RESULTS by Yupi Finley, 703 According to the survey, the most popular style of music in the Middle School was POP... These were the most popular songs in each category:
ROCK
POP
CLASSICAL
41.2%
28.9%
41.9%
RAP
COUNTRY
FOLK
It’s Friday Mr.B
26.3%
41.9%
@theHelm - page 14
76.9%
Josh Allen vs Patrick Mahomes by Katie Stubbs, 705
There has always been a lot of competition between two NFL quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. Patrick Mahomes plays for the Kansas City Chiefs and Josh Allen plays for the Buffalo Bills. I am going to go over how each of their stats compare to each other. On Dec. 10, the two teams played each other and the Bills came out on top with a victory of 20-17.
The Facts - As of Jan. 29, 2024 Yards - Completion - Touchdowns - Interceptions - Rating Josh Allen 4,306
66.5%
29
18
92.2
Patrick 4,183 Mahomes
67.2%
27
14
92.6
HSC Students’ Opinions I sent out a survey about who was the favourite between Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. These are the results: Patrick Mahomes - 19 students Josh Allen - 11 students This shows Patrick Mahomes was the HSC Middle School favourite between the two quarterbacks. @theHelm - page 15
Messi vs Ronaldo
@theHelm - page 16
THE LANDING WITHOUT FUEL On July 23, 1983, a Boeing 767 took off from Montreal to Edmonton. As it passed by Red Lake, Ontario, an alarm went off, signalling that the left engine fuel pump had problems. Assuming the problem wasn't serious, the captain switched the alarm off. A little while later, another alarm went off, signalling that the right engine pump had problems. After a bit of time, both the first and the second engine stopped working. Now, the plane had no power. Thankfully, the plane was manufactured so it would not freefall but could glide. Realizing the need to shorten the trip, the pilot rerouted the plane to Winnipeg, Manitoba. Since this plane used the engines to power the cockpit instruments electrically, most instruments went black, including the transmitter, which was used to signal the plane’s location to air control towers. The Boeing plane disappeared from the monitors at the air control tower. Consequently, the captain couldn’t tell how fast the plane was moving or dropping. The air control tower switched its radar method to reflective, which is worse but could show the broken plane on the radar properly. The pilot rerouted again to the Gimli runway because he had realized the plane couldn’t get to Winnipeg since the plane was not going fast enough. He also realized that if he kept going straight, he would go too far and miss the runway, killing everybody. Thankfully, the pilot had a lot of glider experience and turned the plane HARD to one side, increasing the drag to slow the plane down. When the plane was approaching the “runway,” the pilot looked down and realized that the runway had been turned into a drag-racing track, and as if things couldn’t get any worse, it was Family Day. People were out biking and setting up barbeques. The plane was quickly descending toward the ground when the pilot saw two children biking right at the point that the plane was going to land. The children did not hear the plane until it was very close to them, since the plane didn’t make noise (because its engines weren’t doing anything). The plane was close enough to see the terrified look on the kids’ faces. The pilot slammed on the brakes as the plane collided with the ground and skidded along the runway. And as if things couldn’t get any worse AGAIN, the two kids didn’t get off the track, but they started pedalling forward, trying to outrun a crashing plane going at about 200 miles per hour. The plane slowed down by scraping along a guard rail in the middle of the track. Ten people had minor injuries during the evacuation of the plane since, after sliding along the guardrail, the plane came to a complete stop. Nobody died in this event. The pilot and co-pilot were both given the Outstanding Airmanship Award.
A TRUE STORY - BY JOSHUA WILLEMS, 503 SOURCE 1
SOURCE 2
@theHelm - page 17
Feeling Sad? MY OPINION ON WHY SADNESS IS PREVALENT IN TODAY’S SOCIETY - AND HOW TO HANDLE IT BY NATHANIEL J. CHAN 803
WHY IT’S SO PREVALENT IN SOCIETY TODAY
WHAT IS SADNESS?
1
1 OUR MINDS
A DIFFICULT EMOTION
I think at its core, sadness is one of the most powerful and common of the ‘negative emotions’, or feelings that make us feel down. Negative emotions come from bad experiences and the more they happen, the more they root themselves in your mind.
2 HELPLESSNESS
I think at its core, sadness can also feel like helplessness - like being thrown into an ocean without a boat - because you feel sad for the fact you are in a negative place but you don’t know what to do about it.
3 LONELINESS
I don’t have a good segue, but I think loneliness stems from a similar place as helplessness - being in a position you can’t get out of. In fact 24% of all people reporting depression are lonely. More than a statistic however, loneliness is being sad by yourself, being understood by no one and feeling as though you are by yourself.
As I see it, our minds can often automatically snap to the worst and saddest parts of anything happening to us at a given time. This mindset leads to many people having lots of negative emotions like anger, stress, sadness, etc. and it clouds our ability to find the nice parts of our lives.
2 THE WORLD TODAY The way our world has evolved today (technology, consumerism, media, corporate power) has placed our mental health quite far down the priority poll, which leads people to feel a lot of not great feelings. A lot of the time, sadness is a very common feeling. We’re often so stressed that appreciating the positive isn’t our focus.
HOW TO DEAL WITH SADNESS
1 Identify why you’re sad
The best way to deal with sadness in my eyes is to first find why you’re feeling that way. If you can find out the problem, then that better prepares you for getting rid of your sadness.
2 What makes you happy?
After finding why you’re upset, you then need to understand what makes you happy in life or what brings you joy, so that you can find the tools you can use to fix your sadness.
3
Take Action
When you’ve identified the important factors in your sadness, its suggested you talk with someone you trust about it, a doctor, therapist, friend, family member, or adult. You should capitalize on the presence of the good things in your life to give you leverage over your sadness. Not everything will always work, but you should always try to use what makes you happy, to stop what makes you sad.
@theHelm - page 18
DOES
READING
MAKE YOU HAPPIER? 1. People who read fiction are better at empathizing with other people, and those who read literary fiction can better guess what other people might think or feel. 2. A good book can help you escape reality and relax. Many people feel less stressed once they escape into a book. 3. Research suggests that reading can help you sleep, too. Of course, you’re more relaxed, but it also helps the body unwind and prepare for sleep. 4. Reading can teach you knowledge, but it can also shed light on other points of view and expose you to other opinions, sparking creativity. 5. Reading also helps people stay off their devices. You’re less likely to reach for your devices when absorbed in a book. Reading is still entertaining, but it can give you a new kind of stimulation for your brain that you might be craving from your devices. You don’t have to buy a book to read it, nor do you have to finish every book, but putting in the effort to pick up a book for 20 minutes a day will give you benefits.
CATEY CHAN 702
SOURCE 1 SOURCE 2 @theHelm - page 19
Book Review
Catey Chan 702
Escape From Chernobyl by Andy Marino
I give it a rating of... 9/10.
OVERVIEW: Escape from Chernobyl by Andy Marino is a historical fiction book detailing the Chernobyl disaster. This book gives direct and detailed time stamps, showing how the people were affected. During the summer, I read the book, and I’m here to give a review! For me, this checked all the boxes. Our main characters, Alina, Lev, Yuri and Sofiya, were fearless as the world they knew fell apart. Brother and sister, Alina and Lev, live with their family in Pripyat. Yuri, their cousin, is an intern at the Chernobyl Power Plant, and Alina’s best friend’s father works at the plant. This book was filled with suspense--I couldn’t put it down. From the second Reactor No. 4 explodes to the moment they escape, you experience it like you are there (from Alina and Lev’s perspective and where they escape, to Sofiya, desperately trying to inform people of the truth, to Yuri, stuck inside, desperate to live).
This perfectly blends the real-life stories of Sofiya Kozlov into a complete and action-packed story. I loved this book and recommend it to anyone in the Middle School. If you love historical fiction, I strongly believe you should read this (along with Andy Marino’s other book) for perfect and detailed stories that let you experience events of the past. Fiction can provide an in-depth explanation of what happened and how it affected the people of Pripyat. @theHelm - page 20
The Summer I Turned Pretty Book Series Review SARAH ANSARI AND ENDRA ZHUBI 706 &701
Book 1 This book was a great introduction the the book series: The Summer I Turned Pretty. I would say the first book was pretty calm compared to the other books in the series. While reading this book, I felt like it was summer again. The main character Belly (Isabel) returns on her annual trip to Cousins Beach, which she’s been visiting her whole life. At Cousins, her mom's best friend and her two sons, Conrad and Jeremiah, share a beach house with Belly’s family. Belly has had a crush on Conrad for as long as she can remember, but he’s never shown any signs of liking her back. Will this summer be different?
Book 3
Book 2 Sarah and I personally didn’t find this book as interesting as the others. Conrad goes missing and Jeremiah, in need of help, calls Belly to help search for him. Susannah has gotten sick again, and it seems Conrad has stopped caring about important things.
(Endra) Final rating: 5/10 (Sarah) Final rating: 5/10
(Endra) Final rating: 9/10 (Sarah) Final rating: 10/10
@theHelm - page 21
In my opinion, this book was my second favourite and has lots of chaos going on. We find out the truths about many characters. My favourite part was the start of the book. It was a great conclusion to this marvellous series. However, we have one last question: team Conrad or Jeremiah? (Sarah) Final rating: 8/10 (Endra) Final rating: 10/10
Three Short Stories by Chloe Morrison, 605
FORTUNE A poor young girl comes into an unexpected fortune. Not all fortunes are good. Sometimes, discovering a fortune will destroy your life. Let's go back... Once upon a time, there was a girl who didn't have parents because they both died in a car accident, but one day she decided to look over her old family pictures, and she found a letter that said: "Dear Violet, if you are reading this, you will probably feel shocked when you read more. This is to tell you that you have a fortune. On your 16th birthday, there is going to be an old man who walks up to you and tells you a code, and if you don't remember it, you will miss an event that could change your life.” After reading this, she was very shocked and a little scared. 3 YEARS LATER... The time came when a creepy old man came and wrote 3986, and she wrote it down. Since that day, her life has been going well.
@theHelm - page 22
THREE FUN VIDEO GAMES YOU PROBABLY HAVEN’T HEARD OF In this issue, I will mention three video games you probably haven’t heard of. They are: YookaLaylee, Evoland, and Moving Out. All of them are part of series that contain two games each. Yooka-Laylee is a platformer game where a green lizard (Yooka) and a purple bat (Laylee) try to stop a power-hungry bee from rewriting the universe using a powerful book. Like Yooka and Laylee, you travel through the bees' factory, Hivory Towers, searching for the book’s pages. Inside Hivory Towers are five different books to enter with more pages inside. Throughout the game, you learn many new abilities from a snake who wears trousers. These include the ability to roll, fly, and create sonic blasts! After collecting these abilities, you can unlock more areas to explore in hopes of obtaining 100 pages to get an audience with the mastermind behind the operation. I don’t want to spoil the whole game, but it includes many fun NPCs, some interesting bosses, eating cannonballs, a strange duck henchman who plays a mean game of trivia, and more! I would rate it a 4/5. Moving Out is a multiplayer party game where you have to move furniture from houses to your truck within a time limit. Become a Furniture Arrangement Relocation Technician (F.A.R.T) and move wacky houses with wacky obstacles. These include rakes, ghosts, flamethrowers, farm animals, and more. You can play alone or with up to four people locally. The more people you play with, the more furniture you have to move. Along with this game, there are two expansions (not played by me). One adds extra movers, and one adds extra levels. Overall, I would rate Moving Out a 3/5.
William D’Hondt 702
Evoland is a game that includes action, adventure, puzzles, and strategy. If you have any of the top-down Legend of Zelda games, you will find that this game is similar but with a twist. You start with minimal abilities and graphics and unlock better abilities, graphics, and other additions. By exploring the world, you discover chests, which contain many different upgrades to gameplay, including walking left, 3D graphics, enemies, a sword (of course), strategic battles, the flame giant’s pinky cover of the pony (don’t ask), and more. Throughout the game, you discover many different locations, with new challenges like time travel and burning down trees or fighting hordes of monsters. The story unfolds as you play through the game and meet new characters. I would rate Evoland a 3/5.
@theHelm - page 22 @theHelm - page 24 23
GAME REVIEW
TOWNSCAPER: WHAT ON EARTH IS A ZONING LAW!? BY NATHANIEL J. CHAN 803
BUILDING A DOWN-TOWN THE GAME If you ever wanted to design a barely-legal city (what building codes?) on top of the oceans of nowhere, then Townscaper is the game for you. This game features some amazing colours, possibilities, and outlets for imagination, which is why I love it so dearly. Townscaper lacks action or explosions, but it is a chill game to play while listening to a podcast or while you think.
WHY YOU SHOULD BUY IT One of the standout features of Townscaper is the fact that you build by clicking on bits of a very irregular grid to build towers, which you can expand every which way in the air or on the ground. Townscaper features some incredibly fun building mechanics which may be tricky to do, but can make your new Venice look just the extra bit. While the game isn’t for everyone, if you’re in the market for a fun game that challenges your ability to disregard safety laws and create beautiful monstrosities, then Townscaper is for you.
Available on: Steam, X-box, Nintendo Price: $5
Source: Wikipedia - Townscaper @theHelm - page 24
by Marco Mayens 805 & Sarah Deline 803
COFFEE & QUESTIONS 2.0
Question 4: If you could have the Middle School go anywhere for a school trip, where would you want to go? Molly: Antarctica
Student Interviewed: Molly Ma Teacher Interviewed: Ms Booyse
Ms Booyse: Vancouver, Montreal or Banff
Question 1: What was your favourite part of the winter break?
Question 5: What is your favourite meal at the dining hall?
Molly: Hanging out with my dog before she leaves for Georgia
Molly: Butter Chicken
Ms Booyse: Sleeping in
Ms Booyse: Phyllo Pastry
Question 2: What is your favourite TV show/movie?
Question 6: If you could only eat at one restaurant, what would it be?
Molly: Hunger Games
Molly: Haidilao
Ms Booyse: Stranger Things or Killers of the Flower Moon
Ms Booyse: Chicken Lickin’ in South Africa
Question 3: What is your favourite subject in school?
Question 7: If you could turn into any animal for a day, what would it be?
Molly: Math
Molly: Snake or kangaroo
Ms Booyse: English
Ms Booyse: Panda
@theHelm - page 25
Vegetarian
Thanksgiving
Interesting Math Facts Did you know...? There is no Roman numeral for zero because there was no need. If 23 people are in the same room, there is a 50% chance that two people will have the same birthday. This seems false, but with 23 individuals, there are (23 × 22/2 =) 253 pairs to consider, far more than half the number of days in a year. 1000 is the only number from 0 to 1000 that has an “a” in it. Every odd number contains an ‘e’. You can use three geometric cuts to a cake and get 8 pieces. To do this, you cut the cake in half horizontally, and then vertically in half and into quarters. On dice, opposite sides always add up to the number seven. If you started with a penny and doubled its value every day for just 30 days, you would have over $5,000,000 million in the first month.
Catey Chan 702 Source @theHelm - page 15
Answers
Catey Chan 702
DEDUCTIVE PUZZLE
Age
Traveller
Clues:
Age
Florida Iceland Australia Hawaii Japan 10 11 12 13 14
Vacation Destinations
Place
Grace Liam Lily Daisy Jack 10 11 12 13 14
1. Grace is the youngest 2. The second-oldest went to Hawaii 3. The person going to Japan is 10
@theHelm - page 27
4. Daisy is going to Australia 5. The 14-year-old is going to the smallest continent 6. The 12-year-old is going somewhere in the USA
7 tough riddles
by William D’Hondt, 702
(Source)
Submit your answers here
When it is alive, we sing. When it is dead, we clap our hands. What is it?
A tree doubles in height each year until it reaches its maximum height over the course of ten years. How many years did it take for the tree to reach half its maximum height?
I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What am I?
What goes through fields and cities but doesn’t move?
A bus driver goes the wrong way down a oneway street. He passes the cops, but they don’t stop him. Why?
There are three people named John, Joe, and Jim. One is lying--the others are telling the truth. John says that Joe is lying. Joe says that Jim is lying. Jim says that he’s telling the truth. Who is lying?
@theHelm - page 28
If you take off my skin, I won’t cry, but you will. What am I?
Yupi Finley 703
CARING FOR Volume 1: The importance of sunscreen Did you know? One million people get diagnosed with skin cancer in the USA every year and around 70% of cases are due to sun exposure. Importance: Sunscreen is essential because it helps prevent sunburn, skin cancer and premature aging. How to apply: Apply sunscreen gently to all exposed skin every 2 hours while in the sun. The SPF should be at least SPF 30 in the sun. If you are going into the water, use waterproof sunscreen. Warning: Some sunscreens are filled with chemicals, so try to buy sunscreen from clean brands. Also, spray sunscreen is filled with chemicals, so do not use it! Make sure you come back for the next volume on Skin Care National Library of Health
Brush on Block @theHelm - page 29
Your To-Do List
An improved way to work! by Ahana Kulkarni, 803
Create a “done” list. Every time you complete a task, move it to this list. Doing so will encourage you!
Begin studying with your hardest subjects because it only gets easier from there :D
Make your computer wallpaper into your schedule if you are forgetful.
Teach what you’re learning to someone else. They can ask questions to identify knowledge gaps.
Start your work period by completing an easy task. Doing so increases motivation, even if only a little.
The website goblin.tools provides an AIbacked to-do list that breaks down tasks for you!
@theHelm - page 30
HOW TO MAKE A TO-DO LIST YOU CAN INCLUDE:
A “done” list Items ranked by priority Eisenhower Matrix Sub-tasks Self-care tasks Designated break times Reflective questions
@theHelm - page 30
by Ahana Kulkarni, 803
@theHelm - page 32
S U B J E C T S
I N
Middle School
less tests less independent work MORE GROUP WORK
Anonymous feedback:
LEGEND Not my favourite It’s okay Like it Love it Favourite
F A V O R I T E
by Ishan Rajput 704
Anonymous feedback: Fewer laps in movement More dodgeball on Fridays
T H E
less reading More European things
wider variety of instruments
Tang Yuan by Isabella Zeng & Kingka Hu (602) Ingredients : Black sesame Brown sugar Butter or coconut oil Glutinous rice flour Water
Directions: STEP 1 Blend the sesame and the sugar in a blender Stir in butter or coconut oil Put in freezer for 1 hour or until it isn’t soft STEP 2 Pour glutinous rice flour into the bowl Add in boiling water Gradually add in room-temperature water Combine and knead until a soft, smooth dough forms STEP 3 Divide into equal portions and roll into a ball shape Use your fingers to flatten it into a disc shape Place a portion of the filling in the disc Push the dough up to cover the filling
Notes : This is a really good recipe. There are different fillings, like red bean and peanuts. Black sesame is the best, though!
STEP 4 Pour water into a pot Gently add the tang yuan and push them around with the back of a spoon Leave to boil over medium-high heat, with the pot lid closed Once the balls float up to the surface, let them boil for one more minute without the pot lid Fish them out and serve
Enjoy!!! @
我爱你的爸爸 source
@theHelm - page 33
Banana Mango Smoothie
RECIPE CREATED BY YUPI FINLEY, 703
DIRECTIONS 2 large
10 minutes
glasses
1. Peel the frozen banana and scrape off all of the excess peel 2. Get all the ingredients in the
INGREDIENTS
blender. 3. Put mango, banana, Greek yogurt, and oat milk in a blender. Blend until
1 Frozen Banana 2 cups frozen mango
smooth. 4. Pour into a glass and enjoy!
3-4 big scoops of Greek yogurt Oat milk
NOTES It might not blend immediately. That means your blender is broken or you need more liquid so add some more oat milk. @theHelm - page 34
5-Star Brownie Recipie by Mahi Nathoo, 503 Ingredients 10 tablespoons (142 grams) unsalted butter 4 ounces (113 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 cup (95 grams) all-purpose flour 1/4 cup (25 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder 1/4 teaspoon fine salt 1 cup (170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a metal 8-inch square pan with parchment paper. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate and butter. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each burst, until the mixture is melted and smooth. Add the sugar to the hot butter mixture and whisk vigorously until combined. Allow to cool until just barely warm. Add in eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, and whisk for about 1 minute, or until very well combined. This helps create that shiny crust on top. Use a rubber spatula to stir in flour, cocoa powder, and salt until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan and smooth out. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick entered in the center comes out with moist crumbs. Let cool in pan 30 minutes before slicing.
Source : https://handletheheat.com/best-easy-brownies/
@theHelm - page 35
This recipe is both simple to make and incredibly delicious, making it the ideal choice for those seeking a top-notch, 5star dish. This dish is a delightful blend of sweetness, moistness, and deliciousness. I thoroughly enjoyed preparing and consuming these brownies.
GINGER-BREAD
Directions
HOUSE
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8-inch loaf pan. 2. Make half of the batch: Cream together half the butter and half the sugar until fluffy. 3. Sift the dry ingredients (flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt) and set aside half. 4. Add two eggs, one at a time, with the mixer running at low speed. Mix in 1 cup molasses. 5. In 3 batches, add half the dry ingredients, mixing to combine. Mix in zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange. 6. Pull the dough out of the mixer and wrap it in plastic wrap. Repeat steps 1 to 5 to make the remaining dough. Refrigerate overnight. 7. Roll out the dough: The goal is to end up with five 9-inch squares, so you’ll roll them out a bit larger, bake them and trim off the edges.
Ingredients 1 pound unsalted butter (4 sticks), at cool room temperature 2½ cups plus 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar 12¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons allpurpose flour, plus more for dusting 2 heaping tablespoons ground ginger 2 heaping tablespoons ground cinnamon 1½ teaspoons baking soda ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 4 eggs, at room temperature 2 cups molasses Zest of 2 lemons (optional) Zest of 2 oranges (optional)
8. Dust a piece of parchment paper with flour. Place dough on top. Roll to make a rough square shape. 9. Roll until dough is about 10 by 10 inches and a generous ¼-inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. 10. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until even and firmly set. Set aside to dry out at room temperature for 3 to 7 days.
Source **This is how to make the foundation, not how to decorate**
Catey Chan 702 @theHelm - page 36
STARBUCKS Created by Connie Stubbs 503, Vivi Drossos 501, Isabella Ghayoor 502, Julia Testa 502 and Liliya Grant 503
FUN FACTS: The first Starbucks opened in 1971. There are over 87,000 possible drink combinations. Starbucks recently released a drink inspired by TikTok.
Starbucks owns a record label. Starbucks wasn't invented by coffee connoisseurs.
SOURCE @theHelm - page 37
by Greta Bulley, 701 What is the point of Holiday Door Decorating? Experts and professionals have found many benefits in holiday door decorating, including boosting students' concentration levels and learning. Every year, we host our annual contest - door decorating inspired by the festive holidays. Each home form chooses a unique and creative theme for its door. The prefects for 2023 - 2024 judged each home-form door and decided a winner for each grade.
The grade level winners are 501, 605, 706, and 804!
Here are some of the photos from Holiday Door-Decorating and Winter Games
@theHelm - page 38
MOST OF THE INFO IS PROVIDED FROM MY EXPERIENCE
ISABELLA ZENG 602
LINK 1
How to create a successful digital art piece Choosing a Good App If you are on computer, I would personally recommend using Firealpaca. It’s what I use and it’s free. However, if you are on a mobile device, I would recommend Ibispaint. Although it does cost $8.99, it’s a great app to use.
Layers Layers are helpful throughout your artistic journey. They can serve as a rough draft or part of your animation. If you’re looking to create a rough draft, I would suggest you use bright colours, like red or blue, so it is visible when you trace it.
Colours
If you’re not quite sure which colours you want to use or you’re looking for a colour palette, I would suggest this website: color-hex. So how do we read the hex codes? Well, after the hashtag, there are 6 letters or numbers. The first 2 are amounts of red, the second 2 are the amounts of green, and the last 2 are the amounts of blue. Further in, it gets harder to read and understand, so if you want to learn more, Link 1 will show you.
Brushes Different brushes can help convey different emotions and textures in your piece. They can also help with the generally pleasing look of your art. Some apps offer brushes that are in the shape of a plant, animal, person, or more, so you can put down simple things without putting much work into it. Brushes are essential throughout your piece, as some styles require blending and blurring. Brushes offer that too, so try to keep that in mind when choosing a brush.
Styles and practice Beginners often overlook the fact that great art takes a lot of practice; they think they can immediately create a masterpiece. No, that’s not how it works. You have to put practice into it, and something I find helpful for me is practising on actual paper first. Styles are also incredibly important, and it’s important to not trace over someone's artwork - it will not help you in the long term. Taking inspiration from someone’s art in encouraged and fine, however, for it can be very helpful for developing a style. @theHelm - page 39
“Sunrise” by Claire Mitchell, 603
Photo Galleries “Snowball Society” by Jackson Guy, 803
“My cat, Moui” by Charlotte Harrison, 501 @theHelm - page 40
Funny Photos of Your Pets by Bea Finley, 502
Ruby Fraser-Underhill Rex
Catey Chan Daisy
Nicholas Szpakowski Tessa Tierney Muffin Peggy
Leo Chen QQ
Melia Sarsh Peaches
Jia Yoon Mocha
Jackson Guy Eesha Balakrishnan Gabriela Rusty
Connie Stubbs Winnie the Pooh
Aaliya Bali Smokey
Olivia Tselepakis April @theHelm - page 41
Tiara Mishra Bentley
Ishan Rajput Milo
Kayla Ciancone Mavie
Caribbean Cruise Photo gallery by Diya Chhabriya, 603
@theHelm - page 42
Presenting...
Dramatic School!
Skit
Tessa Tierney and Evie Dawn (604) Filmed by Charlie Chou (604) Edited by Tessa Tierney (604) Help with the form by Maia E.F. (604)
by Evie Dawn, Maia Embuldeniya-Fernando (604) & Ainsley Douglas (605)
Please fill out this feedback form after you watch the video!
@theHelm - page 43
VALENTIN E’S
DAY
Word Search by Tiara Mishra 703
Hearts Red Pink Box of chocolates
Love Sweet Cupid Candy Caring Letters
@theHelm - page 44
WINTER WORD SEARCH
Boots Coats Cold
Gingerbread Hats
Hotchocolate Mittens
Catey Chan 702 @theHelm - page 45
Snow Snowflake Snowmen
Snowy Winter Word Search
Made by Tiara Mishra in 703
Source @theHelm - page 46