July 2011 Issue of the Circle Gazette

THE CIRCLE GAZETTE

Volume 2, Issue 10

JULY 2011

A Newspaper by Children for Children

THE MIAMI HEAT

A Total Failure?

by Ismail Ercan, Age 14 Coral Springs, FL

At the beginning of the NBA season, the Miami Heat was already being scrutinized like no other team in the NBA had been before. Many people around the country looked upon them with hatred, contempt, and wished for them to fail. It all started in the summer during one of the biggest NBA free agency off seasons in history. Many of the league’s best and most expensive players were up for grabs and many teams were fighting to get a hold of them. Miami undoubtedly won the free agency battle signing three All-Stars, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, to 6-year contracts that totaled

326 million dollars. These players could have been paid more by other teams such as the New York Knicks, but they decided to join forces in order to win an NBA Championship.

It wasn’t just this that brought all the hatred to Miami; it was specifically LeBron James’s “decision” and the infamous pre-season celebration.

LeBron James, the reigning MVP and the biggest jewel of the free agency battle, was to announce his selection of team in a live, one-hour special on national television in an interview with ESPN. Many people considered this to be overly flashy. The combination of his decision to “take my talents to South Beach” and the images of fans in Miami partying, brought dislike of the team by non-Heat fans.

Just a few weeks later, the team held

Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd from the Dallas Mavericks celebrate their victory.

a pre-season conference in a packed American Airlines Arena buzzing with ecstatic fans. After a huge celebration, they were interviewed in front of the audience and they forecast multiple NBA championships to come. Even most sports analysts were admitting that this Heat team could win many championships.

Well, so far that’s not happening.

To the delight of many anti-Heat fans, on Sunday June 12, game six, the Miami Heat lost the 2011 championship to the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs stunned everyone by winning three games in a row to run away with the series 4-2. The shocked, muted Heat crowd watched as the Mavericks hoisted their first Larry O’Brien trophy and as Dirk Nowitzki received the MVP trophy from legend Bill Russell. It was just like the negative picture of the 2006 NBA championship, when the Miami Heat defeated the Mavericks in Dallas in Game six to win their first NBA title. This year’s win was sweet revenge for Dallas star Dirk Nowitzki, who was called “soft” and “choker” after his loss to the Heat in ’06. “We are world champions, it sounds unbelievable!” he said in the post conference following the trophy presentation.

Nowitzki was not the only player on the Dallas team that was running out of time to win a championship.

38-year-old veteran Jason Kidd had lost two championships with the New Jersey Nets a decade ago. This was most likely his last opportunity to win a ring and he definitely took advantage of it.

Now, back to Miami. During the first few games of the season, the

LeBron James and Dwayne Wade wait in the hall after Game 6 of the NBA Finals basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks Sunday, June 12, 2011, in Miami.

(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) Heat said that anything less than a championship would make the season count as a failure. To start out, Miami struggled with a nine wineight loss record and the media was all over them. Would they even manage to make the playoffs? Miami soon silenced the critics and ended the regular season as the number two seed in the Eastern conference headed to the playoffs. They easily beat the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round and moved on to face the Boston Celtics, whom they were eliminated by in last year’s playoffs.

Throughout the season there had been much speculation about Miami

losing games in the final minutes of game. They were among the worst teams in the league scoring in the last two minutes. LeBron was constantly getting mocked by the media and players for cracking under pressure.

How would they fare against Boston?

Clutch.

Miami brushed the Celtics like a piece of dust off a windowsill, winning the series 4-1. In Game five of the series, down by six points with four minutes fifteen seconds left in the game, Miami went on a sixteento-nothing-run to close the game.

James scored the last ten points,

Please turn to page 7

The Year 4 Meerkats’ Rainforest Project At Pedmore CE Primary School in West Midlands, UK

by Chloe Westwood-Chandler, Anna Hill and Milhan Chungh Ages 8, 9 and 9 respectively West Midlands, United Kingdom This year, the Year 4 Meerkats have been learning about the tropical rainforests. It’s been very exciting! We would like to share

with you what we have been doing and how you can help: A visit from Mandeep Atwal First, we had a lady called

Mandeep Atwal from Taking IT Global (TIG) visit our school.

When Mandeep came we gave her all our ideas of what we could do to save the rainforests. When she had gone, we got together into Rainforest Action Teams, which we named (Rainforest Investigators, Team Amazon, Team

Tapir, the Wonderful Rainforest, the Poison Tree Frogs, and the Red Eye Tree Frogs) and we put together our rainforest action plans which we then turned into videos. Then our projects really began!

DeforestACTION: An Online global conference

“Rainforest” Multimedia Art by Year 4 Meerkats Students

SUMMER STORIES

In its August 2011 issue THE CIRCLE GAZETTE will be featuring

by Aaron Cross Page 5

Summer Adventures!

Page 5

One day a few weeks later, most of the class came into school really early to take part in a DeforestACTION’s online global conference.

When we were watching the conference, Willie Smit, Doctor of Microbiology, told us about an orang-u-dome being built which will be over 50 metres tall. The orang-u-dome is being built in Borneo. This dome is to allow orangutans to have a safe and secure place to live. In the on-line global conference they wanted each school to buy 20 acres of rainforest land to protect them forever.

Advertisement In our Rainforest Action Teams we worked on producing TV and radio adverts to tell other people about DeforestACTION. We

Please turn to page 7

Muffin-Mania:

A Healthy Innovation

by Hannah Jaffe Page 3

PAGE

THE CIRCLE GAZETTE

2

THE CIRCLE GAZETTE A Newspaper by Children for Children Monthly Independent Publication available to children of all ages.

This publication is an initiative of THE ENRICHMENT CIRCLE, INC. A Non-Profit Organization for the Advancement of Education 7551 Normande Ct. Margate FL 33063 Phone:954-9182541 info@enrichmentcircle.com

Editor in Chief

PATTY GOMEZ

Editorial Board Serena Serrano

Sandra Wolkov

Patty Gómez

Sandra Wolkov

Pedro Gómez

Christie Voss

Sandra Damas

Production Christie Voss

Sandra Damas

Serena Serrano

A

JULY 2011

word from the editor: Summer Stories

Summer time is here! We are all ready for a couple of months of something different.

When I was a child, this was the time to go visit our relatives.

Everyone was in charge of something for the trip. I remember we would prepare for our road trip as if we were going to the moon: A red water cooler that should last for the whole trip; food for the road properly packaged and equally distributed so each of us would get a fair share; changes of clothes; and anything else we could possibly think of was included. Our relatives lived sev-

eral hours from our home by car so we would usually leave in the wee hours of the day and would always have time to make enough stops to picnic on our supplies.

Mom and Dad would take our music collection in the car and we would spend a good amount of time listening to favorite albums.

The trip itself was an adventure on its own, so much so that 30 years later I have more memories of the trips than of actually seeing our relatives.

Looking back on those days, I wish I had had the habit of writing about those experiences while

they were still fresh in my mind. I am sure I would like to reminisce about those fun times and discover again how I saw them then.

This summer promises lots of opportunities for exciting experiences. Enjoy them as they come along and, when you come back, tell us all about them.

In our August issue we will feature a section called: Summer Adventures. See full information on page seven and share your stories with our readers.

Pedro Gómez Assistant to the Editor

Prepress Technician Christie Voss

Kids & Politics

Graphic Designers

Dora Font

Matias Sosa Wheelock

Daniela Gómez

Christie Voss

Cartoonists and Illustrators

Daniela Gómez

Emma Gómez

Sofia Serrano

And Then There Were Seven

Regular Columnists

Aaron Cross

Bilal Amodu Sara Cross

Sarah Thompson

Regular Contributors

Maria & Natalie Schlecht, Daniela & Emma Gómez, Aaron & Sara Cross, Liora Elkoby, Sofia Serrano, Danny & Andy Hernández, Shadya and Bilal Amodu, Ismail Ercan , Matias Sosa Wheelock and Alizdair Ray

Proof Readers

by Bilal Amodu, Age 14 Deerfield Beach, FL

Congress. Mr. Gingrich forthwith tor, Edward Kennedy. The shelbecame excessively unpopular lacking had failed to put a stop Website Master due to his rigid position during to his political career. Eight years Victoria Martinez Hello my loyal readers and the dispute regarding the 1996 later he was elected Governor of welcome to July edition of the federal budget. Despite discon- Massachusetts. After serving a Circulation Circle Gazette. tentment with him, he retained single term he retired from the The Circle Gazette is available online and it’s distributed in paper via individual, classroom and library Last month the upcoming Re- his position as Speaker of the governorship. In 2008, the former subscriptions. Free copies are available at community partner institutions (libraries, museums and educational publican Debate gained a great House of Representatives after governor made an unsuccessful organizations). This publication is currently distributed in more than twenty cities in South Florida and has deal of momentum. On June 13, the 1996 congressional elections. attempt to seek the Republican subscribers and contributors from California, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, New Mexico, Virginia, the CNN Republican Presiden- After supporting the unpopular Presidential nomination. Though Caracas-Venezuela, Rivas-Nicaragua and San Jose-Costa Rica. tial Debate broadcast started at decision to impeach the Presi- he seemed to be a favorite candi8:00 in the evening from New dent at the time, Bill Clinton, Mr. date to win the nomination in the Hampshire, the first state to hold Gingrich yielded the Speakership opening of the primaries, he was Free Copies Available at The Coral Springs Museum of Art The Fort Lauderdale Children’s Theater a primary in next year’s election. as well as his seat in the House forced to withdraw subsequent to The Northwest Regional Broward County Library The British School Caracas This was the second Republican of Representatives. On May 11, his ubiquitous primary defeats On Presidential debate held --the 2011, the former Speaker of the June 2, 2011, the former governor Sales, Advertising and Sponsorship first being a debate in South Car- House of Representatives de- declared his candidacy for presiMindy Joseph Jodi Jaffe olina which was viewed and at- clared his intention to seek the dent for a second time declaring, 954-684-9096 954-253-6584 tended by few. The New Hamp- presidency. Despite his ambition, “I’m Mitt Romney, I believe in TO SUBMIT WORK TO SUBMIT WORK debate attracted seems to befilefavorable America andAll entries I amshould running forby the parent/gua The Circle Gazette is a publication available to public school,shire private school and homeschool students. Emailseven a copy of yournothing work, as a major word processor or as a jpeg file,for at info@enrichmentcircle.com. be accompanied The Circle Gazette is a publication available to public school, private school and homeschool students. Email a copy candidates and lasted two hours. him. Prior to the debate, essen- president.” Since he was leading of your work, as a major word processor file or as a jpeg file, at Information info@enrichmentcircle.com. to contributors All entries should be The economy was the main is- tial employees to his campaign the other contenders in the polls, Circle Gazette theonline right toat edit, accept and refuse articles in the interest of brevity, clarity and appropriateness of subject matter. accompanied by the parent/guardian consent to print.The Submission Form toreserves be found sue, though questions regarding resigned, placing him in a diffi- it was assumed he would have www.enrichmentcircle.com. immigration, religion, taxes, as cult spot. Gingrich hoped to use to endure severe attacks durYOUNG CHILDREN PROVIDE A WEALTH OF WISDOM, FRESHNESS AND NEW PERSPECTIVES well as foreign policy were ad- the debate to redeem himself and ing the debate. Fortunately for Information to contributors dressed. In the following para- sure enough he somewhat did. him that was not the case. One The Circle Gazette reserves the right to edit, accept and refuse the interest of brevity, claritytoand Thearticles Circle inGazette is packed from cover cover with the latest stories and creations of children of all ages; about local affairs, the environment, art, sports, entertainment and puzzles that engage and inspire young minds! graphs, I will discuss each of the Mr. Gingrich attacked President area that sets him at odds with appropriateness of subject matter.

Obama in his opening statement other Republicans health care.

The Circle Gazette is a one-of-a-kind publication because: candidates in the debate: First I wish to discuss Rick San- claiming, “with fourteen million While Romney was the governor YOUNG CHILDREN PROVIDE A WEALTH OF WISDOM, FRESHNESS • community. It goes beyond a state or a country. It’s about widening writer’s and reader’s horizons! torum. SantorumIt transcends began one hisschool/homeschool con- Americans unemployed, we need of Massachusetts, he enacted a AND NEW PERSPECTIVES • It is addressed to children and the content is created by children gressional career in 1990 when a new president to end Obama statewide healthcare plan simi• It involves a multi-age/multi-level group of contributors he was elected toTheCongress form editorial team keeps a holisticrecession.” and nourishing quality inMr. the selection of content and design lar to President Obama’s present Gingrich also The Circle Gazette is packed from cover to cover with the latest•stories and creations of children of all ages; about It’s a high quality mix of a variety attacked of styles and topics local affairs, the environment, art, sports, entertainment and•puzzles that engage and inspire young minds!

Pennsylvania. Four years later, the controversial spend- national health care plan. His ver• valuable feedback to authors in the RepublicanIt offers dominant year ing initiative proposed by the Re- bal attacks on the president has The Circle Gazette is a one-of-a-kind publication because: of 1994, he won election to the publican budget chairman in the not given me any reason to supUnited States Senate and was re- House of Representatives, Paul port him since he seems blatantly • It transcends one school/homeschool community. It goes beyond a state or a country. It’s about widening elected in 2000. His career in the Ryan. The former Speaker of the overconfident: he once suggested writer’s and reader’s horizons!

• It is addressed to children and the content is created by children United States Senate was put to a House of Representatives proved that he would be campaigning for • It involves a multi-age/multi-level group of contributors stop in 2007 after he was defeated to be cognizant of vital issues president in 2016 as the president.

• The editorial team keeps a holistic and nourishing quality in the selection of content and design for reelection to a third term in during the debate, though from Although I admit it is difficult to • It’s a high quality mix of a variety of styles and topics the United States Senate. On June my perspective his campaign is support President Obama with • It offers valuable feedback to authors 6, Santorum formally declared his inane since his credibility has such a dismal economy, I firmly intention to seek the presidency. been is low for more than a de- disapprove of Romney’s critics of During the debate, I noticed he cade, for his rigid as well as hypo- the President. It is not only cyniwas silent, reticent, not as willing critical actions. Also, since he has cal; it is also diverting the former to speak as the other contenders, not been serious in his campaign, governor from addressing vital iswhich may be due to his atro- I do not expect him to remain in sues. I do not feel electing him as cious performance in the polls, the race long enough for the pri- our president will be our nation’s and while I agree with several of maries to commence. best decision. his positions, I do not feel that his Of all of the contenders, former An additional Republican campaign will be successful. governor of Massachusetts, Mitt hopeful is former Minnesota govAnother candidate present at Romney appears to be the leader. ernor Tim Pawlenty. Mr. Pawlenlast month’s debate was Newt Mr. Romney earned a Master of ty began his career in politics Gingrich. Gingrich began his Business Administration degree when he was elected to the House political career by seeking a seat from Harvard. He spent the begin- of Representatives of the Minnein the House of Representatives ning of his career as a successful sota legislature in 1992. A decade from Georgia in 1974, narrowly businessman. In 1994, Romney later he was elected governor of losing. He won that same seat decided to commence his politi- Minnesota; subsequently in 2006, four years later in 1978. In 1995, cal career by seeking a seat in the he was reelected. Unable to seek when Republicans obtained con- United States Senate from Mas- a third term, Mr. Pawlenty retired trol of the House of Representa- sachusetts. Though he had won from the governorship in 2011.

The Enrichment Circle tives, he was elected Speaker of the Republican nomination for On April 12, Pawlenty declared A Non-Profit Organization for the Advancement of Education the House of Representatives, the Senate Seat, he was handily Please turn to page 10 one of the highest positions in defeated by the then sitting SenaSerena Serrano

Sandra Damas

THE CIRCLE GAZETTE

JULY 2011

PAGE

3

Living Healthy A Healthy Innovation Muffin-Mania: My Science Project

by Hannah Jaffe, Age 12 Weston, FL In my science class this year, we did many interesting and cool projects, one of which was the “Healthy Innovations” project. With a partner, we had to invent, or experiment with, a way to live a healthy lifestyle.

My partner and I really wanted to do something that we enjoyed - and that was baking! We decided to compare different types of muffins --store-bought, a boxed mix, and homemade recipes -- to observe which one was healthiest. We measured in terms of sugar, fat and fiber levels.

First, we had to research to get our background information on nutrition and essential food topics. Then, we had to make a hypothesis- which in this case was that the homemade muffins would be healthiest because

they would have no preservatives or chemicals.

We either bought or made different flavors for the muffins.

We chose berry and other fruit flavors but not any chocolate or unhealthy components. When we baked them, it was really fun! We made them all (except for the store-bought ones of course), then we compared the nutrition facts.

We used a website where you put in all the ingredients and amount used to calculate the total amount of calories, fat and sugar levels for the homemade muffins. It was pretty cool to find the nutrition facts all together for our recipe!

In the end, our hypothesis was supported and the homemade muffins were the healthiest. The purpose of our experiment was to encourage people to find a healthy alternative to the average-not-so-healthy muffin!

So, be healthy, and eat right!

“Our hypothesis: Homemade muffins would be healthiest because they would have no preservatives or chemicals.”

Cooking Classes for Children www.cooking--withwww.cooking with-enid.com

Children learn basic skills (measuring, cutting and reading recipes) while cooking healthy snacks, international foods and traditional favorites.

Children come home with a new recipe each week!

Classes held at Coral Springs Gymnasium for children ages 6-11

PrePre-Registration is required Call (954)345(954)345-2200 Summer Sessions June 30, July 7, 14, 21 July 28, August 4, 11, 18 Thursdays 7:00 to 8:00 pm

Staying healthy is cool. Literally!

by Sara Cross and Daniela Gómez, Ages 10 and 11 South Florida Hi kids, and welcome to Living Healthy, a column that talks about how to keep your body healthy and energized. This month is the second one of summer and pretty much the hottest month of the year. In this column, we will talk about some healthy things to do to keep cool. A few recipes will be listed in this article, and we hope that you try them out and enjoy them….

A nice, cold ice cream sundae is great on a summer day! And so is this: an icy cold organic smoothie with no artificial preservatives or added sugars.

Here is a recipe for a Pineapple Banana Smoothie with apple and strawberry yogurt: YOU WILL NEED: 1 ½ cups of strawberry yogurt ½ cup of pineapples 1 ¾ cups almond or coconut milk About 2 handfuls of spinach A medium-sized carrot, sliced 1 banana 1 apple, sliced.

HOW TO MAKE IT: Pour the yogurt into a blender.

The fruit can be frozen. Make sure that you have something that is not frozen. Put the frozen fruit on top of the fruit and vegetables that are not frozen. Depending on what is frozen and what is not, put the ingredients in the blender.

Pour the almond or coconut milk and the vegetables in last. Blend until the carrot, spinach and apple are barely visible.

Now you have a delicious smoothie without added sugar— that tastes sweet! Don’t worry about the carrot and spinach, they won’t add any unwanted flavor to your smoothie and it’s very nutritious! Don’t expect your smoothie to have the exact coloring of Jamba Juice. Also if you use the frozen fruit, it is a refreshing and

Add a different variety of fruits and veggies to make it your own unique drink. yummy drink on a hot day. Watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, and blueberries are a great addition to your smoothies. Add a different variety of fruits and veggies to make it your own unique drink Now you know a recipe for a cold concoction that has no artificial flavors, colorings, or preservatives that still tastes great!

If you are more of an ice cream type, try this: Banana Ice Cream: YOU WILL NEED: 1 frozen banana HOW TO MAKE IT: It’s very simple. Put the banana into a blender and make sure that it gets pureed. Make one banana per person. You can add chocolate chips if you would like it sweeter.

A good thing about fruit is that it is high in fiber. Fiber is a great help to your body, cleaning out your long and small intestines.

You should always make sure to eat enough fiber to keep your body healthy, or else it can get very tough to go to the bathroom.

These two heat expelling sweets are packed with fruits and vegeta-

  Rainbow Shakes Ingredients Ice • 3 Bananas, cut up • 1 box of strawberries (cleaned & hulled) • 1 can pineapple rings (own juice) • 1/2 can of apple juice • Orange juice

Directions

bles, and therefore great sources of fiber.

Think before you pour that bubbly Coca-cola into your cup, and STOP! Soft drinks might be delicious, but they are not your health’s best friend. The typical soft drink consists of carbonated water, a flavoring agent and a sweetener. Sugar, high-fructose corn syrup and sugar substitute (such as Splenda) are used as the sweetener. Soft drinks also usually include caffeine. We will expand on this subject next month.

Sometimes what you eat and drink has more to it than meets your taste buds. Check the nutrition facts page in your food and drinks, it’s nice to know what you are eating and whether it’s good for you or not. Slowly substitute some foods for others: have fruit instead of cookies, whole-grain instead of white bread, a fruit smoothie and not a Capri-Sun. This will help increase the health of your diet and of your body…

See you in August!

Annie's Organic Buying Club making organics affordable for everyone!

Coordinators serving your area now!

Coral Springs Coconut Creek Parkland & through out Florida! go to:

www.AnniesBuyingClub.com

• Cut up fruit. Add ice and juice to blender and turn the blender on to liquefy. Enjoy!

NOTE: Make our own orange juice.

COURTESY OF

Cooking with Enid

www.cookingwww.cooking -withwith-enid.com

a grassroots effort for the freshest affordable organics Annie’s Buying Club 800-517-5121 862 S Tamiami Trail, Osprey, FL 34229

PAGE

THE CIRCLE GAZETTE

4

JULY 2011

Explorers State My JA BizTown Experience Competition

by Shadya Amodu, Age 11 Deerfield Beach, FL

by Ryan Smith, Age 14 Coconut Creek, FL

The Annual State Police Explorer Competition is coming up this June. This is the event that we have been preparing for over the last few months at the Coconut Creek Police Explorers.

Over the course of six days, we will be participating in various events that we have been training for. Some of these events may include search and arrest, traffic stops, and hostage negotiation, among many more. The competition will be hosted in Orlando by the State of Florida and the Florida Association of Police Explorers, or F.A.P.E. The purpose of this competition is to have our results analyzed by police professionals so that we can improve in areas of weakness and maintain our strengths. It can also present new techniques that we may never have thought of. Overall, it is an amazing learning experience for everyone who is part of it. In addition, it helps us develop our skills so we can get a head start

Coconut Creek Police Explorers when we begin training to become real police officers.

If you have an interest in police work or would like to participate in an event like this, you can e-mail Officer Zombek at MZombek@coconutcreek.net or call Officer DelVecchio at 954-973-6700 (Ext. 1455) to get more details and sign up to become a police explorer.

My First Art Festival

by Alizdair Sebastien Ray, Age 7 Davie, FL My family and I are members of Hollywood Hills Homeschoolers and it is a good homeschool group. Mrs. Ayesha is an art teacher at the Hollywood Hills Homeschoolers group and she wanted to do an art festival for the kids.

I entered my pirate painting. I did it in an art class at the Young At Art Museum in Davie. My painting started off as a self portrait but ended up as a pirate. I could see myself as a pirate on a ship. The class was fun and it was nice to see my friends have fun too. I love to paint and draw.

I love the colors of paint and markers. I love trying colors and shapes and seeing what happens. I love going to the Young At Art Museum for classes and to have fun with my friends.

I was excited to enter my drawing and decided not to sell it in the auction. My friends also had some good art work and it was fun to give comments about each other work.

I hope there is another art festival next year because I want to participate again. I

see my work from last year and see how I have improved. I might be an artist, you never know.

Alizdair enjoys art class at the Young At Art Museum in Davie

“I entered my pirate painting”

Have you ever wanted to be a grown up, have a job, get paid, write your own checks, and do other important grown-up stuff? Have you ever imagined what your parents encounter at work? Well you have a chance to find out the solution to all your queries at Junior Achievement’s JA BizTown.

During my recent visit to JA BizTown I had the opportunity to see what lies ahead in having a career in the real world. In this organization you get to apply for a job, write checks, vote, and even run for mayor! Maybe you are the next mayor of JA BizTown. You can even buy and sell goods with JA BizTown cash!

Those of us who have just graduated from elementary school unfortunately are not yet old enough to do some of the exciting things that grown-ups do. We can’t drive, nor can we work or even be the boss.

(The only option we have is to be bossed around!). But at JA BizTown we can get to experience what adulthood is like. Here is where we get a chance to run banks, manage restaurants, read utility meters, write checks, and even vote. It takes us a step ahead to give us a glimpse of what life beyond school can be.

The program helps prepare young people for the practical world by teaching them how to generate and effectively manage wealth, how to create jobs for the community to make the communities more useful and productive, and how to apply entrepreneurial thinking to the workplace.

Students utilize these valuable lessons and learn the value of being useful to their communities.

My visit to this non-profit organization proved to be highly educational to me.

Here I was instantly a reporter at Sun Sentinel, seemingly a dream come true. There were other positions too at this publication, like CEO, CFO, ad executive, photographer, and editor. While I was a reporter with Sun Sentinel, my ambitious friends were similarly happy to be employed by other businesses like Holy Cross Hospital, NOVA, Channel 10, Bank Atlantic, JA Café, Spherion, Metro Signs, Miami Dolphins, and many more. Everything seemed so realistic and I felt that maybe I wouldn’t have to go back to school anymore and that meant no more homework. Yeah! During my career lesson, I learned about a few more interesting and important activities,

Shadya Amodu turns into a SunSentinel reporter at JA BizTown. including writing checks and balancing my account. When making a checking account, keep in mind to have some surplus cash with you – just in case you want to purchase a newspaper or donate to the animal shelter or even request your favorite song on the Biz Town radio. Bounced check? Oh dear, you will have to repay it somehow, and if you took loan to start a business, you will have to repay all of it.

On your two breaks, (snack and lunch) don’t forget to stop by JA Café where delicious delicacies and snacks are served.

Keep your eyes peeled for the attorney, since a violation could attract being prosecuted and if found guilty, you may be punished.

JA BizTown also offers sessions on finance. If you failed to attend this enterprising place during fifth grade, no problem!

There is always eighth grade Financial Park to make up for your missed visit.

The field trip to this place inspired me and my friends to believe in ourselves and how we can be useful to our community and make a difference, no matter how small. I was happy to gain this experience and to know what opportunities are waiting for me beyond school. Now I cannot wait to explore them and make the most of them!

Note from the Editor: Junior Achievement Fort Lauderdale is located at: JA of South Florida, Inc. 1130 Coconut Creek Blvd.

Coconut Creek, FL 33066 To know more about Junior Achievement visit www.ja.org.

JULY 2011

by Aaron Cross, Age 14 Boca Raton, FL Hurricane season has just begun! Even though there has not been a major hurricane here in South Florida for quite a few years, this year could be the one that spells disaster. Everyone should be prepared for the worst, and have enough supplies to last at least a week, if not more. There are probably a few things that come to mind when you are thinking about hurricane supplies: food, water, window shutters, flashlights and batteries in case you lose power, and a prepared small safe room in the house with no windows and away from any doors to the outside. I agree that those things are important, but most likely there are also a few things you have not thought of.

For example, you need enough water saved to last you a long time. Often during a hurricane the water treatment plants get shut down, and the water that heads to your faucet becomes contaminated! A bathtub needs to be filled before the storm so you have sufficient water for wash-

THE CIRCLE GAZETTE

bottled water for drinking and cooking, too.

Always be sure to have sufficient shelf-stable food (such as canned or prepackaged meals) and have non-electric ways to prepare it. If you have a barbeque, stock up on charcoal and matches or lighters. If you have a gas stove stock up on fuel for it. Do not forget to have a manual can opener! Without one you cannot open any of the cans you have stored. Without power an electric can opener will obviously not work.

Another thing that might not come to the inexperienced person, is to have sufficient first aid supply. After the storm when you go outside to clean up the mess left behind, you will often get cut or scratched on the sharp objects that are all over the place. Never go outside without shoes after a storm and always have whatever antibacterial solution you use and plenty of bandages with you whenever you are outdoors.

Good work gloves will protect your hands from sharp objects as well. Be sure to wear bug repellant, too, or else you will get eaten alive by the mosquitoes who

The final thing to worry about is how you are going to occupy yourself during a storm. The last thing anyone wants is to be sitting inside listening to the rain pound on their windows being bored out of their minds! A few things to do during a storm include any game using cards or any non-electric board game. After all, the best thing to do when you are bored is to play board games! Also be sure to charge all of your hand-held electric gaming systems, portable movie players, music players, and laptops, so you can have some extra entertainment, at least until the batteries die.

Be sure to check out www. nhc.noaa.gov to find more information on being prepared for a hurricane, and warnings for upcoming storms.

Google search ‘hurricane tracking map printable’ to find printable graphs of hurricane prone areas and how to use them so you can track the most recent hurricanes based on coordinates weather channels (and the web site above) give out.

In Deerfield Beach, Florida, there is a hurricane survival house museum. It was originally built in

PAGE

5

What to Keep in Mind? Food, water, window shutters, flashlights and batteries. A small safe room on the house with no windows and away from any doors to the outside. Fuel, blankets and first aid kit!

1999 by State Farm Insurance as a prototype for a house that can survive category five hurricanes.

It was turned into a visitor’s center to educate people about the

dangers of not being prepared and to teach them how to be. Visit www.hurricanewarning.org to learn more about the Hurricane Survival House.

SUMMER STORIES

In its August 2011 issue THE CIRCLE GAZETTE will be featuring

Summer Adventures!

This year could be the one that spells disaster in South Florida. ing your hands and flushing the toilet when necessary. Water can sometimes leak through a standard drain plug, so you should make it a water-tight seal by using plumbers’ putty (available at most hardware stores). In addition you can plug the overflow drain with plumbers’ putty, too, so you can get some more water into the bathtub. Just do not walk away with the water running, or else you will have a flood before the hurricane! If there happen to be infants or small animals in the house, that filled bathtub could become a drowning hazard for them, and they must be kept away from the filled tub without supervision. If you are concerned you can consider getting one of the nifty water bottles called bathtub bladders. They are large water bottles that fit inside any average bathtub and hold enough clean water to last you the whole storm.

The water is contained so there is no possible drowning hazard.

Just don’t forget to save enough

like the warm, wet, weather after a storm.

Now what should you do about your pet? If you have a cat, dog, rabbit, hamster, bird, rat, fish, lizard, snake, tarantula, scorpion, your little sister, or whatever else you happen to have in the house, make sure to bring it into the safe room of the house with you when you go there. Make sure to have enough food and water for them.

If you have a fish, make sure to have a battery air pump (available at pet stores and fishing supply stores) so you can aerate the water, even without power.

If your pet is on medication or takes vitamins, a week supply if not more is necessary for taking care of an animal during a hurricane. A travel cage is a good thing to have so you can take your pet with you if you have to evacuate. Keep in mind that not all shelters allow pets, so you may have to make other arrangements for your animal. It is best not to wait until right before the storm to do this!

Share with our readers your favorite summer activities: Do you... ...join organized camps? ...travel with your family? If so, where? ...go camping? ...go to the beach? ...do the same thing every year? ...wish you could do something else? ...join an international exchange program? ...stay home and do different things every week? ...stay home and relax indoors? ...read a lot? ...go to water parks? ...melt while visiting amusement and theme parks? ...relocate to another town/city/ country?

Whatever you do, wherever you go, we want to know about it. Would you review your current camp program? How about a recommendation? Did it meet your expectations?

At the Circle Gazette, we crave creative journalism! Be a reporter and tell us what you see, what you know, what you have experienced.

E-mail us at info@enrichmentcircle.com and participate in Summer Adventures… Of course you can also send your favorite summer art!

Last, but not least, PRESS PASSES are available for those interested in pursuing interviews and coverage of local events.

Call us at 954-918 2541 to apply for one!

As a non-profit organization

we rely on your support and generosity to make our programs possible. Subscribe online at www.enrichmentcircle. com. To learn about other ways

in which you can help make the Circle Gazette sustainable over time, contact us at info@enrichmentcircle.com.

Happy Summer!

“Fishing is Fun” by Andy Hernández. Soft Pastels on paper.

PAGE

THE CIRCLE GAZETTE

6

JULY 2011

Books, Movies and Plays for the Summer

SARAH’S CINEMA A Monthly Movie Review

by Sarah Thompson, Age 12 Boynton Beach, FL Movie: Kung Fu Panda 2: The Kaboom of Doom Rated: PG The plot: Po (voiced by Jack Black), the unlikely hero of the 2008 film Kung Fu Panda, is back and this time he’s on two missions: not only must he stop Lord Shen, a greedy and cruel peacock who long ago wiped out almost all of the pandas in China, but he’s also trying to uncover his past and learn what happened to his parents.

The verdict: The first Kung Fu Panda movie was made mostly for laughs, with some of the jokes being genuinely funny, and others coming off as pretty silly. The first film also had a very simple plot: an overweight panda is chosen to become a hero and save the day. While I did enjoy the first movie, I think it left out a lot of things that make a movie

good. Things like a steady plot that stays clear throughout the film, characters you can sympathize with, and writing that holds the viewers’ interest. And even though this second movie isn’t exactly Oscar-quality, it does add some nice touches the first film overlooked.

In Kung Fu Panda, we first met Po working at a noodle shop with his “dad.” His “dad” being a goose named Mr. Ping. While it

GREAT CATCHES! Enjoying Our Summertime!

by Bilal Amodu, Age 14 Deerfield Beach, FL

is quite obvious Ping is not Po’s biological father, the film plays it as a joke and never really does explain where Po came from. In Kung Fu Panda 2, Po discovers the truth about his past. I’m not going to give away the whole plot here, but in the end Po does learn to forgive the selfish animal who wronged him and took away his parents, and discovers that no matter how hard it is to accept the truth - whether it be about your past, your present, or your future - once you do so, you can move on and learn to embrace what you have now.

This sequel also explores other issues the first film did not, and all in all, bases the film not around humor, but around something else…heart. We see a different side of Po…a side that doesn’t just joke around and eat all the time, but a side that learns what it really feels like to love, and be loved.

Hello loyal readers! Please accept a warm welcome to this month’s edition of the Circle Gazette. Whether it is swimming, traveling, or playing sports, summer activities are enjoyed by children of all ages.

One of my favorite summer activities is reading which has inspired me to propose some magnificent books for my fellow bookworms this July. Even though we are in the midst of Independence Day, vacations, as well as baseball season, reading is an activity that never ceases with a season.

Heat Author: Mike Lupica Age level: 4th grade and up Rating:

a talent show, the entire Union eagerly assembles to create entertaining performances. Unfortunately, Georgia is afflicted by stage-fright which could ruin her team’s performance. Can she gain the confidence necessary to permit the show to go on?

Kingdom Keepers Author: Ridley Pearson Age level: 5th grade Rating:

Did You Know... ...that the 3D computer-animated action comedy film, Kung Fu Panda, as of June 16, 2011, has grossed $134,642,797 million nationally and $224,545,653 million internationally? It ranked third during its opening weekend, earning $108.9 million, behind Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and The Hangover Part II.

Theatre World Fill Your Summer With Live Theater

by Daniela Gómez, Age 11 Margate, FL

Baseball is a preferred summer pastime in American culture. However, orphaned twelve-year old Michael Arroyo views the sport as more than a mere pastime. Despite his adroit pitching abilities, he is prohibited from playing baseball in the Little League when questions arise about his age and he lacks the birth certificate to prove it.

His situation is exacerbated when social services pursue him and he must search for a way to remain with his solitary living relative, his brother, Carlos.

The Scrambled States of America Talent Show Author: Laurie Keller Age level: Kindergarten and up Rating: In honor of Independence Day, I am proposing an entertaining story about the States of our nation. If you recall, I reviewed the first book, The Scrambled States of America, in the fall.

This story is one that surpasses the first book. Subsequent to one state indiscriminately proposing

Hello Circle Gazette readers! This month I will list a few plays coming up this summer for you to enjoy: From the Coral Springs Center for the Arts: The Sound of Music, 7/1/2011 6:30 p.m. Disney’s Camp Rock, The Musical, 7/28-29/2011, 28: 6:30 p.m. 29: 1:30 p.m. West Side Story, 8/12/2011 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. My Son Pinocchio, 8/19/2011 6:30 p.m.

(For more information, go to www.coralspringscenterforthearts.com)

A plethora of kids are looking forward to venture to Orlando to visit the renowned Disney World theme park. If you are such a kid, this novel is ideal for you. Five teenagers who have been recruited to serve as hologram guides must assemble to fend the villainous “Overtakers,” who aspire to use whatever means possible to conquer the acclaimed park.

Don’t miss the Sound of Music at the Coral Springs Center for From the Fort Lauderdale Bryan Adams, 8/11/2011 (For more information, go to the Arts on July 1 at 6:30 p.m.

Children’s Theatre: www.kravis.org) Hello Dolly!, 7/29/2011— I hope that you attend some 7/30/2011 Camp Rock, of the plays listed above. Write From the Broward Center for Jai Rodriguez in Dirty Little Disney’s

the Performing Arts: Summer Shorts with Jai Rodriguez, 6/30/2011—7/3/2011 Camp Kappawanna, 7/1/2011—7/3/2011

Secrets, 7/ 2/2011

7/7/2011—7/7/2011

Broadway Revue, Summer From Mozart to Marley, Camp Session 1, 7/5/2011 Upon A Mattress, 7/6/2011

Once

7/16/2011—7/17/2011 (For more information, go to www.browardcenter.org)

(For more information, go to www.flct.org)

From the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts:

to me at theatreworld@enrichmentcircle.com and tell me of your experience at the theater.

Have fun and come with me as the lights go out!

JULY 2011

THE CIRCLE GAZETTE

PAGE

7

The Year 4 Meerkats’ Rainforest Project continued from page 1

by Chloe Westwood-Chandler, Anna Hill and Milhan Chungh made advertisements about: BUY back an acre (to replant the rainforests) BUY an acre (to keep land as rainforest) EARTHWATCH (to keep watch over the Borneo rainforest and protect it from people burning it down).

Our Palm Oil Letters

Our action teams have also been busy writing to manufacturers and the parliaments here and in Europe. We all did some research to find out which supermarket products contain palm oil and we found that lots do. Some of this comes from land cleared of rainforest but the labels on most don’t tell you where it is

Ms. Margot James, Member of Parliament, visits the Year 4 Meerkats classroom at Pedmore CE Primary School

from. We’re trying to change that with our letter writing. We received many replies!

A Visit from Margot James, Member of Parliament (MP) We also had a visit from our local MP, Margot James. Some of us had written to her about the plans to sell off woodlands in England. After she replied to our emails, Margot came in to meet us and find out more about our rainforest projects. Everyone in Year 4 gave Margot a class presentation about what we had learned. She said she was very impressed. We asked her lots of questions about the rainforests.

Before she left, Margot promised to help us save the rainforests.

A Visit from Kate Hodgkinson – from the School of Geography and the Environment at Oxford University (SOGE) Kate is doing a project on the rainforests. We talked to her about our project so far and we held a class enquiry where we played the role of different people, like rainforest tribe people, scientists and loggers and debated

Year 4 students meet Mandeep Atwal the future of the rainforests. Kate was really impressed and she is going to write about us in her project. We will be seeing Kate again in July when she tells us about her research.

We hope you have enjoyed reading about our rainforest project. You can visit our Pedmore Meerkats’ blog at http:// pedmoremeerkats.wordpress. com to know more.

If you would like to help the rainforests, why not think about writing to manufacturers and gov-

THE MIAMI HEAT: A Total Failure? continued from page 1

by Ismail Ercan, Age 14 giving Miami the win and a ticket to the Eastern Conference finals with the Chicago Bulls, the number one seed in the East, playing great basketball. It seemed as if Miami had their hands full.

Game one of the new series against the Bulls was in Chicago, and the Bulls showed why they had the best record in the league with a dominating 103-82 win behind MVP Derrick Rose’s 28 points. They shut down the Heat offensively and outrebounded them 45-33, converting many second chance points. With the final few minutes ticking down, the Bull’s crowd chanted “Beat the Heat” and “Overrated.” Would Miami bounce back?

Yes, they did. Once again, LeBron was clutch with nine points in the final four and a half minutes of the game.

The Heat outrebounded the Bulls, but most importantly, won the fourth quarter. “That fourth quarter is going to epitomize this entire series,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said following the game. As for the win, “We got that one that we needed,” Wade said in the post conference. “Now, we go home and we’ve got to take care of business.” Miami would take care of business at home, winning games three and four (four in overtime) and headed back to Chicago for game five to finish off the Bulls and head to finals.

At the final game against the Bulls, things were to be decided in the fourth quarter again. The Heat found themselves in a twelve point deficit with three minutes left in the game. It was none other than LeBron James and Dwayne Wade who spectacularly scored eight points each to overcome the Bulls’ lead and win the game 83-80.

The Heat had now proven themselves worthy of contending for a world championship. In their way stood the Dallas Mavericks; an improbable opponent, considering they struggled to get through the first round against the Portland Trail Blazers. But these experienced Mavs had good chemistry together, and although they weren’t the most talented team, they never gave up throughout the playoffs. This showed in the series against Miami.

Game one (in Miami) was an off night offensively for both teams. Miami had a 39 percent shooting and

Dallas a 37 percent shooting. Down by eight, early in the third quarter, Miami showed that they wanted this game more despite the bad night of shooting. They outrebounded the Mavericks and got much support from the bench players, while Dallas’ offensive was mostly coming from Dirk Nowitzki. Miami pulled away with the win in the final few minutes.

Final score: Miami 92 – Dallas 84.

Game two (in Miami) seemed to be the real turn-around for Dallas. Once again the fourth quarter was when the game was decided. With under eight minutes left in the game, Dallas was down by 15 points. It was highly unlikely that they could even come into range of threatening the Heat’s lead.

However, the Mavericks rallied late and a Dirk Nowitzki layup with three seconds left was the game winner.

The crowd was shocked. Just a few minutes earlier, they were celebrating a three by Wade that seemed to have put the game beyond Dallas’ reach. The comeback was one of the greatest comebacks of all time in Finals history and now the Mavericks felt confident leaving the now quiet American Airlines Arena. Final score: Dallas 95 – Miami 93.

Game three (in Dallas) was another momentum shift, this time in the Heat’s favor. Chris Bosh, the third member of the Big Three greatly contributed in this game and helped the Heat outscore Dallas in the paint 40-22. He also hit the game winning shot with under 40 seconds left in the game. Miami managed to cling to the lead that they had coming into the last few minutes and won the game. Final score: Miami 88 – Dallas 86.

Now history was against Dallas.

In the eleven series previously tied at 1-1 in the finals, the team that won game three (in this case the Heat) always went on to win the championship. So could they overcome this?

Yes. Yes. Yes. In Game 4 (in Dallas), Dirk, despite battling a 101o fever, scored 10 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter to give the Mavericks the three point win: 86-83. Miami’s breakdown came with 7 minutes to go, and they didn’t score until the two minute mark. Wade also missed the tying free-throw with 30 seconds remaining in the game.

Game five (in Dallas) was by far the most offensive game of the finals.

Both teams shot remarkably well, with over 60% shooting! And Dallas’ three point shooting caught fire, making 13 out of 19 attempts (68%). Miami’s turnovers really hurt them, however they found themselves again leading with a few minutes to go, but they went cold! LeBron, who earlier in the playoffs was scoring many points in the 4th quarter, only scored two! And Dallas ended the game on a 17-4 run.

Final Score: Dallas 112 – Miami 103.

Now the pressure was on Miami.

Down three-two, but at home for Game 6 and Game 7 (if they won), they would have to be clutch in key moments. That meant LeBron needed to score in the fourth quarter.

Throughout the game, it looked as if Dallas was always one step ahead of Miami, despite blowing a 12 point lead at halftime. They kept their composure and never really let Miami back into the game. Their impressive three point shooting continued and it looked bad for the Heat with a few minutes left to go. Wade started to try to take over; however bounced the ball

Did You Know... ...that Dirk Nowitzski, power forward for the 2011 NBA playoff championship team, the Dallas Mavericks, was born in Wurzburg, Germany on June 19, 1978 and is the only European-born player in history to win the NBA Most Valuable Player award?

ernments to improve the labelling of products to show whether they are forest friendly? Hopefully, if enough people get involved things will change and animals like orangutans will be safe!

Note from the Editor Chloe Westwood-Chandler, Anna Hill and Milhan Chungh are from the Year 4 (3rd Grade Equivalent) Meerkats class of Ms. Ladbrooke at the Pedmore CE Primary School in West Midlands, UK.

The Dallas team celebrated its first championship on June 12, 2011.

Final score: Dallas 105 – Heat 95. Series won by Dallas 4-2. off his shoe to give up the ball when the Heat needed to score. On the opposite end of the court, Dirk Nowitzki nailed a two point shot that gave Dallas a ten point lead with two minutes left. At this point, some fans were already leaving the arena with disbelief.

And there were cheers from the Dallas bench and fans as the buzzer went off, and the Dallas team celebrated its first championship. Final score: Dallas 105 – Heat 95. Series won by Dallas 4-2.

So is the championship season that Miami almost pulled off a failure or just another hurdle on the way to the finish line of success? We shall see what the future holds. Dallas coach Rick Carlisle thinks, “their time will come…” he said following the series win.

Certainly for LeBron James, it’s just another memory that he would rather forget. When will he get his

first title? Or will he be on the list of great players never to win a ring?

Legends such as Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O’Neal, and Isaiah Thomas all struggled to get their first championship. Lakers legend, Jerry West lost his first seven finals before winning his final one.

“The Greater Man upstairs know when it’s my time,” James tweeted.

“Right now isn’t the time.”

Hopefully it will be soon. However the road ahead will be harder; most teams that reach the finals one year fail to do so the following. But, in my opinion, this Heat team can only get stronger as the players have been with each other for a year now and will be hungrier than ever to win the title.

LET’S GO HEAT!

Did You Know... …that Lebron James’ highest scoring game with the Miami Heat happened on February 3, 2011 while playing against the Orlando Magic? He scored 51 points. This is not even near the record for all-time scoring, which was set by Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors (now the 76ers) on March 2, 1962 while playing against the New York Knicks. During this game Chamberlain scored 100 points!

PAGE

THE CIRCLE GAZETTE

8

Father’s Day: Best Day in June

1968

by Bilal Amodu, Age 14 Deerfield Beach, FL

by Alizdair Sebastien Ray, Age 7 Davie, FL

Father’s Day is on June 19 this year.

I want to talk about what my father means to me.

My Dad is a great parent. He loves me so much. He read to me when I was in my mother’s stomach. I think that is why I love to read so much.

When I was born my Dad was so glad to see me.

My Dad works hard at the office but he always spends time with me and my Mom. My Dad and I play football in the back yard: I am the Panthers and Dad is the Packers. We play soccer in my room and we love that. We also love to take walks together in our neighborhood. He doesn’t miss my soccer or flag football games, unless he is on a business trip. He even finds time to volunteer as an assistant coach.

My Dad is my super hero. A lot of people think super heroes have powers, fly and wear capes. My Daddy is a super hero because he is always there for our family.

I look up to him and want to be a great person like him when I

JULY 2011

We may now suffer from crises Both perverse as well as ubiquitous Though these are not the worst circumstances Which history has thrust upon us.

A little more than two score ago Our nation was afflicted By a rather unpopular foreign war As well as demonstrators who were bigoted.

The calamities of the turbulent period Commenced with brash extortions of bases Which to the dismay of a plethora of Americans Occurred in Vietnam of all places.

Alizdair and his Dad. grow up. I want him to be proud of me like I am proud of him.

I love you so much Daddy. You are my best friend.

Did You Know... …that TakingItGlobal --a social network which focuses on encouraging young people to gain a global education, become entrepreneurs, and be involved in their community with the goal of promoting peace and sustainability throughout the world-- has served over 14 million young people since 2000?

Mounting American casualties Had irked antiwar sentiment Convincing people across the land That the conflict was virulent.

Protests had fabricated rebellion Against values that were traditional While any attempts to quell the dispute Were vividly ineffectual.

Sadly the ubiquitous misfortunes Refused to cease with protests As some took actions that were fueled By a cruel, inhumane hatred.

Assassinations of pivotal leaders Obliterated amicable relations nationwide From the demise of a civil rights advocate To a senator a mere paucity could despise.

In the midst of this bitter turmoil Was a presidential election In which candidates with adverse views scrutinized each other During an apparently eternal selection.

With crime ascending rapidly As well as youth emerging as nefarious Our country ended up accepting Richard M. Nixon As the sole man who could lead us.

Though our land is plagued today With maladies that are vexatious, Are these atrocities worse than the annum of 1968?

That, shall be unveiled on a pending day.

THE CIRCLE GAZETTE

JULY 2011

PAGE

The Heat of July

Escape

by Shadya Amodu, Age 11 Deerfield Beach, FL

A Haiku

by Daniela Gómez, Age 11 Margate, FL

Hot! Hot! Hot! Burning on the spot!

That’s the heat of July Summer --so severe and dry.

Yet there are still things to celebrate, For it is the middle of summer break!

Hop and pop for the fourth of July.

Cheer and enjoy the hot dogs and pie.

Pretty radiant fireworks high in the sky, All thanks to the all-American July.

Happy Birthday America!

Long Live USA!

The mouse looks around And scurries, circling the field Away from a hawk

Safety, Safety

by Daniela Gómez, Age 11 Margate, FL

Safety, safety A dragonfly is missing, missing Far away, away Enter the lily-pad room, room Today she is not there, there Young, yes young, Yet gone, gone.

Safety, safety A girl is missing, missing Far away, away Enter the busy room, room Today she is not there, there Young, yes young Yet gone, gone.

The Letters of My Name

by Ari Swift, Age 13 Boca Raton, FL

What the letters of my name mean to me:

Bird

Awesome Righteous Intelligent Swift Wise Ingenuous Fair Thoughtful What the letters of my name mean to my sister: Annoying Rude Ignorant Super With Irritating Fights The end

“Bird”

by Emma Gómez, Age 7. Color pencils and natural wax crayons on canvas paper.

A Haiku

by Emma Gómez, Age 7 Margate, FL

Flying through the air Swoop and glide through the branches Making lovely noise

Animals

by Emma Gómez, Age 7 Margate, FL

Frisky tails that tickle the trees, Buzzing bees that land the flowers, Happy birds that sing, Galloping horses that paw the ground.

Animals are free.

9

PAGE

10

THE CIRCLE GAZETTE

JULY 2011

“Coral” the Turquoise Fairy

by Daniela Gómez, Age 11 Margate, FL Name: Coral Age: 39 Color: Turquoise Size: 2 ½ inches Least Favorite Thing: To be far away from water Hobbies: Painting, swimming, sculpting, and making waves Favorite bird: Turquoise Parrot Favorite insect: Orchid Bee Animal Friend: Amy (Parrot) Favorite Seasons: Spring and summer Home: Magically hollowed-out sand dune in Sea Cove, a fairy village Favorite Flower: Violet Favorite Accessories: Her Sea Urchin spine wand and her Dolphin Waves painting Date: July 5, 2011. 10:34 AM From: jamie.elk@gmail.com To: elizabeth-j@comcast.net Subject: FAIRY!!!

1 Attachment Hey Lizzie! How was your Fourth of July? I had a great time yesterday! We went to the beach at about noon and stayed to see the fireworks! The second we got there, Leah went to play around the sand dunes and she found one that had a weird looking curtain hanging on one side. It was made out of seaweed and it was loosely woven with lots of huge spots between the strands, you know? I thought it was pretty cool. Leah was totally enchanted and you know my little sister, she just reached right into the dune! When her hand came out, Leah was holding what I thought was an odd looking bug with shiny butterfly-like

wings. Leah started running around saying that she had “caught a fairy” and she accidentally let go of the insect. I realized that Leah was right; the “bug” she had caught was really a fairy!

She was about two and a half inches tall and she had long blue-green hair that was swept into a high ponytail and, after being shaken around by Leah, was now sort of messy-looking. Her skin was tinted Turquoise, her eyes were large and looked like they belonged to a person with an imagination of no bounds, her lips were small, and her nose was very skinny. She just shook her head and walked up to the dune and touched the curtain and it immediately righted itself. Then she just stared at us…

It took a while, but she finally trusted us. The fairy didn’t speak English but she made really understandable signs and we found a way to communicate. Her name was Coral and her “color” was Turquoise.

She said that all fairies have a color and fairies that have the same color are cousins and fairies that have related colors (like red and orange) are siblings. Coral explained that fairies live forever and they always look young. She’s thirty-nine but she looks about twenty years younger! It was pretty interesting. She can make waves, paint (she prefers watercolors), sculpt, and swim really well. I have attached a photo of her.

She says that she lives in a beach called “FairyLand” and that the entrance was that sand dune. She lives in a dune inside the FairyLand entrance.

Coral had to leave when the fireworks started, but we had lots of fun. I know it’s hard to believe but there was a fairy (see the attached photo).

Hope you had a good day, Jamie :)

Kids & Politics

Did You Know...

And Then There Were Seven

Did you know… that the visual image of a fairy that is commonly seen today is very different from the folklore images of the Late Middle Ages?

The tiny winged creatures we think of today were imagined as either short trolllike creatures or tall angelic beings who rarely had wings, but flew with the use of magic or on the backs of birds.

continued from page 2

by Bilal Amodu, Age 14

The Hiding Octopus

by Jason Spigner, Age 8 Coral Springs, FL

One day I was strolling through the house when I heard someone knocking on the door. When I opened the door, I couldn’t believe my eyes. An octopus was standing right in front of me. At first, I was scared of him.

But then I started to like him. He was talking like a human. He said he needed a hiding place so he wouldn’t

“Coral, the Turquoise Fairy” by Daniela Gómez. Oil Pastels on Canvas Paper.

be eaten by a tiger that also talked like a human. But the tiger found us. We tried to net him. But he used his sharp claws to get out. So, we trapped him in a cage. But he used his claws to pick the lock. So, we tranquilized him and we called Animal Control. Then, Animal Control shipped him off to the zoo.

his intentions to seek the presidency. Mr. Pawlenty attacked Mr. Romney for his Massachusetts health care policy, ridiculing it as “Obamney Care,” in order to gain support. He was loath to address Mr. Romney’s health care plan in the debate, only discussing it after being prompted by the moderator. From what I have heard, the former governor has become controversial after proposing perplexing tax regulations. After hearing one of his former constituencies claiming that Mr. Pawlenty, “kicked the deficit down the road to the next governor and legislature to handle,” I don’t predict good fortune for him in the Republican primary.

Of all of the contenders, none has been more polarizing than Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann. Ms. Bachmann spent six years as a state legislator prior to her election to the United States House of Representatives. Fascinatingly enough, prior to the debate, Ms. Bachmann’s intentions to seek the presidency remained unspecified. Finally during the debate she announced that she had filed the necessary forms required to contend for her party’s nomination. Ms. Bachmann vowed to repeal the controversial health care law, also vowing to completely favor the Republican objective to make President Obama a “one-term president.” Though she is credited for victory in the debate, her dismal polling numbers lead me to be dubious about her chances as a candidate. I firmly disagree with most of her positions, and hope to never see her in the White House.

One of my least favorite contenders is

entrepreneur Herman Cain. Mr. Cain has served on several prominent positions in the food industry. He also has a great deal of experience in the media industry, including having his own radio talk show.

On May 21, Mr. Cain declared his candidacy for president. During the debate Mr. Cain made a plethora of pledges to restore the economy. I feel that he is not better than our governor Rick Scott, and that affluent business men who seek political office are more incognizant than their political class counterparts.

The final candidate I will discuss is Congressman Ron Paul of Texas. Prior to his congressional career, Paul was a physician who delivered around 4000 infants into our world. He has spent more than two decades in the House of Representatives and sought the presidency thrice, once in 1988, once in 2008, and a third time now. During the debate, Mr. Paul had much to say about foreign policy, about how we need to put a stop to the foreign conflicts we are involving ourselves in, and that our presence in other nations,“ is not making us any friends.”

While the congressmen’s record amuses me, and while I admire his experience, I am unconvinced about his ability to serve as president of this great nation.

Basically these are the presidential contenders. A majority of Republicans remain unsatisfied with this throng and are hoping that other candidates such as Texas Governor Rick Perry or former China Ambassador Jon Hunsman will join the contest. Though I have lost confidence in our President, I feel it necessary to remind our readers that with the election more than a year away, anything could occur.

We can continue to monitor the outcome by waiting and watching…

JULY 2011

THE CIRCLE GAZETTE

PAGE

11

Warehouse Cats

by Cindy Brewster, Age 13 Coral Springs, FL Once upon a rainy day, the McMeow family was tucked in bed at the Abandoned Warehouse. From inside, the faint cry of a newborn kitten could be heard.

Baby Joey had just been born the previous day. As he was rocking in his cradle, his mother Annabelle was reading him a bedtime story. The story didn’t work to get him to sleep, but it did work for his sisters.

Fluffy and Ally lay asleep in an old pile of newspapers, snoring just as loud as the rain dripping outside. Relaxing on an old couch next to them was Mr. Snuggles.

“Stop crying, you little brat! We all don’t want to hear your annoying voice.” Mr. Snuggles hissed and swatted at the cradle.

“Mr. Snuggles, how dare you swat at my little kitten! He did nothing to you.

Stop complaining and enjoy a nice bowl of milk.” Annabelle poured some chilled milk into a glass bowl that she found in the warehouse kitchen. “Here is your milk.

Please stop being a grumpy old cat. It is ruining Joey’s nap time.”

By afternoon that day, they were all sound asleep. Bang, bang, bang! The warehouse door flew open, bringing a cold breeze into the room. Big men with brown boots stormed into the warehouse. Their orange construction hats gave a warning that they were there to destroy.

“Mama, mama, mama! Protect me from these scary men in those smelly boots!”

Fluffy and Ally hid behind their mother, too terrified to move an inch. Annabelle stuck the pacifier into Joey’s mouth to stop any crying.

On the floor, a few steps away from Ally, was a boot. The brave and curious Ally tip-toed over to the boot and jumped in! She hopped like a rabbit all the way to the door. From there, she jumped out of the boot and wandered around, trying to find a spot to protect her. The cheerful sound of an ice cream truck was heard just around the corner of the warehouse. Ally sneaked around the corner, trying not to be seen or heard. She spotted a big man climbing out of the truck. Squinting, she saw that his tag said “Bob.” “I can’t believe my tire got popped by a sticky handed kid.” Bob stopped, looked around, and then walked toward the warehouse door.

Ally sprinted for the door and made it in right before Bob shut the door. She slid across the shiny wood floor and danced to her mother. “Mother, I would like some ice cream from the singing truck outside!”

At that moment, Annabelle had an idea.

“An ice cream truck?” Her eyes widened as she thought. “Get all of your stuff and follow me. We are going on a little trip.”

Ally jumped up and down at the thought of a trip. She had never been far away from the warehouse in her life. “Mama, will we be coming back here?” Her green eyes teared up. She had mixed feelings about leaving the warehouse forever.

“Quit crying little girl, we are going on an adventure! For the first time in my life, I’m excited about something.” Mr. Snuggles grabbed the few items he owned. He

had a blanket, an old scratching post, and a blue collar he found on the street.

Fluffy was collecting her belongings and putting them into Joey’s cradle. “Mommy, I’m going to put my stuff in his cradle so that I don’t have to carry it around.”

The kittens hopped into the cradle, and they were ready to go. The truck had stairs, so it was very easy for Annabelle to get the kittens on the truck. After the kids were on, Annabelle and Mr. Snuggles jumped in.

“It’s beautiful! The truck has all of the different flavors of ice cream. Like vanilla, strawberry, birthday cake! Oh no! There is chocolate. Death filled chocolate!” Ally was disgusted by the sight of the “death machine” chocolate.

“Now kids, we must be silent, or we will be found and kicked out. No scratching or fighting, and especially no meowing.” Annabelle stuck the pacifier in Joey’s mouth again so that no crying could be heard from the front of the ice cream truck.

Squeak, squeak, squeak!

“Mama, what was that sound?” Ally hid in an empty box of ice cream.

“Uh, hello, I’m Squeaky.” A tiny mouse popped out of a tiny hole in the door of the truck. “Don’t worry, I won’t bite. But you might bite. Please don’t bite me, I promise I will be on my best behavior.”

“Hi Squeaky, I’m Fluffy, and I will be your best friend forever!” Fluffy ran to Squeaky and hugged him. Fluffy was very curious because she had never met any other animal than a cat.

“Well, that’s nice, Fluffy. I am very interested in cats. One question, why do you scratch your ear with your foot?” Squeaky and Fluffy were having a good time talking about themselves and finding out more about each other.

Meanwhile, Joey was exploring the truck. Then, he jumped onto the ice cream cartons. “Eat eat!” It was Joey’s first word!

Since he was up there, the McMeow family all jumped up and started licking away at the ice cream.

Fluffy started to eat the tuna fish ice cream. It reminded her of her first birthday cake. The cake was tuna flavored with gold fish icing. Yum! Ally dug in to the birthday cake ice cream while Mr. Snuggles was enjoying some peach ice cream with chunks of peaches. Annabelle was munching on carrot cake ice cream, her favorite. She said that it reminded her of her pet bunny when she was a little kitten. Joey had gotten into a big carton of orange sorbet and had fun rolling around in a huge tub of swirling orange wonder.

Crash! Fluffy’s tuna fish ice cream plunged to the ground with Fluffy inside.

Fluffy bounced out of the carton covered in ice cream! Annabelle licked her daughter clean and instructed everyone to stop eating the ice cream.

“What is that thump I heard in the back of the truck?” Bob slammed on the brake and marched out of the truck.

“Everyone hide! He is coming!”

Squeaky showed Annabelle, Ally, Joey, and Mr. Snuggles to a hiding spot. “Fluffy, hide! Now!” Squeaky hid in the door hole.

Bob opened the truck’s back door. “Why is a cat in my truck? This is an ice cream

truck, little girly, not a cat hotel. Off you go! Go! Leave!”

Fluffy scurried out of the truck so frightened by the man named Bob. Bob jumped back into the truck, slammed on the gas petal, and they were gone.

“Mommy! No don’t leave me here!

Help me!” Fluffy curled up into a ball and cried. She ran out of the road and tried to look for help. She bumped into a very large iguana. “Hello. I’m a little lost.

Would you please help me?”

The iguana scooted across the street.

“No, little cat, I have better things to do.”

Fluffy ran into the corner of an alley behind a trashcan for protection. “I’m scared! Mommy, I need you! Please find me.” The only noise was the whimper of the little kitten.

In the ice cream truck, Annabelle was marching back and forth with her head down. “I can’t believe I let that happen to her!” Annabelle started to cry. “If I had been a better mother, this wouldn’t have happened. I am ashamed. Don’t look at me!”

Joey bounced over to his mother and tried to comfort her. “Mama is very good!” Joey rubbed his head on Annabelle and purred.

Ally also cruised over to comfort Annabelle. She picked up Joey and set him in his cradle. “We all agree that you are a very good mom. It wasn’t your fault that Fluffy got scared and didn’t hide with us! We will find her, so relax and enjoy the ice cream.”

Annabelle jumped up with her eyes wide open. “I will not relax until I find her. So pack up your belongings now! We are going to find Fluffy, and we will not give up!”

Annabelle started grabbing her items along with Joey’s cradle and bottle.

Once they all had their items, Mr. Snuggles pried open the truck door with his claws. They looked down at the road and jumped. “Everyone be careful! There are cars everywhere. Watch your step and never run away from the group.” Mr. Snuggles led the kittens to the sidewalk where they were safe.

Meanwhile, Fluffy was rummaging around in the trash of a restaurant around the corner from the alley. She managed to find a piece of pepperoni and sausage pizza with a bite taken out of it and a small amount of cake. “It’s not the best dinner I’ve ever had, but I guess I’ll have to eat it.

I’d rather eat it than starve.” She gobbled up the bit of cake and took another bite of her pizza. “I just noticed that I am talking to myself. Well, this is weird.” Fluffy blushed and curled up into a ball under the lid of the trash. Since she was squeezed against the brown trashcan, her black tail was stuffed under it.

As she was trying to fall sleep, rain poured down and bounced on the lid of the trashcan. A few miserable minutes later, she was soaking and shivering.

Also shivering ten miles away, the McMeow family wobbled along the asphalt road. Then, a shadow appeared in the mist.

“Mommy, what is that shadow? Why is it moving?” Ally shoved herself behind Annabelle and started to cry.

The mysterious shadow crept forward

and emerged from the fog. The figure was a large bull dog covered in mud. “I’m Scruff the bull dog. You cats look like you need some help. I know this area perfectly, so I’ll solve your problems.”

Ally slowly crawled out from behind her mother. “Excuse me, big doggy. We need to find my sister, Fluffy. She fell out of an ice cream truck a while ago.”

Scruff joined the McMeow family and started wandering along the street. He told Annabelle what was in the area and the amount of buildings.

On the other hand, Mr. Snuggles was getting jealous. Before Scruff arrived, Mr. Snuggles was in charge of giving directions. “We don’t need your help! We were doing fine on our own without a fat dog in our way.” He frowned and hissed at Scruff.

Annabelle gasped at him. “For all of the things Scruff is doing for us, you have been very rude. When you were guiding us, we had no idea where we were going.” Annabelle turned her face away from Mr. Snuggles.

Scruff felt very insulted by Mr. Snuggles comment. He thought that it was very generous of him to help them on their journey.

“It’s okay that Mr. Snuggles is jealous. I did take over his job. But he could have been a bit nicer.” Scruff scratched his ear with his foot and looked away pretending not to look upset.

“Everyone, please be careful! There is a huge hole coming up. Don’t play around, little kittens.” Annabelle pulled her kittens close.

Then, Joey started to fidget. “I gotta go peepee!”

Annabelle pulled Joey over to the sidewalk to take care of his business. Ally decided to run over to her family, but she fell into the gigantic hole. Nobody had noticed that she had fallen in, so she started to panic. “Help!”

Scruff ran over to the hole. “Stay calm.

We will get you out of there!” He lowered his paw into the hole for Ally to grab. She reached for his paw and held onto him tightly. He raised her up and out of the hole.

They kept walking until they were too tired to go on. Annabelle found a big tree for them to rest under. The tree had a familiar mark on its trunk. “Mommy! Come look at this mark. I have seen this before. I think this is where the truck stopped!”

Hearing that fantastic news, the McMeow family looked carefully around the area. With no luck, they crossed the street to the old alley. As they approached the restaurant, they could tell that Fluffy was close. Her slice of pizza was left on the floor with a bite taken out of it.

The McMeow family inspected the entire restaurant. Then, Joey spotted Fluffy under the trash. “Sister!” The entire family was filled with joy and they all started hugging.

Fluffy ran into her mother’s arms and wouldn’t let go. “Mommy, where will we go now?” It disturbed her to think that they would have to live in the alley forever.

Annabelle patted Fluffy on the head.

“I really don’t know. But I do know that no matter what happens, we will always stay together”

PAGE

12

THE CIRCLE GAZETTE

JULY 2011

“Sunset Rain”

by Abigail Abrams, Age 4 Fort Lauderdale, FL Watercolors on paper

“Beauty”

by Shadya Amodu, Age 11 Deerfield Beach, FL Color pencils and pencil on paper From “Beauty and the Beast: Together or Apart” A story by Shadya Amodu

“Air”

by Natalie Thelemaque, Age 12 Coral Springs, FL Pencil on paper

“The Whale”

by Elizabeth Abrams, Age 7 Fort Lauderdale, FL Oil Pastels and watercolors on paper Inspired by the book Storm Boy by Owen Paul Lewis

“The Wedding”

by Elizabeth Abrams, Age 7 Fort Lauderdale, FL Crayons and color pencils on paper “Poppies in a Vase”

by Daniela Gómez, Age 11 Margate, FL Watercolors This piece was developed in art appreciation class taught by Denise Thompson at the Coral Springs Museum of Art “The Cat”

by Tehilla Cohen, Age 6 Coral Springs, FL Pencil on paper

“My Flowers”

by Emma Gómez, Age 7 Margate, FL Watercolors This piece was developed in art appreciation class taught by Denise Thompson at the Coral Springs Museum of Art

“A Pirate Wearing a British Hat”

by Alizdair Sebastien Ray, Age 7 Davie, FL Acrylics on Canvas This piece was developed in art class at Young At Art Children’s Museum, Davie