THE CIRCLE GAZETTE
Volume 2, Issue 09
JUNE 2011
A Newspaper by Children for Children
The Next Great Chef by Reagan Olenick, Age 10 Weston, FL Close your eyes and imagine the following: you head for the elevators, not knowing at all what to expect, when out of nowhere, a wonderful, pleasant, you’llonly-find-in-a-dream aroma tickles your nose and wafts up your nostrils and opens your senses to a new world. You then get in, press the button for the second floor and ascend upward, ready to meet the source of the wonderful scent. Then you see it: two sets of double wall ovens, tables already set for a meal, overhead cameras projecting their images onto TV monitors up above, and an endless granite countertop with built in gas burners. There are wooden cabinets looming overhead housing all of your cooking supply wants and needs. You find yourself on a set that looks like it jumped out of the Food Network and into the very room that you’re standing in, powering the lovely smell. Where are you exactly? The answer may surprise you. Publix! Yes, I said Publix! But of course you know that can’t be! Well wrong, you’re standing in one of only seven Apron’s Cooking Schools, all but one located in Florida. The one I attend is located at 1181 South University Drive, Plantation, Florida 33324. When I was new to all this sort of thing, Apron’s chef instructors lead the way for me, teaching me skills some five star chefs don’t
even know! The fabulous chefs and professional setting help you make the best recipes that could ever meet your taste buds. What I mean is that with the help of Apron’s, anyone, and I mean anyone, can cook up a taste bud party. Take my dad as an example. He’d much rather flip up a few hamburgers and leave the gourmet stuff to my mom. Until now! My parents have now taken several adult classes and had a great time learning new things, trying new foods and meeting great people. These days, Dad’s loading up our plates with Mussels Arribiata, Veal Saltimbocca, and other delicious treats. I must say, even though Mom is practically a five star chef already, she’s embarking on new endeavors. Even my little brother, who hasn’t taken any classes yet, feels the cooking spirit and wants to help out with everything. A few recipes that I have made in past classes are Caesar Chicken Wrap, Rocky Road Bars, Baked Potato Soup (a personal favorite), Tiramisu, Antipasto Salad, and Classic Blondies. I even took a class called “Kids Make Dinner” where I got to make a multicourse meal for a family of four and bring it home to share. It was nice giving my mom the night off. Cooking instructors, Bil Mitchell, the Resident Chef, together with Sous Chefs Anthony LoGerfo, Rey Dela Osa, and Ray Braynen have many tricks up their sleeves, and now you can tuck these wonders in your back
pocket as well. Why? Because I’ve decided to share some of these bits of magic with you: How to dice onions and not weep: Cut your peeled onion in half. Take one half and turn it so that the top (DO NOT CUT IT OFF!) faces away from you. Cut it vertically (up and down) but not all the way, making sure that all the parts are still connected to the top. Now turn it so that the bottom faces in the direction of the hand you use most (right or left). Then place your OTHER hand on top of the onion and carefully slice the onion horizontally (sideways). Again, make sure that all the parts are still connected to the top. Finally slice the onion vertically, and violà! You have a perfectly diced half onion. If you want a whole diced onion, skip the first step. Shallots: Until we began taking classes at Apron’s Cooking school, we never incorporated shallots into our cuisine. Now we do. Shallots are wonderful and full of flavor. The best way to describe the taste is this way: If an onion and a garlic got married and had a baby, it would be a shallot. How to make grill marks on chicken: Start out with a small chicken breast. Cut off any fat or membranes and season chicken with salt, pepper, etc. Place chicken in a grill pan over medium heat. Start chicken out in a diagonal line with the top at 2 o’clock. Constantly check by using tongs and lifting up a corner. Once you
Reagan Olenick cooks at Apron’s Cooking Schools. see black lines across the chicken, move it so that the upper part is at 11 o’ clock. Keep checking by using tongs and lifting up a corner. When more black lines appear, transition your chicken to a baking sheet and pop it in the oven to finish it off. Try experimenting with other meats and poultry. How to whip whipped cream to perfection: Start with two cups of heavy cream. Pour that in a mixer and whip so that the cream is not fully whipped, but slightly light and fluffy. Add one cup of confectioners’ sugar and two teaspoons of vanilla. Whip, increasing power gently, but often. Whip for about one minute, being care-
ful not to let the whip cream flop over into itself. Ta-da! You have whipped your very own whipped to perfection whipped cream. Aprons Cooking School can be found on the web at www.publix. com/aprons. The phone number for the Plantation location is (954)-577-4264. Kids and teens cooking camps are scheduled for this summer. Check the online calendar for dates and times. While you’re at it, your parents might want to try a class themselves. Then your whole family can enjoy cooking together and sharing the recipes that you’ve learned to make. Bon appétit!
Adventures of a Young Police Explorer by Ryan Smith, Age 14 Coconut Creek, FL For those of you who missed the last article about Young Police Explorers, a “ridealong” is when we ride with a police officer and go on calls with them. These calls can range from burglaries to disturbances to traffic stops. We talk over the radio, write traffic tickets, and fill out crash reports. After eight hours we return our gear to the station and our shift is over. We also receive service hours for high school. It was a quiet shift on my first ridealong in six months. Only a few calls limped out of the radio that other police officers handled. Around 6:30 p.m. a call was dispatched involving a “suspicious brown briefcase” found near a gas pump at a well-known gas station. We were sent to handle this call. When we arrived on scene, the briefcase was resting next to
a trash can, not by a gas pump. This made us cautious because if someone left it by a pump they could have forgotten it. However, it was left by the trash can, making it clear to us that someone deliberately put it there. So we asked ourselves, could it be a bomb? The officer examined the outside of the case and determined it could possibly be a bomb. The next task we completed was calling for backup to keep an eye on the case and its surroundings. Meanwhile, we entered the store and inquired whether we could see the video recorded by the closed circuit TV system (CCTV). The store clerk explained that she was not trained in the operation of the CCTV. Instead, she offered to contact the station manager and see if he could drive over to show us. To fill the time, we parked our squad car with the backup car
Rising S t a r N o v a k Djokovic by Ismail Ercan Page 3
to block off the two pumps that flanked the trash can to prevent any customers from approaching it. Next, we contacted the onduty sergeant to query whether we should call out a bomb K9 (a police dog) from a local agency. The sergeant then conferred with the other sergeant and the lieutenant. They concurred that calling out the K9 was a good idea. We called Broward Sheriff’s Office before moving our police cruisers to block off the two station entrances. Ten minutes later, a bomb technician arrived on scene without the K9 and went to examine the briefcase. Ten uneventful minutes after that, the station manager arrived and went to rewind the tapes. The bomb dog still hadn’t showed up and the bomb technician was running low on patience. He took out his pocket knife and pried open the briefcase. There was no loud bang, no bright flash
SARAH’S CINEMA A Monthly Movie Review
by Sarah Thompson Page 4
of searing light; in fact, there was not even a bomb inside. There were only a couple of envelopes and IRS papers. If you join Police Explorers, you too may come across a call
similar to this one. If you would like to join, you can call Officer Zombek at MZombek@coconutcreek.net or Officer DelVecchio at 954-973-6712 to get more details and sign up.
Coconut Creek Police Explorers
Living Healthy TV: Not Your Cup of Tea?
by Sara Cross, Age 10 and Daniela Gómez Page 5
Kids & Politics
Libyan Calamity by Bilal Amodu Page 7
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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
Prepress Technician Christie Voss
Graphic Designers
Dora Font
Matias Sosa Wheelock
Daniela Gómez
Christie Voss
Cartoonists and Illustrators
Daniela Gómez
Emma Gómez
Bilal Amodu Sara Cross
word from the editor: Abroad
As you are reading this editorial, my family and I will be settling into our new home across the Atlantic in Frankfurt, Germany. We have planned this move for many months, and now that it is finally happening, we are looking back at our lives in South Florida with a touch of nostalgia. We are not the type of family to take things for granted and have always held much appreciation for the abundance of nature and culture surrounding us. But can one ever fully appreciate the joys of existence without a major life change? I would not have savored with such warm gratitude the close proximity of our subtropical sunshine these last few weeks if we weren’t moving to the colder, cloudier climate of the temperate region. I have found
myself desperately trying to memorize the gorgeous shade of orange which blankets my most favorite tropical tree, the Royal Poinciana, at this time of year. Could there possibly be such a brilliant orange existing naturally in Western Europe? Can a cold mountain lake really replace the paradise of our beautiful turquoise beaches as so many people have been trying to convince me? How much delicious Cuban food can I stuff myself with before I am confident I won’t crave it while eating bratwurst and spatzle? I have also had the benefit of daily reminders from my five-year-old daughter, Sofia, of what animals we will be missing by leaving our home state. “Will there be great blue herons in Germany, Mommy?” and “What about alligators,
do they live in Germany, too?” I have had to answer each question with the classic maternal art of substitution: “No, sweetie, but we’ll see chickadees in the spring and rabbits running wild in the fields near our new home!” This has satisfied her so far. In the end, although we may find substitutes for many of the creatures and geographical features we’ve enjoyed here in South Florida, I know that we will never be able to replace all of the generous, loving, and inspirational friends and colleagues we have been lucky enough to learn from and enjoy these past few years. You will be in our hearts. Serena Serrano Associate Editor
Sofia Serrano
Regular Columnists
Aaron Cross
A
JUNE 2011
Sarah Thompson
Regular Contributors
The Circle Gazette at the Book Fest in Coral Springs
by Bilal Amodu, Age 14 Deerfield Beach, FL Proof Readers It was a day of celebration, a Serena Serrano Sandra Damas day filled with fun, an environment of enthusiasm, and a passWebsite Master Victoria Martinez port to the realm of educational excitement. Wow! Call it a free Circulation day for the kids: free to freely The Circle Gazette is available online and it’s distributed in paper via individual, classroom and library walk and talk; dance and twirl; subscriptions. Free copies are available at community partner institutions (libraries, museums and educational rock and roll at the library. organizations). This publication is currently distributed in more than twenty cities in South Florida and has We at the Circle Gazette were subscribers and contributors from California, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, New Mexico, Virginia, not left out of this circle of festivCaracas-Venezuela, Rivas-Nicaragua and San Jose-Costa Rica. ity. We were right there, proud to be part of this spectacular event and be amongst the phenomenal Free Copies Available at crowd. At the Circle Gazette’s The Coral Springs Museum of Art The Fort Lauderdale Children’s Theater table, we displayed with pride our The Northwest Regional Broward County Library The British School Caracas very own newspaper and shared with parents and children news Sales, Advertising and Sponsorship Mindy Joseph Jodi Jaffe about the Enrichment Circle. The 954-684-9096 954-253-6584 response was very positive and The Circle Gazette’s table was visited by many, many TO SUBMIT WORK parents showed great interest in TO SUBMIT WORK The Circle Gazette is a publication available to public school, private school and homeschool students. Email a copy of your work, as a major word processor file or as a parents jpeg file, at info@enrichmentcircle.com. All entries should be accompanied by the parent/gua and kids! the Creative Writing Workshops The Circle Gazette is a publication available to public school, private school and homeschool students. Email a copy of your work, as a major word processor file or as a jpeg file, at Information info@enrichmentcircle.com. offered and conducted by the to contributors All entries should be Circle Gazette theonline right toat edit, accept and refuse articles inGazette the interest ofevery brevity, clarity and appropriateness accompanied by the parent/guardian consent to print.The Submission Form toreserves be found Circle month at the of subject matter. much. They all wanted to be a cial thanks to Kathy Walzer who www.enrichmentcircle.com. library. In these workshops chilYOUNG CHILDREN PROVIDE A WEALTH OF WISDOM, FRESHNESS part of this circle. has always helped and supported dren get the freedom to fly on the AND NEW PERSPECTIVES Thanks to the Northwest Re- us in bringing this opportunity to Information to contributors wings of their imagination. The gional Library who made it all our community. We at the Circle 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 ages; about local affairs, the environment, art, sports, entertainment and puzzles that engage and inspire young minds! children’s very ownof allnewspaper possible by hosting this writing Gazette keep dreaming and work appropriateness of subject matter. was an idea that parents and kids workshop and inviting us to be The Circle Gazette is a one-of-a-kind publication because: towards making our dreams come appreciated and admired very part of this celebration. Our speYOUNG CHILDREN PROVIDE A WEALTH OF WISDOM, FRESHNESS true! • It transcends one school/homeschool community. It goes beyond a state or a country. It’s about widening writer’s and reader’s horizons! 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
AND NEW PERSPECTIVES •
• The Circle Gazette is packed from cover to 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! • The Circle Gazette is a one-of-a-kind publication because: • It transcends one school/homeschool community. It goes beyond a state or a country. It’s about widening • • • • •
writer’s and reader’s horizons! It is addressed to children and the content is created by children It involves a multi-age/multi-level group of contributors The editorial team keeps a holistic and nourishing quality in the selection of content and design It’s a high quality mix of a variety of styles and topics It offers valuable feedback to authors
The Enrichment Circle
A Non-Profit Organization for the Advancement of Education
It is addressed to children and the content is created by children It involves a multi-age/multi-level group of contributors The editorial team keeps a holistic and nourishing quality in the selection of content and design It’s a high quality mix of a variety of styles and topics It offers valuable feedback to authors
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Rising Star-Novak Djokovic by Ismail Ercan, Age 14 Coral Springs, FL As Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer’s reign of men’s tennis comes to an end, Rafael Nadal has been dominating men’s tennis. He has been the number one player on the tour for a year and a half now and has won 9 Grand Slam titles so far in his career. The Spaniard holds countless records on tour. One of his most notable is for winning the most ATP World Tour 1000 Masters Tournaments (he has won 19!). Last year, when Nadal won the U.S. Open, he completed the career slam which is when a tennis player wins all 4 majors played on three different surfaces. Only 4 men in the open arena have achieved this magnificent feat. Nadal is looking to add to his Grand Slam trophy collection this year at the French Open, and is looking for his sixth title, which would tie Swede legend Bjorn Borg’s record! Recently, however, there has been a rising star in the tennis world, Serbian Novak Djokovic. Djokovic has had a red-hot start to the 2011 tennis season and is riding a ridiculous 39 game winning streak dating back to the end of last year! He is currently threaten-
ing Nadal’s number one ranking and also hopes to win the French Open. For four years, Djokovic has ended each season at number 3 in the world, behind Federer and Nadal, who have finished the past 7 seasons at numbers one and two in the world. This year, he had had enough of watching the other two players sweep the Grand Slams each year and stepped up to his full potential: He won the Australian Open, four ATP World Tour Master 1000 Titles, and 3 Master 500 titles during his streak. Not impressive enough? Novak has also defeated Federer and Nadal a combined 7 times in his past 39 matches. For most players on tour, it is a career accomplishment if you can beat Federer or Nadal once, but seven times in a portion of a season? That’s incredible. Compared to the other players on tour, Djokovic looks like he’s a tennis coach, running a clinic for five-year olds. What has been the key to Djokovic’s success against Federer and Nadal? Can he continue his incredible run in the French Open? One: His ability to turn defense into offense on the backhand side. This was crucial against Nadal, whose heavy topspin lefty forehand is one of the best in the game.
Djokovic’s on the run backhands could neutralize Nadal’s spin and not only get himself back in the point, but get in an offensive position. For most players with a two-handed backhand like the one Djokovic has, their shots would lack range and power on the run, but not with Djokovic. Managing to get to the ball in a hurry, Djokovic plants his left foot into the ground and uses the ground to pivot, push-off, and explode into the ball, producing not a defensive shot, but an offensive one. Two: His service games Djokovic has one of the best percentages of points won when he makes his first serve. Every nine out of ten points he wins when he makes his first serve in! And he makes his first serve in approximately 70% of the time. He is not very well known to have a “killer” first serve. It’s all about his offensive mentality. Once he serves, he immediately is thinking of a place to hit the ball, where his opponent would be defenseless. With Nadal, it would be a deep forehand; Federer a deep backhand. It is very hard for Djokovic’s opponents to get back into the point when they are scrambling up and down the court just to get the balls back into play!
Djokovic beats Nadal in Madrid. Photo courtesy of tennisperspective.com Three: Aggressive return game As I said earlier, Djokovic has changed his mentality completely and is looking to attack his opponents whenever possible. With most of his service games not being a problem, Djokovic can concentrate on breaking his opponent’s serve by attacking from the beginning of the point. A simple deep return can do so many bad things to an opponent. First, they become off-balance and they will probably not produce an offensive shot, which means Djokovic will be attacking. Two, it is very hard to produce a good
shot on the rise and attempting it many times can lead to errors. With his deep return, Djokovic can win cheap points, break his opponent’s serves, and win more matches. How will Djokovic do at the French Open? I personally think he will continue to play remarkable textbook tennis and will win the Grand Slam. It certainly will not be an easy task beating Nadal, “the King of Clay,” on clay in a best of five sets, but the way Djokovic is playing tennis now is astounding. Tennis world watch out. We have a new number one!
The Southern 500 NASCAR Race by Alizdair Sebastien Ray, Age 7
Davie, FL I left on Friday May 6, 2011 with my dad from Fort Lauderdale Airport. It was to be a trip for father and son. When we arrived at the Myrtle Beach Aiport, we found a taxi. The Marina Inn resort was very nice. My dad’s family came down from North Carolina to see us. We all ate at the Hard Rock Cafe. We went to the pool at the resort. My dad and I love to swim. We were going to the Sothern 500 race. A motor coach took us to the race and back. We got to go down to the pits. I met Adam Mosher, a tire changer for Bass Pro shop driver Jamie McMur-
ray. He gave me his gloves that he used for all the races, and he gave me a hat as well. I was so happy and could not believe that he gave me that. I wore the hat and gloves the whole time watching the race. We had VIP passes and that was very exciting. The food was good too. We had programs and toy cars. We took a picture with Tony Stewart’s car. The race was great. Regan Smith won the race. His car number was 78. NASCAR racing is a very popular sport. Some people don’t like it but sometimes it can have more popularity than football or baseball. NASCAR is fun because
you get to cheer for your driver and they go fast on the tracks. It is like when you cheer for a favorite team in a game. The next day we went to visit our family at their hotel and I spent time with my cousins, aunts, uncle, and my Grandpa Pickin. The next day we all ate at Golden Corral. They have good food. That day we were coming back home. We said good bye. It was good seeing family. The Sunday we arrived back at Fort Lauderdale Airport was Mother’s Day. When I saw my mom I ran to her and gave her a hug. I was glad to see her and I wished her a happy mother’s day. I had a great holiday.
AWillClassic Soccer Game KS2 EVER recover from that loss?
“I met Adam Mosher, a tire changer for Bass Pro shop driver Jamie McMurray. He gave me his gloves that he used for all the races, and he gave me a hat as well.”
by Diego Alfonzo, Age 11 Caracas, Venezuela
On Friday, February 11, 2011, a KS3 vs. KS2 soccer match was played. The classic has a winner. Want to know who it was? Read and find out... In early February, a classic game of soccer was played between children of Key Stage 3 [KS3: Equivalent to Grades 6, 7 and 8 in the American Education System] and children of Key Stage 2 [KS2: Equivalent to Grades 2, 3, 4 and 5]. The two deadly rivals fought for victory at the British School in Caracas’ main cancha (course, in Spanish). KS2 and KS3 children have no choice but to play together in
this in-house tournament. The first half didn’t have much action but still KS3 was dominating the match and the score was 3-1. The goals were from Guillermo Chivas (x2) and Juan Eduardo Celi (x1), and Alan Sarshalom scored the only KS2 goal. The second half had lots of interesting action and there were lots of fouls committed. The result was very different from that of the first half. It was 13-2 to KS3. The KS3 goals came from Guillermo Chivas (x5), Juan Eduardo Celi (x4), Carlos (x3), and Ignacio
(x1), and the goals from KS2 came from Alan (x1) and Andy Hernández (x1). The man of the match was Guillermo Chivas and he was the top scorer as well with 5 goals…
“It was fun to have some one on one time with my dad.”
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LEGO: The Adventures of Clutch Powers A Movie Review
SARAH’S CINEMA A Monthly Movie Review by Sarah Thompson, Age 12 Boynton Beach, FL
by Aaron J. Cross, Age 13 Boca Raton, FL Clutch Powers (Ryan McPartlin), one of the greatest LEGO explorers ever, takes on his ultimate challenge when he and his newfound team mates, Brick Masterson (Roger Rose), Peg Mooring (Yvonne Strahovski), and Bernie von Beam (Jeff Bennett), blast off into space to investigate a space police prison distress call. Until very recently, the prison held captive three intergalactic criminals, one of which is the evil wizard Mallock the Malign (Stephan Cox). The three criminals end up escaping the prison planet aboard the explorers’ space ship. The heroes build a new space ship out of spare LEGO parts and head to the medieval planet Ashlar, which Mallock and his army of skeleton warriors were already jeopardizing. Once there, Clutch Powers sets off to find Prince Varen (Christopher Emerson) so the royal warrior can help them defeat the dark wizard. On the way, the adventurers meet new friends such as Hogar the troll (Richard Doyle) and Lofar the dwarf (John Di Crosta). Can the adventurers and their friends defeat Mallock and his army, or are they fighting a hopeless battle? This animated movie has mild cartoon violence. It has details in it that replicate LEGO toys such as studs on the floors and removable hair. It also makes use of some of the annoying things that can happen with LEGO, such as a person’s legs getting stuck in a vehicle when you pull the rest of him out. Humorous and enjoyable, this is a
JUNE 2011
must-see for any LEGO fan. I was waiting a long time for this movie to come out, and I was not disappointed. It was finally released in February 2010, and I rushed to get it on digital form. Unfortunately, I did not get to see it because my computer did not have enough power to play it. I first saw it on DVD in December, when my mom got it for me as a holiday gift. It was well worth the wait. Since I first got the movie I have seen it about 16 times over the course of the months. Even though this is a year-old movie, it is still a great film -- perfect for LEGO fans -- and can catch the attention of all ages.
Movie: Soul Surfer Rated: PG The plot Soul Surfer is a new movie based on the true story of Bethany Hamilton, a pro surfer who lost her left arm in a 2003 shark attack. After losing her arm, Bethany didn’t think she would ever be able to surf again but with the love and support of her family, friends, and faith she is able to overcome adversity and get back on the board. The verdict The inspiring true story of Bethany Hamilton (played by actress AnnaSophia Robb) has its highs and its lows. A high would be when Bethany wins a big surfing competition or when she goes on a missionary trip and teaches a little orphaned boy how to surf. The lows would be the shark attack, the long days in the hospital, and the new challenges she faces now that she only has one arm. It may seem at first that the lows outweigh the highs, but Soul Surfer teaches us that no matter how hard (or scary) things get, we can count on things getting better. Bethany perseveres and eventually she’s able to surf again! It takes time though. The first few tries, Bethany wipes out and can’t seem to get a good hold on the board with only her right arm for support. She now has friendship struggles too. She lashes out at her best friend and immediately regrets it. She feels that no one treats her the same. Judges want to give her a “head start” at competitions, and no one seems to view her as a real opponent.
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But Bethany continues to try harder, and harder, and harder; until finally she’s surfing just like she did before the attack! I think that anyone can relate to Bethany and her struggles. We may not face challenges as serious as the loss of an arm or surviving a shark attack, but we all have things that make us scared or insecure. And Soul Surfer reminds us that, just like Bethany, we can always pull ourselves out of the impact zone. Before you see it Be aware that there is a shark attack scene. It’s fast and isn’t graphic at all --in fact we barely even see the shark. But there is some blood, and younger kids might want to consider this before they see the film.
JUNE 2011
THE CIRCLE GAZETTE
Living Healthy TV: Not Your Cup of Tea?
by Sara Cross and Daniela Gómez, Ages 10 and 11 South Florida er things, like dancing, jumping Hi kids, and welcome to Liv- jacks, stretching and yoga. You ing Healthy, a column that will can do these things while you are provide tips on how to keep your watching TV and you can also get body healthy and energized. This DVDs from the library on dancmonth, we are going to talk to ing and yoga. You can spread a you about ways to get your be- blanket on the floor if you don’t hind off the sofa, and eyes off have a yoga mat. If you want one, the TV screen, but here is the you can get a yoga mat at Amacatch: you also get to have fun zon from about $3.88 to $50.00 while you are exercising to keep apiece, or at Sports Authority, your body healthy. Please do not where prices range from $14.99 interpret this with, “you should to $78.00. never watch TV.” Our message Even if you get plenty of exis that you can watch TV but you ercise, like taking gym class in should not watch it every day af- school, you still should not be ter school. After reading this ar- spending all your spare time ticle, you will hopefully want to in front of the TV or computer get a good workout, and you will screen. Any electric entertainment enjoy doing it! system that includes a screen can There are many exciting ways be damaging to the eyes if overto stay in shape. A swim on an ov- used. Sara talked to optometrist en-hot day sounds great to keep Josie Starr who works at Pearle you cool, especially with summer Vision (www.pearlevision.com) coming. It also serves as a great in Sanford, Florida, about why source of exercise. Swimming, you should not watch TV in a gymnastics, dancing, running, dark room. Dr. Starr says: “I albiking, skating, skateboarding, ways recommend to my patients and yoga are all wonderful ways to not watch TV in the dark. As to enjoy yourself and to keep far as it being damaging to the your body energized. Sports are eyes, I don’t believe there are any a fantastic way to get a cardio scientific studies that support this. workout, by running and jump- However the pupil is influenced ing on the field. Other outdoor by the surrounding light and for games, such as tag and hide-and- some people this type of envigo-seek, are good too; as long as ronment may produce some eye they get you moving around. If it strain.” Asthenopia, or eye strain is too hot outside, or you do not is an ophthalmological condition. have access to a pool, you can Symptoms of Asthenopia include: train indoors. You can run around Fatigue, pain in or around the eyes the house. You can do lots of oth- and headache. Asthenopia usually occurs when people spend a lot of time staring into a computer, TV or phone screen. Dr. Starr also talked about something else that can hurt your eyes. In this case, the retina, a light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye, is affected. “It is important that the person watching TV also be far enough away from the set. Being too close would cause you to use your focusing/accommodative system too much. Constant focusing can be tiring to the eyes.” Dr. Starr added: “I have definitely seen lots of patients Get your eyes off the TV who have eye strain because of screen. the computer work they do.”
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Beware of eye strain produced by prolonged exposure to screen light. So there you have it, straight from the eye and opinion of a doctor. Now that you have a few tips on how to have fun while you’re are keeping your muscles strong, and some information about the type of harm electronic entertainment can cause, we hope that you will want to spend most of your free time staying in shape, and not always on the couch. Here is a swimming game that is fun to play with your friends: SPAGHETTI • You will need: • Adult supervision • Swimsuit • Swimming pool (preferably deep) with at least two lane lines • At least four friends to play with. How to play: Line up on the wall of the pool. One of you does not line up. That person has to call out “spaghetti” and when that happens, the rest of you jump in the water. Go under the first lane line, touch the second one, and then go back. The last person out of the pool is “in the fishbowl” -- in other words, “out”. You cannot jump in the water unless “spaghetti” is called. If you jump when another word is called, then you are out too. A good trick is to say “spaghetti-os” and other words that begin with “S” to get more people out! Spaghetti is another way to get in shape and have fun with your friends. They can exercise with you. You can also invite your family to take a bike trip around the block! We hope you will read next month’s article with more ideas to help you live a healthier lifestyle. See you in July.
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DIALOGUE BOX Meet Hannah Virgin Hannah Virgin is ten years old and her nickname is “Banana.” She lives in Coral Springs, Florida and loves, loves, loves to swim! Hannah attends Heron Heights Elementary School and Mrs. King and Mrs. Frachtman are her teachers. Hannah is a native of Coral Springs. Hannah would like to meet thirty-year-old, Olympic swimmer Maritza Correia. She would like to know more about Maritza’s experience at the 2004 Olympics. From the fictional world, Hannah wishes that she could meet Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter story. She likes Hermione’s magic powers! Avatar by James Cameron is Hannah’s favorite movie and she thinks that the tastiest foods ever are matzo ball soup and mashed potatoes. Hannah’s favorite holiday is Christmas. Hannah’s best excuse for not finishing homework on-time is that she had to walk the dog.
Her least favorite thing to do is to play golf. Hannah is very proud of having been an alternate finalist at the 2011 Florida Gold Coast Short Course Junior Swimming Olympics. Hannah likes to spend her free time playing on the computer and watching TV. She regrets the end of the holidays because she has to get back into her school ritual. Hannah thinks that most adults don’t understand that kids need “breaks” more often. She would like more time to play with friends and have sleepovers. Fun, friendly and polite are three words that describe Hannah well, and her friends would be quite surprised to know of her ability to raise each eyebrow separately! They would not be surprised that she is remarkably good at safe keeping their secrets. “When I was younger, I used to imagine myself as Spiderman,” Hannah says.
Hannah Virgin
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Theatre World Piano Recital in Coral Springs by Daniela Gómez, Age 11 Margate, FL It was 6 p.m. on Saturday April 30, 2011. I was at the Coral Springs Community Church and I was holding a staff-paper booklet and two pages of music in page protectors. My family was with me. My sisters were holding music in protectors as well. We were at a piano recital. There were twenty-four young piano players, including my sisters and me. There were forty-nine songs performed in the recital. My sister Ellie played Pumpkin Eater and Zip A Dee Do Dah. My other sister Emma played Chimes and Egyptian Dance, and I played the Minuet in G Major and Banana Split. The recital began with Kaylee Brewster. She played Radetsky March and Silver Stakes as a duet with Miss Annette Brewster, the piano teacher and organizer of the recital. I was the seventh person to play in the recital. When I walked up to the piano, I felt a bit nervous but determined and sure of myself. I stumbled once in the Minuet in G and flipped the page a little, but, as I walked back to my seat, I felt proud of myself. I talked to the piano teacher, Miss Annette Brewster, about her piano and teaching experience.
Miss Annette is from Rochester, Minnesota and has been playing piano since she was four years old. Her mother played the piano and inspired her to play too. She doesn’t know what has been the hardest and most challenging piece she has ever played. Miss Annette has taught piano since she was in eighth grade. She says that her current favorite piano piece is Nuvole Bianche, one of the songs performed in the recital. Miss Annette told me that she liked Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart quite a lot. Her favorite part of playing the piano is that there is always so much to learn and a variety of pieces to play in every musical genre. Besides being a piano player and teacher she likes to read and take care of her children. As a teacher, Ms. Annette likes to see a student try their best at a song and succeed with it. She believes that if people don’t practice, they will stay in the same spot and end up not liking the piano because they can’t move forward. Miss Annette thinks that the hardest part of teaching piano is to get her students to count (the beats in a measure) as they play. Miss Annette says that to be a piano teacher, one needs patience and a passion for working with others. Her message to people
who are beginning to play the piano is to practice daily and to be patient. As a student, I can relate to the importance of constant practice. When I play a piece for the first time I feel like I stumble from key to key. After a week’s practice I feel I can play it with ease. Ms. Annette does not require for students to practice for a particular interval of time each day. Instead, she recommends that we practice for as long as it takes to get all our assigned songs to sound good and flawless three times each day. The recital had very beautiful songs and wonderful players. I liked Marching Moon Men, a duet by Akhil and Akash Deo. They played a little bit and then stood up and circled the piano bench clapping. They switched sides and played a bit more and it went on like that! I liked hearing songs that I know being performed by someone else and I also liked hearing songs I had never heard before. For more information about Mrs. Annette’s classes go to www.coralspringspianoteacher. com. Have a delightful summer full of music and live theater and come with me as the lights go out!
JUNE 2011
GREAT CATCHES! Prepare for Summertime! by Bilal Amodu, Age 14 Deerfield Beach, FL Hello loyal readers and welcome to the June edition of the Circle Gazette. Summer has finally arrived, meaning that the era of spring time and studies has faded and summer time fun and heat has kicked off. Time for summer is time for books now more than ever. So enjoy the summer with these wonderful reads. The Wide Window Author: Lemony Snicket Age level: 4th Grade and up Rating:
This intriguing novel depicts the continuing misery that is the Baudelaire orphans’ journey. In this novel, they are deposited into the care of their Aunt Josephine, a fretful dowager whose only passion is for grammar. Their stay with her is interrupted by her mysterious disappearance and the reappearance of their villainous foe. They must venture across a lake during a hurricane in order to rescue themselves along with their guardian. The Hot and Cold Summer Author: Johanna Hurwitz Age level: 2nd grade and up Rating:
This novel is one of the various examples of why one should never judge a person before becoming acquainted with them. Rory and Derek’s hopes for an enjoyable summer are abolished when their neighbors’ niece, Bolivia, arrives to visit. The boys originally vow never to converse with Bolivia. They will be appalled at what Bolivia can teach them. Animal Farm Author: George Orwell Age level: 6th grade and up Rating:
The reason I have given this novel such a poor mark is that this novel is full of tragedy along with hypocrisy and political injustice. Malcontent with their human oppressors, a throng of overworked and underappreciated farm animals collaborate to overthrow their human overlords and obtain control of the farm. Now in the governing position, the animals attempt to fabricate a fair system where all animals are given equality and work to their capacity. Unfortunately, a radical group of pigs gradually gain control of the farm, returning the other animals to nearly the same position they were in at the beginning.
Annette Brewster and her students at the end of the April 2011 Piano Recital
MOMS Club® of Coconut Creek, Fl 501(c)(3) nonprofit
MOMS Offering Moms Support
Ellie Gómez performing Pumpkin Eater.
We are a support group designed just for you, the at-home mother of today! You are interested in the world around you, want a variety of activities for you and your children, and are proud of your choice of at-home mothering for your families! Email Christie at coconutcreekmomsclub@yahoo.com for membership inquiries or to find a chapter near you go to International MOMS ClubSM www.momsclub.org.
JUNE 2011
THE CIRCLE GAZETTE
Steriltopia by Christopher Benjamin, Age 18 Fort Lauderdale, FL Come to the ultimate high tech hygienic living experience. At Steriltopia you can run free in a germ free, care free environment. Our air-conditioning is 90% Lysol, just short of oxygen deprivation, and remains at a comfortable 16 degrees Fahrenheit destroying any possible toxins. For added assurance, we triple filter the air through our extreme purifying system. Our pool is 100% industrial strength bleach. This ensures no skin particles for attracting dust mites since your skin will be easily removed and disintegrate upon contact. We don’t recommend diving because you need your eyes to stay vigilant for germs. All your clothes and food will go through our radiation apparatus and come out bacteria free. When it’s glowing
green, we know it’s clean! Afraid to go out for dining, to buy groceries, to see a movie, or clothes shopping? Don’t distress, we have it all here with hand sanitizing stations located throughout the facility for added protection. Do you miss nature? I know that sounds crazy but in case you do, we have all the excitement of the outdoors in a completely unnatural animal free atmosphere. With our revolutionary stainless steel wild lifeless forest, you don‘t have to worry about stepping in animal feces or dealing with annoying insects. All the paths stay perfectly clean and require no maintenance. Do you have a beloved pet that you are afraid of because they are full of disgusting dander and hair? We will thoroughly cleanse them in a formaldehyde solution. There is a slight possibility of death. Agonizing about visiting pathogen breeding family and friends? We have a sanitary suit for venturing out into the disease
Kids & Politics
Deerfield Beach, FL
What began as open protests Demonstrations, violence and more Have managed to exacerbate Into this malignant civil war
“escape from those nasty microorganisms” ridden world. Staying for a week or two? We have a stylish aseptic wardrobe complete with matching shoes and accessories. So escape from those nasty microorganisms and relax in Steriltopia, your safe haven.
REPORTING FROM THE BRITISH SCHOOL IN CARACAS by Danny Hernández, Age 11 Caracas, Venezuela
The leader, Colonel Gadhafi As sinister as he can be Refuses to listen to Libyan’s pleas, Hoping to rule for eternity. From the coup of King Idris To the human rights privations The colonel ruled with an iron fist Placing his own interests above the nation The record of this ominous regime Is ubiquitous with atrocities From a tragic airplane bombing To intentionally firing upon its constituents A successful revolution in Egypt Inspired a series of extant demonstrations From countries such as Yemen and Bahrain To several North African nations. On the fifteenth of February The protests finally erupted Libyans besieged several government bureaus Eager to oust the government that had been corrupted The colonel reacted to these uprisings In a belligerent and brutal fashion Vowing to thwart the rebel uprisings Being incognizant of the opposition’s passion
Students’ opinions
These protests continued to reverberate Alluring global attention Compelling organizations such as the United Nations To begin to ponder intervention The cause of the rebels Internationally had been unanimously supported Even as it gradually ascended Into a state where Libya was mutilated The situation in Libya Is far from a tranquil scenario It is not feasible to prognosticate When and if the colonel will go
Detention room tention, and some even on Saturday mornings! So feel lucky that our school only has detention after school. In some schools, they don’t even let you do anything during de-
tention; no talking, just sitting still in your chair! It turns out, in case you were wondering, that a school DOES have the legal right to force you into detention.
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Libyan Calamity by Bilal Amodu, Age 14
SCHOOL DETENTION: FAIR? Do schools have the legal right to force you into detention? Do students think it’s fair? Why did Mr. Cardall come up with this idea? Read more and find out… Mr. Cardall, Key Stage 3 (KS3) teacher and coordinator, is holding detention after school in the science lab. The policy is that if you don’t hand homework in on time you get half an hour’s worth of detention in lunch. If you don’t give two homework assignments in on time, you get one hour’s worth of detention after school. When asked about where he got this idea, Mr. Cardall said, “At my old school, they even had detention on Saturday mornings,” so he decided to enforce it at our school, the British School Caracas. We asked students their opinion about this policy, and, as you can see in the graph, most of them think it´s not fair. Mr. Allen said he accepted this policy because he thinks that at KS3, students are not little kids anymore. Most schools have de-
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An ongoing civil war Has made us all quite agitated and fretful That this war is merely a harbinger Of excruciating unrest to come One lesson that can be learned From this devastating calamity Is to always regard the rights of humans as well as To never provide any government impunity.
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THE CIRCLE GAZETTE
My Birthday by Jordyn Robinson, Age 9 Tamarac, FL
JUNE
Today is the day It’s finally here. I like this day because It’s the best time of the year. I will wear my favorite blouse And tell my friends That my party is at my house. I love this day It’s my birthday!
JUNE 2011
Love is like the Sea by Daniela Gómez, Age 11 Margate, FL
Love is like the Sea One day rough, Another smooth. Love is like the Sea One day green, Another gray. Love is like the Sea One day rip-current, Another warm breeze. Love is like the Sea PROMISING.
Start of the Fun! by Shadya Amodu, Age 11 Deerfield Beach, FL
The sun is hot, the heat is pelting. The ice cream is waiting, snow cones are melting. School’s out – school’s done Now let’s all run about and explore the fun! There is a lot of time to run and shout It’s the freedom time, without a doubt. It is going to be a very fun season, Summer rocks, summer is the reason Let’s get our swimsuits and go to the pool The weather is warm, the water is cool. Get the guitar and make up a jam Time to start our very own band! Get the paint and don’t forget the brush We’re going to make something pretty and lush! There is a lot of excitement in the air Here, there and everywhere. Hurray, hurray school is out! Sing, dance and enjoy a lot!
WRITING by Daniela Gómez, Age 11 Margate, FL
Pen and wrinkled paper Symbols meaning art R’s and B’s and X’s Written from the heart Sheets of paper waiting To be adorned with words galore! Painting with a pencil, Always writing more O! The joys of writing! Always writing more.
SUMMER
by Emma Gómez, Age 7 Margate, FL
Summer’s hot shine and rain Bring flowers to the Earth, Bringing joy to people. When it is over, Most of the beauty is gone. Summer is a time to enjoy!
What the letters of my name mean to me by Alizdair Sebastien Ray, Age 7 Davie, FL
A= Appreciated L= Loveable I= Intelligent Z= Zippy D= Distinctive A= Artistic I= Imaginative R= Respectable
“Summer Sea” Illustration by Emma Gómez, Age 7. Soft pastels and color pencils on paper.
Chuck E. Cheese Fun by Sara Cross and Sarit Swift, Ages 10 and 11 Boca Raton, FL
When we go to Chuck E. Cheese, We put the token in the slot. Then we try to put the bees, Way back into the honey pot. We run around, sing and play, We always have a lot of fun. In the habit trails we lay, ‘til our relaxation’s done. We get pizza or a scoop Of ice cream that is colored red. Toss balls into skee-ball hoops, And try hard to score one hundred. Numbers, cases, what to choose? Deal or no deal what should we say? Hear Elvis sing “Blue Suede Shoes,” And fling the ball along its way. Leaving now, we are so sad, That’s all for now, we say goodbye. We know next time we’ll be glad, We leave with smiles, and great sighs!
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JUNE 2011
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“Lily the Pink Fairy”
by Daniela Gómez, Age 11 Margate, FL
Name: Lily Age: 78 Color: Pink Size: 2 ¼ inches Hobbies: Writing poetry, stories, making videos and books, being a veterinarian Least Favorite Thing to do: Ruining her videos Favorite Bird: White-winged Crossbill Favorite Insect: Rosy Maple Moth Animal Friends: Paige (Crossbill), Kai (Crossbill), Milo (Moth), Fame (Moth) and Hanna (Moth) Favorite Season: Spring Home: Friendly Venus Fly Trap in Flowery Flight, the Florida FairyLand capital city Favorite Flowers: Gladiolus and Lily of the Valley Favorite Accessory: Flamingo pink Pixie Dust Pouch and Hot pink Venus Fly Trap needle wand In the Morning, Morning Out came the sun and… Lily as well, as well. Lily riding on Paige or Kai, Behind her, following Milo or Fame Until that day… Hi, I’m Lily the Pink Fairy, a fairy vet and TV celebrity of FairyLand! Thanks for tuning in for A Fairy’s Adventurous Life! Today… Wait a sec. WHAT? I know that! Paige! You ruined my video! (Sorry!!!) OK, back to the story. As Paige the White-winged Crossbill reminded me, today our theme is Animal Aid. The job of a fairy is to take care of animals and plants. Today, you will get to take a peek into a fairy’s life by accompanying me to go and save an animal’s life, or help one get better if the situation isn’t that grave. Are you ready? OK! When my animal friends are all set, we’ll embark on an adventurous journey to help an animal. Milo, Fame, Paige, and Kai, the Rosy Maple Moths and White-winged Crossbills, are ready. Hop on your birds and let’s go! Now we are out of the city! Florida’s FairyLand is famous for the natural parks and swamps. Our first stop is at the marshlike Flying Animals Nature Center. If we don’t find an animal in distress at that
Chased by a Bear by Jordyn Robinson, Age 9 Tamarac, FL One afternoon a farmer named Jane was picking flowers for her purple vase. Jane was wearing her favorite clothes: her blue overalls and her striped shirt. Two minutes later, a big brown bear with sharp teeth hid behind a tall tree. The big brown bear wanted honey from a beehive. One of the bees flew out of the hive and towards Jane’s basket. The big brown bear followed the bee towards Jane but when Jane saw the bear, she ran back to her farm. After running for awhile, Jane sat on some hay and took a little break. She walked to her house and took her keys out of her overall pocket. She twisted the key and the door opened. She put the flowers she picked in her purple vase. Jane was tired of running from the big brown bear. Jane decided to never ever go in that forest again.
“Jane and the Bear.” Illustration by author, created with the Sketch and Paint tool available at www.oneemotion.com.
swamp, we’ll move on to the next stop, Everglades Fairy Park. Here we are: Flying Animals Nature Center, This place is always busy. Lots of fairies like to spend the day here. You can paint and write and sing and dance. There’s inspiration for every kind of art activity and there are always many animals in this nature center. Let’s see if some of the fairy folk can give us some hints of where we can be of help! This is Sunny, she’s the Gold Fairy and with her is her friend Tepuy, the Green Fairy. Sunny says that there are some insects that might possibly need help near Duck Pond. Thank you, Sunny. Let’s go! Look at the scenery. Many poets, painters and book-writers from different FairyLands have come to the calm, inspiring Duck Pond. Now a bit of history about this place: Originally, Florida’s FairyLand used to be just around Duck Pond. There was a group of fairywomen and fairymen that went to explore beyond the boundaries of Duck Pond and found that no other FairyLand bordered theirs. That’s how Florida’s FairyLand eventually took up all of Florida. This FairyLand used to be called the Duck Pond FairyLand until that group made their discovery. Not everyfairy liked that group of fairies. They stubbornly did not want to expand their Duck Pond FairyLand. All right, we are at Duck Pond. Let’s look for signs of hurt bugs… Wait a bit, Milo, what did you hear? Over here! Everyfairy over here! It looks like a Rosy Maple Moth. Those are my favorite insects! Maybe Milo and Fame will gain a new friend after this, Poor thing, she has horrible bumps and bruises all over her body, what on earth could have happened to her? Kai is a strong bird, she’ll carry the insect and I’ll ride Paige. Quick! All of you follow me! We’re going back. As you’ve probably noticed, we’re flying much faster than we did before. We have to get home to help heal this little one. Now we’re going to take a shortcut through the Human Car Lake Park. It’s risky to go past this place in the day since all humans who get lost in FairyLand with their “cars” start out here. We don’t want cars to see us; the humans don’t have good vision inside their cars and mistake us for insects!
“Lily, the Pink Fairy” by Daniela Gómez. Multimedia art. Ah!… Here we are. As quiet as you can be everyfairy . . . We’re back! Take her to that white room on the right -- that’s the doctor’s room. Just wait out here a second and she’ll be all done. This moth is a pretty little thing now that she has been tended to, don’t you agree? I think so too. Well, we’re done. Did you have fun helping the animals? Great! Thanks for coming. See you tomorrow for more adventures. EPILOGUE A week later… Dear Jay, When I went to Flying Animals Nature Center, I found a moth, bruised and
bumped. I took her home and took care of her injuries. She turned out beautiful when she healed. I think Milo (one of my moth pets) has a crush on her! They’re about the same age really. Her name is Hanna… ACKNOWLEGEMENTS: Special thanks to Lily and her animal friends for sharing one of her videos with us! Thank you for letting us use a small clip of a letter to another fairy as the epilogue! The poem at the beginning is by Lily and Hanna. Thank you Sunny and Tepuy for your hard work put into this project!
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THE CIRCLE GAZETTE
JUNE 2011
To read prequels to these stories, please visit www.enrichmentcircle.com and check the online version of previous issues.
STUCK IN THE Super Pup and Dr. Kitty Mittens MIDDLE Final Part by Shadya Amodu, Age 11 Deerfield Beach, FL Super Pup struggled to escape. He was tied to an uncomfortable chair in the doctor’s waiting room. “Mmm mmm!” Super Pup yelled. “Was it really necessary to put a gag over his mouth?” Tom, Super Pup’s owner asked. Tolerance nodded. Just then a short woman strolled up to them. “Are you Thomas Brown with his dog, Leroy Brown?” the woman queried. Tom nodded and then stood up. “Follow me to Dr. Kitty Mittens. If I may warn you, he is an eccentric person,” said the lady, who was the nurse, as she led them through a dark hallway. Tom flinched for a minute since he had many many many fears. For example, he was afraid of: clowns, mimes, spiders, darkness, elephants, monsters, vampires, thunder, lightning, bad luck, monkeys, lawyers, sales people, Tolerance, Santa Claus, the 4th of July, bugs, fairies, bankers, tax collectors, Rick Scott, Robert Patterson, etcetera. Tolerance was flying inches below the ceiling carrying Super Pup a.k.a. Leroy on her back. It was a long walk from the waiting room to Dr. Kitty Mitten’s office, but after what seemed like hours they finally made it. The door to his office was bright orange and there was a sign that said DOCTOR KITTY MITTENS IS NOT HERE. HE IS IN HIS REAL OFFICE RIGHT NEXT TO THE WAITING ROOM. After reading this, Tolerance glared at the nurse, but the nurse ignored her and walked them all the way back to the waiting room. When they got there she pointed to a room that
was labeled BATHROOM. “Dr Kitty Mittens thinks that is his office but it is really a bathroom. Like I said: ECCENTRIC!” she yelled. Tom reluctantly knocked on the door. “COME IN! COME IN! I HAVE BEEN EXPECTING YOU!” a voice bellowed. Super Pup began to quiver. Tom began to shake. While Tolerance just tore the door off its hinges. On the other side was an orange cat wearing a doctor’s outfit. “Where is the doctor?!” Tolerance growled. The cat squirmed into a corner. “I am,” the cat said in a quiet voice. Tolerance cooled, for a while at least. “WHY DID YOU YELL AT US?! AND WHY DID YOU MAKE US WALK, OR IN MY CASE FLY, TO YOUR OFFFICE ONLY TO COME BACK TO SEE YOU IN A BATHROOM?! WHY IS THE BATHROOM YOUR OFFICE?! YOU BETTER FINISH THIS FAST OR I’LL . . .” Tom stopped her just in time. The cat doctor was more afraid. Super Pup tried to calm him. “Mmm, mmm mmm. Mm?” Super Pup said. “AHH! A DOG! Who would bring a dog here? I am an animal doctor you know.” The cat cried. Tolerance looked as though she was about to explode. “Um Doctor, he is an animal.” Tom replied. The cat rolled his eyes. “I know that. That’s why I’m saying you should bring him to an animal doctor, not me!” the cat answered. Now Tolerance was redder than a red rose on a red field covered by a red blanket which had a hot red blaze on it. “This is not good,” Super Pup thought to himself. Read the next issue to find out Tolerances’s response.
by Ari Swift, Age 13 Boca Raton, FL
“Battle armor?” “Check!” “Telepathically controlled Andy‘s?” “Check!” “My first battle! Well, all that telepathy practice paid off,” thought Lark. “Hey Lark. There are a few recruits who say they know you,” said Dyre, running over. “Bart? Cart? Dart? What are you doing here?” asked Lark. “They attacked the village thinking it was some resistance stronghold,” said Bart. “What about my family and friends?” asked Lark. “Your family being on the edge of town managed to slip out in all the confusion along with Barky’s and Quat’s. Some of your friends managed to slip out too. “So is there anything interesting that has been going on that we missed?” asked Barky. “After we got here… When we found out about our powers we did some testing and discovered that Quat could only control heat, light and wind within about a 100 yard radius. Barky could only contain about 10 cubic feet of matter. I could telepathically read minds, talk to people and control weak minds, for example animal minds. See these Andy: each one is controlled by a rat brain which I then control,” said Lark. “Okay, here is the plan: Our main force will make an attack in the south side to drag out their main guard. With Lark, Quat and Barky we will blow through the north side, destroy their remaining defenses and blow up the whole compound. We will leave secondary explosives to destroy any type of response team” said Dyre. “BOOOM!” A bomb went off in the
distance. “That is our queue. Let’s go!” said Dyre. Dyre, Lark, Quat, Barky, Bart, Cart, Dart, Lark’s Andys, and 18 other troops got up and started to move at the north side. Ching! Ching! Ching! Auto-turrets popped up and started shooting. Titanium spikes shot out of Barky’s fingers and instantly pulverized the auto-turrets. The troop kept advancing. As they got to the wall, small trapdoors started to open in quick succession and machine guns popped out and started to shoot. “Get down!” shouted Dyre, as three troops already fell along with one of Lark’s Andys. Making sure to put a heat blanket around each troop, Quat directed the rest of the heat at each gun and melted it one at a time. One hour, 15 troops and the rest of Lark’s Andy’s later, they managed to plant the explosives. “Set to detonate in 15 minutes. That should give us enough time to get away,” said Dyre. “Sir! Sir! I hit the wrong button and it is set to detonate in five minutes,” said Cart who was setting up the detonator. “Run!” shouted Dyre setting off in a mad dash. “BOOM!” Lark turned just in time to see the detonation go off. The shockwave sent Lark flying and knocked him out. Zaaaaap! Ahhhhh! bellowed Lark as the tazer slammed into his skin waking him from his daydreaming.
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JUNE 2011
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A story put-together at the Enrichment Circle’s Creative Writing Workshop
Written with alternate endings. by Shadya and Bilal Amodu Ages 11 and 14 Deerfield Beach, FL This is how we collaborated and shared a story and built it up. It was team work, and we had fun while we stretched, twisted, molded and created it. We all lent our thoughts and had words in it. Wow, we cooked up something, and spiced it with our imaginative potion. Take a look! One morning in 2016 a whole school of fish woke up. In this school, there was a small, colorful and old fish named Lauren. One day while Lauren was swimming about, thinking how stinky she was and that she should take a shower. As the stinky fish swam through the warm cur-
rents of the Gulf of Mexico, she darted out and dived right back in like a dolphin. She wanted to feel the fresh air. She met an English fish who teased her. He said Lauren looked funny. She didn’t feel good. At that moment she saw a mysterious fish and got scared. She tried to run away and accidentally swam into a cave. Lauren found herself surrounded by crystals and when she saw her reflection, she discovered that she was a puffer fish. She was proud. She took a couple of crystals under her fin and left for her home. On the way she spotted a pair of eyes. It was a huge shark and to escape Lauren threw the crystals at the shark. Bilal’s alternate ending: The shark was dazed long enough for the fish to make a swift escape. The fish used all of her strength to out swim the shark.
When she thought that she was free, a throng of ferocious shark besieged her, being upset with her that she had struck one of their own. The fish humbly apologized to the sharks and took them to the crystal cave. She bestowed upon them one crystal each. Finally, Lauren returned home, had supper, and never ever got into a skirmish with any sea creature again. Shadya’s alternate ending: The shark was outraged, but only for a moment. “Ha, ha,” he laughed. Lauren was confused “Please don’t eat me! I will do anything.” Now it was the shark’s turn to be confused. “Why would I hurt you little princess?” the shark asked gently. Lauren blinked and gasped, “What princess?” It was only her there, or was there someone else too? “Are you talking to me?” Lauren asked to reassure herself.
The shark chuckled,” Of course! You are the princess of Coarlandia. Come with me, you have been lost for years.” The shark motioned Lauren to follow. Lauren doubted the shark was telling the truth. She thought that the shark was just trying to eat her. But then again, it was tempting to see a new world. She slowly followed the shark. Lauren gasped. Corallandia, land of the puffer fish, was breathtakingly beautiful. The shark laughed, “I have a feeling that you will like it here. My name is Aqualeo by the way.” The shark was right: Lauren loved Coralandia and had a happy life there. Soon after she got married to Aqualeo and had a dozen puffer sharks. And they currently live happily ever after in the warm currents of the Gulf of Mexico. For now.
Creative journalism at its best
Articles, stories, poems, art and much more… From and for children of all ages and from everywhere
To submit your work, email us at info@enrichmentcircle.com or call 954-9182541
To subscribe and to know more about the Circle Gazette visit us at www.enrichmentcircle.com
The Circle Gazette is an international publication The Enrichment Circle is a Non-Profit Organization for the Advancement of Education
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“Duck Over House” Dry erase markers on white board. by Morgan Hooks, Age 10 Clemmons, NC
“Rainbow” Color pencils on paper by Ellie Gómez, Age 5 Margate, FL Inspired in the story “When the Sun Rose” by Barbara Helen Berger. “Dragon” Crayons on paper. by Sarah Damas, Age 8 Coconut Creek, FL
“Flowers” Natural wax crayons on paper by Emily Greenfield, Age 5 Coconut Creek, FL
“The Wolf” Soft pastels on paper. Inspired from the story “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” by Emma Gómez, Age 7 Margate, FL “Diorama of a Florida Estuary” Mixed media. by Sofia Serrano, Age 5 Frankfurt, Germany.
“Geisha Girls” Sketch and Paint Application at www. oneemotion. com by Jala Robinson, Age 10 Tamarac, FL
JUNE 2011