Welcome to Fall - Original!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

HALLOWEEN Poem by Pooja C, Gr 10

WHAT IN UNDER THE BED? Story by Grace M, Gr 5

CLOSET PORTAL Story by Grace M, Gr 5

PUMPKIN SPICE COOKIES Recipe by Autumn A, Gr 6

APPLE PIE Recipe by Khadija S, Gr 9

SOOJI HALWA Recipe by Khadija S, Gr 9 10 APPLE CRISP Recipe by Tiana V, Gr 6

PUMPKIN LATTE Prose by Autumn A, Gr 6

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POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE CONTENT

The following content may contain sensitive themes that are not suitable for all audiences We have curated 2 versions of the Burning Bright magazine: one for Kids and one for Young adults The Burning Bright magazine will be distributed electronically through ManageBac to all MDIS families, as well as students in Grades 8 12

Halloween

Written by Pooja

Chunnilall, Gr 10

Purple, black, orange and green. Fall brings the time for screams!

With chocolates and candies, its sugar galore, Leaving no time for boredom anymore.

Try staying up late to watch horror movies, And visiting places that are gloomy.

Halloween is for everyone. We hope you had a scary one!

Photo credits: Nikita (twitter) & Mollie (twitter)

TURTLE

“Good night, mom!” Isabella screeches from her bed “Night, sweets!” The so called ‘ mum ’ replies Her real name is Martha, but let’s not talk about that. I wait for a few more minutes before crawling out. I make a low beeping noise and wait for a scream. Nothing. Ok. She’s asleep. Time to move. As I exit, tentacle number four gets stuck in the slats under the bed and tentacle number eight gets stuck in the many boxes filled with dolls. I like playing with Isabella’s dolls. They always have very good stories to tell me. There’s this one doll, Marcie Linn, that is very good at dancing.

She always wears very big, multiple layered dresses. If you were to ask me, I would say that I think she’s from the 1800’s. Also, a couple of the dolls are good at moving things. Not with their hands. Their minds. They like to freak Isabella out when she wakes up by shifting her stuffed animals around so it looks like they moved They would move by themselves, but they can only talk. And blink. But that’s besides the point. Cammi (one of the dolls) helps me unstick my tentacles. I finally get out and raise to my full height Well, not really I have to bend over because Isabella only has 10 foot ceilings

By Grace Manning,

What in the Under Bed?

This short horror story details a young girl's adventures with the monster living under her bed. Do they wish to hurt her? Maybe help her? Find out, in this story!

That’s not even a quarter of my full height. But anyways, I slowly lift Isabella's bright blue blankets and pull Ben out of her hands I don’t know why she doesn’t understand

Isabella should know that his name is Ben, not Teddy, like she always calls him. Ben always tells EVERYONE his name when meeting someone new But she doesn’t listen I move Ben down to the foot of the bed and place him in between Meila, Sam, and Izzie, his wife and kids. I slowly bring tentacle number three and four under Isabella and lift her up. Ew. She’s drooling. I mean, it’s not that disgusting when you realize I shed a crazy amount of skin every week But, that’s not why I’m here I motion for someone to open the door and Marcie Linn dances over and pushes the button. Another horse-doll, Carrot, mushes the button for the trap door. A giant hole opens.

I am able to start the liquid with tentacle number five and I lift Isabella over the hole. “Martha, cue the music.” Martha automatically starts playing her built in violin and I give myself a countdown. 3. 2. 1. Go. I remove my tentacles from under Isabella and she falls into the hole

Art by Jeremiah Morelli

Isabella

“Good night, mom!” I yell “Goodnight, sweets!” Mom responds immediately I stare at the glowing stars on the ceiling. Tomorrow is Saturday. No school! I hear a small beep, but it’s probably just mom or dad getting water or something. I twist and turn, but I finally fall asleep after hearing another beep and grabbing my favorite stuffed animal In my dream, I was flying through a giant yellow tube for what felt like 3 miles, and then I fell when the tube ended I landed in a pool full of clouds It felt so wet and so real, and I sank to the bottom. Then, there was no more water, but all my dolls were there

It was scary being trapped, but it wasn’t scary at the same time I heard footsteps while I was laying at the bottom of this big pool and I looked around to see if it was someone in my dream It wasn’t Then a scream came from someone who sounded like mom. “OMG, WHERE IS ISABELLA?” Yep It’s definitely mom “ISABELLA, GET OUT FROM WHEREVER YOU’RE HIDING!?” I try to get up, but my limbs are stuck. I scream at the top of my lungs, but nobody hears me

I scream again as I slowly sink into the concrete floor My eyes suddenly shut closed and I screamed for the third time. This time, mom and dad hear me and come running in Mom is on the phone with someone, and mom urgently shouts into the phone, “Yes, that was her. She’s back, but where was she before?” A pause “Yeah ” Dad rushes towards me and picks me up before dropping me back. “Where were you? Why are you wet? What happened?”

Dad rambles. Mom hangs up and rushes over to me. She trips on something on the floor, and another one of those things catches her and pushes her back up. “Isabella? Didn’t I tell you to pick your toys up?” She says. “Wait, that wasn’t a toy. She looks down and screams.

TURTLE

Oh no. Oh no. This can’t be real. I have stayed hidden for all of Isabella's life 6 years! I can’t get caught now Well, too late to say that Martha has already seen me and is currently stomping on my tentacles It doesn’t hurt because I have no nerves in my tentacles Isabella’s dad (Marc) is screaming at me and throwing Isabella’s dolls at me.

I transform myself into a box as quickly as I can, and a hard outer shell comes over and covers me All noise is blocked out I can feel that I’m flying, then I suddenly lurch and a disgusting smell fills my nostrils.

I slowly melt my outer shell and rise up from my location. I’m in a trash can I wait for a little bit before climbing out I hear Martha, Marc, and Isabella in the dining room “But he’s my friend!” Isabella screeches. “Sweetheart, don’t. He picks you up and throws you into a tube that leads to who knows where?” Martha shouts back. I lean around the corner just enough to see them Marc stands up, pushing his chair to the ground “Isabella Marie Woodland!” He says sternly “We are getting rid of that purple thing!” A thought suddenly clicks into my brain like the last piece of a puzzle They’re getting rid of me!

I M A G E B Y M A R C O B U C C I To

Fantasy

CLOSET PORTAL

Story

This magical piece of fantasy lures the reader into a world where closets are portals into another world. If you found a portal, would you jump in? This story will be continued in the next issue, so stay tuned!

By Grace Manning, Gr 5

Nobody knows my secret. Except for Char, my 9 week old beagle I got him from the shelter just down the road But, um, yeah Only Char. I discovered it a week ago, completely by accident. And it happened during Halloween season, which freaked me out even more.

Here’s how it happened I was reading the best book ever, Frankenstein Because of the chilly fall weather, I decided to search my closet for some sweatpants and a sweatshirt. When I opened my closet door, my clothes were all there, just like normal. I reached for my sweatshirt. Normal. But when I grabbed it, it tugged on a string that I didn’t even know was there! Not normal But I just thought Whatever, it must be Marcie trying to prank me. Marcie is my older sister, who loves to prank me, especially during the spooky season (Halloween). I should've known better. Marcie hadn’t been home for the past 2 weeks because she was on a trip with her friends Not to mention I had worn this sweatshirt for the past 2 weeks without a string being pulled.

Anyway, back to the story. When the sweatshirt pulled the string, a huge wormhole opened. Before I knew it, it pulled me in.

TOTALLY not normal It let me fall very far downwards And I mean FAR When I hit the ground, I felt a jolt of pain and let out a cry.

Even my thick, fluffy sweatpants couldn’t break my fall. I saw weird blobs moving towards me, but then my eyesight cleared up and I saw them clearly. I realized that the weird people moving toward me were kids. Kids with long legs, light pale blue skin, and long, flowing, forest green hair. They looked my age, 13, but with longer and thinner proportions. Talk about awkward! They dressed like humans, but they didn't look like humans. With a shriek, I shut my eyes and wished with all my might to go home. Somehow, someway, I got teleported back home. shudder

But, yeah. Nobody knows about this insane turn of events. I haven't gone back into the wormhole since last week, which was the first time, but I can’t stop thinking about it! I almost failed my essay with the prompt Halloween because I couldn’t stop thinking about the weird creatures I met there Actually, now that I think about it, I could’ve based my essay on them They’re monsters, right? Anyway, I decided that this morning I would try and go back into the wormhole I need to figure out what happened! Mum thinks that I’ll be at Melissa’s house, carpooling with her, so that should give me time to go back in I opened my closet, and pulled out that same sweatshirt Nothing happened

I’ll keep trying though. UGH! None of the shirts work! Wait… there’s one more shirt. Er dress. It’s the most hideous dress ever.. It’s pink with gold and fluffy frill. Mum says it looks “adorable on me ” but uhm no way! I wore it once, and only once because I was forced to! I reluctantly tried pulling on it, and just like before, there was a string, then a wormhole wormhole YES! I quickly jumped in, feeling the same jolt of pain as before Oops I forgot about that part

I see the people again. Same long legs, same light pale blue complexion, and same long, flowing, forest green hair. They are in the same spot they were last time and, because of how quickly they move, they are right next to me. I screamed as they picked me up and pushed me onto a tire swing that was hanging on a nearby tree.. Screaming, I flail my arms and legs, as they push me into the tire, and somehow, back home.

All of the sudden, I’m transported back home and I’m in front of my closet. That freaked me out. Like, imagine this. You’re pulling a dress out of your closet and you fall into this giant portal! I thought about the past events for a while before getting ready for school The morning flew by in a blur, and all I remember is being at lunch with my BEST FRIEND, Lily, “Charlotte, are you okay?” she asked “You seemed kinda zonked out this morning ” “I’ve been thinking about something going on at home.” I responded. Me and Lily share a moment of silence before,“CHARLOTTE!”

Lily whisper screamed. “WHAT LILY?!?!” I screamed back. “Your dress!!” I looked at my brand new, $90, beautiful, pale blue school uniform, now stained with grape juice. Wait, it looks like the silhouette of that blue monster thing in my closet!

“OH MY GOD!'' I said, now panicking. “Mum’s gonna kill me!!!” A couple minutes later, and a good wash later, it looked like I had peed my pants, but you know what? No more grape juice!

Now, in math, I was staring out the window (classic me) and suddenly, the normally bright blue sky turned gray, and this weird portal opened up in the sky and weird figures started landing around our school Suddenly, I gasped Did nobody else notice? Because then everyone turned to look at me, and I hurriedly explained. “Those things… they were in my closet… and, and…” Everyone turned their attention to the window and gasped. Their heads suddenly snapped back to the door as our normally neat and proper classroom was entered and torn apart by hundreds of the blue figures.

We were suddenly teleported to a place that I remembered from somewhere. Was it a field trip? No… I gasped again, that one slightly more positive. Once again, everyone stared at me. “I think I can tell the future!” I screamed. Instead of laughing at me like I expected, they just stared at me with confused faces. “ I was here before!” I said, finally understanding. “We have to jump in that tire!” I pointed in the distance, remembering what happened earlier. “Why not?” A kid named Marc said. “We don’t have any better ideas do we?”

Since Marc was really popular, everyone started running in the direction that I remember the tire swing being. There were tons of spiders devouring pumpkins that covered the path. The alien like things chased us, and boy, they were fast! But not as fast as tigers! We saw blue tigers, and I had the totally amazing idea of riding them. Everyone stared at me once again, probably because we couldn’t trust the color blue anymore. We still tried it though, and we got to the tire swing at five times the speed it would have taken us to run. “JUMP IN EVERYONE!”

TO BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT ISSUE

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves in a medium sized bowl

In a large bowl or electric mixer, combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy Turn the mixer down to low and beat in the vanilla, egg, and pumpkin Slowly add in the flour mixture *Reminder: The dough will be quite sticky so don’t worry if your dough looks weird Cover the dough bowl in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (2 days maximum) When refrigeration is complete, remove the dough from the fridge and continue to the next step!

In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar for the coating Form the dough into balls about 1.5 tablespoons in size. Roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture and flatten them a little bit Place the cookies on your cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between each cookie Bake for 8 10 minutes or until the tops are about set Stick a toothpick into the center to make sure it’s fully cooked. If not, put it back in for another 2 minutes or as much time is needed Remove when cooked and enjoy!

Apple Pie Recipe

By Khadija Sattar, Gr 9

Sometimes, you just can't beat a warm apple pie This easy to follow recipe will guide you through your apple pie dreams!

INGREDIENTS

7 granny smith apples

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons butter 1 pillsbury pie sheets 1 glass pie pan

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

Take your butter and chop it into small pieces

Peel and thinly slice the granny smith apples

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, vanilla extract, cinnamon powder, butter, and apples; this will serve as your pie filling

Line your pie plate with the bottom crust and gently spoon the filling into it

Top the pie with the second crust and pinch the edges of the crusts together

Cut any slit or design into the top crust (4 5 slits)

Place pie into oven and bake for about one hour, until the crust is golden brown and the apples are tender

Cool and serve! Enjoy!

BY KHADIJA SATTAR, GR 9

Take butter and, in a small pot, melt it on low heat

Take the cardamom and gently smash them into smaller pieces

Combine the cardamom and butter and let it cook on low heat until you can smell the cardamom in the butter

Take your semolina/sooji (dry measure) and add to the butter and cardamom mixture Stir continuously and let cook until golden brown Add water and sugar to the mixture

Let simmer on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes until it solidifies Stir occasionally!

If you want, you can top with nuts or shredded coconut!

Apple Crisp Recipe DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 375°F. Grease bottom and sides of 8 inch square pan with shortening.

Spread apples in your pan. In a medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients except cream until well mixed; sprinkle over apples.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the apples are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm with cream.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

As fall begins, we all drift into the feeling of a pumpkin spice latte. The cool breeze, puffy clouds, and intermittent rain showers resemble whipped cream lightly dusted with cinnamon. Light as air, the tranquility of the climate whisks us away like leaves dancing across the concrete. The crunch of the leaves beneath our feet gives a sharp satisfaction, like allspice tingling on your tastebuds. A single sip transports you into a late afternoon of daydreaming under a colorful tree. Streaks of scarlet and marigold shimmer like jewels under the sun. The warm rays of sunshine are like that perfect sip, a hug for your soul. All stressful feelings slip away like nutmeg settling at the bottom of a mug.

La llamada de Teresa

Written by Mr C

Vivo sin vivir en mi; muero porque no muero

Muchos no lo conocen, Pero es la llamada de Teresa, Una frase que siempre suena en mi cabeza

Son palabras que no me traigan felicidad, ni tristeza; En vez, me da fortaleza

La vida es como una flor, Se viene y se va

Pero para vivir sin morir, No es justo

En vez, vive tu vida como fuera muerto, Hagas que nos da gusto

Vive tu vida como fuera un sueño, aunque estoy despierto durante que yo duermo Recuerda las palabras de Teresa, cuando estés perdido y confundido

Vivo sin vivir en mi; muero porque no muero

Credit to Muhammed Salah

I live without living in me; I die because I do not die

Many do not know it, But it is the call of Teresa, A phrase that always rings in my mind They are words that bring me neither happiness, nor sadness; Instead, they give me strength

Life is like a flower, It comes and it goes

But to live without dying, Is not right

Instead, live your life as if you were dead, Do what gives you pleasure

Live your life as if it were a dream, Though I am awake while I sleep

Remember Teresa's words, when you are lost and confused

I live without living in me; I die because I do not die

Thisisasmallsectionthatis dedicatedtooneteachereach month,andforourfirstissue,we’re talkingaboutMYP DPteacher,Mrs. Mosella!

Teacher Spotlight

Mrs BreinnyMosella,aSTEMteacheratMDIS,hasbeenteachingfor7years;thelastfour yearsbeingspenthere Shefindsgreatjoyinteaching,havingeventaughtadultsinher previous IT career, but her favorite thing to teach is the STEM curriculum! For her, watching a student go from, “I can’t do coding, I stink at it,” to “Wait, I can actually do that!”isthemostmemorablepartofherjob.Afterall,agoodteacherhelpsandguides studentstoovercomehurdles,andshowsthemwhatthey’recapableof.

Mrs Mosella joined MDIS in 2018 because she loved Mrs Ghosh’s idea of an internationally minded school, and has since gone on to teach robotics, computer science, and even math at MDIS! But she is not limited to just those subjects; she remarksthat“ifMrs Ghoshweretowalkinandaskhertoteachphysics,”shewouldbe up for the challenge! After all, just like a poster that hangs in her classroom reads, ‘ALL knowledge is attainable.’ When asked, she said, “If you ' re willing to invest time, I don’t thinkthere'sanythingyoucan'tdo.”She’snotafraidtolearnnewthingsandteachnew things,provingshetrulypersonifiestheIBlearnerprofile,‘risk taker.’

Another quote that is hung up in her room, that she lives by, is “Be the good you want to see in the world.” Mrs. Mosella is very thoughtful about how her actions and words contribute to the good in this world She discussed how kindness cangoalongway “onenicewordcanchange someone’s whole day,” and how she hopes thatherstudentsareinspiredtothinkthesame. Mrs.Mosellacreditedherrolemodel,hermother for these qualities. As she remembers, her mother was a very kind, caring, and thoughtful person, who taught her to work hard and to be perseverant

Mrs. Mosella has even taught NAVY pilots jet maintenance.

A story that came to her mind when asked about her mother was an anecdote from one of her friends “One of my friends had just married a young doctor, who was away often, and so she was alone for Christmas My mother invited her over for Christmas andevencrochetedagiftforher.Shetoldmelateronthatthismadeherfeelincluded andloved.”

And just like her mother influenced her in a positive way, she wishes to pass the favor and encourage her students to act on good intentions. Academically, she wishes that her students would develop a passion for what they’re studying Enjoying what you’re learning and developing a fuel for it, is one of the best ways to succeed in it As for temporallife,shewishesthatherstudentswouldfigurethemselvesout,andbethebest version of themselves. “Being cool and trendy isn’t gonna always fit you, so figure out whoyouare!”

OCD & ANXIETY

Written by Jenissa Sam, Gr 5

OCD and anxiety are 2 examples of mental disorders that everyday people face. Disorders like these affect people differently, and spreading awareness is one of the best ways to help Society tends to underestimate OCD’s and anxiety's effect on people's health Many ignore the fact that mental health is a serious issue and that it can cause a lot of suffering, even later on in life. From school stress to family expectations, teenagers are the most affected age group. The mental health discussion is one that more people need to join. Even you can help! You can educate yourself more on OCD and anxiety, join discussions about mental health, encourage and help people who are struggling with their mental health and educate others about this

Let’s talk about OCD first. OCD, or “obsessive compulsive disorder” is a very common mental disorder, and there are more than 200,000 cases per year in the US alone. This disorder features a pattern of unwanted thoughts and fears or obsessions that lead the person to have repetitive behaviors. The general age that OCD develops is in a person's adolescent years. In some cases, it only lasts for a few years but in other cases, it can be chronic and lifelong. Though OCD is not a curable disorder, it can be treated

There are many causes of OCD, some of which include genetics, intense stress, and poor environments. Someone diagnosed with OCD often struggles with uncontrollable fears, acts of violence against loved ones, and aggressive and horrific thoughts. These thoughts and actions are not intended by the person, but are simply a product of the disorder. When in young children, there are also signs of resistance to change, excessive hygiene (like washing your hands too often), the need for constant reassurance, and most famously, the need for order or perfection. Awareness of OCD is very important to avoid misunderstanding those affected by it.

Another one of the most common mental disorders, is anxiety with there being over 3 million cases per year in the US alone. In a report from the NIH, it was discovered that women are twice as likely than men to have anxiety. Some symptoms are persistent worry and fear that can interfere with a person’s daily activities

Other signs include heavy breathing, overthinking, restlessness, and most prominently, panic or anxiety attacks. This can cause anger issues and a rapid heart rate that can greatly affect one’s physical health. On a lesser known scale, it can cause unexplainable aches, fatigue and sleep problems The general peak age for anxiety is in a person’s teenage years.

Anxiety can be caused by school pressure, family expectations, past trauma (especially from a young age), genetics, trust issues, and more. It can also come from multiple causes at once. It is important to understand that everyday anxiety is not the same as disordered anxiety. Disordered anxiety is anxiety on a level where the person’s everyday life is deeply affected, while everyday anxiety is a short term reaction to something Although it is widespread there are treatments that can be done to help.

It’s important to make sure that people don’t judge or create one set idea of what anxiety and OCD are. Another thing about them that everyone should be aware of is that they cannot be turned off or shut down. The mental health stigma is real, and it is so important that we help break it. Awareness of these disorders, and more, is very important! Remember that you can help, even in small ways “Even if you don’t understand what a person is going through, even if you don’t understand why, just be kind, because you never know who you can help with even a small word.”

Love > Dimension 3

Whenever I miss you and the ache within my soul becomes too much to bear

I close my eyes and go within my heart and just breathe Until that is the only sound left in my ears

I shift my mindset from one of separation to one of connection

I remember we are one

I choose to see all that you are in everything around me

You are the ground beneath my feet supporting me I take off my shoes to feel you closer

the sun that warms my face the song the birds sing you are in everything

You are the breath within my body I inhale you deeply into my cells

You are the sun that warms my face The breeze that moves the trees The song the birds sing

You are in everything

Together again, Returning joy is light in my very being My soul rises and soars amongst the stars

I am one with you and all that is My missing you becomes just another expression of how much

I truly love you

We are one

Written By Mrs. Mosella

Credit to Diana Altenburg

Meet Our SGA!

SGA is a group of dedicated individuals who have made a commitment to help our school community flourish They are the reason many of our events are possible, and, starting this year, the school has included four more grades (1st - 4th grades) in the Student Government Association. MDIS has made three collections of grades to separate the types of SGA. There is the PYP (1st 5th) SGA, the MYP (6th 8th) and DP (9 12) SGA. They join two times a month at minimum to discuss fun activities (example: a contest of some sort) and charitable events (example: helping endangered animals) for the school!

PYP SGA is currently working on creating (and then narrowing down) significant, unique ideas for future events. They are in charge of the activities for the PYP grade levels. They hope to leave their mark and help grades one through five for the better. Some activities they have in mind include an end of the year celebration, Secret Santa within grades, class interactions, and much more The most recent event they have planned and will be happening soon is a bakesale for the PYP, MYP, and DP grade levels. 100% of the profits from this bake sale will go towards helping the homeless, so keep an eye out for the bake sale posters that will be up soon!

MYP/DP SGA is already jumping ahead of expectations and planning a Winter formal for the MYP grade levels! In fact, student Noba Amanuel says with excitement about this dance “DP had our dance, it’s time that MYP has theirs ” The SGA is also planning a winter themed carnival, trying to bring back and improve the snack shack, have more field trips, and much much more! The SGA are very hard workers who strive to positively influence MDIS and help motivate future SGA candidates. Many SGA members are very enthusiastic about their opportunities to help better our school You can help the SGA by giving them suggestions, participating in fundraisers or events, and listening for announcements

In the following interviews, we will show you how passionate the SGA is about their great chance to help MDIS improve.

Written by Keiran Ward, Gr

Interview with Autumn Aje

QUESTION: What’s your goal for SGA this year?

AUTUMN: “My goal of SGA this year is to present more new/fresh ideas to make the school a more enjoyable place (not saying that it’s not already a decent experience). I think through more fun and less academic activities we can build stronger friendships within the school.”

QUESTION: Which Learner Profile relates to your personality the most, and why?

AUTUMN: “Well, according to my classmates, I’m very empathetic and adventurous. I’d say I’m the example of a risk taker and a caring person. I kinda feel like being with my class has taught me to embrace all parts of myself, but those are the ones I’d probably highlight the most.”

QUESTION: Why did you join SGA?

AUTUMN: “Well, that’s a big question Initially, my mom wanted me to do it, because she was encouraging me to take risks and try new things Originally, I did not want to do it, until I saw what I was getting into When I realized this was an opportunity to express both me and my classmates’ ideas to the school, I was really excited Then, the process began to get fun When I won the election, I gained a new sense of confidence I guess I figured out that deep down, I’ve always had a desire to help people speak their mind, and show the world (in this case, the school) what they’re made of, and what they can come up with Being in SGA has helped me pursue that dream ”

Interview with Abbie Sandoval

QUESTION: Who encouraged you to join SGA? If nobody, then how did you drive yourself?

ABBIE: “I feel like what encouraged me were my classmates I feel this way because from the beginning I always said, ‘oh I'm going to run for SGA president.’ It was always an idea that was never mine to accomplish so that encouraged me a lot to try something new. I felt like through this role as president, I have the ability to be able to help many people and just to be there for them.”

QUESTION: Which Learner Profile relates to your personality the most, and why?

ABBIE: “In my opinion, I am a risk-taker and caring. The reason for those Learner Profiles is that through caring, I see an ability to communicate with others in a way that's very sympathetic. I’ve always liked helping others and I find much joy in it Trying something new without expecting or knowing what will happen is something I've done a lot As for running as president, that’s a risk I decided to take. I did not regret it at all.”

QUESTION: Which ATL skill do you think is most helpful in SGA and why?

ABBIE: “So, one of the ATLs I think is very helpful in SGA is Social Skills Having social skills is possessing the ability to understand everyone. And, it allows the SGA members to be able to be on the same level. Having that allows us to work in communion better and to help others in a more understandable way. ”

Interview with Kayla Bowie

QUESTION: Did you join SGA last year? Did it influence you to join this year?

KAYLA: “I had joined SGA last year and wanted to be VP. Last year, they created a spot, a historian, for me. So, I decided to run again. I chose to run to represent my student body to have a say in the activities of my school community.”

QUESTION: Which Learner Profile relates to your personality the most, and why?

KAYLA: “Caring and balanced because this year, I’m juggling working, participating in clubs (theater) and balancing my grades as well. I value the ideas of my classmates and student body and advocate for them when needed.”

QUESTION: Which ATL skill do you think is most helpful in SGA and why?

KAYLA: “Communication, definitely. Communication skills play a vital role in SGA. We have to communicate not only with our peers but also with Ms. Donoghue and other executive members and leaders of the school to solidify our plans and get them approved Communication also helps us ensure everybody is on the same page and knows what plans are happening and the details of them.”

WETOO WILL

A chilly breeze blows through the deep, red, woods,

Ushering in another gentle wave of falling leaves

The sweet echoed melodies of the robins flying high above,

Announce the beginning of October Here’s to nature whispering a final goodbye

The crisp leaves, now dancing in the wind, Gliding above the dew-kissed earth, Are proof of the beauty of letting things go,

Of falling down and getting back up. They are hope that every dying leaf we mourn, Will bring the spring blossoms that we adore That only if we can let go of today, Can we welcome tomorrow with open arms

Fall has done her part, Letting go of the old to make way for the new. And now her raindrops slowly knock on our windows, Her hands paint the trees with every shade of warmth, Her gold, she scatters all over the land, Her voice calls out through the cool night wind

Looking for someone, Anyone, To follow her lead, To learn from the world around us

Just like she falls apart, only to pick herself back up,

We too must. Just like she embraces change without complaint, We too must. And just like nature moves on, We too must. For then, just like the earth blooms on that bright spring day,

We too will.

Photo credit lumaralstudio com

Written by Joanna Sam, Gr 9

Perhaps it never occurred to Daisy, as she crossed over the roads connecting the final sweeps of the neighborhood down to her house, that her life had just changed for good, that everything from the past two months would blur before her, despite her attempts to be self aware. Perhaps it never occurred to her that she would feel so lonely after all that happened or that she would feel as though she was viewing everything from inside a snow globe, an ideal reality that she could only glimpse at in wonder, never being a part of it.

School hadn't gone well today. Early in the morning, around 8 o 'clock, two girls had been fighting over something that could probably only discern as teenage dissent And, although Daisy couldn't care much about the argument, the gathering of spectators had made it very difficult for her to navigate the endless corridors and head to class On top of that, she hadn't done well on a project for her English class. The teacher had remarked that she could easily submit another version and receive a higher grade, which gave her some hope but didn't entirely uplift what low spirit she usually had.

She flowed through the ensuing paths like water, quickly going through posts and mailboxes and houses and everything as she pleased, and couldn't help but feel as though this may be her only pleasure in life; passing everything by, only encapsulating a fleeting moment in everyone ' s eyes

By Mahdia Arshad, Gr 10

Autumn & Almost Artistic Adventures

This short story follows a girl as she discovers the beauty of Autumn!

She didn't have much time to dwell on those thoughts as she neared her house, gently setting her foot down next to the bike racks before hopping up and positioning the bicycle After grabbing her bag, Daisy creaked open her apartment door, suddenly vastly aware of how isolated everything had become, before shaking her shoes off and heading to the kitchen.

It certainly felt like autumn, like the world had begun to peel back on its coatings of warmth and joy and only leave room for the beginning of bare frostiness. Orange and yellow garlands illustrated many trees and fields around her and the leaves gently floated onto the ground. As she looked, she saw excited kids jumping into leaf piles, people setting Halloween decorations outside their houses, and an occasional couple sitting and talking under a cafe's umbrella; Daisy couldn't help but smile at the sight of it all.

Daisy always loved autumn, as it gave her an excuse to stock up on as many mystery romance novels as she could, never read them, and instead stroll through the city, acting as though she was a character of great mystery and curious despair. This time, however, she had been that figure of sorrow

by Khadija Sattar, Gr

It’s October, and we all know what that means Halloween is finally here; the time where anyone, anywhere can dress up as ghastly and as creepily as they want We get to tell and hear scary stories about monstrous creatures that, in the grand scheme of things, are better off fictional. One of the most infamous and scary stories is ‘Frankenstein’ When you hear that name, the spitting image of the living dead enters your mind A tall, bloody, green monster with stitches holding together every part of its body. Something that can only be described as your worst nightmare

But who is responsible for creating the monster that would grow to be a symbol of Halloween around the world? The answer: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley; the author of the original Frankenstein Though she wrote many other books, Frankenstein, which was published in 1818, is her most famous book and is considered one of the earliest works of science fiction Shelley’s difficult childhood and home life can often be seen reflected in her dark writing

Shelley’s mother died when she was young, leaving her alone with her half sister Fanny Imlay and her father Shelley grew up lonely and isolated, and her situation only worsened when her father married Mary Jane Clairmont Clairmont viewed Shelley as less than her own children, and because of this, Shelley was never given a formal education. Her coping mechanisms were reading and writing, and she buried herself in books, stories, and her imagination as an escape from reality

Fast forward a little bit Shelley married a poet and, much to the disappointment of her father, the two left England along with her step sister Jane The trio was traveling with Lord Byron and a few friends when it was suggested that they all try writing their own horror stories. Shelley’s story was about a mad scientist named Victor Frankenstein who in his grief and sorrow, used pieces of once dead people to bring a monster to life Thus was the beginning of Frankenstein. Throughout this dark work of science fiction, the reader can see how Shelley's experiences impacted her writing One of the main themes in this book was love and loss, especially among family and friends Another main theme is the boundary between life and death, which we can see Shelley struggled with in the death of her mother and suicide of her sister

Mary Shelley serves as a great role model for many Though she struggled with so much in her life, she stuck with what made her happy and always found some positivity in her life. Aside from this, Shelley used her novel as a way to challenge the structure of our world and get people to think about how society makes people feel outcasted and lonely simply for being different.

So, dear readers, the next time you hear about Mary Shelley’s story, take a minute to think about how this monster would feel if he knew that he was used as a symbol of fear, simply for being different

"Something Wicked" is What They Say

Written by Mr Russell

Darkness falls and shutters slam shut Shut SHUT

“It’s here!”, the villagers cry. What do they know about crying about tears There’s more to me than tears into wet, red flesh

Do I define them by their garbage diet

Didn’t that hamburger cow cry once too? So you lost a child We all need to eat

You mock me when it’s cold Rubber masks of my face begging for candy in plastic bags While I yearn for a friend

I do long to know you but also to rip you apart

So I try to stay away to not be something wicked But why lie?

Photo credits: Alena Aenami & Tumblr

Thantophobia

By Khadija Sattar, Gr 9

15 year old Ivy Johnson kneeled on the floor of her dusty, spider filled attic in front of an old box. The sound of rain penetrated the silence of the peaceful night. Inside the box was a glass orb with purple fog inside Even though her mother, Mara, had told her not to touch it, Ivy picked up the orb and walked to her tiny bedroom, placing it on her desk After staring at it for about 10 minutes, Ivy decided it wasn't anything cool and climbed into bed, closing her eyes She was really hoping she wouldn't dream because usually, her dreams involved her greatest fear

A scream burst through the air as Ivy rolled out of her bed in the middle of the night, sweaty and crying. This had been one of the worst dreams yet. a mother had been in the kitchen when a steak knife suddenly flew across the room and stabbed her in the leg. There had been blood everywhere, and it took Ivy a few minutes to realize it was only a dream. After washing her face, she wrapped herself in a blanket and fell asleep, the screams of her mother still echoing in her head.

Ivy awoke to the sound of sirens outside her house. She ran out of her room and practically fell down the stairs in sheer terror. The first thing she saw as she burst into the kitchen was her mother, lying on the floor in a pool of blood. There it was, the hilt of a steak knife sticking out of her mothers leg. Ivy screamed, tumbling backwards into the counter. She watched in silence as the ambulance drove her mother away.

Her mother was discharged two weeks later and Ivy hadn’t dreamed since the accident. No one knew about her dream and she planned to keep it that way. The same night, Ivy had another dream. This time, her mother put her hand on the hot stove and couldn't move it. The next evening, her mother was cooking dinner when suddenly her hand flew to the stove, the scent of burning flesh filling the air

After calling 911, Ivy ran upstairs in a panic and began packing She immediately called her friend Sara and asked if she could stay at her place for a few days After watching the ambulance take her mother away for the second time, Ivy got into her car and drove to Sara’s She was there for three days, but on the third night, she had another dream This time, her mother went blind by poking her eyes repeatedly. The next day, Ivy's dream came true.

Ivy left Sara’s house with a plan. If she didn't sleep for a week, maybe the dreams would stop. She was able to follow through with this, but on the 6th night, she dreamed. Little did she know this would be the last dream she had for the rest of her life. Ivy dreamed that a robber broke into her house and shot her mother, killing her. She sobbed the rest of the night, knowing she wouldn't have a mother for much longer. Sure enough, the next day, her nightmare came true.

ACTIVITIES

Here is a crossword and a wordsearch, with a few more works of the budding artists at MDIS!

By Mikaal Mustafa, Gr 6

F A N T A S Y H O R R O R S T O R Y

HORNS & FANGS

By Mr Russell & Isaac Schwartz (Gr 6)Photographs from Pinterest

A big, fat, moon hung low in the sky, shining onto the monster world as it did every night. Werewolves often forgot what their human personas were like, but teenage Wolfie couldn’t stop thinking about the rumor of humans existing in another realm He was thankful that slower monsters were around for him to chomp on as dinner; every night was a feast. But to meet, and maybe eat, a human?! Wow, talk about that! It would make him the most popular guy in high school! Like he smugly growled to his buddies, Fangs, Hornzo, and Rotter, “There’s nobody cooler than us, guys ”

Easier said than believed.

Later that night (it never was day), the four gruesome dudes were hanging out in Wolfie’s basement when Hornzo (the Japanese demon known as an Oni), who was stomping around eating a fried fingers meal from the fast food joint, Murder King, started to yell.

“Murder? Cannibalize? Get complimented for my awesome fangs, tusks, and horns? Check, check, and check! But be feared as a ferocious demon? Make everyone tremble in their wake? Get a date? Nah, man, Wolife. Don’t tell us there’s nobody cooler ” Hornzo gnawed on a particularly tasty kraken knuckle and wondered if every Friday night of high school was going to be the same.

“Hornzo, what did I tell you about fried food from Murder King? You’ll get pimples, man. You’ve got to eat organic like we vampires do!” Fangs, the vamp champ, admonished him.

Fangs was ever so smooth and the best dresser of the group. He of course got dates, but his thirst for blood meant he was labeled as a ‘first and last date’ kind of guy at Dracademy (vampires DID fund the opening of the school after all…….and never let any other monsters forget about it).

Still, he always showed up at funerals with black roses, being the Gothic romantic. “What about trying to find human movies again on the dark web? We almost lucked out last time,” he suggested

“I think anything human is a big ol’ lie!” Rotter the zombie yelled, although he had lost part of his throat and jaw in a TikTok bouncy castle “zombie chomp” challenge, so the fact that they understood him at all was incredible “And if humans were real, what kind of movies would they make that would interest us anyway? It’s not like they know about monsters!”

“Rotter, the contents of a garbage can do more thinking than that dusty old lump you call a brain. And I DO think humans are real!” Fangs swept his cloak dramatically around his thin shoulders and cracked open a fresh blood soda.

“Yeesh, you guys! Stop bickering. I’ll look for human movies again. Maybe this time we’ll see one The Dark Web shouldn’t be so hard to navigate for dark dudes! I’m not so stressed though. You know that witch gal from my Necromancy 101 class? The one with the crush on me? I stole this from her bag!” Wolfie held up a delicate page covered with erratic black ink “It’s a transporting spell to another realm Isn’t that cool?”

Fangs laughed. “When she finds out, you’ll end up like me, only having one date!

Wolfie sulked. “I’m not trying to eat her. I just get bored of Spookytown. Every night all I do is run through the woods, kill weaker monsters, go to school, do homework, battle for dominance with my pack, hang out with you guys, and complain that nothing is ever cool enough.”

“Which you ’ re doing right now, ” Hornzo snapped, annoyed “Come on, look up a human movie I bet you they’re real. I hear they don’t have fangs or horns! Wild, huh?”

“And they still get dates?!” Fangs was shocked.

Wolfie jumped online and started pounding at his scratched up keyboard They hadn’t had any luck yet finding proof of human existence, but rumors around school were constant enough for the gang to think that weird, non threatening, fangless, no horned creatures were out there Who wouldn’t want to know what they were like?

A website they had never seen popped up. Netflix.

“I don’t like nets,” Wolfie muttered. No animal did.

Hornzo, Fangs, and Rotter gasped There they were! Humans! Tons of pictures of them in little rectangles! They were real!

“What does romantic comedy mean?” Hornzo asked. No one knew.

“They look so bizarre”, Rotter said with a tone of disgust His rotted left eyeball started to fall out again, but he pushed it back in without even noticing.

“Look at them smile! With no fangs! Are they meant to be frightening?!” Fangs hopped around excitedly, absentmindedly turning into a bat, then back to his vampire form again, making half of what he said sound like a sonic screech.

“Dudes, we have to check out one of these movies! See what the humans are like!” Wolfie finally started feeling cool

“Romantic comedy!”Hornzo chortled with excitement, some old blood spitting up on the computer monitor.

So, for the next ninety minutes the monster buddies watched the strangest film they had ever seen No monsters, no murders, no endless nighttime, not a fang or horn in sight. People on dates drinking coffee, not blood! What were these humans like in real life, they all wondered.

“The stolen spell from the witch! We can transport to the human land! We will be the coolest beasts at school if we do!” Rotter suddenly yelled, speaking clearer than he had in ages. A pinky finger broke off in his excitement, but who cared!

The four buddies made a tight circle while Fangs, the president of the Dead Drama Club at Dracademy, read the incantation with panache and flair Vamp kids got special treatment at their school, even if they denied it Hallway lockers the size of coffins?! Werewolves were lucky to have the kennel by the Sickly Science Lab. Anyway, a luminous green smoke storm enveloped them and before they knew it, they were off to another realm, another plane, another existence entirely

They arrived in cold, midnight suburbia, which they were now familiar with due to their appreciation of human films on Netflix, but why were there tiny monsters here in the human realm? They had never seen monsters this small since they were in first grade. And they were oddly squealing while holding bags that were conspicuously empty of bodies or body parts And they had such a euphoric and excited demeanor without a dead body in sight. Fangs personally thought they had drunk a little too much blood, but that was him, and to be fair, the only thing he really thought about was how to get more blood and new prank ideas A ragged looking banner taped to a house proclaimed “Happy Halloween!” What was Halloween? This looked more like Spookytown than they had anticipated.

“Okay. One question, why are these monsters so little? And how did they beat us here? I thought there were only humans here.” said a very surprised and confused Hornzo

“Maybe there are humans in the oddly non bloody houses? Let’s check there.” said Rotter unsure.

And so, the four demonic friends walked to the nearest house, confused by the constant amount of squealing coming from the oddly small monsters They had to wait in line in which no one cut, and no one was sharpening their claws. Weird. Wolfie queried a mini monster about this odd situation to which the tiny demon replied, “It’s Halloween, silly. Everyone’s a monster today ” Which made the entire group confused more than before, including the usual genius Rotter.

When they reached the front of the line they were asked where they got their costumes from and if they were new neighbors and promptly responded that these were not costumes and no they were not. The human simply winked and then shrieked quite entertainingly as Hornzo lost his patience and cleanly cut the man ’ s finger with his spiked club The man sucked the blood from his finger, which greatly disappointed a thirsty Fangs, and then he proceeded to refuse to give them candy, which didn’t have the intended effect on the monsters as they simply left the house and scared some of the mini monsters on their way out

A mini monster was so sad that he somehow tore off his face and started crying

The monsters had to admit they were impressed by the pain tolerance of this one. And then all of the others started to do the same and Wolfie promptly said, “I believe that’s our cue to leave.” Fangs took the moment to quote his drama idol, Wailing Fangspeare, saying “To die or not to die ” for which no reason was outlined and was likely just to impress another fan if one was watching the scene. As you can probably guess by now, Fangs was the oddest of the group, which was saying a lot

As they walked through the town, aimlessly searching for something to entertain them, almost using the witches spell to get back, Rotter saw a place full of books which he quite enjoyed and a stunning woman inside signing some of them A sign above the doors said “Meet Mary Shelley, The New Wizard Behind The New Horror Title Frankenstein”. They had heard of a Frankenstein and loved the word horror, so they waited in yet another line in which they were complimented on their costumes

As they walked through the town, aimlessly searching for something to entertain them, almost using the witches spell to get back, Rotter saw a place full of books which he quite enjoyed and a stunning woman inside signing some of them

A sign above the doors said “Meet Mary Shelley, The New Wizard Behind The New Horror Title Frankenstein”. They had heard of a Frankenstein and loved the word horror, so they waited in yet another line in which they were complimented on their costumes.

When they got to the front of the line the woman (whom they assumed was Mary Shelley) sized them up and smiled She stuck her hand out and winked, saying “meet me after everyone leaves ” Wolfie winked back and she blushed. The group sat down on some comfy chairs.

After everyone left she looked around and discreetly asked them, “ are you real monsters or is this some FBI hologram hoax or something?”

Wolfie flashed a characteristically roguish grin and smoothly replied, “Last time I checked we were real.”

She rolled her eyes and said smugly, “prove it ” Wolfie nodded to Hornzo, who smashed a desk with his hand. Fangs stopped the desk from splitting apart with his inherent arcane abilities just before the wood chips would have hit her face. He then released his control and they clattered to the ground

“Well then Follow me ” She said and motioned for them to follow her. They started walking while Fangs set the wood back in its place. She took the group to a dingy basement that looked like something out of the cop shows the teens had seen of humans

Wolfie let out an excited and happy howl Mary Shelley looked at him and grinned. “And I thought Frankenstein’s creature was electric!”

Finally, in the human realm, they were cool! ***

“What are you guys doing right now? I’m having a crazy Halloween party at this underground club called The Skull Inn. Only the most exclusive ghouls and girls get to go. ” Mary bragged

“Well,” Fangs said, feeling oh so the top bat, “of course we have to be there. After all, we are clearly the only real monsters around here!”

“For now. Frankenstein might be back in town soon but that’s a different story Anyway you need to get dressed I think I might just have a couple things that will work, something from old Frank’s pile of clothes that I got for him.” Mary said and then went to work pulling out outfits and miscellaneous things that she thought would work

By the time she was done they looked formal but not like presidents. I mean have you ever seen a monster president? I would hope not.

They pulled up to the party in a rented limousine, all glamour and sparkles and claws The other guests were surprised yet impressed, and some being fashion icons knew that this time of year any party was a Halloween party.

They got inside and danced in the monster way to new human hits, which they had to admit had their merits

They met fashion moguls, artists, admirers of Mary’s work, her peers, musicians, and basically the Hollywood crowd. And when Mary called them up for the show of the night, things got even better

They walked to the stage and on Mary’s cue, tore off their masquerade masks. Each of them did something to prove they were monsters. Hornzo smashed concrete, Rotter ate a brain of a deceased rabbit (he’s too nice to eat a live one ’s), Fangs summoned his pet bat on his shoulder which he petted affectionately, and Wolfie let out a howl so loud that people in the next town over were probably scared.

The crowd loved them They spent the rest of the party answering questions, doing informal interviews, and having an enviable amount of fun.

At last when the party died down they announced their leaving and went back to Mary’s place to decide what to do now

“I think it’s time for us to go. ” said Rotter, an eye lolling around in his skull.

“Can I just go to see your world, pleeeease,” said Mary, eyes more catlike than the wear cheetah they knew at home

“That works,” said Wolfie, flashing a charismatic grin.

The guys chanted the transporting spell, Mary holding tight onto Wolfie’s big paw as smoke whipped all around them and everyone felt like their molecules were starting to be whipped in a blender.

When they arrived, Mary pecked Wolfie on the cheek and they said their goodbyes Suddenly the witch Wolfie had stolen the spell from leaped from the bushes, murder flashing in her eyes!

“Mary Shelley, I hereby curse you with the power of Avandrasax to never return to this realm!” she yelled with a fury that can only be described as all consuming A murder of crows in the distance were disturbed.

“I love you Wolfie! Ever since that first day in Sickly Science class when you ate my formaldehyde pig that I was supposed to experiment on, I still loved you ” she said desperately, in a pleading tone

“Listen, witch…..” Mary started in, but with a quick poof of pink smoke she was turned into a pile of the cheapest and worst Halloween candy that even a human child would be offended by All four monster dudes backed away with bad memories of trick or treating on the human realm.

The witch teen smiled a green smile, took Wolfie by the paw, and they all walked off into the night Who needed a celebrity when you had your best buds and a magic gal by your side?

BURNING BRIGHT

Thank you for reading! We hope you enjoyed our first issue, and we wish to see you again soon!

Ifyouwanttoreachouttous,feel freetocontacteitherKhadijaSattar orMrRussell!

Love, The Burning Bright Team, Maryland International School, Elkridge, MD