The HCOS Weekly Vol. 2 Edition 1
Welcome Back! by Jennica Wlodarczyk It seems that summer goes by a little bit faster every year. As insane as it may seem, we’re beginning to delve into the 2014-2015 season of school. For some of us, that’s a scary thought. A few of my friends from HCOS and HCS are in Grade 12 this year, preparing to complete their last high school assignments and quizzes before going off into the real world of jobs and post-secondary. Another bundle of my friends are Grade 8s, just starting to skim the surface of what it’s like to be a high school student with HCOS. Last but not least, I cannot forget the many new students of all ages and grades that are experiencing HCOS for the first time. I’d like to welcome all of you to our school. I’m sure that I speak for both the faculty and the students when I say that we are very glad to have you on board, and pray that your experiences and time learning in our school would greatly benefit you in every way. No matter how long we’ve been with the school or what grade level we are at, any one of us may feel at times that school is a big, scary thing barely survivable at the best of times. As we begin our courses this year, I’d like to share with you a Bible verse that has helped me
through times of stress or anxiety caused by pesky schoolwork. Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Him who strength- by Megan Ferguson ens me.” Schoolwork can be scary, especially when you’ve been out of touch for the entire summer, but In the same way, let your remember that Jesus is always light shine before others, willing to help you. No job is too big for Him; therefore, no job is too that they may see your big for you when you are living ac- good deeds and glorify cording to His Word. You are fully your Father in heaven. – capable to conquer the beastly Matthew 5:16 math textbooks that lay ahead of you! Let the school year begin and ‘May the odds be ever in your favor.’ Haha just kidding! I find the beginning of the school year something to look forward to! After a fantastic summer of going to the beach, staying up late, and getting tanned (haha yeah I wish), I like to jump into my brand new courses and enjoy a new routine. Oh wait. That means getting up earlier than 9:30. Maybe I don’t like school so much anymore. But regardless, school I sincerely wish each and every one comes whether I like it or not, and I of you a wonderful and enjoyable want to start off my first article school year. Learning is a gift, and with Matthew 5:16. I want to push it is one that we have such easy ac- us all towards living like Jesus, by cess to in this day and age. Have not getting caught up in gossip, fun with not only your schoolwork materialism, jealousy, bad attithis year, but with your friends and tudes, etc. Let’s love one another family! This year is a doorway to and let our lights shine, because I new possibilities and experiences. know that each and every one of Enjoy it while it lasts, and again, you has a beautiful light to shine. best wishes to you all. Let’s make this the best school year ever!
Verse of the Week
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Literature Corner A place for YOU to showcase your writing!
pointed out a specific building that we were supposed to be at hours ago. The building was no spectacle, with solid grey walls and an overall monochromatic design. Despite the unimpressive exterior, the interior was striking. Glass panels, white walls and minimalistic furniture made for a sleek, clean feel.
PLODE. NOW. As if on cue, a gargantuan wave towered over us, blocking out the sun. Tsunami. Of A Story course. Bracing myself the best I By Jubilee Chiu could manage, I hollered, "FLOOR IT, DRIVER. WE'RE NOT GOING TO Apparently this was where Lucas It is the year 2032. My name is MAKE IT!" and Ariana were working at, in the Kaela Stryker, and this is how my HoverFlight repairs and recruitstory ends. What happened next was all a blur; ment departments. Neither knew the tsunami wave hit the bridge the purpose of my faked death, I was born and raised in the Sector dead center, just missing us. Oth- which was peculiar. Recruitment 11. For the past 17 years of my life, ers were not so fortunate. Every- teams are usually fully briefed by life has been mundane and rou- thing went in slow motion as we the One. My thoughts were sudtinely. Be that as it may, I’ve never sped against the crumbling bridge. denly interrupted, though. been able to figure out what in the I watched in dismay as the debris, world (pun intended) this ominous cars and shipping containers got A crackle and a snap over the intergut feeling I had was foreboding. It violently washed ashore. com, then an announcement folwas like my brain was whispering lowed. “LUCAS KNIGHT AND ARIANA to me… It’s going to implode. Soon. (•<>•) JACOBS, REPORT TO OFFICE [ONE].” A holographic message also apThat may have been why I received "KAELA! Wake up!" That was peared overhead, visible to everya message last week from the One; Lucas. What is he doing here? one in the common area. no one clarified that for me. The message was a warning. I was to " C ' m o n , y o u n e e d t o d o I turn my head to Lucas and Ariana leave my home and travel to some something! She's out cold." hoping for a quick explanation, but type of Underground-Railroad- Ariana?! they were already speedwalking type of home and stay under the away towards ‘Office [ONE]’. radar. The internet radar, that is. It "Please, Kaela. I'm begging you. seems that the situation is critical, Wake up!" He pleaded again. “Right, leave me here, all alone! because I was harshly instructed to Great! See you around, friends…” I fake my death on the internet, and (•<>•) mumbled under my breath. my high school teacher was to help. Faking my death was no easy I gasp for oxygen -- terrible idea. Being the only raven-haired girl in task; it was detrimental to my My sinuses sting with the water the building meant lots of stares, dearest friends and relatives. I may that'd forced its way in. According and not all of them were friendly. not have had a huge circle of to Lucas and Ariana, our car had As a result, chipper wasn’t exactly friends, but I had very close ones slid into the raging waters below, what a passerby would describe and it breaks my heart to do this to along with the bridge. We miracu- me as; it’d be something along the them. There was no choice, lously made it out alive, consider- lines of “that grumpy Asian girl though. Moments after I "died", ing the fact that I fainted and had pouting by the water fountain”. oddly dressed people in masks to be dragged along. The sharp, came to take me to their base. charred rocks that covered the All complaints aside, I ended up shore contrasted what was left of going exploring. There were As we drove across the suspension the buildings -- mounds of rubble dozens and dozens of offices, bridge, my mind started racing. I and debris. Amongst the scarce mostly lower-class employees. The was terrified. IT'S GOING TO IM- few buildings still standing, Lucas doors had some sort of locking
Cataclysm
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mechanism I’ve never come across before; it was composed of glasslike cubes, gears and chains. Fancy. Wandering down a harshly lit hall, I realized that it was actually naturally lit. Since when did midday sunshine get so starkly white?! Looking out for more than 5 seconds was barely possible. My eyes already burned with such intensity that hot tears started clouding my vision. Oookay, we are walking away…look away…look away! *OOF!!* “AH, I am so sorry!” I gushed, completely flustered. A deep, melodic voice replied, “It’s alright, miss. Are you okay?”
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been monitoring your brain activity and that constant gut feeling you had is real. The Tsunami hit the bridge you were on, the exact moment you had the feeling that something terrible was about to unfold.” His words turned into a drone as I went into a stupor of disbelief. I… wasn’t wholly human? “You actually died, Kaela. The wave hit the car you were in. It doesn’t seem that way to you because you were programmed in a way that alters the memory of your death somehow so that you never know you’ve died. You CANNOT know that you’ve died; it’s fatal to you. I’m only telling you this because the One alerted me moments ago that it is your time to go. Farewell, Miss Stryker. Godspeed.” He finished, his face downcast.
“I’m fine, thank you – Mr. Evans”, I said sheepishly, having read his nametag. I didn’t look fine, I know that much. I bet my eyeliner was smudged and giving me panda eyes. At this point, my head was spinning and the last thing I saw was “Are you by any chance Miss Kaela the roof opening, and a hoverplane Stryker?” He smiled. picking my limp body up deftly. Where am I going? “That’s me, sir. How…how do you know who I am?” To be honest, I was kind of freaked out. He better not be a creepy stalker.
Rainy Days
Mr. Evans had a pensive look on his face, then said, “It’s actually a long, complicated story, Miss Stryker. You’re no ordinary teenaged girl. We found you 17 years ago, abandoned in the middle of a crop circle that read ‘PROTECT KAELA STRYKER’ in Gallifreyan. We thought it was some sick prank, but after some tests, you proved to be a genetically enhanced human. Since then, you were placed in a trusted family’s care, and raised to hopefully save the world one day. It sounds ridiculous, but we’ve
A Wish By Jazzannah Green Green walls, a white ceiling, and a dark brown wooden floor. That’s what greeted me when I woke. My clock over the fireplace mantel ticked steadily, and I could hear the gentle sounds of a tree branch scraping the outside wall behind me. Rain drizzled gently down my window, and the whole house was silent, fitting with the somber, gray mood. My gaze wandered about
the room, crossing my bookshelves, dresser, and falling on the parted, roof to floor curtains. I got up, gently pulling the light grey covers back, and padded across to my window seat, clad only in a white nightshirt. My book-nook, as I called it, was freshly made, with the pillows fluffed up, and the white crocheted quilt folded neatly. The windows by it were closed, save for one, which was currently letting a gentle gust of wind through. The entire sky was gray and cloudy, a peaceful, calming weather, and I could look out across our extensive lawn, and see the trimmed grass, the pruned hedges lining the long, winding driveway. Puddles were collecting on the pavement walkway that wound through the flower garden, spilling over the edges into the dirt, which was already beginning to become muddy. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and a smile pulled at the edges of my lips. This was going to be a reading day. I silently walked to the large bookshelves, and ran my fingertips across the covers, reveling in the knowledge that I could go anywhere I wanted, and yet stay in the comforts of my room. I closed my eyes, and stopped, my hand resting on a book. I pulled it out, and looked at the cover: Jane Eyre. I was going to the world of ball gowns and romance today, to cry, and laugh with her. I settled into the window seat, and pulled my quilt up over my knees, leaning back into the plush pillows, and right before I cracked open the book cover, I looked out the window, at the beauty of the grounds. The breeze coming through the window made me shiver, and drawing my quilt closer, I started reading, losing myself in the mysteries of books.
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The HCOS Weekly
Jesse's Art Galleria
Joshua Wlodarczyk
Jubilee Chiu
Jesse's Art-Icle Hey guys, Jesse here!
NOTE: Only the first three requests will be drawn in this theme (possiAs you can see, I have attempted bly a fourth), so be sure to mesto draw three of our HCOS Weekly sage us right away! staďŹ&#x20AC; in this week's character theme: PIRATES! I will be doing an art showcase segment like this in each issue, and the person I want to draw is YOU! If you are interested or would like to have yourself transformed into the theme of the week, please message me on Skype or at hcosweekly@outlook.com. Follow those steps, and you can count on seeing yourself in the next issue! This upcoming week's theme will be MIDDLE EARTH, so be sure to put in your request ASAP!
Kristina Fedorov
Editor's Note: Dr. Wise Hello, readers. Do you remember the advice column we had up last year? Well, Dr. Wise (known in some realms as Kristina Fedorov) is back again for the 2014-2015 school year! If you have any questions, whether they're serious or silly, please do not hesitate to send them in to hcosweekly@outlook.com. We enjoy receiving questions from all of you, and Dr. Wise is wiser than ever now that she's completing her last year of school. Wow, right? Thank you for taking the time to read this note, and have a fabulous day!
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Super Comics
Back To School - By Joshua Wlodarczyk
A Super Announcement Joshua Wlodarczyk, the creator of the "Super Comics" series, has a very special announcement! He has decided to create a series of comics based around "homeschooler moments." If you have any special stories about comments you've received after someone learned you were a homeschooler, odd things you've done as a homeschooler, or a favourite homeschooler joke, send them in to Joshua at hcosweekly@outlook.com He will then take your anecdote and turn it into a comic! Please include a physical description of yourself and any other people involved in the comic so that he can create a character for you. Remember, Joshua's comics are roughly three scenes long. Keep your story short so that he can make properly-paced comic for it!
Weekly LOL compiled and submitted by Genevieve Ward
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Weekly LOL continued...
The HCOS Weekly