January 2011 BHA Post

In this Issue...

Top 5 MustNeed Supplies

Geo Bee Final Round

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Twin Day at ECE Building

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Page 6

Boys Basketball Tournament Page 4 Brighter Horizons Academy

Volume 7 Issue 3

Janauary 2011

Garland, TX 75044

From ID badges that scan to interactive classroom technology, is this a new hi-tech BHA?

by Safa Mohammed Staff Writer

The 10-11 school year shines full of surprises and new additions to BHA. The most obvious one being the fund raising for the new soccer stadium. However, BHA is also focusing on improving the technology within the school.

At the beginning of the year, students were required to purchase and wear IDs. It was unclear, at first, what the purpose of these IDs were. However, later it was revealed that they serve many purposes including: quickening the tardy process, making it easier to borrow books from the library, and also contributing to a prepay lunch system.

“Our system right now has the capability to use the scanner barcodes we have put on the ID to make it easier to use,” Amina

TECHNOLOGY ON CAMPUS Andha, part of the BHA staff, said.

A technological improvement that’s already appeared and taken effect are the mounted projectors on the ceilings of every classroom.

“I use the projector all the time in all the classes,” Ms.Kitam Abdeljalil, Quran teacher, said. “I get everything ready and project it. It’s much easier for me and much clearer for the students.”

Some teachers had previously used portable projectors in their teaching, therefore the built in projectors have made teaching more

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HI-TECH, 5 PHOTO COURTESY OF NKE

Young Spelling Bee Champ Shows Promise

by Afia Tariq Editor-In-Chief

The new school year of 10-11 has created a whole new generation of spelling bee successors.

With previous champions: Thabit Pulak’s departure and Aisha Lee’s transition to high school, Siraj Sheikh

Opinion 2

[6] is now showing his dominance of the bee hive.

The Spelling Bee is an annual event in which BHA students participate.

Students from 4th through 8thgrades participated in the school final round on

January 20th. Compared to last year, there were not as many qualifying contestants.

There were three judges, Nawal Elnashar, Stacey Ahmed, Sana Azzam and Jaena

Editorial 3

Sports 4

Almallah(moderator).

Ms. Stacey started with the evening by clarifying all the rules for the competition. The hall was filled with parents, siblings, and supporters.

All participants seemed to

News 5

be doing well until the 5th round; when it started to get tough, students started to drop out. The last three rounds were very tough for competitors. After about

SHEIKH, 5

Entertainment 7-8

OPINION

January 2011

SOCCER STADIUM PROJECT

SMART SPEND

Pen

ower

OF THE

My Hijab

by Aaminah Farooq

Khadija Saifullah Staff Writer

BHA formally proposed the idea of building a soccer stadium for the students. It has been an ongoing debate, whether it is a necessity or a luxory.

The real question is: is it worth $250,000 for BHA to have its own soccer stadium? Building a soccer stadium will be a big addition to BHA, but will it have more of a positive or a negative impact?

The Academy began in 1989 with just a few students; and as time passed, more and more joined the school. Each year, the population of the school increases. Currently there are 654 students.

With that said, it is about time the sports department should be ameliorated. We have the students, but are

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yet to get all the resources for them.

Many students at the school have an intense passion for soccer; some even play on select soccer teams. This shows that once we have the stadium, we will have students to use it. The students’ zeal about the sport increases the potential; they need to be able to show their remarkable talent to the rest of the community.

The soccer stadium will make it easier for the students to play by the rules. The soccer stadium will make the games more professional and allow the students to be practicing the right way.

BHA has grown immensely over the past 21 years; Islamic institutions

around the country have heard of our school; and this needs to continue.

With the stadium, students from different schools will be able to play against BHA, and this would improve the school spirit, sportsmanship, academic perseverance, and confidence among the students. They will be proud to say, “I’m from BHA, home of an invincible soccer team.”

They would be able to exhibit resilience and coping mechanicisms if needed. They would learn to keep trying, and never give up. They would be able to believe that winning is possible. These are lifelong morals BHA students will learn by having a soccer stadium.

Pictured to the left is the proposed Soccer Stadium layout. It will include outdoor lighting, a scoreboard, bleachers, track, and a surrounding gate.

The Soccer Stadium project has been a parent and teacher- runned initiative. It has received the support from the students and the school’s parent organization, the Islamic Services Foundation.

This project has been allocated a separate fund from the building expansion, and will not interfere with the planning of the school’s expansion plan.

My oppression, in your eyes Is my liberation, not to be despised If you’d lift the veil from your heart You’d see the heart beneath this veil If you learned about Islam’s start You’d know the truth to this tale I have my modesty To protect my honor It’s Allah’s decree To find the reason, you’ve got to ponder If beauty’s on the inside Why do people have no self-pride Why do they not hide What Allah has given as a prize If beauty’s only skin deep Is that why people show so much skin

Why’d society make such a big leap From now and then If you don’t judge books by covers Why are humans any different Why are dirty looks for others When they don’t even offend Has shame been lost Over all these years Self-dignity has been tossed Along with thoughts that are clear My shield from the stares Rude comments I still don’t care I don’t live for the moment My hijab My cloak Of protection Is what I love most.

Let us Know • Who do you think will win the Super Bowl?

• How did you spend your Super Bowl Sunday?

Email us at bhapost@bhaprep.org

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF THE SOCCER STADIUM PROJECT COMMITTEE

Top Five: Must-Need School Items

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Beth Almallah Cartoonist

Pocket Folder

Not a notebook, but loose leaf notebook paper. I prefer notebook paper because it’s not messy.

Most of us students tend to doodle rather than pay attention in class, this way you don’t have to tear pages out of your notebook.

In my opinion nion people nion should always least ways have at leas two folders. They’re handy and don’t make your backpack heavy. It’s great to have a folder to keep all your loose leaf papers, in it and to keep track of all those useless handouts teachers give us.

STOCK PHOTOS

Notebook Paper

Eraser

Calculator

Students should should always have an eraser raser aser because the small erasers on the back of pencils il never llast.

Preferably a white eraser that doesn’t leave smudgy gray marks when you erase.

When in high high school, students should hould always have a scientifi entific calculator ulator with them m (preferably y TI- 84) because, cause, when n learning algebra lgebra and whatever complex math or science you’re taking, you sometimes forget the basics like adding and subtracting basic numbers.

Hand Sanitizer

This is a m must ust need ed item because you ou never know when you’re ’re re going to t touch touc something gross, and your teacher won’t let you go to the bathroom, or when you go the bathroom and there’s no soap.

The

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EDITORIAL

January 2011

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Fundamentals Start from the Family Editorial Staff

The strongest argument in favor of sending children to Islamic school is the Islamic environment.

In Islamic schools, the children pray, interact with other Muslims kids, and generally have less exposure to the insanity of the outside world. Islamic schools are a place to build identity and security. They give students a sense of self-worth, pride, and cultural identity that is harder to get in public school. Islamic schools assist the community by raising Muslim youth, and they strive for growth and excellence both in areas of academics and religion.

What is apparently not so obvious, however, is that parents play a vital role in the education of children; learning begins in the first days of life and continues for a long time. It all starts at home; parents need to provide an Islamic environment from the start. It is hypocritical to do things differently at home and expect the child to learn Islamic values at school.

In contrast, many parents also believe that

Editor-In-Chief Afia Tariq Managing Editor Aisha Lee

Staff Writers Abdullah Elheet Maryam Elnashar Hena Hafizullah Faraha Hasan Aisha Lee Safa Mohammed Naailah Nathani Khadija Saifullah Sana Syed Rahel Usman Abdullah Zidan

Photography Staff Head of Photography Aysha Ahmed Staff Photographers Hadi Abusaad Sara Ahmad Yasmeen Akel Mohammad Dalaq Maryam Elnashar Amir Hamza Sahar Kuzbari Dania Tassabhji Sara Zalghout Abdullah Zidan Sumayyah Zidan

Designing Staff Layout Designers Ayah Elnashar

Cartoonists

Advisors -NewspaperNawal Elnashar -WritingTeresa Nikravan -PhotographyStacey Ahmed

the Prophet (pbuh).

Parents who have children in public school that have behavioral issues enroll their kids in Islamic school expecting a quick-fix solution only to create instability in the classrooms. The school is there to provide the necessary tools to attain Islamic character; however parents have the responsibility of maintaining a proper home environment. This can also be taught in school only to a certain extent, and the rest is up to the parents.

Parents should be the ones to instill Islamic values. In other words, schools don’t raise children, parents do.

Today, many seem to complain about our Islamic educational system.

Blame is often placed solely on the teachers or school administration.

No one wants to take the responsibility for the education of children.

It is a hand-in-hand partnership of teachers and parents, although they have different perspectives.

There is usually some instability between the teachers and the parents

and this problem needs to be solved. They need to understand that they are partners in education, and their cooperation is necessary to produce an Islamic, well-mannered, and knowledgeable child.

The Prophet (pbuh) also said, “No child is born except with ‘Al-Fitrah’*, then his parents make him Jewish, Christian, or Majian...” Therefore, it is up to the parents to decide how they wish to raise their children.

In conclusion, sending your children to Islamic school is not a quick-fix solution. An Islamic environment that incorporates all the principles of Islam at school and home is, however, the answer to the successful upbringing of the next generation of the Muslim Ummah. *Fitrah: the inner conscience everyone has that they were Muslim.

CARTOON BY BETH ALMALLAH

Beth Almallah Amina Syed

public school is the reason Muslim kids get into drugs and wild relationships. In reality any child can be susceptible to this, but the real reason kids fall into these kinds of things is that parents have not yet made a huge impact to secure a relationship of knowledge, trust, and humility.

What is often disregarded in this whole debate is the role of parents and family in the child’s Islamic development. We expect Islamic schools performs tasks which are parents’obligation. Schools are not substitutes for parental responsibilities.

It is the parents’ job to help foster learning and education as a lifelong process far beyond the 6-8 hours the child spends in school.

Every parent is advised to properly raise his/her children. The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Whoever is not kind to young people is not one of us, and the best teaching a parent can give to a child is the teaching of good manners and character.” This shows us that manners and character are what were important to

Proofreader Jaena Almallah

The BHA Post is published by the Journalism Club of Brighter Horizons Academy, 3145 Medical Plaza Dr., Garland, TX 75044. The BHA Post is a member of the Interscholastic League Press Conference and a recipient of 2005 Award of Honor in overall ILPC newspaper competition.

Letters to the Editors All of our readers are encouraged to participate in the forum by submitting letters to the editor for publication.

Letters can be mailed or E-mailed to journalism@ bhaprep.org. Letters must include the signature and telephone number of the writer. We reserve the right to edit letters for length and grammar.

Disclaimer The views and opinions of the journalism students do not necessarily reflect or represent the views of the Academy’s Administration. The BHA Post is a platform by which the student body’s voice may be represented within the highest journalistic ethical standards.

A Note from the Editors Because of the Journalism staff’s hard work, our November/December 2010 Issue of the BHA Post has been selected by JS Printing to be featured as a “Deserving Design” Publication on www.jsprinting.com. This is the first time our newspaper has received this recognition from JS Printing. As a “Deserving Design” Winner, our publication will be featured in their annual publication, Bright Ideas.

We are thankful to rescieve such a recognition.

Advertisement Publishing is also now available. Print your advertisement in the next issue of the BHA Post. For more information, email bhapost@bhaprep.org

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SPORTS

January 2011

Final Tournament Ends Season Afia Tariq Editor-In-Chief

The DIV II Basketball Season is coming to an end for the boys. The season had started in October with fourteen students.

The students broke up into three teams which were instructed by student coaches. The teams played intermural tournaments.

On Tuesday, January 25th, the Lucky Charms

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and the Mustangs faced off for the final game of the season. The final game, which was initially postponed due to bad weather, ended with a win for the Lucky Charms.

Their championship banquet is scheduled for Friday, January 28th at 3:20pm.

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PHOTO BY SUMAYYAH ZIDAN

As all athletes do, they stretch before a game. The Lucky Charms shows us how to do this.

Stretching your legs is a important part of a game.

Nazir Alzaim [5] leads his team, the Mustangs, in this stretch.

Referee, Adel Almaktabi [7] prepares to tip off in a game between the Lucky Charms and the Mustangs during their Championship game.

After getting fouled, Husni Hamdan [4] gets a free throw. Yasser Kailani [5] nervously prays Hamdan will make the winning shot.

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PHOTO BY SUMAYYAH ZIDAN

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PHOTO BY SUMAYYAH ZIDAN

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The Mustangs’ number one shooter Nazir Alzaim [5] dribbles the ball down the court. Meanwhile, Adam Rifai [5] tries to keep up with him.

PHOTO BY DANIA TASSABHJI

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PHOTO BY SUMAYYAH ZIDAN

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The

BHAPost

NEWS

Basketball Girls Prepare to Face Off Afia Tariq Editor-In-Chief

Girls Basketball Camp is slowly coming to an end in February. The basketball camp organized

by Coach Chelsey Rictor has the players divided into three divisions.

Division I comprises of 6 players from 3rd-5th grade whose team name is the “Cougars”. In Division II, there are twelve 6th and 7th grade girls named the “Red Hots”. Division III has 9 team members from 8th and 9th grades named

the “Jokers”. They have all worked with two different coaches, except the Jokers who only have one. Since October, when the camp started, the girls have been playing every Monday and Wednesday for an hour. The season will end with a game against IQA for Divisions II and III on February 2nd. “I am certain we can win against IQA”, said Rictor, ”we’ve got all our strategies down and all planned.”

V.S. IQA

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A Hi-Tech Campus We Will Be --Continued from page 1 efficient for them also.

“I can waste less time setting up the projector when I go into a new room,” Ms. Claudia Ahmed, Social Studies teacher, said. “I can pack more time into a class.”

However, other teachers feel as if the projector isn’t suited to their subject or way of teaching.

“Personally, I’m more old fashioned in my teaching,” said Ms. Maria Zidan, Math teacher. “I like to show step by step.”

Another product that BHA has already purchased is the Mimio®.

The goal of Mimio® is to make the classroom more interactive and the lessons more engaging.

“This school has been wanting a variety of tools to help classroom instruction and is always looking forward to implementing technology in the classroom,” Ms. Nawal Elnashar, who had suggested Mimio® to the school, said.

Teachers are excited

and looking forward to working with Mimio®. They also agree that it will be beneficial to the students to be working with newer technologies.

“Our students need to be exposed to all these types of technology,” Ms.Insaf Lachtar, a Department Head, said.

“They need to acquire the skills of using this technology in order to succeed now and later.”

GRAPHIC BY SAFA MOHAMMED

BHA

January 2011

Sheikh Brothers Compete Head-to-Head in Final Round --Continued from page 1 Their mother is also very proud of them. Former BHA spelling bee winner Aisha Lee [9] said,” I feel that my time as queen bee was short-lived, but I wish him good luck and hope he has more success than me.”

Both Siraj and Sadiq helped each other study and according to their father, they memorized about 2,000 words in one week. They also studied the pamphlet and encouraged each other to study. They make spelling into a game, versing

each other. Their parents are very active in school activities, and they both helped their children achieve the goal.

Both brothers and Aaqil Shihab, 3rd place winner make a good team. They also helped win the chess championship.

Brighter Horizons Academy has been producing successful spelling bee stars.

Following the legacy of Usman Asad, who won three times in a row and represented the school at

district and regionals; it looks like Sheikh will be the next champion.

Sheikh said if he practices a lot, he can do it.

Sheikh will be representing Brighter Horizons at the private school Pictured L to R: Third place winner, Aaqil Shihab, round on Tuesday, second place winner, Saadiq Shaikh, and first place winner Siraj Shaikh. After a hard round of February 22nd.

PHOTO BY MARYAM ELNASHAR

an hour,Siraj Sheikh was crowned king bee, being trailed by his brother, 2nd place and Aaqil Shihab, 3rd place winners.

Although only thirteen out of twenty-two contestants showed up due to confusion and weather, it was still a big deal that a sixth grader won the bee.

“It’s enormous [that a 6th grader won], he works very hard”, said JaenaAlmallah, English Department Head and Bee moderator, “It’s an even bigger thing that a 4th grader got 2nd”.

spelling words, the three finalists were chosen.

Siraj Shaikh will represent BHA at district.

The Blazing Bee of Geography The night of January 6th wasn’t any ordinary night for Adlin Ahmed [7], the winner of this year’s Geography Bee School Final.

For the 23rd year, the National Geographic Society held the National Geographic Bee for students in the fourth through eighth grades in thousands of schools across the United States. It is designed to encourage the teaching and study of geography. Mrs. Insaf Lachtar, the head of the social studies department,

along with the help of other teachers and administration, brought the Geo Bee to BHA, where students compete every year to be one of the class finalists.

This year’s finalists were Adlin Ahmad in 7th grade, Ahmed Ghaffari in 5th grade, and Rashwan Alameddine in 6th grade. When they were asked how they felt after making it to the top three, they replied excitedly and surprised, and one even exclaimed “I fainted”. Judging by their

performance, it could easily be said that each contestant studied hard for this.

“In which African country is the city Alexandria, known for its ancient lighthouse, located?”

This was the winning question for

PHOTO BY MARYAM ELNASHAR

Sana Syed Staff Writer

Ahmad, and the elimination question for Ghaffari.

Ahmad answered Egypt while Ghaffari answered another African country. To Ahmad’s surprise, Ahmed Ghaffari [5] is a runner up Egypt was to Adlin Ahmed [7]. He stands next correct! to Social Studies Department Head, All the Ms. Insaf Lachtar with his prize. participants

of the Geo Bee received a certificate of participation and, a gift bag that contained a National Geographic Bee pencil, pen, and plastic water bottle. Ahmad received these items as well as a gold medal. When asked how she intended to prepare for the district competition Ahmad responded nervously but determined on winning the grand prize, “I’ll use the internet.”

BHAPost

NEWS

January 2011

Twin Day: Day: Seeing Seeing Double Double Twin

The

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School Spirit Days Provide Excitement for Elementary Students

Aisha Lee Managing Editor

out who matched each other.

Staff and students made calls, compared wardrobes, and even lent clothes to one another. A lot of students also coordinated based on color or a single item they both shared.

Many parents also bought duplicate sets of clothing for friends, and others lent each other similar outfits.

PHOTO BY SUMAYYAH ZIDAN

to be triplets.

Oh, A Spot of Tea and Crumpets Naailah Nathani Staff Writer

Chess Team Places First Afia Tariq Editor-In-Chief

After many years of defeat, the Chess Club took their place back at the top at the Chess Competition on January 15th. There were six BHA students on a team, from those who went were: Sadiq and Siraj Shaikh, Aaqil Shihab, and Ayah Amarir. They won 1st place as a team and were awarded a trophy that is now on display in the BHA lobby. In the competition, each contestant is paired up with an opponent, and after the game, they are paired again with a

different opponent and so on. “I really like chess,” said Aaqil Shihab. Once all the games have been played, the winner is announced. “It was a very big thing, we worked really hard,” said Ms. Ruhina Syed, chess club advisor. The contestants were also very excited this year because the chess grand master, Susan Polgar was at the competition as well. “It was our first win in a few years, so it was something big,” said Sana Shaikh, mom.

crumpets, a time when two great men who fought for the end of slavery, and to create the Emancipation Proclamation. Tea, one of the most famous of English drinks, when paired with another Brit favorite, crumpets, make a wonderful noon snack.

Crumpets are a cake made with flour and/or potatoes.

It is eaten with either butter or jam, or sometimes both. “We really had fun,” said Rahel Usman, [10].

We appreciate Ms. Jaena’s effort in incorporating experiential learning with fun.

Tectonic Tidbits Faraha Hasan Staff Writer

Bread and Cheese Day Bread and Cheese Day was celebrated on Friday, January 21st by the 9th graders and English Department.

Students brought a variety of bread and cheese related items.

“It’s for 9th grade to remember the orphaned girls at Lowood School in Jane Eyre(a novel 9th graders are currently reading for their English class),” Jaena Almallah, 9th and 10th grade English teacher, said.

StuCo Nacho Sale PHOTO COURTESY OF SHAIKH FAMILY

When you are reading a Victorian or Gothic age novel, you feel an urge to eat something related to the story. Well, for 10th graders, Head of English Dept. Ms. Jaena Almallah created a fun-filled English class with a few snacks, hence Tea and Crumpets Day! Tea and Crumpets Day was a spin on Old-aged foods with an enhancement of international cultures.

Mouadh Bellouar [10] brought Algerian tea, also known as “Teavana”, which is made from a special blend of tea leaves. There was also mint tea and green tea.

For crumpets, there were cookies and miniature cupcakes. The reason for this was to remember the time when Frederick Douglass met Abraham Lincoln for tea and

Abram, Beech, and Manoun headed the front desk with identical flowered scrubs and Coach name badges. It was really fun to see them all so spirited and happy to be part of such an amazing event.

When they won, Ms. Iman was literally jumping for joy shouting, “We won! We won! We’re going to Hawaii!” (Note: Twin day is a day for best friends to look idenitcal. Ayeshah Quereshi and Isra Zulqarnain The actual prize were excited to dress like twins. was not a trip to Hawaii, but this was to be stuck in the uniform a very fun scene to watch all the time. It makes and if you weren’t there ECE lovelier,” explained you missed out on the Assistant Principal, Sayed. awesomeness!)

All in all, this spirit day Twin Day definitely brought a much wanted provided the ECE building splash of color into the with twice the school student’s lives. It was the spirit. “You get to show the “best spirit day so far” and school how much you care challenges the upcoming about them.” (Fourth grade spirit day to be even better. student) “Kids really, really enjoy it; they don’t have PHOTO BY SUMAYYAH ZIDAN

It’s always fun to dress up no matter what age you are. Twin Day gave the campus a chance to throw open their closets in an effort to promote team building and school spirit.

The majority of classes had sets of twins that day.

It was really a joy to walk in seeing all those smiling faces. Who says you need individuality? Obviously “twinning-up” is more fun!

The front desk was especially participative. They received the most spirited prize. Ms. Iman Manoun headed the pink color scheme for the team.

Assistant Prinicpal, Ms. Fauzia Sayed, and staff members, Ms. Sayeda Hamad, Mrs. Hayat Abram and Ms. Zainab Beech all took part. This was one of the first spirit days in which Sayed took part in and said, “I would always do School Administrators at ECE decided to get in the spirit of Twin Day. The front desk staff, (pictured L to R) Hayat Abram, Zainab Beech, and Iman Manoun, decided it!” The three triplets, Twin Day at the ECE campus sparked a lot of school spirit and resulted in some pretty colorful combinations. The event took place on the 12th of January. But, it wasn’t just twin day there were also quite a few triplets, quadruplets, and quintuplets! The staff also took part in the event and it was a fun day of figuring

Suprised to win first place Sadiq Shaikh [4], Aaqil Shihab [6], and Siraj Shaikh [6] hold their trophy with pride.

Student Council had a Nacho Sale to raise funds so they can sponsor more activities around the school. They raised around $260 on Thursday, January 13th.

BHAPost

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ENTERTAINMENT

Personalities Let’s Get Personal!

Rahel Usman Staff Writer

Seventh-grader Nadia Alimam achieved a spectacular score on her PSAT test. Not only does she perform well academically, but in tae kwon do, too. In December 2010, she won 1st place in Forms and 1st place in Breaking. Currently, she is a Deputy Black Belt and only has one more testing to go until officially becoming a black belt.

Nadia is in Drawing PSIA and is very creative. She is creative in her arts and

crafts as well as in her writing, as demonstrated by this line from her now well-known story Your Future Awaits You: “Madame Antoinette’s blood-red lips twisted into a smug smile. “That’s for me to know and for you to NEVER—“She had picked up the blade, and Katie saw it glint, “—find out.” This has been the first Ms. Jaena Almallah has awarded anyone with a full mark.

January 2011

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nadia alimam

What did you get on PSAT? I got a 158!

Did you study?

No, I just took the test.

What are your hobbies?

I love to read, although I hate nonfiction unless it’s astronomy, writing stories, skiing, and tae kwon do.

How did you get into writing stories?

I have always loved reading since youth, and in

4th grade, Mrs. Ally started to give essays and stories to write. Once, I wrote a really good introduction and didn’t realize it. She read it to everyone, but I didn’t know what the big deal was. I guess it had lots of suspense. I’m not as good as writing factual.

What competitions have you been in?

I went in PSIA Ready writing in 4th grade and won 1st place, but nothing at State. I’m also going this

year for a lot of categories, including Ready Writing.

Mrs. Jaena put me in automatically because of the story I wrote which is on the board.

Do you write often?

I sometimes write for fun and it makes me feel better.

What do you want to do in the future?

I want to be an author and teacher.

Spooky Story Your Fate Awaits You...

by Nadia Alimam

“Welcome to Madame Antoinette’s PsychicReading!” proclaimed a vendor street sign. A rather chubby, dreamy looking woman was sitting on a small cushioned chair, watching the passing pedestrians with glazed eyes. Katie swallowed a giggle, and decided to try it out. Her parents were elsewhere; her mother looking at clothes, her father buying electrical appliances.

Katie had been left to shop on her own.

Madame Antoinette finally noticed Katie and called out in a whispery voice, “My dear, are you interested in your Fate? I, Mademoiselle Antoinette, have the power to—“ “Um, yeah, I…whatever.”

Katie interrupted, observing that the strange lady had no accent. “My fate, yeah.”

“Wonderful! Wonderful!” she cried, suddenly very loud and energetic. “Come in! The Fate awaits us!”

She led Katie into a large tent with many curtains, chairs, couches, and colorful tapestries. A thin mist seemed to linger, and she smelled something sweet and herbal.

“Sit!” she ordered.

“Hurry!”

Katie rolled her eyes and sat on the nearest couch.

Madame Antoinette had pulled out a crystal ball and was rubbing her hands all over it, her eyes bulging.

Katie gazed at her, taking in her appearance. Her eyes were rather large and of the deepest blue. Her long blond hair was covered loosely in a red scarf, and she wore some sort of matching long robe.

She wore very heavy makeup, long dangly earrings, and red nail polish on very long nails. Hundreds of necklaces, bracelets, and rings encircled her.

“Ah. I see it. Hmm…” the lady murmured. “…

Extraordinary…Interesting…

Oh! How dreadful!”

Madame Antoinette looked sadly at Katie, who met her gaze with an amused one.

“Yes? What’s dreadful?”

“I see…I see…Oh, probably just a misinterpretation. Let’s

take a look at the cards, shall we?”

She began to spread a deck of cards before her.

“Madame? What—“ “Madame Antoinette.”

“Madame Antoinette, what is my F—“ “Here we are!” Madame Antoinette interrupted loudly.

“Pick three cards, my dear, quickly!”

Katie, angered slightly by the interruption, obeyed.

“Ah. There we are. Oh. Oh dear!

AHHHHHHHHHHH!” Madame Antoinette gave an ear-piercing scream and stood up violently. Gasping, she beckoned Katie closer.

“M-my d-dear. P-please give m-me your h-hand…” she faltered, tracing the lines of Katie’s palm. Suddenly, she gasped and closed her eyes.

Lord. Katie thought, this crazy woman’s gonna have a heart attack. For what reason?

The Fate. She muffled a laugh and tried to look worried.

“Madame?”

“Poor, poor soul…

Wretched, wretched soul…” Madame Antoinette mumbled. She opened her heavy colored eyelids and turned her big eyes to Katie’s.

“The Fate has revealed a horrible thing, my d-dear,” tears filled her eyes, “You… you have pulled the… the…” she leaned closer, “The Boulder of Death.”

Katie was all smiles. “The Boulder of Death. Right.”

Madame Antoinette glared at her. “You do not take the Fate seriously.” She looked pityingly at her. “No, no. You must believe. You mustn’t turn a blind eye to your Fate. You have the Boulder of Death. It has been drawn.

You’re life will be taken in a very harsh way. My dear…”

Madame Antoinette placed a knife on the table. “End it peacefully. You won’t regret it.”

Katie backed away as she understood what she was being asked to do. “Wait; hold on, you want me to kill myself?”

“It is for the best. It is your Fate.” Madame Antoinette’s finger unconsciously traced

the handle of the knife. “It is time. Now.” “You’re—you’re crazy—I couldn’t—“ “Katie, Katie, you just don’t understand. You have to.”

Panic and anger were know building up in Katie.

“Don’t you tell me what to do.

You, you, you’re not my, my, mom! YOU’RE CRAZY!” Katie met Madame Antoinette’s steady stare with a glare. Suddenly, a chill went down her back. “How do you know my name?”

Madame Antoinette’s blood-red lips twisted into a smug smile. “That’s for me to know and for you to NEVER—“She had picked up the blade, and Katie saw it glint, “—find out.”

“Watch me, dear,” she sneered, “I can control you.”

The light mist that had been present earlier was now getting very thick. It was hard to see, and Katie started to panic. But in the fog was a mixture of very sweet-smelling scents which filled Katie’s nostrils. Despite herself, she found herself relaxing, and she was so very tired. Cool hands gripped her shoulders, but she didn’t care. “It’ll all be fine,” a voice breathed in her ear. “Just sit down—that’s it, very good— and hold your hands up, put your feet like this—good girl, just relax.” The words echoed into Katie’s head, and she found no reason to disobey them. The last thing she remembered before drifting off to sleep was the feeling of something sticky and tight encircling themselves around her wrists, and a faint ripping sound.

TWO HOURS LATER…

Katie woke with a jolt. Her heart was racing. She tried to put her hand up to her heart, but it wouldn’t move.

She opened her eyes but they were already open. She was taped completely down.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Little Red Riding Hood.”

She struggled against the tape. Her feet were completely immobile, as well as her arms, hands, and even her head. Defeated,

she slumped her shoulders, which didn’t make much of a difference, and worked on freeing her legs, which seemed to have the most hope.

“I told you I could control you. Check. I told you that you’d suffer a harsh death.

Check. Only thing left is to make you suffer that harsh death.”

Suddenly, her eyes were free. Blinded, Katie looked at the ground and tried to adjust. As soon as her mouth was free, she began wildly hollering for help.

“SOS! HELP! SOMEBODY, DOWN HERE! SOME CRAZY LADY TIED ME UP! HELP! SOS! HELP ME!!!”

But Madame Antoinette merely laughed. “Stupid girl!

The walls are soundproof.

Now, about ending that pitiful life of yours…”

“Please,” Katie pleaded, “What did I ever do to you?”

Madame Antoinette cackled. She was now wearing a pinstripe suit and black boots, half her makeup was gone, her hair, now brown, was short and free and her now black eyes were small and menacing. She seemed to have lost half her body weight.

“Children. Filthy, slimy, dirty, ignorant, children!” she snarled. “You contaminate this earth just by living. When I was a youth, we did as we were told, and that was a mere 30 years ago! You? You were walking proudly along this beautiful street, much worthier than you, and laughed in my face!”

“My plan?” she continued, “To eliminate every single child in the US. You are not the first, nor the last. You are precisely the 2,547th, believe it or not!”

“Now, to begin this favorable process of mine…

Name’s Amy Von Holden by the way…”

Katie suddenly burst out, “What would your family think? Killing children? What would they think of you?

Ruthless? Tyrannical? Evil?”

But Amy shrugged. “My mom supports me. My dad, he’s long gone. I wouldn’t care

anyway.”

“Your kids? Nephews?

Neices? Cousins? Friends?”

Katie said desperately.

Anything to kill time.

Anything to stall her, maybe even change her mind.

Amy sneered. “Trying to stall, eh? Well I tell you, I was never stupid enough to get married or have friends. I was an only child, and so were my parents, and so were their parents. Pretty fortunate, I am.”

“Please!” Katie sobbed. “I’ll do anything! Don’t kill me!”

Amy paused and Katie’s heart leaped. “I’ll cut you a deal. You lure other filthy creatures of your kind, children—“ she spat the word out, “—to me who’ll suffer what’s supposed to be your fate and I’ll spare you. How about it?”

A sudden bravery struck Katie, and she glared up at her tormentor. “Not in a thousand years, not for a thousand dollars.”

“Playing knight, eh?

Thinking that you’ll die noble? Actually, you’re going to die HARD! The same hazy smoke filled the air. This time Katie was ready for it. She fought it.

But it came in three times as thick, and soon she was under its spell.

She was safe. Nothing could harm her. A pleasant warm, tingly sensation filled her. She sighed happily.

“Stand up,” Commanded a voice. Katie obeyed. The tape fell like paper to the ground, ruined and useless. A knife was slipped into her waiting hand.

“You know what to do.

Now is the time.”

And Katie plunged the knife into her own heart.

1 DAY LATER… Alex found himself staring at a nearby vendor. “Welcome to Madame Antoinette’s Psychic-Reading!” said the sign. A funny-looking woman was sitting on a cushiony chair rather airily. When she spotted him, he was concealing his laughter at her dangly appearance.

“Come in! Come in! Your Fate awaits you…”

BOOK REVIEW Aaminah Farooq Staff Writer

“But Kat already knew about honor. She’d grown up with her own set of rules. And the first rule of Katarina Bishop’s family was simple: Don’t get caught.”

Katarina Bishop isn’t your average teenager.

Raised in a family of great thieves, it’s hard to be average. However, that’s all Kat wants to be: normal.

So she walks away from “the life” by conning her way into one of the best schools in the country. Too soon, however, she’s kicked out for a prank that she didn’t do. Who actually did it? Her best friend Hale, but he has a good reason.

Five priceless paintings

BHAPost

ENTERTAINMENT

January 2011

HeistbySociety Ally Carter have been stolen from the collection of a mobster named Arturo Taccone.

As described by Hale: “He’s a whole different kind of bad”. He believes Kat’s father has stolen his paintings, and he’s willing to do anything to get them back. Since her father is currently in a tough situation involving Interpol and a theft at a Parisian art gallery, it’s up to Kat to save her dad whether she likes it or not. She has a team of skilled teen thieves, her own talent, and only two weeks to pull off the biggest stint in her family’s questionable history, and that’s saying something.

Why did I choose this

The

Page 8

Rating: 4 bookmarks out of 5

book out of hundreds if not thousands of possibilities? It’s not the most meaningful or the most popular book of 2010.

I chose it because it was a fun, captivating book to read, and it taught me some lessons along the way.

The most important thing I learned from reading this book is that sometimes what everyone thinks is impossible is possible, if we only believe in ourselves that we can do it.

Aside from the morals, I also liked this book because of other factors.

The plot makes you sit on the edge of your seat and

keep turning the pages.

The way the thieves steal is so subtle; it’s an art. (Don’t be getting any ideas here!)

I also enjoyed the dialogue between characters; it was surprisingly very witty and even made me laugh at times. I especially loved the main character, Kat. For me, genuinely liking the protagonist is extremely rare, especially when it’s a girl. Despite these factors, I really appreciated Kat. She’s not like other female protagonists of young adult literature who can come off as weak and indecisive (you know who I’m talking about), she is independent, resourceful, and knows exactly what to

do and when to do it.

These are the reasons why I chose Heist Society to review, and the reasons why I think you should read it. Even if you aren’t a frequent reader and addicted to reading new books like me, I still think you should give this novel a try. It’s fun, light, and easy to understand and follow. Who knows, maybe you’ll like it. Just give it a chance. So, the question to ask yourself is: “To read or not to read? That is the question”.

REEL REVIEWS Maryam Elnashar Photographer & Staff Writer

imaginative girl, who loves her toys dearly and attends Sunnyside Daycare.

The toys’ adventures take them many places.

Woody gets separated from everyone. Buzz falls prey to Lotso and his lackeys, and gets switched to demo mode. Mr. Potatohead gets pecked by a bird. Mrs. Potato-head is without an eye for most of the movie. Barbie finds herself conflicted about her feelings for Ken. Jessie fears being forgotten again.

The Pizza Planet Aliens continue to express their fascination for The Claw.

Rex and Ham team up to bring Buzz back to his senses.

The animation’s vibrancies appeal to young children while the humor may also captivate an older

audience. Buzz’s Spanish mode definitely gave me a laugh, as well as the little puns. There are a few emotional scenes, like the toys fiery demise which was heart wrenching.

The movie encourages creative thinking.

It definitely shows kids expressing their imaginations at play.

I think imagination is something all kids should express freely and to hold on to for as long as possible.

Even though the adventures are and characters funny, there are lessons to be learned: the power of friendship and family, and learning to let go for the sake of others.

Throughout the move, the toys were always friends and did what they thought

Rating: 5 reels out of 5 was best for each other.

The movie also shows how letting go of something you love can be a good thing.

In the end, Andy makes the choice that benefits the toys, himself, and his friends. The ending is a happy one for the Toy Story series, leaving a smile on my face.

Toy Story 3 is a movie I wouldn’t mind watching over and over again; that will be sure to amuse me everytime.

ILLUSTRATION FROM DISNEY.GO.COM

We were all surprised when we first saw the trailer for Toy Story 3. This well-made animated movie features the continuing tales of Andy’s toys. As kids get older, they don’t play with their toys as much. This is the dilemma in which the toys find themselves. Andy’s going off to college, and the toys are unsure about their fate. Will they be trashed, donated, or sent to the attic indefinitely?

We do meet some new characters who play a great role in the movie.

There’s the toys, like, Ken and his dream house; Lotso, who reigns at Sunnyside Daycare; Trixy, the dinosaur; Big Baby; Chuckles the Clown, and Dolly, to name a few.

We also meet Bonnie, an

Toy Story 3

Coloring page is copyrighted material of Disney Enterprises, Inc. For more coloring pages and activities visit http://disney.go.com/toystory/#/activities

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