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October 2014 Clinton and Ionia County’s Edition
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Volume 8, Issue 2, October 2014
I Love To Read! What was your favorite book? What made you like it so much? If you were to write a book, what would it be about?
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It’s A Great Day At Kids’ World News! There is so much to like about October! First of all, it’s one of the most colorful months in Michigan. Just look outside to see the trees turning brilliant shades of orange, red, purple, yellow and brown. It’s a great month to visit apple orchards and pick your own apples, run through a corn maze or take a wagon ride through a pumpkin patch. Did you know that a pumpkin with a carved face and a candle or light inside is called a Jack-O-Lantern? That brings us to Halloween! The one night of the year kids can dress up and get free candy! Pretty cool! If you go trick or treating or to a Halloween Party, planning what you are going to wear for a costume is half of the fun! Is your costume going to be funny, spooky, or surprising? Make sure you practice safety when you’re going out and that a responsible adult is with you at all times with a cell phone. Be polite and say thank you for your treat. Also have your parents check your candy BEFORE you eat it when you get home. Keep only the treats that are unopened with wrappers that aren’t torn or have holes in them. Most of all - never go into a stranger’s home or get into a stranger’s car. Carry a flashlight, or glow stick so you are more visible to cars. In other words, use caution and safety while your’re out having fun. Halloween can be a fun time for all! If you would like to see Kids’ World News at your school or if you would like to be one of our proud sponsors please call 517-285-6641 (email: production@kidsworldnews.net). Kids’ World News is designed to give exposure to all area schools, recognition of students and staff members. We welcome input from all our area schools. We do however reserve the right to edit.
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"Fly, Butterfly, Fly!" Kindergarten students at St. Joseph School in St. Johns learned about the life cycle of the butterfly. They learned that a butterfly begins as an egg, which then becomes a caterpillar. The caterpillar goes to sleep surrounded by a chrysalis and emerges from the chrysalis as a butterfly. The butterfly then lays eggs on a leaf and the cycle starts over again! The students made a video about the life cycle of the butterfly to show their parents at home. The students then released real butterflies outside the school so the butterflies could migrate to a warm place where they can stay for the winter.
October 2014, Page 2
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DeWitt Elementary News
Fowler Elementary News Waldron School is Off to a GREAT Start!
Herbison Woods’ staff is Capturing Kids’ Hearts! What exactly does that mean? The teaching staff at Herbison Woods’ attended Capturing Kids’ Hearts, a three day training that provides tools for administrators and staff to build positive, productive, trusting relationships — among themselves and with their students. The skills learned can transform the classroom and school environment, paving the way for high performance. We want students to know that we are happy they are at school and are an important member of our school family. Engaging with students first thing is essential for students to have a successful day. Teachers will greet each student at the door with a handshake, affirm each student, and welcome the students into their class, by giving them their full attention, first thing. Teachers will establish an atmosphere of trust in which the students feel safe to learn from their mistakes. Each class will collaboratively create a class social contract by answering the following questions: · How do you want to be treated by me (teacher)? · How do you want to treat each other? · How do you think I (teacher) want to be treated by you (students)? · How do we want to treat each other when there is a conflict? The social contract provides consistency because everyone knows the rules—what is acceptable and what is not, as well as the consequences. This common understanding provides the students the foundation for positive interactions with the teacher and with each other. The social contract also creates self-managing classrooms as each student takes responsibility for his or her own behavior, and students become empowered because they experience encouragement and support. This school year is underway and we are committed to helping each child reach his/her potential by first building a positive, productive and trusting relationship with your child!
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Students are back in the classroom and eager to learn, and our school year is off and running! We are looking forward to a school year full of academic growth and fond school memories. The Waldron staff is committed not only teaching a well rounded curriculum, but also helping our students to S.O.A.R.— to be Safe, Orderly, Accountable and Respectful. The school year is off to a GREAT start! Please feel free to contact us anytime you have concerns regarding your child’s education. Please check out our Waldron School website at www.waldronschool.net for upcoming events, lunch menus, forms, teacher e-mail addresses, parent connect grade books and much more!
1st Grade Field Trip to Uncle John’s Cider Mill Student in our 1st grade classrooms recently took a field trip to Uncle John’s Cider Mill in St. Johns, MI. Students saw first-hand how apples are picked, prepped and pressed into apple cider. When they returned to school, they made healthy apple snacks to share with their classmates! A great time was had by all!
Kindergarten Corner The kindergarten students have started the year off with Color Days! They emphasized one color each day with different sorting, counting and other various learning activities as a way of reinforcing the students color recognition. We are also off and running with different center activities--sorting, shape naming, foam forming to strengthen our pencil grip and finger muscles and much more! We are looking forward to making leaps and bounds with our learning this year.
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October 2014, Page 4
Trace The Yarn And Help The Cat Find The Ball!
Help the frog go through the maze so he can catch the flies!
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October 2014, Page 5
Why Do Evergreens Stay Green All Year Round? Evergreen trees - also known as conifers (because of the cones that hold their seeds) include spruce, fir and pine trees. Unlike deciduous trees which loose all of their leaves at the same time, evergreens do not. They are able to make new leaves before the old ones fall off. Some evergreens can keep their leaves a few years before they fall off! Evergreens have adapted to live in climates where there may be limited annual sunshine and/or available water. They thrive in cold climates. Their leaves have adapted to make the most of this. The evergreen leaves look like needles. Botanists discovered that the needles are actually regular leaves that are rolled up very tightly. This shape allows the evergreen to conserve water. They also have a very waxy coating that helps save water during the summer and winter months. The leaves on evergreen trees have the same function as leaves of other trees. They make food for the tree by using photosynthesis. The leaves are often dark green indicating that a lot of sun-absorbing chlorophyll is present. By having a lot of small leaves that are packed with chlorophyll, the tree gathers as much energy as it can to prepare for the lack of sunlight during the winter months
as evergreens do photosynthesis all year around. The dark color also keeps the tree warm in its cold environment because the darker leaves absorb more sunlight. In cold climates where the evergreen lives, even with a large amount of precipitation, the water is often frozen and unavailable to the tree. When that happens, the evergreen will go dormant and rest until conditions are right for photosynthesis to start again. The small surface area and the thick coating of wax on the needle like leaves allows the tree to retain more water. There is less surface area available for evaporation. The small leaves also have small holes called stomata that are used for gas exchange. These can be closed very tightly to stop water loss. The small pointy leaves and the cone-like shape of the tree itself, sheds snow more easily than other trees so the evergreens are not as likely to break under the weight of snow and ice.
Try This! Put two cups of water on a table in the sun. Leave one cup open to the air. Cover the other cup with plastic wrap. Notice how the sun’s energy begins to evaporate the water? From which cup is the water evaporating faster? The answer to this experiment will help you understand how the waxy coating on evergreen leaves or needles helps conserve water for the tree.
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October 2014, Page 6
Solve the math problem and then use the key below to color the picture.
Magic Squares! Add down and across. Then ad the totals you calculated. The sum across should equal the sum down.
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1477
8489
5343
8473
2745
867
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October 2014, Page 7
Cookin’ Fun Chocolate Brains
Howlin’ Candy Corn Cookie Bark
1 cup chocolate chips 1 cup chow mein noodles 1/2 cup mini marshmallows Instructions
16 Halloween Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, coarsely chopped 1 1/2 cups miniature pretzel twists, coarsely broken 1/3 cup raisins 2 (6 ounce) packages Baker’s Premium White Baking Chocolate 1/2 cup candy corn 1/4 cup brown and orange sprinkles
Grease the sides of a medium mixing bowl. Combine noodles and marshmallows in the greased bowl. Microwave chocolate chips in glass measuring cup or bowl. Stir every 30 seconds or so until chips are melted. Then pour the chocolate over the noodles and marshmallows and mix until coated. Put a little oil on your hands and shape into 6 balls. Place on wax paper and cool in refrigerator until chocolate is hardened.
Butterfinger Caramel Apples 6 wooden craft sticks (found in cake decorating or hobby shops) 6 tart apples 1 package caramels 2 tablespoons water 2 Butterfinger Candy Bars Line tray or baking sheet with wax paper. Wash and dry the apples. Insert 1 wooden craft stick into stem end of each apple. Microwave caramels and water in large, microwavesafe bowl on high power for 2 minutes. Stir. Microwave at additional 10 to 20 second intervals, stirring until smooth. Dip each apple into melted caramel; scrape excess caramel from bottoms. Quickly roll bottom half of apples in chopped Butterfinger, then place on prepared tray. Refrigerate for 45 minutes or until set. Store apples in refrigerator in airtight container. Apples are best if they are served the same day as they are prepared.
Mix together the cookies, pretzels and raisins in a large bowl. Spread the mixture into a lightly greased 13 x 9 baking sheet and set aside. Place the chocolate in small heavy saucepan and cook on very low heat until completely melted, stirring constantly. Drizzle the chocolate over the cookie mixture. Spread with a spatula to evenly coat all ingredients. Top with candy corn and sprinkles. Then lightly press into chocolate mixture to secure the items together. Cool until firm, then break into pieces. Store in airtight container at room temperature.
Rules For The Kitchen! Cockroach Clusters 1. Always ask an adult if you can use the kitchen AND have their help. 2. Have all the ingredients before you start. 3. Wash your hands before you touch food. 4. Wear an apron or towel to keep your clothes clean. 5. Always clean up when you are finished.
12 ounces chocolate chips 1 teaspoon grated chocolate 1 cup raisins 2 cups thin pretzel sticks, broken into 1-inch pieces Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir. Continue microwaving in 15-second increments until chocolate is almost completely melted. Remove from microwave and stir grated chocolate into melted chocolate. Stir in raisins and pretzels. Drop mixture by tablespoons onto wax paper. Let stand until firm.
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October 2014, Page 8
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October 2014, Page 9
Dogs! The dog is a domestic subspecies of the wolf and they are a mammal. The domestic dog has been (and continues to be) one of the most widely-kept working and companion animals in human history. The dog has developed into hundreds of varied breeds. Mixedbreed dogs or mongrels are dogs that do not belong to a specific breed. Height measured to the base of the neck or withers ranges from a few inches in the Chihuahua to a few feet in the Irish Wolfhound. Their color varies from white through grays (usually called blue) to black, and browns from light (tan) to dark "red" or "chocolate" in a wide variation of patterns. The dog’s coat can be very short to several inches long, from coarse hair to something like wool, straight, curly, or smooth. Mixed breed dogs and purebred dogs are both suitable as companions, pets, R COLO! working dogs, or competitors in dog sports. E M Based on DNA evidence, the wolf ancestors of modern dogs came from other wolves about 100,000 years ago, and dogs were domesticated from those wolf ancestors about 15,000 years ago. This date would make dogs the first species to be domesticated by humans. As humans migrated around the planet, so did dogs. Dogs are valued for their intelligence. This intelligence is expressed differently with different breeds and individuals however. For example, Border Collies are noted for their ability to learn commands, while other breeds may not be so motivated towards obedience, but instead show their cleverness in devising ways to steal food or escape from a yard! Being highly adaptable animals themselves, dogs have learned to do many jobs as required by humans over the generations. Dogs are employed in various roles across the globe, proving invaluable assets in areas such as search-and-rescue, law enforcement (including attack dogs, sniffer dogs and tracking dogs), guards for livestock - people or property, herding, Arctic exploration sled-pullers, guiding the blind and acting as a pair of ears for the deaf, assisting with hunting, and a great many other roles which they may be trained to assume.
COLD R THE A E W ARE C • Don't leave your dog outside in the cold for long periods of time. Wind chill makes days colder than actual temperature readings. • Adequate shelter is a necessity. Keep your dog warm, dry, and away from drafts. • Be extra careful when walking or playing with your dog near frozen lakes, rivers or ponds. Your dog could slip or jump in and get seriously injured. • Groom your dog regularly. Your dog needs a well-groomed coat to keep him properly insulated. Short- or coarse-haired dogs may get extra cold so consider getting them a sweater or coat. • Feed your dog additional calories if he spends a lot of time outdoors or is a working animal. It takes more energy in the winter to keep their body temperature regulated, so additional calories are necessary. • Towel or blow-dry your dog if it gets wet from rain or snow. It is important to dry and clean their paws, too. This helps avoid tiny cuts and cracked pads. • Don't leave your dog alone in a car. It gets too cold and carbon monoxide from an engine left running is dangerous.
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October 2014, Page 10
Abraham Lincoln 16th President of the United States 1861-1865
Lincoln’s Portrait On The $5.00 Bill
The Lincoln Penny
Lincoln's likeness on Mount Rushmore
"I was born Feb. 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky. My parents were both born in Virginia, of undistinguished families - second families, perhaps I should say. My mother, who died in my tenth year, was of a family of the name of Hanks.... My father ... moved from Kentucky to ... Indiana, in my eighth year.... It was a wild region, with many bears and other wild animals still in the woods. There I grew up.... Of course when I came of age I did not know much. Still somehow, I could read, write, and cipher ... but that was all." Lincoln made extraordinary efforts to attain knowledge while working on a farm, splitting rails for fences, and keeping store at New Salem, Illinois. He was a captain in the Black Hawk War, spent eight years in the Illinois legislature, and rode the circuit of courts for many years. His law partner said of him, "His ambition was a little engine that knew no rest." He married Mary Todd, and they had four boys, only one of whom lived to maturity. Back in Springfield, he gradually began to prosper as a lawyer, often representing business interests, but his eloquently stated anti-slavery views gained him increasing attention. In 1858 Lincoln ran against Stephen A. Douglas for Senator. He lost the election, but in debating with Douglas he gained a national reputation that won him the Republican nomination for President in 1860. Although he received only 40% of the popular vote, due to a split in the Democratic Party, Lincoln won a majority of the Electoral College votes. Although he had stated his willingness to tolerate slavery where it currently existed, his election precipitated the secession of Southern states and the formation of the Confederacy. In the years of civil war that followed, the inexperienced Lincoln proved to be one of the most extraordinary leaders, both political and moral, the USA has ever seen. First defining the war as being fought over secession rather than slavery, he oversaw the creation of the Union army. When the political time was right he announced the Emancipation Proclamation (Sept. 1862), thereby interpreting the war as a crusade against slavery, and later oversaw the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment (1865) which legally ended slavery. With his immortal Gettysburg Address (Nov 1863), he stated most movingly: "that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain--that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." Lincoln won re-election in 1864, as Union military triumphs heralded an end to the war. In his planning for peace, the President was flexible and generous, encouraging Southerners to lay down their arms and join speedily in reunion. The spirit that guided him was clearly that of his Second Inaugural Address, now inscribed on one wall of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D. C.: "With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds.... " On Good Friday, April 14, 1865, Lincoln was assassinated at Ford's Theatre in Washington by John Wilkes Booth, an actor. The nation was truely saddened as one of it’s greatest leaders had fallen. The Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.
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October 2014, Page 11
A Hungry Dinosaur
Let’s Make And Decorate A Dinosaur!
The dinosaur known as the Brontosaurus is now called the Apatosaurus. It was one of the largest land animals that has ever existed. This dinosaur lived in what is known as the Jurassic Period, 150 million years ago. The Apatosaurus, hatched from enormous foot long eggs and may have lived long enough to celebrate100 birthdays! This huge dinosaur was an herbivore which means it ate only plants. The hungry Apatosaurus must have spent his entire day munching and crunching on plants to maintain his massive body. This gigantic plant-eater measured about 80 feet long or close to the length of two school buses. It stood about 30 feet tall or the height of a 4 story building. It weighed roughly 30 tons; the weight of 10 cars! Apatosaurus had a very tiny brain in a small head which was less than 2 feet long. The Apatosaurus had a long neck and a long tail. It had four massive column-like legs with the back legs being longer than the front legs. We know all this because people have found fossilized remains of the Apatosaurus in the Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming and Canada. If you would like to look for dinosaurs bones when you grow up, you can become a scientist called a “Paleontologist”. In the meantime, one way to enjoy and learn about dinosaurs is to create them. Use the following sample to create your own Apatosaurus!
Celebrate all things “saurus”! October is International Dinosaur Month! Contributed by Rebecca Nechuta
Procedure: Draw a line to divide a paper plate in half. On half of the circle, draw a tail, front leg, back leg, and the neck and head as shown. Using scissors, cut out the dinosaur pieces.
Color the dinosaur using crayon, paint or markers. Decorate with shapes, patterns and bright colors. Attach the pieces with tape or glue. To create a moving dinosaur, attach with paper fasteners!
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October 2014, Page 12
What Is A Hurdy Gurdy?! The hurdy-gurdy is the first stringed instrument to which the keyboard principle was applied. The French name, Viella a Roue (wheel fiddle), describes the method by which sound is produced. The bowing action of the fiddle is replaced by a wheel cranked by a handle. The outer rim of the wooden wheel is coated with resin. When the crank is spun, the wheel turns and the gut strings vibrate. Just as the bag of the bagpipe acts as a reservoir of air for continuous sound, so too the wheel makes possible continuous sound by avoiding changes of bowing. Both bagpipe and hurdy-gurdy use drones, provided in the former by reed pipes, and in the latter by strings which sound fixed pitches. Other strings tuned in unison provide notes of the scale. Tangents activated by keys press these strings at the appropriate points to produce different pitches. There is evidence of the hurdy-gurdy in Europe in the twelfth century. By the end of this century, the instruments were highly regarded. Before the year 1300 the instrument (known then as the organistrum), was often long enough to require two performers, one to crank, and one to pull the keys upward. Because of the great force involved in moving the keys, only slow tunes were playable. The hurdy gurdy was then reduced in size and became single player instruments. The key mechanism then required pushing rather than pulling so they could play more complex techniques. It was widely used in the Middle Ages, and survived in the works of Vivaldi, Haydn, and Mozart. The hurdy-gurdy also became the ideal instrument for dance music. It has long been associated with street musicians, and it is still played as a folk instrument in Europe.
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Giraffes Are One Of The World’s Tallest Mammals! • Giraffes are one of the world's tallest mammals. They are well known for their long necks, long legs, and spotted patterns. Giraffes have small "horns" or knobs on top of their heads that grow to be about five inches long. These knobs are used to protect the head in fights. • Male giraffes are larger than females. Males weigh between 2,400 and 3,000 pounds and stand up to 19 feet tall! Female giraffes weigh between 1,600 and 2,600 pounds and grow to be 16 feet tall. • Healthy giraffes live about 25 years in the wild. • Giraffes can be found in central, eastern and southern Africa. • Giraffes live in the savannas of Africa, where they roam freely among the tall trees, arid land, dense forests and open plains. • Their long necks help them eat leaves from tall trees, typically acacia trees. If they need to, giraffes can go for several days without water. Instead of drinking, giraffes stay hydrated by the moisture from leaves. • Giraffes are non-territorial, social animals. They travel in large herds that are not organized in any way. Herds may consist of any combination of sexes or ages. • Female giraffes typically give birth to one calf. During the first week of its life, the mother carefully guards her calf. Young giraffes are very vulnerable and cannot
defend themselves. Nursery groups of young animals are left alone together during the day while their mothers feed. The 6-foot-tall calf grows rapidly as much as an inch a day. By 2 months the young giraffe is eating leaves and at 6 months is fairly independent of its mother. • Giraffes have a distinctive way they walk, moving both right legs forward, then both left. At a gallop, however, the giraffe simultaneously swings the hind legs ahead of and outside the front legs, reaching speeds of 35 miles an hour!
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People's Republic of China • China is located in Eastern Asia. It’s third largest country in the world, with a total of 3,747,879 square miles. • The capital of China is Beijing. Beijing hosted the Olympics in 2008. • 8 is a lucky number in Chinese culture, and instead of the unlucky number 13, the number 4 is unlucky. • The population of China is the largest in the world with over 1.3 billion people! The most populated city is Shanghai. • The currency of China is the Yuan. • The government is a Communist State. China’s economy is the second largest in the world. • China’s weather varies from region to region, but usually has dry winters and wet summers. • China is rich in culture! For centuries, ancient China led the world in the development of science and technologies. Gunpowder and silk products originated from China. • There are many different languages and dialects in China, including Mandarin, Yue, Wu, Minbei, Minnan, Xiang, Gan and Hakka. • The Great Wall of China is the largest man made structure in the world, stretching an amazing 5,500 miles. • The Chinese flag is red with five gold stars in the upper left corner. The red background symbolizes those who died for the country in wars, while the big gold star symbolizes communism. The other four smaller stars represent the different classes in China. • The Chinese name is "Zhong Guo", which means the "Middle Kingdom". Since ancient times, it was believed that China was at the center of the universe. • About one-third of the population lives in cities, the rest live in the country.
• It is common to find 3 generations of a Chinese family living together in the same house. Often the grandparents look after children when their parents work, and in exchange the grandparents are taken care of as well. This was helpful when there wasn’t any nursing homes existing in China. Festivals are often a busy time as well, and families that moved into the city for better careers return back home to celebrate with their loved ones. Festivals are often colorful and many members of the community become involved. • Although there is no official religion in China, Buddhism and Taoism are two of the most popular. • Local markets are very popular in China. Much like farmer’s markets, these stands sell a variety of goods and aren’t limited to just food! • There are over 30,000 types of plants and 4,400 types of vertebrates in China! One of the most popular animals in China is the Giant Panda, and this animal is considered a national treasure. The Giant Panda is found near the Yangtze River. Unfortunately, human expansion and poaching has caused many species native to China to become endangered, and the government has issued protection laws to help keep them safe. • Another popular tradition in China is the Zodiac. Made up of twelve animals, the zodiac supposedly can tell something about a person depending on what year they were born in. If you were born in the year of a certain animal, you reflect traits of that animal in your personality.
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