THE CIRCLE GAZETTE OCTOBER 2009
A Newspaper by Children
Plastic Alligators for Children Issue 1
by Daniela Gomez, Age 9 Margate, FL
During Christmas Break 2008 I went with my family to The Everglades National Park (ENP). We saw a beautiful female anhinga greet us from her perch on a branch. When we started on a path we spotted some alligators lying still near the water. At first we thought they were fake decorations and we called them "plastic alligators" because we doubted the park rangers would allow people to walk among these great creatures. My Aunt Elyse got close to the first alligator and touched its tail, the alligator slowly turned and looked at her and she turned red and ran back to us. We were shocked. They were real! We went to the booth by the parking lot and asked about these reptiles. The lady at the booth said "keep 15 feet away from the alligators, don't bother them and they won't harm you". Later that day, we went on a tour and learned a lot about the Everglades and its inhabitants. The first animal we learned about was the keeper of the Everglades himself: The Alligator! This animal is nocturnal and unpredictable; it makes tail trails and water holes. On
CONTENTS Page 1 Plastic Alligators by Daniela Gomez Page 2 Manatee Encounters of the Third Kind by Lauren E. Autumn in Florida by Maria Schlecht Holidays at La Paragua by Danny and Andy Hernandez Page 3 Journey to the 10 Thousand Islands by Patrick Jaramillo The World We Live In by Sara Itka Cross Sould We Build an Arc? by Wil Murphy-Hacker Apple Picking by Abby and Gracie Slentz Page 4 Meeting a Community Leader. An Interview by Daniela Gomez CRAFTS AND RECIPES What can we do to help... by Daniela Gomez KEEP AN EYE ON Page 5 Elise and Pearl by Daniela Gomez Stranahan House by Editor Page 6 If you Give a Pig a Ham and Cheese Sandwich by Lorenzo Reposa Beach by Maria Schlecht My Friend by Daniela Gomez Page 7 Come on Friends! Let's Adopt Pollye!... by Daniela Gomez ART BOX Page 8 ART BOX DID YOU KNOW...
the ENP alligators are not fed by people. They, among all animals of the everglades, are the only one that can swim through the terrible spears of sawgrass. Male alligators could eat their eggs and babies but mothers are there to defend them. Adult Alligators eat a lot but only once or twice a month and a large part of their diet is fish. We also learned about amazing birds such as: anhingas, vultures, hawks, killdeers, woodstorks and herons. The tour guide told us a story about a Brazilian family riding bikes on the path of the ENP in which suddenly one of their kids lost control of his bike and fell into the water on top of an alligator, the alligator saw that he had food on his back and took the boy by an arm and shook him but his mother jumped into the canal and beat the alligator so he let go of the boy. According to the story, at the bottom of the canal a sign says: "Beware of Brazilian mothers". My uncle Oggie Oggie and Aunt Elyse are from Montreal so he said that another sign now says: "Beware of Canadian mothers". At the end of the day I was glad we had gone to the ENP because being there reminded me that I am part of nature.
Illustration by Emma Gomez, Age 5. Color Pencils and Soft Pastels. "This animal is nocturnal and unpredictable; it makes tail trails and water holes." If you want to visit these great alligators come to Florida to the ENP and to know more about these animals and their habitat I recommend: Alligators and Crocodiles by Debora Dennard and
Everglades by Jean Craighead George. Help the endangered everglades by using water wisely and the plastic alligator will still be roaming around through the sawgrass.
WANTED YOUNG WRITERS AND ARTISTS! Patty Gomez Editor A letter from the Editor Dear children, We hope you enjoy this, our first issue of The Circle Gazette! There are stories, poems, original recipes, beautiful works of art and accounts of field trips and community events by children just like you! There are also games and crafts and funny and interesting trivia. Congratulations to all those young writers and artists that are featured in our OCTOBER 2009 issue! You are never too young or too old to write and express your ideas and dreams with colors and clay, and we want to provide an outlet for all that great work.
The Enrichment Circle A non-profit corporation for the Advancement of Education Programs, Projects and Events for Children and their families, on Physical Education, Art, Nature, Music and Languages!
On behalf of the adult world I want you all children to know that we all want and need to hear what you think about that road work on your street, about current affairs you hear on TV or radio, about the latest budgeting crisis, about that play or movie you went to see last week, about that trip into that wilderness. We want to laugh and be moved by your creative stories and poems. We want to enjoy a display of fresh art. As you see, your work is important for the adult world. But here is the twist: it's even more relevant that your work reaches other children out there! It's great that other children get to see themselves in your stories and can relate to your feelings and ideas. It is fun for them to discover all the things they can also do, all the places they can also go GetFit4Kidz: FUN, FITNESS AND FRIENDS Valuable, dynamic and exhilarating Physical Education program for homeschoolers 2 hr Classes at 10:00 am Tradewinds Park (Tuesdays) T.Y. Park (Wednesdays) www.getfit4kidz.com
to and what all other children are doing elsewhere. All this, through an old and basic media of communication: The printed page. We invite you to explore this especial window into fabulous stories and experiences. We invite you to get inspired and to inspire others. This newspaper is available to children all over the country, all over the world. Let them know who you are. Get ready to receive letters from your readers and be an active member of your community from early on! Become a part of our family of writers and artists. We can't wait to meet you! If you'd like to submit your work, have your parents contact us via email at info@enrichmentcircle.com or visit us online at www.enrichmentcircle.com. THE NATURE TEACHER Deepen the Connection Between Nature and Children ECO offers programs that enable children and their families to explore, exercise, and play in natural settings for a deeper understanding of their local environment and to develop an appreciation for the world around them. The Nature Teacher, through ECOEvery Child Outside offers an assortment of programs to get you outside. www.thenatureteacher.com