"The Creatives" November 2018 Issue

The

Creatives

November 2018 Issue 3 Vol.1

Peer Pressure Free November Calendar

TIPS TO COPE WITH PEER PRESSURE

Art Gallery

DIY YOUNG POET’S CORNER Know Yourself

Tips to Learn Fast!

The Creatives is a publication by Ray Academics for children and young adults.

Learn to Reimagine your Future

Calling Writers from all around the World!

Email your entries at info@rayacademics.com in the following categories:

Art & Poems

Articles

Recipes Subscription

Puzzles

Stories

Jokes

Countries

Issue Price

Annual Subscription (12 Issues)

Pakistan

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Contact +92302-8556771 for free delivery

Contents 4

Student Editorial Team

4

Book Review

8

Know Yourself

6

Talent Found

7

DIY Slime

8

Power of Words

9

Word of the Month

10

Scary Stories

15

Tips for Writing

16

November Calender

18

Fun Activities

20

Young Poet’s Corner

22

Art Gallery

24

Competitions

27

Kiddies in the Kitchen

28

Momi Talks!

Get organized with this freebie!

A collection of poems contibuted by children and young adults

Peer Pressure A column by a practising physician in the US,

EDITOR’S LETTER Patron-in-Chief

Dear Readers, In our pursuit of encouraging creativity and nurturing the love for learning we have come across some exceptionally talented children. We love to feature these children and celebrate creativity. The encouragement of this essential intelligence can speak volumes as the child matures into an adult.

Student Editorial Team Amn Zain Ryaan Mirza

We also like to motivate children to make reading and writing an enjoyable lifelong habit. We send out “Happy Mail” to encourage this and to inspire them to be more creative. “Happy Mail” is a package of 3 random exquisite pieces of stationery that is sent to a subscriber’s door step to surpirse them on a random day. This is a free giveaway for those who subscribe for three-month subscription of “The Creatives.”

Damia Nauman

Photography Zahrah Ehsan Mehrunissa Shahryar

There are also several competitions that we are doing at Ray Academics this month. The entry of some of these are absoloutely free if you have bought the respective issue from us.

Distributed by

So we all know that a single word in English Language has the capacity to make you extremely confused due to the ambiguous meanings that the word might have. However, no matter how daunting the task may seem, we must continue to improve our vocabulary! Among 171, 476 words in the dictionary we will be focussing on one word each month. “Word of the Month” has been added as a regular feature in the magazine to help children and young adults improve their vocabulary.

We are also well aware of the Exam months approaching for many students out there. We have included an artcle in this magazine that can help you find the best learning strategy to accelerate the pace of your learning.

Parveen Akhtar

Ray Academics 21 Bank Square Market Model Town Lahore, Pakistan Ph: +92-302-8556771

Email: info@rayacademics.com

Printer RN Printers

Happy Reading!

Bushra Ehsan Editor-in-Chief CEO of Ray Academics

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Student Editorial Team Aloha! My name is Damia Nauman and I’m a part of the editorial team of “The Creatives.” I am currently pursuing Sciences in my O’Levels from LGS 55 Main, Lahore, Pakistan.

Even though I’ve chosen Sciences as my major in O’Levels, writing is my passion. I also adore photography and enjoy reading as well. Just if you’re wondering ,yes, I am a Potterhead! I absolutely love reading all the various poems and short stories written by our talented contributors. I also enjoy editing the articles and compiling different fun elements like jokes and recipes. I’m looking forward to reading your contributions and compiling them in a fun way for our monthly magazine.

Till then, Auf Wiedersehen!

Damia Nauman Millicent Min Girl Genius

By Lisa Yee

E

veryone wants to be a genius. To get top grades and be the teachers favorite is all what they dream of. Its just not that great for Millicent.

Millicent Min is a girl who is currently attending high school at the age of 11 and is way smarter than her fellow peers. Or rather her fellow 18 year olds.

She may look smart but her inner personality is just as friendly and nervous. She has never had a friend in her life.

Assuming her summer will be completely gold, little does Millicent know that her Grandmother is moving away, her new friend needs her for

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homework and she has to tutor Stanford the geeky immature basketball jerk. Millie thinks that its just the worst until her mother assigns her up for volleyball.

Boom! Summer ruined!

Then things start to get better as she meets the new girl Emily who does not know anything about the genius she’s talking to. If Millicent goes out of her way to hide all her diplomas, certificates, trophies and inside smarts. She may just make a true friend! True with shadiness, but will it be worth it?

Find out more about this story in this funny book which teaches us valuable lessons about trust and friendship.

This is a ride sure to be taken!!

By Amn Zain, Lahore, Pakistan

Book Review

Know Yourself!

W

What kind of a Learner are you?

ith the exam dates approaching closer with each passing day you will find students stressing over topics that they have not been able to learn. Are there any learning techniques that may make you learn faster? Yes, there are!

Get to know yourself The first step is to understand yourself as a learner. Not all people learn in the same way and and there is no one-size fits all in education. Does everyone learn in the same way or do all of us learn differently? Your personality determines the type of strategies that will work best for you.

We will be looking at three basic learning styles that learners usually belong to. They are further broken down to as many as eight learner preferences The most important question at this time is that what is the quickest way and most efficient way of learning? If you can find out what are the best strategies for your personality then you can maximize your learning time by using the most efficient methods of learning.

So what are these methods of learning? In this article we will be discussing three basic learning styles of a student and learning strategies. Here is a brief description of each learning style:

The Auditory Learner This learner learns best by listening and discussing things with someone. If you are an auditory learner an audio book may be more beneficial to you rather than reading a book. If you do need to read a book the best way to learn would be reading aloud so that you can hear your voice. The auditory learner also is a good listener and usually learns well by listening and talking about the topic. If you are an auditory learner then the chances are that you would benefit from someone asking the questions and you answering. A repetitive Question & Answer session with a learning partner will most definitely help reinforce concepts.

The Kinesthetic or Tactile Learner: These learners like to do things by doing rather than listening or seeing. The preference of this learner is to do hands-on activities. The best way to find out about your specific learning preference is to observe yourself and see what type of learning works for you best. A kinesthetic learner may find the working of an idea or process especially intriguing, They can also learn more by recreating experiments to illustrate concepts.

The Visual Learner The visual learner learns best by watching and seeing things rather than other ways of learning.

If you are visual learner you learn best by watching videos and seeing presentations etc. That means that a visual learner learns best through the use of diagrams, charts, infographic to learn concepts. You might not be learning efficiently by writing it out and you may just need to see good and efficient visuals for the topic. Visual learners learn best when information is presented using patterns, shapes, and other visual aids in the place of written or spoken words. One way teachers can differentiate their instruction for visual learners is by using graphic organizers to teach a lesson.

A flow chart might be used to explain a scientific process. Majority of learners are usually visual learners and most of the teaching techniques used in a typical classroom are for the visual learner.

.

You can research more on this topic or take an online quiz to find out what kind of a learner by visiting

Learning Tips

http://vark-learn.com

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An exclusive Interview with our Creative of the Month, Zahra Abbas Khan.

Talent Found!

Q&A What do you consider to be your greatest

accomplishment?

My greatest accomplishment was to have my poem published in a magazine because everyone who got the magazine could read what I wrote and I want people to read my poems.

Which of your creations gives you the most pride and satisfaction?

A unicorn that I drew and my latest poem “a hundred years ago” which is inspired by Diary of a Wimpy kid.

How did you come up with the idea of Flutter Fun? We loved watching youtube videos so one night our mom asked us (my sister and I) if you had a youtube channel what would you name it? I knew exactly what she was thinking,she was going to make us a youtube channel.

I thought her idea was cool and i thought it was pretty lame I couldn’t come up with it first.

You are an extraordinary poetess and write winning stories. Do you do anything special to get your “creative juices” flowing? Please explain.

Thanks but Idon’t do anything special. I just have fun writing things and that’s how I express myself.

Have other people supported or inspired you? Please explain Have other people supported or inspired you? Please explain.

My mom supports me whenever I write/create something and I get inspired by what I read.

Do you think that creativity comes naturally to people or do you think creativity is a skill that people must develop?

I think anyone can be creative,they just need to try what they like and have fun.

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Featured

DIY Time for Some Make Slime at Home!

Method:

You will need:

Put as much glue as u want in a bowl.Next put in baking soda and mix.Add shaving foam.Put in the contact solution (just a little) and mix.Add some colour and there you have it!

-Glue (M n G liquid glue) -Food colouring or acrylic paint -Shaving foam -Baking soda (one pinch) -Popsicle stick (for mixing) -Contact solution (Renu) (not all glues and contact solutions work)

-By Zahra Abbas Khan, 9 years, LGS, Lahore

Do you need some help?

Zahra and Ayra Abbas are to the Rescue! They have created a detailed video that will take you step by step through the whole process. You can watch this video on their very own YouTube channel called Flutter Fun!

Link for the video: http://bit.ly/2OkFGM1 Follow their YouTube channel!

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Express Yourself

Power of Words

By Ali Hassnain Baloach, Hyderabad, Pakistan

W

ords can be dynamic and yet fragile all the while. You might wreck someone’s nerves or ruin much more if you are unable to understand the consequences of the impact of words that you are using . For instance, it takes a cinch to kill endowing enemies with certain names makes whilst calling your children with words of endearment such as “sweetie”makes them more affectionate towards you.

We can sometimes underestimate the power of our words. It takes more than positive thoughts and benevolvent deeds to makea good person. The real creative power is in the words we use. . Right words at the wrong time are equivalent to wrong using wrong words in thr first instance.

Right words at the right time can make all the difference for someone. An encouraging word would cost you nothing but it make a world of a difference. Our words can either empower people or diminish them and make them want to quit at something that they are working at. Aren’t words just neutral tools to communicate like keys on a keypad? Apparently, No. We are not machines or computers, we are breathing individuals, hence it’s our responsibility to weigh words before we express feelings into words.

Renowned institutes are investigating significantly into the use of words.

University of Georgia is showing lawyers how to utilize words to get customers ready for intervention. Harvard is examining the impact of utilizing positive words or pictures, for example, those identified with prizes, triumph, or security, toward the beginning of an arrangement, instead of concentrating on the things in debate. This preparation can trigger the creation “happy hormones” in the body for example,oxytocin, the hormone that helps trigger emotions, for example, prosperity, fondness, and security.Getting a compliment, or hearing how well you’ve done is dependably a sense of self lift.

On the other hand, we don’t need a country of narcissists, whocan’t stand to hear even the most diplomatically worded feedback, regardless of how justified.

Children who are raised in an environment where unforgiving feedback, insults, and ridiculing are their day by day passage can and will effortlessly disguise the notions behind the words. They discover that they aren’t worth in particular.

Kudos! To all those who use their words wisely! It is definitely a skilled art that needs to be practised.

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Word of the Month: Empathy

By Amn Zain, 12 years old, Lahore, Pakistan

H

ow does it feel? Being with so

many people, talking and living with them, but they don’t know you, and your personality is completely perplexing to them! You are in deep melancholy; they can’t comfort you because they think you are downcast or a useless reason. Useless? You think. You don’t agree, but if agreeing makes them like you then you should. Isn’t there anyone who can feel your pain?

But there is, a candle glowing in the darkness, a heart next to yours, someone who understands you and you feel close to them. Your conversations seem similar; you both are like two peas in a pod. But one question still remains unanswered. Why are you two so close? How can you understand each other? What is it that you feel between each other? And then it hits you. One glorious word, three syllables that makes life worthwhile. Empathy.

The reason why “The Creatives” has chosen this word is because children of all ages have

Empathy Noun.

Meaning: The ability to share someone else’s feelings or experiences by imagining what it would be like to be in that person’s situation

something in themselves which they think no one else has and they feel out-of-place.

But no matter where you are, there is always someone in this world who empathizes with you. They have the same complaints, and are also different. They may be near. If you put yourself in their shoes and comfort them according to your own experiences, you will be “empathizing” with the person, and soothing a hurting soul.

It is always a virtuous quality to put your heart next to someone else’s and be with them through good or bad. You are their only hope for them in a pool of darkness. And you both might not realize it but you both will always be there for each other.

That’s all for this word little geniuses! Look forward to the next word and for the rest of your life remember to give empathy to others!

t bou s a s e hy i echo in t a p e e ‘Em ing th ne els find omeo rself of s you id’ m a H hsin o –M

Use of “empathy” in a sentence: He loves children and has a certain empathy with them.

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Scary Stories

Terrible Trivium

By Ayeshum Adil, 12 years old, Lahore “Help! Someone help us!” I screamed. I sat by the side of my sister’s body. I held her pale lifeless body in my arms as I cried for help! People entered the room and took me away from my sister.

Two hours earlier, I had just returned from a tiring day. I was exhausted yet there was a great deal of work left in the house. As I finally got done with all the work I could hear the wind howling and the wind chimes clinging together. But the most odd thing was the reverberating sound of footsteps in the dark and eerie hallway. I ignored it thinking that it was just my dog. That was when I heard a piercing scream from upstairs.

As I entered the room, I saw my sisters limp body in the middle of the room surrounded by a pool of blood. My legs shook with fear, there was something written in blood right next to her “Trivium killed her!”. As i approached the lifeless body of my sister, I took notice of it as two things were enough to shock me.

Firstly my sister was out of town with a few friends. Secondly, she was not wounded and yet there was blood when I came up close, I realized that her lips were stitched up!

Is my sister really dead? These thoughts came to my mind at the funeral as I sat with her friends.

I just couldn’t believe what was happening. They tried to comfort me with statements like “She was so elegant” “Who could be cruel enough to do such a heinous act?”, “She was so lively”, “She was really witty and gifted with brains and beauty”. “Such a joyful soul” etc.. Yet none of these things helped me forget the scene of her death. They just seemed like meer words that had no meaning.

Her best friend Hamna, was the only one who stayed with me through the whole ordeal. As we sat in my other sister’s room, I told her what was written in blood on the floor. Hamna was taken aback. On my questioning, she told me that Fatima sometimes murmured Trivium’s name. She heard my sister often murmur in her sleep, “Trivium is here” or “Go away Trivium.”

As Hamna left I heard a soft whisper. “I killed them. I killed them...” followed by a terrifying laugh. The next day I called my brother to lift my spirits but I just got more bad news. My brother had died in an accident yesterday. But his body had yet not been recovered. It was like I was living a nightmare after a nightmare.

A few minutes later, I suddenly found his body in the kitchen surrounded by blood and yet no wounds were visible. Again I found the same words written in blood, “Trivium killed him too.”

After every two weeks the mysterious killings continued till all my beloved ones but me and my nephew were the ones left. After two months of investigation I found a letter that said: “Asad will be next. To save him, do as I say.

Under you I live above you is the key. When you get the key you will find a door. In the door is something of value and something of dread. Be wise, or face your doom.”

The letter was in Asad’s room above his room were the stairs to the attic and to the attic and under it was the basement. I went up to the attic and found a dusty old lever. As I pulled it, I fell down to the basement. I landed next to a skeleton. I screamed but no one heard me. On one side of the skeleton was some money and on the other hand , there was anot. I chose the note as money can become a dread. The note said that the body was of Trivium, who died at a young age of fifteen.

He was murdered by a doctor five years ago. The house was possessed by him and he killed all those who lived here and refused to bring his murderer to justice. My family had also refused and so they lost their lives. The doctor had done experimental tests on them and kept them in the room I stood in. That was when I noticed two chained skeletons on a bed. The doctor kidnapped people. He then turned them into beastly creatures and then cure them.

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Yet the horrid doctor roamed free. I decided to help. Hence, I first gathered proof against the treacherous doctor known as Travis. Then with Hamzah’s help, I found the doctor and with loads of proof, I was able to bring Trivium to peace. Yet I did not know why was the doctor so? Maybe that is a story only doctor knows or maybe like the

name given to him he was possessed and thus he was known as the “Demon Doctor” or maybe he was a Demon in the role of a doctor. I blame the doctor to turn my blissful life into a gloomy one.

But what I wonder the most is “Is Trivium still living in my home?” Is he waiting to kill me? Or has he found peace?

The Spooky Slimy Island

By Muawiz Humayun, Lahore

O

n������������������������������������� e good morning my closest friend Sauban and I planned to travel on an enormous yacht to a mysterious island. We packed all our luggage. I was hoping that we do not crash into an iceberg because it was bitterly cold. A monstrous snowstorm was expected to hit the oceans soon. Nonetheless I was overjoyed and Sauban was also very excited. However, there was a terrible rumour that was going around. It was believed that lots of people had suddenly died recently on the ship for no reason.

Soon after we sat on our enormous yacht we began travelling our long, adventurous journey.

I saw icy icebergs hanging together. They looked like big boulder and shaped like a dragon mouth.

Soon it turned into a frightening experience where owls were howling frighteningly.

Then we both suddenly saw an island. Sauban cried,“ Hooray”. Then we finally landed on the deserted island. First we ate some tasty coconuts and then we planned to go to the other side of the mysterious island. We built a house with green bamboo and leaves from delicious coconut trees.

In the house we made an interesting invention to find places that are filled with horror and fantasy.

Muawiz suggested excitedly “Let’s test it” Sauban agreed and both of them started testing it. Then

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it went “Beep! Beep!” which means that it found an interesting place. I was surprised and shocked that there was a slimy but also a gloomy place! I couldn’t believe it!

Suddenly, we saw a zombie with burnt skin, a 15 feet tall giant! Blood was dripping from his eyes and snakes coming out of the nostrils. When he saw us looking at him, we got petrified. I fainted instantly, but Sauban didn’t. He was brave. After sometime, I regained consciousness to see that the situation has become even worse. There was also a slimy gloomy zombie king with a skeleton guard. They were protecting the evil king. It was an evil king. It was a sinister slimy gloomy place where bad things happen. We were trying to get out but there was no exit.

“I think that we will have to fight against the king” said Sauban. Then we sneaked out to the Zombie King Slimy palace. The zombies were made out of solid slime. Then we took the king sword and attacked him. If the King is killed then all of the zombies will be finished. Then we killed the king with our sword and sliced him into pieces, as a result, all the zombies were dead. I thought they would eat us but on the other hand we were the ones who ate them. Then we finally found the exit by our invention. We quickly boarded the yacht which took us home. I will never forget this incident. I just love telling everyone about it! It’s my favourite story!

Tips for Writing Scary Stories

Tips for Writing Scary Stories W e conducted a workshop about how to write scary stories last April. This was an amazing workshop in which children actually did role-playing to inspire other young writers to write proficiently.

We had a wonderful character who posed infront of children as a witch, to help them characterize. Manal Shahryar, an eigth grader was ultimately given the title of Wapda down “Wicked Witch of Wapda Town.”

Here are some tips on creating your character in a story: 1. Visualize We all need visuals to relate to when we are describing something. Think of a character or person that you have seen and then gradually start describing the inside traits (personality traits) and also outside character traits (physical traits)

heard about and read about several times.

To develop creativity it is essential to use your own names and put together words the environment you are accustomed to. We all brainstormed about a location in Lahore that can start with the “W” sound. The group came up with the name, “Wapda Town.”

Hence, our wonderfully disguised character, Manal Shahryar, earned the title of the Wicked Witch of Wapda Town.

Would you like to write about the Wicked Witch of Wapda Town? What kind of adventures do you think she goes on? Which places do you think she visits on spooky nights? Do you think she is an evil character or do you think she is a funny character in the story?

Please email us at info@rayacademics.com if you can think of an interesting story about the Wicked Witch of Wapda Town.

2. Alliteration Alliteration is a literary device in which you use words with the same sound to create catchy phrases or names. You can use this device to create interesting character names or story titles. In this case, our character’s name was decided to be “Wicked Witch of Wapda Town.” This name was put together by children and the reason why “Wapda Town” was added to the title was to increase the repetitive sound of “W” used earlier in the name 3. Reflect on your own experience It is always creative to write about something that you can relate to. Try to observe your personal environment and experiences and write about that. Avoid over used words and foreign names. For instance, the children came up with “Wicked Witch of the West” because this is the name that they had

Manal Shahryar, 13 years old, Lahore Volunteer at the event “Scary Stories” in April 2018

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Fun Activities Said is Dead!

There are so many other ways to use instead of the word, “said.”

Find the words in the list in the puzzle.

BARKED BELLOWED CHUCKLED DEMANDED FUMED GIGGLED LAUGHED REJOICED

Solutions are available on www.rayacademics.com/solutions

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Fun Activities Jokes!

A woman and her husband interrupted their vacation to go to the dentist. “I want a tooth pulled, and I don’t want any pain killers because I’m in a big hurry,” the woman said. “Just extract the tooth as quickly as possible, and we’ll be on our way.”

The dentist was quite impressed.

“You’re certainly a courageous woman,” he said. “Which tooth is it?” The woman turned to her husband and said, “Show him your tooth, dear.”

Nate: Why was school easier for cave people?

Kate: Why? Nate: Because there was no history to study!

Joe: What’s the king of all school supplies?

Moe: I don’t know. What?

Joe: The ruler.

Why did the Oreo go to the dentist?…

Because it lost its filling!

Want to hear a joke about pizza?…

Never mind, it’s too cheesy.

Why didn’t Dracula have any friends?…He was a pain in the neck!

Q: Why did the boy eat his homework?

A: His teacher said it was a piece of cake.

I asked my daughter if she’d seen my newspaper. She told me that newspapers are old school. She said that people use tablets nowadays and handed me her iPad. The fly didn’t stand a chance.

A boy breaks an old vase at a rich uncle‘s house. The uncle gets extremely angry and yells: “Do you even know how old the vase was?

It was from the 17th century!” The boy sagged in relief: “Oh, good that it wasn’t new.”

What did the judge ask when he went to the dentist?

“Do you swear to pull the tooth, the whole tooth and nothing but the tooth?”

Why did the computer go to the dentist? … Because it had Bluetooth

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“Problems were written in my fate, not just because I deserve them but just because I have strength to bear them.”

Ali Hassnain Baloach, 15 years old, Hyderabad

A

Young Poet’s

Corner

Weeping Wonders I cry, I fall, I break apart, But in the end, I wise, I rise, Stay firm and strong.

Ali Hassnain Baloach, 15 years old, The City School, Hyderabad

Again today I see, your coffee smile; Stained never in tearsAnd gulp the whole way down, with in my mind; A stranger's silence.

What we used to be, had been so much than I had seen; But what we now please is so little, so less.

I do not miss you, but the days that were back then.

Maybe I did not kill memories, but instead the people.

The sun shines so lifeless, on the patches of grassLook now how I fake a smile, into the camera; So treacherous.

-Ayesha Shoaib, Lahore

Art Gallery

Ahmed Ejaz, 11 years old, Lahore, Pakistan

Aaiza Zafar, 13 years old, Connecticut, USA

Lubaba Humayun, 9 years old, Lahore, Pakistan

Omar Zain, 6 years old, Lahore, Pakistan

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Ayesha Usman Ghani, 16 years old, Karachi, Pakistan

Art Gallery

Ahmed Ejaz, 11 years old, Lahore, Pakistan Abrish Naeem, 7 years old, Riyyadh, Saudi Arabia

An open call to all children around the world!

Email us your stories, letters to the editor, jokes, riddles, recipes, artwork, pictures, articles etc.

Email us at info@rayacademics.com

Haris Abbas Khan , 12 years old, Karachi, Pakistan

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Competitions & Events Monthly Art Competition Theme: Unicorn Are you inspied by unicorns? The mythical creatures that have become a favorite for so many! What does a gorgeous flying horse look like in your imagination. Use your imagination and express yourselves through Art! Guidelines: Age group: 6-16 years old 2 entries per category are allowed

For subscribers and those who purchase the magazine. Code for free entry: Unic2018X All works must be original.

You must fill the following form for us to accept your submission: https://www.rayacademics.com/unicorn Prizes: Various

Drawing: 1. Medium: Any 2. Size of Art work: Not smaller than 5” x7” and less than11”x17” 3. Submission is in digital form (JPEG only

Last Date: November 20th, 2018

Entry: Free

Monthly Photography Competition Theme: Water You can capture the rhythmic fall of rain or you can take a picture of a lake at sunset. Choose

the perspective that you want but remember to be creative. This month’s theme is water so the picture must have “water’ as the main part of the composition.

Guidelines: Age group: 8-16 years old 2 entries per person allowed Only JPEGs will be accepted

Entry is Free For subscribers and those who purchase the magazine. Code for free entry: waterph2018X All works must be original. You must fill the following form for us to accept your submission: https://www.rayacademics.com/water Prizes:Various Last Date: November 20th, 2018

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Competitions & Events Calling all Young Poets!

“Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility.”

-William Wordsworth

Details:

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

The competition is open to children and young people in three categories: -7 to 10 -11 to 14 -14 to 16

-Only two entries per person

Prizes: Various

-Email your poem to info@rayacademics.com with the subject line: Poetry Competition Submission

Location: Within Pakistan

-Up to a maximum 300 words per poem

Shortlisted & winning poems will be published in “The Creatives”

Theme: Emotions Fee: Rs 500

-The theme of the poem must be on “Emotion”

Last Day for Submissions November 20

Entry form can be found online along with payment information.

Link: https://www.rayacademics.com/ poetrycompetition/ Deadline 20th November 2018

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Free Happy Mail for our Subscribers!

F

ree Happy Mail is given to three month subscribers as a gift from Ray Academics! Happy Mail comprises of 3 exquisite pieces of random stationery delivered at your door step.

Free Happy Mail

Happy Mail is sent out on a random date to you! This will bring happiness to your child and will encourage your child to read more!

We provide nationwide free delivery for our subscribers through our website: https://www.rayacademics.com/thecreatives/

You can also find our issues in leading stores in Lahore including the following locations: Iqbal Book Corner, Anees Book Corner and Readings.

Contact us at +92-302-8556771 if you need any assistance.

Nation-wide delivery through Daraz.pk Order through our website:

Raushan Tariq, 10 years old, Lahore Subscriber of “The Creatives�

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Kiddies in the Kitchen Hot Chocolate

Ingredients: 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 to 3 teaspoons of Cocoa 2 tablespoons sugar 1 cup Milk A pinch of salt (optional) Marshmallows (optional)

Send us your Recipes

Makes 1 serving

Method:

Mix sugar, cocoa and salt in large mug.

Heat milk in microwave at HIGH (100%) 1-1/2 minutes or until hot.

Gradually add hot milk to cocoa mixture in mug, stirring until well blended.

Stir in vanilla.

Nutella Mug Cake Contributed by Damia Nauman & Amn Zain, Lahore Ingredients: 1 large egg 10 tablespoons Nutella (3-5 tablespoons per mug) 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour (2 tablespoons per mug) 1/2 teaspoon baking powder Makes 2 servings

Method: -Whisk 1 large egg in a bowl and split evenly into 2 microwave

safe 12-ounce mugs.

-Add 5 tablespoons of Nutella to each mug.

-Add 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour to each mug. Mix with whisk until batter is smooth, note that it will be very thick.

Microwave each mug separately for 1 minute. Let it cool and set for about 15 minutes to allow it to develop a chewy texture.

Variations:

Replace Nutella with chocoloate chips or 2 table spoon peanut butter

Curl up with your favorite book and enjoy a warm glass of chocolate!

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An Informational Column for Parents & Teens

Momi Talks!

Peer Pressure

by Dr Momina Salman, Practising Physician in USA

“But Mom. Everyone is doing it!”

It’s not uncommon to hear this in almost every household. The need to fit in is very instinctive in all of us. It is extremely hard to be the odd one out. Sometimes, people do things just so they can hang out with the popular group.

There are two kinds of peer pressure that students are exposed to; positive peer pressure and negative peer pressure So why is a doctor talking to you about all of this? Peer Pressure is not a disease...or is it?

Well, if children and teens are not able to manage peer pressure then sometimes many health problems begin to surface after a while. Habits formed early in life are harder to break. So, if we make the wrong choices and get into bad habits at a young age, it can have effect on both our physical and mental health that can last a lifetime.

And why am I talking about this at this particular time?

It is observed that in the beginning of the year, the urge to belong is the highest, and so kids are most vulnerable at this time.

Vulnerability can give rise to the adoption of negative habits and the following are some that I would like to discuss: 1. Using bad language Swearing, being bad, does not make you cool!

But with the latest Hollywood movies, it seems that event the good guys are giving in to this new trend. But taking the risk of being called a “nerd” or “goody two shoes” or worse, easier to curse!

2. Relationship issues Studies are hard enough as it is as you enter higher grades, but the emotional drama that comes with having relationships not only distracts but can also emotionally damage a kid. But not being in a relationship, they run the risk of being an outcast. Life is simpler at this age if your main concentration is on your studies. As children and young teens mirror adult-like behavior they also take on emotional pressures of the same magnitude at this young age. This makes these youngsters vulnerable to emotional pressures that can lead to great mental stress and anguish.

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3. Brand names This seems to be the biggest peer pressure globally. What you wear is more important than what you think, feel or how you behave. Depending on which car your parents own, your whole social life can change. The pressure to be in the most fashionable group affects girls more than boys usually. It does not appear like a bad thing, kids are just buying the latest trend, right. But, actually, it goes deeper than that. If people stop talking to you because you are not wearing brand name shoes or shirts, or kids ridicule you because your car is too old, a young kid can develop an inferiority complex, which can affect him for the rest of his life.

This can lead to low self-esteem and cause children to lack confidence in themselves making them more vulnerable than ever.

SO HOW CAN YOU DEAL WITH PEER PRESSURE? It is not easy, for sure.

Support from family and friends is of utmost importance.

Here is where positive peer pressure helps.

Surround yourself with kids from families that have good moral values. You can help each other through rough times. You will have someone to talk to when you are made fun off. You will find the strength to stand up for yourself. Take the initiative of forming groups and speaking up. You will be surprised to see that so many of us are facing the same problems.

Don’t let people affect your decision making. Make your decisions based on what you really want to do and not what you think will make you more popular.

Talk to your parents or a close family member You parents have been through school too, and they had their own share of bullying and peer pressure. They can help you get through your rough patch. Reach out to an adult who is close to you and sincerely cares for you. You need people who genuinely care about you to be by your side.

You are good enough. You don’t need brand clothes, or cool groups to validate you. Having self confidence and self esteem will help you say “no” to what you know is not good for you.

Just believe in yourself!

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